Shahrukh was finally produced before the court three weeks after the murder, and after his short-lived escape to the UAE.

Shahrukh, his friends Siraj Talpur and Sajjad Talpur and their cook Ghulam Murtaza had allegedly killed Shahzeb on December 25, 2012, over a petty dispute.

Inspector Muhammad Mobin, an investigator in the case, had requested physical custody of Shahrukh till January 27.

Mobin told the court that Shahrukh needed to be interrogated in connection with the arrest of two absconding co-accused, Asif Lund and Salman Jatoi. Two pistols and a vehicle used in the crime are yet to be recovered.

ATC-III Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon, however, remanded him to police custody for seven days and directed the investigation officer to submit a final report by the next date of hearing.

Legality of arrest process

Naeem Qureshi and Amir Mansoob Khan, the defence lawyers, moved an application questioning the process adopted by police authorities for arresting Shahrukh in Dubai, where he was hiding. The arrest process is illegal, as legal formalities have not been followed, they alleged.

Issuing a notice to the special public prosecutor, the judge directed him to submit relevant documents showing whether or not legal formalities were adopted in the arrest process.

The judge also directed the police to produce Shahrukh before the police surgeon at the civil hospital, who will conduct an ‘ossification’ test to determine his age.

Defence lawyers argued that the suspect is a minor, and should be tried separately from the adult co-accused with concessions prescribed for juvenile offenders.

Shahrukh’s age, however, was not mentioned by the lawyers in their application.

Evidence

The suspect’s lawyers also pleaded to the court to order that the nine ‘empties’ allegedly recovered by the investigation officer from the crime scene be transferred to the custody of any other officer. “The investigation officer might tamper with the empties presently sent to the forensic science laboratory for matching,” they argued.

Special public prosecutor Abdul Maroof objected to the application, saying that the anti-terrorism court could not pass such an order, because it was tantamount to interfering with the investigation.

Sikandar Jatoi released

Meanwhile, the investigation officer told the court that due to the absence of solid evidence against Shahrukh’s father, Sikandar Jatoi, he has been released after investigation.

The judge directed the investigation officer to submit a proper report explaining on what grounds the accused was released.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2013.

The book launch took place on Tuesday at the Carlton Hotel, where Rahim — who is now a widow — explained why she has written about the sensitive issue despite her happy marriage. “I was at a party with some friends when I realised that 60% of them were divorcees,” she said. “Each had a tale to tell; each story as horrific as the next. I couldn’t empathise with my friends, who were left high and dry in society, but I could listen to their stories — the saddest tales I had ever heard.”

She then decided to share these painful stories through her book, but kept their husbands’ names undisclosed, as she didn’t want their children to be brought into the limelight.

Down Matrimonial Lane is a detailed account of the unsuccessful marriages of 30 women who were married to prominent men. It reveals the underlying truth of the realities prevalent in a patriarchal, male-dominated and chauvinistic society. While the language of the book is simple, it is an eye-opener; the wives of rich men admit that they have been abused, beaten and mistreated.

This is the former bureaucrat’s second book. Rahim first enlightened readers with Down Bureaucracy Lane — a memoir of the three decades she spent in Pakistan’s bureaucratic system.

The ‘D’ word

“In our society, the D word [divorce] is worse than the F word,” said writer and artist Feryal Ali Gauhar, who was present at the book launch. “When you walk out of marriage the first time, you are shunned by society as you are labelled a divorcee. But when you walk out the second time, you are a divorcee-squared!” she said, referring to her two failed marriages.

After facing years of agony, Gauhar said that she wonders whether people ever understand the sense of loss, degradation and humiliation a divorced woman feels. “This is why I chose to marry again,” she admitted. “The truth is that we need men in our lives as they provide the comfort we need. I miss having a companion.” However, Gauhar clarified, that she married for love and not comfort. “When love flies out the window, marriages die,” she added sorrowfully.

In both marriages, she said it was her husbands who ended the commitments. “The first one never wanted kids assuming my body will change and the second one held me hostage to the fact that we should not have babies; when I questioned his authority, he left me,” she said.

“I was just a piece of meat to them,” Gauhar continued, adding that she prefers living with four-legged creatures (pets) instead as they “don’t intend to hurt” her.

The reader’s word

Writer and former bureaucrat Javed Jabbar was also present at the launch of this book. “I’m here for three reasons: the subject is intriguing; knowing Talat Rahim, her courageous work requires thoughts and sentiments from the crowd; she is a friend of my wife so we had to be here for her,” said Jabbar.

Travel writer Salman Rashid flew in from Lahore to support Rahim. “I am here to give her moral support. Much has been written on this subject in Urdu but I believe no one has written about it in English,” said Rashid.

Sameera Raja, the curator of Canvas Gallery said, “We need to iconise these 30 women — more needs to be written on this particular topic.” She believes that if these women have spoken up, they must be supported. “People are embarrassed to discuss this and it’s always a cover-up.”

At the launch, Rahim said that others have approached her and want their anecdotes told to the world too; they urged her to write a sequel to Down Matrimonial Lane. Drawing a distinction between herself and Shobhaa De, she said, “De is more into writing about pornography — the real bedroom stories. I don’t write about that.” She says De is a bold and highly regarded writer, but “I can’t even come close to her; she has come a long way and I have only written two books.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2013.              

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On Thursday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPA Manzar Imam, his security guards and a driver were shot dead in Orangi Town. The MQM announced three days of mourning against the assassination claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Overnight violence, left another five people dead and around 30 wounded, according to the police.

The entire city wore a deserted look on Friday. Although government departments, the port and stock exchange were open, attendance remained thin as public transporters had already called off their vehicles from the roads. All gas stations were also shut, adding to the woes of those brave enough to bring out their own cars.

