A delegation of Bahrain-based Pakistani-investors recently called on Sardar Usman Buzdar, Chief Minister Punjab assuring him of investment in different sectors including information technology, livestock, dairy development, waste-to-energy generation, gold and jewelry in his province Punjab.
2. There is no indication as to who were the members of the delegation except for one who from 1990 till early 2000s was from a few who, then, to some extent acted as Pakistani “community leaders”. Unfortunately, the faces recognized then to some extent Pakistani Community representatives, since mid 2000s have almost all disappeared as they turned their interests changed to some other “goals”. In order of their “self interest”, now those have formed their own separated independent “groups” in the name of “representatives” of Pakistanis and act almost as rival to each other. For example, one group head two months back met with the new President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alivi and got his photograph published presenting “gift” to the present. How could “bear” this the other? The other formed the above referred delegation to Punjab Chief Minister to remain in touch with the ruling elite. Did members of this delegation really intended to invest in Pakistan?
3. Sometime mid 1990s, on the visit of the then Prime Minister of Pakistan to Bahrain, as usual, the prominent Pakistanis including the above two group-heads community leaders assured the visiting PM of huge investment in Pakistan. This old man can’t recall date but does remember freshly the names and photographs of a dozen Pakistanis declaring which mega project would who establish in Pakistan. None of those projects ever saw light of the day.
4. In addition to huge investment in different fields, the delegation told the Chief Minister Punjab that a shelter-home was being established in the District Okara to provide roof to the homeless. It also expressed the intent for setting up a similar project in “Taunsa Sharif” the home-town of Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar.
5. Sometime second half of 2000, the Punjab Province, had its history’s worst flood. Yes, same Punjab where this Bahraini delegation wishes to investment hugely. In this devastating flood almost complete villages vanished. The worst hit was the “Muzaffargrah Town”. These “مداری” viz the so called community leaders, as usual, summoned the community elite in the Pakistan Club Bahrain auditorium proposing them to donate generously. These “مداری ” announced giving birth to a new town named “Manama Town” in the devastated Muzaffargrah city. “Manama” is the Capital of Kingdom of Bahrain. The community elite were asked to sponsor one or two complete housing units in this new town. Pakistanis very generously participated sponsoring one Unit or two. My late friend, rather of majority of us the Pakistanis living in Bahrain, Bashir Jalal sponsored a House. A Committee was formed to achieve monitor and achieve the goals. Architectural-artistic designs of the modern small houses were printed and frame mounted on the walls of Pakistan Club Bahrain where these remained for years. For the last 2-3 years I have not visited the Club, hence I am not aware if these wall mounted frames are still there or not.
6. The delegation headed by these “مداری” visited Shahbaz Sharif the then Chief Minister Punjab announcing construction of a complete “Manama Town”, earned praises from the Chief Minister and got it photo-opt which is always the main “agenda”. The supervising committee later twice visited the site of proposed Manama Town. Years back I met with one member of the Committee and enquired from him about the update. He did not know anything except that nothing practically has happened.
7. It is now 8-9 years the proposed much photo-opd “Manama Town” has not seen the light of the day. No one now talks about it. The biggest question is “where the colossal” money collected from the Pakistani community? Legally, this collected money is “public money”. As, since long, the “season” is to cover-up one way or the other corruption, for example Hayat-Flats case decision by Saqib Nissar, this old man is looking for a truly due appropriate time when our Apex Court really takes seriously the issues plaguing the Pakistani people when he could raise this issue for tracing this money.
8. In the meantime, though honestly speaking this old man based on his life experience, has no hope of any real practical good in the atmosphere we the Pakistanis generally are surrounded around and live in, yet I can simply proposed if the present Apex Court trace this money for adding it to the Dam Fund Account. Recently, when ex CJ Pakistan Saqib Nissar was seeking donations, I enquired through an email from one community-head who spearheaded the Manama-Town scheme. Email came back undelivered. The other did not give any response at all.
