OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
In Enemy Waters
Fishermen from both Pakistan and India have long been victims of history and geography
OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014
Feature
Tracking Pakistan on Wikipedia @PakistanEdits is a unique initiative that monitors contributions to Pakistan’s online reserves
Cover Story In Enemy Waters Hundreds of Pakistani and Indian fishermen end up in jails due to the Sir Creek dispute
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Feature
License to Kill Using suicide attacks as a cover for settling personal scores
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32 Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
36 Reviews: Books, Movies and Art 42 Tech: Mirrorless cameras vs
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DSLRs
Magazine Editor: Sarah Munir, Senior Subeditor: Dilaira Dubash and Subeditor: Simoneel Chawla Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Munira Abbas, Mohsin Alam, Omer Asim, Sanober Ahmed & Talha Ahmed Khan Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Alynah, Saima and Rayyan Qureshi
Subcontinent by Sonia Rehman holds its furniture exhibition at Frere hall, Karachi
Frieha Altaf with Mr and Mrs Faisa
PhoToS couRTESy cATAlyST PR
l Kachelo
Fatima Amjad
Guests
Mr and Mrs Raza Ali
6 OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
Amna Javeri
Mr and Mrs Faisal Qamar
PEOPLE & PARTIES
rhat
Mr and Mrs Qureshi Beenish
Mr and Mrs Qureshi
PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR
Mr and Mrs Adil Fa
Shazia Zuberi Sha
Neshmia Ahmed Dr Samar Ali Khan
Sehar Qazmi
Guests
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Yasmeen Haider
PEOPLE & PARTIES
ozsar Turkish Doner house opens its outlet at centaurus Mall, Islamabad
Xin
Rabia
Osman ashraf and Mehmat Ali Sari
10 OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
PhoToS couRTESy NuclEuS EvENTS AND PR
Ayesha and Aamir
Amna Ali Malik
Mansoor
PEOPLE & PARTIES
PhoToS couRTESy NuclEuS EvENTS AND PR
Ejaz and Maryum
Nauman and Anum
Humay
Guest
Zainab and Azeem with their son
12 OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
Fakir and Farooq Butt
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Adeela and Sarah
PhoToS couRTESy BIlAl MuKhTAR EvENTS AND PR
Maryam Khakwani
Alyzeh Gabol
The brand Kross Kulture launches at l’atelier, lahore Sophie
Hina
Mrs Rabbani, Rabia Rabani, Aneesa Jamil and Mehvish Asad
14 OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
Faryal, Meeral and Maryam
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Asma and Mehnaz
Sabiha and Ayesha
Lala and Shenaz with a guest
16 OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
Cybil Chaudhry
PhoToS couRTESy PhENoMENA PR
old Associates of Kinnaird Society Karachi and Gul Ahmed host a fundraising event for Thar well projects in Karachi
Mehnaz and Babar
Tatmain, Pomme and Falak
Shewar with a guest
Hira Tareen
FEATURE
tracking pakistan on PakistanEdits is a unique initiative that monitors Pakistani contributions to online data reserves
Text and Photos by Anum Pasha Design by Omer Asim
Less than 50% of the total contributions to Urdu Wikipedia come from Pakistan, The rest originates from US and India, surprisingly
Meet Irfan Ahmed, the man behind @PakistanEdits — a Twitter account that has recently been making waves on social media through its automated live tweets on Wikipedia edits related to Pakistani content. Ahmed, a young graduate from FAST-NU and a partner at a software startup, currently dedicates only a few hours per month to @PakistanEdits (which runs on BOTS, a software application that runs automated tasks) but his initiative is unique for Pakistan’s online presence. @PakistanEdits came about as a hobby for Ahmed but quickly transpired into an aggressive online social movement. “It started off as a social experiment this summer, when I realised it was imperative to observe the edits anonymous Pakistanis are making on Wikipedia, and their contribution to Pakistan’s online data reserves, information and knowledge sharing,” he explains. The initiative’s popularity can also be attributed to Ahmed’s meticulous sense of timing, as it appeared when the country’s political climate was changing, specifically after the August 14 Azaadi March, 2014. A significant number of Pakistanis turned to the internet and social media to express themselves at the time and many used Wikipedia as a platform. In less than a few weeks, @PakistanEdits has live tweeted over 15,772 times. This confirms that Pakistanis are spending a considerable amount of time editing Pakistan-related content on Wikipedia. Currently, a large percentage of the contributions are related to political vandalism and self-promotion. “I’m trying to ensure that Pakistani contributors realise that the modifications are reviewed by Wikipedia and unauthentic, non-credible data is automatically scrubbed out,” says Ahmed. For example, an entire article on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been trashed by Wikipedia, owing to the damaging nature of the contributions. Another article, purported to have information about Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s romantic relationships rumouring a scandal, was heavily edited as well. Other content that continues to be edited numerous times is the list of the richest Pakistanis and their net worth. “People must focus on contributing positively instead,” he adds. Apart from defamation, there is also a problem when it comes to determining the credibility of the entries. Ahmed believes that while information shared on Wikipedia is not entirely authentic, citations can make data slightly more credible. “Validity and credibility of the content is always a problem. Some of the valid Pakistani content is related to Pakistan’s nuclear history, list of army
