Ameer Hamza

Gojra violence is the newest touted phenomenon across world media. And once again Pakistan is the key to it all. No matter how many Muslims and their kids are burnt alive by the blood-thirsty Ultra-Jewish Israelis, all incidents related to Pakistan make it to the world headlines. And no wonder this violent episode will remain on world debate for quite sometime. It will be used by all and sundry as one more reason why Pakistan should disintegrate; a good reason why Pakistan has to be called a failed state [sic].

According to wikipedia, 'Gojra (Punjabi, Urdu: گوجرہ), the capital of Gojra Tehsil, is a city of Toba Tek Singh District in the Punjab province of Pakistan[1], it is located at 33°16'60N 73°20'60E[2] and is located 30 miles (50 km) from Faisalabad,.. ' So you know, if you happen to be a fan of Saadat Hassan Manto that Toba Tek Singh is and has been part of violent, mentally short circuit culture of many parts of our region, specially that of South Punjab. I was, therefore, not surprised to hear from Dawn's analysis in monthly Herald that many of the most cultivated terrorists of Pakistan are actually coming down from Southern Punjab region including nearby Jhang. Further, it should not surprise any that the violence which killed 7 Christians in Gojra this Sunday was perpetuated by the men from Jhang and that it was supported at Police level. And considering the recent reports about an imminent operation in South Punjab by Pakistan Army [Punjabi-led Army higher ups are concerned about the fall out of this war zone] we know for certain that ISI officials must have known this mischievous act in the making. They did nothing speaks for itself about the quality of men we now have at all official levels: Army, Intelligence, Police and Ministers.

Damage has been done and now Shahbaz Sharif, who himself supports hardliner Wahabis and Jihadis, has ordered an inquiry. What for? Why did he and his minnows not stop the violence when it was perpetuated in broad daylight? Why O Why dear Minister? And no answers from his office or any such office are forthcoming. That itself is sad and speaks for all of us.

For me it goes to another level. For 11 long years, from Class 1 till completion of my O' Levels [Year 1999 Batch] I studied at one of the premier schools of the city, St. Michael's Convent School. It disturbs me no less that the Christians with whom I studied and who were well behaved would be treated in such a brazen, horrific manner. It is hopeless to note that certain elements within our country would want to destroy such a peaceful bunch of men and women. And more so to note that such elements operate with immunity across the country. They burn everything; they kill everyone. For them Islam and Prophet are but a step towards their own nefarious goal achievement strategy.

This incident, and the past incidents involving minorities in the country, clearly shows our apathy towards other faiths, towards other human beings. This incident would no doubt put a question mark over many Christians' minds. They have been inevitably forced to rethink their loyalty to Pakistan. It being August, month of our freedom, government should at all costs bring to gallows the men involved in this heinous crime. Instead of giving sweeping and long statements by ministers, we need to ask why this crime was done. And who did it.

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!

PPP has done everything to force MQM out. But as MQM wallas are as big a ghundas as PPP wallas are, the only man suffering is the common man. You and me. The recent spate in killings across much of old Karachi since last four days is a clear indication of what PPP wanted and what MQM can do back here in the city. President Zardari may be the richest man in the country and he may be the husband of a dead former Prime Minister. But Altaf Hussain is no chai walla. He is fully capable of extreme violence, when there is a need to be. And somehow many of Karachi's down-trodden and even rich support MQM and him. They reason that Altaf looks and acts much better than Zardari. On any given day it is Zardari who can count on much worse press than Altaf bhai.

But what is the point of killing and maiming over 60 people, 10 of them, when British delegation was in the city? What exactly is the point here?

The burning of over 3000 shops could not conclusively prove that MQM was behind the carnage. Police and Rangers were the culprits. And this goes back to Federal Govt. aka Zardari the President. Over 60 were killed, most of them Shia mourners. And then the rampage began in earnest, as if directed by a Hollywood director.

Nothing proves nothing has been a dictum now-a-days in Karachi. Hundreds dead and thousands have lost their jobs. Yet no conclusion has been arrived at. The only conclusion is that neither MQM nor PPP wants to leave Karachi alone. Hell with the general public. They want their powers in Pakistan's biggest commercial city. And PPP appears to be lagging far far behind. So much so that someone from President's office had to 'immediately' call Altaf Bhai in London to 'please stop bloodshed'.

Such is his power string from London. Who, then, may be supporting this loner from UK? Your guess is as good as mine!

This is the text of emails sent and recd. from and to Haroon, my MAJU friend and official movie maker of my shadi events.
My emails are in black and Haroon's replies are in colour.

asalam u alikum
tommorow, CIO pakistan is allowing bloggers to participate free at the blogger convention and i think there would be some free lunch as well.
so if you want to come please register. me and raja are already registered and drop by my home at 12 sharp so that we can reach before 12:30, when the convention and seminar starts.
so good coming and please confirm

Hi! I'm these days more concerned over earning some money. Right now this is the highest priority for me to get me some regular finances on monthly basis at-least, as I'm literally struggling to have today's God (financial resource) on my side.

I'm just done with your project and I'll be completing Shahzad Bhai project by Monday, 27th July, 2009 i.e. tomorrow.

I request you to please collect the DVDs anytime after tomorrow evening, so that I can jump over something new. I'm rethinking over my future career in media and its specific course, so I won't be able to join in the future outings for indefinite period of time.

