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65
out of 65
We started looking for 65
achievements and we got stuck. The images, the facts, the landmarks,
the lives, were all negatively inclined. This is how we are trained to think
about us. We persisted. We started
finding them, remembering them, counting them. From five to ten to 34 to 56
to 65; we could even go on. But we put a stop at that. This August 14, we
decided to pick 65 achievements because Pakistan turns 65 this year.
Here are sixty-five reasons to celebrate our Independence Day. (In no particular
order...) 1
Squash Jehangir Khan and Jansher Khan are legends of squash and have won
several World Squash Championships and other international tournaments.
Pakistan has won the Squash World Open 17 times and British Open 12 times
— the highest by any country. Carla Khan is Pakistan’s most successful
sports woman, having won five titles in her career. Her highest ranking was
21st. Carla’s first tournament was at the British Open in 1999. 2 Cricket One of the most
popular games of the subcontinent, cricket is also the most widely played
sport in our streets or grounds. The laurels that make us proud are
international events like winning the Cricket World Cup 1992 against England
by 22 runs and the 8-wicket win versus Sri Lanka taking the ICC World T20,
2009. The national team has also been a runner-up in the Cricket World Cup
1999 and the ICC World T20, 2007. Alongside Australia, Pakistan is the other
team to have registered over 400 ODI victories. Pakistan’s Under 19 team
also won the World Cup in 2004 and 2006. In 2009, Imran Khan was named ICC
Cricket Hall of Fame. Since 1996, Shahid Afridi holds the record of the
fastest ODI century, a 37-ball 100 against Sri Lanka. Afridi also holds the
most sixes in career world record with a tally of 298 6’s in the span of
15 years. In 1997 Saeed Anwar’s 194 runs against India held the record of
most runs by a batsman for 11 years, until Sachin Tendulkar broke that
record in 2010. Wasim Akram at the time of retirement had the most wickets
in career record with 502 wickets followed by Waqar Younis with 416 in ODIs.
Muhammad Yousuf is best known for his achievement in 2006 when he broke the
world record for most Test runs in a single calendar year. In the Women’s
cricket Kiran Baluch holds the current record with her 242 runs which is the
highest score in a women’s test match. 3
The Green Shirts won home 4 golds in Hockey World Cup — in 1971,
‘78, ‘82 and ‘94. 4 Yatching & Sailing
Pakistan’s history of sailing is a rich haul of eight gold medals in Asian
Games and Asian Championships. Byram Dinshawji Avari represented Pakistan at
the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, and again at the 1982 Asian Games in New
Delhi. He also won a silver medal at the Enterprise World Championship held
in Canada in 1978. In 2004, Mohammad Tanveer of Pakistan won silver medal in
Mistral Asian Championship held in Bombay. Shazli Tahir won silver and
Junaid Ahmed won bronze medal in first CAS International Sailing
Championship in April 2008. 5 Boxing Pakistan has won
medals at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Haider Ali won gold at the
2002 Commonwealth Games as a Featherweight. Umar Khan captain of the
Under-19 team, has won 13 gold and 10 silver medals at international level. 6 Mountaineering Hassan
Sadpara is the first Pakistani to have climbed six eight-thousanders
including the world’s highest peak Everest besides K2, Gasherbrum I,
Gasherbrum II, Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak. Nazir Sabir has also climbed
Mount Everest and four of the five 8000m peaks in Pakistan, including K2
also known as Chogori in 1981, Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak 8050m in 1982,
Gasherbrum I in 1992 and he became the first from Pakistan to have climbed. 7 Shandur Polo Tournament
Shandur Polo Tournament, played at the world’s highest polo ground every
year, is one of the biggest tourist draws to Chitral and Gilgit. Prominent
players include — Murad Ismail, Raja Sami Ullah, Raza Muhammad Ali Khan
Bangash, and Hissam Ali Haider. Raza Bangash is Pakistan’s No 1 Polo
Player since June 2009 Playing for President’s Body Guard Team. 8 Snooker championship At
the international level, Mohammed Yousuf was the 1994 IBSF World Snooker
Champion and the 2006 IBSF World Masters Champion. Shoukat Ali is Pakistan
number one player and an Asian Games Gold medalist. 9 Wrestling Gama Pehalwan
