Umr-o-Ayyar is everything I could not have imagined: badly written fanfic and a thrilling display of VFX-laden action unknown to Pakistani films.
Invited to the premier on behalf of The Current, I recalled all I had ever known about the character of Umr-o-Ayyar. Having been an avid reader of the legendary series of Dastaan-e-Ameer-i-Hamza and Talism Hoshruba, I was a fan of the conniving, quirky character of Umr-o-Ayyar, a friend and close confidant of the protagonist, Ameer-i-Hamza, but a legend in himself. The expectations were a little too high. The reality was a bit of a downer.
It was a marriage of convenience between the magical world of Harry Potter and the legendary period drama of Ertugrul.
My father, a master in Arabic language and literature, always told me that the name’s correct pronunciation was Ammar-Ayyar and not Umr-o-Ayyar, as per the rules of the Arabic language. Ammar, the protagonist played by Usman Mukhtar, really marked the right box with the name, but unfortunately, that’s about it.
His portrayal of the ‘clueless chosen one’ who remained true to character till the end made him look stupid more than likeable. Just like it was said about Harry Potter that magic still surprised him, Usman embodied the same traits, keeping his quintessential baffled expression intact whether it was his Schrodinger phase or him as an Ayyar.
The hero’s entourage, comprised of Ali Kazmi Salman Shaukat and Sanam Saeed, did leave their mark. It was the story that let them down. Manzar Sehbai’s Guru is there to mentally prepare the chosen, pure-blood Ammar Ayyar just like Master Shifu did with Po in Kung Fu Panda, but his styling, like that of Ertugrul’s Ibn Arabi, seemed out of place in the uber-cool setting. His verbose speeches and boasting of the power to know it all led to an all too predictable ending.
Director Azfar Jafri, known for family entertainers like Janaan and Heer Maan Ja falls short on this period cum super-hero cum action genre. Despite the fact that the two legends featuring the titular character are quite internalised in our language and culture, the movie comes across as an adaption of foreign celluloid. It has elements of Harry Potter’s pure-bloodedness, Voldemort’s black magic, inconsequential mention of physics, a motor-bike chase, Marvel’s VFX, fight sequences, and a world of supernatural elements ironically being dealt with both guns and knives. Consequently, the original plot, if there was any, got lost.
A sign of a flawed storyline is that the movie does not reflect much on the very conflict of the plot as to why the two parties are at war with each other. Ayyars, weak enough to get possessed, riding on bikes, and combating magic with internal powers, guns, and daggers made it all funny, even funnier than the comic reliefs in the film.
The best thing about the movie was the villains. The plot was driven by Sana’s Cheno, inspired by Bellatrix Lestrange, and Laqqa-a desi Voldemort- played by Faran Tahir. They were visibly ominous, and however flawed their dialogues were, their actions made more sense as they acted their part well. At one point in the film, Laqqa, the villain, has his first showdown with Ammar Ayyar, the hero, where the former says to the latter, “I am extremely disappointed after meeting you.” As an audience, you agree with him because such is the extent of Ammar’s incorrigibility. While it is not a well-written character, it performed even worse.
Hamza Ali Abbasi’s styling and acting take the cake. During those five minutes of his guest appearance, you are reminded of the beauty of the original tale. His portrayal of the OG, vivacious and witty Umr-o-Ayyar, who has especially come to knock some sense in the hero, made me reminisce about the accessories he owned, such as “zanbeel,” a satchel he used to carry everywhere that contained all the things under the sun, including the jinns he had entrapped. Alas! Its a lost opportunity.
While the storyline keeps boggling the mind, VFX in the final showdown really gives that larger-than-life experience. It deserves all the praise for being groundbreaking in Pakistani cinema. It’s the story which is the hamartia, a fatal flaw of this presumed epic of a film. The title, Umr-o-Ayyar-A New Beginning, indicates that the makers intend to make a series under the same banner. The next effort should not be as frivolous as this one. Overall, the movie is a good one-time watch that really lacks originality.
Elections in 2024 are surprising, to say the least. Many polls across the globe have given a jolt to political pandits, dismantling their expectations. Be it in Pakistan or in neighbouring India; the results sent a shock wave among observers. In India, particularly, the result defied exit polls and set a precedent of what is called the power of vote.
While the expected Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was on a country-wide tour titled “Bharat Joro Yatra,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leading party, BJP, were conniving for a change in the constitution. Campaigning for a third time in the office, “400 paar” was the slogan Modi chanted all along. With more than 65 percent voter turnout and a six-week-long grueling process of polls amid the heatwave, the climax showcased the fruit of the exhaustive exercise. The total number of seats won by the ruling party was 240, far behind the magic number of 272, and it lost 63 seats compared to the election of 2019. Economist and author Parakala Prabhakar called this “a very clear tight slap on PM’s face,” but what led to the results?
In the span of the last five years, the BJP government led by Narendra Modi outrightly showed hate against minorities, especially Muslims, and promoted the saffron-tainted movement of Hindutva. It started off with the revocation of the Special Status of Kashmir, followed by the Citizen Amendment Act, and culminated with the inauguration of Ram Mandir.
