Progressive Pakistan

  The residents of ill-fated Gilgit could easily hear hovering helicopters , the loud music, and echoing slogans raised during parade rehearsal and witness the VIP movement on Shahrah e Quaid e Azam Gilgit before 1 November; the Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan. This day drifts us away to the liberation war of Gilgit-Baltistan when stout-hearted people of the difficult terrain liberated their land from the Dogra rule, governed the area as an Independent State for some days, and later joined Pakistan by choice in 1947.  The unfortunate, patriotic pro-Pakistan people celebrated 14 August with enthusiasm and fervor and are now preparing to celebrate the Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan with pomp and show.  The government officials and demagogues are going to deliver speeches to glorify the freedom fighters.They will lay wreaths on their graves to pay homage to their bravery and valor against the adversary.  Thanks to the Federation that it validates the sacrific...

Colonel Retired Khan Wajahat breathed his last in Rawalpindi this morning. He was the son of Mirza Hassan Khan; the freedom fighter and iconic figure of Gilgit-Baltistan. Late Col Wajahat after his father followed his father's legacy and took part in politics to pull out the people of Gilgit- Baltistan from socio-political and constitutional quagmire. He along with his cronies Late Maj Hussain Shah and others formed a political party to address the grievances of Gilgit-Baltistan and both of them faced the music for their struggle. Late Col retired Wajahat voiced Gilgit-Baltistan's constitutional orphanage on various international forums while in exile for his socio-political activism. He had been politically victimized till his last breath. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan shouldn't forget the sacrifices he and his family gave to Gilgit-Baltistan. How ill-fated we humans are; in the end some messages and voice notes are the only memories we are left with. Goodbye Veteran, yo...

  Our Preferences behind the facade of Objectivity  When progressives,socialists and left-wing political parties were critical of undemocratic forces for their intervention in Politics, the proponents of PTI painted it anti-state. When there was a raucous debate about the extension of COAS in the country. The supporters of PTI obfuscated the whole scenario saying "mulk kay azeem tar mafad mein extension deni chahae "  When people would voice the forced , unlawful Balouch disappearances and demanded their judicial trial.PTI friends would assume " begair reason kay nahi uthatay "  When folks would stand for freedom of press and media, lambasting the abduction of journalists like Mati ul Jan. The tigers of PTI observed grave silence.  When socialists throughout the country raised slogans  to bolster student unions and demanded freedom.PTI friends would mock at them saying" kis say azaadi chahae "And then PTI popped up with Azaadi March"  When PTI marches...

Why did I become a nurse and Why did I become a nurse entrepreneur? Introduction Since childhood, I had the desire to serve humanity in a tense and vulnerable situation; when a few people show the courage to give a helping hand. This desire gradually got strength when I pay visits to hospitals where I would see patients lying on the beds, crying out in pain. Also, Clara Barton and Mother Theresa are the two influential nurses who provided me with the impetus to join nursing. They spent their lives helping people in times of hardship, crisis, and destruction. Therefore I chose to be a nurse to help patients who are passing through the dark phase of their lives. I believe, nursing is one of the most respectable and trusted fields. This field plays a pivotal role to improve and revamping the healthcare system. I was intrigued by nursing due to its scope and demand. Though this field is challenging as one has to come across stressful situations i.e in case of emergency yet ...

When Imran Khan was sworn in as PM, everyone celebrated and expected that he would be different from other corrupt politicians. People started taking interest in politics because they saw hope. They used to follow his news and watch his interviews.   The nation was convinced that he would perform and transform our institutions. But, unfortunately, he went along the same old lines the political elites of Pakistan have been adopting. The same dogmas and rotten practices our politicians have in their buckets were readily used by Imran Khan and his PTI government. Perhaps the rationale behind the failure of Imran’s government cannot be merely a foreign conspiracy. It is more about his incompetence, as he was unable to deliver on the promises he made to the nation while speaking from that “Container”. 1-Imran Khan failed to draft an economic policy after resuming office. He asked IMF many times for financial aid despite being critical of IMF policies and despite making promises of shunn...

Bride Adiba was strangled to death by in-laws in Shimshal,Gilgit-Baltistan.The body was left on river-bank.Though FIR was registered ,murderers were apprehended yet they were released on bail.This exposes our rotten justice system.Hence the threat posed to lives of women by domestic violence can't be condoned.  How could in-laws kill the newly wed bride ,wrapped the body in the blanket ,left in open and painted it as suicide. This case should thoroughly be looked into.Shame on those men and women who are involved in her murder.  Daughters are wed with a dream that they will live happily and become torch bearers of up coming generation being the first and primary institution BUT who knows that they will be choked to death like #Adiba by in-laws.  Raise your voice against domestic violence before it's too late. No one deserves to be killed this way.This is murder in cold blood.

