A very happy Eid to all

The times are tough...we as a nation are facing crisis after crisis. We are in the middle of some very unfortunate times due to our own wrong interpretations of life and due to the mindless, cruel and stupid follies committed by our leaders...But let us all pray that this passing month of Ramadan has taught us the true value of tolerance, humility, humanity and charity...and let us pray that this rising moon embodying the dawn of Eid ul Fitr brings with it countless blessings, opportunities and peace for all of us and our coming generations. I pray that, we in Pakistan live to learn with each other in harmony and tolerance. Many many congratulations everyone on this auspicious day. Eid ul Fitr Mubarak. Let us celebrate

The legend, The Charmer, The ultimate DIVA of subcontinent...Nazia Hassan being remembered today

Nazia Hassan — an icon of the Pakistani music industry — rose to fame with the song “Aap Jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi Mein”, which she sang for an Indian film titled Aap Jaisa Koi. Hassan was introduced to Aap Jaisa Koi director, Feroz Khan, by Indian-British songwriter and composer, Biddu, and after that there was no turning back. Hassan won a Filmfare Award for the Best Female Playback for this film and later her association with Biddu enabled her to produce her debut album titled Disco Deewane.
From the 15-year-old in ponytails (as seen in one of the videos) to a girl with wavy hair and strikingly good looks in her later years, Hassan was the rising star of the 80’s. She and her brother Zoheb, produced phenomenal songs and out of the box videos; something that nobody had thought of in those early days of Pakistani pop music.
Hassan was a breath of fresh air during General Ziaul Haq’s time, when it was banned to screen women dancing and singing on television. Despite these hindrances, her very first album was a hit, turning her into a celebrity who soon earned the title of the ‘Sweetheart of Pakistan’. Uzma Mazhar, a journalist says, “Making a mark in the world of entertainment during General Zia’s era was not a very easy goal to achieve. Only Nazia Hassan’s music could do it.” She was able to release four albums titled Disco Deewane, Boom Boom, Hazan and Young Tarang during this time. Hassan was the playback singer for eight Bollywood films but it was Aap Jaisa Koi and Star that really added to her fame. Terming her as an extraordinary singer, Amna Raza, a banker says, “There was a time she played a pivotal role in our lives from making the best music to showing posh, youthful videos that served as catharsis in their own way.”
The theme of masquerade parties that she introduced in “Ankhen Milane Wale” was a completely new concept for the Pakistani audience. Whereas, “Dum Dum Dede” was based on the concept of fortune telling and fairytales, with Hassan portraying the role of Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Alice was written under a pseudonym of Lewis Caroll). Both these themes were again very new to the media-deprived Pakistani viewers of the 80’s. Uzma Mazhar, a journalist says, “She positioned herself in such a way that today Pakistani music has gained recognition by working on those same lines.”
However, Hassan’s fifth album Camera Camera was not a hit amongst the masses and the brother-sister duo failed to receive the acclaim they were probably hoping for. It was after this that Hassan took a step back from singing and focus more on her personal life. She married businessman Mirza Ishtiaq Baig in 1995 and gave birth to her son Arez in 1997. The young star contracted cancer and passed away in 2000.
In 2002, she was conferred with Pride of Performance and in 2003 her family started a charity organisation under her name.
Hassan’s larger than life aura still looms over the music industry and is deeply embedded in her fans who can’t seem to forget the artist. Ahmed Haseeb, another one of her fans, directed and produced A Music Fairy: A Tribute to Nazia Hassan in 2007. The documentary was screened at Kara Film Festival in 2009 and won an award for the Best Documentary at the festival.

I once read this comment under one of her songs about a year back and I still have it written with me. It said while comparing legendary Hassan to modern day international pop divas " And it gives me real laugh that the world is listening to Mily cyrus and christina aguilera and Tylor swift etc. This lady was like miles miles ahead from them. And to every one's amazement, this is her real face. its not corrected with nose job or chin lilft etc. Pakistan is strange place. People just emerge from the dust and touch stars without any institutional support. May your soul rest in stars forever."

Here is this one for you Nazia. May you live in eternal peace. You gave our nation many reasons to smile.

جشن آزادی مبارک ..... میں بھی دیکھوں گا .... تم بھی دیکھو گے

ہم نے ہر سال اپنا جشن آزادی منایا ہے مگر شاید کبھی بھی یہ سوچ کر نہیں منایا کہ خدانخواستہ یہ ہمارا آخری جشن تو نہیں؟ اور یہی اسس قوم کی سلامتی کی نشانی ہے. ہمیں اس ملک پر، اس کے وجود پر، اس کے جواز پر یقین ہے اور یہی یقین انشااللہ اس ملک کو قائم رکھے گا. بلا شبہ ہم میں بہت خامیاں ہیں. ہم بد عنوان ہیں...سچ بولنے سے ڈرتے ہیں...طاقت سے خوف کھاتے ہیں...ہم نے اپنے مذہب کو اپنی پسند کے مطلب دے دیے ہیں اور آج ہم پوری دنیا میں اپنی پسند کے مذہب کے اکیلے ٹھیکیدار بن چکے ہیں. مگر ہمیں یہ یقین ہونا چاہیے کہ یہ خامیاں ہمارے خمیر کا حصّہ نہیں ہیں. ہم بنیادی طور پر ایک بلند مقصد کی حامل قوم ہیں. ہمارا عزم بلند ہے. ہماری نیّتیں صاف ہیں. ہم برداشت اور ترقی کے سفیر ہیں. ہم انسانیت کے عظیم ترین پیغام اسلام کی حامل قوم ہیں. ہم جئیں گے...عزت کے ساتھ جیئیں گے... اور سب کو جینے کا راستہ بھی دکھائیں گے. ہم نے مایوسی میں بہت وقت گزارا ہے مگر وہ بھی اسس لیے کہ کی گروہوں کے لیے ہمارا مایوس رہنا بہت منافع بخش ہے. مگر ہم مایوس کیوں ہو؟ اگر صرف ہماری صاف نیّت، عزم بلند اور یقین مستحکم ہو تو ہمارے مایوس رہنے کا تو کوئی جواز ہی نہیں رہتا. ہمارا سفر تو ابھی شروع ہوا ہے. بہت ٹھوکریں لگیں گی...بہت رکاوٹیں سامنے آییں گی... مگر...اگر ثابت قدمی سے چلتے رہے تو....میں بھی دیکھوں گا....اور تم بھی دیکھو 

