The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shah Abdul Halim

(From previous issue)

My mother died on 17 May 2008 and I thought if I could meet Bihari Khala it would like meeting my mother. That was not to be as Allah decided otherwise. It was already 11.30 p.m. Brother Ashraf Ali and the driver were insisting that we must leave. Widows do not normally come in front of others unless waiting period is over. I told Moina to call the wife of Aftab. I am not her brother-in-law but a brother. So the widowed wife of Aftab came. I advised my sister to have patience and Allah will help. I gave some money to the daughters of Aftab which I took for Bihari Khala and handed over a token money to Moina to purchase sweets for the children. I then left with Brother Ashraf Ali although my mind remained with them.

Brother Ashraf Ali with cane in hand now looks older than 20 years before when he was in Dhaka. Only two months back his wife died. His daughters are all married and two sons are also employed, one a school teacher and the other working in an export oriented garment manufacturing industry. Both the sons are married and have children. He has built a moderately good house.

When he was leaving Dhaka, I asked him why you are leaving Dhaka where you are living since the days of your grandfather. Brother Ashraf Ali replied that his family has now got divided into three countries- India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and he wants to see his family settled in one city. The other reasons for which Ashraf Ali decided to leave Dhaka was that he thought he would not be able to get his daughters married to suitable boys being an Urdu speaking Bihari. I realized the depth of his sentiments. Indeed every father wants to see his daughters married to good boys. We therefore arranged to transfer his service from Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh to Saudi Consulate Karachi.

In the absence of Bhavi, the daughter-in-law prepared good dishes. I offered Salatul Esha late and in the night Brother Ashraf Ali and I recollected our good old days.

On the morning of 16 July 2008 I moved to the Rest House Qasre Naz in the Garden Area of Karachi. Qasre Naz is the Rest House for Legislators of Pakistan. Others can stay in this Rest House if a request is made by a Legislator and in my case Senator Prof. Khurshid Ahmad did all that was required for my accommodation in Qasre Naz. I stayed in an air-condition room with two beds, big enough.

The first thing I decided to do on the morning of 16 July 2008 is to obtain Exit Permit from Special Branch, Karachi Police. Followed by Protocol Officer Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti I went to Special Branch, Karachi Police at 10.00 a.m. The Government Office in Karachi begins at 9.00.a.m. But I had to wait until 11.00 a.m. because the Police officer who signs the Exit Permit did not turn up. Police everywhere is trouble maker. The Islamabad Police for nothing killed my time during registration and now in Karachi they were asking unnecessary questions as to why I did not take the Exit Permit from Islamabad. Anyway after much persuasion by me and later by the Protocol Officer Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti I could obtain the Exit Permit to leave Karachi for Dhaka.

I then visited the Office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Along with Protocol Officer Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti I reached PIA Office at about 12.00 a.m. for reconfirmation of the air-ticket. The PIA seems to be well organized and in no time they reconfirmed my ticket and now I have to travel to Dhaka on 18 July 2008.

I met Brother Muhammad Husain Mehanti, my host in Karachi, at about 1.00 p.m. and had a brief discussion. Subsequently I had three hours long meeting with him and other brothers in Karachi, 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. followed by dinner. He is in charge of the movement in Karachi.

The people working in the media section, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saeed Usmani are very friendly and hospitable. I passed with them more than three hours from, from 1.30 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. and in between took lunch and offered Salatul Zahur. I found Saeed Usmani highly informed, analytical, bold enough to express views and a person not ready to give up independence. The people working in the media section are very critical. I sat with brothers of media section several times and we discussed situation in Pakistan and Bangladesh and U.S.-India agenda.

I went to offer Fatiha at the Mazar of Quaid-i-Azam and other leaders at about 5.00 p.m. I also visited the adjacent museum on Quaid-i-Azam. At the Mazar the illiterate and poor man keeping shoes of the visitors of the Mazar against the payment of Pakistani Rs.2.00 asked me whether it was proper to divide the country in 1971. I asked him if he realizes that I love and respect Jinnah and therefore have come offer Fatiha at his Mazar. Then I asked him who has killed innocent people in the Lal Masjid. He said it was President Pervez Musharraf and the army. I told him that this very army killed innocent people of Dhaka on the night of 25 March 1971 and therefore Bangladesh is now an independent country. He said he has now realized the matter.

The monument of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is indeed a magnificent architectural work. It seems Pakistanis are proud of their leader. I have seen that evening huge number of people, men, women and children, visiting the mausoleum and offering Fatiha. Pakistanis have made a history in modern times by erecting such a huge structure at the Mazar site of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

I reached the Mazar of Abdullah Shah Gazi at Clifton at about 8.20 p.m. just before the Slatul Maghrib. He is considered to be one of the preachers of Islam in this part of the world. I went to the shrine and offered Fatiha. I observed that people are kissing the grave for Baraka- benefits and participating in acts which are considered Shirkh and Biddah in Islam. My reaction on visiting the shrine was that the Islamists must realize how little work they have done and how more yet to be done.

The next day on 17 July 2008 I visited the Quaid-i-Azam Academy at about 11.00 a.m. It is nearby the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam. I had no scheduled meeting and I entered the room of its Director Manzoor Ali Khan, a Joint Secretary of the Government of Pakistan violating all protocols. He was kind enough to receive me. He was warm and hospitable and immediately started speaking Bengali saying he was student of Dhaka Shaheen School and Fauzderhat Cadet College, Chittagong.