  The war stricken Afghanistan remained in crisis because it's land has been used as a battlefield by big powers and their proxies for vested interests.No one thought of Afghan people beyond politics. The festering wound and worsening situation in Afghanistan demands magnanimity with the Afghan people.Hundreds of thousands of people from peripheries thronged into Kabul.  Women are not allowed to work in offices,young girls are sent back to home from colleges and universities.People are stuck at airport.Afghan Youth has been seen trying to board US Airforce Plane as they want to flee Afghanistan for better future and opportunities. No one can anticipate the future as people are going through uncertainity and chaos.Atleast we should feel the ordeal people of Afghanistan are going through. It is the most difficult time under Taliban's rage.Prayers for the people of Afghanistan.  Flabbergasted to see some people in Pakistan among proponents of Taliban even after APS attack Pe...

  Some pals raise a few eye brows on road blockades during Muharram.Let me disect it in few dimensions. Jalose routes are permitted and scheduled by Administration one or two days before processions and we follow the designated routes.If traffic is not properly managed it is failure on behalf of traffic police and concerned echelons. Muharram proccessions are staged throughout the world.In western countries traffic and route planning are good enough to divert the traffic smoothly.Therefore we see people on protests right infront of White House America. When we have a visit of Sir Agha Khan in Hunza or PM Pakistan in GB ,their protocol and prerogative is always followed ,routes are priorly decided to avoid congestion but traffic jams are obvious due to poor town planning and traffic strategies. We used to see protests every next day on roads in Pakistan and across the globe against discrimination ,prejudice,price hikes,inflation  and human rights violation.We had a sit-in of 12...

  US withdrew from Afghanistan in dark in accordance with it's foreign policy to exit 20 years of war, which it started to avenge 9/11 attack.The americans deliberately left heavy ammunition and weaponry behind to further aggravate the situation. As of now the fate of Aghanis is in the hands of war-lords and various Taliban factions.The recent developments suggest Afghanistan is advancing towards Civil war because most of the areas have been controlled by Talibans.Moreover Talibans are also striving hard to create unrest near Tajikistan's border along durand line. It may be anticipated that the northern part of Pakistan i.e Gilgit-Baltistan could also suffer from the ongoing outrage because one of cults of Taliban released a video of an open Kachery held in Babusar area.The spokesperson floated few of the concerns. The commander while reading a script also discussed about a deal finalised with echelons and political leadership of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2019 that means someone a...

The grafting of two glaciers to create new glaciers in order to utilize water for irrigation and in some cases to give impetus to hydro power on micro level ; a myth that remained the cultural heritage of the indigenous people of north.It is considered one of the popular natural phenomena in Gilgit-Baltistan.  The folklore explains that there is a male glacier called "Bero Gamuk" and a female glacier known as "Shochi Gamuk".Male glaciers are grey in colour, possesses debris, while female glaciers are transparent or bluish in color.The male glacier spills little water and moves slowly, while a female glacier is a growing glacier that gives off a lot of water.  The grafting process requires a piece each of a ‘male’ and ‘female’ glacier weighing approximately 45kg. Villagers pack these pieces in barley hay to make them warmer and carry them in a basket locally called "Karai".Then they transport it to the designated place and cover them with the mixture of mud...

Gilgit-Baltistan:the heaven on earth in the lap of three mountain ranges ,the Hindukush ,the Karakorum and the Himalayas is yet to be explored by tourists across the globe. It has three divisions i.e Gilgit division ,Baltistan division and Diamer division with further bifurcation into 10 districts. Almost every district of Gilgit-Baltistan conceals breath taking landscapes and lush green pastures. Difficult terrain ,lofty and icy mountains ,mighty glaciers ,cascading streams,serenity and lakes makes this chunk one of the beautiful and worth visiting places of northern Pakistan.Lets give a bird eye to some of them. The foremost is district Astore that has lakes,dancing waterfalls and trekking areas.This district is the door to Deosai National Park or Deosai Plains at the height of 12000 feet above the sea level.The park is made to protect wildlife especially endangered specie Brown Bear. The park borders district Astore-Diamer division and Skardu-Baltistan division.The tourist can get...

People suffering from inferiority complex are always in quest of power and authority, be that a lucrative job in government,a slot in political landscape,a decent post in corporate sector or assuming a respectable position in a clan, tribe or least would be a dominant , eldest brother /sister or strict father-cum-power freak heading a nuclear or extended family.Let us critically analyze the life of a power freak. A family living under the same roof as an organization where it's members are inextricably connected with each other , sharing every thick and thin are also in power struggle in one way or other. Ostensibly the blue eyed child who could be a sister or a brother mostly eldest among siblings with inflated ego enjoys the preference in the family, and cold shoulder is given to rest of the children. The priority and privilege are neither based on intellect and sacrifices for the family nor merit rather it purely depends on the orthodox and old schooled father to the side he ...

