Random Musings

Will The Silent Majority Find Its Voice?

2011-03-03T12:43:00.000Z

Another one bites the dust.

And with it, yet again we see conspiracy theories abound, about external hands and sinister designs, about American interests and CIA.

There is no excuse. If the conspiracy theories circulating in the media are true and the CIA is in cahoots with the Taliban without the knowledge or approval of the ISI, then the government and state should be ashamed of their intelligence ignorance and take decisive action to stop this fundamental attack on Pakistan's sovereignty.

If these stories are bollocks and there is no CIA or outside connection, and the murders and ongoing situation are internally created, then too the government and the state should be ashamed that they have been unable to detect or reign in these extremist vermin operating right under their noses.

Either way, it is beyond high time the government and the intelligence/army got together to put a firm end to this nonsensical drama going on around us. Enough is enough. Extremists are a minority - if that was not the case we would have had a religious party majority in the parliament and in the PM's chair. The party forming the current government has a mandate from the majority of people in this country - people who voted for this party that stood as a moderate, liberal option. The cowing down of PPP in the face of a handful of mullahs, the backtracking on its position on the blasphemy law, not to mention the isolation of its key progressive members who are now dead, dying or facing death threats, is downright unethical and immoral, if not criminal.

It is the moral responsibility of all those sitting in parliament, including both the treasury and the opposition, all those claiming to represent the awaam, to leave their differences behind and come together to look at what they are, by their lack of action, collectively allowing the country to become. Silence on these murders is no longer acceptable. The parliament should either unanimously condemn extremism, pledge to purge it and take a unified stand, or they should resign for not having the guts to stand up and save the country.

Murderers should be caught and swiftly punished. Anyone calling for or condoning violence should be immediately arrested and booked under the law, banners inciting and glorifying murder and murderers should be swiftly removed from the streets, mosques and demonstrations should be strictly monitored for hate speeches and there should be an immediate clamp-down and arrest of the free-roaming members of known or banned extremist outfits.

The broadcast media that claims to be a champion of public opinion should wake up and look beyond their short-term ratings and profits at what they have helped create, an atmosphere of hate, intolerance and a world of doubt, scandal-mongering and conspiracy theories through their irresponsible, yellow journalism practices. There should be an end to sensationalising news stories, an end to ill-researched conspiracy theories, an end to shouting matches in talk-shows, an end to giving air-time to so-called "religious experts" with zero real qualifications - an end to media immaturity.

The public and society at large also needs to come out of slumber. Discussing this in drawing rooms and dinner parties is not acceptable any longer. We have to be vocal in our stance against extremism. We need to come out on the streets as well, hold candle-light vigils and demonstrations for peace, join human rights forums, boycott anchors and channels justifying extremist views, write about it, paint about it, twitter about it, facebook about it, do whatever is there in our power to individually and collectively condemn extremism in every way.

This is war indeed - a concerted campaign to violently and shamelessly silence any voice that dares to express dissent to extremist thinking.

Are we going to sit back and allow them to take over?

Practice What You Preach

2011-02-16T05:44:00.000Z

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan criticises the rehiring of people in the bureaucracy who have reached superannuation:

"Why these retired officials are being appointed on contract in various departments instead of new recruitments...why not create opportunity for highly-educated people, instead of re-employing retired government officers."

And the next day's news:

'Veteran Supreme Court judge Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday will get a rare second extension as ad hoc judge following a proposal adopted at a full court meeting...the proposal also sought the appointment of Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi as an ad hoc judge, who had reached superannuation on Nov 22 last year.'

Pakistani Moral Values 101: Top 10

2011-01-30T12:11:00.000Z

Arguably the most-repeated phrase in the last few days has been 'Pakistani Moral Values'. "Why, oh why can't people follow simple Pakistani moral values?!" is on the lips of many, but when asked no one is able to really describe what these are.

So what exactly are 'Pakistani Moral Values' of today?
Based on actual examples, the following could be useful:

Pakistani Moral Values 101: Top 10

1. If a Pakistani man romances more than one woman, he is a casanova. If a Pakistani woman romances more than one man, she is a slut

2. If a Pakistani cricket star dances with Indian starlets on stage in India he is being amusing. If a Pakistani actress dances in an Indian show she is a cheapskate

3. If a Pakistani man marries an Indian/any other nationality, he is a hero. If a Pakistani woman marries non-Pakistani she has no shame

4. If a senior male at the workplace is divorced/single he is an eligible bachelor, if a woman at the workplace is divorced/single she must be a corporate bitch

5. If a male makes a dance video with scantily-clad women he is being stylish. If a woman makes a dance video she is promoting vulgarity

6. If a male minister hugs a foreign official he is keeping etiquette, if a female minister hugs a foreign official she deserves a fatwa and the boot

7. If a male (especially if he is a cricketer) gets embroiled in a false marriage scandal he is an innocent victim. If a woman gets embroiled in a similar scandal she deserves to be hounded and made fun of

8. If a man chooses his bride it's his right, if a woman chooses her mate she is a characterless kari

9. If a Pakistani man wears shorts on TV for a game his religion should not be mixed, if a woman wears shorts on TV it's scandalous sacrilege

10. If a male director makes sleazy movies casting all his heroines as hip-thrusting prostitutes it's called fantasy (please sit back and enjoy the cheap thrills). If a female actress as much as sits next to man under a blanket in freezing cold on a TV show it is abuse of culture and a maa behen mulk izzat iman ghairat issue

The next time you are unsure if Pakistani Moral Values and culture have been challenged by someone or not, please refer to the above generally-agreed guidelines.

