Society Now

Has India Gone Into Panic Mode?

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 16:00:00 +0000

On Monday afternoon in Washing D.C, President Trump managed to create a panic 7,481 miles away in New Delhi with a revelation: "I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago. He actually said, ‘Would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?’ I said, ‘Where?’ He said, ‘Kashmir.’”

Sat next to him was Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, who couldn't wash the smile of his face and to be fair, I doubt he tried.

Trump then added: “I’d love to be a mediator.”

Across in New Delhi, where night had set in, everyone was taken back by what had just happened. In a matter of seconds, Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs tweeted, "No such request has been made".

For a time being calm set in when the official press release of the meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Donald Trump was released. There was no mention of Kashmir, neither was there any mention of India. Cross boarder terrorism on the other was included.

Unfortunately for New Delhi, the calm didn't last long. The morning after the press conference, the opposition in the lower and upper house of India's parliament, took the Indian government to the cleaners. They repeatedly asked for a clarification on the matter. The country’s external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, read out a statement in the upper house of parliament, identical to what his spokesman had tweeted earlier: “I repeat, no such request was made by the prime minister to the U.S. president.”

While the Indian opposition is trying to pressure the government on this matter, the Indian media has called out President Trump as a liar, clearing Prime Minister Modi of inviting a third party into talks between Pakistan.

Trump's Chief Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow told reporters at the White House when a journalist following up on the president's remarks asked if it was made up, "It is a very rude question". He added, "The president doesn't make things up".

Unfortunately for the White House, a number of U.S. lawmakers, came out against President Trump's statement and tried to smooth waters between India and United States.

Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted,
"Everyone who knows anything about foreign policy in South Asia knows that India consistently opposes third-party mediation in Kashmir. Everyone knows PM Modi would never suggest such a thing. Trump’s statement is amateurish and delusional. And embarrassing. I just apologized to Indian Ambassador Harsh Shringla for Trump's amateurish and embarrassing mistake."

And Alice Wells, the acting assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, took back Trump’s comments through a tweet, “Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss.”

All this raises a number of questions.

What did Prime Minister and President Trump discuss when they met at the G-20 summit earlier this year?

The rational argument that can be made is that Trump may have exaggerated the discussion he had with Prime Minister Modi. Unfortunately, the reality does not matter now. It is an extremely difficult situation that the two countries (India and United States) find themselves in. It also makes sense, considering the situation and the intensity of the relations why Prime Minister Modi has till now mot commented on this. It'll be hard to see how the two can get out of this without damaging the relationship between the two countries, considering this revelation will stay relevant in time till it is properly addressed.

Will this affect the current relationship between India and United States, considering they are already in a trade war?

It most definitely will have an affect. What will be interesting to see will be the nature and the level of the said affect. Unfortunately, the remarks were made in a press conference regarding Kashmir, an issue that Pakistan is keen on making relevant internationally. How India and United States deal with this and how much can the India media continue to target President Trump before the United States gets annoyed, time will tell. It also will be interesting to observe whether President Trump sticks to his statement or finds a political answer to what he said. In the latter case, things will settle down, though President Trump is not much known for settling things down.

Is India's panic warranted?

It most certainly is. Kashmir has been a concern for the two nuclear arm neighbours since Independence but India has stuck to its stance of bilateral talks and no third party involvement since the Shimla agreement took place. The reason for that is, if a third party was to get involved, it may prove to be disastrous for India. The Human Rights Commission as well as many organizations have repeatedly called out India for their human rights abuse in Kashmir. India also doesn't recognize Kashmir as disputed but considers it as a part of itself. To have a mediator on this issue would be India accepting that this is indeed a disputed territory. And any solution but Kashmir being a part of India, is not acceptable to India, which becomes highly unlikely as the only solution with a third party mediator present.

Can this be considered as a win for Pakistan?

The only obvious winner from this is Pakistan. It is hard to see if Pakistan had anything to do directly with this, but they've come out from that press conference unscathed, but have made Kashmir a talking point once again in the international community and have possibly poked a hole in India-US relations that are already in a trade-war between each other.

Back to Square One

noreply@blogger.com (Hussam Ahmed Khan Afridi) — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:54:00 +0000

What do we mean by progress?

"To Improve or develop over a period of time".

All of us yearn for this phenomenon in the competitive times that prevail today. We say, Pakistan is left behind in the world race. That is it. We merely state the obvious and do nothing about it. Now, what does that say about us as a nation? Are we so pessimistic that we give up all hope or are unwilling to see this land prosper or do we simply put the blame on governments?

