DESTINATIONS - Issue 15 - Pakistan's Premier Travel and Lifestyle Magazine

ISSUE #15

Ehsan Sehbai’s Moment Shaheen Air’s CEO opens up as the airline celebrates its 25th anniversary

Club

Havana A Step-by-Step Guide

To Deep Sea Diving

#ThinkFest

Takes Over Lahore

contents.

ISSUE #15

Ehsan Sehbai:

SKY

limit is the

On the cover

p.28

MAN ON THE SCENE 28 Ehsan Sehbai: Sky is the Limit 38 Story of the Millennium Falcon

#THINKFEST 44 Afkar-e-Taza #Think Fest 46 Dare to Think 54 Thinkers’ Corner 62 Surely, a BYOB Event

p. 62 p. 46

Dare think to

Surely, a

BYOB event

p. 68

CLUB HAVANA

p. 126

Nabila’s

An Everlasting Itch for things

zero MAKEUP

Remote

Takes On Dubai

NEAR & AFAR 20 22

Dream Destinations Destinations Desires

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 68 78

An Everlasting Itch for Things Remote Into the Deep

STYLE RULES 86

Keeping It Classic

TRAVELISTA p. 100

94

How to Travel Like a Fashionista Sehyr Anis

WANDERER 100

Club Havana

A WORLD OF GOOD 24

Agents of Change

110

Alif Laila: A Magical Universe

LET’S DISH 118

Sakura Serves Up A Feast

THE FASHION FIX 126

Nabila’s Zero Makeup Takes On Dubai

Alif Laila:

p. 110

a magical universe

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASMA CHISHTY MANAGING EDITOR : MARIAM MUSHTAQ EXECUTIVE EDITOR : ZAHRA HIDAYATULLAH DESIGN & LAYOUT : ZOHAIB AKHTAR OBAID-UL-MOHSIN SEEMAB UL HASSAN MEDIA SALES : NAEEM ULLAH MARKETING CONSULTANT: HUMZA ZAFAR CIRCULATION INCHARGE : SHAAN ALI PUBLISHED BY : Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service Ltd. 231, Ferozepur Road, Kalma Chowk, Lahore, Pakistan +92.42.111.007.006 , +92.42.3583.5132 GM MARKETING & SALES (DAEWOO) : SHERIAR HASSAN CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (DAEWOO) : USMAN HAYAT LEGAL ADVISOR : BASIT WAHEED WATTOO CONTACT (SALES) : +92 334 423 4681 (NAEEM ULLAH) naeem.ullah@daewoo.com.pk +92 333 488 8203 (KHAWAJA AMMAR) khawaja.ammar@daewoo.com.pk DISTRIBUTORS: NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY PRINTERS : TOPICAL PRINTERS

destinationspk

destinations.com.pk www.destinations.com.pk

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contributors Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi Dare to Think p.46 Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi is a writer, an environmentalist, an avid reader and an archivist. Her work has been published in all of the major English newspapers and magazines in Pakistan, and as a child, she even won Rs. 200 from an Urdu children’s magazine in a short story contest, which she considers one of the major victories of her life.

She is based in Lahore and travels all over the globe, but nothing surprises her or enthralls her as much as Pakistan. She chronicles her daily adventures on Instagram: @nuzhatssiddiqi

Mette Hartmeyer

Yusra Askari

Madeeha Syed

Alif Laila: A Magical Universe p.110

Thinkers’ Corner p.54

p.78

Mette Hartmeyer Piracha’s educational background is in the field of governance and development, and she is now studying psychotherapy. She has lived in Pakistan for 4 years, where she still is exploring her real call. She is an occasional writer and an independent development consultant.

Mette loves to explore, meet people and bring life to their stories. She often visits Alif Laila, where she helps out, when needed.

With a degree in textile design from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Yusra Askari is a print and electronic media journalist, based in Karachi. Having begun her professional career teaching Art History at her alma mater, Yusra is now NDTV’s Pakistan correspondent, doing her bit for better cross border ties, one story at time.

Madeeha Syed is a journalist, an awardwinning documentary filmmaker and radio correspondent constantly looking for excuses to travel. She hates heights but loves mountains; is a long-distance cyclist and certified one-star CMAS diver. And by the end of most trips, a broke backpacker.

Surely, a BYOB Event Mohsin Sayeed p. 62

Into the deep

editors note from the

At Destinations, we believe that it is the responsibility of us Pakistanis to take the reins of our heritage, culture and history. It is our duty to protect it, to conserve what our ancestors have given us – a land rich in tradition, craftsmanship, architecture, prose and poetry. Destinations aims to be actively involved in the protection and promotion of our heritage, and our partnership with the Walled City of Lahore Authority, spearheaded by the visionary Kamran Lashari, is the culmination of that ideology.

Destinations aims to support education and nurture young minds who will be the guardians of our tomorrow. Afkare-Taza, The ThinkFest, a first of its kind academic festival in Lahore, gave us the opportunity to further these two important objectives – supporting heritage and promoting discourse and the exchange of dialogue. We need to have more events like these in the country that will educate the youth of our nation. To reconnect with the current and the old. To understand where the world is heading and where it all began.

To kick-off #ThinkFest, Destinations established another first in the historic city of Lahore – inaugurating the newly restored forecourt of Masjid Wazir Khan with a qawwali night. This was the first time the venue was used for an

ASMA CHISHTY

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

evening like this after the restoration. Distinguished speakers, foreign dignitaries, local panelists participating in the Afkar-e-Taza along with select members of the fashion and entertainment industries attended the evening, which featured qawwali by world-renowned qawwals from Faisalabad, Rizwan and Moazzam Ali Khan, nephews of the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

This month’s cover story is about the young dynamic CEO of Shaheen Air, Ehsan Sehbai. As one of the youngest CEOs of an airline, Sehbai has proved to be a game-changer in the aviation industry, turning the once-fledging company into the country’s largest private sector airline. A business force to reckon with, at the heart of it all, he’s a firm believer in Pakistan, the spectrum of opportunities and other-worldly charms that it offers.

Adventurer and environmentalist Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi takes an excursion to Pakistan’s coastline along the Arabian Sea and she narrates a tale about a world of marine flora and fauna, fish and mammals just waiting to be discovered. For those who are brave of spirit and want to experience the biodiversity for themselves, we have also included a step-by-step to deep sea diving by journalist Madeeha Syed. If you manage to take the plunge, don’t forget to write to us!

ZAHRA HIDAYATULLAH EXECUTIVE EDITOR

MARIAM MUSHTAQ MANAGING EDITOR

NEAR & AFAR

Whether you’re craving a domestic getaway or eyeing a more exotic trip abroad, we pick out the best places to help you plan your travels.

Panj Peer Rocks

How to get there: It takes around 2 hours from Islamabad to reach Kahuta by road. After that, a slightly tough hike of 3 to 4 hours is needed to reach the top ridge of the mountain range.

Where to stay: Camping is the best and most adventurous option but one can also book a room in a rest house in the mountains, which is under the administration of the Divisional Forest Office (DFO), Rawalpindi.

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What to do: The beauty and serenity of the 12km path from Narar village to the top of the rock formations is unforgettable, because the route passes through magical waterfalls, dense forests, beautiful streams, magnificent peaks and so much more. You can view the sunset and sunrise while sitting on the rocky plateau of the ridge. A visit to the Punj Peer shrine is a must, where footsteps of the saints are engraved on the stones.

By Fahim Rao The mystical Panj Peer (Five Saints) rocks are the highest point of Danoi Ridge located in Kotli Sattian, Kahuta. Situated at an altitude of 5905 feet, they get their name from the local legend of five saints who are believed to have settled in the area. The rocks are home to a beautiful shrine with breathtaking views of Makra and the various mountains of Kaghan in the north and Kashmir in the east.

Tasmania, Australia

Escape the cold and head off to Australia this month where it’s bright and sunny.

Down Under, bypass the more obvious destinations and visit the remote island of Tasmania where rugged beaches, rolling farmland, and pristine rainforests make up a beautifully diverse landscape.

How to get there:

What to do:

Wildlife parks across Tasmania offer opportunities to see the state’s emblematic Tasmanian devil. The world famous Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park offers 100km of impressive walks, ranging from leisurely strolls to overnight bush walks. Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart, provides a diverse range of city activities and experiences. Wander among the city’s beautiful sandstone colonial architecture, drive to the summit of Mount Wellington for the best of atic dram a by d Hobart’s views, and dine on Surrounde cape, lands al natur Tasmania’s famously fresh a is Point house Pump produce in any number of s lodge luxury of tion collec outstanding restaurants. Don’t rt.

Hoba from hours 2 about miss the subterranean Museum house shore a ring Featu of Old and New Art, or MONA, 1940 rted conve a and a multi-tiered labyrinth cut into n statio pump ic sandstone cliffs. hydroelectr St. Lake on out m 250 Clair, this serene hotel is set in the World Heritage wilderness of Tasmania.

Tasmania’s two major cities, Hobart and Launceston, have direct flights from the cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Locals and tourists also use the car ferry, Spirit of Tasmania, which crosses between mainland Australia (from Melbourne) to the Tasmanian city of Devonport daily.

Where to stay:

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NEAR & AFAR Our guide to what we’re currently loving.

1 Chanel Mademoiselle Privé Exhibition Fans of the world’s most influential luxury brand Chanel should not miss the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition currently underway in Hong Kong at PMQ. The four-week exhibition highlights the house’s legacy of haute couture, Chanel N°5 fragrance and fine jewellery, including the re-editions of the Bijoux de Diamants collection designed in 1932.

Offering a glamorous experience, the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition explores Coco Chanel’s emblematic creations as well as Karl Lagerfeld’s take on Chanel’s codes, symbols and icons projected into the future.

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Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards are set to return for their 17th edition this year, promising an evening full of glamour, style and star power as they celebrate excellence in the fields of fashion, film and television. To be held on the 21st of February, it is the LSAs first year in Lahore, the cultural capital of the country, and we look forward to a spectacular night of celebrations.

3 Mohammad Ali Talpur: Sight Specific The works of well-known contemporary Pakistani artist Mohammad Ali Talpur are being showcased at London’s Austin/Desmond Fine Art gallery. The solo exhibition, in collaboration with Canvas Gallery, Karachi shows a selection of recent paintings which demonstrate Talpur’s continued interest in the line.

Having attended the National College of Arts in Lahore, Talpur reacted against what he saw as pressure from academia on students to “produce charged works.”

Instead he aims to paint without loaded references, content or emotion, using only the line. The exhibition runs till February 28th.

4 Festival of Life Join the friends of Shaukat Khanum for a day of fun and festivities at the annual “Festival of Life” on the 18th of February, at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore. Spot your favourite stars at the celebrity walk, indulge in some retail therapy at the fashion lounge while the kids enjoy a variety of activities, and round it all off with some delicious snacks from the extensive food court. Make a day of it with the entire family and rest assured that your effort will pay off, as all funds from the event will be utilized for the treatment of cancer patients.

For more information contact 0800 11 555 or fundraising@skm.org.pk

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Karachi Literature Festival Karachi-ites are in for their annual dose of literature, culture and creativity as KLF is set to take place from 9-11 February at the Beach Luxury Hotel.

With a diverse programme featuring book launches, sessions on topics ranging from politics, international relations, art and education, dramatic performances and musical nights, KLF promises to give the city a weekend to remember.

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A WORLD OF GOOD

change of

Meet the dreamers, doers and innovators who not only challenge the status quo but play a key role in remodelling and transforming the lifestyle, social condition and economic standing of communities, countries and sometimes even the world at large. These inspirational beings are identified by the projects they take on and the positive changes they help bring about.

Zainab’s murder in Kasur left the nation shell shocked; it was not the first and it will unfortunately not be the last. Her death made Pakistan wake up and talk about the issue of abuse, which till now was not a part of the national conversation. We are very proud of every Pakistani who has come out and supported the issue, raising their voices against the injustice. We at DESTINATIONS also salute those who have opened their hearts and shared their stories, revealing their pain to the world in the hopes that this will bring a positive change in our society.

We hope this is the beginning to a brighter future for our children, a future secure from the monsters that have corroded our societies.

Join

“Kasur Hamara Hai!” on Facebook to continue the conversation

Join it to say ALL CHILDREN MATTER! They matter more if they have no one to protect them, no one to run to, to save them.

No one, but you.

Yes, you.

This group is just for you.

Put an end to useless outrage by making your actions count.

Here’s how to start: Post any article, or any fact on child abuse in Pakistan you have read, seen or experienced.

Educate yourself on what child abuse actually is.

If you see something, do something! Take photos of things that just do not look right. Upload them here, on your timeline, on a public page. Do it shamelessly, without guilt.

Start a real conversation that includes children of all classes, genders and orientations.

Share your views.

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NADIA JAMIL I was 4 the first time I was abused sexually.

I was in college when it blew out of proportion.

People tell me not to talk to respect my family’s honour. Is my family’s honour packed in my body?

I am a proud, strong, loving survivor. No shame on me or my kids. Only pride for being me.

FRIEHA ALTAF I was sexually abused by our cook at age 6. My parents took action but everyone remained silent as if it was my shame. At 34 I realized how it had impacted my life. The only shame is keeping SILENT.

MAHEEN KHAN The maulvi who came to teach me the Quran abused me sexually. I froze in fear day after day.

Share in support of children subjected to the sick acts by the so-called custodians of our religion.

ZAID ALI The sad reality is that Zainab could be anyone.

It could be your sister, your wife, your daughter, or even your mother. It’s time we stand as a nation and set an example. It’s now or never.

SENATOR SHERRY REHMAN Say no to sexual abuse. My small shot at joining voice with the much-needed outcry against CSA after Zainab’s rape and murder in Kasur. Too little too late but we must battle on. No room for silence or shame.

MAHIRA KHAN We need to start talking about sexual abuse openly. We need to include that in our school curriculums. Awareness is key. Associating abuse and rape with shame is why countless go unheard of. Stop with the shame.

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MAN ON THE SCENE

Ehsan Sehbai:

SKY

limit is the

By Zahra Hidayatullah

The CEO of Shaheen Air, Ehsan Sehbai, is a game changer in the aviation industry, a business force to reckon with and a tech-geek who can programme the brains out of a Silicon Valley savant, but at the heart of it all, he is a son of the soil who firmly believes in his country and the spectrum of opportunities and other-worldly charm that it offers.

Photography: Tapu Javeri Styling: Ehtesham Ansari Wardrobe: Ehsan Sehbai’s Own

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MAN ON THE SCENE

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I

t’s mid afternoon on a Friday at the Shaheen headquarters in Karachi when I meet Ehsan Sehbai – the man responsible for Shaheen Air’s dramatic turnaround from a loss-making enterprise into the country’s largest private sector airline.

One of the youngest CEOs in the history of international aviation, he is now in his mid-thirties, still young by industry standards. Today, he is dressed casually in a white shirt with sleeves rolled back, a pair of chinos and hair neatly pulled back in a manbun, the now ubiquitous successful entrepreneur’s uniform. As I sit across him, he leans back in his swivel chair with his eyes looking straight ahead. A tall wall-unit behind him carries an array of books.

