Tuesday 31 July 2012

London 2012 Olympics - Latest Medal Table

London 2012 Olympics - Latest Medal Table


London 2012 Olympics dubbed The Games are roaring on in full swing and with the zest and enthusiasm which is particular to athletes. Everybody is celebrating and having a whale of a time. It is good because there is so much hurt in the world. All of us are feeling the clinch be it financial or in some other ways. So if an opportunity comes along we all must do it some justice and enjoy. As for as feuding is concerned let's put it off to some other time. Still better not to feud at all!


Coming back to the games, after the amazing opening ceremony everybody is in the spirit of sports up to their neck (and enjoying).


At the end of this paragraph is the link to latest from the Olympic playing-fields where world's most amazing players are competing against one another to see who carries the day in the end. As far as medals are concerned until yesterday China was leading with USA following closely behind by a medal or two but now USA are at the top though if gold medals are counted China is still way ahead.


This table is good to be following games and who's won what so here is the link.


Medal Table



Sunday 1 July 2012

An Honest Person (Yes, In Today's Pakistan!)



I have been forced to return to writing after reading the news of an exemplary police man from Mengora, Sawat who has displayed astonishing example of honesty by returning a colossal amount of Rs 5.5 million. Such an honesty in this day and age and especially in Pakistan where our corrupt politicians have broken record after record of most debasing corruption playing around with the money that was not theirs.


Today in Pakistan there is a huge and blinding race of who earns more, without any thought of how he does. In today's Pakistani society we believe that the people who have not plundered or looted are actually those who, by a stroke of good luck, have not had a chance to do so. Everybody else has had their share of corrupt and dishonest earnings.


Ayaz Khan who is a police constable in Mingora found the huge amount lying by the road on his way home. He initially took the money home and began looking for the owner. In the meanwhile he heard the announcement on the loud speaker (of the local mosque, I believe) about someone saying that he had lost his money. After ensuring that the claimant was the rightful owner of his 'discovery' he returned home, brought the money back and handed over to whom it belonged. At this he was offered a prize money of Rs. 500,000 but he refused. Though I believe that taking the prize money would not hurt the standards of decency and morality yet his refusing has exalted  him above the rest of all of us.


We live in a society where looting and plundering is the way of life. People who do some mischief of a devilish standard gloat over their 'cleverness' and cunning. They recount their stories like they have done a marvellous deed and they deserve some Nobel prize for getting away with it.


But this man has upturned this notion and told the world and his own people that we can be as honest as our religion asks us to be and as our Islamic traditions demand. He has demonstrated the strength of character that is, for sure, hard to find these days among the people of his country. Ayaz Khan has proved that there are people of good character amongst us as well.


Ayaz Khan has not forgotten the lesson taught to him by his parents and his teachers. He, for certain, is held in high esteem by Allah and His beloved Prophet (sallallaah-o alaih-e wa aalihee wasahbihee wasallam). Salam to his parents who have raised such a human being with a heart of gold and the soul of a saint.


May Allah give us all 'hidaya' (wisdom to do good) and instead of boasting of our ingrained evils we feel proud in following him. He is indeed a great human being. May Allah bless him with the best of both the worlds.


Here is a post (Unique Pakistan) that will shed more light on our character as a nation and also highlight some of the acts performed by honest Pakistanis like Ayaz Khan.

Sunday 10 June 2012

Google trends


The topics that are trending on Google+ at the present are: True Blood, #Science Sunday, Rafael Nadal, Google Checkout, Israel, Madagascar, LeBron James, Steve Jobs, Britney Spears, #Euro2012.


Looking at these topics tells us something about human nature. All the topics are diverse and they are completely unrelated to each other. Though it is not remotely necessary that it should be so yet one  just argues that since we are connected to the same network or networks somehow the things that we are searching for from our table nudging this or that part of the 'webosphere' and trying to see what there is in the cyberspace that is helpful to us and a way out of our own troubles should be connected somehow at least by a some remote links. But it seems there is nothing like this.


We all homo sapiens are a lot different in our individual respective natures and since are in search of completely different things or at least different categories of things. We employ technology very differently.


So keep searching about  True Blood, #Science Sunday, Rafael Nadal, Google Checkout, Israel, Madagascar, LeBron James, Steve Jobs, Britney Spears, #Euro2012.


I googled "Science Sunday" and this is what I got:




Source: http://thetechinformation.com

Apology, Physical Abuse And Rehab



The news making rounds today include the news of a German minister who is being criticized for avoiding to pay customs duty on a carpet bought in Afghanistan. He bought the carpet while in Afghanistan on an official tour and could not manage to get it on flight back. Afterwards he got the head of German spy agency to bring it with him. The minister -Dirk Niebel who heads the Ministry of Economic Cooperation And Development- even sent his driver to airport to pick up the carpet.


Now this is amazing and funny especially when looked at from the point of view of a Pakistani. Corruption is rife in our politics. So much so that we use the idiom he is the 'proper / real politician' in our daily life of someone who somehow manages to have his way and and gets what he wants with the mix of diplomacy and bribery.  I came across an article about Pakistani (yes we have made it our own by the mastery we have acquired in it) corruption: Pakistan's Culture Of Honourable Corruption.


Coming back to the original news; the latest to be heard is that the minister in question has offered an apology. There we go again! I know perfectly well what you are thinking: that no apology is offered in Pakistan. Well! This is how we are - I mean this is how we Pakistani public are: We just let things go and then we criticize them when they get out of hand.


