Or were you not? Will there be a way to find out?
Hashar uthay ga raaz khulay ga. Raaz khul gaya tou izzat rahegi?
Smiling there, standing tall. It’s only a moment’s time until you fall.
Heck that rhyme.
When poetry falls silent
Mushairon ko aag lag jayegi
Thunder songs and then: sannaata
THEN. Then silence will screech.
Some evenings are so breathtakingly stunning you don’t want them to end. Ever. And as everyone else is packing their stuff back in the car while some are already reserving their seats — so ready to return to their homes — you run back to the sea and the sky and the sand asking for one more infinite minute. That is your home.
Brownies set in order. Photo for the weekly photo challenge: order.
You won’t believe just how many times I have tried posting for these weekly challenges but it would take me an entire week of procrastinating which, of course, left them useless. This one however, sounded too tempting to resist. Objects in order, actions in order, click click click thud – patternized repetition – check, sit, check, sit, check… and other things I have been thinking about lately to write.
So hello, chocolate no-chaos! Even though its arrangement speaks of neatness, something about chocolate says more craving. I got these made from Fresh Oven Bites* and honestly, they were the best I’ve had. Very inspired to bake with the same perfection one day inshaAllah!
(*wish they sent us bonus boxes for free publicityy…?..sigh p;)
Amidst sky hues,
Setting suns, misty blues,
Silences lapsing into eternities, infinities;
Our poetry calls us to listen.
◊
Took this on my return route from Nathiagali, Pakistan. Got inspired by the daily post’s challenge to share it because this trip meant all sorts of magic to me.
(This week’s horizon makes me want to show it again. I feel a connection with this one.)
ان کے ہاتھ دراز ہیں
اور ان کی عقلوں پر پٹّی پڑی ہے
رب! اب آپ پاکستان مہں صرف
بلٹ پروف بچے بھیجیے گا۔
In memory of the Peshawar school attack (16.12.2014).
Also read: An Open Letter From a Dead Child To His Mother On His Death Anniversary.
Just Desi Thingz. Doodle by Mahoor.
Best thing for today: Mime through time (Pakistani version) video. *-* Pls to check. Happy Independence Day!
(I and Miss Maqsood were planning to do a combined Indo-Pak post too, like some nice neighbors-type cheez, but we couldn’t make it due to *insert reasons*. Still, here’s to sending good vibes and wishing for peace and franship.)
This is to the kid who played dead, the friend who helped his friend, the teacher who refused to open the door so her kids could be kept from the inevitable, the father who buried his son in the soil and went back to fight for his native land, the mother who smiled– the mother who SMILED and with tears said that her son has sacrificed his life for Pakistan and that he isn’t dead but he is in fact, a martyr. Martyrdom is a strong virtue, people!
This is also to the nation who grieves, its neighbors and other communities who have expressed their condolences in this time of need. To the people who gathered under the flag of humanity and put forward the message of solidarity and peace: There is no peace. And even though there is no peace, there once will be.
It’s been a long, tough struggle. And a painful, very painful tragedy. It is also the greatest example of inhumanity and cruelty, barbarism and terrorism. It is it. But it is not the end.
The only problem is that. It is not the end. Pakistan, like always, wills to stand again.
This time, however, the country is weak and tired. Like a person who has had a terrible car crash, or worse (and more realistically), who has been bit by a snake in her sleeves, the country weeps and endures. It sits and looks at its stitches, so many since its first fall, and looks at the patches in its torn clothes. There are always patches, thanks to people who can’t give up. [And how do you give up when your own survival depends upon it..?]
This patient still breathes. It will breathe till the end of time if God so wills. Right now, though, all it needs is extra intensive care, especially and mostly from its own people!
Related links:
The guy who played dead—— Smiles (watch video).
Blogs: Finish that jigsaw puzzle ; My Dream is dead now; The wind whispers.