As I glance through the titles, I note an interesting

mix of subjects ranging from English Literature to Philosophy, Quantum Physics and Islamic History.

Interrupting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, I comment on his collection of books. “I grew up reading a lot. I was a curious child who wanted to know everything about everything and books seemed the only way to make sense of the world around me.” He clasps his inked hands together.

These books help explain the world Sehbai inhabits – there’s wisdom, engineering, and religion. They also reflect his persevering pursuit for perfection. “I am deeply inspired by the Samurai who used to work every day on their technique. Their whole theory was to get better each day in order to make themselves as close to perfect as possible. They were men who lived by the Bushido Code: Righteousness, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Sincerity, Honesty, and Loyalty.”

How To Be A Modern Day Samurai Be Great: From the moment you wake up, devote yourself to the perfection of whatever it is that you pursue.

Be Mindful: Every moment of every day, really be in and aware of that moment. Enjoy it, appreciate it, and be grateful for it.

Be Disciplined: Become committed and devout to training and improving your skills, talents, abilities, and passions.

Be Scholarly: Commit to continuously learn, educate yourself, and become a more knowledgeable person.

Be Growing: Completely devote yourself to a lifestyle of continuous and never-ending self improvement.

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MAN ON THE SCENE

Turning the business around: Sehbai professes to have modelled not only his life but also the business legacy he inherited from his father on this philosophy, as the prodigy continues his meteoric rise in an industry flanked with ridiculously high barriers to entry – aviation.

What he has done in the last five years is something very few companies in this country can claim: turn the fate of the once-fledgling enterprise around with more than a 300% increase in revenue and publicly go on record with it. “We have painstakingly managed to expand this airline to a point where it will keep growing,” beams a confident Sehbai.

“And while it is important to plan for the future, it is equally right to look back at just how far we have come in growing the aviation market in Pakistan over the past 25 years. Give me another ten years, and I will own the skies of Pakistan.”

With no prior experience in his field of work, it is hard to imagine an industry outsider achieving this unprecedented level of success. “I think the advantage my brother, Kashif (who is the Chairman of Shaheen Air) and I bring to not only aviation but to Pakistan is that we are different.” Having lived most of their lives in Canada, it was only five years ago that the brothers moved back and took control of Shaheen Air after their father, Khalid Sehbai’s sudden demise. “We don’t think in the conventional way. Being of local origin, we understand the people, the culture, the systems but we also bring a dynamism that is different, unique and new.”

“Contrary to what people believe, we were not born with a silver spoon, we don’t come from a connected, high-society family – we are agriculturists from Sahiwal and when we moved to Canada, we were broke, we were on welfare, we didn’t have anything 32

in our pockets that could have paid our rent. And as a family, collectively, we have had to build it up to where we are today. I would say, it’s been a long journey and definitely not an easy one.”

A true patriot: What many don’t know about him is that for the first eight or so years, Sehbai lived with his family in Sahiwal and went to school there, which is why he feels so strongly about Pakistan. “At the end of the day, I am not here because I like flying. I am here so I can play a role in building this country up. No matter what the news channels tell you, it also offers great business opportunities for foreign investors to come in. This is not the scary black mark on the map that you are led to believe! And did I mention, our people are the most hospitable and intelligent people in the world.”

Building one of the greatest airline companies in Pakistan is Sehbai’s key goal. And he knows exactly how he wants to go about doing just that. Despite initial adversity within the trade and extreme challenges from within the setup, the brothers stuck to their professional ethics. “I will confidently say that there is no corruption in Shaheen Air. We refuse to pay bribes and stick to doing good, clean business. We are not asking for favouritism. We are not asking for anyone to bend any rules for us. All we ask for is to just let us do our work.”

“I think if you were to look around Shaheen Air, it is like no other place in Pakistan to work. Our performance markers depend on employee satisfaction and maintaining horizontal and vertical integration of departments and communication between different levels. We are inspired to emulate the Googleplex culture.”

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MAN ON THE SCENE Building a new work culture: Shaheen Air is breaking new ground as far as corporate culture and company ethos is concerned.

Being avid athletes themselves, the Sehbais regularly organize in-house sporting events and various tournaments. “All the teams in our football league are captained by women. By doing so, we are trying to set a precedent that women are equal in all respects. We have a zero tolerance policy against discrimination based on gender, sex, ethnicity, race, colour, or creed. So it is mandatory for the females to lead and the men must learn to take orders from their team leaders,” he elaborates.

Over the course of the interview, I realize he is someone far different from what his myth suggests.

Yes, he is young but also mature beyond his years.

Through these sporting events, he has managed to nurture a sense of camaraderie amongst the “Shaheen family” as the employees are known.

“Departments that never communicated with each other are now smacking hands and walking together through the building. It creates an environment of a family atmosphere. This synergy we have created wasn’t there before,” Sehbai explains it to me.

In order to celebrate their quarter century milestone and the spectacular journey of their airline, there’s talk of a company-sponsored trip to Singapore with a hundred employees for an ice-hockey tournament. The North American sport is deeply woven in the fabric of Canadian culture and society, and the Sehbais are big fans of their home-team, Edmonton Oilers.

It is easy to confuse who successful people are with what they do. We try to bracket them in black and white. Having keen business acumen does not make Sehbai into some robot whose emotional affect has been replaced by numerical matter. “What people don’t know is that my brother and I have not taken a salary from Shaheen for almost a year simply because we wanted to give our employees increments, which we recently announced. We believe in giving more to our people and for this we would rather have a smaller piece of the big pie than a big piece of a small one.”

Before we begin to talk about his work in detail, I mention the stray dogs - some lounging around while others I saw being fed, in various parts of the Shaheen compound. Sehbai loosens up. I can see the topic is one that is close to his heart as I later also learn he is a generous donor to animal shelters.

“Having grown up in the countryside, my family and I have always had animals around us. We have been animal-lovers our whole lives.” What is heartwarming is to learn that over the years the Shaheen staff has learnt not only to co-exist with the dogs but also to care for them.

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Setting new standards in aviation: The conversation gradually veers towards aviation specifics like aircraft carriers, jet plane safety, pilot training and secure flying practices. Having the good fortune of being the only private airline in Pakistan with no plane crash incidents, Shaheen is in a privileged position to explain how they manage to keep the flying experience a safe one. “What people must understand is that this is not some road vehicle, it’s an aircraft. And every single time an aircraft lands or takes off, it is inspected. And if an aircraft is considered not worthy to fly, it would not go in the air. We would rather lose a million dollars than put an unsafe aircraft in the air.”

Further discussion on aviation safety practices and procedures reflects that his portfolio as an airline CEO is pre-packaged with stress. I mention Oscar Munoz, the CEO of United Airlines who had a close brush with death as he suffered a massive heartattack a month into his job as the top guy at one of America’s largest airlines. “Stress depends on how you perceive things and how you learn to cope with the issue at hand,” he advises. “The philosophy of the Samurai is to be mindful and to appreciate every single moment that life brings my way. “

“Departments that never communicated with each other are now smacking hands and walking together through the building. It creates an environment of a family atmosphere. This synergy we have created wasn’t there before.”

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MAN ON THE SCENE A man of many passions: And then his eyes light up. “You know what I love doing most? I love riding my Harley Davidson. It’s the best antidote to stress. There’s something about the roar of the engine that relaxes me.” It may also explain the car he owns – a mean 1967 Ford Mustang.

As already mentioned, Sehbai is a sportsman and having grown up in Canada, is a professional grade ice hockey player. Not only that, he is also a mixed martial arts (MMA) pro and an avid boxer.

Arguably one of the most successful and important entrepreneurs on Pakistan’s young corporate landscape right now, Sehbai is also a naturally gifted technologist. Amongst friends and at work, his love for computer programming, coding and working with algorithms is no secret. “When we came to Shaheen Air, everything was done on paper. There were no computer systems in this company but today we can proudly say, we have one of the best data centres in Karachi. It is well over a couple of million dollar facility.”

As the meeting draws near its end, the man who answers most questions in catch-phrases with his razor sharp sense of wit that has kept the exchange engaging and entertaining unpredictably falls completely silent for longer than a moment when asked the most generic of questions, where is home? “Home is a complicated concept for an interracial person like me who was always too brown for the white people, and too white for the brown people. So you almost get into a land of isolation; you become an island unto yourself.”

There’s truth to what Sehbai is saying – a prodigy, a visionary, a titan in his field of work, he is also a doting father and a caring husband. The absence of a permanent sense of belonging in a geographical setting has morphed him into a strong family man.

A high tide of warm affection is visible under the calm surface as he talks about his wife and children.

“I would say, home for me is wherever my wife and kids are, whether I am with them in Canada, Karachi or Dubai.”

Sehbai’s sense of patriotism and optimism is refreshing. He leans forward and clasps his hands on the surface of the desk. He states in a tone that is matter-of-factly more than anything else. “It is difficult for anybody to come here and not fall in love. A country steeped in history, rich in culture and diverse in landscapes, there’s so much to do and see here. We have been gifted with majestic mountains in the north, fascinating heritage in the central plains and sandy beaches at the southern tip. Why would anyone need to go anywhere else but here?”

It is home for him.

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MAN ON THE SCENE

Story Millennium

of the

Falcon

By Javed Mirza

With over 50% of the world’s airlines incurring loss, aviation is not considered a lucrative business. Good business practices, however, can reverse the trend and set a precedent for other airline companies, writes economic journalist Javed Mirza. Shaheen Airways is a shining example.

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MAN ON THE SCENE

S

ehbai Group’s Shaheen Air has become an inspiring success story, committed to its philosophy ‘Shine with Shaheen.’ Today with twenty-two aircrafts, thirteen international destinations in seven countries and a worldwide employee base of over six thousand people, the Sehbai enterprise is the country’s largest private sector airline.

Commencing operations in December 1993, Shaheen Air became Pakistan’s first private airline.

The back story is an interesting one. Previously owned by Pakistan Air Force, it was running huge losses and almost came close to suspension when in 2004, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) grounded the airline. The same year, Khalid Mahmood Sehbai, a former PAF fighter pilot, acquired majority stakes in the business.

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Khalid Sehbai, himself an aviation man with his family’s entrepreneurial vision, was the driving factor behind the company’s transformation from a small airline operating with Russian aircrafts to one that now owns a fleet of Airbus A-319, A-320 and A-330 carriers. It has become the fastest growing flying service in the country, cornering the crisis-hit national airline, Pakistan International Airline (PIA).

Utilizing internally generated cash, Shaheen replaced and inducted newer fuel-efficient aircraft, expanding its fleet to 18 planes between February 2012 and September 2013. It capitalized on the growth opportunity at the right time. As to this day, PIA continues to be encumbered by deep financial troubles, lack of a robust management, corruption and pressures from the labour union, and it is losing its foothold on routes where private aircrafts are operating.

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MAN ON THE SCENE

Following Khalid Sehbai’s death in July 2013, his sons, Kashif Sehabi and Ehsan Sehbai, left their commercial real estate business in Canada and took the reins of their father’s legacy. Today, the management team is spearheaded by Ehsan Sehbai who became the CEO in 2013. Subsequently, there have been a number of changes in management personnel which have improved the profile of the senior management team.

‘Shine with Shaheen’ is not just a catchy slogan for advertising purposes; it is in fact a philosophy by which Shaheen has become the most profitable carrier in the country. It offers a high quality of service that hinges on a multitude of factors including personalized attention, hot meals on every flight and a comfortable and safe environment for the passenger. Shaheen Air International is not only an excellent choice for its passengers, but also for its employees, given that its work environment and corporate culture is unmatched in Pakistan.

It is the second largest domestic airline in the country with a market share of 40 percent. In terms of domestic passengers, the market share has grown significantly over the last five years.

Shaheen’s marketing strategy as a budget airline and the increase in point-to-point flights gives it wider access to a customer base locally and internationally. The airline is now looking to expand its customer base and target a broader audience, while also looking to diversify its investments. The coming months hold the promise of something exciting from Shaheen Air as it looks to expand its enterprise and continue its tradition of excellence in a new field.

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#THINKFEST

#THINKFEST

Dr. Yaqoob Bangash, the force behind Afkar-e-Taza, The ThinkFest, explains what makes the festival a one-of-its kind event: a creative, safe, interactive and inclusive platform where Pakistanis can come together to discuss, contemplate and deliberate, a platform that goes beyond any language barrier to create a truly broad spectrum of people, ideas and languages.

A

fkar-e-Taza, The ThinkFest is a new concept in the evolving literary festival milieu in South Asia.

It complements, rather than competes with, other literary festivals by focusing on academics and their work, and leaving literature, art and music to others who do it well. The ThinkFest aims to fill the gnawing gap between academia and the public which has led to a stifling of intellectual activity and rigour in Pakistan. It centres discourse on robust academic research, rather than armchair discussions and off the cuff remarks, and provides depth to the topics which concern our life. This initiative is a collective effort of universities and other thinkers, without being ‘owned’ by someone, so that it can become truly a collaborative and inclusive platform.

The 2018 edition of Afkar-e-Taza, from January 13-14, 2018, was attended by thousands of people showing that Lahore, and indeed Pakistan, still has the appetite for hearing and engaging with worldclass academics in an open and vigorous discussion.

Scholars from nearly a dozen countries, thirty-five universities and institutions, and over two dozen Pakistani universities came together to participate in this two-day festival, which featured as keynotes Mrs. Tawakkol Karman, who received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her role in the Arab Spring in Yemen, and the Rt. Hon. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the former Chairman of the Conservative Party in the UK, who resigned in protest from her ministerial position in the cabinet against the UK Government’s stance in the Arab-Israeli conflict in 2014. Anchored in the compelling and inspiring stories of these two strong women, the ThinkFest featured scholars like Professor Benjamin Hopkins from George Washington University USA, who is an expert on Afghanistan, Dr. Layliuddin from the British Library who has done seminal work on the firebrand Pakistani politician from the 1960s, Maulana Bhashani, Professor Tariq Modood from Bristol who is an expert on multiculturalism, Dr. Azeem Ibrahim who has done pioneering work on the Rohingyas of Burma, and Dr. Francois Burgat who is the director of the French Centre for Middle Eastern Studies.

All these foreign scholars were paired with leading academics and thinkers from Pakistan, for an indepth and captivating discussion.

In addition to the discussions, the ThinkFest also introduced two new ideas to the literary festival world. The ThinkFest, quite deliberately, did not create a “Speakers Lounge” where speakers get away from the public gaze, nor did it create a separate tier of “special guests” who had exclusive

access to these lounges. At the risk of being called “awami”, the ThinkFest convinced the speakers to sit outside, mingle with the crowds, and even eat (free of course!), from the various food stalls at the venue. In the end, not only did the public, but the speakers themselves, appreciated this mingling and free access, as it took the discussions and deliberations beyond the halls and into the personal.

