The Express Tribune Magazine - April 22

APRIL 22-28 2012

He set off in search of glory, but on the unforgiving peaks of Gasherbrum I, Nisar Husain Sadpara, Pakistan’s youngest mountaineer, met death instead

APRIL 22-28 2012

Cover Story 18 Death in the Peaks Who is to blame for Nisar Sadpara’s death? The Hidden Peak or the lack of a dedicated rescue team?

28 Eureka?

Command and destroy: the avalanche control system 30 Icy Ingenuity The village of Naltar boasts of wooden skies and winter olympians

Feature 32 Field of Dreams TCF volunteers go looking for inspiration in tomato fields 38 Running on Fumes Karachi to Kolkata on a litre of petrol? You must be joking!

30

32

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 41 Reviews: Spot the titans 42 End Of The Line: Boys will be boys

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4

Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra, Sub-Editors: Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Maha Haider, Faizan Dawood, Sanober Ahmed and S Asif Ali. Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Shamaeel Ansari

Nadia Hussain

Zarmina and Ayesha

Zurain Imam Deepak Parwani

Sanam Chaudhry

6 APRIL 22-28 2012

Riyah, Rukaiya and Rania

Komal Rizvi

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST

Fashion Pakistan holds a press conference for Fashion Pakistan Week in Karachi

17 APRIL 22-28 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Neha, Rosy and Benish

Humaima Malik

Fauzia

PHOTOS COURTESY M FAROOQ AND TAKEII

Rosy Patel holds an exhibition and fashion show for her lawn prints in Karachi

Nabeel

Saba and Tehmina

8 APRIL 22-28 2012

Gia Ali

Iraj

Razia

Sabeen and Munaf

17 APRIL 22-28 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

The launch of Saira Shakira collection in Lahore

Malaika Khan

Mariam, Aamir and Nazi

Saira and Sehyr

Fia

Amna Baber

10 APRIL 22-28 2012

Alyzeh and Shahrukh

Shakira and Komal

Aisha Imran

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS

Nabiha Zeeshan

17 APRIL 22-28 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Wasim Akram

Adeela Liaquat Ali Khan

Sadia Shah

Mira Ansari

Belal and Zohair

Ambreen Merchant

12 APRIL 22-28 2012

Nadia Hussain with her daughter

Nabila

Tanzeela Hashwani

PHOTOS COURTESY FAISAL FAROOQUI

L’Oréal Professionnel present their Spring/Summer 2012 collection in Karachi

Maria B launches her lawn at Sultan Asi’s flagship store in London

Noreen Malik and Shereen Malik

PHOTOS COURTESY SHAHID MALIK

Zoya Awan and Mohammad Ahmad

Sameera

Rabia Ehsan and Kiran Malik

Sultan and Sadaf

Mehrosa and Natasha

Sahiba and Adnan Ansari

Farrah

13 APRIL 22-28 2012

APRIL 22-28 2012

APRIL 22-28 2012

APRIL 22-28 2012

APRIL 22-28 2012

COVER STORY

A month ago, Pakistan’s youngest mountaineer perished on the unforgiving peaks of Gasherbrum.

His name was Nisar Husain Sadpara, and this is his story

BY TAQI AKHUNZADA (Continued on page 24)

18 APRIL 22-28 2012

19 APRIL 22-28 2012

COVER STORY On March 9, 2012 Nisar Husain Sadpara, Pakistan’s youngest mountaineer, went missing while attempting to climb Gasherbrum 1 (G1) along with Gerfried Goschl from Austria and Cedric Hahlen from Switzerland.

The group had set off from base camp on March 7, at 6 am. The

wind that blew was perhaps a shade too strong but the weather was comparatively clear and the team was waved off with enthusiastic smiles by the porters and helpers.

The three mountaineers continued their ascent despite the

harsh weather: temperatures had plunged below minus 45 de-

grees and wind speed was reported to be 120 km per hour. Yet, the three reached an altitude of 7,700 metres on the 8,065 metre

tall mountain and remained in contact with the base camp till 8.30 am on March 9. Then all contact was lost.

“When we failed to contact them, we approached Skardu and

Islamabad, informing the tour operator about the gravity of situ-

ation,” says Iftikhar, who worked with the group as an assistant.

At the base camp, the porters and helpers were worried but help-

less. Nisar was loved by all those he had worked with and the porters, who knew him well, fretted about his fate.

The rescue operation, however, was hampered by the bad

weather conditions. For several days a helicopter could not be

arranged, but finally, an operation was launched led by the re-

nowned climber Hasan Sadpara. After a gruelling three-hour search operation, the trio was declared dead on March 14.

A passion for climbing It was a sad end for a young man who, quite literally, had mountaineering in his blood.

