Desi snacks: Ghatia with masala and moti choor key ludoo, Karachi

Desi snacks: Ghatia with masala and moti choor key ludoo, Karachi
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Via Flickr:
Ghatia from Abdur Rasheed bhai, Ranchore lane.

(Right): Moti choor key ludoo.

Portrait: Zikri young girl, Mubarak Village, Karachi

Portrait: Zikri young girl, Mubarak Village, Karachi
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Unlike most Pakistanis, Baloch women dont observe purdah. Therefore, their girls and women wear beautiful attire. That is partly due to the fact that most Balochistan is dry and arid and the colourful clothes - just like in Thar and Cholistan deserts - diffuse the effect and enliven the environment.

Published: Humsafar magazine Sep-Oct 2011 (PIA)

Published: Humsafar magazine Sep-Oct 2011 (PIA)
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Kalat Fort

Khan-e-Kalat's Darbar

Page 1

Davis to be released soon: FO

Yes sir, I will personally drop your citizen and killer of my citizens at your doorstep. I am sorry we had to keep him for so long just for killing our useless Pakistanis. In any case Pakistanis are killed by your good drones. I am sorry and so is my President for holding your Highly Honourable Citizen. Please don’t worry about our courts. And just forget our media and our people. Sorry again.

(I imagine our worthless minister for nothing, Mr. Rehman Malik saying such things to US delegation which visited Pakistan yesterday to demand immediate release of this CIA agent.)

Well done, Democracy.

9/11 - Changed perceptions

I was just reading this nice blog on Dawn today by a former student, who was there in USA when planes struck Twin Towers.

I was in Pakistan at that time and I was also a student, a sort of a fire-brand type. It was evening and darkness had already pervaded our university. I can clearly recall that that day I was sitting in my computer lab and for some reason I was late in going home. Almost all my classmates had already left for home. On another system my classmate, Ovais, was sitting when he suddenly called me over informing me that some building in USA is under fire. I looked at the screen and thought maybe some odd fire had broken inside. I was wrong. Ovais hastily told me that it was some plane, which had hit the twin towers. Twin towers for me was a new term. I went home.

At home, as soon as I entered, my mother greeted me with more than a flourish and invited me to look at the screen, which was positively blackened with the dark, billowing smoke coming out from the towers. It was CNN and the anchor was horrified at what was happening just behind her. I was just beginning to settle when suddenly a plane took a sharp turn and rammed into the second tower, which till then had been standing amidst chaos and drama. It later emerged that planes had been hijacked and used as suicide material. What an ingenious idea that was, I had thought. And I was really very glad, just like my parents and siblings, that finally that great Satan had been 'controlled'. Future events and the consequences for Muslims the world-over would prove us all wrong. These terrorist attacks into the heartland of USA had not only shaken the great Satan, it had in effect woken them up and all of us to the reality of international terrorism. A reality, which sadly has harmed interests of Muslims world over.

Today I and my parents feel that the events of 9/11 were not perpetrated by Jihadis (as CNN would have us believe) but by real terrorists, people who have no faith or religion. Today I can see clearly that killing of innocent Americans, whether Jews or Christians or Muslims, won't serve anyone's purpose. We cannot ask for revenge on a common American for the misdeeds of their Army and politicians in Iraq and Afghanistan and Palestine. This we all Muslims should understand and realize. We cannot isolate ourselves from the real world and continue to fool around. We must consider murderers and killers as terrorists and not some good Muslim Knights.

Today I am not happy that common Americans were killed that day. I just hope I wasn't happy in 2001, when the events broke out. But I was and I accept it now.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 11 / Back to Quetta

I mention this photograph in this running blog just because it has a sign board which I have never before photographed. And the moving truck makes it more relevant. The road itself is a patch work of various works: Iranian, Pakistani, no road and Japanese. Well, we were very tired so we stayed up at Dalbandin for night and then moved later on.

