Amraiz Khan
Lahore
Former Chief Minister Punjab Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo has said that NAB laws are not any sacred documents which cannot be amended. Government was detaining its political opponents one by one, I suggest the government to take opposition on board to revisit the NAB laws and avoid political victimization.
He was addressing a book launching ceremony of ‘Jinnah & Rafi Butt- contribution to Pakistan economy’ held under the aegis of Jinnah Rafi Foundation at Alhmra Hall III here. Among the speakers were also Dr. Naureen Talha writer of the book, Imtiaz Rafi Butt, former Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Columnist Haroon ur Rasheed, Scholar Hassan Askari and Senator Kamil Ali Agha.
Speaking on the occasion Manzoor wattoo said that in Ayub Khan’s era under EBDO law action was taken against the peoples who took part in the formation of Pakistan. Similarly present government was targeting innocent politicians and nothing was being proved in courts against them.
He said that Imtiaz Rafi always followed the foot print of his father Rafi Butt and his ideology as well. Wattoo was of the view that though there were leaders in the World and they provided freedom to their followers but Qauid-e-Azam was only leader who not only provided freedom to Muslims but also an independent country.
Shamshad Ahmad Khan in his speech said that we always paid homage to Quaid-e-Azam but never acted upon his saying. He said that change could never happen overnight, it takes time. We can take the examples of China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and even Rawanda where change became after regular struggle of 10 to 15 years. For change he said that we would have to make reforms which were never on the priority of former governments. There was a directionless agenda of formers governments now current government has given directions to institutions and now its responsibility of every citizen to play his role in the development of the country. India was slightly better than that of Pakistan in this regard because they had made such reforms during initial five to six years.
There is no training academy of the political or legal community due which in the parliament present government could not make any single legislation and behavior of lawyers is known by everybody, he lamented. Kamil Ali Agha while addressing the ceremony said that Imtiaz Rafi Butt did courageous work and introduce the real work of his father which he performed with Qauid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
He said that Quaid-e-Azam was a visionary personality who convinced the Britain to divide the Sub Continent. Hassan Askari in his speech said, ‘We cannot achieve targets for which Pakistan was made’. He said, we will have to take initiatives and action was also must to make progress. He threw light on the achievements of Rafi Butt who earned name in the surgical industry, Banking and other fields. Imtiaz Rafi Butt while sharing his memories said that he became orphan at the age of two months when his father Rafi Butt lost his life in an air crash incident.
My mother was a sensitive lady after the death of my father business collapsed and litigation started for properties. Thus I brought up in middle class family and in the age of 12 years I was sent to Lawrence College Ghora Galli but I could not perform in studies. In the age of 24 years I left for USA with US$1000 to have business. During early days I performed as waiter in hotel and then joined carpet industry there. In 1980 I came back to my homeland and started business of real-state.
Then I started thinking about my father in childhood my mother told me that my father was in America for business purpose. I was 24 when I was told that my father was no more in this World. Then I started research on life of my father and found that he was right hand man of Quaid e Azam and a great patriotic person.
Then I met with his peers who shared his memories with me and told me that he had contribution in struggle of Pakistan movement. Dr Nourine Talha said that during research she found Rafi Butt as a great patriotic and hard worker. He left a lot for Imtiaz Rafi. He was dynamic person who introduced bank, surgical industry and other things.
