Autumn in Pakistan

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Pakistan to allay the fears of Pakistani military and opposition parties over Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation. The US Congress and Senate approved the $7.5 billion aid package for Pakistan. Largely related to spending on health, education and infrastructure development, Pakistan would roughly get $1.5 billion for five continuous years.

The government will be saddled with a very serious responsibility for the remaining four years of its tenure. Kerry-Lugar Bill will especially keep them busy, something they are not used to, from parliamentarians to the top. The obvious fact is that the Bill calls for extensive cooperation between Pakistan and the USA, and a greater presence of the Americans in the country than ever before, apparently guiding, advising, assisting their counterparts in Pakistan, to fulfil the objectives of the Bill.

One question she didn't have any answer to was about drone attacks, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 1000 people since 2006. There have been a total of 80 drone attacks in past three years, over half of them in the present year alone. Almost one third of the people killed are said to be civilians. Civilian casualties and the perceived infringement of sovereignty enrage most Pakistanis and these attacks enjoy only 9% support, according to a Gallup poll.

As president bags; six gifts for nation in US...

Pakistan defeats India.

Pakistan made it two wins from two in the Champions Trophy as Shoaib Malik's masterful 128 set up a 54-run win over an out-of-sorts India in Centurion.

Malik and Mohammad Yousuf (87), who put on 206 together, built up their score gradually before cutting loose in the last 15 overs to rack up 302-9.

Rahul Dravid took 103 balls to reach 76 and when he was seventh out in the 42nd over, India quickly lost their way.

They were all out for 248 with five overs and one ball remaining.

Anti-US wave endangers efforts in Pakistan:
A new wave of anti-American sentiment in Pakistan has slowed the arrival of hundreds of US civilian and military officials charged with implementing assistance programmes and undermined cooperation in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the Washington Post has quoted officials from both countries as saying.

At the highest levels, bilateral cooperation is said to be running smoothly. With US President Barack Obama’s enthusiastic support, the Senate on Thursday approved a $7.5 billion, five-year package that will triple non-military aid to Pakistan. But just below the top, officials in Islamabad and Washington say, the relationship is fraught with mutual suspicion and is under pressure so extreme that it threatens cooperation against the insurgents.

US and Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said much of the anti-Americanism reflected jousting among politicians and retired military leaders, who often use the media to discredit one another.

Rejected: In recent weeks, Pakistan has rejected as “incomplete” at least 180 US government visa requests. However, Pakistani officials say the delay in issuing official visas is as much the US’ fault as it is Pakistan’s. “Sometimes the forms just say ‘work for the US government’. All we’ve done is returned those forms and said, “Hey, what are you going to do?’”

Pakistan attacks suggest Taliban undeterred by leader's death:

Two powerful car bombs in Pakistan's troubled northwest Saturday announced the return of the country's Taliban , following a lull that accompanied the death of the terrorist movement's leader last month.

At least 16 were killed and more than 150 wounded as explosions ripped through a police station in the town of Bannu, on the edge of the lawless tribal area, and the city center of provincial capital Peshawar . The Taliban , claiming responsibility, warned of more attacks to come

Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak

Snow Fall - 2009

These shots are from a trip to Murree and Abbottabad during the snowfall this year. With me are Musjam, Fahad and Muzaffer.

(Jan/Feb 2009)

Rain in Karachi

Satellite images brought an early alert, that there would would 2 days of thunder & rain. What started on sunday continued till tuesday early morning . Continuous rain pour for hours in a row. Steady but heavy. Unlike storm of 18th july this year, this dose of shower was not in a rush.

By Sunday night several places of karachi had became inaccessible. Weather turned nice. All things rusty & dusty, shone. If i had never turned on the tv or listened to the radio; i knew nothing about the bad side of the news. Traffic jams, streets flooded with rain water, over flowing gutters, property related damages and not to mention electricity outages; was all over the news.

I closed myself inside a bubble which had all the goodness of rain with me inside it. Eventhough i had to conduct a radio show on monday evening, i made it to the studios without any bad news touching me. It is indeed sad of us to close our eyes, ears and murder our pure child like emotions associated with all things splendid.

Quran says

"AND GOD sends down water from the skies, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless: in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who [are willing to] listen". [16:65] Quran

I read this recently and I wanted to to feel it. The melody of rain pour and cracks of a restless cloud; it is magnificent.

Ramazan is Here

Ramazan is here. We heard it was coming. Prices of several food items escalated. Suddenly it was all over the news, that sugar has vanished from all corners of Pakistan. Government is forced to provide subsidy to control the pressure on the consumer. Last week we recieved some billion plus dollars worth of fresh loan from IMF (third installment). Around same time, visiting US special envoy assured us of payments promised in Friend's of Democratic Pakistan Donor's conference and also the Kerry Lugar bill. We have also recieved some funds for the displaced people of Swat and its surrounding areas, as our Army operation continues to hunt down militants in those areas.

