FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Topi
Drama The hat matters as much as the head!
FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Topi
Drama The hat matters as much as the head!
FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Cover Story
18 Topi Drama A successful revolution requires your hat as much as your head!
Features
26 Invisible Children Child labourers at the Pak-Afghan border caught in a vicious cycle of abuse
30 A Street That Should Live Again Botal Gali delivers what it promises: bottles galore
Travel
36 Chronicles of a Misfit Pakistani in Tashkent
18
Seeking to revive your patriotism for Pakistan? Travel to Tashkent!
30 Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 40 Reviews: Cry Me A River 42 Healthy Living: Meet Healing Head-on With Herbs
36
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Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Farahnaz Zahidi, Sub-Editors: 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
PHOTOS COURTESY XENITH PR
Pantene Pakistan partners with Nina Lotia to launch its new range of products in Karachi
Wajiha Shahid
Fariha Bhanji
Kiran Haroon
Nina Lotia and Faryal Siddiqui Uzma Mazhar
6 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Shafia Agha and Fatima Naqvi
FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Rija, Fatima and Jugnu
Malahat and Sharif Awan Fatima and Yasir Arafat
Red Bull announces the second edition of Red Bull College Cricket in Karachi
Ali Mehar and Moin Khan
Maria Mahesar and Aamina Rashid Khan Adnan Siddiqui
8 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
PHOTOS COURTESY IDEAS EVENTS PR
Indus Raag launches in London
FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Natasha and Mehreen
Zain, Uzair and Anwaar Ruby Damas
Enem store launches international brands like Cerruti, Mont Blanc, Cartier, ST Dupont, Moreschi, Dior, Marks & Spencer and Zara in Lahore Mr and Mrs Shams
Anas
Humza and Hufsa
Noah and Yousaf Hajra Dar
10 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Alia
Farzana Qureshi
PHOTOS COURTESY QYT EVENTS PR
Kuki and Aliza
Fatima, Yasmin and Henna
Amina, Saba and Saira
Abdullah and Mohsin
Waqar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa
11 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Fiction Concepts by Rabia Wahab launches in Lahore
Aleeha and Nayyab
Sophiya Khan and Rabia Wahab
Natasha
Hamza, Salma and Khalid Sulman
Shoaeb and Annie
14 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Alyzeh Gabol
Madiha and Annaya
Rabia Wahab and Armaan
Maliha and Uzma
Lubna and Maria
Farah and Gul
PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR
Amna and Ainnie
Mariam
Asma and Aliha Chaudhry
Farah Israr and Hina Salman
15 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
COVER STORY
Thinking about starting a revolution? Well, don’t forget that all-important accessory: the hat! 18 BY ZARRAR KHUHRO FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Hat’s off to Tahirul Qadri!! Well, not literally of course, because to date I’ve never seen a picture of him with his hat off. In fact, his headgear is almost as talked about as the man himself. Interior minister Rehman Malik went so far as to call it a smaller version of the Pope’s hat, the ceremonial mitre that even has its own
parody twitter account that you can follow @Popehat. Of course, our
minister of malapropisms also said that Qadri dressed like a ‘Jewish pastor,’ leading many to consider how nice it would be if Mr. Malik simply kept such gems of wisdom under his hat. No pun intended. So to speak.
But that did lead us to wonder where exactly Qadri got his awe-
some headgear from and exactly what it symbolizes? Around the same time, there were also TV promos of televangelist Amir Liaquat
sporting something very similar over his styled locks. So after ex-
haustive and painstaking googling research, it turns out that this is, in fact, a version of the Rumi topi of old, now wrapped in cloth.
Also called the Tarboosh, or more commonly, the Fez, the Rumi topi
really has nothing to do with Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Instead, it refers to Rum (Rome), which is what the medieval Muslim world called the Byzantine Empire. Oddly enough, it doesn’t actually come from Byzantium and instead originates (big surprise there) from the Moroccan town of Fes.
But the red Fez, as we know it, is most commonly associated with
Turkey…so how did it get there?
The Rumi topi really has nothing to do with Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi.
Back in 1862, Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II had had enough of
being pushed around by his elite military force of Janissaries
and decided to put them in their place. No longer could his rebel-
lious soldiers wear the flowing robes and turbans of old, but instead had to sport European style clothes and ditch their turbans. The modernizing Sultan decreed that his military and bureaucracy
would now wear the Fez (along with the cloth wrapping) as a symbol of the ‘new and improved’ Ottoman empire.
