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Sindh coronavirus lockdown: The unfamiliar sight of leaders, leading

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We often see the chicken and the egg problem in political systems; chronically bad leaders and a cynical populace coexist in mutual contempt. In this scenario, if a leader tries to do good, the population is ill-equipped to recognise it because, like a snarling, abused street dog, it has known only ill treatment and neglect. Such has been the case in Karachi during the recent weeks. Unused to leaders leading or, indeed, fulfilling even the basic requirements of governance, Karachiites have been treated to the unfamiliar sight of the Sindh government taking proactive measures against the COVID-19 menace. From the prescient decision to shut down schools on February 27th upon diagnosis of the first two cases in Karachi, to a barrage of subsequent measures ranging from setting up health screening desks at the airport, to arranging quarantine facilities and expanding testing capacity, to the closure of Sindh government offices, parks, dine-in restaurants, shops and malls and ensuring uninterrupted utility services, the government has shown itself to be alert and responsive.  These measures have culminated in the announcement of a much–needed 15-day lockdown. Each step has been communicated clearly to the public from the horse’s mouth, as it were; regular tweets from officials have left little scope for the usual wild rumour-mongering or panic. As chronically neglected Karachiites, this efficiency has confused us. Initially, there was some immediate backlash, ranging from sarcasm to scepticism to hostility, from some parents of school-going children, business owners, analysts, keyboard warriors and a lot of person on the street, all second guessing the official approach. Even some overseas Karachiites, who are often ‘more loyal than the king’, aggressively questioned the sanity of these steps, quite ignoring the complete lack of measures taken by their own, adopted governments in North America and Europe at the time. To make matters even more confusing, the federal government, self-touted symbol of all things new, dynamic, and forward looking, appeared to be strumming its sitar instead of applying itself to limiting the spread of the virus. “Don’t panic” does not a pandemic policy maketh. Gradually, Karachiites have been forced to acknowledge the praiseworthy efforts of the provincial leadership. Positive feedback has also trickled in from the rest of the country, even from the unlikeliest of people. Hand in hand with these public trust issues has been the problem of convincing our elders to take the situation seriously, perfectly summed up in the following viral meme: https://twitter.com/evan7257/status/1239002985239392256?s=20 This parental resistance appears to be a worldwide issue – journalists have bemoaned the blithe responses of their own parents in hilariously relatable articles. In Karachi, our older generation has weathered violence, extortion, terrorism, kidnapping, street crime, water shortages, power outages, broken roads and filthy neighbourhoods for the last three decades. As a result, even the under 60s look like they’re 70+. Worse, they have attitudes that can only be described as frankly psychotic (or badass, depending on your point of view).  If a tsunami is about to hit, they’ll take their families to Sea View to welcome it. And if coronavirus is burning through the city, they’ll go pray Jummah (congregational prayers) crammed with hundreds of possibly coronavirus-infected strangers - all praying, ironically, for an end to coronavirus. While we have been treated to the unique spectacle of self-isolating Hollywood celebrities instagramming from within their mansions - unkempt, unshaven, bored and without professionally styled hair and makeup - our parents have continued to pop next door for neighbourly coffees, take evening walks with friends, and haggle with the corner fruitwallah (fruit vendor). Thank God we finally have a curfew. So there it is. Suddenly, we are in the grip of a pandemic, we are saying good things about our provincial government, our children are home 24/7 blithely broadcasting our private lives to online classmates and we’re yelling at our parents to stay home. The mental torque is excruciating. No one is sure how the next few weeks will pan out for the country. Two things are clear, however:  Karachi’s neglected population is responsive – even after years of what can only be described as official abuse – to the authorities’ efforts. The groundswell of goodwill should not be wasted. More importantly, the Sindh government leadership has revealed it can actually lead and mobilise the government machinery for the greater good. They should keep up the excellent work and apply their efforts, energy and enthusiasm to the myriad travails that plague us: sanitation, water management, unplanned development, and crime come to mind. The Sindh government could transform the lives of ordinary citizens and earn well-deserved appreciation. If that weren’t reward enough, when these leaders inevitably meet their Maker they would be transported to Heaven on the wings of the prayers of millions - win-win, as they say! Is anyone listening? Karachi ka kuch karona!



What being a suspected COVID-19 patient taught me

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I returned to Pakistan on March 10, 2020, before things started to get locked up for the coronavirus. I was a resident of UAE but had to leave because my residential visa had expired. Till now travel bans had not been imposed and I was quite satisfied as I was not showing any symptoms and had not yet learned that one can be asymptomatic while being a carrier. It was business as usual at the Sharjah airport but there was a thin veil of fear in everyone’s eyes and I too found myself using a hand sanitizer repeatedly. None of the passengers were wearing protective masks yet. I made it to the plane and was handed a customary health and travel history form. It was assumed that a screening will be awaiting us at the Karachi airport because the coronavirus had started gradually spreading in Pakistan as well. But there was none, in fact, the airport was just as crowded, as were the streets and Karachi was hustling and bustling just like I had left it. I was extremely happy to see my entire family, consisting of my elderly parents, siblings and their children, waiting at home for me. Educational institutes were closed but no other means of social distancing had been employed or encouraged yet and I proceeded to drown myself in the company of friends and family. Here is a brief timeline of my activities from the day I started meeting extended family and friends to the day I received a message from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh that put me through a roller coaster of emotions. March 12, 2020: I visited my cousin’s place to congratulate him on the birth of his baby. My mum accompanied me and we met other relatives there as well. Since the Pakistan Super League matches were in full swing, it took us two hours to cover half an hour’s distance because we were near the National Stadium. March 14, 2020: Four days after I arrived, my sister invited me for dinner. I decided to be thoughtful and stopped at a busy bakery to pick up cake for dessert. March 16, 2020: This day, I met the most people that I had since coming to the city. I started the day by going to Karachi University to submit my examination form as their administrative offices were still open. There alone interacted with people in the administrative block, at a bank in the vicinity and also at my former department, where I not only met teachers but also a dear friend. My cousin, whose baby I had visited earlier in the week, was hosting an aqiqah ceremony for the new born the same day so after wrapping up my errands at the university, I joined the rest of my family at his house. We were about 50 people of all ages, ranging from the week old baby to my elderly father who is 67. March 17, 2020: A week after my arrival I got a message from PDMA Sindh, saying:

Assalam o Alaikum Sidra Adnan, as you have traveled during last 14 days to Pakistan you are advised to remain at your home strictly for 14 days; and if you develop cough, fever, body ache or shortness of breath during these 14 days, immediately isolate yourself and make a call to Corona Virus Control Room at 021-9920xxxxor 021-9920xxxx or 0316-011xxxx. A team of Health Department shall attend you at your doorstep for the screening of COVID-19.This public message is issued in the best interest of your health, family and loved ones.”
The words ‘remain at your home strictly for 14 days’ were like somebody had dropped a bomb on me, because that was the only thing that I had not done since I had returned to the country. Sick with worry, I immediately dialled the numbers sent to me in the text but the line was busy. After a couple of tries, I got through and gave my travel history, while telling them that I was not feeling ill or showing any symptoms, wondering if I should get tested. I was told that since I had no symptoms I was not eligible to be tested but I should stay at home for the next few days. March 18, 2020: The very next day I woke up with an irritation in my throat and flu-like symptoms. As the day progressed, my temperature climbed and I was feeling fatigued. By the evening, I had gotten so ill that I could barely walk and the only positive sign was the absence of a cough. I feared the worst but decided to be sensible and called the coronavirus control room again to explain my condition. I received a profound and rapid response from the other side. The representative took my details including my home address and asked me to isolate myself immediately, which I did. Then the District Health Communication support officer contacted me and told me to get tested for COVID-19 either at Dow University Hospital (Ojha Camp) or the Agha Khan University Hospital (AKUH). He also suggested that I go to AKUH, charging approximately Rs10,000, for the test  instead of Ojha Campus because it was flooded as tests were being conducted nearly free of cost. Understanding that waiting at Ojha Campus may not be an option for me, owing to my health, I decided to bite the bullet and go to AKUH. My brother and I reached the AKUH Coronavirus Centre at around 11pm and were greeted by a full waiting room. Over a 100 suspected COVID-19 patients were awaiting their turn to be tested. After the initial process, we were told that we would have to wait for at least three hours or more. Deciding that it will be safer to wait at home, we went home and came back early next morning. But not before being reassured by the district health officer at midnight that if I am not tested at AKUH by 6am, he will arrange for a screening at my house. He also said that his team would have conducted a test earlier but they had a limited number of kits. March 19, 2020: The dawn at AKUH was silent and gloomy, or that is how it seemed to me at least. We reported to the emergency screening desk and I got my first bit of good news, the doctors said my symptoms had settled and were milder than they were last night. It was still necessary to test me, owing to my travel history. I was led inside after all formal requirements were fulfilled, where the physician on duty conducted a nasopharyngeal swab test, which basically consists of a swab going uncomfortably deep into your nose. He also told me to isolate myself completely until the test results come in 24 hours later. The Sindh government official was just as worried as we were, evident by an early morning text message from him, inquiring about the screening. After I informed him that a test has been conducted and I am going into complete isolation, he wished me the best. The period of self-isolation was one of the scariest experiences of my life. The imminent test results were stressing me out. I couldn’t help but think, what if I was positive? What havoc did I wreak on society? I had flashbacks of all the places I had been to and the people I had met. Such sentiments were making self-isolation even more difficult. As worried as my family and I were, we did not feel alone and the Sindh government stood beside us, every step of the way. I had been continuously receiving calls from the doctors assigned by the local bodies, asking about my symptoms, and briefing me about correct ways to isolate and how to be cautious during this time. March 20, 2020: I got a call from my brother-in-law at around 7:30 am, saying that the website shows that the reports can be collected. My brother immediately rushed to AKUH to bring back the coveted envelope containing my test results. We opened it with trembling hands but thank God I tested negative for the coronavirus and did not have COVID-19. I immediately forwarded the report to the district health department and they too breathed a sigh relief. My time as someone suspected to have COVID-19 was very scary and I hope we all stay safe and home in these unprecedented times.

