مقدمہ آزادی مارچ

مئی 2013 میں الیکشن منعقد ہوے. الیکشن کے بعد تمام جماعتوں نے، بشمول نواز لیگ، یہ الزام عائد کیا کہ الیکشن میں بڑے پیمانے پر دھاندلی ہی. ٹیلی ویژن چینلز، اخبارات، الیکشن ابزرو  کرنے والے دیگر ادارے، سب نے الیکشن پر سوالات اٹھائے.

تحریک انصاف نے بھی الیکشن کو دھاندلی زدہ قرار دیا. چیئرمین تحریک انصاف، عمران خان، نے اعلان کیا کے انہوں نے نتائج تسلیم کر لئے، حکومت تسلیم کر لی مگر دھاندھلی تسلیم نہیں کی. انہوں نے ' الیکشن آڈٹ' ڈیمانڈ کیا جس میں یہ پتا چلایا جا سکے کہ آخر الیکشن میں ہوا کیا. اور آئندہ دھاندلی روکنے کے لئے الیکٹورل ریفورم کی جا سکے. پارلیمنٹ میں تقریر میں انہوں نے کہا کہ چار حلقوں کا آڈٹ کرایا جائے تاکے دودھ کا دودھ اور پانی کا پانی ہو سکے. وزیر داخلہ نثار علی خان نے جواباً چالیس حلقے کھولنے کا کہا. تحریک انصاف نے تجویز مان لی. مگر کچھ نا ہوا.

بات دوبارہ پارلیمنٹ میں آئ. خواجہ سعد رفیق نے نکتا اٹھایا کہ چار حلقے تحریک انصاف اور چار حلقے نون لیگ دے. اس پر بھی اتفاق ہو گیا. نون لیگ نے عمران خان کی ایک سیٹ آڈٹ کے لئے دی. تحریک انصاف نے اپنے طور پر عمران کی دوسری سیٹ جس سے وہ میانوالی میں جیتے تھے وہ بھی پیش کر دی. لیکن بات وہیں رک گئی. تحریک انصاف لگاتار ڈیمانڈ کرتی رہی اور حکومت لگاتار غیر سنجیدہ ردعمل دیتی رہی. بات کو ہنسی ٹھٹھے میں اڑاتی رہی.  مئی 2014 آ گیا. تحریک انصاف نے دھاندلی کے خلاف تحریک شروع کر دی. پھرموقع دیا دھاندلی کے الزامات کی تحقیقات کا. عمران خان نے یہاں تک کہا کے اگر تحقیقات میں دھاندلی کے شواہد نا ملے تو وہ نواز شریف کے گھر جا کر معافی مانگیں گے. مگر ڈھاک کے تین پات. نواز لیگ کے گلو بٹ غیر سنجیدہ بیانات دیتے رہے. کام کچھ نا کیا.

دانشمندانہ جواب اور طریقہ کار یہ ہوتا کہ حکومت دھاندلی کے الزامات کو سنجیدگی سے لیتی. پارلیمنٹ میں موجود تمام جماعتوں کو باور کراتی کہ وہ واقعی ان الزامات کی تہ تک پہنچنا چاہتی ہے. سب کو اعتماد میں لے کر تحقیقات کا عمل شروع ہوتا. اگر دھاندلی ثابت ہو جاتی تو ملوث افراد کے خلاف کاروائی ہوتی اور بہتر الیکشن کے نظام پر کام شروع ہوتا. اگر دھاندلی ثابت نا ہوتی تو الزام لگانے والوں کی سبکی ہوتی. مگر حکومت اپنا فرض ادا کرنے میں ناکام رہی. سب راستے بند کر کے بیٹھے رہے. ایسے میں ایک واحد راستہ احتجاج کا بچا. احتجاج ایک بنیادی، جمہوری حق ہے جو ریاست ہر شہری کو دیتی ہے اور تحریک انصاف 14 اگست کو اپنا یہی حق استعمال کر رہی ہے.

حکومت نے اپنے غیردانشمندانہ رویئے سے ملک کو ایک بند گلی میں لا کھڑا کیا ہے. تمام مواقع مہیا کیے جانے کے باوجود انکو ہاتھ سے جانے دیا.  ہمارے پاس سوائے احتجاج کے کوئی اور آپشن چھوڑا ہی نہیں.

To take, or not to take?

Last year has been an exceptionally successful one for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Since January the party has been on a phenomenal upsurge, both organizationally as well as in popularity. As Imran Khan would say, 'Insaf (PTI) is an idea, whose time has come," and indeed it has. The year that began with a grand rally in Faisalabad will hopefully end in 'never seen before' kind of a grand rally and a jalsa in Karachi at Mazar-e-Quaid. The high point in this year, and perhaps in PTI's 16 year old life was a historic jalsa at Manto Park in Lahore. Some say they haven't seen a crowd as big, as energetic and as upbeat before in a political gathering. I not only endorse the view but I can proudly say that I too was part of history that was made on October the 30th in front of Minar-e-Pakistan. I'll always cherish the memories of the day.

Since the last few months, before and after the jalsa, whole nation seems to be gripped by a debate of whether PTI should welcome politicians who have been in other parties before, of whom some have even also enjoyed ministerial and other government offices, into party's fold or not? Many argue, especially those within PTI, that party that we should not. Their argument, which does make sense, is that these people are only joining PTI for electoral gains that party's popularity can potentially offer them and do not have much to do with the philosophy of the party. Some argue that they are joining PTI, literally in flocks, because they've been ignored or sidelined by the party they were previously in. But the strongest argument of them all is that how can Imran Khan bring about the 'change' he has been promising with these old horses who have been part of many of the previous regimes he has been so vocally criticizing and  opposing. All these are tough questions to answer. 

