What if you could live without making any trash? Would you do it? Or more importantly, could you do it?

Just a few months ago, a restaurant in Chicago made international headlines by going completely trash-free, having produced absolutely no garbage in over two years! Everyone loved the idea and commended the restaurant for its success but never thought it would be something they could do themselves. At least, that was until young New Yorker Lauren Singer came along. Inspired by the Environment Studies course she undertook at New York University (NYU), Singer hasn’t produced any trash in over two years and her story isn’t what one would expect.

It began one day during her course, when Singer opened her refrigerator and realised that everything in it was contained in some form of disposable packaging. The realisation made Singer — who referred to herself as a ‘Green Girl’ — feel like a hypocrite as she was leading a lifestyle which harmed her surroundings and the environment in general. It was then that she knew she had to mend her ways. Gradually, she eliminated all possible sources of waste from her entire life, one baby step at a time.

The first step was removing all plastic and packages products from her residence and replacing them with handmade cloth bags that could hold her shopping. She even started buying clothes from second-hand stores and formulating her own personal care products instead of buying them. A major part of Singer’s quest was economising: she sold off all old, unnecessary items and refused everyday items like straws, plastic bags, plates and cutlery completely. In fact, she even said that she refused to accept paper receipts from the retailers she visited!

Singer also saves a considerable amount of money by sticking to a simple grocery list, buying food in bulk and staying away from unnecessary or expensive items. She subsists on a diet of unpackaged vegetables, fruits and whole grains from local farmers. One weakly trip to the supermarket is enough for Singer and she is rid of having to clear up boxes and trash as well.

Of course, implementing such a radical change was not an easy feat but fortunately, Singer has emerged successful, healthier and happier than ever before. She admits that she never anticipated that her life would improve so much. Finally living a life in line with what she believes in, Singer hopes to inspire others to follow in her footsteps via her interactive blog, ‘Trash is for Tossers.’ Singer has also established her own, zero-waste company entitled ‘The Simple Co’ which sells handmade, organic products she makes herself. Through her efforts, Singer has successfully proved that a life without waste is very much possible. Perhaps we ought to take a page from her book and try to curtail the trash we produce in our own homes as well.

Quick tips to reduce trash

•  Use cotton mesh bags instead of plastic ones when shopping.

•  Invest in re-usable glass jars and containers to store food items.

•  Buy groceries in bulk instead of going to the supermarket every day.

•  Minimize the waste produced by setting up a compost system in your backyard. This waste can also be used as a fertilizer for grass.

•  Prepare everyday food items like yogurt, bread and cereals from scratch instead of buying them. This will help you avoid packaging and the harmful chemicals packaged food often contains.

•  Remove disposable materials like paper towels, napkins, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, etc. from your life.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, January 4^th, 2015.

Over the past few decades, Pakistan’s foreign policy has been considerably shaped by events in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a country which has remained the driving force for ups and downs in Pak-US relationship.

Prior to the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan was under US economic sanctions due to its nuclear programme and was further isolated globally when the then army chief, General Pervez Musharraf, toppled the civilian government in 1999.

Under the bilateral security agreement signed between Washington and Kabul, US forces still have access to military facilities at Kabul, Bagram, Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Khandahar, Helmand, Gardez, Jalalabad and Shindand

But the 9/11 attacks changed everything. Musharraf’s decision to join hands with the Bush administration to overthrow the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was a turning point in Islamabad’s ties with Washington. It was a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s decade-long policy of supporting the Taliban in Kabul, although the West is still sceptical that Islamabad may not have completely cut off its ties with the insurgents.

As a result of policy shift, Pakistan’s international isolation ended. And many Western leaders started travelling to Pakistan and holding talks with Musharraf. Pakistan was even declared a major non-Nato ally and was seen as a frontline state in the ‘war against terrorism’.

Since 9/11, Islamabad benefited from increased global attention and better access to resources.  Pakistan has received around $21 billion in economic and military assistance from the US. But a large chunk of this money, around $13 billion, came under the Coalition Support Fund to reimburse the military cost Pakistan incurred in the fight against terrorism while about $8 billion in civilian assistance, $5 billion of which were delivered over the last five years under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act.

Despite major hiccups including Raymond Davis controversy, Bin Laden secret raid, Salala attack and accusations of the US against Pakistani security establishment for its alleged double play, the US fight against Taliban in Afghanistan means breakup with Pakistan was not an option.

Source: Icasualties.org

But the situation will certainly change after the US pullout. The major challenge for both Pakistan and the US is to sustain what is seen as crucial cooperation in post-2014.

Pakistani authorities have repeatedly voiced concerns over the US once again turning a blind eye towards the war-raged country in the wake of end of the combat operation. The US, however, has assured that it will not repeat the mistake of 1979 when it left the region high and dry.

While the US may not completely detach itself from the region due to important strategic concerns, political experts are of the view that Pakistan should not expect continued military and economic assistance beyond 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2015.

ISLAMABAD / PESHAWAR / LAHORE / KARACHI: Lahore

Babli Sajji Dera

Fish is mostly consumed here in winters. Barbeque the fish and you’ll have a culinary experience you will rave about for a long time. Babli Saji Dera offers fish sajji – marinated boneless fish placed between two grills and cooked on coal.

