Thursday, January 31, 2008

MEDIA, OPINIONS AND REALITIES

The opinions in the media from the experienced columnists are a revelation for the readers and viewers while publishing and presenting our view about the current establishment opens up the debate where everyone’s opinion should be respected. A quote of Mark Twain strikes a chord in my mind, ‘Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment, ’the people of Pakistan have been bitten venomously by the ‘snake of power politics’ since six decades and are determined to exterminate it this time. Since, the political crisis has started, business and investment has ‘stalled’ in the country. Manufacturing industries are losing orders and paying hefty fines for the orders they have taken because they are unable to complete it on time due to shortage of electricity. Pakistan had grown adequate wheat which would have kept the supply ‘hale and hearty’ for an year but the government ‘smuggled’ it by selling at half than the value due to which the lower class escapes from work daily for the reason that they have to line up to the utility stores in order to get their ration of flour . Thinking about the mothers of the soldiers who we take pride in die on the battlefield-fighting a war which is killing us- makes every heart cry out screamingly. The people who Musharaf oust in 1999 are his allies for more than five years now. The people of Pakistan are not sightless and can see everything very clearly. In the 21st century, no tyrant can pull the wool over somebody's eyes because media illustrates the realities in a blaze which clears the vision. The approach in which Musharaf has become obstinate and ignorant to the fact that he has to take care of his people reminds me what Winston Churchill said ‘A fanatic is one, who can't change his mind and won't change the subject,’ this quote is dead right for him.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A MAN WITH ALL THE ANSWERS....

Whenever, there is a sucide attack in Pakistan, Musharaf EASILY points his finger at the people of Waziristan or Baluchistan. When people in North West Frontier hold arms against his Un-Islamic idealogies, he calls them 'terrorists' and 'extremists' and seek the support of 'Uncle Sam'. When thousands of lawyers and judges ask Musharaf to go, he says the 'majority' wants him to stay. When the common man leaves his work to show protest on the road during an opposition rally, he boasts that he can gather more people than them. When the students protest and rally against his way of politics, he lies to them that he has introduced 'essence of democracy' and Pakistan is heading into its last phase of 'complete democracy'. When the media stands to fight for it rights, he says that he has given the 'freedom' to the media so they should better 'shut up' against him what he calls 'freedom in limits'. When his mentors, seniors and ex military men advice him to leave politics, "They are insignificant personalities," he brushes them angirly. When the people of Pakistan plead him to go, his deputies come to his defence and say it is 'unconstitutional' to ask for his resignation. When we plead to him to solve domestic matters internally, he runs to US and Europe, recently, he 'assures' Israel also these days that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are safe during a 'chance meeting' with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. In Musharaf's Pakistan, the 'minority' is the common man, lawyers, judges, students, media, and ex-military men and the 'majority' are the people who support him and arent even Pakistanis. People are flabergasted at the way he denies his unpopularity and want him out which is absolutely constitutional in any part of the world . In the end, "I will not be suprised if this clever ruler is behind all the sucide attacks," a former corps commander says and the nation understands too.

Monday, January 28, 2008

GAZA CONFLICT

The recent article from Aijaz Zaka Syed has highlighted the miserable situation the Palestinians are going through which would have left tears in the eyes of the readers. By sealing the borders, the Israelis are depriving the public from the basic neccesties of life and pushing them off the hill where death is waiting for them down. God answered to the prayers of the Palestinians and gave Hamas the courage to blast the border fencing with Egypt so that people could stock food. On the other hand, reports suggest that stocks would barely last a month which is indeed a scary sight. If this aggresion from the zionist regime continues, a genocide is going to kick the people out of existence which would be the worse the humankind would have ever seen. How long Israel is going to inflict hardships on these people and when will the world stop being oblivious to the fact that they have a social duty to combat this situation ?

Sunday, January 27, 2008

WILL FATIMA BHUTTO WILL REPEAT HISTORY ??

