Duality of our Lives: US Vs. Pakistan

Ah the wonders of gora land! Giving up slaving for them is idiocy of the highest order.What a pity our ancestors actually fought for independence from them.They really should have known better.

``and what I know for sure, is that it is not in me to lower my shalwar``

I so much regret writing this sentence, I wish I could take it back. Instead, I should have written - may Allah help me preserve my and all of us preserve our integrity amen. I wrote words of vanity, I so regret. kia piddi aur kia piddi ka shorba.

Khan Sahib, Bulleya

Long time ago when I was a student in Karachi, I asked my neighborette this question``Tumhain sharam nahin aati?``; in those days she was one of the hottest model, actress, and most sought after call girl in the town. She replied without hesitation and a second thought ``pehli bar shalwar utari thi tau sharam aai thi, ab nahin aati``.

When I left Pakistan, econimics was the last of my grievances, the top one was this system of oppression, corruption, and deceit that we have set up. When I stepped into the practical life I found myself a fish out of water. It took me not more than few monthhs to undersatnd that in this dirty pond, I had to eat the fish smaller than me even if I didn`t have an apetite. All I had to do was to take my shalwar off only once. I couldn`t do it.

So I migrated. It took me years to understand what I had gotten myself into. In my country it was just corruption and oppression here I have to live in a system that can only maintain itself by murdereing innocent human beings all over the globe. Now I do not know which one was worst. Yes, I am a vassal of luxury; this is my human weakness but conscience rebels even in a cage made of gold. I am in the process of rediscovering my taqat-e-parvaz; I know I have it in me and what I know for sure, is that it is not in me to lower my shalwar.

Nice advertising.

With the mentioning of Aitchison college and the Police waalah, it reminded me of Davis Road. But not all roads are the same. Are they?

Per Pakistan has its own bahaar. right?

The fact that makes America look so bright is - its military is not financed by its Government or taxpayers; rather the Tattuus of various intimidated government of dilapidated countrie finance it a.k.a Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and most of all India.

All the tax money either goes to basic amenities, NASA, dolly-making, CNN, Harvards and Oxfords.

Urstruly.........``1. A promise of Rizq-e-Halal``

i recently spent a lot of time in pakistan...........the highest salary being paid to any IT executive is $25000/month. yes, per month.........i don`t know how the person spends this much money in pakistan.

the highest salary of any kind that i heard of being paid to any kind of executive was 25 lakh/month.........the IT person i know personally. this guy i do not know.......

so, things in pakistan are bad......much worse than i thought they were........and unfortunately, the chances of them getting worse seems more than the chances of them getting better, in my opinion.........however, there are a couple of areas that are doing really well.........the private sector is one of them.........it is booming........really booming....everyone is earning rizq-e-halal and a long line of people are returning from abroad, either willingly or unwillingly, to join it, at very high salaries.......

so it you are in the engineering field (specially telecom or IT) or in banking, you should be able to make a good living there, through rizq-e-halal.......assuming this is actually what you want.........if you are addicted to the, ``good life`` of the west, like the rest of us are, then that is a different story.........

however, i cannot understand your line of living in the usa and dumping on it so much........at the very least you should move out of the usa to some other western country, and then do so........like i do........and at least admit that you enjoy the western good life.......

p.s. i spent over 6 months in pakistan, surveying the place for business opportunities.......you may want to do the same......while i was hugely disappointed with the govt. and military part, i found the private sector (and academia) very vibrant, dedicated and upto speed......it was pretty much like a first-world private sector, albeit of a much tinier size..........

You should return to Pakistan every few years just to appreciate what US is.

