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The broken chain of evidence!

After three years, seven months and eight days, the Anti-Terrorism Court has yet again postponed the verdict of the alleged architect of the Lal Masjid massacre which left almost a thousand people displaced, 248 injured and 108 killed. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has only now, on 20th April 2011 , indicted former chief cleric of Lal Mosque Maulana Abdul Aziz and 20 others for killing a Rangers soldier on July 7th, 2007, while the charges on these suspects have been struck down from twenty to one during this time.

This is not just one case which has gone unattended. According to Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the provincial minister for information, almost 98% of the alleged terrorists are acquitted on the basis of insufficient evidence or lack of witnesses.
The amount of such cases is appallingly increasing and the presence of militants in the society is posing a major threat for the civilians. A staggering 1,591 people lost their lives in these attacks while 10,161 militants were arrested in 2010. But the puzzling question is that why many of the extremists behind this butchery have never been punished or even trialed.

A major reason for this trend could be attributed to the inefficacy of the police. “Most of these cases lack eyewitnesses and are based on circumstantial evidence. A single missing link in the chain of evidence, it shatters the prosecution case,” said Shahnawaz Khan, expert in terrorism-related cases. A review of the nastiest terrorist attacks in the history of Pakistan also points towards the absence of appropriate evidence because of the lack of any proper procedure for the police.

On December 27th 2007, the whole country quivered as Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by a 15 year old boy. But even a case of this significance has not been solved as yet, and according to the United Nations report, Rawalpindi District Police has played an important role in its delay. The absence of; on the spot investigation, evidence collection and autopsy report and hosing down of the crime scene were the major contributions by police to the failure of this case in court.
Similarly, the four core suspects of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing on September 20th 2008 were acquitted in July 2010, because out of the 128 witnesses, 84 didn’t show up.
Many of police officers don’t even record information of the location from where the suspect was arrested. For example, the suspects of the Ashura procession blast on Dec 28th 2009 were released in July 2010 because of the contradiction in the statements of the Interpol officers about the location from where these suspects were arrested. This is not a single occasion rather approximately, 23 alleged terrorists, in the past six months, have been freed merely because police didn’t record the exact location from where these people were arrested.

The irresponsibility reaches its pinnacle when the police don’t even collect ‘any authentic proof’ against the suspect. As on 10th April 2011, an Afghan suspected of attacking a checkpost and stealing arms was freed on bail. Though the person was in custody for one month but the investigative officers didn’t present a single evidence for the allegation against him.
We need to rectify this negligent attitude by the police to ensure that the terrorists don’t openly challenge the autonomy of civilians in Pakistan. To eradicate this unprofessionalism, the authorities will have to take an active part and form an official ‘protocol’.

A protocol would describe as to how to proceed in terms of collecting evidence, sending samples for forensic reports and collection of supporting data. A separate provision for the witness’s protection and code of conduct for the police must be constituted in it, under the general curriculum of laws. Another plausible provision could be to reduce the time for custody so the verdict could be granted as soon as possible. And in case of failure to abide by the rules of the protocol, either heavy fine or suspension should be the consequence.
This proper code of conduct can strengthen and organize the local police procedures to a great extent. A code would facilitate the authorities in objectively reviewing the performance of the police officers.

In Pakistan, many innocent people lose their lives in acts of terrorism every day. We won’t be able to sustain the increasing burden of terrorism with a corrupt and dissipated legal system. If we keep on acquitting these extremists due to our negligence, then one day they will rip off the already fragile society into pieces!

In the name of Humanity!

With earphones pouring melancholic tunes in my heart, the wind slowly pulling me back from numbness, I felt a lot…a lot happening in my mind today on my way to university.

