It's Like That

It's a strange world where your silence is questioned when your speech goes unheard. Stereotype people in stereotype world questioning everything they find, travelling on a straight line....what's of fun with that?

Just Wondering..

There should be a time in a man's life when he should grow up, or at least try to behave like one. I've been thinking of attitudes lately..

Ali Baba 40 Chor

Once upon a time there lived a merchant with his family. God bestowed them with a son and they named him Ali. Ali was a brilliant kid and did well in studies; it was evident that he would do great in life. Time passed by, and it so happened that he won his people a precious piece of land. His dedication to his people had proved that he was an altruistic persona and a true leader. Hard work told upon his health and left hundreds of thousands sobbing, some of whom have their eyes still wet with tears and some of whom are still weeping not for Ali’s death but for the misfortune that befell his people and the land of theirs. After Ali’s death, no one cared for the piece of land that Ali had won and now it is in shambles. The thieves and the opportunists did their best to plunder the people and soon they were robbed of almost all they had. The common lot was uneducated and simple and there were just too many opportunists who took the form of dictators and the result was havoc.
Time has given us a chance to undo the wrongs that have already been done. It is up to us to choose the Captain of our ship. We are the architects of our own fortune and the creators of our own misery; it is for us now to rectify our previous mistakes and set the sails in the right direction. Storms in the seas are just another day, and to reach the shore we need to elect the studious sailor. The Election 2008 is here, please vote for the right person as it is your utmost duty to the country and its citizens.

Contributed at The Pakistani Spectator

The Iftikhar Day Celebrated

The lawyers and Bar Associations across the country celebrated the Iftikhar Day on January 31, 2008. Mr. Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif honoured our District Bar Khushab with a visit at the oath taking ceremony of the office-bearers. In his address he mentioned how he had been was advised by the government official to take the oath under PCO and enjoy the benefits. The best part of his address was where he said that your post, no matter how esteemed it be, is the cause of hatred and disrespect, it is worth nothing and so he refused to take the oath under PCO. Remember that Mr. Justice Khwaja Sharif would have been the Chief Justice of the High Court Lahore by now had he taken the PCO oath. Indeed, he has sacrificed a lot for the movement for the restoration of Justice Iftikhar and the independence of judiciary. Lets hope that his sacrifice and the like do not go wasted.

Storing the Nukes

The purpose of my recent expedition to the Soun valley was more than just roaming the mountains on my bike or aimlessly hiking the mountains. The idea was to visit a historical place near Sodhi that some time ago I had heard about. Somewhere in the mountains there are remains from old Buddhist temples from the B.C. times. A friend accompanied me for the journey. On reaching Sodhi we discovered fencing by the side of the road; the whole area had been blocked. On our query a local person told that the area was under the control of the army and there was no way we could make it to the temples. I had heard about the army having acquired huge area in the mountains on more than one place for storing nuclear warheads. The question is: for what purpose did we get the nuclear technology? At a time when we are confronted with internal threats what good is our nuclear technology? A government that is not responsible enough to take care of the general needs of its public, can it protect its nukes? Why do we need to amass our nukes? Or even if we need to do that then why not store them away from the populated areas? Why the nukes that are meant to protect the citizen should be a peril to their life? Have we forgotten already the Ogri Camp episode? Whatever be the reason of army’s control of the area, it should have been at a place away from the reach of the common man, not only for the protection of the public but also for its own security. But there is least you can expect in a country where one of the two atomic plants is just by the side of the highway, the Grout atomic plant.

The Soun Expedition

I took this ride last Sunday. The adventure was taken by us armed with our bike and a bottle of water. We were two of us on my 125 and the destination was a place in the famous Soun valley, District Khushab.
We started at 10 o' clock so the sun comes up, as it was pretty cold out there.
We started by taking a shortcut to the main road...bad luck as the last night's rain had its impressions left on the road.
These pics are not copyrighted, you are welcome to download them. However, I would appreciate if you posted a comment about any pic you downloaded.




One of the places to be visited was an old temple that we had heard about. But to our utmost disgust we could not go there because the whole area had been controlled by the army, so we moved ahead from to another great place nearby.

On our way we stopped by for taking pic of this heavenly scenery..but it was damn too cold here.


Our next destination was a place called Nursing Park. An off-road by road takes you here, from which point you have to walk down the mountain to reach there.




We parked the bike on the side and made our way down..


Here are some pics of the beautiful scenery we saw on our way down..






A pond containing water from a natural spring..


Guess what, we discovered a temple here too:


From this park, a track takes you further down. We took this path.



There we discovered Sulphur:


Have you ever seen orange colour rocks?


Amazing are the colours of the earth:


A picture taken on this track. Can you see the three vertical rocks on top of the mountain?


Some pics from the spring down the mountain. Beautiful place to be at..




Water going into the chamber where where it spins the grinding machine..


The grinding mill..

The Graduate Assembly

Prologue

When last night in obscurity did it to me suit

I started writing of these who took the same route

Now when this journey has met its end

To write about this company I tend

To tell you that in the Graduate Assembly

There were reverends in this company

Now I would tell you all the condition

Of some of them with good reason

That who and what condition were they in

And with a sHORTcut would I first begin.

sHORTcut

A Shortcut there was and that a big man

That from the time when he first began

He acted as a Prime Minister

But in the company if Rice once a good listener.

Imported was he from a foreign country

No mailing address had he in his own country.

