The peace conundrum

The recent letter sent by Prime Minister Imran Khan, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extended an olive branch to India and instilled the hope of cordial relations between the two eternal enemies. The first step was proposing a meeting between their respective foreign ministers, on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

Initially, India accepted the offer and a possible thaw in relations could be foreseen, but the joy was short lived as India resorted to play its all-time favorite role of the reluctant bride, and with that all hopes of peace came dashing down once again. Of course India has come up with certain reservations but these are preposterous ones, the statements issued by Indian MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) say that insurgents trained and armed by Pakistan have killed Indian LEA personnel which include three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and a BSF (Border Security Force) guard whose body was mutilated as well. Furthermore, Pakistan glorifies terrorists because they have issued postal stamps to commemorate Burhan Wani.

Now either the information sharing amongst departments in India is very slow or they are too naïve to come up with some better pretext. The events in retaliation to which the talks have been put in cold storage occurred, way before India had acceded to hold the meeting and Pakistan had already rejected the Indian accusations.

So what is it that is preventing the Modi Government from initiating peace process. One, Modi Government is under immense pressure from Congress Party after the former French President Francis Hollande told in an interview that Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defense Ltd was made partner in Rafale jets deal on Indian Government’s request, which gave rise to suspicion of embezzlement on Modi Governments part. Two, elections are just around the corner in India and maintaining an antagonistic posture against Pakistan will assist BJP to earn respect in eyes of their supporters and their Right Wing political allies like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Being a peace preaching dove for a party, that capitalises on hate, and uses it as a fuel to run their political campaigns, is a hard pill to swallow and will diminish the probability of BJP winning the upcoming elections. The tactic has been used previously as well, not long ago talks initiative was aborted by the Indian side citing Uri Attacks and a self-proclaimed surgical strike on Pakistan in retaliation by India. So the line, “One step forward, two steps back.”, cannot be given a better form than Pak-India peace process.

Although much desired maturity has been displayed by the Pakistani side, but by not commensurating, the Indian side has exposed itself in the international arena, the duplicity which India exercises by showing outward compliance for peace, but inward defiance for the same has raised many eye brows.

The world has fathomed the ulterior motives of India, and the Modi government may not be able to garner support this time; as no neutral state is going to buy this broken record of India crying foul anymore.

Another paradigm shift witnessed this time is that vitriolic statements once emanating from the office of the Indian Defense Minister; are now coming from the Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat. This is a premonition that India is least interested in holding talks, they know that had the Foreign Ministers put the issues on the anvil, the chances of ironing out the differences would have been bright. However, all these moves on part of India suggest that she does not want to resolve any issue including Kashmir.

Salman Taseer 1-0 bigots

What the slain governor said about Aasia Bibi’s case seven years back has been proven in the Apex court of Pakistan. His clairvoyance and the vision of justice for marginalised minorities of Pakistanhas won today, and finally the justice has been served in this lawless land of the pure. He must be smiling from above that his blood has not gone in vain, and finally the lady for whom he paid with his life on January 4, 2011, has been set free. We can say without any qualms that Taseer won, and the bigots lost!

The biggest irony in Pakistan is that people do not do research on their own, but they rely on hearsay and digest the facts which are muddled and distorted. Galvanise extremist minds with such cooked content and you have a weapon of mass destruction that can eliminate saner minds like Salman Taseer to establish their control on society. Later on, when such people are brought before the court of law and are asked if they actually listened to the source or believed what they heard from the local cleric, their answer is that we acted on information we heard.

The Blasphemy law was passed in 1860, during the British era which included crimes like disturbing congregations, trespass on burial grounds, desecrating religious beliefs or defiling places of worship. Initially the punishment was 10 years imprisonment, but during Zia’s regime in 1986, death penalty was included for blasphemy.

The verdict of Supreme Court is indeed a historic one, it has laid the foundation of building a Pakistan where minorities will be protected as stated in the constitution, and has sent a clear message that bigots will not be allowed to misuse the name of the Prophet (SAW) to achieve their nefarious designs. The remarks of Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, “Blasphemy is a serious offence but the insult of the appellant’s religion and religious sensibilities by the complainant party and then mixing truth with falsehood in the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was also not short of being blasphemous”, created ripples in the extremist quarters that they cannot use blasphemy to settle personal scores.

Now the onus lies on the political parties of Pakistan and their lawmakers to amend the law so that if someone falsely accuses another of committing blasphemy, and its proven that the defendant was being framed by the one who has accused; then the accuser should be taken to task and an example may be set for others to stay away from such preposterous accusations. But, the problem is that in a society where things can escalate quickly even political parties decide to brush off serious issues and go with the flow.

Hitherto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (PPP) following the Prime Minister Imran Khan have expressed their support for the Supreme Court’s Decision, other political parties and their leaders do not want to enter this realm, for no one wants to become another Salman Taseer. However, what they do not realise is that how long will this continue and how many Mashal Khans and Aasia Bibis are yet to bear the brunt of being falsely accused. It is high time we addressed the misuse of Blasphemy at the hands of those who want to exercise their hard power through use of sensitive topics; if the west can come out of its witch hunt, why cannot we?

