The 9/20 incident Islamabad witnessed on Saturday eve was a severe blow not only for Marriott hotel and the employees working in it. The adjacent Evacuee Trust Complex aka STP2 (Software Technology Park), housing a large number of software houses and banks, faced the sudden blow head-on too. Though in news its mostly about frontier house and other ministerial buildings … media is largely neglecting the STP2 Complex. Which is going to cause much larger Economical blow than the Frontier or Baluchistan houses. They were not housing businesses. Important large businesses.

Thankfully it was a Saturday eve otherwise the causalities in ETC may have gone exponentially high. Even now … around 6-10 deaths and 20+ injured are reported in ETC. The fate is still undecided. temporarily offices are being shifted but they can’t work from home for months to come. Cold assumptions are … without regarding structural miscarriages the building authorities will give OK to move back in. A social dilemma. We condemn the sad demises later on but value them NOT when they are alive.

Here’s a pictorial overview of what Marriott and ETC has faced.

An aerial view taken from an army helicopter shows the devastated Marriott Hotel two days after a suicide truck bombing in Islamabad on September 22, 2008.  Courtesy: AFP PHOTO/Aamir QURESHI

Please share your views? What steps should be taken NOW? How to fight this evil of terrorism?

Also how this continuous economical attacks can be fought? If you were a victim of this 9/20 attack, in any way, what steps your company has taken to ensure your safety?

Please refrain from personal attacks … Share the positive energy … that’s what we need right now.

More Reads and PicS:

• Another aerial view of Marriott … the double road in front of it is .. GONE !
• Assessment of battered Marriott.
• Marriott’s owner, Sadar ud Din Hashwani, has said that the hotel will be up and running in three month’s time … in the meanwhile, employees WILL get their salaries.
• For victims of terror a Citizens trust is up. Please follow the link to read more about them. You can find more on it through this Facebook group.

Not 18 hours completed and what do we see here? The Prime Minister and President of Pakistan desserts the capital city, Islamabad, for safe waters. At times like this when elsewhere premier of countries cancel their trips and return home. Ours thought the catastrophe done is normal. So, why fuss over a thing that’s not going to stop? So lets visit USA and meet Mr. Bush!

Well actually its all normal, isn’t it? When things happen daily … it comes in normal range, No? Be it Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Bajaur, Anguur Ada or any place else. … after yet again few promises of we are with you sir in YOUR War Against Terrorism. Even if we’ll have to risk Pakistan (and that we’re doing) … we won’t stray away from our promises. Though promises are not hadith or quran. But a promise with Uncle Sam can’t be compromised on. We’ll sacrifice our kids, our men, our women. Let’s make the whole world a 9/11 … to fight thy war of terrorism.

The president who claims, during his fumbled up speech, god-knows-what … must be happily flying in a plane right now. He couldn’t bother paying the site a visit or sympathizing with the poor - common Pakistanis suffering in hospitals. And for our dear Prime Minister … attending a iftaar party in Lahore was much much important.

We are a proud nation! We bicker a lot and we blame each other. We can’t even think straight … act is a totally different story.

Isn’t it high time, govt show some steel in their necks? Take some stern decisions and ACT. Fight the war … but protect your own territories. If I and You can tell who did this … why can’t the govt? FGS. Take your own people into confidence. Stop war on your own people. Start digging for facts please … and Seriously … act before its too late. Though I’m not too sure if its already late or not.

But then these are my opinions … you are free to share your own. Your own theories … and some plan of action if you can suggest would be highly welcome.

I DID whine here … but I know whining would yield nothing. Its time to act.

ps: In case you haven’t watched the CCTV footage earlier released … clickety. Seemingly there was lot of time … but nothing could be done to save this huge terrorist attack.

As if all those fluyovers and under-passes were not enough.

A few of them totally useless, needless to say now.

Instead of spending billions on Faisal Chowk flyover, I’m quite sure a roundabout would’ve done the job. I dont see a signal-free zone still.

I’m really tired of this brownish muddy face of islamabad. I want the green lush isloo back.

And yeah, Zero point’s interchange is on its way to some dig-dig already.

Asif Ali Zardari ….

He just have to shift from PM House to Presidency now.

Wonder if the nation would be doing what he’s doing in the picture? =\

So, jiyyay Bhutto? Allah save te country now … I wonder how many months it’ll take to have the whole country sold .. you think it can be done in Days?

We get what we deserved. But I hope our doings dont wipe the efforts of our forefathers.

