Muhammad Khan, a resident of Machar Colony — a coastal town tied to the shipbuilding industry for a long time — was only 15 when he joined the boatyard, where new seafaring vessels are built from keel to the mast and old ones, including modern-day launches, are brought in for all kinds of repairs.
“Shipbuilding is a craft as old as Hazrat Noah (AS),” he tells Geo.tv, “Our elders chose this profession many decades ago and we are following in their footsteps.”
A variety of seafaring vessels are constructed at this boatyard. These include ships, boats, launches, and even fishing trawlers. However, almost everything involved in getting these ships up from the ground and into the sea is done by hand.
“We are deeply disappointed in the government for not providing the requisite facilities to shipbuilders, even the injured workers. Because of this, many skilled workers have given up on their craft and taken up new lines of work,” laments Khan.
According to him, this business is not even registered due to which the workers have to face problems.
However, Karachi’s boatbuilders take all these challenges in stride and do not let themselves be daunted by the vagaries of the times.
Boatmakers working on seafaring vessels in Karachi. — Facebook screengrab/Geo Digital
The unmatched skill of these artisans is reflected in the fact that while shipbuilding across the world is done with the help of boat-building plans (blueprints), Karachi’s boatbuilders do not rely on them.
Aoun Ali, another shipwright in the colony, says he was merely 14 when he joined his father in this profession. Despite having a BSc in Mathematics, Aoun chose to follow in his forefathers’ footsteps to make a career out of boat building.
At first, he would make regular boat-building plans. “However, now the skill has improved beyond architecture and engineering. Shipbuilding is second nature to us now and we no longer need blueprints to do it,” he says proudly.
The picture shows boats standing at a boatyard in Karachi. — Facebook screengrab/Geo Digital
That is not to say the shipbuilders have entirely discarded the use of blueprints. Aoun says that if any official organisation commissions any work, the builders use plans. “For instance,” he adds, “we prepared boats for Karachi Port, which we worked on using boat-building plans given to us by the institution. It’s just that our shipbuilders are not dependent on maps and can do their work skillfully without having to use too.”
Speaking on the matter of the types of wood used in the process, Aoun informs Geo.tv that initially Burma teak wood from Burma was used in shipbuilding.
“However, after it became expensive, we began to use pine wood from Malaysia. When that too became too costly, we began to import wood from Congo for the hull of the ship, and local wood for its structure.”
For all their skills, the shipbuilders do not shy away from admitting that the real challenge in the whole process is wood cutting, which is the most crucial and dangerous part of the profession.
Manzoor Ahmed, another worker in the Colony, has spent a large part of his youth chopping wood in the yard. He says that the first time he saw the cutting of wood, he was stunned and wondered how he would handle the wood’s weight. “But when a person sets his mind to a task,” he chuckles, “Allah gives him the courage.”
He says that when the wood breaks, like a bare sword it can hit any part of the body. “But after years of experience, we are not afraid anymore.”
However, Manzoor highlights how the rising inflation has affected the livelihood of these builders. “In my early days, I worked as a helper for Rs600 a week … now the labourers are paid Rs6,000 a week in the boatyard,” he reflects.
However, shipbuilding is merely one aspect of their job. At the end of the day, the sea is everything to these shipbuilders: friend, comrade, and enemy. As soon as the water level rises, these shipbuilders push their creations into the ocean, hoping that God will protect them and their handiwork.
The picture shows boats being built at a boatyard in Karachi. — Facebook screengrab/Geo Digital
After the launches are ready, they are brought to the shore with the help of cranes. From here, Javed Hashmi and his team take over. A crew of 20 to 25 people works to launch the ships into the ocean.
Hashmi too has been associated with this work since his childhood. His lifelong experience as a seaman allows him to deeply understand the immensity as well as the profundity of the ocean.
“The seawater rises on the first and fifteenth days of the moon,” he informs Geo.tv.
“As soon as the water rises,” Hashmi continues, “crew members lower the ship into the sea with the help of a crane and greased planks, which are slid under the vessel while it is still on the shore. Then it is handed over to the sea with the help of two boats.”
Hashmi says that he and his entire crew wait for the water to rise and pray that the ship does not hit the seabed. If the water level is low, the ships get stuck in the seabed and it takes many months to get them out.
The story of these beach-dwelling boatbuilders, carving their living out of the finest of the seaworthy woods, while keeping their ears to the breezy whispers of the whimsical as well as the dreadful ocean, reads like a romance, but in this tale, Adam’s son is not waiting for the descent of a fairy, but for the ascent of the sea.
Pakistan marks the anniversary of the day the Pakistani Army defeated an enemy attack and won a major victory on September 6. On this day of defence, the families of the war martyrs from 1965 offered their opinions:
The soldiers’ actions in demolishing enemy tanks with explosives and their bravery in the dark were commended by Shaheed Sepoy Muhammad Haleem’s brother. He gave the 1965 martyrs his respects.
The significance of Defence Day is remembered for the martyrs, as stressed by Shaheed Sepoy Shahid Ahmed’s uncle. The brother of Shaheed Sepoy Aftab Hussain offered gratitude to everyone who has given their life in defence of the nation.
In addition to emphasising the value of encouraging rather than criticising the troops, Shaheed Sepoy Wazir Ahmed’s brother praised the soldiers for foiling the enemy’s schemes.
Javed Ahmed, Shaheed Lance Naik’s cousin, emphasised September 6th’s significance as a day of victory.
In addition to expressing support for the Pakistani Army today, the brother of Shaheed Havaldar Shafiq reiterated their dedication to remembering the dead of September 6, 1965.
In a recent statement, Pakistan’s Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb reaffirmed the country’s unwavering dedication to luring international investments by preserving an atmosphere that is commercially encouraging.
A group of international investors, led by Amin Mohammad Khowaja, the Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Pakistan, had visited him in Islamabad. He was speaking with them.
Muhammad Aurangzeb also provided further information regarding the ambitious structural reforms program of the government. This agenda aims to strengthen the general macroeconomic stability by widening the tax base, rightsizing the public sector, promoting privatization, and reforming the energy sector.
The Minister of Finance emphasized the great achievements that Pakistan has made in strengthening its macroeconomic indicators, such as the increase in exports by 14 percent, the decrease in inflation to 9.6 percent, which is the lowest level in 34 months, and an overall decrease in the current account deficit among Pakistan’s economic indicators.
It was also brought to his attention that Pakistan’s sovereign credit ratings had improved, which is indicative of a stable and encouraging economic future. According to him, the rigorous fiscal discipline, inflation management, and favorable balance of payments that the country has are the pillars upon which the country’s economic prosperity.
In addition to expressing confidence regarding the potential for larger investment flows into Pakistan, the delegation praised the efforts that the government has made to establish an atmosphere that is conducive to business.
According to Information Minister Atta Ullah Tarar, journalists must possess sufficient skills in order to serve as ambassadors for the country, particularly in the digital realm, to foster unity among people. This is a pressing requirement at present.
During an event in Islamabad focused on journalist training, Atta Ullah Tarrar, the Minister responsible for combating misinformation, stated his official role.
The Information Minister emphasized the indispensability of technology for achieving prosperity, and in line with this, the Government has implemented Pakistan’s inaugural digital land registry system.
Tarar stated that we have the privilege of initiating Pakistan’s inaugural safe city project.
Regarding verification and authentication, the Information Minister lamented the lack of a method to validate information.
According to the Information Minister, terrorist organizations are utilizing social media platforms. Additionally, the minister highlighted that the country’s economy is delicate, and the dissemination of a single false news item might result in significant economic losses for the nation.