I was seriously disgusted after reading the following news article about a man who committed suicide after being harassed by MCB’s recovery staff.

Due to the alleged immense pressure and threats from the loan recovery staff of a bank, a man committed suicide inside his house within the jurisdiction of the New Karachi police station.

According to his father, Mohammed Munchi:

Mohammed Tufail, 27, was residing in New Karachi, which is where he committed suicide.

He added that his son, Tufail, got married a few years back and had one son. Due to some differences with Tufail, his wife had left him and gone to her parents’ house. A few months back, he had also gone through another setback, suffering a big financial loss in his LPG business.

Later, he applied for a loan from the Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB). Due to a delay in the payment of an installment, the recovery staff of the MCB started visiting his house and threatening him with dire consequences.

On Sunday, when Tufail was present at his house, the recovery personnel once again came calling and began to continuously pressurize his son. Tufail’s sister was home and the recovery team went to the point of grabbing her hand and harassing her. Their neighbors are eye-witnesses to this event. After a heated argument, the MCB recovery staff left.

This harassment of his sister was the last nail to Tufail’s self-esteem’s coffin, because earlier he already had suffered a huge loss in business. He locked himself inside his room and hanged himself from a ceiling fan.

Station House Officer, New Karachi, Pervez Gujjar, commented that they are waiting for the statement of the family and, as soon as they approached the police for the registration of an FIR against the recovery staff of the MCB, they would oblige.

Will the Recovery Staff of MCB tried readily in court? Will Tufail receive any justice? What was his fault?

This is not the first time that I’ve read and heard about the antics done by recovery staff of banks. They don’t only bad-mouth on phone but harass by coming over at office/home address. They are trained to go and pummel down the doors and pursue the “loan offenders”.

However, bank loans are available on silver platter, provided on dropping a few names and documents (which can even be fake). What is the remedy of this? Whatever the condition maybe, why there are not strict terms and policies used by banks so that such people are saved from the system and vice versa. Why give a bankrupt person loan? How many more to follow with our fast-paced and stressful work life?

Updated.

There are times when you get frustrated with the system. Things are not delivered in time, post in slow, traffic sucks and consumer services too. It’s too hot and weather is killing you. You’ve a bad headache and do not want to go to office. If you’ve reached it, you want to take an early off. Problems, frustration, part and parcel of a karachiite’s life.

Clearly, we do get frustrated over a lot of factors happening around us. However, seldom one gets saved from a looming issue. This account is of such an incident.

Read more

Though some might disagree, CPLC is generally known for their courteous behavior. I for one have not been entirely disappointed by them till a few minutes ago.

Incidentally, I bought a used car yesterday and before making the full payment, I wish to get the registration details verified by CPLC.

The contact numbers for CPLC verification that I got are: 568-2222 & 568-3333.

The 2222 number continuously busy, or no response for the past 1.5 hours, however, the 3333 number is most disappointing.

A lady picks up the phone, and without letting me complete the sentence says, “call 5682222″ and hangs up the phone. I called the number again to ask for an alternative number, but she did the same.

I called a third time and could even say “hello”. She picked up, said to call 2222 number and hung up!

I called the fourth time, told her to let me complete, but alas…..she sort of scolds me for calling that number and hangs up!

In a time when we see drastic improvements in KESC and PTCL call centers, are we losing the quality of call handling by CPLC?

Anyone else faced the same problem? I say give it a go right now!

When will those who claim to be our “leaders” focus their “demands” on actual needs of the hapless people they claim to represent? Take for instance this this recent report from The News. It quotes the the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) Karachi chief, Shabbir Abu Talib demanding amongst other things a two day official holiday for the birth (and death) anniversary of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

“The government should officially announce two-day holidays on the 11th and 12th or the 12th and 13th of Rabiul-Awwal” he insisted, whilst also calling for “uninterrupted electricity supply during Rabiul Awwal processions”, a “special cleanliness campaign” (as a part of which limestone should be sprinkled at roadsides, footpaths, grounds and garbage-dumping centres he demanded) and “high standards of law and order in the city” which would ironically include accommodations for crowds to proceed in processions without any barriers and prior permissions. Read more

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) recently issued a circular calling on anyone who had been targeted in the recent violence to report their losses to them, in order to take it up with the highest echelons of power within the government. While they do not claim responsibility to accept any claim and give damages, they do however say they will forward it to the government for further action.

A help desk is established under Mr. M. Moosa and Mr. A. Razzak. Fax numbers 9218010 - 9218090, E-mail: info@karachichamber.com, Phone numbers: 9218001-9 and 9218070.

