Emaar of Dubai is investing $43 billion to convert two islands off the coast of Karachi into resorts for the rich elite of the city. In recent years residents of Karachi have been facing a great deal of problems due to the increase in traffic, pollution, crime and lack of other basic amenities. Such a project would allow the crème de la crème to distinguish themselves from the millions of middle-class people in the city who have now, according to one socialite, turned it into a ‘shit-hole’.
The islands would also serve as a permanent getaway for its residents as all their needs would be provided for and they would be able to access the areas of Defence and Clifton by a $50 million bridge. The other Karachi ‘towns’ were already no-go areas for most people tipped to be buying property on these islands. However, it was a cause for concern that on national holidays, such as Eid, Independence Day, Defence Day etc., a lot of the inhabitants of deprived Karachi areas would migrate to Defence and Clifton to enjoy the only source of entertainment for the middle-class of the city, the Clifton Beach.
Continue reading ‘NEWSFLASH: Karachi to have $43 billion islands (whaa?)’
Published on January 19, 2007
in Sports.
Seemingly, these words appear to be those of an uncouth, imbalanced and racist individual but no, they were spoken by none other than the cricketing pride and joy of South africa, a self admitted match fixer. I am talking about Hansi Cronje’s partner in crime Mr. Herschelle Herman Gibbs. Is it not ironical that a man at the lowest ebb of human conduct and morality is accusing over zealous spectators of animal-like behaviour? Keeping in mind that this exuberant behaviour is perhaps what provides one facet of cricketing entertainment, it hardly warranted such a reaction. A professional sportsman , an icon of sorts, resorting to frequent punctuations of profanity with racist undertones to convey his sentiments; It’s Shameful. I would’ve thought that as a nation, we would’ve responded with a vehement call to bar Herschelle Gibbs from playing test cricket in pakistan at the least. The fault is mine, it slipped my mind that we are a passive collective. He would’ve had to say the above personally to our mothers or perhaps our wives, maybe then we would wake up .
Gibbs caught on video
Continue reading ‘“….f***in’ animals, bunch of hyenas, go back to the zoo, it’s not pakistan this”’
Many of us will be acquainted with the western stereotype of Pakistan: hostile, intolerant and in some cases radicalised. Many of us will also be aware of the societal schisms within Pakistan itself. In the quest for a modern state, many Pakistanis have wholesale secularised themselves and those around them. More still are fairly rabid in their quest to eliminate all traces of Islam from Pakistan’s national consciousness. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the equally intolerant, highly literalist and in some cases bigoted self-anointed ‘defenders of the faith’, out to press their interpretation of Islam on any and all. An observation both sides of the chasm would do well to stare down into, however, would be that of the importance of truth- truthfulness towards others, and themselves. For this truthfulness would let us realise that there is to be no compulsion in religion, and yet that there are tangible benefits to be had from a more genuine incorporation of Islam in the fabric of Pakistan. This post will briefly seek to touch on this conceptual touchstone that I call truthfulness, and exemplifying some of its benefits to Pakistan’s overarching identification issues. Continue reading ‘Truth: the lodestar of (a better) Pakistan?’
Published on January 17, 2007
in Army.
Interesting to compare the two oaths. More importantly the fact that there is a SPECIFIC mention of ‘political activity’ in the Pakistani oath while on the other hand all that US Armed Forces are asked to state is that they will ’support and defend’ the Constitution. Oh, and the Pakistani oath has been translated from Urdu into English so don’t think that just cause English is the American language they understand it better. It has nothing to do with comprehension. I guess for us oaths and promises are just things that we would like to get out of the way to carry on with what we want to do never to think of them again.
Oath taken by the Pakistan Armed Forces
“I, (NAME), with a sincere heart and God as my witness do solemnly swear that I will be faithful to the State of Pakistan and protect the constitution of Pakistan, which reflects the wishes of the people of Pakistan. Further, I will not indulge in any political activity and will perform my duties in the armed forces with full faith and honesty. I will go where and howsoever I am ordered to by land, air or sea and that I will obey all lawful orders given to me by my superiors without regard to any dangers and threats to my personal safety. May God be my protector and witness. Amen”
Oath taken by the U.S Armed Forces
Continue reading ‘Irony’
Where LoC means Lots of Coffee by Vinod Sharma - The Hindustan Times
Islamabad
One need not travel to Lahore and Karachi any longer for a taste of the Pakistani entrepreneurship, humour and its thinking people’s irrepressible urge for democratic freedom. The proof lies in the pudding served 24X7 at Civil Junction, a thoughtfully named cafeteria in the heart of the Pak capital.
