There are reports of firing in Tower area of Karachi today on 31st December, 2007. Businesses are being forcefully closed. On I. I. Chundrigar road and areas close to Liyari, I've received reports of shooting and rioters forcing people to close their businesses.
There are confirmed reports of vehicles being set on fire on M. A. Jinnah Road, riots in Lighthouse area and mobile market forcefully being closed in Saddar.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Benazir Bhutto assassination conspiracy - In depth analysis
It was a tragic day for all, political parties and civilians alike. The eve of 27th December, 2007, has been marked as the gloomiest day in the history of Pakistan and Pakistani politics and rightly so but for different reasons. Benazir Bhutto has passed away and named Asif Ali Zardari, her husband as the chair of PPP. He in turn named his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a nineteen year old Oxford University Politics major and their eldest child and only son.
The speed with which President Pervez Musharraf started blaming the terrorist for this horrendous act, matches that of his favored contemporaries in Washington. With in one hour of the confirmation of BB's assassination, it was blamed on Alqaeda and Taleban. This is not to say that she had not voiced her concern on the issue of Alqaeda or Taleban threatening her, no denying in that. It is simply a matter of listening to the victim here, which the government successfully failed to do so. Let me explain.
Since the day she landed here in Karachi, the PPP officials had been complaining about the security breaches and security devices' failures. There had been several complaints about radio jammers not working, but unfortunately they went all in vain. That ended in two bombs going off near the homecoming motor cavalcade, of which one went off within 10 metres range. That claimed the life of as many as 138 innocent people, including the minimal police escort and private guards of BB. After that it became evident the enemy would stop at nothing. The PPP never stopped campaigning, even though it received several other threats and warnings.
The most warned about and the most dangerous places of all was indeed Rawalpindi for her. The speech was delivered in Liaquat Bagh, the same Liaquat Bagh in which Liaquat Ali Khan, one of the founding members of Pakistan, was shot in 1952 and was named after him. The speech went smooth and she returned to her vehicle. When the vehicle reached the back gate of Liaquat Bagh, the supporters starting chanting slogans and she stood in the sun roof of a bullet and bomb proof Toyota SUV, and waived back to the crowd despite of being warned by close friends. The attacker approached from the right side and four shots were heard and a moment after that a bomb went off. That resulted in the demise of BB and 38 other people including 1 suspected terrorist and 1 confirmed terrorist, the identity of whom still remain unknown.
What followed is beyond my capacity to form into a coherent script, for the grief and sorrow beset Pakistanis more than they could anticipate. The news spread faster than jungle fire leaving Pakistanis confused at first, shocked, and then worrying at the end. In metropolitans as large as Karachi, the second most populated city in the world (as of 2005 according to wikipedia), also the most sensitive Pakistani city with regards to politics, when news like this is heard everyone thinks of the same thing. To get to home safely. In a city of 16 million people (unconfirmed), we outrun the already spacious roads when everyone tries to get to home at the same time.
Soon, angry mourners took to streets and started burning vehicles, while opportunists started robbing and looting. This continued for three days. Throughout the country scenes of chaos were seen. In Sindh province orders were given to the police and rangers to shoot any miscreants at sight. Still they managed to burn down 2 trains, 1000+ vehicles, around 40 banks, 4 factories (only in Karachi), around 50 gas stations, and claimed the life of 25+ people including a 10 year old boy. It was like we were in the middle of a civil war. Trapped in our homes, running out of food supplies, and getting information only through TV and internet.
On 28th December, 2007, the Ministry of Interior held a press conference and claimed to have determined the cause of death only to be proved wrong by a video (posted earlier) and an amateur photographer present at the scene whose pictures prove that the gunshots killed her. Also they name Betullah Mehsud, a high ranking Alqaeda commander to be the master mind behind the assassination. He rejects the accusation. The ministry is clearly derailing and digressing the investigation and indulges in time wasting arguments on how she got killed even after the pictures and the video clearly show what exactly happened.
