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Saturday, 10 July 2010
ELECTRICITY GAME BY OUR LEADERS IN PAKISTAN
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
To everyone that uses the road
Hello everybody,
Yesterday the 5th of july a youngster in a 7 series BMW almost killed himself and me in my car! I tried to pull him over to put some sense in his head, but he would not budge, to cut a long story short I finally got him in a spot where he had no choice but to stop and listen, he was young under 18 I suspect had no license on him, said it was at home, said his father is Sardar Asif (??!!)
But I read him the riot act he could only keep repeating the word sorry! I made him listen to what he had not been taught at home, that his life and those other road users lives were very valuable and that it was because of individuals like him that people died or were maimed each day of the year on our roads! Please make sure you do not neglect your responsibility to your children, your fellow road users and to yourself.
Yu know what each of us MUST do to put things right and the hard work starts at home.
This needs to be watched by everyone who has the keys to a vehicle ....and to young people BEFORE they get their drivers
license. This is perhaps one of the most INTENSE commercials that I've ever seen and well made.
I think Australia should be complemented on having the guts to "tell it like it is" and get this campaign out to
all of its licensed drivers and to air it on TV...it is very moving and very life like…it has a very strong impact.
Not easy to watch...but necessary to watch.
Just press on the DUI !!! link below
DUI !!!
Thanks ,
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Citizen's Speak: Confrontation by Hamza Shafqaat
For the past decade, I have felt like a helpless spectator watching my country slowly begin to disintegrate. As much as those around me try to ignore the reality of Pakistan’s current environment, I refuse to conform to the unethical practices that run rampant in this country. Hypocrisy and lies know absolutely no limits, whether in the alley behind my house or in the corridors of power. The truth is that Pakistan is more divided than ever, and this time it is an entirely different game.
It’s easy to be misled by the rhetoric presented on the mainstream media, and on the pages of newspapers. Headlines scream chaos, while the man on the street yearns for closure. Two years have passed since the present government took charge, and Pakistanis are beginning to wonder if they placed their thumbs on the right symbol. Pakistan has been fighting the war on terrorism for almost a decade now, and from the very first day President Musharraf stated that this was Pakistan’s war. Unfortunately, that realization has only begun to creep in recently. It took the cries of a young woman being helplessly tortured for Pakistanis to change and wake up. Even then, our success is limited. Dear reader, allow me to be blunt: We have not won this war. In fact, the most crucial aspect of the war is just starting. As the residents of Swat return to their homes, the real test starts. Will the Taliban regain control of the area? If they do, then what is the next step for the government? Another war? Or will they wait once again, for the cries of a helpless woman? I fear the brutality on both sides will be far worse this time around.
Pakistanis are conflicted and torn between two ideas. They want their country to prosper, but wonder if highways and housing colonies built only in cities such as Lahore is prosperity, since those in rural areas suffer from more than 12 hours of load shedding each day.
They try to convince themselves, as have I, that this crisis like all others will soon pass. We try to desperately convince ourselves that there lies a better future ahead, that we are leaving to posterity a sound and vibrant nation.
But as the events unfold, we find ourselves increasingly at odds with our dreams and the reality.
The public is yearning for a messiah, and their choices reveal their desperation. Take, for example, Zaid Hamid. On the surface he seems to be a patriotic, albeit emotional, Pakistani, but listen to his lectures and you will find them laced with hate and discrimination towards other ideologies and other religions. Even though his speeches are prejudiced one wonders why Pakistanis are so quick to assume that since he discriminates against other religions and despises India, he’s on the pay-roll of intelligence agencies?
Before him, they had turned to our beloved cricket hero and philanthropist Imran Khan, chairman of the Tehreek I Insaaf. He mustered up support among young students and received an encouraging response from all over the country. However, his failure to condemn the Taliban proved to be his down-fall. Even as his faithful party workers scrambled to salvage their reputation through ‘clarifications’ it was too late. The operation was about to end, and Imran Khan was still un-decided.
Let us not be fooled by recent campaigns to promote Indo-Pak unity. We have fought three wars since Partition, and are fighting a proxy war constantly. Siachen has been our battleground for decades, and too much blood has been shed to forget the atrocities committed by both sides. If one still believes that friendship between Indians and Pakistanis is possible, then that person need look no further than the Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza fiasco. If we look at it dispassionately then this is a prime case for the thawing of relations between the two countries.
A Pakistani cricket hero marrying an Indian sport heroine is stuff written about in fairy tales. We should be celebrating this incredibly bold step that the couple is willing take, but instead we encroach upon their personal lives, and strive to catch a glimpse of them closing a door, or talking on the phone. The media has been uncaged and they are attacking Shoaib Malik ferociously. The domestic dispute between Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Siddiqui is just that: A domestic dispute between Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Siddiqui. As long as his dispute does not affect his performance on the playing field while he represents Pakistan, who are we to judge?
On December 2 4th 1940, Quaid E Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah stated:
It’s easy to be misled by the rhetoric presented on the mainstream media, and on the pages of newspapers. Headlines scream chaos, while the man on the street yearns for closure. Two years have passed since the present government took charge, and Pakistanis are beginning to wonder if they placed their thumbs on the right symbol. Pakistan has been fighting the war on terrorism for almost a decade now, and from the very first day President Musharraf stated that this was Pakistan’s war. Unfortunately, that realization has only begun to creep in recently. It took the cries of a young woman being helplessly tortured for Pakistanis to change and wake up. Even then, our success is limited. Dear reader, allow me to be blunt: We have not won this war. In fact, the most crucial aspect of the war is just starting. As the residents of Swat return to their homes, the real test starts. Will the Taliban regain control of the area? If they do, then what is the next step for the government? Another war? Or will they wait once again, for the cries of a helpless woman? I fear the brutality on both sides will be far worse this time around.
Pakistanis are conflicted and torn between two ideas. They want their country to prosper, but wonder if highways and housing colonies built only in cities such as Lahore is prosperity, since those in rural areas suffer from more than 12 hours of load shedding each day.
They try to convince themselves, as have I, that this crisis like all others will soon pass. We try to desperately convince ourselves that there lies a better future ahead, that we are leaving to posterity a sound and vibrant nation.
But as the events unfold, we find ourselves increasingly at odds with our dreams and the reality.
The public is yearning for a messiah, and their choices reveal their desperation. Take, for example, Zaid Hamid. On the surface he seems to be a patriotic, albeit emotional, Pakistani, but listen to his lectures and you will find them laced with hate and discrimination towards other ideologies and other religions. Even though his speeches are prejudiced one wonders why Pakistanis are so quick to assume that since he discriminates against other religions and despises India, he’s on the pay-roll of intelligence agencies?