This was easier said than done, as the Turks were
very attached to their turbans. They didn’t just keep the sun off, but also symbolized status,
wealth and rank. In effect, a big turban meant you were a big shot. In fact, just 400 years before
this, Turkish envoys to the court of Vlad Dracul
of Wallachia annoyed the vicious Vlad by refusing to take off their turbans as a show of respect.
Dracul, who had a fondness for impaling people while he had lunch, then ordered his guards to
nail the envoy’s turbans to their skulls ‘so that
they never come off again.’ Talk about losing
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your head.
FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
COVER STORY Anyway, Mahmud II’s orders took hold and soon the Fez was all the rage in the Ottoman Empire.
But eventually, matters came to a head once again when
of the West and that a Muslim, while wearing them, could not touch his forehead to the ground during prayers, thus effectively saying “I don’t bow down to God.”
The court acquitted him because the booklet had been
Kamal Ataturk took power following the Ottoman Empire’s
printed before the Fez ban, but then a vengeful government
once-modern Fez as a symbol of Turkey’s decadence and de-
another cleric, to death. The message was clear: put on a hat
disastrous defeats in World War One. Ironically, he saw the cline and decided to chuck it out in 1925.
But the Turks loved their Fezes, so what was Ataturk to do?
put him before a Kangaroo court which sentenced him, and or lose your head.
Travelling to the Turkish port of Inebolu, which had fought
off Greek advances under his leadership, Ataturk wore ‘western’ clothes and a Panama hat, and declared: “The
people of the Turkish republic, who claim to be civilized,
must prove that they are civilized by the way they appear.”
After explaining that they should now wear shoes, shirts,
trousers and ties, he added, “and to complete these, a cover with a brim on our heads. I want to make this clear. This head covering is called a hat.”
For good measure, he also reviled the Fez as a “Greek head-
gear” to the highly nationalistic residents of Inebolu. A day
later, he ordered all civil servants to ditch the Fez, and also imposed punishments of up to 15 years for ‘anti-hat propaganda’
Not all Turks were willing to doff their Fezes of course, and
soon anti-hat riots erupted in several towns, and a healthy
Fez-smuggling industry also sprang up. Over the next few
Had Ataturk not banned the Fez, the Jinnah cap may never have
imprisoned for being too fond of their Fezes.
sion in 1916, he sported a Fez and Saville Row suits. By the time
years, dozens of people were executed and several hundred 50 year old Islamic scholar Atif Hodja was one of the un-
lucky ones. On a cold winter night in December 1925, police-
men arrested him from his house and kept him in custody for weeks without letting him meet his family. When he was finally put on trial, he found that his crime was penning a booklet titled The Brimmed Hat and the Imitation of
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Francs. In this, he argued that brimmed hats were a symbol FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
come into being. When the Quaid attended the Lucknow ses-
1937 rolled around, he had swapped the suit for a sherwani coat
but, since the Fez was out of fashion, was at a loss as to what to wear on his head. According to Stanley Wolpert, author of Jinnah, “his eye was attracted to a black Persian lamb cap worn
by the Nawaz Mohammad Ismail Khan, one of the greatest provincial League leaders. He asked his friend if he might try on
the compact cap, which would soon be known throughout the world as a ‘Jinnah Cap.’ When he saw in a mirror how handsome
it looked over the white of his sideburns, he knew it was just the
headgear needed to give his Muslim costume its crowning touch.”
Thus was born the Jinnah cap, known to the world at large as the Karakul (which means black fur in Turkish). While Jinnah may have popularised it, the Karakul has been worn by every Afghan king or
president from Amanullah Khan to Karzai. Even Soviet leaders such as Brezhnev sported the Karakul, and in the ‘classless’USSR, it be-
came something of a status symbol. Jackie Kennedy also wore one on a visit to Pakistan!
The Karakul also made its way to Africa, where an ‘Africanised’
version of it was worn by Congolese dictator Mobuto Sese Seko. This leopard-skin Karakul was so beloved by Mobuto that he actu-
ally made it illegal for anyone else to wear one! It’s probably safe to say that only the leopards missed him when he was gone.
Of course, none of this ‘banned and out of fashion’ business
made any difference to Pakistan’s Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan,
who continued to sport his trademark red Fez until his death in 2003.
While the Jinnah cap made its way to Africa, did you
know the Gandhi/Nehru cap so beloved of Indian politicians (and Anna Hazare) actually came from Africa?
