The hope is alive..........

For the last month, I was worried about the flood conditions in the whole country but I wondered if I could do anything for the affected people.

Ramzan ul Mubarak has got a special quality that it brings accomplishment of our wishes sometimes even if we don't pray for that. I think that is the reason for which I got an opportunity to do something for the affected people.

Dr. Hena told me about the group of some of her friends who were willing to work for the flood victims, don't know how she thought but when she offered me and Komal to join the group for the relief work, it was a great surprise full of a feeling of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Komal could not make it but she helped in the management of the trip and supported me to make it.

During the very short period of just three to four days, we managed to collect funds, buying stuff and to arrange other necessities for the journey. The plan was to take off from Karachi Friday Morning and to serve next two days in such a way that all resources and capabilities could be utilized for the relief of flood victims. Everybody worked hard and showed great interest for collecting funds and performing different tasks which were set for the plan.

I was very amazed to see the potential of people whom I started working with; they were all so courageous and passionate for the purpose. Most of them were very young guys and I was pleased to see their eagerness and being a part of such a team. Those who were a bit senior, being very supportive and helping with their experience in every matter made it easy for youngsters to collaborate and manage things in a better way.

On Friday Morning, 20th August, there were eleven people who were departing for the interior of Sind.

Dr. Kashif, Dr. Mohammad Ali, Dr. Faraz, Dr. Nausheen, Shabbir (Tabba Heart Institute), Dr. Hena (Civil Hospital), Mehmood, Ahsan and Omer (IBA), Rizwan and off course me too was a part of that excellent team.

We almost spent three days out of Karachi and the details are:

Friday: We left Karachi at 10 o'clock in the morning, spent almost eight hours in travelling when reached Sukkur. Having Iftar and Maghrib prayer at Sukkur, we moved towards Mirpur Mathelo and arrived there at ten in the evening and stayed at FFC guest house. After dinner and Isha prayer, we planned for the next day tasks and went to sleep.

Saturday: We left Mathelo at 5 o'clock in the morning just after Fajr and reached Kandh Kot at about 10 o'clock. There we held our medical camp in a small village at two different places few kilometers away each other. We also distributed some food items like milk packs, juices and mineral water bottles. After Zauhar prayer we moved towards Kashmor and on the way from Kashmor to Guddu barrage, we distributed these food items in different camps found on the way. We reached Guddu barrage at the time of Iftar and moved towards Mirpur Mathelo back right after Iftar. It was a hectic day as weather was so hot and humid and everybody was Fasting, so the day was proved to be an examination for our patience and courage. Everyone worked hard suffering the severe climate of Sind in fasting condition but Allah gave enough strength to us that we occupied this suffering. Before going to bed, again plan for the next day was discussed.

Sunday: As we had planned to return back till Sunday night, we moved towards Sukkur at 8 o'clock and reached there exactly at 11 o'clock in the morning. After having a survey about the camps that were found in Sukkur, we selected a camp and held a medical camp for almost three to four hours continuously, along with few guys of the team started distributing food items, also we had purchased a food package from Sukkur in a bulk containing (Water cooler with 2.5 kg Rice, 1kg sugar, 1kg lentil, 1lit milk, 200g tea, 0.5 kg dates, 4 soaps for face washing, 4 soaps for cloth washing, 10 sachet of shampoo and 1 comb) and distributed these in different camps on our way among approximately 475 families. We had our memorable Iftar that evening with a Khan sahib (Attaullah) who was a family friend of Dr. Faraz and also working for the relief of flood victims. He was so courteous, kind and open hearted man that despite of our refusal, manged to agree us for Iftar with him. After another long, tiring day, we rested at his home to refresh ourselves and left for Karachi after Maghrib.

With few little stay on our way, along with flavorsome ice cream of Matyari and Sehri at an open air hotel on the way from Hyderabad to Karachi, we reached Karachi at 6 o'clock on Monday morning.

Everybody was fatigued but pleased due to the successful accomplishment of our target. We touched our target very successfully by providing cooked food to approximately 1000 people and other stuff like juices, milk and biscuits to 2500 people, set mobile medical camps at different areas with provision of medicines of about 2,75,000 rupees.

I had to report at NCP on Monday morning, so I reached home at 6:45 a.m. and was at NCP exactly 8:30 in the morning. I think what i had done, gave me strength to make it otherwise i was not able to manage it.

