Author: sammilogger

On 18 Apr 23, travelled to Amsterdam to celebrate Eid with elder daughter and grand children. Mahema had planned a short hop to Amalfi Coast of southern Italy – I had never heard of. The Amalfi Coast is famous for its picturesque seaside towns, cliffs, and beaches. It’s known for its stunning coastline and colorful villages with steep and narrow streets. Many towns along the Amalfi Coast have a rich historical legacywith important sights of historical and artistic value.

Took a two hour flight to Naples on 21 Apr which was Eid day in Europe. By road travelled for 1.5 hours and lodged ourselves in a serene small town named Moiano. It was a small village of not more than 100 houses. The apartment Suffian and Mahema had booked was comfortable and had good view of surrounding hills merging with the coast. After one day rest we started exploring Amalfi Coast.

On 22 our first travel was to Ravello Villa. It was old construction of 9th century. Located at summit which provided good view of area all around. From the displayed wall hangings one could gather that the premises were used for annual festivals.

From Ravello, we straight descended to Amalfi town. Mostly towns on Amalfi coast are constructed on elevating ground. Colourful buildings and small alleys with steep stairs was good experience. The sandy beach is very small and mostly these are rocky beaches. We returned to our abode after a long tiring day.

After a nights good rest next day we started a little late ie around 1 PM. We straight headed to jewel of Amalfi coast ie Positano. I would google all the places before visiting. It was strange coincidence that a day before a friend had introduced to John Steinbeck, US author. Once I googled Positano, I learnt it became famous in mid 20 Century owing to a visit by Steinbeck. My interest to see the place multiplied. Steinbeck had written an article in Harpar’s Bazaar in 1953. In which he had said, Positano, strikes deep, we do not realise how real it is once we are there but we realise once we have left.

We took 45 mins on a car to reach Positano. In anticipation of parking issues, Suffian parked car short of city and we walked down to coast. Route along road was easy but pretty long. Route along stairs was short but hard. We combined the two. Going down with little Aaliyan in pram was challenging. Experience of what Steinbeck had mentioned of steep and narrow stairs was worth it. After an arduous experience we descended to the beach. A tiny sandy beach where we relaxed on sheets and munched on snacks. Spent good quality 4 hours there, staring at surrounding rocks, colourful buildings, amazing architecture and marvels of engineering. Met a Canadian cum Indian family whose daughter Sloan was same age as Elena my grand daughter. Both girls gelled with each other and played together. The families met too and had a long chat.

Realising that going up to the car will be too hard, we boarded a bus going in that direction. Took a little while of waiting but it was a good fortune. Reached the car with ease and drove back to our abode.

Started next day a little late and followed craving of Mahema and Suffian to visit Positano once again. This time we went to the opposing side. Took photographs by camera and drone and then drove to Sorrento. A relatively large city on Amalfi coast. Spent some time on the beach passed through bazaar and reached Halaal meal restaurant named R&M Kebab. Food was ok. Both at Positano as well as Sorrento liked the quality of dress items and clothing. However seemed cost prohibitive.

Early part of night returned to our abode since had to leave for Naples for return flight at 8 AM. Once got up at 7:30 learnt Mahema and Suffian had again gone to Positano. The words of Steinbeck resonated in my mind, that Positano strikes deep. The best memories we carry of and the desire to be there again is of POSITANO. I wish one day I could visit Positano with my friend who raised my eagerness through introduction to John Steinbeck

https://fb.watch/k1a6M5u3Qv/?mibextid=l066kq

Palki Sharma in above cited VLog has painted a dooms day scenario for Pakistan. She hails from Pakistan’s perennial enemy and nothing good can be expected from her. Her venomous analysis of situation of Pakistan is most certainly based on her wishes. There is an Urdu idiom, billi ko chhichhron ke kharaab ’ (as the bell chink so the fool thinks).