Theoretically,  yes, I endorse all those views. But on the other hand isn't this mass support what I and all my fellows in PTI have been working for? Now that we are getting it, we suddenly don't want it. Lest we forget, PTI is a political party, not a Gymkhana style exclusive club where rights of admissions are strictly reserved for a certain type of people. Will we tomorrow, come elections, won't accept votes of those voters who have been voting for other parties before? What if a thief wishes to vote for a PTI candidate? Will we ask him not to? Besides, accepting someone in party is one thing, and giving him a party ticket in elections is another. Doesn't mean that if an ex-MNA, who is allegedly corrupt, joins a party he'll most certainly get a ticket as well. As Imran Khan has said PTI will be represented by new, young faces everywhere it practically can. But party also has to keep the biradri based, largely uneducated rural politics in mind as well if it has to make it big in the parliament. To achiever a victory in elections, party will have to field a mix of new and old faces where majority, in my opinion, must be faces that have stuck it out with the party through thick and thin. 

These are going to be extremely tough decisions for Imran Khan and party leadership to take, but I'm sure right decisions will be taken. Those decisions which will have a popular support, both, within the party and outside.

A brand new journey, on a brand new road!

Writing does not come naturally to me. I want to write, and I wish I could write well but it is always an effort. I have so much jammed up in my head, but putting it into words become a tough ask. But I try, anyway.

Similarly politics doesn't come natural to me either. I always felt I wasn't cut out for this. For a long time, my goal in life was to somehow achieve contentment without caring much about what was the purpose of my life. In fact I didn't even wish to find or even think of a purpose for my life. All I wanted was to live, however meaningless the life may be, just live. It seemed like I was inspired by the famous cartoon character Bart Simpson's philosophy of 'existence without purpose.' But all this changed.

It changed when I turned 30. At an online social networking site, someone asked me if had achieved anything in these 30 years of my life, and I had no answer. I kept thinking the whole night, to find an answer to think of anything worth mentioning that I achieved in my life, or anything even worth living. Nothing. I was nothing other than being my father's son.

All of a sudden I wanted to do something, something that I could be proud of, something I would be remembered for when I'm long gone, something that helped not just me, but those around me as well. In the meantime, I got a chance to join Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, a political party that had been struggling for 14 years to bring about a positive change in Pakistan's corruption stricken politics. The party was like breath of fresh air, and people all over Pakistan loved Imran Khan for his honesty, uprightness, patriotism and his philanthropy. But the political system was such that the party's and it's chief's popularity couldn't convert into votes. Everybody like Imran Khan, praised him but somehow didn't vote. I was an avid fan too and always wished him success. Without thinking much, after discussing with my immediate family, my parents, my wife and my siblings, I joined the party. Only a month after my joining, I got an opportunity to host Imran Khan at my home for a jalsa. It was December the 28th, 2010.

There has been no looking back ever since. From living a purposeless life, now I am all purpose, and it is very simple; 'Pakistan'. All my efforts, day and night, are now to take Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan's message to the remotest corners of the area I live in. It being a backward, rural area, doesn't have much access to the modern electronic media, so the task is uphill, but it's the challenge that gets me going. The most heartening aspect of it all is the positive response that I've been getting. The people are now ready to break the shackles. The day isn't far that this much needed 'change' will take Pakistan by storm and Imran Khan will lead this change. Inshallah

Movement for restoration of the Bahawalpur province!

Demand for new provinces, or smaller administrative units is getting quite popular in some regions of Pakistan. Reasons vary. Demand of Hazara province is ethnic, Seraiki province is linguistic, and some purely demand bigger provinces to be divided into smaller units so that they can be administered better. But there is one demand which is unique and different from all other such demand. And that is of the Bahawalpur province. They don't ask for creation of a new province for them, instead they want their former province, the province of Bahawalpur to be reinstated. They want their former 'administrative unit' to be made functional again.

Some facts about the Bahawalpur province:

• The state acceded to Pakistan on 7 October 1947 after an agreement between the founder maker of Pakistan, Jinnah sahab, and the Nawab of Bahawalpur. In the agreement, it was clearly stated that the state will remain a separate administrative and federating unit of Pakistan, a province.

• When the state government was officially abolished, On 30th April, 1951 the Pakistan Government and the Ruler of Bahawalpur entered into an important agreement which put the State on the same footing as provinces under the Government of India Act of 1935 in the matter of legislation and administration.

• Provincial elections were conducted in 1951, and a forty-nine member legislative assembly was formed, which began functioning in 1952.The first chief minister of Bahawalpur province was Makhdoomzada Syed Hassan Mehmood.

• In 1954-55, the provincial assembly of Bahawalpur presented a surplus budget of rupees 20 crores, with a surplus of over 4 crores. It was the only province of Pakistan with a surplus budget.

• The provincial assembly was functional from 1952, till 14 October 1955, when it was merged into the West Pakistan province, or the 'One Unit.' Bahawalpur entered One Unit with a condition that when the West Pakistan province will be abolished, Bahawalpur would retain it's provincial status.

• It is a historic fact that before One Unit Bahawalpur had a provincial status, and Bahawalpur merged with a status of a province with West Pakistan at the time of One Unit. But when One Unit was broken on 30th March, 1970, Bahawalpur was merged into Punjab through an illegal and immoral executive order by General Yahya Khan, subsiding all the previous agreements.

• Bahawalpur is one fourth of Punjab in terms of area, and 13% of Punjab's total population.

• 51% of it's population lives under the poverty line, which is highest in any region of Punjab. On the contrary it was among the higher per capita regions in India before partition. Today it is Punjab's poorest region by far.

