Replacing Governor House wall with jangla

Im a builder & Im pained to share the cost of dismantling & erection of a wrought iron wall around Governor House Lahore.
1.  1 kanal 60×90 plot has 300 running feet.
2.  Governor House sprawls over 700 kanal.
3.  Total running feet 300 × 700 = 210,000 rft
4.  Dismantling Rs 10 per rft of 10 feet tall wall= Rs 21,000,000 (21 Mn) (including rubble disposal )
5.  Erection of cheapest wrought iron Jangla of 7 feet height with 6 inch span is Rs 1000 per rft
6.  Total cost of Jangla around Governor House 210,000 × 1000= 210,000,000  (Rs 210 Mn)
7.  Total cost of dismantling + Jangla = 21 + 210=  241 Mn
8.  15% cost of builder 241 + 36.15 = Rs 277.15 Mn

Why do we need to spend Rs 277.15 Mn to replace existing brick wall with Jangla around Governor House with increased security requirements?
On one hand, the economy is showing no signs of improvement & on the other hand such pointless/ nonsense spending just to fulfil a ridiculous election slogan.
With all his car selling, buffalo selling & down-sizing at PM House, PM boasted of saving Rs 150 Mn in past 3 months & he is spending double that amount on something as grotesque as a Jangla with zero added value.
Would some durbari puff some sense into PM's head to stop this crazy adventure.
Only Allah Knows the whole Truth

Dearth of economic leadership

There is dearth of men in every walk of life what they callقحط الرجال ۔ -but we are seriously short on Economists. Whether it was volley of Finance Ministers during PPP tenure 2008-13 or Munshi saab from 2013-17 followed by 'one letter' Finance Minister Miftah Ismail or over-rated Asad Umer, its been a nose-dive & our economy continues to plummet.
True that its too early to call it but Team PTI has failed to inject any optimism on economy. Every passing day 'uncertainty' is causing further devaluation of currency, crashing stocks & growing inflation.
There is no pressure on govt from people, opposition or institutions except judiciary which does not prevent govt from delivering on economic front. There are no signs, no indications or any positive graphs to suggest that things are getting any better. Obviously, there are question marks on capability & capacity of Asad Umer & his Economic Advisory Council & Economic Coordination Committee. They are all well educated economists but most of them are going through on job training. Secondly, they are not leaders, most of them have been mid & higher level managers at various organizations they worked for & few exceptions as CEOs. None of it gurantees economic leadership. Renouned financial  institutions in Pakistan like IBA & LUMS are producing only a handful of entrepreneurs & majority managers.
Under the circumstances, one can only hope that Asad Umer & Co learn economic leadership & learn it fast. Lets hope their on-job training is short. Lets hope it ends before its too late to recover.
The only admirable act of govt in first 100 days had been the clamp down on Tehreek-e-Labaik. Probably, because it was an impromptu challenge which didn't reqiure any planning but decision making. Lets hope this spontaneous decision making comes handy in other spheres of governance particularly economy.
Only Allah knows the whole truth.

Economic recovery & change

People are still questioning Buzdar's capacity & abilities as CM. Confusing issues is an art of politicians but here it seems pointless. CM is a dummy & nothing is confusing about it. PM wants his 'foot'hold in Punjab. He wants to control & run Punjab all by himself. He doesn't want a wise well rounded decision maker in Punjab, he just wants a decoy & Buzdar is his man. He unequivocally announced that Buzdar was there to stay. Imran is playing genious & Buzdar is playing dumb in both literal & figurative meanings. Buzdar is the perfect natural for a ghoofy character. How honest & simple he can continue to play, remains to be seen. He already crossed the line in DPO Pakpattan's case which also exposed Maneka Family's shameful show of power along with Ahsan Jameel Gujjar. Does CM learn fast or learn at all also remains to be seen.
With executive powers at his disposal & keeping Interior Ministry along with direct control of Punjab & KPK, IK is up to something big. But any amount of change; little, significant or substantive, will come with economic stability. So first priority shall be economy. After initial turbulence (nearly until a year), things may start to improve at all fronts.  Might have to give him 1000 days (nearly 3 years) instead of 100 because there is a mess of seven decades that needs to be cleaned up. Whereas, his team is niether prepared nor seems capable for the task. How long IK can pull this ship-wreck on his own again remains to be seen.
In any case, corrupt are in for a ride. IK seems geed up for a conclusive round of anti corruption drive in the country. There is a lot of political mileage in anti corruption gains but is it a diversion from shambolic economy or they really mean it? Will they be able to weather the economic typhoon side by side political slonangeering of 5 million homes, 10 Miliion jobs, anti corruption campaign, equality in education plantation, local bodies' empowerment, police reforms, health department upgradation & accessibility, tourism, dams, etc etc.
For the past couple of weeks, govt played information monster's onslaught on to its opponents quite well. Followed by PM's speech yesterday, just to secure support for bye-elections. Excellent electioneering ploy. It may yield good results as well.
But our expectation is not only a politically aware PTI which latches on every given political opportunity like other stereotypes, but also the one which promised change. That little promise of change is subject to economic recovery & subsequent stabalization. PTI govt's real test has begun. If they couldn't put genie of economy back in to the bottle, they would be able to change very little. Hoping for good is our only option.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth

Good times for investment in property

Since last quarter (July-September 2018) there is a surge in real estate & property business. We as property developers entered into this business 3 years back when this business was at its lowest ebb. Hitherto, it was the only profitable business where people were willingly investing both from home & abroad. But it was purposefully eroded through levying taxes, filer conditions & other regulatory strangleholds by the last govt. People were deterred and discouraged which resulted in nearly three years' slump in this business. Consequently, money laundering became the only way forward for profitable investments. Investors were left with no choice but to launder money to Dubai & Europe. Hence, we witnessed money laundering bonanza in past decade. Expats lost faith in the property investments. Part of the reason was collusion of Bharia Town with PPP Government where both made biblical hay till the sun shone over Mr Zardari's fluke cum genius tenure. Bharia Town left its entire market to handful/ faithful investors who created fake bubbles & burst them at will as & when they wanted. Since Bharia Town had become a brand to reckon with, it pocketed unreal profits through its loyal but brainless avaricious investors. It was a flawed strategy which thwarted small scale investor and the most important person in the whole equation; the end user. Rest of the damage was done by one of the four notorious Ps i.e. Property Dealers ( other three are politicians, prostitutes & press-titutes). They are so amazing at their art that truth sounds outlandish & too good to be true in the face of their lies. People interested in buying property of any type or scale happily get deceived by falsehood than listening to plain truth. This disease is here to stay & there seems no good end in sight.

However, above stated doom & gloom might prove the darkest hour before dawn. Good news is that in last quarter things are changing with Tabdeeli. According to property data wizards, half of the expats remittances are being invested in property in Pakistan. Association of Overseas Pakistanis (OAP) is actively promoting real estate investment opportunities among expats. It deserves due credit towards restoration of lost confidence in this business.

Other good news is that monopoly of Bharia Town owing to its over reliance on its core investors is withering away. New, more efficient, reliable & profitable real estate brands are available in market. For laymen, its best advised to size up the credentials of both developer & marketeers before deciding to invest in any project. Both should have delivered in their respective domains because for those who have had completed / delivered projects in the past, repute matters a lot and this is where you can confidently invest.

Tabdeeli government also seems keen on promulgating easy regulations on real estate & property development business; glimpse of which was visible in mini-budget where non-filers have been allowed purchase of property. Plus its ambitious 5 million housing units construction plan can only work through private-public partnership where govt allocates land, developers & marketeers get their share on investment/ effort. And ordinary people get easy installment plans for owning a home. This subject warrants a full blog entry which shall follow soon.

Bottom line is, its good time for investment in property of any size & budget. At the turn of the year in just three months, prices of property are going to gain 10-15% in their current prices which is not bad at all. Remember, its always the timing in investment that matters & fruition of investment in property is linked again with timing & patience.

Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Diplomatic row with India

Diplomacy is a hot subject in Pakistan thesedays. And ongoing diplomatic row between FOs of Pakistan and India has further spiced up the whole scenario.
Few positives of foreign ministry to include newly elected PM's symbolic first visit to FO. Second is proactive diplomacy; since we have a Foreign Minister now who seems busy as bee on foreign affairs of Pakistan. FM SMQ wasted no time in factually correcting US State department's statement in the backdrop of Imran-Pompeo phone call. Lastly, it was brilliant to write letter to Indian PM Modi for diplomatic engagement. Indian nervousness was vivid on initially agreeing & then disagreeing to meet on pretext of lame excuses like dak tickets & imaginary killing of some ghost soldiers in IHK. It is very easy for India to manipulate the information relating IHK for its strict control on local, international media & internet. For Pakistan, its a moral binding to standby Kashmiri brethren & expose Indian atrocities. For India, sky is the limit; kill, pelt, pallet, shoot, repress & rape; let no credible information go out of the Valley and continue to fix baseless blame on Pakistan. As if their fictitious surgical strikes were not enough a hoax, they intend celebrating 'surtrikoversary'. And to top it all, General Bipin Rawat believes 'it is time'.
Now lets break it down to understandable pieces.
Good that out of all ministeries, PM made his first pit stop at Foreign Ministry. Diplomacy is antidote to friction & feuds between nations. Making a dormant ministry active does not require creating friction on petty issues. So Shah Sahab might want to take it easy & keep it proactive not reactive or over-active. Correcting factually incorrect statements of 'apparently friendly country' could have been handled better.
Making India jittery through PM's letter to his Indian counterpart served the purpose well. But it must be said that Indian FO played below belt by singling out IK in its statement rescinding respective FMs' moot during current UN General Assembly session. However, even bigger mistake was PM's Tweet on 'small men in big offices'. Chai Wala is a small man and there is no dispute on this even in greater part of India & across the globe. Our FO could have issued a 'tit for tat' statement or any big mouth from ruling party could have done the same. Talking of Big Mouth, none other fit the description better than our Information Minister both in literal & figurative sense. PM responding under TTS ('Trump Tweeting Syndrome' ) was like playing right into the hands of Chai Wala & his Dhabba politics. With Indian General Elections nearly half a year away, it is obvious that every decision of BJP Government would be weighed against political gains versus losses. Indian politics is still Pakistan-centric whereas Pakistani politics, despite its frailties has grown out of India-centric mania. Lastly, whether its frustration with growing Kashmir Freedom Movement, embarassment of Rafale aircrafts deal with France or pure 'suck up' to show 'solidarity' with BJP Government in the wake of upcoming General Elections, General Bipin Rawat's bravado is no more than a loser's bluff. And if not, then I like hundreds & thousands of others am on reservists' list and  sweating to get back in action.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Political ideals & realities of 'change'

Too much TV is not doing any good to newly elected govt. Everyday whether 6 September Defence Day or 7 September Air Force Day Dam Message (which is strange), we hear about State of Medina. And it seems that PM is missing the point. Medina was an ideal state built by an Ideal Man PBUH through an ideology which was in its purest form. There is absolutely no harm in 'trying' with 'In Sha Allah' as supporting words.Though we wish Pakistan moves in the same direction.
PM is setting the bar way too high. Too much rhetoric. Whereas, its time to walk the walk.  And asking for money from overseas Pakistanis like this seems like a diversion attempt planned & executed in haste & nervousness. Atif Mian issue was not well weighed before hand & govt had to retract. His addition to economic committee was announced by Zartaj Gul (another wanna be who is unable to get over with her excitement on becoming an MNA) on her fb wall. Totally planned move. People reacted. PTI buckled & changed the decision which was not a bad move but too many times social media has dictated/ reverted PTI's decisions. Should they not put up every issue for debate to those social media biffs & smart phone supporters for pre-decision validation. Get a grip ruling party, device a mechanism of sound decision making.
Or it was pure leadership instinct of Kaptan from his cricketing days to come on media & talk to nation overtaking already a noble cause started by a noble man, our CJ. Agreed that the issue was going no where. Only 1800 million were accumulated all this time. If we take out Army's contribution then it would be embarassingly less amount. But build up is very important for sustenance of such issues. National debate which travels overseas. So not integrity but method of dams fund idea is in question.
His Cancer Hospital & University projects were a great success. But the difference is big, he was a celebrity & now Chief Executive of the country. Look I don't mind if OS Pakistanis pay for the dam and we get at least one dam ready in five years but the manner, the tone, the timing, nothing was right about this message. Reasons behind it may remain a mystery like so many other decisions in the history of this nation.
Lastly, just came across Najam Sethi's article of today titled 'Doomed Reset'. All doom & gloom. Trump is angry. Trump wants this and that. India & Afghanistan nexus. Its coming after us. All his pain was vivid in his words. It is amazing how these people defy truth. It is amazing he couldn't sense the 'change' in peoples' mood. Nation seems happy & he is painting all gloom. After a long time, there is a rejuvinated sense of pride in the nation. Beauty of this society is that even Najam Sethi along with his averagely talented spouse & off-springs made a name for themselves. They survived & prospered in this society & will continue to do so. Afterall, snakes are part of the eco-system.
Notwithstanding, the high & low points of Najam Sethi's life, it is great to see Govt & Military on the same page. How long this honeymoon lasts, remains to be seen. One can safely bet its here to stay which is good for Pakistan. For a Pakistan which extends beyond its geographical boundaries for its ideology & for an Army tipped & tagged for bigger things like Gazwa-e-Hind.
Only Allah knows the whole truth.

Tribute to Sipahi Maqbool Hussain

It is the sacrifice of our people which kept this country together. We all must acknowledge their sacrifice. Our next generation must be familiar with the price of freedom paid by our ancestors.This Defence Day, my 10 years old has researched & wrote a tribute to Late Sepoy Maqbool Hussain:
 

Sepoy Maqbool Hussain was from Azad Kashmir Regiment. He with his five unit personnel had a mission across the border in 1965 .They carried out sixteen blasts and killed seventy people. The Indians were extremely annoyed and they planned an ambush on them. But they could only injure Sepoy Maqbool Hussain and they took him as prisoner. He was considered MIA (Missing in Action) and was believed to be Shaheed. He spent forty years in prison. One night his Sikh friend opened his cell lock and told him the way to the railway station. The next day, he reached station but after few minutes he was captured again. In those forty years, whenever Indians questioned him, he only said one thing,” PAKISTAN ZINDABAD”. The Indians got so annoyed that they ripped his tongue off. Even with the blood coming out of his tongue, he wrote “PAKISTAN ZINDABAD”. After nearly four decades of his capture, during prison exchange in 2005, he was released and entered Pakistan from Wagah Borders. Unfortunately, his close relatives were not in this world to receive him. Whenever, he was asked for his identity he wrote this number 331539. It was his army number. So the army verified his number and they realized that it was Sepoy Maqbool Hussain. He passed away few days back. For his sacrifice for the nation he was awarded by Sitara- i- Jurrat.

