Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary force, has been accused of killing an "unarmed teenager" in Karachi. However, one should try to understand full context before quickly pointing fingers at Rangers. BBC Urdu has a 1:02 minutes long video which a close consideration reveals many clues that support Rangers' point view.
In the video, a young man is taken towards the paramilitary force personnel by an apparent civilian, who in a very frank manner waves something towards Rangers and says, "This is the gun and money". Upon close inspection one can clearly see that there is a hand gun wrapped in that piece of cloth - a standard practice in Pakistani law enforcement agencies to keep fingerprints safe. It appears that the young man is being accused of armed robbery, to which he seems to confess by saying, "It is a fake gun" and "I am forced (by circumstances)". Rangers clearly seem to be confused and a lack of proper training is apparent.
They, however, according to most reports, shot him on his limbs and he still succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Did anyone ever stop to ask what kind of medical facilities were available in that hospital or how fast was he taken to the hospital or how many doctors were actually in the hospital.
When the whole system is broken, you cannot blame just one institution because it is easy to identify.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Salman Taseer Murder Justified
Since I have heard the news about Salman Taseer’s brutal murder I have been incessantly reading news and articles from Pakistan’s English language news sources which have been shedding light on this incident from all imaginable angles but one.
These English language journals, which are reputed to be leaning towards educated westernized public with very liberal tendencies, seem to be deliberately ignoring the root cause of this murder, elimination of which, if done on time, could have saved not only Mr. Taseer’s life but also the lives of so many other so-called liberals who were not news-worthy enough.
During more peaceful years in our country, the nation was, for the most part, preoccupied by a host of problems which could be summarized as corruption; which along with the resulting government incompetence has been costing Pakistanis lives in more ways than we can imagine. From roads to hospitals, from government offices to police constables on the street, from nursery classes in a government school to the offices of the prime minister and the president, the infusion and perpetuation of corruption and ignoring the problem as an inevitable part of living in Pakistan has been costing us lives. Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed in easily preventable violent crimes? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by police under the pressure from mafia, feudal lords and politicians? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by the lack of health care, lack of medicines or counterfeit medicines? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by unqualified doctors? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by unhygienic water and food? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by the lack of food because they can’t afford any?
Admit it or not, to most Pakistanis, Salman Taseer was nothing more than another stooge of corrupt, Mr. 10 Percent Zardari. Revelations about his affluent lifestyle outraged so many Pakistanis who are on the verge of suicides because of their economic and financial direness. Apathy towards the general public and swiftness of efforts to appease western powers in order to perpetuate their reign has been a signature of virtually all of Pakistani governments including the current one.
For decades, mullahs have been blaming the lack of Islamization for all the problems facing the country and have been attempting to present themselves as the ones who are able to bring about a utopian Islamic society. Until such a society is established, murder of anyone and everyone, according to theses contractors of religion, is perfectly justified. What if innocents are killed along with the “guilty”? You get three answers depending on the religious school of thought of the responder. They are guilty otherwise they must have survived; they are shaheed because their death was accidental; or no one is innocent. Pick one that suits your sectarian leaning. These mullahs and maulanas conveniently ignore the fact that the West has been dominating the entire world for about half a millennium now without any Islamization.
We Pakistanis have a mob mentality and this mob is tired of looking at the governments for the relief. Far too many heads are turning towards the imams of religious fanaticism, who seem to have a very simplistic but brutal worldview which bodes well with the decades of frustration and resentment boiling in the hearts of the public. The lava oozing from this volcano of the public is being streamed by the will of the venomous ulamas; for whom punishment for any disagreement is nothing short of murder.
This mob of turning heads is suicidal. By killing Mr. Salman Taseer they have merely stabbed themselves once more. In a society, where corruption and nepotism is a norm, where ruling elites have no roots in the very nation they are supposed to lead, where short term benefits for selected few always get preference over wider interests of the public, no leader can safely say that he is not going to be hit by the same boomerang with which he has been victimizing so many.
Taseer’s murder was justified not by any secular or Sharia law but by the lawlessness resulting from the corruption and incompetence in every rank and file of government. The very fact that a fanatic like Mumtaz Qadri was able to slip through the gapping holes in government's security apparatus and approach such a VVIP justifies the murder of Salman Taseer, late Governor of the Punjab.
These English language journals, which are reputed to be leaning towards educated westernized public with very liberal tendencies, seem to be deliberately ignoring the root cause of this murder, elimination of which, if done on time, could have saved not only Mr. Taseer’s life but also the lives of so many other so-called liberals who were not news-worthy enough.
