Pakistan

Pakistan has four provinces. These are Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP. The names of the first three provinces make sense. Punjab means 'five waters' implying the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Bias which pass through the province. The language spoken by the majority population of Punjab is Punjabi. Sindh province takes its name from the river Indus which is also called Sindh and Sindhi is the language spoken by the majority population of this province. Balochistan takes its name from the Baloch tribe which forms the majority population of this province. However, it must be noted that the entire populations of the first two provinces do not speak the languages as per the names of these provinces. Similarly, Baloch tribe is not the only tribe living in Balochistan. NWFP stands for North West Frontier Province which once part of Indian sub continent i.e India of the pre-partition era made some sense as the province lay in the north west of then India. However, NWFP is the only province of Pakistan whose name makes no sense at all and is irrelevant. It's indeed sad that despite repeated demands from the people of the province since independence of Pakistan in 1947.

The provincial assembly of NWFP has, more than once, passed resolutions including the one passed by the current ruling alliance led by ANP (Awami National Party) for change of name of the province to Pakhtoonwa (the majority population of the province is Pakhtoon, the Pashto speaking Pathan tribes, known as Pakhtoons) but to no avail. Pakistan Muslim League (N), the largest political party in opposition opposes the name of Pakhtoonwa on the grounds that all population of the province is not Pakhtoon. The truth of the matter is that the party has more following in non Pashto speaking belt of Hazara, named after Hazara tribes, and negligible in the majority Pashto speaking areas due to which it is opposing the renaming of the province as Pakhtoonwa. This area is also known as Gandhara. Political wisdom of PML(N) is strange. Both arguments, the declared and the hidden one, reflect the hollowness of the political wisdom of PML (N). How does it expect to seek the support of the Pakhtoons after opposing the name of Pakhtoonwa?

Another irony of the fate is that the renaming of the NWFP is part of the larger package of constitutional amendments under consideration by the constitutional committee. ANP has made it clear that it would not support the package if the province is not renamed. It could mean a deadlock for the passage of the package of constitutional amendments. A middle ground is being sought by renaming the NWFP as Pakhtoonwa Hazara or Pakhtoonwa Gandhara. Let us see as to what turns out to be the final outcome.

The threat of terrorism looms large on all Pakistanis on daily basis. It has been so for many years now. Since the life must go on, we all continue moving about despite hearing the news of terrorists attacks taking place in our city or another city. Sometimes, we don't hear the news but the noise of the blasts themselves. This is what happened about eight hours ago. I heard a big blast which was heard all over Lahore. Owing to load shedding, I could not switch on the TV to find out as to what had happened. A few minutes later, I got a phone call from my cousin in Canada who inquired about the well being of all family members. She could not get through to talk to her mother, my aunt. I rang up my aunt and then informed her daughter that everyone in the family was safe. Soon thereafter I got a call from my daughter who is studying in Montreal, Canada. Same concern and question about family's safety with the same answer from me that all of us are fine and safe. I rang back to my daughter as call from her side is more expensive. She commented very seriously that we should emigrate. How many of us can emigrate?

How many phone calls must have been made by Pakistanis all over the world to inquire about the well being of their near and dear ones in Lahore. All phone call responses were certainly not of all correct report. Over a dozen persons died and another five dozen were injured in the suicide attack which shook Model Town, Lahore and its surrounding localities. The target was the building in K block in use by the Special Investigation Agency, Punjab. A vehicle loaded with 800 kilograms of explosive was banged into the building by the suicide attacker/driver. The blast caused a 12 feet hole at the point of impact and shock waves of the blast caused cracks in the buildings nearby. Window panes of buildings up to two to three kilometers broke. Why was this office located in a residential area? Why wasn't it well secured? There are countless questions but no answers! That's the state of affairs, we, in Pakistan, happen to be bearing and passing through.

The actual “Road to Swat” bifurcates from the great Grand Trunk Road near Nowshera. About a kilometre below the highest point on the Road to Swat, the commuters can see the view of Takht-e-Bahi Mountains in the middle distance standing from the road. The ruins of one of the grand monastery of the past are situated on the top of a 152-meter high hill, about 80 kilometres from Peshawar and 16 kilometres northwest of the city of Mardan. While Swat is famous for different reasons now (rise and fall of the Taliban), some interested people still commuters to visit Takht-e-Bahi - a Buddhist monastery developed between 1st and 7th centuries AD.