KARACHI: One is not sure after which pre-independence eminent individuals Martin and Clayton Quarters in the Jamshed Town area of Karachi were named. By the sound of it, there’s likelihood that they were named in honour of British officers. But, what’s in a name?

Anyone who’s lived or been to these quarters would tell you that there was a time, especially in the late 1960s and ’70s, when they cut a tranquil, almost idyllic picture. The traffic issue hadn’t yet polluted the city as much. There were mango trees around some of the two-room quarters which would compel the elder residents to keep an eye on them because naughty children, even teenagers, would try and pick the mangoes either by climbing the trees or throwing stones at the fruit with laser-beam accuracy. In the latter case, the mangoes would fall on the ground with a gentle thud, if the children weren’t good catchers. It was a beautiful, beautiful part of Karachi where citizens, a majority of whom were migrants who after 1947 had opted for Pakistan instead of their land of birth, India, as their country.

The most important segment of this community, perhaps, was those who belonged to the world of literature. They included the likes of the renowned Urdu critic and poet Saleem Ahmed. Those who are familiar with Karachi’s literary scene would endorse the fact that Ahmed was a figure who attracted the attention of writers and poets of all hues. He lived a considerable period of his life in one of the houses at Martin Quarters. At the time, literary stalwarts such as Shahid Ahmed Dehalvi and Jamil Jalibi lived in PIB Colony. Zehra Nigah and Mushtaq Yousufi were also residents of that colony. Because of the proximity of the two localities, writers and poets living there, barring Yousufi sahib, would visit each other. But it was Ahmed’s house that received visitors on a regular basis. Apart from the above-mentioned names, individuals such as the renowned critic M.H. Askari and poet Ahmed Hamdani would come to Martin Quarters and indulge in literary discussions –– and, occasionally, for shooting the breeze.

Another name which is not directly related to the area is that of Parveen Shakir. This writer lived, with four siblings and his mother (while his father was in the Gulf helping the family keep the wolf from the door) for a year in the ’70s, in one room of a house in Clayton Quarters which was owned by a relative of Shakir’s. At the time, Shakir had just become a celebrity. The family that owned the quarter, as it were, used to fondly talk about her accomplishments in the literary world. Everybody in the neighbourhood knew that (very amiable) family because of their relation with the poetess. To be honest, this writer’s family, too, took a fair degree of middle-class pride in the fact that we lived in a portion of a residence owned by none other than Shakir’s relatives.

So the physical aspect of Martin and Clayton quarters holds a significant place in the brief but eventful history of Karachi.

These days, there are a great many people who show their love for Karachi by holding events aimed at revisiting and reviving its peaceful past. It’s because the megapolis evokes a sense of ownership and a sense of history like no other in Pakistan –– it is the most cosmopolitan city of the country.

Also, one mustn’t forget the important role played by the British in turning this tiny little fishing village into a scenic coastal town. According to eminent architect Arif Hasan, this (Martin and Clayton Quarters) was a cantonment zone when the British held sway in the region. So, whoever Martin and Clayton were, let’s see how long they will remain in the annals of (Pakistani) history.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2018