He was born in 1980 to a poor family in Sadpara village, located

14 km from Skardu. Nestled amid towering peaks, Sadpara village has produced many distinguished mountaineers — most

notably Hassan Sadpara, the second Pakistani to scale Mount

Everst — and most of the villagers are employed in fields related to climbing.

Husain’s father, Ali Sher, also worked as a porter with different

Rashid and little Marzia, who is only 18 months old.

As a boy, he was fond of hearing stories of epic mountaineering

feats from his father and other relatives, and given his natural ability, climbing soon became a source of sustenance as well as a passion.

But it was thanks to an experienced mountaineer named Ali

Raza that Nisar truly entered the field of professional mountaineering back in 1996.

Ali Raza, who became Nisar’s close friend and mentor, remem-

mountaineering groups in pursuit of a livelihood. His 10-mem-

bers that when he recommended Nisar for the position of a high

on small pieces of land.

because of his inexperience. But on Ali’s insistence, Nisar was

ber family lived in a house with three rooms and cultivated crops

Nisar Hussain was admitted in the local primary school in the

hope that getting an education would enable the family to break out of the cycle of poverty. Unfortunately, he could not continue with his education. Due to deteriorating health, his father had

to abandon work and Nisar took to herding goats to ease his family’s financial burden.

A hard-working young boy, Nisar would often scale the peaks

surrounding his village while herding goats and collecting wood.

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As per the village custom, Nisar was married at the age of 18,

in 1998, and had three children: 8-year-old Rashida, 3-year-old

Challenging his fellow shepherds to climbing contests, he would soon leave them all behind while racing to the top.

APRIL 22-28 2012

altitude porter, the tour operator refused to accommodate him

given the chance to become part of the expedition team. Thanks to Ali, he went on his first climbing adventure in 1996, accom-

panying a Pakistan Army expedition to the Sia Kangri mountain in the Karakoram range. Despite being only sixteen years old, he

succeeded in reaching the summit, which was at the eye-watering height of 7,422m above sea level. From then on, Nisar collected many accolades and achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest mountaineer in Pakistan and the second youngest on

an international level. He conquered five peaks that were higher than 8000 metres, including G1 (8,065m), G2 (8,035m), Broad

“We climbed K2 together on 27 July 2004 and we hoisted the Pakistani flag on Gasherbrum 1 on 22 July 2006. It is a world record that we both scaled G1 and G2 within the span of a week,” says Hasan Sadpara

mails and messages sent to him by friends and professionals.

The doomed expedition

Nisar came home in the first week of January from a trip to Islamabad, and his next plan was to proceed to G1 with the Gasherbrum 1 Winter International Expedition 2012. On January 5, Nisar set off to Askoli from Skardu despite his father’s insistence that he abandon the mission.

“I told him not to go since it was winter and I felt fearful for

him. But he said that Gerfried, the group leader, was insisting

that he accompany them and he could not refuse Gerfried,” said

72-year-old Ali Sher, his eyes welling up with tears at the memory

of the obedient son who had dutifully borne all financial burdens following his own retirement.

Nisar and Gerfried had been friends since they had both under-

taken an adventure mission in 2003, and had grown so close that Gerfried had even promised Nisar that he would accompany him to Nepal to climb Mount Everest.

Sadly, all these dreams died along with Gerfried and Nisar on

the unforgiving peak of Gasherbrum.

Ali Sher had been fetching grass for his goats and sheep when

he heard the sound of wailing coming from his home. His neighbours and relatives had brought the painful news of the disappearance of his son. The Gasherbrum 1 expedition has been disastrous, just as Ali Sher had feared.

Despite his sorrow, he kept the news from Nisar’s younger

Peak (8,047m) and K2 (8,611m).

National hero Hasan Sadpara also remembers Nisar fondly.

children, who were only told that their father was in Islamabad with foreigners and would be coming home soon.

“We climbed K2 together on 27 July 2004 and we hoisted the Paki-

What went wrong?

that we both scaled G1 and G2 within the span of a week.”

was another group of three Polish mountaineers also attempting

stani flag on Gasherbrum 1 on 22 July 2006. It is a world record

Nisar’s wasn’t the only group trying to scale Gasherbrum I. There

Unlike many professional climbers, he never used supplemen-

the feat of ascending the Hidden Peak in winter. The difference

tal oxygen and never faced fitness or health problems during climbing. Working with world-renowned mountaineers like Lee Sang Bae from South Korea and Park Young Seok and Han Wang

Young from China, he dreamt of setting up a mountaineering club to impart training to youngsters in Sadpara.

