Get a Grip !

According to statistical reports Pakistan's majority population consists of young people aged 16 to 25 but do we ever wonder what our youth is doing ? The youth of any country can prove to be a turn table for its economy. Young people are the talent and backbone needed for development and progress of any country.But is this what our youth is doing ?

Unfortunately majority of our young population wastes its time in useless entertainment.I mean just look at how these mobile phone companies are benefiting from hourly packages. Every corner of the street,every park or in any mall you can spot a guy or girl hooked to a phone chatting to his/her so called "love of life."

If its not the phone then computer! I'm amazed how many chat room sites are coming up everyday. Our nation seems to be obsessed with dating.
The strange thing is these relations are so short lived that the next day the two parties barely remember each other.

Come on guys and girls get a grip. Go out enjoy yourselves in a manner that not only entertains you but also teaches you something. Go join some sports club, some debating society, learn some programming or anything but stop wasting your time !

Karachi's Thirst !

A major problem in many areas of Karachi is the supply of clean water for drinking and other domestic purposes. The shortfall of water is met by local tankers that supply water to the desired location at about Rs1200 to 1500 per tanker(3600 gallons).

This water tanker supply business has been booming in the recent years. These tanker operators have often been the target of criticism from the general public who fail to realize that the primary responsibility of supplying water lies with the government. These water suppliers exist in the first place because the government is incapable of supplying water to all areas of Karachi. Furthermore the growing textile and leather goods industries in Karachi rely on supply of water through these tankers to meet their daily requirements.

Yes indeed there have been mistakes made on behalf of these water suppliers but the fact cannot be neglected that this water tanker supply business has provided employment to not hundreds but thousands of people including drivers,cleaners etc in Karachi.

Furthermore if one has to get rid of these water suppliers the simplest solution is to make water available to the industry and all residential areas of Karachi. Thus, as demand will decrease they will automatically go out of business.

What to do !

For the past one year my family like millions other in Pakistan have been facing some financial problems. I've seen the pressure gradually building up ....
So finally i decided to help my father by doing some part time job. I'm a student and obviously need to find a job that doesn't take up much of my time. With everything set, i started looking up the internet for part time jobs -the result a bombardment of information overload. After much research i came to the conclusion that part time jobs are really scarce in Pakistan and the ones that are available are actually full time jobs disguised as "Part-time" just to underpay the employees.

Ultimately i gave up my search. I decided to find a business that would require low capital and that i can manage along with my studies. I did some research in the local market but whoever i asked gave me the same reply " Market mein mandi hai bhai" OR "The market's in a recession" .

Confused and puzzled i continue to search for the part time business/job suitable for me ....

PS: Suggestions would be welcome !

To blog or not to blog is the question !

Reading !

There was a time in my life when i was addicted to reading. I would read at-least one book a week. Sometimes when i really loved a character i would place myself in the shoes of that novel character and wonder what would i do if were him.
The more books i read the better i thought of myself. That is until reality hit hard and i came falling down to the earth. Well the bubble had to burst someday . Better sooner than later.

So readers tell me something about your childhood experiences. Something funny or interesting. Something that'd give us all a reason to laugh during these tough times.May Allah bring peace to our country !

Here are a few interesting books for you to try out :


                  


                                                          
                                                              
          

What do you see ?

Blog-nama was becoming all too serious lately so i decided to come up with this new section.Here's what you've got to do.Take a look at the picture below . No look carefully! Done? Now use your imagination to analyse/interpret the picture or simply come up with funny and interesting comments !

I SEE:   A bus. A Pakistani bus. Infact its not just a bus ,its a symbol of "creativeness" or rather should i say "a masterpiece". Such buses are only made in Pakistan. The bold colors used on the body of this bus are part of our sub-continental culture.As you can see its a pretty old model Bedford bus,this shows that we as a nation value our culture and our past and have preserved it. 

The artistic design of this bus conveys a message to the world-"We're not terrorists! We're peaceful,creative and artistic people."

Go on tell me what you see in this picture ?

Engineering Universities of Pakistan !

There are several engineering institutes in Pakistan but none of them ranks in the top 100 universities of the world ... ever wondered why ?

We study the same curriculum ,from the same books and by the same authors. Leaving ground realities aside, on paper we even have similar facilities and machinery. Yet our institutes lag behind other international universities.

Today in most engineering universities majority of the Professors and other teaching staff have atleast one foreign qualification to their credits yet our situation is far from improving.The number of Phd's in our universities is far greater than it once was but yet the quality of engineers being produced by our institutes remains inferior.

So where does the fault lie ?

The fault ladies and gentlemen lies within us.Yes all of us from teachers to students are responsible for messing up our educational system.

We've forgotten the true essence of acquiring knowledge. Rote learning a few sentences from a book doesn't make one a scholar. It is infact the understanding and the culture that needs to be developed. Those who are responsible for designing our curriculums will have to understand that bombarding students with loads of information does not makes them any wiser, It only adds to their stress level.It is the concepts that will remain with the student for life.