Pakistan's first Blogging awards

It is very clear to me and to others that Google has beaten everyone at world networking game. This game employs human beings, you and me, and it connects everyone of us via various technologies, games, chatting, and googling. It also entails more and more people becoming politicians, gangsters, celebrities and junkies of the internet. It also means painful backs, lack of interest in your brothers and sisters, and more and more play with real time maps at Google. No wonder that majority of the awards worldwide related to blogging are supported by Google. It clearly is their game and by an hour they are becoming even more impressive. (Think of their latest mobile phone directly in competition of Apple).

No prizes for guessing that Google is supporting and sponsoring Pakistan's first ever Blogging awards. CIO Pakistan is partner in crime. And this event will surely bring down Pakistan's iconic and emerging bloggers at a single, mega event. All types of them. Oh, and that appears to be very disconcerting to me. Too many bloggers: People more likely to interact via twitter and blogspot rather than via direct, traditional channel of 'talking', will gather on a single platform and fight it out the awards. Well well.

I am one of those who are part of this melodrama. But I am not hoping to win under any category. I am just being grateful to the organizers for allowing me to be part of this truly historical event taking place in our exciting time. 25 years from now we would be able to tell the world that we were part of the history in the making - and I would be able to tell my kids that organizers, Google Inc. and CIO Pakistan, somehow mistakenly marked me as a celebrity blogger!

IDP and our war

Now that world has realized, after much delay and haggling, that Pakistan has the largest concentration of displaced men and women, people who have left their cities and towns to save their lives due to a war which remains suspect.

Pakistani govt. led by former Army General could not see the outcome of supporting Taliban in one area and kicking them in another. Talibans were allowed not only a peaceful valley in the form of Swat for their recreation, religion and war, they were also allowed a name, Pakistani Taliban, to make them look good. And they looked good to hell lot of people called Pakistanis some 8 months ago.

Fortunately, some horrible videos of woman being beaten in public, men being slaughtered in Swat [some version suggest that they were FC men] forced Pakistani Army to take notice of the entire situation. Then came Pakistanis.

This is the first time, besides last war, that Pakistanis of all shades have come together to support military operation in Swat. Let us see what happens next.

Perils of Blogging

I have been threatened with dire consequences.

Well, that is good enough.

It tells you that you are important and that you are read somewhere. And that someone has the feeling about you. And that someone wants to hang you or kill you or burn you.

Fair enough.

Perils of blogging are many but not so many as compared to real journalism. We can argue what is real and what is fake, but let's leave that alone.

Once, someone wrote to me that he knew where I lived and that he wanted to kill me. I welcomed him. He never turned up despite the fact that I have my phone numbers and my address on web.

Very good, if someone wants to shoot.

Obituary: Demise of Dawn's Review

Obituaries are usually written for men or for good organizations, or popular restaurant joints. Or maybe for papers which have lasted 50 or so years, a long time by any measurement. Seldom, if ever, are they written for parts of national paper. I am breaking the tradition.

For me Review has been much more that a simple, A-4 sized mid-week, mag. In fact, first it was Tuesday Review and since that time I have been associated with it. My best memories of The Review are of a time when it carried my photographs of Karakoram Highway, my first ever photographs to be published in any paper. And I didn't knew that until I searched my name at google.com, which returned my article on 1st page. That was Thursday, 17th Feb, 2005, and interestingly that day's Dawn to my home did not carry Review copy. Perhaps it had been stolen mid-way; perhaps my akhbar-walla (newspaper man) had forgotten to insert it. Perhaps. But as luck would have it, I got to know it before the paper went to dustbins - of my friend Syed Taha Ahmed. I later went to his home and brought the copy. It was a proud moment and my good mother commented that the photographs really looked good. I reminded her that she had in fact viewed them many times over. On which she told me that photographs published in paper look drastically better than when viewed on computer screen.

Dawn announced today (must I say suddenly) in its front page that it is finally closing down Review and hashing it with Sunday Images. Which effectively means that the edition of 22nd January, 2009, was the last of its kind - and that it must be preserved for posterity. It is fitting then that my feature on Kunri titled, 'SPICE CITY: Hot and happening', was published in this issue. Four days ago (25th Jan, 2009) when I had emailed Review editor why the emails were being returned, I was give the following reply, 'Thank you for your contribution, however we're discontinuing the photo feature for a while.' The bombshell about the demise of Review would fall today, or so it was destined.

