پشاور کا ایک قبرستان

پشاور کا ایک قبرستان ہے۔ جس میں بہت سی چھوٹی چھوٹی قبریں ہیں۔ ان قبروں کی مٹی سے عجیب سی مشک آتی ہے۔ کہتے ہیں ان قبروں کے مکیں بہت بہاد تھے۔ یہ قبریں خود میں بسنے والوں کے چلے جانے کے غم کی طرح ہمیشہ تازہ رہیں گی اور ہمیشہ جوان رہیں گی۔

December

December was my favorite month of the year while growing up especially the last 10 days, the excitement of a new year. The chill was not only in the air but one can feel it inside; all the dry fruit, all the saag and all the hoodies. You have to be warm from inside to feel the cold that lives outside. We use to have Ramzan in December when I was growing up and I was also a student at the Presentation Convent, Hassanabdal and we use to get Christmas holidays too. So, the December was both blessed and merry.

My love for December continued even when I was no longer a third grade student. I still loved December when I was a teen or when I was a university student and even then when I was a boy, working at my father’s construction site, out there in the open. December’s appeal never depreciated not even a dime but then the December of 2014 happened. After the 16^th of December, 2014 everything changed. Suddenly, December was synonymous with loss, sorrow, mourning, excruciating pain, and grief. December has lost its mojo. Now it was the worst month of the year. The following December, the wound got fresh again; ripe as it was on the day one. December was lost. December was gone. Every reference to the month ended up on the mentioning of the unfortunate day of 16^th December, 2014, like the month has no other day. I wished that I close my eyes on the 31^st of November and open them on the 1^st of January, skipping the whole month. The worst part of a misery is that you have to live through it. December was my misery.

But then I had an epiphany. I realized that you not only mourn the dead but you celebrate the survivors. December was no longer bad but now it stands for promising that we will not let it happen again to all the other mothers. We faltered in our promise but the resolve is still there. Now, I love December again but with a pinch of melancholy. Now it is not just a month, it is message that reads love and cherish your own and protect them at any cost. It is a pledge that says that we will not let it happen again. It is a resolve that affirms that we will never put our foot down and it is a reminder that how low our enemies can stoop. Today December stands for many things and I love it for this.   

The World

The world is big

The world is small
What the world really is?
You can never be sure
But the thing about the world is that
The world is today
The world is present
The world is now

The melting ice cream

I know pain

I have seen hope

Nowhere to run

Nowhere to hide

I am a failed revolution

Just picking what is left

Thinking the unthinkable

Supporting a lost cause

Pursuing a gone case

Once thought that nothing is beyond help

I am the judge, jury and executioner

But you cannot bring back the dead  

He

He can play with words

He can even slay with them

He thinks high

But only of himself

You do not know him

But you owe him

He is the king who knows no father

All that bad that is out there

He was the target

He is the victim

Whosoever told him the truth

He jumped on him

Like a mouse in danger

Otherwise happy to nibble away

Anything that is good or bad

He lives under his own pity

He licks his wounds to keep them fresh

He who do not want your respect

He who only wishes for your sympathy

Accomplice not victim!!

Hollywood especially and movie business in general is all about making and selling dreams. The common man looks at the world of movies with a mix of awe and amazement. It is their escape from the daily grind of reality. It is not that the non-filmi men and women are interested in movies alone; the personal lives of the people that are part of the movie business too attract a lot of attention from their fans. However, the reality is that the movie people are as much good or bad as your next person.

Harvey Weinstein is a or was a famous Hollywood producer, who has produced films like Pulp Fiction, The Lord of the Rings, The Artist and Silver Lining Playbook. As reported by the New York Times and The New Yorker, he over the years have sexually harassed, assaulted and raped dozen of women. The list includes many A-list actresses such as Heather Graham, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. Although on his behalf his spokesman has denied the rape charges but has not denied the rest of the allegations. Mr. Weinstein has been relieved from his duties at his production company and is currently on a sabbatical and is pursuing therapy and counseling to “deal with this issue head on”.

Sexual Harassment, in short is bullying and coercion of a sexual nature or the unwelcome promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. The term was first used in the 1970’s but sexual harassment existed even before that and in every culture in one form or the other. But the recent Harvey Weinstein controversy has really lit up this issue like never before; an issue that all prefer to hush-up and keep mum about. 

I have no sympathies for the man, frankly I do not. It is not because I am not allowed to but because he is really a sick man and his actions demands that he should be kept away until he is not fit to be part of the human society. But someone has to look on the other side of the coin too. Was he alone in this? This is a big question. All those women who are today coming out, breaking their silence and are saying that they were subject to sexual harassment at the hands of Harvey include actresses, temps and production assistants from Harvey’s production company. Few of them even made out of court of settlements. I seriously believe that they are responsible for the next girl that had to go through that disgusting experience because it was their silence or whatever reason they have made up to soothe their conscious that encouraged Harvey to continue with his antics and prey on other women.

