Pakistan: Waiting for a Revolution!

The masses are shocked as in Pakistan the co Chairman of PPP Mr. Asif Ali Zardari leaves for London, then flies to Dubai and then calls the entire cabinet and the premier there. People are committing suicide because of increasing chaos and price hike and these guys are having fun on tax payers’ money. Now the people of Pakistan are saying that why not declare Dubai as the summer/ autumn/ winter capital of Pakistan.

The new government has not been able to deliver in any of the areas since it took oath in early 2008. With the lack of an independent judiciary in the state, justice has become something which is not achievable for a man in the street. This is the single most important factor which is making the lives of millions miserable. People simply have no rights. Its only the chosen few landlords/ industrialists/ ex army men who are the elite owners of the power corridors and every law can be bend to suit their needs. Recently a large number of scandals came to press in which public property was given at dirt cheap prices to the civil bureaucracy but no action has been taken against the offenders. While in Karachi a guy hanged himself to death when he couldn’t pay a small loan by the Citibank. Statistics are now available with the national assembly that billions of rupees of debts have been waived off by the banks. The big names are insiders of the government so no action will ever be taken against them. There is growing unrest in the country due to this lawlessness and no remedial measures are seen even in the distant future. The political leadership simply appears to have lost all sense of direction.

In the troubled NWFP province and in FATA (federally administered areas) the religious fanatics have reached the posh locality of the provincial capital, Peshawar, called Hyat-abad. They have ordered the cable operators to censor certain channels and the guards in the locality have been told that they will be paid by those who have given orders that if they see anything ‘illicit and against their norms’ they should inform them. Failure to comply would lead to death. This is tantamount to running a state within a state but the government is happy when its spokesperson Mr. Rehman Malik comes on the TV and tells that everything is under control. It is most certainly not. The people of Pakistan are being lost in a cloud of apprehensions created by the recent media growth. Every news channel with its so called experts and analysts keep airing the doubts about the fate of the country and there is a race to portray the darkest possible picture. Common man cannot cope with the ever increasing prices of essential utilities and commodities and people have started to either kill their children or sell them. These incidences were sporadic to begin with but now there are blaring headlines every day informing the people of the suicide rate and occurrences of any particular day. Social pressures are the most ignored ones and no academic policies have been thought of or made to counter these rapidly changing circumstances in the country. The polarization between the haves and have nots have become increasingly sharp and some believe its heading towards a bloodshed.

Latest war in Pakistan: Politics after Elections 2008.

The split mandate given in February 2008 elections by the nation didnt work out as anticipated. Things are going from bad to worse and the politicians have failed to deliver.

After Benazir Bhutto there is nobody capable of real leadership in Pakistan who could also keep the federation intact. In the February elections Punjab voted for PML (N) and Sharif brothers became the king makers there. Whereas in Sindh majority voted for the party of Bhutto. The later is now headed by Mr. Asif Zardari, husband of later Ms. Bhutto. In her lifetime she had rejected him as a political figure and when she returned to Pakistan to take part in elections of January 2008, she wisely ignored Mr. Zardari and left him behind as a liability instead of an asset.

In the last days of June 2008, the prime minister, Mr. Yousaf Raza Gilani allegedly ordered an operation in the FATA (federally administered areas) of Pakistan. The real decision making is however done by Mr. Zardari who has little political acumen as proved by the trail of events since elections. Its ironical that the parliament was not taken into confidence regarding military operation in FATA and the coalition partners of Mr. Zardari are very vocal against this action. The judiciary crises was also mishandled by Zardari and inspite of an  accord (the bhourbon accord)  with his coalition partners, the sharifs, he couldn’t reinstate the judges in time and instead came up with a lousy ‘constitutional package’ prepared by his cronies. The proposed package has nothing to alleviate the rampant poverty or unemployment or for that matter anything to counter the increasing terrorism in the NWFP. In Punjab also the real power is in the hands of Sharif brothers who have an agenda of their own and its most unfortunate that neither realizes the problems faced by the common man. Increasing prices of all commodities have led to increase in suicide rates, lowering of tolerance, anger, creation of clan like culture in every nook and corner of the country, a totally disturbed social fabric and lack of the writ of the government in controlling anything from prices to terrorism policies. Both Zardari and Sharifs are at a loss to understand the underlying unrest in the country and have bitterly failed the nation. Elections 2008 have therefore done nothing for the masses who voted to remove the dictatorial rule of Musharraf. He is still the president of Pakistan and has no intentions of stepping down.

