The Express Tribune Magazine - January 11

JANUARY 11-17 2015

Man and nature go head on in the annual rally in this forgotten corner of Balochistan

January 11-17 2015

Feature

A Musical Odyssey

Cover Story Just deserts

Jhal Magsi comes alive during the annual motor rally

The band Fanna Fi Allah travels the world for musical and spiritual fulfilment

34 Feature

The Cost of Saving Lives Doctors in Pakistan are often forced to perform medical procedures at gun point

26

4

38 Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people

40 Reviews: Books and art 46 Health: Demystifying migraine

Magazine Editor: Sarah Munir, Senior Subeditor: Dilaira Dubash and Subeditor: Saim Saeed Creative Team: Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Mohsin Alam, Omer Asim, Sanober Ahmed & Talha Ahmed Khan Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

PEOPLE & PARTIES Jalal, Fahad Hussayn and Maheen Kardar

PhoToS couRTESy FAISAl FARooquI And hIS TEAm AT dRAgonFly

Mustafa and Zainab

Swarovski launches in lahore

Sobia and Urooj

Zainab Alam Kanwal ilyas , Natty and Babloo

6 January 11-17 2015

Tahira Saeed and Nina

Naz Mansha

Anoushay Ashraf

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Neha and Mehreen Syed

Rubia and Moghees

Leila Khan

8 January 11-17 2015

Sarah Gandapur

Sidra Khan and Shehab

PhoToS couRTESy FAISAl FARooquI And hIS TEAm AT dRAgonFly

Naila and Iffat Omer

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Aalia Mahboob Elahi and Abid Merchant

Sanat Initiative hosts the art exhibit ‘Anomalous’ alongside the opening of café Fika in Karachi

Ali Muhammad

Anmol and Sadaf

Mamoona Riaz, Sarah and Malik Atif

10 January 11-17 2015

Amra Ali

PhoToS couRTESy ThoR (ThE houSE oF RAnA)

Affan Baghpati and Shahana Afaq

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Rana Asim Zeeshan and Filza Jawad

Faisal and Samir

12 January 11-17 2015

Mathira

Mamoona Riaz, Zahid -Saud Baloch, Madeline Amelia

PhoToS couRTESy ThoR (ThE houSE oF RAnA)

Kaif and Farrukh Shahab

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sulmeen , Kanwal and Mariam

PhoToS couRTESy REzz PR And EvEnTS

Natasha Adil and Natasha Ahmed

Sobia nazir opens her flagship store in Islamabad

Sania Sameer Baig Mehreen, Sobia and Cybil

Nosheen and Sadia

14 January 11-17 2015

Nasreen Bilour and Palwashay Butt

PEOPLE & PARTIES

PhoToS couRTESy REzz PR And EvEnTS

Moiza, Samia and Ayesha

Farwa Kazmi and Natasha

Mariam and Sadia Malik Lailomah, Tanya and Ayesha

Nadia, Naheeda, Sarah Raza, Juju Haider and Ayesha

16 January 11-17 2015

Nadia and Amber Javed

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Ahsan and Ayesha

Col Zafar and Dania

Danyal Rasheed and Zafar

Ali and Abuzar

Seher and Faisal

Burger King opens in Faisalabad

Fahad and Hassan

Kanwal ilyas , Natty and Babloo

18 January 11-17 2015

Faisal and Faiza

PhoToS couRTESy BIlAl muKhTAR EvEnTS And PR

Nazim Sheikh , Lalarukh , Zara and Yasmeen Sheikh

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Hasham and Qurat

The technology outlet needful Things opens up in Islamabad

Kulsoom and Usama Natty and Kamran Sadozai

Mr and Mrs Nophil Rizvi

Khushboo, Farhan and Mohsin Khan

20 January 11-17 2015

Ayesha, Natty and Tanya

Meena, Alamdar Khan and Zarmeena

PhoToS couRTESy REzz PR And EvEnTS

Kanwal and Saara

Deserts Of the monsters of Jhal Magsi and the racers who tame them

BY TAHA ANIS DESIGN BY TALHA KHAN

Jhal Magsi is a secluded district in eastern Balochistan. It is cold, it is silent and it is dark. But once every year, during the short days and long nights of winter, it unleashes its monsters. Big metal ones.

For a few days, the nights in the district suddenly come alive. People gather from all over, some even from outside the country, to take part in the largest motor rally of the country; 220 kilometres of unforgiving terrain, of sand and dunes, of mountains and rocks, of rivers and streams.

The drivers take on nature at its harshest but, sitting behind the wheels of machines weighing several tons, they are well prepared. And so man and nature go head on; miracles of engineering against the elements of nature.

