The Express Tribune

To ask a Pakistani actor to go back to his country when there has allegedly been a terrorist attack on Indian soil by Pakistanis, is both stupid and understandable. The citizens ask for quick retaliation and, as always, people in the world of arts, culture and film are the softest targets. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), sensing the public pulse, cashed in on the anger and gave Pakistani actors and artists a 48-hour ultimatum to leave India. And mind you, a lot of Indians are irate with the presence of the Pakistani artists in India. That does not make them right or wrong, but that is true. The question is why. On the other hand, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan has a huge fan following among women. Unlike Indian men, Indian women are not that gung-ho about sending the Kapoor & Sons star back home. Are Indian women less patriotic? Nobody knows, nobody is inside their head. The MNS has threatened Karan Johar that the party will halt the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which stars Fawad Khan. If one goes through the comments section of news posts regarding Pakistani actors versus MNS fracas, you will find that it is mostly men who are clamouring for the actor to move out. Why so? Actually, Indian men hate Fawad Khan for the same reason they hate Shoaib Malik. How dare this Pakistani man enter the hearts (and homes) of our Indian girls? Well, he did. There is no going back from that. Fawad was destined to become a star in the subcontinent. He did not enter India with ‘I’m Karan Johar’s boy’ plastered on his forehead. He came to India with the hit Pakistani TV show Zindagi Gulzar Hai (ZGH) on Zindagi channel. Suddenly, Indian housewives, tired with the saas-bahu-kavach-daayan nonsense, were watching a sombre, polite TV serial about what appeared to be ‘real people’. And in the middle of it was a very handsome, accessible man who behaved like a normal human being, unlike the ordinary-looking, ordinary male actors one would find in Indian TV shows. Zindagi Gulzar Hai ran for only 25 episodes. By that time, Indian women had found their drug. But their Fawad-fix was not satiated. So Zindagi offered Fawad in measured doses. After ZGH ended, the channel ran the promo of Fawad’s telefilm Behadd on loop, teasing the audience and gauging their response. Then, as Khoobsurat (Fawad’s Bollywood debut) was about to release, the channel started airing the promos of Fawad’s highly popular show Humsafar. So, in a way, Fawad Khan has been in the Indian woman’s heart for a long, long time. Indian women have a lot more at stake, emotionally and sentimentally, in Fawad Khan. Indian men look at this sudden anomaly as a threat. And indeed, his uniqueness and exoticness was furthered propelled by the kind of roles he did in Bollywood. In Khoobsurat, Fawad played a Rajasthani prince, a distant, inaccessible, hard-to-reach and hard-to-get man. In that film, neither did he dance nor did he stalk the heroine. He did not get naked and bare his entire torso. He was dignified, stoic, spartan, the ultimate ‘Complete Man’ Raymond suiting and shirting could get. And, well, Indian girls had found their new crush, so very different from the chhichhoda (cheap) heroes they had been subjected to for years, and Indian moms found their template for the perfect son-in-law. Fawad’s next film Kapoor & Sons had him play a gay man. Again, he got the ‘mature guy’ role as opposed to his co-star Sidharth Malhotra who had to shake a leg to Badshah’s song. Most importantly, his gay character was not an effeminate stereotype. He appeared ‘human’. This ‘humanness’ has been the key to Fawad’s popularity. He is both accessible and inaccessible (he is from across the border, guys). The Indian man cannot understand this. So, either he tries to ignore him. Or hate him. And what better opportunity than a Pak attack for these men to publicly outrage against Fawad? Or, perhaps, there is more to it. It is indeed a fact that Fawad has still not publicly condemned the Uri attacks. This is truly unlike him, as he did express grievance during the November 2015 Paris attacks on Twitter. So did the Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar and VJ-turned-actor Mahira Khan who will soon be seen in Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees. Mahira went on to criticise the Orlando club shooting as well. But, somehow, when there has been a terrorist attack in India, the country that has given them stardom, fame, and money beyond what Pakistan could possibly give, they are strangely silent. And this has not gone down well with ‘patriotic Indians’, both the polite kind and the kind to vilify any secular commentator on social media as a ‘Porkistani’ who needs to be deported. In all likelihood, neither Fawad nor Mahira or Ali Zafar will be sent back to Pakistan. Money is more important than religion or nationality in India, and when crores are at stake, power players will ensure that nothing as absurd as Fawad’s expulsion happens. Be that as it may, the question remains: After all this, will Indian men ever warm up to Fawad Khan? Will Indian men ever cosy up to him as they have to, say a Ranveer or a Varun? Time will tell. This post originally appeared on IndiaToday.in.