گے....انشااللہ

Strings with "Mein to dekhoon ga" specially for this independence day...Many many congratulations Pakistan

UIIT Open House 2011: Why it becomes our national duty to participate in this event

It has been a long time but way back in 2005 when I joined National University, FAST, Islamabad, I never realized that in the next half decade, I am going to meet people who will gradually change my perceptions and views to such an extent that it may be difficult for me to even realize myself after just half a decade but it happened and I am so glad and honored that it did. One of the things that I learned in FAST (despite it being an upscale, private and upper class oriented institute) from my mentors and teachers like Dr. Aftab A. Maroof, Dr. Anwar m. Mirza, Dr. Rauf Baig, Sir Arif Khattak and many more that it actually is beneficial to rise above your self and look at the broader national interests as the advantages derived out of this approach can ultimately transcend to yourself as well in a more satisfying and honorable manner. The names I cited above may not be familiar to many as they don't appear in self appreciation filled columns of national dailies. Neither does electronic media consider the spicy enough to invite them in their talk shows. Frankly these gentlemen don't bother about such things as well. They believe in serving the way they deem fit and that is sufficient for them.

The purpose of writing all this tale is to familiarize you with the circumstances which have caused me to write this blog. In 2009, I joined University Institute of Information Technology, a small, almost non existent centre of IT and CS education in a grand Arid Agriculture University of Rawalpindi. The institute seemed as misplaced in an agriculture university as a camel on north pole. On the eve of my joining UIIT, a lot of voices around me were telling me to reconsider my decision based on some "hard" ground realities. But UIIT had a special attraction for me.

This institute was perhaps the only place (and still is) of IT and CS education where a child of a poor man didn't need to dream of some OSP or "financial help" to get quality education. Where anyone from anywhere in Pakistan could get admission provided they met the open merit criteria (remember the transparent test fiascoes happening all around these days...in UETs and NUSTs). This was the only place where 80 percent of students winning admission never needed to lower their ego to keep their education going. And remaining 20 percent always had financial situation available. And by the way those 80 percent students were also not of upper class background. They belonged to lower and lower middle class of the society. And this particular institute nurtured them to compete with all the other students coming from such trendy instituters. This institute, in my opinion, is a treasure for whole Pakistan where 1400 students get a chance to acquire best CS and IT education for as low as 8 thousand rupees and maximum high of 20 thousand rupees per semester. This was my motivation to Join UIIT and same was true for several others. It was our way of returning to society what it bestowed upon us. And we have been very happy with this decision.

One more way in which we have been trying in our own way to help these students is by conducting annual Open House event since 2009. In this way, we have been successful in presenting these students to the software houses where even the name of this institute was previously not known. Today, we are proud that in these events, we were successful in sending many talented students to these organizations. This has been my pet project at UIIT and conduct of the event every time has been like a dream come true.

And the same time has again approached. UIIT Open House 2011 is going to be held tomorrow, 27th July, 2011. We have again put our best effort to use in making the event successful. We have displayed the best projects, collected the best research work and made the best arrangements possible to make the event a truly memorable experience. Now, it is up to you to stand up and make your contribution. We expect you to come forward and visit us. Appreciate the talent of the students. Ask your friends in influential places to visit us and induct suitable students in their organizations. Make these students realize that Pakistan value talent irrespective of your background, ethnicity, region etc. Show to the world that we are a nation of 180 million people and everyone of these 180 million people is going to shoulder everyone. That is how nations evolve and that is how our nation will evolve finally.

We live in times of opportunities. We have missed many opportunities as a nation in the past. When we were young, we always lamented those who let the opportunities pass. Today, we have the power. We can grab this moment for our nation. The only question is...Shall we also let it pass? I hope I know your answer but still I am afraid of our history. Best of luck for those who have promised themselves to support us in this initiative.

Death Note from a Nation...Sorry I am the one to say this but I guess we should start saying this now

Death Note from Pakistan...Death Note from me and Death Note from you as well...You can also call it a condolence message sent from a dead to itself....You may not like it (infarct you definitely won't like it) but You can't avoid it either...We have been in a state of denial for not just past 70 years....that is belittling the history...we the residents of region called Sindh (Indus...yes I buy that ideology that we are Indus people not Indian people) have been in this state of denial for centuries...But someone has to talk and we need to do a lot of honest straight forward talking amongst ourselves if we want a true Pakistan for ourselves and our children. We need a constructive dialogue and a new social contract...so here goes my death note...

Sialkot brothers was a big news and then we agreed that it was totally fine to kill the way they were killed because they were supposedly murderers...For us...Salman Taseer murder was a big news and then it was totally fine to kill him the way he was killed because he was supposedly blasphemer.......Innocent girls and boys in Jamia Hafsa complex first indoctrinated in absurdly wrong interpretation of religion by one and then murdered in the name of national security by other and what happened to any of those culprits? So many killed by militants in the name of religion in Swat and then so many murdered extra judiciously in the name of national interest...How many dead bodies recovered from Green Chowk of Swat but just a news for us...a means to spend our evening busy lamenting others so that our own faces remain hidden...., Kharootabad, Baluchistan, Lahore, Karachi everywhere.......So many innocents murdered in the name of religion and retaliation against injustice in suicide bombings and blasts and it was just a news for us...So many killed in the name of national interest, international brotherhood, classified operations etc and it was just a news happening far away from us...for us same story happened everywhere...it has always been the same...a good news...an excellent story for our greedy ears...a means to keep our evenings busy.....a means to hide our ugly face behind corrupt politicians and generals....we ourselves remained the same corrupt, dishonest, dual thinking, hypocrite, trigger happy, conspiracy loving people always blaming others....have we ever thought that no matter how cruel and callous any other is...how big an enemy of ourselves we have become?