was an undefeated World Wrestling Champion from Pakistan. Gama Pahalwan’s
nephew Bholu Pahalwan also represented Pakistan in wrestling. Wrestling has
seen Pakistan win medals at international games, such as Muhammed Akhtar, a
3-time gold medalist in 2007. 10 Tennis Recently,
Aisam-ul-Haq created history in Pakistani tennis when he reached the finals
of 2010 US Open Men’s Doubles and 2010 US Open Mixed Doubles. Khawaja
Saeed Hai was the first Pakistani to reach a Grand Slam tournament. Haroon
Rahim was the winner of a number of ATP Singles and Doubles titles. 11Movement against Ayub
Khan The Democratic Students Federation, established in Karachi during the
1950s, played a major part in forcing the dictator Ayub Khan to resign from
office. What initially started out as a movement to establish a university
in Karachi soon transformed into a radical left-centered movement that
heavily opposed Ayub Khan’s rule. The movement brought personalities like
Dr. Mohammad Sarwar, Dr. Syed Haroon Ahmed, Dr. Adib-ul-Hasan Rizvi,
Dr. Jaffar Naqvi, Mohammad Kazim, Abid Hasan Minto,
Sher Afzal Malik, Husain Naqi, Johar Husain, Fatehyab Ali Khan and
Meraj Mohammad Khan, to name a few to the limelight. 12 Benazir Bhutto became
the first Muslim woman prime minister in 1988. 13 Islamic Summit
Conference The second Islamic summit conference took place on February 22,
1974 in Lahore where delegates from 37 Islamic countries gathered to discuss
different issues faced by the Muslims around the globe. Many issues were
passionately debated on specially the Palestinian question. This was an
initiative of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then Prime Minister of Pakistan. In its
memory an Islamic summit minar has been erected near the Charing Cross, Mall
Road, Lahore. 14 NFC award Article
160(1) of the 1973 Constitution constitutes the National Finance Commission
Award. The Award was introduced in the aftermath of the 1971 during which
East Pakistan went on to become Bangladesh. Financial Resources are equally
split between all provinces to ensure adequate redistribution of wealth,
which wasn’t practiced prior to 1971. The award redistributes revenue
gathered from income tax, general sales tax, wealth tax, taxes gathered from
capital gain and custom duties. 15 1973 Constitution The
1973 Constitution was the first consensus constitution in Pakistan. The 1973
constitution consisted of a preamable, 280 articles and 6 schedules. Mahmud
Ali Kasuri- the Elected Chairman of the Committee drafted the constitution.
The constitution is also described as an adaptation of the British House
system, where in Pakistan’s case the parliament was divided into two
houses. The Upper House is known as the Senate while the lower is known as
the National Assembly. The National Assembly approved this constitution on
April 10, 1973 while it was formally adopted on August 14, 1973. 16 Indus Waters Treaty
Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India and Field Marshall Ayub Khan,
the President of Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in Karachi on
September 19, 1962, with the World Bank serving as the prime arbitrator of
the Treaty. The Treaty as described by various analysts and historians
remains as the basis of the sustenance of Pakistan’s Agro- Based Economy.
The provisions of the Treaty give India control of the Eastern Rivers, up
till the point they enter Pakistan, while Pakistan exercises full control
over the Western Rivers comprising Sutlej, Ravi and Beas. 17 Tarbela Dam Tarbela
Dam, built in 1974, is the largest earth and rock filled dam in the world.
In terms of structural volume, it’s the second largest. It is located at
the Indus River in Haripur District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The primary
function of the Tarbela project is to regulate the water flow for the
benefit of irrigation. A secondary function is the generation of electric
power. Incidental benefits include limited flood control, commercial fishing
and tourism. 18 Beaconhouse School
System Founded by Nasreen Kasuri in 1975, the Beaconhouse School System is
the largest private schooling network with 145 branches locally 35 abroad,
primarily in the Far East and the Middle East. They are currently teaching
above 34,000 students and expanding their domain to make other associated
schools and colleges such as The Educators and Beaconhouse National
University, Lahore. 19 Debating Parliamentary
Debates is one activity which is prevalent in all big cities of Pakistan.
