Book review. Udas naslein

Hello. I picked up this novel after hearing much good things about it. For now my thoughts are haywire about it. I feel at loss with words putting everything that’s in my mind. Udas naslein is a novel spanning decades starting from the first world war era and going right upto post partition time. Set somewhere in rural India the characters keep moving in the then undivided India going upto Lahore. The protagonist Naeem is an interesting character who enlists in the British Indian army during the Great War and this starts his journey of discovery, pain, love and loss.

On a personal level I almost fell in love with a character created by the author who happens to be a German Carpenter fighting the war. No words would be able to describe his actions and thoughts as done by the author. It’s a portrait of a man at peace with himself and the world.

The way Abdullah Hussain describes human emotions and feelings is unmatchable. The sad protagonist looking for answers meets people who try to quench his thirst. Though at times I must say the book becomes a little philosophical. The urdu used is easy to follow and understand.

besides all things it’s a beautiful read.

Book review. Khuda ki basti

After having read Jangloos it was imperative for me to read this book. Not as voluminous as jangloos but then not a bit less entertaining, informative and moving. It is s story of good vs evil, of love and betrayal, of hopes and dreams, machinations of the viliest form, of misusing religion for personal gains, of suppressing the oppressed. As always the language used is easy to follow and understand. There are twists and turns in the plot. The lower strata of society is beautifully depicted in every way. The fight for survival is real and the human mind is put to test in different ways. The writer has laid threadbare a society on a downward spiral. It is the story of a society that refuses to improve. Reading this book written somewhere in the late 1950’s one comes to realize that things haven’t changed much. Simply two thumbs up!

Lee Enfield No 5 Mk1

Hello. I came across this Lee Enfield No 5 Mk1, in an excellent condition and could not stop myself from sharing its photo. Chambered in .303 the Lee’s were known for their reliability and accuracy. These were produced in the 1944 and beyond. The SMLENo5 Mk1 is a bolt action rifle, with manual safety, iron sights with a hardy metallic butt plate. I have had the pleasure of shooting a Lee Enfield No3 Mk1, No4 Mk1 and a P14 as well, all chambered in the famous .303 cartridge. The No 5 Mk1 was different form the No4 and No3 in size and weight. Almost 4 inches shorter and a Kg lighter, these were later known as the “Jungle Carbine”.

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Do you carry a backup gun?

Mouse guna are ideal backup weapons

I know a lot of people in my social circle who carry guns for self defense. It is always concealed carry. In big cities where the rime rate is going through the roof carrying a concealed weapon makes a lot of sense. But I have always been very apprehensive if people actually carry a backup gun as well?

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Why people do not prefer revolvers in Pakistan?

Would you prefer a revolver over a pistol? Somehow revolvers are not much preferred weapons in Pakistan, specially for SD. I wonder why? Though I must say wheelers are reliable and there’s a huge group of gun enthusiasts that prefer revolvers over pistols. There was a time when it was mostly revolvers, I am talking about the time till late 70’s and early 80’s. Then slowly as more options became available people started shifted towards pistols. Darra boys had been making .32 revolvers since a long time. These revolvers were known for their beauty and reliability.

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Taurus G3C lands in Pakistan

Hello there! Couple of weeks ago I wrote about new imports coming in to Pakistan. So here we have now Taurus G3C, which is the compact version of the Taurus line up of striker fired handguns. It has  polymer frame, and metal alloy steel slide. I have been desperately looking for a good compact in the 9×19 mm category and besides the Canik TP9 sub-compact this might as well be a good option. Though I must frankly admit Taurus handguns aren’t very popular in Pakistan.

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