Category Archives: Regular

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A MUGHAL EMPEROR IN PHOTOGRAPHS – LOOKS REAL NOT MYTHICAL

A MUGHAL EMPEROR IN PHOTOGRAPHS
LOOKS REAL NOT MYTHICAL

End of an era

Bahadur Shah Zafar 1858
Bahadur Shah Zafar 1858

Bahadur Shah Zafar is not Lahore in any way, but in some ways, Lahore is related to him. Most of the direct descendants were assassinated by the British. And murdered not in any innocent way but the most brutal possible. An Englishmen is reputed to have drunk the blood of the Mughal Princes just like a vampire to suppress the rage in them. But still some of the off springs survive in various corners of India, and perhaps the world too.

Bahadur Shah Zafar
Bahadur Shah Zafar

In Lahore migrated one wing of Bahadur Shah Zafar from a female Princess. Officially recognized by the British, the Pakistani Government recognized them too. Interestingly one of them, namely Jalaluddin Akbar was with me in school, as well as his cousin Sajjid Arif (from female side again). Their house in Model Town (still there) was shaped like the Naulakha in Lahore Fort. Some Mughal things they possessed with great relish, and they have posted their family tree on the internet, and it can be checked by anyone that likes to do research on them.

One of their female descendant was Dr Taimuri, who did her PHD in history from Punjab University a long time back. A very learned woman. She had a beautiful daughter Ms Nudrat, who was famous for her very long hair, and thought of herself as a Mughal Princess of gone bye days. Her favourite recluse was to hide in a trunk and by shutting herself from the world, she would recollect olden times in a very romantic way. She even had a Mughal name ‘Banqa’ for her beloved Cock-a-doodle do, cock.

A very interesting family, who like their ancestors, came back to Lahore, the city of the origin of Mughal kingdom. At least the roots are still here. We wish them well!

Only one photograph of him was known. Another calotype photograph has recently been discovered with a Britisher standing with him. Lot of things are yet to be discovered in life.

Bahadur Shah Zafar mausoleum
Bahadur Shah Zafar mausoleum

COERCION AND PAYMENTS – BIG JALSAS AND BIG DHARNAS

COERCION AND PAYMENTS
BIG JALSAS AND BIG DHARNAS

Of no significance to the public view

Zaid Hamid
Zaid Hamid

Sometime I think we have become a nation of zombies. I remember Michael Jackson’s thriller and the Zombies come out and start walking, probably a dance of death itself. Similarly our lowest IQ leaders are taking the Nation to the path of destruction by making them ultimate Zombies. Listening to so called leaders rave on video links, from where ever the may be, clapping robotic claps, at what place is the nation in?

To even take the name of some of these leaders is blow the dignity of a thinking man. It is as natural as our national aversion for lizards. The minute you see a lizard, you are sick and want to run away. The same is the case with our political leaders (so-called), and the second you see them, you want to run away. And you are amazed at those sitting and clapping for them. Mass hysteria! Psychologists must come up with a solution to this mass slavery under coercion and payments.

Bal Thackeray was an enigma to people who have not experienced partition. With romantic ideas that humanity is really fair, one cannot believe his party’s statement on conquest of Islamabad itself. And no one has the marbles even in the West to see through this charade of Modern Satanism. But what was really shocking was the statement made by Zaid Hamid that Amitabh Bachan is the front man for the Thackeray’s organization, in more ways than one. In any case what was the need for the veteran actor to go and pay homage to an established world class terrorist. Would I feel comfortable being photographed with some local extremists!
When you smile and give your hands to another person, you are subscribing to the views of that person. You are holding that person in esteem and respect. It does not befit a veteran icon of many to be associated with controversial personalities.

Bal-thackeray and Amitabh-bachan
Bal-thackeray and Amitabh-bachan

Is conquest of Islamabad possible! Everything is possible but the damage control is the blockade to adventurism. When hate and prejudice increases and overwhelms rationality, than it is time, not to give power in the hand of the terrorists, who are a threat to World Peace. It is time to define terrorism for the benefit of all. Or let dissolve UNO once for all, and let the Mighty have their way. The result would indeed be a lessening of the population of the world. But then who cares for humanity? Not the evil forces of the world.

