Drive Carefully

Dear Friends........ Please read this slowly...................... Jack took a long look at his speedometer Before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months.. How could a guy get caught so often? When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.. Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager To get home after a long day at the office.. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.. Jumping out of the car, He approached a man he saw every Sunday, A man he'd never seen in uniform. 'Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this.' 'Hello, Jack.' No smile. 'Guess you caught me red-handed In a rush to see my wife and kids.' 'Yeah, I guess.' Bob seemed uncertain. Good. 'I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once.' Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. 'Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?' 'I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct .' Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics. 'What'd you clock me at?' 'Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?' 'Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65.' The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket. 'Please, Jack, in the car' Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard.. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, It would be a month of Sundays Before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, Just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip. 'Thanks..' Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice. Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read: 'Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter.. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it - a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven Before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left.' 'Bob' Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived... Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully. Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker. the life you save may be Your own child or grandchild.

LOWARI TUNNEL

Lowari Tunnel during Snowfall

Early Stages of Tunnel Excavation

Early Stages of Tunnel Excavation
Inside the Tunnel

Photo by the Author subject to Copy right

LOWARI TUNNEL

A boon for the people of Chitral

This is an excerpt from the booklet titled TRAVELOGUE TO SHANDOOR AND BEYOND by the author, which is under publication as a guide book in January 2011, for hiking and trekking to Shandoor and other valleys around Chitral.

On 07^th July 2010, (Morning) We started at about 10.am from our hosts place in Bebiyoor a small hamlet just before Dir. This is the Chakkiatayan valley and lies at the base of the mountain called Kamriat in the local language.

As usual myself and Razzak (my Brother-in-law) along with Ishaq (handy man) got up early in the morning and had a Gup Shup (Tete–a-tete) with our host. As per routine we were delayed by the late rising of Zeeshu (my son). We had a sumptuous breakfast, loaded our vehicle and than we hit the road at about 10.15 a.m. for Dir onwards to CHITRAL. Our host Mr. Haji Aseelzada, was quite resource full in getting us a pass for the Lowari Tunnel which is still in the completion process. Getting the pass was easy, but to get the permit made from Lowari Tunnel Organization (L.T.O) was another hassle which consumed about 45 minutes of our driving time to the site office of L.T.O, and another 15 minutes to get the permit made. While the permit was being made I interacted with the staff of the L.T.O who told me that the tunnel is about 7.6 Kilo meter long and last year due to heavy snowfall it was partially opened for traffic in winters to give an easy access to CHITRAL valley.

The drive onwards to the base of Lowari Pass is very scenic and beautiful full of springs, brooks, waterfalls, cascades and innovations by the local’s using the gravitational force of the water to make spiraling and cirrus fountains of water here and there like a laser show in an Amusement park, which reminded me of the Salzburg, Castle in Austria where I lived in 1986 and the movie “Sound of Music” which was shot there in the late 80’s.

We passed through the Lowari Tunnel at the Height 10,300 feet otherwise we would have to climb about another 3000 feet through steep incline and another 3 hours of difficult dirt track road to the height of 1400 meters to the Lowari top and descent again to the other side of the mountain by 3000 feet in to the Dir valley.

LOWARI PASS:

Lowari Pass (or Lowari Top) (elevation 10,230 ft.) is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral valley with Dir valley in the KYBER PAKHTOON KHAWA province of Pakistan.

Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral valley as compared to the rest of the passes all being above 12,000 to 15,000 feet.

Lowari Top is closed by snow from late November to late May every year. During this time, jeeps cannot cross so men must travel by foot. This is dangerous, as there are high mountains and ridges on each side of Lowari Top, and a deadly avalanche can come at any moment without warning.

Every winter many persons are killed by avalanches while crossing Lowari Top. Their bodies are buried under the snow and it is only when the summer comes and the snow melts that their bodies are found and their fate is learnt.

Nevertheless, Lowari Top remains popular because it is the shortest route from Chitral to Peshawar. The other alternative would be down the Kunar River to Jalalabad through hostile Afghan Territory or the much longer route across Shandoor Top to Gilgit.

Lowari Top crosses the Hindu Raj Mountains, a spur of the higher Hindu Kush range.

On the Chitral side of Lowari Top are the people of Ashret, who speak the Phalura language and were assigned by the Mehtar of Chitral to be the guardians of Lowari Top.

On the Dir side reside Gujjars, some of whom make their living as porters carrying loads across Lowari Top.