Standing behind the grill, Usman Tariq, son of the shop’s owner, places the meat on skewers and adjusts the coal. “We need to meet orders promptly and make sure no one is kept waiting,” he says. Babli Sajji Dera is the oldest sajji corner in Mozang, he adds proudly.

He further says they only sell fish sajji in winters and people love it but chicken sajji is their claim to fame.

The flavoursome rice accompanying the fish sajji complements it beautifully. It has strong notes of star anise. The fish is flaky and cooked to perfection.

The address of the shop is 96 Temple Road. It’s a roadside set up and does not have proper seating arrangements. The food they serve, however, makes up for it. To place orders please call Muhammad Saddam at 0321 6375037

Word to the wise: You cannot do what we do [that is, make fish sajji] so it’s best you come over to our joint and enjoy the best fish sajji in town — Usman Tariq, son of the owner

Rating

Taste 4.5

Hygiene 3

Value For Money 4.5

Service 2.5

Grill n’ Bake

If you love your barbeque slathered in spice, the food at Grill n’ Bake will make you rethink your food philosophy. “The quality of the meat you consume should speak for itself,” says Afrin Hussain, owner and procurement manager of Grill n’ Bake.

Hussain and his wife Saffana opened the restaurant to provide nutritious food to meat lovers. The meat is set aside from the flame and is slow-cooked so that it retains its juices and does not char. “People tell us that you cannot make kebabs without onions or fat…we do just fine without them,” he says.

Grill n’ Bake’s kasturi boti and lamb chops are a must have. The chops are ginormous and the taste of the lamb leads the flavour. Aseel Murgh, made from roosters bred to fight, is a delicious experience. Hussain claims that no other restaurant in the city serves whole-wheat naan and parhattas. The meal ends with a surprise – the unpretentiously named meetha naan leaves the consumer wide-eyed in raptures. It is washed down with chai made on coal.

The restaurant is situated on the corner of a nondescript market in L-Block Model Town Extension. For queries and reservations call: 0308 444 2253

Word to the wise: Do not be afraid to experiment. You’ll be amazed at the food you can make by simply going with intuition — Afrin Hussain, owner of Grill n’ Bake

Rating

Taste 4

Hygiene 4

Value for money 4

Service 4

Karachi

Jehangir Meeruth Kabab House

What made the owners of Jehangir Meeruth Kabab House claim the patent on barbeque dishes? Manager Muhammad Kamran believes it is their ancestor’s special recipe that they brought over from Meeruth in Uttar Pradesh in India following Partition.

“Barbeque was actually a specialty of Meeruth,” he said. “How can others excel in a cuisine that is our specialty?”

Kamran went on to say that it is a mixture of 14 kinds of ground spices that made their food standout. “The consistency of each ground spice matters,” he said. “Our ancestors had set it up years ago, which gives the sheer ecstasy of barbeque flavour when you chew it.”

Spicy seekh kabab, their specialty, is served with paratha and chatni and is ideally washed down with a chilled soft drink. Ending the meal with sooji ka halwa for dessert provides a fitting finale to the experience.

The restaurant has branches on Tipu Sultan Road and Sharae Faisal, near the Baloch Colony flyover.

For more information call: 0300 825 9656

Word to the wise: Bar BQ was actually a specialty of Meeruth. How can others excel in a cuisine that is our specialty? — Manager Muhammad Kamran

Rating

Taste: 4

Hygiene: 3

Value for money: 5

Service: 4

Abdul Ghaffar (PECHS Branch)

Abdul Ghaffar Kabab House is a great place to dine with family and friends. Their casual sitting area makes for a very comfortable dining experience.

It is located on 4th Street, Delhi Mercantile Society, PECHS. It has two branches, one in Port Grand and the other on Tariq Road.  Run by Sheikh Abdul Ghaffar as a family business, this restaurant is one of the most popular places for barbecue lovers.

The food items they offer include well-cooked and very well grilled chicken tikka, reshmi kabab and malai boti. The restaurant’s patrons do not exaggerate when they say their food tastes out of this world.

The regular order is served with salad, raita and chutney. The raita is well blended but the chutney is nothing to write home about. Their rates too are pretty affordable. A regular serving for four, with three different items, costs under Rs1,000.

Muhammad Usman, a server at the restaurant, says, “We have maintained the quality and [serving] quantity of our food. It is the quality of the meat and ingredients they use that makes their food standout from other barbeque outlets in Karachi,” he says.

The restaurant offers takeaway facility. There is usually a long queue of people waiting to place their orders. Abdul Ghaffar Kabab House also takes large orders for wedding and other ceremonies.

If you claim to love food, you cannot not try Ghaffar’s.

Word to the wise: It is the quality of the meat and ingredients we use that makes our food standout from other barbeque outlets in Karachi — Muhammad Usman, a server at Abdul Ghaffar (PECHS branch)

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 3

Value for money: 5

Service: 4

BBQ Tonight

BBQ Tonight, one of the oldest restaurants of its kind in the city, starts humming as the night wears on.