The most disturbing part of the conference was when the minister read out a translation of a conversation between Betullah Mehsud and "Some Maulvi Sahab". They did not play the original conversation recorded, this is where the trust is lost. The second point where it becomes doubtful is when a reporter asks a question regarding the call trace. At that, the minister simply dodged the question delivering an incomplete and incoherent mumble. President Pervez Musharraf and his administration simply refused the intervention of any independent investigation bieng carried out the first day. On the third day he agrees to let an independent investigation being conducted. Don't forget, Pervez Musharraf also ordered three days of mourning in which schools, offices and government offices were to remain closed.
Where do these all facts add up? Lets start with the investigation report. It is moot and a dangerous accusation said PPP activist Sherry Rehman. She bathed Benazir Bhutto after her death and confirmed the bullet wounds on the back of her head. It was also proved by the three photographs released on 29th December, 2007, that she was indeed killed by gunshots. Betullah Mehsud's conversation seems too bold to have been carried out just after the attacks and he denies the accusations. There were several complaints regarding failure of radio jammers in the area. Above all, the suicide bomber was able to bypass security when there were only limited entrances to where she was.
Lets move on to the situation every where else in Pakistan. In the whole country, PPP activists wreaked havoc and burnt property and vehicles at their whim. Only those areas were safe that were PPP majority. Witnesses say MQM was involved in 27th and 28th's carnage in the cities of Karachi and Hyderabad (source, referred by). Furthermore, MQM's chair, Altaf Hussain, has released a very controversial remark about only the Sindhi Prime Minister's getting assassinated. Let me make this clear that there have been only three democratically elected PM's of Pakistan uptil now which are Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benaznir Bhutto, and Nawaz Sharif. This comment will only fan the conflict between the provinces of Sindh and Punjab. In the area of Sohrab Goth, dominated by Afghanis, there have been reports of looting and robberies. I state only about Karachi here, but things were not much different in other cities with locals looting and robbing the then helpless victims of angry mourners. As I said earlier, it seemed we were in a Civil war.
Thirdly, it was known that if Ms. Bhutto won the elections and eventually became the Prime Minister, she would have reversed the amendment passed by Musharraf which give the president supreme power in the event of an emergency rule. She would have forced Musharraf to resign from the post of President, which is dear to him more than anything in the world.
Has this situation throughout the country been created deliberately? If so, who is responsible for it? Why did the government hide facts about Bhutto's assassination? Why is Pervez Mushharraf blaming Alqaeda for her assassination without sound proof? Why was the call of Betullah Mehsud never traced? Why did Musharraf only agree to an independent investigation after the three day mourning period in which there was no activity in the whole country!? Is the government trying to cover up yet another murder? Was army deployed in the country to undermine the possibility of a free and fair election?
These are the questions that we need answers to. We, Pakistanis do not want pointless debates as to whether Benazir died due to hitting her head on the lever or she got shot. We need answers now and we're waiting anxiously.
The speed with which President Pervez Musharraf started blaming the terrorist for this horrendous act, matches that of his favored contemporaries in Washington. With in one hour of the confirmation of BB's assassination, it was blamed on Alqaeda and Taleban. This is not to say that she had not voiced her concern on the issue of Alqaeda or Taleban threatening her, no denying in that. It is simply a matter of listening to the victim here, which the government successfully failed to do so. Let me explain.
Since the day she landed here in Karachi, the PPP officials had been complaining about the security breaches and security devices' failures. There had been several complaints about radio jammers not working, but unfortunately they went all in vain. That ended in two bombs going off near the homecoming motor cavalcade, of which one went off within 10 metres range. That claimed the life of as many as 138 innocent people, including the minimal police escort and private guards of BB. After that it became evident the enemy would stop at nothing. The PPP never stopped campaigning, even though it received several other threats and warnings.
The most warned about and the most dangerous places of all was indeed Rawalpindi for her. The speech was delivered in Liaquat Bagh, the same Liaquat Bagh in which Liaquat Ali Khan, one of the founding members of Pakistan, was shot in 1952 and was named after him. The speech went smooth and she returned to her vehicle. When the vehicle reached the back gate of Liaquat Bagh, the supporters starting chanting slogans and she stood in the sun roof of a bullet and bomb proof Toyota SUV, and waived back to the crowd despite of being warned by close friends. The attacker approached from the right side and four shots were heard and a moment after that a bomb went off. That resulted in the demise of BB and 38 other people including 1 suspected terrorist and 1 confirmed terrorist, the identity of whom still remain unknown.
