Hustler's galore!

If you want to be swindled, cheated, hustled, deceived, bullshitted, lied to through and through come visit Pakistan. Our slogan for tourist attraction or perhaps a resource of national importance should be, a well- publicised University degree (of course fake) in 'Hustling' just like Marketing degrees. We can certainly have an MBA - Masters in Hustling Management or something to the effect.

Starting from the immigration officers and custom officials at the airport to the taxi drivers that drives you into the city this is hustler's galore and then some more. It's not that we are bestowed with more cheats than other countries its just that we are more demonstrative and active in all what we do, and all we do is take others for a ride.

Our public institutions are known for their swindling ways, the keepers of the law and protectors of peace, our most respected Police Force is the butt of jokes of all sorts where the general idea is that for a picture of the Father of Nation (read bank notes) they would be ready to do your bidding - the law be damned! There is a flip side to this as well, for the story doesn't end here, the 'nuisance value' of the police is another personal money generating resource which is used and abused to the hilt, for anyone in their right mind wouldn't want to get mixed up with them and be on their wrong side. Then the police is known to be a party to the machinations of the criminals, in fact to be their protectors and collaborators! Now in a situation as dismal this what is one to do? I mean the few people out of millions populating the country who have their morals intact.

We have a huge industry of making fake drugs. I mean who can do that? You have to have zero conscience to indulge in something so low and play with the life of others. And to top it all off there are quacks who are willing to administer these medicines to their patients. I have been told that on several occasions veterinary drugs have been used on humans - where are we heading to? (and wonder of wonders why haven't one yet been given one to a politician so far?)

There is kidnapping taking place in all starta of the society for kinds of monetary ransom demands ranging from a few thousands to hundreds of crores depending on the percieved ability of the family to pay. Nothing can be done, or is done in most cases except pay through the involvement of CPLC the last refuge and solace otherwise the victims are either killed or never heard of again. Dread for the families.

On a more local level, the beggars, the shop keepers, the domestic staff, the vendors, the service providers will all try and take you for a ride if you let your guard down a bit, or god forbid, let your attention sway. The cook, if you are lucky or unlucky to have one (again a matter of perception) will cheat you on hisaab when you send him to buy stuff from the shop, it may be a mere 50 bucks, but cheat he will! The guard at the gate will have a setting with the tanker supplier where the guy will give a single tanker for the price of a double one, and they will spilt the earnings, and at times, there will be no water put in and you will be charged for a full tanker!!!! (has happened to me :) yes I am stupid)

You can find fake sodas made in some hell hole in Landhi and Korangi in Karachi with god knows what ingredients, cooking oil made out of rancid poisonous stuff and sold as branded oil, sweets and supari made with lethal cancer inducing chemicals and all this is done under the eyes of the government official who on being bought off just chooses to look the other way.

Why has it become our national character to wriggle people out of money or advantage. Why is it that we are forever looking out for ourselves and have that hungry, predatory and menacing look about us to devour more than we need and more than we could possibly ever consume, we are a people infused with eternal greed and thirst for all things material and this need keeps stoking like a fire the more it's fed.

At one point or another you must have encountered Maulvis with long beards and eyes lowered and most certainly a reciept book with a pen dangling in their hands making their way towards you for 'sadqa' to either build a mosque or raise money for an orphanage or some other kindly act. But all you can get from them is whiff of dissimilitude, of lies being told, of all this being a sham. If even half of such mosques and orphanages are built in this country it would altogether be different place.


So PLEASE COME VISIT PAKISTAN, AND ABOVE ALL, THE CITY OF LIGHTS KARACHI- AND GET HUSTLED, ROBBED, MUGGED AND CHEATED TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!