karachicharacter
Living by numbers
By Noor Yousof
Najeeb Alam was born on February 28,1965 in Karachi. He is a man whom people seek out for guidance, through the occult art of numerology. With a very fascinating family history and an even more interesting present he divulged several details of his life and numerological predictions and analyses.

They say that "when something evolves every thing around it evolves as well." The co-existence of Karachi and Hyderabad however seems to negate this idea. Despite being only 160 kilometres apart, the constant evolution of Karachi has not helped the growth of Hyderabad much. Although Hyderabad has developed quite a bit over the years and is regarded as the second largest city in Sindh after Karachi, the twin cities lack the affinity that normally pushes the more developed twin to aid the other.

While every Friday most Hyderabadis travel to Karachi in search of business, Karachiites travel to Hyderabad to visit their families, but that is mostly on rare occasions.

Khalid Khawaja, 65 is one such Karachiite who moved from Hyderabad to Karachi during the '70s and now visits his hometown only once a year to meet his old friends and relatives. "Once in a while I drive myself to Hyderabad. All my friends gather in a café or restaurant where we spend the day talking and eating and I return to Karachi by nightfall." says Khalid who feels no attraction for the city where he spent 25 years of his life.

"There are only two attractions for a Karachiite in Hyderabad," he declares, "the bank of River Indus and the spicy palla fried in a cabin at the bank."

Palla fish it seems is the greatest attraction of a making a trip to Hyderabad. The fish caught freshly from the River Indus and fried on the spot makes people like Khalid want to visit Hyderabad at least once in a while.

A few years ago Khalid would frequent Hyderabad for the bangles and ajrak it is famous for. "Some years back I would go to Hyderabad specially to get the bangles and ajrak from there for my daughters. But now they are easily available in Karachi," he tells Kolachi.

Bangles and other handicrafts of Hyderabad especially ajrak and embroidered kurtis are quite popular among the women in Karachi.

Muhammad Shaffaq runs a small stall in Bohri Bazar where he sells bangles, ajrak, kurtis, hand made bed sheets, sindhi topis and other traditional Sindhi offerings. Since 15 years he has visited Hyderabad every second month to buy these things.

"Though Hyderabad is not the only place in Sindh where these things are made," he says, "it serves as the main junction where you find every handicraft from all over Sindh including Thar and Hala."

Apart from ajrak and kurtis, bangles are another popular item at his stall. "Bangles from Hyderabad are not popular just in Karachi but all over Pakistan for their quality," he reveals that the Hyderabad bangle is different from others as it is made in a special kind of furnace. The furnace is made of a kind of mud found only in Hyderabad. When a glass is moulded in to that furnace, the bangle that results is of a very good quality. "In Hyderabad we have a Choori Bazaar from where I get bangles on whole sale rates," adds Shaffaq

Harris Iqbal, another shopkeeper at Bohri Bazar sells Sindhi topis and embroidered shawls made in Hyderabad. He goes to Hyderabad every six months to get hand made shawls and topis and admits that this is the only reason he might ever visit Hyderabad.

"Topis are the most sold item at my shop and my stock finishes almost every week." he explains the reason of his frequent trips to Hyderabad. The beautiful sequined and embroidered caps worked in zari can be as cheap as 30 rupees and as expensive as 5000 rupees. He however doesn't regard the business as profitable. "Even if we get a shawl worth 200 rupees from Hyderabad," he tells Kolachi "we can't sell it for more than 250 rupees as people don't have purchasing power."

Shaheena, a teacher from Hyderabad, despite all the traditional things she gets in her city loves coming to Karachi often to shop. "Being a woman," she says "for me a trip to Karachi is incomplete without shopping." Though when Shaheena visits Karachi with her family she also visits recreational spots like the Clifton Beach, water parks etc but she regards shopping an integral part of her trip to Karachi as the "latest, trendy clothes are come first to Karachi market and later to Hyderabad."