303 seats in 2019 enabled BJP to strip Kashmiris of their statehood on August 5, 2019, because it was seen as the biggest hurdle in the drive for development in the region. However, in the garb of this modernization, the aim was to alter the disputed area’s demographics eventually.
With CAA, the Modi government further pushed Muslims to the periphery. This “fundamentally discriminatory” piece of law endangered the citizenship of a large number of Muslims in the country. It declared them illegal immigrants, but the Modi government remained unfazed in the face of all criticism.
The mishandling of the pandemic, coupled with the high unemployment rate of eight percent, proved to be a catalyst, but it was the largest farmer’s protest in Punjab that turned out to be a major blow. Millions on the road, the police crackdown on protestors, and the rigidity of the government made headlines all across the globe. Resultantly, Congress dominated the polls in Punjab with a high voter turnout of 62.80 percent.
Islamophobic rhetoric, anti-Dalit sentiment, a spiraling economy, and unconstitutional motives of the sitting government resulted in the BJP’s defeat in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the two most significant states.
The party of “saffron parakeets” kept on ignoring the pulse of the nation and inaugurated Ram Mandir with glitz and glamour in Ayodhya, above the ruins of the demolished Babri Masjid. Modi proudly claimed that the Mandir will be a “temple of national consciousness”. The voters ironically consciously rejected him. Though the BJP will again form the government under the umbrella of the National Democratic Alliance, this will be a coalition government, weak at its core and unable to execute the idea of changing the system of governance from Parliamentary to Presidential.
Although it is true to democratic traditions, the credit for this stupendous result goes to the voices of reason, who relentlessly stood in the way of Modi’s aim to establish his “taana shahi”. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who has been named by renowned publications as one of the “factors,” made it his mission to create awareness of all the inconsistencies in the election process, scandals in Modi’s governance, and the wildly objectionable things Modi has said and done. His videos were watched by a whooping number of 476 million people, got screened in some areas while he flexed as the “power of the common man”. Some journalists like Rana Ayuub and Karan Thapar and writers like Arundhati Roy chose to call a spade a spade and will go down in history for being on the right side.
With the coalition government in place, will there be a new more introspective Modi or a rather aggressive one? It is yet to be seen, but he surely wouldn’t be the same as he was in the last five years.
Ebrahim Raisi is no more. Newspapers and various other outlets have published countless obituaries both coming from the tainted western lens and that of religiously coloured frame. I, on the other hand, want to present an account of listening to Raisi’s speech once and was inspired by the depth of his words and the resolution in his tone.
“If Israel violates the sovereignty of the Iranian state again, the reaction will be different and who knows the Zionist regime will not exist,” the one who said these words is now buried in a freshly dug grave in Mashhad but certainly not forgotten.
Ebrahim Raisi (1960-2024) said these words in front of the students and teachers at Government College University Lahore, my alma mater. It was surreal, to witness a head-of-state speak in the prestigious Bukhari Auditorium. While the security and arrangements made it all very unapproachable, when he arrived it was warm and almost palpable.
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LAHORE: April 23 – President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi shaking hand with students during his visit the Government College University (GC) Lahore. APP/MTF/MAF/TZD
April 23 was the day I went to the university after a long time, not just to attend an esteemed ceremony but also covering it for The Current. The day was bright and because it was a public holiday in the city, I reached GCU Lahore almost gliding through the air early in the day at 8:30 am.
A crowd of selected people, all ready to bear witness to history in the making could be seen under the gothic lady.
Although no gadget was allowed inside, I managed to grab a pen and paper and took notes of the speech which is a piece of literature in true sense of the word. References of Iqbal’s poetry with the messages of the reawakening of youth made it worth lending an ear to.
The Vice Chancellor started her address paying tribute to the resilient power and the great potential held by the land of Persians. In Allama Iqbal’s words. “Tehran ho gar Alam e Mahriq ka Geneva, Shayed Kurra-e-Arz ki Taqdeer badal jaye.” The verse implies that if Tehran becomes the Geneva of the East, the fate of the world will surely change.
It turned out that Iranian President Raisi was not just fully familiar with the work of our national poet but remembered him as Iqbal Lahori for his work in Persian. He was pleased to be present in the institution where Iqbal studied and taught; and to be in Lahore, the city from where the revolution against oppressive colonial rule started.
While he stressed about the hybridization of knowledge and faith as the key to success in life, he stressed on Iqbal being the best example as someone who combined both excellently. As he moved on, like an expert orator, he felt the pulse of the audience and drew a comparison between the East and West. We believe the people of the East are higher than that of the West because of how they understand the “creation of knowledge”, Raisi quoted the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He laid out his vision by saying, “The West is somehow trying to have a monopoly in the field of knowledge and Science, but we the people of East can change that.” He emphasised the role of universities in imparting a deeper understanding of the current situation and the pivotal role of faith along with seeking knowledge.
He substantiated his argument by pointing out how the West claims to have championed freedom of speech and human rights but the brutal ways with which University students setting up protests and encampments in Europe and America against Israeli occupation of Gaza are dealt with is a testimony to the innate contradiction between the claim and the practice.
