Mera Karachi

I know things haven't exactly been very rosy in Karachi of late, but I was out and about yesterday, and couldn't help but notice how drastically travel times across the city have been reduced. OK ok, it may have been a working day and I may not have been out at a rush hour (it was 4PMish), but kudos to the city government for doing a great job of planning and maintaining the infrastructure in the city. Also, it was nice to see almost NO rain water on the major roads, which is so unlike Karachi. And thanks to the signal-free corridors, I was able to get from North Karachi to Malir Cantt in a mere 25 minutes, imagine that! I'm sure travel times are much lesser for people who live in more central parts of the city. Anyhoo, just wanted to say it felt great. Kudos to the government, for once, and to Mustafa Kamal of course. Well done!

Ashura tragedy in Karachi

I have been trying to come to terms with what tragedy has transpired in my dear city two days ago. I mentioned in my previous post about how the violent Kharjiites of old remind me of the Taliban of today, having the same misguided principles of La Hukma La Illah, willing to go to great lengths to impose their way of thinking on others, and not hesitating for a second to take innocent lives. As I write this, reports are coming in that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility for the heinous attack. May God curse them all, and hasten their removal from our country at the hands of our troops. Amen!

It was interesting to see how quickly CNN branded these attacks as having been carried out by Sunni extremits. True, we've witnessed a lot of violence against us in the past courtesy of Sipah e Sahaba and the like, but the fact that they were so quick to label the perpetrators of this crime reekes of something else. BBC were not far behind either, claiming that sectarian strife is extremely high in Karachi since the attack. Clearly, they haven't been looking around the same city I have. Nothing could be further from the truth and let me state it very clearly: There is no shia-sunni split in Karachi right now.

And to all those people questioning the very reason for taking out such processions in times of such distress: My friends, you clearly have no idea how resilient we can be and have clearly not read up on the history of the tragedy of Karbala. We, the azadars, have persevered over the ages in the face of the most violent oppressors. There was a time when going to Karbala or taking out a procession meant certain death, yet people still did it. That spirit will never change. And as proof you shall see the remainder of the processions this year and for years to come in Karachi and across Pakistan. There is no greater honor than to die in the cause of Hussain (A.S).

As I was entering the Ashura procession that day, and being frisked by security I remember thinking about how easy it would be for a suicide bomber to claim 40-50 lives just by detonating right there at the entrance where everyone was being frisked as it was jam-packed at the time. Sadly, this fear is nothing to new for us Shias in Pakistan as several of our masajids and imambargahs have been the target of such attacks in the past, but that does not mean we will stop going to masajids or imambargahs as events that have been inside compounds didn't discourage these animals attacking us.

I also feel bad for the hundreds of scouts and security personnel who were working hard to ensure everything was smooth in and around Nishtar Park, and later in the procession. I would like to pay special tribute to the brave Ranger (Abdul Razzaq) and scout who reportedly stopped the bomber from entering the main procession, eventually saving many lives. A lot of people owe their lives to those guys.

The mood in the city since the attack has been expectedly somber, and there is great anger at the losses suffered by the traders at the hands of miscreants. The need of the hour is action, and swift one at that. It is too soon for us to forget incidents like May 12th, December 27ththat now we have to live with this one as well. We need to ensure that this does not happen again. And the only way that can be done is to capture the people behind it in the short-term, and in the long-term develop a disaster management system that actually works. Also, law-enforcement agencies must cope with such situations right there and then. I would even propose firing warning shots or, as a last resort, shooting people setting public property on fire on such a large scale. This must not be allowed to happen at all.

Lastly, I'd like to pray for the souls martyred in the attack, and the swift recovery of those that were injured. Peace.

Related Links:

Ammar Faheem - Karbala-e-Karachi

Ammar Yasir - Are you ready to surrender your life to Terrorism?

Home Sweet Home

No place like it. Although I haven't been out yet, the air of Karachi is definitely different - not necessarily in a bad way. It's just different. The sweltering heat hasn't helped matters, but hey I'm not complaining! The dreaded load shedding is there but is bearable. Since I'll only be here for a month, I have to plan out everybody who I have to meet before I leave - relatives, cousins, and friends (in that order). The place hasn't changed much in the past year. I hope I could say the same for the security situation, things just seem to be going downhill on that front.

They announced May 12 as a public holiday today. I hope someday justice will prevail and the perpetrators of that black day in our city's history will be caught and prosecuted. As Hazrat Ali (A.S) rightly said: "Societies based on Kufr (infidelity) can survive, but societies based on injustice cannot". How true. I hope we don't end up becoming an example of that. It's also great to be in the gracious presence of mankind's best invention ever - cable :P. Ok ok, that's a bit too much but when you haven't seen no cable in months, that would probably be your reaction too. I'm a sports buff, so needless to say I miss cable like hell. More on that in the next post.