The ThinkFest also created a “Speakers’ Corner” modelled after the famed spot in London’s Hyde Park. This area provided attendees a space for impromptu talks and discussions. It gave people a safe and interactive space to come and exchange thoughts, bounce ideas, and simply an avenue to talk to each other. Several interesting talks took place in this space during the two days with some attracting large audiences.

Furthermore, the ThinkFest showcased the truly international character of Pakistan. Rather than being mired in the debate on how many panels are in English, Urdu or Punjabi, the Fest encouraged speakers to talk in any language they felt comfortable in—there was no bar of language anywhere. Hence, a launch of an English book on the partition of the Punjab could occur mainly in Punjabi, a panel on student politics was bilingual English and Urdu, and even the panel on policing and counter terrorism featured all three languages.

The ThinkFest therefore went beyond the language battles and created a truly broad spectrum of people, ideas and languages.

The big existential battle in Pakistan is of the “narrative.” The ThinkFest wants to create a narrative with is based on our freedoms – freedom of thought, speech and conscience, as without them no society can thrive. In an environment where the youth in Pakistan are being attracted towards extremism (itself a topic of discussion at the Fest), this event provides them with a creative, safe and interactive avenue where they can come to discuss, contemplate and deliberate.

The success of Afkar-e-Taza, The ThinkFest 2018 has shown that ideas and thinking matter and that people do want to engage, learn and develop. So please join us in this new and exciting journey as we move forward. Come, Think, Question!

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Dare think to

By Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi

Afkar-e-Taza, the ThinkFest gave a chance to people from all walks of life to meet – and question – their heroes freely and boldly.

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T

wo marvellous things happen in Lahore in winter to distract us from the lack of gas in our heaters and our cooking stoves. One, everyone scurries to get married or marry off all eligible men and women in sight they have any emotional and familial hold on. Two, our cultural events calendar goes into overdrive. Every weekend there is a festival; literary, music, cultural, for children, and everything else you can imagine.

So, like all optimists who still somehow believe in climbing out of bed to go listen to enriching talks by people smarter than us, we rush to these festivals in the mornings. And as we attend the aforementioned weddings in the evenings, we allow some of that festival-achieved revolutionary drive and intellectual enhancement to dissipate, the uniformly pleasant conversations paling into a polite and unmoving hum at the back of our minds, with only spectacular Instagram photos as reminders.

But then there are festivals like Afkar-e-Taza, or #ThinkFest if we’re being pithy, that go a step further. And how did #ThinkFest accomplish that?

Let me count the ways.

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#ThinkFest had an uninterrupted, uncensored, unvarnished look into the state of Pakistan and the state of the world outside Pakistan. A bold offer to go beyond our mundane social interactions and tread bravely into landscapes dotted with differing and varied points of view.

In its second year, the Centre for Governance and Policy at Information Technology University-organized “academic literary festival� took place on a bright, sunny weekend in Lahore at the historic Alhamra Art Centre. Government of the Punjab, Punjab Higher Education Commission, Destinations Magazine and Daewoo Express supported the festival among other sponsors. With more than 110 Pakistani and international scholars, academics, poets, documentary filmmakers, researchers, artists and authors conducting more than 35 sessions in total, the festival was a veritable intellectual feast for students from universities across the country and enthusiasts. A feast, which also frustrated many attendees simply because it had too much to offer with sessions packed in a tight, back-toback two-day schedule.

Kicking off the #ThinkFest weekend was a qawwali hosted by Asma and Shaheryar Chisty on behalf of Destinations Magazine and Daewoo Express a night before the event to welcome all of the participants.

The evening brought together the visiting speakers, the local participants, students, entrepreneurs, and Lahore’s indomitable fashion and literary best. It was organized in partnership with the Walled City of Lahore Authority and was held inside the newly restored forecourt of the historic Wazir Khan Mosque.

There couldn’t have been a more fitting setting for Rizwan and Moazzam’s powerful renditions of several traditional qawwalis, invoking the spirit of their late, great uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Dr. Umar Saif (ITU) and Dr. Nizammudin (PHEC) inaugurated the first day of the festival. Their welcome notes were followed by a rousing keynote speech delivered by Yemeni human rights activist, politician, journalist and Nobel Peace Laureate Twakkol Karman. In a country where recent political turmoil has brought democracy to the brink of chaos, it was interesting to hear how lack of political will to righting wrongs of a society have similar results all across the globe, and in other countries which have suffered from a rise in political uncertainty. Mrs. Karman reminded the audience that without justice, there can be no equality, and certainly no revolution and change in the fortunes of ordinary people. At the same time she said that all dictators are terrorists because they derive their philosophy from creating divisions and mistrust, and nations should be wary of them in whatever guises they appear.

The first day proceeded with riveting talks across the halls. Francois Burgat (French Institute of Near Eastern Studies) discussed the impacts of colonial past on present-day Middle Eastern politics and turmoil in the region with Nasim Zehra (Channel 24). The partition of British India was dissected by Nisid Hajari (Bloomberg View), Syed Jaffar Ahmed (Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi) and Newal Osman (IBA Karachi). Nabeel Qadeer (PITB), Rabeel Warraich (Sarmayakar), Abdul Rehman Talat (BlueEast) and Sheharyar Ali (Treet Group) discussed entrepreneurial ventures and the startup culture of Pakistan. A session about the US/ China rivalry featuring Khurram Husain (Dawn), Frederic Grare (French Foreign Ministry) and Ishtiaq Ahmed (Sargodha University) ran parallel to a discussion about urban gardens and Lahore’s depleting water resources with Daanish Mustafa (King’s College London) and Rafay Alam (lawyer and environmentalist). Dr. Tariq Modood (Bristol University, UK) gave a taste of his classroom to attendees at his academic talk about equality, multiculturalism and secularism. Another engaging talk, which the students particularly enjoyed, was about visual arts and the five pillars of Islam. A worthy topic, since the recent wave of Islamization on campuses has seen a lot of youngsters questioning their cultural identity in favour of their religious beliefs.

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#THINKFEST While the talks took place back-to-back, and sideby-side, those who were at the event for more visually enticing fare were treated to a number of documentaries made by Pakistani documentary filmmakers. The filmmakers were also available and mingling freely with people who had come out to see their work. In fact, the master stroke of the organizers was to arrange an open-air “speakers’ corner” in the space between the halls were many speakers took a seat either before or after their talks and sessions. This not only allowed them to interact with each other, it also offered open access to hundreds of people attending the festival. Students asked questions, took photos and had their notebooks signed by the speakers.

The no-holds-barred approach to making distinguished guests available to the attendees was the highlight of the two-day festival, since for many the hour-long sessions were just not long enough for deeper, more meaningful interaction. Even the most hardened of cynics (this writer) couldn’t help but smile at this.

Out of all the sessions on Day One, the one that I personally was looking forward to was titled “Standing Up to the Field Marshal: Fatima Jinnah of Pakistan,” featuring Reza Pirbhai (Georgetown University) and renowned journalist and critic Nadeem F. Paracha. Fatima Jinnah is the underappreciated Jinnah, lost somewhere in the dust of time, buried neatly by the long shadow her brother cast. Although labelled “Mother of the Nation,” there is nothing much that we know about her beyond the official, benevolent stance about

her: that she lived, that she supported her brother, that she outlived said brother, did some charity work, and then died quietly. Her fiery political career is seldom talked about, and this is why this session was not just interesting, it was essentially a little act of rebellion in itself since the focus of discussion was a political biography of the Mother of the Nation that Professor Pirbhai has written.

Ironically, but not surprisingly, the book isn’t available in Pakistan just yet, so many in the audience didn’t know what exactly is written in it.

However, the in-depth discussion between Professor Pirbhai and Mr. Paracha made up for it, and poignantly so. Professor Pirbhai shared his thoughts on why, despite being one of the most active champions of democracy, human rights, women’s rights and the rule of law, Ms. Jinnah seldom makes it to any lists featuring great women of the world. Her othering, as he described, is the fault of not just Pakistani establishment but also the people who bought into the posthumous narrative of an acerbic recluse whose only accomplishment was being the younger sister of the Father of the Nation. Prompted

by Mr. Paracha, Professor Pirbhai recounted his meticulous research to build an accurate portrait of a sharp, erudite and intelligent woman who, instead of enjoying retirement, stood up to Field Marshal Ayub Khan for the sake of democracy. At 71, she gave the dictator a hell of a political fight that compelled him to retaliate with sexist remarks and religious fatwas. Paid goons were also sent to her political gatherings to pelt stones at her and her followers, but she was unbowed and unbroken, and spoke of hope and democracy to millions who supported her. Although she lost the elections amidst controversy and allegations of rigging of polls, she left behind a rich political legacy that paved the path for the likes of Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto.

Day One concluded with a talk about Lahore’s heritage, culture and continued evolution as a modern city and the launch of a biography of a colonial traveller, explorer and soldier called “The Tartan Turban: In Search of Alexander Gardner” by historian John Keay in discussion with F.S. Aijazuddin. Before attendees enjoyed a ghazal night featuring the legendary Ustad Ghulam Ali, the last talk I heard was a surprisingly pensive panel discussion about the state of media in Pakistan and where it is headed featuring Fahd Husain (Express News), Suhail Warraich (Jang Group), Owais Tohid (Capital TV), Arif Nizami (Pakistan Today) and Mubashir Zaidi (Dawn TV).

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Day Two started with a keynote speech by British politician and barrister of Pakistani origin, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi. Speaking frankly about her experience of growing up as a minority in the UK in a working class family, Baroness Warsi shared how she rose through the ranks because of hard work and dedication. She admitted that she persevered in the face of bigotry and racism because in the UK, the system still functions on merit that provides a chance for many people like her, from minorities, to realize their dreams. Baroness Warsi then posed a question to the rapt audience members: would she have risen through the ranks similarly in Pakistan with her socio-economic background? The answer, of course, that everyone thought of but didn’t speak out loud, was no. And this neatly drove her point home. She called upon Pakistan to treat its religious, sexual and ethnic minorities and its vulnerable citizens like women and children with justice and equality. She further urged to hold our politicians accountable. Baroness Warsi was the first Muslim woman to serve as the Minister of State for Faith and Communities. She resigned from her position when she disagreed with the Government’s policy on the Israel–Gaza conflict in 2014. In retelling the events that led up to her resignation, Baroness Warsi provided a simple formula for Pakistanis to judge their leaders: do they say what they believe in, and do they do what they say? If not, they are not worthy of our vote.

From this hopeful reminder of the power of our vote, I moved on to the launch of Dr. Pippa Virdee’s book “From the Ashes of 1947: Reimagining Punjab.”

Punjabi poet and radio host Afzal Saahir artfully moderated the session entirely in Punjabi. Dr. Virdee also spoke Punjabi and essentially delighted all in the audience members who weren’t expecting this linguistic turn of events. Division of Punjab, the separation of loving neighbours and innocent residents of the divided province who thought they could return to their homes after the “rolla” ended brought tears to the eyes of many audience members. The state’s curious disenchantment with teaching Punjabi and people’s own reluctance to converse in Punjabi in Pakistan was discussed.

The sly politics of making Indian Punjabi identity synonymous with Sikhism were also touched upon.

The session was conducted in the smallest hall of Alhamra (the Adabi Baithak) but so many students from different universities showed up that there wasn’t enough room to accommodate them all, so they patiently listened at the door.

“Whither the White in the Flag” was a session that also managed to fill all the seats in Hall I. Featuring Farahnaz Ispahani (author “Purifying the Land of the Pure: A History of Pakistan’s Religious Minorities;” Wilson Centre, USA), Jibran Nasir (lawyer, human rights activist), Peter Jacob (Centre for Social Justice) and Arafat Mazhar (Shehri Pakistan), the session was a detailed insight into the state of minorities in Pakistan. The political apathy, religious bigotry and judicial inaction when it came to minorities came under discussion, and where the conversation veered to questioning the state of the government, Ms. Ispahani was quick to remind audience members that she and her husband were subjected to political targeting and trials by the recently deposed Prime Minister, but in the spirit of democracy they still stand by him, and for democracy. The panelists were united in their belief that only strong political will, rule of law and enforcement of Jinnah’s vision for minorities can help us heal the religious fissures in the country.

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Ms. Reddy and Ms. Mohsin discussed the age difference between Mr. Jinnah and Ms. Petit and how the latter’s father did everything in his power to keep the two apart, including filing a case against Mr. Jinnah for having abducted his daughter.

Dr. Yaqoob Bangash, one of the main organizers of #ThinkFest, said in one of his brief speeches during the day that Afkar-e-Taza was meant for open discussions, no matter how uncomfortable, and for students from all sorts of public and private universities to engage. This was seen at a session dedicated to the young socialist revolutionary Bhagat Singh. Daniel Elam (University of Toronto) in conversation with Dr. Ammar Jan (Punjab University) presented his research about the life, time and politics of Bhagat Singh. That he fought passionately against colonialism and the empire, and for the rights of Indians for self-determination was a moving reminder to the youngsters in the audience about the power of ideas and the will to bring about a change in society. Many students from public universities in attendance keenly asked the speaker about how they too could emulate some of Bhagat Singh’s ideals. I was moved by the question because only a very short time ago Lahore’s students had been galvanized to attack protestors who wanted a chowk to be named after Bhagat Singh, since he was hanged there in 1931 for his revolutionary acts against the colonial government.

From revolution I trudged on to Hall III for discussion about the book “Aye Pure De Wah” (The East Wind Comes) by author and lawyer Nain Sukh. This session was very well attended but disintegrated into a shouting match between a few audience members and Nain Sukh when said audience members blamed the author for misrepresenting the sexual orientation of a female poet in one of the stories in his book. The author calmly tried to explain that he had merely written about what he had found in his research, but the argument escalated, the discussion got heated and despite the organizers’ attempt to calm all sides down, a few members of the audience had to be escorted out of the hall by security staff for their refusal to let the discussion proceed. Surprisingly, most of the audience members supported the author in his stance, which was somewhat reassuring. A little revolution in Hall III! 52

From political revolution, to literary revolution, and finally to matrimonial revolution: I ended up in another session featuring a Jinnah – Muhammad Ali, this time around, and his scandalous marriage to Ruttie Petit. Indian journalist Sheela Reddy talked about her book “Mr & Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India” with journalist Jugnu Mohsin in front of an enthralled audience that had never quite delved deep into the private life of the Father of the Nation. Ms. Reddy and Ms. Mohsin discussed the age difference between Mr. Jinnah and Ms. Petit and how the latter’s father did everything in his power to keep the two apart, including filing a case against Mr. Jinnah for having abducted his daughter. To this, however, his daughter proudly responded in court that it was not Mr. Jinnah who had abducted her but rather it was her who had abducted Mr. Jinnah! Ms. Mohsin was curious to know how Jinnah, a “distant and taciturn figure” according to her, had given in to the charms and warmth of someone so young. Ms. Reddy responded that for the very reason that her charm and warmth had him wrapped around her little finger. They were, according to the author and her research, very much in love but perhaps not right for each other because of their different goals in life, which chipped away at their peace until, entirely dejected, they separated and Ruttie tragically died. The fascinating talk delighted the audience members with every little factoid that the author shared; however, she stopped short of commenting on Mr. & Mrs. Jinnah’s intimate life as demanded by a member of the audience!

