Can it be called Catch 22?

This question too has been raised in Sarfaraz Shah’s case & the answer is of course no but some people will persist that it’s Catch 22. Whatever the rangers did, it was deliberate & they cannot be called victims. That 25 year old man was not a threat of any kind. He was unarmed. It seems as if the rangers didn’t think twice before killing; it’s just that this time their high-handedness has been captured on a video clip. A high level inquiry has been initiated. Although the footage is there but we still need some more evidence. We need one inquiry after another, but we never see any result whatsoever.

What I find laughable is that the PM has warned the National Assembly not to use abusive language against any institution of the country. Fine. Under article 63 of the constitution, abusive language could not be used against superior judiciary & armed forces. But what about the right of common man in the constitution? Do they have any right at all? We know it damn well that there is no human right norm in this country.

Moreover, cameraman Abdul Salam Soomro is the person who filmed this deadly incident & he has been receiving threats ever since. I don’t think you could question the authenticity of the footage. I even said this in the case of Muneeb & Mugheez that the video had been the biggest evidence, but it seems no one who could make a difference wants to acknowledge its very existence. They are more interested in investigations & inquires that bear no fruit.

Now coming to the various stories I have heard & read about Sarfaraz Shah – it has been said that he tried to rob a policeman’s family. Some are saying that he misbehaved with ladies & they also found a toy gun in his possession. It has also been reported that he held a family hostage right at Benazir Park in Clifton.

In the video clip, it’s evident he is begging for mercy. He didn’t even use foul language when they shot him. Does a professional criminal behave in this way? Even ordinary people start abusing but Sarfaraz was really scared. They were beating him for no reason & then they were so pissed off that they fired at him. Maybe they are so used to killing people that they don’t think at all while shooting at someone helpless & unarmed. Many a times, people die in police custody & no action is ever taken. Life is indeed very cheap in Pakistan. However, 2 rangers have been booked & let’s see what happens. There is again a bit of noise.

Since we share our links on various websites, we often get weird messages. This particular person watched the clip & he couldn’t understand the language but he never bothered to read any post on it. He presumed Sarfaraz could have been a rapist & pretty much guilty, which is why the rangers shot him. This person also believed there is just one solution to this kind of problem – Islam ought to be destroyed. What happened has nothing to do with any religion & I really can’t understand why do people presume so much. They want to stay in some myth, they are most welcome. Crime is not a thing that only happens in Pakistan. It happens everywhere. Just because we are Muslims, so everyone thinks he has a right to be judgmental. Seriously I wonder if we could ever have a decent image of Pakistan.

Video Of The Young Boy Killed By Rangers

Nadira just shared a report on how our shitty rangers shot an unarmed boy in Karachi at Benazir Park.

I know everybody cannot stomach this video but it is available on youtube widely. It clearly shows there was no reason to shoot him. The boy was not really a threat to the rangers in anyway. They have nothing better to do but to claim that he too was a dangerous dacoit.

I am wondering who made this video? A common person present there at the park or some journalist. I have not seen coverage of this incident on TV. My heart has become weak.

We have not forgotten Munib and Mughees who were not given justice for their torturous murder. To date, people are trying to show they were dacoits and that their lynching was justified. I don't expect much from this case either. Very soon people and the media will forget what happened to this boy as well.

This is a sickening situation. Pakistan is infested with a strange kind of madness. This nation does not know how to respect freedom. Pakistanis love to talk about Islam all the time but value of life is nothing. And nothing will change here.

More details on this story: Youth shot dead by rangers in Karachi

Youth shot dead by rangers in Karachi

Again a young man has been killed by rangers in Karachi. Sarfaraz Shah was quite young & they are painting him as a professional criminal.Almost a year ago Muneeb & Mugheez were brutally murdered by monsters & justice has not been delivered so far & here we have another case in which this boy is killed by rangers. You could see video footage of this murder as well.

The boy was arrested in Benazir Bhutto Park. According to the rangers, he was involved in dacoity. However, his family is saying that he went to the park for outing. Whatever the reason is, the rangers have no right to killed someone just like that. His brother Salik Shah is a reporter & the journalists held a protest at the chief minister’s house. Moreover, I just don’t buy this shitty story. They are saying that a family had been held hostage by some dacoit in the park. When the rangers asked him to surrender, he refused point blank & they just shot him. It is also reported that he even grabbed the weapons of the security forces. It doesn’t seem so from the video that this young man was such a big threat or he was even involved in robbing. Plus, he was begging for his life.

