Why Pakistan has to wait for it's Tahrir moment?

Recent political situation in Pakistan has given hopes to leaders and public of a Tahrir like revolution in Pakistan. In my view, that's a distant dream, far from reality at the moment.

First, the energies of the protesters were focused against one enemy and one demand - Hosni Mubarik and new leadership. In Pakistan, the fight against status-quo is not against one figure/department/political party; it's against the whole system. In the current scenario, it is difficult to separate party affiliations and prejudice from people and to bring them to one demand; to create unity among diversity.

Secondly, unfortunately, unlike Egypt, face of Chief Executive changes in Pakistan; at times with delay but it does happen through elections or coups, regularly. Egyptians suffered from the hands of Hosni for good three decades, and their frustration helped them to remove him from the reigns of power. We are suffering for more than six decades, in our case, the tormentor gets changed again and again. This makes it real difficult to give a face to our enemy; makes it impossible to identify the enemy. That's why conspiracy theories and evolution of our thinking, from time to time, has led to confusion in identifying the enemy - sometimes we blame the army, politicians, bureaucrats and/or the general public even.

What we need to understand is that our enemy # 1 is the mismanagement in governance which is the root cause to all of our problems - sectarianism, inflation, unemployment, terrorism, crime, rape, non development of infrastructure , education, corruption and health.

We need to stand against it, we have to demand reform in politics, judiciary, bureaucracy, military and in ourselves. We need to stop choosing the lesser evil, we have to stop compromising.

To get rid of our Chaing Kai Sheks, King Louis XVI, Musharrafs, Mubaraks, Ben Alis - we need to stand united against those who are evil by choice; not by mistake.

Balochistan: a case of social injustice.

A child in Loralai, Balochistan.

It might have been reported several times in the last six decades that there is an education crisis in Balochistan through various advocacy and human rights organizations, NGOs and even through government statistics. Over the years, the fact has become obvious that low literacy rate is the root cause for all the crises the province is engulfed with. The question is why all stakeholders have turned deaf? Stakeholders include the government at the center and province; it includes people like you and me who are based in developed urban centers.


As per the economic survey of Pakistan of 2009-2010, the literacy rate of Balochistan is hovering at 45% and the gender parity index (GPI) is 0.38 i.e. is the ratio of female enrollment to male enrollment. A GPI of more than one indicates that, in proportion to every male in the school, there is more than one female. So, you can see how critical the situation is in the province, especially for females. Additionally, the basic infrastructure at government schools is also in a wretched condition. 681 schools are without buildings, 7,689 are without boundary walls, 4197 are without drinking water facilities, 8,425 are without latrines, and 9,806 are without electricity.

The most critical gap is the lack of quality teachers and for this issue one party cannot be held as a scapegoat. The government has been unable to train quality teachers and Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan has just given jobs with hefty salaries to teachers who barely qualify to be called one; cock eyed amongst the blind to be brutally honest. Moreover, only the rare honest ones give quality time to their students while the rest prefer to reach home before their duty hours are over. Most of them just spent a couple of hours at school and head back to their shells depriving ‘the future’ of a better future. Teachers are nothing less than guides; and if we are going to have such guides for our children, especially those in Balochistan, then only God can save Pakistan.

To control the backlash and the concerns of the Balochi people, the government was speedy in offering jobs to the unemployed youth in Balochistan and since education was a major concern several jobs were given in this particular field. But, due to hasty planning and non-existent monitoring and evaluation system, we look forward to a Messiah to descend and stop the carnage of education by the hands of government and the opportunists who are not performing their duties properly. A catastrophe which could have been easily avoided.

The above facts and figures are extremely worrying, considering the fact the population of Balochistan is approximately 1/3^rd of Karachi. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that light will not fade away only if we all start working with pure intentions – karma has its own unique way of handling issues. The change we dream about will not come out if we do not break the chains which tie us and come out of the cage (shells) we live in i.e. our comfort zones; our drawing rooms. Yes, debate is necessary, but taking instant and sensible actions is imperative.

Honestly speaking, even if an honest political and administrative is established, the revolution will not come overnight; especially considering the fact the internal and external debts of this country cross a 100 billion dollars. The solution lies in the hands of the Balochi people, you and me. The Balochis (which includes 45% Pakhtuns living in the province) have to instill the feelings of honesty in their teachers so that they perform their duties properly and have to make sure they also send their daughters to schools. In the meantime, you and me have to rally around in order to provide them the resources which can help them and the government to build basic infrastructures which will make a facility eligible to be called a 'school'. We have to step up and show our support so that the students can gain education comfortably because the economic situation in Pakistan will not allow to fix the budgetary issues related to education all of a sudden; we need to self-generate the resources required to restore sanity into the education system of Balochistan.

We accuse that the government indulges in luxuries; come to think of it, aren’t they from us and quite similar to us? No? Well, if ‘no’ is the case do remember constructing a boundary wall is less than the price of the latest 15” Macbook Pro, providing a drinking facility to 200 people costs less than the registration you pay in order to get your new Honda Civic registered with government authorities in Islamabad and constructing latrines sufficient for 50 students costs less than a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

No matter how corrupt our system and politicians are, but we cannot be oblivious in pushing them in a corner. Putting our leaders, our servants in real terms, in constant pressure will surely make them perform well. But, as emphasized earlier, the change has to start within us - the ordinary people, if we want to see it reciprocating in the masses and eventually in our leaders/system of governance. This is the only solution to exterminate illiteracy in one of the oldest civilization of the world – Balochistan.

Actions speak louder than words.

STEP UP, PAKISTAN!

