Daska to United Nations: Realization of Dreams with Faith & Sustained Struggle

By Muhammad Aslam Mughal

DASKA TO UNITED NATIONS is an autobiography as well as a travelogue. Its narration is very fluent and cogent; and describes the historical events of the countries, in detail, visited by Aslam during his journey of life. It is highly informative and educative and will provide an incentive to the readers to adopt normative values and resort to sustained arduous work to achieve their desired targets in life successively. I strongly feel that such autobiographies should be widely available to the people, especially the younger generations, by adding them in the libraries of educational institutions and public libraries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669862963

Muhammad Aslam Mughal

Born in Daska, Pakistan in 1940, Muhammad Aslam Mughal received his early education from Government schools Daska before moving on to Government College Lahore and then proceeded to University of Engineering & Technology Lahore from where he obtained his Bachelor degree in civil engineering with Honors. He went to Michigan State University USA and received his Master in urban planning. Later on, he did a 6 months course in public administration from Syracuse University USA. Aslam Mughal started his professional career as Deputy Director Town Planning and rose to the position of Director General of Housing & Physical Planning Department Punjab. He served in Lahore Development Authority as Chief Metropolitan Planner till his selection as United Nations Advisor to Government of Saudi Arabia where he served for 18 years. On completion of this assignment, he moved to Dubai for a project relating to urban development of Dubai. On return to Lahore, he was engaged by the Punjab Government as CEO of Punjab Land Development Company where he successfully launched the first project of low- income housing” Ashiana”. Other important projects to his credit are Master Directive Plans of Makkah, Structure Plan and Upgradation of Walled City of Lahore, Concept and Implementation of Outline Development Plans, Upgradation of 11 Katchi Abadis, Restoration of Circular Garden and Development of Gulshan e Iqbal. Currently he is actively engaged in some welfare organizations, interaction with universities and selective shortterm consultancies. He has published a number of professional articles but this book is his maiden venture. He lives in Lahore and plays golf in Gymkhana.

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Copyright © 2023 by Muhammad Aslam Mughal.

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Rev. date: 01/31/2023

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Contents

Foreword

An Inspirational Narrative

An Autobiography Worth Reading

My Dear Friend

Preface

PART I: CHILDHOOD & EDUCATION

Family & Childhood

School Education

Government College Lahore

University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore (UET)

Michigan State University, USA

Syracuse University

PART II: PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

Assistant Engineer WAPDA

Assistant Director Town Planning Lahore

Deputy Director, Master Plan Project Rawalpindi

Director, Town Planning Peshawar Region

Director, Physical Planning Punjab

Director General, Housing & Physical Planning Punjab

Chief Metropolitan Planner Lahore Development Authority

United Nations Advisor, Urban & Regional Planning and Makkah Project

Technical Coordinator Implementation Strategy of Dubai Structure Plan

Town Planning Expert For Feasibility Study of Dubai Metro Project

PART III: POST RETIREMENT LIFE

Return to Lahore

The International University (TIU)

Engagement with Welfare Organizations

Tehzibul Akhlaq Trust (TAT)

Abdul Hameed Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust (ARBT)

Middle East Association Of Pakistanis (MAP)

Professional Engagements

Punjab Spatial Planning Act

Managing Asian Cities-Case Study of Pakistan

Evaluation of Urban Regeneration Study

Institue of Planners

Association with Universities

Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC)

PART IV: MEMORABLE TRAVELS

Michigan To California, USA

Atlantic Cruise & Travel Through Europe

Japan & Far East

Jordan & Syria

India

Malaysia

Philippines

Singapore

China

Turkey

Uzbekistan

PART V: FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS

Blessings of Allah

Closing of a Long Chapter

A Brief New Chapter

A Short Family Reunion

EPILOGUE

FOREWORD

Aslam Mughal has honored me by his request to write the Foreword for his autobiography Daska to United Nations. Aslam served as the Chief Metropolitan Planner of the Lahore Development Authority when I was its Director-General, and was greatly instrumental in bringing to fruition the World Bank financed Urban Development & Traffic Study which laid the framework for converting Lahore from a somewhat sleepy provincial town into a vibrant metropolitan city. He also looked after the ‘greening’ of Lahore and later in the extension of planned civic facilities to a large number of katchi abadis.