A TRIBUTE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SACRIFICE, PATRIOTISM AND COURAGE OF LATE SEPOY MAQBOOL HUSSAIN

ON DEFENCE DAY

6 SEPTEMBER 2018

BY

HAMZA BIN ASAD

I have nothing to add.
May Allah bless the departed soul. Ameen

Love for Muhammad PBUH

Love for Muhammad PBUH above everything else was, is & will remain part of our faith system. Those insensitive abusers of freedom of speech should know that none of those slept well after crossing certain lines, most killed by faithful lovers. Should they do it? Rather, we should ask should you stop playing with the fire. Sooner or later, someone, will appear from somewhere and smash you like you deserve to be smashed. And then everywhere in the world specially Muslims who migrated to western countries for 'better life' will take the brunt. Islamic extremism, Muslim extremists, Islamic terrorists etc are prolificly used expressions. But it all starts here when you disrespect us. We can not let anyone insult the One who was Mercy for both the worlds. You don't understand this, we give you that then try and understand the reasons why we love Him PBUH. Its not only love for Muhammad PBUH, its part of our faith. Faith is lifeline of religion. Religion is way of life. Like you have a way of life, we also have one. Most of us are downtrodden thesedays but we have a way of life. Now, if you disagree, we can talk like people. Like the way people talk over disagreements. If you don't then why you claim to be liberals. What a joke? Just to prove you are leftist, you make hate the centerpiece of it. You can still prove to be leftist. Take on some other issue. Civilised, you claim to be. Civilised is the last thing one can associate to someone who is insensitive to quarter of world's population's sentiments. This is extremism even if we precede it with liberal, it will remain extremism. Guess what, extremism begets extremism.
These Muslims across globe, they are all the same. They all think the same way. They are geographically divided in to nation states. Beyond state boundaries, they are ideologically one nation what they like to call Ummah. They all, all of them are insulted, angered & disrespected when you target someone who for them is above everything else in this world. You may attempt anything for your hatred, insensitivity & political mileage in your country politics, His PBUH stature will only grow. And for your dumbness, you will soon face the music. I'm no freak when I say this. I'm not coming after you. I observe & share my thoughts with people. I can only write few words. My only contribution to this situation is to tell you and anyone who aspires for this misadventure to back off. You will end up in big trouble. You don't know them. I'm one of them. I'm ordinary then the rest. I'm no big deal. Just a simple man who doesn't want trouble. But there are red lines. This is red line. I'm warning you in mercy. Mercy was the method of my Master PBUH. Your life may be better than misconstrued hate & hate based political mileage. Both low degree pursuits are not rational. And this hatred changed nothing except for those who crossed the line, despite living in the free world either kept hiding for the rest of their lives or got killed by lovers of Muhammad PBUH. Although this nation, you are trying to incite through insult, is divided into around fifty nation states, some monarchies, others democracies & few under dictatorial rules, yet this matter is the same for them all. They are one on this issue. They can't help it. Love is just too strong. I'm a peace lover & peace maker but someone out of billions of lovers will get you.
Final word, "Back off'. Once you cross the line, things won't be the same on both sides. We won't be able to warn you. Angry lovers don't warn, they strike. It would be a direct outcome of your liberal leftist extremism. Your love for game of hate is nothing in the face of our love for Muhammad PBUH. You may continue to label us extremists but you sow the seeds of this extremism. When this seed of hatred grows into s strong tree, it comes back to hit you & haunt you.
Muhammad PBUH is & will remain above our kids, parents & everything we own.
Only Allah knows the whole truth.

Precious little joys

Precious things are hard to get. Joys are precious & little joys are priceless. Joys are hard to get, little joys are even harder to get. Little joys cost a lot. Little joys are tricky; sometimes you have them & you still don't know you have them. In order to know little joys; sometimes you have to pay price. And the higher the false ego; the bigger the price. So, little joys are harder to get because the price is directictly proportional to size of false ego. Sounds like maths. It is, actually. False ego is even trickier. You don't even know you have got one unless it meets an accident exactly the size of it. And then it opens the door to unlimited garden of little joys. That garden is hard to reach. Because little joys are precious & they are hard to get.
One more thing if you have little joys, hold on to them. They are hard to get. They are precious. Even too much exposition of your little joys at social media can have its cost. Guard them. They can slip through. Little joys should be our best kept secrets. In your perspective, your little joys are important enough to be shared. But others may have a different package. They may have their own worries. Important enough for you may not be significant enough for them. Its would be unfair to your precious little joys. Dignity & discretion can do it for you.
Only Allah knows the whole truth.

Buzdar factor

Journalism is seeing a new low thesedays. Mainstream media & analysts of all shades have been unable to reconcile with Usman Buzdar factor. Most frequently quoted reason of his disapproval is that none of the prominent journalists, anchors & analysts know him. And those politicians whom these media stalwarts know well keep getting in & out of power corridors. Most are affluent influentials of respective areas, hence they are 'polished', 'good hosts', 'friendly', 'accomplished in social graces', 'responsive to any job fatigue assigned by media people' & so on. In return, media people do all the twisting, turning & spinning to cover up for their buddies. Since they scratch each other's back hence there is a chemistry between them & Mr Buzdar fails to fit this setting. In fact, downplaying his selection is part of the deal. And if media people are firm to undermine the 'outlander' than its our responsibility to take them on.
Media is biggest bluff of our time. Anti establishment, pro establishment, anti Noon, pro PTI etc are all ways to sell their merchandise. They are just merchants. Ostensibly, there is polarisation among media houses but none of them talks against Malik Riaz. They will condition our perceptions with Bharia Town's Free Dastakhawan & other welfare projects but none would tell you how in the first place Bharia Town facilitators rip the poor off their lands. Because Bharia Town gives advertisement business & gratifications like no other.
There is no valid reason to doubt integrity of Buzdar selection decision. It is suggested that media people should find time & know Usman Buzdar. Till then leave him alone. If he performs, he stays otherwise he will be despatched back to electricity free zone of Tonsa Sharif. Performance should be the criterion of judging politicians not their crying on chairlifts, absence of electricity in their native area or being relatively unknown in mainstream media.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Eid ul Azha Mubarak

It is suggested that this Eid we all find time to discuss with our family members & friends the events & reasons which made Hajj fundamental pillar of religion, dedication of Eid as reward of physical, finanacial & spiritual endeavours during Hajj & Qurbani as Ibrahimi Sunnah. Lets recall events from leaving first born & wife in wilderness of desert to Saee (سعی)  of Hajrah AS. Sprouting of Zamzam to re-building of Ka'aba. From compliance of incumbent to Satanic disractions to divine intervention with a lamb. From shifting of Shariah privilege from Bani Israel to Bani Ismail. From darkness of Arabia to light of Islam in 23 years. From Last Hajj to Last khutbah. From past glory to present fall of a nation. All of it.
Or just relax, cut the animal down & have a great BarBQ.
Whatever, way you like.
Have a blessed Eid Day

Congrats Pakistan

On Prime Minister's speech to the nation, just one line; "he has kindled hope & showed the way forward".
I feel immense pride to be part of a generation who saw it through.
I feel immense pride to be a Pakistani today.
Congrats Pakistan