I have got a feeling of satisfaction that I can't express in words, for the first time I understood the real meaning of fasting and other obligatory rituals that we perform. The real, courage and inner satisfaction that is superior to every other joy, the feeling of sacrifice of desires and personal aspirations for the sake of others.

It was a great working experience with some selfless persons, who sacrificed their money, time and potential without any benefit. I enjoyed the whole trip very much, everybody was friendly and we spent three days together just like a family, although there were many people whom I was meeting for the first time in my life but the relationship that brought us all in a closed contact was none other than our purpose. For this purpose and beautiful reason, Allah Taalah helped us throughout the journey and we made it back home safely.

There were few experiences that made me to think that the responsibility is now on the entire Nation, to unite and manage things in a more proper way for the relief of these victims. There are a lot of diseases that are being spread in the flood affected areas and even among the people who have migrated towards camps. The common ones are skin allergies, diarrhea and body pain. Dehydration due to the lack of clean drinking water is also very common in children, so in order to save their lives, the very first priority should be to provide them pure drinking water. It will prevent them from many diseases and the risk factor will also decrease to a great level.

I think what we can only do at the moment is to keep alive the hope. Hope, belief and struggle are the only weapons to survive in the worst conditions.

The revival.....

Iqbal is now in advertisement. The new Olper song for this Ramzan is the famous ghazal of Iqbal "Her lahza hai momin ki nai shan nai aan" and the interesting thing is that the video is only about kids, the future of this world.

So, here Iqbal revives.

Gham-e-Agahi (Grief of Awareness)

About three years ago, when i was not very skillful in writing, thought about writing a novel continuously but could not get enough courage and potential to start it.

Although, i am still not very much learned about the skills of writing a novel, but at least i have got enough courage and potential to start it.

Many writers write about griefs, pains and miseries because life is all about hardships and difficulties, but i had noticed that they mostly write about griefs which destroy people never strengthen them, while i have myself experienced a grief which made me more stronger and courageous and i felt myself much mature than my age, it taught me to smile with even worst losses and painful moments, i learned to occupy my failures and move towards success.

So, i wanted to write about the pain and grief which is not destructive instead constructive and creative.

Then, luckily i found people like Sir Khurram, Sir Akhtar, Connie, Thinking, Rizwan and many other at RR and SOIS, who enhanced my Passion and with all of them Komal was a blessing for me in each and every moment. She continuously encouraged and helped me for last three years that i should not leave writing.

During Iqbal studies and learning from Republic of Rumi, i experienced some new personal experiences which gave me support even to think about how i should write and on which things i must concentrate during writing, with all this i also recognize my original intention that what i really want to write?

"There is a kind of grief that consumes you and fills poison into Jamshid's Cup. Yet there is another kind of grief that consumes all other grief and turns the heart into a boundless ocean". [Republic of Rumi]

Now, when i am writing and gradually proceeding the novel, i want to share some parts of this novel to all of you that i get some feedback and then decide how i must take the novel in forward direction, or either i am capable of writing it or not.

Its originally going to be written in Urdu, and i have translated some parts although i am not good in translations at all, so any mistake should be forgiven.

I will post these writings on another blog having url

http://ghameagahi.blogspot.com/

I had not enough time today, so i am just posting a little portion and will post further later on inshAllah.

Give me your feedback please.

Here we go..........

Karachi is once again in a wave of terror and fear. For last three days the whole life in Karachi has been ceased and everybody was hesitating to come out from their homes.

I myself did not go to university of Karachi for last two days, although there was only one holiday announced by the government and University was supposed to be open yesterday and today. But due to the lack of public transport, nobody could go.

National center for Proteomics had arranged a lecture today, Dr. Shahid Karim who works in University of Southern Mississippi(USA) had to arrive this Morning and during the very short stay of three hours in Karachi, he had to present a lecture on Arthropods diseases in post-genomic era.

His lecture was predefined and all preparations were completed but due to current situation, we all were uncertain and due to which i called my director last night and confirmed about the lecture. I was sure that after having a look on news about these circumstances, Dr. Shahid would probably have refused to present the lecture but surprisingly she told me that "He is going to present the lecture and he has confirmed his availability".

Now, when i came out this morning, like the previous day, i found no buses and any other public transport to reach University. Also, i felt it dangerous to travel within the city in these circumstances, but commitment is commitment.