27 JANUARY 11-17 2015

COVER STORY Preparations

A murmur runs Some drivers start to arrive a week in advance and others follow soon after. Once there, the drivers stay in large tents; preparing for the race through the crowd, during the day, huddling around large bonfires during the night.

“We arrive early so that we can take a look at the track beforehand,” an excited flurry of said Hozaifa Hashim, the co-driver of eventual category A — the rally car equivalent to heavyweight — winner Zafar Magsi. Co-drivers sit movement follows as next to the driver during the rally; they are navigators, mechanics, the onlookers climb and (because they must keep the driver alert if he starts falling asleep) alarm clocks during the race. onto high vantage “We use the time to read the map and mark out all the potentially dangerous points. This helps us during the race as we are able to points to try and get warn the drivers beforehand so that they can slow down or proceed a glimpse of Ronnie’s with caution.”

However, the track is not the only thing the co-drivers customised silver 4,300cc concentrate on. “We study the cars as well so that we are able to prevent the car from breaking down during the race,” added V8 Hilux Vigo Hashim.

A day before the race, the drivers take part in a qualifying round on a small improvised track to determine which driver will go first and the order of the following pack. “Since everyone is racing against time, the only advantage that the qualifying round gives is that the first driver gets what is known as a ‘virgin track’. From there on, the track deteriorates as more and more drivers use it so it becomes harder,” explained Luqman, a regular feature at the Jhal Magsi rally who opted not to participate this year. “So it is not as important as it may be in other motorsports, such as Formula One.”

220km

the original length of the race, which bad weather shortened to 119km

The race is delayed The rally began nearly a decade ago. It was the brainchild of three friends around a bonfire, but there was to be no perfect story to mark the rally’s 10th anniversary. Nature, ever powerful, spoilt the party. A thick fog descended on the track and the race had to be delayed, and subsequently halved from 220 kilometres to 119.

At dawn, the locals gathered around the track, some on dunes, some on small rocky cliffs, impatiently waiting for the first car to arrive; some bit off big chunks of sugar cane, others with yellow mouths and red eyes smoked hashish to pass the time. “We look forward to this time of the year,” said Mehboob, a spectator. Others gathered around him, most of them holding Kalashnikovs, a common practice in these parts. “Our nawab is participating so we hope he wins.”

PHOTO: HANIF BHATTI

With no roads, the nawabs here have their mighty cars, the poor have their famished donkeys and cows; and to each their own beast. In colourful clothes, the locals stand impatiently, shuffling from one foot to the other so that they don’t freeze. But it would still be a few hours before they get a glimpse of the first car.

And they’re off!

Once the fog cleared, the cars are asked to leave one after the other at the starting line in the order decided by the qualifying round.

After a delay of a couple of hours, the chequered flag is waved for the first driver, Ronnie Patel, and the rally begins.

All across Jhal Magsi people with walkie-talkies and cell phones inform each other in hushed whispers, “Ronnie nikal gaya, Ronnie nikal gaya” — Ronnie has left, Ronnie has left.

Those gathered away from the starting line look at the horizon in anticipation, searching for the first tell-tale

PHOTO: YASIR NISAR

COVER STORY

And so man and nature go head on; miracles of engineering against the elements of nature

trail of sand that Ronnie will be leaving in his wake, the others following suit.

“Three cars have crossed the Mula River,” crackles the radio of one of the onlookers near the finish line. Sure enough, less than 10 minutes later, the first clouds of sand cover the horizon.

Someone points at it. A murmur runs through the crowd, an excited flurry of movement follows as the onlookers climb onto high vantage points to try and get a glimpse of Ronnie’s customised silver 4,300cc V8 Hilux Vigo.

Instead, it is Sarfaraz Dhanji’s white Nissan Patrol that comes racing through a corner. Confused, they look at each other. Right on cue, one of the walkie-talkies crackles, “Ronnie was involved in an accident with another car,” says the voice on the other end. “His car is totaled, he is out.”

Those gathered at the finish line rush to Dhanji to congratulate him on finishing the race. Some peer inside to see how the driver and co-driver are doing; others are more concerned with the damage to the car.

Fat Wallets and Brave Souls Nauman Siranjam’s category B silver Vigo follows soon after, completing the course in just over 1 hour 20 minutes; the fastest time recorded on the day. “The highest speed we reached was 153km/h but those in category A can reach much higher speeds,” said Saad Tariq, Siranjam’s co-driver, tired and barely able to speak. “There were times when we couldn’t see a thing due to all the sand thrown up by the car in front of us, but racing against time, we had to put the pedal to the metal even when driving blind. Thankfully, we emerged relatively unscathed.”