Affectees are to report

1) Damage to Building, Machinery, Infrastructure, Raw Material, Vehicles, Loss of Life, any other damage/loss
2). Reason of damage i.e. fire, robbery, arson etc.
3). Estimated value of loss in rupees.
4) Damage date, time and place.
5) In case of vehicle, kindly mention:
a) Vehicle brand, b) Model, c) Year of Manufacturing, d) Registration number, e) Whether insured or not, f) If insured, its insurance value and name of Insurance Company, g) If leased, name of Leasing Company.
Read more

Since many of us are stuck indoors its difficult to gauge what is happening where. News reports do give a decent account but what better then to have the citizens of Karachi report themselves - so if you have a situation update on a specific area please post it here immediately, as people contribute I shall update this post for everyone benefit.

If anyone has pictures they will also be appreciated - post a link and we shall attend to it ASAP

UPDATES

• 26000 Ranger personnel issued Shoot to kill orders
• Caretaker PM announces the elections will be held on time I fear this news will only help worsen the situation
• Baluch Colony Bridge is deserted
• Tariq Road & Zamzama ares are reportedly no-go area and bears a deserted look

“We’ll bomb you to Stone Age” is what the Americans said. How stupid they were. They didn’t know we already have the expertise at home. So today our government has finally recognized that actually the Talibans were right which is a kind of victory for the Conservatives. Not only they have successfully taken over our thinking capsule but hopefully, soon no one would accuse them of Less respect for women, forcing their will on others, No regard for Human rights & burning CDs or AUDIO/VIDEO shops & all that Elite-Club fancy slogans because our gov. decided that its actually the right direction to proceed. They were continuously saying that women can’t handle freedom so lets put em inside, TV is for fahashi , burn the TV shops & music wont be allowed at any cost but we ignored them, calling them retards. How wrong we were !!!.

Heard this around eve on GEO today. Unsatisfied with the clampdown on Human Rights & Media, it has now banned any import of Dish Antenna, D-Receivers, decoders & related equipment & no one has any doubts why. Well, so PTV, the stone age channel one would immediately ban for churning out false information, lies & propaganda for a particular thinking is still roaming around free. This is a (NOT A) free world indeed. Lets (not) pray that the next target be Internet. Miles to go before sleep . . . . Start searching some underground methods to access websites before its too late.

Related:- SFN Blog [Original Image: Tivo]

Yes! Crank calling is a crime and I am sick of it. It takes a great deal of restraint for me not to publish the “bare” necessities that the gentleman calling and messaging me, here!

I know there is a “hotline” for reporting crank calls; I also know that you can call up your own service provider and have a complaint recorded and eventually, the caller will get a warning and a hopeful termination of his/her number, but I don’t quite know what control any authority could exert on the headache to curb the habit. I’d rather pick up the phone and place the call on hold enough times so that the caller will hopefully just get frustrated and be petty about losing valuable anna-bits on listening to whole lot of nothing.

So as life moves along on its normal course, how do YOU deal with crank callers?

Portions of this release have been taken from the BBC Website

“THE NEXT BIG THING 2007″ - The program is back after last year’s exhilarating run, the BBC’s quest for the best musical talent in the world…and we mean WORLD. BBC WORLD SERVICE and BBC WORLD TELEVISION are looking for the future of music. On 22 October 2007 BBC World Service and the BBC World Television are launching a major global music talent search - THE NEXT BIG THING 2007. They’re scouring the world looking for exciting new music, bands and performers who will shape the future.

This might be a break for the great number of underground bands and artists that are mushrooming around Karachi. “Anyone can enter and it is completely free and unmediated. Forget the big labels and mainstream music business, we’re looking for boldness and brilliance - musical pioneers who really deserve attention.”
Read more

I just saw the traffic intersection at the Disco Bakery in Gulshan-e-Iqbal now sporting a functional traffic signal. City Government’s website details the installation of the signal and the demolition of the illegal encroachments in the area to ensure smooth traffic flow around the area. It was long over due but let us thank the UC Nazim and the CDGK for doing what was needed. The intersection had been a regular cause of painful traffic gridlocks.

Sept 15: On the directive of Town Nazim, Wasay Jalil a grand operation was launched to remove the encroachments for installation of signals before Disco Bakery a UC 9 Allama Shabbir Road by Land Department with a view to regulate the traffic.It may be recalled that signal installation work has been accelerated before Disco Bakery. In this connection road has been widened costing Rs. 25 million while parking area has been reserved besides, removing illegal encroachments.This step has been taken keeping in review rush in the morning as there are a number of Schools in this area.

But such changes mandated by new needs often happen at the cost of long held relationships that one develops with the old place and the way they used to be. The faster flow of the vehicles at the intersection due to the traffic signal will result in the corner loosing its characteristic placidity.
Read more