Patience is the essence of a soul

Once I read about a lad who had intentions to determine how much pain humans can sustain at maximum. He thought when a person dies; it is the most painful stage of that person’s life. So to get an idea of that extent of pain and He took various chances to kill himself. Every time, he committed a suicide, he survived somehow. Thus, he was exhausted by his failing efforts. He took his one last chance to take his life away to get his answer. Yet he survived again but this time, he was kidnapped by few people who tied him up in a jungle with a tree and took away his cloths and mobile phone away. He was left to die with hunger in coming days. It was that time when he realized that it was not the death that gave him the pain but the feeling of death coming every second before it was actually going to come.

I believe that there is nothing in life that gives us ultimate pain or happiness. It is our psychological setup in our minds which we create by allowing our surrounding i.e. people, environment, present and past experiences to affect our life. For instance, if something we believe is going to give us ultimate happiness. Believe me, even if you get what you want. This happy feeling will not last longer like other feelings as well. Sometimes, we are sad and frustrated for some logical reasons but no matter how logical and realistic those realities sound but it will be over soon as well. There is nothing ultimate and forever. Only if we understand this, we will better able to understand that we can control how we feel and act. We can have more patience and can be more productive as we know what our mind is doing to our emotions and we do not let these emotions to drive our life. This is SOUL!

Following up on story about that man and what he concluded; He felt that feeling of dying slowly and slowly and being helpless, exposed his inner fear and gave him scares of death which was ultimately painful. This was ultimate pain for him. Your ultimate pain may be different depending on how you feel different things. His ultimate pain of dying slowly may not cause you any problem if you face the similar problem. The way we feel depends on our surrounding like people around us, our present and past experiences and many other factors and it complicates our lives. It tries to drive our life in direction of our emotions. But if you understand the psychological setup in your head, you may realize that every action is controllable.

If you are angry at something, be quiet and try not to talk much into it with anyone until you feel normal back again. If you are under stress and not able to control thinking about how the situation will be any better, just take breathe and think how good the weather is and people around you. If there are people around you who do not appreciate your opinion and attitude in a work place, try to keep people around you who can lift your morale and gives you their honest opinion for better assessment. If you are happy and someone around you isn’t in mood to celebrate and acts a bit weird, let them be away until they are ok. There are always solutions available. It takes patience to keep our psychological setup to stay up to the mark. It’s just that when we want something, nature seems to be in different mood like all I mentioned and we get a lot negative. So things back fires!

Feelings are sacred. Don’t spoil them. Make better use of them and put them in place where they deserve J

Edhi’s ingredients for WORTHY LIFE!

We all enter into a phase of life where we start picturing our future followed by a driving force within which keeps asking us some questions what are my passions? What are my needs? What skills do i have? What options do i have? Should I go for higher studies or continue with whatever job i get first. Our mind is buzzing with unexplored ideas all night long with days passing by so fast that you feel insecure that you got to do something and this time thing...It keeps moving…but you don’t. You are just planning . . . That’s life after graduation for you Ladies and Gentlemen.

Just like all of us, Edhi had also these decisions to make in his life though it was never his graduation point specifically because he didn’t follow the common trend of society of education and then job which people normally does but he had his own vision even very different than his own brother. His whole life from the start had decisions to make till the last of his breathe. He made decisions once every time and not even a single thing shattered his confidence and belief his whole life. His vision stayed clear for whole life what he wanted. Its kind of belief i didn’t witness in Jack Ma, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg because Edhi’s vocation was not meant to be for the sake of money. He never wanted money. Whatever he earned, he didn’t take it as a profit or reinvested it for the sake of bigger profit. He kept utilizing it for the benefit of people. His only concern was to utilize all his resources for the service of Humanity. I want to be social entrepreneur and I believe no example could be as good as Edhi’s. One needs to have a belief that does not get shattered by few ounces of failure when piles of success after those failures could weigh more in future. It does not matter that you follow the common trends of society. It just does not matter. You got to follow what is inside you, asking you to just to do no matter what if it does not pay you back . . .

Talking about his decisions about his career choices in his whole life, he could have gone the other way many times in his vocation but he choose to connect his dots incredibly well despite those. Let’s start to connect Elizabeth’s idea of hobby/Job/Career/Vocation to Edhi’s decision making. At age of 5, he had a decision to make when her mother gave him 2 paisas, it was onto him whether he enjoys a 2 paisa treat or really does what gives him inner peace. One could argue that it was what her mother drilled into him. But that’s fine too.

