In search of a capital.

Byline: Dr Farid A Malik

Currently there is an ongoing search for the capital city of the new province of Southern Punjab. Multan seems to be the winner. After the infamous 18th Amendment while Islamabad has been cut to size, the position of the Chief Minister (CM) has become very important. While I fully support devolution of power if it is all the way down to the district, town and union council, it has stopped at the provincial level in this case. The race for the coveted position of CM has started amongst the political heavyweights of the area. Eyes are focused on the new capital.

As a country, we have suffered in this search for a capital as most aspirants have vested interests to impose personal rule. Ayub Khan was always uncomfortable with Karachi so he decided to move the seat of power near the GHQ and his own village on the other side of Margalla Mountains. He thought that his empire would rule the country from their home ground, but his heir apparent Captain (R) Gohar Ayub Khan could not ascend the throne. Quaid, on his first visit to East Pakistan, could sense the ambition of the General to build his own capital so he personally superseded him.

Ambition for personal glory has to be contained before it gets out of hand. I am sure there must have been debate within the All India Muslim League on the selection of the new capital. Perhaps it was a close race between Lahore, Dhaka and Karachi. My folks who migrated from Ludhiana, East Punjab thought the city was too close to the border so they settled in Rawalpindi from where they had planned to return to their roots in Baramulla, Kashmir. Also, Lahore had too many imperial and colonial roots. Dhaka too had imperial roots and was densely populated though the Muslim League was born here in 1906. Karachi, being a seaport and a cosmopolitan city, was a good compromise. Though the father of the nation was born here, he settled in Bombay where he practised law. The Jinnah House is now being contested for ownership, being the most expensive property in the city. The Bengali leadership also accepted the new capital as they were connected through water. Till today there is a huge Bengali population in Karachi. The shifting of the first capital started the process of the break-up of Quaid's Pakistan.

Ayub Khan's ambition and search for a capital for personal glory destroyed the country. The same process should not be repeated again. Politics of the federation and the provinces should be...