51%?

Is being a woman, a crime?
then why does this society treat them in that way?
Everywhere people talk about human rights, aren't they a part of such rights?
then why, why does this society deprive them of these rights?
Are they just here to stay behind the veils, inside the four walls of the house, be at service to their husbands and bear all their mood swings and when they aren't pleased, these women are the victim of their anger

Why is there a wide contrast in the societies?
A country where women have been the prime minster and ministers and been the speaker of the parliament, there also are women who are a victim of acid attacks, domestic violence, physical and mental abuse, rape, torture, deprivation of basic needs and sadly very few of them report such cases again to this social taboo that women reporting all this and visiting police stations bring shame to the family.

Moreover, many just keep suffering, keeping their mouths locked and not letting their screams out of those walls of the house where they are tortured for several years.

This is the same story behind every disfigured face at the Aurat Foundation in islamabad. Most have been the victims of acid attacks, the faces which once had been known for their beauty are now a disgrace.
'I haven't stepped out of this place since the time i was brought here, and if i do people get scared and call me by bad names, said a woman who didn't want to be named.

What is life for these women, don't they deserve to be happy? many laws have come up but very few implemented,
'We cannot implement laws until people are ready to understand, whats more important is to change the way people think', said a social worker working at the foundation.

Such was the case of Mukhtaran mai,a married woman who was gang raped in a small village and got justice after several years of pain and struggle.

The question is when will the time come when these women will get justice?

i have a dream..

No its not the copy of Dr.Martin Luther King's revolutionary speech portraying his fight for black -Americans but its a note which conveys my inner feelings as a young Nationalist.

My dream is no different from his, infact we both tend to share the same content in our dreams.

Its the fight for our people , our nation, our country.

In my case its my beloved country Pakistan, The Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

At the stage of being regarded as the most dangerous country, i still have the hope that the sun of prosperity & peace will rise in this nation.

People will be given a voice & they are the one who will save this country.

Democracy will flourish in this part of the sub-continent & people will stand up for themselves & those who cannot will be given a source to convey their voice to the world.

We are not weak , we have not given up hope . Its not that easy to give us some 'labels' or 'tags'& get away.

You cannot get away like that , we will not let you get away so easily!

In any circumstances we will stand shoulder to shoulder and protect our borders.

We still have that element of unity, faith & discipline within us .Don't test us!

Though we are going through a sensitive phase i have a dream that we will overcome every obstacle on our road to democracy.


WE ARE NOT HERE BECAUSE OF ANYONE, WE ARE HERE INSPITE OF EVERYONE


May God shower His blessings on this land

veil

As she steps out of the house everyday, its normal for Tara, an 19 year old from a lower class family, to face this pain.Working ladies are still not accepted by most pakistanis in this culture, but she can do nothing about it. She has her old parents to support and three younger sisters who are still completing their education, being the breadwinner she has to face these hardships everyday.
And what are the hurdles? this soceity? the men that chase her everyday, worried about her honour, respect and dignity as she changes buses from buses to reach the textile factory where she works.
Ironically, most people working in the factory are females but there is still a fear, she's scared that these women might doubt her character as she is too young to work or step out of her house or some might just land up with a marriage proposal at her house and she knows that her parents might agree cause they are already looking for a man who earns just enough to feed her
and then what about her sisters' education, their future, her future? and Tara was different from all the women working there unlike them she was educated and ambitious but due to her age, gender and soceity, she was forced to take up a job which didnt have anything to do with her qualifications.

And she doesnt want to marry, she feels that she still has a lot to do and achieve, she doesnt want to be stuck in the four walls of the house cooking and taking care of children instead wants to open a school for children in her locality and give back all that she gained

But the question is, with this soceity who who doesnt let a single woman survive on her own, would she be able to follow her dreams?

Streets..

through the dusty streets of lahore, sat an old woman calmly with wrinkles all over her face clearly portraying the strange years she probably spent on this same place as a loner
she isnt new to this place, she has been watched sitting quietly by a school boy who is now probably into his second year of university, so much has changed but not for her
she watched him daily for years sometimes running to catch the bus, sometimes strolling down the streets with friends chasing girls, sometimes hidding from parents when returning late home
with so much happening and everyone worried about themselves, has anyone ever wondered whats the true story behind this lady? indeed the world is selfish

has anyone cared to know who is this woman with almost grey hair, wrinkled and torn face and rough eyes which has seen so much and never said anything
where is her family, her home, why is she all by herself when at this age she needs her loved ones to be by her side cause at anytime her age might just take over her
but no, it seems like no one cares and she's just waiting for that last moment when she could just bid farewell to these selfish streets

after so many years of seeing this lady , that boy now probably a young man who is about to leave for studies abroad went upto her.
he bowed down and said softly 'amma'(granny), she didnt seem to reply
she had a strange look on her face and she didnt seem to reply as if she has forgotten to speak
he repeated, 'amma?' mein jaa raha hoon ( i am going), she had a worried, depressed look on her face
she lifted her hand trembling and worn and touched his head
with a soft smile and a sad look in her eyes she handed him a chain with pendent, he took it and opened the pendent
he saw an old picture of handsome young boy
she finally spoke: 'Allah naainsaafi nahi karta'( God never does injustice) 'maine ek beta kho diya toh doosra paya' ( i lost one son but i got another)
With hearing this that guy just broke down into tears and left
after an year he came back to the same old place, nothing had changed but one thing was missing, where was amma? he looked everywhere only to discover that amma was no more, he felt a sense of loss, he could feel her in that place, he wished if only he could see her again...