WILL FATIMA BHUTTO WILL REPEAT HISTORY ?? As the Bhutto blood is flowing in her viens, I see her successful in politics in the future as she's got a lethal weapon which she is using amazingly-the power of pen.The decision she has taken is that she does not want to be a 'political inheritor' and will jump into the political arena with her own potential shows her courageous attitude. In this part of the world, if you belong to a household of prominent political leaders, then its as easy as a snap of a finger to jump into political band-wagon, thus her stance is indeed a 'out of the way' one. Late Benazir Bhutto jumped into the political arena after the death of her father at a very tender age,who got hanged for a murder charge during the martial law period of General Zia, she gained popularity through her bold and brave attitude and came into power twice but her terms were marred with corruption charges and revenge politics. Is Fatima Bhutto, grand daugther of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who has seen her father and aunt slain brutally only because of their political viewpoints, will bring a positive change in the field of politics or the history is going to repeat itself ?

Friday, January 25, 2008

Do people fear God ?

Do people fear God ?
In any religon of the world, God has sent the message of peace and the guidance to the world time to time through his messengers. God has suggested us to do good deeds in order to get rewarded in this life and the hereafter and when one does evil, he should be ready for Wrath of God. The criminals behind growing injustice, inequality in wealth, racism, harrassments, rapes, terrorising and other evil doings are haunting me to ponder - Do these people fear God?
Along with loving God one should equally fear him so that one thinks twice before indulging into an evil act. The examples of his wrath can be found in history. He sends the angel of death to suck the soul of one evil person or of a whole community who stop getting fear from him. This attitude is not allowed and it boils God anger who later on punishes these people in hell fire. How can such people forget that God is watching each and everyone ?
We cannot see or touch God but he is as near to us as our viens are to our body. They create havoc and panic in the lives of millions around and think that God wont be able to punish them is a thought of a foolish man. But its never too late for seeking forgiveness from God for inflicting damages to his creation. God is kind and the forgiver, go and pray to god for your sins before people pray for you to say Sayonara !

Child Labour

Child Labour in the Indian Sub continent is rising at a flooding rate. Children are forced to work when they are supposed to play as their parents are unable to combat with inflation and poverty. Thus, depriving them of quality education and and from the fun of childhood. Due to this 'under-nutrition' of the soul, it creates a hole in the character of the child which leaves a stain which will haunt him for ages. This 'gap' can lead the child to a horrendous turn in life when he turns old.
Working at such a young age brings danger into their lives on a daily basis. Children are working in factories, construction sites, garages or are used as helpers. They face dangers from their working envoirment day to day which harms their bodies such as the chemicals and the machines which are used in factories, the tools in a workplace and twice the load they carry on their backs can permanently damage their spinal cord or can leave them disabled for life. There are dangers which can kill their mind and sould such as getting beaten up as a punishment when they are unable to perform their tasks or when they see other kids going to school and enjoying life. These dangers totures their souls and bodies.
When these children jump into adulthood some succeed, some remain in poverty and some get astray. Battling the hardships in life, very few children succeed to become masters in their respective fields. While some remain in poverty and make their children do the same. But, what frightens the most is when the children go astray and lose the path of life. The tree of bitterness which grows in their heart during the time leads them to a path where they become lethal for the people around. As they are not educated well enough, they can be easily brain-washed by people with a snap of a finger who later on use them for their own evil purposes thus turning these angels into monsters - terrorists, extremists or criminals.
Parents of such children are not the scapegoat for this issue because they neither have any choice nor the resources. They have to make their children work for the survival of their livelihood. It is the job of the government to take up responsibility and impose measures immediately to save the lives of these little stars who put their lives into danger. This menace could be dealt with free education being provided to children, organisations should be made which would keep a watch on the industries and the government should provide education to the common people about the disadvantages child labour brings into the society. The governments of the Indian Sub Continent boast about high foreign and gold reserves, economic growth and higher standard of livings but are unable to provide people shelter, food and clothing. Its time they start using their resources for welfare than defence otherwise these little stars would be lost.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

