Railway Track – Bilour Attack

Dear Ghulam Ahmed Bilour Sahab,

Pakistan Railway - Will it make a comeback

Train is part of our rural culture. Any primary grade book will depict a smoke billowing and track chugging Train crossing in the background, with the fresh and lively culture of our villages in the foreground.

For us, the grown up, the expatriates, trains carry a sentimental value. The train stations, the lively scene of it springing back into life, the hustle and bustle of getting off and on the train, the loading and unloading, the chant and rant of the porters upon its arrival and the deserted look after its departure intrinsically is a picture of everyone’s life. The real Desi (South Asian) life with which we have been brought up. It is just etched into our minds. Trains run in our blood.

Memories breathe the smoke of the trains. We live our memories on those tracks still. But is the railway living to our expectations? Who has robbed it off the life out of our railways? Bilour Sahab, are you listening?

You have dilapidated the railway and it feels you have skinned me alive. There was once I could wait for hours just to catch the glimpse of it crossing at exactly 6.00 o’Clock arriving at Lahore from Rawalpindi. The sound, the roar, the magnanimity, the wonder, the fascination – railway was just all. It was a journey of a thousand miles each day for us. Life is well captured at the rail station. Why o why? Bilour Sahab, why?

UK has 15,000 Km of railway tracks. 5000+ Km of which run on electricity. The railway tracks that run in parallel can go up to 12 at some places. Europe thrives on railway economy. The signature of any region is railway access. UK has one of the busiest railway networks in Europe. 20% more than France, 60% more than Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Netherland and Norway combined. Do you feel pinged? Apply for a post in UK railway. Even a peon’s post for you would suffice to bring it down. A dead rat on the tracks and the railway would rot.

Bilour Sahab, either you’re on the payroll of Toyota and Ford working on their mission to phase out Railway and replace with heavier vehicular imports. Mercedes will NEVER hire you as you’re un-affordable and standard-less. Period.

Pakistan Railway - needs another Rafiq Sehgal?

While if this is not enough, destruction of Indian Railways can be possible too. But would Sarhadi Gandhi allow you to do that from the pits of the ashes he shall be in? Indian Railway is the 4th largest in the world. Spanning a complete 64,000+ Km of railway, it transported 7 billion people in 2009. Just imagine had you been the Minister and you levied at least 1 rupee on these 7 billion nuts – Swiss banks would never been happier. So to say. Bilour Sahab, you are not a good Banya. And even if you are, your resume is not well written. Fact is, you have never learnt to use the typewriter, what can be expected. Not your fault.

Better to amend your name under a known Trademark – Ghulam Ahmed Bilour ‘Scrappiya’ or if more reasonable, ‘Kabaariya’ – would look more prominent and will fetch quite a few million hits from the headhunters. How’s Bilouria Kabaariya Group as a name for your company?

India’s recently added metros in Delhi and Mumbai gross 6.7+ million passengers daily. Just imagine if you get to be a Federal Minister of United Indian Railways, how delighted would Sarhadi Gandhi be in the riverbed of Ganga? Was he cremated or buried?

If such is the progress of Indian Railways, it will supersede your earnings per day. Better you inject ANP weaponry system that your party so skillfully got installed in Karachi. Export your expertise Bilour Sahab. You will have a fleet of able advisors soon. The writer of this post would surely want to be on your side to support you. By the way how many years do you have more to live Bilour Sahab..??

Railway’s dead already. But what’s the next Ministry being awarded to you? Fisheries, they don’t drive though, driving them nuts will be a challenge still. But who knows, Bilawal Chemical Factory can be set up to mega-pollute it. Education Ministry already has got its last rights done. Doesn’t matter. Health, don’t ask, the dead have more calcium on their bones than the living dead.

What other Ministry, Bilour Sahab? Help me brainstorm. Perhaps the Prime Ministry? Who knows. But please next time I see you have a Ministry, Sohrab Bicycles and Servis shoes should have gone down. Please.

Regards,

A concerned Dengue Mosquito.

P.S – Would any of the 180 million crowd stand up and hurl a shoe at this AS*-A-WHOLE..??

He loves Me / He Loves Met NOT..!! Graduate or NOT a Graduate..!!

