Industrialists of Karachi demand army intervention

KARACHI: The traders and industrialists of Karachi have demanded army intervention to stop bloody violence in city. The demand has been made by Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Korangi Association of Trade & Industry and Traders' action Committee in separate statements on Friday.

"Given the grave circumstances, where civil law enforcement agencies have failed in restoring peace in Karachi, which has now become hub of bloodshed hub, the Army must be called in, being the last resort to enforce peace in the city of 17 million," Khalid Tawab, President of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce, suggested.

Similar demand was made by KCCI president Saeed Shafique saying that the police have miserably failed to restore peace in Karachi.

 

Chairman of Karachi Traders Action Committee (KTAC), Siddiq Memon also demanded of Pakistan Army's chief to take immediate notice of the grave condition of Karachi.

KTAC's chairman demanded that the city should be immediately handed over to the army as all trading activities have ended and the economy has been devastated.

Memon added that the police and rangers both have failed to maintain law and order in the city while the ongoing unrest and violence in the city has caused more than Rs.100 billion worth of losses to the local traders.

"More than 300 Eid bazaars and markets are closed while more than 35,000 workers of those bazaars and markets have lost their jobs," KTAC's chairman added.

Patron-in-Chief Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, S M Muneer, Chairman, Syed Johar Ali Qandhari, former Chairman, Mian Zahid Husain and Vice Chairmen, Saleemuzzaman and Shahid Jawed Qureshi besides members of KATI showing their grave concern on prevailing law and order situation of Karachi said that it seems that law and order is getting out of control of the local administration and the law enforcing agencies and it's now inevitable to call Pak army to control the law and order situation in the city.

"For the greater interest of the country and save precious lives of the citizens, we appeal to the government to ask army to take over law enforcement of the city for the time being and return to the barracks soon after cleansing the city from illegitimate arms and weapons which seems beyond control of the Police and Rangers", Qandhari said.

He said that the ongoing strife between various groups and gang war has destroyed Karachi's peace and traders and industrialists are so frightened to go to their business. The old city area has totally disturbed while industrial production has severely affected. He warned that in such a situation government cannot run the country's affairs as Karachi being the backbone of the economy may not be able to feed the entire country anymore.

"This is worst ever economic situation in the city during last three years and due to, which entire country is suffering. People are feared of their lives and reluctant to come out of their homes. How the country's economy could be run in this extremely fragile situation", Muneer asked the government.

He further asked the apex body of the business community - FPCCI to immediately call an emergent meeting of the stakeholders and decide line of action in order to save the country's economy.

The business leaders were of the view that killing of innocent people in almost every area of Karachi is becoming a routine and it appears law enforcing agencies were not enough capable to control the situation. How can police control the situation when almost 5,000 policemen were deputed to give escort and security to around 100 VIPs in a city of over twenty million people, they questioned.

Chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association (S.Z), PTA, Aziz Ahmed also strongly appealed the government to take stringent measures to restore and maintain law and order of the city to save precious lives of the citizens. He said in a statement that exports shipments are badly affected due to worsening law and order situation due to which industrial activities have crippled severely. He mentioned that labor force is not coming to work due to massive target killing in almost every corner of the city.

He said that all the foreign buyers have also cancelled their visit to Pakistan due to the reason and exporters are extremely worried over cancelling of orders. He asked the government to take every necessary action to restore law and order instead of sitting idle.

Gossips

My name is Gossip. I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. 

I am cunning, malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted, the more I am believed. 

I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. 

To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend. 

Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and wreck marriages.

I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches and indigestion. I spawn suspicion and generate grief. 

I make innocent people cry in their pillows. Even my name hisses. I am called Gossip. Office gossip - shop gossip - party gossip - telephone gossip.

I make headlines and headaches. Remember, before you repeat a story, ask yourself: is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary? If not, do not repeat it. Keep quiet! 

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, shallow mind discuss people.

