Proud Pakistani?

Re: # 41
Hamidm Sahib!

You are by far the funniest interactor on Chowk!

khattak: I am not ashamed of being a Pakistani...

Then maybe you shouldn`t start your articles thus: People from all over the world are undoubtedly proud to be nationals of their respective countries except for some unfortunate people of some ‘unfortunate’ countries. Probably, Pakistanis are one from the second lot.

Anyway, what I said was in good humour. Relax, nobody is accusing you of treason. If you do indeed choose to seek a better life for yourself or your loved ones, you don`t need to explain it to anyone or even feel overly guilty about it!

#47 by Khattak99

My dear Khattak,

Please accept my congratulations on breaking the half century record for interacts - either your article was more interesting than this interactor ever expected or the ladies and ledaas of chowk are really hurting for stuff to read.

Since you directed your interact to all those who love Pakistan - I immediately jumped ahead of everybody else - because nobody loves Pakistan more than I! (But don`t get that green passport ready for me just yet - I don`t have your level of patience!)

I think that all the chowkies misunderstood you - you poor dear - you, who had to wait for twenty five whole days for that green passport - the one which prominently displays ``M`` for you know what - just to let you know what you are - in case you need to tell anybody who needs to know and is too dumb to figure it out by asking you.

It is highly unfair of the chowk people to suggest that you HATE Pakistan. Why would ANYONE hate Pakistan? EVERYBODY loves Pakistan. Ask GWB, for example. We, the Americans, love Pakistan so much we feel like hugging the whole lot of you and making your home our home and staying there for ever - like a ghar-jamaii!

I think that Pakistanis are the greatest hosts in the whole world - such large-hearted people - they do not make any distinction among their guests based on class, creed, etc. None of that superficial stuff! Everybody is equally welcome there (even OBL)! The country is bubbling with so much love!!! It is so loving - and the way you love it back is soooo touching!

It is the all-encompassing love.

You see, mian Khattak, sometimes one can love another to death! I wish you a long life!

It is unfair of others to call you a hypocrite. I don`t think you are a hypocrite - I think you are the REAL thing - a shining example of that young nation and all that young nation hood intails!

Your courage in protesting the inordinate passport delay is praiseworthy! (Friendly advice, calling mian Mushy a ``bustard`` may not necessarily expedite the process - so at least wait till you are out of the country!)

Never be ashamed of being called a Pakistani - it is not the land`s fault that the denizens do not measure up to it!

Be nice to the axeman - he has no axe to grind with you! But he should not have done such a hatchet job on you. He should cut it out!

PS: I personally don`t think that Pakistanis should take Biharis in - there is a reason why they are called ``Biharis`` after all - send them back, send them ALL back to where they come from - or ask them to change their names to something more accurately descriptive - like ullus!!

(Side note to chowk staff/staffin: kindly make corrections to my account as requested via e-mail! (You know the e-mail I am talking about. (Yup, right there in your trash can!)))

Dear Khattak

I would rather point out that the ordeal you had to go through only because your residence-address was not listed in Karachi, is very normal in any ``civilized`` part of world. In Germany, you cannot use any of the services offered by the city unless you re-register yourself once you move to different city. Hence, if you want to get a new Passport or a work permit or what ever other document, your documents are sent by post to your home town, or you can go there yourself and make the process. And this system really works. If NADRA in Pakistan is trying to adopt a similar system which is transparent and fool proof (to an extent), atleast its ambitions should be recognized.

Between, I had to wait only one week for CNIC through NADRA, back in 2003.
-cheers

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Re: # 47
@khattak99,

Correction my dear friend, I didn`t just call you a hypocrit, I also explained why I think you are one. As for what I have or have not done for my country, that is a private matter and I would much rather stay quiet than blow my own horn.

Regards,
Irfan.

#48, khattak99 {``...Now! Brother Salim Chauhan, I am extremely sorry for your state and those of our Bihari brothers in Bangladesh. The selfish govt of Pakistan should bring back all those stranded there, who are yet to be even recognized as bona fide citizens by Bangladesh. If the govt can feed 3 million Afghan refugees, why not 300,000 Biharis, who are our own? I assure you brother Salim that I am going to speak for your plight on every forum I get, Insha Allah. ``}

Brader-e-man, Khattak Agha,

Thank you for acknowledging the sorry existence and miserable existence of ``stranded`` Pakistanis in Bangladesh. Sir, you grabbed the bull by the horns right there when you questioned the sincerity of the selfish GoP in accepting 3M Afghan refugees, but denying repatriation to only 300,000 of its own citizens who are in this quandry because of a war that GoP lost. My dear brother, your assurance that you will speak out in support of ``stranded`` Pakistanis in every forum is indeed very valuable. If enough of us make this our constant goal, eventually the GoP can be shamed into doing the right thing.