Furthermore, there are groups that are waiting for such issues to use them for their expediency. Such groups garner their support from the strata of population who believe whatever they are told is true and if they are not up in arms at such junctures, they may die as infidels and may never enter heaven. Tehreek e Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is one such group that leaves no occasion to further its agenda, and now it has become a political party as well. When personal interests like gaining power are involved, the cause cannot remain an altruistic one for long; and the most dangerous situation brews when religion is used as a tool for political gain

Moreover, Fatwas by the TLP leadership have been issue which openly ordain their followers to kill the three Honorable Judges who were part of the bench that acquitted Aasia Bibi. It does not end here, they have also asked Pak Army generals to rebel against the Chief of Army staff.

The institutions need to take necessary action right away as issuing such edicts openly can prove to be catastrophic and land the country in a precarious situation. Followers of TLP also need to be told that Islam is a religion of peace and the Holy Prophet (SAW) forgave the people who pelted him with stones, who hurled abuses at him, who caused him pain.

The people of Pakistan have a chance to get rid of extremism which wears the guise of religion. People like Salman Taseer have been martyred to highlight this issue, their blood has borne fruit which has grown on the branches of the Judiciary. Now it is up to us to point out those who have used the name of our Holy Prophet (SAW), and have played with the sentiments of the masses for their own advantage to propagate nothing but an extremist mindset. If they are not dealt with properly this time, then we as a nation will have lost an opportunity to set our course on the straight path.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Pseudo intellectuals and politics

“So you all are impressed with the Chinese system of accountability where they blow out the brains of corrupt individuals. You want to see Pakistan as corruption free as China, but little do you know that it ranks seventy-seventh on the latest corruption perceptions index by Transparency International”, said former general secretary of Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Hyder Syed after taking a sip of tea in his chambers.

Preposterous notions such as these are rightly debunked by individuals like Hyder Syed, as constructed and readily accepted by the majority. We accept information without verifying the source because it comes from a seemingly educated person. Unfortunately, we have seen an exponential increase in this new breed of men. These men possess academic degrees, they walk well, they talk well, they have this veneer of sophistication and they will leave you impressed, until they utter something which makes absolutely no sense at all or pass contradictory statements.

This was not the case in olden days, because if someone wanted to learn about something, either he would head towards the library or he would take lectures on that particular subject. The advent of the web has made information sharing among the masses easier, we hoped that it would make the coming generations more knowledgeable; but, this dream seems to be an elusive one, and it’s unfulfilment can partly be blamed on the use of social media and Millennials who are hooked to their phones.

Social media has provided everyone with a space to write and upload any type of content which they deem fit. People post about topics without having a speck of knowledge about them. Before it’s introduction, the only source of information for citizens were books, electronic media and print media. The content in these mediums is published for a mass audience and have gatekeepers in the form of erudite editors and staff. Only after intense scrutiny, is the information passed on to people.

How can a person who has not studied political science or international relations in detail discuss such issues. A graduate during his stay at a university gains technical knowledge about the discipline of his choice, if he is an electrical engineer he will know more about circuits than a psychologist, if he is a doctor he will know more about the organic machine called man than he knows about Geology or the Earth.

The problem is that we do not want others to think that we are not knowledgeable about a certain topic, we try to impress them by stating things with impunity. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, because if we do not know about something at all, we will not jump to erroneous conclusions. The phenomena cannot be explained by anyone better than the English philosopher Bertrand Russell who said, “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubt.”

Time to break the reverie

On 4th of August the nation came across the enrapturing news that Exxon-Mobil was close to hitting mega oil reserves that will surpass the oil reserves of Kuwait in size.

The writer had already imagined himself behind the wheel of gas guzzling convertible V8 Ford Mustang cruising down M2 he called a friend who is working at an oil and gas firm to make plans about buying his dream car in the near future as Pakistan is to drown in a deluge of Petro-Dollars very soon.

Unfortunately, the voice on the other side of the phone was bland and devoid of an alacrity, which proved to be a rather ugly twist that shattered the writer’s dreams. His friend told him that may be Care Taker Minister for Maritime Affairs Mr. Abdullah Haroon was misled by his subordinate staff or he misconstrued what the staff had briefed him about.

Not giving up so easily on his dream, the writer and his friend decided to delve deep into the issue and they got their hands on the latest activity map and report which is issued monthly by DGPC-Directorate of Petroleum Concessions. A thorough examination of the map and report transpired that as of now there are no exploration activities being carried out by any company near or adjacent to the Pak-Iran border. The only source behind these towering claims was an aerial survey which can not substantiate presence of oil reserves, the only information it can provide is about structural orientations.

It is pertinent to mention here that oil exploration is an intricate and daunting task which includes processes like 2D and 3D surveys followed by geo-physical analyses, even then one cannot claim to have found oil reserves until and unless the test wells start producing crude oil because there are plethora of examples where results of surveys and test wells contradicted each other. So to put the record straight the chances of hitting any mega oil reserves right now are equivalent to hitting nothing at all.

Although the Minister has tried to eat a humble pie by shifting his stance from “is about to hit” to “hopefully will hit”, the intriguing part is that how can he state something which is not corroborated by actual facts and figures. As a corollary such sweeping statements can have a negative impact on businesses, especially in a multi-billion-dollar industry of oil and gas.

Ironically, this is not the first time in Pakistan that statements have been made without prior deliberation. In 2015 the then Prime Minister Mr Nawaz Sharif claimed that we have found huge gold and copper reserves in Chinot, which could help the country wave its good-bye to the infamous begging bowl. Today hardly anyone remembers the promises of this discovery.