On June 29, 2008 government allowed a price hike in petroleum products which will cause massive unrest. It has been told that the expenditure by the ministers, including the ones from PML (N), who resigned in protest earlier, runs into billions of ruppees whereas the ordinary Pakistani is finding it hard to make both ends meet.  The provincial government of ANP (awami national party) in NWFP at first claimed to resolve the conflicts with local taliban and religious parties of the troubled areas of Swat and FATA but after sometimes there was a U turn and the federal minister, Mr. Rehman Malik ordered an operation which he now refuses to admit and maintaines that its only some steps to counter the tribal terrorism. Common man resents these killings and use of force against so called innocent religious parties. Government doesn’t have effective media policy which would have been instrumental in preparing the nation of the lawlessness of these groups. The prevailing sentiment is that its a re play of “lal masjid” fiasco in which scores of innocent lives were taken by the military operation. A recent interview by retired Gen. Jamshaid G. Kyani has fueled this feeling and the public is entirely against the use of force in tribal areas of Pakistan. No matter how determined the United states of America is, people of Pakistan have their quota of hatred towards their policies and with some very solid reasons and emotions.

The lever that didn’t kill Benazir Bhutto

Two days after the Bhutto’s assassination Brig. Javed Iqbal Cheema of the interior ministry, govt of Pakistan, in a live press conference told the viewers that it was “the lever of sunroof” which killed Benazir Bhutto. He claimed that this “lever” caused a ‘depressed fratcutre of the skull’ which was the cause of death. Ironically on the night of December 27, 2007, the doctors of Rawalpindi general hospital had declared that her death was due to the bullet wounds which entered her neck and caused damage to brainstem.  Government spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said that Bhutto was killed after she hit her head against the sunroof lever of her Toyota Land Cruiser as it left the Liaqat Bagh in the twin city of Rawalpindi after addressing a rally. Cheema did not dispute the fact that three bullets were fired and followed by a bomb blast but claimed that neither the bullets nor shrapnel from the explosion hit the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader. Instead, Cheema said Bhutto had stood up from the sunroof to wave to her supporters and dashed her head on the lever when she tried to duck after hearing the gunshots.

It is being reported in Daily News & Analysis that an official of the Toyota company that manufactures the vehicle states that “We are convinced that it can’t be a lever (that caused the fatal head injury) but we are still looking into more details,” According to the official, the lever could not have caused the head injury as it was installed inside the vehicle and was at least six centimeters from the edge of the sunroof. At the same time, he did not dispute the fact that there could have been bloodstains on the lever. “This is understandable. If she was hit in the head by a bullet, bloodstains could have been left on the lever.”

A senior surgeon wrote: “There is no way a human being could generate the type of force required to cause a skull fracture by returning into their vehicle, through a sun roof or not. You see these kinds of injuries, as our government seems to be describing, when someone hits a skull with a hammer or a blunt instrument of some kind, not from falling down into a seat. Further, no one dies the way BB died from a skull fracture. Death is slow and prolonged, unless there are associated injuries such as a gun shot through the neck and the chest. The manner of her demise fits clearly and explicitly with being shot in the neck and the chest.

I’m sick of the lies. Just sick. I’m sick of those who say it was her fault for standing up to wave goodbye. I’m sick of those who blame anyone else but the Government who should have provided security and the pieces of shit who think murder and mayhem are justifiable methods of social protest. Just simply sick. (from: http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2007/12/31/sunroof-injury-couldnt-kill-bhutto-toyota-official/).