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Thank God for Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, their powers are unlimited! Now that they are back in Pakistan, India is safe and the Indian actors whose jobs they took or whose films (see Ajay Devgn) might have flopped because of their magical presence in side roles or extended cameos are even safer. However, don’t underestimate the power these two extraordinary individuals possess, one tweet from them, one line on Facebook, or just a simple press release and the entire Kashmir issue would be resolved. It is just amazing how selfish they are by holding back, when a little effort on their part would fix a problem that generations of politicians, wars, blood and treasure have not been able to resolve. After facing a barrage of hostility from a war mongering, hyper-nationalistic Indian press for the crime of being Pakistani, they are now getting a drubbing from the arm chair patriots at home. Instead of supporting our own artists, a lot of Pakistani’s are acting like extras from a surreal adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Just as the actors’ silence was taken as a sign of complicity, now their short, carefully worded statements are being parsed and forensically analysed for signs of treachery and opportunism. “Why didn’t they specifically mention Kashmir?” is the big question on one side of the border, while the other side is waiting for a mention of the Uri victims. Being a huge drama fan myself, I have no doubt that the minute Asher and Khirad say those words, everything will be okay. Still, there are the cynical (and rational) who think putting pressure on their respective governments and politicians might be a better idea. To those keyboard warriors: your indignation rings hollow and hypocritical. If your empathy is reserved only for those who look like you, share the same religion as you or are on the same side of the border as you, then you have already failed the basic test of humanity. Meanwhile, full time patriot and part time actor Shaan Shahid, is posting about how pro Pakistan he is while shooting a remake of an Indian film, Arth 2. If being “pro Pakistan” means wearing tight black T-shirts and putting fellow actors down, then he has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. No one is asking (quite rightly) Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Saba Qamar, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mawra Hocane, Sajal Ali and Adnan Siddiqui who have all worked (or are working) on Indian projects for their opinion on Kashmir or whether they ‘support’ ( another euphemism for ‘are you patriotic enough?’) the army. Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan should not have to face any of these questions either, both have been exemplary ambassadors for brand Pakistan and have done nothing to deserve such scrutiny. More recently, Afzal, oops I mean Hamza Ali Abbasi weighed in on the topic with a characteristically blunt ‘either you are an Ostrich or you are not an Ostrich – pick a side’ statement. Again, being a huge Pyarey Afzal fan, I agree; moderation is for the weak , and we must all immediately take sides, in a ‘them verses us’ scenario, because it has been so effective in the past. We’ve had three wars – I’m certain the fourth one will do the trick. Taking a cue from Hamza Bhai’s interest in Nazi sympathisers, if we must learn something from actual history (as opposed to random Wikipedia articles), perhaps a word from the horse’s mouth might be in order: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Twitter[/caption] The cherry on the cake has to be Amir Liaqat weighing in. This is a man whose greatest contribution to national security is feeding someone mangoes and giving away lawn suites. Perhaps he has forgotten that there is a difference between starring in a three minute trailer as a soldier and actually being one. But, then again, we get the patriots we deserve. Even more disturbing is Karan Johar’s recent statement of public penance, reminiscent of a badly made hostage video; this maybe the final proof that he should stay away from any attempt at minimalist film noir and stick to opulent Punjabi weddings. His affirmations of patriotism and promises to not work with actors from the ‘neighbouring country’ are a sad climb down from his previous statement about boycotts and bans:

“But this is not a solution. I don’t believe it is. The larger forces have to come together and sort the situation, and this cannot be banning talent or art.”

https://twitter.com/abhijeetsinger/status/782657986061824000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw If only the bullies were so easy to appease. Since this is a new era of movie star diplomacy, perhaps we should ban Ben Affleck or Leonardo di Caprio next time America inadvertently kills the wrong wedding party? In this theatre of the absurd, I fully expect all the nationalists of India to grill Vin Diesel and Tom Cruise about American foreign policy, and prove which side of the LoC they are on vis-à-vis Kashmir. Following this logic, I suppose each time China doesn’t support an Indian initiative, Jackie Chan will pay a heavy price? Meanwhile, it’s obvious from social media that the average Indian continues to quietly watch their favourite Pakistani Dramas on YouTube while a lot of Pakistanis are waiting for the release of Ae Dil e Mushkil. Trade between the nations continues unabated and no one is putting a stop to that because some very powerful interests would lose a lot of money. So, why not pick an easy target instead? Bans on cross-cultural exchange, whether it is Indian movies or Pakistani actors only increase polarisation and isolation allowing us to dehumanise each other from a cold distance, ceding control of the discourse to certain ‘authorised’ patriots only. It is much easier to bomb, maim, and kill people we can categorise as crazy, violent and extreme than friends with whom we can share stories and jokes with. The Kashmiri’s that are blinded by pellet guns, the Kashmiri victims of brutality, the victims of terrorism in India, and the victims of terrorism in Pakistan deserve a lot more than the revenge we are exacting by banning each other’s dramas, movies, and actors. This whole ridiculous debate is taking the focus away from the real issues and those that are really suffering. A study of history will show us that rulers like the Roman Emperors often set up irrelevant but grand spectacles to divert the attention of the masses from the real problems at hand. If I didn’t know any better I would say,

“Yeh toh mummy ka plan tha.” This was mom’s plan.