If anyone else has more interesting ones, please feel free to add.

Confessions of a Fundoo Strategist

2011-01-24T11:45:00.000Z

This article is also posted at Express Tribune.

I am what some of you call a Fundoo. A Fundoo strategist to be precise. I was recruited in secret by a group of people calling themselves the Tehreek-e-Nifaaz-e-Duniya-e-Jahaane-Musalmaniya Pakistan, a top secret group made of representatives from different religious parties, banned outfits, sympathisers and financiers.

Our group operates like a small company, with an established mission (evident from our name) and a chain of command: a nigraane nizameen (board of directors), a markaze tazobarkar (core strategy group) and a majmuahe teelibaaz (um...general workers). I am the naib chaalbaaz (deputy strategist), recently promoted and reporting to the emir chaalbaaz (chief of strategy) who reports directly to the board of directors.

We've been operating since long and our results are beginning to show. Our latest achievement is something we have been fighting very hard for: Total Fear. No war is won by physical force alone, one has to have a psychological advantage - achieve the mental victory, the rest will be easier. After years of hard work, we have achieved this important milestone. All the Libboos (yes, we also have a word for you so-called liberals and moderates) are now really really afraid, bringing us closer to our mission.

We achieved this through a simple, two-pronged strategy: a Libboo hit-list, coupled with a coordinated Fundoo mobilisation.
You look confused. Let me explain.

The first part of our strategy is a Libboo hit-list comprising of people from various walks of life. This was a long list (there are too many libboos in this country if you ask me) but we shortened it considerably by focusing on those who are prominent, outspoken and courageous: politicians, writers, journalists, lawyers. Our research tells us prominent single murders have more impact, far more than multiple killings through suicide bombs - yes really, trust me we keep checking this theory regularly during our monthly Suicide For Dummies course (this is a very popular course by the way, enrolment is free so we have to have many sessions running at one time, but let's discuss that later). When I say more impact, I mean that when we tick off someone on the hit-list, we are able to more strongly reinforce the belief that those who speak out against us will be silenced, resulting in lesser voices. This is the key pillar of our strategy.

To achieve the second part of our strategy, more coordinated and forceful fundoo voice, we capitalised on the media boom. Over the last few years not only have we set up a few channels, we have also arranged for time-slots on regular channels for our broadcasts and also given numerous regular jobs to many of our teelibaaz. This was actually much easier than we initially thought - you see, we were expecting successive governments to have some media policies or rules, or channels to have some qualification criteria for political and religious commenting and anchoring, but thankfully all they care about is money and ratings, which makes our task a whole lot easier.

So our two-pronged strategy works in a cycle. Our media teelibaaz are mobilised to support our cause - contrary to what most people think, we do believe in empowerment, teelibaaz are free to use their imagination, be it encouraging Ahmadi murders, issuing fatwas in talk-shows, justifying suicide bombers, hailing hit-list killers as Ghazis, covering up our suicide practise lessons as government failures, calling any contrary opinions un-Islamic, or proving rising potato prices to be American/Jewish conspiracies - anything that will keep the government occupied elsewhere while reinforcing Fundoo viewpoint in the country and gaining us Fundoo recruits from the frustrated citizenry. Gotta admit, works like a charm.

We are very close to realising our mission: we will establish Islamic law in the country soon...don't ask me to elaborate on that right now, that is still work in progress - so far our board of directors have not reached consensus on what Islamic law means or even who is the true Muslim from among us - there as many points of view as our directors...but we will sort that out later.

For now, first things first. We need to gain total control and silence the common enemy: the Libboos.

Purdah from the Dead

2011-01-21T02:02:00.000Z

One of my early memories entails an unforgettable trip to Makli. I must have been twelve or thirteen, and a friend from school had just visited Makli, a place with historic significance, and raved about how beautiful the tombs were and how much fun she had had on the trip. Hanging out with my cousins at an uncle's place the following weekend, I had been telling them about it, so we all went over to my uncle - who used to have a big van in those days - and begged him to take us. We were a bit fearful of reprimand as my uncle was generally quite conservative and also very strict - the whole family feared him - but after some cajoling he agreed to take us.

So we all pile into the van, about five boys and six girls, with my uncle driving. The drive was over an hour long and the eleven of us joked and played during the ride, all in a picnic mood - that is, till we got to Makli.

I can never forget the shock of the moment, when, upon reaching the entry gates, my uncle turned around to face us and said, "Only boys will get out here, girls will sit in the van till we get back." Surprised, I asked why, he glared at me for daring to question him and said stonily, "Don't you know that the dead are able to see the living without clothes on? Girls will stay in the van. No arguments."