PATEINCE AND SATISFACTION

There are many partnerships and working relationships going on in this world. Partnerships with God, Partnerships with loved ones, and the partnerships between people in professional life. The rules which drives these partnerships and relationships are 'steering of compromise' ,'engine of honesty' and by 'gears of tolerance'.
Nobody in this world is perfect. People will make mistakes in relationships and people will make mistakes in professional lives but that does not mean the end of world because we humans are puppets made out of mistakes. Difficult situations arise during the course of a partnership but you have to fight it with the three rules. But what will give you the strength to accomplish this ?
Nothing but your partnership with God. Remember him so he remembers you and pray to him before people 'perform final prayer for you'.God sees us inside out, thus hiding from him is the only thing which is impossible in this world. Learn to sacrifice for God and he will give you the power to compromise your preferences for other people's choices. Be honest and God will take care of the rest and guide you on a path where nothing will mislead you. God blesses his creation only after he takes a lenghty exam which seems never ending to us, be tolerant and wait for the fruit as you would definately succeed. In this fight to live according to the art of living, dont get afraid in between of your journey because right path has got thorns and sometimes they come in disguise with roses which can hurt you and others so much that only tolerance would help you. Believe in the creator and in return you will have a wonderful life in this world and in the world waiting for you. Understand the rules of partnerships, Respect the Almighty, understand the characters around you and acknowledge the creation infront of your eyes and you will be bestowed two rewards which you will acheive when you will pass your exam - Patience and Satisfaction. With these two weapons you would be able to keep the devil out of your mind so that he doesnt make a workshop in ur head.

Does Pakistan's future lie in the hands of youth?

For quite sometime, I see newspapers are filled with photographs of students fighting against oppression throughout the world. Let it be against global warming, WTO, WEF ,G-8 or the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. It seems this virus has flown from Europe and landed in the Indian Subcontinent these days. In India, Rahul Gandhi's popularity levels have risen so rapidly that in the coming future his name would have flooded the households throughout the country. Keeping Pakistan in view, names of Bilawal Bhutto, Fatima Bhutto and Bilal Musharaf are being heard quite often these days. Even Shahbaz Sharif's son is heard quite alot of times in newspapers and on TV.
Are these people are going to represent the youth ? Can they lead Pakistan into prosperity ?
Firstly, Bilawal and Fatima Bhutto come from the Bhutto legacy which proves they must be having the 'germs' to jump into politics. They belong to the the third generation of the Bhutto clan which transmits a thought into the minds of the common people that they might turn out to be great leaders in the future. The calmness and straight fowardness found in their personalities along with their educational qualifications grabs attention of Pakistanis around.
Moreover, some what same spirit can be found in the son of Pervaiz Musharaf. Recently, I read in a newspaper about a letter he wrote where he defended his father's military coup and policies quite well. While, Shahbaz's son has been very vocal throughout the period when his father and uncle were spending time in exile.
But will they bring a change to this type of politics or will continue cleaning their dirty linen in public like their elders did at times is the question floating in everyone's mind. If they quarantine the present system of politics, they will add fuel to fire-the 'fire' of economic growth which will reach unprecedented heights. This fire of prosperity would run throughout the country like a wildfire does destroying corruption, political victimisation and poverty. Thus, creating barren land where the seeds of equality, independence, justice, honesty and peace could be sowed. If they dont quarantine the current system of politics, this cruel and evil system will erase the name of 'Pakistan' from the map of the world.
God willingly, more young blood will join politics soon so that they could police this politics which has become criminal and lost its path. With God's grace we as a nation are still surviving, but if this 'misnagement of public' sentiments' carries on it will lead us to a path where in the end we will sink into quicksand- a miracle only and only could save us from there. Hurry up before its too late !

