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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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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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: 56,900

Cash Deposits: 2,64,385

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.

....

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 

....

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.

.... 

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 

....

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 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 27 of 2026

0940hrs:

It was another 0900hrs start this morning, even though I got to sleep much earlier than yesterday at just past 2200hrs (3 hours earlier than yesterday). I don't know if it is the rain outside or the gym workout on the evening before, or the fact that yesterday's evening meal was taken beyond 2100hrs. Whatever it was, I'm still nowhere near where I need to be viz. sleeping between 2000hrs and 0300hrs, despite practicing with intent since the beginning of 2025, certainly with more intent since April 2025.

....

Although I'm not too keen on poetry - for a multitude of reasons - but sometimes it can prove to be an important form of recreation:

..

ظلم پر چپ جو رہا، موت تو ٹل جائے گی

پر یہی چپ میری نسلوں کو نگل جائے گی

By remaining silent in the face of oppression, I may postpone death

Yet this silence will swallow my (forthcoming) generations

ہم نے خود غیر کی تہذیب درآمد کی ہے

کیا خبر تھی کہ تمدن کو کچل جائے گی

We have by our own volition imported foreign civilisation

Little did we know that our culture would be crushed

اب تو چھڑکاؤ ضروری ہے ذرا سختی کا

نسلِ نو ریت ہے، ہاتھوں سے پھسل جائے گی

It has now become imperative to spray a little harder

The new generation is akin to sand, it could so easily slip through our hands 

سوچ کے دیپ جلاؤ کہ کڑی ظلمت ہے

رات کے نام پہ سورج کو نگل جائے گی

Let us light the lamp of thought (and reflection), for the darkness is deep

The sun could be swallowed up, under the pretext of night

خود کو سمجھا کہ کوئی بات بڑی بات نہیں

دن بھی تو ڈھل ہی گیا، رات بھی ڈھل جائے گی

I had reasoned with myself that there was no big deal

That the day had passed, thus so would the night

حکم ہے، قوم کو آزاد کہا کر راجاؔ

عرض ہے، کیا مری تاریخ بدل جائے گی

The decree is, declare the nation free Oh King

I do wonder, will the date of my death change?

..

The writer of the poem remains unknown at this stage. If we can trace its origins, we will update this weblog in due course.

....

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: 61,730

Cash Deposits: 2,44,000

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 26 of 2026

0941hrs:

I didn't get up till 0900hrs, 6 hours later than intended. For some reason it was difficult sleeping last night and I didn't drop till past 0100hrs this morning. I did wake at 0300hrs but couldn't cope with the heavy shortfall of rest needed for a productive day.

I have a lot of work to do.

....

The following TikTok video presented by Sardar Ghaffar of Bagh provides an excellent summary of non governance in AJK, whereby the video is entitled as 'The Government of Azad Kashmir should change itself according to the changing conditions of the world' (English translation from Urdu):

 

@sardarghaffarbaghi #awamiactioncommittee #awamiactioncommittee_azadkashmir ♬ original sound - Sardar Ghaffar 

He questions how a supposed government can repetitively spend about 90% of its annual budget on salaries & benefits while just building a few roads annually to show for that 'governance, year in year out. Yet the 2 most important deficiencies in AJK and directly related to the people's economy & well-being are electricity & internet connectivity, both of which need major investment in infrastructure, yet continue to be neglected.

....

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: 63,020

Cash Deposits: 2,41,700

Immediate Debts: 0 

.... 

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 25 of 2026

1619hrs:

As a Sunday, I considered it tactically wise to revive this day as my rest day and thus, despite waking at 0700hrs after getting to sleep at around 2200hrs last night, I did take it easy so that the rest of my coming week can be as efficient and as punctual as required.

....

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: 65,950

Cash Deposits: 2,41,700

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 24 of 2026

0957hrs:

I have spent almost 2 hours trying to open this page to write my brief intro to the day. The woes of electricity and net communication are almost a constant feature in our daily struggle. Both (just like the conflict imposed over our region) totally un-necessary.

I did wake at 0600hrs after getting to bed just before 2100hrs and getting to sleep just beyond 2300hrs, though I didn't quite get up till about 0800hrs. A further lapse compared to the last 2 days. There is something about rain (thankfully we enjoyed a couple of days of that) which wants you to remain in bed for as long as possible. This is not an excuse and this is certainly not the attitude necessary for success.

.... 

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: 66,580

Cash Deposits: 2,41,700

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 23 of 2026

0816hrs:

Another 0700hrs start despite getting to bed at c. 2100hrs yesterday evening and sleeping by 2200hrs. This past 24 hour cycle has been quite similar to the preceding one.

A lot of welcome rain descended since yesterday evening, although that is in no way an excuse, for not fighting harder to establish the ideal routine viz. 2000hrs to 0300hrs.

.... 

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: 67,110

Cash Deposits: 2,41,700

Immediate Debts: 0 

....