A FEW projects for the city and an event related to the Father of the Nation were the highlights of the fourth week of September in 1975. To begin with, on Sept 22, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) decided to undertake a pilot project to create awareness and understanding among the people of Lyari and enlist their support to the Lyari Integrated Urban Improvement Project with the financial and technical assistance of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) in January next year. It aimed at initiating a change in habits and attitude among residents regarding sanitisation, health, nutrition and population planning through social education, mass media and other suitable means. It also envisaged a system that could effectively be used in the long-term slum improvement programme.

The focus on the locality remained when on Sept 26, the KMC decided to go for aerial spray in and around a section of Lyari riverbed between Superhighway and Lasbella Bridge to tackle the menace of mosquitoes and flies which had invaded Karachi after the recent rainy spell.

On the economic front, on Sept 25, ‘Operation Motivation’ to persuade traders to charge reasonable prices was launched as 50 volunteers, mostly women, pleaded to the men behind the counters at Empress Market not to indulge in profiteering. Drawn from the Directorate of Social Welfare and other allied agencies, the workers were to visit major shopping centres for four days and reassemble to assess the result of their effort. Meanwhile, at Empress Market, on Sept 25, mutton and beef were selling at controlled prices. The quality of meet, reportedly, was also better than in Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and Golimar markets where mutton and beef were in short supply.

According to an official handout, a fine of Rs7,980 was recovered from 57 traders in Landhi’s Babar Market for keeping substandard weights and measures. In another case, a mobile magistrate fined three wholesalers in New Town’s beef market for overcharging.

While the present state of the city was being looked after, history, too, was being preserved.

On Sept 23, the 1938 Packard Convertible car used by the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was placed in the Quaid’s relic room at his mausoleum after repairs. National Motors took a year to complete the ‘uphill task’ and recreate the car which was once in Mr Jinnah’s use. The vehicle (KAM-1327) was driven by a senior executive of the company whose spokesman said: “It gave [us] no trouble and was running in perfect condition. The appearance is almost as it originally was.” However, during repair work, and after a detailed examination of the car, it was found that its condition was discouraging. The vehicle was therefore dismantled and had to be recreated from the chassis.

From history to art. On Sept 25, a two-week exhibition of calligraphic work by distinguished artist Sadequain began at the Arts Council. Verses of the Holy Quran were written beautifully in different colours on wood, canvas and paper. Sadequain had written Urdu and English translations of the verses as well.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2025