Daily Diary (DD) - Day 17 of 2026

1228hrs:

A guest came last night, due to which I couldn't sleep till close to midnight. I got up at 0800hrs. I will keep plugging away at my ideal target.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 16 of 2026

1156hrs:

The intention was right yesterday evening. I deliberately skipped dinner and got to bed by 2100hrs. It took many hours to sleep and I avoided distractions by keeping my eyes shut. This led to me waking up at 0312hrs but I fell back asleep knowing that my quota of rest hadn't been completed. I didn't get up till 0900hrs.

The battle continues into the 16th day of 2026 and I'm yet to get it right, despite beginning this 'rest quest' at the beginning of 2025.

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I paid my second visit to Pachwaana (a hamlet or tok in moza Kataar) in Dadyaal on the 3rd of January 2026, after my first visit at the beginning of 2022, to sample 'Mithaali Ma-ashara' (Model Society), the brainchild of Imtiaz Raja Advocate, who practices law in Mirpur.

Here's the belated article I wrote on this model society based on mukaalma (dialogue) and maafi (forgiveness), while camped out in Maqbool Bhat Martyr's Square - Dadyaal, during the month of November 2025:

The banyan trees where the village converges - this photo was taken on the morning after the January 2026 meeting viz. 04/01/2026

The Paradise of Pachwaana 

Mithaali Ma-ashara (Model Society)

A hamlet nestled within the moza (administrative village) of Kataar, in tehsil (subdivision) Dadyaal in zila (district) Mirpur – Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK)

This hamlet in an almost 8 decades old conflict zone, afflicted by mass migration like the rest of the territory of AJK - has been in pursuit of global peace - by practical illustration of a new covenant for humanity. One based on ‘forgive-ness’.

Efforts towards creating this ‘Model Society’ took practical shape on Wednesday the 27th of May 2020 in Pachwaana, led by the very well read yet unassuming and seemingly reserved personality of Imtiaz Raja Advocate, who practices law in the relatively distant city of Mirpur, over 80 kilometres away by road.   

Subsequently, this effort at creating a ‘Model Society’ by initially creating a model village, has remained consistent in practising its ideals every first Saturday of every month since, without fail. At the time of writing this article, there would have been 67 such monthly meetings taken place so far. 

It was important for this writer to pen down his experience of this novel venture and despite intrinsically understanding its significance for humanity in our region and beyond, I am ashamed that it has taken me almost 4 years to actually accomplish this task, which should have been done soon after my visit on the first Saturday of the month (and year) in 2022. 

It would be a grave offence for me to offer any excuses, yet the nature of my work as an independent action-oriented public policy researcher, working in such a territory where everybody expects you to associate yourself with some ideology, organisation, party or country; while expressing no value for research, irrespective of how genuinely independent it may be: has kept me consumed for over 2 decades to date. There are important matters that remain pending even after a decade. 

Nevertheless, returning to that day in Pachwaana in 2022 – which also happened to be the first day of the year too – I noticed the banyan tree first and foremost, then the multitude of colours adorning it and then the diversity of people clearly visible as a tightly knit community, each busy in their own respective duties yet synchronised as a whole. 

Imtiaz Raja was multi-tasking with ease; welcoming guests, answering queries while also ensuring that the rhythm of the gathering remained focussed on the schedule at hand. All the souls of these people – it seemed – were connected to the soil beneath them. This experience wasn’t like a wedding or funeral, which are common events in this society where people gather in such numbers. This was a gathering intent on rebuilding society, by inculcating habits of togetherness, purposefulness, exchange of ideas through dialogue (mukaalma) and forgiveness (maafi). 

Later that evening, I joked with Imtiaz Raja that I had thought that I was the only paagal (insane person) in this society and it was reassuring for me that I wasn’t alone. Anybody who understands this society or has been a keen observer will recognise that – in general – the priorities of our people are distant from humanity and by logical extension, anathema to public or even national interest. As Malik Bashir Murad noted in his book ‘Pachwaana ki Jannat’, personalities like Imtiaz Raja are akin to a modern day Khizer (a phrase that describes a person who acts as a mysterious, wise and benevolent guide or helper, especially to someone in a difficult or confusing situation) 

It appears Imtiaz Raja is operating inverse to the norms prevalent in this society viz: 

Willing to make effort for the common good and not just empty slogans with high ideals.

