Saturday, March 26, 2011

Malbari Hotel- An Old Man's Day Dreams.... Sad yet True!!!

  We all four old friends were sitting at the malbari hotel talking meaninglessly and passing the time aimlessly.It was a very gloomy evening because at least 20 people had died in what the media people call  "Target killing".Kharadar where our malbari hotel gets shut down every second day.
Suddenly Yaqoob Kiria asked "Brothers!who are these people died in target killing.Are they members of particular sect,group or a political party? "I replied " They have nothing to do with any sect or politics.Our police and other law enforcing agencies are just about useless.They have not been able to catch one murderer out of hundreds of people killed in recent weeks.
        Do you see our streets are deserted after the sunset like curfew was imposed on our streets.Master Siddiq said that we must discuss who is killed not who killed him.To catch the killers is the job of our law enforcing agencies,but about half of those killed are never identified.There is a law of post martum and identification procedures.But mostly the dead bodies are handed over to social workers like Abdul Sattar Edhi for burial.These bodies are burried in nameless graves without any name or number.only prominent social workers like Abdul Sattar Edhi keep records by alloting a number to each dead body.
        Isn't it tragic,a person gets out to buy bread or vegetables but he never returns.A laborer spending his nights on foot paths is dead by a bullet coming from no where and sleeps permanently on that spot.The blame game is on and everybody blames to the other groups for this killing.No one thinks about the laborer who died has come from his village thousands of kilometers away from Karachi to earn his bread.
        Ghaffar Kapadia said that this is true,the persons so mercilessly killed by those hidden killers are footpath dwellers or persons sitting like us at some small hotels.Only Allah is protecting us.I say " should we change our meeting place to somewhere else? "
         Master Siddiq said we get to our homes before the night is set we are safe InshAllah.Once we sit at night at this place or any other place a bullet may come for any of us.That is for sure.Government announces awards for the dead men's relatives (if any) but it is never paid.These announcements are to get clapping of the people present where the announcement is made.
        I have visited Edhi foundation's graveyard at Maach Goth and have personally seen grave markings with identification numbers only.Edhi foundation maintains a register of information about these bodies with photographs for any body wishing to see them.Thus if any claimant comes he show  the photograph of the dead body and identification marks found on the body to the claimant.But this happens with very small percentage of unidentified bodies buried by Edhi foundation.
      We can not imagine when a person dies so suddenly, what happens to surviving relatives.Besides a widow,there are usually 3 or 4 small children who are left without anything to eat or to pay school fees.Any of 1001 things left unattended.Why don't our philanthropist establish a trust or foundation to help such surviving families of persons suddenly killed by the bullet,so that they can adjust to their lives again.But unfortunately,most of our wealthy men are interested in clapping and photographs,not in actual welfare work.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sohni Dharti-Karachi- Images taken Historic Karachi.com






Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 7C)

Sea View Karachi


























Photograph by Arsalan Hanif  Karachi
Category: Landscape  Picture # 7c

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 5C)

Hale ji lake



























Photograph by Saad Rafiq  Karachi
Category: Landscape  Picture # 5c

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Dadi maa Chuni wi ..by Jameela(Writing Competition)