During more peaceful years in our country, the nation was, for the most part, preoccupied by a host of problems which could be summarized as corruption; which along with the resulting government incompetence has been costing Pakistanis lives in more ways than we can imagine. From roads to hospitals, from government offices to police constables on the street, from nursery classes in a government school to the offices of the prime minister and the president, the infusion and perpetuation of corruption and ignoring the problem as an inevitable part of living in Pakistan has been costing us lives. Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed in easily preventable violent crimes? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by police under the pressure from mafia, feudal lords and politicians? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by the lack of health care, lack of medicines or counterfeit medicines? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by unqualified doctors? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by unhygienic water and food? Do we have stats about how many Pakistanis are killed by the lack of food because they can’t afford any?
Admit it or not, to most Pakistanis, Salman Taseer was nothing more than another stooge of corrupt, Mr. 10 Percent Zardari. Revelations about his affluent lifestyle outraged so many Pakistanis who are on the verge of suicides because of their economic and financial direness. Apathy towards the general public and swiftness of efforts to appease western powers in order to perpetuate their reign has been a signature of virtually all of Pakistani governments including the current one.
For decades, mullahs have been blaming the lack of Islamization for all the problems facing the country and have been attempting to present themselves as the ones who are able to bring about a utopian Islamic society. Until such a society is established, murder of anyone and everyone, according to theses contractors of religion, is perfectly justified. What if innocents are killed along with the “guilty”? You get three answers depending on the religious school of thought of the responder. They are guilty otherwise they must have survived; they are shaheed because their death was accidental; or no one is innocent. Pick one that suits your sectarian leaning. These mullahs and maulanas conveniently ignore the fact that the West has been dominating the entire world for about half a millennium now without any Islamization.
We Pakistanis have a mob mentality and this mob is tired of looking at the governments for the relief. Far too many heads are turning towards the imams of religious fanaticism, who seem to have a very simplistic but brutal worldview which bodes well with the decades of frustration and resentment boiling in the hearts of the public. The lava oozing from this volcano of the public is being streamed by the will of the venomous ulamas; for whom punishment for any disagreement is nothing short of murder.
This mob of turning heads is suicidal. By killing Mr. Salman Taseer they have merely stabbed themselves once more. In a society, where corruption and nepotism is a norm, where ruling elites have no roots in the very nation they are supposed to lead, where short term benefits for selected few always get preference over wider interests of the public, no leader can safely say that he is not going to be hit by the same boomerang with which he has been victimizing so many.
Taseer’s murder was justified not by any secular or Sharia law but by the lawlessness resulting from the corruption and incompetence in every rank and file of government. The very fact that a fanatic like Mumtaz Qadri was able to slip through the gapping holes in government's security apparatus and approach such a VVIP justifies the murder of Salman Taseer, late Governor of the Punjab.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
No Pardon for Asia Bibi
In a quest to appease overly secularized western powers that still identify with Christianity more than ever, late Governor of the Province of Punjab Mr. Salman Taseer didn’t give much thought to the consequential possibilities emanating from what he said and how he said it. Son of a highly respected poet and intellectual did not seem to care for the highly reputable legacy his late father left for him. His worst mistake in the wake of Asia Bibi case was not what he said about the so-called blasphemy law but what he tried to do. His worst blunder was to seek presidential pardon for Asia Bibi.
Given the detailed accounts of Asia Bibi case, the events thereon and onwards, I am very much convinced Asia Bibi is innocent of blasphemy in the true sense of and spirit of Sharia. After the quarrel with her Muslim co-workers who deemed her unclean despite the contrary verdict from Islam about the People of the Book (i.e. Jews and Christians), in the heat of heightened emotions, Asia Bibi might have let something slip that could be contrived into a blasphemous statement and given her Muslim co-workers an idea as to how to go after her with a legal tool which is so easy to abuse.
Nevertheless, under the Sharia law, if she was guilty of slightest slip of tongue, a simple official apology from Bibi will suffice to let her go as a free citizen.
Despite all of my speculative analyses, I still think she never said or did anything criminal under blasphemy law. A fair trial in higher courts can easily prove that. Then why do I say “no pardon for Asia Bibi” you say. It is because a presidential pardon under any condition implies a guilty verdict from none other than the President. A presidential pardon will jeopardize her life even more and possibility of her murder by any members of the public convinced of her being guilty clearly implied by the pardon - not to mention, extra judicial, unethical, illegal maneuvers to please the foreign powers - will be closer to becoming reality.
Asia Bibi should go through a fair trial and best way to help her for any sympathizers would be to grant her legal and financial help in her judicial case. The details of court proceedings and statements of involved parties should be widely made public through print and electronic media in order to draw a clearer and unbiased picture of the facts in the minds of general public of Pakistan. All the accusers should be brought to court and should be punished for perjury and false accusations after the acquittal of Asia Bibi. If possible, Islamic punishments should be implemented on accusers if they are found guilty of laying false accusations.