Similarly, not long ago our Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Ms. Maleeha Lodhi held up a picture of a girl in the UN General Assembly while speaking about the atrocities committed by the Indian state in Indian occupied Kashmir, later on it was debunked that the picture was of a 17-year-old Palestinian girl injured by a shrapnel in an Israeli attack and the rest is history.

Now with high spirits the nation has embarked upon a new mission. We are going to build dams by collecting donations but have we considered that collecting 1.4 trillion rupees like this is a gargantuan task?

There must be a difference between the statements of an average social media user who can post anything he deems appropriate on his account and those holding prominent positions in echelons of power as the public considers this information as authentic. What sort of a message are we conveying that, in Pakistan the only thing which is certain is uncertainty, where every now and then castles of sand are made and forgotten.

The point of concern is that instead of learning from our blunders we tend to stick to the same plan time and again. The current situation can aptly be described in words of George Satyana; “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The only way out of this vortex is to consult specialists, before stating anything or taking initiatives the feasibility reports may be furnished and then discussed at length. Unequivocally it is impossible for a single person at the top to cross examine and process all the information, so the people who are responsible for briefing the top brass should work diligently and make sure that things are elucidated in a crystal clear manner.

The nation is tired of brushing the dust under the carpet, now the time has come for us to wake up and make sure that we do not accept lollipops anymore. Pakistan has witnessed some drastic changes lately which is a prelude to idyllic times ahead, it is hoped and prayed that the nation will not be given false hopes for sake of political expediency by the upcoming government of PTI and they are successful in burying this culture of irresponsibility.

The writer is a Geophysicist.

Pseudo intellectuals and politics

“So you all are impressed with the Chinese system of accountability where they blow out the brains of corrupt individuals. You want to see Pakistan as corruption free as China, but little do you know that it ranks seventy-seventh on the latest corruption perceptions index by Transparency International”, said former general secretary of Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Hyder Syed after taking a sip of tea in his chambers.

Preposterous notions such as these are rightly debunked by individuals like Hyder Syed, as constructed and readily accepted by the majority. We accept information without verifying the source because it comes from a seemingly educated person. Unfortunately, we have seen an exponential increase in this new breed of men. These men possess academic degrees, they walk well, they talk well, they have this veneer of sophistication and they will leave you impressed, until they utter something which makes absolutely no sense at all or pass contradictory statements.

This was not the case in olden days, because if someone wanted to learn about something, either he would head towards the library or he would take lectures on that particular subject. The advent of the web has made information sharing among the masses easier, we hoped that it would make the coming generations more knowledgeable; but, this dream seems to be an elusive one, and it’s unfulfilment can partly be blamed on the use of social media and Millennials who are hooked to their phones.

Social media has provided everyone with a space to write and upload any type of content which they deem fit. People post about topics without having a speck of knowledge about them. Before it’s introduction, the only source of information for citizens were books, electronic media and print media. The content in these mediums is published for a mass audience and have gatekeepers in the form of erudite editors and staff. Only after intense scrutiny, is the information passed on to people.

How can a person who has not studied political science or international relations in detail discuss such issues. A graduate during his stay at a university gains technical knowledge about the discipline of his choice, if he is an electrical engineer he will know more about circuits than a psychologist, if he is a doctor he will know more about the organic machine called man than he knows about Geology or the Earth.

The problem is that we do not want others to think that we are not knowledgeable about a certain topic, we try to impress them by stating things with impunity. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, because if we do not know about something at all, we will not jump to erroneous conclusions. The phenomena cannot be explained by anyone better than the English philosopher Bertrand Russell who said, “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubt.”

Today political discussions have become all the rage and those who do not know why Pakistan saw seven prime ministers deposed within six years from 1952 to 1958, are seen giving sweeping statements on the political dynamics of Pakistan with confidence. While others continue to share unauthentic information, the cycle continues unabated. No one is interested in reading books by neutral writers, who are considered an authority on the subject.

No wonder political parties target, the young demographic who has the maximum number of pseudo intellectuals and are the most gullible. They believe the exorbitant schemes and plans told to them without raising questions or asking for roadmaps.

This issue is more of an epidemic which has engulfed the globe rather than a specific region. However, there is a silver lining, we can encourage the younger generation to explore and develop critical thinking. Push them to ask questions.

The reading culture which was in vogue once, has to be revived again. Libraries are the gateway to knowledge, and this must not be forgotten. The world cannot rely and sustain on cherry picked ideas, superficial and distorted information. Our people need to see the real picture, otherwise the choices we makes as a society will prove to be ruinous.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Representation of smaller provinces in the federation

A chain is as strong as its weakest link. Similarly, a federation is as strong as its federating units. However, if federating units (Provinces) are not given their due share in resources or are not represented adequately at the center, the repercussions can be dire including a growing sense of alienation among the people of that province.

It has been observed in Pakistan that political parties which make it to the echelons of power after garnering votes from all four provinces are more likely to look after the concerns of smaller provinces including their representation at the center. Until the 1990s the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was renowned as a party of the entire federation, as it had its power base in all the provinces but now PPP has been relegated to the position of a provincial party.

While Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) always concentrated on the single largest province of Punjab as it provided them with enough seats to make a government in the center. Hence, providing leverage to smaller provinces at the center was the of their concerns.

But now there is a new party that has  leastemerged on the horizon and has successfully bagged seats from all provinces. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has proved to its critics that it indeed is the party of federation and does not represent people from only one province. Moreover, Prime Minister Imran Khan has also vowed that smaller provinces will be given attention they deserve.

If we looked at the composition of the federal cabinet we shall find only one minister from Balochistan; Mrs Zubaida Jalal. In the case of Sindh previously only one minister; Mrs Fehmida Mirza was included in the cabinet, but later the Prime Minister realised that having one minister from rural areas of the second largest province which has approximately a 50 million population was not a justified move. So a second Federal Minister Mr. Ali Muhammad Mahar was also included in the federal cabinet recently. However, PTI needs to realise that more representation is expected from backward regions in the future as it will instill confidence in the people of these areas.

Similarly, the situation is equally abysmal when it comes to bureaucracy. One can hardly find a single Federal Secretary from Balochistan. This reeks of the narrative, that representation of smaller provinces in Federal Government is also not in accordance with the quota allocated to each federating unit. According to the Statistical Bulletin about employees of the Federal Government 2016, and 2017, by the Establishment Division; 171,237 posts are lying vacant in Federal Government and the majority of these positions belong to smaller provinces like Balochistan, Sindh, Former FATA region and Gilgit-Baltistan.

To further add insult to injury the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) illegally changed the qualifying criteria of CSS exam since 2013. The mentioned change affected the number candidates who passed backward regions adversely. In the last result of the CSS only 5 passed the exam against 52 available seats from Balochistan, 16 candidates from Sindh(R) passed the exam against 64 vacancies, 34 passed the exam against 58 vacancies from KPK and 11 passed the exam against 32 available seats from GB/FATA. Furthermore, rather than rectifying the illegal change and passing those candidates who were affected by the illegal changes, FPSC sought an ex-post facto (backdated) approval from the previous cabinet. Thus getting a green signal to implicitly bypass the quota system. The present government should declare that ex-post facto ordinance as null and void ab-initio, so that seats of smaller provinces can be filled back.

It is note worthy that certain quarters are of the opinion that the quota system should be done away with. The premise behind their argument is that if people belonging to backward regions are not at par with those of developed areas then they should not be recruited in Federal Government. This notion can comfortably be controverted by the fact that candidates belonging to these regions do not have the educational facilities and institutions at par with institutions in urban areas.

Through the eighteenth amendment in 2010, the sectors of health and education have been handed over to the provinces and they are responsible for turning moribund sectors into functioning ones. However, 60 years of negligence cannot be rectified in a single decade. Moreover, the purpose of having quota system transcends the idea of giving leverage to people from backward regions in competitions. The quota system is more about giving due representation to different ethnicities as per their population, which is a prerequisite for a strong and stable federation.

The events that led up to the partition of Bangladesh and Pakistan, have not been forgotten. Seeds of heart wrenching discrimination were sowed, and germinated on the beds of inequality; as East Pakistan was not given their due share in the government or other state employments. Pakistan cited that India took advantage of the situation through Machiavellian maneuverings. Such events serve as a clarion call for generations to come and we have also learned our lesson the hard way.

It is never too late to correct our path, the new government has stepped-in to run the country and with more power comes more responsibility. It is high time that initiatives are taken which can prove to be building blocks for a strong federation. The members of the cabinet from smaller provinces should voice the issues, people of their provinces face. It is their foremost duty to make sure the Prime Minister and the Federal government, give due share to previously discriminated provinces.

The writer is a freelance columnist

The peace conundrum

The recent letter sent by Prime Minister Imran Khan, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extended an olive branch to India and instilled the hope of cordial relations between the two eternal enemies. The first step was proposing a meeting between their respective foreign ministers, on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

Initially, India accepted the offer and a possible thaw in relations could be foreseen, but the joy was short lived as India resorted to play its all-time favorite role of the reluctant bride, and with that all hopes of peace came dashing down once again. Of course India has come up with certain reservations but these are preposterous ones, the statements issued by Indian MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) say that insurgents trained and armed by Pakistan have killed Indian LEA personnel which include three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and a BSF (Border Security Force) guard whose body was mutilated as well. Furthermore, Pakistan glorifies terrorists because they have issued postal stamps to commemorate Burhan Wani.

Now either the information sharing amongst departments in India is very slow or they are too naïve to come up with some better pretext. The events in retaliation to which the talks have been put in cold storage occurred, way before India had acceded to hold the meeting and Pakistan had already rejected the Indian accusations.

So what is it that is preventing the Modi Government from initiating peace process. One, Modi Government is under immense pressure from Congress Party after the former French President Francis Hollande told in an interview that Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defense Ltd was made partner in Rafale jets deal on Indian Government’s request, which gave rise to suspicion of embezzlement on Modi Governments part. Two, elections are just around the corner in India and maintaining an antagonistic posture against Pakistan will assist BJP to earn respect in eyes of their supporters and their Right Wing political allies like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Being a peace preaching dove for a party, that capitalises on hate, and uses it as a fuel to run their political campaigns, is a hard pill to swallow and will diminish the probability of BJP winning the upcoming elections. The tactic has been used previously as well, not long ago talks initiative was aborted by the Indian side citing Uri Attacks and a self-proclaimed surgical strike on Pakistan in retaliation by India. So the line, “One step forward, two steps back.”, cannot be given a better form than Pak-India peace process.

