ho chukey aaj baam o dr udaas This ghazal “Udaas Nazrein” by Afzal Shakeel Sandhu beautifully expresses the loneliness of separation and the silence that follows love’s departure. Written in a soft, reflective tone, it paints images of fading evenings, broken dreams, and hearts weighed down by memories. Originally published in the Monthly Political Scene, Lahore (September 2003), this work remains a timeless expression of poetic melancholy. This touching ghazal by Afzal Shakeel Sandhu,captures the quiet pain of separation and the melancholy that lingers in every moment. The verses flow with the fragrance of loss — from fading evenings to restless nights, each couplet speaks the language of waiting, memory, and sorrow. In Roman Urdu ho chukey aaj baam o dr udaas terey bin muntzir nazar udaas sham ki rangten hn be maani khoi khoi hui sahar udaas phool khiltey hn pr chamn bezar titlion k baal o pr udaas khwab tootey hn kirchiyan bn kr zindgi qisa mukhtasir udaas yun to insaan alm...
Gaza, Trumps Twenty points of Peace , غزہ امن منصوبہ, فلسطین, اسرائیل, مشرقِ وسطیٰ, عالمی سیاست, امن و ترقی
Gaza, Trumps Twenty points of Peace
1.Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
2.Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.
3.If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.
4.Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.
5.Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.
6.Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.
7.Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.
8.Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025, agreement.
9.Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the "Board of Peace", which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including former prime minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump's peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.
10.A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.
11.A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.
12.No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.
13.Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.
14.A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.
15.The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.
16.Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.
17.In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.
18.An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.
19.While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
20.The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
Urdu Translation
*غزہ امن و تعمیرِ نو منصوبہ — نکات 1 تا 20 کا اردو ترجمہ*1. غزہ کو ایک غیر عسکری اور دہشت گردی سے پاک علاقہ بنایا جائے گا جو اپنے ہمسایوں کے لیے خطرہ نہ ہو۔
2. غزہ کی تعمیر نو کی جائے گی تاکہ وہاں کے عوام، جو بہت تکلیفیں برداشت کر چکے ہیں، بہتر زندگی گزار سکیں۔
3. اگر دونوں فریق اس تجویز پر متفق ہو جائیں تو جنگ فوراً ختم کر دی جائے گی۔
4. اسرائیلی افواج متعین کردہ لائن تک واپس جائیں گی تاکہ یرغمالیوں کی رہائی کی تیاری ہو سکے۔
5. اس دوران تمام فوجی کارروائیاں، بشمول فضائی و توپ خانے کی بمباری، معطل رہیں گی اور محاذوں پر موجودہ پوزیشن برقرار رہے گی۔
6. اسرائیل کے معاہدہ قبول کرنے کے 72 گھنٹے کے اندر تمام یرغمالی، زندہ یا مردہ، واپس کیے جائیں گے۔
7. تمام یرغمالیوں کی رہائی کے بعد اسرائیل 250 عمر قید کے قیدیوں اور 1700 غزہ کے باشندوں کو رہا کرے گا، جو 7 اکتوبر 2023 کے بعد گرفتار ہوئے، جن میں تمام خواتین و بچے شامل ہوں گے۔
8. ہر اسرائیلی یرغمالی کی لاش کے بدلے 15 فلسطینی شہداء کی لاشیں واپس کی جائیں گی۔
9. جو حماس ارکان پرامن بقائے باہمی اور ہتھیار ڈالنے پر راضی ہوں گے، انہیں عام معافی دی جائے گی۔
10. جو حماس ارکان غزہ چھوڑنا چاہیں، انہیں محفوظ راستہ اور استقبال کرنے والے ممالک تک رسائی دی جائے گی۔
11. معاہدہ قبول ہوتے ہی مکمل انسانی امداد غزہ میں داخل کی جائے گی۔
12. امداد کی مقدار کم از کم 19 جنوری 2025 کے معاہدے کے مطابق ہوگی، جس میں پانی، بجلی، نکاسی، اسپتالوں، بیکریوں کی بحالی اور ملبہ ہٹانے کے آلات کی فراہمی شامل ہے۔
13. امداد کی تقسیم اقوامِ متحدہ، ریڈ کریسنٹ اور دیگر غیر جانبدار عالمی اداروں کے ذریعے ہوگی، کسی بھی فریق کی مداخلت کے بغیر۔
14. رفح کراسنگ دونوں سمتوں میں اسی طریقے کے تحت کھلے گی جو 19 جنوری 2025 کے معاہدے میں طے ہوا تھا۔
15. غزہ کو ایک عبوری غیر سیاسی تکنیکی کمیٹی کے ذریعے چلایا جائے گا جو عوامی خدمات اور بلدیاتی نظام کی ذمہ دار ہوگی۔
16. یہ کمیٹی اہل فلسطینی ماہرین اور بین الاقوامی ماہرین پر مشتمل ہوگی۔
17. اس پر ایک نئی بین الاقوامی عبوری باڈی "بورڈ آف پیس" نگرانی کرے گی جس کے سربراہ صدر ڈونلڈ جے ٹرمپ ہوں گے۔
18. اس بورڈ میں دیگر عالمی رہنما شامل ہوں گے جن میں سابق برطانوی وزیراعظم ٹونی بلیئر بھی ہوں گے۔
19. یہ باڈی غزہ کی تعمیرِ نو، مالی معاونت اور ترقیاتی منصوبوں کی نگرانی کرے گی، جب تک فلسطینی اتھارٹی اپنی اصلاحاتی اسکیم مکمل نہیں کر لیتی۔
20. یہ ادارہ عالمی معیار کے مطابق ایک جدید اور مؤثر نظامِ حکومت تشکیل دے گا جو غزہ کے عوام کی خدمت کرے گا اور بیرونی سرمایہ کاری کے لیے سازگار ماحول پیدا کرے گا۔
I'm not offering any commentary, interpretation, or opinion on these twenty points; rather, I'm passing them on to my readers exactly as they are. Friends' comments and observations will be given due importance.
Written by: Afzal Shakeel Sandhu