2 My Family and Upbringing

I was born in 1929, day and date not known, and none could disclose it for certain, but the recorded one remained the same, 16^th of February 1929, which I did not ever own wholeheartedly. I had three grandfathers, one the paternal one who lived in a village, Sonhara near Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, not much in contact with us. The other was the maternal one with whom we lived till he sold/transferred the one almost adjacent house to us. The third was known as Haji Mohammad Ali (‘Haji Sahib’). In the year 1932 he got registered a “Wakf al Aulad” deed. The value of the property then shown in the registered document was Indian Rupees five hundred thousand. The properties mentioned in it were located in different places.

In Calcutta, India

1. A partnership business in equal shares with a non-muslim, conducting wholesale business in commodities, with certain constructed properties belonging to the partnership. The direction in the wakf deed was that the share should be got separated and converted into properties to be assimilated with wakf To my knowledge until 1947 it had not happened.
2. Two high rise buildings, rented to over three hundred tenants, exclusively dedicated to the wakf.
3. One rented premises used throughout as residence of the Mutawalli whether he was there or not.

In Banaras (now Varanasi), India

1. Four well-constructed houses, adjacent to each other, one dedicated to the three ladies given lifetime right of residence with a monthly stipend, grains, and groceries made available to them from the shops. The lower portion of the other well-constructed high-rise building was given to the Police picket posted whenever there was a riot in the city. Any family of the beneficiaries was entitled to utilize the available accommodation as and when it liked.
2. There was a semi-constructed portion across the street for buggy, horse and syce’s family. The attendant is still occupying the residential portion. The enclosure is used by beneficiaries who want to park their car for safety.
3. Rs 25,000 shares in Banaras silk Industries, a company.
4. Two rented shops used for retail business
5. one rented large accommodation for storage and carrying on wholesale business.

In Azamgarh District of UP.

Six villages of Nizamabad Tehsil where shares in agricultural property were owned, a few portions are recorded as self-cultivated, a few others as Orchards. Indian land reforms excluded the owners self-cultivated land and orchards. I have no idea whether these or any portion of it, was in fact saved on the ground and in Papers.

In Basti District UP, India

A house which I never saw.

Charities directed

1. For his beloved deceased wife. Indicative of his love and devotion to his deceased wife he indicated that he had been generously spending on charities and recital of Quran on her death anniversary on 21 Rajab 1346 (January 13^th, 1928) and wanted that every year Rs 500 should be spent on this occasion. After his own death he should be buried in the family graveyard and, as for his wife, a Qari should be kept employed for reciting Quran for their benefit all along.
2. For education
3. 1. A sum of Rs. 250 for George High School, Azamgarh, renamed as Shibli Naumani College and now raised to the status of a university.
   2. 50 to a religious school at Serai Saleh in Azamgarh.
   3. 150 to a religious school at Shoharat Ganj, District Basti.
4. For maintenance and lifelong residence. Three ladies who had served the family long and well were provided a lifetime residence in a medium size house and a monthly non-heritable stipend.

Beneficiaries Becoming Extinct

No beneficiary in the line of inheritance being available, the entire income of wakf was to be used for educating people about Quran, for educating the Muslims generally and for affording relief to the poor and widows.

Beneficiaries under the wakf

Haji Sahib had no male issue but three sisters, the eldest one having a son Umar who committed suicide by throwing himself in a well, a part of our paternal graveyard. My continued inquiry into the reason for it remained unheeded. I do not still know whether it was on account my young age or they themselves not knowing the reason. From then on, my interest in psychology, abnormal one and suicide started, and I lost no opportunity of reading whatever material was available. In course of time I came across a judgment of the Indian Supreme Court (AIR 1994 SC1844) very well written, exhaustive by all standards, it was held that committing of suicide was a fundamental right of man. Not a single sentence in it was written about the Islamic view of it. I asked my college and university fellow who was also from Banaras, who had become a judge of Supreme Court of India why it was so. He said that after Shah Bano case and agitation over it leading to the passing of an Act of parliament to resolve the issue, the court decided not to touch the personal law of any community. This judgment was reversed by the Appellate Bench of the Indian Supreme Court. This strengthened my strong belief in the principle that justice must be done through the heavens may fall the judge must ensure that the heavens do not fall.