Currently our economy is unstable, our business community is struggling, and people are losing jobs or simply not getting paid enough to make ends meet. A significant proportion of our people are earning less than Rupees 20,000 a month. People do not have a roof over their head and even three meals a day is a luxury. Do not be alarmed because that is how most of our populace are leading their lives in Interior Punjab, Sindh, Khyber PakhtunKhwa and Balochistan.

Poor nutrition and sanitation have led them into deteriorating health and the condition of public hospitals is right before our very own eyes. Imagine the state of mind these unfortunate families might be having, can we blame them for being pessimistic about the future? Can we blame them for not progressing or do we blame the government for not providing them with their basic rights as citizens?

Without a shadow of doubt, the latter makes more sense. Amidst such circumstances, we find political parties fighting over who is selected and who is elected. The irony, however, is that we always let them exploit us. Till date, no democratic government in our history has been able to deliver on their promises. In fact, their wealth has multiplied whereas the poor continue to become poorer and poorer.

A year earlier, I recall interacting with a person who was putting up posters of a certain candidate during the 2018 General Elections. He showed me a 5000 Rupees currency note and said his leader had promised him a job after the election. A few months ago, I saw the same person sleeping in a mosque and the look he had on his face said it all. I felt for him, for the hope he once had when he ignored the scorching July heat while tirelessly pasting posters of a candidate running for election from his constituency. That is all it takes to deceive my people.

Shall we expect progress? No. Certainly not until the common person continues to be deceived.

"Countries such as Great Britain and the United States became rich because their citizens overthrew the elites who controlled power and created a society where political rights were much more broadly distributed, where the government was accountable and responsive to citizens, and where the great mass of people could take advantage of economic opportunities." (Why Nations Fail – by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson)

Pakistan is still a young nation, compared to western democracies that go back centuries. Our founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, achieved this country democratically and constitutionally. Destiny did not allow him to draw the socio – economic, religious and political map of a newly born state. During the first twenty one years of inception, Pakistan was governed by civil – military bureaucracy under oligarchic and authoritarian traditions. The military continue to play a role in the political affairs of Pakistan. Imposed leaders and inherited politics have brought damage to the overall system. The election campaigns of political parties may convey the message of ‘people first’ but the reality is far from it. Majority of the Pakistani people continue to live in areas with no access to proper education, health or food.

We must not expect progressive thought to be welcomed until the audience can comprehend it. The young generation of politics enthusiasts is our best opportunity to start sowing the seeds of a real democracy.

Educate yourself and whoever you can, utilize the resources available to you, dig in to your history and read as many books as you can.

Feel free to read "Why nations fail" by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. It is one of the finest books you will ever read.

Crisis Cricket

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 07:42:00 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen, if I may have your attention, please.
Cricket is in danger, I repeat cricket is in danger!

Zimbabwe Cricket has been banned by the International Cricket Council on grounds of their government interfering with their cricket board. While, the quality of cricket Zimbabwe brought to the international level did not match the standard, this is a loss to the gentlemen's game. It has been over a hundred years, yet cricket has not grown as a major global sports in terms of the countries that play the game, now we've lost another country that won't be playing the sport.

One of the few reasons that cricket is in crisis right now is not because of the quality of the game but because of administrative failures and monopoly imposed by key stakeholders. The two mentioned points require a detail analysis and a lot of self reflection and self correction, if we are to achieve the goal of making cricket a global sport in ten years time right now. Though, before that, we have another crisis about to hit us.

Cricket is losing on quality from multiple nations and the gap between the best teams is far extending. West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are in a state of crisis and this directly affects cricket. The current world cup, irrespective how exciting it was, was a show of proof. The top four teams were largely predictable before the start of the world cup and had it not been for rain, it would have remained predictable as well. That is not what the game deserves, neither is that what the fans deserve.

West Indies cricket has taken a dive since the past couple of years, but they are getting back on their feet. The gap is still very wide and the issues at the core remain in large, unresolved. The encouraging aspect is that, they have established a core squad and will continue to revolve around those players till the T20 world cup that is to be held later next year. The West Indies Cricket Board and players will have to create new relationships and strong policy will have to be implemented if they are to create an impact on the world stage in the long run. The question is, will they be able to do this or will short term victories hijack the road to recovery? Unfortunately, the past two decades of West Indies cricket don't give cricket and the fan's much comfort.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand are in free fall. Losing on key players due to retirement has exposed their domestic structure. There is no quality present at the moment and with the board politically handled, it is hard to see how they can get back to glory days. The squad that played in the world cup displayed glimpses of excellence at times, but they are still lacking. They've reshuffled and reordered, chopped and changed. What Sri Lanka needs to do now is focus on their domestic cricket and allow the international team the comfort of time. When the foundations of a cricket team are weak, especially at international level, the first thing that has to be ensured on the road to recovery is security. The group of boys representing team Sri Lanka need to assured of their place. You can not have individuals playing for their place in the team, when the team has hit rocked bottom and expect positive results. This will be a painful process, but with patience, it will bear fruits. Sri Lanka need this and so does world cricket.