Hundreds of thousands of people use Wikipedia daily and millions of Pakistanis visit the website monthly but despite this, Pakistan is under-represented and this has disadvantaged the Pakistani image on Wikipedia — Representative of Wikimedia Foundation Pakistan Saqib Qayuum
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also hopes that people can start contributing in Urdu more often and contribute to the local language and culture through the @PakistanEdits initiative. “Pakistanis must collectively take interest and promote Urdu on Wikipedia, instead of indulging in useless content promotion that would eventually be deleted,” he says. While Ahmed has managed the initiative single-handedly so far, a collective responsible online movement is required for @PakistanEdits to take off successfully — authentic contributions must come from the hundreds of anonymous editors who are involved or aspire to take part in generating content that would uplift Pakistan’s online image. Tweets exhibiting individual reactions to the @PakistanEdits Twitter account. generals, regional languages and so on,” he says. “The aim is to make Wikipedia’s Pakistan-related content a valid public source and less of a political engine for promotion.” @PakistanEdits has also been endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation Pakistan affiliate, represented by Saqib Qayuum. The chapter is aimed at promoting Wikipedia by organising activities that educate the Pakistani public about the availability and use of free and open educational content, which includes the ability to access, develop and contribute to Wikipedia. “Hundreds of thousands of people use Wikipedia daily and millions of Pakistanis visit the website monthly but despite this, Pakistan is under-represented and this has disadvantaged the Pakistani image on Wikipedia,” says Qayyum. He adds that even though over 20,000 Pakistan-related articles are being edited on Wikipedia, only less than 50 are considered to be of superior quality in terms of content. The content that is deemed substandard is be due to a number of reasons such as lack of authentic information and data, poor writing skills and intentionally misleading content that can taint Pakistan’s image. Both Ahmed and Qayyum feel that Urdu content on Wikipedia is seriously underrepresented and insufficient. It appears that English somehow remains a comfortable language for online users, despite Urdu being the native language for Pakistanis. According to Qayyum, less than 50% of the total contributions to Urdu Wikipedia come from Pakistan. “The rest originates from US and India, surprisingly.” Ahmed
A snapshot from the @PakistanEdits Twitter account. A majority of the entries made by anonymous users are based on political vandalism and promotion.
Anum Pasha is an international development professional and a Lahore-based writer. She tweets @crazyyycatladyy
Irfan Ahmed currently runs the @PakistanEdits Twitter account single-handedly but hopes that users will make it a positive online resource over time.
Irfan Ahmed
Irfan Ahmed, who runs the @PakistanEdits Twitter account. OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014
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In Enemy
waters Fishermen from both Pakistan and India have long been victims of history and geography
TEXT BY SARAH MUNIR PHOTOS BY ARIF SOOMRO DESIGN BY MOHSIN ALAM
The map shows the Sir Creek boundaries claimed by Pakistan and India. The dispute over the marshland dates to 1908 and remains unresolved till date.
The border claimed by Pakistan but disputed by India. The line runs along the eastern bank of the Creek bordering Gujrat. The border claimed by India but disputed by Pakistan. it lies in the middle of Sir Creek as per the Thalwang principle.
When it comes to disputed territory between Pakistan and India, the buck does not stop at Kashmir and Siachen. Sir Creek, a 100 nautical mile strip of water between the state of Gujrat in India and the province of Sindh in Pakistan, has also kept the two countries at loggerheads for decades. In this tug-of-war for territorial control, which has failed to tilt favourably towards either side, it is a third party — the fishing community — that has ended up paying a huge price over the years. Hundreds of Pakistani and Indian fishermen who take to the sea in pursuit of a living, often find themselves in the midst of this ‘unchartered territory’, consciously or unconsciously. The result in both cases is the same — years of languishing in their neighbouring country’s jails with minimal respite from their own governments. The issue picked up momentum once again earlier this month, as onground tension between Pakistan and India escalated over the Kashmir issue. According to Manish Lodhari, secretary for the National Fish Workers Forum & Marine Fisheries Cooperative Society in Gujrat, India, 112 Indian fishermen and 18 boats were captured by Pakistan in the last 10-15 days while 21 Pakistani fishermen and two boats were seized by the Indian side. To understand this spillover effect, however, it is imperative to understand where the dispute originates from.