Others are not always as lucky. Asad Khuhro, another racer, almost wrecked his car when he nearly ended up in a ditch close to the final curve, but recovered well to finish second in category A; missing out on first by just seven seconds to Zafar Magsi.

Even without the poor visibility, the track is dangerous.

In a few places the two-ton monsters jump in the air for a few seconds. Trapped inside an unforgiving metal cage, the drivers have little room for error.

Toying so brashly with such peril is not for the weakhearted, but neither is it for the shallow-pocketed.

PHOTO: HANIF BHATTI

The cars are expensive and become doubly so when they are customised; in which case they are placed in the ‘prepared’ categories, while the other cars are in the ‘stock’ categories — divided by engine power. Several of them break down on the track, adding to the already high costs.

“Many of the cars get busted on the way,” added Tariq.

“Either their engines seize, or they suffer some other problem. That is why this is such an expensive sport; not only does it take a lot to prepare the cars for the rally but the repair cost after it is quite steep as well.”

The guns of Jhal Magsi

PHOTO: HANIF BHATTI

Above the considerable roar of the engines in the distance, one hears gunfire. Like a lethal version of Morse code, a celebratory volley on seeing one of the local heroes reach the finish line is followed by an answer from some other end. Once it starts, the aerial firing continues late into the evening either as both exhilarated celebration and bruised ego.

Only after the sun had sunk behind the mountains, long after the final car crossed the finish line, did the echoes of gunfire stop.

The previous night had been black; as black as the bands wrapped around the arms of all the drivers and co-drivers in respect to the recent Peshawar tragedy. But tonight the village gathered at the rally’s closing ceremony, eager to see the winners receive their awards and take part in the festivities.

Here they celebrated late into the night, until the lights went out and the wild dogs started to howl at the moon.

And as the night consumed the valley and the mountains, the monsters scattered and dispersed after delirium and despair, drugs and prayers, gunfire and finally silence. Until next year... T

Taha Anis is a subeditor on The Express Tribune Sports desk.

PHOTO: ADEEL ASAD

1hr20m

the fastest time recorded for the 2014 Jhal Magsi rally

FeATURe

A Musical Odyssey From the shores of Nova Scotia to performing with his Western qawwal group Fanna Fi Allah at the hallowed floors of Data Darbar, Taha Hussain Faridi (né Geoffrey Lyons) has come a long way

By NUDRAT KAMAL PHOTOS By US CONSULATe DeSIGN By SANOBeR AHMeD

Fanna-Fi-Allah performs at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi, as part of their 11th Annual Qawwali Tour of Pakistan.

When Geoffrey Lyons listened to a qawwali for the first time, it changed his life. He was a teenager living in Nova Scotia, Canada at the time, looking for greater meaning. “I was immensely moved by the devotional power of the music,” he says. “It stayed with me for a long time.”

Now Geoffrey goes by Tahir Hussain Faridi, and is the lead vocalist of a

34 January 11-17 2015

Western qawwal group called Fanna Fi Allah.

His journey towards musical and spiritual fulfilment (aren’t they really the same, though?) has taken him across religions and continents. While still in his teens, Faridi left home and spent years in the Himalayas, practicing Hindu (sanyasi) and Muslim (dervaish) forms of asceticism, reading scripture and trying

to determine his own faith. Eventually, he found a pir, Sheikh Leban (originally from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa), who inspired him to convert to Islam.

Meanwhile, his study of classical music continued. He began learning different qawwalis on his harmonium, trying to transliterate the words on paper. It wasn’t until Faridi was travelling in India with his long-time friend, Aminah Chishti (née Jessica Ripper), both learning how to play various classical instruments, that the idea of a Sufi music group came about. “Aminah and I were both

realised that this was a life path for us, something spiritually satisfying enough to pursue full time.”

While their music is primarily targeted at a Western audience, FannaFi-Allah, which consists of six people, regularly tour around the world and have performed in Pakistan and India, including at the shrines of Data Ganj Baksh in Lahore, Baba Ganj-e-Shakar in Pakpattan and Baba Bulleh Shah in Kasoor. In fact, the first time they gave hazri at a tomb was just a year after the band was formed. “We gave our first

We soon realised that this was a life path for us, something spiritually satisfying enough to pursue full time Upon deciding to be become a qawwal, Faridi

Tahir Hussain Faridi, the lead vocalist of Fanna Fi Allah.

Jahangir Baba has been with the band since 2001.

keen enough on the music by that point that we decided to give it a go — to get together a group of people and play this music together,” Faridi says. The band officially came into being in 2001, when they performed qawwali songs in front of a Western audience. Their performance was well-received, and Fanna-Fi-Allah hasn’t looked back since. “We soon

Aminah Chishti is the band’s tabla player.