The Seven Commandments of Mian Mohammad Shahbaz 'Shareef' on Valentine's Day

The Seven Commandments

The 7 Commandments of Mian Shahbaz Sharif for 'BE-SHARAM' boys and girls. 

(Uff, I hate doing translations... Khair, this is for the 'burgers')

1. Every 'special' and 'mango' is informed to respect the supremacy of the law on 14th February 2012.

(Hmmm... only one day, sounds good...what do you say all the Haqqanis and Gillanis out there?)

2. It is informed, especially to young boys and girls not to violate the Islami Act.

(Don't worry 24 + people, it's your day!)

3. On special directions of 'Wazir Aala' (Hey, you were Khadim-e-Aala before), a special team has been formed.

(And Samaa TV has acquired the broadcasting rights. and Maya Khan is returning. :O )

4. Punjab Polse's special team will travel whole of Punjab.

(ROAD TRIP DUDE! YEH CHEEZ!)

5. The team would be stationed at local hotels, parks, cafe shops and BAKERIES.

(Bakeries, WTF (Well That's Fantastic)...
HINT: Hit the motorway boyz and girlz... and keep on driving!)

6. Any member of the youth caught 'making love' will be prosecuted as per the Islami Act.

(Once again, this rule does not apply on people who are 24 + according to UN general assembly and The World Bank. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth#Age_limits)

7. It is requested to all parents to keep their children under their supervision.

(MOM & DAD: Yeh kya baat hui! Hmph!)

- Mian Mohammad Shahbaz 'Shareef'
Chief Minister, Punjab 

Peace redefined by Akhuwat.

Signing of MOU with Dr. Amjad Saqib, Executive Director, Akhuwat

For me and the 12 other cyclists, the voyage was life changing and inspirational. From the outlook of it, many people will conclude it as an activity which would have tested our physical fitness only. I tend to disagree with those people; my disagreement will make me stand at least two football fields away from them.

I do not have the right set of words to express my gratitude to each and every one who stood with us during this journey. My first post after Pedal for Peace is dedicated to Akhuwat – The Largest Interest Free Microfinance Network inPakistan and our first supporter.

Each and every one from Akhuwat was so compassionate with us throughout that the last six (6) months felt like a fairy tale rather than a roller coaster ride. It all began when I decided to share the idea of Pedal of Peace with a mentor of mine - Saleem Ahmed Ranjha saab. He was in Saudi Arabia that time and we talked over Facebook chat about this.

I still remember that once I had explained him the idea that we wanted to promote the message of notable organizations that are bringing a social change, or I would call revolution in Akhuwat's case, his words were, "I hope it will not be uncomfortable for you." For him, my health and safety was first; for me to forget such a caring attitude is impossible.

He referred us to Dr. Amjad Saqib who is the Executive Director of Akhuwat. During the meeting with him in Lahore, I got answers for those issues which I had not visualized before and I might not have ever visualized if I did not meet him. After 30 minutes into the conversation it felt I was not presenting him an idea, instead it felt we had switched roles and he was the one sharing his idea. The sense of ownership he showed was astonishing; it was the defining point of this journey. We got a guide whose only job in the world is to empower the deprived and lead people towards peace.

Later on, a lot of other organizations jumped on the band wagon - national and international. The partnership with Akhuwat opened endless number of doors. Following were the other partners who joined after Akhuwat: Taaleem Foundation, Essakhel Foundation, Human Relief Foundation UK, National Highways and Motorway Police, Future Leaders of Pakistan, Islamabad the Capital website, Kuch Khaas, Focal Point Magazine, The News International, News One, Radio 1 FM 91 and Jemware.

Like any other journey, the hurdles one has to cross to reach the end always come unexpected. We had numerous situations were at times it looked like we would never be able to Pedal for Peace. But, the support and guidance from each and every person who stood behind us during the course of this journey boosted our morale to incomparable levels every day. We had three accidents on the way, I was involved in two. But, none was an obstacle which could have brought our effort to a grinding halt. We all moved on. 

From 5-8th January 2012, we were pushed into a realm of knowledge where emotions were going to be used in educating humanity about humanity. Dr. Amjad Saqib had introduced us to Anser Nawaz Chatta. The duo planned an itinerary for us which sparkled and revived the human in our souls which usually gets lost in the monotony of our professional lives.

After being flagged off from Faisal Mosque, we were welcomed by LRBT at our first stop in Mandara. LRBT is a welfare hospital which restores the eyesight of the needy. In the language of symbolism, it was surely an eye opener for blind people like us, who can see through eyes but are unable to see through our hearts; who are oblivion to the blessings, who take blessings for granted. Moving on to the next day, we were welcomed by organizations which are playing a significant role in providing solutions to special children and the deaf. We met such organizations at Dina and Jhelum.

On Day 1, it was more of a race than a march towards Peace. After meeting the children who these organizations were serving, we re-grouped instinctively and started looking for those who were in our group and left behind. The sight of those special children waiting to flag us off and waving their placards early in the morning brought a lot of cyclists to tears. Those who were fast on the track started to wait for the brothers who were slow. The transformation had begun; the seeds of brotherhood had been sowed.
 

The second day ended at the Bashir Hospital in Gujrat. Battling it out with the rain and in my case with injuries due to the two accidents I had, we all reached successfully to Gujrat. Dr. Ijaz Bashir welcomed us in the most jubilant fashion. For us it was a treat, to know about his work and effort for those who are suffering from cleft lip and palate syndrome. Staying at his house and the dinner was also a treat. 