Pakistan brings in a flare different to world cricket than any nation. A competitive Pakistan makes the game twice as good as it already is. Unfortunately, Pakistan has been in a rebuilding process since 2015. Stability is missing from its core and there is no sense of direction. Much has been said about Pakistan's domestic structure and the quality it produces, but the time has come to put those words in action. Pakistan's record in the previous two years shows how far they are lacking behind, but unfortunately, the unpredictability manages a few great wins and everyone forgets the underlying problems. The recent exist in the world cup would lead to chop and changes, but that's exactly what Pakistan has been doing this the past twenty years! It is time for stability in their international team, except a few unavoidable changes and direct all the focus on their domestic cricket. The idea of a six team domestic structure is a good one, but only if it is implemented in the best possible way. Pakistan, will have to invest in their domestic structure and improve the image of cricket, domestically, if they are to have any chance of being contenders for the next world cup. Changes at the international level will break current process that has been brought in place by the current captain and manager. Adjust policy at the international level and revamp at the domestic level, not vice versa.

World Cricket needs these three teams at their level best, because without these three and no other teams to replace them, world cricket will be at a severe loss.

Political Twins Set to Meet

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 13:02:00 +0000

As the sun rises over Washington next week on Monday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan will step foot in the White House for the first time to meet his counterpart, the President of United States. This meeting is expected to be a rebuild in relations between the two countries, which since the Trump administration has roughened to a certain extent. Though it might be a difficult task to rebuild relations when there are certain nervous issues that will be discussed including Afghan Peace Process, China & CPEC and Iran; if there were to be any two individuals in the world that could achieve the impossible, the above mentioned two men of power surely can.

There's much similar about the two individuals. Both of them started outside of politics and made a name for themselves. While the Prime Minister had a successful sports career and is regarded as one of the best cricketing all-rounders of the game, the President made billions in business and entertainment. Much has been said about the two and their social life, the scandals and accusations, their political philosophy but unfortunately it has been narrated in a negative way more often than not.

Now, domestic politics aside, the two leaders have done an impressive job in the foreign relations.
The current President of United States is the first ever President of the United States to step into North Korea, the President has also kept China in a bit of a messy situation, that too after a long time. On the other side, the Prime Minister of Pakistan has in a time span of a year strengthened relations with Russia, outplayed India by the four way peace talks for the Afghan Peace process that include United States, Russia, China & Pakistan.

Though, there are always two sides to a picture, the Prime Minister of Pakistan has not had a bad encounter on the international level with anyone in this one year since he has taken office, the President of United States does have a tendency to not reciprocate too kindly, if he does not like his counterpart.

The same does apply to the character of Prime Minister of Pakistan. The underlying fact is that these two individuals decide the fate of a meeting a personal level. In simple words, for the meeting to be a success, if the two leaders manage to establish a good personal relation, that would mean a positive outcome.

The atmosphere is setting for a positive meeting as recently Pakistan arrested a controversial figure and straight after his arrest President of United States tweeted of that arrest and celebrated it. Is this an indication for what is to come? We all hope so, but it all depends on how the two "vibe" with each other, they do have a lot in common to talk about if they so choose.

While, critics would term this as unprofessional and disloyalty to the office, it is important to note that politics is about how you deal with people, nationally and internationally. It's a game that has to be played at a personal level and while the issues concerning the two countries are of immense importance and relate to not bilateral but regional issues. It would have been comforting to have a dialogue based on merits of policy, but as history shows us, the two countries have tried that approach and it has seldom worked, and the chances of that technique working in the present day are far less due to the magnitude and the variety of issues that are present in front of the two governments.

In a matter of days, this famous or infamous meeting, depending on the outcome, will take place and it will have a lasting impact on the future for both the nations. Either way it goes, these two leaders will be remembered in the history of relations between these two countries, as they have the power to take the relationship to new heights and even new lows.

Discrimination, Nationalism & Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 19:23:00 +0000

Discrimination, according to the Oxford Dictionary is, "The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex, recognition."

Nationalism, according to the same book is, "identification with one's own nation and its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations."

Now, it is important that we know the difference between the two (discrimination and Nationalism), because failure to do so, would lead "nationalism" towards "discrimination", as once said by London's Mayor Sadiq Khan, "Nationalism can be as divisive as bigotry and racism."