She has displayed poor understanding of the global geopolitical transitions. She has displayed certain misconceptions of future potential of the US and it’s new found darling named India. The globe is passing through multiple transitions which mainly include:

a. Power is shifting from West to the East

b. China is challenging the US hegemony

c. The US is waning power and China is a waxing power

d. 21st century is Asian century

e. Pan Americana is giving way to Pan Sinica

f. The dollar is losing its might as global currency. Country of Palki Sharma is a contributor towards that end

At the regional level a glaring transition is in play. South Asia has been in centre stage of global geopolitics of 19th and 20th centuries. In these duels of giants, there were always two belligerents, a conduit and a fodder. In 19th century, British and Soviet Empires were two belligerents, Afghanistan and neighbouring regions of British India were conduit and manpower of the region was fodder. In 20th century, the US was the one belligerent where as other was Soviet Empire and later forces of terrorism. Pakistan remained conduit for both the times and Muslim fundamentalist formed the fodder.

In case of 21st century, the US and China are arraying as likely belligerents. India is being tipped, equipped and capacitated by the US to play the role of a conduit. As India seems to be proudly gearing for this role, Hindu fundamentalist will serve as a fodder.

In 2018, the author visited Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) London to deliver a talk on China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Indian defence attaché was sitting right across the table donning Brigadier’s uniform. Towards the end of the talk, the author addressed the Indian Brigadier. Brigadier was asked that keeping in view the status of South Asia as the least integrated, the most impoverished and the most conflict prone region of the World, India should either join CPEC or should not contest CPEC. It was highlighted that this will serve well for the hapless people of the region. The Brigadier was told that the author was seeing India treading on the path of fighting. The Brigadier shrugged his shoulders and contested point of view of the author. He was told that in Indian Ocean there were at least five countries whose one port was being developed by China and second by India. There was an ongoing rivalry between China and India in Indian Ocean. Contending strategies of String of Pearls (China) and Necklace of Diamonds (India) were in play in the Indian Ocean. Over a dozen ports were being developed by China and around 8 were being developed by India. Brigadier was told by the author that this rivalry could any time turn into hostility. Later repeated escalations on Sino Indian border have been fairly serious and indication of projected hostility.

So India should logically brace for the dirty work to do for the US in 21st century geopolitics which was performed by Pakistan in 20th century geopolitics. India and its scholars like Tulsi Sharma may find solace in short term gains but in the long run India is replacing Pakistan in the wrong side of the room.

Indeed Pakistan is passing through challenging times, however Pakistan is best defined by two words, Turbulence and Resilience. Pakistan has always come out stronger, more confident, more self-assured and more resilient from every turbulence. Pakistan has always betrayed such predictions of gloom and doom. Even on the future, Pakistan will betray predictions of nay-sayers like Tulsi Sharma.

Founding father of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared in 1947 that Pakistan will emerge as Pivot state on the world map. Andrew Korybko has now termed Pakistan as Pivot State of 21st century. Tulsi Sharma should better worry about future of her own country than pointing fingers at Pakistan. China and Pakistan have mutually assured destiny and soon a time will come when India is bound to face two front scenario which it had imposed on Pakistan for two decades. Better watch out TULSI SHARMA

By all standards Pakistan – my beloved motherland has had very painful, agonising and bad 2022. In general unfortunate country has been at its crossroads every now and then, however, in particular it has suffered immensely since Sep 11, 2001. In spite of zero role in that cataclysmic global event Pakistan came to suffer, sacrifice and bleed the most. Nature has its own ways. Even in case of environmental change, with below 1% Carbon emissions, Pakistan got greater suffering than it deserved through floods of 2022.

It may be highly painful and debatable point to analyse what brought Pakistan to this stage. Every one will analyse the causes from one’s own perspective. Without getting into controversy, who did what? I believe no one left any stone unturned in our journey to self destruction. We as citizens of this country always remained overawed by our desire to serve our vested interests. We shied away to look beyond our nose and remained focused on self interest, interest of smaller groups while keeping interest of Pakistan at the tail. In this pursuit our leadership also remained exuberant in serving interests of external powers more than interests of the people of Pakistan.

