The Level Playing Field

 Much is being said about providing level playing field to various political parties in the upcoming general elections in Pakistan. 

The buldozer operators are acting on their own whims and prejudices, causing much distress to innocent, sincere and patriotic citizens.

The real issue is a poorly written constitution and the insolence of certain institutions that spare no opportunity of discrediting it. Insult is added to national injury by almost equal criminalization of political, civil, commercial and military entities where lust for laundered money rules Supreme.

The  Supreme Court  judges have extricated the appointment of CJ from politics by strictly following seniority for promotion and retiring routinely at fixed age.

The Army can benefit from following the same example,  rather than involving political wranglings.  The other option is to follow the parliamentary norm. Sack all starred generals every five years and recruit afresh on the basis of merit. The sacked ones should also be allowed to apply and compete in a well designed test of courage and integrity. The freshly appointed generals may then elect their Chief.

Thanks, Singaporeans

 I appreciate the recent surge in interest and pageviews from Singapore. I am expecting some comments from the able readers. It will encourage me, surely. 

Faith and Grammar

 

An ancient piece of text in any language written before the development of its grammar is always ambiguous and subject to multiple interpretations.

I asked  an AI chatbot about when the grammars of the languages in which most popular divine books are written were compiled. Here is the answer.

The grammar of the following languages was compiled at different times throughout history:

Greek: The grammar of the Greek language was compiled by ancient Greek scholars and grammarians starting from around the 4th century BCE. The most famous of these works is the "Art of Grammar" by Dionysius Thrax, which was written in the 2nd century BCE.

Latin: The grammar of the Latin language was also compiled by ancient Roman grammarians. One of the earliest Latin grammars is the "Ars grammatica" by Aelius Donatus, which was written in the 4th century CE. However, there were earlier works on Latin grammar as well.

Hebrew: The grammar of the Hebrew language was studied and compiled by Jewish scholars over centuries. One significant work on Hebrew grammar is the "Sefer Yetzirah," written in the early centuries CE. However, the most comprehensive and influential Hebrew grammar work is the "Kitāb al-ʼAyn" by Saadia Gaon, written in the 9th century CE.

Arabic: The grammar of the Arabic language was extensively studied and compiled by Arab linguists and scholars from the 8th century CE onwards. Some of the most notable works on Arabic grammar include "Al-Kitab" by Sibawayh, written in the 8th century CE, and "Al-Kitab fi al-Nahw" by Ibn Hisham, written in the 13th century CE.

End of Goodness

 Intelligence Report sent by an observer in a UFO circling the earth to its headquarters in Alpha Centauri.

Political situation in Pakistan has taken a bizarre turn. The country gives the impression if a huge concentration camp in which 230 million inmates are being tormented to break their will.  They failed to retake occupied Kashmir, instead became an occupied land in sympathy.

The army has embarked on a ruthless plan to restore its intimidation on public which seems to have tarnished significantly in the last few years due to the misdeeds of the last chief and the controversial appointment of the new one.

The failed assassination attempt on IK allegedly staged by the internal wing of an intelligence agency in collaboration with PMLN seems to have  alienated not only the public but also segments of the armed forces both active and retired. A number of retired and sacked military officers were openly advocating revolt against army chief and DG ISI.

It seems that there were numerous officers in army who honestly believed that the army should mind its own business and  stay away from the political quagmire. But unfortunately they ended up on the wrong side of the dominant segment that looked upon itself as the sovereign owner of the country.

Due to three decade long military dictatorships when they worked hand in glove there are strong links between the army hierarchy and civil beaurocracy including the police.  The army command is in a position to have any false case registered against any civilian in any part of the country including the remotest corners. When hundreds of false cases were registered against individual PTI leaders, although it could and maybe was done by the PDM coalition, many sober intellectuals were equally suspicious of both. The assassination of Arshad Sharif and abduction and torture of numerous journalists and PTI leaders by CTD was overly disturbing.

