‘SPINE’

The time has come again for the Prime Minister to show some ‘spine’; simce it has been so long since we last saw someone show some stature, some depth, some insight into things that needed them. The conflicts, the situations in the Muslim countries doesn’t look good at all and we wonder, being the sole nuclear power, where we stand when the poor Muslims need us in these troubled times.

The morning of the decade 2020 doesn’t seem to have a promising day ahead. The Muslims, be it in China, Myanmar, Kashmir, India, or the gulf states, are not just being marginalised and penalized for being Muslims, but are brainwashed and killed too.

Coming to the country who is dear to me like my baby, it hurts me Every time when we take bad decisions, when we make mistakes that make us look like buffoons in the international community but all I can do is just stomp my feet and fume over the stupidity of the most ‘respectable’ electables.

The recent issue of the extension of the army chief has again made everything look like a joke too. The prime minister, who once was against any extension being given to the army chief, is now making extra efforts to extend his tenure. The Prime Minister should have shown some spine and should have stuck to his decade long stance against any extension being given to anyone.

Now the question will arise about the recent escalation in the middle East; the US ‘foreign Secretary ‘ called out to Pakistan’s counterpart, General Bajwa, about the situation that they have ignited in the Muslim World now. Now it’s time for the Prime Minister to show some ‘spine ‘ and not dive into the war like Mushy did when Collin Powell called on to him.

The time of war, the time of decisions and the time to show some spine has come. The world doesn’t look good whether it is the fire in Australia, or the fire in the Middle East, third day into 2020, and we are admist bloodshed, wars, and global warming.

The Verdict!

‘If he dies before getting hanged, drag his body to ‘D’ chowk and hang him there for three days!’

The ‘note’ after the verdict said that. So yes, everyone starting going bonkers. Everyone kind of started questioning the words the judge used for the verdict. Moeed Pirzada started wailing like a baby, all others started saying that this should not have been the end of such a ‘patriotic’ leader. He is a hero and what not.

Just a few questions to those who deem him the epitome of patriotism:

1. If he was such a patriot, how could he sell his land, his military bases to US military?

2. If he was such a patriot, how could he sell people of Pakistan for US dollars?

3. If he was such a patriot how could he let American drones target tribal areas of KPK and Baluchistan?

4. If he was such a patriot, how could he let Blackwater Army roam freely around the country?

5. If he was such a patriot, how could he let US open up a fortress in Karachi in the name of US Embassy?

6. If he was such a patriot, how could he humiliated the hero of the nation, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan?

The questions are numerous. The General did not only commit crimes against his own people, his own country, the neighbouring country, he committed crimes against humanity.

He shouldn’t be charged only with treason but with murder of thousands of people, of torturing thousands of people and of human trafficking.

In my honest opinion, there is no punishment in this world that can do justice to what he did when power was entrusted to him.

Death Sentence

I think he should be hanged publicly and should remain there for several days for people to see.

‘Why do you become so cruel when it comes to him?’

I don’t know..

I put myself in Dr. Aafia’s shoes… And I can not imagine what she has had been through.

I put myself in Amna Janjua’s shoes, and I don’t know what I would feel.

I put myself in the shoes of that person, whose everything was wiped away with one drone.

I put myself in the shoes of a person who was put to shame on national tv.

I put myself in the shoes of those who died on the streets because he gave them the permission to kill.

I put myself in the shoes of those who got the blunt of ‘namaloom afraad’.

The list of crimes go on…

The World of Contradictions?!

As Pakistan is still under the threat by the war that is helicoptering upon it’s borders, the internal affairs are still very much the same. The opposition and the government are on the same page as far as the state of affairs is concerned in the International Arena. But other matters are just as horrifying at the moment.

The inflation is on the rise and the common people’s sufferings have not yet been addressed. Every day, or every other day, the government comes up with one thing or another that makes it a laughing stock or either makes me wonder if they really are serious about solving the issues or not. The recent turn of events have made us more suspicious about the actions the government is taking to actually solve the real problems of the common people.

