The Pakistan Jinnah envisioned

I have been reading the Dawn newspaper since I was a child and it helped form a clear, balanced image of the founder of Pakistan in my mind. This year as I read an article by Jinnah expert Shariful Mujahid article, entitled return to Jinnah’s Pakistan’ I saw with dismay and pessimism , a picture so grey and small.

Gone were the beautiful bright colours of the people of Sindh, Baluchistan , Frontier and Punjab. Gone were the dreams and promises. The style in which he has addressed the readers shows how hopeless and petty our issues have become. How we as a people and a nation have failed completely to govern, guide and prosper. How our ship of nationhood has entered the tossing, destroying, stormy waters of disintegration and destruction. And all thanks to the demons and despots , who only for their petty gains, their bird-brained thoughts, imposed on such a vibrant, tolerant, dynamic people over the last 60 years. No wonder India is still trying to shake our foundations. No wonder we are labeled as a failed state. Through consistent destruction of institutions and syncophant promotion our whole paradigm of healthy progress is destroyed.

Jinnah stood for faith, unity and discipline.Today we stand for hatred, prejudice, intolerance and bigotry. He said “let all people worship freely in churches, masjids and temples.” He stood for honesty and hard work, of which he himself was a shining example. We stand for sheer parasitic, nepotism, communal promotion and moral corruption. He stood for democracy and the masses. We stand for maneuvering, cheating and colluding . He stood for integrity of character.We stand for deluge, trickery, bribery and sheer baseness! My heart is filled with intense pain. I grieve for the lost ideal and I grieve for the lost truth.

Do you not think that it is time for us all to discard the mantle of bigotry and lies. It is time to reread and repledge our vows for a revived Jinnah’s Pakistan? Otherwise we may lose this beautiful country, the soul of our existence, forever! We may never be able to justify the reason for creation of Pakistan again.

Independence Day passes by unceremoniously

Students miss out on traditional Aug 14 celebration

Following the recent flood devastation in different parts of country 64th Independence Day was celebrated with simplicity to express solidarity with the flood victims.
Quran Khawani was held for the martyrs of Pakistan Movement. National flags were hoisted on government and private buildings.
Different functions at government and private level were already cancelled due to flood devastation in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh.
The Independence Day ceremonies were cancelled at president and Prime Minister House and day was celebrated with simplicity.
Pakistan Army had also decided to cancel ceremonies of Independence Day and 6th September.
Contrary to past, this year functions were not arranged by NGO’s and other social organizations as they are busy in collecting donations for the flood victims. Large numbers of workers of private organizations are engaged in rescue and relief work in flood-affected areas. Different vendors resented cancellation of Independence Day celebrations as their stalls comprised of Independence Day material remained deserted.
People from different walks of life appreciated this decision to celebrate the Independence Day with simplicity.
All of public school students who were preparing to take part in the Independence Day ceremony have been told at the last minute to forget the celebrations and help flood victims instead.
Public school teachers vowed to celebrate Independence Day with zeal while also encouraging their students to give financial and moral support to the flood victims.

First to move in,

Islamists win hearts
Pakistani Islamists have been quick to step in to help after this month's devastating floods, winning hearts and minds as frustration with the government grows.
The army was quick to respond with rescue efforts, saving many lives as the torrent struck. The government, overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, has been blasted as ineffective.

But as the authorities andinternational aid agencies marshal supplies and staff, it is often nimble Islamist charity workers who are first to arrive to help people pick up their lives as the worst of the surge begins to ebb. They may not bring huge resources to bear but they establish a presence. reuters

Fading faith in our humanity


Pakistan is a nation divided into many races, castes, creeds and classes. Yet, whenever a calamity hits the country, we become united in our empathy.

The devastating earthquake which hit the northern parts of the county in 2005 is one of the examples of this humanitarian support.
Now that the country is facing one of its worst floods ever, the spirit of volunteerism is once again direly needed.
For this purpose, relief camps have been established at every nook and corner of the capital for collecting goods to help flood victims. However, the transparency of many of these camps leaves a question mark.
Mobashir Rabbani, a philanthropist, told the Express Tribune that contributions were not as large scale this time around. “After the 2005 earthquake, people have lost trust in making contributions through non-governmental organisations,”
The Express Tribune found a number websites asking for donations that had copied posters from international organisations and superimposed their own logos. These groups had a large number of visitors and were being shared on social networking sites like Facebook. People have questioned the authenticity of such groups who seemed to disregard copyright laws. Mansoor Ahmed, Director Municipal Administration (DMA), Capital Development Authority (CDA) said that a number of organisations were functioning without NOCs and this would be monitored and stopped.