Khattak Sahib, thank you for your compassion and humanity - you have just demonstrated that there is a great difference between Pakistani Punjabis and Pakistani Pathans. God bless you, sir. You practice your religion to help others, while they use theirs to exclude others.

Re: # 47

[Mr India, thank you for the advice of getting myself raped, but I would say, “Keep it to yourself”.]

No Sir. That advise came from General sahib to your female compatriots. I don`t need to get raped to get a passport or American Visa. Being ``Indian`` is good enough for me in Europe and America. As a matter of fact it is an asset. Anyway nice to know you are proud of your identity. Chao !!!

Isn`t it amazing how selective the sense of compassion, humanity, and brotherly Islamic feeling is among the selfish and racist Punjabi so-called Muslims. They beat their drums about ``Islam`` and concern for ``Muslims,`` yet they won`t allow these ``Muslim`` Pakistani girls, stranded in Bangladesh, to come home.


Is there no shame left in Pakistani Punjabi hearts? :@

Don`t these Pakistanis, depicted in #57, deserve their Pakistani passports in 25 days?

Re: # 17

I had applied for a renewal of passport (at the Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad, AP) and wanted it done under the ``Tatkal`` (urgent/immediate) scheme ... to my shock I was told that Tatkal wasnt available for passports under renewal ! It was really strange... it was as if I was being penalised for holding a passport. A fresh passport under tatkal would have been delivered in under 5 days. No amount of reasoning worked with the officials at the RPO. Ultimately I got my passport after 45 days. BTW RPO Hyderabad has the distinction of receiving the highest number of forms in a day in the country. And it is no wonder that issue of passports is invariably delayed. The most common reason cited being ``Passport booklets out of stock``

All interactors,

Just a note to tender my sincere apology for using the term ``ullus`` (in #51) with respect to the stranded ``Biharis``. Although it was said in jest, in truth the life of refugees is nothing to kid about. Most of the current sufferers had no role in that idiotic decisionmaking when their forefathers got that green ``junoon``.

Having said that, I do feel that such individuals lost all claim to the name of that province when they abandoned it and followed their false messiah - that charlatan - but headed into the wrong direction! Unlike in Punjab, no exchange of population was required in Bihar and the circumstances were a lot better. These folks left of their own desire. They should call themselves Pakistanis except those who prefer to call themselves Bangladeshis. This won`t be the first time that the sins of the fathers keep killing their children bit by bit!

It is highly hypocritical of Pakistanis to disown these folks - after three generations, too. Perhaps just another symptom of the darkness of soul that Feroz sahib so eloquently captured on a recent board.

Re: # 60
> .... and followed their false messiah - ...
If you dare call MAJ (pbuh) a false messiah - I will , I will write a bad bad post about you
and your family.
My hero was the best thing that could have happened to us. The heart cries that his
sacrifices and struggle is being lost in vain by the MoFking congress and commies...

#61

Wise guy, eh?!!

Write what you please on me - who cares - I never do!

Without Jinnah, tonnes of problems would never have happened. Consider:

(1) A majority-minority balance in all parts of the subcontinent - ensuring harmony! Gradual fading away of the rancor because a lot of the subsequent events would never have happened.

(2) People actually living in lands to which they have ancestral ties - a sense of belonging there - a degree of pride. No ``foreign`` dreams (Jeena yahan, marna yahan!)

(3) The world`s most populous country! The world`s largest in many respects.

(4) No warring with your own people. No warring with external countries - because nobody likes to fight a massive elephant.

(5) A model for the rest of the world on how people CAN live together inspite of being so diverse!

I can think of countless other!

My i-log of March 26 fails to capture more than 1 percent of the intensity I feel for that man!

Enough said!

Re: # 62
sir ji, regarding my writing bad things about you - that was a PJ ... was surprised to see
you take that seriously ... neways - i hope to write more BJs (Better jokes) in future.