When Gandhi was jailed in South Africa, he had to wear the uniform given to ‘negro’ prisoners, which included a
very similar cap. When he returned to India, he brought it along with him. According to Gandhi’s close friend
Henry Polak, this was the genesis of the Gandhi cap! Not all too surprising when you consider that the Indian subcontinent was once a part of the African landmass, way
back in the day. Maybe this was Gandhi’s way of tipping his hat to the (original) homeland?
Of course, another African export recently made it to the top post in the US. Yes, I’m speaking of none other than Barack
Obama. As the first black man in the White House, he sent the American right into a frenzy of scaremongering and con-
spiracy theorizing that would put most Pakistanis to shame. He’s a Muslim! He’s a socialist! He’s the Antichrist! And to justify at least one of these claims, they circulated a picture of
Obama wearing a (shudder) African Kufi hat; proof positive for the Tea Partiers, if no one else.
(Continued on page 24)
Had Ataturk not banned the Fez, the Jinnah cap may never have come into being FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
21
COVER STORY If you think that was an overreaction, then brace yourself for
the infamous Keffiyeh episode! This chequered headdress, tradi-
tionally worn by Arab farmers, became a symbol of Palestinian resistance when Yasir Arafat started sporting it. Today, a black and white Keffiyeh means support for Fatah while a white and
red one means you’re a Hamas supporter. Now check this out: In 2008, Dunkin’ Donuts ran an ad campaign with their poster girl
Rachel Ray wearing what looked like a Keffiyeh around her neck. The right-wing blogosphere went insane, accusing Dunkin Do-
nuts of supporting ‘violent Jihadi terrorists’. The fact that it was in fact a paisley scarf and not a Keffiyeh was lost on the ranters,
and Dunkin’ had to pull the ad. I think it’s safe to say that the nutjobs raving about this weren’t just sipping on cappuccinos.
French citizens started wearing the ‘bonnet rouge’ (red cap) on their heads just so that they could keep their heads on their shoulders! Obama-haters, the Tea Party being chief among them, also have
a certain fondness for haberdashery, only their choice of chapeaus harks back to the American Revolution with the distinctive Tricorne hat. You’ve seen this one on George Washington’s
head and in just about every American-Revolution era movie from Last of the Mohicans to Mel Gibson’s Patriot. But Hollywood almost never gets it right and the most popular headgear
during the American Revolution was in fact the Liberty Cap, known throughout history as the Phyrgian cap. This soft, red,
conical cap (kind of like a ski cap) was originally worn by freed
slaves during the Roman Empire and so became a symbol of lib-
erty. Not only was it popular in the American Revolution, but also the French revolution, where it became a symbol of radical
revolutionaries. With head-chopping becoming so popular and easy thanks to the guillotine, lots of ‘suspect’ French citizens started wearing the ‘bonnet rouge’ (red cap) on their heads just
24
so that they could keep their heads on their shoulders! FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Hats have always been important revolutionary symbols, and the same was seen during the Chinese revolution. All of a sudden,
the nondescript cap worn by Mao-Tse-Tsung during the Long March (the real one, not the cheap Pakistani imitations) became
a revolutionary symbol and a compulsory part of the uniforms of
the revolutionary Red Guards, the terror of capitalist runningdogs and imperialist pigs everywhere.
But if the Mao cap was for the beloved sons (and daughters) of
the revolution, those who fell afoul of the new order had caps of their own: Dunce caps! Enemies of the revolution like teachers,
landlords and anyone with more than a basic education would
have to wear tall caps with insulting messages like “I am a capi-
Of course, few pieces of revolutionary headgear are as widely
little kids pelt them with rotten vegetables. The dunce cap may
dates back to the ancient Greeks and was re-introduced in
talist cow-demon,” while parading through towns and having
have fallen out of fashion since then, but the Mao cap, like the Lenin worker’s cap, was adopted by leaders across the world, including our very own Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
known and popular as the Che Guevara beret. Although it
modern times by the Basques of Spain, no one has done more
to boost berets than Che himself. Not even if we count (the artist formerly known as) Prince singing “Raspberry beret.” The famous picture of Che taken by Alberto Korda (the one
you see on T-shirts everywhere) elevated the humble beret to being the headgear of choice for wannabe guerillas and revolutionaries everywhere. Including, of course, Zaid Hamid.
