... for without victory, there is no survival!

It’s not just cricket anymore. It has gone much beyond the contest between bat and ball. This T20 victory is a kind of a vindication of a resolve, not just for Pakistan’s cricket team, but the whole nation at large. The nation that was hurt, hurt bad and bleeding, a nation that was longing for any news that didn’t involve death and blood, a nation that was mourning one death after another for past few years, a nation which had lost hope.

Finally the news came, a ‘good’ news. We were victorious, even if in a cricket game, and the victory was sweet, least expected, but a victory nonetheless. As Winston Churchill once said, “Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” And who would understand these words better than us? This is a victory which has rejuvenated a nation that was down and out. A victory that gave 160 million people a reason to smile in the darkest of the days. A victory celebrated by and one, and a victory celebrated by all. A victory, that brought tears to my eyes.

A hope has finally emerged out of despair.

This T20 win has got much more symbolic value for Pakistan and Pakistanis than anybody could imagine. For others this may be a just another competition win, but for us this is much bigger, for it has given us a reason to re-imagine our future. A future that can be built on the principles of unity, faith and discipline, principles that helped Younus Khan and his men to lift the cup that nobody thought was their. May this nation witness plenty more victories and may the people of Pakistan be always as happy as they are today.

Pakistan Zindabad.

'President' Zardari's address to nation!

The whole nation was kept waiting for a presidential address by President of Pakistan last night for more than three hours. Finally when this much anticipated address came, it lasted only for five minutes. President appeared on television shortly after 1 am, surrounded by three photographs, one customary and two unnecessary. So far we were putting up with BB's portrait accompanying Zardari everywhere, now 'Z' has joined in too. I wonder if next speach would feature more Bhuttos. Anyways, coming back to the address itself, which was more of a 'reading' than anything else. Extremely uninspiring, in fact borderline funny at some instances. The first question that arose after the speech ended was, ' is this what we were kept waiting for 3 hours?' And why didn't president pre-read those 3 paragraphs before coming on to tv?

I know Zardari is no Churchill or Obama, but how hard is it to read a written 5 minute speech properly? All the announcements that he made are much appreciated, but the way it is done is amusing, if not embarrassing for the whole nation. I wonder what do the armed forces feel having such a commander in chief, especially in a war like situation that we have today in our country. Do they really accept him as their supreme commander? I doubt.