Category: Pakistan

The kids were taken brutally. One by one for hours. Till 144. Or 145. Or 146. We are not sure.

The blood was telecasted. On TV Channels. On social media. An alarming security situation was created.

A narrative was set: We are at war and we are at the losing end.

Constitution amended. Budget enhanced. War approved.

This is how the business of war works. With blood. With collateral damage.

If we had been conscious and righteous enough; we would have taken them by collars for the security lapse.

We didn’t.

Then we saw the mastermind – Ehsan Ullah Ehsan – escape. We should have taken them by collars again.

We didn’t.

Then we saw the commission report of the APS incident. A slap on the face of all the parents around. We should have taken them by collars.

We didn’t.

Maybe we are deadbeat now. We see kids get raped daily. We see their faces. We see their mutilated dead bodies. And we have become numb. A little hue and cry after some time and that’s it. We are done.

So, here we are. Dead. Consciously, knowingly, deliberately, physically, and spiritually.

May heaven fall on us. And bury our stinking coffins.

While we – not we – were abducting people, silencing dissent, composing songs, producing movies, fighting on Twitter, and lecturing about 5th generation warfare; the neighbor has actually been fooling the whole world successfully since 2005.

For 15 years, the neighbor has been manipulating the UN and the EU. Even with dead participants. We – not we –were making sensitive tapes for political gains. A dime here, a dime there. A dummy here and a traitor there. Ludo kinda stuff.

And then, you yourself become a victim. See, what happened to Sheikh Rasheed. Became prey to his own bosses. This is sad and disgusting. Principally speaking, that’s no one’s business. Instead of the victim, shame the criminals who trap politician and judges and activists like that. No one should degrade, humiliate, ask for resignation or anything else from Sheikh Rasheed based on this episode. No one should. But, the loud-mouth won’t be spared, I guess.

Anyway, back to business.

Who exposed the neighbor? Number 1? No. Not those who were abducting people, silencing dissent, composing songs, producing movies, fighting on Twitter, and lecturing regularly about 5th generation warfare; but a foreign NGO.

These two South Asian countries have serious basic issues. Poverty, hunger, malnutrition, stunting, health crisis, millions out of school children, farmers’ issues, inflation, water crisis, intolerance, discrimination, and what not. Yet the two neighbors are always fighting with each other for vanity. Spending billions on weapons. Spending billions on manipulation. Spending billions on propaganda to keep cash-cows – like Kashmir – alive.

Business. Nothing more and nothing less.

Sometimes the business flourishes on narratives of patriotism and nationalism. Other times, religion becomes the key ingredient. And it sells. Always.

As Manto said, a hungry human is a hungry human. Not Muslim or Hindu.

By the way, you must be aware of the farmers of India. But do you know anything about farmers of Okara?

Nonetheless, congratulations for now. It’s not a victory for being stupid and foolish for 15 years, but ok. Even the exposé has come from abroad. But you don’t get this.

As Pink Floyd sang: I have become comfortably numb.

Not long ago, a ‘boy’ was asked about his million dollar pizzas in a TV show, very politely. He left hanging. Literally ran away. He was not even grilled till then.

And that interview was in Urdu.

But – for federal reasons – Ishaq Dar became the only achievement for the government this year. So much so that the ban was lifted to give some air to ARY. Huge success.

After all, it served the imposed narrative. The idiot Dar proved to be an asset for apologists.

Better to have an intelligent enemy than an idiot friend. Dar’s case was uglier.

Or maybe the perfect idea of interviewing is two exactly same idiots as interviewer and interviewee. Like Hamza Ali Abbasi and the PM discussing family matters. Well, I do agree with the PM. He is very well experienced, at least in this field, by all means.

Or maybe the interviewer can be an interviewer and interviewee at the same time. Like Kamran Khan questioning and then answering. And PM nodding, as is his official duty.

By the way, there was another BBC interview of General Durrani. You didn’t watch that obviously. It was pretty raw.

On the exact same scale, we have successes and we have failures. One interview was of the oppositions’ success and another was of the government’s. One exposed the government and the other one exposed the opposition.

With an idiot ruling the country – not ruling though – with duffers behind the curtains – ruling though – with loudmouth ministers and senators, dumb opposition; we have idiotocracy for the herd. And the herd – public-at-large – is dumb-fucked. Choosing sides of either him or her, and forgetting their own selves.

