We are a bunch of blind people. We can, always read: what is written on the wall, even if it is not embossed in Braille. Also, we have no limitations on our dreams. We can perceive them in pana-colours.

Our house master is very kind. On the first day of every month, he takes us out to empirically experience the physical world, outside. On 1st day of September 07, we had a fateful outing. Several years ago, we were taken out to the zoo to feel an elephant. Unfortunately, we all failed to exactly describe the great animal, in our respective conflicting reports. This month’s field trip was exclusive. A synthetic elephant had collapsed and died accidentally. We were told it was vital part of a system costing more than 350 corers of Rupees. As such, it could be called a dead white elephant. You would appreciate, we could not differentiable between white or black colours, but the carcass was massive and had killed at least ten humans while it fell all of a sudden. An "Inquiry Board" has been constituted to investigate the sudden collapse of the white elephant. A competent authority has been commissioned to remove its dead mass within three weeks. That’s what we overheard, after our sad field trip.

A very sweet talking and pleasantly scented lady, representing an internationally funded NGO had once lectured us about facts of life. She told us that: "Vices of all men aggregate to a constant. If some are low on some aspects, their other vices grow and make up an equal whole".

We the blind, already knew that to be a fact. Our lack of sight is amply compensated by extra-ordinary perceptive and imaginative insights. We dream a lot. Here I must beg your pardon, having thus-far withheld: that I am not blind due to any genetic malfunction. As a later-day-blind, I was blinded by the surrounding lust and luster – at a very mature age.

Having seen enough for a life time, my wish was granted and luckily, I was admitted to the blind persons’ fraternity.

S.O.S FROM SHER SHAH SURI

Apparitions from the past, do make regular visitations, sometimes they create agitation within and without! Our field trip to the Sher Shah collapsed bridge brought back some old memories. During my vision days, I had read enough about Sher Shah Suri. According to the recorded history, he indeed was the greatest prudent king Indian sub-continent ever had. He reigned for short: just five years. But made a lasting mark in history. Granted! Bollywood has not made a movie about him. In case you pick up any 21st century political party manifesto, it certainly would fall short of what Sher Shah Suri had achieved in just five years – about 500 years ago.

What he did for law and order, justice and communications, is obvious and valid, even after erosions by the Mughals, the Limeys, and their Native heirs and successors.

A week after the disaster at Sher Shah Bridge, I had "heard" the repeat broadcast of the appeal of Disaster Management Chairman. He had requested the media to allay citizens’ comprehensions about the safety of the other bridges, recently built in Karachi.

Halfway through that interview, the routine inevitable happened: the power outage! We all retired to our bunker beds, begging for sleep in the high humidity environment. During early morning breeze, we did sleep. I had a sureal dream. I saw an old-man in regal attire of the sixteenth century. Very different from the pencil sketches I had seen of him as a ferocious warrior, in the history books. I performed the virtual courtesy. He told me in vintage classic Pushto his candid opinion about the "Low-Ways" we have built and commanded me to write something about the: FLAWS in our Laws! He seemed highly agitated about the derogatory association of his name, Sher Shah with the bridge and the tragedy.

In just 5 years, Sher Shah had built a large network of roads. One road traversed the sub continent from Attock to Sonaargaon in Bengal, second ran from Agra to Burhanpur, third, from Agra to Chitttor and fourth between Lahore and Multan. The Grand Trunk Road in India was pioneered by Sher Shah. G.T. Road had "Serais" at 2 miles intervals with water wells, prayer places and stables, providing separate boarding & lodging facilities for Hindus and Muslims. Ramanents of some, one could explore, along the G.T. Road even these days. Incidentally Sher Shah built Rohtas Fort in 1541-43, which you may visit tomorrow?

I fumbled to submit any plausible explanation for the collapse to the greatest visionary ruler of our past, while he was present in my dream.

Ever since, I have been trying to collect bits and pieces of the puzzle. One thing is for sure, the "holey-truth" shall never come out. The episode is buried in several laminated layers. For the reasons of traditional reputations of the so-called Commissions, an Inquiry Board has been constituted. As things go, this Spring Board is certain to bounce back and repel any & all public inquires!

FLAWS IN THE LAWS OF LOW-WAYS CONSTRUITION

The Prime contractor, somebody said, had already built 150 bridges. The project consultants have not so far been defended by any of the top brass. Chances are, they may have "built" public relation bridges, more than the Fly-aways. As a precaution, their principal persons have already been placed on Exit Control List, commonly called ECL. E.C.L are the letters which constitute part of their name and title. What an irony! Select and censored details have been posted on a public sector news agency, online web.

By the way, what do we folks know about the fiscal feasibility and facts about the motorway between Rawalpindi and Lahore? It does have a patch of a few kilometers through the hilly tract. Even the bullet-and-bomb proof German limousines must slow down to less than half the otherwise permissible speed. Their ultra super charged prime-movers would groan to climb inordinate gradients and tight twists & turns of this patchwork. The commercial cargo carriers, have thus-far avoided it en-mass. And the fiscal feasibility has proved to be a highway hoax. And a perpetual national liability – it is said.

There is yet another and classic case of MI, which was the motorway supposed to connect Rawalpindi to Peshawar. Its construction complection schedule was in the past century and it is still under construction!

The original prime contractor, a Turkish firm did start the work with brigades of local sub contractors. Then we learnt, they proved to be: Fly-by-Nite salesmen. Although, they did have a few odd million, yes dollars, as mobilization credit, they fled and filed for bankrupts. We do not have any of their forwarding address! The grapevine whispers that they siphoned off the lot of money secured by a papery guarantee. The same source states that the said group now owns and operates a pleasure resort, on the Romanian coast of Black Sea. Should we Pakistanis not run up and claim, if not the ownership, at least free week-long vacations?

A question, however, crops up often. Who were the project consultants for MI? Any ties to the principals of the consulting firm who jacked-up the boxed concrete girders of the unfortunate Sher Shah "Low-Way"? Who patched up the crumbling concrete girders with carbon fiber and epoxy in 2004? Who did ignore the incorporation of proper super-elevation to counter-act the centrifugal forces on tight curves?

I learnt that the Cambridge University Professor Richard Weber was commissioned to select a female celebrity with the optimum proportions of body cleavage to be selected as the global sex symbol. There were two prime candidates: Jessica Alba & Hollywood Super Star Angelina Jolie. The professor selected Miss Jolie.

Unfortunately for restrictive travel advisories, Professor Weber did not ever visit Karachi, or witnessed the extra-ordinary curvature factored into the unfortunate fly-over which had to by pass an oil mill!!

Would anyone of you please help me fabricate a plausible excuse to gratify agonized soul of His Imperial Majesty Sher Shah Suri?