The restaurant commenced operations in 1988 as a small shop. Today, it has two branches in the Malir Cantt and Boat Basin areas. The restaurant is on the pricey side and one needs to have at least Rs10,000 in their pocket if they are paying for their family and friends. The BBQ special platter that includes grilled prawns, fish tikkas, mutton ribs, reshmi kabab, chicken boti, Afghani tikka, malai tikka, mutton boti and kabuli pulao costs Rs7,250. It is served with raita and special flatbreads. BBQ Tonight’s special flatbreads include Kandahari nan, roghni nan, paratha, garlic nan, qeema nan, chicken qeema nan and whole-wheat nan.

Operations manager Ali Zaman believes that it the quality of meat that makes the restaurant stand out among its competitors. “No restaurant can rival the quality of the meat we use,” he said.  Zaman says that the spices used in their food are the best money can buy. “We marinate meat in a special paste that includes garlic juice, salt, red chili and white pepper,” said Zaman. “The marinated meat is grilled after applying butter to it. This makes it a treat for the taste buds.”

For more information call 111-227-111

Word to the wise: No restaurant can rival the quality of meat we use — BBQ Tonight operations manager Ali Zaman

Rating

Taste: 4

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 4

Service: 5

Peshawar

Habibi Restaurant 

Habibi Restaurant, located in Hayatabad, is renowned for its barbeque across the city. Prices here are at par with restaurants in Namak Mandi and cheaper than Bukara at the Pearl Continental hotel. Chief supervisor Aslam Jan said everything at the establishment was offered in keeping with time-honoured customs and traditions. “This makes us stand out among our competitors,” he said. Jan added the restaurant could arrange private barbeques for up to 50 people and the restaurant offers home delivery but the service was restricted to the precincts of the city. The Habibi special BBQ platter costs Rs2,600,  Habibi special malai tikka is priced at Rs320, barbequed chicken at Rs440, barbequed fish at Rs320 and barbequed quails at Rs360.

Word to the wise:
Everything at the establishment is offered in keeping with time-honoured customs and traditions. — Habibi Restaurant chief
supervisor Aslam Jan

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 4

Service: 4

Bukhara at the Pearl Continental Hotel 

Bukhara is one of the latest additions to the hotel’s restaurants. Pearl Continental food director Ahmad Khan said the restaurant had earned plaudits for its food and service. “Those who sample the dishes on offer here are bound to return for more,” he said.

Situated at the hotel’s rooftop, the restaurant offers panoramic views of the old city including Bala Hisar. Customers are also regaled with folk music at Bukhara. The barbeque buffet offered at Bukhara makes it a gastronomic force to reckon with. However, the food tends to be on the expensive side. The restaurant also offers a range of catering services. The staff at the restaurant excel at what they do and Bukhara’s kitchen is staffed with gifted chefs. Rigorous standards of hygiene are maintained at the restaurant. Auditors routinely inspect hygiene standards. The meat used at the restaurant is not touched by hand as it is processed by automated machines.

Word to the wise: The restaurant has earned plaudits for its food and service — Pearl
Continental food director Ahmad Khan

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 4

Service: 5

Kabul Restaurant

Kabul Restaurant, Islamabad’s pioneer Afghani barbeque joint sits amid the bustling Jinnah Super Market in Sector F-7 and merits every foodie’s visit. The tender charred meat marinated using salt, garlic, lemon and vegetable oil is mild enough to suit everyone’s palette.

Afghani kebabs and tikka boti that come on a skewer with salted grilled tomatoes, coupled with a sweet and sour chutney prepared using green chilies, green tomatoes, vinegar, home-grown coriander and mint is a treat for the taste buds. Hot, fluffy whole-wheat naan is served with the mouth-watering food, making the experience even better.

Muhammad Javaid, the chef, who has been working at the restaurant for the past 15 years, says, “We start preparing our meat at 4am every day. Our food is healthy and mildly flavoured, which is why people of various nationalities enjoy it.”

Javaid says their clients are from various socio-economic brackets since the price for a dozen skewers of any kind of meat is less than Rs500. Sides such as raita, achar and chutney cost Rs60 each. Other specialties at the restaurant include Kabuli pulao and kofta challaw.

Word to the wise: Prepare barbeque using fresh spices and herbs, not powdered spices. You could add lamb fat to all meat even chicken — Chef Muhammad Javaid

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 4

Value for money: 5

Service: 4

Islamabad

Des Pardes 

Think barbeque and one is spoilt for options in the capital. Ranging from Lebanese and Turkish recipes to Afghani and Irani delicacies, there is a diversity of multicultural cuisines for the average meat lover.

As far as the Pakistani variety is concerned, the oriental restaurant Des Pardes is not to be outdone. The restaurant boasts a magnificent view of the Margalla Hills, overlooking the sprawling Saidpur village.

The restaurant exudes a rustic, laidback aura with some exotic food options. Traditional charpoys and cushions make for a cosy outdoor setting so that one can take in the ambience and enjoy the mildly spicy food.

Three of the most popular barbeque items on the menu are mutton chops, chicken malai boti and fish tikka.  The chicken tikka comprises chunky boneless, cubes of chicken cooked on charcoal with a creamy texture.