In 1954, the Mehtar of Chitral was killed when his airplane crashed into Lowari Top. Even today, PIA pilots exercise extra caution when they approach the clouds over the Lowari top and often turn back because of high winds and a peculiar fear engulfs them like the Bermuda triangle which is the nemesis of many seamen.

The word "Top" is believed not to be the English word "top" but a word from an ancient dialect no longer spoken there.

The Lowari Top is one of the four major mountain passes to enter Chitral. The others are the Dorah Pass from Badakshan in Afghanistan, Shandoor Top from Gilgit, and Broghil from the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan.

The Lowari Tunnel is currently being constructed beneath Lowari Pass by a Korean company. Completion was expected in October 2008, but due to technical difficulties and financial constraints the project could not be completed to date.

The interesting part is that the excavation part of the tunnel is complete but the civil works like the retaining walls, exhaust system, tunnel tubing, lighting and mettaling of the ground road surface remains to be completed.

My personal experience while traveling through the tunnel was that of awe and fear of the unknown coupled with thrill and excitement.

While traveling through the tunnel the air becomes biting cold with occasional seepage of water from the walls, pool and puddles of water on the tunnel bed from time to time make a splashing sound when the tyres of the vehicle cross them. Just for the heck of it and thrill, I asked RAZZAK to switch off the lights of our Jalopy for a few seconds and it gave us a spooky and asphyxiating experience. I myself took a picture of the tunnel which is quite memorable and will be cherished by me for all times to come.

It is quite an exhilarating and adventurous drive through the tunnel. Inside the tunnel it is very bumpy, uneven meandering and spooky drive as we were in pitch darkness with freezing cold air embracing our skin. It gave us the spooks as if count Dracula was about to impinge his fangs in our necks as a result some of us got goose bumps / pimples and made our hair stand on its end (minus me as I have stopped using a comb about six years back).

On our way we met about two vehicles which crossed us and about one vehicle which come from the other side: Well the short cut through the tunnel saved us about 1 ½ hours of driving time and a climb of more than 3000 feet, not to mention the fuel and wear and tear to the vehicle. What a relief it will be for the people of the area in terms of logistics and easy access when the tunnel will be completed.

The GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN and the GOVERNMENT OF KHYBER-PAKHTOON KWAH should pool their resources to complete this tunnel as early as possible so that it opens up venue of trade, transit and logistics for the people of the area.

What a boon it will be for tourism and short route to the WAKKHAN corridor and Tajikistan.

So keep your fingers crossed.

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

Story Of Appreciation

Story Of Appreciation

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision.
The director discovered from the CV, that the youth's academic result is excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never was a year he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarship in school?" and the youth answered "none".
The director asked, "Is it your father who paid for your school fees?" the youth answered, my father passed away when I was one year old, it is my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, "Where did your mother work?" the youth answered, my mother worked as a cloth cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hand, the youth showed a pair of hand that were smooth and perfect to the director.

The director asked, " Did you ever help your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books, furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me. The director said, I have a request, when you go back today, go and help to clean your mother's hand, and then see me tomorrow morning.
The youth felt that as the chance of landing the job is high, when he went back, he happily wanted to clean his mother's hand, his mother felt strange, happy but mixed with fear, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hand slowly, his tears dropped down as he did that. It is the first time he found his mother's hands so wrinkled, and there are so many bruises in her hand. Some bruises incite pains so strong that shiver his mother's body when cleaned with water.

This is the first time the youth realized and experienced that it is this pair of hand that washed the cloth everyday to earn him the school fees, the bruises in the mother's hand is the price that the mother paid for his graduation and academic excellence and probably his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hand, the youth quietly cleaned all remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.
The director noticed the tear in the youth's eye, asked: “Can you tell what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

The director asked, “please tell me your feeling."

The youth said :
Number 1, I knew what is appreciation, without my mother, there would not the successful me today.

Number 2, I knew how to work together with my mother, then only I can realize how difficult and tough to get something done.

Number 3, I knew the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, " This is what I am asking, I want to recruit a person that can appreciate the help of other, a person that knew the suffering of others to get thing done, and a person that would not put money as his only goal in life to be my manager. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates, every employees worked diligently and in a team, the company's result improved tremendously.

A child who had been protected and habitually given whatever he did, he developed "entitlement mentality" and always put himself first. He is ignorant of his parent's effort. When he started work, he assumed every people must listen to him, and when he became a manager, he would never know how suffering his employee and always blame others. For this kind of people, he can have good result, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement, he will grumble and full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parent, did we love the kid or destroy the kid?

