Author: optimum_tech

Tehreek-i-Labbaik, Generals and leaked audios: Pakistani politics in 2021

The current political state of affairs of Pakistan is in desperate demand of significant alterations. The conquest to achieving a fundamentally strong democratic sovereign country seems more like a dream. From its beginning in 1947, the country has had a turbulent life with political instability and ethnic disputes characterising its existence. 2021 was no exception.

Here are some highlights pointing out the fatal fault lines experienced by the political chessboard in Pakistan in 2021.

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP):

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is a far-right Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded by Khadim Hussain Rizvi in August 2015 and is now led by his son Saad Hussain Rizvi. The party in January warned of taking to the streets if the government does not fulfill its promise of expelling the French ambassador by February 17. The government then signed a new agreement in February agreeing to take the issue to the parliament.

In April, the TLP called for the implementation of its November agreement and insisted on Pakistan downgrading ties with France. Protests erupted in several cities after Saad Rizvi, the leader of the TLP, was arrested in Lahore. As clashes between the law enforcement agencies and the TLP became violent, 16 policemen were taken hostage by the protesters.

When negotiations with the group broke down, the federal government banned the TLP under the anti-terrorism law, taking Saad Rizvi into custody under administrative orders.

The TLP hit the streets again in October this year. Rangers were deployed in Punjab to maintain law and order as negotiations failed with the group.

However, a high-powered government team held talks with the TLP once again and managed to reach an agreement.

Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman held a news conference to announce that talks with the banned TLP have been “successful” and that an “agreement” had been reached between both sides.

The deal comes after 10 days of violent protests that saw at least seven police officials killed and dozens wounded, as protesters blocked major roads and a highway in and around Lahore.

The federal cabinet revoked the declaration of the TLP as a banned group and the provincial government moved to remove Rizvi’s name from an anti-terrorism watchlist.

The authorities released the chief of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan after weeks of negotiations that followed deadly protests, leaving many injured and dead.

Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP):

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in his October 1st interview with TRT World said that the government is in talks with some factions of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) adding that the negotiations were taking place in Afghanistan.

PM Khan said that if the TTP lay down their arms, “we can forgive them and they can become normal citizens.”

“Pakistani Taliban groups actually want to talk to our government for some peace, for some reconciliation and we are in talks with some of those groups,” added PM Khan.

The ceasefire came into effect on November 9, after the government announced the start of talks with the armed group, which is fighting with the state since 2007 and carried out dozens of attacks targeting civilians as well as security forces in the country.

On November 8, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry confirmed that the month-long ceasefire had been agreed upon between the government and the TTP.

In December, Fawad warned TTP and said that the government will only talk to those who respect the Constitution and law of Pakistan. Otherwise, the government has battled before and will do again.

The information minister said that the Taliban government had once again pressed the TTP to abide by the ceasefire agreement. “And I think their advice is sane,” he added.

Chaudhry’s remarks came after TTP’s announcement of ending a month-long ceasefire with Pakistan and the death of a policeman in an alleged armed attack on a polio vaccination team by TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The establishment:

“The army and government share an ideal relationship,” said Fawad Chaudhry. Why did the minister have to say the following words? 2021 was also the year where the relationship between the establishment and the ruling PTI felt some “strain”. What could have put pressure on this ideal relationship? To summarize, it was allegedly the ‘spymaster disaster’.

One fine crisp afternoon of October, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced a reshuffle in the army, in which Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum was to replace Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, who was to be posted as Commander of Peshawar-based Corps XI.

And then came the disaster which no one anticipated. The delay in the transfer of power. Soon all everyone could talk about was the postponement from the PM’s office in issuing the notification for the appointment of the incoming Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief.

We were reminded that PM Khan was the authority in appointing the Director General (DG) ISI. Fawad Chaudhry lamented that legal methods were being adopted in the appointment of the new DG.

It also emerged that PM Imran wanted Lt Gen Hameed to continue for some time due to the critical situation in neighbouring Afghanistan and he conveyed this to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa during a detailed meeting between the two.

The premier also decided he would like to interview the potential candidates, all that while assuring party leaders that the appointment issue had been settled with COAS Bajwa.

After a prolonged three weeks, the impasse was finally resolved on October 26, after the premier finally notified the appointment of Lt Gen Anjum.

The curious case of audio-video leaks and the mighty affidavit:

Saqib Nisar audio leak:

Leaked audio of a conversation, allegedly involving the former CJP Saqib Nisar, suggested that the former Chief Justice was the person who passed on the directions of handing down convictions to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz. According to the leaked audio, Nisar did this only because the “institutions” wanted the former prime minister penalised in order to bring ahead Imran Khan, reports Ahmed Noorani for Fact Focus.