It was a blissful thought since past few months when no explosions (major ones  and consecutive at least) were heard of. But not any longer. The war on innocents is back. Bloodshed begun. Its becoming harder day-by-day to think that its the same peaceful surroundings where I opened my eyes and lived through all these year.

The larger target in Islamabad was the security forces. But they (the unknown) are not ready to forgive the innocent either (children including) as seen in Karachi’s furious 7 blasts.

 What makes me even more furious is when our leaders and government officials come on-air, show their grievances by issuing petty statements as:

 ”Mulziman ko kefar e kirdar tak pohnchaya jayega” .

“Hum in bomb dhamakon ki Muzamat kartay hain” .

Oh hello, we are here waiting for some POSITIVE RESULT-BEARING solutions to be implemented. So that a common Pakistani can feel secure and at peace. Sadly, a Pakistani has enough crises and economical burdens to worry about.

Omer on LMB has a story to tell of an expat who survived by fate in Islamabad’s Melody center bomb blast. Karachi Metblogs briefs on 7/7 and the 7 explosions :<

Apathy!

When someone dies, someone important actually I and you are of no value, what is the first step taken??

Anyone??

Almost there - yes rename some famous place in honour of that Martyred (by no means I’m trying to ridicule someone who is dead but Get Some Life, No?). Here the Govt is hers truly too … I wonder why they waited for 21st june (Pinky’s bday to do this mass-scale renamings).

So to date the order of lord is to rename Islamabad Airport, Rawalpindi general Hospital (RGH)  and the-oh-so-famous-and-pindi’s Murree road after Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto.

You may be thinking why am I having problems on this decision. To me its kind of obscene to change the decades old names to suddenly a new name. Well, we are in the process of building new roads and avenues … why not name them after her or anyone of your choice?? Huh? You say what?

I wonder how long it’d take the next govt to take these orders back….!

Read more on BBC and DT.

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thank you iesco, originally uploaded by tango 48.

:(

The fight continues.

PTCL recently launched three brand new packages for its consumers. But where every other telco in the country is slashing its call rates and finding other ways to make money, PTCL has actually increased its rates! While almost brilliant in their design, the new packages can and will inflate your telephone bill quite a bit so be prepared for a hefty setback at the end of this month if you use your PTCL line at all.

Here’s how.

Before, each call used to cost Rs. 2. Even now, each call costs Rs. 2. But before, one call used to be for 5 minutes, before you were charged for another call. They have conveniently taken the call duration down to 2 minutes. Meaning that call charges per minute have increased by almost 150%! from 40 paisa’s per minute to 1 rupee.
And that’s not all. Sometime ago, off peak calls were metered at 1 hour! Meaning that you could talk for an hour for just Rs. 4. This went into effect after 4 PM all the way upto 7 AM. They’ve changed that, and now off peak calls are charged Rs. 2 again… but now only for 4 minutes and only between 9 PM to 8 AM.

This means an increase of 400% in per minute call charges, up from 0.06 paisa’s per minute to 0.25 paisas.

How’s that for a punch in the face? With electricity, wheat, oil and gas prices going up so.. basic telephony now follows suit.

By the way, the much criticized Pakistan package also got a little revamp, with its 5000 minutes monthly limit cut down down to 2500 minutes, essentially making these calls 100% more expensive. (You get half the value in Rs. 200 now than you did before).

Does this mean a new trend will start emerging in the telecom industry? Leading to higher call charges in the name of new packages?

P.S.

All existing users have again been ’shifted’ to the new packages automatically. So much for having a say in how we want to be served…

Cross-Posted from Green & White

By Mansoor

According to news sources:
A 500 KV power transmission line has been tripped in Gati area of Muzzafargarh this morning. Resulting in shut down of Tarbela, Mangla and Ghazi Brotha power houses. Power supply to several cities of Punjab and Islamabad has been suspended.

Wapda says they are trying to resolve this breakdown in few hours time.

I was going through my picture archives when I stumbled upon this one^^. Taken on the Valentine’s day (as the picture suggests itself). Ironically, the long queue of people are not stuck by Cupid’s arrow. It’s the subsidized flour and oil, from utility store, they are after.

What a Contrast ….!

It’s taken in one of those posh localities of Islamabad where people to this side of board had to be queued up for basic food necessities of life and on the other side of ♥ shaped board they were enjoying luxurious food … spending thousands with no fear of tomorrow.

Reminds me of this I read couple of years back …

ہم  کو  میسر   نہیں    مٹی   کا   دیا     بھی

گھر پیرکا بجلی کے چراغوں سے ہے روشن