Although much desired maturity has been displayed by the Pakistani side, but by not commensurating, the Indian side has exposed itself in the international arena, the duplicity which India exercises by showing outward compliance for peace, but inward defiance for the same has raised many eye brows.

The world has fathomed the ulterior motives of India, and the Modi government may not be able to garner support this time; as no neutral state is going to buy this broken record of India crying foul anymore.

Another paradigm shift witnessed this time is that vitriolic statements once emanating from the office of the Indian Defense Minister; are now coming from the Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat. This is a premonition that India is least interested in holding talks, they know that had the Foreign Ministers put the issues on the anvil, the chances of ironing out the differences would have been bright. However, all these moves on part of India suggest that she does not want to resolve any issue including Kashmir.

It is a time of reckoning for both sides, especially India as they are used to looking at things through a jingoistic lens without realising that our region is inflicted by poverty, ignorance and lack of basic facilities.

The idea of fanning the flames of war is absurd;as millions of people on both sides are still living below poverty line.To then have this Sword of Damocles hanging above our states, in the form of war, is devouring financial resources that otherwise could have been utilised for the amelioration of the downtrodden masses.

The people of India, must also discourage their government from taking aggressive stances every now and then by relying on baseless threats. Unfortunately, owing to ignorance and poverty the masses are easily carried away by the rhetoric and they also start to toe the line of fire and fury.

We should learn from the people of Europe who were once embroiled in the bloodiest of conflicts in history like WW-II but after having firsthand experience of conflicts they have learnt their lesson and countries that once drew daggers are now joined by a union unlike any other where their people can interact freely.

While people of subcontinent have not witnessed such brutal conflicts in recent history that turn bustling metropolis into a necropolis and this is the reason they take war as something which excites them. They say wise is the one who learns from the blunders of others and we also need to learn from the blunders of other nations. Moreover, those nations were diligent enough to rebuild their countries and those wars were not between states as heavily nuclear armed as India and Pakistan are today.

Now the onus to bring the Indian government to the table; lies on the shoulders of Indian people as Pakistan has already extended its hand for peace. The two, third world nations cannot constantly afford to be under the dark clouds of war.

The writer can be reached via twitter: @murtazakazi1

Conspiracy theories

The fresh wound of ignominy inflicted by a senior bureaucrat (BPS-20), after he stole the wallet of the head of the Kuwaiti delegation, which had come to Pakistan to discuss a myriad of investment plans, has left the nation in a state of consternation. Questions are being raised as to why a senior official stoop to this nadir of immoral conscience. While we all waited for the answers, the rumour brigade came to the rescue of the bureaucrat and the nation, in a manner that would, serve as a face saving endeavour or at least mitigate its tarnishing effects. The conspiracy theorists gave the whole fracas a new façade to look at, and this side of the story had the touch of a James Bond story to it.

The alternate story tells us that the bureaucrat was on a spy mission ordained by one of our neighbouring countries, which is not enjoying cordial relations with Kuwait. The spy was placing a chip that would help the intelligence agency of that country extract some sensitive information from the delegate whose wallet was stolen. This astonishing story is absolute rubbish, as perhaps theorists believed that his crime of stealing would be more acceptable, if it was juxtaposed with spying.

But alas! the CCTV video revealed that our ‘James Bond’ was in his late 50s and his physical condition would not have allowed him to perform any actions that a spy is expected to attempt. Furthermore, was he not supposed to put the wallet back from where he picked up after planting the suggested chip? Then why was it recovered from his home, as was written in the FIR. Perhaps answers to these questions will take the air out of this balloon.

One may ask these so called custodians of ultimate truth, who present these theories with conviction, whether there is any specific agenda behind their endeavours. The answer is in the affirmative. The primary reason is to get attention from the public by divulging something which not many people know, and by sensationalising the issue they achieve this goal. Furthermore, it is also done to create a sense of uncertainty and fear that things are not in control. One of the frequently sold ideas, is that Pakistan would have been a super power today, had it not been for the Machiavellian manoeuvrings from Zionist or Indian quarters. Rather than holding ourselves responsible, we like to shift the onus of our ills on other nations and this is a perfect manifestation of cognitive dissonance.

The architects of these preposterous theories also play safe. Most of their stories either involve spy agencies like CIA, MOSSAD, RAW and ISI or leave the matter in a totally inaccessible realm of ghosts and aliens. They know that after stating something pertaining to the above mentioned entities, they will not have to corroborate their theory with verifiable facts, because neither spy agencies share any information, nor ghosts and aliens will come to testify their concocted stories. This makes it easier to propound anything and walk away, without being challenged, and today anyone can write a story with the last line saying forwarded as received, which further protects the source of the misinformation.

The concerning fact is that these fabricated stories are readily digested by people with lack of knowledge and a poorly developed approach to critical thinking. Children are usually inquisitive in nature and do question us about things, but mostly this crucial quality of theirs is quashed when they are told by their elders to do whatever they are told to do, instead of developing a healthy sense of curiosity. This leads to acceptance of certain notions without challenging their validity, and once this habit is ingrained in our subconscious mind, it is a daunting task to get rid of it.