Imam was the second provincial lawmaker of the MQM to be gunned down in just over two years. The murder of MQM MPA Raza Haider in August 2010 had sparked a fierce wave of violence, which left dozens of people dead.

Funeral prayers

Amid sobs, tears and an eerie silence across the city, Imam, his driver and two security guards were laid to rest on Friday.

At Jinnah Ground near MQM headquarters Nine-Zero, scores of people turned up at the funeral prayers of the slain men. The prayers were led by Hafiz Saqib Imam, a nephew of Manzar Imam. Besides the victims’ relatives, the party’s senators, MNAs, MPAs, members of the coordination committee and other workers attended the funeral. The mourners were wearing black armbands.

Leaders of different political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Awami National Party, the Pakistan Democratic Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Sunni Tehreek and Jamiat-e-Ulema-i-Islam also attended the funeral.

Later, MQM leader Raza Haroon called on the government to arrest the killers. All political forces should unite against terrorism or extremists will take over the country, he said. “The terrorists are now targeting elected representatives but we will remain peaceful,” he added.

The slain MPA was laid to rest at the Shuhuda Graveyard in Azizabad while the bodies of his driver and security guards were taken to other graveyards in Orangi Town.

Across Sindh

In Hyderabad, a similar shut down was witnessed. Although the markets remain closed on Fridays, the protest call of the MQM affected the movement of transport and educational institutions.

A truck and two motorcycles were set ablaze while many roads and intersections were blocked. Two of Hyderabad’s four talukas, Qasimabad and rural, remained, however, unaffected. A mourning day was also observed in Hyderabad, Nawabshah and Mirpurkhas among other cities.

Return to normality

In the evening, routine activities were resumed partially as shopkeepers opened their businesses. Since January 13 (Sunday), the traders have been unable to work properly. “The whole week was spent in protests,” said All Karachi Tajir Ittehad chairman Atiq Mir referring to the protests staged by the Shia community, then the Pakistan Peoples Party workers and then after the murder of the MQM leader.

The transport will be back on the roads on Saturday, Karachi Transport Ittehad chairman Irshad Bukhari said.

With additional input from agencies

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2013.

Activists belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Sunni Tehreek, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and other political parties, demanded that the process should be made transparent. They criticised the Election Commission for not following the Supreme Court order in letter and spirit. “Voter verification was supposed to take place with the help of army but that is not happening,” said JI’s leader, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti. “The entire process has been hijacked by one political party. We don’t expect any change considering how the voter lists are being verified.”

Mahenti said that a three-day long sit-in will start on Saturday at 3pm outside the election commission’s office if the voter verification process in Karachi continues without deployment of army personnel.

The Supreme Court had ordered the lists to be rechecked, with the help of the army, amid accusations that there were three million fake voters.

Political opponents of the Muttahida Quami Movement alleged they have been put at a disadvantage as record of thousands of their supporters has been changed.

Veteran politician Irfanullah Khan Marwat said that he had come out to protest after losing hope. “The whole process is a sham,” he said. “I have always enjoyed support in Azam Basti, which falls under PS-114 where around 31,000 voters were registered in last elections – now the election commission’s record shows there are just 21,000 voters. The demographical trend, however, clearly indicates that the numbers should have increased.”

The number of people who find the process flawed, however, remained questionable as amid flags and leaders of about a dozen political parties, people in attendance were hardly around 100. “This is a symbolic protest. We will bring out a lot more numbers when we feel the need,” said PTI’s Nadir Khan Legari, defending the small size of the gathering.

Waiting for the doorknock

Meanwhile, a delegation of the nationalist party Sindh National Movement (SNM) met the Sindh Election Commissioner Mehboob Anwar at his office to complain about the absence of election commission staff in their areas.

“Even after two weeks, the election commission has not visited Sindhi-dominated areas in Karachi to verify the votes,” said SNM President Ali Hassan Chandio, while expressing the party’s reservations about the accuracy of the process. “Thousands of votes of our people living in Gulstan-e-Iqbal town have been shifted to rural areas.  We are worried that these people will be unable to cast their vote in Karachi.”

Speaking to the media, Chandio said that a large number of ‘bogus’ voters were registered in their areas, the evidence for which was also provided to the election commission a few years ago, but no action has been taken so far.

“A couple of days back, our activists apprehended two fake enumerators in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Later, we submitted proof to the election commission and they also disowned the suspects -but no effort is being made to make this process transparent,” said Chandio.

He went to say that the election commission is flouting the Supreme Court’s directives to start the door-to-door verification with the help of army and initiate the delimitation of constituencies in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2013.

The election commission workers are completing the second phase of the voter verification process that began on January 10. Several political parties expressed, however, their reservations that the process was being carried out without the help of the army and Frontier Constabulary, which was against the Supreme Court orders.

On Monday, the chief election commissioner, Fakhruddin G Ebrahim had assured the protesting parties that the army would be called in, but the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) – the media wing of the army – gave no confirmation. On Tuesday, the ISPR spokesperson insisted that the army was not called in for door-to-door verification, but it did provide security in some areas.

“Our troops are in contact with the election commission staff, including assistant registration officers, in every area and they visit on their request,” he said.

Nevertheless, the provincial election commissioner, Mehboob Anwar, told The Express Tribune that the armed forces not only started patrolling in different areas, but accompanied the enumerators to the doors in five districts of Karachi.  “The personnel have visited around 30 electoral areas along with our enumerators,” he said. These areas included Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Hijrat Colony, Nazimababad, Malir SITE, North Karachi, Saddar and Clifton.

The army has also established a control room at the office of election commission where they get updates from the field. They move their troops wherever they are required, he added.

“The troops will be enhanced today (Wednesday). Each and every house cannot be visited, but the army’s help will be sought in most sensitive areas,” he said. Anwar reminded that Tuesday was not the first day that the army helped the election commission staff. They have been with us since January 10, he said. “We requested the army on Monday to send more troops following the protests and sits-in by opposition parties.”