“Today the liberation of Palestine is not just an issue of the Islamic world but of the world as well,” he said in a passionate tone and with this the audience was totally invested and they were applauding him even before the interpreter translated his words. Raisi predicted that hate is brewing in the hearts of people against United States and this Zionist regime in Palestinian territory and this will take revenge from them.
We are usually so used to of seeing leaders just chanting out popular things and hardly something literary Raisi gave the audience a minor jolt as he quoted 12th-century Muslim philosopher Ibn Arabi precisely from the text Fusus ul Hikam where he brought up the killing of children by Pharaoh only to prevent the birth of Prophet Moses. However, Allah was with Moses. Meanwhile, the nation of Moses was being created. He said that the same will be translated with Israel killing Palestinian children relentlessly.
He spoke like a warrior, someone who has stayed resilient in the worst of pressure. “If you stand against our nation, we will stand against yours”, Raisi said affirmatively. As he moved towards the end he put an emphasis on the support of Palestine as the common point of relation between Pakistan and Iran.
Coming full circle, Raisi left his mark with his final words which I quoted in the beginning. There are problems and issues of governance in every state of the world but what stands out is the resilience and the will to face opposition with head held high. With his words, Raisi inspired students to stand tall in the worst of situations and stand on the right side of history. The memory will forever be etched in my mind.
The World Bank has decided to pull funding from the second phase of 5.9 kilometre Mauripur Road, which is part of the Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project. A total of 520 harsh white LED lights installed at the road have become the bone of contention after it was noted that they were disturbing the hatching season of turtles coming to the marine beach to lay eggs.
The lights in the city of lights are surprisingly proving to be hazardous for the endangered species which visit the city to ensure their sustenance and enhance their population. Journalist Oonib Azam working for The Citizenry.pk has formulated a detailed report about the installation of the white lights as part of the rehabilitation program of the Mauripur road from Machli Chowk to the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP). He not just did the research but also played an instrumental role in convincing this Bretton Woods institution to rethink about their investment in this particular area.
Background of CLICK
CLICK is a development project by the World Bank to improve “urban management, service delivery and the business environment of Karachi.” Four components of the project involve capacity building of Local Councils and granting them performance-based grants, modernizing urban Property Tax administration, improvement in city competitiveness, and building capacity of local government regarding the technical assistance for solid waste management. The total project cost is a hefty 240 million dollars and it spans over 30 districts of Sindh, six divisions, 25 town municipal corporations, and 209 Karachi UCs.
Detrimental artificial lights for the turtles
Sindh Wild Life Department told Oonib that repelled by Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) in the last season, an estimated 250 female turtles turned back to the sea without laying eggs. The same artificial lights disorientate young hatchlings and they get crushed under cars or are eaten up by stray dogs.
“A female turtle travels all the way to Australian beaches and returns to Karachi’s coast, to lay its eggs at the same coordinates where she layed eggs the last time. This shows how sensitive turtles are to their natural environment,” Oonib quotes a report by Dr. Umair bin Zamir.
Mauripur road project
Oonib explained to The Current how his research about the sanctuaries lead to awareness of turtles’ sensitivity to harsh white light. People attending picnics disrupted the whole process with torch lights just for the adventure. Huts in the surrounding areas put up huge flashlights and third and most glaringly, lamppost lights installed on the roadside in the neighbourhood.
Mauripur road project is a sub-project of the World Bank’s CLICK project which costs 840 million rupees. Because it was a Category B project it required Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to submit an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) to the World Bank. The Citizenry report lays out how the KMC blatantly missed out on the turtle sanctuaries. It also stresses that turtles were a common sight in the area since the project is surrounded by beaches.
It was in sheer contrast with the World Bank’s policy (Environment Management Framework) of explicitly protecting the environment while ensuring a sustainable poverty reduction and development of societies at the same time.
Here, Oonib contacted the World Bank via Abedalrazq F. Khalil, manager of Uraban Development, Resilience and Land Practice for the South Asian region and shared all the intel he gathered in his research. It was revealed in that email exchange that World Bank was told that the road was about 5-8 kilometres away from the turtle hatching site. In a video report by The Citizenry, Oonib and Hunain Ameen discussed how Sanspit beach, Turtle Beach and Hawksbay Beach are in a row some kilometres apart as per Sindh Wildlife department’s maps.
It is important to mention that the 520 street lights are actually installed on a road the road from Machli Chowk to KANUUP Road runs parallel to Hawksbay Beach at a few 100-meter distances.
The Current has gone through the email exchanges between the Bank’s representative and journalist Oonib Azam and it is apparent that the Bretton Wood body was not entirely aware of the possible repercussions of proceeding with the project but after concerns were raised it was concluded that it will not move forward with the second phase.
“Light shielding and use of red lights is being considered by the PIU [Program Implementation Unit] as one of the mitigation measures. After consulting with relevant expert, we would have the CLICK PIU implement them,” Abedalrazq asserted.
As he was asked by the journalist about the operation policy of the World Bank regarding critical habitats being triggered for this project only or for the entire project, the respondent answered, “when CLICK was prepared, impacts on natural habitat were not envisaged and hence the Operational Policy 4.04 was not triggered. If a certain policy is triggered during preparation or implementation, it applies to the entire project.”
