Aitchison: Scenes From Within

I remember Aitchisonians used to boast that Aitchison produces Pakistan`s leaders. Benazir Bhutto`s brothers were Aitchisonians (as boasted by BB herself at a founders day) and even the current PM Nawaz Sharif was at Aitchison (and more recently all his sons and most of his nephews) for a short period of time. Aitchison does produce Pakistan`s leaders but I don`t think thats something to be proud of. Aitchison is the school of choice for the Pakistani (corrupt) elite. It was known as the chief college and still is a chief college in all but by name. Maybe I am being too harsh on AC. Maybe it is just another over priced school favoured by the elite. And by the elite of Pakistan I don`t mean the intellectuals or the professionals.

Fortunately I didn`t experience the torture or joy(depending on your sexual orientation) of the boarding school but after studying at AC for 10 years I concluded that AC was very good at teaching you survival without putting too much emphasis on morality.

lets unite at www.aitchisonian.com

Dear Mr. Hayat,

Seems to me like you have some emotional baggage left over from your Aitchison days. I have some numbers for some good shrinks in Oslo if you`d like to see one. The ``old boys`` network you speak of with such disdain exist all over the world. From Harvard Business School to UCLA, greek-style fraternities perpetuate this ``network`` in a country such as the US, where merit is supposed to get one anywhere - not so as you must have found in the real world. Most business deals are cut on an unofficial and personal grid.

Yes, Aitchison is not a fine ``educational`` institution but it teaches many lessons that are far more important than linear academics. The diversity exposes students to people from all ethnic and social backgrounds (I attended from 81 to 91). Basically, Aitchison hones ones` survival and social skills. Now if you are incompetent in both of those then God help you. But that`s true of life as well, so its not such a bad thing after all is it?

Sorry to hear about your trauma. Hope you get over it soon

Hi Hayat.

Very nice article from you ..

i loved it.. each and every word of it....

It reminded me of my back old good days spent there..

Zulfiqar Chauhan

Residing New York City .

System Analyst

Aitchisonian.

z_chauhan@hotmail.com

Which is why I maintain that one should avoid these horrible places and send their children to the American School, where decency and morality prevails......also the fact that there are no homosexuals waiting to mount you in the bathrooms........you get my drift

From:
Daftar-e-Lord maTha
The Omnipotent, greater than thou the insignificance

Re: S. A. HaiwaaN

To Everybody, whether it concerns you or not:

After thorough dynamiting and re-dynamiting of Mr. haiwaaN it has been determined and made public knowledge that
the above said person has never been.

I also force everybody to know that Mr. Judge has been appointed by the Nawaz Sharif administration, and therefore, has the legal merit of a papeeta. I further shove the fact down your throat (or wherever you find the act of shoving most disturbing) that Musarrat Shaheen was NOT a
student of this excuse for an institution, she
probably just used to hang out here a lot.

Re : Principal of Aitchison College

The dubious, and suspicious message posted below by a supposed Principal of an esteemed college, indeed does look like the works of a con artist.

I came to this conclusion, from the message itself which read ``After thorough checking and rechecking of records....``. Its the English which does give one away, i suppose. Any refined/ responsible Office, would not even cast doubt on its own management by saying that the first time checking was not enough, and would not admit to re-checking, as it would indicate a failure of being thorough and professional in the first instance.

The above type of sloppy one-man workmanship is all the more proof that the person masquerading as an official is an obvious impostor, knowing only too well, the slight disadvantage of being tete-a-tete with its accused, and of not having to provide any testimonial credentials as such!!!!!!

Univeristy of Cambridge, U.K would for e.g have never written a denial such as the one posted in such base words,.... but then perhaps there is a world of difference between the Real Aitchison College principal and one faking his credentials to be heard on this forum...

Please look out for my second followup article about called ``Aitchison:About Reforms and the way forward``.... which i wrote in a hearfelt and sincere way, as always, to see my alma mater taking up the challenges of a 21st century, in producing graduates of an impeccable, all round quality, who are strong-willed, and dynamic but considerate, who have high prestige and honour in their education, but are still magnanimous towards the lesser man, who are free-thinkers not bounded by the traditionalist ideas, yet who
listen to the ``truth``, who are thorough gentleman by virtue of their knowledge and not just their heritage...

