Here in India, people are talking of why Nawaz made Shahbaz Prime Minister? Why couldn't Nawaz clinch the post for which he had flown all the way from the United Kingdom? Rumours link the change to China's President Xi Jinping who raised the redflag. There are also reports that Nawaz is paying for past dalliances, notably the one with renowned Pakistani singer Tahira Syed. Their romance during Sharif's tenure as Prime Minister has now come back to bite Nawaz, particularly due to its impact on Tahira's marriage to lawyer Naeem Bukhari.

Apparently, there is also the enduring legacy of Tahira's mother, the legendary singer Malika Pukhraj, which is having a bearing on Nawaz's present. Since none of Tahira or Naeem's children pursued singing, Malika's legacy is poised to have no successor after Tahira. Malika Pukhraj (2004-2012) was famous. Nicknamed "The Queen", she was loved for her songs like Abhi Tau Main Jawan Hoon. Born into a musical family, she impressed the Maharaja of Jammu Hari Singh with her voice and became a singer in his Durbar at the age of nine, where she stayed for next nine years.

Post-Partition, she migrated to Pakistan and gained even more fame through radio performances. She received awards from both Pakistan and India. Some of her most popular songs include Abhi Tau Main Jawan Hoon, Lo Phir Basant Aaii, Piya Baaj Piyala Piya Jaey Na, and Mere Qatil Mere Dildar Mere Paas Raho. Tahira Syed, Malika Pukhraj's daughter, is also a ghazal and folk singer. Born in Lahore in 1958, she inherited her love for music from her mother. Her popular songs include Yeh Alam Shauq Ka Dekhana Jaey, Chanjar Phabdi Na Mutiar Bina, and the iconic Abhi Tau Main JawanHoun, originally sung by her mother.

Tahira Syed married lawyer Naeem Bokhari and the marriage lasted 15 years, until 1990. Neither of her children, son Hasnain and daughter Kiran, followed her path into the world of music. Both Hasnain and Kiran chose careers in Law. Naeem Bokhari is also a lawyer in addition to being a television personality, who once chaired Pakistan Television Corporation.

Naeem is known for a controversial letter that led to the dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. In 2016, Bokhari formally joined Imran Khan’s PTI. He married Tamannah Khan Bokhari in 1995. They have a son together named Abbas who is following in his father's footsteps and pursuing a law career. He has a Bachelor's degree in law from Pakistan and is working towards his BAR qualification in the UK.

Nawaz Sharif's early political career began with personal setbacks as his family's steel business was nationalized under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's government. This led Nawaz to enter politics in 1976, initially focusing on regaining control of the steel plants. He joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), primarily based in Punjab.

During the 1980s, Nawaz aligned himself with General Zia-ul-Haq's military government, advocating for the denationalization and deregulation of industries, particularly the steel industry which was returned to him. His policies as finance minister of Punjab focused on privatizing government-owned industries and presenting development-oriented budgets, leading to increased financial capital, improved standard of living, and law and order in Punjab. This contributed to the extension of Khan's rule, as Punjab received more federal funding, albeit leading to economic inequality.

Nawaz invested his wealth in rebuilding his steel empire, primarily in Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Arab countries. His animosity towards Bhutto persisted even after Bhutto's death, as Nawaz publicly refused to forgive Bhutto or the Pakistan People’s Party for the loss of his steel empire. Returning to the present, Jinping's response to Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang's extramarital affair reveals what he dislikes in political leaders.

The intricate interplay of personal and political dynamics is exemplified by the case of Qin Gang, whose extramarital affair and subsequent dismissal shed light on the stringent expectations placed upon political leaders. Qin's downfall unfolded against the backdrop of strained US-China relations, with his affair and the resultant child born in the United States posing potential diplomatic vulnerabilities for China.

This incident underscores the meticulous scrutiny to which political figures are subjected, ultimately culminating in Qin's replacement by Wang Yi—a seasoned diplomat entrusted with navigating the complexities of international relations on behalf of China. Does it give any indication why yesteryear’s heartthrob Imran Khan is behind the bars? (IPA Service)