The Express Tribune Magazine - November 14

november 14-20 2010

Food Wars

Lahore vs. Karachi

june 13-19 2010

june 13-19 2010

november 14-20 2010

Cover Story 18 Food Wars Which is better: Karachi or Lahore?

Feature 26 The War with Afghanistan Barack Obama’s efforts to pull his country out of a quagmire 32 Jinnah as a Fashion Icon The glamour behind Pakistan’s founder

Travel

32

34 Be Berlin Twenty years after reunification, the city is more happening than ever

Up North and Personal 42 Zahrah Nasir confronts an enviromentalist’s worst nightmare

34

Review 38 What’s new in books and theatre

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people 14 Tribune Questionnaire: Anoshey Ashraf on honesty 44 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 46 Ten Things I Hate About: Birthdays

14

4

Senior Sub-Editor: Nadir Hassan, Sub-Editors: Batool Zehra, Hamna Zubair, Film Critic: Faiza S Khan Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq Alvi, S Asif Ali, Sukayna Sadik Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed by: Yaqeen Art Press (Pvt.) Ltd., Karachi

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

And the winners are‌ Celebrities walk the red carpet and take centre stage at

6

Humayun Saeed

Meera and Laila

Aamna Taseer, Sana and Safinaz and Fareshteh Aslam

Saqib Malik with Rohail Hayat

November 14-20 2010

PHOTO CREDIT: NOOR JAVERI/APP/CATWALK

the Lux Style Awards

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Amin Guljee

Fayeza

8

Roohi Bano November 14-20 2010

Aminah Sheikh

Ali Ayyan

Huma and Amir Adnan

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Uzma and Jalil

Nabila and Immu

Shumayl

10

Arshad Mahmood and Imran Aslam November 14-20 2010

mshed

Ja Feeha

Saba Qamar

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Hello Goodbye A dinner was held at Sheraton to bid farewell to Ashar H Zaidi, the outgoing country manager of Intel and

12

Ashar Zaidi, Khawar Mahmood, Naveed Siraj and Faizan Khan

Asif Rizvi meeting Tahir Jawaid

Ashar Zaidi meeting Asif Noorani

Mohsin Jaffri and Zainab Ansari with the new country manager

November 14-20 2010

PHOTO CREDIT: XENITH PR

welcome the new country manager Naveed Siraj

june 13-19 2010

“I’ve got a friendly face and a halfway decent body” Anoushey Ashraf on match-fixing cricketers, travel and her love of watches.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I wish there was such a thing as “perfect” happiness. But a small

When I like something I let out this disgusting and irritating

house by a beautiful beach, lots of seafood, my dogs and a few loved ones around and I’ll consider my life a success.

What is your greatest fear?

My fear is sooo great that I can’t talk about it here. I fear it’ll

happen if I let it out. But losing a loved one is hard too. It surely is one of my other fears.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Impatience. It makes me act rudely and lose focus when most required.

“naaaicceee”.

When and where were you happiest?

Indus Music and the early days of MTV were surely great days for music in Pakistan. To be a part of it still makes me happy and proud.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being considered a youth icon for music and entertainment in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would

What is your greatest extravagance?

it be?

I don’t believe in spending unnecessarily, but I don’t know where

I’d like to come back as my own Yorkshire Terrier for the life he

my beliefs go when I see a good watch. That, and travelling. I

need out every three months. Other than that, I’m great with money!

What is your current state of mind?

lived and the love he had.

What is your most treasured possession?

My watches.

It’s crowded with 234 thoughts!

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

On what occasion do you lie?

“halat kharab hain”.

I don’t lie. I just get evasive and change the subject.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I’ve got a friendly face and a halfway decent body. I like me, overall.

Which living person do you most despise?

Not being able to drive to the beach on a nice sunny day because

What is your most marked characteristic?

I’m always smiling. MashAllah.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Optimus Prime. Osama Bin Laden. In that very order.

Not anyone in particular. I dislike someone for a bit and get over

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

it soon enough.

Mowgli (from The Jungle Book. and he is historic okay).

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Who are your heroes in real life?

He just has to be honest and a nice guy, you know! It’s destiny,

Salman Butt, Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Asif. Honest-

there but it’d be cool if he didn’t smoke too much.

make a life in Pakistan and are still smiling at the end of the day.

if you’ve got to get along, you always will. No qualities required

ly, my heroes are everyday people who’re desperately trying to

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

How many hours of loadshedding did you experience yesterday?

Every person you know, love, hate and adore came out of some

Was at work yesterday but the bijli went twice while filling out this

woman’s womb.

questionnaire! a

November 14-20 2010

15

june 13-19 2010

june 13-19 2010

COVER STORY

food wars

Lahore vs Karachi

By Anam Mansuri

Karachi has the beach and Lahore the babes, but seriously — let’s talk about what really matters!

Food. According to Nilofer Saeed, owner of Copper Kettle and Hob Nob, both chains which were wildly popular in both Lahore and Karachi, the idea of good food is severely important to both cities’ populations with one small difference: “In Lahore people live to eat and in Karachi people eat to live,” says Pakistan’s most successful food industry entrepreneur, with a smile.

Undoubtedly the meal time culture is

grand in Lahore, what with the large families, safe streets and cold winters, but in

Karachi when people need their food, they

18 November 14-20 2010

need their food. The discerning Karchiite appreciates something that’s efficient but good enough to keep the mood lifted for the rest of his/her frustrating day.

Phajjay kay Paya There is just one Phajjay ka Paya in Lahore,

despite the many identical looking, namesake outlets that stand neatly in one row.

Phajjay is actually the nickname of Fazal,

the true owner and creator of his version of paya — which is not very different from

regular paya — but just ridiculously better.

This shop which is over fifty years old is

busiest at breakfast, when the indulgent Lahoris like to start their day with a bang.

The elite like to frequent this joint on Sundays, when they have the time to get down

and dirty with their food and the rest of their day to digest.

Hareesa and Haleem “Haleem is a poor man’s Hareesa,” says

Omayr Saiyidi, owner of the Yellow chain of boutiques, located in both Lahore and Karachi. In Karachi you get Haleem and in Lahore Hareesa. Hareesa which hails from

the Middle East is fast becoming popular on the streets of Lahore. Hareesa, like

haleem is also in stew form, but instead of lentils the primary grain used in this rich entree is wheat, along with meat and salt.

Unlike the daal in haleem this wheat is soaked overnight and crushed before it is

cooked slowly with clarified butter, so as to make the stew light and therefore smooth.

The remaining liquid is strained and salt

is added and the entire mixture is ground.

When ready, the mixture is poured into a

serving pot and is garnished with cinna-

mon and sugar. Usually it is served as it is with more clarified butter added, which

makes it a rich and filling meal. Karachi ILLUSTRATION: S JAMAL K

Haleem manager Munawer, claims not to

even know what hareesa is. While they

manage their busy branch in Saddar on a Thursday night, one of his chef’s chimes in from the side, “I know what hareesa is and nobody here likes it. There’s no de-

19 November 14-20 2010

COVER STORY mand for it here.” In Lahore on the other hand, hareesa is loved by all and is a perfect fit amidst the city’s Mughlai charm.

Peray wali Lassi “Lahore, Lahore hai te Lahore di lassi wah ji wah”. There is

always a crowd around Feiqa Bhai, and his lassi

shop. Men stare longingly as Rafiq, or Feiqa, as he is more lovingly known, a large, mustached

man who beats his sweet creamy buttermilk into perfection. The infamous peray walli lassi is a Lahori delicacy, served in a glass, chilled — layered

with khoya (milk cooked with sugar until it be-

comes solid) at the bottom and semi-solid creamy butter at the top, and sour sweet buttermilk at its

divine centre. The crowd starts teeming in early

morning and continues wafting in till the evening. Be warned though: one glass of lassi is a

meal in itself, and so heavily satisfying that there is a risk of falling asleep on your wheel if you are

driving home. On the other hand the true Punjab da munda and lassi regular can guzzle down one

of these babies even after a heavy meal and dessert!