Why the LUMS fee hike is problematic

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The spread of Covid-19 at breakneck speed has ravaged Pakistan’s economy in unprecedented ways. Countless households have faced crippling reductions in their income, if not a complete loss of employment. Many of these families include students currently enrolled in universities across the country – now confined in their homes, struggling to keep up with the demands of a remote education. In unparalleled times of economic recession such as these, the responsibility of ensuring continuing access to education falls on the shoulders of leading universities. However, in the midst of what is already a challenging time, there have been reports of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) implementing an exorbitant hike in their annual fee for both, current and incoming students. Email correspondence from the university administration describes a structural change in the fee system. Combined with a 13 per cent inflationary increase in the charges of each credit hour, students may be now faced with an inordinate fee bill which only adds to already existing financial strain. While it could be argued that the institution decided on a fee hike due to inflationary pressures, students have expressed outrage at such a significant change being finalised without their voices being heard, raising questions about the legitimacy of a decision-making process that inherently minimises student representation. As per the previous fee system, students taking between 12 to 20 credit hours were charged the same amount despite the difference. After the change, students will be charged according to the number of credit hours they take. Through emails, the administration argued that that the difference in annual fees under the new system would be “ignorable” for a student that is enrolled in 12 credit hours every semester. However, what LUMS seems to have ignored is that most of its students typically take on a much heavier course-load. Depending on their degree, students on average end up taking at least 16 credit hours per semester. Such students may be taking additional courses to simply graduate on time, or may have structured their future semester plans in a way that would requires them to take more than a certain number of courses in a single semester – obviously, without prior knowledge that the fee-structure would be drastically changed. For many students who have now been enrolled in the university for over two years, it is practically impossible to redistribute their course-load to avoid a significant increase in the fee. LUMS has effectively changed the terms of the student-university agreement without prior notice. The reports have sparked widespread condemnation on social media from students and instructors alike. Instructors have expressed disbelief over the reported change: https://twitter.com/taniasaeed/status/1257350593158529024 Hundreds of students have also gathered around the hashtag “LUMSFeeHike” on Twitter, questioning the timing of the institution’s decision: https://twitter.com/baewafa2/status/1257325676358590465 Taking notice of student outrage, the University’s Student Council initiated communication with the administration, arguing that the change in fee for most students is far from “negligible”. Quoting the LUMS Student Handbook, the council stated that the university itself recommends that students typically take 17-20 credit hours. Taking different undergraduate degrees as examples, they provided calculations showing that the new system could result in an increase in fees ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs 200,000 for graduating seniors. Therefore, students must either prepare to pay an outrageously inflated fee in the midst of financial hardship, or risk delaying their graduation. Whether or not the students' protest against the fee hike will lead to a revision in policy is yet to be seen. However, the incident raises important questions about the role students have historically been allowed to play in the matters that impact them the most. If LUMS is truly as inclusive as it claims, it must acknowledge the devastating effect this decision has on deserving students during a time that is already very demanding. The varsity has often been criticised for its fostering a certain kind of students, creating an environment that only a certain economic class may have access to. If universities are to avoid social and economic gatekeeping, it is necessary that they begin to involve students from under-represented backgrounds in major financial decisions – after all, it is they who face the brunt of the consequences. Difference between the old and new fee

Major Credits to be taken in last year alone (according to UG Guide) New minimum senior year fee New maximum senior year fee Previous fee (Figures provided by Accounts Receivable) Minimum difference Maximum difference
Anthropology 37-40 PKR 891,700 PKR 964,000 PKR 760,000 PKR 131,700 PKR 204,500
Pol Sci 37-40 PKR 891,700 PKR 964,000 PKR 760,000 PKR 131,700 PKR 204,500
History 38-40 PKR 915,800 PKR 964,000 PKR 760,000 PKR 155,800 PKR 204,500
English 37-40 PKR 891,700 PKR 964,000 PKR 760,000 PKR 131,700 PKR 204,500
Econ 34-40 PKR 819,400 PKR 964,000 PKR 760,000 PKR 59,000 PKR 204,500
Econ Pol 35-36 PKR 843,500 PKR 867,600 PKR 760,000 PKR 83,500 PKR 107,600
Chemistry 34 PKR 819,400 - PKR 760,000 PKR 59,000 -
Math 35-40 PKR 843,500 PKR 964,000 PKR 760,000 PKR 83,500 PKR 204,500
Law 36 PKR 867,600 - PKR 760,000 PKR 107,600 -
MGS 33 PKR 795,300 - PKR 760,000 PKR 35,500 -
 

The Covid-19 pandemic: Education response for Sindh

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Around 6.7 million children were out of school in Sindh even before the pandemic brought its carnage to Pakistan. The province was already in a learning crisis and the ongoing pandemic will further strain the education system while negatively impact learning outcomes. It is undeniable that it was the need of the hour to shut down educational institutes, as keeping them open would further exacerbate the ongoing health crisis. But now as educational institutions gear up to open on July 15, the situation is calling for difficult decisions yet again. Policymakers are faced with a strange dilemma, where when they do not reopen educational institutions, the impact on the economy, both in terms of the actual monetary impact and students not getting the desired or deserved education, will deepen. But if schools, colleges and universities are reopened, policymakers will also have to take into account the risk of infection to both the students, staff and the resulting load on the healthcare system. Then there are news reports which suggest that educational institutes may not open on July 15th at all and may remain shut for another six months even. This adds to the students' problems, especially as, the concept of homeschooling is barely adopted in Sindh, and many parents can either not teach the course material to their children or are simply not even aware that such options exist. Even though, some schools in the private sector have moved towards online modes of education, the numbers are not large enough. Owing to connectivity issues, as well as the novelty of the setup, there is a lot of trial and error involved, leading to uncertainty for everyone, especially since some assessments have also moved online. Some exams on the other hand have been downright cancelled. Perhaps the most worrying part about this disruption is how it will increase the inequality between those who are able to access education by any means right now and those who are not. This will not be all. The closing of schools is already causing a ripple affect that has increased the instances of child abuse as they are home more and in the future it will result in an obvious learning loss, along with increased dropout rates especially in the lower income households, more educational disparity especially between the public and private educational sectors and it will also affect the demand and supply of education. The increased dropout rates in lower income households will as a result, bring an increase in other menaces such as child labour and marriages as well. Not to mention the long-term impact of children that are suffering through a pandemic without going to school and their friends, with an increased likelihood of either experiencing violence first or second hand. Other impacts of the pandemic on the education system may include a cut in funding from the government, leading to a further decline in the quality of education in  the province. With a drop in funding, teaching jobs may also not remain as lucrative, adding to the dearth of good teachers.  If this remains the case, over the years, skilled human capital will also decline, adding to unemployment and social inequality. All hope is not lost and we still have time to quickly move towards strategies to aid continuous learning but to also take steps to make the return of the students and staff safer. Acknowledging how the education system in place was not working is a huge step that we can take, with a focus on revamping it entirely. Policymakers need to focus on managing the situation at hand, while creating a policy framework that accounts for the accelerated learning gaps resulting from the disruption. One way to do that is to ensure that funding allotted for education must not be compromised on, so if it cannot increase, it definitely should not decrease even if education seems like an easy target when deciding budget cuts. While, as discussed, there is an essential need for SOPs guided by medical teams for a safe return of staff and students, mental health aids, in the form of therapists or counselors should also be looked into. Syllabus and course planning need to be revised especially for public schools and perhaps, uniform platforms can be created where syllabi can be decided in tandem by both the private and public sector. It is important that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past when we come back to teach our youth and in turn empower our nation. If schools indeed are to remain shut for the next six months, option of remote learning need to be developed beyond just a single TV channel. Student loans and other incentives should also be offered to ensure that children come back to school and do not quit due to financial reasons.  Parents should also be given training or at least the opportunity to be more involved in their children's activities, especially when it comes to government schools. This is the best time to revamp an ailing system, but this is also a sensitive time, where decisions, especially related to education, will have the potential to haunt us for a long time to come.


The Mao of Sindh: Remembering Hyder Bux Jatoi 50 years on

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Hyder Bux Jatoi, who passed away 50 years ago today, was one of the great people who lived and worked in Sindh during the last century. Jatoi joined the Sindh Hari Committee after resigning from his government service in 1945. He remained the leader of the struggle of the peasants for a quarter of a century, thus making the Hari Committee one of the most powerful social movements in the Indian subcontinent in the 20th century. He kept struggling for the national, democratic, social, cultural and economic rights of the people. From the period of studentship to his death in 1970, Jatoi continuously fought for the attainment of social justice and against every kind of economic, political and social oppression. Jatoi’s rallying cry was:

“جام محبت پيئي سنڌ، جيئي سنڌ جيئي سنڌ” (May Sindh drink the cup of love, long live Sindh, long live Sindh!)
Fittingly, today also marks the World Day for Cultural Diversity. One of the goals which UNESCO sought to foster when it first sanctioned this day was to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, something which Jatoi fought for all his life vis-à-vis Sindh and with regards to its peasantry. Today on the World Day for Cultural Diversity, it is imperative to remember our heroes from across the Pakistani spectrum. Jatoi was the latest in a long line of great Sindhis, from Sufi Shah Inayat Shaheed and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai to GM Syed, Sobho Gianchandani, Ibrahim Joyo, Shaikh Ayaz, Rasul Bux Palijo, Nazir Abbasi, Fahmida Riaz, Zarina Baloch, and Benazir Bhutto. Mao Zedong’s words came back to me while I was working on this piece about Jatoi. Like Mao, Jatoi betrayed his class and left his cushy job to take up the cause of the peasants; like Mao too he was a poet and writer committed to his land, language, people and culture, and lived for 69 years with great dignity. His dignity was drawn from the land he loved. But unlike Mao, he passed away still waiting for the dream of a socialist, sovereign and prosperous Sindh to materialise. With Jatoi’s untimely death, Sindh’s peasants were orphaned. The people’s poet Habib Jalib acknowledged Jatoi as his leader and giver of political consciousness. He therefore penned a poem about Jatoi, with the simple title Hyder Bux Jatoi Re Bhayya (Hyder Bux Jatoi O Brother), which is being shared here today to mark Jatoi’s 50th death anniversary. While explaining the context of this poem in his autobiography, Jalib narrated that he had worked with Jatoi and had been assigned the duty to accompany him on his election campaign against Ayub Khoro, the iron man of Sindh in the 1954 elections. Jalib went to Larkana along with a group of students from Karachi, where he was based in those days. In the chowk at Larkana, Khoro met the group and challenged them, saying,
“You student folks, what have you come here for?”
Jalib recounts that he responded by screaming,
“We have come to set fire to your chambers and havelis.”
Upon hearing this, the police officers standing next to Khoro arrested them. Khoro later had the house where Jalib was staying set on fire and also had Jatoi’s car incinerated. That was the time when Jalib’s political poetry had begun and this particular poem was read in a meeting in Larkana, and was subsequently recited in all the rallies of the haris. This poem thus needs to be read today not only as a tribute to Hyder Bux Jatoi but as a valuable document of Pakistan’s social and political history.