Before him, they had turned to our beloved cricket hero and philanthropist Imran Khan, chairman of the Tehreek I Insaaf. He mustered up support among young students and received an encouraging response from all over the country. However, his failure to condemn the Taliban proved to be his down-fall. Even as his faithful party workers scrambled to salvage their reputation through ‘clarifications’ it was too late. The operation was about to end, and Imran Khan was still un-decided.
Let us not be fooled by recent campaigns to promote Indo-Pak unity. We have fought three wars since Partition, and are fighting a proxy war constantly. Siachen has been our battleground for decades, and too much blood has been shed to forget the atrocities committed by both sides. If one still believes that friendship between Indians and Pakistanis is possible, then that person need look no further than the Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza fiasco. If we look at it dispassionately then this is a prime case for the thawing of relations between the two countries.
A Pakistani cricket hero marrying an Indian sport heroine is stuff written about in fairy tales. We should be celebrating this incredibly bold step that the couple is willing take, but instead we encroach upon their personal lives, and strive to catch a glimpse of them closing a door, or talking on the phone. The media has been uncaged and they are attacking Shoaib Malik ferociously. The domestic dispute between Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Siddiqui is just that: A domestic dispute between Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Siddiqui. As long as his dispute does not affect his performance on the playing field while he represents Pakistan, who are we to judge?On December 2 4th 1940, Quaid E Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah stated:
‘The prosperity and advancement of a nation depends upon its intelligentsia…’ The threats before us are limitless. There are some institutions of Pakistan that no longer govern by the consent of the governed. As citizens of society we must not support a government that suppresses any faith, nor should we support any individual who sanctions the taking of an innocent life. As responsible citizens of Pakistan there lies upon us a heavy duty. We owe our allegiance to the Pakistani flag, and we owe our lives to those who sacrificed theirs for our future. Let us together refuse to acquiesce to tyranny. Let us be indolent no longer. Being a Muslim alone isn’t enough to grant you an identity but being a Pakistani does. Let us vow to uphold the ideals and principles upon which every great citizen of Pakistan stands: That of hard work, honesty and equality. Let us be each other’s strength and not weakness. Let us stand together not as Muslims but as concerned Pakistanis. God willing, we shall prosper.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
A pledge to unite
— Ayesha Sohail, DAWN Young World
Saturday, 20 Mar, 2010
On the morning of March 23 — Pakistan Resolution Day — it’s important to think about who we are and what we want to be. We should think about the whole journey before March 23, 1940, and after that till August 14, 1947, during which our freedom fighters suffered a lot and gave many sacrifices to get a free homeland.
But today, March 23rd — the day when our brave fighters reached an important milestone in the journey of their struggle — is of no importance for the present day young generation. It is just another holiday for them. It is shameful to acknowledge that today we have lost our identity and culture — in fact we feel ashamed in accepting who we are — and we proudly follow other cultures and traditions. We, instead of following the footprints of our forefathers, are ruining the image of our homeland which was obtained after lots of sacrifices.
Pakistan Day reminds us of the fact that all Muslims are equal and they can’t be discriminated due to any factor such as race, colour and ethnicity. But today we are Sindhis, Punjabis, Balochis, Pathans, Muhajirs; today we are the elite class, middle and lower class; today we are Karachiites, Lahories and what not. We have lost that identity which was the founding stone for this country and have indulged in all sorts of discriminations.
God has made all of us equal and we are blessed with an independent homeland which, despite all internal and external threats, has been surviving for years so now is the time to get up and realise our responsibilities towards our country — let’s become united! Unity is the real strength and being united means being successful. If we remain divided on the basis of colour, language or socio-economic factors, we can never be a successful nation.
We have to become united for prosperity and a better future. We have to change the world we live in. As educated citizens of our country, we have to shape the future of Pakistan. Let us stop blaming each other and pledge that we will try to be better people by keeping aside our differences.
We have gained much — one of the best cricket teams in the world, one of the most profitable music industries in Asia and the strongest military power in the Muslim world. So on this 23rd March, be proud a Pakistani and discard all discriminating factors.
As Quaid-e-Azam said: “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 no end to the progress you will make.”
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Pakistan Day special: Creative celebrations
By Saira Owais Adil
Saturday, 20 Mar, 2010 DAWN Young World
Monotonous, routine celebrations are held all over the country to mark the Pakistan Resolution Day on March 23. The schools, media and government organisations all follow strictly unchanged programmes. School children are dressed up in neat uniforms, polished shoes and appear tidy to perform on the same national songs as they have been doing for years.
March 23 is actually the day when the meaning of independence for the Muslims of the Subcontinent was clearly laid out to the world. Now after 70 years of the event, we, the young generation, today need our elders’ help in comprehending the ‘national’ thought that led to the whole process of independence! Children can only be expected to be ‘patriotic’ when they understand the meaning of ‘patriotism’.
Let’s make a different start this time and instead of performing at the school half-heartedly or bunking the functions altogether, try to give your school authorities some exciting suggestions. Ask your school head or teacher to organise different activities with the objective of creating a better understanding of the term “independence”.
Do something creative. Paint your own Pakistan – the way you think a perfect Pakistan would look like. Draw and paint what you like about your country and how you would like things to be. If you are better at words than the brush, write how you want things to be, portraying a ‘better Pakistan’ in your own way!
How about making a huge map of Pakistan for your class or to be displayed anywhere else in the school, and decorate it with smiles, colours and gestures of love – all that we are losing fast with each passing day.
And just mounting the national flag and placing the small flags on strings round the classroom is not enough. A flag drawing competition would be more exciting and full of fun. Rather than just painting and colouring the flag on a paper, you can try making it with different materials. Of course you can’t change its colour or design, just use various textures and materials, coloured green and white, to lend a beautiful touch to our national flag.
Instead of merely reciting the toughest of the national songs, request your teacher to make you understand what the poet is actually trying to say. In a casual set up, not that of the typical classroom teaching style, lectures given to make students become aware of the meaning of the different national songs, some information about the poet and the occasion when it was first written would go a long way in making everyone realise the significance of the words and remember it for a long time to come. By becoming aware of the true meaning of the words that are being sung, it will bring out feelings of national pride and patriotism and make any performance more powerful.
A competition of short poems and national songs can also be held where participants would have to write national songs or poems. This can also be done as a class exercise where everyone just pens down what is in their hearts about their beloved country.
