55 PMA LONG COURSE KARACHI CHAPTER DINNER

A Dinner was arranged in honour of the visiting Mr. And Mrs Rashid at Karachi Golf Club. It was a very nice evening with a sumptuous food. Here are some of the photos of the occasion.
Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani

Amazing Gingers

 

Ginger contains anti viral, anti toxic, and anti fungal properties, and is used for the prevention of and treatment against the common cold. It acts as an antihistamine and aids in the treatment of allergies. Ginger displays anti inflammatory properties and can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and various other muscular disorders.

The chemical components of this root are instrumental in inhibiting the biosynthesis of prostaglandins which are responsible for causing inflammation. Thus this root has proven to be highly effective forms of treatment, in some cases, even more so than the NSAID’s that are traditionally prescribed.

Ginger contains special enzymes responsible for catalyzing the proteins in your food, thus aiding in digestion and the prevention of cramps. It is good for those with constipation! The ancient Greeks used to eat ginger after a large meal, in order to ease the digestion process.

   Ginger has also proven to help lower cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of blood clots. 

As a mood enhancer, ginger's cineole content may help contribute to stress relief. It is also used for migraine & headache.

Ginger can also be used for reducing toothache and the discomfort which arises due to the infection in the upper respiratory tract due to its antibacterial and antifungal nature. Chewing on fresh ginger, can help freshen the breath. Being a warming herb, ginger can help knock out a fever. This property also makes it effective in stimulating circulation of the blood.

It can also help relax muscles around the blood vessels and is said to help prevent blood clots from forming. The warming effects make it a natural decongestant as well as an antihistamine, making it the perfect remedy for colds

Some studies show that it can even help inhibit the replication of the herpes simplex virus. Recent studies show that ginger might also have a role in lowering LDL cholesterol because the spice can help reduce the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed.
  It has also been shown in animal trials to help slow or even prevent cancerous tumor growth. So eating ginger may help to prevent cancer and aging disorders.

To discover the health benefits of ginger for yourself, simply make a tea by steeping about 5 slices of ginger in hot water.

     If you prefer it in your food, in terms of food, Ginger is excellent in many dishes and is perfect when combined with garlic. Ginger is a wonderful combination of many dishes especially if merged with garlic. 

      Ginger doesn't only spice up your food it can also help to put some extra spice in your intimate life too. It improves blood flow to your sexual organs, and it also contains Vitamin C, zinc and magnesium.

Hope it will be of benefit to you & others.

Wishing you all a very happy healthy life ahead.

In 60 Seconds

You will be blown away at the amount of things that occur online in a single minute. The Online world has truly become its own universe that appears to be unstoppable. With nearly 700k Facebook status updates, 600 new YouTube videos and almost 100k new Tweets there is no stopping the constant Internet expansion.

Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani

Pepper Egg Masala

An egg dish that tastes well with steamed rice. Easy to make, this spicy dish is a personal favorite egg recipe of many foodies.

Ingredients

Oil - 1 tbspn

Garlic cloves (crushed) - 2

Onion (thinly chopped) - 1

Green chilies (slit length wise) - 3

Tomato (chopped) - 1

Soya sauce - tspn

Pepper Powder - tspn

Salt, to taste

Coconut powder 1 tbspn

Water - glass

Eggs - 3

Coriander (cilantro) leaves, a few

Preparation

Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan.

Add garlic and saute just until fragrant.

Add onion, green chillies and tomato and saute for a few more minutes.

Add soya sauce, pepper powder and salt.

Mix coconut powder in water and add this mixture to the prepared masala and stir.

Break the eggs into it. But do not stir after that.

Lower the heat and cook till the eggs are done. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Pakistan Fights Back in Shikarpur

This post was originally written for the Daily Times, appeared as my weekly column BAAGHI on Monday November 14, 2011.

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan saw yet another moment of national shame right on the day of Eid-ul-Azha when four Hindus, including three doctors, were brutally killed in broad daylight. Conflicting media messages and false claims about the motive are but an ugly attempt to justify the crime. According to the story given out to the media, the murders took place after a boy from the Hindu community sexually assaulted a girl from the Muslim Bhayo tribe. Bhayo is the third most influential tribes of Shikarpur after the Jatois and Mahars in Chak town of Shikarpur. Hindus make around 6,000 out of the total 40,000 people in Chak town and are the predominant contributors to Sindh’s economy through trade and other professions. In the local politics of the area, the Hindu community has never been as muted as it is now, after the advent of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), working openly through their unmarked offices and representatives since at least a decade.

