art of being random

utter helplessness and rumour mongering

2006-09-25T12:09:00.000+05:00

yesterday was by far the most interesting sunday ive had in years.as everyone living in Pakistan knows we collectively suffered a power breakdown yesterday afternoon leading into the evening..for the folks up in NWFP it must have been so much worse cos they obviously had to fast one day before the rest of us..the breakdown kind of messed up their iftari plans..wow but what propensity do we have to spread rumours..all of a sudden the world was falling apart...tarbela's been bombed...lahore's ring road is getting electrical poles set up..no...regime change..PPP's in power..American invasion...nuclear installations and grid stations have been taken out...musharrafs had a heart attack...well for a couple of hours pakistani imaginations especially those belonging to the "chattering classes" had run amok.
for a few hours not having any electricity meant not having access to information and that made me feel utterly helpless..made me think how we've become so hooked and dependent on mordernity..if theres a slight hiccup that lasts a bit more than a hiccup should we kick into panic mode ..i guess its the day and age..war on terror/political instability...khair thank god for modernity cos i was able to use the internet on my cell to finally check out geo and see what the hullabollo was all about..we sure do live in interesting times..

ramzan mubarik y'all!!

the holiday that almost happened and pre ramzan jitters

2006-09-19T12:44:00.000+05:00

man this sux!! i have had my dubai visa ready for the past three weeks but ive been unable to go cos of some unresolved stuff. now this "stuff" is on the point of being sorted out but will give me no time to go to dubai cos ramzan's round the corner.hehe talk about signs from God or plain rotten luck..haha..anyhows my visa remains valid for 60 days and guess when it expires..around eid!!!so ill end up paying more for a new visa or extension. the positive spin that i could give to this is that the weather will be gorgeous in Do-Buy..hmm this time round ill shop for new sweaters..must update sweater and jacket collection..jeez i cant believe im blogging about what im going to shop about...whats the world coming to?

ive decided im going to relaunch my gymming career during ramzan.how ill get the energy to lift weights and get on the treadmill after sumptous iftars is a bridge ill cross when i get there.i will have to cross it though cos ive been sitting on my ass doing all kinds of unhealthy things..so another pre-ramzan resolution...must get back into some kind of reasonable shift..

ah ramzan the time when i watch all the tv serials ive collected over the years...i wonder where my sunharey din and chand grahan tapes are..hehe...i think i should also renew my car insurance cos driving is going to get real crappy in the coming weeks.its funny how ramzan is supposed to make u stronger mentally and spiritually yet most people while fasting are just waiting to explode.hehe

my sisters as well as my best friend's weddings are coming up this winter and i have the unenviable task of preparing dances..khizzy if u have any good and new songs to suggest tht'd be great...im trying to do research by checking out the indian music channels periodically..but somehow the songs i like is by that aashiq banaya guy..but they're so hard to dance to for me at least..hehe..the wedding season..when ramzan's upon us u know the wedding season is lurking close by as well ..just thinking about the shaadi season right now has me drained..

till next time ta-ta

khizzy's tag

2006-09-11T15:12:00.000+05:00

am thinking about...what to do tonight...parents are outta town..friends in town....

I said...love is like wine...u feel great initially but eventually end up with a hangover!(actually i didnt come up with it but ive said it a dozen times..hehe)

I want to..become filthy rich...have loads of influence and always live above the law..yeah baby!!

I wish...there were bars and nightclubs in lahore..

I miss...hmmm like khizzy i could say college but i guess ill say the good times..

I hear... city fm 89 alot!!

I wonder...y we as a nation are so dishonest and corrupt

I regret...not being near the sea

I am......many things to many people..haha so typical..but seriously i am a good, decent shy sometimes sly fella..

i think.....too much at times...over analysing stuff can lead to indeciveness..not good

I dance...when not in my senses..cos why would i want to embarass myself and those close to me by torturing people with my dance skills..

I sing...in the bathroom...these days its God save the queen...britain's national anthem.having colonial withdrawl symptoms perhaps..

I cry...in my dreams..crying is for wimps...hehe jk..

I am not always...right..woah thts something really big for me to say publicly..hehe

I write...nonsense,gibberish etc etc

I confuse...watching sport on the telly with actually playing it

I need...to shed some major weight..become visibly more friendly..also maybe go to the dentist..my tooths aching right now

I should try......to hook up with someone..im not getting any younger or prettier..hehe

I finish...by saying heres to a better tomorrow

mai karachi

2006-08-28T11:35:00.000+05:00

this past thursday at a friends birthday dinner i decided to go with the rest of my friends to karachi.a friend of mine was getting engaged and i decided i needed a break from work and lahore for at least the weekend.so at dinner me and a couple of other friends booked ourselves onto airblue.airblue flights are always eventful...ive never ever felt as much turbulence as i always do on air blue..this flight was no different..thank god i had an empty stomach or i would have definetely made use of the barf bag..hehe..other than that the flight was made memorable by my erstwhile friends who created one mighty ruckus during the whole flight.mind you no one was offened..on the contrary we had the passengers around us in fits..the air hostess also burst out laughing when my friend asked her for some ice cream. khair we landed in karachi to be greeted by wonderful weather but an awful stench...but the smell was the worst outside our hotel.apparently the tankers carrying dead fish passed outside the hotel everyday.khair the smell was the worst ive had to breathe ever and believe you me the toilets at aitchison were not for the faint hearted either..
that night we went to my friend's fiances house for dinner where we were treated to a sumptuous seven course dinner..unfortunatly such elegance and class was too much for us unsophisticated lahoris.after every course we would get up and go outside to smoke..hehe the courses were yummy and filling...by the end of it we all felt we were going to burst..finally we ended up at an after hours a friend from college was having at his place.it was fun but what was more funny was that the lahoris gathered in one corner while the karachites in the other..hehe ok there was mingling but of the negligible sort..
after waking up late there was time to eat and visit my khala. again i was reminded of the sheer size of karachi..its big...really big..in no time it was time to get ready for the engagement..the engagement was at sind club...now i must say that the buildings and the interior of sind club are marvellous..another sumptuous feast was followed by a trip downstairs to the casablanca night..bumped into many lahoris as well as more friends from college..i dunno why we dont have a similar thing in lahore...khair we were out all night coming back at 7.
anyhows now we were all set to return and not a minute too soon cos we felt things could get really hairy due to bugti's death...as soon az we left the hotel we were stopped by the police..apparently our friend who was dropping us had been talking on his cell while driving..we were getting late so we ended up paying the cop a hundred bucks..we had tried to give him 20 but he told us in matter of fact tone that the governmeant needed at least 100 from us..hehe

the big finale was not the flight itself but the landing...i had been amazed at the smoothness of the flight...but just 1 minute before landing the plane started to shake violently and then thud.we had landed but we bounced right back again before thudding down again.the plane swerved a bit but mercifully all ended well...the reason for the bad landing was that just one minute prior to our landing Lahore was hit by a wind and thunderstorm...the pilot either could divert us to islamabad or try to get in ahead of the storm....god forbid if the tyre had burst or something else things could have gotten bad...anyway an eventful end to an eventful trip...

questions

2006-08-24T11:44:00.000+05:00

Disclaimer:these queries in no way reflect anything but a feeble attempt to post something new.hahaha

why is it then when i was young i couldnt wait to be older and when im older i wish i could be young again?

why is it that i can remember stuff which happened to me 20 yrs ago but cant remember or recall properly something two days old?

why is it that when i was abroad i could'nt wait to be back and when im back i wish(tenous at best) i could be abroad?

an unrelated question that nevertheless perplexes me

why do they dig up the roads just before the monsoon season??my tyre burst the other day cos there was a ditch covered by water..hehe i kid u not..actually worse has happened because of these dug up roads.

why is time flying by while i feel or seem to be stuck in an rut?

why is the grass always greener on the other side?

pakistan's worst hair day!!

2006-08-21T12:23:00.000+05:00

wow!!what a weird set of events..i dont know how to express myself...i find myself feeling angry, dejected, bitter, proud and confused...what in the hell happened yesterday...im referring to Pakistan's match which resulted in test crickets first forfeiture in its history...i dont know why the ICC babus appointed darrel hair the umpire..everyone and his uncle knows the relationship between the pakistan team and this umpire is hostile at best. his decision to accuse pakistan of tampering the ball seems to be based on his personel evaluation of the condition of the ball rather than catching some player in the act. if this is the case and all tv coverage supports this so far then hair's decision was an outrage.in one minute he labelled the pakistani cricket team as cheats without any proof.im proud of the fact that our team stayed out..im not concerned about the fact that the match was forfeited though it does hurt a little bit cos we were likely to have won this match. im angry with the ICC..i hope the PCB gets hair removed from the umpiring panel cos his nonsense cant be tolerated anymore.

im pretty sure we havent heard the last of this incident..there are still some fireworks to come. in fact i have a funny feeling the ICC is going to do something really stupid..for eg.ban inzi or fine him...sneaky funny feeling!!

azadi mubarik

2006-08-15T11:37:00.000+05:00

man this was one looonnnnngggg weekend...it seemed it would never end..im so not used to two day weekends anymore...first of all would like to wish everyone happy independence day..i saw such nice things yesterday that i wish i was able to take pictures and post em here.alas was driving..flag upon flag fluttering beautifully in the wind..yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Lahore...it rained quite heavily for a while knocking out the electricity and cable for a while...but instead of getting humid afterwards it was extremely breezy and overcast.14th august is like new years for me.a time for reflection. new years its more of an individual thing.14th august iis more about the collective..only difference is there are no independence eve parties..there should be..hehe..heard lots of positive stuff on the tv yesterday...heard some negative things from a couple of friends...a couple were of the opinion that there was nothing to celebrate...for me im proud we have our freedom yet its sad we've become insular, cynical, less tolerant over time...khair the thought that best encapsulates what i feel is when someone yesterday said that by talking to someone from palestine or lebanon one could get a very clear picture of what freedom is and what it means...i know 14th august is a day of despair for many...another year gone by of more and the same..i pray its a day of hope for the majority where they could look forward to a better year both for themselves and this land..

finally got to watch MI3,Xmen 3, pirates of the carribean 2 this weekend...like i said..its been a long ass weekend..

sickness and irony

2006-08-02T12:13:00.000+05:00

ive been absent from the blogosphere cos ive been really sick..still am but in much better shape than i was this past sunday.really bad viral infection which was causing me so much pain tht only a shot of anesthesia wouldve numbed it. the ironic bit was tht i came down with this just prior to the first happening weekend event of this lifeless lahore summer.infact i was all ready, entertaining people at my place who'd gathered there as a meeting point from where to proceed together when i decided i couldnt possibly make it through the night intact.the next morning i woke up in pain and fever... since last year ive developed this really bad throat problem..my doctors still deciding whether my tonsils should be removed or not...im convinced they ought to cos ive had it with sore throats..they strike at the most inopportune times..besides they hurt and lately in my case they hurt alott!!
khair now the worst is behind me...im on antibiotics feeling all week and stuff..i hope ive atleast lost a couple of pounds.

update plus weird happenings

2006-07-27T12:38:00.000+05:00

apologies for my dissapearing act.since my last rather pithy and depressing post things have changed somewhat.overall im still bored...i did eat tht caked alaska but ive been somewhat busy.just had a cargo lift installed in my store.so basically for the past couple of days ive been busy moving my inventory into my warehouse which as the lift would indicate lies above my shop. the weathers been quite funny...its been raining like anything for the past few days.yet when it stops raining for a while one has to suffer the most unbelievably suffocating humidity.i must have lost 5 kilos due to the "perspiration"..hehe ..at least i hope i have.

the lack of people in this town have forced us left behind to come up with a new activity.its texas hold'em poker and its all the rage these days...wouldnt recommend it though...one gets addicted to it which is not good...especially if you end up losing money..hehe..

btw zidane seems to have made the head butt fashionable...did anyone see a jockey in england headbutt his horse after the horse had thrown him off..hehe...too funny..

another weird tidbit which only fox news could have come up...a man in ohio has been charged with gross sexual misconduct or something to tht effect...basically this guy went to the local library and told all the women there that he was doing a sociology project which entailed him to lick or suck the toes of these women and record their respective reactions.despite the obvious protestations the guy went down on his knees and proceeded to suck the toes of the woman near him..she freaked out and called the police...hehe...only in America!!

p.s im sure this is no consolation but the queens borough of NYC had been without power for two straight weeks..so karachiites i guess the people of queens feel u .

bored to smithereens!!

2006-07-20T18:27:00.000+05:00

im bored. not much to do the entire day.just one of those days..finished playing golf on my mobile twice.wrote long ass posts twice before deleting them and starting over this third and final time.i guess for me the universe is just taking a little breather and everything seems to be going by very slowly..ah like i said its one of those days.

eureka!!

ill have caked alaska tonight!!

2006-07-18T13:06:00.000+05:00

just finished watching lost.about to finish west wing.love both shows actually.dont have much of an appetite left for movies now.they finish too quickly..hehe maybe i should start watching indian flicks.khair after watching lost i cant remember the last time the mysterious monster on the island made his presence felt.my movie shop wala is insisting i watch one tree hill next..but i think im uptill here with OC already.nip tuck might be the way to go.for me dubai is becoming the new lahore.3 very close friends of mine will be in dubai working there from next month.actually two have been there for the past one year providing me with great hospitality every two months or so.but now another one of my gang is about to join them there.as a result very few of us are left in Lahore.its funny how in high school u never even thought that everyone would be going their own separate ways in different parts of the world..oh well..such is life...btw dawn is starting pakistan's first english news channel...anyone interested in working lemme know.be it karachi, lahore or islamabad. btw i think theres reverse discrimination going on now.babas prefer hiring young graduate girls...sup with that...hehe

outrage!!

2006-07-14T16:22:00.000+05:00

the capture of one soldier (military combatant) from an army base (military target) results in the total shutdown of Gaza, home to 1.4 million Palestinians (99% of whom are civilians).yet all the outrage in the west is about the soldier and not about the disproportionate response shown by Israel.how many innocent Palestinians have been killed in gaza these past couple of weeks.countless.how many cabinet ministers and palestinian paliamentarians been picked up?too many.wheres the outrage?nowhere to be seen. all you hear is imagine if someone captured our soldier from the homeland we'd respond in kind.this was said by a democrat senator.current crisis in lebanon was initiated not by the capture of two israeli soldiers by hezbollah but by israel capturing some hezbollah fighters.yet wheres the outrage.its hezbollah who are termed the terrorists and its the lebanese who are paying in lives and properties.beirut has been cut off.right now there are 3 israeli soldiers in arab hands whereas israel has 9000!!! arab prisoners.wheres the outrage??

i mean studying in the states i was baffled by the american public opinion about the arab israeli conflict. campuses that are usually liberal bastions usually were sympathetic to the Palestinians. Yet when Americans grow up they tend to buy into this bullshit that freedom is under attack.terrorism and freedom struggles are one and the same. i guess maybe its in their blood.cos of what they did to the native americans they can now relate to Israels attitude towards the arabs. then they have the innocence to ask why oh why do they hate us.

the arab israeli issue gets me riled up even more than india pakistan cos the injustice of it all is so blatant ones left wondering what in the world is going on here?sure there are lots of bad eggs in the palestinian cause.arab states have done shit all as well but are the palestinian nation going to be meted out this unjust and humiliating treatment for ever?its so bad that ones forced to say to hell with it!!

LOL!!!

2006-07-13T17:09:00.000+05:00

i finally did it. yesterday along with two of my friends copster and royal rafikee i got a haircut from Nabilas!!!!!hehe...im feeling slightly sheepish!!spent 1200 rupees for a cut and style...now to be honest ive never felt happier after a cut.secondly it was so much fun sitting in a cool ass salon..i was tempted to get facials/pedicures/manicures but decided against cos i was in a hurry.next time though i will definetely get a facial.

in the evening i went to a fantastic peformance by zeb & haniya at the new levis flagship store.they had mekaal hassan, salman albert etc playing with them..the whole thing literally rocked.i dunno why zeb and haniya havent come out with an album..theyre really good...

another gorgeous day in lahore..was raining cats and dogs when i woke up.im impressed with the city govt though. theyve got dozens of crews working overtime draining the streets of water.kudos to them!!i dunno if anyones noticed the ads ive got on top of my blogpage.these google ppl are really smart. the ads reflect mostly what i wrote about in my most recent post. btw if u click on one of the ads i get some cents as royalty.so if u guys can click on em five six times i might just one day amass a fortune by blogging...haha

shakira shakira!!!