Magnanimity in victory

Wheel of democracy continues to roll. Change is there, but will it meet the expectations? Today in Parliament, except that IK was elected PM, rest of the show was below par by all political actors.
Talking of actors, its obvious that Shahbaz Sharif would top the list. He continues to amaze, the guy has no leadership qualities, no sense of judgement & proportion. NS made sure, chhotay mian remains under-nourished & crippled leader. His lanvender safari suit spoke volumes of his recent "purple patch" & a testimony of his accentricity.
Good speech by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari... only if it was delivered in Westminister. Though his foreign manner, outlandish politeness & pleasant demeaner appeared good on the eye but there is a serious disconnect. This guy aspires to ride our necks as PM, may be 5-10 yrs down the road. He has no clue of poor man's woes bcoz hot wind never touched him. He was groomed in a certain aristocratic way, tailormade to rule over us. His inability to communicate in native language is equated with Gora sb's snobbish rubbish. May be deeply engraved Colonial imprints of slavery. It is a shame that leader of third largest party can't deliver speech in national language.
Poor vindictive speech by IK, a contradiction to his first speech. Not a statesman's language rather hangover of reactive politics was loudly audible in his voice. Loud but unimpressive. Throwing invitation for Dharna & offering container were not required. NRO for Dakus & bringing back laundered money are not his jobs, institutions have to do it. Grow up Mr Prime Minister. Wake up if you think you are still dreaming then be certain that you've made it. You don't have to prove it anymore. You are already there. Now move ahead with some grace.Worst part was follow up speech of Shah Mahmood Qureshi who made a miserable attempt of mopping up IK's egocentric mess up. PM Elect may consider delivering prepared speeches like victory speech. May be in due course Premiership takes over anguish of political struggle, then he may return to 'freedom' of extempore speech.
Claiming to turn Pakistan in to 'State of Medina' is setting up highly idealistic goals. For reminder, State of Medina was an ideal state built by the Ideal Man PBUH. You may aspire to work towards it with Allah's help & are still likely to fall short. But I never heard any PTI leader making this claim with humility & caution. Mananimity or lack of it is probably the difference between being reactive good leadership & a great leadership. However, on this good day, being optimistic we hope may be IK learns to be gracious in any future setback & magnanimous in victories because it only would adds value to his own stature. Dignity in defeat & magnanimity in victory, are again higher ideals. Just like we don't expect PTI to completely replicate the State of Medina, they can't also be expected to remain totally gracious & magnanimous.
Lastly, Good, Bad or Ugly, time will tell but
Usman Buzdar must be dancing like crazy for an early birthday present. Nomination of CM KPK was a decision made in position of weakness but this one is different. IK went for someone who exactly knows what poor people are actually going through & what might be the way out. Or its opposie. Euphoria or Optimism, can't really tell.
Blessed Weekend.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Independence Reclaimed

Since long, every single day, I got up wondering how this country was surviving? And how long it could survive like that? Quest to finding answer to this only furthered my belief that if its creation was a miracle, its sustenance was an even greater living miracle. Miracles don't happen for nothing. Making in to prospering welfare nation state is not the ultimate goal. Rather, its about assuming the leadership role of motely nations of Muslims across the world. That seems to be a fitting goal than the former. Probably, those miracles are saving this nation state for bigger things. In which case, it all makes sense why we exist in this particular time frame & what next is incumbent upon us.
Many many 14 Augusts went by. It used to be a day of gratitude, festivity & hope. But in my living memory from 80s to date, things deproved from bad to worse. Corrupt & incompetent leadership was like bed bugs who brought disease & bad luck. Besides being blood paracites, they were ill equipped with false egoes like little Pharaohs. Multiple failed political govts in between two hideous dictatorial regimes of Zia & Musharraf did irreparable damage to growth of institutions, hence, growth of the country. There was melancholy all around. There was niether gratitude, nor festivity nor hope. Due to poor decision making of leadership, an entire generation since the turn of the century suffered severe trauma. Kids grew up watching scattered limbs & elders went numb. Death of Muslim Pakistani was as insignificant as quashing of a bathroom mosquito. Like Bani Israel, we were being ruled by merciless tyrants, our people oppressed & our kids slain. It sometimes felt like rock bottom.
However, third consecutive handing over of power from one political party to another inside parliament house is an amazing democratic feat. For which all political parties deserve a pat on the back. There is an air of mature politics which was clearly visible in today's oath taking ceremony at National Assembly. It is becoming inevitable for politics to shift from stereo type to no nonsense practical domain. Macro level welfare measures may earn next term not optics like building loan based massive urban infrastructure. Direction of national politics may also shift from aristocratic style to public service. As long as Army remains determined to stay away from 'active politics' & judiciary continues handing out justice to all, things are looking good for Pakistan. Real good tidings. It seems that we have weathered the storm. We saw it through. We are the proud generation where it all stops for new beginnings.
This14 August marks that new beginning. The mood is way above festive. Pakistan is bracing change. Common people are happy. Happiness is in the air.
The 'narrative' is defeated. Anti Pakistan narrative is defeated. Anti Army narrative is defeated. Election rigging narrative is defeated. Proof is simple. In past, no matter which party won or lost the elections, this nation never celebrated Independence Day like this14 August. This passion & fervor was long forgotten. From Karachi to Khyber, from 13/14 August midnight fireworks to entire day celebrations of 14 August, it feels like Independence Reclaimed.
Happy Independence Day.

Axing of IMET

66 military courses slots reserved for Pakistani officers have been cut off by US Govt. Two observations:
1. Personal. I briefly trained with most modern armies to include two weeks exercise in Germany with UK & US army personnel. US army personnel were shallow talkers & dumbest among all. So the learning value was zero.
2. Observational. Officers who attended courses at US had clear cut advantage in exposure. And in their professional outlook, except this exposure, there was not much to add.
For exposure part & modern way of 'co-existence', cutting off IMET courses is a set back but on professional note, we didn't lose much.
Divergent theories on this issue were circulating including over-zealous, indifferent & conpiracy based. I just summed it up in terms of hardcore professional learning we didn't lose much. Its temporary political posturing for regional alignments like US backs India & Pak besides Chinese factors, is exploring new friendship with Russians. May be, Mr Trump with his pressure tactics wants to send a warning shot to IK/PTI that instead of collision course, they should respect US as stakeholder in the region otherwise they might have to pay the price. But, his tactics is more like a go-getter businessman than a statesman. Sometimes it works like in case of North Korea because he was dealing with equally 'robust' Kim but in other parts of the world, it may not work, particularly Pakistan. This should set us free & allow us to look towards Russia & other new friends for deals. In nutshell, it is a win-win for us.
Please feel free to record your feedback on the issue.

Elections, change & way forward

There is media's Pakistan which most people see through cameras' lense. And there is Pakistan of slumps & castles. There is also Pakistan of real & fake political dramas. And there is my Pakistan. My Pakistan's these days very cool. My Pakistan is seeing a political change which was my political dream. I always wondered how would we ever justify to our next generation the politics before July 2018 & our role in correcting it. There was not much to show for. However, something dramatic has happened on 25th July which is taking time to sink in. The enormity & impact of change coming Pakistan's way may not be understood at this point in time but it will surely unfold in due course.
Some extraordinary things that happened on election day do deserve a mention:
Political maturity of KPK has been re-asserted. Despite incomplete metro project in Peshawar, people of KPK endorsed PTI's style of governance where state seems to be interested in welfare of its people regardless of their social status & political leanings.
Punjab has cornered PML (N) to its north eastern border. Only parts of Punjab i.e. Lahore & surrounding districts voted for Noon. May be next time Noon League may also mind taking rest of Punjab along. For winning reasonable mandate in Eastern Punjab, Noon should also thank Sheen for saving the grace & for not towing the 'Narrative' i.e. 'Kiyun Nikala', 'Khalai Makhlooq' & 'Vote ko Izzat Do' (woh tou mil gai).
Sindh belongs to PPP because no one is willing to go and work there. Despite walkover in Sindh, PPP does not stand a chance to flourish unless face of Zardari is off the screens & Bilalwal is in relative control of the party.
What Karachi did was amazing. What a sweet revenge of four decades of subjugation & exploitation. Without much political mobilization on ground, result favoured PTI which was the loudest political ststement in this election.
Hats off to Baloch people who despite horrific bombings on election day near northern bypass went out to vote in numbers. They perhaps had understood the value of their vote, value of being free Muslim Pakistani & value of changing the fate of Pakistan for their next generations.
Before we divulge upon the way forward, it must be understood that IK becoming PM of this country was not my political dream coming true. Rather, it was getting rid of those leeches who have been feeding on blood of this country. At long last, people rejected them. It also warrants reiteration of the fact that center of gravity of this nation is its people not 'agriculture department' (as some media houses & politicians propagate to cover up their own incompetencies). Now those thugs have become one party against PTI. But it would be in greater interest of the country if we have another political force with better agenda than PTI to act as second party instead of these thugs. Their shelf life is already over. But establishment of new political force with ideological base is a far cry. I strongly feel that IK made a short cut of relying on electables because may be he thought he was entering in to 70s and his 22 years' struggle should see some fruition. The way he worked in elections, had he worked on his party, he won't even be needing to open a laundrette of electables. Nonetheless, he pulled up a winning formula & we need to look forward to the delivery part of it. To replace kleptocracy with welfare state, no doubt, will require some fundamental improvements in existing model of governance. But it is easier said than done because we are talking about Pakistan, the hardest country to govern. However, one can safely bet that three basic things might change in PTI's first term in office:
Economic revival & restoration of some respect in the commity of nations.
Secondly, relative independence to institution for them to operate freely (like Army, Judiciary & NAB) including police, DMG, FBR, SECP, State Bank & every other institution be free of political interference. This does not mean political leadership will not even check them for their transgressions.
Lastly, financial & legislative independence to local bodies to lookafter respective communities. This will inject fresh crop of well groomed & reliable public servants than existing cocktail of PTI leadership.
Finally, its time for team PTI to walk the walk. First thing Nawaz Sharif did was to settle scores with Pervez Musharraf. Today, NS along with his daughter is in jail & Musharraf is at large less Pakistan. Revenge is not a virtue, it can't yeild virtue. Course of revenge is round like goes around comes around cliche. IK, as he committed in his short & comprehensive speech should do better than NS & stick to his words. PTI will be under immense scrutiny because they set some higher ideals but have been found wanting on some occasions. Pakistan has suffered enough grief in past seven decades. Except few sporting achievements, there is nothing to cherish. Despite brilliant human & natural resource, the country kept reeling due to bad management. Happiness of Pakistan should not be short-lived, it deserves to remain happy for long.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

