The Express Tribune Magazine - December 27

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

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2015 The moments that made it a year to remember

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

Infographic 2016: A fresh start

Year in Review

Rewind 2015

New Year resolutions and how to keep them

A quick look at this year’s highlights

A significant year Pakistan’s major developments this year

24

Society #TopTags2015 This year’s popular Twitter hashtags

42

Round-up

Most anticipated books and movies of 2016

20

38

Regular

6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people

Magazine Editor: Dilaira Dubash. Subeditors: Komal Anwar & Manahyl Khan Shafi Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Eesha Azam, Sobia Khan, & Sanober Ahmed Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk 4 Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Mr and Mrs Gohar Ijaz

Erum Ahmad

Cinepax Cinema launches with the screening of Tamasha in Lahore

Alyzeh Gabol

6 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

Mohsin and Faisal

Xille Huma

Saqib and Rabia

Minahil, Sana, Uzma, Saman and Saqib

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

Asad and Mishal

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Amna and Ahmad

Amna and Usman

Inzar and Shahzada Farhad

8 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

Zainab, Seher, Mahi and Sidra Khan

Natasha Hussain

Fatima and Meher

Yousaf and Sadaf

Salman and Mehwish

PEOPLE & PARTIES Mahnoor Sheikh

Fiza Ali

Tehreem Khan

Aliha and Shanzer

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

Sonu and Rabia

Studio One launches in Lahore

Uzma

Amna and Samra Ahmad

10 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

Shaheen and Rizi

Nawal and Shaima

Yousuf and Sadaf

Sam Dada

PEOPLE & PARTIES Farzeen and Shazmee

Farah Asrar and Saleha

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

Amna and Adeel

Arooj and Bilal

Ayesha, Hina, Aqsa, Kanwal, Natasha, Dania, Hannah and Batool

Hiba and Mahnoor

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Irum and Rana

Zubia Saeed and Dania Ishtiaq

Mariam Khawaja and Sidra Bhadera

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Maria Umer and Nimrah Karim

Lamiyah Karimi

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Mehak and Sarah

Sabeen Abbasi and Fizza Shahid

Enclude celebrates its WomenX programme in Karachi

Sehrish Mushtaq, Riffat Sabzwari and Umber Tanveer

Sara Saeed

PHOTOS COURTESY CATWALK PR

Ambreen Afzal, Sheema Sadia, Jovta Alexandar and Momina Gull

Komal and Sadaf Abid

Khizra Munir and Faisal Kapadia

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Anosh Razzak

Kauser Ahmed

Nageen Rizvi

PHOTOS COURTESY CATWALK PR

Naheed Imran

Saba Magsi, Mehvesh Zulfiqar, Mahrukh Isa and Maniha Isa

Erum Munir and Sabeeta Syeda

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Warda Imran, Reema Naseer and Muneeza Rehman

Saba Makhmoor and Yasmeen Zaman

Sonya Raheel and Naseem Hussain

2016:

A FRESH

START

New Year resolutions and how to keep them

By Komal Anwar

Design by Eesha Azam

New Year resolutions are fun to make but difficult to maintain. Since the execution is often tough, our commitment fizzles out after a week or a month. To identify some of the more popular resolutions and how many manage to keep them, we conducted a week-long survey on The Express Tribune website. Here are the results along with tips to help you stick to your goal.T

YES

70%

No

30%

21.31%

01

Did you make a resolution for the year 2015?

Lose weight

02 If yes, what was your resolution for 2015?

Become physically fit

Get a job 16.39%

03

Did you succeed in keeping your resolution?

YES

59.42%

202 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

Travel

4.2%

16.39% 40.58% No

Others

41.71%

04

47.69%

21.54%

For how long were you able to follow through with your resolution?

18.46% 12.31%

One week

05

Do you think resolutions should be made or not?

Two One Six weeks month months+

06

71.62%

Will you make a resolution this year?

28.38%

Very likely Somewhat likely Unlikely 25% 21% 54%

Take the right approach to achieve your goals.

Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

Limit yourself to one goal Instead of making a long list of resolutions, just make one resolution that means the most to you. Chances of success will be greater when you focus on one and dedicate all your energy towards it.