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I am a closet drama viewer. There I said it. I am even part of a WhatsApp group that discusses and disses with equal panache anything on either side of the border and beyond. I don’t exactly recollect when this love fest started, perhaps it was as a child in my hometown Jalandhar in Punjab where we would excitedly catch an erratic signal from across the border telecasting the black and white drama Sona Chandi or maybe the reception was so blurry that we couldn’t really tell any colours! Then came ‘Tanhaiyan’ followed soon after by the iconic ‘Dhoop Kinare’, which we watched repeatedly on borrowed DVDs. In fact, recently, there was an abysmal attempt to imitate the latter in an Indian version but there can only be one Marina Khan. No one comes close to that bubbly flawless persona. Back home, we got distracted as one after the other the Khan men came jumping from behind the trees and charmed us with the enticing option of watching them on the big screen at the cinema. But Shah Rukh Khan flailing his arms towards the sky can be romantic only just that many times, Salman Khan’s action increasingly became more in real than real life and Aamir Khan got busy searching for the perfect role rather than starring in one. Somewhere in the back of our minds we heard of saas-bahu’s taking over daily prime time but while the majority of the country fell for it hook, line and ‘bindi’ some of us remained in denial. Then like a breath of fresh air another Khan entered our make believe world. Fawad Khan made us watch ‘Humsafar’ and ‘Zindagi Gulzar hai’ back to back on loop and after years we bought a DVD just so we could watch the film ‘Khuda Ke Liye’. Soon came the handsome boy of Humsafar who won a wife but failed the trust test became an even bigger heartthrob in our part of the sub-continent. The plot took a backseat. But alas, every story must end and every actor in the sub-continent must head to Bollywood. As consolation we were told, ‘don’t worry there are many Fawads in our country’. Our excitement was short-lived, now we have neither the movies nor the dramas. The one channel that legally broadcast Pakistani dramas has now switched to Korean! By now even with the best of intentions we had given up on our dramas. Unlike Pakistani shows which are finite series, the Indian ones can go on for years where even the actors forget what the original storyline was. In one such serial the lead actress must be applauded for holding on, the character opposite her was played by four different actors. The story usually is more pain than twist, the sound effects even over a family dinner feel surreal, like eating a sit down dinner in a war zone and the clothes, well even today women are dressed in their wedding finery slogging over an ancient kitchen stove. That’s the other thing we liked about Pakistani dramas. If the actor was middle class, he lived in the by-lanes with exposed electricity wires surrounding him unlike here in India where even the poorest character cooks in a fancy open kitchen with coloured walls. If the hero was meant to have a bad day, it showed in the way his or her hair or clothes were in disarray. In other words, not contrived. But in recent times, the x-factor that kept us hooked to Pakistani dramas seems to have gone missing. The last series that I tried watching, I left it mid-way after realising every episode was more of the same anger and angst and not very different from some of the Indian shows where the story doesn’t move but the plot is lost. Initially the tragedy of Humsafar was profound but now increasingly several stories seem morose and depressing. Why does every second drama have a cancer patient or a storyline where nothing moves until someone has died? Plots do not always need a tragedy to make them profound. Not just that, the stories now seem repetitive sometimes even regressive and are making me take back my words that television across the border is more progressive. Sadly, it seems these days there isn’t much to choose between the two. It is normal for an Indian drama to torture us with its endless story line and a stereotypical villain who is far from subtle. The formula for dealing with diminishing Target Rating Points (TRP) is to ‘leap’ a few years and start again at the beginning, sometimes with a plastic surgery that fails to hide our despair. The one gap that seems to be diminishing though is between the actors from both the sides. There are a handful of actors, who can give Fawad Khan or any of the other popular Pakistani actors a run for their rupees. While Pakistani dramas have always been a reflection of their buzzing music scene, these days some of the tracks back home have also broken away from the commercial to strike the right note. As far as the ladies go, there is still not much to write about yet a lot. While we watched their acting just as much as their clothes across the border and it is perhaps a reason why every small corner boutique sells a ‘Pakistani’ dress while back home we watch for how not to dress! The makeup seems even louder after a good night’s sleep and you can get lost in a jungle overnight without even your handbag, yet a new pair of clothes will miraculously appear. It’s not that Indian serials were always this predictable. A couple of decades ago when Indian television was only just discovering the drama genre, we had ‘Buniyaad’, ‘Hum Log’ and a few more which still remain a benchmark. Maybe this time our friends across the border can buy a few DVDs. Until then, I wait for another Diyare-Dil. Entertainment thankfully knows no boundaries.