The meeting with Dr. Ijaz Bashir and his brothers made us realize that success comes to those who are modest and fulfill the obligation which Allah has given them i.e. to help the human race with the resources Allah has given them. Beyond doubt, that is a test Dr. Ijaz Bashir is passing it with flying colors. What else can be better than giving someone the ability to smile? He is doing that for twenty years by providing free operations to those suffering from cleft lip and palate syndrome.

We left from Gujrat after a heavy breakfast at Dr. Ijaz Bashir's house. We felt a little shy as there was gas shortage in the city on that particular day, but he and his family did not let it hinder the grand table which was laid in front of us - most of it home cooked food; channay, poori, halwa and I am still wondering why he forgot lassi?!

We left towards Gujranwala after being flagged of by the Dr. Ijaz Bashir, his brothers and the DC Gujrat with a lot of zeal, zest and ‘fat’ in our bodies - maybe that was the reason that we ended up at our final destination an hour earlier - which surprised the organizers on the way, in Gujranwala, and the District Government waiting to receive us at the Jinnah Stadium. It is the same stadium where Sachin Tendulkar made his ODI debut in 18^th December 1989.  

On our route to Gujranwala, after crossing the Chenab Toll Plaza we were welcomed by The Knowledge School. Near Rahwali Cantonments we were welcome by students who could not hear but were full of life and positive energy. We were offered the traditional Gujranwala delicacy - Kulfi. We interacted with the young boys through the help of interpreters. They knew why we were on the road cycling, though they were not cycling with us but they assured us of their support.

One thing which will be fair to say is that throughout this trip the meaning of peace was being defined and refined – the evolution did not stop at all. Peace is just not a word to describe happiness, calmness and serenity; it is a subject which covers different aspects of our society which needs to be stable in order to call an environment ‘peaceful’.

Tiredness had taken a toll on our bodies now and some of us succumbed to it – we woke up late on the final day. Thankfully, we re-grouped and left Gujranwala; one and half hours late. Such was the effect of re-grouping, pep talk we had and the bond of brotherhood that we reached on time i.e. we reached 1 and a half hours earlier to everyone's surprise. Surely, Allah can do anything and everything. He shortens and lengthens and He makes the tests easier and tough to test His slaves. 

Children who could not hear, at Kamoke, waited for us. We could hear them; we could see they were full of lives. We could see they had to will to succeed, no matter what; having one sense less was no hindrance for them. I could see old and young in my group bursting and hiding their tears at the same time. Some wore glasses to hide their emotions, some just escaped into corners so they do not get noticed. Realization was sinking in, unfulfilled desires of life did not matter much for this group anymore; the revival had begun - the resurgence showed us that blessings can never be taken for granted. 

Children at Kamoke

We entered into Lahore at 3.55 PM.

The road was cordoned off by NH & MP and the local police. Lahore was on a standstill when we entered, we had made it to Minar-i-Pakistan. In that moment of celebration near Minar-i-Pakistan and with all that noise in that area; we could still hear a strange silence inside us. It was the silence which we had set ourselves for – the quietness of peace.

Throughout this journey, I used to enlighten the cyclists and the supporters the meaning behind our idea of cycling from Faisal Masjid to Minar-i-Pakistan. The idea which created Pakistan was Islam and Minar-i-Pakistan depicts the success of the idea. Hence, in the same way Pedal for Peace (1st Edition) was a journey to show that ideas can become realities.  


We entered into Lahore and were welcomed by Dr. Amjad Saqib, Dr. Izhar Hashmi and some more Akhuwat members. For us, we concluded that this was the end of our endurance.

Dr. Amjad Saqib and Anser Nawaz had informed us that our night stay would be at Fountain House. After toiling on the roads for the past four (4) days in freezing temperatures, singing Chalta Ja Rey and Dil Dil Pakistan, we reached Fountain House. No one had ever heard about Fountain House and everyone who was asking me about the place where we will spend the night in Lahore before and during the trip, I used to say, "We will be staying at a guest house, by the name of Fountain House…". I thought it was some lavish guest house.

Early in my life, ALHAMDULILAH, Allah (SWT) had given me an opportunity to help a person who had reached to a level of depression which could have taken his life. So, ending up at Fountain House gave me that strong feeling of déjà vu. Fountain House is working for decades to help people who lose mental stability due to depression or drugs. It is a welfare hospital which accommodates more than 400 patients – men and women – who are provided with excellent food, living conditions and medical care.

The realization and reality was sinking in now; for once all this sinking feeling did not make me sick. Going through Fountain House and meeting the members (the patients) over there was a life altering. Throughout Pedal for Peace, I thought I was the shepherd who was taking his flock along to graze the field to give them an opportunity which can nurture them, but, instead, I was a member of the flock which was being nurtured by Akhuwat. The meeting with Akhuwat members in the end and knowing people like Ranjha Saab, Amjad Saab, Izhar Hashmi Saab, Anser Saab and a lot more was the best we could have ever got.

I can go on and on in elucidating which cannot be described. I can go on and on to share all the lessons our group learnt or tried to preach, but I do not have the right set of words to express my gratitude to Allah and then to Akhuwat and every member of its.

Thank you Akhuwat!

Gilla Tu Dadda Karda Ey?

Oochiyan Oochiyan Urawan bharda ey,

Kol tu nai wekhda ey,

Gallan tu waddiyan waddiyan karda ey,

Chup da roza nai rakhda ey,

Phir tu gilla bhi dadda karda ey,

Khuda gal nai saadi Sunda ey.

Urawan chad,

Gal Chad,

Kol beth,

Tey Roza Rakh,

Gal zara hun ghour se sun.