One was appalled listening to the people of the town about the immunity with which the SSP operates in Shikarpur in cahoots with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan-Fazl (JUI-F) and with the support of local tribal chiefs and state machinery, especially the police. The accused Bhayo tribe has its members in not only the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (the main accused Babul Khan Bhayo is district head of the PPP), but also in pro-Taliban JUI-F and proscribed militant extremist organisation, the SSP.

According to the details gathered from the local communities, a young girl from Bhayo community went to see her Hindu friend on Diwali night. The girl was seen entering the autaq (sitting area used by males), which was unusual in the local culture. Discovering the boy and the girl together, community elders (Hindus) reportedly beat the boy and sent the girl back to her home. The event triggered the ‘honour’ of the Bhayo tribe. What made things worse was the boy’s religion. The Bhayos felt doubly humiliated.

The Bhayo members of the SSP and the JUI-F started threatening the entire Hindu community since that day. The community requested the police for security after which the police established a small picket near the Hindu neighborhood. But two hours before the incident, policemen vanished from the scene only to come back half an hour after the ambush. Just when the police pretended to start searching for the culprits, SSP and JUI-F workers gathered around the police station and amid the slogans of Allah-o-Akbar (God is Great) and Jihad Fi Sabilillah (war in the cause of God), they intimidated the police staff and asked to close the case. Resultantly, the FIR could only be registered around 36 hours after the crime. The victims’ family does not agree with the facts described in the state-registered complaint.

Noteworthy is the fact that the victims were not even remotely related to the Hindu boy accused by the Bhayo tribes of being ‘karo’ (accused boy). According to a much-criticized tradition, when an unmarried couple is caught together, they are murdered after the Panchayat is informed. The accused girl (kari) is usually murdered before or with the accused boy (karo). According to the tribal code, karo can only be the one directly involved in the ‘illicit’ relations with the kari. In this case, even the principles of this tradition (unapproved by educated Sindhis), karo-kari (honour killing), were not followed. It is a case of simple and direct targeting of the Hindu community, which remains an endangered one after the religious extremists were installed in the area for running the madrassas.

Madrassa tradition in Shikarpur is almost 40 years old, which is the age of the oldest madrassa here. According to the locals, Pashto speaking Niazis from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjabis from south Punjab were brought in over a decade ago. Totally alien to the local culture and traditions, they tried to impose strict Islamic code, which initially did not work. But after more than a decade, an entire generation has been out of these madrassas in the social life of Shikarpur. When I spoke to over a dozen people from the local Muslim community, I found them extremely opposed to and fearful of the Islamisation being brought to Sindh, which they saw as a part of the larger design of ruining the Sindhi culture.

The fact that the common people still value local pluralistic culture is evident from the fact that over the last few days, people — mainly Muslims — are coming out in the streets every day in almost 500-600 villages and towns of rural Sindh against this incident. It was heartening to know that not only thousands (6,000 according to a conservative estimate by a member of the local Press Club) of Muslims participated in the funeral of their four fellow citizens; hundreds of them have taken upon themselves to ensure the security of the frightened Hindu community. They stay day and night at the entrance of the Hindu neighborhood. These common people, one Hindu resident of the area said, are not only from the influential Mahar and Jatoi communities but also some Bhayos are seen among them.

When asked how the SSP and JUI-F guys got such an influence in an otherwise sufi and secular culture of this city, the people proudly said that the fact that these extremists need political backing, support of the tribal influential and police machinery, is enough evidence of their weakness. Had they had a popular support, they would not have needed any of these tactics. A local rights’ activist (Muslim), who is a key organizer of a protest rally today (Monday) at 12 noon in Hyderabad, wanted me to tell the world that Pakistanis would fight extremism till the last drop of their blood.

This is Pakistan! Those in the charge of things must realize that the people of Pakistan are committed to their pluralistic values ingrained in their sufi culture. Any effort to dismantle plural and secular social base would be met with fierce resistance. The ones who believe that we, the ‘liberal fascists’, are few in number and are irrelevant, should see how this battle is being fought by a common citizen in Sindh, original home to a wonderful Hindu community who made Shikarpur mercantile hub of Sindh before the Talpurs came in. Shikarpur was to the old Sindh what Karachi is today to Pakistan. Having trade links with Central Asia, from Qandahar to Uzbekistan to Moscow, Shikarpur was the gateway of Sindh to the world. And in Shikarpur, it was our Hindu trader community that started the system of payments through cheques. Home to poets like Sheikh Ayaz, this city has produced seers and litterateurs alongside professionals of the highest quality. Today Shikarpur is determined to fight extremism more than ever.