As a measure of protest, I am cancelling my subscription of Thursday's Dawn to my house. No need for Dawn if Review is dead.

If Zardari remains President of Pakistan for 20 years....

Then, following is expected;

1) Pakistan will become a colony of USA / World Bank / UK.

2) All Pakistani cities will have a casino dedicated to the memory of Benazir Bhutto and their title would be Shaheed Bhutto Casino.

3) Half of the population will sleep naked.

4) Girls from all class and all ethnic groups would be sold in open market.

5) Males of Pakistani origin would die of hunger; they would also serve under their gora masters.

6) Zardari would have then married three times, killing his wives after their insurance(s) have matured.

7) All industries would give Zardari a profit of 85%; rest will go to their original masters.

8) Islamabad would have by then be renamed as NON-ISLAM-ABAD

9) Zardari would be the richest men in the history of this world surpassing Firoun and Nimrud of ancient times and Bill Gates and King Faisal of our times.

10) Every second property would belong to Zardari.

11) Pakistan would be renamed as ZARDARI-TAN.

Islamic new year and religious fantatics

Moharram ul Haram is Islamic calender's first month. Therefore, as a rule, it should be celebrated across Muslim world. All people of all religions and cultures celebrate their new years with various forms of prayers, worships, thanksgiving, alms giving, and lot of fanfare. Unfortunately, Muslims don't celebrate their new year in any special way. No special prayers are made; no one really cares to visit an orphan with gifts in hand; no one bothers to take time to buy special items for one's own family members. Tragedy of Karbala looms large on our new year. Though Karbala shows a classic example of sacrifice for the religion of Allah, some sects of Islam (eg. Shi'sm) consider any celebrations as against the norms and culture of Islam. Where these people have brought ma'tam (self torture by hitting oneself repeatedly by palm of right hand or by cutting one's head and arms and chest with sharp edged object) from cannot be ascertained. Too much twisting of historical facts must have gone in to convert an Islamic new year into a case for 40-day mourning. [No other religion in the world has any example of such long mourning].

One way of looking at Muharram is to look at Muslims themselves. Muslims, as a general rule, are seriously outdated in their approach towards life, business and almost all major products of our time. We are not media savy and anyone, even the stupid Hindu fundamentalists, can easily convince the larger world that indeed Pakistan was involved in Mumbai attacks on 26th Nov, 2008 (sic). We are also, therefore, incapable of defending our new year and its much needed celebrations. We are being taken on a ride by a minority which thinks, rightly or wrongly, that in Moharram they can dictate terms to the majority. Very sad that majority Sunnis cannot do anything substantial about the minority sect. Now that the President of Pakistan, that one idealistic man with no records to prove, is also a Shia, Moharram has become even more of a trouble than anything else. Pakistan, it must be noted, comes to a standstill during at least first 10 days of our Islamic new year.

I asked my elders whether these dramatic events were there during their good days. And I was told that only 10th Moharram would be a public holiday with a solemn march of Shias through the main M.A Jinnah Road, Karachi. Now, 5th Moharram march of shias bring Karimabad, mina bazaar, Liaqatabad, and other adjoining areas to a standstil. Then, 7th Moharram procession of shia stops almost half the traffic of Karachi (area around Kharadar, Saddar, M.A Jinnah road is badly affected). Then on 8th Moharram once again there is some shia procession through M.A Jinnah road. Then again, 9th Moharram is a public holiday for no good reason. 10th Moharram being the Ashura and one the greatest days in the Islamic calender, is once again a public holiday. One cannot but note that entire 10 days are wasted. Business suffers; people die during traffic jams; and much of these shia processions are actually violent. If they find any shop opened, they ensure that the shop is badly damaged or even burned. So sad, that in the name of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) these people inflict untold miseries on so many people. If that is the message they understand of the grandson of Holy Prophet Muhammad (salahu alihi wasalam) then I am sorry they need to re-pack and get back to basics.