The stuff sold in Karachi is usually easily available in Hyderabad as Karachi serves as a wholesale market to the Hyderabad business community. Every Friday, a number of businessmen from Hyderabad come to Karachi to buy stuff in bulk at cheap rates. However they too lament that business is not as profitable as it could be because they have to sell things at higher prices in Hyderabad as compared to Karachi.

Hussain, a journalist by profession, never forgets to shop for his family when he visits Karachi on official trips especially when he is shopping for Eid or weddings as "the stuff available in Karachi is comparatively cheaper and of better quality than that available in Hyderabad," he tells Kolachi.

Being in the vicinity of a city like Karachi should have been beneficial to Hyderabad but the businessmen Hyderabad feel the opposite is happening and despite its potential Hyderabad fails to attract investors.

"We purchase a lot of items from Karachi especially imported items and raw materials," says Khursheed who owns a grocery shop in a busy market of the city.

According to Khursheed, some businessmen make their purchases through brokers while others go to Karachi on Fridays as the market is closed in Hyderabad on that day.

So why does Karachi get so much attention from investors? The business class in Hyderabad thinks that this is because the head offices of various factories are located in Karachi even though their plants are in Hyderabad. Karachi is where all the action is. And that benefits a certain segment of Hyderabad tremendously. With more and more people coming to Karachi in search of business and entertainment, the transport business in Hyderabad is thriving.

A large number of people in Hyderabad rent coaches for the purpose of shopping and picnic in Karachi. "Families hire coasters and vans for the whole day to visit Karachi, especially during summer vacations," says Arshad Rajput, a transporter in Hyderabad. He tells Kolachi that people prefer to hire the transport for the whole day so that they can freely roam in the city without any transport issues. That one-day trip to Karachi can cost a family 3000 to 5000 rupees in terms of transport.

Other than hiring a separate coach, people travel through public buses and coaches as well. These coaches carry hordes of people from Hyderabad to Karachi. This increase during summer when people go to Karachi to spend their holidays; transporters hike up their prices in peak season. Usually an air-conditioned coach charges 120 to 140 rupees per passenger while a non-airconditioned coach charges 60 to 80 rupees per passenger. In peak season, the tickets cost more.

Even though coming to Karachi puts a dent in the pocket of Hyderabadis, they are still willing to come because of everything Pakistan biggest metropolis has to offer.

That doesn't mean that there aren't enough sites worth visiting in Hyderabad.There are places with great historical and cultural significance like Pukka Qila and Katcha Qila, Tombs of the Mirs, the Indus River, Sindh Museum and Rani Bagh. However these monuments are falling apart because of a lack of government interest and investment in the city that is neglected as everyone focuses on Karachi.

Perhaps it is because of this lack of government interest in developing Hyderabad that these twin cities in Sindh have failed to forge a fruitful bond between them such as the one that exists between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Every year when summer falls in the lower part of Pakistan hundreds of people, fed up of the endless power-breakdowns and hot weather in their cities, escape to the northern areas. These tourists while heading to the mountains never miss an opportunity to visit Rawalpindi, which is not only a shopper's paradise but serves as a link to the northern areas as well. Rawalpindi has evolved much with the evolution of Islamabad and has a great deal to attract tourists.

If the government develops the super highway between Hyderabad and Karachi (which is normally jammed due to the construction work) then Hyderabad might finally start functioning as the hub of traditional Sindhi handicrafts just as the Bara market in attracts customers for its distinctive goods in Pindi. Then Karachi and Hyderabad might cease being step siblings and be twins in the true sense of the word.

"It was quiet, green and airy. Water was not a problem as our overhead tanks would be full without needing a motor to pump water into them. The air was always fresh and clean and as there were no minibuses beyond the 4-A, commuting was easy. Above all there was bonhomie among journalists. It was a closely-knit family, but all of that has changed now," recalls Muhammad Ali Siddiqi, assistant editor of Dawn newspaper.

