A loud bang startled me, and my mind went to the war zone. This is what it sounds like when a bomb is dropped and countless living beings, mostly civilians are turned into a mess of minced meet and charred body parts. The smell of gunpowder which follows makes the air heavy, the images of the war zone,  the stench of the blood, the cries of children in pain, injured, dieing, crying in disbelieve that the colorful world they believed in could be so horrifying are added in by my wild imagination.

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Jalo mat, kalay ho jaao gay

We have all seen “Mehnat Kar, hasad na kar” on buses, rickshaws, taxis etc, but today I saw a new one, and found it worth sharing.

“Jalo mat, kalay ho jaao gay”

Basically, what it means is “Don’t be jealous”, but the phrase in urdu “Jalo mat”, refers to the colloquial reference jealousy in Urdu, which is in its meaning, is identical to the act of burning.

The phrase above says “Don’t be jealous or you will turn black”. The metaphor is the burning bit.

I noticed this truck plying on Shahrai Faisal during peak rush hour which carried a MEDEQUIPS shipping label affixed to each wooden crate. I wonder if the rope is sturdy enough to prevent an accidental shift in the load and maybe avoid an accident. These irresponsible means of cargo transportation must be condemned and an attempt must also be made to monitor the huge 20 foot and 40 foot cargo containers that are shuttled around the city with only a flimsy rope to tie it down to the frame of the truck. All such hazards have contributed to some loss of life accident in the past and hence as concerned citizens must make a conscious effort to keep a check on this practice

For Details : My City, My Responsibility

The 13th of August brought rain and some relief from the heat Karachi had been suffering for a while. As I made my way back from office thinking the usual thoughts of “god how to find less traffic” and “man are they  ever gonna fix anything in the KESC for the rest of us who do not know anyone in the government” I saw an accident on Shahra E Faisal.  A couple riding a motorbike slipped in the rain and got hurt as it skidded across the road.

Perhaps this was a rare occurrence but in that instant the entire line of cars braked and stopped. People ran out  and gave them water, someone called an ambulance and helped them in when it arrived, the guards outside Avari wheeled their motorbike to the side and promised to keep it safe for them in the parking till they came back. In about five minutes the traffic started again but my mind stopped back there.

We often tend to blame our country, we often tend to scream and cuss at our leaders but do we ever look into our ownselves and ask what we have ever done for this land? Do we even realize what our ancestors gave up when they arrived in Karachi?  Or how the people who lived here opened their arms to them.  My own family was sheltered by a Hindu one in the old saddar area of Karachi. My own parents traveled first to Bombay by train and after that horrifying journey boarded a steamer to come here with nothing but hope.

This accident showed me something, it showed the good of the common Pakistani, it gave me hope for this land. For even if our politicians leave no stone unturned to take us as far back as possible the people of this land are hard working, hearty and good folk and one day god willing we will make it somewhere.

So let us today make an oath, let us try till the next 14th of August to forget that we are Mohajirs or Pathans or Sindhis or Baluchis or Punjabis. Let us first try to make ourselves worthy of the freedom that so many died for! Let us first call ourselves Pakistanis and be proud of it. This world may heap it all on us, and land every blame at our doorstep but do not forget who we are, we are the flag bearers of a rich country, we carry the wealth of freedom!!

Long Live Pakistan & Happy Independence Day!!

A flurry of pompous and showy displays by leading student political groups marked early celebrations on the 13th of August, 2008 ahead of the 61st Independence Day here at the University of Karachi. Celebrations centered on at least three major points, one each for the three major political student groups at the university. Read more

Midnight tonight marks the start of the celebrations for the 61st Independence Day for Pakistan. As customary to our celebrations the city resonates with fireworks, erratic gunfire, silencer-less bikes, screeching tires and blaring music quite literally people need an excuse to have a good time. With the gloomy political situation, an economic disaster and crushing security issues people still continue to find an opportunity to let themselves loose, as they say life must go on similarly in Karachi life does go on.

When on a casual drive around town tonight, everything else was exactly the same EXCEPT for one minor change. There were literally NO MQM flags dominating the scene, in contrast to yesteryears where it was customary to see the Pakistani flag being dwarfed in size & number replaced with the high flying MQM - Red, Green and White it was for tonight, not the case and we were [I was for sure] replaced with the pride of seeing one nation standing united under one flag.

Evoking patriotism is not difficult but it takes time for the patriotic spirit to sink into the hearts of the people, and if more such patriotic activities are conducted on a regular basis we will most definitely rise and stand proud. It requires the leadership to Think & Preach Pakistan and the people will definitely follow suit.

Its unfortunate that in Karachi for the past 20 odd years MQM has been in search for creating a separate identity [it still is] but one oft has to question if that goal supersedes the integrity and existence of Pakistan [I hope not]. The latest initiative by the ever energetic Mustafa Kamal to evoke patriotism by launching I Own Karachi campaign must be seen as a positive step and I truly believe if more such Pakistan specific events are held on a regular basis then we are definitely in for a positive change.

Knock on Wood, Pakistan Zindabad

Today Daily Times carried this report:

6 Korean women go missing in Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Six Korean nationals have gone missing in Karachi ever since they arrived from Islamabad, Daily Times learnt Tuesday.

A reliable source in the police department told Daily Times on the condition of anonymity that the six women have been missing since the first week of August. They were identified as Kim Hyung Yam, Park Yun Jeong, Park Hee Jeong, Lee Soon Im, Hwang Eui Hyang, and Lee Yeonhee.

Dr Kyoung Yong Kim, chief of the Korean Mission, wrote the Inspector General of the Sindh Police Sultan Sallahuddin Babar Khattak on August 7, requesting help and better security for Korean nationals. Capital City Police Officer Karachi Wasim Ahmed confirmed the news.

This news items is not good for investors at all and is a serious headache for security agencies responsible for foreigners. An added risk here is of rape and mutilation as all captives are women. Karachi, already reeling from one of the worst economic crises, must not be falling on these issues. It is such news which gets splashed across world headlines and foreign investors gladly turn to India or Dubai.