According to the wakf deed, Haji Sahib was to remain lifetime mutawalli of the wakf. On his death, male lineal descendants of the eldest sister to receive a double share in the receivable income. On no male being available in that line, the next, the middle sister male progeny was to take over. On no male being available in that line of descent, the youngest sister’s progeny was to take over with all the income exclusively coming adding to its share. By the year 2000, the two elderly sisters male line of descent ended, the entire estate and mutawalli-ship came to our family with three sons and two sisters, I, being the eldest. I had already given up all my interest in the wakf in 1944 and for that reason, I was treated as nonexistent for the purposes of wakf, otherwise, I would have been mutawalli.

In the wakf deed Haji Saheb had stated that he was keeping the families of all his sisters as a single family, maintaining and looking after them. This was true to the extent that he was providing slightly more than need and survival-based requirements of all the families each not so close together physically or emotionally

On the death of my mother, my paternal grandfather came out a village and claimed my custody. Somehow after two or three days, they were persuaded to leave unsuccessfully. Another development was that my father married the sister of my mother who brought us up well along with her one son and one daughter. What is more important is that my maternal uncle (mentor, as I always treated him) who was then studying in 8^th class or so took complete charge of me and maintained it till I came over to Pakistan. He forgot his own studies, did not look after his son well. All attention on me, too much of it, all the time insisting that I should do better than my Barrister cousin who later became mutawalli. He had returned after doing Bar just before the war started, all his expenses and much more paid from wakf.

Status of wakf after year 1990

Two male lines of descent having become extinct, my family came to be the sole surviving lineal beneficiary of the wakf. My father became the mutawalli and in 1992 my turn came, being the eldest but having given up my entitlement in the wakf in 1945 when I was denied expenses for my education from the wakf I never looked back at it. My youngest brother Atiur Rahman is mutawalli but all the legwork of the wakf is being done by our three nephews.

Blessings and Blessings

I was born a twin. So, I was told. But my brother did not come out in the world alive. None could tell me the reason. My asking a question was risky. Anyone could turn around and say you were the reason.

In 1935 my mother was on deathbed. Three of her children were called to see her and also to hear what she had to say. I only remember that when asked to say something she said I trust them to God. I should be remembering all her features, but I do not. Her presence and guidance I always sought, and I felt that I have been getting it. Then I read somewhere that an adult is a victim of his childhood. I came to believe it. I can talk with children hours, not telling them anything but only understating their interest. I remember once I asked a child which teacher appears to you to be the best. She said all are good. I said how could that be. She said that is so because my mother is a teacher in the same school. How perceptive of her and also guessing what will happen when her mother is not around.

After the death of my mother in 1935, unintentionally I suppose, I came in focus at the age of six years. My maternal grandmother made it her routine that every morning, even before I opened my eyes, she would bring a cup of finely ground almond with crystal sugar, all in milk, in what proportion I still do not know. I had to drink it, my eyes closed or open, it did not matter. After that, she would sit by my bedside open “panjsura” (collection of verses from Quran). She read it for half an hour in loud but soft voice. With my eyes still closed, ears open, heart throbbing, I heard it all but could not understand a word of it. But then one portion of it seeped into every cell of my body without my feeling it. God admonishing human beings for how many of His blessings or bounties we will thank Him.

Twelve years later when I was Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur, in 1958, police guard at my residence had a constable who used to recite Quran in the verandah just outside my bedroom. His recital was so lyrical, impressive and touching that I was strongly reminded of what I used to hear twelve years earlier.

