The Canvas

I shall be going underground for a few days or weeks even. Expect very little activity here as I tend to other matters in my real life. Keep me subscribed, I will most about more interesting stuff later on, and inform you about these other projects that I am trying to pursue in my life and how they are going.

Tell then, your blogger begs leave.

Tonight we look at something more macabre… and sad. Here is an excerpt from a short narrative on someone’s funeral the author attended, posted on My Paradoxical Utopia. I appreciate the way the author describes a situation.

I stood around, and then conversed with a distant younger cousin about his school. The intent was to portray the impression of calmness in the midst of tragedy. Then, I realized that my cousin might be aware of this purpose; I awkwardly smiled at him and went back into the house.

Mother called me into the room. Evidently, Bari Ammi’s toes had to be tied together. She got a string from somewhere. The feet felt cold as I touched them. The toes were now stiff; I pushed them together and felt a slight crackling sound. Mother quickly tied the string around them. She then left the room. I was alone with Bari Ammi. Her head was now covered with a scarf. Quickly, I bent down and kissed her forehead. As I rose to full height, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. Someone had been watching. I smiled to myself.

By now, the house was filled with people. The men stood around and repeated questions about how and when it happened, as others better informed repeatedly answered such queries. Some talked about politics and the upcoming elections. Most of the women continued to vent their grief. I joined a group of cousins. After waiting a while, I began to relate to them, apropos of nothing, anecdotes about my time with Bari Ammi. These were meant to be funny and yet touching, as in a moving eulogy. I related to them how, when we were little and were playing “dark room” in her bedroom, Bari Ammi angrily barged in and told us to go play “dark room shark room” outside: it was daytime.

A letter from a student at GIK posted at The Emergency Times is a really good message to everyone out there. Including me. Something related to the sate of Pakistanis and the uneventful PAF aircraft crash at GIKI. Which in essence meant: Stop the bitching and whining and do something!

Mubeen

Today, there was an incident here that substantially changed my way of thinking. A Pakistan Airforce trainer plane crashed inside GIKI premises today. The pilot and a gardener died on the spot. There was no other loss of life or property. Further analysis (and some witness reports) revealed that the trainee pilot’s quick thinking had prevented loss of 300+ lives and damage to faculty buildings. The pilot, instead of ejecting from the plane when he knew it was going to crash, maneuvered the plane and kept it on the (narrow) road away from the buildings and places nearby, where students hang out during the day. Had he ejected from the plane, he would most probably have survived but the crash site was surrounded by buildings in which 300+ people were working/studying at the time, a lot would have been lost. In short, he sacrificed his life to prevent loss of other lives.

It is incidents such as these that force you to think about…well, about everything. And this time it got me thinking about his selfless act. It is only the leader of the Pakistan Army, who had lowered the army in the eyes of the civilian population. Whereas the truth of the matter is that our army, is willing to sacrifice for the country. They stand ever-ready, to defend our homeland from any harm.

It also made me think that It is really not a leader who makes all the difference. This single man had saved 300+ lives. It made me realize that every-day people can also be heroes. They can also do big things. And they can make a difference. If the pilot would have started blaming the engineers and the government for old planes with mechanical faults, there would not have been enough time for him to think and act as he did. We are too lazy and love to put the blame on others.

From now on, I resolve to change my lifestyle to favor growth and prosperity of Pakistan. I resolve to be honest, devoted and respectful and to deliver what I promise. May Allah grant me the strength to do so. Maybe one day I will be a hero and I will make a difference. Until then, I live on in the hope that the day will soon come.

Lastly, I salute the pilot, for his selfless act. May Allah rest his soul in peace. Amen.

Very nicely put, Mobeen. Keep these letters coming, both Emergency Times and GIKIans.

It’s those petty things people do that put you off so bad. People tell you to be happy all the time, but they are actually lying to you. Or subliminally they are being suggestive to you and their clandestine demure towards to you is to get something out of you. Things which they cannot ask you to do directly. Sometimes they even try living their dreams through you, misguiding you into an black hole, from which nothing escapes. And then it’s all too late to turn back time and fix things. May be one should be taught to be shrewed from day one. May I need some sleep now. Good night.