Have we ever realized that we as a nation are so corrupt, insensitive and hypocritical that perhaps we are nothing but a source of embarrassment both for our religion and our national founders? Have we ever realized that these politicians, these bureaucrats, these generals are nothing but a mirror of us and are treating us this way only because we can't stop them? We can't stop them not because we are not strong....but because we ourselves are equally corrupt? Shall we ever realize that change doesn't come from top? Whenever, we try to bring change from top, it is just momentarily (even if it comes) and nothing more than charisma? Shall we ever understand that only lasting change will come from within us? It will come from bottom and it will only come if we start facing the truth with honesty. Shall we ever realize that we have been left with very small time to correct ourselves? We have lived as National Security state, Guardian of Islam and caretaker of interests of superpowers for decades...Isn't it the time that we need to transform into a social security state...A state not asking for people to withstand it...A state helping people to withstand their lives with honor and dignity...Have we ever realized that this state did not become a national security state by itself? We, the people made it so instead of a social security state. We desperately loved to teach everyone in the world a lesson and see what we have done with ourselves?

Shall we ever learn that history doesn't remember perished nations by the deeds of their corrupt leaders? The history remembers perished nations just as perished nations....It is our destiny after all...and it definitely can't be made by the way we are trying to build it.

And finally...about the question "Then what is the solution?"...Please don't do this to yourselves....You know the solutions and solutions are not french revolution or Chinese revolution or this and that revolution...You know the solution...do you have the courage to adopt it as well? Difficult question to ask as it requires action from 180 million people...not to change governments but to change ourselves

Express Tribune: 10 troublesome traits of the average Pakistani by Sohail Anwar

1. An average Pakistani behaves as he is told to by the establishment and/or the biased media. We do not cherish golden rules like ‘do the right thing’. Instead, we follow a de-facto rule, ‘my staff, my cattle’ An average red blooded Pakistani thinks that whatever he can get his hands on without reprisal is his property and he has full rights over it – this applies to his wife(s), children, land, cars, official post etcetera.
2. An average Joe in Pakistan will never own up to his mistake(s), because if he does, that will be an anathema to his whole family.
3. A Pakistani would do almost anything in the name of Islam, such as kill someone on simple hearsay, but will never extend his religious charity or piety for the common good of society or for women’s rights.
4. The average Pakistani has acquired the mentality that everything should come to him rather than the other way around, especially when it comes to changing a government by coming out on the streets and just letting the government know that enough is enough.
5. The average Joe in Pakistan knows what his constitutional and legal rights in civil and criminal matters, but does not know the duties that come with it and also how to exercise these rights in a responsible manner.
6. The average Pakistani will know the problem and also the remedy, but will never move an inch to solve it unless he is convinced that his interests will also be served in the process. Also, he will never try to stop a heinous crime unless the victim is his sibling(s), parent(s) or any close relation.
7. The average man believes that corruption is his right, in pursuit of happiness. The drug barons and most of the public servants of Pakistan are a practical example of this.
8. The average Joe’s idea of patriotism is messed up. It starts and ends with his native territory. If a native of Punjab believes that making a Seraiki province is a conspiracy against Punjab, he will stick with it, even though it may hurt Pakistan in the long run.
9. The lucky Pakistani who is sitting on a high post would lean towards nepotism – substituting meritocracy with nepotism has become an integral part of our culture.
10. Our idea of administration of justice is obnoxious. We bribe clerks and court officers to drag a six month case for 100 years. If the offender is powerful and the victim is helpless and less resourceful than the offender, the society favours the strong and not the weak. In the villages, women are property, which can be exchanged or violated just because a male member of a tribe did something wrong.

Express Tribune: 10 terrific traits of the average Pakistani by Tehmina Khan

1. Our warmth: I was halfway through the journey on a PIA flight back home from Toronto and the lady next to me, who was a complete stranger, said in a gruff/indignant/too-assertive-to-leave-any-room-for-argument tone of voice:

“You haven’t eaten throughout the journey, eat your dinner.”

So a lot of people, especially of the Western individual-is-might mentality would consider this rude or nosy but it really warmed my heart. A random stranger caring about what I eat is touching.  I mean, really – who does that? A sweet, motherly Pakistani aunty on a PIA flight, that’s who.

2. Our sense of humour: Yeah it’s inappropriate, kooky, nonsensical, illogical, and sometimes plain outrageous (not to mention incredibly politically incorrect), but it is our sole surviving mechanism through these incredibly hard times.
When I went to work the day after the raid in Abbottabad that launched the latest round of condemnation of our beleaguered country, a co-worker said to another:

“My condolences, I heard they shot your good friend Osama. What a tragic way to die.”

It was totally random. The co-worker at the receiving end blinked, was slightly confused, and delivered a bored comeback and went back to work – just one exchange in a series of silly exchanges that tickle the funny bone and make it easier to get through the tough challenges that face us.
3. Our passion: For food. For lawn. For bargaining. For cussing out news anchors. It is everywhere. Observe it and absorb it. Some people complain about the ‘boisterousness’ of the Punjabi people, but it was such a soothing balm after spending a stretch of time doing my Bachelor’s in the West. People are decidedly mellow there (to the point of being eerily unresponsive).
4. Our levity: Somehow the true gravitas of a situation is lost upon us. Heart attacks? Failing you’re A-levels? Root canal? Survived a suicide blast? Just observe the reactions of those around you (after the immediate aftermath of intense care and concern, of course).
It can drive you nuts when you are trying to extract the appropriate amount of sympathy and concern, but in the long run having these things brushed off changes your perspective.
Nothing is insurmountable, nothing is terrifying.
We’re pretty brave if you really think about it. Of course, you could replace “brave” with less flattering adjectives, but I’ll go with brave!
5. Our wisdom: We have a rich, ancient, and deep-rooted culture that is the opposite of superficial. Well, superficiality will always be present, of course, but I’ve noticed a depth of soul that seems to spring from our very soil (if not the people). Pay attention the next time someone offhandedly cites a Punjabi mahavra. I love such mass-scale, non-esoteric, indigenous nuggets of wit and wisdom. I mean, just the other day I saw this written on the back of a rickshaw:

“Sajjan koi koi, dushmun har koi.”