Make posters, badges and cards in which you present your own idea of what being a citizen of a free nation means to you and share it with your friends and teachers. If you are going out somewhere with your friends or family to on this national holiday, order a combination of pistachio and vanilla flavours in ice cream. Now that’s a pretty patriotic combination!
This is our country and we all feel proud of it. So why not fuel up your passion and come up with imaginative ways to celebrate this day and pledge to do what we can to make it a better place to live.
Citizens Speak: Salute the Men and Women at Arms.
Some inspiring images found floating around facebook courtesy Mindworks Media and ISPR
Citizens Speak: Three Heroines of Pakistan
By Imran H Khan
http://imranhkhan.com/2010/02/27/three-heroines-of-pakistan/
Pakistan has been blessed with many amazing women whose stories have been largely untold. Shahla Haeri wrote about some of them involved in the social sphere in her book “No Shame for the Sun“. OPEN’s chapters have also held conferences and forums highlighting the role of Pakistani American women in the US. In the recent years three Pakistani women have defied all odds and achieved remarkable success in achieving some of the highest goals typically associated with men. These achievements are specially significant taking into account their economic and geographic origins.
Maria Toor: Pakistani Woman Squash champion from South Waziristan
Maria is the Pakistan Woman Squash champion and Seventy Second in the World. What is remarkable is that she comes from WANA South Waziristan, the home of Pakistani Taleban. Her parents are from a poor background and she did not even pick up a squash racket till the age of twelve. Her meteoric rise in squash is amazing as she has achieved this with little to no resources. In listening to her in the attached video you can get a sense of her passion for the game and the hurdles she had to overcome in order to get there. The other thing that struck me was her confidence in achieving pretty much what she put her mind to, including appearing in a Hollywood movie. With little to no education she has still found the time to learn English and appears comfortable in front of the camera.
Saira Amin: First female Sword of Honor Winner and Fighter Pilot from Peshawer. Saira not only graduated from one of the most rigorous air force academies in 2006, but also won the most coveted Sword of Honor. To achieve this you need to be the most outstanding cadet in all of the three areas of flying, academics and general military training. She belonged to only the second group of females to be inducted into the PAF. She had to outclass all her male colleagues in physically grueling training that included para jumping.
She has established that in a extremely male dominated domain of jet fighter pilots of one of the most demanding of air forces, a female can not only participate but even dominate.
The video below shows female fighter pilots converting into flying fighters of PAF.
Naseem Akhter: Fastest Woman in South Asia from Korangi.
Naseem Akhter caught the fancy of all of Pakistan when she beat Pramila Priyadarshan, the Sri Lankan favorite to win the gold medal in South Asian games in 2010. She hails from a poor family from Korangi area of Karachi. Her dedication to achieve her goal was captured in her statement that she gave after the event.
“I had forgotten the world for six months and trained really very, very hard under my coach Maqsood Ahmed to achieve this. It is a great moment for me to have brought glory to the country in my event.”
To grasp the real significance of her story you have to watch the video below and see and hear the pride of her family.
What really struck me in the photo below is that she was wearing loose clothes and yet was only a second and half behind the fastest woman on the planet, Florence Griffith-Joyner. I can only wonder that with some training and more streamlined clothes what she can possibly achieve.
The theme that runs common in all the three stories is that none of these ladies let any excuse come between them and their goals. They managed the challenges with a supportive family structure. They exhibit all the same qualities that are needed to be a successful entrepreneur. They had to raise money, market their talents, fight the naysayers and excel in what they did with single minded focus.
To all these women, “Afreen” .
Saturday, 27 February 2010
PIA announces new baggage requirements for USA
KARACHI: PIA has informed its passengers about the enhanced screening procedure for passengers traveling from USA to Pakistan implemented by Transport Security Administration (TSA) at JFK Airport in New York. 
A PIA spokesman said that TSA has notified PIA about enhanced screening of Pakistani Passport Holders traveling from USA that the baggage of such passengers would go through a CTX machine, a x-ray machine for luggage that detect other unidentifiable objects as well, and the selected searches of passengers.
As of now, passengers are required to show a U.S Federal or State issued photo ID that contains Name, date of birth, gender, expiration date of ID and a tamper resistant feature in order to be allowed to go through the check point and onto their flight.
If a Pakistani passport is produced, the passenger, irrespective of age and gender will have to undergo selected screening.
He said often passengers carry baggage of different/ varying sizes which could not passed through the CTX scanning machines, resulting in manual checking of baggage by the authorities.
As the screening process consumes time, long queues are formed at the JFK airport.
PIA passengers were requested to carry baggage of the specified size/dimension with maximum length 39 inches, maximum height 19 inches, maximum width 25 inches and weight not exceeding 110 Lbs.
Any oversize baggage or carton will not be accepted by the airline i.e. PIA.
Passengers are advised further to reach JFK airport at least five hours prior to flight departure time as PIA check in counters will close 1 hour and 15 minutes before flight departure in order to maintain on time departures.
As a precautionary measure, PIA passengers traveling from Pakistan to USA are also requested to follow the new baggage instructions as same baggage rules would be applicable on their return journey. – APP
Thursday, 28 January 2010
What has happened to us as decent human beings?!
Stand up for this champion!
He is "Naveed Asif" from Nahranwali village Okara who scored 919 marks in Matric and got second position in BISE Lahore. His school was 7 KM away from his house and he used to walk 7 KM everyday to go to his school. here are his words :
“Me and my mother were really terrified when BISE Lahore team reached our home late at night before announcement of the result. Actually a few days ago, our cow was stolen at night owing to which we were terrified”.
“You may think it ridiculous but I always said to my mother that I wanted to be like Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” he said. “Quaid-e-Azam is a role model for me"
He seated at stairs after receiving his medal and later Mr. Shahbaz Sharif offered his seat to him.
Frankly, The Govt. record on developing talent to grow into leaders of tomorrow is pretty dismal, their track record in general is pathetic, we are too conditioned and brainwashed over the last 100 years to be in a position to recognise our own God given intellect and ability. It is in ourselves that we are underlings; we must cleanse our system of all alien thought and bring about a reformation of our own cultures, Balochi, Pushtun, Sindhi and Punjabi because we want to live together as one Country and pursue our inherited greatness, which will be exploited by our education system to develop our Tomorrows and our Motherland we MUST read more on our past but search for the truth because it has been altered by the occupiers of our land for the past 3 centuries from the Mughals to the Europeans.! KoolBlue
Thursday, 14 January 2010
ENJOY THE COFFEE
Don't let the cups drive you... Enjoy the coffee instead.