Once again, Fatima Bhutto comes out to slam her dead aunt and her former cronies in the ground with a statement on CNN.com. She despises her late aunt’s methodology and blames her for walking instep with the military rulers that have in fact encouraged them to retake power over and over again. She then also talks about how the Bhutto clan has been torn apart by her antics and how she has abused the family pride to her use. She said that her tenure in power was all about revolving chairs and was only furthered corruption.

“Ultimately to them, it’s a game of revolving chairs. As long as they get to be in one, they don’t care who’s in the other one.”

Fatima Bhutto said her aunt played this “game of revolving chairs” at huge costs to the Bhutto family, shattering the clan’s unity. In 1996, Fatima Bhutto’s father, Murtaza Bhutto, was gunned down by Pakistani security forces in front of the family compound. His sister, Benazir, was prime minister at the time. His widow blames her sister-in-law for the killing, because Murtaza had become a political rival.

“We have to seriously look at her political legacy, which is deeply flawed,” Fatima Bhutto said. “Both her governments were known for widespread corruption, for an abuse of human rights, and for an excess of police violence.” (CNN)

It is the first time that I have read of her public declaration of political motivations, and interests. This is good news for all of us.

Fatima Bhutto said she’s a political person and does campaign for a splinter group of the Pakistan Peoples Party. That group is now run by her mother following the death of her father.

She said her main political goal is to empower Pakistan’s largely disenfranchised masses and end what she calls the perpetual cycle of “dynastic” cronyism.

What her role would be in making that happen remains the great unknown.

“What I think we need to do is open the field,” said Fatima Bhutto, who went to college in the United States and graduate school in England. “It has to stop being this autocratic, dynastic environment. … When that day comes and this happens — that we have an open field — if there’s a way for me to serve this country, then I would be proud to.” (CNN)

My personal fanship for Fatima depends on the fact that she is still a political virgin, and she believes in meritocracy and Pakistaniat. She is not the party hardy type like her cousin, Bilawal. She is sensible and articulate. I hope to see her safe, and go a long way for the betterment of the Pakistani nation. The article can be read in entirety on the CNN website, here.

As news reports from various sources close in of the crash in the mid-day yesterday, it is confirmed that it was that aircraft was manned by a single pilot, and the aircraft was a T-37 trainer and not the K-8 as reported earlier.

T-37 is a jet aircraft that was being used for the pilot’s first solo flight. Which unfortunately ended in his death.

A T-37 Jet Trainer aircraft of PAF while on a routine training mission, crashed near Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology Topi, Distt Swabi said a PAF Press release on Tuesday. The pilot of the aircraft Pilot Officer Jahanzeb embraced Shahadat. A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of accident. (APP)

A gallery of T-37 aircraft over at Pakistan Military Consortium.

Enlisting in the Pakistan Military service is not an easy task. I salute the bravery and courage of this lad to have taken this aircraft up for his solo flight. He is what true young Pakistanis feel about Pakistan. Love and devotion! Pakistan Zindabad – Terey lieye jaan bhi qurbaan!

In a bizarre and uneventful happening in Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) of Topi, Swabi, an instructor of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) dies while guiding his subject aircraft (a Karakorum 8 – K8 trainer) into a clear area and the trainee ejecting. The airplane seems to have hit a mali (gardener) on it’s way down. No student or on-campus fatalities have been reported as yet, although the gardener was seen in a critical condition. See below for updates.

Watch this space for pictures and more updates from eye-witnesses in GIKI.

Inna lilahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon!

Update I The unknown mali has lost his life according to news reports from the institute.

Update II A video by Qureshi from the crash site.

Update III The aircraft convincing looks like a T-37. Any takers on this matter?

In a landmark event at Karma Aeronautical Complex, Pakistan and China begin a joint production line for JF-17 fighter aircraft.

The co-production of Pak China Thunder jet JF-17 has officially begun at the Kamra Aeronautical Complex.

The project was inaugurated by Air Chief Marshal Tanveer Mehmood at Kamra on Tuesday. The JF-17 thunder jets can also be upgraded to carry conventional and non-conventional weapons.

The Joint Fighter-17 (JF-17) Thunder, also known as the Fighter China-1 (FC-1) Fierce Dragon in China, is a single-seat multirole fighter aircraft.