Broad daylight murder in Lahore

A GIRL’S BODY THROWN IN U.C.H COMPOUND LAHORE
FROM A RUNNING CAR

Broad daylight murder in Lahore

Prince Casanova
Prince Casanova

A young Baluch boy, son of Nawab Bugti himself, was having an affair in Lahore with a girl. Typical of his background, resentment started, and like his elders, the solution was simple. Murder your opponent. The girl was strangled to death and thrown in the compound of U.C.H (United Christian Hospital Gulberg) Lahore, and the Bugti Prince escaped and fled Lahore, on an aero-plane to Quetta. Witnessed had noted the number of his car as well as recognized it as belonging to him. The girls body was wrapped round in a sheet. It is was disgusting in all ways. Everybody in Lahore found out about it. Public knowledge in all ways.

Saviour of son
Saviour of son

The news was carried for some days in the newspaper and then it was quashed by authorities. No body was brought to book, although a case was filed in the station. The girls family had no clout to challenge the wrath of the Baluchs. Nawab Bugti buffered his son, and engineered his way out of the system. This is no personal news or gossip. This is straight news published in the Press and told to me also by Mumtaz, physio-therapist of U.C.H, who was there at that time.

This same Prince is now raving about the murder of his father, and offering billions (according to outdated tribal laws) for the murder of a well known General of Pakistani Army. The memory of our media is short, and only that is touched, which is money-worthy, not news-worthy. Killing people is routine in Baluch society. When others are killed, it is okay. When yours are killed, obviously it is not. Will law and order and justice ever come to the common man?

MANDIR OF LOH – A BRITISH CONSPIRACY?

MANDIR OF LOH
A BRITISH CONSPIRACY?

Made in British period bricks

British bricks Mandir of Loh
British bricks Mandir of Loh

As you enter the Aurangzeb Gate in Lahore Fort, you see a small room, with a kiosk in it. It is called as the Mandir of Loh. Most people dubbed it as belonging to the Sikh period, in bricks of that time. But an earlier photograph made by some Home economics student many years back, show that it is made of Bricks made in the British period., Also very roughly made as made in a hurry with no stress on finesse of Muslim buildings. When did all this rant start?

Out of the blue, the Khulasah al-tawarikh of Subhan Rai, around 1692 linked the city of Lahore with Loh, the so called son of Ram. And as this notation was there, further people utilized the same to forward their point of view.

The famous book on Lahore by Thronton and Kipling does not mention the Mandir of Loh in 1860. Nobody else does. Then all of a sudden Judge Latif (a veteran British representative) writes about the Mandir of Loh. Thronton and Kipling places Lahore on the site of Icchra Lahore, but Anjum Rahmani doubts that Lahore existed even at Icchra. The remains of Hindu Lahore have never been discovered. To the memory of all historians, Lahore is essentially a Muslim city from day one. Yes the city of Loh did exist, but research points to it being somewhere in the hills of Kashmeer.

For something to be 300 years old, it has to b at least 40 feet deep, if not more. The remains of Ghaznavid period is mostly at 25 to 30 feet in the city of Lahore. The Mandir is at par with the street outside. How can a new structure at par with street level be so old? The story goes on. In this bitchy concept of ‘Aman ke Asha’, credit can be given to Hindus for building Mecca and Medina too. After all everything else they have claimed as their own. Why not Arabia itself? Only deviant minds can conceive of Taj Mahal as a Hindu temple. And what not? All Hindus in this region were Saints, all Muslims tyrants, murderers, rapists and everything bad was due o them. Satisfied. Obviously some Mir Jaffers taking money to do their end. Okay, here it is! There is no Mandir of Loh, definite.

Just outside the Lahore Fort directly to the so called Mandir of Loh, is the oldest grave in Lahore, that is of LANGA, the Nau-Guzza of Lahore. Coming from Palestine and Syria, these Jewish giants of the old laid the basis of Lahore. But that is another story, for another time.