Moreover, conspiracy theories are ubiquitous phenomenon, whether it was the moon landings or 9/11, the Illuminati secret society or mysterious disappearance of flight MH-370; we have all conspiracy theories catering to different segments of different societies. Majority is of the view that we are not allowed by institutions to know the truth, so when we are given information based on deducted analogies, we tend to fall for it as a lot of work has gone behind connecting the dots, which in reality might not be the case. However, most conspiracy theories cannot be proved, so they are scrapped and in the process some of the theories which may actually hold some truth are also out rightly rejected without paying heed to them.

Although seemingly harmless, some conspiracy theories actually become larger than life and practically hamper the progress of a country. Those living in a society in which myths flourish and are accepted, tend to actually grasp these theories more quickly and when these men reach higher positions they tend to think on the same pattern. So while making decisions on external and internal fronts of the country, they are always wary of conspiracies being hatched by other nations against theirs. This very reason does not let the initiatives mature into something tangible, ultimately sacrificing progress at the altar of these conspiracy theories.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached via twitter: @murtazakazi1

Moving forward into the past

So after running from pillar to post and claiming that rather than opting for loans he will commit suicide, Imran Khan has finally succumbed to reality. The man believed to be adept at collecting alms has failed this time. Neither did Saudi Arabia lend the handicapped economy of Pakistan a walking stick nor did selling of buffaloes serve as a ventilator. The begging bowl that Khan shattered himself is now being put together with a special concoction prepared by Asad Umar which has Elfy and Burnol as its basic ingredients. The famous couplet of Parveen Shakir augments well with the situation and explains the relationship between IMF and Pakistan better than anything, “Wo kahen bhi gaya lauta tou mairay pass aya; bus yehi baat hay achi mairay harjai ki.”-Wherever he went when he returned, he came to me; this is the only appealing attribute of my insincere lover.Knocking at IMF’s door always comes with its own repercussions, the stringent conditions will further put the government in a precarious situation of shifting the burden of taxes on the common folk. The irony is that PTI has set the bar so high that now it has become an insurmountable task for the Government to walk the talk. The masses will not letthe promises once made disappear into the oblivion. We have observed that the government is being criticized for the same things on which people remained silent in the past. Thanks to Imran Khan for spreading awareness, the voters are not an ignorant lot anymore and will chastise the government for every wrong move they make.

Whether it is the crashing stock exchange or the value of rupee plunging against the dollar, red flags have been raised almost in every major sector but government is still waiting for the situation to spin further out of control. It seems that the heads running the government do not have adequate experience which is required to carry the business smoothly. It is being said that government should be given some space as things will eventually fall in place once the dust settles, but the issue is that Pakistan is a country and not a laboratory where experiments are carried out and if things did not go as per plan there will be a small puff of smoke and the experiment can be carried out after rectifying the mistakes. We have already witnessed a complete loss of Rs.238bn of stock brokers at PSX, so with due apologies to Prime Minister and his team the nation is not in the condition to face any more jolts like this and the experiments may be avoided at least in such a fragile economic situation.

Moreover, one of the fundamental reasons for government not performing as per expectations of the people is that most of the energy is being spent on criticizing the previous governments and not on moving forward with their own agenda. The reason that two major political parties were on the verge of being wiped out in the general elections is that they did not live up to the task with which they were entrusted. The incumbent government was well aware of the dilapidated condition in which country was lingering and the uphill task they were to embark upon after winning. Apparently, plans were ready with Asad Umar and others who did not spare any opportunity to tell the previous government about how things should have been done but alas! Those ideas and studies that were applicable when viewed from the lens of opposition are no more practical and will be gathering dust in cabinets of PTI campaign offices without ever making it to the table tops of those who once pitched these plans vociferously on the floor of the parliament and podiums. To much of our amazement those who used to sing the mantra of “say no to loans” in a chorus with Khan are now suddenly more realistic and are telling others that initiatives take time to bear fruit. When they were told the same thing, they dismissed these views as that of an ignorant fool who not aware of current Prime Minister’s super powers.

The people of Pakistan have catapulted a relatively new party into the high offices with a hope and desire for something new that will serve the country, they are tired of the same time tested and failed techniques of handling issues and to make matters worse the streak of gainsaying things is eroding the credibility of the government. Terming the green pastures shown to the masses as merely political statements will raise a fundamental question that what is the difference if old paths leading to failures are still being trodden, what is the purpose of causing this upheaval when kith and kin of stalwarts are still being conferred with important positions in government. Are we moving forward into the past?

It seems politics in global south is nothing more than a competition of telling lies, the better you are at doing so the more successful you may become and the parties which lose should rest in opposition for a complete term until the goldfish memory of masses makes them forget everything negative they did. However, there is always a way out and we can also come out of this vicious cycle of jumping from the frying pan into fire by striving to work and make sure that education takes its roots in the society. Meanwhile the nation should hope that the truck carrying Murad Saeed’s “200 arab dallar” which were supposed to come to Pakistan on second day of Imran Khans oath reaches as soon as possible and with that capital the government may start on its project named “Naya Pakistan”

The writer is a freelance columnist

Get Beaten at Murree NOW!