So the next time you’re out there, shouting slogans and plotting the downfall of the oppressor of the day, don’t forget
that what’s on your head matters as much as what’s in it.T
25 FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
FEATURE
invisible children At the Pak-Afghan border, young children recruited by smugglers are sexually exploited, abused and abandoned TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ASHRAFUDDIN PIRZADA
Every single day, Khaista Khan* regrets his decision to run away from home. His dreams of becoming a breadwinner, confident and independent, have been shattered; he now lives at the mercy of truck drivers, shopkeepers and border security officials. When he arrived at the Pak-Afghan Torkham border in search of a job, little did he know that he would be recruited as a smuggler, ferrying goods back and forth across the border. He manages to make up to Rs500 a day, but at too high a cost. He has been beaten, exploited and sexually abused. He is only nine years old.
internally displaced and possessed little resources flocked
Khaista Khan is one of the many children at the
black money, while many of these young children have
Torkham border who suffer from abuse at the hands of
smugglers and their agents, as well as Khasadars, the
26
frontier Corps and the Afghan police. In the aftermath
of 9/11, many Pakistani and Afghani children who were FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
to the Pak-Afghan border, where small businesses have been on the rise.
Today, more than 1,100 children
between 6-18 years of age, including young girls, work at the border, the majority being involved in the smuggling of goods for just Rs300-500 a day. Many lose
their lives in traffic accidents. Some of these children
are arrested, and some become drug addicts. All are ruthlessly exploited.
Smugglers on both sides of the Torkham border use
teenage boys and girls so that they are able to escape
the prying eyes of security officials. But this practice is neither new, and nor is it unknown to the authorities.
The smugglers and their agents continue to profit from not even set foot in the boundaries of a school.
With moist eyes and a face hardened beyond his years,
a child-smuggler choosing to remain anonymous says, “Whenever the Pakistani Khasadars or Afghan Border
Employers, shopkeepers, truck and taxi drivers, businessmen and other people exploit children’s needs and sexually abuse them,” the child tells me, adding that he knows many who were raped by their employers
Security Personnel see us, they beat us with sticks
rehabilitation centres have been established for
Still, the Khasadars and the border security
of the child victims are from single-parent families
and hurl abuses at us”.
officials, on a spectrum, present only a minute
threat to these children. “Employers, shopkeepers, truck and taxi drivers, businessmen and other
juvenile criminals as well as for the victims. Many and this makes their condition doubly painful for their loved ones.
When I brought these issues to the notice of
people exploit children’s needs and sexually abuse
border officials, a Pakistani official rebuffed the
many who were raped by their employers.
no one reported incidents of child molestation or
them,” the child tells me, adding that he knows
A few months ago, ten year old Mashwara Bibi*
was raped at Torkham. The case was reported to
the Afghan and Pakistani security officials, but no action has been taken against the accused truck-
drivers as yet. Devastated, the father of the child
claims of the children and the locals, insisting that sexual abuse to the concerned authorities. He did
sheepishly admit that the government actually
does not have any proper mechanisms to eradicate such menaces, if they exist at all.
According to him, the legal transportation of
was forced to relocate from Torkham and laments,
goods across the border had reduced the number
as wife”.
pay taxes and custom duties, so the businessmen
“though she is innocent, yet no one will accept her While Mashwara Bibi’s father demands justice,
some families hesitate to follow suit due to ‘cultural sensitivities’.
The only international
organisation operating in the Torkham border
of working children at the Torkham border. “They want to do their business through a legal process
without depending on smugglers,” the Pakistani official said. Additionally, he claimed that a night
patrolling team of Khasadars was in place to control
area is Terra Des Hommes (TDH), a Swiss Charity
crimes in the border area.
protection officer working with TDH states that
the reports of the officials, and the testimonies
2011-12 alone. According to Qazi Jawad, the Juvenile
matters worse is the attitude of the police in such
working in Afghanistan. Baryalai Hasrat, a child 186 suspected sexual abuse cases were detected in
Justice Coordinator at the same organisation, many of these cases are under process in special
courts in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, and separate
But there seem to be some discrepancies between
of the locals and the victims. What makes
crimes, ranging from utter negligence to direct involvement.
Shama Gul*, a shopkeeper in Torkham, recounted FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
27
FEATURE
Who will protect these kids? The government of Pakistan and national NGOs are not doing anything for them. No national or international organisation is coming to their help. Even the local elders and officials posted at Torkham border have failed to protect these children the story of a young boy from Chitral who was
alternative jobs and daily wages to children at the
Although a report was lodged with the officials at
on the Pakistani side. Young children recruited for
sexually exploited by the Afghan police last month.
