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Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Our Heroes on September 7th, 2010
Mir Ibrahim Rahman has joined the distinguished ranks of alumni awarded the Robert F Kennedy Public Service Award from Harvard University, one of the top centres of learning in the world.
“Mir is the first Muslim and only the second individual from South Asia to have received this Award. The Award is considered the most prestigious honour for students of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and is presented to those who have not only made a mark in the past for their distinguished public service work but also excelled in this field during their educational career at the university. The committee that selects individuals to be honoured comprises senior professors of the institution.”-IAP
MIR’S SPEECH AT HARVARD
Being the grandson of the founder of the largest circulated Urdu newspaper of the world, I remember (when I was in 2nd grade) asking him why he put me in an American school – a quite novel and somewhat controversial move in Pakistan at the time. My grandfather smiled,
Hope
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Our Heroes on August 23rd, 2010
As September 6, 2010 approaches, Pakistanis should be proud that they vanquished an enemy, who came to drink a “chota peg,” in Lahore Gymkhana. Pakistani nation is unique on this earth. It is facing devastation from both the heaven and the earth. Yet, it survives. Other than a plague of locusts, Pakistani people have bravely faced an air disaster, an earthquake, a biblical flood, war from the East, war from the West, and war from within. The glaciers, the rivers, the mountains, and the skies have launched a battle against fragile bodies of Pakistan’s humanity. But, we are still there. Is there a silver lining in the black cloud, none whatsoever. As we say, “sonay pay suhaga, “we have one one the most corrupt government on this earth. It is little wonder, when the Pakistani people meekly take its corruption in a stride, nature has unleashed its own revenge against the head of the state. We may feel impotent to remove Zardari, but, nature is not impotent, it will wreak its havoc, until Pakistanis or nature get rid of this pestilence. Zardari is Bhutto’s revenge from his grave. If Pakistanis do not pay heed more revenge will follow in the shape of Bilawal Bhutto. Pakistanis did not rise against the unjustified hanging of Bhutto. Pakistanis kept silent about catching the killers of Benazir. Pakistani are now paying the piper with the like of Zardari, Fauzia Wahab, Altaf Bhai, Babar Awan, Nawaz Sharif alias “Waja,” the cowardly son of national Abaji, whose legs were shaking in front of womanizer Clinton, when contemplating exploding the A-Bomb. These hypocrites suffer from a diarheal amnesia. The forget their crimes and misdemeanors and act as if they are the saviors of Pakistan.
The fate of Pakistan lies with its Creator. No human power can destroy it. We are masters of our fate. We are captains of the ship of the nation. Are we ready to rise like Phoenix from the Ashes? Are we willing to pick up the gauntlet? Are we ready to destroy the evil beings, who brutally murdered, two young men? Are we ready to stop target killing? Are we ready to act according to the tenets of the most modern and futuristic faith, our Maker has gifted us. Our Beloved Prophet, who conveyed this message, will he recognize us as his followers? Are we going to live at Peace with the World? Or are we going to let the world push our “HOT BUTTONS,” by calling us terrorist?
Even in these cataclysmic floods of biblical proportions, our nations muddied name, prevented our flood stricken innocent from receiving global help. The sins of its leaders bring disasters on the nations. Pharoah was the apostate, but in the floods and plague how many common people perished.
Pakistan is run by a ” Coterie of Corrupt,” mainly feudals, industrialists, and business tycoons. They are the core of Pakistan’s problems. They have their svengali hold on Pakistan’s governance and economy. They have kept this nation of 170 million strong in shackles of illiteracy and ignorance. They feed a toxic mix of hope and religion, to keep the masses occupied. You see their “pups,” cavorting half drunk or snorting drugs in dark corners of shopping centers or palatial houses of Islamabad. The Zardari clan belongs to these same Waderas, and Zamindar luteras. They send their children, all expenses paid to Ivy League Colleges of America or England. These parasitic leeches feed on the carcass of Pakistan. The billions given by Pakistan are squandered by the corrupt elites of Pakistan. They have forgotten Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, and Baluchi. Their “mother tongue,” is English. They consider our rich heritage as mundane or decadent. Allama and Jinnah are too fuddy duddy for them. They have flats in London, New York , and Paris. Ironically, these noveau riche Pakistanis are frowned upon by Western societies, they so much want to gain acceptance. Let this flood wipe out the power base of the the corrupt from Pakistan. Let the flood remove the Zardaris, the Legharis, the Mazaris, the Wattoos, the Wariach, the Jakranis, the Jamalis, the Jatois, the Chaudhries of Gujrat, the Makdooms, the Qureshis, and the innumerable waderas, zamindars, and luteras and their “biraderis,” parasitically destroying Pakistan. Let us resolve to kick these scoundrels out.
Pakistan floods may have killed 3,000 people: official
Posted by Dr. Manzer Durrani in Our Heroes on August 13th, 2010
Pakistan struggles to reach flood survivors as death toll rises to more than 800 in flash floods that the UN estimates have affected one million people
Islamabad: As many as 3,000 people may have died in floods that have devastated Pakistan’s northwestern region, the local head of the country’s largest rescue service said.
Disaster management official Adnan Khan said that the death toll from massive floods in the northwest has risen to 1,100 people. He expects the death toll to rise further since there are areas in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province that rescue workers have not been able to access.
Authorities are struggling to save more than 27,000 people still trapped by the flooding that has plagued the northwest in recent days following heavy monsoon rains. Khan said more than 20,000 people have been rescued so far.
A million people have been affected by the flooding, the United Nations said.
“The death toll could go as high as 3,000 because the level of destruction has been so great,” said Mujahid Khan, chief spokesman for Edhi rescue service.
Homes and bridges have collapsed in the rain, live electric wires have fallen into the waters and families have been swept away in the floods.
“We can see people drowning but we can’t go into the water because of its high pressure,” Khan said. “The relief efforts of everyone combined is only 5 per cent of what’s required.”
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered the government to rescue people and provide food supplies to those at safe locations.
Floods may reach the southern province of Sindh within the next few days, said Information Minister Sumsam Bokhari. The Sindh government has ordered the evacuation of residents along the banks of the River Indus.
Pakistani television channels showed images of people on flooded roads grabbing wreckage to keep from being swept away, drowning goats and buffalo, and makeshift boats.
Pakistan’s weather bureau said an “unprecedented” 12 inches of rain had fallen in 36 hours in the northwest but predicted only scattered showers during coming days.
In neighbouring Afghanistan, flash floods have killed at least 65 people and affected more than 1,000 families, officials said.
“All the houses in my village have been destroyed and now it’s simply a fight for survival,” Mahmoud Khan, a tribal elder from South Waziristan.
The districts of Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar, Swat, and Lower Dir are the worst-affected, according to the government.
The army said it had sent boats and helicopters to rescue stranded people and its engineers were trying to open roads and divert water from key routes.
The European Commission said it had given $39 million in humanitarian aid to help the most needy.
“Pakistan has been hit by terrible floods and more rain is forecast. Our thoughts are with those affected by them,” said Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.
The flooding capped a week of tragedy for Pakistan after an airliner crashed into hills near Islamabad on Wednesday, killing 152 people on board.
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