It is encouraging to know that Sherry Rehman moved an Adjournment Motion in the National Assembly on this issue that called for immediate action on the case and reactivation of the Commission on Minorities. However, there is something simpler that can be immediately done. Babul Khan Bhayo, the main accused and PPP district president, should be immediately suspended from the party and arrested. An independent inquiry should be commissioned along with completely removing the presence of proscribed organizations working in the area under whatever name. This is the bare minimum that even the most ardent supporters of the PPP would expect from the party and especially from Sherry Rehman to pursue it.

This entry was posted in Human Rights, Social Issues and tagged Bhayo Tribe, HIndu doctors killed, Hindus, JUI-F, Mahar Tribe, Minorities, Pakistan, PPP, President Zardari, Sheikh Ayaz, Sherry Rehman, Shikarpur, Sindh, Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, SSP by Baaghi. This post was originally written for the Daily Times, appeared as my weekly column

Marvi Sirmed

Useful Steps To Improve Your Memory

Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a 'cognitive reserve' that will help you stay sharp as you age. 

1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.

2. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly "exercising" the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.

3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental "pictures."

4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.

5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants, broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example andOmega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.

6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don't really learn people's names at first because we aren't really concentrating on remembering them. You'll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you'll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.

8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.

9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it, right? It's a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker's name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.

10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you'll find it easier to remember all four.

11. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn't improve your memory, you'll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won't have to search for your keys anymore).

12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice "mindfulness" meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.

13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep "a minimum of seven hours a night " may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.

14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.

15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

GRANDPARENTS' ANSWERING MACHINE

Good morning... At present we are not at home but, please Leave your message after you hear the beep. beeeeeppp...

If you are one of our children, dial 1 and then select the option from 1 to 5 in order of "arrival" so we know who it is.

If you need us to stay with the children, press 2

If you want to borrow the car, press 3

If you want us to wash and iron your clothes, press 4

If you want the grandchildren to sleep here tonight, press 5

If you want us to pick up the kids at school, press 6

If you want us to prepare a meal for Sunday or to have it delivered to your home, press 7

If you want to come to eat here, press 8

If you need money, dial 9

If you are going to invite us to dinner, or, taking us to the theatre start talking. We are listening!" 

If you are not a grandparent (as yet) you will still love this. If you are, it shows how precious the babies are and what we mean to them.

WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?

(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people. 

A grandfather is a man, & a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

They can take their teeth and gums out.

Grandparents don't have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bed time, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted badly.

A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''

GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS, BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

Note: Situation at Pakistan is different. Grandparents here at Pakistan still normally live with their children and grand children and are precious. They are respected and looked after. (*_*)

Things You Must Know About Your BodyTemperature

Body temperature is an important indicator of our health. What is normal body temperature? What part of the body gives the most accurate readings? Find out the answers to these and other questions regarding body temperature.

1.Your body is great Thermo regulator

Our body has an amazing ability to keep its temperature within safe range to keep you healthy, no matter what conditions you are exposed to outside the body. When you feel hot, you start sweating, which cools you body down. When you feel cold, you start shivering, which is involuntary muscle contractions that generate heat. Goosebumps that appear on skin when you are feeling cold are actually tiny muscles that raise body hairs, which increase their thickness.

2. Normal body temperature

It is commonly accepted that normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees F or 37 degrees C. However, there is also a number of variations to normal body temperature that depend on many factors, such as the time of the day, outside temperature, age of the person and others. Temperature may vary by 1 degrees F (0.6 degrees C), from 97 degrees F (36.1 degrees C) to 99 degrees F (37.2 degrees C), which is considered within normal range.

3. The body temperature varies throughout the day

Body temperature undergoes minor changes throughout the day. It is the lowest in the morning, between 4 and 6 a.m. and highest in the evening, around 6 to 8 p.m. Temperature also changes during sleep. Usually it starts to drop when we fall asleep, ensuring sound sleep and needed rest.

4. Rectal temperature - most accurate

Body temperature is measured with the help of different types of thermometers in various parts of the body. Temperature taken in your mouth may be influenced by many factors and is usually lower, while rectal and ear measurements are slightly higher than oral temperature readings. Temperature taken in your armpit may me the least accurate since it may not directly indicate core temperature. The most accurate way to measure body temperature is to take temperature rectally.

5. Fever is good for you

Many of us are scared of fever and try to reduce fever with medications. However, fever is not an illness, but the body's defense mechanism that fights infections and is basically harmless. Fever slows the growth of pathogenic bacteria and activates white blood cells to fight infection. Fever may range between 100 degrees to 104 degrees F and higher (37.8 degrees - 40 degrees C), but not all of them need to be treated with medications. The general rule of thumb is that fever medicines are necessary when it causes you or your child discomfort or there are other dangerous signs such as trouble breathing or pain.