Manzoor Ali Khan briefed me on the activities of Quaid-i-Azam Academy and its various publications. One of the issues we discussed is the on going research in Bangladesh by the academicians. I requested Manzoor Ali Khan to explore the possibility of forwarding several sets of Jinnah Papers, in all 15 volumes, edited by Z. H. Zaidi to Bangladesh through Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh. I also requested Manzoor Ali Khan that incase Jinnah Papers are forwarded to Bangladesh, Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh should make some publicity so that academicians and researchers in Bangladesh come to know about it. I also pointed out that a minimum of three sets of Jinnah Papers would be required and that should be handed over to Dhaka University, Public Library Dhaka and Asiatic Society Bangladesh by Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh to which he responded positively.

On coming back to Bangladesh through an email I requested Manzoor Ali Khan to explore the possibility allocating additional three sets of Jinnah Papers for Rajshahi University, Chittagong University and Jahangir Nagar University. During our discussion and later in email communication I requested Manzoor Ali Khan to let me know the cost of Jinnah Papers edited by Z.H. Zaidi [1-15 volumes] in Pakistani currency after deduction of commissions and how much extra Pakistani currency would be required if a set is forwarded to Bangladesh by post or courier. He replied that these 15 volumes would cost Pakistani Rs. 5370.00 and additional Pakistani Rs. 6845.00 for postage. In terms of U.S. Dollars it is 165.00 including postage.

The other thing I mentioned during my discussion with Manzoor Ali Khan was that I was happy to see the Mazar of Quaid-i-Azam and Iqbal Academy Pakistan and expressed my dismay at the pitiable condition of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy. I told Manzoor Ali Khan that Quaid-i-Azam Academy should be as big as Iqbal Academy Pakistan if not bigger. I told Manzoor Ali Khan that being a Joint Secretary of the Government of Pakistan he must be knowing how to convince government and fetch money for a noble cause and requested him to built up a gigantic infrastructure of the Quaid-i-Azam Academy during his tenure as Director of Quaid-i-Azam Academy which I believe an easy job for a bureaucrat but difficult for an academician. I persuaded him to do his part of the job and academicians will later accomplish their part of the job InshaAllah. Manzoor Ali Khan was very courteous and came down to the car porch to see me off.

Later I purchased a CD, a film on Quaid-i-Azam. The film "Jinnah - Akbar Ahmed Presents. A Dehlawi Films Production for Quaid Project Ltd.". It is a wonderful film and people should see it to refresh their memory.

I went to Islamic Research Academy Karachi at about 11.45 a.m. Prof. Ghafor Ahmad was there and he explained me the activities of the Academy. 12 persons work in the Academy. The Academy has its own two-storied building with floor space of 5400 square meters each floor. The Academy has a book selling center. The library of the Academy did not appear to me to have rich and varied collection of books. One of the drawbacks of the Academy is that it has no research fellow.

I went to meet the great humanitarian activist Abdul Sattar Edhi who has dedicated his whole life for the service of mankind at 12.30 p.m. I visited the Mental Hospital run by A. Sattar Edhi Foundation. The Hospital has a capacity to accommodate 200 indoor patients. A. Sattar Edhi Foundation has also established an air-condition mortuary, I was amazed to see, with the capacity to keep 250 dead bodies. Since Abdul Sattar Edhi was not in the Mental Hospital. I therefore rushed to the Karachi office of the A. Sattar Edhi Foundation. He was not there either and was busy with the journalist in another office of the Foundation. I talked to Muhammad Belal, in charge of the Karachi office of the A. Sattar Edhi Foundation. He wanted to take me to Abdul Sattar Edhi, but as I had a scheduled appointment I could not afford to wait further and requested Muhammad Belal to convey my message to Abdul Sattar Edhi that the people of Bangladesh loves him and need his leadership for philanthropic activities and requested Muhammad Belal to tell Abdul Sattar Edhi to open branch of A. Sattar Edhi Foundation in Bangladesh. People of Bangladesh are ready to extend him all assistances including financial assistance by the resourceful persons. Muhammad Belal presented me the autobiography of Abdul Sattar Edhi - 'A Mirror to the Blind'.

I went to meet Zaigham Mahmood Rizvi, Advisor of the State Bank of Pakistan at 1.30 p.m. It was decided that I shall take only tea at his residence. While on the way to his house he phoned Protocol Officer Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti to inform that we have to take lunch at his residence and on arrival he took two of us directly to the dinning table. Respected Bhavi within very short time prepared delicious lunch for us. During the lunch we discussed situation in our countries. Protocol Officer Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti had some problem with House Building Finance Corporation of which Zaigham Mahmood Rizvi is the Chairman. On my request to help Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti in every possible way if admissible under rules Zaigham Mahmood Rizvi solved the problem of loan rescheduling of Brother Muhammad Raziuddin Khaled Mehanti to his entire satisfaction.

Zaigham Mahmood Rizvi presented me a splendid book on calligraphy of ninety-nine name of Allah. The title of the book 'To God Belongs The Names Most Beautiful' authored by writer and painter Neyyar Ehsan Rashid and published jointly by Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University Islamabad and Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University Washington DC. The book costs U.S. Dollar 99.00.This is one of the good works our brothers in Pakistan have done. I promised to Brother Zaigham Mahmood Rizvi to make possible use of the book in Bangladesh. I presented him the Journal of the Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought.

(From previous issue)