Once again, the entire nation seems to have been hijacked by yet another twist in the political saga involving our very own Sheray Punjab against ‘Bushy’ Mush.

Doesn’t it all seem a bit too familiar - Mush decides to fly to China (presumably to catch up with his buddy from Texas)…Sharif kicks off impeachment proceedings…Mush then pulls a fast one and stays put in Pakistan. What can I say…the whole thing seems so 1999!

Sharif is probably still bitter about Mush spoiling his previous attempt at looting the nation to the core. He is keen to pick up where he left off (besides, the Park Lane/ Raiwind/ Model Town mansions probably needs some much needed attention by now).

Mush on the other hand just doesn’t seem to have the word ‘quit’ in his dictionary. What he really needs now is a good spanking (literally) from Kiyani with his gold plated baton and kicked out of
the presidency…In fact, from Islamabad back to Karachi DHA :)

Jokes aside, I feel sorry for our sonewhat confused President/General/ Dictator. I really believe that in his heart of hearts, he is probably the most sincerest serving leader. There is no denying the fact that his ego has now completely blinded him and he jas become an utter liability. However, Sharif, Zardari and others don’t hold even an aorta of respect in my eyes. In fact, these so called democratic leaders are products of vicious dictators…Zia (in the case of Sharif) and an out dated and
unjust Feudal system (in the case of Bhutto Zardari).

Fair enough, that Mush couldn’t fulfil his promise of fixing the nation. But he sure did try. Whereas, the others’ claim to fame is having a legacy of deceit, mass corruption and self progression (if
in any doubt, have a look at the mind boggling assets that Sharif, Zardari and co. have accumulated and the sad state of their very constituencies).

Let heavens be the judge of every man but personally I’d rather stick with a sincere ‘failed’ leader than a corrupt and bigoted ‘twice failed’ ones.

Hello Lahore! Let me commence with a note of appreciation for Hassan and Co. for welcoming me to the LMB team. It’s great to join the fold :)

Whilst I don’t live in Lahore per se, I do have a very strong bond with my birth place. Since leaving the great city over 8 years ago, I have made every effort to return and explore its past and present. Needless to say, my family and friends provide a constant urge (and reason) for me to return to Lahore. So for my first ever LMB post, I think its apt that I choose one of my overriding memories from my most recent visit in Dec/ Jan 2007-08. Here goes…

Having arrived days following the shocking assasination of Benazir Bhutto, I was struck by the low mood of the nation and indeed how it had negatively impacted the generally boisterous city of Lahore. The whole episode had somehow crept into the very conscience of the people and sucked out their usual optimism.

Having booked my tickets well in advance, I had been looking forward to my Pakistani adventure with ambitions to visit sights and sounds of inner Lahore and meet and greet the ‘real’ Lahoris who crossed my path…gawwalas, drivers, cooks, pan wallas, you name it. On the contrary, I found myself increasingly restricted by constant advice not to drive at night or visit public places. To top it off, the sense-defying ‘loadshedding’ crippled the city and most of my plans to be productive. It was funny how a few days of being in Lahore, my London pragmatism turned initially to frustration and later into helplessness.

Behind the glittery facade of glass offices and neon lights, there was an evident lack of the spirit of Lahore. It was as if the city had decided to disassociate itself from its inhabitants by falling into a deep slumber. Most of my ill-tempered thoughts were directed to the social and educational deprivation of the society. Having an upbringing in a household where a core focus was on high moral values and education, I was a bit disappointed that the so called educated in our society had done nothing but better themselves and line their own and friends pockets. All this at the cost of a crumbling nation whose financial and natural resources cannot sustain the rising needs of the burgeoning population. But some will argue this can be the case with most of the country so how does it relate to Lahore?

Well to answer that question, I think we need to search for the soul of Lahore. If we chart the course of the city and its majority Muslim population through history, it’s little more than a fraction of the centuries when the city stood as a melting pot of culture, religion, education and commerce. Ask any visitor to Lahore about their lasting memories of the city and chances are they would say it was its Mughal architecture, the Royal Gardens or the cross section of religious shrines. In all my life, no one has ever truly praised a post-1947 symbol. So I believe there is a message in all of this. We need to rekindle the soul of the city and transform it back to its rightful place: to be a seat of great learning, architecture, culture and religious and social tolerance. With the right focus, maybe us Lahoris can all act as a beacon of change for the rest of the country to follow.