Meanwhile, the political parties are still unsatisfied over the level of army presence. “The election commission is creating problems on the directives of federal government,” claimed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz general secretary Saleem Zia. “This is not sufficient. We will continue our protest against the on-going voter verification process.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013. 

The female whale-shark, weighing around 4 tonnes, was smaller in size than the one which fishermen dragged to the harbour on February 7 last year. By comparison, the previous specimen, which is now on display at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History in Islamabad, was around 40 feet long and weighed a massive 15 tonnes.

Scores of excited onlookers gathered at the harbour to catch a glimpse of the animal, which was packed with ice to slow down the rate of decay. Some young men leapt on the body of the whale shark and began posing for photos. Nearly everyone around the dead whale shark had whipped out their mobile phones and snapped away. Some children began playing with the whale shark’s fin.

Jumman, 35, the captain of the fishing vessel which towed the whale shark to harbour, recounted how he stumbled upon the animal to a captivated audience. His 14-member crew had dropped their trawling net into the sea between Charna and Somyani on Thursday noon. “We felt that the net was heavier than usual. When we checked what he had caught at around 3pm, much to our surprise, we found a whale shark.” Once the dead fish was dragged to the Karachi harbour, a crane was used to lift it out of the water.

For Pakistani fishermen, catching a giant fish is bad omen. “We don’t like to catch an Andhi Mangar (whale shark) because they cannot be sold easily in the market and we can’t make money,” said Jumman, adding that his haul was quite disappointing this time around. “Its meat is proscribed, but we want to get Rs300,000 for the fish as its liver oil and fats can be used,” said Jumman. Allah Dinu, who was also on the boat, speculated that the whale shark might have been hit by the propeller of a cargo ship.

Anees Soomro, the director of operations at the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority, told The Express Tribune that the whale shark has not decomposed as yet and there are no wounds on its body. He, however, said that he could not comment on why the animal had died. “Fishermen’s nets cannot kill whale sharks but this one accidentally got entangled in it,” said Soomro. The harbour authority has sent letters to experts in Karachi University, World Wildlife Fund – Pakistan and other experts to examine the animals. The samples from the whale shark will be given to them on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2013.

KARACHI: A mother foresees the future of her child and tears curl up in the corner of her eyes as fear, regret and guilt take over.

“He cries all night because his feet hurt. His walk has become wobbly,” weeps Muslimah, looking at a boy wearing brown shalwar kameez, tightly held by his elder siblings as he struggles to walk barefoot across the room.

Her son is just two and a half years old and she knows exactly how his life is going to end up.

She knows he will grow up to be a cripple, to be ridiculed by others. She sees no prospect of education or career for him. She knows they’ll be lucky if he winds up as a truck broker, earning a few bucks at best.

By predisposition of his disease, just like his father, Musharraf is ill-fated and damned.

In a home where polio was already testing Muslimah’s patience after spending a lifetime with her crippled husband Usman and a relative, her son also fell prey to the merciless virus.

Young Musharraf is Karachi’s first polio victim in 14 months and comes from a family which already has two polio victims living under the same roof — Musharraf’s father and his uncle. “I have a polio-stricken husband, and now I would have to raise such a child. I have left everything to God,” Muslimah says in a submissive, almost defeatist tone, wiping tears with her black chaadar.

Musharraf’s three elder siblings were all administered anti-polio drops but when his turn came, the dosage was stopped midway by his father, who himself suffers from polio.

“We came to know about Dr Shakil Afridi’s alliance with the Americans,” said the father, referring to the doctor’s alleged fake immunisation campaign which led to the capture of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

“We thought that the polio campaign was being run by the Jews and Americans, so I wouldn’t let anyone give drops to my child,” said the crippled man, with face lines that showed just how deep and unforgiving his regret was.

After his son was diagnosed with carrying the virus, Usman asked the doctors to give him the drops, but it was too late. The fair-skinned, brown-haired toddler remains polio affected.

Usman and his family live in a bare-bricked building in an impoverished area swarmed with garbage and sewage in Railway Colony of Bin Qasim town.

While the men were out at work Sunday, the women, in broken Urdu, narrated stories of the house plagued by polio.

On a charpoy sits wrinkled-faced Shamim, the boy’s grandmother. “When Usman was born in the 1980s, there was no concept of polio campaign in our village,” she says referring to their hometown of Bisham, Shangla.

The family believed that Usman was crippled because of a high fever. “I would massage his legs with oil and hoped that it would cure him.” It was years later when the family moved to Karachi that they came to know about his disease. “He was never able to get a proper job because of his condition. He has lived a very difficult life.”

Sitting next to her is Nasir, a teenage cousin of Usman, who also suffers from the polio virus. As he blankly stares into space, his mother Gulshala laments, “He was as young as Musharraf when he was diagnosed with polio. He is also mentally challenged and becomes violent at times. I don’t know why our family is becoming affected. It seems like a family disease.”

The grief-struck family claims Musharraf contracted the virus when he went out with his father to the market a few days ago. His fever and the slight crippling feet alarmed the family, and soon doctors broke the devastating news.

This is a family where men did not go to school and where women are not allowed to stir abroad.

“We women live like animals because we are not allowed to educate ourselves and work. And if our men keep becoming crippled, how will the family survive?” asks Shamim.

As the mother struggles to come to terms with a life she thinks will be wasted, Musharaf’s father sits and stares into abyss – wondering how things would have been different had they administered the drops to their youngest son.

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT BY SOHAIL KHATTAK IN KARACHI)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2013.

KARACHI: If you yearn to be face-to-face with the man of magical words, Gulzar, come to the Beach Luxury Hotel next Friday because the poet will be attending the fourth Karachi Literature Festival (KLF).