• The only river that irrigated Bahawalpur was given to India under Indus Water treaty. Some say it was sold to India for 35 billion rupees, but that's debatable. After the treaty, Bahawalpur province was to get water from the other rivers of Punjab and it was allocated a share. It is on record that Bahawalpur hasn't, in any year since then, received more that 30% of it's allocated water. In the 1991 water accord, 70% of Bahawalpur's water was given to other regions.

• The infant mortality rate in Bahawalpur is 142 for every 1000 births, highest in Punjab. As compared to that in rest of the Punjab it is 72 deaths per 1000.

• Literacy rate of Bahawalpur is 34%, where as in the rest of Punjab it is above 57%.

• If Bahawalpur province's last provincial is to be taken as a base, it's budget today after adjusting inflation and devaluation of currency (if we assume that income level of the province hasn't increased even one bit) it's budget today should be around 65 billion rupees. But it gets only 5 billion, or less per annum.

• Bahawalpur province produces 44% of Punjab's total cotton, 22% wheat, 18% sugarcane, 20% rice, 45% mango and 35% of the total live stock.

• The region was given a 12% quota in the civil services, which has now been reduced to 3%.

The most interesting fact, by far, is that the Bahawalpur state donated rupees 6 crore (almost 50 billion of today) to the infant state of Pakistan which was used to pay the wages of the state machinery for the first six months. Jinnah sahab's official car, that he used as the Governor General of Pakistan, was also a gift from the State of Bahawalpur.


Can all these facts be discredited? I don't think that a sane and a patriotic citizen of this Land of Pure would or should oppose the restoration of the province. The movement has a very strong case, now it's just a matter of effort and time that the dream would see the light of the day. I hope I live to witness that.

Pakistan zindabad.

Car gifted by the Ameer of Bahawalpur,
Nawab Sadiq Mohammad Khan
to the Quaid, Mohammad Ali Jinnah

Pakistan ka Allah hafiz! (part one)

On the 13th of March, two guys riding a bike, stole the side mirrors of two of my cars while they were parked outside my house. My fault. Why did I leave the cars unattended? But in my defense, the porch needed to be washed and swept since we had a party at the house in the evening, so I asked the gatekeeper to wash the place leaving the cars unattended. The driver was on leave too.

Anyways, this is how the whole thing happened according to an eye witness, my gardener. Two young guys riding a motor bike stopped outside my house, near the cars. One kept sitting on the bike and the other, in a rather commando-ish action, jumped off and rushed straight to the first car and tore off the side mirror mercilessly. He rushed to the other side, making the other mirror suffer a similar fate. He repeated the same with the other car. Before he could reach to the third, he saw the gardener getting really close to the house riding his bicycle. The guy rushed back with his hands full of bounty, side mirrors of my cars, in this case, jumped on the bike and fled the scene. The gardener came charging in the living room with this tragic news, breaking it right on my head. Finally I understood what 'breaking news' meant. I walked out to the cars disgusted, angry and disappointed. One of the two cars was brand new. At the same time, I was quite relieved too since two other cars were safe.

I called my insurance company for a claim and narrated them the incident. I was told to come to the workshop in the morning with complete documents and a copy of First Incident Report lodged in the local police station. My heart sank. FIR? In the police station? A Pakistani police station? They'd take a bribe more that the value of the mirror for the FIR. Anyhow, I gathered all my strength, took along a friend who's a lawyer (thinking that lawyer are these days a bigger mafia than even the police) and drove straight to the nearby police station. I presented the 'muharrar' (the guy who writes all the reports or complaints lodged in the police station) the application we had written narrating the theft incident. Seeing the application, his response was, 'meinu angrezi nai parhni aandi, tusi zabani dasso ki raula aay' (I cannot read English, so tell me your problem verbally), and we did. He told us to leave the application and come back later in the evening because only the SHO or Station House Officer could order for the FIR to be lodged. All right. No problem. We'll be back in the evening. And we were. There was no electricity. Entire police station was clad in darkness, but some how we did reach Muharrar's room. He directed us to the SHO's room and handed one constable our application to present to the good officer. Walking through a dark, wet ally, we found SHO and his office. Greeted him, he replied in a very cold and aloof manner. We didn't mind. Told him what we were there for, he listened carelessly. Meanwhile our application reached his worthy table, and after the first glance he commented, 'aay hun angrezi kaun parhay ga?' (who will read this English now). He told us to leave the application with them and they'll look into it. We pleaded that your 'highness' we won't get an insurance claim with the copy of the report (implying that we have no intention or hope that you'll find the thieves or recover our mirrors and neither do we wish to disturb you by asking you to do so) so please help us O lord. After much pleading, almost crying, he asked a subordinate to write a 'rapat' (report) of an accident and give us a copy. We pleaded again that Sir it was a case of theft and not an accident, and only an FIR of the incident would serve the purpose.

His mood changed. He told us to pick up our application and to come back with one written in Urdu. After that he will look into it and will decide if any such incident actually happened or are we just making it up. Basically telling us that our FIR will not be filed and we could just fuck off.

We left with a heavy heart. Next day I couldn't convince my self to go back again to that hell. But I had to, or else I'd have to pay for the mirrors from my pocket. Day after I went again with my lawyer friend. We were told that SHO sahab was on leave and we should come after a couple of days. On further enquiry we found out that there was a duty officer in charge of the police station. We went to his room, greeted him, explained verbally the theft and what we were going through. Presented him our application, this time written in Urdu. The listened our plight, read our application, saw our faces and probably could spot the tears that were might come out to plead next. For a few moments he paused, without saying anything, he got up a started walking swiftly to the muharrar's rooms. We followed him, quietly. He told muharrar to lodge the FIR and to give us the copy in 15 minutes, and walked out, again without saying anything to us. Eventually we did get the copy of the report after an hour, but the muharrar clearly wasn't happy. He was, in fact, angry. Probably because he could've made a few thousand rupees out of this.


