DECEMBER 16-22 2012
The house always wins Check or Raise? Poker fever sweeps Pakistan
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Cover Story
20 The House Always Wins Check or Raise? Poker fever has taken over Pakistan!
Features
26 Beyond Bombs and Beards Columbia University’s The Muslim Protagonist aims to fight the stereotypical portrayal of Muslims in English Literature
30 Indigenous Ideas Golden Guns aren’t just for James Bond villains
34 Looking Back with 20/20 Vision Welcome to E.Plomer & Co: Chemists, Tobacconists and Stationers since the 1860’s
30
Travel
38 An Eyeful of Azzinano
34
Off the beaten path is the small Italian town of Azzinano, where every year, artists from all over come together to give the town a makeover.
Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 40 Reviews: Killing Us Softly 42 Healthy Living: Detoxify your Body
38
4
Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Farahnaz Zahidi, Sub-Editors: Mifrah Haq, Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian. Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Maha Haider, Faizan Dawood, Samra Aamir, Sanober Ahmed. Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi. For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Gul and Sadia
Salma and Masooma
Sarah Gandapur and Aliha Chaudhry
Fabrizio launches its flagship outlet in Lahore Imtisal, Madiha and Ahmer Farzeen Malik
Saira and Ayesha
6 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Ayesha, Javeria, Uzma and Maryam
PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS AND PR
Sadaf and Amna Babar
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Abhey Deol and Gulzeb
Jordan and Noore Bhatty
Gul Zeb of Carnival hosts diwali celebrations in Dubai
Salma Khan
Mehwish Usman
31 Mehwish Ali 3 Mehwish and Shahnawaz.JPG Usman.jpg Usman.jpg
Sohail and Tooba Najwa
8 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Pallavi Bhatia
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS
Bushra and Saima
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Maheen Khan
Gul Zeb
Saadia Mirza presents her collection at the Pakistan Fashion Week 3 in London Kiran Malik
Amber Javaid
Omar Mansoor, Abbas Hasan and Sana Zara
10
Sultanat and Bushra DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Sheryar Majid and Obaira Ghafur
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS
Rossy Kumar, Naila Khan, Faiza Ahmed, Saliha Sheeraz and Hajira
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Imran and Aisha
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS
Erum Alam and Hassan Shehryar Yaseen
Haider and Amna Resham
Amber Sajid
12 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Asad and Asim of K Eashe launch their flagship store in Lahore
Mariam, Naila and Sonia
Fizzi
Natasha
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Pooja and Nimit Jain launch Paridhi in Dubai
sman
Pooja and Nimit Jain
Mehwish U
Asmaviya
Ayub Ali and Richa
PHOTOS COURTESY FAISAL FAROOQUI
Salma Khan
d Imran Qureshi
hes Colour c n u la n a t is k a ICI Dulux P Lahore in 3 1 0 2 s e r u t u F m, Amna Khan an
Mahwish, Sarah and Bushra
14 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Kamila, Sherazade and Uzma
Isbah PHOTOS COURTESY VERVE PR
bia Salee Amal Piracha, So
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Eshal, Kuki and Sehrish
Meher with her husband
Saba Ansari hosts the Fashion Pakistan Week after party in Karachi Hira Tareen and Ali Safina
Ayyan
Rizwan, Abbas and Zain
16 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
Maheen Khan and Frieha Altaf
Umar Sayeed and Amna Kardar
PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR AND MARKETING
Neha and Zeba
Mr and Mrs Mirza hold a food tasting for the restaurant Maida Terrace & Grill in Lahore
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS
Amber Liaquat
Sadaf and Amna Kardar
Saim and Maryam Fizi Sarah
Gulzeb Asif and Nafees
Onazza and Ali
Saira and Faisal DECEMBER 16-22 2012
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DECEMBER 16-22 2012
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
COVER STORY
TheFortunes house always wins are made and lost, as poker fever takes over in Pakistan BY MARIA JAFRY
“Can’t read my, can’t read my, No he can’t read my poker face”
it to be accorded the respect of a sport. The International Fed-
Lady Gaga’s hit single is very much on my mind as I enter
has been promoting poker as a ‘mind sport.’ Then there’s
the game room of this upscale club in Karachi. The aroma of fish and chips is in the air and the general silence is only
broken by the rustling of cards and clinking of poker chips.
Seated around a circular green table are nine fairly affluent looking men, judging purely by their clothes and expensive
eration of Poker, which was founded in 2009 in Switzerland, the World Series of Poker, a series of televised poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas. In fact, Pakistani-American Poker pro Hasan Habib has been a regular fixture at this event, netting around $5,100,000 as of 2010.
No one’s really sure where poker originated, with some
watches. Their eyes are fixed on the cards they hold, their
claiming it started in Louisiana and then spread to the Mis-
sions. Occasionally, you will hear someone swear as they
started by people returning from the US, and then had its
secrets carefully concealed behind their ‘poker face’ expreslose or let out a cry of glee upon winning. As the stakes rise, so does the noise.
Poker — a card game played between two or more people
with money at stake — has always been considered gambling, but the game’s loyal fan base is fervently pushing for
sissipi riverboats. Here in Pakistan it was initially probably
‘cool’ aura enhanced by movies like Matt Damon’s Rounders,
the George Clooney starrer Ocean’s Eleven and, of course, Ca-
sino Royale. Credit also has to go to Facebook, with its online ‘Texas hold’em Poker’ game. Even if you haven’t played it,
you would most likely know of it from the countless invita-
tions to play from your Facebook friends.
