Author: optimum_tech

  • Pakistan has failed its women

    Pakistan has failed its women

    Just this week, we wrote about the heart-wrenching incident of sexual assault and harassment of a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan on August 14. As if this was not enough, two new videos surfaced yesterday — one in which a woman was forcefully kissed by a man when she was travelling on a Chingchi rickshaw on August 14.

    The man jumped on the Chingchi while it was stuck on the road due to traffic and tried to kiss the woman and we heard another woman’s scream, who was sitting with her. Another video shows a mob trying to harass a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan and she is only saved because she keeps waving a stick to disperse them and keep them at bay. 

    When we say that the women of Pakistan feel unsafe, we hear that these are just odd incidents and should not be used to distort the image of Pakistan. What exactly is the image of Pakistan if women of the country are being harassed, assaulted, and attacked every single day, in multiple incidents? These are not odd incidents. These incidents and their aftermath depict the reality of Pakistan: women are blamed after each incident.

    A TikToker gets sexually assaulted by hundreds of men for more than two and a half hours at Minar-e-Pakistan and no one helped her but she is blamed for going there for a meet and greet session with her fans. So, is a meet and greet session now forbidden for women in Pakistan, and does it warrant hundreds of men sexually assaulting a woman? When Noor Mukadam was beheaded, the women of Pakistan demanded justice. But there were those who started blaming a dead woman for being killed: ‘Why did she go there, why was she with a man alone, she had no family values.’ These were the disgusting comments being made to justify — JUSTIFY — a gruesome murder of an innocent woman. 

    When we hear such comments even after the most heinous crimes, it shows that Pakistan is no place for women. We do not respect our women. We do not like independent women. We dislike opinionated women. We justify crimes against women. We blame women for society’s ills. 

    Our leaders pass extremely violent and misogynistic comments against their women opponents and are still lauded instead of being reprimanded. When our top leader issues a rape apology, he is defended by women parliamentarians. When such is the attitude of the people on top, imagine what message it gives to the common people. They think they can do anything with women and get away with it. And they do get away in almost all cases. 
    This is our sad reality. Dear women of Pakistan, we are sorry. We have failed you.

  • APPLY: Five scholarships for women who want to leave Pakistan

    APPLY: Five scholarships for women who want to leave Pakistan

    The frightful mass sexual assault which took place on Independence day has shaken the women of this nation to its core. It has also made all Pakistani women comprehend that they are not safe even in broad light and ‘so called’ public areas. Don’t you think it is high time to take your decision into your own hands?

    As an undergraduate student, since this incident, I am afraid that what will happen once university opens. So with this thought, I researched and came across some exciting and wonderful opportunities for women to study abroad for session 2022-23.

    British Chevening scholarship

    This fully-funded program enables Pakistanis to pursue a one-year Master’s degree in the United Kingdom (UK). They will cover your one visa application and even airfare travel costs to and from the UK, but you must have a two-year work experience. The last date to apply is November 2nd, 2021.

    KAIST South Korea Scholarship

    One of the top Public universities, The KAIST (Korean Advanced Institute Of Science and Technology) is ranked #39 in QS Global World. Your full tuition fee, living expenses (per month), and medical health insurance are guaranteed under this scholarship for 2022-2023. You can apply for any level, their eligibility criteria are pretty simple.

    Fulbright program

    The scholarship operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Under this, approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year. Pakistanis can not only apply for studies, but for work purposes scholarships as well. The deadline is in April, don’t miss this out.

    Türkiye Burslari Scholarships

    A government-funded, competitive scholarship program, awarded to students and researchers to pursue full-time or short-term programs at the top universities in Turkey. As a Pakistani resident, you will be given some preferences. A great opportunity for students.

    Hood College International Merit Scholarship 

    This college in the United States welcomes applications from qualified candidates holding a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, at least a 2.75-grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale or equivalent. It has multiple degree programs so one can apply to any.

    According to the ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2021’ published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistan ranked 153rd out of 156 countries on the gender parity index and seventh among eight countries in South Asia, only better than Afghanistan.

