The Express Tribune Magazine - January 18

JANUARY 18-24 2015

LINE

ON THE FRONT

Pakistan’s female commandos stand side by side with their male counterparts in the face of terror

JANUARY 18-24 2015

Feature

Discover Karachi

Cover Story

Explore Karachi beyond the high-rise buildings and bustling markets

On the front line Pakistan’s female commandos stand tall in the face of terror

30 Portfolio

Train-ed to sell An unusual market in Thailand rests on a railway track

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34 Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people

38 Reviews: Books and movies 42 Health: Ensuring a good night’s sleep

Magazine Editor: Sarah Munir, Senior Subeditor: Dilaira Dubash 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 Ayesha Ibrahim launches her flagship store in Zamzama, Karachi

Nadiya and Beenish

Alizeh PHOTOS COURTESY TAKE II

Nazia Malik

Anum Tanveer

Dur-e-Shehwar and Sadaf

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Saniya Hassan

Ayesha and Dr Ibrahim

Mr and Mrs Shaikh

PEOPLE & PARTIES Wajahat and Huma Tahir

Nadia Chottani

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKE II

Mona Imran

Muzna Ibrahim

Beenish Khan

Sidra Sajid

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Mr ans Mrs Anees

Misbah Mumtaz

Sonia Haider

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Zeenat Zahra and Marrium

Unicorn Gallery exhibits the works of Laila Shahzada in Karachi

Soraya

Nelofar and Mehreen

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Azam, Shaheen and Kaukab with a guest

PHOTOS COURTESY PHENOMENA PR

Talat, Seema and Yasmeen

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sonia Haider

PHOTOS COURTESY LATITUDE PR

Wardha Saleem

Shamaeel Ansari and Maliha Rehman

House of Shamaeel opens up in Karachi

Sharmila Farooqi Anushe Shahid

Deepak Perwani and Saamia Asmatullah

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Mahirah Abbasi and Sanam Chaudhri

PEOPLE & PARTIES Educate a Girl celebrates 500 vocational scholarships for girls, in Karachi

Sanam Ashraf

Bina Ali and Tara Uzra Dawood

Jalal, Arie Wyss and Parveen Kanji

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Jaweria Ali

Varah Musavvir and Dr Fouzia Khan

PHOTOS COURTESY SAM ASH PHOTOGRAPHY

Ammad, Abbas and Jawwad

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Ahmed Kardar Mehreen and Nida

Bilal and Zunaira

Rabia , Shahzada Farhad and Lubna

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Aliza and Faiza

Faseeha, Maham and Ayesha

Bassaam

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

CafĂŠ Martinez opens up in Lahore

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Hina and Sana Khan

Kanwal, Uzma and Dania

PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR

Mehreen

Sana and Rukham

Hina and Salman

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Mahnoor and Hiba

Usman Kiyani and Sadaf Kiyani

Nazim and Yasmin

Sobia and Samra

COVER STORY

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LINE

on the front PAKISTAN’S FEMALE COMMANDOS STAND SIDE

BY SIDE WITH THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS IN THE FACE OF TERROR TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SA’ADIA KHAN DESIGN BY TALHA KHAN

As the clock strikes five on a cold winter morning in Islamabad, nearly 60 women jump to their feet. A slight chaos breaks out in the spacious, regimentally clean and usually organised dormitory, each of which houses eight female officers of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), commando division of the Islamabad Police — many of these women joined the Islamabad Police for their initial training and then volunteered to join the ATS. The officers change from baggy shalwar qameez into their signature black attire in an almost synchronised movement. Belts snap shut and laces are tied hurriedly, followed by a voluntary headscarf or niqaab (veil).

A female commando with an MP5 on the unit patrol vehicle.