As the game’s popularity grew, Pakistani poker fans began
converging in private residences and, for larger events, rented houses to battle it out across a table. The trend started in Karachi
some six years back, but now poker has its adherents across the country.
“We were the first ones to start poker tournaments in this
area,” claims a well known poker dealer operating in Defence and
Clifton, areas that are home to the highest-stake games in the city. “It was at the same time when the clubs starting holding games as well.”
And so, among the well-heeled gamblers of Pakistan, flash
or teen patti is no longer fashionable. Flash, in case you
don’t know, is a traditional game of cards that is played
with a deck of three, where you simply bet and reveal
who got the highest-ranking hand. It’s mostly just luck of the draw and deep pockets that win you this game.
In poker, on the other hand, success doesn’t just come
from the cards but also from the timely bluff which can even help you win against a person with a better hand. That is why avid poker players will swear by the superiority of the game over other card-based gambling games.
“Poker is more civilised,” says one player. “Flash is
only luck!” asserts another, adding that “Poker is a game of mind, speed, technique and, well, luck too.”
At the time when poker was introduced in Karachi,
the stakes (the amount needed to buy poker chips before you begin to play) ranged from Rs500 to Rs1,000,
but like all things money can buy, inflation has added a significant zero to the cost of stakes, raising it to around Rs5,000 to Rs10,000. Private poker gatherings, at resi-
dences or rented houses for instance, have low stakes, but you don’t get a club’s class or environment.
For his part Jaffer*, a Poker enthusiast, finds pripri
vate gatherings a little too gritty for his tastes. “Clubs are sophisticated and my favourite is the Gold Club,” he says. “You meet decent people, the
game is clean, plus you can order food and drinks
and the house pays. Private places can get dirty. You
get plenty of drugs and booze, and they are even ready
to call girls on request. So the choice of place really de-
pends on your mood and how much dough you got in your pocket.”
Of course, not all clubs are created equal. In contrast
with the upscale club mentioned earlier, a sports bar lo(Continued on page 24)
Playing Poker is just like smoking cigarettes; you try it once and you are addicted. You never really figure out why you tried it in the first place.
COVER STORY cated near Shireen Jinnah Colony (which shut down early this
The metaphor used by another player is quite fitting, as he
year after running into losses) was a lot less classy. Walking
explains his fixation with the game, “Playing Poker is just like
heavy with the smell of hash and stale smoke, and expletives
never really figure out why you tried it in the first place.” But
in, you are immediately hit by its gritty atmosphere. The air is are routinely exchanged between hardened players who hardly so much as wince at the verbal blitz going on around them.
Strangely enough, a lot of the poker players I encountered
were either jobless or with no regular income, and found playing poker an easy means of making money. A few were even
hooked on drugs, and poker enabled them to buy these with-
out having to turn to their parents for money. In fact, many got into drugs because of poker. “When you are in stress after
losing a bundle of cash, the most tempting thing is a rolled up joint or a line of cocaine,” says a regular player. “It is the best
way to relax and it numbs you enough to forget everything. There is plenty available at private game houses.” It‘s like kill-
ing two birds with one stone: game houses make additional money from the sales of drugs and the drugs lure players into gambling more recklessly.
smoking cigarettes; you try it once and you are addicted. You unlike smoking a cigarette, a habit that is taken up by both
genders in some quarters of our society, you will hardly see women gambling, whether in private game rooms or at clubs.
In fact, when I went to game rooms for interviews and field
research for this article, all eyes would turn towards me, as if I
were an alien who invaded their home ground. When I shared my concern with one of the dealers, the reply was one which
you will expect perhaps from ninety per cent of Pakistani men. “We belong to a Muslim society. Our women are not allowed to indulge in such activities. They are our pride and they should
stay at home where they belong,” he said. Funny coming from someone who organises poker games, because the last time I checked poker was gambling and gambling is forbidden in Islam.
For dealers and houses that arrange poker games, it is a
But why gamble away your money in the first place when,
great way of making money. Without any substantial invest-
er probability of losing? “When you shuffle the deck and the
are good to go. The returns are phenomenal, for you can get
even if there is a chance of winning, there is an equal or great-
first cards are aces, you think everything is working out fine but the reality is a tad different,” says Shahal Khoso, a regular
poker player. “If you get good cards in round one, you tend to get confident. You raise the stakes. But in the next round, you end up with bad cards and your luck takes you down.”
Endurance record
Stephan Reischl, Nuran
ment, you arrange for a room and gather some people, and you
a ten per cent rake (commission) per hand by simply dealing hands and sitting back.
“Even the smaller organisers make three to four lakh rupees
per year by holding poker games at home,” says the dealer. And
if you are holding a big tournament, he says, you can make as
All-time money list
Erik Seidel has the highest
Karasu, and Jens Tölle played
winnings in tournament poker
in a hotel room.
tournament.
for a total of 137 hours straight
with $16,885,167 in a single
Gambling and the Brain A team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, discovered that the brains of people anticipating a win at the roulette table appeared to react much like those taking euphoria-inducing drugs, like cocaine.
much as Rs50,000 to Rs100,000 in a single day. This
explains how clubs can afford to offer free food and drinks, I think to myself.