I laughed, and then I thought about it. Funny yet thought-provoking and from such an unexpected source.
6. Our stamina: Not physically – we really could do with bolstering ourselves in that arena!
I mean our stamina for things that are not necessarily fun. When our grandparents are sick, we are by their bedsides. When it’s time to study, we buckle down and study. That is a remarkable trait in everyone but especially for the young. The West is troubled with the “rebellious teenager” stereotype, but it isn’t that rampant here – quite the opposite actually.
7. Our earthiness: We are not high-maintenance; we will make do with almond oil in our hair instead of fancy products. We’re happy to wear local-artisan created kola puris. And now it is actually fashionable to be “environmentally friendly” and go for “organic” products. Yeah, we’ve been doing it for generations.
8. Our culture: I’m commenting on our culture of making sacrifices for our parents’ happiness. My friends choose their majors to make their parents happy. We have to suck it up and paste a smile on our faces when we are dragged to random people’s weddings. This ties in with our ‘stamina’ but it is our culture that snuffs out the “me, me, me, only me” monster (of course some people are impervious to this and still run around spouting that as their mantra).
9. Our talent: ‘Jay’s Toons’ on Facebook, anyone? Coke studio? Olive handmade soaps? With all the challenges these people face, somehow, their talent and genius slips through the cracks of the obstacles that are there. I can only imagine where we’d be if we actually had proper platforms and monetary incentives.
10. Our festivity: No need to elaborate. When it’s time to celebrate, we know how to do it. Good food, merry people, and our homeland – the combination is very joyous if you stop to think about it.

Pakistan in Summer 2011....an Odyssey of Life and Colors

When the hope fades...always remember, it never dies

The Beautiful Kaghan

Northern Areas

Karachi by Night

The Honorable Baluch

Islamabad by Night

Desert Cholistan

Mighty Indus

Post Morning in Punjab Village

Desert in its Galore

Yaa banda e Sehrai

It is a busy fruit market in summer here

Mangoessssss

Sea @ Karachi

Lahore by Night

Mulberry

Road to Murree

Eating @ Night in Food Streets

A Fruit Kiosk

Flowers in The Fields

Swat River

The Poor...Down but not Out

Land of Fairies

Bol - the movie and the Voice of Hadiqa Kayani

These are heady days, tense days and sad day unfortunately for us. But it is life and we the writers have responsibility to look and show both sides. Otherwise, we are not doing Justice. Some good efforts to project the positive, defiant and courageous face of Pakistan are also materializing. One such effort is Bol, the movie, directed by Shoaib Mansoor. Awaiting patiently for its release, here is a very catchy composition from this movie, sung nicely by Hadiqa Kayani. Hope you like it.

"Why do we embrace conspiracy theories" by Fareed Zakaria

Fareed Zakaria

A number of you on Facebook and Twitter have been asking me about the “birthers” and “deathers” (the former question Obama’s birth; the latter question bin Laden’s death). These questions got me thinking about the prevalence of conspiracy theories in America and around the world.  Here’s what I think:

The propensity of Americans to embrace conspiracy theories has long been attributed to their great suspicion of state authority. America was founded as a revolt against centralized power and there has always been a fear of coordinated action taking place in the dark behind closed doors. American conspiracy theories implicate Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. government, the intelligence community and many others. But conspiracy theories are certainly not confined to the United States.

Pakistan is rife with them. A leading Pakistani journalist, Jugnu Mohsin (who will be on GPS this Sunday at 10am ET/PT), attributes conspiracy theories in her country to a population that feels deeply disenfranchised. There are so many double and triple games being played on them by the Pakistani military and the Pakistani establishment that it breeds conspiracy theories. The Arab world is also full of conspiracy theories and many analysts blame them on the prevalence of dictatorships.

Conspiracy theories are indeed an odd phenomenon since they are widely present in the world’s leading democracies and the world’s leading dictatorships. They can’t be entirely related to political institutions.

There must be something deep in the human psyche that makes us believe there are patterns to events – order, purpose and meaning.

The simplest alternate explanation to a conspiracy theory is usually incompetence. When people say, “Why did these things happen?” and then point to a series of seemingly implausible events, it’s usually because the government messed up. The right arm didn’t know what the left arm was doing. Government is made of human beings. They are remarkably ordinary in their ability to make mistakes.

There is also a certain amount of life which is luck, chance, coincidence and happenstance. You can’t always divine some larger pattern from the fact that two events seem related or happened in the same month. Often it is just chance.

As you see, I’m not particularly partial to conspiracy theories.

I can’t tell you how many times people ask me about the conspiracy of the Bilderberg Group. It is a conference I’ve occasionally been invited to and have attended once or twice. If only the people who wrote the alarmist treatises on the Bilderberg Group were allowed in. They would be so utterly disappointed. It’s just a conference like dozens of others around the world. And anyway, the idea that a finance minister or a banker would say something with a group of 150 people that is any different than what he would say in public is crazy in today's world where everything leaks instantly. In my experience, they say the same fairly banal platitudes inside as they say outside.

So on the few occasions in my life when I’ve been inside centers of the conspiracy, I’ve been disappointed and relieved to find they were pretty much like the world on the outside.

Fareed Zakaria hosts CNN’s flagship foreign affairs show, is Editor-at-Large of TIME Magazine, a Washington Post columnist, and a New York Times bestselling author.  Esquire Magazine called him “the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation.”