The statement said by Sadiq Khan is a bit harsh, but to be honest, it isn't far off from the truth. But, what happens when a nation forgoes nationalism? One may argue that nationalism is innate and that a nation can never forgo the quality of nationalism. For how can a nation not identify with its own country and share the interests of the land where they live?

It happens when fear and chaos overcome the people. When the people feel embarrassed to be linked with their country. It is when the brave turn into the cowards and the fools lead the masses. It is a sad reality.

Pakistan, a country situated in the south east Asia, with a population well over 200 million, has a rich history, which does not start from the independence, but well before. Unfortunately, over the years, Pakistan has often fallen of track and substituted growth and prosperity for terrorism and corruption. To talk about the mistakes made since 1947 would be a repetition of many articles and debates, which to no surprise have made no difference to the country. But what has never or very little been talked and written on is the mentality of the Pakistani people. We have become a discriminating nation and we are discriminating our own people, our own efforts for growth and prosperity.

To convey my point across, I'll use three examples. 1) Politics, 2) Army and 3) Civil Society

Talking about Politics, the nation has become too polarized, and while that is something time will heal, the mentality that has spread from Khyber to Karachi, is alarming. I mentioned the definition of nationalism above, and one may see nationalism in Pakistani politics, but a closer look shows that all of that love and passion is concentrated to political parties and individual leaders. For a democratic society, politics should be based solemnly on issue and the responsibility of setting that narrative lies on the people, not the politicians. The politicians will sell whatever they feel gets the attention of the masses. Take for example, the recent decision of the Supreme Court, which disqualified the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. Now had this been any other society, the decision would have been treated with respect across the board and people would have questioned their leader (Nawaz Sharif), instead of joining the bandwagon of the party and making and promoting conspiracy theories. This is not to say that the history of Pakistan shows no indications of conspiracies being made and carried out, but considering that this is a democratic society, there are ways to deal with situations like these, though none of the ways include passing a bill that allows a criminal, convict or anyone to be a party head, yet that happened. And whose to blame for the embarrassment like that? The politicians? Not at all. The people and especially the voters of that party. Imagine another country electing a criminal to office, we would be calling them out, yet we have done exactly the same by not questioning our politicians. We need to understand that questioning our elected representatives is a responsibility and the right to vote comes side by side it. If we will not question our representatives, what right do we have to vote?

Here comes a sensitive topic, the army. It is no secret that even though we are a democratic society, the army has a massive say in how the country is run. The unfortunate thing about this is that we've accepted it. Instead of conveying to the military that their job is safeguarding the borders. we invite them over and over again. What kind of a democratic society are we? A son of brigadier once told me, with a smirk on his face that, "we (army) can do whatever we want and no one can say anything because we (army) are the only reason this country has any respect in the world."

What message are we sending across? Is this the democratic society where we want our children to prosper? On one side you have the rich and corrupt and on the other you have the all powerful and unaccountable military. Where will the poor and the middle class go? And accepting this terrible terrible situation is, pardon the harsh words, the death of our nation.

The civil society of Pakistan has for years stayed inactive, yet every now and then someone does try to raise a voice. The unfortunate and upsetting thing is that we, the people are the first to reject and shun their voice. The authenticity of their mission ends well before it could grow because instead of finding support from the masses, they find hate and distrust.. It is frighting to see how people could do this to one of their own. To reject a politician or a military personnel makes sense, but rejecting a civil rights activist and labeling them traitors and agents is disappointing to say the least.

Malala, was a voice from within our ranks, but we, the people call her an agent. Call her story a script and a fake. The world showed appreciation and we did the complete vice versa. It's funny how when the world does not recognize any other individual, we are the first to run to Facebook and lecture them on how they supported Malala but not this other person and call out their bigotry. Unfortunate to say, we fail to see our own bigotry and discrimination.

Be Proud

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 18:56:00 +0000

If Jinnah and Iqbal were alive today, they would have been so proud of us. Iqbal would have kept on saying, “Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqder se pehle, Khuda bande se khud pooche bata teri raza kya hai”.

Pakistan, isn't ideal, but so wasn't the independence. Our constitution has many flaws, but so did the Muslim Leagues mission statement in 1906. Independence gave us a piece of land to call ours and every day we fight against all odds to keep it that way. 69 years and running, they would have been proud of us.

It's an interesting story of ours. To be the fastest developing country till the late '60's, producing excellence in music and sports, the first Islamic country to have nuclear power, to be the brains and muscle behind leading companies such as Emirates airlines. This would have made them extremely proud.