Naturally we can’t expect much when security forces instead of protecting people go around killing innocent folks. Sarfaraz just like Muneeb & Mugheez seemed innocent but we will have zillions of stories questioning his innocence as well.

I’m not surprised cause I’m from a country where such things happen every now & then. Some pull the trigger & kill you. Some make sure you kill yourself. Life happens to be really cheap & we have no clue as to what is justice. Might is right & life is cheap. Although various political parties have condemned this incident but so what? This thing will happen again. There is no compassion whatsoever. Even ordinary people never think twice before hurting anyone with their words & deeds, & I have written this particular thing a zillion times. They may not kill you but they wouldn’t mind if you commit suicide either; then they will have more fun judging you.

Even though video of this murder is available online but do not expect much. Justice is not for the common man. And it’s also amazing that someone or the other is always making video. A day will come when we will feel nothing after watching such videos. As it is we are already dead.

Kolachi - Pakistan's 1st Science Fiction Movie

Kolachi is another interesting addition to our local cinema. It is Pakistan's first science fiction movie. The trailer has been released virally and has created quite a positive stir amongst Pakistanis and movie lovers. The film will go into production in April 2011 and will be released in 2012.

Kolachi's story is written by Summer Nicks - a Pakistan based Australian filmmaker.  The director of the movie is Mansoor Mujahid. The star cast includes Meher Jaafri, Summer Nicks, Hisham Aziz, Moiz Badshah, Akbar Islam, Saqib Khan, Fawad Khan and Shahroz Subzwari.

Kolachi is about Karachi that can exist five minutes from now or five years from now.

This is what the director said about Kolachi:

“The Karachi we are aiming at is a cross between New York and Iraq. If we look at what has happened in the city in the past few years, we find that a lot of foreign investment is coming but our basic ethnic and sociopolitical issues have not been resolved as yet”.

“The film is about how all the issues from target killings to bomb blasts will eventually erupt into a bigger issue that Karachi will have to face. So, largely it is about concerns that will eventually lead the character of this city to apocalypse,” .

Here check out its  teaser trailer. You won't be disappointed!

Bapu Ji Hai Naa

My not so sweet sister has accused me that this is hardly my blog since I write nothing here. Not that I don't read every word that is scribbled here but yes I have to admit I have not given time to write anything myself.

Honestly speaking, I did have a few things to put down but never really got the time.

Well, so without wasting any more time. My story begins from the time that I got the boarding pass for my flight to Karachi from Bangkok. I had time so I just walked and checked stuff, bought chocolates for EM and Nadzy and ate Burger King.

Everything went fine except that where ever I saw people from my own land, they are just so weirdly weird. I don't know if you got to feel embarrassed or you are in awe that why, oh yes good lord what the hell is wrong with them...why can't they be normal?

Having said that, as I walked I could hear women and men from some family talk so loudly from some distance. And there was this naughty kid Ibrahim. I didn't know who he was but I really felt like kicking his butt. He seemed really spoilt. And then when I sat at Burger King and enjoyed my fries the little brat and the bigger loud native land people made their entry shouting shouting shouting. Actually, they were just talking but they gained a lot of attention.

So this was basically 2 brothers with their very loud healthy wives and some of their kids...one of them being Ibrahim the brat. Having a headache was inevitable as they sat and talked in the surroundings.

Then some other native land couple came ...they seemed to be on their honeymoon. They were fine but were walking with bare feet...as if it was some holy land. Probably their legs did hurt.

Anyway, thank god most of the flight was peaceful. No crying babies or khepias around. I listened to the songs....saw a bit of Terminator's recent part with Christian Bale.

But then, just as I landed I saw this tall guy with colored eyes staring starting staring. And then I remembered he was the tall guy who worked at Forum. I had nothing to do with him...he used to notice this other girl I knew. For a year he did that and then I discovered he was married. So, that was it. And so he kept on staring I don't know why as if he really was missing me in the Forum building. As if ants are missing from Forum ever since I left and these married men missed looking at small unnoticeable babies.

So, when he saw me again I acknowledged and waved respecting the 2.5 years of looking and not talking relationship. And so that helped. We were cool then.

And now I highlight the most important coincidence. It so happens that there were a few people we discovered who were quite unpleasant and unimpressive but I do believe they are considered gods in their circle for various reasons - mostly power, position and money related reasonings.