As for students, we've got into the habit of looking for shortcuts. The copy-paste culture is on the rise and its really hurting our educational system.Students do not realise that by copying assignments and test answers they're actually cheating themselves.Most of these students regret once they're on their own in the field.
It is also the duty of our universities to act soon to curb plagiarism before its too late !

Donate !

For those of you who haven't donated to the flood victims of Pakistan and are still looking for a reason to do so, here are a few benefits of giving away :

Tax Benefit:
The most common and popular reason to donate to charity is for the tax write-off. There is no shame in wanting to get a tax deduction, and you can claim it for both monetary donations and donations of items. The tax deduction is dependent upon the value of the items you have donated. The more valuable the items, the more you are able to write off on your taxes. You are able to pay less to the government and feel great about helping a nonprofit organization at the same time.It is a win-win situation.

Clean Out the Clutter:
It is time to clean out those closets and the attic. If you do not want to take on the hassle of a yard sale, donate the items to charity. You will have extra space for more important items and help a nonprofit at the same time. Don't waste perfectly good products by throwing them out, donate them to less fortunate individuals or nonprofit organizations.

Feel Good:
One of the best reasons to donate to charity is to help the less fortunate and feel great at the same time. If you are fortunate in your life, donating to charity can help you give back.

Give Back:
Donating to a charity from which you found assistance in the past is a great way to show your appreciation. No one knows more about how helpful and necessary a nonprofit organization is than a former client. You know how much the people receiving assistance need those services. What better way to give back than to donate to the charity once you are in a better place in your life.

In Memory or Honor:
Making a monetary donation in a loved one's name is a great way to honor their life and the charitable organization at the same time. You may select a charity that has touched him personally or that is close to his heart. Many families ask mourners to contribute to a particular charity instead of sending flowers to a funeral. Some people do the same for birthdays, asking friends and family to donate to charity rather than purchase a gift.

So don't wait ! Help those who're in need even if it has to be a penny.

PS:You might be interested in one of my previous posts regarding sharing

Purpose of education ?

We've seen our society advance in terms of literacy rate in the previous years.We've seen new schools,colleges and private universities come up throughout the country.The number of graduates has consistently increased year by year but somewhere along the road all of us have forgotten the true purpose of education.The sole purpose of education has rather become a tool for us to generate a decent income.

The purpose of education is to provide the building blocks for change. Whether that is intellectual, social, financial or whether it is simply a change of skill level, knowledge or attitude from one perspective to another. All education is a matter of change. Education is beneficial to all, however, the education must have a function and purpose beyond itself alone. We must also not confuse equity, the equal right to education with utility, the usefulness of the education!

The purpose of education should be to develop people through that process of change. Like any process of change, it should be challenging and difficult. It should be a little painful because that act of change, like any physical change takes time and effort to shape and complete.

Choosing a career !

Choosing a career can be the most exciting or most confusing task for a person.There are a lot of myths associated with choosing a career.I would like to state a few of them over here:

#1 Choosing a career is simple

Actually, choosing a career is an involved process and you should give it the time it deserves. Career planning is a multi-step process that involves learning enough about yourself and the occupations which you are considering in order to make an informed decision.

#2 A career counselor can tell me what occupation to pick !

A career counselor, or any other career development professional, can't tell you what career is best for you. He or she can provide you with guidance in choosing a career and can help facilitate your decision.

#3 I can't make a living from my hobby !

Says who? When choosing a career, it makes perfect sense to choose one that is related to what you enjoy doing in your spare time, if you so desire. In addition people tend to become very skilled in their hobbies, even though most of the skill is gained informally.

#4 I should choose a career from a "Best Careers" list !

Every year, especially during milestone years, i.e. the beginning of a new decade, there are numerous articles and books that list what "the experts" predict will be "hot jobs." It can't hurt to look at those lists to see if any of the careers on it appeal to you, but you shouldn't use the list to dictate your choice. While the predictions are often based on valid data, sometimes things change. Way too often what is hot this year won't be hot a few years from now. In addition, you need to take into account your interests, values, and skills when choosing a career. Just because the outlook for an occupation is good, it doesn't mean that occupation is right for you.

#5 Making a lot of money will make me happy !

While salary is important, it isn't the only factor you should look at when choosing a career. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn't necessarily lead to job satisfaction. For many people enjoying what they do at work is much more important. However, you should consider earnings, among other things, when evaluating an occupation.

#6 Once I choose a career I'll be stuck in it forever....

Not true. If you are unsatisfied in your career for any reason, you can always change it. You'll be in good company. Many people change careers several times over the course of their lifetimes.

#7 If I change careers my skills will go to waste....