Some of the first institutions to introduce debating are Aitchison College,
KGS, and GCU and eversince there has been an expanding debating circuit.
With the formation of The Debating Society of Pakistan which super wises the
All Pakistan Sonnu Rehman Under 17 and Raziuddin Sheikh Under 19 Nationals
Every year the DSP selects the best speakers, forming a team that goes and
competes on an international platform in the World’s Schools Debating
Championship. Team Pakistan has been in the finals twice in the 90’s and
some of our speakers have ranked in the top ten best in the world such as
Shehryar Sheikh and Anser Aftab. 20 Arfa Karim Randhawa
Arfa Karim was the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional up
until 2008, earning the title at the age of nine. The Arfa Technology Park
in Lahore is named in her honour. 21 Dr Abdus Salam won
Nobel Prize in Physics (1979). 22 NCA & Indus Valley
The Mayo School of Arts in Lahore came about in the late 1800’s in order
to honour the late viceroy in British India, Lord Mayo. In 1958 it was
transformed to the National College of Arts (NCA), which is recognised as
the most prestigious art university, focusing primarily on fine arts,
architecture and design. Indus Valley School of Arts in Karachi was set up
by some of the alumni of NCA. 23 Sports and surgical
goods of Sialkot London 2012, Olympic soccer games, or some FIFA tournament
would give any Pakistani enough reason to be overjoyed and overwhelmed with
excitement. Not because Pakistan is amongst the two teams vying for success
in the game, but because the most integral part of the sport, the ball, has
come from our very own Sialkot. With the highest per capita income in
Pakistan, the fourth largest economic hub in Punjab, Pakistan’s second
largest source of foreign exchange earnings (through its exports and
remittances from the overseas manpower) Sialkot is one of the most urban and
industrialised cities of the country. The city is the world’s largest
producer of hand-sewn footballs, with local factories manufacturing roughly
70per cent of the world production. Dental instruments and surgical
instruments and other export-oriented goods are also produced in the city.
Sialkot International Airport (with the longest runway in Pakistan) is also
the first-ever private-sector airport of Pakistan managed by the Sialkot
International Airport Limited (SIAL) consortium. 24 Telecom Industry The
Telecom industry, one of the leading sectors of Pakistan, has diversified
and had a widespread impact on the economy through direct and indirect
channels for the past one decade. From the CEOs of a company to the janitor,
almost everyone in Pakistan owns a mobile phone these days. Cellular mobile
sector shares 67 per cent of the total telecom revenues, whereas fixed line
services share is 26 per cent of total revenue generation of telecom sector.
Revenues of telecom sector reached all time high in the year 2011 with Rs.
363 billion, showing 5.4 per cent increase as compared to previous year.
Also, during this time, a 7 per cent growth was seen in the contribution to
the national exchequer of the country. 25 Textile Industry of
Faisalabad The old Lyallpur or today’s Faisalabad is the third largest
metropolis of the nation. It has been one of Pakistan’s major industrial
cities and thus is sometimes even referred to as the ‘Manchester of
Pakistan’. Approximately 70 per cent of the textile exports of Pakistan
originate from Faisalabad. Indeed, it is the second largest revenue
generating city in the country. 26 Early press In 1947,
infant Pakistan’s infant press comprised of major Muslim-owned newspapers
namely the Pakistan Times, Imroze, Dawn, the Civil and Military Gazette,
Jang and Anjam. Pakistan’s early press was dominated by these select few
newspapers, which actively criticized Pakistan’s government and
politicians, actively propagating the Freedom of the Press and Speech. Times
Magazine declared Pakistan Times the best edited newspaper of the 1950s.
