Page 4 - Pakistan Link - March 17, 2023

P4 - PAKISTAN LINK - MARCH 17, 2023 OPINION
Pakistan Link n By Mowahid Hussain Shah and admiration of talent. He would nev-
er hesitate to spontaneously fete a friend
nderlying the grab and greed to karahi chicken at Lahore’s cinema row
race and routine of modern at Abbott Road.
Advisory Board
Dr Sohail Masood Uexistence is a delusional sense Hamid was a connoisseur of music,
of living for a thousand years. A jolting old cinema, and English literature. For
President reminder then comes example, he would know that the music
Arif Zaffar Mansuri along that tenures are of the 1949 Partition film, “Lahore”, was
ArifMansuri@PLpublications.org temporary, and depar- composed by Shyam Sunder.
tures are inevitable. During blazing summer after-
Editor
Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui One such depar- noons of ’70s Lahore, every Thursday
afaruqui@pakistanlink.com ture in Islamabad was he used to be a stalwart presence at the
of an old friend. Syed YMCA on the Mall, where the admira-
Editor Urdu Link & Bureau Chief Hamid Ali was a 13-year-old Delhi- ble Mr Fali Engineer (founder of TM in
(Pakistan) born boy when he and his mother opted Departures Pakistan and father of renowned artist,
Shabbir Ghori
urdulink@yahoo.com to leave India and choose Lahore as their Jimmy Engineer) used to convene Theo-
abode. But not before witnessing the sophical meetings where he would invite
Resident Editor Urdu Link inaugural cricket Test match between Hamid Ali was a living encyclopedia of a vanished era of the early days of Pakistan cricket where, some of the wisest minds in Lahore to
& Director Video Operations Pakistan and India during October 1952 to a great extent, feats of its players defined Pakistan’s identity on the international stage. He give a talk.
Anwar Khawaja assiduously maintained a black notebook recording vital statistics and paid particular attention
akhawaja@pakistanlink.com at Feroze Shah Kotla cricket ground at to the “Little Master”, Hanif, and the’60’s stylist Saeed Ahmed – News Update Times Hamid’s last years, health-wise,
Delhi, where he had the unique privilege were tough, made more so when he lost
Manager Sales & Advertising of seeing speed-merchant Khan Mo- Pakistan cricket where, to a great extent, what he had to say. He disarmed people his steadfast companion and wife, Muja-
sales@pakistanlink.com hammed clean bowl Roy and Mankad to feats of its players defined Pakistan’s with his openhearted peals of laughter hida. But he never lost his characteristic
take Pakistan’s first two Test wickets. De- identity on the international stage. He and infectious humor. sense of humor. Meeting him was never
Regional Offices
cades later, when Hamid Ali was posted assiduously maintained a black note- One of his happiest moments was dour, always refreshing.
YKKB as a staffer in the Pakistan High Com- book recording vital statistics and paid when he managed to have a session in Self-awareness enabled him to ap-
ykkb03@gmail.com mission in London, he surprised Khan particular attention to the “Little Master”, Lahore with John Woodcock, the doyen preciate life, without hurting anyone. He
Mohammed with this anecdote in front Hanif, and the’60’s stylist Saeed Ahmed. of cricket journalists, special correspon- didn’t let illness limit his zest or to define
Sacramento, CA of Pakistani High Commissioner Shah- He would be seen regularly in the British dent of the London Times, when he was him and retained his heart-winning easy
Sacramento@plpublications.com ryar Khan, who later on became head of Council at Lahore scouring the Times of there to cover England’s tour in 1973. informality. Till the end he persevered.

San Fransisco/Bay Area, CA the Pakistan Cricket Board. London and was a ubiquitous presence Friendship with Hamid was non- In a society prone to being bedaz-
Sanfrancisco@plpublications.com Hamid Ali was a living encyclope- at matches played at Lahore, with a small transactional, devoid of envy or avarice, zled by riches, Hamid Ali showed that
dia of a vanished era of the early days of circle around him listening attentively to and always generous in his hospitality what matters is being rich in character.
New York, NY
Newyork@plpublications.com
Houston, TX Memoirs of Lt Gen Gul Hassan Khan – A ing to the car, Mr Jinnah ordered Gul
Houston@Plpublications.org Hasan to return to the gatekeeper so as
Phoenix, AZ to keep the gate closed until after the
Phoenix@Plpublications.org Good Reference Point for Chaotic Times train passed. “If I do not obey the law,
Ontario, Canada then how should I expect others to do
Ontario@Plpublications.org n By C. Naseer Ahmad so?” Mr Jinnah told Gul Hasan.
Fast forward 24 years later in
Letters to the Editor Washington, DC 1971, Gul Hasan was riding in the car
Readers are welcome to express their with Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, whose
opinion in these columns. Please keep fter the failed invasion of party had won most seats in what was
your letters brief and to the point. Let-
ters without full name, complete ad- Cuba in 1961, late US Presi- used to be West Pakistan but was nei-
dress, and a daytime phone number will A dent John F. Kennedy report- ther the country’s President nor the
not be published. Also, copies of letters edly said: “Victory has a thousand fa- Prime Minister then. They were to-
sent to other newspapers are not en-
couraged. Letters can be mailed, faxed thers, but defeat is an gether going to China to get help for
or e-mailed to the Editor at the Pakistan orphan.” Assuming Pakistan. As they were approached a
Link Headquarters address listed below.