Moin Akhtar: The man who taught me the meaning of "Pakistani Dream"

I am in no position to say something about the legend. I am just putting his picture here to honor him. Please pen down a few lines in comments to honor the man who was himself "an odyssey of hope" for our nation.

Is there any other country more beautiful than Pakistan? And Higher Education Commision

And is there any other nation as cruel as our nation about itself? This is the question that has been circling my mind unusually frequently these past few days. I bet many amongst those who will be reading this blog travel quite frequently within and outside Pakistan. And I am also very much sure that all of them realize why this question is haunting my mind so much. That is because the same question haunts them too.

Unfortunately, haunting don't matter really unless we have cures for these nightmares and that is exactly what lacks. We have the questions but we are really not ready to speak the answer which speaks itself within ourselves but we are not ready to even listen to it let alone speak aloud. I, like many others, have heard the answer and spoken it many times. Is there anyone who is willing to own it?

Just travel around and see what we are blessed with. We are blessed with rich fertile plains, exuberant weathers, exotic customs, flowing rivers, snow capped mountains, wonderful locations, natural resources...we may be downtrodden but we are still envy of the earth. Can any other nation be more fortunate? And these are just the very insignificant blessings of God almighty upon us. The biggest blessing for our nation is 180 million rugged, content but highly intelligent people that God was so generous to give to us. Has anyone amongst those reading it ever thought that out of these 180 million, you were the chosen ones, you were one out of a million whom God gave the opportunity to excel in your lives. You excelled and there is no problem with it. But did you return the favor? To day my question is not towards the Corrupt politicians, self centered bureaucrats, news hungry media journalists, ruthless feudals, aimless military and visonless judiciary. We talk a lot about them...that has become our pastime. For us the whole malaise lies with one person or a bunch of persons and that is absolutely wrong thinking. That is not the answer that you hear within yourselves. That is not the cure. These are but just a reflection of ourselves. My question is to all of us. What have we done to ourselves and this gifted land that was given to our ancestors as a reward of their sacrifices. Mind you, our ancestors, not the ancestors of these greedy folks I just mentioned above.

We, the nation is also corrupt. Anyone, in any position is behaving dishonestly in everything that we do daily. We scream about injustice, lack of governance, corruption etc but resort to same things when we are confronted with same dilemma without any hint of conscience. We are ready to earn money through any source possible. We buy the items from market which were supposed to be for flood and earthquake victims. We force young children to do domestic labor in our homes. We bunk our classes, we don't teach what we should, we don't struggle, we find shortcuts, we break lines, we give bribes, we accept bribes, we grab lands, we invest in shady deals, we don't have courage to elect honest people, we tolerate foreign invaders in the name of liberty, we tolerate terrorists in the name of struggle for religion, we impose our ideology upon others, we don't speak out for the truth, we celebrate the killings....the list is endless...We, the nation's chosen ones are rotting ourselves.

And this is the answer. This answer speaks within ourselves, we don't own it. The answer was told centuries ago by our prophet. The answer was again and again reminded by our own scholars. The answer is written everywhere but we have become so blind to it that it even surprises us when we are confronted with this answer. We were the chosen 10, 20 million people of this land...educated, employed, bright etc etc. God almighty and this nation invested so much in all of us. Will the remaining 160 million not ask us what we owed and what we returned? Are not we as much culprits as all those greedy, power hungry so called stakeholders that I mentioned afew paragraphs above? Don't we deserve to be punished?

I again ask all of us (including myself)....have we ever looked in the eyes of the children on street? How bright, how full of life, how intelligent they are. They are scattered everywhere. They are our children. They did not choose their parents and neither did us. They did not choose their nation and neither did us. But we got the fairer deal which they did not. We still whine but they don't. They need very little from us. They don't need Grameen banks, KASHF foundation, Alkhidmat or even EDHI and Shaukat Khanum from us. All they need from us is for us to be honest and to be forthright. Are we willing to do that?

There may be many amongst us who may be thinking that this doesn't apply to them. They are very honest. They preach good. They are practicing Muslims. They studied with dedication and found job on merit. They have achieved everything through belief in God and their effort. However, I will still say, you (myself included again) are not honest and you know I am saying truth. Move beyond your personal self. Preach good, become unbiased, struggle to become good citizen not just a good self which suits your personality. Become balance, become moderate. Don't impose and don't be budged. Don's accept anything wrong because it suits the mindset that is close to you. Think of this nation and what really really suits it.

Higher Education Commission was and is one such moderate success story where some people like us thought and made efforts to bring some good changes in their domain of work. Hats off to Dr. Atta ur Rehman for his vision. He worked under a dictator but none can doubt his sincerity and passion for Pakistan. He brought meaningful change literally in Pakistan. Quality of education improved significantly. Quality research emerged. As a nation, we were for the first time exposed to highest level of international research within Pakistan solely through his efforts. Today more than 10 thousand Pakistanis are serving in various universities all around the world as a consequence of his and HEC efforts. Within 10 years, HEC has been able to change international landscape which was once occupied by Indian scholars but today, they have to compete with scholars from Pakistan. I know from personal experience that South Korea and Italy prefer Pakistani scholars and scientists over Indian scientists due to their intelligence and breadth of knowledge. I don't this this is a trivial feat. Then look at the quality of studies and research improvement within national universities. It is easy to sit in an easy chair and give talks about so called fictitious research. Matter of the fact is that the only group who worked tirelessly in this past decade to bring any meaningful change in the society was academia and the students. The teachers went back to their class rooms and labs and students followed them. This was also mainly due to efforts of Dr. Atta and his team at HEC. They improved infrastructure of national universities. Brought the idea of sponsored research projects. Encouraged the concept of rewarding the ingenuity. Today, there is at least some awareness of conducting meaningful research within the universities. Many think producing PhDs was actually a non achievement and I can simply laugh at their small sightedness. Each PhD produced by HEC made at least ten internationally reputable scientists and researchers know about the potential of Pakistan through participation in international conferences, journal publications in their highly cited journals, thesis evaluations and finally thesis defense. If one PhD scholar supported by HEC was able to make ten influential scientists of the world know about Pakistan and still, we were not able to take advantage of it, is it the fault of PhD scholars and HEC? Or, it is a grim reality check to all policy makers of this country about how pathetic their planning has been that they have absolutely ruined the ten years struggle and effort of these motivated researcher in utter disregard to national interest?

