DAWN - Features; August 11, 2008
Karachi’s cannon
The land was then earmarked for a co-operative market. During the digging work for the construction of the market’s basement, one large-size cannon was unearthed. I and my schoolmates were among other spectators who rushed to the site. Actually, we bunked our classes to see what had come out of the earth.
The KMC staff involved in the digging brought this heavy piece of metal from the construction site and perhaps dumped it at old Burnes Gardens along with other antiques. (The practice continued in later years as Queen Victoria’s statue was removed from Frere Hall in the mid sixties). The cannon then resurfaced in front of the water board building near KDA Chowrangi in North Nazimabad.
The cannon could have been taken away long ago by heroin addicts who wander the area in packs to steal small pieces of metal to satisfy their drug fix in the evening. But this iron antique – perhaps 200 years old – was too heavy to be carried away on shoulders.
Actually, the Saddar area from where it was excavated was known as Gun Range till the First World War and in our lingua franca as ‘Artillery Maidan’. The cannon, left out purposely or otherwise by the British, was brought here by General Napier from Punjab during his Sindh campaign.
Its sister cannon of that era, now known as ‘Bhangi’s top’ locally, was fully restored long ago and suitably placed at Lahore’s Mall in splendid view of commuters and tourists.
While passing through KDA Chowrangi last week I saw the cannon, excavated from Saddar, half buried in a mass of concrete. The antique awaits the attention of the authorities as it badly needs a facelift like that of the Chaghi mountain replica in Islamabad or different hulks of aircrafts on display at roundabouts in Nazimabad and North Nazimabad.
It’s hoped that its honour would be fully restored and the cannon would be suitably placed before any successful attempt by heroin addicts.—Kunwar Khalid Yunus
Hope lives amidst us
Yet despite all the despair and melancholy prevailing in the general atmosphere, there are also those who inspire and motivate people to teach them that there is more to life than just one’s self. Karachians should be proud of the fact that in their midst there is one man in the person of Professor Adibul Hasan Rizvi, director Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, who has dedicated his entire life to the cause of humanity and the well-being of the citizens of not only Karachi but the entire country.
Compassion, selflessness and tireless devotion to the noble effort of saving lives are the hallmarks of this noble man’s character and it seems that he has taken upon himself to motivate the youth of today and inculcate in them the same virtues. Dr Rizvi’s voluntary service programme is a brilliant endeavour to teach the youth the value of love for humanity, respect for human rights and ethics.
The programme, structured for matriculation, intermediate, ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels students, was first introduced in December 2006. The service is divided into two programmes: they can do 30 hours of voluntary service for 10 consecutive Saturdays from 10am to 1pm or five consecutive Saturdays from 10am to 5pm.
Many students have said that the programme changed their perspective of life, which itself is a great achievement of Dr Rizvi and his institute. Kudos to him for at least he has convinced me that there is more to life than one’s own pocket and nose.
Unfortunately, our politicians do not bother to take a leaf if not a chapter from the books of people like him.
However, so long as Pakistan is blessed with people like Dr Rizvi, Abdul Sattar Edhi and a few others, there is still hope.
—Syed Ali Anwer
Basic etiquette
Standing near a fast-food joint having given the order, one witnessed a gentleman using very un-gentlemanly language with the manager. Words of all varieties were going back and forth at much speed and volume.
Then the manager issued the ultimate threat that the gentleman would be chucked out. This ended it, and the man left.
When asked how he could behave like that with a customer, the manager replied that he wished the fellow had been a customer.
“No, he comes from the shop next door to use our toilets. Apparently, he doesn’t seem to possess even the most basic etiquette when it comes to using the lavatory. That’s what annoys me. And besides, the toilets are for paying customers. At the very least, buy something … a burger perhaps?”
It is strange how we don’t understand that just showing a little common courtesy for other people’s property will go a long way to solving our own problems, whatever they might be. Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ never killed anyone.—Shahzad Hasan
Compiled by Syed Hassan Ali
karachian@dawn.com
Malir Development Authority
I have been allotted a plot of land in New Malir Housing Project, Scheme 1D, Sector 19, of 200 square yards. I have paid the full amount and utility charges, including electricity charges. Now I am being asked to pay Rs20,000 for electricity for the grid station.
This is totally unfair and unjust. If anyone cares to visit the MDA office, he will see that most of the tables are vacant and there is no one sitting on them. The staff and the officers do not reach office before 10am or 10.30am.
They are all enjoying their position without any work or effort but they are putting unnecessary and unfair burden on the allottees.
Will the minister concerned look into the matter and save us from this burden?
ALI HASAN SOOMRO
Gulistan-i-Jauhar
Utility bills’ payment
Sir,
Thanks to the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, now all branches of public and private sector banks are accepting the utility bills of the KESC, PTCL, SSGC, KWSB and property tax to the great relief of harried consumers. But it is not understood why the KWSB bills and property tax of the CBF are not accepted by all branches of banks.
In Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s Block-18, there is only one small branch of HBL and NBP (COD branch) that accept water bills and property tax. No other branch accepts them, even though the service charges of the banks are also borne by the consumers and property owners. The State Bank governor is once again requested to kindly direct the KWSB and the CBF to relax their condition of getting bills accepted at only one branch. The branches of all banks in Gulistan-i-Jauhar should be directed to accept water bills and property tax without any restriction.
PRO BONO PUBLICO
Karachi
Phone woes
Sir,
I am writing this letter after various failed attempts with the PTCL to get my number back in order by calling on the phone, writing letters and sending copies of bills various times to the Site exchange.
