When Field Marshall Muhammad Ayub Khan, invited the Queen of England, Her Majesty Elizabeth 11 to visit Pakistan, the Duke of Edinburgh, the late Prince Philip intervened ” on one condition that you take us to Swat”. This was the reputation of Swat and its ruler that remained the brightest jewel in Pakistan’s crown till merged in the rest of Pakistan on 28th July 1969.
This notification shared by a honourable family friend relates to the the renaming of the Kidney Hospital next to my school at Sangota of a legendary personality and Administrator Par Excellence, Hon Maj. Gen. Jehanzeb, popularly known as the Wali of Swat. This news surely will put smile on the faces of every Swati who believed both the heritage and culture of Swat were neglected including the Palace of the Wall that the state should have bought from its legal heirs and converted into Museum.
With this one feels dejected to observe that sadly the new generation of Pakistani leadership had hardly any contribution worth remembering except the worst enemy of our proud legacy as a nation by remaining buildings, roads and events to eclipse the contribution of the nation’s forefathers.
One such matters concerns my late uncle the late Legendary Prince Sardar Hissam Uddin el Effendi, the very one who founded Pakistan Rangers, and commanded the armour division in 1965, war as Brigadier with his rich 2nd World War experience against the legendary German General Rommel. He also founded the El Effendi Polo tournament in Pakistan that is now renamed as Quaid-e- Azam Polo tournament despite his two sons Adham (Podger) and Javed ( Vicky) the world’s best in the world of International polo and Podger also having couched the Pakistani Polo team yet their memories are sadly erased like the last Fort that the Mian Gul dynasty of Swat built were pulled down.