Torkham, no action was taken by the Afghan police. Amidst this lack of compliance by police and security
officials, Shama Gul* questions: “Who will protect these kids? The government of Pakistan and national
NGOs are not doing anything for them. No national or international organisation is coming to their help.
smuggling are reduced to an alien status on both sides of the border, abandoned by all, with no rights
and no recourse to help or rehabilitation. At best,
these young children are reduced to figures and statistics. Their stories remain unheard.
In the face of these ongoing abuses across the Pak-
Even the local elders and officials posted at Torkham
Afghan border, who is to blame? Or more importantly,
Locals claim that there are few organisations with
members, religious scholars and local elders become
border have failed to protect these children.�
legal mechanisms to protect the rights of children.
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Torkham border, no equivalent organisation exists
Little international attention has been given to these child smugglers. Although TDH has been providing FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
why have the government officials, civil society
silent spectators in this crime against children? These are questions that need to be answered.
*names have been changed to protect privacy
FEATURE
a street
that should live again Perfume Chowk may not smell very sweet, but Botal Gali lives up to its name
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY RIFFAT RASHID
If you’re a Karachiite, nothing surprises you anymore. You no longer raise an eyebrow at the sight of a child abusing fluently in multiple languages when you stop at the traffic signal, nor are you taken aback upon finding a 47 year old carrying a fake phone with cheesy dance numbers to avoid getting robbed. But sometimes this city can still succeed in making your jaw drop. That’s what happened when I, a hard-core Karachiite,
went to Botal Gali, a narrow street tucked away in the heart of downtown Karachi. Real bottles in Botal Gali? I mean, I have never seen monkeys prancing around in
Bandar road, found a single boat in the entire length of the Boat Basin or heard of anyone finding God in the Al-
lah Waala Chowrangi. How was it that there were actual bottles in Botal Gali?
Maybe the thing about the place is that it’s one of those
few places in Karachi where you get what you’re promised.
Back when Pakistan had just emerged in the subcon-
tinent as a country in its own right, this area was busy
being called Parsi Gali. No surprises there actually, for
then the area was full of Parsi residents, most of whom had migrated from India. “There were barely any shops
back then,” recalls one shopkeeper. The street gradually transformed from a thriving residential district to a com-
mercial one, featuring shops selling all kinds of bottles —
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perfumes, medicines, beverages, you name it. FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Of the many things that strike you once you eventually
decide to set foot in the Gali is the overwhelming sense
of nostalgia. Surrounded by colonial buildings and residents that have stories to tell, usually dating back to pre-
partition times, you immediately mark this as a place
Surrounded by colonial buildings and residents that have stories to tell, usually dating back to pre-partition times, you immediately mark this as a place that lives more in the past than in the present
that lives more in the past than the present. It’s more about what it could have been than what it is now.
The many facets of this street might not reveal them-
selves to a visitor all at once. The street, which on a de-
serted Sunday night, seems like a dark alley straight out of a horror film takes on a very different persona as it quietly goes about its business on a Monday afternoon.
What it could have been is debatable at best, but what
it used to be, for sure, is a busy street where people would
come to window-shop, look around and loiter about while
they exchanged news about the latest happenings of the city with the shopkeepers. It was a street that was throbbing, awake, a street that lived.
Over time, as the buildings marked by colonial im-
prints aged, the street also fell into disrepair. Was it the
lack of a sense of ownership among the residents? Possibly. Was it the increased use of plastic bottles that hindered the sales of these glass ones? Most likely. But primarily, the slow death of Botal Gali is due to that single defining characteristic of Karachi: crime.
“Robberies are so commonplace that we almost expect
them to happen every day,” claimed one distressed resident while fixing his motorbike.
One could easily picture Botal Gali as a glamorous and
well lit street attracting a horde of visitors from all over
the city, mainly because there’s no other street like it.
If nothing else, the street — if preserved — can serve as a living homage to our shared heritage, but since it has been left to fend for itself, all it has to offer are insecure
residents and shopkeepers who remain more for the sake of emotional attachment than anything else.
“Where would I go? I have been here twenty years. My
father and grandfather lived here,” was reason enough
31
for a shopkeeper when asked if he’d like to move to someFEBRUARY 3-9 2013
place else considering the problems associated with the street.
And then, concerns like the lack of continuous electric-
ity and water supply go a long way in making the place appear unfriendly to newcomers despite it being an ev-
eryday problem for most of the city. In spite of that, the
primarily, the slow death of Botal Gali is due to that single defining characteristic of Karachi: crime
residents are bent upon making ends meet and on public holidays and Sundays, you might even be lucky enough to see some of them playing cricket on the streets.