Laali Qalandar, a vocalist of Fanna Fi Allah.

hazri in 2002, at the Dargah Sharif at Ajmer, India (at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine)” says Faridi. But the biggest turning point in their musical careers came when he and Chishti travelled to Pakistan and studied under Ustad Sher Ali Khan and Ustad Dildar Hussain, two learned figures of qawwali.

35 January 11-17 2015

FeATURe

While their music is primarily targeted at a Western audience, Fanna-Fi-Allah regularly tour around the world, including India and Pakistan.

I think the West sort of has too much freedom, to the point where we don’t hold on to tradition anymore Aminah Chishti

36 January 11-17 2015

As Fanna-Fi-Allah travels all around the country as part of their 11th Annual Qawwali Tour of Pakistan, performing at various shrines, Faridi expresses his gratitude at how welcoming Pakistanis are about their music.

“They are definitely very appreciative, very encouraging. They understand that this kind of music is completely foreign to us, and so they understand of the amount of work that we’ve put in. And they appreciate what we have accomplished, even though it’s a small part of a much larger puzzle.” Playing in front of a Pakistani audience is certainly very different from playing in the West, but Faridi maintains that people in the West also appreciate and enjoy their music, albeit in slightly different ways.

“Even if they don’t understand the

lyrics, they understand the reverence and devotion that lies behind our music,” he says. And if they don’t completely understand the spirituality, they can appreciate the rhythm and beat of the qawwalis. “Qawwalis are usually very ecstatic, very groovy and upbeat, and people there [in the West] really respond to this liveliness,” explains Faridi.

Despite some legendary woman qawwals — Abida Parveen and Sanam Marvi come to mind — Sufi music is mostly dominated by men. Aminah and Fanna-Fi-Allah is trying to buck the trend. Chishti, whose devotion to classical music began twelve years ago when she was given a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan music cassette, says that all the great classical musicians that she

learnt from were very supportive and eager to put her in the spotlight. “My teacher Ustad Dildar Hussain always said to me, ‘You’re not a woman or a man, you’re an artist,’ and to be an artist is about representing something beyond yourself,” she says. “So it kind of makes sense that I’m a woman doing this or we’re white, because we’re representing something that is beyond ourselves.”

Chishti, who is the group’s tabla player, has also made history by becoming the first woman in more than a hundred years to be allowed to perform in shrines across Pakistan.

She says that the first time she got to perform at a shrine was sort of a miracle. “I wasn’t expecting to play at all. We were in Pakpattan, and Faridi [and the rest of the group] was scheduled to perform at Baba Ganj-e-Shakkar when the wife of the gadi nasheen asked if I would like to participate as well,” she says. “There was so much love from the audience, especially from the women. As soon as I stopped playing, they showered me with hugs and shawls.” When asked about the challenges a woman who is interested in classical music might face, Chishti says it’s basically down to the lack of opportunities for women, especially in Pakistan.

“In India, there are so many opportunities for everyone to learn this skill, whether you’re a woman or you’re not from India. Whoever you are, you’re allowed to have more of a choice. In Pakistan there isn’t as much of a choice.” But at the same time, Chishti is quick to point out that there are excellent teachers of classical music in Pakistan. “There is this richness of ustads, of these masterful musicians who still hold this legacy in the field. Yet, where should they pass it on to? I feel there is a bit of a disconnect between this great generation of musicians and the next generation in terms of passing down this great art.”

Chishti explains that there is a need for spirituality and tradition that isn’t being fulfilled in the West, which is why so many Westerners are looking to the East. “I think the West sort of has too much freedom, to the point where we don’t hold on to tradition anymore,” she says. “That’s why you see so many people coming here to connect with traditional ways of living, whether it is through yoga or music or whatever.”T

Nudrat Kamal is a subeditor on The Express Tribune magazine desk. She tweets @Nudratkamal

My teacher Ustad Dildar Hussain always said to me, ‘You’re not a woman or a man, you’re an artist,’ and to be an artist is about representing something beyond yourself, so it kind of makes sense that I’m a woman doing this or we’re white, because we’re representing something that is beyond ourselves Fanna Fi Allah member, Aminah Chishti

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Tahir says that the band is grateful that Pakistanis are very receptive and appreciative of Fanna Fi Allah’s performances.

January 11-17 2015

In Pakistan, it’s not just the lives of the patients that are on the line. Many doctors are forced to perform surgical procedures at the barrel of a gun

BY Butool Hisam DEsiGN BY aamir KHaN

in the late hours of a warm august evening four years ago, a victim who had just been in a car crash was brought inside the emergency department of a Karachi hospital.

He had a subdural hematoma, a collection of blood outside the brain, and he needed emergency surgery.