Collective Punishment

This statement immediately reminded me of collective punishments. Through my experience I find that they are most prevalent where children are involved like elementary schools or youth organizations like the Boy Scouts. These bullshit punishments penalize an entire group for the prohibited actions of specific individuals. Simply, individuals who have not violated any rules are disciplined because someone they are next to did. This does not teach individuals to stop committing certain acts. The only thing individuals learn from these punishments is that they are not individuals; that their lives have been forcibly tied to other men.

Thus, they also learn that since all lives are tied to one another any individual can force another individual to stop committing an act for the sake of preserving the virtue of a human knot. Of course, this is completely false, and is just another source of the prevalence of warped morality.

These false teachings were indeed the root of the student's comment. He was acting like an individual who had been punished this way numerous times. He now assumes all human lives are latched; thus, it is his responsibility, as one of the shackled, to punish all the shackled for some of them are having too many children. First, I am not sure if this is even a vice, and it certainly does not violate any individuals' natural rights; therefore, there can be no government regulation of the act. However, that individual is not thinking like this. He is thinking like the child punished with collectivism, punished for the vices and rule breaking of individuals next to him. Thus, he now acts and thinks as if that system of punishment is just. Clearly, it is not for it punishes those who have done nothing wrong. It punishes those who happen to be similar to others or near others at the time of the prohibited act. Subsequently, he now propagates that thinking. He is a teacher of this warped philosophy through his punishment of others. He is now a fountain of moral corruption.

Additionally, collective punishment is also somewhat like racism. In fact, racism is a form of collective punishment. In my post on racism I pointed out that it identifying an individual negatively based on the actions of his ancestors. That is partially it. There is also negative identification based on arbitrary physical factors shared by a group of individuals. In any event, they are both very similar because it judging all similar individuals based on the actions of a few individuals. However, since men are independent individuals, using this collective judgment is irrational. Man's liberty separates him from other men. Therefore, if he is disconnected from a particular action, he cannot be associated with it, for his liberty allowed him to choose not to participate in the acts of other men.

This also holds true for attaching positive qualities to similar individuals based on the actions of some of them, or having pride in positive actions based on the fact that one is similar to the actual actors. Specifically, one should not have pride in his culture. He may admire the actions of particular individuals; however, he cannot say he has personal pride in them as if he participated in some collective act. In fact, there was no collective act. In fact, the individual is just riding on the coattails of another individual who happens to be similar to him in some way. One must be proud of his own accomplishments, not partake is a false collective pride that he earned only because he was born with similar physical characteristics as the actors. Once again, the fact that he has liberty, the fact that his mind is disconnected from the actor, the fact that he may have the choice to participate with the actor or not, indicates that he cannot seek merit for actions he did not commit. Essentially, collective punishment, judgment, merit, any form of collectivism is impossible without a collective mind; liberty, meaning independent minds protect individuals from collective punishment or judgment and bar individuals from stealing the merits of other actors.

Politicians

First, I want to make it clear I am not singling out Obama supporters. Nonsense like this happens for all sorts of political elections throughout history and across the globe. The only connection to Barack Obama this really has, is that the images were of Obama supporters. The problem here is not necessarily the candidate (though politicians and political candidates do have a wide array of problems) the problem here is the disturbing reaction as if they are worshiping a God.

This situation reminds me of a quote from Ayn Rand's We The Living.

"Well, if I asked people whether they believed in life, they'd never understand what I meant. It's a bad question. It can mean so much that it really means nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. And if they say they do -- then, I know they don't believe in life.... Because, you see, God -- whatever anyone chooses to call God -- is one's highest conception of the highest possible. And whoever places his highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It's a rare gift, you know, to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own."

These individuals do not love life.They believe the politician is the greatest thing since sliced bread, that the politician makes life worth living. Politicians do not make life better. Government does not make life better. One makes his life better. Improving one's life, achieving happiness, is a personal pursuit. It is not something achieved through government handouts, or politicians' careers.

