In case you are unaware, MetBlogs is being forced to shut at the end of this month. MetBlogs has been a miraculous journey which started with just two people which grew into a global community of free expression.

Can I ask all authors and readers to post “I WANT TO SAVE METBLOGS” across all their web channels i.e. MetBlogs home page, Facebook status, Twitter, MySpace and so on.

Thank you very much (in advance),
azface

At one level, I can appreciate millions in the country don’t have the skills to differentiate right from wrong as they have never really had any creative education and have only been fed lies from the system. But I do expect some more sense from the urban elite and tech savvy young minds who have the means to seek the knowledge to arrive at more balanced views on all issues concerning their country.

To take a medical analogy, one of the primary signs of a patient suffering from terminal mental illness is that they never admit that anything is wrong with them. This only prolongs the suffering. Much like this, I am seeing continued denial on our part to accept that Pakistan indeed has become a ‘migraine’ for the world and will either need to change itself or be changed forcibly by the world whether or not we like it.

Over the last months on this forum, I have witnessed endless debates between the so called Kaami camp and the rest. I think Kaami makes a whole lot of sense and is one of the few amongst us who accepts that we are a sick nation that needs a cure. We will not become apologists to the west if we accept today that yes most of the terrorist incidents around the world have a Pakistan connection as for years we sold our souls to the extremist Saudi, Iranian and American agencies.

Leaving aside the recent Mumbai attacks, most terrorist attacks against the west are committed by people with strong connections to Pakistan especially in my adopted country of United Kingdom. Now if the west were to adopt an equally rigid stance of ‘pound for pound’ then we would’ve been annhilated by now….think of all our big cities resembling the rubble that are Kabul, Herat, Baghdad, Basra etc. We will only invite their force by baring our chests and shouting war chants.

Whether it is the US, India or Israel, we have set our eyes on the wrong enemy. As endlessly claimed by Kaami, the enemy is within our borders. The enemy which continues to rob us of progress, equality, justice and above all, peace. Let’s vow to root out this terror from our streets by denouncing these extremists as non-muslims and non-Pakistani who have no place in our society unless they change. This includes sympathisers of the present Saudi and Iranian regimes that continue to pump billions of petro dollars to indoctrinate young Sunni and Shia youth in our country towards a future of hate and destruction.

Having experienced both Saudi and Iran, I have witnessed first hand the barbarity with which humanity is treated. And if that is the ideal we seek to follow, then sadly our descent into the abyss has only just begun.

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.

I am keen to learn from the readers how your lives have been affected by the current price hike. I can appreciate most of us are the fortunate ones who make up the middle and upper classes of society with less impact than the disadvantaged. However, I have a personal story which goes to show the current situation is felt across all spectrums of society…

We all know the wheat shortage crisis last winter. At its peak, I experienced first hand the difficulty with which my household cook had to procure a bag of atta. If I recall correctly, it took him best part of the day to scour the city and eventually got hold of a bag. The surprising aspect of it all was that this took place in the most up market neighbourhoods of the city and my family didn’t have any financial constraints. I just wonder how people with less influence and money must have coped during the time.

It would be great to hear your experiences of dealing with the rising prices and how you have dealt with it – For instance, reduced non-essential car travel; eating less meat; eating out less; stopped buying new gadgets/clothes etc.

It would be nice if everyone could share their thoughts as I strongly believe some of your solutions will spread best practice and help others in adopting them and saving some of their own money.

Thanks!

It doesn’t take much to conclude that the existing scenario is essentially due to some of the following factors (in no particular order):

1. Uncontrolled population explosion
2. Rising Middle Class with more energy needs
3. Unchanged power infrastructure
4. Inefficient management of power authorities
5. Lack of vision and investment by the Government

Add to the above a consistently unstable political framework and massive levels of illiteracy, any solution not only seems very daunting but downright impossible for the next few years. So what can be done to break this vicious (and self-sustaining) cycle. Considering the indispensability of energy to the future growth needs of the country, a clear vision and plan needs to be drawn up and an unwavering commitment by people and rulers to the process of rolling out the goods regardless of political affiliation.

Based on geological analysis, it is evident that the most pragmatic and sustainable solutions would involve adding multi giga-watt capacity through coal and hydropower based projects. According to research, Pakistan sits on top of the world’s 8th largest reserves of coal and is also home to one of the most extensive natural river systems. Despite the fact that there is widespread agreement on the basis of these two options, progress has been slow and even stalled due to lack of commitment at all levels of government. I would like to draw a distinction here between financial and political ability. It is fair to assume that if a nation wide motor-ways and a new port city (Gwadar) can be built, so too can more dams, power plants and coal exploration be funded by the same government.

