With Jalsa in full flow (Alhumdolila), team JC was up for a challenge. It was time to test the team’s grit! Rumour had it that one department in particular struggled night and day, continuously and without a break with the mission to resolve (almost) every ‘nitty gritty’ problem during Jalsa Salana. It was (arguably) the most demanding job for a Nazim/Naib Nazim.
It was Khidmat-e-Khalq!
So, to test this rumour we decided to send our blog team to tag along with Dr. Aziz Hafeez saib (a GP trainer) who acts as one of the Naib Nazims. The next 3 hours our team noted his every movement (and there were a lot!).
This is what we found:
Our missions to tag along with Naib Nazim of Khidmat-e-Khalq started with a long search to first get hold of him! Anyway, 2 hours of non-stop searching (running from one marquee to another) enabled us to meet Dr sahib in front of the “General Food” marquee.
With Dr. Sahib’s joyful welcome our 3 hour time period started, the game was on! The following is a list of our engagements in the first 1.5 hours (as it was too much to write 3 hours worth). Hold your breath!
12:00: Dr. Aziz sahib met with Sadar Khudammul Ahmadiyya Germany Jama’at and discussed some matters… 2 minutes later he spoke with Imran Uddin, (who works in Jalsa Salana office 2).
Even Men with funny hats present problems to Khidmat-e-Khalq!
Whilst responding to various walkie takie queries…
12:30: A man suddenly popping out of nowhere and rushing towards Naib Nazim sahib. He needed URGENT guidance on arrangements for guests who needed special attention, which he was swiftly advised on.
We then jumped into his 4×4 …
13:10: patrolling the hectic traffic gates, Dr. Sahib told me about the famous ‘Spaghetti Junction’ where 4 roads, full of traffic, lead into one point. Khidmat-e-Khalq have to make sure these points are working like water works!
(During our ‘quest’ we also visited the MTA complex, where the 4×4 got stuck).
13:30: Dr. Sahib took care of a damaged road, caused by huge (bright yellow) waste containers. Then (after some more radio calls) Dr. Sahib raced to the food security to make some checks whilst also resolving problems at the barn area one-way system.
Anything could happen for Khidmat-e-Khalq team to resolve.
13:55: Now off to Khidmat Khalq to control Makhazan-e-Tasaweer which the Lajna were viewing. After some serious discussion with various Nazims Dr. Sahib raced on to the bazaar…
14:20: Naib Nazim Sahib had to check all security implications around shops and pedestrians who were rushing through various exists. With the checks in place…
14:40: Dr. Aziz Sahib explained to me how the Jalsa sites set- up had a limited time period of 28 days ONLY! Everything was to be set up and packed away in 28 days, Khidmat-e-Khalq make sure this happens!
These were only a handful of engagements which one Naib Nazim had to go through 3 hours. It was much more intense! We also went through entrance scanning flow, which was very strict indeed. People would pop out of nowhere and make demands, present problems and ask for solutions from the Khidmat-e-Khalq Naib Nazim.
The exhausted Adil Sahib: explains the situation at security Masdoorat.
Describing Khidmat-e-Khalq, Dr Aziz Hafiz said “ You have to make do with what you have, if someone approaches us with a problem we can’t say “oh this isn’t our duty”… we just make sure it’s taken care of…”
Commenting on why the Khidmat-e-Khalq volunteers (and all other Jalsa volunteers) worked tirelessly with a smile on their face, he said “we do it for the love of Allah… no one works to impress each other, it’s all about Allah… young lads see the reason to life, which is to impress Allah, to work solely for Him…Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra) has said that no one will be able to compare with the future army of Ahmadi youths…they will be untouchable” (Insha’Allah).
Summing up (the rather shattered) Dr. Aziz Hafeez sahib said “My life’s aim is to pick up the banana skin off the floor so Mrs. Jones doesn’t slip” (HAQOOQUL ABD).