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COVER STORY Once ready, firearms are secured from the weapons room [MP5 submachine guns and Glock semi-automatic pistols] and everyone heads to the transporter, which will drop and pick commandos from 13 beats (each beat or route covers two sectors) in Islamabad covered by three shifts. The ATS vehicle closely trails that of the Punjab Rangers — whose directive is border guarding and to defend particular sectors in what they call ‘Operations Other Than War’, peacekeeping missions and disaster relief operations — maintaining a distance of 100 yards throughout. The female officers on this specialised task force belong to different ethnic and religious backgrounds but have come together to fight terrorism in the country and are gradually becoming a force to reckon with.

In equal stride

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According to information released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in 2010, women first became part of the police force in the subcontinent in 1939 when seven female constables and a head constable were inducted to contain female agitators of a farmers’ movement in Punjab. There was no significant change in numbers until 1952 when 25 constables, two head constables and an assistant superintendant were recruited.

The year 1994 saw the establishment of Pakistan’s first women-only police station in Rawalpindi spearheaded by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. This was then replicated in Abbottabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Larkana. It was soon after this that women were inducted into a specialised training programme of anti-terror squads.

Across Pakistan, there are a total of 14 police training schools, which are demographically broken down as follows: five are located in Punjab, five in Sindh, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and one in Balochistan.

The Balochistan wing of the ATS was established in 1981 and was converted to the Anti-Terrorist Force in 1997.

Furthermore the K-P police department recruited its first batch of women police commandos as recently as November 2014.

In Islamabad, the first women-only anti-terrorism squad was set up in October 2001, following the events of 9/11 which led to a high-security alert in the federal capital.

According to a report in a local newspaper at the time, 22 female police officers and 10 graduate officers were trained in martial arts, swimming, driving, shooting, bomb disposal, rescue operation and anti-rioting to combat terrorism. As the security situation across the country deteriorated over the years, each province began to train its own female commandos.

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Female ATS commandos boarding the transporter alongside their male counterparts.

For instance, a man once said, ‘“you look like a perfect woman, why would you want to dress like a man and do this work?

A female ATS officer

A tough calling Chief Instructor Mohammad Akmal, who has been in this profession for 31 years and also trained female commandos from other countries, recalls how many of the current female trainers would peer over the balcony of their [Islamabad Police] barracks and watch the intense training being conducted in the adjacent grounds. “At first I was not sure if these girls would be able to complete the mammoth run and circuit, but they did and I am so proud of each and every one of them,” he says.

Combat training comprises 90 days of intense and extensive drills including survival skills, hostage rescue, counter terrorism strategies, policing protests and cases of domestic violence, dealing with rape cases and overseeing autopsies. The officers are required to be up at the crack of dawn and start their day with a one-hour run followed by physical training. A kit inspection — where uniform and other components such as gas mask, hand cuffs, ballistic vest and batons are checked — kickstarts the second session followed by weapons training. “No one has failed

to graduate as they are dedicated and ambitious,” adds Akmal.

An unlikely call to action Although Hafiza Sarah Khan* had many conventional job opportunities after completing her Masters degree, she chose to join the ATS commandos instead. Wearing the black commando uniform was a primary motivation for Khan, who had always been in awe of the Punjab Police Elite Force. “I am one of nine siblings but the first and only one in the forces,” she says adding that she was proud to be supporting her family financially while following her dream.

However, since the profession is considered to be an unusual choice for women and falls prey to many cultural and s0cietal stereotypes, these officers are often confronted with strange remarks. “For instance, a man once said, ‘you look like a perfect woman, why would you want to dress like a man and do this work?’” shares one of the officers. Therefore, it is imperative to have the

Female commandos heading out for the second shift change of the day.

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A female ATS commando heading back to ATS headquarters.

support of your family, adds Khan. Raheela Ahmed’s* first interaction with female officers was also through a local TV drama. “I was so impressed by the female police officer in the drama that I decided right there and then to join the police force,” she shares. A few years later she saw an advertisement in the newspaper, asked her father for permission and has not looked back since. “I have also inspired my sister and brother to join the police force,” Ahmed says proudly. “I love my work, my family and my country. Hence, I don’t dwell on the risk factor.” Even though these courageous officers brush the risk factor aside, their time on the field is no child’s play.

