The proud father also took videos of the whole “training” trip. The video footage, passed to the Glasgow Evening Times, shows the youngest daughter Sana, who was 5 at the time, being helped to fire the gun.

Mr. Hanif is currently in Pakistan, and in a statement issued by the party, he said it was “foolish and inappropriate”, but he also said that the event took place over two years ago, long before he became a councillor.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Bill Atiken feels the action has made him unsuitable for public office. Mr. Hanif has been suspended by his party, while the newspapers have covered the story under the headline “Councillor Kalashnikov”.

It explains why the rich are the biggest rule violators in Pakistan.

More on the story:

• Evening Times
• Times Online
• Daily Record
• The Herald

25-July-2008 7 low intensity blasts have hit India’s I.T. capital of Bangalore.

Is Bangalore becoming a terror capital?

I know bombs are a bad thing, but I wish press and media would go easy on declaring cities “terror capitals”?  Pakistan, and Karachi in particular, have suffered terribly because of these hasty claims.

• Newser.com on Karachi blasts
• Reuters on Bangalore blasts
• BBC on Bangalore blasts

Needless to say, I missed my partners in crime from Loose Ends.  Umar is visiting Pakistan right now, and it makes it even worse for me not to have launched Ankahi with him.  It was his friendship and supported that started this whole movement.  I also missed Tania and Reema a lot.  Their presence brought the feeling of reality to Loose Ends.

I’m glad that God has given me this opportunity to go back to doing such topics on TV.  May Allah guide me and help me make a difference.

I pulled over and took the following pictures as she walked past me with great effort.  In one of the pictures, a political party’s election campaign banner is visible as the child walks past it.  The banner is of course promising unconditional paradise. For a moment I felt like cursing the nation, as my heart bled for the little girl. But then I conveniently drove away, with a heavy heart feeling sorry for the child, in my shiny car.  Just like thousands of cars that probably drove by her, and do every morning, I too just drove away.

What an animal I am.  Even animals would probably feel sorry and do something about what they understand.  I understood what I saw, but simply drove away, thinking “what can I do”.  I want to admit here on my blog, that I’m a miserable, wretched, unforgivable Pakistani, who may take a moment to bring the plight of my people to the world’s attention, but I did not stop for a moment to maybe help the child.

We keep complaining about the governments, but what did I do myself?  What did I do to help a human being in pain… a little child?

The elite are busy talking about human right violations of politicians, and demands of democracy.  I just spent one hour listening to Mr. Shahbaz Sharif’s interview on Geo TV where he reminded the world of great work down by him and his brother during their past regimes.  Then I saw clips of late Benazir Bhutto, talking of “Food, Clothing, and Housing” for the poor. The same slogan her late father was screaming in the 1970’s.  That was followed by Ch. Pervaiz Elahi’s election advertisement talking of how he has educated Punjab, and how under his rule every Pakistani is now living a better life.

And then I see these pictures I saw yesterday, and I want to commit Seppuku, for I have committed serious and heinous crimes against humanity, against the people of my nation.

I’m reminded of a picture of the Prime Minister apologizing to a group of victims who contracted Hepatitis-C at his office.  His bowed head.  His shame.

And then I think of our leaders - past, present, and future; and I think of the attrocities committed by the them in the name of democracy, politics, and national interest.  I wonder when even one of our leaders will stand in front of the nation, as does the Japanese prime minister, asking for forgiveness for crimes much much bigger and graver than those of the honorable Yasuo Fukuda.  “I believe you have all suffered, mind and soul, for many years and have had feelings that can’t be expressed into words, I take this opportunity to apologise from my heart,” is what the Prime Minister said to the suffering patiehts, while he bowed humbly in front of them while international media watched.

The first Pakistani leader to accept his crimes against humanity, and to ask for this little girl’s forgiveness, will be the one I will follow and support.