While he himself pursued mountaineering, Nisar gave his

brother Kazim the money to establish a used shoe shop at Skar-

was that the Polish mountaineers approached the mountain

from the northwest, while Nisar’s group adopted a southerly approach. While one group found glory, the other met death.

“Nisar and his team selected a very tough and risky route that

had been abandoned for 25 years,” says Hasan Sadpara who led the rescue operation for the missing climbers on March 14.

After communications between the expedition and the base

du. The uncertain law and order situation often hampered the

camp broke down on March 9, it took nearly one week to arrange

impact on the income of those dependent on tourism for their

ibility was low and bad weather created hindrances.

influx of tourists in Pakistan and the war on terror left a deep livelihood. This shop was an additional source of income that

for a helicopter and commence rescue operations. Even then, vis-

This delay meant that the chances of finding the climbers,

could tide the family over during lean patches.

whether dead or alive, were very slim. The search operation last-

young age, he wanted his brothers and his children to study. He

were declared dead. Hasan says he believes that Nisar, Gerfried

Despite the fact that Nisar himself had had to leave school at a

sent his younger brother Hamid to Karachi for further education

and Hamid, who is studying at Karachi University, used to take care of all of Nisar’s correspondence, maintain his website and Facebook profile. Hamid would keep Nisar informed about the

ed three and a half hours after which the missing mountaineers and Cedric were blown off a ridge by strong winds and thrown into the China side of the border.

One can only speculate whether a more prompt response could

have saved the missing mountaineers. In Pakistan, rescue opAPRIL 22-28 2012

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COVER STORY erations are usually undertaken on a humanitarian or fraternal basis by other mountaineers, and no dedicated rescue teams or

crews exist. Because of this, foreign mountaineering groups and

trekkers largely avoid coming to Pakistan, depriving it of millions of dollars in foreign exchange. Despite this loss of income and lives, Hasan points out that no step has been taken by the government or tour operators to reverse the trend.

Ali Raza, while praising Nisar as being a dedicated and techni-

cally sound mountaineer, also laments the state of rescue operations in the country.

“It is appalling that rescue operations are not institutionalised

in Pakistan, unlike in China and Nepal, where proper rescue operation teams have been set up with all the required equipment, helicopters and professional climbers,” complains Ali Raza.

The way things currently stand, it is the tour operators who

are supposed to take the required rescue measures — assum-

ing that the group has paid the fee before embarking upon climbing. Usually, the group pays the rescue fee in advance to tour operators and it is then mandatory for the tour opera-

tor to arrange rescue teams. The lone rescue helicopter, which is based in Skardu, can be used free of charge only for military purposes. For civilian and humanitarian purposes, a fee needs to be deposited with Askari Aviation.

But in this case, the tour operator was unable to arrange for

rescue operations. Why?

According to Col (r) Manzoor, the president of the Alpine Club,

he himself came forward to extend help for the rescue opera-

tion. He approached Askari Aviation, asking them to provide a helicopter but the tour operator had not deposited the required $10,000 to Askari Aviation before the climbers had started ascent and Askari Aviation refused to provide the helicopter.

The Alpine Club, says Col (r) Manzoor, then approached the

Austrian Embassy for help and only on the request of the embas-

“We provide rescue indication kits to mountaineers which

sy did Askari Aviation provide the helicopter.

they can use to call for help from any point on the peak. We got

facilitated this doomed expedition, acknowledges that he could

the Austrian embassy guaranteed payment to Askari Aviation,”

Ali, who runs Adventure Pakistan, the tour company which

not arrange for a helicopter in a timely manner. But he has an explanation for why he did not deposit the fee in advance.

“In April 2012, Askari Aviation suddenly increased the de-

posit fee from $6000 to $10000 and the per hour fee from $3000

the approval to use the helicopter for the rescue from GHQ when says Brigadier (r) Javed.

“Unfortunately,” he added, “the operations were in vain and

no one could find any signs of the missing climbers.”

In recognition of his achievements, the Gilgit-Baltistan chief

to $8100. In retaliation, the Association of Tour Operators had

minister nominated Nisar Husain for a presidential award and

Askari Aviation unless they reviewed the fee structure,” said Ali.

the Nisar’s home to pay his condolences to the bereaved family.

unanimously decided that nobody would deposit an advance to

Being a part of the association, Ali too abstained from deposit-

promised to provide a job to one of his brothers. He also visited

The brave mountaineer may no longer be among us, but his

ing the fee in advance. However, he declared that the company

achievements and dedication have made him a hero who will al-

them in getting insurance money and other financial aid.

stan. Still, one can only wonder whether a more fitting way to

would support Nisar’s family with an open heart and facilitate When contacted, Brigadier (retired) Javed, a general manager

26

“It is appalling that rescue operations are not institutionalised in Pakistan, unlike in China and Nepal, where proper rescue operation teams have been set up with all the required equipment, helicopters and professional climbers,” complains Ali Raza

at Askari Aviation, simply reiterated that the tour companies were bound to deposit the money in advance.

