Awoken Nation

Let me tell you a story—a story drenched in irony, coated with dark humor, and wrapped in the suffocating grip of power. It’s about a dictator, a young cadet with a thirst for justice, and yes, a crate of mangoes. Sounds strange? Well, welcome to A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif. The Paranoid General and the Young Cadet At the heart of this story is General Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s military dictator, a man so consumed by paranoia that every shadow looks like an assassin and every mango tastes like poison. Picture him—wearing his aviator glasses, his mustache neatly combed, a prayer bead clutched tightly in his hand. Power has a way of turning even the most confident men into trembling souls. Then there’s Ali Shigri, a sharp-witted, rebellious Air Force cadet. He’s not your typical soldier. Behind his composed demeanor lies a storm—a deep, burning anger over his father’s mysterious death. Colonel Quli Shigri, Ali’s father, was allegedly found hanging from a ceiling fan in wh...

Imran Khan: The Symbol of Resistance The story of Imran Khan continues to grip the nation— As I narrate this, Khan has spent  500 days in Adiala Jail , and what’s remarkable is their  unbreakable spirit.  No matter how one views him, history will record this man as an “unbelievable” figure—a storm of resilience. I can’t help but think of the times he’s been compared to  Nelson Mandela , who endured decades in prison yet emerged as a liberator. Mandela’s story was tough, and his struggle was monumental. But Imran Khan’s battle feels even more nuanced: He isn’t fighting colonizers but the  mental slavery  and power structures of his own people. Khan is no ordinary prisoner. He is a man imprisoned for refusing to compromise his principles. They locked him up to break his will, to coerce him into silence. But instead, he became even larger than life —a symbol of defiance and hope. The Forgotten Lives and the Blood of November 26 If you think this story stops h...

  1. The Beginning: A Bold Vision When Elon Musk dismissed LiDAR as "a fool’s errand" back in 2019, many critics laughed it off. They said it was reckless and impossible. How could cars rely solely on vision? Fast forward to today, and Tesla has proven him right. This story isn’t just about technology; it’s about persistence, innovation, and, ultimately, domination. I’m here to share the journey of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and how it turned the autonomous vehicle industry on its head. From the start, Tesla took a radically different approach. While competitors like Waymo and General Motors (GM) invested in expensive LiDAR systems and complex maps, Tesla focused on cameras, vision-based AI, and data collection. Critics said it couldn’t be done. Yet, here we are: Waymo is scaling back, GM is shifting strategy, and even Google’s CEO acknowledges that Tesla leads the race. 2. The Turning Point: Admitting Defeat For years, companies argued that LiDAR was essentia...

  This is an extract from a media talk delivered by Faisal Chaudhary outside Adiala Jail. The Start of a Battle Standing in court today, I felt the weight of an unfair system bearing down on us. A criminal case had been registered against us in the marketplace, and charges were filed without any solid evidence. To make matters worse, we haven’t even received a copy of the charge sheet. Despite repeated requests for this crucial document, our pleas seem to fall on deaf ears. This isn’t just negligence; it’s a blatant disregard for legal processes. Our call for CCTV footage—a key piece of evidence—remains unanswered. What struck me most was how this one case stands isolated while other FIRs have been separated. The accusations revolve around incitement, but there’s no proof. Those who stayed loyal to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are being targeted, while others who abandoned the party are walking free. This selective justice is painful to witness. Political Victimization in Ful...

When the news of Syria’s regime collapse surfaced, it ignited debates worldwide. Analysts spun narratives based on their biases—some hailed it as a victory for freedom, while others mourned it as a loss for regional powers like Iran and Russia. I couldn’t help but think, what does this mean for us in Pakistan? There’s more to this story than meets the eye, and it’s crucial for us to learn from it. The Roots of the Syrian Crisis Syria’s chaos wasn’t born overnight. It began as a series of peaceful protests in 2011, much like the Arab Spring in Tunisia. People were frustrated—economic hardships and authoritarian rule had pushed them to the brink. What started as calls for reform soon escalated into armed conflict when violence erupted. The regime doubled down, and factions within Syria rose to fight, backed by international powers. This wasn’t just a Syrian issue—it became a battleground for geopolitics. The U.S., Russia, Iran, Israel, and Turkey each had stakes, turning Syria into a pro...

  Introduction The question of whether Kashmiri DNA is fundamentally different from that of Pakistanis is fascinating, but it reflects a deeper issue—our struggles with unity as a nation. While DNA plays no role in determining collective behaviors like unity, other factors, including cultural, historical, and socio-political dynamics, may provide answers. Let’s explore why Kashmir seems to manage unity better and why Pakistan struggles despite shared ethnic and historical ties. Is Kashmiri DNA Unique? Scientifically, Kashmiri DNA is not drastically different from that of Pakistanis. Kashmiris, like many ethnic groups in Pakistan, share genetic similarities due to centuries of migration, intermarriage, and shared ancestry. The diversity in Pakistan—from Punjabis to Sindhis, Pashtuns, and Baloch—also exists in Kashmir. Yet, unity is not dictated by DNA but by shared narratives, cultural pride, and socio-political cohesion. Cultural Pride and Identity Kashmiris have a strong, unified ...

The Competing Narratives in Pakistan As I sit back, pondering the current state of affairs in Pakistan, it feels like we are riding an emotional roller coaster. Right now, there are at least three major narratives competing for control in the country, and each one affects us differently. One is the narrative coming from the government, another is from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and somewhere in between is the army, trying to figure out its own position amidst this chaos. The Boycott of Military Products One key thing stands out: the growing frustration over the boycott of military products. It all started when shots were fired at D-Chowk, a protest site in Islamabad, and Imran Khan questioned, "Why was the bullet fired?" This incident spurred public resentment towards the military, triggering a movement to boycott army-affiliated businesses. People see it as a form of protest, a statement that they're tired of being manipulated by various powerful forces. While the g...