In 1987, almost 30 years after, when I visited the USA I understood what thanking God means.  Everyone uttering good morning and good night without either being good for the time being. Then I found the majesty, the beauty and the picturesque creations of nature assiduously preserved, protected, their beauty and glamour greatly enhanced. All this, to me, meant thanking God all the time.

Once we were walking in the housing enclosure in America, finding me limping a bit, a lady, no acquaintance of ours, first sought our permission to pray for our cure. We allowed her. With very delicate fingertips she went over our entire body praying with Jesus for our cure. How gratified I felt. A thought flashed through my mind at that time that in our country with no sign to show my immediate superiority in, wealth power and prestige someone would have in a commanding loud voice shouted “O langre, rasta dey”

Settling in America in 2010 I saw a culture of Muslims beyond my belief and comprehension. I will enumerate only five examples, and that too in the briefest terms.

1. In mixed gatherings of sexes and cultures, fairly well educated and well placed, people will themselves pose two questions for everyone listening to answer. Which are the best Police in the world, and the second, which police in the world can find an accused quickest? Then they will themselves provide the answers to the great enjoyment of those similarly oriented. Pakistan! in Pakistan alone Police can provide the information when a crime is going to take place and where, and also the criminal. They will then describe how an elephant in the joyous of moods comes rolling and saying “I am the deer that was stolen.
2. There is a reasonably good system of running Sunday Schools by mosques here. Mostly the volunteers do the job. A Muslim medical specialist of high grade, very busy in his job sent his son to Sunday school. One day the student came and told his father that the teachers wanted to know whether he observed fast or not. The father told him that he does not. The next week he came with two prayers to be recited when he enters his empty house and remains in to keep the evil spirits away. The child passed a few restless nights. The father with some effort found out that he was worried about the evil spirits. He recalled the child from the school and never sent him back.
3. I was in the mosque in California attending Friday prayers. Khutba was on. Two gentlemen perfect models of Islam in appearance 40 to 45 years of age interrupted the Imam demanding that unless the Imam describes an equal number of evils of America as he was describing the good points they will leave the mosque. They immediately left. Which Imam will disobey the command of the Quran and the law of the land?
4. Two ladies in a bus, in hijab, of course, would not allow anyone else to sit on either side saying that only a mahram can sit and no other person.
5. Sunday school boys were told to bring a pillow next week. They gladly did that. They were taken out and asked to lie in the grave specially dug for that purpose.

At this stage and here just for a diversion and information I am reproducing what Allama Shibli Naumani recorded in his travelogue of 1892 when he visited Turkey and Egypt, a comprehensive coverage of education system of both the countries. Not only in Constantinople but in all Islamic countries there are two systems of education, old and modern. He draws two conclusions which I want to reproduce in his own words without translating it.

1. “Isi ka yeh bhi asar hai ke taalim-yafta groh mein abhi tak who zinda dilli, azad khiyali. hosla mandi, buland nazari nahin paida hui jo nai taalim ka lazma hai.” (page 54)
2. “Koi government go kitni muqtadar aur daulat-mand ho laikin tamam mulk ki ilmi zarroortoon ki kafeel nahi ho sakti, agar ho bhi to chandan mufeed naheen. Jis qaum ki tamam zarroorten government anjam diya karti hain uski dimaghi aur roohani qooten murdah aur bekaro jati hain” (page 54)

As regards to Al-Azhar University, what Allama records appears unbelievable (page 174):

Students over twelve-thousand, professors only forty. For meals only naan is provided, the students had to make arrangement for gravy. With no towel or napkin in their hands, they received naan like beggars and moved on. Some got four or five pieces of bread and exchanged with the bakers their extra bread for gravy.

“Mujh ko apne tamam safar mein jis qadar jamai Azhar ke haalat se musalmao ki badbakhti ka yaqeen hua kisimaur chese ne nahin hua”.  

