May 14 2011

Pakistan: Osama’s Death – Different Perspectives

The post first appeared on Global Voices (found here!) on May 03, 2011 and is a part of its special coverage, The Death of Osama Bin Laden. It is also available in 繁體中文, Français, Italiano, Español, and 简体中文.

Osama Bin Laden, the iconic figure of religious extremism-based terrorism, is dead – finally! Operation Geronimo ended his life yesterday, in an event which will surely leave its marks on history of the world, and politics, in general. The news literally gripped the world media so much that it was hard to find other news being reported on television channels.

In the wake of Bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan, Pakistan’s image as a haven for terrorists has, perhaps, been reinforced. However, the liberal class of urban Pakistanis have always welcomed any move to eradicate extremist elements from the country. Continue reading →

Jul 20 2008

Aseen je muaasin safar men, o saathi!

There is a small town one my way to Hyderabad/Karachi when I’m coming from Johi (Dadu)… The name of the town is Jamshoro. It has the credit of being home to three major universities of Sindh, viz. University of Sindh, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET). These universities attract the best part of the students from Sindh and the rest of Pakistan. Besides, many students from other countries as well. I remember a friend from Syria, Khalid bin Waleed.

Well, coming to the point, these universities are the places which produce the ‘leaders’ as well as many technical people who served and are serving in different walks of life. The area I want to focus is Politics… I have something to tell you. Continue reading →

Jun 27 2011

Why Saleem Shehzad’s Murder Outweighs Killing of 10 Baloch Journalists

by: Yousaf Ajab Baloch

Saleem Shehzad, 40, bureau chief of Asia Times Online (Hong Kong) and Italian news agency Adnkronos, was abducted on May 29, 2011 in Islamabad and later, his bullet-riddled body was found after three days on May 31 in a river in Jehlam. Shehzad’s body bore marks of extreme torture, similar to that of more than 180 of Baloch journalists, freelance writers, lawyers, human rights defenders and political activists who were first abducted, tortured and subsequently killed. The journalist and human rights organizations allege secret agencies of the state for the murder of Shehzad.

Private TV channels, newspapers and magazines have fully focused the case and are demanding a probe into the extra judicial killing of the murdered journalist. Continue reading →

Apr 30 2009

Yesterday once more…

The depressing situation prevailing these days in the country, generally, and Karachi, particularly, has made many upset… has made them say to themselves, ‘Please, not again!‘ — I’m no exception. The firing the other night in my area was enough to convince me that there lived some man-like animals within us — they only look like human beings.

And I’m no escapist (though I confess I once was) and wouldn’t like to hide my face and think the problem’s are gone.. I would rather judge them rationally.

However, there are certain times when I would rather like to just sit in the chair silently, or lie on the bed, and listen to this song by the Carpenters which truly moves me… makes me get drifted away in thoughts and, for a short while, run away from this chaotic political hullaballoo of the country.

I have been listening to the song for the last three years now… I have loved it as much every time I listen to it. Hoping that you would like it, too, I’m giving it here along with the lyrix.

The song’s sooo simple; it’s awesome!

Enjoy. Leave a comment and tell me how you liked it.

When I was young, I’d listen to the radio

Waiting for my favorite songs

When they played I’d sing along

It made me smile

Those were such happy times, and not so long ago

How I wondered where they’d gone

But they’re back again, Just like a long lost friend

All the songs I love so well

Every sha–la–la–la, Every Woo–Woo still shines

Every sing a–ling a–ling

That they’re starting to sings so fine

When they get to the part

Where he’s breaking her heart

It can really make me cry

Just like before

It’s yesterday once more

Look in back on how it was in years gone by

And the good times that I had

Makes today seem rather sad, So much has changed

It was songs of love that I would sing to them

And I memorize each world

Those old melodies, Still sound so good to me

As they melt the years away

Every sha–la–la–la, Every woo–woo still shines

Every sing a–ling a–ling, That they’re starting to sing so fine

All my best memories come back really to me

Some can even make me cry, Just like before

It’s yesterday once more

Every sha–la–la–la, Every woo–woo still shines

Every sing a–ling a–ling, That they’re starting to sing so fine

Every sha–la–la–la , Every woo–woo still shines

Every sing a–ling a–ling, That they’re starting to sing so fine

 

Apr 26 2009

April 25 – the death anniversary of Saiin GM Syed

Saiin GM Syed

Dedicated to the legendary, Saiin GM Syed of Sindh:

Music, when soft voices die,

Vibrates in the memory -

Odours, when sweet violets sicken,

Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,

Are heaped for the beloved’s bed;

And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,

Love itself shall slumber on.

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

For more information about Saiin GM Syed, the first to present the Pakistan Resolution, please click visit the following links:

[P.S. I'm sad and angry for I couldn't attend this year the programs arranged on April 25 at Sann, district Jamshoro, the native village of Saiin.]