Pakistan’s early press actively criticized Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s
dictatorial regime which led to the press being muzzled in 1958 as it was
taken into direct control by Ayub Khan’s government. 27 Sindhi press Sindhi
press became part of mainstream cinema during the late 1960s, with the
establishment of the Daily Ibrat and Kawish. With the Daily Ibrat and Kawish
serving as the most widely distributed Sindhi Language papers of Pakistan,
both newspapers cover all areas from sports to politics, and entertainment
to the economy; both papers cover all aspects of the news. Furthermore, the
Sindhi press isn’t just limited to print media; the Kawish group went on
to establish KTN, which serves as the first television channel aired in the
Sindhi language. Both these groups have outreach not just in Sindh, but
their subscribers are spread throughout Pakistan as well abroad. 28
Private news television As cable television replaced dish television
during the early 2000s, the phenomenon of private television channels hit
Pakistan in 2002 with the Geo Network being the first private Pakistani
channel. Various other channels followed suit. These included the ARY
Network, Aaj TV, Hum TV to name a few. Private News channels enjoy
unprecedented freedom, as they actively voice criticism against various
governments in office. Private channels revolutionized the concept of a
single state-run channel as they delivered news and revolutionized the
concept of entertainment through dramas and various other sitcoms. 29 Karakoram Highway The
Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world. It
connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram range through the Khunjerab
pass. It is sometimes even referred as the ‘ninth wonder of the world’
due to its high elevation. It was blasted and bulldozed through an
intractable landscape of raging rivers, deep ravines and precipitous peaks
in the 1960s and 1970s.Unfortunately 801 Pakistani and 200 Chinese workers
lost their lives in the unbearable conditions during the construction. No
doubt it is a 1200 km marvel of engineering and serves as a magnet for
adventure seekers and tourist. 30 Islamabad Situated
against the backdrop of the Margalla Hills at the northern end of the
Potohar plateau, Islamabad is the first planned city of Pakistan. A Greek
firm Doxiadis Associates devised a master plan based on the grid system. The
city is divided into eight basic zones: administrative, diplomatic enclave,
residential areas, educational sectors, industrial sectors, commercial
areas, and rural and green areas. Compared to the other big cities in the
country, Islamabad’s climate is healthier and less polluted, with
plentiful water resources and greenery. It is considered modern with wide
roads and avenues, elegant public buildings, bazaars and markets. 31 Food streets For food
enthusiasts, the metropolitan cities of Pakistan have streets specifically
devoted for eating out. The first one was the Gawalmandi Food Street in
Lahore but unfortunately it was closed. Now, the Fort Street located behind
Badshahi Mosque near Roshnai Gate serves as the new food street. Islamabad
has opened up two streets, one is the Melody Food Street and the other one
is the Blue Area Street. Port Grand is a delight for the people of Karachi
along with the Burns Food Street and Boat Basin Food Street which are famous
for traditional food offerings. In Peshawar too there is a food street named
as Ghanta Ghar. 32 Ajoka Established in
1983 as a movement against the oppressive military regime of General Ziaul
Haq, with its strict censorship codes, Ajoka is the only theatre group in
the country to have survived over the decades whereas most other groups
disintegrated and vanished into oblivion. Ajoka continues to perform
meaningful plays that have a strong political message/content, such as
Jaloos, Takay Da Tamasha, Bullah and Marea Hoya Kutta. It has taken its
shows abroad, too, and won many international awards. Ajoka is also the
pioneer in holding Punj Pani Festival, an annual affair that brings together
the theatrical talent from the two neighbouring Punjabs — of India and
Pakistan — at a single platform in Lahore. 33 Rafi Peer World
Performing Arts Festivals Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW) has the sole
credit of keeping the art of puppetry alive and also showcasing the
world’s talents in country music, classical dance and experimental theatre
at their annual performing arts festivals that, started in 1992, grew bigger
and bigger with each passing year, till an incident of terrorism coupled
with numerous threats forced them to wrap up. 34 PTV drama The legends
attached to PTV’s Urdu drama have it that serials like 1977’s Waaris and
1986’s Tanhaiyyan created such a frenzy that the entire nation would be
glued to their TV screens on the days these plays would go on air, leaving
the streets deserted and forcing businesses to close. Pakistan
Television’s plays found a solid fan base across the border also and a lot
of our writers (Hasina Moin, in particular) and actors (Marina Khan, Sajid
Hasan) were invited to work in India by Star TV. Most recently, Sony TV’s
