Early morning Massacre - Post emergency

I usually get up late on weekends, owing to the fact the days are off and there is no early morning yawning and rushing for school. But today I was up at almost the same time, when suddenly it happened yet again. The blast sound was too near our place this time. With that the birds and crows making a hue and cry over the incident flew away.  “Ya Allah Khair - my heart pounding”. 

For a split second i wanted to switch on the TV and surf thru to find the latest news.. But then the media clamp down came to my mind. No there wouldnt be any news anywhere. There were no sirens rushing to the scene even. Almost an hour later, i finally switched on the set to find only Aaj News displaying the strip. Still nothing on the dammned PTV, ARY or even Dawn News. I am not a proponent of Aaj or any other channel but they still bravely started airing the news of the blasts. Yes it was near faizabad this time.

 I wondered in the past few days, what has caused the outburst of attacks to subside. And then this..

Where are we headed? The following two letters to editor in Dawn Newspaper depict the real state of mind of the public

 http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/24/letted.htm#10

Relinquish your office

MR President, I am a well- wisher of yours. As said in earlier mails, you had done good to your country, but all things come to an end. I accept you are supported by the army, but there had been to much water under the bridge, it is time that you vacate the office. I list the reasons for it.

The emergency should have been declared by the president and the commander-in-chief of the defence forces. However, it was done by the chief of the Army staff. The implication being that the Army ignored the president in doing so.

The sacking of the judges is unprecedented in modern democracies. It will be impossible for you to exonerate yourself from this act. People of Pakistan will not accept you turning the country into a Myanmar. If people don’t want you, say: “Hell to you, I am going”. Let them sort their problems.

Ten years are more than enough to be a president. I fail to reason your desire for power.

Your political problems are encouraging religious fanatics who are exploiting the unstable political climate.

S.A. KHAN  /London

http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/24/letted.htm#6

Lagay raho…

IT was nice to see in Dawn’s issue of Nov 22 the picture of a female journalist offering a red rose to a police official outside Karachi Press Club despite the police’s brutal behaviour with the journalists a day before.

This reminded me of Indian movie ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ in which Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) launches peaceful defiance through the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, which he calls ‘Gandhigiri’.

He sends flower bouquets to the landlord of an old-age home who forces the occupants of the house to vacate.

Following in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi by adopting a peaceful way of protest, he asks the general public to send flower bouquets to the landlord of the old-age home with a ‘Get Well Soon’ card, and ‘Gandhigiri’ does wonders for Munna Bhai.

I think it is time we Pakistanis started sending flower bouquets to the presidency for Gen Pervez Musharraf with ‘Get Well Soon’ cards. Let us put ‘Gandhigiri’ to test in Pakistan.

M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA /Karachi

Maa

Just read these lines a couple of days back in another email. Liked it therefore putting it here for you all.

MAA

WO IS TARAH MERE GUNAHO KO DHO DETI HAI
MAA BAHUT GUSSE ME HO TO RO DETI HAI

LABON PE USKI KABHI BADDUA NAHI HOTI
BAS EK MAA HAI JO MUJHSE KHAFA NAHI HOTI

JAB BHI KASHTI MERI SAILAAB ME AA JAATI HAI
MAA DUA KARTE HUYE KHAWAB ME AA JAATI HAI

KISI KO GHAR MILA HISSE ME KISI KE HISSE DUKAN AAYI
MAI GHAR ME SABSE CHOTA THA MERE HISSE ME MAA AAYI

 —

May ALLAH always BLESS you Ammi & Abbu.

The dilemma

One cannot clearly comprehend the situation our nation is going through right now. Sitting at gathering last evening, I came to know that the previous military rules had similar instances in their tenure before the downfall. I wonder how much of sacrifice is needed from the common man before some sanity prevails in the country.

The dilemma in my point of view is that of lack of true leadership in the country. Whether it is military or democratic rule, the charisma, vision and insight has been missing. Today on the business community seems to be making hay while mushy stays on. The expat community stay here and working on different projects wants Mushy to stay on. The Molvi hazraat never really played the role they were supposed to do. Instead making invalid statments time and again. Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and others are far ahead of us in terms of infrastructure availability, literacy etc. Pakistan seems to be light years behind.

The focus of our energies and activities has either been the political crisis or waging or readying the military for another warfront. And nothing more.

More later…

Parha Likha Punjab

A point to ponder…

Have been listening to the radio Ad and watching the commercial. Its good that the govt is working to promote education and good to listen to the radio promos while driving, but on a different perspective it doesnt feel right when all you hear is about Punjab.

Thinking at a macro level, isnt it the right of every citizen here to be educated. Profiling, targetting individual areas of the same country? However on a different note, when the leadership of the country is wayward, one should not expect any pragmatic steps from the lower cadres.

