Adil Najam
For at least one more day I want to stick to the unraveling of Pakistan politics that is happening before us.
I have much to say about it. But people have been saying these things already in response to our last many posts on this issue. What can I add. What can I say that will not already be stale by the time you read it. We expect the ongoing conversations (here and here) to continue, but let me find solace in the one place where I always find it. In poetry. Especially in Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry.
Here is Faiz - in his own words, in his own voice. The second half has the same poem masterfully sung by Nayarra Noor. Enjoy this rare find of kalam i Faiz, ba zaban i Faiz. But more than that, think about what he is saying and how it relates to what is happening today.
Since nearly all members of ATP’s core-team are currently traveling we had a bunch of general posts ready for these next few days while we were stuck on long flights. However, it seems somehow inappropriate to use those posts today. We may well begin doing so tomorrow - not just because we will be on unable to post anything fresh from flights but also because we remain committed to celebrating all the diverse trials and tribulations of being Pakistan … the mundane as well as the profound; the sad as well as the gleeful; the immediate as well as the long-term.
This is just to let you know that somebody has done a shararat with my post here and converted the word “watching” into an active link to some business website. This also happened to be my first ever post to anybody’s blog. I was pretty emotional when I wrote all that stuff and someone had the guts to use my comment to make some money. I detest that and hope that this link will be removed. I have no objection if you need to remove my entire comment.
Two couplets dedicated to Sindh Govt. Jahill ko aus kee jahul ka inaam diajaey Ishadesaa-e-waqt ko kia naam dia jaey. meykhaney kee toheen hai ridoen kee hutuk hai . cum zerphoen key hathoen mey ager jaam dia jaey. [Mohseen Bhopali]
www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/miscellaneous/story/2007/05/070 513_baat_se_baat_zs.shtml
OUT OF THE SKY
A RALLY
THEN ANOTHER RALLY
THEN RALLIES
THEN A ‘RAPTURE’
RALLY BECOMES A ‘RAILA’
ALL AROUND
SARKARI RAILA
CHAMCHON KA MELA
THEN ”PAY GAYA”
BAZAARON MEIN
GULZAARON MEIN
PA BAJOLAN
PA BA SILASEL
TAUQ BA GARDAN
BAR SAR-E-DAR
”ROLLA HEE ROLLA!”
MAZHAR