Kuch Toh Loag Kahenge is a valentine to the 87’s cult Dhoop Kinare. 35 Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
won an Oscar for her hard-hitting documentary,
Saving Face, in 2012. 36 Kathak exponent Naheed
Siddiqui 37 NAPA Where PTV and
Alhamra’s training units didn’t quite deliver, enter National Academy of
Performing Arts (alias NAPA), in the year 2005. Under the presidentship of
Mr Zia Mohyeddin, the eminent faculty of NAPA comprises a highly educated
and qualified team of academics and experts such as Dr Enwar Sajjad, Talat
Hussain and Rahat Kazmi. The curriculum combines comprehensive courses and
workshops in Theatre Arts and Music. 38
Radio drama Radio would qualify as the ape in Darwin’s theory of
evolution, if compared with the progress in the world of media. Just two to
three generations ago, families crowded around a box like device, feasting
their ears with the most ‘in’ piece of radio drama as their favourite
pastime. In 1957, Radio Pakistan’s drama was touching its pinnacle. From
the cult Bachon Ki Dunya, which was broadcast live and moderated by the late
Abdul Majid early Sunday mornings, to serious programmes like the evergreen
Studio Number Nau, broadcast every Saturday night at 9pm, Radio Pakistan was
the staple diet for the common people. Lahore was the first place to have a
radio station, in 1928, followed by one in Peshawar. The credit for any
advancement in drama today ought to be attributed to literary giants like
Imtiaz Ali Taj, Shaukat Thanvi, Ashfaq Ahmed and Rafi Peerzada, among
others. 39
All Pakistan Music Conference At the time of partition, Pakistan was
so deeply involved with insurmountable social, economic and political
trouble that fine arts remained completely ignored. During such upheaval,
not a single melody was heard apart from what Radio Pakistan had spared the
country. Live music concerts had faded to mere memories and singers as well
as musicians had fallen into the background. But then came hope. On
September 15, 1959, an ensemble of concerned volunteers met at the famous
Coffee House of Lahore and founded the venture All Pakistan Music
Conference. Promotion of music and musicians by organising concerts,
conferences and festivals, was the main objective, to initiate a sort of
renaissance. Events on national level were held to focus attention on
Pakistani musical culture because that was the first step towards the
revival/recognition. APMC has done commendable work in the revival of
cultural music and has preserved not only an art, but a part of Pakistan’s
identity. 40
Alhamra At the heart of Lahore stands “a woman dressed in red
clothes” (translation of the Arabic word—) Alhamra, the hub of art and
drama in the country. An edifice, built in 1979, comprising three separate
wings, each shaped like an octagon and providing a platform for actors,
dramatists, dancers, painters and all those associated with the world of
art, so they may exhibit and display their talents. As the first ever arts
council, Alhamra has patronised arts like no other institution in the
country and has been a major contributor to the revival of drama and other
‘endangered’ art forms. It has also helped cultivate names that are a
source of pride for the nation — people like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Madam Noor
Jehan and Roshan Ara Begum. Alhamra’s Academy of Performing Arts is also
in place and effective since 2002, in the very premises of the Lahore Art
Council, and provides education/training in music and dance along with
courses in ceramic, photography, drawing/painting and calligraphy. 41 SKMCH Operating since
1994, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH), Lahore, is providing
free treatment to poor cancer patients who come from all over the country as
well as abroad. Founded by veteran cricketer turned politician Imran Khan,
the hospital is a charitable institution. Founded and funded predominantly
from the donations coming from everywhere, the annual expenditure of the
hospital is around Rs 4.7 billion. With a staff of 1,524 including 59
consultants, physicians and surgeons, the facility claims it provides
financial support to 75 per cent of its patients and has one of the most
transparent audit and accounting mechanisms in place. 42 Edhi Foundation
Starting as a small dispensary in 1951 in Karachi, Edhi Foundation has over
the years grown into a huge charity offering endless philanthropic services
to the masses. The fact that it manages the world’s largest network of
ambulance services with more than 2,000 vehicles in its fleet makes every
Pakistani feel proud. Under the supervision of Abdus Sattar Edhi and his
wife Bilqees Edhi, the foundation provides medical care, emergency services,
air ambulance service, burial services for unclaimed bodies and shelter to
mental habitats, besides managing old homes, child welfare services, safe
houses for abused women and so on. Edhi Foundation is always the first to
respond to disasters and tragedies and, hence, enjoys immense public trust,
something which is evident from the volume of public donations flowing into
its accounts. 43 AKRSP Aga Khan Rural
Support Programme (AKRSP), a non-profit organisation founded in 1982, has