Childhood not without Mischief

In childhood, I was bitten by a monkey, a dog, a mouse, quite often due to my own fault. Indoor I was fond of skating and kite flying, both the activities carried on the roof of our and connected houses. Encounters with monkeys were quite frequent. Once and only once I tried to use an air gun, but I got such threatening looks from non-Muslims that I left using even rubber band. Once a monkey caught me by both the hands I thought it was a gesture of goodwill and coexistence but in the process after shaking my hands the monkey bit my hand. Such events and injuries had to be kept secret in the household unless the matter went out of hand.

Kite Flying

In kite flying, I developed such an expertise which to my knowledge nobody has in the world to date. I used to prepare by thread my kite in such a fashion that with a slight pull at my end it started swirling fast as if gone mad in the air. I used to bring it in that condition close to any kite with a string that was cut loose and floating in the air. Soon the two threads became one and I was able to bring down both the kites.  My administrative and judicial work brought me closer to kites and monkeys all over the world, not physically, but theoretically and I am quite up to date on both the subjects. In Pakistan, I saw kite flying progress from street urchins unnoticed activity to gun firing festival with a lot of searchlights, tracer bullets and plenty of good food, ladies of the house also participating. After retirement morning next to Basant night, I used to pick up five to ten empties from my compound. All doctors agreed that lead of a discharged bullet falling on the bare head of anyone would be fatal. In my pessimistic vision, I guessed in such case police would file the case as untraced or approach a selected neighbor saying you have caused the death and I am going to challan you thus extracting an agreed sum of money. Thus, a smaller evil turned into a graver evil. I was surprised to find that some Pakistanis lovers of kite flying in California bring fancy kites from Pakistan.

Monkeys

About monkeys I learned that in Delhi lunch of lawyers and the secretariat files came into the hands of monkeys and put to proper use, one, all eaten, the other, all torn and destroyed. Court ordered monkeys to be removed. The man appointed had to go to the hospital with grievous injuries and none else came forward to take up the appointment. Next, on American President’s visit to Bombay elaborate arrangements were made to protect the President and his entourage but what they were was not made known to the President, the public or the monkeys. So, no news at all. Next came the good news. An enterprising State of India got prepared Robot Langoors to drive away the monkeys, to which destination, nobody knows. It appears the war between monkeys and Langoor is still going on and we have to wait, till lifetime to hear about the result.

Long before this when Indira Gandhi was about thirteen, she heard her aunt Nan describe her as ugly and stupid—Indira had her own organization, the Monkey Brigade to promote nationalistic activity. Personally, I had three reasons to observe her career path. The first was that Justice Mirza Hamidullah Beg Chief justice of Supreme Court of India, who, it is said received promotion out of turn, was supporting more ardently on the legal side her proclamation of Emergency. Second, my class fellow whose appointment as judge of Allahabad High court had been notified was not allowed to take oath for over one year. The reasons not known to anyone. The third was that a film, probably Aandhi was kept pending in censor board for about two years ostensibly for the reason that it tried to depict the life of Indira Gandhi. Now when modified and cleared, nothing exceptional.

Academics

As a student, up to 5^th class I was a hopeless case. I failed in the 5^th class but my mentor pestering the teachers got me promoted within three months, thus restoring me to my class. In despair, at times he used to tell me that he can inscribe on a stone that I cannot ever read or go higher. I then went to my extended family and everyone told me why to worry about studies. You will get plenty from wakf. Then a wonderful thing happened to me, the best ever. A tutor was appointed for six months. He taught me no subject but by various methods, he increased my writing power. It helped me in every subject. In the examination that followed the marks that I obtained alarmed every one of my companions in the class. They thought I had committed some mischief, or the examiners had committed a blunder. They took out the answer books presented it to the examiner protesting what they considered to be over marking or mistaken marking. Nothing changed. I continued to maintain high second grade.