As far as apology is concerned the US Commander has apologized for the deaths of 18 Afghans. But nothing seems to be forth-coming in Pakistan's case though Zee News says that both countries are working on a possible apology wording.


Now come towards the most serious news of today! And that is that the security personnel accused in alleged rape case in DG Khan is yet at large.


Five women went on a recreation trip to DG Khan at one of their relation's house and then they went to Fort Monroe where the security personnel, on the pretext of checking, took them to the police station and allegedly abused them physically. A team ordered by Chief Minister Punjab is probing the matter. These men are likely to hand themselves in today.


The last one which I find important is the news that Pakistan Cricket Board has employed the services of a psychologist for help in the rehabilitation of Muhammad Aamir - the fast bowler.


Muhammad Aamer who got embroiled in the spot-fixing scandal of making deliberate no-balls along with the then captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Muhammad Asif was released from jail in February this year. The psychologist Maqsood Babri has been hired to make Aamir's return to international cricket as easy as possible in a way that will not cause him psychological problems in the future.

Friendship



Friendship is a universal concept. All the human beings from a child when he starts understanding things to the elderly who have lived a long life speak of it and no one even the person who has a lot of pain at the hands of friends speak against the idea. There are people who do speak against their friends or the troubles that they have had in their life resulting from being really close to someone but there are few people who are against the  very idea of friendship.


What is friendship? This is a question that pops in our minds at various stages in life. If looked at carefully we find that most of the life we spend searching the meaning of a myriad of things - friendship is one of them. We are in our native country or somewhere abroad we start looking for friends. It is natural. Since man is a social animal it is quite natural to look for someone with whom we can associate, entertain, share and become a part of.


Well! A friend is someone who cares; someone who worries about what we are doing to our life and to ourselves for that matter; maybe someone who loses sleep when he hears you are in trouble; someone who stands by us when others depart; someone who we can share everything with and someone "thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked (Bernard Meltzer)".


I have a video that will help understand the main concepts involved in friendship.










Click Here To Watch This Video On YouTube!

Monday 28 May 2012

Protests, Strikes And Death



Look at the newspapers today and what meets the eye is same old themes of pain, gain, insensitivity, death, hunger, strikes and drones. These days all the news revolve around these painful but powerfully throbbing with life motif- though ironic that most of them are directly or indirectly related to death - the grim reaper that is the harbinger of lethal sadness.


The saddest is the death of several Afghan civilians at the hands of NATO. This war on terror has claimed so many innocent lives that it has turned out to terrorise a huge population both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We very dearly and sincerely condole our Afghan brothers and sisters and pray for the bereaved families who have tonnes of heartache to go through to be able to live it out.


Then comes the sad fact that the hunger-protest of the Teachers's Association of Balochistan has entred into its seventeenth day with a few of them had to be taken to hospital since their conditioned worsened. But what is glaringly shameful is that the government has neither shown any remorse nor offered any words of kindness. 

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that the US will not be "gouged" by Pakistan on the price it says it will charge for overland deliveries. In connection to this whatever has happened during the last two weeks is weird to many. Looking from that side the Pakistan government appeared very week and ready to give in to the pressure from the NATO. President Zardari was expected to announce the opening of NATO supply routes while in Chicago. Everybody was incensed back in Pakistan and huge protests had been planned especially by the Defense Of Pakistan Council which had to be cancelled when the President did not go forth with the announcement. Why he did this is something that only he can tell. But one thing is for sure that not making this announcement has brought a hiatus in all the angry voices that have been raging on against The People's Party.


The break that came between 'alliance' of Pakistan and USA has deepened with the sentencing of the doctor who helped capture Usama Bin Ladin. The court that issued the sentence obviously saw it is as a treachery to Pakistan and the Constitution. But all this has not in the least been able to heal the wounds caused by the killing of the twenty-four soldiers at the hands of NATO Forces that was the second incident owing to which the relations of the two countries plunged to the lowest.


Now the news that both the Tehreek-e Insaf and the Muslim League (N) plan to go to the Supreme Court against the ruling out of the PM's disqualification by the Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza.


There are so many wars going on in Pakistan - war between the Pakistan and the USA governments on the price of NATO supply routes, war between the Pakistan government and the Teachers' Association in Balochistan, war between the Pakistan government and the judiciary, war between the Pakistan government and the masses about power shortage in the country and huge scale of unannounced 'load-shedding' and last but not the least war between the Pakistan government and the different political parties especially the Tehreek-e Insaf and the PML(N).


And the most shocking thing midst all this chaos is that neither the President nor the Prime Minister is seen utter a word of consolation to the people of Pakistan about the poverty, power shortage and the other injustices going on around the country. On the contrary Mr Gilani is seen speaking most of the time 'about' constitution. He has been reduced to defending his own position regardless of whatever happens in the country.

Sunday 20 May 2012

Another achievement by Pakistani Students



Another achievement by Pakistani Students




I happened upon this image on facebook. It has been taken from a newspaper - there is no indication as to from which paper. This piece of news states that a group of Pakistani students has prepared bio-diesel. All the ingredients are easily available in Pakistan videlicet: methanol, used and unused cooking oil (I bet: You are smiling! ) .


Here it is!


In order to take a look at the 'original' please click here.


