Benazir Arrives
Do not have time to submit my thoughts here, just wanted to update everyone about a brief incident.
My office is situated on the first floor overlooking Shahrahe-Faisal, on the Airport to Metropole side of the road. A Police Inspector, along with a few sepoys, visited our office a short while back and "informed" us that no one should be seen in the windows tomorrow, better yet, he said, just close the office, "for your own benefit." The facade of our office is mostly glass and we have about 75 people working so its jsut not possible to prevent people from 'appearing' in the windows. We have of course decided to shut the office tomorrow.
This thinly veiled threat by the police has taken me by surprise. I am certain that we, being a law firm, were singled out for such praise. Right above my office are 10 floors of appartments and we are surrounded by 10 to 12 floor buildings housing offices and apartments and this area is a fraction of a percentage of Shahrah-e-Faisal.
Everyone is really unsure about tomorrow and most people are talking about something bad happening; though I'm not so sure that this will be the case. The entire city has been flooded by posters of Benazir and invaded by PPP workers singing and dancing at every corner; then you have hordes of motorcyclists carrying PPP AND MQM flags together, not to mention a sudden influx in SUV's with armed guards affixed with MQM and / or ANP flags. Underneath this all, there is an air of tension and fright not felt in Karachi for years, dare I say since the days of Operation CleanUp. (May 12th may have been far bloodier but people weren't this tense and scared the day before.)
I'm attempting to go to Court tomorrow (have to) so wish me luck, shall update everyone about the goings ons once I get the chance. Its going to be a long night at work here.
Adios
My office is situated on the first floor overlooking Shahrahe-Faisal, on the Airport to Metropole side of the road. A Police Inspector, along with a few sepoys, visited our office a short while back and "informed" us that no one should be seen in the windows tomorrow, better yet, he said, just close the office, "for your own benefit." The facade of our office is mostly glass and we have about 75 people working so its jsut not possible to prevent people from 'appearing' in the windows. We have of course decided to shut the office tomorrow.
This thinly veiled threat by the police has taken me by surprise. I am certain that we, being a law firm, were singled out for such praise. Right above my office are 10 floors of appartments and we are surrounded by 10 to 12 floor buildings housing offices and apartments and this area is a fraction of a percentage of Shahrah-e-Faisal.
Everyone is really unsure about tomorrow and most people are talking about something bad happening; though I'm not so sure that this will be the case. The entire city has been flooded by posters of Benazir and invaded by PPP workers singing and dancing at every corner; then you have hordes of motorcyclists carrying PPP AND MQM flags together, not to mention a sudden influx in SUV's with armed guards affixed with MQM and / or ANP flags. Underneath this all, there is an air of tension and fright not felt in Karachi for years, dare I say since the days of Operation CleanUp. (May 12th may have been far bloodier but people weren't this tense and scared the day before.)
I'm attempting to go to Court tomorrow (have to) so wish me luck, shall update everyone about the goings ons once I get the chance. Its going to be a long night at work here.
Adios
Labels:
Minority Reports,
Pakistan
7 comments:
Ahsan / NB: At times the space that I leave between paragraphs vanishes as soon as I publish my post, what can I do to resolve this?
you leave a comment on the post and then wait for one of us to fix it.
Reply to the goddamn email Kabir. I need to get a licence. Do it or ill start revealing personal secrets on the blog. With respect to tommorow (and unlike May 12th), make an effort Not to get shot and dont be pursuaded by any gung ho thrillseekers.
kabir, if you could somehow get a photograph of a motorcycle with both MQM and PPP flags, we - and all those who appreciate irony - will be mightily indebted to you.
oh and like nb said, try not to get shot tomorrow.
Kabir please do not attempt to take any pictures of bike riding MQM workers with PPP flags. It is a terrible idea, not only because you will die but because, as you may recall from Dover, you lack the ability to photograph anything which isnt completly static.
Also I just read your profile page. You spend your sundays eating donuts and buying old books? Im going to get you a tweed jacket, Another even more english pipe, a comfortably worn pair of slippers and a portable fireplace. Then i will introduce you to James May from top gear, whom you will agree, is your soulmate.
Lol... James May is my fav in the program also.
Hi Ali, its so strange to be reading your words and matching it up to the images I saw on the news last night...i don't know what to say really.
Hopefully I'll get to talk to you at the weekend.
Take care,
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