On one of my visits to the USA, year probably 2000, I saw a discussion on television in which a representative of our counselor office was also present. Someone asked, “Why don’t you send the Pakistanis in jail here back to Pakistan?”. The counselor replied “We want to but none of them wants to go back. They feel more satisfied in jail”. This shocked me a bit and I tried to look back as far as I could.
In October 1951 when I joined service and was receiving training in Lahore I read of a case where a member of Islamic Research Institute, who gave an opinion as to which wine was haram (forbidden) in Islam, was hounded out of Pakistan. Gen. Mohammad Ayub Khan on taking over as Martial Law Administrator recalled him and he assisted in framing certain social and family laws but I am not aware which ones and to what extent. He was again hounded out of Pakistan, survived abroad, proved to be a prolific writer and was treated by some as the best scholar of Islam. Then followed a deluge. Differences in religious opinion were misinterpreted, misunderstood and deliberately highlighted, made the life of some miserable. So cornered and families threatened with death and destruction started moving out.
In 1979 or near about I spotted three girls in my family who appeared to me to be dynamic, energetic, ambitious and showing good signs of being achievers. There was a saying that those who remained satisfied with the things around them, (status quo), could never be a leader. Only those who had a streak of rebellion, they could be achievers, not all, some. These three had that quality, of course in varying degrees.
The eldest one appeared in CSS examination, was selected for one of the best services, appropriate for girls too. Within a year of her joining the service, she was slapped by one of her subordinates on the ground that in Islam men are not supposed to serve under women. I pitied not only the man who did so but all the Muslims who have not instilled in themselves and their children the example of Our prophet SAW relating to Hudabiya settlement which is recorded as follows in “If the oceans were ink” by Carla Power (page 244):
“To show that the Muslims had accepted the treaty the Prophet asked his companions to slaughter their camels and shave their heads. The two acts were symbolic recognition that they were no longer in a purified state required of an Umrah pilgrim and thus were abandoning the plans to enter Mecca. None of the men moved to slaughter their beasts or shave. Muhammad asked them again—three times. All they did was to stare at him dazed and bewildered.”
Disappointed the Prophet went into his wife Umm Salama’s tent. The Muslims were upset, she pointed out. “Go out don’t say anything. Slaughter your own cattle and shave your own head” she advised. The Prophet did so and the Prophet’s companions swiftly followed suit, shaving one another’s head with such gusto that Ummme Salamah worried that she would see a fatal shaving accident.”
The second girl got admission in engineering University. Whenever she asked for an interview with the Vice-Chancellor (VC) or a professor, I am not clear, it was granted. When she entered the room she found the VC facing the wall back towards the girl. Their conversation was through the intervention of the wall, a matter for the Guinness Book of Records. What was her impression of religion, of men, about perversions of human behavior nobody could assess? She moved over to the USA got employment in an engineering organization. Once I tried to contact her found that she had gone to Germany to negotiate a deal. Next time she was in European countries, a family outing during vacation. Finally, when I contacted her I found she had brought up the children very well. I should call it admirably. Such an upbringing of children has been equated with Jihad. Nothing to do with the behavior of the VC she continues to be restless in spite of being an excellent hostess, house manager a very good cook, keeping the extended family well-knit and satisfied.
The third girl was my own daughter. I cannot write much about her, the risk is double. At one stage she wanted to be a lawyer. I admit using all the methods fair and unfair for preventing her from adopting that course. It was risky for her, doubly risky for me. She became a Doctor completed her residency in the USA. Her husband, an engineer obliged to serve in Pakistan for three years. In her interviews for jobs, she was ridiculed by reference to verses of Akbar Allahabadi. I had to silently share all her frustrations and disappointments.
One day she was going shopping. I gave them my cell phone as I had to attend Court. After shopping they found their car missing. After over half an hour they found out that their car had been forklifted by the police. They went to the Police Station and got the car released. Within a week burglars entered her house ransacked it and ultimately asked for the cell phone. They took a lot of time to be convinced that they had no cell phone in spite of being seen using it at the Police station. In the meantime, she put pillows over her two children so that they do not experience what was happening. The ordeal was over. The family moved over to the USA. Within a year of their departure two house removed from theirs in Pakistan, a Brigadier was shot dead in a similar burglary case. Their ordeal began, in the USA, ultimately to be resolved ten years after. She settled. Her children got best education and career. She started doing voluntary work for the humanity, for Pakistan also, whenever she found an opening. I have been closely observing and recording in what shape and size such horrifying experiences of childhood surface in adult life, hatred and pessimism always, and destruction sometimes.
