New Year: A Glimpse into the future

We’re at the door step of 2017. 2016 will come to an end and we are now hoping for something better, something new, some pleasant changes with the new year. We are all busy in making new year’s resolutions and motivating one another to strive for more, avoid past mistakes and achieve more in the coming year. However, on the inside we already know what the future holds. We have already seen a glimpse of it and sadly we didn’t like it. We know what’s coming so we’ve decided that we’ll look the other way and we’ll rejoice about the happiness that we can capture right now. The darkness that has blotted this entire year is what spreads to the incoming year too. Some may call this being pessimistic but in reality, those some people know that this is the reality.

Let’s not just argue without facts, let’s look at an example that’ll prove my point: The Panama case. We saw what happened around the world thanks to it and we witnessed firsthand what happened in Pakistan. A whole lot of controversy resulted, a lot of cross talk was heard and then people protested. The protest may have been a tad bit over board but no one can argue that it is still a constitutional right. Therefore, even if the method was wrong and the attempt was depressing to say the least; the act of protest is very well justified and allowed in accordance to the constitution. Then, the protest led to a case. A case in the highest court of Pakistan: the supreme court. After all of the hearing and with all of the drama, what came of it? All that time spent, all that important, significant and invaluable time spent to decide the fate of the case went in vain. The judge himself finally stated that the incoming judge will have to hear the case all over again. So what did we do this year? We wasted a lot of time and a lot of resource and achieved nothing.

And what are we going to do this new year? Obviously we’ll be going through the same case and the same drama again. The invaluable time of the court will be spent on the same case over again. We all know the legal system, we all know what the media will do and we have seen throughout history what happens: nothing. That is why I say that we know what the future holds: it is dark and gloomy.

The intent of this article is not to spread pessimistic thoughts; it is to spread acceptance of what we have to deal with. And this is exactly what we need to accept. Only after acceptance will we be able to do something about it. We will be able to rearrange our mindset, we will be able to truly develop ourselves and we will be able to question those who exploit us, who deceive us and we will prevent them from doing it again.

This new year, make the resolution: we will understand, we will accept our challenges and we will fight because we have to. Only then, only when we stand together, we will achieve what we are really meant to achieve. 

The Irony of Educationists & the Educated

When it comes to educationists and the educated in Pakistan, there’s a lot that can be said and criticized. So, I’m not going to indulge in a similar manner and follow the typical stereotype. Instead, I’m going to look at the same topic with the help of something I recently noticed. In order to do so, first I’d like you to see this image:

If due to some reason you can’t read or having difficulty reading the contents of the letter/notice, this is the body of the letter:

“1. It is stated that kindly instruct your bank to deposit Army Public School (Zamzama) Junior fee bill within due date. After due date any fee bill of this institute may not be accepted.

2. Fwd for necessary action please. “

This letter is written to the Manager of Askari bank and written by the Principal of Army Public School (Zamzama). I will not indulge the identities of the individuals representing these designations. What my intention and the intent of this article is to express my disappointment. And instead of criticizing the organizations and representatives, my point of view and this article is meant to attempt to correct the mind set, the thought process and the mistakes.

Other than the obvious grammatical mistakes of this letter, which I will not point out as they are as clear as day; the letter itself and its display is incorrect. The Principal asked the manager to instruct the ‘bank’ itself. However, the bank is an entity, an institute or organization and thus cannot be instructed. Instead, the Principal should have asked to instruct bank officials, employees and/or staff. Why does an educationist not know something so basic? It is indeed a distressful thing to learn.

From the manager’s end, despite him being a qualified individual and a professional providing his services in the field; he does not know how to treat an internal letter. This letter is obviously meant to be an internal letter written from one organization to another. Despite the lack of a reference number, displaying it in the open is not the appropriate procedure. What the Manager should have done, as Askari Bank is most likely an ISO approved organization/entity, is that they should have assigned a reference number to this letter. Then, they should have maintained a record of it and dispatched an immediate memo notifying the staff and officials of the policy update. Meanwhile, a notice should have been written and displayed for the public to see. What they actually did was just display the letter for everyone to see? The laziness itself is appalling but how an educated and experienced professional is responsible for it is even more than just disappointing.

