Sammilogger

https://sammilogger.blog/2018/02/13/climate-change-a-threat/

Today attended a very fruitful session at NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS). Pakistan is facing a threat of water scarced country by 2025. It was excellent initiative by NUST. They are leading the campaign to bring awareness of this daunting challenge. Eminent and accomplished speakers highlighted the issues and generated a fruitful dialogue. Once again it was highlighted how badly we are betraying blessings of Allah. We are oblivious of the needs of our future generations. Indian water manoeuvre gets further compounded by our negligence and indifference. Subsurface water level is dropping in all major cities with Quetta 6 meters per year, Lahore by 3 meters per year and Islamabad by 1 meter per year. Pakistan needs drastically cutting down tubewell drilling and has to substantially increase number of storage dams. It was highlighted that through floods of 2010, 11 and 14 Pakistan accumulatively lost 90 MAF of water. 1 MAF is equivalent of US $1B. If we had constructed storage dams this water wouldn’t have been wasted to the sea. It was also brought out that every year for last 43 years Pakistan is wasting 29 MAF of water to the sea. Accumulative worth of the wasted water is over US $1200 B. Pakistan’s resilience is well established to ward off all kind of challenges however, resilience will be irrelevant in face of water scarcity. Needs of water are simply same for a resilient and non resilient person. It’s high time that we should stop wasting our resources and should leave better Pakistan for our futue generations. Or else we shall be cursed and devoid of prayers from those whom we might leave behind water scarced.

https://sammilogger.blog/2019/09/18/turmoil-is-asian/

Asia’s two powers have longstanding conflicts, but are seeking common ground through “strategic communication”. The goal – stability – is pursued with a heavy dose of personal diplomacy. An enduring visual of the second ‘informal summit’ in the ancient southern Indian port of Mamallapuram on Oct 11-12 was of the two holding hands aloft in front of a gigantic circular granite boulder on a hilly slope which has miraculously not rolled down for the past 1200 years. The gravity-defying balance of Krishna’s butterball despite its structural vulnerability conveyed the essence of the easygoing and freewheeling summit of, mature neighboring countries which can avoid a catastrophic crash in relations through frank interactions of Xi and Modi, who have met seventeen times in the past five years. Thus, Coexisting with contradictions

Strategic thought is an accumulative outcome of historical legacy, collective wisdom, collective attitudes, religion and overall makeup of a society. It was said that since Columbus, strategic thought of the West has been based on cardinals of, clash of civilisations, ethnic cleansing and divide and rule. Its driven by geopolitics which presupposes conflict. Even in 21st century we witness application of this strategic thought in the Middle East. Propelling of Shia-Sunni discord is manifestation of policy of clash of civilisations. Contrarily, China is visualised to implement strategic thought based on integration of civilisations, win-win cooepration and mutual growth. President Xi also declared that China will redefine subject of International Relations. Above picture and caption is a breather for those who have seen this conflict-prone region suffering in the hands of perennial fighting. In the future, subject of security will be seen through Critical Security Studies (CSS) as against erstwhile Geopolitics which has wrecked havoc on the globe. Predsident Xi is displaying great maturity. Chinese strategic thought can only be ruined and betrayed by conflict. China has to avoid conflict in the greater interest of the people of conflict-prone region in particualr and the world in general. I hope and pray my earlier blog (referred above) titled, Turmoil is Asian is proven wrong.

Basic objective of my blog is to bring home, a realisation for social reforms. As a society we need to change. This change is much desired but it is taking place at an extremely slow pace. I felt encouraged to see resonance of my thoughts through words of Legendary Moeen Akhter (Allah may bless his soul). Nothing seems to be working on us. No religious sermons or worldly education is impacting us. Once at PMA I read Chetwode Motto almost every day, “The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time.” This motto became part of my leadership. Quaid e Azam also injunctioned that, “Our duty to the State comes first; our duty to our province to our district, to our town and to our village and ourselves comes next.” However, our priorities are topsy turvy. We blame the rulers but we ourselves are hostage to our vested interests. If I have to define our predicament in one sesentence, I shall say at every level vested interests superseded and continue to supersede national interests. I see my society as exactly antonym to what have been injunctions of Quran, Islam, Holy Prophet PBUH, Quai’d e Azam and Allama Iqbal. Whether we talk of cleanliness or education or self respect (Khudee) or honesty or truthfulness or fair dealings or concern for others; we are abysmally low. I wish and pray we realise sooner than later. Our education and religious sermons seep into our heads and make us good human beings. Else our country shall not be able to progress.