It’s my belief that nature bestows upon us OPPORTUNITIES. It’s in our hands to convert these opportunities into blessings or curses. I shall like to dwell upon three areas which have adversely affected Pakistan as the most. I will call these as THREE CURSES faced by Pakistan. First curse is lack of visionary leadership. I shall not single out any particular group, I will include leadership of all segments of society. Even a teacher including a religious teacher is a leader. Providence didn’t spare Muhammas Ali Jinnah to provide strong foundation to newly created country. He was seen off by a leadership whom he himself called as KHOTAY SIKKAY (fired cartridges). The leadership bestowed upon hapless people of Pakistan, began to ruthlessly grab Pakistan. They did nothing on human resource development and rather kept people of Pakistan farthest from teachings of Quran, Prophet PBUH and those of founding fathers. They began to ruthlessly serve their vested interests which were always facilitated through service of interests of global players. Like any society there are three grooming places for the new generations. School, mosque and home. All three are dysfunctional. School is teaching cheating, mosque is teaching violence and home is indifferent. Whom to blame? THE LEADER (the teacher, religious teacher, political leader, military leader, leader of a family and leaders of all hues)

Second curse is an extremely troublesome neighbourhood. Friends can be chosen but neighbours are given. In the East we have India which is mean to the core. It leaves no opportunity to damage Pakistan. India has been termed by Rajesh Shigri as boorish, condescending and overbearing towards its neighbours. Not only Pakistan but whole of SA is suffering due to intransigence of India. In the West we have Afghanistan. For over 200 years, Afghanistan has remained disturbed and dysfunctional. It has never been able to live in peace within and with out. Two of provinces of Pakistan neighbouring Afghanistan get seriously troubled. Iran a predominately Shia country is arrogant and views Pakistan from the prism of Shia-Sunni discord.

The third curse lies in Strategic Location. There are two dimensions to it. Firstly, Afghanistan and Pakistan have repeatedly come to the centre stage of global geopolitics. Every time they have paid a heavy price. Anglo-Afghan wars, finale of Cold War, GWOT; all played havoc with this region. Afghanistan known to be graveyard of empires has itself become a graveyard in the process. Pakistan has bled profusely in terms of human blood, economy, infrastructure, national character and image of the country. Secondly, this strategic location bestowed upon Pakistan and its national leadership a stature higher than its potential. Pakistan enjoyed transactional relationship with the US which always ended in a divorce. TV Paul has said, while ME suffers from resource curse, Pakistan suffers from strategic curse. ME has abundance of resources and thus lacks motivation to work hard. Whereas Pakistan gets easy money due to its strategic location so lacks motivation to work hard. While ME seems to have overcome its curse, Pakistan still seems to be encumbered by it.

The main question is what to do? People of Pakistan must take their destiny in their own hands. Leadership of Pakistan is overweighted by external opinions more than internal opinions.

There is so much of disorder in Pakistan which warrants a sustained effort of decades to improve. However, for 2023, People of Pakistan and more importantly leaders of Pakistan on the whole can make a resolution. If we all pick one and only one golden principle from each of our founding fathers, we can be a different society. Quaide Azam had said, “our duty to the state comes first; our duty to our province, to our district, to our town, and our village and ourselves comes next”. We need to pick this injunction of Quaide Azam and place Pakistan at top consideration in all of our individual and collective pursuits. From Allama Iqbal we should pick the concept of Uprightness. We shall not be selling our conscience for petty gains. Neither at national level nor at individual level. By just following these two principles we can become a different nation or group of people.

Long live Pakistan. Long live people of Pakistan. Allah may bless us wisdom and courage to serve our beloved country for better future for our coming generations

https://sammilogger.blog/2018/05/27/imperilled-pakistan/ My blog of 27 May 2018. Seems most relevant as of today

Today is the 75th Birthday of Pakistan as well as the Independence Day of people of Pakistan. 74 such days have been celebrated ahead of this day with national zeal and fervour, but this day stands unique. It is unique due to menacing external threats and debilitating internal strife. The day is being celebrated with national zeal and fervour.

While the common man is visible on the streets, standing for Pakistan, displaying his love for Pakistan, displaying zeal and fervour for his motherland; the elite seems busy in its grab. Grab of power, grab of wealth, grab of self glory, even grab of country itself.

