Why not have a monument dedicated to all those who died during Partition regardless of religion & current nationalities? And another one to commemorate those who got separated from their loved ones? It is overdue.
Maybe when Pakistanis as nation will start looking at the issue in human terms and not as political and religious arguments, maybe we will find the heart to apologize to the Bengalis.
Re: Monuments
Nice thought Ahmadgee…
Nations need their heroes, symbols and historical reminders. Iam totally with u.
Re: Monuments
I think there is this plan for creating a monument for people who migrated in 1947 to Pakistan. Its known as Bab-e-Pakistan (not sure), I think the site is near Walton camp ground in Lahore. Its the same camp ground which was used by many refugees who migrated to Pakistan.
Re: Monuments
Pakistan commited war crimes in East Pakistan, but so did Bengali rebels against West Pakistanis and Biharis and loyalist Bengalis.
Pakistan should not make a one-sided apology. I'm all in favour of Pakistan apologising for its war crimes, as long as Bangladesh apologises for its own too.
Re: Monuments
And what about the monument?
In any healthy relationship, it is ok to say sorry even when it is not our fault, and the same can be applied on a national level. Maybe Indians will feel so embarrassed that we put up a monument commemorating those Hindu & Sikh families that lost their loved ones going to India that they will apologize for Kashmir. But even if they don't, who cares. We should get our house in order.
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mAd_ScIeNtIsT
"Pakistan should not make a one-sided apology. I'm all in favour of Pakistan apologising for its war crimes, as long as Bangladesh apologises for its own too"
Bangladesh was not created at that time. It was created after surrendering of 95000 Pakistan Army personnel to general Manik Shah in 1971. Amount of violence done to Bengalis as compared to West Pakistanis were negligible. Perhaps you do not know 3000 illegitimate children were borne to young Bengali girls raped by Pakistani army. The crimes were heinous and unforgivable. Mukti Bahini who committed limited crime as a reaction is since defunct so is there leader Mujib killed by same Mukti Bahinis. Your idea of reciprocal apology is ridiculous.
FARID
Re: Monuments
mAd_ScIeNtIsT Bhai,
You are one of my favourite posters here,
But honestly let me ask you this, “Yeh Pehle Aap Pehle Aaap wali baat kiya reasonable hai” .
Re: Monuments
ahmedjee,
very good thought here. We seriously lack such things in Pakistan, our culture could use a bit more monuments and places dedicated to heroes and important people from today and the past alike.
but about apologizing, i'm not sure...why not keep celebrating our great out of politics...? and far as bengalis are concerned i'm with what MadScientist said, plus general Musharraf has already apologized officially...
Minime, yeah i think i heard of smthng under planning. let's see how it comes out...
Re: Monuments
Late down to earth CM of Punjab Ghulam Haider Wain, floated this idea and made plans to build this monument its called Bab-e-Pakistan and its design has been approved. as with other projects when government changes, previoud projects go to cold storage. and its original cost is more than 3 times now cause of delay.
but its on again and here is the latest about it.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Bab-e-Pakistan project handed over to Army
By Khawaja Naseer
LAHORE: The engineering corps of the Pakistan Army (4th corps) has been asked to construct the Bab-e-Pakistan (a monument commemorating the first refugee camp established during the 1947 Partition), Colonel Khanzada, the provincial minister for the Punjab Chief Minister’s Inspection Team, told Daily Times on Friday.
He said that Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had given approval for the project to be transferred from the Bab-e-Pakistan Committee to the Pakistan Army engineering corps. He added that an agreement between the two parties and the project digest (PC-1) would be signed and presented to the chief minister and Pakistan Army authorities by the end of March. Col Khanzada said that the government was now in a position to finish the project.
The project was conceived in 1991 and has been delayed since then. In May 2004, Elahi formed a committee, led by Col Khanzada, to start the construction of Bab-e-Pakistan. The project will be constructed on 110 acres of land, at a cost of Rs 350 million.
Talking about the decision taken by the government, Col Khanzada said, “It was taken in the best interest of the project. The project digest PC-1 will be completed by the end of this week and a formal agreement with the army will be made soon.”
He said that there were some legal problems and the project could not be transferred to the Pakistan Army right away. He said that some people might have concerns that the Pakistan Army was constructing the Bab-e-Pakistan because it was considered a national heritage project. “However, the Bab-e-Pakistan Committee will remove all these reservations,” he said.
Regarding the funds allocated for the project, the provincial minister said that around Rs 95 million had been deposited in a bank account for the project back in 1991, but since the funds had never been used, the amount now stood at Rs 300 million because of the interested accumulated over the years.
Col Khanzada said that the project would introduce different aspects of Pakistan’s history to the younger generation. He assured that city roads leading to Bab-e-Pakistan would be widened for the convenience of citizens.
He said that the committee had invited President General Pervez Musharraf for the inauguration. He said that a monument, park, library, auditorium, services block and a restaurant would be constructed.
The project was inaugurated in 1991 with an estimated budget of Rs 100 million and plans included the construction of a beautiful 400-acre park alongside the monument.
It was approved by then chief minister Ghulam Hyder Wyne with the consensus of former joint chief of army staff General (r) Iftikhar Ahmed Khan Sarhoi and former Lahore Corps commander General (r) Mohammad Ashraf.
The government had allocated the funds, but it failed to kick off because of the departure of the Nawaz government in 1993.
Later, it was learnt that the Punjab Board of Revenue (BOR) had already leased the land to the Pakistan Army and Punjab Boys Scouts Association (PBSA) for a period of 99 years. A katchi abadi had also developed on the land.
The project was again revived in 1997 with former chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif ordering to restart construction on 75 acres. He also directed to buy 10 acres owned by the PSBA, but the PSBA was unwilling to sell the land in its possession. The matter was again thrown into cold storage with the overthrow of the Nawaz government in 1999.
In the year 2002 the Punjab government and the General Headquarters (GHQ) reached a compromise according to which the army agreed to hand over 25 acres to the government. However, nothing came of the deal.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_5-3-2005_pg7_21
Re: Monuments
some images of the project
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[thumb=H]47286_3887955.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=H]87286_9052253.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=H]57286_6697956.JPG[/thumb]
Re: Monuments
thanks Shak,
this will be very nice.