Indeed i have not forgotten our motto ``Perseverance commands success``. This is to show the strength of my conviction and resoluteness, in spite of severe adversity and treacherous name calling, in trying to suggest ways in making my alma mater, truly glorious once again,

Kind Regards

Asim

P.S The soliloqouy of ``Judge``, or more precisely the ramblings of another pseudonym-clad warrior, are hardly worthy of a comment for the obvious reason, that he simply does not deserve one....

Re : Recent debate

I feel, i subscribe to this forum, partially as a way to get away from harsh reality, to experience the utopia of educated people discussing in a suitable environment conducive to intelligent exchange of ideas, senza the usual criticisms which plague a suitable discussion back in Pakistan... Indeed before i get called a hypocrite, for having indulged in something exactly similar not out of desire but out of sheer helplessness, i indeed would like to say, that yes provocation has been the un-doing of many a fine young minds and indeed i was ``infirm`` in not ignoring the hate-baiters... which is indeed a folly, inpite of ones education and new ideas.....

I subscribe to this wonderful forum, to primarily learn about myself, and encouraging my thinking capacity, based on articles and discussions with other intelligent men and women with a link and hence a concern for my country... Perhaps if we all see the bigger picture, everytime somebody starts a hate-bait innuendo, we can avoid giving him or her the satisfaction of a heated denial and counter-debate about non-issues... myself included...

Yes, indeed perhaps the above in some way displays the regret...i feel, and hence i decided to basically inform others of not falling for the same trap, that i had fallen into, and hence i am perhaps a better man to have admitted my ``folly``, and not carried on with the rhetoric.... and i expect the same from the others.... There are but many a fallen angels....

:)

Indeed i respect the need for respect here, on Chowk, specially more, as i do not intend to see it being converted into another soc.culture.pakistan, which is indeed about as low as it can go...in terms of having standards and code of ethics.... etc..But having said that, i would expect the others to not directly initiate a pissing-contest such as the one i had fallen a victim to, about questioning somebodys credibility, and integrity.... as that has to be taken for granted,,,,,,i feel, for a meaningful discussion to take place...

Hope the above helps in clearing any misconceptions and hardfeelings, and let me start our acquaintance once again by saying ``Hi, My name is Asim Hayat, Indeed i live abroad but still I am concerned for my country, and i want to contribute something for its betterment and my/our personal reform; The contribution might be talking about something positive and/or something negative (initially mostly negative.....and perhaps verging on hope... but gradually shifting to the positive side.... so please bear with me)

As a learned writer once said, whose name evades me now `I may not agree with what you say, but i will fight for your right to say it till the end```
Indeed i stand by these famous last words, from here on, in my quest for knowledge and reform, starting from deep within and extending outwards..

Big Words indeed.... hoping others might now start to see a bigger picture....

let us not try to critique each other for the sake of critique, but for valid important issues, which perhaps is the most important landmark of Chowk.

Kind Regards

Asim

A Pakistani Judge wrote:

``..........In viewing and analysing the material provided by different witnesses I conclude Mr. Asim Hayat lied in his article and completely based on fictitious events. He infatuated the readers with his piquant rant and trampled the feelings of indelible Aitchisonians....``



I just could not help stop laughing my head off at this most recent act of histrionics and macabre theatre, by this fellow (a confirmed Aitchisonian, from his illogical writing) who had the insolence to assume a decent and honourable pseudonym, without having had the slightest idea about the immense responsibility, and code of honour underlying such a grand title.!!!!!

:)

Perhaps the above is a convenient example about the ``negative`` aspect of allowing pseudonyms, (i shall not call them sobriquet, for a fair number of who use them here, are not actually out to make a valid point, but in reality to spread malicious, ill-informed judgements based on mere speculation.