Keep yourself motivated

Engage yourself in fun activities or anything that puts you in a good mood as thinking too much about meeting your goal may affect your willpower. Reward yourself for being consistent and be proud of yourself for being disciplined.

Don’t be too hard on yourself Instead of aiming for perfection, try to focus on improving

yourself slowly and gradually. By taking small steps, you can eventually get towards what you want. The trick is to never give up and learn from your mistakes.

Ask for support Often, people around you can give great advice and help you in ways you would have never imagined. Hence, accept help from those who are close to you so they can guide you by drawing on their own experience.

Be realistic Don’t set yourself unrealistic expectations as that will only disappoint you in the end. Strive for a goal that is attainable as you are more likely to stick with it for a longer duration. 321

Komal Anwar is a subeditor at The Express Tribune’s magazine desk. She tweets @Komal1201

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

4

5

ewind 2015

24

A month-by-month recap of what the year was about for Pakistan DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

By Ferya Ilyas Design By Maryam Rashid

The year 2015 was a mixed bag for Pakistan. Of same olds and brand news, of strange events and usual happenings, of great highs and shocking lows. And as the year comes to a close, let’s take a look at the images that defined 2015 for the country.

Angels and demons

January: APS survivors return to school Survivors of the Taliban’s December 16, 2014, massacre returned to Army Public School after an extended winter recess, with bruises and memories of the butchery still fresh. The army chief and his wife welcomed students and their parents as they walked around the building which saw the killing of 147 people, mostly students, in a revenge attack. Many ran across the school premises showing parents and friends where they hid to escape the attack and where their classmates succumbed to bullet wounds, while some stood in silence at a memorial set up to honour the victims.

Mother of all matches

February: Pakistan-India WC match With tickets sold in 12 minutes — months ahead of the match — and the Star Sports’ ‘Mauka Mauka’ campaign upping the ante, the ground was set for thousands of fans getting ready for the high-octane Pakistan-India World Cup match. Carrying the weight of history, Team Green went into the clash with hopes of breaking the record of five consecutive World Cup losses against India.

But alas, some things don’t change. Virat Kohli’s magnificent century lifted his team to an imposing 300 for seven — a target too hefty for Pakistan whose most successful World Cup chase is 262 against New Zealand in 1992.

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

25

MON

TUE

WED

TH

Pakistani players, led by Misbahul Haq, walk into the ground for the highly anticipated match of the World Cup. Soldiers stand guard at the Army Public School as students leave. PHOTO: AFP

#ThankYouRaheelSharif

March: Pakistan Day parade after a seven-year hiatus Abandoned for seven years due to security threats, the Pakistan Day parade was organised in the capital to show off the military prowess of a country fighting domestic militants and external threats. Political and military leaders alongside a large number of civilians attended the pageantry of gun salutes, aerobatics, skydiving and speeches. Spectators clapped and waved flags as cohorts of security personnel, cultural floats, tanks and missiles roamed the Parade Ground near Shakarparian Hills amid tight security. Female officials of the Pakistan Army made their debut at the parade which also featured a homemade killer drone and flypasts by fighter jets.

Folk artists perform during the military parade.

PHOTO: AFP

No to war

PHOTO: AFP

April: Parliament decides against joining Saudi’s Yemen war After days of intense debate in Parliament, political leaders unanimously decided to stay neutral in the Saudi-Yemen conflict. The royal kingdom had been bombing Houthis in Yemen since March and wanted Pakistan to join the campaign which sought to preserve Sunni control of the neighbour against Zaidi Shias supported by Iran. Embroiled in its own war against domestic militants and tensions with India, Pakistani leaders agreed the military had too much on its plate and should stay out of the Arab battle which had the potential of stoking sectarian violence in Pakistan. Though the parliamentary resolution reaffirmed close ties with Saudi Arabia, the ‘no’ vote meant upsetting one of Pakistan’s biggest financiers.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Saudi King Salman at the airport in Riyadh. PHOTO: INP

HU

FRI

SAT

SUN

Cricket comes back home May: Zimbabwe tours Pakistan

The cricket-crazy nation waited for six long years and, at last, they arrived; an international team to play in Pakistan since the 2009 gun attack on the Sri Lankan squad.