Having been brought up by dedicated parents and nurtured by Military College Jhelum, a young aspirant lad joined Junior Cadet Battalion Abbottabad (part of Pakistan Military Academy: PMA) in 1980. PMA, brought up the best in him and transformed him into an officer & a gentleman and passed him out with President’s Gold Medal in 1985. There was no looking back. My 34 year journey of proud soldiering comes to an end. I had an old desire to spend my last day in uniform at my alma mater. Allah blessed my desire and passing out of 140 Long Course coincided with my last day in uniform ie 12 Oct 2019. I had a great day of my life at my alma mater, witnessed parade and relived my time. It was overpowering of deja vu, nostalgia, and reminiscence. I relived my memories associated to each place in PMA. My spouse and children joined me on this day. Thanks to PMA, to Pakistan Army and to Pakistan my beloved country. Pakistan Zindabad

Internet and social media have been a boon as well as a bane of the recent times. These have created opportunities as well as challenges. Prior to these technological advacements, humans had a choice to control exposure of their details inorder to ensure their privacy. Privacy used to be a sensitive and well guarded human function. However, privacy is now only fallacious. One writer said, “Humans psychologically have become more insecure, they want to hide but technology doesn’t let them hide”. While connectivity has improved but with that unwanted exposure has also increased. Inadvertently, unconsciously and maliciously we fall pray to intrusions into our privacy. We are even unaware of how much others know about us. We are also unaware to what extent others can see us without we even knowing that they are seeing us. These aspects once again highlight importance of omnipresent principle of balance.

https://sammilogger.blog/2019/03/10/transformation-of-human-personality/

Taking a cue from my last blog, on the subject, I feel there is a form of negative growth of a personality. Ordinarily speaking, a human once grows in age, power, status and maturity, he or she should have positive transformation of personality. However, it has been experienced that in many cases the growth of personality is negative. In order to absorb power, status and fame the person ought to have commensurate cognition, education and mental faculties. Human mind is susceptible to ills of power, wealth, status and fame. Once these gains of humans are not backed up by a strong, conscious and self analysing mind, he succumbs to bad vices. Wisdom demands that the more we rise, the ego should get smaller, we should get humble, we should become more forgiving, we should grow in patience etc etc. However, in actual fact a human is overpowered by bad vices like jealousy, greed, negative pride, delusions and superiority complex etc. Strong minds neither get inflated by praise nor get deflated by criticsm. Weak minds are affected by both. Many a times growth in power, status and fame is not in step with growth of education and mental faculties thus the outcome is negative growth of personality.

Since childhood, we have seen the West as developed, civilised and ethical world. Underdeveloped East and developed West contrasted with each other due to bad and good practices. The West served as a model to be emulated in many ways. Notwithstanding, certain low level unethical aspects of human life, on the whole their behaviours and attitudes justified this perception. US and UK were rightly in the lead amongst developed Western World. However, off late the West is emulating much detested, unethical and immature behaviours. If Ms Maryam had an office in PM House in Pakistan, Ms Ivanka has an office in White House. PM Nawaz Sharif used to contend that his continuation in power is must for economic well being of Pakistan, same is being said by President Trump in face of impeachment. PM Nawaz smelled machinations against him (in spite of all the obvious what US calls as BFO) same is the contention of President Trump. On other hand allegation on UK PM of lying to the Queen is a new precedent. Degeneration of the West in ethics is the real danger to the developed world. Besides multidimensional transitions in global order, this happens to be more benign, discernable and deep rooted. I just returned from a month long trip of US, on the whole ethics of masses are impressive but as they say fish starts to rot from the top, people of the West must take care of their leadership. May be they were as bad as they now seem, however, due to advent of internet and social media (although of their own making) their weaknesses have now come to the surface.

I just found this on social media. He is Gary Player, South African great golfer. It is so pleasing to see him praising our PM. At the same time it is so agonising to see certain elements within the country trying to pull him down. I feel IK has the will and resolve to prove naysayers wrong. He is shining like a beacon and he shall surpass all justified as well as unjustified resistance. Allah may bless him perseverance, steadfastness and purity of intentions.

Note: I did Google to confirm that the gentleman in vedio is Gary Player.

Kudos to honourable PM for splendid innings in the US. But what next? The fanfare, the euphoria will start to die in couple of days. There are no visible signs of world rallying behind Pakistan. Although initiative (of Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia) of setting up a media house is a step in right direction, however, immediate actions will be needed to bring pressure on to arrogant and callous BJP Government. Speech of PM in UNGA has created a favourable tide. It has created enabling environemnt. It has energised and galvanised oppressed people of Indian Occupied Kashmir as well as people of Pakistan. India has further aggravated pressure on hapless Kashmiris. Pakistan needs to mount the tide before it peters off. All measures which can build pressure on India may be initiated sooner than later. The gained grounds may not be lost. An initiative to rope in China may be a step in that direction because unstable Kashmir region will ultimately have repercussions for CPEC.

https://sammilogger.blog/2018/07/28/leader-and-pygmies/

I wrote above mentioned blog in Jul 2018. I am amazed how it is proving right. At that time I had thought of internal pygmies but I am proud that Imran Khan has gone beyond that, by converting Modi into a pygmy. All praises be to Allah he is making us proud. He is reawakening, rekindling and rejuvenating Muslim community all over the world usually seen in slumber. All that he spoke extempore from podium of UNGA was truest reflection of sentiments of Muslims. Once the heart drives the tongue, this is the kind eloquence one gets. Another piece I wrote on how well our PM is winning new form of war ie Battle of Narratives. Hithertofore, Pakistan was not that glaring in this field. Putin was considered to be only global leader coping well with transformation of 21 century conflicts after advent of social media. IK may now be leading Putin. I also wrote a piece on Axis of Real Evil. We need to expose Indo-Israel Axis. Once victim of Holocaust, drawing world sympathy for suffering from those heinous crimes is now involved in direct and indirect 21st Century Holocaust. Israel is involved in Holocaust directly in Plaestine and indirectly in Kashmir through collusion with India.