bachpan ji ghal aaye jadi asan her jume jo dadi gahr weian waye tade jume jo chuti ouni wi,dadi maa je ghare asaan k bouj maja achni wi,ou asaan k kahanion sunraini wi,juna qisa sunraini wi,sanjhi me bo bo rupiya deni wi ne foi maan k chui chui ne asaan je le mithaan(mithai)banaraini wi.
mike dadi maa ji ghalion bou pasand wion.unje wate bo ghaaj wa buj pyara akhro halke gulabi rang jo ne akro pista colour jo.boun je mathe jeegh ji bharat thiel wi,Dadi ma chuni wi k ee soun ji bharat aye ne unje maa ee pote kaarhi wi.jade asaan bade bachion bai bhenra ramnaye wa ne gudien ji shadi karna waye tu bouj aaram se poteji patrey ji paiti me se boun ghaaj nikari ne gude ji ne guddi je maa k deini wi.Wianhro hera Ghaaj udhan ou chuni wi.asaan ghanri badi bachion waye mijhe nandhi bhenr ji mijhi foi ji chokri se akhro di larai thi wi boun k ou ghaaj khapno wo.asaan wadi bachion un di dadi k chuaye k ko aayein je wate boj ghaaj ayein marho wadhere ghaaj sanbhari ne rakhe na,tade dadi ma mijhe nandhi bhenr k poteji goud me gini ne chui hal aoun toke akhri kahani sunraya.
 Asaan badi bachio bhi dadi maa je jhole wate wai wiye k halo aj pacho dadi maa koi pariyein ji kahani sunraini.lekin ouu taa koi alag aj kahani wi.
dadi maa kahani shru kari,akre dafa ji ghaal aaye bo bhenron wion,aapas me bouj pyaar ho,akhre be je wina koi kam me ine k halnoj na wo.boyein bhenron aayein bachien wanre ramat bi karnion wion.ineje wate bi ghanraj ramokra wa,gudion wion jade ou wadion thion taan ineja maa pay ineje wihan te ineke ghanraj lugra diniya,sonje satoun dinya.ne Ghaaj taan hera k jo bhi kaam wo bade sone ne chandi je dorein se jo sitara wa bade son ne chandi ja.Shadion pehla aaj jehri na ouni wion seedhi saadi shadion ouni wion dhi k maan pe jo deniya deniya baqi bade bhega thia dulhe dulhan k heri cheej dinya jo ineke kam ache,akni jardo bano wo shadien me ya ahrij akhri aadhi cheej seedha sadha sa log ouna wa banawat taa koi me na ouni wi.boun bhenro wiahen je baad bhi roj milniyo wion akhre be je wina one k halnoij kida wo.Boyein ji saara khilna wa k hanre taan wadi thi wi yu poteje ghar ji yu per une boun ji taa muhabat heri  wi k na pocho.
yeh 1947 je wate wate ji ghaal ouni haalaat sara na wa.Wadi bhenr ja saara Pakistan winan jo faislo kari giniya ne nandhi bhenr je gharwara Dhoraji chadal le raji na waa.Bade ghar baar ote wo,Karobaar ote wo.
Boun bhenre jo taa jo haal wo.kuro karan kuro na karan.
Achanak akhre di wadi bhenr ja suro ne awa ne chuwa kaal paan k nikarnoye.koi k khaas bataran ji jarorrat ne k paan kein ne kade winaye.wadi bhenr k taan jein sap aj kapi wio.potejo ghar wo itre pyar se banelo,akhri akhri jaga shoq ne pyar se sajaili wi.ne chadno wo,aghiya kida rehno aaye klein khabar na wi,pehle taa on jo dhian ghar te wo,pache sochan mandi k Pakistan wini ne khabar ne kam kuro karnaye ite taan karobar wathelo wo,rone rone cheejon rakhan mandi..Per bade se wadhi jin ghaal te rouni wi oo taa nandhi bhenr k chadi ne wino wo.sawar sawar jade ae log nikarna wa on ji nandhi bhenr aawi ne akhri nandhi si gulaabi gathri me kein deini,jaldi jaldi me wadi bhenr ou jo thoro saman khanri wi un me wiji dini ne boun gale mile nili ne ron mandio.kein khabar na wi aghiya kuro thino pacho kade akhre be k narnion.
Pakistan pojhi ne ghanri di baad wadi bhenr ou gathri kholi gulabi gathri je ander akhri bii gathri wi leele rang ji ne oun me inji bhenr potejo soun bandhi ne deini wi.ne akhro kagar wo.jin te likhal wo k nawo ghaam nawi duniya toke jaroor poni.jade milnaye taan in se widho gini ginis to wiadhi na karij.wadi bhenr boyein  ghaaj k naari gulaabi ne leelo ee ou ghaaj wa jo unji maan wadi bhenr je nikaah je time banai wi ne nandhi bhenr k itra ghamia wa k ou poteja boun ghaaj nandhi bhenr k di deni wi.
Dadi maa je hath me oh  bounj ghaaj wa ne akhien me paanri wo.hanre asaan k khabr pi k ou ee boyein ghaaj k kule hein sanbhanri sanbhari ne rakhni wi.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Dadi maa Chuni wi ..Granny Used to tell by Safia abdul Karim(Writing Competition)