"When Dr. Shahid can make it, why not i?"

I hired a rickshaw and with all my fears and trust on Allah, i finally reached my destination. Huma did not want me to go alone so she came with me.

There were some people in center like Faraz and Muniza, who came in spite of having dangers and therefore my director was pretty much satisfied that at least we are in a position to held the lecture.

Dr. Shahid reached at time and lecture started successfully although there were less people to attend the lecture as we were expecting, but even then he thanked all of us for coming in such a critical situation.

I wondered who should really pay thanks to other?

He did a brilliant job and presented his work related to Proteomics and Genomics of arthropods tick related diseases in a wonderful manner that even me did not feel sleepy during his whole lecture.

After the lecture, i got an honor to present the bouquet of white flowers on the behalf of NCP staff. On tea, we all had a discussion with him on current problems of research in Pakistan and he discussed it with deep interest.

I wonder why Pakistan is lacking some courageous people like Dr. Shahid Karim? Why our talent is being utilized for other Nations and not for itself? Will it be possible to have such skillful and hard working people around us in a huge number?

But i am not hopeless, our time will come InshAllah.......

Anyways, Dr. Shahid thank you so much for coming and saving me from a restless day at home.

Haq Maujud (The present truth)

Ho Allah,

[ O God]

Ho Allah, Ho Allah,

[ O God, O God]

Aik Allah kaloon mein dardi,

[I fear only Allah]

Aik Maula kaloon mein dardi,

[I fear only my Master]

Mahi yaar di gharoli bhardi

[I fill this pot(myself) with the Love for my beloved]

Maula yaar di gharoli bhardi

[I fill this pot(myself) with the Love for my Master]

Ho Allah, Allah, Maula

[O God, O Protector]

Tu hee hai mein naa hi sajna

[You are the Universe, i am nothing]

Khuway di purchain wangun, gum riya mann mahi

[My heart waivers like the image reflected off the well's surface]

Jidhar waikha tuiyon disda

[Wherever i look, i see only You]

Bullah disda naahi

[Bullah can not see himself even when he looks inside]

Mahi yaar di gharoli bhardi

[I fill this pot(myself) with the Love for my beloved]

Maula yaar di gharoli bhardi

[I fill this pot(myself) with the Love for my Master]

Ya Ali, Ali Ali, Man ammi goyam an-nal haq

[O Ali, Ali Ali, I say that i am the creative truth]

Man ammi goyam an-nal haq Yaar ni goyak vigo

[I say that i am the truth, my God tells me to say so]

choo na goyam choomra dildar ni goyak di go

[Why shouldn't i say so, my God asks me to]

Jhoom charakhra, jhoom charakhra saaiyan da, teri kattan wali jeeway

[The one who is spreading your message in this world, may he has a long life]

Kattan wali jeeway, ho larriyan, kattan wali jeeway

[may he has a very long life]

Maida Ishq vi tun, maida yaar vi tun, maida deen vi tun, Iman vi tun

[You are my Love, my friend, my religion and my faith]

Maida jism vi tun, maidi rooh vi tun, maida qalb vi tun, jind jaan vi tun

[You are my flesh, you are my soul, you are my heart, you are the life]

Maida Kaabah, qibla, masjid, mandir, mazhab tey Quraan vi tun

[You are my Kaaba, qibla, mosque, temple, religion and Quran]

Maiday farz, fareezay, haj, zakaatan, saum, salat, azan vi tun

[You are my obligatory rituals(i perform), pilgrimage, charity, fasting, prayer, even the call to prayer]

Maida fikar vi tun, maida zikar vi tun, maida zauq vi tun, wajdhan vi tun

[You are my thoughts, you are my words, you are my choice, you are my ecstasy]

Jai yaar fareed, Rab karam karay

[Fareed, may God be generous]

sarkar vi tun, sultan vi tun

[You are my Master, You are my king]

Jhoom charakhra, jhoom charakhra, teri kattan wali jeeway

[That life within us continues to live on forever]

Saaiyan, Allah

[my Lord, my God]

National Center for Proteomics

Research in Pakistan as we all know is a bit hard and full of hazards, but still HEC has played an important role in past few years to establish a standard for the research in Pakistan. University of Karachi also being involved in the formation of some very constructive research centers.

