The Express Tribune Magazine - November 24

NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

Kicki, ng ball is not child s play for women in Pakistan

NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

Feature

Cover Story

Fair Game Kicking ball is not child’s play for women in Pakistan

Home and away Omer Fast explores how the use of drone technology has blurred the line between home and the battlefield

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Feature

High Street Hospitality Sometimes love for the country can be seen in a discounted rate card and free wi-fi

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26

4

Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people 40 Review: Books and movies 46 Health: Healing through pain

Magazine In-charge: Sarah Munir and Sub-Editors: Dilaira Mondegarian and Manahyl Khan Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Samra Aamir, Munira Abbas, S Asif Ali & Talha Ahmed Khan Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

Zeba Ali

Faiza Tariq and Palwashay Bilour

Muna Habib and Ruby Chaudary

Sobia Nazir, Nazia Nazir, Sadia Khawaja and Ayesha Iftikhar

PEOPLE AND PARTIES

Sunita Marshal

Damas hosts a fashion night in Islamabad Zainab Mushtaq and Ayesha Sana

Samina Lakhany and Ammara Nazir SEPTEMBER 22-28 2013

PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR AND EVENTS

Zoya Kamal

Nadia Tahir and Sania Sameer

Sara Fatima Ahsan and Seemi Ali

SEPTEMBER 22-28 2013

Gia Ali Pashmina Ali, Uzma Abbassi and Reema Aftab

Nadia

Mona Asim and Naveen Saad Shazia and Amal Tiwana

PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR AND EVENTS

Ayesha, Nosheen and Sadia Khawaja

PEOPLE AND PARTIES

Gul

Aanya Agarwal

Mehreen

Saman Ansari and Amena Farhan Rida Zafar and Sadaf

SEPTEMBER 22-28 2013

Faiza Malik and Humera

Misbah Mehta Nida Tapal and Saira Malik

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS

Ensemble celebrates Diwali in Dubai

Aida and Claudia

Asim and Farah with Family

PEOPLE AND PARTIES

Head & Shoulders unveils its limited edition shampoo bottles in Karachi

Afsheen Qaiser

Shamsa and Nida Yasir Zahid, Taiba and Mohib

SEPTEMBER 22-28 2013

Mr and Mrs Faisal Sabzwari

Shahid Afridi

PEOPLE AND PARTIES

Mango launches its winter collection at Dolmen Mall Clifton, Karachi

Nadine Imam and Tanveer Abid

Fatima and Shazrey Areeba

Farah

Hussein Dossa

Abid Umer and Claire Shields Zurain and Pomme

Maliha Rao

SEPTEMBER 22-28 2013

FEATURE

Home and

away Omer Fast explores how the use of drone technology has blurred the line between home and the battlefield TEXT & PHOTOS BY SANAM MAHER DESIGN BY SAMRA AAMIR

“This is the first time that I’ve had to talk to CNN about one of our exhibits,” quips Sarah Bevan, curator of the Imperial War Museum’s (London) IWM Contemporary programme, which features 5,000 Feet Is The Best, a short film by artist Omer Fast exploring the subject of drone warfare. “At 5,000 feet,” explains a drone operator interviewed by Fast in the film, “I can tell what type of shoes you’re wearing from a mile away.” The film is structured around segments of interviews with this former drone operator (now employed as a security guard) who claims to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence of the missions he has been a part of in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The film, played on a loop, has no discernable opening or ending, and viewers are free to watch the narrative, comprised of a series of vignettes, unfold at any point.

Born in Jerusalem, Fast currently lives in Berlin and describes himself as a news junkie but not a war artist. With this film, he explores how the use of drone technology has all but removed the sliver of a line distinguishing home from the battlefront in today’s conflicts. He does this through the stories of a man who, as he describes, “drives to work, punches in with a card, has a Starbucks coffee and then sits in front of a computer for several hours and engages in real-time combat.” With its slick production values, the

16 NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

film resembles a high-budget Hollywood film and also features actor Denis O’Hare who plays the vampire Russell Edgington on the popular TV show True Blood.

The format is entirely familiar, thereby enabling us to suspend our disbelief as we watch an American family, on a road trip, incinerated in the sudden launch of a missile near their car, while also alluding to our routine consumption of violence through films and television and a 24-hour news cycle.

As Fast interviews the drone operator about the process of identifying targets, his camera takes us into the night sky above Las Vegas, where the operator’s base is located, the city a blinking, shimmering circuit of light. As Fast’s camera roves the city, the operator describes how it was night here in Vegas and day time there as he searched for IEDs in a town in Afghanistan. Eventually he finds a wannabe terrorist and sends out a laser targeting marker known to Marines as the light of God. The beacon of light visible through night vision goggles that looks like it is coming from heaven, pinpoints the location of a suspicious object or person in preparation for the launch of a missile. Caught up in the slow-paced, almost lulling footage of twinkling lights, you might miss the operator say, “I didn’t realise, oh hey, I just killed someone.

It didn’t impact me.”

Q: What got you interested in the subject of drone warfare and surveillance?