Of course, there is always the danger of police raids,
since gambling is after all illegal in Pakistan. But then,
an organiser makes enough money to bribe his way out
of trouble. When poker first began in a Block 4 Clifton
apartment, the constant arrival and departure of men at
odd timings raised suspicions, and a police party raided
the place.
“Around 15 to 16 guys were arrested but were later released after the police were paid around 3-and-a half lakh rupees,” the dealer says.
Thus, with stakes so high, it’s perhaps inevi-
table that some players have to turn to crime to make good their debts. “People have kidnapped their own
siblings for ransom and then killed them when it came to resolving gambling debts,” says a police officer. “There was a very heartbreaking case in which a father
gave away his own little daughter in place of cash he owed to someone for gambling.”
And if these are not reasons enough to shun gam gam-
bling, there are ample cases of people who have sacri sacrificed their lives and relationships at the poker table.
A former poker player confided in me, “I tried to com com-
mit suicide because there was no way I could have paid
or played off my debts. I started getting threats. The more I lost, the more I played on credit (private places
let player buy chips on credit, often at exorbitant inter inter-
est rates) in the hope of winning and recovering. In the
end, I had to flee the country and stayed away for months.”
I tried to commit suicide because there was no way I could have paid or played off my debts. I started getting threats. The more I lost, the more I played on credit.
“One of the reasons my marriage failed was because of my
husband’s gambling,” says a divorced housewife. “There were days when we would have a Land Cruiser parked outside, and
days when all we would have was an old Corolla. Gambling
then made him an alcoholic when he could not control his depression over losing money and thus he ended up losing his job and leaving his family.”
The possibility of making a quick buck, coupled with the
glamour and adrenaline of this game, makes poker irresistible for a growing number of people. It’s not as if every person
who picks up a deck of cards ends up becoming an inveterate gambler, but for anyone growing addicted to the clink of chips
and the rustle of cards, Shahal Khoso has a warning. “Gam-
bling leads to lying, deception and, well, break-ups too,” he says. “After all, Juwa kisi ka na Huwa,” he says.
FEATURE
beyond bombs
and beards
To fight the stereotypical portrayal of Muslims in modern English Literature, Columbia University’s ‘The Muslim Protagonist’ aims to change the mainstream narrative. BY KHADEEJA SAFDAR AND SOPHIA SAIFI
“We can show the world that progress and innovation are part of our narrative. We improve ourselves and do things consistently better. That is the essence of being Muslim,” said Ibrahim AbdulMatin.
In 2011, twenty two-year-old Mirzya Syed, a Pakistani-American student at Barnard College in New York City (NYC), was attending a class on novels written about the immigrant experience — precisely about problems faced by people of East Asian, African and Latin American descent. What struck her at the time was that there was no mention of any Muslim country or people — except for a terrorist character in a book called Flight by Sherman Alexie. Around the same time, Syed heard on the news that the New
York Police Department had been spying on the Muslim commu-
nity in NYC, including Columbia University’s Muslim Students Association. “It made me sad more than anything else,” she recalls. “I felt that we needed something for the Muslim voice.”
Syed took her concern to Haris Durrani, a nineteen-year-old
engineering student at Columbia, who brought the university’s
Muslim Students Association onboard. Seven months of meetings, emails and Skype conversations later, Columbia University
held the first-ever Muslim writers symposium of its 258-year history. They called it ‘The Muslim Protagonist’.
On November 11, a series of panel discussions, videos and
writing workshops were conducted with Muslim scholars, playwrights and novelists at the helm. Among Muslim writers from
a varied cultural landscape, writers of Pakistani descent, including Kamran Pasha, Mohsin Hamid and Daniyal Mueenuddin, addressed the audience of 300 participants in person and through video conferencing.
Instead of lamenting the lack of Muslims in modern literature,
panelists urged attendees to pick up their pens and start writing.
“No one story will be a perfect representation of the Muslim community,” said writer and award-winning film director Musa Sy-
26
eed. “We need many stories, and we need them now.”
Panelists promoted literature and art as a way for Muslims in
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
“Muslims have seen themselves as victims of history. We need to see ourselves as the force of history,” said Kamran Pasha
“I remember a time when ordinary people from the United States and Iran used to interact on a human level at a way that they no longer do,” said Anita Amirrezvani.
the US to project their voices. Co-authors
of more than two-dozen works of fiction, Nikoo Kafi and Jim McGoldrick, shared how they penetrate hard-to-reach audi-
ences through popular culture novels, sold
on the shelves of retailers such as Costco and Walmart. Their books are intentionally kitsch — stories of lovers ala Mills and Boons — but with characters named Omid and Habib and set in Muslim countries like Iraq and Iran.
“With our stories, we can reach into
those deep hidden areas of this country to people who don’t know a Muslim beyond
what the media feeds them and present
Muslims as the heroes and heroines,” said Kafi. “We reach out to the Americans who
on Being Muslim, relates the
ers are the people who watch Fox News.”
lim-American men on how
have never known a real Muslim. Our readNovelist Mohsin Hamid, who was in
Lahore, made an appearance via a pre-
recorded video to discuss his two books
personal accounts of 45 Mus-
their religion affects their daily lives.
Hollywood
screenwriter,
Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist,
director and novelist Kamran
of Muslim identity. He addressed the cur-
of working in the Ameri-
both of which juggle contrasting notions rent media climate for Pakistan and noted
the breakthrough nature of telling stories with Pakistani protagonists. “In the international media, Pakistan is a horror film
franchise,” he said “It’s the loose nukes and the threat of the Taliban. You don’t see stories outside of that Pakistan.”