In his press conference DGISPR expressed pride that his men had succeeded in snaring PTI workers into military property  and obtaining video evidence against them that would be used in summary military trials. All the live broadcast videos showing PTI leaders screaming on loud hailers asking their people not to enter army property or take part in violence as well as those showing plainclothes men alighting services vehicles and merging with protesters have disappeared from the social media. The contempt with which he alluded to a political party and its leader clearly showed ill will. Medals would have been due if the ruse had been pulled off against an enemy.
At about the same time, two v-loggers reported about a meeting called by DGISI in which the owners of about a dozen TV news channels were indirectly threatened that even if the name of Imran Khan was mentioned on their channels their womenfolk could be kidnapped and their houses could be set on fire. There is no way to verify their veracity but the forbidden name has disappeared from all tv channels just as those v-loggers have disappeared from YouTube.
Imran Khan's campaign of public awareness of civil rights and the realisation by the masses of how they had been robbed and persecuted by a corrupt mafia of sorts had galvanised the nation. His inspirational slogan "We have shattered the idols of fear" echoed in all walks of life. Expectation arose that a virtuous revolution was about to take place without bloodshed.

It seems that the idea of a fearless public displeased the army top brass. If all the people became brave and ready to fight an invader, where would they stand? 

So it all started ..........

Quran on Fire

 Not very long ago when Serbians under the leadership of Radovan Karadzic were having fun and providing amusement to the rest of Europe by way of persecuting Muslims within their reach. Nearly three hundred and fifty thousand Bosnian Muslims were killed in most brutal and heinous exercise of hatred. That's were cut, women were raped, children were brutalised and large groups were put in concentration camps and starved to death.  The Serbs were out to break all records of the Nazis. When one of the commanders was asked why they were doing it, he replied,  "because they don't eat pork. "

Fanatic Christians harbour a deadly hatred of Muslims because they do not eat pork or drink wine or fornicate with siblings. They have the freedom to hate.
But they also believe in heaven and hell, and any any suggestion that they may end up in hell makes them mad. The Bible barons have cleverly edited their books to justify all above actions. The Quran is the only book that still defines sins and warns of eternal life in hell for the transgressors.
Think about a North European young man whose sister has given birth to his child, and he learms that according to Quran they are both destined for hell. He knows no way of repenting or reversing what happened. The only thing he can do is to insult, tear, kick and burn that book. And all his friends who might be in a similar position would cheer and applaud him.
But the story does not end there. If all Christians start believing in th Quran and living shariah-compliant life, serious economic problems would arise.  If all the pork and wine businesses close down, the western economy will collapse.  So it stands to reason that Western leaders and governments tacitly encourage anti-Islamic and anti-quranic stances in their countries.
There may still be many Hitlers and Karadzics hidden behind those noble faces.

Brief history of Pakistan

 After the death of Jinnah due to neglected medical attention, the murder of Liaquat, and the departure of British imperial military commanders, General Ayub staged a coup abrogating the 1956 constitution and ruled for a decade until he became very unpopular. In effect, he imposed an indigenous imperialism by the army.

 Before departing, he imposed martial law and handed power to General Yahya, who held general elections in which Mujib won 160 seats in East Pakistan against Bhuttos 80 in the west. Mujib was denied premiership, and insurgency erupted in East Pakistan, allowing India to invade. The small Pak military force there could not stand long, and after Bhutto, the then FM rejected UN brokered cease-fire, Pak forces surrendered, and Bangladesh was formed. 

Bhutto emerged as a shrewd socialist leader as PM of remaining Pakistan. He nationalised all industries and big businesses and introduced a new parliamentary constitution in 1973. He was deposd by General Zia-Ul-Haq after a rigged election and controversially hanged for murder after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal by a split judgment. There are accusations that judges were unduly pressureised or influenced in their decision.