Unfortunately, this is how these individuals are behaving. They believe this particular politician has infinitely improved their lives.  These individuals have ground themselves down into human fodder to prop up the careers of individuals who will orchestrate thievery, murder, and the initiation of force behind a governmental-guise that at a distance appears as legitimacy. These individuals have destroyed themselves. Made themselves nothing more than support beams. Therefore, if their candidate fails, they collapse, for they believe they have no purpose.

It is true that a support beam without a platform is useless; however, men are not support beams. Men are never fodder, holding up a creature as a God. Men make their own purpose, by living their own lives, for their own happiness. Reducing one's self to a resource for others, is a complete contradiction of one's nature as an independent reasonable individual; therefore, it can only assure misery.

Consequently, they will become unhappy. Obviously, the opponents supporters are now unhappy, once again because they relied on his success and not their personal accomplishments for happiness. Of course, this process will continue to repeat itself as it has in the passed until individuals' improve their philosophy.

However, those that realize this, realize how vicious government is regardless of what color and mascot it is dressed in, will be happy, or have a better potential to be happy than these individuals. The ones who realize this are not relying on any politician to succeed to affirm their own existence. They honestly could not care, or care very little. Instead, they solely care about their own lives, their own happiness.

No More Guarantees

"In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."

~Friedrich Nietzsche

We are falling a part. From where we have started falling is very difficult to say but we are falling a part. There are no more guarantees anymore by anyone. Once we have left the vicinity of our homes, we are not sure that we will make it to our families by the time of dinner. Government has tried everything it can but only promises are made which won’t see the day light. But how our government can be of any help when they themselves have an axe to grind?

When coalition governments are formed, it is expected that they are formed on the basis of national interests. In Pakistan however, the present coalition was formed on personal interests rather than political or national. And therefore, every now and then, the news and possibility of government coming to an end is on the horizon.

The excitement doesn’t end here. These political parties will counter each other on every platform. This may include arming there student wings present in our educational institutions or backing a bandit who is willing to do their bid. This backing will even result in grooming of a new bandit to counter the old one being supported by their rivals. It is either gang-wars or so called target killings which will primarily target and terrorize  Pashtun people working in small tea dhabas (local restaurant) or our Muhajir population. 

The death of Wali Khan Babar . He started working for Rung T.V. and was currently a reporter on GEO T.V. He was murdered while reporting from Liaquatabad (Karachi).  It has been reported that he was intercepted, identified and shot at closed range in his car. He received five 9mm bullets in his forehead, jaw and neck.

Why was he killed? Some think that while reporting he was snooping too deep. He might have known too much and could have known the names of people involved in the gang-wars and their political backing. Some are saying that he was murdered because he was a Pashtun.

In the end, political parties blamed each other, twenty seven people were killed on the pretext of target killing, partial curfew was imposed in some parts of the Karachi, operation continues and so does the madness.

04th January, 2011

4^th January, 2011 was the longest day for Pakistan. With an attack on a school bus followed by killing of a professor and ended up with an assassinating Governor of Punjab. There are neither rules nor limits to this ugly game anymore. Anyone can be or becomes a target. The object here is to terrorise the masses which is successful so far.

A remote controlled bomb has ripped through a bus carrying children (age 8 to 12) of paramilitary soldiers in southwest Pakistan. The area of attack was Turbat. One might ask what kind of a strategic advantage is in mind while attacking a school bus. It was not a supply line, no arms and ammunitions for neither the soldiers nor any soldier was present in the bus.

The next news of the day was of Professor Syed Munir Hussain Sherazi who was shot in Dera Islamil Khan (D.I.Khan) by the sectarian terrorists yesterday. There was a time when teacher was a respectable figure in our society and people looked upon him for guidance. But now you will be judged by your belief and faith rather than to be allowed to profess your religion freely. In the past, the fundamental rights were fought for by us but now they are being fought by us for our interpretation of freedom.