Few points:

1 - Two guys come, right in the middle of the day and steal side mirrors of cars on a busy road without any fear.


2 - Duty of police is to protect the life, property and honor of the citizens, but they have problem even reporting the crime, which is the least they could do.


3 - Was that duty officer really from Pakistan Police?

Shoaib Malik's response!

Following is Shoaib Malik's response to the allegation of (Aisha) Siddiqui family, and I post it without any comments of my own.
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I want to clarify a few wrongly reported facts about me in some sections of the media, newspapers and television channels in India and Pakistan.

I want to make my position clear especially because I am to wed Sania Mirza in the near future.

Ayesha first started calling me on the telephone when I was in Sharjah with the Pakistan cricket team in 2001. On the phone, she introduced herself as my fan. She said, she was living in Saudi Arabia.

Gradually, we started speaking every day. Naturally, I wanted to meet her. Every time I brought up the topic of meeting she would send me a bunch of photographs. I was made to believe the girl in the photograph was the one I was speaking to.

The truth is, I haven’t, to this day, met the girl in the photographs Ayesha sent me.

We had become close, thanks to the telephone conversations. In 2002, I came to Hyderabad specifically to meet Ayesha. Just before I left Pakistan, she told me she had to rush to Saudi Arabia on urgent work and her cousins -- Reema and Maha apa (meaning older sister) -- would take me around. I waited in Hyderabad for five days, hoping she would return. I finally asked her family where she was and they said, that in the last year she had put on a lot of weight, because of which she didn’t want to meet me until she could shed some of that. I told them I had photographs of her and that she wasn’t fat, but they told me those were older photographs.

Ayesha wanted us to get married. She had been talking about it for some time, saying we would only meet at our shaadi. In 2002, she told me that people in Hyderabad were talking about our relationship, and it was putting her parents in an embarrassing position. She also told me she was feeling insecure. She wanted us to have a telephone Nikah to stop the talk. I knew that my parents wouldn’t agree to a telephone Nikah. They wanted to celebrate my wedding, and so did I.

I wanted to marry Ayesha, but I was too young, I was only 20 years then. There was a lot of pressure on me from Ayesha. I called her from a friend’s shop in June 2002. I got a nikahnama, signed it, thinking the girl I was marrying was the one in the photographs. I wasn’t happy doing this, because I hadn’t told my parents, and was emotionally forced to do it.

A year or so later, I travelled to Hyderabad in the hope of meeting her, but once again it was the same story. Ayesha told me on the phone that she still hadn’t lost the weight she put on so didn’t want to meet me. I was met by Maha apa and Reema, who took me around again.

In 2004, my brother-in-law travelled to Hyderabad to meet Ayesha and her family, and again the same story was repeated, so he returned without meeting Ayesha. At that point, I was a little flustered, because none of us were able to meet her. It was I who had requested my brother-in-law to travel to India and meet Ayesha and her family as I was keen to take the relationship forward, formally.

Later that year, I was here in Hyderabad with the Pakistan cricket team. Mr M.A. Siddiqui invited the team to his house for dinner. I was hoping to meet Ayesha there, but the girl in the photographs wasn’t at the dinner. The same story was told to me again. I just couldn’t understand what was happening.

In a practice game, the next day, I won the man-of-the-match award. Later, I said that I was happy this was happening in my wife’s city. Even though I hadn’t met her even once, we were constantly talking to each other over the telephone. I always wanted to support her. That was how I felt, despite everything.

We accidentally ran into the truth about who Ayesha was. It was the worst moment of my life. No one enjoys being made a fool of, and that was exactly how I was made to look. It happened in August 2005. My brother-in-law got a photograph of a teacher in Saudi Arabia, who was telling people around her that she was married to me. His nephews were studying in that school. I was aghast when he showed me the photograph of the teacher; the woman in it was the person I called Maha apa. I immediately confronted Maha apa. It was she who had been making a fool of me all these years, pretending to be the person whose pictures she had been sending me. I told her I didn’t ever want to speak to her again. At that point I wondered if I could ever trust anyone again.

I told Ayesha I was going to release the photographs she had been mailing me to the media. She apologised and told me that the other girl was married and that I would ruin her life if I released those pictures. I thought about it, whosoever is in that photograph, probably doesn’t even know about all this, and it wouldn’t be fair to release those pictures.

In 2008 my lawyer sent a legal notice to Mr M.A. Siddiqui, who had been feeding the media with false and fabricated stories about me. After that he stopped making false allegations against me, until of course, news of my marriage to Sania Mirza became public.

Now, they’re asking for a divorce. To begin with there was no nikah because they pressurised me into it, with the intention to cheat. In Islam, there can only be a divorce, if the nikah is valid. I was wrongly made to believe that the pictures Ayesha had sent me were of the girl I was marrying. I feel terrible about the mess, created by a family, that has caused great grief to my own people and the family of my bride to be.

I’m confident, however, that the truth will prevail.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

To America... Through gym!

Although now, in an unprecedented move, the US has exempted the Pakistani nationals from screening at its airports, this post, however, was written back when Pakistan was added among those to be screened. Anyways, I thought why not share it anyway, even if a few months late.
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As we all, by now, know that Pakistan too is among the countries who's nationals are going to be strip searched at the American airports. What a surprise!

