Golden Anniversary/Friends

We started 1952 our friendship with our admission to medical school
Our names start with last of the alphabets so we got booked this way (my name with W, wahaj and others with Z one of them with S).

First about the second picture below--- see carefully
The upper exposure in the second picture, was taken 1955-56 and the lower one 2004 (Christmas day)

Now the first (upper) photo---
Benazir's untimely death creating unhealthy circumstances, cancelled our programs that were schduled on 28th and 30th Dec. 2007 in Lahore.
To cut the story short we got together on 30th of Dec. in Gujranwala, our host being a friend who has for 50+ years been trying to get into our five's group but something or the other keeps him from it. You are wondering why?
Well, firstly his name begins with A which is far removed from Z or W or S. Second they divided our batch of 100 to 110 students (in those days) into two groups batch A and batch B. So our friend with A fell into A batch and whether you can appreciate it or not there is a huge difference in the two batches. The A were tempramentally very different group than those of us in the B. I know you are shaking your head but it is true and I cant go into more details, you have to just believe me. Now read on---
Well, here was a good chance for our friend with A to join us as he played our host in Gujranwala. Now this was a gesture we could not resist and of course he is an excellent host and a generous one.
So you see this photo taken by S, (so he is not in) and you see we are discussing after a sumptuous dinner at his "joint" (but seriously he has a very comfortable and cosy home)
So it does appear to be historic occasion.
We have played this a continuing pun but the fact is we have had a sincere and long lasting friendship even though our professional and personal lives have been somewhat varied. Yes we are all thankful to the Almighty for allowing us to enjoy each other's company and in relatively good health, like one of my older friends once said "Allah ka shukr hay baghair baisakhiyon kay chal laita hoon" . This all is from His Grace that we are still able to do. So we thank Him profusely when we meet together.
Going back to 1952, we were sitting in the Jinnah (Lawrence) Gardens (the five of us) when I placed this suggestion of friendship for each of us to tell all the 'secrets' of our lives to become close friends as we were going to be together for a minimum of 5 years before graduating. We have by the Grace of God shared our lives ever since then and helped each other whenever we could and kept close contact as much as we could, no matter where we lived.

Jum'ah Journal

Did anybody find somewhere in the Islamic law that a Qadhi can nullify a properly solemnised legal marriage of a Muslim couple after awhile when they already have children born of that legal marriage?
Has Saudi Arabian culture been given preference to Shariah?
It seems then, all those people married and settled in S. Arabia, can be unsettled anytime if I was to approach a Qadhi and convince him the bride and the groom are not equal and ask for anullment of marriage.
And what about the children who are already born?
It is perfectly understandable why the media take these 'samples' of "muslim country laws".
Or is it not true story. We are left confused sometimes but if it is true story:
"cho kufr az ka'ba berkhaized kuja manad musalmani" (When disbelief springs from the ka'aba itself what is left of Musalmani or Islam)

Recent trip to Pakistan

EACH BREATH THAT ONE TAKES IS A STEP TOWARD ONE"S DESTINY (Ali IBn-Abi Taalib RA)

Well, I was informed there will be trouble still I took the step for we had planned 50th anniversary of our graduation (From KE Medical College)
As I landed in Islamabad on 26th Dec. I saw all the posters of Benazir speaking on 27th all over in the city, so I knew what was happening but what actually happened on 27th was not my expectation (although later it dawned on me that it was expected after all). It was aweful and sad but how it hit me was as follows.
The same evening 'riot' started. All gas-stations were closed, shops closed and as the people of Pakistan were "mad and grieved" (Death of BeNazeer)they started
looting banks
burning cars
burning buses
burning trains
nobody was safe from this "soge" (mourning) even the 'ata carrying trucks' (wheatflour) were burnt (knowing there was ata aboard). This is grief?
AND police watched, no orders to stop this vicious 'soge' from any authority (what is authority in Pakistan?) After all the journalists/photographers had these perpetrators on their record and could be identified and tried and punished, I thought.
Results: There was deficiency of ata and the poor went hungry as it would sell at disproportionately high price. There was increased 'load-shedding' of electricity and also load -shedding of sui gas (So if you did'nt cook in time you may end up waiting till gas returns otherwise stay hungry) The PM said there is plenty of ata, dont worry but people started getting frustrated and hungry all over Pakistan. It was supposed to last for three days.
The hooligans and looters made fortunes. Many good people lost their cars. There was hardly any city that did not suffer. You could not travel safely at all anywhere. PPP said that they will 'soge' for 40 days. God help us if this is mourning.