Aslam was the fifth of nine brothers but, despite the large number of siblings, never lacked for affection and support from his loving parents which he repaid through his dedicated hard work which won him top positions in school, college and university including Government College Lahore, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore and Michigan State University USA. He also developed a deep and abiding faith in the Mercy and Blessings of Almighty Allah which has sustained him throughout his life.

Aslam comes across as very much a family man. The book is replete with anecdotes of inter-actions with family members in Pakistan and abroad. He also made many friendships over the course of his scholastic and professional career and his autobiography will no doubt lead to much reading pleasure for his wide circle of family and friends.

Aslam joined public service in the 1960s, first in WAPDA and then in the provincial government. He saw brief sojourns in Shorkot, Lyallpur, Rawalpindi and Peshawar before his prolonged stay in Lahore inclusive of the secondment to the Lahore Development Authority. During this period his lasting contribution was the concept of Outline Development Plans which could be replicated in urban areas in much shortened time periods. The present number of such plans is reportedly 125. However, it was his work as Chief Metropolitan Planner Lahore Development Authority that caught the eye of the United Nations Development Program New York and led to his appointment as Expert in Urban and Regional Planning with the Government of Saudi Arabia.

The initial appointment in 1981 was for a period of one year. At the instance of the Saudis it was extended from time to time for another seventeen and a half years. The notable tasks and achievements during this long tenure was the Makkah Project and the Al Baha project. His account about the Makkah Project makes for some fascinating reading. In the latter part of his stay in Saudi Arabia he also worked on a project for delineation of urban boundaries.

At the end of 1998 his assignments in Saudi Arabia came to an end and he transferred to Dubai for work on the Implementation Strategy of Structure Plan of Dubai. He completed this assignment in 2000 and returned to his first love, the city of Lahore. Aslam’s comparisons of life in Riyadh with life in Dubai are very revealing.

One notable feature of Aslam’s autobiography is the accounts of his foreign travels to all parts of the world during his student years, his service career and post-retirement’ He travelled whenever he could in the company of his wife Wasima. There are some, I am sure, who have travelled abroad as much as he has but there must be very few who have taken the trouble of delving into the history of the countries and cities that he visited and recording his impressions for posterity. I know from my own experience how foreign travel broadens the mind, expands the horizons of knowledge and instils tolerance of other cultures and ways of life.

Post-retirement has seen both joys and sorrows in Aslam’s life. There has been the inexpressible joy of holding grand-children in his hands but there has also been the inexorable march of time which has led to the passing away of so many loved ones including his wife Wasima. Post-retirement Aslam has also found to his cost that it is best to avoid business ventures for which no expertise was acquired during the working years. That said he has made meaningful contributions to the work of the Tehzibul Akhlaq Trust. and also, to the Ashiana Project of the Punjab Land Development Company. The Epilogue of the book contains some pertinent advice on the need to devote more attention to education and the promotion of tolerance.

The autobiography merits a place in all public and private libraries.

