A quick response to "Overseas Pakistani Syndrome"

Dear aggrieved Fahim, 

A lot has alread been said in response to your elitist blog on Pakistani diaspora. I will add few more 'nikkay mottay'  points, very quciky,  to that:

1. Believe me even in wildest of dreams, it's  impossible to vacate entire of even a "Daswaan Hissa" of Pakistan and move them all to Wilayat or for that matter moon. In case you already are not abroad, please try doing so, just for the heck of it and see things with your open eyes. Better not stereotype.
2. Those of us who go for "aala taleem" may be fortunate, but what's important is that these people made conscious choices and efforts to pursue an apparently noble path: to connect to global and better resources of knowledge. You may also want to consider that "aala taleem" is not necessarily linked to "aala salary".
3. Mopping floors aint any shame as you seem to portray it. If in Pakistan, we consider such a job lowly, that's our own thinking.  Then, it becomes our  duty to correct this attitude and learn to respect those who are attached to this essential service. And after all, someone has to mop the floor. Please bear in mind that at home, we tend to associate such duties to our mothers and sisters.  
4. Not paying taxes is not a matter of birthright. It's a matter of the legal system and practices allowing you ways to escape. I guess not its more of a fashion and a "brag-about phenomenon".
5. Mind it, not all Pakistanis living abroad have girlfriends. Think for a while of those in Saudi, for instance.  
6. Regarding "bunches of people", there is always a bunch of people who will have traits one can imagine. There is a bunch who will pray five times a day and lie straight on to your face and there is bunch as confused as or me who waste people's precious time by writing vague long posts. 
7. Then, there is a  flat contradiction in your article. How you attach reclining leather chairs to   floor-mapping ex-pats; does not make much sense. 

دکھ سکھ Common کے کچھ Graduates

Here is a crude attempt to portray few common feeling of my graduate friends.
This is being penned to mark my MS thesis defense. 

Hope you like it ... !!! 

کیا طلسم طاری  ہے

جاں پہ بہت بھاری ہے

وزن بڑھتا جا رہا ہے 

اگرچہ جاری ہے Dieting

 لگاتے رہ گۓResults امیدِ

کو جاتے رہ گۓLab روز

 چھاپ آیٔے وہPaper چھ چھ

 ہم جاتے، آتے، جاتے رہ گۓ

 کرا بیٹھےتھے Book ٹکٹ

منا بیٹھےتھے Advanced Birthday

پھر اک طوفانی سی میٹنگ آیٔی 

 سارے درہم گنوا بیٹھےتھے 

رٗس کے دیکھا، رو کے دیکھا

ساری آپشنز مٗکا بیٹھےتھے

واپس لیب میں آ  بیٹھےتھے

Elections and Mazahiya Poetry

I love Punjabi & Urdu poetry, especially when recited the poets in their own unique styles. Elections are now just 4 weeks away. Let's relish some funny poetry about elections then. After all, it has got some meaning and message to it. 

I start with my own favorite pieces of Punjabi-Urdu poetry, from very well-known Khalid Masood. There are two parts related to election here. First one is about the infamous "Lotas"


Pehaly Odhroon, Faer Aidhroon, Ab Faer Khara haiy Odhroon
Public Tang haiy Laikin Lota Lota i hota haiy 

Next is a beautiful depiction of dynamics of our electoral process. What kind of people we have managed to select every time.

Luch lafang elect huwa hai annay-wa
Beeba phir reject huwa hai annay-wa
Sooe pay dhaga daalnay waali nokri pay
Anna aik select huwa hai annay-wa 

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 Next I present to you (In the same video, starting at 06:45). the very poet who got known for "Banayain" & "Aj ki Pul", Anwar Masood, depicting the results of elections. 


Theek haiy Jaisa Election h00  gia haiy, Theek haiy 
Haan magar Tasweesh lahiq zara haiy is baab mein
Muj ko lagta haiy yae Khasa ghair Fitri Fasla
Molvi Sarhad mein hain, Lotay magar Punjab mein


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Anwar Masood has got more to say about Elections based on his outstanding ability to make real-life observations and connect things together beautifully.