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups.
Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups.
They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.
Don't let the cups drive you... Enjoy the coffee instead
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Writer's Block - Too many, too much- by Bushra Hassan
Recently I had the good fortune of staying at the PC Bhurban Hotel with my little family. I say good fortune because I always thought it to be one of those high priced places which we would never be able to afford. However, there I was, one busy weekend, spending a cozy holiday in the hills. Now I knew it would be crowded over there and I hate crowds. I hate going to markets, I avoid Sales like the plague, simply to avoid crowds. Mostly our holidays are based in small cottage-type hotels or relatively cheaper and less popular local places so we can have privacy and space. Here, in Bhurban, I was warned that it would not be the case, and how true that was!!
Hordes of people; and up to 4-6 children, per couple. Yes! I’m not kidding. We actually counted. These are the affluent people of this country, who produce children like I produce blog updates…. Quick, random and with scary regularity. So here we were, our family of three, fighting for life at the breakfast buffets as fat mummies regularly elbowed my husband out of the way, children crazily gluttonned to their hearts content, and the daddies walked around with the arrogance that even Hashwani wouldn’t show. At first I was appalled, later scared.
You see, it’s not the lack of manners, or tarbiyat the scares me. It’s not that these people look you up and down as if you are trespassing, or that they treat hotel employees like 19th century Texan slaves; it is not that the kids run rampant in hallways at midnight; or that the husbands rarely talk to their wives, help with the kids or even smile. It is just the twenty years from now these kids will be soul of Pakistan.
Not just that they are 4-5 kids per family. In two decades, they are all going to marry and reproduce and perhaps produce as many off springs. Where will we find space and resources to build them houses, give them clean water, sanitation? How many more trees will be cut down? Will our ill managed agricultural land produce enough grain for them? Will our exports reduce and imports increased? Will we fall deeper into debt? Do we have enough schools to educate and not simply train these kids? Will we have enough jobs for them? What will happen when they all have families and no jobs? What happens when the kids with a sense of superiority, lack of discipline or respect for all those around them, grow up and get disappointed? Angry? Frustrated? Out on the streets?
Hordes of people; and up to 4-6 children, per couple. Yes! I’m not kidding. We actually counted. These are the affluent people of this country, who produce children like I produce blog updates…. Quick, random and with scary regularity. So here we were, our family of three, fighting for life at the breakfast buffets as fat mummies regularly elbowed my husband out of the way, children crazily gluttonned to their hearts content, and the daddies walked around with the arrogance that even Hashwani wouldn’t show. At first I was appalled, later scared.
You see, it’s not the lack of manners, or tarbiyat the scares me. It’s not that these people look you up and down as if you are trespassing, or that they treat hotel employees like 19th century Texan slaves; it is not that the kids run rampant in hallways at midnight; or that the husbands rarely talk to their wives, help with the kids or even smile. It is just the twenty years from now these kids will be soul of Pakistan.
Not just that they are 4-5 kids per family. In two decades, they are all going to marry and reproduce and perhaps produce as many off springs. Where will we find space and resources to build them houses, give them clean water, sanitation? How many more trees will be cut down? Will our ill managed agricultural land produce enough grain for them? Will our exports reduce and imports increased? Will we fall deeper into debt? Do we have enough schools to educate and not simply train these kids? Will we have enough jobs for them? What will happen when they all have families and no jobs? What happens when the kids with a sense of superiority, lack of discipline or respect for all those around them, grow up and get disappointed? Angry? Frustrated? Out on the streets?
"You see, it’s not the lack of manners, or tarbiyat the scares me. It’s not that these people look you up and down as if you are trespassing, or that they treat hotel employees like 19th century Texan slaves; it is not that the kids run rampant in hallways at midnight; or that the husbands rarely talk to their wives, help with the kids or even smile. It is just the twenty years from now these kids will be soul of
Pakistan."
I usually write positive blogs. I try. I see a positive light in everything, but in this era of economic recession, climate change and wars, we are producing children that we do not know how to raise. The boys learn from the fathers to not help or respect women; women learn from their mothers to not respect other women, and lust after men. The basic structure of family is fragile and unhappy.
I will probably go and stay in Bhurban again. A mother of an asthmatic child, I need a centrally heated hotel in winters. Plus, I was impressed by the patience of the overwhelmed staff and the services of the hotel, but then I also saw a bit of Pakistan and that scares me.
I wish people had less children. I wish people knew how to be a couple before they became parents. I wish we knew the art of parenting. I wish our concept of purdah was not cover your head and stay indoors, but as my beloved Ghamidi put it, simple social etiquette.
I am worried for my rather well behaved child who at less than three can wait for her turn, can understand the difference between right and wrong… and then choose right, who says please and thank you, smiles at strangers, has a thirst for knowledge and mostly, is comfortable enough in her own skin to not judge others. How will she compare to the jungle that is becoming this nation? When she interacts with them, will she not be influenced? I wish the whole country was like my three year old is today. Mostly, I pray my country can sustain all the illiterate or ill brought up mass that is upon it… and that keeps growing.
I can only pray and vow not to be like the rest of them.
May Allah help us all.
