Islamabad – The ordinarily car-clogged streets of Islamabad presented an inspirational sight when dozens of local bicyclists came together on roads to promote pro-cycling culture in the capital city. These bicycle enthusiasts were taking part in the Critical Mass Mega Cycling Ride on a pre-determined route that started from F-9 Park and continued for over three hours. The encouraging event was arranged by Critical Mass Islamabad (CMI), capital’s only social cycling group.
The smiling cyclists wearing safety helmets not only surprised their street fellows in vehicles but also inspired them to take up cycling as a sports, recreational pastime, and everyday mode of mobility to peddle towards a healthier future. Participants, including students, professionals, and foreigners, called cycling a “great pastime as well as a healthy activity.”
“We want to revive cycling as a communal sport to promote it as a sport and mode of transportation” which not only saves energy (fuel), but also promotes physical fitness, said Rana Atif Rehman, one of the founding members of CMI.
Critical Mass Islamabad (CMI) was formed back in 2009 after the Lahore and Karachi group to encourage more people to take up cycling and promote it as a safer and enjoyable sport.
Extensive use of tobacco has become a public menace globally, as it is causing 5.4 million premature deaths each year and current trends predict that one billion people will die from tobacco use in the 21st century.
In Pakistan, cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use have increased in recent years. According to Pakistan Health Education Survey (1999) tobacco kills almost 274 people per day and is causing at least 25% of deaths in the country. Tobacco use is largely concentrated among males in Pakistan; however the ratio between young urban male and female smokers is now 2:1 (Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2003). Smoking among youth has also become a serious concern lately as studies show that 1200 Pakistani children (ages 6 – 15) begin smoking every day. According to the deliberations of a recently held workshop in Islamabad arranged by International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUTLD) in collaboration with Society for Alternative Media and Research (SAMAR), “tax increase on tobacco products is one of the most effective tobacco control measure that can save thousands of lives as well as increase the national revenue.”
Hasan Nasir was a left-wing revolutionary student and leader of working class. Though he passed away on Nov 13, 1961 after being tortured by the then administration at the Lahore Fort, but he is still a symbol of inspiration of the country’s youth.
Yousuf Hassan, a writer and a poet remembering Nasir on his 50th death anniversary said,
“He belonged to a well-off family of Hyderabad (Deccan) but it was his cultured background that made him a people’s friendly leader. He fought to realize the dream of democratic Pakistan and struggled for the rights of working class till he succumbed to death in 1960.”
Yousuf stressed that Pakistani nation must not forget the struggles of a revolutionary leader who dedicated his life to promote the struggle of blue-collar class of this country.
Hassan Nasir was not just a leader but was also a revolutionary poet and to date he remains a youth hero in Pakistan to this day.
After Indo-Pak partition, Nasir migrated to Pakistan where he soon started to represent the oppressed and downtrodden people and initiated a campaign to bridge the gap between haves and have-nots.
Despite hailing from an aristocratic family of Hyderabad Deccan, he opted to take up the cause of the oppressed. He was arrested in 1960, put in a cell in the Lahore Fort and reportedly tortured to death. ‘He died for a good cause, but I know I have many more sons who will carry on the fight for which Hassan Nasir gave up his life’ were the words of his mother at Nasir’s demise.
While dengue has existed since decades in many parts of the world in various forms, the killer disease emerged as a major health concern in Pakistan for last few years, and especially after the heavy floods in Pakistan, the disease has been witnessed on an alarming level.
As a nation, we have been in the habit of shoving off even hazardous issues until they reach a height which cannot be ignored. Only then we take corrective steps and preventive measures. Same is the case with the deadly viral disease which regularly surface almost every year but the concerned authorities have failed to come up with any comprehensive preventive plan to face deal with this fatal disease.
Stories and pictures of human suffering, killing and displacement of millions of people on newspapers; scenes of mass misery, towns and people submerged in water on TV screens are constantly reminding us that the worst disaster of the century is not over yet. Media is also informing that this massive flooding in Pakistan is even worse than Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004), Kashmir earthquake (2005) and Haiti earthquake (2010).
And I also conformed to this belief of media until the same media informed that how all the preparations of 14th August have been called off because of this worst disaster.
So it’s that time of the year again which is associated with celebrations all across the country, flag hoisting at every building and house, firecrackers in all the alleys, national songs being played on TV & radio and of course those same old debates that 'what have we achieved in the last this many years!'
It is 14th August, our 63rd independence day. A grand day for every Pakistani, a day to cherish with full fervor but with half of the country submerged in water, it is hard and somewhat cruel to even imagine celebrating.
During the last few days, the country has been through almost all kinds of man-made and natural disasters.
As if target killing on the streets of Karachi in the name of ethnic, political or personal rivalries; the so-called military operation in the northern areas to wipe off the militants form the land of pure was not enough for the nation, nature unleashed at its worst upon the nation.
