A LOT had happened in the 25 years since Pakistan gained independence, most of which was unpalatable — the separation of the eastern wing of the country from its western part was a major setback. It is in this context that the 24th death anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah held a special significance in the year 1972.

On Sept 11, as reported on Sept 13 in this newspaper, speakers at a symposium held in the city by the Students Welfare Organisation and presided over by Mohtarma Shirin Bai stressed the need for strictly following the principles of unity, faith and discipline to rebuild the country. They were of the view that concerted efforts were essential to instil confidence in the minds of the people who had recently passed through the biggest crisis in their history.

Paying rich tribute to the Father of the Nation, they said the country would not have lost the last war if the people had sincerely followed the teachings of the Quaid. Shirin Bai urged the younger generation to emulate the life of Mr Jinnah and to help maintain national unity in a time of crisis. Syed Hashim Raza, former governor of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) said the young should equip themselves with the knowledge needed to shoulder the future responsibilities in order to make Pakistan a welfare state. He added people must not allow doubts to enter their minds about the ideology of Pakistan.

On Sept 12, another important personality, Abdul Wahid Adamjee, who had passed away a few months back, was fondly remembered at a citizens’ meeting. A big number of eminent personalities recounted the contributions made by the late Mr Adamjee to economic development, social welfare, education and rehabilitation in Pakistan.

A resolution passed on the occasion read: “In him, Pakistan has lost a leading industrialist, a philanthropist of repute and a man with sterling qualities of head and heart who symbolised the spirit of private enterprise.” Those who spoke on the occasion included luminaries such as A K Brohi (who chaired the meeting), Dr Mahmud Husain, Rafiq Saigol, K Minwala, Amirali Fancy, G Allana, A K Sumar, M A Zuberi and Yusuf Shirazi.

In those days, the future of Pakistan was not just thought about in terms of political and socioeconomic growth; even newborns and their health were examined publicly.

On Sept 16, noisy and naughty babies became the object of adoration at the annual Baby Show in Karachi. Pint-sized babies (from six-month to two-year-olds) were brought by their proud but anxious mothers to compete for prizes in different categories. The function was arranged by the Social Welfare Services Coordinating Council to promote a healthy mother-child concept. Although the mothers had ‘dressed the infants in their very best’ the little ones hardly had the patience to wait for three hours or so for the judges to check their weight, hygiene, eating and sleeping habits. Many of them burst into tears under the gaze of the ‘somber looking’ judges — Dr Mrs Aftab Ahmed, Dr Shamim Syed and Dr Mrs Mehrunnisa Rahman. The children who fetched first prizes were: Asif Ali (six-month category), Chrys (one-year group) and Emran (one-and-a-half- year category).

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2022