Dr. Afia Siddiqui - Where is the justice ?

The Date was 30th of March 2003, it was Sunday, Dr. Afia Siddiqui, a Ph.D. doctor from Karachi was kidnapped by unknown authorities. She was kidnapped along with her kids. For several years her relatives searched for her but in vain, the security forces local forces and responsible authorities were taking no responsibility of her disappearance from Pakistan. Until, some prisons from the US custody were freed and they told the story of the screams of a lady in their cells due to the brutal torture of the American marines. Later the US authorities confirmed her possession.

Since she disappeared the Islamic organizations were raising the voice against the oppression of the US and Pakistani government to let them understand their negative efforts which are causing hatred in the mind of Pakistani Nation about their actions. The dictator-ism in Pakistan was at its top, General Pervez Musharraf, who might have thought he was going to rule Pakistan forever, took steps so shamelessly and thus, sold Dr. Afia as well as many other persons from Pakistan, he mentioned in his book, "We have sent many prisons belonging to Al Qaeda and earn a lot of dollars". But he might have not think that he was planting hatred in the minds of the people of Pakistan for him and the Govt. of Pakistan which caused his era to come to an end with shame & disgrace.

In the democratic era of president Mr. Asif Ali, the incident of Raymond Davis happened at this moment most of the public; a common man were thinking that Pakistani Government might take a courageous step and will swap Dr. Afia with Davis but despite that Raymond Davis was given a clean sheet, while Afia is still under siege of America.

The Islamic Organizations from Pakistan were still speaking for Dr. Afia, while at the very same time the Human Rights Organization and Women Rights Organization, most of which are foreign funded still silent on the issue.

When writing these lines the captivity of Dr. Afia has passed for about 09 years, while she is completing her 86 years sentence.

At this point, here a question arise, why can’t she come home and live a normal life with her family and kids?

Where are the rules of freedom, peace and human rights, settled by the western nations?

Why we should accept the American imposed democracy and rule of law?

Seems dissimilar, but all of the above questions are interrelated. Despite being a biggest speaker of the democracy America still supports the anti-democracy forces (Gen. Mush) to carry out his missions.

On this 30 March 2012, whole Pakistani nation should stand up and ask for the freedom of their beloved sister Dr. Afia, to give a proof that we are still alive and are able to get back what is really ours, just think what we would do if she was our sister!

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

Educational institutes or money making businesses

Long long time ago "education" was a welfare work, teachers in those days teach only for welfare, if any student in respect of his teacher tries to help him, the teacher not allows him as he thinks it might look like as a reward for his services. But now the education considered being a highly profitable business.
Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and about more than 70% population lives below the line of poverty. Where the daily income of a person can not meet his daily expanses, where 80% population can't even have clean water and sewerage facilities. Even with the government efforts to provide education to masses, we can still see huge fees in the institutes. Let's close our eyes from the private institutions, first take a look at the government universities, the yearly fees getting increment every year, without giving any consideration to the increment of a salaried person.
The yearly fees of the engineering program in NED (Government Supervised Educational Institute), or the B.S program in K.U (Government Supervised Educational Institute), the figures goes as above as 5 figures, how can it be possible for a person whose daily income is around Rs.500? This is the reason why we are still considered as underdeveloped.
How can we expect the growth of a tree if we not give preference to the nourishment of roots!
If this is the situation of the government funded universities, then what can you expect from the private institutions. Factually private institutions are now out of the range of middle and lower class community. This is the reason most of the private universities of Pakistan are associated with elite classes.
Despite getting funds from HEC, having attractive slogans of "welfare works" the private universities having minimum fee of Rs. 60000/ per semester, why the fees are way too high to catch? Simple! It's a business, so they are free to get as much profit as they plan, but then they should not be portraying themselves as "welfare" workers.
Institutes and universities should stick to their vision and policies, when we visit a university, we can see the vision statement shining on the walls with words, "we are building the nations, blah blah", but when we closely inspect the system, we see that these all beautiful words are having dark backgrounds. The students are kicked out of universities, just for not paying fees, blackmailed by showing their name on notice boards as fee defaulters. If they say that they are doing welfare work and running a welfare organization then they should do the same and then keep top priority as providing inexpensive and quality education. Students should be given benefits, and tolerances.
This can never happen without the involvement of government, this does not means that all the private institutions and universities should be nationalized, but they should be audited under the supervision of government officials.