COVER STORY No man’s land The dispute over Sir Creek can be traced back to 1908, when an argument broke out between the rulers of Kutch and Sindh over a pile of firewood lying on the banks of the creek that divided the two areas. The issue was settled at the time on the basis of a resolution that allowed Sindh ownership of the entire Sir Creek in exchange for foregoing its claim on Kori Creek. At the time of Partition, Sindh became a part of Pakistan while Kutch remained with India, in compliance with the International Law of uti possidetis juris. The law states that decolonised sovereign states should have the same borders that their preceding dependent area had before independence. By virtue of this principle, Sir Creek automatically fell into the Pakistani domain, explains analyst Sultan M Hali in one of his writings on the subject. It was not until the 1960s that the dispute came alive once again. India rejected the demarcation according to the map drawn out in line with the 1914 Resolution. Till date, it argues that the thalweg of Sir Creek is the actual boundary of the river in accordance with the Thalweg Doctrine international law, which states that river boundaries between two states may be divided by the mid-channel if the two states agree. Hali elaborates that if the principle is to be applied, Pakistan will end up losing a considerable area that has historically been a part of Sindh. Hence, Pakistan rejects the doctrine on the basis that it can only be applied to bodies of water that cannot be navigated. India, however, maintains that the creek is navigable during high tide and is used by fishing trawlers.
The livelihood of nearly 100 people is dependent on each boat. Hence, when they are captured, entire families suffer the brunt. The area, due to its immense economic potential and oil and gas reserves, is important to both states, which have had several rounds of talks on the subject since then but failed to reach a consensus. In the meanwhile, fishermen from both countries continue to pay the price if they end up in this disputed area at the wrong time
Invisible boundaries Sixteen-year-old Gul Hassan is one of the lucky ones. After spending 14 months in a prison in Bujh, India, he finally returned home along with his brother Sikander two years ago. Their fishing vessel, which had a nine-person crew, was fired at by the Indian security forces when it crossed into the Sir Creek area, 24 hours after setting off from Keti Bunder, a little outside of Karachi. “We had one knife on the boat and we instantly threw it in the water. We knew it could get us in trouble,” shares Hassan while fidgeting nervously. His fear was valid since
When boats are captured by forces on either side, the entire crew is tossed into jail. It usually takes months before their country’s embassy identifies them.
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Gul Hassan, who was captured by Indian security forces twoand-a-half years ago has now given up fishing completely. He now works at a factory.
a majority of those who get caught in this area are often slapped with charges of terrorism or spying depending on the political atmosphere between the two countries at the time, explains Mustafa Gurgaze of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), who is leading the campaign to resolve the issue of detained fishermen. “The state mechanism takes its cue from politicians and [the] media, and in times of tension, it becomes rigid and inflexible,” says author Aakar Patel. “It victimises the fishermen who are, on both sides, operating in waters that they have been fishing in untroubled for centuries.” As a result, an average sentence for cross-boundary issues that lasts between one to three years can turn into one that lasts as long as 15 to 18 years in some cases. Consequently, the right to bail for these prisoners is also non-existent since there is no one to vouch for them. “They covered our eyes and tied our hands. I had heard so many horror stories about this. I instantly knew what was going on,” Hassan elaborates. All of them were captured and tossed into jail. It wasn’t until six months after their arrest, that they were identified by the Pakistani embassy. Hassan’s mother, Basra says she had no idea where her sons were during this time. “I just prayed to Allah to keep them safe, if they were alive,” she says. The lack of a mechanism for informing the prisoner’s respective country and family members is a major problem. Families are often left in a state of limbo unless someone who was serving time in the same prison comes back and informs them of their father, brother or son’s condition. If the jailers are kind, sometimes the families receive handwritten letters in Hindi or Gujrati. Things have improved slightly in the past few years due to the efforts of the media and human rights and advocacy organisations like PFF in Pakistan and National Fishworkers Forum for Indian Fish-
ermen, International and Collective Support of Fishermen (ICSF) and Human rights law network in India. The judiciary in both the countries have also played a positive role and taken up the cases for these fishermen.
After the arrest of her husband, Laila had no other option but to work and provide for her eight children. Apart from the anxiety, families back home often go through very rough times once their breadwinners are put behind bars. “I try to remind myself that things were once comfortable when my husband was around,” says 35-yearold Laila, a mother of eight, whose husband Muhammad Mian has been in prison for the past two-and-a-half years. “It gives me energy to carry on until he returns and we are happy again.” The turn of events left Laila with little choice but to start working herself to provide for her children. Stories like these are echoed in every second household in Ibrahim Hyderi, home to a large community of fishermen in Karachi.
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Since , there have been 12 rounds of talks between Pakistan and India, without a breakthrough. The 12th round was completed in June 2012.
