After ditching the dinner at home today, I went to a night out with a good friend. “1969”, Jinnah and KC proved to be the places that were blessed with royalty. After reaching home at about 2300 hrs I found out that the guests have left and my dad was waiting for a friend who works for some organization that I cannot disclose here. So as always I asked Ammi for some food. Fortunately she had saved some malai chicken for me.
While I was helping myself to a huge serving I heard the door bell ring. As expected it was my dad’s friend. I ushered him to the drawing room and left to finish my food. I was done in a couple of minutes and started to watch the highlights of the cricket match that we lost today. My ammi called me to take the coffee for the guest. I entered the room with the coffee mugs and the home made cookies which smelled great (I smuggled one into my mouth before entering the room).
Upon entering the room I heard the guest saying that at the unfortunate moharam incident in karachi the biggest illegal money market in Pakistan was robbed. My jaw dropped straight away. The Bolton money market was known for entertaining every customer. Once in a sting operation a fake customer exchanged $100,000 for Pakistani rupees. That’s a jaw dropping 8.3 million PKR. No wonder no claim has been filled by the owners of those shops for compensation as that would expose them to the tax authorities.
Since it is proved that the whole incident was well organized, does this mean that robbing the market was also part of there plan? A place which can generate 8 million rupees in 5 minutes must be holding at least 80 million worth cash in both local and foreign currencies. Just imagine the kind of destruction can be done from that money. People say that the total damage was 5 trillion rupees but I say the damage has yet to start because I am sure that this money will be used for funding the terrorist activities.
Beware my country mates the damage is yet to follow.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Islamabad
How’s Islamabad?
If you ask this question from a person who grew up or lived some years here the most obvious answers would be “Aaaallaaa”, “Awesome”, “Cool town”.
Islamabad was the brain child of General Ayub Khan who wanted to shift the capital of Pakistan from Karachi to a strategically safer place. So the work was started in 1960’s (the foundation stone can be found at shakerparian). The city is par excellence when compared to any other city in the region.
For me growing up in Islamabad a.k.a Isloo was a privilege. Back then the city was less populated. Sectors G-11 and F-11 were not developed. The roads used to be empty and by maximum 2100hrs it was rare to find traffic on the roads. It used to be so quiet. No noise of the traffic. On Eid’s Isloo was almost deserted as most of the population used to travel to there ancestral homes. Thus Isloo got titled as “the city of living dead” by the Karachi walla’s and the Lahori’s.
Now I just laugh at the people who say that Isloo is a dead city. They are just misinformed and living in an illusion that they have created. I mean calling a city dead where a 7 star hotel is under construction is just so lame. That’s not all, it’s the city which is the hub of the political activities of the nation and still they call it dead. Amazing! I ask these people to please come and visit this place for a change and then make up there minds.
Islamabad as I recall it has always been like a dream place to live in. Sometimes I imagine as if it’s a place described in a romantic novel and we are just mere characters of that epic saga. the stunning margalla hills and the lovely Faisal mosque on one side, the mist that overtakes in winters, the sunsets in summers, the blooming flowers across the town in spring, ground covered by fallen leaves due to autumn and finally the thunderous rains in monsoon. Which place on earth will have weather like this?
To conclude the article a sad note, the dove monument at zero point which was the original monument of Islamabad has been removed due to the on going flyover construction over there has been removed.P.S
As it was the symbol of peace I wonder if they’ll put it back when it peace will be restored in the country.
If you ask this question from a person who grew up or lived some years here the most obvious answers would be “Aaaallaaa”, “Awesome”, “Cool town”.
Islamabad was the brain child of General Ayub Khan who wanted to shift the capital of Pakistan from Karachi to a strategically safer place. So the work was started in 1960’s (the foundation stone can be found at shakerparian). The city is par excellence when compared to any other city in the region.
For me growing up in Islamabad a.k.a Isloo was a privilege. Back then the city was less populated. Sectors G-11 and F-11 were not developed. The roads used to be empty and by maximum 2100hrs it was rare to find traffic on the roads. It used to be so quiet. No noise of the traffic. On Eid’s Isloo was almost deserted as most of the population used to travel to there ancestral homes. Thus Isloo got titled as “the city of living dead” by the Karachi walla’s and the Lahori’s.
Now I just laugh at the people who say that Isloo is a dead city. They are just misinformed and living in an illusion that they have created. I mean calling a city dead where a 7 star hotel is under construction is just so lame. That’s not all, it’s the city which is the hub of the political activities of the nation and still they call it dead. Amazing! I ask these people to please come and visit this place for a change and then make up there minds.