Bhutto’s death: A dream has vanished

Last night I was passing by the main avenue when I saw some flickering lights in the distant. It was Pakistan peoples party office and the large portraits of Z. A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto were wrapped in the pitch darkness of the night. In the foreground were people with candles in their hands. It was a candle light vigil in memory of Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto is the name for martyrdom in Pakistan. Benazir’s father, Zufikar Ali Bhutto was killed in 1979 by a hung decision of the supreme court (four out of nine judge declared him innocent). Then a few years later his younger son, Shahnawaz Bhutto was killed in a French riveria. Cause of his death remained a mystery till now. When Benazir became prime minister of Pakistan, her only remaining brother, Murtaza Bhutto was killed in a shoot out. Government agencies were callous enough to say that she ordered the killings. And now the final blow to the family and for Pakistan: Benazir was assassinated on the evening of December 27, 2007. Yesterday she was burried along side her father in Garhi Khuda Bux in the SIndh province and slogans were heard “we dont want Pakistan” “we dont want army”. Alas there is no one with the calibre of Benazir to stop this separatist sentiment. She was the only politician of stature and statesmanship who was gifted to hold the federation together. Now, after her, there is chaos and anarchy. More than fifty people have been killed and railway stations have been burned in the after math of this one killing. Army has been called in Sindh where the separtist sentiment is rising by the day. The political arena of Pakistan will miss Benazir for ever. There is simply no one with her subtle manners, high academic achievements, tolerant methods, liberal-democratic outlook, and above all the international recognition as a brave leader from the muslim world. Too bad that petty politicians like Fazlur Rehman and Pervez Elahi are all the stuff remaining and as the election date approaches, the nation is at a loss to be able to choose from this lot. Gone is the romance of Pakistani politics which was aglow with her name.

They have killed the dreams and Benazir Bhutto

December 27, 2007. United nations’ security council is said to meet shortly to talk about the post Bhutto scenario and the developments in Pakistan.  A news report on CNN and BBC just cofirmed.

The whole world is shocked and is grieving Benazir Bhutto, the heir to the legacy of late Z. A. Bhutto.

They killed Ms. Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi while she was addressing a political rally. An era has ended with her demise and Pakistan has lost the only credible political leadership. This is a huge loss and will be felt by the generations to come. Her father, the dynamic Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was killed by an army and court conspiracy in 1979 and ever since then political stability has never been possible in the country.  Later her two brothers, Murtaza and Shahnawaz were killed by the agencies and everybody in Pakistan knows about it. The whole family has been massacred. Dont forget that for the last eight years the country was being ruled singlehandedly by General Pervez Musharraf and his selected Chaudries, Mr. Pervez Elahi and Mr. Shujat Hussain. The rivalry between Pakistan Peoples party and chaudries is old and well known. The elder chaudry, Mr. Zahoor Elahi was the guy who boasted that he is the proud owner of the fountain pen with which the then supreme court judges turned down the clemency petition filed by the widow of late prime minister Z. A. Bhutto and the later was subsequently hanged in Rawalpindi. The same city saw her brilliant daughter, an Oxford graduate and the first woman prime minister of any muslim country murdered in cold blood and she breathed her last on her way to Rawalpindi general hospital. Bhuttos die like that. Martyrs, as people of Pakistan call them.

In a country with true literacy rate is hardly in twenties, the clan and tribe rivalry is of paramount importance. Honor killings and the acts of barbarism are the routine of the social fabric and its not considered a crime to kill an adversary. This tribal sentiment is not restricted to the Pathan areas or tribal belt of the Northern Pakistan. Its very much opertional in the hearts and minds of big landowners and industrialists of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. Its easy to accuse taliban of everything that goes wrong but the lamentable fact is that without Benazir Bhutto there is hardly any leadership which can be called liberal, democratic and educated. What Pakistan is left with is a bunch of opportunists whose only aim in life is to grab more lands and rob the banks of more money in the name of industrial growth. They are proud to have crude power and enjoy it.

After Benazir Bhutto Pakistan has nobody on its horizon to steer the nation through the demands of civil world and 21st century. This nation has suffered the unsuffereable. With Benazir Bhutto all the hope is gone. Now the remaining will rule without statesmanship, or even rhetoric to win public opinion. As such public opinion doesn’t even matter because the ruling elite is adept in breaking and molding the constitution of the country. Culture of tolerance has been thrown back with this single stroke of barbaric act and now if you look at the candidature of legislature, you will only encounter those who are deep in the mud of clan traditionialism and illiteracy. Health, education, higher education, research, development, unemployment, increasing wedge between the havenots and haves and other major problems faced by this third world country will now only get worsen and on top of that increasing role of mafia groups, illegal operations in the name of national interest will flourish.

Good bye a sensible, democratic Pakistan. We have successfully removed the only obstacle to the growth of the country and have thrown the visionaries into oblivion. No mourning or flag half masting will ever come to rescue the nation from the claws of dimwits with their lust for power at all costs. People will not dream as their dreams have met with bloody massacre and a land where dreams are murdered is one where no sane person would like to live. Wait for a massive exodus of educated people from Pakistan

Burhan is no more

He was a small kid with sparkling eyes.

