By Rabia Ahmed
| Patron saint of Islamabad |
It is extraneous to the present argument that the building of elaborate tombs is discouraged in Islam, that it is considered to be self glorification, and against the great Islamic principle of the equality of all men before God; that going on journeys to burial sites, and reverential treatment of graves such as kissing tombs, perfuming them, praying via rather than for the person buried at a grave, or bowing to a grave is considered idolatry, and a violation of the pivotal Islamic principal of the oneness of God.
That is the theological side of the matter, and there are those better qualified than I to pursue the argument from that angle. My point is far more mundane.
It appears that the devotees of Islamabad’s patron saint may be unable to celebrate his Urs (festival) this year, because the Central Development Authority (CDA) has refused to foot its share of the bill for the remodelling of the shrine, which was meant to ‘add grandeur’ to the structure.
The Dawn, 18 June 2010
ISLAMABAD, June 17 “....the desire of the city managers to add grandeur to the shrine by remodelling it without really having the money for it is going to block the celebration.”
In any logical scheme of things, the millions of Pakistanis living in abject poverty would be entitled, merely on the basis of being currently alive, to priority for support from their government. To any other claimants expecting to have bills footed for ambitious plans such as the renovation of shrines, one would like to say ‘tsk tsk’ and wish the words had horns with which to impale both whingeing devotees and patrons of shrines, and the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Sadly, however, there is neither any logical scheme of things, nor any support forthcoming, at least not from our own government.
So no celebration, because the shrine can’t be made any grander, with money that isn’t there to start with. Or, since we are pursuing pipe dreams anyway, could it be that the money is unavailable because the CDA has spent it on the common man, all other commitments having been met, all pigs fed, and ready to fly....? Tsk.
More than 17% of the population of Pakistan live below the poverty line. This means living in conditions the like of which we cannot, do not wish to, imagine.
Here is an excerpt from IRIN a humanitarian news and analysis site of the UN, in a report entitled: Pakistan: Monsoon woes aggravated by poor housing.
LAHORE, 13 August 2008 (IRIN) - Rubina Bibi, 35, has not been able to go to work at the bungalow where she is employed as a cleaner since the morning of 12 August. "The rain began falling really hard just as I was starting out yesterday morning. The lane outside my house filled within minutes, making it impossible to walk out on foot," she told IRIN.
Since then, water has inundated her house in a shanty town in Lahore and she and her three children have been busy bailing out the water using tins, pans and buckets.
"I cannot leave with my house in this state, even though I will lose a day's wages," says Rubina, a widow who supports her children on an income of Rs 3,500 (about US$50) a month.
Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab Province, was hit by record rainfall on 12 August. The 168 millimetres that fell was the heaviest recorded in the city in 20 years, according to the local meteorological office.
The monsoon rains left at least 12 people dead across the country, according to ‘The News’ newspaper. Four died in the Punjab city of Faisalabad, 117km southwest of Lahore, including two children who were killed when the roofs of their homes collapsed.
Eight members of a family died in Charsadda in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) when the roof of a house collapsed killing a couple and their six daughters, local media reported. Hundreds were displaced in the NWFP by floods caused by rain earlier this month. Such incidents are not unusual in Pakistan during the monsoon.
Since then, water has inundated her house in a shanty town in Lahore and she and her three children have been busy bailing out the water using tins, pans and buckets.
"I cannot leave with my house in this state, even though I will lose a day's wages," says Rubina, a widow who supports her children on an income of Rs 3,500 (about US$50) a month.
Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab Province, was hit by record rainfall on 12 August. The 168 millimetres that fell was the heaviest recorded in the city in 20 years, according to the local meteorological office.
The monsoon rains left at least 12 people dead across the country, according to ‘The News’ newspaper. Four died in the Punjab city of Faisalabad, 117km southwest of Lahore, including two children who were killed when the roofs of their homes collapsed.
Eight members of a family died in Charsadda in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) when the roof of a house collapsed killing a couple and their six daughters, local media reported. Hundreds were displaced in the NWFP by floods caused by rain earlier this month. Such incidents are not unusual in Pakistan during the monsoon.
Hazrat Syed Abdul Latif Qadri Kazmi, the patron saint of Islamabad, is also known as Hazrat Bari Imam. He was learned in fiqh, hadith, logic, mathematics, medicine and other disciplines, and he lived and died between 1617 to 1705 AD. May he rest in peace and honour.