And why should our revered elite be educated..?? When, allegedly, our Father of the nation, Jinnah was a non-graduate, then why should we be..?? And why should be lament the pressures of studies and lynching of our teachers..?

And why shouldn’t we be using booties to make a safer exit and an entry in to the assemblies..? Honestly speaking, has there been any connect with what we cram over and over again with what we have to face in the wide wide world..?? Ever..??

And then Einstein was a drop out, his nation then dropped the Atom Bomb. Bill Gates, another abhorred, and disliked by ladies stuff, but world’s experience brought him divine respect and fame. Steve Jobs or Mr. IPhone, was another varsity failure and gave the world a world in their palms.

So, with this imperative and chemistry, drop outs achieve out of this world ideas. Impossible in schools are possible in the wide world of the school. QED.??

In that case, Wazeer e Aala Ka Khaab, Parha Likha Punjab (Chief Minister’s Dream, Literate Punjab, (doesn’t sound poetic in English, it neved did, Shakespeare was just another Media’s Shilpa Shetty and Sania Shoaib like character and historians call it renaissance..!! )..), then every resident of Punjab is a born scientist..!! WOW..!!

If Jinnah wasn’t graduate, so isn’t Zardari. So are we correct to assume we shall see a new Pakistan soon..?? err..Geographically or hypothetically..?? As anything outside the Assemblies rides on paper boats destined to be flushed down the already choked sewers and Monsoon’s already approaching. Don’t save any water please, as a bit of relief to Pakistanis and they achieve much. They achieved the BOMB in sullen peace, so keep them moving, keep them scattered but never keep them thinking. If they start thinking, you lose.  Chaudhary Iftikhar didn’t think, he denied. And you see the ruckus Mr. Musharraf..??

Many theories have been afloat to emancipate the nation, but only and only NON GRADUATES carry the torch. Believe me, Chaudhary Iftikhar Sahab, if all the NON GRADUATES are kicked out to UK, Spain, to the Bosphorus, the States (but since when States allowed political gurus to take refuge in exile in her land..? No traitor was great enough to secure a flat, after the sun of rule set and blurred their fates.), then who stays back to run the affairs..? Mr. Justice, the Graduates of our country are made to run the mills and wheels of Western economies and not ours. The remaining have to endure heat, corruption, inflation, filthy politics and what else graduates have to do..?

Jinnah knew the fact, so he got away with it without a degree but something quite valuable instead. So guys, go for something valuable, a piece of paper or a piece of land..? You decide.

So NON GRADUATES are the grease of our machinations. Imran Khan is a graduate, his mistake. NON GRADUATES and Dasti NON GRADUATES are the answer to the problems of the world. Its not the terrorists, they are GRADUATES too..!!

Emergency & 9th November and Beyond

6 days since the promulgation of the emergency. Media, most of it is under the locks, but no public turmoil seems to be outpouring against it save GEO news, which was and still is quite vocal for the emergency that seems only existing on GEO. The public response, particularly, the business community welcomed the move. Ironic. The business community cannot be bought overnight, but how come the community sides with the General?

Seeing this trend, the trend of serenity of an issue which was taken up quite seriously, where some of the EU countries and only 1 from the Far East, ‘Japan’, have upped the pressure through their usual threatening tones of banning Pakistan their aid and ending her tumultuous and tiring marriage with Common Wealth.

Now, with the expected protest call given by the Bibi jee, which was efficiently foiled yet again, which reflects management from Punjab’s side which is going strong and also non callous response of the public, situation at the ground level seems normal and life is going as it is. No restlessness, as planned and tried-to-be-instigated was visible. The conspirators and think tanks which see in Benazir the opening up of the nuclear assets and handing over the Doctor over the US, she already has proved the very political behaviour to devour Pakistan by providing the lists of the Sikh freedom fighters back in the early 90’s to buy the Prime Minister’s post, the treacherous way to which goes through many deals and White House, want her to be on the forefront and vocal about her position. The sheep of Pakistan a.k.a the Public, are short sighted and have loss of memory; even so, many might not be able to recall the former name of Faisalabad. With such mindset, democracy is another game to bank on the monetary reserves which saw the graph rising though gradually.

Now with elements gaining strength in Swat valley, situation there is still not being taken to note by the military. If it does, the fate would same as Bugti and Lal Masjid. Period.