Lahore Cinnabon Comparatively new but positively delicious, Cin-

nabon’s cinnamon roll is Lahore’s new feather in its chef hat. Located in Gulberg, this beautiful

smelling outlet fast became a posh “aunty” hang

out. Cinnabon cafe serves scrumptious, moist

dough rolls flavored with Makara Cinnamon from Indonesia and rich brown sugar. Once out of the oven, the rolls are covered with their “secret-

recipe cream cheese frosting” and served warm.

20

Hareesa, like haleem is also in stew form, but instead of lentils the primary grain used in this rich entree is wheat, along with meat and salt.

November 14-20 2010

With the mesh of the Western chewy dough concept paired with a classic eastern spice, this new franchise could not go wrong.

Sweet Water Fish Sweet water fish is a Lahori winter obsession. A delicacy that attracts all classes across the Lahori

board, the most popular machi is that of Omayr’s located in Mazang, and open only in the last few months of the year, specifically those ending in

R. Here at Omayr’s, fresh water fish is marinated, coated in a thick layer of chickpea flour and

fried to golden perfection. For a slightly healthier option visit Siddique ki macchi, located in Ghari Shaw, that is cooked on a tawa and often served

Sweet water fish is a Lahori winter obsession and the most popular machi is that of Omayr’s located in Mazang, which open only in the last few months of the year, specifically those ending in R. with a side serving of chutney. Here the crowd usually gets going in the evenings after 7:30 pm.

Good “authentic” Italian Cosa Nostra’s pizzeria serves the best brick oven

pizzas in Pakistan. While the pizzas are not ex-

actly made in an actual “brick” oven, they come

close to what you would expect them to taste like.

Opened four years ago by three siblings who have

an Italian mother, the owners of Cosa Nostra or “our place” in English introduced just the right Italian selections that appealed to Lahori taste

buds. According to their Facebook page, it is im-

portant to note that, “although variations are made in recipes they are limited to an extent that does not loose the exotic essence.” Their specialties include their Pizza Marinara with a topping of

21

prawns and squid as well as their artichoke pizza.

November 14-20 2010

COVER STORY

Where else in Pakistan can you suck on spicy lollipops — or crab pincers, roasted in spices and tomatoes to perfection —while docked off the shore of Karachi.

Karachi Gola kabab and Fry Kabab Gola kababs are thick and juicy with a slight toughness that melts into joy once it hits your

tongue. These spicy kababs are a little big-

ger than the conventional kofta and smaller in length than the seekh kabab. It is this very same gola kabab broken down and fried in butter and

served as thick, meaty curry, which for a Karachiite like me is my city’s main pride and joy. Once

you dip a crisp piece of naan into this heavenly mixture you are transported to a different Karachi, one which is clean, beautiful, safe and simply perfect!

Pakola The irony of Pakola lies in its name — “The cola of

Pakistan”, originally introduced around 60 years

ago, is a cult favourite almost completely limited to Karachi. “I love Pakola, and I miss it a lot,” says

Parvez, who now stays put in Lahore for the majority of his time, “ but if I really crave it, I can get

it here if I look for it hard enough.” Select stores in Lahore now stock this fruity drink, albeit in

the more cumbersome, returnable bottle variety

or the more expensive tin cans. But Lahoris don’t seem to be complaining. This ice cream flavoured drink is an acquired taste, what with its fluores-

22

cent green colouring and super sweet taste.

November 14-20 2010

Crabbing Where else in Pakistan can you suck on spicy lol-

lipops — or crab pincers, roasted in spices and tomatoes to perfection while docked off the shore of

Karachi. With a view of Karachi’s naval fleet and foreign container ships lit up against the evening background, Captain Saleem and his cronies take

you out into the sea and then prepare a meal that almost always leaves you floored, or anchored.

Beginning with aloo and fish cutlet appetizers, the captain then serves you fresh crabs caught

earlier during the day, which you are then expected to dig into with your hands and your

heart. The effort is worth it. Prawn biryani and crab karhai can also be made on order.

Rabri Rabri is exactly like what it sounds. Rubbery!

Sweet, rubbery milk, to be exact. This dessert is a Karachi-specific delicacy, originally from India

and thriving under its Pakistani creators, the Karachi Urdu-speaking community. Extremely rich and fatally sweet, rabbri is like heaven in a bowl.

This version of condensed milk is made in large pots of milk slowly being boiled into chewy pulp.

The largest rabri outlet is located in Karachi’s Burns Road area and is called the ‘Delhi Rabri

House’. Delhi Rabri House boasts of its own website, which proudly states on its home page: “In

Asia, Pakistan is the biggest market for food, and in Pakistan, Karachi is the heart of food and then

of couse, Burns Road’s Famous Delhi Rabri House

is famous not only for its name but the quality and purity, since 1964.” So true.

Good “authentic” French food When it comes to good French food which also appeals to the Pakistani palette, Café Flo is as

authentic as it can get here. This charming medium-sized restaurant with its Parisian feel is lo-

cated off Karachi’s 26th street area, and attracts a slew of regular diners night after night. Karachi’s

go-to spot for fine-dining, is expensive but always full, especially during the evening. Here the Karachi elite discuss scandalous affairs, and money

deals over escargot, rocket salad and Chateaubri-

and aux Morilles. Come here not only to see the exquisitely dressed, but also to taste exquisitely prepared food made of the freshest produce. a

23 November 14-20 2010

REVIEW

june 13-19 2010

june 13-19 2010

feature

the war with the

taliban

As the war intensifies, there are no signs of a victory in sight

By Christopher De Bellaique

The Obama administration has been trying to dispel the impression that its military strategy in Afghanistan is influenced by domestic politics.

The president’s announcement at West Point last December that

US troops will start withdrawing in July 2011 — in time to impress

voters before his reelection campaign the following year — has

been qualified over the summer, not only by General David Petrae-

us, whom the president chose in June to replace General Stanley McChrystal as commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, but

also by the Nato secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, on a recent visit to Washington.

The talk is no longer of drawdown but of “transition”,

with a “dividend”, in Rasmussen’s words, as troops from newly pacified regions are to be redeployed elsewhere in the

country. As of next summer, Vice President Joe Biden has suggested the number of American troops leaving Afghani-

stan may be as low as “a couple of thousand.” More recently, the flawed parliamentary elections of September 18 ap-

peared to confirm fears that Afghanistan is not maturing politically as the US and its partners had hoped.

Obama was already giving mixed messages at West Point.

Although his tone sounded aggressive and his speech was dominated by his announcement that a surge of 30,000 troops would be deployed “in the first part of 2010,” Obama clearly felt

he had to equivocate about the July 2011 withdrawal date — not a course of action, Petraeus later said, that the military had recommended.

The announcement of the withdrawal date had an immediate

and galvanising effect on the morale of the Taliban and their supporters, and may have contributed to the Taliban’s continuing ability to attract recruits. This August, the outgoing head of the

Marine Corps, General James Conway, suggested that the withdrawal date is “probably giving our enemy sustenance … in fact we’ve intercepted (Taliban) communications that say, ‘Hey, you know, we only have to hold out for so long.”’

The Taliban, according to Afghans I spoke to this summer, have

been encouraged by US casualties, which have risen dramatically this year — 120 American soldiers were killed in July and August

alone and more died in the first eight months of 2010 than in all of 2009. (In August 2009, the insurgents made 630 attacks; this August they made over 1,350.) They also have been encouraged by the

sight of Obama’s military allies rushing for the door. The Dutch

withdrew their contingent in the summer, and the Canadians and Poles plan to follow suit. In June, David Cameron announced

unexpected development Obama’s announcement of the withdrawal date of US troops in

26 Afghanistan may have had a galvanising effect on the Taliban’s morale November 14-20 2010

that he wants Britain’s 10,000-strong force to be home by 2015.