It was about a decade back,that was a very very hot summer day and there was no electricity.Irritated I said,"It would have been better if Quaid e Azam had not struggled to make Pakistan,no electricity no water nothing,what is the use of such a country,what benefit does it give us." My Grandma was sitting calmly in this heat waving her fan as if it is as cooling as an air conditioner."Pakistan" she said and paused a while ,"beta do you know what that means? " Dadi I know Pakistan ka matlab kia La Illaha ilalAllah.She smiled and said "what does that mean?"

I was speech less for a moment I had never thought what actually is meant by that.I looked at her with a I do not know look.She took a dip breath and told me to give her the paandaan from the shelf.making her paan daan she exclaimed this is teh problem with people of your age. You get irriatated and loose the direction.If Quaid e Azam had known that youth of Pakistan will be that frustrated and disappointed he might not have struggled.He considered youth The future of Pakistan.Dadi were you not ever frustrated when you were of my age?I asked her.She smiled not as often as you atleast.

She once again asked have you ever thought what is meant by Pakistan?.No it is not just a country beta,It is an Ideology.An Ideology that moved millions of people.Hundreds of thousands of people had not left all that they had just for a piece of land.Pakistan is not just a piece of Land.

She seemed lost somewhere.Dadi what are you thinking.Oh those old Days.I was in Bombay in 1940 and how I wished to attend the annual meeting of Muslim league.My dadi was one of the most fortunate ladies of her time that had managed to study upto college.I remember how the newspaper were filled with details of the huge gathering at Minto Park Lahore.We all had just one dream,Muslim independent and sovereign state and 7 years only seven years it took to change everything.Once you have the direction nothing stops you,nothing hinders you.You complain about what this country has not given you,have you ever thought what it has given you? Rather what you have given it.No Electricity,no water,this that why do not you and people of your age overcome that.you can find new ways to generate electricity,to purify water..nothing ever was impossible nothing ever is.Just the will my dear just the will.she has finished her paan and leaned back and closed her eyes which meant she wanted to rest.So I got up from there and went to the balcony.Away I saw a young child trying to ride a bicycle and falling and I knew he would ride it perfectly soon.Because he was not giving up..Dadi was right why we are giving up why cant we try and paddle a little bit harder ????

Yeh Mera Pakistan hai-Ghar Galian aur Raste...Photography Competition(pic 5a)
























Photograph by Usman Shekhani Karachi
Category A(ghar galian aur raste) Picture # 5

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh Mera Pakistan hai-Ghar Galian aur Raste...Photography Competition(pic 4a)

National highway near Gharo

Photograph by M  Junaid Hyderabad
Category: Ghar Galian aur Raste  Picture # 4A

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh Mera Pakistan hai-Ghar Galian aur Raste...Photography Competition(pic 3a)

Photograph by Sara Zafar Karachi
Category: Ghar Galian aur Raste  Picture # 3A

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 2C)


Photograph by Sara ZafarKarachi
Category: Land Scapes of Pakistan  Picture # 2C

FIRST INNING -QUARTER FINAL,Hopes and Memories

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Historical Places of Pakistan(Pic 2B)

Wagha Border



























Photograph by Sara Zafar Karachi
Category: Historical places of Pakistan   Picture # 2b

QUARTER FINALS...Pak into Ground

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 4C)

On the way to Ayubia


























Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 4C)
Photograph by Rizwan age 26 Karachi
(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh Mera Pakistan hai-Ghar Galian aur Raste(pic 2A)...Photography Competition

Sindh Pakistan



Photograph by Farrukh Abdul Ghaffar  Canada
Category: Ghar Galian aur Raste  Picture # 2A

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Historical Places of Pakistan(Pic 3B)