Your skills are yours to keep. You can take them from one job to another. You may not use them in the exact same way, but they won't go to waste.

#8 If my best friend (or sister, uncle, or neighbor) is happy in a particular field, I will be too !

Everyone is different and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another, even if that other person is someone with whom you have a lot in common. If someone you know has a career that interests you, look into it, but be aware of the fact that it may not necessarily be a good fit for you.

#9 All I have to do is pick an occupation... Things will fall into place after that !

Choosing an career is a great start, but there's a lot more to do after that. A Career Action Plan is a road map that takes you from choosing a career to becoming employed in that occupation to reaching your long-term career goals.

#10 There's very little I can do to learn about an occupation without actually working in it....

While first hand experience is great, there are other ways to explore an occupation. You can read about it either in print resources or online. You can also interview those working in that field.

Hope these tips will help you in making a better career choice !

Pakistan's Worst Flood Ever !

We can never compensate the loss of lives that took place,we can never bring back their loved ones,we can never return them those joyful moments of life....

But,what we can do is help those who survived.So take a step forward,hold a hand,grab a finger and save a life.They need you and they need you now....







Picture courtesy : folsol.com

Get instant immigration to Canada,USA or UK !

Well the topic is not a new one but in-fact one that most of the Pakistani Youth dreams of.Most young Pakistani nationals wish to immigrate to the western developed world.An average Pakistani starts dreaming of acquiring higher education in a foreign university even before he clears high school. Soon after his intermediate or bachelors he'll approach agents to get admission in a "foreign university" even if it is ranked the lowest in that so called developed country.

Leaving behind much better options in his home town this guy finally persuades his parents that his future lies in a foreign country.The poor parents spend the entire savings of their life to send their 'talented' son abroad to acquire education.

Once approaching that country the son gets too involved in other things(usually enjoying the night-life etc.) and eventually education takes a back seat.After a few years this guy gets his degree barely obtaining passing marks.

Now when this boy comes back to Pakistan,his parents force him to find a job here.Confused between two different cultures, working in a mediocre Pakistani firm is an insult for this 'highly-educated' person.
Finally this guy returns to the country of his choice,becomes a second-class citizen over there and settles for a low class job.

Now i ask you whats the point of migrating to a foreign country where you'll always be treated as a second-class citizen ? Why immigrate to a foreign country if you can do better off in your own country ?
Why not make your own country a better place to live ?

Kindly leave your comments, i want your opinion on this.....

More Destruction...

Wednesday 4 August 2009, even a week later floods continue destruction in several cities of Pakistan. According to sources the causalities have crossed 1400.

Leaving millions of people shelter-less and thousands dead in the Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa,Balochistan and Punjab province,the flood is now expected to arrive in Sindh by 5 August.

The victims of this flood are facing a huge crisis.Those who've survived are still waiting for food and medical aid to arrive.Desperately clinging to life these people are in dire need of immediate attention.


Photo courtesy Dunya News

The government has so far been unable to deliver aid to all the affected areas.International humanitarian organizations are no where to be seen.In these difficult times we cannot let our fellow brothers and sisters die like that.It is now the responsibility of the people of Pakistan to come to the aid of their fellow country-men. Lets once again revive the spirit which we displayed during the 2005 earthquakes.

I request you all to do everything possible to help these victims of flood...

A moment of tragedy ....

July 28 Airblue Airline's plane crashed in Islamabad killing around 152 people and leaving the entire nation mourning. The reasons of the tragic accident were not clear immediately.

On the same day heavy rains cause floods in various parts of the country specially in Naseerabad,Kohlu region of Balochistan and in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province.Flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains have killed more than 320 people in Pakistan in three days and affected at least 300,000, officials said Friday.

All road links and communication to the affected areas is still dead.The aid given up till now is insufficient. Although the government is trying its best but the scale of devastation is too huge and the victims need immediate attention.

I wonder where all the international community is when Pakistan so direly needs them.The international humanitarian agencies should come to the help of the Pakistani nation in these tough times.

World Cup in Pakistan !

Image Courtesy: Google Images

The entire planet seems to be gripped in the world cup fever. Every small town restaurant,pub,park and street is filled with discussions about the upcoming match between Netherlands and Spain. Even in Pakistan people are looking forward to an exciting match.

But as everyone else is thinking of who would be the next world champion my mind wandered off somewhere else. I wonder will there ever be a Football World Cup held in Pakistan ? Is it even possible ?

If yes then what do we need to make this great event come to this country? I really envy the happiness and celebrations that the world cup has brought to the South African nation. I hope someday we Pakistanis can enjoy such celebrations in a peaceful and friendly environment.

So friends I'm looking forward to your suggestions. Come up with creative ideas as to what will bring the world cup event to Pakistan ?

Finally i got it !!!

