THE National Museum of Pakistan (NMP) in Karachi is a treasure trove of historical artefacts. On April 21, 1975 an upper part of Budhisattva Maitreya (future Buddha) from the early fourth century AD was presented to the National Museum by a local businessman, Yusuf Bhaimia.

Receiving the gift, the acting Governor of Sindh, Justice Abdul Kadir Shaikh, urged Pakistanis in possession of such antiques to present them to the museum for preservation.

He said the government attached great importance to cultural heritage, be it the pre-historic site of Mohenjo Daro, the historic remains in Taxila and early Islamic settlements in Banbhore or the magnificent monuments in Multan and Lahore. `We are proud to possess this rich heritage and we are determined to preserve it in a befitting manner at all costs.` The acting governor said Pakistan was particularly proud of being the birthplace of Gandhara art which flourished what is (then) known as the NWFP (now KP)during the first to sixth century AD. `Who knows if the first Buddha image was carved out somewhere in the beautiful valley of Peshawar? If that is so, we have the rightful claim to the most remarkable contribution to Asian art, nay, to the art of the entire world,` added Justice Shaikh.

The same cultural space, the museum, was in the news when on April 24 it was reported that the reconditioning of the car used by the Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was expected to complete before his 27th death anniversary. After the repairs and overhauling [which would make the 1938 convertible Packard roadworthy] the vehicle was to be handed over to the NMP.

Museums are to do with history. There is so much in the subcontinent that has enriched not just the history of South Asia but contributed to the subject at a global level in a big way. India`s questionable role in the region, however, has affected all of that. On April 24, the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) in a resolution condemned the Indian attitude towards its neighbours and argued that the recent annexation of Sikkim and its bid to grab OccupiedKashmir was a clear example of Indian expansionist designs. The resolution was passed at a KUJ general body meeting held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) to observe the 12th anniversary of the founding of the Afro-Asian Journalist Association. The KUJ also extended felicitation to the Khmer Rouge on its glorious success against imperialist powers in Cambodia and to the National Liberation Forces who in South Vietnam were on the verge of victory.

From international politics to national growth. On April 26, the Adviser on Agriculture to the Chief Minister of Sindh, P K Shahani, visited the College of Home Economics. He made an interesting observation: Karachiites needed 25,000 maunds of vegetables every day, but the daily availability is only 90,000 maunds a shortfall of 16,000 maunds. To overcome this gap, he advised, citizens should take to kitchen gardening and the students of the college take the lead in that regard.

One wonders, and given the population explosion that has happened in the last five decades, how much vegetables do Karachiites need in the 21st century on a daily basis?