A salute to Younis Khan

Written By: Bariyah Faisal

Well, well, well,  another century for Younis Khan and still more to come . He has achieved another milestone.  In first innings of 1st test against Australia, he equalled Inzamam's record of 25 hundreds.  In the 2nd  inning, he scored the 2nd century and became first Pakistani batmen to have 26 centuries in test cricket.  He surely deserves a salute.

Younis Khan is an outstanding player. On his best day he can totally rip apart the opposition bowling attack. He doesn't care if it's Johnson or Steyn bowling him, he will just do his job. His batting style isn't elegant but his strokes and sweep shots are very pleasing to watch.  Younis Khan has always been overshadowed by the likes of Inzaman,  Yousuf,  Miandad,  Saeed Awanwar and never received the praise he deserved but now he has established himself as a better cricketer than them. Younis Khan has now centuries against all test playing nations. It is also an record as no Pakistani has ever done that.  Both Inzamam and Yousaf failed to score centuries against South Africa.

This test match against the Aussies is special both for Pakistan and Younis. Pakistan was whitewashed in the odi series and Younis Khan was left out of series which even sparked a controversy.  Younis strongly replied with his bat.  In the first inning when two quick wicket fell,  he bowed his head and dragged Pakistan out of the difficult phase.  In the second innings,  he played crucial innings with Ahmed Shazed who has also made hundred,  to extend Pakistan's lead to 437.  He has told the selectors that he isn't old yet. He can still play beautifully and will  never miss a chance to score hundred.  He is calm,  composed and  build his innings.  He does nothing out of ordinary yet his overall innings always look extraordinary.  He will Insha Allah make more centuries and will guide Pakistan to more victories.

My Pakistan

Written By: Shanzay Khan

The tinkling bangles, the bright dupattas.

The bumpy roads, the deep khaddas.

The smell of the food street,

Of chicken and meat,

Of charges and biryani,

Of tikkas and nihari.

The beautiful sounds

Of children playing in the merry-go round.

This is my Pakistan, this is my Pakistan.

The city lights,

The rush hour fights

The boys on every street busy at cricket

Their joyous screams at every wicket

The girls that gossip huddled together

Gathered in the country yard they can talk forever.

The bubbling laughter, the victorious shouts.

This is my Pakistan, this is my Pakistan.

The crowd at seaview, enjoying the most glorious shore.

The kebabs at Burns Road, I always want more.

The bunkebabs from hawkers, Flamingo’s chana chat

The sweetness of kulfi, warm Kashmiri chai on a wintery raat.

The sights, the smells

The sounds, the ringing bells.

This is my Pakistan, this is my Pakistan.

But what is this I hear, a bloodcurdling scream?

Is this is nightmare or was that a dream?

Sons are dying, mothers are crying.

There is little hope, yet we are trying.

Is this my Pakistan? Is this my Pakistan?

The ambulance sirens ringing in my ears,

What has happened while I was away all those years.

Two more bomb blasts, a hundred more die.

How long will this last, how many more will cry.

Is this my Pakistan? Is this my Pakistan?

The homeless, the orphans, the poor

Are all shown out of the door.

It’s a vicious cycle

Who will end this? Ali, Pooja or Michael?

Is this my Pakistan? Is this my Pakistan?

It’s hopeless state, filled with despair.

How much more? How much more will we bear?

The laughter dies

Now all I hear cries

This is not Quaid’s Pakistan. This is not my Pakistan.

For the sake of smile on Quaid E Azam's face.

Happy Birthday Quaid E Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah!

Hope you are doing fine in the heavens, are in the best of health. You were not in good health when you left us on that road in Karachi on that extremely hot September day. We could not save you unfortunately, the ambulance was out of order, how unfortunate is that.

But you know, you left us too early, we needed you so much. We still do actually, too bad you are not around. Ironically you are the best leader we have had in the past 67 years, that's is because you were the best ever and because your next generation is not capable of doing what you did, the worst part is they don't even try to follow your footsteps.

You have away your life for Pakistan, you never let your tuberculosis be a hurdle in doing everything to give us Pakistan and work for its betterment, our current leaders, even if they have flu they run away to foreign countries for a checkup. Why are they not like you? They have their sons and daughters ready to 'lead' (eat) Pakistan in future, believe me, I would have loved your son or daughter to lead Pakistan.