What followed is beyond my capacity to form into a coherent script, for the grief and sorrow beset Pakistanis more than they could anticipate. The news spread faster than jungle fire leaving Pakistanis confused at first, shocked, and then worrying at the end. In metropolitans as large as Karachi, the second most populated city in the world (as of 2005 according to wikipedia), also the most sensitive Pakistani city with regards to politics, when news like this is heard everyone thinks of the same thing. To get to home safely. In a city of 16 million people (unconfirmed), we outrun the already spacious roads when everyone tries to get to home at the same time.
Soon, angry mourners took to streets and started burning vehicles, while opportunists started robbing and looting. This continued for three days. Throughout the country scenes of chaos were seen. In Sindh province orders were given to the police and rangers to shoot any miscreants at sight. Still they managed to burn down 2 trains, 1000+ vehicles, around 40 banks, 4 factories (only in Karachi), around 50 gas stations, and claimed the life of 25+ people including a 10 year old boy. It was like we were in the middle of a civil war. Trapped in our homes, running out of food supplies, and getting information only through TV and internet.
On 28th December, 2007, the Ministry of Interior held a press conference and claimed to have determined the cause of death only to be proved wrong by a video (posted earlier) and an amateur photographer present at the scene whose pictures prove that the gunshots killed her. Also they name Betullah Mehsud, a high ranking Alqaeda commander to be the master mind behind the assassination. He rejects the accusation. The ministry is clearly derailing and digressing the investigation and indulges in time wasting arguments on how she got killed even after the pictures and the video clearly show what exactly happened.
The most disturbing part of the conference was when the minister read out a translation of a conversation between Betullah Mehsud and "Some Maulvi Sahab". They did not play the original conversation recorded, this is where the trust is lost. The second point where it becomes doubtful is when a reporter asks a question regarding the call trace. At that, the minister simply dodged the question delivering an incomplete and incoherent mumble. President Pervez Musharraf and his administration simply refused the intervention of any independent investigation bieng carried out the first day. On the third day he agrees to let an independent investigation being conducted. Don't forget, Pervez Musharraf also ordered three days of mourning in which schools, offices and government offices were to remain closed.
Where do these all facts add up? Lets start with the investigation report. It is moot and a dangerous accusation said PPP activist Sherry Rehman. She bathed Benazir Bhutto after her death and confirmed the bullet wounds on the back of her head. It was also proved by the three photographs released on 29th December, 2007, that she was indeed killed by gunshots. Betullah Mehsud's conversation seems too bold to have been carried out just after the attacks and he denies the accusations. There were several complaints regarding failure of radio jammers in the area. Above all, the suicide bomber was able to bypass security when there were only limited entrances to where she was.
Lets move on to the situation every where else in Pakistan. In the whole country, PPP activists wreaked havoc and burnt property and vehicles at their whim. Only those areas were safe that were PPP majority. Witnesses say MQM was involved in 27th and 28th's carnage in the cities of Karachi and Hyderabad (source, referred by). Furthermore, MQM's chair, Altaf Hussain, has released a very controversial remark about only the Sindhi Prime Minister's getting assassinated. Let me make this clear that there have been only three democratically elected PM's of Pakistan uptil now which are Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benaznir Bhutto, and Nawaz Sharif. This comment will only fan the conflict between the provinces of Sindh and Punjab. In the area of Sohrab Goth, dominated by Afghanis, there have been reports of looting and robberies. I state only about Karachi here, but things were not much different in other cities with locals looting and robbing the then helpless victims of angry mourners. As I said earlier, it seemed we were in a Civil war.
Thirdly, it was known that if Ms. Bhutto won the elections and eventually became the Prime Minister, she would have reversed the amendment passed by Musharraf which give the president supreme power in the event of an emergency rule. She would have forced Musharraf to resign from the post of President, which is dear to him more than anything in the world.
