UN experts believe that the new government must craft an action plan for the safety of journalists in Pakistan. “We call on the governments of the world to do their utmost for the safety of journalists,” said UN Resident Coordinator Timo Pakkala.

With approximately 500 newspapers printed and 80 news channels being aired, Additional Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Azam said that the boom in electronic media in 2002 came as a challenge to Pakistan. Complete freedom of press must come with a sense of responsibility which is often violated in some cases, he said. “The Code of Conduct, drafted for channels, is not fully followed because of which journalists in Pakistan face great challenges such as security threats,” he said.

According to Senior Journalist Hamid Mir, the freedom of media in Pakistan is only confined to big cities and smaller cities are suffering. “Freedom of media is partial in Pakistan and we fail to inform our viewers and readers about it. Journalists in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cannot speak as freely as us who are sitting in the capital,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2013.

At a press conference, representatives from OUP, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and Open Society Foundation Institute (OSFI) announced the sixth CLF in the country, will be held at the Pak-China Centre on May 24-25.

ITA Programmes Director Baela Raza Jamil said that they had written a request letter to the Prime Minister to consider waiving off the cost of the venue. The programme for the festival was reduced from three to two days to cut down on the cost as the organisers said they could not bear the hefty amount of Rs2,055,000. However, ITA has still to pay up a Rs1,370,000.

The letter reads that according to the constitution, the state should provide free and compulsory education to all children aged from five to 17 years. The letter further requests to waive off or provide concession at the venue.

The event aims to bring together thousands of children and teachers to interact and learn from not just the participants but from each other as well. CLF acts as an equaliser for all school systems including  government and private schools and seminaries to address challenges of learning, reviving a culture of reading and generating content for textbooks and supplementary materials in the classrooms.

OSFI Nargis Sulatana said that the quality of education is a major issue in the county, adding that working with several partners across the country made them realise the difference in the quality, teaching methodology and curriculum.

CLF is an initiative to promote reading, creativity and critical thinking amongst children. “We need to promote libraries to encourage critical thinking and creativity,” said Sultana.

Poet Zehra Nigah said that the advantage of such events is immense as they engage in healthy activities such as reading over watching videos on the internet.

“Irrespective of the security situation, we saw thousands children in Balochistan and Peshawar come out and participate in the festival. Invitations have been extended to not just private and public schools as well as students of seminaries to become a part of this event” said Jamil. “This festival should be treated as a national movement,” she added. The OUP Managing Director Ameena Sayid said that the aim is to generate that drive amongst children to want to read books. The festival that was launched in Lahore in 2011, has been held at Quetta, Peshawar, Bahawalpur and Karachi with an attendance of over 80,000 children and adults.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.

Speaking at a rally in Islamabad, activists of the Awami Workers Party (AWP) condemned the excesses of capitalism and priorities of the ruling class, who, according to them, have left them in the cesspool of inequity.

The activists of the AWP and the National Students Federation gathered at Aabpara Chowk to mark the day.

They chanted slogans against the ruling class and the exploitation of workers.

Speaking on the occasion, AWP Secretary-General, Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, said that with each passing year, the plight of workers worsens, yet there was no political will on the part of the ruling class to improve this state of affairs.

Akhtar said that exclusion of issues of workers from the manifestoes of the political parties indicated the waning influence of labour movements on them.

According to a press release issued by the AWP, May Day is an opportunity to demonstrate the organized power of the working class.

Fatima Ahsan, teacher from Quaid-e-Azam University, said those who suffer the most in Pakistan belonged to a class which was barely acknowledged.

Haneef Parveen from SACH NGO said that labour class has been working on low wages whereas “we only see increases in salaries of government officials”.

Later, a rally was taken out from Aabpara Chawk which culminated at Argentina Park. AWP and National Students Federation (NSF) activists performed a play specially prepared for the occasion.

This was followed by renditions of revolutionary songs by a young and upcoming singer, Ammar Rashid.

Alia Amirali, general secretary of the NSF, said that the historic alliance of workers, peasants and students must be revived if there was to be structural change in contemporary Pakistan.

She decried the rhetoric of mainstream parties that claim to represent the youth of Pakistan, saying that these parties have no workable programme to provide employment.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, the Pakistan Trade Union Confederation and trade union organizations took out rallies where a large number of workers and activists showed up.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.