When it came to premedical school I could not get admission in any good college in Banaras. I thought of going outside for which I applied for funds from wakf. At that time Barrister, cousin was mutawalli. He declined and offered that I should come to Calcutta live with him and he will get all the admissions etc. done. My Mentor thought it was a ruse to spoil me. It was then that I decided that I will have nothing to do with wakf property, got admission in local Queens College with Arts subject, logic my favorite was one of them. The college was a beautiful gothic style building. My mentor had at very early age inducted me into the cricket team and encouraged me to be a wicketkeeper, a position which he kept throughout his career. So, did I. I had a poor opinion of myself, afraid of injuring and disabling myself. I was somewhat slow to remove the bails and slower to raise the loudest call for the Umpire. Without it the team and the onlookers had no thrill. An occasion for the appointment of a captain arose. Five important Muslim players wanted me to be captain. That did not happen because the teacher in charge asked me to give up my claim and let another named player be the captain. Spineless in such matters as I was, I readily agreed. This made me very unpopular with the Muslim players. By then I had realized that I could not be a leader in any domain, best as second in command, never a front-runner, I am always choosing and enjoying a quiet corner in life. A certificate was given to me which I prize for the nice picture of Gothic style building, not at all for the other contents of it.  I   am reproducing it too for others to determine themselves how far it was nearer the truth.

I was also given a scholarship of five rupees a month the exact amount that I was paying for my book club.

Gardening, as a Hobby

The primary school was next to our house. The building was solid but we all had to sit on a mat on the ground. The house being next door I used to come and go, never between 11 am and 12 noon. At that time a handful of soaked gram, chickpeas were handed over to us. With a bit of salt added it became delicious, more so when it had sprouted, invariably after Sunday or a holiday. Protecting them from Monkeys I started sprouting every type of seed and sprouted seed soon became a plant and I had no protected place outside to plant. Then I started what is called armchair gardening. In search of a nursery for literature, seed, and information I selected Pestonjee of Poona and remained satisfied with it. I had three defects which continue to date. First, I went for exceptional seeds and plants little caring to know about their habit or requirements. The second was that I still believe, that richer the soil the stronger will be the germination. Third, I treated every plant equally, no discrimination, little knowing that every plant was like an individual to be treated differently, individually with attention and care.

As a Hobby gardening has four advantages, particularly in the judicial career. First, in Judicial work there is no escape from frustration, difficulty in solving cases, analyzing evidence. In gardening, while your hands are busy your mind is free and active to analyze and understand every aspect of your problem, at times even coming to a valid conclusion. Secondly, when extremely frustrated or depressed you treat the soil as your enemy and keep on giving hard blows till all that is bad is blown out, you learn directly the life cycle of plants, all of their problems and sufferings and through them of human beings. Fourthly, gardening is a lifelong companion, now as with me, having a satisfying look at the plants, greeting some of them sitting in an armchair reading books or hearing music, always aware that you are in the company of a garden of your own making.

The other great benefit of gardening is that you can combine it with other so many other hobbies. For example, in Lahore in one year single handed I dug a pond ten by ten, eight feet deep to culture three types of fishes Tilapia from China, Rohoo from Pakistan and one another the name I am forgetting, all flourishing at different levels of water. I will advise you never to so do single handed otherwise sure to develop arthritis. I attempted Peking ducks very economical for Pakistan, easy to breed and maintain but then, as usual, it did not find a place in the taste of the people. Elsewhere it is considered a delicacy quite expensive.

I had two functional egg incubators with the thermostat in perfect order. No difficulty in hatching but much more in protecting them, particularly when out of town. In most of these activities, a veterinary chief who resided next door advised and helped. One fact he mentioned in which I still take an interest was that from Multan, Mohammad Bin Qasim reported to the Caliph that here there is an animal which provides milk, tills the soil and supplies meat. Caliph wanted to have a few. One thousand were sent. The Officer told me that on his visit to Iraq he inquired about their well-being. He was told that they could not be domesticated well. They continued to be aggressive, unmanageable and not of much use. I then forgot to ask him whether they were provided a small pool for wallowing or not. I tried to find the answer at this age, contacted him in Lahore and found that we both had reached an age where any meaningful conversation was not possible on the telephone.

