This is what awaam is crying about today.

Let the Zardari (ooops, Janaab Zardari Sahab) make you fool … let his camp take the left over economy from Pakistan in their Dubai and London accounts.

haaa.

Image Courtesy: Ammar

A (proper) Pakistani Flag!, originally uploaded by ~FurSid [XO8] – Busy & Away.

While Flickring, I cane across this picture post and I knew it that I’ve to cross post it on Islamabad metblogs. Last year I even saw Pakistani flags with MICKEY MOUSE drawn instead of the crescent and star.

It’s amazingly awful to see so many different versions of the Pakistani flag that it makes me sick! Sick to the core of my soul that why we do not respect the very flag!??

I have seen many funny versions of different variations like

Various shades of green (even pink and blue! – for god’s sake!).
Slogans and other text with/around the crescent and star.
Different dimensions
Varied versions of crescent and star

I think there should only be one version that we should be using wherever we use!

Here’s what a PROPER Pakistani flag should be (technically):

“A dark green rectangular flag in the proportion of length and width 3:2 with a white vertical bar at the mast, the green portion bearing a white crescent in the centre and a five-pointed white heraldic star. The size of the white portion being one-fourth the size of the flag, nearest the mast, the remainder three-fourths being dark green. The dimensions of the crescent and star are obtained as follows:

“Draw the diagonal from the top right hand corner to the bottom left corner of the green portion. On this diagonal establish two points ‘A’ and ‘B’. Point ‘A’ at a distance equidistant from top right and bottom left hand corners of the green portion, i.e. the centre of the green portion. Point ‘B’ at a distance from the top right hand corner equal to 13/20th the width of the flag. With centre point ‘A’ and radius 1.1/4th the width of the flag describe a second arc. The enclosures made by these two arcs form the crescent. The dimensions of the five-pointed white heraldic star are determined by drawing a circle 1/10th the width of the flag. The circle surrounds the five points of the heraldic star. The star lies with one point on the diagonal at a point where the larger arc of the crescent, if completed, cuts the diagonal.”

The Interior Ministry of Pakistan provides dimensions for flags in different circumstances:

* For ceremonial occasions. 21′ x 14′, 18′ x 12′, 10′ x 6-2/3′ or 9′ x 6 1/4.
* For use over buildings. 6′ x 4′ or 3′ x 2′.
* For cars 12″ x 8″.
* For tables 10 1/4″ x 8 1/4″.

Source: Wikipedia

When will we Own a Car like This?, originally uploaded by Daudpota.

As suggested by a commenter on this picture (Flickr page), the only way is to steal. Owning a car like this and maintaining it is becoming difficult even for middle line in Pakistan’s economic belt.

Ironically, every week I get to hear of one car theft or other in Islamabad.

When the leaders are busy in their dubai-london-dubai-islamabad-london tours, what can we expect?

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!

Even more tragic that all this happened in a Hospital.

Last evening I was walking by The Mall in pindi. I was a little behind the Army Stadium chowk, when I heard the sound of a smash. I looked forward and all I could see in the dark was an Army jeep backing off and then moving forward on The Mall with a bit of pace. I was frowned on this. As I was a little far from the incident, so all I could think of from this was: this jeep hit somebody, and the guy just backed off, and ran away. Ruthlessness, isn’t it, was all I could think.

Literally pissed off, I moved a bit quickly to the place of incident. There were two guys, quite young, sitting by roadside and a black motor bike, with all that bichu stuff painted on its tank. They were rubbing their arms and the stuff. I just got near to them and asked if they were fine? and if they need any help?, to which they said “No thanks”. A traffic police guy, yeah the new generation, was around and was sort of scolding them which surprised me. On my amusement he told, that the signal was red, and these two guys tried to cross the chowk, and as they thought the road is empty, because of red-signal, they were driving on the backwheel only. Yeah they were wheeling as you say it. And as they were wheeling, they smashed into the army jeep coming from the other side. And it was the Good Lord who saved them, otherwise this could have been as tragic as you may think off.