General Conway predicted that the Taliban’s morale will suffer when they realise that large numbers of US troops will, in fact, be

staying after next July, but he also conceded that “our country is

increasingly growing tired of the war.”

succeed. Woodward describes Lute’s advice to Obama as follows:

the Americans — having driven most al-Qaeda operatives from

First there was Pakistan, the heart of many of the problems

their intention to leave — finally waging war in earnest, increas-

Afghanistan — huge problems with no practical fix readily avail-

It seems ironic that only now, nine years after the invasion, are

Afghanistan so that fewer than 100 remain, and having declared ing the number of troops to almost 100,000 from 30,000 in 2008, and dislodging the Taliban from some areas of their heartland in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.

The surge — combined with intensified use of unmanned

drones and the targeted killing of senior and mid-ranking Taliban

commanders — has apparently limited the manpower and weap-

“Lute told Obama he saw four main risks in the ongoing war.

without solutions in sight. Two, governance and corruption in able. Three, the Afghan National Security Forces — army and

police — could probably not be cured with a massive decade-long project costing tens of billions of dollars. Four, international support, which was in peril.”

“These are cumulative risks,” he said.

These ideas and doubts have not visibly affected American poli-

ons available to the Taliban, but the enemy is being scattered, not

cy, but they struck me as more convincing than Boot’s optimistic

force took Taliban-held territory in the outskirts of Kandahar, but

In late 2001, the Americans and their allies met under U.N. aus-

decimated. In early September, for instance, an American-led

account.

most of the Taliban forces had left by the time these troops moved

pices at Bonn to decide the future of the newly occupied Afghani-

The American efforts in the southern Pashtun provinces are

country whose multiethnic and tribal character demands a strong

in, and there were no Taliban casualties.

aimed at setting up functioning local administrations and then turning over security to the Afghan army and police. The hopeful

stan. Two years later they imposed a centralised constitution on a degree of decentralisation.

In the words of Thomas Barfield, author of the impressive new

view of what is going on was expressed in a recent article by Max

“Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History, ”the enthusiasm

war zone this summer.

national community and the Kabul elite that ran it.“ The second

Boot, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who was in the Boot believes that the surge stands a good chance of success,

particularly if corrupt officials can be excluded from local government. The Taliban, he writes, have “no appreciable support” out-

side the estimated 42 percent of Afghans who are Pashtun — the

for … a highly centralised government was confined to the inter-

problem with the Bonn meeting was that there was no sign of the vanquished. The Taliban had given sanctuary to al-Qaeda. Cruel and backward, their ”Islamic emirate” was denounced every-

ethnic group from which the Taliban draw their leadership and

most of their fighting forces. He is firmly opposed to a deal with the Taliban in the foreseeable future.

“Getting a significant portion of the Taliban to give up their

arms,” he says, “will require inflicting more military defeats on

them.” Boot was in Afghanistan as the guest of Petraeus, whom he praises lavishly; it may be assumed that his words reflect the general’s thinking.

A more realistic version of events — one that I heard often in

Afghanistan — contends that the military tactics being applied in Kandahar and Helmand are no substitute for a political strategy.

There is a strong feeling among high-ranking Afghan and Western civilians who are involved in the effort in Afghanistan that

the surge may wrest territory from the Taliban in the short term,

but that only a political process of negotiation, reconciliation and power-sharing can bring lasting peace and stability.

These arguments, which I heard in detail, but on condition of

anonymity, have some support in the State Department and the

National Security Council. In the latter, as Bob Woodward shows in his new book, Obama’s Wars, military officers such as Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, the NSC’s unofficial war “czar”, have

expressed grave doubts about whether the current strategy will

uncertain allies There is a strong feeling among high-ranking Afghan and Western officials that only a political process of negotiation can bring lasting peace 27 November 14-20 2010

feature where. The peace was a victors’ peace.

should be given a stake in any future power arrangement.

stalled at Bonn is failing. Rather than build institutions, President

between the Afghan government and the Taliban by insisting that

monial“ model of government, ”in which the government admin-

spent the past several years fighting to destroy. The Taliban have a

That peace, as we now know, has not lasted, and the regime in-

Hamid Karzai’s government developed what Barfield calls a ‘’patri-

istration and its assets were an extension of the ruler.“ Corruption is now so bad, says Martine van Bijlert, a former Dutch diplomat

The US government has weakened its own endorsement of talks

the Taliban first approve the same constitution that they have precondition of their own: that foreign troops leave Afghanistan.

In fact, neither party’s position is as firm as it makes out, and

and codirector of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, an excellent

as Petraeus recently acknowledged, talks between Afghan offi-

regard the government as ”morally and politically illegitimate.``

diffuse organisation, or alliance of organisations) have taken

source of information about Afghanistan, that ordinary Afghans In May, a report by the International Council on Security and

Development found that 74 percent of people in Helmand and Kandahar provinces favored negotiations between the govern-

ment and the Taliban. This is no surprise, since both provinces have big Pashtun majorities, but the confidence of such commen-

tators as Boot and Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution that other regions simply reject any relation with the Taliban is

cials and senior members and affiliates of the Taliban (a famously place, though they seem to have been preliminary in nature. In

July, The Guardian reported a “change in mindset” in the Obama administration with respect to talks with the Taliban leadership,

quoting an unnamed senior official as saying, “There is no military solution.”

That change has yet to show itself in policy, which is domi-

misplaced.

When I was in Afghanistan this summer, I spoke to many Ta-

jiks, members of the country’s second- largest ethnic group, predominant in the northern and western parts of the country, who

deplored the Taliban’s brutality and their policies toward women,

but still praised them for not allowing corruption; on the whole, they looked with cynical indifference on the prospect of the Taliban sharing power.

Afghanistan under the Taliban had many features of a failed

state — it was certainly an odious one — but so long as they observed the Taliban’s laws, members of the country’s Sunni majority could go about their normal business without fear for their lives. Life was more difficult for the mainly Shia Hazaras — a sect

of nearly 5 million Afghans who are concentrated in the central

part of the country — whom the Taliban reviled as heretics, and sometimes killed.

Still, in many cases they were left in peace. Personal security

An Afghan official inspects weapons

— being able to plant, to harvest, to move around — is the most important issue facing Afghans today. The Interior Ministry has

judged that only nine of the country’s 365 districts are safe. For

nated by the surge and associated military offensives. US forces

organisations, traveling outside Kabul, even to visit relatives in

local support in areas that they have taken from the Taliban — a

many of the Afghans who work with the government or foreign the provinces, is too dangerous.

In a country without security, major humanitarian issues such

as women’s education, the freedom to listen to music, or horren-

practice that is based on the premise, long shown to be false, that the insurgency can be defeated by handouts.

Petraeus’s second-in-command, Brigadier General HR Mc-

dous punishments for adulterers become less pressing. Certainly,

Master, has said that he might not be able to demonstrate “sig-

under the Taliban, I heard opposition to the very idea of readmit-

battleground — by the end of this year. By that time Obama will

from Shias and some women, the two groups that suffered most ting the Taliban to power. Nonetheless a considerable number of

Afghans say they would welcome back the Taliban; they feel there would be improved security and less corruption. And some quite

28

have been distributing cash and power generators to shore up

Westernized Afghan women, such as the member of parliament

Shukria Barakzai, whom I met in Kabul, believe that the Taliban November 14-20 2010

nificant” progress in the province of Kandahar — the principal have concluded his promised second review of US policy in Afghanistan.

This would be the moment to lay out a political process that

would involve the Afghan parties, including the Taliban, with

the two states that have the most influence on the various par-

ties in Afghanistan: Pakistan, whose links to the Taliban are well-

was too advanced to be easily checked.

strong as ever, and Iran, the second influential regional player,

majority in the south and east, but these geographical limita-

with it. Constitutional amendments should also be considered

have significant and growing pockets of influence in the northern

known and whose desire to influence events in Afghanistan is as

which has at times both opposed the Taliban as well as negotiated that would grant more power to the provinces and the districts.

