We started the national life in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan very simply. Until 1958, every penny of the national treasury was considered a national trust and was used sparingly. The bitter truth is that during the first eleven years, the annual expenditure of the Prime Minister’s House was less than the two-week expenditure of the later Prime Minister’s House. When did this caravan end up and when did Pakistan’s democracy become a monarchy, this is a point of reflection for us. Check out some more interesting facts:
There was no separate office (Secretariat) of the Prime Minister. However, there was a branch in the Cabinet Division, which was called the Prime Minister’s Branch. In Liaquat Ali Khan’s era, there was one steno, four five assistants, three clerks, one chapadasi and one assistant in charge.
This staff was actually under the Prime Minister’s private secretary, was working During the reign of Khwaja Nazimuddin, the post of assistant in charge of this branch was raised to the rank of superintendent. From Liaquat Ali Khan to Feroz Khan Noon, there was only one private secretary whose position was equivalent to that of a deputy secretary. Only ICS officers were working on this post.
In the early days of Pakistan, no funds were kept for the household expenses of the Prime Minister’s House. Liaquat Ali Khan often spent from his own pocket. However, soon a small amount of Sumptuary Grant was fixed for the Prime Minister House through Ghulam Muhammad, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali and Chaudhry Zafarullah Khan Sahib.
A person was hired as an Account Clerk to account for this amount. In addition, the Prime Minister was accompanied by a Jamadar (i.e. messenger) who introduced the guests to the Prime Minister. In addition, Iskandar Mirza, the Defense Secretary, sent a military Jamadar Muhammad Hayat Khan as Liaquat Ali Khan’s gunman, but he was Used as a messenger.
The Prime Minister’s House consisted of two floors with a thatched roof. This roof often dripped in the rain. The ground floor had a large drawing room and a long veranda. This was the room in which the first prime minister of Pakistan used to set up his office at home, sometimes during the day or at night. This room was not very big. The upper floor consisted of three bedrooms, in one of which Liaquat Ali Khan and his Begum Sahiba slept.
His two sons Akbar and Ashraf slept in the other room. In the sleeping rooms there were simple carpets. As far as the security guard was concerned, a police inspector as a pilot used to walk in front of the Nawab Sahib’s car and four military police men in a jeep followed the Nawab Sahib’s car. In Nawab Sahib’s car, his chapadar and a gunman used to sit on the front seat. A car in the Prime Minister’s House was in the personal use of the Nawab. After the martyrdom of Liaquat Ali Khan, Khawaja Nazimuddin remained the Prime Minister till 17 April 1953.
He was a very virtuous, good-mannered and conscientious person. You used to wake up at five o’clock in the morning, and after the Fajr prayer, you used to recite the Holy Quran regularly. He used to recite the Holy Quran in a voice that could be easily heard.
It was made public about you that Khawaja Sahib is a gluttonous person and eats a lot, but as the Prime Minister, he was not found to be a person who eats a lot. There must have been fish, meat, rice and dal in the food, but Khawaja Sahib’s diet was not much. When you became the prime minister, lunch was also served in the office. Whatever was left, he would give it to the poor people sitting outside his office.
You were rarely angry. It was summer, you were wearing an apron and vest when you came out of the bathroom, you were looking for something in the room, Begum Sahiba asked what you were looking for? You remained silent but still continued to search. Begum asked again what should be done? You answered, “Where’s our wand?”
Both Begum Sahiba and Barkat were surprised, both of them followed Khwaja Sahib to the bathroom door, they saw that you were turning off the geyser button with a stick, you closed the switch with a stick and very triumphantly towards Begum Sahiba. He looked at the style and said that now it is hot, what is the need for hot water. But you still run the geyser!
Naib Qasid Idris said, “When there was a shortage of wheat in the country for the first time during your tenure and wheat had to be imported, there was a general complaint of non-availability of good flour in the market.” One day, when Khawaja Sahib’s lunch came to the office, he asked his supervisor Idris that what kind of flour are you getting today, Idris replied, Sir, you get very bad flour these days.
Khawaja Sahib said that how can this happen when we have issued strict orders to provide good flour. Let me show you the flour bread available in the market. Idris came to Khawaja Sahib in the room with bread. Pieces of bread were placed on the table in front of Khawaja Sahib. Khawaja Sahib was eating his food, so he broke one of the pieces of bread brought by Idris, and the color of this piece of bread was black. When you put the nawala in your mouth, it felt bitter. Y
ou ordered to call Pirzada Sahib. (Abdul Sattar Pirzada was the Minister of Food and Agriculture at that time) Mr. Pirzada came after a while while you were still eating. You told Pirzada Sahib that this is the bread of my house and try this other bread. When Pirzada Sahib tasted this bread, its taste was bitter
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