Received from a friend of mine and it DID hit me hard…

I was invited to a dinner by my colleague who is a British born Pakistani. An Indian Muslim doctor was also a guest. As usual the conversation trickled towards what was happening in Pakistan.

The Indian doctor said something which made me feel very little. He said:

‘When the leaders of a country start buying properties outside the country and their children get educated and stay abroad then the people of the country should know that there is something seriously wrong with the country which the leaders know but are not telling the people of the country.’

He continued, ‘In India, it is unheard of that even the most corrupt leader has acquired any property abroad. Even mega stars like Amitabh and Shah Rukh Khan, sportsmen like Gavasker and Dhoni, singers like Lata and Asha do not any have properties or businesses outside India. You, Pakistanis, should really and seriously start asking your leadership - WHAT IS IT ABOUT PAKISTAN THAT THEY KNOW AND YOU, THE PEOPLE, DON’T? Why do they live abroad while doing politics in Pakistan ????’

While he was saying this, I was thinking of Zardari coming to meet Nawaz in his hotel in Dubai driving his Rolls Royce deciding the fate of 170 million Pakistanis and then planning to fly to London to meet another Pakistani leader living in London and leading the most literate Pakistanis from there. Most of the children of these people including the President of Pakistan live in Europe, USA and Dubai with properties across the globe…

There is something that these leaders of ours know about Pakistan which we don’t.

…and he said:

connectedness kills

should you agree?

I’m going to tell you a story. A powerful wizard, who wanted to destroy an entire kingdom, placed a magic on the communal well, so as whoever drank that water would go mad.

The following morning, the whole population drank from the well and they all went under the spell, apart from the king and his family, who had a well set aside for them alone, and which the magician had not managed to poison. The king was worried and tried to control the population by issuing a series of edicts governing security and public health. The policeman and the inspectors, however, had also drunk the poisoned water and they thought the king’s decisions were absurd and resolved to take no notice of them.

When the inhabitants of the kingdom heard these decrees, they became convinced that the king had gone mad and was now giving nonsensical orders. They marched on the castle and called for his abdication.

In despair, the king prepared to step down from the throne, but the queen stopped him, saying; let us go and drink from the communal well. Then, we will be the same as them.

And that was what they did; the king and the queen drank the water of madness and immediately began talking nonsense. Their subjects repented at once; now that the king was displaying such wisdom, why not allow him to continue ruling the country?

The country continued to live in peace, although its inhabitants behaved very differently from those of its neighbors. And the king was able to govern until the end of his days.

by: Paulo Coelho, from: Veronika Decides to Die

Spread the love… use these “I Luv Karachi” banners as you like… thanks to Ejaz for the nice shiny banners and the idea.

Here’s the original post copied as it is:

To promote and evangelize “Love for Karachi” I have created first version of “I Love Karachi” banners. Whether you’re in Karachi or not, you can use any of these banners. More banners plus variations may be coming soon. Spread Love, Not Hatred. Say NO to Injustice, corruption and hatred.

Original I Love Karachi Banner

Blue Banner of I Love Karachi

Light Blue Banner of I love Karachi

Peach I love Karachi

Purple I Love Karachi

Link to Original Post

So they played havoc and f*cked it all… the city is crying and dying… but who cares? you and me? eh.. caring and being concerned isn’t enough! How long can we stay like that?

Here are a few voices i want to share… responses to questions asked and talks and words…

Question #1:

So… how have you been seeing the day’s progress today? Any 1-3 line opinion or words you’d like to utter (the limit excludes the profanities you may or may not use - using them with due credits is highly appreciated)

Replies:

highly depressing,

but then, what can the common man do?