Along with chemical and biological research in HEJ, Molecular biology and drug research in PCMD, Biotechnology and genetic engineering in KIBGE, University had planned to establish a research center for the field of Proteomics, which is now a latest and advanced field in the biological research. So, in order to compete with rest of the world we should have all possible field specialist as we can have.

Proteomics is actually the protein profiling of the cells at one particular state and it gives us information about all proteins that are being expressed in the cell at one particular time. This study is very much related to the clinical and pathological comparisons of normal and diseased patients, in order to discover some biomarkers for the specific disease.

The idea was presented few years back and about 169.5 million rupees budget was approved for the project, it was inaugurated in March 2008 and became functional last year.

It has some latest facilities of proteomic analysis, for details you can go to the following address

http://www.uok.edu.pk/research_institutes/ncp/index.php

The institute despite of facing some serious grant issues from the government side, still has started working properly under the supervision of its Director Prof. Dr. Shamshad Zarina. The center has carried out a workshop on "Research Tools in Proteomics" last year and a series of lectures from different foreign researchers very successfully. Also, the institute is going to offer its M.S program next year.

The government just cut the grant of all Universities to half, due to which many development programs in the area of research in Pakistan have got serious issues, and National Center for Proteomics is one of them.

For further details you can visit the dawn news paper :

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/35-ku-research-centres-fate-uncertain-ak-03

But the theme is that there are people who want to work for development of research in Pakistan and they are struggling to solve these issues, because we have got a potential to survive even in worst conditions and, hope so we will come out of this soon.

I just forgot to mention that i have recently got a job in National center for Proteomics and working experience in a newly established center is being good, lots of learnings here.

Ideology and Practical

I was so happy and desparate after attending the launching ceremony of "Rashid Minhas" but it just went away today when unwillingly i got a worst discussion to my colleague. I entered the digital lab and going towards my computer, just talked generally about the remarkable win of Pakistan against world champion Australia on 24th of July in the Leads Test match, after 15 years Pakistani team managed to equalise a series with 1-1.

I said it happily and adjusted to my seat then suddenly he turned to me and said in a very taunting manner, "What worth it was of. There is no benefit of Cricket to us. All players got 5 lac rupees each with the tax we paid and we even don't have enough money for our life expenses".

I always avoid him because he never tries to understand the joy, happiness and association within the Pakistani Nation that's the spirit of living for the whole Pakistani Nation. Its just a little moment of joy for the Nation, Why should not we celebrate it in a situation where there are no happy news in the entire country. He just considers the bad things around us, the worst economic and social conditions, the less ethical cultural values, He does not think about the unschooled masses who are actually suffering from the economic crisis, who are real victims of terrorism and still they have more hope than us.

I never tried to argue with him because he always tries to defend his point of view.

"The Nation is a fool always celebrates worthless things. PCB and players are eating our money and we are celebrating the stupid win." He also imagines things as he feels them and so decides whatever is right according to him.

"I am getting bad manners from others, how can i present good manners to them?" He follows others may be he is not able to decide things on his own.

This is not the behavior of one single person, most of the literate people think that they have no future in Pakistan and they would go abroad if they find an opportunity.

I admit that things are more worse than ever, but the educated and matured middle class people are really responsible to rehabilitate Pakistan, we can give our best in every field with honesty and loyalty, even we can guide and educate unschooled masses that how can this condition be changed. But the ground realities are different. We, all are trying to run away from our responsibilities because we have lost the essence of education, we just learn to make money and become materialistic, no moral, no ethics, no purpose of life, no service to country, even no Love.......may be.

I am amazed that the many middle class people like me always look worried about inflation, which is increasing day by day, but when i visit any market once in months, i never found a single shop where there are no customers. There are people everywhere and the market looks more crowded compare to last few years. I smile and say to my sister, " Who says that inflation is increasing, the women of whole Karachi have flooded in the markets, still we complain. Is it become our habit to complain for each and everything around us."

I did not want to argue with my colleague, but at that moment when he cursed the whole Nation, i could not resist and argued with him. The argument become serious and i just finished with a sentence, "Never try to argue with me again, may be i am not able to convince you or you are not able to understand."

He against taunted me with his last sentence, "You always talk ideologically, there is no practical implication of your thoughts, you are just a fool."

I did not answer him, but with burning nerves and red face i just promised to myself, "I will one day show you that practical implications are worthless without ideology."