That would have the advantage of giving authority to people who

are respected locally, rather than people chosen by the govern-

As late as 2007, it was possible to speak of a rebellious Pashtun

tions are no longer applicable. The insurgents, Barfield writes, provinces of Faryab, Balkh, Kunduz and Baghlan, none of which has a Pashtun majority.

The insurgents use Pakistan-educated mullahs to spread their

ment or the occupiers.

message; they appoint shadow governors and set up courts and

the general is wrong to imply that it is up to the military to do

Partly in order to appeal to non-Pashtuns, the Taliban have recast

In Conway’s words, “We can either lose fast or win slow,” but

the winning. The surge will be useful only if it convinces the Taliban that the Americans do not, after all, intend to cut and run.

That conviction would embolden those among the Taliban who

are keen to negotiate. If a political process is to stand a chance of succeeding, the fighting needs to end or diminish significantly.

tax collection systems that parallel those of the government. themselves as a patriotic movement as well as a religious one, which helps explain why suggestions of partition would be impossible to implement.

The further one gets from the Pashtun heartland, the more the

forces opposing the US and coalition occupation of Afghanistan

become, in the words of the counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen, a “fragmented series of shifting tactical alliances.”

In some parts of the country, the Taliban and their allies have at-

tracted one side or another in a local feud, and in others they have come to informal power-sharing agreements with the government in Kabul. Sometimes national politics apparently trumps local security. According to a recent report by the Afghanistan Analysts Network, last year in Baghlan province, police who had

confiscated a truck owned by a Taliban commander were ordered by the Ministry of Interior to release the vehicle and its driver.

Mohammad Mohaghegh, an opposition leader of the Hazara

minority of Shias, compares Karzai’s predicament to that of an

earlier president, Muhammad Najibullah. Najibullah’s left-wing government, which came to power in 1986, relied on Soviet back-

ing and its writ barely extended beyond Kabul. Najibullah hoped to draw members of the Mujahideen opposition into joining with

A US official tries to identify an Afghan

him, but they refused because they expected him to fall as soon as the Russians withdrew their support.

In early 1992, three years after the departure of Soviet troops,

Opposition between the goals of the majority of Afghans and

the other nations involved has always been a feature of the conflict. Thomas Barfield describes the political failures that led to

the reemergence of the Taliban after several years of apparent inertia, and the baleful effects that President George W Bush’s neglect of Afghanistan — as opposed to al-Qaeda, which he pur-

Boris Yeltsin cut economic and military aid to Afghanistan, lead-

ing to civil war between the various Mujahideen groups and the eventual rise of the Taliban.

“Now,” Mohaghegh told me, “we see that the towns are held by

the government and the villages by the Taliban. By day, the state is visible, by night, the Taliban.”

Many Afghans I spoke to did not see themselves as represent-

sued, though not always successfully — had on security and gov-

ed by the Karzai government and its international backers: the

Back in 2002 and 2003, Barfield writes, the US presence was “so

largely Western NGOs, and the private companies that have been

ernment services.

light as to be invisible.” By the time the Americans began to focus more attention and resources on the country, the resurgence of

the Taliban and other Islamic rebel groups — such as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hizb-i Islami and the so-called Haqqani network, both of them backed by elements within the Pakistan military —

Americans and other Nato forces, a constellation of UN agencies, awarded reconstruction contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

In theory, these people and agencies are united around the goal

of rebuilding the country, thereby strengthening the bond be-

tween Afghans and their government. To this end, huge amounts November 14-20 2010

29

of aid have been injected into Afghanistan since 2001 — more than $455 billion. But on neither side have expectations been

met. Rather than create a sense of cooperation, aid has become synonymous with some of the most poisonous aspects of the occupation: waste, inequality and a squalid profiteering that has seen

fortunes made from drug smuggling, racketeering and dubious projects to build “infrastructure”.

In Kabul I spoke to the founder of a Western NGO that analyses

humanitarian interventions, who asked not to be named because he feared for his safety. According to him, foreign NGOs raise

their operating costs by as much as 70 percent when they enter

the hostile environment of Afghanistan. Beholden to local middlemen, private contractors extort huge fees from the US military

for poorly performed jobs. Providing “security” — a major outlay — often means paying off the Taliban or other armed groups. “And

this,” he concluded, “does not leave very much money for the actual work that is to be done.”

According to a recent UN report on corruption, more than half

of Afghans believe that international organisations and NGOs are “corrupt and are in the country just to get rich.” Still, this sum-

mer Obama asked Congress to increase US spending on Afghan development from around $2 billion this year to $5 billion in 2011,

which would include the near doubling (to $1.2 billion) of a fund available for rapid projects designed to win the loyalty of Afghans.

Afghanistan has been unable to absorb the money it has been

given, much less bring about the changes that the US and its al18 were severely tarnished by Taliban intimidation of voters, in-

Petraeus faces a tough situation, as there is no end in sight to the war

tions of major fraud, and a much lighter turnout than last year’s

over security in four years’ time. The army has an attrition rate of

Results, when they trickle in, are not expected to create a more

operating at partial strength. A recent Afghan National Army op-

lies have expected of it. The parliamentary elections of September cluding bombings and other attacks on polling stations, allegascandalously manipulated presidential election.

effective opposition to Karzai in a chamber that is organised less around factions and parties than individuals and their personal interests. Many Afghan families have enthusiastically enrolled

eration against Taliban fighters east of Kabul turned into a debacle, with many Afghan casualties.

Equally, one can doubt the government’s resolve to tackle cor-

their daughters in schools, but most Afghan women wear the

ruption, a problem it has helped create. It recently compromised

anteed by the constitution or are not aware that they have them.

of soliciting bribes, and Karzai promptly ordered an investigation

burqa, and either cannot exercise the rights that they are guarWith or without the Taliban, Afghan society is deeply conserva-

tive and patriarchal, and it will take years of patient effort before it becomes less so.

At a conference in Kabul in July, the UN secretary-general and

dozens of foreign ministers endorsed unrealistic objectives that the Americans had devised for the Karzai government. The most

important of these was that Afghanistan’s armed forces should assume military leadership of the country by the end of 2014 and

30

about 25 percent, with many soldiers drug-addled and most units

its own efforts when a presidential aide was arrested on suspicion of the investigators. Since then, allegations of fraud at the Kabul

Bank, whose major shareholders include Karzai’s brother and the brother of one of the country’s vice-presidents, have further highlighted the chicanery at the heart of public life. According to

the UN’s corruption report, Afghans paid out some $2.5 billion in bribes in the course of 2009, almost one quarter of GDP, and corruption is widely believed to be still on the rise.

In July, I spent a morning with Ramazan Bashardoost, a for-

that the government should cut corruption dramatically.

mer minister in the Karzai government whose reputation for

skepticism that Afghanistan’s armed forces would be able to take

doost showed me what he described as a list of prominent people

Few of the Afghans and foreigners I spoke to in Kabul hid their

November 14-20 2010

fighting corruption has made him a controversial figure. Bashar-

who, in 2004, were allocated state-owned land for building vil-

las at knock-down prices, a handout that got much attention at the time but was never investigated. Since the occupation, the price of land in Kabul and other cities has soared. There have been many such land grabs, but not a single successful prosecution of any senior official on embezzlement charges.

I visited Bashardoost in his “people’s tent”, which he has erect-

ed in reproachful proximity to the parliament building. Citizens

come in to tell him their problems. One group of men told him that the mayor of Kabul had summarily ejected them from shops they had been granted by his predecessor. Another man, a former

head of the housing department in a southern province, said that

he had been sacked for refusing, in return for “good money”, to collude in the distribution of state land to various warlords. The man named many senior government figures, all of them allegedly involved in the scam.

Finishing his account, the man returned to his own plight.

“I was honest and for this reason I am now sitting at home. My

wife works for an NGO with the Americans and I am at home.”

He wept, not because he had been fired but because, as an Afghan man in a highly patriarchal society, he had been reduced to living off his wife’s toil.

