AS has often been mentioned in these pages, one of the problems that reared its head as Karachi`s population began to increase exponentially more than five decades back is the simultaneous rise in the number of motor vehicles in the city. On Jan 20, 1975 traffic on Drigh Road (now Sharae Faisal) between Gora Qabristan and Napier Barracks was completely disrupted for an hour when students of the Aisha Bawany Academy blocked the thoroughfare. They created hindrances in both lanes of the road because of which the police had to divert cars, buses and motorcycles through Abyssinia Lines and Defence Housing Society. The students were protesting against the recent closure by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) of an opening for cross-traffic in front of the academy. Earlier, the youngsters offered ghaibana namaz-i-janaza for a colleague who was killed in an accident near the school a few days back. They complained that the closure had caused vehicles to move faster than before making it difficult for pedestrians to cross the road. They dispersed after the police promised them that it would prevail upon the KDA to rectify the situation.

The same day, since Drigh Road was/is closest to the airport, Nawab Khwaja Hasan Askari of Dacca landed in Karachi from Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan). He had come via Calcutta to visit his wife and children who had been living in the Sindh capital for over three years.

Another dignitary was in the city that week. On Jan 22, Princess Ashraf Pehlavi emphasisedthe need for close contact and cooperation between women`s organisations of Pakistan and Iran to make 1975 a `year of dynamic change and progress for women`. Speaking at a symposium on International Women`s Year jointly arranged by APWA (which was celebrating its silver jubilee) and the Pakistan National Centre at a local hotel, she said: `Let us hope that 1975 will bring the women of the world together to work towards such a day when their organisations will have no justification for existence, a day when men and women will share their burden and the fruit of life on an equal basis.` The princess, who was the sister of Mohammad Reza Pehlavi, said APWA founded by Sindh Governor Begum Ra`ana Liaquat Ali Khan had a great tradition of dedicated service to Pakistani society. The celebration of its silver jubilee was an occasion to review its admirable past achievements and a starting point for greater accomplishments.

From Iran to Iraq. On Jan 24, an agreement of cooperation between the Jinnah PostGraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the Medical College, University of Basrah, was signed in Karachi by Dr Nazar Al-Shawy, leader of the visiting four-member Iraqi delegation and Dr B A Qureshi, director of the JPMC. The contract provided for establishing `firm relations` between the two institutions representing Iraq and Pakistan. Complying with it, they would exchange visits of professors for short periods lasting eight to 12 weeks. The JPMC was also to allocate the Medical College in Basrah scholarships to obtain doctorate or any other post-graduate degree in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, bacteriology, parasitology and pathology.