been nothing less than a lifeline for the people of what is now
Gilgit-Baltistan. Supported by the Aga Khan Foundation, it has helped
improve the quality of life of these people through community-based projects
such as irrigation schemes, roads, bridges, dykes, drinking water supply
schemes etc. The areas had been victims of state neglect mainly due to their
physical remoteness and poor communication infrastructure. Economic
development and skills impartment have been corner stones of the programme
which has been replicated all over South Asia. 44 SIUT Torchbearer of the
crusade against human organ selling and exploitation of donors, the Sindh
Institute of Urology and Transplant (SIUT), Karachi, provides free medical
treatment for kidney and liver diseases and cancers. It is acknowledged
worldwide as a renowned centre for “ethical kidney transplantation.”
Starting with an 8-bed unit in 1971, it is now a 450-bed facility. It runs
on donations from philanthropists, zakat and alms money, government grants
and individual donations. The phenomenal success of the institute can be
attributed to the selfless struggle of SIUT Director Dr Adeeb Rizvi. 45 The Citizens’
Foundation No country can progress without quality education. This is
something the government has to realize and if it does not, the citizens of
the country should. Founding of The Citizen’s Foundation (TCF), a
non-profit organization, in 1995 seems to be driven by this thought. The
organisation has established 830 purpose-built school units nationwide with
an enrollment of 115,000 students and provides quality education to children
irrespective of whether they can afford it or not. TCF also offers books on
discounted prices and on easy installments to make them affordable for
students. 46 LRBT Layton Rehmatulla
Benevolent Trust (LRBT) was founded in 1984 with a contribution of Rs 1
million two successful businessmen- the Late Graham Layton and the Late Zaka
Rahmatulla. The town was used to build and run a mobile eye-hospital in
Tando Bago a small town 250 kilometres east of Karachi. Upon his death,
Graham Layton left his estate for the benefit of LRBT. To date, the Trust
has treated over 22 million patients in OPD and performed over 2.2 million
major and minor surgeries. LRBT offers all eye related treatments and
surgeries absolutely free of charge. The Trust runs 17 hospitals and 39
Community Eye-Health Centres/outreach clinics in four provinces of the
country. 47 CARE Foundation Managed
by CARE Foundation, these schools are imparting quality education to 150,000
students. The organisation claims it reaches 5 times more children per donor
amount than any other recognised charity in Pakistan. It has also pioneered
a unique private-public sector concept in education sector and adopted
government-run schools to improve the conditions and produce results. For
just Rs 700 per month, a donor can help a child pursue a bright future. This
is not all; scholarship fund of CARE supports its graduates who are studying
in prestigious institutions like King Edward Medical College (KEMC),
University of Engineering and Technology (UET), LUMS, Kinnaird College for
Women and Lahore College for Women. 48 Public response to
disaster Natural disasters have continued to hit the country without fail,
and test the patience and endurance of its people. Another test has been
that of their ability to fight back and help those in need. One can proudly
say the nation, on the whole, has delivered on this count. In such cases,
people instantly come with donations in the form of cash or kind and those
who cannot offer their services for relief efforts. In recent years, the
2005 earthquake is a case in point. The ordinary man has always been there
to extend the helping hand, much earlier than the state machinery could come
into action or international help arrived. 49
Rescue 1122 With the success of the Rescue 1122 service which started
in Lahore during 2004, the Punjab Emergency Service Act, 2006 established
The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) in all districts of Punjab. The
service is characterised by a state of preparedness to deal with
emergencies, providing timely response, rescue and emergency medical
treatment to the persons affected by emergencies. Rescue covers the
Emergency Ambulance, Rescue & Fire services and Community Safety
programme. The Service has provided a sense of safety to the citizens by
rescuing over 1,466,071 victims. The rescue service reaches all victims
within seven minutes of the reporting of the incident. 51 Motorway Police The
year 1997 saw the birth of the Motorway Police in the aftermath of the
construction of the M-2, which links Lahore to Islamabad. With the initial
force being trained by foreign experts from the UK and Nordic countries at
the Police College Sihala, the force has its own training College set-up at
Sheikhupura. The Motorway Police is one police force which is known for
bringing everyone to justice as it has a record of not just charging
civilians with traffic violations while also charging Bureaucrats,
dignitaries and various high level officials for traffic violations.
