Yesterday I went to the Lakson building (across the Press Club) in Saddar with two colleagues to meet an estate agent for some office-related work. The area being quite a busy place, finding parking space was a huge hassle. While I was circling and searching for space, the agent we were supposed to meet signalled for us to turn and drive into the premises of the Sindh Wildlife building nearby. I acquiesced and went in and parked.
When I asked if it was okay to park there for a little while I was told that the building ground is de facto used as regular parking space by individuals upon payment of Rs 1500-2000 per month to the chowkidar, or Rs20 per parking per trip for visitors. I think there must be about 15-20 or more cars parked in the premises at any point in time, which means the chowkidar (and the few others who have to be in it together) easily make at the very least Rs40,ooo per month in this business with zero investment (or tax).
The story is the same in all the other government office premises in the area.
We are such an enterprising people :)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Karachi Burns Again
Here we go again. Just when Karachi seemed to have recovered from the post Dec27 mayhem and its citizens beginning to look a little optimistic for peace after Zardari’s historic reconciliatory visit to Nine-Zero, violence has erupted again. So far 50 cars have been burnt, 7 people have lost their lives, scores of people are wounded and 5 burnt alive in acts of arson and sabotage across the city in a matter of hours.
It all supposedly started when a few MQM lawyers who were protesting the Niazi manhandling were allegedly attacked by other lawyers, resulting in a huge scuffle and consequent widespread protest, rioting and violence across the city.
It is interesting to note that Arbab Rahim has given a press conference in which he is accusing the PPP to be responsible for the rioting and violence in Karachi ‘considering the PPP is in power’. If being in power is the criteria for responsibility then by that token is Arbab admitting to his own government’s hand in the May12 violence in Karachi??
There are many theories being put forward by conspiracy lovers. Some say that power-sharing talks with the MQM have broken down which is why the party is resorting to showing its might and threatening street-power in Karachi. Others say it is an attempt by the Commando to malign and jeopardize the lawyers’ movement as a warning against restoring the judges. Yet others imply that this is the Commando’s attempt to head the country towards another Martial Law.
Whatever it may be, it is Karachiites who suffer – yet again.
It all supposedly started when a few MQM lawyers who were protesting the Niazi manhandling were allegedly attacked by other lawyers, resulting in a huge scuffle and consequent widespread protest, rioting and violence across the city.
It is interesting to note that Arbab Rahim has given a press conference in which he is accusing the PPP to be responsible for the rioting and violence in Karachi ‘considering the PPP is in power’. If being in power is the criteria for responsibility then by that token is Arbab admitting to his own government’s hand in the May12 violence in Karachi??
There are many theories being put forward by conspiracy lovers. Some say that power-sharing talks with the MQM have broken down which is why the party is resorting to showing its might and threatening street-power in Karachi. Others say it is an attempt by the Commando to malign and jeopardize the lawyers’ movement as a warning against restoring the judges. Yet others imply that this is the Commando’s attempt to head the country towards another Martial Law.
Whatever it may be, it is Karachiites who suffer – yet again.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday Morning with Pushkin
Chanced upon this lovely translation of Pushkin by Katharena Eiermann. Enjoy:
Confession
I love you, though I rage at it,
Though it is shame and toil misguided,
And to my folly self-derided
Here at your feet I will admit!
It ill befits my years, my station,
Good sense has long been overdue!
And yet, by every indication
Love's plague has stricken me anew
You're out of sight - I fall to yawning;
You're here - I suffer and feel blue,
And barely keep myself from owning,
Dear elf, how much I care for you!
Why, when your guileless girlish chatter
Drifts from next door your airy tread,
Your rustling dress, my senses scatter
And I completely lose my head.
You smile -I flush with exultation;
You turn away - I'm plunged in gloom,
Your pallid hand is compensation
For a whole day of fancied doom
When to the frame with artless motion
You bend to cross-stitch, all devotion,
Your eyes and ringlets down-beguiled,
My heart goes out in mute emotion
Rejoicing in you like a child!
Dare I confess to you my sighing,
How jealously I chafe and balk
When you set forth, defying
Bad weather, on a lengthy walk?
And then your solitary crying,
Those twosome whispers out of sight,
Your carriage to Opochka plying
And the piano late at night -Aline!
I ask but to be pitied,
I do not dare to plead for love;
Love, for the sins I have committed,
I am perhaps unworthy of.
But make believe! Your gaze, dear elf,
Is fit to conjure with, believe me!
Ah, it is easy to deceive me...
I long to be deceived myself!
Confession
I love you, though I rage at it,
Though it is shame and toil misguided,
And to my folly self-derided
Here at your feet I will admit!
It ill befits my years, my station,
Good sense has long been overdue!
And yet, by every indication
Love's plague has stricken me anew
You're out of sight - I fall to yawning;
You're here - I suffer and feel blue,
And barely keep myself from owning,
Dear elf, how much I care for you!