The first two aircraft were delivered to the Pakistan Air Force in December 2007.
The JF-17/FC-1 is designed to be a cost-effective plane which can meet the tactical and strategic needs of the Pakistani Air Force.

Till now, it has been manufactured by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation.

Its maiden flight took place on August 25, 2003. Its primary users are the Pakistan Air Force and the PLA Air Force. Four prototypes plu four have been delivered to Pakistan. Each aircraft costs an estimated 15-20 million American dollars. (The News)

The aircraft production is a sign of strengthening of ties between China and Pakistan, and a harbinger of good news for the future of military support from China, to Pakistan. Long live Pak China friendship!

Or is it that Britney wants two boys to fight over her, just so that she feels important…!? Anyways, in a world of camera flashes, and red carpets, Britney Spears has out done Paris Hilton recently in the race to become the most desired blond babe on the paparazzi market.

Sam Lufti, Britney’s BFF, claimed she had issued a restraining order to Adnan Ghalib. In what smelt like someone chickening out of a fist-fight by Sam, Adnan cleared the air by announcing that there was no such order issued. Come on Sam, fight it out!

According to online reports, last night, Brit’s BFF Sam supposedly showed the order to two paparazzi. Adnan told us he didn’t know anything about it and has been in Santa Barbara for the last two days. When asked if he and the popwreck had a fight, he said, “Everything is and was fine,” but he’s been out of town, and she’s “been in the care of Sam.”

Sam reportedly showed a photograph the restraining order. The online report suggests Brit is mad because Adnan may be selling pics of her, but that’s not grounds for a restraining order. (TMZ)

But according to OK! Magazine, the Adnan-Britney fling is off:

After a handful of headline-making weeks together, the romance between Britney Spears and her photographer boyfriend Adnan Ghalib has ended, OK! can confirm. Also, contrary to reports on various web sites, OK! has learned that the pop star did NOT file a restraining order against her former shutterbug sweetheart. (OK! Magazine)

But they also had this to add,

Without Adnan by her side for one of the first times since their romance began shortly before Christmas, Britney was out and about, seeming to enjoy herself as she stopped by an L.A. Petco store to purchase $100 worth of goodies for her growing menagerie of pets at home.

“She was smiling from ear-to-ear,” one witness, who spotted Brit shopping with pal Sam Lutfi, tells OK!. And if you don’t believe the witnesses, take Britney’s word for it: “Today’s a good day,” she told a group of photographers. “I feel great. I’m so happy right now.” (OK! Magazine)

With that, I am sure there is more to come from this ‘love-triangle’ our desi boy has managed to cook up to gain a gori bhabi for us

It is highly likely that the murder of Benazir Bhutto was another inside PPP job, as a new report on the Daily Times suggests,

Benazir Bhutto did not want the company of party leaders in the vehicle she was to use in Karachi after her arrival on October 18, disclosed central PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in an article published in Sindhi daily, Kawish, on Friday. “At a meeting held in Dubai before her arrival, Benazir had asked the party leaders not to accompany her in the same vehicle in Karachi because of a possible attack on her life,” Khuhro writes. She had said that other party leaders should be saved in case of an attack on her, he added. Khuhro said none of the party leaders had agreed with the suggestion. He said Benazir had then proposed that party leaders should be divided into different groups of five members to accompany her in the vehicle on rotation. On this, Khuhro writes, all the participants fell silent. “She then said that those who accompanied her would then have to become unfortunate victims along with her.” Khuhro told Daily Times that, however, the second proposal was not implemented either upon her arrival. (Razzak Abro / Daily Times)

BB instructed her party members to sit with her on rotation… but the reason given there-in is not substantial enough to suggest she did not suspect someone from the inside to conspire against her. The non-cooperation of the close political aides of BB suggest that they know something and are pinching to buy time from the inevitable. Nahid Khan was not given a ticket from PPP, Amin Faheem had the wind of dropping popularity of his with the rise of Bilawal Zardari in PPP, and the fourth person in the car happened to another notorious badmaash of Pakistani politics who had very less to gain from BB’s re-election.

There is reasonable doubt, that the only people to survive the attack were these three, and they know something that would help the investigation. BTW, CIA pins it on Mehsud, and Al Qaeda and a teenager is caught.