So folks finally i got an internship at an industry.No not through merit dumbos but through a personal contact...
Well all of you might have heard "the system shapes you, you can't change the system!" that's exactly what happened to me.Being a common man who's always after his own interest i gave up looking for an internship on merit basis and finally went for the backdoor...because that's the only way,the only shortcut.

Anyways enough rambling about myself....I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a new blog that i recently came across.The blogger is a really good writer and i would suggest all the readers to visit her blog.Here is the link...
Young Pakistan.

I'm Back !!

First of all i apologize to all my readers for not writing any sooner. I was extremely busy during the past few weeks...bombarded with assignments and tests.But finally now I'm free and not by choice ....

Actually this is the third year of my studies and i am supposed to be doing an internship this summer.I had even applied to an oil refinery a month before our summer vacations. So far so good.I kept waiting for their reply...internship offers from different industries came and went by...

Finally June arrived.I was really looking forward to the work experience i would be getting.As days passed i started getting worried.Usually companies reply until late May but in my case they kept me waiting until June.I called and checked on them but they told me to wait.

At last yesterday i got a reply.I was rejected. I was really confused,why i was rejected? I mean I'm pretty high up on my university merit list but still...
Later on i came to know only those people who'd applied to that refinery through personal references were selected.Those who had applied on merit basis were rejected.

Well what can i say? This is Pakistan. Anything is possible here. You don't have to be talented to be successful in this country,rather you have to have the right contacts so you can pull a string or two and get your desired post.

Anyways so here i am free and idle.No internship to do. No influential contacts to get my job done.I have talent, i have merit,but who cares !

Stress ...

What a stressful week this has been. First the increased work load due to Saturdays being off and secondly the hurricane of emotions that has been going in through me.

Sometimes you feel that the entire world has become your enemy and you don't have any friends.The depression ,the stress,the sadness takes all the light out of your life...

You feel tired and start wondering what is the purpose of your life ? You forget to enjoy the small things in life.That's when you start breaking down....
Something similar happened to me this week.

But,Friday has been better.As the week winded down a friend visited me and we spent all day together.Surprisingly enough i feel much refreshed now.

When your life is all dark and gloomy friends light up your life.So no matter how stressed you are, how tensed you are or how busy you are never forget your friends.

Just how much do we have to pay ??

This post highlights a very serious issue that every Pakistani citizen should think about.Just how much tax do we exactly pay and where does it all go?

Recently i was going through my home electricity bill and it said income tax "xyz" amount.I found it rather amusing.Income tax on residential consumption of electricity? That's definitely not an income in-fact its an expenditure so why pay tax on expenditure?

Then there is the excise tax you pay for any property that you posses.There is an additional professional tax you pay for starting any business.Then there is income tax that we pay according to yearly turnover and profit. Being a science student i don't have much knowledge about these things but will somebody tell me exactly how much taxes do we have to pay?

I don't have any problem with paying taxes,but if there's a law it should be implemented for all.The rich and powerful in this country don't pay a single rupee in taxes.Its only the middle class that always suffers.

Still i believe most of us would be willing to pay taxes only if we got some assurance that it would be spent on development projects,building roads,hospitals,schools and universities for the public. But unfortunately we don't see any such progress around us.

At a time when countries around the globe are giving tax incentives to their citizens,new taxes are being introduced in Pakistan. I wonder what impact will it have on the business sector,one thing is clear its definitely not going to help it...

Load-shedding !

Finally after three years or so this is the first Saturday that i got off.Thanks to some really indigenous policy makers who decided that giving a long weekend break will save electricity.

I wonder how can we overcome this shortage of electricity just by saving energy ? What most people are not paying attention to is adding new mega-watts to the national grid.With growth in population this increase in demand of electricity will grow exponentially.We need new power plants and soon.

We cannot rely on thermal power plants only.They are way too expensive to operate.Its high time our country invests in renewable energy sources such as wind,solar,bio-gas,hydro-electricity.

To top it all, now we will have gas load shedding too.Amazing.We being an agricultural country are surrounded by livestock manure which can easily be utilized to make bio-gas.Why not go for the alternatives ? If we can spend billions on oil import we can definitely spare some money for these renewable energy projects.

Sunday !!

Finally its Sunday again...what a relief ! In today's fast paced world people like me get only one day to live their lives. A day when i don't have to worry about work,stress and deadlines.A day i can enjoy with whomever i want to. A day when i actually feel that I'm a living person and not a machine who goes through the same routine everyday.
No matter how close the deadline is i never work on Sundays(although sometimes i have to face the consequences).But come on, a weekend is time to relax not to complete your work.
I would like to give the same suggestion to my readers,enjoy your weekends,spend some quality time with your family and friends,go out get some fresh air,in short get a life guys...

Ups and Downs...