In some cases, handwritten letters in Urdu and Gujrati are sent back home by 27 OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014 the imprisoned fishermen.
COVER STORY No turning back Why is it then that fishermen venture into an area where the risks are high and return is not guaranteed? Gurgaze explains that since the area is a contested territory and movement is limited, the number and quality of fish found there is far superior to that found elsewhere. For example, if a fisherman spots a shoal of the soha fish — which sells at excellent rates in the market — he won’t miss that opportunity and follow it wherever it takes him. “These fishermen put their life’s savings into buying diesel (which can cost up to Rs50,000 to Rs80,000) and other supplies for their boats,” he says. “For them, landing a good catch and putting food on the table for their families is worth risking their life and safety for.” The lack of clear boundaries or demarcation for the disputed territory adds to the difficulty of steering clear of the troubled area. “Fishermen know no boundaries. Their argument is that they are not violating any borders since they are not going into a country,” explains
Some fishermen venture into Sir Creek despite knowing the risks . For them, putting food on the table for their families is more important than their own security.
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Pakistani fishermen are currently in Indian jails. The number also includes those who are missing Nearly
400
Indian fishermen are also in Pakistani Jails. SOURCE: PAKISTAN FISHERFOLK FORUM
A fisherman weaves his fishing net at Ibrahim Hyderi, Karachi. Gurgaze. Moreover, a lack of navigation mechanisms or GPS makes it even more difficult for these men to stay clear of troubled waters. However, the senior fishermen or navigators, also known as ‘nakhuda’, which literally translates to one who knows everything, have their own unique way of working the sea — they can look at the colour or temperature of the water and tell you what’s about to happen. Therefore, while in some instances fishermen are genuinely unaware of where they are treading, in others they knowingly take the 28 risk, hoping they will get away with it. OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014
Earlier, if a boat did not return after a few days, families would assume that the crew had died in a cyclone. Things have improved slightly in the past few years.
Pawns in a bigger game? According to the PFF, there are currently 241 Pakistani fishermen in Indian custody. The number also includes those who have been missing over the years. Conversely, there are more than 400 Indian fishermen in Pakistani jails. The discrepancy in numbers is due to the bigger size of Indian boats and the crew they carry. Once fishermen are caught, their boats are also seized. In most cases, they are not returned, even after the fishermen are released, leaving them completely broke and helpless. “In the last 10 years, Pakistan has seized 818 Indian boats,” says Lodhari. More than 100 Pakistani boats are also in Indian custody at the moment. He adds that a single nao (boat) costs approximately INR5,000,000 (Rs9,000,000) and is a source of livelihood for more than 100 people. Another complication arises at the time of prisoner release. When the foreign ministry of the country where they are jailed confirms it with their counterpart, there is often reluctance by their home countries to own up to them, out of fear of terrorist or negative links. Hence, a lot of them continue languishing in jails even long after their term is over. Those who die while serving their time are withheld from burial for long periods of time for the sake of identification and then eventually buried thousands of miles from home without it. Hassan, whose captain of the vessel died in custody from a heart attack, confirms that. “His body was not buried for 16 days. It had become bluish-black and smelled awful. It was so sad but we were helpless,” he says. There have also been incidents when fishermen who were released and left on the borders to find their way back home died on the way due to hunger or extreme weather.
In a lot of cases, the fisherman’s boats are seized by the authorities and never returned.
Pictures of fishermen who have been in Indian custody over time.
Moving forward According to Patel, a joint statement released by Pakistan and India in 2012 — which agreed on several issues such as immediate notification of arrests by either side, consular access to all persons within three months of arrests, release of prisoners within one month of completion of sentence and confirmation of their national status — was “an unexceptionable and progressive document.” “For its part, India should proceed on it and not impose conditionalities as it has recently, using the Pakistani High Commissioner’s [recent] meeting with Hurriyat leaders as an excuse,” he says. To resolve the Sir Creek dispute, the navies of both countries have also come up with innovative ideas such as declaring the area a free zone or leaving the Creek aside and demarcating the sea boundary. “But it is unlikely that the government of India can exercise the will to implement any of those ideas, given that any dispute with Pakistan is more about divisive domestic politics than the benefits of a longer-term bilateral settlement,” writes journalist Ejaz Haider in one of his columns on the issue. The Pakistani government has also done little on home turf to safeguard the rights of its fishermen. Gurgaze proposes a registration system for fishermen whereby they are provided with identity cards by the government. These records will also create a database for security agencies to verify the identity of those they arrest, thereby reducing the probability of fishermen being tried against false charges. “The fishing community is not more than four million people. Devising a mechanism like this is not impossible but it requires political will,” he says. But like all other issues between Pakistan and India, such as trade, visa restrictions etcetera that are hanging by a thread, the issue of Sir Creek continues to be held hostage by politics as well. T Sarah Munir is the magazine editor at The Express Tribune. She tweets @SarahMunir1 OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014
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Suicide attacks have become an ideal cover to settle personal scores in Pakistan BY HAMID HUSSAIN DESIGN BY MUNIRA ABBAS
Our understanding of the word ‘supari’ is often limited to its portrayal in Bollywood movies. In a typical narrative, the contractor seeks out a middleman who arranges a meeting with the hit men where the picture of the target exchanges hands and the cost of the job is settled. In Pakistan, however, the business of contractual killing has taken a different form. A number of cases last year revealed that personal scores were settled through acts disguised as suicide attacks or sectarian killings since they provided the perfect cover.
