KARACHIITES breathed a huge sigh of relief on May 19, 1969 when daytime temperatures became bearable, falling by nine degrees in comparison to the previous day to record 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Experts said more relief was expected in the days to come and the weather was moving towards its normal scales of the below 100 degrees. On May 20, sea breeze forced its way into the city and the humidity in the evening was 42 per cent compared to 14pc on May 19. The heatwave had receded because the secondary western disturbance (tropical storm), which was passing over Rajasthan, had grown weak.

Perhaps the weather was right for Karachi’s prominent women to experiment with something novel. On May 21, a new organisation of female executives and specialists in different fields and professions was formed. It was named the Soroptomist Club of Karachi, affiliated to the Soroptomist International Association. Soroptomist clubs have been functioning in Europe and American since 1921. They aim to maintain highest standards in business and professional life to advance the status of women and to quicken the spirit of service and human understanding. The office-bearers of the Karachi chapter were: Dr Aquila Kiani (president), Imtiaz Kamal (vice president) and Shamim Ejaz (secretary). Begum Liaquat Ali Khan was its patron.

The art community too made good use of the relatively mild weather. On May 22, in a joint exhibition of paintings at the Pakistan-American Cultural Centre (PACC) artists Jameel and Mansur Aye demonstrated, as described by a critic, gratifying development in their works. Put together, the 28 paintings by each made a refreshing display of two very distinct and personalised styles. Both Jameel and Mansur Aye had adhered to their chosen spheres and their artworks in the exhibition presented a continuity of mood and manner. Jameel had done landscapes and Aye made ‘romanticised faces’. Jameel caught the pastoral elegance and richness of East Pakistan’s scenes, whereas Aye had shown a remarkable improvement in what he was known for: dream-distorted faces framed against the moon.

Musicians weren’t far behind that week. On May 25, a small but discerning audience was thoroughly entertained by the singing of Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan and Ustad Salamat Ali Khan at the Arts Council. In their first appearance in the city after over a year, the brothers gave an excellent performance of classical music. Beginning with raga gorakh kalyan, it took the maestros some time to warm up and attain their usual high level of rendering. Next up, they sang a thumri in the kafi style and Salamat Ali Khan, who led the duet, plucked the strings of his surmandal as if they were the soul strings of the lonesome woman he sang about. The range and flexibility of his trained rich voice was more dramatically expressed in raga jai jaivanti which remained perhaps the best piece of the concert. Equally enchanting was raga sohni, a musical lament which was sung with feeling. The brothers also did a tarana in chander kauns. The programme ended appropriately with a devotional Multanikafi.

Now here’s something interesting that might hint at Karachiites propensity to travel comfortably –– as they do these days by online cabs. On May 25, in a news item published in this newspaper, it was revealed that some 300-odd limousines were operating in the city as private taxis in disregard of the official formalities required for taxis. The new old cars, most of which were fitted with radio and record changer, were available at almost all taxi stands at Boulton Market and Saddar. They could also be found at the airport and harbour. They had not been approved by the Regional Transport Authority as taxis. Therefore the cars didn’t have fare meters. Their drivers were selective while picking passengers and their income ranged from Rs100 to 200 per day, charging Rs30 for one trip to the airport and Rs10 to 15 within city limits for a one-way journey.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2019