It is not only Gulzar’s enchanting words that will make you drag yourself to the festival, but more than 200 literary luminaries from Pakistan and overseas are waiting to mesmerise you. British-Pakistani writer Nadeem Aslam will also be launching his fourth novel ‘The Blind Man’s Garden’.

As usual, the event is free-of-charge and will run all day long from 10am to 7pm over a three-day period from February 15 to February 17, announced the festival founders, Ameena Saiyid, who is Oxford University Press (OUP) managing director, and Asif Farrukhi, a literary critic and fiction writer, at a crowded press conference at Arts Council of Pakistan on Wednesday.

Saiyid termed the festival as “a milestone on the cultural landscape of Karachi and a reflection of Pakistan’s historical roots.”

Goethe Institut director Dr Manuel Negwer termed the festival as a “marvellous introduction of Pakistani society” and highlighted his contribution by bringing two German novelists, Silke Scheuermann and Yassin Musharbash.

For the very first time, three Russian writers, VY Belokrenitsky, Sergey Kamenev and Andrey Demidov, will grace the festival along with their colleagues from France, Italy and Palestine.

Arts Council of Pakistan president Ahmed Shah highlighted the transformation of OUP’s “wilayati” [foreign] outlook into a rather “desi” [local] one with special efforts to bridge the gap between English and regional languages. Shah pledged the entire Arts Council premises for the OUP to host their festival next year.

Novelist Nadeem Aslam and poet Gulzar will be the keynote speakers at the inaugural session of the festival. The closing speech will be delivered by the British politician and journalist, George Galloway.

The opening day will hold readings and conversations with Gulzar, Shobhaa De, Nadeem Aslam, and Mustansar Hussain Tarar. In one of the sessions, Tehmina Durrani will be in conversation with the Italian author, Lorenza Raponi, who has written the book ‘Half of Two Paisas’. The chief guests of this session will be Abdul Sattar Edhi and Bilquis Edhi on whose extraordinary mission the book is based.

Day two of the festival will have a session on Pakistani cinema, social satire, popular TV dramas, readings from Intizar Husain’s fiction, ‘Manto Rama’- a play by Sheema Kermani, and a mushaira.

Highlights of the third day will include dramatic reading from Intizar Husain’s ‘Paani kay Qaidi’ by Sheema Kermani and group, Jugul Bandi by Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj, a session on folk music and theatre with Ila Arun, and readings by Zia Mohyeddin.

Many Urdu poets and authors will be participating in the fourth KLF, including Amjad Islam Amjad, Intizar Husain, Zehra Nigah, IftikharArif, Fahmida Riaz, Kishwar Naheed, Fatema Hassan, Azra Abbas, Imdad Hussaini, Sahar Ansari, Anwar Masood, and Shamim Hanfi.

Another unique feature of this year’s KLF will be the ‘Poetry Bazaar’ where promising poets would be able to read out their work to an audience of poetry lovers as well as well-known poets. Similarly, the ‘Writers Club’ will help young aspiring writers to overcome mental blocks, learn techniques of scene, drama, dialogue through workshops.

For the very first time, a Children’s Literature Festival will also be held simultaneously. It will feature talks and readings by children’s writers, creative writing workshops and competitions, poetry readings, children’s theatre by Gripps and Thespianz, and puppet shows. An interesting session on ‘The Art of Book Making’ will provide children with a hands-on experience of writing a manuscript to marketing and selling a book.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2013.

Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that the festival will run from February 16 to February 17. The error has been fixed.  

Medical tests conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) revealed that the young man’s tumour was benign. The doctors suggested that the only way forward was neurosurgery.

“We were scared to opt for brain surgery as it could damage a lot of healthy tissue,” said Tariq’s cousin Masroor. “That is when doctors at SKMCH recommended the CyberKnife radio surgery treatment in Karachi.”

With help from its generous donors, the Patients Aid Foundation (PAF) has purchased the CyberKnife Stereotactic System – a $4 million robotic system invented by a Stanford University neurosurgeon that treats tumours with high dosage precision radiation and causes minimal damage to healthy cells.

The frameless equipment can shoot up to 1,200 beams of radiation at small tumours in areas that are difficult to reach, such as the brain and the spine, explained CyberKnife project director Prof. Tariq Mahmood, who is also Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s (JPMC) head of radiology. “The words ‘cyber’ and ‘knife’ will tell you that this is a computerised surgery,” said Dr Mahmood. “The procedure is pain-free and each session wraps up in about two hours.”

The system was brought to Pakistan for the first time in December 2012, and has been treating up to four patients per day at JPMC’s newly built CyberKnife unit.

This machine is extremely expensive and the treatment plus patient care costs around $90,000 dollars per person all over the world. “Thanks to the PAF, the therapy is absolutely free-of-charge here – out of the 240 CyberKnife installations in the world, we are the only place that gives treatment for free, without discrimination of caste or religion,” said Dr Mahmood. “Our benevolence impressed the manufacturer so much, that he sold the CyberKnife to us at a discounted rate!”

Right next to the Rangoonwala building at the JPMC premises, the impressive new CyberKnife unit has opened its doors to patients. In this wing – which is complete with monitoring equipment, a UPS system, a trained team and the multi-million dollar robot – the case of a patient opting for CyberKnife treatment is discussed by a radiologist, radiation oncologist, physicist and radiation therapist. The team then decides the dosage and frequency of therapy required to destroy the tumour, and begins treatment.

“For a cancer patient, regular surgery is a good option if the damage to vital organs can be minimised,” said Dr Mahmood, referring to the various ways in which a tumour can be tackled. “Chemotherapy has side effects and regular radio therapy destroys between five to 20mm of healthy tissue. CyberKnife destroys less than 1mm of healthy tissue, so it can treat tumours in areas where surgery is inconceivable.”