There are talks about renting electricity to meet the short fall in our national grid. But apparently no one in the concerned ministery has surveyed or estimated the total amount of electricity short fall. Our President during his fourth trip to China since taking his office, announces of an energy cooperation between Pakistan and China which will enable us to produce 7000 Megawatts of electricity. One can ask; who is incharge, who is dealing, what?

On more traditional political front, we see another Muslim League (Q), a produce of last Army general and ex-president of Pakistan, being broken down into yet another block. Previously it was Forward block which moved on during last elections, this time its several senior members like Hamayun Akhtar who have formed a like minded group and prefered to stay distant from the current leadership of PML (Q) the Chaudhry brothers.

In other corner we see the differences between PML (N) and prime minister emerging. Apparently its the Sharif Brothers specially the Nawaz, who wants to prosecute Musharraf for disrupting democracy and imposing an eight year rule of gun on this country. "The military should cut its ties with Musharraf and should itself file a lawsuit against him" said Nawaz on this year's independence day. While Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had recently told the National Assembly that the government would prosecute Mr Musharraf for treason only after the house passed a unanimous resolution. This position taken by PM provides ground of suspicion and Nawaz considers this as a cushion provided to save the traitor from facing the music.

Moving on....... the fate of local body government is not clear. Whether administrators and comissioners will take place of the system which is currently at work? Who knows.

Indian prime minister recently showed suspicion, that some people in Pakistan are planning to attack inside Indian soil.

Rehman Malik seems to be stuck hard with baitullah Mehsud's death saga. For over two weeks now, he has nothing new to talk about. Some body please reboot him.

Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) has said that he believes Pakistan’s nuclear assets are in safe hands, and that the United States harbours no hopes establishing a military presence in this country.

For Now, Ramazan Mubarak to All of you

Personally with IDPs

Personally with IDPs.

By the End of April Army operation in Buner, Malakand and Dir had intensified. People in thousands of number had started to flee those areas and moved into safer places of Mardan, Swabi and Noshera. By 13th May, United Nations had declared it the largest internal displacement of people. Around 1.3 million had left behind their houses, and all of their livelihood. They were arriving in hundred thousands daily, while there were no preparation for their food or shelter.

I got myself an assignment from the radio to cover the human story of those; migrating into Mardan. A very dear friend pledged people in his circle to contribute cash and goods for relief of these displaced families. What Abdus Salam started with pennies and pillows transformed into truckload of goods and an endless flow of cash deposits. We arrived in Peshawar on 14th May.

In next 6 days, we met people who we didn't know before. Witnessed hardships, which we imagined humans could bear not. It was a transforming experience. We traveled into areas which everyone thought were inaccessible. We moved into rural areas of Mardan, considering these far off areas hosting almost 8 hundred thousand displaced people from war effected areas; will not see any aide soon. Our estimation was right. We had local support from a group of people whose commitment helped us reach out to the most desperate of these displaced people. Our resources and time was all stretched, still thanks alone to the local population of Mardan, who had opened their doors, to house these displaced people in their homes. They provided food, shelter, shared their homes, and welcomed everyone who was fleeing from the war zone.

While i was reporting live to my radio back in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad, Abdus Salam was busy purchasing, loading vehicles, reading IDP lists, and delivering these goods to isolated villages of Mardan. While traveling he was busy on phone, arranging medicines from Islamabad, candies for children from Peshawar, Fans from Mardan, connecting other individuals to carry tasks, what not? At some point it was mind boggling for me. But he stood fast.

All this time, I was in for only penning down displaced people's stories. What these people  actually went through? What surrounds their minds and what occupies their hearts? Before leaving, a colleague back at the radio said to me "we are artists, and we are sensitive toward human emotions, specially suffering. So be strong". I didn't know at that time what he meant, and here i was fighting with screaming tell-tales of war effected individuals. For nights i couldn't sleep. First night back in our room in Peshawar, we both fell. But we had an assignment in hand.

We fought with miseries all around of us. People who we thought, we were going to help, taught us important lessons of life. We saw high morals, We saw humanity covered in high values. We cherished their self esteem, and their spirit to sacrifice and live for others. I was an educated fool walking between illiterate people of higher values. With their dignity, honor and hospitality i felt myself "the most deprived".

This journey changed me forever. It doesn't take a bread, cloth or roof to be able to say "i am supplied". Human beings have a vital resource of some higher substance which i knew not, before this trip. Now i know, but don't have capacity to put them into words, at the moment.