Wazir Mansion-The Quaid’s Birthplace

A sorry tale of the govt apathy

* Visitors disappointed at closure of Quaid’s birthplace

 

By Jamil Khan | KARACHI

 

FOR A large number of visitors who came to the Wazir Mansion, the birthplace of the Father of Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the trip was a disappointment due to the fact that the renovation that began four years ago is yet to be completed.

In 1952 the then federal government purchased Wazir Mansion from a businessman called Wazir Ali and declared it to be a museum as well as a national archive site and a protec

An old image of glorious past.

ted national monument. Since then, the three-story building situated on New Neham Road (now Haji Sharif Balwani Road) just behind the New Memon Mosque at M.A. Jinnah Road (aka Bunder Road) used to attract thousands of visitors looking forward to pay homage to Jinnah. However, for the past four years the building is closed for visitors on the pretext of renovation.

About four months ago, the Project Director and Curator National Museum of Pakistan Muhammad Shah Bukhari had said that most of the renovation work has been completed and Wazir Mansion will open its doors for the general-public on December 25. However, a visit to the sight by Daily Times on Thursday proved that it was a mere claim.

Officials at the site told this scrib

e that most of the renovation work was completed but the furnishing of the exterior could not begin due to the lack of funds. Meanwhile, the three security guards employed by the department had their complaints too and wanted them to be resolved.

The security guard serving the evening shift told Daily Times that, “As the building is situated in a business hub, the site serves as a haphazard parking lot and even the officials are unable to make their way to the building.” He also said that not many people were willing to treat the birthplace with respect. The guard added that most of Quaid’s personal belongings have been shifted to the National Museum and Quaid-e-Azam House (old Flagstaff House) located on Shahrah-e-Faisal and they are off limits to the common man.

It is worth mentioning that the federal government’s Department of Archaeology and Museums in 2002 had started to renovate Wazir Mansion with an estimated cost of Rs 5.9 million as PC1. According to sources in the department, work on the site beg

an in 2004 and so far around Rs 30 million have been spent to restore Wazir Mansion.

Meanwhile, Project Director Muhammad Shah Bukhari and Director National Museum were not available to give comments.

Arif, a resident said, “As citizens of Karachi and the neighbours of Wazir Mansion, we have often approached the concerned department and told them to speed up the renovation work but all in vain. It is so sad to see people come to this place to pay homage to Quaid and then leave without setting a foot inside.”

Iqbal Tula, another resident commented, “Before work began in 2004, a large number of people used to visit Wazir Mansion. Now things are different and we do not know when the mansion will open again. As far as the lack of funds goes, I suggest that a donation box should be placed outside the building and hopefully this will help in collecting a handsome amount to carry out this project without any delay.”

-Published in Daily Times | Dec 30, 2008

Crime Scene: Police arrest man accused of killing grandmother

By Jamil Khan | KARACHI

 

THE police officials of Ibrahim Haideri have arrested a convict who allegedly disappeared after killing his 65-year old maternal grandmother at her house.

According to the police officials, a 65-year old woman identified as Sairah was killed by a dagger commonly used for chopping fish. Her body was found in her house located at Ali Akbar Shah Goth.

The police started an investigation on the directives of Bin Qasim SSP Abdullah Sheikh and found that the last two people who were seen in the deceased’s house were her grandson Ismail and his friend Sultan. Sultan, was a resident of Zaman Town, and depended on the pocket money that his grandmother occasionally gave him. Sairah was killed because she refused to give Sultan, who was unemployed, any money, which aggravated him. Sultan’s accomplice managed to escape but the police hope that they will catch him soon.

Gang arrested: Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) on a tip off arrested a gang of 11 criminals involved in a number of cases including robberies and kidnapping.

The officials led by DSP Shakeel Awan, raided a safe house located in the Korangi Industrial area on Monday and arrested Ustad Afzal and his accomplices Umer Hayat, Fazal Saeed, Muhammad Shahid, Alam Sher, Saifullah, Misbahuddin, Muhammad Khan, Noor Ali, Gul Muneer and Saleem along with eight pistols, one rifle and one repeater gun.