Face-to-face with death and danger Members of the ATS are first responders, which entails being the first on the scene of an emergency, natural disaster or terror attack. In October 2005, when two luxury apartment tower blocks in Islamabad were razed to the ground as the result of a 7.6 Richter scale earthquake, ATS was the first to respond to the incident.

As soon as the team got the news, its primary objective was to get to the site and secure the area. “We were there within five minutes,” recalls Akmal. “I was part of a team that rescued nine people from the rubble, and I will never forget those moments of desperation to save more people.”

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Despite many cultural and societal stereotypes, many brave women have made the unusual choice of being part of an ATS squad.

They are mothers, sisters and daughters but we need them to be commandos too, They bring a different temperament to the ATS, and are very effective and committed to combating terrorism in our country DSP Akram Jappa As part of the ATS Commando Division’s primary mission these highly trained individuals are also specialists in hostage rescue and counter terrorism. When a Rapid Response Force is dispatched for a raid, it is the female ATS commandos who form the front line and are the first to secure entry. Their male counterparts follow them.

Sana Tahir* recalls one such drug raid conducted by four teams in collaboration with Islamabad Police in Saidpur Village. “We had surrounded a house. It was late at night so visibility was low,” she says. Tahir was one of the female commandos negotiating with the people inside the house until one of the women inside opened the door and the male residents were arrested. Female commandos are crucial in such situations since male commandos are not allowed to touch women and only female officers can body search women. The male commandos also regard the female wing as an asset due to the unique skill set they bring to the table. “Women are the soft face of ATS. We [men] are aggressive and sometimes lack the level of patience women have,” says Saghir Anwar, an ATS commando. “It’s all about teamwork and they bring balance to the team.”

spirit. Not only do they train alongside men but are always ready to accompany them to any mission, as dangerous or demanding as it may be. “We stand shoulder to shoulder alongside our male colleagues,” says 27-year-old Bushra Rehman*, a female ATS commando.

DSP Akram Jappa who spear headed the recruitment of women into the ATS squad in Islamabad Police feels that their presence is paramount for the force to go from strength to strength during this critical time in dealing with terrorism in Pakistan. “They are mothers, sisters and daughters but we need them to be commandos too,” says Jappa. “They bring a different temperament to the ATS and are very effective and committed to combating terrorism in our country.” *Names of the commandos have been changed to protect their identity.

Sa’adia Khan is a freelance photographer based in Islamabad.

She tweets @IM_SaadiaKhan

Standing tall The ATS female commando motto — ‘Respect us, fear us’ — could not be more fitting of these female commandos who are hugely outnumbered by their male counterparts currently but make up for that with their high morale and Female ATS Commandos start their day at the crack of dawn with intensive training and then set off to patrol the city.

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FEATURE

Discover Karachi

Continuing the quest to uncover the city’s unsung locations TEXT AND PHOTOS BY FAROOQ SOOMRO

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The Karachi that most urban dwellers are familiar with is lined with high-rise buildings, fancy restaurants and upscale markets. This is in stark contrast to the diversity the metropolis has to offer. To bring to light some of the obscure city landmarks and attractions, blogger Farooq Soomro scratches the surface and unearths some of the city’s hidden or forgotten treasures that deserve a special mention.

A showstopper from the past

Although some of the projectors at the Crown Cinema are still in working condition, frequent power failures over the years reduced profit margins considerably, forcing the cinema to go out of business

In a city that thrives on cinemas as one of its main sources of entertainment, the once packed Crown Cinema now lies lifeless in the heart of Karachi. Visible while crossing Mauripur Road, it screened its final show last year during Ramazan. Today, the cinema is a ghost of its former self, sheathed under a layer of dust and darkness. A charpoy greets one in the main hall followed by an empty mug on the ticket counter. As one moves in further, you can see the main theatre lined with broken benches and the stage which is now in shambles. Although some of the projectors are still in working condition, frequent power failures over the years reduced profit margins considerably, forcing the cinema to go out of business.