Fast: There was a quote by Sandy Berger, who was a national security advisor to Clinton during his presidency, and at the time they had just watched the first drone mission take place. There’s this description in her book of this huge enthusiasm in the room from the people who have been watching what’s happened and she said something like, “Unfortunately, gentlemen, the light at the end of the tunnel is just another tunnel.” I thought that it was a smart and poetic way to look at something that is enthusiastically embraced by politicians and generals but whose implications are entirely unclear. Very often my interest or ideas will be something that come to me not from something I read, but in a less prepared state — I have an idea and sometimes it’s just an image. In this case, there was the image of these unseen faces who are working this technology, working these weapons.

The film addresses certain preconceptions we have

A still from the documentary showing a family on a road trip becoming collateral damage in a missile attack. about war — that we take young men, dress them up, give them pieces of machinery or armor, we ship them off somewhere and they fight in our name on some exotic, foreign soil and then they will come back to us. That notion is highly problematic and it has become even more problematised with the introduction of drone warfare. The film addresses a collapsing of certain conventions about warfare and our encounter with other cultures and this increasingly fetishised investment in technology as something that is going to save us, that will augment us to such a degree that will give us the power of the Gods.

Q: How did you go about getting in touch with the people who work as drone operators?

Fast: I live in Berlin and the producer of this piece, Daniel, lives in Los Angeles. I first put forward an application to the Pentagon to interview these people and Daniel and I were very aware that this permission was not going to be granted, so we pursued alternative tracks. We found out that the base where these operators work is located outside of Las Vegas and so we put up an ad in Craigslist in Vegas. Within days we had a lot of hits. I met two guys who responded to our ad and who turned out to be completely crazy — they had full-blown fantasies about this line of work. One even claimed to be working in drone technology during its infancy.

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FEATURE

A journalist interviews a fictional drone operator (actor Denis O’Hare).

We had published the ad with a pseudonym and made up an email address but Daniel then received a phone call from the FBI — they had tracked his phone number through the IP address used to publish the ad. At that point all the contacts we had that seemed to be legitimate and people who were still in the program, who were interested in talking to us went completely silent.

But the one person who continued dealing with us had just left the programme several months ago and he felt comfortable speaking with us. We arranged to meet him in Las Vegas. However he was very cautious and paranoid about what he could talk about. I did send him the film but I never heard back, I don’t know if he’s seen it or what he thinks of it.

Q: Can you talk about the format of the film and the decision to mix conventions from various genres?

Fast: There is a documentary component to the piece and I use that word carefully. The overall structure depends on relatively long segments of interview with this drone sensor operator who talks about his work and some of his missions and what he claims to be the post traumatic stress that he experiences. His face, when he does appear on camera, is blurred, as we were concerned about his identity. We tried to find ways of tying those interview segments together and connecting them to his state of mind while also acknowledging the circumstances of the interview. Interruptions like the FBI calling us and bothering us or not being sure whether we would be stopped or arrested or any of these things which in retrospect seem silly or fanciful [now] but created a pretty paranoid situation [at the time]. My conversation with the drone operator was interrupted repeatedly as he said we couldn’t use something he had just said or wanted to end the interview. Some of our conversations would take place in the hotel corridor because the camera was not there. So

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the work tries to address some of the information gained off-camera by including it in fictional reenactments. The film is screened on a loop, with no one point of beginning or ending, in order to address the conceptual issue of somebody who claims to be suffering quite a bit. He has symptoms like loss of sleep and nightmares and so on.

And to get into his state of mind, the piece is structured or narrated as a hallucinatory, never-ending, loopy story where somebody is constantly retelling the same story, trying to escape or leave but is unable to.

Q: Do you ever feel the burden of translating someone else’s experience, particularly the experience of those living in areas under drone surveillance or attacks, for a piece like this?

Fast: Yes absolutely, that’s the sticky core of the work.

I don’t think that for the type of work that I do, I need to answer to the kind of criteria that a journalist would.

The work is not didactic; the point is not to explain to people what the day in a life of a drone sensor operator is.

I’m going into this guy’s head and that’s where the focus is. The piece acknowledges the limits of its focus by casting his victims as North Americans. Anybody watching this who has any understanding of what is going on knows that those people aren’t the targets of drones, at least not yet.

The work also reflects, to a great extent, what this drone does. It puts you at such a remove from the places and people that you’re targeting and killing that [you are] separated from any kind of understanding of another context or culture or situation. Don’t forget — this person wakes up, has his muffins or cereal, gets in a car, stops at Starbucks on the way, gets a latte, listens to heavy metal in his car, he’s surrounded by Americans, he is nowhere near where this drone is flying. He is half a world away from it. And within a few hours he could be impacting another part of the world in the most radical way possible and then he goes back to work and picks up his laundry or goes out on a date and as he says in the piece, after several years, he begins to feel that what he is doing is quite a lot more complicated and more demanding on him psychologically than he would have thought in the beginning.

Sanam Maher is a Karachi-based writer.

COVER STORY

Kicking ball is not c

26 NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

, child s play for women in Pakistan

BY MYRA KHAN

PHOTOS BY NADIR TOOSY DESIGN BY AMNA IQBAL

27 NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

COVER STORY

he harsh mid-afternoon sun beams down on her face. She adjusts the legs of her plastic chair in the mud to get a better view of the game. In the distance, a shrill whistle marks the beginning of the showdown between Diya and Balochistan United — two of Pakistan’s premier women football clubs. Sixteen-yearold Zulfia Nazir, better known as Zulfi to her teammates, watches with a knot in her stomach. Today is the last day of the Sindh regionals and only two of the best tteams will qualify to play the quarter-finals for the 2013 Women’s National Championship. And like every other girl, Zulfi aches to be on the winning side. For a sport that hardly gets its share of resources, importance or glory in the country, this was a big moment. Even though Zulfi has been playing as a left-winger for her team, Balochistan United for over three years now, this match is an important one. The competition is tough but they are prepared. After all, they have been training every day for almost six months now, even through Ramazan.