Zimbabwe may have lost the series of T20s and ODIs, but won hearts across Pakistan for shunning doubts and ending the country’s cricketing exile. The lack of international cricket in Pakistan not only deprived young players of the home advantage and fans the thrill of a live match, but also caused financial losses amounting to $120 million. The Gaddafi Stadium roared again, this time cheering for both teams because it was more than just a cricket series.

A man cools off under a public tap in Karachi.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Zimbabwean batsmen Sikandar Raza (L) and Vusi Sibanda (R) run between the wickets as Pakistani bowler Mohammad Sami (C) looks on during the first one day international cricket match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on May 26, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

Female officials of the Pakistan Army made their debut at the parade which also featured a homemade killer drone and flypasts by fighter jets

Sun ravages Sindh

June: Heatwave in Karachi Soaring temperatures coupled with power outages and changes in eating habits due to Ramazan led to the death of 2,000 people in Sindh, mostly in the provincial capital of Karachi. The mercury shot up to 45°C in the metropolitan where hospitals and graveyards ran out of space to keep bodies and authorities wondered what went wrong. The most vulnerable — poor, elderly and sick — suffered the hardest as the city sizzled under the unforgiving heat, while the incompetent provincial government remained indifferent to the unfolding disaster, looking for scapegoats to dodge responsibility. More than the heat, many believe, the poor infrastructure of the city was responsible for the high number of fatalities.

27 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

MON

TUE

WED

TH

The shame of Kasur

August: Kasur scandal

The Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton in Hunza. PHOTO: HUNZA ON FOOT FACEBOOK PAGE

Only when you think Pakistan has witnessed the worst of the worst, there comes a story which shakes the country to its core yet again. The discovery of a child porn ring in Hussain Khanwala village, Kasur district, Punjab was one such event. More than 280 children were allegedly molested on tape for the last seven years by a gang of 25 men who would sell these videos for as cheap as Rs50 each and also use them to blackmail the families of the abused. The scandal came to light when parents decided to protest against the police who refused to take action against the culprits. Though a Joint Investigation Team later claimed the number of victims was greatly exxaguerated, the scandal brought to light one of Pakistan’s darkest moments.

Humans of Pakistan

July: Brandon Stanton visits Pakistan Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York (HONY) arrived in Pakistan on the third day of Eid. However, people only got to know about it after he had left. The internet celebrity travelled to Hunza, Lahore and Karachi in search of stories that don’t make it to CNN or Fox News. He tried, in his limited capacity, to break stereotypes about Pakistan, which unfortunately in the West is sometimes known as the terror capital of the world.

While each photo told a remarkable story, what was more heart-warming were the positive comments that flooded his Facebook page. Cherry on the top: HONY started a fundraising campaign for an activist fighting bonded labour in Pakistan and surpassed the goal by 2,343% (as of December).

The families of child abuse survivors.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Embroiled in its own war against domestic militants and tensions with India, Pakistani leaders agreed the military had too much on its plate and should stay out of the Arab battle which had the potential of stoking sectarian violence in Pakistan

Misery in Makkah

September: Hajj-related accidents Over 2,500 pilgrims, including more than 100 Pakistanis, were killed in two accidents during Hajj this year. On September 11, more than a hundred worshippers were killed when a crawler crane crashed into Makkah’s Grand Mosque and another 2,400 pilgrims lost their lives on September 24 in a Hajj crowd collapse in Mina near Jamaraat Bridge. Though the exact cause of the second accident is disputed, Saudi officials say the crowd collapse happened when two large groups of pilgrims intersected at the same street from different directions. With the Syrian crisis, Middle East respiratory syndrome threat and Yemen war in the backdrop, the Mecca tragedy led to harsh

HU

FRI

SAT

SUN

A great loss

November: PAF female pilot killed

Ambulances with pilgrims injured in the crowd collapse arrive at Mina hospital. PHOTO: AFP

