Adil Najam
These are two amazing pictures.
Both were taken today (June 30, 2009) but they tell two very different stories. Each story is equally true and each story is equally important. The stories are about the little girls in the pictures. But they are also stories about each one of us.
The first is a picture of hope. It depicts a child clinging to her mother and a bus window while on a bus that is returning to Buner, in district Mardan, as some IDPs start returning to their homes.
The second is a picture of displacement. The picture of another child – only a little older than the first one – at a UNHCR camp (Yar Hussain) in Swabi who is pushing a canister of water for her displaced family.
Our prayers are with both these little girls. May we all see more pictures like the first and less like the second. But it is more than just the return of IDPs to their homes that we must strive for. Not until the future of every child in Pakistan has been made safe and peaceful and secure can the future of any of us be safe and peaceful and secure.
Great pictures Adil! And I loved the description that you wrote along with them. I seriously wish that the hope never dies… because hope is the foundation for any society that is required to build upon for betterment. These pictures remind me of the images posted on the Mobilink CSR page of supporting the IDPs. Do check them out at the following link if you haven’t:
http://www.mobilinkgsm.com/csr/idps.html
I am glad that the headline is not “Homelessness and Hopelessness” yet. I hope we will not forget their plight. I fear we might.
I think Pakistanis have generally shown their generosity in this crisis. The key thing is not to forget soon. This is a long term effort and we cannot afford to lose this battle for the hearts to the Taliban twice!
This is going to be a generational effort. If we succeed we may well be able to turn around the mess created by Zia