Making AJK a pleasant live-able reality and thus enticing repatriation of human capital - which this territory desperately needs - as opposed to mass migration and foregoing investment of time and effort here.  Deputing culture in our children which has been lacking over the past few decades.  

The soil of Dadyaal has produced many a strong character with vivid minds and world class skills in diverse disciplines in the past and there would be too many to mention, except those whom this writer has had personal acquaintance with: Khaliq Ansari, Abdul Majeed Malik, Sheraz Kayani from the field of law (the former 2 political icons too), Kabir Ali (International cricketer and cousin of Moeen Ali) while of the 11 members of the UK parliament originating from AJK - 4 originate from Dadyaal - namely Nusrat Ghani, Zarah Sultana, Tahir Ali and Ayoub Khan - while a former MP Khalid Mahmood also hails from Dadyaal. Indeed, Professor Arif Khan, a relation of Imtiaz Raja and prominent expert on Iqbal (poet philosopher) educationist and writer, also hails from Kataar in Dadyaal.   

Given the nature and practice of ‘Mukaalma’ (Conversation/Dialogue) and ‘Maafi’ (Forgiveness) in this ‘Mithaali Ma-ashara’ (Model Society) project of Imtiaz Raja, I am confident that he will break the decades and perhaps centuries old tradition of recognising characters long after they have deceased. Celebrating those who contribute to the betterment of society is something that needs proactive thought & action, not waxing lyrical about their contributions decades later. 

The culture of ‘Mukaalma’ has enticed and encouraged people to learn, to develop tolerance for other viewpoints, to research the realities of their own environment in an introspective manner and to identify social and economic benefits from the abundant nature in their midst. 

Indeed, they will realise that they live in the most precious territory in the world, much sought after by others but with such a delicate ecology that they will understand that their survival & prosperity will depend on how proficient they become in managing data, waste, soil and water.

The culture of ‘Maafi’ has planted goodwill & confidence in the residents of Pachwaana and that was clearly visible on my visit. Once that level of awareness is reached in a hamlet, it becomes contagious and spreads far and wide. I am aware that many other people throughout AJK have been inspired by this project - as have the AJK diaspora - some of whom have made the effort of even visiting the hamlet on the first Saturday of the month, at some point since its inception in May 2020.

Forgiving each other also secures a society and provides ‘natural protection’ to a territory, while giving opportunity for everybody to realise their creative potential that ‘The Almighty’ has bestowed on each & every one of us. Opportunities for growth are maximised in such an environment, which AJK has sadly lacked since 1947.    

This environment has expectedly had a positive effect on improving the utility of soil and water in the village. Hitherto, unused or unproductive land is now being utilised to grow fruit and other staple edibles, brining the people in sync with the nature around them. I am confident that they will progress to devising optimum methods of waste management too.

It would be unjust to leave out other ripple effects of this ‘Mithaali Ma-ashara’ project such as ‘Kitab Ghar’ (House of Books or simply Library) which is doing much to break that vicious cycle of ignorance prevalent in AJK. This library acts as a depository, where people can deposit and others can take whatever they want. Both takers and leavers are anonymous. This depository is not just confined to books. Other household items including food, crockery and furniture are deposited by those who have a surplus and taken by those who face a deficit. As for the books – anyone can take them but they must be returned after reading. Yet another activity based purely on trust & goodwill.

One can sense the ‘Garden of Eden’ structure materialising, signifying the oneness of humanity. Malik Bashir Murad also noted in his book that seeing young children sitting on rooftops in a disciplined manner, indicated the longevity of this concept, to be promoted generation after generation. 

It even has awards ceremonies to celebrate achievement, to recognise graft & hard work. The women of this hamlet are not ignored in any sense either. They even exercise role reversal whereby women give speeches while men conduct all the necessary preparation, on a monthly basis.

