Owais Mughal
Yesterday ATP completed its firsr year. A year, that went past very fast and a year that I thoroughly enjoyed. My association with ATP started in late June of 2006; when I received an introductory email from a friend who was very impressed by the infant ATP site. In my first visit to the site, I immediately noticed that ATP was different from any other Pakistani web site I had ever come across. The difference was in the quality of material that was (and is) posted here as well as the unbiased views of its editor Adil Najam. From that day onwards, I was hooked on to this blog, whenever I got chance. Sometimes it was several times a day. Soon I joined the team of ATP editors along with Bilal. I must admit that Adil laid the foundations and did all the initial hard work wheras I joined ATP when it was time to reap the fruit of his hard work.
In the last one year we have made a conscious effort to keep up with our standard of research and homework that goes behind the scenes for anything we post here. We have views on things, as do our readers and we do not hide them. But above all we want to be fair. This is ‘All Things Pakistan’ and it is also ‘All Views Pakistan’ as long as they are presented in a decent manner that also respects alternative viewpoints.
We like Pakistan, we like Pakistanis and we like talking about Pakistan. But this is NOT a propaganda site. When we see something good we want to say it is good. When something is bad that should be improved we want to say that too. Ignoring things that should be improved will be as wrong as ignoring things that deserve to be praised.
Above all we have tried to keep up the tone of our posts simple. We want them to be like the way Pakistanis talk about common things that connect them to Pakistan. Long-time readers will remember that in teh early days the Header used to say “Speaking about Pakistan the way Pakistanis talk about Pakistan.” We still believe in that. As an example I want to present our discussions on tea, fountain pens, cap styles, coins, highways, politics etc which is just the way these things are discussed by common people in Pakistan in drawing rooms and streets. We have also made a conscious effort to mix-and-match our posts across a wide range of topic so that everyone gets to read their topics of interest.
Another thing that attracts me to ATP is the total freedom of choosing a topic here. I’ve been writing here for almost a year and Adil or Bilal have never directed me on any topic to which I should write about. We have tried to give teh same freedom to our many guest writers. As long as it is about Pakistan. We try to write from the heart and so far it has been making connection with our readership who also write their comments from the heart.
Now to talk about the disappointments. One big disappointment for me is that we are still learning the etiquettes of a ‘majlis’ while leaving comments. Sometimes it seems like people are shouting at each other instead of reasoning. Many people who used to write comments in our earlier days are now shying away on fear of being shouted at by those who do not agree with them. I guess we need to evolve as a community on how to be respectful and how to disagree without being disagreeable.
Before keying-off I also want to thank my dear wife who has always supported me in my writings. She herself being very busy with her schedule, has always made sure that I get enough time on my own to write. I also want to welcome Darwaish as our new addition to the team.
Thank you, all, for your continued support. ATP is your own website. Come here often and continue to leave your valuable comments.
Wasiq: You have made some valid points by saying that “ATP should be more than a continuation of the conversations most well-to-do and foreign educated Pakistanis have in their living/drawing rooms. It should help bridge the divide between the educated professional who loves and grieves about Pakistan without being able to change it and the real players in politics who have the capacity to change things but lack the professional ability to understand how to do it”.
But Wasiq let us examine who are the “real players in politics”. What is their mettle. Most politicians in Pakistan are poorly educated bunch who are in politics just for the power and for personal gains. Could they be the kind of partners you are looking for.
You also say that “If that is not done, we will remain a collection of IT professionals, bankers, economists, physicians, scientists waxing nostalgic about our homeland and occasionally making contributions such as earthquake relief. But we will not be able to put our country back on track without constitutional democracy”.
You are right on that Wasiq. I suggest that we need not to wait for the politicians and get involved directly into the lives of every day Pakistanis. Let us start with education. Let us pick up one or few children from the poorest of the poor families in Pakistan and send them to the kind of schools we send our own children to; all expenses paid. If enough of us “well-to-do-drawing-room-type” do it, the change you are talking about will happen. Let it start us. Let us be the change we talk about.
Well done Adil and team! This is one of my favourite Pakistani blogs and Adil’s personal integrity and excellent writing have had a lot to do with it.
I agree with Wasiq vis-a-vis Pakistaniat’s political postings though. Politics has to be seen unemotionally and realistically and I do find a lot of drawing room discussions here and on other Pakistan related blogs….Maturity needs to come into our thinking and our analyis of political events and personalities. ZJAN
Well done Adil and team! This is one of my favourite Pakistani blogs and Adil’s personal integrity and excellent writing have had a lot to do with it.
I agree with Wasiq vis-a-vis Pakistaniat’s political postings though. Politics has to be seen unemotionally and realistically and I do find a lot of drawing room discussions here and on other Pakistan related blogs….Maturity needs to come into our thinking and our analyis of political events and personalities. ZJAN
This is a good site and I appreciate the efforts of everyone here.
My only comment is that it tends too much to reflect the approach of Pakistan’s drawing room elites when it comes to politics.
Culture, development and nice feel-good pictures are all fine. In the end, however, the future of a nation and a state depends on politics. After all, “nation” and “state” are both political concepts.
So, my suggestion for the second year is to open up fairly and squarely to political issues.
Invite Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan to post occasionally. Ask well known, even partisan political commentators to voice their opinions here. Let us review some of our deeply held political convictions, which lead to flawed civilian rule followed by temporarily good but eventually bad military interventions.
‘All Things Pakistan’ should be more than a continuation of the conversations most well-to-do and foreign educated Pakistanis have in their living/drawing rooms. It should help bridge the divide between the educated professional who loves and grieves about Pakistan without being able to change it and the real players in politics who have the capacity to change things but lack the professional ability to understand how to do it.
If that is not done, we will remain a collection of IT professionals, bankers, economists, physicians, scientists waxing nostalgic about our homeland and occasionally making contributions such as earthquake relief. But we will not be able to put our country back on track without constitutional democracy.
“Anyone can make a site, the challenge is to bring together likeminded people on it to contribute positively”
With all due respect, please allow me to change “like-minded” to “different-mindid” in your above statement. Thanks.