September 9, 2004

Our people are notorious for destroying this country’s past. Be it the ancient ruins of Moenjodaro, the decrepit yet still stately colonial buildings of Saddar, Karachi, or the neglected Mughal monuments of Lahore, in 57 years we have successfully dismantled, or are in the process of dismantling, all the signs of our glorious heritage. But the unkindest cut of all is when our apathy and ambivalence causes us to pay no heed to the slow decay that is setting into what little remains of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s physical legacy.

A recent eyewitness account revealed to this writer the inglorious treatment that is being meted out to Jinnah’s residency in Ziarat, Balochistan, a four-hour drive from the provincial capital, Quetta.

These photos speak for themselves. The authorities concerned have spared no effort in destroying this national treasure. One is sure that if this were the house of the father of any foreign nation, that nation’s government and people would have gone to great extremes to preserve, beautify and maintain the edifice. But not here in Pakistan.

The residency was in the control of the governor of Balochistan for seven years, but now falls under the administration of the city government. Despite the DCO’s office being located nearby, there is nothing apparent here that would prove that efforts are underway to stem the rot and preserve the Quaid’s residency.

But the government isn’t entirely to blame. The citizens themselves are equally responsible for this blatant disrespect. Outside the walls are scrawled slogans of political and politico-religious parties. Picnickers, while having a jolly old time in the barren, sunburnt lawns of the residency (there is a severe shortage of drinking and potable water) leave all their trash conveniently on the lawn, which, by the way, stays there until nature decides to send it elsewhere because reportedly, there is no permanent sweeper.

The national flag that is placed atop the residency is lying limp, as its staff has been broken. Stray dogs wander around both inside and outside the compound at will. There is no gatekeeper nor any security guard. There are a total of three employees at the residency, who offer the same old excuse when questioned about the state of this national monument: no funds. Surely, the national exchequer can spare a few thousand rupees a year to pay a sweeper and watchman to at least maintain the gardens of Jinnah’s residency.

Things inside the residency aren’t much better, with carpets falling apart, furniture peeling and doors without knobs. As one of the residency’s employees joked, the broken-down furniture will soon be replaced with knock-offs from Aram Bagh, while the original carpet will be shipped off and replaced by new Irani carpets from Quetta. The man might have been joking, but his jibes might ring closer to the truth than you and I think. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before this symbol of our nation’s history becomes history itself. Is anybody in the corridors of power listening?

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