ماریہ عمران۔
Dedicated to the Christian couple mercilessly killed, and others dying in ‘the land of pure’. Bloodlust is boundless; it surely doesn’t bother categorizing before bringing you to your coffin.
Similar posts:
I love it to bits, Pamela.
Some connections are just meant to be. And no borders, orders, or fences can help separate those. This is one such and I am EXTREMELY grateful!
Thanks a million, and another million! YOUR EIDI MADE MY DAY. ❤
A Hindu married a Muslim,
And two sisters grew in the womb,
Little then did they know,
They will build each others tomb…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ● ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ● ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ● ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ● ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Borders are like birds,
They will fly wherever they want to.
Nations are like clouds,
They will drift wherever they like to.
But people are the skies,
They will have to stay back,
To witness all birds and clouds,
Good-bad, light and dark.
Soldiers, wars, battles, gun fights,
Matters trivial, wrongs and rights…
One after the other, shot after shot,
The opportunity for love- lost.
Mountains, rivers, valleys and snow.
What do we fight for,
Do we really know?
We are warring over the Indus,
So much blood, so much loss!
Diplomacy…
View original post 489 more words
YALE, the Youth Arts & Literary Exhibition, was held in Karachi yesterday on 13th April 2014, with its superb vision of fostering creativity and ingenuity, and its mission of promoting the Pakistani culture. The event focused on many artistic and creative fields like conceptual photography, painting, poetry, and theater performances. Debates on piracy and plagiarism, literature, and meetings with writers and “Typewriter” kept the audience engaged and awed through 11am to 8pm.
Many artists had their works displayed at the YALE Arts Gallery, and several photographs based on “Mar gaya Insaan (Man has died)” and “Jagenge Zaroor (We will rise)” were showcased in the exhibit hall. Pain, miseries, struggle, and sacrifice were portrayed powerfully through paint strokes and camera films on YALE’s canvas.
Other things like “The Unseen Pakistan” and “Glimpses of Lollywood” showed to the public what potential this land has got, what it has become, and what is still left.
Even with all that chaos and miseries, Pakistan is a homeland to people who are destined not to give up. These people with their outstanding visions choose to bring back the glory this land deserves. This is what YALE meant to me.
Earthquake hits Pakistan.
The quake struck at 4:29 pm local time (1129 GMT) around 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest Khuzdar in Balochistan province, at a depth of 15 kilometers.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the earthquake of magnitude 7.7, recording its duration as eight seconds.
A small ‘island’ of about 40 square feet has appeared in the sea off the Gwadar coast as a result of the strong earthquake that struck remote southwestern Pakistan. 32 people killed and dozens injured as a result of the tremendous earthquake.
Tremors were felt as far as the Indian capital New Delhi.
Updates:
Tremors felt again the other day, more deaths.
On your 65th death anniversary Mr. Quaid, I write with a heavy heart where your visioned country is heading to.
Violently murdered, some dead bodies targeted today now rest in peace. But their families have got a lot to suffer.
Your land’s daughter, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is still there, imprisoned. Nobody will pay heed to her or her children’s cries.
Shahzeb Khan’s murderers have been set free, have been ‘pardoned’ now by his family after a long struggle of both parties; the murderers and the murdered.
Our president has changed and we now welcome Mr. Mamnoon Hussain to rule over us. Only with more hopes yet less expectations.
We are labelled as ‘terrorists’ and so we may remain, because entire systems are now judged on the basis of a set of people.
Those that try to rekindle hope are not known as optimists, they are called fools. Because others want them to be as hopeless as they themselves are.
May your soul rest in peace and may we be able to find ‘peace’ in this world.
Just discovered today’s writing prompt: Thank You – The internet is full of rants. Help tip the balance: today, simply be thankful for something (or someone).And this goes fine.
