. Ziarat Residency
By Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
It was indeed shocking to see the historic residency reduced to ashes along with its invaluable heritage and many a rare memorabilia of the Father of the Nation. As if the agony was not enough some sycophant newspaper came up with a headline that Ch. Nisar had ordered to restore the residency to its original form and appearance. Bravo !! Who is Ch. Nisar and in what capacity has he ‘ordered’ the residency to be restored? Is he going to spend the money from his pocket on the restoration? If not, then why not say that the government has decided to restore the residency. Why name an individual? When will we learn to rise above self-styled personal adulation and adoration and that too at the cost of a national calamity? Also, would it not be the responsibility of some Ministry of Works and Housing etc. instead of the Interior to undertake the residency's restoration? Would it not be the Ministry of Culture and Heritage (whatever the actual name) that would know what to replace and replicate and how than the Ministry of Interior?
Chaudhry Sahib, you better concentrate on what is your task, and that is to ENSURE the safety of the life and property of all citizens of Pakistan rather than restoring damaged properties. It would be quite an achievement for you to accomplish even an iota of what is required of you.