The Makrani fish tikka is a delightful combination of Beckti fish marinated with yellow sauce cooked on charcoal and served with spicy sauce. Served in individual platters, the selections are coupled up with dips such as raita, imlee chutni, green chilli chutni and mint chutni.

Mutton chops are roasted over a low flame, lending them the characteristic crispy and crunchy texture on the surface and a juicy core with a tangy flavour.

The restaurant that prides itself over preparing fresh barbeque, also takes delivery orders. It also has a branch in Sector E-11. For queries please call 051 8431234

Word to the wise:
Mutton chops are roasted over a low flame, lending them the characteristic crispy and crunchy texture on the surface and a juicy core — Assistant chef Muhammad Imran

Rating

Taste: 5

Hygiene: 5

Value for money: 3

Service: 3

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2015.

As the clock strikes five on a cold winter morning in Islamabad, nearly 60 women jump to their feet. A slight chaos breaks out in the spacious, regimentally clean and usually organised dormitory, each of which houses eight female officers of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), commando division of the Islamabad Police — many of these women joined the Islamabad Police for their initial training and then volunteered to join the ATS. The officers change from baggy shalwar qameez into their signature black attire in an almost synchronised movement. Belts snap shut and laces are tied hurriedly, followed by a voluntary headscarf or niqaab (veil).

Once ready, firearms are secured from the weapons room [MP5 submachine guns and Glock semi-automatic pistols] and everyone heads to the transporter, which will drop and pick commandos from 13 beats (each beat or route covers two sectors) in Islamabad covered by three shifts. The ATS vehicle closely trails that of the Punjab Rangers — whose directive is border guarding and to defend particular sectors in what they call ‘Operations Other Than War’, peacekeeping missions and disaster relief operations — maintaining a distance of 100 yards throughout. The female officers on this specialised task force belong to different ethnic and religious backgrounds but have come together to fight terrorism in the country and are gradually becoming a force to reckon with.

In equal stride

According to information released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in 2010, women first became part of the police force in the subcontinent in 1939 when seven female constables and a head constable were inducted to contain female agitators of a farmers’ movement in Punjab. There was no significant change in numbers until 1952 when 25 constables, two head constables and an assistant superintendant were recruited.

A female ATS commando heading back to ATS headquarters. PHOTO: SA’ADIA KHAN 

The year 1994 saw the establishment of Pakistan’s first women-only police station in Rawalpindi spearheaded by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. This was then replicated in Abbottabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Larkana. It was soon after this that women were inducted into a specialised training programme of anti-terror squads.

Across Pakistan, there are a total of 14 police training schools, which are demographically broken down as follows: five are located in Punjab, five in Sindh, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and one in Balochistan. The Balochistan wing of the ATS was established in 1981 and was converted to the Anti-Terrorist Force in 1997. Furthermore the K-P police department recruited its first batch of women police commandos as recently as November 2014.

Female commandos heading out for the second shift change of the day. PHOTO: SA’ADIA KHAN 

In Islamabad, the first women-only anti-terrorism squad was set up in October 2001, following the events of 9/11 which led to a high-security alert in the federal capital. According to a report in a local newspaper at the time, 22 female police officers and 10 graduate officers were trained in martial arts, swimming, driving, shooting, bomb disposal, rescue operation and anti-rioting to combat terrorism. As the security situation across the country deteriorated over the years, each province began to train its own female commandos.

A tough calling

Chief Instructor Mohammad Akmal, who has been in this profession for 31 years and also trained female commandos from other countries, recalls how many of the current female trainers would peer over the balcony of their [Islamabad Police] barracks and watch the intense training being conducted in the adjacent grounds. “At first I was not sure if these girls would be able to complete the mammoth run and circuit, but they did and I am so proud of each and every one of them,” he says.

Combat training comprises 90 days of intense and extensive drills including survival skills, hostage rescue, counter terrorism strategies, policing protests and cases of domestic violence, dealing with rape cases and overseeing autopsies. The officers are required to be up at the crack of dawn and start their day with a one-hour run followed by physical training. A kit inspection — where uniform and other components such as gas mask, hand cuffs, ballistic vest and batons are checked — kickstarts the second session followed by weapons training. “No one has failed to graduate as they are dedicated and ambitious,” adds Akmal.

An unlikely call to action

Although Hafiza Sarah Khan* had many conventional job opportunities after completing her Masters degree, she chose to join the ATS commandos instead. Wearing the black commando uniform was a primary motivation for Khan, who had always been in awe of the Punjab Police Elite Force. “I am one of nine siblings but the first and only one in the forces,” she says adding that she was proud to be supporting her family financially while following her dream.