Honestly can you make any sense out of it? The president said 'tahmmul say kaam ley jiyay' (Be patient) as if he was a big leader and was a real president so people would obey his orders.
So, I waited till my friend got some gas and came to pick me up. We planned our own get together in Gujranwala next day. But my friend's wife came back from evening walk and told us tomorrow you want to go but there is "Pahiya-jam hartaaal" TOMORROW (Khudaya what on earth is that?). My friend explained, Cars and other vehicles will be caught (at random) and tires burnt etc. so the "Jiyalas" will be out extending the 'soge'. She advised we better get away the same evening, so all plans were rescheduled and worked alhamdulillah and we were all together having our 'party' in Gujranwala, 6 of us the old friends and the host (Asif ) was so gracious and entertaining.
The next day my other friend was going to Lahore by car so I decided to go with him to Lahore (no "pahiya-jam hartaaal' in Lahore) and visit Gujranwala later.
There, we got together in Panjab club house, about 15 of class-mates (KE grads of 1957) who were residents in Lahore and decided to get 'celebrations after the elections (knowing we, from US or Canada wont be able to come). Two or three of them I could not recognize (meeting after 50 years) and so as I hugged I asked 'who are you'. We just had a great lunch, enjoyed some gup-shup and parted.
Then I learnt, my nephew in Karachi had a heart attack so I decided to go to Karachi along with my sister. Booked flights and got the tickets for 12th Jan. (too risky to travel by train). Unfortunately sister got sick while I was in the village and she wanted me to come back to Lahore. I had the tickets so we needed to return her ticket which we sent by hand next day and I stayed one more day in Gujranwala with my nephews (two). When my brother-in-law was returning tickets in PIA office there had been a "dhamaka" (Explosion) in GPO area but he was OK, Alhamdulillah.
In Karachi I stayed with my nephew for the day and returned safely as I heard there was another "dhamaka" in Karachi. God knows how many other big towns were planned for dhamakas, so I stayed put in Lahore until I flew out to JFK via Dubai.
This is briefly what I experienced in Pakistan after 'they' killed Benazir. I may have my own ideas on that killing but I felt so sorry for Benazir. After all she was a 'leader' and deserved better. What is beyond me, however, is the behavior of the people of Pakistan. I was a Pakistani too and had witnessed personally the beautiful morning of 15th of August of 1947. Still have vivid memories of the day. That spirit of being free from the English!!, that freedom, that Pakistani flag I personally made (Over two weeks prior to that, cutting out green and white pieces of cloth) and hoisted it proudly on the top of our house in the village.
Am I also a part of these people who now call themselves Pakistani? Is that the 'freedom' they wanted? I have tons of questions in my mind and am trying to identify myself with them, they are my people after all. I should not have such questions.
Have I become too much American?

Musa's welcome

Landing in NY, (freezing cold but sunshine) was not a very pleasant experience which I am ignoring mainly because what happened to me when I reached RDU.
I reached the baggage receiving area and started looking for my wife, did'nt see. As I walked toward the carousel, something made me look behind and I was instantaneously transported into another world. There was a smart youngman clothed in warm and protective outfit walking briskly (running) towards me, saying 'abbu'.
Lo! and behold this was MUSA and I bent down to pick him up and there were hugs and kisses. He has a habbit of giving me a long hug and this was overdue for him as I had been away from him for more than 3 weeks.
Such was the surprise planned by Musa's Naani. It certainly was the most pleasant surprise of my life. He was so cute (piyara) at that time and yes I would have given anything for that pleasure (I lost 8000 rupees--about133 dollars at JFK) which only a grandfather can experience in meeting his loving grandson, suddenly emerging out of the unknown people of the airprot.
What a welcome!!!!

I am back, safe

Yes I was in Islamabad when they assassinated Benazir, but not being fond of her speeches I was not in the crowd.
The what hapened to my stay there needs lot more time folks and I need to recover from my long flights before writing
May Allah forgive her, she was decidedly a popular leader of Pakistan for whtever reason andwas definitely an internationally recognised one. I have several criticisms of her but she is no more and she was a Muslim. I was sad.
More later IA