For one, what is the reason behind so many processions on such an important artery of Karachi. Why take the entire city hostage by closing M.A Jinnah road? Why not any other area? Why disturb millions of people for your own so-called religious activity? Did Imam Hussain (A.S) teach you to disturb so many people? I have asked this question to so many Shias but none has ever answered me. Because there is no answer to all this mess. And what purpose does this ear-banging marsiyas serve to countless Shias romping the city in their cars? Why can't you people just keep your religion to yourself? Again, no answer. How do you explain something which is at once irrational and highly disturbing.

Even the Shia a'lims don't stop their followers from disturbing the city for so long. No Shia a'lim ever takes stand against these illegal activities. Our police, which has a lot of Shia officers among its ranks, actually helps these road blockades. How sad!

I hope some Shia, holder of common sense, will read this blog and stop this mess once and for all. But, as is my experience with this country and with the Shias living here, things only go bad. And from bad to worse. Never good. Never better.

And our new year celebrations, it seems, would always be ruined by ear-thrashing marsiyas and city blocking long marches. Long live Pakistan!

Zionist Killing Machine and our pre-occupation

Israel has become a perfect killing machine, as is once again evidenced by the latest killings of common Palestinians yesterday and day before yesterday. An estimated 270 + Palestinians have been brutally bombed to their death. That includes lot of school children. And there is strong evidence that Israelis committed this aggression knowingly, that they would kill mostly innocent, unarmed civilians. In return only four Israelis have been killed.

Well, this brings to our past occupation, which I think has now gotten at back of our minds. The preoccupation with what Israel has been doing to Muslims in Gaza Strip instead of what we have been doing to our own people over the past six decades or so. What Israel does to Muslims in Palestine is open for all to see. We condemn such acts of violence. And we show our solidarity with the Muslims of Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

As Pakistanis, we rarely show ANY solidarity with the ones who are in jails; men and women bonded by bad luck and nasty waderas of our times. As Pakistanis, we rarely condemn acts of our Army. Whenever we do, that is subtle as we our afraid. Our army has been involved in many heinous acts. Every act condemnable in strictest sense; some as gruesome as the ones commonly perpetuated by the Israeli Army.

As fair and able minded citizens (and readers / writers) we must be able to see through the events. We must be able to analyse events and understand its implications. We must never forget men and women under occupation, in our land or on somewhere else.

Greed at the forefront of terrorism

In Karachi every second man believes that most Pakistanis who are caught abroad having connection to a certain illegal activity is a Punjabi. That may be a pun but after repeatedly reading carefully the data of men and women caught in various countries (of Pakistani origin) I can confirm to my readers that indeed the assertion is to the point on most occasions but not all.

Pick Dawn (Pakistan's top English daily) any time of the year and the chances are you would find lot of Pakistanis caught smuggling heroin / drugs, caught while crossing into either Turkey or Greece; caught while attempting to fleece a foreigner women by first marrying her then getting off with her hard earned money. Most of the times the mention of a certain Pakistani caught, executed, remanded in custody will be from our biggest province, Punjab. Yet, somehow, Punjabis of all shapes and sizes deny this vehemently. As I write this blog today, early Sunday morning, I have yet another evidence to prove that greed and not religion is at the forefront of terrorism dropping from Pakistan's soil. Yet again men from Punjab are to be found guilty; yet again our Punjabi brothers will deny anything to do with this. But somehow, the entire operation in Mumbai last week was carried out by Punjabis (I won't call them Muslims for various personal reasons). The damning proof is for everyone to read from Guardian, ne of the best English papers in the world today:

'Ajmal Amir Kasab, interrogated in custody after last month's attacks, which killed 163 people, reportedly told Indian security officials that he came from a place called Faridkot in the Punjab province. His father was named as Mohammed Amir, married to a woman named Noor.'

and further,

'A villager, who cannot be named for his own protection, said the village was an active recruiting ground for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. 'We know that boy [caught in Mumbai] is from Faridkot,' he said. 'We knew from the first night [of the attack]. They brainwash our youth about jihad, there are people who do it in this village. It is so wrong,' he added.

According to the villager and other locals, Ajmal has not lived in Faridkot for about four years but would return to see his family once a year and frequently talked of freeing Kashmir from Indian rule.'