With the current situation, in the NWFP, race is on for the future stakeholder of Pakistan between 2 contenders, Bibi and Military; latter being in the power, Bibi stresses interim government to oversee transparent elections which wouldn’t be possible under the current regime which would influence the elections in February to be swayed in their favour to keep the Bibi out. Possible, perhaps.

Emergency could be a herald, to gain time for more homework as pressure mounts with each passing day. The present Government, till now managed, with the plethora of projects being completed in more of a rush than calculated to woo more of voters who seldom have voted for any of these advocates of democracy carrying tainted history and democracy.

What is to Come?

Now with the facts available; no public outpour on emergency, Government now showing lax to allow some media channels which are screaming at the top pitch in futile reflecting their biased opinion and propaganda rich purposes to derail the Government. The conspirators would resort to some tactic to see the Government on its toes and doldrums. What could that move be? More of attacks? Possible. More of unrest in NWFP? Perhaps. Free hand to the militants in Swat who aren’t Taliban as realities confirm them to be Uzbeks; Ahmed Shah Masood too had an Uzbek background and also had Indian support and enjoyed public relations with the latter. The militancy would then be geared up at the border; foreign pressure would mount on the military. But they too wouldn’t be sitting without a plan. Maps would have been drawn by now, strategies chalked out, locals would have been invited for more rigorous support in return of peace and tranquility and control.

Much is to be seen, coming weeks are crucial for Pakistan.

The upcoming long march (between 15 and 18th of November) in protest of emergency would again be taken with an iron fist as precedented and wouldn’t show any promise but would keep investors on the wary, still. But politicians cooing while pigeonholed, would at least have something to exhibit that they too form the part of the game and that they shouldn’t be stashed out from deck of options the foreign lobbies have before them. But politicians too would be shown the exit this 15th which justifies the long march to justify their political ‘existence’ or be left out, simple.

Let’s wait and watch, how the stars form and the term in the Wild Wild West too coming to its ebb of end, things would change a bit quickly. Possible perhaps.

Emergency – Another Covert Musharraf and Iftikhar Partnership in the Making

With the headlines already made since this evening. Pakistan has yet another time been put into a coma, although a short one this time. So much already said and more done than said. Let’s read between the lines as to what has caused this ruckus which caught most of us with surprise.

9th March is appropriate to start with. Or a little earlier than this; before this day, Rule of Law was not respected. Musharraf played a card, Chaudhary Iftikhar was mishandled and dismissed on puny charges, if such charges are taken in seriously, then many of the coterie of the present and earlier governments would have to seek self-exile and that too British sponsored. After the 9th, the public of Pakistan was given a new life. Although the form in 1947 but the spirit waited. The West stresses on the restoration of Democracy; but what has Democracy evolved for the people of Pakistan? Nothing but princely mansions never to be seen and questioned by the Pakistani citizen. Now after the respect was exposed; the respect of the Supreme Court and rule of Law, if noticed no democratic was that vocal for it. Why? They knew that if legislation, courts, Chief Justice are introduced as upholding rule of law, the heydays of usurping the public tax – money would be history. This was unacceptable. For this very conspiring notion of corruption, Jinnah was put to rest earlier. If the constitution and rule of Law awakes, black and white business sees the door. Musharraf tried this with the black garb of the political ascetic. But alas, the People of Pakistan can digest those who rob them of their pennies and build their mansions and factories.

So now, with the emergency in place, another pawn, another development. The Government’s anti-petition was under hearing and the Government knew it that it had lost ground. Now upcoming is the 18th of November when the President had to take oath as the President for the next 5 years and colluding was the Swat encounter which has geared up unanticipatingly; kudos to the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, which is overseeing terrorist activities in and around the NWFP and Baluchistan. Pakistan has to take note of this.

Under a very planned scheme, the Pakistan Military has been framed into this. Once it is made to believe by the people that Pakistan Military is against the very own people, the ground to act gets more stressed and limited and options do get lesser. Not to mention the Indian hand is very much active here. Nobody ever heard of Maulana Fazlullah, who camps alongside the border where he might be getting assistance from the Indian Consultate. Everone’s speaking of the Taliban here and there, but what about unseen forces which are out to bring ill-repute to the Pakistan Military. Then the unabated and uninformed American bombing is yet another cause of disrespect gaining against the Pakistan Military.