I wish I could say here that I rebelled, that I managed to get out and see Makli, that I argued by asking about the dead women who could see all the living men naked, but the truth is that I was too dumbfounded and speechless as I had never ever been before (or after) in my whole life. I only remember the anger slowly rising up as we waited in the van for the boys to come back, the rage seething in me when they did and talked incessantly about it all the way back to Karachi, and my endless bawling as soon as I entered my own house and saw my parents. No words would console me.

Years down, I have still not had the chance to see Makli.

Bringing Peace to Karachi: Please, Just Shut Up

2011-01-19T04:59:00.000Z

I swear, my ears will start bleeding if I hear any of this one more time:

No one will be 'allowed' to disrupt peace in Karachi.
'Writ' of government to be enforced.
'Special inquiry team' formed to investigate Karachi violence.
'Special strategy' formulated to deal with Karachi violence.
CM takes notice of Karachi violence.
PM takes notice of Karachi violence.
President takes notice of Karachi violence.
MQM blames ANP for Karachi violence.
ANP blames MQM for Karachi violence.
'Land Mafia' involved in Karachi violence.
'Taliban' involved in Karachi violence.
'Sinister hand' involved in Karachi violence.
'Foreign hand' involved in Karachi violence.

Just google 'Karachi violence' and you will find all of the above in news items spanning over the last 5 years (and more)! And all that our politicians are interested in is giving completely useless statements.
Meanwhile, Karachi continues to bleed.

Here is just one year of statements, Jan 2011 all the way back to Jan 2010.

Jan 17, 2011: PML(N) Chief Nawaz Sharif: "No one will be allowed to disrupt peace in Karachi."

Jan 15, 2011: Interior Minister Rehman Malik: "The government will not allow anyone to destroy the city’s peace and motives behind these killings were being evaluated."

Dec 14, 2010: Sindh Home Minister Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza: "Target killers belong to the biggest party of Karachi."

Oct 22, 2010: Rehman Malik: "The government will recruit 3,000 extra police...action will be taken against anyone who dares challenge the writ of the state."

Sep 28, 2010: The Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) exchanged allegations over unrest in Karachi in the Senate on Friday and held each other responsible for the ongoing target killings.

Aug 10, 2010: PM Gilani: "A "multi-pronged strategy" has been evolved with the help of the three political parties of the coaling ruling Sindh to restore peace and order to Karachi"

June 14, 2010: Rehman Malik: "The government is 'very close' to finding out who is working against the law and order situation in Karachi. Peace will be established in Karachi at all costs and no group or faction will be allowed to create any kind of violence and those who do work against the law will face strict action."

May 20, 2010: Rehman Malik: "No one would be allowed to break the law in Karachi and violators would be dealt with iron hand."

Jan 14, 2010: President Asif Ali Zardari: "Karachi will be turned once again into a land of peace..I urge all political forces to join hands to restore the city’s peace."

Politicians, give us a break. Either you have zero intelligence or zero guts.

Curbing Workplace Harassment: Are We There Yet?

2011-01-15T20:54:00.000Z

This article is also posted at Express Tribune

Not long ago, at an informal get-together of friends in Karachi our conversation turned to harassment. The Harassment bill had just been passed and so the topic was a hot one. One of my friends mentioned a recurring problem she was having with a male colleague, who seemed to always keep his eyes at a particular location on her body instead of looking her in the eye when talking to her. She could not avoid it as their respective job roles required a lot of communication between the two.

This was particularly uncomfortable yet she was unable to raise this either directly with the person in question or with anyone else at work. She felt this would be laughed at, causing further embarrassment. Her self-esteem was suffering and despite being happy with everything else at her workplace, she was looking out for another job.

In another incident, a new recruit in my company came up to me within a week of being hired to have an informal, confidential discussion about harassment. When asked to elaborate, she said a male colleague had a habit of singing Indian songs, which she felt were targeted towards her. A confidential investigation showed the person in question, a generally well-respected guy, had always hummed songs while being engrossed at work, entirely oblivious to anyone else around. Most co-workers in his team were quite used to this habit without any problems.

So what exactly is harassment? While the term harassment itself is a wide one, sexual harassment in particular, as defined in the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill is "any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favours or other verbal and written communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature or sexually demeaning attitudes, causing interference with the work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, or the attempt to punish the complainant for refusal to comply to such a request or is made condition for employment.”
(Though the title states Women, the Bill covers sexual harassment for both men and women at the workplace.)

It is important to remember that sexual harassment is not what an alleged harasser considers to be appropriate behaviour but whether the alleged harasser could have reasonably expected his/her behaviour to cause offence, humiliation or intimidation.