  • Enough!

    Pakistani women are angry and rightly so. We feel violated, we feel triggered, we are seething, we are shouting but we feel as if no one listens. Every day, there is a hashtag asking for justice for women who have been victims of abuse, domestic violence, sexual violence. We are not mere hashtags; violence against women in Pakistan is an epidemic now. 

    On August 14, a female TikToker was sexually assaulted and harassed by hundreds of men at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. An FIR has been registered. Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar have vowed to catch the culprits. But is this enough? No, it is not! A woman was groped, assaulted, harassed for more than two hours by 300-400 men and nobody could stop it. Let this sink in. Hundreds of men and more than two hours! Imagine her trauma, imagine her pain, imagine her helplessness, imagine how she has been scarred for life. We cannot even imagine what she must be going through and can only show solidarity with her by our words. The state has to act against the culprits who committed this heinous crime. 

    We are angry because there is a societal and systematic rot that we must fight every second, every minute, every hour, every day! Women in Pakistan are not safe in their graves, they are not safe in public spaces, they are not safe in their homes, they are not safe in their cars, they are not safe. Period.
    This is a country where the prime minister says that if a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on men unless they are robots. When he is called out for being a rape apologist, women parliamentarians come out to defend his statement. When he later changes his stance and says that no matter what a woman wears or “how provocative she is”, the person who commits rape is responsible, we are told that his statement is a “slap in the face of the detractors and critics”. Should we celebrate that the prime minister did not indulge in victim-blaming again and for once laid the responsibility on the perpetrator instead of women? We live in a society where women are blamed for stepping out of their house, for their dress, for just being a woman! When women question this mindset, all we hear are justifications for the crime! 

    Let it be said once and for all: ENOUGH! We have had enough of this. We ask our state and our leaders and our society to end this epidemic. 

  • All traitors great and small

    Among the myriad promises the current federal government has failed to deliver is one pledge that the government did not commit to but has delivered in spades. I am talking about the federal administration providing us with therapy, albeit in the form of laughter. Whenever we, the people, have been at the edge of bucking under crippling inflation, the government has provided us with a moment of undiluted merriment, always at its own expense.

    In times of crisis, and what is Pakistan in if not a deep existential, democratic and economic crisis, comedians come to the rescue of their people, providing much needed merriment to take away our troubles for a moment or two. The government, however, decided to step in and provide laughter itself, in the process promoting harmony among citizens, taking away jobs from comedians as it has from nearly everyone else. We may have neither faith nor discipline but damned if we are not united in our misery.

    Last year, Faisal Vawda selflessly decided to make us laugh when he accused Dr Musadik Malik, a PhD, of being a physician to a Gulf royal family. Where else but in a social welfare state will a prominent ruling party member prove himself to be a clown just to help his people out of depression. This is not Mr Vawda’s first attempt at comedy. After elite forces had successfully thwarted an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Vawda showed up in a bulletproof vest and armed with what he said was a Glock to “defend his country”. A more unpunctual, but well-meaning, well-dressed and well-to-do vigilante had not been seen before. Take that, Batman.

    In another incident, a hilarious government announcement of Pakistan being one of the cheapest countries tied in with yet another fuel price hike. We all laughed our way to the shady hospitals where we had made deals to sell our kidneys in order to keep our bikes and cars running.

    Never one to let tradition slide, PTI has earlier this week launched a hilarious report on digital trends, just as it finalised deals on the costliest purchase of LNG. In three years, PTI has provided us with plenty of laughter but this, ladies and gentlemen, was the jewel in the crown. Compiled by what we can only assume are people with the IQ of a cabbage, the report went on to report the origins and details of “anti-state” trends. The “deep analysis” had about as much depth as the puddle a newborn would create without a diaper. Oh PTI, how do we laugh at thee? Let me count the ways.