He helped people voluntarily even in his teen age. He tried schools and working at shop both but made a choice to work at shop because that made more sense to him that time. Then sold pencils and match boxes in market. That is not what children of that age group didn’t do even in those years. He made a choice. He never thought he learnt so much from the school master than a beggar who he helped for 21 days and disappeared. He kept equipping himself with knowledge despite having no regular schooling with reading newspaper about injustice, revolutionary personalities and the world. Those were decisions that he made and depicted well practically in his confidence when he worked at medical dispensary of his own community first time but witnessed many unjust values in their culture so he stood tall against them. He gathered all his courage alone. This served as a foundation for Edhi foundation. It all started when he took up a job as a Paan shop and then again hawking and selling match box, pencils and towels. Despite facing severe threats, he chose to keep doing the good work and set up his own medical dispensary when there was enough money and for not only his community but for the people of all communities rich or poor. He worked 24/7 to serve people better. And It kept going . . . He chose different jobs in his life big or small but never left kept him away from human service that was his vocation. I would conclude by one of the finest words he spoke to his friends when they called him a big dreamer in his teen age:

“ I could begin small but why should I think small” I would say the same that “the beginning does not matter but the ending does”

It's a sin to be a dreamer

There are a thousand things that run in my mind every second and I believe if I ever express it, people would pretend that I am extremely negative person because people wants to believe in positivity and pretend to be saints while they are anticipating the negativity themselves and they don’t even see it. Actually, they kill their own dreams all the time.

I have seen people that do horrible things in life and they don’t even know it. Like for instance, Parents in society allow their children to become liberal and open mind when we watch all sort of stuff on TV without considering how does it affect our under age children at home. And after all the years of training with these TV and Social media, it turns out that parents get surprised when their children become modernized and open minded. When those adults start believing in dreams like if it’s a girl who watches TV and movies regularly in her teen age, decides to become a singer or an actor in later stage of her life. It’s at that stage when she is told that it’s against our norms then she is enforced to follow it. It is hypocrisy at its peak. We watch other women do the singing, dancing and acting on TV at our comfort but to show the world their daughters or wives as great artist seems unethical and against the norms. We have to be at least logical in our approach. Make a choice and keep it for the rest of our life. A choice, that you can be proud of and have positive consequences. If there is something that is contrary to our norms, we should not follow them from the start. Otherwise, it’s not bad to go here and there meaninglessly like animals.

I personally believe in gut feelings that guide us in our lives. I always believe those feelings are for greater purpose. It may or may not be right all the time. Maybe, it would be wrong most of the times but it will take you to the right place after sometime; that’s why I insist on going with my gut feeling despite my own failures. At least, when you try your gut desires and it does not work out, it’s easier to move on to next thing in life than just regret the whole life for not doing the right thing at right time. These are the decisions like choosing to become a doctor or engineer, cricket or artist, love marriage or arranged marriage, living with luxury or modesty. First, Society shows us how great it is to have what we want to have. For example, if a girl wants to be a female artist, people love them as long as they are on TV, movies, singers as others daughters and wives etc. but when it comes to allowing their daughter or wife; it’s a straight no due to norms. While society also leads them to believe how great it is to be a female artist and then tells them they can’t have it most specifically in the name of norms. 

Another fact is that the love marriages look good in movies but in real life, you don’t actually get to make a choice because it is disrespectful to our elders. We talk religion all the time and teach everyone on social media that what is haram and halal. While on Eid-ul-Adha, Fills our stomach with BBQ’s and fridges with meat for next 6 months but who thinks for the poors. What hypocrisy! That’s ok.

I believe there is time for you to make a choice. Make it or don’t make it. It certainly is going to have consequences either way. You may not be able to have control over those consequences. So control what is in there to be controlled.  YOUR ACTIONS TODAY!

Own Your Decisions and Embrace them!

Everyone has desires and dreams in their childhood of what they want to be in future but above that, when they get to know the theory the choices get narrow down. But the irony is it is not only our choice to choose what we want to be in our lives but what others want us to be, or how they want us to do that. We spend most of the time of this life and our youth making others satisfied of our career and other choices we made but what about us? We get frustrated and shallow inside. We feel the work load and furious over times.

On the other hand, if we chose what we actually want to be regardless of what other want us to be, we will own our choices. We might earn lower than many of our peers but we will not be frustrated. I believe that there will be more chances to grow and be more productive.