The Punjab Assembly just passed a bill where the salaries of the ministers were increased three folds. It was not unprecedented but the reaction that came after from the Prime Minister Imran Khan seemed like a joke. He claimed that he was very disappointed by the bill. And I was wondering, is it not his government? Doesn’t he own the manifesto of the Punjab Assembly? It only means that IK has no say whatsoever in anything, people he has given seats to do not follow him nor do they beleive in his vision nor are they part of the campaign that IK started of simplicity and cutting down of expenses. It raises questions on his ability to lead, to govern and to move forward and the status of his being the harbinger of change that everyone claims him to be.

The other news that the news channels started boasting about is the fact that PIA has been cleared for it’s direct flights to US. Another credit being given to the ‘charming personality’ and the ‘corruption free’ status of IK. But what people seem to be missing out are the news items that became the headlines; the one where US senator talked about the joint military actions, and then the US Army saying that Pakistan has been cooperating with us for the past 8 months the way it never has supported us in the past 18 years! This not only raises questions on the role of Pakistan in the region but what services are being provided to the US Army and what assistance has been provided to US but also what are we getting in return. Is it something like what Musharraf did with the US that not only provided with air bases to them but also welcomed terrorist organizations like Blackwater to work in the country! These are serious concerns. I hope we get answers soon before the damage done is irreparable.

Let us see where we end up in a few days… The future seems bleak to me…

Maya Pakistan has started to haunt me now!

The Mess

The mess that started a few days ago has long lasting impact on the mind of those who can actually think and see far better than those who can not see beyond the heroism of one man. Anyway, Pakistan was attacked earlier this week by Indian forces. Indian Airforce claimed that it killed around 300 militants in Pakistan, whereas, only trees were destroyed in the Balakot area. The whole International media took it as if nothing has happened and that Pakistan is the country that harbours militants and should be treated as a country any one can go to and drop their missiles and bombs. This is what has been going on since 9/11, since Musharraf gave a green signal to the US to use Pakistani soil and to bomb it via drones or missiles whenever they want. The mess that we have harboured in the name of ‘war against terrorism’!

Musharraf has made a huge mistake handing over our bases to US and handing over a Muslim country to US over a phone call. Not only that he gave them permission to attack our people living near Durand line because these people were closely related to the Afghanis across the border. The drones killed innocent civillians more than it killed militants. Anyway, the point is, when a free ticket was given to one country to attack our people, without any proof, that they were terrorists, not only made the world believe that we were harbouring terrorists and have camps in our country that anyone, anywhere in the world has a free ticket to bomb! The most perfect Intelligence Agency had let the US come in till Abbotabad and allegedly took OBL from there and did nothing to stop it or condemn it. Anyway, my point is when you let one country in your borders and let them play dirty, how will you stop your arch rival from doing the same when they claim that you are fuelling terrorism in their country.

International media will never see the picture in objectivity as it does not sell. Muslims will always be a white man’s burden and they will continue to be portrayed as the real evil in this world, no matter how many atrocities the Hindu extremists would do against the Muslims in Kashmir, Jammu or Gujrat. Because, as Muhammad Asad puts it, the hatred for Muslims that the West harbour in their hearts,brains and DNAs dates back to the times of the first Crusades and they can never detach themselves from it. That is why the International community and media stood and sympathized with the Indians even when they escalated the Pulwama incident, knowing fully well, that Pakistan was not involved!

The only reaction that came from the International community was after the MIG 21 aircraft of the Indian Air force was shot down. And that be asking for restraint from the Pakistani side. Not a single newspaper of any country, blamed India for escalating the tensions between the two countries. This, not only showed the bias of the International Community but also that no matter how much a Muslim country is their ally, a non-muslim country will always be a more favoured nation. And since Musharraf had always submitted in front of the US and NATO forces when they attacked the tribal belt, everyone was made to believe that Pakistan has terrorist elements.