Has this situation throughout the country been created deliberately? If so, who is responsible for it? Why did the government hide facts about Bhutto's assassination? Why is Pervez Mushharraf blaming Alqaeda for her assassination without sound proof? Why was the call of Betullah Mehsud never traced? Why did Musharraf only agree to an independent investigation after the three day mourning period in which there was no activity in the whole country!? Is the government trying to cover up yet another murder? Was army deployed in the country to undermine the possibility of a free and fair election?
These are the questions that we need answers to. We, Pakistanis do not want pointless debates as to whether Benazir died due to hitting her head on the lever or she got shot. We need answers now and we're waiting anxiously.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Benazir Bhutto - Obituary
On 27th December, 2007, two times former Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988 - 1990 and 1992 - 1996), Chairperson of Pakistan People's Party, Benazir Bhutto got assassinated in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
She was born in 1953, to Zulfiqr Ali Bhutto and Nusrat Bhutto. She graduated from Oxford University earning her diploma in politics, after which she attended Harvard University.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Jeff Dunham - Achmed the dead terrorist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go
Thank you Umer for sharing it. Laughed out crazy after a looong time.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
President Evil - Prevalence
I hear rumors of Paul W.S. Anderson writing another sequel to Resident Evil. After the hit "Resident Evil - Extinction" in which Alice (Milla Jovovich) finds her clones he had an epiphany and thought of a great twist and duly end to the relentless plot. Only this time, he turns to the real world for characters.
The sequel will have Genny Mush as the new chick and Dubya Bush as the new guy who gets bitten, gets infected with AIDS (play safe, as they say it) and dies of prostate cancer. Condi is the new black chick who gets sacrificed along with her lover, Dick ... Cheney. They kicked Ali Larter and picked up BB for the role of Claire who leads the group to Alaska, which by the way doesn't survive (bad leader, bad!). Heres another twist to the twisted story, Dr. Isaacs, who got killed by his own invention (the blue laser grid), comes back. Rumsfeld is the reincarnation of Dr. Isaacs ... how cool is that? (not very).
The story is set in the real world and events occur in real time (man I love that line from the show "24"). The world worries about larger things at stake while Bush takes his country to war with every country thats rich in petroleum resources, his longtime girlfriend and a heart throb(in the evil world) Genny Mush provides him support by genocide of his own countrymen (he is not a traitor...damn you if you think like it ... NOT!). Together they kill all Alices who stand in their way of turning the world into a HUGE water park (inspired from the show "Lil' Bush", Episode #4: Global Warming).
All in all its a sequel set to be the one you never want to see.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Year 2030: Karachi among future underwater cities
Here are excerpts from an article: "Rising seas threaten 21 mega-cities"
"They include Dhaka in Bangladesh; ... Karachi in Pakistan; ... and New York and Los Angeles in the United States, according to studies by the United Nations and others."
"More than one-tenth of the world's population, or 643 million people, live in low-lying areas at risk from climate change, say U.S. and European experts."
Read the full story here.
I urge everyone to watch "An Inconvenient Truth" (above picture from the documentary), which is by far the best documentary available today on global warming. Now I'm no fan of politicians, but Mr. Al Gore has delivered a truly eye opening presentation on the subject. It is not high on jargons and is mostly very easy to follow. Moreover, it sheds light on the authenticity and truthfulness of the notion "global warming is nothing but a scam". It disses by facts and figures the argument that it is a cyclical phenomenon and is the norm by proving whats happening now has not happened within the last 650,000 years. Lastly, it reveals some major secrets worth knowing.
It is a must watch for everyone, especially the citizens of the cities mentioned in the article above. you should all know what one degree temperature rise at the equator means at the north and south poles. I guarantee that you'll be amazed by the translation. I must say, after watching the documentary I think "The day after tomorrow" might not be that far.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
"Stars" by Switchfoot
I couldn't have said it better...