APRIL 22-28 2012

ways be remembered in the history of mountaineering in Pakiremember Nisar Sadpara could be to set up structures and services aimed at ensuring that no more lives are lost in the frozen peaks of the north.

APRIL 22-28 2012

COVER STORY

eureka?

Mohammad Khalid says he’s created a device that can stop avalanches. Unfortunately, not many are willing to test it

BY SHABBIR MIR

One freezing winter, deep in the mountains of Chitral, 27-year-old Mohammad Khalid created a device that he claims can both prevent and cause avalanches.

An electronics graduate from the University of Peshawar,

Khalid has always lived under the shadows of the Pamir and

the Tirch Mir — the great mountain ranges of Chitral. For those who live in these valleys, the constant fear of deadly avalanches is a part of life, and even travellers are wary of the floods of snow which can kill them in an instant, especially during a heavy downpour. Just this month at least 135

soldiers and civilian contractors were

buried alive by the deadly avalanche

at Siachen, and scores of people in the

Northern areas lose their lives every year

due to the white death that comes crashing

from the heights. In the 2010 floods,

that number jumped into the hundreds.

Khalid’s device, if it can properly be tested and marketed, could help save lives not only in Pakistan but also across the world.

28 APRIL 22-28 2012

The schematic diagram of the system is given below:

So how does this device, dubbed the “Avalanche Control

System”, work? Khalid claims he has discovered the audio 1. Antenna

frequencies which can make snow either melt or harden, and

says that he can set the device to either melt ice and snow on the mountains to create avalanches or conversely harden the soft, fresh snow so as to reduce the chances of an avalanche. When the

device is switched on, he claims it can detect snow and generates stationary waves, resulting in the hardening or softening of the snow.

2. Snow Detector

“You must have noticed that when there is snowfall in the

mountains, there is pin drop silence, which helps the snow

7. Slide Stage 8. Elastic Spring 3. Dish/Stationary Waves Generator

become softer,” he says, adding that his device acts against the silence and creates resonance and noise that ultimately leads to the hardening of the snow. Similarly, the device can loosen ice

6. Remote Control System

and snow on snow covered mountains, letting it roll down. In

addition to two high pressure sound vibrators, the portable device consists of an antenna, a snow detector, a rechargeable battery

and a wireless system that allows it to be controlled remotely.

9. Frequency Selector 4. High Pressure Sound Vibrator

While Khalid is quite sure of his invention’s effectiveness, he says that he will only be able to fine tune it after some more tests.

Certainly, any prospective buyer won’t simply be content to take his word for it and will not opt for the device without rigorous testing and proof that it actually works.

Ironically, the very nature of the area that provided the

inspiration for this device also acts as a barrier to its dissemination.

5. Chargeable Battery

Mountain-locked Chitral is only accessible from two sides, either

via Gilgit or Peshawar. From Gilgit it is accessible via the Shandur Pass after a journey of around 20 hours but this route remains closed throughout winters due to heavy snow fall. The other way

to get there is via Lowari Top from Peshawar after about 15 hours of bus travel. PIA does operate flights to the area, but these are frequently cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

This inaccessibility may be the reason that the device has yet

“You must have noticed that when there is snowfall in the mountains, there is pin drop silence, which helps the snow become softer,” says Khalid

to attract attention from either the scientific community or

the private sector. According to Khalid, some officials from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) did in fact

approach him for a briefing on the device, but he hasn’t heard from them since.

For his part, Khalid hasn’t yet decided if he wants to sell the

device or simply exhibit it to the public. Coming from a lower-

middle class family, he says he’s had to spend a great deal of his own money on this device and does not possess the resources to promote it. For now, all he can do is wait and hope for recognition for his breakthrough device.

29 APRIL 22-28 2012

COVER STORY

Home Boy — Muhammad Abbas, Pakistan’s first Winter Olympian, hits the slopes.

They say that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

In this case, nature gave the people of Naltar beautiful snowy slopes and plenty of trees...so they made wooden skis and world-class skiers instead

BY OBAID UR REHMAN ABBASI

30

Artisan busy at work making wooden skies.

APRIL 22-28 2012

Hidden in the mountains north of Gilgit, is the surprisingly green and lush valley of Naltar. The valley,

heavily wooded with pine, spruce, birch, rowan, and juniper, not only attracts tourists in the summer but also during the peak

of the harsh winter season. That’s because this valley is famous

not only for its lakes, lofty trees and scenery, but is also the hub of skiing in Pakistan and home to some of the most talented crafts-

men in the country. In fact, Pakistan’s first Winter Olympian,

Muhammad Abbas started out on the slopes of Naltar in Gilgit.