Given the detailed accounts of Asia Bibi case, the events thereon and onwards, I am very much convinced Asia Bibi is innocent of blasphemy in the true sense of and spirit of Sharia. After the quarrel with her Muslim co-workers who deemed her unclean despite the contrary verdict from Islam about the People of the Book (i.e. Jews and Christians), in the heat of heightened emotions, Asia Bibi might have let something slip that could be contrived into a blasphemous statement and given her Muslim co-workers an idea as to how to go after her with a legal tool which is so easy to abuse.
Nevertheless, under the Sharia law, if she was guilty of slightest slip of tongue, a simple official apology from Bibi will suffice to let her go as a free citizen.
Despite all of my speculative analyses, I still think she never said or did anything criminal under blasphemy law. A fair trial in higher courts can easily prove that. Then why do I say “no pardon for Asia Bibi” you say. It is because a presidential pardon under any condition implies a guilty verdict from none other than the President. A presidential pardon will jeopardize her life even more and possibility of her murder by any members of the public convinced of her being guilty clearly implied by the pardon - not to mention, extra judicial, unethical, illegal maneuvers to please the foreign powers - will be closer to becoming reality.
Asia Bibi should go through a fair trial and best way to help her for any sympathizers would be to grant her legal and financial help in her judicial case. The details of court proceedings and statements of involved parties should be widely made public through print and electronic media in order to draw a clearer and unbiased picture of the facts in the minds of general public of Pakistan. All the accusers should be brought to court and should be punished for perjury and false accusations after the acquittal of Asia Bibi. If possible, Islamic punishments should be implemented on accusers if they are found guilty of laying false accusations.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Black Rappers and Islam
I don't know if there are others out there who think like me but here it goes. I, sometimes, think, feel or even tend to believe things which I don't want to be true. That is true about my feelings about relationship of black celebrities, primarily rappers, with Islam.
As a Muslim, I feel immense happiness and delight when I hear about a western's and specially a celebrity’s conversion to Islam. However, I feel extremely wary and sceptic of the intentions and motives behind the conversion of black rappers to Islam. This feeling is not racist but is based on the culture of these celebrities. Most rappers - most of whom are black and very few white - build their image as rebels and base their personas on a sort of aggressive machismo. My stress here, however, is on the word "rebels". The hip-hop culture sounds to me a culture that prides itself as the rebellious against the society and the norms which bind it together.
With all this in view to me it seems like that the conversion to Islam is not a leap of faith but an act of rebellion against a primarily Christian society which is supposedly dominated by white Christians. It sounds like they are endorsing Islam just to tick off general American society which is lately being seen as more Islamophobic than ever before.
Can someone prove me wrong with a strong argument? I strongly wish that I am wrong.
As a Muslim, I feel immense happiness and delight when I hear about a western's and specially a celebrity’s conversion to Islam. However, I feel extremely wary and sceptic of the intentions and motives behind the conversion of black rappers to Islam. This feeling is not racist but is based on the culture of these celebrities. Most rappers - most of whom are black and very few white - build their image as rebels and base their personas on a sort of aggressive machismo. My stress here, however, is on the word "rebels". The hip-hop culture sounds to me a culture that prides itself as the rebellious against the society and the norms which bind it together.
With all this in view to me it seems like that the conversion to Islam is not a leap of faith but an act of rebellion against a primarily Christian society which is supposedly dominated by white Christians. It sounds like they are endorsing Islam just to tick off general American society which is lately being seen as more Islamophobic than ever before.
Can someone prove me wrong with a strong argument? I strongly wish that I am wrong.
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Cash Profit Rates (percentages) of National Savings
Whenever you invest your money in any of investment schemes in National Savings to get cash profit on regular basis, you never know until the completion of entire (and rather lengthy paperwork) how much cash you are actually going to take home.
General (R) Pervez Musharraf's government regularly and drastically reduced National Savings profit rates and, even now, you can never say for sure how much income tax you will be slapped with.
However, people at National Savings are kind enough that they will give you a clear figure of percentage of income tax if you ask them. Nevertheless, the percentage of profit they tell you, although technically true, is always somewhat misleading as to how much actual cash you'll be able to feel in your pocket.
After doing a little elementary algebra based on my experience with National Savings, I have come up with an equation which can solve a big mystery in a matter of minutes.
Mystery: What percentage of your amount you actually get in cash profit in any regular income scheme at National Savings?
And the answer is:
In this equation, x is the actual, working percentage of cash profit you are taking home. It is useful, when you already are taking home some amount of cash from an investment scheme, and you want to calculate how much money you could make on a different amount in same investment.
Here's how to use above equation. Let's start with variables.
x is percentage of cash you are currently taking home. National Savings never tells you this percentage. Your goal is to find the value of x.
P is the amount of cash you receive in profit from National Savings on an your investment.
y is number of times you receive the profit every year. It is generally a number from 1 to 12.
a is the amount of money that you have invested.
t is the percentage of income tax on your profit. This you have to ask National Savings by simply asking, "what is the percentage of income tax?"