9. Shelter Homes in District Okara or Taunsa Sharif will ever see the light of day? At least not in the life of this old man. Shelter Homes or mega investment projects promised with the Chief Minister, as in the past, have no real intent but just a self-publicity photo-opt from the “مداری”
2. There is no indication as to who were the members of the delegation except for one who from 1990 till early 2000s was from a few who, then, to some extent acted as Pakistani “community leaders”. Unfortunately, the faces recognized then to some extent Pakistani Community representatives, since mid 2000s have almost all disappeared as they turned their interests changed to some other “goals”. In order of their “self interest”, now those have formed their own separated independent “groups” in the name of “representatives” of Pakistanis and act almost as rival to each other. For example, one group head two months back met with the new President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alivi and got his photograph published presenting “gift” to the present. How could “bear” this the other? The other formed the above referred delegation to Punjab Chief Minister to remain in touch with the ruling elite. Did members of this delegation really intended to invest in Pakistan?
3. Sometime mid 1990s, on the visit of the then Prime Minister of Pakistan to Bahrain, as usual, the prominent Pakistanis including the above two group-heads community leaders assured the visiting PM of huge investment in Pakistan. This old man can’t recall date but does remember freshly the names and photographs of a dozen Pakistanis declaring which mega project would who establish in Pakistan. None of those projects ever saw light of the day.
4. In addition to huge investment in different fields, the delegation told the Chief Minister Punjab that a shelter-home was being established in the District Okara to provide roof to the homeless. It also expressed the intent for setting up a similar project in “Taunsa Sharif” the home-town of Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar.
5. Sometime second half of 2000, the Punjab Province, had its history’s worst flood. Yes, same Punjab where this Bahraini delegation wishes to investment hugely. In this devastating flood almost complete villages vanished. The worst hit was the “Muzaffargrah Town”. These “مداری” viz the so called community leaders, as usual, summoned the community elite in the Pakistan Club Bahrain auditorium proposing them to donate generously. These “مداری ” announced giving birth to a new town named “Manama Town” in the devastated Muzaffargrah city. “Manama” is the Capital of Kingdom of Bahrain. The community elite were asked to sponsor one or two complete housing units in this new town. Pakistanis very generously participated sponsoring one Unit or two. My late friend, rather of majority of us the Pakistanis living in Bahrain, Bashir Jalal sponsored a House. A Committee was formed to achieve monitor and achieve the goals. Architectural-artistic designs of the modern small houses were printed and frame mounted on the walls of Pakistan Club Bahrain where these remained for years. For the last 2-3 years I have not visited the Club, hence I am not aware if these wall mounted frames are still there or not.
6. The delegation headed by these “مداری” visited Shahbaz Sharif the then Chief Minister Punjab announcing construction of a complete “Manama Town”, earned praises from the Chief Minister and got it photo-opt which is always the main “agenda”. The supervising committee later twice visited the site of proposed Manama Town. Years back I met with one member of the Committee and enquired from him about the update. He did not know anything except that nothing practically has happened.
7. It is now 8-9 years the proposed much photo-opd “Manama Town” has not seen the light of the day. No one now talks about it. The biggest question is “where the colossal” money collected from the Pakistani community? Legally, this collected money is “public money”. As, since long, the “season” is to cover-up one way or the other corruption, for example Hayat-Flats case decision by Saqib Nissar, this old man is looking for a truly due appropriate time when our Apex Court really takes seriously the issues plaguing the Pakistani people when he could raise this issue for tracing this money.
8. In the meantime, though honestly speaking this old man based on his life experience, has no hope of any real practical good in the atmosphere we the Pakistanis generally are surrounded around and live in, yet I can simply proposed if the present Apex Court trace this money for adding it to the Dam Fund Account. Recently, when ex CJ Pakistan Saqib Nissar was seeking donations, I enquired through an email from one community-head who spearheaded the Manama-Town scheme. Email came back undelivered. The other did not give any response at all.
9. Shelter Homes in District Okara or Taunsa Sharif will ever see the light of day? At least not in the life of this old man. Shelter Homes or mega investment projects promised with the Chief Minister, as in the past, have no real intent but just a self-publicity photo-opt from the “مداری”