Another less talked-about aspect of power generation is solar and wind energy. It is clear that the world’s appetite for non-renewable sources such as crude oil, coal and gas is set to diminish over the next 50 years as some of the world’s largest deposits show signs of depletion. At the same time, there is a shift towards renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and water with great advancements in the development and distribution of infrastructure. Pakistan could seize an opportunity in the current crisis by investing in solar and wind energy farms. With one of the most sunniest outlooks in the world, the plains of Punjab and Sindh could house industrial-scale solar farms or subsidise the technology for distribution at domestic level to help increase self-sufficiency. The coastal regions of Sindh and Baluchistan could be utilised for off-shore wind farms which would not only provide additional capacity but also result in thousands of jobs for locals across the coastal regions.

All the above options seem quite plausible in the case of Pakistan and given some political will, might even get to see the light of day. But what can we do to stop the crisis from further deterioration and provide some ways to survive this summer? The solution lies in a collective national effort.

It is clear that consumption habits of consumers across Pakistan are grossly inefficient. Leaving lights and home appliances on even when they are not being used is a common practice across our homes. Similarly, many businesses such as small retail outlets use excessive lighting. It is commonly observed that shops that could do with a few energy efficient lights to meet the desired level of luminance use as many as 15 to 20 tube lights. Not only does this increase power consumption, it also generates heat and creates a need to purchase even more power hungry cooling appliances such as ACs. The inefficient consumption trend simply runs across all domestic, industrial, trade and commercial sectors. It is crucial that there is an immediate collective national-level effort to stop this misuse of energy.

So what can be done to buck the current trend? With minimal effort, well over ten percent of the overall consumption can be saved by simply changing our attitudes. The people of Pakistan need to acknowledge that the country is faced with an acute energy crisis which requires a national-level effort to overcome it. Together we must draw a distinction between electrical necessities and luxuries. There is simply insufficient levels of energy to fuel both aspects.

There is real potential to avert a real disaster by simply promoting conservation and meet almost half of the energy deficit. To ensure success, public awareness is essential. With the help of effective electronic and print media campaigns the government can quickly educate the masses on the necessary steps.

Unfortunately, we will have to compromise on luxury in order to meet the necessities. Commercial establishments can substantially reduce their power consumption by changing their working hours. An early start and early end to maximise daylight ought to be adopted as opposed to afternoon until late at night hours. AC usage must be dropped to a minimum.

The AC has long been associated in Pakistan with higher social class and with a sign of a luxurious lifestyle. It is probably a fact that rising middle class’s demand for ACS finally broke the proverbial camel’s back. At the current AC consumption trends, we will probably have to stare at the silent ACs with no power as there will be no electricity left for anyone to run them. So let’s stop the use of ACs and grab the good old fan and mosquito net and take in the pleasure of sleeping on the roof. Oh and the beauty of the celestial setting will truly take away any worries of heat. On a personal note, some of my most memorable nights in Lahore have been under the sky during cloudless summer nights.

To conclude, there is no denying the fact that probably the whole world is faced with a form of energy crisis. Energy is scarce and is becoming increasingly dear. The power to harness and conserve energy is in the hands of the people of each nation – In our case, all Pakistanis.

I call on the educated and ruling elite to lead by example and convince the poor and common man that charity indeed starts at home. The masses will take on the idea when they see that the rulers practice what they preach and will play an equal role in changing the status quo.

Hopefully projects such as Dams, Wind, Nuclear and Solar farms will eventually see the light of day. But until then, it is the simple solutions that could potentially save us from a slow and painful process of suffering.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/426532140_6d3ff2049d.jpg?v=0&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/asadahmad/426532140/in/set-72157594540599510/&h=356&w=500&sz=106&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=Llzu8fP4Jx4VWM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=130&prev=/images?q=lahore+lights&um=1&hl=en&sa=G

On a side note, I have heard it is sizzling in the city and my sympathies go out to all the people who have to bear the intense heat alongside constant power cuts. I must admit I have been meaning to post my thoughts on the Pakistan Energy crisis so stay tuned to hear my views on that.