2006-07-11T18:47:00.000+05:00

reading some of the british press today got me real riled up. they were going on and on about what a disgrace zidane was and how their children were stunned to see what he did. furthermore they questioned his future credentials as a role model. i remember reading about such stuff in american sports as well..for me the zidane incident hurt not because it was disgraceful but because it hurt frances chances of winning the cup and him having a perfect fairy tale ending. why is it that people be it the press or sports fans have to put their sporting heroes on such a pedestal where they start expecting perfection in all aspects of their life..for me growing up Micheal Jordan was perfection personified.but it was more about his playing abilities than anything else.ditto for imran khan. many people forget that these superstars are at the end of the day normal human beings with real human emotions. those who say that these stars owe something to us because theyre paid huge sums of money dont know what theyre talking about. they are paid these sums because of the way they play.beckham being the exception to an extent.im sure if someone gave zidane the chance to do it all over again he'd probably keep his cool...but hey thts just life and he's just human.. so id just like to salute zidane for all the memories.for me he was awesome.thx zizzou!!

now tht ive vented some of my own emotions id like to add that its been raining quite steadily in lahore..the weathers nice, the streets flooded and my ac sales have gone down..tsk tsk...something had to give..hehe...dont worry...the humidity will kick in soon enough..haha!!btw is it only me or does anyone else feel weird body aches in the rainy season??

finally ive decided that my hips dont lie is my official dance anthem!!

whats the worst that can happen?

2006-07-10T12:41:00.000+05:00

so...here we are the morning after...italy the new champs...doesnt sound right but hey they held their nerves and trezeguet didnt...as for zizzou...well that hurt..for him to bow out like that wasnt imaginable...i hope people will remember him for his game and numerous achievements than this head butt..it was one helluve headbutt though....khair despair can make ones mind wander in weird directions.while my mind was wandering i started thinking about the system of asking out people.and then i started thinking as to why it is usually the responsibility of the guy to make the first move.if a girl likes someone 9/10 she wont make the first move.why??

btw a little disclaimer...this thinking in no way reflects something happening to me .i dont know of anyone liking me and me wishing her to make the first move..hehe...just thought that maybe maybe someone could enlighten me about how this system works.

i guess i can understand the whole rishta business.guys family going to the girl..khair...like i said despair makes the mind go everywhere and nowhere.

depression galore!!!

2006-07-04T14:30:00.000+05:00

its as if someone delivered a sucker punch and knocked the wind out of me.im so depressed..my whole world cup fever has turned into a bad case of the blues...England lost....again!!!slight consolation that brazil a team i usually love and follow lost as well...i mean i knew in my heart of hearts tht becks and co would lose.im sure the england team knew they wouldnt make it...argh this is sheer misery...what better opportunity could theyve asked for?brazil out.all european semis in germany the old enemy....argh!!!i will now try my best to support france...viva la francais..je mappelle jaggagh!!!hehe...why france cos football is basically a tribal sport..and for me zidane is a fellow tribe member...he's muslim..so france avenge england and knock portugal out of the cup!!!...i still cant get over it...horrible weekend i tell u...finished watching smallville...i hate season finales...why cant they just have a proper finale...i mean fine u have to make ppl watch the next season but this suspense business is just too tiresome and stressfull...now i can hardly wait for the next season and its depressing to know ill have to wait another 4 months or so to watch the next seasons premiere.aargh!!!
u know i was thinking that sports can really affect the way a person feels...now look at me..this is what has transpired to me in the past few days...england lost...agassi lost...alonso lost and worse still schumacher won...(ARGH!!!)...west indies lost(india won) and finally i lost at something stupid yesterday as well...no wonder ive been feeling all down and negative...its so not me.i think i should start backing whoever wins..hehe

10 things i wish we had in Lahore

2006-06-28T14:29:00.000+05:00

10. less traffic
9. better street drainage
8. less advertising hoardings.
7. chinese food delivery
6. mexican restaraunt.
5. Classy restaraunts.
4. Sushi joint like yo sushi
3. more professionalism
2. world class cinema(s)
1. tolerance and less judgement!!

this list was compiled after enduring two hours of heat in the traffic.furthermore its lunchtime and im sick of having pizzahut,subway nd mcdonalds.hence my emphasis on food..hehe

five years from now...

2006-06-26T16:41:00.000+05:00

it feels as if it was yesterday when i was seventeen..it feels as if if was hours ago when i was 23.time has flown by..two years ago i used to think about my life two years on.those two years have come and gone..now i think about life five years on...and i dont want those 5 years coming and going..for me i feel the decline has begun...this sounds depressing and it probably is but the realisation that the childish innocence of yesteryears is a thing of the past is weird. in the past each birthday would bring excitement.now it only brings dread.instead of a year gained it feels like a year lost...swoosh gone by in a flash.the small body pains here and there.the constant battle with weight(this is seriously pissing me off btw..hehe) the emotional emptiness all combine to leave me bewildred. the fact that 25 to 40 is supposed to be a guys prime is even more distressing. cos now this is it.now you have to make every moment count.its not as if im having difficulty letting go of my immature and carefree stage.to be honest i dont really think i had such a stage.being the eldest child nd all.its just that the last few years have left alot to be desired for.it was always oh ive got two years.but those two years came and went so fast that none of what i had envisaged came to pass.i cant blame time..im blaming myself for wasting it. now im setting new targets and goals.where and what will i be 5 years from now.ive only got one side (business/work)of the answer figured out.the other side (emotional) i dont. as a result ive been contemplating forgetting about the stuff thats not happening and focus wholeheartedly (not that its an either/or situation) on my business and professional life and that unfortunatly is depressing..
Englands in the quarters.they face Portugal which will be extremely weakened cos of the drama yesterday..cant wait for the match!!!

jeepers creepers

2006-06-22T15:14:00.000+05:00

for the record ive seen both jeepers creepers..but the movie has nothing to do with this post.infact its about what i seem to be blogging about these days, my new shop..ive got competition!!a warid franchise wala has started displaying tvs,fridges etc right in front of me...aargghh!!!i will wipe him out...i will use all tht is unholy about capitalism to squash him...how dare he?who does he think he is?hehe just kidding..infact its good in a way...it'll keep me on my toes and it'll give customers psycological comfort knowing there are a couple of electronics shops close by where they can compare prices and stuff..khair football fever still rages on....my evenings have become so much more healthier and relaxing ever since the world cup began...i shudder to think about the aftermath...the withdrawal symptoms...im still rooting for england...though argentina are looking very strong along with spain...have a feeling this is going to be one of the better world cups...btw dont know bt anyone else but everytime i log onto orkut im struck by the number of ppl i know whose birthdays are coming up or have just passed...i guess i know lots of geminis and cancers..finally looks like ill be getting out of town soon..a lil R&R would do me the world of good..oh nd one last thing...really would want to thank evryone whos wished me luck in my latest endeavor...thanks a mil nd u all will receive xtra special discounts from me:)

powerhouse pics

2006-06-17T14:33:00.000+05:00

finally ive figured out how to post pictures without using that hello thingy..this is just some of the stuff im selling right now...inshallah there will be many more brands soon..for all u lahoris, powerhouse is next to jalalsons department store in main market.

thank God for the world cup!

2006-06-14T12:03:00.000+05:00

so the world cup is well underway...what bliss...i love the world cup..i fell in love with the spectacle and the sport in 1990 when i saw the entire Italia 90 tournament.my favorite team was Argentina cos they had maradonna...how i cried that night when argentina lost to Germany in the final.didnt talk to anyone for 2 days...that was my first brush with serious depression...since then my fondness for Argentina might have diminished substantially but my dislike for germany remains as strong as ever...i will never forgive them for making me cry..hehehe...for the record i was 9 years old back then...so coming back to the present my team is England and they literally wilted under the heat...im having my doubts about England but i guess ill stay loyal and stick with them.Brazil were alright but for me the teams in form are argentina, czheck republic, italy,Holland and Austrailia.Australia.the aussies are my dark horses of the tournament..i think theyll spring a surprise or two..business goes well...ive got some pictures of my shop but since im totally inept at using technology it'll take me some time to post them up.haggling is the name of the game...not one person has bought something without haggling..not one!!i must be the only naive pakistani alive who buys stuff usually without bargaining for a lower price...dreading the monsoon season..the heat is driving me nuts but once the humidity starts..argh..khair it ought to be good for my business..Ac sales should increase hehe fingers crossed...just finished the latest season of 24...time pass...no great shakes..!...anyhowz i know ive been promising to be regular here and im doing the exact opposite...things are a bit hectic but im trying my best..hehe...till next time..i use hehe alot...dont i?

cant think of a title

2006-06-06T11:26:00.000+05:00

have been awol for a while..totally hectic time..i must admit however that whenever i did have some free time i was too lazy to blog.my apologies.my boards are up on the shop..one of the boards is totally messed up..the designer got the logo wrong..how i dunno...i will post pictures of my shop soon..so far dont have the technology to do it...but very soon will get everything in place. people love bargaining.i for one have never bargained..i mean i have but i usually dont.this gora guy came in and started bargaining like crazy as if i was running a kapra shop or something..it wasnt as if i was quoting him prices from the top of my head.we've got prices listed on the products...fine theres room for discounts but this german guy was ridiculous..he wanted the stuff for free..i guess they have this impression that u have to haggle and haggle to get ure price in the orient..was pretty pissed...told him to find the prices he wanted elsewhere...have a feeling he'll be back...will update if that happens...managed to sneak in a few movies this week...stole a dvd player from my shop..tht helped cos my dvd players have been out of order for a while..saw a russian version of the da vinci code..ppl by and large didnt like it...i thought it wasnt so bad...in fact i enjoyed it.tom hanks was a good langdon i thought...saw albert brooks movie about finding comedy in the muslim world..i dunno about him but i didnt find much comedy in the film.waiting for good prints for MI3 and Xmen3.again im hearing bad reviews for these movies but i just love such action flicks...real quality time pass for me...real funny thing took place this week...my dad came on begum nawazish ali....couldnt believe it when i heard it...couldnt believe it when i saw it...couldnt believe it when its happened...too funny!!my dads so not the person to EVER come on begum sahib's show..i guess that just added to my sense of disbelief..hehe...khair will try to do a do a better job of being regular here...till next time adios!

blah!

2006-05-29T17:14:00.000+05:00

during the heat of todays afternoon i came up with a little exercise to keep me engaged..i had a pen in my hand doing nothing in particular.so i decided to write words that came to my mind.i stopped soon enough cos i was coming up with words that were deflating to say the least..heres the short list i came up with
Bored
Amazed
Frustrated
Struggle
Endearing
Restless
Pragmatic
Dogmatic
Lingering
Tasty
Spiteful.

on the whole reflects me in a morbid mood. this weird exercise has reinforced the belief ive been nursing for a couple of days..i need a break...a short vacation..but alas that cant happen..
i dont like waiting..i dont like waiting for the inventory to arrive..hate waiting for the electrician to come and fix up some wires..hate waiting for the software guy to work out some kinks in the computer and so on and so on...hate not being in control!..btw not all doom and gloom.though my showrooms not entirely ready ive kind off opened the shutters and have started registering sales..mashallah sey!the whole morbidity im sufferring from is due to this showroom..like i said before..im almost there just waiting for my suppliers/electricians/carpenters etc to finish!!then ill be in control!!and only then can i start thinking of taking a break...ive heard sri lanka doesnt require a visa..the only country left where we can go visaless.hehe

hmph!

2006-05-25T17:38:00.000+05:00

btw can anyone tell me why hmph denotes anger...seriously...i'd much rather prefer @$%# this to hmph...khair had to fire an employee...first time ive fired someone....dont understan the attitude people have here..they dont want to work hard...generally speaking...im going to make sweeping statements so no offense ppl...i mean i try inspire them, give them incentives yet they dont work hard...i see other "traditional" retailers aka dukaandars abusing the shit out of their salesppl and they get so much out of them....i wonder what mcdonald does...probably pay very well..i had one incident where i wanted to transfer one salesman to another branch...i was giving him a raise yet he didnt want the raise nor the transfer cos he'd fallen in love with some girl in the locality...tht was sweet but i forced him to transfer nevertheless..he was needed..lately this one guy outrightly rejected moving cos he didnt want to commute for fifteen minutes more..again rejecting a pay raise..khair everyone has their majborees and stuff but generally getting quality customer service is hard..its not as if theyre in dead end positions...i want them to improve and strive for better positions...theyve got examples of the store managers i have...they were once salesppl as well...very few if any have the drive or hunger...most are just looking for shortcuts..the only good thing though mashallah is tht my staff might not work as hard as id like they have by and large been loyal...tht is a big plus..!!!

slow news day

2006-05-24T14:38:00.000+05:00

as i dont have anything profound to post i thought id just post this article i saw online.

Your dreams and your love lifeBy Barrie Dolnick

Ever wake up in the morning and stay in bed for a bit, mulling over the weird dream you had the night before? Were you making out with a heart-stopping celebrity? (That’s the good kind.) Or perhaps you were lost in a dark cellar, not knowing how to get out? (Bad kind.) Did you know that your dreams aren’t just fascinating short films from your subconscious? It’s true: They are also a running narrative on your love life. OK, they don’t speak English or send emails the way you’re used to communicating, but your dreams are basically the IM of your psyche. You just need to know how to understand them.

Here are eight super-common dream scenarios I’ve heard from clients in my work as an astro-coach, success trainer, and best-selling author—along with what they mean to your love life. One thing’s for sure—dreams are not literal foreshadowing of what’s to come. When you’re being proposed to by George Clooney or making out with Heather Graham, it’s a dream. And it will stay that way, I’m sorry to say.

1. Flying (without a plane)Flying dreams are the best. You’re weightless, carefree, and blissed out. When you fly in your dreams, you’re getting a green light for happiness. If you’re flying with other people, you’re sharing your joy. Your dream is showing you that your dating life is on the right track. Here’s another twist: If you’re not dating someone, you soon will be! If you’re afraid of flying, however, you’re not totally ready for a happy love life. What’s grounding you? Pay attention to other dreams and get a clue as to why you’re not flying high in romance.

2. Taking testsHow many times have you had the dream where you have to go take an exam you’re completely unprepared for? Maybe it’s one about a mix-up at your high-school graduation and you still need to take your American History exam (or French exam or — worse still — Trigonometry exam). How many times have you woken up in the morning relieved that you don’t have to take that test? Those dreams are telling you that you don’t think you’re ready for life as you’re living it. You could be dating someone who gets too heavy too fast or you could be telling yourself you’re just not ready to get serious. Never fear—if you’re not prepared for the test in your dreams, you have as much time as you want in your waking life to get ready. Slow down your relationships, don’t date too many people at once, and let yourself take a break once in a while. If someone is trying to test you in love, flunk them out.

3. Tornadoes, floods, fires, disastersYou don’t need to be Freud to figure out that natural disasters or menacing situations are telling you that something’s wrong. Does dating scare you? Are you seeing someone who is making you uncomfortable? If you dream of being overwhelmed or frightened by something over which you have no control, step back and see if you are walking into a complicated or difficult situation. Is your love interest being honest? Are you both totally free to date? These are warning dreams. Be cautious.

4. TransportationEver try to get a taxi or run for a train in your dream? Have you dreamt of being in a traffic jam? Who needs that kind of frustration when you’re trying to get some rest? Your dream is telling you that you’re not getting anywhere or that where you want to go is blocked. Maybe your current methods of meeting people aren’t working. Or perhaps dating your current sweetie isn’t the best idea. Or maybe there’s something in the way of a successful relationship. What are the obstacles? Do you need to network more or post an online profile to find love? Is there a complicating factor in your current relationship—say, an ex? Better find out so that you can take a faster route to real romance.

5. Having a babyDon’t rush to the bathroom to test how many blue lines you see. Sometimes a woman will dream she’s pregnant or will just have this baby to take care of and not know why. And guys dream of impending dad-hood, too. While these dreams can be disconcerting and even scary, they are good dreams! Having a baby is about your own life taking on a new form. This can easily mean true love is here. Or that love is about to be born. Take stock of your life. Who has newly entered the picture? Who are you dating now? Your life is about to expand. Who’s the lucky babe?

6. Being nakedOK, maybe you have no problem getting naked in front of strangers, but in a dream, you’re more than likely to feel uncomfortable. Being naked is being vulnerable. Are you feeling a little uncomfortable with someone you’re seeing? Are you feeling “exposed?” Take a step back from your dating relationships and pull in your privacy. Your dreams are telling you that you’re not comfortable with the situation.

7. Problems with teethDon’t you hate this dream? Some people dream that their teeth are falling out. Some dream that teeth are loose. Whatever your toothy dream is, it’s about not being able to “sink your teeth” into something. Usually teeth dreams are about power (or lack thereof), being unable to express yourself, or not being able to communicate anger. If you have tooth issues in dreams, don’t go to your dentist. Go to your friends and ask what they think you’re not facing.

