M. Fazal Elahi\
The Board of Capital Development Authority (CDA) recently accorded approval to the renaming of four roads in the country’s capital-Islamabad after Agha Nasir, Safwat Ghayor Shaheed, Capt Mobin Shaheed and Aitazaz Hassan Shaheed. The referenced approval was accorded by the Board of CDA in its 6th meeting, for the year 2017, held at the organization’s headquarters on May 19, 2017. The 6th Board meeting of the Authority was presided by Sheikh Anser Aziz, Mayor of Islamabad and Chairman, Capital Development Authority (CDA). According to the CDA officials, renaming these roads after martyrs and heroes is a tribute by CDA to their contributions. CDA Board approved renaming service road (East) F-11 as Agha Nasir Road, Service Road (West) F-8 as Safwat Chayyor Shaheed Road, Double Road in front of Police Line, H-11 as Captain Mobeen Shaheed Road and service road D-12 as Aitazaz Hassan Shaheed Road. It is said that approval by CDA Board is subject to endorsement by the federal cabinet. Without questioning the decision of the Chairman CDA and the CDA Board to rename the above roads after late Agha Nasir and three other citizens of the country, whose contributions and sacrifices are certainly worthy of appreciation and recognition, I would like to draw the attention of the worthy Chairman CDA and CDA’s Board Members towards a significant name that they may perhaps have inadvertently overlooked. This great person is none other than the veteran politician and a hardcore Pakistani politician from former East Pakistan, late Mr. Mahmud Ali. Mr. Mahmud Ali’s contribution and sacrifices towards his first love Pakistan is known to all and sundry in the world of Politics both at home and abroad. Needless, therefore, it is to elaborate them in this communication. It is extremely unfortunate that a man of Mr. Ali’s stature and principles has been pushed into the oblivion by successive governments and this nation. His mortal remains buried in the H-8 graveyard of Islamabad, under tones of debris, incessantly draws the attention of the sitting government and this oblivious nation towards the gross injustice that has been done to him. Will the Chairman CDA and the worthy Board Members of CDA take immediate cognizance of the matter and try to expeditiously rectify it? Would they also include the name of late Mahmud Ali among the names of those who have lately been shortlisted, and strongly recommend to the incumbent government that a major road of Islamabad be named after him? This, in fact, is the least this nation could do for a person like Mahmud Ali who, till his last breath, remained a staunch Pakistani, and sacrificed his entire life for the well-being of Pakistan and the Pakistani nation.
