By Dr. Adnan Zuberi

Purani NumaishKarachiites are familiar with Purani Numaish, its a name of a Bus Stop. This famous Bus Stop is in the vicinity of M A Jinnah’s resting place ( Mazar e Quaid ). By 1864, after development of a Train Link from Karachi to Hyderabad and then further to Punjab and other parts of Indian region Karachi was established as a developed port and a big trade centre. Many traders and commercial banks were coming to establish their offices in Karachi. In 1869 William Lockyer Merewether then Commissioner of Sindh , decided to arrange an International Exhibition ( Numaish ) in Karachi. This exhibition was planned to boost the local economy and commerce and intent to bring the investment in Sindh. Their efforts bring fruit and many trade offices were opened and traders realised the economic and commerce potential of this port city at Arabian Sea.Here’s a medal of Karachi exhibition. This medal as suggested by Mr Merewether as on one side should be the bust of Her Majesty, and on the other a small group of locals clustered around a bowl and camel behind, with the inscription “Kurrachee Exhibition 1869.”. This silver medal was designed by Mr W A Ingle.William Ashby Ingle joined the Bombay Civil List in 1856 as a canal surveyor at Kurrachee, and rose to the post of assistant settlement officer before becoming deputy collector and magistrate at Shikapur in May 1864 and then at Kurrachee in May 1866. In April 1869 he became commissioner of paper currency in Kurrachee and then deputy branch registrar general in Sind, November 1870. He finished his career with the Civil List in December 1876

5You and 4 others2 Comments