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One such case was the June 3, 2013, assassination of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly member Farid Khan, who won the PK-42 (Hangu-I) seat in the May 11, 2013, election after defeating Atiqur Rehman. The MPA died on the spot when gunmen opened fire on his car. Amid reports of several death threats received by Farid after his victory, his brother Shamsur Rehman filed a First Investigation Report at the Hangu police station accusing Atiqur Rehman, his brother Shafiqur Rehman and his uncle Noor OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014
Rehman for the murder. Meanwhile, Hangu Police Inspector Amin Khan, who headed the investigation, said the Islamabad police arrested a commander of Mullah Nabi Hanfi’s group, Asifullah, who reportedly confessed to killing Farid at the behest of Hanfi, who was the commander of the Hangu chapter of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) before switching sides and joining the government’s counter-insurgency efforts. “During the investigation, it was confirmed that a politician from Hangu approached Hanfi, who sent his close aide Asif Khan and a few other armed men to assassinate the newly elected lawmaker,” says the inspector, adding that the militants were hired to make it seem like an act of terror. Based on the confession, Atiqur Rehman was arrested for alleged involvement in the murder of Farid but was acquitted earlier this year by the antiterrorism court (ATC) in Peshawar due to a lack of concrete evidence. The same year, a suicide attack claimed the life of a newly-elected member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly, Imran Mohmand, on June 18. Imran, along with 28 others, lost his life in the
atta in Shergarh town, Mardan, while attending attack the funeral prayers of a friend, Haji Abdullah. Wh While many may view Imran as the victim of an act of terror, evidence pointing in the direction of a con contractual killing has also surfaced. IImran was a target for a number of reasons. His Im stro strong stance against kidnappers, car lifters and crim criminal gangs — including those who aid and abet them — during his election campaign was a cause of cconcern co n for an increasing number of rogue elements i tthe region and even lead to a failed assassination in atte te attempt at his election office. Winning the 2013 elec election, therefore, could have easily put him on a hit list, corroborates local journalist Shahnawaz, who is familiar with the crime scene in the region. Acc According to him, Imran was most certainly a thre threat for criminal gangs, including the Bacha grou group and the Eisa group, operating from Shergarh and adjacent towns, who may have collaborated to get rid of him. “I “It is beyond my understanding as to why mil militants would carry out a suicide attack on him (Imran) as he contested very openly in the elections,” says Imran’s brother, Jamshed Khan Mohmand, who won the by-election held on August 22, 2013, for his brother’s vacant seat, PK27. He even added that the family had no personal enmity or clashes with anyone. Although a group is yet to claim responsibility for the attack, it appears that the suicide attack was merely a cover-up to assassinate Imran. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Israrullah Gandapur was murdered, along with nine others, in a similar suicide attack on October 16, 2013, at his residence in Kulachi. His brother Inamullah Gandapur responded to the attack by blaming political rivals, as Israrullah’s convoy had been attacked prior to the 2013 elections as well. An officer from Dera Ismail Khan investigating the case, Umar Daraz, says the police apprehended Nimatullah, a suspect in the case. The investigation revealed that Nimatullah visited Loni village, Dera Ismail Khan, a few days prior to the attack, where he allegedly hired a suicide bomber for the task on the instructions of a local politician. Although the officer refused to reveal names, he did mention that Nimatullah visited the village in a car that belonged to the brother of the politician suspected for the ‘contract killing’.
