The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shah Abdul Halim

(From previous issue)

The meeting in the Iqbal Academy Pakistan was fruitful. We discussed how to strengthen Iqbal Academy Bangladesh and the need to induct Iqbal scholars from the Department of Urdu and Department of Persian, Dhaka University in the Trustee Board of Iqbal Academy Bangladesh. I suggested Irshad ul Mujeeb Sheikh to take translation project for publication of the various works of Iqbal into Bengali. I suggested him to take up such a project with estimated cost of translation and publication. I recommended that while preparing the translation project, they have to mention the qualifications of the translators and editors so that only qualified people are entrusted with the responsibility.

I mentioned that it is Dr. Abdul Wahed who has kept the memory of Iqbal somewhat fresh among a section of the litterateurs and also among general people of Bangladesh and I requested Irshad ul Mujeeb Sheikh to cooperate with Dr. Abdul Wahed in every possible way.

I also requested Irshad ul Mujeeb Sheikh to explore the possibility of establishing a cultural centre in Bangladesh by the Government of Pakistan under the purview of already existing cultural agreement between Bangladesh and Pakistan and make a massive display of the books of Iqbal and papers of Quaid- i- Azam and Muslim League. Irshad ul Mujeeb Sheikh told me that he would prepare a note based on our discussion and place it before Muhammad Suheyl Umar, Director of Iqbal Academy Pakistan and try to do whatever is possible.

I left Lahore for Karachi by Pakistan Railways 16 D.N. Karachi Express on 14 July 2008. The train left Lahore at 7.00 p.m. one hour late then the scheduled time. It was supposed to reach next day, 15 July 2008 at I p.m. But it was late by several hours and reached Karachi at 5 p.m.

Since no booking of the first class coach in the Pakistan Railways was available, Protocol Officer Hafez Muhammad Abdullah booked an economy coach. I had no idea that the economy coach is without air-condition. I thought it would be difficult to travel such a long distance, approximately 1200 kilometers, in such hot temperature - 38 degree Celsius. I asked the porter if he could upgrade my ticket. These people normally maintain some secret link with the Railway Guard and I thought the porter might be of help. Anyway Protocol Officer Hafez Muhammad Abdullah and the porter were able to upgrade the ticket and they arrived five-six minutes before the departure of the train with upgraded ticket for which I had to pay additional Pakistani Rs. 500.00 to the porter in addition to what the Pakistan Railways charged. We rushed to the assigned buggy number 13 and found that it was reserved entirely for the women. The Ticket Clerk there was very rude asked us to go the Railway Guard for necessary correction. We had no time for going to the Railway Guard for the train will leave within four-five minutes. I asked him to help me anyway being a Muslim brother from another country and on persuasion he changed the buggy number to 14 and I was somehow been able to enter the train air-condition coach number 14. Due to the worry over getting an upgraded ticket I became tense and thirsty and requested Protocol Officer Hafez Muhammad Abdullah if he could help me and bring a bottle of cool drinking water. He was kind and brought me the needed water. The train by that time had started moving on whistle from the Railway Guard. I said to Protocol Officer Hafez Muhammad Abdullah goodbye and requested him to always remember me in his prayers and embraced each other. I am grateful to Hafez Muhammad Abdullah for everything he had done to make my stay and movement in Lahore comfortable. He was always active to make available whatever I needed. May Allah give him the best rewards.

After Protocol Officer Hafez Muhammad Abdullah left I discovered that I was given a sitting chair in the corridor of the air-condition train and not a sleeping coach. Anyway I managed to put my legs on the suitcase and traveled to Karachi.

Before moving to the train air-conditions coach number 14, I was waiting in the economy section of the train for sometime. There I have seen ladies in full Nikab while the temperature is 38 degree Celsius. I thought that was enough for women observing Hijab. But then extra cloth was used to make the women's area a separate section, a watertight compartment. I remember in my country Bangladesh in fifties women used Burka with full Nikab, covered head to toe and the eye covered with nets like ladies in Afghanistan and they were yet encircled by extra cloth when traveling by rickshaw.

In the train the Railway Ticket Clerk and later the Railway Guard were distributing still vacant sleeping coaches to those in the sitting chairs in the corridor of the train. I requested them twice but failed to draw their attention and sympathy although I am a foreigner from a brotherly Muslim country. This may be for the fact that I don't know the underhand dealings. Protocol Officer Hafez Muhammad Abdullah also did not get the first class air-condition sleeping coach initially for the same reason I believe. The porter who arranged an upgraded ticket seemed to me better conversant with the secret art of underhand negotiations.

