LAST year, reports of dog-bite, or dog-attack, incidents caused quite a stir in the media. Like many lingering issues faced by citizens of this country for decades, this, too, is not a new problem. The thing that can be highlighted in that context is that in the past health officials and hospitals dealt with the issue with, arguably, the kind of seriousness that’s required for it. For example, on June 10, 1973 the provincial government released a piece of information according to which more than 9,000 men, women and children bitten by stray dogs were brought to the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Civil Hospital for anti-rabies treatment every year. The two facilities had set up separate units for the preventive treatment against rabies. Owing to the unprecedented rush of patients, it was not possible for the hospitals to maintain their complete case histories for the necessary follow-up. Therefore, as soon as the patients showed symptoms of the fatal disease — hydrophobia — they would be referred to the Epidemic Diseases Hospital (EDH).

In another story which is also, in a way, related to the subject of health, on June 7, a three-day campaign to grow more vegetables in Karachi was launched. During the drive initiated after instructions given by the President of Pakistan, Z A Bhutto, the agriculture department was to hold programmes in and around the city to educate people how to grow vegetables. It had also offered free technical advice to growers.

As far as the world of art was concerned, a controversy reared its head that warmed up the atmosphere in the creative field as much as the weather conditions in early June. Some time back, eminent singer Mehdi Hasan had visited the United Kingdom for a concert where he, allegedly, gave a statement about a classical vocalist.

On June 5, renowned singer and musician Farida Khanum and Rafiq Ghaznavi strongly criticised Mehdi Hasan for his remarks against the late Ustad Barkat Ali Khan during his London tour. At a press conference in the city convened by the Bazm-i-Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, an audio recording supposedly of Hasan was played for the newsmen containing highly sensitive comments about the late ustad. Khanum also expressed her displeasure at Hasan’s assertion that she interposed thumri with dadra and at his abuse of the entire Kasur gharana of musicians. Earlier, Mehdi Hasan told journalists at an informal meeting at the Karachi

Press Club (KPC) that the taped remarks and the unusual build-up to the conversation was a conspiracy against him. He added he had high regard for Ustad Barkat Ali Khan.

Staying on the subject of performing art, that week The Drama Guild’s two comedy plays Naukarshahi and Kaun Hai directed by popular artist Mahmood Ali staged at the Adamjee auditorium entertained Karachi’s theatre lovers. Both productions projected everyday life in a lighter vein. Naukarshahi underscored injustices of the system under which society functions but ‘with a laugh in a Deccani dialect’. As did Kaun Hai but, according to a critic, its script was weak. Mohammad Yousuf, Qazi Wajid and Mahmood Ali’s performances in the two comedies were appreciated.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2023