The last few sessions included a discussion about honour killings and the fate of women in South Asia with Fauzia Viqar (Chairperson Punjab Commission on the Status of Women), and a talk by Nadeemul-Haque (Former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of Pakistan) about his book “Looking Back: How Pakistan Became an Asian Tiger by 2050.”

And so, here’s the thing.

I couldn’t attend all of the sessions, and I wish I could have. Festivals, as previously discussed, have given us much to think about over the years.

But unlike other festivals offering stars, music, bestselling popular authors and actors, #ThinkFest dared to offer something more. “Do you have musicians? Actors? Entertainers?” Someone had asked Dr. Bangash on the first day of the event.

Hearing no, the person had asked him then what did the festival have? Well. #ThinkFest had an uninterrupted, uncensored, unvarnished look into the state of Pakistan and the state of the world outside Pakistan. A bold offer to go beyond our mundane social interactions and tread bravely into landscapes dotted with differing and varied points of view. To think about the Rohingyas, the minorities, the political revolutions we could stir, to imagine our founders and heroes as fallible human beings, to question authority, to ask hard questions, to contest the popular narrative… away from Alhamra, well past a week, a month or even a year since the end of the festival.

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Thinkers’

Corner

By Yusra Askari

Journalist Yusra Askari sits down for a one-on-one with some of the key international delegates who graced the #ThinkFest: Tawakkol Karman, Sheela Reddy and Dr. Azeem Ibrahim – a fiery young journalist who advocated for press freedom and women’s rights against a dictatorial regime and won the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggles; a journalist-turned-author who chronicled the personal life of one of the subcontinent’s most important historical figures; and an academic with a brilliant mind who shed light on the plight of one of the world’s most marginalized communities.

I

t was a lovely winter day with a slight nip in the air. Lahore’s Alhamra Art Centre was abuzz with activity. The energy was palpable as Nobel laureates, politicians, writers and journalists amongst a host of other thinkers and achievers mingled with young students and attendees.

Allama Mohammad Iqbal’s Takhleeq embodied the essence of the 2-day ThinkFest, where it found its name:

Jahan-e-Taza Ki Afkar-e-Taza Se Hai Namood Ke Sang-o-Khisht Se Hote Nahin Jahan Paida (New worlds derive their pomp from thoughts quite fresh and new From stones and bricks a world was neither built nor grew) 55

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Sheela Reddy

Sheela Reddy has written extensively for leading Indian newspapers and journals during her thirty-five years in journalism. She has also served as the books editor for the newsmagazine, Outlook. Her writing has appeared in literary magazines and several anthologies.

“Mr & Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India” is her second book. Her first was a compilation of essays and profiles by Khushwant Singh, “Why I Supported the Emergency.”

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As the crowds whizzed by hastily making their way from one session to another, I sat down to lunch with journalist-turned-author Sheela Reddy. It was over a fiery shawarma that we discussed her second book, “Mr & Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India” – possibly the only personal chronicle of the Quaid’s life and one that has audiences around the globe enthralled.

She narrates as to how it all began: “It started out as a book about the marriage of Ruttie Petit and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, by far one of the most unusual unions of its time. As a writer, I was interested in essaying Jinnah’s personal life. As I researched, I began to realize there weren’t many such accounts. But that didn’t deter me at all. I started digging around to find out more.”

With Mr. and Mrs. Jinnah’s marriage approaching its 100-year anniversary this year, almost no one who knew Ruttie and Jinnah personally was around to tell Sheela their story. Their daughter Dina wasn’t much help either. “She was very resistant to giving an interview,” recalls Sheela. “When I talked to her, I realized that because her mother died when she was only 9 years old, I knew more about her parent’s marriage than she did. She was just a child at the time and she did not have much of a memory of those early years.”

“It was a big challenge to understand the man who is so important to our subcontinent. For Mr. Jinnah, politics was very much a part of who he was. For him, it was not just a profession – it was a passion.

In fact, you can say, in many ways, politics was the “souten” (the other woman) in the marriage. I believe one can’t write about Mr. Jinnah’s personal life without talking about the politics of the time which was integral to the fabric of his marriage.”

For Sheela, it was therefore imperative to acquaint herself with the political discourse of the era, a road she believes led her on many, many different journeys. She elaborates: “So, the narrative became about politics, it became about persons – it also became a metaphor between the political and the personal. Also about how politics shaped the marriage and how the politics of that time destroyed that marriage and how it affected the politics of the future. It was a very educative and enlightening study for me.”

The book was 5 years in the making. The author says while working on the manuscript, she really did not have time to think how her writings would reach the reader. “I was taken by surprise, when I found out that work had as much resonance for readers as it had for me.”

She explains: “It was a personal obsession that lead me discover the material and I am so happy that others were able to respond to it. I’m overjoyed that the book has found resonance in Pakistan, as it has in India, especially among young people. I feel Jinnah has been unfairly remembered on both sides –in Pakistan too valourized and in India too villainized. So, you never get a human picture. He is someone you name roads and universities after but nobody knows the real Mr. Jinnah. I am very glad that people are getting acquainted to the human side of Mr. Jinnah that has become known due to the book. There are some historian friends of mine in Pakistan who believe that I have filled a gap – chronicling his life and times before he came to Pakistan. There is a new generation growing up and they need to know Mr. Jinnah, their founding father.

They need to understand who this man was. It has been my privilege to bring home his life story.”

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Tawakkol

Karman

38-year-old Tawakkol Karman is a Yemeni journalist, human-rights activist and politician. She became the international public face of the 2011 Yemeni uprising that is part of the Arab Spring uprisings.

She is the co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She leads the group “Women Journalists Without Chains,� which she co-founded in 2005.

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A pleasant day had morphed a cool evening. Just past 6:00pm, I found myself in an ostentatious gilded hotel lobby, perched at the edge of a long black sofa, sipping a cup of tea. I was there to meet with none other than the “Mother of the Revolution,” Nobel laureate Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman – also known as the “Iron Woman.”

The co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, Tawakkol was awarded in recognition of her work in non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s right to full participation in peace-building work in Yemen. This rights activist, journalist and politician was the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim woman to be conferred the honour. She was also the youngest Nobel Peace laureate at the time.

“My work is defending human rights, peace-building and helping my country fight corruption, injustice and wars. Its scope, however, is not limited solely to Yemen; I stand with anyone and everyone fighting for freedom, democracy and rule of law,” she asserts.

In 2011, a young 32-year-old mother of three might have seemed like an unlikely candidate to lead the movement to overthrow the then President of Yemen – but that’s exactly who she was. The Guardian describes Tawakkol as “an outspoken journalist and human rights activist” who had “long been a thorn in Ali Abdullah Saleh’s side, agitating for press freedoms and staging weekly sit-ins to demand the release of political prisoners from jail – a place she has been several times herself.”

Inspired by the uprising in Tunisia and the resignation of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Tawakkol found herself at the helm of the popular protest movement, demanding the ouster of President Saleh. “Yemen needed an end to a dictatorship in the guise of a presidency. The revolution was inevitable – we as a people had endured corruption, poverty and unemployment for years and enough was enough,” she explains.

After 13 months of protests, Saleh resigned and formally transferred power to his successor, marking the end of his 33-year rule. The Jasmine Revolution had bloomed and Tawakkol Kamran was the face the movement.

In 2014, circumstances were such that Tawakkol was forced to leave home and shift base to Turkey. She says it like it is: “It was because of the coup led by the ousted President Ali Saleh and the militia of AlHouthi. They occupied the capital Sanaa as well as some of the governorates and started to attack the leadership of the revolution as revenge. Even today, Yemen continues to remain at war, both internally and in the regional context, sandwiched precariously between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates on one side and Iran on the other.”

Neither the internal tussle nor the proxy war being waged in her home country has deterred Tawakkol;

it has only strengthened her resolve. She may have left Yemen physically, but her heart remains there and she is as committed as ever: “All those under the rule of the dictator, under the attack of extremism, those facing racism – regardless of their religion, regardless of their gender or colour, must be united. We know the battle well – the battle is for freedom, of freedom from tyrannies, freedom from the terrorists who depict religion in the false way. Islam is a religion of peace – it is not just for Muslims, it is for all humanity.

Everyone must endeavour towards peace, work towards development. We will not attain peace or development with those who inflict tyranny, propagate extremism and those who encourage racism.”

Tawakkol considers the role of women very important in this fight back. “When the voice of women is absent, the voice of justice is absent.

When women are marginalized, it will lead to the marginalization of society. We need women to be everywhere, we need women to be part of the solution. Women must raise their voice against injustice, corruption, dictatorship, hatred and racism. A strong woman is undoubtedly the voice of her nation. Even if we encounter obstacles; when we raise our voice, our voice is heard, not just by our local communities but by the international communities. This has always been the case.

Strong women mean strong societies.”

She continues, “I am so, so proud of Malala and the work she does. I am so proud of Ahed Al Tamimi – she is my hero. She is fighting injustice and the Israeli occupation forces in a peaceful way. I believe in a peaceful fight. That doesn’t mean I am against the right of people to defend themselves. I am committed to non-violence and that is exactly what Ahed is doing. Her issue is also our issue – it is the issue of all those struggling for sovereignty and against occupation. It is a shame for humanity that we are in the 21st century and there is still a country occupied by another.”

Unlike Malala and Ahed, for Tawakkol there has been no one defining moment that powers her passion for being the change she wishes to see.

“My family is highly educated and politically inclined. From a very young age, I had been aware of what was happening in my country, which in turn made me develop sensitivity to and ownership of the plight of my people. I knew I had to do something – the responsibility to play my part has been with me since I was a child. I was constantly asking myself, what can I do to help? My dream is to build Yemen, to make it strong with peace and rule of law - fulfilling all the human rights and values with prosperity.”

What’s in a name you ask? I say everything. Like the meaning of her name, Tawakkol is trusting in God’s plan. Here’s hoping she will be successful in her mission.

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Dr. Azeem Ibrahim

Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is a Research Professor for the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. He has completed his PhD from the University of Cambridge and served as an International Security Fellow at the University of Oxford. He also sits on the board of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence at the Department of War Studies at the Kings College, London University and was ranked as a Top Global Thinker by the European Think Tank in 2010 and a Young Leader of the World Economic Forum.

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The sun was about to set and the sky had darkened to a deep ink blue. Between the conclusion of his session and his departure to a reception, I caught up with Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, author of “Radical Origins: Why We Are Losing The Battle Against Islamic Extremism – And How To Turn The Tide” and “The Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar’s Hidden Genocide.”

A research professor by profession, Dr. Ibrahim writes extensively about the Rohingyas. “Five years ago, I learnt that the Rohingya community is among the most persecuted minorities in the world. When I tried to find out more about them, I discovered that there was a real dearth of information which I found very surprising considering the scale of the issue – one in seven stateless people are of Rohingya origin.”

The figures are shocking as is the international apathy to the plight of the community. “There are no campaigns nor celebrities endorsing the Rohingyas, so I wrote a number of op-eds and I decided to make a trip to the region. I visited Bangladesh and Myanmar where I was smuggled into refugee camps.

I also visited Malaysia and Thailand to investigate some of the trafficking routes. My book, essentially the first and only one on the topic, is a result of my travels and my findings on route. It is my attempt to fill in the gap and correct some of the historical misunderstandings there are with regard to the Rohingyas,” he says.

Dr. Ibrahim stresses that the purpose of the book is not a campaign. “I’m not trying to give a voice to anybody; I can only speak in my own voice. It is simply an academic book that I researched and put together in a bid to correct some of the gross misunderstandings regarding the community and to correct historical record. Just to give you an example, one of the main accusations against the community is that they are illegal immigrants who came from Bangladesh in the 1940s and 1950s and at the time, conjured the term Rohingya to give themselves an identity. So actually, that is one of the things that I tried to verify and the reality is that this is a complete falsity. I dug up documents from the Indian National Archive in New Delhi, some of them dating back to colonial times, to 1824 and 1826, that clearly show when the British did a census of the region, they mentioned the Rohingyas. Hence the idea that they created this term does not stand up to historical scrutiny.”

for radicalization and extremism or Bangladesh will have to absorb them into their own population.

And absorbing one million people into one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in the world is going to pose a completely different challenge,” he elaborates.

Azeem urges Pakistan to look inward and address the concerns of the Rohingya living in the ghettos of Karachi. “It is very easy to point fingers at others when it comes discrimination. The discrimination the Rohingya are facing in the ghettos in Karachi is very similar to the discrimination they are facing in Bangladesh or even Myanmar – the only difference is that the latter is committing mass atrocities against them. But in terms of denying their rights and treating them like third class citizens, in fact treating them as non-citizens, it is exactly the same. We have to be very careful professing any moral superiority when we are in fact part of the same problem.”

Speaking of problems, Dr. Ibrahim has also written vociferously about radicalization and extremism and how the world is treating the symptoms of the problem and not the problem itself. “It is actually very evident in Pakistan. We have an increase in extremist Wahabi Salafist ideology which lays a kind of intellectual groundwork for many terrorist organizations and provides them with legitimization and to go on from that to violence is a very simple step, a very logical step.”

Raising a mirror to the society in which we live, he adds: “When Pakistan was founded minorities made up 23 to 24 percent of the population and today that is down to 3 percent. What happened to all those minorities? There are only two explanations - the Muslims grew existentially in number which is unlikely or those minorities have been driven out. This is the symptom of a bigoted religious ideology and an extreme version of Islam which has hijacked the religion on a global scale and is perpetuating extremist positions of the otherization and alienation of all other religions and minorities. You have to recognize a problem to address it.”

Since the release of Dr. Ibrahim’s book in 2016, the Rohingya crisis has exploded. “It was always my understanding that the Myanmar militia is preparing and gearing up for what they called a final solution to once and for all get the Rohingya out of their country. Sadly, the predictions of my book are coming to life. I don’t believe this crisis is going to go away. It is my understanding and my belief that the Rohingya will more than likely remain in the refugee camps in Bangladesh and Bangladesh will simply have two options – either to keep them in those camps which will then become a breeding ground 61

#THINKFEST

Surely, a

BYOB

event:

Bring Your Own Brains

By Mohsin Sayeed

Fashion designer, critic-at-large and everyone’s favourite flâneur Mohsin Sayeed attended #ThinkFest in Lahore and had a whale of a time! He shares some witty observations.

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A

sma and Shaheryar Chishty of Daewoo Pakistan and Destinations Magazine hosted the opening ceremony of Afkar-eTaza, #ThinkFest in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority.