Interestingly, the number was deactivated despite the fact that the bill was paid within time. Now almost one month has passed but my outgoing call facility is still inactive. What does one have to do to restore the number that was closed wrongly? Do I need to grease the palm of any clerk, switch room operator, or the divisional engineer? I ask the higher authorities to look into this matter immediately and restore my outgoing call facility at the earliest.
FAROOQ AHMED
Karachi
Water shortage
Sir,
Through your esteemed daily, I wish to draw the attention of competent authority towards the excruciating situation being faced by the residents of Pakistan Quarters, Block E, for last couple of months due to the deteriorated lines and shortage of water supply.
In these warm days, the area people have had to live without water. Sometimes there is not even enough to drink.
Rusty lines have been broken/damaged or are in such a horrible condition that water cannot be supplied properly. Whom do we ask for help?
I hope that with the help of your daily I may get success in bringing this mater to the kind consideration of the secretary housing and works and the director-general Pak PWD Islamabad for necessary action.
FAHEEMULLAH KHAN
Karachi
Sir,
Through your esteemed paper I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the prevailing shortage of water in Block 8, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, for the last one month. I, who had never seen a water tanker drive down our road during the last 15 years, suddenly feel our area is besieged by these monsters.
Houses to our left, right and centre are now at the mercy of ill-tempered drivers who drop by whenever they feel like, irrespective of our pleas. We too, like our neighbours, have had to beg them, not once but four times, to deliver water to our home.
ARSALAAN HALEEM
Gulshan-i-Iqbal
New bus stops
Sir,
New bus stops built by the CDGK are a great addition to the city. However, bus drivers are ignoring these and continue to pick up passengers at random, putting the lives of people in danger and disturbing the flow of traffic.
I think where the CDGK has built bus stops, they should also take measures to make bus drivers and passengers use these to improve the metropolis’s traffic situation.
ANAS HAMDANI
Karachi
KESC bills
Sir,
The people of Karachi are suffering from almost incessant loadshedding. But it is strange that the bills issued by the KESC do not reflect this. The charges are exorbitant, as if there has been no load-shedding.
Will the authorities concerned look into this unfair practice and provide relief to the people?
KHAN MUHAMMAD
North Nazimabad
city@dawn.com
Boycotting sports events never serves anyone’s purpose
Boycotting international sports events for reasons other than sports have not been uncommon. Even the present Olympic Games in China were under threat of a boycott from the self proclaimed defenders of human rights.
But the show is very much on and at the end of it, the world and its chosen participants may find that this was perhaps the best that they had ever seen or experienced.
When the Americans boycotted the Russian Games, they were not poorer because of that, nor were the Los Angeles Olympics due to a Russian boycott in 1984.
I remember driving down to Munich from London for the 1972 Olympics along with some friends only a day after the whole Israeli contingent was massacred in the Games village by the Palestinian workers there. But the Games went on with, of course, the security heavily beefed up. But there was little sign of protest, if any, seen at the Games.
Even cricket has had its own highs and lows and much of it because of the fear created by a section of people with vested interest and with an agenda to show that they matter.
The constant threat from extremist faction of the Hindu Parishad of inflicting physical harm on Pakistan players, digging-up the pitches and throwing snakes in the field never stopped Pakistan from touring India.
The assurance given to Pakistan by the then Indian government that no harm will come to them was enough to convince the doubters. Pakistan not only was welcomed in India, they thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the hospitality.
Vice versa, the Indians’ misgivings about touring Pakistan were dispelled when the Indian security officials visited the neighbouring country for an inspection tour to subsequently give a green signal to the Indian team.
Both turned out to be memorable tours and all fears were put to rest.
On another front, South Africa’s Isolation from the game for 21 years had much to do with their racist policy of 'apartheid' by their National Party which discriminated against the non-whites.
They played cricket only against white nations and yet the blacks of South Africa - who were culled in hundreds by the ruling party - never disturbed a sporting event in South Africa.
Those who fear coming to Pakistan have got to look at Pakistan's track record of staging international events like the two World Cups, Test Championship and the recent Asia Cup which were unblemished and incident-free.
They — the white nations — should also have to look into their own affairs before casting any suspicion on Pakistan's promised security for the Champions Trophy.
The Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) has been making a lot of noise about the security, every time Australia or New Zealand is to tour Pakistan.
In Tim May's own country, the indigenous Aborigines were killed in hoards by the colonialists for which successive prime ministers of Australia have recently apologised to them. Similar was the case in New Zealand with the Maoris.
FICA's apprehensions about the Aussies, the Kiwis and the Englishmen playing in Pakistan is based mostly on misinformation and ignorance of the culture and, perhaps, based on religious intolerance mainly.
I feel that Tim May and FICA (their committee is represented by only Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka as on the internet) should give more time to develop the game at grass root and to sort out the plight of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) players who are fighting for recognition from their rival group than bickering on behalf of those who do not wish to tour Pakistan.
Did FICA stop the players going to Jaipur after a spate of explosions during the IPL or have they made any noise about India presently touring Sri Lanka while the Tamil Tigers and Sri lankan forces are up against each other or have they so far sounded a warning to Australia and England for their forthcoming Indian tour in the winter after hundreds of people have died in Ahmedabad and many injured in Bangalore recently?
The recent statement by present South African-born England captain Kevin Pietersen that ‘he can’t risk his life going to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy’ is even more laughable because of the fact that he was born and raised in Pietermaritzburg in Kawazulu Natal, where you cannot venture to go out of your home or hotel after sunset and those like me who have been there know it well.
The ICC has got to get its due credit to confirm Pakistan as hosts of the Champions Trophy. A commendable decision it is indeed and I am sure that those who are in Pakistan representing the task force understand that it is in the interest of the game to give Pakistan and PCB the support that they very urgently need.
My advice to them is, 'Start seeing GREEN and not RED'.