She said that Shah Hussain, a Sufi poet and musician had composed his work in such a way that it could never be altered, his work remains as it is through the years.

She underlined Farid’s sufi poetry from the 12th century known as “shalok”, composition of two lines that talks about tolerance.

“Sufism is not time-bound or just about love or abandoning one’s self, it is about a special message which was written years ago and lessons from that can be learnt even today,” she said. She added that Hussain taught us not to waste time and make the most of life. “We must value our lives. A person’s life is like a leaf on a tree and the trunk is like the world, once the leaf falls from the tree, it doesn’t grow back, but the trunk remains there.”

Mohiyuddin said Hussain taught us values, time management and how to live our lives to the fullest. Linking Sufism to compositions in Punjabi that came in much later, Mohiyuddin took her audience to an era and back in one session.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2013.

ISLAMABAD: In a one of its kind performance, renowned kathak dancer Nahid Siddiqui enthralled audience at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Saturday evening. Subtle yet powerful, her stream of postures, expression and footwork had stories to tell.

The evening began with “Maati kadam karendee yaar” — a haunting kaafi by sufi poet Bulleh Shah about the complexity of earth — with Imran Jaffery on the vocals, Hassan Mohyeuddin on the tabla and Siddiqui reciting.

Nahid’s students — Rachel Waterman, Rehan Bashir, Mehreen Jillani, Ayesha Sarfraz, Luna Holden, Hira Nabi and Suyyaiya Din — enlivened the aura with subtle expression, balanced postures and coordinated footwork.

Clad in earthen tone blouses and sarongs, the dancers lit up an otherwise dusky stage to the rhythms of Patiala Gharana in a haunting piece that transgressed from dark to meditative, maintaining the kind of poise and postural regality that lends itself to the style of classical dance.

The second performance, “Tere Ishq Nachaya Thaya Thaya” employed Siddiqui’s graceful expression and strong stage presence. Vocalists Chand and Suraj from the Patiala Gharanah, Bakshi sahib on the harmonium, Zohaib Hassan on sarangi and Mohyeuddin to the tabla had the audience roaring. Siddiqui’s frame exuded complete submission to the enormity of existence, pirouetting on the stage in a spiritual quest for her creator, her elated expression at an ease that transported the audience to a similar ethereal state.

As they performed Shah’s “Pani Bhar Bhar Gayian Sabhe”, Siddiqui danced to the famous kaafi, which narrated the time spent in one’s life preparing and waiting for their turn to depart.

In a solo performance, she described how a beat repeated thrice resembles the leap of a tiger and the jump of a deer, followed by the sound of ghungroo, which was inspired by birds and rain and portrayed how raindrops are felt on the body. The piece was a stunning demonstration of the musician’s quest to find the “sum” of a beat, the progression of rhythm becoming a mere struggle for its location.

After the finale, Siddiqui got a standing ovation for her spellbinding performance. “Nahid is a legend and her performance just takes you to another world,” said audience member Arshiya Jamal. “I wish we have more such evenings in Islamabad,” she added.

For her part, Siqqidui said that classical artists need more exposure in the country. “Although resources abroad are awesome, my love for this art has made me stay in this country and create awareness among the youth about this dying art,” she said.

However, she was not free of critique for the PNCA in front of the large crowd. “What is being presented here (in these halls) is not what I would like to be representing Pakistan with,” she said.

Kathak, she said, is known for its vocabulary, rhythmic footwork must be taught to the youth and they should learn about this art which is out heritage and culture. “This is Pakistan, what we saw on stage today, not what we see in the news or see on television,” said Asian Study Group (ASG) President Parveen Malik. Organised by the ASG, the show was dedicated to Faizaan Peerzada for his commitment to promoting performing arts in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.

Applications sent to the president, premier and the chief commissioner have yielded little result and followers are now exploring social media to get attention for an issue they feel has not been covered adequately by the mainstream media.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Saadat Hussain Shah, who has filed several complaints and maintains a file of the letters written to the government said there was silence on the issue. “This year, the Bari Imam administration wrote to President Zardari, who asked Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari to handle the situation”. Bukhari came to Bari Imam and announced that the urs which had been banned since 2008 due to security concerns would be held this year, he added. This rekindled the Bari Imam administration’s hopes.