Marium Mukhtiar, the country’s first female fighter pilot, died on duty after an in-flight emergency forced her to eject from her aircraft. According to Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Mukhtiar died because she was forced to eject at low altitude. The flying officer was losing height but stayed in the aircraft in order to clear a populated area in Punjab, PAF said. Her co-pilot squadron leader Saqib Abbasi survived because he managed to eject seconds earlier. PAF had been recruiting women since 2003 and in 2006 a batch of seven females became fighter pilots. Currently, 30 women are part of the PAF.

criticism of Saudi Arabia’s handling of the pilgrimage, with Iran at the forefront of the opposition. The Grand Mufti, however, characterised the incident as ‘inevitable’, ‘fate’ and ‘beyond human control’.

Seismic crisis

October: Earthquake in the north

Pakistan’s first war-ready female fighter pilot, Marium A decade after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake killed over Mukhtiar, died on a mission when a PAF trainer jet 80,000 people, the land shook again. With its epicenter crashed near Kundian, Mianwali. PHOTO: PAF in Afghanistan, the tremor left around 300 dead and 2,000 injured in Pakistan. Despite being a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, the destruction was relatively less due to the depth of the seismic activity — 212.5km below the ground compared to 15km in 2005. Tremors were felt in Nepal, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, with casualties reported in Afghanistan and India. In Pakistan, the worst affected areas were in the GilgitBaltistan region and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province Indian External Affairs Minister Suhsma Swaraj where many buildings collapsed and roads were blocked meets Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. PHOTO: PID by landslides.

Of friends and foes

Earthquake survivors gather in front of their damaged house in Kesu village, some 15kms from Chitral, on October 28, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

December: Pakistan-India relations

Pakistan-India relations have always been erratic, but 2015 saw some strange developments. Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi maintained a cordial bond whenever they met on the sidelines of various international events or during phone calls. But back home, officials of both countries resorted to harsh criticism and blamed the other for no progress on peace talks. The border fight escalated and the war of words only turned more intense. But at last, an encounter in Paris and a secret meeting in Bangkok convinced Pakistan and India to give up their child-like stubbornness and move ahead for the sake of millions. T

Ferya Ilyas is a senior subeditor at The Express Tribune. She tweets @ ferya_ilyas

29 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

YEAR IN REVIEW

A

significant year

BY ALI RAJ DESIGN BY MOHSIN ALAM

Retelling the year’s happenings with emphasis on ‘less important’ news

In his Aalmi Digest editorial of January 1970, poet Jaun Elia wrote, “As we stand on the brink of the New Year, we hold in our hands a record of what we gained and what we lost. The forthcoming year might be the year of reparation… all our hopes are tied to this notion.”

Several people, incidents, tragedies and breakthroughs made headlines this year on whose e brink we stand today. However, 2015 also saw happenings reported by The Express Tribune that might have been buried in the storm of information. But each one of them was historic in its own right, rejuvenating a necessity for living on.

A Pakistani voter registers her vote during a local government election at a polling station in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP

Local government elections rewrite history Pakistan’s political history has seen numerous highs and lows. The constitutionally-warranted democratic system has been punctuated by several prolonged periods of military rule. Yet military regimes have been the only form 32 of rule to actually implement the local government (LG) DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

system. This form of public administration is seen as the brainchild of military dictators in Pakistan, who utilised the system to exert control and gain legitimacy at the grassroot level. Starting in Balochistan, 2015 saw LG elections being conducted across all provinces for the first time under the auspices of a democratically-elected government.

chairman, the authority decided to add an option for the Kalasha community in CNIC forms, paving way for their official recognition and accommodating a long-standing demand of the Kalasha community.