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plate and bowl together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the mother of that young person.

The most important thing is your kid learn how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

A SON’S TRIBUTE

A SON’S TRIBUTE TO HIS FATHER

28^th December 2010 will be 9^th death Anniversary of my Father Brig ® M. Alimuddin, who’s presence and guidance has been missed by me from day to day and from time to time and the vacuum thus created can never be filled.

The Rich Legacy and traditions left by him will remain a beacon of light for generations to come.

All friends and well wishers are requested to join me in a humble prayer for the departed soul.

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

BRIG (RETD) M. ALIMUDDIN

(1917 – December 28, 2001)

It was cloudy morning of August 25, 1947 that a shy captain of the Royal Army’s Medical Corps, Mohammad Alimuddin, who later retired from Pakistan Army as a Brigadier, landed at the Karachi Sea port with two suitcases along with his family from a Dutch naval hospital ship from Bombay. From here, he began a journey stretching over three generations which started way back in 1917. Alimuddin was born in a humble Pathan family in 1917, at Rani Sagar in Bihar state of India. His grandfather hailed from Russian Turkistan who came to the subcontinent in 1857 to take part in the war of independence and to wage Jihad against the British Raj. After the war they settled down in the plains of Bihar and thrived and prospered there.

Alimuddin received his early education from a school about six miles away from his hometown and he had to walk every day. He did his medical graduation from the Prince of Wales Medical College, Patna in 1938 and after doing his house job joined the Royal Army’s Medical Corps in 1939.

He took part in the Burma campaign and was part of the liberation forces which swept across Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Singapore. He was stationed aboard a Dutch naval hospital ship for more than one year in the Pacific and witnessed the surrender of Japan while on duty in Singapore.

After the World War II ended, he did his graduation in ophthalmology from the Royal Army Hospital at Calcutta and after independence, he opted for Pakistan leaving behind his parents, relatives and ancestral properties in India as he was a true patriot and wanted to serve the newly born Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was the pioneer and founder of the Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, where he served till his retirement in 1974. He was sent to the United Kingdom by Pakistan Army in 1950 for specialization in ophthalmology. He got a diploma from Royal College of Surgeons, England, and returned to Pakistan in 1952. He was founder of the department of ophthalmology in the Pakistan Armed forces and also laid foundation of the Eye Department at the Military Hospital Rawalpindi, and other combined Military Hospital’s in united Pakistan.

During his stay in the Army he held many command appointments apart from his professional duties as an ophthalmologist and commanded MH, Rawalpindi, CMH Quetta and was posted as DDMS Army in the GHQ at Rawalpindi. He was sent on observer training to Fitzsimmons General Hospital at Denver in Colorado state of USA in 1965 but due to the Indo-Pak war in September 1965, he opted to come back home to take care of the sick and wounded. Brigadier ® M. ALimuddin, has many publications to his credit and was a highly dedicated professional and a philanthropist. He was decorated with Tamgha – e – Imtiaz (military) and was awarded the Ramazan Ali Syed Gold Medal for his dedicated services and lifetime achievement in the filed of ophthalmology.

After his retirement, he established his own private clinic RAZA EYE CLINIC and worked there till the last days of his life. Brigadier ® M. Alimuddin was a tireless worker and used to run his clinic from morning to evening relentlessly. He was ebullient and punctilious in his duties but at the same time was very humble towards his poor patients on gratis basis. He was a pious and devoted Muslim having performed HAJ and Umra numerous times and was a regular contributor to many charities in Pakistan. He was active in the construction of the Mutton Market Mosque and Jamia Islamia on Kashmir road in Rawalpindi, during the early days of Pakistan. He had so much will power and determination that during the last days of his life at the age of 85 years he used to attend to his clinic daily and saw his last patient on October 10, 2001, before he fell ill and was admitted in the hospital for cardiac problems. He breathed his last on the morning of December 28, 2001, at PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi. His funeral was attended by a large number of people at Sultan Mosque in the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi and his mortal remains were then transported to Rawalpindi the same day to his residence in Rawalpindi where he lived most of his life.

On December 29, 2001, he was laid to rest in the Army Graveyard in Rawalpindi amongst a throng of mourners, friends, relatives and well wishers who came to pay him their last respects.