“We were ready to welcome devotees for the urs, but even after several applications, the Islamabad Capital Territory administration is silent about the ceremony.” Another follower, Amjad Hussain said the administration cites security concerns as a reason to ban the ceremony, but there are two other ways for people to access the shrine.

Because of its proximity to the President House and the Diplomatic Enclave, the shrine of Bari Imam at Nurpur Shahan which is of great significance for followers, is considered an easy target for extremists. After a gathering at the shrine was targeted by a bomber during the urs in 2005, security has been doubled. Walk-through gates have been installed and visitors are now screened before entering the shrine.

But when contacted, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amir Ali Ahmed said, “Security has always been a concern. This should not be a reason to cancel the urs.”  He confirmed the urs would take place this year. We have to discuss the dates with the Bari Imam committee, he added.

The other issue of great concern is the reconstruction of the Bari Imam complex. Initiated in 2008 by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the Rs600 million project for remodelling the shrine is yet to be completed. Ahmed said that the annual urs would also help generate revenue for the shrine’s reconstruction as the Auqaaf Department was running out of funds.

“Even phase I has not been completed,” said Hussain, referring to the project. According to him, CDA had stated that the shrine would be renovated by 2010, but progress is so slow that it’s bothersome for not just the administration but also for visitors.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.

The depth of the tremor was said to be 50 kilometers and its magnitude was 6.2 on Richter scale in Peshawar. However, no injuries were reported but local sources in the Mohmand Agency said two residents from Durba Khel had been injured due to the collapse of a roof.

The mountainous region of the Pak-Afghan border was also affected, but due to the non-availability of communication in the region, it was difficult for the administration and security forces to locate areas stricken by the quake.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the Peshawar Met Office Director Mushtaq Shah said “It was a medium earthquake and its epicentre was northwest of Peshawar in the Hindukash range in Afghanistan near Jalalabad.”

He said the earthquake shook the Peshawar district, Mohmand Agency, Bajaur Agency and Khyber Agency as well as Mardan, Charsadda and Kohat.

“The more you are near to the epicentre, the more intense the tremor is,” he explained.

Foreign news agencies reported that 13 people were killed, dozens injured and scores of mud-brick homes were flattened near Jalalabad in Afghanistan, where the quake was measured at a depth of 62 kilometres and a magnitude of 5.6 by the US Geological Survey.

“More than half of Pakistan felt the jolt,” said an National Disaster Management Authority official, who added that if the quake was from both sides, the chances of damage would have been high. Three aftershocks of 5.4 magnitude were recorded in more than 20 cities in Pakistan. The meteorological department of Pakistan has stated that more aftershocks are predicted in upcoming weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2013.

“The army and police must step up their efforts and take necessary measures [to maintain peace during] the election period,” UNDP Country Director Marc-André Franche told The Express Tribune.

The country director spoke about the electoral cycle support programme designed by the organisation to support electoral systems in at least 50 countries. However, in Pakistan, the programme pays attention to the needs of the polling system. In the first phase, it helped train 18,000 security officials – 2,000 policemen each from Sindh and Punjab. Some 14,000 officials were later trained through the aegis of Punjab police.

“We identified key needs with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) before finalising the programme,” Franche said.

For the first time, officials were briefed on election procedures. They were also trained to mitigate election violence. “We cannot let a few individuals derail the democratic process,” he said.

The UNDP country director was optimistic with the way politics has panned out in Pakistan. He termed the May 11 polls a historic moment for Pakistan. “This is a historic chance for Pakistan to show that its institutes are getting stronger,” he added.

Franche said that he was pleased with the courage of women contesting polls. However, the real challenge, he said, is to facilitate female participation. The organisation aims to achieve a voter turnout that surpasses the dismal 44% recorded in the 2008 elections.

For this purpose, 400,000 polling officials, including women, will be trained. They also plan to implement a transparent elections results management system and voter education that reaches out to one million eligible voters.

Furthermore, the polling stations will be segregated. “This will encourage women to come out and cast their vote, especially in sensitive areas,” said Franche.

The country director observed that it would be difficult to predict election results this time as there would be around 20 million new voters.

Keeping in mind the power crisis in the country, the organisation has developed a backup electricity plan.

“These elections will make or break the leadership. These are going to be the best elections in Pakistan,” Franche added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2013. 

Resident Bilal Ahmed was visibly enraged as he explained how he and his mother had been forced to wait due to the barriers near Chak Shahzad for hours.