This is a very amazing video! I don’t have much words to appreciate the skills of this person, who took over 19,000 photographs to compile this time lapse video! I am lovin’ it! And I hope you would too. 🙂
I wanted to add a poem on “CITY LIFE” along with this post, but could not find any exactly appropriate for this video. So I made one on my own! This too, like other poems is an on-spot poetry and has been made without a second-read. Some rhymes may not fit, some verses may look stupid. But I kept on watching and listening, and below are the words that came!
Video By: Fazz Kazi.
Music: Fazz Kazi And Salman Ahmad – Envy
Here is an edited post that I published on July 2, 2012 with more information on this topic..
Recently, I posted about some amazing places on Earth and had mentioned Wieliczka Salt mines, and here is a post about another salt mine:
The Khewra salt mines~ the SECOND LARGEST IN THE WORLD!
Geologists put the age of rock-salt found in Khewra at about 600 million years. In geological time scale this time period is called Precambrian.
A friend shares her experience visiting them: Pakistan has salt mines too. Khewra is one of them. We went there and it was BEAUTIFUL! It was hot outside, but inside the temperature was cold, not normal, it was cold. Naturally cold! There was an entire restaurant whose counters, shelves and everything was made out of salt. There was a MASJID made of salt!!!!!! There was a model of Minar-e-Pakistan made of salt. And there were small lakes too and salt bridges..!!
Attractions and Facilities:
* CREATION OF RECEPTION/BRIEFING HALL: A reception/briefing hall has been constructed to serve as reception center for tourists.
* WALKWAY: The walkway from receipt/briefing hall to the Mine Mouth has been constructed by fixing pavers for the smooth walk of tourist.
* SOUVENIR SHOP: For the convenience of tourist, a souvenir shop has been established in the reception/briefing hall area where tourists can find model lamps and other articles made of salt.
* ILLUMINATION: The mines have been illuminated at a grand scale with fancy and reflector type lights to magnify intrinsic beauty of the salient features of the mine, its interior look and texture of rock salt.
* ELECTRIC TRAIN: Electric train has been made available for tourists to have a joy ride upto main juncture inside the Mines.
Today is the day our fate for the next five years will be decided democratically. Elections happen every five years. But this time, they are different. The excitement and the chaos signal the first transition between civilian governments.
Analysis of M Ilyas Khan, BBC news, Islamabad:
Pakistani voters are for the first time exercising their right to approve or reject the performance of the rulers they chose the last time. In the past, governments elected by them were sacked by the presidents or the military.
A large audience has decided to vote for Pakistan, thanks to the media for creating awareness that everybody is ready for a change by casting their ‘precious votes’. Queues started forming before polling stations opened at 08:00 (03:00 GMT) on Saturday. Men, women, and no discrimination- half of them have already voted, and half are still waiting in lines. The youth especially, is very excited to create a change.
The leading political parties are that of MQM, Jamat e Islami, PTI, PPP and Muslim League. The PTI leader Imran Khan has surely won the hearts of the youth and despite the rumors against PTI, his supporters are confident of his victory.
Havoc and mismanagement can not be ignored. A bomb blast in the port city of Karachi on Saturday morning left 11 people dead and 40 others wounded, said officials of BBC. Jamat-e-Islami has announced its boycott in Karachi and Hyderabad. Those that said the elections will be bloody and torturous, were right. Internal ministries calls in 2,000 more troops for Karachi. Sporadic violence has to be faced. Nobody is sure what is going to happen in the next hours.
According to Election Commision officer, the riots are not unexpected. Pakistan being the FIFTH largest democratic country, with 7 million voters from Karachi only, expects such incidents.
All voters of change are now hoping for the better future of Pakistan. The polling stations will be closed at 17:00 and immediate action should be taken to provide free and fair elections. May God the elections results are fair. And may God Pakistan be blessed with a brightere future, and not the same black days.
Minar-e-Pakistan
Minar-e-Pakistan (Pakistan Day Memorial) is a minar which was built to commemorate the day when the Pakistan resolution was passed on March 23, 1940. The main tower of this memorial was completed on March 22, 1968.