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If you think Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a comedy movie with witty scenes that will make you laugh, then you may be in for a surprise. While there is plenty of humour and entertainment, the film also shows its viewers a rather different side of society. Dharma Productions, the company behind this movie, is popularly known for its glitz, glamour, fast-paced story-lines, something about this movie is definitely different and you sense that immediately after the interval. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztX-iGlZ_Ug Badrinath Ki Dulhania has every element that makes a Bollywood movie memorable, if not successful; it has social commentary forcing viewers out of their comfort zones. With clarity and simplicity, the opening scenes set the theme of the movie depicting the uncomfortable but common notion that boys are an asset for the family while girls are nothing but a liability on their family; in this case, the asset is Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan) and the liability, Vaidehi Trivedi (Alia Bhatt). Also starring in the movie are Aakanksha Singh, Gauhar Khan, Aparshakti Khurana, Shweta Basu Prasad, Rituraj Singh, Kanupriya Pandit, Atul Narang, Gaurav Pandey, Yash Sinha, Sahil Vaid and Sukhmani Lamba. However, it is Dhawan who steals the spotlight with his acting skills while Bhatt tries her best to meet his standards on screen. Will Badrinath’s tendency to follow age-old strict family norms, his lack of high-school education and his submissive attitude towards his father hinder his love affair with the independent and progressive Vaidehi? A big catch awaits the viewers. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
Photo: IMDb[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Even though Dhawan and Bhatt have already shared space on the big screen in Student of the Year (2012), their chemistry in Badrinath Ki Dulhania seemed a bit forced. During some emotional and romantic scenes, Dhawan is on top of his game, delivering dialogues smoothly, showing off those facial expression he has become so famous for, while Bhatt, on the other hand, falls short. Unfortunately for her, she seems to have been floundering throughout the film; especially during scenes in which she was to portray her character as a more mature, serious side - she made me yawn, a complete turn off. Credit where its due, she did nail some of her comic parts. In the typical boy-meets-girl concept (Bollywood style), the girl is immensely fortunate to be with the man of her dreams. While this film starts off imitating exactly that, the audience will soon discover that in this case the opposite is actually true. If this is for better or worse, you will only know if you watch the movie. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Badrinath, because of his patriarchal family values, lives in a bubble with an air of misplaced superiority that suggests men are better and stronger than women. On a positive note, the film openly discusses the concept of dowry and its impact on the bride’s family, and the woman’s rights post-marriage; it further reiterates the concept of mutual trust in any relationship especially in marriage. Badrinath’s little bubble of self-confidence, however, takes a hit when he meets Vaidehi, an independent woman who dreams of living a successful life without a husband in sight. What is amusing is the unlikely approach writer-director Shashank Khaitan pursues to show the multiple ways in which Badrinath proposes to Vaidehi - all the while she chooses interesting waits to turn him down. Downside: As it goes with most Bollywood movies nowadays, you may be able to predict the ending of the movie. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
Photo: IMDb[/caption] The soundtrack of the movie comprises of Aashiq Surrender Hua, a typical Bollywood style song with the 90s wedding marriage theme; Roke Na Ruke Naina and Humsafar, which are slow-paced romantic songs. Badri Ki Dulhania is a fast-paced track with a desi touch while Tamma Tamma Again is the lively remix of Tamma Tamma Loge from 1990’s Thanedaar. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017)
Photo: IMDb[/caption] Despite Bhatt’s performance, which definitely could have been better, and the latter half of the movie having scenes that could bore audiences, most parts of the movie are a mixture of comedy, action, love and heartbreak. While Badrinath Ki Dulhania will not satisfy your craving for an intelligent film on a social issue, it will not disappoint you either. Image may be NSFW.
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We have seen numerous images of young Kashmiri lifeless bodies, wrapped in Pakistani flags, being lowered into graves by their old and fragile fathers. Such images are enough to give us an idea of how deep-rooted pro-Pakistan sentiment is in Indian-held Kashmir. Kashmiri civilians, mostly teenage boys, are hounded, tortured, arrested or even killed by government forces during anti-India protests and pro-azadi (freedom) rallies. This is a result of them raising passionate slogans in favour of Pakistan. Kashmiri boys and girls are seen chanting “jeeve jeeve, Pakistan” (long live, Pakistan) or “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans. A few have even set the Pakistani national anthem as a ringtone on their mobile phones. This unconditional love for Pakistan emanating from a few sections of the Kashmiri society is not something new or surprising. It is, as they say, a matter of fact. In the past, Kashmiris would draw up wills with the request that once the region merges with Pakistan, their children and grandchildren should hoist the Pakistani flag on their graves. For some, a visit to Pakistan is no less than an emotional pilgrimage. Kashmiri children from the 90s, also described by some as ‘children of conflict’, have heard countless bedtime stories from their grandparents about how older Kashmiris loved Pakistan. They also loved Pakistan’s cricket and hockey teams, radio commentary in Urdu, thought-provoking television serials, as well as Pakistan’s sahar angez mouseeqi (magical music) in dil gudaaz aawaz (heart-breaking voice). As a school boy, I grew up listening to exciting Urdu cricket commentary on Radio Pakistan. I immediately fell in love with this language of elegance and grace. The very first Urdu sentences my ears heard, understood and then remembered were,

“Aasman par halke halke badal chaye huwe hain, aur maidan par iss waqt Pakistan ki team chayi huwi hai.” (The sky has been taken over by light clouds, just like how the cricket ground has been taken over by the Pakistani team.) “Bharat ki wicktein aisi girti gayien jaise khizaan ke mousam main paidoun se patte gira karte hain!” (India’s wickets have been falling the same way trees shed leaves in autumn.)

Love for Pakistan is not just limited to its language and its cricket team, it goes beyond that. Iconic Pakistani tele-serials Ankahi (1982), Tanhaiyaan (1985), Dhoop Kinarey (1987) and recent ones such as Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Humsafar are household names in Kashmir. In Kashmir, one comes across people whose love for Pakistan will surpass the proudest and most patriotic Pakistanis. Pakistanis may even end up doubting their quom parasti (nationalism) and hubul watni (patriotism) on encountering such Kashmiris. Key observers state that in a suppressed environment, such as the one in Indian-controlled Kashmir, wherein democratic spaces for expression and dissent are suppressed, it is difficult to assess how deep the pro-Pakistan sentiment actually is. February 5^th symbolises Pakistan’s deep-rooted relationship with Kashmir. Every year, this day witnesses the revival of cultural, religious and the geographical proximity the Kashmir valley enjoys with Pakistan. Observers claim that the pro-Pakistan sentiment in Kashmir is neither dead nor diminished, rather it’s suppressed. The reasons for this are rooted in how Kashmiris have been treated since the 90s. Interestingly, there is also a section of Kashmiri youth which does not entertain any discussion or debate that aims to equate Pakistan with India. For most Kashmiris, India is an aggressor while Pakistan is the sympathiser. India’s Independence Day is observed as a ‘Black Day’ while Pakistan’s Independence Day is celebrated with immense joy. In some parts of south and north Kashmir, some people organise small rallies in which Pakistan’s national anthem is played out loud. Given the fear of being kept under strict surveillance by government forces and intelligence agencies, some Kashmiris consciously choose to pay a cost for this expensive expression. That is how much they love Pakistan. However, their love for Pakistan does not necessarily mean that they favour merging with Pakistan. In my view, the most dominant ideology prevalent in today’s Kashmir is the ‘anti-India’ and pro-freedom ideology. Many Kashmiris question the role of Pakistan in Kashmir, especially after the outbreak of anti-India armed rebellion. Some Kashmiris also question Pakistan’s official policy regarding Kashmir, which they feel keeps wavering from time to time. They feel frustrated over what they describe as ‘Islamabad’s inconsistent Kashmir policy’. A few voices from Kashmir’s new, assertive, educated and conscious generation are also worried about how extremist jihadi elements such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have hijacked the Kashmir solidarity movement in Pakistan. They are also concerned about why more and more voices from Pakistan’s vibrant civil society and liberal circles don’t speak up enough about Kashmir. Furthermore, there are concerns over why the Pakistani electronic media is not holding prime time television debates on Kashmir in order to,

a) Counter Indian media’s Kashmir narrativebased on propaganda, falsehoods and vitriol
b) Raise global awareness about the genesis of the Kashmiri dispute and to hold Indian forces accountable for their alleged atrocitiescommitted on the people of Kashmir