Moments after his fifth and final session of CyberKnife treatment ended on Friday, Bilal sat patiently in a waiting room in the newly constructed wing, excited about going home. He said that the procedure was pain-free and that he was conscious for the hour-and-a-half he spent in the special room that houses the CyberKnife. “The pain has definitely decreased since the therapy started,” he explained. “My vision is also improving. We are hoping that the next MRI will bring some good news,” he said with a smile.

Dr Mahmood said that with the help of ongoing donations, about 1,000 patients such as Tariq can be treated every year.

He also hoped that as the confidence of the team at JPMC grows, it will start treating prostrate and lung tumours along with the ongoing brain and spine treatment.

The machine moves with the patient’s breathing, he explained, so it accurately locks onto tumours deemed untreatable due to their close proximity to major blood vessels. Movement such as breathing is monitored by cameras, so the robot repositions the beam in order to minimise damage to healthy tissue.

“This has all been made possible by the charity of the PAF’s private donors,” says Dr Mahmood. “We need donations worth $1 million every year to cover the cost for the upkeep of this building, its equipment and staff.”

The Patient’s Aid Foundation has organised a fundraising musical evening for guests and donors at the Mohatta Palace on Saturday evening, where singers Shafqat Amanat Ali and Meesha Shafi are set to perform. With the help of funds from such events, and ongoing donations throughout the year, the foundation hopes to sustain the work and expansion it has undertaken at the JPMC.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2013.

On Saturday, the Lyari Resource Centre (LRC) organised the education fair in collaboration with the town administration. A large number of students from public and private schools, colleges and universities attended the fair that had more than 110 stalls.

This is the second time that LRC organised the grand fair – the first one was held on January 21, 2012, at the same venue when around 15,000 students along with their parents participated. This time, however, the numbers doubled. Even though, the festival started at 9am and continued till 6pm, the crowd stayed for most of the day.

At a stall for football fans, a student of class eight, Sanaullah Baloch, who lives in the Mola Mada area of Lyari, stood with his teachers and boasted of the numerous cups and medals he had received in school. “Despite meagre resources, we are trying to keep our ancestors’ favourite game alive,” he said.

Meanwhile, Headway Grammar School’s Muhammad Tariq was showing around visiting parents and students. He was trying to explain to them the difference between life in a village and a populated city, such as Karachi. Showing various models manufactured by the students, Tariq said that most visitors were interested in the concept. “We want to show our students how peaceful life is in the rural areas,” he said.

Pointing at the wind turbine, solar energy project and the solar system models, Khalilur Rehman Raeesi of KS Islamia Grammar School was hopeful that the students will prove that Lyari can not only produce world-class sportsmen, but also scientists.

Shabina Baloch, who was attending the fair with her two children, said that she had been walking around visiting different stalls since morning. “These are healthy activities and I hope such events will spread a good message about Lyari.”

Resident Abdul Ghafoor Memon also felt the same way. “Our children acquire education and invent unique items through their studies and that shows that a new Lyari is about to emerge,” he said.

Uzair Jan Baloch of the Peoples Amn Committee also came to the festival. “I want to see each of Lyari’s children become highly educated,” he told the crowd. “Only through education they can bring a change in their life and in Pakistan.”

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)Karachi division general secretary Najmi Alam, Sindh education minister’s coordinator Naveed Zubair, Lyari Development Authority director-general Aleem Lashari, town administrator Muhammad Raeesi, and others also attended the fair and appreciated the efforts that the students had put in.

“Education is the only way to progress,” said LRC chairperson Habib Hasan, who is also the vice-president of PPP Karachi division. “This event shows that Lyari is more than just a haven for criminals, as is normally portrayed,” he told The Express Tribune. “This is just the start. The children of Lyari will make a visible difference in the coming years, as long as they have access to such facilities.”

Hasan shared that the authorities wanted to introduce students of schools and colleges to the various opportunities present in Lyari.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2013.

These girls are celebrating the opening of one of the Deaf Reach schools for the hearing impaired in Gulistan Jauhar on Saturday. This school is one of the many campuses set up in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah and Lahore by Family Education Services Foundation (FESF) that cater to over 800 deaf students from kindergarten to matriculation.

Even more touching than the sight of these girls performing is the story behind these schools. An expatriate couple, Richard Geary and Heidi, had been living in Pakistan since the early 1980s. After they discovered their son, Michael, was deaf, they were exasperated by the lack of options available for children with special needs in Pakistan.

Hence, they started a school of 15 students in two rooms, donated by someone, in Saddar, where both Heidi and Richard and their other son, Aaron, taught. When Michael passed away a few years later, the couple decided to set up more deaf schools in his legacy.

During his speech on Saturday, Geary – who now serves as FESF’s executive director – instantly captured the audiences’ attention by referring to the deaf as a “cultural minority” as opposed to a disabled group. “Just like any different culture, they speak a language most of us don’t understand.”

He then went on to quote some grave statistics on hearing-impaired children. “Nearly 1.5 million children in Pakistan are profoundly deaf, yet only two per cent get a chance to attend school,” he said. Teaching these students is also not easy given there is no universal sign language, he added.

In Pakistan, students study Pakistan Sign Language, which has barely been documented in books. Given this lack of resources, FSEF has taken the initiative of creating a visual dictionary with signs for 10,000 words in it. With this open source video dictionary in place, parents will be better able to understand their hearing-impaired children, teachers will have an easier time explaining concepts and the students will have easier time learning.

FSEF also works on providing students with the skills to take up different vocations, such as sewing, weaving, embroidery, tailoring, arts and IT. Graduate of these programmes have succeeded in getting jobs in companies, such as United Bank Limited, Engro, DHL, Alfalah Bank, etc. The students who attended the monthly cooking classes given by Chef Philippe of the Sheraton Hotel were, in fact, hired by the chef to be on his team.

The new campus building, which has a large courtyard, airy classrooms and art and vocational training rooms, has been donated by Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority.