In many cases, and especially in Pakistan where there is no formal method of education on such a topic, certain behaviours and attitudes are at times unconscious or considered 'normal'. For instance, leering, or unwelcome touching when passing an glass or other object, or even staring as in the case of my friend, can sometimes be an unconscious behaviour. This is not to excuse it, but knowing that it could be unconscious may allow us to deal with it better. Or when a group of guys at work exchange sexual or suggestive material, snickering over it and when asked what they are laughing at, to shrug it off saying nothing, just "normal guy stuff" is considered acceptable workplace behaviour by some.

In terms of the two specific examples I quoted above, the first one does fall into the harassment category for it was making my friend uncomfortable enough to want to leave the company. Yet the onus is on her (or anyone else facing such an issue), to point it out and address the matter. Depending on the situation it could be taken up directly or through a confidante, either informally in confidence with a superior or as a formal complaint - without fear of a backlash.

In the second case we concluded it was not harassment, and the matter was closed with mutual agreement. Yet it was good that it was pointed out, for without understanding the situation my colleague would have continued to feel uncomfortable.

These are but small examples, there are far bigger and serious sexual harassment incidents that often go unreported, unaddressed properly or unpunished - from 'supposedly harmless' suggestive comments or jokes to repeated SMS friendship messaging to actual physical contact or request for such contact. The Bill may have been passed, but for an effective implementation it is critical that people - employees who work in any kind of organisation in Pakistan - understand harassment and what it encompasses, and are up-to-date on how to go about safeguarding their right to a dignified working environment.

The Bill provides a Code of Conduct to be followed by organisations as well as a guideline for the procedure of lodging and conducting inquiries for complaints. It is mandatory for organisations to implement this Code of Conduct in their HR policies and to adequately educate staff about it.

Has your organisation complied yet?

Here's My Country, Dude

2011-01-06T02:41:00.000Z

The key pillar of a democracy is the will of the majority. As the meaning of an Urdu couplet goes, the beauty of democracy is we could always be ruled by donkeys as long as the majority is made up of donkeys.

So if the base concept is the assumption that majority should get their way regardless of the quality of their choices, everyone has to follow. By that token I am now quite convinced Pakistan is a donkey state. Forgive me if I sound unpatriotic - I am not, I love my country (or what is left of it). What I have lost, is hope.

Salman Taseer's murder, shocking as it is, was somehow not totally unexpected. The kind of threats he was receiving or the protests against him were no secret. All because his opposition to a controversial law and his support for a Christian blasphemy convict (where an official enquiry points to likely innocence) - was in itself considered equivalent to blasphemy.

Coming back to donkeys. Not one of the political leaders have had the guts to publicly condemn the reasons for his murder while conveying their shock at the incident. Not one has said that the so-called fatwa issued for the governor's head by small-time mullahs could be wrong. The murderer is being hailed as a Ghazi (conqueror) and given a hero's welcome at court premises by educated lawyers who showered him with rose petals! No less than 300 lawyers have offered to defend him free of charge. Text messages are circulating on cell phones praising him for his heroic act and condemning those who oppose the assassination as equal blasphemers! Facebook has pages dedicated in his honour with thousands of fans. The largest Urdu newspaper runs a front-page story declaring, “There should be no funeral for Salman Taseer and no condemnation for his death.”

The voices of sanity are muted. From the public and civil society no one can raise a moderate opinion without being subjected to condemnation and life threats. No debate on the blasphemy law will be tolerated. No discussion on rule of law (on the subject of this assassination) is acceptable. The sentence has been passed, the verdict carried out. The majority has spoken.

Those spending endless hours defending the country to others saying extremists are in a minority and there is hope, those social activists out there who still want to call out to Pakistanis to 'wake up and shake it up': Who are we fooling? I think it's time to wake up ourselves. We may love the country, but make no mistake, this is donkey country.

New Beginnings

2011-01-03T13:14:00.002Z

Great to start the new year having my blog in my own name finally - arunahussain.com is up and running.

Happy 2011 !

RIP

2010-12-27T13:32:00.000Z

I've been thinking of writing something on BB's death since a long long time, but every time I start, it has somehow been impossible to continue. The first year I was still not over it, the second year I was getting there, but I think now it has sunk in enough for me to think about it without feeling too emotional.

Like 9/11, most of us would remember exactly what we were doing on Dec 27 when the news of BB's death broke.

I was not a BB supporter.

Some of my cousins were - still are - die-hard Bhutto supporters. I remember as a kid shouting Jiay Bhutto from my cousins' car and flashing the V sign in a huge gathering of people in Clifton when BB was coming to Karachi in the 1980's. It was such a fantastic feeling, not the political side of it, which I didn't understand at the time, but the feeling of being among thousands of people in one place, happily shouting the same slogan over and over and the cheering and music and flags and dancing and the fun, something I had never experienced before in this way. It was magical.

Fast forward to the 1990s, the political awareness and the disillusionment. I did not forgive BB for her political mistakes, alleged corruption, bad choice of people and the like, and judged her to be no different than anyone else - same system, different face. I was very vocal in my opposition in family discussions, much to the annoyance of some of my cousins who were still staunch loyalists despite two failed tenures.