Once state of Pakistan is dispassionately analysed, one comes to conclusion that the biggest cause of Pakistan’s plight has been poor leadership (all inclusive). At the time of creation of Pakistan, providence did not give enough of life to Muhammad Ali Jinnah to give strong foundation to the nascent and feeble state. He passed away in less than 13 months. He had said in his life that he had KHOTE SIKKAY (Fake Coins) in his pocket; apparently referring to leadership surrounding him. It seemed same KHOTE SIKKAY are ruling Pakistan till today.

Pakistan has had a leadership which failed to look beyond its nose. Which remained overwhelmed by vested interests. Which was self-serving. Which wasn’t sincere to the purpose. They were good at raising slogans but failed to walk the talk. GUFTAAR KE GHAZI BAN TO GAEY KIRDAAR KE GHAZI BAN NA SAKAY (they became heroes of talk but couldn’t become heroes of character). There is a usual Chicken and Egg debate ie which preceded what? Did immaturity of political leadership invite military interventions or military interventions didn’t let political leadership to mature. It has been a vicious cycle and unfortunately military leadership also suited well to global geopolitics of respective times. The politics today being played in Pakistan indicate as if Pakistan is frozen in 19th century. Demands of 21st century are way different.

Heart of a thinking mind bleeds in seeing motherland bleeding profusely. Leadership is fake, narratives are fake, results of elections are manipulated and the country doesn’t seem to be on right track. Wrong is prevailing and right is cornered. Hard work isn’t incentivised rather unfair means are incentivised. Merit is culled and talent is buried. The common man feels frustrated because he doesn’t find his future in his hands, rather he sees it in hands of individuals serving vested interests.

Pakistan is faced with two battles. One is outside Pakistan and the second is inside Pakistan. Outside battle is regarding which camp Pakistan will be in; US or China. Inside battle is between the Status-quo and non-status-quo forces. These two battles are intertwined. Status-quo forces comprise erstwhile political parties which have badly decayed. PPP created by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto an Oxford alumni is now in grab of Asif Ali Zardari. PML created by Muhammad Ali Jinnah is now led by Mian Nawaz Sharif. JUI founded by Maulana Maudoodi is led by Maulana Fazal ur Rehman. Non status-quo forces are led by PTI.

Silver lining is that people of Pakistan are getting more aware. Even little babies of Pakistan are aware that who looted Pakistan. If we talk of future, besides rhetoric and waiting for Allah; people of Pakistan have to rise to the occasion. People of Pakistan have to make our leadership believe that internal opinion matters more than external opinion. Pakistan is owned by people of Pakistan and not by coterie of elite or US or China. People of Pakistan has to win both these battles in the best interest of Pakistan. In my opinion, destiny of Pakistan is linked with China and not the US. Secondly Pakistan has to transit to 21st century in ethics, morals and practices.

Pakistan society has suffered from haemorrhages and decay particularly in last four decades. These were the decades of conflict, destruction and wars. While 1978 makes a benchmark for China to take an upwards flight, 1979 makes a benchmark for Pakistan for a downwards flight. It’s natural that owing to perpetual conflict, evolution of civil society as enunciated by Ibne Khaldoon, either retards or gets in retrograde motion. The case of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s neighbouring regions makes a perfect study.

The perpetual conflict has impacted us in many ways. We have suffered loss of blood, money, infrastructure, values of society and most menacingly our national character. All losses will be less daunting to recover than that of national character. In the overall setting of corruption, lack of merit and serving of vested interests, there are few glaring aspects of this loss. Firstly, societies are driven by guilt or shame. These two feelings inhibit a human from committing a sin. Unfortunately both have ceased to exist in our society. Nothing inhibits us from committing a crime or a sin.

Secondly, this environment has created a breed of street smart people who are sycophants, nouveau riche, opportunists and yes-men. These are the people who have been ruling the roost and dominating the system. They see talented and competent people as a threat. So they contrive and rally together to cull merit, talent and competence. Consequently on the whole, in our society while the RIGHT is cornered the WRONG is thriving.