Later that day I met a teacher from Uruzgan, a mostly Pashtun

province with strong Taliban links. (Uruzgan is the home province of the Taliban leader Mullah Omar.) His name was Sakhidad

Etemadi and he was a member of the province’s Hazara minor-

ity, some of whom have joined militias against the Taliban. This summer the Taliban stopped a bus in Uruzgan and beheaded nine

Hazara men in front of their families, after accusing them of spy-

“Lute told Obama he saw four main risks in the ongoing war.

First there was Pakistan, the heart of many of the problems without solutions in sight. Two, governance and corruption in Afghanistan — problems with no practical fix readily available. Three, the Afghan National Security Forces — army and police — could probably not be cured with a massive decade-long project costing tens of billions of dollars. Four, international support, which was in peril.”

ing for the Americans.

Having been driven out of his home in central Uruzgan by the

Taliban, Etemadi now oversees eight Hazara schools in neighboring Ghazni, where some 200 Hazara families from Uruzgan have

settled. Etemadi told me a sad story of his recent attempts to collect his own salary and those of some 100 teachers who are still

and there is no obvious and appealing alternative to the Karzai government.

Were the Americans to leave Afghanistan, it is likely that Ta-

on the Uruzgan payroll, a quest that had necessitated long and

jik warlords would take power in Kabul, leading to an intense

ic-seeming provincial official and the Education Ministry there

south. The best that can be hoped for is that changes in Ameri-

dangerous trips to Uruzgan, fruitless negotiations with a despot— both apparently contemptuous of Hazaras — and immense sto-

icism in the face of arbitrary power in Afghanistan. When I saw

him, Etemadi had spent the past several weeks in Kabul trying to get the provincial official overruled. Back in Ghazni, he said, the eight schools were operating, and his fellow teachers working

and disastrous struggle with the Taliban and their allies in the can policies will help Karzai press for political reconciliation, and that new partnerships will be formed that express the interests of

Afghanistan’s different communities and their shared yearning for peace.

In the meantime, the war intensifies, with no sign of real vic-

without pay.

tory in sight. The errors of the past — installing Karzai, imposing

the Karzai government, and it is unlikely that it can be redeemed

structures, tolerating vast corruption — have made the war hard-

Afghans associate bureaucratic arrogance and corruption with

in their eyes. They also associate corruption with the occupation.

But the occupation is needed to prevent the country from collaps-

ing into civil war on a much larger scale than is currently the case,

a centralised system that barely takes into account local power

er for the US to fight. It is far from clear that Obama has the vision and courage — or the political support at home and among US allies — to devise policies that can end it. a

November 14-20 2010

31

fashion report 1947

Feature

21 November 14-20 2010

by Sonia Malik

Quaid e Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s achievement as the founder of Pakistan has dominated his reputation in a public life spanning 42 years.

But his multidimensional personality led him to play several roles with distinction: one of the brightest legal luminaries India, an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, a distinguished parliamentarian and constitutionalist, an indefatigable freedom-fighter, a dynamic Muslim leader, a political strategist and, of course, one of the great nationbuilders of modern times.

clothes enabled him to wear clothes with flair, confidence and

Little wonder then that so much less has been written about

he opted for a karakuli cap, instead of a fez or turban, since the

his personal life which is interesting in its own right. His taste

and sense of style made him one of the most well-dressed and sophisticated men in the world.

The youngest Indian to graduate from Lincoln’s Inn, Jinnah

became the first Muslim barrister in Bombay after returning to

conviction.

With his monocle, clipped accent and Saville Row suit, Jinnah

was the perfect upper class gentleman of his day. His mimicry of the upper class Englishmen in India was so accurate, it made the

English uncomfortable. Wearing Western clothes among the Indian elite at that time was not unusual; however what made Jinnah unusual was the authenticity and exaggeration of his aristocratic appearance, which consistently transitioned with time.

By the late 1930’s, Jinnah had adopted the local dress, although

he did not entirely give up his Western clothes. For a headdress latter reflected the tradition followed by an older generation. Jin-

nah had an instinct for choosing the right clothes to make a cultural and a political statement. With this shift in his attire, he created a modern Muslim identity.

When Pakistan was created, he stopped wearing the chooridar

India from England in 1896. Unlike, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, he

or tight pyjamas worn in UP and Delhi, and adopted the loose-fit-

upper-class English professional.

as is depicted in many of his official pictures after the 1940s. His

secured himself financially and his lifestyle resembled that of an Jinnah had a fine taste for homes and extravagant décor and

owned three houses: one in Hampstead, one of the posh areas of

London, one on Malabar hill in Bombay and another at Aurang-

zeb road in New Delhi, designed by Edwin Lutyens, a renowned

ting shalwar. He still wore his western clothes with a karakuli,

clothes suggested a Muslim identity, that was proud of its past

and yet at ease with the cataclysmic changes in modern Indian society.

Jinnah was adored by women for his distinguished yet clas-

architect at the time.

sic fashion sense. After meeting him at the viceroy’s dinner in

serve him including an English chauffer, who drove his Bent-

“After dinner, I had Mr Jinnah to talk to. He has a great personal-

When at his London home, he would hire an English staff to

ley. He always had two cooks, an Indian and an Irish. Jinnah’s

favorite food was curry and rice. He always smoked his favorite

Craven A cigarettes, one of the finest and the most expensive, at the time. His wealth gave him independence, which in turn, enabled him to speak his mind.

Simla, a British general’s wife wrote to her mother in England:

ity. He talks the most beautiful English. He models his clothes and his manners on Du Maurier, the actor, and his English on Burke’s speeches. I have always wanted to meet him and now I had my wish.”

His ‘beautiful English’ could be attributed to the keen interest he

Clearly a very attractive man, he prided himself for his appear-

took during his adolescent years in reading Shakespeare and being

nearly 200 tailored suits in his wardrobe. His clothes made him

speare to the family after dinner at his residence in Karachi. He was

ance. He was said to never wear the same silk tie again and had

one of the best-dressed men in the world, rivaled in India, perhaps only by Motilal Nehru. Jinnah’s daughter Dina called her

father a “dandy”. His tall, lean physique and his liking for good

an actor. His sister frequently recounted his love for reading Shake-

also offered to work with a theatrical company as a student in London in 1893, but refused to join since he always fancied being a barrister and for his inclination towards politics. a

November 14-20 2010

33

Travel

be berlin The city that invites in diversity is inviting you

by MAHA AMIN

Since the fall of the Wall in 1989, which divided the city into east and west, Berlin has changed drastically and has developed into a bustling urban centre which is home to 3.4 million people. Berlin is the largest city in Germany and was named the capital after the reunification of the country, which took place 11 months after the fall of the wall.

34 November 14-20 2010

Even though its been 21 years, I was told by numerous people

that “I must go see the Wall” when I visit Berlin. This despite the

fact that there is no Wall and there is no dividing line running through Berlin, although it still seems to be engraved in many Berliners who will mention it in every conversation.

But Berlin has just about everything else. The “Be Berlin” cam-

paign was launched in October 2008 which encourages the city’s inhabitants to share their reasons for loving the city, and has

come to stand as a symbol of change for many of them. Germany’s capital has indeed undergone a massive change and is still

developing in many ways. Berlin is home to over 400 art galler-

ies, theatres, is a fashion and business hub, has some of the coolest cars, dozens of clubs that play different music, coffee shops

and bakeries, restaurants serving food that foreigners living in the city probably find in their home town, forests, lakes, museums, international brands and so much more.

However, certain famous landmarks have definitely been ex-

aggerated and made to seem larger than life. Walking down Friedrichstadt to Checkpoint Charlie, I was incredibly excited to

see the place where one would cross into the Soviet sector and get

a chance to relive the Cold War era. I was severely disappointed

Checkpoint Charlie is essentially just a small room with a young man dressed up as a US soldier holding the Stars and Stripes. He is surrounded by sand bags and tourists can take a picture with him for seven Euros.

because Checkpoint Charlie is essentially just a small room with

a young man dressed up as a US soldier holding the Stars and Stripes. He is surrounded by sand bags and tourists can take a picture with him for seven Euros. It is possible that my disappointment was due to my overly high expectations or because sand bags and checkposts dot the streets of Karachi and thus were nothing new to see.