Most militant groups gather funds by engaging in contractual killings, kidnappings and extortion, but deny involvement to evade criticism The trend of settling feuds using disguised tactics such as suicide attacks became more and more evident due to the chain of political assassinations that took place last year, but it dates back further. The 2008 suicide attack in Bhakkar at the residence of parliamentarian Rashid Akbar Niwani is proof of that. According to police investigations, Niwani, who only happened to be resolving a feud between two friends, Waqas Hussain and Ejaz Hussain, was not the target. Waqas allegedly borrowed a sum of Rs2.1 million from Ejaz to start an automobile business but failed to return the money after suffering losses. Upon his failure to resolve the dispute, Ejaz approached Rashid to help settle the matter. In response, Waqas and his father Nazar Hussain approached their relative and middleman Arif Khan and plotted to assassinate Ejaz in a suicide attack. The trio later met up with Jan Muhammad Wazir, a resident of Wana, and paid him a reported sum of Rs1.2 million in exchange for a suicide bomber who carried out the attack. Peshawar-based journalist and author of several books on militancy Aqeel Yousafzai reinforces the idea that not all suicide attacks are carried out because of religious differences and some merely fulfil a political agenda. According to him, most militant groups gather funds by engaging in contractual killings, kidnappings and extortion, but deny involvement to evade criticism. “Such incidents will continue to occur in future and pose a serious challenge to Pakistani law enforcement agencies until the menace of terrorism is eliminated,” he says. Hamid Hussain is an Islamabad-based journalist. He tweets @Hamidlawangeen
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BOOK
The strange and the familiar Nostalgia for his homeland forces Balwant Bhaneja to pursue a journey in search of his roots BY TEENAZ JAVAT
Troubled Pilgrimage — Passage to Pakistan is a travel memoir by retired Canadian diplomat Balwant Bhaneja, who returns to Pakistan after 60 years in search of his roots. As he journeys through Punjab and parts of upper Sindh, he weaves together a narrative that tries to reconcile the image of a post 9/11 Pakistan sold by the media with the reality he saw on the ground. Bhaneja, of Sindhi-Hindu descent, was born in Lahore. He was five years old when his parents and extended family chose India over Pakistan at the time of Partition. Bhaneja and his siblings grew up in New Delhi among the exiled Hindu community with biased notions of his ancestral home. Hence, the book delves into the universal theme of displacement, searching for one’s roots and how that impacts the minds of those involved. This short novel, set in the spring of 2006, takes the reader through the swanky capital of Islamabad, the back streets of Lahore, the author’s birthplace, and the sandy towns of Sukkur, Rohri and Shikarpur in upper Sindh. Bhaneja, who left India at the age of 24, had many stops on the way before he decided to settle in Canada. He alternated between various countries and Author Balwant Bhaneja
careers after completing his studies in journalism and international relations and finally decided on a career as a diplomat. It was only after his retirement that he stumbled upon The Sindh Story, a book his late father had been reading in his final days, that the itch to trace his roots caught momentum. Whilst leaving Pakistan during the chaos of Partition, the older generation had hoped to return home one day but never got a chance to do so. For Bhaneja, the trip was undertaken as much for himself as it was for his parents and extended family. The author likens the visit to his mother’s hometown of Shikarpur or the visit to the traders in Sukkur to that of an epiphany where he realises that the people there are no different than the ones across the border. The book encapsulates Bhaneja’s nostalgia and the lengths to which a person goes to find their way home. Overall, it is an insightful look into the lives of those displaced by the 1947 Partition, as well as those who immigrated in the years after. Teenaz Javat writes headlines, news alerts, tickers and tweets for a living. She tweets @TeenazFromTo
FILM
Shooting stars What doesn’t kill you, will make you famous BY VIVIAN J XAVIER
David Cronenberg has sustained a 45-year career out of exploring themes that most people would not dare entertain on film. The director’s new project Map to the Stars refers to the cartography that allows fans to know where their favourite Hollywood stars live, and the obsession with fame and money that consumes many wide-eyed hopefuls as they step off the Greyhound bus. In a world where we live envious digital lives but have a banal existence offline, it is easy to see how this culture has trickled down to a wider audience. Map to the Stars is satirically acerbic and dark, yet it is cinematically fulfilling because it turns the notion of voyeurism and the reality TV concept of being famous for the sake of being famous on its head. The movie is centered on a Hollywood family with patriarch, Dr Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) who has made a fortune as a new-age psychologist and sells yoga and tough love to the stars. Olivia Williams, plays his wife Christina, a very controlling mother who manages the acting career of Benjie, her 13-year-old son. Benjie has just been released from drug rehabilitation and is looking to resurrect his acting career. On the opposite end of the spectrum, but looking to do the same, is Havana Segrand played by Julliane Moore. She is an ageing and fading actress who has lived in her movie star mother’s shadow and will do anything to play her in a new movie. Mia Wasikowska plays Agatha Weiss, a burn victim who has just been released from a sanatorium after she tried to kill Benjie, who happens to be her younger brother. She befriends Jerome Fontana (Robert Pattinson), a limo driver who is also an aspiring actor and a
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screenwriter. At first, he brushes off Agatha’s advances but soon they start dating; though by his own admission as research for a script he is writing. Their lives are twisted and very often difficult to watch. They live in a detached bubble of their own and are willing to do anything to preserve the veneer. Cronenberg directs a superb cast with Moore giving a towering performance. It is easy to see why and how she has been able to stay clear of the usual pitfalls of being a female actor in Hollywood. John Cusack, himself a teenage star of many 1980’s John Hughes movies, has cited the importance of a movie like Map to the Stars because of the effect the culture of Hollywood and the fame parade has on young actors. For this reason, it is heartening to watch Robert Pattison seek out an auteur to help him define his career. This movie has many scenes and concepts which are difficult to direct and portray, but it has been well executed. Cronenberg’s films always work on multiple levels and this one is no different. The story does not have to be sought out. It’s pretty evident. It’s honest. But it may require a little effort to watch at some points.