The mesmerizing night at the forecourt of Masjid Wazir Khan gave way to an intellectually stimulating day at Alhamra Art Centre. The air was filled with anticipation and energy. And why wouldn’t it have been? Just the presence of young students from universities and colleges all over Pakistan injected much-wanted passion and curiosity into the environment. Special credit and kudos for this youthful presence goes to Asma Chishty. She organized Daewoo transport to bring in these students so they could experience the power of an intellectually stimulating event such as the ThinkFest. Yaqoob Bangash and his team deserve high praise not just for the wonderful organization but also a line-up of extremely accomplished and brilliant academics and experts. (Of course, barring a few. But then it takes all sorts to make a ThinkFest so long as they can think!)

While I was enjoying the sights and sounds of the ThinkFest outside the Alhamra halls, I noticed the excitement of the crowds had reached another level, especially amongst the younger set. Turns out they found Nadeem Farooq Paracha, commonly So what was so special about it? known as NFP, in their amidst. I was happier to see his lovely wife Amber Paracha who, in turn, The venue. But before we got to the special venue, was happy to meet Asma. It was a reunion of two the splendour began to unfold at the Delhi Gate friends after about two decades. Bombarded by where the famed Walled City was ready to shower its requests for selfies from students and his fans, NFP charms and vibrancy on the guests of the night. Wildly smilingly obliged them all and chatted with them. colourful open rickshaws – reverberating with Madam He is rarely in public, as he believes his by-line Noor Jehan’s salacious songs like Munda Sheher Lahore should be enough. I saw similar enthusiasm when Da, Sun Ve Billori Akh Waliya – zigzagged us through the Mubashir Zaidi of Dawn’s wildly popular news show hustle bustle and madness of the winding lanes.

Zara Hutt Ke walked in. Selfies galore! Mubashir enlightened and entertained with witty comments The magical night featured qawwali in the recently in conversation with my dear friend Owais Tohid restored courtyard of the historic Masjid Wazir Khan; who affectionately admonished Yusra Askari and the original purpose one assumes it was created for. me for not writing. I feel just to make him, Nazish Rizwan and Muazzam serenaded the guests, in what Brohi and Naushaba Brohi happy, I will have to start was a revival of the beautiful tradition of marking writing again. Just can’t afford to disappoint these auspicious occasions in the city with a mehfil-e-qawwali. three belonging to a minuscular minority who love me unconditionally. Nuzhat Saadia was flitting in Against the backdrop of a glittering Wazir Khan and out of sessions and didn’t give us any company.

Mosque, a smattering of glitterati, literati, art But her friendly husband Khurram, who was taking powerhouses, government high-ups and Lahore’s care of their little daughter, compensated for cultural movers and shakers all came together to Nuzhat ignoring me. witness the historic moment and to support the much-needed #ThinkFest. The whole ambience In the food area, Moni Mohsin with her daughter and experience whisked me back to the days when Laila Ghaffar was seen having tea and aaloo a nippy, dazzling Lahore became a riot of colours paratha in between sessions. She highly and joyous crowds during Basant. If the past were so recommended it while talking about her new book, beautiful, who wouldn’t want to recreate it and return which she is in the process of writing. Naseem to it over and over again?

Zehra had just returned from Kasur and informally shared details of the recent devastating case with It was truly a night to remember, one of its kind, us. Journalists and students suddenly surrounded revivalist in nature, not to be missed. her. Farahnaz Ispahani diligently attended sessions along with Nuscie Jamil, but I managed to take The next morning, I only had one thing ringing in my memorable photos with both dynamic women. My ears: “Jab raat hai aisi matwali tou subh ka alam kya favourite Rafay Alam looked dapper and, in his hoga.” The song from Mughal-e-Azam aptly captured signature charming manner, was seen talking to the essence and the anticipation of the #ThinkFest.

Azeem Ibrahim and Sheela Reddy before his session on water.

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#THINKFEST

And what was I doing? Absorbing all the excitement, having lively discussions, meeting friends and reconnecting with colleagues whom one doesn’t get to see often. And that’s exactly what I love about events like #ThinkFest. More than the sessions, I like the charged environment pulsating with new ideas, discussions, debates and getting to know people whom you only hear or read about. The open access to great minds and good speakers makes a festival worth its name.

Arafat Mazhar brilliantly talked about the concept of blasphemy. His confidence comes from his knowledge gained at reaching out to different madrassas and studying the wafaq-ul-madaris curriculum. However, at this session, it was Farahnaz Ispahani who stole the show when a man in the audience got up and accused Bhutto and PPP for anti-Ahmadi bigotry and law. She stood up and in her soft but firm voice reminded him and the rest of the audience that all parties unanimously agreed and signed the bill.

In an anti-thinking country, to see such a huge turnout was not just surprising, it was a unique pleasure too. The usual suspects aside, Alhamra was teeming with youth and a different kind of people who are absent at events like LLF. I must say it felt like being at KLF – people of all ages and from all walks of life lending an air of openness and equality to the proceedings.

She said: “My husband was jailed by him. But today, I stand with Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and PML-N because he is standing up for democracy. I say as Pakistanis we have to work together.”

On Day Two of #ThinkFest, when Jibran Nasir arrived, a new wave of excitement and energy ran amongst the youth. They surrounded him for discussion and, of course, selfies. In the session on minorities, Jibran was his usual self: bold, honest and passionate. But one thing new I noticed in his style: humour. Focusing on Aitchison College students present in the audience, he made an epic comment: “Jaun Elia said: ‘Pakistan yeh sab Aligarh ke laundon ki shararat thi.’ Naya Pakistan Aitchison ke laundon ki shararat hai.’’ (Pakistan was the mischievous trickery of the boys of Aligarh. And ‘New Pakistan’ is the mischievous trickery of the boys of Aitchison!)

Azeem Ibrahim, Rafay Alam, Sheela Reddy and Asma Chishty

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The whole hall burst into applause praising her stance.

And then came the most awaited talk of the ThinkFest. Jugnu Mohsin’s conversation with Sheela Reddy about her book “Mr. And Mrs. Jinnah: The Marriage that Shook India” was next. Before the session, Sheela just couldn’t believe that her book was so popular that almost everybody in the audience had read it. The soft-spoken Sheela highlighted facts and realities about the marriage and Jinnah’s personal life.

Outside it was even better than the first day. I got to meet the bold and brilliant lawyer and columnist Saroop Ijaz. Ejaz Haider was really friendly and enlightening. I liked him even more as we evidently shared a passion for bright and colourful socks. I don’t trust men who wear dull and drab socks.

Khurram Husain

Ayesha Raja

Nadeem F. Paracha, Mohsin Sayeed and Amber Parac

ha

Aneela Shah and Nuscie Jamil

Dr. Musadik Malik and Dr. Yaqoob Bangash

Ejaz Haider, Owais Tohid and Jibran Nasir

Dr. Ishrat Hussain and Salima Hashmi

Laleen Sukhera

Fahd Husain Naseem Zehra

Yusra Askari, Zahra Hidayatullah, Laila Ghaffar, Moni Mohsin and Farahnaz Ispahani

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#THINKFEST Lahore’s life and my darling friend, the boisterous Tamkinet Karim, fondly known as Tammo, was adding her charm and wit wherever she was going.

Owais Tohid, Jibran Nasir, Saroop Ijaz, Ejaz Haider and Khurram Husain were having a lively discussion peppered with inside media news and banter.

My spine automatically straightened when I saw Asma Chishty with Musadik Malik coming towards where I was sitting with Farahnaz. The day before, when Musadik was leaving after his talk on China and Pakistan’s economic relations, I called him and said Madiha Latif of the fashion house Zuria Dor wanted to have a word with him. He stopped and there was a verbal spat as an enraged Madiha attacked him with facts and figures and accused the government for selling Pakistan out for 50 billion dollars and chopping off the limbs of Pakistani manufacturers. Heavens! Musadik stormed out in a huff while Madiha shivered in rage. So, when I saw him coming, I knew he’d be upset. But he surprised me by jokingly accusing me of putting him up to it. Despite my clarification that I didn’t, he laughingly insisted. But then when I saw Madiha walking towards me, I nearly had a fainting spell. I mouthed Musadik’s name to her and signalled her to go away. She didn’t understand and came near us. Musadik was sitting with his back towards her

Waqas Khan

Madiha Latif and Mohsin Sayeed

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Najam Sethi

so he didn’t see her approach. When Madiha finally reached us, I thought damn it and introduced them and waited for fireworks. It was a day of surprises! Musadik got up to offer Madiha his seat and said he should have listened to her grievances. It was big of him. They had a civil discussion and parted with promises of more in-depth meetings. But he still kept repeating that I was the troublemaker… all in jest.

Now this is the beauty of festivals like #ThinkFest. Their purpose is to serve as a public forum providing people access to movers and shakers in media, literature, government, the state, arts and academia. A civilized public forum where we fight, argue, discuss, form synergies, reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

Till the next #ThinkFest...

PS: Declan Walsh, Nimra Bucha, Mohammed Hanif, Nazish Brohi, Framji Minwalla and Aliya Iqbal-Naqvi, you were all sorely missed.

Savail M Hussain

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

An Everlasting Itch

Remote for things

By Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi

Beyond our humble expectations of what Pakistan’s coastline offers, there’s a world of marine flora, fauna, fish and mammals just waiting to be discovered.

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

I

am a resident of Lahore, which is a landlocked city. Situated somewhere inside the upper-middle part of Punjab’s geographical ribcage, my city does not share the approximately 1190 kilometers of oceanic border with Arabian Sea that laps at the edges of Sindh and Balochistan. The people of Punjab do not have beaches, explored and unexplored, and more than that, we do not have the alluring deep sea and the creatures it holds. Sure, we get to share the bounty the sea offers. Under the harsh fluorescent lights of large grocery stores, we can find crabs, prawns, squids, octopus, tuna, mackerel, eel, pomfret, croakers, snappers and more varieties of fish that have been hauled out of the sea and sent up for our consumption. But the biodiversity the sea offers goes beyond these few species, and sometimes, it isn’t enough to settle for that salty, indescribable smell of the ocean that the fish bring to us. Sometimes, it is imperative to put distances aside and make way to the sea. And I always find a way to do that.

The most recent provocation came from the photos of what appeared to be dolphins, blurry because of being caught in their speedy swim, by a few friends of a friend that had got my friends excited. Her friends had arranged a private sea excursion that took them off the coast of Balochistan, and there, surrounded by the deep blue water of the sea they had experienced the thrill of having marine dolphins swim alongside their boat for a few seconds. Do we even have dolphins in the sea, off our coasts? my friend asked excitedly. With my former professional affiliation with World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan (WWF - Pakistan) I knew that we do, indeed, and more than one species, to further add to our collective excitement. We discussed the variety, the possibility of more complex and intriguing oceanic life forms, and how much the photos we were seeing, taken from a cell phone’s camera, were delighting us.

This was because they had been taken by friends, we concluded, and not coming to us as “news reports” from high-pitched and frantic employees of TV news channels who try to find the most absurdly distasteful ways of presenting anything that looks remotely different from a human being.

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The photos had been shared with a muted sort of wonder, with humbled pride in having seen something so naturally magnificent at such close range. No spectacle. I told my friend about the recent increase in sightings of tiger sharks and whale sharks by fishermen, as well as the curious appearance of a mama and baby blue whale, who seemed to have been separated from their pod but were soon on their merry way, flipping their huge tails as they went.

Imagine if we had ways and means to easily go and explore the ocean, sustainably, and see these beauties for ourselves, my friend, ever the optimist, mused.

And by the end of this conversation, I had convinced myself to join a field expedition being organized by former colleagues at WWF – Pakistan to meet with a fishermen community in Balochistan that is working with the organization to not only adopt environment friendly and sustainable ways of fishing, but also promote their village as a tourist-friendly spot.

The journey began early on a chilly November morning, right before dawn. I had arrived in Karachi a day earlier and was soon on my way with friends from WWF – Pakistan to Miani Hor. Our destination was Damb Jetty which would lead us to the swampy lagoon of Miani Hor, a bit further away from Sonmiani beach. Geographically now a part of Lasbela District in Balochistan, it is approximately 95 kilometers from Karachi, and in the early morning haze we passed by Hub River, Gadani (home to the infamous ship-breaking yard), Winder, and Sonmiani.

Many would end their trek at Sonmiani beach for a day of enjoyment by the sea, which is, of course, a noble and appropriate desire in itself, but our trip was to discover what the deep sea off the coast of Pakistan holds. I was lucky enough to be in a sturdy but small motor powered boat with my friends from WWF – Pakistan, and with our marine species expert for the day: Mr. Moazzam.

Mr. Moazzam is the technical adviser on marine fisheries to WWF – Pakistan and a man who has dedicated his life to working for the betterment of marine fisheries, flora and fauna, the lives of fishermen and the way humans interact with nature in and around oceans. He is a jolly man with kind eyes and an always-sunny disposition.

He also has an unending supply of anecdotes, facts and stories about hundreds of different species of birds, fish, oceanic mammals (whales, dolphins and porpoises), and plants. He keeps in touch with people from the areas he works in and has friends in many places, which is why as soon as we settled down in the boat, he informed me that the very same boat has been used to conduct dozens of marine species surveys. The boat, he told me, also functioned as a rescue boat when the deadly fire broke out in Gadani shipyard roughly a year ago.

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK “The employees of Balochistan Fisheries Department and local fishermen tried to save as many people as they could,” he added, “and even when they couldn’t, they at least saved a lot of lost comrades’ bodies from sinking into the ocean and brought them to the beach.”

And so we started our trip out into the sea on a somber note. I was looking forward to spotting marine dolphins for the first time in my life in this part of the world. However, I was also aware of the fact that we were only a hundred kilometers away from one of the largest cities in the world, yet life in this part of Pakistan was completely different, full of natural beauty and unexplored opportunity, balancing on a knife’s edge. When things go wrong, the vacuum that lack of governmental support and supervision has created becomes painfully apparent.

This lack of support and ownership was also showing in the fact that on our way to Damb Jetty, I had spotted a faded board indicating the existence of a community-based tourist organization, but upon further investigation, I was told that the venture had drifted into non-existence because of lack of local government ownership.

One of the local fishermen on the boat with us informed me that while some local tourists have started venturing into exploring the coastline of Balochistan, most came with Karachi-based touring companies and did not have the kind of amenities that would make it a hassle-free experience. Amenities like clean, functioning toilets, first and foremost.

He would’ve told me more but, all of a sudden, he exclaimed, “woh rahi dolphin!” (“there’s a dolphin!”) and I whipped around to look.

I had missed catching a glimpse of the dolphin by a split second. I was told before the trip had started that spotting a dolphin in the area was purely based on luck since the dolphins didn’t oblige visitors that easily. I couldn’t believe I had travelled so far across the country only to have not seen a marine dolphin, which is, based on some people’s opinions, better looking than their riverine cousins.

But before I could sink further into despair, another dolphin appeared on the surface of the water.