Unable to compete with the multiplexes that have sprung up in the city, this poor man’s source of entertainment is in much need of an overhaul.

The Crown Cinema which was once a source of entertainment for the poor man in the city now stands silent.

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FEATURE

The Haji Malang Hotel on Bhit Island is a favourite among sailors and fishermen in the area, for a cup of chai and a quick snack.

The Haji Malang Hotel is the desi equivalent of a pub and a hotspot for sailors and fishermen who hit the hotel to drown their exhaustion in a steaming hot cup of chai A refreshing respite Tucked in between concrete structures in the heart of Bhit Island, located on the Manora channel, is the unassuming Haji Malang Hotel — as it reads on a single menu hanging on the wall. But the small, wooden structure with ceramic canopy tiles has a charm of its own. The place is the desi equivalent of a pub and a hotspot for sailors and fishermen who hit the hotel to drown their exhaustion in a steaming hot cup of chai followed by chitchat and laughter over a plate of rustic chicken masala or a light omelette depending on the time of the day. At a distance from the glittery city distractions, it offers an honest, nofrills taste of Karachi.

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Today, the Ratan Talao Gurdwara— or whatever remains of it — acts as a reminder of Karachi’s peaceful times. The exterior may give you an impression that the structure is still in reasonable condition but a closer inspection reveals that it is practically inhabitable Faithfully executed Located along Temple Road, close to Nabi Bagh College, is the Ratan Talao Gurdwara. Today, the pre-Partition gurdwara — or whatever remains of it — acts as a reminder of Karachi’s peaceful times. The exterior may give you an impression that the structure is still in reasonable condition but a closer inspection reveals that it is practically inhabitable. The roof has caved in and the walls are weak. The floor is covered in shrubs and debris apart from a small patch of surviving Belgian tiles that once adorned the floors of many landmarks in the city. Perhaps the only thing that gives away the structure as being a gurdwara is the sacred symbol of Sikhs embossed on all four sides of the building.

Like the once flourishing Sikh community, the gurdwaras in the city, including the ones in Narayanpura, Ranchore Line and Manora, have seen better days. But until the city regains its measure of tolerance for minorities, the Ratan Talao Gurdwara will remain a fond memory from the past.

Farooq Soomro documents unexplored sites of Karachi on his blog thekarachiwalla.com.

He tweets @thekarachiwalla

The remains of the prePartition Ratan Talao Gurdwara on Temple Road in Karachi.

JANUARY 18-24 2015

PORTFOLIO

Train-ed to sell The Talad Rom Hoop market in Thailand stands firm despite a train passing right through it every three hours TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIAL SHAH DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED

34 The Talad Rom Hoop market in Thailand attracts a large number of tourists due to its unique location on a railway track.

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Vibrant colours and aromatic alleys make the market a major tourist attraction.

Markets in Thailand are usually famous for their vibrant colours, hustle-bustle and aromatic alleys but the Talad Rom Hoop, or the Umbrella Pull-down Market, is also unique in other ways. The small, narrow market that runs along Meaklong River, almost 70 kilometres southwest of Bangkok is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in Thailand and is centred on the Maeklong railway track. Before the railway track was built in 1905, it was a place for the locals to gather and sell foodstuff. The vendors however refused to move even after the track was completed.

While it looks like any other open-air market in Asia — busy with a variety of produce and haggling customers — unlike other markets, passenger trains pass through it eight times Stalls cover the railway track which is used as a footpath for visitors.

PORTFOLIO

Even though the Talad Rom Hoop market looks like any other open-air market in Asia — busy with a variety of produce and haggling customers — unlike other markets, passenger trains pass through it eight times a day, every day of the week Vendors have a minute or two to move the entire market back from the track before the train comes through.

A vendor safeguards her stall and holds an umbrella for the train to pass through. a day, every day of the week. Even though there is a margin of almost eight inches of safety between the railway track and the vendors along with signals by guards to ensure that the track is cleared when the train passes, some travelers have reported accidents on their personal blogs.

