THIS IS MY STORY—79
MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE ERA OF AYUB KHAN TO THE TIMES OF IMRAN KHAN. GHULAM AKBAR………
The Day Bhutto Won Lahore
Incidentally the compartment in which ZAb was travelling, stopped right in front of us.
By us I mean me and my reporter and photographer.
Some overenthusiastic fans managed to barge into ZAB’s apartment. And I have a vivid memory of ZAB sitting close to the door, his legs down, his feet touching the footboard, and his shirt torn and in disarray. Behind him were his chanting fans.
My photographer captured those historic moments. The photograph appeared conspicuously next day on the front page of the newspaper: The news headline I wrote was: Lahore greets Pakistan’s proud son with unprecedented fervour and joy.
What I am trying to indicate is that Bhutto was my hero long before the PPP was born. My support for him was to lead Enayatullah Sahib into secret negotiations with the Leadership of the PML, of which Field Marshal Ayub Khan was president of course Enayat Sahib had support of all other directors including Mamoon Jan to reach at some settlement with the ruling party to avert total insolvency. The economy of the newspaper, due to shrunken advertisement revenue, was is ruins.
I was the last one to learn about the negotiations, and the resultant transfer of the shares of the company to Malik Khuda Bux Bacha and Ahmad Saeed Kirmani, the nominees of the field Marshal.
My second son Aftab Akbar was born on July 2, 1966 It was the 12th of Rabiul Awal. A few days later the ceremony of the transfer of shares took place in the office of the Pakistan Muslim League It was a day of great sorrow for my uncle Nasim Hijazi. I could see tears in his eyes as he put his signatures on the sale deed. I was sitting close.
After signing the necessary documents and receiving his cheque, Mansoor Jan walked out clearly in great agony. When i was putting my signature on the transfer certificate of my shares, my soul was crying but there were no tears in my eyes.
” If you want Mr Akbar, ” I heard Malik Khuda Bux Bucha say, ” you can stay on is your present office. Your services will be of great value to us”.
” Thank you Bucha Sahib,” I replied. ” I am honored, but let me speak the truth, Being an employee of the PML can never be my goal.”