As per the leaked audio, Chief Justice Nisar instructed that Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif) and his daughter (Maryam Nawaz) must be sentenced ‘even though it is unfair’.

“Whether it is fair or not, it has to be done,” he conveyed to the person on the other end.

“Regardless of the merit, we will have to do it (sentence Nawaz Sharif), and even his daughter,” said Justice Nisar.

When the person he was conversing with objected that a sentence cannot be passed against the daughter, Chief Justice Nisar replied, “You are absolutely correct. I did talk to ‘friends’ that something should be done about this but they did not agree.”

He went on to say, “there will remain no independence of the judiciary, so let it be”.

The affidavit against Saqib Nisar:

The leaked audio wasn’t enough, it seems and along came an affidavit rolling onto the political chessboard, changing the game once again for Saqib Nisar.

In November, The News journalist Ansar Abbasi published an investigative report which quoted former top judge of Gilgit-Baltistan, Rana Shamim, who has given an alleged affidavit, that Nisar colluded to deny bails to former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz before the 2018 general elections.

After allegations come the denial and CJP Nisar’s case was no different. Nisar vehemently denied all allegations leveled against him.

Islamabad High Court comes calling:

In a recent turn of events, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday set January 7, 2022, as the day for framing charges against former Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Judge Rana Shamim and others in a case related to an affidavit that accuses former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar of colluding to deny bails to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership prior to the 2018 elections.

Audio leak of Maryam Nawaz:

An alleged audio clip of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was leaked on social media in which she could be heard talking to someone on the phone. During the telephonic conversation, the PML-N Vice President said, “I talked to Mir Shakeel Sb [owner of Geo News] personally, I told him that are showing facts from both sides, instead you should tell people Imran Khan lied without any verification, and Imran Khan not only repeated this lie but also made ten other things.”

She further said that she told Mir Shakeel that he has to do it [to push her narrative], and he [Mir Shakeel] did it.

Maryam further said that she told Mian Amir Mahmood [owner of Dunya News] the same, and he replied “Aap Dekhein me krta kia hun iske saath” [Now see what I do with him.]

Earlier, another audio clip of Maryam went viral on social media in which Maryam Nawaz can be heard saying, “We have given many chances to Samaa News. The kind of news Samaa [airs] and the way its anchor Nadeem Malik is, we can no longer work with the channel. So we are not giving any ads to Samaa.” ”Samaa News, Channel 92, ARY News, and Channel 24 will not get any ads from us [PML-N],” said Maryam

Maryam on November 25, confirmed the authenticity of her viral audio clip but the date of the clip is still not known, whether it was when the PML-N was in government or opposition.

Leaked video scandal of Muhammad Zubair:

PML-N’s Muhammad Zubair’s leaked video, where he was allegedly seen in compromising acts with women, went viral on social media.

The former governor of Sindh categorically denied the video and termed it to be a “new low in politics” along with claiming that the video is “fake and doctored”.

The mobile footage, which allegedly showed the PML-N leader in bedrooms with women is blurred and the women cannot be identified.

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM):

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of Opposition parties against the ruling PTI was formed in September 2020.

The alliance failed to remain united for long and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) exited the coalition on April 12 this year over it being served a show-cause notice by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in his capacity as the alliance’s secretary-general. The notice was sent after the PPP nominated PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate “in violation of the alliance’s decisions”.

The Central Executive Committee of the PPP asked all the party members to resign from their positions in the PDM.

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said no party “should try and impose its will and dictation on any other member party”.

Before parting its ways from the PDM, the PPP had a different opinion with regard to the resignations from the assemblies, which was being touted by the PML-N and some other member parties.

Before the PPP, the Awami National Party had also quit the PDM over its being “hijacked by some member parties”.

The PDM is now comprised of five parties namely the PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party (NP), and Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal).

However, the Opposition alliance has pledged to reach Islamabad on March 23, 2022, and warned the authorities against any attempt to use force to prevent the marchers from entering the federal capital.

“So far, we have decided to reach Islamabad. The duration of the stay will be decided [by the leadership] after reaching the capital,” said PDM spokesman Hafiz Hamdullah.

Pandora Papers:

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), investigating international finance and tax havens, released a detailed list of public figures with offshore companies called the ‘Pandora Papers’ as part of their new investigation.

Nearly 700 Pakistanis were named in the report including Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, PPP leader Sharjeel Memon, Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz’s (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar’s son Ali Dar, Punjab provincial minister Aleem Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Vawda, Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid (PML-Q) leader and Federal Minister for Water Resources Monis Elahi.

PM Khan vowed to investigate all those Pakistanis mentioned in the Pandora Papers, and tweeted: “If any wrongdoing is established we will take appropriate action.”