He learnt how to ski not through formal training but simply by

studying other skiers on the slopes. His first skis, two planks of wood strapped to plastic boots, are now on display at the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Canada.

I had often been to Naltar in the summer, and had greatly en-

joyed myself, but what I really wanted to do was visit Naltar at the peak of the great winter season, when hundreds of skiers

from all over the country gather to take part in the prestigious winter games. So when Mussarat Ali, the Secretary General of the Ski Federation of Pakistan, invited me to Naltar, I accepted

A group of young boys posing with their wooden skies.

two seats on the first flight out to Gilgit. It is always wise to opt

tributions to the field of skiing, with many of his cousins pres-

takes off from Islamabad at 10 am usually gets cancelled due to

the armed forces. Our own ski champion Muhammad Abbas also

without hesitation. Luck favoured us in Islamabad and we got

for an early morning flight to Gilgit as the second flight which bad weather. The drive from Gilgit to Naltar was dry, dusty and

the roads were a mess but as the road wound deeper into the val-

ley, more and more greenery began to appear, finally revealing a small village nestled in the meadows below the impressive snowcapped peaks. This, at last, was Naltar.

The Pakistan Air Force has set up a winter survival school and

ently skiing professionally for various departments including

belongs to the same family. “Almost every elder of Naltar does this job in the winter for the children,” says Mumtaz, “and if we

are given proper facilities and training we can not only produce world class skiers but also world class craftsmen. Sadly, the valley has never been given any importance.”

He’s not wrong about the talent. Naltar has consistently been

a skiing resort where they arrange a skiing championship ev-

producing a great number of talented skiers over the years, and

girls, the school trains and helps both local and outstation ski-

cluding the armed forces as professional skiers and are given the

the PAF, holds various winter competitions including the famous

sisters and Mir Nawaz have won numerous medals in various

ery winter. Besides providing free ski coaching to local boys and ers. Every winter, the Ski Federation of Pakistan, with the help of

national championship. Various organisations, clubs and associations of all provinces including the federal capital participate

in the competitions. While the Ski Federation and the PAF both

young boys and girls are employed by various organisations in-

chance to shine in the field of skiing. Besides Abbas, the Wali

competitions across the world, even racking up wins at the first South Asian Winter Games in India last year.

Besides the PAF, the Civil Aviation Authority is the only organisa-

provide some skiing equipment to local skiers, not everyone is fa-

tion which has launched a programme to upgrade and develop un-

Such is the demand, that almost every head of Naltar’s major

the Ski Federation of Pakistan annually for the development of Na-

cilitated, so the residents rely on local handmade wooden skies.

families knows how to make skis. “Naltar has a very vibrant cottage industry for ski equipment,” says Fahid Farooq, a ski trainer.

“Their forefathers were from China and Kohistan of Hazara divi-

sion. They used to make wooden coffins, doors and windows for

themselves and other villagers. Later, the same art was utilised

derprivileged areas of Naltar. “We have started giving Rs500,000 to

ltar,” says a CAA Ski representative. “We are also planning to select at least 10 young boys and girls from Naltar to ski professionally for

the CAA. We will be in charge of their education and diet, while the Federation will look after their ski training”.

Sadly, many people in Pakistan aren’t even aware of the ability

in making wooden skies and poles,” he adds.

of the people of Naltar to excel in winter sports, but with a little

for the children of Naltar. He makes dozens of such local wooden

possible. That is to say that these planks of wood can help bring

Forty-five-year-old Mumtaz is famous for making wooden skis

skis for the children for free. Mumtaz’s family have all made con-

help and a little push from the government, a kind of alchemy is home medals of gold!

31 APRIL 22-28 2012

FEATURE

field of

dreams

BY SUMAIYA LAKHANI

A tomato field is an unlikely place to find inspiration, but amid the trees, mud and growing shoots, there it was: Inspiration with a capital ‘I’.

As odd as that may sound, what’s even odder is that it came as I

saw a corporate banker jump over a mound, followed by a gaggle of giggling students in matching beige uniforms.

This was the moment when I got my first glimpse of the mentor-

mentee relationship that forms the basis of The Citizen Foundation’s Rahbar programme.

Started in 2008, Rahbar is a mentorship programme that aims

at the development of Pakistan’s youth on many levels. It’s come a

long way since its humble beginnings and now includes over 1,000

volunteer mentors who have reached out to about 4,500 students in different cities.

The meaning of its slogan “soch say taqdeek tak” (from thought

to action) was explained to me by an enthusiastic eight-grade student. “It means that you first convert a positive thought into a posi-

tive action, and then turn that action into a habit. That habit then becomes part of your character and can change your life! Understand?”