In loss of Brigadier ® M. Alimuddin, the Rawalpindi city lost a true son of soil, an eminent ophthalmologist and above all a humble human being whose absence will be felt by generations to come and mourned by his family and well wishers for a long time.

Wanted: a feel-good moment

Wanted: a feel-good moment

By Anjum Niaz
DAWN NEWS PAPER Sunday, 24 Oct, 2010

Chilean miner Luis Urzua gestures alongside President Sebastian Pinera (R) after reaching the surface from the San Jose mine, near Copiapo, Chile. – AFP Photo

In a cavern, in a canyon
Excavating for a mine
Dwelt miners sixty-niners
And their darling Chileantines

Sorry ‘Oh my darling Clementine’ composer. But I must rewrite your script to talk of the heroic “sixty-niners” who lived in entrapment cooped up in a small space half a mile under earth’s surface for 69 days. Unlike your song that laments the death of Clementine, the miner’s daughter, my story has a happy ending. Reason for the 33 gold diggers (no pun intended) survival? The untiring efforts of their president and the country he heads.

Chile pronounced ‘chillay’ or ‘she-lay’ grabbed the world’s attention on the night of October 12 when it began the rescue of the miners via a capsule named Phoenix and painted red, blue and white signifying the Chilean flag. President Pinera, smiling copiously, dressed in orange just like the others in the crowd with a helmet on his head, stood cheerfully at the spot called Camp Hope for hours waiting and welcoming the miners till the last one was out. No frills; no fuss; no hangers surrounded his persona. He hugged them with words like “Welcome to life;” An appropriate sentiment considering that no human in recorded history has survived that long underground.

Luis Alberto Urzua, the shift foreman who helped his colleagues survive and not lose hope during the first 17 days before Chileans discovered the men were alive, was the last to surface. In the weeks that followed, the world was captivated by their endurance and unity. “Hanging firm to discipline and collaboration held firm in the lightless, dank space,” wrote the New York Times, “Their perseverance has transfixed the globe with a universal story of human struggle and the enormously complex operation to rescue them.”

Said President Pinera after the national anthem, “We are more unified than ever. Unity, faith, commitment, loyalty and solidarity fills us with pride and we thank God. Chile is ready for great things… Viva Chile. I would like to thank Chileans for showing the world the best of Chile. I am proud to be your president… this has been a big lesson for our government. We need to improve our system, our procedure to take better care and dignity of our workers. We owe it to Chileans. I am announcing a new treaty to the workers.”

Two months earlier, another president was in the news. Here in America, while we watched every night the savagery of the Great Flood, foreign news media also telecast a jean-clad, tuckless shirted President Zardari holidaying in Paris at his 16th century chateau juxtaposed with the colossal failure of his government back home to handle the crisis. Amidst harrowing stories of the flood victims, we got an earful from foreign journalists of how the Pakistani government was caught unprepared and left the victims at the mercy of the elements. One felt angry to see, hear and read details of the corruption stories cropping up and the reticence of international donors to come forward with help. Photos of stretching hands and hordes of people pushing each other to grab the relief goods being distributed showed massive chaos, confusion, desperation and looting.

Wrote the UK based Economist “It gives donors time to find effective ways to co-ordinate their help—ways that, where possible, should bypass Mr Zardari’s loose-fingered friends.” The Great Flood was an opportunity for the leaders to shine. Had they come out of their palaces and glass houses to supervise the relief operations with excellent planning and execution, the 170 million would have stood up to salute them and the world would have focused on their feats. Instead, all they earned was a bad name and disdain of international donors.

Will Pakistan ever get a government worthy of its citizens’ admiration? If one believes in miracles, why, yes of course! If Chile managed to shake off the yoke of its worst president General Augusto Pinochet, the most controversial figure in the history of Chile, there’s hope for us too. As head of the military junta that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, he enjoyed total control.

It is then not a pipedream for Pakistanis to hope for a feel-good moment like Chileans? The wait may be longer but it will happen one day. Already, one hears such edifying stories of people going to the flood victims with relief goods to show their solidarity. Here’s one such story of a man called Razzaq in Kot Addu who has tended to 150 families encamped since July 28. Running out of rations, he sent an SOS to his brother-in-law Dr Babur Zahiruddin sitting 750 kms away, in Pindi. The Pakistan Thinkers Forum (PTF) promptly collected the rations and the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association (PESA) used their influence and arranged for a C-130 to airlift the two truckloads of donated stuff for their homeless brethren marooned on the other side of the Indus.