First of all i apologize to anyone who had been waiting to hear from me.I could not write sooner...Or maybe i didn't want to.
Recently my life has been like a roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs,bumps and potholes.I've been bombarded with tests and assignments which are taking up most of my time.Even when I'm not studying I'm just lying down there thinking about my tests.And yes i admit I'm a procrastinator...can't help it.
I guess the same old boring routine is taking its tall on me.I need a vacation please get me outta here !!!
Well I'll be writing again once i get a bit free.So till then take care !

Hungry and Homeless

Today i went shopping for some groceries.It would've been just another usual trip had it not been for that incident.While i was shopping a boy came up to me.He was about 8 or 9 years old,wearing a torn blue shirt,dirty black shorts and was bare footed.He asked me to buy bread for him.As a natural response i hushed him away at first.But when i turned to face him something just made me freeze.
Maybe it was his face,maybe it was his innocence or maybe it was his eyes.Deep hollow eyes that had no sparkle of life in them.It was as if i could see his hunger and helplessness through his eyes.His eyes were full of sorrow and fear.I felt sad for the poor boy and bought him some bread.
On my way back i could not concentrate.My mind was full of thoughts about the boy.Where did he live ? Who are his parents ? Why did his parents leave such a cute little child alone ? When will the boy have his next meal ? Will someone feed him ? Where will the poor fellow sleep at night ?
I don't know how many such hungry,homeless children are there in Pakistan but i know one thing,there are many.
Why is our society so ignorant of such poor innocent children ? Don't they deserve to live a normal happy life ? Don't they deserve three meals a day,a shelter and an education ? Why not-only because they were born poor ?
Our social security net will have to be strengthened to help these innocent souls. Their future is Pakistan's future.If the government is not willing to help them then we should help them on our own.They're our responsibility.They're our children...

Can we do it ??

For many years now Pakistan has been trying to come up with an internationally recognized research based university. The neighboring India and other regional countries like Malaysia,Singapore,China have become much more academically advanced and that has further increased the urgency to create new universities of international standards or improve the existing ones.
In 2009 Pakistan tried to setup an engineering university with French assistance but the attempt failed due to the law and order situation as probably French professors feared for their lives to teach in a country like Pakistan.
Plagiarism is one of the most important factor leading to declining standards in our universities.Copying others' work and using illegal methods to pass exams is making our educational system inefficient.
Also at many institutes appointed teachers are not up to the mark.A teacher is the primary source of knowledge to students.If the teacher is not competent enough how can students be good ?
Lack of proper equipment in laboratories, lack of funds,corruption in educational institutes are all major contributors that have led our educational system into this mess.
Of course there are certain institutions that are providing quality education such as Lahore University of Management Sciences,Ghulam Ishaq Khan Insitute of Engineering and Technology,IBA etc. But,it must be noted that these institutes are not affordable to all and the number of scholarships are extremely limited.
The country needs at least five to six universities of global recognition within the next 15 years to remain competitive in the academic field,but the question is can we do it ??

Of An Irresponsible Nation

Four to eight hours of daily load-shedding,a total shortage of 4500 MW of electricity,worst power shortage in the history of the country.Yet,when you go out in the mornings you can see street lights on.
Hundreds of small and big parks in the country where lights are on until midnight but in residential areas we have to live without electricity for hours at times.Why not close down all parks as soon as it gets dark and channel that electricity to hospitals,residential and industrial areas ? But no,people need relaxation,they need parks to enjoy...
Nobody cares about babies crying all night because of the heat,no one cares about students not being able to study for their exams.Why should anyone care for patients being operated in darkness with the help of torch light because there's no electricity?

And then we say why are we called the third world ? If in 63 years we can't light a bulb what else do we deserve ?

Why go far ?

I have never understood the nature of Pak-China relationship. Although we claim we are two countries that share same interests in the South-Asian region but we lack bilateral partnerships.
China is one of the strongest economy today.It is much more technologically advanced than Pakistan yet when Pakistan needs any expertise it looks towards Europe or America,why not look towards your neighbor for support?
The current crisis in the energy sector can be easily overcome by China's help.China produces a huge share of its electricity from coal.It is not a hidden fact that Pakistan too has large reserves of coal,so why not involve China and benefit from their experience?
When it comes to universities China produces a huge number of PhD's every year.But when Pakistan wants to build an international university we look towards the French. Why not build a university with Chinese partnership ?
International collaboration is necessary to survive in this global world,but why do we need to go far for everything when we have a supportive neighbor.
Pakistan should learn from the cooperation amongst the member countries of European Union and try to initiate new partnership programs with China.

Global Warming or a Joke ?

There was a time when scientists and engineers worked for the betterment of mankind.These were men who spent their entire lives just so that we people could live a better life.Their main purpose was the propagation of scientific ideas and knowledge.
But,what has happened to today's scientists?
Recently i was reading an article on yahoo regarding global warming.I was shocked and and amused at the same time.Some scientists have suggested people should consume less milk and meat...why?Because livestock produce a lot of greenhouse gases.Can you believe that? Stop eating meat and milk...should people stop giving their children milk ? Should we start eating grass? Is their enough vegetation to feed the entire world ?
I wonder whats next...kill all the poor people in the world to eliminate poverty as well as minimize greenhouse gases? Or execute people for public farting ?