The Prime Minister Imran Khan, announced the release of the Indian Pilot caught the next day calling it a ‘gesture of peace!’ The immaturity of the decision cannot be measured by any yardstick! Pakistan had an upper hand and what Pakistan could have done was that at least,should have involved a third party and diplomatic corridors should have been used. The whole world was all praises for the Prime Minister but this International Community did not question Indian action in any way. They did not push, nor tried to de-escalate the situation as was. No international pressure was exerted on India whatsoever. Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister failed miserably in calling out to friends, and allies alike to diffuse the situation. Pakistan, has foolishly, believed that India would take it as a gesture of goodwill whereas, if we look at the history of India, be it BJP or Congress, they have always been anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim and never have taken Pakistan’s peace gestures as a joke. A treaty, a third party involvement, could have reaped not only better results but would have at least put things on the table, even Pulwama incident. It could have brought forward the Kashmir issue, and other issues too and case could have been made in front of the International community that Pakistan is willing to take things forward and not down the hill.

One of the blunders that could have been avoided by the Prime Minister was the blunder of waiting for three days ,after Pulwama accusations made by the Indians, before replying. He should at least would have taken that very opportunity of MBS and should have asked them to mediate between them and the Indians; and like the foreign Secretary of KSA said that we will try to diffuse the situation between the two countries, this opportunity should have been availed there and then. A third party should have been called in as soon as the accusation was made and shouldn’t have been waited on!

India, will never sit quietly with this humiliation of two jets being shot down by Pakistan. Things will not die down. The role of UN, US and other countries is pathetic on the whole scenario. I hope better sense would prevail and we avoid a war because this war will bring such destruction that is beyond anyone’s imagination.

What ‘tabdeeli’?!

Sahiwal massacre has left it’s marks deep upon my soul. I still can not fathom the fact that the killers are still at large. The Prime Minister has said that after he returns from Qatar, he will give ‘exemplary punishment’ to those involved and will bring reforms in thr Police Department. The Law Minister still claims that the driver that was killed was a terrorist and the family was ‘collateral damage’.

There are a numbers of questions raised with the incident that need to be addressed and Prime Minister thought that Qatar visit is of prime importance rather than providing justice to those who were murdered brutally in cold blood. The Prime Minister has waited this long to bring reforms in the Police Department! The DPO Pakpatan was transferred within a night when he stopped the car of an influential person, the IG was dismissed in a matter of seconds. The rhetoric continues sadly that some people are definitely more equal than the others. Providing justice to the victims of the families is of no importance, but meeting with the U.S. senator was more important. Sadly, we are all standing where we were… not soo much of ‘tabdeeli’ in the way we deal with things.

So the U.S delegation came to meet the Prime Minister and later in the press conference said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was always right ,(smirk) providing the so much celebrated celebrity with a lollipop and later said that we want ‘joint military operations’ for making Afghanistan a better place! The choice of words still resonate in my ears as the Prime Minister said that we will not be used as ‘hired guns’ but perhaps as ‘coalition partners’. The whole Musharraf era is literally playing at thr back of my mind. The whole debate of military court’s extension debate seems to be a part of this whole larger picture which has started to show it’s true colours. The way CTD executed the whole Sahiwal incident, this is how military exectues mist of it’s operations too. We only hear the ISPR’s side of the story, where is the rest of the picture. Only a fool will believe everything they say.

It is not the start of a new era, it is just how history repeats itself…

Dil-e-Ranjeeda

My taya( father’s elder brother) was shot dead 9 years ago when he tried to stop the burglars from snatching the phone away from my husband at the gates of his resident. I did not witness the exact moment as I was inside his house while he was greeting my husband. But I can not still detach myself from the exact memories of that night, I still feel these pangs of pain inside my heart whenever I recall that incident, sometimes I just sit still and recount those moments in my head. Sometimes I can not still believe that my uncle just passed away in an instant, in a second, without any goodbyes, without any last words to us, his sons and his daughters. My husband has not yet gotten over the trauma of actually seeing an old man being shot dead in span of seconds as that old man tried to stop those phone snatchers. Why am I repeating all this after soo many years…

Yesterday, the Sahiwal incident happened. The CTD people killed innocent civillians at short range and took the children from the car and left them at the petrol station! I mean what kind of CTD protocol was that?! If the car had stopped, why was there an urge to open fire at everyone and kill them all without any prior investigation as to who was sitting in the car and what was actually happening. Will those kids ever be able to out of this trauma? How can any ‘financial aid’ ever compensate for the loss of thise children. A thirteen year old girl was brutally murdered! A mother was repeatedly shot! A father was grilled with bullets! What was this? I can NOT fathom the whole thing. I am flabbergasted!!! I am shocked!!! I am devastated! I am heartbroken and I am ANGRY! The tweets of the leaders of the country are just as pathetic and provide no solace whatsoever to the grieving family or the people of Pakistan.