Playwright and essayist Wajahat Ali
used humour to illustrate the condition of
the Pakistani-American Muslim. As some
of the world’s most hated countries, Pakistanis now have more in common with
Iranians than chest hair and a love of Mercedes, he quipped. “It is imperative in a glo-
Pasha shared the difficulties
can television industry as a Muslim. The Karachi-born novelist wrote
co-produced
an
and
Emmy-winning
show called “Sleeper Cell,”
which is about a Muslim FBI agent on a mission to un-
cover a terrorist plot in the US. The show has come under criticism for some negative portrayals of Muslims. At the event, Pasha defended his work, citing that the
alternative was worse: no Muslim voice in Hollywood at all. His two books Mother of the
Believers and Shadow of the Swords also employ
balised world, where cartoons and crappy
Muslims as protagonists.
by extremists on both sides of the Atlantic,
tims of history. We need to see ourselves as
YouTube documentaries can be exploited
for Muslims to emerge as protagonists and
share rich stories that authentically por-
“Muslims have seen themselves as vic-
the force of history,” he said.
And this point was reiterated by Ibrahim
tray who we are. We are neither avatars of
Abdul-Matin, radio personality, blogger
We are people with warts and faults, who
Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protect-
perfection, nor catalysts of Armageddon. eat meatloaf and biryani.”
Author of the play The Domestic Crusaders,
Ali’s most recent book, All American: 45 Men
and author of the acclaimed book Green
“With our stories, we can reach into those deep hidden areas of this country to people who don’t know a Muslim beyond what the media feeds them and present Muslims as the heroes and heroines,” Nikoo Kafi said.
ing the Planet. “We can show the world that progress and innovation are part of
27
our narrative. We improve ourselves and do
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
FEATURE
things consistently better. That is the essence of being Muslim.”
Punjab-based writer Daniyal Mueenudin appeared on video
and spoke of the possibility for Muslims to write stories without mentioning anything political. Mueenudin addressed the lack of “bombs and beards” in his works, saying that his job as a storyteller isn’t necessarily to answer questions posed by the media.
Instead, his collections of short stories In Other Rooms, Other Won-
ders explores themes such as women’s empowerment and social inequality.
Although the symposium was a weekend event, the spirit of
“It is imperative in a globalized world, where cartoons and crappy YouTube documentaries can be exploited by extremists on both sides of Atlantic, for Muslims to emerge as protagonists and share rich stories that authentically portray who we are. We are neither avatars of perfection, nor catalysts of Armageddon. We people with warts and faults who eat meat loaf and biryani,” said Wajahat Ali.
28 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
The Muslim Protagonist lives on. Syed and Durrani have now teamed up to create a new student group at Columbia University
called the Muslim Writers Workshop. The new organisation will continue using literature as an agent of social change for Mus-
lims by hosting more seminars with academics and authors. The
pair also hopes to publish a magazine, which will use the written word to project the Muslim voice on their campuses and beyond.
“Storytelling is our way of battling stereotypes. The storytellers have to be our ambassadors,” Reza Aslan.
FEATURE They say you can tell the men from the boys by the size of their toys. Going to check out the IDEAS 2012 expo, the writer finds himself reliving his childhood among cutting-edge military gear TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MUHAMMAD ADIL MULKI
indigenous
ideas
“One can resist the invasion of armies; one cannot resist the invasion of ideas.” This quote by the French author Victor Hugo, best describes the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) held this November.
As a child I grew up watching the Pakistan Day parade and
wondered why it didn’t take place in my city. It was to satisfy the
curiosity of the inner child and re-live that nostalgia that I visited IDEAS 2012 held in Karachi.
There were a number of international exhibitors but I was
IDEAS has had a bad run in the past couple of years, the dev-
more interested in the wide variety of Pakistani products pres-
last moment and the event was not even held in 2011. However
Al-Zarrar and Al-Khalid tanks are undoubtedly the pinnacle of
astating floods in 2010 caused the event to be cancelled at the
this year, the event has come of age and has provided the perfect
platform for launching Pakistani defence products in the international arena.
ent. The JF-17 Thunders, the Karakorams, the Mashaks and the Pakistan’s indigenous defence production. But I would like to
highlight some of the lesser known gems that the local manufac-
turers had to offer — from the bizarrely simple to those straight out of a sci-fi movie.
A concert that wasn’t At a huge stall belonging to the Global Industrial and Defence
Solutions (GIDS), I spied what looked like a set of acoustic micro-
phones and some very high tech speakers. It turned out that the microphones were part of what is called the Gunshot Detection
System or GDS and it does exactly what its name suggests. The GDS can detect and convey the location of gunfire by using shock-
waves created by the bullet. What’s even cooler is that an automatic machine gun can be configured with the system to lock
onto the shooter’s position to return fire almost immediately!
The “speakers” turned out to be explosion proof lights that could
30
stand the shock-wave of a blast. DECEMBER 16-22 2012
KITT — Meets HIT (Heavy Industries Taxila) This took me back to the days when Knight Rider was king of the airwaves. This is a White Toyota Altis with dark tinted glasses. Nothing exciting about that, you say?” Well, the car is bullet proof and explosion proof! Capable of withstanding a barrage of
gun-fire, grenade attacks and even IED blasts. Not even flat tyres can stop this car! HIT have improvised on their knowledge of armour plating gained from years of producing APCs and tanks. The package comes with reinforced chassis and shocks and a supercharger to compensate for the extra weight of the armour. Quite handy for Karachi driving too, I would imagine.