  Hasnain Ramal is one of the staunch nationalist voices of Gilgit-Baltistan.He has played a pivotal role to morph left-wing progressive politics of the region.His political ideology about Gilgit-Baltistan is far different from others.He asserts Gilgit-Baltistan a disputed territory stipulated in UNCIP resolutions.  Therefore he lays emphasis on it's political resolution as per UNCIP resolutions without exacerbating Kashmir cause.Precisely he demands implementation of State Subject Rule ,withdrawal of Pakistan Army from the disputed region and right to self-determination.He raised few questions while he was behind bars,that are still unanswered. His activism on social media also circumscribes his demands.He speaks volumes on constitutional rights,privatization,land acquisition and against resentment in Gilgit-Baltistan.The reasons he is behind bars.His incarceration for the second time could not wane his political standing on the cause as he still stands high on pedestal witho...

The sacred Civil-Military bureaucracy hides colonial legacy if history is unveiled.After the inception of Pakistan the economy of the nascent state was in turmoil.Therefore foreign aid was doled out to alleviate poverty and help elevate economic indicators of the country but unfortunately the aid was materialised to strengthen both civil and military bureaucracy behind the facade of external threats from the neighboring countries. The officialdom and administrators were deployed to rule the public. Herculean efforts were made using public offices to atomize and stratify society for private gains.Tens of thousands of people migrated from India to Pakistan dreaming of a change but that change remained a tax code which rewarded those lobbyists who wrote it instead of the workers and small businesses who deserve it. Fuedal lords and Industrialists started allying with bureaucracy in quest of power ,authority and to reach parliament in exchange for giving clean chit to bureaucracy so that...

  Power crisis is one of impediments in development of Gilgit-Baltistan.Prolonged load sheding and sky rocketed electricity bills have made mundane's life miserable. To address this issue the concerned Water and Power Department Gilgit had opened bids for a project of Supply,Installation and Commissioning of Solar Systems in 21 vital government offices. The project is a test run to vet the reliability of Photo Voltaic (PV) systems during intermittent weather of the hilly and difficult terrain. The contractor A.A Construction Private Limited remained successful to win this project after acquiring technical and financial qualification. Furthermore ,the contractor sublet the project to a robust and reputed company named as Kamal Green Energy and Tech Solutions to infuse renewable green and clean energy. For the very first time equipment of International standard has been used.The Project of around 170KW Solar system embellished with Solar Panels PV Jinko 440W ,Ritar 200 AH Batter...

Six people including a woman were killed at Naltar ,Gilgit in wake of a tribal scuffle.Every section of our society voiced the victims and criticized the heinious crime. It is good to hear that culprits of Naltar Incident have been apprehended.Police and Law enforcement organs must be lauded for their quick action. Some months back two young souls Farjaad and another were lynhced in Naltar ,few friends of them created hype on social media against the massacre but rest of us remained silent even Police wasnot ostensibly functional to bring the perpetrators to justice. Years back ,dozens of passengers in Babusar ,Lolosar were lynched brutally on KKH after checking NICs.The kind people of Chilas helped most to elude the tragedy But again majority of us were observing silence so do our Law enforcement bodies. The episode wise tragedies and our Institutional selective approach towards the victims and deceased manifest how cruel and criminal we all are from inside out. We cannot openly...

  This day drifts us to March 23, 1940 when Pakistan Resolution was passed.Father of the nation the great Quaid e Azam on this day at Minto Park for the first time demanded a saparate country for muslims. It is pertinent to ask why Quaid e Azam wanted a saparate country ? The Quaid anticipated that Muslims could not prosper ,propel and live their lives in accordance with their religion and culture in an independent India dominated by the Hindu majority. He thus demanded a separate homeland for the Muslims where they would be free to practice their religion and follow their culture. This narrative was fully endorsed by Muslims of the Sub-Continent but it was a knee-jerk for Hindu leaders like Nehru ,Gandhi and their protagonists who were not ready to accept the Muslim demands and claimed to be the sole representatives of the Indian population. On this day, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, with his insight and vision showed to the whole world that he was the only roaring voice of the Muslim...

Muhammad Ali Sadpara remained an iconic climber , kind porter and a true mountaineer was based in a small peripheral Sadpara village of Skardu ,Gilgit-Baltistan.He started his expedition few days back with a dream to summit second highest lofty K-2.He was accompanied by his son and others.He set out in winters when temperature usually drops below -15°C at base camp and -63 °C at bottle neck i.e over 8200m of the mighty K-2. The resilient climber Ali Sadpara and his team went missing when they ascended bottle neck while his son Sajid Sadpara returned from 7000 m after some technical fault in his oxygen regulator.The rescue veterans of Pakistan army searched thrice to trace the national hero Ali and others but failed due to intermittent weather.The bad news of missing mountaineers had inundated mainstream media across the globe.Unfortunately the hope of their survival faded away gradually as days passed by. It is pertinent here to discuss whether it was a wrong decision of his to climb ...