But beyond the slogans, how does it really work? Basically, vol-

unteers (mentors) from all walks of life pledge their time to help with character building and career counseling for children (men-

tees) studying in the eight grade or above with the aim of helping these kids develop into responsible adults.

There are seven weekly sessions in one ‘cycle’. In these sessions,

the mentors and mentees get to spend time with one another, and see and experience the often very different worlds they belong to.

The mentees get to see a part of their mentor’s life, which could

involve anything from visiting a golf club to attending a pottery

“But they treat me like a little sister. I can share even my saddest thoughts with them, cry about it, and still feel all right. They taught me that I can be whoever I choose to be.”

Another student, Ali Arsalan, remarked “My mentors taught

session. This not only exposes them to a setting they have never ex-

me to be positive and to observe. They taught me to how to live,

outside of the conventional ‘doctors and engineer’ paradigm exist

tions of my country.”

perienced, but is also meant to help them understand that careers

as well. In turn, the mentors end up sitting in a roadside dhaba sip-

how to not fight with others and how to improve the current condiAs I sat in one of the classrooms of the Coast Guard School cam-

ping chai, visiting a factory or just roaming around in agricultural

pus, I was struck by the contrast between the community outside

apt in this case.

I was quite impressed to see such young minds act in so mature a

fields. It’s a cliché to use the ‘two worlds meeting’ line, but it seems

32

would be really strict,” says Anum, a student of the eighth grade.

“I was initially quite scared because I thought our mentors

APRIL 22-28 2012

and the one that was being nurtured inside the school premises. way and I was even more impressed to see the confidence that ra-

Back amongst the tomatoes, it’s clear that its not just the students who feel a positive change in themselves. Running around in the field and laughing, the mentors looked refreshed and … just plain happy

helping the kids is a way of helping herself. “When I look at these children dealing with their problems, it gives me the strength to

deal with mine. And their advice to me for my own problems has been … phenomenal. It feels great to get so much love and respect, which is why I keep coming back.”

Zeeshan, another mentor currently working for Citibank, feels

the same way. “It feels amazing to be giving something back to society; and when you become a victim of your own problems, these kids give you the energy to deal with everything.”

One of the mentors recalled a student who was always the last

one to come to class and always ended up missing assembly. He was fortunate enough to be paired up with a mentor who was the

very soul of punctuality, and at the end of the cycle the school prin-

cipal himself noticed the change. The once-upon-a-time Late Latif was now the first person standing in the assembly line. All it took was a mentor’s guidance and trust to inculcate a habit that could change his character and, eventually, his life.

Zainab also related an example of a girl in her mentees group

who was aloof, unfriendly and just plain difficult. On one occasion, while the group was discussing success and failures, she

commented that her parents had told her she was going to die soon so such concepts were insignificant to her. Alarmed by this statement, Zainab pressed her and discovered that the girl had hepatitis, and that this was why she was so withdrawn. This revelation

led to an outpouring of support from within the group and many of her friends related instances of relatives who had been cured of hepatitis and were living full lives. diated from these children, most of whom come from underprivi-

leged backgrounds. And right then, I felt a flicker of hope for the future.

Today, that girl is not only healthy but one of the brightest stu-

dents in her class and almost an entirely different person ... a testament to the good we can do when we extend a helping hand.

Back amidst the tomatoes, it’s clear that its not just the students

who feel a positive change in themselves. Running around in the field and laughing, the mentors looked refreshed and … just plain

happy. It almost seemed as if they were more excited about the programme than the students. And you can’t blame them. After a

week of work politics, and the general stress that is a part and par-

cel of the rat race we are all running, being around genuine people,

sharing your life with them and receiving baskets of tomatoes and loki as presents, would indeed be a refreshing change.

33

For Zainab, a frequent volunteer who currently works in Engro, APRIL 22-28 2012

FEATURE

Efficiency takes the front seat in this race as students compete to match their futuristic car designs with fuel efficient technology

BY AMEER HAMZA AHMAD

running

on fumes

At the starting line at Eco-Marathon Germany 2009

38

Every year, students from across Asia gather at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM). Their mission: to travel the greatest distance on a litre of fuel. Make no mistake: there’s serious competition and cutting-edge engineering on view at the SEM, and with this kind of fuel efficiency, it is no surprise that big car companies are taking a close interest in these budding young engineers. Last year a team from Thailand broke the Asian Eco-marathon record by driving the equivalent APRIL 22-28 2012

of over 2,500 kilometres on a litre of fuel — the equivalent of driving from Karachi to Kolkata.