There was no filmic high jump against the sky; the majestic creature was playing coy and only made a smart, low dive not very far away from our boat.

“These are Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins,” Mr. Moazzam informed me. “There appears to be a very active pod in this area. They are coastal cetaceans.”

Cetaceans are aquatic mammals and whales, dolphins and porpoises belong to this category.

A group of dolphins, composed of males, females and calves, is referred to as a pod, and knowing that one was maneuvering through the deep 72

water underneath our boat was exhilarating. Also: intimidating. These dolphins were a deep grey colour, larger than the Indus River dolphins I had been more intimately aware of, and everything about their movement in the water around us was assured, firm, purposeful. Their musculature was evident as they crested out of water, presenting a bold front instead of a cheesy show. I was in love.

And I had to ask Mr. Moazzam, why wasn’t the government interested in developing the local area as a tourist hotspot?

His answer was simple: security situation in the area and the fact that because people in the area were so generationally dependent on fishing as a primary economic source that no one had really ventured into tourism as a viable industry. Add to it apathy of authorities and there we were, looking at a cent shaped island run over with three distinct species of mangroves (Rhizophora, Avicenna and Ceripos), which hosts hundreds of species of migratory and local birds including pelicans, peregrine falcons and flamingoes, had crabs and shrimp nurseries. We were so close to these magnificent creatures in the water, feathered, scaled, rooted, and free-swimming, knowing what we were experiencing was a privilege, because for our friends and family members, and for thousands of potential tourists, it would not be so easy to make the same journey that we had without expert guides and local contacts, and witness what we were witnessing.

While contemplating what a sustainable oceanic tourism model based on guidelines followed by many Western and Far Eastern countries would look like in Pakistan, Mr. Moazzam informed me that the sea off Pakistan’s coastline also hosts blue whales, Bryde’s whales, humpback whales, sperm whales, cuvier beaked whales, killer whales, bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins, long beaked common dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, hammerhead sharks and finless porpoises. Some of these, he indicated, are vulnerable or endangered species. He mentioned the recent rise in sightings of some of these species by fishermen, and a hopeful trend of catching them, not by net, but with cell-phone cameras, and sharing footage with news channels, which was actually having a positive affect on masses, who were coming to know about these species for the first time. I learnt at this point that many fishermen in the area had received training about appropriate net use by WWF – Pakistan, and not to hurt or capture these larger sea dwellers because they are not a viable commodity. The governments of Sindh and Balochistan have also banned the capture of these species, although enforcement of the ban is another ball game.

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK The complexity of the issue at hand was, however, once again brushed aside by the fact that within the next half hour, I spotted at least seven more dolphins in the water, and one of the fishermen who was sitting at the bow of our boat was slapped in the chest by a small but sturdy fish that suddenly jumped out of the water as if electrified, and then just as quickly flipped back in, leaving the fisherman and all of the other companions on the boat stunned and ultimately laughing.

Apparently, this is more common in the area as it has approximately 84 species of fish and more than 70 species of marine birds. We had entered the arc of land that supported the mangroves and we could spot some of the bird species like the great white pelican, common cranes, great egret, whitebreasted kingfisher and black drongo. The cranes, Mr. Moazzam mentioned, are often captured and smuggled to Waziristan, where, for some strange reason, they have become a symbol of wealth and status. But the good news was that some of the more conscientious fishermen were fighting back to preserve the ecological balance of the area, and while a sense of purpose prevailed among the local populace to protect their natural heritage, some were very keen on welcoming tourists to Miani Hor and the surrounding areas. They only needed to fight apathy of local government and stakeholders and rally support of the villagers.

The kindly fisherman who had been slapped in the chest by the cheeky fish informed me that when the tourists come, and he knew that they would because Mubarak Village was already seeing an influx of them, the locals would feed them such

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great food that the visitors would forget the fight of Karachi versus Lahore and remember only their food. An ambitious claim, I thought, but surrounded by the bounty of nature on a sea that was becoming somewhat choppy with the wind picking up, and two dolphins swerving right past our boats in quick succession, I was compelled to believe it.

I have often wondered, with a restless heart, how people who live close to the ocean reconcile with the fact that their lives run parallel to some of the planet’s most complex, most mystifying species. I carry an itch in my soul to persistently ask people who can hear the waves as a background to their day-to-day lives and smell salt in the air how they feel about the fact that human beings have reached the far reaches of the galaxy through technology yet the deepest parts of the ocean still evade us. I want to badger people about their thoughts about how our government has tested a nuclear bomb in Balochistan yet we are still only speculating the existence of many of the largest or most majestic species in our ocean. I want to ask, point blank, do you not want to go see, while knowing full well that some have, some will, and some will never be bothered. But those who carry the same kind of restlessness about exploring the sea and its many mysteries like I do, will gladly take on the challenge.

The destination is right there. Those enthralled will lead the way. And I can’t say about the sharks and the whales, but the dolphins? They’re a bit coy, but they will be waiting.

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IntoThe

DEEP

By Madeeha Syed

“Normal” diving in Pakistan is “difficult” diving anywhere else in the world.

But the effort is worth it, given the presence of beautiful reefs that are bursting with aquatic life. Before you set off on your underwater adventure, read Madeeha Syed’s step-by-step guide on everything you need to know about scuba diving in Pakistan.

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C

alm seas. Those are the conditions we wait for, for almost half a year. They always come with winter, with the departure of the monsoon winds. That’s just as well, since in the summer many species of underwater wildlife come to Pakistan’s coast to breed and any influx of humans would interfere with that process. While people commonly head to the mountains in the summer, in the winter it’s time to head South to the sea. Scuba diving season starts in Pakistan around the end of September and ends in April.

Scuba diving in Pakistan – both recreational and commercial – has been around since the 1970-80s but only recently has it experienced a massive surge in popularity. Interested in becoming a scuba diver?

Here is what you need to know:

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There are currently only two certified scuba diving clubs in Pakistan with certified instructors. I’m emphasizing the word “certified” because it’s very important. There are a lot of adventure companies offering diving trips to tourists, but they are not certified to teach, and whether they are certified to lead needs to be checked as well. That’s because scuba diving, as fun as it is, is an activity that can kill you. You are several meters underwater in a high-pressure environment – you want to go there with people that know what they’re doing.

As a new scuba diver, you may either be interested in doing a “discovery dive” (USD100) or getting your basic diving certification. One of my favourite instructors, Mustafa at Indus Scuba, often describes discovery dives to laypersons as, “What Katrina Kaif’s character does for Hrithik Roshan’s character in the film Zindagi Na Mile Gi Dobara.” You go through a pre-dive briefing, a pool session where you wear the equipment for the first time and then your next dive is in the sea with an instructor or a dive master. They guide you along your first ever dive. This one is usually done by people who may want to know what it feels like to scuba dive and/or are undecided about whether to pursue a full certification.

Just as you need a license to drive, you need a license to dive. You can’t just keep doing discovery dives. There are several scuba certifications offered around the world; they more or less provide the same training and they are all valid everywhere. For example, if you choose to your basic license via Naui in Pakistan, you can still dive in Egypt with a club that has a Padi-certified diving crew.

At the end of the day, what really matters is what kind of instructor you get.

For a basic scuba diving license (USD350-400), you learn how your equipment works, what to do in case your mask fills up with air, how to contact your diving buddy in case there is a problem, how to share air, hand signals used to communicate underwater. You learn about the high-pressure environment you’ll be jumping into, what it does to your body, how to equalize the pressure between your ears, how to become neutrally buoyant under water etc. It sounds like a lot and very complex, but it’s not.

Once you start diving and putting this into practice, you get the hang of it very quickly. Earning your basic scuba license gives you the opportunity to dive between 1820m deep – or in scuba terms, no-decompression dives.

Going any deeper requires that you learn about how to recognize and overcome decompression, among other things. Due to the increasing pressure as you go deeper underwater, the air you’re breathing through your tank becomes toxic. So you need to study how long you can remain down at a certain depth beyond 20m and while ascending, when and where to take your safety stops – waiting at intervals to allow your body to expel the nitrogen that was building up. But this is in case you want to pursue an advanced license.

For new divers: most clubs will provide you with everything that you need – wetsuit, fins, mask, weight belt, buoyancy control device, regulator set etc. All you need to do is bring yourself, a bathing suit and a hat. This is usually included in the fee for the dives, though anywhere else in the world, you’d have to pay extra for this.

In Pakistan, nothing is easy. While I was diving in Turkey (where I got both my basic and advanced certifications) all I had to do was stroll down to the harbour and get on the boat. In Pakistan, there is no such thing. There are no dive sites around Karachi. Our main dive site is at Charna Island in Balochistan. That’s because the island itself acts as a barrier against winds and there are beautiful reefs that form under it.

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Colourful reef fish, lobsters, moray eels hiding in their dens, sting rays, giant clams, squid, crabs, groupers, puffer fish and stone fish are just some of the species that call Pakistan their home.

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OFF THE BEATEN TRACK There are two ways to get to Charna. You can drive about one-and-a-half hours to the small fishing village of Manjhar (also very popular with sports fishermen) and then you hop on a rudimentary fishing boat (called a “doonda”) which will take another 40 minutes to take you to the island. Then you gear up and hop off.

The other way is to drive to the Marina Club or the pier at the Sewar restaurant a little ahead and hop on a diving boat. Currently Indus Scuba has the largest diving boat in Pakistan that takes about two hours (on a good day) to get to the island and almost half the time on the way back – we are then sailing with the wind. Please note that you can’t just get up and go for a quick dive, in Pakistan; scuba diving is a full-day activity.

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But it’s so worth it. We have some of the most beautiful reefs that are bursting with life. Colourful reef fish, lobsters, moray eels hiding in their dens, sting rays, giant clams, squid, crabs, groupers, puffer fish and stone fish are just some of the species that call Pakistan their home. Diving conditions are not like they would be in popular diving destinations like the Red Sea, Maldives or even the Mediterranean Sea. You won’t get crystal clear, aquarium-like waters. Visibility may be limited to 3m on some days and 15m on very good days. There might be current on the surface or drift underwater where you’ll have to learn to paddle against the current or move with it. “Normal” diving in Pakistan is “difficult” diving anywhere else in the world.

But nowhere else will you get an opportunity to hone your skills the way you will here. After Pakistan, diving anywhere else in the world will be a piece of cake.

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STYLE RULES

Keeping it Classic Model: Designer: Stylist & Photographer: Location:

Salman Riaz Republic by Omar Farooq Khawar Riaz Hayat Palace, Chiniot

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STYLE RULES

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STYLE RULES

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STYLE RULES

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TRAVELISTA

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HOW TO like

Fashionista

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SEHYR ANIS

Development practitioner Sehyr Anis recently travelled to the captivating Korean capital of Seoul for a work trip and learnt why the city is a magnet for tourists.

w TRAVELISTA

hat took you to Seoul this winter?

I’m a development practitioner and currently serving as the Deputy Project Director for a World Bank funded tourism project titled “Punjab Tourism for Economic Growth.” I was invited to take part in an international tourism conference to study the Seoul model on tourism and how, post the Japanese occupation of the region, it has thrived as a tourist destination.

What were your first thoughts on arriving in the city?

That I would not have chosen this time of the year to visit, if I had a choice! It was freezing, with temperatures as low as minus 16.

How would you describe Seoul?

An intriguing mix of the traditional and the quirky and extremely tourist friendly. It’s got a very progressive and open feel to it; the people are highly educated and very friendly.

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Does the language barrier pose a problem?

Surprisingly, no! Most good hotels, such as The Plaza where I stayed, provide guests with android phones that contain facts and figures in English about Korean culture, weather, places of interest, language etc. For example, when I tried to tip the bellboy at my hotel, he just refused to take the money. I was puzzled until I read on the phone that Koreans consider tipping a bit of an insult. Needless to say, the phone remained my trusty companion throughout the trip! Overall, Seoul is a city that is geared towards tourists in a big way.

What would you recommend to first-time visitors?

If you’re looking for a unique experience, you can live like a local in Korea’s version of Airbnb, basically homestays where tourists get to live with a local family and experience traditional Korean culture. This public private partnership is one example of how the country has expanded its tourism sector dramatically in the last few years. Also, there are lots of beautiful Buddhist monasteries and temples in Seoul. And of course, there is the shopping.

What did you buy?

Not a lot, as the conference hardly allowed for any free time. What little shopping I did, I had to sneak out during lunch breaks for it! I fell in love with the local Korean fabric and got a couple of pieces.

The silk is to-die-for. I also got handmade jewellery and some inlay work pieces. Then of course, the skincare products that the world has gone crazy over. I can vouch for the face masks – they are amazingly effective and super cheap. To be honest, I’m not much of a shopper in any case, malls give me anxiety! I’d rather have an expensive meal than buy an expensive shoe.

Then Seoul must have been the ideal destination, given its amazing food scene.

The food was just fantastic! From the barbeque to the udon to the fried chicken, you really can’t get enough of the sheer variety of local foods on offer.

The Gangnam district (yup, same as the song!), which is Seoul’s answer to Mayfair, has some amazing high-end restaurants and fun boutiques.

Tell us about the tourism project that you’re working on at the moment.

Pakistan is known mainly for its beautiful North; but the rest of the country deserves just as much attention. The idea behind the project is to promote Punjab as a region of multiculturism and pluralism, a tourist destination to appeal to various faiths.

Nankana Sahib is sacred for Sikhs while Katas Raj is known for its Hindu temples; Taxila is home to ancient Buddhist stuppas while the shrines in Uch Sharif are centers for Sufism. We’re working to promote religious tourism to all these destinations.

How often do you travel for work?

The project started last year and I’ve had three international trips so far – Sri Lanka, India and South Korea. But then I also ended up travelling on my own to Turkey, New York, London and Dubai.

That’s a total of 7 trips in 2017. Yes, I’m a travel buff!

When did the travel bug bite?

Very early on I would say. My father was in the army so growing up I lived in Nepal, Manila, Kashmir, Quetta, Kakul and Karachi. I changed a total of 12 schools! It was only in 1999 that we finally settled in Lahore.

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TRAVELISTA Did you enjoy the constant moving around?

I loved it! It’s shaped me into who I am today. I can make friends easily; yet I can be detached if I need to. I can move on quickly if something doesn’t work out. This mindset has also helped me in my career as a development practitioner; where one is constantly moving from one project to the next. I never feel bound.

What’s your favourite city in the world?

I loved San Francisco for its amazing topography, food and weather. I also love Istanbul – it’s the perfect amalgamation of Europe and Asia, plus there’s something indescribable about being by the Bosphorus.

You have your own label Quirky&Co; how and when did that start?

When I was in London, doing my masters in Development Economics from SOAS, I was exposed to a thriving fashion scene and that served as an inspiration. I generally love quirky stuff and I have noticed that very few people in Pakistan move beyond the LV and Gucci bags. I took inspiration from brands such as Edie Parker, Kate Spade and Charlotte Olympia, hired a team of designers and launched my online brand of clutches a few years ago.