For instance, I have always done what I wanted for but that was not the case with my very own brother. When he was doing his matriculation, he used to abscond from the academy on Friday and Saturday and it turned out that he had joined vocalist sessions at Alhamra Art Council. My father was so upset and he was not allowed to complete that session. He did what my parents wanted him to be, an engineer. He could not score extremely well in FSc so he got admission in BS (CS) at a private institute. It has been said quite right that where there is a will, there is a way. He managed to join the music society at his university and made his university won battle of bands more than twice. On the other side, he got frustrating grades in CS. All in all, it ended up in the way that he took a stand, faced extremely serious warnings by my parents, zero financial support by parents and emotional support by peers and much more. He was determined and he owned his decision of not continuing CS at all and he also expressed his interest in Mass communication. To the surprise, he did not only succeed in securing admission in Mass com but he got full scholarship for his 4 years and he has officially launched his first song by now that has been bought by one of the top production house.

Now what the scenario is, my parents are not offended any more. Instead, they believe him that he will do great with himself. He is not frustrated anymore about the grades and his career. He can study and work day and night now, because he is doing what he loves the most. Now, they understand the fact, and "You" also need to understand it; 

 "To own a decision requires courage that only comes with passion and determination to do something and the fire within to prove yourself. It is in there all of us, we just need to dig it out and own it before it gets even too late to regret."

Behind the story: A Friend!

NAWAZ SHARIF could become president to save himself from PANAMA scandal

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet is seriously considering an option that PM should leave his office and place himself as country’s president, just to counter the immense pressure created by the opposition as a result of Prime Minister’s family connection with Panama scandal revealed in Panama leaks.

Opposition has been emphasizing constantly that Nawaz Sharif should step down as PM because presence of Nawaz Sharif will hinder the accountability process of his own and his family. Premier’s legal experts are suggesting him that if he quits his office and joins presidency, it will not only weaken the opposition’s stance on PANAMA leaks but he will still be able to supervise the party matters as well as general elections of 2018. Clean sweep in AJK legislative Assembly has given him more confident that no matter if he is in England for his medical treatment or in his presidency as powerless president, His daughter Maryam Nawaz and relative Ishaq Dar has a potential in controlling the entire matters single handedly.

Since there is no constitutional barrier on his quitting as a Prime Minister and contesting for Presidency. His legal and constitutional experts believe that Panama Papers Scandal will remain deflated as soon as he quits his office.

It is stressed that Shahbaz Sharif should be provided an opportunity to become the prime minister for the rest of the tenure of Pakistan Muslim League (N) government. These replacements will enable Nawaz Sharif to monitor the next elections as while sitting quietly in presidency and also allow him to pave the path for Maryam Nawaz Sharif to become next prime minister.

The sources also said that the PML-N leadership had consulted with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership in the backdrop of this situation as per the Charter of Democracy, and the PPP leadership is also fully agreed on this formula.

However, the PPP will oppose if Chaudhry Nisar is appointed as the next PM, according to sources.

Indian tactics will never get them Kashmir instead will wage the freedom movement.

Before we dig deep into the Kashmir issue, it’s important to have an understanding of what is been happening to Kashmir and its people over a time span for at least 100 years till today.

Muslim suppression before 1947:

In 1941, British census of India revealed that Kashmir registered majority of its population as 77% as Muslims, 20% Hindus and remaining 3% as Buddhist and Sikhs. A Kashmiri as well as a Non-Muslim journalist writes: “Poverty of Muslim masses is appalling, most of them are laborers, working as slaves of Hindu landlords of the estate. For almost a century until census, A Hindu elite had ruled over vast and impoverished Muslim peasantry.’’
The Glancy Commission publishes a report in April 1932, highlighting the inequality of the Muslim population and discusses the need for their adequate representation in the state's services.
Kashmiri Muslims had no education nor had the awareness of their rights neither had a political representation. They were mostly related to agriculture and were oppressed by many Anti-Muslim laws including handing out death sentencing for cow slaughters, Banning of Azaan, Closing down of Masjids as well as high taxes by the Hindu and Sikh Elite rulers. Many movements against the maharaja of Kashmir also took place by the Kashmiris but all were suppressed by use of force later on.

(Indian paramilitary soldiers during curfew in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Friday)

1947-Partition of Kashmir :