A well conceived notion is being imbibed into the common people against the Pakistan Military. Seeing this and the recent development going in behind and inside the books of law, a.k.a Chaudhary Iftikhar considering the legitimacy of Musharraf holding double oaths. Musharraf had to confront the two way road. Either the legal and legislative route or the one which allows more intensive decisive actions on such elements.

Not to mention, the Lal Masjid issue was leniently dealt with in its infancy. But where did from the weapons land in the Madrassah? Indian hand? Foreign financing? Probably, possibly. Indian elements with the connivance of Afghan compatriots and US dollars, much magic is going unnoticed.

Now with the emergency in place, Musharraf has options to sweep out such elements. But the initiators of rogue upsurge are themselves the holders of constitutional democracy. Musharraf would have to consider the ‘loss’ of such elements to consider the welfare of the State.

Nonetheless, what can be pre-maturely assessed, is that the President and the Chief of Army Staff had an intensive discourse with other of his comrades. The decision to eliminate the elements working in and out of Pakistan to destabilise it would have been reached and this ‘Emergency’ is the first card played.

Nonetheless, this emergency was mandatory. As the public now again, blindly stood up for the lady, who previously doesn’t have a nice track record. Proven but the public is just a herd of sheep which offers its leather for purses which hold the money but never bringing back the sheep, ever, life. Moreover had the Supreme Court upheld the verdict of illegitimacy of double oaths, the unruly elements springing up would have had some space to get dynamic. Democracy has proved beyond doubt in history that it holds position to be bloated and failed. Nothing positive can be expected as long as its Muslim nations.

The last card would be the reinstatement of Chaudhary Iftikhar as the Chief Justice. This is what I read in between. Probably, possible.

Finally.The.Bell.Of.The.Ring.is.Struck

IS THE US PREPARING TO ATTACK PAKISTAN?

The Bush Administration may be preparing to lash out at old ally Pakistan, which Washington now blames for its humiliating failures to crush al-Qaida, capture its elusive leaders, or defeat Taliban resistance forces in Afghanistan.

One is immediately reminded of the Vietnam War when the Pentagon, unable to defeat North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong forces, urged invasion of Cambodia.

Sources in Washington say the Pentagon is drawing up plans to attack Pakistan’s `autonomous’ tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Limited `hot pursuit’ ground incursions by US forces based in Afghanistan, intensive air attacks, and special forces raids into Pakistan’s autonomous tribal region are being evaluated.

This weekend, the US national intelligence chief and other intelligence spokesmen confirmed that strikes against `terrorist targets’ in Pakistan’s tribal belt are increasingly possible. These warnings were designed to both further pressure Pakistan’s beleaguered strongman, President Pervez Musharraf into sending more troops to the tribal areas to fight his own people, and to prepare US public opinion for a possible widening of the Afghanistan war into Pakistan.

Pakistan’s 27,200 sq km tribal belt, officially known as the Federal Autonomous Tribal Area, or FATA, is home to 3.3 million Pashtun tribesmen. It has become a safe haven for al-Qaida, Taliban, other Afghan resistance groups, and a hotbed of anti-American activity, thanks mostly to the US-led occupation of Afghanistan which drove many militants across the border into Pakistan. Osama bin Laden is very likely sheltered in this region, as US intelligence claims.

I spent a remarkable time in this wild, medieval region during the 1980’s and 90’s, traveling alone where even Pakistani government officials dared not go, visiting the tribes of Waziristan, Orakzai, Khyber, Chitral, and Kurram, and meeting their chiefs, called `maliks.’

These tribal belts are always referred to as`lawless.’ Pashtun tribesmen could shoot you if they didn’t like your looks. Rudyard Kipling warned British Imperial soldiers over a century ago, when fighting cruel, ferocious Pashtun warriors of the Afridi clan, if they fell wounded, `save your last bullet for yourself.’

But there is law: the traditional Pashtun tribal code, Pashtunwali, that strictly governs behavior and personal honor. Protecting guests was sacred. I was captivated by this majestic mountain region and wrote of it extensively in my book, `War at the Top of the World.’

