Erdogan in Pakistan: Of speeches and bloopers
Recently, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan addressed a joint session of the Pakistani Parliament for the second time in four years. In his speech, he took the opportunity to offer his condolences for the Siachen tragedy, discuss bilateral trade, economic cooperation and generally about the strong bond of friendship between Pakistan and Turkey. The premier also had something to say about the role of opposition parties, commenting that opposition parties exist to reform the government, not to kick it out. Mr Erdogan also talked about the very important role of the Parliament and finally, lauded Pakistan for upholding democracy. In short, ...
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Remember the ads of yesteryear?
‘Wasim bhai ap thaktay nahin hain?’ (Wasim brother, don’t you get tired?) ‘Nahi, mein cigarette nahin peeta.’ (No, because I don’t smoke.) These simple words uttered by Wasim Akram in an anti-smoking advertisement many years ago are still remembered by millions. I am sure all those born in the 80s watched this advertisement on their television sets, and those who missed it must have seen it on YouTube. Why is it that we still remember this ad? It is simply because the commercials of yesteryear had a certain feel to them. Even today, they successfully manage to grab our attention, and as soon as we watch them ...
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In our PM’s words: And why don’t they leave then?
A video showing the true colours of the Pakistani leadership is being passed around on the web. This time it’s our Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, who has shown the world why Pakistan is in such a sorry state. For the initial five minutes of this video, our prime minister makes the usual excuses that have become the trademark of the Pakistan government. In the last 15 seconds, interviewer Becky Anderson tells Gilani about poll results that reveal that about a third of Pakistanis want to leave the country. This is when the video gets really interesting. Following this remark come ...
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Street harassment: The blame lies with you
When one talks about street harassment in Pakistan, an interesting question that is raised by most is, Whose fault is it exactly? In my quest to find some answers, and ask women about their views on this issue, I went to Jumma Bazar near Khayaban-e-Ittehad. It was an interesting and eye-opening experience to say the least. To begin with, it was difficult to convince women to talk in front of the camera. We literally had to chase after a few, be extra polite and add an ‘aunty please’ after every sentence to make them answer our questions. I asked them if they thought ...
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Where do you urinate if there is no lavatory?
“Yahaan pishaab karna mana hai“ (Do not urinate here) “Yahaan ghadda pishaab kar raha hai“ (The person urinating here is a donkey) These warnings are painted on many walls in our cities. Here is a picture: But these warnings are widely ignored by most people. One week ago, I decided to go out and talk to some pedestrians near my office about this practice; I asked them if they have ever urinated in a public place and why, and if they were willing to pay Rs5 per visit to a public toilet facility. The responses were varied, but one that stayed with me is that relieving ...
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Shabnam: A bright star of a bygone era
In the 60s, Shabab and Evernew studios were considered the two best film studios in Lollywood. Any director in Lahore would want to shoot his films there. Like many legends of that era, the beautiful Shabnam also spent most of her time shooting at these locations. After 14 years, Shabnam returned to Pakistan last month. Although Shahab no longer exists and Evernew is not what it used to be, Shabnam’s fans were keen to have one more glimpse of her as she visited her colleagues in Lahore. Film technicians who had worked with Shabnam back in the day described her as a ...
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Child labour in Pakistan: They have dreams like ours
Child labour refers to work done by children that harms them or exploits them either physically or mentally. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) defines a ‘child’ as anyone below the age of 18, and ‘child labour’ as any form of work performed by children below age 18. On the way to university, a few days ago, I observed many children working in the streets of Quetta. Most of them were boys, between the age of 10 to 14. They were carrying an assortment of goods like paper, plastic, wood and pieces of metal in bags in order to sell these. Looking ...
Read Full PostSatisfied with TV coverage of the Bhoja Air crash?
As the Bhoja Air plane went up in flames on Friday evening, so did tempers within the Pakistani social media crowd. Along with the “RIP all victims of Bhoja Air crash” status updates on Facebook, there were angry tweets questioning why television channels aired the passenger list and why images of the crash site were being aired. It seemed that it was easier for people to direct their fury at the media for being “sensational, insensitive and unethical”. Some from the media circle, however, defended the coverage and retaliated by saying that the reporters were doing their jobs. This brings to light a few ...
Read Full PostPTI in Balochistan: Quetta loves Kaptaan
In this video, I explored the true sense of excitement that surrounded Imran Khan’s rally in Quetta. As one of the locals who attended the jalsa (rally) in person, I recorded scenes that show what this gathering means to the people of Balochistan. I interviewed men who travelled long distances to see their beloved leader, Imran Khan. The general sentiment around the rally reflected adoration, positivity and patriotism. One can gauge the amount of respect people in Balochistan have for Imran Khan by the fact that many people showed up to support him despite the flooded streets and traffic jams. “Rastay ...
Read Full PostTo wear or not to wear a niqab
It is no surprise that both our top blogs this week have talked about the face veil. In the first one, our blogger wrote about a social experiment she conducted by wearing a niqab for a day. The other blog talked about the controversy surrounding a picture of a veiled woman holding up a bra. Here are some of the reactions to these pieces: “’Female figure is a source of evil and therefore should be kept strictly hidden. All girl children be taught to be ashamed of their own bodies. Any reference to female anatomy meets with a response of disgust, ...
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