British rule did not only include India but also some princely states such as Hyderabad and Kashmir were under their command and supposed to pay them taxes as to remain in their affiliation. After the partition of Pakistan and India, all these princely states were abandoned by British rulers and had to make a choice whether they want to join Pakistan, India or remain independent.
Hari Singh, Maharaja of Kashmir signed a standalone agreement and delayed the decision to accede either into Pakistan or India but This Hindu leader and his administration under influence of Indian government, imposed heavy taxation on Muslim majority peasants initiated a rebellion against his forces and gained controlled over almost the whole district followed by Muzaffarabad and Mirpur take over by the same Kashmiri rebellion force which is mostly the recently demolished soldiers from the World War II.
To claim its authority over Kashmir, several thousand tribesmen under the command of Military leaders equipped with modern arms from Pakistan entered into Kashmir to liberate it from Hindu’s Maharaja rule. Maharaja’s forces, unable to withstand the onslaught and were on the verge of losing even Srinagar, requested assistance from Indian military forces by signing instrument of Accession and handing over defense, external affairs and communication of Kashmir to Indian government even though majority of Muslim population had an inclination towards joining Pakistan. Since then Indian forces took charge of invaded Kashmir and blocking the interest of remaining Kashmiri’s as well as their freedom. Pakistan was able to get hold of some region known as Azaad Kashmir today and India took charge of Jammu Kashmir.

(Indian paramilitary solders near their base camp in Kashmir, earlier this month.)

United Nation intervened later on, deciding a public vote out in Kashmir to decide its alliance but it never happened because it was required from both Pakistan and India to withdraw their forces first which didn’t happen either and led to three wars between India-Pakistan 1965, 1971 and 1999.

Today–A verifiable contrast in Azad and Jammu Kashmir :

Pakistani administered Azad Kashmir has not faced any rebellion till date and the administrative structure has been able to run the state institutions smoothly and peaceful environment of Azad Kashmir prospering with recent developments related to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor seems to depict a more stabilized picture of better Azad Kashmir. Moreover, Recent Elections in which Pakistan Muslim League (N) won by huge margin depicts a sense that people accept Pakistan and owns it just like all Pakistanis.

(A Kashmiri protester facing off with Indian government forces in Srinagar)

In Contrary, Indian occupied Kashmir where the world has been witnessing clashes between freedom fighters and Indian forces which most often gives the death toll of Kashmiri’s as the headlines of every newspaper. Seven lakh Indian armed personal has been deployed to control the situation. The hundreds of videos and pictures are posted over the internet with tags of brutality of Indian forces against Kashmiri’s. Curfews are everyday story. Internet, transport and Communication networks are blocked, Leaders of Muslim majority are captured for no reason, and Pakistani Flags are raised every now and then. Kashmir is subject to India’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act, or Afspa, which grants the military wide powers to arrest, shoot to kill, occupy or destroy property. The result is a culture of brutal disdain for the local population. The difference is obvious. What Kashmiri’s want is obvious? Why freedom is such a concern for them is obvious.

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ISIS just another American War Instrument

Lets first have a look first at what is being pictured.
The concept of caliphate is widely known to the whole Muslim world in which a religious person who is religious successor of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and is chosen by the SHURA to lead whole Muslim community is known as “Caliph of Islam’’.  All Islamic territories run under the commands of their one caliph are known as Caliphate. In early days of Islam, Caliphate concept was truly accepted and was not under any doubts but succession of some event that took place within 30 years reign of Khulfa-E-Rashideen including Abu-Bakr, Omar, Osman and Ali after which Muslims were left divided into SHIA and SUNNI. They had their own beliefs about the Caliphate. Ever since Muslims have not witnessed any unity and we only have the Muslim countries and their own Islam today.

In 2014, Out of nowhere A SHURA that is still unknown to the whole Muslim community elected Abu-Bakar Al Baghdadi as a Caliph of all Islamic territories possible in the world. As a Caliph he claims religious, political and military authority over all the Muslim countries and has formed a militant organization “Islamic State of IRAQ and SYRIA” which is primarily focused on taking over land locked Iraq and Syria where they can implement the Sharia of their own definitions and form a caliphate headquarter just like in early days of Islam that can exhibit the might of Islamic Caliphate against the Non-Muslim States. ISIS claims to have managed to build an army of 50,000 Jihadist which are mostly Iraqis and Syrian nationals with some fraction of foreigners as well.

(Deadliest Militant Organization that has shattered the whole world recently by deadly attacks in various countries)

