PESHAWAR: President Ayub Khan displayed his high sense of humour when he met an old acquaintance Mr Khalil Khan Khatki, a sugarcane grower of the Peshawar region at the airport [Nov 9].

He told Mr Khalil Khan: “Your name is on my list,” adding, “You should catch hold of a rich man to finance the establishment of Khazana Sugar Mills.”

Mr Khalil Khan said: “President Sahib, we are very much after such a man and in his absence are sustaining huge losses by growing sugarcane.”

The President readily replied: “Why should you go after [such a man]? Start growing Irri rice which will give you good result and huge profits.”

The sugar mill was sanctioned by the Government a few years ago as a co-operative venture of Zamindars. But the Zamindars of this region failed to collect the required amount, resulting in the abandonment of the project.

Khalil Khatki since then has always been insisting that the Government should finance the project. Every now and then he raises this issue before the President, the Governor or any Minister whom he comes across.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2018