Shahid Hamid

Former Governor Punjab

24th June 2022

AN INSPIRATIONAL NARRATIVE OF

FAITH, STRUGGLE & TRIUMPH

The autobiography of Aslam Mughal, ‘Daska To United Nations’, is a fascinating read. He takes you through the intriguing journey of his life with the effortless discourse of a seasoned storyteller. You see Aslam born in a small town in a middle-class family, introduced to basic values of hard work, humility and compassion for the poor. Armoured with this upbringing and an unwavering faith in Allah, he sets forth to pursue his dreams. The story unfolds, how a child who received his education in a run-down government school with minimal infrastructure, went on to study in premier educational institutions of the country and eventually, the United States of America (USA). We learn that while the relentless pursuit of one’s dream is important, to realize those dreams, a strategy and strong work ethic is essential. His story and successes validate the role of belief in Allah. He refreshes your faith with real life examples that even with an immaculate strategic approach and hard work, if a goal is not achieved then it should be accepted as the will of Allah. As a social entrepreneur, I was truly inspired and impressed by his humane attitude for the destitute. His early engagement with Anjumen-e-Himayat-e-Islam and links, even now, with a number of welfare organizations is clear proof of the childhood message ingrained in him by his parents. True to his chosen egalitarian path working for LDA, as an additional responsibility, he transformed the lives of 150,000 people in one year including the upgradation of 11 katchi abadis (ramshackle neighbourhoods) of Lahore. He describes his pleasure and satisfaction in doing this work by looking in the eyes of thousands of residents of those abadis. No doubt this powerful message will resonate with the readers. If all this was not enough to engage the reader, he devotes a section of the book to his memorable travels. This covers the realization of his lifelong passion for travel. There is a lively description of how as a child he boarded a bus to see Lahore without informing his parents. This childhood passion took him to numerous countries, as described in part IV of his autobiography. Now he takes you to fascinating lands, introducing their history, life, culture and people. He especially writes about two areas associated with Islamic history, including the ‘Land of Prophets’ (Jordan & Syria) and Imam Bukhari’s land of Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent. He goes on to highlight the significance of the creation of Pakistan and the progress made so far, but he is also concerned about the ever-increasing divide between haves and have nots. He brings up this subject continuously throughout the book. Yet his optimism and strong faith in the bright future of Pakistan and wanting to see the establishment of a true Islamic welfare state uplifts your spirits. In this regard, he lauds the efforts of a number of credible welfare organizations, including Akhuwat, for working towards the elimination of poverty and bridging the divide between the have and have nots. He wishes to see a wholesome and all-encompassing movement in this direction. The story of the unimaginable triumphs of a small-town kid is truly a source of inspiration for millions of children in rural areas and small towns. The take from the story being simple yet profound, hard work and faith in Allah can result in the realization of your dreams, and Aslam Mughal is living proof of this doctrine. The book conveys a message of hope but reinforces the need to do something worthwhile for the country and its people. A must read. May this inspiring story be read and be a guide for a wider circle not just for our new generation but for the generations to come, that being the strength of the written word.

Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib

Chairman Akhuwat

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY WORTH READING

It was a matter of great delight to go through the draft of Aslam Mughal’s book, titled DASKA TO UNITED NATIONS: Realization of Dreams with Faith and Sustained Struggles. It is an autobiography as well as a travelogue. Its narration is very fluent and cogent; and describes the historical events of the countries, in detail, visited by him during his journey of life. It is highly informative and educative and will provide an incentive to the readers to adopt normative values and resort to sustained arduous work to achieve their desired targets in life successively.

Life is a temporal story of continued transformations and changes towards the better or worse. All depends on how we traverse our journey of life. The book highlights that the journey of the author and his ancestors is comprised of a transition from a small agricultural hamlet to a small town, then to a metropolitan area and finally to a highly urbanized country. It is indeed a transformation from a primary to secondary and to the tertiary civilizations, just in a matter of three generations! It comprises of successive migrations from rural to the hierarchy of urban areas.

Rural-urban migration is the outcome of two factors. One, the pull exercised by the opportunities of the urban areas, and second, the push from the distressed rural conditions. The migrants, because of the first cause are initiative-taking and rise on the ladder of social mobility, extremely fast, whereas the migrants due to the second cause, become a drag on the socioeconomic and infrastructural resources of the urban areas and end up as low-income groups, and create urban slums.

Aslam’s ancestors belong to the first category of rural-urban migrants. Therefore, Aslam and his ancestors leaped from the professions of a small agricultural town(s) to ancestors the advisership of United Nations, due to their faith in Allah swt and motivated and sustained struggles.

I strongly feel that such autobiographies should be widely available to the people, especially the younger generations, by adding them in the libraries of educational institutions and public libraries. The study of autobiographies of successful people are highly motivational and provide guidelines for normative values, and incentives for achieving success in life.

I have known Aslam Mughal for more than last five decades in his various phases of professional life – starting from the time when he joined the Housing and Physical Planning Department, and successively got promoted to the rank of Director General; H&PPD, Chief Metropolitan Planner, Lahore Development Authority and finally worked as the United Nations Advisor on Urban and Regional Planning to the government of Saudi Arabia.

