Words talk

My name is Miriam Mehdi and I am a Pakistani. As a Pakistani I should be free to roam around in my country, go to the holy place of my religious beliefs to worship - as Quaid promised, breathe in safe environment- the breath of freedom. I should be able to do all that as a Pakistani, not as a Syed or Mirza. But I don’t have any of that. I am often confused as Christian and discriminated, looked down upon and cornered. I am asked not to not carry my ‘ID’ card around because my last name suggests I am Shiite Muslim and well people who suggest this think my life values more than my belief. And at other times I am considered to be Sunni Muslim and am asked not to go to mosques, they fear I won’t return alive. I don’t understand how one can celebrate independence with such disputes over their identity as a Pakistani. The provincial border lines are darker than ever, the election was an example. The national top priority concerns are terrorism acts across the country (and world if I may ...

When applying for jobs, one has to be very careful about the impression management of oneself and one’s institute (this is truer for a fresh graduate). There are no two opinions about the role of interviews and assessments in the hiring process and for the very reason they have been stressed on much by academics. The focus of the write up is, therefore, on other elements of the job seeking process. Here is a go through of things-to-do and things-not-to-do while sending out job applications and appearing for interviews. STEP 1- Be focused! Being focused is by far the most important and most ignored phase while looking for suitable employment. What normally happens is that the job seeker applies at all possible openings he comes across. And upon receiving the interview call(s) he considers whether he really wants to work at that appointment or for that particular organization or not. Not showing up for the interview on time or at all are the consequences of not thinking things ...

M.M Alam passed away in March 2013? Hadn’t he passed many years ago? I did know that he was a war hero. Perhaps I would have never known of him hadn’t the famous road of Lahore, on which all the posh and famous eateries are located, been named after him. I don’t even know what M.M Alam’s full name was? Or why is he our hero? Which war? The feeling of remorse kept growing as I pondered upon it. So, I sat down and looked up his name on the internet. Our media is too busy hosting topics that improve the ratings that they conveniently trimmed the air time and newspaper space this news required. Of the obituaries and other material I found; I was impressed, astonished and most strongly of all, ashamed. Mr. Muhammad Mahmood Alam, sitara-e-jurat’, was North American Aviation F-86 Sabre flying ace . Mr. Alam, also known as the ‘little dragon’, gunned down five Indian fighter jets in 55 seconds in Indo-Pak war of 1965- world record unbeaten till date. He was a Bengali Pakistani wh...

Today is my birthday and I have turned 25. I have become more indifferent and blind to what’s happening around me. I am comfortable in my cozy bed knowing I am safe. All these killings and violence are just numbers. I don’t watch TV because I don’t want to get upset. The most disturbed I get is when my breakfast is not served on time. The most tense I get is when I am waiting for my visa for the vacation in Paris. I don’t read newspaper because there is chance the news would ruin my mood. The most I do is copying a Facebook status which says “I strongly condemn sectarian killings”. Something that means to me is wearing tags. I would attend 2 parties every month on an average where as a social welfare I would ask people to pray for Pakistan. I wasn’t like this. I used to go light the candle in hope for Pakistan. Is Pakistan taking its revenge for what I have done to it? I was actually planning on voting this year. I had finally realized that I have no right to comment on the poli...

NUMBER 1 As much as I love my people and my country I sometimes fail to understand why we do something we shouldn’t. Something like telling a beggar to *&#(#)@!. Now, If you don’t want to give him the money don’t! You do not have the right to judge and insult him. If he was annoying you by rubbing his nose on your car window and pointing a finger towards sky and saying ‘ Allah k name pae dae dae’ (Please donate in name of God), that’s why they are called beggars. Here, Ignore! The same ignorance we have adopted towards the injustices happening around us. If you have to say something, say something like ‘ Allah hum dono ku dae’ (May God give us both). Beggars are smart; they won’t waste any more time on you. NUMBER 2 Why is the whole country in such a rush on the streets? We are always late for birthdays, parties and not to be mention weddings. If the phattak (railway crossing) is closed, you will only be able to cross once the train has passed. Remember! Closing of rail...

Jan end is the perfect time to announce 2013 resolutions as you have seen how the year would be and now you are in a position to say something about it. DON’T FROWN! I tried to justify my procrastination by being funny- it didn’t work. No need to rub it on my face! Actually I have been craving to write but have been too busy doing things I don’t really like, to not find time for things I actually like. Well, the former are the ones you get paid for. And also for the record I do like 55 percent of my job if not 70. [ This statement is the precautionary-legal-statement-disclaimer-thing which is shield for any consequences whatsoever ]. Anyhow ( pronounced as any-hu ), I want to state the resolutions I have for 2013 but even more I want to evaluate 2012. 2012 has not been my best year but it also hasn’t been my worst. I have learned a lot professionally; everything from systems to people. Of course, there is a long way to go but it has been a good start. I have matured [ Trust ...