This Week’s post on Ronin 2.0

Following are the latest posts on Ronin 2.0;

• Is Asif Smarted than a 5th grader??

• I, Protest

• Talk about Freedom, Talk about Discrimination

Kashmir Singh?? Aaho Janab (Yes Sir)

A man can fight anything but his luck. This phrase hold true for many and one of them is our friend Kashmir Singh. For those who haven’t heard the name before; this Indian national spend thirty five years of his life in a Pakistani prison behind the bars….

the rest of the article on=========> ronin 2.0 

Break On through to the other side….

Piece of Art; Palestinian artist ‘Trash’, expressing the frustrations of Palestinians about the barrier.BBC News

Uncle Qayyum Busted !

Election 2008 is on our door step and a fresh tape of attorney general Malik Qayyum has been released by the human watch; where he is advising someone to get a ticket of a certain party (Q-League) that has golden chances to win the elections because of the planned rigging. This is not the first time that Uncle Qayyum has been caught on tape making claims that link to massive corruption by the government.

 

In 1999, Qayyum had to resign from high court as a judge thanks to another shameful act of his; a taped telephone call was handed over by PPP. In that particular call he was taking Govt. dictation in an on-going case. So the question arises why the hell Musharraf appointed someone this corrupt as an attorney journal of the country. Well, for the same reason that he appointed the rest of his corrupted cabinet.

This evidence has pasted another question mark on the fairness of February 18th elections.

Hum jo tareek raho mai maray gaye….

Three Prime Ministers, similar fate…

Tere honton ke phoolon kii chahat mein hum

Daar ki khushk tehni pe waare gaye

Tere haaton ki sham’on ki hasrat mein hum

Neem tareek raahon mein maare gaye

… Qatl-gaahon se chun kar humara alam

Aur nikleinge ushaaq ke qaafle

Jin ke raah-e-talab se humare qadam

Mukhtasar kar chale dard ke faasle

Kar chale jin ki khaatir jahan geer hum

Jaan gunwa kar teri dilbari ka bharam

        

Hum jo tareek raahon mein maare gaye !!

Who Killed Bhutto, again??

Blame Al-Qaeda! How convenient is that? Maybe the next time when the cookie jar will be empty; little Tommy will do the same. Blame Al-Qaeda, Mahsood etc. So who killed Bhutto?

The picture that was taken by ‘some’ amateur photographer explains it all. The man in the glasses is the shooter, as he is holding the gun in the second picture. And in the third picture you can’t see Ms.Bhutto. The third photo was taken seconds before the suicide attack. According to Dawn sources the amateur photographer also pointed out the man in the first picture whose face is half covered and is standing right behind the shooter. He is the suicide bomber.

 

In countries where authorities themselves aren’t responsible for suicide killings and mass murdering; evidences are not washed away. The man who killed Liaqat Ali Khan (first PM of Pakistan) was immediately shot by a police inspector without any attempt of arrest. No body saw Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttos dead body, he was buried by men in uniform and then army men sprayed his grave with some solution to put an end for any future investigation. In this case the authorities washed the place with the help of a fire brigade, just few hours after the incident. No fire brigade showed up in any other part of the country where factories, houses, offices, cars and other public property were set on fire.

 

The picture that was published in today’s Dawn proves the fact that it was neither a suicide bomb nor the lever of her car, that killed the ex prime Minister.

 

So why did Pervaiz Musharraf’s (Government) spokes man came up with a phony tale?

For obvious reasons;

 

• Benazir Bhutto was the most popular leader of Pakistan.
• Her Prime minister ship could have put a halt on army intervention once and for all.
• She was a symbol of anti establishment.
• Establishment can fall to any degree to achieve its targets.

 

 

If we look at the course of events and how they turned out, it appears to be all scripted. The citizens of the country were forced to live in a war zone. We are all helpless. If the Govt. can’t protect its citizens in emergency situations then what is the need of such a Govt. If you ask me who benefited from Benazir’s death the most? Its Musharraf and establishment, with Benazir in command he saw his end nearer. The only support that he had was from USA and even they found his replacement.

Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007)

 Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and President of PPP died in a suicide attack. Bhutto was shot first and then the attacker blew himslef up. Protests and violence has erupted on the streets of Pakistan.

The General that can be criticized by Ahsan Zawar

Well I am one of the biggest haters of army in politics whether it’s my homeland or some other country. The concept of army capturing land and wealth from the other has never really impressed me. As a kid I was made to believe by my family that it is the safest and the best career in Pakistan. To their utter disappointment I never tried for the armed forces.

 

Now with so much of media exposure, everyone seems to be talking about politics everywhere. I like the line written on a wall in some old saddar’s restaurant “Siyasi Guftago say parhaiz kijiye” (Please do not discuss politics). This line took me to the past and I just look around for the things that are with us and that we take for granted. When someone oppresses and deliberately keeps our rights away from us, we do complain but when someone gives us our due right, we not only take it but we make huge victorious comment of how we achieved it though in reality we never make a single and honest attempt to struggle for it. So in short we complain and debate even more after getting our due right than we used to do when it wasn’t with us.

 

It is tough to defend someone who has done something for you especially when the trend is just opposite (in this case Criticizing Musharraf is more in fashion these days). The Government Muslim League has done little to support the man and he is often blamed of supporting them. President no matter how powerful we consider him in our society will still be an ordinary human. He can’t handle everything so he shouldn’t be blamed for everything. People like Wasi Zafar and Sher Afghan were born like that. Whatever they do is unjustifiably wrong to blame it on someone else. For that case I don’t even blame their mothers because they were made like that by God.

 

The media and press were pushed to the wall by former democrats and dictators. The newspapers were scrutinized and the news on PTV, we all remembers when they used to skip the firing and bombing incidents in Karachi. I researched on this about how many journalists actually tried starting a movement for the liberation of media or for that matter do their bit for educating people. The answer to my utter shock was not sweet. They have been cases where the journalists and papers have tried being supporters of a particular block and did what everyone in our society do at best. Sit, relax and count the money.

 

For that case I divide the two eras as pre and post Musharraf. How much an ordinary man knew about the politics and things around him in the pre era? Yes we used to talk about politics and issues but we used to make sure that this does not go out of our rooms. The liberation of media to me is the biggest gift to us by the dictator no matter how much you hate him. We certainly started feeling more responsible and educated. The door was open for a free debate for the first time in our life. The constitutions and the laws started being discussed on TV. I conclude this on that, today the politician that thinks that the people are stupid and uneducated is himself the most stupid person around. I thank the dictator for giving us our due right, the right to know and the right to speak.

The daughter of the East, in the line of Fire

 

Pakistan once again is the centre of the international interest for another political reason. And this time the reason is; the return of the Mummy. Yes I am talking about the mother of Pakistan Peoples Party and the daughter of the east Ms.Benazir Bhutto. Now you can go on and deny me when I say; there are few popular names run the political game in each country. Whether its India (who call themselves the biggest democratic country in the whole world), USA (who is a self appointed democracy sheriff) or Pakistan (who hardly saw glimpses of what they call a democratic system). Voters and masses in these countries still follow Bhutto, Gandhi (Nehru family) and Kennedy.

 

Congress party; the oldest political party in subcontinent is run by an Italian woman. Can’t they find a single leader in the population of 100 curores to lead them? I am sure the poor lady never or wanted to be in the situation she is now but what choice did she had. She has to pass the transaction period when either her son or daughter will take over the party. But the point is, that parties start their political struggle in the name of socialism, religion, freedom etc but after some time its realm that lead these so called democratic entities. They don’t even have a democratic process within their own party.