Image Courtesy: Daily Times

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Khattak02April15, originally uploaded by khattakphotos.

Islamabad is not exactly different from rest of the Pakistan, as many of you believe.

Yesterday was 10th April. 20 Years down the Ojri Camp incident. And I’m so tempted to re-post this post here :)  Previously it was posted in Dec’ 05

Life is full of events … tragic … happy … alarming …. monumental …. all sorts of … in different phases and times …!

OK … wait a minute … I was about to write some flashback moments here … Let’s have a small quiz first … Can you tell me what is this thing … any idea into its history ????

Ciao …!

Update [7th Dec 06 - 11:15 PM]

So some of you were quite correct – some funnier :-)

It’s a small-sized Rocket’s propeller (see the fan like thing on which it is standing) – it had a shell on it with gunpowder – the cylindrical shape also contains gunpowder (to the best of my knowledge) …!

A little history of this Rocket now … but first the INCIDENT … It dates back to 10th April 1988 … another day (apart from 8-10-2005) when Islamabad and Rawalpindi were almost shook by rockets and missiles flying in the air … falling here and there … rumors in the air that Islamabad is invaded by India (and even some said Russia) … it was all due to Ojri Camp incident.

Ojri Camp was basically army depot with ammunition (I’m not sure … anyone??? I guess it was abandoned by 1988 and people didn’t even knew that it do have LIVE AMMUNITION) … and then something (what?? Ummm I don’t remember … don’t BLAME me … I was just 4 then) happened and taraah … the rumors outside Pindi-Islamabad is all finished … it’s no more … since telephone lines also suffered … few rockets hit the exchange too … !

My father incidentally went to work on (my beloved) Vespa and not on car … so while coming from Pindi to Islamabad at around 11 … (this incident happened between 10-11) … he had 2-3 rockets with him :D as “his collection” … hence a Live Masterpiece no Re-Collection from POF or anywhere … we only painted it golden laters… En route he narrates that there were missiles of lamp post size and man they were real huge … the incident was tragic with lots and lots of stories to tell …!

One of our acquaintances had a missile hit their home in satellite town such that it perfectly drilled on wall, ten next room and perfect drilling of wall … such wise it drilled 3 walls perfectly and then hit off 4th wall … that brought all energy game to an end …!

I vaguely (READ it CLEARLY … because Even Now I seem to have it in my memory) remember when rockets were really flying off in air, with everyone worried about their kids and men out on work … everyone praying and talking if it is an invasion or Allah’s wrath ..!

So it was kind of brief flashback from Islamabad’s life … with this rocket memoir … by the way the other two bigger (and my mom told us that the shell was much beautiful :>) rockets we gave back since the chances of it be LIVE were always there … !

First (Dr.) Arbab Ghulam Rahim’s shoe beating and then just yesterday (Dr.) Sher Afghan’s beating and thrashing in Lahore.

Nothing commendable. Brutality to show your emotions is never commendable.

Yesterday while watching the video of incident, many a times I thought this man’s going to die coz of a heart failure. If you talk about justice … then adopt proper ways to do justice. If he’s criminal in your eyes, bring him in to teh courts and not THRASH an aged guy with hundreds of hands.

Its high time that we use our wisdom (if any) and start thinking intelligently. Emotional intelligence may be good, pure emotionalism – No.

In late June ‘07, I made a post on Islamabad Metblogs about a seemingly-suspicious club in F-10/3. Some real interesting comments came up on the post … and woohoo my suspicions were right.

Interestingly the club originated during the same period when Lal Masjid students raided an acupuncture clinic and kidnapped 9 people: 5 Chinese included.

When police raided the said club, almost 53 people were taken into custody including 19 men and 34 women. They were sent to jails under court bound … excluding obviously the ex-MNA and his friends.

ps: So the investigative report was not so bad, huh!

News Sources:

The News

Daily Times

Big Wigs … Part of the club