Why Atif Aslam works my question is for chowk editors, who considered this worth publishing; besides having typos, the article presents reasons which only a unicellular specie could figure as arguments.

``As long as pain and depression will remain, Atif Aslam will rule the roost and no matter how peppy Ali Zafar & Co. get, they will not be able to mathc him as the masses suffer from despondence. ``

did you run out of material? or are you seeking atif-aslam-like popularity for the website?

Reinventing Pakistan: The Rise of The Left the article for some reason shows a reading of post-Cold War theory and history - and seems to be clueless of what precedes.

some very interesting and intelligent points. E.g. Science serving the global Right. (Golbal is important).

However, being involved in grass-roots leftist activism, this piece seems to me to be no more than a better articulation of edifying middle-class ideals and the Dream. There were a host of things that were discussed without any reference to their histories which is imperative to their understanding and functioning: identity and culture. There was no mention of army getting entrenched in the political system everyday. The pretty picture that the author has painted is actually a stark realization of what the General wants this country to be. And the stuff in the pointers. It is quite quite preposterous.

Several new parks and cleaner roads - Oh REALLY! Where have you been living? Not in Karachi of course. (The park they made out of sabzi mandi is named `ASKARI PARK` btw)

Several flyovers in Karachi, with remarkably less traffic congestion than a year ago. In a city where construction takes years this is an achievement (WAAAAAAHH!!)

Organized airports (I am lost. No seriously...)

Revamp of the identification systems e.g., passports, ID cards (For? providing more facilities? NOOOOO... Uncle Sam.... hmmmm...)

Police hotline (YES! Something most karachiites would never use to save their life!)

Significant entrepreneurial activity albeit manufacturing is not growing as fast apart from textiles (Thanks to import bans on China)

Rapid growth in educational institutes (Yes. And PhD`s. Like Dr. Atta supervising 200 theses at the same time)

Better roads and telecommunication (Of Course, Of Course. A Curse upon myself if this is false)

Increased accountability from all levels of authority. (THIS is a GEM! No seriously, how many times have you seen ANY general or karnal getting convicted in a `bloody` civilian court in the history of this country? And they mind the top public and private companies. Ooooooh I get it. I get it. You mean they are so `professional` and `disciplned` and of `high morals`... I see I see).

But really, enough is enough. I suggest you start writing about Pakistan

I do not know which left do you represent, but in your long essay I saw no mention of the working-class or the peasants or that wage workers get a 20 PAISA rise ANNUALLY at the top Manufacturing concernsin Pakistan (e.g. Packages Pakistan). Which left are you talking about lady? Has Musharraf made a new left for us too?

Happy New Reality.

Union Strike One and yes, my post especially was directed at:
faisaluno, haroonellahi, and JawadJEE.

And just in case you haven`t figured: I am vehemently against P-ing the PTCL, and firing the workers. Because the state, I believe, has a social function.

And for those of you who still insist on State`s function being a privitzer, because privitization seems to increase efficiency, I am sure a day will come when Microsoft or Ruper Murdoch will be bidding for the Pakistani State and you all will be ...

Union Strike One HO HO HO!

A neo-liberal gallore! So how many people here have studied the impact of the free-market and globalisation and the spread of hunger, disease, and other such malignancies since the mid-80s - when Reagan and Thatcher gave this paradigm a new life?

Listen. And I come straight at all those defending the Pee word - please quote with reference the success stories of the market - and do exclude China and India which have been state-led development miracles and not market led miracles. (and for those who have not studied any developmental history at ALL, PLEASE dont even mention the East Asian Miracle).

I wish I could give a short lesson in the history of the neo-liberal policies and the impact (economic, social, political) that these policies have had on the countries who have implemented these. but i will not. because for those who understand and have their eyes and ears and heads open, will already have seen how Pakistan has been impacted - because they look beyond the GDP (which was, btw, dumped by the the ``FIRST`` world twenty years back - but our general seems to have a fixation with), to other and more `uneconomical` and `inefficient` measures such as the gini coefficient and the HDI, will know what great a screwup this regime has been.