Among the things that can be done for this place in-
clude the provision of cost-effective and energy efficient
light bulbs that could light it up night. While hardened robbers and dacoits are too experienced to be intimidated
by the presence of a few hanging lanterns, it might succeed in at least warding off the newbie.
Moreover, a number of art and design students can vol-
unteer to have some of the bottles designed and sold at
a premium price. This money could directly go into the construction of the public space as a whole. While it’s
definitely a place worth visiting at least once, interventions need to be put in place to make the street more accessible and welcoming to the general public.
After all, if a street gives you what it promises, it makes
32
sense, sometimes, to give back. FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
TRAVEL
chronicles of a misfit pakistani in tashkent Nothing like a journey to Tashkent to make you miss Pakistan!
The Registan: The Heart of Samarkand
TEXT & PHOTOS BY JAWAD CHAUDHRY
The Flight Before journeying to Tashkent I first had to journey from Karachi to
Lahore. This is because Uzbek Airways flies only from Lahore and Islamabad and it’s a mystery to me why they ignore Karachi. Are the
people of the Punjab more inclined towards history and hedonism? Tashkent offers plenty of that.
Karachi was balmy, Lahore was cool and I was anticipating frigid
weather in Tashkent. It is situated right between Siberia and Pakistan
and who can forget the chilly winds that Mother Russia sends our
way, via Quetta, to Karachi. The latest forecast showed temperature ranging between 2-14C, and I prepared accordingly; mufflers, caps, wool coats. After all, I hardly ever get a chance to wear my winter clothes.
The flight to Tashkent was in the middle of the night, as is the case
with most international flights out of Pakistan. I was accompanied
by two dozen of my colleagues, all of whom (like me) were on our way
to a leisure conference in Uzbekistan. Thankfully the plane was new and not one of the ancient behemoths like the ones owned by PIA.
Still, the air stewards looked as if they were being forced at gun point to deal with us unruly Pakistanis. As soon as the plane landed, ev-
eryone scrambled to get their luggage. It was as if the plane was on
fire and no one paid any heed to the polite requests to sit down; only
when one of the stewardesses got up and screamed at the top of her lungs for everyone to sit, did anyone obey.
The landing was very comfortable and so was the immigration.
36
Inevitably, regardless of the fact that Uzbekistan is no longer part of FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
One of the many statues of Amir Temur
Tashkent’s claim to fame: Russian Women
USSR, the monochromatic communist feel permeates the atmosphere — from the stoic looking staff to the ambience, the cars and even the cold lifeless weather.
Welcome to Tashkent
It was 5am when we finally exited the airport. The first thing we saw was a group
of young Uzbeks waiting anxiously for their favourite footballer to arrive home. Our
Som bit of trouble
hotel, Le Grand Plaza, was a short ride away and had an oddly salacious aura about it.
This hotel, previously called Tata hotel, is a legacy of the autocratic ruler of Uz-
bekistan, Islam Karimov, who has a penchant for parting foreign investors from
their dollars. Speaking of dollars, their currency exchange rate is far worse than Pakistan’s, amounting to roughly 2,500 soms to the dollar. This meant that I ended up with so many soms that I had to carry them in polyethylene bags. On the plus
side, it’s a good thing Tashkent is an extremely safe city, because I couldn’t imagine wandering around any Pakistani town while carrying money in a see-through plastic bag!
There are no fast food restaurants in Uzbekistan, nor do they have any credit card
facilities. If you have cash, great; if you have dollars, that’s even better as the whole
of Uzbekistan is then at your disposal. Based on their features, the people seem to be descended from the Mongols (except for the Russians of course, who are the main reason that most Pakistanis and Indians travel to Tashkent in the first place). The best thing about Uzbekistan, though, is its history: Amir Temur, a hero for Uzbeks
and a vicious conqueror for most others, was the great-great-great grandfather of
Babur, the father of the Mughal dynasty, and himself claims descent from Genghis Khan. No wonder we Pakistanis are so belligerent.
The trip was well planned, with enough time for rest and recreation. As I ven-
tured out after a good night’s sleep, I realised that Tashkent is quite similar to Islam-
abad, albeit not as hilly, beautiful or verdant. People tend to mind about their own
business but they’re still really friendly. The only problem is the language: everyone speaks either Uzbek or Russian and that’s about it.
As night fell we ventured out to a seedy club, which was the start of our hedonis-
tic adventures. Behold, seven beautiful and scantily clad Uzbek and Russian women swayed seductively to Pakistani (Atif Aslam!), English and Indian tunes. As usual, my colleagues became intoxicated and totally unruly, throwing money at them left right and centre. For most of them, it was their first time travelling outside of the country. Imagine their excitement: a new country and foreign (read white) women!