A new Dawn

We live in strange times. Truth is a rare commodity. At times, plain truth sounds too good to be true. I'm working in real estate industry thesedays, where ten out of ten people prefer to be deceived by beautiful lies than paying heed to simple less attractive truths. Eventually they all get back & repent their temptations. For as long as last greedy is alive, swindlers are in the business. Problem with greed is that it will always remain unsatiated. Like day to day routine matters, greed has begun to dictate our outlook on issues as well. Ideology, patriotism, loyalty, integrity; all weighty values are being dominated by material pursuits. So much that it seems we are surrounded by a magnetic field of infinite greed & sweet lies. Election season has brought a fresh torrent of white lies, absolute lies, total lies, half truths, twisted perspective, spin doctored issues, blatant dis-information & greed based leanings. Media is responsible for this non-stop frenzy which has become the tool of politicians, international establishment & paid lobbyists. Journalistic integrity is the rarest jewel in media industry today. Resultantly,  media credibility is going down the drain & journalism being de-valued. But still they manage to cast their spell over majority uncritical simpletons who look up to media wizards  as wise men of true opinions. This process keeps these jokers relevant & price-worthy to their patrons.
Let us discuss Dawn as case study which was once a bastion of journalism in Pakistan. Its journey since inception in October 1941 by Muhammad Ali Jinnah as mouthpiece of All India Muslim League to planted stories of Cyril Almeida & Hameed Haroon's bashing at Hard Talk can best be described as fall from the grace. While growing up as keen reader of editorials, Dawn was always a sought after daily.
After a concious deal with the devil (anti-Pakistan forces), Dawn is fast losing its 70+ years of journalistic credibility. One can only assume that Dawn traded its integrity & good name for booty big enough to justify the deal. Hope its worth it or can it be worth it at all?
Dawn built a Media Empire on the ashes of a struggling nation. In past, no one pointed Dawn out because it scrupulously fulfilled its journalistic duty. But it doesn't look like that anymore. Sensitivity of current situation demanded responsible posturing by Dawn as old media group. It was time to show some solidarity when Pro Pakistan forces, for which some politicians & media groups have invented fancy words like establishment. An establishment which is quite isolated internationally & vulnerable internally. At the moment, all Pakistan needed is a smooth transition of power when every paid dog is barking at it & those extremist swines are playing mayhem with its innocent blood. But Dawn chose to stand among the former. One can't blame Anti Pakistan forces because they are doing what they do best but its politicians & media houses who have been a serious let down. But then again, we have a history, lions like Tipu Sultan were brought down by 'insiders' with 'outside' patronage. But their names are no more than figurative curse in the history & Dawn will also join them.
You can replace Dawn with Jang Group in above paras & it will fittingly fit their dubious role of past decade or so.
Just go out and vote. Don't buy their nonsense. Just two complete terms & political forces are being purged. Those who have something in them will pass the test of time & others will wither away. Institutions are getting strong & transparent. Musharraf was the first dictator who walked out of power on his feet & feel the symbolism in that. Establishment had a bad role as long as it was tool of dictators but now it has learnt its lessons. Its staying out of power matrix. Was it any difficult for a popular COAS like Raheel Sharif or General Bajwa to take over. Not iterested. Army is sick & tired of political circus. And couple of more terms with relatively cleaner political leadership in office, the term establishment will die its own death. Hope for a better  stronger Pakistan was never so alive as it feels at this point in time & the barometer for this is the desperation of international establishment to destablise this country through its media & political tools. The more gloomy picture they paint about Pakistan, the more you should be assured that we are heading in the right direction, a direction that hurts their cause & guarantees the gradeur which Pakistan is actually destined for.
May Allah protect Pakistan. May we see peaceful transition of power. May we see the change & sow the seeds of strong institutional independence for our future generations to make Pakistan a formidable force. May Allah protect us against lies.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Ramazan Mubarak

Everyone greeted Ramazan on moon siting. I was wondering how do I greet everyone back with some Ramazan dosage. Something's not right about how we approach ibadat in Ramazan. Everyone is in a hurry to finish Quran  by or on 27th Ramazan. There is great urge to finish something that cannot be finished nor did Prophet PBUH finish it. For the sake of continuation, He PBUH would recite few verses from Al Baqarah.
We live in the age of reason. We need to reason with Quran. This mental rigour is quintessential to finding our own identity. But mosques, every mosque should be a magnet for people of all ages. But over there, there is attraction only for retired old citizens who have been well familiar with the ways of the world & masjid will always be a place for elderly. There is too much ritual. Even Traveeh is observed as ritual. Speed reading & behind which one can only go on a mental journey from trivials to vitals. No doubt, listening to Qirat has its countless advantages. But we need to understand the Book. At few place, speed is less & people try and understand the part recited in Salat. This method is laborious because sessions stretch over till Sehri. Surely, people with more desire than others can take on this method.
In short, Ramazan is not here to starve us. Its here to nourish our dried up souls & give us a physical benefit which we can cherish for the rest of the year. All win-win.

