I sit back and watch the news of blasts in ‘Data darbar’ in Lahore. I watch it for few minutes, hear the sirens, watch the blood, hear the screams, see the stranded people, and switch off my TV. Yes, I am dead. I dont feel the pain now. I am numb. Its a repeat telecast. Maybe a recording of the previous ‘show of barbarism’ that I have seen many times before. But they say, its live reporting. They say its a new place. They say the images are new. Then why am I switching off the TV, why am I thinking of other chores I have to do, why am I thinking what I have to do tomorrow. Am I really dead?Aldous Huxley(writer) was right when he said, ‘Maybe this world is another planets hell’. Maybe I am living in a hell and its a life after death so my emotions exist no more.
Continue Reading
Eyewitness to Suicidal Attack in Lahore
Farooq Tariq of Labor Party Pakistan shares an eyewitness account of his children who were on the scene of the suicide bomb blast in Lahore today.
“I was waiting at the school lounge for uncle Allah Ditta to pick me up after the school time was over. We heard the first blast and it was not very powerful but frightening. Our teacher said that it is army that is firing in the area; there is no need to worry about. Then, came the real one. The earth under our feet was moving away from us, it was like an earthquake. I started crying so were many more children. The teachers asked us to move away from the walls and come in the ground in an open place. I saw my teachers in tears as well. The uncle Allah Ditta arrived and I went with him.”
This was what my 10 year old son A. Farooq told me when I called him after the blast today. He is class three student at Lahore Grammar School Landmark project at Arif Jan Road Lahore Cantonment.
The blast today at RA Bazaar was only few hundred meters away from the school building. It seems that over 50 have been killed and many more injured in the deadly suicidal attack today at an army vehicle by some religious fanatics.
Continue Reading
Laidback Show Episode 16
Terrorists are the American Agents: Shia Scholars
Guest Blog by Farhan Janjua
In the aftermath of today’s deadly twin bomb blasts at the Shia pilgrims, the scholars of Jafarria Alliance notably Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi has blasted the United States of America in strong words stating that these terrorists pretend to be Anti-American and in fact are working on the very own agenda of the US and that very agenda is to destabilize and disintegrate Pakistan.
Allama Naqvi said that there was no chance of sectarian crises because the examplary religious harmony can be seen in the Shia-Sunni community of Pakistan. He said that these attacks are rather an attempt from America to provoke sectarian crises amongst the masses in Pakistan that would ultimately lead to the disaster and bloodshed in every street. Allama further appealed to the Shia community to stay calm and united for the sake of the country’s stability.
Continue Reading
Survey – Who is responsible for Bolton Market Tragedy?
Please take part in this survey designed by Omar Javaid – Critic Magazine, to decipher the public perception of the 28th December Bolton Market Bomb blast – Survey Form
As of my last response there were about 96 people who had filled in the survey showing an overwhelming majority of 84% respondents thinking that the bolton market tragedy was a preplanned conspiracy, and 74% thinking that external elements (Blackwater, CIA, Mossad etc) were involved. More importantly only 6% believed that the Talibans could have benefited from this incident.
Continue Reading
The Aftermath of the MA Jinnah Road Bomb Blast
Following the bomb blast in Karachi – life generally goes on, but the people, the shopkeepers, the families who have suffered shall never forget the day an unruly mob changed their lives forever. Here I happened to photograph this shopkeeper on MA Jinnah Road who sits helplessly watching as many fire tenders try their best to douse the flames that have left his shop in ruin, little can he do to undo the damage that has already been done. But life must go on…… Pakistani have learnt to be very resilient in the face of insurmountable difficulties, they pick up from the ruins and continue with daily life. Here this shopkeeper was naturally furious but was looking forward to getting back to his shop and rebuilding it from scratch. Life must go on…