Daily Diary (DD) - Day 122 of 2026

1841hrs:

Certainly the most important day of the (English 3rd tier football) season. 

Luton Town's promotion push (final day of season):

Most recent background context

2006hrs: Writing as Luton trail 2-1 away to Bolton on the final day, as we turn our attention to the 2nd half of this highly riveting match. Luton have hit the woodwork 3 times and will continue to have scoring opportunities in this final half of (their game), effectively to end the season, unless they beat Bolton and hope Stevenage remain 0-0 at home to Wigan. 

They have manufactured great momentum over the past 9 games and can overturn the score, with their un-matched belief and fighting spirit. 

I want history to record my ambitions for Luton Town Football Club at this critical juncture, as they have the potential to positively affect our economy in AJK, in the years to come. 

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Update: 2030hrs

With 71 minutes played Luton have pegged back a goal to make it 2-2 while Stevenage are still 0-0. Barnsley have also equalised at home to Stockport (If they win that will also open a door for Luton). All to play for. At this stage and as it stands Luton just need 1 goal for all scores to favour their play-off ambition.

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Update: 2038hrs

At this stage Plymouth would go through at the cost of Stevenage and Luton, as they have overturned a 2-0 deficit to get to 3-2 against Northampton.

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Update: 2052hrs

Into the dying moments and Luton still need a goal!

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Update: 2054hrs

Stevenage have scored!

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Update: 2056hrs

Luton have also just scored but Stevenage still go through at this rate!

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Update: 2114hrs

So Stevenage confirm themselves as the 4th of 4 teams qualifying for a play-off position, along with Bolton, Bradford and Stockport. 

The table doesn't lie:

Table source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/tables#LeagueOne

Luton Town were relegated last year (tier 2 to tier 3 of the English Football League) as they couldn't muster that single point needed on the last day of last season. This year, Luton have just missed the possibility of promotion back to the Championship (tier 2) by a single point, despite gaining 26 points from the final 30 available this season.

It is a role reversal though (from a negative to a positive mindset), even though this lesson will cost another year in League One (tier 3). Building a culture of winning consistently is what Jack Wilshere has achieved in his first season. There could be no better form of preparation for next season.

Well done to Stevenage for fighting till the very end, so patiently and with so little apparent fuel or resources. Their struggle and the way they have approached it, has possibly eclipsed Luton's recent turn-around. That itself is a colossal achievement for a smaller town in our midst.

Final Thoughts:

Luton P46 W21 D11 L14 F68 A56 GD12 PTS 74

Played 46, Won 21, Drew 11, Lost 14, Goals Scored 68, Goals Conceded 56, Goal Difference +12 and Points 74

Average overall: 53.6% of available points derived.

Last 10 games average = 86.7%

Average before last 10 games = 44.4%

Retrospect:

Luton under Matt Bloomfield: P11 W5 D1 L5 F14 A13 PTS 16

48.5% success rate

Cup Competitions: P3 W1 D0 L2 F5 A5 :EFL Cup 1, FL Trophy 2  

33.3% success rate

Luton under Jack Wilshere: P35 W16 D10 L9 F54 A43 PTS 58

55.2% success rate

Cup Competitions: P8 W7 D0 L1 F23 A9 : FL Trophy 6, FA Cup 2 (2-1 loss to Swindon in FL Trophy converted to 3-0 win for Luton for the former breaking rules)

87.5%% success rate

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Gilgit-Baltistan on the brink of a biased, non-transparent and dubious election

The government of Pakistan has announced the date of June 7, 2026 for general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, which is a major geographic unit of the internationally disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Before the elections, all political and religious parties of Pakistan have been approved to join the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections and to keep the national and political parties of Gilgit-Baltistan out of the election process, as top leaders and candidates of local parties have been arrested here. 

Nationalist and progressive leaders who have participated in the Gilgit-Baltistan 'election process' have been booked under anti-terrorism laws. Their details are as follows:

1) Ehsan Ali Advocate - Chairman People's Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan. Candidate for Constituency GBA-6 Hunza.