The long flight went unexpectedly well. Was able to get some sleep and spent the rest of the time reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. You should definitely read it if you're into Da Vinci Code and that sort of stuff. I'm also eagerly waiting for the premiere of the new Star Trek in Karachi (it opens on May 15th). Reviews have been favorable so far, and it seems J.J. Abrams has been successful in reviving the fortunes of this franchise (like I hoped he would).

Flying home

As the semester culminates in the form of Exams next week, I'm already looking forward to it since I'm set to board a Karachi-bound flight the very next day! Yayy! As much as transatlantic travel can be mentally and physically exhausting, the sight of halal fast foods of Doha (my transit city) and the joy of being reunited with friends and family makes it all the more bearable.

Living alone has its advantages and disadvantages. You get to do stuff you like - whatever, whenever. You also tend to become a bit more responsible (supposedly) since you're more independent .... mostly because there's no one to help you out with your chores (laundry, cooking et al.) Still, I've seen people become lazier and ever so more carefree with no one around nagging them to clean up and stuff. Hey, I don't care how people live their lives or how they take care of their personal hygiene ... but it annoys me sometimes. Anyway, coming back to the topic of the post in question ... I'm really looking forward to landing back in Karachi, the chaotic, polluted streets, the kachray kay dhairs (as much as I despise them), normal left-hand driving, faster internet etc. etc. One thing I'm certainly not looking forward to is the dreaded load-shedding :(. Oh boy, that is one thing I have not missed about Karachi at all!

Life in USA so far has been pretty interesting. As soon as people find out I'm from Pakistan, they want to discuss the current situation with me and get my views on it. I have made no secret of my animosity towards the past American government, its continued support for Israel n all. But surprisingly, more people agree with me than I thought. I don't know if the fact that I encounter "enlightened" people in and around my campus is whats responsible for this sentiment or whether its a general sentiment among the public. I should write more on this on a separate post perhaps. For now, I'm excited to be going home. Karachi rocks in its own way. There's no place like it. Period.

Peace

Instead of speculating who may or may not be behind the horrific attacks in Mumbai that couldn't be condemned enough, and instead of giving in to the ridiculous finger-pointing being done by the media right now, I would just like to say a prayer for peace. Because if we don't, we will be doing exactly what these inhumane people want us to do. Peace is our birthright, and we must do everything to preserve it.

Our city, country, and religion are all going through trying times. Being blatantly labeled as `terrorists`, being squashed on either sides by mindless accusations, there's no telling what the future holds for us. Remember, there is strength in unity. And so we must unite, unite against this plague that threatens to engulf our entire region, and the world.

I, therefore, say a prayer that things improve back home - be it the ethnic killings in Karachi, or the situation in Mumbai that has threatened to derail the peace process. Amen.

Des Pardes

I'm finally where I had been planning to come since my last year of Bachelors. Going back to school can be a pretty daunting task, especially when it's in a foreign country - USA, in my case. So, here I am, in a totally new country with totally different norms and lifestyle itching to get started on my degree. It sure is an exciting time! Wish me luck people- one thing I sure need a lot of in the next few months.

First impressions are the great courteousness of the natives, and the fantastic road network. I believe 'Thank You' is THE most common word spoken here, something sadly not even worth contemplating back home. Speaking of home, it appears I won't be able to rant anymore about all things dysfunctional back home - be it the inane leadership we're cursed with or some random spottings on the streets of Karachi. I'm now officially a desi in exile - which is great, but it's not until you leave home that you realize how much you took it for granted.

Oh, and that logo you see there belongs to my school - N.C. State.

Hasna Mana Hay

Need I say more? :)

Waisay, this would be perfect for a photo caption contest!

If I had some money...

I don't know about you if I were to somehow ended up with a considerable sum of money, the first thing I'd do is build a multi-story car park on Sharah-e-Faisal! If you happen to work in and around the area, you'd realize how desperate the plight of us poor drivers has become these days. The service roads are jam-packed almost all (if not most) of the time, and driving through them is no less than enduring hell.

I think it's a fantastic business idea too. One that would do everyone concerned loads of good IMHO.

What say you?

KMB Gone

Another shining example of the restive and quarrelsome populace of Karachi and our great country who can't manage to sit together and indulge in a goddamn civilized discourse. Karachi MetBlogs, which used to be an epicenter of all things Karachi, and one of the few places on the web I used to visit regularly, is closing down. The MetBlogs' admins in LA posted this entry a while ago announcing its closure.

Our belligerence knows no bounds apparently.