Most of the comments seemed to celebrate it as an evidence of the Pakistani students' intelligence. Some thought that it was a fake news and they also said that the image was fake. One joked asking when they were going to the USA - hinting towards the brain drain that is happening in Pakistan.


The problem with Pakistan is that its citizens do not bring themselves up to practise the best ideas.


We all know the best of all the best ideas - submit yourself completely to Allah and He will overturn everything for you but we do not. We have the Quran, we have the Hadeeth but we are still 'down-trodden' in the World. Simply because we do not act out this best of the best ideas.


Pakistan has second largest salt mine, fifth largest gold mine, fifth largest coal reserves, seventh largest copper mine. Besides Pakistan is fifth largest milk producer, eleventh largest wheat producer and twelfth largest rice producer. Despite all these treasures we are a pauper in the world and our leaders go begging regularly.


In such a situation when Prime Mininter Gilani is asked by the CNN that one third Pakistanis want to leave Pakistan, the reply that our brilliant Prime Miniter has is, "And why don't they leave then? Who's stopping them?"


Watch for yourself! (It is a just-over 4 min long video clip. If you want to go exactly at the point I just mentioned please go at 1:26. Otherwise watch the whole clip and the second half of it shows Imran Khan in an interview on BBC in the program "Hard Talk". And you will see the difference between the two leaders.)


Please note carefully that after Mr Gilani said "Who's stopping them" there was pin-drop silence in the studio and our birdbrain and dimwit of the Prime Minister kept grinning from ear to ear, maybe thinking that he had turned the tables on the interviewer whereas he was making a mockery of himself and Pakistan.














So in a situation like this which idea this Prime Minister or his boss will help to materialise. All the world is laughing at us.


Please keep in mind that the disappointing interview of our Prime Minister should not keep our students from carrying on working hard and trying their best to achieve the best for this country.


The wealthy, in this case, should come forward and help these budding Pakistani engineers and the likes of them. As a nation we have to make it a do-it-yourself job. Our government will not help us!




Source:   The source of my statistics is an article from the homepage of the website: Potential Of Pakistan 

Sunday 13 May 2012

An Amazing Young Lady

I watched this video and I couldn't resist sharing it. This cute little angel of three years has got an IQ of 130. Please watch the video. (Please note: There may be an advert at the beginning of the video. The video clip in question begins after that advert.)






This little girl of only three years is amazingly talented with an IQ of 130 at this tender angelic age. Her mother says that she was surprised to see her daughter use advanced vocabulary and complex sentences.

Friday 11 May 2012

Is Your Password Strong Enough?




Is Your Password Strong Enough?





How to make a strong password? - is the question that has been haunting me for too long now (like I believe it must have been worrying all of you - the readers). I have been trying to devise newer passwords for my accounts on the internet every now and then.


Internet security is a huge problem these days. We are beginning to rely more and more on internet in our daily life. So it is a headache for many to devise and use strong passwords.


Here are a few of the rules/tips I have discovered over the years:





a) Variety: Use a variety of characters in your password, from letters and numbers to symbols


b) More Than One Language: If you know another language why not use an unfamiliar (to others) word from that language.


c) Use two or more than two words. Each of them can be from a different language.


d) Always use numbers in your passwords. Care must be taken about adding numbers though. Some of the experts say that if a number is at the end of a password it is very easy to hack however long that password is. So keep the numbers wrapped by letters on both sides.


e) Make a memorable sentence and take the initial, middle or last letters from words in that sentence (better to use them in different combinations) and use them as passwords.


f) Use a group of two or three unrelated words. If this step is used with "a), b) and/or d)" it will deliver a very difficult password.


Things to Remember:





There are a few things to remember:



a) Words from the different language(s), if used, must be easy to remember and take care not to drop them anywhere in your conversation and better still not to use them even in any of your writings.


b) Never write a password. Learn it by heart.


c) Never send a password in email, text or while chatting.


Useful links:





Following are the useful links that will give further insight into the subject.


a) An article from The New York Times. Titled: A Strong Password Isn't The Strongest Security it was published in 2010 but is good on how to make our online accounts secure.


b) Create Strong Passwords (Microsoft.com)


c) Top 5 Strongest Passwords It is a good website overall as well.

Saturday 5 May 2012

The Modern Pakistan

           I happened upon this video on YouTube. I watched it and had a mix of feelings.






If you want to watch this video on YouTube, click here!

We are bound to have clashing emotions and views after waching this video. It bares one of the core issues of today's Pakistan that is in the limelight for the past decade or so. We are a varied nation with as many different tastes as any other nation in the World. Some people might think that such rock-n-roll clubs with people dancing around like hippies, girls, half-clad girls to be exact (though there were no really half-clad girls in this video but that is what most of Pakistanis will call them) moving around, music playing at the top of the volume and DJ's dancing and changing songs like they have been doing it since they crossed the threshold into youth and last but not the least some youth saying that this is another side and meaning that a positive side of Pakistan as against bombings, drone attacks and Usama hiding in our country are really good for us. But most of the Pakistanis do not feel at ease in such an atmosphere.

Now there are a few points I want to make here.

First of all it is the thinking and the 'abrasive' side of Pakistan that is portrayed around the World in all the Western media without fail and without any thought to the negative repercussions it might have on the masses in Pakistan. There is so much hatred for Pakistan and Pakistanis. Here I think the problem is that we are compared to Indians. Since India is a strong (or at least so believed and projects the Westers media) country with a good economy, stable democratic institutions and a good number of people that (again this is what is believed generally and most of it is true) are literate. This plays a huge role in changing the mindset of our youth and at least some of them when they see such negativity about their country they tend to think why it is so and act accordingly changing to render themselves as 'good, fun-loving people'.