Competing on a shoestring budget, the team from the Paki-

stan Navy Engineering College (PNEC) at the National Univer-

sity of Sciences & Technology, Karachi (NUST) is quite hopeful about their chances at this year’s Eco-marathon. In 2009, they

Team PNEC’s first Prototype and Urban cars in 2009

were the first university from Pakistan to take part in the Eco-

Marathon held in Germany. While their cars didn’t have significant success at the competition, they returned to the Asian

edition of the competition in 2010 with better and more efficient vehicles.

Two categories of vehicles are tested on the tracks at SEM:

the prototype category which is a futuristic design of what is

yet to come in the field of automobile engineering, and the ur-

ban category which is open for mass production and more roadlegal. Team PNEC’s current urban concept vehicle, the ‘Bolt’ is

a conventional four-wheeler gasoline vehicle which, due to its unique fibreglass body and honeycomb chassis structure, was

recognised by officials at SEM to be the lightest car in the 2011 competition. Despite their tiny budget, a close look at Team

The Urban car at the Eco-Marathon 2010

PNEC’s Urban car reveals great attention to details. The whole

car weighs just over 100kg, while the heavily modified engine is a model of precision engineering. However, exactly what’s under the hood is something the team prefers to keep under

wraps until they get to Malaysia. While the competition will be fierce on the track, it’s even tougher in Pakistan where every major engineering university is already preparing its own cars for the competition.

Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand are considered the top

contenders this year, and the team from Thailand in particular has been surprising everyone with its record-breaking perfor-

mance for the last two years. “The competition is quite tough;

the others have access to cheaper and much better technology than us,” says Urban team leader Kanza Basit. “And this year

we are expecting some tough competition from the Air Univer-

The remote controlled prototype from 2010, the Burraq-II

sity in Islamabad.”

It’s not just the cars that have to be efficient, the drivers have

to be efficient as well. “Some 40% of fuel can be saved by driving efficiently,” says Junaid Alauddin, the main driver for the Bolt.

“Driving the Bolt is quite different from driving a normal car:

the brakes are hardly used and we have to use a variety of driving techniques to maximise fuel efficiency.”

Pakistan has almost always been the largest contingent at

the competition, with 20 cars in 2010. “I pushed for a local competition to select the best team in the country, so that the winner could best represent the country but the other universities

did not agree,” says team mentor, Captain (r) Shoib. “With so many teams competing from across the country, the chances of finding sponsors for each team have become really difficult.”

Team PNEC’s 2010 entry in the prototype category, the BUR-

The 2011 version of the Bolt alongside the old chassis APRIL 22-28 2012

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FEATURE

“Driving the Bolt is quite different from driving a normal car, the brakes are hardly used and we have to use a variety of driving techniques to maximise fuel efficiency.”

Bolt 2.0, the new and improved Bolt for 2012

Team PNEC: Abdullah Naeem, Umar Qayyum, Saad Ahmed, GP Capt (R) Shoib, Mukarram Raza, Haseeb Haider and Raffay (first row) Kanza Baist, Rumsha Baig and Aqsa Sikandar (second row) RAQ-II, was quite a hit at the competition that year, attracting

and drag minimisation, which will prove helpful in enhancing

controlled, utilising wi-fi technology to allow the driver to steer

prototype vehicle does not have strict dimensional criteria like

a lot of attention and press in Malaysia. The vehicle was remoteit with joysticks instead of a steering wheel, and stop it with the

flick of a switch. This removed the need for traditional transmission systems in conventional cars that potentially add weight,

thus enabling the vehicle to travel further and be more fuel ef-

the urban cars, there are certain requirements that have to be

kept in mind. Seat belts, ventilation ducts and safety features are mandatory in all cars.

This year, one of the team’s sponsors will be DHL Global For-

ficient. Sadly, the car was not allowed to race until some amend-

warding Pakistan. “In 2010, almost all the Pakistani contin-

interference with the car’s radio signals may lead to an accident

tation. We didn’t want a repeat of 2010 so we contacted DHL who

ments were made to it. “The officials at SEM were concerned that on the track,” says Shoib. “We had to reroute the braking mechanism to make it manual but we couldn’t recover after that.”

This year’s iteration, the Ballista, is a three-wheeled concept

vehicle that was designed with fuel efficiency in mind. “It will be equipped with a conventional steering system along with an electronic fuel injection (EFI) system,” says Prototype team lead-

40

its fuel efficiency.” While the design and manufacturing of a

er Rafay Bin Hussnain. “The car has a fibreglass body and its

highly aerodynamic design will provide great weight reduction APRIL 22-28 2012

gent’s cars were damaged in some way or other during transporagreed to sponsor us under their Go Green initiative,” says Kanza.