Anyways, now that we are in the 'prestigious' list, and lots of us 'do' want to travel to the US, I say all the aspirants should head to a nearby gym, and start training. All of us who want to visit US need to get in shape before we land at an American airport. It's now a matter of national prestige. Imagine, how awful the dangling love handles or the macho man boobs would look when we'll stand naked in front of foreigners, at a foreign land?

My advice to all the 'Amreeka goers' is to get in shape. As simple as that. Their motto should be, "To America... Through gym!" It's nation's pride at stake after all.


Sikander Fayyaz
January, the 20th, 2010.

Sania weds Shoaib, India hates Pakistan even more...

Last week has seen the biggest non-cricket, cricket news for Pakistan since the T20 victory. Amid the fines, bans, appeals and team selections comes a news that our very own Shoaib Malik is going to marry India's very own Sania Mirza. Without going into the merits of the match, I'd begin with congratulating the two.


The news was like both the Eids combined, many times over, for Pakistanis but disappointed Indians to say the least. I personally found both the stances quite funny to be honest. Facebook, Orkut, twitter and every other social networking site was flooded with congratulatory messages of Pakistanis to each other. India's Sania was all of a sudden 'Bhabhi ji'. People actually gathered outside Shoaib Malik's residence to celebrate, and not just that, in some cities people even danced on the roads on the beats of dhol. In India, on the other hand, there was a gloom. The announcement didn't go down well with most people. Bal Thakray, the Shiv Sena chief, even advised Sania to marry an India, by saying, and I quote, "had she been truly Indian at heart she would not have chosen a Pakistani''. Simple (read funny) people on both sides of the border. I'm, although, enjoying the circus thoroughly.

I actually started writing the post to share a few really funny quotes that I read on different social networking sites. I have chosen the following to begin with, but I'll keep updating the blog with more quotes as I find them;

A lad named Siddharta asked following question to Sania, and I found this really funny:

"A few questions to Sania Mirza

1-Has Fatima Bhutto ever wanted to get married to Lakshmipathy Balaji?
2-Did you watch Veer Zaraa one too many times?
3-Does your family not have a copy of Lakshya at home?
4-Is this some lameass attempt at making the “Aman Ki Asha” campaign a success?
5-Do you know you are already being called Pakistan ki Bahu even though Sohaib Malik was never even treated like their own son?
6-Do you realize why Shoaib Akhtar got a bout of genital warts?
7-Do you realize Asif Ali Zardari might end up at your wedding and make cheesy-ass remarks while grinning from ear to ear? [scares the hell outta me]
8-Do you realise the LeT will do a 22 gun salute in Muridke?

Finally Do you realize, your wedding might just have ONE DISH as per law in Pakistan? All that feminist bullshit and you will move because of your man to Dubai? Dubai?! Who the fuck goes to Dubai anymore? Even Mohammad Asif said fuck this – im injecting at home. As if every tom dick and harry in this country singing Atif Aslam songs in this country wasn’t bad enough. Not even the good ones. "


Another guy, Anand, actually a friend from across the border shares his fears for both Shoaib and Sania in following words;

"Anyways, wish them all the best, but don't think they are a nice pair by any means...ghar pe kya baat karenge..ek toh usko English nahi aati...iski Hyderabadi-wali nakko bava sab sunke woh pagal ho jayega...(what would they talk at home.... one he can't speak English, listening to her Hyderabadi he'll go mad) she is a lot more sophisticated than Malik... I still keep hoping Sania's father meant Shoaib Akhtar and not this idiot.. "



A really hurt friend from India vents his anger out in following words:

"GOP should celebrate this by providing a national holiday on wedding day.. "



A happy Pakistani friend shares her joy:

P.S. im quite happy that finally the bollywood 's crystal ball inside which Pakistani girls always fall for an Indian guy n finally leave for their susral is broken :)



An extatic Pakistani:

"Liken Indians ko jaltay howee dekh kar I am soooo enjoying this!!!" (but seeing Indian (asses) burning, I'm so loving it)



There are plenty more that I can add, but you probably get the picture. Indians and Pakistanis can't live with or without each other, and that's for sure.



Photo courtesy BBC

... 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.

• • • Junoon's Sociopolitical Music!

Pakistan has had a rich history of alternative sociopolitical music. Right from the it's inception, Pakistan got into a whirlpool of instability, and it saw its very first military rule as soon as eleven years after its birth. Sociopolitical poetry was already being done by the likes of Faiz Ahmad Faiz and other communist poets, but marshal law gave birth to activist music as well. That tradition has been kept alive still because Pakistan, unfortunately, hasn't stabilized yet.

Junoon, arguably Pakistan's biggest pop band to date has done its bit in keeping the tradition alive. I have been a big Junoon fan from very early days, with a special liking for their activist or sociopolitical music, which has more than once lead them to a country wide ban as well. Here I'll list down all such Junoon songs, with a two line description;


1. Ghaflat
Album : Talash

Not a very catchy tune, but with reasonably well written lyrics. The song basically is kind of a 'wake up' call for a nation that they thing is carelessly asleep.

2. Talash
Album : Talash

The title song, with a catchy tune and powerful lyrics. The song talks about the Nation's search for the 'homeland' that they had set out to make. It is among my favorite numbers.

3. Jazba-e-Junoon
Album : Inquilab

Jazba-e-Junoon is a motivational song and was released around the 1996 cricket world cup. It became an unofficial anthem for the whole Pakistani cricket loving nation. It still remains one of the most famous Junoon number.