Take the e.g of the said gentleman, (as i know it has to be yet another god-damned Aitchisonian, trying to defend his 2 penny worth of morality, and tradition), by involving the judiciary in his trivial infantile pursuits, and not having the foggies as to what it entails!!!!!

BTW, Your Eminence, Are you an Alumni of Harvard Law School, or was that Radcliffe College????But i must say your lordship`s faux pas does remind me of the recent developments in the dynamic field of International personal litigation arena , as the ``Punchayat`` concept, practised in our villages!!! Humour is perhaps the best way to deal with such non-sense!!!

:)


Your Honour, permit me for asking the obvious, but do you know what a judiciary system is? Perhaps its not your fault, as you learn from what you see around you in Pakistan.. Indeed this is precisely the fact that your Highness reviewed the ``honourable`` and ``reliable`` witnesses (some of whom had aspirations to be the next Hitler)in a ``fair``, ``unbiassed`` manner, allowed the accused, (thats me a fair hearing, and equal representation), and lo and behold, given the verdict guilty, when i did not even have an idea that a litigation was underway against me, so that i could have been my own advocate in representing myself.

Yet you failed to call the Registrar of Aitchison College, a key witness to get his testimony. So please spare me the facade of fair-trial and unequivocal truth, for that is a paradox in itself in my country.

But such is the tragedy of my country, indeed that people are found guilty by none other than the ``judge``, even before the court had had a hearing from all parties concerned, or for that matter judgements can be passed without the case seeing the light inside a courtroom.!!. It certainly is no big bad Umreeka, where a little girl from Arkansas(okay with big lips !!!), could have her day in court against the most powerful man in the world, and still walk tall in her beilefs, head unbowed.... of course

:)

Your Eminence, after this incredible and energy-draining session of litigation in Pakistan, might i recommend you, taking up something more demanding and commensurate with your acumen and aptitude, such as Mango farming in Multan. They say Mango is a perfectionists fruit!!!! of course given your success at being a one man judge/prosecutor/defence attorney/jury/witness combined i have high expectations of you in your new assignment. :) Buona Fortuna mio cara Judge!!!

Last but not the least i feel the judge misspelled inedible as indelible,(those spelling bees did not work after all.. tut tut), Indeed Aitchisonians, such as the sample we have had the utmost patience of witnessing on this forum, displaying their pomposity,self-righteousness,derogation of all other lesser beings,and their callousness were indeed most inedible, partially because they left a bad taste, owing to their acrimonious and paltry half-baked ideas about how to tackle this ``infidel``, this non-conformant, this party-pooper, this ``rebel with a cause``....

Re : Mr Fateh Mohammed

Kind Sir, your observations are duly noted. but the writer feels that the number of impartial and neutral observers such as yourself, and Mr Sohail Rabbani(a man i feel i can proudly be associated with as an Aitchisonian), and a handful of others,are fast dwindling in Pakistan, gradually being replaced by the mere replicas of The ultimate Pukka Sahib, being churned out by the Hundreds, by Aitchison and other reputable institutions, all with frighteningly similar outlook to life.

Objectivity and an open mind has long been replaced with prejudices and intolerance, and consequently the empty, pseudo-values come to the fore in surrealistic discussions such as this one.
Keep writing, for the power of the written word can sometimes change destinies of the downtrodden, just by being circulated around, and creating awareness in those who want to listen and reform their personal lives first and then the nation....

Kind Regards

Asim

P.S Bhatti Sahib, Nawaz Sahib, and Major Sahib, i have indeed the highest regard and respect for all of you gentlemen, and i would like to go on record that indeed you have all contributed most favourably and selflessly, in delivering what you promised, a balanced and highly commendable education in Mathematics, Physics, and ``lesser known aspects of life`` respectively!!!

Major Sahib, i still remember your immortal words about the quality of a healthy heterogenous relationship as ``Its the percussion factor which is imperative and not......``snip``.....``. It still brings a smile to my face in spite of the rebuttals (isnt that a forceful word), and promises of ostracism and isolation

Judge presented me with a great opportunity to voice how i feel about ``false name`` users, real time, so i decided to write my penny`s worth about it.