“We welcome the Pandora Papers exposing the ill-gotten wealth of elites, accumulated through tax evasion & corruption & laundered out to financial ‘havens’. The UN SG’s Panel FACTI calculated a staggering $7 trillion in stolen assets parked in largely offshore tax havens,” he tweeted.

“The Pandora Papers”, is said to be the result of 600 journalists in 117 countries studying for months roughly 11.9 million documents that leaked from the offshore environment.

Senate Elections:

The year 2021 marked elections for the upper house of Parliament. The PTI went all-in with its juggernaut politics being directly supervised by PM Khan.

Last year, the president had approached the apex court to seek its opinion on whether or not the condition of the secret ballot under Article 226 of the Constitution applied to the Senate elections.

The president also promulgated a premature ordinance in February after attempts by the government to pass the 26th Constitution Amendment Bill in the National Assembly failed to make headway.

However, this was in vain as the apex court announced in its verdict in March and said the polls would be held through secret ballot. The reason for the push behind using open ballots was to eliminate the practice of horse-trading.

Hours before the polls were set to begin, a video surfaced showing the son of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, explaining to lawmakers how to cancel their votes. Gilani was fielded as a joint candidate of the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement from Islamabad and was the lone competitor for the now-former finance minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh.

Despite the PTI’s objections, the Senate election was held on March 3. In a major upset for the government, Gilani managed to defeat Sheikh, forcing the prime minister to seek a vote of confidence from the NA.

Presidential Ordinance to extend NAB Chairman’s tenure:

President Arif Alvi in October signed an ordinance that enabled the president to reappoint the incumbent National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman or extend his tenure.

The National Accountability Second Amendment Ordinance 2021 amplified the opposition’s role in the appointment of the NAB chairman.

The ordinance amended Sub-section b of Section 6 of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) to grant extension in the tenure of the NAB chairman by excluding the word “non-extendable” from the law.

However, it has retained the provision that makes consultation between the Opposition leader and the leader of the house in the National Assembly on the appointment of NAB chairman, stating that the president would consult both of them.

It has increased the role of the Opposition and enhanced the parliamentary oversight as it has provided a forum of a 12-member parliamentary committee in case the consultation between the PM and the opposition leader proves futile.

The ordinance has enhanced the authority of the prosecutor general of NAB empowering him to play a crucial role in advising the chairman to file or withdraw any reference from the court.

It has also allowed the accountability court to grant bail to any accused.

Opposition parties criticised the amended ordinance and criticized extension to the NAB Chairman and called it tantamount to distorting the constitution and law of the country.

December 31, 2021
Equal citizens

Recently, we heard about two bakeries in Karachi that refused to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on cakes. Both Delizia and Aunty Munaver turned away customers who wanted cakes with Christmas greetings. It is deeply disturbing to see such acts of bigotry in a country whose founder and others who fought for its freedom believed in rights for all and equality regardless of caste, creed, and faith. Yet we see how non-Muslims in Pakistan continue to face discrimination on a regular basis.

Today, when we celebrate Christmas with our Christian brethren and wish them a day full of joy, we hope that our society will change for the better. Today is also the birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who taught us the meaning of tolerance and who believed in pluralism and inclusiveness.

We often repeat and quote Jinnah’s August 11 speech but it is important to reiterate what he said again and again: “We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one state.”

This is what Pakistan stands for as this is what our founder taught us. It was good to see many people raising their voices against those bakeries that refused to write Merry Christmas on their cakes. It was social media outcry that led to Delizia bakery management on the backfoot and saying that it was an individual act. Whether it was an individual act or not can be ascertained as this isn’t the first time that such an incident took place. This year, we saw the horrible lynching of a Sri Lankan national. The government took strong exception to the incident and promised to take action against all those responsible. But the incident also showed how intolerance has seeped into our society. It is this bigotry and intolerance that has to end. On the birth anniversary of Jinnah, we should pledge to make this Jinnah’s Pakistan and not a Pakistan where extremism prospers. Once again, Merry Christmas to all those celebrating.

December 25, 2021
عورت ہو انسان نہیں

میری والدہ کی زندگی میں دو چیزیں ہیں جو پچھلے 16سال سے نہیں بدلیں ۔ ایک ان کا ٹی وی چینل جو کہ ہمیشہ ہم ٹی وی رہا ہے اور ایک میں بذاتِ خود جس کو نا چاہتے ہوئے بھی ان کو دیکھنا پڑ رہا ہے اور چونکہ میں نے اپنی والدہ کے آخری دم تک ساتھ نبھانے کا وعدہ کر رکھا ہے تو میری زندگی میں بھی ہم ٹی وی اٹل حقیقت کی طرح موجود ہے ۔ وہ جیسے کہتے ہیں کمبل مجھے نہیں چھوڑتا ،ایسے ہی ہم ٹی وی مجھے نہیں چھوڑتا ۔