The 40 million Pashtun – called `Pathan’ by the British – are the world’s largest tribal group. Imperial Britain divided them by an artificial border, the Durand Line, which went on to become, like so many other British colonial boundaries, today’s Afghanistan-Pakistan border. When Pakistan was created in 1947, the Pashtun were split between that new nation and Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Pashtun number 28-30 million, plus an additional 2.5 million refugees from Afghanistan. Pashtuns, one of the British Indian Army’s famed `martial races,’ occupy many senior positions in Pakistan’s military, intelligence service and bureaucracy, and naturally have much sympathy for their embattled tribal cousins in Afghanistan. The 15 million Pashtun of Afghanistan form that nation’s largest ethnic group and just under half the population.

The tribal agency’s Pashtun reluctantly joined newly-created Pakistan in 1947 under express constitutional guarantee of total autonomy and a ban on Pakistani troops ever entering there.

But under intense US pressure, President Pervez Musharraf violated Pakistan’s constitution by sending 80,000 federal troops to fight the region’s tribes, killing 3,000 of them. In best British imperial tradition, Washington pays Musharraf $100 million monthly to rent his sepoys (native soldiers) to fight Pashtun tribesmen. As a result, Pakistan is fast edging towards civil war, as the bloody siege of Islamabad’s Red Mosque and a current wave of bombings across the nation show.

The anti-communist Taliban movement is part of the Pashtun people. Taliban fighters move across the artificial Pakistan-Afghanistan border, to borrow a Maoism, like fish through the sea. Osama bin Laden is a hero in the region, and likely shelters there.

The US just increased its reward for bin Laden to $50 million and plans to shower $750 million on the tribal region in an effort to buy loyalty. Bush/Cheney & Co. do not understand that while they can rent President Musharraf’s government in Islamabad, many Pashtun value personal honor far more than money, and cannot be bought. That is likely why bin Laden has not yet been betrayed.

Any US attack on Pakistan would be a catastrophic mistake. First, air and ground assaults will succeed only in widening the anti-US war and merging it with Afghanistan’s resistance to western occupation. US forces are already too over-stretched to get involved in yet another little war.

Second, Pakistan’s army officers who refuse to be bought may resist a US attack on their homeland, and overthrow the man who allowed it, Gen. Musharraf. A US attack would sharply raise the threat of anti-US extremists seizing control of strategic Pakistan and marginalize those seeking return to democratic government.

Third, a US attack on the tribal areas could re-ignite the old irredentist movement to reunite Pashtun parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan into independent state, `Pashtunistan.’ That could begin unravelling fragile Pakistan, leaving its nuclear arsenal up for grabs, and India tempted to intervene.

The US military has grown used to attacking small, weak nations like Grenada, Panama, and Iraq. Pakistan, with 163 million people, and a poorly equipped but very tough 550,000-man army, will offer no easy victories. Those Bush Administration officials who foolishly advocate attacking Pakistan are playing with fire.

Finally, what was a phantom to make the child sleep in the night, arrives at the borders. The very phantom, now seems nervous, disparate, but nonetheless prepared to go for the final frontier.

Let it be known to the invading Armies, this is not United India, where Hindus and Muslims fought side by side. This time, its the same cavalry and infantry, which garbed in civil dress and a turban, donning a beard, put the Russian bear to the ground.

The same army is not to renounce its Head, but instead that very head now prepares a strategy, a deck of cards which would see the lost side remains no more. America is coming to a frontier which knows the tact of victory and sustenance. Now its not a competition, but what remains to be seen is who stays longer. The one who stays longer, would go ahead to disintegrate his opponents.

This time the war is not going to be easy. Civilians and Army of Pakistan, would join hands. Bitter differences would be put aside for the peaceful times. This time its the share of the fire they would jump in, the fire that has been put up not by their own in their ranks but the invading guests, who would be guests till the end.

War is what makes this nation tick and swing. It would be hight time, people have been waiting for this defining moment for quite some time.

This is the time, which would change the very course of the nation. As for India, it would wait. And wait it should, as the bomb is still there. In wartime, somebody trespassing the borders cannot be tried, but rather are showered with accolades. India shouldn’t forget the Pakistani victory of 1965; and the score of 1971 still remains. India should be weary enough, of Pakistanis firstly then, the bomb. India, would be given the civilians to tackle. And tackle would they adeptly.

Every Pakistani, now invites America from the doors of NWFP. It shall see the hospitality, in the final frontier.