This is the disappointing procedural situation but the major and actual dilemma which we all know is also evident. A school, an institute meant to nurture the brains of our little ones develops such a policy? Is that even acceptable? Is the main purpose of schools now to ensure that fees are paid in time? While most of our private business owners have made it a habit and norm to pay the salaries of their employees late; our schools are making policies that no late fees would be accepted. So, we’re slowly leaning towards an environment where only the privileged will have access to education.

Dear Educationists, please redesign the way you think and this time, please remember to include some humanity. Dear Educated, please don’t forget what you have learned and what is expected of you. Please do not just collect millions of rupees in salaries, try and earn it for once. 

Overbilling in millions by PESCO in Distt. Nowshera

Over the past four months, PESCO has been a nightmare for the poor and the needy in Nowshera district. Overbilling is a concept that many in Pakistan are very familiar with but the one being carried out in Nowshera Cantt one and Cantt two is of a different kind. What they have been doing this time around is that not only have they overbilled the consumers but they have also reversed the consumed units on the bills and the meters; which they justify by using the term “REPLACED”. This means, not only did the consumer pay for the overbilled units but he now has to pay for them again. When I inquired about this cruelty, I was told that this was in accordance to the instructions and directions of the officials and directors of PESCO. As an intellectual and as a social worker, I am completely baffled as to what the logic of such an order would be.

Why would they want to bill a consumer who doesn’t own an iron or a fridge and lives in a house that comprises of a single room hundreds to thousands of units instead of the fifty or sixty units they actually consumed. To add to this injustice, this is not being done with consumers who don’t pay their bill; it is actually being done to consumers who pay their monthly bills on a regular basis. So in other words, PESCO is punishing those who have made it a habit to pay for their bills regardless of whether or not they are overbilled. Please note, none of these claims are superficial or without proof; I can provide documentary proof of what I have claimed. The proof will be in the form that is admissible in court and supports the argument and issue stated herein.

In an attempt to use the media for the means that it is actually meant for, I would like to urge and demand from the officials, directors and policy makers of PESCO to please cease this. I also demand that an order is issued which nullifies the previous order and instructs the responsible of PESCO to repay the unjust payments taken from consumers via the means of overbilling.

I would also like to utilize this medium of mass communication to point out the fact that those who do not pay their bills, who steal electricity or can be classified as criminals and violators of applicable law remain unaffected. They can do so whatever they wish, they can steal electricity and they don’t even have to worry about the bill. Instead of them, those who are paying their bills are forced to compensate.

It is understandable that PESCO may have its debts and may have financial implications and necessities. However, taking it out from the needy and the dutiful is not the way to solve those issues.  A better solution would be to encourage those who pay their bills by being just and fair to and be strict towards those who do not.

As a solution, I suggest that PESCO should involve the District level representatives (Nazims, Counselors etc) to help them ‘encourage’ those who do not pay their bills. By doing so, the large amounts of financial implications being forced on regular consumers would no doubt be no longer necessary.

In my humble opinion, policies should be directed at encouraging those who follow the law and pay their dues and punishing those who do not; instead unfortunately, our policies force those who are not corrupt to be so. As by being corrupt, they can actually reap far more benefits. Honestly, in light of this current scenario, thinking of stealing electricity would be more justified instead of paying for it. That is not what policies should do. PESCO really needs to revise its policies and its strategies so that it can allow and motivate people into becoming a more contributive part of the society instead of becoming a cancer to it by getting involved in corruption. 

- A report by a social worker, my father: Khawaja Farakh Latif. 