2

Dr Nadir Haider was a part of the neurosurgery team that scrubbed in immediately. About an hour later, shouts were heard outside the operation theatre and he went out to investigate. From behind a door, he saw that six armed men had entered the Emergency Department and were shouting at the administrator in charge that they had a wounded patient. Back in the operating theatre, the doctor who was performing the surgery didn’t waver from his spot but cautioned his team to hide.

The armed men made their way inside, walked past the sterile scrubbing area and pointed the gun at the resident surgeon, ordering him to help their companion who was shot. The surgeon maintained his control and firmly told them to leave immediately because he was in the middle of an operation and not only were they distracting him, they were also contaminating the area. The episode ended with the armed men beating up the operation theatre staff, who eventually fled. The patient from the car crash died on the table without being treated.

This incident is not at all unique. This is what doctors, nurses and other members of the medical staff at public health hospitals

are forced to deal with daily in a crimeridden city like Karachi.

Dr Haider has been a witness to many incidents like that one night in August.

“I am expected to work in a very risky environment, and the average person blames me for everything that happened to a patient even before they reach the hospital.

If I wanted an adrenaline rush, I would have joined the medical division of armed forces.

The government and the hospital could do so much more to improve the security at these major emergency departments.”

Sometimes, patients in the ER include rich, influential politicians who expect special attention even when there may be others who are more gravely sick Dr Saeed Minhas, PIMS Islamabad.

Armed thugs regularly threaten doctors. In August 2012, an armed mob attacked a senior surgeon at Civil Hospital, Karachi following the death of a political worker. In December 2012, two armed wings of political parties had a shootout inside the emergency unit of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi, rather emphatically

highlighting medical workers’ need for security. The CCTV footage of the JPMC attack shows the medical teams running for cover while security officials were slow to respond. The culprits escaped easily.

In 2011, a nationwide study conducted by Mirza et al at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) found that 76.9 per cent of physicians from nine major tertiary care hospitals faced verbal or physical abuse from patients or their caretakers, and that male physicians are more likely to suffer abuse. Not surprisingly, the study reported that this has led to reduced job performance. More recently, in September 2013, Dr Jahanzeb Effendi from JPMC’s orthopedic and trauma surgery department spoke about the abuse of doctors at a conference hosted by The University of Chicago Center in Beijing. He told me that a lack of security just one aspect

This is why we do what we do. We need to help these beautiful, brave people who fight everyday just to live. No mob can stop us Dr Jahanzeb Effendi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

of a bigger problem. “There is a lack of training of patient counselling amongst junior doctors. Sometimes, under pressure or threats, they end up giving false hopes to the patient and their families. Also we cannot underestimate the issues arising due to language barriers. Moreover the media coverage is usually one-sided and this has led to a growing lack of faith and trust towards doctors.” He adds that this is not helped by senior physicians joining private practices and spending only a few hours at government hospitals, where he says they are most needed.

Dr Junaid Razzak, Head of the Emergency Department at AKUH also mentions poor communication as a factor.

“Violence against healthcare providers has multiple reasons and sources. Some of them include poor care being provided or delays or inappropriate communication or no communication. Violence however, can never be justified. A system has to be evolved such that patients and their relatives have another way to share their anguish, unhappiness and complaints. If violence in a healthcare setting continues at the level it is or goes further up, we will have major problem retaining good doctors, nurses and technicians.”

Dr Saeed Minhas, who was the Chief Medical Officer at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad, and

has seen his fair share of violent threats in the emergency room (ER), concurs with Dr Razzak. “Within emergency medicine, there is hardly any training or concept of dealing with patients, especially their attendants, in terms of communication, patient counselling patient briefing and conflict management. Lack of hands-on training may also instill poor confidence in the patient towards the doctor or medical staff.” When it comes to patients and attendants, Dr Minhas says, “Sometimes, patients in the ER include rich, influential politicians who expect special attention even when there may be others who are more gravely sick. Moreover, some patients are accompanied by too many attendants who add to the chaos. With a lack of accountability, their actions go unnoticed” I ask Dr Effendi what it is that still motivates him and other doctors to work. He said, “Once I was directing an old and fragile woman to a ward, accompanied by her equally weak son at JPMC. They had come from rural Sindh and spoke poor Urdu. What melted my heart was their simplicity.

As I directed them, they did not expect the elevator, they did not wait to check if it worked. Our people are simple, underprivileged and burdened. Yet, they survive, and face the circumstances bravely. I saw the purest love and devotion of a son to his mother. This is why we do what we do. We need to help these beautiful, brave people who fight everyday just to live. No mob can stop us.”