Next came Nawaz with large-scale deregulation and privatisation of industries and businesses with allegations of historic corruption, who was ousted and nearly hanged by General Musharraf. Later, he was disqualified from political activity by a Supreme Court decree on grounds that some consider weak. 

Then came Imran, the best of them all, who managed the Covid emergency very well, started schemes for the welfare of the poor, and achieved a sustained economic growth rate of 6% which was the highest ever in the country's history. Most significantly, mega corruption cases against some of the most notorious politicians like Shahbaz and Zardari were all but established. At this juncture, he was cunningly dislodged by General Bajwa in April 2022, who managed to entice away all his allies to form an unbelievable coalition of all 13 opposition parties and coerced judicial interference in parliamentary matters. Imran came out in protest with a massive rally and bravely survived three bullet wounds sustained in a joint murder attempt of PDM and an alleged intelligence agency on the way.

 He is now being hounded by General Asim Munir, the new army chief in pursuance of some unexplained delusion. According to the army's account, May 9 was a virtual sequel to 9/11 in Pakistan in which according to the propaganda scenario women and children of PTI leaders and workers allegedly attacked sensitive military installations with weapons of mass destruction. The army was unable to defend itself and appeared to be completely routed alongside the federal and provicial governments. There was not an army soldier nor a policeman to be seen on the streets. They had all gone into hiding.

It appears that Pak Army regrouped and launched a counterattack on PTI tagged as the imaginary enemy. With a whole procession of professional turncoats ready to cooperate, a new political party seems to be emerging in addition to the existing coalition, which will support and bow before the revived sovereign army imperialism. 

The Oceans

 Millions of people bathe, fish, and sail in seawater every day. The vastness and majesty of the oceans is awesome. Whereas the gentle waves at the shore are so pleasant, the stormy seas are nerve-wracking.

But do we realise the biological significance of the vast and deep expance of saline water that covers three quarters of the earth's surface? Yes, it is a sanctuary for life. No bacteria or viruses can survive in the saline water of the oceans and seas. There are no epidemics in the seas and the wounds of the underwater dwellers remain aseptic and heal as soon as bleeding stops.

Even more interesting is the process by which oxygen is provided to the inhabitants of the oceans. The constant turbulence in the seawater not only causes mixing of air at the surface, but also helps to carry it to depths. And the waves are said to be generated by the motion of the moon around the earth. Remarkable engineering!

50 Years On

 

50 Years On

 I visited England in the early 1970s in quest of knowledge. In 2022, I was there again to meet some loved ones, revisit familiar places and recall the past to formulate some comparisons.

Lake district was my favorite retreat in summer, and I had paid several visits in the early seventies. So, I went to see how it looked and felt after half a century. Rothay bridge had changed. Safety railings had been built, but the architect had maintained the old roman stone character. There was a tremendous increase in foliage, thanks to greater awareness of environmental quality. The pictures below graphically depict the contrast between then and now, both for the man and the scene.

In Manchester, where I studied for my post graduate degree the grassy grounds between the buildings had disappeared and new buildings stood tall. The roads, particularly Wilmslow Road was so thoroughly marked for traffic regulation that it looked like a work of art.

Elsewhere the architects seemed to have forgotten how to draw a straight line. Even where straight lines existed, they were seldom parallel or at right angles. This trend is not unique to UK, it can be seen almost everywhere in the world, thanks to innovations in construction techniques and building materials.

The overall environment and public behavior seemed rather subdued, perhaps partly due to nearly two years of the Covid isolation and partly the five-decade aging of the observer.

The intellectual estrangement that I felt during the visit represents the cumulative change in social and moral values that have taken place in certain parts of the world over the past century.

20th century presented a unique era of defiance and unrealism. As I ponder over the past, many suppressed thoughts scream to be shown the light of the day. A few examples are given below for the benefit of the reader.