The days leading up to Oct 18 were especially charged up. The most embarrassing thing to happen was when on Oct 18 the whole extended family was at home watching TV coverage of her return and some cousins decided to go for a drive and check things out. We all get in the car and the cousin driving puts in her CD of PPP songs, and the next thing I know, everyone in the car, including myself, is dancing to Dila Teer Bija like crazy. I obviously became the butt of jokes as no one expected it of me, least of all myself. I guess I got transported back in time to the 1980s - or maybe I thought what the heck, BB supporter or not I could still enjoy the craziness of the moment. We passed many cars, everyone flashing and exchanging the V sign, and reached the Karsaz bridge beyond which cars could not go. Lots of dancing and music and people having fun. We kept going from Bilawal House to Karsaaz to Quaid's Mazaar enjoying the festivities, and only headed back once we got tired.

As soon as we got home we heard about the bomb attack where we had been just a little while before. The next few days are hazy, another cousin who was not supposed to be there but had gone to drop some friends had been hit in the blast and was in hospital. The discussions then were all about how things were not the same, to avoid such gatherings and etc. And of course, me being ridiculed no end for my dramatic change from anti-PPP to jiye-Bhutto-car-dancer.

In December all the family, including those overseas, were in Pakistan for a wedding in the family. December26 was the shaadi in Hyderabad, and the valima was scheduled for December28 in Karachi. After a late wedding we had just driven back to Karachi on December 27th and I was napping. I remember being shaken awake by my sister who shouted, "Wake up, wake up, BB is dead!". I went numb. What? "Yes, she has been shot, they are saying she's probably dead". No, No, No, No please God no, let that not be the case, let there be some mistake. God let them be mistaken.

But it was true, she was dead.

I was not a BB supporter. I really didn't agree with her politics. But I was also naive. In her life I didn't understand what I understood with her death - that it was possible to feel very deeply about someone despite disagreeing with them on everything. That I loved her I only understood with the emptiness I felt on her death. I cried for days, for weeks. She had stood for hope - she was the hope of millions. She had stood for courage, for it takes courage to face death knowingly the way she did. She had stood for the people, for she had come for them.
And she gave her life for them - for all of us.

Benazir Bhutto, you still live on in our hearts.
May you rest in peace.

So What's Cooking?

2010-12-25T06:55:00.000Z

OK, time to own up. My cook and cleaning ladies didn't turn out to be the dream-come-true I had imagined. They had a fight and decided to split, leaving me in a fix.
The story goes thus:

Apparently the Cook is a permanent resident who was till recently a lonely housewife from South India, and so some months ago decided to give one of her apartment rooms up for rent to another Indian in order to have some company. A student from Hyderabad (India) responded to the ad, took up a room and they became friends. Soon afterwards the student proposed that they make some extra money working in houses instead of sitting at home -- result, they became Cook and Cleaner respectively and placed the ad that I found and responded to. Other than myself they also got a couple of other customers. So far so good.

OK, now apparently the Cleaner (student) was herself quite sick of being in Australia and missed home. A number of her university friends gave her the 'brilliant' idea to apply and get loans from different banks, take the money and split back home to India and start a new life. She proposed this to the Cook who freaked out and said nothing doing - she has 2 kids in school and is half-way through her citizenship process - she also asked the Cleaner to vacate her place as the trust had dwindled with this crazy scheme proposal. There the trouble began.

The Cleaner, who by now had had access to the Cook's whole house, had obtained her bank account details as well as PIN numbers, and applied for bank loans using the Cook's details! Not only that, she booked a one-way flight to India as well - the Cook only discovered all this by accident when she got a call at home at a time she was supposed to be out, by the bank asking for a reconfirmation of some detail, following which she searched the Cleaner's room. She immediately called up her husband at work, who came home and they confronted the Cleaner in the evening - a very ugly scene after which she vacated overnight, and without even paying some $500 that she owed them.

During this whole time both of them kept calling me with their own versions, each trying to keep me as her customer (they still need money I guess). As if I would get involved.

Back to square one for me.
Wanted: come-at-home desi Cook. Clean record required, No hanky panky schemes please. Any takers?

"Papa Money"

2010-12-24T12:25:00.000Z

This Chinese guy comes to my place to deliver some stuff I ordered online. Puts the stuff in the living room, looks around and says,"wow, big place in very posh area, how much rent you pay?"

I don't know if it's me or most of the Chinese in Sydney are really curious about property prices and rentals. Anyway, so I tell him how much, and he goes "Woohoo, why you want to live in this expensive neighbourhood?"

So I tell him we want to be in a happening area initially as we don't know many people in Sydney and it'll help us settle quickly. Looks at me weirdly and says, "where you from? India?" I say Pakistan. Suddenly all confusion disappears from his face and he winks at me and says "Ahhh, hehe, ok now I understand".

Now its my turn to be confused, what's there to understand "wink wink"??? He says, "You know all the Indians, they come and live in small places, many many people in one bedroom flat, you know, overflowing. But all you Pakistani, your papas work in government, take the government money and send all to you, you live in big places, pay big money, enjoy life on papa money" (another wink).