Butool Hisam is a medical student at DOW Medical College, Karachi, and a blogger.

percent of physicians from 9 major teritary care hospitals faced verbal or physical abuse from patients or their caretakers.

76.9

339

SOURCE : MIRza Et al, aKUH January 11-17 2015

BOOK

War and Peace and reverse swing In a World Cup year, Pakistan cricket has already won. Osman samiuddin’s The Unquiet Ones: A History of Pakistan Cricket is a triumph

By Imran yusuf

To grasp the extent of The Unquiet Ones, think of the national cricket story itself as a massive, sprawling Great Pakistani Novel, reminiscent of Tolstoy. First there is the overwhelming content. The book’s 500 pages long; one suspects it could have been a lot more.

Then consider the approach. What genre is this epic tale? Tragedy, romance, thriller, melodrama, farce? All of the above, of course, and more. Samiuddin’s monumental achievement is the synthesis of all this noise into an orchestral symphony. Pakistan cricket, the greatest story ever told, but too often at the mercy of long-winded uncles, finally has the conductor it deserves.

Samiuddin’s voice has authority and insight. The Oval victory of ’54 40 figures prominently in every Pakistan fan’s consciousness, but till now January 11-17 2015

only at a distance. The chapter here makes the reader a 12th man in the dressing room, observing AH Kardar and Fazal Mahmood from such close quarters the reader actually gets inside their heads.

A great sports book must appeal to non-sports folk. Samiuddin expertly draws the bigger picture. He contextualises the state of the nation, its cultural life, its sense of self as country and cricket team through the ages. The early days are beautifully captured, particularly club cricket in Lahore after Partition, when “the gap between cricketer and non-cricketer was narrow.”

We get a running social commentary, deftly done: a spotlight on forgotten parts, from Bangladesh to Balochistan; a wry nostalgia for a time PIA was world class and Pakistan upwardly mobile; sharp insights on Javed Miandad and social class.

The big personalities are given penetrative chapters. We are shown the complex hauteur of AH Kardar, the noble loneliness of Hanif Mohammad, the left arm divinity of Wasim Akram. It also seems Samiuddin has a man-crush on Fazal.

He writes about Fazal’s long, toned biceps and how he had immense stamina, once bowling 45 overs in a Test match day. These two observations might serve as an image for this book. Each page has a taut muscularity, but it keeps its pace over the long haul.

Every page has verbal delights. Imran Khan’s early bowling action has “more windmills in it than Holland, and just as flat”; his perfected later action is “a leaping study in the beauty and grace of the human form.” There are marvelous anecdotes, transporting us to a rollicking Indian train carriage, huddled together with journalists and beers, listening to Chetan Sharma talking about that ball.

The scholarship is immense. If there is something essential about Pakistani cricket, you feel it is here. The chapter on match-fixing is a masterpiece of clarity, telling a labyrinthine story — real snake-eatingits-own-tail-stuff — so well that one finally forms a clear picture of this unfortunate mess. The only thing which comes out clean is the pristine writing.

This being Pakistan cricket, humour runs through the spine of the story. There’s a particularly well-drawn scene of a 2009 Senate hearing, Ijaz Butt and Javed the squabbling aunties within a comical soap opera. The fun intertwines with sadness, though, moving from deeply tragic endings to the many cruelties that even current players, such as Younis and Misbah, have had to undergo through our non-system. However, there have been administrative successes in Pakistan cricket, also covered meticulously here.

The Unquiet Ones ends with a chapter on fast bowling, taking in tape ball cricket and a final passage on Mohammad Amir. Later this year, of course, Amir returns from his ban. Who knows what the future holds in store, for him and the team. Whatever happens, one already looks forward to the author’s new editions and updates of this great book.

Imran Yusuf is a writer.

BOOK

Saving a language, one word at a time Parsi Bol aims to protect the community’s heritage through a compilation of signature Parsi phrases

By Teenaz JavaT

Parsis have a comical way of describing their unfettered zest for life using an unusual mix of sarcasm and wit. Having adopted Gujarati as their mother tongue on their arrival to India in 1384 AC, the community created its own unique version of the language and Parsi Bol: Insults, Endearments and other Parsi Gujarati Phrases is a testament to that.

The book is compiled by award-winning screenwriter and photographer Sooni Taraporevala and journalist Meher Marfatia who put out a call for contributions which came flooding in by email and snail mail from all over the world.

Two hundred and sixty contributors shared 716 phrases which were painstakingly translated by Taraporevala’s octogenarian aunt Rutty Maneckshaw.

The phrases are written in Gujarati and Roman scripts, followed by their literal meaning in English and the idiomatic connotation.