R.I.P KMB.

Update 1 [1 PM]: I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but the fact that this occurred on APRIL 1 cannot be discounted!

Update 2 [11 PM]: Damn! It is an April Fool Prank!

Ostentatious Devotion

Sometimes the inanity of our people really does strike me - none more so than in this instance which I'm about to describe. At a time when the city is going through its worst power crisis ever, devout followers of the Prophet (PBUH) have put up green lights on all major roads, thoroughfares and intersections of the city! And this is just what I have observed myself, I'm sure they've found plenty more ways to waste what little energy we have on such displays of religiousness that do no one no good. If they must show off, why not put green flags instead of lights? Why are they bent on wasting power on green lights that are turned ON for hours into the night, and possibly till the morning?!

And what is even more inane is that all this is being allowed with no checks at all. What is wrong with us? Why do we have to be so showy about everything?! And every year, there's news of some clash occurring between members of different rallies being taken out on 12 Rabbi ul Awwal! It's sad really! We've practically destroyed ourselves in our attempts to be better followers of the Prophet (PBUH) than others while our enemies sitting far away can't help but smirk as we self-destruct.

Brace Yourselves, Summers are here!

For the avid downloader that I am, there's nothing more I detest than power-outs and fluctuating voltages during Summers. Oh yes, the abominable power cuts are back now that Summer has arrived and our ever-reliable KESC's systems have started caving in to extra power demands. I am posting this today, because for the first time in months my PC restarted due to voltage fluctuation (a horrible reminder of things to come) and believe me, last Summer was easily the worst on record from a power-outage standpoint.

They may have a nice-looking website. If only their quality of service was half as good as that. They're certainly holding true to their motto, Power for ProgressRegress.

Sigh! And I was just beginning to enjoy leaving my PC ON all night for downloads. With fluctuating voltages, you just can't risk it.

Bravo!

I never thought I'd say this but I must applaud and gave a big pat on the back of all the security personnel that ensured a violence-free 9th and 10th Muharram-ul-Haram. The arrangements these guys made were great (no, seriously!) - random checks, questioning suspicious people (arresting some too), making fixed entry and exit points and ensuring complete surveillance from land and air. I can only hope they show the same resolve for securing ALL congregations held in the country. If only they keep this up, they can avert most (if not all) suicide bombings and other terror-related activities.

A bloody 2007 comes to an end

So the year 2007 finally comes to an end. It was an year marred by extreme violence in Pakistan and by the looks of it, things are set to get worse. With horrendous incidents like May 12, July 10(Storming of Lal Masjid), October 18 and now December 27! The year also witnessed a record number of suicide bombings across the country. Taking a look at the South Asian Terrorism Portal page for violent incidents in Pakistan since 1988, it is indeed shocking to see that over 60% of the page lists incidents that occurred in 2007 alone! Sad!

Hence, keeping all the recent bloodshed in mind I wish you a safe and peaceful 2008! May we emerge a stronger, united and a fully democratic nation come December 2008. Lastly, here's a nice excerpt from a new year wish I received:

The New Year is set before us like an unwritten volume--- all its pages blank. Let us write upon each day's page things that at the end of the year we will look upon with rejoicing rather than regret. Let us look behind us with understanding, before us with faith, and around us with love. We are given a fresh start not only at the beginning of the year, but every morning when we wake up. We have the chance to start anew and make things right. Keep the books with your soul at the close of this year as it is a good preparation to start the New Year. May God help us to be kind, fair and wise in all of our affairs. May we say "I love you" with deeds of kindness and acts of caring.

Amen!

All hell breaks loose as BB is assassinated

I'm speechless.... don't know what to say really. When I heard of the attack, I wasn't really shocked since suicide attacks have now sadly become the norm in our country. It was when the news broke of her death, thats when it started to sink in. Bhutto was dead - a name revered among millions in Pakistan (especially here in Sindh). I have been critical of her in the past, but shit, this is just plain barbarism ... the height of intolerance! Do they not realize that the very existence of this great country has now been plunged into danger by this heinous act!? Who is behind the killing? What are their motives? Who is supposed to gain from all this?!

Meanwhile, all hell's breaking loose here in Karachi. Factories, hospitals, cars being burnt ... god knows how much blood will be spilled tonight. I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are somewhere safe because I know many people are still stuck outside and have been unable to reach their homes. There's just one advice for the people of Karachi right now - stay the @%$ put!!

Violence grips Karachi - AGAIN!