HEC is not perfect. It is again a mirror of us. It may have committed several errors and misdeeds which should be investigated. It is after all run by humans like us. It should be answerable to public accounts committee like all other watch dogs. But the way, HEC is being used for political mileage, the way academia is being ridiculed by ignorant policy makers, headline greedy media anchors and those few politicians who have no vision of themselves (I am speaking about all those politicians who are either opposing HEC in the foolish tone or even supporting it without any logic only to gain sympathies) is devastating. As memebrs of academia, I am so proud of the fact that we never craved for media limelight. We always preferred to perform our duties without any wish to be recognized. That is moral strength of our tribe. Being part of this community, I stand proud and say that we, the scholars, the teachers, the researchers and finally HEC did much better than many other of the chosen ones. We are proud of our effort and we won't let anyone snatch it. The issue of devolution of HEC has been used for political point scoring. No one is against devolution amongst us from academia. It is good but it should be streamlined and core concerns such as curriculum, standardization, infrastructure, verifications, oversight should still remain with a totally autonomous, answerable and independent Higher Education Commission.

It has become a very large blog today but there were so many things on my mind. In the end, I will just like to say that it is spring here in Pakistan and is not going to last very long as summer is approaching. Take out that car, jeep bike of yours....travel along GT road...look at all the colors of Pakistan, absorb them within yourself. Stop at as many roadside dhabbas (cafes) as possible and share their smiles and joys of this spring. Stand up for Pakistan. Here is a beautiful new presentation by STRINGS called "Mein to Dekhoon Ga" which translated roughly into "For sure, I am bound to witness". A superb work, a heart touching wish and a mesmerizing prayer. Feel and enjoy. Take care of yourselves and your families.

If police will beat us...POLICE MARAY GI TU HAM INQILAB KAISAY LAAIN GAY.mp4

If this is how we want revolution....God may help us...

"Bol" The Movie: Join the movement to revive Pakistani Cinema

 

The official trailer of the upcoming movie "BOL" (speak out) directed by ace director Shoaib Mansoor "ShoMan" was released a little while ago. The film among others boasts of performance from first Atif Aslam and Mahira Khan. Wishing to be part of the movement to revive Pakistani Cinema, I am sharing the official trailer of movie on this blog. Hope many amongst you further join in this cause as we need to project this image of Pakistan as well.

George leaves Pakistan...finally

No more a Pakistani in Pakistan

George Fulton became a household name in Pakistan when about nine years ago he conducted a program for a well known private channel called "George Ka Pakistan". In this program George traveled the whole breadth of Pakistan and recorded his feelings as a foreigner roaming around. The program made him a very dear name in Pakistan and at the end he was conferred citizenship of Pakistan by the prime minister of Pakistan. Later he also converted and married to a Pakistani lady. He is father of a son now. He has been working with local television channels and has been giving his opinion in various newspapers.

Well, it seems he has also realized some hard facts despite leading a leisurely life in Pakistan. Somethings that we mortals of this land are fighting for years with no real support coming in this battle from his quarters. But, he always was a sensitive man and he was unique in the sense that he observed Pakistani life very closely. And today he has announced that after all these years, he is leaving Pakistan. He wrote a quite heartfelt piece for today's express tribune George ka khuda hafiz — I

In the lines below, I am reproducing what he said...with a hope that some amongst us are really thinking and perhaps someone has a "solution", a realistic solution...

"For the past nine years, I have been in a dysfunctional relationship. My liaison started somewhat unexpectedly, quickly becoming an all-consuming passionate love affair. My partner reciprocated strongly, bestowing deep affection and adoration upon me. Blinded by love, I was naive to her failings. Yes, at times she was self-destructive, irrational and grossly irresponsible, but I hoped by appealing to her nature’s better angles she could change. Instead, as the years progressed, and, supported by her ‘friends’ in the media, she corroded, simultaneously displaying signs of megalomania and paranoia. Once the relationship turned abusive and I feared for my life, I decide to call it quits. Today, the divorce comes through. Her name is Pakistan. And today, I am leaving her for good.

This was not a difficult decision to make. In fact, I didn’t make the decision. It was made for me. You do not chart your own destiny in Pakistan; Pakistan charts it for you. It’s emigration by a thousand news stories. I am aware that bemoaning the state of Pakistan as a final shot appears churlish and arrogant. After all, I have the luxury to leave — many others do not. Nor do I want to discredit the tireless work of the thousands who remain to improve the lives of millions of Pakistanis. They are better men and women than I. Pakistan has also given me so much over the years. It was Pakistan who introduced me to the love of my life. And it was upon her manicured lawns that we married, and upon her reclaimed soil that we set up our first home. She brought the love of a new family and new friends into my life. And it was Pakistan that witnessed the birth of my son, Faiz — named after one of her greatest sons.

She embraced me like no other gora post-9/11. I appeared in a documentary/reality series titled “George Ka Pakistan”. It allowed me to explore the country. I ploughed fields in the Punjab, built Kalashnikovs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (probably couldn’t do that now), and mended fishing boats in Balochistan. The culmination of the series saw the then prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, confer Pakistani citizenship upon me, after the viewing public voted overwhelmingly to make me one of them. I was their George. Fame and affection followed.

But that love was conditional. Conditional upon me playing the role cast — the naïve gora. The moment I abandoned the Uncle Tom persona and questioned the defined establishment narratives — whether through my television work or columns — excommunication began. No longer a Pakistani in the eyes of others, my citizenship evidently was not equitable to others.

So, as I depart, I could go with my reputation tarnished, but still largely intact. Or I could leave you with some final words of honesty. Well, true love values honesty far more than a feel-good legacy. So here goes.