میں باقی چینلز کے بارے میں نہیں جانتی لیکن ہم ٹی وی پر پچھلے 16 سال سے میں نے صرف ایک ہی چیز دیکھی ہے ۔ مظلوم عورت، سسکتی، بلکتی عورت۔ مجبور عورت ، مار کھاتی عورت اور مار کھانے کے بعد آخر میں اسی شخص سے محبت کرنے والی عورت ۔ میری والدہ کے کمرے سے میں نے سوائے ان کی ہنسی کے ،کبھی کسی قسم کی ہنسی نہیں سنی ۔ کیونکہ ہم ٹی وی پر کوئی نہیں ہنس رہا ہوتا ۔ مرد چلا رہا ہوتا ہے اور عورت رو رہی ہوتی ہے ۔ 100 قسطوں میں سے 98 قسطوں میں عورت روتی رہتی ہے اور 100ویں قسط میں اچانک عورت کو مرد سے پیار ہو جاتا ہے اور ایسے ہو جاتی ہے پیار کی جیت۔

اس سب کے بعد میری والدہ کو بھی ہنستے ہوئے ڈرامے سمجھ ہی نہیں آتے ۔ وہ کسی ہنسی مذاق والے پروگرام پر یہی کہتی ہیں “اے کی اے؟” (یہ کیا ہے؟) میں ان کو الزام نہیں دونگی کیونکہ روتی، بلکتی اور تڑپتی عورت کو دیکھنے کی ان کو عادت ہو چکی ہے۔اب ہنستی ہوئی عورت یا سجی سنوری عورت کچھ عجوبہ سا لگتی ہے ۔ کچھ یہی حال میری والدہ کا ہوا جب انہوں نے نیا ڈرامہ “دوبارہ ” دیکھنا شروع کیا ۔ اس ڈرامے میں حدیقہ کیانی جو کہ مہرو کا کردار ادا کر رہی ہیں کی چھوٹی عمر میں شادی ہو جاتی ہے ۔ ساری عمر خاوند کے مطابق زندگی گزاری ۔ہر طرح کا شوق ختم کر دیا ۔ بچے بھی ہو گئے ۔ اور جب خاوند کی وفات ہوئی تو مہرو نے ایک آزادی کو محسوس کیا ۔ مہرو کو لگا کہ وہ اپنی زندگی کے 20 سال واپس جی سکے گی ۔ اس نے شوخ چنچل کپڑے پہننے شروع کیئے ۔ اس نے بچوں کے ساتھ فٹبال کھیلا ۔ اس نے پارک میں واک شروع کی۔ اور مہرو نے اپنے ہی بیٹے کی شادی پر خوب چمکیلے کپڑے بنوائے ۔ مہرو نے واقعی 20 سال بعد اپنے آپ کو پانے کی کوشش شروع کر دی ۔ لیکن ہر رشتہ دار نے ،دوست نے اور حتی کہ اپنے ہی بیٹے نے مہرو کو ہر قدم پر یاد کروایا کہ “تم بیوہ ہو مہرو۔ تمہیں یہ چیزیں نہیں جچتی۔تم بس خاوند کی یاد میں زندگی گزارو “۔ خاوند نہیں رہا ، تو تم بھی ختم ہو جاؤ ۔ وہ مہرو، جس کا بچپن چھینا ، جس کے 20 سال صرف بیوی بن کر گزرے ، نا کہ عورت ، اب جب اس مہرو کو سانس لینے کا موقعہ ملا ، اس کے سانس کو خاوند کے سانس کے ساتھ بند کرنے کو کہا گیا ۔ اسے یاد کروایا گیا کہ تم بیوہ ہو۔ بیوہ۔بیوہ، بیوہ۔

میری والدہ کو مہرو کے بچپن میں شادی سے ہمدردی ہوئی لیکن ان کے لیے یہ بات شدید ناگوار ہے کہ ایک “بیوہ عورت” اتنا سجے کیوں ؟ ایک بیوہ عورت اپنے خاوند کی یاد میں گھٹ کے مر کیوں نہیں رہی؟ میں یہ دہرانا چاہوں گی کہ میں اپنی والدہ کی سوچ پر حیران نہیں ہوں ۔ وہ اس جنریشن سے ہیں جب عورت صرف بیوی اور ماں ہوتی تھی،اور کچھ بھی نہیں ہوتی تھی ۔ اور ماں یا بیوی خود مختار کیسے ہو سکتی ہے؟