More for David Cronenberg fans 1
Videodrome
The CEO of a struggling television station discovers a signal featuring extreme violence and torture. As he explores the shadowy world to gain more subscribers, he uncovers layers of deception and a series of bizarre and violent hallucinations.
2
The Fly
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Dead Ringers
An eccentric scientist invents ‘telepods’ for instantaneous teleportation of objects. However, its genius will only be recognised once transportation of living things is perfected. Whilst teleporting himself, a fly sneaks into the pod resulting in him taking on the physical traits of a fly.
Elliot and Beverly Mantle have contrasting personalities. Eliot, being the gregarious type, seduces women and then passes them on to the shy and passive Beverly when he tires of them. But when Beverly gets attached to Claire, things begin to go awry.
This movie is rated NC-17. It contains nudity and strong language. Rating: Vivian J Xavier is a cinematographer. He tweets@vivianjxavier
Julianne Moore is known in the cinema world for her portrayal of emotionally troubled women.
ART
A timeless amalgamation Three Pakistani artists engage London audiences by reinventing historical, classical and religious images By ShAnzAy SuBzwARi
Photos courtesy: Grosvenor Gallery
Pakistani artists are making waves internationally. Be it the critically acclaimed neominiaturist Shahzia Sikander or Deutsche Bank’s 2013 Artist of The Year Imran Qureshi, the world is recognising the prowess of Pakistani artists when it comes to conveying potent themes and ideas through their works on a global scale. Three such recognised names, Muhammad Zeeshan, Irfan Hasan and Muzzumil Ruheel, are currently exhibiting their works titled ‘Present Re-Inventions’ at the Grosvenor Gallery, London.
Classical Figures Miniature artist Irfan Hasan’s work has been stimulated by realism and his love for the human form for the past 10 years. Miniature paintings require patient rendering in opaque watercolour with a squirrel-tail brush, and this skilfulness is most evident in his largest portraits of 3.5ft x 5ft. With a flat white background typical of his style, Hasan’s Dante and Virgil in Hell 1: After William Adolph Bougeureau is inspired by Bougeureau’s depiction of a scene from medieval poet Dante Alghieri’s epic Divine Comedy. Eliminating the strange background creatures and chiaroscuro of the original, Hasan minimalises the painting to make it his own, focusing on the predatory posture of the subject. By leaving the victim in linear form, he makes the work look like a warped portrait of a deformed man. Hasan’s second large-scale work derived from the same painting interestingly depicts the victim. By flipping the image, he creates the illusion of the subject falling, with tension apparent in his muscles. Hasan’s smaller pieces also engage with the viewer, such as Isabella Brant 40 with Surveillance Camera (inspired by Rubens) OctOber 26-nOvember 1 2014
irfan hasan Self Portrait (After Anthony Van Dyck), 2014.
that questions the lack of privacy and intense scrutiny prevalent today. It makes one question the notions of alternating perspectives, conflict and appropriation of imagery.
Divine juxtapositions Muhammad Zeeshan, also a contemporary miniaturist, began as a cinema-board painter but now has permanent collections in some of the world’s major museums. Being the only artist to incorporate the technical laser-cut technology coupled with miniature painting techniques, he creates detailed and intricate depictions of a range of subjects, particularly popular imagery. At first glance, one can observe the strong religious/cultural symbols present in Zeeshan’s work. Jhulelal, Maa, Zuljana and Sailani Baba all depict icons of worship and reverence from various religions (Hinduism, Islam and
irfan hasan Isabella Brant with Surveillance Camera (After Peter Paul Rubens), 2014.
irfan hasan Cornelis Van Der Geest (After Anthony Van Dyck), 2014.
irfan hasan Madame Paul Sigisbert Moitessier with Phoropter (After Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres), 2014.
Muhammad zeeshan Jhulelal (series), 2014.
Muhammad zeeshan Maa (series), 2014.
Sufism), who previously coexisted peacefully but are now embroiled in a physical and ideological conflict. Depicted against flat, bright backgrounds, Zeeshan’s subjects are painstakingly rendered, with certain areas painted in gouache. In his piece Zuljana, which depicts the religiously revered horse, Zeeshan pushes the boundaries of delicate miniature painting by using coarse industrial mediums such as graphite on sandpaper. At the core, Zeeshan’s work not only reveals how religion has become an intrinsic part of our lives but also explains how the differences advocated by these bodies need not exist as religions are inherently more similar than different.