8. Cheating dreamsIf you’re in a relationship and you dream about cheating, have fun. There’s nothing to be ashamed of and quite frankly it’s the only place you can cheat (aside from fantasies) that’s 100% guilt-free. If you dream you’re being cheated on, however, you’re worried about abandonment. Best not wake up and accuse your sweetie of wanton behavior. You’re telling yourself that you’re insecure. Take steps to figure out what’s worrying you. Remember, dreams are rarely literal. And in this case, that’s a good thing!Astro-coach Barrie Dolnick helps people find love and happiness by understanding their stars and their karmic energy. She is the author of twelve books, including Enlighten Up! and KarmaBabe. Her website is www.barriedolnick.com.

a little creative help needed

2006-05-23T15:32:00.000+05:00

alright...one of my business suppliers suggested that my new shop should have a slogan..i had been thinking of a slogan for some time but had to give up cos God bypassed me when he was distributing creativity..so when this guy reminded me of my creative shortcomings i immeadiatly thought of the commentators on this blog...now amongst you brilliant people there are creative directors, journalists, lums faculty members etc all extremely gifted and far more intelligent and creative than me so here i am needing ure help for a slogan...so without further ado the shops name is powerhouse and it will sell electronics,applainces and computers...my suppliers slogan had something to do with being the only solution for appliances or something to tht effect.not original nor creative..please help...

extreme monday blues

2006-05-22T12:00:00.000+05:00

i am sufferring the blues...i cant remember the last time i felt like this..actually it started last night...i just could not go to sleep last night...i was dead tired but as soon as i'd close my eyes my brain would go into hyperdrive...as a result i tossed and turned till 5 in the morning..i woke up obviously quite crappy and hence the blues...just got off the phone with my grandfather...wanted me to go with him to an urs in jhang tomorrow morning at 7!!somehow i managed to say no and wiggled myself out of that situation..its been a month since i got an ipod.im listening to the same songs over and over again cos i dont know how to replace/download/save new songs..im bored...im crappy nd im dead tired...not the best way to start off a new week!!

almost there

2006-05-17T11:35:00.000+05:00

im quite excited these days...my new project is on the verge of completion...the only reason why it aint complete is cos of two of my friends but thts a story for another time...for the past one year ive been telling people about this project ive embarked on..as a result for the past year or so ive been telling people oh yeah the shop'll open next month.for the past two months ive been saying it'll be done in two weeks...so finally now i can with conviction state that this coming monday i will be open for business...inshallah!...i must add that ive come out stronger from this ordeal/experience...now i have a formula...know which buttons to press to get things done quickly..hopfully next time round things will be smoother and expedited...khair opening a shop is easy...running and establishing it will be the tuff part...but im optimistic...
saw the survivor ad for the first time...i hope the guy narrating the ad isnt taking part cos he's the ultimate out doorsy type....btw somehow cant picture desi boys doing the stuff that people have/need to do...but thts the exciting part...caant wait to catch the series on TV.

two final notes...ive made a separate blog for my political rantings...the link is www.pkblogs.com/jerryshah secondly ive started eating chicken again..hehe

good news alas but i still want my america plus back!!!

2006-05-15T11:27:00.000+05:00

yesterday night as i was flipping through channels i came across a news bulletin on geo news.they were reporting on the big meeting between BB and nawaz sharif.seeing both of them and their followers in the same room and not at each others throats is still something i need a little getting used to...khair im happy theyve buried the hatchet.its a positive step...however i would appreciate it more if BB and her merry band hitched up with Mush instead.same world outlook and shared vision of a liberal, progressive Pakistan etc..khair if we could only be so lucky...anyway these two former PM's were signing the charter of democracy.the charter states very nice things about removal of military from politics and tolerance for opposing views..the last point i like cos as a nation we are deeply intolerant of each other..khair the next report by geo not only warmed my heart but also confirmed my fears/doubts/expectations about this charter of democracy...a group of Pakistani students in universities in and around London showed up demonstrating against BB and nawaz sharif outside the very house where they were signing the "charter of democracy".the demonstration i loved cos if i had been in London i would have been with those students demonstrating alongside them. what happened next confirmed my fears etc...the PML and PPP workers all natilly dressed in suits and ties started beating up the students grabbing and tearing the placards these students were holding..all of this was caught on camera and geo showed it last night...daily times also ran a littile snippet of it in this morning's paper. so much for tolerance for opposing views...folks charter of democracy is a crap shoot...mark my words...
khair before i witnessed all this drama late at night i watched coupling..i must say it is a deliciously wicked comedy....i talked once about how i liked british comedy...this only confirms it...nice way of spending sunday night...however worldcall has stopped showing america plus...they have the best line up of TV drama serials...as a result i missed this weeks shows of third watch,las vegas and stargate...theyre also showing west wing but ive seen the season theyre showing...ive complained to worldcall and theyve assured me they should have america plus back online pretty soon...i hope so cos otherwise i dont know how ill go to sleep everynight...maybe i should take up reading again.....

tsk...tsk...tsk..

2006-05-12T16:21:00.000+05:00

just wanted to rave and rant alil bt about the failed state report.apparently the think tank tabulated its results based on samples taken from news reporting in the local press in the respective countries.in short i feel so proud that our vibrant and free press under this autocratic, regressive regime has managed to get us placed in the list of top ten failed states.....words cant express the emotions i feel....i mean to be fair alot is bad with this country of ours.but to constantly whine and moan and in the process be highly subjective while pursuing selfish agendas is irresponsible to say the least its reports like these that scare foreign investors,tourists,visiting sports teams away...does a bombing in Nishtar Park,Karachi horrendous and reprehensible as it was best exemplify all of Karachi and what its about?do the riots in lahore give the true picture of ground realities in Lahore?the point im trying to make is that its not the western media tht highlights such incidents.its our own very sensationalist and cynical media tht is harping on and on about how pathetic we are when the reality is that we've come a long way these past few years.again alot needs to be done.alot can be done better.we,ve got politicians who'd sell pakistan down the toilet just to stay or get back in power.opposition parties alongwith most of the media complain about army operations in waziristan,balochistan etc yet no one gives any alternative other than maintaining the status quo....just read newsline and herald every month and you'll see what i mean...i know lots of people out there dont agree with me and i respect that...all i would like to see is good,honest and above all positively constructive debate..btw munni blogspot was banned by the government cos the prophet's cartoons were being posted by various bloggers...or so the story goes...i wasnt blogging when the ban was placed...

time management

2006-05-11T16:47:00.000+05:00

theres only so much one can do in one day.especially if you're depending on people to show up on time for meetings/appointments.nowadays i have a full/hectic schedule that leaves me quite exhausted.driving for an hour within the city in this heat tends to zap quite a bit out of me..ok granted theres the ac and other luxuries but still the traffics horrendous.these days everytime i go out on the road i feel im inches away from having an accident.actually had one the other day.the other guys brakes failed.he got a scratch.my bumper fell off...im still scratching my head bt tht.my friend zeb's had two minor accidents since saturday alone....khair the point is i have work tht involves commuting....im working out or trying too at least ..plus theres this pesky salsa class tht im inexplicably part of but trying desperately to leave.salsa is beautiful to watch..but theres a catch...its beautiful to watch if someone graceful is doing it..a lumbering giant of a person like me is a sight that would cause sore eyes.so ive decided to quit...i dont have the time...nor the graces...oh nd i dont have a partner...hehe...i love procastinating...nd blabbering....btw khizzy thx for the backchannel...much appreciated

the frustration continues.

2006-05-10T14:57:00.000+05:00

believe it or not folks, im shut out from all blogs now.i hate doing the back door operation.i just signed in to my blog from the home site of blog spot.i cant even see my own blog now. i can only create new posts now.ive talked to the internet people and theyve assured me that they should have the problem fixed in 3o minutes.i have a feeling they didnt have a clue about what i was going on about.the last post i wrote apparently didnt post.now it seems it was posted twice.i guess i should just get my worldcall connection back up again.this dial up business is too 2oth century anyway.mind you the cable speed sux as well.khair khizzy ive seen the survivor ad in the newspaper.i havent seen it on TV.ive recruited one of my out doorsy friends.hopefully he'll make me proud.hehehe..i wish i had the stamina and time....but hey if this shows a hit i might take part in its 5th edition or something..great concept though.i wonder why we dont have pakistani idol btw??quite odd..come to think of it we dont have a sports channel all our own...sitcom like friends might be nice.the comedies being produced now are plain stupid.they force you to laugh rather than make u laugh....begum nawazish ali was original but now its like ok the charms gone, next...news channels suck even though its great theres such a diversity of views being expressed in the public domain...all in all the media is too karachi centric which is turning us "running the country" punjab walahs off big time...indus is gr8.theyve single handedly given exposure to so many great talents....i wonder though why the heavy influence of rock?khair ive raised this before...rock or no rock its good we've got music talent coming up...its about time Pakistanis were given career choices other than lawyers,doctors engineers etc..thats why id love for institutions like indus,NCA,BNU to spread all over Pakistan..finally a business idea for those whove got the money but dont know what to do with it...restaurants...classy jazz band playing scene ...sushi bar...mongolian bbq....taco bell (lol)....dunno bt karachi but lahore the supposed food capital of this country has good restaurants that you can count on your hand...enuf randomness...till next time...

frustration

2006-05-08T15:21:00.000+05:00

either the government has banned blogspot again or theres something seriously wrong with my internet connection.my blog is opening fine but i just cant seem to open anyone else's blog.dont understand whats going on.anyway would like tto thank khizzy for starting the comments on my reborn blog.would definetely like people who eventually do come the way of my blog to check hers out as well.quite enjoyable it is. the weekend came and went.surprisingly felt quite fresh this sunday.usually i cant get out of bed.not that i did otherwise yesterday but there was a big difference.i felt fresh and relaxed.went to a place which if wasnt in india then certainly was closer to india then lahore.it was a lums graduation thing.had a good time. i sometimes wish i could have a two day weekend instead of just one day being off.but i guess i can barely handle one day now so sunday is more than enough. its odd.saturday nights used to be long drawn out, highly enjoyable affairs in college.now before you know its time to go home and hit the sack.one thing i cant stand is being out all night and coming home with the sun coming out.nothing depresses me more than that.khair i dunno what im going on about.talk about random bull..finally if i can somehow access other blogs, ive decided to start commenting on other people's blogs as suggested by khizzy.

hmmm....

2006-05-05T15:32:00.000+05:00

not quite the response i was expecting.actually im kidding this is exactly what i was expecting sheer silencio.i mean what else could i expect after having snoozed off blogosphere for 8 months.hopefully people will return and this little space i call my very own will be happy and lively again.hehe...
in the meantime ill just carry on putting in my two cents.lahore is sizzling hot.am at work but really dont feel like applying or exerting myself.ive got these damned stiff muscles all over my back that have me even more immobile.thirty minutes of playing cricket yesterday (while electricity had gone in my office) did to my back what three weeks of working out in a gym had failed to do and thats to give me a stiff back.the only good thing to come out of it was that my cricketing skills seem to be somewhat intact. speaking of sport im not too happy these days.first chelsea won the premiership, again!.too rub salt in2 my wounds they did so by beating my all time favorite team MAN U.and to finally give me a summer to dread they or to be fair wayne rooney got injuured in this match. now chelsea winning pales in signifigance to the injury incurred by rooney.you see England was my team this year.ive had my fill of the brazils, argentinas,italy's of this world.i mean all of us who r football lovers watch the prenmiership 90% of the time.i thought it was time to give something back and so i decided to root for the old colonial masters.now with rooney injured it looks tuff hence depressing.
the weekends upon us.yet another one.time really flies.i have the stupid job of conjuring up enjoyable plans for everyone on the weekend.no one else does it so im left holding the bag. Lahore's a fun place. we have this lil thing going on where a bunch of us get together and hang out and have fun till the wee hours.but one thing that strikes you is that its really hard to get to know new people.like minded people.i mean for me its tuff cos im kind off shy and as a result highly constipated around people i dont know.it'd b nice to shake things up a bit.meet new faces, expand the social scene.khair i hope no one i know reads this cos theyre going to have a field day at my expense.hehe..to hell with it.a laugh or two couldnt hurt anyone...

a lil update plus some musings

2006-05-04T12:30:00.000+05:00

ive been busy lately.im in the process of opening an electronics shop in lahore.its taken me more than a year but now im finally a week or so away from finally opening the shutters.im quite excited.it still wont be the finished thing even when ill open the shop but ive got to start now.retailing in lahore is not easy.you literally have to harrass people to get things done.i myself have kind off picked up such habits as some of my customers at uptown books would only too keenly point out.they order books that i forget to follow up on.its the damned heat i tell you. khair just yesterday i came across a news article that sent my blood boiling. a think tank in america came out with a list of countries that they described as failed states.pakistan was in the top ten, worse off than believe it or not AFGHANISTAN. im sure these fellows there at the thinktank must be hooked on the opium being mass produced by afghanistan. i mean for starters terming pakistan a failed state is ludicrous but to place it beneath afghanistan.....arrghh...anyway seeing the report i knew that someone in the local press would pick it up and lend legitimacy to it by using it as an example of how things are so messed up in this country.i decided that if someone did use it that would be the last straw that broke the camel's back and i would finally start writing opinion pages for newspapers ie if anyone would take me on board. lo and behold in todays opinion pages in the daily times someone did use it. so as a first step ive started blogging again.now i have to try to write something clever so that some newspaper publishes it.

in conclusion im totally hooked on my new Ipod.im glued to it.im listening to it right now.i listen to it while working, driving and best of all while working out.my productivity in the gym has sky rocketed ever since i got this ipod.so if any one wants an ipod just contact me.hehe...no seriously ive got brand new ipods, their accessories etc.

im back!!

2006-05-04T12:16:00.000+05:00

well after what seemed ages the government has lifted its ban over blogspot.but i'd stopped blogging way before that.i kind of felt burnt out.out of ideas.the immense weight of expectations that my readers had placed on me took its toll i guess.hehe.what a joke.to be honest i just kind of fizzled out.now im back.lots has happened since i last blogged. wont bore anyone with the details cos not much excitement happened.so ill take it from the here and now.

ive decided to let my guard down a lil bit.loosen up a bit.my friend recently tried to nickname me the pope cos she felt i was too serious and goody goody.i never thought being goody goody was a bad thing but i guess now ive seen the light or darkness.so from now on ill be foolish, wilder, a bit cheap from time to time and more flirtatious.hehehe.cos i figured i wasnt getting any younger and time really is flying by.so might as well live a little bit in the moment.but i cant just let go of my serious side either so as a result ive decided to be serious,focused and boring during the day and let my darker side out during the nights. as for this blog ill be mixing it up.serious stuff,personel stuff etc etc..

allah hafiz,khuda hafiz,asalam-e-laikum or plain ol ok bye?

2005-08-23T11:17:00.000+05:00

in order to distinguish ourselves from the indians,pakistan for some reason has been trying to arabize itself in the mistaken impression that by being more like arabs we would automatically become better muslims.one indication of this amongst many is the almost complete annihlation of the word khuda hafiz from our vocabulary.its either Allah hafiz(by far the most popular),asalam-e-laikum or bye bubye ok what have you.in india, the muslims there use khuda hafiz.its urdu for allah hafiz.here in order to be better muslims we've incorporated the arab word Allah hafiz.now to be honest this in itself isnt a big deal.but it symbolizes this wierd mindset born and bred from state propoganda and indoctrination started in earnest under general zia that we are muslims and that being muslim means being like arabs.anyway i try my best to say Khuda hafiz in response to Allah hafiz whenever i can.what do y'all say/

sci-fi fan-atic??