On Wednesday 28th July, a Pakistani Airbus passenger plane of Airblue crashed in densely wooded Margalla hills of the capital Islamabad, killing up to 152 people on board.
Pakistani government declared Thursday a day of mourning and on that day when the nation was offering silent prayers to the 152 ill-fated passengers of the Airblue flight ABQ-202, nature played havoc upon us, heavy rain and floods.
After years of demands and complains of the Pakhtoons, Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province is officially renamed as Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, when the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) signed the draft of the 18th Amendment in the first week of April 2010.
The British rulers named NWFP- North Western Frontier Province, commonly as Sarhad in Urdu, for convenience after they had brought certain areas in the north-western part of their empire together as a single administrative unit.
Last two days I have been reading about Shia-Sunni tension, the origin, the base, the rationale on the suggestion of a friend and there are tons of stories available online. It seems like every other person has a new and interesting story to tell.
The shia literature and stories are quite inspiring and this lead me into the world of noha, marsiya and lectures which I thoroughly like to listen and felt serene. However this new fondness was not much appreciated in my circle and they posed questions such as, 'Are you shia?’ ‘You never told that before.'
And it left me totally dumbfounded. I could not come up with an answer but saying I am a Muslim.
But this question that continued to trouble me inside was, what does it mean to be a Shia or a Sunni, why should it matter?
- MQM to oppose NRO, advises President to step down
Chief Mutahidda Quomi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain while talking to Private TV Channel has said that he has directed his party members’ national assembly to oppose NRO in the Parliament. MQM Rabta Committee Member Mohammad Anwar while talking to Private TV Channel has confirmed that his Party Chief Altaf Hussain has advised President to step down in better interest of country. The President neither should take test of his coalition partners nor his own Party in the Parliament, he said. “I appeal to the president, his friends and loyalists not to derail democracy, and produce themselves before the people to save the system, and tell them that they are not presenting the NRO in the assembly,” he advised.
No matter how complex it may seem, but Pakistani politics is surely hard to resist. With its changing scenarios every day, thrilling dialogues, comments and ever-changing manifestos of political parties, the politics of Pakistan has become more or less a form of entertainment for the people of Pakistan. And today has been the day of MQM, which was all over the screens of Pakistani news channels because of its volatile move of going against the flow.
This unpredictable move by MQM of opposing National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the Parliament which was known as marriage of PPP and MQM is sure to hit the government sooner or later.
This sudden act of MQM of opposing NRO and pointing fingers at Mr. President has disturbed the political scene for the ruling party for a while which seemed to be ruling without facing any opposition or having an inch of concern for the citizens. Whether or not this proves to be a good change for the people of Pakistan but hopefully this might bring a little change in the attitude of the ruling elites.
The way the MQM chief Altaf Hussain advised President Zardari to give sacrifice and face the courts in order to save the country from chaos and turn its direction towards betterment was quite impressive. It remindedme of the Festival of Sacrifice (Eid ul Adha) or more commonly known as eid e qurbaan which is just around the corner.It seemed like an indication that the time has come when Mr. President and his party should be ready to sacrifice positions/ranks for the betterment of the country and for the people.
Is the party really over for the PPP and its supporters? Only time will tell but it seems perhaps the time has come when the ruling party of Pakistan should decide their fate or it will be written over by the people of Pakistan, as it is said that,
"If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."
‘Do you know why these suicide attacks are suddenly one the rise again?’ asked my friend. ‘No, but I guess you have a reason to justify them’ I replied in a cold manner, wondering when did the attacks actually slowed down.
‘Yes I know it is because of the Kerry Lugar bill. You know, these people (read: agents) are attacking our institutions and people to prove that we are in such poor condition that we cannot survive without aid’.
No doubt this Kerry-Lugar bill aka Killer-bill has become quite the talk of the town and people are now blaming the bill for our basic problems such as the electricity issue without realizing what the bill actually aims at.
On Sept 24, the US Senate unanimously passed the revised version of the Kerry-Lugar Bill, titled the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act 2009.
On Oct. 15th President Barack Obama signed the bill into law which will triple non-military US aid to Pakistan to $7.5 billion over the next five years and hence leaving no choice for Pakistan government to request for any amendments in the bill.
The only choice before us is to either fully accept it or reject it on the whole.
Despite the efforts of the Pakistan government to prove that the act would not harm Pakistan’s sovereignty but the fact remains that US government has rejected the concerns of Pakistan and sent back our Foreign Miniter with an explanatory note, attached with the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009.
Surprisingly, our Foreign Minister Mr. Shah Mahmood Qureshi called the explanatory statement "historic” and assured the Parliament on October 16 that no Pakistani authority had been conceded to benefit from the Kerry-Lugar bill. He extensively quoted from an explanatory statement that ‘there are no conditions on Pakistan attached to the authorisation of $7.5 billion in non-military aid’.
