Pakistan: Hollywood's Bleeding Heart
Written byNeha Viswanathan
In all that hype – it does seem like a few Hollywood stars are doing something for the earthquake victims – on Metroblogging Islamabad.
Written byNeha Viswanathan
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THE EARTHQUAKE IN PAKISTAN
PLEASE DO PAUSE FOR HALF AN HOUR TO READ
“MY PLEA, Identify Yourselves With
The Hundreds of Thousand Dead
And
Millions of The Suffering Victims of
THE EARTHQUAKE
IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR!”
THE HEARTRENDING REALITY!
Even now, Pakistani Government Agencies have recorded more than 1,700,000 DEATHS caused directly by the earthquake!
Over 60,000 are believed to have FROZEN TO DEATH in HIGH ALTITUDE ENCLOSED VALLEYS. Enclosed valleys are surrounded by high mountains with passes 12,000 to 18,000 Feet Above Sea Level!
Thousands of INFANTS and BABIES have STARVED TO DEATH! Their Mothers have LOST THE ABILITY to BREAST FEED THEM!
There is PLENTY of FOOD and PACKAGED MILK in PAKISTAN!
But how to get it to High Altitude Enclosed Valleys?
MULES and HELICOPTERS can not reach them! Above their maximum operating altitudes!
INFANTRY BATTALIONS of THE PAK ARMY can only carry around 10 Kilograms (Around 20 Pounds) over and above their own personal man-packs (Around 50 Kilograms – 100 Pounds).
HAVE THE MOUNTAINEERS OF THE WORLD
GIVEN THIS ISSUE ANY THOUGHT?
Let MOUNTAINEERS WORLD-WIDE Come and HELP PAK INFANTRY BATTALIONS!
PLEASEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
May be, my narration just might seem a bit far-fetched!
However, time just might reveal that even my visualisation of the disaster just might be mitigated by the actual extent and magnitude of this disaster!
Regretfully, I hear the media, politicians and ordinary people criticising the Pakistani Government’s response to the 7.6 magnitude earthquake; with especially harsh criticism and condemnation directed towards the Pakistan Army.
While most in the media, ordinary people and a few politicians may mean well, “Some Only Criticise For The Sake of Criticism! Some With Obvious Malicious Intentions!”
Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of those who criticise have no idea about magnitude and extent of the task facing the rescuers. A cursory look at a good map will suffice to show that the area hit by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake lies in “The Most Rugged, Foreboding, Inhospitable and Dangerous Terrain On God’s Earth; Yet The Most Picturesque Region of The World! … THE LAND WHERE MOUNTAINS MEET!”
I served twenty years as an infantry officer (A Pongo – Pure Bloody Footslogging Infantry) in The Baloch Regiment, Pakistan Army, and have lived in these areas.
I know what I am talking about!
Working silently (without pomp, show and melodramatics) and having suffered, possibly (the Army never reveals its casualties) over 3,500 Officers and Other Ranks Killed in this 7.6 magnitude earthquake (including 1 Brigadier (General), 6 Lieutenant Colonels, 80+ Officers of the Rank of Major and below), The Pakistan Army moved into action, immediately within minutes, on the all important SEARCH and RESCUE Missions! … Not waiting for orders or briefings!
It was General Headquarters, Pakistan Army, Rawalpindi (Islamabad) who first informed the President about the EXTENT and MAGNITUDE of THIS TRAGEDY!
Fortunately, just around a year back, Russia gave Pakistan Army 16 X MI-17 Helicopters. This huge Cargo-Troop Carrier is the largest helicopters in the world.
These helicopter along with around 65 Previously Held Pak Army Aviation Helicopters (Far Older French Puma, High Altitude Brazilian Lama and Russian MI-8 Helicopters) swung immediately into action; providing scour to the afflicted. Aviation pilots have been flying EIGHTEEN HOURS A DAY – Grabbing a SIX HOUR ORDERED REST!
Then, neither the Pakistan Army nor the Pakistani Government have the quality and quantity of equipment held by affluent nations!
Thank God, Forty American, a Fleet of Five or Six United Nations Helicopters Four British, Four German and A Few Japanese Helicopters have now joined THE MISSION OF MERCY!
“Now, even NATO and American Troops have entered the area. . . . This Permits The Pakistan Army to Send in High Altitude Acclimatised Man-packed Infantry Battalions to The Most Remote, Coldest and Highest Areas!”