Second thing is many of the youth especially in big cities are going abroad to some part of Europe or America. When they see this culture there they inevitably are influenced. Some are so much 'impressed' by it that they completely change and do not for a good amount of time look back towards Pakistan. I personally call these youths twisted because in the heat of the moment they even drink. Some of them believe it to be a blessing that they are 'free' to do whatever they want. I personally know a few of such people at least who take great pleasure in clubbing and drinking.

The third but the most important factor in alienating our beloved youth are our corrupt-to-the-core politicians and the filthily rich people. They move around in big cars where the air-conditioner never stops giving cool air in the scorching and blazing temperature during the summer when the ordinary (using this word here since it conveys the meaning otherwise these are the most special people in actuality) people are literally dying of hot weather. Then there is the ever-deteriorating plight of our country where the facilities to lead a good happy life are near to none. Then there are corrupt institutions where the poor has no ear which hears them out and no tongue that speaks in their favour.

The fourth one is the media which at times is evil of all evils because the soaps they show, the morning shows that they happily deliver and the other programmes which are telecast FOR the masses has actually nothing - not an iota- to do with the masses. The values that our media expounds belong to the few filthy rich. They almost have nothing that meets the eye of an ordianry person and makes him say that it is about him.

There is another thing - a confusion- that comes to the fore when we compare other Muslim countries to Pakistan. It seems that they have adopted these ultra-modern ways. Whereas Pakistan is still in confusion as to what to do. This confusion is also preying on our youth.

Personally I did not like the video and what was shown in it.It is hugely troubling. More troubling because my humble eyes see the dreaded future of Pakistan in this video. We are fast losing the youth that believes in the Islamic values of humanity and trust, of hard work and honesty, of looking up to our religious leaders and leading a good life according to their sermons and above all the pure culture of seeking Allah and the love of His grand holy Prophet.

Although all is not doom and gloom. There are religious parties and the leaders who are working at it with all their heart. Among the principal ones I personally see are Da'wat-e Islami, Dr Tahir ul Qadri, the precious Professor Rafique Ahmad Akhtar and many more. These people are working untiringly but things are changing vary fast.

The last thing I want to say that even these people (those dancing their lives away in the video above) seem completely out of touch with the ordinary Pakistanis, they are Pakistanis as well. We cannot segregate these people and say that they do not belong to Pakistan. Though they are utterly modern yet they are as much Pakistanis as we are. So my request to all is that we should respect one another.

A Child unfazed by a Hungry Lioness

I was, like everybody, amazed when I watched this video. I first saw it on BBC and then on Youtube.






It is amazing how this child remains unfazed by the hungry beast. Instead of being afraid he seems to be playing with and enjoying the 'attention' from her. The boy is not too young to see the danger still he just stays in his place and at one point he even tries to have a small conversation with the lioness. This conversation is clearer and 'audible' in the video on BBC.

This incident is one of the many where we realize that the children live mostly on a different plane to the adults. They almost have their own world which if an adult succeeds in penetrating he/she is able to bring up a child who is one in a million in many ways.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Shazia Aapa

Ah.......! I am still unable to digest the fact that she is not in this world now. This makes me think how she would be feeling. Or is there no feeling after death? Which I think is not right since I take the position that the religion does. I know that my worldly mind cannot capture the essence of life up there still I just cannot stop myself thinking again and again. How people 'live' after they have died, after they have left for a completely different system of galaxies. Where there is only love, only beauty, only milky-white beings, only sweetness, only LIFE, only true knowledge, only sacredness, only honey-and-milk rivers and above all only ALLAH!

Wo jahan kesa ho ga jahan Allah ka Arsh maujood hai! (How sacred will be the place where Allah's Arsh is!)

It is so strange that one moment someone is here, in flesh and blood, throbbing with life and zest, laughing, crying, speaking... and the next moment that same person has gone. Gone forever! Disappeared into the distance that is trillions of light years from us earthlings. O God! And there is a time when we have to stand answerable to Him. Thinking of this shatters my being!

Kash k me na hota ya koi janwar hota, ya paharr hota ya jheel hota, ya roshni hota, ya phool hota, ya chahay andhera ya kanta he hota. Kam az kam hisab to na dena parrta! Mujh main quwwat hoti to me apnay aap ko rate k karorron zarron main tabdeel kr k na janay kahan kahan urra deta. Lkn afsos k us gharri se phir bhi bacha nahin ja sakta. (Would that I was nothing, or an animal or a mountain or a lake or light or a flower or at most darkness or a thorn. This way I would not be held answerable to Him. If I could do it I would decompose myself in billions of granules and scatter them all over the universe. But even that cannot help me escape Judgement!)

Coming back to the dear aapa, I chatted with her only once. She was here in the UK in a certain hospital in Manchester. I think she said she was better. Then we could not chat again for well over a month. And then I found some of her messages on my profile at FK. I replied to them and AM STILL WAITING FOR A REPLY BACK! It does not seem to be coming for years on end.

My heart prays for her!

Thursday 19 April 2012

Waves (Lehren)

Waves or ‘lehren’ as they are called in Urdu stand high in imaginative poetry and are like a friend or foe to us (Though poetry is not the subject of discussion here).