Drones in Droves What’s a defence expo without drones? Pakistani manufacturers had their own drones on display. Once again, GIDS led the way
with its local Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Shahpar, which has a wingspan of 6.6 metres. With its 250 kilometre range, 50 kilogramme payload capacity and day and night operational capability, it lives up to its grandiose title. Integrated Dynamics
(ID) was another promising manufacturer of UAVs that offered
a range of military and civilian drones. Interestingly, ID has exported some of its products to Australia, Italy and even the US!
Quad-rotors and Hexa-Rotors — VR — Goggles National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) were
showing off a product that reminded me of the surveillance quadrotor that Rancho from 3 Idiots helped build. Well, the NRTC had
a high-tech version of that at IDEAS, called the Air Scout. This
unmanned aerial system (UAS) has search and rescue abilities, urban surveillance and counter-terrorism potential. The builtin cameras can provide live video feeds and can be customised
for thermal imaging, night vision, extended flight or weather
proofing. Imagine the advantages of having one hovering between buildings and reporting on the proceedings at a rally, pro-
cession, protest or dharna! The system comes with a cool set of goggles that provide the pilot with point of view video for con-
31
trolling the craft.
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
FEATURE Virtual Battlefield A simulation can be something as basic and physical as “net practice” in cricket or as advanced and sci-fi as the simulated “worlds”
onboard the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek. The Military Ve-
hicles Research and Development Establishment (MVRDE) have
built cutting edge tank simulators complete with life-like pods. These pods are mounted on hydraulic systems that let the driver experience a simulated battlefield. MVRDE has also created a
simulated shooting range. The “Shooter Profile System” is capable of analysing all the parameters that a shooter has to master,
including breath control and pre-fire anxiety. To top off things, the G3 rifle’s recoil mode can be switched on to give you a real
“jhatka”! They also had showcased their ATGM (Anti Tank Guided Missile) simulator which was very popular with some young engineers attending the exhibition.
The Golden Gun One of the reasons I love IDEAS is that you can find all kinds of
weapons there, from the gun that can be fired around corners to the gold-plated sub-machine gun. Yes you heard that right, a gun that can be fired around corners! The POF EYE, created by the
Pakistan Ordnance Factories, allows the shooter to see, and fire,
a gun around corners. Future versions will include night vision, infra-red vision and would also be able to transmit the video feed back to base in real time!
All Blown Up Last, but not least; I came across a couple of stalls that reminded
me of the inflatable jumping castles. These are actually inflatable decoys which mimic aircraft and military equipment. Before I left, I could not help but stop at the stall serving piping hot
curries with scrumptious looking parathas. I was invited to try
the food and after my appetite was satisfied, I enquired what it was all about. It turns out that the food I had just polished off
was more than a year old! PANA Force makes preserved food without using harmful chemicals. The food comes with a special selffuelled burner for heating when required, remains fresh for over
an year and tastes delicious — this last bit, I speak with experi-
32
ence! DECEMBER 16-22 2012
FEATURE
looking back
with 20/20 vision
The story behind one of Lahore’s retail landmarks TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SONIA MALIK
Sheikh Hafizuddin is 90-years-old. The wrinkles on his face are like the roadmap of a life well-lived. Endless pairs of eyes have found brighter vision through the corrective lenses and spectacles his business has provided; so many have been cured by buying medicines off his pharmacy counter. Countless fingers (and shirt pockets) have been stained by the ink of the fountain pens sold at his store. In many a profound moment, the men of Lahore have lit up cigarettes they brought at his store, and reflected on life. Hafizuddin has seen boys grow into men and fathers grow into
grandfathers, with the next generation holding onto the grandfather’s finger as they enter the shop for their first pair of glasses.
For Lahoris, the stores under the family signature “Haji S Ameer-
din & Sons” are a part of Lahore’s heritage. Every day, at 11 am, Hafizuddin sets out to visit his shop at no. 26, The Mall. He then
goes to his frame manufacturing factory at Thokar Niaz Baig around noon. He joined the business of his father Haji Sheikh Allah Dita, Lahore’s oldest drug and optical equipment shop, in his
youth. “I had just passed my FA exam from Dayal Singh College then. I was the second oldest of my seven brothers. My father,
34
who ran a small optical shop in Lohari Gate, called me over and DECEMBER 16-22 2012
This sign’s been outside the wall of the E Plomers building since 1864
said, ‘the nature of business these days is changing. I want your help in improving the business.’ I said yes,” Hafizuddin recalls.
He did not pursue further studies and instead immersed him-
self in his father’s business. Today, he runs three Haji Ameerdin & Sons outlets in Lahore, and one each in Karachi, Multan and
Rawalpindi. Expansion included the setting up of Ethical Laboratories in Thokar Niaz Baig and a frame manufacturing factory.
As Hafizuddin embarked on reflections about the 70 years of
this legendary family business of Lahore, he shared bits of history. E Plomers was the first drug and optician’s shop set up by the British in Lahore in 1864, the place his family acquired in 1962.
It all started with a British man called Edward Plomer who
came to India with the East India Company in the early 1860s.
Since the English were still settling in and needed a variety of goods and services, Plomer decided to also sell stationary, tobacco and set up a photography studio, as is indicated in two boards
Hafizuddin with Koyle
erected at the shop till today. “I believe he was trying to sell products exclusively to cater to the British, ones that were not available anywhere else,” Hafizuddin said.