یہ تو خیر قصہ ایک بیوہ عورت کا ہے ۔ جب میں یہ کالم لکھنے کی ناکام کوشش کر رہی تھی تو اسی وقت مریم نواز کی کچھ تصویریں سوشل میڈیا پر شیئر کی گئی۔ وہ بھی ان کے بیٹے کی شادی کی تقریب میں سے تھیں ۔ مریم نواز اپنے اکلوتے بیٹے کی شادی پر بہت ہی جوش و خروش سے تیار ہوئیں ۔ میں یاد کرواتی جاؤں کہ نہ وہ بیوہ ہیں اور نہ ہی کوئی اور مسئلہ ۔ وہ اپنے خاوند کے ساتھ ویسے ہی ہیں جیسے میں ہم ٹی وی کے ساتھ ہوں۔لیکن مریم نواز کی سجاوٹ سے جو صفِ ماتم بچھا ، وہ دیکھنے سے تعلق رکھتا ہے ۔ کسی نے انہیں یاد کروایا کہ وہ 170 سال کی ہیں ، انہیں شرم آنی چاہیئے۔ کسی نے ان کو یاد کروایا کہ وہ نانی ہیں ، جیسے نانی ہونا کوئی گالی ہو۔ کسی نے ان کو یاد کروایا کہ وہ چور ہیں ۔ پھر کسی نے یہ بھی کہا کہ سرجری سے ایسی ہوئی ہیں ۔ مجھے یقین ہے کہ ان کی سجاوٹ کو اگر پتا چلے کہ اس سجاوٹ کے بارے میں کیا کہا جا رہا ہے تو یہ سجاوٹ بھی ملک چھوڑ کے چلی جائے ۔

ان دونوں قصوں کو دیکھ کر میرے ذہن میں بس ایک ہی بات آئی ۔ ” تم عورت ہو ، تم مرکیوں نہیں جاتی ؟” وہ معاشرہ جہاں 60 سال کے رنڈوے کو بھی کنواری لڑکی چاہیئے، وہاں ایک بیوہ عورت کے ناچنے پر اتنا واویلا؟ وہ معاشرہ جہاں مرد دوسری شادی سب کچھ چھوڑ کر کر لے ، وہاں ایک عورت کے اپنے بارے میں سوچنے پر اتنا واویلا ؟ وہ معاشرہ جہاں” چاند سی بہو لاؤنگی ” ہر کسی کا ارادہ ہے ، اسی چاند کی روشنی پر اتنا واویلا؟

عورت ہو عورت بن کر رہو کہنے والوں سے کوئی تو کہے ، انسان ہے، انسان بن کےرہنے دو !

December 12, 2021
Exclusive: Junaid Safdar reveals his honeymoon plans

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz and Captain (R) Safdar’s son, Junaid Safdar’s wedding is surely the talk of the town these days. The wedding reception will be held on December 14 in Islamabad and the Valima in Lahore on December 17.

We approached Junaid and got to know some exclusive details regarding his wedding, views on his mamu’s [Hamza Shehbaz] singing and the honeymoon.

When asked if is he going to sing at his wedding, he replied: “I have nothing planned in particular. It really depends on how the event proceeds. It was quite spontaneous during the Nikkah as well. Singing is something quite personal to me but because the nikkah was a strictly family affair.” He revealed that he sang a few lines from one of his favourites on his Nikkah.

Hamza Shehbaz’s singing videos from one of Junaid’s pre-wedding events became a social media hit. When we asked Junaid if he thinks his uncle sings better than him, he clearly said he has no doubt about it, adding that “I cannot possibly attempt to tackle the songs he sings so effortlessly.”

As the wedding is just around the corner, we asked if he is planning to go back to London after the Valima? Junaid answered it with a ‘yes’. He said, “This event would be incomplete without Abujan’s [Nawaz Sharif] blessings, and the blessings of Hassan and Hussain Mamu, my Khala [Asma], and Ali Dar Khalo.”

While talking about his wedding, Junaid clearly seemed really excited about it. He said that this event is a breeze for the family after a long spell of turmoil.

He talked about the recent tragic events in his family that have happened in the past few years. He said, “Political turmoil is a recurrent theme and therefore, insignificant when compared to personal, family turmoil. I am talking about personal, family turmoil here. My grandmother’s fight against cancer. The passing of my grandmother whilst my mother, grandfather and father were in prison. The passing of my great grandmother. The smiles have now returned Alhamdulillah and it’s a heartwarming sight.”

Talking about his honeymoon plans, he disclosed that plans were initially finalised. However, they are now pending as the couple is waiting for further covid-related information.

Dulha Junaid is set to get married to Ayesha Saif, daughter of former politician Saif-ur-Rehman. The couple got nikkahfied in August this year in London.