Nafrat O terey se karda Nai,

Gilla bhi dadey karda Nai,

Kenda Ey Pahr le Seedha rasta Haq da,

Faisla karda Ey O Adal da.

Gal hun tu karey ga changi,

Kisi de naal nai karey ga mandi,

Oye! hun tu Kinnu dhundta Ey,

O tey terey Koul hee Renda Ey,

Haan Akheen teri Band Ey,

Tey Rihai bhi terey Koul Ey.

Hun Gilla Nai Kar tu,

Sun O Teri Sunda Ey,

Sun O tey Teri Sunda Ey,

Phirvi Gilla Tu He Karida Ey.

Kamoshi Bhi teri Nangi ey,

Dillan Dey Haal O hee janda Ey,

Usdo Kui Gal Nai Choop Di Ey.

Aey Gal Tu hun Samjhi Ey.

Gilla Na Kar Usde Badley Shukar kar,

Kyun Ke Khuda Hee Teri Sunda Ey.

Mouqa Bhi Kismat Waley Nu Denda Ey,

Jisdi Kismat vich O Likh denda Ey.

Firvi naa shukari tu hee karda Ey?

Tey fir vee O tenu dasda Ey,

Tey fir vee O tenu bachaan da Ey,

Urrawan bhi tuhee karda Ey,

Gallan bhi wadiyan tuhee karda Ey,

Phir Gilla Bhi tuhee karda Ey,

Ke O teri nai Sunda Ey?

O Sunda tey teri Sunda hai,

Tu Kisdi Sunda ey,

Usdi chad ke Nafs aur Shaytan di Sunda Ey,

Kyun nai Gal tu samjda ey,

Khuda Tera Woh Jo Sub ki Sunta hai.

Chor De Apni Ghulaami nu,

Maar de Iblees Di hur Karwai nu , Ghulaami to sirf Usdi Hondi Ey,

Jo Gal Subdi Sunda Ey,

Jo Gal Subdi Sunda Ey.

(O Sub Janda Ey, Sub se Behtar O Hee Janda Ey.)

Pakistan’s Ugly Duckling

First published in Focal Point Magazine Issue 3: http://www.enterfocalpoint.com/focalpoint/?p=388

The Ugly Duckling” is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen first published in 1843. The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse and neglect. But, much to his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story is beloved around the world as a tale about personal transformation for the better despite challenges.

Have we been treating our educational system with the same abuse and neglect? If we don’t start proper nurturing of education and continue to leave it out in the cold, it will eventually collapse or it may fly away and bloom elsewhere as told in the story. And you may note, many of our bright minds do just that by going abroad and succeeding when they are direly needed here. But this is a story is of hope, perseverance and a strong message.

Education is the heart and life blood of development. Without it, Pakistan will remain an impoverished and a weak third world country. If education is not allowed to prevail, the problems in Pakistan will reach at a stage which will make this country very vulnerable; if it has not already. It is very important to focus and provide education to the masses as it is the only way to uplift poverty and uplift economic indicators in the country.

Statistically, Pakistan has made a reasonable march since independence in many fields including education. Less than 1 million students were enrolled in schools at the time of independence, astonishingly, today 12 million school-age children are enrolled. But there are another 12 million children who are working out of necessity. Many times, this puts their lives in danger and causes them to miss quality education. As a matter of fact, full enrollment at primary education is still not a reality, but a very distant dream – and to curtail child labor is also just that.

The recent census of China and India show that Pakistan is substantially behind the two larger Asian powerhouses in education. China’s literacy rate is nearing 90% and India has reached above 65%. Pakistan is still around 50 percent. This surely means our progress has not been up to the mark. Moreover, the statistics in India and China surely embarrass us vehemently, as our performance should have been better as we had lesser population. Also, we were not as big as China and India in terms of geographical area; therefore, we should have had more resources to be invested per capita.

Let’s shift our focus over to the provinces and see the standards. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as NWFP), Baluchistan and Sindh were very much behind in terms of everything at the time of independence in 1947. By now many universities have opened in these three provinces but sadly, the female literacy rate is still less than 30% in these provinces. The resources in Punjab were surely enough to make the province achieve the 100% target, but feudal, bureaucratic and political forces did not put resources to effective use. Efforts from Pervaiz Elahi, ‘Parha Likha Punjab’ did not work out as there was a lack of commitment from the stakeholders while the MMA government’s effort in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa managed to increase just 1% of literacy rate in a period of 5 years.

The new setup which took over after the demise of the dictatorship had a huge task to spread and strengthen education. Unfortunately, the performance is nothing the incumbent leaders can be proud of. There were several reasons for their failure in this field. Firstly and foremostly, the focus of the country have been foreign relations, War on Terror, and maintaining a policy of reconciliation with the allies and opposition parties. Focus on these issues has literally left the current government without time and resources to invest on education. Furthermore, the natural and man-made disasters, in the shape of floods and displacements, became the last straw on the camel’s back.

Secondly, like previous governments, the current one has not been able to put the resources to work aptly. Education in Pakistan is overseen by Ministry of Education of Government of Pakistan. The academic institutions are the responsibility of the provincial governments whereas the federal government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research. The provincial governments have failed miserably in upgrading the system to accommodate more students and the central government has not been successful in enhancing the curriculum, accreditation, research and in passing on their achievements to be implemented by the provincial governments.

The root cause for this lack of achievement – public expenditure on education lies on the fringes of 2% of GDP only. However, the government recently approved the new national education policy, which stipulates that education expenditure will be increased to 7% of GDP, an idea that was first suggested by the Punjab government. The most important questions are: Is the current force hired to implement the policy capable to pull of the activities written down in the new national education policy? Is the dedication to bring a positive change present in those who have the reigns on the horses? One should be optimistic, but after the exit of old cabinet, no full fledge minister has been selected to lead the education sector from the government. In its current state, the old leader Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani, a full fledge minister, was asked to resign due to the unpopularity of the cabinet. Now, Ghulam Farid Kathia has been chosen as Minister of State for this ministry.

