Urgent Plea.

Dear UFO/God/Rational Thinking/Karma

We, the Pakistani people, urgently require our political leaders to gain some perspective and, if you can manage it, some amount of sanity. We want them to stop making empty promises, we need them to make a decision about the deposed judges and stick to it, we want them to do whatever they want to do with President Musharraf, but just go ahead and DO it.  We want them to solve the food and energy crises, and perhaps do something about the rising inflation.  And last, but not the least, we would like them to stop invoking Benazir’s name in every goddamn sentence.

XOXO

-A Beleagured Citizen Who Watches Too Much Pakistani TV.

Working by the book?

From today’s Dawn:

Shahbaz wants to know his powers
LAHORE, June 16: Believe it, Mian Shahbaz Sharif has asked the relevant officials to let him know his powers as the province’s chief minister.
The officials are studying the necessary books before writing a report for the boss. It’s not immediately known why the PML-N president had to ask this question when he has already held the office between 1997 and 1999.

Apparently, Mian Shahbaz Sharif wants to set a new precedent of working strictly according to the law so that he is not accused of misusing his powers.

In the past, those who have been abusing their authority had to face references

Cyberspace confusion.

Is it only me, or is the President of Pakistan’s website redirecting surfers to the ISPR website?

Wanted.

WANTED

A President for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Requirement: Must not have the power to dissolve anything, not even aspirins in water.

Interested candidates can send in their resumes to Zardari House, Islamabad. Please CC resume to White House, Washington D.C.

Shiny Happy Pills.

Umar besud katt rahi hai Faiz
Kaash afshaan-e-raaz hojaye

-Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Is it only me, or has everyone else just about had it with the ambiguity and uncertainty in the country? I’d like to think so, because only then would it make perfect sense for my doctor to be A-okay with prescribing me a heavy dose of Lexotanil to combat the stress. Or maybe my doctor was planning for the future, cos these happy pink pills let me sleep through the incessant electricity failures.

But on the other hand, all is not doom and gloom. 200 people can now wear chuddis to work!

Nearly 200 staff at a Hindu temple in southern India have won the right to wear underwear to work.The human rights commission in Kerala state has ordered Sabarimala temple to withdraw a dress code that barred staff from wearing underwear.

The dress code was imposed 10 years ago after several cases of theft.

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Every time I try to write something here, I find myself at a loss for words. I am tired, and beyond despondent. It is perhaps the weariness I feel every time I watch a press conference, or read the newspapers. I laugh at the cliches, and the conspiracy theories. I have no words left to describe the misery I see in the faces of those who stand outside my neighborhood utility store, who every morning queue up to buy flour. I look at the scales of justice, not far away from my office, and am reminded that this is only a monument, that justice does not, and perhaps will never exist in this country. I try to reinforce my belief in karma, that whatever goes around, comes around. I have no words left to describe, once again, how fcked up this system is. I used to believe that we, as a nation, had unlimited amounts of patience and resilience. Now, there are daily reports of people committing suicide in the face of poverty.

Faiz, perhaps, said it best: chale chalo, ke woh manzil abhi nahin ayi