THE SMS KRAZE !

With new unlimited sms packages coming up every other day the Pakistani youth has been caught up in an sms craze.Text messages are proving to be a very effective medium of communication and entertainment.The trend of sms jokes has also been gaining increased popularity.Following are a few interesting sms jokes that i'd like to share with you people:

1)Question:What is honeymoon?
Answer:That brief span of time between "i do" and "you'd better!"

2)(URDU) Khargosh ke FSC mein aye 75% marks and kachway ke 50% phir bhi kachway ka university mein admission ho gaya...kaise ?
Sports basis pe yar...Bachpan mein race nahi jeeta tha ?

3)Lady : So, you want to become my son-in-law? Boy: Not really, but I don't see any other way 2 marry your daughter!

4)Teacher: What should be in a book to make it a bestseller? Tommy: A girl on the cover and no cover on the girl.

5)(URDU) Ek larka dosre larke se:Yaar tum ne kabhi koi larki phansai hai?
2nd boy:Yaar larki main ne phansa li thi pr tum logon ne ye mohalla hi chor diya...

6)A police recruit was asked during exam, "What would u do if u had to arrest ur own mother?" He said, "Call for backup."

For more jokes you can visit these sites:
http://www.sms4smile.com
http://www.smsjokes.pk
http://www.telepk.com/smsjokes

How long should your week be ??

Finally a long weekend has come to an end.Thanks to the holiday announced by the Sindh Government we got Saturday off.I have always wanted the weekend to consist of two holidays both Saturdays and Sundays off.Too bad we Pakistanis only get Sundays off.
When i talk to people they tell me that a six day week is better for the country,people can do more work,we can achieve our targets,its good for the country's economy etc etc.
I don't agree to that at all.In fact i believe that a six day week not only exhausts our work force but also makes it inefficient.The job that would normally take 3 to 4 days is completed in a week's time.The result being the employer has to pay more and the employee feels he's been working too hard.
On the other hand having five working days in a week will result in:
a)An efficient work force
b)Mental satisfaction of the employee
c)Saving electricity which will help minimize load-shedding
d)It will save employers a huge some of money.

What's your opinion ?

Sharing Is Caring !

Yes today millions of people in the world die out of hunger.There are thousands people who get only one meal a day and there are thousands of those who eat more than thrice a day.There are people in this world who have to walk miles before they get a drink of water and there are people who waste gallons of water a day not even giving it a second thought.There are people who have huge luxurious houses and there are people who sleep below the open sky with no shelter above their heads to protect them against the heat,the cold and the rain....Why ???
The reason being that we people have forgotten the most joyful act of life...sharing.
Yes we've forgotten the satisfaction,the happiness,the fulfillment one gets when you share.The world can become a much better place only if we start sharing.No one will be deprived.No one will die of hunger and thirst.No one will be left homeless only if we inculcate this principle of sharing in our lives.
Recently i came across a very intriguing email which i would like to share with you people.So here it goes..

The Power of Giving

By John Harricharan

It was a really hot summer’s day many years ago. I was on my way to pick up two items at the grocery store. In those days, I was a frequent visitor to the supermarket because there never seemed to be enough money for a whole week’s food-shopping at once.

You see, my young wife, after a tragic battle with cancer, had died just a few months earlier. There was no insurance -- just many expenses and a mountain of bills. I held a part-time job, which barely generated enough money to feed my two young children.
Things were bad -- really bad.

And so it was that day, with a heavy heart and four dollars in my pocket, I was on my way to the supermarket to purchase a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. The children were hungry and I had to get them something to eat. As I came to a red traffic light, I noticed on my right a young man, a young woman and a child on the grass next to the road. The blistering noonday sun beat down on them without mercy.

The man held up a cardboard sign which read, "Will Work for Food." The woman stood next to him. She just stared at the cars stopped at the red light. The child, probably about two years old, sat on the grass holding a one-armed doll. I noticed all this in the thirty seconds it took for the traffic light to change to green.

I wanted so desperately to give them a few dollars, but if I did that, there wouldn’t be enough left to buy the milk and bread. Four dollars will only go so far. As the light changed, I took one last glance at the three of them and sped off feeling both guilty (for not helping them) and sad (because I didn’t have enough money to share with them).

As I kept driving, I couldn’t get the picture of the three of them out of my mind. The sad, haunting eyes of the young man and his family stayed with me for about a mile. I could take it no longer. I felt their pain and had to do something about it. I turned around and drove back to where I had last seen them.