Things which impressed me most about him are his amicable nature, honesty of purpose and the desired value system which are, unfortunately, getting eroded fast in the Pakistani society. Normative values bring, in their wake, a score of desirable traits, such as confidence, fearless actions, and their sustained perseverance.

In the end, I would like to congratulate Aslam for having written his autobiography, describing the realization of his dreams with faith, and sustained hard work. I earnestly hope that FROM DASKA TO UNITED NATIONS will not be his solitary contribution and that he will continue to share his practical and professional experiences with the seekers of knowledge.

Dr. Professor Anis ur Rahmaan

Chairman,

Center for Urban, Regional,

Environmental and Social-Studies (CURES)

And former Advisor United Nations

On Urban and Regional Planning

MY DEAR FRIEND OF OVER SIX DECADES

A CHARMING, CHARISMATIC AND

THOROUGH PROFESSIONAL

My first casual meeting with Aslam was in the last quarter of 1959, after we had joined West Pakistan College of Engineering and Technology, Lahore as first year students. I was one of the five boys from Gordon College, Rawalpindi and Aslam was from Government College, Lahore, the most prestigious institution of higher learning in Pakistan. During our first year, we were generally acquaintances, but during second and third year our friendship continued to grow even though we (Akram, Aslam and Ahmad Khan) were in intense competition for top position. We would even help each other as we did not carry any jealousy or malice but instead respected and appreciated the competence and good traits of our fellow students. For the last many months, we have established a WhatsApp Group titled AAA and we almost daily hold short video-conference to remain regularly in touch.

Immediately after our graduation in 1962, we got employed and went in different directions. Soon, we were lucky to go to UK, Canada and USA for higher studies and lost contact for 3-4 years. After returning to Pakistan, the contact was re-established and our friendship continued to grow even after our marriages and the arrival of our kids. Luckily, our wives and children also got along exceedingly well and we always enjoyed each other’s company. There were many occasions when we, as families, travelled together and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We always thanked The ALMIGHTY for having blessed us with the company of good friends in this worldly life and prayed and begged for good company for the life hereafter.

During Aslam’s two decades stay in Saudi Arabia as UN Advisor for the two Holy Cities of Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah, there were many opportunities for me and wife to go for Umrah. It was always very nice and helpful when Aslam and Sharif Bhatti would join and help us during our stay in Saudi Arabia.

Aslam is scrupulously honest with an unusually pleasant, charming and charismatic personality. He carries on his shoulders a thinking and creative mind capable of precisely identifying issues and coming up with out of box practical solutions. He has always been a great company and has a rare gift/quality of dealing with all kinds of people with a smiling face and without losing his cool. I particularly admire this quality since I have a tendency to lose my patience as and when someone tries to be clever and take liberties with me. With over six decades friendship and without being subjective, I believe that Aslam is an outstanding human-being with immaculate character reflecting his strong and solid Islamic values. He is a good practicing Muslim who believes that Islam is a complete code of life demanding Muslims to unconditionally submit to the Will of ALMIGHTY ALLAH in every aspect of our public and private lives. Islam forbids exploitation, of any kind or form, of fellow human-beings and expects us to help humanity at large to please and earn blessings of THE CREATOR. Aslam rightly believes that Islam is not a collection of some rituals and we are forbidden to separate Deen and Dunya; in fact, Deen-e-Islam is a perfect fit for our God given nature and encompasses all aspects and facets of our lives.

During his long and illustrious career in Pakistan and abroad, Aslam always performed and earned respect for his professional and humane approach with dignity and without getting brow-beaten by his bureaucratic or political bosses. I am aware and conscious of the difficulties of government functionaries face during their service careers; Aslam’s experiences were no different but his conduct and approach based on professional merit and ethics is exceptional. The situation has worsened over time and the present days - the less said, the better.

His rise from the level of Assistant Director to Director General in the Physical Planning & Housing Department of Punjab/West Pakistan and subsequently as Chief Metropolitan Planner (LDA) followed by as the first Project Director/CEO of Lahore Urban Development of Traffic Study Project (funded by UN) were all challenging assignments and he earned kudos and appreciation in all.