My eyes were closed, was stuffed in the seat and barely fixed my feet on the ground with a lot of strangers around me in the bus, but yet I tried to sort out the knots within my mind.
A look at the crowd; the rush they were in, the irritation they showed and their struggle to surpass each other in getting a seat, struck my mind. While some were trying to observe other people, others were already commenting on them. How they looked at each other and if their eyes met they pretended as if they were never looking, it was all a snapshot.
A snapshot which encompasses a whole ‘Lifetime’; just like you try to feel the ocean in an aquarium, you can also feel the livelihood of the humankind within a small bus.
People everywhere, some stuffed in seats, a few competing to get a seat and one or two pretending as if they don’t care about the seat at all. These people are of various ages and backgrounds. There are a few; elderly women and men maybe coming from work, teenagers coming from school or college and some middle aged fella’s.
A sheer look at their face can unravel the most vicious and ferocious features of human nature.
Beginning from the oldies; the ones sitting are looking at the youngsters with such a critical eye as if they loathe their each and every movement. But the ones standing are trying their maximum to look as friendly and motherly as possible (to get a seat of course). They pretend to look motherly to a person just until she sacrifices her seat for them and a few seconds later they start critiquing the same ‘adorable’ person. This small sight can show the selfishness which we try to conceal, the tactics we use to get our work done and the apathy we show in other’s hour of need.
The middle aged ones are no less in their cunningness and in their display of ‘unveiled humanity’. With all the stress and responsibilities aside, they are still dressed according to their own best standards. They laugh, pretend to be friends to one another and wave to those who are sitting in the opposite row. How angelic their whole persona is! They seem to be enjoying their journey after a tiring day. But if heard closely, they are backbiting to their neighbors about the same people sitting on the opposite row of benches. Shocked that you thought they are friends? Oh of course they are…hypocrisy is the baseline of friendship in the world of today!
Abhorred and tired, let’s review the youngsters who are still not exposed to the world of the ‘adult folks’. They look simple, cool, innocently beautiful and reserved. They are not talking to strangers, look indifferent and naïve. With iPods in their hands they’re busy on their cell phones, texting and talking to their friends. In the meanwhile they take a look across the bus and especially to any new member who enters the bus. If another cool or modern looking girl/guy enters…they become attentive. Their gaze becomes focused on the new entrants’ clothes. Look deeply in their gaze and attention, yes! They are jealous. They are threatened, just like an animal gets angry when a new and fresh animal enters the field.
Hypocrisy, jealousy, backbiting and bold tactics….The whole humanity kept in a bus of sixty people!
These sixty people remind me of my absurdities and my sins, as I’m also a part of them. They make me look back at my life and that realization is horrifying.
I feel stress as knots of friendship and hypocrisy cross their lines multiple times. Some friends turn out to be people you never knew and some people turn out to be friends you always wanted.
I feel joy as I relive a lot of hidden pleasures in small moments. I discover how joyful it was to dance the way I wanted to without anyone looking at me. It was my little of moment of happiness to find a coin in my jeans just when I was in desperate need of it.
I feel pain as I see how I intentionally or unknowingly I had hurt those who I loved the most. The valuables were undervalued and maltreated by me at some point in life.
I feel despised, as I had been an active user and bold player in the game of tactics too. Without realizing my intentional errors I had committed sins which are not worthy of forgiveness.
I feel broken as the astute animal of humanity comes in front me as a reflection. But it’s not just me or you; it’s all of us carrying a shrewd and concealed beast within us. We all see it in each other’s eyes and sense it in our ambiance, but we ignore it in the name of Humanity!

Hope

A suffocating small room, cold bare floor and a flimsy table beside the window, with your hands clasped in your lap to sustain the chilly silent vibes this room emits, you sit at a corner with no bit of energy left in your veins. But you still muster up all the bits of courage left in you and you stand up, barely sustaining the pressure of those comatose legs you walk towards the window and open its fragile doors. The window opens and the sunlight enters the room, with its crisp edges, the straight ray of light enters your eyes. The light sprinkles some of its sparkle in your pupils and you feel rejuvenated once again!

This is what we call hope, after all the tensions in the world, we all stand up every morning in search of happiness. We, humans, can suffer much more than the threshold of medicine has proclaimed, we can go through miseries much more intense than our imagination can create and we can battle all those atrocities which world has to offer.