It was not a locality made up of several different houses, but one house with many family members living together in a locality, a place that could indeed be called home. Never have I come across so many people fondly recalling the good times spent in a neighborhood, which they still adore. When people settle in localities, and make them their own, whether they later move onto better places or stay put in their neighborhoods, the area is always associated with those who originally settled in and developed it. The Journalists' Colony today stands as the result of the tireless efforts of the journalist community to establish a neighborhood solely for them.

Block 4A in Gulshan-e-Iqbal is what they call Journalists' Colony. The journalists of Karachi formed the colony in 1978 formally. A group of journalists had approached Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during his visit to the city and requested for a space to be allocated for the journalist's community of the city. The request was forwarded to the former Chief Minister Jam Sadiq Ali. When the maps of the city were reviewed, only one small barren piece of land in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was available, and that too was to be named after one of Allama Iqbal's servants. It was however, decided that building a colony for journalists held more importance and it was in 1978 that the Director General of Karachi Development Authority (KDA) Z A Nizami allocated the area to journalists, formally giving it the name of Journalists' Colony. The late Khurshid Zuberi of Jang newspaper was one of the first settlers in the colony.

This was the beginning of a new locality, a neighborhood with like-minded and educated people to mingle and live with each other. But this was also the beginning of a challenge; to develop, nourish and nurture the area to make it livable. Initially the colony was a deserted, haunted and underdeveloped area where thefts were common.

Hamdan Amjad Ali, supervisor library and research department at Daily Jang was one of the early settlers of the locality. He is also president of the Journalists' Society Welfare Association of the colony. Recalling old times, he said that despite constant reminders to the authorities to control the theft situation, not a lot of attention was paid to their complaints. "I remember that we used to protest on the floor of the assembly to grant us protection from such elements. It was then that the administration ordered the IG and DIG to send police forces to the colony, finally providing us security. This assertive action on part of the journalists was a big achievement after which living in the area became easier." said Hamdan proudly.

However theft was not the only problem the area faced. The area was without electricity, and not only were there no roads, parks, schools, mosques or shops, there was no bus route for the area either. The last bus stop closest to the colony was at Gulshan Chowrangi. Thus, the struggle to better the conditions of the colony continued and all these problems were fixed within two years.

Some people will believe anything, especially if its good. It is human tendency to accept anything positive being said about them while rejecting negative information particularly regarding their future. This trait is quite evident among the host of people who surround palmists. It has become a trend to have one's palm read and palm-reading sessions have become an essential source of entertainment at school and college funfairs. One can observe scores of people, mostly young women and couples in love having their fortunes read by palmists. " The palmistry stall is our most popular one at the annual bake sale," says Sabeen Akbani, who teaches at an affluent school.

The fascination of humans with having their futures revealed, especially through palmistry, which is an ancient art, has sustained itself for thousands of years. Even though today palmistry is often seen as nonsense or perhaps merely entertainment, people more often than not believe in it.

15 year old Maria who belongs to low income family is starry eyed because of what her palm has revealed, "I am waiting for my prince charming to come as predicted by a palmist. He has told me a handsome young man from a well to do family will fall in love with me and marry me."

The eagerness with which people pursue the hidden mysteries of their destiny and prefer to believe the good things said about them and their futures, even though evidently there might be no reason to do so, is not just restricted to the lower income strata of our society, as individuals from well off backgrounds lap up their predicted good fortunes just as eagerly.

Samina Khalid, a housewife with three daughters has absolute faith in her palmist, "I often go to a certain palmist near Abdullah Shah Ghazi's mazar. My Father-in-Law wants a male heir for his lands and this time the palmists has predicted that I will definitely give birth to a son."

Samina is just one of the thousands of people in our country whose personal and emotional crises push them to believe in anything that indicates better times.

Although palmistry was originally a tool of personality assessment and counseling, nowadays it has become a source of fortune telling. Professional palmists can be found reading palms all over the world. It is taken so seriously that books have been written about the art of palmistry and magazines often cover the subject as well.

