Chowrangi

It was Thursday, 14th February 2008 - For some people in the world, it was a Love Day, for others it was merely a routine day, for us it was both. Well, at about 1:31 PM, I heard annoying noise fetching closer perhaps of a helicopter engine flying quite low in the sky. To my astonishment, it was throwing something in the air. For a moment I had an idea of refugee Helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan which distribute Food Boxes, but what this helicopter was distributing appeared totally different. It was throwing papers in the air - to be accurate “PARTY PAMPHLETS” declaring former CM Mr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim as icon of progress for Sindh Province. Rest of the paper had a “Cycle” image in it & a plea at the bottom to vote for PML(Q).

I wonder how come a politician like him, who uses state machinery and state money for promoting his election campaign can be symbol of progress? Perhaps he knew, that if he comes to address people in Larkana, nobody’s gonna give him an ear.

Well, although the story seems to be little old, because of the electoral process has finished & forming up the govt. with majority is the hot issue. But what made me bring the story up to here is that one of my friend is Arbab’s ally and he lives in his neighborhood. He called me at 6:00 PM on 18th February 2008 - POLL DAY - to know the situation of Larkana. I told him that voting has ended & counting is still continued. He laughed and said “We finished counting at 12 PM. We stamped on “cycle” on all the ballot papers and Arbab would be in the assembly again”. Then I smiled; “We need a black sheep in assembly too “.