Current status of the project
Unsurprisingly, the World Bank has pulled funding for the Mauripur project. As a result, local authorities are being directed to implement mitigation measures proposed by the Sindh Wildlife Marine Turtle Conservation. They have proposed the replacement of bright white lights by red lights. Ironically, the email exchange reveals that the PIU office in Karachi plans to cover the lights with a cellophane which can change the white colour to red. As this solution is not durable, the journalist requested Bank authorities to intervene who then asked authorities to change the lights to amber LEDs rather than covering them with a cellophane shield.
The Current asked Oonib about the current status of the project and he described it to be in a lull. “The current status is that city authorities are not ready to change the lights to amber/red as recommended by the World Bank”.
We reached out to Murtaza Wahab multiple times for his perspective on the issue and also the spokesperson of the KMC, Ali Hassan Sajid, yet there was no response from them. While Murtaza committed to responding to it at first, he later did not.
Sindh Wildlife Authority maintains that the lights installed on the nearby hotels and huts are more hazardous for the marine life especially turtles compared to the streetlights but it cannot be denied that these lights of 120 watts are inflicting perils on these turtles to a great extent as well.
Climate change is hitting home. Humans have been the perpetrators of the suffering of other creatures and it is time we actually employ durable techniques which can prove to be a relief for the ecosystem rather than being a pain in the name of development.
COMSATS director Dr. Syed Asad Hussain has been accused by his wife of subjecting her to abuse in front of their children.
CCTV footage available with The Current shows that Asad Hussain, in a fit of fury, pushed his wife. Eventually, their children came out and tried to shield their mother. While the professor did not hold back, the children made an effort to bring the mother inside and expel their father from the gate.
COMSATS website explains that Dr. Asad Hussain is the Director, having studied at Cardiff University and postgraduate University of Sydney Australia in 2010.
In the First Investigation Report (FIR) registered with the police of an upscale housing society in Lahore, the victim states that in 20 years of marriage, her husband has allegedly physically abused her multiple times and has threatened her with divorce. However, she kept silent because of her three children.
On April 3, the husband started cursing her in front of the front gate of the house and pushed her in the car which the children witnessed from the terrace and rushed to help their mother. He again threatened to kick her out of the house or kill her. The children and victim took a stand and told him that the house is theirs. They eventually push him out of the main gate.
FIR states that while the children and mother tried to reconcile, Dr. Asad misbehaved and hurled abuses at them in front of the extended family. Thus, the victim requested the police to provide her with security as this has put her life at risk.
The Current has confirmed with ASI Adil Kamran of the police station where the FIR was registered yet no action has taken place till the time the story is being published.
The controversy of Avicenna Medical College where the students had levelled serious allegations against the chairman and college administration has taken a turn as the Principal cum Chairman Abdul Waheed Sheikh has agreed to the demands of the students.
Background
The matter of the medical college being a torture cell has been in the news ever since 2018 when The Express Tribune reported a viral video of a man destroying the cell phones of the students and the college turning into a prison for the young learners. As recently as two days ago (April 28), following the news of a student Mahnoor Nadeem allegedly committing suicide because of the strict policies of the college while it was claimed she died of a heart attack, the matter was all over social media. Netizens expressed concerns over the claims of torture, heavy fines, and verbal abuse and so it got the momentum.
Yesterday (Monday) students and parents launched a protest against the torturous policies of the college and as it got media attention, chairman Sheikh came out to address the protesting students who kept on chanting, “We want Justice”.
He assured them of compensation for the grievances of the past. He started off by saying that “I will be more sympathetic in the future”. Moreover, he said, “Mein apki har bat sunon ga, taqreeban manon ga” which can be translated as, “I will listen to you and will almost accept everything as well.” Later, while addressing the crowd, Sheikh announced that the “pink list” policy of punishing students will be terminated. Additionally, there shall be no fines in the future and the policy of issuing a leave will be in accordance with the monitoring body of UHS (University of Health Sciences). He promised the students that no action would be taken against those who are protesting.
In a video released by students on YouTube channel Digital Diary 7127, it can be seen how the fine policy and the clause of action against the students was deliberated with the Chairman and then he finally agrees to it.
Professor M.N Tabassum, who was allegedly fired from King Edward Medical University on allegations of sexual harassment, will not be involved in any sort of teaching and academic activities along with the discipline committee.
The Current got a hold of the exclusive footage of the Chairman talking to the media where the reporter asks him about being known for using abusive language with female students, but he denies it altogether. When he is asked about physical torture and viral videos he said, “It used to happen in the past, probably before 2015 but it does not happen anymore.” The students behind the camera can be heard saying, “Woh mukar gaya hai” meaning “He has backtracked.”
Response of the students
The same student who shared the video with The Current on the condition of confidentiality explained how fellow students are reacting to it. Do you think the matter is resolved now, The Current asked. “For now, yes, but in the long run, I don’t know. Because the thing that has been going on for so long and on such big scale… it can’t be resolved just like this.”
