Adil Najam and Owais Mughal
We are delighted and honored to learn that All Things Pakistan has been named the Best Current Affairs Blog in the first Annual Pakistan Blog Awards. Our thanks to all those who voted for us and to everyone who has supported this effort. We have been lucky to have been honored before in the lists that Shirazi sahib has been doing at Light Within (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006) and today we are humbled by this recognition just as we were on those.
So, dear readers, we thank the organizers of the Blog Awards, but even more than them we thank all of you today. For having shared with us in this journey of Pakistaniat.
Awards themselves may not mean much, but the recognition that what we are doing here is considered to be worth doing by at least some is priceless. Running the blog day in and day out for now nearly four years is not easy. The burden – on one’s time as well as one’s emotions – becomes even more grueling because of the pace at which bad news has been flowing from Pakistan recently. The comments can be harsh. The weather seems forever rough. Nerves are frayed – our own as well as those of our readers. And existence seems forever on edge. But, then, that too is very much a part of being Pakistani today. Of our Pakistaniness. Of our Pakistaniat.
At the end of the day, it is all made worth the effort when one knows that there are people out there for whom Pakistaniat serves a purpose.
Such occasions are also good occasions for introspection. Even though we have done so less as time has flown and as the talkee-i-ayam has increased, we have tried to celebrate our milestone and laid out our own motivations for doing what we do: See ATP’s 1st Post (June 11, 2006), ATP’s 100th Post (July 16, 2006), ATP’s ‘Going Forward’ Post (Aug 18, 2006), ATP’s move to Pakistaniat.Com Post (Sep 1, 2006), ATP and Tangay Walla Post (Nov 25, 2006), ATPs ‘Six Month Anniversary’ Post (Dec 11, 2006), ATPs ‘One Year Anniversary’ Post (June 11, 2007), ATPs Redesign Curtain-raiser Post (July 18, 2007), ATPs ‘Two Year Anniversary’ Post (June 11, 2008), ATPs ‘Three Year Anniversary’ Post (June 11, 2009), Who Reads Pakistaniat.com Post (July 5, 2009) here.
To be honest, we have thought sometimes of just giving it (the blog) up. Even more often we have thought of handing it over to someone else (we would actually love to do that if we found a good home for it). But it is you, our readers, who keep us going. And keep us feeling good about keeping it going.
Like all things are destined to, I am sure that at some point this too shall disappear. But until then, we remain, yours in Pakistaniat!
I agree. Its refreshing, the debates in the comments are always interesting. I enjoy it when some writer or commentor makes a point I never thought of.
Well done.
Very well-deserved.
It would be nothing less than a tragedy if you stopped this blog, or handed it to someone who cannot do as good a job.
As far as I am concerned, you are the only online voice of sanity and conscience representing the silent majority within Pakistan.
I am sure all of us (readers) could find blogs whose content we would agree with more than ATP, but that would defeat the purpose. ATP makes me think, and as others have mentioned, inspires us to do and be better.
As a longtime reader of ATP, I am happy at your well-deserved achievement. Congratulations.
Well done guys. Most deserved.
You make us proud and you make us feel good about ourselves. Thank you.
Mubarakbad.
I can’t imagine that anyone could have been even near ATP. This is by far the best Pakistani blog and I think the biggest compliment to you is how many other blogs have been modeled on ATP. You are truly trend-setters.