Allow me to narrate a similar experience of celebrating Eid in the Lahore of the 1960s.
LAHORE: A letter titled “Eid in Washington during the 1950s” written by Mr Bashir A Malik appeared in your newspaper on August 20. Allow me to narrate a similar experience of celebrating Eid in the Lahore of the 1960s. During the Ayub era, a controversy arose once about the day of Eid announced by the government. A large number of people did not accept the official Eid day. And because of that Eid prayers were held on the official day amidst much uncertainty and confusion. I had travelled to Lahore from Karachi to join my family for Eid. I opted for the congregation at the Punjab University grounds for Eid prayers.
When I reached the venue, I came to know of a delay in the prayers. It then transpired that the regular prayer leader was refusing to conduct the proceedings. This led, it seemed, to considerable discussion by some of those present with the pesh imam, after which the prayers commenced. At the end, I and my friends, like Mr Malik at the Washington congregation, went to the front row to meet and greet the prayer leader. But, lo and behold, instead of a robed pesh imam , we found (late) Justice M R Kayani standing there to meet the people — it seemed Mr Kayani had led the prayers!
In the true tradition of a great civil servant that he was, Justice Kayani had risen to the occasion and cleared all doubt and uncertainty by his bold action. May God Almighty bless his soul.
S Birjees Asghar
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2012.