“According to many students we might have gotten this off our backs but we will still face the consequences,” the student expressed concern.
She also alleged how the administration is making crores of rupees with fines and exempting them will be a huge loss for them which is highly unlikely for them to let go of.
Social media reactions
Netizens reacted to the video in which the Chairman is pledging to address the students’ demand. Hmad Nawaz wrote, “Concern after being exposed is always hollow.” She urged the people in authority who can even remotely help with “the cause to initiate a governmental inquiry into Avicenna Medical College’s torture story.”
Meet Abdul Waheed Sheikh, an Ex-Army man, now running a prison called Avicenna Medical College who came up with grotesque punishment concepts like “pink-lists”, shaving heads, cutting clothes, protecting sexual harassers. Concern after being exposed is always hollow. pic.twitter.com/72TPQrbxR1
As the whole protest ended with the students praying for the dead student, Mahnoor Nadeem, Dr Ahmad Rehan Khan on Twitter asked for the end of the mistreatment of the students by the college and “hold perpetrators responsible” before moving forward.
Following the death of a student at Avicenna Medical College and after scores of shocking stories of fellow students are being shared by netizens, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) is taking notice of the death of the student and launching an investigation.
The monitoring body of medical colleges, University of Health Sciences (UHS) has taken up the serious complaints of students regarding alleged heavy fines, harassment, torture and physical punishments. It has directed all the affiliated public and private sector medical colleges of Punjab to establish ‘Students Counselling Cells’ (SCCs). The cells must have senior faculty members, including teachers from the psychiatry departments, besides the students themselves to address the issues of alleged harassment of any kind and other such complaints. It declared the setting up of cells mandatory to prevent reported incidents like the one that recently surfaced at the Avicenna Medical College in Lahore.
The decision was made in a meeting chaired by UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore, exclusively called after the death of a female student, Mahnoor Nadeem, of the Avicenna Medical College, followed by a protest by its students.
“It is our duty to ensure the holistic well-being of our students, particularly in light of the demanding nature of professional education in the medical and dental fields,” reads a letter issued by the Vice Chancellor to all the 12 public and 44 private medical institutes of Punjab. The letter was addressed to the principals of the medical colleges.
Answer within 72 hours
Additionally, the Avicenna Medical College has been directed to give its point of view within 72 hours so that ‘responsibility can be ascertained’.
“The PMDC, as the apex regulatory body for medical and dental education in Pakistan, is deeply saddened by the loss of a promising medical student and extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this unfortunate incident,” the statement read.
PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj stated, “We are deeply concerned about the circumstances leading to the untimely demise of a medical student and are committed to ensuring that justice is served. The welfare and well-being of students are of paramount importance to us, and any form of misconduct or mistreatment will not be tolerated.”
He also added that the deceased student’s family will be welcomed to reach out to the council to file the complaint.reported Dawn.
What happened at Avicenna?
An Instagram handle ‘thenewspaper.pk’ shared a report slider detailing the alleged abuse students at Avicenna Medical College had to face by the management of the college. The slider was titled, “Avicenna Takes Another Life: Student found dead”. It laid out how the chairman, Abdul Waheed Sheikh, along with his daughters — both at key positions of the administration — are allegedly ‘abusing students mentally and financially’.
The report detailed that heavy fines are allegedly imposed on students, as much as Rs60,000. Students are also not allowed to take any days off. Quoting the statement of a student in the slider, allegedly Sheikh said to a student, “Your father is alive, isn’t he? Ask for a leave when he dies.” According to the report, Sheikh’s daughters — Shandana Sheikh and Fazilda Sheikh — in-charge of leave applications and finances respectively are also allegedly complicit in the reported exploitation of students.
The slider also explains how Mahnoor Nadeem, the student who according to them committed suicide, was stressed, according to her mother. The slider details that even though she was a bright student, Mahnoor was allegedly made to sit on floor for four hours as punishment and her ‘total fine for last year was 92,000 rupees’. A day before her death, Mahnoor had reportedly gone to ask for a leave as she was not feeling well but her ‘request was declined by management’.
Alleged ‘Torture’
Another slider by the same handled is titled as, “Horrors at Avicenna: Student testimonials and proof” and contains an alleged audio where Abdul Waheed Sheikh can be heard abusing a student using curse words like “motherfucker” whereas the student is apologising, asserting that his name has been wrongly added to a list. Another alleged video shows the chairman tearing up the shirt of the student because it was not properly tucked in. The report also mentions that girls in the college are allegedly verbally ‘abused and character assasinated’ for not wearing a dupatta.
According to details, in 2018, The Express Tribune reported on a viral video of a man destroying cell phones of students at the college.
The Instagram account has also posted the video and in the background a person can be heard saying, “I’ve said break them, break them.”
Students are reportedly not allowed to bring phones with cameras to the colllege. This video was reportedly secretly filmed by one student to show how the phones were smashed.
According to the Instagram post, the head of the Human Resource department, Amna Haroon allegedly kept track of all ‘posts on social media so if someone speaks against the college, he or she has to pay fines, and worse than that is the non-issuance of roll number slip.
