Daily Diary (DD) - Day 52 of 2026

0353hrs:

Even better than yesterday but like the day before yesterday it is another false dawn. I've been working away tonight too, given that I'm too behind in my documentary work for comfort. That anxiety kept me awake and its better to work in such a state than not.

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 51 of 2026

0516hrs:

I woke at c. 0415hrs after sleeping at about 2300hrs last night. Obviously my sleep quota isn't complete but its refreshing that I've been able to wake up just an hour and 15 minutes later than my aspired target. If I can get to sleep a bit earlier I may be able to attain that target, elusive on a consistent basis since I began this particular struggle in April 2025.

Ramadhan this year may just prove to be a blessing in disguise.

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 11,300

Cash Deposits: 259,047

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 50 of 2026

0314hrs:

This is more like it but its still a false dawn, as I haven't slept yet. 

For those of you unaware of my running battle for the last 10 months; it is to sleep every evening at 2000hrs (8pm) and wake the next morning at 0300hrs (3am). 

We welcome Ramadhan (2026) or (1447 AH) today too. 

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 11,460

Cash Deposits: 258,408

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 49 of 2026

1444hrs:

Its an 0800hrs start once again. There is a danger that such a time could become an unwanted habit.

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 11,460

Cash Deposits: 259,686

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 48 of 2026

1747hrs:

Yet another 0800hrs start. I fully maintain intent to get to what remains a consistently unattained target. 

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 12,040

Cash Deposits: 260,167

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 47 of 2026

2306hrs:

An 0800hrs start it was, though posting at this late stage is dangerous, even if it is in the wake of a funeral of a writer. A rare commodity in AJK.

Quayyum Raja on the death of Younus Taryaby, who died yesterday afternoon in Mirpur city (Sunday 15 February 2026):  

A gentle giant with a clean heart. 

Ideologically and actively committed to the very end. 

May the Lord bless his soul and enable our co-citizens to ensure all his written work is archived and publicly available. 

Writers are rare in our society. 

They need to be celebrated. 

JKA PUBLIC AGENCY Note: #E223016022026

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 41,280

Cash Deposits: 261,795

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 46 of 2026

2019hrs:

It was a deliberately languid day today. I didn't worry about what time I woke up, with the thinking that this may help me concentrate on improving my performance over the coming week.

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 46,450

Cash Deposits: 262,228

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 45 of 2026

1033hrs:

A slight reverse once again! Got up at 0800hrs and didn't leave for my morning walk till c. 0845hrs. It was another slip up at night whereby I didn't get to sleep till beyond 0200hrs. I cannot afford to sound like a broken record.

.... 

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 46,450

Cash Deposits: 262,022

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 44 of 2026

0856hrs:

Swinging it back in the right direction. Woke at 0700hrs having got to sleep at 2300hrs last night. In normal circumstances that doesn't seem bad but for the standards I have set for myself, my performance remains disappointing.

2000hrs (8pm) to 0300hrs (3am) is still the ultimate target.

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 48,130

Cash Deposits: 2,62,180

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

 

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 43 of 2026

1045hrs:

Another lapse today, though it wasn't as severe as it could have been. I woke at 0700hrs but then retreated back to bed after about 20 minutes till 0900hrs. I am still way off target, despite my efforts beginning soon after my 20th anniversary of returning to my motherland in April 2025.

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 48,780

Cash Deposits: 2,61,603

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 42 of 2026

0713hrs:

Slept at 2300hrs last night but managed to wake up at 0524hrs this morning, just 2 hours & 24 minutes behind my ideal start every day. I've already completed my hour's walk first thing in the morning and already completed some daily tasks before writing today's blog entry. I now have the grounding to get that daily routine into inch perfect shape.

....

2207hrs - Views on other blogger platforms:

1) 35,229 - Personal Portfolio (for the record)

2) 10,849 - The Road to Delhi (Doing my bit for the region)

3) 12,802 - CHANGE (You can't change a nation until it wants to change itself)

4) 38,814 - media.uk.net (Think different)

5) 27,849 - Hindustaan (An alternative to the 2 nation theory)

6) 60,091 - Civil Society Forum - AJK (Setting the ground for modern governance)

7) 18,163 - KASHMIR JUSTICE FORUM (Enabling transparency to deliver)

8) 49,585 - Kashmir - One Secretariat (Be relevant to the world you live in)

9)  2,318 - A 21st century politician's blog (The only constant is change)

10) 6,832 - Kotli to Rajouri OBM (Ownership Building in action) 

11) 5,841 - water (The more precious, the more contested)

12)30,557 - Maloomaat (Making Information work)

Total Aggregate Views = 298,930 (c.f. this blog stands at 937,397)

22:59hrs - end of browse and minor edits after more than a year at least!

....

Today will always be remembered as the Day of Maqbool Bhat, from his hanging on this day (42) 42 years ago in Tihar Jail, Delhi. For family compulsions, I could not attend the commemoration of this historic figure - beyond parallel in many respects - despite being at district courts of Mirpur, a few footsteps away from Chowk Shaheedan, in a city often frequented by that rebel of 2 neighbouring countries, born out of the British Raj.

23:12hrs - time to sleep and sign off from 11 February 2026. An even year, even more even than the previous even years of the past 2 decades.

....   

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 49,840

Cash Deposits: 2,62,077

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 41 of 2026

1306hrs:

Amazingly, I am inputting today's diary at exactly the same time as yesterday, even though yesterday was spent in a totally different manner from today. Last night's rain continued this morning and although I did get up at 0800hrs I did wander back to sleep until just about half an hour or so ago. My daily routine alignment is so out of sync that it has almost become unmeasurable.

I admit that I am taking liberty with time and thus life. I cannot and could not afford to do this, even from 2017, post Citizen Public Opinion Survey Report AJK - 1.0, when clarity was established over the direction that governance in the territory should take.

....

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 50,200

Cash Deposits: 2,62,228

Immediate Debts: 0 

....

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 40 of 2026

1306hrs:

A 0700hrs start is almost a given - irrespective of what time I get to sleep at night - but it is still 4 hours later than necessary.

Another trip to Mirpur is warranted. 

.... 

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):

539

Cash in Hand: 50,950

Cash Deposits: 2,62,778

Immediate Debts: 0 

....