A call for awakening
Muhammad zeeshan Zuljana (series), 2014.
Muzzumil Ruheel And How We Forgot Them 5, 2014.
Muzzumil Ruheel is a trained calligrapher who aims to create metaphorical interpretations by combining Arabic/Urdu text with form. His work is mainly about ‘historic revisionism’ or ‘reinterpretation of orthodox views’. In The accounts of hum, Ruheel overlays text on found images pasted on wasli paper. From afar, the text reminds one of an irregular pattern on cloth but a closer look reveals that the illusion is created by the composition and density of his text. In The Completeness of the Incomplete,
Muzzumil Ruheel And How We Forgot Them 2, 2014.
Ruheel covers the found image entirely in text, so much so that what’s left of the original image looks like a ghost or a human soul. And within it lies a black hole that defines the subject’s hollowness, which in turn exudes an overall sense of horror. In his ‘And how we forgot them’ series, Ruheel places text in a neat and orderly form over old photographs of unknown people. His intervention works beautifully with the images and displays how an artist incorporates himself into the mysterious past of others. In the ‘The Land of dreams’ series, he does the same with old photographs of landscapes. By adding strange geometrical forms/spaces onto the images (again formed with text), Ruheel imposes his own imagery on lands that others had different dreams for, almost invading their space in the process. While Ruheel’s text is precise and exudes perfection, it is consciously undecipherable and reflects the content of the images he has worked with. It is an attempt to make one aware of the jargon that is consciously altered and fed to audiences through the media or imparted in classrooms.
Shanzay Subzwari is a Fine Arts student. She tweets @ShanzaySubzwari
Muzzumil Ruheel And How We Forgot Them 1, 2014.
41
TECH Not only do mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILC) pack a punch that is strong enough to rival a bulky digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, but they also sport a convenient form factor that is similar to that of a simple point-and-click camera. Simply referred to as mirrorless cameras, they have slowly but surely captured the market with their focused and improved design.
favoured by both professional and casual photographers. For the casual shooter, they offer easier learning, while professional shooters no longer have to lug around a heavy DSLR. In fact, for some professionals, MILCs are the preferred option, especially when it comes to shooting subjects in places of worship or at weddings where silence is an added bonus. According to professional photographer P Lesmana, who operates out of the Niagra region, he often captures better images of his subjects using a mirrorless camera because they are less intimidating to those being captured. “This is why photographers [have] started buying
stabilisation and quality, it has become increasingly difficult to choose between the two when looking at the pricier iterations of MILCs. When it comes to shooting videos, many photographers
Quite literally, the camera owes its small size to the absence of the mirror, which reflects the image to the viewfinder in traditional cameras. This design decision allows MILCs to carry the added benefit of having their lens and sensors fitted closer together which, in turn, has resulted in the camera featuring an impressively large sensor. Although this is not usually a full frame sensor, it allows photographers to capture Revolutionary mirrorless cameras are high-quality images more a strong contender in DSLR-dominated conveniently. markets The less complicated design has resulted in MILCs BY NOMAN ANSARI
Worth a reflection DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED
Mid-range mirrorless cameras can range between $550 and $1399. being lightweight and significantly more robust than its rivals. Interestingly enough, the convenience factor also 42 accounts for mirrorless cameras being OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1 2014
tiny mirrorless cameras — to scare their models/clients less. People are more relaxed when they see a small camera as opposed to a tank pointing at them.” In terms of strength, although the gap between mirrorless cameras and DSLRs has shrunk over time, it still exists. Initially, DSLRs were significantly faster than their competitor, which meant that certain photographers who valued speed, such as those covering sporting events, would never have even contemplated using a mirrorless camera. Today, however, with MILCs like the Sony Alpha a6000 and the Samsung NX300, much of this has changed. Similarly, in terms of image
Compared to MILCs, an entry-level DSLR is available at a lower cost.
are leaning towards MILCs as they tend to offer a longer shooting time as compared to DSLRs that overheat when shooting long videos. The biggest downside of mid-range MILCs, however, is that they lack a viewfinder that can provide a direct preview of the image and operators often complain of a grainy preview. Since they are smaller in size, mirrorless cameras also sport smaller batteries, meaning less than half the amount of images per battery charge as compared to a DSLR. And with MILCs being the younger product, they offer far fewer lens choices. Although mirrorless cameras are far from picture perfect at this initial stage in their product life cycle, they are certainly providing consumers with more choices. And for photography enthusiasts, that is good news. Noman Ansari is a freelance writer. He tweets @Pugnate