After Plomer passed away in the early 1900s, his wife took over
the business but then sold it to John Francis Koyle, an Englishman from Goa, in 1928. Koyle had moved to Lahore and was also
running a factory producing aerated soda at Queen’s Road. Koyle
in turn sold the business to Bal Krishan Chopra, a native of Lahore who owned other buildings at The Mall too. Medicines sold
here at the time were imported from six or seven international manufacturers and were mixed in proportions prescribed by the
doctors. Even today, some medicines are imported from some of the same manufacturers as in the 1900s.
Meanwhile, even as the shop changed hands, Hafizuddin’s fa-
ther was also contemplating a change of his own. “My father was very keen to move out of the inner city area of Lohari Gate, as An-
arkali and The Mall were fast becoming retail hubs. We owned a shop in Anarkali which my father moved his business to in 1950.
When in 1952, Koyle decided to move back to England and was looking to sell his business; my father grabbed the opportunity,
but did not buy the actual building until ten years later. In 1962 the building was purchased for two million rupees in an open house auction,” says Hafizuddin.
“At that time, the English felt that Pakistan would not survive
for long, and would fall apart. Most Hindus had left Lahore by then, and the English were seeking to sell what they owned,” Hafizuddin says, reminiscing about the post-partition days.
“At that time, the English felt that Pakistan would not survive for long, and would fall apart. Most Hindus had left Lahore by then, and the English were seeking to sell what they owned,” says Hafizuddin
Today, that very building stands opposite the Lahore High
Court, and in keeping with its mixed heritage, goes by two names — E Plomers and Haji Ameerdin & Sons. Medicines and drugs are sold under the E Plomers label, while Haji Ameerdin &
Sons sells lenses and glasses. More shops were opened up by the family at other locations, and those run under the family name.
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“The business was purchased, hence we kept the E Plomer DECEMBER 16-22 2012
FEATURE
My father closed down our original Lohari gate shop as soon as he relocated to Anarkali, but many have tried to profit from his name and his reputation of being the only Muslim optician in Lahore in yesteryears
name,” explains Hafizuddin. “The name Ameerdin was included
because this is what my father’s shop in Lohari was called. Both are essentially the same thing. The shop was named after my brother,” Hafizuddin recalls.
As Lahore grew, so did the demand for Pharmacies. Besides
E Plomers, the other drug store on the Mall was Smiths and Gambles. It was also sold prior to partition. Later two more drug stores, Jagit Singh and Sons, which later came to be known as
Fazil Din & Sons, and opposite to it, Jai & Sons, opened up. So
there were four shops in all when Hafizuddin’s family purchased the business.
“In 1947, my father was leaving for Hajj via Karachi and I went
to see him off. An optician’s shop, Himalaya Optical Company, was for sale. It was owned by a man who wanted to move to India,” Hafizuddin says, recalling how the family business expanded into Karachi. “As my father was leaving for his Hajj, he told him that he cannot make the payment until three months later,
which was the time it took back then to return from Mecca. The shop owner agreed and it was purchased later that year.”
Multan was next. “After partition, a few senior administrators
of the local government in Multan visited my father requesting
him to open a shop as there were no opticians there and as a consequence, Multanis had to travel to Lahore or Karachi for treatment. My father complied with their request by opening a shop there in 1949,” he said. A shop in Rawalpindi was set up in 1952.
“We had continued the system of importing the drugs, but in
1962, we took a step forward with the setting up of Ethical laboratories, which I founded. We specialise in ophthalmic solutions,”
says Hafizuddin. This sister concern of M/S Haji S Ameerdin &
Sons was established in collaboration with and under the techni-
cal direction of M/S Smith Miller & Patch of USA. By this time Ameerdin & Sons has become a household name, and a lot of its less ethical competitors tried to cash in by opening shops with
the same name. Until just four years ago, a Lohari gate shop selling glasses still operated under the name of Haji S Ameerdin &
sons. Hafizuddin denies any connection with that shop. “My father closed down our original Lohari gate shop as soon as he relocated to Anarkali, but many have tried to profit from his name and his reputation of being the only Muslim optician in Lahore
in yesteryears. It was not just this one shop outside the Lohari
Gate that stole his name, but there were at least three others as well. Some closed a while ago and the others only closed after I sued them.”
The years have flown by, but even at the ripe old age of 90, the
thought of visiting his beloved shops is enough to get Hafizuddin out of bed in the morning. Such are the people who are part
Most shelves used in the shop are over 150 years old DECEMBER 16-22 2012
of our living heritage. Their stories need to be told and re-told before they become diffused memories of the past.T
TRAVEL
an eyeful of
azzinano Not on your typical Italian itinerary, the town of Azzinano offers a unique insight into countryside culture through murals painted on home facades in an annual festival
BY FAZAL KHALIQ
Every year, around mid-August, the mountain town of Azzinano in Italy gets a makeover. Artists from all over the country descend into this tiny village, home to some 164 inhabitants, in the foothills of Gran Sasso, the highest mountain of the Apennine range in the Teramo province. In true Italian tradition, they take to their paints and brushes and draw murals like past Italian maestros did on church ceilings and palace walls. Only this time, their canvasses are the modest, but quaint, village houses lining cobbled streets. The ten-day event called “Walls Tell� has been held
two years in a row since 2011 to commemorate the
memory of Annuziata Scipio, a renowned painter
hailing from Azzinano. Originally the brainchild of
38
Luciano Marinelli, who painted murals in honour of Scipio, the event has become a celebration of the reDECEMBER 16-22 2012
gion’s life and culture where painters now paint murals on specific topics on the front walls of houses.