2005-08-18T12:23:00.000+05:00

i didnt know i was a sci fi fan till very recently.ok i really am not into the alien/sigourney weaver sci fi action at all.instead ive been watching this corny,yet highly entertainingly thought provoking tv series called star gate.watching three seasons on the go means that obviously some of the characters can become quite lame and annoying.but the point im trying to make is that im fascinated by what lies out there.it just doesnt add up that in this huge ass universe,forget galaxy we r all by our lonesome self.i just find that hard to fathom.the pyramids of egypt,the slabs of easter island,the pyramids of the aztecs/incas.how were these built.where was the technology.for example the stone carvings of easter island are just mind boggling in size.a thousand of these carved statues form a ring around the island.maybe it was us who did all of this and maybe we are alone.but just as mankind spread all over the earth i think God made such a huge universe for us to explore and colonise?hehe talk bt being random.btw concept of stargate is too cool.its geeky but too cool.i just love the way theyve incorporated ancient mythologies.everything makes sense now.hehe

urban development

2005-08-10T12:29:00.000+05:00

in recent years Pakistan's major cities have witnessed major changes and transformations.lots of commercial development has taken place.as im in Lahore, i just wanted to discuss trhe development in Lahore.main boulevard used to be totally resedential a decade ago.now its the hotest piece of real estate in town.plazasa are being erected left right and center.i have no problem with such development as long as its planned.by planning i mean that if we are tachnically going to be having a downtown area extending down from mall road into gulberg it should be planned meticulously. while plazas are being constructed, no parking structures are availanble for the increasing number of cars.underground parking has simply not taken off.2ndly unlike karachi it seems that lahoris really dont buy into the apartment living culture which is sad cos i would love to live in an apartment in a few yrs which is located in the heart of the city.instead of ugly looking concrete blocks there should be road side cafes,shops,restaurants and cineplexes planned as well.who will do this planning.God knows.but if someone doesnt act now itll be too late.in the next five to ten yrs gulberg will have become totally commercialised.it can be made into a gorgeous city centre where there are shops,boutiques, entertainment centers,theatres,parks etc.so far it seems the only shops worth opening are cloth and fabric shops.there is no concept of walking as such.cos there is no concept of footpaths.anyway wats wrong with dreaming.all i see is unplanned development and unlimited urban sprawl as defence tries to reach the indian border while private developers seek to build housing society upon housing society towards raiwind,okara,sheikhupura.
also a word about the old city.just by beutifying one little street,the one where cukoos is, the local area's economy has received a great boost.just imagine if more and more mohallas were beuitifed.it would become a tourist haven.touristss would flock to shalmi,the traditional eastern bazaar where everything from spices to electronics will be available.right now shalmi is a mess.and its home to the citys richest traders.indifference,apathy corruption is just too great.

piracy

2005-08-01T16:52:00.000+05:00

an RJ on city FM89 posed a very interesting question today.she asked whther piracy of movies/music etc is a good thing.from a selfish point of view its been a blessing for me.ive gotten to buy so many dvds and cds its hard to imagine i wouldve been able to do if piracy hadnt existed.downloading and burning music has also been one of my favorite pastimes.however in all honesty i do feel guilty.cos im contributing to a rip off.rip off of hard working talented artists.but then if piracy is eliminated, entertainment, so little that it is will become very expensive in Pakistan.i fervently desire for good cinemas in lahore.huge sprawling cineplex's showing the latest movies having good popcorn nd the likes.but tht cant happen until piracy is tackled.i mean we can go back to the stage of movie rentals.i dont know as a consumer im very happy.but at the end of the day its cruel denying artists what they so richly deserve.

dominant pop cultures

2005-07-27T13:04:00.000+05:00

isnt it just remarkable how deeply influenced global society is by american pop culture.the MTV and mcdonaldization of the world is just amazing.whats more its taken ten years to reach this point.i was watching this piece about disney world opening in hong kong and how commentators were predicting doom and gloom for its financial prospects.but the remarkable point about say this particular example is that people in hongkong will get a piece of small town fantasy america in their backyard with a bit of chinese flavor.instead of hamburgers there will be i dunno kungpao chicken and so on.but the reason the commentators were so sceptical about the whole project was that china had its own pop culture which was different from america and walt disney etc.that might be fine but if you think about it other than the legendary martial arts films asian pop culture is heavily influenced by america.listen to their songs and videos,the lingo might be different but the themes are influenced by america.look at pakistani music scene which is really amazing and we see an explosion of rock groups.we look at our pop singers and the beats they are using are generally western inspired.fine there are exceptions but i dunno. shopping malls,skyscrapers,capitalism etc are all examples of american exports hugely admired and being copioed in a hurry.i think the ability of an american or western brand to fit in another society is ingenious.take pizza hut in pakistan for eg.my favorite pizza is the chicken tikka one.in india theyve got all kind off veggie products.in conclusion i dunno whether this is good or bad.will it fade out or not.but given the immense animosity people all over the world feel for america its remarkable how theyre pop culture/way of life keeps marching on and conquering new lands.

a new idea

2005-07-21T18:06:00.000+05:00

i dunno i was just thinking about how cool it was that quite a few of us had started blogging.so it just kind of struck me why not have one single forum where at least some of us can go post stuff about politics/economics etc about pakistan and the world.as a result ive made this new blog whose address is
www.futureofpakistan.blogspot.com

anyone who wants to join in is welcome.obviously id love for all whove commented on this blog as well as elsewhere especially on matters pertaining to politics etc to join in.every one who wants to be part of this unified blog will have the password to it and can obviously post whenever and whatever.look forward to a positive response and cool debates.oh those who want in, just give me ure email address so i can email u the username and password for the aforementioned blog.

my thoughts exactly

2005-07-18T18:01:00.000+05:00

read this in saturday's The News.thoughty id share it

Dear Osama bin Laden,

Assalam o Alaikum. Yet again your soldiers have wreaked havoc in yet another Western metropolitan. It is not just the London bombing that has prompted me to pen a letter addressing you. What greatly agitates me is that yet again Al-Qaeda has carried out an act of terrorism in my name and in the name of my religion.

Tony Blair, an elected leader, engaged his country in a "war on terror", despite an overwhelming majority opposing it; he thus exposed his nation to terrorism. You are not our elected leader, yet you are engaging us in a "jihad", despite an overwhelming majority of Muslim countries opposing it, and are thus exposing the ummah to "war on terrorism". Afghanistan and Iraq lost their independence as a consequence of your 9/11 action but 3/11, and now 7/7, has exposed the Muslim diaspora in the West to a backlash.

You justify the killings of innocent Americans and Europeans as revenge for the massacre of our Muslim brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. Does the same logic apply in the case of Europeans too? Should they kill Muslim immigrants living in Europe as revenge for the actions of al-Qaeda?

I fully share your indignation at the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq -- even though I hold you responsible for providing them an excuse -- but I strongly disagree with your method of resisting and opposing the re-colonisation of the Muslim world that we both belong to.

While the USA was bombing Kabul, you were arming the Taliban for combat, and I was marching in Berlin along with thousands of anti-war protestors. For different reasons, we both lost. I lost because the cash-strapped anti-war movement failed to compete with war-mongering capitalist media and rulers. You lost because the Taliban had isolated themselves to a point where no Afghan was ready to fight for them. Modern wars are fought and won with mass support.

I wonder how you spent February 15, 2003 at Tora Bora --- your rumoured-hide out. On that historic day I was marching with 40,000 Stockholmites in the freezing cold. Twenty million people, they say, marched across the globe that day, in protest at the war in Iraq. Never before on the face of this earth had such a big mobilisation ever taken place. Two million took to the streets in London and almost one million in Madrid. Hope you know why I mention these two cities.

My historic marches and I --- my method of resistance --- failed to stop the Iraq war. But my marches and I achieved one big success: we de-legitimised it. By planting bombs in Madrid and London metros, you lent legitimacy to the war initiated by Bush and Blair (B2, as my Arab friend and writer Gilbert Achcar, calls them after a US bomber).

Let me further elucidate the contrast in my method of protest, street marches, and your method, planting bombs. Your method belittles the role of the Muslim masses. It reconciles them to their powerlessness, and turns their eyes towards a Messiah or Mehdi who they hope will come and rescue them. The more "effective" your actions as on September 11 or 7/7, the more they reduce the interest of the oppressed masses in self-organisation. Instead, as soon as smoke from the confusion clears away, life settles into the old rut and the wheels of oppression grind on as before. Rather, the repression increases. And as a result, apathy replaces synthetically aroused excitement. Isn't this exactly what has happened since 9/11?

I also oppose your method because I find I have more in common with the victims of your bombs than with you. Many of the ordinary folk that your bombs blew up on 7/7, 3/11 or 9/11 may have shared my political views. Some might have marched with me on February 15. Some of them would have chanted the slogans as I do, lived in the kind of flat I live in, and travelled by metro as I do.

What, except religion, is common between you and me? Your father is a billionaire while I have a working class background. I find your class character and political views as oppressive and repulsive as the US occupation of our Muslim world. Did you ever give a thought to Tolstoy's fatwa: Behind every big fortune there is a big crime? You have benefited from the corruption in the Saudi system that you now fight against. I, on the contrary, have been a victim of billions of Saudi petro-dollars sent to my country of birth in order to communalise, brutalise and fundamentalise her.

As for the religion we share, your puritan brand of Islam conflicts with the Sufi values practised in Punjab, land of my birth, and the Rishi traditions of Jammu Kashmir, my ancestral country. The humanist Islamic teachings of my guru Bulleh Shah stand in contrast to what your maharishi Ibn e Wahab preaches.

Yet I share your indignation when the French government bans the burka from schools, since it negates a very basic human right, that of the freedom to choose one's own dress. You want me to support our sisters' right to wear the burka but not when they don't want to wear it. It agitates you when the West oppresses Muslim women living in Europe, but you did not oppose the Taliban when they were publicly lashing and thrashing Afghan women. Neither were you moved by the Hazara blood heartlessly shed by the Taliban. Maybe you have a justification for that. But how do you justify your long collaboration with Great Britain and the USA during the Afghan war in the 1980s?

I also wonder how you reconcile with your past and how you see your family running a joint business venture with the Bush family, a business collaboration that is the centre of many conspiracy theories. Incidentally, please do take the time to watch US filmmaker Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, in which he brilliantly documents close ties between the Bush family and the Laden tribe.

Let me clarify, before I conclude, that I do not share B2's criticism of your terrorist actions. I find them hypocritical when they seize every opportunity you provide, to claim the morality of "civilised" nations. It is blood boiling to see them wear cloaks of victimhood, mourning the loss of innocent lives, but not when the innocent lives lost are Afghan, Iraqi, Palestinian or Chechen. I don't see why the white man's blood should be redder than the Muslim blood mindlessly being shed in Palestine and Iraq.

But I will still oppose your tit-for-tat bloodletting in my name. I have no qualms in Iraqis taking up arms and blowing up US marines. This is what the Vietnamese did. They fought three battles against three superpowers, losing four, perhaps five million lives. But Ho Chi Min never dispatched suicide bombers to Paris, London or New York. He won.We do not have to look to Vietnam. Our own forefathers who seized national liberation from England, France or Netherlands never dispatched bombs to London, Paris or Amsterdam. They won too.

Our great martial hero, Salahuddin al-Ayubi, is yet another example to emulate. This chivalrous commander reclaimed Jerusalem and defended Palestine but never brought the war to the land of Faranj. Once, while strolling along the Mediterranean, he told his slave that the only way to civilise Europe was to capture it. But he did not.

I could go on and on, but I doubt if my scribbling will make an impact on you. I, therefore, bluntly tell you to conclude: if you cannot join my jaddojahd (struggle), you have no right to wage jihad in my name either.

Fee Amanallah

Farooq Sulehria

Stockholm

hasba act part deux

2005-07-15T13:54:00.000+05:00

heres the link to the whole text of the Hasba act passed by the MMA govt yesterday in Peshawar.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-7-2005_pg7_43
my commentary now:
the whole bill though ardous to read can also come across as being extremely well intentioned and good.however there are a few clauses which have been cleverly inserted which are the cause for the greatest concern.
article10 clause (b) where anyone can can complain about someone else being unislamic etc.this would obviously mean that your houses are no longer private property.ure neighbor or anyone complains,ure house could be raided so as to protect islam.the very next clause 10(C)basically puts restrictions on the media.i guess no more indian/western entertainment and music channels will be shown in nwfp.no more indus music.probably quran channel and dr israr ahmed channel will be the channels to choose from.
article 14(B):no one can criticise the mohtasib or his decisions.or else he/she will be punished.
art23(1):enforcement of morAL values at public places.hmmm i wonder who'd define these moral values.
Art23(xiv)unislamic and inhuman customs.again who will define them.i know who will and i think what theyll be.please refer back to taliban rule of afghanistan 1995-2001.
Art23(xv)this fascinated me.the cleverest of them all.this refers to checking and stopping indecent behavior which includes female harrassment.very noble but they could easily have said to prevent female harrassment onlychking indecent behavior will probably mean beating women with sticks if one millimeter of their flesh is visible to the easily provoked harrassing males of our society.
Art23(xxiv):this is intersting.advising disobedient children not to disobey their parents desires.hmm so arranged marriages and so on will reign which isnt so bad in some cases but still this one was funny.i hope my parents dont read this clause.theyll start supporting this whole act then.
Art25.this whole article basically states that this judicial system cant be challenged by the existing system of judiciary in the country.no one can challenge the decisions made by the mohtasib in the high court/supreme court etc.basically a parallel judicial system under the direct control and authority of the executive of the province.
now its all very fine talikng abt protecting so and so's rights.but we already have laws that exist catering to these very issues.why do they need another set of laws when the same laws already exist.unless this is their way of talibanisation of society.also this creates a whole new bureacracy.not only does it suck up more of the provinces's already meagre resources it creates a new potentially as corrupt as any other bureacratic department whose sole aim is to scare the people into being good muslims.good muslims as defined by the MMA that is.good news is this bill will get squashed in the courts.bad news we're in for one helluva season of political instability.i guess we are just cursed.the picture below will tell much of the story.its important to note that most of the MMA leadership were the inspiration behind the taliban movement.also most of the MMA supporters learnt everything alongside the taliban in our madrassas.same world view.same culture.same ignorance.

2005-07-15T13:51:00.001+05:00

yet some more divinely ordained justice

2005-07-15T13:51:00.000+05:00

talibans hasba police maintaining morality and decency

hasba act

2005-07-13T15:03:00.000+05:00

i kept looking and looking but couldnt find the text for MMA's proposed hasba act.basically they want to introduce "shariah" in NWFP.under this law a whole new department will be formed which will report directly to the CM.it will have its own Hasba force.its primary focus is to enforce and uphold islamic law and tradition as given to us from the taliban.the judge can send the hasba force to any ones house,office and arrest that person and punish him or her as he sees fit.the accused under this law will have no recouyrse to action in the Pakistani judicial system.for instance anyone booked under this act cant appeal his ruling in the high or supreme court.basically a parrallel judicial system in which the executive is in charge of the judiciary.it includes clauses about obscenity and defines its own versions of whats obscene and whats unislamic.thankfully it doesnt look like they'll succeed this time but unless something is done to undermine them quickly this act will resurface soon and probably not in NWFP alone.

railway tragedy

2005-07-13T14:34:00.000+05:00

today i woke up to see one of the worst train accidents in our country's history.two quick points i want to raise.initial reports suggest that the karachi express rammed into the quetta express at 3.30 in the morning.apparently the karchi express driver fell asleep at the weel cos he ignored the red light signal that was on.as a result a horrific crash ensued.what puzzles me more is that the tezgam express which was coming from the other direction rammed into the crash site half an hour later.why that train was not alerted and stopped in time is a mystery to me.however these are initial reports.if these reports are confirmed then heads need to roll and i dont mean statiuon conductors etc.i mean min. for railways and chairman railways.in india such accidents unfortunatly are common.each time the minister resigns.accountability is needed and needs to start from the very top.only then will the ministries start functioning like tight ships.

new globalised scenario?

2005-07-12T20:46:00.000+05:00

in the wake of london's bombings and the excellent ensuing discussion on meher's blog i thought i'd add my two cents to the debate.we live in tumultous times.not that any other era was not but its become a bit scarier now.9/11 changed the world.like the end of the cold war this was a turning point in current affairs.who did 9/11 and why ill come to later.as many who have commented on meher's blog have said the seeds were sown during the afghan jihad.i'd say the seeds were drawn in the late 19th/early 20th century.barring iran and a few others the entire muslim world as we now know it was colonised by the europeans.for muslims it would take almost two cernturies of repressing colonial rule before they would start to emerge from their deep slumber.in our own homeland we first had sir syed and iqbal on one side and maududi on the other.sir syed and iqbal preached the progressive message.maududi in essence said this was Allah's punishment for us since we had gone astray from the true path.iqbal and sir syed implored muslims to seek knowledge just as the Quran and prophet had ordered.maududi and his like scorned mordern subjects and philosophy.in other parts especially in egypt there was this progressive scholar Hassan Al BAnna(correct me if i have the name wrong).he went abroad to seek higher education from paris and then later on america.this is sometime around WWI.however what he saw instead of enlightening him infuriated him.he didnt see the scientific progress or economic progress of the west.all he saw was vice and debauchery.gambling,drinking and prostitution etc.he came back convinved that the westerners were the disciples of satan.hence was born the muslim brotherhood.his student was a fellow named syed qutb.this guy would be the one along with maududi who would form the basis of fundamentalists islam's ideology.and guess who's osama bin laden's hero and inspiration?syed Qutb who else.qutb basically passed fatwas that there were no innocents amongst the non-muslims.that this jihad took precedence over all the other definations of jihad.obviously jihad being killing and driving off all non-muslims from muslim lands.but why would it take so many years for qutb's message to find resonance amongst the muslims.well for starters majority of the movements that won freedom for their countries were secular and socialist in nature.secondly people were taken in by the charisma of leaders such as nasser,soekarno and later on bhutto.the second last nail in the coffin for moderate muslim societies was the overwhelming failure on the part of the above mentioned leaders to deliever.nasser and bhutto failed misreably.in fact the arabs were so inept that they were totally humiliated by israel time and again.hence the anger on the street and in some drawing rooms started to grow.during this time the funda menatlist who were constantly gaining ground hated the godless state of soviet union more then amreeka.america was hated because of itrs blind support for israel but not as much as the soviet union which was seen as busy spreading its godless message across the wmuslim world.anyway the final nail in the coffin was the afghan war.america seeking to gain revenge funded and trained thousands of jihadis and the rest is history.one thing that our jihadis concluded in the aftermath was that they were invincible.if they could defeat the worlds mightiest army surely they could defeat the iundians in kashmir,israelis in palestine and one day overthrow all the american backed dictatorships in their home countries.it was God's will.i dont how they totally ignored the fact that it was US arms that finally changed the tide of the war in afghanistan.it was the introduction of the stinger missiles that saved the mujahideen.and it was america who provided the stingers.the jihad in kashmir totally destroyed the case of kashmiris in the international arena and india went on to commit the absolute worst human rights atrocities in kashmir not that our brave mujahids were far behind in this department either.