Shop vendors wait for the piercing sound of the signal and within a minute, the entire market is moved back from the rails. This distinctive feature has made the market a major tourist attraction. Their cameras at bay, tourists wait for the trains as vendors slide their carts back. Some vendors even install wheels on their carts for easy manoeuvring. The awnings are lifted up out of the way of the train, the goods and tables are retracted, and people stand just centimeters from the passing carriages.

Within seconds of the train passing, the goods are back on the track, the awnings are down and business resumes as usual.

The market resumes its usual hustle-bustle once the train has passed.

Danial Shah is a travel writer and a photographer. He tweets @DanialShah_ JANUARY 18-24 2015

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Losing her mind Still Alice documents the painful struggle of a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s

BY VIVIAN J XAVIER

For someone who has witnessed the struggles of Alzhiemer’s first-hand, Still Alice strikes home with its honest and compassionate treatment of the subject. Based on the novel of the same name by writer and neuroscientist Lisa Genova, the film recounts the life of a linguistics professor at Columbia University, Dr Alice Howland, who finds out that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s. The disease makes managing her marriage, her work and the relationship with her children a Sisyphean task as it chips away at the very core of her identity and accomplishments.

Julianne Moore is spectacular in her portrayal of Alice — a woman slowly losing grip on her mind while traversing a gamut of emotions with just an arch of an eyebrow. Her sublime performance has already won her a Golden Globe, a nomination for a BAFTA and could also finally land her the Academy Award.

Alec Baldwin plays Dr John Howland, Alice’s ambitious medical researcher husband who labours to be there for his wife. Their children, Anna, Lydia and Tom are played by Kate Bosworth, Kristen Stewart and Hunter Parish respectively and while all of them give strong performances, Stewart’s is especially notable.

The disease and its progression are documented from Alice’s point of view so the viewer has

to pay attention to the little details as they unfold to truly appreciate the dexterity of the screenplay. What makes Still Alice a tough watch is witnessing how Alice’s decline causes her to only faintly resemble the fierce woman she once was, and eventually become invisible.

Directed and adapted for the screen by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice is one of the most difficult movies to get through and yet one of the most rewarding.

As Glatzer himself suffers from a progressive neurological disorder, it often bears listings of a personal nature. The script and direction is understated and the directors’ admiration of Yasujir Ozu’s Tokyo Story is evident in the film’s emotional restraint and similarities in the plot such as the family structure and profession of the lead character. Denis Lenoir, the famous French cinematographer who has worked with renowned names such as Jacques Audiard and Olivier Assayas, is instrumental in visualising Alice’s decline. As the movie begins, the visuals bloom and are almost ethereal but become jaded as the plot progresses, keeping in line with the effects of the disease that takes over without warning.

There are few films that explore the pain of losing one’s own identity and sense of being, and do so as powerfully, honestly and painfully as Still Alice. It is definitely one of those films that is hard to watch, but even harder to forget.

For more on matters of the mind, watch Silver Linings Playbook An adaptation of a 2008 Matthew Quick novel, this film features a man with bipolar disorder, who is released from a psychiatric hospital and is struggling to win back his ex-wife. In the process, however, he ends up falling in love with a recently widowed young woman.

Blue Jasmine This film tells a story of a former rich socialite played by Cate Blanchett, who is now completely broke and mentally unstable. Blanchett’s performance won her an Academy Award and received unanimous praise, with film critic Mick LaSalle calling it “beyond brilliant”.

A Beautiful Mind The 2001 biographical film is based on the life of mathematician John Nash (played

by Russell Crowe) who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and shows how the disorder gradually takes over his personal and professional life.

Rating: Vivian J Xavier is a cinematographer.

He tweets @vivianjxavier

BOOK

Half Girlfriend, Full Flop Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend is an unoriginal and oversimplified account of a romance

BY SAMRA MUSLIM

A boy, a girl, romance and tragedy — Chetan Bhagat’s latest offering, Half Girlfriend has all the makings of a perfect Bollywood script but fails to impress as a decent read.