How a Pakistani Woman took her children from nothing to NUST (National University of Science and Technology)

Living in the bleak rural outskirts of Multan, Razia Mushtaq had a childhood full of hardship. She was from an underprivileged family. There was no silver spoon. Her father was a shoe mender. Such was the bitter reality she had to face, day after day. Their house was a mud-and-brick structure, covered by a flimsy tin roof, incurred at considerable expense.

Looking back, she says, “Often there were days when my siblings and I shared a piece of bread and had nothing else to eat the entire day.” No one should have to bear such adversity. Her children would not, she resolved. She would make sure they were more fortunate. Though her mother was supportive, she was denied an education because of unforgiving social stigma. Women weren’t meant to study or work for a living, and the orthodox and traditional nature of her family meant she would not be able to pursue her dream.

Then the world as she knew it came to an end. At the tender age of twelve, she had to bear the worst privation for a child to face. Her mother was no longer with her. She had been involved, along with Razia’s two sisters, in a fatal motor accident. The family was devastated, and everything started moving at warp speed. Within a year, her father arranged for her to marry a man she barely knew, known as ‘Charduga Sahib’. Ill-fortune soon came to haunt this union, as the couple could not have children. Quickly, she was divorced, and sent back into the world on her own, abandoned and friendless.

Again, she got married; this time, to a neighbor of Charduga Sahib. With him, she returned to Rawalpindi, his home town, where she was introduced to his three children, which she would not treat as her very own. This proved to be a mistake. Her in-laws promptly denounced the marriage and refused to take them in. They were disowned, and put on the streets. Left with no choice, they ventured to Islamabad where her husband managed to find a mediocre job and made modest living arrangements. Razia learned how to sew, and soon managed to get a few permanent customers, providing a meager but stable income. But fortune was not to smile on this family. Just as soon as it had seemed that they would manage to pull through, their landlord and her husband employer let them go. His salary had been their primary source of income, and without that, they had nothing to live on.

This is how, in later days, one could find Razia in a tent, on a sidewalk; this is what she had been reduced to. All she could call her own in the world was contained within that tent, maybe eight square feet of canvas tent. After a considerable struggle, her husband found another job and they managed to move into a one-room quarter. Penny by penny they saved what little they could, cherishing each little bit. A sewing machine was consequently bought and her hard work and dedication earned Razia a few customers.

She slaved day and night, aiming for the highest degree of customer satisfaction. Soon, word spread, and more people came to her for their tailoring needs. She had three sons, and zero qualms about her duty in life. She must provide for her children. They must get educated, and there was no question about it. It became her sole focus, and her eyes would sparkle as she thought of the bright futures they could have, the success they could achieve. They were enrolled in a local government school, by all means humble, but the greatest gift she could give her children.

All was well for some time, but as her sons neared graduation, they started asking for extra tutoring. How was she to afford this? Her little tailoring business could hardly sustain the family now, any additional budget-stretching would surely spell disaster. Even in this seemingly hopeless situation, she kept her head up and went out looking for work, mustering all her courage. Razia started working over 10 hours a day, at three different jobs. She was a domestic servant during the day, cleaning house for a wealthy family. Her afternoons were spent in a grocery store, in a lowly bagging job and at night she was glued to her sewing machine, her trained hands handling the fabric as her she strained her eyes to see in the feeble light.

“Sometimes I cried myself to sleep. Thoughts of my childhood spun through my mind.” She recollects. Sleep deprived and worked to the bone, she realized she could not live like this. She turned to others for help, the young boys who lived on her street.

“I felt a burden came off of my shoulders when they agreed to tutor my boys.”

Sometime afterwards, her husband became extremely ill. His condition was critical, and Razia was under tremendous stress. There was simply no money to pay for his treatment. His family refused to help financially and Razia began to take loans, reduced to begging for her husband’s life. Bit by bit, the money was collected with the help of sympathetic acquaintances and friends. Her husband returned from the hospital awfully weak, and unable to work. Forced to pull her children out of school, a hard decision for any mother, she paid back the loans.

The couple took one more shot at happiness. They had not given up despite every disaster that had struck their little family. The single property they had was sold, and a grocery store was set up. It slowly picked up pace, and once they passed the break-even point and started making a modest profit, her sons were able to resume their studies. They went back with twice the hard work and commitment, realizing the cost of their education. They passed with flying colors and made it to one of the best universities in the area.

