There I was on cloud nine, after a lovely journey back home on PIA, on 8^th May, 2023. I was received at the airport by Waliya, my daughter. Then I found out from my friend Sadia that her son Ahmad was visiting from UK, so I invited all my friends for tea on 9^th. However, in the afternoon of 9^th it was clear that Imran Khan (our ex-prime minister) had been arrested. It was a very upsetting and depressing news for all. There were a lot of disturbances in all the cities of Pakistan. People were shocked at how things were being handled.

Internet and Social Media closed:

As I write, YouTube and Twitter has been closed due to the vocal response of People of Pakistan. IK has always been a very popular leader, now, more so. (I’m wondering when will I be able to upload my next videos? Especially when the interview of Haaris Jalal is almost ready to be uploaded.)

I practically live watching YouTube videos and making my own! I usually start my day by listening to and watching informative motivational videos, accompanying my breakfast.

It is as when a family finds that the kids are getting out of hand, they are grounded and their internet services are no longer shared with them! Haha. We Pakish people know how to laugh at every stupid situation we are in.

No joking matter:

I know its no joking matter, but it is better than weeping and wailing. Our uneducated and poverty-stricken public can do anything for a few rupees and in this last one week I’ve been in my home country, I’ve watched everything; I’ve watched insanity prevail: Rioting, burning up of Audi showroom in Lahore, and Jinnah House, and many others, also torching of police cars and killing of several people. All this happened in other cities also.

So, this is my land. I’m wondering when will sanity prevail. I wish the big powers would stop interfering in smaller countries’ affairs.

Yesterday, the Supreme Course was ransacked and broken into on the call of government officials. Can you believe it? So, it’s a question of pot calling the kettle black.

It seems as if two parties, PDM and PTI are fighting their personal battles, using the whole country and its resources. Taking its’ people as weapons against each other. Of course, and as usual, the people of Pakistan are suffering in the crossfire.

Total insanity prevailing:

The same tv channels that used to show positive news of IK, are now streaming our so-called government’s opposite propaganda. Each party is doing mudslinging and doing their best to prove the other wrong. The current government being actually unelected, and fresh elections have already been called out for by the Supreme Court, still there is chaos. It is extremely distressing, what with many PTI members being jailed, and threat to the life of Imran Khan. The entire country is getting swept into their rivalry.

It is all a matter of ‘might is right’, and army itself has played a dubious role, even though previously it has always upheld sanity.

What is one to do in this scenario?

1. Pray for sanity to return to our Pakistan, (no matter how farfetched it may seem!)
2. Carry on working hard in every way you can, in whatever you are doing.
3. Stop following the demands of the political parties.
4. No dharnas of any sort.
5. Specially, no question of any ransacking of any organization, shop, office, vehicle which belongs to our country.
6. Yes, peaceful protests are allowed but with placards not sticks and stones.
7. Work harder at your own work.
8. Pray very hard for life of IK, and our country.
9. Do not stop working at your best at your own work.
10. Due to the internet being half-closed, most offices and people cannot perform their tasks.

Revival of YouTube:

Finally, I’ve heard YouTube is being revived. But I can’t see it on my laptop, nor on my smart tv sets. Only on my phone, and that too, sporadically. (I think they are putting the switch on and off all the time!)

Moving backwards:

In Canada and USA, every time I’ve visited, I’ve seen they are constantly moving forwards. In Pakistan, we take one good step forward and two steps backwards.

Honestly!

Whatever youth that is left will want to leave now.

Coming scenario:

‘We are going to lose all our youth!’ I said to a friend.

‘They can’t, as the Western countries are already downsizing people from their companies. Situation isn’t good there either.’

Thanks to the AI and the computerizations, people have got themselves null and void in their own companies. Why should an employer keep a human for a piece of work that can be done through AI, anyways?!

Survival tactics:

So, all those who are planning to take the plunge, think again. Things aren’t that rosy in other countries either. So, with our backs to the wall, let’s find ways to keep working at whatever we are good at.

Stop becoming puppets in the hands of pollical leaders using you for their own ends. Do what benefits you and our country.

Work hard, pray hard and play hard:

There was a time in Pakistan when everyone used to look at the twelve (or was it twenty?) richest families in the country. One of them, a Saigol once said:

‘My motto in life is to work hard, pray hard and play hard. That’s what we’ve got to do.

Food poisoning:

I ate food at different places with lots of salad in Canada, never getting any tummy upset. It’s called cleanliness, my dear. While eating out there, and at home, one is constantly concerned about halal and haram food. Luckily, there are many shops with halaal food.

Here in Pakistan there is no worry of whether the food is halaal or not, because it is all halaal. But this halal food hasn’t been made in hygienic conditions, hence the horrific food poisoning I had. My fault. NEVER TAKE RAW SALAD IN SUMMERS OR IN CHANGING WEATHERS. That’s the rule of survival in Pakistan. When eating out, only take well cooked food.

Jinxed:

Things were going well, early last year. I guess our people are so unused to a ‘normal’ life that they have to create mischief to make things more ‘exciting’.

This is not the way to progress.

But.

Who cares?

We do. The people of Pakistan.

So, what to do?

1. Keep your sanity.
2. Stay close to friends.
3. Stop having political discussions which get toxic.
4. Remember, this is our land, and we have chosen to live here. (No one messes with it!)
5. Just carry on doing your own thing. Work harder, pray harder and play harder.
6. We need to play hard, to maintain our sanity in this every changing scenario. Sometimes, you just need more patience. (So last night Sadia and I went off for a drive in the rain. That is something we just love to do.)

Return of YouTube & Internet:

Yesterday, at 12.00 am YouTube and Internet were finally reinstalled all over. Finally, I could upload the interview of Haaris, my son-in-law, you can see it on my channel here. Thank God I had put up the video of Nadiya on way to airport at Halifax, so that has been airing in the world all this time, you can see it here.

Fresh recordings done:

So, as my young friend Dr. Tahleel Javed was coming to visit me, I arranged a recording of her interview and that of my friend Sadia Majeed too. Yes, all this yesterday!

Stay blessed, my dear Reader. Stay strong. Don’t get shaken. We have known rougher times, and we survived all those times. IA, we will survive this scenario too. Just keep your cool, and keep praying & working for better times.