~

Hyder Bux Jatoi Re Bhayya (Hyder Bux Jatoi O Brother) by Habib Jalib

“Hyder Bux Jatoi re bhayya Hyder Bux Jatoi

There is no other who sympathises with the hari

Hyder Bux Jatoi re bhayya Hyder Bux Jatoi

One landlord alone, robs the wealth of us in our thousands

He dresses well, roams in a car, his pleasures like brigands

We cry with hunger and his house replete with fairs

We cannot even get a blanket, a shawl he himself wears

Hyder Bux Jatoi re bhayya Hyder Bux Jatoi”   


The future of online higher education in Pakistan

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Virtual education degree programmes and e-learning universities tend to be perceived of lesser quality and validity as compared to classroom-taught programmes. However with the pandemic, both public and private universities have been mandated to move their courses/classes online as per the directive of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Over the last month, there have been a number of articles in newspapers concerning the shift to online teaching. Advocates of the online shift (mostly private institutions) have been congratulating themselves on the quick and smooth transition they have made. Others, including many student groups, have been resistant to the idea of e-learning. They claim that infrastructure, access to technology and connectivity are not set up to equitably meet the needs of students in Pakistan. However, there has been limited discussion on what e-learning conceptually requires and whether we, as a nation, have the pedagogical skills to provide online courses for degree programmes. E-learning or Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT)? We would argue, based on our experience, that what universities in Pakistan are doing during the current Covid-19 crisis is actually Emergency Remote Learning (ERT) and not e-learning. We believe that ERT is a practical, temporary or short-term shift of delivering education through a new modality because of a crisis with not much change in pedagogy, whereas online education requires careful deliberation. Without much preparedness and an urgency to facilitate teaching and learning as an emergency response, faculty have been struggling to make this transition and support students. Most have never taught online, but many have made a commendable effort to adapt to the circumstances based on trial and error. However this is a stop gap solution with a short-term vision, where faculty members are trying to replicate face-to-face instructions to live online sessions as a solution. In contrast, with e-learning it takes months to design, plan and execute a good quality online course for students, with specialised training and resources. For online education, it is important to have institutional policies and frameworks for course design, minimum standards for teaching, alongside access to technology and student assessments. For this article we interviewed faculty members from various private universities in Karachi who have been teaching online for over a month. Most shared that their universities previously did not allow remote teaching of courses. As a result, many universities in Karachi do not have policies for online education and assessments that reflect best practices and support structures (except initial guidelines and handbooks for continuing the process of instruction). In absence of such structures, it is difficult to ensure transparent and standardised online teaching. For implementing any remote education, access and familiarity with technology is key. Our interaction with faculty and students in Karachi found that apps like Zoom (paid and unpaid versions), Microsoft Teams, and Google Classrooms are the most frequently used platforms. Few universities are relying on unpaid versions of these platforms which restrict session timings and options of having a controlled online learning environment. The ability to shift to using technology is a challenge for many instructors, particularly those who have not relied on technology in the classroom before. Faculty and students we interviewed identify a lack of knowledge of appropriate tools and techniques suitable to respond to the need for virtual classrooms. This is particularly true of large class teaching formats. It is a steep learning curve, hence features of online platforms (such as small group discussion, online forum-based debates and reflection, and collaborative tasks) often remain underutilised to achieve the learning outcomes which can be a source of dissatisfaction for many. Due to a lack of training in e-learning pedagogy and student preparedness to transition to new modes of learning, faculty members continue to face challenges such as a decrease in attendance, low participation and attention, disruptive behaviours and sometimes no acknowledgment of their instructions. Many students zone out during long non-interactive synchronous lectures or get frustrated with the constant connectivity issues. Familiarity with technology is not only a technical issue but also a teaching skills or study skills issue. One of the limitations for many private universities in Karachi has been that the orientation and training for this transition has been provided by IT departments who are not pedagogues. An uncertain terrain for students The student learning experience must be at the core of all pedagogy, hence it is imperative that their readiness in terms of access to technology, learning needs and digital literacy be facilitated. We spoke to undergraduate students across disciplines from various private universities in Karachi who shared their experience of the shift from remote to face-to-face learning. Although many were appreciative of the efforts of faculty to quickly transition to new modalities of teaching, they still shared numerous challenges. These include low bandwidth due to increased work from home policies, electricity issues, unavailability of personal desktop/laptop and personal delegated space for studying, stress, juggling between family life and education, physical and mental health issues, fear of being infected or having a loved on getting Covid-19; gender discrimination and domestic workload, and well as feeling of isolation from friends. For few students, online education has been an opportunity to think more carefully about their learning tasks - how they can pursue detailed projects and/or deeper research, and learn how to communicate their ideas better due to the time at hand. Some families are facing financial hardship and concerns of how to find an internship/employment in the current context are ever present. Some fear that they may not be able to return to university next semester and wonder if they should take a semester off till in-class teaching resumes. Embracing the idea of e-learning: the future of higher education We believe given our experience that there is a need to draw on both classroom and virtual pedagogy to meet the learning accessibility needs of students. Even when lockdown is eased, there is a need for advocating for blended learning models (a mix of face to face and online) as there might be multiple lockdowns in the future. Global research on e-learning demonstrates that effective student learning (including quality instruction) results from careful instructional design, planning and research. Therefore, moving away from one-time orientation and training sessions, faculty development at universities will have to focus on a well-crafted continuous programme for course design support, which is available before the next semester and continues as a regular feature throughout the year(s). Prioritising investment and resource allocation for instructional design expertise through creation of online education centers in universities, and hiring learning designers (responsible to integrate pedagogy with technology) to collaborate with faculty on course (re-)design, management and enhancement. Simultaneously a local research strategy and funding for e-learning also needs to be put into place by HEC, the findings of which can feed into constant improvement of curricula and pedagogy. Students must be engaged in this process as their input is extremely valuable in tailoring instruction to meet their learning needs. Universities and faculty have shown resilience through the initial shift but now we need to account for student autonomy, choice and interest in course activities so student engagement can be ensured. Come august, when students will have their first day in universities on-line rather than on-campus, student orientation and support programmes should have a strong focus on digital, multimedia and information literacy, mental health and self-regulation as e-learning requires an ecosystem in which to function beyond the virtual classroom. Student intersectional considerations and sensitivities including but not limited to social group, gender, ethnic and other identities — such as age, disability, sexuality and geographical location should be at the heart of all course design. Rental service for students to acquire technology from university asset banks or partnering with financial institutions so students can either buy technology on installments or rent it, is essential along with reliable subsidised internet connectivity. The success of online learning during and beyond the pandemic will be largely dependent on how universities will bring their focus back to learning design and research. This also requires an immediate change of perception that technology is just a prerequisite. Universities must acknowledge that the quality of their student’s learning experience needs to be a core consideration and that the actual drivers of teaching and learning are faculty members backed by a supportive administration and policy environment.



PIA crash coverage: The melodramatic news trade

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Here is what is etched in my memory in the aftermath of the crash: A grieving father being pushed for comment on television. As if the unfathomable loss alone was not enough, victim’s families at the behest of reporters who are badgering them for an ‘interview’. The mourners, who can barely contain themselves, struggle to utter a few words before they break into a disarray of emotions. Their eyelashes are drenched and a heartfelt score is playing in the background. On May 22, a PIA jetliner with 99 passengers aboard crashed in a populated neighbourhood in Karachi. The locality, only few miles away from the runway, sent residents into arrest. A thick cloud of smoke billowed from the area as the aircraft caught fire. Video clips quickly started making rounds on social media and traditional Pakistani media was overwhelmed with breaking news updates spiking traffic on news channels and websites nationwide. But there was one thing that remained largely unaccounted for, the casualties in the crash and the fact that there were survivors. However, it was too late. By this time, news outlets had embarked on a vicious rat race, trading information in exchange for eyeballs. Most of them had released the flight manifest – an otherwise confidential document – thereby giving an impression that all passengers aboard had been presumed dead. The media had turned into what can be described as a bazaar; milking ratings and overlooking in the process that this disaster left many homes in shambles and many families without factual information about their loved ones. As a journalist, impatient for information, and a Karachiite sitting miles from home, I rummaged through the live feeds of most news outlets. I saw newscasters assuming all on board to have been dead, a full passenger list, photos of the ‘presumably’ deceased and an enthusiastic undertone in the delivery of the news, all of which lacked sensitivity at best. The media melodrama overshadowed a tragedy yet again. At this point, the local media had turned into a monster with very little regard for what would ensue when families of the victims would see photos of their loved ones’ flash across screens. And as a result, loss of credibility for the media when some of those declared deceased have returned as though resurrected from the dead. Add to the plethora of existing news channels, the emergence of social media, which was even more brutal. Renowned senior journalists and critics, some of whom I look up to, took a jibe at the airline and questioned the pilot’s technical skills without conclusive evidence. Another clip to go viral was one which was presented as footage from the plane in the last few seconds before the crash. No authenticity of this clip was by far established. More disinformation circulated when leading news channels used a picture of a PIA airliner which turned out to be bogus as it was reportedly a screengrab from a video that surfaced last year. On open source information, such as an audio file comprising a conversation between the pilot and the control tower, could probably be held off for publishing until later. What further appeared as blatant disregard was a reporter proudly stating that he was reporting from a live scene of carnage or at one point from an airhostess’s home where he pressed the family for comment. By this time, social media was replete with speculations on who could possibly be survivors. The flight manifests had been taken off air as hospital authorities confirmed that they were still identifying bodies. But it was too late to make amends. The coverage had reached the ins and outs of the internet, vehemently coming off as an industry where workers had little training to tackle disaster situations. In response to the media frenzy, journalists across social media platforms mobilised resistance, calling out news agencies over their irresponsible coverage of the incident. During the course of my rather brief journalistic career, I can recall several instances where the media treated a tragedy as an opportunity for gains. But the question is, how long before we collectively realise that garnering attention by shoddy means isn’t just fleeting but also disreputable?


