Behind the White Coat

Benazir Bhutto's Assasination

I have sadness. I have anger. I even have some embarassment on the part of our country. How could this happen? When things could not be any worse, once again, as is so engraved in the history of Pakistan, some heinous act of mindless terrorism must occur.  It doesn't matter if you were for or against her, this is a painful blow for Pakistan on many levels.  Now I may not have agreed with everything she has done, but she was important for the country.  She was important for democracy.  She did have a vision, and I believe she could have done a lot for the country.  (And please dont start commenting and reciting about all her faults, corruption, and all her other criticisms. We all know about it. But it is really irrelevant at this time) 

Yes I am upset. She was also a family friend. It's a terrible thing that has happened for the whole world. But I also have questions. Many questions....

1. Where the hell was the security? Why didn't Mush provide adequate security for Benazir? When Mush and Shaukat Aziz roll out, nobody can come near them. There are professional security police around them. Where was Benazirs? And who would let her stick her head out of the sunroof like a target? Especially after the near successful attempt via suicide bomber just weeks ago?  If you ask me, even though Musharraf wasn't behind this attempt, he "looked the other way" enough in my eyes by failing to protect her.

2. Gunshot. No shrapnel. No... Sunroof.  Are you serious?  What is the deal here? All these differing accounts, stories, and statements.  If you ask me, I believe what I see, what I hear from the people right next to her, and from the initial statement by the doctors and officials. And that is that it was either a bullet (which is what I believe), or shrapnel from the bomb.  You do not fracture your skull in three places (do you know how much forced that takes?) by bumping your head on the sunroof. Bullshit. I saw that sunroof. I saw the "x-rays". They are trying to deny her a martyrs death, for the interest of.... who? the government? Certainly not Pakistan.

3. On that same topic. How can we find out the truth? How can we really find out who did it? Am I to believe that a statement given the NEXT day by officials, who claim they are "certain" about the person behind the attack, that Al Qaeda operative.  Really now? You can be THAT sure, SO soon?  Why not say "investigation is continuing..."  Or we are "highly suspicious of..." Or something to make me think you are making an effort and trying to find the truth.  Shady. Don't just throw out a name based on who you think, or who you want, or even more scary, who you knew was responsible. 

4. So why refuse aid from the UK, the US, the UN to try and probe an investigation? Clearly Pakistan's governemnt is on top of it. Yeah right. Just like all the evidence we have from the bombing, given that fireman hosed clean the entire area hours after the bomb went off. CSI? Please.  So much shady business. So many questions unanswered. Only digging a hole deeper for the credibility of Pakistan, and it's "government" (I put it in quotes, because I don't think dictatorship is a government).

I could go on... but you get the point. Needless to say I don't trust the Pakistani government right now.  I think we cannot let them ignore the issue, refuse everything, and let the whole thing pass by.  The world deserves some sort of UN initiative to try and probe an external investigation.  I honestly don't think Pakistan is able to conduct an appropriate investigation on this matter, and I think to the rest of the World, they don't have the credibility to say "we got this one, but thanks for offering".

Karachi Dakus

I am not talking about the store this time.... I'm talkin bout the real deal.  Karachi is a shady place. It doesn't matter if you live in Defense, or Clifton, which are the neighborhoods where the well-off middle class predominate.  That probably just put you at greater risk for being targeted, and obligates the need for better security!  Things like robberies, car jackings, and even the occasional violent acts are not rare.  It may be the most liberal and cosmopolitan city, but also seems to hold enough crime, drugs, and violence (both political and non), to make it not particularly "safe".  In fact, a cousin of mine and his wife had a pretty scary experience happen to them just last week...

They are newly married, and were already living in Karachi for few months.  They got a new apartment somewhere in Defense (or was it Clifton?), and they were in the process of moving in.   There is no guard, only a locked gate in this complex.  They were going back and forth from their truck, moving stuff in throughout the day.  Then at some point, a few guys slipped in through the gate, and went up into their apartment, which was left open as they were moving things in.  Clearly they were watching and waiting for their moment of attack.  So they barge in with guns drawn. I think like 3 or 4 of them (I'll call them the "Dakus").  Drunk as hell, vodka in hand.  For the next 2 or 3 hrs they were basically fucking with their heads.  They poured the booze all over them, and made them drink the vodka. Especially my cousin's wife, getting them drunk and asking them all kinds of weird questions trying to get more information out.  Luckily my cuz kept his cool during the whole situation, and abided best they could.  They then made them cook food for them! While they sat there, looking around the house, seeing what they could take. Then the neighbor got suspicious, because the gate was left open, and lots of noise was coming.  As he knocked, they didn't answer, but he continued later on. So the Dakus locked my cuz and his wife in the bathroom and went to deal with him...  In the bathroom my cousin called his sister (luckily he had his phone!) in Islamabad, who told their dad, who promptly called the authorities.  Cuz also tried to break out of the bathroom window, but even if he had, he was a few stories up!   While this is happening, the Dakus answer the door, and there stands the neighbor. Wondering who the hell is this guy? He starts abusing them, cursing them off.  He also happened to be an ex-cop, so he had this tough-guy persona going on.  After some arguing, the Daku pulled out his gun, and shot him twice!!  Insanity!!  Ex-cop goes down, his wife comes in screaming later.  After all this, the Dakus realized it was time to go.  So they took everything they could.  All the jewelry, diamonds, and everything else they could grab (all the post-wedding stuff had not been locked away yet).  They took watches, cash, even my cousin's brand new suits!  They took and they ran.  Authorities came later.  I doubt anyone will ever get caught....