“His name is Burhan” Lali had said when introducing him to all of us. It was the wedding of Javed mamu and all of us were so young. We didn’t know what is grief and pain. We were loved and protected. Lali is the younger sister of my mother and this is her family nickname. Everyone calls her that because she is so loved.

At 3 sehgal street, shamnagar chobourji was the house of my grand mother. We called her nani ammi. Mamu Javed as the eldest son was the guest of honor with his olive green Opal car which he had brought with him from England. Burhan must have been 3 years old at that time. He could speak a few sentences and we could understand his cute gestures and ‘can I play with you’ requests. There were groups of cousins and every one wanted Burhan on their side. He was so adorable. The marriage ceremony went on for some weeks. It was fun for us kids. Going to shoppings and waiting for ladies to fix the rates of ornate dresses which smelled great and had glittering threadwork of silver and gold on them. I still remember Burhan and I used to caress a pink silky dress and it was so soft to touch. I touched Burhan’s cheeks and told her mom that he is like silk, so soft and so loveable. She had laughed heartily at this comment and hugged both of us. Then Javed uncle gave me a large Bugs Bunny. We could mold and remold it anyway we want. Burhan wanted to play with the bunny but I was too possessive. He used to first talk about it and his little hand would hold its arm; but the moment he got more than half of it I used to wince and run away holding it firmly. Then seeing tears in his eyes I would stop in my steps and hand over the bunny to him which he would hesitantly accept and a sudden angel like smile would adore his face with tears undried in his soulfull eyes.

There was a large tree at one end of the compound under which most of the things happened in relation to the marriage ceremonies. Young girls sang and we sleepily and happily observed their melodies penetrate deep into the nights and the stars above us appeared to shine brighter than ever.

Nights were bright when Lali and her family boarded the plane to England where she lived in Cardiff with her husband and two sons. Younger, Adnan Tufail was doing studies in medicine and a few years ago she sent us the photograph of two brothers in graduation gowns. Burhan excelled in English literature and was appointed a researcher in Kings college, London. I lost contact with them and got busy in my own life.

On a sad evening two years ago uncle Javed was talking to me on the internet when he suddenly asked me, “Of course you know Burhan has died.” I got sick and wanted to throw out. “NO! you must be kidding” was my meek reply but within my heart I knew it was true and that night I cried alone. For a distant cousin whose eyes I will never forget and whose smile will always brighten my days. At such a young age, Burhan’s loss has been felt everywhere. I called my aunt and she was broke. I didnt have the heart to ask her what happened. Later Javed uncle told me that it was sudden heart attack and I was wondering do poetic hearts break like that.

What do men and women really mean…

In a woman’s dictionary:

Words —-Meanings

 Yes     = No

 No     = Yes

 Maybe = No

 I’m sorry = You’ll be sorry

 We need = I want.  

It’s your decision = The correct decision should be obvious by now.

Do what you want = You’ll pay for this later

We need to talk = I need to complain

Sure go ahead = I don’t want you to

I’m not upset = Of course I’m upset, you moron!

You’re so manly = You need a shave and you sweat a lot

Be romantic, turn out the lights = I have flabby thighs

This kitchen is so inconvenient = I want a new house

I want new curtains = and carpeting, and furniture, and wallpaper

I heard a noise = I noticed you were almost asleep

Do you love me? = I’m going to ask for something

expensive

How much do you love me? = I did something today you’re going to hate

I’ll be ready in a minute = Kick off your shoes and find a good game on TV

You have to learn to communicate = Just agree with me

Are you listening to me!? = [Too late, you're dead]

Men’s English:

I’m hungry = I’m hungry

I’m sleepy = I’m sleepy

I’m tired = I’m tired

Do you want to go to a movie? = I’d eventually like to have sex with you

Can I take you out to dinner? = I’d eventually like to have sex with you

Can I call you sometime? = I’d eventually like to have sex with you

May I have this dance? = I’d eventually like to have sex with you

Nice dress! = Nice cleavage!

You look tense, let me give you a massage = I want to fondle you

What’s wrong? = What stupid self inflicted psychological trauma is it now?

What’s wrong? = I guess sex tonight is out of the question

I’m bored = Do you want to have sex?

I love you = let’s have sex now!

I love you, too = Okay, I said it, Now can we have sex

Yes, I like the way you cut your hair = I liked it better before

Let’s talk = I’ll impress you by showing you I am a deep guy then maybe sex?

Will you marry me? = I want to make it illegal for you to have sex with others

I don’t think that blouse and that skirt go well together = I’m gay.