Re: Sohail Rabbani,

Dear Sir,
You are a voice of reason, and i did indeed stray, on no doubt, subtle provocation, when my education and my better understanding of human nature should have given me more patience, and understanding....

However, I feel, accusations sans proof, such as made by Mr Taimoor,(``a gentleman and indeed kind man``,. from Irfans quote)and then the social commentary which followed his baseless claims, really got me going. It seems to this day, Aitchisonians consider those from the true ``old-wealth`` school of thought (which i did full justice in my write-up, BTW), as being the true sons of the soil, who indeed deserve to be the ruler over the lesser mortals, simply as a metter of ancestral birthright!!!

Its this illogical deduction on the part of the gentleman, which got my cake, and its the exact sheer mentality that i had written about, in the first place..The gentleman goes on further to call wards of people not belonging to the super-strata of elite, as mere ``Tom, Dick, and Harry``, and thus having infiltrated the Aitchison purity!!! My esteemed friend, Shehzada Sahib, is perhaps caught in a time-warp, perhaps he is 58 years too late and in a wrong continent, as his views would have been better accepted by another gentleman, calling himself Adolf Hitler, and having singlehandedly eradicated an entire nation, just because those ``jews`` are not worthy enough. Indeed we have many Shehzadas in Pakistan.. Last but not least, I do not agree with your beliefs Sir,and please dont get on that high horse of yours any time soon!!!!!!!

Perhaps the others can see, that Mr Taimoor and indeed ``his`` Registrar from Aitchsion College have failed to materialise, even on a cyber-forum, to go on record about my not having been a student there...

Indeed i did give Aitchison, the benefit of my best doubt of actually being ``naive`` enough to do that, hence my assertion about the said physical state of Shehzada sahib, while writing his piece. Indeed i could smell prevarication, and malice, and an attempt to induce doubts in the minds of the readers and hence attempting to compromise my honour, my dignity, while simultaneously eradicating credibility of my written word. Two other mouthpieces dealt with the credibility option in another ``infantile`` way. Such are the facts....undeniable, irrefutable, glaring!!!!

This shall indeed be my last posting about Aitchison...unless the said Registrar shows up!!!!! I feel i am entitled to bury the memories finally, having purged myself effectively, after excavating them so ferociously from the passage of times....

There was a saying while i was there at Aitchsion, often seen these days on the young Aitchisonians personal websites, (Search of Aitchison College, using Yahoo!!!!!). It goes:

``Old Aitchisonians never die, they just get re-united in hell``

Perhaps now u all understand my reluctance at being the members of such an elite clique!!!! :)

Kind Regards To all Aitchisonians:

Asim

P.S Shehzada sahib, perhaps you should check out the meaning of the word ``brittle``, and see if it applies to me then.........

Au Revoir
Till ``Aitchison: Scenes from within The Movie`` :)
Directed and produced by
Yours truly

:)

This debate of late....

It distresses me, as I`m sure it does others, that this has degenerated into a name calling contest. Gentlemen, gentlemen, please restrain yourselves.

Asim, my dear friend, you are a very fine fellow and it does not become you to get carried away and be consumed by such venom as you expressed against ``His Highness``. A little tongue-in-cheek poking around is one thing, but to be completely furious is only self-defeating. Especially, asserting that his statements were inspired by exogenous libations !! Now THAT is the kind of logic one would expect from that Spoot fellow who goes around asserting that people who say things he does not like are on various narcotics and other controlled substances, but my kind friend, please, you should excercise more descretion.

I also wish to request others Aitchisonians to kindly try to understand what Mr. Hayat is saying. He has some very vaid points. The ``old value`` we speak of in Atchison had their place and time, but the world is a rapidly changing place and those who do not adapt and change with the times are ``naturally selected`` against. Whereas, it may have been accepted behavior at one time to act and believe one way, it may not be the best approach to adopt today, and tomorrow the norms of today may be out of place. Let`s step back and take a more reasonable view and not bicker over our old school. Asim said what be strongly felt and I commend his courage. Let`s either agree or disagree with him without getting personal.