Mesmerism

From my interest in psychology, abnormal one, I got interested in Hypnotism and Mesmerism. I read whatever I got. I got a book which was supposed to have a full course. But my eyes did not go any further. I had a similar failure when at University I tried to learn violin and in service as a probationer preparatory to our departure to UK for training, dancing. I gave up all this as beyond my reach.

Story Writing

I do not know what inspired me to enter into an All India story writing contest. The story that won was written by Zaibunnisa, who I think appeared on the scene in Pakistan as Zaibunissa Hamidullah, a talented journalist and everything else in that field. Her winner was a “Laburnum tree”. I had not the faintest idea as to what a Laburnum tree was. Looking up the books I found a description of it and seeing the flower I found it more beautiful than Jacaranda for roadside plantation. In America, I did not see anywhere this plant or yellow Oleander. Finally, I was told that these plants in some way are considered poisonous here. Look at Tomato. Its leafy part is poisonous but because the fruit is so good it is cultivated with much devotion. In Spain, they celebrate a Tomato festival, throwing a tomato at each other. In California also at one or two places they have started such festival. The problem is that the production is so much that they have no place to keep it. In Florida, I am pleased to have three crops a year and many places to store. I got a dehydrator which makes fruits and vegetables dry.

Pelmanism

In Calcutta, I met a British business Manager. He was talkative. He impressed me by saying time and again that he had done a course in Pelmanism which had helped him develop superhuman qualities of understanding and management. I was so much impressed that I collected Rs.60 from my pocket money and I ordered. What I got was set of thirteen small books. I was supposed to read them, practice the exercises and report back as required for testing my performance. I did all that but felt no difference, nobody else did. But those exercises were good for adolescents and old people nearing dementia.

Bird Catching

Bird Catching, then Bird watching, and then Bird Feeding and finally only Bird Watching. Not far from our residential locality was the residential locality of professional Bird Catchers. First, I wanted to see the variety of birds before they were taken to the market. A wonderful sight. Next, I got interested in catching Birds. They told me everything but not what was a glue that they used, even a touch of it incapacitated the birds from flying. They gave me a small quantity of it which I used successfully. There was no beauty in birds found in inhabited areas. Probably wilderness was the place for them, beyond my reach When the Birds started competing with my small garden I stopped the feed. Now I am content with wall calendars showing beautiful birds.

Books

The Illustrated Weekly of India to which I subscribed offered a Book Club at Rs.5 each month and in return, I got a very good looking useful book some beyond my comprehension but worth keeping. It was a most satisfying collection. Next, I started reading Thomas Hardy books, all of them, tragic, depressing but enjoyable. Next, I read Pearl S. Buck, her way of appreciating oriental practices and values impressed me. When I started French Diploma course I switched over to Maupassant, W. Somerset Maugham and finally, Lord Jeffrey Archer for his combination of law, colonial administration and profitable criminal acts and Mark Twain for his curt remarks like “America is in danger only when Congress is in session”. Now Kindle has altered those habits, nothing tangible like a book to hold, nothing to share, nothing to leave behind, an all-time space saver.

Spirit and Spirituality

In Calcutta I had a relative businessman very fond of purchasing good looking books without ever reading them. In his collection, there were good books but the one which attracted my attention was an Encyclopedia of spirituality in three volumes. It went as far back as Pharaoh. The conclusion reached was that man’s brain is capable of knowing all that happened a thousand years ago and all that is destined to happen a thousand years in future but the man’s capacity to reproduce it correctly is limited. It differs from man to man. Next, I read an incident reported from America where a lady, probably her name was Jean Dixon, on entering an office asked for an ambulance because her understanding was that one of the employees in office there was going to have a heart attack. As soon as an ambulance arrived one of the employees had a heart attack was removed to the hospital and saved. Another dimension of spirituality came to my notice in a book “Aurego, A surgeon with a kitchen knife”, fully documented and filmed.