The diaspora of this hamlet also provide healthy financial support for this model village project and at the end of proceedings of any given get-together, all expenses and activities are accounted for.

Imtiaz Raja opines that life without ideology (or a framework for thinking) is akin to a lamp without oil. Education is not just for learning books by rote but building a new small heaven (in skills & technique), for the descendants of the original evacuee to leave (heaven) viz. Adam.   

Imtiaz Raja has tirelessly and consummately instilled these gestating ideas to his fellow village folk and they have adopted these wholeheartedly. This emerging ‘Mithaali Ma-ashara’ (Model Society) pivots on calm thoughtful ‘Mukaalma’ (conversation/dialogue) and it is quite possible that it lays the model for a new covenant for humanity (globally) and a conflict to peace strategy (regionally). Essentially, it brings into practice an antidote to the ego.  

We can all learn from it – irrespective of whatever field of life or ideology we maintain – and visiting ‘Pachwaana’ is a must, to see this process of conversation & forgiveness in action. 

References:

1) ‘Pachwaana ki Jannat’ by Malik Bashir Murad – Mithaal Publishers – Faisalabad (Pakistan) under the management/supervision of ‘Anjuman e Taraqi Urdu – Birmingham (UK) 2023

2) This writer (Tanveer Ahmed) participated in this monthly event himself to sample its environment and assess its impact, on Saturday the 1st of January 2022.

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We can also offer you a sample of written observations by others and I thought the following Urdu article written by Sohail Warraich, a famous columnist of Pakistan would be apt:

Photo courtesy his webpage at: Suhail Warraich

The following Urdu article by the renowned Pakistani journalist Suhail Warraich entitled, "Pachwaana se Pakistan tak" was reproduced on FaceBook at this link:

ڈڈیال آزادکشمیر کے ایک مثالی گاؤں کے متعلق پاکستان کے نامور کالم و تجزیہ نگار جناب سہیل وڑائچ کی خوبصورت تحریر 

آپ بھی پڑھئیے ۔۔۔۔

*پچوانہ سے پاکستان تک*

*سہیل وڑائچ*

30   اگست 

2024

پچوانہ آزاد کشمیر کے ایک چھوٹے سے گاؤں کا نام ہے جو ڈڈیال کے قریب ہے۔

وہاں کے لوگوں نے مکالمہ اور معافی کے دو زریں اصولوں کی روشنی میں ایک مثالی معاشرہ قائم کر رکھا ہے۔

گاؤں میں مختلف مذہبی اور سیاسی مکاتب فکر کے لوگ آباد ہیں جو انسان کی عظمت کے نام پر آپس میں مکالمہ کرتے ہیں، اپنی غلطیوں اور کوتاہیوں کی معافی مانگتے ہیں اور کسی دوسرے سے غلطی ہو جائے تو اسکی معافی قبول کر لیتے ہیں۔

اس اصول کی وجہ سے نہ وہاں کوئی مقدمہ درج ہوتا ہے اور نہ مار کٹائی تک کبھی نوبت پہنچتی ہے۔

یہ ہے تو ایک چھوٹا سا گاؤں جو پاکستان کی طرح لفظ پ سے شروع ہوتا ہے اورانہوں نے انسانی معاشرے میں امن کا حل دو میموں یعنی مکالمے اور معافی میں تلاش کر لیا ہے۔

کیا پاکستان پچوانہ کی مثال پر عمل نہیں کر سکتا؟ 

ہم بھی مکالمے اور معافی کو اپنالیں تو سیاسی اور سماجی بحران کا خاتمہ ہوسکتا ہے۔

مسلم روایت کی تین شاندار مثالیں صلح حدیبیہ، میثاق مدینہ اور فتح مکہ ہیں۔

ممتاز دانشور اشفاق احمد نے میرے ساتھ ایک انٹرویو میں صلح حدیبیہ کے بارے میں کہا کہ بظاہر یہ صلح مسلمانوں کے لئے سودمند نہیں بلکہ نقصان دہ لگتی تھی مگر نتائج کے اعتبار سے اس صلح کا بہت فائدہ ہوا۔ 