Checkpoint Charlie was a known crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.

Potsdamer Platz has been redeveloped since the fall of the wall but still displays remnants of the Berlin wall.

35 November 14-20 2010

PHOTOS: MAHA AMIN/EXPRESS

Travel

The Tacheles is a former department store that was bombed during WWII and is now a forum for alternative culture in Berlin.

Flower shops can be seen decorating the streets of Berlin.

The ‘Memorial for the Murdered Jews in Europe’ is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Berlin

What did draw me into Berlin were other things. The beautiful

architecture, the greenery that surrounds the city, the fact that seemingly out of nowhere the Brandenburg Gate appears and

transports you into history. One second you’re walking down a bustling avenue and the next you’re in a historical boulevard but

can still find a Starbucks nearby. Berliners seem to be genuinely happy people and as one resident said, “The new generation is open to change and welcome newcomers, it’s only the bus drivers who are staid and stoic and don’t really want to talk.”

On Friday evening you will sense festivity in the air as Ber-

liners welcome the weekend, by drinking of course, but also by crowding the streets laughing and talking, taking long bicycle

rides and browsing through stalls at bazaars. Flea markets will appear out of nowhere on the weekend and while Saturday may

be spent with friends, family’s can be seen playing football and

On Friday evening you will sense festivity in the air as Berliners welcome the weekend, by drinking of course, but also by crowding the streets laughing and talking, taking long bicycle rides and browsing through stalls at bazaars.

lazing in the sun while listening to music in parks on Sunday.

Being a Pakistani, I was a little worried that my brown skin

might cause some racist comments but not a single one came my

leave (by the surly bus driver) and even street art is given a sort of

you will see people of every skin colour walking on the streets.

discuss the painting on walls with pride.

way. Berlin has over 470,000 foreigners, many of them Turks, so

And when you began craving desi food, it is remarkably easy to

Similarly, a shelled building from World War II is not consid-

find a Turkish restaurant and eat (halal) spicy donor kababs and

ered old and decrepit, but instead is seen as a piece of history.

What surprised me about Berliners was how interested they

shops and jazz clubs have sprung up and is also home to up and

shawarmas.

were in their own culture. The Art Forum Berlin was packed with visitors of all ages, museums were filled with city folk, bus num-

36

reverence. Graffiti is not looked at negatively and instead guides

ber 100 (which is essentially a tourist bus as it takes you around

the city to tourist sites) was so full that people were forced to November 14-20 2010

One such building has become a popular hangout where coffee coming artists who have made studios in its rooms and paint, sculpt, mould and sell their wares in the space.

Berlin was never on my list of top 10 places to visit but now, it’s

definitely on my list of top places to revisit. a

june 13-19 2010

REVIEW

featured review of the week

book animal kingdom

By Sonya Rehman

Published by Markings, BHV Zoo by Karachi-based photographer, Amean J, is a sombre, melancholic depiction of the animals that inhabit the Bahawalpur Zoo. Set against stark, white pages, the black-and-white photographs illustrate a forlorn, ghost-like ambience of the zoo, with animals who wear expressions of abandonment and resignation to life.

The print version of BHV Zoo is also available as an e-book, which incorporates music by the duo, Zeb and Haniya, and poetry by Ilona Yusuf. For an animal-lover like myself, Amean’s photographs were painful to assimilate. The photographer captures the mood of neglect and isolation rather well. For example, one picture depicts a wolf moving in its cage. The emphasis of the photograph is on the rusty, steel bars and the padlock, with a panting, edgy animal, making a quick turn.

On the next page, two photographs focus on the limbs of the animal. You can tell that the animal is pacing in each picture. In the centre of both photos, a puddle reflects the steel bars of the cage.

Turn the page over, and a single, smaller photograph depicts the wolf looking outside its cage in earnest, its snout resting against a single, steel bar. This series of four photographs, featuring one subject, highlights an important issue of an animal being held against its will in captivity.

Is it justified? Ethical? How much space is enough? If at all?

But the photographs in BHV Zoo do not focus solely on the animals. Other photos such as, a group of five burqa-clad women sitting in the zoo’s barren park, food vendors, a patch of grass strewn with dry leaves, and a vacant playground all provide an interesting contrast to the images of the animals. In juxtaposition, all depict a feeling of neglect and captivity.

Having photographed animals within a confined space, interestingly, the layout of the book is such that, each photograph is given immense space. So, oftentimes, while flipping through the book, 38 one would notice that small and medium-sized photos are placed November 14-20 2010

Is keeping animals in captivity ethically justified?

Amean J’s photography speaks of the pain of confinement

of mice and men The photographs in Amean J’s book do not focus on the animals alone as sole images against stark, white, glossy pages.

This makes two things rather apparent; one, it gives the photographs depth — irrespective of their size — and two, it seems as if the photographer subconsciously wants to give the animals in his photographs, space and freedom.

Was this intentional? Quoting the writer Giorgio Pressburger, Amean states: “‘Everything is written in the white spaces between one letter and the next. The rest doesn’t count.’ I wouldn’t go as far as the rest doesn’t count, but yes the negative space around the photographs and in between pages is deliberate.” Regarding why the photographer opted to shoot the animals in black and white, rather than colour, Amean believes that “Content gets more attention when photographed in black and white.”

“Animals are extremely beautiful and photographing them in colour would’ve taken away the point I’m trying to make in this book.

The audience, at times, tends to fall for aesthetic in colour.”

Perhaps one of the greatest dilemmas in photojournalism is the fine line between documenting what one sees — in a completely detached manner — and the sensitive, heartrending nature of what is being photographed at that point. Where does reporting end and empathy begin?

About how he felt while photographing the animals, Amean says: “Besides the obvious invasion of private space, the state of the animals does reflect our own people. Though the difference between the animals and us is that we are not leashed, we can get out of our misery and do something about it.”

39 November 14-20 2010

REVIEW

theatre comedy of errors

By Muttahir Ahmed Khan

With Karachi in the grip of violence and political uncertainty, live entertainment has come to a virtual standstill. The Napa Repertory Theatre, however, filled the void by staging a comic play. Titled, “Khel Jari Hai”, the play is an Urdu adaptation by Babar Jamal of “Play On” by Rick. The legendary actor and art director of Napa, Rahat Kazmi, directed this theatrical venture. “I am asked time and again why we don’t produce comic plays. So this venture will definitely take care of this complaint and fulfill our long-cherished desire for light entertainment,” said Kazmi.

“Khel Jari Hai” is a side-splitting story of a community theatre crew that is attempting to stage a high-brow literary play. The restless and relentless playwright goes on changing the story, characters and dialogues right up to the last minute, making it all but impossible to stage the play. The director of the play Naveed Jaffery (Akbar Islam) has a nightmarish time dealing with the prudery and coquettishness of the female actors and the mischievous behaviour of the male actors. Naveen, a lead character (Bakhtawer Mazher) is ultra-sensitive and gets hurt whenever anybody passes any direct or indirect remarks about her age and bulky frame. Time and again, the rehearsals fall prey to verbal clashes while physical scuffles are avoided only with the timely intervention and the handling of the situation by the director himself.

The director also has to deal with a young cast that is not up to the task of enunciating the flowery Urdu required by the script, resulting in hilarious ambiguities and misunderstandings. The assistants are constantly pestering the director and spoiling the rehearsal with their amateurishness. Somehow, everyone fumbles through and is ready to stage the play.

But this is only the start of their problems. On stage, the cast and crew’s mistakes are magnified. As the play proceeds, the signs of severe panic, embarrassment and helplessness on the faces of the writer and the director, sitting in front of the stage, only add to 40 the hilarity of “Khel Jari Hai”.