Muzzamil Mir, an A-Levels student is amazed at the accuracy with which the palmist near the mazar read him and his palm. "It is so true that I have a tendency to be critical of myself. At times I am extroverted and affable while at other times, I am introverted and reserved", he shares animatedly.

Palmists more often than not make such general statements. In fact some are quite skilled at picking up cues from the individual's appearance and body language and elaborating upon general statements, tailoring them closely to that particular person. The people in return blindly and enthusiastically believe whatever the palmist tells them.

As P.T. Barnum, an American showman, once said, "There is a sucker born every minute". The Barnum Effect explains why people believe the nice things said about them and follow palmists' advice. It is not people's gullibility, however, but is an issue of selectivity, which is accepting things that are pleasing while ignoring those that are not.

Although most people will not completely believe in palmistry, many will readily accept readings to be accurate if the information is positive. However, there are people who do not have any faith in palmistry, "It is totally against the principle of Islam. Our destinies are controlled by Allah, no human being can predict anything", asserts Shahana Maruf, another housewife.

As more people are becoming wary of the many frauds and imposters crawling around the city pretending to be all knowing, having their palms read has been confined to merely being a fun activity for many individuals. "Although some of the things the palmist said are true, I still do not have complete faith in palmistry. I just came here to have fun with my friends", says Muzzamil.

However, whatever people might say, the truth paints a different picture. People may belong to diverse backgrounds, act rationally in their lives, but it is human nature to want to hear good things about their future, hence attracting them to palmists and other fortune tellers.

The positive information that the palmists provide their clients gives them hopes and dreams and creates the illusion of a bright future, something to look forward to and a reason to escape their present failures. However, people should beware of the many palmists adorning the streets of Karachi, as what most of them say is not true. Nevertheless, like we said in the beginning, some people will believe anything, especially if it is good!

Najeeb Alam was born on February 28,1965 in Karachi. He is a man whom people seek out for guidance, through the occult art of numerology. With a very fascinating family history and an even more interesting present he divulged several details of his life and numerological predictions and analyses.

Kolachi: Have you lived in Karachi all your life, how do you feel about Karachi as a city?

Najeeb Alam: Even though I was born in Karachi, I spent the first seven years of my life in Islamabad and it is very close to my heart. I also lived in Saudi Arabia when I was very young. My father worked for the Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia, so in my early years I moved through places like Iran and India.

Kolachi: How did numerology become a part of your life, where did you obtain guidance in shape of a Guru or Ustad?

Najeeb Alam: I belong to a family of great scholars and Alims; all my ancestors obtained their education in Deoband Mashabi Uloom that professes Sufism and many other fields of spiritualism. Mr. Kash-ul-Burni sparked off my interest in numerology when I read an article by him in the Urdu magazine Rohani Dunya. .My interest in the subject in me made me follow his address given in the magazine. From then on I began reading Mr. Kash-ul-Burni's books, and those by other spiritual authors and had discussions with Mr. Wasif Burni

Kolachi: How many years has it been since your first numerology reading and what was the experience like? Do you remember it?

Najeeb Alam: I began my training in 1995; it wasn't till seven years later that I started practicing as a numerologist. I don't remember my first reading with much clarity but do remember that my elder brother was ill and I got numbers indicating that it was a very sensitive period in his life, health wise.

Kolachi: Aside from numerology is there any other profession in your life?

Najeeb Alam: I have worked for the city district government Karachi since 1992. I also work as a commercial artist. I obtained a three year diploma from the Arts Council which allows me to do creative work for e.g. designing logos, monograms etc. I work as a freelancer with a few colleagues.

Kolachi: How predictable is numerology as an occult art practice?

Najeeb Alam: Every living and inanimate thing has its own number. The philosophy behind this practice or belief system says that numerical qualities are fixed. It is when these numbers are applied to real life questions and situations that we need to take into account a 10 to 15 percent hit and miss chance because life and its situations are ever changing and very complex.