We have two noble prize winners in Dr. Abdus Salam and Malala Yousafzai. That's something to be proud off. Though, I fear Jinnah and Iqbal wouldn't have been too proud of the way some countrymen treated both the individuals. We have a two-time Academy (Oscar) Award winner in Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Truly Incredible!

Our drama industry is remarkable and our film industry is on the rise. We have a flawed education system, yet we continue to produce brains unlike any. We have no sports structure, though every now and then, we manage to pull an incredible win, like the recent win against India's Yadwinder Singh by Pakistani's mixed martial arts fighter Uloomi Karim. They would have been proud of this.

The War against Terror has taken many lives, but Zarb-e-Azb is producing results, in less time than imagined. Our economy, while victim of corruption, is improving day by day. Democracy has enjoyed a stable platform since the past 8 years and political awareness is on the rise. Jinnah would have been proud of this.

We have days to criticize, but today, let us focus on our goods. Let us create an environment of positivity. Let us encourage the 8 year olds and the 12 year olds to go out and run with "sabz hilali parcham". Let us tell the 16 year olds about the struggle our forefathers did for this land. Let us tell the 18 year olds that they are the future of Pakistan and hard work today, will lead for a better tomorrow. Let the above 50 convey stories of the wars and of the early days of Pakistan. It is time to re-install the patriotic feel that is ever slowly dying.

Spend a few minutes and you'd find a hundred names that make you proud of this country. Haroon Tariq, Tariq Jamil, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Jahangir Khan, Shabbir Sharif, Rashid Minhas, Karnal Sher Khan, Abid Parveen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amjad Sabri, Amir Khan, Imran Khan, Shahzad Roy, Atif Aslam, Fawad Khan, Pervaiz Hoodboy, Jansher Khan, Syed Babir Ali, Mrs Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri, Nabeel Shaukat Ali, Sara Raza Khan, Mahira Khan, Waheed Murad and many many more. Jinnah and Iqbal would have been proud of them, they would have been proud of us.

This 14th of August, be proud.

Pakistan and Kashmir : Wronged for love

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 20:16:00 +0000

Having a McDonald's burger today at the airport with my parents, my eyes caught sight of the television screen. A political party had won the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly's election. Joy for them and agony for the others. We did not have time to sit and see who puns who or who blames the other for rigging the elections, though what I did have time to see, was that nobody at the airport seemed to care about the result. I understand the result did not affect the people here, but after all, it was an election, it was a process of democracy, a process for which we have burnt down tyres, closed down the streets, create havoc and chaos and eventually gave in precious lives.

Kashmir has been a bone of contention between us and our partner in crime, poverty and intellect, India. While we may often scream, 'Kashmir hamari jaan', or some other patriotic phrase, which gets us excited for a minute or two, we have almost failed our brothers. 51 and counting, in "Makboozah Kashmir" and we spend our resources on a television ad. It's quite funny, how the people of Kashmir still hold the Pakistani flag up high, while we argue on how Brexit will turn out to be or how unsafe Europe is becoming. Don't get me wrong, these are issues of international consequences and while discussion on every issue is a way to progress forward, we must remember a famous proverb, "Pehle jaan pr jahan".

Pakistan and Kashmir make the greatest of love stories ever written and like every love story, when connection is lost, everything is lost.

You look at the history of Kashmir and take in account world history on similar matters and the human brain blows up. For at times, Pakistan has made terrible mistakes on their part, which had it not, Kashmir might have not bled so much. On other occasions, India, the largest, not greatest, democracy in the world has carried out unimaginable acts of terror as a nation in Kashmir, yet resistance has always grown. Eight Hundred Thousand, if my figures are not wrong, is the amount of Indian Army personal that is on duty in Kashmir and on its borders. That's a mind blowing figure. It certainly scares me, I wonder how it hasn't frightened the Kashmiri awaam. The international community is truly a wonderful character in this play. They are neither the good guys, nor the bad. They pass acts and condemn, then they stop. Then comes a part where they become proactive and then they go into hibernation. I would reference them to "winne the pooh" , but I adore him, so very much.

It is a depressing story, a depressing live play. It really is. And though it has been going on since 1947, what I fear today is that the Pakistani awaam, not Pakistan's government but the people, especially the newer generation is losing its connection with Kashmir. In world politics, arms and diplomacy do the magic, but in cases such as this, a populations committed to the other and a populations support, can very well do wonders. Pakistan and Kashmir, have always shared that. They have lost blood for us and we have spent nights and days praying for them and wishing that the cruelties end. If this ends, I fear the resistance will lose its strength and we'll lose our jaan.