The rise and fall of waves takes us up and down with them emotionally and create such a divine surge of thoughts that one goes running in fondness chasing these wave-thoughts and building on them. We flow with the waves thus created and are ecstatic in the delight or sorrow they bring. Thoughts in their very nature are just like waves; they come around, they rise, they fall, they take us up and down with them and create a bulge - be it of extreme ecstatic divineness or chilling sadness. Both of them serve to exalt us.

The waves that rise and fall in our minds are just like the waves that rise and fall in the sea. At times these waves bring with them roaring winds and heavy rains that flood the nearby areas and leave them in need of repair and care. Similarly there are waves that rise in our hearts and make us remember the pain, the trials of the past and how we got separated from the people we love or we thought we loved. The excruciating pain that such waves inflict tears through our bodies rendering us fragile and at times dead to the world. At yet other times there are waves bless us with divine sensations and fill us with such happiness as we had never experienced before. Waves of this kind take with them whatever ‘dirty’ or painful resides on the shores of our hearts just as sometimes waves in the physical sea do.

Yet there is another aspect to the concept of waves which we generally, being humans, ignore or make light of. It is this concept of waves that I personally hold dear, very close to my heart.

I like to think of man as a freely floating object on the colossal mass of the waters of this world; and Allah the shore. Man floats on and on in his pursue of worldly comforts and works hard to achieve goals that will make him rise in this world. He is constantly running notching up one milestone after the other. Man does all this in search of perfect poise where he can live his life smoothly and in extreme comfort. In this search for equilibrium he usually comes across hurdles, pain, troubles and seldom true success. In these trials and tribulations sometimes he feels so weary that he decides to stop running. After a few moments someone else comes by and he looking at this ‘amazing’, ‘awesome’ person decides again to take up the race to better his chances in the wide world.

But if he makes some space for this third aspect of waves; the one that tells him that he will only ‘float’ like lifeless objects until he believes Allah to be the shore towards which he must be striving to go; then and only then he achieves the true satisfaction and comfort and happiness. When one truly believes that whatever he is doing in the life has to be for Allah and Allah must be his top priority in all the struggles of his life. Here I do mean the ‘worldly’ struggles. Then when there is pain he shows patience and when there is success and happiness he does take into account his God, Allah and believes that this success came only because Allah wanted it this way; he achieves true happiness and satisfaction surges through his body until it ‘completely’ encapsulates him. Living life like this the true believer in the end reaches his ultimate goal – Allah. That’s why we see many people while dying have smile on their faces. This is the smile of meeting with Allah and ultimate destination of all the lovers.

Note:  I decided to write this post after reading a post about 'lehren aur yaden' at www.friendskorner.com.

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Siachen and our leaders

It is a week since Pakistan army suffered a dramatic loss when a huge avalanche swept over a base camp at Gayari sector in Siachen. Since then every body has been praying for a miracle that saves the 139 people, including 128 soldiers, who lay under the gargantuan mass of ice God knows in what condition. As yet no progress has been made in retrieving the precious bodies that are sacred enough to be cried for.

This giant tragedy has brought cries from all sides of demilitarizing Siachen which has engulfed billions of dollars and hundreds of precious lives since this seemingly useless standoff began with the Indian army in April 1984. This is ironically sinister since it is in April 28 years later when our brave soldiers lie there under giant body of cruel ice that can take life out of anything that is roaring with energy and activity only moments earlier.

The good thing is that many of these voices belong to the people who matter. The most prominent ones are Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. Nawaz Sharif has said without any hesitation that our government should not look towards Indian government waiting for what they do. He believes that we should do it on our own if the Indians are not willing to go ahead with the demilitarizing. This is good since he enjoys a lot of clout in Pakistan. This statement of his echoes 1997 talks between Pakistan and India as well as reminds one of nuclear tests that he carried in response to those made by India. It can be safely projected that if he wins the next elections in Pakistan he will be making a lot more effort than before to engage India in talks on various levels. This might include the eight-point agenda agreed with the Indian government in 1997 before he was ousted by Musharraf.

Imran Khan is of the view that this should not be a unilateral step. He must be seeing through the eyes of a captain and weighing the pros and cons of this 'move'. He seems eager for Pakistan army to pull out of this lethal adventure that is doing no good to our 'jawans' but only if the other side reciprocates our move. At the moment he is thinking as a strategist though the burden of this loss clearly weighs heavy on him like on every other Pakistani who thinks highly of our brave forces.

Another voice that I will call more important than the preceding two is of the General Ashfaq Pervez kayani who said that he is highly in favour of talks with India and a decrease in defense budget. He thinks that development and defense should go hand in hand. Defense as well as development along with spending on the people of a country is important for the strength at the national level.

Last but not the least the President's visit to India hold a lot of importance in its own right as well as in the context of what is happening now. It seems that the Nature also agreed with him and a sort of aided him on his tour to India by bringing about the fatal incident, enlarging the futility of Siachen to a proprotion that it can no longer be ignored by any of us.

This brings us to the conclusion that the leaders of Pakistan are heading towards a maturer look on different issues affecting Pakistan. It seems they have learnt from the past especially the most recent incident owing to which many issues have burst themselves onto the scene. A new era appears to be in brewing when the Pakistani masses will be the main focus of the policies our government make in the near future.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

The Brutality Of Siachen


Pakistan Army suffered the heaviest calamity at Siachen in around 30 years on 7th April, 2012 when 135 soldiers and civilians from our brave army were buried by a huge avalanche in Gayari sector.