Everyone scrambled to get their luggage. It was as if the plane was on fire and no one paid any heed to the polite requests to sit down
The revelry went on for the better part of the night with some determined colFEBRUARY 3-9 2013
37
TRAVEL
Since the food is bland and overly reliant on beef, our hosts tried to accommodate us by serving us daal and channa. Imagine going to a foreign country and being forced to eat overcooked curry, parathas and channas everyday leagues seeking to extend the festivities while the rest of us sat
Tashkent is horrible and our highways are much better in com-
connection.
rosyab, which takes just two hours to reach its destination, but
in our hotel rooms trying to surf on the extremely slow internet
Day Two
We were treated to a tour of the city and it turned out that there is not a lot to see in Tashkent. The major sights include an ugly TV tower, which is the tallest structure in Central Asia, Independence Square, where the Uzbeks proclaimed their independence
from the USSR and the numerous statues of Amir Temur spread around the city. Of course, the night life is a totally different affair, and there are numerous clubs catering to different nationalities; Russians, South Asians and Europeans of various origins.
Our night ended with dinner at a local restaurant and that was
as always, the tour company cut corners again. Still, Samarkand is a beautiful sight, with its blue mosques and undulating desert plains. Sadly, all the buildings have been heavily restored,
so much so that they looked brand new and not relics of a by-
gone age. Another issue was that the mosques all look exactly
the same and boredom sets in very quickly. The trip was tiring and we all longed for a good lunch. Sadly, the food was also a di-
saster: pieces of beef in a strange fat-infused broth. It was so bad that a few of my colleagues actually threw up. How we missed Pakistan and its array of delectable spicy food!
another culture shock. Since the food is bland and overly reliant
Day Four
channa. Imagine going to a foreign country and being forced to
had a 4th century Quran written on deer skin), archaeological
on beef, our hosts tried to accommodate us by serving us daal and
The last day of our trip was spent visiting museums (one of them
eat overcooked curry, parathas and channas everyday. My advice:
sites (more statues of Amir Temur) and then shopping at a local
cially on the food.
ended up buying extra cheap Russian sweets.
never go on organised tours, they cut corners everywhere, espe-
Day Three 38
parison. In retrospect we should have taken the bullet train, Af-
The day began with a trip to Samarkand; the jewel of the tour,
at least for those who value history. The road to Samarkand from FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
market. It was quite similar to Jodia bazaar in Karachi and we
That is all there is to Uzbekistan and everyone was more ex-
cited about going home than I’ve ever seen before. Tashkent is truly a one hit wonder.
REVIEW
cry me a river BY UNUM MUNEER
Some may argue that nothing can come close to actually watching the play live. But Oscar winning director Tom Hooper’s treatment of Les Miserables offers a fresh, new perspective on the subject matter, while capturing everything from the glorious to the grotesque. The film is based on the iconic West End Show that has become the world’s longest running musical to date. Since the action is no longer confined to the limited space of a theatre stage, it brings forth an even more immersive experience. We see panoramic shots of the Mediterranean Sea as it lashes over chained prisoners in Toulon and we see the majestic French Alps shining under the sun as the film’s hero, Jean Valjean, makes his life changing decision. The story is originally based on a novel by Victor Hugo. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, the movie depicts how the average man was disillusioned by the rampant poverty and injustice that prevailed even after the Revolution. The action of the film culminates with the failed uprising of 1832. The story follows Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a former prisoner who is transformed through a sudden act of mercy by the Bishop of Digne. He changes his identity so he can escape his past, but he is persistently pursued by the ruthless inspector Javert (Russell Crowe).