The police officials said that the ringleader was arrested in 1989 after murdering a Quaidabad Traffic Police Sub-Inspector Nazar Hussain and awarded a death sentence. Later, the sentence was converted into life sentence and the culprit was released from jail in 2004. After serving a fifteen year sentence, he was set free and he formed a gang. The police registered a case and started an investigation.

Child injured: Aerial firing at a wedding ceremony injured a four-year old girl. According to the hospital sources, Malika, four, daughter of Shiraz was injured by a bullet during a wedding ceremony being held in North Nazimabad No 4. It is also mentioned that the area police have yet to take stern action against the miscreants who were openly firing during the wedding ceremony.

Mobile market looted: Over one and half dozen shopkeepers in Orangi Town No 5 lost valuable items including mobile phones, scratch cards and SIMs worth Rs 15 million after a late night robbery on Sunday.

The aggravated shopkeepers staged a demonstration against the lack of security and stopped traffic in the area for a while.

Police sources told Daily Times that robbers using iron-jacks damaged the shutters of 17 shops in the Adnan Mobile Mall located in Orangi No 5 and robbed a large number of cell phones, scratch cards, SIM cards and other related accessories worth Rs 15 million. The shopkeepers found out about the robbery early morning on Monday when they reached the mall and found that their shops had been broken into and all the outlets were empty.

The police, on the behalf of market owner Haji Aslam, registered an FIR No. 419/2008 against unknown robbers and started an investigation on the matter.

– Published in Daily Times | Dec 30, 2008

Security Plan: 6 towns declared sensitive in Muharram

By Jamil Khan | KARACHI

 

ON THE directives of Provincial Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza the Sindh Police in collaboration with the City District Government Karachi Command and Control System, devised a comprehensive contingency plan to be implemented during the month of Muharramul Haram and established temporary control rooms and police emergency centers at designated sites on Muharram 8, 9 and 10.

The law enforcement agencies have declared six towns as sensitive areas including Saddar, Jamshed, Lyari, Keamari, Orangi and Baldia where 327 places were identified to pose threats, said Mirza while reviewing the contingency plan on Monday.

The plan is designed by Rangers and police jointly in collaboration with the city government and other law enforcement agencies.

According to the plan, adequate measures have been made for the security of all mosques, imambarghas, procession routes, ulema and mourners. Arrangements to install surveillance cameras and the deployment of police personnel who will monitor the mounding procession from the roofs of around 150 buildings has also been finalized.

It was revealed in the meeting that all vehicles participating in the processions will be thoroughly searched and no one will be allowed to participate in the mourning procession without a sticker. Measures have been taken to conduct individual body and luggage search of those participating in the processions. Foolproof security arrangements have been made in sensitive areas and police commandos will be deployed at main imambarghas in these areas on Muharram 8, 9 and 10.

According to the plan, the police force will ensure all security arrangements till Chehlum of Muharram. They will also be taking practical steps to ensure a ban on displaying weapons, pillion riding besides the banning of some ulema in the province.

Traffic police officials will be deployed on various busy roads, mourning procession routes and places of Majalis. Special measures have been taken to provide parking at a distance from mosques, imambarghas, majalis and mourning processions.

The main control room set up at the Central Police Office will work round-the-clock while temporary control rooms and police emergency centers will be linked with it to monitor the situation.

Sources in the police department mentioned that between the first and tenth of Muharram, a total of 1,025 processions will pass through the city and out of them 518 will be of the Shias and 507 of Sunnis. A total of 598 processions have been declared as sensitive and out of a total of 3,739 mosques and 44 imambarghas, 48 mosques and 44 imambarghas were declared to be sensitive.

Law enforcement agencies have divided the city into three zones and deputed two policemen in less sensitive mosques and imambarghas while in sensitive mosques and imambargahs, they have deputed two policemen and two Rangers.

It is also pertinent to mention here that the Sindh government has already banned the entry of 142 scholars and zakireens and has banned 135 Ulemas from any sort of inter-provincial movement.

– Published in Daily Times | Dec 30, 2008