Caravan of Light

What are the possibilities of human imaginations and creativity? Has he got the powers to conquer all that he comes across? This question needs to be answered carefully. The attempt to restrict the boundaries of human capabilities and weaving fascinations about the unseen, declaring it unconquerable by the powers of a man can have serious results. Such an endeavor which narrows the range of individual possibilities may end up emanating feeling of powerlessness, decreased self-efficacy, leading to utter hopelessness and a helpless state of mind. Even a handful of individuals with such an approach can disrupt the natural social life. Social values and norms may take a shape in which the skills of a man are now attributed to the powers of some character of a fanciful world. A time comes when ‘change’ becomes unlawful and every zealous creature is considered a ‘rebel’. Insecurity about the future rises and the commutative social achievements decline. Further the limited perceptions about...

Legacies should be transferred from one generation to the other in a way that neither their originality nor their impact alters. And to adopt something that comes from the time preceding us, we need to live that time, feel it, evaluate it according to the preceding as well as the current circumstances, and have a look at where it projects, before beginning to like or dislike it. Waheed Murad is a legendary icon who had to offer a lot not only to the people of his own time, but for many generations to come after him. Developing an inspiration for him needs us to embark on a journey to his world, which may lead us to ‘a castle of many mirrors’ where we can reflect on ourselves and our surroundings in a much better way. Let’s begin NOW… The initiating step on this journey can be the intro as to who Waheed Murad was, and what position he held in our society. Without having adequate knowledge about him the gap can not be bridged, and our goal can never be achieved. ‘Why’ Waheed Murad he...

Studying the rise and fall of emperors, their empires, riches and armies can be of little benefit to a student of History, with an inquiring mind and healthy approach. The concerns of a common man, his happiness and sorrows, his morale and his influence over the matters relating to himself, And the compassionate kindness and compassionate sacrifice exhibited by a community, their perception about their common goals and the strength of their cultural, religious and political hubs defines their place in the book of history. Studying history and great men of past in such light can help a student reach the source of their power, reasons behind their success/failure and may foster his analytic abilities, And motivate a community to help steer itself in order to secure for it a reasonable place in the tide of time.

The ‘after freedom’ position requires a nation to decide with utmost clarity what relations it intends to keep with other members of the world it dwells in, especially with its former masters, as any nation in the condition of slavery tends (and mostly ‘needs’) to adopt norms and customs, literature and the ways of thinking of their masters. Freedom, once achieved, demands an outlook different from the previous, hence former influences can either be washed away, or (better still) molded so as the free nation can benefit the most out of them. An question, however, is raised as to what status of relation does the independent state enjoys with the previous masters and based on what lines or factors any equal platform may be worked out for future. After a state achieves freedom, establishing foundations of relations with the former masters on equal footing requires a development involving psyche of the people and their social canon, helped by the literary circles, historical ident...

In this world of missiles and other massive destruction arms, one may argue that there remains no need to train a common man for his self-defense, because it is virtually impossible for a man to combat against the possible destruction a missile brings. But I would argue that such training can certainly decrease the losses of a community under attack. Also, two parties, possessing equally destructive weapons would want to avoid declaring wars on their borders, resulting in a battle that is entirely staged on roads and near civil localities, which we may term as terrorism. Such circumstances put responsibility on the shoulders of civilians, because intrusion of army in civil localities may create more confusion and a sense of decreased civil liberty, further complicating the issue. Hence, training residents of a locality so that they may help each other before, during or after an adversity can be of help. Such training may start at school level, where basic rescue tactics, param...

On the road to transformation… Realization is the first step, Raising voice is the second, But there comes a point when mere blind-ended ‘discussions’ can lead a people to hopelessness, Its now when we collectively need to take a step forward The third step being that of ‘Action’; For no caravan can reach its destination if it feels satisfied after taking only the first few steps! ‘Action’ with ‘discipline’ and a sense of ‘responsibility’ can turn a barren soil, with no prospect of bearing fruit, fertile. This fertility results only when labor is employed to till the soil properly, with every person using full potential of their position and role. We need to adopt an analytical approach towards knowing what stage on the road to transformation we are at, both individually and socially, to secure what we dream to achieve.

Love, with its universality, attired in simplicity can lead one to the highest points of Human capabilities and gives man a unique strength to fight against all odds, learning to sacrifice his desires for others … This is something I learnt when I first got a chance to watch a Pakistani film. For me, films are an attraction, not just for entertainment, but as a learning house too. A film can teach me something I missed out on books. Pakistani films in their Classic Era have given us both, entertainment as well as awareness. Higher human values, Love in its highest form residing in the heart of ordinary people and social norms based on love, equality and sacrifice thriving in a society were introduced to me by these films. Making me conscious of my identity, these films boasted my morale, made me think high of myself, my nation and my cultural and religious distinctiveness; consequently acting as a social binding force and nurturing collective psyche of a nation with values of its ...

