Now for a taste of things to come!

I named this article after my most favourite quotation from the movie based on the video game, Mortal Kombat. That's because the aftermath of the elections is nothing short of mortal combat...and it has left us all wondering what is going to happen next.

One thing is for sure, no matter who rigged which result, the people are not willing to settle down for anything less than the complete truth. The populace is motivated to take to the streets to show their support for their leaders and to protest against any unfairness that they perceive. The media has brought all the cheating and deception into the limelight and there is no escaping the criticism coming from all directions. Those who lost are at loggerheads with those who won. Some say it is the failing of the system and some say it is a conspiracy. Amid this broiling imbroglio, the winning parties are trying to set up a functional government. Negotiations are being carried out under the table and secret handshakes are being exchanged. Whew! That sort of feels like a punch in the guts!

But, let's not lose focus of what this ruckus is all about..and that is the betterment of Pakistan. It does make a difference as to who is holding the reins of the country but we as the people should join hands and support the newly elected government. The road to salvation for our country is very tough and there are external forces that would like nothing more than lead us to destruction rather than improvement.Our country's economy already lies in tatters; our social system is battered because of global influences; our religion has become limited to just fundamentalists and terrorists; our educational system produces people with narrow vision and exaggerated accents; our foreign policy is merely a twisted contract of slavery.....and now we have to handle badly rigged elections. We are a nation that has survived all of this and more, so it is time to rise above the differences and suspicions and move towards a common goal. We must work for the uplifting of our country, break the shackles of bondage and become what our forefathers had dreamt of. That is the taste of things to come! 

Is it over?

When the election frenzy began, it was exciting and tense because so many of  us had decided to go out and vote on the 11th of May for the first time. Most of the people had an attitude like me..'why bother voting for anyone because in the end it's gonna be the same old system with new faces anyway?' The record turnout for the elections this time goes to show that the people were willing to use their power of decision for better or for worse. Getting the blue thumb and permanent ink mark is more of a symbol of freedom for all of us. Going through all the process of balloting was exhilarating for me and my family because we were all first-timers! All of us remained glue to our television sets for watching how the elections unraveled. Shockingly, there were countless attempts to terrorize the voters in different regions of the country by verbal assaults, gunfire, hand grenades and bomb blasts. In some places the ballot papers were spirited away and the staff members of the polling stations were harassed or abducted. There were numerous cases of cheating and deception, even though everything was captured by the roving eye of the media. Still the voters remained undeterred and waited in long queues for many hours, just so that they do not miss out this opportunity to vote.

I view the results of the general elections with a certain degree of distaste though..maybe because I expected the people to be more inclined towards emerging leaders rather than the tried and tested politicians, who have had their chances and failed miserably at them...But nonetheless, the winds of change simply uprooted the most recent ruling parties, especially in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa region. The Pathans who are ridiculed for their simplicity, showed that they are simple but not stupid, unlike the more educated and elan folks. I felt a rush of pride when I heard the results for the KPK because it meant the locals were willing to open up for new options and get rid of all the redundant politicians, who had done nothing more than changing the name of the province :p The people in other provinces also made their choices, which I hope will serve them well and lead them to betterment rather than regret. Abraham Lincoln said, "The ballot is stronger than the bullet" and how right was he...the results of the elections show that people did away with all those leaders whom they did not think worthy of being in the highest echelons of the Government...killing them with bullets would have definitely been more difficult ;)

The manifestos of the different political parties covered a wide spectrum of issues concerning the country and the campaigns and political rallies/gatherings used different tactics to endorse those manifestos. The results come as a majore disappointment to some but are good news for others. The 'Tsunami' of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf may look like it has fizzled out but there is more to it than meets the eye...Imran Khan may not have paraded and killed a Bengali Tiger in his political campaign, but he pulled millions of people out of their  'don't care' condition by simply talking to them! He planted the seeds of change in the entire country and provoked the people to think and act, rather than berate their luck. I unabashedly admit I voted just because I was motivated by his speeches and he inspired me to be more than just a bystander in the quest for change. His party may not have secured the desired number of seats at the national or provincial level but  he has managed to acquire a platform to voice his thoughts on all future decisions of Pakistan. The intangible result of this election has very deep-reaching repercussions so I ask you...do you think it is over? Or do you believe it is the first step in our country's journey towards a new era?