Pakistan, you are on a precipice. A wafer-thin sliver is all that stands between you and becoming a failed state. A state that was the culmination of a search for a ‘Muslim space’ by the wealthy Muslims of Northern India has ended up, as MJ Akbar recently pointed out, becoming “one of the most violent nations on earth, not because Hindus were killing Muslims but because Muslims were killings Muslims”.

The assassination of Salmaan Taseer saw not only the death of a man but also represented for me the death of hope in Pakistan. I did not mourn Taseer’s death. I did not know the man. But I mourned what he represented — the death of liberal Pakistan. The governor’s murder reminded us how far the extremist cancer has spread in our society. A cancer in which I saw colleagues and friends on Facebook celebrate his murder. A man murdered for standing up for the most vulnerable in our society — a Christian woman accused of blasphemy. He committed no crime. Instead, he questioned the validity of a man-made law — a law created by the British — that was being used as a tool of repression.

In death, the governor was shunned, unlike his killer, who was praised, garlanded and lionised for shooting Taseer in the back. Mumtaz Qadri became a hero overnight. But Qadri is not just a man — he’s a mindset, as eloquently put by Fifi Haroon. Fascism with an Islamic face is no longer a political or an economic problem in Pakistan, it’s now become a cultural issue. Extremism permeates all strata and socio-economic groups within society. Violent extremists may still make up a minority but extremism now enjoys popular support. As for the dwindling moderates and liberals, they are scared.

Pakistan does not require a secret police, we are in the process of turning upon ourselves. But then what do you expect when your military/intelligence nexus — and their jihadi proxies — have used religious bigotry as a tool of both foreign and domestic policy. It is ironic that the one institution that was designed to protect the idea of Pakistan is the catalyst for its cannibalisation. Christians, Ahmadis, Shias and Barelvis have all been attacked in the past year. Who will be next? Groups once funded and supported by the state have carried out many of these attacks. And many jihadi groups still remain in cahoots with the agencies.

So as I leave Pakistan, I leave her with a sense of melancholy. Personally, for all my early wide-eyed excitement and love for the country and its people, Pakistan has made me cynical, disillusioned and bitter over time. I came here with high hopes, adopting the country, its people and the language. I did find redemption here — but no longer."

PS: Today another minister was assassinated in the broad day light...Not because he was corrupt and not because he had criminal past...because he dared to speak...Some people might draw conspiracy theories out of it but I will strongly recommend against it. MY suggestion will be to think and act responsibly as nation and bring some semblance of order to otherwise very unruly and messy state of affairs. May god be with us.

National integration through educational exchange

Guest post by Samir Anwar Butt

Education is often confused with a predefined curriculum and a grade point average. However, it is much more and holds the capacity to shape a society. Successful education is one that evolves with time to inspire the youth towards positive and progressive change. It encourages critical thinking and creation of knowledge rather than following an existing pattern designed by others. Clearly, the Pakistani education system is not providing that. The adopted models of teaching have miserably failed. The consequences include the diluting of national integrity and pride, two things that are essential for any country to survive.

The people of Pakistan do not understand each other. Distinctions based on culture, language, region, religion, sects within religion, clothes and any other possible factor exist and plague the future of the country. Each group is adopting a cult-like following and moving towards a more rigid approach with every passing day. Some threaten to break loose from the country, while others tend to enforce their lifestyle on the population. The rule of law is becoming weaker and the lines of distinction between the people are becoming clearer. Tolerance, an essential ingredient of any society, is completely missing and extremism, not just religious, is being adopted. The very essence of a community has evaporated: minorities are being oppressed and freedom of speech is being suppressed. All this is a result of an education model that promotes isolation and hatred. Having an opinion is considered a curse.

There is no shortcut to this problem. A long term education policy is the only way forward. Intolerance requires a whole generation to phase out, that too, if strong education reforms are implemented during the phase-out process. Education is the strongest tool available to the government at any point. Intolerance and extremism are not commodities that can be destroyed, rather ideas that need to be reshaped. The lack of political say, dearth of education and nonexistent alternate opportunities are all scoring against the troubled nation.

I will not propose an expensive, idealistic solution to this government of modest authority and resources. Instead, I will focus on a solution that is easy to implement and quick to bear fruits. I propose an extensive student exchange program within the borders of Pakistan. I support a Pakistan where provincial borders are limited for administrative purposes only. I dream of a Pakistan where people are entitled to an opinion. Integrating the society is the first and foremost step if Pakistan is to prosper.

The world over, student exchange programs are extremely popular. Students are encouraged to spend some time outside their home country to learn about other environments and cultures. It works as a seed of tolerance and respect whereby the student learns to accept, adapt and adopt an alien lifestyle. It highlights the need to realize that one’s culture is not superior to another’s. Students see firsthand that humans come in different flavors of which all are to be relished. Various organizations are working in this department and facilitating opportunities for interested students.

Since having international exchange programs is very expensive, a more practical approach can be taken. The landscape of most Pakistani public universities is very unfortunate. Most students never get the opportunity to study in more than one province. Students reside in hostels based on their ethnic background. Each group flocks together, speaks its own language and indulges in fortified activities. The boundaries become so strong that no outsider can think of squeezing in. The slightest chance of learning about other people’s way of life is eliminated. Not realizing that meeting people from different backgrounds is education in itself, they deprive themselves of a tremendous opportunity to grow as a person. This is very similar to the national scenario, just a more crisp representation.

A simple exchange program between the universities of different provinces can help reduce the divides. People dislike each other not because of their behavior, but because of the developed stereotypes over an extended period of time. Instead of inducing harmony, hatred has always been promoted for political gains. There is no better way of washing away these negative stereotypes than actually living in the host environment. The public and private sector can help create a system where students can easily move from one institute to the other. Some financial support can be provided and credit be offered to students who pursue a few months of their university education in a different province. The exchange student will not only experience the new medium themselves but also contribute to the host society. He will experience firsthand association with other parts of Pakistan and will return as an ambassador for the host region. To further enhance the experience, some volunteer activities and discussion groups can be formulated as well.

