Daily Diary (DD) - Day 18 of 2022

2213hrs:

Yes, engagement on Malik Waseem's issue remained till about 0700hrs. 

I sent the following plea to my co-citizens near and afar:

There is a lot that the diaspora in the 'free world' can do to assist the inhabitants of AJK to achieve a system of world-class governance and clarity on national identity, even as much as they enjoy these benefits to some degree wherever they are. 

Even just complimenting the people's struggle on the ground here in AJK with polite inquiries to the tax revenue receiving authorities here can make a big impact on endemic corruption, especially in matters related to 'land'.

We lost a lot to external land grabbers in 1947 and are unfortunately matching them gradually inch for inch with internal land grabbing by 2022.

If we continue to ignore these life and death issues we will soon no longer be able to attach any identity to our existence.

End of note....

I did get some sleep at about 0830hrs but was woken up by Malik Waseem's call at c. 1230hrs. He had already rung me an hour earlier but couldn't succeed in waking me up at that first attempt. Waseem said he was about to meet the Commissioner and would update me after he was done. 

I haven't been able to speak to him yet, at the time of writing.

Malik Waseem's issue has captured a lot of serious attention and many a cynical eye will try and focus on his impassioned plea to Narendra Modi, prime minister of India since 2014.  

Our version of Twitterati captured it as such:

Many a cynic will focus n his impassioned plea 2 the #IndianPM from #Muzaffarabad n #AJK N eye 4 n eye will make us all blind inevitably I say. Meanwhile, this issue can b followed @ the following 3 links: https://t.co/Dg6LVD7YbW https://t.co/n4kJZwjwpZ https://t.co/SwWqjfjOl1 https://t.co/2I7HjraYaZ

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) January 18, 2022

Referencing the same video:

Many thanks for your attention, concern and pinpointed advice.

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) January 18, 2022

As I had engaged many a co-citizen near, far and wide: some of the more serious elements have been in contact with me, keen to learn of what progress has been made. The following is what I've shared:

1730hrs:

Many thanks...I have yet to get clarity on today's proceedings, from the horse's mouth so to speak. The last update was around 1pm whereby Malik Waseem was in discussion at Commissioner's office. Meanwhile, his nephew has sent me a fresh video of the sit-in protest of their womenfolk. That continues....apart from that many politicians from 'mainstream' Pakistani parties have also visited the sit-in protest since yesterday evening...

Evening in the vicinity of Malik Waseem's home:

Various 'nationalist' parties (as opposed to pro Pakistan parties) have also shown solidarity to the victim's family. The following poster is issued by Kashmir National Party (KNP) which Waseem was also a part of during his young political career:

2200hrs:

I haven't spoken to him since 1pm...Have left a few messages for him but he's either in continuous discussion with the administration or other political workers/social activists who have effectively surrounded him.

What we do understand is that the Commissioner is not in agreement with Malik Waseem's side of the story..

........