The Current talked to a student at the college and upon the condition of confidentiality, the student revealed that the attendance made mandatory by the monitory body (University of Health Sciences-UHS) of medical colleges is 85 per cent but students are not allowed any leave. “My phuppo (paternal aunt) passed away but they did not grant me leave.”
She recounted that the punishment for failing a test in the college is that a student is made to sit for hours on the floor outside the chairman office. This policy is called “pink list” and according to the student, any teacher can impose it. “Fans and AC are turned off as punishment,” the student shared.
She recounted that the punishment for failing a test in the college is that a student is made to sit for hours on the floor outside the chairman office. This policy is called “pink list” and according to the student, any teacher can impose it. “Fans and AC are turned off as punishment,” the student shared.
“The thing that I personally witnessed was that on our white coat ceremony, a boy’s shirt was untucked and he [Chairman Sheikh] called that boy: ‘Oye kuttey kay bachey idher ao tumhari shirt kyu bahir ha, isko 20,000 ka fine lagao.’ (O you son of a dog, why is your shirt not tucked in the pants? He should be fined 20 thousand rupees.)”
The student also revealed that when students had any issues, “the chairman and his daughter say ‘they damn care’.”
The student further added that students were allegedly financial exploitated as well. The student described how a practical notebook worth Rs3,000 is being given to students for Rs7,200. “If we don’t buy these, they tear our books,” she shared.
Student Protest and the Chairman’s reaction
Students and parents protested outside the college on April 29, in support of Mahnoor and against the alleged abuse faced by students at the college. “We are in medical college. We don’t deserve this,” said the student talking to The Current.
Chairman Sheikh came out to address the protesting students and parents, as seen in a video shared on social media. A YouTube channel Digital Diary 7127 shared those videos but are now deleted.
While the videos of Sheikh addressing the student protest have been deleted from YouTube, we have a recording.
Sheikh assured students of ‘compensation for the grievances of the past’. He started off by saying, “I will be more sympathetic in the future.” Moreover, he said, “Mein aap ki har bat sunon ga, taqreeban manon ga” which can be translated as, “I will listen to you and will almost agree with you as well.”
Later, while addressing the crowd, Sheikh announced that the “pink list” policy of punishing students will be terminated. Additionally, there shall be no fines in the future and the policy of issuing a leave will be in accordance with the monitoring body of UHS (University of Health Sciences). He promised the students that no action will be taken against those who are protesting.
It was also notified that Professor M.N Tabassum, who was allegedly fired from King Edward Medical University on allegations of sexual harassment, will not be involved in any sort of teaching and academic activities.
In another video on social media, a reporter asks Sheikh about the allegation that he uses abusive language with female students, which he denies it altogether. When he is asked about alleged physical altercations in viral videos, he said, “It used to happen in the past, probably before 2015 but it does not happen anymore.” The students behind the camera can be heard saying, “Woh mukar gaya hai” meaning “He has backtracked.”
Student response
The Current spoke with another student on the condition of anonymity. When asked if the student felt the issue was resolved, the student said, “For now, yes, but in the long run I don’t know. This thing has been going on for so long and on such big scale… it can’t be resolved just like this. According to many students we might have gotten this off our backs but we will still face the consequences,” the student said.
Netizens reacted to the video in which Sheikh is pledging to address the students’ demand. Hmad Nawaz wrote, “Concern after being exposed is always hollow.”
Meet Abdul Waheed Sheikh, an Ex-Army man, now running a prison called Avicenna Medical College who came up with grotesque punishment concepts like “pink-lists”, shaving heads, cutting clothes, protecting sexual harassers. Concern after being exposed is always hollow. pic.twitter.com/72TPQrbxR1
A video of a professor being beaten by a student is doing the rounds on both mainstream and social media and has invited a myriad of views and interpretations. The details around the incident are more appalling than disconcerting, including allegations that the alleged harasser Dr Mehboob is being backed by the administration, more so by the Head of the Department, Dr Sajjad Ali Khan.
The video that went viral on March 20 featured a woman throwing hard-bound thesis books, among other things, at the professor who is trying to avoid them. Other girls in the office can be heard expressing their shock. The victim, who was later identified as Zaliha Javaid, remained unfazed, hurling abuses towards him while pulling his hair.
University records laid out that Zaliha is an alumni-a graduate of the Biotechnology Department back in 2016. Owing to the standard education policy, in the first two years of the four-year programme, all the students have to study four courses of Compulsory English throughout the degree. This connects the dots. Many publications painted it as a case of on-campus harassment but it is evident that she was a former student.
As the video came out, many ex-students start posting about his problematic behaviour. Mariam Naqvi on Twitter posted a screenshot of a student who recalled incidents quoted by some seniors about the manipulative behaviour of Dr Mehboob and how he “promised marriage and sought sexual favours from students and then abandoned them saying his family did not agree.” Marium shared that, “being a student of this person I know.” She shared how people like him exploit young students using their power.
Shireen aka BadmaashKhatoon posted in a story on Instagram the allegation that the professor has been a harasser from the beginning and many from the literature department and the debating society knew that. “It took a woman to ruin her life to expose his vile behaviour,” she stated.