It’s clear that there is anger against the Indian state when it comes to the treatment of Kashmiris. However, to assume that Pakistan’s role in Kashmir cannot be questioned is also naive. In my view, there is a stronger sentiment for azadi (freedom), but the pro-Pakistan constituency in Kashmir is also an undeniable reality. It is an unpalatable truth for the Indian state. In the absence of any empirical study, it is very difficult to assess whether the pro-Pakistan sentiment has weakened or enhanced over the years. Kashmir bleeds every single day. Kashmir suffers every single day. Kashmir mourns every single day. Given the love Kashmiris have for Pakistan, I hope Pakistan rethinks its Kashmir policy.

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When it comes to India and Pakistan, one comes across an array of academicians and scholars in western campuses with piles of research on the Kashmir problem, Siachen and Sir Creek. But one hardly comes across any serious initiative to explore what unites India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are inheritors of a common civilisation and hence we have an ocean of shared heritage in literature, philosophy, music, food, and mysticism. These days, it seems we have completely forgotten the days when we regaled ourselves over the melodies of Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali and Ataullah Khan Esakhelvi. Even the days of yore when Ali was bitterly opposed by Shiv Sena were not this disturbing because Balasaheb Thackeray never shied away from confessing his secret admiration of Ghazal maestros like Ali. Then the times came when the shared social and cultural traditions of music, food, costumes, festivals and mysticism got uprooted from the popular discourse and found a safe refuge in initiatives like “Aman ki Asha” (hope for peace). However, in the course of time, even such safe houses met an untimely death and with a heavy heart gave way to the discourse dominated by surgical strikes, Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar and tactical nukes. The only respite left is cricket and the tales of Imran Khan’s wives. Even that seems to be waning fast. As an Indian born and brought up in a state bordering Pakistan, and overfed in Delhi with both the punctured intellectualism, and the chicken karhai of Kareem’s, I can lay a decent claim to at least have a feeling of Pakistan’s cultural, social and religious heritage. At Cornell University, I experienced this feeling first hand. In the early days of homesickness and during the arduous process of cultural adaptation, it wasn’t a group of Indian engineers from Southern India who came close to me. The Rajasthani inside me could easily strike a chord of comfort and friendship with gregarious and gourmand hearts of Lahore, Karachi and Multan. I must say there is a range of peculiarities that unite us and some of them can be quite embarrassingly hilarious. One can begin with doodh patti (type of tea), almost a daily ritual for us in the morning and evening. No amount of Darjeeling tea, black coffee and green tea can fix a South Asian head in the evening, after a rigorous day of statistics classes which had already robbed him of his afternoon siesta. Only my Pakistani friends would understand my existential crises when I was looking for some doodh patti and was served champagne instead, at the morning and evening seminars. But for such occasions, we sneaked out to get some strong chai. The “goras” (white people) found the reason for our collective disappearances much later, after a thorough investigation. It was us Indians and Pakistanis who had taken a vow to arrive late, slog just a day before the exam, and as a last resort, make sufficient preparations to cooperate with each other like all good and pious human beings, in the exam. It was the most terrific Indo-Pak alliance and all the western surveillance equipment could never bust it. And, of course, we hated toilet paper and helped each other out by secretly arranging a mug in the toilets. Raza sahab, a diehard Lahori, my friend, philosopher and guide, threw amazing parties. The idiosyncratic philosopher inside him would first take a long walk and then devote long evenings to cooking bhindi gosht, chicken karhai and chicken kali mirchi. Everything was cooked in pure desi ghee, something which is equally dear to both Indians and Pakistanis. His tales of food, fashion and literary evenings of Lahore always reminded me of Ghalib’s Delhi. I felt that both the cities have similar vibes of love, sensuality, ideology and politics. And then, I met Sophia and I felt she is another cosmopolitan girl from Mumbai, but she turned out to be from Karachi. In her Memon-styled cooking, I got the flavour of dal sweetened with jaggery, a famous Gujarati dish that we, hot chillis-addicted Rajasthanis, have always feared. The flavour of caste from Pakistan can also be very exciting for an Indian. My friends Raza and Wasiq proudly claimed their Rajput ancestry with their fondness of shikaar (hunting) and guns; it felt as if they hailed from a typical Rajput feudal household of Rajasthan. When my friends Hajra, Hira, Wasiq and Raza celebrated Holi and Diwali with us, it seemed as if they knew it right from the dawn of the civilisation in the subcontinent. I was absolutely thrilled to find in my friend Wasiq a huge fan of Bollywood. He could narrate dialogues of Amitabh Bachchan and Amrish Puri with a feeling that made me realise that we have the same DNA after all. Raza had a penchant for Kishore Kumar and Rajesh Khanna, whom he lovingly addressed as “Kaka Khanna” all the time. My stories of Pakistan will be incomplete without the mention of Dr Fatima. The cigarettes, poetry and tea we shared over heated discussions on India-Pakistan melted into a sublime love when I sat for meditation and she said her last namaz (prayer) of the day, and I guess a mere mention of this is enough to silence those who use religion to fight. From this side of the border, I would like to mention that each and every Indian who has crossed the border either for marriage, cultural events or cricket tournaments, tirelessly tell about Pakistani hospitality and the delicacies of Lakshmi Chowk in Lahore. I am even told that many shopkeepers do not even charge money from Indians. Even in these days, when India is supposedly believed to have taken a sharp right turn, our private evenings are not without the melodies of Mehdi Hasan and Malkha Pukhraj. My friend, Mr Bhargava, a staunch Narendra Modi follower, speaks fluent Urdu with a feeling of near reverence and loves his whisky if it drains with the mesmerising Hasan. Until recently, Pakistani serials such as Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Humsafar were driving Indians crazy. As someone born and brought up in an Indian middle class family, I have grown up with the stories and individuals who blamed Pakistan’s intelligence for everything unexplainable or uneasy in India. It could be anything from the monkey man of Delhi or diarrhea of celebrity politician, to overflowing sewerage lines or a train accident due to poor maintenance. My perception of Pakistan was completely shattered when I had a chance to interact with my colleagues from Pakistan at Cornell University. Through this story, my idea is to bring forth the importance of our shared cultural and social traditions. Such a dive into the shared traditions may not solve our long-standing political problems, but it can circulate a fresh breeze of love, giving us an occasion to smile at each other and feel happy about what unites us rather than slit each other’s throats over what divides us. Unfortunately, resolving political disputes appears highly unlikely in the near and distant future. Both the countries seem to be approaching a near dead end-like situation on the geo-political front. Given this situation, the only hope left for normalising the situation between the two South Asian arch rivals lies in exploring the shared cultural, social and religious traditions.