December 9, 2021
Imagine the horror

Imagine a mob so ruthless, so violent, so remorseless that first, they kill an innocent man for tearing down a poster with religious text on it, then they burn the body in front of hundreds of people and several cameras because somehow their thirst for blood was not enough so now they had to humiliate a dead body. And then some of them had the audacity to take selfies with the burning body. All because he did something without even realising that he could be lynched to death for it.

Imagine that this man was a foreign national — a Sri Lankan — working as a factory manager in Sialkot, and whose wife heard about this most tragic incident from news and the internet. Imagine his wife’s shock and horror. Imagine the bereaved widow looking at those videos, those gruesome images, those murderers taking pride in killing her husband. Imagine her helplessness. Imagine that this man has two young children, nine and 14 respectively, who will have to live with this fact for the rest of their lives that their father was killed, nay lynched, by a frenzied mob in Pakistan.

Imagine that we live in a country where every other day is a ‘black day’, where every other incident is bone-chilling, where no one is safe, where so many horrors unfold that we move on from one terrifying incident to another and forget about the previous one. What have we become? How have we come to this point? Will our state introspect that our society has become so intolerant that it cannot even protect anyone? Will our state realise how extremism has permeated our society because it has been officially sanctioned through our policies? It is the responsibility of the state to protect the lives of every human being. The misuse of religion for political benefit, the misuse of religion for some vested interest, or allowing the misuse of religion for some external policy will eventually have consequences. And those are the consequences that we are facing every day. There are no words to express what this country is going through — those at the helm of the affairs have to now challenge this extremist ideology or the path ahead is very dark. And every second will then be dark and there will be no turning back. Let people live without fear. A society that has to look over its shoulders all the time cannot progress.

December 5, 2021
Problematic narrative of sister rivalry over a mutual love interest needs to stop in Pakistani dramas

A few years ago, Pakistani television was considered to be superior to the country’s film industry. The reason for the edge was the meaningful and relatable content often churned out by PTV, STN, and then later, some cable and satellite networks.

However, in recent years, dramas based upon ‘unrealistic’ and ‘unpleasant’ themes are becoming common. One such theme includes showing two sisters fighting each other for a ‘man’.

Some dramas pertaining to this theme became famous, Maat, Khamoshi, Kashf and Jalan. Producing dramas in which sisters happen to be interested in the same man are being normalized by directors for the sake of ratings and attention.

Be it Saba Qamar and Amna Sheikh in Maat, Iqra Aziz and Zara Noor Abbas in Khamoshi, or Hira Mani and Sabeena Farooq in Kashf, drama producers are normalizing love triangles with two sisters and a mutual love interest.

Nisha in ARY’s Jalan, played by Minal Khan risked everything to destroy the life and marriage of her sister Misha but also to grab the man she thought was just perfect and had everything that she ever dreamt of. This drama was a clear-cut case of producers bent on grabbing the ratings, without even thinking about what they were showing in the drama. Nisha’s character tried her best to put up a fight but she had no idea the evil she was faced with in the form of her younger sister.

It is alarming to see the rise in sister rivalry again in Pakistani drama, that too where sisters are pit against each other only because they want to be with the same man.

In Junaid Khan’s latest Ek Jhoota Lafz Mohabbat, the younger sister played by Aiza Awan threatens her brother-in-law of suicide and even cuts her wrist in front of her demanding a divorce for her elder sister. This is the extreme of emotional blackmailing.

More such projects are set to be released in the near future including Yasir Hussain’s directorial debut, Koel starring Mansha Pasha, Fahad Sheikh and Maham Aamir.

This is highly problematic as such stories create a toxic impact on the audience. Television serials are actively viewed by their target audience i.e. the women, and are seen as having some similarity to real-life situations by many. Thus targeting sibling relationships will just add to the negativity and conflict being paraded as entertainment.

Such dramas also show sisters wishing death upon each other such as Iqra’s character in Khamoshi, or creating trouble for their sibling, such as Sabeena’s character in Kashf.

The more disturbing factor is that in most cases the male love interest is either committed or married to one of the sisters while the other one sets her eyes on him. This also violates the values and norms attached to the brother in law-sister in law relationship in our culture.

In the Ayeza Khan starrer Meherposh, the younger sister plans to poison her elder sister and murder her as she doubts that her husband is in love with her elder sister.

TV dramas hardly show two brothers fighting over a mutual love interest.

Actor Saba Qamar recently called out this wave of content in an interview stating that she is tired of reading scripts where two sisters are falling in love with the same guy and that then entire drama revolves around the problem.

She cited the example of Maat and said that she has also done a play like that but she wouldn’t want to repeat it in her career.

Television producers should stop churning out regressive content and should also be mindful of their social responsibilities about portraying family ethos on TV screens.