Losing loved ones to Covid-19: The altered cycle of grief

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Death.  An experience that would one would have a rare encounter with, is now sitting at our doorstep, knocking to come in. With over 144,478 confirmed corona virus cases in Pakistan according to the latest stats provided by the Government of Pakistan, one of the significant factors contributing to its rapid spread is that it can be transmitted from one person to another. Anyone who is even within six feet of a carrier can get the virus, thereby increasing the chances of a community spread. Which brings me back to what I started talking about, death. It’s not just the manner in which people are dying from Covid-19, isolated from their loved ones and in a lot of pain, but also the way the process of grief is being altered in its aftermath. We just lost a family member to this wretched illness, who was also suffering from cancer, and it’s possibly the only time when our family did not hold a funeral. There were no last goodbyes, hugs, comforting silences, shared tears or even just a glimpse of the dearly departed. In other words, the stages of grief are now impacted in ways that are new. Having lost my father a few years ago, I remember just standing next to his body moments before they took him away. The way I had stared at him that day and had not moved a single muscle, is possibly the longest I had ever really ‘looked’ at him. We may see our parents every single day, spend time with them but it was only in those few hours that I noticed so much that I never had before. All his wrinkles, his moles, the way his skin would fold around his cheeks, the way it glowed, and the familiarity of this face that I knew I would never get a chance to see again. I stared at him because I wanted to hold on to that memory. But surprisingly, that face is now blurry when I think about it, but the feeling remains,  the feeling of being full. Because I was able to give myself that time to just be with him. Even if he didn’t respond, even if I couldn’t speak to him anymore. But today with more and more people dying and their families are not being able to look at them for that one last time due to the fear of contracting the virus. I can’t help but think of all those will not get to experience that closure. It is also making me think of all those who lose family members to plane crashes or bomb blasts, where burying their loved ones is not an option. To say it is tragic would be an understatement. However, ‘a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved’ and that is exactly what many across the globe are unable to do at the moment. Friends and family are unable to provide physical support by simply being there. Yes we can call using apps such as Skype and Zoom but human touch cannot be replaced by technology. It can aid but it cannot heal. Having said that, I understand the process of grief is different for everybody. Some may need more space than others, some may want to talk about it, some may not. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to grieve. But to have that option being taken away from you is what causes further helplessness at a time when you are already helpless in the face of death and the deadly virus.  What do you do when you are barely adjusting to the new ‘normal’ brought on by a global pandemic and are now also made to adjust to living life without your parent, spouse or friend. When the process of grief gets disrupted or interrupted, symptoms of complicated grief may start to show.

“In complicated grief, painful emotions are so long lasting and severe that you have trouble recovering from the loss and resuming your own life.”
It is then imperative if not necessary to adapt a new way of mourning where we still allow ourselves to grieve. Where we still reach out to our loved ones and be there for them in the same manner we would have had we been allowed to, only now we may just have to do it virtually. Where we share stories of those whom we have lost, and cry together or laugh together. If anything, the weight that our words carry now, or a picture we may post or videos we may share matter now more than ever and may just be a new way of ‘being there’. Perhaps now, even though it may never be the same, technology will just have to make up for physical touch and comfort.  

With Zidane back on the sidelines, will Real Madrid make the most of the summer transfer window?

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For much of the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid’s campaign has been driven by pessimism and trepidation. From mediocre performances on the field to a lack of purpose off it, the Los Blancos found themselves entrenched in a diatribe with a swathe of negative opinions from fans and critics alike.  But the return of the clubs’s favourite son Zinedine Zidane after his dignified exit nine months ago has cut through all the noise, at least for the time being. Zizou’s work is cut out for him as the rebuilding job at a club like Real Madrid, with extremely high expectations, won’t be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. https://twitter.com/kevinchimuka/status/1113392173150502914 However, unlike towards the end of his last tenure, Zidane will have financial backing from the club. A report from The Independent claimed “Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has promised Zidane an expensive overhaul,” immediately after the Frenchman’s arrival. A few days later L’Equipe’s front page (titled Casino Royal) stated that: “Perez is ready to show faith in Zidane to turn the ship around by giving him a €500 million summer budget.” If Madrid are keen on spending heavily in the upcoming summer transfer window, they will have to do it wisely, bearing in mind their current expectations and without compromising future ambitions. Defence Real Madrid’s defence is, arguably, the least concerning aspect of their squad. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane might not have had the best of seasons, but they still form a formidable pairing in the centre of defence. But with Ramos aging and especially if Varane decides to leave, Madrid would need adequate replacements in order to beef up their backline options. Looking at the options, three names stand out in particular. These include Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly (27), Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar (24) and Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt (19). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kalidou Koulibaly during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on March 10, 2019 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] All three have no obvious weaknesses and possess the ideal skill set expected from a defender (strength, positioning and ball playing skills), supplemented by the fact that they are young enough to be part of the club for a very long time. While Madrid would be happy to bring in any one of these players, Skriniar would be cheaper as compared to the other two, considering the absence of a release clause in his contract with Inter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Milan Skriniar of FC Internazionale competes for the ball with Danny da Costa of Eintracht Frankfurt during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale and Eintracht Frankfurt at San Siro on March 14, 2019 in Milan, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] The 24-year-old also offers an added dimension of having played as a defensive midfielder with the Slovakian national side, and consequently can provide cover on two positions while also aiding in-game tactical switch. Midfielders Real Madrid have a substantial amount of talent in the centre of the park, with an impressive blend of young (Marcos Llorente, Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos) and experienced players (Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro). In order to cater to an aging Modric and take off pressure from Kroos, Madrid need a couple of additions to their midfield. However, they don’t need to spend heavily in this regard as the players they have loaned out – James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich and Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea – will be ideal suitors. Rodriguez’s incisiveness in the final third, both in open play and dead ball situations, will add creativity in central positions. This is of particular importance because a majority of Madrid’s attacks are wing-based, which is why the Colombian’s presence will stretch opposing defences and bring more unpredictability going forward. Also, through his quotes in the press, the midfielder has also indicated that there is no love lost between him and the Spanish giants, despite being left frustrated for playing time under Zidane previously. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] James Rodriguez of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Allianz Arena on March 17, 2019 in Munich, Germany. Photo: Getty[/caption] Kovacic might not have had the best of seasons at Chelsea, but he can still play a vital role in The Whites midfield with his ability to play line-breaking passes; a trait which is of pivotal importance, especially against many La Liga sides who like to sit deep and defend. Also, the Croatian’s best time in Madrid colours came while playing under Zizou, which makes a strong case of having him back in the Spanish capital. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea in action during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 18, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Getty[/caption] Forwards Ever since the departure of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the talk surrounding Real Madrid’s attacking pedigree has shown no signs of subsiding. Since the departure of the Portuguese, the goals have significantly dried up for the Los Blancos and hence the need for some clinical finishers in front of the goal is, probably, more than ever. Talking about forwards, one player that has constantly been linked with Real Madrid is Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. Although there is no doubt about the Belgium international’s footballing prowess and he will also be a seamless fit at Real, signing him now, at the age of 28, would mean the club shelling a lot of money in return for only two to three peak years. While it would be unfair to totally rule out a move, the club should only consider Hazard as a fall-back option. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] 31st March 2019, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales; EPL Premier League football, Cardiff City versus Chelsea; Eden Hazard of Chelsea looks back at a missed chance. Photo: Getty[/caption] Moving on, Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Kylian Mbappe, despite being an ideal solution to Real Madrid’s goal scoring troubles, is a long shot considering his massive price tag. Although there are plenty of rumours in the transfer market regarding his move to Spain, the French club will go all out to keep the 20-year-old star at the club, keeping in mind the fact that he is at the core of their European ambitions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kylian Mbappe of PSG celebrates a goal during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint Germain and Guingamp at Parc des Princes on January 19, 2019 in Paris, France. Photo: Getty[/caption] Taking into account all the factors and realistic options available on the market, Real Madrid will be better off if they work on the lines of signing Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi. Mane’s pace and technical ability has been part and parcel of Liverpool’s success in the past couple of seasons, and he will add a lot of potency to Real Madrid’s attack. Although he has played mostly as a winger for The Reds, if need be, he can play in a more central role as a striker as well. In Mane, Madrid will find a willing worker, who can track back and help out with defence and also link up well with Marcelo Vieira on the left wing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sadio Mane of Liverpool FC runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on March 31, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Photo: Getty[/caption] On the other hand, Icardi has stacked up some great numbers for his Italian club with his lethal finishing. He may not participate much in build-up play but his positioning and movement in front of the goal is particularly impressive. Real Madrid have been guilty of creating lots of chances but not converting them during the ongoing season, but Icardi’s signing should go a long way in changing that. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mauro Icardi of FC Internazionale scores the second goal during the Serie A match betweenGenoa CFC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on April 3, 2019 in Genoa, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] To Madrid and Zidane’s advantage, being knocked out of the title race on all fronts is somewhat a blessing in disguise, as it gives them additional time to plan for the future. But the 13-time European Champions will have to be clever with the way they go about their business in the transfer market, before it builds up more scar tissue against their name as a formidable force in the world of football.

Why is the US making a mountain out of the Masood Azhar molehill?

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The United States has introduced a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to blacklist Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. Azhar is the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (banned in Pakistan since 2002) and has been blamed by India for masterminding February’s Pulwama incident, even though no evidence has been produced which links Azhar to the incident. China has refused to list Azhar as an international terrorist after careful consideration of the definition of international terrorism according to international law. China has made this position absolutely clear and as such, it would appear that the US is looking to transform the UNSC into a place of high stakes geopolitical theatre, because China’s veto of the US resolution is inevitable. The US therefore is using the internationally immaterial issue of Azhar in order to provoke tensions between China and India at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already invoking blood-curdling Sinophobia in further attempts to rally the jingoist Hindutva vote. But this is not all that the US is doing. Washington is also provoking and in fact insulting Pakistan by suggesting that a local matter is worthy of wasting the UN’s time, even after one of the permanent members of the Security Council has made its position unambiguous. As if on cue, India’s jingoistic media kicked into high gear suggesting war against China. Meanwhile, members of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) continue to call for a boycotting of Chinese goods. When it comes to Pakistan however, America’s willingness to inflate the international importance of Azhar makes it clear that the US is willing to risk productive relations with Pakistan in order to both placate India and to goad India into an even more extreme position vis-a-vis China (not that the BJP needs much help in this respect). Although the US has admitted that Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process is crucial, beyond this, the US has clearly made its decision in terms of a long term strategy in South Asia. While some US diplomats will feign attempts at a balanced South Asia policy, the reality is that India is now a key US strategic partner. US diplomats at the UN will happily do India’s bidding, even over a matter as absurd as trying to convince the world that Azhar is an international terrorist when legal precedent says otherwise. Pakistan must adjust its own expectations accordingly. While it would be imprudent for Pakistan to provoke any superpower, the message that Washington is not so subtly sending is that when it comes to a superpower partner, China is the singular key to Pakistan’s prosperous future, while the US is becoming little more than a puppet master helping direct flagrant Indian aggression against China. This is all the more reason for Pakistan to take a more assertive role in the Afghan peace process. As the country most directly affected by Afghanistan’s prolonged status as a failed state, Pakistan has no excuse not to emerge as an international leader in driving forward an all-parties peace process. Any idea that Pakistan should merely shadow the US in respect of the peace process should now be put to rest, as it is clear that the US has India’s strategic desires at heart and that, by comparison, Pakistan’s security needs come a very distant second or even third. The reality Pakistan must now face is that whilst America’s priorities in the South Asia during the 80’s related to containing Afghanistan to the West and the Soviet Union to the North, today the US is squarely focused on provoking China and for this, India will remain a key ally of Washington. All that Pakistan must now do is acclimate itself to a new reality where China’s all-weather friendship will grow in stature and material importance while the US will be willing to insult, debase and ignore Pakistan as though the events of the 80’s never occurred. This post was originally published here. 