Thirdly, the leadership lacked motivation to develop human resource. Though they justified their actions by citing lack of resources. Human resource development neither serves their political interests nor interests of the breed mentioned in preceding para. Notwithstanding, what we have done to earlier generations, we have successfully corrupted the system for growth of our coming generations. There are three grooming places for a child, school, mosque and home. Schools are teaching cheating, mosque is teaching violence and home is indifferent.

There is yet another aspect to this. In my view while political interests pull us to the left, national interests pull us to the right. Unless these converge we shall not be able to develop as a society. It’s a national interest that people should be educated. Whereas, no Vadera, no Sardar, no Saneen, no lord wants his people to be educated. It’s also a national interest that people should be secure. Just to cite an example, Karachi; a city of 25M people is being managed by 30000 police force. If we exclude police on protocol duties and use combat potential of a London policeman as a yardstick, Karachi is being managed by 1000 policemen. No government will put it right because security of people isn’t a political interest.

Perpetual conflict prevailing in and around Pakistan had a lot to do with our superior strategic location. TV Paul had said, while Middle East is suffering from resource curse, Pakistan is suffering from Strategic curse. He further qualified that people of Middle East due to abundance of natural resources lacked motivation to work hard. Whereas, in case of Pakistan superior strategic location earned them easy money so they lacked motivation to work hard. Easy money has indeed damaged us in many ways.

Pakistan is also suffering from the dilemma of parachuted leadership. Parag Khanna in his book Future is Asian has argued that countries of Asia whose leadership rise from grass root level and climb rungs of ladder would be in step with Asian Century. Whereas the countries where leadership comes through parachute would lack behind.

On the whole, this complex environment has culled virtues and instilled vices in our society. We lost ability to call a-spade-a-spade, ability to say what was wrong. In my opinion, no individual, power or organisation can do better accountability than people of Pakistan. If people start questioning the ruling elite on bad things they do, it will impose caution and deterrence on them. Else they will continue to disregard interests of people and serve their vested interests. I have held a view since long that more than anything else, Pakistan needs social reforms. We need to bring back our values, our ethics and national character. In order to do that, first and foremost is that we ought to be strategically correct. Yet again we don’t have to be friends for war. We only should be friends for peace. Fighting other’s wars can fetch us couple of dollars but will devastate us as a nation much more menacingly than earlier cases.

In the absence of an apt leadership, Pakistan has remained directionless for quite some time. It has been akin to a flotilla of rudderless ships. Notwithstanding many shortcomings, on the whole, Imran Khan seemed to be providing a direction to the society. Apparently, political and national interests seemed to be converging. He focused on raising conscience of the people, he has given awareness to the people. People have begun to question the leadership. People are picking courage to call wrong, what is wrong. IK or no IK, Pakistan is changing very fast and that’s the way to go. People of Pakistan have to take reins in their own hands. Else will they will continue to be exploited by one vested-interest-serving group or the other.

Published in Pakistan Observer on 6 Feb 2022

THE insurgency in Balochistan is on the rise.No words can assuage the loss of lives of valiant sons of the soil who are offering blood, as well as of misguided insurgents.

I had the opportunity to serve Balochistan from 2012 to 14.My exposure to disturbed seventeen southern districts of the province was rewarding on one extreme but appalling, painful, and worrisome on the other.

After service to Balochistan, I also got the opportunity to do my PhD in Strategic Security Management of CPEC.

My offerings in subsequent paras are based on these two experiences.Right at the outset, I shall like to say that, such threats had been foreseen and the state will prevail In Sha Allah upon elements who are trying to serve the interests of enemies of Pakistan.

In the 20th century geopolitics of the region, two provinces of Pakistan adjoining Afghanistan ie Balochistan and the KP suffered the most.

Balochistan remained more unfortunate for multiple reasons viz poor management, poor governance, and two front situation ie unstable Afghanistan on one border and estranged Iran on the other.

Perennial neglect, injustices at the state level and the vested-interest-serving elite has created feelings of alienation and deprivation.

Interestingly, the British ruled Balochistan through two cardinal principles; appeasement of Sardars and keeping the masses alienated.

Unfortunately, with the lack of ingenuity, even Pakistan continued to follow the same principles.