Unfortunately, A Pak Army Aviation Helicopter (An Invaluable Large Russian MI-17), Venturing Out in Rain, Snow and Heavy Clouds, (It had Delivered its Full Load of Medical and Relief Supplies) CRASHED THIS MORNING (Saturday, October 15, 2005; Killing The Pilot (A Major), The Co Pilot (A Captain), A Lieut. Colonel, A Doctor (A Major) and Two Pak Army Medical Corps Nursing Assistants!
The “Rescue Response,” especially by the Pak Army, has been fast and selfless!
Pakistani Man-packed Army Infantry Battalions have walked up to a hundred miles to reach the most inaccessible and isolated areas. Such localities may be only AROUND FIVE to TWELVE THOUSAND FEET ( 1.8 to km 3.7 km) ABOVE SEA LEVEL (ASL), … Access to them is through HIGH ALTITUDE PASSES, anything up to 18,000 Ft. (5.5 km) ASL.
Even Pakistan Army’s Animal Transport (Mules) can not go above 10,000 ft. (3 km)! Then, mules can not walk distances per day that PONGOS (Pure Bloody Infantry – Pongo) can!
To see the “Once Upon A Time – Spectacular Glamour of These Areas, [lease switch on your audio and go to:
http://www.geocities.com/josephsharaf/nostalgic_memories.html
FOR WHOM …
NO BELL TOLLS!
In these areas 95 percent of children, from NEW BORN to AROUND TWENTY-TWO YEAR OLDS, … were KILLED by this devastating earthquake, BURIED IN THEIR HOUSES, SCHOOLS and COLLEGES!
Bodies Recovered …..
It is – 1,500 girls in this school; 1,200 boys in this college ……. and …. SO ON!
Out of an estimated population of Five Million, Pakistan Army fears that any number Between HALF A MILLION to TWO MILLION may be dead!
Pakistan Army’s First Reaction was
A GENERATION HAS BEEN LOST IN THE NORTHERN AREAS OF PAKISTAN and KASHMIR!”
THE SUBTERRANEAN PIPER! …
Or ….
THE BLACK HORSE OF THE APOCALYPSE!
Now comes the horrible realisation that due to The Age and Maturity Factors
THREE GENERATIONS ARE AFFECTED
That is …..
TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT of The NEW GENERATION (Young Adults) …
ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE NEXT GENERATION
And
ALMOST NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE THIRD GENERATION
HAS BEEN LOST!
The Pied Piper’s REVENGE on Hanover was ONLY ONE TOWN!
NATURE’S FURY ON PAKISTANI NORTHERN AREAS and KASHMIR HAS KILLED THE HOPES of A Region The Size of Some Small Countries!
For a LONG LONG TIME, …………..
THOSE BETWEEN ………….
A YEAR and TWENTY-ONE YEARS of AGE …………
WILL BE AN EXTREMELY ………….
RARE SIGHT ……………..
IN PAKISTANI NORTHERN AREAS and KASHMIR!
The Government may never reveal the true numbers of people killed!
It is UNIMAGINABLE and INCOMPREHENSIBLE ……………
To even think of SUCH HUGE LOSSES OF LIFE!
During my Military Service, I have lived in these areas!
It SNOWS in JUNE and JULY!
In some of these areas, Temperatures can DROP DOWN to MINUS THIRTY DEGREES CENTIGRADE (54° F – Below Freezing Point) …. Even in SUMMERS!
In WINTERS to MINUS SEVENTY CENTIGRADE (126° F. – Below Freezing Point)!
The people are extremely poor, simple, honest and extraordinarily beautiful!
May The Fellowship of MAN Have Compassion For And Reach Out To Them!
MAY ALMIGHTY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEM!
To view photographs, please go to (Yes, it is just one URL. You may have to copy o your browser!):
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/100805pakistanquake;_ylt=AlCK2460lAPGRDkrkNTAT6X9xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3bGk2OHYzBHNlYwN0bXA-
MY PLEA – SAVE AND REHABILITATE THE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN AREAS OF PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR!
Joseph P.G. Sharaf.
A Pakistani Christian (Catholic).
Lahore Cantt.,
Pakistan.
Email: stjoseph_clge@yahoo.co.uk, josephsharaf@yahoo.co.uk, vjmc_projects@yahoo.com