Shairana aur Zareefana ho gar Zouq e Nazar
Zindagi mein Ja ba-Ja Dil-chasp Tashbeehain bhi hain 
Rail Gari aur Election mein haiy Ek Shay Mushtarak
Log be-ticktay kaee is mein bhi hain, Us mein bhi hain

Muje gar Muntakhab kar lo gae Bhai 
Panap-nay ki nahi koee Burai 
Muje kehna kay naqis haiy Safai 
Gatar say bhi agar Khushboo na aa-iy

Dilchashp kis qadar haiy Chunao ka Marhala
Har Cheez deedni haiy Election kay Baab ki 
Aisa chuna Nishan har umeed-war nae
Pasli parak uthi nigah e intezaar ki 




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Here goes Dr. Inam ul Haq Javed when he has to something to say about promises and their timings.

Tum kehtay ho sab kuch ho ga
Mein kehta hun kab kuch ho ga
Bas is aas pae Umr Guzari
Ab kuch ho ga, ab kuch ho ga

==================================================
Finally, there is Punjabi treat, with poet unknown.It's a sequence of hypothetical sequences that are impossible but amazingly interconnected and weaved into a story. I think all the fun will be lost in transliteration. Just enjoy the video. 





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Do you have more links and videos of funny poetry to share?

Article 62, 63 and this Elections: My simplistic view

Let's take it point by point:

1. Are the articles 62 and 63, crystal clear in their form and meaning?

Definitely not.

There are a lot of unclear hints which if taken in literal sense of word and in the extreme capacity (exploited), leave almost no human, eligible for the elections. Many examples can be quoted in this regard. 

2. Can we expect something as a result of this "Cleaning" procedure?

Very little, may be. 

Some people will get their degrees verified.

Other might have started offering regular prayers to be prepared for the interviews. 

May be someone had already started selling guess-books for politicians.

Journos off course will get some more TRPs. 

Ayaz Amir will most probably make it through the appeal process. 

Will any big guns fall into it? A handful, off course. 
Ultimately, "innocent until proven guilty" 

We already had enough FUN out it. Don't we??


3. Will the current practice do some good in the long run?

Yes, there might be a great deal of confusions and issues in implementing 62, 63. 
But, by April 19, "BIG" things can be sorted. 
We will have a model of such cleansing to make amends on, at the very least.
That will prompt next parliament to re-consider it. It will get modified, probably for newer experiments of new amendments.

And we have clearer explanations of the explanations of Nazria e Pakistan, those who claim to stand by it, and those who say  ideology, my foot.

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Your feedback is welcome.

GIN2013: Global Issues Network Conference @ NYUAD

I just returned after attending GIN2013: a conference organized by New York Universirty Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). The conference aims at framing global issues in a local perspectives and encouraging teams of students (earlier only high school students and adding university students from this year on-wards) to put forward a solution to solve an issue locally. 

The 3-day conference program is fully packed with Discussion/Breakout sessions interspersed with keynote talks by global and local leaders. Students work in a team of 5-6 members, lead by a facilitator, to discuss an issue of importance in one of the areas: heath, education, technology, energy and waste management. Their goal is to research key issues in the particular area, find potential solutions to the problems and finally propose a sustainable action plan, with clear objectives, a detailed timeline and an estimate of costs to implement the solution. The students are guided by the mentors, including the keynote speakers in the conference who help students brainstorm deeper into particular implementation issues and make sure the plan is feasible.

I must say such a conference is an ideal platform for students of different backgrounds from all across the globe to meet and work together on issues of global importance. Many a students must have left with new perspectives, ideas and strategies and a better understanding of other cultures. The talks by His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz aka Green Sheikh, Jeffery from Microsoft, Natasha from globalthemostat and Scott the entertainer and inspirational speaker from Canada were all amazing and inspirational. 

The NYUAD team led by Benjamin and Michaell et al. really put up a great show overall clearly reflecting their excellent management skills at such an early stages in student life.  I hope this idea continues and expands and people from more universities and high schools are included in management roles as well.

I will like to end by saying "Thanks guys, it was a wonderful to be with you, Keep in touch. It's a small world after all" to my team members: C.Wang, Noura, Alistiar, Zoe, DJ, and some of other friends and organizers (off course not a comprehensive list and in no particular order): Ben, Michael, Jaime, Musa A. Bajwa, Amal, Iryna, 'Evaan Smith', Clara, Satchi, Saad, Farah+Paula, the big list of South-East Asians, and  finally Sana,Humair, Lindzy.