So, please. I urge all the neo-liberals to:

a. Stop getting your highly developed and scholarly knowledge from Newsweek, Time, GEO and PTV
b. Stop basing your arguments on the bikaoo scholars of Musharraf Inc.`s regime; and
c. look beyond your comfy drawing room and honda civic to the lives of those whose exploits you are wallowing in.

-bilal

“Dasht-e-Tanhai” wins a Prize for Nadeem Aslam well of all the people here, I am one who has read the book - and it is so long after reading Rushdie that I`ve found such profound joy in a book as Maps for Lost Lovers. The prose is masterfully crafted, and the characters are complex, and no mean writer could have achieved what Nadeem Aslam has in Maps for Lost Lovers.

Here for instance is a passage where the author`s describing the effect of Jazz Music on listeners:

The record would begin and soon the listeners would be engrossed by those musicians who seemed to know how to blend together all that life contains, the real truth, the undeniable last word, the innermost core of all that is unbearably painful within a heart and all that is joyful, all that is loved and all that is worthy of loved yet remains unloved, lied to and lied about, the unimaginable depths of the soul where no other can withstand the longing and which few have the conviction to plumb, the sorrows and the indisputable rage - so engrossed would the listeners become that, by the end of the piece, the space between them would have contracted, heads leaning together as tough they shared a mirror. All great artists know that part of their task is to light up the distance between two human beings.

``Maps for Lost Lovers`` (pg. 13)
- Nadeem Aslam

Asoka

generally, i think for a poem, it is pretty loose, and needs some work. but i liked it nonetheless! : ) reminds me of `dard di raunaq`!

-bilal

Why We Need Islamization of Science #3: sac! brilliant comment buddy! keep `em coming. (and after your comment, need i say more? NO!)
-bilal

Gang-rape in Sui jay-

you are right. much of our problems are based in where we historically see ourselves placed - or misplaced rather. And it is our inability to address that. For those of us who try to address it, we try, and we are ashamed.

However, I stand to defend the author of this article. We may disagree with the level of analysis and insight therein, but atleast the critique is leading to some better answers. I stand to defend all critics of our society, because with time, out of frustrated efforts we have even turned to strangle the critics in our society - and hence, bad has ceased to be bad, since no one says its bad. Now rape and honour killings seem to occupy smaller corners in the papers. I dread the day when they will cease to be news - like robberies and crimes, and army take-overs of land.

lets see things in context, jay.

-bilal

Let’s talk to Mallika Sherawat’s Breasts Farzana Versey: one of the few authors who manage to shock me - always, without fail. Others being Manto and Ismat Chughtai. And again, this makes me skeptical about my claim of being a `progressive`. But seriously, if someone to ask me if there is a modern-day version of Ismat Chughtai, I`d say without hesitation - Farzana Versey. But after reading writings such as these, I am an even bigger fan of her iLogs, which so reminds me of a remark that Manto made after being `disappointed` after meeting Ismat: `the wretch turned out to be a mere woman afterall`. That holds true of Farzana as well. (http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/16/21_Manto_IsmatChughtai.pdf)

Farzana, I don`t agree with all that written above, but I am forced to re-examine my reality - again and again - and I thank you for that.

-Bilal

Let’s talk to Mallika Sherawat’s Breasts Farzana Versey: one of the few authors who manage to shock me - always, without fail. Others being Manto and Ismat Chughtai. And again, this makes me skeptical about my claim of being a `progressive`. But seriously, if someone to ask me if there is a modern-day version of Ismat Chughtai, I`d say without hesitation - Farzana Versey. But after reading writings such as these, I am an even bigger fan of her iLogs, which so reminds me of a remark that Manto made after being `disappointed` after meeting Ismat: `the wretch turned out to be a mere woman afterall`. That holds true of Farzana as well. (http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/16/21_Manto_IsmatChughtai.pdf)

I don`t agree with all that written above, but I am forced to re-examine my reality - again and again - and I thank you for that.