November 14-20 2010

diversity in talent Napa’s latest play has looked outside the academy for actors

dumb and dumber As the play-within-a-play progresses, the amateur troupe flounders

There is potential for a fair amount of monotony in “Khel Jari Hai”, largely because of the need to repeat the scenes and dialogue of the play within the play. However, the sterling team behind “Khel Jari Hai”, which inlcuded QM Sayem, Ali Kazmi, Ali Sheikh, Rauf Afridi, Tanveer Abbas, Akbar Islam, Mehwish Siddique, Bakhtawer Mazher, Gul-e-Rana and Afsheen Hayat made the play a feast for the audience. Significantly, this was also the first time that Napa included actors other than students or employees of the academy, including those from television.

film dark hole of society By nadir hassan

This may sound like hyperbole but David Fincher is the defining director of this generation. Sure, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky have had more critical acclaimed heaped on their shoulders while Michael Bay, Uncle Scrooge style, has probably stashed his box-office receipts in a vault-cum-swimming pool. But only Fincher has accumulated the critical cachet and mainstream success that defined the Scorcese-Lucas-Spielberg-Coppola generation of the 70s. From Fight Club, through Seven and Zodiac, right up to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fincher has been a fixture at awards shows and at the top of the box office.

With this latest venture, Fincher has touched the crest of a zietgiest — and not a moment too soon. The Social Network, as everyone must be wearily familiar by now, tells an extremely fictionalised tale of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. From his Harvard days where, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin posits, Zuckerberg was a social outcast looking to score dates (false), and stole the idea of Facebook from a couple of jock/genius twins (doubtful) to go on to create one of the most hyped companies of the tech area (true).

But The Social Network is so much more than just a controversial retelling of the Facebook myth. Fincher and Sorkin have aimed for something much grander, a Way We Live Now epic, and for the most part they have succeeded. Along with eternal themes of jealousy and ambition, the film unpacks what it means to search for perfection, and even salvation, in an interconnected world.

Much has been made of the fact that Zuckerberg’s life and motivations have been distorted beyond recognition, almost simplistically so to make him fit the classic anti-hero mould. What has been overlooked is how actor Jesse Eisenberg, without ever slipping off his stony-faced mask, shows the neediness and desperation of Zuckerberg without ever altering his staccato delivery.

Fincher and Sorkin may be one of the more unlikely partnerships around. Sorkin is famous for his breathless, melodramatic, overthe-top writing in A Few Good Men and his TV show “The West

fincher’s fantasia With The Social Network, David Fincher has established himself as the defining director of this generation Wing”. Fincher is a deliberately understated director who teases mood and tension out of every scene. But this seeming mismatch works. Sorkin is given the freedom to be as wordy as he pleases while Fincher creates the darkness both with imagery and Trent Reznor’s spooky score. The result is the most talkative silent movie ever made. a

41 November 14-20 2010

UP NORTH AND PERSONAL

clouds of smoke

Dawn was a magnificent rose pink and gold affair highlighting the jagged teeth of Dur Khaima — the Far Pavilions of MM Kaye’s book of the same name — which dominates the mountainscape of the Pir Panjal range close to Srinagar.

Peaks to hang dreams on, Dur Khaima draws my eyes every time

I open the front door: at times overwhelming in its startling clar-

ity, at times floating in a haze of other worldliness and, at times rubbed out by mist and clouds or, as will happen any day now, ob-

scured by a poisonous, brownish haze of pollution known as the ‘Asian Brown Cloud’ which gives me the collywobbles!

Magnificent dawn.

This monstrous cloud, the stuff of every environmentalist’s

nightmares, is composed of noxious fumes from a million belch-

ing factories in densely populated India, of traffic fumes, of the general emissions of modern life along with, some scientists

would have us believe, smoke from the cooking fires of the poor: it oozes nastily in our direction from late autumn to early winter,

blanketing the plains of the Punjab northwards from Lahore and, at its height, reduces visibility to almost zero, disrupts airport

schedules, motorway transport, brings on asthma attacks, reduces sunlight and lowers temperatures to the point of interfering with traditional agricultural patterns.

As if this inescapable invasion wasn’t enough, the crisply dry

days of autumn wake up the pyromanical urge of the local population. Over the years I’ve noticed an increasing number of like-

minded criminals striking matches all across the deep Jhelum valley in Azad Kashmir. This year they started early.

No sooner had the few remaining animal keepers finished har-

wagon and the sky began to rain down ash. This frenzied destruc-

home to store, than the first clouds of smoke spiraled skywards

snow dampens it down. During the process property may be dam-

vesting dry, nutritionless grass for winter fodder and hauled it

from the Screech Owl’s neglected land. The Screech Owl, by the way, is a woman with the loudest, shrillest voice imaginable and a

pack of children who echo her every decibel…the result is piercing in the extreme and the silence when they depart down to Barakao

for the winter season is beatific. Their spring migration back up to the mountain is not exactly the highlight of that season!

As the Screech Owl’s offspring raced around tossing lighted

tion of the environment will continue until either heavy rain or aged; adults and children may acquire burn holes in their clothes along with a singed eyebrow or two; plastic water pipes will, undoubtedly, be melted, along with trailing telephone lines and all participants will have, what they consider to be, a whale of a time.

I will have a sore throat from pleading, uselessly, with them to desist from this criminal practice.

Entire mountainsides go up in hungry flames each year, acres

matches in patches of dried undergrowth while she supervised

of forest are massacred, wild plants destroyed, wild animals and

tickling the noses of fellow pyromaniacs in the valley and, before

are choked with black ash and half-devoured pine cones yet the

from the upstairs window of her home, the smoke drifted down

42

Pyromaniacs at work.

you could shout ‘No’, they leapt straight on to the burning bandNovember 14-20 2010

birds displaced, streams from which drinking water is collected

pyromaniacs insist they are doing what must be done to create a

A pyrotechnic’s dream is every environmentalist’s worst nightmare Text & photographs By Zahrah Nasir

west and took over the farms they found here. But, not having an

agricultural background, they hadn’t much idea how to go about

tending the land. Obviously not every indigenous person migrated east from here, a handful did stay on and it is highly probable that

the burning tradition, in a much altered form, was disseminated by them either in a mistakenly or maliciously twisted format.

Hence the pyromaniacs of today who merrily torch everything in sight. No one, to the best of my knowledge, still cultivates grain.

Olive Oil of the stinky buffalo feverishly, assisted by Hitler’s

wife, sets fire to vast swathes of land that she doesn’t own and

I’m not exactly sure who does, every autumn and each spring be-

moans the fact that no decent grass grows back quite refusing, despite repeated explanations and demonstrations, to understand

that the ‘good’ grass she so desires is shallow rooted and burnt out

of existence by the runaway flames whilst the ‘bad’ tall, tough, nutrient poor grass is deep rooted, gets a boost from the fire ash thus grows back and spreads stronger than ever. Olive Oil at least has the excuse of grazing, the majority of the others don’t even

own a goat let alone a cow or buffalo and simply set fire to everything for whatever pyromanical thrill they get.

Fires in the actual forest though are for another reason altogeth-

er. Legally purchased fuel wood has been soaring in price at an astronomical rate for the last few years: 12 years ago firewood cost Rs35 per maund (a maund being 40 kg), last year it was Rs190 and

this year it is a staggering Rs350-Rs420 per maund depending on

Animal fodder. greener world next year.

Their lunacy, for that is exactly what it is, is based on pre-Parti-

tion hearsay: prior to the birth of Pakistan this particular part of

the country was basically Sikh territory and it was they who painstakingly carved out workable terraces all around bare hillsides ad-

jacent to and below forested areas. These people tilled the land, grew crops of barley, wheat, millet, raised livestock and after harvesting burnt the stubble before ploughing it back in to the earth

as high potash fertilizer. They also undertook a certain amount of tightly controlled burning of invasive, none forage undergrowth

quality. Therefore it is hardly surprising that stealing forest trees for firewood is on the rise and, in an attempt at hiding the evi-

dence, the perpetrators set fire to the crime scene hoping to cover their tracks. A very limited amount of government-subsidised fire-

wood is sold at designated places by the side of the main road and it is in the form of entire tree trunks which nobody can move without

laboriously and expensively chopping up first. Then, it still has to be transported or physically carried to settlements away from the road. Needless to say both labour and transport are expensive with day labour currently demanding Rs400 plus tea, lunch and more tea. So stealing convenient forest trees is a much more affordable prospect!