I pulled up close to them and handed the man two of my four dollars. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked me. I smiled and drove on to the supermarket. Perhaps both milk and bread would be on sale, I thought. And what if I only got milk alone, or just the bread? Well, it would have to do.

I pulled into the parking lot, still thinking about the whole incident, yet feeling good about what I had done. As I stepped out of the car, my foot slid on something on the pavement. There by my feet was a twenty-dollar bill. I just couldn’t believe it. I looked all around, picked it up with awe, went into the store and purchased not only bread and milk, but several other items I desperately needed.

I never forgot that incident. It reminded me that the universe was strange and mysterious. It confirmed my belief that you could never out give the universe. I gave away two dollars and got twenty in return. On my way back from the supermarket, I drove by the hungry family and shared five additional dollars with them.

This incident is only one of many that have occurred in my life. It seems that the more we give, the more we get. It is, perhaps, one of those universal laws that say, "If you want to receive, you must first give."

There is a little rhyme that goes like this:

"A man there was, and they called him mad,
The more he gave, the more he had."

Most times, we think that we don’t have anything to give. Yet, if we look more closely, we ’ll see that even the little we have could be shared with others. Let us not wait for a time when we think we’ll have lots and then we’ll give. By giving and sharing the little we have, we open up the storehouse of the universe and permit rivers of good to come our way.

Don’t take my word for it. Just honestly try to give and you’ll be surprised at the results. Generally, the returns do not come back from those we give to. It comes back from sources we could hardly imagine. So give your way to riches.

Take a chance on this universal principle. Take a chance on yourself. Universal principles always work.

Sometimes the return from giving happens very quickly as in the true story above. Other times, it takes much longer. But be assured of this: Give and you will receive -- and you’ll receive lots more than you ever gave.

And when you give, don’t do it with a heart of fear, but with a heart full of gratitude. You will be amazed at how it all works out.

Open the gates of affluence in your life by giving a bit of what you have to those in need. As the great Teacher said, .Give and it will be given unto you..
Try it. You’ll like it.

Agricultural Attrocities

A few days back i had the opportunity to visit a farm located at the outer skirts of Karachi.It was a small farm of about 8 to 10 acres but was an extremely fertile piece of land.The owner of the farm was a 60 year old man who was supposed to be our guide for the day.Upon our arrival the old man came running to us and greeted us warmly.The old man was wearing shabby looking clothes and his hands were dirty,obviously he had been working in the field before our arrival.He then offered us lassi,a traditional drink made from yogurt and milk.We had a little chit chat before the old man took us to his home.
I was both shocked and surprised to see the man's home.It consisted of two small rooms situated side by side,a bathroom in the front yard and no kitchen at all.The walls were not painted and the plaster was falling off the ceiling at some places.At one corner of the room was a woman doing some cooking.We were taken to the other room where we settled on an old,torn carpet.I was informed that the area had no supply of gas and people still burned wood to cook food.
I had always thought that farmers in Pakistan lived prosperous lives as portrayed by the media but, i was wrong.My friend who accompanied me then explained that even if a poor farmers gets a bumper crop,his living conditions are unlikely to improve much.In this case the old man who had incurred all production costs was forced to sell his crop(tomatoes in this case) at Rs 3 per kg to the wholesaler.On the other hand the wholesaler who does nothing except to transport the crop from the farm to the market earns more than Rs 8 per kg.The farmers have no choice because thousands of farmers in Pakistan do not have storage facilities and neither can they afford to buy trucks to transport their goods to the markets.
Our government on the other hand has done nothing to improve the financial conditions of such small scale farmers.They are left at the mercy of the wholesalers.
These wholesalers not only eat up a large share of the farmers profit but also artificially raise the retail price of agricultural products.These wholesalers should be banned and the government should come up with proper policies so that our poor deprived farmers get their due share.

Boring Life !

Today was one of those days when i get up feeling depressed and gloomy...I really don't know why but it does happen once in a while(No I'm not suicidal).Well at first i didn't feel like going to university but as there'd been several unpredicted holidays earlier this month i couldn't miss another day.
I literally slept through all my lectures although i could hear a few words in between like boilers....transfer function ...machines...but it didn't make much sense.
The heat and load-shedding didn't help much, in fact they made me feel even more miserable.
Sometimes I wonder where all the excitement and fun has vanished from our lives? We've become mechanical robots going through the same routine everyday....
But then i comfort myself by thinking about the next day.Every sunrise will bring a new day with it and every new day will bring hope,joy and love in our lives.Be positive.

Education For What ?