...SR

Re : Jamali

Funnily enough, I dont recall yourself being in the Science group of A levels class of 1985 either..Are you sure you were there now?

:)

But i did not stay one year, dear fellow, i stayed two years in that institution, for my complete A levels, and a school simply can not wipe out a complete record, if you catch my drift. However, i have my doubts as to the veracity of such a statement from Shehzada Sahib,as i am inclined to believe that the whole episode, of him going to the registrar, might possibly be a figment of his surrealistic imagination, no doubt expedited by some physical intake.....:)

Regarding your claim Aitchisonians are above the rest, i hope you are talking metaphorically and not literally, as His Highness Sir Shehzada Sahib.

Did you take A levels Exams or F.SC? i clearly state again for the record, that i had taken the University Of Cambridge, Local Exams Syndicate, A levels exam (NOT F.SC...), in Science Subjects, in Dec 1985, after having studied for two years, .... and had moved abroad after that...

How is ``Matruh`` doing these days?

Kind Regards

Asim

Re : Shahzada Taimoor

And now to deal with some more ludicrous and senseless points you supposedly raised in your tantrum filled hysterics....thereby confirming my article about the stereotypical Aitchisonian, who thinks he is above the law, above the average man, above the average Pakistani, simply because his parents could afford to send him there, and millions of others can not...

Thank you Shehzada sahib, for lending more credibility to my article, i shall remain greatly indebted to your kind self for this small mercy.... your highness!!!!

Your Excellency, Permit me for asking, and pardon my ignorance, you must belong to the true aristocracy in Pakistan? Yes, Indeed you are the rightful class of people who deserve to have the good things in life, why ? Because its your ancestral birthright. I hope i am not far wrong!!!

But your highness, Shehzada sahib, not all of us are born with a silver spoon stuck up our backside, like you were, not all of us can live in Palaces, not all of us can have the ``old wealth``, not all of us can speak and write as good and effective Queens English as perhaps you can. I never laid claims to being a writer or an orator, of any worth, and thanx for bestowing the title of a ``tabloid writer``. I am really honoured at such a a display of generosity....

You consider, other people who are willing to spend their hard earned (read as halal) white collar workers salary to send their wards for a better future, as ``new money``. Let me tell you a bit about your supposed ``old wealth``. If u did not know already. Its the wealth the British had conferred on the supposed subservient, flattering, brown-nosing, backless, and decadent subjects of this community, on their grave display of devotion and selflessness, as a token or ``bakhsheesh``. I am indeed proud of not having got any, or my ancestors for not partaking any ``bheeg``. just like your inded proud of who you are, with what you received from the departing British.

But you wanted to remain shackled to the very principles colonialism stood for, even after ``their`` shameful departure... trying to promote it within Pakistan, and succeeding at it i might add. Till the nouveau-riche, displayed more intellect, more logical powers of reasoning, more analytrical abilities, to overthrow the pattern, and be included alongside your highness, as the succesfulk entrpreneur, the charitable doctor, the visionary engineer, the poor humantarian..

Indeed you cant call them outsiders any more as they boasted a wealth, even exceeding in extent to your accumulations, earned by hard and sincere work and using an entity, you and people like yourself have never used, intelligence and logic. I know you, and others like you who would prescibe ``If the poor dont have any bread, let them eat more cake``.

I am indeed that tom, dick, and harry all combined, if you insist, but i have my honour, i have my integrity, i have my pride, in myself, in being thankfully radically different from yourself, given the fact that both of us had the honour or shame of walking the same hallways at Aitchison.

Yes, i am proud of being a ``nouveau-riche``, but i did it my way, and i learned a lot about myself, about honour, dignity, integrity, moral ethics, human value, human misery, at the hands of the supposed tyrantsbetter, in the process. Unlike others who learned it like slogans, words without meaning, at Aitchison...


You mention that ``its not our style``. Well let me tell you one thing, you would not know what ``writing-style`` is even if it hit you, straight in your face!!!!!! :)

``Carpe Diem``

Asim Hayat

P.S Discuss this with your drinking buddies!!!!!!