“I came here once when I was younger, about 11 or 12,” she says pointing towards the football ground at the Aga Khan Gymkhana, Karachi, “and as soon as I saw girls playing here, I knew I wanted to join them.” But her family was not thrilled with the idea. “My father stood up for me, he said I should do it,” she went on. “The rest of my family doesn’t want talk to me anymore. What is it to me? I don’t care. I am not going to stop playing football.”

Zulfi’s story is not an isolated one. In fact, it is rather mild compared to the other ones For most women in Pakistan ones.

Pakistan, wanting to kick a ball comes with a huge set of challenges. And yet, many of them continue to do so, despite all odds.

PHASE 1 Women’s football first sprang its roots officially in 2004 although it is for sure that there were women in Pakistan who had kicked a ball before that. “Bringing women’s football to Pakistan was no easy feat,” says Rubina Irfan, a senator, chairperson of the women’s wing of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and the owner of the Balochistan United Women’s Football Club (WFC). Known as one of the pioneers of the sport in Pakistan, Rubina has invested a considerable time, effort and money in the sport.“When I saw my girls [who were] barely six and seven play football with their male cousins, I knew right then that I wanted them to play later in their lives,” she says. “Who am I stop them?”

Starting a women’s football team was challenging for Rubina, but not entirely unachievable as she belongs to a family of football enthusiasts. Her father, husband and brothers not only played the sport but was also responsible for setting up one of the first teams in Balochistan. She contacted Akhtar Moinuddin, a former Pakistan men’s national coach who worked at the PFF and was extremely supportive of the idea. Next, she got in touch with Mohsin Gillani, the South Asian representative for FIFA who assured her that there was a future for girls in football. Rubina went on to present the idea for bringing women’s football to Pakistan to over 200 countries at a FIFA conference in Shanghai in 2004.The effort was not in vain as FIFA pledged 10 percent of its funds to be allocated to women’s football in Pakistan.

Nine years on, there are 43 WFCs registered in Pakistan, although actual figures are believed to be much higher since many of them are not registered with the PFF due to technical rules or a lack of players.

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COVER STORY

“There can be as many as 100,000 women in Karachi who could have the potential to play football,” Rubina says,“but we don’t know about them.” During the initial stages of setting up her team, Rubina would go knocking on the doors of each player’s house to talk to their families. She discovered that every family had the same demand — that their girls be treated with respect, something that sport players are often denied in Pakistan. Once she promised the families that, girls from even conservative areas like Sibi, Kalat, Kohlu, Quetta,Awaaran, Mashkey,Vihari, Qilla Saifullah and Hunza began to play.

Today, girls from all backgrounds including Baloch, Ismailis, Hazara Shias, Christians and those from Karachi play together on Rubina’s team, regardless of their religious and social identities.“For women to progress in Pakistan, we do not need to draw even more lines between them,” she says.

Many girls, such as Shahida Raza, known as Chintoo, transitioned to football from other more commonly played sports such as hockey and cricket,Women on the national team have an advantage and can play even in their late 20s and 30s, unlike the men’s teams in which the average age is much lower. For Chintoo, who plays for the Balochistan United WFC and has participated in eight women’s national championships, playing is not just a passion but also a source of livelihood. The winning money which can range anywhere from the Rs5,000 individual bonuses for outstanding performances up to Rs30,000 prize money for bigger tournaments, contributes to her family income.The amount varies according to the proportion the club decides to retain for reinvestment in training.

Playing in urban centers like Karachi is relatively easier. “I remember in autumn of 2010, one of my friends told me [that] Karachi United was holding women’s trials,” says 20-year-old Nina Zehri, a student from Karachi. “But they weren’t really proper trials,” she says.“I think at that time no one really knew how to play, it was more for encouraging us to learn.”

However, according to Adeel Rizki, head coach at Karachi United, things seem to have improved a lot over the past three years.

While the number of tournaments held for girls were still far fewer in comparison to those for men, parents’ attitudes towards the sport seemed to be shifting. “Lots of parents had spoken to me about getting their girls to play as well. They sent their sons and wanted similar opportunities for their daughters,” he explains, referring to the motivation to start training camps for girls of all ages, from toddlers to the women’s team.

It was because of her mother’s encouragement that 16-year-old Joyanne Geraldine started playing football.

“We started playing in our church ground where there were about 25 girls,” she recalls,“but as we grew older, many lost interest.” Joyanne says that Ahmed Jan, the owner of the KMC football stadium located in Saddar, Karachi, pushed her to keep playing. Jan has been particularly commended for making it easier for women football clubs to train and play matches by lending the ground to them free of charge.