I would like to substantiate my assertions with examples.1986 was my first visit to Quetta, I was then surprised to notice that despite being a provincial capital, English newspapers reached Quetta by 4 pm and the day there was no flight there was no newspaper.

As late as 2014, I didn’t find any improvement in this domain in spite of the era of the internet.

There is no improvement in the connectivity of Balochistan with the rest of the country for a long.

In the early 2010s, coastal highways and the start of night flights in Quetta may be seen as small pinpricks.

Dera Bugti and Kohlu are the most disturbed districts of Balochistan, no effort has been made to offset the British approach of a single entry and exit to these districts.

In the 80s PTV Station of Quetta was the most vibrant station, which launched new actors and popular TV dramas, now it’s non-existent.

General Musharraf paid extra attention to the neglected province.From 1947 to 2002, Rs 200 B were allocated to Balochistan for development, whereas from 2002 to 2008, Rs 400 B were allocated.

However, this money reached deep pockets and failed to improve the lot of the masses.

General Musharraf for the sake of better governance converted the Category B* area of Balochistan (which is 95% of the total area of Balochistan) to Category A but the very next government reversed this decision to serve the interests of Sardars.

There was not a single cardiac centre in entire Balochistan as late as 2014.Quetta as provincial capital lacked behind the rest by 30-40 years.

In the discharge of my duties, I extensively travelled through seventeen critical districts of Balochistan.

Abject poverty, social inadequacies, state of management, lack of connectivity was mind-boggling, to say the least.

On a governance template, one can still find as low as 2-5% governance in parts of Balochistan.

With a view to addressing the root causes of the insurgency, firstly, the State of Pakistan has to realise that, the province of Balochistan has transited from a ‘backyard and wasteland’ to a ‘region of immense strategic importance’.

Balochistan is critical for not only the prosperity of Pakistan but also for the future ambitions of China.

Secondly, the forces which are against the growth of Pakistan and the rise of China are anticipated to resort to such acts of terrorism.

We should be prepared to face such challenges.

Thirdly, in the media-savvy environment, feelings of alienation, deprivation and injustices get more pronounced.

Thus, it’s important to address the root causes of insurgency.The connectivity of Balochistan with the rest of the country should be improved.

Feelings of injustices, deprivation, alienation and social inadequacies should be mitigated and eradicated at a fast track.

Numerous projects are already being executed but the scale, speed and expanse need to be increased manifold.

The participation of the people of Balochistan in future plans and projects is a MUST.70 years of inadequacies can only be addressed through crash action and sincerity of purpose.

—The writer is a former DG ISSRA, National Defence University, Islamabad.

https://fb.watch/9l0aoZzUNE/

Above video is getting viral. The narrator is building a case that poor work ethics of people of Pakistan are due to buffalo milk. It’s indeed a forceful projection of a narrative, however, I want to give different perspective.

Towards fag end of my military career, I had opportunity to manage live stock of Pakistan Army. My views are based on my exposure to the subject and my reflections.

Mother Nature has blessed Buffalo to very less regions of the world and the developed world is endowed with Cow. So milk producing animal of developed world is cow and that of countries of our region is buff. Apparently, it’s bizarre that Mother Nature produced a black skinned animal for warmer regions of the world. However, justifications and logics of Mother Nature are beyond our comprehension. These may be unbeknownst to us. Our lack of knowledge doesn’t mean Mother Nature could have gone wrong. Latest research is also proving that Buff milk is far better than cow milk.

If we admit that Mother Nature always has a sound justification for something prevailing on the globe, then how can buff milk be bad for us. Developed world had wherewithal to carry out all the research on their animal ie Cow. Whereas our animal ie Buff remained neglected due to our poor research ability. Developed world has always belittled our animal. The gentleman in the video got carried away with same logic of the West. He resorted to self-bashing.

