There are only two columnists in Pakistan whom I respect from deep
inside of my heart and sometime I practically include their names in
my prayers. They, since I started properly reading newspapers late 60s
have written voluminous which as usual felt on deaf ears for whom
those were pen down but at least in this "munafiq" society generally
we live in both had the courage and a real ALLAH's fear that they
always speak what was right in their conscious.  And these respected
are Honourable Mr. Irshad Ahmad Haqqani and Mr. Ardeshir Cowasjee.
With later one sometime I little differ when he writes in his own
style about Islamic values and about our army.  Ardeshir Cowasjee has
an advantage over the other viz that even in his this old age and
despite tremendous dangers he not only keeps writing about land mafia
but at his own cost keeps with a little group of his alike the Courts
moving.

In his column on 22 February 2009 while reserving on third of his
column space for references of amenity plots and places under mafia
occupation through different sweet schemes, he wonders if the "silent
majority" will become ashamed of its own apathy and act (of silence).

He has many a times earlier cried over masses apathy but he never told
as to how today's helpless ordinary man can move.  Mr. Ardeshir
Cowasjee has resources of all sorts. ALLAH may give him more.  What an
ordinary man has?   He should at least guide the common man whom he
shames.  In his above titled column he also enlists " Mehran Town "
under mafia encroachment.  This is a housing scheme established by the
Karachi Development Authority in 1973 in Korangi exclusively for
Overseas Pakistanis (OPs).   KDA as it claims developed the land which
developed was washed away by 1978 floods in Karachi.  Since 1978 lots
of floods/heavy rains came in Karachi, many new roads, new bridges,
complexes were made, got damaged in these rains, repaired and again
got destroyed but Mehran Town's fate has only one reply from the KDA
namely the "1978 flood destroyed it".  This senior citizen can not
remember that during the last more than 10 years how many dozens and
at what places like each new President, each new PM, each new
Minister, Public Account Committee, NAB, Senators, Sindh Ombudsman etc
he wrote on huge expense and time.  To my all these addresses I
pleaded one specific issue that an independent committee be
constituted comprising Mr. Ardeshir Cowasjee,  Ms. Yasmee Lari etc
which may on my expense visit the site, take random soil samples, get
these laboratory tested to determine if its digestion system had
practically digested all what KDA financial files show having been
consumed by this soil from 1975 to date.  No body ever even
acknowledged me.  With the defunct Ehtisab Bureau some other Overseas
Pakistani filed a complaint on Mehran Town as I read in the newspapers
but later that complain file disappeared.

The scheme since long under the active patronage of KDA, area police,
Revenue Department is being encroached upon. Even duplicate allotments
deliberately were issued by the Sindh Revenue.  Last year news
appeared that KDA were again issuing duplicate allotments.  Concerned
circles have long raised the voice that since this scheme today was
not worth inhabitation for the human being it be declared a cottage
industrial area. With induction of new government last year both the
Overseas Pakistanis Weekly Bladi of serious Daily Jang and daily The
News International a few months back published  features with
photographs saying today anyone without any fear but with a party flag
can sit on any plot in the scheme.  Since appearing of this press
report even in this old age with my only single eye having 25% reading
visibility only I address by name HE the President and many others
drawing their attention to these encroachments as reported by the
press but never got any response. Only HE the Prime Minister Office
responded asking to Chief Minister Sindh to look into and report back
but for obvious reason but to no surprise to this senior citizen, the
CM Sindh Secretariat sat on the egg. On the web online complaints
Sindh Governor and Sindh Chief Minister I raised the issue with no
acknowledgement at all.  Even last year I addressed the much praised
by Mr. Ardeshir The Sheri which also did not respond.

Recently I addressed a complaint to the Sindh Ombudsman complaining
that the concerned Sindh Government Departments had not responded my
complaints which is an act of mal administration.  Though it has been
observed the Sindh Ombudsman for the last 3-4 years did not care
generally giving response but fortunately by chance a new Director
General took note of and responded me with a line that a three page
report on the matter was already mailed to me and that he was mailing
me the "proof of dispatch of that".  Since then through my
unaccountable emails I have informed this kind new DG that neither the
3 page report nor the proof of its dispatched "having been mailed" has
so far reached me requesting him a re-copy of that "proof of dispatch"
so that in light of that I may take up the matter with postal
authorities but no response is coming.

In these circumstances will the noble Mr. Ardeshir Cowasjee advise
what further course of action is left for this old man and hundreds of
other affected OPs who almost all today are senior citizens.  Many
having died.  How important is this issue can be judged from the only
fact that about 10 years back the senior intellectual Mr. Irshahad
Ahmed Haqqani who takes up serious national issues only under the
title "I can not remain silent on in this injustice" wrote two weekly
successive columns for the ill fate affecttee OPs.  On appearing of
his first column same evening the then Federal Secretary Information
met Haqqani at his residence assuring him that the government will
take note of, also requested Haqqani not to use his pen any more on
this ill fated housing scheme.  For the information of Mr. Ardeshir
Cowasjee since then we had not entered into the list of top honoured
nations, had not earned 12 billion reserves and had not inducted in
abundance the good governance in our government departments hence the
then Secretary did read the article and at least tried to console.
Today we are honoured nations and living in peoples democracy hence if
my address to today's even Minister of Information has not brought any
acknowledgement is not a surprise at least to this old man.