THIS IS MY STORY—49
MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE ERA OF AYUB KHAN TO THE TIMES OF IMRAN KHAN.
GHULAM AKBAR
My First Meeting with the New Boss
Daily Kohistan’s office was situated on the McLeod Road near Sanober Cinema. Enayatullah Sahib had acquired a building on the Nisbet Road to serve as Daily Mashriq’s office.
Some key executives of Daily Kohistan had left for a career in Daily Mashriq— among them Iqbal Zubeiri the Chief News Editor— and C.M Latif the Advertisement Manger. Farhad Zaidi, Ziaul Islam Ansari, Riaz Batalvi and Mussarat Jabeen constituted the Editorial team of Daily Mashriq. Syed Aali Rizvi, Minhajuddin Islahi and Amin Rahat Chughtai had stayed with Kohistan.
In my mind I was very uncomfortable with the situation. A family had been split in two parts— both pitched against each other in a manner that no one had thought possible a year earlier.
My position was the most precarious. I was to be a key member of Mamoon Jan’s team and the man to compete for me was none other than my former mentor and benefactor.
My new boss was to be Sheikh Hamid Mahmood— the man who now occupied Enayatullah Sahib’s chair.
I have very vivid memories of my first meeting with him.
He was on the shorter and fatter side. Had no hair. And his looks didn’t inspire my confidence in his intellect and intelligence.
“It is good to see you Mr Akbar. I have studied your performance in the Karachi market, and I am greatly impressed.”
“Thank you Sheikh Sahib’,” was my polite reply.
“I was told you were quite young”, he said “You are even younger than I thought. The responsibilities I have envisioned for you require a great deal of commitment energy and of course talent. I am sure you will more than match my expectations.”
“May I know Sheikh Sahib what these responsibilities are?” I asked. There was a pause before he replied.
“You are from Nasim Sahib’s family. His nephew. He regards you highly. Rightly so, because his own son I have found, doesn’t seem to possess the ability or the skills to become his worthy successor. You are therefore my logical choice to become second-in-command to me. I need support to succeed in the role Nasim Sahib has chosen for me— and I am counting heavily on you”.
For a while I was not sure what to say. Then I made up my mind to be blunt.