Despite many cultural and societal stereotypes, many brave women have made the unusual choice of being part of an ATS squad. PHOTO: SA’ADIA KHAN 

However, since the profession is considered to be an unusual choice for women and falls prey to many cultural and s0cietal stereotypes, these officers are often confronted with strange remarks. “For instance, a man once said, ‘you look like a perfect woman, why would you want to dress like a man and do this work?’” shares one of the officers. Therefore, it is imperative to have the support of your family, adds Khan. Raheela Ahmed’s* first interaction with female officers was also through a local TV drama. “I was so impressed by the female police officer in the drama that I decided right there and then to join the police force,” she shares. A few years later she saw an advertisement in the newspaper, asked her father for permission and has not looked back since. “I have also inspired my sister and brother to join the police force,” Ahmed says proudly. “I love my work, my family and my country. Hence, I don’t dwell on the risk factor.” Even though these courageous officers brush the risk factor aside, their time on the field is no child’s play.

Face-to-face with death and danger

Members of the ATS are first responders, which entails being the first on the scene of an emergency, natural disaster or terror attack. In October 2005, when two luxury apartment tower blocks in Islamabad were razed to the ground as the result of a 7.6 Richter scale earthquake, ATS was the first to respond to the incident. As soon as the team got the news, its primary objective was to get to the site and secure the area. “We were there within five minutes,” recalls Akmal. “I was part of a team that rescued nine people from the rubble, and I will never forget those moments of desperation to save more people.”

Female ATS commandos boarding the transporter alongside their male counterparts. PHOTO: SA’ADIA KHAN 

As part of the ATS Commando Division’s primary mission these highly trained individuals are also specialists in hostage rescue and counter terrorism. When a Rapid Response Force is dispatched for a raid, it is the female ATS commandos who form the front line and are the first to secure entry. Their male counterparts follow them. Sana Tahir* recalls one such drug raid conducted by four teams in collaboration with Islamabad Police in Saidpur Village. “We had surrounded a house. It was late at night so visibility was low,” she says. Tahir was one of the female commandos negotiating with the people inside the house until one of the women inside opened the door and the male residents were arrested. Female commandos are crucial in such situations since male commandos are not allowed to touch women and only female officers can body search women. The male commandos also regard the female wing as an asset due to the unique skill set they bring to the table. “Women are the soft face of ATS. We [men] are aggressive and sometimes lack the level of patience women have,” says Saghir Anwar, an ATS commando. “It’s all about teamwork and they bring balance to the team.”

Standing tall

The ATS female commando motto — ‘Respect us, fear us’ — could not be more fitting of these female commandos who are hugely outnumbered by their male counterparts currently but make up for that with their high morale and spirit. Not only do they train alongside men but are always ready to accompany them to any mission, as dangerous or demanding as it may be. “We stand shoulder to shoulder alongside our male colleagues,” says 27-year-old Bushra Rehman*, a female ATS commando.

Female ATS Commandos start their day at the crack of dawn with intensive training and then set off to patrol the city. PHOTO: SA’ADIA KHAN

DSP Akram Jappa who spear headed the recruitment of women into the ATS squad in Islamabad Police feels that their presence is paramount for the force to go from strength to strength during this critical time in dealing with terrorism in Pakistan. “They are mothers, sisters and daughters but we need them to be commandos too,” says Jappa. “They bring a different temperament to the ATS and are very effective and committed to combating terrorism in our country.” 

*Names of the commandos have been changed to protect their identity.

Sa’adia Khan is a freelance photographer based in Islamabad. She tweets @IM_SaadiaKhan

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 18^th, 2015.

PESHAWAR: At the busy Karkhano Market of Peshawar, over a dozen men dressed in filthy shalwar qameez are loading sealed cartons on their bicycle carriers.

One by one, they paddle their bikes out of Khyber Market—a street in Karkhano Market with shops on either side—to transport cartons filled with nothing but smuggled goods to Haji Camp Bus Terminal. From there, the items will be taken to other cities for sale.

The locals call these transporters  ‘gandamars’—a term derived from the Pashto word ganda which refers to a bulk of goods wrapped in cloth. However, in reality, these cyclists are a cog in a large wheel that smuggles goods to the city.

In the morning, the gandamars reach Khyber Market where the ‘Commissionkar’ hands over the goods for transport. Commissionkars are brokers who get cargo from businessmen in Karkhano market by taking responsibility for the safe and secure shipment of the consignment.

The consignments include cloth, tyres, edibles, cooking utensils and electric appliances. The gandamar gets Rs500 per trip of which Rs200 goes to the Commissionkar. The broker hires their services and has them released in case law enforcers catch them on the way, says Haji Akbar, a senior broker and former gandamar. “I had to pay the loss to the owners if customs officials seize the goods,” says Akbar, who sends around 100 riders on trips every day.

“The job is very difficult and risky,” says Saleh Mohammad, who has been hauling smuggled goods on his bike for over two decades. “Everyone can’t do it,” adds the 58-year-old. “We travel at least 20 kilometres on one side of GT Road, carrying over 100 kilogrammes of goods. We do this because we have no other jobs,” the veteran gandamar says.

Paddling on GT Road, they get onto smaller streets at Hayatabad Chowk and Sher Khan Stadium to avoid police, customs and army snap checking. “The police apprehend us and hand us over to customs officials,” says Lal Gul, another gandamar who was busy loading cartons on his bicycle.

The same morning, customs officials intercepted 15 loaded cycles and gandamars on their morning run. This halted supply from the market for the entire day. “Today we have not made a single trip due to strict checking at Hayatabad Chowk,” he says. The cyclist adds they make three trips in the summer and two in winter. “It takes a couple of hours to reach the city.”