I also feel that in this scenario Harvey is a victim too because all these starlets that were in their struggling phase benefitted from his vulnerability and used his weakness to boost their own careers. They could have taken the high road and have said “no” and should have made noise, loud enough so that others could have got warned. Today, it is easier to chant “Me too” or point fingers towards the fallen film producer. It really had meant something if they had done it when it was their moment to seize the moment. It surely must have cost them something but they preferred their own tiny goals over greater good of all.

I know ours is not an easy world for women and you do not have to be a feminist to feel for the women. The reality of our times is that we are selling mere symbols in the name of women empowerment. Frankly, we ourselves believe that by shunning dopatta or barring a female midriff means empowerment or her dancing with men means freedom. All this has nothing to do with women empowerment; all this is just further exploitation of women. This does not make women safe at the work place. However, it can also not be achieved through education and by changing the social perception of women alone; because there will always be powerful, there to exploit. So, the only solution to this problem is speaking up and speaking up at the right moment, ready to face whatever the resultant challenges will be.

If you have faced sexual harassment you are a victim but if you do not do something about it timely, then you are an accomplice.

I am not proud of my wife!!

The word proud is defined as a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction which is a result of one’s own achievements. Keeping in mind the definition and me, my wife can never be proud, at least of me. However, the last time when I told my wife that I am proud of her she replied what do you want to eat for dinner? She thought I am buttering her to get some butter chicken.

Husband and wife share a very complex relationship. It is a relationship in which you can see shades of all other relationships. A wife if the situation demands even assumes the role of a mother to her husband. I sincerely believe that a woman when reaches at the epitome of any of her relationships she turns into a mother whether she has started as a sister, friend or a wife. Motherly instincts come natural to almost all the women. It is not some social construct but a part of a female gene pool.

It is not mandatory for husbands and wives to be proud of each other, they should be in love with each other, they should be at war with each other, and they should be at peace with each other. It is the others who should be proud of them not they, themselves because being proud means full stop, stagnation and the relationship of a husband and wife do not need that, they as a person and being part of that marital relationship should be ever growing and evolving. So all those who are reading these lines and are married, please do not be proud of your better halves, be in love with them; in their good and in their bad.

Putting our own house in order

Recently a lot has been said and is being said about “putting our own house in order”; from the interior minister to the prime minister, all voiced their support for the notion. Our foreign minister while talking at the Asian Society event in New York very frankly and boldly explained Pakistan’s narrative but he too reiterated what his colleagues from the national cabinet said.

This wave of enlightenment in not home grown but is a result of a Trump tirade at the Fort Myer, the tirade which is now commonly known as the Trump administration’s Afghan policy. The policy not only puts all the blame of America’s great Afghan failure on Pakistan but it goes beyond that and calls Pakistan a supporter of terrorism as the safe heavens of Afghan Taliban are situated in Pakistan; in short Pakistan is responsible for everything that is wrong with Afghanistan today. Something that adds insult to injury, the policy talks about giving India a greater role in Afghanistan’s development. India as being the partner in Afghan development means more Indian soft power in Afghanistan and a further positive image. This policy not only undermines Pakistan’s role and sacrifices in the war against terror but it also shows Pakistan as some country that is always ready to peel off whatever US dollars they get their hands on. This policy has less to do with rebuilding a safer Afghanistan but has more to do with a US containment policy of China; in that policy India is an important cog while Pakistan being a friend of China naturally has to take all the blame. The policy is welcomed in Kabul and New Delhi as it establishes their stance.

The US Afghan policy is not the lone stimulant that has triggered this thinking of putting your own house in order, in the recently concluded BRICS summit; many outfits which are usually denoted with Pakistan were dubbed as responsible for violence in the region. This happened in presence of Russia and China, who support Pakistan’s stance of an indigenous, Afghan led regional approach to the Afghan problem and were also the first two countries that voiced their dissent against the new American Afghan policy. The possible justification for this can be that is both China and Russia house a sizeable Muslim population and their Muslim population has a history of separatist movements and violence, in the times of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, when extremism and militancy are not geographically bound, thus fearing for any backlash at the home soil such preemptive action is justified. Instead of lamenting our friends we should be aware of their limitations and compulsions. Every country has the right to act in their national interests. Country to country relations are based on the convergence of national interests.

This brings me back to the home front and to our above mentioned debate, for the last decade or so; Pakistan is putting her own house in order; from the operation Al-Mizan to the ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, all these military operations were and are directed towards the home grown menace of terrorism so by so that in the times of former Army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Pakistan Army saw a paradigm shift in its doctrine and the internal security threats were declared a bigger threat then the traditional Indian centric threat, which has been the mainstay of Pakistan’s national security since her inception. So, it will be unjust to say that there is no kind of awareness or understanding exists in Pakistan. These actions pretty much talk for themselves and tell that Pakistan is well aware and awake.

