The show must go on

The shahadat of renowned qawwal Amjad Sabri marks another feather in the cap of law and order enforcement agencies' failure. Being a tragic incident and one which has been unanimously condemned by people from all sorts and walks of life, one can only reflect on who/what kind being could fathom the plot to silence the maestro. TV personalities and politicians have all condemned his assassination with many of them visibly mourning him on live TV.

I hope and pray that Allah blesses his soul. His last words "Imdad meri karne, ajana RasoolAllah (SAWW)" were spoken too soon and he leaves behind a grieving populace.
In retrospect,I believe TV channels should adjust some of their programming to reflect on the incident. Instead of just going about as if nothing had happened, programs like Jeeto Pakistan should have had toned down at least the music and hum bum in the show to consider the grief that the family of Amjad Sabri. There should be a lesser jokes at least to mark the sombre mood. Surely, of course, it doesn't have to be forever because eventually, the show must go on. RIP Amjad Sabri.
 
"Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return".

Much ado about nothing

Whilst reading the article (http://tribune.com.pk/story/374665/post-op-estimates-police-rack-up-rs16m-bill-but-barely-make-a-dent-in-lyari/), I could not help but think that for the police, it was all an affair of getting funds. At least the handsome figures of biryani supply costs insist so. The operation in Lyari has told the international media that we have terrorists within the backyard of our own commercial hub and that our police is incapable of thwarting them out even after ten days of "operations". It's high time for some kind of military operation because if the police cannot match the artillery in possession of the gangsters in Lyari, then there is no logic in continuing to keep the police operation on.

These things aside, a couple of weeks back, in a show on some local news channel, a reporter had surveyed the Lyari public on their issues, problems and concerns regarding the current security situation in the town viz-a-viz their political affiliations. It was surprising to see that the public's attitude was "This PPP minister (Gabol) is bad, but we will still vote for PP in future." The people had blind faith in PPP as a result of their generational loyalty and were not willing to look beyond it. I could not pity those people then because when the time would come to choose their fate, they would willingly select the thieves to rule over them. For them Steve Jobs summed it all well, albeit in a totally different context: "Stay hungry, stay foolish."

Barthez - 16

Whilst attending my cousins Nikah ceremony at a lawn in KMC complex on Sunday night, I came across a young kid barely 12 who was picking up the table cloths after the dulha had moved to the dulhan side for photography. In between his cloth-picking I got a chance to speak to him. ''Saab aap mere baare mein jaan kar kya karenge (what will you do after getting to know me?''). He had a valid point. His story was painful and I do not feel like repeating it here. He was born into a poor family and to support his family he worked overnight.

His battle was a hard one. There was no government support for his family nor were they enrolled on the list of any NGO. Breaking out from the vicious cycle of poverty was a daunting task for him.

Amidst the negativity and doom that loomed his future, he remarked with a positive stint in his eye: ''Mujhe angrezi parhne ka shawq hai (I like to read English).'' So much as I wished, I could not do anything for him at that point in time except that I committed to drop by the next day with something of value to him that would assist him in achieving that aim. The number of Barthez's on the streets is silently climbing as we wait for political leaders to brush aside their differences and vested interest and do something for them. Being a taxpayer, it is kind of frustrating to see this trend. As I write this, I have in mind the success story of one such boy. Miraculous as it may seem, it certainly was the result of determination and hard-work. Let's hope the same for our Barthez too!

Death and the city

I was crossing the Kashmir Road Society Office intersection today morning on my way to my brothers' school when I saw approximately 50 mazdoor (labourers) sitting on the footpath adjoining the roundabout. They were mainly Pathans or maybe Afghans and looked very grim.

Day before yesterday, Karachi was burning because 2 political workers had been ambushed http://thinkaholick.blogspot.com/2012/03/1-upon-karachi.html Yesterday evening, one ANP worker was shot dead in a busy district of Karachi. http://samaa.tv/newsdetail.aspx?ID=45305&CID=1 Within a few hours, traffic had thinned and the city had reverted back to its blood-thirsty counter-strike mode. 

In my mind I was trying to think what those labourers might be thinking. For them, the bloodshed and sectarianism was meaningless. Their struggle in life is to provide two square meals for themselves and their families. What is the meaning of political killings to them? Two days of lost work during one week which will only add to their economic and social problems. They have sunk two days back in time compared to the rich. This divide is getting wider and wider and unfortunately forcing such people to the point of frustration. As I rode around the corner back on my way after a while, I could see their depressed eyes. They looked tired...from the fight they had to consistently engage in for their survival in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan...a nation that was envisioned to be an embodiment of justice and equality...unfortunately it ain't no more.