A story to CELEBRATE the INDEPENDENCE DAY!  A VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO MY NATION HUNZA VALLEY, PAKISTAN Behind me was a path trodden by men for many millennia. In front of me was a valley, as if nature had put a large bowl, with a green back-drop and flowery décor on it. I was sitting on a stone, which was positioned at the brim of the bowl, with my legs hanging down, and my heart throbbing, trying to settle down the strong urge rising inside me to descend and explore the green world. The path behind me stood in contrast to the green bowl, lacking all vegetation and life form. It was the same path which I took before finally taking a pause. Moving on and on the journey I would not have taken out time to stop and reflect but for a traveler I met on the way. An Old man in shabby clothes with a wooden rod in hand, his voice was weak but eyes shinned with flame. “It’s been a thousand years that I have been wandering in the deserts and mountains. My appearance may depict weari...

She wanted to find an end to all her worries today, getting rid of all the troublesome sounds around her. She was in search of silence, wherein according to her, rest peace and happiness. In this pursuit she reached the edge of a cliff. Looking down from there she could only see darkness and when she moved her eyes sideways, a beautiful garden, full of blossoming flowers and chirping birds was welcoming her with open arms… The only thing Naghma ever desired was silence. Thinking about silence intensified her pain today. But what could she do… surrounded amidst noises of varying types, Naghma would listen two distinct sounds everyday, every minute and every second of her life. She had no idea why out of all the sounds these two were most bothering her. Naghma was a mere 11 years old school-girl. When the life of her fellows would be spent singing and humming songs to themselves, she would be worried about the noises. Khat-khata-khat… There it comes again! People from nearby loca...

This is the second part of the story " The legend of a slave-girl ". For the first part please read The legend of a slave-girl (Part 1) “As the time went by the voice which echoed the meadows and the valley got more enthusiastic, spreading waves of passion wherever it reached. The slave-girl, more hopeful than before, desired for something which could soothe her voice and increase merriness in her songs. She could sense the revolution she always craved for, stirring right in front of her eyes. This intensified her tone, and her expression started dispersing more colors than before.” Full moon was shedding its silver light on the valley and its nearby mountains, creating an enchanting ambiance. In the heart of the stretch of low-lying mountains was a cliff inhabited by a group of twelve, where two youngsters could also be seen. Dressed in the trendiest attires of the day, the youngsters were travelers from plain areas. The rest of the company exhibited from their clo...

It is part one of the story "The legend of a slave-girl". Because of its length i decided to put the story in two parts. It was a chilly night but the sky was clear. The rugged land with low lying barren mountains scattered here and there was beaming with the brightness of full moon. Down on one side was a valley, green with vegetation and flooded with small canals. On the west of the mountainous region was a less frequently used road, where people coming from the plain areas usually traveled for adventure’s sake. From the top of a barren mountain two shadows could be seen approaching the group of men encamped near a bonfire, probably lit to relieve them of the cold. When viewed closely one could notice from their wide glittering eyes and pronounced body movement that the two newcomers were youngsters, most likely teenagers full of energy. Also the wonderment about the world around them could be easily read from their manner. This could lead a keen observer to take into ac...

Laws enacted in a society determine the direction of its progress. Muslims of sub-continent dreamed of a separate homeland, where they can introduce and practice laws according to their own interpretation of the Islamic principles of Law. Creation of Pakistan was the first step towards this goal, but coming up with Law which corroborate Islamic values in accordance with the current needs of the society required the nation to explore and experience the pros and cons of the legal systems already flourishing in the world. In the last six decades, we have gone through a number of legal experiments, adopting Secular views and experiencing certain kind of Islamization, Pakistanis have come across a number of questions regarding the legal scenario. In the past few years the urge to define our legal philosophy has met new zeal. The armed militancy of Talibanization brought much more than unrest and disturbed law and order situation, a social legal system based on values alien to the commo...

Freedom was the only code of conduct Saba ever wanted to follow in her life. Her life resembled the voyages of Air, which are without any marked beginning and destination. Like a multi-colored butterfly, she would move from one flower to the other, and would gather all the scents and colors scattered around the garden. But one day when her black round eyes were busy examining a tiny insect, which had crept silently onto the bosom of the flower of her life, her mind got struck by a thought which turned into a question. “Oh!” she exclaimed, “What brought this insect close to this flower? I need to know this. I certainly do!” And she steered the boat of her thoughts towards an altogether different and alien direction. Her question fuelled the fire burning inside her and all she wanted now was the answer to her question. She inquired her heart about it, and found in the chamber of her heart some icons and idols which she had unconsciously borrowed from others. They were residin...