To start with, Bhagat did not write a book, he wrote a screenplay and he seems to have put in little effort in presenting it as a novel in its paperback format. The book is divided into three parts, one for each city — Delhi, Bihar and New York.

The Delhi part, despite all its follies, is actually based on real-life possibilities. It showcases the struggles of Madhav, a boy from a village who doesn’t speak English, in elite Delhi schools like St Stephens. The romance in this section comes as a mixed bag but the titular character, Riya is quite impressive — an Indian girl who plays basketball instantly captures the reader’s attention. But while there are some unusual character twists, there is an equal amount of cheesiness that dampens their novelty.

The book goes downhill from here as nothing really happens in Bihar. We meet Rani Sahiba, Madhav’s likeable mom and have a few laughs but the Bihar episode of the Riya-Madhav story is mundane and unrealistic overall. It also seems as if it has been lifted from the Bollywood movie, Swades. It is the part set in New York, however that seems most influenced by Bollywood and is clichéd enough to make one cringe.

Even though Half Girlfriend is disappointing overall, it does have a few good things worth mentioning. For example, it is written in incredible detail which makes it fairly easy for the reader to visualise what is going on. In terms of literary quality, while the language is fairly simple, this book is way ahead of Bhagat’s earlier works.

The storyline, however, is extremely weak. Forget nuance and layers, the book lacks even a basic structure, which leaves the reader lost and confused in a few instances. Even the title has virtually no relevance to the basic premise of the book and seems like a marketing gimmick meant to incite the reader’s curiosity.

Moreover, the main characters of the book lack depth and are extremely hard to relate to. Madhav, the royal boy from Bihar, who is not-so-royal anymore, is stereotypical and crude. He cannot speak English and his resulting inferiority complex is exaggerated beyond comprehension. Riya, the basketball playing, independent girl seems impressive in the beginning, but soon loses that charm due to her idiotic and senseless actions in Bihar and New York. On the whole, Rani Sahiba is perhaps the only solid character in the entire story.

To sum it up, Half Girlfriend could classify as Chetan Bhagat’s worst book but might just make for a perfect Bollywood romantic-comedy.

Samra Muslim is a digital marketing professional, an avid reader and a movie buff.

She tweets @samramuslim

Author Chetan Bhagat

JANUARY 18-24 2015

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On a losing streak Betting on the success of The Gambler is risky business

BY NOMAN ANSARI

Director Rupert Wyatt’s The Gambler certainly placed some fatal bets. It assumed that audiences were willing to see a remake of the classic 1974 film without bringing anything new to the table and that Mark Wahlberg (Jim Bennett) was a worthy update for the versatile actor James Caan.

Although Wahlberg is certainly compelling to watch in roles that utilise his skillset, he seems miscast as a literature professor suffering from a gambling addiction. While he has both the nervous energy and the haunted look to pull off a man addicted to gambling, he lacks the refinement of an English professor. It is also difficult to view him as a man who is willing to destroy his life to experience a high every time he gambles.

Wahlberg is, therefore, outshined by the supporting performances in the film.

Playing his love interest in the movie is Brie Larson. She manages to give a memorable

performance as his talented student Amy Phillips who is drawn to the murkier side of Bennett’s character. The best performance in the film by far, however, is from Jessica Lange who plays Jim Bennett’s mother, Roberta. Lange is terrific in her multilayered role as a sympathetic woman who hides the softness for her son’s predicament under a fiery persona. In fact, one could argue that The Gambler does not even deserve Lange’s stellar performance.

One of the movie’s other drawbacks is an ordinary script which is heavy on mindnumbingly dull exposition. The plot also observes the self-destruction of Bennett as he struggles to pay off a massive gambling debt to unscrupulous characters such as the owner of a gambling circuit, Lee (Alvin Ing), and a loan shark named Baraka (Michael K Williams). Here, Bennett manages to convince his mother to lend him the money, but rather than paying off his debts, he

gambles the funds away while out with Phillips. Increasingly desperate, he is forced to fix a basketball game in which his student Lamar Allen (Anthony Kelley) is one of the key players.