    First off, were the graphs. Leave aside that they had probably been lifted straight off Tweepsmap, where the data was compiled from. Forget about the fact that they seemed to have been copy pasted by someone who wielded the mouse with a hoof instead of a hand. Pay attention to the fact that the content too seemed to have been finalised by someone who is getting the pay of a grade 22 officer but does not have the ability to read what has been put before him/her. The gender graph featured men, women and businesses/groups. The mind boggles at the possibilities the unveiling of this new gender has unleashed. Will we have toilets for businesses right alongside men’s and women’s? Will weddings be segregated into three sections? Will we have to issue new ID cards and passports? Will rishta aunties recalibrate their trade?

    The age graph had a section for a group aged “10-23”. Let’s concentrate on the ludicrous assertion that tweens of the country are engaging in digital warfare under the behest of anti-state elements. It’s the perfect script for a horror movie.

    Another infographic informs us that most of these anti-state handles also follow ICC. This is a win, whichever way we look at it. All traitors, great and small, gathered together at the altar of cricket with patriots, all united in their hopelessness. Brings a tear to the eye.

    Finally, the report shows us page upon page of….. screenshots. Dozens of them. Spare a thought for the poor intern or low-paid individual who slaved away at his system, gathering tweets from known pro-PTI accounts and copy pasting away. Even Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan was not spared from the relentlessness of his dexterous fingers and numb mind.

    Now, you may be inclined to think of this report as a loss. Our simple minds and lack of perception are to blame for this unimaginative conclusion. Remember the old adage, to think not of what the country can do for you but what you can do for the country. In this case, think not of how someone gets highly paid to embarrass the government, but that you too can get highly paid to embarrass the government, given the right connections.

    And a sufficient lack of grey matter.

  • Anti-state trends

    Anti-state trends

    Earlier this week, a report was released by the Digital Media Wing (DMW) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting titled, ‘Anti-State Trends: Deep Analytics Report’. The report had glaring errors as it tried to ‘analyse’ hashtags on Twitter to determine anti-state activities. The Current published an analytical report after going through the report page by page. The report mostly had screenshots of tweets that the government has deemed ‘anti-state’ and included tweets that were responding to some hashtags. Some hashtags in the report were there just for the sake of putting them there and labelling people ‘anti-state’. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has clarified that no Pakistani was declared anti-state in the DMW report but it was done to expose Indian bots. A disclaimer was also added after journalist Fereeha Idrees raised the issue as her name was also part of the report. Despite the disclaimer, the report’s name and a press conference by the Information Minister as well as National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf show that the government takes Twitter too seriously, as seriously as it takes media criticism.

    Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) slammed the report for including journalists and political opponents in this report. It is indeed worrying that this trend of dishing out patriotism certificates has not stopped despite the fact that we have seen how dangerous it can be. Today is Pakistan’s Independence Day. We hope that our leaders will understand that all Pakistanis love Pakistan and their love or dissent does not mean it makes their patriotism any less. We all want Pakistan to prosper and we should not think that criticising the flawed policies of a state does not mean that such people should be labelled ‘traitors’ or ‘anti-state’. These tags have very serious repercussions in Pakistan.

    It was also disturbing to see that the Noor Mukadam case was also mentioned in the report just because Indian channels also made reports about the case. It should not have been part of the report. The US did not call the Black Lives Matter movement ‘anti-state’. It was covered the world over. A state should not be so insecure. Dissent is a fundamental part of strengthening democracy. On this Independence Day, let us hope our leaders are more tolerant of dissenting views and objective criticism. Pakistan Zindabad!

  • ‘Restore the Mandir’: minority rights in Pakistan

    ‘Restore the Mandir’: minority rights in Pakistan

    A week from now, Pakistan will be celebrating 74 years of independence from the British. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his August 11 address to the Constituent Assembly, promised the people of Pakistan that we will live in a country where there will be religious freedom and no intolerance. “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state,” said the Quaid. Our founder was a great proponent of minority rights but it seems that the people of Pakistan do not want to pay any heed to his words.