The United Nations selected him for the most prestigious and most desirable assignment (relating to Makkah Mukarramah and Madina Munawwarah) for any Muslim professional. I am aware that this was Aslam’s ultimate desire and the ALMIGHTY blessed Aslam by accepting his Duas. For almost 20 years Aslam made outstanding contributions in these projects from Concept to Implementation Stages and satisfied his spiritual-being in addition to earning handsomely to lead a respectable worldly life after retirement.

After retirement from the official assignments, Aslam has remained a very useful and productive member of Pakistani society by keeping himself associated in many welfare organizations serving the cause of public at large but particularly the down-trodden. His activities covered in this autobiography would be a source of great pleasure for the reader.

To state briefly, his activities after retirement are very noble and holistic in nature. He is actively associated with educational institutions, hospitals and the orphanages for the poor sections of society.

Before concluding these brief observations, I would like to compliment and appreciate Aslam’s efforts to pen down this autobiography which should be a source of great inspiration for the Pakistani youth. With good and comprehensive parental and primary school teacher’s upbringing and training embedded with solid Islamic value system, a kid from an under-privileged area can reach higher echelons of society and achieve his life’s dreams, along with genuine respect in people’s hearts, in Pakistan or anywhere in the world if willing to put in hard work without compromising on internationally respected value-system.

Aslam was born in Daska, a small industrial town of West Punjab in a middle-class family. He was one of the nine sons of his parents who led a very simple down to earth life but brought up their children inculcating divine value-system in addition to imparting good education. The main strength of this family, particularly parents, was their unshakeable faith in the CREATOR and the Divine Value System ordained by ALMIGHTY ALLAH through HIS Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). His successful transformation and growth from a little kid to a mature, competent and successful professional on the international scene speaks volumes for the importance of the basic upbringing, education and training. The worldly distractions and attractions could not derail him as his value system was fully embedded in Aslam’s persona and has always remained a touch-stone throughout his life.

Engr. Dr. M Akram Sheikh, H.I., FPAS

Former Federal Minister / Deputy Chairman

Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan

PREFACE

I am not a famous person, business tycoon, leader or any sort of VIP. In fact, I consider myself a VOP (very ordinary person). Then I asked myself why I had thought of writing my biography. I pondered on this question for a long time before I concluded that my story may ignite some hope in millions of young boys and girls especially from rural areas and small towns who think that they cannot compete with students from expensive English medium schools of big cities. I wanted to share my story with them inviting them to dream for better future irrespective of available resources and try to realize them. I wanted to convey to them that hard work backed by honesty and faith in Allah could lead them to the corridors of success. None of these have anything to do with material resources.

My second purpose was to share my story with my grandchildren as to how I reached where I am today. I thought this might give them some ideas which they could adapt for incorporating in their lives. I am against giving advice to present day young generation for their uncertain reaction. It is up to them to pick and choose. I see a lot of varied potential in them as they have been born in big cities, are going or have gone to much better schools than myself and have been raised by educated parents in better environments. Hence, they are in a better position to pursue their cherished goals. My prayers are certainly with them.

My story is based on my recollections of more than 70 years as I am not in the habit of writing a diary or keeping notes. I had some difficulty in determining the dates of hundreds of events in life so I had to do some cross checking with other characters in the story. I had to really dig in for Memorable Travels under Part IV as these were started during my first trip to America in 1964. Even then there may be some inaccuracies that may be excused and attributed to my senior citizenship. I have combined my personal and family life with some professional tasks undertaken during my career. However, the details of assignments have been kept to the minimum level not to burden the general readers. On the other hand, for my professional fraternity these details may not be enough. God willing, I intend to pen down the technical details of the projects carried out by me separately for sharing with the professionals of my field of urban planning, urban development and housing

I can never thank my parents for providing me a loving but disciplined environment and allocating hard earned funds for my education. They were the living examples for hard work, sacrifice, compassion, and humility. These basic values became the corner stones of my life journey. I owe gratitude to my grandfather who showered his love on me and appreciated my small achievements. I am grateful to my life partners Wasima & Samia, my children Aisha, Sumayya, Madiha, Umar and their spouses, Fuad, Zubair, Bilal, Rabia and my grandchildren for their support and encouragement to do this project. My special thanks to Rabia Mughal for a number of discussions and critical comments at various stages of its writing.