With the incorporation of the new column, Kalasha people have become the fifth religious community in the country to be recognised by the authority. Their struggle for recognition dates back to the time when the three former princely states of Dir, Swat and Chitral became part of eated in r c Pakistan. h is it : FILE he Br gister t 1920s. PHOTO e R y t r pe he of a Pro yderabad in t H ed page n n a c s A

In Karachi

Sindh land records computerised As many as 15 million pages of land ownership records, which form 90% of Sindh’s entire inventory, were scanned, indexed and computerised as part of a project called Land Administration and Revenue Management Information System (LAMRIS) that could put an end to a history of bribery and corruption. According to a report published by The Express Tribune in August, this database and access to its records are available free for the public. It is six terabytes large, making it the world’s largest database in Sindhi. It was kick-started by a presidential directive to the Sindh government in September 2011. By December more backing came from the Supreme Court that ordered all four provinces to do the same thing. It was because of this pressure and mandate that the feat was achieved in three and a half years. The project costing Rs4,900,000 was paid for by the Qaim Ali Shah administration.

628,000 out of a total of

900,000 acres of the division were not surveyed until Larmis came along.

SOURCE: SINDHZAMEEN.GOS.PK

Recognition for Kalasha tribespeople Chitral’s Kalasha community and the National Database and Registration Authority (and the body’s precursors) have shared a bittersweet relationship. The Kalasha religion dates back several thousand years and so seemed the approach of the CNIC issuing authorities until April this year. This year, on directives of the NADRA

A Kalasha girl Shira Bibi. PHOTO: AFP

33 DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

YEAR IN REVIEW Electronic voting machines used for the first time ever Electro Affter tale After A tales of rigging in the 2013 elections and the post-poll h hu llabal hullabaloo led largely by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the el lephant in the room trumpeting at its loudest is: will the elephant 2018 gen general elections be held using biometrics? Not many are awar aware of this but the Election Commission of Pakistan did mak make history this year by conducting Pakistan’s first-eve first-ever polls using biometrics. Sixty electronic voting Residents urge ECP to put TIP’s locally-made electronic voting machines to use. PHOTO: FILE

multiple test runs will follow to push the success rate near perfection.

Around 70,000 polling stations were set up in the last elections and most of them had two booths, thus the commission would have to procure at least

150,000 machines.

machines were used at NA-19, Haripur’s 30 polling stations. Although an Election Commission Pakistan report stated only 46% of the votes could be verified by the machines owing to a variety of reasons, it did say that the commission has successfully achieved the prime objective of the first pilot project which was to practically examine on ground the overall performance of the test run. The report, shared with the media in August, stated

34

This year, on directives of the NADRA chairman, the authority decided to add an option for the Kalasha community in CNIC forms, paving way for their official recognition

FATA’s non-Muslims get domicile rights The existing administrative setup of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) came into being in 1901 through an executive order of the then British government, after the promulgation of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). While Hindus and Sikhs had been residing in their ancestral villages in various parts of the tribal areas for centuries, Christians began arriving and settling in the region when British officers were posted there as civil administrators. During the British Raj, domiciles were not of much importance to Fata’s non-Muslims, but that changed after Independence. According to Fata’s rules and regulations, the political agent of an agency is authorised to issue a domicile to a resident. He can do so on the basis of the requesting individual’s association with local tribes. But non-Muslims do not belong to any of the tribes, therefore, they are not eligible to be issued a Fata domicile, and for decades they have remained deprived of the basic

right to purchase property or apply for government jobs.

However, this ended in April in a historic move. KhyberPakhtunkhwa’s Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan signed a summary in this regard, granting Fata’s nonMuslims the right to obtain domicile certificates, making up for 68 years of deprivation.

The K-P RTI Ordinance was listed as the third most effective law in the RTI global ranking, scoring

137/150 points.

K-P Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan. PHOTO FILE

The Election Commission of Pakistan did make history this year by conducting Pakistan’s first-ever polls using biometrics. Sixty electronic voting machines were used at NA-19, Haripur’s 30 polling stations High-ranking official penalised under right to information act

Civil society organisations have pointed out that RTI should have been discussed in the assembly before being passed as law. PHOTO FILE

Back in November 2013, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) became the first province in the country to have right to information (RTI) legislation. The RTI law enables citizens to obtain any information held by a government institution and is world over seen important for transparency in the public domain. All government records with the exception of classified information fall under the ambit of this law.

Although Punjab was quick to follow up with its own version of the legislation and hand out a punishment of salary deduction to an education executive district officer in Vehari last year, K-P RTI Commission became the first such body to go after a high-ranking official. In July, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan registrar Sher Alam Khan was fined Rs25,000 for refusing to provide information 35 about appointments to professor Miraj Khan.