Greed is a natural phenomena but a disproporionate quantity of it may be found amongst most Punjabis. For instance, they divert lot of water causing massive poverty in Sindh province; they disallow other ethnic groups to become part of our elite army; Punjabis remain an exclusive nation which sees itself as a superior ethnic group in Pakistan; they have more education than anyone else in Pakistan (this last example may not be itself a bad greedy bit but certainly it allows for much more), much thanks to Punjabi bureaucrats who are sincere to their own nation but not to all Pakistanis. Punjabis, as the popular saying runs around much of Karachi, interior Sindh and Baluchistan, can sell his mother for good money. So why won't he kill / maim helpless Mumbai wallas for millions of bucks (investigations into the actual amount paid to these terrorists by LeT are underway)?

I think that I am increasingly sounding very anti-Punjabi but for all these years data analsis collected in my brain tells me that indeed Punjabi greed has made Pakistan poorer not richer.

And somehow, we need to stop all this. This tremendous appitite for more and more money is causing massive international embarassment for all Pakistanis. I hope that saner voices among Punjabis would prevail in future and would be able to stop younsters, in search of a free ticket to Mumabi and a million dollar prize, from acting like killer machines.

Just hopes!

'Operation Clean-up' by Altaf Hussain (MQM)

It is very clear to me and to many other Karachi-wallas who is actually behind the murders of innocent, hard-working, labour class Pathans. It is apparent also that PPP govt. has given a tactical approval for disturbances in the city and that it has stopped Pakistan Army, ever so professional, in clearing the city of trouble makers. Why Zardari supports Altaf's policies in Karachi is not very clear beyond the idea that both are playing into the hands of West and possibly India and that they intend to cause maximum casualty to Pathans in Karachi. At the time of filing of this blog around 39 people are said to be dead in three days and over 100 are injured in various cross-firing incidents.

Are these events related to Mumbai terror attacks? Many Pakistanis believe they are. But one can say with some surety that even before the holy month of Ramazan there were rumours about an incoming 'operation clean-up' and that many Urdu-speaking people of Karachi (mohajirs, as they are called here for they migrated from India in 1947-48) were talking about some big killing spree against Pathans. One even told me, with fear writ large on his face, that how would mohajirs kill the fearless Pathans when even American / NATO appartus has failed to dampen their spirits in so many years? He was right on target but many mohajir miscreants, who are killing poor Pathans, are not.

But another angle of all this drama is why PPP-led govt. has failed to stop the massacres of so many Pathans and other common travellers in and around Sohrab Goth area? Why our Rangers have done almost nothing to stop this banging of peace. Already Karachi has been worst hit by pre-Eid inflation, drowning business prospects (much thanks to Khanani and Kalia's arrests), and the overall sadness prevailing in the city.

Will someone ask Altaf Hussain why can't he and his followers, now doing rounds in killing Pathans across much of Karachi, put their feet down and stop this cold blooded murder of innocent civilians? Will his Mohajir followers, who give life for him, question him on his role as a murderer of Karachi? Will any sane Mohajir step out and say sorry to hundreds of affected Pathan families, people who've had no control over anything regarding politics. But simply because they are Pathans they are being killed. As Mohajirs have traditionally called Karachi 'their city' it is their duty, if they have been innocent all through this carnage, to come out, speak against these events, and mark the offenders.

Long live Karachi!

Mumbai drama - Part 2

Indians are incensed at what has happened to their major city and a popular destination. They cannot imagine that 15 young men - whoever they were - could hold ransom the entire mega city. Railway was closed; stock exchange was empty; all offices and schools remain closed the next day.

It is very clear that the protection of mega cities like Mumbai and Karachi cannot begin in the city itself. It needs to begin at a deeper level and much before the city itself. Once terrorists are close to you the only thing you can do is fire back. And when you are unarmed, as was the case with Taj's security, you can do nothing except run away.