Renting a ground to play or practice is expensive business. A ground located in Boat Basin, Karachi, may be three-fourth the size of an original field but can cost up to Rs6,000 for a mere two hours.This adds up the six-day rental cost to approximately Rs144,000 a month, all for just two hours of play.While some club managers like Rubina use their personal savings to fund training, others rely on member contributions to cover these expenses.According to Rubina, it is the only way to sustain the sport since the government only allocates Rs1.5 million per year to both men and women’s football, which is not enough.

The financial constraints are not just limited to practices. While corporate sponsors readily back men’s tournaments due to higher turnout and better brand visibility, there is barely any enthusiasm for the female version. To counter these attitudes, a 10-minute exhibition match for women’s football was held during a men’s tournament recently.The idea was to show the sponsors that women could play football too.

Apart from a lack of finances, corruption is another major problem. In a letter of complaint submitted to the PFF, a spectator at one of the regional matches held in Karachi last month, complained of a false goal credited to a club and the referee’s callous attitude towards the mistake.The letter also mentions the poor state of the ground and playing conditions that day.

“It just shows [that] they don’t take us seriously,” says Zoya Hasan, a 23-year-old law student and football player. “Regionals like this are supposed to be a big deal, and should be considered that way.”

The PFF website also shows the original scheduled date for the women’s national championship as September, but which has now been delayed to November. Many other scheduled tournaments did not take place either, raising serious questions about the auditing, reporting and accountability of the PFF. If the sport is to flourish, there is a dire need for transparency.

Despite all their shortcomings, the regional tournaments were proof of one thing — that there are women in Pakistan who not only want to play football but also be good at it. Sixteen teams competed for the top eight spots in the National Women’s Championship to be held sometime

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Rubina Irfan during one of the regional matches in Karachi.

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL TEAMS THAT PAKISTAN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM HAS PLAYED TO DATE: SOURCE: FIFA

India

02

India won both

Bangladesh

01

Bangladesh won

Sri Lanka

01

Drawn

Nepal

03

Nepal won all three

Maldives

02

Pakistan won both

Afghanistan

02

Each side won one match

The Pakistan team has also played against Iran and participated in futsal tournaments with Jordan and Syria

in December in Dec D ecem ec embbe em ber th ber thi this his is yyear. earr. A ea Att th the he na nationals, tion ti ional als ls, tth the he bbattle he atttl tle le wi will ill bbee fo for th for the he ch cham championship hampi pionsh shi hip ip tti title. itle itl it le Bu le.

But as But the regional results show, matches can be extremely favourable to one team, with as many as 15 or 17 goals for one side while the other side fails to score even one. This shows the stark disparity in coaching standards among different teams.“For the girls to perform to their optimum, it is essential for them to be comfortable with their coaches and managers.That can only happen if they [coaches and managers] are hired on merit and not changed sporadically to grant favours,” Rubina emphasizes.

In the same tournament, the FATA team also pulled out of their group at the last minute due to security concerns from families.With a much smaller pool of teams competing for the national tournament now, the competition will be much tougher. Many of the girls hope to showcase their talent and get picked up by scouts for the national women’s team. Nina admits that her ultimate goal in football is to represent Pakistan. Shahlyla Irfan, who started playing at the age of six, says,“If there is a future in football, I want to play all my life.” But the passion and talent needs to be channeled correctly in order to make that future a bright one. According to the official FIFA website, the Pakistan women’s national football team currently ranks at 109 (out of a total of 120 teams) with sides such as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Philippines ranking much higher.

During the interview, Rubina’s phone rings. A TV channel is calling, and she talks for a minute about the folk singer, Reshma, who recently passed away. “You see, this is what they do,” she says, sounding distressed.“We have artists and ambassadors of Pakistan and we let them die in poverty and disease.They deserve to be treated with respect.They give so much to Pakistan that we don’t appreciate till it’s too late.” She emphasises that the situation is quite similar for women football players of Pakistan who need to be idolized as they are role models for the next generation.While they continue to struggle for the basics in Pakistan, female footballers in other South Asian countries such as Nepal and India are miles ahead. Not only do these countries provide incentives for women to start playing football professionally but they are also allotted government jobs in Nepal and are guaranteed employment, housing and utility payments for all the players on the national team in India.

“How can we expect our women to concentrate on football if their heads are full of worries about where their next meal is going to come from? This is not how stars are born!” says Rubina. She insists that these girls deserve scholarships so that their education does not suffer due to the sport.

In the meanwhile, these young passionate footballers continue playing in the hope that they will one day be discovered and celebrated for their talent.To keep the fire burning, they narrate examples of other female footballers across the globe who have not given up on the sport, despite all obstacles.They take solace in stories like that of Brazilian player Marta Vieira da Silva, who does not have a club or contract to her name despite being named player of the year five consecutive times by FIFA — a glaring proof that football is still considered a man’s territory.

Even though their own realities are far more severe, there is a strange consolation in knowing that they are not alone in their struggle.

“Who wouldn’t work their butt off for all that glory?” asks Joyanne wistfully. One glance at the girls on the field with their sweaty limbs and steady resolve would tell you that there are many who agree with her.

