Sure to Die

When unseeing eyes have no more tears to shed

When the outraged monster sees only red

When forgotten moments have slipped by

The aching heart is sure to die.

When the guardians of faith take to arms

When the cries for help ring like alarms

When the rivers of blood have run dry

The dwindling belief is sure to die.

When treachery overpowers trust

When the fires of love are fuelled by lust

When thoughts and actions do not comply

The ebbing conscience is sure to die. 

When treasures are hoarded by the miser

When the book does not make one wiser

When the corrupt rule and the liars lie

The withering soul is sure to die.

"It's just an empty cup"

Sometimes you get inspiration from very unlikely sources, like when I was watching Disney Pixar's animated movie CARS with my daughter, a statement made by the protagonist of the movie, Lightning McQueen, really inspired me...Throughout the movie he is shown to be obsessed with winning a Piston Cup, but in the end realizes that it's just an empty cup...and gives up the cup in favour of helping a fellow racer.

The whole movie was a really stunning allegory of life itself. We spend our precious time trying to fulfill wants and wishes that make us lose focus of everyone and everything around us. We do whatever it takes to lead a posh life, a life less ordinary and a life  that is seemingly very satisfactory. In reality, our every activity revolves around generating more and more money to cater to our ever-increasing desires. The wish-list never stops growing...It's almost as though the cup we are trying to fill has a hole in the bottom. And by the time we realize that it is going to remain an empty cup forever...it's too late to go back.

I read a research that was conducted on old people living their last days in old homes and I was saddened to discover that each one of them regretted having wasted their lives on mundane pursuits rather than spending time with their families and friends. Each of the interviewees wanted to turn back the clock to steal some time  with loved ones. That is the trouble with money..it's so attractive that it blinds you towards many things. It makes you overlook important occasions and forget birthdays. It creates gaps between friends and strikes rifts between brothers. It estranges a father and son. It breaks up marriages and lowers the moral standards of people. This is the reason why Allah has commanded us to adopt the moderate path that does not involve being miserly or being over indulgent. It is our responsibility to restrict ourselves to our means rather than elaborating our means to suit us!

Some people would scoff at my views but seriously...the precious moments that you lose in favour of working extra time cannot be bought back with the extra money you earned. There is nothing more valuable than time, so spend it wisely.

Growing UP

When I look at my 3 year old daughter, I see a heart warming innocence that emanates from her eyes and her lovely smile. I see in her the proverbial empty pages that are waiting for the quivering hands of experience to write down a story. Then some day her face will be like a voluminous book that boasts of a life-long log of  trials and wisdom.

Every parent tries to protect his children from the harsh realities of life but over the passage of time this exposure is inevitable. That is part of growing up, you can't just have all the good things in life. You have to taste bitterness, experience loss, suffer defeat and be challenged by fear. Some psychologists say that children who are over-protected and shown only the bright side of things tend to have unrealistic expectations and get bored of everything very quickly. That is something far worse than a child who has faced the ups and downs of life...because with proper guidance from parents such a child becomes fully equipped to handle similar situations in grown up life. 

The new era has produced a new generation that is fine tuned to all the latest trends and is very assertive and independent as compared to previous generations. I have noticed a very high degree of will-power and confidence in my daughter, which usually develops in later years. She is very sure of herself and does not back down in the face of authority. Maybe it is because now parents share a very close and equal bond with their children and try to make their every little dream come true. Unwittingly, parents themselves are creating problems for their kids, since they are not being trained to cope with unfulfilled demands and unnecessary wishes. Life has much to offer but you can never have it all!

I try to keep check on my own upbringing methods but then again I also fall prey to these usual pitfalls because I want my child to have the best in everything...It is not wrong to have such aspirations for your kids but we have to strike a balance and set limits. Do you ever feel the same as I do?

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!