Thus, I encountered this man I once noticed on orkut. He is the son of a bureaucrat. Not that young himself. A barrister married with a white cow looking wife filled with pride. And so as they landed in their pyjamas or so it seemed...they were given the VIP treatment at the Karachi airport. With one government official running after them like a pig...come come sir jee. And they didn't stand in any line which took hardly a minute to get the passport stamped. The pig did that for them. Then, they were followed by two more pigs who stood by them and ran here and there to collect their zillion heavy bags, boxes, cutlery, paintings. I guess they got everything they saw :P

But bapu ji hai naa tou masla kia hai. Sab chalta hai.

Though, I saw the bureaucratic shit when I was a kid. I have never liked this vip treatment and culture. You are a common citizen you get things done like any other person. But the differences are obvious. The barrister I know for a fact writes about changing the country, the better of the system but I wonder what the frigging difference does he offer when he himself is a major part of the discrimination. But...like I said...Bapu Ji Hai Na!

Diryam Gaz Day Totally (Zai-Nad Diaries)

I so had the urge to go shopping today. There was no thinking twice. It had to be a shopping day. I was so excited I even woke up early. And I told Nadzy to get her ass up too at the earliest so that all the work at home (the cleaning work she does daily of her 3000 cats) is done at the right time and we go out shopping before Brother Gilbert comes back home.

Brother Gilbert is a strange creature. Everytime Nadzy and I leave the house he has to tell us “Bhai halaat bohat kharab hain.” Ab halaat agar kharab hain tou insaan jeena tou nahi chor sakta. But Gilbert doesn’t understand this philosophy. So, we just do our thing. I mean we are quite OLD now. So what if we look like two retards.

Anyway, so we got ready to get the hell out in the irritatingly hot sunny day without any transport as usual but we are pretty ok to travel in the rickshaw, which are very easily available near our place. Actually, I have always enjoyed traveling in rickshaws since I was a kid. It’s a fun ride. Some of the bestest travel moments I have were on a rickshaw ride.

There was this particular moment which I never forget when I was in Lyceum – the craziest times and when I was a wild cat truly (and not many are aware of that phase of mine.) The only time of my life when I didn’t study at all and had absolute fun. So our crazy gang of Rabiah, Faraz, Hina, Sana, myself and may be some one else too we took a rickshaw drive to Park Towers. The rickshaw was hardly moving ahead. And we all looked and acted so crazy but all was so good.

So coming back to what happened. Nadzy and Z went out and as usual people gave us the look that we are Christians. I don’t know why everybody thinks we are Christians. So we found our ride and hit it off to our destination. Now, visiting my home Forum is a must – I mean I have kind of become addicted to that place because whenever I got really sick of stuff at work I used to get out of the office and went down for some shopping :) or get some Red Bull or Pringles and Lays.

Today, was a good economical shopping day. Firstly, we bought nothing that was not worth buying. I don’t regret buying anything and as per my goal I saved some buck too. The best part was Nadzy too was so in control of herself :P She is always the more difficult one to handle while shopping. She just falls for the silliest of stuff at times. But mostly she does end up getting what she wants … she has her ways of getting things done.

I was actually so dehydrated I had to have some drink. And Nadzy was dying of hunger. So I offered her to sit at Espresso but she refused because she suddenly had this urge to have Hot&Spicy’s garlic mayo roll and spicy fries. Nadzy never does that normally. Anyway, so we had to go down in the scorching heat. And madam Nadzy ordered and we sat behind the pillar trying to hide ourselves from the sun.

But we do know clearly we are a bit strange I swear :P No wonder people don’t get us. She ate her stuff. I ate the salad that I got from the bakery and it kinda sucked. And we got frosted brownie for Dolly (One of N’s favorite cat amongst the 3000) for her birthday celebration because apparently she loves eating sweet stuff. And then this guy and girl who worked at Forum also shared the same table with us because they had to have their lunch. It was so hot and there was no other place. I really liked the food they got especially the aloo qeema. It smelled so good :)

Then Nadzy also wanted to have ice cream from inside. She got the same old caramel crunch cone. And she even dropped some bit while eating and signaled me that she has. I so ignored her and went to some other stalls while she enjoyed the caramel. She even liked this strangely long haired dirty guy and I thought for a second this other guy with him was kind of hot. But then the moment I saw the way he was holding his shopping bag in such a faggish way I was like arghhhhhhh. What the hell! A man should just behave like a man!