But this battle can only be fought by those who have a reason to cling on to. We won’t die of hunger and thirst for several days. We won’t commit suicide no matter how excruciating the environment is if we have a motive to adhere to.

What is this motive? Is this your desire to change the world or the desire to conquer your soul? Is this the motivation to convey a message or to relish another moment with your loved one?

No one can answer this question, but one word sums it all up and that is ‘Hope’. It’s the ‘hope’ to do something or for someone, to accomplish a dream or anything that you ever wished.

This hope gives our lives the meaning to survive in the wildest situations ever possible. Some can’t withstand small pressures and wither away because they lack the passion which hope grants us. This passion can revitalize our soul in the times of agitations, imagine how the eyes of an earthquake victim lights up in sheer hope to see his loved ones freeing him from the catastrophic grief surrounding him. This light of hope has the power to electrify the dead cells of the greatest creation of God i.e. us ‘Humans’.

Thus, before we submit ourselves to the worldly vows of materialism, be sure to find a motive strong enough to hold you in the time of crises!

Habib-Ur-Rehman: A Prodigy In The Field Of Acting!

Habib, a blend of; eloquence and charismatic personality, enigmatic voice and expressive eyes or simply an extreme opposite to the illiterate gujjars of Lollywood vying to speak in English…...though in his 70’s, he still maintains the charm of a superstar!

The aura he emanates certainly divulges the reason for his eminence in golden era of Lollywood. Equipped with impeccable etiquettes and mannerisms, he negates one’s perception of a typical Lollywood actor of the current ‘gujjar’ culture. He possesses the gift of the gab and makes his way to one’s heart just by a mere discussion. During the rendezvous, he candidly despised the current situation of our country in general and decline of the film industry in particular. He fervently believes in the usage of films as an instrument to stir compassion in audiences for social issues. It is this passion which, despite of severe illness in the past few months, has instigated him yet again to work on a project concerning current societal issues.

Habib, it’s not just a name rather it’s synonymous to a prodigy in the history of Pakistani film industry. Habib entered the industry as a result of a happenstance in 1956. But since then he kept on ascending on his way to success by his sheer perseverance and determination. His debut movie was ‘Lakht-e-Jigar’ with Santosh Kumar and Noor Jehan, in 1956. But his first super hit movie was ‘Zeher-e-Ishq’ with Musarrat Nazeer and this movie bought him under the spotlight of stardom. Soon his pair with Naghma became the hot couple of the industry and he gave many golden jubilee movies with her. He worked in more than 250 movies with exceptional roles, some of these include: ‘Ayaz’, ‘Surraiya’, ‘Kala Pani’, ‘Inqilaab’, Suhaag’ and the list goes on. He won the Nigar award as a best actor for Luqman’s movie ‘Admi’ and Shabab Kiranvi’s ‘Surraiya’. He also won worldwide recognition for his heart rending performance in the historical movie ‘Devdaas’ paired with Shamim Ara and Nayyar Sultana. The legendary Dillip Kumar deeply touched by his performance in ‘Devdaas’ also met him in Lahore to commend his talent.

He also made movies like ‘Baaghi’ and ‘Adabi’ based on current social issues in contract with the government. Despite the disavowal of contracts worth Rs.35 million by the government, he still takes immense interest in working on projects of social awareness. Though his multiple marriages and skirmish with the government has always brought him under a lot of controversies, but he still maintains a lofty stature and reputation amongst his fans. Recently, The Pakistan Arts Council gave him a tribute for his 55 years of innumerable contributions to the film industry. Though his life contains a long list of achievements but it’s worth mentioning that he’ll be receiving the ‘Pride of Performance’ award on 23^rd march, 2011.

Habib resides in Lahore with his third wife and children, living a peaceful retired life. He belonged to a lower middle class family from Gujranwala which preferred the education of their children to the luxuries of life. “I belong to a Patiala family and we were a wholesome family of 3 brothers and 3 sisters”. Amusingly Habib was interested in joining the army and his 6’2” tall stature completely suits it too but fate wanted him to be an entertainer, as he explains “Though all of us are well educated but two of my brothers, Hafiz and Riaz Abdur Rehman served the army and they inspired me to join it too, but I couldn’t clear the medical test because of the knee lock”. Eventually he accomplished a double MA degree in English and Persian and struggled to get a good job, “I tried to be excellent in everything from typing to writing, which could help me do a good job for my family”.