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

Digital music platforms begin to pay artists “So what do you do, young man?”

“Uncle, I am a singer.”

“Oh! So is that all you do or you make a living as well?”

This anecdote was once narrated by a popular Pakistani vocalist during an interview. It really explains the dilemma of those who have to convince their parents and family that music is all they want to do in life. Given its particularities, many musicians say that ours is not a music industry but a music scene only. Piracy is rampant and the frequency of live shows is painfully low. Album sales were a thing of the past and royalties were just out of the question until the break of 2015. EMI Pakistan partnered with New York-based online music platform Saavn and brought the giant to Pakistan. In September, one of Pakistan’s first music streaming sites Patari

POL O

For the first time in Pakistan, inactivated polio vaccines (IPV) were used as part of polio campaigns that saw a major boost this year IPV used for the first time ever in polio campaign Much was said when Pakistan crossed the 300-case mark for polio in 2014. Pakistan was amongst the only two countries, the other being Afghanistan, to have reported polio cases that year. As of December 21, 51 cases have been reported in 2015, allowing the chatter to die down slowly.

For the first time in Pakistan, inactivated polio vaccines (IPV) were used as part of polio campaigns that saw a major boost this year. IPV contains inactivated strains of all three poliovirus types and when administrated, it creates antibodies in the bloodstream and prevents the spread to the central nervous system. IPV is used in the next phase after polio has either been eradicated or used in combination with oral polio vaccines when hot spots become limited. The year 2015 was hence monumental for the cause and witnessed another step towards a polio-free Pakistan.

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DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

opened its door to the public. Although musician Haroon Rashid’s Taazi has been around for a while, it hasn’t sent out paychecks as yet. This year has been monumental in this regard — Saavn is already bankrolling Pakistani musicians for their content and Patari becomes the first local platform to pay artists for online plays.

In August, the apex court imposed a ban on hunting of Houbara bustards

Fata Reforms Bill sketched out Fata’s civil rights framework and penal system are plausibly the most unique in the world. The only form of social contract existing in Fata is the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation of 1901 which basically aims at controlling and registering crimes on government roads, offices or other government installations and connecting passes. The tribespeople have demanded an end for this ‘special treatment’ of their homeland, devised by the British to suit their colonial interests. This year saw the Fata Reforms Bill see the light of the day in the Lower House. It is set to be debated in the assembly and although the proposed amendment is still in limbo, if the bill is passed the people of Fata will be able to climb out of their ongoing predicament and obtain a new lease on life. T

Court slaps ban on Houbara bustard hunting Pictures of Arab royals brimming with pride as they stand among corpses of dozens of Houbara bustards have long been circulating in Pakistan. The common man has been daring to ask whether a country like ours has the power to protect a harmless, endangered animal against the bloodlust of foreign dignitaries. But 2015 saw the Supreme Court of Pakistan answer the question. In August, the apex court imposed a ban on hunting of the endangered bird. A three-judge bench headed by former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja ordered the cancellation of all licenses issued by the federal government to Arab royals for hunting the bird.

As many as 15 million pages of land ownership records, which form 90% of Sindh’s entire inventory, were scanned, indexed and computerised as part of a project called Land Administration and Revenue Management Information System (LAMRIS)

Ali Raj is a subeditor at The Express Tribune Life & Style desk.

He tweets @AnaariKiBandooq

Set in the future

The most anticipated movies of 2016

BY ALI HAIDER HABIB

Movies

Kung Fu Panda 3 Release date: January 29 The cast of Kung Fu Panda returns with yet another promising adventure for adult and child viewers alike. In the movie, Po’s (voiced by Jack Black) longlost father returns and the two embark on a journey to meet many hilarious new panda characters. Soon he is presented with a mission as supernatural villain Kai begins to defeat Kung Fu masters all over China. Po must now train his entire clan to become the ultimate Kung Fu Pandas.