“I have been standing here for the past five hours. We can take alternative routes but why should we suffer? If Musharraf is not put behind bars, living here will be no less than living in a prison,” he said.

The sight of Musharraf being whisked away from court by his security detail was not dissimilar to a movie scene.

A number of cars were asked to divert from the entrance and families did not hesitate to vacate their vehicles and chant slogans against Musharraf.

Resident Samar Hussain said she had woken up to the news and was worried about being trapped at home for the rest of the day.

“Such drama has never been witnessed in our sleepy little suburb,” she said.

Residents used three to four alternative routes through Shahzad Town and neighbouring areas to commute to and from Chak Shahzad.

Nadya Kamal said the police harassed residents of the area like herself to confirm that they lived there.

An Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officer while speaking to The Express Tribune said the team had been on duty since 8am.

“Officials will be working 12-hour shifts till they receive more orders,” he said.

More than 100 security personnel from the ATS, Islamabad Capital Territory, and the military were on duty throughout the day.

Centre for Civic Education member Zafarullah Khan said Musharraf’s escape from court was a cowardly act.

“He should have faced what was coming his way. He opted to come back to Pakistan which was a challenge for the caretaker government who themselves are walking on a tight rope,” he said. “I’m not sure what illusions he was under; maybe he was convinced by his Facebook fans,” added Khan.

All Pakistan Muslim League spokesperson Muhammad Ajmal, after arriving amidst the chaos, said Musharraf would be appealing to the Supreme Court against his arrest order.

Defence analyst Ayesha Siddiqa said there was confusion as to how the situation would be handled, citing that there were even divisions amongst the army over support for Musharraf.

“The more Musharraf speaks and comes out, the more embarrassing it will be for everyone, including the army,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2013. 

Adjacent to the diplomatic enclave of the federal capital, the congested streets of Muslim Colony lead to small brick houses, where the bulk of Islamabad’s transgender community lives.

Sania Munir, a father of three who hails from Sheikhupura, is one of them. Munir, who has a pronounced limp, cannot dance and thus has no choice but to beg for money. When he visits his family in Sheikhupura every few months, he changes his getup, shedding his women’s clothes for those of a man.  “My children have always seen me as a man. I live a double life,” says Munir.

“All we want is acceptance; that our families should just accept us as one of them,” says Munir. “People refuse to sit with us in public transport. It’s agonizing,” he adds.

Nadeem Kashish is the president of She Male Association for Fundamental Rights (SAFFAR), a newly registered NGO. He says that his journey, from being Nadeem to becoming Kashish, was a typical one. “We all are neglected by our families at young ages; we then meet people like ourselves and become a part of the Guru system and that’s a start of a new life for us, where we are accepted by our kind but looked down upon by the rest of the society,” he says.

At the SAFFAR office, dressed in embellished clothes and bright makeup, 23 year old Anjali tells a similar story. She says she was brutally beaten by her brothers for being different and finally found peace when she moved in with others like herself. “They understand me and I am one of them. I’m better off living this life of poverty than being tortured by my family,” says Anjali.

Human rights activist and Director Gender Studies at Quaid-e-Azam University Farzana Bari said that in the last census conducted in Pakistan, transgendered individuals were not included in any category. “The state needs to do more for these individuals. There should be a combined effort of a number of ministries,” she said.

In 2010, chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry ordered that it be ensured that transgendered Pakistanis enjoy the same rights as other citizens in matters of inheritance, employment and election registration. Under these instructions, the gender options for the CNIC include male, female, Khwaja Sara, and also a fourth option of Khunsa-e-Mushkil.

But according to NADRA statistics, only a total of 687 transgendered individuals are registered, and Kashish says there are more transgendered individuals registered with SAFFAR than with NADRA. A total of 2000 transgendered individuals, 300 from Islamabad alone and 1700 from the rest of the country, are registered with them. Kashish says one of their goals is to push for “The protection and rights of Khwaja Saras Bill” drafted by the Social Welfare Department in 2012. The bill was never introduced or endorsed by any political party.

Some of their demands include education and vocational training, campaigns by the government to create awareness amongst the masses, and for political parties to make them a part of the electoral process as party members. “We don’t cast votes and none of us will because there is no politician out there who stepped up to work for our rights as equal citizens,” says a disgruntled Kashish.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2013.