Rumor or reality, MQM is accused of being a criminal organization.
Initially it was a student organization named as APMSO (All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organization) that was founded in KU (Karachi University) by a group of students led by Altaf Hussain in 1978. Later in 1984, Altaf Hussain gave extension to APMSO and created a political party MQM (Muhajir Qaumi Movement). MQM came with the agenda of protecting the rights of Urdu speakers (Muhajirs/Immigrants) in Pakistan. A majority of the Urdu speakers of Pakistan live in Karachi. In a short span of time MQM became extremely popular amongst the Urdu Speakers of urban Sindh. It is reported that in 1986 nearly 3 million Urdu Speakers attended the first public meeting in Karachi arranged by MQM. In urban Sindh the party won landslide victories in the elections of 1988 and 1990.

Karachiites witnessed a bloody decade of 90. There was a never ending series of riots, killings and strikes almost throughout the decade. In short, Karachi was burning. Inspite of the overwhelming fame of MQM in Karachi, a negative image of MQM was created by the federal governments on national level, and the party was accused of whatever was happened. Different circles of civil society have different point of views about MQM.
Being the economic hub of the country with a population of around 15 million, Karachi is the apple of every government's eye. Benazir Bhutto (chairperson of PPP) and Nawaz Shairf (head of PML-N), both became the rulers of Pakistan twice from 1988 to 1999. Being the heads of the parties of national level, they didn't like the existence of small MQM in the most important city of the country. The influence of MQM was increasing in the making of national policies. The middle-class background of MQM and its slogan of anti-feudalism made it even more unacceptable for PPP and PML-N, who are from strong feudal backgrounds. On contrary MQM was the party with zero feudals. Consequently, both (PPP and PML-N) in their terms tried to destabilize the provincial governments of MQM.
Its a long story that how conditions became extremely worst, but I will try here to put the happenings in a nut-shell. On grounds of ethnic and political violence, the PML-N government in June 1992 started an army operation (Operation Clean-up) against MQM in Karachi and urban Sindh. Then started the street-war. MQM retaliated, and then there were Kalashnikovs, firing, blood, dead bodies, strikes, fire and the limits of violence. Thousands of MQM workers and supporters were arrested. The MNAs and MPAs of MQM resigned from the national and provincial assemblies, and the party leadership driven underground. It was reported that around 23 torture cells of MQM were discovered by the law enforcement agencies.
Whatever was happened and whoever was responsible, it was Pakistan that suffered the most.

MQM is now trying to emerge as a political party of national level. The Muhajir Qaumi Movement has been transformed into Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

.. and the month of khajoor, pakoRa, fruit-chat, jaam-e-sheereeN and rooh-afza has gone. The bottles of Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola will replace the glasses of 'laal sherbat' on dining tables. Routines were changed in every way during the month. Witnessing the ‘dawns and sunsets’ are rare experiences in rest of the year.
Beside the change in routine, the spiritual purification of Muslims is the main subject of Ramazan. At public places, I experienced a positive change in the behaviors of people to a little extent. A little credit goes to media for this better change.

God knows who will find the Ramazan next year. I pray to God to grant at-least one more lailat-ul-qadr to me.

                        jushn-e-eid

hamaray zauq-e-nazzara ko eid k din bhi
kaheeN pe saaya-e-zulmat, kaheeN pe noor mila
kisi ne deeda-o-dil k kaNwal khilay paaye
kisi ko saagher-e-ehsaas chikna-choor mila

ba-faiz-e-eid bhi paida hui na yak-rungee
koi mulool, koi gham se bay-nyaaz raha
baRa ghazab hai, khudawand-e-kausar-o-tasneem
k roz-e-eid bhi tabqoN ka imtyaaz raha
                                                            - Shakayb Jalali –

shaanty, jaankaari, ashirbaad, mahaan, chinta, unt, kala-kaar ...

Its 7 p.m. in Pakistan, guess what public will do now ? They will sit before television-sets, tune Star Plus and Sahara One (the Indian Channels) and will learn Indian language, Indian culture and Indian narrow mindedness. There is a long list of Hindi words which are becoming a part of everyday conversation of a Pakistani.

I dont know, while watching Indian dramas, do people keep anything like 'Two Nation Theory' in any corner of their minds ? People are unaware of the consequences of what they are doing. They actually are committing ethical and cultural suicide. When they see Indian drama, they in-fact transfer a poison gradually into their own veins, and into the veins of their up-coming generations.
In reality, thing which Indian channels are producing is not 'Drama'. They produce a package of cheap glamour, dramas with weak plots, sub-standard stories and acting of low artistic skills. A so-called drama !

aik muhabbat sou afsaanay, waaris, sona chaandi, andhera ujaala, dhoop kinaaray, tanhayiaaN, aaNgan TayRha, aahaT, uroosa, nijaat, aaNch, kasak, raahein, kaajal gher, dor-e-junooN, half plate, ... and there is a long list of world class serials and long plays produced by PTV (Pakistan Television). In true sense of words, PTV set a standard of dramatization for others to follow. Through these plays, PTV also tried to upgrade the mental level of the nation on ethical, cultural and literary fronts.
I think Ashfaq Ahmed (late), Bano Qudsiya, Fatima Surayya Bajhia, Amjad Islam Amjad, Anwer Maqsood, Haseena Moin, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Noor-ul-Huda Shah etc. wasted their time in producing quality literary work for this nation. When I see people watching Indian plays, i feel as if someone is cutting my heart into slices. This nation doesn't deserve intellectuals and writers like these.

Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, had said after the war of 1971 that we have submerged the Two Nation Theory into the Arabian ocean.
Perhaps they did so, on the geographical front that time. This time they are doing the same thing on cultural front.

A man comes out to street at mid-night, misleadingly starts shouting 'thief .. thief .. thief ...' and gathers a number of people from nearby houses.
Is this the freedom of expression ? Our media is doing the same thing.
I believe our media has become extremely biased after March 2007. People may oppose my opinion. But generally speaking, how should we tackle a man who is misleading a number of people using his expressions ? Should we allow him to do what he is doing ? Suppose the man continues to speak lie, what should be our reaction then ?

-> I am still unable to understand, what supreme national interests our media served by telecasting 27 hours of live transmission when CJ (Chief Justice) and companions staged the drama of travelling from Islamabad to Lahore through road ? The output came in shape of economic upheaval in the country for around a week, along-with the bearish trends in stock-exchanges.
-> I still remember that night of August 2007 when all Pakistani channels broke a news that government has announced emergency in country, which will be effected from 12 a.m. Though I had to go to work next morning but I stuck with television to see what is happening. I slept around 3 a.m. that night but there was no emergency when I awoke next morning.

These like so many hypes were created by media during last few months. Did it serve the country ? Or did it serve the nation ? Neither had it served the country nor the nation. These hypes served the interests of 3 entities mainly i.e. the political parties of opposition (who are curious to come back into power), the chief justice, and the media itself. TV Channels arranged hundreds of talk-shows (for which they pay nothing to the participants of talk-show). Continuous sitting before television became a habit of public in those days, and hence channels got advertisement in great numbers. Getting SMS from public for different programs was another efficient way used by the Channels for generating money. Programs were arranged in which telephone calls were received, which also generated a healthy amount. Financially, media was the greatest beneficiary.
Media has got success in another front as well i.e. the most famous right of 'freedom of expression'. Looking into one's house through a slit door is a very interesting job. Blackmailing is also a fascinating thing, and can be used to get financial assistance.

Is there any limit to freedom of expression ?
Stress, anxiety and tensions are the gifts of this free media. Nerves are tested to their extreme. People are made psychiatric patients.
OK fine ... but who will keep an eye on media ? Is media accountable ? Who will conduct this accountability ? I don’t think these things are possible in near future. Whoever will try to do this will be attacked by media. Media is powerful even from the state itself. It can propagate anything.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was an American jurist who served the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932. He said in 1919, "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent."

Pakistan is facing a political turmoil since March 2007, which seems to last for few more months. Everything was going smoothly before March, but God knows who gave the stupid advise to Musharraf about terminating the CJ (Chief Justice). He (Musharraf) filed a reference against CJ in the Supreme Court.

Initially the lawyers came out to streets for protest against Musharraf. Following them, the political parties of opposition (which were almost out of the scene), availed the opportunity and jumped in to the field. And hence, there started the carnival. Every second day these lawyers and political parties staged the street-shows. In order to mobilize the layman, the caravans were arranged, which in the captaincy of CJ travelled from one city to another and covered the distances of 3 hours in 27 hours. Political parties who hold 1 seat in a parliament of 342 seats, acted as if they are the representatives of 160 million people of Pakistan.
Media played the most important role in creating the hype. It projected the '1-seated' parties, and brought them in limelight. I will discuss about the role of media in coming writings.

For political parties, it was the battle of their survival. As for Nawaz Sharif, whose political future was at highest risk. Future of Benazir was also not looking so shining. The reason was what they did in their terms in the decade of 90s, when they both were given the chances twice to serve the nation. Its a long debate that what they did, and why they were un-popular before March 2007. But why they became popular after March 07, was not because of their own efforts and sincerity to the nation, but because of the mistake of Musharraf.

In the mean time, there came a gruesome date of May 12, 2007. A sort of riot broke out in Karachi, a city which is the 'base' of a pro-Musharraf party, MQM. The reason of riot was a caravan of CJ to the city, in order to gain more popularity in public against Musharraf. An interesting aspect of this caravan was, to gain sympathy the CJ planned to visit the Quaid's mausoleum which he had never visited in his life before. Clashes broke out between the workers of MQM and political parities of opposition. The CJ couldn't manage to come out of the airport because of clashes, and left the city after waiting 9 hours in the airport.
In a battle between elephants, the ants get squashed. And so, the clashes claimed more than 40 lives.
MQM alone was made responsible by media, lawyers and political parties.

In last, the Supreme Court gave the judgment in favor of CJ on July 20th, 2007. Willingly or un-willingly, Musharraf and team accepted the decision.

As a result of this tug of war, Musharraf was the man who had to bear all consequences. No matter how efficiently he brought the economy of country on track, his image has fallen to a great extent now.

it was the fifth day of October, when God bestowed me on earth. Though it was a great blessing to mankind, but most people are not aware of this blessing as yet.

Its 5th October today as well. So I thought why not should I start writing here the same day, to make people know about this blessing ;)

.. earlier, i had posted the poetic work of some poets (probably an year ago). But this is my first post that is not the poetic work of any poet, and belongs to me only. I have a plan to continue writing here, and to make it a habit. Let's see what happens with my plan.

As i told, its my birthday today, so i am going to celebrate it with my family tonite. Though they didn't announce any celebration officially, but I know they will be celebrating .. like every year ;)