Re: # 20

adamkhan,

you say to urstruly, ``no offence but calling that place a dungeon is simply a nashukri``........ you are right, but there is a certain breed of people who will always piss in the pot they eat in and bite the hand that feeds them and then in their sick minds they will come up with a million reasons why it is okay ........ usually these are people who do not understand the meaning of ``beyghairat`` - they think it means a girl in a bikini ..........

kaami bhai, pride is usually taken in achievements, in the case of our beloved country I dont see many that I can hold on to.

urstruly: I think you are taking the stability in your life for granted. There are people here who would do anything to be in your place. I know people who have to make a choice between Ami ka ilaaj, ya Abu ka operation? I dread the day that I would have to do the same, and given my current income I dont think this scenario is an impossibility. I am sure that with your health insurance over there, Mashallah tackling with choices like these wont be that big an issue. No offence but calling that place a dungeon is simply a nashukri.

Re: # 17

urstruly,

...... there are lots and lots of people in pakistan (usually working in the private sector) who are earning ``rizq-e-halal`` and have never taken or given a bribe ......... i also know people who have moved from this `dungeon` and are making 1/10th of what they were making here, live in rented homes, drive ten year old cars and are very happy ...........

....... your excuse is lame ........ it is all a matter of having the moral integrity to back up the verbal bluster ............

Re: # 17

> Alas! perhaps God wishes a more rigorous test of me.....

ROTFLMAO :D :D :D

Yeah, poor turly ..... the pain that every passing second inflicts on you .... I understand !


Ha Ha Ha....

Only if Pakistan had given me two things I would have never left and came to this horrible dungeon.;

1. A promise of Rizq-e-Halal
2. A modicum of decency where people would understand that ``One who takes bribe and One who gives bribes are both destined for hell``(Holy Prophet (pbuh)

I could eat half a loaf of bread but would get to live in my own home. Alas! perhaps God wishes a more rigorous test of me.

Re: # 13

well....
i cannot disagree... at all

but....

while writing my earlier post and this thing about being a second class citizen, the point that u have made about every ghareeb being a second class citizen in pakistan crossed my mind also, but that doesn`t deter me from being proud of my country...

nor does the fact that our legal and judicial system sucks....

but then i can argue that no one has a right to be proud of his country...

i believe that your pride for your homeland stems from a sense-of-belonging for your country; when u start thinking that ``however good or bad, this is MY country and ``I`` have got to do whatever i can to make it a better place``, that is the only way u can actually make a difference... and there`s a lot to be done for pakistan and we wouldn`t help the cause if we turn our backs towards our country...

Re: # 14

exactly

Terrible article. Why endlessly slam your native land? It may not be paradise but come on, America like Pakistan has its plus and minus points.

Re: # 4

I am not ashamed of being a Pakistani, I would never hide my identity. But at the same time I am not PROUD of being one, we as a nation have a long way to go before we start feeling proud of our nationality.

An American redneck might look down upon you but the American legal system would consider you an equal to him. And that is what makes them better, FAR BETTER than us Pakistanis.

Every ghareeb Pakistani is a second class citizen in Pakistan. This is something that takes the pride away from the Pakistani within me.

In this mumlikat a khudadaad, you have to have a chacha or a mamoon or a dost ka mamoon in the police to be even considered human in a thaana. The law provides ample cover to all aspiring badmashes by that golden law of ``razi naama``.

Kill a person and then threaten their family with more death if they dont do a Razi naama with you, if the deceased`s family does not have the strength to fight you, they will shake your hand and you will become a feared badmaash overnight.

Rape a poor woman and as long as you dont have four witnesses that not only caught you in the act but also have the spine to testify against you, you are free to go where ever you want. The rape victim`s testimony doesnt count! atleast the American rape victims have the police to look forward to, second class citizen or not.

So kaami bhai what exactly makes you proud of Pakistan I do not understand. Lets just stick to not being ashamed of our identity for now and try working towards that exalted status of pride. As I said we have a long long way to go.

Re: # 4

You are right Kaami. I do apologize to her.

Now is it Ok if I address her as Mohattarama Rizwana Khan? I hope she wouln`t mind!

Kamath