It was not a particularly good time for Karachi’s student community. The government colleges in the city were working in a bit of a nonprofessional way, which eventually resulted in the withholding of results of annual intermediate exams of no fewer than 25 per cent of students. The controller of the University of Karachi on Sept 3, 1968 blamed the college authorities for not completing formalities in time and not checking the students’ examination forms properly. Most of those whose results had been withheld had appeared in two exams simultaneously after they were given a provisional promotion and had not written the roll numbers on their answer sheets which were given to them for their second exam –– it happened after the students submitted their previous passed papers’ and migration certificates, that is, proving that they’d shifted from one institution to another. The controller said that as per regulations, the colleges should have completed the registration of students within three months of admission. It did not happen despite several notifications. And because of all of that, every day hundreds of students crowded the university, demanding their results to be declared.

A few days later, another issue related to the same education sector reared its head. On Sept 8, an inquiry was ordered into the way admission to government colleges was taking place in Karachi. The West Pakistan Education Secretary, Malik Abdul Latif, told the media that the Director of Education, Karachi, would conduct the inquiry. Reason: irregularities were reported in admissions.

But this was also the week to remember the bravery of our armed forces. On Sept 6, the Defence of Pakistan Day was celebrated in the city with fervour. The citizens paid tributes to the forces in a heartwarming display of jubilation. The day began with the hoisting of the national flag and offering of fateha for the martyrs of the September 1965 War. Thousands visited the mazar of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Over 500,000 people watched the forces’ parade, which marched through the major streets of the city for two hours, amid cheers and patriotic slogans. Aircraft of different types, missiles, rockets, guns etc were on the wheels for a two-hour mobile column parade. And 200 vehicles displayed a large number of military hardware and equipment used in the September war against India. It all started from the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum at 9am and went on its 20-mile route to Malir cantonment covering Jehangir Road, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad M. A. Jinnah Road, Victoria Road and Drigh Road.

Arguably the greatest artist of the country, too, was involved in the Defence Day celebrations. On Sept 4, a preview of Sadequain’s second monthly series of exhibitions was held. The theme of the show was glory and martyrdom, and the idiom that Sadequain used was that of the barbed wire. It, according to a critic, symbolised division and conflict, a blood-dripping demarcation between people. The conflict was shown in a simple fashion in a huge September war canvas titled ‘The Hostile Principle’. On the left were the forces of darkness against the forces of reason and light on the right. Exhibited in Karachi for the first time, the canvas was born out of Sadequain’s experiences of the war when he was living in Lahore. Some of his artworks had the glow of the rising sun, contrasted with the dark clatter of destructive forces.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2018