You know what hurts? We only know about you as much as we need to write an essay in our class test or exam. We write all your quotes with a blue marker, or in quotes, but we NEVER ever give them importance, their importance is as much as getting good marks in your class test.

You know what hurts? They talk about Gandhi all over the world, when actually it was you, who was the bravest, most intelligent of them all. What do we tell the world when we don't even know anything about you ourselves.

You know what hurts? They all sit in front of your picture handing in the back, we all draw your portraits, paint you, like to update our display pictures on social pictures, call you the most handsome but NEVER learn anything from your life.

You know what hurts? You wanted us to work work and work for Pakistan, but look what we do? nothing. I know no one can go out and do anything but point is we don't even try, we don't even want to try, we just feel happy we are safe and alive.

You know what hurts? We make fun of you, we call you Amreeki Agent, we blame you for dividing subcontinent, we call your picture on our currency ' babay ki tasveer wala note ' we make jokes about you, your tomb is famous for drug addicts and couples, shame. Maybe we are getting what we deserve.

You know what hurts the most? You wanted us to take care of Pakistan, but look what we are doing with your country, we treat it as if it is not our country, we are destroying ourselves, killing each other, fighting among themselves, divided.

I try looking at your picture and I can't even look at it for more than a few seconds you know why? I feel ashamed and embarrassed because we are letting you down.

But hey, it is never too late is it? Maybe we can start from today?

One thing I know for sure, you still worry about us, you pray for us, you want to see us prosperous, happy and united. I guess it is about time we start playing our part, we start doing things at our own level that you expected from us, we start respecting you and come up to your expectations.

It is because of you that we are independent, proud, happy, we have had so many moments to cherish now it is our time to pay you back, by trying our best that we will treat everyone equal be it is a Shia, Sunni, Christian, Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, Punjabi or Pathan or Baloch or Sindhi and Kashmiri,We treat each other as Pakistanis after all we are Pakistanis and keep our ego aside.

Least we can do is to dedicate ourselves in our own capacity to Pakistan because we want to look at your picture with pride instead of embarrassment and want you to know that we tried our best for your Pakistan, our Pakistan and then imagine your handsome smile.

My Promise to 141 Cute little Kids of Peshawar.

Kids of the School that was attacked in Peshawar. 

In the name of Allah the most merciful, the most forgiving, the one who is the creator of all he beings, the one who gives and takes away lives!

It is really dark right now, fitting maybe because of the kind of day it was, dark just as dark as this night, I am clutching my fingers, touching my hair again and again rolling them, I do this whenever I am extremely depressed, sad or nervous.

I have not been able to stop my tears all day, it was really tough, meeting so many people, you have to hide how you feel and be strong. My heart is beating really fast, I feel nauseating, this last happened when I had this heart problem and I felt I will die.

I should be strong? I am a man? But I just cant hold my tears back anymore, I have been crying for the past 20 minutes, but there is no one here to tell me it will get better, fitting as well, because what happened today, a guy asked me what happened in Pakistan today?

What happened was, Humanity died. 141 little kids died, martyred. Barbarically. The heart of their parents died, forever. Pakistan died for those few hours, I died, with every time the death toll rose.

Never in my life have I felt this helpless, all those times of shouting and chanting Pakistan, I am gonna do this and that for Pakistan, I just could not do anything at all, shame on me. How I wish I could fly to Peshawar, hug all those parents who lost their kids, tell them I can't replace your brave little kids, but I am here, I will be your son your daughter. I just could not.do anything.

One day ago, I had this nightmare that someone is killing me again and again, no matter how hard I try that person is able to shoot me, I am dying again and again.

Yesterday was so much fun, telling everyone about how much I love kids, how much I love baby sitting them, how much I adore seeing them smile and laugh and do stupid senseless stuff, Thinking about my cute little cousins I slept.

I woke up and opened twitter expecting all those lame weird tweets, getting to read the news of an attack on Peshawar! Oh another attack, 20 dead? was my reaction. So heartless right? 40, oh this is getting serious. A friend called from Pakistan, Raafay? You hear the news? 84 KIDS shot dead.... WHAT? 84 KIDS? I got out of my bed rushed towards TV, BBC was more concerned about 2 Australians who died. got my laptop switched it on ...