The rescue efforts are still ongoing with 452 men taking part but without any success as yet. Up until the mid-day 40 feet of snow had been removed nearly half more staring the rescuers in the face who work unrelentingly and untiringly to pull their colleagues out of the clutches of death of which there is lesser hope with every minute passing.
 
Every eye mourns the tragedy, every heart cries at the disaster as this incident sits atop in our minds inviting discussions at what happened and detailed review of the frigid arctic conditions in which our soldiers are destined to work at the height of 20000 feet.

Both Pakistan and India spend around $500 million annually and also bear the loss of life which is mainly due to the brutalities of Siachen. Its frigid conditions take a heavy toll of life on both sides. Though India unofficially celebrated what they called "zero casualty" in 2007. That year they suffered only three casualties two of which happened in a copter crash. Whereas on our side the destiny writes a different story. Pakistan has not been able to make such claims as yet. 

Though there must be enough facilities for the brave soldiers of our army still a lot needs to be done for their well being. I am sure the administration of our Army will leave no stone unturned in providing for the brave army personnel who serve there away from their homes and loving family.

Our prayers are with the army and the families of those affected by this tragic incident. We do have hope that Allah save them and deliver them of the catastrophe.

Sunday 8 April 2012

Kazhak Mulims Angry

Since the post I published today about the blasphemy to the name of Allah I have been looking online and I happened on this story.

The Muslims of Kazakistan - a dominantly Muslim country are angry at a company that produces vodka at the inclusion of word "Allah" on its bottles.

The Muslims in the dominantly Muslim society are up in arms against the Baiterek vodka which has been selling alcohol with the inscription "The Power of Allah Suffices for All". There is a huge uproar at this. According to the Radia Free Europe Radio Liberty religious leaders in the country have been asking their congregation members to keep calm and "not to succumb to their emotions over the inscription on the bottle".

Among the news websites that carried the story are:


Related post:

Desecration Of Allah and Islam

Today I have watched a video that has shaken me to the core, it has my soul in turmoil and in agony at what I in person can do to stop this. The problem is no one on their own can do so. This has to be tackled by us all. Please watch the video first. 









If the video does not work, please click here.
 
This is shocking and tragic such things are being sold in our bazars and peopel who are fond of these abstarct designs buy these things happily without taking notice that they actually desecrate our religion and defile the basic tenets of Islam that has been the saviour of billions of people.

Now the question is what we can do.

Firstly, we have to be conscientious that Islam is our religion and we are the followers. Being followers of Islam requires us to know what is right or wrong and what we can do to stay the followers and the believers in the eyes of Allah. Since how He looks upon us is what matters most. Now-a-days we indulge in too many sham things only for the sake of the 'people' and the 'world'. Remember it is not the "world" and the "people" who will give us 'Ajr' (the reward) for being a good Muslim. It is Allah who will do so.

Secondly, we can simply stop thinking that if we will do something real religious, people will say that we are trying to be 'maulvi' (prayer leader/ religious leader) or that we are 'putting on this show' to be wali (Allah's friend). If we think for a while it will dawn on us that all this thinking is actually the result of our week faith. Again we must be doing these things for the will of Allah and to gain His happiness and belssings.

Thirdly, we must go through all such things at our homes to see if they contain any image that actually purport and prove that we are not Muslims. And if we do find things like this we must stop using them. If we cannot buy something to replace it we should not. Just wait for the time when there is enough money earned and saved and then go and fulfil our 'craving' or 'taste'.

Fourthly - last but not the least: we must jump to our feet and spring into action and jump-start to spread the word all over the web and by word of mouth to our near and dear ones. Please do not forget to let know those who we 'just follow' on social media platforms. For example if someone else has shared it in the main stream on Facebook or Google or Twitter which you follow please do not think that it is done. No it is NOT done. You have not done your part. Please do not think for one moment about someone that they might have learned about it anyway or what somebody else will think about you doing 'all this stuff'. We are not here to prove anything to others. We HAVE swore allegiance to Allah and we are here to prove to Him that we are His and we are on His side and we are craving for His happiness.

Related Post:

Kazhak Muslims Angry

Sunday 1 April 2012

A Rupee (Aik Rupaya)

A few days ago I saw a photo of a Pakistani Rupee. This was it:




Looking at this, memories of old days came streaming into my mind. I remembered how we utilized one Rupee or five Rupees or (if we were lucky enough to have it) a 10 Rupee note.


The problem was (now I do not believe it should be a problem for children but you never know since the days of childhood are mad days and characterized with 'not-understanding' ) that my parents did not believe in giving us notes (like many other parents of that time or even of today for that matter). They packed us lunch and advised us to eat all of it.

When our parents did provide us with a few rupees that was only for two reasons. Firstly, This money was given so that we might bye some snacks as to have something extra to eat with the lunch. Secondly it was to prevent us from ogling at what other children bought and stop us from thinking that while other class fellows bought form canteen why WE did not?


I do remember what I used to bye. Mainly it were a few 'pet' things that I used to bye (I do not remember what my younger brother used to spend his money on). I was very keen on Nice biscuits, Butter Scotch (a 'toffee') and of the drinks I loved to have a Mirinda. Another thing that I was always thinking of 'eating' was  a bubble gum. Do not remember the name but it used to come in colourful wrappers and inside it also had a sticker with the pictures of cars, toys and birds etc.