Baby steps do count

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 11:36:00 +0000

27th March 2016. Another black day is added to our history.

This month has seen many terrible, inhumane acts. A few days ago, the people of Brussels were caught in the fire of terror. Yesterday, Pakistan lost its children, when terror visited a park in Lahore. Every human being condemns these horrific acts.

The event of Brussels, bought the attention of the whole world and rightfully so, but did Lahore manage to get the same attention from the rest of world? The Huffington post did tweet with the hashtag #PrayforPakistan and the Omni Dallas Hotel in US displayed the Pakistani national flag on its facade. CNN also gave a few minutes of coverage to the terrible act, but that was it. I do not intend to build on hatred or present a conspiracy theory, but just to tell the world, if we continue to discriminate between those who die here in Asia and Middle East, with the people who die in Europe or America, we, and I say this with great dismay, will never win this war.

To defeat this monster, we need to change ourselves. The change needs not to start on the higher scale, but slight changes in how we spend our daily lives, how we talk, how we think about the other individuals that are with us, how we treat the elders and the young ones, how good we are to people who do not share the same religion we do, or do not speak the same language, or belong to a different city, town or village. If we, as a neighborhood, society and as a nation, could reform ourselves a touch and learn to trust and compromise in our daily lives, we can achieve greatness.

Our enemy has no ideology, but a strategy. The strategy is to use our weaknesses as a society against us. Why do young men and women go to the mountains and fight against their own soil? Intolerance and illiteracy. Educating this country is a long term plan, but removing intolerance is something, individuals together can accomplish.

We need to break many walls that have been built inside our cities and towns to divide this nation. It won't be easy and it won't be quick, but we have to. How? Small baby steps would do. As a state, we have made some. Holi was declared a public holiday, which is a very big achievement. However, many more need to follow. If we could start talking, if the people of Pakistan could start discussing issues, with an open mind, with the objective to achieve a rational conclusion, after listening carefully to the other persons point of view, this nation could achieve great heights.Conversations make relationships. For us to break the walls between our people, talking has to flourish.I understand that any talk on nationalism, sectarianism, provincialism, on ethnicity, race, culture, likes and dislikes, one's profession, is bound to invoke a rush of blood, but we need to develop control over that. We need eradicate the fear of not discussing issues that are directly related to us and this will only be possible if we build our lives on truth and compromise. The day we, as individuals, start being fair to others, the day we treat them the same as we treat our families, Pakistan will prosper.

Pakistan Zindabad.

To you, my 132 friends

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 13:48:00 +0000

16th of decemeber 2014 was the day my mother did not ask about how my day at school was or how bad was my paper. She just stayed quite. I didn't understand why till my eyes saw the television screen. My heart felt this pain I can't describe and my eyes turned red. I'm not exaggerating. Everyone felt the same that day.

16/12/14 is not a usual day of the past. It was the day when we buried 132 bright and happy souls.

It's been a year since that day but everyone still sheds a tear when we hear about you all. We try to control our emotions knowing that you all are in a good place now. Happy, safe and well.

16/12 is your day, so I thought I should do something and this letter or blog or whatever is for you and about your sacrifice.

Pakistan is united now. Well, some say it still isn't but between you and me, we know how twisted their intentions are for this country. Where was I? Oh, yes as I was saying, thanks to you, each and every Pakistani has gotten together against the enemy. I'm sorry you couldn't see the united Pakistan but believe me it's better and will get better everyday. I hope this gives you comfort.

I hope you know that your parents are proud of you and so is Pakistan. Everyone knows about 16/12/14. It's a day, that has had an impact on every single person in this country and that has helped us have an upper hand in this war against evil. Who would have thought 132 brave children would defeat the enemy? It took your bravery, our broken hearts and education to damage the insane, the inhumane and cowardly enemy and it'll take just a little more of will power to free this land from the human animals.

Aps Peshawer is doing amazing. Did you know, you have your own cricket team. How cool is that! "Peshawer Zaalmey". We also named 132 schools in Islamabad in your memories. I'm telling you, you got us united and we so never forget our greats.

I have seen your pictures and I imagine you smiling in heaven. We're trying to do well here. Keep watch on us from up there, okay?

We love you.
-On behalf of Pakistani ky awaam.

Are we discriminating the dead?

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 11:13:00 +0000

8:05 Saturday:

"Did you hear what happened in France?"
"No, what happened?"
"143 people died in the six different attacks that took place in Paris last night!"

I could not believe what my friend had just said. France being 5,927 kilometers away from Pakistan and it still felt as if the attack was on us. I,as well as every other human being on this planet, share the pain of those affected by the inhumane attacks carried out against the people of Paris.