" Pakisran ki tareekh ka sab se bara saniha, 100 bachay shaheed, deshat gardon ne bachon k sir par goliyan marin aur unki lashain utha kar bahar phaik di "
(Biggest tragedy of Pakistan's history, 100 kids shot in the head, their dead bodies thrown out)

I do not know how I passed the day after that, it must have been the toughest, I can remember a few tough days in my life, this was right up there.

Kids are like flowers are they not? So delicate, so fresh. Parents or not, known or unknown, you look at kids and when they smile, it gives you such a refreshing feeling that it is hard to explain, you forget all the sadness and problems of your life do you not? Whenever I hold them kids in my arms, they ride on my back, I am so worried what if I hurt them? what if they fall or cry? How can someone think about killing them just like that? I mean ...

Talibaan are so brave that Pakistan army attacks them and they attack innocent kids and kill them to show how brave they are, people can stoop to the worst level, but this has to be the worst of the worst of the worst level, and if this is bravery, then shame on this bravery, those kids who lost their lives are braver than any of these 'Soldiers of God', I used to think Talibaan are cowards, now I am sure they are the most cowardly people on planet earth.

He was my dream, they shot my dream, they ended it. A father of a kid who lost his life, said. Alhamdulillah, I am so proud he gave away his life for Pakistan, he said.

So brave! So strong!

I swear this is the most difficult article of my life, it really is. Before today I used to tell myself what a beautiful world it is, today, I think it is hell, close to hell maybe. 141 kids shot dead to show power.

A wish it is that when I wake up tomorrow, it is all a nightmare, I wake up in the morning telling myself oh what a bad bad dream just like the one I had two days ago, but sadly it is a reality, a bitter one.

I am so unsure about so many things right now but this tragedy has made me sure about one thing.

Terrorists can never break Pakistan down, they never can. Because we are so strong, that we can defeat all the tragedies we face, be it earthquake, flood or barbaric killings, we sure will come out stronger from this, but I just hope we learn from it, we really do.

I am sure, I have never seen Pakistan this united. Except for a few exceptions, people forgot what religion they are from, what sect they are from, which political party they support. It is unbelievable how tragedies can bring people close, the lives of these cute innocent kids will not go to waste, I really really hope we stay united.

Could not eat all day, could not sleep all day, could not smile or talk to anyone properly, could not look up towards the sky, could not face the people around me, I felt I had lost someone too. Just like the family of those kids.

I will NEVER forget this tragedy, this tragic day, believe me it has changed me, at one hand it has broken my heart maybe forever but on the other hand it has made me stronger and more committed to Pakistan.

Our country needs us, maybe more than ever. Let us just promise one thing to ourselves.

I promise till my last breath that no matter what happens, I will do my best in every possible way to make Pakistan better, be it from blogging, or social work or promoting the softer image to fighting for it and giving my life for it. Today I can feel the support of all these 141 kids behind me, their voice in my ears, I can imagine them singing the national anthem of Pakistan in heavens. This will be enough to spur me all my life, I promise to remember my promise.

In any case now, whenever I will see any kid smiling, It will automatically remind me of this, and you know what? I owe this to those 134 brave and cute kids, I owe them this.

This is my promise to them. What is your promise? 

A Son

Four of the 141 kids who lost their lives in Peshawar Attack.

Written By: Kimz Aziz.

He said he had a fever,

I laughed and ignored.

He laughed too, because he was joking,

I won't hear his jokes anymore.

I asked him to get ready,

So that he could go to school.

I wish i hadn't asked him,

Oh, I was such a fool.

He wanted to become a soldier,

And serve his country.

Who knew his school would be blasted,

And i won't be seeing him again.

I sent him to school in a uniform,

I had cleaned it myself.

Now I have it in my hands,

Covered in blood, his blood.

They didn't just kill my son,

They killed a future soldier,

They killed a child,

They killed me too. 

I wish i had fallen for his trap,

I wish i had not ignored.

I wish i had said its okay son,

Today,you can stay at home.

Adeeb Sulaiman al Balushi

Nine-year-old Emirati inventor of devices such as a car seatbelt heart monitor, cleaning robot and light-weight prosthetic limbs has been honoured by Dubai Municipality (DM) ahead of World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD).