Without giving away any further, The Gambler features an ending that seems quite contrived, especially since Bennett’s character isn’t particularly likable. It is also difficult to swallow the ending because Bennett is too cynical to watch in a bleak, two-hour long film. The Gambler, however, isn’t a complete loser. It is interesting to look at courtesy of the sharp editing and slick cinematography. It also features an excellent soundtrack. But sadly, these positives aren’t enough to make The Gambler a good deal.

Rating: Noman Ansari is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to The Express Tribune magazine.

He tweets @Pugnate

All-in: More from the same theme

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The Gambler, 1974 Karel Reisz’s original film that inspired the remake stars James Caan and Paul Sorvino. Caan plays Alex Freed, a literature professor who gambles away all his money. Caan was even nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in the movie.

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Bob le Flambeur, 1956 Jean-Pierre Melville’s film Bob le Flambeur (Bob the Gambler) is a gangster film about a gambler who decides to rob a casino.

It influenced the two versions of Ocean’s Eleven, Paul Anderson’s Hard Eight and Neil Jordan’s The Good Thief which was a 2002 remake.

Casino, 1995 Starring Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone, Casino is a crime drama film based on Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book of the same name. De Niro stars as a Jewish-American gambling handicapper who is hired by the Italian mob to oversee the daily operations of a casino in Las Vegas.

HEALTH

Nocturnal enuresis may hinder a good night’s sleep but can easily be managed

BY SAADIA KHAN DESIGN BY ESSA MALIK

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octurnal enuresis (NE) or bedwetting is the involuntary wetting during sleep mostly by children who are old enough to control their bladders.

It is one of the most common concerns brought to pediatricians, with male children comprising of 75% of the cases.

The condition is classified into two categories: 1. Primary NE is the recurrent involuntary bedwetting by a child aged five years or older, who has never achieved bladder control and consistent nighttime dryness.

It has a prevalence rate of around 9% in children between the ages of 5-10 2. Secondary NE is the involuntary bedwetting by a child who has been dry at night for at least six months. Secondary NE only forms 5-10% of all cases and is usually triggered by an underlying stressor.

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Effects: Nearly all children with bedwetting report a perceived sense of helplessness and hopelessness as they feel unable to control their condition while most other children are able to stay dry at night. Some parents also report psychological consequences in children such as low selfesteem, poor socialisation, anger issues and behavioural problems.

Management: The management of secondary NE involves addressing the underlying stressor if one can be identified. Most children with secondary NE, however, have no identifiable cause and are treated in the same manner as children with primary NE. Parents can do the following to help their child overcome the condition: 1. Reassure the child that NE is nothing to be ashamed about; that it is a part of normal development and will subside in time 2. Limit the amount of fluid ingested especially before going to bed.

3. Limit the amount of beverages, caffeine and sweets consumed by the child.

4. Ensure that the child uses the toilet before going to bed and also has access to one during the night.

5. Wake the child up after every four hours throughout the night to use the toilet. This is to sensitise the bladder and ensure that the child develops the habit of waking up to relieve themselves.

6. Motivate the child by rewarding them for staying dry and making star charts to mark dry nights.

7. Use specialised mattresses and alarms if needed.

Causes: — The most common cause for bedwetting is a simple delay in the child’s ability to stay dry while having no other developmental issues.

— There is a higher incidence of cases in children with a family history of primary NE. — The body normally produces a higher level of Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) at night, signaling the kidneys to produce less urine.

If the body’s ADH response is inadequate, it leads to excessive urine production often beyond the capacity of a child’s bladder. ADH levels usually normalise around the age of 10.

— Urinary tract infections, neurological problems, diabetes, constipation and child abuse (emotional or physical) are also common causes of secondary NE. Saadia Khan is a pediatric resident from Multan. She tweets @drkhanchc

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