Election Frenzy

So who are you going to vote for? That's the first question people ask you these days :D It has become a spontaneous reaction to be curious about other people's choice of a national leader in the upcoming elections. The news channels are flooded with election updates and paid campaigns. The election campaigns of some political parties are so corny and funny that I crack up with laughter when I see them! Especially the one that plays the Batman theme in the background ;) I don't know about you but honestly, in my 12 years of being able to vote...this is the first time I shall be stepping into a polling booth to cast a vote!!! That's a shame I know...but seriously I never felt inclined to choose between any of the seasoned politicians who used to be running for power. I just didn't want to waste time and effort in voting for those political parties that have been doing the same stuff over and over again..and have been getting richer and bigger in doing that same stuff :p  

This time it's a bit different, because we have a new candidate available in the political line-up and that is Imran Khan. His party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, may be a budding one but it is a platform for some of the most seasoned politicians (who do not have such a shady past) and some of the most influential people of our country..people who do not need to be in politics but are there just because they also want to be part of the change. The winds of change are blowing this time because the entire population is fed up of the failure of past governments to address any of the problems that have plagued the nation for so long. This is not just about Imran Khan but the people do need something different and something new from their leaders. The same old false promises are not going to work since people are bored of them...or so it seems. What will you do this time?

Sorry but YOU ARE REJECTED!

Ever got rejected? Well join the club! SO, what was your rejection story? Got rejected after a job interview? Had your affections rebuffed by a potential lover? Did someone reject your merchandise after viewing? Were you refused entry into another country?....BINGO! I recently got rejected for that very thing :p My visa application for UK got rejected and somehow the reason for the rejection has left me writhing in fury and indignation!!! The UK border agency officials thought I was unable to prove my ties to my beloved Paki-land....hence they thought it very likely that I will beg for asylum once I entered the UK...seriously folks...Do we look that desperate??
At first I was mad and upset but then I decided I should get to the bottom of this and so I started digging around. I asked many people and browsed around only to discover that the past acts and events of Pakistanis has certainly marred our overall image and people in the UK have developed a stereotype about us that eventually anybody who tries to get a visa will disappear into thin air once on UK soil or will try something illegal. But is that fair? I provided all proper supporting documents, paid a hefty amount of money for visa application processing and in the end I got a slap in the face by being told that I am under suspicion that I may not be going to UK for the reason or duration stated....Hell lo!?! I could have been asked for further proof or documentation before being rejected so callously :( The officials did not even try to hear my side of the story and did not even give me the right to appeal against the decision and very blatantly told me to apply again and try to address the allegations against me with proof. So did I apply again? No! Not because I was guilty...but because I can't afford to spend another big sum of money and then again be rejected for some petty reason.
This made me realise that being rejected is no doubt a serious blow to anyone's confidence and self-respect. I have started understanding how it feels to prepare so hard for a job interview...go through lenthy selection sessions and tests...be filled with anticipation and hope and then get the door slammed in your face because you just didn't fit the bill. I feel a certain attachment to the one who goes to a person with their heart pinned to their sleeve...singing ballads of love and watching with bated breath and a starry gaze only to discover that your just not meant to be..
But don't worry if you didn't get this job...you are probably gonna find a better one that you always dreamt about. So what if the guy or girl didn't want your love? There is someone out there for you...with whom you will feel complete. Everything works out for the best they say...and it does! 

Electricty..oh electricity...

When the world seems dark and desolate....when the calm of the night is shattered by the whirring of machines...when you cannot find solace for hours...you know it is time...time to test all your patience and forbearance capacities...time to create a fan out of every available book or newspaper or in other words..time for the regular electricity load shedding :p Time flies by these days but the hour without electricity stretches to infinity. Small wonder that the load shedding timings have started increasing with the approach of summers! It is going to be epic, battling mosquitoes and tolerating the heat, while sitting in the dark. Those of you who do not posses a UPS, converter or electric power generator, my heart goes out to you.

It was a very big news last year that there was a power outage in North America that caused consternation among people and the loss of millions of dollars in revenues. The duration of that power failure was probably a week. So what about us??? We have to endure daily power outages that last from 8 hours to 14 hours in the big cities, while the towns and villages have to survive on just a few hours of electricity each day. The situation of commerce in our country is such that many factories have been driven out of business due to the power shortage and many have relocated to other countries (taking with them whatever slim employment opportunities they provided)! Our business areas are roaring with the deafening sound of generators during peak activity hours and the costs of using the generators has to be silently cut from the profit margin or passed on to the customer. Our offices are giving lower output due to inavailability of power for computers, internet, printers and other office mashines. Our educational institutions are facing hurdles in utilizing supporting multimedias and projectors for educational purposes. In short every activity that is of benefit to the economy of our country and necessary for progress depends on electricity and without electricity we are going in the backward direction.

