Rehman Malik offloaded from PIA Flight

Both, the traditional and Social Media in Pakistan and India is abuzz by the news of Former Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik who was off loaded from Pakistan International Airline Flight after being accused of causing a delay of 2 and a half hour. Say what you will about encouraging the mob mentality here, or choose to be standing on either side of the blame game, or question the intentions of the Show Runners of D Chawk Dharna, I strongly fear, this is not going to stop by blaming the 'Aam Aadmi' of Pakistan. I am observing a lot of negativity, mockery and ridicule on Social Media for the guts of this 'Aam Admi', who in his/her blind pursuit of leadership, has turned the D Chawk into "Jallo Zai Camp". I wonder why the supposedly 'Parha Likha Tabqa' is so ferociously after the guts of the very class, it claims to be enlightening for a 'Roshan' and better Pakistan. We may not like it. We may feel embarrassed by the washing adventures of this 'Aam Admi' in the carefully manicured lawns of the Supreme Court, but from what can be seen, we'll have to acknowledge the fact that this 'Aam Aadmi' is no more in a mood to accept or tolerate the treatment he/she is given because he/she is not remotely related to a somewhat ruling elite. He is much more aware of his rights now than he was about 10 years ago. He is angry and it shows. In fact , If I am allowed to suggest, the media should take pride and accept the ownership of this elation journey of Pakistani Junta, as it is the very fruit of democracy and free media, we claim to be selling in our respective countries and professional fields.  

http://youtu.be/eAp8ii3cHBs

Malala vs Shakira......

For those who are comparing Malala with Shakira - the drone victim, Afia Siddiqui- the convicted terrorist and Arfa Kareem - the computer genius, need to check their stances very carefully. The article which is being shared on social media, comparing Malala with Shakira is based on ill-informed and half baked conspiracy theory.

 Shakira is being helped by Hashmat Afandi’s organization but Ms.Afandi never was able to confirm whether she was a drone victim. In fact, they have no clear idea of her whereabouts. According to Hashmat Afandi, House of Charity, her NGO team found Shakira with 1 or 2 other children outside their hospital in Swat. No one ever came to claim those children, who were very young at that time. Out of those 3 young ones, only one survived. Hashmat Affandi named her as Shakira.

To compare Malala with Afia Siddiqui or Arfa Kareem is also beyond my understanding. No matter how many political factions in Pakistan try to get sympathies while playing Afia card, she was and still is a convicted criminal. 

Arfa Kareem, hailing from a well off and well protected background, unfortunately gave way to a natural death, untimely though it was.  

The comparison of Drone victims with Malala is also not justified, as the former head of ISI, Gen. Shuja Pasha himself accepts in the Abbotabad Commission report that drones were  effective and permitted by the Pakistani authorities. Don't understand why people keep comparing apples with oranges?  For those, who think that maligning one daughter of the nation is ok to seek revenge for the other daughters of Pakistan, should use some brain before splattering their anger on social media. 

Even if Malala was a good poster story for Western Media to play up, it will prove to have a positive impact on girl's education in the troubled areas of the world, where access to education is a challenge.

A Paindu watching the Obama Inauguration the 2nd time :)

So, I am going to watch President Obama to take oath tomorrow for the second time. Washington DC is bracing to host thousands of people visiting the city. They say it is going to be very cold tomorrow so people are bracing for a long and tiring day in the coldest of the weathers. I wonder, who decided to inaugurate the new President in such cold weather for the first time. Washington DC is surely going to feel the effects of so many human bodies on the roads tomorrow. Thousands of temporary toilets have been erected along side the National Mall. I saw it, when I was shooting for a short stand up near the freezing Capital Pool.

I remember, the last time on Obama's inauguration, there were so many people in Washington DC that one could not see anything but human heads in different colored hair, caps and hoods. I don't know what were they thinking when they decided to witness the inauguration from the National Mall, instead of their home TVs.

I was supposed to be at work by 8am and my God! was it possible with so many Metro stations closure? See, my workplace happens to be in a very close proximity of the inauguration location, so it was almost impossible to be at work on time. I got down at the L'Enfant Plaza Station and without exaggeration, it took me an hour and a half to get out of the station exit. The security was tight and so was the weather which was touching under, God knows how many minus degrees. It was one of the coldest morning of all the years, I have lived and worked in DC.

So this year, thanks to my office wallas, I am going to be watching the inauguration ceremony from home on TV, if at all. I think, I'll miss the excitement and the challenge of last time's morning but hey! I'll be warm and tucked in.

As for Obama becoming the new President, I should be happy to see an African American to be the president of the United States for the second time; for his skin color is closer to mine but I confess that I am not much excited this time. After all, the governments are not run by the color of one's skin but by the standardized, prototype, bureaucratic machinery which is almost, always set in stone.  So no matter how big an achievement it is for an African American to be elected to run a country like United States for the second time, it will take years and years for the real change of hearts to take place. 

To his credit though, he tried to clear the mess as much as he could and did not do a very unsatisfactory job in his first term. America is going through a serious financial bad patch and the political forces here, like in my home country, are not playing a very positive role to strengthen democracy and are trying their best to make sure, how not to let the important things to happen. However, I'll be waiting to see what and if he is able to deliver much this time on the home front as well as the foreign Policy front.

My aim at this time is to focus on my current task for another 4 years and wait for my Karma/Qismat /luck to change for better :)......Good Luck Obama! Good Luck Michelle..Please wear something nicer than your usual printed attires this time :).