میثاق مدینہ یہودیوں اور مسلمانوں کے درمیان مکالمے اور برداشت کی بنیاد پر اکٹھے رہنے کی دستاویز تھی ۔

اس میں بھی جیو اور جینے دو کے اصول کو مدنظر رکھا گیا۔

فتح مکہ دنیا کی سب سے بڑی معافی تھی، جس میں قاتلوں اور سازشیوں کو پوچھا تک نہ گیا، حتیٰ کہ حضرت حمزہؓ کا کلیجہ چبانے والی ہندہ بھی معاف ہو گئی۔

اگر مسلمان کفار یہودیوں اور منکرین کے ساتھ صلح صفائی اور معافی کے معاہدے کرتے رہے ہیں تو کیا اہل پاکستان ملک کی خاطر ایک دوسرے کو معاف نہیں کر سکتے؟

مکالمے کے ذریعے اپنے مسائل کا حل نہیں نکال سکتے؟

میرا خیال ہے کہ مسلم روشن روایات کو سامنے رکھیں تو مکالمے اور معافی کی بنیاد پر آگے بڑھا جاسکتا ہے۔

ہوسکتا ہے کہ معاہدہ کسی فریق کو صلح حدیبیہ کی طرح بظاہر سودمند نہ لگے مگر آنیوالے دنوں میں اس کا فائدہ اس فریق کو زیادہ ہو گا جو دوسروں کو رعایت دیگا۔

 ماضی کے تجربات تو یہی بتاتے ہیں انہی تجربات سے سیکھ کر مستقبل کی بنیاد رکھنی چاہئے ۔

میں ان دنوں یورپ میں ہوں : ترقی یافتہ معاشروں میں جنگ، نفرت اور لڑائی مارکٹائی کی بجائے مکالمہ اور معافی کے اصولوں کو اپنا کر نئے راستے کھولے گئے ہیں، البتہ کوئی تشدد اور نفرت پر آمادہ ہو تو پھر ریاست ،عدالت اور شہری اس کو سزا دینے پر تل جاتے ہیں ۔

برطانیہ میں تھوڑا عرصہ پہلے نسلی فسادات کو ہوا دینے کی کوشش کی گئی تو ریاست نے فوری ایکشن لیا۔

 وزیر اعظم خود مساجد میں گئے اور انتہا پسند گوروںکی سخت مذمت کی۔

عدالتوں نے ہر فسادی کو سزا سنائی، حتیٰ کہ نفرت پر مبنی مواد کو ری ٹویٹ کرنے پر بھی سخت سزا دی گئی۔ ایک کمسن بھی اس زد میں آیا، اسےبھی نہ بخشا گیا، حالانکہ برطانیہ میں 18سال سے کم عمر بچوںکو سزائیں دینے کے بارے میں بہت احتیاط کی جاتی ہے۔

اختلاف پر یہاں کوئی روک ٹوک نہیں، مذہب جو بھی ہو اسے مکمل آزادی ہے، مگر تشدد اور تخریب یہاں کی ریڈلائن ہے ۔ 

پاکستان کو بھی دنیا سے سیکھنا چاہئے: مکالمے اور معافی کو رواج دینے کیساتھ ساتھ تشدد کو معاشرے سے خارج کرنے کیلئے ضروری ہے کہ اسے ریڈلائن بنایا جائے،جلسے جلوس ہوں مگر ہجوم سیاسی ہو یا مذہبی، اگر وہ تشدد پر اتر ے تو اسے قرارواقعی سزا دینی چاہئے۔

 مفاہمت اور مکالمہ ہی دائمی سیاسی اور معاشی استحکام لا سکتا ہے۔

۔۔

نوٹ ؛ پچوانہ گاؤں کے مثالی معاشرے اور ماہانہ سرگرمیوں کے متعلق مزید معلومات انکے فیس بک پیج سے حاصل کی جا سکتی ہے۔

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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:

206

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):

536

Cash in Hand: 77,360

Cash Deposits: 2,41,700

Immediate Debts: 0 

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