Recently on May 7, 2012 two officers of the Motorway Police were awarded the
President Police Medal (PPM) for their bravery and effortless service. 52 National Art Gallery
Situated in Islamabad, the National Art Gallery is Pakistan’s premier Art
Gallery. Inaugurated on Sunday,
August 26, 2007, the Art Gallery is designed by Naeem Pasha and Suhail
Abbasi. The gallery covers an area of 1800 square yards, has 14 galleries
with adjacent display areas, lecture halls, workshops and a library. With an
entire Gallery covered with Sadequain’s work, other works include artwork
by Allah Buksh, Gulgee, Chughtai to name a few. The Gallery is predominantly
covered with the works of Pakistan’s various leading artists. 53 Literature What
constitutes Pakistani literature is a question that should haunt every sane
Pakistani as much as it haunted Manto, soon after he decided to migrate to
Pakistan. But, leaving the philosophical questions aside, Pakistanis have
continued to enrich the literary landscape with their writings in both
poetry and prose. Partition did play a huge part in giving this landscape
its identity; the new nation was quick to own Allama Iqbal as its national
poet. The regional literature was a force to reckon with, though it faced a
tough competition from literature in Urdu and more recently English. After
Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz also picked Urdu for his poetic expression and many
more poets followed in their footsteps. Prose saw its heavyweights in Manto,
Intizar Husain, Shaukat Siddiqui
and an endless list. More recently, our writers following the example of
Bapsi Sidhwa (like Mohammed Hanif, Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie and Daniyal
Mueenuddin) have published in English and made their mark on the
international scene. 54 Johar Joshanda “Johar
Joshanda”, which literally translates into “essence of boiled stuff”,
is a mixture of different herbs and medicines, mostly eucalyptus, tea,
fennel, peppermint and hyssop that are combined to form the ultimate cure
for all sorts of colds and flus. This 8-rupee- wonder of a packet is
something that hits home for all Pakistanis. 55 World renowned
calligrapher and painter Sadequain (1930-87) 56 Chughtai To Ali Imam,
artist, teacher, and owner of the prestigious Indus Gallery, Abdur Rehman
Chughtai was “undoubtedly the most outstanding original painter that the
sub-continent has produced in the twentieth century.” A painter and an
intellectual, Chughtai created his unique painting style influenced by
Mughal art, miniature painting and Islamic art traditions. In his
sixty-year-long association with art, Chughtai produced nearly 2,000
watercolours, thousands of pencil sketches, and nearly 300 etchings and
aquatints. He published three books, of which ‘Muraqqa-i-Chughtai’, an
illustrated edition of Mirza Ghalib’s Urdu poetry, is considered the
finest achievement in book production in the country. He is also known as a
short story writer and an art critic. He designed stamps, coins, insignia
and book covers. 57
Rashid Rana In his series titled ‘Veil I, II and IIIl’, Rashid
Rana critiques the negative stereotypes of the Pakistani society by
juxtaposing thousands of small, unfocused pornographic stills of women to
depict an anonymous woman-clad in a burqa. Through his work, he struggles
between the traditional and modern, to discover a secret path along the
common route so oft treaded by South Asian artists. His distinct style of
aggregating, juxtaposing and re-imagining imagery has fetched him
international acclaim — he is in fact known to be the most expensive
artist in the history of the country. 58 First test tube baby
Professor Dr. Rashid Latif was the first physician to set up an IVF centre
in Pakistan and successfully deliver the first test tube baby not only in
Pakistan but also the first in South Asia in 1984. It allows for
fertilization to take place in a test tube, under sterile conditions, and
for the zygote to be transferred to the endometrium for development. This
was a break through in Pakistan as babies could be conceived even at a later
stage of marriage. It opened a new door for scientists across Pakistan, to
develop and work on this idea even more. Dr. Rashid managed to introduce
test tube babies in Pakistan only 11 years after its inception in the
international community and he was awarded a Sitar-e-Imtiaz for his
excessive work in the field of gynecology. Currently, the first test tube
baby of Pakistan is 23 years old and living a healthy life. 59
PIFD The massive growth and expansion of our Fashion Industry in the
last couple of years has led to more and more youth becoming involved in the
same arena. This led to the formation of the Pakistan School of Fashion
Design (rechristened Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design in 2004) in 1995.