However, the bigger question is what should be done in the aftermath of the recent happenings? Pakistan should look at all of her options carefully. A rational and practical policy with a long sighted vision should be adopted. It would be wrong to not to engage with the US as some hawks suggest. We should keep in mind that even today US is the biggest market of Pakistani products and is home to a sizeable number of Pakistani expatriates, whose remittances are very important to Pakistan’s financial survival other than that US is still a super power. Pakistan should also continue her support for the Afghan led peace process as peace in Afghanistan ensures peace in Pakistan. Pakistan should also look at improving her bilateral ties with Afghanistan, people to people contact should be encouraged and more and more Afghan students should be given admissions in Pakistan’s educational institutions. The Afghan refugees can also help to establish goodwill between the two countries. Pakistan can achieve this just by making their stay in Pakistan a bit more comfortable.

It is for Pakistan to realize that if the world demands heads, we at least have to give them some limbs.

Love letters from the past

We all are in love with the beauty of nothing

Like a bubble’s wish to live forever

Like a pain we all savor

We abhor the no

But how complete an answer it is

Buildings, corridors and memories

What they even mean if nobody cherishes them

The void that everyone tries to fill

With a dump of emotions

Rotten farewells

Old letters

Expired gifts

There is a box that contains all this

The box that has love letters from the past

The words that now mean nothing

The words that meant a world once

Why to carry a weight

That neither kills you nor drowns you

Why live in past

Why to drive around a roundabout again and again

When you can go straight  

We love to hate Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussian

Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain is many things but currently he is an anchorperson and is associated with the BOL channel. Recently, he made headlines again when he visited Myanmar along with the famous TV host Waqar Zaka to highlight the plight of the Rohingya Muslims, who are facing atrocities at the hands of the Myanmar authorities. Reportedly he was detained at the Rangoon airport when he told the local authorities about the nature of his visit and then was later deported. He has safely reached Pakistan. 

On the home front, his sojourn to Myanmar has ignited a variety of reactions; some have applauded him for his step while many keeping in mind his persona and past antics called the whole initiative just a TRP exercise. Some even went a step ahead and called that he did not even had the ticket or visa to go to Myanmar and all this is mere cosmetics.  

The reality is that we all love to hate Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain. We call him a poser but his Ramzan transmission has the highest TRP ratings. We blame him for commercialization of Ramzan but somewhere in-between we forget about all the price hiking and black marketing that takes place during Ramzan. We question his antics on television but forget that up to what extent we go, on the national television for unique kee bike or a Q-mobile. I accept that Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain is not perfect but is he the only thing that is wrong with us and our society? Blaming him does not rid us of what we are. Like any other human he must have a good side but this does not attract our attention because you cannot mock a person for a good deed and this also do not fulfill our ulterior motive which is to fetch ourselves as many as likes or re-tweets possible. In order to become sarcastic we are fast becoming pejorative.

Today only negativity sells and we are the biggest buyers of all. In our pursuit of negativity, we have become myopic to the extent that we have ceased to appreciate positivity of any kind. We believe there is conspiracy behind everything even if it is Pakistan’s Champion trophy victory or Malala winning the Nobel peace prize. We think so low of ourselves, that we believe that we lack the spine to achieve anything on our own. How someone like Malala who has become a face of girl education and female rights, internationally can be our enemy. Even if we suppose that she is a western stooge for a minute, in short an imposter still what she represents by all means is only good and best for our girls. If you do not want to support Malala, do not do it but support her message. Sometimes it does not matter who is saying, the thing that really matters is what he or she is saying. In our hate for that particular person we forget this very thing. We refuse to accept the possibility that something good can come out of that person.

This brings me back to Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain and his visit to Myanmar. Suddenly all of us have become altruistic but none of this altruism is directed towards the Rohingya Muslims instead we are praying for the martyrdom of Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain in Myanmar. Various memes are being made and shared on the social media websites which mock him and his initiative. I guess somewhere in their heads they still think that all of this is just some segment of his game show but in actuality it is not and mind you martyrdom is not some “lawn kee sale” that anyone can get it.

Personally, I think that even if it is just a symbolic gesture on his part it is more powerful than most of the words we have said in the support of the Rohingyas and is above all the mock and flogging he is receiving at the moment mainly because it involves a practical action. He could have joined all those who are busy beating their chests and are giving empty rhetoric on media platforms in support of Rohingya Muslims and against the government of Myanmar, believe me he could have done this better than all of them but instead he choose to go there in person, to experience their misery first hand. This feat is worthy of being copied, if not copied then surely it should be appreciated and encouraged. This is the least we all can do. Until when we will continue to play the crowd to a lynching, silent witnesses to a vani or a kar-o-karee or will continue to vote ourselves out? We have to stand for ourselves. Before anything we should realize and recognize that there is a problem in our collective attitudes and behaviors and it needs to be rectified. We have to grow patience and respect for others and their actions which do not conform to us. We should respect the personal space of the others if we want our personal space to be respected.  