November 26, 2021
‘I want to gift portrait of Holy Kaaba to PM Imran,’ physically challenged painter’s wish

A physically challenged artist, Umar Jarral, from Lahore who suffers from cerebral palsy has made very beautiful portraits of the Holy Kaaba and Prime Minster (PM) Imran Khan, which he wants to gift to the PM. He also wants to meet PM Khan one day.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.

Talking to The Current, Umar’s brother, Muhammad Ahmed, said that Umar is trying for four years to meet the premier. He met a few ministers but was not able to meet the PM.

“We are a total of seven siblings. Five of them have suffered from CP. Our parents are very old. My sister and I take care of the other siblings,” Umar’s brother added.

“Umar used to speak when he was seven years old but now he has lost his speech ability. He communicates with us by writing messages to us. All of us want to meet PM Imran and request him to arrange an exhibition for Umar’s art,” he said.

Umar also runs a Facebook page where he posts his artwork. Here are a few more portraits made by Umar.

November 8, 2021
Asif Ali rises to the occasion

When, on the last ball of the 18th over, Asif Ali refused to take a single, rather than adding a run to Pakistan’s score with the required run rate almost touching the 12-run mark, it was obvious that he was confident enough in his abilities to take his team over the line. Or so it seemed. Two nights before, his quickfire cameo had helped Pakistan cruise to victory in a grudge match against New Zealand. Against Afghanistan, he picked up from where he had left off against New Zealand and pulled it off with aplomb to ensure that Pakistan’s record in this tournament remains unsullied.

Heretofore, Asif’s selection in the World Cup squad drew a massive outcry. Many were of the view that he lacked the tools to translate his domestic exploits to the international stage and gratuitously touted him as a tulla, laparoo and fraudiya even though he had shown glimpses of his hard-hitting prowess multiple times for his PSL side. An average of 16 and strike rate below 125 – Asif’s sorry set of batting stats in T20Is prior to the tournament – are without a doubt dismal and not remotely redolent of someone who can thrive at the highest level. Steadfastly determined to prove that he is not a flash in the pan, Asif navigated the choppy waters and chose the biggest stage to rehabilitate himself.

In both the matches, Asif strode out to the middle in unnerving and high-pressure situations. When he walked out to bat against New Zealand in the 15th over, Pakistan was teetering at 87 for 5 in pursuit of 135 and the required run-rate had shot past nine an over. After kicking off his World Cup campaign with a four-off Trent Boult over the third man region, he took a liking to Tim Southee and whacked him for back-to-back sixes before pulling Trent Boult for a maximum and scoring a brace off him to clinch Pakistan’s second win in the tournament.

Against Afghanistan, when he came to bat, his side was 122 for 4 and the required run rate had crept up to more than eight with 26 runs required from the last three overs. Asif, however, only needed seven balls to get the job done. After opening his account with a single off Naveen-ul-Haq, he mercilessly dispatched seamer Karim Janat for four majestic maximums in an over to maintain Pakistan’s perfect record in the tournament. Fittingly, it was his bat from which the winning runs flowed in both the games.

To put into context how good Asif’s six-hitting has been and how hard sixes are to come by in this tournament, take a look at this stat: Asif took 19 deliveries for these seven sixes. On the other hand, Indian batsmen took 250 balls for seven sixes, New Zealand batsmen took 240 balls for seven sixes while West Indian batsmen took 147 balls to hit seven sixes.

More crucially, none of the seven sixes Asif struck against Afghanistan or New Zealand were mishits or mis-timed slogs. His pyrotechnics featured meaty blows over long-off, midwicket, extra cover and wide long-on — an indicator of his expansive hitting arc.

Although Pakistan has got world number one and world number 4 T20I batters at the top of the order, they need someone who can put the finishing touches and up the ante down the order. At the biggest stage, Asif has advertised his credentials, repaid the faith of those who had faith in him, and made a telling statement that Pakistan have found the right man in him to do that job.

November 7, 2021
When Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif visited Pakistan

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif visited Pakistan in 2005 for a show in Fortress, Lahore along with Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan.

The show was organised by Fakhr-e-Alam and sponsored by Warid Telecom. Bombay Rockers, Malkoo and Atif Aslam also rocked at the musical show.

“I liked Lahore very much, it is very similar to Dubai. They love Indian stars and the crowd just went wild out there. They kept thronging and pushing against the stage, so I couldn’t stay on for long,” she stated in an interview,

“People in Lahore are very friendly and warm. I wasn’t there for more than two days, but in that time, I shopped quite a bit, I bought a Western shirt.”

A crowd of 40,000 had turned up for the show, and even VIP passes were of no use as there were too many freeloaders trying to get in.

A-list fashion designer and chat show host Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY) posted a picture with the Dhoom 3 diva on his instagram handle. Katrina visited his studio for her fittings.

