Interestingly, not only the original English version but an Urdu translation by the renowned journalist Rauf Klasra is also in demand, said a salesman at the Variety Book Store in Liberty square. This translation was published in 2015. Mujtaba, another salesman at the store, shared gleefully that a detailed discussion by a TV host Aftab Iqbal about the novel in one of his programmes also ignited the thirst for novel among readers.
One retired bureaucrat, meanwhile, offered online version of the novel to this scribe which he had downloaded a week back. It may be noted that in the opening paragraph of April 20 judgement, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa maintains as follows: "The popular 1969 novel 'The Godfather' by Mario Puzo the violent tale of a Mafia family and the epigraph selected by the author was fascinating: Behind every great fortune there is a crime. - Balzac"
The honourable judge carries on: "The novel was a popular sensation which was made into acclaimed film. It is believed that this epigraph was inspired by a sentence that was written by Honoré de Balzac and its original version in French reads as follows: Le secret ges grandes fortunes sans cause apparenteest un crime oublié, parce qu'il a été proprement fait. (The secret of great success for which you are at loss to account is a crime that has never been found out, because it properly executed.) It is ironical and sheer coincidence that the present case revolves around that very sentence attributed to Balzac as through Constitution Petition No. 29 of 2016 it has been alleged by the petitioner namely Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, Chairman of a political party namely Tehreek-e-Insaf, that while holding high public office in the State of Pakistan over a stretched period of time respondent No 1 namely Nawaz Sharif, the incumbent Prime Minister of Pakistan, and through his immediate family has amassed huge wealth and assets which have been acquired through means which were illegal and unfair, practices which were unlawful and corrupt and exercise of public authority which was misused and abused."
A survey of the prominent stores in town found out a surge in demand for the novel after the verdict. A salesman at the Readings book store said the novel was sought after like a hot cake right after the verdict. "We were selling 40 to 50 copies per week and yet we have a long list of those demanding a copy immediately."
He said demand for the novel can be gauged from the fact that even the stationary stores have put the novel on display. Muhammad Basit, an FC College student, said he bought a copy from Iqbal book depot in Gulberg after failing to get it from Readings. Tauseef, another salesman at Mavara book centre on The Mall said a good number of customers were visiting the store for Urdu translation on daily basis. "But we have no more copies in stock," he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017