Moving the capital back to Karachi

To save Jinnah’s Pakistan, voices are being raised to move the capital back to his city from where the journey had started. Shabbar Zaidi, the taxation wizard, recently forwarded this suggestion.

As Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) he was tasked by Imran Khan (IK) to narrow the revenue expenditure gap for long- term economic viability of the nation.

He tried his best, but the obstacles were in-surmountable. Within a few months, he had to resign and return to his base in Karachi. FBR continued with its old ways.

Soon after partition, there were plans to move the capital. Jauharabad (Khushab District) was one of the places being considered.

Rawalpindi or a new city in the Margalla Foothills was not being in the running. Rawalpindi was a garrison town where the Headquarters of the Northern Command was located, which was later converted to General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army. The first martial law of 1958 not only derailed the country but also shook the foundations of civilian supremacy.

As Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) and later President, Ayub Khan was always nervous and uncomfortable in Karachi as it was the city of the Quaid where his sister Fatima Jinnah also resided. The port city was always very cosmopolitan. Till today, there is a huge presence of Bengalis who travelled back and forth using the Sea route. The Madar-e-Millet as she was called firmly stood for the restoration of the 1956 constitution.

Even within the bureaucracy and judiciary, there was opposition to the military rule. In the year 1959 Ayub decided to shift the capital to Rawalpindi close to his command headquarters, then later to the purpose-built new city of Islamabad.

In the United States of America, most state capitals are in small cities where they can operate in peace and tranquility. Perhaps the idea and funds came from there.

While New Delhi was selected as the capital of India, Jinnah himself picked up Karachi to be the new capital. If at all the seat of power had to be moved, Decca (now Dhaka) was a better choice for the unity of the country, but the usurper wanted to create his Haripur Empire with the support of the GHQ that he headed.

Despite the shifting of the capital, Karachi continues to be the commercial hub of the country, contributing 65% of federal revenue. Billions of borrowed moneys were spent on building the new city. The Bengalis out-rightly rejected the new capital as it represented opulence while they existed in abject poverty. For them, it was a waste of resources.

Now the entire country is sinking while the party continues in Islamabad. It is a perfect case of Nero’s flute while Rome was burning. Pakistan is drowning while the capital seems unmoved. After the 18th constitutional amendment, Islamabad is also financially starved and cut to size. It is more of a debating club and change stopper with its military-bureaucratic outlook.

The newly-elected Chief Minister of KP wants to get rid of the PDM- appointed Chief Secretary but has been unable to do so despite several attempts. Islamabad comes in the way. Royalty payments are not being made to the provinces.

In other words, no one seems to be happy with the capital city built by the first usurper. Business as usual cannot continue any longer. The people of Pakistan deserve better than what is being offered.

For the first time, let us follow the correct path in the best national interests for such a big decision. There should be a credible referendum on moving or keeping the capital in Islamabad of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. During the British Raj, the capital was moved every summer to Shimla, as the heat of Delhi was intolerable.

A truck-load of files was transported to the Summer Capital, from where the government functioned. On the lighter side amongst other flaws in Islamabad, some people believe that with the wild weed (Bhang) plants growing all over, the air of the city is intoxicated. Relaxation is in the atmosphere.

Even the Sufi culture of the area largely revolves around earthly ‘Malangs’ not scholars like Ali Hajveri of Lahore or Baba Farid of Pak Pattan to name a few.

Moving from a dysfunctional to functional and vibrant city like Karachi will bring back the vigour which once existed in the administrative set-up of the new land. Most of them were forced to move to Islamabad against their will. After the retirement of the original team, which started the new government in Karachi, Pakistan has regressed.

While GHQ can stay, the office of the Chairman Joint Chief of Staff (CJCS) can be relocated for purposes of co-ordination for which it was created. Currently, it has very limited utility. Courts will not be pressurized to open at midnight. It will be easier for the Judiciary to exercise its independence. Now that the federal government has been cut to size, not much space is needed for it to function. A lot of fat needs to be trimmed for better utilization of resources and to avoid duplication of efforts.

Now that very province has its own Higher Education Commission, it can be discontinued at the federal level. Funds are being transferred to universities, which now operate under provincial control. An interesting situation recently emerged.

I forwarded a request for information under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act 2017) to the federal Information Commissioner (IC) for information about utilization of HEC funds by Karachi University. I was asked to contact the Sindh Information Commission as the university was under their jurisdiction which I did, but the information never came, confusion prevails.

With every move, there is an opportunity to cut fat. Only a few trucks moved the official record of the Indian government from Delhi to Shimla. The purpose is not to build a new city for personal glorification or benefit, but to find a way to serve the people. Islamabad has failed to perform as a capital. Decca has taken Bangladesh ahead of Pakistan in all spheres of life.

Economy, education, health, population control, they have left us far behind. Even their cricket team is performing better than ours. In 1971, they moved their capital to Decca to start all over again. It is time for what remains of Jinnah’s Pakistan to move the capital, from where the journey had started in August 1947.

One last personal note, as a child I remember having a dip in the Nullah Lai with my cousins. Despite the unwavering efforts of Sheikh Rashid, the Nullah has become a nuisance for the people of the area.

Today it is polluted and overflows at will in the rainy season right under the nose of Islamabad and near GHQ. It narrates the story of decline of my motherland, which is under the misrule of Islamabad and its associated props. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan needs to be restored as it was when they had the journey started, lean and able with no frills.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024