Sure, Pakistan is not a perfect country and things could be better, but chances are, the situation could have been much worse. For example, Mr. Donald Trump, the possible Republican nominee for the Presidential elections in USA, has new found infamy all over the world thanks to his remarks about ‘building a wall’ to keep Mexicans out and to block Muslims from entering the USA. Leaders like this exist all over the world, in all corners of the world and in all shapes and sizes.
Here’s a look at some of the craziest leaders around the world, and their rather outrageous pronouncements:
1. Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan made it a law for everyone in his country to memorize the book he wrote
Saparmurat Niyazov ruled the central Asian country of Turkmenistan from 1985 till his death in 2006. Apart from naming months and days after himself and his family, President Niyazov wrote his own own book and everyone had to buy and memorize the book to keep their jobs and it was compulsory for getting a driver’s license. Oh, since Turkmenistan is a Muslim country, Saparmurat also ordered the book be given same status as the Holy Quran.
2. Idi Amin of Uganda made it a law to say his complete title, which was more than 40 words long.
Idi Amin Dada had a brutal rule and was alleged to have been responsible for nearly 30,000 deaths. Idi Amin was an unconventional leader, and he ordered to be always called by his full title, ‘His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular’. Try saying that one three times, very quickly.
3. Jefri Bolkiah spent $24 billion of Brunei taxpayer money on buying women
Corruption is a familiar word in Pakistan, but what politicians and bureaucrats have allegedly embezzled cannot hold a candle to Prince Jefri , the Sultan’s brother who spent $ 14 billion on cars, hotels, women and a fleet of questionably named yachts. The royal family is now fighting a case against Jefri for the embezzlement.
4. Roman Emperor Caligula elected his horse as a senator and built a luxurious stable for him
Caligula of Rome waged war against the Roman god of oceans, Poseidon and had Roman soldiers randomly throw spears into the ocean. Caligula’s claim to fame was his appointment of a horse he was very fond of, Incitatus, as senator. He made a stable, completely out of marble and had amenities many can only dream of, like luxury benches, a collar of precious stones and a daily diet of oats mixed with gold flakes. How senator Incitatus handled political affairs has yet to be determined.
5. Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia thought he had cured AIDS in the whole world with a herbal medicine
Yahya Jammeh has been in power of The Gambia since 1994, and he claimed that he can cure AIDS and HIV with traditional herbal medicine, and launched a countrywide program to treat the disease. Surprisingly the international community did not believe AIDS could be cured through herbal medicine even though the President claimed that people undergoing his program were ‘cured’ and didn’t carry the virus in their systems, anymore.
6. Jean Bedel of Central African Republic insisted on dressing like a fairy tale king while carrying out the state business
President Jean Bedel Bokassa liked to dress in lavish Disney inspired crown and a long cloak. He ‘crowned’ himself emperor of Central African Repulic in a lavish $20 million coronation that sunk his country’s economy. But all of that pales in comparison to the allegation that he indulged in cannibalism i.e. he had a taste for human meat.
7. ‘Mad’ Mustafa of the Ottoman Empire lost his sanity and appointed a farmer who he met only once as a high ranking governor
Mad Mustafa may sound like a badass rock star but it was believed that Mustafa was mentally handicapped thus the title of ‘Mad’. During his reign he was insane enough to replace a high ranking official with a farmer who once offered him a drink. No doubt it was a kind gesture, but matters of politics are not dealt with if you were offered a drink or not.
8. President of Eritrea let his people die during a famine than give them foreign food aid
President of Eritrea, Isais Afewerki is rather obsessed with self sufficiency to the point of nearly killing his people. When a famine hit Eritrea as recent as 2009, the president refused foreign food aid and his ambassador to EU said, “foreign food aid demonizes the local people and makes them lazy”.
9. Rafeal ‘El Jefe’ Trujillo appointed his three year old as a colonel for Dominican Republic
President of Dominican Republic appointed his son 3 years old as the colonel in the army and nominated his near illiterate wife for the Nobel prize for literature. He ordered all the churches of his country to include the phrase, “Dios en cielo, Trujillo en tierra” which translates to, “God in Heaven, Trujillo on Earth”.
10. Mobutu Sese Seko exiled everyone with non-African names out of Congo and asked for only his own name to be mentioned on national TV
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (yes, ye aik banday ka hi naam hai saara) ruled over Congo and ordered everyone with non-African names to leave the country. He banned wearing of Leopard print hats, and wanted news channels to mention only him name.
11. Abdala Bucaram of Ecuador ditched running the country to further his music career
Sporting a Hitler-stash, and nicknamed El Loco (the madman), Bucaram used his part time job as president of Ecuador to advance his music career, he released an album ‘A madman in love’ and had his close buddies and family run the country with him.
Here’s a video of one of El Loco songs… just in case you were wondering.
12. Haiti’s president Duvalier believed his voodoo magic caused world’s major events
Francois Duvalier emphasized that it was his voodoo magic that got JFK killed. When he fell ill, he chose a successor till he got better, and then he blamed the successor for conspiring against him. Duvalier believed that his successor had transformed into a dog and thus ordered all black dogs in the country to be shot.
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