Today’s blasts in Lahore are just the latest deadly attacks in Pakistan. At about 9.30am, the whole city was literally shaken by the sound of two explosions. They were so intense that people reported hearing them and feeling the windows shake as far as five kilometres away. At least 25 people are dead and another 150 or so have been injured.

Whether you blame it on the post-9/11 world, Pakistan’s internal political instability or its rulers’ decades-old policy of supporting the agenda of foreign powers at the expense of Pakistanis, things have gone from bad to worse over the past two years. The bombers have spread from tribal areas in the north-west and Baluchistan to target major cities, mainly in the form of suicide attacks on government and army targets.

One of the targets was the headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Temple Road, near major businesses and government offices. The first suicide bomber cleared the way for his associate by bringing the entrance gate down, while the second blew up his car inside the complex.

The second blast, unlike earlier incidents, happened in the upmarket residential area of Model Town, in front of the offices of an advertising agency. While the first attack could be attributed to the sensitive nature of the agency, the Model Town attack had no understandable motive - apart from the fact that it took place just round the corner from Bilawal House, home of the late ex-PM Benazir Bhutto and her party’s Lahore headquarters.

Lahore is Pakistan’s cultural capital, and during he bloody months of last year it remained largely peaceful compared to Karachi. But 2008 brought a deadly attack on city policemen guarding the Lahore High Court during a lawyers’ rally in January, followed by an attack on the prestigious Navy War College earlier this month.

Read more at The Guardian Blog

Did that ring any bells, huh? A wild guess? On well, March 8th is celebrated across the globe as an International Women’s day. Now the question arises why there was a need to mark a whole day to revise and educate others and women themselves of their rights. Well here are a few of ‘em. Now let us know a little about how it all started and all that jazz. This is where wikipedia doesn’t have a close rival (atleast in my oh-so-humble -opinion).

This year’s theme for the IWD is ‘Investing in Women and Girls’, as announced by the United Nations. The celebrations across the globe will focus on financing for gender equality, calling for a change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the history of their countries and communities. Keep reading >>>

Apart from other countries in the world, in Pakistan women’s day was celebrated with zeal.  Events were planned through out Pakistan, activists joined a conference on eliminating discrimination and violence against women, a rally and even a women’s rock-climbing competition. Last year’s competition resulted in a great success and is again expected to attract many people.

In Lahore IWD was celebrated in  full spirit by the civil society. Seminars were held, there were conferences, walks, candle light vigils and symposiums throughout the day to commemorate the struggle of women all across the globe. Read more >>>

The Pakistan Peoples Party Women Wing (PPPWW) Sindh has marked International Women’s Day, March 8, in honour of the late Benazir Bhutto, as the only female leader of a political party and the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world. It also said 2008 is “The Year of Benazir Bhutto”. Here’s more>>>

In most countries around the world women do not have proper rights in society. And here’s when Islam accepted and protected women’s rights, that they should not be treated as slaves or animals. Here is a brief visit to  Women’s Rights in Isalm >>>
In the end March 8th is the day to talk about women, their rights and their problems.

Time! Time is the second four-letter word which has the single-most influential and controlling factor in the world (No prizes for guessing the first one ;).It’s been more than week from now (eleven days to be precise) since the charismatic, much loved Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto passed away, yet her fans are still into so much grieving. She died on Dec. 27th, 2007 and the cause of her death is still a mystery.

In her honor, a silent gathering has been organized in the afternoon at Minar-e-Pakistan on Jan. 8, 2008 (tomorrow). The schedule for the gathering was announced at a prayer ceremony organized by the All Pakistan Minority Alliance (APMA) and the Campaign for Democracy and Rule of Law in Pakistan (CDRLP) at the Cathedral Church on Sunday. The ceremony was held to pay homage to Benazir for her struggle against dictatorship and for the revival of democracy in the country.