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

Don’t give them fish, but teach them fishing!

If you have one rupee and a beggar in front of you, what will be the best use of that rupee? Well, some of you might think that the best use of money is to give it to the beggar so that he can eat something. But in actual the most constructive use of that rupee is to buy stuff for the beggar so that he may sell to make his earning, don't make more beggars or strengthen the habit of a beggar, but make him do work!
Don't give them fish, but Help them how to fish!
We have in front of us the example of our Holy Prophet, when a poor person met him and asked for help, Prophet asked him what he have, the man have a bowl and some household stuff, the Prophet hold both things in the crowd and ask them who will buy it, a person stood who bought the stuff and in exchange Holy Prophet bought an Axe for the man. He told the man to go to forest, cut and sell wood. A few times later the man came back and this time he was earning and was covering his expanses by himself.
Yesterday I saw a news headline in which the Government was going to distribute cash to some families, and they are proudly saying that they have distributed the certain amount and the remaining amount will be given shortly. Same thing we observed in the days of flood and the era after that. It seems like the government is giving them fish, instead of helping them how to fish.
The project might be more beneficial if the government might introduce an entrepreneur scheme in which the needy should be given microfinance credits as well as training to them how to set up a business. If it is done, it will not only help them in meeting their daily requirements, but will also increase their self-confidence, plus it will enhance the country economy. The economy goes up by more businessmen rather than by more beggars.
But, despite that the government is doing what they themselves do. The government itself is a beggar to the IMF and European nations, how can you expect someone who is begging himself do the opposite way.
The time has come for Pakistan to stand on its own feet, and this can only be done when an honest leadership will be elected. An honest and religious leadership is only capable of raising the standards of living of the people of Pakistan "not by donating them", but giving them what it takes to start their own way of earning.
Only then we will be able to say "We Are Alive Nation".

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

How to become a public speaker

Note: Please forgive my "I, My, Me" in the blog below, most of the time I am writing on my personal experiences. Hope you will understand :)

How to become a public speaker, well before my entrance in the NED University, I was an introvert, well I still am. But now I'm an introvert with an extra qualification of public speaking. Sometimes time and situations makes you learn what you had failed to do before.
When I was in school, I was a shy young boy who does not answer the questions asked by the teacher just because you have to stand up from your chair and speak the answer loudly looking in the eyes of teacher and rest of the students. I was afraid of the consequences; there was a fear in me, which was uncertain. Time passed, I joined NED University, well the Engineer's World makes you do you can't even think of before.
Importance of Posture, on my first presentation my legs were shivering but I overcome this weak point, by carrying out a group discussion session instead of giving individual presentations. Speaking standing in front of everyone is more difficult than speaking behind a dice, and speaking on a dice is much hard than speaking while sitting on a chair. This group discussion cum presentation was gone well. I was thinking how to get rid of this presentation fear, because I know that I have to face this situation more or less every second month.
Better preparation, I have noticed that you will be more confident when you are better prepared.
Language Barrier, I was giving a presentation of Islamic Studies, well I was a good student of Islamic studies and personally I have a great interest in studying Islamic literature. When I stood to speak, I had a paper in my hand and the whole time I was looking at the paper instead of making an eye contact with the students, on the contrary I performed very well in the question answer session. I figured out, the reasons behind my confusion is the "language barrier", I was giving the presentation in English, while all my literature survey was done from Urdu books. During the question answer session teacher allowed me to answer in Urdu, that's why I performed well.
The more you think of "What's gonna happen?" the more you will get worried and confused. If you ever had to speak in public, prepare well of the content, and at the time speak out what you have to speak. The more you practice, the more you will make understanding with the audience will be better. Some jolly sentences might help, in keeping the interest of audience, and the more they will listen to you, the more you will better perform.