We should realize that it is not the face but the message that matters.

(A version of this piece has been published by the blog section of the Express Tribune on 15th September, 2017)

Love and Marriage

Truth is said to be the first casualty of war. The same is said for love and intellect. Intellect is the price that one has to pay for getting love. This assumption is rather false as it is not in love but marriage, where one has to lose his wit and at times guts too. Marriage starts from the point where love ends. It is evident from all the great love stories from Romeo Juliet to our very own Heer Ranjha. You will find only two similarities between all these stories, one is love and the second is that the lead protagonists never got married.

One thing is for sure that all these legendary love stories would not have been such legends if those lovelorns had married each other. Romeo would have still died but not by drinking poison by eating the “teen’daas” that Juliet would have cooked for him. Ranjha instead of running “I hate Qaido club” would have organized a “Qaido fan club” as that crippled, bhung enthusiast was the only one who tried to talk some sense into Ranjha. Had Sohni opted for an uber ride instead of that ill-fated attempt to cross the river with the help of a clay pitcher, then Mahiwal would have been dropping-off children at school and buying “unda double roti” for life instead of grazing buffaloes for Sohni’s father. Punhunn instead of passing as a washer man for Sassi’s father would only needed a “sarkari nokri” to qualify for Saasi’s hand in marriage. On the other hand, assume had these couples been alive in today’s time and day, I assure you that they have still stayed unmarried but because of variety of reasons such as dowry, phupho ka bay’ta, mah life mah rules and papa kee princess attitude of the girls. In short marriage is the “m” in love means there is no marriage in love.

Jokes apart, the truth is that I was lying until now just to make you to read these last two paragraphs. Marriage is the logical conclusion of love. If love is Fakhar Zaman’s century then marriage is Aamir’s three wickets; you cannot win a match without both. The amount of happiness that one gains from love and then marriage, does not requires one to be an Einstein to feel it, a mere simple human made of flesh and blood can feel it.

Love also do not deprive you from intellect, it is a world of its own which has its own standards of sagacity and wisdom. Love enriches you in such ways that Mansoor starts chanting An-al-Haq; you no longer stay you, you become theirs and them. This transformation can only be understood by those who go through the ordeal of loving someone. May you get love and marriage; whichever of these two gifts come first always hope and pray that it is followed by the second one. May your love be the sea where intellect floats and hate drowns.     

The girl with a big yellow umbrella

No sun rays

No raindrops that are pouring

No unwanted gaze can reach her

Her big yellow umbrella keeps every unwanted thing away

Walking while holding it in her hands, she looks like some burning meteor

But for many she is a shooting star

They wish upon watching her

Their days turn brighter than that yellow umbrella

There are legends about her

Some say she is a princess on the run

Some call her the lady of the night

Some just call her ordinary

Some wish, some lust and some fear her

But still everybody thinks about her, talks about her

And she like any dream lives on passes by but nobody can catch her

A futile pursuit

But a worthy one

If that yellow umbrella do not make its way through the street

We fear that the sun might not come out

The time will stop breathing

In short, that yellow umbrella is imperative for our survival

The truth is  

She has no name

No address

But a single identity

The girl with a big yellow umbrella

That bench in the garden

That bench in the garden

That shrub that always covers it from the above

Today when you were not there

I sat there alone for the first time

I have never felt that slab this cold before

And that shrub without a flower before

I reminisced the long talks

The grass that was beneath our feet

You know it is still yellow

The breeze that made your hair go sway

Has stopped since you have gone

That anthill that worried you so much

The ants have vacated it

But they have repaired the swings

And you can here children laughing

Amidst all this I realized what that bench is

It is a shrine

A shrine where my love with your memories is buried

I paid my respects

A nice place where I can mourn our love

Those endless numbered sunny days

They just do not go away

Even if I try

Even if I cry

The question of Pakistani Hindus

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Hindus make about 1.60%[1] of all of Pakistan’s population. At the time of independence, there was a sizeable population of Hindus in the areas that became part of Pakistan but majority of them opted for India. However, still a lot of Hindus were living in the Eastern wing of the country but after the dismemberment of Pakistan, the province of Sindh became the largest province to house Hindu population; Hindus make about 6.51% of Sindh’s total population.[2]

In the near past, many Hindu families have migrated from Sindh to India. India is the natural destination for the Pakistani Hindus as they share religious, cultural and familial ties there. The majority of Pakistani Hindus have settled in the Indian states of Gujrat and Rajasthan; both these states share a border with the Pakistani province of Sindh too.