Of course, the sight is refreshing for the locals,
who see their houses bathed in new colours ev-
ery year. And it “spreads peace, joy and happiness among all villagers,” as Antonello Pescosolido, a lo-
cal tourist guide says. But the locals specifically pride themselves on this tradition for it serves to preserve and showcase the region’s cultural heritage that the new generation is losing touch with.
“It is important to revive the old culture of the
land, even if it means through paintings,” says Silivia Bucci, a local. “When youngsters come to this
village and see the [depictions of] indigenous games played in the countryside that are now extinct, they
learn about their history, which they should not
have forgotten [in the first place]. The murals offer stories from the past, knowledge of tradition and a
message on local culture and philosophy. They also
depict the colours of life in Azzinano and the surrounding towns.”
For tourists who visit Azzinano at this time of the
year, it’s probably a detour from the conventional, and massively popular, tourist trail in Italy. The vil-
lage and its attractions boast of no grandiosity like the Colosseum in Rome does, nor does it offer the
romance that gondola rides over Venetian canals do. Still tourists find the sights of colourful paintings
against the green and tidy backdrop of lush mountains and quaint cityscape very unique. After all, like
Bucci says, “It is like a gallery of large paintings un-
der the sky roof, an outdoor museum which can be visited free of charge anytime of the year.”
Mathew, a tourist from Rome who is glad he com-
plied with his friend’s recommendation to visit the
village, would agree. “The place offers something
which cannot be seen anywhere else. It is refreshing and bewildering at the same time,” he says.T
DECEMBER 16-22 2012
39
REVIEW
missing the bull’s eye BY NOMAN ANSARI
When it comes to crime films, Killing Them Softly is as recognisable as a gunshot. The movie is adapted from the 1974 novel Cogan’s Trade, by George V Higgins. Directed by Andrew Dominik, this is a grim, brutal and cynical movie, which is slickly shot and features plenty of suspenseful scenes. Killing Them Softly sports the mugs of some familiar tough guy actors, including Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), and the highly versatile Brad Pitt (Fight Club). Here, the latter gives an unsettling performance as a sociopathic gunman, who has earned a reputation for his passion to kill ‘softly’. It is quite disappointing, though, that the film’s script itself lacks softness, preferring to bludgeon viewers with overbearing political commentary and exertive efforts aimed at drawing parallels between the business of crime and the American economy. The plot of the film involves the robbery of an illegal mob poker game by criminals Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and his junkie friend Russell (Ben Mendelsohn). This job is masterminded by Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola), who targets the game being held by Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta). Amato reasons that if the game is robbed easily, the mob will automatically conclude that it is an inside job, blaming and executing Markie, who had once robbed his own game, and then admitted to it in a drunken state, only to be forgiven. At this point, hit man Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) is hired to assassinate Markie. Jackie immediately realises that Markie is being set up, but concludes that the man must be killed regardless, in order to protect consumer confidence in his business. What follow are some thoroughly cold and violent scenes, while the characters engage in wordy dialogue, as President George Bush gives speeches in the background about the American economic collapse and how bailouts to struggling companies are the solution to regaining consumer confidence. Here we are forced to conclude that the American government tries to solve its problems like the mob itself. Dominik creates a neo-noir world, with scenes set in bars, cars and dark industrial suburbs. It’s gritty and stylish without being conceited. The film includes a great slow-motion sequence involving a bullet to the head in which the beauty provides a stark contrast to the brutality. Despite the fact that it’s is only 97-minutes long, Killing Them Softly still feels a bit lax and overlong. But the dialogues are sharp and so are the performances.
40 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
If you can look past the flaws in the film’s clumsy script, Killing Them Softly has something to offer with its intense mob scenes, and sometimes hilariously dark humour. Although the imperfections in the film keep it from making a killing, it isn’t quite ‘dead on arrival’ either.