Yes, this indeed must be a feel-good moment for the 150 families knowing that they have not been forgotten. If only the leaders and the wealthy were the exemplars of such heedfulness, Pakistanis would have feel-good moments, times without number.

anjumniaz@rocketmail.com

LIVE IT UP

Dear Friends

This is one of the emails that touches my soul..............

It was forwarded to me by one of my friends who requested to share it with my friends

since i read this email I have started living, I enjoy my living, Say hello to people whom I dont even know, give a pat to youngsters in the street, Help out people with small gestures and gifts....

When I look back on my life I am astonished that I have not lived my life till now.

All my yester years were in vain and I wasted my time in worrying, apprehension, tension and fear of the unknown ..

Dear friends............................... ENJOY your life

Make the most of it.......................

Because tomorrow may not be the same as today.....................

Please forward this email.....

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

A friend of mine opened his wife's drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:

'Never save something for a special occasion.

Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the settee without worrying about anything and just relax.

I spend more time with my family & friends and less at work.

Money is to be spent not saved.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.

I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day.

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

I go out with my friends whenever I want to rather than thinking I don't have the spare money or time.

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.

If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now...

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.

I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

She might have told everyone how much she loved them.

I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food.

It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it 'One of these days' , remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come...

No matter if you're superstitious or not, spend some time reading it. It holds useful messages for the soul.

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

Dear Friends

We have been concentrating in MALAKAND, SWAT and other areas for our relief activities when I got a frantic SOS from my brother-in - Law (RAZZAQ) in KOT ADDU.

He was desperate to give help to some affectees of the deluge along spur no. 3 and 4, about 2 kilometers upstream INDUS (TAUNSA BARRAGE)where about 150 families were encamped and he was looking after them since 28th July 2010 and he was running out of finances and Rations.

At the first instant I thought that this was a very difficult task for me as collecting Rations was one major problem and transporting these Rations to about 750 Kms by road was another problem.

But as they say WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS WAY ......................................................

By chance about 2 weeks ago I mentioned this request in one of our PESA meeting with ACM Kaleem Saadat who said that he will look in to the matter.

I more or less forgot about this, but about 5 days ago I received an email from ACM Kaleem Saadat to collect the donations from Col. Bakhtiar Hakeem's residence which is the head quarters of Pakistan Thinkers forum (PTF).

I thought this will be a small consignment for relief effort so I went to collect it from PTF head quarters in my car.

When I went there I was amazed that they had collected one SHAHZOOR Load of 150 beddings which were complete in all respects for the coming winter.

They also told me that the 2 trucks loads of RATIONS had to be lifted from CSD Chaklala and I should lift every thing today because of lack of storage facility.

I started with the Truck for going to the ADDA for onwards dispatch to KOT ADDU by commercial trucks who were asking Rupees 15000/- per truck load to KOT ADDU.

When I was half way through that I got a call from ACM Kaleem Saadat that Charlie (slang for C-130) had been arranged for the transportation and I should deliver the goods to Air movement at Chaklala base.

Well THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS..............

At one time every thing seemed so difficult, arduous, intricate and a remote possibility to me having limited resources and man power but yet the combined cumulative, synergistic and symbiotic efforts of all the team members made this so easy.

I collected rest of the goods from CSD chaklala which was handed over to me by Col. Bakhtiar Hakeem another supporting and sporting personality out to help others for a altruistic cause.

It took me three (3) trips to PAF Base chaklala to deliver the goods which I finished by 1830 hours in the evening. My passage was greatly facilitated by the courtesy of ACM Keleem Saadat and I would like to also thank the LOAD MASTER S/t. Muktar at PAF base chaklala who accommodated me even after pack up hours.

The next was the flight of the Eagle from chaklala to Multan on Monday for which I was in close liaison with base commander Multan Gp. Capt Farhat Ali, who again was very helpful in the unloading and loading on to the trucks brought by Razzak to PAF base.

Finally the relief goods found their way from Multan to KOT ADDU onwards to upstream Indus and DERA DEEN PANAH, where they were distributed on Tuesday.

I would like to share this story with you and also THANK all those who helped me in making this episode a success.

Photographs of the whole journey process are attached for your viewing. some of the other pictures will come in a separate email.

Please join me in this crusade in my fight against poverty, disease, exploitation, ignorance and hunger.

........................................LET US ALL PROMISE TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE...........................................

Always in need of your prayers,

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

Social Activist