Re : Shahzada Taimoor

Shezada mian aaap to waqee shahzade lagtey hain...aap ki tureh keh hazaron aur bhi dekhey they hum ne in gunahgar ankhaon se, aitchison mein.......

What an absolute load of rubbish that was..!!!! Pardon me for saying a clicjed reply.. but if it fits...Accusing myself of having never been a student there!!!! :)

...A desperate ploy on the schools part or mere speculation on part of an ignorant, brainwashed, Pukka Sahib, true to his training at Aitchison.... I am inclined to believe the latter than the former.... but who knows, times are a-changing..........

:)

I must say, this is one incredible subtle provocation, if i may even call it that. And which inebriated and comatose registrar did you visit, Dear proud Shehzada sahib? Probabaly the same one we had when i was a student...!!!!!as old as the hills, memory failing, poor eyesight.....but i digress

Ask him to check the records again, Ask Major Sahib at Kelly House if i existed, and the sports commitee, which had bestowed Colours on yours truly for excelling in cricket, ask Mr Bhatti, the maths teacher, if he is still there, and Mr Nawaz, the physics teacher, ask the thirty other class-mates of mine for the A levels class of 1985(feel free to get a complete list of the class roll),

Really, I sincerely believe ``you`` are not in your right senses, probably as a result of being high on ``something``, not life surely, as you would have double chekced your feeble resources, before making grave statements.

For the record, I was a student of HSC-1, and HSC-11, and a resident Boarder at Kelly House, graduating in the A levels class of 1985...

Sober up first, and look realistically, and get out of your ignorant microcosm and little comfortable glass houses, before making such wild baseless accusations.

I would like you to put that registrar on record, here, on chowk, with his name and confirmed testimony, so that i may initiate a libel and fraud case against my ex decadent and corrupted alma mater, which tries to remove a record of a person, if that were indeed the case.

Luckily i still have my ``A`` levels certificate from Aitchison College, courtesy of University of Cambridge, Local Exams Syndicate, which Cambridge can still testify to, on my request, as to the name of the school i had taken the A level exam from. I maybe wrong, but the ceritifcate actually says the name of the College as well on it. I hope such a jurisprudent exercise shall indeed prove once and for all the sheer hypocrisy of such an institution and its ``old boys``...`

Trust, honour, dignity, Indeed what a load of hogwash, if this registrar did really try to cover up the truth indeed.....I am really glad that i had brought the problems of this NO 1 SCHOOL to the fore, and people on this forum shall be witness to this hypocrisy my alma mater might try to show towards me, by merely not acknowledging myself as a student... I hope they are smarter than that, to realise better.....

Like i said, very few things in life surprise me, but to see Aitchson renouncing an ex-Aitchisonian, is indeed novel and literally unprecedented!!!!!

And after all the charity donations which were given by my parents to such an esteemed institution..

Kind Regards

Asim

P.S Looking forward to hearing the esteemed Registrar of Aitchison College, deny my being a student at Aitchison, from Jan 1984- Dec 1985, and if possible confirming his testimnoy with school seal as well, would be highly appreciated!!!

Shehzada sahib, you have a long way to becoming the S of Sherlock Holmes!!!!!! Keep up the infantile pursuits, given the fact that you must be at least 37 years old.... but then some of us never do grow up, whats the physical age got to do with the mental age!!! huh!!!

Excellent. Enjoyed the sheer articulated piece of memoire. Nevertheless, it was a riddle whether the author emulated or made a satire by ascribing Aitchison to the offspring of elite or politicians. Has Aitchison been successful to bring out a clique of elite or just a mob of bureaucrats and politicians who caused to enervate the roots of the country and userped the rights of impotent nation.

He caricatured the alma matter effectively but would be better if he could come up to the aliment to fill the crevics in red-brick facade.

Asim Hayat Sahib,

bayfikar rahiay! I will never send my children
to this elite-propagating womb, unless, of course,
I hate them, or want them to learn to hate me.
They would be better off hanging out at Data Darbar!

Faqat,
Aik ChapRasee