Late Justice Javed Iqbal at p.11 of his Urdu book Apna Gariban Chaak writes that his janam patri was read by another expert who interpreted it to mean “I would not be surprised if 28 years after this boy in India or outside India in an important Islamic State becomes Chief Minister. Then he mentions the news appearing in Newspaper Nation on 18^th July 1993 that President Ghulam Ishaq Khan rejected the advice to appoint Justice Javed Iqbal as Caretaker Prime Minister.

The University

Allahabad University was the choice. I could not get admission in the best hostel. The leftover was the Muslim Hostel. I applied for music, photography and French language as side courses. I was not given photography. In music, I had chosen violin but could make no headway so gave it up. I kept my interest in photography, moved on to 8mm movie camera then 8.5mm now all on DVD. A good collection. I did two years diploma in French, took French as an optional paper in CSS competitive examination. Another two years in German and had done one year in the Russian language when my University career came to an end. I did MA in Political science in 1950 first division second position. I completed LLB in 1951 first division and the second position. In this way, I did not exceed my target. What was outstanding in University was a two-hour lecture given to the combined class of final Political science and final of Diplomacy. It was on French Revolution, so brilliant and scenic as to give the feeling as if we are a part of it. At that time there was no practice of having a videotape of such lectures otherwise it would have been a good collection. Search for a career started.

Becoming a Pakistani

The next event was that I obtained a certificate of Domicile of Dacca showing my arrival there on 10^th of May 1951 and started receiving expatriation allowance for the period of my service and posting in West Pakistan.

In the year 1952, second of August, while receiving training in District Barisal and residing in Rest house I was called to Chittagong by my cousin Barrister Fazlur Rahman, then mutawalli of the family wakf  and there his wife Hamida Begum (second wife, reputed to be belonging to the noble family of Nanpara of U.P India). In the USA, after retirement, I came to know that she was in some degree related to the wife of Justice Salahuddin of the Supreme Court much senior to me. She transferred to my name about sixteen acres of land in the Industrial Area of Chittagong. In the registered deed, it was mentioned that she had purchased this land and more, that very day from Air Vice Marshall Oliver Eric Oliver Edward Carter son of Oliver Edward Carter deceased Royal Air Force Officer Retired of 11/1 Lansdowne Road Calcutta for Rupees Twenty-three thousand and two hundred only and she was unable to manage it. She was selling part of it to me for Rupees eleven thousand and six hundred. I did not pay a penny for it.

A part of the land was under compulsory acquisition by Government, the rest auctioned under Sunset law, a law peculiar to East Pakistan which I am applying on myself by not attending as far as possible when invited to a party by a landowner in default in paying Government dues. I did not ever anywhere describe the rigor and the inequity.

Entry into Premier Service of Pakistan, not of my choice ever, but preferred always as a conduit. I was issued an undated “Eligibility Certificate” by the Government of Pakistan, Cabinet Secretariat (Establishments Branch) in following terms

“In exercise of the powers conferred by subsection 1 of Section 262 of the Government of India Act 1935 as in force in Pakistan, the Governor General is pleased to declare that Mr. Shafiur Rahman s/o Mr. Mohammad Yasin a subject of the Republic of India shall be eligible to hold any civil office under the crown in Pakistan in connection with the affairs of the Federation.”

Signed

A.W.Redpath

Deputy Secretary to the Government of Pakistan.

To

1. Mr. Shafiur Rahman C/O The Director, Civil Service Academy, Lahore.
2. The Director, Civil Service Academy, Lahore.