The idioms are divided in over 15 themes and include everything from insults, endearments to anatomy and advice on money, wives and even death. Along with being a linguistic guide, the book is also a visual treat as Hemant Morparia and Farzana Cooper have illustrated several bols or sayings, thereby taking the reader on a theatrical journey.

For those who have grown up in a Parsi household, familiar phrases such as Evun toh photo frame thai guya (the person died and is now in a photo frame) which shows the signature Parsi 42 humour when it comes to death or Mummo chuchcho vugar seerpa January 11-17 2015

nahi which means if you don’t swear you are not a Parsi, are bound to take one down memory lane. “This book has brought so much laughter in our house. In spite of the fact [that] our children were born and brought up here in Canada, it amazes [me] how we connect with our heritage and manage to find laughter even in death,” says Armaity Anandasagar whose children are of mixed Parsi and Hindu lineage. “It’s shocking to realise that nobody had thought of doing this before. It’s as scary as losing the recipe for dhansak and lagan-noo custard,” said Bollywood actor Boman Irani. ”We would have lost forever what is unique to us — our humour, our wisdom and our heritage.”

However, to make the book equally relatable and entertaining for non-Parsis, the authors have taken great pains in putting out English translations and transliterations which are as clear and close in meaning to the original phrases as possible. Hence, if you want to learn more about the small community that has made a significant contribution to Karachi, Parsi Bol would be a great and funny place to start.

While the first print run of Parsi Bol was released last year, it has sold out already and a wonderful e-book version with an embedded audio element is expected to be released soon. The authors are looking to create a sequel as well and have invited contributors to email them to parsibol@gmail.com.

Teenaz Javat writes headlines, news alerts, tickers and tweets for a living.

She tweets @TeenazFromTo

ART

Who to believe?

Muhammad Zeeshan’s ‘One For The Birds’ at Gandhara Gallery, Karachi contemplates religion, mythology and diversity in an increasingly intolerant age

By ShAnZAy SuBZWARi PhOTOS cOuRTeSy MuhAMMAd ZeeShAn

In today’s world, artists are paradoxically required to innovate, to constantly reinvent themselves while ‘remaining true to their roots’. How does one do that?

Muhammad Zeeshan a former billboard painter, and now an NCA-trained miniature painter shows the way in his new show at the Gandhara Gallery titled One for the Birds.

Zeeshan was taught to skillfully use a squirrel-tail brush and deftly render tiny, detailed areas on handmade paper called vasli. Zeeshan brought new life to the centuriesold tradition by juxtaposing traditional artisanal work with lasers. Put machine-scoring and hand-painting together, and you get a fascinating conversation about the boundaries of miniature painting, technology and the ideas of tradition and modernity themselves.

A sweeping first glance of Gandhara Gallery will show you large, wall-sized works boldly filled with symbols from religion and mythology. A closer look shows flat, bright backgrounds, accentuating Zeeshan’s painstakingly rendered subjects, painted in opaque watercolour called gouache. The rest—visuals taken from high-end art, pop culture and moving images — is laser-scored.

The subject matter is disparate — his pieces show figures from Hinduism, Greek mythology and Islam — but it transcends time, geography and religion, ultimately alluding to cultural diversity, reverence and belief systems.

In Pyar Ka Khuda, Zeeshan borrows imagery from miniature painting and composes it to his liking on a large scale of 65x40 inches, roughly the size of a large television.

A Mughal king hunts with a bow and arrow, accompanied by a large parrot. A closer look reveals that the parrot is actually four women whose postures combine to form the image of the bird. This introduces ideas of playfulness and deception, and the title positions the king as a playboy figure.

44 Pyar Ka Khuda (2014) graphite.

January 11-17 2015

In another piece with the same name and similar imagery — Pyar Ka Khuda — Zeeshan uses a different technique. He pushes the boundaries of delicate miniature painting by using a coarse industrial medium, i.e. graphite on sandpaper. By using the crude surface of sandpaper as opposed to the burnished Vasli of miniature, and by building layers by rubbing graphite as opposed to gentle strokes of the soft brush, Zeeshan deconstructs the traditional to understand and construct the contemporary.

He does the same with AlamDar, depicting traditional Shia symbolism. The understanding and construction of it lies in its deconstruction of the original method, by employing a new, opposing one, as I have mentioned (i.e. crude graphite versus. soft, opaque watercolour) Going back to laser-scoring and gouache on vasli, Zeeshan depicts the tale of Ganymede- a young beautiful man from Greek mythology, who was snatched by Zeus, the King of the Gods, who had disguised himself as an eagle.

According to myth, Ganymede served as the cup-bearer for many years and was later seen among the stars as Aquarius, the water-bearer. Here, as with Pyar Ka Khuda, the idea of deception is explored, as is the idea of homosexual love.