Murree has been termed as the Queen of Khosar( Hill range), it has enjoyed this title owing to the natural beauty and picturesque scenery. Since the time of the British empire it has been a tourist magnet where people throng in summers to escape the sweltering summer and in winters they head toward the British era town to get taste of live snowfall.

However, things have got ugly in recent past, if you were to go to Murree be prepared to get a beating by the locals who have developed this clout, which is not in control of police or authority. If you quarreled for high prices, you get your beating. If you quarreled for unhygienic food be ready to get your fair share of beating. The positive side which even feminists will appreciate is that the beating is not gender specific, the wrath befalls upon men and women equally. Whether you are with friends or with family, if you dared to assail the exorbitant demands on room rents you have successfully earned yourself a good beating and while they do that the ladies with the men who are being beaten beseech the barbaric men to stop but they are enjoying the spree so much that come what may you cannot escape.

Recently, a video of a lady went viral on social media in which she and her kids wanted to stay at a hotel and she was charged the bill and then kicked out without offering the the facilities for which she paid. If we went back similar stories will surface and even a boycott movement was started by social media activists but that did not bear any fruit.

 It seems we have accepted the beating as part and parcel of our “tour de Murree” and in future people who visit from far flung areas will on their return to their home towns will sit and tell the stories of their Murree tour to friends like raconteurs do and their friends will ask them how was the beating and they would answer, ‘it was the best part” and would recommend others to get a piece of their beating as it has become a trend and without getting your head opened the trip would seem incomplete.

Inception to deterioration of Pakistan.

25 December birth anniversary of two Leaders of Pakistan. One, the Founding Father (25 December 1876) second, 18th Prime Minister of Pakistan (25 December 1949) Indeed, Jinnah was a man of words and deeds. He changed the history, even changed the world map, man who founded Pakistan. On the contrary, Nawaz Sharif has nothing special to discuss expect he is Former Prime Minister and sentenced to 7 years, and now he shifted to Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail on his demand. Instead of hope and vigour, there is depression and disappointment among people about present state of affairs. What a pity!!! Moreover, Both are the leaders of the same name Political party ‘Muslim League’ but unfortunately their leadership abilities are like apples and oranges.

 If we still remember Quiad’s vision and ideology for Pakistan then there wouldn’t have been the need for launching ambitious loan schemes to empower unemployed youth, and lure the poor people by  income support programs to combat poverty and inequality .Even we wouldn’t have been labeled as “terrorist country” across the world. Alas!!

Urao Urao!!

This irreverent and satirical painting "Urao Urao" by Hadia Moiz scoff at the incompetent Pakistan's political system which damaged social and moral values of many.In this painting,splattered blood and outline of Pakistan maps with vulture line depicts the marauding politicians of the country. Bordering with these self centered, power-hungry vultures, who became so hungry that they forget the important things to do and are willing to go to any extent.They don't even care if their hunger deprived the common man basic necessities. These ugly,disgusting and blood sucking vultures are actually robbing their own country blind.Consequently, Pakistan has not only faced the economic pain but also enormous embarrassment,when this nuclear-armed nation was placed on a "grey list". Still on their accountability they called themselves pious but in reality they are unhygienic, disgusting and ugly VULTURES.!!!
 

NAB's speed for Opposition & Government..

Speed of NAB to initiate the inquires to end up the conviction in cases of PML-N leaders is in top gear now a days. on contrary for PTI and PML-Q it is in fourth gear. This Selective accountability is not only add fuel and seems that they are only targeted the PML-N or their associates.  Many fellow worker of Imran-led government, are also NAB's target but why they are not investing the influential men and other stalwart of PTI in the top gear. 

Climbing up things will not make you PM anymore.

 The weekend was going all boring and suddenly we had our news channel screens flashing tickers and footage of a man who had climbed up a cellular tower in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Mostly, people climb up towers when their families to not accede to their demands to marry the girl of their choice, the notion has been adapted from the India Blockbuster “Sholay” in which Dharmindar threatens to commit suicide if the girl he wished to marry did not accept his proposal.

However, the man who climbed up the tower did wish to marry someone, he had a grand scheme of things cooking in his mind. He wanted to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan and even claimed to cure all the ills which have beset the country including alleviation of financial crisis within a span of six months. Little does the poor soul know that the nation has already selected a man who climbed up a container a few years ago, he also claimed to turn around the moribund country in a hundred days and he also was as ambitions as him but the problem is that the nation is already regretting its decision and is not in the mood of doing the same thing again , we have finally understood the gist of Einstein’s words, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. So tower man we are sorry!!!

The writer can be reached on twitter: @murtazakazi1

Science and religion

As one reads books like “A brief history of time.” By Stephen Hawkings he thinks that science has answer to everything and slowly starts to adapt science as his new religion and believes every commandment of science as final verdict.
However, when he spends some more time in this state and reads more about the fickle nature of science only then it dawns upon him that even science is not able to answer all the questions. Likewise, Mr Stephen Hawking once gave an idea of some sort of super power behind all the laws of physics and creation of this universe but in his final book “Brief Answers to the Big Questions “which has been published posthumously on October 16,he states that “There is no God. No one directs the universe,”.