Boy wonder Adeeb Al Balushi was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the municipality’s Director-General Hussain Lootah at the DM’s main building in Deira on Thursday.

WIPD is held on April 26 every year to celebrate innovation and highlight patent and copyright issues.
Also honoured on Thursday were DM officials during a ceremony titled “Creativity – The Generation Next,” which is this year’s WIPD theme.

16/12/14 - Peshawar.

Written By: Jaweriya Ahmad

16/12/14 - This day, will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of Pakistan. Why? Because we lost more than a hundred innocent kids in a heinous terrorist attack that morning. More than a hundred future doctors, engineers, architects lost. More than a hundred families ruined. More than a hundred dreamers killed, more than a hundred dreams shattered and above all, more than a hundred Malala Yousufzais killed— more than a hundred potential Nobel Peace Prize winners of the future killed. More than a hundred innocent kids, who woke up that morning to go to school, didn’t know they won’t ever be able to come back home.

Words are not enough to express my grief over this horrifying attack that my mind is still struggling to comprehend, but here’s a little something I wrote for all those little angels resting in heavens at the moment:

"Hey there, angel, I see so many stars in the sky tonight. I know you must be in heaven right now, playing with all your friends. It’s nice up there, isn’t it? I know you miss your mom, I know you miss your dad, they miss you too. We all do. A lot. Years from now, you’d all have become talented individuals had you not fallen victim of this terrible incident. But you know what? It was all God’s plan. This world is a bad place, full of bad people, and He didn’t want you to become like them, so He took you back, and He has already punished all those tall & ugly men who hurt you. You may have been gone, but I promise, you will never be forgotten. I promise that your sacrifice, your death, it won’t ever go unnoticed. I promise that we’ll bring your perpetrators to justice, each and every one of them, so no other kid should have to suffer the same fate as yours. I promise you’ll always be in our hearts. I promise you’ll always be remembered as a martyr. I promise you’ll always be a Hero. Rest in peace, angel!

Love, 

a fellow Pakistani.”

A human, anyone with a heart, would never think of killing a child just for the sake of revenge, let alone hundreds of them. Should these terrorists be called Muslims? Should they even be called Humans? NO. They shouldn’t, because they aren’t. It’s not Islam that is the problem, but extremists with political agendas are. Every single kid who died in the incident was a Muslim and most importantly, a human. It isn’t about religion, it’s about power. It’s about time we exterminate the perpetrators of extremism (of all forms) in entirety so this world could be a better, safe place to live in - for you, for me, and for our future generations.

16.12.14

Peshawar Bleeds Dry

Written By: Saniya Ahmad

16th December, 2014 has turned out to be the worst possible ending of the year 2014 with 130 people killed, out of which 120 were children and more than 150 injured.

It all began on the morning of 16th December, 2014, when six to eight militants entered the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar and opened gunfire and blasted bombs, killing anyone who came in their way. The counts started from 7 children dying to the martyrdom of 130 people, within a few hours, at the hands of these terrorists. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the dreadful massacre.

Twitter and Facebook was full of concerned youngsters and adults when the death count was increasing; people who were not even related to the deceased or the injured were just as worried for the safety of the children of the nation, the children of Peshawar. Silent prayers were on the lips of every Pakistani today. Every Pakistani was waiting for it all to end, everyone was hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare to realize it wasn’t true. All citizens of our beloved Pakistan were united, with eyed glued to their televisions, praying, and hoping against hope, because there wasn’t much else they could do to help.

I watched the parents and relatives of the dead, running about frantically in search of their loved ones. Mothers were fainting, bursting into terrifying wails on hearing the news of their children being brought back from school in a coffin. Fathers were torn apart after being informed that they would have to organize a funeral of their child. Brothers and sisters of the deceased could not imagine that they would now have to live a life without their siblings.

I watched the bloody bodies of the injured being rushed to the hospital on my TV. I saw 130 coffins being prepared for their respective funerals. I saw the coffins with the tiny bodies of the children in it, being carried by fathers, brothers, relatives and volunteers. I watched little kids being rescued by the Pakistan Army and running to their parents, with tears streaming down their face. Every channel I turned to, I saw two things: chaos and fear.