The way things are going, the population expanding rapidly,

in order to maintain a reasonable amount of decent grazing land

houses shooting up all over the place and cash money becoming

east at partition leaving their land and homesteads behind and a

before the remaining forests have gone up in smoke one way or

for their animals. I am told that these skilled agriculturalists fled

corresponding wave of people opting for life in Pakistan trekked

as scarce as hen’s teeth, it won’t be too many years down the line another and the price of that will be brutal for us all.a

November 14-20 2010

43

HOROSCOPE

BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL

Aries March 20 – April 19 It’s not that you’re hesitant about ex-

pressing your views. It’s that with exciting developments altering what you’re dealing with nearly every day of this week, you

can’t – and shouldn’t – make decisions. Instead discuss your pri-

orities and, even more important, seek advice. With so much taking place, no single individual could be up to date on every-

thing. Work together and share information and you’ll achieve miracles.

Taurus April 20 – May 20 Your urgency is primarily because of the heightened emotions triggered by the run up to the Taurus Full Shelley von Strunckel is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who created the first horoscope column for the London Sunday Times in 1992.

A frequent lecturer, she writes daily,

Moon on the 21st. Acknowledge that, and you’ll stop struggling

to remedy problems and focus on discovering their source. Obvi-

ously this is more challenging. But it also means you’ll finally resolve both personal issues and those involving close relationships you thought you’d just have to live with.

weekly and monthly horoscopes in publications around the world including South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Tatler, French and Chinese Vogue and now The Express Tribune Magazine.

Gemini May 21 – June 20 You enjoy few things more than exploring intriguing ideas. Obviously you regard most as exactly that,

talk. This week, however, even what seems impossible could become reality. So take discussions seriously and make no promises you can’t actually keep. Things are moving swiftly, so much

that mere promising ideas are turning to solid arrangements fast. Are you ready for long cherished dreams to come true?

Cancer June 21 – July 21 After a demanding period, you’re wary of taking chances in even the least complicated of situations.

Rarely, however, have the planets of good fortune, Jupiter, and of unexpected, Uranus, been in such a benevolent mood. This

suggests even seemingly unrealistic offers aren’t just worth tak-

ing, you’ll end this cycle on a high note, and begin the new one with promise beyond anything you’d imagined possible.

Leo July 22 – August 22 Initially you might regard the ideas others are tossing around as nothing more than that, something they love discussing but which will come to nothing. Except these

will thrive and, more worrying, involve you. Instead of dragging your feet, get involved. While you may still be uneasy about

the nature and extent of these changes, the more you know, the more enthusiastic you’ll be about them.

Virgo August 23 – September 22 The trick to dealing with this week’s rather sudden and often unsettling developments is to

recognise them as something that’s changing with every pass-

ing day. Which means that situations will evolve and facts will surface gradually. So, obviously, you’ll learn lots from experi-

ence. That way when your ruler Mercury meets volatile Mars on the 20th, you’ll be well-informed and ready to do some serious

44

talking.

November 14-20 2010

Libra September 23 – October 22 After nearly six weeks of being retrograde, your ruler Venus resumes forward motion on Thursday and, as it does, many mysteries begin to resolve themselves. At the same time, sudden ideas or offers could

completely change the landscape of your life. Consider what you’re learned and, equally, discuss your options but as you’ll

still have numerous questions, commitments of any kind may just have to wait.

Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Usually if others reneged on

promises you’d be upset. But now you’re relieved, as this frees

you to explore this week’s amazing, if somewhat perplexing ideas, offers and developments. There’s little doubt they’re worth pursuing. However, the actual situations are so new facts are in short supply. Risky as it seems, go for it. You’ll only regret that you didn’t do, not what you did.

Sagittarius November 22 – December 20 This year’s been about

growth for you, although often as the result of unexpected or

even challenging events. But there’s more to come. Exhausting as the thought is, this week’s developments are leading up to early January’s encounter between your ruler Jupiter and Ura-

nus, planet of innovation, which transforms elements of your life. Regard this week’s events as providing several of the puzzle pieces.

Capricorn December 21 – January 19 On occasion you get rid of all your carefully formulated plans and take a chance. And as is in-

creasingly obvious, that time is now. Although the pace is swift and hard facts scarce, events are unfolding with amazing ease and new ideas hold huge promise, enough you wouldn’t even

consider saying no. Continue to explore. By the week’s close, you’ll probably find yourself saying yes.

Aquarius January 20 – February 17 Waste no time trying to figure

out how the current exciting but rather overwhelming changes

swirling through your life and those of others will fit into existing arrangements. They won’t. But by the time that matters,

those will have changed, too. If it sounds like you’ll have to take things on faith, that’s true. Once the dust settles, early in the new year, everything will make sense.

Pisces February 18 – March 19 Your reaction to this week’s amazing events or offers depends entirely on whether you’ve allowed

certain individuals to make you feel guilty. These stunning de-

velopments aren’t just merited, they’re part of a larger cycle of astonishing growth that began early this year. If you can’t stop worrying about others, just think what you can do for them if

For more information, to order personal charts and to download & listen to detailed audiocasts, visit www.shelleyvonstrunckel.com

you take advantage of these developments.

45 November 14-20 2010

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ...birthdays

1 2 3 4

By Amna Iqbal

The build-up. The day you came into this disease-

ridden world, naked and squealing, is a special and magical day. Amazing things are going to happen to

you on the day that fate and your parents randomly decided to set your misery in motion. So you had better start counting down to the day four-and-three-quarter months before and telling all your friends about it.

The midnight celebrations. It’s the witching hour when demons are let loose and this is when your birthday actually begins.

The cake. So you’re another year closer to eventual organ failure. Let’s celebrate by clogging our arteries some more and piling on the pounds. And while we’re

at it, let’s rub each others’ faces with cream and choco-

late. So what if you spent nearly five grand on a facial yesterday?

The phone calls. Oops sorry, it’s three in the morning,

were you sleeping? Just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. Hope you have a great day tomorrow/today.

What’s that? You’re an insomniac and have trouble falling asleep and you didn’t want to look like a deranged

raccoon on your birthday so you took sedatives but now they wont work because I woke you up with my once-a-

5 46

year phone call? Oh well at least I reminded all my friends that it’s your birthday and they’ll be calling next.

The Facebook wishes. I don’t know you, I’ve only ever

met you once at your third cousin’s third divorce GT but

I really do sincerely hope that you have a great day and

an awesome year ahead because I actually care. Winky smiley face.

November 14-20 2010

6 7 8 9

The surprises. I have a weak heart which gets weaker as I grow older but I really appreciate the fact that all of you broke into my house while I wasn’t around and howled

like banshees when I walked in after a 13-hour work

day. Oh look at that, you guys all dressed up because you KNEW there was going to be a party and I haven’t even showered. Ha ha ha.

The gifts. I just love the anti-ageing cream that you so considerately picked out for me. And no, it’s completely okay that all 16 of you showed up to my very

expensively-catered birthday bash without any gifts at all. Who needs material gifts when I have precious friends like you?

The number. You’re a quarter-of-a-century old. Fun!

Do you know how people look like when they’re a hun-

dred. Fuunn! What’s the average age of women in our country? FUUNNN!

The angst. Another year gone by without you achiev-

ing any of the milestones that you had set for yourself.

Being rich, young and famous is for losers who have

nothing better to do but achieve amazing stuff. You are now on the wrong side of 25 and more prone to all sorts

of diseases and ending up alone with cats for company.

Bring out the champagne.

10

The end. The day that you had hoped will change your

life has come and gone without any of the magical special things that were supposed to happen to a magical

special person like yourself. So what? There’s always next year - if you don’t succumb to heart disease from excessive cake consumption, that is. a

june 13-19 2010

june 13-19 2010