By knowing P, y, a and t, you can calculate x, the percentage of cash profit that you get on your investment amount. From this percentage you can calculate possibilities of cash profits on different amounts in the same scheme without going through all banking mumbo jumbo of National Savings.
Using this equation in Microsoft Excel
Above equation is for pen and paper only. This equation may not give you proper answer in Microsoft Excel if you are not familiar with how the software works with percentages.
To use this equation in MS Excel, change into following:
In Excel, this equation will be entered as following:
=(100*B1*B2)/(B3*(100-B4))%
Where P = B1, y = B2, a = B3, t = B4
It is because of % sign in Excel's equation that we have to change 10000 to 100. If you want to use the original equation in Excel, then do not use % sign.
General (R) Pervez Musharraf's government regularly and drastically reduced National Savings profit rates and, even now, you can never say for sure how much income tax you will be slapped with.
However, people at National Savings are kind enough that they will give you a clear figure of percentage of income tax if you ask them. Nevertheless, the percentage of profit they tell you, although technically true, is always somewhat misleading as to how much actual cash you'll be able to feel in your pocket.
After doing a little elementary algebra based on my experience with National Savings, I have come up with an equation which can solve a big mystery in a matter of minutes.
Mystery: What percentage of your amount you actually get in cash profit in any regular income scheme at National Savings?
And the answer is:
In this equation, x is the actual, working percentage of cash profit you are taking home. It is useful, when you already are taking home some amount of cash from an investment scheme, and you want to calculate how much money you could make on a different amount in same investment.
Here's how to use above equation. Let's start with variables.
x is percentage of cash you are currently taking home. National Savings never tells you this percentage. Your goal is to find the value of x.
P is the amount of cash you receive in profit from National Savings on an your investment.
y is number of times you receive the profit every year. It is generally a number from 1 to 12.
a is the amount of money that you have invested.
t is the percentage of income tax on your profit. This you have to ask National Savings by simply asking, "what is the percentage of income tax?"
By knowing P, y, a and t, you can calculate x, the percentage of cash profit that you get on your investment amount. From this percentage you can calculate possibilities of cash profits on different amounts in the same scheme without going through all banking mumbo jumbo of National Savings.
Using this equation in Microsoft Excel
Above equation is for pen and paper only. This equation may not give you proper answer in Microsoft Excel if you are not familiar with how the software works with percentages.
To use this equation in MS Excel, change into following:
In Excel, this equation will be entered as following:
=(100*B1*B2)/(B3*(100-B4))%
Where P = B1, y = B2, a = B3, t = B4
It is because of % sign in Excel's equation that we have to change 10000 to 100. If you want to use the original equation in Excel, then do not use % sign.
Monday, 17 May 2010
I Support Honour Killings
Yes, I do support honour killings. But not necessarily for those of women or girls. It can be anyone. Anyone who undermines the honour of my country, Pakistan.
Recent events that have unfolded in the two Americas, the continents, necessitate us to take such steps. In USA (North America), Faisal Shehzad and in Chile (South America), Mohammad Saif-ur-Rehman have put Pakistan back into defensive position on negotiating table with foreign powers, specially USA. Now open discussions have started again about the possibility of American boots in Pakistan.
Faisal and Saif, these two buffoons have jeopardized Pakistan’s reputation that we built by giving so many military and civilian lives in retaliation against terrorists and their activities.
Government of Pakistan, instead of defending the likes of Faisal and Saif should either eliminate them and their links to Pakistan, or bring them back to Pakistani soil and put them in front of Pakistani courts. This way we would be cleaning up on our own terms, after dimwits like them have crapped all over their country’s hard earned reputation. It takes just one drop of dirty water to ruin the whole bucket, and we’ve got two.
Pakistan should kill whatever we need to kill to save the honour of the country.
Recent events that have unfolded in the two Americas, the continents, necessitate us to take such steps. In USA (North America), Faisal Shehzad and in Chile (South America), Mohammad Saif-ur-Rehman have put Pakistan back into defensive position on negotiating table with foreign powers, specially USA. Now open discussions have started again about the possibility of American boots in Pakistan.
Faisal and Saif, these two buffoons have jeopardized Pakistan’s reputation that we built by giving so many military and civilian lives in retaliation against terrorists and their activities.
Government of Pakistan, instead of defending the likes of Faisal and Saif should either eliminate them and their links to Pakistan, or bring them back to Pakistani soil and put them in front of Pakistani courts. This way we would be cleaning up on our own terms, after dimwits like them have crapped all over their country’s hard earned reputation. It takes just one drop of dirty water to ruin the whole bucket, and we’ve got two.
Pakistan should kill whatever we need to kill to save the honour of the country.
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