-Bilal

Religion in Politics Umer!
:) am glad you`ve made it.
Here you will find a lot of good opinion on how to make your next piece better.
Good going, pal!
-Bilal

Musharraf and Robin Hood Talk about analysis. It`s been a long time I have seen a Musharraf supporter writing on chowk.

Let`s go one by one.

So theft is bad - irrespective of the context. So this implies that the king can continue to tax the people, and if the people are not able to do anything, they should die in poverty and not even steal from the fattening, sleazy aristocrasy. Hmmm... Interesting. Colonizers can continue to rape your societies, and you sit there and let them do it, because you cannot do such an ignoble act - you cannot steal. Good- then let army rape.

And so the second part of the argument goes that politicians are corrupt - army is not. Hmm... Who is the biggest land-owner in Pakistan? Who creates corporate mammoths out of tax-payers money? Are they polticians? Mmmm... Sorry. Army. How do they do it? Because they have corporate geniuses as Lt. and Generals? Sorry again, sir. They buy land on Rs. 100 (sometimes Rs. 400, if they feel generous) per acre, and then make DHAs on top of it, and they sell it back to us. And talk about accountability. Well if army`s own corporate interests are involved, if the roads, sewerage, electricity and water lines are leading to DHA, then yes sir you will have LOADS of accountability. It was same with the politicians as well. MPAs, MNAs, PMs have beautiful gardens and roads in areas they live in. And was there no accountability during any civilian rule? And will things really be back to square one if Musharraf doffs his uniform? Sir, please rethink, and read up a bit of history before making such sweeping statements. Here how an extract of it reads:

Ayub used the Developmentalism ideal to gain legitimacy. Said Democracy is unsuited to the Pakistani people. They dont have the intellect, the capacity, the education to rule themselves. We saw Basic Democracies.
Yahya used accountability and corruption - sacked 303 bureaucrats and alike.
Zia sold Islam and Musharraf again is selling anti-corruption and accountability again.

You see it now? You buy it again from the khakhi dude and they are legitimized.

On no grounds whatsoever I would agree with you on even siding with Musharraf for the apparently the `good stuff` he`s done. Because he hasn`t. In the process he has entrenched army into the state structure more than ever. The army should be asked to go to the borders - and STAY THERE. Period.

Must Reads on the Middle East this is quite an interesting list of reads. in addition to this, we would be grateful if you can provide a list of books on the history and the making of current day politics and society in the middle-east.
-bilal

Still in Love i don`t think i am qualified to say much about this- but i loved the metaphors in the earlier part: ``Sheltered like a virgin’s modesty...Peppered with the concern of a mother``

a treat- enough said!

-bilal

Dr Abdus Salam - The ’Mystic’ scientist #3: Urstruly.

Waah bhaee Waah! Koi Islam ka naam roshan karna to aap se seekhay... waah. so according to your logic if you downgrade Qadianis as NOT being muslims, you become superior in some way?! Good going jawaan! Tumhari wajja se Islam bohat tarraqi karega! Zia ke rishtedaar lagtay ho...?!

Religion disgusts me precisely because it breeds such attitudes-

//Please stop rubbing Dr. A`s alleged religion in our face. I don`t understand why Quadianis are so ashamed of calling themselves quadianis or for that matter Dr. A.

maan na maan meiN tera mehmaan. //

And what about you hurting the sentiments of people who want to call themselves muslims but only because you have a majority in something that you BELIEVE is right, you have the right to tell everyone else that they are not muslims ONLY because you are in a majority?! what about you trying to rub your authority on their faces?! I would love to see you being strangled in a similar way in a country with the majority of some religion which stops you from professing the religion that you want to profess.

Ikkeesween sadee aa gayee hai. Utth jao.

Abdus Salam himself admitted to the fact that the basic idea has been drawn from the conception of wahdatul wujood. Neither a muslim nor an atheist can deny this. He said this clearly in his speeches.

lekin aap ke liye to yeh sab FREE-MASON aur qaadiyani ki saazish hai? hai na?!

allah maaf karay.

Sunset perhaps I am completely off. forgive me if it is such. I feel that this is prose- and would look more `appropriate` as prose.

otherwise, it`s pretty good- liked it.

b.