ON June 8, 1976, this newspaper covered proceedings of a symposium titled ‘Books on Quaid-i-Azam’ organised by the Pakistan Bibliographical Working Group and the Department of Libraries, Government of Pakistan, in connection with the Quaid-i-Azam centenary celebrations at the Liaquat Memorial Library. Inaugurating the event, Al-Haj Mohammad Dilawar Khan, the Governor of Sindh, stressed the need for publishing more books on the life and work of the Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He said, “Good books are no less powerful than good governments. A nation progresses only when it keeps the deeds of its heroic figures in view and pursues its ideals as its constant goal. The government is already endeavouring to help the publication and production of quality books and proper incentives would be extended to writers and bibliographers.” The Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi (KU), Dr Ehsan Rashid, also spoke on the occasion. He suggested the inclusion of the life and work of Mr Jinnah in courses, particularly at the level of schools.

Staying on the subject of good deeds, the same day, on June 8, Chairperson of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Begum Nusrat Bhutto supervised free distribution of bags of wheat among 1,000 financially challenged families in the city. Provincial Minister for Housing, Town Planning and Local Government Jam Sadiq Ali and Chairperson Sindh branch of the PRCS, Mariam Liaquat Ali Khan, were accompanying her. Nearly 20,000 people from Landhi-Korangi and Ranchhore Line received 20 seers of wheat per person.

Minister Jam Sadiq Ali was in the news on June 10, too, when he announced measures to resolve the issue of water shortage in the city. He hoped that the people of Karachi would realise the magnitude of the problem and appreciate the steps being taken by the government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in that regard. Addressing a press conference, Jam Sadiq said, against the total requirement of water for Karachi estimated at 215 million gallons per day (MGD), the current supply was about 152 MGD. To control the situation, it had become essential that, firstly, the total number of water distribution agencies should be cut down to avoid a lack of cooperation among them; secondly, to take stringent measures to minimise water shortage, and; thirdly, to exercise austerity in the use of water during the ongoing summer season. Giving details of the steps taken by his department, the minister claimed all unauthorised connections to agriculture and poultry farms were being discontinued and strict measures would be taken to check any pilferage of water beyond authorised limits.

The other issue affecting Karachiites highlighted by the media that week was to do with the condition of educational institutions in a particular neighbourhood of the city. On June 13, Haji Zahid Ali, an MPA, expressed grave concern at the deplorable condition of schools in Liaquatabad and demanded that the government take immediate steps to provide all necessary facilities to the thousands of students studying in them. Liaquatabad at the time was beginning to become one of the most densely populated areas in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026