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Truth Always Prevails: A Memoir (2014)

by Sadruddin Hashwani(Favorite Author)

4.02 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0670085227 (ISBN13: 9780670085224)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Penguin/Portfolio Publications

review 1: Year: 1983. It was 11.30 pm. Sadruddin Hashwani got a call. “There is a chaos in disco!” GM of Marriott Hotel Karachi was on the other side, “We’ve had a fight between two men and their groups…guns and firing.”Hashwani ordered GM to use guards and kick those fellows out. Later, it turned out that one of the men involved in fight was Asif Ali Zardari. The same man who later became husband of the Prime Minister, and eventually, President of Pakistan.This is an excerpt from “Truth Always Prevails,” a memoir by Sadruddin Hashwani. Hashwani is a prominent businessman in Pakistan, who runs the country’s largest hotel operations. The book narrates his journey from humble beginnings to overwhelming success. But even more than that, the book reveals his struggle a... moregainst corrupt politicians, and uncooperative government officials. Hashwani says Asif Ali Zardari took it as a commercial opportunity, when his wife became Prime Minister of Pakistan. And because of hotel incident, Zardari held a grudge against Hashwani.One day Zardari called him. He wanted to buy some of Hashwani’s land. Hashwani offered to sell that land at purchase price (even though the value had shot up in the years). When Zardari came to finalize the deal, Hashwani says he could tell Zardari wanted that land for free. Plot to killCorps commander Karachi, General Asif Nawaz called him in his office to tell a very disturbing thing. Two noted criminals, Qureshi and Laghari, were released from prison, contracted to abduct and kill Sadruddin Hashwani. Orders of their release came from Islamabad, the capital. He was to be abducted, forced to sign papers giving away his properties, and killed.Worried and frightened Hashwani left country with his family.Naughtiness continuedDuring Benazir’s second term, Zardari continued with his naughtiness. Government invited offers to build a new five-star hotel in Karachi. Hashwani also bade for it. A few days later, he got a telephone call from Zardari, who wanted to give the hotel project to his friend Tufail alias Tony Shaikh. Hashwani understood the message and withdrew his bid.A dismissive Zardari Once Zardari travelled to several countries with his PM wife. Hashwani asked him to relate experience of meeting with international leaders. Zardari’s reply: “They are all stupid and below average… No understanding of ground realities.”A smiling ZardariWhen Zardari became President, a British journalist told Hashwani, “For a man whose country is in crisis and who’s lost his wife in awful tragedy only a few months ago, he certainly seems to smile a lot.”Back with old tricksAccording to Hashwani, President Zardari was back to his old tricks, and started running presidency like a cartel. So, there were attempts on Hashwani’s life. His house was set on fire. His office was burned, and his hotel in Peshawar was subject of a bomb attack. And this time, Zardari had an alibi – he could blame all disturbances to ‘terrorism.’Attempts to his life continued, and one day, Hashwani’s hotel in Islamabad, the Marriott, was attacked with an explosive-laden truck. 1000 kg of RDX was used. Hashwani wonders that Islamabad Marriott hotel is located at a high-security zone. The Parliament, the Supreme Court, the President’s and Prime Minister’s residence – all are located close by. It is not an area where you can simply drive around for the sake of it. So it was odd that a whole truck, packed with explosives reached there without being stopped. The truck was apparently escorted by a car. A strange fireAfter 1000 kg of explosives were exploded, another strange thing happened. Fires broke out in rooms on the fourth and fifth floors of the hotel building. But those flames were blue in colour, indicating that those fires were caused by chemicals.An official callAnd then a senior government official called Hashwani. “You must tell the media that the President was intended to be the target of the bombing.” Zardari and his office told international media that he was scheduled to have dinner at the Marriott, and the bombing had been planned to kill him.Minister’s investigationThe same night, the then interior minister, Rehman Malik, invited Hashwani to tea.While having tea, Hashwani wondered aloud, “Who did this?” “Obviously Baitullah Mehsud.” Came a prompt reply by Rehman Malik.Hashwani was surprised. How did the minister know so quickly, within five hours?Could Hashwani ignore the signs? Of course he could not. So he shifted overseas, only to return when Zardari was no more president.The memoir is blunt, and offers an insight into corrupt political culture of Pakistan. For a journalist, the book is full of explosive news.
review 2: A highly captivating and a simply unputdownable account of Sadruddin Hashwani's long and roller-coaster life. Easily one of the best autobiographies I have ever read.The book takes its actual start from the very start of Mr Hashwani's blood lineage and then builds up on it in a very interesting manner. The very first chapter of the book sets its pace which remains with it till the very end.The start-up part of the book, the one that highlights Mr. Hashwani's initial taste with self-employment and entrepreneurship in a predominantly influential corporate structure of the country, is absolutely an amazing and a lesson giving portion. There is simply enough for everyone to take something from that part. That, without any doubt, remains my favourite part in the bookIf a line has to be drawn in the book, dissecting it in two halves, it should be drawn between the pre-Zia and the post-Zia period. The pre-Zia half is not only less violent to Mr. Hashwani personally, but in the book it also keeps a constant smile on face while reading it. It is more rich in terms of the ethics, corporate strategies and values the man lives by.The post-Zia era is comparatively more violent, as it has personally been to Mr. Hashwani, and Pakistan as well of course. But what remains amazingly constant is the book's fast pace. It just never lets you get bored. Interesting life instances one after another, crazy anecdotes and hell lot of personal experience keeps you pretty much intact with the book.It get's a tad more pacy and a little shallow in the chapter that narrates Mr. Hashwani's life in Musharraf era. That was the only bit of the book that flew-off without offering much.The accounts at times, to a common mind, may seem a little superficial, but what must be remembered is that the book is about a person who has actually achieved extraordinary things in life.Nevertheless, the book is as blunt it could get, it openly names a few names, and offers a lot of insights into the rotten political structure of Pakistan. An amazing read overall, and a great book to have in your shelves. A must-read I would say. I now await the next book Mr. Hashwani authors (as he promises at the end of this one) as there is so much the man has to offer in terms of life-learned experiences to everyone, specially the youth of Pakistan. less

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