-Thanks

you mean to suggest that you won't be coming with us on saturdays as well???
and are you suggesting a career in computer sciences once again?
that's good for you.


I'm now in a hot pursuit of finances, so I may miss some of the weekends. I just need you to get me those 10-DVD set back as I'm in the making of my ShowReel. Also, you may collect your Master DVD-set with Shahbaz bhai DVD anytime you would like to. And I've come a long way out to what I'm today, I cannot even imagine going back to be my past, so being Software Engineer again is out of question.


so how do you plan to get the finances. I don't understand.
And due to certain financial crises I have been unable to pay you for your services. I have a immediate payment of Rs.350,000 to be made before I can pay you. And I seriously dont understand how to get that.
ALLAH is Great!


Well! I don't really know exactly how much are you willing to pay me, and why is it taking so long, I'm run out of money and have been waiting for it since you called me on May '09. I don't know what you're going through these days but I'm sure my situation is way worse than yours, as not having money to buy even a bread is like living under the poverty-line, isn't it :-?
Hope that you get over with your financial crises as soon as before 14th August '09, so that I can get my salvation :-)

but Haroon you told me that money wasn't an issue at all. That you were doing movie for experience and friendship. Change of stance????

I wasn't actually trying to ask you about anything, but since I thought you knew that I'm totally living upon my Filmmaking skills and struggling to make it as a profession; you asked me as a filmmaker-friend to cover your wedding. In-fact you should not see me as a filmmaker and a friend distinctly when both are myself and it is not even a matter of viewing angle as I reflect my all angles to all sides just like a prism completing all seven lights to one.

See I don't need your sympathy, I don't even ask it from my God. Whatever you are planning to give me now is all up-to your consent, and I'm sure, since you can't give me my deserved amount, so stop talking about Roti, Kapra & Makaan as statement has already lost its gloss.
[This conversation has been directly pasted from emails sent and recd. to and from Haroon. No changes, omissions or editing has been done to retain their original tone and context].

I love smooching and indecency, etc. But I am too afraid of the draconian laws of the good government of Pakistan [whatever that means; sorry for indecency!].

I don't understand this democratic setup of our govt. They cannot just stand the funny jokes, made in good measure, against our good president of the very good country. Who are these people who have just got out this order of 14 years of prison for a person who dares to send out the jokes against very good men of our times, Zardari Sahib and his play mates, the PM, the FM, the CM, and all others. What will our govt. achieve by all this non-sense [am I being indecent here???]

One thing is for sure. If you add some taxes per SMS and if you delete the jokes on Zardari, then you've got the problem. At least if you are part of Mobilink or Warid network. Your business greatly suffers. And our collective sense of humour, even it is on a morbid side of things, suffers a lot. Already we are suffering lot of fools around us. And the mullahs. And the terrorists. And all other whacky kids from Afghanistan, India, Russia, USA, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

But Mr. Zardari, who must have helped in bringing this law to life, should be happy. I have not received, for a very long time now, any jokes on Zardari.

Long Live Zardari, the good President of a very bed-ridden and sick country. [Is this, my Lord, indecent, provocative and ill-motivated?]. Sirs, please answer.

CJ of Pakistan, Iftikhar bhai phero, is now wanting to earn millions and trillions of money. So says the un-confirmed and un-known report. What else explains this exclusively stupid initiative of stopping the carbon tax on petrol and other products for one day and then getting over the next?

What is CJ suggesting? He seems a lame duck to me now. No proper decision making has come out from him or his office recently, a sad reminder how judiciary work in the country.

For further references, please note that all the murderers and rapists are roaming free. Historical structures are being damaged by the ministries. Corruption is rampant. And no cases against Zardari are being presently heard. Is this is what we Pakistanis wanted from CJ, for whom we did everything. We, the public and not Zardari and Co., restored him to his present status. Otherwise the lawyer's movement would have failed miserably.

And yes, CJ has taken no notice of the workings of KESC and our Education ministry.

Long Live Pakistan Long Dead Rule of Law!

Long March, if seen on a larger spectrum, makes Pakistan look like a failed state. No matter what we as Pakistanis have to say on the subject, international media led by the likes of Jewish CNN and Hindu India have been proved right once again by our misdeeds and a series of misfortunes. By beating and shutting down hundreds of black-coats (and black sheep) we are doing no good to our image and Zardari, as President of Pakistan, should shoulder most of the responsibility. And by failing to bring to Justice those 13 men (or were they less?) who specifically targeted Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore we have proven without doubt that the worst form of democracy is actually not better than the best form of dictatorship. Both are either equal or in our case, dictatorship happens to be much better than the likes of Zardari and Nawaz Sharif (Amir-ul-Momineen and Shia'-teen)> By hitting on this movement with so much force (one report in press puts it at 600 containers for stopping marchers from reaching Islamabad) Zardari-led govt. has proven that he is no better than Musharraf, though he came here by votes.

So where do we go from here? Is Long March going to change anything on political and social level? Will it end up in a blood bath? Will Zardari succeed in stopping angry looking protestors from reaching Islamabad? Only time will tell.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that our luck and the luck of the country doesn't fall out fast.

NOTE: India's RAW could have a field day on 16th March. Killers won't be blamed. Victims won't get justice.