The corner: Jawaid Iqbal

Jawaid Iqbal, the President and CEO of CMC, invites us into his cherished study and introduces us to his dearest companions, ultimately giving us a glimpse into his world

As we enter Jawaid Iqbal’s home, he leads us to the cosiest room in the entire estate, his study. Two striking paintings, right outside the room catch our eye. The first is a vibrant painting by Wahab Jaffer, which Iqbal’s wife requested him to use. The second painting is by Ghulam Rasool and portrays the nature of winter, Iqbal’s favourite season. He tells us that him and his wife commissioned both the paintings.



“This is my favourite corner because this is where I spend most of my time with my friends.” Given that the room is much smaller and monotone as compared to most of the house, we are slightly confused. He carries on, “These friends are not born in my time and by friends, I of course mean books, about history, mostly.” Iqbal shares that his principal belief is that if we are able to understand the language and the message of these books, then history and the remarkable people it is about, will become our sincerest friends.

We glance at the shelves and spot numerous works of literature and autobiographies of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, poetry by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Muneeb Niyazia to name a few. A passionate Iqbal says, “Reading books about powerful leaders is not only literature, but it is also travel. You travel with the author to that leader’s time and witness the problems that he or she faced. That is what I enjoy about reading.” Upon inquiring we learn that as this corner is used solely by choice, it is occupied depending on Iqbal’s mood. “I never force myself to come here. Reading is not a duty, but a pleasure for me, so I only come here when my mind is open to enter the world each book comes with.”



Apart from the large wooden bookshelf, which occupies more than half the space, a few eclectic sofas are neatly placed and a large window overlooks the luscious green garden. While we look around, he informs us that his wife did the understated interior in this room. The walls, painted in soft tones, radiate warmth. A variety of paintings, add colour to the otherwise neutral colour scheme in the room. Amidst these paintings is a portrait of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto by Amin Gulgee, who recently visited Iqbal to re-sign the artwork. We spot another painting by Anwar Maqsood, which Iqbal tells us was given to him as a present on his 50th birthday.



Displayed across one of the walls are pictures of Iqbal with Benazir Bhutto, Hussein Muhammad Ershad, Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Muhammad Khan Junejo, and he is quick to share that on the very sofa we sit, Pervez Musharraf sat not too long ago. This wall not only reaffirms Iqbal’s strong political connections but also his love for the very subject and topic of this corner — history and politics.

Apart from using this corner to read, Iqbal tells us how being in it takes him down memory lane and thus he also spends time in the room, reflecting. He smilingly says, “I come here with an appointment to see Jawaid Iqbal, and when I am here to see myself, I am completely honest, original and open. It is the healthiest and best meeting one could have.”