This picture is of the marriage of Honourable Malick Shaukat Ullah Khan’s son to his brother’s daughter at the Dean’s Peshawar tonight for which I travelled all the way from Islamabad that I and my class mate Sadiq Akbar attended.
Shaukat Ullah Khan and his brother Dr. Inayat, were our school fellows at the Presentation Convent Swat. Later, he joined Cadet College Hasan Abdal and qualified as Engineer, while Honourable Malak Inayat Khan, pursued medicine. Shaukat Ullah Khan himself proved a capable Governor being a tribal and one can wish he was allowed to continue till complete settlement of tribal areas, whose fate still hangs in balance as their merger was neither well planned nor executed rather result of extreme political expediency.
The time on the invitation card was 7 pm by the time, we arrived the food was already served sharp on time, unlike the routine marriages, which starts late and ends late . The entire family of the Khans of Nawagai were at the reception to recieve everyone humbly with a a smile, poor and rich alike , an attribute that made them rule the hearts of the people of their area that makes them formidable political force of former Bajauar Agency . It is recently that his young son won the local bodies election as Nazim, as the younger generation debut into politics that shows how popular they are in their area.
The best on the menu was our family’s tradition speciality, Naranj Polao, that our aunty Begum Zari Sarfaraz, elder Sister of late Mir Afzal Khan of Mardan, former CM KPK would cook with her own hands for her own family that is always missed especially by Honourable Hussain Abdullah Haroon, the former Foreign Minister whenever we discuss food as he himself is a foodie with extensive knowledge about regional and international cuisine.
On my greeting Honourable Shaukat Ullah Khan I remarked “Young father of a Young Bridegroom” that embarrassed him, but it is true that tribals get married and take early professional start as well , a tradition worth pursuing as life span today otherwise so shortened by commitments then further wasted for professional settlement and lastly sacrificed for parental responsibilities both not easy responsibilities to be shouldered in today’s life and times. .
It is well said that an early bird the gets worm and I am sure our another school fellow Maj Arif Bilal, a Sangotian and Kohatian, would agree with me, who has a long way to go before his children get settled while Shaukat Ullah started early and now the time is on his side to enjoy and relax the both worlds as a son himself , father to his son and Insha Allah soon as grandfather too . Stay blessed the honourable family, who are dearly loved and respected by those who know them personally and as a family.