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A lady comes as the German consul-general
PPP LEADERS ZIA ISPAHANI is a PPP activist who does not hold any office nor does he want to contest the elections. He is a bachelor, too, and so has plenty of time even when not explaining PPP policies to consuls-general in the city. As a former ambassador to Switzerland and Italy, he used to believe in small intimate parties, and as political leader in big shows. With the PPP leaders busy with the elections, he could not have his big party, but came up with a buffet reception the night before the senate elections. There was a good deal of excitement at the party as the Sindh MPAs had taken oath that day to vote for only the designated PPP candidates to the Senate and not to betray the party. But a few did. As a result Nafees Siddiqui became a causality. PPPP Chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim was at the party and the diplomats, including the new German Consul-General, were anxious to meet him. He had flown in late from Islamabad. His brothers the apolitical Makhdoom Khaliquzzaman and Rafiquzzaman, who is Nazim of Hyderabad, were also there with their wives. Shamsie Khaliquzzaman, who has learnt Italian after French, was speaking in Italian to the Italian Consul-General Fabrizio Nicoletti. Former chief minister Aftab Shahban Mirani was there talking to former federal food minister Yusuf Talpur and Fakhri Gulzar, cousin of Benazir Bhutto. V.A. Jafarey, advisor on finance to BB as prime minister, was talking to some of the PPP leaders. The consular corps was in full strength, led by the US consul-general and was keen to know what could be the outcome of the elections. The governor of the State Bank, Dr Ishrat Husain, was meeting some of the diplomats. Kazi Asad Abid of Ibrat was there with his sister, who had become a PPP MNA which she was earlier too. He could not get a PPP ticket for the senate elections as he was hoping he would. Salma Saeed Ahmad was there saying she had to withdraw from the elections as she did not have enough money needed to win a seat. Naseem Saeed Ahmad was asked by some of the guests to foresee their political future as she mixed astrology with computers. ASHIQ Bhutto moved to Clifton and built his house and furnished it with antique furniture and shikiris’ trophies. He had a full view of the sea. Then came Bilawal House behind his house, with its political hustle bustle. Then came the many restaurants with their varied cuisine and the hungry crowds. Finally came the high rise apartment structures which sealed off his view of the sea. That is the story of many who had build their homes in Clifton with a lovely view of the sea which has been stolen by the high rise horrors, erected mindlessly and permitted dishonestly. Ashiq is strictly apolitical but when he gives his annual dinner politicians predominate, beginning with his brother Mumtaz Bhutto. Ashiq was a striking male model while studying in Britain and even now if his clothes are not always trendy, he creates his own waves. At his recent dinner he had Raza Rabbani, secretary general of PPP who was recently elected as a senator, Iqbal Haider and Nafees Siddiqui. Kamal Azfar was there, as also V.A Jafarey and Rafiq Akund, former federal secretary general of finance. The Italian Consul-General Fabrzio Nicoletee was there on return from a holiday in the Far East and then a visit to Italy. He inaugurated the Italian language course at the Karachi University last week and said Italy was not withdrawing any of its cultural activities in the city. Rafi Safi, who has become Director General of Sind Irrigation Development Authority, after moving over from KPT was there with his wife, Nausheen who is the company secretary of ICI. He is appalled by the extent of corruption in SIDA, which he was hoping to reform but now he finds the task overwhelming. And that is the state of most official bodies working in the interior of Sindh. Air Marshal Masud Hatif was there talking to Maqbool Rahimtoola, who is the chairman of Dadex, a company managed by the Dada family. Its partners are the Belgians. IT was an unusual exhibition of paintings. They were the works of Jamil Naqsh. But, he had not mounted the show of 130 paintings at Momart Gallery or Jamil Naqsh Museum. They were a part of the private collection of Najmi Sura, his cousin, who too is a good painter. But, like himself, she too is invisible, evidently under his advice or following his strategy. He has not been putting his work on show for a couple of years pending his retrospective exhibition at Mohatta Palace which will be a mammoth show. In addition, he had been to London for treatment. The work Najmi had put on show was all pigeons. There were no horses with fat women leaning on them. As one of the visitors described the work, it is a clean Jamil Naqsh that is utterly non-controversial. The work was not for sale, though not altogether. As usual Jamil was not there nor Najmi Sura, but he was represented by a sketch of himself by himself which was rather casual. Next, to that to remind the visitors of his forte, he had a youthful nude with two pigeons sitting on her shoulders. The rest was all pigeons — rather fat, but not as fat as some of his earlier work. They were primarily of water colour and showed his mastery in painting the pigeons. If the number of pieces she had on show were 130 paintings sketches and drawings which is a tremendous personal collection, what is the size of her total collection? That should be pretty large. I wonder whether he has a personal collection of her work, including the erotic, which he will later put on show reciprocally. Meanwhile, he is said to be getting ready to go to London again where he paints and sells as well, as reports from there say. Momart has also produced a lovely and lavish brochure containing reproductions of some of the pigeons which is something to keep, and turn the pages over and see the birds fly. Jamil’s fascination for the pigeons has been eternal and so is his devotion to nudes, often putting them together. And, later, the birds gave way to horses under the influence of Marino Narini, though that was only to begin with. If Jamil does not want to meet anyone besides his bulk buyers among the begums, he should appoint a spokesman who answers the questions of people. Otherwise, he may become evermore insular and inexplicable. | ||
SHE is the only lady consul-general in the city now, following the departure sometime ago of Nasima Hyder of Bangladesh for higher appointment in Dhaka. Beginning with Mary Kennedy of the US, she is the third lady consul-general in the city. Women consuls-general, as they are usually rare, are popular in the city of predominantly male diplomats.|
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