responsibility for fail- traffic light, Bhutto asked Gul Hasan
Pakistan Link (ISSN 1074-0406) is pub- ure is something most what impressed him most about Mr
lished weekly for $85 a year by JAZ LLC, public figures in Paki- Jinnah during the time he worked for
DBA PL Publications, LLC.
stan’s troubled history the country’s Founder. So, Gul Hasan
Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA have avoided leaving As one reads through the pages of Gul Hasan’s book, it becomes clear that the dark years of Zia- told him this story and just then Bhutto
and additional mailing offices. ul-Haque occupying the seat of power was the culmination of a sequence of decisions made by
POST MASTER: Send address changes to the country’s citizens both the political as well as military leaders starting in the 1950s – Naya Daur barked at the driver to run through the
Pakistan Link, P O Box 1238, Anaheim, to pick up the pieces from the mess red light: “Drive on, no one can stop
CA 92815 created by those at the helm of power. and welfare of your country come first, blaming others for disasters created by me.” So, what unfolded during the few
The management has the right to re-
fuse to print any advertisement, news, In these chaotic times in Paki- always and every time. The honor, wel- famous personalities themselves. tumultuous years of Zulfiqar Ali Bhut-
article, letter or any other material. In stan with major political parties at fare comfort of the men you command In his book, Gul Hassan tells the to’s reign was unsurprising.
case of any errors in advertisement the loggerheads and a bedlam in which come next. Your own ease, comfort and story about his life and gives a detailed As one reads through the pages of
management will not be liable for more
than the amount paid for the advertise- the reputation of armed forces has safety come last always and every time.’ firsthand account of some wild rides in Gul Hasan’s book, it becomes clear that
ment to the Link. become questionable, it is useful to COAS Bajwa went on to say that these the country’s past. It is a useful exercise the dark years of Zia-ul-Haque occu-
Advertisements in Pakistan Link are ponder over a Chinese proverb: “Fail- quotes are boldly etched even today on to learn from his experience because pying the seat of power was the culmi-
placed in good faith. The newspaper is
not responsible nor endorses the con- ure is a mother of success” meaning the walls of PMA’s Brigadier Francis Gul Hassan was a witness to some piv- nation of a sequence of decisions made
tents of any advertisement. In case of a that having failures enables people Ingle Memorial Hall. otal moments in history when the Brit- by both the political as well as military
frivolous lawsuit, the plaintiff will bear
the total cost of the suit, including but to not only cope with defeat but also It is ironic that COAS Bajwa ish Empire was recovering from some leaders starting in the 1950s.
not limited to the Link’s costs and the learn lessons to forge ahead on a path chose a century old quote from a mili- humiliating setbacks during World From this book one learns that
attorney’s fees. to future successes. tary leader of a colonial power. This War II, the birth of Pakistan, the mar- Gul Hasan had bailed Zia twice during
Information for One of the most spectacular fail- begs a question: are there no military tial laws in Pakistan, the toppling of this military career. In fact, in 1970,
Subscribers ures was Pakistan’s humiliating defeat leaders within the Pakistan Army governments and the fall of Dhaka. (Continued on page 23)
The printing of Pakistan Link is un- during the 1971 War resulting in the who can serve as inspiration for to- Because he was witness to history
failingly completed by Wednesday loss of East Pakistan. Fifty years on, day’s young officers? at some pivotal moments, the reader
every week and its copies are hand- Views and
ed over to the mailing house for Bangladesh outperforms Pakistan in While inspiration is important, will get the proverbial ringside view as
prompt dispatch to the subscribers. almost every measure when the two introspection is quite valuable, espe- history is unfolded. opinions ex-
The Link should reach its destination pressed by
on time if there is no delay at the countries are compared economical- cially if the goal is to make failures the Gul Hasan tells the story about authors and
post office. If a delay is occasioned it ly. For both the literacy rate and life mother of successes to come. For this the time when he was seated next
is in no way attributable to the per- contributors
formance of Link’s management. In expectancy, Bangladesh rates higher reason, it is important to encourage to the driver in the car in which the in articles,
case of delayed receipt of Pakistan than Pakistan. reading “Memoirs of Lt General Gul founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali letters, opin-
Link or missing issues, please contact
your local Post Office and submit a Before his retirement former Chief Hassan Khan,” published about a quar- Jinnah was riding in the back. When ion pieces, reports, advertise-
“Publication Watch” form. of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar ter century ago. Gul Hassan wrote in a the car approached the railway cross- ments, etc appearing in Paki-
Tel: 714-400-3400 Ahmad Bajwa had some thought-pro- language soldiers might be speaking in ing at Malir, the gate was closed but the stan Link and Urdu Link are
Fax: 714-400-3404 voking remarks in his speech during the officers’ messes around the country. approaching train was quite far. So, in their own. The paper neither
E-Mail: Editor@PakistanLink.com shares nor endorses them
the passing-out parade of the 146th It is devoid of pomposity but a record order to not make the then first Gov-
Pakistan Office Long Course at Pakistan Military Acad- of a military leader taking ownership ernor General of Pakistan wait need- and thus should not be held
responsible for the views/
42 Rehman Court emy (PMA). One of the evocative quo- of the failures in 1971. lessly, Gul Hasan got out of the car to opinions of the writers & ad-
Plaza Square, Off M. A. Jinnah Road tations referenced Field Marshal Philip Autobiographies can be some- ask the gatekeeper to open the gate and
Karachi-74400, Pakistan Walhouse Chetwode ‘The safety, honor times self-serving, score-settling and let the car go through. Upon return- vertisers.
www.Pakistanlink.com