Myra Khan works in the education sector and also loves to write on the side. She tweets @myrakhan

31 NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

High Street Hospitality

Sometimes love for the country can be seen in a discounted rate card and free wi-fi

BY VASIQ EQBAL PHOTOS BY VASIQ EQBAL & SAJJAD HUSSAIN DESIGN BY TALHA AHMED KHAN

The 1973 tourism brochure for Pakistan featuring the hippie trail may now seem like a road less travelled to most of us, but one would be surprised to know how many foreigners still take that route. Although in smaller numbers, the modern hippies continue to tour the country discreetly on their motorbikes or cycles, making an odd appearance at a dhaba or a mall to piece together memories of Pakistan to take back home. And while many have abandoned the once flourishing tourism industry in search for more profitable ventures, a few enthusiasts still remain, incurring costs to accommodate those who may turn the tide some day.

A 1973 tourism brochure printed by the Pakistan Ministry of Tourism.

Sajjad Hussain is one such patriot, whose love for the country takes the form of a small hostel called Lahore Backpackers.

Armed with nothing but hospitality and a discounted room rate card, he hopes to counter negative perceptions about the country with his warmth and affordable accommodation. “It’s been three years since I started this business,” he says proudly.

“I just want our guests to be so overwhelmed by our hospitality that they keep visiting Pakistan again and again.” It is this simple idea that has kept him going even in the face of rising inflation and infrequent foreign visitors.

With a central, rooftop location the hostel enjoys an aerial view of the city. “At a walking distance of two minutes there is a money exchange, a minute away is KFC, ten minutes away is the museum and the zoo is eight minutes away,” claims Hussain. The location is ideal for backpackers who prefer to explore the city on foot. Along with a prime location, the hostel’s daily rates also play a major role in luring guests.

The standard rate for a room ranges between four to ten dollars while an air-conditioned room with a double bed may cost up to $16. But if you are a cyclist, you can spend a night at the hostel absolutely free of cost, and also avail the free wi-fi, filtered drinking water and laundry and kitchen facilities. “Previously we would charge our guests as low as Rs150 to Rs200 but due to an increase in electricity costs we had to raise it to around Rs400 per night,” Hussain says.

Having carefully narrowed down his target audience, Hussain caters to foreign travellers who plan their visits on a very low budget. They are mostly backpackers or cyclists who come from Europe, cross Turkey and Iran, enter Pakistan and then

The standard rate for a room ranges between four to ten dollars.

proceed to India and Nepal — following the hippie trail. “Currrently I have a motorcyclist from Iran, two from Europe and a er Japanese cyclist staying with us,” says Hussain. “We only cater el to foreigners and not locals. This way they are at ease and feel ncomfortable and secure.” Although Lahore Backpackers has end listed one security guard, Hussain insists that they do not need e more security as it only alarms the foreigners who otherwise consider themselves to be in a very secure location.

“Our guests are made to feel at home. They can dress howeverr sthey want without fear of attracting attention or stares,” assures Hussain. “They are most happy that way.” To make theirr d stay even more joyful, Hussain serves his guests with tea and g green tea whenever desired. With only four workers managing hen n Elliott Ford, a the place, he makes sure to tend to his guests personally. When nd his staff took British traveller fell ill, Hussain an and ded d his visa by two special care. Later Elliott extended sit Changa Manweeks, giving him a chance to vis visit ’s friend’s house. ga where he stayed at Hussain’s p “Pakistan was a really speciall place for me. I errever I went and genuinely felt like a guest wherever dlly and genuine the people were always friendly ng g money,” Elliott and not concerned with making Un nexpectedly enlater wrote in his blog titled ‘Unexpectedly velPod. joyable time in Lahore’ on TravelPod. th he hostel might The maximum capacity of the

n and Kim Hoyeo ain. ss u H Sajjad

s at Free wi-fi for everyone who stay Lahore Backpackers.

hostel. at the l a e m g a enjoyin Guests

You can cook your own meals at the Lahore Backpackers.

Pictures of happy backpackers pinned to the soft board along with their letters of appreciation.

be limited to 13 or 14 guests, but the quality of experience makes up for the small scale. “We organise a qawwali night twice or thrice a month, depending on the number of guests staying with us,” says Hussain. To entertain the tourists, he also takes them to various festivals depending on the time of year along with a customary visit to the Data Darbar. A special surprise meal at a local eatery is also arranged in order to introduce guests to Pakistani flavours.

“Many people think that since the stay here is cheap, we do not provide many facilities, but we have even had foreigners staying at Avari Hotel come to us,” insists Hussain. Marcus Losdhal, a Swedish tourist, wanted to extend his trip because of his “really nice stay” at Lahore

A letter of appreciation by one of the backpackers.

Backpackers. “I reached really late at night but the people at the desk were very welcoming and offered me chai… the view from the rooftop is also beautiful and they have free wi-fi,” Losdhal commented.

Tales of Hussain’s hospitality echo loud and far. Some, like the visitors from Hungary, were so impressed by the experience that they became voluntary ambassadors for the country. Not only did they buy traditional clothes to wear to work back home but also promised to spread word about the country and encourage others to visit too. Proof of the kindness extended to all guests is proudly displayed on the soft board that hangs in the reception. Letters of appreciation on the Lahore Backpackers letterhead hang like medals, assuring all those who walk in that they are in safe hands.

Along with letters, many document their stay on blogs for everyone to read and inform friends and family about the ideal lodging place in Lahore. It is by word of mouth that Lahore Backpackers has grown in popularity. In March 2013, it won the 11th annual Hostel Awards and was declared the best hotel in Pakistan by hostel.com, one of the most trusted websites on Lonely Planet. But even with such positive reviews and feedback from tourists, Hussain sadly admits that tourists frequenting the hostel are few. “Many tourists are not granted visas to visit the country,” he explains. “Although the month of August was completely booked, many did not get a visa. It now costs around $300 to $400 which is expensive.”