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Since our movie industry is still in its revival stage, Pakistani dramas have been at the core of our entertainment business. Whether they are our classics like Ankahi and Tanhaiyaan, which to date are fondly remembered, or the dramas loved by the masses in recent years, such as Humsafar and Yaqeen Ka Safar. However, as much as we love our dramas, there are plenty of subgenres that cause sheer cringe moments when viewed on national television. Recently, Malik Taimoor, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA from Rawalpindi, submitted a resolution to the Punjab Assembly. He believes the word ‘talaaq’ (divorce) is being used in the Pakistani television dramas a lot and is creating a negative impact in the society. He termed this as undesirable in Islam and therefore urged the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to ban the airing of the word on TV screens across the country. It is evident the word ‘talaaq’ is definitely loosely tossed about in dramas and does have negative connotations which impact the society. A particular drama, Dil Hai Chota Sa, written by Bushra Ansari and starring Tooba Siddiqui, Faysal Qureshi and Mikaal Zulfiqar, was centralised around the topic of divorce. However, rather than portraying the topic as a simple matter, the drama highlighted the seriousness and severe consequences of an individual impulsively using the word ‘talaaq’. Pertaining to religious values and culture, it becomes necessary for drama producers to keep in mind the repercussions of showing something as sensitive as ‘talaaq’. Throwing this term left, right and centre desensitises an individual, who may disregard the value of the term and do the same. But is the overuse of this word the most problematic thing in Pakistani dramas? While it is important to address this issue, there are other themes in Pakistani dramas that need our immediate attention. Sadly, they not only promote regressive ideologies but encourage inappropriate morals. Rape: There is no such thing as ‘romanticism’ when it comes to rape. It is the foulest act a human can commit. Yet, dramas in the past, such as Sangat, have had the tendency to sensationalise and mitigate the crime by portraying the character of the rapist as a ‘decent’ human being who just happened to ‘slip’ and commit sexual assault. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Hum[/caption] How is this serious issue of giving a rapist the stance of a ‘hero’ not condemned by our government? Given the rise in cases of rape and harassment in recent times in Pakistan, it is absolutely essential for the government to take note of the kind of content the dramas are producing. It needs to draw a line between telling an inspiring story and commercialising a crime. Stockholm syndrome exists for a reason. Empathising with your rapist is not normal and should be shown just as that. Till the government takes action against such absurd ideologies our society will be conditioned to think that rape can be validated as a ‘mistake’ rather than a vile crime. Disabilities: Worldwide, awareness for disabilities are ardently acknowledged and spoken about, while goal-oriented solutions are made to include such individuals within society. Unfortunately, Pakistan is still a nation lagging behind in doing so and the unsuccessful effort made by the drama Iltija to create awareness about Down syndrome failed miserably. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Facebook/ Iltija.Official[/caption] Instead of sending a constructive message to audiences about how parents are meant to raise children with special needs and cope with the challenges which arise, Iltija focused on dramatising the separation of the parents. The drama created scenarios where the mother of the child, Tooba Siddiqui, was repeatedly abandoning her child to muddle through her own ‘suffering’. What truly led the drama to the pits of ignorance was the showcasing of unacceptable communication methods and behaviour with children with special needs, which was repeatedly portrayed by the supporting characters of the plot. If the government is concerned of how the media influences society, then dramas such as Iltija should be shut down. In a country like Pakistan which is already alienating people with disabilities, the portrayal of such individuals as the ‘cause’ of problems is further worsening their situation in the society. Tawaifein (prostitutes) and Brothels: Unfortunately, there are multiple areas within Pakistan where brothels are actively operating and young girls and women are forced to lead unfathomably miserable lives, which they have no choice but to submit to. It is understandable that light needs to be shed on certain controversial and taboo topics; however, there is a thin line between addressing a topic of conflict and glamourising immorality. Rather than addressing this issue with a progressive stance, the recently aired drama Alif, Allah aur Insaan glamourised the controversial issue. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Facebook/ Alif Allah Aur Insaan[/caption] Such themes of dramas should be strictly monitored by the government. Not only are characters of ‘tawaifein’ moulded to be viewed with ‘awe’ but the ‘normalising’ of brothels conditions society to accept the existence of dancing girls and red light district areas. It is not okay to glorify the harsh realities of brothels. Kala jadoo (black magic) and taweez (amulet): Kala jadoo and taweez are notions familiar to everyone and are as common as the flu! Almost every Pakistani drama will have at least one negative character indulging in the act of going to an ‘aamil’ and asking them to perform black magic or requesting for a taweez to conveniently ‘destroy’ a person or family of their choice. If the word ‘talaaq’ is condemned and made to be banned from our dramas as per Islamic theology, then the concepts of black magic and taweez too should be banned. Unnecessary villains: Another popular element that can be pointed out in our contemporary dramas are the unnecessary villains who majority of the time are women. Whether it be a monstrously controlling saas (mother-in-law), a power-hungry nand (sister-in-law) or famously, a bahu who ambitiously dedicates her life to destroy an entire family, single-handedly. Negative characters do exist within societies and families, therefore they will evidently be a part of plots in dramas as a representation of reality. However, the over-dramatisation and exaggeration of such characters are not only unrealistic but present women in a negative light – as schemers. I mean, we may all know someone who is a little like ‘Jeena’ from Mann Mayal, but was it really necessary to add excessive ‘mirch masala’ to the character? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Facebook/ Mann Mayal Official[/caption] Eradicating media messages that have a negative impact on the society cannot solely be based on banning one particular word. If the government is taking a strong stand to ban a particular word from dramas aired on national television, then it is fundamental to also revaluate the content that should be allowed to go on air.