The Pehli Si Mohabbat actor mentioned, “When #katrinakaif came to Lahore and to my studio for clothes. And yes, she did come to Lahore. Look it up if it confuses you. I don’t like this picture much of myself but I recall remembering how beautiful she was In real life and how tall. She is lovely to talk to and very sweet. I enjoyed meeting her. The entire team was excited to have her visit the HSY Studio.”

The Tiger Zinda Hai star was basking in the glory of Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya‘s success back then.

Morning show host Shaista Lodhi also interviewed her along with Ranbir Kapoor in 2010.

She later worked in a Pakistani advertisement for a lawn brand.

She played a Pakistani spy in Ek Tha Tiger and its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai co-starring Salman Khan.

In 2015 her film Phantom got banned in Pakistan due to its anti-Pakistan content.

She praised Shoaib Akhtar for his athletic skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOy1WjzOGHI

She worked with Pakistani star Ali Zafar in Yash Raj Film’s Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.

The Raajneeti diva also signed a film with Fawad Khan for Dharma Productions which got shelved due to Indo-Pak turmoil.

October 26, 2021
Pak vs Ind: Are you ready?

Everyone is sitting in the same room, some very close to the TV as if they can control things by sitting close to the screen. Some outside the lounge to avoid the visuals, responding only to the audio cues. Some trying to change fate by doing tasbeeh. And some holding a chappal permanently pose an imminent danger to either the TV screen or to the people around them. Because if things went south, the chappal will go north. And who even has the mental presence to timely register the oncoming chappal? I mean who even cares whatever the world is coming to when Pakistan is playing against India in a World Cup match?

This is how this grand event has been witnessed in my family. This is how it has always been. I am sure this is how it is for every cricket-obsessed home in Pakistan and perhaps even across the border. The historical fact that Pakistan continues its tradition of losing to India in grand cricket events gets completely lost on us whenever we have to face India. Even the people who have given up on cricket and believe it is a personality trait to say “I don’t watch cricket anymore” metamorphose overnight and become senior cricket analysts on match day. They are kind of annoying but we, the cricket enthusiasts, let them be part of our world as it is Pakistan playing against India.

From jingoist expressions to “what a ridiculously talented Indian team is”, the emotions vary among people but the focus remains the same: win against India. Thrash them. Humiliate them. None of these events happen in the World Cup but the sentiments remain the same. Every match against India becomes an opportunity for the Pakistani team to rise from the ashes. I mean, they aren’t even in ashes though but you get what I am saying, right? It is an opportunity for the revival of faith in this country for at least one week. The entire country goes into a trance. You go to a local grocery store, tandoor or even a random corner of the street, all you would hear is, “Fer, tayaari ay?” (Are you ready?). I have been a regular witness of analysis at tandoor shops where they don’t have a TV and solely rely on radio commentary on their phones. You can easily get away with stealing things at shops with TV because the shopkeeper will be lost on the screen. Their positivity is contagious. Their josh and daleri are difficult to find anywhere else. It gives you hope even when Pakistan has to score 70 runs off 2 balls to win the match. It’s insane, I know.

In an attempt to keep my josh under control, I remind myself of Pakistan’s defeat against India in the quarter-final match of the 1996 World Cup. The Bangalore Defeat, I call it. I can still recall the pain of that defeat. I remember locking myself in the bathroom and crying uncontrollably. I felt for the first time that this is it. No more cricket for me. That loss still haunts me whenever the Pakistan vs India discussion begins. I often find myself recalling this truly tragic loss even during conversations that have nothing to do with cricket. For instance, I had amazing seafood in Karachi and I was like, “Glad I had it as Lahore doesn’t offer much taste,” followed by my internal scream, “Haan but we didn’t win against India in 96. Who is gonna fill that void?”. Do you understand the gravity of this loss yet?

And now that we are set to play our first match against India in the T20 World Cup 2021 edition, that same loss has taken over my life and I am looking forward to the 190th attempt to fill that void by winning against India. The odds are against us, the world is against us, and even we are against ourselves as we keep playing the dinosaurs in our team but nothing could be against our josh for this game. We are gonna give it our best. We will forget what the petrol rate is for 12 hours. We will forget how we love Rohit Sharma or Kohli. We will forget how Shah Rukh Khan is the best thing to come out of India. And of course, we will forget that the notification for DG ISI hasn’t been released. We will remember just one thing. Cricket.

Hope in Babar Azam, pride in Shaheen Afridi, love for Rizwan, and faith in Haris Rauf to not bowl the death overs. Over to you, Team Pakistan. You might not have done it before but you can do it now!

As for Kohli, I love Anushka more.

October 24, 2021