4. Ehtasab
Album : Kashmakash

The song which led to Junoon's nation wide ban by the Nawaz Sharif government, Ehtasab, literally meaning 'accountability.' It was a very hard hitting song, with Junoon's activist music at its best. This is by far my most favorite Junoon song in this category. It has an awesome tune and even very direct, hard hitting lyrics dealing with a need of accountability of politicians of the country. Its message is actually directed more to the general public who vote the politicians in, rather than an institutional accountability.

5. Mujhey Azad Karo
Album : Kashmakash

Another anti establishment, anti government song with a beautiful tune and amazing lyrics. The name of the song is quite self explanatory, the songs is the nation's lament on being enslaved by a bunch of people, and now want freedom. Ironically, they were banned after the release of the album.

6. Dil Nahin Lag Raha
Album : Azadi

This was Junoon's first album after they were banned, so the name of the Album is quite fitting too - Azadi - Freedom. Dil nahin lag raha is a slow number, with a reasonably catchy tune and apt lyrics. The song explains how 'they' have been disenchanted under the increased oppression. One of my favorite numbers.

7. Kis Ne Suna
Album : Azadi

Another 'Azadi' number, and one of my favorites. It is an 'attack' on the government that how the were going about doing 'wrong' with any apprehension and 'we' were being punished for no reason. Beautiful song, talking about how our governments had no direction or goal and were were living in a fool's paradise, happily obeying 'others.'

8. Kyun Pareshan Hai Tu
Album : Azadi

Third entry from 'Azadi,' a song detesting despair and reassuring that there would be good and better times in future.

8. Khudi
Album : Azadi

A very famous poem by Allama Iqbal sung by Junoon. 'Khudi' or self is the core philosophy of Iqbal's thought, and in this poem Iqbal talks about keeping the self and conscience clean, and that is what Junoon is trying to convey through the song, that their conscience was clearly and they didn't regret what they were doing.

9. Abb Tou Jaag
Album : Parvaz

A Bulleh Shah poem sung beautifully by Junoon. Again a motivational song, asking the sleepy nation to wake up and welcome the dawn. It might be an indirect signal to Nawaz Sharif's ouster by Musharraf. Parvaz was probably the last 'great' album by Junoon.

10. Tara Jala
Album : Deewar

A decent tune, with good lyrics, Tara Jala is a song talking about 'efforts' of a common man for a better future, and hope that the day would soon arrive. Deewar, after Junoon's debut album, was their second completely commercial album and didn't have an impact synonymous with Junoon.

11. No more
Album : Deewar

An anti terrorism song, sung in the backdrop of the incidents of September the eleventh. It was also Junoon's first English solo, which was later included in the second edition of Deewar with a subtitle of 'The best of Junoon.'

12. Zamanay Kay Andaz
Album : Deewar

Again an Iqbal poem, an advice to the youth of changing with the changed times and ridding themselves of the 'bondage.' It was a well sung song.



(Photo Courtesy: Pakistanimusic.com)

• • • Ammara asks...

[ Ammara, a friend (actually my wife's, but what the hell mine too :p) raised following questions in comments section of a post titled 'Self Destructive Sub-Continent,' and I thought I'd post her 'comment', as it is, as a new blog entry. ]


Yesterday, another catastrophic event took place at Mall (road), some terrorists (so called Taliban) detonated a bomb and brought the police building to rubble. My office happens to be at Mall View Bank Square so it is hardly a few kilometers away from the disaster site. I can tell you that when the bomb went off my office building quaked such that we thought it is going to collapse; thankfully it did not. At first it looked like an earth quake but we could see a thick cloud of smoke in the sky and my colleagues knew then and there that it was a bomb blast. That was indeed a terrible incident and it shook me deeply and for the first time I was scared, though people around me were joking and laughing about it since this is the 4th time they have witnessed such a mishap.

Anyway, Rehman Malik (interior minister) promptly issued a statement that since Taliban are being defeated in Sawat and FATA this is their way of retaliation. President and Prime Minister as usual condemned the attack (it seems like this is the only thing they are capable of doing). My question here is why have we put these allegations on Taliban? What makes us so sure that only Taliban are capable of carrying out such activity? It is known to everyone that there are many external agencies (Iranians, Russians and others) actively operating in Pakistan these days and the mission is to destabilize Pakistan. So, why are Taliban being blamed for everything that is happening around us? It could be that the government wants people to strongly abhor Taliban and to wipe out any sympathies or doubts people have for them.

As per our prime minister, a recent Poll concluded that 75% Pakistani people voted for the army operations against militancy but we tend to forget that 80% of our population is do not have means or resources to the electronic media so which community does this 75% represent?

Another question is that if we allowed US to carry out drones in Pakistan territory, violating our sovereignty then why not allow Britain, India and others who have been the victims of the terrorist activities to carry out drones? I do not see the logic.

I get to read that Taliban are gathering in Karachi or Lahore so are we the next chosen one’s after Waziristan and Sawat? Do I see an end to the war that has started, the answer is NO, I don’t.

• • • Self destructive sub-continent!

As I turned on the TV this morning, the news channels were showing torched cars, burning trains, vandalized shops, blocked roads, and people with sticks attacking buses in different cities of Indian Punjab. Apparently a Sikh guru has been murdered last night in Vienna, Austria and the followers of the guru were protesting his murder by destroying properties of innocent people, who have nothing, whatsoever, to do with the tragic incident, not even remotely. As I write, at least two people have died and several others injured.

The incident reminded me of the protests held in Pakistan against the caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), that were drawn and published in Denmark. Protesters burnt dozens of cars, hundreds of motorcycles, vandalized several shops, attacked banks, international foods chains were set ablaze and several people died.