Cage and Chains

Due to our daily work routines and predestined traffic we are missing quality times with our families. People driving from Sharjah-Dubai on daily basis would agree. At times, I am in awe thinking it would not matter much if I had sent them back. But, at the end of the sunlight hours when I reach home and see their delight on seeing me at home it recharges my audacity just like the bunny in the Duracell advertisement to go out the next day and give my best performance. Our routines and traffic fears us so much that we don’t see the bigger picture. The pictures I see on TV to watch news end of the day is what I say is the ‘bigger picture’ because it urges every soul to do something for the millions who are suffering due to war, poverty and natural calamities. With this notion I doze off but when I rouse up the next morning all the thoughts of serving the humankind which came last night get quarantined. The predators of my good thoughts are unquestionably work stress and traffic that endlessly kill my thoughts day after day. We are grinded by wicked forces that have caught us in a cage made of long working hours instead of long bars and tied with chains made out of anxiety. Therefore whenever I see my pet parrot everyday I feel he grins on me to see that his master is also in a cage which has no doors and no hope. Maybe he’s right. Its time we get rid of the cage and the chains or the parrot would always grin on us.

Pakistan - Musharaf running to 'Big Brothers' in order to gather support

Musharaf's latest visit to the European countries suggests the level of his unpopularity inside the country. Sadly, I guess we are one of the few nations who run for help to other countries during a time of crisis. Its is understood that at a time of a catastrophe, such as an earthquake or a tsunami, developing nations have to ask for help from developed countries. But in the case of Pakistan, the government or even the opposition in that regard runs to foreign powers to solve political matters which could have been solved easily internally. Unfortunately, this has been the case for decades now. Firstly, Nawaz Sharif rang his Saudi brothers to help him out of a death sentence and later on took their services again when he wanted to come back to his 'own country'. Secondly, Late Benazir Bhutto took help from America so that she could come back in the country without getting arrested for corruption cases. Moreover, Musharaf visits 'Uncle Sam' and the European 'Big Brothers' every now and then at a time of an internal crisis. I apologise for not mentioning the times Musharaf has ran outside to solve internal matters beacuse I would make a bigger book than the encyclopedia which is eating dust on my shelf.
I can see the death of this type of politics and politicians very soon in the near future. The youth, people from academia and justice , people from all walks of life and the common public will bury this type of governance for good. The media and the lawyers have launched campaigns officially against the current leadership because they are tired of this tyrant and the way he makes everyone dance on his tunes. Recently, I have analysed that his allies are also creating a 'safe distance' from him because they fear that they could lose the upcoming elections due to his low levels of popularity. Yesterday, Chaudary Parvaiz Elahi, the Former Cheif Minister of Punjab, passed remarks during a rally that Shaukat Aziz is the culprit behind the current flour, wheat and electricity crises. Musharaf expressed his displeasure over Elahi's remarks and asked him not to clean his dirty linen in public. Shaukat Aziz was 'imported' by Musharaf when he snatched power from a popular government in 1999 and thus any negative comments against his ally hits him as hard as a bullet. The Chaudary brothers and most of the ruling party members are in power since the mid 1990's as they were with Nawaz Sharif till 1999 and then shook hands with Musharaf in 2003 to continue their power throughout the country.
The question the nation is asking him is very simple - Is Musharaf a winner or a loser after 9 years of rule ?
Answer - Loser. Big Time.
Firstly, People who he kicked out in 1999 gained power in 2003 elections again and ran the country for 5 years. In addition, it is an accepted fact that a school of thought supported him initially because he got rid of the Sharif and Bhutto as the public was tired of their personal wars. But they came back late last year due to some foreign support they gathered and the popularity they enjoy in their respective provinces.
Question - So what has he DONE in the past 9 years ?
Answer - He has got the following crises into our country :-
1. Muslims are killing each other.
The War on Terror is not even ours. It is America's war and the reason Musharaf is supporting it is because he gets the financial support from Uncle Sam which he shows to the country as high reserves. Our poor soldiers are killing their own brothers as they have taken oath to protect the land of Pakistan. Why this issue cannot be solved through discussions ? Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) pardoned Prisoners of War and signed treaties for peace. Why we cannot follow the path he showed us more than 1400 years ago ?
2. High Inflation rates.
The perfect alibi Musharraf's got is that everywhere in the world the prices of general items are going up. Is this an excuse ? Till how long we have to hear this nonsense about higher gold and oil prices and weak dollar?
It is a major failure from Musharaf's side that he could not maintain economic stability. And it is not his fault, because he belongs to the army and they are not taught in detail about such things. The current flour, wheat and electricity crises are few examples of his mismanagement during his tenure
3. Its a long list and looks like I have to stop here otherwise this is going to take alot of time. But, a thought is floating in my mind - Why did he play with our lives - he must have gained wealth but doesnt he fear God ?
There is a wrong perception by Non-Pakistanis that as the literacy rate is low in our country,which stands at 40%(dont know how true this figure is!),we need a dictator to run our governance. The people in Pakistan are definately having more information about the world than their American counterparts. I will mention a small example, I have heard umpteen times from so many tourists during DSF(Dubai Shopping Festival) that they did not knew that Dubai is an emirate of UAE ! UAE has flourised in the past 36 years and has made its mark on the map through its oil wealth and its diversification from Oil exports to tourism to providing a better business platform for investors. Thankfully, due to cheap print and television media people in Pakistan are very well aware of the harsh realities of the dirty politics going on in our country for decades.
The time's up and the people on their mark in this race and all set to bury these skeltons so deep that no one dares to do what Musharaf has done with his people. Only God can safe this guy from the people's and God's Wrath.