An audio clip of another former female student is also making rounds accusing that “a network of harassers” has been operating inside the university which force students to get involved in explicit activities.
Students talked to The Current on the condition of anonymity, sharing how the professor lacked decency and was rude with them. “He does not even know how to talk properly. He fail students in bulk and exploits them. He is the reason our degrees are getting delayed,” a female student elaborated.
Former lecturer at the English Department and currently a news anchor Saad ul Hassan related, “Individuals like Mehboob Ahmed…exploit university grading systems to bolster their perceived power and proceed to harass and abuse students, causing severe mental, physical and emotional harm.”
Saad went on to allege that this is because of facilitators like Dr Sajjad, the Head of the English Department, that harassers like Mehboob Ahmed abuse students without fear of repercussions. Dr Sajjad will use his leverage “to influence students into providing statements in support of Mehboob,” according to Saad.
HOD Dr Sajjad’s statement refers to Zaliha as “the assailant” who was “accompanied by an accomplice”. In his message to his colleagues he laid out the timing of the incident and how Dr. Mehboob was subjected to a harrowing attack. He implored the faculty to join him ‘in support and solidarity to Dr Mehboob”.
The statement by the university director also lays out how violent Zaliha was. It is important to mention that he avoids taking the name of the professor but appreciates him for his professionalism. He further stated that an investigation has started.
The partiality hinted clearly in the statements coming out from inside the university raise questions and has been widely criticised.
Former student and students’ rights activist, Haider Butt from the platform of Progressive Student’s Collective wrote that, “We call for a fair investigation into the matter. The investigation should be conducted by an independent committee.”
Mohiba Ahmed, a former graduate and a prominent women’s rights activist, posted on X, “It is unfortunate to witness an important issue of sexual harassment at Government College University Lahore being reduced to dirty university politics.” She recounted how Mehboob Ahmed was notorious for his sexual exploits. “Yet he was never held accountable for his actions,” she lamented. She held HOD Dr Sajjad complicit and stressed that “he should not be allowed near this investigation.”
The investigation into the matter is the key yet the efficacy makes it questionable as the statement from Progressive Students Collective Lahore explains that, “the student body of GCU Lahore has been dealing with the administration’s ineffective anti-harassment committees and the biased result of such committees.”
Reinstating professors allegedly involved in harassment
The bottom line is this dilemma which promotes the predatory behaviour rampant in the educational institutions. In 2018 a student from the batch of 2017-2021 took up the case of a professor from the history department, Saeed Butt, who was accused of passing innuendos and sexual harassment. It took months for the investigation to start, only when the new Vice Chancellor took charge. After a number of students presented their testimonies, the result was not favourable as the professor continued working meanwhile, and even though expelled afterwards, he has resumed working with the change of the administration. This is one example. Lecturer Javaid Bajwa from Physical Education Deaprtment ousted for the allegations of sexual harassment is reinstated as well. It is a proof that the university is at their side.
This one individual has exposed more than what was already out: harassment, manipulation of students, department politics and how the university administration plays party to this perverse behaviour by not condemning the action and the doer.
As Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz launched Saaf Suthra Punjab Campaign in Lahore, netizens all over the internet have started posting photos and information about the overflowing drains, sewage spillage, huge piles of garbage, and poor hygiene conditions in their cities.
Newly elected Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is on a mission to transform Punjab. The latest in the series is the ‘Saaf Suthra Punjab drive’. Netizens are quick to remind her of the poor condition of drains and garbage in Lahore and other cities of Punjab.
In Lahore, citizens are struggling with the issues of overflowing drains, sewage water, and the stink emitting from them.
Blogger and activist Riaz Ali Turi posted about the uncovered drains in Lahore causing health risks and nauseating smells in NA-127 of Lahore which include the prominent areas of the city like Township and Green Town.
Urgent call to action: Uncovered drains in Lahore, particularly in NA-127, are posing serious health risks, with nauseating smells affecting residents, especially children. The situation on the ground was dire, as we witnessed. @MaryamNSharifhttps://t.co/uppeHGCyFVpic.twitter.com/II5KjUPwje
Another user with a pseudo name of I M Imran Khan shared the pictures of Shadman area in Lahore where overflowing drains are disturbing life. Adil posted about how the area around Urdu Bazaar is facing sewage issues to which Maryam Nawaz assured him of holistic action. Noman Waseem tagged CM Maryam that even though the initiative is great, nothing has been done in his city of Multan.
The whole shadman area in Lahore is worst than this, with a big sewage/ dirty drain in Shadman, jail rd, n chungi, which have become hallmarks of Lahore city. The moment u enter in Shadman, the unbearable sewer gas smell welcomes u. pic.twitter.com/LQvrbacUbM
In response to Zeeshan Malik’s tweet about the Punjab government’s work in Bahawalpur, a netizen commented that Pindi needs the same attention, and, not just on the roads but in the walled city as well.
Pindi mai kb ho ga zeeshan.just main roads per kaam na ho.asal maza tub hai androon yay saaf sutra punjab hona chew
A resident of Sheikhupura posted a series of littered streets that are disturbing the lives of citizens yet the commissioner was claiming to have started the project.