Why, when your guileless girlish chatter
Drifts from next door your airy tread,
Your rustling dress, my senses scatter
And I completely lose my head.
You smile -I flush with exultation;
You turn away - I'm plunged in gloom,
Your pallid hand is compensation
For a whole day of fancied doom
When to the frame with artless motion
You bend to cross-stitch, all devotion,
Your eyes and ringlets down-beguiled,
My heart goes out in mute emotion
Rejoicing in you like a child!
Dare I confess to you my sighing,
How jealously I chafe and balk
When you set forth, defying
Bad weather, on a lengthy walk?
And then your solitary crying,
Those twosome whispers out of sight,
Your carriage to Opochka plying
And the piano late at night -Aline!
I ask but to be pitied,
I do not dare to plead for love;
Love, for the sins I have committed,
I am perhaps unworthy of.
But make believe! Your gaze, dear elf,
Is fit to conjure with, believe me!
Ah, it is easy to deceive me...
I long to be deceived myself!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Fitna Launched
The controversial movie Fitna is now out and can be found on several websites and youtube links despite massive blocking attempts by the PTA. It is an almost 20-minute movie and attempts (to an extent successfully I think) to put terror of Islam and Muslims in the minds and hearts of all who watch it.
It starts out with a recitation of some verses (with references) in the Quran followed by images of 9/11 and other bombings and acts of terror carried out by fanatics in the name of Islam, in an attempt to link the verses with these acts. It goes on to show clips of hate speeches and anti-West/anti-Jewish rhetoric of some known and unknown clerics and imams across the world, including various parts of Netherlands and Europe and more videos/newsclips of actual deeds done by Islamist extremists which reflect support for this type of hate-thinking.
The movie clearly shows the various restrictive ideologies in practice and the dismal state and treatment of women, children, gays and non-muslims in Muslim countries, and points to the rising number of Muslim immigrants in Europe who are calling for curbing Western freedoms in the West and implementing these ideologies. If various imams in Europe's mosques actually do preach the kind of hate that the movie has shown them to do, then I am not surprised with the fear of Islamization that Wilders is attempting to create in his viewers.
Personally I find it an unacceptable idea that immigrants (from anywhere) come to a society in search of a better life and then forcefully try to impose their own drastically different ideologies on the adopted society expecting it to yield and submit instead of themselves adapting to the new society! Why choose to live in the West if Western norms are so not acceptable?
This problem is not just the West's. Pakistan is also a victim of exactly the same phenomenon. Thirty years ago Pakistani society was far more tolerant and free than it is today. It was the Afghan war and the consequent influx of Afghan refugees and the Taliban and their unacceptably intolerant ideology that has brought about the dismal state of affairs that Pakistan is in today, i.e., in the heart and frontline of the war on terror. It is sickening to know that the governments of the time and also successive ones did not do enough to stop the growing menace of religious fundamentalism and extremism in the country.
Coming back to the movie, I think it should be allowed a viewing because it gives an insight to the way Islam and Muslims are being perceived today by the West and the very reasons for this as well. We cannot put the onus on Western societies to understand and accomodate us if we are not willing to face our own internal issues and deal with these - no one (and especially no one in Pakistan) can deny that religious extremism is indeed a huge problem we need to deal with, and deal with as a top priority.
It is not simply freedoms of the west but the very survival of our own society that is at stake here. We all MUST say a huge, resounding NO to extremism.
It must begin at home.
It starts out with a recitation of some verses (with references) in the Quran followed by images of 9/11 and other bombings and acts of terror carried out by fanatics in the name of Islam, in an attempt to link the verses with these acts. It goes on to show clips of hate speeches and anti-West/anti-Jewish rhetoric of some known and unknown clerics and imams across the world, including various parts of Netherlands and Europe and more videos/newsclips of actual deeds done by Islamist extremists which reflect support for this type of hate-thinking.
The movie clearly shows the various restrictive ideologies in practice and the dismal state and treatment of women, children, gays and non-muslims in Muslim countries, and points to the rising number of Muslim immigrants in Europe who are calling for curbing Western freedoms in the West and implementing these ideologies. If various imams in Europe's mosques actually do preach the kind of hate that the movie has shown them to do, then I am not surprised with the fear of Islamization that Wilders is attempting to create in his viewers.
Personally I find it an unacceptable idea that immigrants (from anywhere) come to a society in search of a better life and then forcefully try to impose their own drastically different ideologies on the adopted society expecting it to yield and submit instead of themselves adapting to the new society! Why choose to live in the West if Western norms are so not acceptable?
This problem is not just the West's. Pakistan is also a victim of exactly the same phenomenon. Thirty years ago Pakistani society was far more tolerant and free than it is today. It was the Afghan war and the consequent influx of Afghan refugees and the Taliban and their unacceptably intolerant ideology that has brought about the dismal state of affairs that Pakistan is in today, i.e., in the heart and frontline of the war on terror. It is sickening to know that the governments of the time and also successive ones did not do enough to stop the growing menace of religious fundamentalism and extremism in the country.
