BY MOHAMMAD YOUSAF KHOKHAR) ISLAMABAD, JULY 27 (KUNA)--THE LIFE IN ISLAMABAD, URBAN AND RURAL, OVER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS HAS LIMPED TOWARDS DESPAIR AND DESPONDENCY IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF UNCERTAINTY.
THE MODERN CITY, ONCE CONSIDERED A MANIFEST BLEND OF CULTURES, TRADITIONS AND HOPES OF DIVERSE ETHNIC, LINGUISTIC AND REGIONAL GROUPS, IS NOW TURNING INTO A HOTCHPOTCH OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED CLASSES OF HUMAN BEINGS: THE RICH AND THE POOR. THE MASSES LOOK UP TO ALMIGHTY ALLAH FOR HELP.
THE CAPITAL WAS NAMED ISLAMABAD AND ITS BUILDERS HAD CHOSEN THE POTOHAR PLATEAU IN 1960 AS THE SEAT OF POWER IN VIEW OF THE ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY. THEY HAD ARGUED THE NEW CAPITAL WOULD BE BETTER LOCATED IF IT WERE NEARER TO THE MUSLIM AREAS OF CENTRAL ASIA AND IN CLOSER PROXIMITY OF AFGHANISTAN, IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA. SO, IT WAS BUILT ON MODERN ARCHITECTURAL PATTERN AGAINST A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS ENCOMPASSING THE ARYANS FROM CENTRAL ASIA, THE INVADERS FROM THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST AND THE RACES THAT STOPPED OVER THE STRETCH OF LAND NOW CALLED THE ISLAMABAD CAPITAL TERRITORY.
THE SIKHS ALSO HAD HELD SWAY OVER RAWALPINDI-ISLAMABAD IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY AND ONWARDS AFTER THE DECLINE OF THE MUGHALS. RAWALPINDI REMAINED THE NORTHERN COMMAND HEADQUARTERS OF THE BRITISH RULERS TILL AUGUST 14,1947.
THE SITES WHICH MAKE UP THE WHOLE OF ISLAMABAD INCLUDE NURPUR SHAHAN, THE VILLAGE AT THE FOOT OF THE MARGALLA HILLS KNOWN ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR THE SHRINE OF THE 17TH CENTURY SAINT, BARI IMAM SHAH ABDUL LATIF, WHOSE FATHER SAKHI SHAH MAHMUD LIES BURIED AT BAGH KALAN, NOW CALLED AABPARA. IT WAS BARI IMAM WHO IS SAID TO HAVE PREDICTED ABOUT 300 YEARS AGO, A BIG CITY WOULD BE FOUNDED AND SETTLED "QUITE CLOSE TO MY ABODE SITUATED NOW IN SUCH A JUNGLE AND UNPOPULATED PLACE, TIME WOULD COME WHEN A VAST ISLAMIC CITY WOULD EMERGE HERE." THE SAINTS PROPHECY CAME TRUE, THE GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY OF THE DREAM CITY TOOK PLACE IN OCTOBER 1961. THE SHRINE IS HARDLY ONE KILOMETER FROM MAJESTIC BUILDINGS LIKE THE PRESIDENT HOUSE, THE PRIME MINISTERS HOUSE AND THE SUPREME COURT THAT SPEAK OF THE ROYALTY AND LUXURIOUS STATE OF LIFE IN WHICH THE RULERS OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN FUNCTION AND LIVE.
BEFORE BARI IMAMS ARRIVAL, THE GAKHAR TRIBE INHABITED NURPUR SHAHAN, THEN NICKNAMED CHOREPUR (THIEVES CITY, BECAUSE THIEVES), DACOITS AND THUGS HID THEMSELVES THERE AND LOOTED THE CARAVANS BOUND FOR KASHMIR EN ROUTE NURPUR SHAHAN. THE TEACHINGS, MORALS AND MIRACLES OF THE SAINT GRADUALLY TRANSFORMED THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
SOME HINDU FAMILIES EMBRACED ISLAM AND THE LOOTERS CHANGED THEIR WAYS AND MEANS OF INCOME. NURPUR SHAHAN POPULATION NOW IS ABOUT 15000, MOST OF THE FAMILIES CLAIM THEIR ANCESTORS SETTLED THERE TWO CENTURIES AGO.
BEING AN INTERMIXTURE OF DIVERSE TRIBES OF VARYING DIALECTS, THE VILLAGE MAY NOT BE ETHNICALLY DIFFERENT FROM ISLAMABAD. BUT THE LATTER BOASTS OF BEING THE METROPOLIS WITH ALMOST ALL THE BASIC AMENITIES OF LIFE AT THEIR DOORSTEP, THE HISTORICAL VILLAGE IN THE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (CDA)S JURISDICTION REMAINS IN A MISERABLE CONDITION DESPITE VISITS BY MINISTERS, PRIME MINISTERS, DIGNITARIES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RULING CLASS. THERE IS NO PROPER DISPENSARY TO LOOK AFTER THE POOR MANS HEALTH AND NO HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. THERE IS JUST A SILENT CRY FOR DROPS OF DRINKING WATER AND SUI GAS TO COOK MEAL FOR THE HUNGRY CHILD WHO RETURNS HOME FROM HIS PRIMARY SCHOOL WINDING HIS PASSAGE THROUGH A NUMBER OF GARBAGE HEAPS. THE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS CONTENT TO CLEAN ONCE A YEAR THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE SHRINE ON THE OCCASION OF BARI IMAMS URS (ANNUAL BIRTH ANNIVERSARY) -THE OCCASION INSPIRES THE AUTHORITY TO COLLECT MILLIONS OF RUPEES FROM HUNDREDS OF STALLS SET UP DURING THE FESTIVAL.
LIFE IN THE CDA ADMINISTERED CAPITAL IS NOT AS PLEASANT AND HEART-WARMING AS IT APPEARED A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE, THATS IS THE NEWSY MESSAGE ONE GATHERS FROM THE HOSTS OF MEN, WOMEN AND THE YOUNG ONES WHO CONVERGE DAILY TO THE NURPUR SHAHAN AND BARI IMAMS SHRINE. WORRIES THIS TIME MULTIPLIED BEFORE THE WHEAT HARVEST. UNEMPLOYMENT, RISING FOOD PRICES AND DROUGHT HAVE SHAKEN THE POOR MANS FAITH IN THE RULERS. NEARLY 5,000 HUNGRY PEOPLE WAIT FOR THE PHILANTHROPISTS AND GOD-FEARING MEN DAY AND NIGHT FOR DEGS (BIG FOOD POTS) OF RICE AND DAL ROTI (LENTILS AND BREAD) AT THE FORETELLERS SHRINE. MAJORITY OF THE HUNGRY MASS OF PEOPLE SAY: THE RICH HAVE BRED POVERTY, AMASSED WEALTH AND POWER IN THEIR HANDS AND DEPOSITED THE LOOTED MONEY ABROAD, "IT IS THEY WHO DESTROYED THE HUMAN VALUES." A PASHTO SPEAKING HOMOEOPATH ABDUR GHAFOOR KHAN COMMENTED ON THE STATE OF LIFE IN ISLAMABAD CAPITAL TERRITORY: GHAREEB-I-SHEHAR TO FAQOON SAY MAR GIA BABAR, AMEER-I-SHEHAR NAY HEERAY SAY KHUDKASHI KAR LI (THE TOWNS POOR DIED FROM STARVATION AND THE RICH TOOK A DIAMOND TO COMMIT SUICIDE).(END) MYK.KF