Hamid Mir's Injuries

 The recent nonlethal light pistol assault on the vehicle carrying senior journalist and TV interviewer Hamid Mir near Karachi airport seems to have raised a storm in a teacup. Thank God he suffered minor bullet wounds and is fast recovering, but it is not yet established whether Mr. Mir was the intended victim or it was a case of mistaken identity. The car in which he was travelling is a common model and color. The choice of weapon was definitely unprofessional if the intention was to kill someone in a moving vehicle. Yet there was an instant outrageous allegation suggesting that the ISI chief had attempted to have him murdered. This is bad journalism. It appears that the affairs of Geo TV are run entirely by young and impulsive announcers without any editorial review or management control. If they had suspicion of ISI men being involved in the case, Mr. Mir and Geo TV should have complained to the ISI chief and demanded action rather than committing an act that could be branded as unpatriotic.  The owners of Geo TV should start paying also attention to matters other than ad revenues.

 As for the public response to the case, it shows that the people of Pakistan are sick and tired of ‘spyocracy’ – an affliction also suffered by other democracies such as India, USA, Britain, Israel etc. due to exaggerated threat perception. The political leaders of these countries need to join heads to find ways to reduce the threat perceptions hence interference by spy agencies.

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·         When will the Children of Israel grow up?

·         The Holy Qur'an is a Book of Wisdom, not a book of mantras.

·         PKR is now worth more than 1 US cent. Mr. Dar has delivered in 9 months. Congrats.

·         I am not the greatest. He is.

·         In his first term Mr. Nawaz Shareef had built a town in Punjab with donations from Muslim countries for the repatriation and housing of Biharis from Bangladesh. But when they stated arriving, trains taking them from Karachi to Punjab were stopped in interior Sindh and the Biharis were searched and killed. The plan was abandoned.

·         I recall having read somewhere that way back when the Pakistan movement was in full swing someone had suggested that a committee be formed to draft Pakistan's constitution in advance; to which Quaid-e-Azam and some other senior leaders had replied that there was no need for such an effort as The holy Quran was going to be the constitution of Pakistan. But it seems that after achieving independence the spirit was lost.

·         Artificial sweeteners do not attract ants.

·         Taqwa defined in the holy Qur'an: [2.177] It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prater and pay the poor-rate; and the performers of their promise when they make promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in times of conflict --- these are they who are true (to themselves) and these are (Muttaqeen) who guard against evil. ---Translated by M. H. Shakir.

·         What an irony. Pervez Musharraf is the latest missing person in Pakistan and the government is unable to produce him before the court.

·         Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Celebrate it!

·         Happy New Gregorian Year 2014 to all who will notice this entry. Let us resolve that this year we shall not repeat the mistakes of last year and try our best not to make new ones by trusting and consulting others before taking a decision. Let us also resolve that we shall treat everyone as a good person unless proven otherwise and keep our lines of communication open via FB and other conceivable channels for everyone.

·         I wish to thank everyone who called or sent a message on my birthday today. I am wondering about what I achieved during the last one year and what should be my targets for the next. One thing is obvious: I must do something admirable to make my next Birthday celebrations worthwhile. Since I have managed to stay alive during the last year, I should be able to do the same or even better next year. Do you agree with me?

·         Growing up means gaining control over ones emotions, actions and expressions. Children have no control and old people begin to lose it. So exercise it while you have it.

·         Allah! On this auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, please grant lasting happiness and continued success to all my family and friends on Facebook and elsewhere.

·         I have stopped believing in prayers and wishes. Let us work together and ensure that in the coming years:
1. Nobody sleeps hungry.
2. No bullets are fired or rockets aimed at or bombs dropped on human beings.
3. No one suffers a loss due to the dishonesty of another person.
4. No truth worth knowing by people remains concealed.
5. No call for help goes unnoticed.

·         I am 66 now which looks like opening inverted commas, so the rest of my life will be a quotation ending at 99?

·         " For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land."
---The Holy Quran Chapter 5, Verse 32.

·         Why isn't anyone calling the Nato attack on Pakitani military post an act of war?

·         If you have nothing to do then READ. Reminds you of something?

·         "...People of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."
---Leonardo Da Vinci

·         Why are most People right-handed? Best answer gets a reward.

·         Why are most People right-handed? Best answer gets a reward.

·         A perfect human being is one who has never hurt anyone in any way.

·         Here is a quote from a Hindu religious book:
It is improper to ever forget a kindness, But good to forget at once an injury received. The deadliest injury is effaced the moment The mind recalls a single kindness received from the injurer.
- Tirukkural 11:108-109

·         If you start playing a game with someone who does not know your game, you will only defeat yourself and feel bitter.

·         There is a verse in the Holy Qur'an that I translate as meaning  " Spouses should tailor themselves for each other."

·         Eid Mubarak. On one day in every year The Creator gives you the power to reward yourself for all your good deeds of the past year. Have you decided on what you deserve this year? I am sure you deserve the best.

·         According to an ancient belief, the world came into existence when the contraries (opposites) separated out of nothingness.

·         If you can't explain convincingly to a lay person what you are going to do, then most likely you won't do it right. That is the principle behind parliament.

·         Marriage is an agreement to be employed as a husband or wife and to take additional responsibilities as father or mother with happiness in life as wages and grandchildren as bonus.

·         Q: What is the difference between girls and women? A: Girls grow up, but women don't.

·         Thought for the day: The smell in your kitchen is the same as what you are cooking to serve to others.