Zainab Burney, a philanthropist at the event, admitted that she felt ashamed. “I can’t believe that these people from other countries have spent so much of their time, funds and energy on a section of our society that we Pakistanis don’t even acknowledge exists.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2013.

“Edhi is the best example of humanitarian Islam,” she said at the launch of another book, ‘Half of Two Paisas: The Extraordinary Mission of Abdul Sattar Edhi and Bilquis Edhi’ on day one of the fourth Karachi Literature Festival Friday. “He is a weapon against extremists and the militants who are promoting the wrong kind of religion.”

The Italian author of Half of Two Paisas, Lorenza Raponi, flew in from home for the launch of the English translation.

Raponi said that Durrani’s earlier biography became the basis of her book, and she spent ten days in Karachi interviewing Edhi and his wife, along with workers and people benefiting from the facilities. “Edhi wasn’t feeling well at that time,” she said. “I was scared that I would not be able to meet him. But it was incredible how he admitted a stranger to his house. He is a most positive example of Islam, and a star for us as well as for the entire humanity.”

The graceful Durrani expressed sadness over how the humanitarian has not received enough recognition in the country. When the audience clapped, she snapped, “Why are we clapping? Our country is suffering a loss.”

In between the conversation, Durrani would pause, her thoughts wandering off here and there. “Sorry. This is the first public forum in the country that I am speaking at,” she said. “Bigger than the book, is just his (Edhi’s) presence in the hall.”

Durrani said that Edhi was not just a social reformer and a man who buries bodies or runs orphanages, but is an agent of change. “Talking about Edhi humbles me,” she said, as the crack of lightening stunned the room into silence that was broken by the pitter patter of rain. Indeed, some sessions were delayed by the unexpected downpour.

Durrani went on to say that while her book on Edhi was confined to what he had said and wrote, she appreciated that Raponi had taken a step further and included her own opinions.

As the conversation continued between the two women, Abdul Sattar Edhi looked from side to side. It took half an hour for an organizer to interrupt the session and suggest that Edhi himself should brought into conversation on the stage.

Following a stand ovation, Edhi settled down comfortably. “I am a human. I try to make others human too,” he said. “Every religion talks of humanity. Our religion teaches love, simplicity, yet we have forgotten everything and have become artificial.”

He said that without having anyone’s permission, he was working in the country as welfare work did not need consent.  “I am fighting for the poor. I don’t drink tea or smoke. I just have two pairs of shalwar kameez, which I discard every five months. Bilquis has done so much for me. My children are with me. I have made this nation into a charitable one.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2013.

The name of the campaign is based on the statistic that every third woman is beaten; and with a total of seven billion people in the world, this translates into a grave reality of one billion abused women.

The seminar began with short speeches made by Pakistani women working for the rights of women and a performance by Kermani and her protégé. It seemed like the perfect way for women to express their outrage against abuse, demand change, rise against the injustices women suffer all over the world and play a role in ending violence against women.

However, the lack of preparedness demonstrated by the organisers at the seminar made it almost painful to watch. Even though the esteemed panel of female judges, writers and activists had strong points to make about OBR, the way they were just called on the spot by organisers to talk about the concept seemed unprofessional. But the beautifully orchestrated performance Aao Raqs Karo (Come and Dance), based on the poetry of famous thinker and poetess Fahimda Riaz sung by Gulshan Ara Syed and Tina Sani, started right on time and delivered a strong message — it more than made up for the seminars’ misgivings.

The event wasn’t just held for the elite and privileged women of Karachi. It was free and open for all and the diverse audience consisted mostly of working women, factory workers and their children who need this information and knowledge.

Kermani took the audience on a visual journey back to the Stone Age, when a woman was integral and played a key role in most activities. From there on, the performance settled on the Neolithic Age when farming became popular. Through dance, she showed the ways women helped mankind with progression and survival. But as humans advanced and time passed, some men became arrogant and made women their victims.

The sequences in which men were shown physically abusing women were so well-acted by the male performers that they almost became hard to watch. All the female performers, especially the younger ones, had a grace which was uniquely their own.

Like all writers, poets and creative geniuses, Kermani through her dream-like performance and art demonstrated her interpretation of the reasons behind the abuse of women. It seemed that to Kermani, abuse came down to imprisoning a woman under a chaddar. This was evident when three women were shown writhing under a black cloth.

The question then to be asked is, are women who are not under a chaddar not being abused? Are Western women who were not buried under dark layers safe from rape or molestation?

But like all visionaries, whether or not one agrees, Kermani has delivered her message, in a colourful and meaningful escapade.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2013.            

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A serious learning environment and the access to good quality education are the ingredients that can bring about a rapid change in the country, said the university’s graduates, as they celebrated the moment with their families and friends.

The university distributed a total of 1,330 degrees and 37 gold medals during the ceremony.

The varsity’s staff members, as well as Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairperson Dr Javed Leghari, who was the chief guest on the occasion, also paid tribute to the university’s charismatic founder, Hakim Mohammad Said.

Hamdard University vice chancellor, Dr Hakim Abdul Hannan, observed that Hakim Said “did not believe in the commercialisation of education, and had therefore established Hamdard University to promote higher education”.

Renowned nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is a member of the university’s board of governors, joined the varsity’s faculty members and parents on the occasion.

The varsity’s chancellor, Sadia Rashid, congratulated the graduates and their parents, and said that they were fortunate to have a degree from a reputed university in a country where millions could not even read or write.

Male students outnumbered their female counterparts in the run for gold medals, as they took 20 of 30 gold medals that were awarded to outstanding performers in the final semester. However, female candidates received four out of seven Shaheed Hakim Mohammad Said gold medals. These medals were awarded to the best graduate from each faculty, who had secured positions throughout their stay at the university.

