Islamabad: He is the President of Pakistan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistani Army and as if his hands weren't full enough with dealing with terrorism and peace talks General Pervez Musharraf has taken on the role of a marketing professional in order to sell his autobiography.
In The Line of Fire will be launched in New York on September 25 and Musharraf, who is currently touring the United States, is hoping that the launch will be befitting a President.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will be among the international dignitaries who will attend the launch function. New York-based publisher Simon and Schuster, which has reportedly paid Musharraf a million dollars as advance, is ensuring that the book gets the maximum publicity.
Ahead of the book's launch, Musharraf will appear on some of the most watched TV shows in America. He will be interviewed on NBC. The President will also make an appearance on Comedy Central's Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
He will also be interviewed on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, which is heard through local affiliates around the US.
Keeping up with his commando image, the title of Musharraf's autobiography is borrowed from the Clint Eastwood movie In the Line of Fire.
Musharraf would be the first serving Pakistani Army Chief and President to publish his autobiography. Such a venture was attempted by Field Marshal Ayub Khan but only after he was unseated from power.
Musharraf's book will counter the biography of deposed PM Nawaz Sharif, who was unseated by Musharraf and who has accused the general of plotting the Kargil conflict without obtaining permission from the government.
Musharraf's book, ghost written by his long term friend mediperson Humayun Gohar, has already evoked enthusiasm in Pakistan as several shops displayed boards asking people to reserve copies. It was not clear whether the book would be available here on September 25 itself.
Clrisa Hays, who is in charge of publicity at Simon and Schuster, said that Pakistani correspondents based in the US would have to go through the book’s Pakistani publisher to obtain a copy.
"It is for the Pakistani publisher to sort it all out," Hays said.
Advance copies of the book have obviously been made available to the programmes on which the President is going to be interviewed, the newspaper reported.
Musharraf, who arrived in New York from Havana on Sunday, was approached by the Pakistani media for an advanced copy but he asked them to wait.
The book costs $18.48 on Amazon—not too many Pakistanis can afford that.
(with inputs from PTI)
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