2) Mohammad Nafees Advocate - Senior Leader of Balawaristan National Front. Candidate for Constituency GBA-3 Gilgit-III.

3) Shabir Hussain Mayar - Member of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-11 Kharmang.

4) Ta-aruf Abbas Advocate - Senior Leader of Karakoram National Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-13 Astore-I.

5) Abrar Ali Bagoro - Senior Leader of Karakoram National Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-14 Astore-II.

6) Fida Hussain Iftikhar - Senior Leader of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement. Candidate for Constituency GBA-10 Skardu-IV.

Several other political leaders and activists were also arrested, to ensure that these nationalist and progressive parties do not get access to the people during the election campaign, less win their respective seats in the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly.

We urge the Government of Pakistan to immediately release these candidates belonging to local and national parties of Gilgit-Baltistan. Thus, opening up the possibility of free, fair and transparent elections being conducted in the territory. We urge the 'powers-that-be' in Pakistan to drop bogus anti-terrorism cases against these candidates and to concede all political parties the necessary freedom to participate and campaign in the elections.

If these local national leaders are prevented from participating, these elections will be considered partial (biased), opaque and a one-sided exercise, without any legal or ethical merit. 

Courtesy: Manzoor Parwana (amongst the most prominent activists of Gilgit Baltistan, hailing from Rondu in Baltistan)

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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:

215

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):

750

Cash in Hand: -29,950

Cash Deposits: 272,043

Immediate Debts: 0

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Social Welfare Budget (Zakat/Sadqa):

Current Deposits: 257,000 

Arrears: 22,776 (pending from 17/03/2026 - money that has been spent elsewhere momentarily but needs to be rightfully returned to this fund)

Distributed (today): 0

Balance: 257,000

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Daily Diary (DD) - Day 349 of 2025

0448hrs:

Countdown to end of 2025: 17 days

This is a lot better! I got up at 0418hrs today, having got to bed at 2030hrs (8:30pm) yesterday evening and fallen asleep by 2200hrs (10pm). This is my best start yet, in quite a while. Now, I'm only 1 hour 18 minutes behind an ideal start to the day.

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Shabbir Mayaar of Kharmang in Baltistan is a dear friend who has visited AJK many times in the past. His dilemma is an important lesson for the rights movement throughout Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas) or JKA for short. His Urdu note will be followed by an English translation from me. That is the least that I can do for him:

لال سلام

ساتھیوں

ساتھیوں جیسا کہ 15 ماہ ہونے کو آئے ہیں کہ ہمیں اپنے آبائی گاوں میں محصور  کر کے خاموش کر دینے کی کوشش کی جا رہی ہے۔

کالی سرکار کے  وہی کالے اوچھے ہتھکنڈے استعمال کر رہی ہے، ہمیں دنیا کے سامنے دہشتگرد، مجرم اور غدار ثابت کرنے کی ناکام سازش اور کوشش کی جا رہی ہے، تاکہ ہم اپنی زمین، اپنے وسائل اور اپنے وطن کی حفاظت کی جدوجہد سے پیچھے ہٹ جائیں۔

 مگر ہم یہ واضح کردینا چاہتے ہیں کہ ایسےاوچھے ہتھکنڈوں سے نہ ہمارا حوصلہ ٹوٹا ہے، نہ ٹوٹے گا۔

آٹھ سالوں سے شیڈول فور جیسے کالے نوآبادیاتی قوانین، اے ٹی اے کی عدالتوں میں دھکیلنا، اور 15 مہینوں پر محیط نظربندی کے باعث مسلسل پیشیوں، اور ہمیں ذہنی اذیت دے کر اور روزمرہ کے معاملات سے محرومی نے ہمیں کمزور نہیں کیا، بلکہ اس نظام پر ہمارا عدم اعتماد مزید گہرا ہوا ہے۔

یہاں تک کہ اس دوران ہسپتال تک رسائی روک کر علاج معالجہ کی  سہولیات سے محروم رکھنا  بھی کالی سرکار کی  جبر کی ایک اور شکل ہے، مگر یہ سب ہمیں جھکانے میں ناکام رہے ہیں۔