It’s a feeling so terrifying that it cannot be explained in words – the bewildering feeling of thinking what makes the terrorists do something so barbaric, horrendous and inhumane so as to kill children, little innocent children, who had done nothing wrong except for waking up and going to school? What makes them turn into such cruel and vicious creatures who kill 130 people and believe that they have successfully achieved their Heaven? What makes them believe that taking revenge because of the Zarb-e-Azb operation, by taking the lives of children could somehow be justified? But I wonder why I even ask these questions when I know the terrorists have no remorse or guilt, that they have died at the hands of the Pakistan Army but their fellow terrorists are probably dancing around in glee at the “success” of the operation.
A statement by the spokesperson of the TTP was released in which he said – “It’s a revenge attack for the army offensive in North Waziristan.” They were so intent on hurting the Army officials in every way possible that they entered one room and just asked the children inside to raise their hands if their fathers were in the Army. All the kids who did were shot point blank. Such is the barbarism of these animalistic Taliban. Even animalistic sounds like an unreasonable word to justify them, because even animals take care of their young.

I heard a statement of one of the elder students who survived. He said – “the terrorist entered our room and told us to recite the kalma.” Why did he order them to recite it? Because he wanted to kill them as a Muslim. Another statement of a father of a martyred child gave me chills down my spine. He said – “my son went to school in a uniform, and he came back in a kafan.” Another father said – “My child has not wanted to go to school today, oh how I wish I had listened to him”.
The fact of the matter is this – 130 people have died today (141 as of the latest count), over a 100 people have been injured, but these are just statistics for us now. We do not mourn human lives anymore. We do not have sympathy anymore. We do not feel the pain anymore. We feel horrified today, but by tomorrow we will have forgotten and we will have moved on to something else to cry about.

The government has announced a 3-day mourning for the lives lost. Did they give any thought to the mother whose whole life will not be spent in mourning? Did they give any thought on the emptiness of the houses of the families of the deceased? Did they give any thought to the children who will now be scared of going to school to achieve education? Did they give a thought to the stress disorders that will haunt the surviving children and their families, and all of Pakistan for the rest of their lives?

Political leaders have “condemned” the attack. They have demanded an investigation, and they have asked their officials to increase the securities of school. But does it make any difference? What use is the security, now that so many children have lost their lives? What use is the security to the dead children now? What use is the condemnation which is just a façade to show to the nation? What use is the investigation which will be left in the middle of nowhere?

Today is truly a black day. Today is truly a day of mourning. Today is truly a day when the nation lost their own children, their own future, and their own next generation. No words said can be meaningful enough to lessen the excruciating pain of this incident. But I have a prayer – that may God take His revenge. May God bless the martyrs. May God bless the affected families. May God burn the terrorists in hell. And may God make Pakistan, the Land of the Pure – pure from evil, pure from massacres and pure from terrorists. May God save Pakistan. 

The Story of World War 2 (Part 5)

Allies gain momentum (1943–44)

Following the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Allies initiated several operations against Japan in the Pacific. In May 1943, Allied forces were sent to eliminate Japanese forces from the Aleutians, and soon after began major operations to isolate Rabaul by capturing surrounding islands, and to breach the Japanese Central Pacific perimeter at the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. By the end of March 1944, the Allies had completed both of these objectives, and additionally neutralised the major Japanese base at Truk in the Caroline Islands. In April, the Allies then launched an operation to retake Western New Guinea.

The Story of World War 2 (Part 4)

 War breaks out in the Pacific (1941)

In 1939 the United States had renounced its trade treaty with Japan and beginning with an aviation gasoline ban in July 1940 Japan had become subject to increasing economic pressure. During this time, Japan launched its first attack against Changsha, a strategically important Chinese city, but was repulsed by late September. Despite several offensives by both sides, the war between China and Japan was stalemated by 1940. In order to increase pressure on China by blocking supply routes, and to better position Japanese forces in the event of a war with the Western powers, Japan had occupied northern Indochina Afterwards, the United States embargoed iron, steel and mechanical parts against Japan. Other sanctions soon followed.

The Story of World War 2 (Part 3)

 

Western Europe (1940–41)

In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to protect shipments of iron ore from Sweden, which the Allies were attempting to cut off by unilaterally mining neutral Norwegian waters. Denmark capitulated after a few hours, and despite Allied support, during which the important harbour of Narvik temporarily was recaptured by the British, Norway was conquered within two months. British discontent over the Norwegian campaign led to the replacement of the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, with Winston Churchill on 10 May 1940.