“My children were my main motivation and foremost priority.” Her family was also very supportive and helped her throughout. Razia went through some very difficult and difficult times which often left her tense and anxious. ‘My life experiences made me think about the life I want my coming generation to have. And it is definitely not the way I lived it.’ She wanted to make a difference in the lives of her offspring. She frequently had to take anti-depressant pills due to all the stress.

Two of her sons graduated from the National University of Science and Technology and are now engineers. Her eldest son, now working in Australia, graduated from Rawalpindi Medical College. Due to his excellence in academics, he was called to John Hopkins University on a full Scholarship for his specialization. All this aside, they faced a dearth of social differences and many major cultural differences living abroad. Razia rented a house in I-8 to cope with the social problems her sons were facing. Her sons later bought her a house and she now lives in Margalla Town.

Even though her financial and social differences have come to an end, she still runs a tailor shop. ‘Stitching and designing had now become a part of my life. I don’t want to give it up.’ She also designs some embroidered clothes and has hired many workers. She is now one of the best tailors in Islamabad and is well known amongst many old Islamabadis. Razia Mushtaq is at present living a happy, content and satisfied life, but you can still see the tears in her eyes when she talks about her past.

COLORS OF LOVE AND COURAGE

A beautiful young girl was crying for help and weeping her heart out, while standing on the Bridge of Sutlej River near Shujahabad, Multan. Her cries were really tearing the listener’s hearts out. She had fear in her eyes, regret in her body language and a gesture of helplessness.  She was a very pretty Lady but, visibly looked shaken.  People started rushing towards her for want of cause of her such state.

This was a Bright Afternoon of September 1989. The River below the bridge was flowing very fast. Though, it was not full but still, water was about 50-80 feet deep. This Bridge, in normal circumstances, when the river is flowing regular, is about 100 feet above it. This is a multipurpose Bridge used for road as well as Rail traffic. At that point of time, the river water was flowing almost 50 feet below the Bridge.

On inquiry, the Girl, who later told her name as Ms Ejbah, though still weeping, told that she had come for an outing from Multan Cantonment with her Boyfriend, who was a Captain of Pakistan Army, namely Mr. Imran. She narrated that while they were standing on the Bridge and enjoying the view, she jokingly asked Captain Imran, her Boyfriend, as to what can he do for her to prove his love to her. Captain Imran replied, as told by Ms Ejbah, that he would do anything for her, she just has to name it. On this, she asked Captain Imran that can he jump into the river below from where they were standing. She said that Captain Imran asked her as to whether she is serious and on her positive response, jumped into the river, which was flowing very fast 50 feet below and was fearsome even to look at. Now she is crying because it’s been some time and her boyfriend has disappeared into the water and there is no sign of him since.

The Rescue Teams and police were called. Divers took the entire evening and some part of the night to locate the Captain or his body but in vein. The bridges towards the river flow were radioed and all the Villages/Towns all along the river bank were informed and were asked to extend their help. Till late night nothing was heard of the missing Boyfriend. The dejected lady was escorted to her home.

The Army authorities were also informed during the course and they, after getting the necessary information from the Girl, were able to establish the positive identity of Captain Imran and his unit. The matter was reported to the authorities.

Surprise Surprise! Captain Imran appeared his Unit Officer’s Mess by about early Dawn, when the Unit was ultimately about to inform Captain Imran’s parents of the Tragedy.

The Captain revealed that when he jumped into the river, due to the height of the Jumping point, he was drawn deep into the water. Rather he almost touched the river bed. The current of the river was so fast that by the time he surfaced, he was miles away from the Sutlej Bridge and in the middle of the river. He started swimming towards the river bank but, due to the fast current, drifted further another few miles away and was able to ashore.

A disciplinary action was initiated by the Army, as per their rules, against Captain Imran. He was charge-sheeted produced before the Divisional Commander, The General Officer Commanding the division, General “D”.

General “D” asked the Captain as to why did he do such an irrational and stupid act. The reply of the young Captain is part of the Glorious History of Pakistan Army. He said and I quote “Sir, the young Lady has asked me to jump into the River. It was a place from where normal person could feel chilled in his backbone due to fear of height, river current and ultimate death. For me, it was the reputation of the Pakistan Army in general and Pakistan Army Officer in particular at stake. I had no choice but to jump come what may. So I jumped and saved the Glorious name of Pakistan Army by putting my life in Danger.”

The General gave a big laugh and dismissed the case against the Captain.

What become to Ms Ejbah when she learnt about the survival of Captain Imran is anybody’s guess. Her Emotions cannot be boxed into words.

She is now mother of Two Kids of Captain Imran (now Brigadier) and thinks million times before asking any further adventure from her beloved Husband and they are living happily.