ہم ان نوآبادکاروں  جو کہ سامراج کی دلال اور مظلوم قومیتوں و طبقات پر ظلم کے پہاڑ توڑ رہے ہیں، کو بتا دینا چاہتے ہیں کہ ہم نہ ڈرے ہیں نہ ڈریں گے۔

یہ ظلم، یہ جبر، یہ مقدمات یہ سب ہمارے راستے کی رکاوٹ نہیں بلکہ ہماری جدوجہد کی حقیقت کو مزید واضح کرتے ہیں۔

ہم اپنی قومی اور عوامی تحریکوں کو پہلے سے زیادہ ابھرتے ہوئے، زیادہ منظم اور زیادہ ثابت قدم ہو کر کھڑے رہیں گے۔

ہماری جدوجہد ایک فرد کی نہیں، ایک قوم، ایک طبقے، ایک مستقبل کا مقدمہ ہے۔

اور اس مقدمے سے دستبردار ہونا ہمارے بس کی بات نہیں، نہ ہمارے ارادے میں شامل ہے۔

ہم ہیں، ہم رہیں گے

اور اپنی قومی اور اپنے طبقہ کی لڑائی مزید طاقت کے ساتھ جاری رکھیں گے ۔۔۔

شبیر مایار

۔۔۔۔

Red Salute

Comrades

Comrades, it has now been 15 months since I have been confined to my ancestral village, by the dark government (forces that we are all familiar with) with their very dark & high-handed tactics, in an attempt to silence me. In front of the world it conspires to portray us as terrorists, criminals and traitors. It paints us thus so that we surrender our struggle to protect our land, our resources and our country. However, we want to make clear that such high-handed tactics have never subdued our will in the past and they will not subdue us now either.

For the past 8 years implicating us in such draconian colonial laws as Schedule 4, shoving us into ATA (Anti Terrorism Act) courts and keeping us (effectively) under house arrest for 15 months, added with constant appearances in court, while mentally torturing us and preventing us from living our normal day-to-day lives (with their associated social & economic responsibilities) have not weakened us; rather our rejection of confidence in this system (of governance) has grown deeper (as a result). Even to the extent that our medical needs have been ignored by preventing us from seeking treatment in hospital, which is just another example of tyranny on the part of the dark forces governing this region. Yet they have failed in forcing us to bow in submission.

Now, these colonial settlers as (regional) facilitators of (global) imperial forces - who are adept at meting out punishment to oppressed nations and classes - are delivering mountains of (Urdu metaphor) oppression on us. We want to inform them that we have never feared them and never will. These acts of tyranny, suppression and trials (in court) are not hurdles in our path, rather these actions clarify the reality of our struggle.

Our national and public (rights) movements will surface more vociferously than before, our stance will (gradually) become more organised & resolute as a result. Our struggle is not that of an individual, rather it is that of a nation and a class whose future is on trial. We will never turn our backs towards this trial.

We are and we will be.

We will continue the fight for freedom of our nation and class with even greater vigour (and strength). 

Shabbir Mayaar

End of translation....

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Public Finance Update:

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

15

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

186

Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:

82

Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since arriving in Dadyaal (of total 5,000):

481

Cash in Hand: 53,200

Cash Deposits: 0

Immediate Debts: 0

Public funds received so far in Dadyaal (67 days - up to midnight 14/12/2025):

3K (Day 6)

5K (Day 15) 

5K (Day 17) 

0.2K (Day 20) 

1K (Day 21) 

1K (Day 22) 

0.3K (Day 24) 

3K (Day 25)

1K (Day 26) 

4K (Day 33) 

5K (Day 38) 

1K (Day 42)

2K (Day 44)

1K (Day 45)

4K (Day 46)

3.9K (Day 47)

30.2K (Day 49)

15K (Day 51)

20K (Day 53)

1K (Day 54)

1L 39.9K (Day 56)

3.9K (Day 59)

5K (Day 66)

Total received so far: 2,55,400  

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