Photo courtesy: http://www.panric.com/pakistans-public-train-system/
Monday, 4 January 2010
Writer's Block - Need I say more - by Bushra Hassan
For many months now, I have been writing blogs that emphasize on the essential goodness that is inside us Pakistanis. It is difficult to see some times, it is easy to take for granted... it is even easier to forget as we strive for sanity. This time my blog entry will not be my words, but that of a fellow Pakistani... I read him in DAWN yesterday... Letters to the Editor. I urge you to take a minute and read this:
Incident that changed my approach to life
IF we look around us, we will find a lot of goodness in our people. I saw this on Dec 28 when my confidence in our fellow beings and in the kindness of Almighty Allah was reinforced. That morning my wife was returning to Karachi from Faisalabad by Millat train accompanied by our two daughters, aged three and five years. I went to the station to receive my family but couldn’t find them. After a while I was shocked to see my elder girl standing by herself in a train compartment without her mother. There were some fellow passengers and a responsible policeman, Abdul Razzak, waiting with her. They broke the horrible news to me that my younger daughter accidentally fell off the train near Dhabeji station. My wife along with 20 to 25 fellow passengers managed to have the train stopped a kilometre or two from the spot where the child had fallen. They disembarked there to search for the missing child. In her panic, my wife forgot to carry her cellphone with her and so couldn’t contact me. The local people also joined the search party. My wife later recounted that the people — all strangers — were extremely sympathetic, helpful and concerned while searching for the child who had wandered off four kilometres into the woodland. It was after four hours that a young Pakhtun boy (could not obtain his details — May Allah reward him for his goodness) spotted Zainab and fetched her unhurt. When I met my little girl after these hours of high drama, she simply uttered these words: “Papa I was alone.” I just have no words to thank these men and women — strangers to me before this event brought us together — who shared those tense moments with us. By actively assisting in the search for our child, these noble souls displayed that spirit of humanity that holds mankind together. May Allah bless them and also my family — my father, brothers and my wife — who stood behind me giving me immense moral support in those testing hours. People have the capacity to organise themselves on the spur of the moment when faced with an emergency and respond positively. Take the case of Mr Jamil who disembarked with my wife, leaving his own family behind on the train, to take the responsibility of organising the search. There was Mr Asif who took the responsibility of communicating with the railway authorities, the Edhi Centre and the police. Generally, we tend to take for granted our family and our fellow beings. But we should learn to appreciate the goodness of the human heart that prompts people to respond to others in distress. Such is the spirit that can, if mobilised, help steer the country out of its troubles. The more I see of it, the more I feel vindicated in my decision to stay back in Pakistan and serve it as a part of the SIUT team that is doing such good work by holding up a candle of hope for people who are so desperately ill.
DR NASIR HASAN LUCK
Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation Karachi
Courtesy: DAWN.com; 3rd Jan 2010; Letters to the Editor
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/incident-that-changed-my-approach-to-life-310
Incident that changed my approach to life
IF we look around us, we will find a lot of goodness in our people. I saw this on Dec 28 when my confidence in our fellow beings and in the kindness of Almighty Allah was reinforced. That morning my wife was returning to Karachi from Faisalabad by Millat train accompanied by our two daughters, aged three and five years. I went to the station to receive my family but couldn’t find them. After a while I was shocked to see my elder girl standing by herself in a train compartment without her mother. There were some fellow passengers and a responsible policeman, Abdul Razzak, waiting with her. They broke the horrible news to me that my younger daughter accidentally fell off the train near Dhabeji station. My wife along with 20 to 25 fellow passengers managed to have the train stopped a kilometre or two from the spot where the child had fallen. They disembarked there to search for the missing child. In her panic, my wife forgot to carry her cellphone with her and so couldn’t contact me. The local people also joined the search party. My wife later recounted that the people — all strangers — were extremely sympathetic, helpful and concerned while searching for the child who had wandered off four kilometres into the woodland. It was after four hours that a young Pakhtun boy (could not obtain his details — May Allah reward him for his goodness) spotted Zainab and fetched her unhurt. When I met my little girl after these hours of high drama, she simply uttered these words: “Papa I was alone.” I just have no words to thank these men and women — strangers to me before this event brought us together — who shared those tense moments with us. By actively assisting in the search for our child, these noble souls displayed that spirit of humanity that holds mankind together. May Allah bless them and also my family — my father, brothers and my wife — who stood behind me giving me immense moral support in those testing hours. People have the capacity to organise themselves on the spur of the moment when faced with an emergency and respond positively. Take the case of Mr Jamil who disembarked with my wife, leaving his own family behind on the train, to take the responsibility of organising the search. There was Mr Asif who took the responsibility of communicating with the railway authorities, the Edhi Centre and the police. Generally, we tend to take for granted our family and our fellow beings. But we should learn to appreciate the goodness of the human heart that prompts people to respond to others in distress. Such is the spirit that can, if mobilised, help steer the country out of its troubles. The more I see of it, the more I feel vindicated in my decision to stay back in Pakistan and serve it as a part of the SIUT team that is doing such good work by holding up a candle of hope for people who are so desperately ill.
DR NASIR HASAN LUCK
Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation Karachi
Courtesy: DAWN.com; 3rd Jan 2010; Letters to the Editor
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/incident-that-changed-my-approach-to-life-310
Friday, 25 December 2009
A Pakistani Karate Champ saved 14 lives before drowning on 25 Nov, 2009 In Jeddah flash flood and rain
JEDDAH: A Pakistani karate champion who saved the lives of 14 people in the Nov. 25 flashfloods before drowning while trying to save another is one of the many unsung heroes of that wednesday morning.According to a report carried by Al-Hayat Arabic daily, Farman Ali Khan’s brother, Rahman, is making arrangements to airlift his body to Pakistan so that his family, including his three young daughters, would see him before his funeral.“Farman’s youngest daughter Jarira has never seen her father,” Rahman told Al-Hayat, adding that his 32-year-old brother was a university graduate and held several certificates commending him for his voluntary work.
Rahman described his dead brother as a courageous man who ran through a fire to move a gas cylinder from a shop when he was 16. “If that cylinder exploded then there would have been a major disaster as there was a weapons warehouse nearby,” he said.
He added that Farman used tire tubes, wooden planks and ropes to save 14 people. “He was trying to save the 15th person when the water swept him away,” said Rahman, adding that his brother saved people without caring what their nationalities were.“His main objective was to save the lives of as many people as possible, and he used all possible means to achieve that,” he said.Rahman said his brother, who worked in a grocery store, was only able to visit his family in Pakistan twice since coming to the Kingdom six years ago.“I am proud of my brother’s heroism and I believe he is among the martyrs,” said Rahman.Farman is survived by his wife and three daughters — Zubaida, 7, Madeeha, 6, and Jarira, 4.
May Allah rest his soul in peace and reward him the best place in Jannah & give patience and courage to bear the loss. Ameen.
Rahman described his dead brother as a courageous man who ran through a fire to move a gas cylinder from a shop when he was 16. “If that cylinder exploded then there would have been a major disaster as there was a weapons warehouse nearby,” he said.
He added that Farman used tire tubes, wooden planks and ropes to save 14 people. “He was trying to save the 15th person when the water swept him away,” said Rahman, adding that his brother saved people without caring what their nationalities were.“His main objective was to save the lives of as many people as possible, and he used all possible means to achieve that,” he said.Rahman said his brother, who worked in a grocery store, was only able to visit his family in Pakistan twice since coming to the Kingdom six years ago.“I am proud of my brother’s heroism and I believe he is among the martyrs,” said Rahman.Farman is survived by his wife and three daughters — Zubaida, 7, Madeeha, 6, and Jarira, 4.