> hmm… that’s the thing.. but shall we stay the same? doesn’t that change us from inside ?

the people who so calmly terrorized the whole city are from among you and me
jab tak hum sab bewaqoof bantay rhaeingay these things will happen

> yah exactly… but for how long.. that’s the question we should answer ourselves..

it makes me sick…

this is so shattering me… it’s so inexplicable

im feeling sick coz i cant go to meet my mom at the hospital… :( wut more can i say

all i know dat this was expected from long time before but never thought of it wud happen like this .. but this is it

its been a show which was pre planned
to the minutest detail

> they can all go to mush’s backside actually… but then.. there’s already no room!

whether planned or unplanned… they suck bigtime.. the agencies and the controlling authorities..

what do you think about altaf q*s** after today’s bloody day

>he’s a b**t*rd and he can shove himself in musharraf’s backside :@

>and this ch**Ra even got the nerve to blame it on others and presenting himself as a victim! What the f***! Hello! Welcome to LALA land, everybody’s stupid here!?

I don think he can go into mush’s bush coz ch. brothers n sheikh rasheed already live there. But sincerely hope karachiites demand a new n true karachi ka leader

>But what do you think most of the karachi population made up of?

Who’s really concerned about the city and actually thinks like us and can do something? Errrkkk! wrong! It’s made up of those rats who can’t even distinguish if that’s mush’s bush! and they have the arms…

Well my idea of “those concerned n ready to do something for khi” is based on humanism instead of ethnic, cultural or religious basis which wd include someone like me too. I am truly convinced if we raise ourselves above our fears, language or ethnicity, karachi is the only city beside islamabad who can kick butts n create democracy…

Sometime ago, I read this novel By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho.

It was a nice lovey dovey sort. and of course presents a lot more to to ponder.

Specially the following few paras which I’ve been reading again and again… pondering over them and thinking about it.

1
I’ve paid a considerable price for the little I have gained. I’ve been forced to deny myself many things I’ve wanted, to abandon so many roads that were open to me. I’ve sacrificed my dreams in the name of a larger dream — a peaceful soul. I didn’t want to give up that peace.

2
The gods throw the dice, and they don’t ask whether we want to be in the game or not. They don’t care if when you go, you leave behind a lover, a home, a career, or a dream. The gods don’t care whether you have it all, whether it seems that your every desire can be met through hard work and persistence. The gods don’t want to know about your plans and your hopes. Somewhere they’re throwing the dice — and you are chosen. From then on, winning or losing is only a question of luck.

3
I’ve been in love before. It’s like a narcotic. At first it brings the euphoria of complete surrender. The next day, you want more. You’re not addicted yet, but you like the sensation, and you think you can still control things. you think about the person you love for two minutes, and forget them for three hours.

“But then you get used to that person, and you begin to be completely dependent on them. Now you think about him/her for three hours and forget him/her for two minutes. If s/he’s not there, you feel like an addict who can’t get a fix. And just as addicts steal and humiliate themselves to get what they need, you’re willing to do anything for love.

If it’s not challenging, exciting and difficult would it still be called life? I doubt!

It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.
(Mark Twain)

Saw it first time at KARA Film Festival last year and now again at home; Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

I have never been frightened by the buzzword “Global Warming” before as much as I’m now after watching this. Really moved by the movie (and the song running in the background of end titles “I need to wake up” by Melissa Etheridge). I appreciate Al Gore’s work and effort on this (regardless of the reasons and objectives he might have behind it - as in; political). It really does impress people and that’s what I like about it. I now, really, feel this responsibility to actually do something about this and think seriously to make things happen at my end and be part of something good which effects humanity at the end of the day.

Do watch it!

Here’s what you should do to feel responsible and responsive to what you should:

• Read more about An Inconvenient Truth on IMDB
• Watch An Inconvenient Truth Trailer on Google Videos
• Seriously heed upon and implement ways that can help reduce global warming
• Recommend it to friends and family

read it somewhere and liked it

Happiness is like peeing in your pants; everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth!

what i learned that… no matter what u plan.. it all goes draining…

and that.. u get disappointed.. very much.. sometimez..

i leave it to god always… n try my best…

for life i say.. “Expect the unexpected”