2008: Elections in Pakistan

On November 3rd, 2007 Pakistan became lawless. A state of emergency was declared and the 1973 constitution ceased to work. Basic rights were gone. Judiciary was sacked, ( http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article3132477.ece) and the civil society was stunned. General Pervez Musharraf had declared the state of emergency to combat with the increasing judicial activism in Pakistan. The chief justice of the supreme court, Justice Iftikhar M. Chaudry and several others refused to take oath under the

PCO (provisional constitutional ordinance) with the result that their services were terminated and new judges inducted in supreme and high courts of the country. Soon the new election date was announced. They were to be held on January 8th, 2008. The state of emergency was subsequently withdrawn on December 15th, 2007. But those judges  were not taken back. General had struck his final blow and no judges will dare to question the administrative decisions now. With the independent judiciary gone, elections are supposed to ameliorate the problems faced by this rapidly decaying society. The major players in the political arena, former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz sharif, were allowed to come back (both were in exile for the last 7-8 years). The king’s party, Muslim league (Q) is at a loss since the voters are totally disillusioned. The price of bread has gone up from Rs.1 to Rs. 4 and the staple foodgrain of the country, wheat flour is touching record highs of all times. People are simply not interested to let those cronies and politicians join the power echelons who have destroyed the very existence of social decency. The twin Chaudries of Gujrat, Pervez Ilahi and Shujaat Hussain are the symbols of impotency and intrigue and the people would not like to see them hands in hands with their mentor, Gen Pervez Musharraf anymore. Nation gave them eight years of absolute power and saw the civil society going down only. Qabza groups and pressure mafias with the help of civil and army beaurocracy has ravaged the public money and there is wide dissatisfaction among the population against them. The public is also angered at the way judiciary has been dealt with since the present pre emergency judiciary became the symbol of accountability in the country and it was the first time in the sixty years history of Pakistan that solid steps were taken against all powerful administration and executive branches of the government.

Do Muslims consider suicide bombers as martyrs…?

Christians: Do you consider bombing the children, taking the lands of other nations illegally, making ghettos and causing holocausts, depriving people of their right to exist as “love of Lord”, misguided dupes or something else? Does bible teaches you tyranny? Is this what Christ told you?
Answer is so clear within the question. Both nukes were neither created by these “Muslims” nor they dropped them, I have seen Hiroshima and Nagasaki and mass graves and the lunch boxes of school children turned to stone and human beings shadow imprinted on the stone stairway of a bank. I failed to find any religious involvement then. I still believed that it cannot be teachings of Christ or Moses. When is this insanity going to stop? Do we have anything to ask others when our hands are still bleeding, the blood of Vietnamese kids and raped millions is still showing. How about if a Muslim asks the above questions to Joseph Stalin or Adolf Hitler or Americans and British occupation forces of today.

What to do when feeling really lonely.

Question: Everytime I think of my younger days with my father I feel very lonely and depressed. Could you help me? how? Don’t tell me to jump over the building coz i might as well.

ANSWER:

All of us feel lonely at one time or another. You were too attached to your father and this is the most natural thing. You loved him immensely because he has been a source of love, protection, encouragement and companionship for you. You miss him because that love you got was unconditional. There were no terms. It was so very natural and it was there all the time. In later life we tend to roam away from our lives and we think we are progressing. We need time to look around and looking back tells us we don’t have anybody just for us. Human relationship is very complex and complicated. No, you are not jumping over a building but you are not going to be alone. Find a friend with whom you can talk/ share on 24/7 basis. This harrowing feeling I do understand eats our hearts and renders us helpless. Of course help is there but you have to pull yourself together. Mourning and grief can get really prolonged. Nobody is saying that you should forget your dad. But imagine what he would feel if he sees you in this despair? Please note that its our bodies which die, our souls don’t. We feel when we pass away and we are near our loved ones. When they are hurt we feel more hurt. I am sure you wouldn’t like to make your dad feel bad and start to take interest in small things around you. Write to me. Write to other friends you already know. They can be the key to the road to happiness. Loneliness takes time to disappear and you will have to keep trying by diverting your attention to other things. Start a social activity. Help others in need, you will be rewarded so soon and the response will be so overwhelming that you will find yourself crying out of gratitude. Is there a doctor near you? Why not consult him. Your condition might also benefit from professional help.

From:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhrAALaBe0ZzJj.5mhF8.3Xty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=1006052331932&show=7#profile-info-AA12172175