3 bucket list Top

Destinations 1. Iceland 2. Morocco 3. Greece

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Sehyr’s Style

Must-haves

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My overall style is laidback yet chic. My wardrobe is full of black and blue separates, because those can be put together without much thought for a polished look. I’m big on jumpsuits because they suit my body type and can easily be styled to go from day to night.

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1. I love jumpsuits in solid colours from brands such as Reese and Karen Millen.

2. I love my Celine tote, it’s a great travel bag. For evenings out, my Quirky&Co ‘Sehyr’ clutch is always a safe bet.

3. I’ve only recently started wearing heels; my go-to shoes are ballet pumps, such as this recent Dior purchase.

4. I have a collection of chunky rings that I’ve bought from Portobello Market and the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul that instantly elevate any outfit.

5. When it comes to lip colour, I wear a lot of nudes and beiges from Bobbi Brown and No7.

6. A comfy pair of sneakers for my travels.

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WANDERER

CLUB HAVANA

By Zehra Wamiq

Obscured from the world’s gaze for decades, Cuba opens up and reveals its charm and appeal to those who are willing to embrace it with all of its complexities. In a riveting account, founder of Palanquin Travels, Zehra Wamiq takes the reader on a journey across time and space through the tumultuous history of this island nation to its present day struggle, highlighting the beauty and romance of past influences as she explores this land of rich culture, vibrant colours and inexhaustible joie de vivre.

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WANDERER

The entrance to Hotel Nacional de Cuba, the iconic landmark of Havana

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n the portico of the elegant Hotel Nacional de Cuba, a uniformed guard opened the door of my car, a silver and maroon 1959 Dodge. I climbed up the steps with my friends, finding myself in a luxury location that was an iconic landmark of Havana. It felt as if I was in a Hollywood movie of a bygone era, when John F. Kennedy was still president and the CIA was bribing the mafia to kill Castro. But Castro was dead, Trump was president, it was 2017 and I was in Cuba on my American passport!

I stepped inside the hotel and rested my bags on the floor. The lobby had a high ornate wood ceiling, arched walls with Moorish tiles, and a shining tiled floor. It wasn’t the poor wasteland of communism one had been led to believe by the American media, but instead evoked the elegance and grandeur of a long-lost colonial era.

Large paintings of Fidel Castro and revolutionary memorabilia adorned the walls, serving as a reminder that, yes, Castro was dead, but we were still in Castro’s Cuba. The decorations, reminiscent of Andalusia, the Caribbean, various parts of Latin America, and good ol’ USA, told the stories of the many lives Cuba has lived. It was incredibly difficult to put this country in a box or assume we knew anything about it.

The lobby with its high ornate wood ceiling, arched walls with Moorish tiles, and a shining tiled floor takes you back to an era of subtle luxury

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Angelo, our guide, led us across the lobby into a large courtyard overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Fountains and gardens surrounded us, and verandas lined with high arches spanned three sides of the building. We ordered some drinks to get over the flight-fatigue and to prepare ourselves to experience this new yet somehow familiar country. I sipped my virgin Mojito and gazed into the deep azure waters of the Caribbean sea, all the while listening to Angelo speak. As he described their tumultuous history, uncertain present, and the constant resilience of the people of this land, I found myself hearing the story of Cuba from their side.

A LOOK INTO

THE PAST

Without knowing the turbulent history of Cuba, it is difficult to understand its present. Like countless other countries, Cuba was razed and pillaged by colonizers. When Columbus landed there, he thought he had discovered India, a place he christened Juana and thus began a long period of the Spaniards looting and enslaving the natives. This made them wealthy and before long, Cuba became an integral part of the Spanish empire. Centuries of occupation, colonization, and slave trade resulted in an uprising, and later a War of Independence against the empire.

Jose Marti, a romantic poet who became a revolutionary, led the first Cuban War of Independence. While he did not live to see liberation, he instead became immortal in history and in the statues all around Havana and the rest of Cuba. The United States, Cuba’s powerful neighbour, initially assisted the country with its struggle for liberation but soon began its burgeoning quest to colonize Latin America with the island itself, just ninety miles off the coast of Florida.

All of that changed in 1959 when Fidel Castro, aided by Che Guevara and the poor and destitute people of Cuba, fought against Batista, a military dictator supported by the US. Castro and Che were socialists, fighting for a free and egalitarian society in which class did not exist.

Their new Cuban government enforced socialist policy and allied with the USSR.

Free in their own country, the Cubans also became its prisoners in a way that they were barred from trading and engaging with the rest of the world.

Thus, with the dawn of liberation began a long and hard struggle which has honed the Cubans into who they are today – highly educated, very cultured, but going by the rest of the world’s corporate standards, perhaps not as wealthy. Still, I found them to be rich in experiences, resilience and self-sufficiency.

TRAVEL TO

HAVANA

For the longest time, travelling to Cuba was not possible for US residents or citizens without a special license. In 2015, President Obama eased restrictions on trade and travel to Cuba, which resulted in a deluge of tourists visiting the island. A group of my friends, among whom were artists, avid travellers and writers, flew out here to explore this land of broken ties and hidden culture and to learn about its thriving contemporary art scene.

Cuba is an assault on the senses – it is a riot of colours, a cacophony of sounds where the smell of ocean and diesel mixes together to create a heady aroma. Trapped and preserved in a time long forgotten, Cuba can bring forth a wave of both nostalgia and frustration. Our group was very excited to experience the island, secretly hoping it would be some sort of a Caribbean paradise or a reprieve from the stress and workload of Northeast America. Instead, they were shocked to see the

The extensive land reforms implemented by Castro made farmers owners of the land, and caused tenants to become homeowners. Nobody was allowed to own more than one house.

Home ownership along with food, education, and healthcare became the constitutional right of Cuban citizens. And it was the state which enforced and provided citizens with these rights.

In turn, the United States put up an embargo against Cuba in 1962. These sanctions punished Cuba for accepting the support of the USSR, but also for implementing rights and values, which freed mankind.

A stroll across the old city affords the visitors a view of jewel-toned, elegantly ornate, decaying and preserved structures in Old Havana, reminiscent of its Spanish colonial past and other influences

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WANDERER hardship – a direct result of its abandonment by the world – and the ensuing grace, polity, and resilience of its people that made us fall in love with the country.

The remarkable Catedral de San Cristobal, described by Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier as “music set in stone”

HAVANA

It is a place of stark contrasts – the lack of material goods juxtapose with the colour and richness of the culture. There is some remarkable Spanish architecture at display but those buildings are dilapidated and crumbling. The sheltered life and restricted global exposure of its people is offset by their immense sense of curiosity to learn more about the places they have never seen.

On a quiet stroll, I passed crowded streets, filled with diesel-guzzling cars, cycle rickshaws, crumbling buildings and broken sidewalks, only to turn a corner and enter a vast cobbled square replete with fountains and bronze sculptures, filled with DSLR-armed tourists and anchored by the remarkable Catedral de San Cristobal, a marvel of architecture that the Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier describes as “music set in stone.”

NIGHTS & DAYS Angelo, our English-speaking Cuban guide, was a rarity in Cuba, a mostly Spanish-speaking country.

He graduated with a degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Havana. Thanks to free education, most Cubans are highly educated and benefit from a literacy rate of hundred percent. Few countries can boast of such progress.

Angelo had started his tourism company recently, a booming business in present-day Cuba. Some of the taxi drivers we met were former university professors! Angelo loved showing his city to us. After being briefed on the history at the Hotel Nacional, we drove in our vintage car to the Plaza Revolucion, famous for its iconic mural of Che Guevara displayed on one of the buildings surrounding the square. “Hasta la victoria siempre!” the mural cries.

Always towards victory!

Revolucion Square, a symbol of communist power, surrounded by buildings bearing the murals of the leaders of revolution including the iconic mural of Che Guevara

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Central and Old Havana have many important landmarks such as El Capitolio, the National Capitol Building, the Museum of Fine Arts and National Theatre. Classic cars in jewel-toned colours line the avenue for travellers to hire for a ride or pose for a picture.

These cars might be vintage for the world, but in Cuba, they aren’t a novelty or a collector’s prized possession. Instead they serve a functional purpose for the small percentage of Cubans who are actually able to own cars in the first place.

Years of sanctions and embargo have resulted in cars that have aged by seven decades, not as kitsch, but as an inevitable necessity. New cars are rarely seen on roads.

Nida posing in front of an old classic car in Revolucion Square As we walked through narrow alleys, passing children in school uniforms, soaking in walls painted with murals, and crossing small dhaba-like local food joints, we entered the heart of the city, Old Havana. A place of large squares, magnificent cathedrals, colourful baroque architecture and art galleries, it is glorious. My favourite site was Plaza Veija, a vast square surrounded by an eclectic array of restored buildings with architecture styles ranging from baroque to art nouveau. The centre of the square was decorated with sculptures, and filled with people from all over the world. As the sun went down, we sat at an ornate balcony of a café, overlooking the bustling square filled with music and chatter and sipped coffee. It was a perfect moment that I wish I could have sealed in time.

Plaza Veija: A vast square surrounded by an eclectic array of restored buildings ranging from baroque to art nouveau style

WHEN IN CUBA

WHAT TO EAT

Paella, a Spanish seafood and rice dish – our saving grace

When we asked Angelo to recommend a good place to eat, he brought us to a paladar located under the shadows of El Morro, a 16th century castle guarding the bay of Havana. The Paladar Canonazo was decorated with gardens, Cuban flags and a poster of Che. We gorged on paella, a Spanish seafood and rice dish, a relief after seemingly endless days of beans and rice.

Although the food variety is below average, Cuba is an adventure for coffee lovers. Cuban coffee transforms the soul. Returning to your typical cup of coffee will not be possible after drinking coffee ground from Cuban beans. I returned with a kilogram of Cuban coffee, an espresso brewer, and no desire to ever purchase a corporate coffee-chain concoction again.

The interior of the Paladar Canonazo decorated with Cuban flags and posters of its heroes: Jose Marti and Che Guevara

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WANDERER

ISLAM

IN CUBA

The simple but elegant mosque was brimming with worshippers that Friday. We were pleasantly While wandering through the streets of old Havana, surprised to find a spacious and wonderful women’s past vendors trying to sell small trinkets, luring tourists section, exactly like the men’s area, unlike in many to a local restaurant round the corner or convincing mosques in other parts of the world where Muslim passers-by to purchase some bargain cigars, we found women still struggle to attain equality in sacred ourselves standing in front of a building with green spaces. high-arched doors, decorated with the familiar motif of eight-point stars and crowned with a small golden Our unfamiliar presence generated curiosity minaret and dome, as a nod to symbolic architecture. where Muslim converts found it difficult to identify Angelo had brought us to the first mosque in Cuba.

The only place of worship for a growing community of Muslims, this mosque had been built as recently as 2015 with the help of the Turkish government. An old car museum on Calle Officios was converted into a beautiful space for people of the Muslim faith to learn and practice their religion as a community in communist Cuba.

our ethnicity and regarded us as either Arab, ‘Bollywood’ or Turkish. Maybe seeing Pakistani women travelling to Cuba on their own was something unexpected for them. Islam was introduced to many recent Cuban Muslims by Pakistani medical students. After the earthquake of 2005, the Cuban government not only sent medical teams to Pakistan, but also granted scholarships and admission in medical colleges to more than a thousand Pakistani students.

Being a person of faith in a country that discouraged any form of organized religion for many decades is definitely a challenge. Muslims in Cuba learn to practice Islam from books, travellers and immigrants, but this new community is carving out an identity which is quintessentially their own.

Zehra and Saeba with Aicha and her friend.

Aicha converted to Islam after marrying a Pakistani medical student in Havana

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The interior hall of the first and only mosque in Cuba, built in 2015, decorated with Islamic art patterns and calligraphy

The historic graphic arts establishment, El Taller Experimental De Grafica, founded in 1962 with the help of Che Guevara

CUBAN

ART

In Old Havana, right across the San Cristobal Cathedral lies one of the most important graphic arts establishments, El Taller Experimental De Grafica.

The studio was founded in 1962 by the famous mural artist Orlando Suarez, with the help of Che Guevara, the minister of industries at that time. The historically significant studio has preserved some of the oldest printing techniques while producing cutting-edge work of graphic art. Today, it continues to attract many travellers, writers, visual artists and art aficionados.

Nida, the artist amongst us, was especially interested in observing and learning some etching techniques, a traditional art form for the Cubans.

Despite or perhaps because of the restrictions and economic hardships, art in Cuba survived and escaped commercialism. Even with the difficulty of acquiring paints and other materials, and a limited market to sell the production, the art scene has not only thrived but remains solely for the purpose of expression.

Artists create posters using original printing press

Breath-taking street art in Havana

Revolution played a vital role in fostering Cuban art. The centuries-old struggle for freedom and liberty has transformed Cubans into dreamers, writers, poets and artists. The best place to explore the artistic expressions in Havana is the Museo Nacional de Belle Artes or the Museum of Fine Arts.

The collections mirror the anxieties and struggles of Cuban society through the various stages of evolution.

Contemporary art in Cuba is remarkably sophisticated and at par with that from London, New York and Paris. In typical Cuban fashion, artists are accessible and anyone can visit the studios of world-class artists to meet them and buy their work.

Several galleries in Old Havana and Central Havana showcase modern and contemporary artwork.

Many young artists on the streets of Havana create amazing pieces, which they sell for only a few CUCs (currency used by tourists in Cuba).

Young artists creating wonderful art on the main square

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WANDERER

REFLECTIONS

ON CUBA After spending a few days in Cuba, we realized this country cannot be reduced to simple binaries.

Its history and conflicts, the constant fight to survive and persevere with dignity, the magnificent architecture, creative art, spirited music, and spontaneous parties at public squares – in Cuba, we found a culture that embraces life to its fullest, in spite of all the odds. But what was amazing was the generosity and magnanimity of its people.

Sitting under the cool shade of an almond tree on the terrace of Hotel Nacional de Cuba, listening to Angelo talk about people’s desire to bring about change, it was clear that Cuba was at a crossroads.

The society will inevitably transition into a different era, but I hope the identity of this country will remain intact.

I gazed into the distance to see a woman sitting under an almond tree, writing postcards to her family back in Germany. WiFi is rare, which is precisely why I was grateful to experience this place; where time has stood still and people still write letters to stay in touch. It reminded me of the old Desi Arnaz song that is more relevant today than ever.

Not so far from here there’s a very lively atmosphere, everybody’s goin’ there this year and there’s a reason the season never closes there love and pureness you’ll find everywhere people always having fun down there, so come along I’m on my way to Cuba, that’s where I’m goin, Cuba, that’s where I’ll stay… ….Why don’t you plan a wonderful trip down to Havana, hop on a ship, and I’ll see you in C-U-B-A

l Samia and a typica bano cigar-smoking Cu

I walked towards the music and found myself in the middle of an impromptu dance party in a public square

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A woman taking a break from working at a food stall.

