ON May 15, 1976, rich tributes were paid to the memory of poet Maulana Hasrat Mohani at a meeting held to commemorate his 25th death anniversary (he died on May 13, 1951). The event was presided by philanthropist Hakim Mohammad Said. Those who spoke on the occasion were Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Khaddar, Ibrahim Jalees, Jaleel Qidwai, Nusrat Mohani and Sufi Mansoor Ali Hasrati. They touched upon various aspects of the poet’s life and work and his place in contemporary history. In his presidential address, Mr Said urged everyone to follow the example of the maulana who was a patriot, a social reformer, a friend of the oppressed, an opponent of capitalism and a true Muslim.

Poets often talk metaphorically about a ‘sea of troubles’ that individuals or society often is faced with. Something similar was happening in Karachi in those days vis-à-vis the real ‘sea’. On May 13, a survey revealed that six Karachi beaches had claimed 170 lives in the last 10 years. Out of them, 52 persons drowned at Paradise Point and the remaining lost their lives at Clifton, Hawkesbay, Sandspit, Manora and Gidani beaches. According to the survey, at certain points along those places there were rocks, ridges and other such obstructions — particularly at Paradise Point — which had made the recreation spots unsafe and dangerous for swimming all year round.

The other problem that Karachiites were trying to come to terms with at the time disturbs them even today: power outage. On May 15, it was learnt that the issue of power breakdowns and shutdowns would continue for the whole summer season. The reason for it was the gas turbine project at Korangi which had been delayed for a year. This was stated by the chairman of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC, now KE), Brig Jamil Akhtar Aziz, in an informal meeting with newsmen. The scheme was put off because loans from foreign agencies could not be secured in time. He also hinted that power rates might be revised in the Sindh capital. The KESC chairman urged citizens to take austerity measure in consuming electricity and conserving energy, particularly during summer.

When so much was happening, how could the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) not be in the news? On May 14, the KMC said it would reexamine the comparative utility of subways and pedestrian bridges in the city after the second subway project in Liaquatabad was formally opened in the third week of the ongoing month. The study was to be undertaken keeping in view several factors, including public response to the existing subways, costs, subsoil conditions and pedestrian traffic needs.

The KMC was also wary of animal movement in Karachi. On May 11, this newspaper reported that the Sindh government had imposed a ban on the import of wild and dangerous animals for any purpose in the KMC jurisdiction. The government had previously introduced licensing and registration of all animals kept within the corporation’s limits. The animals declared dangerous were: lions, tigers, bears, elephants, snakes, dogs affected with rabies, insane camels and those animals which might prove a nuisance for the public.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2026