Dawn’s Khalid Hasnain interviewed a resident of a locality of Pine Avenue near Valencia Town named Aziz who complained, “You see the Sattukatla drain full of waste, which is choking its sewage flow. The water level in the drain is also rising due to the choking caused by the waste piling in it.”
“It is also surprising that though the WASA’s machine meant for desilting or cleaning the drain is parked here but no one has visited the site since long to operate it,” Aziz adds the Sattukatla drain overflows in the monsoon or the unexpected heavy rain while its choking is also spreading a very foul and unbearable smell everywhere.
The Current went to ask the residents near drains at Upper Mall which are especially disturbed by the foul smell which gets unbearable during rains.
Around Walton drains, a resident named Zahid Abbas complained that occasional breaking of the walls of the drain and overflowing of its contents causes many hindrances on daily basis. “When there is rain we become restricted to our homes and transportation via cars become increasingly difficult especially crossing the road,” says Zahid.
Traditionally, the epicentre of PML-N’s politics, Lahore has always been flaunted as the most developed part of the province the drains and heaps of garbage are depicting an opposite story. The situation is no better in other cities where grave problems require immediate action across the Punjab.
Palestinian women in general and journalists, in particular, have set the bar with their resilience against what is now largely perceived as the most well-documented genocide of this century.
This Women’s Day, the world paid tribute to their untiring efforts, yet it is important to mention here that it is not enough since the besieged strip has been wreaked for more than six months now.
Palestinian journalists observed in real time the tragedy that women and children are experiencing due to the devastating war since October 7 last year. At least 63 women in Gaza are killed daily as a result of the Israeli war, with the majority being mothers, The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported on Friday.
“On International Women’s Day, the women in Gaza continue to endure the consequences of this brutal war,” the agency shared. “At least 9,000 women have been killed, and many more are under the rubble,” the statement added.
Hind Khoudary
Hind Khoudary is one such face the world is now fully familiar with because of her on-ground reporting and the compassion she has shown over time. She was paid tribute to by her fellow journalist Ali Jadallah in an Instagram post where he praised her for her commitment to her profession and towards Gaza.
However, he added, “As the ‘International Women’s Day’ is celebrated around the world on March 8th, Palestinian women start to work with the first hours of the day to provide for their families despite the difficulties experienced amid Israeli attacks.”
Hind, 28-years-old, has been working in the media since 2017. In an interview with Anadolu, she pointed out that the current situation in the Gaza Strip affects all Palestinian women regardless of their professions.
“While the world celebrates Women’s Day, Palestinian women are being displaced from their homes,” she said. “I am not just a journalist covering the war. Rather, I am a displaced person. I left my family and my husband and chose, despite the circumstances, to remain in Gaza and cover the war,” she added further.
In one of her posts on Instagram, she shared how she doesn’t have clean clothes to wear anymore and how she struggles hard during her periods. “I am also wearing two pants above each other because I don’t have any joggers anymore. The last time I showered was ten days ago. On my period for the second time during the past 30 days and yet I am still standing despite all the cramps,” Hind wrote.
Noor is a TV presenter and a reporter who has been reporting about the ongoing situation in Gaza. She made a huge sacrifice by evacuating her children from Gaza just for them to be able to have food and water but she remained in Gaza to continue reporting about the havoc endured by Palestinians.
In one of her posts, she wrote: “It’s hard to work in a location, where you know that there is dead bodies still stuck under the rubble. But it’s a story that should be told.”
Roba is a Palestinian journalist who has shown sheer commitment to her job even when her children were sick or when Israel was bombing buildings in real-time.
Doaa, 27, a photographer, reports the horrors befallen upon Gazans by the Israeli forces. “On International Women’s Day, we want to convey the image of women who are subjected to the most horrific massacres in Gaza,” she said in an interview with Anadolu.
“During this war, the occupation targeted women, children, and innocent people,” she pointed out. “We lack everything, including privacy. There are no bathrooms, and we struggle to convey the real picture,” Baz asserted.
Duaa Tuaima
Duaa Tuaima is a photojournalist whose Instagram is a window that opens into the reality of the suffering in Gaza.
Bisan is another popular name. A storyteller and filmmaker by profession from northern Gaza, Bisan has been documenting the displacements, bombings, and genocide in Gaza from day one. Her vlogs and videos in collaboration with different platforms are raw and insightful. “Hi, this Is Bisan from Gaza and I am still alive” is the line she says at the beginning of every vlog and it is ironically sad and hopeful at the same time.
In another, she posted about living in fear since the war started. “For 150 days, I have been afraid of cement ceilings. I do not want to be crushed to death when a missile lands. I sleep in a tent, and I am like hundreds of thousands suffering cold at times, heat at times, and disease and hunger at other times,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
11-year-old war reporter Sumayya Wushah was featured in Al Jazeera’s videos as Gaza’s youngest journalist reporting about the destruction in a confident tone. She is inspired by Shireen Abu Akleh, the Al-Jazeera journalist who was killed by the Israeli army in 2022.