Mazharullah, whose son and daughter graduated together on the occasion, claimed that he was more proud of his daughter than his son. The siblings had been class fellows at the Plastic Technology Centre at the university. “My daughter defeated all her male class fellows by securing the gold medal. This was the day I had been waiting for years,” he told The Express Tribune, while overcome with emotions.

Summya Khan, Mazharullah’s daughter, said that if a student had worked hard throughout his or her academic career, then they had no reason to fear the competition they would face outside the walls of their educational institution.

A graduate of the university’s pharmacy department, Mehrunnisa was surprised to find that she was awarded two gold medals: one for being a top student throughout her studies at Hamdard, and the other for topping in her faculty. “No words can express my feelings right now,” said Mehrunnisa, who hails from a rural area in Mirpurkhas. “All of this is due to my father, who gave me his unconditional support. I am the first girl from my family who has received gold medals.”

Saim Ahmed was ecstatic as well, as he found that he had secured a position for the first time, even though he had a tough schedule. He studied in the morning and worked in the evening. “These are not the ideal times for job seekers, as our economy is going downhill. [In order to find a job now], one not only needs to work hard, but also needs to be extra talented.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2013.

The university failed to receive its monthly due of Rs74 million from the ministry of finance till the end of February, confirmed the university’s finance director Muhammad Sajeeruddin when The Express Tribune contacted him on Thursday. “We have never stalled salaries – not even for a day,” said Sajeeruddin. “Several cuts in the university budget and relentless delays in disbursement of funds over the last couple of years, however, have made us feel helpless now.”

Each month, the university pays Rs87 million in salaries to its employees and an additional Rs30 million is the running expenditure for each month. The funds of Rs74 million, for which the university receives a cheque every month, fail to even cover that amount of salaries. The director finance, however, said that the salaries worth Rs35 million for the lower staff of grades between one and 15 were managed through the university’s internal resources and a certain amount of loan. “This was done at the expense of those officers and academics who  would be paid when the cheque arrives,” he said. “If this situation persists, the university officials have reached to the consensus that running affairs of the university will not be possible.”

Meanwhile, the KU finance director, Qazi Zafar Abbas, told The Express Tribune upon contact that their monthly due of Rs116 million had also not arrived this month.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2013.

According to witnesses, three young men and a girl inside a black car, with a green ‘applied for registration’ licence plate for 2012, tried to kidnap a woman, who was accompanied by a teenage girl and a toddler in the underground parking. The woman shouted for help as the suspects tried to kidnap her.

This alerted the security guard, Ghulam Din, who ran towards the car. “As soon as they saw Din coming, the driver of the black car tried to drive on the wrong way and hit a pavement as well,” recalled Din’s colleague. “At that time, the driver, the female suspect and the kidnapped family were inside the car.”

Another security guard immediately locked the electronic gates of the parking lot to prevent their escape. “By this time, the car tyre had already burst and the gate was closed so they were nearly captured,” said a witness. Din was also holding the driver at gunpoint.

However, the remaining accomplices came from behind and opened fire at Din. “Din fell down so the suspects managed to open the gates and escaped on foot.”

The security guards who were deployed outside the mall said that the suspects had another car waiting outside the mall that they used to flee. “We couldn’t understand ourselves what happened,” said a guard. “It all happened inside the parking lot so we didn’t see anything. We just saw them sitting in the car.” The injured guard was later taken to Ziauddin Hospital. The family that was being kidnapped also disappeared and the police have yet to contact them.

Meanwhile, panic spread inside the mall as the exits were temporarily closed. Rumours also flew around that a shooter was roaming the halls. “We were really scared. My husband was with me, but no one was telling us exactly what had happened,” said a shopper, Faiza Kashif. “Our families also panicked when they heard the news on TV, but it all calmed down soon after.”

After going through security camera footages, Clifton division SSP Nasir Aftab told the media that the incident was an attempt at kidnapping but the security guard foiled it. “We can only confirm once we contact the family who the suspects were and why were they being kidnapped,” he said.

The police have, however, impounded the suspects’ car and also noted the registration number of the other car that they used to escape. A pistol, ammunitions and a cellphone were recovered from the impounded car. They have yet to register the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2013.

At the hearing of the suo motu case on Wednesday, the Supreme Court had raked the law enforcers, including IG Fayyaz Leghari, over the coals for their ‘dismal’ response to the explosion. Following its castigation of the police, the Sindh government issued a notification placing Leghari and DIG East Aleem Jafri at the disposal of the federal government. DSP Sohrab Goth Qamar Ahmed and SHO Sacchal police station Azhar Iqbal were suspended.

At the Sindh Assembly session on Thursday, the chief minister said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan had only heard one side of the story and made a very hasty decision. “It seems as if the apex court had already made up its mind before the hearing. It should have heard our plea, but this did not happen,” he said. “We have now decided to appeal against the decision. It will be the court’s prerogative to either maintain or dismiss our review petition.”

The chief minister also refuted allegations that he had chosen to stay at Pakistan Peoples Party leader Sharmila Farooqi’s dinner even after the blast. “When the blast happened, I was not present at her engagement dinner – I was in a meeting at Chief Minister House,” he said. “Her dinner was scheduled to start at 9pm and the blast took place at around 7pm. Why would I be at Mohatta palace two hours before the event?”

Shah, who also holds the portfolio of the home department, claimed that the only reason that government officials weren’t in Abbas Town immediately after the incident was because unidentified men had put up barricades on the roads leading to the blast site. “The men not only stopped PPP leaders from visiting the area, but also created hurdles for law enforcers,” he said. “They shot at two law enforcers and threatened the police and Rangers to leave the area.”

Shah said that some TV channels had misled people into believing that the government and law enforcers were callous to the blast victims’ pain. “It is very unfortunate that our court is also referring to the channels’ reports.”