Election mayhem

Siraj Raisani was truly shaheed-e-Pakistan. There was symbolism in the way he lived with Indian flag wrapped around his boot & there is symbolism in his death. Sad that anti Pakistan are eulogised & pro pakistan meet early death. But those fools don't know that there is no dearth of loin-hearts like Raisani in this country.
In bigger picture, things in held Kashmir are picking up as 2nd death anniversary of Wani was observed last week. Just today Pakistan hosted intelligence heads of China, Russia & Iran to join hands against terrorism. Whereas, two important regional players (India & Afganistan) were missing along with omnipresent non regional but honrary member Uncle Sam. This should give sufficient reason to any thinking mind that Indians were not enjoying current situation. As if progress on CPEC was not enough pain for them, armed TTP, BLA & likes and political pawns like PTMs, Altafs, NS, Achakzais were also being cornered. A smooth transfer of power to not so favoured new political entity could be detrimental to their cause. So they needed to do something.
I was quite perplexed why NS had decided to come to Pakistan & was ready to give in to the law. With him things are never as they appear. One does everything in hope. & hope for NS was always in wealth, power & satisfying false ego i.e. revenge. His hope this time is revenge from Pakistan. Probably, he received a nod to return to Pakistan on tacit understanding that "Mayhem' in Pakistan will be ensured to stop or compmetely discredit elections. Knowing his foul nature, its obvious, since NS has no political future here, he would love to see a blood-bath in a country he could not loot anymore. A measure of his selfishness is that despite disqualification & visible political irrelevance, what to think of country, people or his party workers, he would not even let his younger brother take control of the party nor does he care about old comrades like Ch Nisar.
Somes flashes of mayhem were visible in the past week where pro Pakistan political leaders were being targeted. And today they delivered the sukur punch & left us with severe heartche. But we have learnt to negotiate pain whether from enemies or from our own on behest of our enemies.
Now the game plan of anti Pakistan forces & their tools like NS is clear i.e. sabotaging upcoming general elections or making them unviable. Change after elections does not fit their cause. Institutiins are getting independent & will continue to grow strong. In this kind of environment, their pawns will naturally be weeded out one after the other. And with this relative independence & stockpiles of nuclear arsenal in their backyard, if this nation gets some economic relief, it may stare many in the eye. Though their economic hitman Ishaq Dar did his very best to push this nation deeper in to the quagmire of debt before milingering a disease in London leaving its economy on ventilator.
Those who have some academic qualification and still insist on supporting NS, they have to be intellectually challenged.
In the end, like past, anti Pakistan forces have failed to second guess the grit of this nation which is ready for the worst & never loses hope for the best. This nation will weather the storm, making sure that elections come to pass & political transfer of power takes effect sooner than later.
Alertness levels have to be raised at individual & collective domains. On individual levels, don't be insensitive to your surroundings. We are at war that too a bloody one, we can't leave anything to chance. On collective level, political parties should go on with their political activities but they have to raise the level of caution. Party volunteers be appointed for security duties. Vigilence level be enhanced using walk throughs, scanners & any other measure to ensure security.
We can & we will see through this phase. This sacrifice shall get us that illusive better tomorrow that our future generations deserve.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

PTI's gut-soup

Wishful PTI wants us to make-belief that this gut-soup is chow-mein. Unless one is senseless by using some high end  drugs, gut-soup will always taste like gut-soup. Handful honest journalists who continuously exposed PPP govt from 2008-13 & didn't budge against all temptations & odds of Nawaz Sharif reign 2013-18, have been betrayed by Imran Khan's mantra of 'electables'. Because now those noteable electables of respective constituencies have become quintessential to IK's parachute entry into PM house. IK's honest mistakes like siding with Pervez Musharraf, contributing towards re-instating Ch Iftikhar, promoting friendship with Taliban, ridiculous finger of 3rd umpire, unfathomable call for civil disobedience (nothing compares to this one); were all acceptable because he was not a stereotype & was liable to commit mistakes.
However, PTI's mainstay has always been an unflintching drive against corruption. With the help of a very little honest investigative journalists, PTI continuously exposed all corrupt political practices including money laundering, favortism in bureaucracy, land mafia, bhatta mafia, political appointees & so on. But now when one sees the same Army of electables receiving magical red & green scarf at Bani Gala which miraculously obliterates dark sopts in their past & most have won party ticket for elections as well, one feels betrayed. One moment IK is idealogue & the other moment, in complete contrast he appears pragmatic stereotype.
Ok lets unbox science of electables in explicit terms.Fathers of those electables polished shoes of British to win lands & influence in respective territories. They polished shoes of NS & Zardari & now of their rightful heirs Bilawal, Mariam & Hamza, not for any ideology but to have SHOs of their choice in their areas. Once SHO is in their pockets, any one in the constituency can have red marks on their buttocks & they won't even be able to tell anyone what actually happened to them. Rest of the govt machinery  was controlled by the party leadership through loyal pets in DMG & provincial admnistration groups. People who have been hereditarily addicted to this way of life will change Pakistan as team members of IK? Unfortunately, PTI is also likely to transform into a private limited like rest of them. People may keep betting on leadership acumen of IK to sort them all out but scribe shares apprehensions now because its not about proving anything its about future of Pakistan. Which by the way, is the most difficult country to govern. With volatile borders all along, fragile internal security & clinically dead economy, governing Pakistan next term will be a momentous task. But, in cricketimg terms, fielding a team full of losers & counting on captaincy alone is at best suicidal.
There should have been some filters in place before accepting political waste of other parties. Only external filters like hue & cry at social media & electronic media forced IK to revisit few of his decisions, rest his advisors have been a serious disappointment. Likewise, mediation b/w Jkt & SMQ was also his responsibility as party head but their bickering is already out in public.
Only, logic for his electable strategy that comes to mind is that probably he thinks that his prime is way behind him & he had to act fast & now & he needed a shortcut to book a berth at PM House . Whereas, at his age, NS had become thrice PM but that is no comparison as Allah gave IK success in different ways. However, his lack of trust on young honest Pakistanis is deplorable. Any amount of deliberate compromise on principles, some how comes back to haunt us.
Lastly, the political culture has been further ruined by abuse brigade of PTI at social media. Lets admit it, IK has tendencies to ghoof up & if we have him as the best choice then we have to keep him on his toes. But if honest criticism is shot down with abuse then their is little hope for change. Thanks to talk shows (anchors & politicians), we have become a nation of accomplished 'spin doctors'. Spontaneous lying, twisting facts & manipulating arguments has become the order of the day. A cancer that continues to grow by the day. Traces of this disease are visible in our day to day dealings.
Pakistan also craves for stable, reliable & clear headed leadership since Jinnah. However, actions of political leadership cannot exceed their IQ & 'values'. But real problem lies in political affiliations of common people. Political leadership can commit mistakes & we need to take firm & polite stance to stop the growth of wrong practices may it be our favorite leader. Unfortunately, moral compass of political workers & political affiliates points only towards political leadership they favor and not towards principles. Merely out of political affinity, they argue in support of their political dieties. When they fall short on logic they resort to spinning the issue & when that does not work they get abusive. Wonder where are we heading with this approach. We were supposed to be the responsible generation where buck of irrational political behavior had to stop.But it seems that Pakistan has to wait at least one more generation before a visible change comes to pass.Our generation seems to have missed the train & failed to affect positive changes in  political culture of this country & unless political milieu changes, change will remain a distant reality.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Victory at Lords

From the first session, the match was played by Pakistan boys like a well orchestrated symphony. Session after session test cricket discipline was on display. We always had flare but test cricket discipline was not our thing. Yet it was there at Lords. Every little detail seemed to have been worked out and we are talking about Pakistan Cricket Team & its management. Showing great heart on selecting a young team, sending Abbass early to play for Liescester. He adapted & learned to pitch the ball up. It worked against Ireland, it won him man of the match here. Fielding standards immaculate were right up there & much better than aging team of jaded Englishmen. Bowling was supreme & batters showed scrupulous application of patience & set merit of shot on ball rather than instinct. Something we had forgotten since our glory days of 1992 onwards success in shorter formats. Whereas, cricket followers of hundreds & thousands of hours consumed fantasizing this beautiful game know that test cricket is truly cricket. Shorter formats are commercial face of cricket introduced by smart business minds.
Back to historic victory at Lords today, except irresponsible shot by Sarfraz when his team needed him to stay & last session of third day, Pakistan dominated. Its no fluke, it was flawless execution of a well laid plan. And there is tailor-made captain in Sarfraz to make sure that organization, method, involvement & success are all interlinked.
Match was pleasure to watch right from the start till the end. I wished to appreciate the team right from first day but our past mercurial  character held me back from writing some poetic prose on the match. And we had bad history of spot-fixing & abandoned matches. Touchwood, touchwood was only thing in my head but the match concluded on same high note on which it started. Was no less than the cricketing fairytale we saw last summers in Champions Trophy.
Some soul searching for English team & focus for continuity of the effort is on the menu after modest celebrations because series is to be won or drawn which are two different results altogether.