The outrageous incident has made headlines and rightfully so, however, it has helped make clear that status and power matter in death. 44 people died in Beirut on the same night but no one felt the pain.

The world stands together with France against these horrific human animals, as every life matters. But to end the terrorist and their ideology, we have to stand together with everyone.

6 months ago, after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the anti-muslim attacks went up by 23.5 %. That is worrying. After the attacks of last night, muslims have had to come and condemn the attacks again and again, as these would result in more hate crimes against the muslim community.

To paint 1.5 billion muslims as terrorist is foolish and to not care about the sentiments 1.5 billion muslims have is sad.

2,977 people died in the terrible 9/11 attacks. Does anyone know how many innocent non-Americans died after that in countries where the body colour is brown? According to Madeleine Albright, the once US ambassador to UN, said that the death 500,000 children in Iraq was justified as it won them the war.

If the world continues to call one death justified and the other outrageous, the dream of making this world a better place will never turn into reality. The discrimination needs to stop, for the better of the world.

"To kill a single innocent human being is to kill the entire humanity."

That is the point and if these seem to you as "logically inconsistent arguments and nothing but ad hominem attacks which make me the halfwit laughing stock", then I am sorry but you sir, with all due respect, are discriminating the dead.

I wish I was...

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 17:56:00 +0000

Hum Tou Mit Jain Gay Aae Arz-E-Watan,

Laikin Tum koo Zinda Rehna Hai Qayamat Ki Sahar Honay Tak

I wish I was there in the midst of the war of '65. I wish I was the person who gave his cycle to Air Marshal (R) Amjad Hussain, whose plane had been damaged by debris of the enemies plane.

I wish I was a part of the civilians that marched down to face the enemies army. I wish I was part of the army who told its civilian countrymen to stay back as they were capable of protecting the country, even though they faced a force that was three times stronger then them.

‘Jab tak na jalen Deep shaheedon k Lahoo se

Kehtay hen k Jannat me charaghaan nahi hoti…

I do not think I can match the level of courage and bravery, our soldiers had, when they fought the mighty Indian tanks and gave their lives for our homeland, but I wish I could have been there.
I wish I was there standing side by side with my country men after the 17 long days. Shoulder to shoulder, thinking about how to move forward. I wish I could have sensed the feeling of "all for one, one for all".

I wish I could have said a few words about the martyrs. I wish I could shake hands with the Ghazi's (War hero's). How I wish I could have roamed the streets of Pakistan with the saabs hilali paarcham and screamed on top of my voice, "Pakistan tujh pr jaan qurbaan".

I was not there but I can feel. My eyes turn red and my lungs squeeze up. My mouth says nothing, my eyes shed tears, while my ears hear the war stories. And then again my heart says-"I wish I was there".

The jawaan and the awaam of 1965 is the reason why I am proud of being called a Pakistani. How can I not be proud when every single person was ready to sacrifice their precious lives for their and our homeland? I can't cry on something I and the whole nation is proud of. I can not cry when I hear that a solider who was shot in his leg, felt ashamed, because he did not know how to face his mother after she had sent him to war with the message, "beta, goli seeney mea kahini hai, fakhir k saath" (Son,get shot in the chest for this nation, with pride.) Later, it turns out that, that bullet was found in his chest and he embraced Shahadat. Subhan Allah!

This is in your remembrance. Thank you, Jawano!

Sada Watan Ki Haar Ik Sarhad Par Goonjti Hai,

Utho Ke Tum Ko Watan Ki Miti Pukarti Hai

Independence

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 06:48:00 +0000

The day is here. The flags are out. People are excited, yet it doesn't seem right. The country is in a state of war against outside-forces, yet we feel insecure from the activities of the Political Parties. People are being gunned down by different groups, yet no one has been called accountable. Is this the Pakistan Jinnah wanted? Is this the Pakistan we are to give to the upcoming generations?
I won't go stating the wrongs in Pakistan on 14th August, even though we are facing the worst of times. This day is the day every Pakistani should feel accountable to its mother-land. Yes, due to different group of people, Pakistani's have suffered in their own home especially the poor and the mediocre standard of people and they might feel a touch bit of anger at Pakistan for causing the misery but people make up nations, nation doesn't make people.
The world is not a better place. It is not only Pakistan. Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, Palestine all are in a suffering state. Even the big guns like the USA, UK, Germany and all are from time to time facing troubles. Muslims are killing muslims in the world even in Pakistan. Death in numbers has become a daily routine. But this is not only in Pakistan, yet it looks as if this continues Pakistan will be in a deeper pit it has ever been in. Why? Why do other nations come out of the bad times and get even better? Why are we always on the relieving end of trouble and are then even blamed as well? The answer is simple. We are not united. The people have no discipline, neither do the organisations in the country have any. And we lack Faith.
"Unity, Faith and Discipline". Someone very dear to this land said this some 67 years ago and time has proven this time and time again though we are just so arrogant that we keep on and on ignoring it and then blame the ideology of Pakistan in the first place. Shabash Pakistanio!
67 years, have brought goods as well to Pakistan. But it is about time we actually start caring for this land and stop with the conflict of personal interest. Indeed Pakistan will have a bright day which will turn into months then years and then decades but that won't come free. "Taleem" should be our focus and the we should implement of the words of our founder, irrespective why he always wore a suit.