The chief minister said that he was informed about the incident at around 7:20 pm and he had ordered the IG to rush to the spot. Leghari reached the blast site at around 7:40pm, but enraged people didn’t allow him to enter the neighbourhood. “The court said that he had gone there after four hours, but he had actually reached the site in 20 minutes.” When a DSP and sub-inspector tried to force their way into the area, the mob attacked them. “They were discharged from the hospital on Thursday, but the media ignored this.”

‘Culprits of Abbas Town tragedy have confessed’

The chief minister told the legislators that law enforcers have arrested suspects linked with the Abbas Town blast. “It would be premature to disclose the findings, but I will reveal the initial findings of the case during the provincial government’s five-year performance report being presented in the next session.”

Govt releases funds for blast survivors

Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that government has released funds to provide compensation to Abbas Town blast survivors. He said that records are being retrieved from hospitals to identify those who deserve compensation, adding that a committee comprising the representatives of the area and the government has been constituted.

After the assembly proceedings had been winded up, a photo session of the legislators was held and a certificate distribution ceremony was organised at main entrance of the building. The session will continue today.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2013.

The Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) held a number of protests in different parts of the city on Friday to express their solidarity with the victims of the Abbas Town blast and condemn terrorism across the country. 

The protesters lit clay lamps and offered prayers for all those affected by the blast. They also held up banners which had messages condemning sectarian attacks and demanded that countrywide operations be conducted to weed out militants. The protesters also demanded that the government immediately rehabilitate all those who had been left without a roof over their heads after the blast.

“We salute the martyrs, heirs of martyrs and those injured in the Abbas Town blast and other tragedies,” said Allama Sadiq Raza Taqvi, the general secretary of MWM’s Karachi chapter, while speaking at a protest near the blast site.

Nasir Shirazi, the central political secretary of the MWM, assured protesters that his group would not abandon the victims’ families in their time of need. Maulana Ali Anwar Jafri also promised them that relief efforts would continue till the last survivor is rehabilitated.

After Friday prayers, a rally was organised at Hussaini Jamey Masjid in Malir where Allama Agha Hassan Salahuddin, MWM’s central leader, delivered a speech.

A number of protesters also gathered at the Khoja Jamey Masjid in Kharadar where Maulana Ali Murtaza Zaidi, spoke. Similar protests were held in Sadat Colony, Drigh Road, Shah Faisal Colony, Landhi and Gulshan-e-Hadeed.

A protest was also held after Friday prayers at Qadamgah Maula Ali, Hyderabad. The clerics who addressed the protesters condemned the blasts in Quetta and Karachi. They demanded the arrest of culprits involved in these blasts and severe punishments for them. Special prayers for the victims of the attack were offered after Friday prayers at mosques across the district.

MWM activists also organised a rally which started from Central Imambargah, Talhar, and ended at the press club. Addressing the rally, religious scholars held the “inept” government responsible for the Abbas Town incident and similar attacks. They warned that they will organise bigger protests if the government does not do something to improve the law and order situation in the country.

(With input from agencies)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2013.

“It’s very encouraging to see so many people here who have fought the disease,” said Naqvi. “I am hopeful that with willpower, I will also be cured.”

The medical institution had put together the event to celebrate Cancer Survivors Day and encourage patients recently diagnosed with the disease to fight it by showing them success stories. “The biggest hurdle to treatment is misconceptions many people have,” said Dr Nehal Masood, the head the hospital’s oncology department. “They make people waste a lot of crucial time and sometimes keep patients from seeking treatment.” One of the myths floating around is that a biopsy to test for the presence of the illness can increase the rate at it which it progresses. But Dr Masood said that this fear is baseless as there is no scientific evidence to back it up. He added that many types of cancers can be cured.

Muhammad Khursheed, a 68-year-old cancer survivor said he regrets not approaching doctors immediately after he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2007. The diagnosis had shaken him badly and he had slipped into depression. “Only when I went to the doctors did me and family find the hope and courage to battle the disease,” said Khursheed. “Despite the delay in starting treatment and the loss of an eye, I am just like anyone my age.”

Dr Adnan Jabbar reiterated the fact that people need to understand that cancer is not a death sentence. “It is the job of family members, friends and doctors to provide patients hope and courage to seek treatment and fight the disease.”

Haseena Moin, prominent author and a recipient of the Pride of Performance award, said that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was halfway through writing a drama. But she valiantly fought the disease and has now been cured. “I always had hoped that with a lot of love, people will give me a reason to live. The experience helped me understand the life of people who have been fighting the disease.” She said that a television channel will soon telecast a drama written by her on this topic.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2013.

Pakistan Rangers, Sindh spokesperson, Colonel Shafiq Niazi, said that 168 criminals, including 49 high-profile suspects were apprehended and 457 weapons of different calibers, were seized during 15 major operations in Karachi. He was speaking at a media briefing on the Rangers performance since January 1 at the Pakistan Rangers Headquarters.

He added that 401 suspects with 163 weapons were taken into custody during 97 raids conducted in parts of the city while 327 suspects along with 162 weapons were arrested during snap checking and routine patrolling. Most of the high-profile target killers and 39 extortionists who were arrested belong to political parties and banned outfits, he said.

Since January, Rangers have come under attack thrice, 14 Rangers personnel have been wounded and seven have already lost their lives. In reply to a question, he said that the Rangers are doing a good job against terrorist and criminal elements and that is why they were being targeted.

“We are being attacked so we stop our mission. But our only aim is to get rid of terrorism once and for all and we will not rest till we achieve that,” he said.

With reference to the blast at the Rangers Complex in North Nazimabad, he said that they are very close to arresting the culprits but could not share any information until they do so.

Expressing gratitude to the citizens of Karachi for cooperating with the Rangers, Niazi said that around 800 complaints have been received so far by the people of Karachi in the current year. “We always try to facilitate innocent citizens during our operations.”

He clarified that the raids were not being conducted in specific areas but in almost all parts of the city based on the intelligence information and complaints received by the citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2013.