THIS is with reference to the article “Saddar’s colonial charm lost to the years” (Oct 21), which carried some factual errors about the area in Rawalpindi. As a matter of record, the American Centre Library was housed originally in Kamran Market. As a student of grade XI in 1963, I was a member of the library. It shifted to Kashmir Road much later in the building that is presently known as Karegar.

The ‘Pakistan Secretariat’ mentioned in the write-up means the building in which the Ministry of Defence is currently housed. In pre-partition days, it used to be the office of Military Accounts, carrying the official title of Command Controller Military Accounts (CCMA). People used to call it the ‘Calcutta Daftar’ because most of the clerks there used to be Bengalis. They were called ‘babus’ and the majority lived in the street called Babu Mohalla.

After partition, the building became the office of Military Accountant-General (MAG). When the capital was shifted from Karachi in the 1960s, the building was taken over by the Ministry of Defence. MAG and Military Accounts offices were shifted to the place where they are located at present.

Muhammad Izhar ul Haq
Ex-Military Accountant-General of Pakistan
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024