9/11 owes a great deal to american policies.yet 9/11 is not justified.in fact 9/11 has brought america even deeper into our lives and societies.america in its post cold war euphoria totally forgot bt the creature it had begotten in afghanistan.in todays context its unexplainable why they would do such a thing but then it made perfect sense.with the war over and the soviet union crumbling there job was done.they left it to us pakistanis to clean up the mess.unfortunatly the mess had spilled over into our country.uff the policies we had during the 90's drive me insane.what the hell were we thinking promoting jihad and entities like taliban.we are as much to blame for 9/11 as anyone else.and in many ways im glad musharaf did what he did immeadiatly after 9/11.my only regret being we should have done it ourselves much before 9/11.

now post 9/11 the status quo was unacceptable.we see people talking about oic reform,un reform, democracy etc etc and all of this is good and welcome.the reason why i supported the iraq war was two fold.if america succeeded then maybe democracy and reform would have initiated in the middle east.if it failed then america would have had to leave the region to a great extent and would probably not go on any more adventures anytime soon.so far its mixed.middle eastern countries are starting to reform and open up.lebanon just pushed the syrians out.egypt is having elections in which hosni mubarik will have to face challengers.kuwait had introduced democracy and even saudi arabia has has local body elections.however on the negative side and this is bigger than the positives,iraq is proving to be al qaedas biggest recruiting tool.future generation of suicide bombers are being produced.and it is safe to say now that at least the americans wont be invading in these parts anytime soon.so where do we go from here?
OIC will not be credible anytime soon.do we keep on moving towards the clash of civilisations which we'll surely lose cos we r just not strong enough or do we become players and stakeholders in the shrinking globalised world?as societies we need to look inwards and ask ourselves a few basic questions.one is islam going to be represented by the fire breathing mullahs and secondly how is it that islamic law has not evolved since abu hanifa's time?infact weve gone further back and extreme with mr. wahab(founder of wahabiism) and syed qutb and co.do we really need to fight and destroy every non-muslim society?we need to stop blaming everyone and his uncle for our ills.we need to stop living in the past remembering how glorious we were.we need to stop being so fatalistic.we need to grow,we need to prosper and we can do all of that only if we ourselves want to do it.no one is going to hand it to us on a silver platter.there are no free lunches.
for starters if we really want america to leave iraq soon then we muslim countries need to step up to the plate cos unfortunatly the iraqi security infrastructure is no match for zarqawi and his fellow thugs.so if we dont want a repeat of afghanistan during the 90's we need to come up with a credible peace keeping force that can replace the amreekans and the brits.the iraqis deserve a secure freedom plus all of us will be better off for it.a stable iraq means among other things lower oil prices.
sorry for the long length.

oprah, oc and other tv observations

2005-07-04T12:27:00.000+05:00

these days i rarely get the chance of watching TV.i used to watch 2 movies per night but thats a thing of the past now.but due to some wierd time changes introduced by star world, the only time when i do get to catch some tv time is when i get home from work.usually bold and the beuatiful is on at that time.that show amazes me.how theyve managed to keep the story going around ridge and brooke is amazing.hehe i mean the twists and turns are non stop.anyway i just watched some more episodes of OC after a long time.i still have a few left to watch but one thing about OC is i really dont know why i watch it.it is non-stop drama with highly annoying people enacting the drama.i dont know.those kids dont even seem like high schoolers.ok this is wierd but ive started watching oprah on sunday nights.can anyone tell me why the audience is so crazy about oprah.people start crying when oprah opens her mouth.she could become the president the way she has people eating out of the palm of her hand.hehehe.my favorite show on the tele these days is a british comedy absolute power.british comedies are taking over the world of comedy shows.they are totally refreshing and original.i love em.on a final note even though i dont watch tv much these days, one thing i can say about our cable here in lahore is that even though there are 90 channels to surf and choose from, usually nothing good is on on any channel.sure beats the ptv,ntm days but one would imagine finding something worth watching on one of the 90 channels.
about our mushrooming local channels.i find business plus and aaj tv to be the best.geo is still the most watched but its standard has really gone down.instead of lifting their standards theyve beome the jerry springer type channel.sensationalising everything from drama to news.hmm i wish opening a tv channel was as easy as starting a blog.

2005-07-03T13:24:00.000+05:00

every year its the same.why??

2005-07-03T13:23:00.000+05:00

boat not car needed.

privatisation of PTCL part deux

2005-06-29T17:06:00.000+05:00

moizza said...
I’ll pitch in for privatization if you can convince me the following issues will somehow be countered:1. Telecommunication, gas, electricity etc. are public goods that have become significant enough to count as indicators of a high standard of living in any area of the country. A private company that operates on the principle of profit (and efficiency is defined in terms of the cost effective ways to achieve profit) is hardly likely to have the incentive to invest in infrastructure in far flung, poverty stricken and terrain-wise inhospitable areas such as Balochistan. Under state control or in the garb of an even public-private enterprise, profit concerns are traded off with concerns of good governance. Admittedly, Pakistan is missing covering barely half of the are with a telephone network but that just makes a case for a further decline in the scope of service in private hands.2. Siphoning money abroad is actually a minor issue compared to the larger implications of the PTCL Act Of 1996; specifically with regards to Jarrar’s statement “in this case theres not much to worry about cos the company that had the highest bid only controls 26% of PTCL.10% is on the stock market while the other 64% belongs to the government.hence they cant take the profits and run.”“Section 90 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984 requires that the rights as to profits, votes and other benefits between various classes of ordinary shares are to be proportionate to the paid up value of such shares. Through the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganization) Act, 1996 the company has been exempted from the provisions of Section 90. Except for voting rights the "A" and "B" class ordinary shares rank pari passu in all respects. "A"[insert: 74%] ordinary shares carry one vote and "B"[insert: 26%] ordinary shares carry four votes.”Implication? The 26% shares sold are all B class shares i.e. will give the holder 26*4 = 104 votes while the government will have 62 only. As a minority shareholder it is unlikely to be able to swing any sort of clout which goes back to issues of money draining out; security control; and subsidized provision to poor villages in remote areas etc. You’d think there would be a way out of it? The above quoted article continues“The "B" ordinary shares are intended for sale to the strategic investor on the privatization of the company. "A" ordinary shares cannot be converted into "B" ordinary shares. However, "B" ordinary shares may be converted into "A" ordinary shares at the option exercisable in writing submitted to the company by the holders of three fourths of the "B" ordinary shares. In the event of termination of the license issued to the company under the provisions of Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganization) Act, 1996 or any change of control of the strategic investor within seven years of transfer of "B" ordinary shares, the "B" ordinary shares shall be automatically converted into "A" ordinary shares.”What is the likelihood of conversion? It’s a private company not the Pope.3. Protests against privatization have been registered at the party level, the military (who call it a strategic asset and hence see privatization as exposing sensitive state communication to external control), trade union level (and to that end “yes people lose their jobs.but overall consumers benefit from better service” is harsh. I really don’t want a better service than the one I have, ESPECIALLY at the cost of a high unemployment level. Its Mobilink I have a problem with, not PTCL/Ufone.) and various civil associations. The government in its characteristic ways has responded through diplomatic press releases, buying off workers, and crackdowns on union leaders. If the state role in the economy has to be limited, coercive interference is not way to do it.4. Yes WAPDA should be privatized. It’s a blood sucking leech. But not PTCL. We have got to be the first country that privatizes a profit making company. Service providers at the national level always tend to be monopolies (the bar is too high for an average investor). To that end at a personal level, I have my doubts about the notion of improved customer service etc. There is no other company rivaling PTCL in the range of provision because of the prohibitive costs to, so there will be no competition so to speak.
9:22 AM
Jarrar Shah said...
excellent points.firstly i think ure right about the minority/majority share holder thingy.on a personel level i dont have a problem with foreign entities taking out profits as long they are paying taxes to the GOP,expanding businessess and jobs in Pskistan.like you said theyre not the pope but at the same time they are a profit seeking enterprise.and Pakistan with a teledensity level of 3% is a huge potential market.as for not wanting better consumer service at the expense of jobs.well i dont agree with the fact that PTCL is giving good services.one of the hardest things to do is to get a phone connection.if u develop a fault or wind knocks down ure wires, it takes them a good five-six days if youre lucky to fix the proble.it takes a good month or two again if youre lucky and well connected to get a land line connection.so frankly PTCL service wasnt really that good.jobs is a harsh thing and i know.but why should any organisation be overstaffed.the point of a telecom company is to provide services and employment but not over employment.ure right in saying that PTCL was profitable so why the need for privatisation.the point was that PTCL's profitability wouldve lasted two years at the max.reason being that the govt. deregulated the telecom industry 2-3 yrs ago.hence the arrival of worldcall,GO CDMA,teletips etc.because of that deregulation,150,000(should be more) poor people became entrepreneurs.their business being PCO's all over Pakistan.i have a huge problem with mobilink believe me.they should be fined.im just too lazy too change my provider.but these providers are a huge competitor to PTCL as well.for the first time in history the number of mobile users surpassed PTCL consumers.people like us who have access to both are using mobiles more and more.all this means and meant lower revenues and consequently lower profits for PTCL.once the profits died up PTCL like before and like WAPDA right now would have become a subsidised govt. utility provider.PTCL is no longer a monopoly in the telecom sector.hence to expect them to be profitable for long is hard to imagine.now PTCL being in private hands does a few things.firstly it stops being the govt. headache and us tax payers headache in the future.secondly the govt. gets a record amount of money that will be used to lower our debt and 10% of the money will go to poverty alleviation.thirdly being in private hands, PTCL will become efficient. i dont know of many foreign firms that are not more efficient than govt. entities, hence it gives PTCL a better chance to survive in a competitive telecom market.finally and most importantly it sends a signal to the rest of the world in general and flushed with oil wealth gulf investors in particualr that Pakistan is an exciting and growing economy where money can be poured in and opportunities availed.this is how Maoist China lifted 300 million and counting poeple out of poverty.will jobs be lost.perhaps.but according to my understanding not for the next two years.after that meritocracy will take place in PTCL.there are two sides to the job issue.if someone who was placed in PTCL by a political bigwig to establish patronage does not deserve to be in PTCL and is fired after a two year period so be it. what we have to understand is that govt. employees are usually political appointees.merit needs to be introduced in our society.govt. cant do that.private sector can.as for services going to far flung areas.thats a concern.but with the introduction of wireless loop by PTCL and others i think it wont be very expensive to provide coverage to far flung areas.i hope i dont sound like a blood thirsty capitalist know it all.its just that we need to move fast.the people of this country have suffered more than enough.its time prosperity started reaching our society cos the world will leave us far behind.the govt. if it was capable would have done what needed to be done.unfortunatly govt,bureacracies cant run enterprises.its not in their make up.its not in their training.its not in their culture.plus history's not on their side.there can and will be exceptions but they'll be exceptions to the rule.

as someone aptly described democracy;democracy is simply the least worst of bad political systems.one could say the same about privatisation and market economy.

good news

2005-06-28T17:09:00.000+05:00

supreme court has ordered the arrest of all those accused of raping mukhtaran mai.even though theres definetely a bitter taste in the mouth about the whole issue but better late than never.just goes to show how small the world has become.the state can no longer carry out draconian measures and not let the world find out about it.anyway hope the bastards are hung.examples need to be set!!

privatisation of PTCL

2005-06-28T16:31:00.000+05:00

in my opinion the privatisation of PTCL was fantastic.to get 2.6 billion dollars for 26% of the shares says a lot.and frankly i have a feeling this will open the floodgates to Foreign investment.one persistent criticism of this priviatisation or FDI in general (and there was reference to this by Moizza in one the earlier posts ) is that these multinationals will take the money abroad.in this case theres not much to worry about cos the company that had the highest bid only controls 26% of PTCL.10% is on the stock market while the other 64% belongs to the government.hence they cant take the profits and run.
government can not run companies.PTCL was a monopoly and that was why it was profitable.by deregulating the telecom industry there was no way in hell PTCL would have sustained profitability in a few years.wapda received a 90 billion rupees subsidy this year.why because it loses money.its inefficient,corrupt and totally useless.find me one fan of wapda in this country and ill show you santa claus galivanting around with his rein deers.its our tax payers money that is keeping wapda afloat.its not enough that we pay too much for electricity as it is.we also have to subsidise it through the taxes we pay.think if WAPDA was private right now that 90 billion could have been spent on poverty alleviation,hospitals,schools,teacher training etc.
i dunno whether people believe in privatisation or not.yes people lose their jobs.but overall consumers benefit from better service and in most cases lower prices.for me the governments role should should be limited to health, education and infratructure.other than that they should just be regulators not managers.

2005-06-24T14:16:00.000+05:00

hey people.its too hot.too hot!!!!since talking bt the heat and lahore's electricity's woes isnt fun i wont say much.hopefully ill post something insightful soon.right now my brains fried.need to start watching TV again.something intriguing might come up.ah just have one observation.VIP culture which we all avail from time to time is getting extremely annoying.every Tom,dick and harry has a frigging police escort or dangerous looking body guards with klashinkovs escorts these days.when will they learn.its silly to see ppl getting plates made for their cars if theyre an MNA,MPA,senator,councillor etc.i mean why would you want to get a plate made?and why would you want to get a plate made if ure a friggin councillor??seriously the politicicians/bureacracy/establishment here will never learn.the other day i got really ticked off at some patwari.they create so much nuisance.i needed to get some documents.normally this should take 5 minutes but it took me 5 weeks,numerous phone calls to higher ups to get this guy to do what he's supposed to do.its too hot.AC is not working.im going to the canal....

2005-06-21T19:27:00.000+05:00

lahore is burning!!

Happy birthday BB.

2005-06-21T17:11:00.000+05:00

i read this birthday/political rhetoric speech today in the newspaper.thought i'd post it.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Waiting for Benazir

By Zia Khokhar

Pakistan People’s Party workers will celebrate the birthday of their leader Benazir Bhutto today. They will be joined by all pro-democracy politicians and those who wish to see a progressive Pakistan adhering to liberal values, championing human rights and promoting a society based on equality.

But who will fill the front rows of these functions? The common folks crushed by poverty and high prices. They are the ones who will shout ‘Jeeay Bhutto, Jeeay Benazir’, for it is they who have suffered the miseries of injustice and unemployment.

And they dream. They dream that one day their leader will free the country from the claws of a puppet regime which took power by violating the Constitution. They dream that Benazir Bhutto will bring democracy, peace, justice, freedom, tolerance and progress to all Pakistanis.

Why are Pakistanis waiting for Benazir Bhutto? Because she speaks for them. She is the vanguard of democracy, a symbol of freedom and the torch-bearer of revolution.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took the reins of a demoralised country in December 1971. He turned the country around and the shattered people forgot their collective pain. This great revolutionary and philosopher wanted to change the fate of a debilitated Pakistan as well as reach out to other downtrodden nations. But the Yazeed of that time had other plans. The leader of the Muslim world and pride of the poor was martyred, extinguishing a light of which there is no parallel.

And thus began the darkest nights of repression and dictatorship. A popular struggle was launched to end the martial law of Gen Zia ul Haq and bring to power the daughter of Bhutto Shaheed. The opponent was ruthless, but by the grace of God Benazir Bhutto became the first elected woman prime minister in the Muslim world. She served the nation and worked hard for the people. But just 18 months into her first tenure, the opponents of democracy dashed the hopes of the people. But the people resisted the nefarious plans of the sectarian, fundamentalist and anti-human rights forces and voted her to power a second time.

Her time in power was fruitful. For instance, students, political workers and leaders jailed in false cases were released and rehabilitated. Some 35,000 poor farmers received 12.5 acres each. More farmers would have benefited from this programme had the big landowners not stopped this revolutionary policy by challenging the government in the Supreme Court.

Hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth were given jobs and those dismissed for speaking against martial law were reinstated. Thousands of young people were given loans to set up businesses. The ban on trade unions was removed. Over 40,000 workers in the private sector were reinstated to their jobs. The minimum wage was increased.

The government set up a separate ministry for women’s development. Women’s banks and computer training centres were introduced. Women were appointed judges of superior courts. Some 33,000 women were given jobs as health workers. Admission fees to hospitals introduced by the martial law regime were abolished.

