Role Model

It was an unusual morning; Baba (my father) was getting ready in a hurry and asking Ammi (my mother) to wrap up some additional suits for his journey. She looked sad, terrified and kept wiping tears from her eyes. Father looked pale too, and with a fake smile, said goodbye to us and boarded a Tonga (horse carriage) for the bus stop where he would catch a bus for Sukkur. He was to appear in a court of law for the final hearing where verdict was to be issued regarding his alleged embezzlement with government funds. While leaving he said if I fail to turn up by evening, it would mean the decision went against me and I am sent to jail.

Much to our delight and expectations, father returned home late evening; garlanded and running a huge grin under his sprawling mustache. This time he was vindicated, as against the previous occasion, when he had spent a few months in Nara Jail, Sukkur. It was in 1966. By then I was six years old kid. For the next ten years my father’s job remained on the anvil due to not an impeccable record. Eventually, he was forcibly retired. At that tender age I had in mind the only thing; father’s work was not good enough.

During the same period, we, the kids of our street, began offering prayers in the nearby mosque. It was more a fun than fulfilling the religious obligation because we were yet to learn offering Salaah, the Prayers, correctly. It was hardly second or third day at the mosque when my slippers were stolen and I returned home crying hapless and helplessly. This incidence kept me away from the mosques for many years. Nevertheless, I kept offering Friday prayers where our (kids) sole intention was to push each other in the Salaah assembly and utter “Ameen” as loud as we could during a joint dua. Respectable from every angle, Imam of the mosque looked to me a person more dependent on rich neighbors than our Creator.

I also started listening to music at a very early age. Both Pakistani and Indian songs airing on radio was a great enjoyment for me. And with songs, I developed a habit of liking movies; the habit that was going to last forever. The action movies were my favorite, and those film heroes depicted as dacoits were role models for me. I used to make a wish in the childhood that some dacoit-gang may kidnap me and train me so that I become a dacoit, go on a killing spree of all cruel landlords, usurpers, industrialists, and those who looted & exploited poor. The captured fortunes would then be distributed among poor people.

In mid 1970s we bought a new tractor on bank installments. On a very next day my elder brother still in teens took it on main road driving recklessly and hit a horse-driven cart (Tonga). Our driver took the responsibility and pretended before the police that he had hit the Tonga accidently. While the driver was in police custody father took me along with him to the police station to get the driver freed. I still remember the police behavior with my father. They were rude, scolding, abusive, insulting and shameful. It was too difficult to withstand such a treatment. After begging, paying bribe and compensation, the driver was finally released. That incident was just more than enough for me to stay away from opting police as a career.

My father always wanted me to choose an engineering career, civil engineering in fact, to become either irrigation engineer or roads engineer so that I could (mis)use power, authority and illicit means to become instantly rich. I did become a civil engineer, got a job in a public organization but failed to fulfill my father’s dream. I proved a failure in the world’s eyes because I was a coward; listened to my conscience and ended up working in offices for desk-job assignments which are commonly known as “khudday-line positions” i.e. non-earning positions. Though still resisting, sometimes I feel weak enough and get tempted to follow the same course everyone is following; earning through dishonest means and enjoy comfortable life.

In last 30 years, I have worked with scores of good, bad and ugly officers. Among bad and ugly they can be termed as weird, greedy and obnoxious. At the same time I had an opportunity of working with an expert who was and remains my role model in terms of technical knowledge, competence, efficiency and above all, honesty. Late Mr. Nisar Ali Akhtar, a retired Vice President/Engineer from NESPAK was an advisor on a project where I used to work with him for almost 5 years during early 2000 years.  He was a gem of a person, with a treasure of technical knowledge and experience. An arrogant and snob for many but he was a kind hearted, knowledge sharing, helping colleague and a source of guidance for me. His company is responsible in making me stronger and tough against transgression. May Allah (SWT) have mercy on him and have him his eternal abode in Jannah. A’meen. He appears in my prayers regularly.

After completing MBA in the middle age I got the opportunity to teach part time at University level. It was real fun and satisfying. Just wonder if I could have made it to a better teacher had I chosen this career! But then teaching was neither considered as an ideal profession for engineers nor did it earn a handsome living in early 1980s.

Finally, I must reiterate that a role model for a Muslim can only be Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, for any action, at each step and in every walk of life. Let’s pray for revival of our character and purity of our thoughts to be able to follow their footsteps.