However, for the migrants things have not been all that great in India. As India is not a signatory of UN Refugee Convention. So, the migrants have to live in make shift camps without any electricity and water. Above that they are suspected for being Pakistani spies and the Indian agencies closely monitor their movement. Getting Indian citizenship is also not easy as it comprises of strict and lengthy procedure, the migrants have to bear a life that is, in short, miserable and difficult. Although the Indian government has taken steps to fast track the process of acquiring Indian citizenship but it is still far from producing the desired results.

The real questions here are why this is happening and what the state and citizenry of Pakistan should do about it?

Pakistan repeatedly reiterates that the Hindus are safe in Pakistan, they enjoy religious freedom and all this is mere Indian propaganda to malign Pakistan’s image and to divert world’s attention from the atrocities faced by the Indian minorities at the hands of Hindu extremists. However, all is not false propaganda or mere exaggeration. This situation is an outcome of many stimulants and the major ones are discussed below.

Firstly, extremism is on rise everywhere in the world, Pakistan in general and Sindh in specific are no exception. Secondly, Sindh has a very secular history but today it is not the reference point. The reference point is the bitter partition of 1947 which caused the unfortunate communal riots which took lives of many men, women and children from both the sides (i.e. Hindus & Muslims). Thirdly, in certain parts of interior Sindh, the Hindus do enjoy political and social power; their position makes them susceptible to this kind of defiance. Fourthly, the competition over the economic opportunities, there will be less competition once the Hindus will not be there to claim it. Fifthly, the cultural compatibility is another reason as the Hindus find more cultural affinity in India than in Pakistan. Sixthly, the maltreatment meted out to the Indian Muslims causes irritation, which is eventually vented out on the Pakistani Hindus.   

The frustration has been manifested in the shape of forced conversions, abduction for ransom of the Hindu traders and their families hate speech and the eventual migration of Hindus to India.

It is important to note that the government is not all ignorant of this situation and has shown some concern. Sindh provincial assembly did pass a bill namely “the protection of minorities’ bill” earlier this year. The bill sets an age for marriage and conversion and punishment for forced conversion but due to the pressure from the religious parties and due to some other political compulsions, the bill has been swept under the carpet in the name of “review”. It is imperative that the government should take a stand and that bill should be implemented in its letter and spirit. However, the government should not only stop at passing a bill but it should do more in this regard.

The Federal government should take actions to facilitate the return of willing Hindu migrants from India. Pakistan’s High Commission in India can act as a liaison in this regard. The government should take all necessary actions to rehabilitate them upon their return and take steps to ensure their security and well-being.

Special task forces should be established with members from both the Hindu community and the local civil authorities to address the grievances of Hindus at the grass root level and also to chalk out plans to improve the condition of the Pakistani Hindus.

Places situated in Pakistan that are sacred to Hinduism, should be preserved, renovated and open for carrying out religious activities. This will not only strengthen Pakistan’s Hindu connection but the national exchequer will also benefit from the religious tourism.

The buck stops at the government and they have to realize that they are responsible to their people irrespective of their creed and race. They are the ultimate power in the country. The law provides safeguards to our minorities and the government should make this their priority that these safeguards are rightfully provided to the minorities and it should also school the majority to respect the rights of the minorities. This is the only way through which they can realize Quaid’s vision of Pakistan.
( A version of this piece has been published by Express Tribune in their blog section on 25th August 2017)

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[1] Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/population-religion, approached on 01/08/2017

[2] ibid

Something for our daughters

It is a reality that women in Pakistan are far from being emancipated and are not treated at par with men. This bias is deeply embedded in our social structure but when a woman gets an opportunity to break free from these social shackles, at the same time she becomes responsible for other women too. It becomes her responsibility that with her character and actions becomes a role model for others. If she fails somehow, she fails the other too. Her failure closes door of opportunity for other too. This responsibility does not mean to bear with being harassed, to be undermined or being asked for sexual favors.

Our society too is embracing this change, gradually. But still a lot of distance has to be covered. The definition of modern woman does not fit in our society’s definition of woman. It still suspects the character of a working woman. We still nurture our pre-conceived notions.

At the same time it is important to remember that there is a social red line which has to be respected. Our society can never be and should never become like the one in the west. It should maintain its individuality. We should retain our social soul which is a mix of the old eastern values and our Islamic identity but at the same time we should remove all such social practices which have become redundant and act as an obstacle in our nation’s development and progress. In short, we should shun such social practices but not dopatta. The problem is that according to some, the social symbols which are attributed with our women are the tools and means through which women are oppressed. Similarly, there are sections in our society who think that wearing a pair of jeans make a female’s character lewd. Both are wrong in their assumptions as mentioned above, on the contrary, it is the social structure that has to be amended and the process of “social synthesis” should be supported. It is important that this process should an ongoing one. The example of Khadija Siddiqi’s case can be used here. She was being admonished for a relationship, a relationship in which she was not the lone stakeholder and most importantly the relationship was not the subject matter of that case. Judiciary of Punjab especially the chief justice should be praised for taking a personal interest in the case. Such precedents will give courage to other women too, who have to bear exploitation in the name of honor, respect, religion and society.