CJ’s ‘Vajpayee’s cup of Coffee’ is one hot favourite: old, poetically smooth, chronically alone, mythologically brewed, firmly soft and, in short, more than you can expect.
“There is no foreign hand in its making,” the cafe’s elaborately done menu assures of the cuppa served since the Indian and Pakistani troops were eyeball-to-eyeball on the borders.
Of identical vintage and price, ‘Musharraf Guesspresso’ is CJ’s best bet: khaki and brewed under high pressure of discipline. Its base very, very strong; the real kick being in its aftertaste!
Continue reading ‘Cafe: Where LoC means Lots of Coffee’
Welcome to Pakistan. A slowly progressing South Asian country sitting in a key location within a world increasingly effected by globalization. It has progressed in recent years under the tenure of General President Pervaiz Musharraf in the areas of sports, corporate business, export, agriculture, banking infrastructure, communications. Additionally, the media which will soon have, if all goes according to plan, 52 channels and 120 FM radio stations but in the last decade Pakistan has gone to even such lengths to progress in nuclear technology alongside India that it was willing to risk the repercussions of economic sanctions. What about the basic necessities that the citizens of a country should rightfully have? Continue reading ‘Pani Piyoun Magar Kahan Se?’
Conspiracy as a cause of events is a constant in Pakistan. The theory is packaged in a paradigm that can be slapped on any situation. In other societies conspiracy theories are marginal; in Pakistan they are mainstream
Finally, somebody has worked out as to what ails Pakistanis. The Columbus of this effort is Mohammad Abdul Qadeer, professor emeritus at the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’ University, Kingston, Canada. He lives in Toronto. I suppose you need to be physically at a distance from what you are observing to get its contours right. When you are close, you can’t see the wood for the trees.
Qadeer, who once wrote a book on Lahore from a sociologist’s and urban planner’s point of view, when told that Pakistan had won a hard-fought Security Council seat, beating India, observed, “What Pakistan needs is not a seat on the Security Council but more public toilets in Lahore.” He has just published a book in London on Pakistan and what our social strengths and foibles are. He has devoted a section of the work to the Pakistani mindset and he seems to have got it right.
Continue reading ‘POSTCARD USA: Ah! the Pakistani mindset! By Khalid Hasan’
Published on January 13, 2007
in Sports.
Shoaib is a uniquely Dickensian character. He is the best of entertainers, he is the worst of entertainers. He is the best of entertainers because in recent cricket history nobody can match the energy and the excitement that Shoaib brings on to the field. He is the worst because unlike most entertainers he disappoints when you expect the most off him. He disappoints by not showing up. It would be fair to say that you either hate him or love him and after so many years of disappointments most people would be inclined to see this man out of the team due to his ‘apparent’ lack of discipline and ‘attitude’ problems. This is where I stop agreeing with these people. I am not contesting the allegations, but the desire to see him out of the team.
I have gone from loving Shoaib when he first came on the world stage to hating him and now I am back to loving him. And if his career was to end today I would stick to this view of mine. However, let’s have a look at his career stats first as that gives a good indication of a player’s calibre. 165 wickets in 42 tests at an average of 25.69 and 208 wickets in 133 ODI’s at an average of 23.33. These stats aren’t the most amazing you’ll ever see, but they aren’t that bad either for a man who has rarely been completely fit. The real story of his career is the one I am going to tell you now. Continue reading ‘Shoaib Akhtar: The best and the worst’
Published on January 12, 2007
in Classics.
This video of Ali Azmat on IM on the Fringe is highly entertaining. Ali is entertaining not only for the way he speaks, but the insight that he gives into his career and the lives of musicians. I particularly love the line where he says, ‘These poor guys make nothing…they don’t make shit…now upar se ur going to take taxes…why don’t u take my ‘chaddis’ as well man’. On the Fringe is a very well done show and Fasi Zaka, the host, makes it a point to ask probing questions when interviewing musicians rather than indulging in glorifying talk about their achievements.
Continue reading ‘Classics: Ali Azmat - IM on the Fringe’