 

Having said that, I don’t want to take any credit from Ms. Bhutto, she leaded her party for 28 years. Been to jail, was whipped, face the tragic death of his father and untimely deaths of her younger brothers. If you look into her married life, half of that life Asif Zardari was behind bars for allegations that the establishment failed to prove. Even now when I am writing this post home town Karachi an announced national holiday millions of the Jiyaley (the name given to the PPP’s workers) are on the streets chanting her name and covered with red, black and green. The rest of the billions are gathered around the idiot box and watching her coming down from the airplane.

 

Without any shadow of doubt in Benazir’s popularity her sir name plays an important part. This fact is evident from the billboards hanging on Sharah-e-Faisal where Zulfi Bhutto’s picture is as prominent as his daughter’s.

But something is missing. The question is what!? The international and national media is here, the political workers are here but something is missing. She got Musharraf’s support, US support, ex nemesis MQM is also supporting them by keeping their mouths shut. So what is left? What was their when Imam Khoemeni returned or Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto revolutionized the Pakistani society in the late 60’s; Youth!!

Young men and women of any society not only comprise the majority of the population but also represents where the country is heading. Why the youth of Pakistan prefer staying home then coming on the streets to participate in the process which might help their country to change its course. Lack of leadership is the answer, we the Pakistani youth don’t lack patriotism or humanitarian germs. We all have seen the youth of Pakistan leading the aid process when earth quake hit the northern areas. Their efforts were undoubtedly commendable. Even now in traffic jams when there is no sign of hope or traffic sergeant. Young volunteers jumps in and make the flow possible.

 

The problem with today’s leadership is that either they don’t represent us or they fail to address our basic issues. Joblessness, corruption in the education department, you can’t get the job you deserve without a source or reference. The education board is one of the most corrupted departments in the country. Higher education is not only unaffordable for the middle and the lower middle class but the quality is also declining with time. There is no sense of security; every young graduate would prefer going abroad for further education and earning some decent living.

 

But I am still optimistic about our future and the role of our youth. Even now when given a chance, a cause worthy enough to fight for, a movement worthy enough to die for, a leader worthy enough to follow; you will again observe the youth of Pakistan leading and playing their vital role.

National Tragedy

Note: This post was also published in TPS.

The other day when I stopped my car on the signal I questioned myself;

What the hell I am doing?

Waiting for the green light; the voice in my head told me.

‘But why?’ I asked myself again.

Because it’s the rule! You have to stop on the red light, wait on the orange and move on when the green signal shows up. That’s the rule! But why am I following rules especially in the country where I live in. Why should I wait for the green light to show up, why should I wait in the queue for the bills, why should I follow any rules that are prescribed in the rule book at all?

Because you are a common man with little or no value and powers.

In the real world might is ultimately right. The rich and powerful get away with everything. Rules are there to create a fence between classes. So that when a VIP wants to move from one place to another in the busy traffic of Karachi city people like me should wait for their green signal under the scorching heat of the sun.

2007 is supposedly an election year for the country. But don’t we know the results? Gen. Musharraf will be the President in uniform. Ms. Bhutto probably the Prime Minister and the rest of the opportunists who call themselves politicians will get their share of the deal. Everything will be carried out right in front of the world and in the name of the national interest. I don’t know which nation they are referring to because this nation had never been involved in the decision making process and there are minute chances of this extra ordinary thing to take place in the near future. So in the end I will be fined for breaking the signal and the General will get away with breaking the constitution.

The law of the jungle – Zehra Nigah

I have heard
There is a law of the jungle

I have heard when the lion has eaten his fill
He never attacks
He goes to lie under dense shady trees
And when the rough gusts
Shake branches of trees
The maynah leaving her own young
Covers the frail crow’s eggs
With her protective wings

I have heard
When any bird-young falls out of the nest
The entire jungle wakes to rescue

I have heard
When the weaver bird’s nest
Reflects on the lake
The silvery fishes adopt it as neighbour
And if a rough storm breaks the foot-bridge
Then on a wooden plank
Squirrel, snake, goat and cheetah walk in a file

I have heard
There is a law of the jungle
O God, All Powerful, All Seeing, All Wise,
In this city of mine
Proclaim a law, even
The law of the jungle