I mean, huh? So I indignantly tell him there's no such thing thank you, no 'government money' and no 'papa money'. He says, "Then why you spend so much money, you have good jobs?" Affirmative nod from me. "Then why you not save? I tell you all cheap places." I listen to the list of all 'cheap' places, polite thank you and open the door for him.

Wah re Pakistani, kya tera impression pardes main. Achhay achhay bhi badnam.

Ganga chali Pardes

2010-12-13T00:54:00.004Z

First major thing I resolved to do after landing in Sydney was to try find a cook and a cleaning service. The web is full of cleaning service agencies across Australia, but not a single decent cooking service provider ! How inconvenient! So I began to ask around from acquaintances and any desi I know in Sydney, only to be given 'that look': a desi come-at-home cook? That doesn't happen here buddy, we all do our own cooking...kinda made me feel like that Indian movie heroine who goes to a foreign land where anything she tries to do she gets told, "Ganga, yeh vilayat hai, yahaan aisa nahin hota...".
Bechari paindoo Ganga.

Kyun nahin hota bhai? This only made my resolve stronger...finally after a few days of turbo web searching I finally chanced upon this obscure site where two Indian women had put an ad about their combined cooking + cleaning service, and at rates much lower than the cleaning-only agency rates. Viola! I called them up and within a day I had both services, twice a week.

Where others continue to come home after a long days' work and spend the next few hours toiling in the kitchen then downing it and falling dead in bed, I get steaming hot biryanis and niharis, do my reading and writing, put my feet up and enjoy every evening.

So who's laughing now. Ganga yeh pardes hai, yahaan bhi sab kuch ho sakta hai. Hmph!

When We Two Parted

2010-12-04T08:17:00.000Z

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever the years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder, thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
Sunk, chill on my brow,
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me...
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well..
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met
In silence I grieve
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.

- Byron (1728-1824)

Obama sacks McChrystal

2010-06-29T11:36:00.004Z

Hope there will come a day when a President of Pakistan can also sack a serving general of the army with the statement:

"...our democracy depends upon institutions that are stronger than individuals. That includes strict adherence to the military chain of command, and respect for civilian control over that chain of command."

And be able to get away with it without a coup.

Khayyam's Rubai'

2010-02-19T05:40:00.001Z

Pray tell, who has not transgressed Your Law?
Pray tell the purpose of a sinless life
If with evil You punish the evil I have done
Pray tell, what is the difference between You and me?
- Omar Khayyam

Swat Flogging

2009-04-06T08:00:00.002Z

Shock. Rage. Gloom. Despair.

The phases I went through during the weekend as the flogging of the 17-year old girl and related opinions were being aired over and over on TV channels.

Shock, that such a thing has been allowed to happen. Shock, that the people's government we have elected after years of dictatorship, a democratically elected parliament with a record majority - this 'people's government' signed the 'peace accord' with the militants that allowed this incident to happen while hundreds stood by and watched.

Rage, that no one could dare to stop it while it was happening. Rage, at the complete helplessness of the woman screaming for mercy. Rage at the utterly sick minds of the men flogging her. Rage, that the Taliban spokesman interviewed felt the punishment was justified and was being made into a big deal unnecessarily.

Gloom, that there are so many others who support this punishment. That some people still believe the tape is 'doctored'. That some feel it is an attempt to jepoardise the peace accord.
Gloom, that there are people who still want to find excuses.

Despair.
At what we have become as a nation.
At where we are headed, if headed anywhere at all.

Someone in the office very rightly said, we should use our nuclear bomb on ourselves. Better to die once and for all than watch our collective soul die bit by bit each passing day.

Sugharean Sath

2009-02-06T10:17:00.002Z

It's amazing how strongly nostalgic the sense of smell can be sometimes.
Today I went to ada Arshad's (my lawyer cousin) office in Saddar for some informal advice on a corporate issue. As I went inside the building, just beside the stairs some people were unloading stacks of a new magazine issue - that smell of freshly printed magazine paper transported me to over 15 years ago when my mother and aunt got together to launch Sugharean Sath - a Sindhi magazine on women empowerment. For about a year and a half my house was a makeshift office and a storage area for the magazine.

This smell is associated with hard work and courage - the frequent meetings that they used to have with various stakeholders, the constant running around to gather material and pick up articles, endless writing, editing and proof-reading sessions late into the night, letters and mails from readers all over Sindh, the constantly brewing tea, sales and marketing efforts, and towards the end of it all, the tension around the ethnic riots that impacted operations, the ensuing lack of funds and the final stop to the publication work as they ran out of the money they were putting in themselves to sustain the effort.

I would love to be associated one day with a publication - or a similar worthwhile effort with a cause.

Mumbai Terror

2008-12-02T07:30:00.006Z

My travel jinx is common knowledge to most friends, but I could never have been prepared enough for the horrific episode on Nov27 in Mumbai. I was there to attend a few board meetings, followed by a quiet management day out on 27th. The horror began just about the time we were coming out of a management dinner Wednesday night at the Four Seasons, where I was staying this time thanks to good rates agreed between this newly opened hotel and the Company.

