It’s a wedding season in Kohat district of NWFP Pakistan, when an invitation card was slipped under my closed bedroom door by my five years old nephew Bilal I was astonished to see that invitation was extended to me by a student of Law college where I used to deliver lectures on International Law, US, Pakistan and British constitutions, Sheikh Nadeem was among most regular students I always found him present during my lecture.
When he was going for higher studies to London I recommended him to British Council in Islamabad and he had got admission in a college in London without any prior language test, in fact father of Sheikh Nadeem, Sheikh Ammanullah was good friend of an uncle of mine on his shop located near my ancestral residence in Kohat city he used to receive plenty of British visitors and my uncle due to his proficiency in English language was quite helpful to visiting British nationals in Kohat.
Yesterday evening along with my younger brother Abdur Rauf advocate twice elected President of Kohat Bar Association for two consecutive terms and sitting president of Kohat Bar Association, and Mr. Shahid Qureishi advocate, my two sons Moaz four years old and Faraz six years old was heading towards Sheikh House to attend dinner party and departure ceremony of bride of Sheikh Nadeem from her father’s home to the residence of Sheikh Nadeem, when the car in which we were moving ahead reached near our family graveyard located in Kohat Garrison.
I found its boundary walls in good shape, my ancestral lands were bought by British Royal Army to establish Garrison in Kohat, my great grand Father Azad Khan was having extremely cordial relations with British rulers of subcontinent, letters of appreciation received by my grand father Faqir Muhammad from a British Brigadier are still safe in cupboard of my Father Nazir Muhammad, when we reached Sheikh House Sheikh Nadeem had warmly welcomed us, traditional band in outfit of British royal band was spreading music in the air, decently dressed up ladies and gents when have boarded in their vehicles the caravan had started moving towards residence of Malik Muneer father in Law of Sheikh Nadeem to bring the bride with full pomp and show to her husbands home, due to large number of guests placed in their cars.
Shahid Qureishi advocate had parked the car at a distance from the residence of Malik Muneer, we all were slowly walking towards his residence friends and students of mine had greeted me warmly when I reached his residence, dignitaries of Kohat had engaged me near the entrance, after a long period of time I had the honor to meet first cousin of my father in law Malik Muhammad Asad ex Nazim of Kohat district and a multimillionaire owner of a building firm Interconstruct.
Suddenly husband of my sister in law Malik Jehanzeb came near me and after giving sweets to my sons has told me, 30 persons are killed in Minguara Swat when bomb was set off near Pak Army truck, another retired Major of Pakistan Army, Mumtaz Khatak had informed me that Chaudhray brothers are pitched against Muhtarima Benazir Bhutto by President Parvez Musharaf, but with the spread of news of bomb explosion in Swat, majority of the dignitaries had went back without having a dinner, insecurity feelings in Pakistani elite are quite common these days, a guest while looking at bearded face of bandmaster had whispered in my ear probably he is Taliban militant in disguise of band master, I laughed aloud and assured him that in my presence nothing will go wrong, all security men and women efficiently perform their duty around me because I never disgrace or humiliate them,I am trained this way by my great mother and my Pakistani and American university professors, they can kill and get killed for me because I also take care of their needs, most often in my writings I plead their case regarding better salaries and better working conditions for them. After Nikah ceremony dinner was served and we came back home safely despite of strong rumor that there is going to be a bomb explosion in Kohat.
Submitted by
Abdur Raziq
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