Some snaps from that time

Here are some links to the family at that time Snapshots from the home video

Myself & my better half     /  yet again  / Hammad

Happy Birthday - my country , my son and few other thoughts

My country today is 60 and my elder son, entering another year in his life. I am here for my country today at the heart of the jubililation and festivities but away from my cute one. Yes today it is his birthday as well. Most people called him Azad Khan when we were blessed by ALLAH some 5 years back and the nurse brought him to the incubator in the very early hours of 14 aug 2002. The grand mothers and grand fathers cheered the moment.

Yet today his Nana is not here to bless him good luck and bring lots of candy. Yes the past few weeks have been yet another whirlpool of events. My father in law passed away after a sudden haemorrage and things were all upside down within a matter of few hours. May ALLAH bless his soul. The days I were to spend at office and then take the current week off were spent in KHI for the funeral and the post days activities. The family upset and the wife who lost her husband totally blank. Whereas hammad and ammar totally unaware. He went there to celebrate his b-day with rest of his cousins and friends and still wants it that way - Still unware.

I can still feel his heartbeat go fast when I took him to see his nana for the last time; as everyone at home prepared for the last rituals. His quizzical questions continued; “Is Baba there?”, “who has come over?”.  “Just come and I’ll show you.”, were my only words. Hammad saw his Nana Baba, lay there quite and serene. No more questions poure after it, just a rise in pulse probably, indicated by the pounding heart. I wonder how he felt. Then disappeared in the house to look for his cousins around.

I still wonder what is the end of it all. I am surprised, perplexed, quite

The Sheikh’s roadster

Early morning, 9am- well for a Karachite I’d say so, for Isooite may be the same.. going on the murree road to take an exit road to Airport road via Rawal road, I am suddenly distracted by a siren. My first thought went to some ambulance rushing somebody to the hospital. Finding nothing in my rear view or ahead of me, my eye caught the glimpse of a speeding jeep (a range rover probably) with enough gun men to scare the s_it out of a normal person.

And guess who was in the 2nd jeep (an even better one guess it was some Hummer version). The driving seat window partially un done… Yes it was our very own minister S. Rasheed. The third jeep behind his was the same as the first one..

With a news few days back that all dignitaries and govt people have been asked to have a low profile, owing to loads of unwanted activities going around. I wonder what was our Sheikh Sb doing early morning on pindi roads. The kind of lavish lives our state ministers have, it is every ones guess. I have no objection of him travelling that road, everyone does, so does he. But the way these people carry the whole thing.. is disturbing.

Maybe I am overstating the incident, but something wasnt right about it and it was there..

The Isloo days

The web esp the blogging world seems to be a fair distance since moving to Isloo. I wonder is this what I was chasing for sometime. Working over 10 hours a day for 5 days. The weekend seems to whizz past me. Family life seems no where. The kids stay home all day waiting.. I hate it at times, but then I longed for a better career. I did not want them to be part of this initial period of settling. But what defines this period… I dont know myself.

The blasts and the lal masjid episode has made my KHI family asking me back. Dont know whether to comply or not. Uncertainity has never been so bad neither the family ties. My elder one asks me for going to Park towers  a number of times during the week. I just smile and keep quite. I just wished and prayed for a better future for the family.

Fun, Freedom, Love

Few words on the memories of days (almost a decade to be very very precise) gone by.. 

Driving on a jam packed Murree road and listening to Kailesh Kher (Mein tou teray pyar mein deewana ho gaya), though i found the song after much a do; something just clicked my mind.

Talking to myself and thinking out loud, the memories of past years started flowing. The long drives around clifton and sea view. I could just feel her presence right next to me. Somehow the drive seemed to match the same endless one. Her hand on mine while changing gears and the endless gaze.  The tiring games of air hockey, and the rocking rides in Sindbad @ casino. Eating grilled sandwiches at Young Ones (today Caffine). It was altogether a different time.

Yes Fun, Freedom, and most of all TRUST.

Even though that time has passed, but there have been other better ones, felt, cherished and enjoyed.

Miss you mate..

merger of cricket and politics in the offing

So earlier it was the tustle for the top seat at PCB. Resigning and getting back. Now it seems the players (ex) are jumping into the already dirty and populous pond called Politics. Imran started his own activity under the banner of Tehrik-e-Insaaf to search for justice and bring front whats right for the country.

 It is not a matter of what he did was right or wrong. The most amusing (worrying) thing is the open accusation, blame game and opposition that has started in the current time. Yes everyone has a right to say his word in this autocratically democratic state. A country where the top judge’s repute and respect is at stake, who shall cover up for the the common man.

Imran started off with blatant comments against the BHAI sitting in UK with plans to file a case against him. Yes, very much so, whatever acts him and his party have committed over the years are simply unforgiving. But on top of it another ex-luminary of the cricket world, plans on joining the BHAI in UK to discuss with him possible retaliation to Imran’s possible act.

The two, Imran and Sarfraz view’s on cricket are poles apart. Now Sarfraz has started a battle in a new ground called politics, where the justice itself is pleading not guilty from the justice.

What is becoming of this country. I wonder, who is right and who is to be blamed and by whom. President accusing the judge and the judge hitting back on him by filing references.. Strange.

May ALLAH help us all and our country.