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Pakistan’s blooming film industry has branched itself out with multiple genres; from the family drama in Janaan by Azfar Jafri and Imran Raza Kazmi, to Shoaib Mansoor’s social drama in Verna. However, it goes without saying that our film industry has also given audiences a string of comedy films that left us in a fit of laughter! To name a few of the star-studded hits filmmakers graced us with, we’ve had Na Maloom Afraad and its sequel, along with Karachi Se Lahore, Jawaani Phir Nahi Aani, Actor In Law, and most recently, Parchi. Directed by Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, 7 Din Mohabbat In has been the talk of the town ever since it was announced Mahira Khan and Sheheryar Munawar will be setting the screen on fire together! The teaser, which was keenly awaited by all, has once again surfaced an excited buzz among the industry and fans alike. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Co-starring Javed Sheikh, Aamna Illyas, Mira Sethi, Hina Dilpazeer and Beo Zafar, the teaser evidently portrays Sheheryar’s character, Tipu, as a geeky boy who takes on the help of the quirky and frivolous Neeli, played by Mahira, to transform him from a ‘bhaijaan’ (brother) to ‘jaan’ (lover) in a matter of seven days. Though low-key what everyone is anticipating is how Sheheryar, originally the hunk of our industry, will be prepping for his ‘bechaara bhaijaan’ role! Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view. Undeniably, what tends to pop out from the teaser and make one do a double take is Mahira’s character, as we see her in an avatar she has never donned before. The queen of expressions has given us various characters we grew to love, both on the big screen and in TV dramas. Be it the innocent and soft-spoken Khirad from Humsafar, the spiritualist Falak from Shehr-e-Zaat, or the resilient rape victim Sara from Verna. And how can we forget Shano, who personified romance in Sadqay Tumhaare? With each brilliant performance, Mahira stole the heart of the entire nation! Quite different from all her previous characters, Mahira as the bubbly ‘Neeli’ has surely stirred up the curiosity of the masses, as we wonder whether or not she’ll be able to nail her newest performance, and that too in a comedy. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. It may be a little difficult to initially ‘digest’ Mahira’s perky character, which is poles apart from the usual mature female characters audiences are immune to seeing on screen. However, her performances have never failed to impress us, so fingers crossed for what will surely be a stellar act by the exceptionally vibrant team of 7 Din Mohabbat In. The film releases on Eidul Fitr, in June, 2018. All photos: Screenshots

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When I reviewed Mahira Khan's last film, Verna, which according to me, had some next level blunders in terms of both content and performance, I was told,