Pakistan floods affect more people than 2004 tsunami: UN

A UN official said Monday that the Pakistani floods have affected more people than the Indian Ocean tsunami did in 2004.
'In terms of people affected, this flood is worse than the tsunami,' Maurizio Giuliano, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told DPA.
'Our assessment is based on figures provided by the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) - 13.8 million affected - that is more than the people affected in the tsunami. The people affected by the tsunami were five million,' he said in a telephone interview. 'Out of 13.8 million, not all are severely affected but most of them are.'
The floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains submerged villages, washed away bridges and killed over 1,600 people in the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa last week.
The water then devastated large areas in the central province of Punjab and caused havoc in the southern province of Sindh.

Karachi threatened by floods
PAKISTAN'S biggest city and commercial hub, Karachi, is in danger of being inundated by the country's worst-ever floods amid warnings that the cost of relief and rehabilitation will damage the fragile national economy.
Floods have washed away hundreds of thousands of homes, crops and livestock and caused huge damage to infrastructure including bridges, roads, government buildings and electricity supplies. Reconstruction is likely to cost billions, the United Nations says.
More heavy monsoon rains are forecast and the meteorological department has warned of flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad and other cities.
At least 1600 people have been killed but there are warnings the toll could rise well above 2000.About 15 million people have been directly affected by the floods, but the consequences are being felt across the country as food prices rise.

Moscow on fire: Hell on Earth
Thick smog from raging wildfires engulfs Moscow
Moscow was engulfed Wednesday by the thickest blanket of smog yet this summer, an acrid, choking haze from wildfires that have wiped out Russian forests, villages and a military base.
Dry winds have sent clouds of smog over Moscow before, but Wednesday's was the worst yet, with the haze obscuring the capital's landmarks and penetrating the subway system.
A choking smog from raging wildfires shrouded Moscow on Friday, grounding flights, plunging the city's iconic Red Square into a sea of dirty mist and stinging eyes and throats across the Russian capital.
As wildfires continued to burn in Russia on Friday, Muscovites and tourists were forced to wear masks or stay indoors due to the smog, AP and Reuters reported. AP also reported that visibility in Moscow "was down to a few dozen yards.”
"All high-temperature records have been beaten, never has this country seen anything like this, and we simply have no experience of working in such conditions," Moscow emergency official Yuri Besedin said Friday, adding that 31 forest fires and 15 peat-bog fires were burning in the Moscow region alone.
Russian health officials are warning people in Moscow to stay inside and avoid physical exertion as smog from the worst wildfires in modern Russian history smothers the city.
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev broke off his summer holiday yesterday and flew back to Moscow for emergency talks as the death toll from Russia’s deadliest wildfires in nearly four decades hit 48.
Russia's armed forces mobilized Saturday to fight hundreds of wildfires that have wiped out villages and vast areas of woodland. Officials said the worst blazes were under control, but evacuations continued.

Pakistan's 63rd Independence Day Event
Pakistan Association of San Francisco Bay Area is organizing Pakistan's 63rd Independence Day Event on Saturday August 7th, 2010 in Golden Gate Park San Francisco California. This year Singer (Star) is also coming from Pakistan to entertain the huge crowed of Pakistani American community. As this is the big event Pakistan Association is looking for Sponsors to promote their business and cover the event cost.

Bilawal: a prophecy fulfilled?

“The most celebrated and politically controversial baby in the history of Pakistan had been born,” said Benazir in her autobiography – a prophetic statement as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to make his first speech on Saturday since leaving university in Britain.

Bilawal, who is already chairman of the PPP, is expected to speak before several thousand of its supporters at an event in Birmingham, central England, alongside his father who is visiting Britain.

Bilawal, whose name means “one without equal”, could soon be heading back to the country of his illustrious ancestors, despite having spent most of his life outside Pakistan.

If he does, he will be closer to fulfilling the role for which he has seemed destined since the day he was born. The PPP has played down its significance, perhaps wary of criticism President Zardari is facing that he should return to Pakistan in the wake of catastrophic floods which have killed up to 1,500 people and affected some four million.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said that Bilawal Bhutto’s political training will now commence, as he has completed his education.

Pour le président pakistanais, la coalition "est en train de perdre la guerre contre les talibans"

The warning, in Le Monde, could further strain relations between Pakistan and the UK after David Cameron's comments while visiting India last week that Pakistan was looking "both ways" on militancy and exporting terrorism.

War against Taliban 'being lost' says Zardari

The international community is losing the battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has said.

The international coalition have already lost the battle for the "hearts and minds" of Afghanistan's people, he told the French newspaper Le Monde.

He criticised outspoken comments made by the British Prime Minister about Pakistan's approach to the Taliban.

He was speaking in France before going to the UK for a five-day visit.

"I believe that the international community, which Pakistan belongs to, is in the process of losing the war against the Taliban, and that is, above all, because we have lost the battle for hearts and minds," Le Monde quoted him as saying.

British Prime Minister David Cameron last week said some elements in Pakistan "looked both ways" when it came to the Taliban.

"It is unfortunate that certain individuals continue to express doubts and fears about our determination to fight militants to the end," Mr Zardari said in a statement released before visiting the French foreign minister.