A smile of amazement runs through his face when he discusses how he entered the film industry, “It was all by chance!” he says, “I went with my friends to watch a movie and the producer asked me if I’ll be interested in working as an actor”. He discusses the nervous moments of his first shot as excitingly as a debutant “My first scene was with the great Madam Noor Jahan, I was a totally inexperienced debutant and that too I had to beat and take Madam Noor Jahan out of the room in that scene. But it was my confidence that I got praised from everyone for that shot”.

He kept acting a secret from his family while doing his first two movies, as he was waiting to achieve success in this field before disclosing it in front of them. But he wasn’t aware that success was waiting at his doorstep and a legend was in the making. Since then he never looked back and kept on doing movies after movies. But his decisions were always precise “I didn’t do every movie which came my way; I always selected the script on the basis of a strong character and story”. He has won many awards for his flawless performances but his humbleness wins the heart of anyone who meets him.

He takes a serious stance when it comes to his personal life. He got married thrice and one his wives includes his famous on screen co-actor Naghma. “We were always together, doing movies, shooting….I didn’t know anyone else but him, eventually we got married” says Naghma. He has three daughters from his first wife the late Hameeda Begum who passed away in 1998, another daughter from his second wife Naghma and two sons and two daughters with his current wife. “Though I spent a few years with my father but he surely passed on his modesty to all his children” says Shahina, daughter of his first wife who lived with her mother most of the time since their parents got divorced in her childhood. His multiple marriages certainly raise questions about his character but he maintains silence in this matter.

Another highlight of his life is his social awareness and the responsibility he assumes towards his country. “I never worked in a movie or a play which contains vulgarity. I always tried to maintain and depict our true values in our movies”. Habib has also made a movie named ‘Adabi’ based on the plight of women in Pakistan. He believes that the core issue of the steep descent of Lollywood is illiteracy and unprofessionalism. He has seen the era of Waheed Murad who worked as his junior artist initially, Muhammad Ali who was a beloved co-star and many other legends. Signs of sorrow emerge as he talks about the current scenario of this industry, “We were a nation which produced 350 films a year…..now we barely produce 15 movies of low quality and content, due to lack of educated people in our industry” he says gravely.

He recently underwent two back to back surgeries, former a grave and crucial brain surgery due to brain hemorrhage and latter to cure his hernia. But now, he seems more than ready and all set to work on a project named ‘Maa’ based on terrorism. He has produced movies before in contract with the sponsorship of the government who never paid the dues “The government promised me 35 million for the copyrights of my movie Baaghi but despite of several claims, they failed to keep their promise”, now MQM is pursuing his case further in the parliament. But this loss hasn’t affected his morale; rather he wants to work for the society. He firmly claims “Through media we can not only influence masses but also we can improve our foreign exchange earnings. Through media we can improve our image internationally and this will encourage foreign investment in our country”.

One can notice the anger and frustration shown by his fidgeting, as he talks about the inhumanity our country is witnessing these days. For him it’s more of a national trauma which is instigated by illiteracy. “Education is the cure indeed! Education creates awareness and nourishes our minds”. As we witness uneducated people swarming our industry today, Habib remembers how at his time everyone was well-educated and respected each other’s privacy, opinions and thoughts.

As per acting, this master remains humble when he points some integral requirements of an actor “Nobody can be the master of an art!” beginning with modesty he resumes, “but all I would say is you have to do roles what you never do in your real life e.g. I acted as a drunkard for my movie Devdaas, but have never tasted wine my whole life, all you have to have is self confidence and belief. Another important factor is rehearsal which improvises one’s small mistakes”.

He is strictly against the collaboration with India in movie production as he completely trusts his local talent. The only message he conveys to the youngsters is “Stay hopeful and be optimistic. Once you are done with your hard work, leave the rest upto Allah and he shall guide you further!”