Turnkey solutions have to be formulated and implemented in order to generate positive results. Firstly, awareness campaigns should be initiated so that the public, especially from the rural areas, should send both their sons and daughters to schools rather than to work, so that they and their children gain in the future due to this timely investment. Secondly, the root causes for the spread of evil activities in the society and production of ideologically corrupt mindsets is due to the lack of education only. People with vested interests target the illiterate for defaming Islam, the society and the culture. Because of this, such enemies are at large. This is allowed to gain success in the society because people do not have the capability to distinguish between right and wrong; the capability which defines the essence of education.

Additionally, lack of education has not spared any sector but has majorly affected the fiscal and economic sector. As the general public is usually not qualified, they are unable to run businesses appropriately and compete within and outside the country. During the time of a crisis, they are forced to shut down, eventually, because they lack the ability to identify the reasons for their loss; this causes them to lose hope instead of the will of trying to improve tactics which can benefit their lives and businesses. In today’s global world, education is a pre-requisite to get empowered. Without it, we will not be able to promote our industries, products and services.

Another debacle which hits us quite often is that the definition of literacy gets changed in our country at the will of the planners so that the figures can be molested with ease. This activity is carried out in order to show that the current or previous regimes made landmark achievements in the field of education. For example, they say someone who can read and write is literate. At times they say a person who has reached 5th grade standard is a literate. Once, it was also believed that a person who could calculate is also a literate  so everyone who knows 2+2=4 is literate, yes this is how silly it can be!

There are many organizations  from government to semi governement to non profit to businesses  which are trying to provide qualitative improvement in education to bring a social change which takes the community towards enormous success in the future. Beaconhouse Education System, Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, Taaleem Foundation and many more self motivated organizations and individuals have adopted the task to improve the quality of education from Islamabad  which enjoys a 87% literacy rate  to Kohlu which has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country  just 20%.

Education has been treated as the ugly duckling by the stakeholders – from the government to the general public. Even after six decades we haven’t realized that the religion adopted by this country emphasizes most on gaining knowledge. In fact the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) encouraged him to read. But, the treatment it has received over the years surely signifies that this ugly duckling will transform into a beautiful and graceful swan soon. Achieving 100 % literacy is not a reality but a dream, and only those nations succeed who dare to dream. To transform this dream into reality, we have to take actions for a uniformed qualitative educational system provided by state to churn out the future leaders of Pakistan.

True Warriors...

Found this heaven on my way to Zhob from Loralai

I should have written this long time ago, but as soon as I returned from Balochistan, I was caught in the cage and chains from which everyone tries to escape from. Nevertheless, it is a constant struggle to break the shackles of urban life, to get freed is not as easy as we think because our enemy is within us; the enemy which we feed with our own hands – the materialistic self ego.

To defeat this sonofagun, one has to get rid of the fuel and the vehicle it rides on to command and control every aspect of our life and body. It needs to be starved and maybe that is the reason why we are told to fast. To completely let it go, food intake control is always not enough, we need to switch off the world outside us to realize the world inside us; the world where no one exists i.e. where you find Him and find yourself in seclusion.

During my recent trip to Balochistan, I found such places of seclusion; especially, on the way to Zhob from Loralai through the deserted roads constructed most probably by the British from Mekhter Junction. I desired to stop, sit, think and desired to self realize and find Him to find peace. Though, I believe one has to travel in order to redefine oneself, but I realized it is not about my peace of mind anymore; I believe it’s not about give and take anymore, its just about giving and that is how one can reach salvation.

On my way to Zhob through the deserted plains and mountainous havens, I did not panic once. Well, I did not have another choice and I do well when I do not have much option. It took 6 hours of ‘off roading’ to cover 218 kilometers where life ceased to exist most of the time. But, at times, from nowhere a young shepherd with his flock of sheep used to come, stare at me and shock me for a while and my usual question to my driver Rasheed Lala used to be: “Ye Kahan se aya, Lala?” (From where did he come?)…

Rasheed Lala in his usual chuckling tone, “Pata nai yaar” (Don’t know friend...)

For most of the time, there was no road, after travelling for 3 hours down the tranquil atmosphere, we reached at Murgha Kibzai – surely a ghost town. From Murgha Kibzai, one road turns towards Zhob and the other one towards Musakhail District. We had tea over there and I interviewed the chap, Sakhi Jaan (generous life, yeah I know the translation doesn’t make much sense), who runs a ‘hotel’ (restaurants are usually called hotels in Pakistan). He has been running it for decades and showed me the delicacies he cooks day in day out. Took his photographs and showed him the pictures on my digital camera, surely the technology astonished him and I could see him moving around with his chest lifted a tinge. He was telling his customers that the story of his hotel would be published in Islamabad. I told him, the world will know about it, not just Islamabad.

Throughout the route, I decided to sustain myself to laugh until I see life everywhere once again i.e. until I see Zhob. Lala did not show a sign of irritation when I constantly reminded him of his long lost love, losing the track and that we have certainly lost our way and are in Afghanistan. After going through which many will term as ‘an ordeal’, I reached Zhob, that too in the Cantonment Area, relief!  Zhob was known as Fort Sandeman long back, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto changed its name to Zhob. I stayed at “The Castle” built by Lord Sandeman once again - as it was my second trip - but it did not excite me much this time round. I guess I am used to living like a king whenever I visit Zhob.