Lynn, our HR Manager for South Asia, was expecting her husband to pick her up, and we were chatting in the lobby while waiting for him. When he hadn't arrived by 11pm, she called him only to find out he was held up on the way because of a reported bomb blast in the city. Worried, we hurried up to my room to check the news which was reporting exchange of fire between Nigerians and the police at the famous Leopold Cafe some kilometers away. There was also news of a blast having been heard, however there was uncertainty about where. Within the next hour the the number of blasts had become three, number of casualties about 10 or so and armed attacks on two top hotels, Oberoi and Taj. Lynn's husband managed to arrive some time after midnight, and we agreed to stay in touch over the developing situation.

I called up my worried folks back home to let them know I was okay, and followed the news till around 2am by when there were already 25 or so deaths reported, 5 bombs and a hostage drama unfolding in the two hotels. Worried and feeling helpless, I fell asleep. At 8am on Nov27, I woke up in a fear-gripped and paralysed Mumbai to the news of over 100 people dead, scores more injured and continuing hostage crisis. Lynn called to say the management outing was obviously off, our Mumbai offices had been declared closed and that we were to stay indoors till further notice. Being a Pakistani in India, and aware of the history of traditional finger-pointing between the two countries, I decided to check on flights and get the first available one back to Karachi. The hotel staff were all very helpful, and with Lynn calling every quarter of an hour to check on progress, I managed to get to the airport, arrange a ticket and head back safely in the afternoon. In the absence of traffic it was probably also the quickest ever trip between the hotel and the airport.

Sure enough, the blame-game with Pakistan has now begun. This whole incident and the situation developing is a terrible thing to happen, especially at a time when relations between the two countries were at a high. The way the media on both sides is behaving, it seems that regardless of how much we work together to build a good relationship, it is all really just a farce - scratch the surface and just underneath there is so much ill-will, distrust and resentment on both sides, built up in all our years of animosity and war, that no amount of effort can really seem to wash it away.

We need to wake up to the fact that terrorism is not only a global problem, for Pakistan it is our single biggest national problem. We know the fear Mumbaikars are facing, because we live through it every day. And those who know this fear would never will it on anyone else. Pakistan has its hands full in dealing with this threat internally to think about unleashing it elsewhere. Instead of talking of troop buildups at the border we need to collectively put our best brains together to solve this issue.
I hope and pray that sanity prevails.

Winds of Change

2008-09-13T07:41:00.000Z

I felt it this morning, the dry air and scorching heat. It was as if there was a huge fire raging not far away, eating away all forms of life. Autumn is finally here. The temperature today was no less than 45C and one could potentially fry an egg on a car bonnett outside. I love it. And as crazy as it may sound, I love being outdoors in this dry weather when people would much rather stay put in their homes with the air conditioning on full blast.

People associate Spring as the start of life and love and happiness, but somehow for me even September has a powerful effect. For if it were not for the falling of leaves and the destructive forces of Autumn, there would never come the new life associated with Spring. A sense of quiet urgency grips me, the feeling that I must also act quickly to change my state and surroundings the way Mother Nature is doing all around.

In a way I always find myself falling in love in September. Be it with a person or a new idea, with the beautiful earth and with humankind in general. Somehow it is always Autumn when the realization hits hardest - that life is simply beautiful.

Traveling...again

2008-07-03T12:34:00.002Z

I've been in Colombo for almost a week now, traveling for business. There’s tight security all over the city, random checks and police everywhere - one has to cross no less than three check-posts to get to the hotel I'm staying at, near the Presidential palace. Bombs go off in this city often, and while previously only government or military areas were targeted, recent attacks have been on civilians, in the markets or in buses and trains. YET what's baffling is that when given the choice between Colombo and Karachi for this meeting, Karachi was almost immediately written off as a security threat. I mean, honestly, when was the last time a bomb went off in Karachi market? There has been a civil war going on in the outskirts of Colombo for as far back as I can remember. In Pakistan the unrest has always been thousands of miles away from Karachi, and only recently in Islamabad/Pindi. Yet the general perception is that the entire Pakistan is totally unsafe and unfit for travel. Hmph! I mean, hmph!
That was my rant as a patriotic Pakistani.

Getting into my tourist mode, I'm actually very impressed with Colombo. The streets are clean and spotless, people are helpful, and everyone seems to be well educated here, Even the rickshaw drivers and thelay-walas speak good English. Despite all the security stops, one actually feels comfortable around these police officials (a lot of them are women). They are smartly dressed, speak very politely with everyone, show courtesy and even smile at you. When was the last time a police officer in Karachi did any of that?
Crap yar, whenever I travel in South Asia, I feel so totally bad about the state of affairs back home. I’m beginning to complain all over again, so think I’ll just shut up and go shopping.

Going truly mobile, without moving an inch

2008-06-28T08:46:00.000Z

Technology. The world on my fingertips.