Knock knock! Annabelle is coming home and things are about to get real scary

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Following the Marvel path, The Conjuring universe has grown steadily over the last six years through both, the increasing returns that most films in the franchise have delivered and in stature through the critical acclaim that the first two Conjuring movies received. Now five movies in, the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down with a third Conjuring film already set for 2020. But before that, we’re getting another Annabelle movie. And this one promises to be much different than its predecessors. [caption id="attachment_81026" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Annabelle Comes Home, which will serve as the sixth film in the Conjuring franchise and the third Annabelle film, does not take the prequel route like Annabelle: Creation did. Unlike the first Annabelle, which was widely panned for being a rudderless and aimless production, this film shifts the focus directly towards the Warren family – the paranormal investigators played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who served as the protagonists of the first two Conjuring films. [caption id="attachment_81027" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The first trailer, which came out recently, sprinkles a handful of jump-scares throughout its two and a half minute runtime and the film more or less appears to centre on an artefact room where the Warrens keep the demonic doll. However, soon enough the doll begins turning up in strange places and much to the surprise of the Warrens, so do the other artefacts. The weight of this is felt by the Warren’s 10-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends who seem to be at the centre of the latest Conjuring film. [caption id="attachment_81024" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] By all accounts, Annabelle Comes Home seems like a much more small-scale film as compared to its predecessors which were much more expansive in scope. And though the Warrens are back, they don’t seem to have a central role in the film in the same way as their daughter does. This is promising because it means that perhaps this time the focus will be on a tightly-constructed narrative, which is where horror films work best. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] As evidenced by the trailer, it’s perhaps also safe to assume that this film won’t just be about the titular doll but will also focus on some of the other haunted artefacts in the Warren family’s possession which, if anything, may provide the producers with a few more ideas for some future spin-offs. In the context of this film though, it will undoubtedly add to the scares. This is something that producer James Wan has confirmed when he essentially described the film as being Night at the Museum with an evil doll because of the various haunted artefacts that will be activated in the film. [caption id="attachment_81031" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The good thing is that Annabelle Comes Home seems to channel all the elements that have made the Conjuring franchise such a big success, which provides the viewer with something to look forward to. After straying away from the central narrative and focusing on aimless origin stories, the franchise seems to have finally learned its lesson. With Annabelle Comes Home, the focus seems to have been shifted back towards the scares and, in a blatant but smart bit of fan-service, the filmmakers have brought back two of the franchise’s most beloved characters, even if it’s in a supporting capacity. That said, only time will tell if the latest installment in the Annabelle saga matches up to the Conjuring movies, which at present, stand head and shoulders above the other films in the franchise. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Annabelle Comes Home hits cinemas on June 28, 2019.

India’s ‘Operation Isolation’ and the soft power of sports

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“Our message is stronger than ever. Please stop the fighting. Please stop the killing. Please drop your guns.” Juan Antonio Samaranch, President International Olympic Committee speaking at the Winter Olympics, 1994. The sports arena has often been used in modern-day diplomacy to advocate for peace, but it has also been used to aggravate existing conflict. George Orwell wrote in The Sporting Spirit (1945) that sports is “war, minus the shooting” and has the potential to bring out the worst characteristics of nationalism. How that is controlled, or even amplified, is in the hands of those who hold the political controls.  In the days following the Pulwama incident, tensions once again began to escalate between Pakistan and India. While India’s very first reaction was the imposition of a heavy economic sanction, many of the responses which followed came in the form of sports sanctions, primarily impacting something very close to the hearts of people on both sides: cricket. The fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) became the primary target of the increasing hostility and vitriol. Prominent Indian-owned media companies and broadcasters, including IMG Reliance, D Sports and CricBuzz, terminated their contracts and coverage of the tournament, leading to a virtual PSL blackout in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also came under extraordinary pressure from prominent Indian sporting personalities, media outlets and ordinary citizens, to boycott the upcoming Pakistan-India match at the cricket World Cup (June 2019). https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1097384109200928768 https://twitter.com/MinhazMerchant/status/1099007211689467906 Outside of cricket, other sports have also been effected. It is suggested that Pakistan supplies 90% of the hockey sticks used in India, and would suffer heavily from an increase in customs duty of 200%. As a result, the hockey fraternity in India would have to quickly find new suppliers who could match the demand, as well as replicate the quality from across the border. The Shooting World Cup, which was taking place in New Delhi a week after the attack and was intended to be an Olympic qualifier, also got dragged into the conflict when Pakistani athletes were not granted visas to participate in the tournament. Further economic sanctions would come later, followed by military responses, but it appears that the use of sports sanctions was going to kick start this ‘Operation Isolation’. However, these sanctions did not prove to be effective in isolating Pakistan on the sports field. We saw the PSL replace its distributors almost immediately and have yet another successful edition. Regarding the World Cup, wide coverage of the discussions between the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC) were made public, including copies of the communication between the two bodies. It is clear that the ICC and the organising team of the World Cup do not condone any political battles being played out on the cricket pitch. https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/1098065107693625344 Perhaps the most surprising stance came from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in response to Pakistan’s plea regarding the Shooting World Cup. Not only did the IOC revoke the tournament of its Olympic qualification status for the particular discipline, they further went onto suspend all discussions with the Indian government regarding hosting future sporting events in India. The IOC also recommended that all international federations should refrain from hosting any international sporting events in India until written guarantees are provided assuring participation of all athletes. This may prove to be a landmark ruling from the Olympic governing body, which has traditionally not taken such a publicly strong stance on political matters. This is especially true as the initial plea was only to do with the shooting event. However, India is no doubt going to work to revoke this suspension as quickly as possible, even if it means salvaging its ties with Pakistan. Failure to do so could mean that a number of its hosting rights and bids would be up on the chopping block, including the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup (2020), the Hockey World Cup (2022/2023) and ICC Cricket World Cup (2023), among others. https://twitter.com/mehreenzahra/status/1098830460862558208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1098830460862558208&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogsdesk.tribune.com.pk%2Fapplication%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D80906%26action%3Dedit This of course is not the first time tensions have escalated between the two neighbours, nor is it the first time that the field of play is used for sanctions to be deployed and political statements to be made. India-Pakistan cricket relations have been turbulent ever since they kicked off in 1952. There have been many positive outcomes where both countries have hosted each other on multiple occasions and opened up their borders for citizens to travel in support of their teams. At the same time, boycotts from governing bodies and protests from ordinary citizens have also had the opposite impact on cricket and other sporting ties between the two nations. The Indian cricket tour to Pakistan (2004) is considered as one of the four most prominent acts of sports diplomacy, with the ‘Christmas Truce’ of World War I (1914), where German and British soldiers were said to have held informal sessions of casual football on Christmas day, being number one. Even outside of the subcontinent, sports have always been a feature of international diplomacy, albeit a more subtle one. We have seen countless protests and boycotts when it comes to international sports, such as the Black Power Salute (at the 1968 Olympics), America’s boycott of the 1980 Olympics during the Cold War,  the Soviet Union’s boycott of the 1984 Olympics, and the international sporting boycott of Apartheid South Africa. However, it would not have been difficult to foresee the potential for sports to have these impacts when the Olympic movement was first initiated. After all, it was developed on the sole idea of using sports to encourage and improve peace among the warring kingdoms in Ancient Greece. The way international sports are conducted and covered today, indicates their potential and ability to bridge gaps between nations. With massive potential to be used as a catalyst in international diplomacy and break barriers, the power of sports can only be as strong as the will and commitment of our global leaders. In an era where hard power is frowned upon by the international community, governments are increasingly inclined to use alternative modes of diplomacy, sports included, to achieve their political goals and shape their international image. If we, the people, can understand the relationship between the two, then we can also influence its impact. This isn’t the first time sports have been used to convey and act upon undertones of conflict and hate, and it unfortunately won’t be the last. For now, we can be aware of how these actions relating to the field of play can be used to condition or influence certain emotions within us, and also pray that our leaders use the pitches and courts to help us come together, rather than to push us apart.

When khudkushi became her only freedom

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The sky was a pool of black ink, dusted with stars at midnight. Arsh looked out from the window — she saw many little streets sprawled out below. She had only known these streets from inside the walls of her room. She had never walked on them. She had never been under the open sky. She looked at these streets longingly. To her, these streets and everything else of the outside world was a distant dream. Arsh was thinking about him. He came again tonight. Her caramel skin flushed bright pink as he folded her into his arms. Her heart fluttered as his fingertips grazed her bare skin. She had never felt so close to a man before. Over the years, many men held her, touched her, felt her — but he was different from all the others. She fell in love with him. She waited for him each night. She longed for him, as any lover would. On the nights he didn’t come, she was restless. She waited for him till she saw him next, till he told her how beautiful she was. As she stood by the window and watched darkness engulf the sky, she decided she’d tell him what she felt for him. Maybe he’d take her away somewhere far. Maybe he’d relieve her of this life. Overhead, a star blinked in the dark sky, as if telling her it was time. The morning sun filled the brothel. It was bright inside. Arsh slipped into plain white clothes and went downstairs. The morning is always bright. It’s the night that’s dark. It’s always the night that’s dark.  “Arsh!” Farnaz called, with a cigarette clenched in the corner of her mouth. “You look happy! I’ve never seen a bigger smile on your face.” “I’m going away,” Arsh said in low voice, so that nobody else could hear. Farnaz laughed. But then her eyes were suddenly wide with concern, and her skin shone pale under the gleam of sunlight. “You know you can’t go away,” Farnaz said quietly. Arsh smiled in reply and bustled away. The rest of the day, she was tangled in her thoughts. She didn’t even know his name but she knew he was the one who’d save her. The world glittered with promise. “Take me away!” Arsh whispered into his ear. There was a steely glint in his eyes. “Please take me away!” Arsh’s voice crackled at the edges. He slapped her so hard her teeth rattled. “You’re a whore,” he spat. Arsh swallowed everything else that she had to say. The words dried up in her throat. It was near dawn but Arsh was wide awake. She looked into the mirror, her dark eyes sunken in an ashen face, stared back at her. Her lips were stained in a dark, blood-like red. Her hair, black and velvety like the sky at midnight, carelessly tumbled down her back. Her angarkha, heavily embroidered in gold and silver threads, danced around her when she moved. 'A whore,' she thought. She felt sparks of resentment cascading in her as she looked at herself. She felt angry. But then her anger melted and she started crying. And as a tear caught in her lip, she realised her lipstick was smudged at the corners. His words filled her head. They were sharp, piercing—they cut through her like knives. Even after he left, the word ‘whore’ twisted inside her. It crushed her. It tinted her entire existence. It was a small word but it encompassed a bitter world — a whore’s world. Arsh had endured years of abuse. There were different men in her bed each night. They treated her like an object. They used her and then discarded her. She was perceived as an unthinking, unfeeling being. Her existence only sparkled in the dark hours of the night. They forgot she was human too. She looked at the faded sky from the window. She spread out her hand towards the sky, trying to reach for it. It was close but far away. Maybe just like the man who she thought would save her. Khudkushi (suicide). The word echoed against the big, bare walls of the brothel. Its weight settled on all women who lived inside. It grew heavier and heavier, thicker and thicker, folding them in, needling them all over. It hung in the air, sharp and poisonous. 'Khudkushi,' they murmured in small voices, afraid not to say it out too loud. They didn’t want anyone else to hear. A silence spread in the brothel, full of fear and anticipation. It was suddenly dark inside, and empty despite the people. Outside, the day shifted from morning to night. And the air smelled of earth and ash and rain. And faintly of death. Arsh took away her life. She cut her wrists and bled to death. For her, death wasn’t just an end—it held meaning. It meant freedom. It meant floating somewhere far, untethered. It meant relief from a corseted existence. Khudkushi became Arsh’s freedom. She finally fled from a life she did not want to live.