They travel in a convoy of eight to ten depending on the quantity of goods they get for a single destination. “We have to travel together to avoid a mishap on the way,” he says. “Together, we can deal better with the police who usually take us lightly compared to people carrying shipments in vehicles.”

On the way to the bus stand, they go downhill and it is easy to paddle with a loaded cycle. However, the return to Karkhano Market is quite literally an uphill task and those who can spend Rs50 prop their bikes on a bus and take a ride back. Those who do not have enough for the fare latch onto a bus by hand and the vehicle drags the cycle along, without the rider having to paddle.

The bike is also known as the gandamar cycle because of its large carrier. It’s a simple cycle of Chinese make with slight modifications to carry the load. They buy used bicycles and double the number of pins in the rear wheel to increase strength.

The bicycle costs around Rs10,000 and four of Lal Gul’s have been stolen from separate areas over the last eight years.

Most shop owners in Karkhano Market denied hiring the services of gandamars, but they could easily be seen handing over shipments to this small army of bicyclists. According to Umer Siddique, a shopkeeper at International Market, another busy street in Karkhano, mini-trucks would carry smuggled goods to the city around 15 years ago and pay mahwari or monthly bribes to the police. However, that system of smuggling came to an end and that is when bicycles and motorcycles started thriving.

“These goods reach the bus stand, from where they are hauled to different cities,” he says.

“We prefer cycles because they can evade customs authorities on the roads,” says Mohammad Fazal, an electronics dealer, when asked why shopkeepers use a more labour-intensive mode of delivery. “If customs officials catch your goods, they charge heavy fines and you have to pay taxes even if they were previously paid.”

Customs authorities claimed the gandamars resort to violence when intercepted. “We avoid them because they attack our officials and their movement is usually on main University Road,” said an additional collector customs. “They attack our officials with sharp blades which they keep with them,” he added, saying authorities are focusing on spots from where the smuggling originates and have also taken up the issue with the paramilitary.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2015.

“I was nine years old when I started sprouting. I was not made to wear a trainer. My khala (aunt) came to me and said ‘no one should know that you are growing up. I will teach you how to hide it.’” She took two big coins, placed them on my chest at the right spot, and tied a long piece of cloth over it tightly.‘Never let a man kiss you, otherwise you will become pregnant’, she said. I was nine! I recall my uncle kissing me on my cheek and me crying all night thinking now I was pregnant and God would never forgive me.” Saima*, an educated working woman from Karachi, is now 39, married, and a mother. Yet, she still feels that the way she looks at sexuality is not normal but is unable to alter her thinking. For the longest time, she could not fully enjoy physical intimacy with her husband either since there was a sense of guilt “as if it is something wrong,” she shares.

This sense of shame that society conditions into people when it comes to matters of the body starts very early on. The man at the grocery store will very deftly look away the moment a woman asks for sanitary napkins and pack them in a brown paper bag. Most Pakistani daughters will not ask their fathers to buy sanitary napkins for them. Menstruation comes as a shock to many Pakistani girls. With a still relatively young average age of marriage of women in Pakistan, many women and even men confess that they did not know enough details of the conjugal relationship till they got married. Zareen*, a USA-based doctor shares that despite having done her MBBS at the time of her wedding, her knowledge was so bookish that she knew almost nothing. “The experience was horrendous,” she says. “My ex-husband was also young at the time and his sources of information about sex had been very wrong. I think we were never able to develop a normal bond.” 

Shame shame

This halo of shame that surrounds any and everything that has to do with a young body morphing into adulthood has dire consequences. Yet, there is still immense reluctance about discussing the matter with young adults.

“Lack of awareness  pushes young people to reach out to any source of information out of curiosity,” says Maliha Zia Lari, lawyer and human rights activist. “Questioning sexuality at a certain age is a natural occurrence, but the social clamp down further fuels the curiosity. As a result, they do learn about it, but they learn it [the] wrong way.” In Lari’s experience, this leads to dangerous things like unnatural experimentation, and often with the wrong people. Even young males are exposed to the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or being emotionally exploited by ill-meaning men or women. Lari adds that this is one reason why human rights activists discourage early age marriages. “We teach people to be ashamed of our bodies, not to take ownership. A young mind has so many unanswered questions,” she says. Contrary to popular belief, research also proves that awareness about Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) does not promote promiscuity in adolescents. In fact, it makes them more cautious.

‘The talk’

Survey of a cross section for this write-up reveals that most parents in Pakistan do not talk to their children about SRH, and if they do, the onus falls on the mothers. According to a study conducted by Marie Stopes Society in selected districts of Pakistan, the onset of menstruation was associated with anxiety in 47% girls as only 13% of them reported receiving information about puberty before the onset of menstruation.

Data from a 2013 baseline study conducted by Aahung (a non-profit organisation that concentrates on SRH) in four districts of Sindh, with adolescents as subjects, showed that only 34% adolescents would talk to their parents about pubertal issues. Nearly 49% of those questioned believed that AIDS is a curable disease, which means they were not aware of the possible dangers of unsafe sex either.