Deadpool Release date: February 12 Based on a character created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, which first appeared in The New Mutants, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson. Deadpool is the adopted alter ego of Wilson after an experiment leaves him with extraordinary healing powers. The movie will follow Wilson as he hunts for the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Independence Day: Resurgence Release date: June 24 After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter starring Liam Hemsworth promises to deliver a global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth collaborate on an immense defense programme to protect the planet. The world looks at a few brave men and women to save the day.

Captain America: Civil war Release date: May 6 The film comes in as a third installment in the Captain America series. Starring Chris Evans as Captain America, the movie focuses on a new status quo with two camps within the Avengers, disagreeing about the role of the government in their fight to defend humanity.

Ghostbusters Release date: July 15 Considered a ‘reboot’ instead of a sequel by producers, the movie will feature original cast members only in cameos. The story revolves around two authors who write a book on supernatural phenomenon, only to be laughed at by others. A few years later, is it up to both of them to save Manhattan from a ghost-invasion.

Release date: May 27 The movie is a sequel to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past and the ninth installment in the X-Men film series.

Apocalypse is a major recurring villain from the X-Men comics who appeared in the 1980s. He awakens after thousands of years only to be disillusioned with the world as he finds it and deploys a team of mighty mutants including Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to create a new world order, over which he will reign.

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

Finding Dory Release date: June 17 Get ready to welcome your favourites from Finding Nemo back on screen. The comedy adventure film reunites Dory with friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. Finding Dory takes place roughly a year after the first film and promises a range of new characters, some who will prove to be very important to Dory.

Batman V Superman: The dawn of justice Release date: March 25 The idea of Batman and Superman sharing the screen is a dream come true for most superhero fans. Directed by Zack Snyder, the movie will cast a new batman, Ben Affleck, after Christian Bale decided not to reprise his role as the Dark Knight. Henry Cavill is due to play Superman and the film promises to be action packed like no other.

X-Men: Apocalypse

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the shadows Release date: June 3 Based on the comics by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, the film is a sequel to the 2014 hit film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Turtle crime fighters Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael all return with more adventure tucked under their belts.

Assassin’s creed Release date: December 30 Assassin’s Creed is based on a popular video game of the same name. A long way from its release date, not much is known about the cast. However, the plot of the film revolves around a man who learns his ancestors were trained assassins after being kidnapped by a secret organisation to travel back in time and retrieve historical artifacts. T Ali Haider Habib is Features Editor at the Express Tribune. He tweets @haiderhabib

Books

City Of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp Author: Ben Rawlence Release date: January 5 With the on-going refugee crisis in the world, this book proves to be an urgent human story. With deep compassion, Rawlence chronicles the lives of nine people in one of the world’s largest refugee camp, Dabaab.

Our Impossible Love Author: Durjoy Datta Release date: January 15 After featuring on various bestseller lists Durjoy Dutta has come up with another riveting read. A tale of two lost lovers, the book attempts to show how life is and how love should be. The two start off as opposites but soon become each other’s aide, all with a fair share of difficulties.

Blue Author: Danielle Steel Release date: January 19 Danielle Steel is her finest self with a story about deep loss, friendship and the power of love. A woman loses her child and husband in an accident only to have her life change further when she meets a young boy on the anniversary of their death.

Moonlight over Paris Author: Jennifer Robson Release date: January 19 Jennifer Robson takes readers to 1920s Paris where Lady Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr vows to live life on her own terms after recovering from a broken wartime engagement and a near-fatal illness.

Raised in an aristocratic society with suffocating social constraints, she breaks free from it all and goes to live with her freespirited aunt.

NYPD Red 4 Author: James Patterson & Marshall Karp Release date: January 24 In the sleepless city of New York, NYPD Red is the ultimate task force to call in when a case involves the rich, powerful and connected.

Detective Zach Jordan and his partner Kylie MacDonald are brilliant investigators who will stop at nothing to catch a criminal.

Turning the page

The 10 books you’ll want to speed read in 2016

BY MANAHYL KHAN SHAFI

The Lovers: Afghanistan’s Romeo and Juliet Author: Rod Nordland Release date: January 26 A real-life equivalent of The Kite Runner, the book captures the tale of young lovers who eloped and are still in hiding. Having grown up on neighbouring farms, Ali and Zakia fell in love as teenagers only to battle for the right to love each other.