Pakistan - a sick baby

Today's Pakistan is a baby who is deprived of mother's milk. At the age of sixty, it should been as strong as a wrestler. But due to the situations, this baby is not growing because of under-nourishment. Firstly, the political turmoil is disturbing the growth of this country which was the brain child of its founders. Since 1947, Pakistan's politics is engulfed in power politics. Due to the fight for the chair and political victimisation from the holder of the chair later on, Pakistan's resources are wasted by corrupt leaders who just want to succeed themselves or want to supress their enemies-the public.For Example,look at Musharaf, he boasts of economic growth in the country and informs the nation in his every other address about the increase in foreign investments. But, all we have got during his tenure is electricty problems, high wheat prices and a war which is not even ours and which is killing our own brothers and sisters daily. The only effort he is putting in is the way he is fighting with everyone to continue his dicatatorship. Pakistan's arch rival is signing strategic deals with US and is growing at a consdierable rate while our Mr. President is busy sacking the cheif justice, destroying every opposition coming infront of him and now , if its proved , he might also be behind Benazir's assasination.Low pays and high living expenses have tied Pakistanis so tightly that all people care is about their homes. But this nation is built with the struggle of our older generations and the blood of those great people is still flowing in us. This was proved when the cheif justice was sacked, the public came out on the road to register their protests against the government and military dictatorship. People from all walks of life, Academia, Justice and the common man have had enough and are not willing to take orders from a dictator. Pakistan's literacy rate is quite low, but 'We the People of Pakistan' have enough knowledge of Islam and The World that we can run this country better than the one is ruling us. We might not run it as well as a 'Bush' or a 'Blair' but we wont run to other countries to solve our internal problems.Solution is simple. The youth, academia, justice,police, the military and the common man has to forget the differences and stand united against this tyrant and this system of governance. The differences which are put into our hearts is put by those people who are jealous of our unity. They are using the tactic which the British employed when they were ruling the world - Divide and Rule. God willing, nobody will fall for this because this generation is well aware of the realities and have the knowledge to combat it. Togather we will feed this baby, provide the neccessary nourishment and make this infant into a Man who the world will look upto