APROPOS Chaudhry Shujjat Husain’ s claim that his father Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, donated Rs 300,000 for the welfare of widows of the martyrs of the 1965 war. There is a great truth in his assertion that it this is “enough proof of our family’s financial strength at that time.” In fact, his family was quite rich even before that.

On a personal note let me narrate a story. Almost 10 years earlier, in 1956, during my stay in my village I had a serious attack of appendicitis, but, given the intense monsoon spell, transporting me to a city for treatment was a real challenge. My father, who happened to be a friend of the Chaudhry family, sent a message to Chaudhry Manzoor Elahi, the elder brother of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi and father of Pervez Ealhi, to do something so that I could be taken to Lahore for treatment.

Within two hours a brand new Chevrolet – completely plastered with mud — because the monsoon had turned the road to our village into a pool of sludge — was at our door. Within a few hours I was in Lahore. Mind you, in 1956, not many in Pakistan owned Deluxe Chevrolet.

Sikander Hayat
Hariawal

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2020