Rebuttal 1: The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI &Illusion of Peace

Truth is somehow not synonymous with The Deep State. Hence, a Rebuttal. Enjoy the counter punch.
Excerpt from The Spy Chronicles:RAW, ISI and illusion of peace's Introduction, adroitly weaved by Ex RAW Chief, A S Daulat:

"If it’s any consolation, Pakistan is in a bigger mess than we are. The man India
put its faith in, Nawaz Sharif, is likely to be kept out of power (along with his
family) by the military when the next elections are held, likely in August 2018; the military’s preferred choice is the current PM, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, whom Mian Saheb had handpicked to replace him."

It is obvious that the book favours India's narrative which in turn is the narrative of their 'man' MNS. It feels that Gen Asad Durrani has played right into the hands of Indians or he did it on purpose? Not a good vibe from the outset about this book.

On Kashmir, and we are still at Introduction:

"As former Pakistan Foreign Secretary
Riaz Mohammad Khan acknowledged, the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack did
irreparable damage to the Kashmiri cause and tarnished Islamabad’s image as well.
Pakistan had been out of it since then, until we brought them back into the picture  in 2016".

They hear what they want to hear & they say what they like to say. The intent of this book is unfolding in calculated jibes at Pakistan's establishment. What they don't understand is that we support our Pro Pakistan Establishment & no wonder they had to take pains to write a slimy book to shake confidence of the shaky.

Now read this for Indian version of those think like India:

"As Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in the state assembly in February 2018, with the risk of being called anti-national, there is no alternative to engagement with Pakistan. Or, as the old Kashmiri communist Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami said, seeking a ‘security solution’ to a fundamentally political problem will not succeed. At one of our meetings, Rustom Shah Mohmand, a Pakistani bureaucrat, diplomat, and a gem of a human being, remarked that Pakistan needed to put its own house in order in Balochistan before finding fault with India in Kashmir."

Note hot phrases like '"security solution' to a fundamentally political problem" & "Pakistan needed to put its own house in order". The phrases we heard repeatedly from Indianized politicians in Pakistan like NS, Mehmood Achakzai & Balich nationalists & TSM. Nothing new, all predictable propagada.

And Daulat after sheepishly assuring about his goodness of intent about the book goes on to say,
"Truth is a kaleidoscope."
No sir, its not. Truth is transparent, smooth & easy on the eye, no maze of changing colors like a kaleidoscope.

Rebuttal of Gen Asad Durrani's Introductory note. Suddenly, before leaving this world, he has starting seeing the half full part of the glass. He begins with,
"I was born an Indian".
Though he was born in Rawalpindi but there is strange sense of nostalgia in his first line & he qualifies his nostalgia with phrases like 'great divide', 'replacement of Matka with Mucca' & his fascination with cricket & Bollywood. But things changed post 71 war. Why? He is forgetting that Hindu stabbed us in the back. His dark intent was totally exposed. There is no substance to believe that given an opportunity, India will not waste a moment in further dividing Pakistan. Hindu cannot be trusted anymore. But Ex ISI Chief does. In a stunt of self-aggrandizement, he claims a spot in the league of 'strategic community' which is 'bursting with wisdom' that can hardly wait to be shared'.
There is a great air of wisdom, optimism & sense of adventure in Gen Durrani's mood which if not checked may violate certain limits like disqualified NS. Whereas, indictment lurking upon Gen Durrani in Asghar Khan case, there are few questions like:
If intent was so aboveboard, why the book couldn't the book be launched in Pakistan? Why only in India? Because it serves only their purpose.
What about timings of books like this and 'From Kargil to coup' by Nasim Zahra?
So much for Gen Durrani's service to Indians that he is denied temporary lodging in India for the launch of book.

The Royal Wedding

Spring is a great time for the royal weddings & we wish all the good things to Harry & Meghan.  Always get this feeling that something is not right about these royal weddings. Lets see if we could unearth that feeling this time. Is it Harry's 'Paki' thing but if Ahmed Raza Khan developed 'no hard feelings' why are we being grudgy about lil Harry? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/4276705/Soldier-called-Paki-by-Prince-Harry-insists-there-are-no-hard-feelings-after-apology.html
Or he was forgiven for our colonial legacy of submission? Unless youngman from Pakistan was vying to outdo Mother Tereesa, young soldiers have high self esteem & they take every insult with a pinch of salt. Who really knows but personal experience suggests that those University Grads at Sandhurst from iconic Oxfords & Cambridges only had ostentatious courtesies. Their exterior was polite & accomplished but their reality lacked it all. Back in 1998, on our first outdoor, one of my 'mates' scornfully asked me to fetch him a cup of tea  as not long ago, we had been their slaves. And I had no qualms about fetching a hot cup of tea & pourig it over his crotch, telling him that things had changed. Such racist behaviour continued till the very end & my rebuttals were never short of the mark, though by the end of the year, there were signs of genuine respect earned on professional grounds with medals & As in my bag.
Back to royal wedding. Harry is not the sweetest bit of his royal floozy highness, late Princes of Wales, who could not respect the royal wedlock but never had the guts to get out of it. Harry, at best is a royal racist rascal. Now that he weds 3 years older LA's colored divorcee from Suits, lets hope he has learnt a lesson or two on race. And we sincerely hope that 'free spirited' Meghan has learnt all the royal courtesies of how many kissess on which cheek, when to bend & when to stay quiet. Well, quiet for the most part. Her transformation seems easier because she is an actress & now she has to perform at the royal stage.
What else is not good about this royal pomp & show. Yes, carefully crafted pomp & show has an economic value to it. The coverage. The tourists (there actually are losers who spend money to attend royal pretence show), the souvenirs (20 £ minted coin, 5 £ cup with royal couple's picture on it). This is how they keep these dummies relevant & in the process, generate huge economic activity. Kudos to persistent publicity of the event. They make it sound like the royal event of the globe and more obnoxiously, some people buy this crap.
People in Britain (mostly women) fantisize this high drama of unreal spending & idiotic fairytale stuff. Those 'oohs & aahs' of British spinsters come at a price of 30 Million pounds of UK's taxpayers. As part of these theatrics, Brits look as bizzare as this whole royal wedding thing. So much for typical British high-handedness; they never fail to make fun of every other nation on God's earth but this royal bonanza & its spending spree makes an 'arse' of'em.
For a girl & a boy getting married only warrants some blessings but this is a royal affair. Its anything but simple. But we still wish them luck.

Thank You All

Thank you Modi for investing in Nawaz Sharif. It was a mistake because he was not Mujeeb ur Rehman. Not good enough, he had no Mukti Bahani, trained & supported by Indian Army.
Thank you Nawaz Sharif for coming to your true colors in hours of desperation. However, you have officially joined the club of international political tools for sale. Best bidder will buy your services like Altaf & Haqqani.
Thank you Mariam Nawaz for speeding up the process & making sure he comes to his true colors.
Thank you advisors; Pervez Rasheed, Danayal, Talal, Mariam Aurangzeb & others for agreeing & ill advising.
Thank you media for its polorization. Jung & GEO get the first prize for being loyal to India & in turn to NS. Though they minted loads of money in the process but this is their formula for growth, 'a deal with the capitalist devil'.
Special thanks to Dawn for putting behind its legacy of responsible journalism that would have not published either Dawn Leaks or Mumbai Attacks statement of Nawaz Sharif as it carries national security risk. They must have consulted national security stakeholders before printing.
Thank you Twice to little twat called Cyril Almeida of Goa. You made a name son for being twice at the heart of it for all the wrong reasons. A declared prostitute is easily accessible because her motives are known.
Thank you Judiaciary for, finally, standing up for Pakistan and making him desperate.
Thank you Peoples Party of Benazir for wrangling with this monster before Zardari factor came to your demise.
Thank you new look establishment (Army, Judiciary & NAB). It looks credible as long its Pakistan First. Needs more independent pro Pakistan institutions under this umbrella. Though IK was eager for adotion but you kept him guessing which is good for his political growth & restoration of a credible Parliament.
And finally, thank you Mossack Fonseca for making it all possible. Otherwise, he was not coming to courts & none here were capable of bringing him to the courts.
Thank you all. Have a blessed Monday.