But even in the face of adversity, Hussain manages to remain optimistic. “Tourism in Pakistan shall improve,” he promises. He claims that even the Nanga Parbat attack earlier this year in which 10 foreign tourists were murdered by a terrorist group, did not affect tourism as much. And although there were cancellations from many European and American tourists, there was a flood of foreign visitors from the Eastern side and the number of Koreans and Chinese tourists almost doubled.

“The [ground realities] are not as bad as your media projects it. I have travelled on [the] Karakoram Highway in a bus from Rawalpindi to Hunza with local passengers,” says Kim Hoyeon, a bankerexplorer from South Korea. He has already been to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal and India and after visiting Northern Pakistan believes that the beauty and hospitality here remains unmatched.

Additional reporting: Dilaira Mondegarian Vasiq Iqbal is a Lahore-based photojournalist and a travel writer.

He has worked with a non-military think tank as a research associate.

He tweets @vasiq_iqbal

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S p n Fl p Coke Studio-Sound of the Nation preserves a glorious cultural history in its technicolour pages

BY RAFAY MAHMOOD

The Coke Studio-Sound of the Nation coffee table book is exactly like its episodes — an excellently designed, conceived and crafted combination of visual art and script. The intentionally blurred image of the Coke Studio setting on the front cover sets the mood for the visual treat that is to follow and the contrasting image of Daniyal Hyatt, Rohail’s son, on the back cover is perhaps an indication of the impending takeover of the venture’s legacy. Although quite attractive, the book’s appeal cannot be limited to its cover image; it is the overall feel, detail to texture and an engaging write-up that gets you sipping and flipping through this well-executed initiative.

Written by Arsalanul Haq with Tanya Mirza-Ashraf as the editor and Ambreen Dar looking after the layout and art direction, the book kicks off with a very profound foreword

by Raza Kazim, an activist and patron of arts. He sheds light on the philosophy behind the subcontinent’s music and Coke Studio’s contribution to it.

40 NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

The core of the book is divided into the rhythms, harmony, texture, language and melody of Pakistan. It is no ordinary documentation of the sounds of this soil, but a rather in-depth overview of how music and culture has and will continue to play a crucial role in rebranding Pakistan in current times. Much like any seminal, modern-day documentation on culture, this book advocates diversity and pluralism through its visuals and pertinent text, making it one of its greatest achievements.

“For any nation to stride ahead, it must be in complete harmony with its diversity.

Harmony comes from the synthesis of all homogeneous and heterogeneous elements such that they co-exist in the larger scheme of things,” the book states. As a tool for cultural change it is perhaps an ideal gift for visiting dignitaries.

To add to its overall appeal, is the artwork; an effective arrangement of images that blend well in the background with the text and render the book irresistibly

charming. In this regard Nazia Akram and Summaiya Jillani’s creation, titled Divine/ Acrylics on Dastarkhuan (2013), deserve a special mention. The former shows the Coca Cola logo dissolving in the backdrop of a local tyre shop with a pair of eyes staring at you, placed strategically in the middle of a tyre. The latter, on the other hand, smoothly meshes the patterns reminiscent of the traditional truck art, often seen on prayer mats, against the background of a rather symmetrical cross with two fingers joining in the centre. With bright colours and a balanced composition, Jillani’s sublime presentation is certain to win readers over.

Coke Studio-Sound of the Nation is perhaps one of the most fulfilling reads and will make you reconnect with your soulful side. Although a touch heavier for some to handle, it is nevertheless the perfect book to have on your coffee table. T Rafay Mahmood is an Arts and culture reporter for The Express Tribune. He tweets @Rafay_mahmood

WASTED

WAR[RIOR]S

Ender’s Game raises thought-provoking questions about the wars we are fighting

BY AYESHA HASAN

Literary critics wittily claim that that the golden age for science fiction is at the ripe age of 14. The Ender’s Game, a hardcore science-fiction flick for teens, makes an adult ult (especially those addicted to ar-old, and in a good way. war games) feel like a 14-year-old, Written and directed by Gavin Hood, and based on Orson Scott Card’s book by the same name, the film tells the story of the planet being rescued by a small isarmingly straightforward group of children. Set in a disarmingly uture of the planet sci-fi setting, it shows the future being threatened by the Formics, a hostile alien species with superior technology who seem determined to destroy the human race.

The entire plot of the film is unlocked with the e opening scenes of the film. protagonist’s narration in the en are the planet’s best “The world’s smartest children hope. Raised on war games, their decisions are intuitive, decisive and fearless.” ggins (Asa Butterfield), a After observing Ender Wiggins shy but strategically brilliantt boy, through hidm Graff (Harrison den cameras, Colonel Hyrum Ford) believes he is the next great warrior for ns out of school humanity. Graff pulls Wiggins ains him to be an to join the elite force, and trains hat kills without asking any outstanding fighter — one that questions. The young fighterr quickly learns jarring d war strategies and and increasingly complicated nd School. is promoted to the Command Ender takes up the war with a emgroup of his best team memm bers to save the Earth from the biggest enemies of the human race. But he is also simultaneously at warr with his inner self, trying to distinguish between a war es the hero and a killer. This forces de is justified audience to think which side tacks or the one that in a war — the one that attacks 42 retaliates.

NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

G The Ender’s Game revolves particularly subj around the subjects of leadership and the on mind during teenage influences on one’s W years. We see a great impact of Wiggin’s siblings (Valentine Wiggin played by Abigail Bres Breslin and Peter Wiggin played by Jimmy Pinchak) on his mind during his schoo While his sister is the time at the battle school. protec and confidant through protector the film, Ender’s brother is an angry soul who sees Ender’s selection for the battle school as his defeat.

While there have been mixed reviews for using childr children to play the role of adults in Hollywood, it has w worked to suit the theme th movie shows children of the film. The fact that the as warriors, who are at times forced to fight q without an option of quitting, is a concept that will be disapproved by many. However, it also o the kind of world we forces one to reflect on t future generations are leaving behind for the wi ever end. and if the war will mov is captivating and Overall, the movie thought-provoking and will make you want to imm buy the book immediately if you haven’t read it already. The author, Orson Scott Card, recip is the recipient of the Margaret A EdAwa for outstanding lifetime wards Award contribu contribution to writing for teens.

For a complete experience, I’ve al already bought my copy. T Ayesha Hasan is part of the Lahore editorial team at The Express Tribune. She is a Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Fellow of Journalism in Germany and Afghanistan. She tweets @ayeshahasan08

BOOK

SWEPT AWAY

Available at Liberty Books for Rs695

With great power, come a lot of enemies

BY MASHAL ABBASI

44

Sidney Sheldon NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

As soon as you see Sidney Sheldon’s name scrawled in large letters on the cover of the book, The Tides of Memory, it immediately catches your attention given that the author passed away in 2007. But a closer look reveals that the author is not Sheldon, but rather Tilly Bagshaw, who has emerged as Sheldon’s successor, writing books in both his literary style, and at times using the same characters created by the late author.

The story revolves around the life of Alexia De Vere, newly instated Home Secretary of the UK, second only to the prime minister himself.

Hailed as Britain’s second Iron Lady, De Vere is truly a force to be reckoned with. From her controversial political stances to her tumultuous background, she has more than one skeleton in her closet.

With a supportive husband, a playboy son, and a daughter who tried to commit suicide followed by a doomed affair, De Vere’s family is hardly picture perfect. Her constant struggle to balance her political life with her personal one proves to be one of the major recurring themes in Bagshawe’s latest offering.

People often talk about the great responsibility that comes with power but the inevitable army of enemies that power creates is often forgotten. Alexia De Vere’s career as a politician has earned her more than just a few rivals.

Before she was home secretary, De Vere was prisons minister, and her passing of a bill regarding sentence reforms extended more than one person’s stay in the dog house, making her a target for not only convicts but also their families and supporters. One particular convict, Sanjay Patel, has managed to haunt De Vere from the grave. Patel, who committed suicide after his prison sentence was increased to life has a number of loyal followers, one of whom is committed to ending De Vere’s life.

The story continues with tragedy after tragedy befalling De Vere and her family, as she tries to find an elusive link between the series of events. To her good fortune, she has her faithful American friend Lucy Meyer by her side, who is portrayed as De Vere’s rock, the keeper of her secrets, and the only person De Vere feels truly comfortable with.

As the book progresses, mystery unravels, and it is clear that De Vere had put both, her life and the lives of those she loves, in the wrong hands by trusting the wrong people.

While The Tides of Memory isn’t unforgettable, it is an interesting read. No one can do justice to Sidney Sheldon, but Tilly Bagshawe comes about as close as one can get to Sheldon’s masterwork. Despite the initial reservation, as Sheldon’s work is considered incomparable, Bagshawe doesn’t disappoint, and comes about as close as one can to Sheldon’s genius, keeping his love for strong female protagonists intact. T Mashal Abbasi is a Life & Style sub-editor for The Express Tribune.

She tweets @Mashal_A

An eye for an eye: Revenge at its best Flawless S Scarlett Murray’s jjewelry designs are o one-of-a-kind, and she’s a as gorgeous as the diam monds she works with.

B But hers is a ruthless b business. To make it to th the top, Scarlett must sw swim through seas of gr greed and corruption, in order to attain the el elusive perfect stone.

Happy Mutant Baby Pills B Lloyd writes the small L p print for prescription d drugs. His job is to m make potential side e effects sound harmle less and petty. When he m meets troubled Nora, he be becomes a pawn in her gr grand scheme to exact re revenge on those who po poison the masses in order to sell them the cure.

The Power Trip S on a state of the Set art luxury yacht off the a ccoast of Cabo San Luccas, The Power Trip tells tthe stories of a group o of power-hungry elites, w who turn sour when th they find out they don’t co control as much of the w world as they thought.

HEALTH

Healing Through Pain A step into the world of silent sufferers who resort to dangerous coping mechanisms

BY RAKSHANDA KHAN DESIGN BY KIRAN SHAHID

It is a pretty dark place acce wh a w when he en n the only way to ease pain se ep ain iss ai to increase it. Commonly om mm mon nly ly known as self-harm, m, it it is is a condition in which physical phy hysiicca al harm is deliberatelyy inflictinf n liict ced on one’s own body redy tto dy o rre elieve emotional distress. resss. The re Th he behaviour may take various ev ario ar ous us forms such as poisoning, nin ing, g, sskin kin ki n burning, hair pulling, ng, g, skin-cutting, sk kiinn ccu utt t in ng, g, eating disorders and d drug dru rug and and alcoan a coal co ohol abuse.