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar
(Quality Management Systems Trainer)

Kashmir, A question Unanswered

20th March 2010, Faizan Ansari, a young boy from Karachi, ex member of an Islamic organisation of students, Islami Jamiat Talba, got martyred by the Indian Army while crossing the line of control. Well, in this era when most of the youth are busy in the demolition of the religious structure of Pakistan, it is surprising that there are some youngsters who still think for the benefit of the country.
Kashmir Movement is still under the siege of the Indian Army, everyday someone boy, girl, women or even children got martyred on the streets of Indian occupied Kashmir in several operations conducted by the Indian forces. Well, the terrorism was initiated by India the moment when they refused to accept the United Nations Resolution passed for the Right of Decision for the people of the Kashmir to align either with India or Pakistan. But despite carrying the elections, Indian government entered army in Kashmir.
Pakistan can not enter its army as a counter because Pakistan can not deny the United Nations Resolution, but at the same time Pakistan was unable to stop the passionate youth of Pakistan, who crosses borders everyday and fight at the other side.
Along-with many organisations working and fighting with Indian army in the Kashmir, Hizb ul Mujahideen and Jaish e Muhammad are the most prominent organisations. Faizan belonged to Hizb ul Mujahideen. His body was shown along with some other militants in the Indian media as a news of victory and good news. But at the same time Faizan's belongings and his organisation members greeting each other with the slogan of, "Shahadat Mubarak" (Congratulations on the Martyrdom), this was a big slap on the opponents faces. Well, I strongly beleive that seeing this reaction from the Mujahideen side India might be shocked, but the fact is that every person who crosses border from Pakistan to India knows that he will become a Ghazi or a Shaheed.
This belief is a biggest hurdle in the eyes of Indian Nation, Army and Government, at last, "They can kill a person, but they can't kill a vision!."

Pakistan Day

23 March, Pakistan Day, the day when Pakistan Resolution was passed and after only 7 years in 1947, 14 August, Pakistan came into being. It was the result of all the efforts done by the Muslims, and their firm believe in the Two Nation theory under the guidance of our great leaders, and father of the nation Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan came into being, no one out there to stop the revolution because it was the revolution which have the support of Allah.

23 March 2012, I was at Mazar e Quaid, with a group of teenagers having passion of about 5% of what a Muslim Young Man had at the time of Independence. I was there, to rediscover Pakistan-ism and to increase my patriotism. A political party which was against Pakistan, also had a rally today in the area around. They were Chanting Anti-Pakistan slogans, when the people at the mazar were looking at them. They were talking abuse about the struggle of Pakistan about the father of the nation. Later parade started, seeing this, the patriotism in the people standing around was now at its top, putting flowers at the grave we chanted a loud slogan for the solidarity of Pakistan...

Pakistan Ka Matlab Kia - La ilaha ilallah
Pakistan- Zindabad
Pakistan- Zindabad
Pakistan- Zindabad

I looked at the group who were chanting anti Pak slogans, I felt they were walking backwards, we smile looking at our faces, the group has gone out of the mazar, our passion now was like the Young Muslim Man at the time of Independence, 1947. Seems like the soul of Father of the Nation was looking at us saying, "Young Man, You Made Pakistan, You Will Save Pakistan."

Internal Quality Auditing

Internal Quality Auditing,
Working in the Quality Management Systems, when your job description includes the Internal QMS Auditing. Now, to carry out an audit activity, first you have to plan the audit, make an audit team, educate the team in a proper manner, and finally audit the company.
Lead internal auditors have to manage all the activities of audit from planning till the follow up of corrective action.
As a leader, you might be making an Internal Audit Plan; most of the companies have Internal QMS Audit scheduled annually or bi-annually, but in those companies where the system is highly unstable the frequencies of audits have to be increased. As per the requirement of system the internal audit frequency can be increase up to every three months.
Well, after the decision of the frequency, now you're ready to make an audit plan, list all the departments which come under the circle of the Quality Management System and divide them among a week or some days. The Internal Audit Plan usually contain the departments to be audited, which clause are applicable on the department, which procedures have to be audited, the name of the auditors which are going to visit the department, and the name of the auditee who are going to assist the auditors, the time of the audit, etc.
After the audit planning, here you are ready for the training of the audit team, before the audit, the audit team must carry out an pre-audit meeting / training session of the auditors, so that they should know how they are going to carry out the audit, they can also discuss the key check points, as well the weaknesses and strengths of the auditee / their respective departments. As we all know that the auditor team comprises of all the departments of the company, thus it might possible that most of them are not aware of the operations of a certain department, so a quick overview will be helpful for them to carry out the audit.
However, the lead auditor should tell again the departments the team going to audit and which person they are going to meet and what are the weaknesses and strength and how to make that auditee speak to them and how the auditors must speak to the auditee. As a lead auditor it is important so the team might not face any confusion during the audit and thus the audit must be carried out peacefully.
Well, how to carry out an Internal Audit. Wait for the next posts. Thanks