The last news was a déjà vu for something similar had happened long time ago in India. Prime Minister Indra Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard. On the dreadful day of 4^th January, 2011 Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was brutally assassinated. Both assassinations were religious in nature but were very different from each other. Salman Tasser protested against the abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan as Muslims will victimse non-Muslims, especially Christians. He was killed by being shot by his bodyguard and then the murderer surrendered by giving up his rifle and is now being praised as a hero all over the country. National Assembly adjourned the session without taking any agenda item to mourn the killing of Governor Punjab.

A terrorist attack followed by an ethnic murder and then a political assassination. Enough to prove that we are still not civilised enough to settle our differences without a gun. We once believed in fundamental rights and now we are too selfish to allow anyone to practice his right of freedom to life, religion, association and property freely. In Quran, only ‘Life for a Life' and no murder of any kind is allowed. The second possibility is when the mischief is responsible to spread lawlessness. Islam always professes that a murder of single human being is a murder of entire humanity.  No one has a right to take a life because of  a person's belief. We are allowed to profess our freedom without encroaching on the freedom of others. We are no longer a true Muslim let alone a decent human being.

Why I Did Not Vote

My reasons for not voting in the election, and probably for future elections include the similarity of the two candidates, my unwillingness to consent to government violation of my natural rights, and the fact that democracy does not make sense.

Expanding the government whether for social programs or security violates individuals natural rights. Social programs relies on government robbery of individuals' property. Security relies on government restrictions on individuals' life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Expanding war in both cases does not achieve government's purpose. Government is supposed to protect the natural rights of the individuals residing within its boundaries. Peace keeping missions does not accomplish this. Peace keeping missions attempts to protect other individuals' natural rights. That is not the Pakistan military's responsibility. The Pakistan military's responsibility is to sit on Pakistan's borders, aim its guns outwards, and shoot those trying to shoot at those residing in Pakistan. This should not be construed as meaning that immigrants should be shot. Immigrants are not shooting at those residing in Pakistan, they are trying to become other individuals residing within Pakistan, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I would be consenting to everything I listed above. I refuse to consent to that. I do not recognize any of their positions as legitimate. This is probably why I will continue to abstain from voting in the future. Even if there was a candidate I completely agreed with, his paycheck still comes from government robbery of individuals natural right to property via taxes. I will not consent to being robbed at gun point so someone else can earn a paycheck.

Finally, democracy does not make sense. There seems to be this assumption that democracy results in virtuous decisions. This is false. Democracy guarantees no virtue. Democracy is not constructed to guarantee any level of moral quality whether negative or positive. Democracy only guarantees agreement. Therefore, democracy is an incredibly poor decision making method. It is designed to make a decision, it is not designed to make the best decisions. I do not wish to participate in a faulty process, especially in one that is ultimately allowed to decide whether my natural rights will be protected or violated. Democracy only guarantees that one will be decided on, it does not guarantee that the best decision will be made, that it will be decided individuals' natural rights are to be protected.

I have tried to consider if there was ever an election I would participate in. Thus far, I think I may participate in an election if Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc. were revived, Hitler was running for president, and the others were in his cabinet, and a liberal was running against them. I may consider voting for the liberal, to make sure I would not have an even more psychotic and vicious government. However, this, of course, will never happen. Furthermore, if it was happening, I may just decide to move. Additionally, this situation only changes the first premise. Now the candidates are dissimilar. However, I would still be consenting to the violation of my natural rights. I would just either consent to a whole bunch of them being violated, or just a few. Also, the decision is still being left up to majority rule. This decision is too damn important to leave it to majority rule, to democracy. The best decision must be made, not just any decision. Thus, if I am to participate in any future election, I must discover that I am mistaken. 

Obviously, that is a possibility, I acknowledge I could be completely and utterly wrong. Furthermore, I will admit I am wrong, if I discover how. 