We do not want military courts for the same reason. We do not know how many people have the military killed in the name of all those operations that started off during the time of Musharraf. Who knows what ISPR is covering. The innocent people killed via drones, the people who were killed in Waziristan, or during Zarb-e-azb, who is responsible for even one innocent life that was taken?! We do not want military courts because we do not know if those people are terrorists or not?! Was Dr. Afia a terrorist?

We do not want military courts! Period!

May Allah protect us from the zulm of these zalimuns. Ameen.

The New World

The new government has been formed and the new setup has begun. A lot has been said and there is soo much going on and so many perspectives and soo many analysis being done everyday that one seems as if a lot will be done soon enough. Though the new government has just talked about the audit of the former government’s development projects, and still a lot of focus on the last government rather than things that will be spectacular like fireworks and wow us all. But maybe, we are expecting too much.

Anyway, what we are looking at right now is a financial crisis and I am not an expert at this; I am a lay man when it comes to financial strategies, audits, budgets and all but whatever I know doesn’t paint a good picture of the near future. I remember when Musharraf came to power and 9/11 happened, the industrialists were adamant into going with the Bush and the US because the other way round would ruin their businesses. The economic policies of Pakistan were marked by this main event too as they threatened to put sanctions if Pakistan didn’t chose a side (everyone knows how Bush said it was either ‘with us or against us’ situation). The reason I am going back to Musharraf is because since then, we have seen a very sharp decline in the industrial sector, specially the textile sector. For example, the dye industry has been eradicated from Pakistan, it has been shifted to either India or China. The garments we see in the international markets are either Indian, Bangladeshi or Chinese. Pakistani products are rarely seen in the big brands’ shop where Pakistan was a leading exporter with quality products. What Musharraf came around with has stuck to Pakistan and is still clinging on to Pakistan.  My point here is; does the new government of Pakistan know what we have lost, where are we standing, what policies the International companies have sworn us into since Mushy and how will we get out of it, where should we invest, which industry will be on the hit list(as in what will be the top priority?) and how will they go about it? These questions were not answered by the newly formed government as I was expecting so I still feel it is just talk and no work. But since the cabinet is similar to that of Mushy, we might see a facade of things being better… just my thoughts.. I might be wrong.

A lot happened during Musharraf’s era. One can not forget the Oct 8th earthquake that brought in havoc in the northern part of Pakistan. A lot of aid started pouring as soon as the rescue aid operations started. USAID and a lot of other International NGOs started working in Pakistan in the name of help to be provided to the vast mountain area that was devastated by the earthquake. A lot of aid went missing, a lot of things went unexplained. Till date we do not know on what conditions were those aid given, what sanctions were put on the economic and political front in the name of those aids. To think that the International community only gave all that money on humanitarian basis will be too naive. These questions have not been answered and have not been dealt with either by the military government nor have they been answered by the civilian governments that followed. Since the new government is plundering itself into auditing the development programs of the previous government, it is necessary to bring forward the issues, the policies, the loopholes, the man holes of the governments preceding it in order to fully know the position this country in the international scenario since US wants to quit Afghanistan as well.