May Allah rest his soul in peace and reward him the best place in Jannah & give patience and courage to bear the loss. Ameen.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Writer's Block- This is my war - By Bushra Hassan
I am not very religious. My parents taught me namaz, though I never said them. I found every excuse in the book to not Fast. I had no inclinations for Hajj. I remember every Ramzan sitting with my mom and sisters, feeling obligated to read the Quran as I yawned through the nights.
Until, the bombings changed my life.
Earlier this year as the bombings increased, I realized that if death comes, I will have to first answer to Allah about my namaz. Before I knew it, I started saying my prayers (though still not very regularly). But Allah came and settled in my heart. I took refuge in this.
It is the War on Terror, the War against Muslims, as many call it, that has made me a better Muslim. I have become more conscientious, more responsible, kinder and just, better.
Now, next on my agenda is: Jihad.
Sounds funny! This Oxford educated, half-angrez, pant wearing, English speaking woman, who does not like Pakistani cuisine and until one year ago was planning to move and settle abroad, is going for Jihad.
Yes, I am.
And this is how.
This is my War. The dozens that die every day are my people. They die in mosques, on roads, in markets. They die on duty, in prayer or shopping.
And what does this Pakistani nation do?
Do we stop saying our prayers in mosques?
Do we stop going to markets? Going out altogether?
Do we stop sending our children to school?
No! We fight back!
We show resilience by refusing to live in fear, in fear of death, fear of injury, fear of yet another BREAKING NEWS on TV.
I will send my child to school no matter what.
I will go to office.
I will shop.
I will not leave this country. I will stay here for as long as I can. I will not leave my land to them.
I will not forward rumours of possible attacks to instill fear in my fellow people.
I will dance, sing, go on holidays and to cinemas, watch plays, attend concerts in my country.
I will support the troops and the police force.
I will not sit in drawing rooms and criticize the government. I will register to vote and participate next time. I will be an agent of change, and not just a critic.
It is not easy - sending my daughter to school, sitting in an office everyday that has a credible bomb threat looming on it. Life for us Pakistanis, is not easy, which is why it is now not just mere life, but Jihad.
You can call it Jihad or you can call it being positive. Choose what fits you. If you find religion uncool, if you consider religious people ignorant, if you feel too superior or lazy to bow your head to anyone, then don’t call this Jihad… but then, don’t bow your head to fear as well.
“Choose what fits you. If you find religion uncool, if you consider
religious people ignorant, if you feel too superior or lazy to bow your head to anyone, than don’t call this Jihad… but then, don’t bow your head in fear as well.”
Why should we anyway? This is our country. They can not make us afraid. Afraid in our own home. They can try and damage us, and yes, it aches every time to hear of all those we have lost and continue to lose. But I envy the martyrs who are in a happier place today. I notice how every death motivates this country towards solidarity, keeps us united, together, makes us even more resilient than before.
This is my war.
Every day I shall fight back by living. I will embrace life and deny fear. I shall laugh, sing and dance….. I shall live. I will not let them kill us while we are still alive.
In our car, we put on patriotic songs only. My two year old loves and sings, Jeevay jeevay Pakistan. We salute the policeman, who salute us back. We stand united, we fight, we live.
In honour of those who have died, I shall live. In honour of those who fight, I join them.
This is my War. This is my Jihad. I have my Allah with me. I am not afraid.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Writer's Block - How are you spending your Eid? By Bushra Hassan
How are you spending your Eid?
Going to see your parents, or are guests coming to your place?
Is it a bakra or a gaye?
Are you hosting a BBQ? Are you the chef?
Will you be enjoying the lovely autumn weather as you munch on the tikkas?
Where will you heart be?
Is your heart in Waziristan where blood is being shed?
Is your heart with our jawans, young men, who are risking their lives for our freedom?
Who are fighting not one, but a consortium of enemies?
This Eid, will you be thinking of them?
or will you sit in your dining rooms, complain about the inflation, wearing beautiful clothes and munch on some dry fruit?
And why not! It is for our Eid, our freedom, our right to live that they are risking their lives. Why should we not embrace life more, in honour of them? Why shouldn’t we enjoy our Eid, remembering them, praying for them and their families?
That is definitely my plan. I intend to enjoy my freedom because much blood has been shed to protect it. I fully intend to dress up and eat plenty of meat because many young men have died for my right to dress and participate socially. Mostly, I intend to express my gratitude to my Allah, who sent us these angels.
One hour! One hour that changed me forever.
One hour that reminded me that we are indeed a country at War. That many have died, and continue to die, for a war we did not start. We realize that as a nation we must stand together, and stand strong, and stand by our jawans who fight for us. We must give them strength as they fight for our freedom. One hour that changed me, moved me…. and all those who were in attendance.
Going to see your parents, or are guests coming to your place?
Is it a bakra or a gaye?
Are you hosting a BBQ? Are you the chef?
Will you be enjoying the lovely autumn weather as you munch on the tikkas?
Where will you heart be?
Is your heart in Waziristan where blood is being shed?
Is your heart with our jawans, young men, who are risking their lives for our freedom?
Who are fighting not one, but a consortium of enemies?
This Eid, will you be thinking of them?
or will you sit in your dining rooms, complain about the inflation, wearing beautiful clothes and munch on some dry fruit?
And why not! It is for our Eid, our freedom, our right to live that they are risking their lives. Why should we not embrace life more, in honour of them? Why shouldn’t we enjoy our Eid, remembering them, praying for them and their families?
That is definitely my plan. I intend to enjoy my freedom because much blood has been shed to protect it. I fully intend to dress up and eat plenty of meat because many young men have died for my right to dress and participate socially. Mostly, I intend to express my gratitude to my Allah, who sent us these angels.
A group of young group of people, got together in Islamabad one night to express their gratitude for the army, the pain that has been felt over the past year, the fear that now surrounds us, and the resilience that makes us Pakistani. Wearing green ribbons, there were small performances…. not more than five minutes each, that took you through an emotional roller coaster. In one hour a multitude of emotions we have felt in the past one year were all rolled into one smashing bag of performances. The performers did not belittle or insult anyone. It was an expression of our gratitude for our right to speak, and our passion to use that right for the good. We all stood up for the armed forces, the police, the IDPs, the victims of bomb attacks and for the citizens of this country. We all stood up with pride and showed that we are alive, strong and united, and we will not let the enemy win."I intend to enjoy my freedom because much blood has been
shed to protect it. I fully intend to dress up and eat plenty of meat because many young men have died for my right to dress and participate
socially."