    On Wednesday, a mob attacked a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan district after a court granted bail to an eight-year-old Hindu boy who was accused of allegedly urinating in a local seminary. The main door of the temple was burned down and statues of Hindu deities were also damaged. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the incident and ordered the police to take action against the culprits. PM Khan also announced on Twitter that the government will “restore the Mandir”. Chief Justice Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed reprimanded the police and the local administration for just standing there and watching. CJP Gulzar also said that we should imagine what would have been the reaction of Muslims, had a mosque been demolished like the Hindu temple was. The Supreme Court also directed the police to arrest the culprits.

    This is not the first temple attack in Pakistan. Since last year, there have been several attacks on temples all across the country. August 11 has been declared as the National Minorities Day in Pakistan since 2009. Imagine, how our Hindu brethren would have felt that their place of worship was attacked just days before we pay lip service to the rights of minorities. As per the 6th Population and Housing Census 2017, there are 96.47 per cent Muslims in Pakistan. As for the minorities, there are 1.27 per cent Christians, 1.73 per cent Hindus, 0.09 per cent Ahmadis, 0.41per cent scheduled caste, and 0.02 per cent others. In a country dominated by Muslims, why can we not respect the rights of other religious minorities? It is unfortunate how we continue to fail our own citizens, our minorities. We hope the authorities will arrest the culprits and the government will protect our minorities. 

  • Thrown to the wolves

    A relative, who is one of this government’s true believers, recently circulated a video of people hurriedly getting onto a small airplane. When I asked what this was and why they had shared this video, the answer was, “This is Ashraf Ghani’s family fleeing Afghanistan.”

    The explanation was made in such a gleeful tone that I found it extremely disturbing. Other family members got in on the discussion with one cousin, remarking, “Historically, Taliban rule in Pakistan had been better for Pakistan.” That remark simply seemed to reflect the sense of excitement and anticipation that appears to be widespread in Pakistan about the return of the Taliban next door.

    Pakistan’s Afghan policy, has always centred around somehow being in control of the politics of that country, mainly through religious groups. The lucrative nature of using Islam as a rallying cry in Afghanistan was made clear after the Russian invasion. The US, aided willingly by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, mobilised ‘mujahideen groups’ against the Soviet forces and the rallying cry of ‘saving Islam’, along with the cash and arms that poured in for this purpose proved to be very effective in the conflict. Certainly, many in Pakistan profited from the conflict but while these individuals and establishments would often complain about all the Afghan refugees who flooded into Pakistan, they never really complained about all the money they made. They just went on and on about ‘strategic depth’ and continued to happily support militant groups. The generals watched in horror as one Pakistani prime minister tried to find a political and consensual solution to the conflict so he (Junejo) was dismissed by the military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq fairly quickly. Subsequent, elected prime ministers have been similarly undermined and challenged on the Afghan policy front.

    My cousin thinks that history shows us that Taliban rule in Afghanistan has been good for Pakistan. Hmm, that would be because of the scores of public executions in the football stadium. Or perhaps because of the Taliban government’s efforts to take the country back to the dark ages. Or perhaps because the Taliban’s efforts to fix the country concentrated on such useful and revolutionary measures as smashing televisions, destroying ancient statues and insisting that women and minorities (like the well-entrenched Sikh communities) had no rights at all. Or perhaps that regime was ‘good’ for Pakistan because the militant violence then seeped into Pakistan and resulted in more than a decade of terror: bomb blasts and armed attacks. Despite all of that violence, many Pakistanis refused to condemn the killers because somehow they felt a sort of grudging admiration for the extremists, the ‘true believers’. Never mind the brutality of armed attacks or the heroin, Kalashnikovs and network of Saudi funded madrassahs that flooded the country, the mujahideen/Taliban groups were apparently ‘good’ for Pakistan.

    The way the US has simply upped and left Afghanistan is shockingly callous. They invaded the country in 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, all in the name of fighting against religious militancy and terrorism. I am not sure what they did in two decades of occupying the country: but the Afghan Taliban now seem stronger than before and their forces are now re-taking the country bit by bit. Along the way, they execute journalists, comedians and anyone else they disapprove of. And they continue their practice of targeting any high profile individuals or government officials who oppose them – just a few days ago they killed Dawood Khan Menapal, the head of the Afghan government’s press operations for local and foreign media. He was gunned down in his car in Kabul during the time of Friday prayers.