This brings me to Ayesha Gulalai and her shocking revelations. Something that makes these claims more shocking is the fact that they are aimed at Imran Khan, the PTI chief and a Prime Minister hopeful. Imran’s past life makes many to happily buy Ayesha’s claims. Her accusations range from allegations of financial corruption to sending of inappropriate messages by Mr. Khan.

I am no one to judge here. Frankly, I have more sympathies for Miss Ayesha than Mr. Khan. , Keeping in mind her tribal roots, her path to MNAship would not have been an easy one. The tribal belt, commonly known as FATA is traditionally seen as a regressive society. But her father not only supported her but also supported her younger sister, Maria Toor who plays squash and has also represented Pakistan at the international level, against all odds. Like the rest of Pakistan, FATA too is changing, this year; Zarmina Wazir became the first female from FATA to be allocated to the prestigious Pakistan Administrative Services not only that, she also topped among the candidates from FATA. Ayesha, if not was the change; she surely was and is the face of changing Pakistan in general and FATA in particular.

This brings me back to my earlier argument; this opportunity and responsibility make her responsible for others too. She claims that Mr. Khan sent her a lewd message for the first time in 2013, it would have been better, had she gone public with the accusations, right away and right then. Bringing those alleged messages into public notice after 4 years makes her case weak and her intentions suspicious.

I reiterate that I am not a judge but I seriously believe that these allegations should be investigated thoroughly and whosoever is found of any wrongdoing whether Mr. Khan (i.e. for inappropriate behavior and financial corruptions) or Miss Ayesha (i.e. for labeling false accusations), an example should be made out of them. So, nobody, in future, can use their position to exploit anyone else. There are other reasons too, which highlight why a stern action is imperative. It is important because we need to strengthen that confidence which has been achieved after so many sacrifices and hardships. It is important that nobody uses his or her gender to exploit other or use his or her gender as a shield or an excuse and it is also important because no one of us wants that door of opportunity to close for our daughters. After all, all of us want a society that treats our daughters well, as an equal and without any discrimination, a society which gives them an equal opportunity to grow. We all owe this to our daughters. 

Game of thrones, Season 7, Episode 2 & us

It is interesting to observe that how the second episode of the ongoing 7th season of Game of thrones is relevant to our prevailing political scenario.
First the weather of Dragonstone is pretty much like that of Islamabad, it is raining in both.
Varys address to Daenerys reminds one of the establishment and their ideology of loyalty.
Jon naming Sansa as her replacement while he is gone to Dragonstone, is ditto what Nawaz Sharif did after his disqualification, that is, he named his sibling as his replacement.
Qyburn showed Cersai a crossbow weapon to kill the dragons and we also learned that what article 62 and 63 can do.
Theon jumps-off the ship instead of defending Yara, is a bit like the Nisar-Nawaz saga.
The Supreme Court pretty much like Sam is attempting to cure a deadly, infectious disease though the treatment is hard and painful but the end result is expected to be good.
Missandei and Greyworm making love pretty much depicts our relationship with democracy. We and Greyworm, both cannot consummate the relationship.
That is all. Thank you!!

Madhoo!!

Madhoo, do you know why there is a lot of thunder when it rains in the night because the clouds protest on raining at night, they say in the nights the girls are asleep dreaming but in the day when they are awake, we soak them and make them to sing songs for their loved one, drenched, they embrace each droplet of rain in a way, of which a thirsty grain of dessert can never think of. 
Madhoo, you know these prairies or water bodies never get satisfy or fill, their thirst is infinite but these beautiful maidens gives us some purpose or a sense of accomplishment or a feel of finally achieving something.
Madhoo, you know these drops of rains are like the very cells that make up your being, so when it rains we give away our existence and soak them and make them to endure a pain that is not excruciating enough to kill them but to make them hard enough to wait. It is this purpose that makes us to collect our fallen cells again and rain once again to make them to sing and dance and miss them who they cannot meet for now.

Some words after the Lahore blast!!