1. Relativity and accurate prediction of the illusions of a moving observer were theorized in the first decade of 20^th century. Despite the religious convictions of Einstein and his contemporaries (God does not play dice) virtuality began to replace absoluteness. If it was impossible to measure absolute velocity or error was inevitable in any observation, to solve any problem the most viable compromises have to be found. The socio-psychological impact of relativistic thinking has been devastating. The ideals of absolute goal or identified destination do not exist anymore. Comparative or competitive achievement has become the measure of success. Idealists and ideals are things of the past.

2. Cinema and sitting in a darkened room to peep into the realistic projection of private lives of storybook characters became the favorite pastime of many people around the world. Film Industry became an essential part of economy and produced some epic movies that gained universal approval. However, as time passed, more and more intimate scenes became acceptable, and the sense of privacy (or respect for privacy) which is the corner stone of civilization began to erode. The result is that today people seem to take nudity as a norm and are totally insensitive to public display of pornographic material or human indecency. Oddly enough, it is called tolerance and respect for personal freedom.

3. Airconditioning and the science of taking heat from a cooler place and dumping it in a hotter place is another gift of the last century. Although it seems like a negation of the laws of thermodynamics, no laws of physics are violated. Today, there are many people who live constantly in controlled environment whether in home, office, airport, shop, car, train, ship or plane. They only step out in the open when the weather is pleasant. They must be reminded of changing seasons. They have no idea how the vast majority of mankind in their hemisphere is feeling at any given moment. In religious terms they live in a manmade paradise and think of themselves as gods of Greek mythology or Torahic traditions.

4. Capitalism and the conspiracy to take money from the poor and give it to the rich became apparent only after the publication of Carl Marx’s famous book. With the ability of the kings to impose taxes at will curtailed by parliaments, the merchants took their revenge on Robinhood. Although statistical per capita income in developed countries is so high that everyone could live in luxury, the reality is far from it. Most of the wealth belongs to 10% richest and the average person lives from salary check to check, often worrying about the needs of himself and his family. Thanks to the welfare system in UK, I did not see any homeless or starved people on the streets as is the case in some states in USA.

6. The United Nations Organization that was formed soon after the Second World War to prevent future wars and to develop harmony among nations of the world has gradually become an international institution to authorize aggression. The actions and inactions of the UN Security council, clearly dominated by five veto wielding nations, have easily identifiable shades of racial, religious and socio-economic system discrimination.

7. Sex education or reinvention of the basic instinct of life by the naïve has resulted in erosion of difference between sex and masturbation. While I was there in the early 70s many strange things happened. Homosexuality was legalized. Homosexual societies were formed in universities. John Morris of The Sunday Times became Jan Morris by surgical operation. A man was acquitted of murder charge on the alibi by of his friend’s wife that he was with her at the time the murder was committed. Later, proof was found that he had committed the murder and he was indicted ---- sounding the death knell for feminine honor. Frontal nudity became acceptable on stage. This time when I was there, I didn’t find any husbands and wives, there were only civil partners, and to my consternation they could be any combination of two-legged living things.

8. Eradication of beauty to promote sale of cosmetics is the least noticed disaster of human history. Ladies first offered themselves as models to painters and gradually became canvas themselves. It is hard to find a city-woman who would look beautiful for a whole month without the help of a beautician or the consumption of a large quantity of cosmetics and use of many electromechanical tools and implements.

9. There has been a remarkable change in the role of press and journalism from seeking the facts and educating the public, to monitoring public opinion and soliciting readership for commercial purposes. The distinctions between news, propaganda and rumors have become extinct. Live television broadcasting has dramatically changed the spirit of sport. The quality and admirability of sport are measured by their entertainment value. The span of glory for an athlete depends on the whims of his sponsors and managers.

(Copy Right: Muhammad Nasim, mohnasim@gmail.com)

Last Words

 

1. The basic premise of democracy is that you can inherit property, money and relationships, but you cannot inherit power, authority, fame or respect; you have to earn them.

2. A corporation cannot  succeed unless it has: 1) a mechanism to check unnecessary, wasteful and skimoff expenditures  and 2) a system of quality control for its products and services controlled and monitored by the highest authority.