The budget allocation for education was markedly increased. Schooling up to class eight was made compulsory and more attention was paid to technical and scientific education. Some 50,000 fresh teachers were recruited.

Load shedding was brought to an end with major power projects like Ghazi Barotha and HUBCO. Some 18,000 villages were electrified.

The media was freed from black laws, such as the requirement for journalists to get a No Objection Certificate before travelling abroad. Journalists fired from radio and television for speaking against martial law were reinstated. The Sixth Wage Board Award was announced.

In defence, 60 F-16 jet fighters, two frigates and an Agosta submarine were purchased. The army was given a battalion of modern tanks. Pakistan acquired missile technology and modern radar systems.

FM radio and dish antennas were allowed and Pakistan’s first independent TV station, STN, was set up. Mobiles phones and pager services were introduced. Hundreds of thousands of new telephone connections were provided.

Today, as we celebrate Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, the nation is once again reeling under the devastation of terrorism, sectarianism and fundamentalism, and people are fighting for the restoration of democracy and rule of law. The people pray for the end of dictatorship so that democracy, freedom, equality, progress and prosperity can flourish under a people’s government."

Wow.this guy sure will get a ministry if benazir comes to power again.

open letter to the general

2005-06-18T10:03:00.000+05:00

Saturday, June 18, 2005

I stopped Mai from going abroad: president
AUCKLAND: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Friday that he ordered a travel ban on Mukhtar Mai to protect Pakistan’s image abroad.Gen Musharraf said Mukhtar Mai, the victim of a punchayat-ordered gang rape, was being taken to the United States by foreign non-government organisations “to bad-mouth Pakistan” over the “terrible state” of the nation’s women. He said NGOs are “Westernised fringe elements” which “are as bad as the Islamic extremists”.He acknowledged that he placed the 36-year-old on the list of people banned from leaving Pakistan while responding to media questions during a three-day visit to New Zealand.“She was told not to go” to the United States to appear on media there to tell her story, Gen Musharraf told the Auckland Foreign Correspondents’ Club. The government lifted the travel ban on Wednesday after Mai appealed to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Musharraf said atrocities are perpetrated daily against women in developing nations round the world - “in Kashmir and many other places”.“I don’t want to project the bad image of Pakistan,” he told the journalists’ club.“I am a realist. Public relations is the most important thing in the world,” he said, adding that media misperceptions would discourage tourists from travelling to Pakistan.“Pakistan is the victim of poor perceptions. The reality is very different,” he said. He defended his regime’s treatment of women, saying it was working for their emancipation. Rape was not “a rampant malaise Pakistan suffers from every day,” he said. He said he was on the side of women and was trying to bring rapists to “justice in the strongest form”. His government was encouraging the emancipation of women through education and by reducing high death rates for women and children. Women’s right were also discussed during earlier talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. “This is a country with many women in powerful positions so we do take an interest. So I certainly have been satisfied today that President Musharraf shares that concern and would like to see his country move,” she said. As well as Clark, New Zealand’s top judge, parliamentary speaker and top business leader are all women.

Very dissapointing,Mr. President.either u have some really bad advisors or you just got your judgement horribly wrong this time round.anyway ure realism ended up doing what u intended to prevent and that is bad PR.infact we r getting hammered in the press.

ure right when u say that Pakistan gets picked on more than other countries and that its negatives are highlighted more vigorously but that doesnt mean we ourselves stick our heads in the sand and pretend as if nothing happened or is happening.we have a brutal tribal/feudal cultural system where a woman is considered to be less than an animal and its sickening.and instead of trying to protect this country's image by preventing the victim from highlighting her case you should be trying ure best to smash this jirga/panchayat nonsense once and for all.better start walking the walk with the talk.and please dont let ure dislike for NGO's cloud your judgement.they do good work on the whole.their attitudes like the mullahs on the other side of the political spectrum can be uncompromising but at least their ideals are way more admirable.there can be no enlightened moderation if the rights of women cant be protected and promoted and frankly we still have miles to go in this regard and such incidents dont help one bit!!

2005-06-17T13:05:00.000+05:00

some excellent and further thought provoking comments.
Shahan Zafar said...
As you rightly pointed out, it all circles back to education and economic development. A perfect example of that is the United States (North vs. South) or Europe (European Union). Make the economy so very integrated that regional isolationism has financial repercussions. We can celebrate different ethnicities populating Pakistan while still embracing “Pakistaniat.”Furthermore, I couldn’t agree with you more on how disturbing this problem is for Pakistan. In an unfortunate way, this internal problem plaguing Pakistan somewhat necessitates a common enemy (“Hindu”) for us to be loosely united. What happens when we have made peace with India? Will we ever make peace? I admit these are rambling thoughts and questions but worth pondering

Muneeba Omar said...
Haan I am in complete agreement with you about our identity issues. The only think that unites us a nation besides cricket is being pro-kashmir and anti-India. Us ke elawa, each province's population has issues with the other. Here is some an excerpt from my thesis which details the ethnic challenge in Pakistan. "Although Islam provided a unifying element in Pakistan, the ethnic diversity of Pkaistan proved to be a source of dissension and conflicts. The multi-ethnic and multilingual nature of Pakistan constitutes a formidable challenge to its governability and stability. Each of the four provinces (Baluchistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Punjab and Sindh) has its own language and is distinct in its cultures and traditions, even though they share the same religion. There is a wide income disparity between the four provinces, with Punjab occupying the lion’s share and earning the resentment of the other poorer provinces. Each province is also plagued by identity issues with the Pathans of the (N.W.F.P.) “having more in common with their Afghan neighbours than with the [Muhajir] Sindhis on the other side of the Indus River, whose culture reflects that of Mughal India. The Punjabis of Lahore inhabit a different civilization from the tribesmen of Baluchistan. Pakistan's Kashmiris are something else entirely.” In fact, the only common trait in the political identity of the provinces is that are pro-Kashmir and anti-India. Rarely seeing eye-to-eye on political issues, disputes have often broken out between the four provinces, with Baluchistan and Sindh threatening to separate. In fact, the conflict between the Baluchis and Pathans in Baluchistan, and between the Sindhis and Muhajirs in Sindh has spiralled out of control with the occurrence of collective ethnic riots in which militant groups for each side have caused extensive damage to life and property (See Figure 13 on page 57 for details on the conflicts). Echoing John Stuart Mill, David Laitin argues that it is impossible to found a democracy in a multi-ethnic and multilingual country, and that authoritarianism would be a more feasible and preferable alternative in such a scenario simply to prevent inter-ethnic violence and conflict. Laitin persuasively argues that democracy can only be established in multi-ethnic states provided that there is strong central control, and that the centre is able to make credible threats to regional/ethnic politicians and movements. In Pakistan, central institutions are extremely weak and dominated by feudal landlords who instead of seeking unity have a history of exploiting internal divisions for short-term advantage. Thus one cannot help but be sceptical about the ability of a democratic centre (controlled by Pakistani elites) to control regional and ethnic divisions. In fact, it was under the democratic governments of Bhutto and Shariff that nationalist groups in Sindh and Baluchiston emerged, complete with violent militant factions. Hence, it is reasonable to argue that the democratic rule would lead to the rise of more ethnic groups, increase political gridlock, and aggravate the conflicts since it facilitates political liberalization and ethnic mobilization. In addition, Pakistani democratic governments were never able to make credible threats to regional/ethnic politicians and movements and always had to rely on the army to control and contain the conflicts and movements in Sindh and Baluchistan. In fact, successive federal governments sought to manipulate ethnic differences to promote their own narrow interests. Thus, it becomes all too evident that the Pakistan’s ethnic reality is not yet conducive to a liberal democracy. In order to prevent and control inter-ethnic violence and conflict, a liberal authoritarian regime headed by a benevolent leader like Musharraf (who also has control over the Army being the Chief of Army Staff) is arguably Pakistan’s best option for inter-ethnic harmony as well as eventual democracy.

moizza said...
I think shahan answered his own question. India’s representation as an enemy will fluctuate in Pakistan’s affections but is unlikely to disappear given the legitimacy it gives to the establishment in terms of uniting the country and defence budget allocations. I have a couple of questions regarding Muneeba’s post somewhere down the line your excerpt seems to suggest that nationalist outbursts were a direct outcome of democratic government (well quasi at least) which implies that nationalist conflict is something that is inherent to Pakistan and so efforts should be focused towards quelling it. However ethnic groups are another form of identity politics and authors like Brueilly mark out ethnicity as just another political resource with which you vie with the center for resources (e.g. language as a tool for the Sindhi movement). Instead of focusing on repressive measures shouldn’t any sort of government in power try to at least address the original concerns of such movements? The rhetoric of ethnicity comes much after very basic deprivations such as unemployment, skewed budget allocations etc. As Jarrar pointed out in his initial post on religious politics, the fundos came up because of income disparity and lack of education and what not. Could be the same for ethnic movements.

economic growth,secularism etc is fine but...

2005-06-16T17:25:00.000+05:00

what is our identity?how do we define it?how do we make people buy into it?this touches secularism/fundamentalism/feudal everything.this is the key.i said a long time ago in this blog that cricket or sports in general is perhaps the only thing that unites us in this country.otherwise its shia/sunni, in sunnis its depbandis/barelvis etc.ethnically its sindhi/balochi/punjabi/pakhtun/muhajir etc.or its seraiki belt vs rest of punjab or even more pitiful biradiri system or tribal system.arains/jats/bugtis/afridis etc etc.our whole society is characterised by groupings/subgroupings and so on.islam was the unifying force but how do we go about promoting Pakistan first.cos when it comes to Islam, the fundamentalists have taken hold of that and for them its about the ummah first and then pakistan.i have no problems in helping out the ummah but the best way to do that is by strentghening Pakistan and anyway we've pretty much established that the mullah knows nothing.Pakistaniat.how to create?what to do?how do we make a baloch tribal a proud pakistani etc etc.when can we see the day where there is no more talk of provincial nationalism.when its ok for people to move across provinces to work and marry.is it simply education and economic development thats needed.oh and btw what is our culture?

2005-06-14T18:55:00.000+05:00

i'd just like to reiterate some of what ive already said before while also adding something insightful to the discussion.
im a great believer in contextualising history. for instance the context of the 99 musharraf coup in my opinion is as follows.1994-96:the second bhutto government is sworn in amid great hopes for the future.expectations are high that this bhutto government would have learnt from all the mistakes it made during its first term.two things stand out.one the PPP government opens up the energy market to foreign investors(a good thing) but allows them to charge extremely high prices for thje electicity they produce.a major reason why we have such high electricity bills compared to neighboring countries(bad thing).also whereas mr zardari was popularly referred to as Mr.10% the first time round does even better this time earning himself the title of Mr.30%.whther true or false that was certainly the popular perception amongst many.1997-99:Bhutto government is sworn in the 2nd time around.again its hoped that this govt mustve learnt from not only its own mistakes but from bhutto govt's mistakes as well.well this govt turned out to be the most repressive govt a democracy could possibly see.ehtisab bureau formed where opposition politicians are persecuted to kingdome come.the supreme court is stormed so as to stop tht court from inititating corruption cases against nawaz sharif.a sitting president is impeached.a sitting army chief is made to resign.the daily newspaper The News is forced to print a single page newspaper on recycled toilet paper(ok i dunno how to define that yellow looking sheet of paper) because it dared to criticise the government.najam sethi the TFT editor is picked up from his home in the wee hrrs of the morning and held incommunicado for several months because of what he wrote in his editorials.finally nawaz sharif introduces the 15th ammendment.this ammendment proposed sweeping changes to the constitution whereby nawaz sharif would have become ruler for life and be known as amir-ul-momineen.basically the 15th ammendment was sharia law.why didnt it get passed.well it was supposed to pass in january 2000 when the new senate with a nawaz sharif majority would have met.unfortunatly for nawaz and fortunatly for us he tried to sack the 2nd army chief in less than a year.we all know what happened next.apart from political victimisation,corruption and finally trying to establish a personel dictatorship by the two parties and their respective leadership, the politicians of the 90's brought our nation to the brink of bankruptcy.

So what democracy are we really talikng about here.why is musharraf's violating the constitution so bad?is it ok to give the constituion a total makeover when u have a 2/3rd majority in parliament?our political parties are run like jagirs.why is it tht benazir is chairperson for life for her party.Why could she not allow amin fahim to become the PM instead in 2002.maybe today she could have been back here being the sonia gandhi of Pakistan.no.our politiicans are in love with power and its perks.hence the opposition for the sake of opposition.i can hardly remember the opposition in anytime giving the government credit for anything.so for me the 73 constitution is no sacred document.yes i would ideally have democracy take root in this country but not at the expense of our dignity and well being as a nation.

trickle down theory seems to have people in a bind these days.i see people coming on TV declaring trickle down theories as being failed policies.for one school of thought it certainly is.for the other its the statist model that has failed.what does the last 50 yrs of economic development tell us.

like ive said many times before.equitable distribution cannot take place all of a sudden.what can take place is increased emphasis/spending on education,health and other essential public services such as infrastructure which includes electrification of villages,roads,sanitation water etc.but when it comes to economic development and creating employment its the private sector that needs to be encouraged.
when people talk about budget for the rich and i ask for alternatives the answer i usually get is that since we are an agrarian economy the agriculture should be helped more.and it should but theres a caveat.statistically agriculture employs 42% of our workforce yet only contributes 23% to our GDP.our whole focus of economic development should be on transforming our agrarian/rural economy intoan industrialised/services-oriented/urban economy.thats when the standard of living will really improve.the problem is basic.we have limited resources.i wont get into the debate about defence spending.taking that out of the equation we are left with a limited amount of resources.so balances and sacrifices need to be made.this year the greatest incentives were given to exporters.thats very sound policy.because if we take a look at and ive said this so many times at china,korea etc its export led growth thats led these countries to development.another sector that been focused on is the small and medium sector.this the sector that will become the backbone of our economy.more needs to be done and if the economy continues to grow at rates of 7% or higher each year the state will have more resources to spend then the previous year.then will we start seeing the trickle down effect.
one last point.this government has also decided to employ the one village one product concept.if implemented this would be something that would be done at the grass roots.but realistically villagers cant become entrepreneurs/traders overnight.but encouraging cottage industry is a good first step as well.

finally education and y'all have put alot of stress on it and rightly so,is the key.and its trickle down effects will become visible in 10-15yrs time as well.hopefully the economy will grow at such a place to be able to provide employment to many educated youth coming out of schools and colleges.and its then that democracy will truly take hold.it will sooner but it will become enshrined for a long long time when the populace is literate in all senses of the word.

thank you all for your comments.i had started developing cobwebs in my head but thanks to you guys ive started thinking again.hopefully the discussion will continue,broaden and expand.this is our country and i dont intend on immigrating anywhere.so on this highly emotional note i shall take leave and go attend my cousins birthday

2005-06-13T16:33:00.000+05:00

moizza said...
just to add some grain to the chaff on fundamentalist politics in pakistan --> to legitimize absence of any sort of equitable economic growth, the state had to resort to a religious discourse but it has not been able to hijack it. consequently, right now, the only legitimate and legal voice of political opposition to Musharraf comes from the religious lobby what with their demands that he doff his uniform etc.i don't know (need to study this more) but i think most case studies and literature suggests that allowing democratic participation of religious politics generally tends to undermine the fundo part of the agenda because the non-secular parties in the end have to garner votes and have to deliver.

on jarrar's suggestion that economic development needs to be the vanguard: pakistan's problematic status quo seems to stem from the fact that its political and economic development occurred separately (as opposed to the european experience etc. where colonisation didn't hand over a custom made political set up) so the curative value of just economic development is questionable specially when you take into account that equitable distribution can't really come about without some sort of political plan/government ideology.

to an extent i agree with moizza that the state used religion to mobilise and distract people form its repeated shortcomings.however i dont agree with the notion that fundamentalists when given the chance to take part in mainstream politics tend to lose their fundamentalist edge. in pakistan i strongly believe that if the fundos were to win an election, they would change the constitution immeadiatly so as to make their rule perpetual.the reason why people will support them is two fold.the continued brainwashing or propogation of a particular interpretation of islam to the public for the last thirty odd years coupled with successive 'secular' parties inability to deliever economically as well as politically for the massess.and given the current international environment post 9/11 the fundos with their fundo message could and are becoming more appealing to the public at large.since the state has allowed the MMA people to become the 'thaikadars' of Islam its very difficult to refute their propoganda.For eg.ignoring the fact that the establishment allowed the MMa to win elections in NWFP in 2002, the MMA would have won anyway.the reason being that the MMA chose as their election symbol the Quran.and their campaign was not vote for MR XYZ.it was Vote for the Quran.NWFP heavily affected by tradition and talibanisation in neighboring afghanistan chose the Quran.Turkey is the only muslim country where religious parties have discarded their extremist baggage so as to garner votes.they were forced to do this cos Turkey has been brainwashed secular since attaturk in the 1920's.