Garden Karachi

 Photograph by Hammad  Karachi
Category b(Historical Places) Picture # 3b

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

 

 

Tarana e Milli by Muhammad Iqbal Ahmed Khanani

Pakistani boys-Hafiz Usman and Syed Imran Ali -The Instant Virus Killers

All of us,who use computers and work online are familiar with scuh names as Eset, Symantec,Avast and McAfee.Many a times inserting an anti virus software in teh CD-Rom I ve Thought what if someone could develop it in Pakistan.And guess what one day surfing the news channel i cam e across these two boys.Hafiz Usman and Syed Imaran Ali.These two young boys have developed pakistan first anti virus-The Instant Virus Killer or the IVK.
Here are highlights of their work from print and electronic media.

"We have a little more than a 100 registered users at present and we’ve had very good feedback from them. We’re still pushing to make our software free in Pakistan. In this regard, we’re looking for government or private sector support, e.g. if the government purchases our antivirus software for the public sector, we can easily use those funds to make the solution free for the rest of the Pakistani users. "-from  an interview to Daily Dawn






FROM A MORNING WITH FARAH




Pakistan Has got talent,the need is that we find them and help them grow.

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 6C)




























Photograph by Khadija Karachi
Category: Landscape  Picture # 1c

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Yeh MeraPakistan hai-Landscapes of Pakistan(Pic 3C)


























Photograph by Fayaaz Karachi
Category A(Landscape of pakistan) Picture # 3

(Any photograph that is reported copied would be taken off from the competition right away)

Role of Memons in Pakistan Movement by Abdur RazzaqThaplawala

When Pakistan movement was started, the Memons generously contributed to the Funds of All India Muslim League and Muslim Press Fund established by Quaid-e-Azam who knew the patriotism of Memons and therefore visited every nook and corner of Kathiawar including Rajkot, Gondal, Dhoraji, Mangrol, Bantva, Manavadar, Kutiyana, Ranawav, Porbandar, Jetpur and Wanthli in January, 1940. During these visits large processions were taken out which culminated in meetings which were addressed by Quaid-e-Azam, Mr. I.I. Chundrigar and prominent Memons personalities. At every such function Quaid-e-Azam was presented with bag full of donations. The visit of Quaid-e-Azam to such large number of towns and addressing gatherings at such relatively small places shows what importance Quaid-e-Azam gave to the Memon community as early as in 1940. Among the freedom fighters who were jailed by the British Government during Pakistan Movement, you can find the names of Mr. Usman Kasam Mitha (Father of General Abubakar Mitha of Pakistan Army) Mr. Ahmed Noor Mohammad and Mr. A. Sattar Parekh.
The Memon community was in for-front in helping the humanity irrespective of their cast or creed whenever national calamites affected India & Pakistan. This included massive earth quack in Bihar and Quetta in 30s and floods in East Pakistan. For the work for the welfare of victims of Earthquake Mr. Abdul Sattar Haji Suleman Naviwala was awarded the medal of Qaiser-Hind by ViceRoy. The Pakistan Government awarded Sitara-e-Khidmat to Mr. Usman Suleman for flood relief activities in East Pakistan.
ROLE OF COMMUNITY IN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
But it was not only trade and business in which the members of community participated. They look equal interest in independence movement. I will only touch this subject briefly by mentioning the names of the members of community who participated or contributed to independence movement even before the movement of Pakistan was started.

During Khilafat Movement many notable Memons contributed huge amounts of donations. The names of Mr. Omer Subani and Ahmed son of Janmohammad Chotani were prominent among these donors. When Subash Chandra Bose announced. The formation of Azad Hind Fauj in 1944, Mr. A. Habib Haji Yusuf Marfani huge contributions for the cause. He was appointed Chairman of supply Board of the Council of Indian Liberation Army. Mr. A. Sattar Palwala and Mr. A. Latif Admani were other prominent members of the community who actively participated in the movement. Mr. Admani was later arrested  by British Government and sent to jail. Many Memons also actively contributed & participated in Reshmi Roomal movement.