    The interesting thing about all this is that the world does not seem to be interested in Afghanistan any more. The advance of the Taliban forces on the capital, the decimation of the Afghan security forces along the way, the fact that thousands who believed in the west’s false claims of furthering democracy and progress now fear for their lives – none of this is considered worthy of sustained media coverage. There are occasional news stories, of course, but the intensity is nothing like it was when the Bamiyan Buddhas were blown up or when one or two western coalition soldiers were killed. Everybody seems to be watching events in Afghanistan with a degree of resignation, with a sense that Taliban victory is inevitable. The country seems to have been thrown to the wolves. After two decades of US occupation, it’s back to square one, nothing seems to have changed in the country except that Kabul now has trendy coffee shops and the trappings of western capitalism. After claiming that they were training and supporting government forces, the US-led coalition has abandoned them: the soldiers who resist the Taliban are now simply cannon fodder. It seems a familiar enough pattern: invade and occupy a country and wage a war in the name of peace and progress, get lots of people killed, and then just get up and leave.

    Many organisations in the west are now trying to do their conscientious bit by arranging sanctuary for those Afghans who worked with the western coalition – the translators and media fixers in particular. But how tragic it is that those who worked for what they thought was positive change, progress and the rule of law in their homeland are now forced with the choice of either losing their country or losing their life.

    Meanwhile, people in Pakistan (or at least my right-wing relatives) continue to be all excited about the return of the Middle Ages. Probably because of the thinking that Afghanistan should be regarded mainly as a battleground for the covert Indo-Pakistan war and ongoing power struggle in the region. Or perhaps because of the thinking that a religious ideology will trump any other ideology, particularly that of Pakhtun nationalism (something that we seem particularly phobic about). Some people will be of the opinion that the Taliban are more representative of the Afghan nation than any other group so eventually some sort of political evolution will happen in the country and that will be better than an artificially imposed system. Well, that’s all very well but what about those two decades then? What of all the lives lost and the promises made?

    And what about the Afghans dreaming of peace and progress? Their fate can be summed up in two words: cannon fodder.

    Thank you America. And thank you also to all you neighbours of Afghanistan.

  • Irresponsible celebrity remarks should be held accountable

    Irresponsible celebrity remarks should be held accountable

    Our celebrities have a large fan following and their words have an impact. When they use their celebrity status and clout to spout inanities, it is important to call them out. Recently, a clip of an interview of celebrity couple Shahroz Sabzwari and Sadaf Kanwal went viral where Sadaf made some problematic comments. “Our culture is our husband. I married him, which means I have to pick up his shoes and iron his clothes. I know where all of Shahroz’s things are and what and when he has to eat. I need to know these things because I am his wife and I am a woman. He doesn’t have to know the same about me.”

    First of all, a woman’s life does not have to revolve around her marriage and her husband. She has her own agency, her own life. Secondly, what kind of marriage is Ms Kanwal propagating where a woman is the one doing everything for the husband while the husband does not need to know anything about his wife’s likes or dislikes and does not have to do anything for her? Marriage is about an equal partnership, marriage is about giving and take, marriage is about sharing responsibilities, marriage is about companionship, marriage is about compatibility. Marriage is not some one-sided relationship where the woman has to keep making compromises or do everything in accordance with her husband’s whims and fancies.

    In a patriarchal society, a lot of women are told these things because women are only seen as mere objects instead of equal human beings. We are living in the 21st century now; we should really be challenging such archaic notions every second, every minute, every hour of our lives. Ms Kanwal also said that feminism has become a part of our lives now because liberals have ‘increased’ in society. We think that Ms Kanwal does not know the meaning of feminism. A feminist asks for equal rights for women, equal opportunities, an end to the oppression of women, an end to violence against women, and much more.

    Also, why are words like ‘feminists’ and ‘liberals’ used in a negative and derogatory way? Just because they call a spade a spade? Our celebrities really need to educate themselves on these issues. Ms Kanwal has a budding career as a model, she has financial independence too and yet she is dishing out such irresponsible comments, not even thinking about countless women in this country who are stuck in bad marriages because they were told to do what all she is propagating.