finally i still believe that economic growth and development is the better way forward.for a third country living in a competitive globalised shrinking world theres no other way.distribution of income cant happen from day one.and i dont believe that the past 50 years anything of note really happened because there was no coherency in planning or policies.for me 1999 is the base year to rely on.if certain policies (that unfortunatly&with all respect for some) happen to be market driven are employed in a stable environment for 10-15 years this country will experience tremendous positive change.again like i said we dont have to look to examples dating back many years nor do we need to look at countries far from us.it has happened and is happening in South east asia and eastern europe.not everyone can be an industrialist or trader.in a free market there will be some who make it bigger than others.the main point is providing an even playing field to all.that means quality education and health services.if the previous two budgets is anything to go by we can already see a quantum leap in spending on these sectors.its not enough but its going in the right direction.thats something that one didnt see in the decade of the 90's
finally given the cold war.infact given recorded history ive stopped believing in ideologies.they end up being destructive and non-productive.politically the only ideology i see fit is that of good governance.where the leaders dont see themselves as rulers but as servants for the massess.pretty pie in the sky stuff cos once u taste power power corrupts.but when i see musharraf or even shaukat aziz i see people who are genuinely sincere for the well being of this country and its massess.again something that i didnt feel or see in the 90's.finally musharaf has an ideolgy.its not so bad and encompasses just about everything;enlightened moderation.its another story that most of the ruling party doesnt believe in it but at least he himself has a vision.

secularism part II

2005-06-12T23:31:00.000+05:00

shahan a friend from aitchison days emailed me his take on the previous post.thought i'd share his thoughts. oh and i have no arguments with what he's written.
Jerry – getting bored I ventured into your blogs and am impressed with the intellectual masturbation you are engaged in. I agree that fundamentalism is one of the key issues Pakistan has to address if it is to move forward in any sustainable fashion. The way I think about this issue – and let me know if you disagree – fundamentalism is a consequence of illiteracy and economic disparity amongst the classes.
In a country where 70-65% of the population has no access to any formal education, the social psychology has to be driven by conditioned sentiments rather than rationale. I strongly believe that our nation has been subjected to a lot of social conditioning in its formidable phase. I am alluding to the orchestrated history our text books convey, the historic “heroes” we are told about through our curriculum and the subtle attempts by state controlled media (at least for the majority of Pakistan’s history) to link patriotism with religion. All these tools employed by the state may have been necessary given the military needs of the nation, but it has left Pakistan with a problem of mass fundamentalism that worries all of us.
Another reason for this fundamentalism is the huge economic disparity between the masses and the social elite. It is only a natural human reaction to try and find reasons to dismiss a thing you desire but can’t have. Religious fundamentalism is an outcome of the frustration and jealousy the masses harbor towards the more privileged class. I am even tempted to qualify this fanaticism as a distraction masses have embraced to forget their more immediate needs and problems that they feel helpless about.
I understand that in your blog you alluded to economic growth as a tool to curb this menace plaguing our country. But I further qualify that we must ensure a better distribution of this economic prosperity amongst the masses.
\r\nA more robust middle class and improving poverty statistics coupled with a more liberal education (text books / madrassas / media) will be a good start to sustain the economic growth our country needs and deserves.------------------------------------------------------------
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secularism in spirit

2005-06-09T12:43:00.000+05:00

i was having this really interesting conversation last night with a friend which prompted me to post something about the topic.we were talking about religion in general and islam in today's world.now for people who know me they know im not really a practicing muslim.but im also not anti-islam either.i believe very strongly in the essence of islam etc.in the post 9/11 world islam has become defined as the islam that is espoused by fundamentalist islam.fundamenatlist muslims are the taliban or the MMA in this country.they also include the wahabi clergy in Saudi Arabia as well as the ruling Shia clerics in Iran.all these factions practice a very strict form of Islam.by strict i mean alot of emphasis is placed on literal interpretations and Symbolisms.these were reactionary forces whose roots can be found as back as the 17th century when the Wahabi guy converted(for lack of a better word) to his interpretation of Islam which was based on the strict literal interpreation of the Quran and Sunah.however they really came into their own when western imperialism swept across muslim lands and colonised muslim peoples.these people came up with the notion that since muslims had strayed from the correct path this was Allah's punishment upon them.hence to reverse the punishment Muslims had to revert back to 'Sharia' or the literal letter of Islam.to cut a long story short they continued to grow from strength to strength in post independence era when leaders like gamal abdul nasser,bhutto etc failed to deliever prosperity to the masses.now coming to today's scenario.we have one military ruler trying to reverse the previous military ruler's disastrous legacy.the short cut way is the turkey/attaturk way.crackdown hard and declare yourself secular.the second way is to undermine the credibility of the mullah at the one hand and to provide a credible alternative instead.that credible alternative would be in the form of economic development and greater political freedom.something akin to what mahathir managed to do in Malaysia.there are fundamenatlists in Malaysia but they are on the fringe.by and large Malaysia is a highly tolerant and progressive nation.in todays' Pakistan which has been brainwashed for two decades by a strong dose of Mullah Islam,Attaturk wont work unless Pakistan was to suffer a catastrophe similar to turkey after WWI.unfortunatly if a similar situation/disaster was to occur it would make Pakistanis more favorable to the mullahs as they are not in power.we also should guard against the Shah of iran model.the shah created a society which was totally alien to 90% of the massess.we must first focus on economic development.secondly the state's writ must be extended to such an extent that not only do mosques,madrassa come under its sway,the writ also encompasses tribal areas in NWFP and Balochistan.Secular has come to assume a bad name in Pakistan.its come to symbolise anti-religion which its not.a secular society is merely a society where everyone has their own freedom of choice regarding religion and that the state doesnt impose a religion or discriminate on the basis of religion.in many ways being the Islamic republic of Pakistan doesnt matter cos its a symbol.there is no sharia here.yes there is the horrendous hudood and blasphemy laws but no taliban sharia here yet.Pakistan ideologically was created for muslims not islam.thats the key difference.finally i favor the slightly cautious mush approach cos as i said the vast majority of the nation has been brainwashed and many ppl feel a strong affinity for not only islam but fellow muslims as well.i dont know bt others but even though as a believer in human rights i feel for people being killed maimed anywhere in the world when it involves muslims say in palestine,bosnia,kosovo,chechnya and kashmir i feel stronger pain and interest.i dunno whther its the zia-ul-haq islamiat tht causes that or what.but its true.ill continue but first some feedback.

budget and economy and life in general

2005-06-07T15:26:00.000+05:00

fact:there is widespread poverty in our nation;
fact:development is not evenly distributed amongst different regions.
fact:things are on the move in an economic sense in this country

now poverty that has been increasing and accumulating over the past 57 years can not be eradicated by one budget,two budgets or even five budgets.it will take at least 20 years of sustained and focused policies for poverty to be reduced drastically.if growth is sustained, peoples lives will improve in a generation.

secondly what is this nonsense about the budget being pro-rich,anti-poor bullshit??how does a government improve the lot of the poor.it could either hand out cheques to each and every citizen of this country every year.if everyone was to receive an equal amount then that would come out to roughly 6700 rupees.6700 rupees per person per year.or roughly 500 rupees per month.so i guess this option goes out of the window.or the government could do is say to hell with all u smug rich bastards out there.all of you will give half of what you earn to the government and the government will in turn redistribute the money to the 70% people who are poor.not a bad idea.only problem is most of those rich people wont stick around and those who do will soon join the ranks of the 70% poor cos theyre companies would stagnate and die.
but wait what if the government was to slash taxes on all income brackets?what if it was to slash duties on all raw material imports?
would such moves God-forbid lead the tiny winey rich elite to start investing more in their businesses cos cost of doing business just went down to an extent.God-forbid would they start importing duty free raw materials in greater number so that they could use those raw materials not for eating purposes or hoarding purposes but for producing greater quantity of goods for exports.oops this cant be good.cos greater exports means expansion.expansion means more profits for the rich.oh as an afterthought expansion would mean more jobs.permanent jobs.but hey who's counting that.we have to worry about the rich getting richer.fuck the fact that for that to happen the rich need to provide employment.

so giving incentives to businesses such as those involved in exports is BAD.no country in the world went down this path.there are other paths.

south Korea did a different thing.they cut taxes,duties,invested in Human resources etc and produced giants like LG,SAMSUNG,Hyundai.look at them now.they are the world's 11th largest economy.their people who were poor are now enjoying a standard of level enjoyed by those in the developed world.im sure this is confusing.wait it gets more confusing.Japan,Germany post WW2,malaysia,Thailand and now to an extent india.whats going on here.do i sense a familiar pattern.did all these countries give incentives to businessess?well unfortunatly they did and look where it landed them.

big corporations,industries etc theyve been provided incentives so that makes the budget pro-rich.thats bad.

but wait this budget gets worse.theyve slashed income taxes for the very poor from 7.5% to 3.5%.for small and medium enterprises theyve slashed it down to 20%.for salaried classess the following is the breakdownAmount of tax payable on incomes
as provided by THE NEWS
By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Tax payable on incomes, according to the budget:

-Where taxable income does not exceed Rs 100,000, — nil.

-Where taxable income exceeds Rs 100,000 but does not exceed Rs 200,000 — 3.5pc of the amount exceeding Rs 100,000.

-Where taxable income exceeds Rs 200,000 but does not exceed Rs 400,000 — Rs.3,500 plus 12pc of the amount exceeding Rs.200,000.

-Where taxable income exceeds Rs 400,000 but does not exceed Rs 700,000 - Rs 27,500 plus 25pc of the amount exceeding Rs 400,000.

-Where taxable income exceeds Rs 700,000 — Rs.102,500 plus 30 per cent of the amount exceeding Rs 700,000.

obviously this shows how the budget has been designed to provide benefit to the rich.

enough said.there are times when the cynicism in this country drives me nuts.there is no mercy,no fairness, the least bit of objectivity.im not saying im objective all the time.but we need to get a bit mature.if not we wont get anywhere.this country belongs to everyone and everyone has a stake and interest in seeing this country move forward.poverty alleviation will only take place if economic growth takes place.pure and simple.economic growth leads to jobs.jobs means incomes.its not rocket science.we live in a globalised,market driven economy.that is a misfortune perhaps.gone are the days when one could isolate yourself from the rest and give subsides and protect industries.we either grow or get left behind and live on handouts given to us by the west now, and india 20 years from now.whether one likes commercialisation of society or materialism and classes divide is a separate issue and frankly due to current circumstances a highly irrelevant issue.its human nature to demand.its human nature to strive.its human nature to grow.if the atmosphere is conducive to business,businesses will grow.and businessess can not grow without adding labor.foreign investment will not come if atmosphere is not conducive.FDI will come if there are incentives and opportunities.so to think that there is a magic wand that will magically eradicate the poverty and everyone knows how extreme poverty is prevalent amongst wide swathes of our society.but due to the fact that there were no consistent policies in the past we will have to endure another 15 years of sufferring.but if we remain consistent in 15 years inshallah the face of this nation would have transformed.
development cant take place in all sectors at once.it probably cant take place in all regions at once.but eventually it will reach people.

as a poor nation we cant become a welfare state just yet.in 15 years inshallah we could.so tolerate expansion of businessess and rich getting richer.cos it will invariably lead to people getting out of poverty.apologies for the length.just worked up on all the negativity on TV.the budget is not perfect.it could have done more.but the budget itself is not bad.could have been better i dont know how that translates into a bad budget.but anyway feedback is welcome.

budget

2005-06-07T11:32:00.000+05:00

budget was fairly good considering the circumstances.but then im biased.hehe.exporters given huge boost.and nice slashing of taxes for everyone.people like me instead of having 35% tax now have 20% which is cool.less incentive for me to fudge the books or evade outrightly.hopefully more people will get registered and contribute to broadening the tax base.as far as statements that this is a anti poor budget well huge incentives given to farmers and textiles.two sectors that employ the bulk of the poor.fertilisers made duty free.tractors duties slashed etc etc.minimum salaries raised.anyway all in all a positive budget.inshallah growth will be sustained.I for one had a nice budget celebration in punjab club till 3 in the morning.laterz!!

final day

2005-06-06T11:22:00.000+05:00

well i said that i had decided to attend the final day of my course which i did.but boy was i hammered or what.i swear i could hardly see or listen to the presenters.but at least i went.the course is over.ive learnt alot.now its time to implement.wish me luck folks.budget coming out today.this is the craziest part of the political season with all kinds of propoganda being thrown here and there.even though i should know whats coming in the budget, i have no concrete idea.hopefully it'll be a good one.less taxes more incentives.fingers crossed!

2nd day

2005-06-04T15:48:00.000+05:00

well the 2nd day of my course just ended.im fairly satisfied.actually im feeling quite good about attending this.as a result ive decided i will wake up tommorrow and finish what ive started.tonight ill try to be gentle.hey cant miss out on a saturday night now can i.there are only 52 in a year.i wrote in some previous post how i felt i was waiting for something to happen.well part of that something has happened in the form of this course.its inspired me.more than anything its given me focus which i badly needed.but we'll see months from now whether i manage to actually walk the walk.

my first executive course.

2005-06-03T17:04:00.000+05:00

today was the first day of the first course im taking as a "businessman".hehe.eversince I saw the add about a course being held at LUMS on retailing i knew i had to attend.honestly its been fun.its kind off shaken my thinking in a very positive way.presentations were given by retailers as well as lums faculty.two more days to go.though im skipping the one and a half hour concluding,meaningless session on sunday.who would have the final course session on sunday at 9 in the morning?i mean cant u have it in the evening so that ive recovered from the saturday night beating im going to receive.so i will have a good time saturday night knowing that i have learnt 90% of what needed to be learnt.the other 10%i have the notes.so thats that.work hard play hard!!

political opportunism or principled politics?

2005-06-03T16:51:00.000+05:00

the following came in the newspaper.thought i'd post this alongwith some commentary.

WASHINGTON: Syeda Abida Hussain and Fakhar Imam told a meeting here on Tuesday that Pakistan’s salvation lies in the return of a genuinely elected government and a sovereign parliament, not in a system where all power resides in a single individual.

The two visiting politicians had been invited by the Middle East Institute to speak about the political situation in Pakistan. The small invited audience consisted of some of the leading South Asia experts in the US capital. Ms Hussain was ambassador to Washington during the first Nawaz Sharif government.

The couple was introduced by Marvin Weinbaum who praised the political acumen of the two and listed the highlights of their long and eventful political careers. Syed Fakhar Imam was invited to speak first. He began by saying that Pakistan had been unable to stabilise its institutions and unless it did so, its future would not be as bright as it could be. “That’s the essence of where Pakistan stands today,” he added. He said President Pervez Musharraf and his group lack legitimacy and as is the wont of such governments, they are constantly groping for mechanisms that will give them what they lack. He said Musharraf like Ayub and Zia might have found external acceptance but he has failed to match that domestically. The parliament has played no role in the selection of the three prime ministers that have been imposed on the country. All important functions continue to be performed by Gen Musharraf, who has gained enormous powers, thanks to the 17th amendment. A National Security Council had been formed which is presided over by the President, with four uniformed men among its sitting members. It is they who call the shots. The prime minister does not have the moral courage to object to anything, while the cabinet is inconsequential in terms of political authority. Even Zia in the end was persuaded not to set up a National Security Council, he added.

The former speaker of the National Assembly rejected the Musharraf claim that there was no alternative to him. What, he asked, would happen were he to leave the scene for some reason? He also rejected the regime’s claim that the economy is doing well. What space has been created economically is because of the turnaround taken by Islamabad after 9/11, he added. Inflation is running at 10 percent and poverty is up by 34 percent, which means that 45 million to 50 million Pakistanis now live on less than a dollar a day. There is no law and order in the country and sectarian killings are going ahead unabated. The smaller provinces are unhappy and feel alienated. “We have a techno prime minister but in the five and a half years he has been around, he has failed to announce the National Finance Award, which should have been announced three years ago,” he pointed out. He said if Pakistan is to gain stability, free, fair and impartial elections under an independent commission must be held. The sooner the elections are held the better, even this year. A truth and reconciliation commission must also be constituted, he added. “Pakistan, he reminded the audience, was brought into existence through a popular vote. The country’s roots are embedded in democracy, he added. Syeda Abida Hussain began by declaring that Gen Musharraf had given the people “precious little” since assuming power, but there had been a lot of talk of what was going to be done. “He talks and he travels, having beaten Benazir Bhutto’s record in the latter department,” she quipped. He travelled all the way to Argentina, she said, to sign trade treaties with a country with which Pakistan can have little if any trade. She said the 14 years during which civilians had been in power after Zia, it was really the GHQ that was calling the shots and pulling the strings. At the PMA, cadets were trained to govern rather than fight. She regretted that the people of Pakistan had never had the opportunity of voting out a government. It was galling for Pakistanis to be told that they were not fit for democracy. If India had done it, why couldn’t we, people asked, she said. The military, she stressed, was best protected when it was not governing. Today, the military was running everything. The local government system was a disaster. The devolution plan had led to internecine fighting for power and pelf at local levels. She said the people of Pakistan longed for the day when someone holding power would walk away from it. He would be a true hero, she added. She confessed that for a time she thought Gen. Musharraf might be one such man, but he had turned out to be no different from earlier military rulers.

