Daily Diary (DD) - Day 37 of 2026

1031hrs:

It was another 0800hrs start, getting to sleep beyond 2300hrs last night. A 3 hour lapse at the top end (preceding evening) and a 5 hour lapse at the bottom end (following morning).

Today is my 5th day in Mirpur. I don't recall spending as many days in Mirpur since my incarceration in August 2020, where I had to spend about 9 months in Mirpur jail, to feed the Pakistani State's ego.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 36 of 2026

1334hrs:

A lapse again today, waking at 0800hrs, 5 hours behind schedule. Society obviously has its own timings and I need to be strict about the timing of meeting people. 'Going with the flow' is sometimes inescapable but it requires a high level of discipline to minimise.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

208

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

86

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 40,910

Cash Deposits: 2,60,009

Immediate Debts: 0 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 35 of 2026

0542hrs:

Now, this is much better! I woke up today at 0522hrs, just 2 hours & 22 minutes later than my optimum target of 0300hrs but in a genuine way. Although I got to sleep at 2300hrs last night - 3 hours later than the the optimum target - yet today's timing is the best its been for a while now. I now firmly believe that I can build on this.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

208

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

86

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 43,170

Cash Deposits: 2,62,283

Immediate Debts: 0 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 34 of 2026

0307hrs:

Again, the timing isn't bad but it isn't genuine timing. I arrived in Mirpur yesterday evening and haven't slept yet. 

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

208

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 46,460

Cash Deposits: 2,62,317

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 33 of 2026

1556hrs:

This morning I managed to wake up at 0800hrs, slightly better than the average waking up time (viz. 0900hrs) achieved over the past week. There's still a wide gap of 5 hours and I better get better at this.

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We had our first meeting with the baldiya (municipality) of Sehnsa today, as part of discussions towards framing a model contract between the public of Sehnsa & the local municipality. Details will be logged here in due course.

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We also had our first meeting with a male representative of the 'Changar' epidemic harming the social fabric of AJK. We have given them a deadline of Friday the 6th of February, to finalise details of their absolute departure from the territory of AJK.

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Meanwhile, I'm now preparing for another trip down South.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

208

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 51,000

Cash Deposits: 2,62,317

Immediate Debts: 0 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 32 of 2026

0336hrs:

Again, this is not the authentic way of entering the blogosphere for my daily entry. I have been awake through all the hours that I should have been sound asleep viz. 2000hrs to 0300hrs. In fact, last night I didn't finish at the gym before 2300hrs!

As Sunday is a relatively easy day, I hope I can re-orient my day today to get to sleep at 2000hrs this evening.

Meanwhile, it is reassuring that I have maintained a 100% daily blogging record for the first month of the year. I'm still to produce such a record for the whole year to date, despite trying since 2018. Here's the annual percentages since I began this weblog in 2008:

2008 - 18 entries (5%)

2009 - 37 ....... (10%)

2010 - 11 ....... (3%)

2011 - 51 ....... (14%)

2012 - 3 ....... (1%)

2013 - 7 ....... (2%)

2014 - 4 ....... (1%)

2015 - 5 ....... (1%)

2016 - 8 ....... (2%)

2017 - 5 ....... (1%) 

- 10 year average = 4%

2018 - 255 entries (70%)

2019 - 330 ....... (90%)

2020 - 226 ....... (62%)

2021 - 123 ....... (34%)

2022 - 361 ....... (99%)

2023 - 355 ....... (97%)

2024 - 349 ....... (96%)

2025 - 359 ....... (98%)

2026 - 32 ....... 100% so far!

- 9 year average so far = 83%

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

208

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 55,720

Cash Deposits: 2,64,385

Immediate Debts: 0 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 31 of 2026

1006hrs:

I'm not escaping that 0900hrs waking up routine just yet. I'm also slipping into scrolling in the evening beyond 2000hrs when I should be asleep by that time, in order to get up at the appointed time of 0300hrs.

This has already proved costly and I continue counting on a daily basis.

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From a regional environmental point of view the following article reports an extremely disturbing phenomenon. Many thanks to SAPAN for bringing this to us:

Delhi and Lahore’s winter smog is dimming Kathmandu’s mountains too by Sapan News

Pollution from North India and Pakistan is clouding Kathmandu’s skies, exposing how shared airsheds are accelerating health crises and glacier melt. 

Read on Substack

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It was later in the day that we learned of Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry's demise. He also happened to be the president of AJK. The following eulogy by Dr Nazir Gilani (on the 2nd of February) couldn't be more precise and compact in its verdict:

!ایک بڑے گھرانے کا وضع دار سیاست دان  اللہ کے ہاں لوٹ گیا

 

 

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

207

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 56,900

Cash Deposits: 2,45,143

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 30 of 2026

0929hrs:

I have made a 15 minute improvement by getting up at 0845hrs today. It is not much as it is still 5 hours & 45 minutes later than necessary. I will not be deterred by the results so far or the length of time it is taking for me to get this right. As understood, it is the top-end of the sleeping pattern viz. the evening before - when preparing for sleep - that needs to be addressed.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

207

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 58,420

Cash Deposits: 2,45,143

Immediate Debts: 0 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 29 of 2026

0944hrs:

I'm still stuck on that 0900hrs start, 6 hours later than needed and intended. No excuses whatsoever. I apologise to the nation and deserve punishment for not getting this right, despite trying for over 8 months.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

207

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 58,850

Cash Deposits: 2,45,327

Immediate Debts: 0 

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 28 of 2026

0301hrs:

Almost on the dot but not in the authentic manner required for success. I actually fell asleep even beyond 0500hrs (9 hours later than I should have and 2 hours after the time I'm supposed to wake up viz. 0300hrs). Thus, another disaster for the record.

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Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 

16

Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:

207

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

85

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since the 9th of October 2025 (of total 5,000):

537

Cash in Hand: 60,280

Cash Deposits: 2,45,551

Immediate Debts: 0 

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