My special thanks go to Mr Shahid Hamid, Dr Muhammad Amjad Saqib and Dr Anisur Rahmaan for writing generous Foreword and reviews. I am extremely grateful to Dr Anisur Rahmaan for his continuous guidance from the beginning to the completion of this book. I owe my gratitude to my class-fellow and sincere family-friend of many decades, Dr Akram Sheikh for his glowing introduction of me.

Lahore 5 September 2022

PART I

CHILDHOOD & EDUCATION

FAMILY & CHILDHOOD

I was born in 1940 before partition of India in a small town, Daska, which later became part of Pakistan. My great-grandfather had moved to Daska from a small village, Targa, about seven kilometers on Daska-Sialkot-road. Thanks to his wisdom and foresight that we were born in a town, though small, yet there were schools and some health facilities. Had he remained in the village we would have been at the mercy of landlords. Daska was a small town with very little facilities at the time of my birth. I only saw my grandfather, Haji Wassan, a small, upright businessman, who was well-known and well- respected not only in Daska, but even in the surrounding villages. Whenever we went to some village and introduced ourselves as grandchildren of Haji Wassan, we would be welcomed and were accorded hospitality. He was a role model of truth, courage and good behavior. I remember one advice he always gave was that if you cannot help somebody in need, then, at least, do not cause any harm to anybody. This has been stuck in my mind since then and I have tried to follow it for the whole of my life. I did not see him active in my life-time and the business was run by my father, Mian Allah Ditta (Mian Jee). As opposed to my grandfather, Mian Jee was more focused on business and spent all his energies to provide us decent living and education. The top-most Government official, in Daska, used to be Tehsildar. Now it has been upgraded to a sub-division and is headed by an Assistant Commissioner. Daska was one of the five tehsil headquarters of Sialkot district. There was no electricity and I used to study in the light of a kerosene oil lamp till class nine. An electricity bulb was no less than a miracle to me. Water was supplied through hand pumps and, of course, there was no sewerage system. I used to take a bath by operating the hand pump with one hand and managing bathing with the other. This was my standard practice throughout the year in the open. It never occurred to me that life was tough as I was born in that environment and got used to it.

Our sports activities were very limited. At the neighborhood level, we played football and cricket, but without proper kits and fields. Hence, we would usually resort to some local activities where there were more fights and less sports. One popular sport was gulli danda. The equipment consisted of one stick about two feet long and another about five inches long with both its edges pointed like a pencil. A player would hit on the edge of the smaller one so that when it (gulli) jumps in the air, he can hit it in the middle with the danda. His team members would be spread around to catch it. It could be seen as a crude form of baseball when instead of a ball there is a gulli. It was very inexpensive and equally popular. One big recreational activity was to go to the canal, particularly in summers. Bathing in the canal was alternated with rolling on hot sand. Sometimes we would arrange picnics by taking along mangoes or watermelon. While we bathed the mangoes or watermelon would be dipped in the cold canal water. It used to be a feast after the bathing in the canal. I am saying bathing as I did not know swimming, at that time, which I learned at an American university many years later. It was also my visits to the canal that got the idea of becoming an engineer. On some trips I would see preparations for a visit by some official. Upon enquiry, I would be informed that sub-divisional officer (SDO) sahib was coming. So, I decided to become an SDO. So much for career planning.

The lack of urban facilities was compensated by a lively and highly disciplined environment provided by my Mian Jee, who was a hardworking person with physical work from dawn to dusk. He provided reasonably good accommodation in the upper floor of his business. We enjoyed simple but good food with fresh milk supply he considered so essential for our growth. For this purpose, we used to have at least a couple of buffaloes in our business premise, but fresh milk was at a cost as we were supposed to feed and take care of buffaloes. My mother Fatima Begum (Ammi Jee), was a frail, compassionate lady who wanted to shower everything available for our comfort and growth. Our parents were bestowed with nine sons but no daughter, so we have been deprived of sisterly love and care. Probably after four to five boys they were looking for a girl, but ended up with nine boys. I was in the