hitchcock against all odds BY ANTHONY GALLI
Can a movie, even a standard biopic about Alfred Hitchcock, possibly do justice to such a legendary master of the same medium? It’s hard to say for sure. But if we can leave aside overwhelming expectations of a tribute and look at the film for what it is, the conclusion is that this is indeed an enjoyable film. Hitchcock, directed by British journalist and screenwriter Sacha Gervasi, centers on the latter part of Hitchcock’s career. After North By Northwest, the press subtly and not-so-subtly floated the idea that he was ripe for retirement, but he proved them wrong with what is probably his most notorious and terrifying film: Psycho. We see Hitchcock’s immense resolve in making Psycho, as he selffinances the costs and gives away almost half the profits to reluctant distributors. The film eventually takes its toll on his marriage to Alma Reville (Helen Mirren). Jealousy, insecurity, emotional demands begin to weigh into Hitch’s Freudian subconscious. Was Sir Anthony Hopkins the right choice to play Hitchcock, given that other formidable British actors could have done a serviceable job? Hopkins looks nothing like Alfred Hitchcock, of course, mainly 40 because he’s not nearly as fat. It’s like they took a short, skinny man FEBRUARY 3-9 2013
Unlike most filmed musicals, the actors in Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables don’t simply mime along to music that has already been recorded at a studio, but actually sing live on set. This makes performances more spontaneous, detailed and honest. While Jackman has some powerful scenes, critics are arguing that Anne Hathaway’s brief but commanding performance stole the show. She plays Fantine, a single mother who turns to prostitution to feed her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). In contrast to the Princess Diaries character that shot her to fame, Fantine is dehumanised by poverty and has to sell everything from her beautiful hair to her front teeth in a struggle to survive. Les Miserables has occasionally been dismissed as being over the top but one must not forget that even Victor Hugo’s novel did not sit well with certain 19th century critics. However, it resonated well with people and enjoyed instant commercial success. Watch Les Miserables, and embrace this tear-jerking story that has clearly stood the test of time.
and tried to make him resemble a middle-sized man with a glandular problem and a pot belly. And unfortunately he stills looks like Hopkins with prosthetics. But he gets all the basics right — the speech patterns, the stoic face, the body language, and even the nuances of emotion as he discusses his passion for film and his need for artistic freedom. Unsurprisingly, Helen Mirren is superb. She steals the show by giving an outstanding performance of a support player. And in the best scenes, she brings out the best in Hopkins. True to her role in the film, she gives what film reviewers call an “understated” performance. I was sceptical at first about the idea of Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh but her performance is eventually convincing. The rest of the cast is quite fitting, particularly James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins and Ralph Macchio as Hitchcock’s neurotic screenwriter, Joseph Stefano. All in all, this was an enjoyable film. Just don’t expect Hitchcock to be as good as a film by, well, Hitchcock.
meet healing head-on with herbs
Finish off with additional first aid essentials for common conditions Honey has potent skin healing powers; scalds and burns dressed with honey heal faster. Dis-
solve a spoonful of honey in warm water and drink it to relieve congestion. It also helps strengthen the
immune system and gives you enough energy and stamina to complete your daily tasks, without feeling run down or tired.
Powdered clay aids to draw out thorns and splin-
ters. Mix it in a small amount of water and apply it If you are fascinated by the idea of herbal first-aid, but simply don’t know where to begin, here is how you can
on the affected area. It will draw out the splinter after it dries.
Garlic cloves are also very useful. Rub raw gar-
put together your very own natural remedy kit from
lic cloves directly over cuts and small scrapes as it is
Before you begin gathering your items, get yourself a
treated with garlic. Candied ginger would be a bonus
scratch.
spacious storage container. Once you have bought the
right bag, which you can carry while travelling, or a plastic container, you can start filling it with the necessary
antiseptic in nature. Colds and coughs are also best
in your kit to soothe motion sickness and upset stomachs.
Don’t forget to add dark chocolate. This is less for
items you need to tackle an unexpected emergency situ-
your sweet tooth cravings and more to make you feel
Let’s start with some standard items
natural serotonin.
ation.
The very basic items include a supply of bandages, adhe-
sive tape, small scissors, a magnifying glass, gauze wraps and assorted band aids. Additional supplies include alco-
hol swabs, natural floss, toothpicks, needles, safety pins,
better and distract you from pain because it contains
Lastly, add lemon balm to your kit to help keep your
digestive tract calm. It also aids in relaxation and sound sleep.
matches, a hot water bottle, candles and ice pack.
Next on the checklist are herbs At the top of the list is organic aloe vera; it can be used
You don’t need to have an extensive kit. You can
for a variety of things from healing burns to bee stings as
start off with basic items that are absolute essentials
using it on infected burns and wounds as it will seal the
and create your own authentic herbal remedy kit.
it accounts for speedy wound healing. But refrain from wound and cause the bacteria to multiply.
Secondly, get lavender oil. It helps relieve the infection
pain caused by stings and burns. It is a must-have in your natural first aid kit.
Include chamomile tea bags in your kits as well. It is
best known for its relaxation qualities and helps keep the
nervous system calm. Small sips of this tea will help in
settling down the overactive nerves in your body and also help relieve indigestion.
and add more to your kit with time. So hurry up now