Let’s proceed collectively. The perception is of biases only. Let me give you an example:

There is a guy. Who ruled this country. For long. Has properties in Pakistan, UK, and Dubai. Has billions in accounts. Was convicted. Ran away. Medical reasons. Hidden abroad like a coward.

That guy can be Nawaz for some.
That guy can be Musharraf for others.

Bias. Equally guilty idiots are the ‘selected’ ruling party as are the opposition.

One thing for sure, without bias, is that all the stakeholders failed even after agreeing and praising each other. With the federal government, three provincial governments, and the establishment on one page; things as smooth as Michael Jackson’s criminal, things got messier. They all – together – failed to deliver even basics. Apart from gimmicks like banning and unbanning TikTok, what do they have achieved?

As reiterated before, the backing is for the idea. The idea of democracy. For whatever reasons – vested or invested – PDM stands right at the moment. There is this thin line and you have to stand corrected. You can throw these out later with mere votes. The one PDM is standing against, are in power since 1947, and they cannot be thrown out through ballot. Not even when they lose or are humiliated.

A little diversion.

People stood individually in the past, which always amazes me. How on earth they had this courage to stand in the ugliest of times? Some were abducted. Some got killed. Some never returned. And some were found mutilated. Yet this motherland kept on giving birth to the souls who stood right, even alone.

Sometimes I ask myself, why do mothers in Palestine and Kashmir and Iraq and Syria and Afghanistan give birth? Why do they bring new lives in such harsh times? And then I see these amazing souls who stand alone without a thought of the consequences.

Not like those who sit in front of the PM and lick for hours in recorded interviews. Not like the PM himself who negated every single stance of his when he was talking about public, and lost everything to be on the seat he is. Not these for-sale souls.

Thanks to all the mothers and women who keep on nurturing the generation next even when they know the risks. Thank you to mothers in Palestine and Kashmir and Iraq and Syria and Afghanistan and Pakistan and everywhere around the world.

Adios!

You have the right to express your views. To dissent. To criticize. To disagree. But if your views ignite hate, violence, and discrimination; then you don’t have the right to express. Because then, you are violating the social space. People die. They die daily. But a dead person doesn’t become respectable or beloved just because he’s dead. That’s emotional instability. Rizvi ignited hate, violence and discrimination. He spat venom against Edhi. He romanticized those who spilled blood. He asked people to go on a killing spree during Faizabad dharna. He distributed religious certificates based on hate. Then, all of a sudden, he left his flag and was cooled down. Rs.1,000 per head were distributed by the boys. That’s exactly where Qazi Faez Isa came. Anyway. According to his own words, he was ‘directed’ by someone to go and sit in Faizabad. He was about to reveal ‘who’, apparently. We know who. Everyone knows. That’s not the point for now. The point is: even his love for the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was directed by someone behind the curtains. You were outplayed with religion this time. Like you were outplayed with patriotism, motherland, goosebumps, and treason other times. He came on stage all of a sudden. He conquered the twin cities within no time. He divided the vote base to make a playing field for the selectors. Then he became dangerous. Not needed anymore. Was arrested, labeled, discarded, and dusted. Routine story. They are made. They are used. They are flushed. Simple. The number of people at the funeral. Well, is that even an argument for anything? Go and check history of funerals. The numbers have nothing to do with any argument. I am not going to compare his funeral with another funeral. Not into analysis. But do consider herd mentality. Nonetheless. Nothing more. Nothing less. Anyway, a person died, which is sad. His philosophy didn’t, which is also sad. ﺩﺷﻤﻦ ﻣﺮﮮ ﺗﮯ ﺧﻮﺷﯽ ﻧﮧ ﮐﺮﺋﯿﮯ ﺳﺠﻨﺎﮞ ﻭﯼ ﻣﺮ ﺟﺎﻧﺎ ﮈﯾﮕﺮ ﺗﮯ ﺩﻥ ہوﯾﺎ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺍﻭﮌﮎ ﻧﻮﮞ ﮈﺏ ﺟﺎﻧﺎ On the other hand, those who made us this stupid and irrational; are enjoying new laws. Saudia is on its way modernizing. MBS met Netanyahu, according to the New York Times. UAE is amending its laws in accordance with Europe. Everything is moving 180 degrees there. They don’t need illiterate warriors to fight blindly in the name of religion anymore. Soon, we are going to be left alone. We will be left alone with swords in hand. What we will do then? Where will we direct our anger? Who will we kill? Bank managers. Students. Doctors. Random people. Ahmadis. Christians. Blasphemers. Some these. Some those. Who cares? Bulleh Shah doesn’t: عاشق ہویوں رب دا ہوئی ملامت لاکھ تینوں کافر، کافر آکھ دے، تو آہو آہو آکھ Believe whatever your like. Follow whatever convinces you. But let the idea of diversity and acceptance prevail. Be sad on the demise; but don’t forget the narrative he propagated throughout his shelf life. They may act as your guide but they are not taking you home. Because even their guidance is directed.