One thing that stands in marked contrast with those days of old (well, come back, not SO old by the way) is the quality of the things that the children of today eat. These days bubble gums, toffees and biscuits are not good enough to be consumed by children yet their consumption by this innocent creature has increased many fold. It is the responsibility of parents and of teachers to keep children away form such 'garbage' and bring them up on healthy things and make them take healthy eating habits into their grown-up years. This will be one of the worthiest things that we can give them.

Thursday 22 March 2012

Asia Cup Final


I must say that I am a greater fan of Bangladesh Team from now on. The way they played, the resilience they showed, the way they fared so well, the way they tackled the pressure and the way they played against the top teams in the game is simply amazing. It has taken many by surprise. They used to do one or two upsets here and there but this time they simply thrashed the Indians, the Sri Lankans and the Pakistanis. I will call it thrashing that they did not let Pakistani batsmen stand on the crease and when it came to batting after the initial slow start they played like good batsmen. Then in the end they could not speed up. But if we look at the required run rate and the overs available towards the end it is clear that despite losing the match they still fared well. The world has seen what a brilliant team they are turning out to be and with the same hard work they can no doubt be one of the top teams of the world in 3 - 4 years.

Though as a Pakistani I prayed for Pakistan my heart goes out to our Bengali brothers. My full support is with them.

Now coming to Pakistan - the winners of the Asia Cup 2012. Winning this title was so important for Pakistan as a whole for so many reasons. There has been so much going on in Pakistan and the Pakistanis as a nation have been going through so much all these previous years that winning this tournament is a ray of light for them. This people - they are so excellent, so passionate, so loving, so sacrificing, so hard working, so hopeful and so special that it is in their destiny to live their lives as they are doing at the moment. Allah has predestined for them to live through the test after test and still come successful at the end. Terrorism, corruption of their leaders, inflation, joblessness, complete failure of electricity and so many other things have made them 'a bit' tense. They really deserved to have this moment of happiness and celebration. Only these are the things due to which we specially wanted to win this final. And thank Allah we did.

Another reason that Pakistani people are feeling miserable is the lack of cricket at home. We are THE cricket-starved nation. Some would argue about why we are so passionate about this game. I do not want to go into the details here. But our people do need a break from so many things going on in Pakistan and at international level concerning Pakistan.

Now a few words on our team - one of the most brilliant teams in the world, I must say. Our players have their incompetence in a few ways, they do lack one or two things which I hope they and their coach and management will work on. But looking at this event they played some good cricket and they won. Well done team Pakistan!

So as a Pakistani I prayed for Pakistan though I am still feeling for Bangladesh. They are a happier nation, they do not have the problems that we do. They will have their many other happier moments especially in cricket. O yes they surely will. The way their team played today it is phenomenal and giving the same hard work they are bound to come up as a world class team.

May Allah bless us all! Amen!

Bangladesh Cricket Team

It is amazing how Bangladesh cricket team has come to be playing the final of Asia Cup against Pakistan. It is  a comparatively new team and surely a less experienced one. BC rose through the ranks in the recent years heading its way slowly but steadily to the top. Even if they do not win today I personally put them among the top teams playing today. Beating world class Sri Lanka and India is not to be ignored.

Though they did not fare well previously (having won only two out of the last twenty-nine games before they entered this tournament) but in this tournament they being a home team has shown their commitment and confidence in a way that have left two big teams - India and Sri Lanka wondering what went wrong with them and why they could not defeat the bengalis. The way the Bangladesh team has conducted themselves in this event is amazingly blissful for their fans.

What remains to be seen now is how they perform against Pakistan? Will their batting and bowling be able to hold together and complement each other? Will their players be able to live through the pressure of playing against Pakistan and more than that playing in one of major finals? Will they make sure they do not lose again this time in the final? All these questions are to be answered today.

The Bangladesh team may not win today but even coming this far is also an achievement for them. This tournament will surely boost their confidence and do wonders to their commitment to the game as well as their courage to take on other great teams in the world of cricket.

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Parliamentary Committee and Their Recommendations

I have been wondering since the events of Tuesday as it turns out that they have surprised many people across the globe and especially in Pakistan. It is really interesting to note that a parliamentary committee has weighed in, with unusual suggestions, to support the country-wide held view that the government should stand up to the USA like sovereign governments do and not bow to 'commands' by Americans.

The parliamentary committee headed by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani demanded that Pakistan should be offered an "unconditional apology" over the martyrdom of twenty-four Pakistani slodiers by Nato forces; further adding that tax should be levied on all the goods that are transited through Pakistan which is by no means asking for the impossible. The other things that the committee recommended include the demand to stop the drone attacks in tribal areas, the USA review its "footprints" on Pakistani soil, "no hot pursuit or boots on Pakistani territory", and all the activities of the private security contractors be made transparent and in accordance to the law of the land in Pakistan. Another notable point is the recommendation that Pakistan should also try to reach deal like the Indians are doing with the Americans, making sure that security of Pakistan is also not compromised. There are similar, around forty, points that have been noted in the report read out to the Parliament.

Now the question is what will the government do. Only on this hinges the success for Pakistan in the future. All these recommendations if agreed to in full and to the letter and implemented like they should be done will have far-reaching healthy effects on Pakistani government, society at large and on the reputation all over the World which is, to tell the truth, is in tatters and need a full fledged overhaul which will not come unless harsh decisions are made and implemented in their true spirit with religious zeal.

