This Friday, in the Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Trust auditorium, gathered many important people to commemorate the days spent with the great scholar and social activist bureaucrat, the late Kazi Afaq Hussain. Presided over by the Chairman of the Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Trust, Khalid Mehmood, the reference was attended by Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Orya Maqbool Jan, Naveed Ikram Cheema, Naeem Akram, Shaukat Javed, Zia Rizvi, Sawera Shami, and many others. Kazi Afaq got his education from Central Model School, Lahore, Government College, Lahore, Punjab University, and Michigan University, USA. In his competitive exams, he was on the list of top ten. He worked as an AC, DC, and Federal Secretary and earned the reputation of being a humble, jolly, kind, and devoted friend. He was known as an officer who never compromised on principles and always kept national interests before him in place of his personal and family interests. He loved his educational institutions and was elected president of the Old Ravians Union. After getting his Master’s degree he also taught for some years in his college and thought that one must return to his educational institution something from what he had gained from it. He was determined that he would never allow his mind to become old and tired.
In his life, he couldn’t forget his school teachers, Mehmood Butt, and Tahir Shadani. At Punjab University, Dr. Hamid Qazilbash was his favourite teacher. In one of his interviews, Kazi Afaq said that he had been studying eighteen hours a day to get high grades in his exams. Similarly, he made it his habit throughout his career to work hard on his service assignments. His parents and teachers imparted him an ethical education, whereas his hard work brought him worldly success. He thought that only passing exams were enough to lower people’s targets. Shining people must have high moral and professional targets. He deplored that, in most cases, youth believe in achieving a piece of paper called a degree. They don’t bother to implement the knowledge gained. In the Civil Services and DMG groups, one should come to earn respect. If someone has targets to gather piles of money, he should do some business, which is the proper place for earning huge amounts. He advised that civil servants must remember two words. Yes, Sir and No, Sir. If they are asked to do the right thing, they should say “Yes, Sir. But if they are asked to do something wrong, they must say “Non-sir. He recalled when Gen. Yahya Khan terminated 313 civil officers from the service.
He constituted a Scrutiny Committee to review the cases. Except for two of these officers, all others confessed that they had been influenced by their wives to commit corruption. Kazi Afaq Hussain was grateful to the Almighty God who gave him such a contented and noble wife who never wished for him to do anything wrong. Kazi had the zeal and emotions to serve the country. He thought that if the military people can sacrifice their lives for the country, then why can’t a civil officer think about the betterment of his country? Why don’t we have faith in destiny and believe that whatever is in our fate, we will get it in any case? If you want to earn respect, then include honesty with your hard work. Parents should give education of honesty and patience to their children. Honest people face trouble and oddities, but they can bear it. They can wait for good times. Honesty is the best policy. Ultimately, it pays a lot. If you see some time that you are asked to do some bad work, you must write a dissent note on the file. It will pay you in this world and the world after. If it becomes impossible to work honestly, then it is better to slip hither or thither.
If you care for your self-respect, you will certainly be successful in your righteous mission. Deeds speak louder than words. There must be political will to do the right thing, and welfare works without that people can do nothing. If politicians have their eyes on plundering the national assets, they will never be successful in any welfare or development project. Governments are always responsible for the failures and successes of national uplift and development. But they are always looking for someone else to blame for their incompetence. Along with the presentation of the late Kazi Afaq’s thoughts, former Chief Secretary Punjab, Naveed Akram Cheema, narrated the many achievements and credits of Kazi Afaq Hussain during his service. Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami described him as an exemplary civil servant. Shaukat Javed, former IGP and Home Minister, said that he was lucky to have a great friend like Kazi Afaq. Former Finance Minister Zia Rizvi said that Kazi Afaq Hussain will be remembered in the Civil Service ranks for a very long time. Orya Maqbool Jan, along with his speech, also conducted the Fateha for the late Kazi Afaq.
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