But even when all this drama was going on one could sense that fire fighting capabilities of Mumbai were thoroughly inadequate. And the complexity and hugeness of the hotel itself added to the confusion - a really good reason why only 4 terrorists were able to hold back India's elite commandoes for 65 hours at a stretch. And, as Times of India relates in one of the stories, NSG took 9 hours to reach Taj Hotel for the assault. Adding to the confusion, various intelligence agencies, police men and other elite forces were fighting side by side. Although I am no expert in counter terrorism I can say with surety that only one coordinated force should be allowed to fight one particular group of men. As was evident on our TV channels, Sub-continental confusion was everywhere around the Taj.

Now, some questions.

For one thing, someone really important within the hotel is involved in all this. Else, how can you take so much extra ammunition into the hotel? And, why were those heavy RDX bags (8 Kg each) were not detected? I cannot also understand how could have these terrorists lived for so long without ever getting tired or sleepy while they were battling some 400 odd Indian forces? I also am answer less on how Indians have managed to successfully get all the answers they wanted to hear within 24 hours of capturing the only terrorist alive, Mohammad Ajmal Mohammad Amin Kasab.

Indian investigators, never so smart but always brutal, need to answer these tough questions. We can believe them when they tell us that every boat cannot be checked. We can also believe them that in front of AK-47s no one can stand especially if the shooter is a skilled man. I also cannot understand the Indian media response regarding these attacks. They are completely clueless and are only saying what their hawkish govt. is suggesting: That Pakistan may be involved, that it is the work of ISI (sic), that Pakistan should be taught a lesson (exactly what BJP wanted), and so on.

After the mayhem which killed over 200 men and women, guests and staff members, we need answers. But it is no answer to blame Pakisan or Pakistani ISI for all their own flaws. They need to go deeper and see the rifts which are tearing down India across its seams. Indians need to get more practical. By playing blame games they won't find any answers or solutions.

Mumbai drama - Part 1

Watching the firing event live at late night I was confused about what was happening. Then I clicked open BBC channel and it was being reported via some Indian channel (not accessible in my home) that firing squads have appeared at Taj Mahal Hotel and Nairam House and that shootings have taken place at railway as well. I slept over it as high-profile, rich customers were pouring out of the iconic hotel along with white clothed staff members. Something was dreadfully wrong with India, I told myself.

Next morning it was apparent that Mumbai was facing some real terror which was not only improvised but appeared to be a handiwork of an organization with intricate knowledge of not only the hotel but overall security apparatus.

It was game on.

In Karachi, everyone was talking about RAW being behind the attacks. And if you go by the record, many BJP inspired men have killed Muslims. The burning of train from Pakistan is one good example. Therefore, bloggers or no bloggers, it is commonly believed here that this work is being carried out to further malign Pakistanis and Muslims of India. That would allow security setup in the country to reject even more visas to Pakistanis; it would allow unconditional checking of Muslims within India on spurious charges (a la USA); it would divert media attention from Indian Occupied Kashmir where Muslims are being killed daily by Indian Special Forces. And so on.

And in any case, Pakistanis don’t really believe what Indian media tells the world. No one, for instance, believes Indians that a terrorist has claimed that he is from Pakistan. No one really buys your side of argument.

But we feel some of the rage which a common Indian might be feeling. But get it right. In Pakistan we face such problems on daily basis and how many Indians really feel our issues? Maybe a few. So in reality many Pakistanis are really not feeling any rage at all. Maybe Zardari and maybe Gilani. But not much.

This blog entry was specially written for my Indian friend, Mayank Singh (Delhi walla).

Earthquake memories

When I heard about earthquake in Ziarat, Baluchistan, I instantly recalled Kashmir earthquake in 2005 early morning. Atleast 75,000 people died; many school going kids were either attending classes or where waiting to attend one. People were busy in markets and everyone was doing something. Only few people were sleeping. According to conservating estimates around 73,000 perished that day or due to that earthquake. Here, I am pasting some earliest news alerts which appeared at that time on Dawn website:

Confirmed death toll in quake passes 1,800: officials ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (AFP) The confirmed death toll in Saturday's massive earthquake, which rocked India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, has passed 1,800, officials said. "The death toll is between 550 and 600 in North West Frontier Province and it is likely to rise," Riffat Pasha, the provincial head of police said. Some 250 people were confirmed dead and thousands more injured in Muzaffarabad,a government official said adding that "there is a massive devastation in the city.” "Village after village has been wiped out" in Azad Kashmir, an army relief official said from Muzaffarabad said. "The Neelum River has been blocked because whole villages have fallen into the water," the official added. (Posted @ 20:35 PST).