a mystical journey BY AYESHA RIZWAN SIDDIQI
On the surface, this book is simply an exploration of ceramic architectural embellishment, an art form that is slowly fading into obscurity. However, a closer study reveals that amidst the glossy pages filled with nearly five hundred striking photographs, Abdul Hamid Akhund and Nasreen Askari have skillfully woven in threads of deeper social commentary. Using this book as a vessel, they transform history from a single word, often ignored, to an alive collective. After a reading, no tile, no artifact, no mausoleum will be looked at in the same way again. The classification of this book is difficult. Tale of the Tile diffuses across categories with ease, weaving the commonalities of this art across borders. Although it began as a simple catalogue for an exhibition held at the Mohatta Palace Museum in 2006, the authors built on to include a detailed historical overview, extensive research on style and terminology, aesthetically executed photography, extracts from a 14th century manuscript, and even a reprint of a 19th century Persian treatise on the manufacture of kashi pottery. The duo is more than qualified to undertake such a mammoth endeavour. Amongst other things, Akhund is the founder of the Department of Culture and Askari is the founder Director of the Mohatta Palace Museum. They have spent their lives promoting the cultural heritage of Pakistan, jointly collaborating on various expositions for nearly three decades. On page 13, as part of the foreword, Akhund and Askari write: “We followed countless tracks ending up with musk guiding us...It has been an odyssey of lofty heights.” This is what this journey is about. This book is divided into two broad sections — the historical perspective and the catalogue of exhibits. As mentioned earlier, the catalogue section is a documentation of an earlier Mohatta Palace exhibition. Hundreds of high-resolution stills, accompanied by detailed information boxes and descriptive paragraphs, preserve in time a glorious showcase. Methodically, the ceramic works are divided into seven themes based on frameworks ranging from traditional to modern. In this way, the colors and patterns systematically grouped together enable the reader to visually distinguish not only the evolution of tile making but also what these tiles represent. The historical aspect is comprehensive, wherein the authors go as far back as 2000 BCE to establish a sound base of knowledge that becomes highly useful moving forward. In these earlier pages, as they trace the origins of tile cladding in the Islamic world, Akhund and Askari cover various regions and civilisations outside modern day Pakistan, making note of ceramic art in Baghdad, works and techniques under the Timurids and Safavids, and the superior skill of Iranian potters. From Mergarh to Kamarro Sharif to the modern ceramic studios
of today, the viewer is transported to a world where vessels, horns and even whorls have meaning. These works carry influences of lands far away and near — from Northern Mesopotamia, across the Mediterranean, Persia and North Africa to the Indus Valley. Nevertheless, it is the Islamic monuments of Pakistan that are discussed in much more detail. Some structures in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, such as the Andira tombs, are also mentioned. In each example, art cleverly imitates life. For instance, the Persian influence from cultural and commercial exchange is seen in the fine craftsmanship of the Indus valley; the low-key yet decisive hexagons of Multan speak of a region spiritually and politically prominent for centuries; the individuality and amalgamation of strongly shaped tiles in Uchh are remembrances of the cosmopolitan status Uchh once enjoyed; and the Lahore tiles, unmatched in their exquisiteness, whisper of grand years under Mughal patronship. The reverence of the authors towards their beloved subject is contagious. They not only foster awareness amongst those curious about this heritage, but also implore the authorities to ensure that what survives today is preserved for tomorrow. In this way, Tale of the Tile has not only traced the history of ceramic arts in Pakistan but also fiercely safeguarded this very history. Nothing has been ignored — not the complex social backdrop, not the expertise of the builders and artists, and thankfully, not the sheer beauty of this art. Indeed, this book is a visually lavish, intellectually rich volume that brings forth voices of the past and messages for the present. Read it in one sitting, or leave it on the coffee table and keep coming back. Either way, each appraisal is bound to evoke nostalgia for what used to be and pride for what is.T *Tale of the Tile is available at Liberty Books 41 DECEMBER 16-22 2012
HEALTHY LIVING
DETOX
BATH BY KIRAN ZAHRA
Now that winter is here, a long hot bath sounds particularly tempting. And if these hot baths are converted into therapeutic treatments for detoxification, it’s a double treat for your body.
The science behind a Detox Bath is fairly simple. Sweating is the most common and effective way to dextoxify a human body efficiently. Skin pores of a human body react to differences in the temperatures of the surroundings. So when you soak your body in hot water, the pores on your skin
open up and all the toxins from your body drain out. The process begins when the bath medium is hot, peaks after the body is immersed for 20 minutes and ends as the temperature falls below the effective degree.
Here is the recipe for a detox bath that works wonders in making you stress-free, helping you to
sleep better and give you a refreshing start for the next day.
Detox bath recipe Ingredients: • Sea salt 1/3 cup
• Epsom salt 1/3 cup
• Baking soda 1/3 cup
• Apple cider vinegar 1 cup • Ground ginger 2 1/2 tbsp
Procedure: • Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Prepare a hot water bath, setting the temperature according to
your preference. Add the dry ingredients and vinegar while the water fills up the tub, so that these mix in well. Don’t be alarmed
if the water turns orange or yellow, as it is due to the ginger and vinegar.
• Soak yourself in the bath for about 40 minutes and enjoy the ‘me time’. You can also rub your skin to activate the lymphatic system that helps you clear out harmful toxins from your body.
• You can make the dry mix and store it in a bottle for future use. All you will need when you want to have a detox bath is one cup of dry mix and one cup of vinegar. It also makes for a great gift!
Health benefits: 1. Sea salt: It helps to sooth open sores or blemishes.
2. Epsom salts: It helps to relieve muscle aches, makes you sweat more and reduces inflammation.
3. Baking soda: It is alkaline in nature and helps to balance off a highly acidic system. As a result, it softens the skin and eliminates chlorine present in the water.
4. Apple cider vinegar: It softens your skin and helps restores the
acid-alkaline balance of your body. It is also good for acne treatment.
5. Ginger: It opens up pores and makes you sweat more. Ginger also helps in increasing blood circulation.
Important considerations before the bath: • This bath can dehydrate you. So it is important to take plenty of water before, during and after taking this bath.
• You can feel a little light-headed after taking this bath, so don’t stand up so quickly.
• The preparation and duration of the bath could make you tired, so it’s better to take this bath right before bedtime.
• Do not take hot or salt baths if you are hypertensive, pregnant, diabetic, or if you have a history of heart disease. If you are unsure, ask your doctor first.
• If you come down with flu-like symptoms after a detox bath, then know it’s fairly common. Your body is flushing out toxins, and you have to make sure you are well hydrated at all times.
42 DECEMBER 16-22 2012