Here I am, lying sick in bed with a sore throat and viral infection, and therefore bored out of my mind. I reach out to my blackberry and start browsing; checking my mails, reading the newspaper online, viewing friends' latest facebook updates. Haven't had the time to blog for a while, so I go to blogger.com and realize with a pleasant surprise that with a few changes in settings I can actually update my blog via mobile as well. Hmm, let's see if this works.

What will they think of next?
*** This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from Mobilink ***

Break Time

2008-06-07T19:31:00.005Z

I've been taking a break. From the 'rat race' as they say. Woke up one day and decided I had to get out and take a breather. So here I am, in London. This place has some fantastic associations and memories. I've been coming here almost every summer while growing up, so it feels like home away from home. This is the first city I got to travel alone to, had my first McDonalds experience in, where I read my first Ludlum novel, watched a Bollywood film in a cinema first time, saw my first adult-rated movie and also first place I got expatriated to and tasted the true flavor of independent life.

Walking around Trafalgar, boating in Hyde Park, tea at Covent Garden, watching the punks at Camden town, shopping on Oxford street, I simply love this place in summer time. Driving to the outskirts and exploring Bath, Cambridge, Windsor, there's no better way to take a break. And the experience begins even before one steps off the plane, for the view of the city during landing is simply breath-taking, with rows of English houses with their red bricks and black chimneys lined up like Lego-land, surrounded by vast, lush greenery and the river Thames winding across the city like a snake. Add a few old bridges here and a castle or two there, and you're stepping into dreamworld.

I've been living in this dream for a week now, and another one to go before it's time to wake up and face the big bad world again.

Mumbai Magic

2008-05-03T14:28:00.004Z

Every time I travel to Mumbai, I like it a little more than the previous visit. I remember the disappointment I felt the first time I was there, perhaps because I was expecting too much from this famous city. I was shocked at the small and narrow roads, the slums and filth smack next to 5-star hotels, designer shops and posh dwellings, the huge number of stray dogs and cats roaming around and the distinct smell that each area seemed to have, such that an area can easily be identified with eyes closed just by using the sense of smell.

But at the same time I was also very impressed with the sheer pace of the city and the people walking it, with women driving scooters, the number of posh malls and branded shops crowded with people of the middle and upper classes, the well-behaved crowds at cinemas, and very creative advertisements everywhere - on billboards, double deckers, bus-stands. A pleasant thing to strike me was that men did not ogle at women as they do in Karachi, even though women in Mumbai generally wear trousers and skirts compared to shalwar kameez and dupatta back home.

I also travelled the local train from Churchgate to Andheri in rush hour after work, and that too in the general compartment despite the warnings of all my local friends against trying something 'so drastic' - that was a unique experience, and had it not been for my friend who held me very tightly I would surely have fallen off the train considering perhaps more than 100 people both got off and on the train in a span of less than 15 seconds at Andheri station. During the journey it was actually very difficult to breathe in the compartment as men and women were squashed against each other and the stench of perspiration was nauseating. Thankfully I had a seat right next to the window and had my nose glued to the gauze for fresh air.

The old and rusty black & yellow taxis are a trademark of the city, and the fact that these are to be replaced in some time is a big shame. The double-deckers also seem to be from colonial times, though I'm not sure if these are on the list of 'to-go' items. The taxi drivers were always helpful, and one even insisted to show me Shahrukh Khan's house from outside in Bandra even though I wasn't interested. The tourist highlihts were Gateway of India and the Taj across, and the walk along Colaba market with a few old cafes on the way for a nice cup of tea.

Pani-puri at Chaupati and the spicy and yummy vadapau available at almost any corner are the main local culinary highlights for me, as I think even the Mumbites would agree with me if I say Karachi food is much more delicious and superior in taste and quality overall.

The hotels are simple excellent, especially the Oberoi at Nariman Point with its magnificent view of the sea. At any given point in time this view of Marine Drive is worth watching, as in the morning one can see many early morning joggers or people walking their dogs, and in the evenings it seems to be a meeting point for couples after work. Just watching them gives a glimpse into what makes this the city that moves India.

A friend of mine was right when she said Mumbai would grow on me, for after five visits it I think it finally has. I'm already again looking forward to my next visit.

Capitalizing on Congestion

2008-04-19T07:43:00.006Z

Yesterday I went to the Lakson building (across the Press Club) in Saddar with two colleagues to meet an estate agent for some office-related work. The area being quite a busy place, finding parking space was a huge hassle. While I was circling and searching for space, the agent we were supposed to meet signalled for us to turn and drive into the premises of the Sindh Wildlife building nearby. I acquiesced and went in and parked.

When I asked if it was okay to park there for a little while I was told that the building ground is de facto used as regular parking space by individuals upon payment of Rs 1500-2000 per month to the chowkidar, or Rs20 per parking per trip for visitors. I think there must be about 15-20 or more cars parked in the premises at any point in time, which means the chowkidar (and the few others who have to be in it together) easily make at the very least Rs40,ooo per month in this business with zero investment (or tax).

The story is the same in all the other government office premises in the area.
We are such an enterprising people :)