Now you write

---

>(1) A majority-minority balance in all parts of the subcontinent - ensuring harmony!...
Bura na maaney to ek baat kehta hoon. The species H0m0 Islamus cannot live peacefully
with the H0m0 Sapiens. EVEN 1 MUSLIM IS A THREAT TO PEACE. ETERNALLY.It does not
matter how many humans are around him. It does not matter what the religion of those
humans is.
Sirji- the majority minority balance would have put paid to our dreams of Aryavrata
becoming properous again. What would have happened more likely is that areas of humans
would have begun progressing compared to their(HI) areas. Next thing you know - they
demand their share/quota/funds/personal laws in their areas. More riots, with the humans
typically at the recieving end. It is hard to beat them at barbarity. If we were to match
them we would start becoming lesser humans ourselves...

>(2) People actually living in lands to which they have ancestral ties - ...
Yes, but even with > 95% muslim population, they refuse to acknowldge their Hindu
pasts ... and you are saying with 45% population they would feel comfortable enough
to acknowledge their stock.
Aaj thodi chara ke aaye hain lagta hai aap...

> (4) No warring with your own people. ....
Sigh. You disappoint me sir.

>(5) A model for the rest of the world on how people CAN live .....
Yup, pukis live wonderfully together. It would be such a great model if throw in a few
more minorities ... There .. yes - just the right mix.

Thank heavens - your daughter is not whisked away to become another convert to the
peace lover cult. And we ONLY have my prophet to thank. Mohammed Ali Jinnah (pbuh).
Do you know that in Bangladesh what do Hindus have to go through ?

Can you name ONE country where Islam is in any numbers - and that country sees peace ?
Name one muslim country that lets its citizens of other faith live without a sense of fear.
What ??? did I hear Malaysia ? Do a lookup on the situation there ... and check it out
yourself.

Baaki, sirji - I have full faith in the fact that ultimately good will win over evil. I will do
my bit in this eternal fight. Spreading the facts is one way of doing it.

#63 Wisey

I am quite fond of beating up on several Pakistanis - especially for their inconsistency and (apparent) cowardice on the part of some when it comes to ISI-sponsored terrorism - and in facing up to the feelings of exclusivity which have always been at the root of the creation of Pakistan and several subsequent events (I don’t buy a single word of what the Mantos and the Verseys so glibly try to pass off as justifications and what in reality are gossamer-thin excuses). But I refuse to pin any of that on a ``Hindu/Muslim`` distinction.

Because we are the same D_A_M_N people! I don’t even know where to start - your arguments are so full of holes.

Compare the subcontinental bunch of Muslims with those elsewhere! Who do they have more in common with - the Arabs or us?

Now let us switch sides.

Compare the average Hindu in India with the hypothetical denizen of that Aryavarta you describe - if at all such a creature ever existed. Does that average Hindu have more in common with that (fictitious) Arya-vartee or the average Indian muslim of today?

You hesitate - let me ask another way.

Who is closer in how they speak.

In what they wear.

In what they eat and drink.

In what they think of themselves as belonging to.

Do you believe that average Indian Hindu does not have a part of his core that has absorbed a bunch of Islamic values - I don’t mean the superficial stuff - I mean the ``good`` stuff! I submit to you that there is a lot more of that thing we carry than we realize - it is a part of our history, our heritage, our value systems, and our thoughts - it is mostly subconscious.

There are differences between those who are brought up as members of each faith - but at the core there is a lot of overlap - and as the core matures, the bonding can only get stronger - Babri or no Babri, Godhra or no Godhra, ISI or no ISI, Kashmiri troublemakers or otherwise!

Every Indian Hindu is a little Muslim, and every Indian Muslim is quite a bit Hindu - whether each side admits it or not. Such things happen when you live together - there is no way to avoid absorbing some of it and developing identification to an extent - it can never happen when people are separated - like the Pakistanis did - and screwed up royally!

Indians are a diverse group - we will stay that way - and that is the right way to be. Religion is just one aspect of that diversity - we should celebrate diversity, not try to homogenize. And we should try to desegregate - not stratify.

Jinnah the ``smart-ass`` pulled some of that segregation stuff - and look where his blind-following-junoonee-crowds find themselves today. Once you start going down that route - it can only go downhill - so first you kill the Hindus and Sikhs, then start looking for other potential victims - and start manufacturing differences for killing them.

Let me draw your attention to the following lines from Merle Haggard.

…Stop rollin` downhill like a snowball that`s headed for hell
The best of the free life is still yet to come
And the good times ain`t over for good….