Now one may ask the protesters that why were they punishing their own innocent country men for cartoons that were drawn by someone living in a different continent? What was the fault of the owners of those motorcycles and cars? Why were the 'Pakistani' shop keepers being hurt? And all these questions should be asked to the Sikhs, who out of anger, have caused pain to fellow Sikhs. Why were they protesting violently against violence? Pictures of young lads with sticks in their hands destroying small shops, breaking windscreens of buses were scary, and unfortunate. I cannot understand how would this help them. I just can't.

Every time an unfortunate incident would occur, either in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, we'd start destroying things around us and call it a 'protest.' Why can't our protests be civilized like the ones carried out in West? Why do we have to be self destructive all the time?

• • • A gem by Jalib!

Zulmat ko zia, sar sar ko saba, banday ko khuda kya likhna

Deewar ko dar, pathar ko gauhar, jugnu ko diya kya likhna

Hashr bapa hai ghar ghar mein, dum ghut’ta hai gumbad-e-bedar mein

Ik shakhs kay hathon muddat se, ruswa hai watan duniya bhar mein

Aay deeda-waro iss zillat ko, kismet ka likha kya likhna

Zulmat ko zia, sar sar ko saba, banday ko khuda kya likhna

Logoon pay hi hum ne jaan wari, ki hum ne inhi ki gham khwari
Hote hain toh hon ye haath qalam, sha’ir na banain ge darbari
Iblees numa insanon ki, aye dost sana kia likhna
Zulmat ko zia , sarsar ko saba banday ko khuda kya likhna

Haq baat pe korray aur zindaan, batil ke shikanje main hai ye jaan
Insaan hain ke sehme bethe hain, khoon-khwar darinde hain raqsaan
Iss zulm-o-sitam ko lutf-o-karam, iss dukh ko dawa kya likhna
Zulmat ko zia , sarsar ko saba banday ko khuda kya likhna

Har shaam yahan shaam-e-weeran, aaseb zada raste galiyan
Jis shehr ki dhun main nikle thay, woh shehr dil-e-barbad kahan
Sehra ko chaman ban ko gulshan badal ko rida kia likhna
Zulmat ko zia, sa sar ko saba, banday ko khuda kia likhna

Aye mere watan ke fankaro, zulmat pe na apna fan waro
Ye mehl sara’on ke baasi, qatil hain sabhi apne yaro
Wirsay main hamain yeh gham hai mila, iss gham ko nayaa kia likhna
Zulmat ko zia, sarsar ko saba, banday ko Khuda kia likhna

-----------------------------------------

[Habib Jalib (1928-1993) was one of the most renowned Pakistani revolutionary Urdu poets of 20th century. A left wing activist and politician, he was a staunch democrat who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression.His poems have become today anthems of change among the youth of Pakistan.This particular poem was written against Zia Ul Haq, a military dictator.]

• • • Dil nahin lag raha !!

Had se barne laga, zulm ka silsila
Dil nahin lag raha, dil nahin lag raha

Us ne ehwaal poocha, to mein ne kaha
Dil nahin lag raha, dil nahin lag raha

Shehar mein to mere, jitne bhi yaar hain
Sab giraftar hain, sab giraftar hain

Kis ko ma'aloom ho, kaun ho kab reha
Dil nahin lag raha, dil nahin lag raha

Mein bhi paaband hoon, woh bhi paaband hai,
Raastein band hein, raastein band hein,

Ab to mumkin nahin, hay koi raabta,
Dil nahin lag raha, dil nahin lag raha

Had se barne laga, zulm ka silsila
Dil nahin lag raha, Dil nahin lag raha



(From Junoon's Azadi)

• • • Jinnah's Pakistan, or something like that!

Following are the guiding principles that Mr. Jinnah's gave to the legislators of the infant state of Pakistan in his presidential address to the first Constituent Assembly of the country on the 11th of August, 1947. Let's see how many of his principles have been followed by the dwellers and rulers of this Land of Pure and what would be the possible response of those in power to the advised guidelines;
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"... the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State."

I wish he could see how safe his 'children' are in his Pakistan today. It reminds of an sms that I received a few months back and it said, "Pakistan ka matlab kya - Bomb dhamakay aur aghwa," and how true is that. Sadly, nobody in power has listened to his advice.

"One of the biggest curses from which India is suffering - I do not say that other countries are free from it, but, I think our condition is much worse - is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison."

According to the annual survey by the Berlin-based organization Transparency International, Pakistan is 40th most corrupt country in the world with a ranking of 138 out of 180 countries. Pretty impressive huh!

"Black-marketing is another curse. These blackmarketeers are really knowing, intelligent and ordinarily responsible people, and when they indulge in black-marketing, I think they ought to be very severely punished..."

Sure Sir, but what if those who are responsible for punishing the culprits are the culprits themselves?? What an intelligent man Mr Jinnah was. This may not sound to be as important an issue as some of the others he has talked about in his address. But if we really think about, it is by far the most important. Food inflation can lead to criminalization of the society, break down of the law and order situation and in some cases even leads to civil wars. But it's a big ask, especially when those in power are actually the ones looking to starve the ones they rule.

"Along with many other things, good and bad, has arrived this great evil, the evil of nepotism and jobbery."

"Dear and kind sir... please ask us to do anything but this. How else would we please our party workers? How else would we 'adjust' our supporters? How else would we 'strengthen our bases'? How else would we 'earn' back what we spent on elections? Oo father of the nation, we beg of you," or something on the same lines.

"If you change your past and work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his colour, caste or creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges, and obligations, there will be on end to the progress you will make."