What I am going to write here may deem to be insensitive to many or racist to some.So, the above lines are a warning to all of them to leave this post right here, right now.
A bomb blast has struck Lahore and the death toll has reached 22 already. But how much I think of this incident as brutal and barbaric, deep down, I have a feeling that is a mixture of content and satisfaction. To feel like this after such gruesome event is inhuman to say the least. I do not want to hide this feeling with a cosmetic condemnation. However, there is a reason behind this callousness.
Every time a blast hit a city, anywhere in Pakistan other than Punjab; unfortunately it happens more often. From certain sections, Punjab bashing starts. They say senseless stuff, which I do not want to copy here. May be it is not them but their emotions and grief talking but it hurts. So, every time any blast takes place somewhere in Punjab, I feel that we are no longer different, I feel that we are equally insecure and I feel that for them (the terrorists) we are no different. They hate us irrespective of our ethnic identity; there is no bias there.
However, the fact remains is, blood anywhere, of anyone innocent, shed is a crime against humanity. No reason can justify an act of terror.
So, if those morons do not see any difference, then why should we. Life of a Balochi, Sindhi, Pakhtoon or any other ethnic group is of equal importance and value. Discriminating it is like strengthening and abetting the extremist elements. These are hard times and only the realization of each other's pain and loss can give us the strength to bear all this and defeat our common enemy. May Allah protect and guide us all. Aa'meen

The imperfect and broken things

Why to perfect something that is innately imperfect? Why to say words that no one wants to listen? Why to finish a story whose characters do not deserve a closure? When the journeys is beautiful then why finish it? Why we all have to reach someplace? Hitler and Amelia never finished what they started. Stalin and Lincoln finished what they never started. A broken window still gives fresh air. An out of tune guitar still makes sound; a melody of its own. You still hold love for the girl who does not reply. NAFAK is still relevant and Madhubala is still beautiful. Perfection is not always alluring. Imperfection is not always ugly. People are people. Things are things. They are not meant to be perfect. They are not meant to be complete. To be or not to be, that is the question. That was, is and will be the question. 

To salute or not to salute

The Panama JIT is in town and it is making headlines for all the right and wrong reasons. By now almost all of the ruling Sharif clan has visited it. The latest and hopefully the last to make an appearance before the JIT is Mrs. Maryam Safdar, the daughter of the prime minister. Many call this as a launching of her political career. However, the news that subdued this news was of a salute, made to her by a lady police officer. The same lady police officer also accompanied her to the JIT meeting as all JIT members are male and seem to be unfit to question a woman alone but are fit to run an investigation of such national importance.

 The lady police officer saluted Mrs. Maryam Safdar when she came to appear before the JIT on Wednesday. The salute drew the ire of many. Like always what ensued was that the social media got divided into two groups; one condemning her and the other defending her for her action. My earlier reaction to the "salute" controversy was similar to that of many, with her being a CSP; I was expecting a much more dignified demeanor from her. However, since then I have done some thinking of my own and I think that she did the right thing. I have narrowed it down to five possible reasons. Before enumerating my reasons below to support my argument, I would like to clarify here that what you are going to read below is based on my personal rationalization of the incident. I believe that the lady officer must have her own reasons. So, below is more of a fly on the wall assessment of the episode in question here.

Firstly, my earlier reaction to the incident like many was based on my own dislike for Mrs. Maryam Safdar. Our irony here is that how much we long for power; we abhor the powerful if not equally than more. So, how much I detest Mrs. Safdar, it does not change the fact that she is the first daughter and heir apparent. Again, how much I call it to be rigged but Muslim League (N) enjoys public support and represents their mandate; good or bad, is a different debate altogether. In simpler words, like many my problem was not with the salute but was with the fact that to whom she saluted.

Secondly, keeping in mind how narcissist and egoistic our leaders are with no exceptions, unfortunately, a mere salute is good enough to soothe their enlarged egos and as the dialogue goes, “you do not salute to the person, you salute to the rank”. I remember a town Nazim from Faisalabad from Musharraf’s era, who use to move with his own private protocol and once when Governor Khalid Maqbool saw his protocol and was left amazed as his protocol was outnumbered by the protocol of the town Nazim. Our history is full of such instances.

Thirdly, in our culture getting saluted represents power more than respect and when a police officer salutes you; it has an even higher intrinsic value mainly because the police itself is a symbol of power. A salute from the police officer also reflects control and superiority.  

Fourthly, she is a witness to whatever happened in that room, between Mrs. Safdar and the JIT. Her saluting Mrs. Safdar, may be is her way of assuring her that she is worthy of being entrusted with such responsibility.

Fifthly, It is difficult to swim against the tide but then so is swimming with the sharks. I have great respect for what Nekokara and many like him did before but were they able to change the system? The answer is a big “no”. Our political elite, more or less is similar. They like the same things and share the same tantrums. Serving with or under them is not an easy task. But if you want to change the system, it is important that you become a part of it because from outside, this system cannot be changed, whenever it will change, it will change from within. Here by no mean I am favoring the status quo or trying to discourage the “few good men”. I put the example of the officers of the JIT here; they are doing their job honestly and diligently but all this is due to the free space provided to them by the Supreme Court, not every officer is that lucky. So, in such times it is easier to pull-off a Nekokara than staying, surviving and doing your bit to better the system. So, if a salute helps you to do it, then it is a meager price for a cause that is much bigger and greater.

