شہباز شریف کو یہ ایک سزا تو ضرور ملنی چاہیے
شہباز شریف پر جو مقدمات قائم ہوئے ہیں، ان سے مجھے کوئی سروکار نہیں۔
نہ ہی ان سے میری کوئی ذاتی مخاصمت ہے۔
ان سب باتوں سے جدا، انھوں نے جو ’’جرم‘‘ کیا ہے، وہ کوئی چھوٹا ’’جرم‘‘ نہیں۔
یہ بہت بڑا ’’جرم‘‘ ہے، جس نے لاکھوں شہریوں کی زندگیوں کو خطرے میں ڈال دیا ہے۔
انھوں نے ترقی کے نام پر لاہور اور کچھ دوسرے شہروں میں جو تباہی پھیلائی ہے، وہ تو ایک خوفناک کہانی ہے۔
اصل تباہی جو انھوں نے پھیلائی اور جس نے شہریوں کی زندگیوں کو خطرے میں ڈالا، اس کی طرف نہ میڈیا کی توجہ ہے، نہ تجزیہ کاروں کی، نہ کالم نگاروں کی، اور نہ ہی خود ان شہریوں کی، جن کی زندگیاں خطرے میں ہیں۔
لاہور میں جو سڑکیں تعمیر کی گئیں، وہاں فٹ پاتھ تباہ و برباد اور ختم کر دیے گئے۔
دوسرے شہروں میں جہاں جہاں شہباز شریف کی ’’نظرِ …
Aristocratization / Bureaucratization of Adabi Baithak (ادبی بیٹھک), Lahore
Years back, when the very well-know Pak Tea House was closed down, a small portion of the Hall III, Al-Hamra, The Mall, Lahore, was made into a place exclusively for the littérateur to sit, chat, and take a cup of tea. It was known as Adabi Baithak (ادبی بیٹھک).
… It’s important to note here that there is a “canteen” also inside the premise of Al-Hamra, outside of which in the open space visitors and especially students of music, and artists used to sit and enjoy a cup of tea. One could see and listen to the sound of a Sitar, or someone rehearsing his / her singing there. It was a very enjoyable place.
We a group of friends now and then visited the Adabi Baithak. Sometimes we preferred to sit in the open and have our discourse there.
Gangsterism – religious and political
The place is not far from Islamabad. A three hour drive and one is far away from almost everything Pakistani. Not only is the weather pleasanter; this small place presents the ethos of a non-Pakistani world. Here it is just one road on both sides of which are located a number of hotels and other shops. It was evening time and I was sitting in the restaurant of a hotel and looking through the window-glass out on the road. It was no crowding here, only a few visitors doing shopping and walking on the road. On the right side from where the road seems to come, I could see just the same scene. Look straight where the road was goes to, I could see the road turning towards left and disappearing.
… The sky was cloudy and a cool breeze was flowing with
Politics and the destruction of our cities
Years back, I sent an article titled, “Nationalization of social and moral values in Pakistan,” to a newspaper. It did publish but with entirely a different title. The new title, “A state that took over society” aptly described what that article was about. Now when I want to write about the destruction of our cities by the political elites in their bid to impress the citizens as voters, I cannot think of a better title than the present one. First I thought of this one: “Preserving the older cities.” However, both the titles communicate what this article argues about. First, the political elites are destroying our cities; and, second, we need to preserve our cities and their age-old soul.
… As far as the concept of cities prevailing in our society is concerned, it needs to be reminded that cities are not a