I feel pride in being a Pakistani today. We have achieved much, though we have not done enough to say that "our founders died for something worth great". Happy Independence Day.

There still is Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:23:00 +0000

While one part of the country is involve in the fight with Taliban and the other is involved with fight against it's own people, one might easily make a conclusion that this stage could doubtlessly lead to the collapse of this poorly built country.

I'm sorry if I offended someone when I said "poorly built", believe me I pay no blame to the forefathers of the nation of Pakistan, rather I respect and owe my life to them as they have blessed me with a land that I and others, in years to come would proudly call our homeland and even in times of utter-collapse we and many do call this land, proudly our homeland.

That's an emotional attachment we, the people of this country have to this wonderful area, surprisingly we Pakistani's our the leading people of any country to have such a strong emotional attachment to our own country with the people of Japan and USA coming behind us. Something to be happy about so yes feel proud Pakistani's that you truly bleed Green.

But lets be fair, the emotional attachment to a country is of no use unless that aspect is turned into something productive for the country, right? Unfortunately that's something what we lack. But, then again there is the but and normally "but's" are used for something negative, something wrong, something that makes a person says "oh no, no but's please", though the but here is something of a good thing for this country. It's the giving proof that even when the majority of the people of this land don't do much for their homeland there are people that will till their very last believe in this country and work for it's betterment. Unfortunately those people aren't actually in a position of doing much, though their passion is admirable. Those people are refereed to by their economical and financial standards by the community and are tagged in as the "poor" or in good word terms the "less fortunate".

It's something to think about, how corrupt and bad our society has become and cruel it is to the poor people, rather when talked about Pakistan, the most people who would give in their lives and everything for this land would come from the poor side, whilst the "fortunate" would not bother to give a dime in. I'm not to take anything away from the rich, yes there are good rich people but if this homeland of ours had much more good rich people we wouldn't have so many poor people and definitely we, Pakistan, would have been in a better position than we are now in.

Why so screwed up?

noreply@blogger.com (Sabawun Khattak) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 10:53:00 +0000

8 people killed. Over 60 Injured. This happened in the streets of Lahore, not from a bomb blast or target killing but from firing and nutshell between the police and the civilians. The country at one point is at war between the "Taliban", while at another point the country itself is near "civil war".
Now lets be honest here, every country screws up and then they get up and move forward. Like Japan got screwed after the atomic bomb blast, or how china got screwed up between the revolutionary march by Mao ze Dong. Even neighbouring countries after a certain time of screwing each other up, leave that and move forward as how Germany and France did so and believe me these two countries did hell to each other till the second World War.
Point is when every nation makes mistakes and pays the price but then moves forward, why can't we? We as a nation after Independence in 1947 have screwed up alot as well, but when will this end? When will the people of this land stand together and say enough is enough. No more dead bodies, no more corruption, no more poverty, no more black-marketing, no more crimes, no more pushing the poor down, no more of any bullshit in this country, enough is enough!

Pakistan has been a victim of many problems since a long long time and much blame has been put at different governments that have come and gone and much has also been said by the faults of the People of Pakistan and how arrogant and wrong they have become and are exceeding in that. It's time to stop now. Everyone should now wake up, I guess we still are not late and we still can save this country and move forward as every nation in the past and in the future will do on this planet.

Allama Iqbal had a dream that the muslim majority areas join together to form a Muslim state which came into being by the efforts of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other muslim leaders.That dream is Pakistan, our homeland.
Martin Lurther King had a dream which he stated in his speech, that he had a dream that one day things would change, negros would be given rights and not treated as dogs or less than the whites and that dream came true by the efforts of the whole community together.
Now every Pakistani has a dream for a better homeland and by the firm belief in Allah and full belief in the strength of this nation, that dream will come true, but the question lies how many lives do we still have to give in to learn? How much more of screwing up is neccesary for us to finally learn?