Students love to study languages like English, French and Spanish. If provided with the option, many would love to learn regional languages as well. Incentives can be provided to students who learn one of Pakistan’s regional languages. Language forms an important part of any community. It can instigate violent movements or lay the foundations of peace. It is easily the biggest barrier when it comes to bringing together different communities. It is pertinent to note here that teaching English should be a high priority. As an international language, English holds the key to the latest research in all branches of sciences.

How wonderful would it be to see a Punjabi, wearing a Sindhi topi, speaking Pushto and eating Balochi Sajji in the streets of Quetta. Diversity represents beauty in most societies around the world. Unfortunately, it has turned into a burden for Pakistan and coexistence of culture and opinion has turned violent and bloody. The suggestions given above will help blur the lines of distinction and bring together a united Pakistan. They require modest resources but a strong determination.

Farewell Hosni Mubarak................... سب تخت گراۓ جایئں گے

Tunisia

The Ruled Ones

Egypt

Yemen

Pakistan

It is 100th birth anniversary of that mystic poet "Faiz Ahmad Faiz" who said these prophetic lines. Roughly translated as "The time when all crowns will roll and all thrones will be trampled...we shall see that time". The lines are taken from one of his most famous poem which is titled as "The destiny for us is to watch that time"

Muslim world has long been ruled by despots (whether military dictators, kings, religious fanatics and even democratic dictators). But it is also a trait of Muslim nations and their people that despite being subjugated and repressed for more than two centuries by various dictators, they keep coming out and forcing change. The irony is that whenever, we the people come out and change become inevitable, the change is again engineered to suit the interests of big players in the game. And yet, we, the people keep coming out and forcing change. They have been relentless in imposing their agendas but we have been tireless as well in resisting their designs and disturbing their equations time and again. All of us know what I mean by big players and "they". But as we have believe in ourselves...we should rest assured that "WE" shall always struggle to get our birthright, to become masters of our destinies. If not us, our children and our grandchildren and theirs...Our struggles and those of our fathers have written it in our bloods to continue struggling. We may be poor, backward, impoverished but we are not cowards and courage less for sure.

Pakistan in its 60 years history has seen the people's struggle many times. Our generation is the proud owner of legacy of "Lawyers movement" which toppled a dictator and restored the true justices to their rightful place. But what is also a collective treasure of other Muslim nations, us and the whole mankind is the way muslims from various countries have struggled to rid themselves of imposed rulers. It was heartening last year to see how central Asian nations made their rulers flee and it is also encouraging to see the struggle of Tunisians and Egyptians in making their rulers leave the reigns of governments. I, a few days back read a statement by an unknown egyptian on twitter and it made me feel like 20 years younger due to the fact that every word written reflected upon the courage and moral strength of those who had stood up against their dictator. The line read as "Mubarak...we never had a living "ex" president in Egypt...Gamal died as president while Saddat was assassinated as president...but God willing, we shall soon have a living "ex" president...President (EX) Hosni Mubarak". Such peaceful demonstrations, such commitment, such strength of character as exhibited by those protesting in Egypt has made me proud for being a Muslim and being a human.

I don't subscribe to the notion that imperialism and great powers were now willing to sacrifice these rulers. True that the outcome may have been engineered by these powers yet it was the heroic and brave struggle of people which forced these powers to make alternate arrangements. Otherwise, these rulers were deeply engrained withing the system, ruling for several decades, preparing their heir apparent and serving the interests of their masters quite well. It is ultimately "the people", the common man, the unemployed, the dreamer, the poet, the visionary, the street hawker, the farmer who has overthrown these despots.

Today's blog is a salute to all of the "PEOPLE" in Egypt, Tunisia, Algiers, Morocco, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Pakistan and everywhere who have strived and sacrificed their lives to win back their god given rights from those imposed by others. And who have promised to keep striving to win these rights back no matter how many times their sacrifices are engineered and tampered with. To martyrs of Egypt and Tunisia... For those who understand urdu...

لازم ہے کہ ہم بھی دیکھیں گے

وہ دن کہ جیسس کا وعدہ ہے

جو لوح ازل میں لکھا ہے

جب ظلم و ستم کے کوہ گراں

روئی کی طرح اڑ جائیں گے

ہم مخدوموں کے پاؤں تلے

جب دھرتی دھڑ دھڑ دھڑکے گی

اور اہل حکم کے سر اوپر  

جب بجلی کڑ کڑ کڑکے گی

جب ارض خدا کے کعبے سے سب بت اٹھواے جائیں گے

جب اہل صفا، مردود حرم

مسند پہ بٹھاۓ جائیں گے

سب تاج اچھالے جایئں گے

سب تخت گراۓ جایئں گے

بس نام رہے گا الله کا

جو غائب بھی ہے - حاضر بھی

جو منظر بھی ہے - ناظر بھی

اور راج کرے گی خلق خدا

جو میں بھی ہوں --- اور تم بھی ہو

لازم ہے کہ ہم بھی دیکھیں گے

[Translation]

  The destiny is That We Shall Also See
That Day Which Has Been Promised
Which Is Written With God's Ink

When The Mountains Of Cruelty And Torture
Will Fly Like Pieces Of Cotton
Under The Feet Of The Governed
This Earth Will Quake
And Over The Head Of The Ruler
When Lightening Will Thunder

All The Idols Will Be Shattered
Us People Standing In The Mosque
Will Be Elevated To A Higher Platform
All The Crowns Will Be Tossed
All The Thrones Will Be Toppled 

Then Only God's Name Will Remain
Who Is Both Absent And Present
Who Is Both The Observer And The View Itself
When The Anthem Of Truth Will Be Raised
Who I Am And You Are As Well
And The People Of God Will Reign
Who I Am And You Are As Well

We Shall See
It Is Destiny That We Shall Also See

We Shall See