To be honest, I gave up hope long ago when I initially attempted to look up Lahore on youtube during my initial enthusiasm for the video sharing site. Little did I know that it would bring up an array of bizarre clips of school girls in a street fight; tacky sing along versions of Lahore Lahore aye; and a somewhat fazed swede-Pakistani girl videoblogging about her recent visit to the city. And not to mention a string of so called lewd dances featured in Lahore Defence Party videos … dare I say it is pure class A trash.

Anyway, the point being that our beloved city is no where portrayed on the internet in a positive and candid light. On my last visit to Lahore, I was set to create a series of video blogs where my aim was to visit old and new Lahore and post/share my creations with friends and family in London. Unfortunately, the events of Dec. 2007 simply ruined all my plans of walking freely around the city. Anyway, I am sure someone will take it up as a task to perhaps create a regular weekly/monthly video link on LMB with tours of old and new Lahore. For instance, we could have a tour of Wazir Khan Mosque one week and a videoblog focussed on a walk through the bustling Liberty Market. For people who don’t exactly possess a Sean Connery voice, then I suggest adding text via subtitles along the video. I am sure there is clever video editing software out there to achieve the desired effect.

Hope this has inspired a few people to put on their creative hats and go and direct/act in a video about Lahore. I enourage you to do so, so that overseas Lahoris like myself don’t have to go through the agony of watching the dancing girls of Defence and that annoying Swede-Paki.

G’luck!

The interesting fact is that the subject of my weight-lessness has now become the norm. Apparently, the claim is that I keep on losing weight on each successive trip. Well surely this can’t be true…because if it were, then I wouldn’t be alive writing about all of this. This prompted me to really ponder over the whole weight issue in context of Lahore and it led to some interesting learning.

I am sure you’ll agree that appearance is generally in the eye of the beholder. So while I may be perfectly fit and strong for one person, I might be extremely thin and weak for another. The reality in Lahore tends to be the latter. In my view, this is down to the fact that Lahoris have become so used to seeing bulging waist lines that anyone with non-portruding gut is regarded either ill or abnormal.

On closer analysis, I did notice an abundance of people in the city with high weight levels with respect to their heights. Whilst I didn’t weight all of them (would have made for an interesting conversation though), my naked eye could judge the fact they were well beyond the normal threshold. Some could argue that I am on a fat-bashing campaign here but I am not. I am simply fearing for these people as their weight due mostly due to an over-indulgent lifestyle will lead to serious long term diseases like heart attacks, diabetes and high blood pressure.

So what needs to be done?

For one, we really need to educate people that over eating is unhealthy. Did you know there is scientific evidence to prove that the South Asian population of India and Pakistan are more susceptible to pulmonary diseases than other races. So we should all try to avoid fatty foods and make an effort to include boiled vegetables and fresh fruits in our diets. No health regime is complete without physical exercise. Set a target to walk, jog or if you’re lucky to have access to a sports centre, join a sports team. You will find yourself feeling more energetic at work and less stressed in general.

On a personal note, I have recently taken up cycling after a 15 year gap. Now that I am back on the rode, I can’t imagine why I hadn’t taken up cycling before. Not only am I saving up on petrol but I am also getting fitter with more stamina. Cycling in our part of the world is treated as the domain of either children or servants. It needn’t be…go and change this view.

Regardless of the bullet-pointed benefits of the scheme which we have become accustomed to, the outcome of the protracted construction phase has resulted in Lahore being engulfed in an ever-present dusty atmosphere. Any visitors’ appreciation of the gleaming International Airport is wiped out as soon as one leaves the airport perimeter as clouds of dust from the piles of dug up earth blanket the traffic.

The mind also boggles as to why there has been so little work over the last decade or so the project has been in progress. Just to put things into perspective, a city like London which has an existing infrastructure dating back to Roman times has outlined a complete overhaul and redevelopment of the East end to build a whole 2012 Olympic Village and transport network to support it. I can appreciate that things take a little more time in our part of the world but taking 10 years to complete merely 15km of the originally proposed 75km is just plain unacceptable.

I call on the Project Team, Lahore Municipality and Civic agencies to either roll up their sleeves and work their socks off to complete the project by mid 2009 (still delayed by years) or face public name and shame campaign (not to mention legal accountability) for all persons involved in the city’s biggest sham project to date.

In my view, the whole project ought to be scrapped for a much more extensive and eco-friendly mono-rail service. Yes, I mean the Lahore Rapid Transit System which should be extended to the route of the poorly-managed LRR. This form of public transport will not only help reduce vehicle congestion along all routes but it will also reduce the pollution levels which are threatening people’s health.

As always, your view are always welcome.