Flying my Space, Killing my people.

[ News Item: Shoot down US drones, urge lawmakers in Pakistan.]

If you are single, it doesn't mean you are as young as you once were. I have to admit that I often force myself into younger crowd, just to be able to draw energy from their spirits. Honestly there is not much gap, only if I leave behind the wisdom of my older folks.

Here is the excerpts of a brief conversation with an Engineering student from Karachi.

"How is love life?" I asked, since I heard engineering students have usually dry campus life.

"I am flirting with something" he replied in wit.

"some'body', right?" I smiled to cover my invasive curiosity.

"Nobody! Its an 'idea'", he sparked firmly.

Before allowing me a pause for even a gesture he continued

"You understand science behind photo cameras?"

"hmmmm" I honestly intended to signal my discouragement for any further discussion on photography. Talk to me lakes, mountains, birds and butterflies said my inner voice but instead I snapped a quick one right from my heart to him, "you go to parks?"

Perhaps it was due to a recent television episode which is currently enjoying word of mouth of youngsters, which influenced my line to get this young man into grove.

He understood my intentions.

His face blushed, as he wearing a pure and genuine smile, covered in a natural blanket of shyness stressed to me again...

... "so i am flirting with this electronic and digital technology behind lenses of modern cameras".

Reading face is a myth, since mine said "Bite me!".

His subtle tone had more conviction than excitement this time, as he said;

"Did you notice the automatic face detection feature of new cameras?"

A totally new dimension of a young engineering student's romance had unveiled itself.

I could instantly recall one such boxes appearing on my camera screen, though I have turned the feature off, lately.

But my friend's latest camera shows as many number of boxes, as there are faces in a snapshot.

I remember saying "wow" as I kept sinking into the deep pit of this techno-fascination.

Visualizing my university instructor from Digital Computer Logic course, I fancied the programming code that must have been written, in order to perform this function.

Right at the moment, when live video feed is being played on the Camera's LCD screen, a fascinating programming code in computer language enables an electronic camera to also behave as a facial sensor.

With complete grasp of this technological invention, and having not paused earlier to completely admire it, I was compelled to wear a natural facial expression of 'wonder' and 'amazement'.

By now the myth of face reading, was also busted :)

I could only say "Fascinating" since I truly was.

He sucked me in completely by asking, "when a digital camera lens can be programmed to detect a face, would it be any harder to detect a flying object, lets say an unmanned flying predator or drone planes?".

"Its both simple and cheap" he nailed it.

Now my disfigured eyebrows did all the talking, as I rubbed my hands and bent close to quench the thirst of my creative curiosity, while he fell his back straight and said...

"Such a small chip and lens can guide any missile automatically to target those, Flying our Space, Killing Our people!"

Dangerous Ideas

According to the only "one liner" used in the promotional trailer of "WAAR", an upcoming Pakistani movie ; "we here in Pakistan don't resent deaths of Pakistanis". Despite the fact I strongly oppose the statement, but here I don't wish to debate a mere cinematic jugglery of words.

I being a radio broadcaster for almost 8 years in the most populous city of Pakistan, have a rare opportunity to keep a track on the pulse of the nation. My observation allows me to declare that; we as a nation are definitely saddened and shocked to see the entire array of crimes, available through the various spectrum of news and media. But what bothers many in the country is the lack of justice and anti-corruption measures and machinery put in place to ever stop it.

With the media projection of high profiled and celebrated cases of corruption nominating power centres as big as president himself, the hunger among the masses to see the judiciary above everyone else, is growing in parallel too.

Recent summoning of Pakistani Prime Minister in Supreme court, regarding re-opening of corruption cases against the President is a fresh episode. Media's singular focussing lenses magnified the issue for the Nation. Prime Minister walked in and out of court, waving the legislative clause from the constitution of Pakistan providing the President complete immunity from being trialled. The constitutional immunity doesn't drop charges of corruption against him, but only acts as a defence line between him and the accountability of Law.

During a radio talk show this week, a caller called in live from Karachi. He wanted to relieve his friend from a civil law suit filed against him. His friend's name was Sadar Uddin, who lived in Sadar area, and was President (sadar) of his apartment welfare association. He apparently lost a file of the association, and thus faced charges of misconduct.

At this point the idea floated by the caller (Sohail) was more shocking than amusing, to listen.

Have a listen:

[ more on shoaibincontrol ]

If Sadar (President) is above law, than what about someone who is thrice a Sadar. It could be a joke, but since you heard, the caller didn't like the idea of me laughing and demanded strict seriousness to his concern. That is indeed a shocking attitude.

When we see bloodshed and crime, it only saddens us for a day. But injustice prevailing afterwards, takes away our hope for a better future. It is in this climate that the, dangerous ideas are created and passed on to masses.

For God's sake there be not a; soul above law!