For my entire life i believed people acquire education to gain knowledge but my experience proved me wrong.
I belong to a public sector university that has a really heterogeneous crowd.When i joined the university i was amazed to find that education meant something different to everyone.
To some education is just necessary to get a degree so they can get decent jobs and live a prosperous life.These are mostly people from the middle class and lower middle class who have families to support.Many others believe that a degree will act as a source of honor for them and they will be respected in the society.
There is another class of people who are just there because they were forced by their parents to complete their studies.These are often people who belong to a rich background and will probably join their family businesses once their studies are completed.
Believe it or not some people even attend university just to kill time ...they have nothing better to do at home.These people are generally those who have no goal in life or are confused about their lives.
No matter what kind of background you belong to or what is the purpose of your life i believe that anyone whose acquiring education should do so to gain knowledge.Without knowledge life is like a dark corridor...you'll never know where you're going.

A Pessimistic Society

What is pessimism ? Pessimism is to anticipate failure. It is a general belief that bad things will happen.Unfortunately in our society,all of us have become experts in discovering flaws.Not even a single day of our lives goes without complaining.
Let me give you a few examples.When we look at the current economic scenario we find everyone complaining about unemployment,trade deficit,inflation and what not.But how many of us are actually trying to do something positive ?
This pessimistic attitude is driving away foreign investment from our country....
When we take a look at the social aspect,even before a match starts most of us are convinced that the Pakistani cricket team or hockey team will lose the match.We should at least encourage our players regardless of their performance.
In our daily lives most of us might have experienced that whenever a group gathers,rather than fruitful exchange of information and knowledge we start useless gossip.The funny part is even men have started doing that.This shows how negativity has spread like venom into our society.
Not even nature has escaped our pessimistic attitude.Recently there was a lot of buzz going on in the media regarding shortage of water in country.Most experts rather than planning and building new dams and reservoirs were wasting their energy blaming nature for having less amount of rainfall this year.We as a nation should at least do what is in our hands.
I ask you where did all that optimism go that led to the creation of this great country?
Of course there are certain situations where a little pessimism is required such as in new business ventures or when carrying out scientific research.But,we need to strike a balance between pessimism and optimism.
Remember an optimistic mind backed by positive action is the need of the hour.

Love Virus !

Attention O'youth of Pakistan.There are reports that a dangerous virus is on the loose. This deadly virus has escaped the jails of the west and is now quickly moving towards the east.Beware all, this lethal virus spreads really fast.It has become an epidemic leaving the swine flu and bird flu viruses far far behind....Yes it is the most dreaded LOVE VIRUS !
The so-called victims of this virus undergo the following stages:
STAGE 1: Love at first sight.A girl and a boy see each other and at the weakest moment this virus strikes.Furthermore once inside the bodies of the victims,the virus starts multiplying.
STAGE 2: Love is at its heights. The victims keep texting each other and call frequently to check on each other's health. Meetings and dinner dates are also common during this stage.
STAGE 3: The virus starts creating destruction. Frequent quarrels and arguments arise between the patients which finally lead to a break-up(or a broken nose in some cases).

Symptoms of this disease include sleepless nights,lost appetite,absent mindedness and sometimes drooling during the daytime.

Treatment: No medical cure available.

Precautions: Next time you feel love is in the air,think twice before you act.The only method to avoid the above condition is to choose your partner carefully in future.

Pakistan (The Land Of Pure)

The literal meaning of Pakistan is the Land Of Pure but has it lived upto its name ?

Today when you move across mega cities of Pakistan like Karachi, Lahore , Faisalabad, Peshawar or Quetta you'll see solid waste dumped across many streets and roads. Days and sometimes even months pass before that waste is picked and taken to some other dump site. This not only makes the city look ugly but also affects the health of people living in such areas.

If you walk down the road you will find two stroke rickshaws leaving behind a trail of bluish smoke .Uncontrolled emissions from buses, cars and motorcycles have made it difficult for many to breathe. The number of patients with asthma has constantly been increasing and allergies are becoming more common by the day.

Furthermore the industries have been given a free hand. There is no check on the emissions and effluent discarded by most industries.One of the biggest ship breaking yards of Asia at Gaddani, Balochistan is the worst example of such industries. There is no check as to what is dumped into the sea and most workers work without basic protection. This has resulted in accidents many at times and has literally destroyed the species of fish and prawn in that area.

The government needs to address this issue immediately. Steps should be taken to regulate the industries.Vehicle emissions should be reduced and two stroke rickshaws should be banned.Also, solid waste treatment plants should be setup across the country that will not only help clean the country but will also provide employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled labor.

Lets make the Land of Pure clean and green once again.

Have We Become Mechanical ?

In today’s fast paced world most of us have become mechanical. While eating,travelling,talking and even in meetings, we’re always in a hurry.

Maybe its because we have not completely understood our goals in life. Work is important but its not everything. There’s more to life than material success.

Have we ever wondered whats it like to sit back and enjoy a weekend with family and friends ? Or is it that we’ve forgotten the true purpose of life – to enjoy ?

Well this is the right time to set our priorities right. Sit back and reconsider your goals in life.Take out some time for your family and friends. Believe me you won’t regret it !

Welcome

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