Indeed we are lethargic, we are less active, we are less aggressive, we are slackers; but the reason doesn’t lie in what he has identified. The reason lies else where. Which I shall attempt to identify in next blog. Allah may bless us all.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-china-indulging-proxy-war-india-jammu-kashmir-bipin-rawat-1868585-2021-10-23

In 2009, heading a delegation to the US, I got an opportunity to interact with the US authorities. In those years, India had set the stage for two front scenario for Pakistan. India was staring into our eyes from the East and had wherewithal to vitiate our Western Front. We complained to the US authorities regarding Indian involvement in terrorism from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Then there were 8 consulates of India strung along Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

US authorities suffering from their wilful BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious) countered our allegation saying that they always hear such complaints from Pakistani delegates but they (US) haven’t found any evidence. I retorted that, any one who knows history of animosity of Pakistan and India doesn’t need any evidence. Logically speaking none of the two countries, given an opportunity will leave any stone unturned to harm the opponent.

Even since then, though Pakistan has provided ample evidence but US has stuck to their BFO.

Nature has its own way of turning the tables. I had predicted since long that; with the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan, two aspects will be corrected by default. Firstly, unjustified political dispensation in Afghanistan will be rectified ie minority will cease to rule the majority and majority will get back its right to rule. It has already happened. Secondly, India will be cut to size, that has too happened.

Unlike Geopolitics of 19 and 20th century, one is good thing is happening incase of Geopolitics of 21st century. More or so the West/US stays as one antagonist where as China is emerging as second antagonist. India is replacing Pakistan as a conduit and Hindu fundamentalist is replacing Muslim fundamentalist as fodder for fighting. Pakistan is over with the dirty part of the game, India will serve this purpose for the US incase of 21st century Geopolitics.

Above quoted statement of Indian CDS, speaks of India’s fear of tasting its own medicine. The time has come for India to reap what it has sown. I have no reasons to substantiate that it’s actually happening but again taking corollary from my previous argument, why shall Pakistan waste an opportunity to pay back to India what it received in past two decades.

In short I will say to Indians, ABBAHI TO PRTY SHUROO HOI HAI, (stay calm, the party has just begun)

Social media has removed all barriers from sharing of information. In a way it’s highly beneficial in sharing of knowledge. However, no technological advancement is free of pitfalls. Improvement in connectivity of the globe and it’s turning into global village has eroded control of a nation-state on flow of information. Accessibility to new technologies is providing similar exposure to developed, semi-developed and underdeveloped societies. Here development doesn’t imply economic development. Rather it implies development in ethics, morality and morals.

Developed societies have a combined ability to draw maximum benefits and ward off pitfall. However, story of underdeveloped societies is far different. They get overwhelmed by pitfalls of new technology.

Pakistan is a society which has suffered societal decay due to many reasons but mainly prolonged conflict. Prolonged conflict created anti-merit environment by throwing up a breed of sycophants, parvenues and opportunists. These conflicts brought in easy money and craze for materialistic pursuits. These conflicts eroded ethics, morals and values of society. Societies are driven by shame and guilt. Both these stop a human from committing a sin. Both these attributes have disappeared from Pakistani society.

Societal decay along with lack-lustre management and regulation has created a dangerous mix. Social media has provided a platform to further damage our ethics. Since there is no system of attributability of content on social media. People are holding no bars in baseless allegations. Islam strictly stops us from levelling allegations on others. However, utterly against these teachings and ethics, as a society we have started drawing pleasure in ridiculing and dishonouring others. Worst is happening against women of fame.

It’s so immoral that pornographic material is attributed to a lady of fame even if there is 10 percent of resemblance of personalities in the clip. Such clips then spread like fire on social media by irresponsible sharing. No system can check unhealthy trends in society unless each member of society realises his or her responsibility. It’s deplorable to see even so called educated lot further sharing such clips while even an insane person can find inadequate reasons to believe that clip of that particular personality.

It is said that such trend was initiated by political parties to malign opponents. But no one realises that such trends can backfire onto us. It’s already happening and the environment has gone so filthy that anything can be attributed to anyone without impunity.

Political parties being a source of leadership for the society must shun such elements who are ruthless in maligning opponents based on unethical, baseless, concocted and fabricated allegations. If one party is doing other may not respond in same kind because two wrongs don’t make a right. Allah may bless us with true spirit of Islam.