    As if Ms Kanwal’s comments were not enough, this week we saw a clip from the drama serial Laapata starring Ayeza Khan in which the issue of sexual harassment was shown as some sort of a blackmailing tool. Sexual harassment and sexual violence are serious issues and most of the underreported ones as well.

    When drama serials start trivialising harassment and project it as some sort of tool used by women to falsely accuse men and/or to blackmail men, it is a disservice to those countless women who are the victims and survivors of this crime. It is a shame that in this day and age, we have to explain these things to TV networks or writers or actors. Let’s hope better sense prevails in the entertainment industry regarding such sensitive and highly important issues.

  • Noor murder case timeline: Different media reports state different stories

    Noor murder case timeline: Different media reports state different stories

    Over the last few days, the news has been inundated with the different versions and revelations in relation to the murder of Noor Mukadam.

    Here’s a list of the different versions of the same story.

    1.Zahir Jaffer’s confession:

    Reportedly, Zahir Jaffer has confessed to the murder of Noor Mukadam. Police also gathered video evidence of Noor being tortured by Zahir.

     The accused made the confession during interrogation but has not given a reason for murdering Noor. Dawn, The Express Tribune, ARY News, Dunya have reported that Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in the murder of Noor, confessed to killing her before the investigators during his interrogation. Sources said the prime suspect has repeatedly changed his reasoning for committing the brutal crime.

    However, Geo News and Samaa have not reported on the confession yet.

    2.CCTV footage of the incident:

    All news outlets have confirmed that the Islamabad police have also found video evidence of him torturing Noor on his mobile phone, as well as CCTV footage of the incident.

    3.Noor seeking driver’s help:

    Only two media organisations reported the story of Noor seeking help from her driver while being held as a hostage at Zahir Jaffer’s house.

    Noor Mukadam asked her driver to arrange Rs700,000 and bring it to the house of Zahir Jaffer, the main accused in her murder, Noor’s driver told Geo News.

    The Express Tribune reported, the victim’s family reportedly informed the investigation team that Noor had instructed her driver to bring Rs700,000 to the accused’s house. However, the investigation team said no money has been recovered yet. A senior police officer added that there was no confirmation of the money being withdrawn from the victim’s account, from her home, or from any other relatives. However, Geo news says that the driver collected three lakh rupees from his own resources, friends, and acquaintances.

    No other major news outlet has run this story.

    4.Crime Scene:

    All major news outlets reported that a guard at the house of Zahir Jaffer saw Noor Mukadam trying to escape as she jumped off the balcony. When she jumped off the balcony, she landed on the Air Conditioner Unit ( Condenser). Zahir too jumped off from the balcony and grabbed her. The guard tried to help her but Zahir grabbed her by her hair and took her back into her room and locked the door.

    BBC Urdu reported that Noor jumped out of the ‘Roshandan‘ [a small window].

    BBC Urdu, Dawn, and The Express Tribune added that Noor hid in the guard’s room after finding the gate locked, adding that later the accused broke into the room and dragged her back into the house.

    Geo News did not report Noor hiding in the guard’s room.

    5.Presence of friends:

    Editor of The Nation Salman Masood, mentioned that Zahir brutally killed Noor and chopped off her head from the body while the Therapy Works team and a group of mutual friends tried to enter his room.

    Dawn reported that the SSP Rehman further said her [Noor’s] friends reached the house of the accused, but he refused to let them enter, adding that he remained on the balcony, brandishing weapons and hurling abuses at them. One of the friends informed the girl’s father while another friend called the police.

    However, as per Geo News,  a neighbour had gone to the Kohsar Police station to inform them and not a friend. By the time the police reached, the team of Therapy Works had tied up Zahir.

    6. When did Noor go to Zahir’s house:

    Editor of The Nation Salman Masood and Geo News reported that Noor was detained for two days at Zahir’s house.

    Other media outlets have not reported the duration of stay.