His firm optimism for the future Lollywood surely lights the lamp of the dying industry. He makes one hope that the dark clouds of ‘gujjar’ tradition will soon vanish and the golden sun will cover it with its warmth!

True Colors Will Bleed!

Look at your eyes … do you see the greed that insinuates your inner lust?

Those hands you wash everyday…but you can’t run away from the stains of the horseplay which reminds you of your enmity!

Don’t you feel the burden on your shoulders?.....it’s the burden of your guilt which forces you to taste the blame for your sheer insatiability!

It’s difficult to walk the distance anymore….coz your feet are heavy with the hostility.

We count the moments we spend by adding the successes and subtracting failures. The colorful spectrum of life is translated and transformed in the shades of black and white through the lens of our animosity.

We call our angels only when they can salvage us, we conform to our morals only when they can guard us……as soon as our deficiencies are fulfilled, we call back our ‘Demons’ in the name of ‘obligation’. But don’t you feel the remorse for what you do in the name of life? The hypocrite you play to your own saviors?....coz when they need you, you aren’t there when their world is at the verge of demolition….. you push them when they reach out their hands for you to pull!

Every second we go through the feeling of despair and desperation, led by our own vows to be a loyal money maker…

The devil which abhors your soul and worships your immorality will take over …One day, it will remind you how wrong you were in letting your soul slip away so easily from your hands!....When it tried to clench your hands, you pushed it away….when it came in your dreams, you preferred to become an intentional insomniac… at last it breathed it last, while you were playing the game you call ‘Life’….

Though the black seems interesting and the white appears attractive…but one day you’ll cry for the true colors of morality you didn’t see. The color blindness is still less painful than the inner death you’ll experience with every moment passing by. Your suffering won’t be in the disease or the pain you get from it, rather the noise from your horrifying past will kill your will to live.

Money you will have it, fame you might earn it, love may be you’ll get lucky.....but Contentment? ...........Never!

I Carry This Joy in My Footsteps, Making My Way Back To You!

Have you ever felt the rush, the obsession and the ultimate desire to see someone at that moment ?...and then, without considering the circumstances… without wasting another second...with or without anyone else…..you ran and rushed to meet that one person?

If you haven’t, then you certainly are unfamiliar with the zest and vigor this urge adds to your body and mind. The thought of being with that one blurs any marks of fatigue from your forehead. The ‘peace’ you attain from meeting her definitely devalues the pains you go through to be with her!

As you start your journey, the distances appear to shrink and time begins to fly. With a pair of wings behind your arms, you fly through anything that comes your way….the colossal the difficulty of your path…the more you relish your journey!

When you have nothing but a notion of serenity you’ll feel, or the thought of the immense pleasure you’ll relive…. the adrenaline rush adds on until you are with the one you dream to be with!

Some might say its insanity, some might call it foolishness and others might even loathe you….but trust me, that feeling is something you’ll never experience again.

May be, this appears to be illogical to some or worthless to others. In fact I’ll call them jealous…jealous of what you possess…jealous of the strength which allows you to reach out to your limits and the gusto you have in your soul, which is extinct these days.

It can even hurt their egos and they may even go out of their ways to stop you. Out of sheer curiosity or revenge, they may put hurdles on your way….never abhor them in return because remember the more the hurdles, the better the journey!

When you reach your destination, the feeling you experience is exquisite….the mixed feeling of achievement and pleasure rejuvenates the spirit. The exhaustion vanishes and all you are left with is peace. What a beautiful word it is right; it’s rather a blend of love, serenity, achievement and ecstasy.I don’t know what the world says about this, at first glance this might appear childish or impulsive…but for me this is an expression of what I consider my love for my Mother….

For me peace is the state of mind when I’m around her and believe me I can come from any part of the world to be with her…

As Gloria Estefan says:

’ Wrapped in your arms where I’m peaceful….Back in your arms I can wander right to the heavens above me…I will do anything gladly, only to see you again!’