People who resort to deliberate de elliib ber erat rate ate self-harm at se elf l -h har arm can be divided into two wo broad brrroa b oa oad ad categories cca ate t g go orriies es — those who are attempting ting ti ng suicide sui u ci cide de d e and and d those tho hose ose e who are using self-harm m as a survival sur urviiva val al strategy sttrate ra atte egy y to to rom me m tiion mo onal nal a p aiin. a n F orr tthe he h e llatter, a ter, at te er, r, iitt de d egain temporary relief from emotional pain.

For den as as the tth he pain p in pa n provides pro p ro rovi ovi v des des them de th hem m temporary tem mpo pora rarry rary y velops into an addiction njury ju ury ry rreleases elea el ase es be b eta ta ae nd n dorrph dor phin inss in iinto to tthe to he h e release. The physical injury beta endorphins en e nsion siion na nd ccreates nd reat re ates at es a ffeeling eeli ee l ng o ttempoemp po o-brain, which reduces ttension and off te rary calm and control. iag age was wa as not not a happy no happ ha pp py one o e and on an nd often, offtte o en n,, “My parents’ marriage they would involve me in their arguments. At the age of 14, I started cutting myself using my father’s razor blades and [the pain] brought me instant relief,” admits Hassan, a former self-injurer.

The behaviour can be triggered due to anything from family disputes to conflict with the opposite sex, marital problems, chronic illness or financial difficulties.

“Research indicates that people who have been abused sexually in childhood feel a lot of guilt [and] feel responsible for the abuse against them. Harming themselves is an attempt to punish themselves, which is soothing in the moment,” says Tabassum Alvi, a psychiatrist at the Jinnah Medical College. Life Signs, a UK-based user-led voluntary organisation states that there is a strong link between self-injury and low self esteem.

A study conducted by the Rawalpindi Medical College in 2006 shows that the reported incidents of deliberate self-harm in 46 Pakistan is about eight persons per 100,000 men and women.

NOVEMBER 24-30 2013

How Howe Ho we eve ver, er, r, updated up However, data on cases o d elib el i er era att self-harm in Pakiof deliberate stan st n is is not no n ot available as it can stan se ee en as as a suicide attempt, be seen whic wh icch by ich by law l which is a criminal offen fe ncce punishable pun pu nii fence by a jail term or a fine. fin ne e.. Most cases also go or un u nre rep po orrtted ed due to fear of bringunreported in ng shame sham sh ame to t the family, or being iin ng subjected su subj ub bjjeccte ted to a police inquiry. ing Th T he easy eassy ea y availability av The of medicine cine ci nes makes make ma ake es self-poisoning se elf lf-p -p po o cines one of the eassiiest ea esst and an a nd most nd m sstt ccommon mo o easiest methods of selff-h se har arm rm in n the the he country. cou o n self-harm Drugs like benzodi zo odi diaz zep piin nes e or or aspirin, aspi as piirin rin bleach, bathroom ri zodiazepines cllea eane ners ners r , rat-killing ratra t-ki -k kiilllllin in ng pills, pl pi cleaners, lice powder and va v arn rnissh are arre frequently a freq fr freq qu ue ent ntly tly y used. use se varnish Acco Acco Ac c rd rdiin ng to to research re esse ea arc rch conducted conduc cond co nd duc ucte ed by Dr Dr Muhammad M According Shahid at the the h Aga Ag ga a Khan Kha han University, han Univ Un niiv ver e ssiity y, im mpo pove ve v eri rish rish h at impoverished married housewiive w ess,, less lesss than th han n 35 35 years y ar ye ars rs of of age, age ge, are are at ar at the the he greatest risk of selfwives, harm ha m in in Pakistan.

Pakist Pa kist ki stan an. Alvi an.

A vi attributes Al att ttri ribu ri bute utte es this tth hiiss trend tre en to stress, having harm to oo many ma any y children chi hild ldre ld dre en in n quick qui uicck k succession suc ucce cess ess ssio sio ion and an a nd hormonal changes too wh w hic ich lead ich lead le ad to to depression. de d ep prre esssi sion on. However, Howe Ho weve ver, r, in r, in recent rece re ce years, an increaswhich ing number of men in the country are also self-harming due to frustration, abuse and poverty.

Even though the road seems dark, it is not hopeless and complete recovery is possible. One of the most effective ways is to seek help through therapy and develop alternative coping methods of dealing with the pain.

“I really wanted to stop cutting because I was tired of having to hide my scars and being in constant physical and emotional pain. So whenever I felt the urge to cut, I would instead try to express my pain by drawing and writing.

Gradually, my sketchbook replaced my razor blade,” says Sheela, a former self-injurer.

A common misconception about self-harm is mistaking it as an attention-seeking tactic. In most cases, people who engage in this behaviour are very self-conscious and wary of asking for help. Hence, a strong support network of family and friends can play a critical role in recovery.

Rakshanda Khan is currently under training for humanistic integrative counseling.