I was alone in the sitting coach in the corridor of the air-condition train. In my back at some distance there were two ladies and in the front in the far off there were two or three gentlemen. So there was no away to talk to them, exchange views and learn about the situation in Pakistan. More importantly, I was traveling alone and there was none close by whom I could request to look after my luggage, a suitcase and a briefcase containing passport, air-ticket and other important papers and I found it difficult to go the toilet. I was thirsty and there was no way to collect water or tea. In the middle of the night I asked someone if tea is available in the train. I was talking to myself how to get tea. An old gentleman knowing English was offering Salah in the corridor of the train. He was in the sleeping coach with his family. At the end of the Salah he came forward and offered me tea and cakes. After Salatul Fazr at about 5.30 a.m. 15 July 2008 the train stopped at Rohri Station and the vendors were moving selling tea and other items. I purchased two cups of tea with milk, very good tea, at a cost of Rs. 20.00. The cost seemed to me very high compared to Bangladesh keeping in view that Pakistani Rupee and Bangladesh Taka are equal in value viz a viz U.S. Dollar. I was afraid of purchasing other food items scared of being contaminated by a disease. This was the first time I purchased something to eat or drink during my visit to Pakistan. In the rest of the visit my host always arranged my food.

Sarfaraz Ali from the sleeping coach joined me at 7.30 a.m. He is a banker working in HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd., Lahore. He was traveling to Karachi to attend the marriage of a relative. Now I got a chance to exchange views. My loneliness from now on was over. We discussed about situation in Pakistan He purchased some food and shared it with me. The young banker was born in 1973. His father worked in PIA in sixties. Sarfaraz Ali himself raised the issue of division of Pakistan in 1971.

He said that his father had visited Dhaka once or twice, but did never stay in Dhaka. He said that his father told him that people of East Pakistan now Bangladesh used to "hate" the people of West Pakistan, now Pakistan at that time. Sarfaraz Ali told me that he wants to know the truth of the matter and if I could explain in the real facts since I was in Dhaka at that time.

I raised the issue of Lal Masjid killing in Islamabad and said the innocent people of the Lal Masjid, old, women and children could be saved if they were encircled for a few days. They would have surrendered when the food stocks were exhausted. But that General Parvez Musharraf and Pakistan army could not give up the theory of settling matters by using brute force. Therefore they destroyed whole dormitory by dynamite.

One of the lessons of 1971 debacle, I told young Sarfaraz Ali, is that you will never find a peaceful solution to any problem as long as you keep the military option open. The other lesson is that politicians must act in a responsible manner and must not play with the emotions of the people and the rulers must not exploit regions within a country for the benefit of other and must not deprive people of its legitimate economic and political rights. I asked Sarfaraz Ali to work sincerely to build a strong Pakistan and be sure that they don't fall on the U.S. trap.

I reached Karachi at 5.00 p.m. on 15 July 2008. Earlier from Lahore I sent cell messages to Muhammad Husain Mehanti, my host in Karachi to send Ashraf Ali, my colleague in the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh who is now settled in Pakistan to the Karachi Railway Station to receive me.

I also talked to Ashraf Ali over telephone from Islamabad and requested him to immediately establish contact with Adam Ali and Aftab who earlier worked with me in the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh and now settled in Karachi and from Lahore I sent cell message to Ashraf Ali to receive me at the Karachi Railway Station.

Brother Ashraf Ali, Protocol Officer Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti and other brothers received me at the Karachi Railway Station. I found that there is no change in Ashraf Ali except that he has become old and his beard has become longer than it was before.

I decided to stay the first night at the residence of Ashraf Ali. I put my luggage at his residence and rushed to meet Adam Ali. Adam Ali was driver in the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh. He is now 80 years or more.

His left side is paralyzed and he had several cardiac attacks. Seeing me Adam Ali started weeping and recalled that I employed him in the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka which really I forget. I gave him some money so that he could use it for his treatment.

The purpose of my visit to Karachi was to meet Bihari Khala. In 1958 we used to stay in Bashaboo, Dhaka side by side. Since then our two families developed affinity. Bihari Khala developed likeness for my mother although much younger than my mother. This family was uprooted from their house in Bashaboo, Dhaka in 1971 where they could not return till they left for Karachi in 1988.

I reached the residence of Bihari Khala at about 10.00 p.m. Only after reaching their home I could come to know that Bihari Khala died in 1991 and her eldest son Aftab who worked in the security section of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh died of kidney failure only fifty days earlier. He has left behind his young wife and two little daughters. Aslam, the second son of Bihari Khala and Khalu have also not yet returned home from their jobs.

I kissed all the children, the grandchildren of Bihari Khala and also kissed Moina, the daughter of Bihari Khala in the forehead. I came to know from Moina that Raushan, the eldest daughter of Bihari Khala who was married in India also had died and they have lost contact with that family. Moina was asking to know the welfare of my brothers and sisters by their nick name. She was asking: How is Hira Bhai, Nihar Apa, Nargis Apa, Nazma Apa, Mukul Bhai, Flowra, Khokon. They also came to know of the death of my mother and two sisters from me.

(To be continued)