Ziggy and Kelly: The Tale of Affection and Animosity Between Two Sister Cats

In 2015, when I came to stay in Lahore, I met Ziggy there who was a stray cat and found shelter in my cousin’s house. Too little at that time, she had a cute complexion. Though she did not belong to any noble breed, yet her looks were that of a queen. Brown eyes, white fur with some blackish spots, and beautiful little paws. With her feeble voice, she always tried to roar at me. I was also not fond of her in the beginning. That is actually no longer the case.

Then there was her sister Kelly who had lost one eye when she was quite young. Some weird kind of bacteria infected her. Although my cousin tried to cure her by using anti-biotics, she never cured. Her eye caused her immense pain especially in the summers when it was sizzling hot. Whenever she cried because of pain, Ziggy would give her good company and always strived to comfort her. They lived happily together and never quarreled.

With passing time, much began to change and not for too well. Kelly did not have kids while Ziggy did. She bore many kittens and mostly gave birth twice a year. Although Kelly did not harm the kittens, her animosity towards them was perceptible. It seemed that she might be jealous of Ziggy. So, there arose a rift between the two sisters. Kelly started to spend time outside of the house whilst Ziggy kept her kittens inside. Time and again, fierce fighting erupted between them for the reasons we could never fathom out.

The lineage of Ziggy still continues. We call her the ‘Mother Cat’. Cute kids such as Simbi, Bunty and Kippy were raised by her and not to mention late Izzi and Tommy, who were our favorites. Now Ziggy comes rarely to our house. And yes, I forgot to mention, I also shifted to Lahore in the meantime, right next to my cousin’s. So Ziggy and Kelly found a new home. But the friction between them never parted them. Both of them are loved for they are so adorable and we all care about them. I wish we could hold them forever.

Kashmir Saga: The Horror Continues

The horror continues. A Recent picture, from Indian Occupied Kashmir, of a child sitting on the dead body of his grandfather, has sparked a new fire. He was killed by Indian security forces, as per family sources and witnesses. Though the Indian government is trying to minimize the effect by twisting the facts the picture speaks for itself. Now the real onus is on the Pakistani government. The path we take today will define the future of Kashmir and for that matter, of Pakistan.

There is no end to the devastating news coming from the Indian Occupied Kashmir. India annexed the occupied Kashmir on the 5th of August. Thereby repealing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gave the occupied valley a 'Special Status'. Now India started to treat Kashmir just as Israel treats areas of Palestine territory. The whole world looked mum and no concrete voice was raised for the defense of oppressed Kashmiris albeit of Chinese Government: Pakistan's all-weather friend.

A number of concrete steps are imperative. Firstly, Pakistan should take up the Kashmir cause more aggressively on the diplomatic front. Special envoy for Kashmir is a must. Pakistan must use the clauses of International Law which prove that Indian occupation is 'Illegal' and must be thwarted by the combined force of the United Nations Security Council. Moreover, Kashmir's status as an International dispute must be highlighted as the UNSC resolutions over Kashmir are still relevant and the Simla agreement has not challenged them. Pakistan must use the leverage of China in great powers group to force India to end its occupation.

Apart from the diplomatic efforts, political and moral support must be continued. Military preparedness must be at the highest level to beef up maximum pressure on occupying Indian forces. This military show will also console the Kashmiri brethren that Pakistan is not leaving them behind in these hard times.

In a nutshell, Kashmir's war is for Pakistan's own survival. Losing Kashmir means Pakistan will lose the water struggle with India as India will control all the river heads flowing into Pakistan. Likewise, we have historical links with Kashmir. We have called Kashmir our 'Jugular vein'. We have fought wars for Kashmir. Will we fail them now when the time is ripe to prove our mettle in these testing times?