Maybe I've been the problem
Maybe I'm the one to blame
But even when I turn it off and blame myself
The outcome feels the same
I've been thinking maybe I've been partly cloudy
Maybe I'm the chance of rain
And maybe I'm overcast
And maybe all my luck's washed down the drain
Chorus:
I've been thinking 'bout everyone
Everyone, you look so lonely
But when I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
I see someone else
When I look at the stars, the stars
I feel like myself
Stars looking at a planet watching entropy and pain
And maybe start to wonder how
The chaos in our lives could pass as sane
Ive been thinking about the meaning of resistance
Of a world beyond my own
And suddenly the infinite and penitent
Began to look like home
Chorus:
I've been thinking 'bout everyone
everyone, you look so empty
But when I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
I see someone else
When I look at the stars, the stars
I feel like myself
Stars...stars
Everyone everyone you feel so lonely
Everyone, yeah, everyone you feel so empty
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
I feel like myself
when I look at the stars, the stars
I see someone...
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Message from the Unofficial President
Thank you for your support and heartfelt congratulations...but it wasn't really necessary...i had the situation under control (by paying really irrelevant people to show their faces on television in my support)...we've done the economy great and there are more banks than there is money in citizen's pocket...we have alleviated poverty through inflation and ... well basically we just started killing the poor so that there will be no poverty. People who have doubts should always remember Red Mosque, the karachi bridge collapse, 8th october 2005 earthquake (yeap they're still under development and will always remain that way).
We've privatized almost every thing (if it wasn't for the %^#^-ass chief justice we'd have sold the steel mill). We've also been successful in establishing rule of law-lessness...by virtue of which the lawless are the lawful (don't argue or we'll render you a terrorist). Thanks to us...now the lawyers and judges are a political party too, which proves our very (non-existent) democratic policies.
We (the army) is pleased to announce totalitarian control over civillians and you can do nothing about it. Thank you for listening (...even though it was your obligation).
Note: I wrote it in a reply to the on going debate "Mushy for president or no?" ... thought was worthy of being saved.
We've privatized almost every thing (if it wasn't for the %^#^-ass chief justice we'd have sold the steel mill). We've also been successful in establishing rule of law-lessness...by virtue of which the lawless are the lawful (don't argue or we'll render you a terrorist). Thanks to us...now the lawyers and judges are a political party too, which proves our very (non-existent) democratic policies.
We (the army) is pleased to announce totalitarian control over civillians and you can do nothing about it. Thank you for listening (...even though it was your obligation).
Note: I wrote it in a reply to the on going debate "Mushy for president or no?" ... thought was worthy of being saved.
Monday, September 3, 2007
distress ... unlimited.
On thursday night, while i was returning from work, my cell phone got snatched. I was three houses away, infront of my friend's house, when two "dudes" on a bike stopped the bike beside me. They had stalled the engine before coming to a stop, so i didn't even know some one stopped by, until they said something.
It was dark but not dark enough for me to not be able to see their faces. Oh I know their faces, I remember them. They were wearing dark clothes and both were dark coloured. the asked me for my cell phone three times. I tried to pretend that i wasn't getting them, which is true because i was being charmingly sarcastic with them. Though the charms didn't work and after the third time they flashed their "shiny metallic toy" and I gave it to them.
Its sad for me...the whole weekend i was sad and depressed. Sad because i have had that cell phone for about four and a half years and depressed due to the fact that my neighbourhood, my street, is not safe anymore. It kills me inside to think that i wasn't even able to protest and that filing a report wont do any good. The police are worst than the thieves and robbers (Story). I seriously hope that they eventually be corpulent asses so that they're not able to do normal things even.
It was dark but not dark enough for me to not be able to see their faces. Oh I know their faces, I remember them. They were wearing dark clothes and both were dark coloured. the asked me for my cell phone three times. I tried to pretend that i wasn't getting them, which is true because i was being charmingly sarcastic with them. Though the charms didn't work and after the third time they flashed their "shiny metallic toy" and I gave it to them.
Its sad for me...the whole weekend i was sad and depressed. Sad because i have had that cell phone for about four and a half years and depressed due to the fact that my neighbourhood, my street, is not safe anymore. It kills me inside to think that i wasn't even able to protest and that filing a report wont do any good. The police are worst than the thieves and robbers (Story). I seriously hope that they eventually be corpulent asses so that they're not able to do normal things even.
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