For Hira*, a mother of three, the experience was one typical for most Pakistani girls. “I came to know about puberty the day I had my first period. I went running to my mom who just told me that this happens to girls and that this is ganda khoon (bad blood) that needs to come out of the body. And I must not tell anyone about it as its one big secret,” she shares. She confesses that she learnt about feminine hygiene or issues related to puberty on a trial and error bases. “Only the basic information of how to use depilatory creams was provided, but nothing about when and where.” Her knowledge of the physical intimacy between men and women and how babies are born remained limited to that from Bollywood movies. “I thought you meet a boy, and then two roses dance together in a park, and you have a baby,” she laughs and says that she was told that “achi larkiyaan is baray mein baat nahi kartin”(nice girls don’t talk about these things).

“Once I begun menstruating, my mother would keep drumming one thing in our heads: do not commit adultery, it is one of the major sins,” shares 25-year-old Maria. Such a warning from mothers may not always be a bad idea. However, she acknowledges that her mother’s choice of words was harsh. “For the most part, I thank her for that. I have been tempted many times but never crossed a line and that has saved me from many an emotional disaster,” she admits. Maria’s idea of sex, however is so plagued by a sense of guilt that she fears she will feel guilty initially even with her husband after getting married. “It will take me time. But I would give the same training to my daughters,” she says.

Educationist and motivational speaker Abbas Hussain strongly endorses the practise of parents talking to children about SRH, albeit sensitively. Interestingly, Hussain feels that, “Urban mothers prove to be big prudes, whereas rural mothers see this very important part of human life as a part of nature. Such are the idiocies of urban life that a cow giving birth to a calf is not considered normal,” he adds.

Will daddy talk to his son?

“Fathers take very little interest in the sexual education of their children, even boys, as the common notion is uss key doston ney bata diya hoga (his friends must have told him). Men are generally shier then we think,” says Hira. “My father never talked to me about these things,” shares 20-year-old Shehryar Imran. However, he feels it is very important for adolescents to be adequately informed about the changes their bodies are going through “without having to rely on clandestine conversations with peers who also may not be fully informed,’” he says. “In order to combat the spread of STDs, it is imperative to target the root cause of the problem: breaking the unhealthy taboo surrounding sex.”

The ‘talk’ at school and choice of words

Hussain also stresses the importance of teachers’ role when it comes to SRH. “Senior teachers can play a huge role, but in this I am very clear about the gender segregation — male teachers for boys and female teachers for girls,” he says, adding that sensitive and cultural sensibilities need to be respected. He also stresses the importance of chosing words carefully. “Using the term ‘sex education’ deflects from the real issue; this term is the red herring,” he adds.

Maliha Noor, manager communications at Aahung, endorses using “culturally appropriate language.” Hence, Aahung’s successful awareness programme on the subject is called Life Skills Based Education (LSBE). “This should be included not just in school curriculum but even our medical practitioners in the making should be taught about this,” says Noor. “Often, doctors and nurses know the biological details but don’t know how to handle queries about it.” Aahung’s LSBE curriculum covers a range of issues including pubertal changes, gender discrimination, HIV / AIDS, protection from violence, peer pressure, rights within the nikah nama, and family planning. Part of the programme also concentrates on training teachers. “When students would talk to us about their issues, we would often not take them seriously and even joke about them,” confessed one of the teachers trained by Aahung. After the training, she has learnt how to handle these queries sensitively.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Farahnaz Zahidi is a senior subeditor at The Express Tribune. She tweets @FarahnazZahidi

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 25^th, 2015.

ISLAMABAD: Flour millers in Sindh have caused a loss of millions of dollars by importing cheaper wheat despite surplus stocks in the country in the wake of a flawed policy of the federal government, which eased the conditions for imports.

According to officials, the government should have clearly defined export and import policy while keeping in view the stocks and upcoming wheat crop. However, no such step was undertaken and this provided the flour millers an opportunity to manipulate the market.

It was brought to the attention of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its meeting held on January 23 that the Pakistan Flour Mills Association – Sindh zone had imported 611,000 tons of wheat from Russia at a cheaper rate.

Owing to abundant stocks with the flour millers, they were not purchasing wheat from government reserves.

The chief minister of Sindh had also requested the prime minister to allow export of 660,000 tons of wheat at a subsidy of $50 per ton to dispose of old stock.

The officials pointed out that wheat import by flour millers forced Sindh to make exports in a bid to save growers from manipulation at the hands of millers in the new harvesting season.

“However, the ECC allowed export of 400,000 tons to the Sindh government at a rebate of $45 per ton, causing a burden of $18 million on the national exchequer,” an official said.

To Punjab government, the ECC allowed export of 800,000 tons at a rebate of $55 per ton, resulting in a burden of $44 million.

“The surplus stock of Punjab could be used for Sindh if there had been no imports by the millers,” the official said.

The ECC was informed that provinces and Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) had requested earlier for the export of 3 million tons of wheat at a discounted rate in a meeting held on December 23, 2014.