Then there’s Laal, a digital print, with gouache and laserscoring on vasli. The image shows many identical wingedmen in a bright blue sky, perhaps representing Jhulelaal — a deity who encompasses two interwoven legends in Sindh, bringing together the folkloric Hindu and the Islamic traditions of the region. The ode to religious diversity can hardly be missed.

Zeeshan’s works show images from pop culture, yet his own originality is laced across it. And he compels the viewer to consider where tradition ends and innovation begins.

Hence, another debate is initiated in his work: In a world where almost everything is appropriated and inspired from the other, is there any image that can be called completely original?

One for the Birds is relevant because it calls into question the current state of polarity in the world. Zeeshan implies that humanity is entangled in ideological and physical battles that, at their base, are petty. Zeeshan’s work reaffirms the essential role that religion plays in our lives, yet different religions need not come in conflict with each other. Zeeshan seems to believe that people are inherently more similar than different. The greatest testament to this is how the symbols from various cultures, such as Ganymede and Jhulelal, fit seamlessly in a coherent body of work, becoming a sum larger than its parts.

Shanzay Subzwari is an artist and art writer based in Karachi.

She tweets @ShanzaySubzwari

Ganymede (2014) Gouache and laser scoring on wasli.

45

Pyar Ka Khuda (2014).

January 11-17 2015

HEALTH

DEMYSTIFYING MIGRAINE

BY ISHRAT ANSARI DESIGN BY OMER ASIM

The awful neurological disease is treatable, and not as damaging as you think

Major symptoms A throbbing, pulsating ache, affecting one half of the head. That too at least twice a month.

Migraine makes you want to blow your brains out, or at least take a handful of painkillers until you get the desired effect.

But hold on. As common as it is, little is known about the condition. Migraines are neurological disorders that affect 25-30 per cent of the world population, but most people just see it as a headache. “A large number of people do not know that they are suffering from migraine, which is a very common problem,” said Dr Muhammad Wasay, a neurologist and professor at Aga Khan University Hospital.

Migraines can start at any age, but most people experience their first attack during their early adulthood.

In two thirds of all cases, migraines run in the family.

More women suffer from migraine than men — three times as many, according to Dr Jai Perkash, assistant professor at Dow University of Health Sciences. Dr Wasay said that around 30 per cent of women who suffer from migraine get them during menstruation, so they should be given medicine a week before their periods start.

46 JANUARY 11-17 2015

Migraines generally affect one half of the head. The headaches from a migraine tend to be worse when the person is active. Migraines also prompt nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to loud sound, bright light, and dizziness in some cases. Dr Perkash said that symptoms and their frequency vary on a case-to-case basis. Many people have corresponding symptoms lasting anywhere from a few minutes to days following the headache; those symptoms may include sleepiness, irritability, fatigue, depression, yawning, and cravings for sweet or salty foods.

Some migraines have warning symptoms — blurred vision, eye pain, blind spots — called aura, which occur 15-20 minutes before the headache starts. However, most cases, around 80 per cent, are without aura.

Triggers An exhaustive list: stress, depression, a heavy work load, dehydration, too chocolate, coffee, tea, cheese or alcohol. Dr Wasay said that during Ramazan, migraine attacks increase since people have empty stomachs and can’t have their routine intake of caffeine. Everyone has their own triggers and it is important to understand your own to do your best to avoid them. Keeping a journal of known triggers—certain foods, sounds, or bright lights—may help avoid future migraine attacks.

Frequent attacks are rare, so if a patient suffers more than two attacks in a month doctors ought to give preventive medicine, Dr Wasay said.

Coping with the condition A number of effective treatments are available to reduce the symptoms and prevent further attacks. Their frequency can be reduced by taking a few simple measures: regular exercise, avoiding stress, and eating and sleeping regularly. Painkillers are a bad idea; they could damage your kidneys and liver. “It is a pity that people consider it [migraine] just a bad headache and get hooked on painkillers,” Dr Wasay said. If the headaches get really bad, visit a neurologist immediately.

“It’s an episodic disorder but once it is diagnosed it is preventable,” said Dr Perkash.

No damaging effects As awful as migraines are, they’re not that bad.

“Only 15 per cent of the patients suffer from severe conditions that they are taken to the hospital,” Dr Wasay said.

He also said that a migraine is benign. “Even if a person suffers from many migraine attacks in life, the attacks do not cause any damage to the brain.”

Still, they do make life pretty uncomfortable. Dr Perkash said that they severely affect one’s quality of life and stop people from carrying out their daily activities. Some people feel compelled to stay in bed for days at a time. t Ishrat Ansari works at The Express Tribune Karachi desk.

She tweets @Ishrat_ansari