Critics say that while using harsh and loud words to get the support of the fellow parliamentarians, what our foreign minister failed to realize is that action speaks louder than words and the people are well aware that he had returned empty-handed from US and thus had to put up this show to save his neck. According to Mr. Anwar Baig (former senator and senior PPP member) the much publicised speech of Mr. Qureshi in the Parliament is ‘nothing but a brilliant piece of acting for which he should be nominated for Oscars.’
Apart from the government appraisal of the act, the main concern of the concerned ones still remain unanswered that why the controversial sections of the act are unaddressed by the Pakistan government.
For instance, Section 203 of the US law considers that Pakistan is involved in the proliferation of nuclear weapons-related materials although it has never been proven in a court of law. The section also presumes that Pakistan is somehow involved in sponsoring terrorism, and that Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies are involved in aiding terrorist groups, including those groups engaged in attacks against the United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan, and against the territory or the people of neighbouring countries.
The act specifically mentions organizations such as Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and makes it clear that Pakistan is prohibited from letting them operate in its territory, including carrying out cross-border attacks into neighbouring countries. The law further requires the closure of terrorist camps in Fata and dismantling terrorist bases in other parts of the country, including Quetta and Muridke.
Then the message for the security forces of Pakistan is that it must not ‘materially’ and ‘substantially’ subvert the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.
Some other important concerns are, placing limitations on arms transfers; requiring that all assistance can only be provided to civilian authorities of a civilian government of Pakistan; (Sec. 205).
Other concern is regarding the submission of a Pakistan Assistance Strategy Report within 45 days of the date of enactment of the act; development of a comprehensive inter-agency regional security strategy to eliminate terrorist threats and close terrorist safe havens in Pakistan, including by working with the Government of Pakistan and other relevant governments and organisations in the region and elsewhere to implement effective counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism efforts in and near the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, including Fata, the NWFP, parts of Balochistan and parts of Punjab(Sec. 301. Strategy Reports) and the submission of monitoring reports with description of all amounts made available for assistance to Pakistan during fiscal year 2009, including a description of each program, project, and activity for which funds were made available (Sec. 302. Monitoring Reports).
Although the above stated law may seem like a country’s internal matter but this all has been stated in the US law as if the US is dictating and teaching us the laws to run a terrorist-free country. It appears that this does not like an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty to our government.
In the end we must realize that it is all a game of interest and of course nobody is willing to help you for free. The US law-makers have clearly stated their policy regarding Pakistan and have laid down their interests in the form of Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act 2009. It is time now that we decide and point out our national interests loud and clear.
With my eyes closed I find myself slowly humming to the song ‘Aey merey piyare watan’ by Ustaad Amanat Ali Khan, being played on television in the next room. I heard my mother praising the voice and claiming it a timeless song in the history of Pakistan. No doubt, the song has an unusual effect every time I hear it; it gives me shivers and reminds me all over again of my responsibility towards my homeland.
While the song still is playing on, suddenly I feel being dragged towards my past, my school days in 1998 when I along with my friends was busy decorating the classroom with our paintings and other decorative items. After that I was in the computer lab rehearsing to my speech dedicated to this special day i.e. 14th of August- our independence day. Finally I see myself on the stage and the speech finished off with the usual note -Pakistan Zindabad-
Tujh se hai meri tamannaa’on ki duniya pur-nuur Azam mera kabhi merey iradey hain ghayyuur
With these lines playing I regain my consciousness and realize that it is the same day but the year 2009, almost 10 years later my memory is playing tricks with me reminding me of my golden years when I was full of vigor and desire to play my part obediently towards the betterment of my land; to act in all possible ways to make this place a little better and peaceful place for me, my people and my surroundings; to make Pakistan a corruption-free state and above all I really want to see Pakistan as the fort of Islam.
But little did I know then that it is always easier said than done. For now when I look around myself, I find miserable people in need of common necessities of life and in search of that little piece of happiness which seem to have vanished somewhere.
But who is to be blamed for the depressing condition of the country? The Government? The Leaders? The Opposition? Media? Judiciary?
For a change, today on the 62nd Independence Day of Pakistan, I’d like to put the blame on myself, for I am the one who has been unable to realize my dreams of making my home a happy place. Just like in the fairy tales there are happy endings, I wanted the same for my land but in fact I never worked hard and achieved what it needs to make a happy ending. For I was so much obsessed with the idea and dream that I almost forgot that the most essential part that is the reality factor was missing from my dream.
Merey mehboob Watan tujh pe agar jaan ho nisaar Main ye samjhun ga thikaney laga sarmaya-o-dhan
However as they say, every end has a new beginning. So I’ll take that quote as an inspiration today and will try hard to achieve a little part of my dream, if not whole. Although it has been 62 years, but it is never too late to make a change, or is it?
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