FROM the 1960s to early 1970s, NASA launched more than a dozen Apollo missions as part of its space flight programme. One of them, Apollo 11, was the lunar landing mission in 1969 after which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin gained international recognition for being the first men to set foot on the moon. The last of the series was Apollo 17 — in 1972 — when Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt walked on the moon while their third partner Ronald Evans orbited outside. The Apollo 17 heroes were in Karachi on June 18, 1973, and as reported on June 19, Karachiites greeted the three American astronauts with love and affection congratulating them on their ‘conquest of the moon’.
They were taken in a motorcade from Hotel Intercontinental to the University of Karachi and from Jail Road to the hotel via Merewether Tower. They visited the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum as well. The astronauts were given a rousing reception at the university by the students. As they went by the Arts faculty, girl students competed with boys to get their autographs. At the Physics Department, the three men were formally welcomed by the Vice Chancellor Dr Mahmud Husain, professors and student unions’ representatives. Later, a civic reception was arranged in their honour by the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) at Mughal Gardens. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Cernan said their achievement was for the benefit of the whole mankind.
Another heart-warming event took place on June 20: St Joseph’s College for Women celebrated its silver jubilee. A dance presented by Mrs Khory’s School of Dancing was the highlight of the programme. Addressing the attendees, Governor of Sindh Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan lauded the contribution of the college to the cause of women’s education in Karachi. The principal of St Joseph’s College, Sister Mary Emily, also spoke. She informed the audience that when the college was established in 1948 it had less than 100 students, and now the number had increased to 1251.
Staying on the subject of education, the week before, as mentioned in this column, the students of NED Engineering College had complained about upgrading of Jamshoro Engineering College to university, claiming NED needed to be upgraded as well. On June 23, the Provincial Education Minister Dur Muhammad Usto announced that both Jamshoro and NED colleges would be upgraded to the level of university simultaneously. Talking to the students in Karachi, he said it was true that the government had adopted a ‘step-motherly attitude’ towards NED College. He added the plan for upgradation was ready but couldn’t be implemented in a year.
Mr Usto represented the provincial government, which for some didn’t seem to be doing enough for the betterment of the Sindh capital. On June 18, twenty leading citizens of Karachi called for setting up of a metropolitan government in the country’s premier city in order to solve its intricate and complex problems. In a joint statement they pointed out that by providing Karachi with a democratic system of local self-government, conditions could be created for a progressive and prosperous society to which all citizens would have a feeling of belonging. Among those who put forward this idea included the likes of Hatim Alvi, Dr Ishtiaq Husain, A K Sumar, Rais Amrohvi and R K Malik.
Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2023