It is the people of Pakistan who live, although just barely, and they have certainly neither rest nor peace, and only a misguided sense of honour.
Here is another excerpt from the Dawn, 18 June 2010, about our Parliament House in Islamabad, entitled: Budgeting for a better debate:
Freshly barbequed meat, prepared right inside the premises of parliament remains on offer as long as the sessions continue. Makeshift tents have been put up to serve as temporary kitchens. The moment visitors enter the parliament house, the smell of freshly cooked food greets them.
In addition, the parliament house is probably one of the most well air-conditioned buildings in Islamabad, equipped with an uninterrupted power supply. Surely, with all this the parliament house provides the best possible working environment in a country where people brave long hours without electricity, when the mercury is touching the 40s Celsius.
In addition, the parliament house is probably one of the most well air-conditioned buildings in Islamabad, equipped with an uninterrupted power supply. Surely, with all this the parliament house provides the best possible working environment in a country where people brave long hours without electricity, when the mercury is touching the 40s Celsius.
All that food and an uninterrupted power supply. And yet attendance is thin in our parliament. After all, where’s the incentive? Without an inclination to work and overly generous salaries, the parliamentarians are after all as comfortable at home, which seem to get grander and more opulent by the day.
The Daily Times, Monday April 12, 2010
No power for the people
VIPs, government installations receive uninterrupted power supply at the expense of the common man
LESCO providing 500 to 700MW to VIPs
‘Favoured’ places include: Chief Minister House, Governor House, President House, Prime Minister House, high-profile offices and defense installations
Power protests continue for third day
The total bill for the remodelling of the shrine of the patron saint of Islamabad is said to be Rs 600 million of which the CDA is said to have committed to paying Rs 350 million.
The Dawn, 18 June 2010
Lahore June 17: Nadeem Ahmad, a vegetable trader in Ravi Roads Sabzi Mandi, was found hanged by his younger brother Waseem on the second storey of their small house.
Quoting the family, the area’s SHO said Nadeem hanged himself with an electric wire.
He had taken Rs500,000 from different people for his business and had failed to pay off the loan.
The creditors had been demanding their money back, which had distressed Nadeem as he was hardly able to meet his family’s daily expenses.
He bore the expenses of his two younger brothers and a sister after the death of his parents.
Quoting the family, the area’s SHO said Nadeem hanged himself with an electric wire.
He had taken Rs500,000 from different people for his business and had failed to pay off the loan.
The creditors had been demanding their money back, which had distressed Nadeem as he was hardly able to meet his family’s daily expenses.
He bore the expenses of his two younger brothers and a sister after the death of his parents.
The Daily Times, 17 June 2010
ISLAMABAD: The US assured Pakistan, during a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the future prospects for greater cooperation in the energy sector, that it would assist in addressing the hardships experienced by Pakistanis…..
The Obama administration sent lawmakers a plan for $1.45 billion in aid for Pakistan this year.
Why should we need this money, and where, since we do, will it go?
Shall we hazard a guess, given our priorities?
The post of patron saint of a city has an impressive job description. The saint would be regarded, rightly or wrongly, as being ‘the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc.’
In the case of the patron saint of Islamabad, one can’t help wondering what, or whom the saint is patronising, and who is patronising him back, in return. It is a sad end to what was in all probability the life of an impressive man.
The shrine is so far said to be cluttered with building materials and inaccessible for the festivities and rituals associated with the Urs.
The Dawn, May 18 2007:
ISLAMABAD, May 17: …..at Noorpur Shahan on Thursday the Capital Development Authority (CDA) staff razed one dozen houses which they declared “newly constructed and illegal” and did not touch two shops allegedly constructed at the same place by the people in charge of the Bari Imam shrine, eyewitnesses told Dawn.
They said the personnel of CDA’s enforcement directorate ….conducted the operation and demolished 12 houses located close to the shrine.
An eyewitness, who wished not to be named, said the houses were constructed by poor people of the area.
They said the personnel of CDA’s enforcement directorate ….conducted the operation and demolished 12 houses located close to the shrine.
An eyewitness, who wished not to be named, said the houses were constructed by poor people of the area.
The shrine of the patron saint of Islamabad is located in the village of Noorpur Shahan, just behind the Prime Minister’s house in Islamabad.
Tsk Tsk.
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