I had a close friend, feudal to the core. Part of the family moved to the UK in the ordinary course. The child got the best education became a Barrister, joined a flourishing law firm there. After years of practice thought of opening a branch office in Pakistan. He did everything in great style, practiced here for two years or so. One night he was returning from dinner, was stopped by a police party close to the most flourishing commercial sector of Islamabad. He came out of the car. He was told that he was carrying a terrorist in the car, a shabby man by their side, nodding approval of what the police said. After a negotiated deal the terms of which I do not know, he was allowed to go. The advances that he paid for the commercial and the residential property were not returned to him on one pretext or the other. Now he is a great success abroad doing oil deals globally for a firm of international repute.
In this background, our countrymen abroad proudly describe that our police is best in the world. It can tell when and where the crime is going to take place and find a criminal in no time, an elephant coming in best of moods announcing that I am the dear that was stolen. In the same spirit, I narrate a few more instances.
First, when the first Martial Law was declared in the whole country, the Chief Justice M. R. Kayani came out with an anecdote of Sheikh Saadi, in a Bar Speech. A young of a fox was running desperately in the jungle, the other animals asked what the reason is. The young one replied that the camels are being apprehended. The animals said you cannot be taken to be a camel. The young one replied who will decide that I am not a young one of the camel.
The second, the Chief Justice Punjab M. R. Kayani raised a controversy over his jurisdiction. The Chief justice of Pakistan somehow settled it. The Chief Justice of Punjab made the remark found in a book of Chief Justice Munir himself “Our Chief Justice has the intellect of Justinian but the face of a clown”.
Third, those of my age or elder would remember that as they passed the Upper Mall between Governor House and Aitchison College in Lahore, a long stretch with low boundary wall in winter appearing decorated with colorful garden umbrellas, finely attired attendants with snacks and food moving around. It reminded one of Paris, all cultural, artistic literary and commercial activities going on by the roadside or along the Seine river. Then Lahore was rightly called Paris of the East. The club, as it was called, shifted one morning to a dilapidated evacuee building at the entrance of GOR-1 opposite Race Course, Lahore. It took years for the club to regain its glory. The Mall never got it back. This part of our history is still awaiting our full attention. It contains the entire culture of our governance, our standard of balance, justice and fairness enjoined in the whole of chapter 55 of Quran.
Fourth, In one of his speeches, Gen. Mohammad Ayub said: “Does any chief justice make speeches as does the Chief justice Kayani?”. Came back the reply from Kayani “Does any army general take over the country as General Aub has done?”.
Fifth and the last. My shortest interview ever, of less than five minutes, three minutes to be exact. After retirement, I received an invitation from Interior Ministry headed by a Police Officer of distinction. As I had time and a lot of experience I fully prepared myself. I just started when I was told: “We are here to hear only about Police Commission”. I asked, “Where is the Police Commission?”. The reply was “In Japan”. I said I know nothing about it. I walked out. I was very keen to know what was the report submitted I could not find out. I guessed it would be that there is no objection not a single one to the appointment of a Police Commission.
I have already recorded in my childhood experience that the police picket posted at our residence at our cost was headed by ASI and he somehow convinced me from his stories that ASI was more intelligent than any higher police officer. From my experience I found it to be substantially true. Any number of examples that you want I can give all from my experience. What would one say to Gullo Butt being embraced publicly by a PSP officer and a more senior in rank giving him pat on the back, all internationally shown on TV? They were all above the rank of ASI. Now the Police has become a victim of its own performance just has the CSP.
Einstein said we want men of values not men of merit. Now a crime takes place a minister announces whether it is an act of terror or not. Next, the minister forms a joint investigation team. A judge serving or retired orders government naming those who are to be placed on exit control list and whose passport is to be seized, who is to be rewarded who is to be punished. The whole country forgets the law of the land, knowingly ignores it just as our first General Parvez Musharraf did with president Lincoln letter in his briefcase (“In the line of Fire” page 152).
Everyone in the country, every Pakistani abroad should read the decision of our Supreme Court in Shahnaz Begum versus Hon’ble judges of High Court of Sind and Baluchistan PLD 1971 SC 677. It is the law of the land’
The concluding portion of the citation reads as hereunder:
” …. we would like to add by way of caution that it is of the utmost importance to remember that a superior court should not allow itself to be influenced by sensational reports in newspapers or by what he (the judge) he may have heard or read outside the court, for, in the first case it may unwittingly be encouraging a trial by the press and in the other case unnecessarily be exposing itself to the criticism that its actions are motivated by bias.”
Experiences of a Lifetime 