Read More…

Daughter of the first popularly elected Pakistani Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto;
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Again; a Bhutto;
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A Harvard and Oxford alumnus;
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The first Asian woman to become the President of the Oxford Union;
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A lady to lead a nation after her father’s execution;
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The first female head-of-state of an Islamic country;
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Also the youngest Prime Minister in the world at that time;
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Two stints at power as the elected Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
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Daughter of the East;
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Darling of the West;
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A Mohtarma; even to her opponents;
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A sister to witness very early deaths (assasinations) of her two brothers;
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A wife to a controversial husband;
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A mother to three;
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Our BB;
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Papa’s Pinky!
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She was……. Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007)
May her soul rest in peace

You would be remembered for so many feats of which the above-mentioned are just a pint…

My cities…..for the last three days, precisely, are being defined by deserted streets with governing silence filled of fear, death and destruction, what else???

Benazir has been killed, grave, I heard the news, something died right inside there (don’t they know how precious a life is????????), then I saw that on TV, I was about to leave for market when my cell got a burst of SMSs and then calls, ….stay home, don’t go out, its not safe out there. At the first place, it was not easy to absorb the shock and then these instructions, but more important was to ensure the safety of the loved ones who were outside home (with “a busy network”). The very moments, whole nation was mourning on the sad demise of Ms. Bhutto vehemently, I really did not feel the urge to have my dinner (reminded me of the earthquake days). Pain (is there any bigger word to express pain?), sadness, and a definitive sense of bereavement was everywhere. I saw it on the faces of anchor persons on TV, the leaders, and even nonpolitical persons… also inside my home.

But, what the heck?… why we had to feel so unsafe with the news that reaction to her brutal assassination has spread anarchy across the country (khatra hay, don’t go outside), I mean this was too much, destroying/burning government and private properties and vehicles???? FOR WHAT???? (even Edhi vans were burned down in Karachi). WHERE IS Peaceful Protest thingy??? ….(did you guys observed that most of the leading protesters were youngsters/teenagers breaking the cars??).

The second day, though Qari sahib made his way to our home to teach kids (unexpectedly, motorbikes were on the go), my brother was still in the factory area, he was forced by us to spend the night there. A few grocery stores were opened in the morning in Lahore, say three or four maybe. Petrol pumps did become active by evening, that you can see in the pictures, which was the biggest concern for people.

Anyhow, tomorrow is a working day (?)….. (lets see whats gonna happen) as everyone is hoping for a peaceful and calm situation in the whole country (we are losing billions on daily basis due to closed businesses), everyone is concerned and praying for the stabilization and that this chaos withers away ASAP. All I know is that I want my cities back, I want no one to be unsafe ….. I want peace for everyone, lets pray and hope for the best.
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Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Asif Ali Zardari in a press conference at Naudero, Sindh has announced that from now onwards Bilawal Zardari son of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zerdari, will be called “Bilawal Bhutto Zardari”.
He said that their Children have decided to add their mother’s family name to their names.
Asif Ali Zerdari, urged Nawaz Shrif not to boycott the elections 2008. They have nominated Ameen Fahim as their Prime Minister.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced to postpone the Jan. 8, 2008 National and Provincial assembly elections in view of the sensitive situation in the country after the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Apart from that another Provincial candidate Asfand yar Aameer Zaib, Walee-a-Sawat was killed in a bomb blast Friday. New date for the elections will be announced tomorrow after a meeting with government and security officials.

In some places, the commission said, the security situation was “not conducive” to holding the elections on Jan 8. “Election Commission offices in nine districts have been set on fire, leaving electoral rolls reduced to ashes.”

And Pakistan People Party has decided to participate in the Jan 8 elections, their candidates will participate in the upcoming elections, with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the Chairperson.

{L} Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto {C} Indra Gandhi {R} Benazir Bhutto

The three legendary prime ministers were once together.

This picture was taken during the Shimla Agreement in which the Bhutto family is sitting with Indra Gandhi.
The Picture was published in a local newspaper under the caption “Past Memory”

(Caption reads in English as)
Past Memory: Three Prime Ministers: To the right is the current Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto.Beside her the Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is sitting who was assassinated by her own Sikh guards. In the left corner the former Prime Minister, Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto, is sitting who was executed in 1979 on the orders of court. The pic has been taken during Shimla Agreement in 1973.