The issue of the missing persons also started in the Musharraf era. Musharraf, himself has shamelessly recorded in his book, that he SOLD Pakistani men,women and children for dollars. Dr. Afia is still in US detention center and has gone through immense mental, physical and sexual abuse. This is just one case. We know Amna Janjua is still fighting to get her husband back and loads and loads of people, who have been standing there in the capital and are waiting for their loved one’s return. The matter of Dr. Afia is under Foreign Ministry but rest are unknown. Since the newly elected Prime Minister has announced that he will keep the Ministry of Internal Affairs under himself, this must be the most important issue since new cases of missing persons have come up in the last couple of months namely of Romana Hussain and Roshan bibi just on the pretext of being affiliated with Hizb-ut-tehreer. These are the cases that have come upfront,but I wonder how many cases are still under the carpet. These raise a question on the power of the government, the military and the intelligence agencies. The question here is; Why not open trials, why not open court sessions?? Why such secrecy if they are criminals??What are these Intelligence agencies so afraid of? The new government should be able to at least give one statement on this issue.

Unfortunately, the list of issues goes on and on and on. The question is, will the new government be able to answer all these questions, these core issues? Will they work on the facades or will they go deeper to tackle the core issues of this country?

Only time will tell…

 

Sab Se Pehle Pakistan?!

I started writing this before the party was launched. And recent interviews have proven the former chief of army a traitor. And yet he expects respect from the people of Pakistan! And still claims to be the upholder of “sab se pehle Pakistan” while exposing country’s secrets! He should be hanged till death but no.. that would be too short a punishment. I remember once praying that may he be in such pain that he’d pray for death and death wont come to him, but now I know Allah must have saved a great punishment for him as he still walks the earth with dyed hair!

The former President of Pakistan, who’s been living in UK for the past eight years, is planning to come back and wants to help the Pakistanis in dire need. Let’s just see what he did during his rule and see why would we want him back.

1. He sold Pakistani land to the Americans and till today they have been working on this land as if it’s their own. NATO gets its supplies through our land. Shame on us.

2. Drone attacks! He welcomed them taking no action.

3. Genocide! Killing of innocent students at Jamia Hafsa and claiming to have defeated the enemy!

4. He sold Pakistanis for dollars! (and this he himself acknowledged in his biography!) beghairti ki bhi inteha hai! I’m sorry for there is no other word for it!

5. To top it all, he made Abdul Qadeer Khan a viallian!

The list goes on and on…

Oh Allah! save us from people like him and Zardari and Sharif borthers and others who are here to sell off PAkistan!

Are You Crazy?

Sitting with my husband and watching what he was doing on the computer, which is most of the time watching news and reading newspapers and of course fb, he came across a person whose status was that the Government of Pakistan has lost it’s marbles for spending millions of dollars on the lawyers of Dr. Afia when the majority of population is living under the poverty line!

…

Shocked?! Flabbergasted?! Want to hit your head on the wall?!!

I’d rather kill him for saying that!

He’s crazy! How can one even imagine that?! Selling these people off to the US state, disappearance of her children and the other two who are believed to be dead, doesn’t he feel anything? She had been harassed, raped, mentally tortured and we as Muslims and Pakistanis can just let it go because we don’t think the government should spend that much money on her?! Doesn’t he have a mother? Doesn’t he have a sister? Wont he have a wife or a daughter? What if something like that happens to them, God forbid, would he continue eating and drinking and wont feel anything for them, wont do anything for them?  Are you going to blame her for the starvation of the Pakistani people or are you going to blame the corrupt Pakistani Government for that? Is this what we have stooped to?? THIS?!!! Is it soo easy to sell your mother and daughters?!

So we should join the Musharraf and the Government of Pakistan and continue doing all the wrongs that we have been doing for soo many years and not raise our voices against the cruelty and the wrong done by these people and then maybe we will prosper??! The people of Pakistan won’t live below the poverty line? Have we stopped fearing Allah that He might send down punishments from Heaven on this very earth for siding with the wrong?! The very reason Pakistan is going through whatever that it’s been going through since a very long time is because we have stopped supporting what’s right, we have stopped raising our voices against the wrong, we have stopped caring about right and wrong as we don’t let ourselves be touched by the tragedies of our own people as our lives have been going on a smooth keel! We have stopped giving a damn about anything and everything. Will our actions go unnoticed?!

On the authority of Hudhaifah Ibn Al-Yamân (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) who reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “By Allah in whose Hand my soul is, you’d better enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong or Allah will descend upon you His severe punishment and then you supplicate Him but He will not answer your supplication” [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, Hadith no.2169]