If this is done it will have severely bad effect on the economy of Pakistan. But when has it been better? Pakistani nation has experience spread over decades of living in poverty and unfavourable economic conditions. Everybody knows full well how many sanctions Pakistan had to go through to become a nuclear power. These sanctions and hard times will certainly squeeze the common man but there is no other way out for our country.

What is required now is the voice from all various forums in Pakistan and around the world for the support as well as demand of Pakistani government to push ahead with these harsh but just recommendations made by the parliamentary committee.

Saturday 10 March 2012

"Saving Face"

It is in the news that the governments of Punjab and Azad Kashmire have decided to punish men who throw acid on women. It is a good news.

"I was sleeping at my mother's when he came in threw acid on me..... He didn't take a second. In one second, he destroyed my life."

These are the words of the main character of the documentary that won Pakistan her first ever Oscar. These words are as shocking and as haunting as they are straight. Anyone who has got even an ounce of sensitivity whether that be for humanity in general or as a Pakistani for Pakistan, will surely feel the pain. These words will not (would not have in some cases) let him sleep for some time.

Some of us out there are arguing that this win has actually debased Pakistan by bringing it in highlight; as if before this we were really respected around the World.

This documentary is a turning point for us all. So much claim many of us make that we are a literate, progressive society, but actually we are not. This movie is a big clarion wake-up call which we must pay attention to and respond to positively. This horrendous crime is going on in our midst and we cannot rather do not do anything to stop it. I feel shameful at these act of ours. I do not find a place to hide my face because this is atrocious. It is not a Muslim's act. It is not the doing of a person who speaks of Islam so much. We have fallen in deep pit that we need to move out of.

At the present Pakistan is going through a number of problems. Most of them are of our own making. They can be very easily solved if I and you take the step forward.

Whether it is Waheeda Shah, whether it is the decision of a 'jirga' to brutally murder two women, whether it is honour killings, whether it is rape of vulnerable women, whether it is beating of two boys at the hands of brutal animals in Sialkot or whether it is the cowardly act of throwing acid on a woman and the list goes on and on; it is I and you - the individual - who is responsible for all this.

Punjab and Azad Kashmire governments have taken the decisions to make the perpetrator of these brutal acts pay. It is a good news.

What remains now is to see whether these governments can establish law and implement it in its true sense. Because implementing a law has always been a problem for Pakistan. Unfortunately we are not a law-abiding nation.

Friday 2 March 2012

The Fickle Minded Kamran Shahid

"Aap kisi ki maan ban rahi hn, aap logon ka dukh le rahi hn aap Mother Teresa hn?"
(You are trying to be a mother and taking on the publics problems. Are you Mother Teresa?)

This is what the brilliant and suited-booted Kamran Shahid had to say to Maya Khan when she explained why she had gone to all the trouble about helping out the people.

Now in order to do someone a good turn do you need a certificate to be Mother Teressa? This behaviour is what constitutes as "point scoring". Talk of Increasing ratings!  Even when Maya Khan explained and gave details of what had transpired ACTUALLY and produced witnesses. Which witnesses by the way? The very people who acted in this staged program which was put together to raise awareness among the parents of teen and tween girls about the dangers of letting their daughters go unchecked and undisciplined. In addition, all this happened in response to all the complaints that the SAMA TV received. Still Kamran Shahid kept having a go at her and even asked her for "an unconditional apology". Shame! Do you have any concept of the word Mr Smart Aleck?

This is utter shame that this sort of fickle minded people who lack the ability to make decisions promptly on seeing some evidence, are working in Pakistani media. Though he looked clearly confused after he saw the evidence and heard her out, yet he did not say that the evidence showed her faultless.

Earlier while speaking about what the general public had said about her in various forums, he himself named Facebook and then realizing that the fact that she was called names and thousands of obscenities were hurled at her and her familiy will tilt the balance in her favour, he said "leave what was said on Facebook".

On another occasion he stopped just short of saying that the political anchors who did programs without asking her to explain her position did wrong. Instead he said something like "people will ask them" or something to that tune.

These two things just show what sort of moral fibre he has got.

Similar sort of writer is this Jahanzeb Haque who after watching the program did not understand what he had seen. Dull minded Haque who rambled "apology not accepted" ranted on about her without anything worthwhile.

Readers please pay attention: program pre-planned, Maya's pictures not what they have been purported to be and with the witnesses on stage in front of the camera what else is the proof that these people need.

This sort of people had the public in all this battle of emotions  This even is not the "mara hua chooha" (dead rat) that comes out in informal discussions in our society when nothing worthwhile is found. This is just NOTHING. Nothing at all!

All this uproar that has been going on for a while was for nothing at all. Maya Khan's name has been smashed around, her husband and she herself, their other family members were made to receive all the trouble for what was just a planned program.

This is as clear as the day that there are people out there who are simply jealous of her and all the work that she has been doing and all the attention that she has been having for her good work. They cannot digest it. They have been losing sleep over it. Or they are taking aim at her simply because at the moment she is down and vulnerable. They are doing it just for point-scoring and to increase the ratings of their programs. There can be no other explanation of this irrational behaviour.

The role that the Management of Sama TV played in all this is sickening. They knew all along what happened and still failed to stand by her.

The future historian will never forgive all these thick skinned people.

Do check out this link: Maya Khan