Month: April 2022

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SHIQURDU 28

 

 

156

राहे उल्फत में तन्हा सा इक राज़ हूँ मैं

कभी खामोश तो कभी अनगिनत अल्फाज़ हूँ मैं

 

 

157

पूछा मैंने खुदा से,

अंदर मेरे ये कैसा शोर है,

हंस कर खुदा बोला,

चाहतें तेरी कुछ और थी, 

पर तेरा रास्ता कुछ और है

 

 

158

अच्छा है चुप रहना सीख

लेकिन सच भी कहना सीख

हार जीत सब बेमानी है

गिर-गिर उठते रहना सीख

 

 

159

मैं आज ‘मैं होना चाहता हूँ

बिन सफ़र, बिन मंज़िलों का एक रास्ता होना चाहता हूँ

 

 

160

मैं न कोई मसीहा, न कोई रहनुमा हूँ,

मैं अपनी ही  आग हूँ.. मैं अपना ही धुआं हूँ

मैं अपना ही समंदर हूँ.. मैं अपना ही तूफां हूँ

 

 

  • Shiqurdu is a collection of thoughts. Although an odd sounding name, but felt appropriate for the collection.

 

  • These are simplified quotes in Hurdu (Hurdu being a mix of Hindi and Urdu akin to Hinglish i.e., hindi and english). Although in some cases the language has been simplified but attempt has been made to retain the thought and the poetic flavor.

 

  • These thoughts have been picked up from various publications. Credit goes to all the original writers who penned down these deep meaning messages.

 

 

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Pakistan in Turmoil: Once Again

Pic Courtesy: Net (Dawn)

Khan a popular cricket star, was elected prime minister in 2018 on a reform and anti-corruption platform.

Khan followed an antagonistic brand of politics, at times unwilling to build political consensus.

Some parties and the opposition formed an alliance in 2020 and have tried to oust Khan from power.

The opposition says Imran Khan has failed to deliver, citing inflation, and economic pressures.

Now he faces a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly.

 

Dynamics

 

Political Pattern.

  • Pakistan displays a political cycle indicating built-in political instability.
  • No Pakistani prime minister has completed their full five-year term in office.
  • The opposition parties do not wait for elections to occur, for the previous party to be voted out.

 

Military

  • Khan’s relationship with the military has changed.
  • The military had stood behind Khan since 2018.
  • Lately, faultlines have emerged in Khan’s relationship with the military.
  • The military is not happy with the way he runs domestic politics.
  • The military also does not like his antagonistic brand of politics.
  • One of the triggers is the appointment of the ISI chief. The military had presented the candidate for the next chief of the ISI and Khan dragged his feet over that, leading to an impasse. This was an embarrassment for the military.

 

Foreign Policy

  • Khan wants Pakistan to have an independent foreign policy, i.e. good relationship with all powers (Russia, China, and the US).
  • But the reality is that under Khan’s term, Pakistan has drifted away from the US.
  • Whereas, Pakistan is getting closer to China and Russia.
  • The Pak military wants a closer relationship with the US.

 

Afghanistan Factor.

  • US withdrawal from Afghanistan is another factor for the coldness of the relationship with the US.
  • The US has no need for Pakistan for its fight in Afghanistan.
  • Pakistan’s engagement with the Taliban is another factor having both external and internal repercussions.

 

Imran’s Last Ditch Efforts.

  • Khan is relying on popular political tactics, basically blaming the political turmoil on a foreign conspiracy theory, blaming the West.
  • He claims that the opposition is acting at the behest of western foreign powers and the CIA.
  • He is portraying himself as the one to stand up against the west.

 

Likely Outcomes.

 

One thing is sure, whatever happens, would be with the support of the Pakistan Military.

The military has said that it is neutral in the vote of no confidence situation. What it means is it is ditching Imran Khan.

 

Imran Stays.

  • This is possible only if he cuts a deal with the military.
  • In this case, he would be weakened and would have to tow the military line.

 

Imran Goes.