Kolachi: do you ever plan on opening your own company?

Najeeb Alam: (smiling) if there ever is an office it will be for numerology.

Kolachi: How has all this insight into other people's lives affected your own life?

Najeeb Alam: I have only seen my sensitivity increase and it makes me very sad sometimes to see where the world is going. But being sensitive is part of my job; I have to be sensitive about people in order to guide them. To help someone you have to be able to discover them spiritually and psychologically. This is the only quality that keeps this practice alive.

Kolachi: Does changing one's name change their destiny?

Najeeb Alam: No, if you change your name it is not like your destiny will take a sudden shift but yes there is subtle change that becomes evident in a one to nine month period. Different people have experienced a slow progression of changes. It can be a change in something small in the individual's behaviour or personality or the choices they make.

Kolachi: what is the one thing your occult knowledge has taught you?

Najeeb Alam: I have learnt that a person is incomplete without specific knowledge. I take great pride in what I am able to do because of mine.

Kolachi: One thing you try to avoid talking about in your readings?

Najeeb Alam: Death. It is the most uncertain thing to predict.

Kolachi: Since you have dealt with all sorts of people do remember anything as unpleasant?

Najeeb Alam: Once an Arab man came to me and said Allah is the be-all, what are you trying to do over here? So I asked him what do you do sir? He told me he's a doctor. I asked him what does a doctor do and he said we look after people. I said, I try to do the same, it is only an attempt.

Kolachi: Numerologically, what does the word Pakistan stand for?

Najeeb Alam: The word Pakistan in its numeric value is the same as Bismillah Ar-Rehman Ar-Rahim, Allah and Karamat. I think Pakistan is the ninth wonder of the world, through its number's depth. According to the depth of numerology and also by spiritual belief, Pakistan is not a country but a miracle ground. It has nothing to do with sense or logic. The whole world wonders how it is operating, even we do. Just like Hazrat Moosa grew up in Pharaoh's kingdom, Pakistan took shape from India. Today it's a separate piece of land but the odd thing is that it's not being run by any collective or particular power or human effort, it's a mystery. I believe this land was predestined and it has spiritual evidence backing its birth in the Islamic calendar as its birth marks the night of Shab-e-Qadar. I need not to say more. This country is in state of constant change and will eventually give birth to many things.

Kolachi: Coming to our country will you tell us about Pakistan and the year 2007?

Najeeb Alam: Pakistan's number according to the Urdu script is three and in English is one. The number three represents benefits, helpfulness and the number one represents determination, challenge and strength. The year 2007 for Pakistan is a tough decision making year, you can call it a hotline number. Since the beginning of this year we have seen many upsets, several directly affecting Karachi. The whole year will be full of changes but the real change politically or concerning a power struggle will be in the year 2008. For example October is an important month not only because of the elections but because the numbers indicate a change on many levels.

Kolachi: What is the number for Karachi?

Najeeb Alam: Karachi is a number nine, which according to my calculations means constant ups and downs, a place, which will never be at ease, it is a chaotic place.

Kolachi: A little about President Musharraf and Pakistan if you will?

Najeeb Alam: The name Musharraf has been very positive in combination with Pakistan it has saved us from many disasters in the recent past. Nobody has matched the country's name so well in the list of leaders we have had according to numerology.

Kolachi: is there anything that you would like to say to people who might be reading about you?

Najeeb Alam: Everybody needs to take a good look at their own selves. There is etiquette to everything in life, which is all we need to pay attention to in order to make room for improvement on a larger level. We can only move according to Allah's will. Its Gods will that I am here doing what I am doing and that is the only truth.

In today's world where people don't even have time to smile at another on the street, Najeeb Alam despite his talents never forgets he is just like everybody else and understands and respects others' needs. That is his biggest strength, the reason why almost anybody in Karachi will want to go sit on one of the three plastic chairs outside the Forum by the parking lot, maybe to get a numerology report or just to have a great conversation with this Karachi Character.