Change in Attock may change it all

Change is such an elusive drug for a nation whose democracy keeps shuttling between kleptocracy and kakistocracy.

11 points at Minar-e-Pakistan sounded Prime-ministerial but rhetoric is one thing and deliverance is another. PTI leadership should have the stomach to absorb position of advantage that fell in their laps from heavens in Panama Papers. There will be issues concerning distribution of tickets and constituency based differences between those who will get party tickets and those left out.  How PTI leadership handles this issue and how its workforce performs before and on the day of elections will determine the outcome of General Elections 2018.

Take for example my own constituency NA 57 which after 2018 delimitation has become NA 55. PML (N)’s Whip, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed remained undefeated from NA 57 since 1990. In 2002, he could not run for the seat due to graduation degree clause. Resultantly, his son Salman Sarwar had to run but lost against Malik Amin Aslam.

Dynamics of District Attock’s politics are very interesting. Attock’s election mood is quite predictable. In 2002, Q League made a clean sweep from hitherto three NA constituencies (NA 57, 58 & 59). In 2008, Noon, Q & PPP won a seat each. In 2013, Noon bagged two and NA 59 was claimed by independent Zain Elahi son of Major (R) Tahir Sadiq.

Major (R) Tahir Sadiq is brother-in-law of Ch Shujaat Hussain and a politicoholic. He eats, drinks & sleeps politics. Not only his son is MNA from NA 59, his daughter Eman Waseem also holds the office of Chairperson District Attock. Realizing, his in-laws’ growing politically irrelevance, he continued his political struggle of family aggrandizement independently as Major Group and lately, took a leap of political faith cum opportunity and joined PTI in November 2017.

Now the tricky part begins. At the time of his joining PTI, there were three constituencies, but delimitation reduced it to two. In previous arrangement of three NA seats, it was only fair for him to claim two party tickets (for himself (NA 57 or 58) & for his son Zain in NA 59) and third one could have been dished out to longtime PTI loyalists like Malik Amin Aslam. However, there are only two seats now (NA 55 & 56).  In current scenario NA 56 should go to Major Group. Who wins PTI ticket from NA 55 and how the aggrieved party takes it will determine the outcome of this election from Attock District. A quick analysis of results of last two general elections from NA 57 (Now NA 55) suggest only one thing, if change has to take effect, PTI ticket winners and those left out have to show a big heart.  

General Elections 2008				General Elections 2013
Result	Candidate	Party	Votes	Winner	Party	Votes
Winner	Sheikh Aftab Ahemd	PML (N)	38755	Sheikh Aftab Ahemd	PML (N)	59638
Runner up	Malik Amin Aslam	IND	38392	Malik Amin Aslam	PTI	55515
2nd Runner up	Eman Waseem	IND (Major Group)	33975	Major (R) Tahir Sadiq	IND (Major Group)	50878

Now that Major Group has joined PTI, together with runner up (Malik Amin Aslam) of last two elections, they should be able to muster double the votes of Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, only if they put their personal political gains or losses on one side and abide by the party discipline. PTI leadership must also consider sensitivities of constituency politics as however strong, the Tsunamis consist of tiny droplets of water, hence, every drop matters. Whoever, Malik Amin Aslam or Major Group does not get ticket of NA 55, should be promised important advisory role at national level because both are equally capable of delivering at bigger level. Otherwise, margins have been very narrow in previous elections and Attock will keep on waiting for another five years for change. Or change in Attock may change it all.

In the end, formation of government in center is not guaranteed by big jalsas rather it all boils down to the method of constituency politics, party discipline, electioneering and performance of party workers on elections day.   

Only Allah knows the whole Truth.

Nawaz Sharif's fear of aliens

Now that he is staring down the barrel, he is spitting all his venom against Army, probably a last gasp effort of this menace called NS.He dirtied the pond of politics & his back will surely do good to the political arena. I absolutely agree with metaphor of 'mafia' used in judgement against him. His self-serving style of governance can be tolerated but his coalition with anti-Pakistan elements has been alarming. Modi coming as personal guest at Jati Umra presenting Sarhi    (ساڑھی) was symbolic when we were lifting dead bodies due to Indian Army's cease fire violations from across LOC. Jandal visit, rallying of international media behind NS, Dawnleaks all indicate towards one thing that he was just a pawn, it was always our establishment versus international establishment. Prevailing over TTP & restoration of relative peace along western borders plus improvement of internal security, top-down corruption crackdown & Army's strict restrain from taking over executive powers of the country despite  NS' vigourous attempts for political martyrdom was all too much for them to take. With CPEC, Pakistan gains geo-startegic weight in the region. Russia is knocking on our doors. Change is around the corner. But there will be turbulence. Hazara community is again on target to vent sectarian unrest/ violence, sporadic fire & suicidals incidents, formation of PTM & international media along with NS & his idelogical friends in Achakzais, Bazinjos & Fazl ur Rehmans patronizing PTM are all weak attempts to destabalize Pakistan. Now we have become nerve hardy. Hopefully, this should be the last assault of NS on his own countrymen before he is pushed in to oblivion of irrelevance. Something that would be very hard for him to live with, specially when his daughter is also about to book a berth in Adiyala. However, international established can hit back with much harder force with a new pawn like NS. After all, reason for woes of NS could be that he never fully understood the power of loyalty to his nation and continued to fool the nation with false alarms & fears of aliens. Though in the end, his corruption had him yet continues to be exposed as a snake up our sleeves.
Only Allah knows the whole truth.

Politics of Siraj ul Haq

As student leader, always admired Siraj ul Haq for his simplicity and passionate oratory. Hailing from humble beginnings of a small village in Lower Dir, despite holding public offices he still maintains a modest outlook. As Finanacial Minister of KPK, he never held a bank account for issues of interest. Respected by both friends & foes alike. Probably, the only politician having such long political career who fits the parameters of 62 & 63.
Since his student days at Punjab University, he never broke away from his simple lifestyle & motored along the highway of leadership in Islami Jamiat Talaba's Wolkswagon. After heading students wing of JI, he is now perched at the highest pedestal of JI. He has always voiced issues which were patriotically, religiously & morally correct but unfortunately, his political decision making like the rest of political leadership in business has been below par. Past few months, his decision making which persumbly is the outcome of collective wisdom of his Shura, has been a let down. He championed the drive against corruption and Panama Drama. But in strange turn of events, sided with Noon League in Senate Chairman Elections. Kia Yeh khula Tazad Nahin Hai?
Likewise, all politico-religious parties rallied for next elections & elected His Highness Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman as President of MMA. If anything, Maulana is synonymous with Hypocracy (Munafiqat). If our friends from JI would readily like to quote Meesaq-e-Medina or Hudabiya to gain political foothold, they should keep in mind earlier was with Jews & later with Kuffar but not with declared Munafiqs. And no one is judging Maulana Sahib, he had been in power through alliances with every govt in past two decades. He earned his repute through his actions. What about Kasmir Committe's performance? JI is the strongest proponent of Kashmir issue in Pakistan, did they question criminal silence of Maulana on Kashmir, despite enjoying perks in the name of Kashmiris.
If only JI had the work force like Tableeghi Jamat & or tableeghi Jamat had the political ideology of JI, politico-religious force could change the fate of this country.
If JI is running out of ideas, make alliances with political force that represents change. Stop this religious high-handedness that a religious party can only align with a religious party. Reach out to clean shaven Muslims as well. Have confidence in your conduct, make alliance with PTI, attract Youth of this nation to your good cause. The alliance could serve as recruiting campaign. Alas, they are happy with their little political niche, having to do nothing but farting along side Maulana Fazl ur Rehman & co.
No matter how high we think of Mr Siraj ul Haq, he has to make better political choices to go with his repute. Otherwise, his persona will also fizzle away like the ineffective politics of JI for the past six decades.