Don’t Dream, It’s Okay Not To: Thank you PTCL

On 25^th of December, 2016 PTCL launched an admirable advertisement pertaining to their services and attempting to pay homage to the leader of the nation: Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. They say little knowledge is a dangerous thing and without a doubt, they are right. PTCL exhibited how dangerous it can be. In their attempt to impress or be unique or whatever they aimed for, they actually spread the message that you don’t have to change the world all you need to do is secure your future. Quite brilliant isn’t it? Mind you, the day they launched this ad campaign was the birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. They man who had so much and yet he sacrificed it all for the greater good of millions. The man who aspired to change the world and did it. I suggest that we should pay homage to the content writer of the ad and the ‘educated, experienced and knowledgeable’ individuals of PTCL who approved it.

Our national poet, philosopher, dreamer and thinker motivated the young ones to dream big, aim higher and aspire for more. It is in our ideology, it is the thought process that we should be cultivating. Our young ones should be motivated, encouraged to dream. Selflessness is what should be taught and cultivated into young minds. Instead, we’re actually telling them that “You don’t need to change the world, just make your own future” ? Did they not even sit and think about this? What kind of a message is that? Don’t dream because the country is too corrupt anyways, you won’t get a chance so why waste your thoughts on dreams? Are we being realistic? No, we’re being cruel. The education system is quite capable of crushing talent and dreams, we don’t need to advertise our internal thoughts so clearly.

As an individual, dreamer, thinker; I for one was highly insulted with what PTCL advertised. If they can’t get a sensible content writer to write their ads, they should get a child to do it for them. Even a child would do a better job at it. At least, he won’t be promoting non-sense like this. There are moments where people and nation need to stand firm and put their foot down. This is one of those moments. We will not accept any attempts at limiting the young minds of our nation. We will not agree that we cannot change the world because we know we can. There are no such limitations, the only limitations that are there; are the ones we decide for ourselves.

“While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”

- Steve Jobs 

Curtain Rises Once more: Zardari Returns

Shakespeare referred to this world as a stage and everyone in it as actors. The reference is quite adequate when considering Pakistan and its politics. When we talk about a stage and when we think about curtain rising, we assume that something exciting and new is awaiting us. As a reaction, the audience is happy, it cheers and rejoices and thinks and hopes about what lays ahead. Even though the reaction of the crowd is the same, nothing new awaits them. The curtain may have risen, there may have been cheers, there may have been dances and loud music but there’s nothing new. Any sane or logical individual would no doubt argue, then why cheer? Why be happy? To answer that question, I actually do not have an answer. I too am equally baffled as to why this crowd cheers and rejoices.

What change does Mr. Zardari bring? What promise does he have? We all know what he is capable of thanks to his previous tenure as President of Pakistan. No promises delivered, no opportunities offered, nothing actually achieved: that is what those five years comprise of. Then why would anyone hope that something different would happen if the same man reclaims power in Pakistan? The dilemma doesn’t just stop here, there’s more to it. The King is followed by the Prince, the succession continues. Holding hands, the father and son intend to come into power and enter as representatives in the national assembly.

Among the many targeted questions, one that slips our minds and is now becoming a rather acceptable fact is that the prince is rather ashamed of his succession. Why would that be? There may be quite a few answers to that but I say this because the prince doesn’t even directly use his father’s name. As our culture dictates that the name of the son is followed by the name of the father; that is not the case with Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He is by no means the son of Bhutto, nor by any logical argument would the name Bhutto be fit to be attached with his name. Why is it attached? Why did Mr. Zardari only called him Bilawal Bhutto and not Bilawal Zardari? It is quite evident isn’t it? The seat they’re targeting is the same seat that Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto succeeded from. Our actors are quite magnificent when it comes to the manipulation of the stage. They are most certainly legendary when it comes to that.

In conclusion, even though nothing new awaits us, we dance and rejoice with the appearance of an old veteran manipulator and actor. Why can we not see past the smiles, the music and the shiny promises that they make? Why even the educated must bow their heads before these chosen few? Only time can answer such questions.

What’re your thoughts about this dilemma? Would you agree? Would you disagree? Let me know, share, let’s analyze this dilemma togethe