When the public makes noise over their predicament, they are told the power production plants cannot meet the population's ever-increasing electricy demands, but somehow nothing besides small talk is done. No corrective measures are taken and the dependance on hydro-electric power and fossil fuels for power generation is seemingly not enough. Maybe a new alternative like solar energy needs to be explored because we do have a never ending supply of sunlight :p Some of our helpful neighbours have offered to sell us electricity at subsidized rates but that sounds like a national insult to our rulers I guess because neither of those lucrative offers has been accepted :( electricity oh electricity..wish you were here!

From a Disgruntled Fat Lady

There comes a time in your life when stepping on the weighing scale takes guts :p This sort of thing is happening to me these days, as I'm drawing closer to my thirties and honestly I'm freaking out! I've always been the sort of person who lives to eat and somehow it never did matter what I ate. But lately the weighing scale seems to creak and groan ominously when I step on it, scaring me that it might burst open and spew out its springs and gears like in cartoons...So now I gotta be cautious about the calories, do some serious workouts and cut down on the carbs blah blah blah...That sort of takes out the fun from life-atleast my life!
I know that obesity is the start of many health issues but gaining a few extra kilos should not be such a problem..right? Wrong!! It has now become a taboo to sport an extra inch of belly fat or have love handles that need handling :p Staying rake-thin is now becoming a norm and most of the women I see around me are either on a strict diet or are burning yoga mats in some gym. Not that I'm against physical fitness but what bothers me is the obsession with wafer-like bodies. Exercising has never harmed anyone and it's good to be active but has anyone ever pondered over the fact that excessive dieting not only leads to dramatic deficiencies in the body but also leads to dark circles under the eyes, hair fall and gastro-intestinal malfunctions. Dieting can become nasty if basic requirements of the body are not kept in mind.
So why the obsession? The answer can be found when you look at the average model or actress draped in a clinging dress that shows off her perfect hour-glass figure. The charm words like sexy, beautiful and attractive are attached to these images and when you are fed these images at a frequency higher than that of sound...you can bet that your mind will pursue the wafer-thin body with an obsession. The trouble with these perfect bodies is that behind the camera so much effort has gone into them. We are not told about the surgeries and liposuctions that these women undergo; we do not know what is their exercise routine or diet plan and neither do we know the amount of photoshop and airbrushing effects that have gone into sculpting that killer physique! And don't forget the efforts of the makeup artists and personal stylists who make them look gorgeous because trust me you wouldn't recognise them without the makeup :p
So next time you look in the mirror, don't try to find a likeness to a celebrity but feel good about yourself. You don't have to be like an actress to be called beautiful, nor do you need to resemble a skinny model to be considered sexy. You are great just the way you are because you are special in your own way :)

Ever wondered WHY?

There is so much to do and there is very little time...I'm sure this feeling swamps your mind at one point or the other. The fast pace of life does leave one dazed and  defeated sometimes. It would be a good idea to slow down a bit and try to live one day at a time. Too much planning can become a hazard, so just relax and let things unravel on their own sometimes. Try to absorb your surroundings and maybe you will stumble upon something you have never noticed before. Try to reflect on all the wonders you see and contemplate. Have you ever wondered why do babies smile in their sleep? Have you ever wondered why birds sing  to welcome the morning? Have you ever wondered why do animals have more harmony in their groups as compared to humans? Have you ever wondered why there is no money in a poor man's account but he sleeps sounder than a rich man? Have you ever wondered why the arrival of spring is marked by green sprouts bursting from seemingly dead boughs? Have you ever wondered why a rainbow marks the end of a storm?

If you have ever wondered, then you will know that putting aside all your worries and forgetting all your troubles will give you a reason to smile in your sleep. You will discover that having money is not a guaarantee of peace of mind and it only serves to generate more needs that demand more money and more of your time. You will realize that morning is the time to start afresh and an opportunity to undo yesterday's mistakes and to celebrate another day. You will feel that a loss is not the end of the world and every bad event is followed by something good. You will find that forgiving and forgetting will enable you to harmonize better with your fellow beings and will take you above judgement and doubt. You will attain a new sense of hope and never give up on things that apear to be inert. You will conclude that there really is no need to go through life at break neck speed and it is best that you keep it simple and keep it positive! Because life is what you choose to make it.