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The High Mountains of Portugal Author: Yann Martel Release date: February 2 The author of Life of Pi returns, this time with the story of a great quest for meaning by looking into the lives of three individuals and their families. Set in Portugal, it begins in the early 1900s when Tomás stumbles upon an ancient journal and sets out from Lisbon in search of the strange treasure the journal describes.

Cometh the Hour Author: Jeffrey Archer Release date: February 16 Cometh the Hour is next to the last book in the Clifton Chronicles, with the five previous novels hitting the New York Times bestseller list. The book opens with a suicide note that has devastating consequences for the characters involved.

She’s Not There Author: Joy Fielding Release Date: February 23 The New York Times bestselling author of Someone Is Watching comes with a gripping novel of psychological suspense about a woman whose life takes a shocking turn when a young girl contacts her, claiming to be her daughter who was kidnapped in Mexico 15 years earlier.

One With You Author: Sylvia Day Release date: April 5 A finale to the Crossfire saga which captivated millions of readers worldwide, this love story can’t come out soon enough. A story of love, secrets, marriage and commitment, One with You promises to be all that is expected, if not more. T

Manahyl Khan Shafi is a subeditor on the magazine desk at the Express Tribune. She tweets @manahylk

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

#TopTags2015

The world shifted massive paradigms in 2015 and every real-life event had an equally strong online counterpart. From pouring your heart out on social media to celebrate or using hashtags to mobilise support or express solidarity in catastrophic times was the new normal this year. Here is a list of the top trends that sparked the biggest conversations on social

BY SARAH MUNIR DESIGN BY SOBIA KHAN media in 2015:

This year's most talked about subjects on Twitter

#BlackLivesMatter The movement picked up momentum with the Baltimore protests after an AfricanAmerican, Freddie Gray, died due to serious injuries incurred during his arrest. The Charleston church shooting and surfacing of several videos showing police officers using unnecessary force against black people transformed the issue into a national movement and an important issue in the 2016 US presidential elections.

#JesuisCharlie The hashtag, which means “I am Charlie” in English, was used to express support for freedom of expression when gunmen attacked the office of a French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo and killed 11 people on January 7, 2015.

#IStandWithAhmed People were outraged when 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was taken into police custody after his school teacher suspected his homemade clock to be a bomb. The chatter on social media about how blatantly racist the incident was even forced Barack Obama to reach out to the Muslim teenager and express support.

#CaitlynJenner

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After American TV personality and former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner debuted a new female name and image as Caitlyn Jenner in June, 2015, the celebrity gained over one million Twitter followers in four hours setting a new world record. Jenner’s transition initiated dialogue about the perception and treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

DECEMBER 27-JANUARY 2 2016

#PrayforParis

#LoveWins

Messages of love and support poured from all over the world as a series of terrorist attacks in Paris paralysed the city and claimed 130 lives on November 13, 2015.

The hashtag surfaced as people celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of same-sex marriage, legalising it across all 50 states in the United States on June 26, 2015.

#RefugeesWelcome

#TheDress

As nearly four million Syrians fled the conflict in their home country in search of safety and a better life, the hashtag was used to draw attention to their challenges and force world leaders to respond to the crisis. It was also used as a message of support as many around the world opened their hearts and homes to the fleeing Syrians.

The photo of a dress posted on Tumblr led to a dispute over whether the dress pictured was blue and black or white and gold. In the first week after the image surfaced, more than 10 million tweets mentioned the dress, which was eventually confirmed to be blue and black.

#Elections2015 The year 2015 was important for governments around the world. People tweeted, joked, applauded and criticised as Canada chose a young new liberal president while Conservatives won a majority in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, as Democrats and Republicans battled for support in the United States for elections 2016, people took stands for and against candidates on social media.

#PlutoFlyby The world cheered as science took an important leap when the New Horizons probe flew 12,500km above the surface of Pluto making it the first spacecraft to explore the planet on July 13, 2015.

Sarah Munir is a freelance multimedia journalist. She tweets @SarahMunir1