But Sir... how could that be? I am a Sardar, I am a leader of a whole bloody tribe... he's from another tribe.. I dunno even if he has a tribe or not... he's a Sindhi I 'm a Punjabi, I have thousands of acres of land, how could he, this poor good for nothing down trodden curse of the society low-ling, be equal to me? I drive a Mercedes, and he doesn't even have a bicycle. I was born to a wealthy landlord, an industrialist, a sun of a gun, I can't be equal to an ordinary Pakistani. Could I ?

You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.

Mosques... sure.... but what's this temple business janab?? O Almighty Allah, please forgive Mr Jinnah for uttering such blasphemous words... tauba tauba.

Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.

Yeah right... :p

... shall always be guided by the principles of justice and fairplay without any prejudice or ill-will, partiality or favouritism.

... guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality

Wow... big words eh.. Come on Sir... it's not even practical. Is it?

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So the score is 10 on 10!! Good work Pakistan!!

• • • If instability was a sport . . .

"Pakistan aik intehai nazuk mor se guzar raha hai"

Lit:' Pakistan is crossing through an extremely tricky curve,' meaning 'Pakistan is going through tough times.'

This is an extremely popular line in Pakistan, and we get to hear it a lot, usually in official addresses on TV by our presidents or prime ministers. Now it's a common phrase on the lips of almost every politician almost every time they speak.

Instability and Pakistan go hand in hand, so much so that it now feels absolutely normal to be living in an unstable country. We have accepted it as a matter of fact, and do not seem much bothered about it. In the 62 years of Pakistan's short life, we have seen instability of almost every form, shape and kind. First five years were relatively stable under the prime minister-ship of Liaqat Ali Khan, until his assassination in in 1951. From October 1951 to October 1957, six prime ministers were changed in the country, out of which one lasted only for two months.

In 1958, General Ayub Khan took over in a military coup, and ruled the country for over ten years. After his resignation in 1969, General Yahya Khan, another army chief, took over and his two years in office saw the division of the country in 1971 with East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. This forced Army out of government and Pakistan saw it's first ever elected government under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto after the 1971 general elections. Bhutto's five years were relatively stable only to end in the infamous and controversial elections of 1977. The elections opened a road to another phase of instability and martial law in the country. General Zia Ul Haq threw Bhutto in the gallows and took over as a military dictator. His elevn years are by far the darkest in Pakistan's history. After his death in a plane crash in August 1988, Benazir Bhutto took over as Pakistan's prime minister after winning the elections in December, but only to be thrown out in 1990 after 20 months in office.

Nawaz Sharif was the new elected prime minster after BB's dismissal because of corruption charges. Nawaz didn't last long either and was sacked in April 1993 by the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Benazir's second term started in October the same year, and was dismissed in 1996, again without completing the full fiver year term. Nawaz Sharif's historic victory in 1996 elections, giving him 2/3rd majority in the parliament, gave him the second stint at power. He was ousted by General Musharraf in October 1998 after Sharif's alleged involvement in hijacking General's plane while he was on his way home from Sri Lanka. Mush's first 7 years were quite stable until his decision to dismiss chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Cahuhdary, starting country wide protests by lawyers. Before the elections of 2007, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated which made it even more difficult for the General to hold on to power. His party lost the elections in February 2008 and he resigned later that year.

Zardari, alleged to be the most corrupt person in Pakistan and widower of Benazir Bhutto, took over as President in August, which is an act of instability in itself. Since then, we have seen an alarming rise of Talibanization in the north western province of the country bordering with Afghanistan. Taliban now pose a serious threat to the country, and pushed at least one province into extreme instability.


So I can safely conclude that if instability was a sport, we'd certainly be its champions.

• • • Irony - Only that its Goldy and Bronzy !

A call at my cell phone woke me up this morning. It was a call from a clerk in local MEPCO or 'Multan Electric Power Company' office. He's the guy who's been dealing with our applications for electrification of four tube wells at our farm, that I submitted over a year ago. Today he told me that hardware or 'material' , as he refereed to it, of my tube well electrification had finally arrived and I should meet this LS or 'Line Superintendent' in their office to get it released.

I told my father, as he has been pursuing this matter. We went to the office together to meet the clerk and inquired about the process forward. He started narrating a process which could easily take another 3 or more months till I could get my tube wells running, bearing in mind that we have a shortage of irrigation water in Pakistan. And I knew well that he was just making all this up. I got a bit irritated and wanted to go to his higher officer, but my father, with a nod of head, asked my to stay calm.

He(dad) then asked him if there was a shorter way to do it. And of course there was. He said that he would have to 'bend his principles' and would have to 'go out of the way' and 'off the book' to help us and it would cost us. Of course it would. Now I feel very awkward at such situations, though misfit for society.

Anyways, we paid him an X amount of bribe, unfortunately, to get a legitimate and legal work done and he accepted it without even a shadow of shame. He then offered us tea while paper work was being done, that we refused.

After exactly 15 minutes of asking for a bribe, and some 7 minutes after accepting it, he started lecturing us on Islam and morality.

• • • Koi Ummeed Bar Nahi Aati, Koi Surat Nazar Nahi Aati!

____________________________________________________________
(Originally posted at Blurred Boundaries on Wednesday, April 1, 2009)


With every passing day I'm loosing hope, hope of a secure, peaceful and bright future, if I'll have one at all, in my beloved country - Pakistan.

Every incident (like the one of lashing a 17 year old girl publicly in Swat for going out with her father in law) instills fear in me. I think of the days, months and years to come.. I think of my own daughter and it gives me shivers, just the thought that what the future might hold for her.

Every news item makes me feel that things have gotten out of hands, that there is just no hope, only fear. And when I see my fellow Pakistanis not realizing this almost certain threat, it saddens me even more.

So I ask myself once again.... Hope - All's lost, Or all that remains?