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.

Gate crashing the Margallas

The Margalla Hills—the foothills of the Himalayas—are a series of small-elevation hills located north of Islamabad, Pakistan. Margalla Range has an area of 12,605 hectares. The hill range nestles between an elevation of 685 meters at the western end and 1,604 meters on its east.

That's what Wikipedia has to say about Margalla hills. And they have just added an entry for Air Blue flight which took off from Karachi at 8am on 28th July 2010 and never landed. It gatecrashed into Margalla killing all 152 passengers on board.

This tragedy has brought almost no surprises for me so far. Our minister for everything, Rehman Malik, announced hastily that Black Box has been found soon after the incident. Then he denied it. Same apathy towards knowledge and use of proper information.

Then we got our gory Urdu channels shouting that they've been first to make footage of this ill-fated plane. They also shouted about how they were able to film the grieving mothers and fathers of those who perished. And they had the audacity to barge into the homes of victims' families and ask them such stupid questions as, 'How do you feel about your so and so being dead'? etc. Is this how journalists should act? Well, no surprises here. Pakistani Urdu media has the tradition of doing just that.

And then the people. Some of them, off course. People who stole body parts (presumably of females more than those of males) so that they might just get some gold out of them. How sick and familiar is that.

And lastly, I am not at all surprised by the action Pakistan Army has taken. They've been everywhere along with Edhi people. And together they have done what democratically elected government has simply failed to do: Help its people in these most distressing time.

p.s Over 800 are thought to have perished due to heavy rains and subsequent flooding in Frontier and Punjab provinces.

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.

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...