A scary ass situation, but thank god they are ok!  Keeping his cool saved them both I think.  The fact that they shot the neighbor, means one slip up, and these trigger happy felons would not hesitate.  I thought to myself what if my cousin had a gun? (Like a lot of Pakis do in the house).  That could have been a REAL bad situation, if shit went down, and shots were exchanged. How scary is that? Goes to show perhaps having a gun may do more harm than protection....  I guess this tells you, gotta have security guards. With Guns.  Though from what I hear, even some of those agencies organize inside jobs.  So what is one to do? Get private security. Or leave nothing valuable in the house or apt. 

Thoughts on Pakistan

Everyone knows about the political situation in Pakistan.   It is bad.  We are not a "democracy", and we have little outlets in terms of potential leaders to correct our situation without having other sacrafices, like economy, safety, foreign relations etc.... What is going to happen?  So Mush stepped down as the army chief. Great. Who do you think took over? Someone who is against him? Not really...  Mush lifted the state of emergency. Great?  Well not after dissolving the entire judiciary branch, replacing them with his own people, and not before changing a slew of laws deemin everything he did legal, and having nobody question his authority. Whatever happened to checks and balances?  His supporters quote the improvements in Pakistani economy and trade, and improved safety, etc... Is that Mush? Or is that the United States aid? But what about our democracy? If thats your argument, would you rather be a well fed prisoner? Or a hungry free man?  Anyway.. Just food for thought.  I can't say we have a solution, because there is no one candidate up for our "fair" elections that can save Pakistan.... Unfortunately...

Lets talk about safety. Is Pakistan safe?  Suicide bombers seem pretty common these days.  Fine it is in areas of dispute. It is targeting political figures.  What about the people? How bout you and me living in Pakistan, are we safein our daily lives? What if we steer clear of dangerous areas, and bad people, and away from political figures targeted by opposition parties... Are we safe just living life in Pakistan? Hah! I think not... Lets talk about Karachi... (After I take a little break for dinner....)

Racist New Yorkers

It's amazing that you can be in New York City, in a liberal and diverse area such as Greenwhich Village, and still encounter the most uneducated, despicable, douchebags of society, who roll in from NJ in Daddy's SUV. (Nothing against NJ, except for specific assholes like these guys) ...

So it was this past Saturday night, we were at my friend Aizaz's bday party at Sullivan Room, which is around Bleecker and Sullivan. Afterwards we are leaving, and I went to swing by Mahmoun's for a shwarma since the line wasn't that long (I haven't actually been there in years, I'd rather go to Kati Roll, though we did that the night before... But damn that Kati Roll is good!).  So anyways, I get my sandwhich, am heading for a cab, and some asshole yells out of his window "Hey Osama!"  I lost it.  I was pretty damn drunk as well, and I was just so goddamn angry.  I started screaming and abusing everyone in that car, and wanted to throw my sandwhich at his freakin SUV in anger, but I was just way too hungry, and I luckily decided against it.  I was alone as well, in retrospect, lucky for me those guys didn't come after me despite my taunts to dare them to do so, being the retarded, uneducated scum of society they were (white boy Jocks from NJ).   It's just ridiculous that we still have to deal with this shit. Particularly on the streets of NY, and in the liberal and culturally diverse neighborhood at that!  I feel sorry for those guys.  I seriously still wish I could go choke those guys, but what good what that do I suppose....

On a brighter note, I have finally gotten rid of the piece of shit Krazr phone.  I am now a part of AT&T wireless, and am rocking a Blackberry 8310.  It is great. Especially coming from a useless phone that I had.. The verizon network was good, but the phone was so horrible I couldn't handle it. And having email and internet at my fingertips is too good to resist.  Of course the Iphone was an option.. But it was 500$ even with a contract, and they are coming out with Iphone 2 probably in 5 or 6 months, so why not wait? Besides, the deal I got was great.  100$ for the phone, AND he gave me 200$ to cover the fee for cancelling my verizon contract!!  The fee was actually only $150, so I basically paid 50$ for  the new phone.  Gotta love it!