“They will ship both our cars to Malaysia and back.” The total

cost of building, transportation and racing the cars in Malaysia

costs about Rs2.3 million but while the team also has the support of Djuice, Telenor and HEC Stem Careers, they are still short of funds. “We asked NUST HQ for help, but they refused saying they

did not have the funds this year,” says Shoib. “But we have a feeling they might just come through for us in the end.” T

REVIEW

beat it

BY NOMAN ANSARI

In a sport where brawling is part of the unwritten rules, an enforcer, aka ‘goon’, is typically a role assigned to a player in ice-hockey, who allows his more skilled teammates to flourish on the ice, by protecting them from violent play from the opposition, often by using his bare knuckles. The sports comedy Goon is an endearing film about the rags-to-riches tale of one such player, Doug Glatt, who is a bit of a nut in more ways than one.

Playing the lead is Seann Williams Scott, an actor who has perfected the role of the comically dimwitted character. Here, Scott is both hilarious and touching, as Doug, an honorable and sweet person, who is trying to come to terms with his shortcomings.

Glatt initially gets noticed while attending a hockey game. When his buddy Ryan (Jay Baruchel) jeers at the opposition players and gets into a brawl, Glatt comes to his aid. Glatt’s spirit and brawling skills soon land him on the Halifax Highlanders team as their enforcer. He is told by coach Ronnie Hortense (Kim Coates) that he has been brought in to protect and rehabilitate star player, Xavier Laflamme (Marc-Andre Grondin).

waiting for titans

BY NOMAN ANSARI

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! There is no wrath and there are no titans!

You would think that in a film named Wrath of the Titans, there would most definitely be a violent battle royale, featuring at least a few of the powerful twelve deities in Greek mythology. Unfortunately, the only titan in the film has a short cameo, before he too disappears, obviously having been alerted by the other titans as to how poor this film is.

Wrath of the Titans, of course, is the sequel to Clash of the Titans (2010), a mediocre fantasy film which somehow managed godlike box office returns of nearly 500 million dollars worldwide. The good news is that this sequel, unlike its predecessor, has decent 3D effects. The bad news is that with uninspiring visuals, and laughably poor dialogue, this sequel is even worse than the first one.

The movie begins ten years after the Kraken was killed by Perseus (Sam Worthington), who is now making a living as a fisherman along with his ten-year-old son Heleus (John Bell). We note that Perseus is now completely uninterested in the events of the gods, when visited by his father Zeus (Liam Nesson), who warns him of the weakening of the underworld prison of Tartarus.

Later, when Zeus meets brothers Hades (Ralph Fiennes), Poseidon (Danny Huston), and son Ares (Edgar Ramirez), he finds himself under attack by Hades and Ares, and taken prisoner. We learn that

Xavier was an extremely promising talent, until he was mentally scarred after aggressive play from Ross ‘The Boss’ Rhea (Liev Schreiber), a retiring enforcer who Glatt idolises. Unfortunately, Xavier and Glatt don’t get along, and their animosity soon lands them both on very thin ice.

Glatt has other interesting relationships in Goon, including those with parents who don’t approve of his career, and would rather he be a doctor, and a gay brother who lends him moral support.

There is also a charming romantic subplot involving Glatt, and promiscuous hockey fan Eva (Alison Pill), who is caught between her steady boyfriend, and the simple appeal of Glatt.

Where Goon is let down, is by its need to resort to tired sports movie clichés. That being said, the movie scores consistently with its amusing gags, strong characterisation, and interesting narrative. And while the lovable Doug Glatt may be a bit dim, Goon itself isn’t just another dumb sports comedy film.

Hades and Ares, in danger of losing their immortality, make a deal with their father Kronos to restore his strength by draining Zeus, and thus able to retain their own powers in return.

When the prison of Tartarus breaks, the monsters are unleashed, coming to the mortal world. Perseus is found

by Poseidon at the Mount of Idols, where is he told of the events that have led to his father’s capture. The thief Agenor (Toby Kebbell) later joins Perseus, as do the forces of Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike). As the story progresses, our heroes try to liberate Zeus, and save the mortal world, and fix this dysfunctional family of gods.

You would expect a big budget CGI film like Wrath of the Titans to be able to draw on the beauty of Greek mythology and to be a visual extravaganza, but it is largely dull. In fact, the vast majority of the budget seems to have been spent on a wide variety of explosions, rather than the story. More disappointingly, powerful gods like Zeus and Hades look like mere mortals rather than powerful divine beings. Regrettable still are the performances on display by the two titans of cinema, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Nesson, who like this film, 41 are as bland as a Greek salad without dressing.

APRIL 22-28 2012

END OF THE LINE

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42 APRIL 22-28 2012

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