Iran and Iraq may not be tourist hot spots, but they offer a spiritual journey like no place else

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I was recently invited to a trip to Iran and Iraq by a group of close friends from Lahore, and as I had never been to these states before, I decided to take the opportunity to visit the shrines frequented mostly by Shia pilgrims. After all, how else was I going to be able to travel through war-torn Iraq (where the Islamic State has only recently been defeated) and gain access to the heavily sanctioned country of Iran? Mesopotamia – the cradle of civilisation and home to many Imams of the Islamic world – has been off-limits to most ordinary tourists since the days of Saddam Hussein. We took off from Lahore and a few hours later found ourselves landing in Baghdad, the famed city of The Arabian Nights. The airport was small and run-down, and we had to wait for at least two to three hours for our group visa to be cleared. We waited patiently and entered Baghdad at dusk; there were palm trees galore and the roads were smooth enough. Our excitement was mounting as we headed straight for the illuminating shrine of Ghous Pak (Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani). We paid our respects at the beautifully lit white shrine, ate the delicious langar (communal meal) of rice and chicken (provided by a Pakistani family from Faisalabad) and then headed to our hotel. We felt more than welcomed to a city founded on the west bank of the Tigris in 762AD by the Abbasid dynasty. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The beautifully illuminated shrine of Ghous Pak[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The door to his shrine[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="419"] His final resting place[/caption] We stayed at Hotel Palestine, which is located near the ancient Tigris River, with a colourful history of its own; it was a favourite among foreign journalists during the Gulf wars and had been shelled! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] View of the Tigris River from Hotel Palestine[/caption] There are roadblocks all over Iraq and paramilitary forces with armoured vehicles can be seen on all major roundabouts. The receptionist at our hotel smiled and clapped joyfully when she discovered we were Pakistani and gave us comfortable rooms (our recent military standoff seems to have made them happy). Baghdad looks like it is stuck in an 80's time warp – the buildings all seem to be from that era. However, most of the debris from the bombed-out infrastructure has been removed. We found it to be a bustling city with crowded restaurants and bad traffic jams. We crossed the Tigris River many times, the last one being to visit the shrine of Persian mystic Mansur al Hallaj. He is known for his saying, “I am the Truth”, which many saw as a claim to divinity resulting in his execution, while others saw it as an instance of annihilation of the ego. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The tomb of the Persian mystic[/caption] We also visited the burial place of Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi school of Sunni jurisprudence. However, the highlight of our Baghdad stay was the visit to the north of the city to Kazmain, where Imams Musa al Kazim (AS) and Muhammad al Jawad (AS), both direct descendants of the Prophet (PBUH), are buried. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Outside the Ziyarat of the Kazmain Imams in Baghdad[/caption] This is a world famous shrine and one of the most important mosques in the Islamic world, with a huge gilded dome and four minarets rising above its courtyard, all covered with gold, Kufic inscriptions. There are canopied balconies, mirror mosaics, glazed tiles, and endless floors of marble. The final resting places of all the Imams buried in Iraq, we were to discover, were equally awe-inspiring. The shrine was very crowded during our visit and there was a long walk to it as it has been bombed in the past, which is why the nearby streets had been cordoned off. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Armoured vehicles and soldiers guarding shrines are a common sight in Baghdad[/caption] The other highlight of our Baghdad visit was to the 2,000-year-old Persian monument Taq Kasra, or Arch of Ctesiphon, the world’s largest brick vault. Somehow it has survived all the recent wars and is truly a sight to see, given its immense scale and elegance. Taq Kasra is located near the shrine of Salman al Farsi (RA), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the first Persian to convert to Islam. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Taq Kasra[/caption] On our last day in Baghdad, we headed to the ancient town of Samarra to visit the 10th and 11th Imams, Ali al Hadi (AS) and his son Hasan al Askari (AS). Both are buried in a heavily-guarded shrine, which has been bombed twice in recent years and had to be rebuilt. Adjacent to the mosque is another domed building built over the cistern where the 12th Imam, Muhammad al Mahdi (AS), disappeared; hence the title of the Mahdi, the Hidden Imam. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The last place Imam Mahdi was seen[/caption] We were sorry to leave Baghdad – there was much to see and such little time – but we had to move on to Karbala, where rain greeted us. Powerful energy emanates from this city, the burial place of Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), near the place where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. Within the shrine of Imam Hussain (RA), we found the mass grave of all 72 martyrs of Karbala who fought and died alongside him, despite the heavy odds they faced. We soon joined the thousands of people jostling to enter the Ziyarat. Opposite is the shrine of his brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS), who was also martyred during the Battle of Karbala by Yazid’s men while bringing some water from the Euphrates River for the Prophet’s (PBUH) family. There is a lovely walkway lined with palm trees between the two shrines, and we often went there to sit and pray as our hotel was nearby. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hazrat Abbas (AS) shrine glistening as the sun sets in Karbala with the walkway in front[/caption] Our next stop was Najaf, and luckily our hotel was located right next to my favourite Ziyarat: Imam Ali’s (RA) resplendent shrine. He is considered the father of Sufism, as almost all Sufi orders claim their descent from him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Imam Ali's (RA) shrine in Najaf[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The entrance to the shrine[/caption] After visiting his peaceful shrine, we went to Kufa to see the great mosque, one of the oldest in the world, where Hazrat Ali (RA) was struck by a poisoned sword and passed away after two days. We visited his simple but elegant house next to the mosque (thankfully preserved by the Iraqi government) where his body was washed before being buried in secret. Imam Ali (RA) had earlier dug a well in his house and even today one can drink its healing waters. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The Great Mosque of Kufa[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The house in Kufa has been preserved by the Iraqi government[/caption] Our final stop was the city of Mashad in Iran, home of the eighth Imam, Hazrat Ali Reza (AS), whose shrine is really the heart of the city – all roads lead to his Ziyarat! We took a short flight from Najaf to Mashad, which is the second most populous city in Iran. Mashad means the place of martyrdom; Imam Reza (AS) was poisoned by Caliph al Ma’mun. A fact I learned during my journey is that none of the Imams lived to an old age – all were poisoned or assassinated. Imam Reza’s (AS) ornate shrine is enormous, with its many courtyards and mosques, and is considered the Vatican of Iran, run in an efficient and orderly manner. It is also gorgeous, with its Persian carpets and crystal chandeliers galore. We were lucky enough to eat from the shrine’s famous langar and enjoyed the Imam’s hospitality! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The underground crypt where people can pray and meditate[/caption] Mashad is a clean, modern city, and feels like it could be anywhere in Europe, except all the women wear long black chadors. Before we knew it, our visit was over, and tired but rejuvenated we found ourselves on the plane back to Lahore. There were so many memories to treasure and so many adventures to retell. Iraq is slowly recovering from war and getting back on its feet, and I would recommend everyone to go visit this fascinating country alongside Iran, regardless of your religious beliefs. As we were told wherever we went, “Ziyarat qubool.” (May your pilgrimage be accepted) (All photos by author)

