In early seventies, when the so-called "Furzand-e-Pindi" was student of Gordon College there used to be a garbage or filth disposal point near the gate of the College on the College Road side. The local sweepers used to throw filth and garbage at that place and it was then taken away by the Corporation workers in trucks. The corporation trucks were not very regular in picking up this garbage and the filth used to keep stinking for days resulting much inconvenience for the students of Gordon College and the people living in that area. At that time the student leaders like Shaikh Rashid Ahmed used to raise the issue in every public meeting and demand the local administration for removal of this garbage point from the College Road. But despite their repeated protests it stayed there.
During this long period, this so-called champion of Rawalpindi got elected 8 times as local councillor, MPA, and even as member of National Assembly, became blue-eyed boy of ruling classes, and occupied the offices of federal minister a number of times. During the last elections for Nazim of Rawalpindi, he maneuvered to get his favourites and relatives occupy the pivotal positions in the municipal setup. But despite this extra strength and the increase in the political stature of this old student leader of Rawalpindi, the filth and garbage in the city continued increasing. Today’s Rawalpindi city, whom this “gentleman� claims to represent in the National Assembly, is the city of filth. There is no sewer system in the city and all sewer flows in the Nala Lai. Heaps of garbage are seen in every corner of the streets which continue stinking for weeks. The only favour corporation’s sweepers do with the citizens is to occasionally pick up the garbage from streets and then drop it in the Nala Lai which is already over-flooded with sewerage. Now a smelly express way is being constructed on both side of this filthy Nala Lai.
Nazims, municipal administration, and so-called leaders like Shaikh Rashid Ahmed are least bothered about all this. On one hand the stature of this so-called Farzand-e-Pindi (who now claims himself as Farzand-e-Pakistan in his autobiography) has increased many times and on the other hand the size of garbage point at the gate of Gordon College has increased almost ten times since seventies. Now, as federal minister for Railways, he is boasting to run bullet trains in the country. Does not he see filth and garbage in every corner of Rawalpindi city. If he does not know about any other place, at least this 40 years old garbage point should be in his mind. By the way, the corporation has added another garbage point quite closer to his Lal Haveli, i.e. at the corner of College Road and Bohar Bazar so that he and his admirers could keep enjoying the good smell.
Raja Gul Khan,
Rawalpindi