The location was originally known as Minto Park. It was here that the historic session of the All-India Muslim League was held on March 23, 1940.
This resolution called for the creation of an independent state for Muslims in British-India. As Wikipedia says;
The resolution stated that,
No constitutional plan would be workable or acceptable to the Muslims unless geographical contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary.[14]
Additionally, it stated:
That adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities in the units and in the regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights of the minorities,
To know about the proceedings and speech, visit here.
Seven years after the strong struggle of leaders was the independence act signed and the Islamic republic of Pakistan appeared on the world map. Not to forget the massacres and bloodshed which resulted as a reaction from those who disliked the idea and STRONGLY OPPOSED it.
.
65 years have passed to the creation of Pakistan.
Pakistan is still not an independent country. The world calls it a terrorist state. The world judges the 16 crore plus people by the 16 thousand or so enemies of the state. The world sees that Pakistan has failed. That it has collapsed!! (and not that it is striving to stand up again!)
The world can NOT see the beauty, the originality, and the hearts of Pakistanis because that is not SHOWN to them!!! What the media shows is the bombards, the helter-skelter, the terrorism. And its true. It’s actually true that Pakistan is going through the worst possible condition. Nobody feels safe. Life isn’t safe. People are dying, starving, and afraid.
BUT the Pakistanis, the rest of the 16 crore people, the sad and happy people, the safe and unsafe people, WANT A CHANGE! They want the world to see their positivity, they want them to see what Pakistan really is. They want better governments, they are all striving to help others. They appreciate a good change and they wish and hope to get good leaders like the leaders in their past!
They have all the potential and the greatest potential they have is hope!
I believe in the idea of ‘being human‘ that is, we are all humans before we belong to any other group or caste!
Update June 15, 2014: I need to edit this thing.
Do you know these people?
Shahzeb Khan
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
Arfa Karim Randhawa
How well do you know them?
Shahzeb Khan- killed.
Dr Aafia Siddiqui- prisoned.
Arfa Kareem- died.
All three Pakistanis..
The world doesn’t end on these people- a woman, a child, and a young teen. BUT the world can’t be the same again- without these three.
Photo by me 🙂
So many sunsets and sunrises. Seventeen years that passed – lovely and not lovely. A combination of so many stories that can teach me so much!
A person’s new year is basically on their birthday and that comes just once a year 😉 !! Time to realize how much happened as their new year approaches, make resolutions 9if you’re like me) and review past summaries!
22nd December is always my favorite day, but this time it was some tough! Oh but thanks God the world didn’t end the day before it 😀
Each sunset and each sunrise brings out new hopes, new dreams, and new goals!
………………………………………………..♥………………………………………..
So you all celebrating winter holidays? Have tons of fun!
Btw, Pakistan just won against India right now 😉 (for cricket fans out there)
Here, a great quote for today:
Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you.
-Marsha Norman
And here comes another world record by the Islamic republic of Pakistan, on account of largest human national flag!
This record made on Oct 22, 2012 was again held in Punjab province, under Punjab Youth Festival where 24,200 students held up the national flag. The previous record was honored by Hong Kong in 2007 for 21,726 participants.
The epic scene!
Image Courtesy: the frontier post
Guinness World records adjudicator , Gareth Deaves said that he was impressed with the enthusiasm shown by the youth of Punjab and he was amazed to see a big gathering of youth in National hockey stadium.
Watch the episode! ( I hope the link works out because I could not check it as YouTube is blocked).
CONGRATS PAKISTAN!
Between the dead bodies of our brave heroes,
I heard deafening sobs and cries,
I saw girls running helter skelter,
To save their chastity from hands of vice!
I saw mothers screaming and children dying,
I saw blood-covered bodies lying,
I heard enemies shouting profanities,
As they stabbed knives into their bodies.
-Maria.
…………………………………………………………..
Azaadi Mubarak to all my dear Pakis:)
Randomly Abstract 