Rawalpindi: A chaotic labyrinth, caught between heritage and heresy

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In the post-modern world, the topography of the city has undergone a drastic shift. Rapid urbanisation and growing job opportunities have resulted in many cities in the developing world being swamped by an increasing number of people coming in from the villages and suburbs. In order to accommodate this burgeoning populace, the intrinsic structure of the modern metropolis has had to evolve. Countries such as India and Pakistan have had to grapple with the dual ambitions of wanting to urbanise their cities while also wanting to hold onto their rich architectural heritage. The complex history of a multi-ethnic country such as Pakistan has been razed to the ground in order to erect soulless towers to replace the colonial monuments which have served as a reminder of our turbulent past. [caption id="attachment_81733" align="alignnone" width="600"] Heritage building encroached on by local traders at Jamia masjid road.[/caption] Rawalpindi is an example of a city wrestling with these two seemingly dichotomous aims. On the outskirts of the Rehmanabad Metro station lie some old houses with large verandas and an edifice which is almost reminiscent of the homes in Downtown Abbey. Erected in the early 1960’s, they adorned the city with their marvellous porticos and the locality came to be known as Satellite Town. During the time that Islamabad was being built as the nation’s new capital, Satellite Town functioned as a diplomatic enclave of sorts, with many embassies located there. The Victorian-style houses were thus built to accommodate foreign dignitaries residing in the city. [caption id="attachment_81748" align="alignnone" width="600"] A night view of Jamia Masjid Rawalpindi which was founded in 1905.[/caption] Over the years, however, as Islamabad became the diplomatic hub, Satellite Town found itself shrinking in importance, and the neighbourhood was consumed by a city which was expanding at an unprecedented rate. The old houses of the locality now stand like ghostly relics of the past. [caption id="attachment_81678" align="alignnone" width="452"] Chan bazaar, Rawalpindi.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81734" align="alignnone" width="450"] A view of Raja Bazaar road.[/caption] In a house on Sadiqabad road lives an old engineer who has closed the gates of his house, along with his heart, to the outside world. The resident is Afzaal Ahmad, a man who comes from a distinguished family of army personnel. While looking at his old photographs, Ahmad recounts: “The Rawalpindi I was raised in was a marvel, an image straight from the British calendars. Smooth clean roads, small markets, coffee shops along with a nice book shop (London Books company), low traffic and an orderly crowd.” [caption id="attachment_81736" align="alignnone" width="600"] The main entrance of the Afzaal Ahmad's house.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81737" align="alignnone" width="600"] Old magazine ads from the collection of Afzaal Ahmad.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81745" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rawalpindi's Kashmir Road in the 1960's. From the records of Afzaal Ahmad.[/caption] The markets at the time were quite small and there was only one major road in Saddar at the time, Mall Road, which catered to everyone's needs. Ahmad recalls that the famous road had a hairdresser, a laundry shop and few clothing outlets as well. He adds: “I remember most of my classmates in Station school were British or Anglo-Indians. Anglo-Indians were considered to be the most educated after the British. I still remember this one Anglo-Indian traffic sergeant who used to roam around alone on Murree road. People were so afraid of his discipline that they wouldn’t cross the road until he had gone away.” [caption id="attachment_81738" align="alignnone" width="600"] Backyard of the house.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81743" align="alignnone" width="600"] An old building occupied by partition migrants in Saddar.[/caption] For Ahmad’s generation, and the ones which followed, things took a downward turn after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power. Fearing the consequences of nationalisation and increasing religiosity, many foreigners fled the country. The Anglo-Indians too fell prey to this and many migrated to America and Australia. The resultant vacuum gave rise to a new emerging class of locals who had a different mentality. They were hungry to tear down the old to make way for the new. [caption id="attachment_81744" align="alignnone" width="338"] An old temple in miserable condition in Moti Bazaar.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81749" align="alignnone" width="475"] A name plate outside a house in Dhakki mohallah, Angat Pura.[/caption] Rawalpindi as a city has always had a storied history. Punjab has been ruled by Graeco-Bactrian Kings and later by the Sakas, Iranian nomads, and in 1765 Sardar Gujjar Singh controlled the area which is now called Rawalpindi. The city remained under Sikh rule till 1849 when it was taken over by the British. Hence, this land has had many identities, and one can find linkages to an extraordinary past through the city’s buildings and districts. [caption id="attachment_81679" align="alignnone" width="600"] A view of Moti bazaar, Rawalpindi.[/caption] Despite the removal of the Sikh Raj, the Sikh community remained an integral part of the cultural fabric of Rawalpindi till 1947. Their remnants are still visible in Kartarpura, Angatpura, Arjun Nagar, Mukha Singh state, Old Banni and adjoining areas. The city was predominantly influenced by Rai Bahadur Sujan Singh whose haveli (house) still stands in the old Bhabra Bazaar. Rawalpindi at one point in time was a jewel, a unique blend of both old and new architecture. Over the years, people that have been allotted these vacant properties have damaged them due to sheer negligence, and today these buildings are but a shadowy reflection of their former glory. [caption id="attachment_81739" align="alignnone" width="600"] An old pre-partition haveli in Saidpuri gate trying to save its colors from the wrath of the modern age.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81741" align="alignnone" width="600"] A colonial style balcony on College Road, where famous Indian actor Balraj Sahini grew up.[/caption] Rawalpindi today is a chaotic labyrinth. Building laws and municipal regulations are virtually non-existent. Politicians and profit-driven land owners have given local municipal authorities the approval to demolish heritage buildings and sites. Commercialisation has trumped heritage. Heretics have squashed history. Rawalpindi still has the potential to become the epicentre of regional heritage, but only if preservation work is begun immediately. Today, the view from the metro bus offers a gloomy look at a frenzied skyline onto a city which does not know what it wants to be because it has forgotten what it once was. (All photos by author)

Raw and poignant, A Place for Us beautifully sheds light on familial love

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It had been some time since I cried while reading a book. And A Place for Us changed that. Fatima Farheen Mirza’s dazzling debut novel tells the story of a South Asian Muslim family living in America. The family members find themselves torn between discovering their individual selves, while also grappling with their respective roles within the family. As a result of living in a deeply polarised American society, the characters in the novel are in a constant battle with themselves, their family and the world around them, each looking to find relevance, liberty and peace. Interestingly, one of the main talking points with regards to this book has been Sarah Jessica Parker's involvement in its publication. The Sexy and the City star chose Mirza’s novel as the first book to be published under the Parker imprint for Hogarth publications. A Place for Us begins at the wedding celebrations for the family’s eldest daughter, Hadia, in California. The occasion, however, is made all the more special due to the youngest child and only son, Amar, coming back home after having fled three years ago. The story thus revolves around the circumstances which led to Amar’s estrangement from the family and the narrative is interspersed with memories from the parents, Rafiq and Layla, and their children, Hadia, Huda and Amar. What I found particularly inventive about the narrative was how the story unfolds through the point of view of a host of different characters, with the same memory often being shown through different perspectives. We are thus able to see how the same moment impacted each member of the family in a wholly unique manner. Mirza beautifully brings to light the nature of familial love, which can be limitless and unwavering, but also envious and petty. The depiction often seems like that of a typical diaspora family, with parents trying desperately to instil both Muslim and South Asian values in their children and encouraging them to speak their native language at home. The author explores the subtle dynamics of the household, from the siblings safeguarding each other’s secrets, to the family following Islamic rituals and customs like fasting in the month of Ramazan and observing Muharram. But that’s just the feel-good part of the book. What is heart-wrenching, poignant, and particularly relevant for our part of the world is how Mirza explores the pressure parents tend to put on their children. South Asian parents often have their own expectations from their children, insisting that they must be obedient, unquestioning Muslims and top performing students who go on to become either doctors, engineers, lawyers or entrepreneurs. The novel attempts to illuminate how pitting children against one another, failing to acknowledge past mistakes and the inability to express love can tear a family apart. Hence, when Amar leaves, a part of Rafiq and Layla’s souls also leaves. But by then it’s too late to mend their broken ways. Perhaps the saddest thing in the world is to see your child leave you because of your own mistakes. Not feeling at home with your own family is a tragedy, one which Mirza renders beautifully on the page. And so, I cried when the family was torn apart because of secrets, betrayals, and the smallest of estrangements which could no longer be brushed under the carpet. The last section of the book, told from Rafiq’s perspective, is absolutely devastating. The feelings of an emotionally-reserved father, who falls prey to his own shortcomings, are expressed in a remarkably raw and affecting manner, which is quite an achievement for a debutant writer. Mirza has done a truly commendable job at penning down the story of a family over decades, and it is no surprise that her novel has received great critical acclaim. The recurrent themes of children trying to find their own identity and parents trying to protect and understand their children resonate at a deep level. After this stellar debut, one hopes that Mirza is able to pack the same amount of authenticity into her next novel, one which I am eagerly awaiting.

Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini: A father’s lament of the barbarity we call human beings

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“My dear Marwan, I look at your profile, In the glow of this three-quarter moon, my boy, Your eyelashes like calligraphy, Closed in guileless sleep. I said to you, ‘Hold my hand. Nothing bad will happen’.” These are a few verses from the context of Sea Prayer, the fourth book by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini is a well-known author of three books, including the international bestseller The Kite Runner, and is the Goodwill Ambassador to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Sea Prayer is a 40-page book, or rather, a free verse poem beautifully complemented by Dan Williams’ illustrations. It can best be described as a small prayer to the sea by a helpless father on a moonlit beach, who is going to cross the Mediterranean with his child as soon as dawn arises but in less than ideal circumstances. The story begins with the remembrance of the happy days spent by the father in Homs, Syria when the city was at peace, with its bustling and crowded lanes and streets. Of a time when the stirring of the olive trees and clanking of pots used to awaken him, and when this city of western Syria was not dismantled by bombs, starvation and death. The father wishes for his son to remember some of the more pleasant memories of Homs. The story has been inspired by the three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up by the sea on the shore of Mediterranean Sea in 2015 as he fled the Syrian War. While talking in an interview, Hosseini became teary-eyed even as he remembered seeing the photograph of Kurdi. “I was gutted,” he says. “I tried to imagine, as a father, what it must be like to see viral photographs of your deceased three-year-old lying face down on the sand at the water’s edge and being lifted into the arms of a stranger.” He also stated, “I hope that this book Sea Prayer is a small tribute not only to his (Kurdi’s) family, but also, on a broader level, I hope it highlights the unthinkable despair that thousands of other ordinary people face every day to abandon home and community and take a chance on this brutal and often lethal journey across the sea.” Hosseini thus pays tribute to Kurdi’s family through his Sea Prayer, while portraying the tragic and wretched condition of millions of refugees all over the world with help of Williams’ illustrations. The beautiful memories of Homs are like a dream now, not only for the son but also for the father. Protests followed by the atmosphere of fear and beleaguerment, the black skies showering bombs and bullets instead of rain, and the sight of living bodies buried under devastated buildings is all that remains in their memories of Homs. In Sea Prayer, Hosseini not only points out the way in which the war imposed by mighty powers upon Syria has destroyed the childhood of millions of innocent kids, but also highlights the emergency and the growing crisis of refugees being forced to leave their homes and approach smugglers in search of safe shelters which are in actuality not safe at all. A heartrending letter from a father to his son provokes in us the thought of the thousands of refugees who risk their lives on the threshold of death every year just in search of shelter, while many of them simply perish at sea without leaving anything behind. Every night they sleep among the remains of human flesh burnt by explosive bombs, with their own bodies stained by blood, dreaming of a better future – a hope for a safe shelter, a desire for a home. Carrying their misfortunes, they are longing for acceptance and searching for a place where they are welcomed. But no one cares. Not even the sea. The sea is deep. It is vast. A large swarm of unwelcomed and unasked bodies of flesh are waiting impatiently at the cold beach for the sun to rise. The father sees his son, his only precious cargo, and tries to console his sleeping being with his words, while praying that the sea knows his worth. It kills him every time he thinks of the depth and vastness of the sea and the helplessness of his own self. At this instant, the mother’s voice comes up: “Oh but if they saw, my darling. Even half of what you have. If they only saw. They would say kinder things, surely.” The book will make tears fall out of your eyes silently as the deep ocean engulfs the bodies of thousands of refugees fleeing war and persecution. Some pages are without any words, and here the illustrations speak more powerfully than words ever could. Quietly, they will make your heart wail in silence due to the barbarity of what we call human beings. Humans, the greatest creation ever to be created, that cannot even feel the pain of its fellow beings. Every word, every illustration in this book will leave a deep mark on your heart. The demonstration of the transformation of a peaceful, crowded and bustling Homs into the city of death; no one could have written this better than Hosseini. No words could carve out such an impression on a heart other than his own. This book deserved to be written purely, with a heart that could feel the pain and emotions of thousands of homeless Syrians, Afghans, Somalis and Iraqis. Then who would be better than Hosseini to write it? After all, no one could feel the pain of a refugee better than a refugee himself. As he stated, “If I was a father on a moonlit beach about to take one of these journeys, you can bet that I would... say one of these prayers too.” Sea Prayer is about questioning your own self: what would you have done if you had to abandon your home and cross a deep sea on a cold night? How would you have reacted if you had lost your loved ones in the same sea? Imagine them dead. Imagine their fates being ended as a feast for the sea. Imagine the struggle of their last breaths before they were taken forever. Imagine them being washed up by the sea at the shore itself. How would you have felt? Imagine how a father would have felt to see his three-year-old like this? Hosseini leaves the grave questions for the mighty powers of the world to ponder through his short work of fiction!