I was waiting for so long.
For a miracle to come.
Hush. Now. I see a light in the sky.
Oh it’s almost blinding me.
I can’t believe I’ve been touched by an angel.
With love.

These are some lines from Celine Dion’s song. No jazbaat intended.

Since yesterday – a new day – there have been some miracles. We have witnessed epitome of logical reasoning; which is jazba. Jazbaat can do shit.

But that’s not the instant case here. IG – not Instagram – is the apex post of a police officer in a province. Who was abducted. From his home. Forced to file a case. Blah blah. At 4-am.

Now imagine Balochistan. Or Fata. Or all the people who are not IGs. People who are no more than locusts; eating state’s crops while being treacherous, treasonous, and venomous. Shame!

If an IG can go missing, theories regarding missing people stand true.

If an IG can be abducted from his home, stories of abductions stand true.

But of course, not everyone is IG enough to get a response like that. Suspended. New postings. New locusts to kill.

This is treason. Someday, on your way to evolution, you will find this definition. I am sure.

Land does not matter. People matter. Land is for the people. People are not for the land. If a land has nothing to offer to its people – other than graves – than it’s worth is not more than that of a graveyard.

As Iqbal once said,
Jis khait se dehqaan ko mayassar nahi rozi,
Us khait kay her khosha-e-gandum ko jala do.

As he also said,
In taza Khudao main bara sab se watan hai;
Jo perhan iska hai, wo mazhab ka kafan hai.

A new day indeed. Quoting Iqbal without checking the exact words. I am bad with poems. Can’t remember couplets. But we all have our references to support us. Right?

But then there is history too. And yesterday was historical, which has negated all your fairy tales. Perks of being duffer. Their own narrative was invalidated . Quashed. Flushed.

Anyway, I am concerned. Not for you. Or you. But I am concerned about those who are going to be the leaders of times to come. Our kids. Our next generation.

People were mad when Trump was losing. They thought Trump was good for them as there were no new wars. Pretty dumb. I say that because these same stunted-analysts never talk about those who started wars at home.
Who were the presidents in 1965, 1971, the 1980s, and during War on Terror? Exactly, hypocrite!

Back to Trump. Well, he was the loudest voice of populism in the world, which was bad for everyone. You want liberals in Europe and America to let you make mosques and let you practice your faith. For that – liberalism – Trump was bad. He was bad for blacks, for immigrants, for health services, for minorities, for women, for the whole world.

He was as bad as you are good at your hypocrisy on liberalism.

So, don’t be sad that a populist has lost. You were a loser even when he was the winner. A patriotic loser though.

Anyway, things are expanding.
With all the disagreements and agreements, PDM has done a pretty nice job. With all their vested interests, they are your only hope at the moment. You can throw them out later on with mere votes. But those – against whom PDM is standing – cannot be thrown out with votes.

Let me be precise, there is this thin line. All you need to do is to step on the right side. Disagree where you may.
Disagree on Urdu and lingua franca.
Disagree on what happened at Quaid’s tomb.
Disagree where you have your reasons.
But stand corrected. That’s all. Let the sun of democracy rise here.

No further judgements. You are dismissed.

Haye! Us zood-e-pashemaan ka pashemaan hona!

Such a sad day for all those who were thinking that IG story was a bluff. Or a fake story. Or a comedy.

Well, it was comedy of errors. The puppet laughed and had no clue what to call it.