We also stepped into Aashiana. Now our first goal is always to ignore these two weird Pathani brothers who are really weird. I hated them the day one of the brothers cut down a piece of dress without me even telling him to…and he said Bismillahhhhhhhhhhhhhh and then he just cut the piece. Uff I hated him and got really pissed off at this shit. Like you can’t act this way and force people to buy stuff by just cutting off the suit piece.

Anyway, we went to other shops. In one shop, I was really about to pass out so just grabbed a seat and sat next to the fan. And there was this old aunty whose daughter wanted her to buy some clothes. And both the daughter and husband were quite strange the way they were talking. The aunty looked sick and old and she was just picking stuff. Then I just left the seat and asked the old aunty to sit and her mean husband just took the seat himself without any second thoughts. I didn’t like it at all and poor aunty ufff it was so sad how lonely she looked. And both her husband and daughter were busy in their own shit. Well, I am glad we bought good stuff from this shop.

And the pathan used to say Diryam Gaz, Diryam Gaz. It meant 350…some calculation he was doing was diryam gaz, diryam gaz.

Then Nadzy saw a sleeping cat and this irritating woman sat there and started talking to the cat. It happens everytime. So annoying I swear. But like I say she doesn’t give a damn.

After this episode, we found a cng rickshaw to rush back home before Gilbert arrived. And this very musalmani driver thought we are two idiots so he kept on saying 140 kar lo bhen. We had thought we will never give him 140 rupees. Nobody charges that.

Nadzy reported I kept on talking like a crow since the ride…kaye kaye kaye kaye kaye kaye

Killing of dogs in Karachi

Dogs are being killed on a daily basis in Karachi. And guns are being used to kill them. Not just adult dogs but also puppies including new born babies are being killed ruthlessly. They just want to wipe out dogs from this city.

DHA society came up with this idea in Lahore few years ago. In posh areas, they didn’t allow dogs & the only way to stop them was to shoot them. Most of the shooters aren’t even good shooters. Many a time, the animal suffers for too long & then he dies.

I used to give food to some dogs & their puppies. This year all those dogs & their pups were being shot. I don’t expect much change in this bloody system that doesn’t know any educated way of dealing with a problem, if stray dogs & their puppies are a problem, to begin with. Well that’s how I see it - humans are the ones who are torturing & brutally killing them! These are the posh areas where the minds of humans are totally plagued. Actually these minds are far worse than the garbage sites.

There is also this myth that dog is impure. So far I haven’t read it in the translation of the Quran. But I know that Caliph Omar said that even if a dog went hungry by the banks of the Euphrates the lord of the Hosts would hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment. I also know that there was this prostitute…she came across a thirsty dog by the riverside & she filled water for him from the river & fed him. It has been said that all her sins were forgiven & this incident was narrated by none other than the Holy Prophet (PBUH). By the way, the Holy Prophet also had cats as pets. These are the things which are never being mentioned.

Coming back to those killers & the ones who came up with this bright idea – naturally I don’t think much of them & I don’t want to understand them either. These are absurd rules & what hurts me the most is that no one even files a suit against such acts. In fact, when we say that strays are being treated badly & these killings are wrong - we always hear this rotten argument “But humans are killed in the same manner & you are talking about dogs & cats.”

Well the killing of any being is wrong & that includes both humans & animals. Just because animals can’t protest, it doesn’t make their murder any less of a crime. All those people who are involved in this crime…I would say why don’t they go & kill Taliban residing in Karachi. Oh no but where these fucking Afghanis live, even the police cannot enter in that area! I don’t know if people would ever wake up. I don’t know if there’s ever going to be a change. I’ve just reached the conclusion that humans are cowards. Even those who keep mum when these killings are going on are cowards. When you allow intruders to stay in your city & to kill you & to terrorize you in the name of something that they do not know of– yes, then you are a coward!

Most of you know that we look after some cats on a small scale & we have kept them as pets & everyone who is related to us or who is a friend or who knows us by any means…he/she always has this advice – why don’t you guys get rid of these dirty cats? They are making your house dirty. You guys have to clean the shit & all. What I’ve seen is that people themselves don’t do any good & if they see anyone else doing a little bit of good work – they also have the audacity to ask that person to stop it. Now I can’t expect anything of such people. I know for sure that they can’t protest for animals, & I’m very sorry to say if ever time would come, they won’t be able to protest for themselves.

I’m extremely sorry for humans – the elevated apes. They don’t have any idea as to what is compassion. If they had any, animals wouldn’t have been murdered & tortured. Since God doesn’t guide the ungodly, so I don’t know where is the solution & I don’t know if this atrocity could ever end.

Nadira Rahman