  • Political instability would prevail.
  • This could result in early elections.
  • The elections would be highly charged and the possibility of political violence is very high.

 

Imran takes political asylum.

  • This is another possibility as has happened before with Nawaz Sharif and Pervez Musharraf.
  • He is already stating a threat to his life. This could be making grounds for seeking political asylum in the future.

 

Repercussions

 

Pakistani people are losing faith in the electoral process.

Whatsoever be the outcome, either way, Pakistan’s democracy will suffer.

Prevailing political instability and violence may create further economic crisis in the country.

The military may step in and take control as has happened before, till they install another puppet government.

 

Bottom Line

Time for India to keep its guard up.

Going by past experience anti-Indian activities and sentiments go up during these times.

 

Question

Who are the contenders for the post of PM in Pakistan?

 

Random Thought 1.

The oft-repeated political cycle in Pakistan sounds familiar.

The military installs a puppet government.

Things keep getting worse.

Military cuts the cord.

The military takes over or installs another government.

Military is seen as a saviour and retains control.

 

Random Thought 2.

The oft-repeated cycle of political asylum also sounds familiar.

The political leaders in Pakistan stay in power till the military wants.

Once deposed, they take political asylum.

Live happily ever after.

 

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References and credits

To all the online news channels.

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COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND BODY LANGUAGE

 

Pic courtesy Net

 

Communication is an art/skill.

 

As a speaker, you are a salesman trying to sell your idea.

 

DOs

 

Provide a Reason for the Audience to Listen. Tell the audience why they should listen carefully to you. Tell them what is in it for them.

 

Give Perspective. Generally, the chosen topics are very broad-based. Providing a perspective narrows down the scope and also provides the framework for the talk.

 

Establish Credibility. Give the audience a reason to believe your claim. Point out why your thoughts and your words are relevant and they matter.

 

Save the Best for Last. Once you have the audience’s attention, speak about what you need them to hear. To keep the interest alive keep providing glimpses of what is coming up.

 

Correlate Issues with the Audience. Establish the repercussions of the issues being discussed. Focus your communication on the issues that the audience correlates with.

 

Provide Obvious Seeming Solutions. Good communication provides solutions. Do not make them sound too complex, instead make them seem obvious. This gives the audience a sense of ownership and increases their interest.

 

Crystal Gaze. Always resort to some amount of crystal gazing and forecasting about things to come in the future. 

 

 

Pic courtesy Net

 

Body Language: Avoid These Blunders

 

 

Our bodies have a language of their own.

 

Body language is a very powerful tool.

 

DONTs:

 

Crossed Arms. Creates a physical barrier that suggests you’re not open to what the other person is saying. The other person may get a sense that you’re shutting him or her out.

 

Exaggerated Gestures. Instead aim for small, controlled, and open gestures.

 

Turning Yourself Away. Conveys that you are unengaged, uninterested, uncomfortable, and perhaps even distrustful.

 

 Slouching. It is a sign of disrespect. It communicates that you’re bored and have no desire to be where you are.

 

Avoiding Eye Contact. It arouses suspicion and also indicates a lack of confidence and interest. Sustained eye contact, on the other hand, communicates confidence, leadership, strength, and intelligence.

 

Too Intense Eye Contact. It may be perceived as an aggressive dominating approach. 

 

Watching the Clock Frequently. It is a sign of impatience and disrespect. It sends the message that you have better things to do than talk to the person you’re with.

 

Fidgeting and Exaggerated Nodding. It distracts and signals anxiousness.

 

Scowling or Unhappy Expression.  This sends the message that you’re upset by those around you, and it turns people away. Smiling, on the other hand, suggests that you’re open, trustworthy, confident, and friendly.

 

Weak Handshakes. A weak handshake signals a lack of confidence, while a too strong one could be perceived as an aggressive attempt at domination.

 

Getting Too Close. Standing too close makes people uncomfortable. Respect others’ personal space.

 

 

Bottom Line

Keep the Audience awake and interested.

 

Learnt with Experience

People love catchy phrases.

 

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References and credits

To all the online news channels.