My next stop was Sui, which is in Dera Bugti, where I have heard people are against Punjabis, I was born in an Arab country which did not give me nationality, so I am from the Punjab province due to descent, that means I am in trouble. This was a problem and was the biggest one without doubt - I had no idea how to deal with it. The flight from Zhob to Karachi via Quetta was no doubt the worst flight I ever took – I had never witnessed so much turbulence during a flight. A medical team was called to check the condition of the Captain, when the flight stopped at Quetta; that is how bad it was. The flight to Sui was the worst, the Beech 1900 plane is an 18 seater plane, size of a drawing room above the average size, and when it flew through the air pockets in Dera Bugti, the plane used to lose altitude of more than 20 – 30 feet in one go. I asked for forgiveness throughout the flight and begged to be given another chance in life.

As soon as I reached Sui, I was welcomed by a young guy we have recently employed at Taaleem Foundation. We have thrown a Lahori dude to work in Sui and he is certainly not there just for money, the passion to succeed through the hardest channel is surely his desire, in fact I believe he has decided that it is his need to make the two ends meet in this fashion. I call people like him professionals and that’s how one should make a career i.e. by living like a dare devil. Our Sui School is run by an enthralling couple which decided to serve in Dera Bugti as soon as they graduated and got married. The adventure for them is still continuing and from the look of it they are enjoying the experience like anything. Providing education, that too English medium in a co education atmosphere in Balochistan is surely an adventure in every aspect; in which they thoroughly rejoice.

Anyways, I saw security guards, army personnel and FC guards in less than 2 kilometer of travel from the airport to the school. Due to the gas field, Sui is a highly protected area. For those who have forgotten or do not know, Sui is in Dera Bugti District where we get our CNG and cooking gas from and the operation was launched on Nawab Akbar Bugti and his followers by the sense less and the most useless President of Pakistan – General Pervez Musharraf - in its vicinity. 

I thought I would camouflage myself and the beard did help a great deal. But, I wanted to run back to the Airport as soon as I got to know that the last name of my driver in Sui was Bugti. For a second, I did panic, because here I was standing at the core where all the insurgency, hatred and separatist movements began and shook all parts of Balochistan and I was being told that a Bugti was going to take me around! But, I do well when I do not have much option and decided to live this one out.

To my surprise, the young boy was really humble and he did not have any feelings against me or my race, some still say he was hiding it. But, I could see it that this was not the case. Yes, Nawab was his leader, a leader he respected so much that he could have given his life; maybe I think. But, I was a guest and guarding me and providing me hospitality was a matter of honor too.

Coming back to Sui, you can fry an egg on the roof top of your car in Sui, that’s how hot it is in Sui; I usually preferred to stay indoors. Qadeer Saab, a senior and experienced teacher at our school and a funny character, did a good job at convincing me to go to Dera Bugti and I would have gone if I had more time. I have to go to Dera Bugti town the next time I come which is just 40 kms from Sui town; for now I convinced him to show me Sui – the Sui which was at the other side of the secured fencing area. We left without guards and he showed all the meaningful places over there. The Bugti fellow was with us too who drove us to the Military College Sui and other historical places such as the Bugti palace which is now under the control of security forces. The Army has recently opened a college and after 6 years the first batch of “Hub-ul-Watan” 30 captains would pass out, which the local populace has appreciated a lot, to my surprise.

We took some cold drinks to get some respite from the killing summer heat in the middle of the bazaar and nothing happened to me and to the other two Punjabis with me. After not being shot at the bazaar, I concluded the gist of the Balochistan situation: people over there do not hate us as we are told by the news we see scrolling day and night on our television sets, actions have to be taken to see that basic amenities are provided and the court has to provide justice they have been waiting to hear for more than a couple of years. I headed off to Karachi from there in the same aircraft, the journey was no better than the previous one, but as I said I do well when I do not have much options.

“I do well when I do not have much option”, I have said that more than a couple of times during this blog. You must be wondering why? Well, I learnt that due to Masood Baluch a.k.a. Munna Bhai. He was one of the first sophisticated Baluchs I met in my life, a (he is going to love this one) young and an energetic fellow who has done MBA and when he starts talking or working, even the whites wonder “Aey kitho aya hai?” (From where did he come?), you rarely find such species in Baluch people or in any race for that matter. But, he has got a problem; this guy gets confused whenever he has to choose a restaurant for dinner. For hours, at times, we used to roam around on the roads of Sharjah in wee hours to decide whether we should eat fast food, arabi, desi, pizza, meat, vegetables, lentils, spicy, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Ghora, Ghadda, Insaan … and the attitude did not change a bit till I was there. Now, he is married and I guess his better half has been successful somehow to tame the fellow. There were so many options and Munna Bhai over there; that I realized I can never do well when options are available because I used to be as confused as he used to be due to the availability of so many options!

I was meeting with him after sometime and it is always a pleasure to meet this Baluch family which I consider mine. Met her sister - who I consider as my phuppo (aunt) - and stayed at their place for two nights. After a long trip in Balochistan covering more than 2000 kilometers on the road it was good to be at home with people who are more close to me than my family at times. Shared my experiences of the war, the wild and the wilderness and heard some old stories from their side.

The one which I will end this blog with is going to shape my life, if it has not already, and of many others. This is from the experience they shared in Karachi round about 1 AM, the perfect time for such talks:


(Get your bowl of popcorn and drinks...)