BUCK UP SHABBIR – CAPTAIN MUNSTER HOUSE

BUCK UP SHABBIR
CAPTAIN MUNSTER HOUSE

Annual Sports Day St Anthony’s Lahore

Major Shabbir Syed Shaheed
Major Shabbir Syed Shaheed

I hated sports. I was never a sports freak. But the schools forced you into something or that. I remember in Sacred Heart School I was pushed in a group race and I came last. Not that I could not run, I was just plain shy in front of people. Without realizing it, I was the intellectual type. Thinking all the time.

The same happened in St Anthony’s. We were forced to participate in sports and the annual Sports Day was at the Railway ground, where we had to go. No fancy cars to take us, but a bicycle of an elder cousin, sitting on the dreary cycle rod, and cursing your luck to be forced to go into something. We were divided into four houses, or four rows in the classes. Mine was MUNSTER house, and the Captain of Munster House was a guy named Shabbir Sharif. A tall handsome guy with a physique of Charles Atlas, and all we could do, was look at him in awe. And man, could he run! Run he did all the time and he won every race there. Straights dashes, relays, jumps, hurdles and what not? And all of us boys would stand on the side and shout with full vigour ‘BUCK UP SHABBIR’. We never heard from him again.

And one day a friend by the name of Munawar Hussain came to me and he was talking of is classfellow Raheel Sharif, and he said Shabbir was his elder brother. And I said which Shabbir? He said the one of the Munster House, don’t you know about him? He embraced Shahadat in the war and obtained NISHAN E HAIDER. I was amazed. The energy wich Shabbir had even at that time, had to come out and ventilate itself in life. It was inevitable that he obtained some feat in life. And then there is the story of another classfellow and that is three times Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef, but that is for another time.

MANY YEARS WITHOUT RAIN – VARIOUS FAMINES IN LAHORE

MANY YEARS WITHOUT RAIN
VARIOUS FAMINES IN LAHORE

Crushing dry leaves for flour

Famine
Famine

It was the year 1783. It looked like Nature had gone awry, The rain just stopped. There was no rain in Lahore for many years. Starvation was imminent. The rich were able to preserve flour hidden in their havellis. That is why you see false walls with cavities in them, where not gold, but wheat was hidden, and a hole made in it, from where wheat was taken out, a glass at a time. The Capital of the land of five rivers knew what hunger was in the real sense. And to compound things in a worst way, the plains were invaded by an insect named TITTAN, and it devoured whatever was there. To even further humble the Lahoris, the cows ate this insect and the milk and ghee were infected and not fit to eat. In mean time the Sikh bandits were creating havoc in and around the city, plundering villages and people. Thousands of people died of starvation, others fled to the hills. The wrath of Allah was on Lahore in the same way as it happened in the land of the Pharaohs.

Famine in region
Famine in region

We talk today of the flour as having become expensive, but what about the time, when it was no longer there. Extinction of animals and birds was also taking place, without recourse to water and food. Wheat and rice were not there. Somebody got the idea of using dry leaves for food. People started collecting dry leaves of trees, and would pound them in mortar and then make dough out of them, and cook chapattis out of them. Can we today even imagine that? It is said one blade of CHARI for cows was for Rs2 at that time, a fabulous sum of its time.

Famine deprivations
Famine deprivations

Famines in Lahore were not new. The famous one was in 1759 called CHOLAH FAMINE. There was one in 1813 called SATSERA FAMINE. And again in 1823. It seemed Lahore was suffering for there was no government to take care of its people. The same is happening today. Business as usual. It looks like Marie Antoinette having pastries while she could not imagine that while these were there in bakeries, why people were complaining about bread? Classical neglect which finally ,led to the French Revolution. Unfortunately it was destructive. We hope that if one occurs in Lahore, it is benign to the people, and may not be benign to others. Allah forgives us all!