82 people pulled out alive from Islamabad’s tower blocks ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (Reuters): In Islamabad, 82 people were pulled out alive from two multi-storey apartment blocks that were reduced to rubble. But a government official said that rescuers also found the bodies of 10 people including seven Pakistanis, an Egyptian and two Japanese, one of whom was a two-year-old child. (Posted @ 23:35 PST)

200 Pakistani soldiers among quake dead ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (AFP) Around 200 Pakistani soldiers died in a major earthquake that struck the region on Saturday, the military said. "Some 200 army men have died in the earthquake," a military spokesman said. Military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan gave the same figure to a local private channel. Most are believed to have died in Azad Kashmir, where Pakistan has tens of thousands of troops stationed along Line of Control. (Posted @ 22:50 PST)

About 400 Pakistani school children dead in quake PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Oct 8 (Reuters) About 400 school children were killed in north-western Pakistan when a quake struck the region on Saturday and their schools collapsed, police said. "Three-hundred-and-fifty school children have been killed in a school in Mansehra district and 50 were killed in another school in the same district," said provincial police chief Riffat Pashar. "The situation is very bad, the figure has gone to about 1,000 feared dead in North West Frontier province," he said. (Posted @ 22:05 PST)

1000 killed in Azad Kashmir; 300 killed in occupied Kashmir ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (Reuters)

Relief Cell established in Prime Minister House ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP): "Earthquake Relief Cell" has been established in Prime Minister House. It will work round the clock and will receive complaints from the earthquake affectees. The phone numbers are: 9213891 or 9222999. Earthquake Relief Cell has also been established in the Ministry of Interior.(Posted @ 16:15 PST)

President's relief fund established for earthquake victims Islamabad, Oct 8 PPI

China sends 50-member rescue team to Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP): China has rushed to Pakistan a 50-member strong search and rescue team to assist in search and rescue operations in the earthquake affected areas of Pakistan. The team also comprises of paramedics and is carrying the latest equipment for rescue operations. (Posted @ 23:10 PST)

Ireland pledges million euros in earthquake aid for Pakistan DUBLIN, Oct 8 (AFP) The Irish government Saturday pledged an initial one million euros (1.2 million dollars) to assist with immediate needs to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake in northern Pakistan. The initial funding will be available for the Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations. (Posted@20:39)

Massive earthquake jolts Bannu district BANNU, Oct 08 (APP): The massive earthquake jolted Bannu district at about 8.51 am Saturday morning and the tremors continued for about one minute. Officials said no report of any damage to life or property had so far been received from any part of the district.(Posted @ 16:15 PST)

Earthquake jolts Sialkot SIALKOT, Oct 8 (APP)- Strong earthquake jolted Sialkot and its adjoining areas on Saturday at 8.52 a.m. People came out from their homes and work places and ran out for safety.. No loss of life or property has so far been reported from any part of the district.(Posted @ 11:15 PST)


Earthquake jolts Sheikhupura city SHEIKHUPURA, Oct 8 (APP): An earthquake of severe intensity jolted Sheikhupura at about 9 a.m. on Saturday and caused damage to a number of buildings including the upper portion of the historic Sheikhupura Fort. People rushed out of homes, offices etc. A number of telephone and electricity poles were uprooted.(Posted @ 11:15 PST)


Earthquake jolts Joharabad JAUHRABAD, Oct 8 (APP)- An earthquake of severe intensity jolted Jauhrabad city and its adjoining areas at 8:52 a.m.Saturday. The tremors continued for about one minute. So far no loss of life or property was reported from any part .(Posted @ 11:10 PST)

Earthquake rocks Sargodha city SARGODHA, Oct 8 (APP): An earthquake of severe intensity struck the town and its adjoining areas at about 9.00 a.m here Saturday.According to reports, tremors continued for about 2 minutes but no casuality has so far been reported from any part of the city.(Posted @ 11:10 PST)