3. A society cannot  prosper unless  every member is confident that he or she is pursuing a meaningful objective.

4. No religion asks its followers to conquer land or enslave people.

5. Faith spreads by demonstration of virtue: state expands by exercise of brute force.

6. Sense of racial uniqueness  and religious superiority are the biggest enemies of civilization; actions of Christian Nazis, Jewish Zionists, Muslim Taleban, Hindu RSS and Myanmar Budhists prove it.

7. A dynamically organised system needs an ultimate controlling authority to survive. The imagined ultimate authority of the entire perceptible universe is called God or Allah.

8. Equilibrium does not necessarily mean equality. It may be caused by leverage.

9. Relative circular motion causes counter gravitation and binary equilibrium is reached when gravitation and countergravitation balance out.

10. Logic can only be exercised with a binary base such as 0-1, good-bad, virtuous-evil, legal-illegal etc.

11. When a country is ruled by people who belong to it, there is good government. When it is ruled by people who think the country belongs to them, there is bad government.

12. Facial makeup is said to enhance beauty of women, but it conceals the blush and other subtle facial expressions that make beauty dynamic.

13. Where did space come from, where does time go?

14. Did everything come into existence with all their properties in a flash, or was there originally just raw matter, parts of which gradually acquired specific properties? Is there a bank of all possible properties on which existence can draw what is needed?

15. Many of western world's  problems result from arbitrary and unjust curtailment  of parents' and husbands' rights by a handful of thoughtless legislators.

16. We admire fiction and poetry that reminds of our own experiences or fantasies.

17. Why should I waste my time studying follies of stupid politicians or kings?

18. Religion has become the art of controlling people by exploiting their sense of guilt.

19. Capitalism idealizes personal grandeur, selective respect for rights and  brutal conquest.

20. Socialism promotes common prosperity, universal rights and peaceful coexistence.

21  Communism strives for collective growth with vindictiveness and disregard of rights.

22. For many, God is the ultimate fantasy.

23. Democracy is a sociopolitical system in which those in power or authority think and behave like common people.


24. To my mind, thinking men and women from the beginning of civilization have been looking for:
1. An unimpeachable authority and
2. A set of irrevocable laws.
Earliest answers were God and religion. Latest are supreme courts and constitutions.

25. For a sufi God is the Mind of the universe.

26. Heaven is Anywhere beyond the horizon.

27. Angels and jinn are Intelligent holograms

28. Quran is a Divine encripted document supposed to be memorized completely by Arabic speaking person, so that in a decade or two his or her mind would cross index tbe scattered text allowing him or her to answer questions according to divine intent.

29. Hindutwa is Indian equivalent of German Nazism.

30. WW3 is the plan of American domination of Asia similar to Western Europe, after Indian invasion of neighbors and American intervention, deterred by Pakistani nuclear arsenal.

Petrol Bomb Terror

 Petrol and diesel prices have traditionally been lower in Pakistan than other South Asian countrues, because of discounts given by friendly middle eastern petrolem suppliers in recognition of its contribution to their defence.

50 million liters of diesel and petrol are consumed daily in Pakistan.

The disputed and discredited government of renowned leeches has increased the price by Rs. 60 per liter (40% above existing 149), fleecing Rs. 3 billion from the public daily, amounting to over one trillion a year. If the goons are right, this amount was being subsidized from tax collected from the rich and the motorbike rider was benefitting.

Now the fuel cost of bikes, rikshaws, taxis and trucks has risen suddenly by 40 percent.
The tricle effect is bound to be disastrous. The cost of food delivery is going to double and many senior citizens who have to utilize the service may face malnutrition. Even if the goons announce some relief for the worst hit, the money will most likely end in their own pockets.

Officers of IMF need to solemnly testify that they were sober when they gave this instruction to the goons as they claim, and that they will not have any share in this loot.