The Story of World War 2 (Part 2)

 

Pre War Events

Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935)

The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a brief colonial war that began in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war began with the invasion of the Ethiopian Empire (also known as Abyssinia) my the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia), which was launched from Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. The war resulted in the military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into the newly created colony of Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI); in addition, it exposed the weakness of the League of Nations as a force to preserve peace. Both Italy and Ethiopia were member nations, but the League did nothing when the former clearly violated the League's own Article X.

The Story of World War 2 (Part 1)

World War II (WWII or WW2), also known as the Second World War, was a global war. It is generally considered to have lasted from 1939 to 1945, although some conflicts in Asia that are commonly viewed as becoming part of the world war had begun earlier than 1939.

It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people, from more than 30 different countries. In a state of "total war", the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust, the Three Alls Policy, the strategic bombing of enemy industrial and/or population centers, and the first use of nuclear weapons in combat, it resulted in an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history.

Interview - The Psychonauts

Interview by: Onusha Ahmad

Recently I caught up with the members of the local CBM band The Psychonauts.

Hyder Ali, Anas Lufti and Bilal Ahmad were more than happy to tell us that “Music in Pakistan has lost its essence and that it was becoming harder and harder for underground bands to compete with Bollywood and new artists like Asim Azhar”.

Psychonauts that formed back in 2013 is now one of the many underground bands that is having a hard time, to maintain a solid fan base due to competition with others genres of music and artist.

“Music always had a place in our lives since the beginning, but all of us had performed in capacity before coming together. Ali used to be a part of Anonymous, Anas used to be a part of Overdose, Hyder was a member of Replica, and I was a fresh starter”, says the front man Bilal Ahmad. “We first came together as, more or less, a fluke when we decided to perform together in CBMUN in April 2013. A few nameless shows later, we were the Psychonauts”.

When asked how the response has been to their music, drummer Hyder Ali gives a short laugh before answering the question. “The response has been mixed. Not everyone listens to this sort of music. We might play gigs very now and then but that is not enough, People are not interested in this sort of music anymore. They rather pay thousands of bucks to watch Asim Azher perform than pay to watch some underground band”.

“It’s not just that”, adds rhythm guitarist Anas Lufti. ”There was a time when our TV channels used to support music like ours. Bands like Noori, Strings, EP, Mizraab, whom we took inspiration from, were everywhere. Now you hardly see them anywhere.

One of the biggest reasons is that there are not enough channels. And those that are there have Waqar Zaka interviewing bands, which is not right”.

“Pakistani rock is in a stagnant state. Nowadays, mainstream pop and 'bling' prevails, with very little focus on the potential Pakistani rock has. To such a degree has there been a mutation, that rock greats of Pakistan have had no choice but to convert their playing styles to people who are attuned to listening to mellow, non-energetic tones”, Bilal adds.

“Our bands did not get support from the people, which is one of the reasons that you see great bands like EP, have their members acting in drama serials now”, says Hyder. 

But the band is hopeful.

Bilal Ahmad believes that the state of Pakistani rock music can change. But only when people start believing that they can learn from music not only Pakistani, but Western benchmarks as well. The simple fact that they should learn from other forms of music rather than blatantly believe in our own capacity to create is a must if we require change for the better.

When asked whether shows like Coke Studio, Pepsi Smash and Nescafe Basement would help revive music in Pakistan, Bilal said that they could. “These shows are the response to a creative hunger that Pakistani crowds have exhibited when it comes to music, but are by no means the only answers. Live acts embody the soul of rock music, and must be promoted. Sort of like the difference between live theater and cinema”.

“There are only a few bands that are helping to keep the genre of rock music alive in Pakistan. One of them is Qayaas”, says Hyder. “Other than that it’s your underground bands such as Kashmir etc.”

However the band does believe that social media can help underground musicians to a great extent.

“Of course the usage of social media is very important”, says Anas. “It’s one of the fastest ways to get your music out and get recognition’.

Bilal Ahmad is of the same opinion.  “Social media is our living. No one would know about any music, whether it be underground or mainstream, if there was no social platform to promote sharing and viewing. It also serves as the only means we may use to promote what little music we have through non- commercial and non-monetary means. So yeah. We can't live without it”