THE WATCH-LIONS OF LAHORE – NO NEED FOR DOGS

THE WATCH-LIONS OF LAHORE
NO NEED FOR DOGS

Keeper of Royal Lions
Keeper of Royal Lions

One big difference between the East and the West is the love of dogs. The West drools over it’s dogs. The dogs can slip in bed with the owners, the owners can kiss and let the dog lick their faces; as well the dogs are shampoo(ed) and combed and what not?  Cuddling a dog is extreme fun for the West. In the East the dog is not considered much. Yes, the dog is there, but not as much loved as a watch animal for safety purposes, if ever used. In fact in our culture, the dog is considered ‘mac-roo’, and that literally mans an unclean animal. It is on record that Emperor Aurangzeb tried his best to clean Lahore city of street dogs. And there we remember the Walt Disney’s tale of the ‘Lady and the Scamp’.

1000 YEARS OLD BONES
1000 YEARS OLD BONES

When Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered Lahore, and Ayaz Al-Najim made it a city of culture, there were many issues here. The requirement was to have Watch animals in Lahore. The soldiers were limited in number and had to take care of their posts. The jungle near Shahdara was a thickly populated one, with various animals. The Punjabi Lion was very much there. This lion is typical of this area and shown in drawings as of different kind. The African lion was never here. In fact there were a species of wild cats, which were considered very ferocious, and are still there in the area of Chakwal. Ayaz Al-Najm imported Lion-tamers from Ghazni to the city. Cubs were captured from the Shahdara jungle, as well as lions were mated in captivity. A lion menagerie was very much there. The Lions of Shahdara Lahore were the Watch-lions of the Lahort Fort.

Lions
Lions

Of course the historian Baihaqi tells us all this, but there had to be proof on the matter too. The earth of Lahore reveals many things, which we cannot even imagine. Abundance of sea shells are there, deep down the Earth. River rocks, a sand strata which tells us of the Noah flood in Lahore. And plenty of bones. Vast number of skeletons are discovered in the process, and not as in graves, but in mass burials, due to public illness or the causalities of battle itself. But the most amazing thing is abundance of bones of lions in the earth. And there we have definite proof of the use of lions as Watch-lions in the city of Lahore.

Women still ride lions
Women still ride lions

The most amazing spectacle of course would have been lions marching in Royal processions, and that at times headed by the sister of Ayaz Al-Najm herself, who had come from Ghazni to keep her brother, Governor Ayaz, company. What grand days those must have been? A Lahore we cannot even imagine.

NO NEED FOR PRIVATIZATION IN PAKISTAN – PRIVATIZE THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN

NO NEED FOR PRIVATIZATION IN PAKISTAN
PRIVATIZE THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN

It will solve all problems

Who benefits from privatization
Who benefits from privatization

We grew up in various sounds from different directions. Capitalism, communism, socialism, even a rigid Islamic economic doctrine of past ages, and then the word of ‘Mixed Economy’ was coined, and even that seemed reasonable. No one bothered to elucidate the word of Allah to the economic issues of life. A situation where money does not create profit, but labour does. Where the excess of a society is distributed to all those in need. The aim a perfectly balanced society, an equilibrium which will only go up with time. The modern wizards think of it as a medieval gesture and not the word of Allah. No trust in Allah and yet each American dollar has written upon it “In God we trust’.

All assets must be in the hands of the Government of Pakistan, and for effecient running, various techniques can be tried, including letting the most efficient run the system again for rewards associated with their efforts. Labour create wages. Nothing else is in conformity with Divine laws.

privatization_magnum
privatization_magnum

The solution to the economic problems of Pakistan is not privatization at all. You are just giving away your assets to enemy hands and fat neo-cons bent up sucking the blood of the world like vampires. Efficient management of resources through best hands possible. Why the Government officials cannot perform? Simple for politicians are draining money to their own coffers and raping our resources.

There is a simple solution to all this. Do not privatize anything. That is not required. Just privatze the Government of Pakistan and give them a charter to follow. All economic ilsl of the country can be solved in one stroke. It is worth trying, please, anyone listening!

STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY – THE PAKISTAN ARMY

STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY
THE PAKISTAN ARMY

The whole world after it

Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army

In our Islamic history, the Head of the Government, was also Head of the Army. There was no bifurcation. The Caliphs, the Sultans, the Kings, all headed the Army of that Nation. That is why the decisions for the country were based on its defensive needs, and the requirements of the times. When the Army was thrown in Civilian hands, it would have been fine, if the system had brought forward the best and the honest of the society. But the present systems always bring the most corrupt and the most imbecile at the head of affairs and that person further recruits the most imbecile of the society to do his bidding. No sane man would work against the country and its national interests. That is why insanity prevails in the political system.

Rising Pakistan
Rising Pakistan

Quaid-e-Azam had no self-interest, he only made the national interest his own interest. And that thing was followed by some of his (not all) trusted comrades. It may not suit the western minded persons, but all Martial laws (hardly a martial law) brought stability to the country, and only went wrong, when they aligned themselves with a group of politicians to give a civlian face to their rule. What Field Marshal Ayub Khan did for this country, no other political ruler (after Quaid-e-Azam) has done so far. The list is endless, but the best part is that he made Pakistan succeed in all fields. He did not neglect development anywhere.

For the country
For the country

The funny part is that even today the man on the street (take a poll) favours (and we hear them daily) a Khomeini like renaissance in Pakistan  by a Military intervention, to ruthlessly erase the negative out of our society. And it looks that would be the final solution, when airports would be closed and no corrupt person allowed to run away or go into remote caves and feudal villages.  And then our crossings filled with quick justice. This is not for me to say, the people honestly believe that themselves. Is that anti-Islamic? The Quran itself tells us to erase the ‘Sharrar’ out of existence. If the Army cannot take the recourse of the backing of the Quran, will they trust a Constitution made by a Non constituent assembly. The Quaid himself is on record multiple times that we will be governed by the Quran itself. The world singing of heroes of those who oppose Pakistan in letter and spirit. It is time to rise Pakistan! My advice to Pakistan Army, interpret the Quran again and again. You will come to a valid answer. And you will find a legal cover for it too.

READER’S FEEDBACK – CENSORING VALID OPINION

READER’S FEEDBACK
CENSORING VALID OPINION

Not the job of editors

Editorial opinion
Editorial opinion

All experience it. You read something in the newspaper,  you do not like it. You write a letters to the editors, thinking that he will impartially print your opinion. It is really never so. Everything is by plan. Opinions are censored even before they are written.

I try to write a Comment on international pages representing the Pakistani point of view. It is not even composed when it is erased. And if it is placed, it goes out the minute it is there. You modify the language lest that there is any objectionable matter there. Nothing. It is not that at all. You can abuse anybody as long as it is in line with jounalistic policy.

In Pakistan the proper LETTERS TO THE EDITOR never get published. For just as the active journalists, the man editing the letters is also under the payroll or influence of some lobbies. Nothing good for the country can get through. The shame of Planet Earth is enormous. The much hyped FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION never finds expression in reality. The loser is Planet Earth itself.

Grim face of editing
Grim face of editing

In Pakistan I wrote letters the Editor all my life. Hardly a few got published and that they did, when the editor knew me personally. Again an influence operating not the reality of opinions. I met a number of persons who say their names are on the banned list of the editorial page. Often they circumvent that by writing under pseudonyms. Sometimes even that does not work.

Who benefits with bad news and opinion about the country all the time? The enemies, of course. But the illiterate people are better off. Their views are not influenced by this malignant groups of people. They get the reality mainly from their parents, friends, as well as the environment. And here gossip does operate too. But our people, contrary to belief, have great common sense. They know enemies by instinct even before the word is passed around.

Making decisions
Making decisions

An anti Islamic view for instance is in vogue that the moon and the stars configuration is the same as it was in 1947. Ripe for more partitions. This kind of bloody crap is fed to us all the time. The actual reason to break our morale in ourselves. But there is one thing still with the people which keeps them intact and that is the Holy Quran itself. It will make people rise through all ordeals of life.