Is Pakistan’s N-CPEC+ vision finally beginning to take shape?

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Pakistan’s unique geostrategic location at the crossroads of East, South, West, and Central Asia enables it to function as the “Zipper of Eurasia”, as I wrote over half a decade ago in September 2015 for the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies. I built upon this observation in March 2019 to declare that the creative leveraging of the unprecedented trans-regional connectivity potential offered by CPEC enables Pakistan to become the Global Pivot State. This ambitious vision is finally beginning to take shape after Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Uzbekistani Minister of Transport agreed to pursue a trans-Afghan railway line on Wednesday. I previously proposed such a corridor in my April 2019 debut analysis for CGTN about how “CPEC+ Is The Key To Achieving Regional Integration Goals”, which described the northern branch of CPEC through Afghanistan into Central Asia as N-CPEC+ (“N” referring to North). Eventually, this corridor could expand as far northwards as Russia to create a new North-South integration axis across Eurasia which aligns with President Putin’s vision for the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) like I explained in an academic article that I co-authored over the summer that was republished by the prestigious Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC). As Pakistan begins to take on a more prominent role in trans-Eurasian integration processes, its strategic importance to both China and Russia will continue to rise. Both Great Powers have a shared interest in the South Asian state fulfilling its destiny to unite the supercontinent through CPEC+. It’s only through this connectivity paradigm that a true Convergence of Civilisations can occur, like I explained in an analysis for CGTN in May 2019. The outcome of Eurasia’s diverse civilisations cooperating on trade and other forms of integration could powerfully discredit Huntington’s infamous prediction about a coming “Clash of Civilisations”. Russian, Chinese, and Pakistani interests are all directly served through N-CPEC+. Moscow’s regional allies can become more internally stable as their economies grow upon securing access to the global markets that this corridor provides through the Indian Ocean, as could Russia’s resource-rich Siberian region. Beijing, meanwhile, will see its Pakistani-based CPEC investments put to use as a springboard for trans-continental integration processes and could also secure contracts to construct parts of its northern branch expansion as well. As for Islamabad, it would financially benefit by having its ports facilitate Central Asian trade with the wider world. N-CPEC+ is therefore more than just a connectivity corridor, it’s a grand strategic concept for the future of intra-Eurasian relations in the emerging Multipolar World Order. Russia, China, and Pakistan are coming closer together as each country realises that they need the others in order to fulfill their shared vision of stability in the supercontinent. In fact, continued movement in this direction might even lead to the creation of a new multipolar trilateral between them to replace the stalled one between Russia-India-China (RIC). The end result could be that a Golden Ring rises between them, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan in the Heartland of Eurasia. To be clear, this won’t happen overnight, but the progress that was just made on agreeing to the Peshawar-Kabul-Mazar-e-Sharif trans-Afghan railway shows that the political will is certainly present to take this vision to its ultimate conclusion with time. Some formidable obstacles still remain, however, such as the unresolved conflict in Afghanistan and the efforts of external powers like India to sabotage this vision. There are also obvious questions of financing and other issues related to project implementation, as well as identifying which companies in the region and beyond are most eager to immediately tap into this project upon its completion. Nevertheless, there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic, especially since it’s becoming undeniable that Russia and China both appreciate the strategic significance of Pakistan’s N-CPEC+ initiative to their GEP and Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) respectively. In fact, as GEP and BRI continue to synergise their connectivity capabilities, their patron states are realising that N-CPEC+ is indispensable to the success of their joint vision for the supercontinent. This understanding is accelerating trilateral integration between them and therefore leading to one of the most exciting geopolitical developments of the 21st century thus far.

Malir’s produce basket is becoming empty

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Karachi, a port city situation on the shores of the Arabian Sea, was once famous for its pleasant weather and healthy atmosphere. Vegetation in the city could be found in abundance in areas like Malir, where lush farmland produced healthy crops, and green cover breathed life into the city. Malir was once known as the fruit and vegetable basket of Karachi, but its reputation is slowly getting snuffed out by illegal sand and gravel mining, the construction of housing schemes on agricultural lands, and the disposal of human and animal waste from nearby localities and cattle pens. Farmers are watching their fertile land turn barren, losing their livelihoods to unregulated industries that are ruining environments in the area. “The taste of water and vegetables grown in Malir was God gifted but we destroyed it,” said seventy-year-old Muhammad Siddique, a settler and landowner in Memon Goth, a neighborhood in Malir district. He said sand and gravel mining is decreasing ground water supplies and destroying crops all around him, leaving residents of Malir with no option but to purchase vegetables and fruits from the market. Siddique said fruits like guavas, which were famous if grown in Malir, can no longer survive, adding that guavas being sold in markets that are advertised as being from the area are from other places. Farmers in the area used to be able to access water by digging shallow wells but now they can’t access such water without boring down 150 feet, he said. “How can we grow [a] variety of vegetables and fruits in the absence of ground water?” The destruction of agricultural land in Malir is not only hurting farmers but contributing to a larger problem of food insecurity across Pakistan, fueled by high food and fuel prices, drought, and livestock diseases. According to a 2022 Global Report on Food Crises from The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an initiative for improving food insecurity, 4.66 million people in Pakistan faced acute insecurity during the period between October 2021 and April 2022. Pakistan’s food insecurity has only worsened over the years due to extreme weather, economic fluctuations and other factors exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Inflation and shrinking incomes have left many Pakistanis unable to afford their next meal. Even some of those who aren’t facing acute food insecurity are undernourished because they can’t afford the cost of more nutritious meals. Meanwhile, space for farming in Pakistan continues to shrink because of pollution and overdevelopment, which is making professions in agriculture far less lucrative. Pakistan has always been an agriculture economy but urban sprawl is consistently turning farmland into residential and commercial areas. In those areas, potential pollutants multiply. Around Malir,. Nevertheless, the effects of this pollution on the agricultural environment in the area are felt.   In a field under the scorching sun, Zulekha Bibi picks eggplant, for which she earns Rs 150 per day. “Industrial waste and sand mining destroyed crops and our livelihood,” Bibi said. “[Before] we earned Rs 200 to 300 per day but [during] this period of inflation, we are [just] trying to provide a meal at least one in 24 hours for our children.” Other women and children working in the field with Bibi share similar struggles. They say they’re unable to earn money by doing other types of work because they’ve only ever worked in agriculture. Experts say the destruction of Malir’s agricultural lands can be attributed to a variety of factors beyond sand and gravel mining. In some cases, they say locals have also played a role in the degradation. Growers often sell off their land for large sums, which incentivizes developers to look for land in agricultural areas, said Rafiul Haq, a Karachi- based Senior Ecologist and Member of the IUCN-Commission on Ecosystem Management. Farms used to be spread over more than 10 acres and each farm would have its own well, Haq said. But as farmers sold their land, the number of wells increased to cater to the water needs of the growing population in the area. “[A] ban on construction is not the solution of the problem,” he said. “The authorities must make sure that under-construction buildings in Malir should not exceed their limits [for mandatory green space].” Rather than growing only trees, he said people in the area should grow a variety of herbs, shrubs and trees to increase the biodiversity in the area and provide oxygen. With very little green cover remaining in Karachi, residents have no protection from the harsh sun and scalding heat, increasing steadily with climate change. Government departments are working on damage control to reduce the threat of food insecurity and help the local community maintain its livelihood. The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) encourages local farmers to change the kinds of crops they are growing to adapt to the changes in groundwater supply. “For the improvement of food chain and biodiversity, adaptation of environment friendly techniques [are the] need of the hour,” a SEPA official told The Express Tribune. “Crops which need less water should be grown in Malir because it would be more feasible due to lower underground water level[s] in the areas. It ultimately helps to improve food chain and eco system overall.” SEPA said it has drafted a climate change policy that aims to restore the environment in Malir. Once approved, SEPA will advise and carry out consultations with other departments to figure out how to mitigate the damages that have already been done to the ecosystems in this area. Meanwhile, aggressive planting in Malir could provide some respite to the densely populated city as heat waves, flooding and climate change will present risks for years to come.   Asifa Idrees is a freelance writer. All information and facts provided are the sole responsibility of the writer. Asifa tweets at @asifaidris.

Experts stress need for raising ‘harm reduction’ awareness

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'Harm reduction' can be employed as a key strategy by people, organisations and governments when quick and complete mitigation of the dangers associated with specific behaviours or activities is not practical. The Express Media Group and Entrepreneurship and Youth Development Society have come together to hold a series of webinars to raise awareness and increase knowledge on the subject and help people understand the severity of the issue. The first webinar of the series was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube channels of the Express Media Group. It was hosted by Sidra Iqbal and panellists included Dr Ayesha Mian, founder and CEO of Synapse; Shaista Ayesha, CEO and Director, Seed Ventures; and Favad Soomro, Head of Engro Foundation. In the 35-minute-long discussion, Sidra touched on several aspects of the harm-causing elements that are around us – the recent example of which is catastrophic floods and climate change. “Although the idea of harm reduction is typically connected to drug use, if we pay serious attention, we will notice how widely it is used and how much it is a part of our daily lives.” “Harm reduction in action can be seen in everything from wearing seatbelts to putting on sunscreen,” she added. “Fundamentally, harm reduction refers to approaching any issue with the intention of coming up with a solution that achieves the best results while causing the least amount of harm. Answering Iqbal about how certain behaviours have changed over the past two decades such as the usage of plastic bags, Ayesha said that people have started having a very reactive approach and don’t take responsibility for the harm caused by us even as an individual, society, community or at a system level. Also read: Harm reduction project: AIDS control programme launched Shedding some light on how businesses are shaped and how markets have changed over time and whether there is any pressure as to how harm is caused by businesses either knowingly or unknowingly to the surroundings, Soomro said that the evolution of businesses has been focused on the products keeping in view the environment and social responsibility and with time behaviours have changed by everyone and due to those businesses can’t remain oblivious to the harm they cause. Also, businesses have been under pressure from investors to consumers to be more responsible for the harm that the market has been causing. Talking to Dr Mian, Iqbal brought in an aspect on an individual level as to how certain behaviours can harm the mental and physical health of people and why the paradigm has actually shifted. Dr Mian added that humans are ignoring the fact that they will get affected directly. For example, as a community, we have really gone from living in communities to nuclear families, and perspectives have changed in the last 100 years and now people only worry until they don’t get affected on a personal level.
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