Apr 11 2009

Pakistan: Oppression of nations in full swing!

بـــي  مــوت   مُــئــا ،  تـو لاءِ ڪُــٺـــا انـســان هــزاريــن مــان نــه رڳـــو،
هـــــن  دنـيـا  ۾  اي  ديــس !  هُـيـا  نــادان  هــزاريــن  مــان  نــه  رڳــو .

Deeply shocked, I strongly condemn the barbaric killing of three Baloch nationalist leaders, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Sher Mohammad Baloch and Lala Muneer Baloch, by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. They were kidnapped from the office of their solicitor about a week before they were killed brutally.

Another incident which has uncovered the ugly face of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies which have been involved in killing of thousands of people of the country. However, their rage falls more on the ones who raise voice against victimization of their land and struggle for the rights of their people. Samiullah Kalhoro, a Sindhi nationalist, also fell prey to the same monster not many years back. Dr. Safdar Sarki remained in illegal detention by the intelligence agencies. He was released when the SC took notice of his disappearance.

The martyred Baloch leaders had been quite active in the struggle against the operation in their land carried out by the Pakistani military for the last many years. Several Baloch people have been killed and many arrested by the agencies.

Who can forget the case of Zarina Mari?

The only ‘crime’ they commit is that they speaks against the victimization of their people, land and natural resources. They, like Sindhis, want the ownership of their natural resources and wish to utilize them for the welfare and development of their people. Is this a crime?

Pakistan is — let’s face it — a country where nations have always been oppressed in the name of (one-)nationhood and religion! However, the malicious intentions of the controllers of the country have been uncovered and the world has started paying heed to the cries coming out from the lands of Sindhi and Baloch nations.

Martyrs are the people who die fighting for the rights of their land and their people; all other definitions are faulty and misguiding!

Every martyr challenges the killers in the following words of Shaikh Ayaz:

تون چئه نه ڪُڇان، تُو ن چئه نه لُڇان، پر توکان هڪڙي ڳالهه پڇان؟
تُون ڪنهن ڪنهن کي خاموش  ڪندين؟ اعلان هزارين مان نه رڳو!

–

I reiterate my words and condemn severly killing of the three brave nationalists. However, I believe, there are thousands of such brilliant people who would not hesitate to die in the name of their land… I salute those sons of the soil!

Apr 5 2009

Pakistan: the country entangled in religion, army and other conundrums

It was when I was in a bus that I got this news of the Taliban lashing a 17-year-old girl for doing something which was against (their version of) Islam.

As the details had it, she was flogged publically at least 30 times in front of many onlookers. She kept crying and begging for mercy. But why was anybody gonna help her? After all, she had committed a ‘sin’ which was against the Shariah (according to the Taliban)!

یا رب! دلِ مسلم کو وہ زندہ تمنائیں دے، جو قلب کو گرما دیں۔۔۔

The punishment was awarded to her for her ‘crime’ of being seen with a man who was not her husband. Yes, world, that’s a crime in the eyes of the Talibanist Islam! *Beware all!*

So, this is the scene in the land of the pure!

،محبت امن ہے

!اور اس کا ہے پیغام پاکستان

What has the government did for the incident? The president and the premiere have made public their messages in which they have ‘severely’ condemned the brutal act of whipping the teen. What else did you expect?

And, by the way, who the hell are these djinn-like creatures called Taliban? Are they so many that they’ve (almost) hijacked the whole system of government by threatening, and carrying out, suicide bombings and other forms of attack?

Well, not really!

As far as my good brain helps me, I think it’s true that Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and themilitary are conniving actively in this whole situation. Otherwise, how could you think of a situation where a government surrenders to the militants, who are involved in killing of hundreds of innocent people, by signing a ‘peace deal’ with them? Not all: The government has actually given them this license of whipping and chopping hands off as part of punishment – in form of what they call the Sharia, or Islamic system of judiciary – in the once peaceful and beautiful vale of Swat. This all happened because the Pakistani army supposedly couldn’t conquer the Taliban militants with force.

Voila!

Here we have the brave army of Pakistan which claims to crush the mighty India (and other countries, if needed) surrendering to the Taliban who are said to have a strong control only in the area of Swat! Yes, the army claiming to defend the whole country couldn’t cope with the Taliban – the mightier!

!اے وطن کے سجیلے جوانو

!میرے نغمے تمھارے لیے ہیں

The Pakistanis are never tired of eulogizing their ‘jawwans’ and boast about their morale and courage!

—–

Well, it should not be off-the-track to mention here what Sain GM Syed is reported to have said in as early as 1952. He said:

The way religion is promoted in this country (Pakistan) will make it (religion) to be one of the most difficult issues to deal with and it would be a deadly threat not only to the country itself and South Asia but for the whole world.