“Whether you accept it or not, Mahira is a superstar of the Pakistani film industry; it doesn’t matter if her films don’t do very well at the box office, she’s a crowd-puller.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5ejkDCT1CA Today, when her film Superstar is all set to release and she’s playing the titular character in the film, these lines resonate in my mind. Will Mahira be able to showcase that zing and spark which Ehteshamuddin’s film Superstar requires? Will Bilal Ashraf be able to do any good after giving us Janaan and Rangreza where most of the reviewers and critics compared him with a piece of wooden furniture? Well, let’s find out. The story of Superstar is very simple and easy to pave. Noor (Mahira) wants to become an actress and performs theatre plays which are written and directed by Salim Malik, also known as Agha Jaan (Nadeem Baig). Agha is yesteryear’s most renowned film director and today’s theatre director, who happens to be Noor's grandfather as well. Luck brings Noor face to face with Sameer Khan (Bilal), a superstar of the film industry, and they immediately fall for each other. Sameer, with the help of his friend Shaan (Ali Kazmi), plans to make a film and cast Noor in it. But the day that film has to go on the floor, Sameer vanishes and what happens next is what Superstar is all about. Superstar depicts the journey of an actress who becomes a superstar and shows how things and relationships change. It’s a romantic tale with a slight twist. [caption id="attachment_86588" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
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Gif: Giphy[/caption] It won’t be wrong to say that Superstar is one of Mahira's best performances since Humsafar. Her character is beautifully written and showcases great shades and contrasts, from a sweet next-door girl to a struggling actress heading to become a superstar. She occasionally throws tantrums as well, making you realise that she can also be bossy, that too in the blink of an eye. Watching Mahira perform is a revelation and she proves it in almost every other scene. Whether it is her entry scene on the stage where she plays various characters such as Marilyn Monroe and Chaplin, or the scene where she exhibits anger and insecurity – Mahira gives an astounding performance. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"]Image may be NSFW.
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Gif: Giphy[/caption] It was evident from the trailer that Bilal has worked very hard to transform himself physically, but throughout the film, Bilal continues to impress his audience with his performance too. A few of his scenes stay with you when you're leaving the theatre, and one of them is the brief encounter between him and Adnan Shah Tipu who plays the role of a casting director. If you have watched Bilal’s previous work and is an ardent Pakistani film viewer, then you will realise how far he has come from films like Janaan and Rangreza. The only flaw is the fact that Bilal’s character was not properly written. Because of a weak character graph and buildup, there are a few things which fall flat and don’t hit the mark. Undoubtedly, if Bilal gets to work with directors who can bring the best out of him, he will be next in the list of prominent superstars of Pakistani cinema. [caption id="attachment_86589" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
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Photo: Instagram/Superstar[/caption] Nadeem Baig is a legend and has been cast in many Pakistani films, but the way his character is written and conceived in Superstar supersedes every other character he has played in the last decade. Those who have seen 80s cinema will cherish the on-screen chemistry between Javed Sheikh and Nadeem, recalling films such as Jeeva and Lazawaal. The scene is hardly three to four minutes long but is very impactful and speaks volumes. Ali Kazmi proves again that he is a talented actor and if the right roles (unlike Na Band Na Baraati) are given to him, he has all the potential to grab them by his teeth. The songs of Superstar are already making waves. They sound and look quite good in the film and there’s a song for every emotion. Noori, In Dinon and Ghalat Fehmi stand out among the lot. The dialogues of Superstar are power-packed and brilliantly written; there was a time when Pakistani films had amazing dialogues back in the 60s and 70s, and Superstar reminds you of those times. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"]Image may be NSFW.
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Gif: Giphy[/caption] Along with so many positives there are a few negatives as well. Superstar’s biggest flaw is its stretched screenplay and some indigestible sequences; some of the plot twists are quite illogical. Secondly, since Bilal is shown as the superstar, the way he falls for a struggling actress is quite unrealistic. The entire sequence where he tries to woo her and spend time with her is half-heartedly conceptualised and executed. Ehteshamuddin is a wonderful director who definitely knows his strengths and weaknesses. Coming from the drama industry and being fully aware of his grip on indoor scenes loaded with decent set designs, we don’t get to see much of outdoor scenes. The canvas is limited and not huge. There aren’t many scenic scenes in Superstar, and hence, the experience isn't grandeur, but on the basis of content, performance, storytelling and music, Superstar is a brilliant entertainer. Image may be NSFW.
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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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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)

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)

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.

“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!

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.

The nature of criticism the Aurat March has attracted recently is precisely the reason why such a movement is necessary. Despite the country having it's fair share of women-centric issues such as rape, harassment, honour killing, and slut-shamming, for some reason women marching to highlight them has become a cause of concern for the public. Suffice to say, women continue to be victimised while their march against atrocity continues to be looked upon as an act of entitlement, rather than a need. While the men continue their restless bashing of the movement - perhaps due to the fear of their privilege being compromised - what is surprising are the supposedly educated women joining the crusade against feminism. Such is the case with Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch, popularly known as 'QB,' who became every girl's icon when she first appeared on Coke Studio, among the many men who were already provided that platform. In a recent and heartbreaking tweet, Balouch said, "Real feminist gets down to work and wastes no time shouting for her 'rights'." https://twitter.com/Quratulainb/status/1235287067715870723 Naturally, the uncalled for generalisation in her comment attracted the ire of Twitter. https://twitter.com/nosheenali/status/1235475131008348166 https://twitter.com/RwailSirmed/status/1235326998609899525 https://twitter.com/Dumblenoori/status/1235289324805124096 https://twitter.com/nidkirm/status/1235415384125255680 https://twitter.com/naveenfrizvi/status/1235308770672209928 https://twitter.com/sooploops/status/1235317902003367936 https://twitter.com/sanabnaqvi/status/1235302729599328256 The statement is clearly coming from a person who was provided the platform to showcase her work. It is coming from someone who worked hard, but failed to understand the reasons why others could not - even if they wanted to. It is coming from a person who was probably 'allowed' to work in the first place, or could fight for her right to work without the threat of being killed in the process. Or maybe even a person who may have not required an 'allowance' in the first place. In a country where girls are held back from going to school because their parents could 'only afford to send the boys'. In a country where women are killed for not being able to make gol roti or fail to provide a hot meal once in a while. In a country where women are not paid as much as their male colleagues no matter how hard they work. In a country where women are slammed for doing a job that 'only a man is supposed to do'. In a country where women are harassed in work places, demanded to provide sexual favours in return for promotions. And sometimes, even provided jobs based on their appearance. In a country where parents would prefer spending millions on their daughter's weddings than save for their higher education - how does one simply belittle them for marching for their rights once in a year and call it, 'wasting time'? Only QB can tell. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.

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