The revamped institute consists of 4 branched out schools that focus on
Fashion Design, Marketing and Promotions, Textile Design and Accessories and
Products respectively. Backed by the Ministry of Commerce with a 100 per
cent employment rate, it is the only one of its kind in Pakistan today. 60
Malika e Tarannum Noor Jehan (1926-2000). 61
Qawwali Today, every second band in town can say that they sing
“Sufi Rock” but to be honest there is only one true devotional musical
art form and it is Qawwali. And, if George Harrison famously can say that
“400 years from now only Dylan will be remembered in Rock history,” then
it can be infamously said here that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan will be, for all
times to come, be known for Qawwali. And, if Nusrat was not perhaps one of
most melodious of singers, he was the master of timing — one moment serene
Buddha: repeating phrases endlessly, the next moment, Indra himself,
breaking down words so quickly that it felt like the deconstruction of time
itself. 62
Ghazal What would one say about ghazal without Mehdi Hassan? The
remarkable thing about Mehdi Hassan was that he fashioned along with Begum
Akhtar a style of singing that did not exist before them. Ghazal as a song
was not part of our culture before the 20th century. It was part of the
canon of poetry which was recited and read, but not sung. Mehdi Hassan
changed all that. Many good singers came after him, for instance Jagjit
Singh and Ghulam Ali. But for most, the idea of ghazal was linked to Hassan.
Perhaps, it was his expression, of a man lost elsewhere, thinking about the
words being carried by his voice. And, what a voice it was. 63 Sufi While there are
many who have practised the art of ecstasy, there are two that encompass it.
A thin, frail man, whose voice was as frail as his appearance. The other, a
woman whose entire presence seems to carry an inner strength. Pathaney Khan,
sad eyes sunk inside what looked like skin tired, was an oddity. He had a
voice that faltered, but it was also that brought grown up men to weep.
Because his voice itself seemed to carry human fragility, it said that man
would never be perfect, but that doesn’t mean that it cannot love, and
that love was the only salvation. Abida Parveen might have the same kalam to
play with, but she plays it very differently. Where Khan embodied the
weakness of men, Parveen, with her powerful, yet serene voice sings to
instill human courage. And, while Khan’s audience always seemed be in
between anxiety and wonder, Parveen instigates, pushes and pulls an audience
into ecstasy itself. 64 Pop Pakistani pop can
be whittled down to its essence with just four names. The rest, as they say,
is all part of the mix. Vital Signs, Junoon, Abrar and Atif Aslam. Vital
Signs showed us that four blue-eyed boys from Islamabad can rule one’s
heart with two things, patriotism and heartbreak. While Vital Signs only
hinted at politics, Junoon wore it on its sleeve and made everyone head-bang
along with them. And, while both of them, usually wanted to be taken dead
serious, Abrar came along, told us to look pretty, gel back our hair and
search for Billo. While Atif Aslam blew everything over and proclaimed that
Rock ‘n’ Roll is only truly made when you are eighteen. 65 Lawn Cotton has always
been Pakistan’s staple agricultural produce which has given way to a lot
of textile hybrids. The hot and humid weather conditions have made lawn an
ever-popular option for many. However, now lawn has actually become a big
player amongst designers of all sorts. Come spring time and all fashion
designers launch their own lawn creations.
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