When the greatest mind present amongst humanity until recently can change so often how can an average folk rely on something which itself is in it incipient stages and changes direction every now and then.
Just like the game of Snakes and Ladders science has answers to every little detail on the process of formation of earth to solar systems, nebulas to galaxies but when it reaches the 99th box of Big Bang it falls back to square 1 by leaving an unanswered question of how Big Bang occurred in the first place out of nowhere. Consequently, in a face saving attempt we are told that all these phenomena are governed by the laws of physics at a larger scale, so calling God as laws of physics does not change much of the reality.
A hundred years back no one would have imagined that a pocket sized device would help humanity connect to each other but today we are not only doing that but we can also see each other on screen of that device.
Science can tell us how things happen but it is religion which tells us that why things happen. The detrimental impacts of moving away from religion can be seen today, those who have lost faith in religion have made this world their one and only abode and to make life better here they are going to any limit without fear of any punishment hereafter.
Although all of the above discourse does not mean that science is against religion or we should turn a blind eye to it
The writer can be reached on twitter: @murtazakazi1

'Art as political weapon'

One of the most powerful antiwar artworks in the world is Gurenica by Pablo Picasso,the monument panel is display in Madrid, Spain .It was created in 1937 in Paris in response to Spanish civil war. This war begins in 1936 when group of right-wing Generals launched military coup against the legally elected government of 2^nd Spanish Republic. At significantly military  disadvantage,this government realize heavily on cultural forums to ensure its defense, and that’s why Guernica comes in.Pablo Picasso paints Guernica in response to commission by the government for large scale mural painting which is meant to be center piece for the Spanish pavilion in the 1937 world’s fair. This was the golden opportunity for the government to really to get international support for its cause .Before 1937 Picasso kept out of politics,the Spanish civil war really is the  catalyst for his  political engagement and Guernica is his first manifestation on the world stage.

Picasso was eager to show his support for the republic but he really struggles with findings a subject.For him, art is political weapon and he finally find an inspiration when he reads news in the French press of the bombing of the Basque Village of Guernica on April 26, 1937.  This was particularly atrocious crime in Spanish civil war. Guernica was the spiritual capital of the Basque country and it had absolutely no military or strategic importance and its was bombed by the Nazist and fascist aviation at the behest of nationalist forces on marked day to ensure maximum number of civilian casualties.

 Picasso upon learning news about this bombing embarks on the series of carefully cataloged and dated preliminary paintings and drawing that ultimately added in his master piece. Guernica is simply representation of tragedy and devastation of bombing on larger scale through several main characters a horse ,a bull, a warrior and several women including a woman holding a dead child and these characters  are inspired by various sources including Spanish culture.

The utopian state

There is a country which is witnessing exponential growth in every sector. Inflation that once marred the economy is almost in check, while citizens have reposed their trust in institutions, with mega projects like dams being built from charity collected across the globe. Once a stagnant country, is now rising like a phoenix from its ashes. The country alluded to in the lines above exists in a parallel universe we all know as social media. However, sometimes the radiation of events from this proverbial universe affects our real world too, and right now this is happening in Pakistan.

The prevalent scenario can aptly be elucidated with the help of a term from Psychology called “Illusion of truth”. The technique was effectively used by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels who said, “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”. 

The tool and its usefulness has impressed the incumbent government so much that they have also embarked on this path to gain easy political millage, but the problem is that they assumed it was an elixir that could cure any problem they might encounter. However, they need to be told that too much use of the same legerdemain can also desensitize the masses, and rather than doing any good, it has started to work against them.

So the ludicrous streak of sensationalism manifested itself with ‘helicopter-gate’ that started a new debate in the country regarding per kilometre expenses of a chopper flight. Rather than ignoring the information minster’s naïve claim, the intelligentsia joined their heads together to solve this mystery. Those who never got more than 50 percent marks in mathematics went to the extent of deriving complex theorems on social media to prove their point for, and against, the claim.

Then it was reported by a senior journalist that our Prime Minister refused to take the French Premier’s callSupporters of PTI were on cloud nine that at last they had found someone who does things the way he likes, and does not bend over backwards like the previous leaders. A few days down the line, it emerged that it had I fact only been minor officials who were trying to schedule a call for an appropriate time which was convenient for both leaders.

Giving false hopes based on false assumptions will only create a utopian state on social media. Things need to be set straight, otherwise the ultimate losers will be the people of Pakistan who have given PTI the right to govern the country.

The writer can be reached via twitter: @murtazakazi1

Illogical Logic!

It seems the government and specially the Prime Minister are on a mission to crack jokes. One after another the farces do not seem to stop and with every passing day statements from the top brass of government do not stop and the whole chain of command becomes a joke.

The famous streak of putting forward ideas and figures which are grotesquely bloated manifested when Fawad Chaudhry Minister of Information told that Prime Minister’s chopper costs 55-60 KM/L. now the extent has reached new proportions, on the completion of 100 days of the government the Prime Minister came up with a unique idea of raising chickens and bulls to help the economy grow.

 Later on he quoted Bill Gates in his tweet and tried to defend his stance, but little does he know that Gates and Malinda foundation merely spent 40,000- 200,000 dollars on this project out of the 50 bn dollars allocated for all the projects and the program has already failed in Africa.

Well, this does not end here the new endeavor in which the government embarked was the demolition of the wall of Governor house Lahore. Someone tell the Prime Minister that bringing the wall will cost us and so will erecting the new fence. Let us hope that the Prime Minister will act sensibly which is something that can only be hoped for !

100 Days..