My Phuppo went to Iraq to become a doctor. Everything was going merry go lucky in Baghdad. Unfortunately, the First Gulf War started round about the same time. I have always known her as an iron lady, but never knew her courage was much more beyond what I had perceived. She decided not to leave Iraq because she did not want to lose a year of education, such dedication is not easily digestible, please bear I can understand your how tough this is to believe. But, this is true.

She decided to stay and she informed her family that her decision is final. She decided to grab the bull by the horns and tame it into a pussy cat, her family lost contact with her for full 6 months which was an ordeal for all parties. She survived bomb attacks, missile attacks and “you-name-it” and she survived it boi! She used to ‘dry’ the food – tomatoes, bread and other vegetables – with her cousins on roof tops and survived on it for months. At times, the bread used to get so hard that it was hard to bite and digest. She came up with a solution, she cooked a stew which was as good as boiled water and all the survivors used to dip the bread in it, make it soft and gulp it down. Well, I can never praise her for that effort. 


When they were out of supplies, they just used to have one glass of milk as their only meal for the day. At times, they had to shift into bunkers during heavy fighting; one such bunker got hit and could not survive the hit. More than 5000 people burned to death not due to the after effects of a missile attack, but due to the hot water system in the bunker which got jolted due to the hit. The dead were not taken out, the smell was too unpleasant.

The sacrifice she made to achieve her dream is what we need from future leaders of Pakistan and what we need to do ourselves. I might be wrong, but I guess her dream was not just to become a doctor, as she has Baluch blood running in her body, she is a fighter by descent and did not want to escape when the tough becomes toughest straightaway, I don’t even know that has she realized this or not up till now, but chances are that she has not because being strong physically and mentally is a natural instinct of a Baluch. She could not disown the land which was not even hers, this was the country which promised to educate her when the rest refused or did not bother.

When she arrived back to her family, at the airport, there was a crowd to welcome the hero back. She told an airport official, pointing at the waiting lounge, from left to right, from one point to the end. “You see over there, that is my family which has come from all parts to welcome and receive me”, the official at the airport was spell bound, I was spell bound; I had tears of joy in my eyes, though I could not let it out because the Baluchs would have harassed me for the rest of my life, as I was living the moment there and then. Phuppo, I feel I was there at the airport, I felt I was there to receive you…

Such people I look up to. Such true warriors I meet everyday in my life. Such people He has decided that I have to take lessons from and I can only testify that we think that we plan and carry out what we do, but in reality He plans and we do what He commands; no doubt He is The Best Planner and we are nothing...

  

CREDIT CARDS - KEY TO WOE, KEY TO OPULENCE OR JUST ANOTHER ACCESSORY!

Answer a simple question:

It is a unisexual product, kept by men and women, without which they cannot move out of the house/office so on and so forth?

Hint:  reasons for it can be disputed.

“What is it?”

“What did I hear?”

"Umm, some perfume",

"No, who carries a perfume everywhere!"

"Ah! I know a pair of Levi’s jeans, RIGHT?"

"One sec, don’t get excited!"

"Credit Cards?!"

“Don’t act smart, we will get down to that later”.

The right answer is -Wallet.

Undoubtedly not being biased, but men keep one out of requirement while the reasons why women keep are endless, in fact, at times the reasons are staggering. A wallet also acts as a first aid and/or make up kit too. The most you find in a man’s wallet is cards, cash and notes. Whilst in a woman’s wallet, you will find anything and everything, just name it and you’ve got it – lipstick, mascaras, and even pain killers!

"Hmm…so, that’s it!"

"This is what men and women keep in their wallets, did I fail to spot anything?” scratching my head which is not bald anymore.

I missed the most key fad, plastic money! The ultra slim, glossy, slim as razor blades, chicer than a size zero model and full of pulsating colors is our very own lovely credit card! The golden chip found nowadays on a credit card is for the purpose of “smart shopping”, such as using to make international calls on a jet, but it also ads a touch of elegance to the look of it, just what the cherry does on the top of the cake. How could I forget you!

The designs on credit card these days mystify my mind. Sometimes, I am in awe that these credit card firms have got psychologists instead of graphic designers because the design pattern on a credit card these days furnishes a breathtaking assortment of diverse feelings- delight, loyalty and royalty- which congregates towards the overriding feeling of all i.e. happiness. Also, it unquestionably uplifts one’s nose en route for the sky since it gives the emotion of having riches in excess as paying for shopping, meals travel and entertainment with just a swipe has made the entire experience trouble-free and simply overwhelming.

The way I see it at times, credit cards come with colossal gains, undoubtedly. First and foremost, definitely a fundamental advantage, it adds the most vital muscle, which many body builders would also resent – the muscle to purchase at will. Even if you don’t have cash, no worries, you have tripled the sums of your income in this teeny weensy little card, therefore, no need to ask for an advance from your boss anymore when you plan for a trip to Europe next time, “buy now, pay later” is the best policy! Anyways, back to the addition of this muscle in our system, interestingly, it develops ‘wings’ on to our body too (and no, I have not stolen that from Red Bull), which there on enables us to fly high and reach the world of luxury which we dream of. Voila, what an exciting innovation!

That’s not it, apart from the fundamental advantage, there are other benefits attached with this discovery of the 19^th century are the following. One, because of the cut-throat competition in the credit card industry, banks frequently offer incentives such as discounts, reward points, gift certificates, air-miles, meet – n – greet at airports, free stay at airport lounges or even CASH BACK i.e. usually around 1-2 percent of the total purchases to try to lure customers to their businesses.In other words you get rewarded for just carrying on your shopping spree.

Two, “low interest” credit cards or even 0% interest credit cards are available these days due to pull strategic business ethics. The only downside to users of low interest credit cards is that it is limited to a fixed term, between 6 and 12 months after which a higher rate is charged.