Islamabad as I recall it has always been like a dream place to live in. Sometimes I imagine as if it’s a place described in a romantic novel and we are just mere characters of that epic saga. the stunning margalla hills and the lovely Faisal mosque on one side, the mist that overtakes in winters, the sunsets in summers, the blooming flowers across the town in spring, ground covered by fallen leaves due to autumn and finally the thunderous rains in monsoon. Which place on earth will have weather like this?
To conclude the article a sad note, the dove monument at zero point which was the original monument of Islamabad has been removed due to the on going flyover construction over there has been removed.P.S
As it was the symbol of peace I wonder if they’ll put it back when it peace will be restored in the country.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Style Icon
Over the past few days there has been a great debate going on in my friends circle that who’s the biggest style icon in the history of this region. Most of the people just acted orthodox and ended up naming the film actors from the bollywood or some models. The justifications they gave were also not just lame but were very pathetic as well.
I still stick to my first choice and that is the founder of our nation Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah a.k.a Quaid-e-Azam.
He was known for his exquisite taste of branded Italian suits and leather shoes at the time when Mr. Gandhi used to roam around semi naked. His portraits at the national library are a showman of style. The tree piece suit, leather hat and shinny black leather shoes would even fit perfect in the modern age.
One of the most successful lawyers in the history of the Indian sub continent didn’t restrict his taste to just clothes. His mansion in Mumbai which was constructed under his watchful eye has been declared a national heritage by the Indian government and these days is valued at an estimated value on $300 million housed a wardrobe that would give a run for the money to the biggest designer stores of this era. A very close source once revealed that Mr. Jinnah had about 500 stitched suits in his wardrobe and approx 300 leather suits.
In his last days he developed a liking for sherwani and a cap which became so famous that people actually started to call it a Jinnah cap.
So here’s a person who was respected in whole of sub continent and was influencing the british and at the same was maintaining an exquisite sense of style.
For me Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah a.k.a Quaid-e-Azam is and will always remain the biggest style icon of Indian sub continent. No Khan or Bachan can come close to him when it comes to style.
I still stick to my first choice and that is the founder of our nation Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah a.k.a Quaid-e-Azam.
He was known for his exquisite taste of branded Italian suits and leather shoes at the time when Mr. Gandhi used to roam around semi naked. His portraits at the national library are a showman of style. The tree piece suit, leather hat and shinny black leather shoes would even fit perfect in the modern age.
One of the most successful lawyers in the history of the Indian sub continent didn’t restrict his taste to just clothes. His mansion in Mumbai which was constructed under his watchful eye has been declared a national heritage by the Indian government and these days is valued at an estimated value on $300 million housed a wardrobe that would give a run for the money to the biggest designer stores of this era. A very close source once revealed that Mr. Jinnah had about 500 stitched suits in his wardrobe and approx 300 leather suits.
In his last days he developed a liking for sherwani and a cap which became so famous that people actually started to call it a Jinnah cap.
So here’s a person who was respected in whole of sub continent and was influencing the british and at the same was maintaining an exquisite sense of style.
For me Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah a.k.a Quaid-e-Azam is and will always remain the biggest style icon of Indian sub continent. No Khan or Bachan can come close to him when it comes to style.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
when it comes to sex
If nations were to be tagged with mental disorders, Pakistan would be within a second, diagnosed as a “split personality” when it comes to sex.
Lurking in the shadows are things like hudood laws, gruesome honour killings of people (almost always women) who were “allegedly involved in illicit behaviours” and students threatening to expose other students for holding hands or being a little chummy. We constantly want to be the upholders of modesty and chastity.
On the flipside, Pakistan tops the charts as the country that searches for the word “sex” and is always somewhere in the top ten nations that enjoys watching porn. Our favourite’s jokes are about sex. Our modesty flies out of the window, while a thousand eyes stare at a female that walks on the road.
The obsession with sex maybe worldwide but here the thought of sex for most people (read men) in Pakistan triggers dogmatic feelings of control, disgust, evil and degradation. The truth is that sexuality is just the opposite.
P.S
The above piece was printed in TNS on 3rd January 2010.i thought of sharing it with u people
Lurking in the shadows are things like hudood laws, gruesome honour killings of people (almost always women) who were “allegedly involved in illicit behaviours” and students threatening to expose other students for holding hands or being a little chummy. We constantly want to be the upholders of modesty and chastity.
On the flipside, Pakistan tops the charts as the country that searches for the word “sex” and is always somewhere in the top ten nations that enjoys watching porn. Our favourite’s jokes are about sex. Our modesty flies out of the window, while a thousand eyes stare at a female that walks on the road.
The obsession with sex maybe worldwide but here the thought of sex for most people (read men) in Pakistan triggers dogmatic feelings of control, disgust, evil and degradation. The truth is that sexuality is just the opposite.
P.S
The above piece was printed in TNS on 3rd January 2010.i thought of sharing it with u people
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