Decisions

by Muhammad Omar Iftikhar

Our story takes place in the country of Watan. The hunger for the absolute rule has made Prime Minister Sohail Tariq take an unbelievable step that will jeopardize his political career. However, his intentions have already infuriated on Army General, Zeeshan Javed. The urge to become the sole leader of Watan and single-handedly control the country has compelled Prime Minister Tariq to break all protocol. Will someone stop him before he brings Watan to the brink of a political crisis?

31 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2019

About the author

Muhammad Omar Iftikhar is a seasoned writer, fiction author, and columnist with over 20 years of experience in the literary world. With a deep passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, he has penned over 1,000 articles published in Pakistan's leading newspapers and magazines.

He is the author of several books, including Pakistan's first science fiction novel set in Karachi, Divided Species (Auraq, 2020), which explores themes of leadership, courage, sacrifice, revenge, and guilt. He has also published 20 Steps to Writing Articles (Daastan, 2022), a manual on effective writing, and Recreate Your Tomorrow (The Little Book Company, 2023), a book highlighting 100 essential soft skills for youth.

In 2024, he published Player AI (Daastan), a sports science fiction story that uniquely links cricket and technology. When the captain of Pakistan's T20 cricket team falls ill a few weeks before the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Alliance (PCA) introduces "Player AI," an android replica designed to emulate the captain's every move. The story explores themes of artificial intelligence, consciousness, identity, and the ethics of technology.

Omar is a three-time winner of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), an esteemed global writing challenge based in the U.S. that encourages writers to complete a novel within a month. Additionally, he has been a four-time finalist in Daastan Publishing's prestigious nationwide story-writing competition in Pakistan, showcasing his consistent literary talent on both national and international stages.

Omar is also a mentor to aspiring writers, sharing his knowledge and experience through his YouTube channel, Write It Right, where he offers guidance on writing and literature. His work reflects a dedication to exploring complex ideas through fiction, making him a significant voice in contemporary Pakistani literature.

Reviews

[Syeda Hirra Fatimah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decisions is a political story taking place in a make-believe country named Watan. The country got its independence from the country of Himazer a long time ago. For the past few years, Watan has been going downhill due to corrupt politicians who only have their personal interests to care for. The Prime Minister of Watan has become super hungry to hoard all the power and control everything that Watan has to offer. He is hosting secret meetings with some of the government officials to sabotage the career of Army General. A lot of events start to unfold and bring the country on the verge of collapse.
The PM concocted a heinous plan to murder the Army General who was the only obstacle in his way of achieving complete Monopoly over Watan. He first tried to bribe him by giving him a promotion but when that didn't work he knew he had no other choice but to murder him.
Unfortunately, for the PM, his plan doesn't work out and the General lives. But the PM doesn't back off. He cooks up another plan to dethrone the General while he is airborne (he was invited as a special guest at a conference abroad) and he get the plane hijacked.
What happens next is what you'll know when you read the story yourself. I won't spoil it further for you. But all in all it was a short but interesting read that will keep you on your toes throughout the plot.