Musharraf, the next Rana Sanaullah?
As a critic of Pakistan’s political system, I am constantly blighted by the fact that I did not vote. Even though this fact lies heavy on my conscience, I also know that I will not vote in the next elections either, simply because I cannot willfully bring any of the existing parties into power. The PPP, the various Muslim Leagues, the dreaded MQM, the right wing parties who form coalition governments no matter who wins – every single candidate remains unacceptable. Maybe it was the desire to have someone to vote for, maybe it was nostalgia, but the truth is, I actually waited for ...
Read Full PostFlood zones: A breeding ground for terrorism
In Pakistan, no matter how bad the situation is, no matter how hopeless the facts, things can always get worse. So while the recent incidents of terrorism in Lahore and Quetta added much pain to an already heartbreaking situation, they were not really surprising. With the Armed Forces and most of the administrative machinery busy catering to the millions rendered homeless and penniless, the terrorists have had ample chance to regroup and recharge. Even though some of the flood hit areas in the tribal belt were home to the TTP and other mainstream terrorist groups including the Haqqani Group, terrorists ...
Read Full PostShabana’s baby didn’t have to die
Shabana, a resident of Jampur gave birth to baby boy on a charpoy kept beside the road, aided only by her mother-in-law. The women had no medicines and the environment was far from sterile. The new born only survived a few hours and now Shabana’s health is deteriorating every day. Despite the challenges her family stubbornly refuses to move to a camp simply because they don’t want to move any further away from the ruins of what was once their home. Unfortunately, the plight of expectant mothers in the flood zone has not been discussed enough. According to the World Health ...
Read Full PostA disaster commission that is sure to fail
As the popular Pakistani saying goes ‘If you don’t want anything done, set up a commission to do it.’ I would not be surprised if it turned out that this very saying was the ‘hidden’ agenda behind Nawaz Sharif’s brainwave of setting up an authority to ensure that the incoming aid was actually spent to help the flood victims. Keeping in tune to the renewed vows of ‘walking together’ in these chaotic conditions, the Prime Minister announced the setting up of the National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC) to ensure transparency in distribution of aid for flood victims. The council will ...
Read Full PostWe, the barbarians
The raw footage of the brutal murder of two teenage brothers in Sialkot was played in the Supreme Court and the howls of the victims’ family were as painful as the horrific scene itself. Having seen the insane act, uncut and unblurred, I cannot even begin to comprehend just how anybody with the least bit of humanity, could actually stand there are watch the barbarians without so much as flinching. More shocking was the prestige and the protocol offered to the suspended DPO of Sialkot, as he left the court. With various henchmen running to and fro opening doors for ...
Read Full PostThe conditional humanity of Taliban
The Taliban have a humane side. No, I’m not kidding. It must be humanity that prompted the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to offer $20 million for the aid of flood victims and distribute relief goods. The scenario baffles the mind. Imagine the TTP in Swat, one of the worst hit areas. I assume victims would be directed to line up at Khooni Chowk in Mingora. I can imagine TTP workers shouting “All those who adhere to our brand of Islam, line up for aid. Anyone who dares to defy us, can go drown in the raging waters.” Obviously, this generous $20 million offer comes with a catch. The aid is available ...
Read Full PostThe most expensive Ramazan ever
The holy month of Ramazan has arrived with pre-dawn prayers, iftar’s and frantic efforts to make up for every sin committed during the rest of the year. For most of us, religious fervor is accompanied with more worldly pleasures like delicious parathas, traditional khajla and pheni to be devoured at sehri and the innumerable delights of Iftar. Would Ramazan even feel like Ramazan if not for the daily dose of fruit chat and the onion and potato pakoras and samosas? Traditional Ramazan fare has long fed the greed of hoarders and profiteers. But this year man made shortages have been eclipsed by a natural destruction of an unbelievable ...
Read Full PostQuacks with advertising budgets
Here is a shout out to cable viewers in Rawalpindi – everybody who knows who Dr. Adnan Aziz is, say ‘I’. He claims to be the family doctor for the wazir-e-azam of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. (Don’t ask how he can remain the family doctor of the PM for the last three years when AJK has seen quite a few changes on the ministerial throne.) In fact don’t ask anything, just marvel at the amazing messiah-like powers the good doctor possesses. He can cure anything from kidney stones to infertility. And not just that! He will do it all in the environment of a discotheque. (I haven’t ...
Read Full Post‘Look beta, that’s where the plane crashed’
As the clouds finally gave way to the sun, dozens of families from the twin cities decided to make a day out of it and rushed to Daman-e-Koh, to look at the debris of fallen flight ED 202. I didn’t exactly hear what these mothers were telling their children, but from their expressions and their hard-contained excitement I’m pretty sure it was something along these lines. ‘Look beta, that’s where the plane crashed,’ ‘Dekho, dekho, not many people get to see air crash sites in their lifetime!’ Sensing the mob’s interest, a lone entrepreneur hooked up his binoculars and started charging Rs10 for ...
Read Full PostConfessions of a desensitized journalist
As Pakistanis we should now all be well versed with disaster coverage. Bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, violent protests, military operations, natural disasters – you name it and we have seen it all. However, instead of making us more proficient at covering tragedies, the influx of disastrous situations seem to have worked in reverse. For media personnel these situations are double disasters. The more serious the disaster is, the worse the situation in the newsroom becomes. As I started writing the first script for a television news package regarding the rescue operation at Margalla Hills crash sight, I was rudely reminded time and again, by ...
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