Problems With Education

Everyone recognizes there is a problem with education. It is one of the few topics actually discussed at college. There is the government (meaning how to make it a bigger welfare state), how to protect the environment, why people suck (which includes racism, prejudice, selfishness, all that stuff), and why education sucks. Unfortunately, no one really has the slightest clue why education is poor. They just point to statistics of drop out rates, graduation rates, SAT scores and say, "See, they are low; therefore, education in this country is poor." Of course, they always follow up with the statistics from Europe and Asia and say, "See, education there is great." However, these individuals do not realize that the statistics really have nothing to do with whether the education in one particular place or another is good or bad. The real mark of good education is if it ignites the desire to learn. This means that the students must actually want to learn, voluntarily educate themselves, and are learning what they want to learn. 

Therefore, while others say education is poor because of lackluster statistics, I say education is poor because it is boring and supported by violence. Simply look at all education prior to college. However, do not count pre-school or kindergarten. I do not remember those periods very well, but the little parts are do remember are distinctly different from the other periods. In those two periods I remember sitting on the floor with toys or coloring. From first grade to twelfth grade, however, I remember sitting in rows with thirty other students, all facing the same way, staring at someone talk to me for about fifty minutes. After fifty minutes I and all other other students would get up, go to another room, and repeat the process roughly six times a day, five days a week. This is utterly boring. The emotions I associate with my school years are a feeling of physical sickness (like I actually wanted to vomit all the time), incredibly tired, really freaking warm (like unbearably warm like I was cooking), anger, hatred, self-loathing. As far as I recall, first grade to twelfth grade was infinitely worse than college. 

The best example that captures how awful that period of education is comes from an experience in my seventh grade geography class.  On an unrelated tangent my teacher stated something like, "These are the best years of your life. You are having the most fun now." I then turned to the student sitting to my left and said something to the effect of, "That is the most retarded thing I ever heard." The student then replied with something like, "Yeah, if that's true, I am just going to kill myself right now." 

Education is not fun, it is boring and horrible, even though it should be fun. The fact is, education,  meaning learning new things, is incredibly enjoyable. When I learn something new it is like the sunlight hits me in the face. I have those incredible ah-ha moments. However, I experienced this very rarely in my formal education. Furthermore, I actually went to a private school, which is supposed to be better than public school. If that is true, public school must be awful. 

I think the two biggest reasons why education is so boring is because the students do not actually get to do anything, and because students are learning about topics they do not care about. 

Another problem with education is that the majority of it is public. Therefore, the state sets the curriculum. If the state has no idea how to run a business and has no authority to run a business, the same applies to education. It is a business like anything else. Better learning environments are created, when schools can compete against one another in the free market. Furthermore, since the state controls the schools, the state puts an emphasis on math, science, and conformity. Through schools the state tries to create students who will serve the interests of the states. The goal is not to provide the best place for customers to learn. The goal is to create future leaders and future civil servants. It should not be that much of a stretch to understand, since those exact lines, "future leaders" "future community leaders" "future civil servants", are actually used. 

The worst problem with education, however, is how it is presented. Teachers argue that high school prepares one for college, and college prepares one for a life and a career. Therefore, high school must be somewhat related to life and careers. As education stands now, this is completely false. However, this is how it is presented, and this is what students assume. Thus, students also assume that since high school is horrible, their lives and careers will also be horrible.

Unfortunately, college essentially follows the same blue print as high school. The only differences are there are fewer classes, few assignments, more time, and more independence. Yet, classes are still forced upon individuals, and they use the same boring standard.

There is only one defense for any of this. There is the defense for general education requirements. Allegedly they make someone a well rounded person, which is allegedly good. I do not buy it. If someone does not want to learn something, there is no reason for him to learn it. Well rounded individuals are no better than others, especially if they are unhappy. Furthermore, well rounded individuals know only a little about several topics. While a skilled individual knows much about one topic. From a practical perspective the skilled individual seems more equipped then the well rounded one.