Prices in the background reflect the currency, Cuban Pesos, used mainly by locals. She graciously smiled for my camera

Meeting and watching the everyday life of Cubans made us fall in love with Cuba.

Men immersed in a game of chess in Parque Central

A barber working in his house

Nida with a couple of old Cuban ladies, all dressed up for the tourists

We could have learned about our fortunes from this fortuneteller if she was not so formidable

Classic cars on the streets of Havana serve a functional purpose for those few who are lucky to own a car

Growing tourism prompts many to dress up in traditional attire to make a quick buck by pos ing for a tourist’s camera

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A WORLD OF GOOD

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Alif Laila:

a magical universe

By Mette Hartmeyer

Since moving to Pakistan 4 years ago, Mette Hartmeyer has been a regular visitor to the Alif Laila mobile library, where children from across Lahore are transported to a wondrous world of imagination and creativity.

She speaks to its young visitors and the President of the Alif Laila Book Bus Society to understand what the organization stands for and why it needs all the support that it can get.

A WORLD OF GOOD

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t’s a normal Monday and Mette Hartmeyer is reporting for Destinations from a colourful structure on wheels located inside a shady park in one of Lahore’s city centres.

Perhaps you and your parents have visited before during your childhood, and perhaps you never took the time to visit with your own children. For those of you who are unfamiliar, I can reveal that inside the red bus and behind the painted walls is a universe of magic, glitter pens, puppet shows, robots and stories.

We meet a lot of lovely kids and get to know more about the idea behind Alif Laila from Basarat Kazim, the author of several children’s books and the President of the Alif Laila Book Bus Society (ALBBS).

Today’s visitors are kids from classes 4 and 5 at Gulistan-e-Saida School and Government Model Girls High School. There is also one boy who has come on his own from a madrassa around the block.

There are approximately thirty-five children, and they are being picked and dropped by the Alif Laila staff from their schools and transported in buses.

What does Alif Laila mean and what is your story?

I ask Basarat. “Alif Laila, named after the fabled Thousand And One Nights, started off as a book bus in 1978,” she explains. Today, the old red bus is parked behind Main Market next to a library in Gulberg. The library was gifted to the ALBBS by the Punjab government in 1986 and houses several rooms including a reference library and an audiovisual centre.

Alif Laila provides many types of exposure. It is, according to Basarat, one of the few places where children from government schools interact with children from more privileged private schools like Beaconhouse and Lahore American School. This serves a purpose, as she explains, “The kids from the private schools come with an expectation that they are to teach the kids from less fortunate backgrounds, but quite often the opposite happens.”

Today, the children are excited and the vibe allows for questions to be asked in a very informal sitting. I ask Anook Ikram, who works here, what is the most satisfying aspect of the job. “When the kids look excited! I don’t like them to sit here with dull faces.”

That is a deliberate aim, explains Basarat. “As a nation we don’t laugh. We don’t have that sense of humour that belongs in a classroom and I can tell you how much I have laughed with children, kids who have absolutely nothing. I do not believe in turning out degrees. I know that in our schools, there is an emphasis on rote learning and people are getting by. They are collecting the degrees, but they are

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not collecting the skills. They are not being able to problem solve, because they cannot think creatively and critically. I believe these skills must be put into the classroom, right from the beginning.” Her team manages to create an alternative learning environment, here, outside of the classroom, in a space that allows questions, laughter, debate, trial and error and imagination.

We all listen as the kids tell stories to each other in the library. I can’t grasp if they are made up on the spot or if they are sharing stories they have heard before, but everyone is focused on the storyteller.

Then it’s time for some to read out loud from books.

Sana Usman leaves them with a choice, “Urdu or English?” They all answer in a chorus, “URDU!” We hear stories like the famous Brothers Grimms’ Rumpelstiltskin, books on flowers and bears and the functioning of machines on a construction site.

The kids from the private schools come with an expectation that they are to teach the kids from less fortunate backgrounds, but quite often the opposite happens.

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A WORLD OF GOOD

We all listen as the kids tell stories to each other in the library. I can’t grasp if they are made up on the spot or if they are sharing stories they have heard before, but everyone is focused on the storyteller.

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A WORLD OF GOOD The day’s programme is full of activities for the school kids: some get to draw a character from their favourite book, others are playing with robots or computers. Some of the girls are making dolls, which will later be sold to support the running of the library. Ms. Kazim believes in building integrity and responsibility, so while the kids are learning skills it’s a bonus that they also help in sustaining the library.

In the background of this creative room hangs a doll in a box, with the sign that reads, “Think outside the box.” It’s a mantra that Basarat lives by. “What we need to do here has to be out of the box. Normal doesn’t work for us. Normal reminds one of the status quo.”

She continues, “children need to believe in something bigger than themselves.” That explains why she loves spending time with the young minds here in this world of books.

Recalling Basarat’s belief on giving children exposure to the world outside Pakistan, I find a globe and initiate a conversation in Urdu. “Yeh dunya hai.” But I am immediately corrected. “Nahin, yeh globe hai,” a little girl named Samina tells me.

We finally agree that it is both. It takes us a while, but we find Pakistan on the globe, after rounding Africa, Canada and Mexico. Most of the kids are surprised to see how small the UK is. At the end a boy wishes to know where to find Gulberg, which my finger is too fat to show, but we make an attempt in collaboration. It brings us back to our own community and we sum up the day. The shuttle bus is leaving; the schools are calling the kids back as winter exams are approaching.

FACTS TO KNOW: Most of the kids who come to the Alif Laila library on their own are members of the library, which allows them to borrow a book for one to two weeks, depending on the nature of their membership. The price is affordable – PKR 50 a month and PKR 500 a year.

A membership, however, is not necessary to utilize the facilities. The team of creative employees loves hosting the children.

The library is open for the public from Monday to Friday (9am-5pm) and Saturday (9am-3pm), including most holidays all year around.

They also have summer camp activities and the book buses visit various schools.

The ALBBS also runs project-based learning and skill centers, where girls from different government schools are taught computers, electronics, arts and crafts.

ALBBS has set up schools in some of Lahore’s most underprivileged areas such as Basti Saidan Shah.

ALBBS has started their services in Multan and Muzaffargarh in collaboration with USAID, where its mobile library visits 40 schools in the area, and it has fitted another 100 schools with library corners and books.

Soon, the experience will be extended to Balochistan and KPK.

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All good things SHOULD NOT come to an end.

The building which houses the Hobby Clubs and the office has been sold without prior notice.

The management needs to vacate in less than 2 months. Property values are astonomically high in the area and no buildings are available for rent.

The only feasible way to solve the problem is to re-do/renovate the library that stands in the small triangular park in B-Block, Main Market, Gulberg II. Calling all ex and new members, those who have believed in the project for 40 years and the community at large to assist with donations, either big or small.

After money coming from within the organization, the shortfall is Rs. 40,000,000.

Donations can be given at Alif Laila.

Our Address : Alif Laila Book Bus, B-Block, Gulberg II.

Receipts will be issued immediately.

Alternatively your donation can be deposited directly into the Alif Laila bank account: Bank: Allied Bank Limited.

Main Market, Gulberg II.

Account Title: Alif Laila Book Bus Society Account No: 0010001646790028 Branch code: 0216

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LET’S DISH

Sakura serves up a

feast The Japanese restaurant at the Pearl Continental, Lahore offers a lavish spread at its all-you-can-eat sushi night by the poolside.

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LET’S DISH

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hilly winter nights call for a sumptuous meal. And nowhere can you get a feast as indulgent and satisfying as the one on offer during weeknights at Sakura’s all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Set up by the pool side, the space is elegantly done up with low lighting, flickering heaters and live cooking stations to inject a sense of warmth and cosiness to the al-fresco venue.

Fans of Japanese cuisine will be spoilt for choice by what’s on offer. The platters of sushi on display feature everything from the standard seaweed and tuna roll to the deliciously crunchy California roll to nigiri with various toppings of fresh seafood. The sashimi is delicately cut as it should be and tastes extremely fresh.

For those of you who prefer their food cooked, there is a wide variety of piping hot delicacies to choose from. The Miso soup is subtly flavoured and a comforting start to the meal. The live tempura station unrolls a constant stream of golden battered prawn and chicken and not surprisingly, is the most popular spot along the buffet. For something more filling, there’s the beef teppanyaki prepared on the spot, best had with the fried rice peppered with a variety of vegetables. You can also opt for chicken teppanyaki. The seafood nabe, the Japanese version of a one-pot dish, is a filling broth laden with an assortment of seafood such as fish and mussels as well as vegetables, a perfect antidote to the winter chill. The bite-sized desserts, served with your choice of coffee or green tea, are the perfect way to round off the meal.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic evening under the stars or a cosy night out with friends and family, Sakura provides a unique dining experience.

Make sure to book your tables in advance because the outdoor section fills up quickly.

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LET’S DISH

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LET’S DISH

Available Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30pm to 11:00pm.

For reservations, call (042) 111 505 505

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THE FASHION FIX

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Nabila’s

zero MA KE UP

Takes On Dubai

For over 3 decades, Nabila has reigned as the undisputed queen of Pakistan’s beauty industry. The maestro has now gone international, with the launch of Zero Makeup, her innovative all-inclusive face palette, in the Middle East through an exclusive partnership with Bloomingdales Dubai Mall.

Present at the launch was Zero Makeup’s global brand ambassador Tammin Sursok, a prominent actress, producer, singer and songwriter best known for her roles on Home and Away, The Young and the Restless and Pretty Little Liars.

Built on the philosophy that beauty shouldn’t be complicated, Zero Makeup is a first-ofits-kind system that is designed to enhance and refine a flawless look, allowing women to achieve a fresh, radiant and on-the-go makeup routine with just one palette.

THE FASHION FIX

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THE FASHION FIX

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

QAWWALI NIGHT

Daewoo Pakistan and Destinations Magazine, in collaboration with the Walled City Lahore Authority (WCLA) hosted a qawwali night at the newly restored forecourt of Wazir Khan Masjid. The initiative was taken to promote the heritage and culture of Pakistan, along with launching Afkar-e-Taza, The ThinkFest.

Distinguished speakers, foreign dignitaries, local panelists participating in the Afkare-Taza along with select members of the fashion and entertainment industries attended the dinner which was followed by qawwali featuring world-renowned qawwals from Faisalabad, Rizwan and Moazzam Ali Khan, nephews of the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Iftikhar Azam and Baroness Warsi

Rizwan Moazam

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Dr. Yaqoob Bangash, Tawakkol Karman, Sheela Reddy and Hadi with a guest

Cybil Chowdhry and Shahid Akbar

Kamran Lashari

Dr. M Nizamuddin, Chairperson, Punjab Higher Education Commission

Faisal Siddiqui

Zahra Hidayatullah, Asma Chishty and Mariam Mushtaq

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Farazae and Babar Hamid

Zainab, Khadija and Khuban Sonia Fawad and Aisha Khan

Azeem Ibrahim

Aamir, Hassan and Rima

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Farahnaz Ispahani

Yasmin Khan and Maliha Amjad

Pippa Virdee

Sehr Amjad

Mohsin Sayeed and Nuscie Jamil

Salman Akram Raja and Musadik Malik

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Shakira and Saira

Waleed Faruqi

Yousaf Shahbaz

Saira and Shakira

Waleed and HSY

Nooray

Saulat and Fatima Khan with Sheharyar Akbar and Huma

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Mehwish and Najam Sethi

Nina, Junaid and Nickie with a friend

Fahd Husain

Faraz Manan, Shiza Hassan and Sehyr Anis

Laaleen

Faisal Siddiqui, Noni Durrani, Asma Chishty and Shaheryar Chishty

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Seyham and Syra

Fakir and Shahnaz Aijazuddin

Col. Zaheer

Shah Elahi, Attiya Noon

and Hamid Rashid

Omar Nabi

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Mrs. Kamran Lashari

Ali Sethi

Irteza Ubaid

Naila Bhatti

Qudsia Rahim

Dr. Tariq Ali, Risham Syed, Aisha Khalid, Asma Chishty, Aroosa Rana, Rashid Rana and Imran Qureshi

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Waqas Khan

Jarrar Shah, Nida Bano and Aneela

Shah

Asma Rao

Rishm and Taimur Amjad

Savail

Mr. and Mrs. Yawar Ali

Yusra Askari

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a Shireen, Hira and Hamz

Umair and Fatima Fazli

Natasha, Fatima and Amna

Sheriar Hassan

Kami and Sanam Taseer Rana Noman

Asma Chishty and Hania Aamir Sadia Hamid

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

N-Gents Launch After the roaring success of N-Gents in Karachi, the salon has now opened its doors to the Lahore audience in one of the most prestigious areas of the city, offering an intricate menu of luxe one-stop male grooming. The launch party was attended by the who’s who of the fashion world.

Alyzeh Gabol

Nabila and Zair

Ali Zafar

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Asma Chishty, Munsif Ali and Hajra Laljee

Cybil and Sunita

Farwa, Arsalan, Tabesh, Rubab and Sadaf

Zahra, Sara and Rehan

Adnan, HSY and Fouzia

Maheen Kardar

Nina and Nickie

Uzma and Huma Khan

Mawra Hocane

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Jalal Salahuddin

Maria, Mehreen, Tania and friend

Amber

Kamiar Rokni

Ayesha Fazli

Rabia Butt and Hasnain

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Sophia Kasuri

Sadaf Kanwal and Aimal Khan

Nabila, HSY, Babra Sharif and Faisal

Sabeeka Imam

Muneeb, Aiman, Minal and Areeba

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Lahore Fort Picture Wall Workshop Furthering its efforts for the cultural preservation of Lahore’s monuments, the WCLA hosted a three-day international workshop to highlight the conservation of the 1,450-feet long and 50-feet high Picture Wall at the Lahore Fort, an expanse of decorative glazed tile and wall painting. The restoration project is being carried out in partnership with the Agha Khan Cultural Service – Pakistan.

Salima Hashmi with guests

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Salman Baig

Didier Repellin with guests

Werner Schmid

Wajahat Ali Khan

Kamran Lashari

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TALK OF THE TOWN

LAHORE

Children’s Literature Festival

Celebrating a theme of “Peace, Heritage and 70 years of Pakistan,” the Children’s Literature Festival was recently held in the culturally rich heart of Lahore, the Walled City. The three-day event, held in collaboration with the WCLA, provided an entertaining, educational and thought-provoking environment for children of all ages.

Adeel Hashmi

Kamran Lashari

Baela Jamil, CEO CLF, Rana Mashood, Minister for Education and Sabahat

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Ali Hamza and Rakae Jamil

Salima Hashmi, Arfa Syeda and Amjad Islam

Amjad

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TALK OF THE TOWN

DUBAI

SKMCH Fundraising Gala Dinner A fundraising gala dinner with Imran Khan was held at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai in support of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.

Imran Khan Fakhar-e-Alam

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Sheikh Rasheed and Imran Khan

Mahira Khan

Maya Ali

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