One hour! One hour that changed me forever.
One hour that reminded me that we are indeed a country at War. That many have died, and continue to die, for a war we did not start. We realize that as a nation we must stand together, and stand strong, and stand by our jawans who fight for us. We must give them strength as they fight for our freedom. One hour that changed me, moved me…. and all those who were in attendance.
I have not laughed, cried, been shocked, moved, scared, raised with hope – and so much more- in one hour.
"We all stood up for the armed forces, the police, the
IDPs, the victims of bomb attacks and for the citizens of this country. We all stood up with pride and showed that we are alive, strong and united, and we will not let the enemy win."
And the next day, the same group got together and did more.
The young lot took time out one evening and wrote Eid cards for the troops with messages inside. My friends, many of them well versed in English, thought of urdu verses and words, poetry and songs ….in the language of our nation … to communicate with our heroes. We told them we loved them. That on this Eid we were thinking of them and were filled with gratitude. They are today’s Tipu Sultans, Qasim and Ayyubi. They are our sons and our brothers, and they are the pride of this nation.
Then there are those who are sending the troops sweaters and socks, and jackets…. Not because the troops need them but because we need to do something for them. To tell them we remember them and love them and that we are worth fighting for!
Yes, we are worth fighting for. Our freedom is worth fighting for!
No matter what the foreign policy or political status of this country, no matter how much we dislike the generals in their big fancy cars, we love our jawans and we stand by them. And this Eid, we are with them. Our hearts are with them. We will pray for their victory, as their victory is ours. We pray for their lives as they protect ours. We pray for their families, for they are our family. Our Eid is with them. As we munch on BBQ-ed meat and dress beautifully, and get together with our families, these jawans fight the enemy in bitter cold, admist barren and lifeless mountains that protect and show mercy to no one. As we spend our day watching TV lazily or sending meat to our friends, they will be hoisting the national flag on another mountain, and another…. and another.
So tell me now, how are you spending your Eid?
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Citizen's Speak: The Soldier Fights, Bleeds, Perhaps Dies. Freedom Lives - Saad Naveed Pall
Today was Veteran's Day in the US - a day to commemorate the sacrifices of the member of the armed forces and of civilians in the times of war. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War 1 on that date in 1918. Major hostilities of World War 1 were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice [1]. As I sit here in Atlanta observing the celebration of Veteran's Day, I can't help but think about the war being waged half way across the world in my home country Pakistan.
I have observed how much respect and honor is given to those who have been in the US armed forces. During one of my MBA classes today, one of my colleagues - a veteran who was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan previously - was given a round of applause before the start of lecture. A small gesture perhaps, but it just goes to show how much the efforts of armed forces are appreciated. A message from the Dean to the entire school later in the day expressed his appreciation to family members and friends of the school's employees who are on duty and away from their loved ones. Schools all over the country held assemblies recognizing teachers and staff members who served in the United States Armed Forces, and remembered US troops who died in the past by playing patriotic music and songs.
Even Harley Davidson came up with a campaign saluting those who defend freedom (http://h-d.com/thankyou). The website campaign features the ability to add personalized thank you notes for veterans. "To everyone in uniform now and everyone who wore a uniform, thank you," says Rich S [2]. Harley Davidson also offers an exclusive promotion for veterans to win a Harley Davidson bike of choice on this Veteran's Day.
I have heard people say 'I am against the war in Iraq, but I support the troops in Iraq'. And that made me think about people's attitude towards soldiers and armed forces personnel in Pakistan. Pakistan is in the middle of a war against terrorist elements that threaten the sovereignty of the nation. The military has been in an intermittent state of war against Taliban since 2004, before an all-out operation (Operation Black Thunderstorm) was launched in Swat in April 2009. Later in October this year, the armed forces also launched an operation in Waziristan aptly called Rah-e-Nijat, Urdu for 'Path to Extermination'.
The attitude of people in Pakistan towards the war varies - a majority unwaveringly supports the war after seeing the disastrous consequences of a spate of suicide bombers all over the country in the wake of the the War on Terror. There are those however who still think that war is not the most effective solution to the issue. Whatever the opinion on the war and government policies around this may be, it is important to distinguish the role of the soldier from that of the politician. I have seen so many people curse soldiers for the ill-fortunes of the country. What they do not realize is that these soldiers hardly have a say in the policies dictated by our politicians and senior military leadership.
These soldiers are the ones who are away from their families, fighting in extremely harsh conditions with an enemy who is willing to take lives not just of soldiers but also innocent men, women and children. These soldiers are are up against the invisble enemy lurking in the shadows. They face the constant threat of an enemy right in front of their eye dressed as a common man. They face the incredible challenge of being in war in their own country, and trying to eliminate terrorist elements without compromising the lives and security of innocent people. And every single day, these soldiers are giving up their lives for the sake of freedom for the millions of people inhabiting Pakistan.
Last month, gunmen killed an army brigadier in a target shooting in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. The brigadier was on a visit home from his post as commander of Pakistan's contingent of peacekeepers in Sudan. A soldier was also killed in the attack. Five days later, another brigadier narrowly escaped death as he was shot at by gunmen on a motorcycle as he was driving out of his car with his mother on the way to the bank. This was followed by another attempt at the life of a senior military officer on 6 November.
These are the news we hear on TV and in the papers. What we don't get to hear are news of the thousands of others - be it armed forces personnel or civilians - who are laying their lives for the sake of freedom. I was bereaved to hear news of the janitor at a university in Islamabad who courageously attempted to stop a suicide bomber from entering the university cafeteria after the terrorist had shot down the security guard at the gate [3]. Because of the heroic act of the janitor, the terrorist was unable to enter the crowded cafeteria and self-detonated outside, spraying many of his explosive vest's arsenal of ball bearings outside into the parking lot instead of into the cafeteria. Given that 300 to 400 girls were in the cafeteria at that time, the number of lives lost could have been huge if terrorist had managed to enter the hall.
Events of the past few months have proved that whoever thinks this is a religiously motivated war, or a so-called 'Islamist' movement, could not be far from the truth. This is a political movement that is being supported by foreign elements. The Taliban, bred in the 1980s as a counter to the Russian threat, have fragmented into numerous many sub-factions, gathering support from self-intereted groups both within and outside Pakistan along the way. Taliban is no longer the name of a group, but an ideology. Pakistan - once a safe place to live, and now plagued with suicide bombers in the wake of the War on Terror - is the country that has had to pay the heaviest price of this war. But that discussion is for another occasion.