Three, most of the credit cards can also be used in an ATM to withdraw “real money" (yes, hard crispy notes) against the credit limit extended to the card which means one needs to fear about the shortage of crispy notes.

Four, credit cards have developed into a risky way for entrepreneurs to acquire capital for their enterprise when the doors to get conventional financing are shut down. It is rumored that Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s start up of Google was financed by credit cards to buy the necessary computers and office equipment, more specifically "a terabyte of hard disks". Furthermore, credit card companies offer small loans over the phone to its loyal customers at the press of few # buttons!

Five, many banks have tied up their services with companies related to telecommunications, internet, electricity, gas and water companies. Rather than standing in long ques, you can pay your bills on your favourite couch now by dialling a toll free number or through the internet, all because of the tiny invention, no hassles anymore!

Come to think of it, how did this small yet powerful thing came into existence?

Surely, must be a miracle!

I turn backed the pages of history to know more about credit cards, I was astonished to find the concept of using a card for purchases was described as early as in 1887 by Edward Bellamy in his utopian novel Looking Backward. Bellamy used the term credit card eleven times in this novel. In addition, the modern credit card was the successor of a variety of merchant credit schemes. It was first used in the 1920s, in the United States, specifically to sell fuel to a growing number of automobile owners. The old age connection of credit card with fuel is still intact today. For example, majority of the white collars and the middle class swipe their cards at fuel stations to save “cash in hand” for more important expenses and for the time of an emergency.


Well, the preceding example has made me wonder that “Credit cards bring more benefits than cash, but it needs to spend if that cash is in the pocket”.


Hmmmm…..

To come to think of it, if petrol is filled in the tank, then your car runs smoothly. But if its spilled on the car then it can even ruin your lovely car into ashes!

Hmm…

The question is – Has such a situation arise with this invention too?

The answer is a yes. Just like any invention in this century, credit cards also come with its fair share of cons. Many of the readers must be smarter than 5^th graders to know about the law of gravity i.e. you smash your bones when you fall down from a building , the “law of grace period” given by credit card firms works on the same model. If you don’t pay regularly within the grace period,  which is 20 – 30 days (depends from bank to bank), you will fall downwards in a ‘huge sticky web of debt’ where only ‘spider-man’ can come and rescue. In the West, “Spider-men” come in the form of debt reconciliation companies which help bankrupt and defaulters to pay back to the credit card companies, eventually taking them out of the mess they caused to get placed into the web in the first place. But unfortunately, in this part of the world, banks use the local mafia, because of the inefficiencies of law, to recollect bad debts, thus causing huge mental strain, at times depression and even suicide.

 

Furthermore, the menace of fraud has plagued numerous banking services and sadly it did not even spare the credit card industry. The reason is simple - the pathetic security of the credit card system presents infinite opportunities for fraudulent activities. Due to the spread of this disease it has given birth to a huge black market in stolen credit card numbers, which are generally used quickly before the cards are reported stolen. I thought it was a joke that the aim of the credit card companies is not to eliminate FRAUD these days but to reduce it to “manageable levels” so that “high-cost low-return” fraud prevention measures will not be used if their cost exceeds the potential gains from fraud reduction. That is not fair!

Let’s grab a globe and focus on Pakistan now. Due to high inflation and fluctuating petrol prices, the purchasing power of the citizens has reduced down considerably. Moreover, the constant flashing of luxuries in different mediums of media, it invokes the feeling of desiring to live in a comfortable yet materialistic world. Next, most apply for a credit card to enjoy those amenities which were banned for them as they were expensive of before. Thus, such dreams transforms into reality with the advent of plastic money in Pakistan.

Although one needs to pay high finance charges if one just pays the “minimum payment due” every month, but undoubtedly it gives the consumer the ease of making payments through monthly installments i.e. not to pay a lum sum anymore! Moreover, the health and accident insurance come along with a subscricption of a credit card makes this innovation too hard to resist. Thus, plastic money is certainly here to stay as this country is full of people with unfulfilled desires where credit card is the only hope.

Surprisingly, it’s a reality that credit cards have become a fashion accessory these days. It’s available in numerous designs, and believe it or not, you can now actually get your favorite picture printed on it thus reminding you of that precious moment everytime you go on a shopping spree. More, you can flash it infront of your peers to prove that how futuristic you are in the futuristic today.

At times negatively, it also instills the feeling of jealousy and pride simultaneously – jealous is the one who doesn’t own one and pride who owns more than one! But, that’s human nature, cannot blame credit cards for it bluntly. In the yesteryears, especially in Pakistan, young used to get married as soon as they turned young as the ones to get married the earliest were the luckiest. Fast-Forward to 2008, our generations gets hold of cell phones and supplementary credit cards, and the one to get these essentials the earliest are the luckiest. Surely, time changes everything, Is that what evolution is?

Anyways and importantly, one should remain cautious and spent wisely through credit cards otherwise these ‘devils of dooms’ will destroy the peace of our households. In simpler terms, if a credit card is used properly it changes the old saying ‘NO PAIN NO GAIN’ because if you don’t “pain” (burden) yourself with huge purchases then you just “gain again and again”! It implies that one should use this ‘product’ wisely because I find it as neutral as a hammer, it can either make you or break you, just like marriage or even facebook.


So everyone, here is my advice:


“To pay early is playing safe, so play safe to live safe”.

And, my definition of a credit card:

"CREDIT CARD - (noun) – A special card which inflates the pockets of a human being to take him/her to luxurious heights, then the human being falls down hard because late payments deflate the pockets."