Our system lacks accountability especially of the powerful. So, until we make our powerful accountable and that accountability should be across the board, we have to bear with such trivial things.
( A version of this piece has been published by Express Tribune in their blog section on 7th of July 2107 on 6:06 PM) 

The last PTV generation

We are the last of the PTV generation; the last ones from the days when even the news bulletins were all merry & tranquil. Our TV was all universal nothing PG about it. 8 to 9 really meant something. There was a ghost who use to wear a pair of spectacles and the best game show on TV was Neelaam Ghar. PTV was PTV because it never cared for what people wanted to see, it only produced the content that was fit for the people to see. Advertisements use to sell products not a certain lifestyle. Our identity was distinct not confused and fused like today. Like today even then there was a Pakistan that existed only in some drawing rooms or in some posh farm houses or on a private beach in Karachi but it was not imitated by the others like it is imitated today by the university going, middle class boys and girls. You and I can be anything. You and I can be everything. A plate full of fries shared by many but still it was enough to satisfy. Long before all the Mamas and Papas lived Um’aans & Babas. There was no thing called laid-back or tech parenting. They just never seized to be parents. It was a world, of humans, by humans and for humans. Real humans interacted real humans nothing virtual about it. One can touch and smell words and they meant something. Like any age it had its downsides, its dark corners but whatever good existed was valued and cheered. Junaid and Alamgir use to sing and Edhi was alive. Women were beautiful and real. They still have not discovered that the women empowerment is cannot be achieved through education and changing the perception of the society towards women but through baring midriff or by shunning dupata. Burqa cladded women and beard wearing men were not profiled. Happiness existed in its truest and rawest form- original not cosmetic. It was easier to be a kid; knowing less and wanting lesser. Those were simpler days and the lives were simpler too. Today when PTV is surviving on those Rupees 50 that it gets from the electricity bill and is dying a gradual and miserable death, we the last of its generation are like that helpless kid who has just lost his favorite toy, his best friend but he cannot do nothing about it as deep in his heart he knows that he is the one who broke it. I say my sorry and I accept it is I who has failed you, my dear PTV. It is I who wanted more and more, it is I who was not true to what he was taught, it is I who got selfish. It is I who killed everything that was good about my generation and my dear PTV you are the first casualty.     

All the Prime Minister’s men

The Panama Case’s verdict is out and starts with an extract from the Mario Puzo creation, “the Godfather”. This reference diverted my attention towards another book, which was just like The Godfather was turned into a brilliant and equally famous movie. The Book’s name is “All the President’s men”, the movie based on the book had the same name and upon its release in 1976, not only won critical appraise but it also managed to win 4 Academy awards.

“All the President’s men” is about the infamous Watergate scandal. It tells the story of two Washington Post journalists, who through thorough investigation turned a scoop into the breaking news of the century, at least for the Americans. The part of the book that astonishes the most is about the role of American civil machinery in attempting to sweep the scandal under the carpet, had it not been for the pursuance of the two journalists, they might have even succeeded in doing that. This is startling for some lay man, who thinks highly of the American system which is loaded with mechanisms of check and balance and accountability.

This brings us back to the Panama Case verdict, which asks for the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT). The JIT will comprise of representatives of several public institutions such as SECP, State bank, ISI, FIA and MI. I am writing these lines with a heavy heart, that even after 70 years of independence, we have failed to build even a single institution other than the armed forces, which enjoy some kind of credibility in the eyes of the general public. With the American precedent in my mind, I fear that there is a fair chance that the said JIT will be crippled by the heads of the institutions mentioned above especially by those who are directly appointed by the Prime Minister as they all are Prime minister’s men. Irony is that the Supreme Court has ordered the same institutions to be part of the said JIT, which according to their own verdict are crippled and inefficient. However, the point in which one can take respite is that the Supreme Court is monitoring all this and that the JIT will report to the Supreme Court. Otherwise there is a fair possibility that we might miss this golden opportunity to make the all-powerful, answerable, for once and also establish rule of law.

This opportunity is a blessing for the institutions too as they can break free from the reputation they enjoy and for once establish some credibility in the eyes of the general public and fulfill the purpose of their formation.

Justice does not mean to punish the powerful. Justice is to punish anyone who is responsible for the violation of law irrespective of his social and political standing. If a nation fails to establish justice amongst its ranks then nature establishes justice for them in its own ways. Nature maintains balance and it does not let anything go beyond a certain point whether it is injustice or power or even knowledge. Nature has set saturation point for everything. There is rule of law in natural justice and it is both blunt and straightforward in its manifestation. Hopefully, we will not reach such a point where we will be holding no cards. I hope that we will be able to establish rule of law before that and this JIT might turn out to be the beginning of it.