For now I will just say this: the next time you get up to point a finger at an army veteran, or question the motives of an airforce pilot, think about the enormous sacrifices they are making for the sake of your future. We owe them a lot more than sincere appreciation for their courage and valor, but that really is the least we can do for them. Let us not blame the soldiers for the misjudgements and corruption of our politicians and military leadership. Let us give them the moral support that we owe them. I end with a tribute to the veterans from the 1960s by the famous singer Noor Jehan. Rumor has it that during the 1965 war, Noor Jehan stayed for 18 days recording songs at Radio Pakistan without going home.
'Aey watan key sajeelay jawaanon,
Meray naghmey tumharey liye hain,
Sarfaroshi hai imaan tumhara,
Jurraton key qarazdaar ho tum,
Jo hifaazat karey sarhadon ki,
Woh falak bos deewar ho tum'
References:
[3] CNN - Christian janitor died saving Muslim studeNTS (http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/pakistan. hero/index.html )
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
With Love from Lahore
*** This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from Mobilink ***
Monday, 9 November 2009
Citizen's Speak: A Letter in the Name of Pakistan - Muhammad Sultan Shah
My Beloved, Bountiful Country Pakistan,
I will not ask how you are faring in these troubled times because we, the inhabitants of this nation feel, experience the same pain you suffer. These feelings of abject abuse and subjugation transform into determination and strength that course through our veins. It hurts me all the more acutely to be separated from you, each and every moment of every day, especially while I am here in the UAE due to my work.
I believe with all my heart that you are a nation of limitless potential with resources aplenty. However, this begs the question "How have we your inhabitants ravaged you to the extent that violations to human rights and dignity have become a daily occurrence? How have you become a nation where life's basic necessities (Food, water, electricity) are luxuries?". Your birth was witnessed by a scattered crowd with no aim and direction but you despite your tender age always took us under your soothing shadow and protected us. We are thankless and selfish despite the blessings you have bestowed on our shameless shoulders. The ideological grounding you have provided is precious to me beyond belief. And it hurts me profusely to se our "elected" leaders trying to question this ideology.
We should be ashamed of such shamelessness, especially in people who fall at the feet of countries such as the USA when they are meant to be advancing our own countries national interests at widely publicized international forums.
Our leaders have debased our nation to beggary giving the aforementioned such exquisite titles as "aid donations" to such apparently reputable groups as "FRIENDS OF DEMOCRATIC PAKISTAN". Perhaps people have stopped questioning their leaders right to rule or are blind to ground realities. It is in these difficult times that we find the common man struggling to make ends meet and the elites sending YOUR sons abroad to serve another nations' national interests. Is this the future we were fighting for on the fateful autumn day all those years ago? How can I share my sorrow with someone else as its only the motherland who listens and absorbs all when a son weeps from to his very limits. Countries who became independent long after us have progressed far ahead. While we, are still trying to resolve issues between Punjabis and Balochis, Sindhis and Pukhtuns. You, my dear have become a place where the third generation child descendant of a migrant is labeled a MUHAJIR. What is this nonsense have we got ourselves into?
After all this, I do not know how I can be so filled with pride and joy when i think of you, my beloved. I can clearly remember, I was taking my exams during my third year at university when a lethal Earthquake had struck the Northern Areas in 2005. The whole nation came together and sacrificed everything they could for their suffering brothers and sisters. No other nation can display the same extreme passion and mobility as we did during that time. For we are the descendants of brave forefathers. The great will that your sons showed in the Prime Ministers’ QARZ UTARO MULK SANWARO SCHEME was a thing to be seen. This national spirit reappeared recently as well after the T20 win in England. But what really happens after all these events? Why does segregation overtake Unity once more?
Sometimes, I wonder if we are really being targeted because our existence threatens the world. Is there really a religious conspiracy behind all this? Topping all this with some of our own weakness as a nation. Could all this really be the cause of the plight we find ourselves in? I do not have answer to this question.
I cannot speak for the previous generations but I have seen an everlasting will and Passion in today’s youth. The passion to revive your Dignity and pride. The passion to bring back the ideology and fulfill all dreams of Iqbal. We have hit rock bottom. That is why I am positive that this is the point where you will start to rise InshAllah and will reach the zenith of Glory. From now on you will only go upwards Inshallah. Even though the circumstances may not seem so my heart still gives testimony to your rise.
Right from my childhood, I have been hearing that we need a leader who will come and show us the right path and will lead us to our destiny. Everyone parrots this same phrase. But my heart firmly believes that everyone is a leader for himself. The ray of light that we are searching across the horizon is in fact hidden inside our very selves. We just need to concentrate and continue thinking in positive manner.
Perhaps I will never be able to express the love my heart carries for you because the words that express my passion for you have not yet been derived. Your love and admiration is the most precious treasure of my life. O my beloved country, please always keep me in your soothing shadow.
Perhaps the people are right who say that PAKISTAN KA ALLAH HEEEE HAFIZ HAY but I say that if Allah is protecting you then we (Your Sons) are your guardians. With the blessing of Allah, each and every one of your sons will protect you till his last drop of blood. Always.
I am not too shy to express my Love for you. You are the only love of my life. May Allah always keep you rising and prosperous.
Pakistan Zindabad
Friday, 6 November 2009
Writer's Block - The Burning Candle by Bushra Hassan
Let my burning heart
Dry away my tears
Let my tormenting mind
Create new fears
Let the time of my life
Run faster than the world’s
Let world’s lashing tongue
snatch away my words
Let my mountains and my people
Be set on fire, crushed piece by piece
The angel of death will bow down
the burden of lives he has to seize
Let the schools burn
Or the children return
Safe or badly scarred
In nights of darkness and days of gloom
My home is lit by stars
Young heroes lay down their lives
Another orphan is born
Widows raise their heads with pride
The only way to mourn
Let them force their will
the fear may return
but they can’t blow my life away
the candle will always burn
Dry away my tears
Let my tormenting mind
Create new fears
Let the time of my life
Run faster than the world’s
Let world’s lashing tongue
snatch away my words
Let my mountains and my people
Be set on fire, crushed piece by piece
The angel of death will bow down
the burden of lives he has to seize
Let the schools burn
Or the children return
Safe or badly scarred
In nights of darkness and days of gloom
My home is lit by stars
Young heroes lay down their lives
Another orphan is born
Widows raise their heads with pride
The only way to mourn
Let them force their will
the fear may return
but they can’t blow my life away
the candle will always burn
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