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

How to be an Entrepreneur

During the present situation of the country, I think the financial values of most people are not smooth , , maybe this is because we have raise our living standard so high that our mind can not accept to come down that level. Well it's a long discussion that we have raised our standard of living beyond our expected monthly income, indeed the lowering of standard of living is hard to do, so try to solve the problem in opposite direction, i.e. raise the monthly income. We have to find other ways of income and make our income increase so that we can stay constant to our level of living.
In order to make more income, I think starting a small business (part time) can be a good option along with your job; nowadays there are lots of jobs by which we can work on home, through internet. But some might think as this is slow earning process and not that much productive and also very much time consuming.
For this, we need new ideas, what I have thought is that there are lots of bazaars in our city, like Sunday bazaar, Saturday, Friday, Thursday, Tuesday etc. in addition to this, we have lot of events in many universities, we can use these events and bazaars for our business. Well making a new touch to the business and giving it a modern look to the traditional businesses like juice stall, Gola Ganda, Pani Poori, etc can be a good option. We can make an attractive stall, hire a person and start doing the business. Well this might require a investment, for making a stall, for its decoration, a person who can make arrangements, investment to buy raw material, etc. well the idea seems funny, but small businesses are sort of like this and also because some ideas look stupid in the start.
Take a look around, we have lot of food streets in our area, which have thousands of hotels & stalls. where the youth gather and pass their leisure time with friends and family, well, you can ask any stall personnel about the investment it require to do a small business, you can do a survey of which product is in demand these days, which are your competitors, and so on. There are thousands of ideas and destinations to be accomplished. You only need to start a brain storming session with your friends and belongings.
[This is a small intro, the detailed article will be published in next few days on how to actually start a small business, step by step]
By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

Quality Management System

Quality Management System is an umbrella under the supervision of which organization develop their quality system. As quoted by a lead QMS auditor, "the light itself not visible, but it makes things visible". The ISO 9001:2008 refers to the Quality Management System, it not instruct the way the things should be done, but it provides a guidance and urge organization to make their own system, documents and check and balance system. After the successful implementation of QMS the organization develop the sense of continuous improvement. This creates not big and prominent changes but it makes things change during the period of time. The results are spreader over a long period of time, but they firm and everlasting!
During my last one year from 8th of February 2011 to 21st of February 2012, I have worked on the development of process flow charts of the entire major and quality affecting systems, after that I have worked for the development of standard operating procedures and work instructions. I have worked on the preparation of quality systems procedures QSPs of about 11 quality affecting processes.
Later when these mandatory documents are completed I started working for their implementation by providing training to the managers to implement these documents. Provided training to the supervisors and later provided shop-floor training to the workers and operators on the ISO, QMS, SOPs and WIs. Well, training and education is also a important step by which the sense of quality management will be developed among employees. Sometimes it requires over a year and thousands of man-hours training for the organization where the old system is so rigid, also you have to give employee motivation lectures so that they may know that they are going for a change and towards a new system which will be beneficial for the company as well as the employee.

By. Syed Owais Mukhtar
Trainer / ISO Coordinator / Lead Internal QMS Auditor

Entrepreneurship- Be Your Own Boss

Entrepreneurship, I was an engineering student, after my engineering I started a job, later I got admission in MBA on scholarship, during my studies of MBA I noticed one thing, why most of our teachers give lesson to acquire business and be an entrepreneur. It looks very charming and seem you are going to be a businessman, etc. but the fact that being an entrepreneur is not easy.
Well, you might be "Your Own Boss"; (this phrase also looks very attractive), you have your own timings, own schedule, and your own life, but… despite all that being a successful entrepreneur is a hard task.
In the start you have to struggle too much in order to establish your business, you have to arrange finance for it, market your business and in many cases bear a heavy loss, which might prolong for some weeks, months or even years, but once your honesty works and people trust in you, if your market is established and the overall inflation rate remains constant, then you will be successful, but this takes a lot of hard work and patience of mind.
Sometimes you might think to cease and just go back to your 9 to 5 life, you might never know you are just about to achieve your target and you might be losing hope when the success is very near, so trying, trying, trying is what you have to do, and above all trust the Almighty Allah.
If you are honest in your words, you will be successful.