    7. Reason for murder:

    The reason for murder has yet not been confirmed.

    However, Geo News reported that Zahir called his parents before the murder and told them that Noor has refused to marry him.

    Meanwhile, ARY News reported that allegedly Zahir in his statement said that he killed Noor for cheating on him

    Recent update on #JusticeForNoor case:

    The parents of Zahir Zakir Jaffer — a key suspect in Noor Mukadam’s murder — on Tuesday moved a bail petition in a district and sessions court in Islamabad against their detention. Admitting the petition, the court issued a notice to the police and set July 30 as the date for the hearing.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Change of Pace: Revolutionising Pakistan’s cricket commentary
    
			
    Be it Nasser Hussain’s “one minute down, next minute up” or David Lloyd’s “Big man, Big game; it’s a leg bye who cares” moment, there are some iconic commentary lines seared into our hippocampus. To keep the listeners engaged, a blend of analysis and wit is the sine qua non for commentators. Richie Benaud, one of the finest commentators ever, once said that commentators should shut up if they cannot add anything to what’s written on the screen. 
    

    Much of the commentary on Pakistan cricket by current local commentators, instead of invaluable insights or tactful analysis, lacks substance and predominantly revolves around repeating banal cliches and reading numbers emblazoned on the screen — something which someone with even a cursory understanding of the game can also do.
    

    The era when Munir Hussain, Omar Kureishi, and Chishty Mujahid used to take the commentary mic is considered by cricket historians as the golden era of Pakistan’s cricket commentary. The void these three have left is a big one to fill. Launched before the 2019 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Change of Pace has been a breath of fresh air for fans who wanted to listen to the quality commentary.
    

    Pioneered by a bunch of avid cricket fans, the commentary team — comprising Musad Afzal, AZ Khawaja, Ahmed Hassan, Sarkhail Khan, Ahmad Afzal alongside producer Sarfaraz Ali — is a clear-cut upgrade over many of the seasoned local commentators.
    

    Although there is still a long way to go for Change of Pace commentators to be at par with the troika of Chishty, Munir, and Omar, credit must be given to them for revitalising Pakistan’s cricket commentary. From starting off with ball-by-ball commentary of just 20-over matches, they have now come a long way.
    

     Not only have they commentated on entire ODI and Test matches, but they have also managed to rope in cricketers and eminent names in the cricketing world like Cricviz’s Freddie Wilde, Islamabad United’s Strategy Manager Hassan Cheema and Multan Sultan’s chief operating officer (COO) Haider Azhar to come on their podcast.
    

    Outspoken and quality in-depth analysis of the match? Check. Good sense of humour that can tickle your fancy? Check. Discussion of other topics like music, culture, and movies alongside cricket? Check. Change of Pace’s unique style of commentary has unsurprisingly received an extremely positive response from Pakistan’s cricket community and has garnered more than 132,000 listeners. 
    

    There is also an interactive chat box alongside audio ball-by-ball commentary paving the way for fans to share their thoughts and engage in discussion with the commentary team and other listeners. On top of all that, in a long-term partnership with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) in the UAE on their Baghbaan programme, they are also helping raise funds for the development and operations of their schools.
    

    The journey from inception to this point has not been all smooth for Change of Pace but instead of getting bogged down, their commitment did not flinch. Talking about their journey on The Padded Room podcast, Musad admitted that there were times when listeners plummeted to an ‘embarrassing’ level. To fill me in about their journey, I reached out to AZ Khawaja, one of the members of their commentary team.
    

    “It was surprising how quickly we have developed a committed listener base,” Khawaja said. “We wanted to create a space where genuine fans can offer their views, and where the coverage celebrated Pakistan cricket rather than denigrate it.”
    

    He further added that the in-game chat has developed into a safe space for discussion and it is quite remarkable in this social media era that they had to face almost zero negativity or toxicity.
    

    So, if you want to watch a Pakistan cricket match where commentary does not just revolve around banalities and clichés, make sure that you tune into changeofpacelive.com whenever Pakistan plays its next game.