Ms Hussain said it was the right of the people of Pakistan to be empowered to vote in and vote out governments. The governments that come to office should enrich the people, not themselves. She hoped that the United States would use its influence to have true democracy come to Pakistan. Pakistan and the people of Pakistan have tremendous potential but it cannot flower under military rule, she declared.

A lively question-answer session followed the two presentations. Asked if the army would be able to relinquish power, Ms Hussain replied that it had done so on four occasions in the past, so why could it not do so today? It should find it easy to disengage, once the top brass goes back to the barracks, she added. Imam joined the argument to stress that all political parties should agree on a minimum political programme. Asked about the current Indo-Pakistan peace process, Ms Hussain said after the two countries became declared nuclear states, there remained no reason for them to fight. However, peace must be made by taking the people’s elected representatives into confidence. It should not lie in the power of one individual to make peace or war, she emphasised. Imam criticised the President for making off the cuff comments at dinner parties about Kashmir. He called for parliament to be consulted and taken into confidence. It should not be a “one-man show.” Decisions must not be taken behind closed doors but in full public view.

Another attendee wanted to know if the war on terrorism could be effectively conducted were Musharraf not on the scene, to which Ms Hussain said that it certainly could. She charged that the jihadi groups were a creation of the army. Imam held these groups responsible for the sectarian war that had been raging in Pakistan for the last 15 years. He said a political government would be better equipped to deal with the forces of extremism. Answering another question, he said that little had been done to bring about curriculum or madrassa reform though much had been claimed. He said it was the public sector schools where the majority of children go that need reform of the curriculum. He called “enlightened moderation” a couple of “buzz words that nobody quite knows what to make of.” When reminded by a questioner that big business was quite happy with the present government, Imam answered that big business and the army had always gone together. However, there was no economic boom as claimed by the government, except that the wealthy were getting wealthier and the middle class was going under barring those in its upper reaches. He said if Pakistan is really doing as well as is being claimed, why is foreign investment not coming to the country?

arrgh.firstly these two were amongst the first to break away from nawaz sharif to support the general.secondly when their group got sidelined by the chaudries of gujrat in the battle for PML(Q) they alongwith the erstwhile Imran khan (loved him as a cricketer and love him for his hospital(s)) became the strongest proponents of democracy.sounds like sour grapes to me.their comments on the economy well i dunno if the upper classes are the ones buying all those motor cylcles,tractors etc.maybe its the upper classes buying all the mobile connections they can get their hands on.or maybe just maybe its the upper classes who are going to fill in the 50000 jobs created in one week in rural chakwal district due to the creation of three mega cement plants.i wont deny the rich havent gotten richer.but theyve become richer not by looting tax payers or anything (though they may be guilty of tax evasion some if not most of them) but theyve become richer by investing more money in the economy.by expanding capacities.by building new projects.and so far Pakistan does not have an automated workforce.hence theyve created jobs.the reason why inflation has happened in the first place apart from rise in oil prices i.e is because of the surge in demand and the resulting shortage in supply.to be fair there are people who have missed out and continue to live in poverty.in fact many millions belong to that boat.some millions have been lifted up though.so to expect miracles in 5 years is a bit of a stretch considering how thingts were messed up in the past.we are on the right path.its not perfect but things are progressing in the right path.

got tourists?

2005-06-01T13:29:00.000+05:00

by changing one simple policy,pakistan can create a tourism industry overnight.legalise alcohol.two things happen.one that obviously the government gets its hands on huge amounts of revenue cos it'll be taxing booze.that revenue can be used to build whatever.secondly goraswill flock.he whole makran coast will become like the thai coast.resort upon resot.our pious arab brethren will flock there as well as europeans looking for sun and fun.karachi people can drive down there over the weekends.us lahoris can fly there.but the point is that without legalising alcohol and foreign brands tourism is not going to pick up.there are only so many mountaineers you can attract to the himalayas and even less historical/archeological junkies to moenjedaro.follow the dubai model.khair this suggestion of mine is pretty much pie in the sky cos general zia-ul-haq's legacy is alive and kicking.in a few years though who knows.

younger siblings

2005-05-28T10:26:00.000+05:00

i am the eldest of 5 children.three of my younger siblings happen to be girls which in lahore is tough.the first two are grown up and are fine.the younger one well shes going through the age where shes not only giving my parents trouble but is creating nightmares for me as well.she's in O-levels and this generation is just insane.i thought i was crazy but these people are dangerously crazy.every day i hear stories of more and more high schoolers doing crazy shit like exctasy and coke.im scared.in my time which was oh 10 years ago ciggarette was the tabboo thing..khair i consider myself the deprived zia-ul-haq generation.anyway my point is that im scared because theres an age and place for everything.in fact theres no time and place for certain things.im not worried about my sister right now but peer pressure can cause people to do wierd things at this age.i mean it wasnt so long ago that she was this sweet tender little angel.she's still an angel but a very rebellious one.lunches,dinners,gts.uff its too much.i dont know wat to do.cracking down isnt the option and frankly talking and explaining shit is useless as well cos they listen from one ear and out it goes from the other.i guess everyone at this age has to go through their own share of mistakes and trials.they have to learn themselves.all i can do is be the safety net.plus i have a ten year old brother who is growing up pretty fast.hmm...

wanted:inspiration

2005-05-26T12:42:00.000+05:00

i need inspiration.lately i feel ive been going through the motions.ive been busy but i dont have much to show for what ive been upto.i want to feel high on life.i dont want my life to be mundane and routine based.i should be patient cos i know things will become really hectic pretty soon.its this interim period,this period of waiting that is driving me nuts.i have two projects going on right now.both seem to keep on dragging on and on cos a)theyre difficult projects and b)i dont want to rush things and mess things up.my livelihood depends on it.hehehe.plus my laziness kills me sometimes.this tendency of pushing things to tomorrow needs to end.plus i think i need to re-think this degenerate lifestyle i have going on right now.sleeping for five hours barely after 'socialising' every night does not result in productive work days.i dunno who came up with the concept play hard work hard.its bull.playing hard can only happen on the weekends.during the week its not happening at least for me.maybe im reverting back to my favorite pastime;making excuses!anyway im starting to feel a bit better now.ive given myself deadlines for both of my projects.two max three weeks.so heres to me being inspired,working hard,making money and going on a long deserved one week holiday to somewhere other than dubai or thailand.three weeks thats all i need to put in.three weeks!

its a fine day

2005-05-19T10:46:00.000+05:00

ah what a beautiful morning.sun is out with a lovely breeze blowing.nice.its remarkable how weather can affect one's temperament.but theres nothing better to cheer someone up than to give good news.like i posted before, cricket is the only thing left that truly unifies us as a nation.as i was getting my daily dose of breakfast from my paan khoka(breakfast as in diet coke and pack of cigis,truly degenerate i am i know)i saw people with gloomy faces discussing how pakistan must have lost.the match ended at 3 in the morning so very few ppl would have caught the ending as i did.lucky me:)anyway the reason for their despondency was that Pakistan had batted first and done zilch.so when i told them pakistan had won they couldnt believe me.seeing the look on my face convinced them and two of them started doing the bhangra while the others quickly spread the word pakistan had won.i wish i had a camera because immeadiatly sullen faces just lit up.it was beautiful.90% of our population have hard lives.struggling just to get a decent meal during the day.ok i have a hard life because theres no cineplex in this city where i could watch all the hollywood blockbusters being released daily.how i miss being in the cinema.its hard but hey its life.anyway its great that people feel proud of something.its great people can find happiness.its great cricket plays a central role in most of our lives.i pray people can find more reasons to be happy and more things to be proud of.hey karachi people where have all the pirated dvds dissapeared btw?

well done pakistan.

2005-05-19T01:40:00.000+05:00

even though the match is still not over but it looks like the pakistanis after displaying a commendable bowling performance are on the verge of victory.so well done and thank you.fantastic fighting performance.for me cricket is not about beating india.its about being consistent and being the best.Life's good.no problems right now.

pakistani standard time.

2005-05-18T16:45:00.000+05:00

since time immemorial ive been hearing jokes about how we in Pakistan are not punctual at all.how we operate on pakistani standard time by arriving two hours later than we were supposed to.i guess when it comes to dinners,parties etc one can afford not to be puctual.though im sure that still concerns hosts but generally being late is considered to be normal.what i dont understand is people not being punctual about work and business appointments.i was just kept waiting for 2 hrs by some people who wanted to meet me.ok i admit i myself have been late here and there.but im a strong believer in punctuality.i dunno i mean business is business and as the old cliche goes time is money.anyway i was just thinking of excuses people come up with.tyre pucture,stuck in traffic(a very valid one these days),stuck in meetings(means i totally forgot),funerals,shadis,hospitals.a guy who works for me called me and said he couldnt come to work for two days as he was in sialkot attending his uncles funeral.obviously i condoled with him and gave him the days off.next thing i know his mum is calling me asking me where his son is cos he didnt show up at his place last night after work.turns out he was having a good time in murree with friends.i mean this episode has nothing to do with lateness,punctuality.its just a funny illustration of the excuses we make which just happen to be complete falsehoods.btw im the best at making excuses.in college i missed one or two exams cos i wasnt prepared for them at all or in one case i had overslept.so in order to give the exam later i would get this note from the campus psychiatrist stating that i had been suffering psycologically blah blah.no details just a paragraph or so and this note would work wonders.being sick also worked for me.the problem i had was that i wasnt visibly sick.i wasnt running a fever or experiencing a flu.so i used food poisoning and dehydration.so u c i cant pass judgements on anyone cos i understand.a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.enough for now cos as usual im not making sense.random!

day dreaming

2005-05-17T16:38:00.000+05:00

this is the time of day when my mind seems to wander.its the time of year i guess.cos things are really hotting up fast.lahore summers are brutal and this year will be no different.when i was in college i used to think about taking the winter off and coming to pakistan and going back in summer courses instead.well those thoughts remained..thoughts and nothing ever happened.anyway thank god for mordern technology and a slightly better state of power supply.im rambling on cos im tired and am taking a break.sometimes i wish i could fast forward life sometimes i wish i could fast rewind life.i dont know why grass is greener on the other side but anyway lifes not bad.actually im having fun.i guess im a bit tired of having fun.hehe whatever that means.professionally i want to go 5 years ahead where im settled and growing.socially i want to go back five years when i was going off to college for one long party.i managed to sneak in some learning btw.nd life would be a bliss.but alas its impossible.but hey thats what days like these are for..day dreaming..

relative laziness.

2005-05-17T11:42:00.000+05:00

im generall a lazy person or as i'd like to put it a laid back sort of fellow.but ive decided that i can absolutely Not be lazy in the land of the pure.being lazy in the states was so much fun.wanted cigarettes.pick up the phone.want food pick up the phone.want to buy clothings etc,go online.ah the good old days.here everything has to be done by one own's self.and im hating it.hehehe ive got it.ill hire 10 secretaries.unemployment in country goes down and i go back to being my good old lazy self.

air travel

2005-05-13T11:12:00.000+05:00

kids under the age of 3 should not be allowed to board planes.or there should be special planes for them.i had two kids sitting behind me yesterday crying for the entire duration of my flight and by crying i mean wailing,shouting,jumping and kicking my seat.i even got plastic cups thrown on me.i love kids but just not on planes.

media cynicism in pakistan

2005-05-10T16:57:00.000+05:00

ok.one cant blame us pakistanis from being cynical.but do we really have to be disingeneious.also i have hardly come across constructrive crticism in the papers.if God forbid one was to give an alternative it would be entirely untenable and unrealistic.media in Pakistan is prone to sensationalism and doom and gloom.i guess that sells.but does it hurt to mix in some positives from time to time.i guess thats why blogs have become so popular.people hardly read or cade about mainstream media anymore.i was reading newsline and its report on Pakistan's victory in india recently.the writer starts off by referring to inzamam as being over the hill when he went to india.i stopped reading the article there and then.he might have been a bad captain.heck he still isnt the brightest even now.but over the hill?how,where and when was he over the hill.this might sound stupid but this illustrates our local journalist's abilty to make sweeping and false statements.one thing is for sure and that is that yes ever since inzy became captain pakistan lost to india at home and lost to austrailia away but his own performance has actually picked up in the past two years.in fact he is one the most reliable and consistent batsmen these days.one goes to gatherings and you see sweeping statements being passed all of which happen to be negative in nature.our premier news channel geo often breaks news that usually turns out to be false.our dailies are either totally for the government or totally against it.no one except for the daily times gives u both the negatives and positives.and last but not least what about investigative journalism?newsline and herald's investigative reporting is limited to karachi or sindh at best.what about the rest of the country.nada!

pak's tour of the carribean

2005-05-09T23:27:00.000+05:00

i have a feeling that the pak cricket team is going to let the india success get to its head.i pray it doesnt happen but somehow i cant shake this feeling.i feel as a nation we lets face it suck at sports.i mean a nation of 150 million should produce some medal winners at the olympics but alas no.cricket is the only sport we're relatively good at.heck its the only bloody thing that still unites us all.i bet people in dera bugti were glued to their tv sets on april 17th when we beat india to clinch the series.its the only profession that genuinely gives people from nowhere to acheive stardom and riches instantaneously which is fantastic.but coming back to the point i was trying to make we let success get to us so easily.we instantly believe we are invincible and then poof the next thing we know we're back to square one.but woolmer might be the key.lets see.i pray we win.on paper we should.

is wanting to make money a bad thing?

2005-05-09T23:22:00.000+05:00

sometimes i feel guilty.cos in all honesty i want to make money and i want to work hard to acheive that.does that make me materialistic?does it make me an ungodly, capitalist pig?whats wrong in being materialistic as long as im not hurting others or in fact i might be helping others.which i like to believe i am.the point is i want to make money not because i love the smell of it or want to flaunt it.i want to because i want to be comfortable and help out others.that cant be so bad now can it?

good governance or "elections"?

2005-05-09T22:28:00.000+05:00

in my humble opinion something has to give.in the 21st century and in an ever shrinking world, can a nation afford to spend years forming a stable democracy?will such an endeavour not lead to short term political instability?hence potentially harming economic growth.in a developing third world country isnt economic growth more of a priority?i feel that economic growth that leads to a betterment in the standard of living will inevitably lead to political freedom and democracy.economic growth will mean more people coming out of poverty,more people going to schools and universities and more people being exposed to the globalised environment.basically people becoming better voters.people becoming aware of their rights. in stead of politicians preying on for lack of a better word ignorant or helpless voters, politicians will have to earn their power.in pakistan this is exactly what is needed; good governance.forget elections or the sham politicians.just focus on delievering prosperity to the masses and see how in 15 years we will have a flourishing political arena.as long as the judiciary is not independent as it is in say india and as long as we have politicians worse than anywhere else in the world then lets just focus on achieving economic growth.china in a few years will have its elections.it is inevitable. but when in the future people read history they'll find out it was the communist party that gave prosperity to millions.it was a south korean dictatorship that changed the face of korea.it was mahathir's one man rule in malaysia that made malaysia and it was one party rule in japan that made japan.a benevolent dictator is better than our democracy.the hypocrisy is that the parties themselves arent democratic.do we have to endure cult based politics.for how long and to what end.?i apologise for my incoherent rambling.in conclusion i feel it is unfair to me a 24 year old growing up in pakistan and it is unfair to future generations to keep on having elections where the same people show up in parliaments and do nothing but plunder and terrorise.i for one do not buy the theory that if parliaments are allowed to finish their terms or if the electoral process is allowed to continue sooner or later things will work out.maybe they will maybe they wont.we dont have time to find out.so why not go the alternative route.the asian route.the successful route.finally there is no set roadmap.there is no law.there are only theories.India is a very rare example of a third world democracy achieving economic prosperity.but then all the Asean countries and china presently were not a democracy and look at what theyve acheived.

importance of ideology

2005-05-09T11:11:00.001+05:00

Is ideology important?is it important for us to still be debating why Pakistan was formed 57 years ago.is it not sufficient that we accept the reality that is pakistan and get on with our lives and make this country prosperous.to the world we are known as Pakistanis.we arent Pakhtuns,punjabis,baluchis,sindhis, muhajirs etc.all of us have the green passport and almost all of us get discriminated against because of that.is not being born in this land enough to give us a secure identity?who cares if Pakistan was created for islam or was created for muslims.the point is Pakistan is here,might as well make it work.