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

Revolution, Time to Redefine the Meaning

What is revolution? The dictionary says: Forcible overthrow of government or social order / any fundamental change / reversal of conditions.

But the question is what actually a revolution is…! For someone it's a mistake, for someone it's a rebel, for someone it's a dark night and for someone it's a new beginning. Certainly we can say that a revolution is a Change, but its meaning cannot be specifically defined.

As defined in oxford dictionary "a forcible overthrow of the government", will never be a revolution for a government instead it will be a "rebel". A group going "against the social order or law" will be a crime in the eye of the government and court, but the same action will be a "symbol of change" for the supporters of the cause the group is working on.

Now put the political lens and see again, the action of a child who is throwing a stone on a warrior tank, is a revolutionary step for the Palestinian Freedom movement. But the same step will be a Crime in the eyes of the law of Israel. The government then can punish the child for this crime but the child after all can not file a case against the demolition of his house done by the Israeli tanks. Thus we can see a distinct difference in both the actions.

We all have our own visions, concepts and values; we work for them and can die for them. A person can take any step for the completion of his task once he makes his mind according to it. Time to redefine the meaning of revolution, then and only then we can say, it's Revolution!

By: Syed Owais Mukhtar

A Poem, Bachchon pe chali goli

Bachchon pe chali goli
Maan dekh ke yeh boli
Yeh dil ke mere tukde
Yun royen mere hote
Mein dur khadi dekhoon
Yeh mujh se nahin hoga

Mein Dur khadi dekhun
Aur ahl-e sitam khelen
Khun se mere bachchon ke
Din-raat yahan holi
Bachchon pe chali goli
Maan dekh ke yeh boli
Yeh dil ke mere tukde
Yun royen mere hote
Mein dur khadi dekhun
Yeh mujh se nahin hoga

Meidan mein nikal aayi
Ek barq si lehrai
Har dast-e sitam kanpa
Bandooq bhi tharrai
Har simt sada gunji
Mein aati hun, mein aayee
Mein aati hun, mein aayee

Har zulm hua batil
Aur seham gaye qatil
Jab us ne zaban kholi
Bachchon pe chali goli
Us ne kaha khun-khwaro!
Daulat ke parastaro
Dharti hai yeh ham sab ki
Is dharti ko naa-dano!
Angrezon ke darbano!
Sahab ki ata-kardah
Jagir na tum jano
Is zulm se baaz aao
Bairak mein chale jao
Kyon chand luteron ki
Phirte ho liye toli
Bachchon pe chali goli

Habib Jalib

Maulana, A Poem By Habib Jalib

Bahut mein ne suni hai aap ki taqreer Maulana
Magar badli nahin ab tak meri taqdeer Maulana

Khudara Shukr ki talqeen apne pass hi rakhen
Yeh lagti hai mere seene pe ban kar teeer Maulana

Nahin mein bol sakta jhut is darja dhitai se
Yehi hai jurm mera aur yehi taqsir Maulana

Haqeeqat ka kya hai, yeh to aap jaanen ya Khuda jane
Suna hai Jimmi Carter hai aap ka peer Maulana

Zameenen hon waderon ki, mashinen hon luteron ki
Khuda ne likh ke di hai yeh tumhen terhrir Maulana

Karodon kyon nahin mil kar Falastin ke liye ladte
Dua hi se faqat kat-ti nahin zanjir Maulana

By Habib Jalib

I have not heard from my sister for many years. I do not know if she is alive
Bashir Sakhawarz, Afghan poet

My sister

Through the thickness of distance,
Through the walls of mountains,
Through the depth of oceans,
Last night I touched you
I touched your pain
They became mine.

There is no meaning in children smile
Flowers grow, but are they flowers?
Children smile, but are they smiling?
Without your children
Without your garden
Flowers and smile do not grow
Without your hand,
Life delivers emptiness

When I departed
You whispered "take care"
Have you taken care?
Have you built a dream?
Have you not seen crashed hopes?
Have you avoided disasters?
Disasters are in the air
They grow in your garden
They fall off the trees.