There is another version of ISIS ideology which proves the earlier ideology of ISIS to be completely illogical. Much like Al-Qaeda, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is another made in USA product which is also an instrument of terror designed to divide and conquer the oil-rich countries in the Middle East and counter Iran’s growing influence in the region. Now give yourself some time and think what happened in the global market in 2014 that caused the oil prices to reduce by half? It is said that the America used to be the largest importer of oil from Saudi Arab and Since America which itself has largest oil reserves and ranked eleven in global market in terms of oil reserves decided to import no oil from Saudi Arab and use its own reserves. It seems obvious by the facts as ISIS is one of the largest smugglers of oil right now and the entire fund that runs ISIS comes from the oil smuggle. America itself is benefiting from the smuggled oil rather than its own. Even In G20 summit this year, Russian president Vladimir Putin said that he has valid proofs of 40 countries being involved in funding ISIS in exchange for illegal trade of Oil and Petroleum products. The presence of president Bashar-Al-Assad of Syria in the region, who is close ally of Russia, will never let ISIS or America take control on his territory as he knows the oil and political game being played against Syria. Bashar-Al-Assad has given open hand to Russia to fight ISIS and American interest while Americans are waging another war in the form of government rebels to overthrow his government. Just like Al-Qaida, ISIS also after gaining some strength has backfired at America which has caused America to reconsider its policy and has attacked ISIS base camps recently but their attacks are not as effective as the Russians attack. These attacks were just meant to tell ISIS that who is the real boss after all. From the outside it seems America is fighting ISIS but the fact is that they are the ones waging them.

( Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he has shared intelligence which reveals the 40 countries which finances ISIS and the majority of their terrorist activities. )

Why Iraq and Syria are the targets of ISIS jihadists? Iraq has the 5^th largest oil reserves in whole world which itself is the reason of ISIS presence and ISIS in Syria is being used to counter the Iranian influence in the region. Iraq and Syria is a land locked region which is not as developed region as others are. Which makes it easier for ISIS and foreigners to invade them as they don’t have such good military and border control? With lack of technology it is easier to supply arms without even tracing the source of arms and funds. What ISIS wants from outside of Iraq and Syria is to motivate people to fight for them in the name of Islam and Caliphate. Both American interest of creating terror in name of Islam and taking over oil reserves is achieved up till now. As long as terror will remain in the name of Islam, society will discriminate and create more hatred towards Muslim and unwillingness of the world to accept the Muslims. Illiterate Muslims will keep joining ISIS in the name of Caliphate and American interests will always be achieved.

These articles are meant to just provide basic information of core issues that are being faced worldwide.

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CHINA’s One Belt One Road initiative - Why needed?

United States is the largest economy in the world so far followed by People’s Republic of China as second largest but It is expected that China with its ONE BELT ONE ROAD initiative might take a bigger place not only in European market but also in Central Asia, Middle East and Africa. This has forced developed counties to reconsider their ties with its European and some allies in Middle East and Its economic policy for future.

On the other hand, China which has always used its ancient silk route which passes through Central Asia, West Asia, Middle East leading towards Europe. Central Asia includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and Middle East includes Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen etc. It has always proved to be very complex, lengthy and costly route in terms of trade for China as there are so many countries involved and region itself is land locked. (Upper Portion of he map in blue)

Most of China’s energy needs are fulfilled by the countries in Middle East but the route followed through ocean is lengthy and also passes through Malaysian port called Strait of Malacca that makes the route even further longer (US influence on this port is also a factor against China.

(Lower red portion mentioned route of map 2)

Hence China has initiated One Belt One Road trading route which has two major components, one belt is land based that is SILK ROAD ECONOMIC BELT (SREB) which will china to trade through land mostly from Russia to central European countries like Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Netherlands. Other belt is ocean based that is MARITIME SILK ROAD (MSR) whose major part is China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connecting China’s Kashgar city to Gwadar port through Pakistan then leading to Central Asia and Middle East through Indian ocean.

The trade from Middle East that took place in 45 days to cover 8000km long distance will now take in just 10 days to cover 3000km with CPEC or MSR. And obviously the cost of trade would decrease significantly as well as this route is a lot shorter, more secure and easily accessible for China through Pakistan. Also the Gawadar port is situated very near to Middle East hence industrial set up at Gwadar city will produce goods for China and will make them readily available for transporting them through shipping to the Middle East and Central Asia.

Map shows all three routes to be used under ONE BELT ONE ROAD INITIATIVE:

                              

With $4-8 trillion investment and $46 billion investment for CPEC in particular for ONE BELT ONE ROAD initiative, China will be able to reach the markets of central Asia, Middle East as well as Europe and some part of Africa with less trading cost and consuming lesser time. And CPEC will allow also the Asian countries to take the benefit of trading routes set by the economic corridor and regional needs can be fulfilled as well as it provides great chances of economic growth to the land locked west Asia (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan etc.) We only hope it brings peace and stability to the Asian region in near future and the vast gap of economy growth in Europe and Asia declines and Asia becomes as developed continent as Europe.

It is obvious fact that China might be able to grab the major portion of European markets as Chinese historically largest investment in "One BELT ONE ROAD" has no match with any such investment or economic policy of any other developed country till today. Indeed it will be a game changer for not only China but for Asian countries like Pakistan in particular.

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