Earthquake jolts Lahore LAHORE, Oct 8 (APP)- An earthquake of great intensity jolted the Provincial Capital on Saturday at 8.51 a.m. and lasted for about one minute. The strong earthquake forced the people to come out of their houses and office buildings. Damage to buildings has been reported from some parts of the city but details are awaited. The government has ordered all agencies to get into top gear to face emergency.(Posted @ 11:08 PST)

Massive earthquake jolts Multan, Vehari MULTAN, Oct 8 (APP): A massive earthquake jolted the Multan city at about 8.54 a.m. Saturday . The tremors continued for about one minute. Civil Defence officials told APP that so far no report of any damage to any property or loss to life had been reported from any part of the city.Tremors were felt at 8.54 a.m. and continued for 55 seconds, officials said.(Posted @ 11:05 PST)

And, finally, with a touch of irony, one report said this:

No earthquake in Balochistan QUETTA, Oct 8 (APP): No tremors were felt across Balochistan on Saturday morning, Director Met Office Quetta Zia Khan told APP.(Posted @ 14:00 PST)


Well, now a 6.4 Ritcher scale earthquake has arrived...

Eid Mubarak

Can we kill Ahmadis?

Dr. Amir Liaqat, excellent orator, GEO TV host and a former Minister for Religious Affairs, is once again in trouble. This time trouble seems to be going big.

Two Ahmadis have been reportedly murdered after he called on his viewers to kill Ahmadis as they have insulted our Prophet (PBUH). Asian Human Rights Commission details:

In a program aired on 7 September 2008 the anchor of the religious program 'Alam Online', Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain--also former federal minister for religious affairs--declared the murder of Ahmadi sect members to be necessary (Wajib ul Qatal) according to Islamic teachings, because its followers don't believe in the last prophet, Mohammad, peace be upon him. Dr. Amir repeated his instruction several times, urging fundamentalists Muslims to kill without fear.

While on air the anchor person also pressured the other two Islamic scholars (from two different sects) on the program to support the statement. This resulted in a unanimous decision among the scholars, on air during a popular television show, to urge lynching with the intent to kill. This was not a one-off. On September 9, Mr. Hussain answered a query with the comment that blasphemers are liable to be put to death.

Further,

According to the information received, at 1:15pm on September 8, 18 hours after the broadcast, six persons entered the Fazle Umer Clinic, a two-story hospital at Mirpur Khas city and two of them went to the second floor and started pressuring 45 year-old Dr. Abdul Manan Siddiqui to come downstairs to attend to a patient in crisis. Dr. Manan left his office and descended into an ambush. He was shot 11 times and died on the spot. His private guard was also shot and is in a serious condition. A woman was also injured by firing. The killers remained at the hospital until the doctor was declared dead, then they walked out of the building's front entrance. Police registered the killers as unknown.

On September 9, 48 hours after the broadcast, Mr. Yousaf, a 75 year-old rice trader and district chief of the Ahmadi sect was killed on his way to prayer in Nawab Shah, Sindh province. Yousaf was fired on from people on motor bikes, and sustained three bullet wounds. He died on the way to the hospital. The assailants had taken a route past a police station. No one was arrested.

One thing must be noted clearly. Islam does not tolerate any non-sense when it comes to Prophet (PBUH). Therefore, it is advisable to all Muslims and Non-Muslims that they respect the sancity of the Prophet (PBUH).

But, is a commoner allowed to allow himself murder of a fellow human being? If that be the case, country would be left in total bloodshed. We've seen how Wahabis treat Shias and vice-versa. The cycle of hatred would come full circle and would certainly engulf our country (if any iota of peace is still left within). My personal view on this is that if someone finds out that there has been a travesty of faith, he may file a petition against the offender in Shariah court. The idea being that proper investigation is carried out to ascertain the truth instead of knifing the person in fit of emotional outburst.As for the case against Dr. Liaqat is concerned, I think we should not allow these media big-wigs to get away with incitement of murder (if there is any). But I must say I did not find any direct incitement of murder in the program. Therefore, it would be near impossible to directly indict Dr. Liaqat or the Ulemas present on 7th September, 2008.