I woke up this morning from the plangent sound of my mobile alerting me to the receipt of a new message; who knew what calamity it was going to report. It was Teeth Maestro's message through the Twitter Karachi channel that over a 100 people had been killed in a bomb explosion near Benazir's convoy! What the #$#%$! I said to myself. If there was one thing we'd been grateful for the previous day, it was that there'd been no untoward incidents reported all day across the city. But sadly, the day ended on a bloody note - yet again.

The name Karachi must have become synonymous with violence and bloodshed for those foreign folk. No wonder they don't want to travel here, because you never know who might blow up what in pursuit of their twisted and hidden (or perhaps not so hidden) agendas. Another thing that saddens me is the sort of response from the so called "educated" people on a prominent place like Karachi MetBlogs. Just by going through the comments here and here, you could why we are the way we are. When the educated lot are truly "jaahil" by nature, when such people harbor feelings of hatred and animosity towards a fellow human being, no wonder the entire nation has become intolerant beyond recognition!

I don't know what else to say really; the death toll from last night leaves May 12 and 12 Rabbi ul Awwal calamities in the shadows. May ALLAH grant peace and patience to the dead and their families, and destroy all those connected with this heinous act and fail them in such sick and demented agenda of theirs. Amen.

Aftermath of 5/12

In the wake of the bloodiest couple of days the city has witnessed in years, much is being said by all parties involved that day - mostly pointing the finger at each other. But one thing's for certain, the ruling party in Sindh (MQM) has given the most inane reason for not letting law-enforcement agencies (Police/Rangers) interfere with the ongoing bloodshed. They argue it would have resulted in even more loss of lives! Why don't they just admit that the whole thing was deliberated, that their workers roamed free with ammunition since the preceding night, blocking roads, digging trenches, patrolling the bridges on Shara-e-Faisal. In short, every thing we witnessed on 5/12 was set up so as to send a message to CJ and his collaborators that Karachi, supposedly, rests at the mercy of these bastards who can disrupt life in Pakistan's biggest metropolis at their leisure! And how conveniently have they now crawled back into their holes by closing all sector and unit offices to lay low for a while - are they not typical tactics of criminals ?!

Some links to shocking revelations by people that were there along with some news reports:

A Doctor's Account
http://karachi.metblogs.com/archives/2007/05/is_this_what_ha.phtml

Journalist's Account
http://karachi.metblogs.com/archives/2007/05/a_tt_to_my_head.phtml

Memories of a bloodbath survivor
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/17/local10.htm

Governor confirms no orders
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/05/070514_security_plan_rza.shtml

City under siege

MQM and their servile scum of followers held the city under siege all day long today as violence erupted at several places. The city had not witnessed such an outburst of violence in years and the blame squarely lies on the government and its inability to control the law and order situation which seemingly went out of hand once the first shot was fired. It is no secret that MQM used government resources in preparing for the rally, including the buses of several universities, but what unfolded before our eyes on LIVE television was simply appalling! AAJ TV caught MQM thugs taking position at Gurumander chowrangi live. Their shocking footage showed a black government vehicle, among others, laden with explosives roaming Gurumandir area. For this, AAJ building came under heavy fire by you know and was then forced to stop its broadcast. The firing continued for hours and has just ceased (7pm) according to reports.

Elsewhere, places in and around Shahrah-e-Faisal continued to experience violence throughout the day as rival workers turned the road into a battlefield. MQM has long been known to be a terrorist organization, no matter how much they try to hide their vile face, they always end up showing it on days like this. Teeth Maestro was there and then when the first shot was fired by MQM thugs on a peaceful rally in support of CJP. Read his account of the fiasco that followed here: http://karachi.metblogs.com/archives/2007/05/karachi_witness.phtml

And then that despicable excuse for a human being - Altaf Hussain - started his speech like he was reciting a Majlis. Needless to say that he placed the blame on CJP and the opposition for the entire situation in Karachi. I can't tell you how his statements and those of his servile ministers made my blood boil !! I hope he meets his fate soon, the scumbag. Weapons used by his supporters today should only be in the hands of law-enforcement agencies, and the fact that they had an endless supply of ammunition, as reported by Talat Hussain, goes to show what kind of a party they truly are.

Arguably the lowest point of the day came when GEO reported that an ambulance driver taking a couple of wounded people was intercepted and shot dead by members of the opposing group! Another ambulance that came for his dead body was then burnt and its driver narrowly escaped himself! Shocking!! I can't tell you how pissed off I am today for not being able to do anything as my city burns while mushy and his puppets celebrate in Islamabad.

I can go on and on venting my anger on these two-bit morons who happen to be our leaders, who are willing to let all hell break loose in Karachi just to stay in power and manipulate us further. It is clear there was no law and order in the city today, and rival political workers fired at each other without being intercepted by the Police or Rangers. The situation is bound to remain tense for a couple of days further. God Help Us.