An attempt on life he once narrowly escaped

But the whole country he well managed.

Very soft and clear was he to speak

But in front of Boss his voice was meek.

Of economy he was a great expert,

The common lot's feelings he could never hurt.

A very noble pious man was he

And disobeyed Boss' orders rarely.

He was certainly well-known among the poor

A fine of $100 he once paid on a tour.

All of his family lived abroad

But himself was a great patriot.

And full well he served during his term

But was given ticket for '08 Election by none

Once he had a walk with Angelina Julie

Of him I told you everything truly.

Minister of Qunoon

And there was one Minister of 'Qunoon'

Very strict and would get angry so soon.

Well-read was he at studies of law

And never did he speak nothing raw.

A pious man one would like to meet

Birds would die when he would speak.

Spoke he well on everything certainly

But very complex that I understood rarely,

So complex that when he talked of tragedy

To me it seemed a good comedy.

Defended he well every act of government

And did very well like a 'loyal servant'.

That guest was he at Talk Shows, some question 'Why?'

To hear him speak again, I would cry.

So good was the law situation in his time

A bomb blast would kill no more than nine.

Felt the public in his time so safer

That I would never call him 'Bay Zafar'

I must stop telling of him now

I'm crossing all boundaries, I trow.

Hazrat Molana

There was that saint from a noble family

A huge pillar was he of the Graduate Assembly.

Very clever was he to make a plan

An important figure of the MMA clan.

A Madrassah was under construction in his own city

And it was there for the last years fifty.

To Madrassah he invited many for contribution

For every problem he had a great solution.

Born was he of a humble family,

Diesel scam was just a scandal, actually!

A turban on head he always kept

And with every criticism nicely dealt.

Never did one see him do a fault

Anti-government moves he brought to a halt.

But that I am writing against government and all

To ban my writings he may give a call.

Sheeda

A supporter there was of government called Sheeda

Never did he meet no Reema, Meera or Hameeda.

Full well was he a confirmed bachelor

And in the art of talking a great scholar.

A great supporter of the Boss he was

And served his own people with a good cause.

Transferred was he from Information to Railways

To critics he said, "Mend your own ways!"

A blue-eyed boy some called him of the Boss

To any government he never did no loss.

There isn't a lot I can tell you of him

To degrade anyone is not my whim.

Two Bros.

Two brothers there were of the same cast

Their vision broad and the knowledge vast.

Never did they deceive anyone all their life

And in politics certainly took a big stride.

So well they managed every department

That I fear; empty was their upper compartment.

Anti-Boss moves they would raze to ground

And certainly they were well-known around.

Of extraordinary men they made 'Q-League'

And of educating Punjab took the fatigue.

Many experiments did one on Education Department

And made me sure of his upper compartment.

The other one had served as Prime Minister

And could play any role like a great actor.

Now that you may think I'm a punster

Of two bros. I'd talk nothing further.

Qazi
Another saint there was in this heavenly gathering

And usually before a mob roaring

Another member of the MMA clan,

Who kept a beard, a pious man.

Inimical was he to government and fashions

But served the Boss on many occasions.

Qazi he was but not of the Court

Mission Democracy he would never abort.

He's also there in APDM alliance

I'd ne'er say nothing to his annoyance.

Second Lady

A lady there was among these men

She could venture to visit 'the lion's den'.

A 'Soofia' she was among these heavenly souls

Promoting tourism was one of her goals.

Descendant was she of a big family

And speak she would so pleasantly

Hence was she mostly by the Boss' side

And a story there is I cannot hide

That a slap she once received for the Begum

But never she behaved like the earth's scum.

Closely she still remained with the Boss

Of Her Highness I'd dare do no loss.

Boss

The Boss was there the best of all

A brave soldier, strong and tall.

Full honest was he in all his dealings

For His Highness I have great feelings.

A Uniform he wore neat and clean

Leader was he of the Graduate team.

A Champion of True Democracy he was

To serve and protect the nation was all his cause.

The famous Machiavelli he had left behind

Blessed he was with a brilliant mind.

Promise he fulfilled with his Uniform dumped

But the blabbermouths never slumped.

A Muslim he was pious and devout

Still his opponents would always shout

That enlightened-moderation he introduced

With results of moderate-enlightenment produced.

The Graduates opposed these bashings and all

And reckoned him 'the worthies of all.'

The heart he had of a young man

Of his great genius were many a fan.

Few loves he made in his early youth

Of his escapades he always spoke the truth.

One of his lover lives in another country

And he certainly now loves his own country.

Loved him the army people so well

That in the Army-House he'd always dwell.

Protected he so well the common lot,

But bombs and street crimes was their own lot.

A fast friend was he of our Uncle Sam

Quit he would after building Kalabagh dam.

Never he lost conscience in a situation dire

Had also written "In the Line of Fire."

Did he mush to eradicate extremism

And taught us so well on fascism.

A teacher like him you'd rarely find

What I said of him, he'd never mind.

Poet's Vindication of His Realism

Though graduates besides these were several other

To tell you of each one I wouldn't bother.

'Cause these few were in front most of all

And very active in and outside Assembly Hall.

Now I have told you in a clause

Their state, condition and also the cause

And why that assembled had this company

As our esteemed Graduate Assembly.

I pray you of your courtesy

That you do not regard it my villainy

That I told you of them plainly

And of how they behaved actually.

Now you know where in assembly they would stand

My wit is short, you may well understand.