Coming back to the movie, I think it should be allowed a viewing because it gives an insight to the way Islam and Muslims are being perceived today by the West and the very reasons for this as well. We cannot put the onus on Western societies to understand and accomodate us if we are not willing to face our own internal issues and deal with these - no one (and especially no one in Pakistan) can deny that religious extremism is indeed a huge problem we need to deal with, and deal with as a top priority.
It is not simply freedoms of the west but the very survival of our own society that is at stake here. We all MUST say a huge, resounding NO to extremism.
It must begin at home.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Management Gem 2
From a management and organization development point of view, I believe there is one thing worse that than low performers: mediocre performers. Low performers are relatively easier to deal with, as an obvious or repeated low performance can be the basis for redundancy. But mediocre performers can be a dilemma -they are able to meet some of the targets and therefore get away with average ratings. Average performers who are and will always be average are like slow poison eating into the quality and soul of the company, never letting it grow from good to great.
I would say managers must keep a continuous eye out for mediocrity, and root it out as soon as possible replacing it with good talent thereby allowing both people and the company to develop and flourish.
I would say managers must keep a continuous eye out for mediocrity, and root it out as soon as possible replacing it with good talent thereby allowing both people and the company to develop and flourish.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Fitna
Dutch MP Geert Wilders, known for his anti-Islamic views, has chosen the word 'Fitna' as the new title for his 15-minute, explosive anti-Islamic film to be released in March. The word fitna is Arabic and occurs a number of times in the Quran, referring to spreading malice or having malicious intent.
According to Mr Wilders, “I insisted on using a phrase that’s also found in the Koran. Islam and the Koran are my ordeal. I use the term in an inverse sense… For me the poisonous Koran is fitna.”
The 15-minute movie will apparently contain an animated cartoon of the prophet Mohammed, and some Dutch media have suggested that the end will show Wilders burning a copy of the Quran.
Fearing an international backlash against the Netherlands, the Dutch government already has instructed its embassies worldwide on how to act after the movie has been released. Security at Dutch embassies is to be increased, while Wilders has been advised to go into hiding abroad after the movie is released. Wilders is already under constant security protection since 2004 because of threats to his life due to his very vocal criticism of Islam in the wake of the murder of Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh.
The debate between provocation and freedom of expression is a very interesting one and has been ongoing for quite some time now, but the question is where do we draw the line? There is a serious need for engaging in reflection and constructive dialogue over this. In the same context, what would we call this movie, freedom of speech or fitna?
According to Mr Wilders, “I insisted on using a phrase that’s also found in the Koran. Islam and the Koran are my ordeal. I use the term in an inverse sense… For me the poisonous Koran is fitna.”
The 15-minute movie will apparently contain an animated cartoon of the prophet Mohammed, and some Dutch media have suggested that the end will show Wilders burning a copy of the Quran.
Fearing an international backlash against the Netherlands, the Dutch government already has instructed its embassies worldwide on how to act after the movie has been released. Security at Dutch embassies is to be increased, while Wilders has been advised to go into hiding abroad after the movie is released. Wilders is already under constant security protection since 2004 because of threats to his life due to his very vocal criticism of Islam in the wake of the murder of Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh.
The debate between provocation and freedom of expression is a very interesting one and has been ongoing for quite some time now, but the question is where do we draw the line? There is a serious need for engaging in reflection and constructive dialogue over this. In the same context, what would we call this movie, freedom of speech or fitna?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Obama: Threat to Pakistan?
I've seen a lot of support for Obama in the press and media, and especially by so many Pakistanis living in the U.S. While I like him compared to Clinton (and any Republican) on a number of important issues, what is really bothering me is his stand in support of bombing targets inside Pakistan territory if Islamabad is not willing to cooperate.
He said on Tuesday, “I never said I would bomb Pakistan. What I said was that if we have actionable intelligence against (Osama) bin Laden or other key Al Qaeda officials and Pakistan is unwilling or unable to strike against them, we should."
Striking targets inside the territory of a sovereign country? Is that not arrogance? And yet Pakistanis abroad support Obama. Why?
He said on Tuesday, “I never said I would bomb Pakistan. What I said was that if we have actionable intelligence against (Osama) bin Laden or other key Al Qaeda officials and Pakistan is unwilling or unable to strike against them, we should."
Striking targets inside the territory of a sovereign country? Is that not arrogance? And yet Pakistanis abroad support Obama. Why?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Out'bursts'!
By now six nights have passed since the result of the elections were announced, yet there is no reprieve from the loud noise of Klashinkov and TT bursts that seem to be echoing all over Karachi till the wee hours of the morning. I had no idea ordinary people had so much weaponry and ammunition to use with such impunity in expressing their jubilation that there is a total disregard for public peace or safety.
How exactly are we different from our tribal neighbours?
How exactly are we different from our tribal neighbours?
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