Punjab and Sindh had procured 3.74 and 1.21 million tons of wheat respectively. With a carryover stock of 135,000 tons and 6,000 tons, Punjab and Sindh started the year 2014-15 with stocks of 3.88 million and 1.28 million tons respectively.

Owing to the good crop, the private sector also purchased huge stocks directly from the growers.

With the procurement cost at around $380 per ton, the provinces wanted to export their stocks at a rebate of $50 to $70 per ton.

It had been noted that the price in the international market had dropped significantly. Australian soft wheat, which is comparable to Pakistani wheat in quality, was being sold at $270 per ton. Indian wheat was also available at around $270 per ton.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.

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Last year, Pakistan hit a new low when it broke its own 14-year record with 202 reported polio cases, most of them from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). This came as no surprise given the resistance towards the administration of polio drops in the country and the consistent attacks on immunisation teams that have claimed 67 lives since December, 2012.

While most of the deceased polio workers have been targeted on duty, there have also been rare attacks on their residences. Falak Niaz, a 40-year-old polio supervisor hailing from the Saro village in Charsadda still remembers the cold April night last year when militants stormed his house in the middle of the night. “It was a horrific night,” he recalls. “Militants operating in Mohmand Agency attacked our house at midnight, sprayed it with bullets and later hurled hand grenades to cause maximum damage.” The attack left his wife, two brothers and mother severely injured. “We were crying for help but the policemen at the police station, which is at a walking distance, didn’t bother to come and rescue us,” he shares. It was not until the neighbours started firing that the militants fled.

The bullet-ridden gate of the house where Falak Niaz and his family was attacked by militants. PHOTO BY HAMID HUSSAIN

Pakistan is one of the three countries still affected by polio. The resistance towards immunisation has only made things worse over time. PHOTO BY HAMID HUSSAIN 

Lady health workers have been administering polio drops to children since 1993, when Pakistan started official campaigns to eliminate polio. Things took a downward turn, however, when the Central Intelligence Agency organised a fake vaccination campaign in the town where they believed the former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was hiding. Soon after, polio teams became a frequent target for militant groups who see the vaccination campaigns as a cover for espionage, spies and a conspiracy to sterilise Muslims.

“They were shouting loudly saying you are doing this for American infidels and now we will teach you a lesson for helping Americans in their conspiracy against Muslims,” recalls Niaz’s wife, Nazia, a lady health worker at the Rural Health Center in Ekkagund area of Mohmand Agency, who has been associated with anti-polio campaigns for the past 12 years.

Nazia shares that she was terrified after the murder of Salma Farooqi, a polio vaccinator in Peshawar, in March 2014, and had often even contemplated leaving the job. But her husband talked her out of it and even joined the campaign himself to protect his wife, who wanted to serve people but had to travel alone in the area to do so.

Nazia along with her family has moved to her sister-in-law’s house after the attack since flashbacks from that fateful night still haunt her. The fear was not unwarranted as her husband also received a letter from a militant group (which he refused to name due to safety reasons) soon after and was told to visit their commander in the Kunar province of Afghanistan. There, he was asked to pay Rs250,000 for ammunition used in the attack on his house or be prepared to lose his family. “I had no choice but to pay money for the bullets that injured my mother, brothers and wife,” he said. Nazia elaborates that no government official visited her after the attack. Their request to the district health department of Charsadda and the political agent for Mohmand Agency for financial assistance also fell on deaf ears.

(Above) Falak Niaz shares his ordeal in his relative’s hujra in Shabqadar, Charsadda. (Below) Bullet holes inside one of the rooms in Falak Niaz’s house.PHOTO BY HAMID HUSSAIN 

On the other hand, Nazia’s resolve to eradicate the crippling disease strengthened further. “I fear for my life but I am determined to administer polio drops to children in the area,” she says adding that the number of polio refusal cases have gone down as misconceptions have been clarified to a great extent and people are now in favour of polio vaccination — only one polio case was reported in Shabqadar last year. However, she adds that the security of polio workers continues to be their biggest challenge. The problem is echoed by 57-year-old Rubina Bibi, a lady health worker from Katlang tehsil, as well. “I take a pistol with me for protection and I want to tell the Taliban militants that you cannot deter us from our mission,” she says. “I am too old for this job but I have to do it to set an example for young women so they can join the campaign against polio as well.”

Sadaqat Ali, a police constable in the area, shares that he has accompanied polio workers during anti-polio campaigns and would continue to do so because it has now become a matter of honour for him and his police force. “I know [that the] Taliban are well-armed and I [only] have a few dozen bullets but this war is not about weapons. It is a matter of courage and honour,” he says. Twenty two-year-old Sohrab Khan, who also took part in the recent anti-polio campaign, feels that the government should announce special incentives for polio workers to boost their morale and also provide them security. “The sacrifices of polio workers must be recognised,” he adds.

Security for polio workers is a big problem in Shabqadar tehsil as it borders the Mohmand Agency where militants are known to be present, shares Dr Farhad Khan, coordinator Extended Program on Immunization for Charsadda. Peshawar-based political analyst Aqeel Yousafzai added that the attack on polio workers was a reaction to the government-military operation against terrorists. However, since the operation had compelled militants to flee from the tribal areas, it offers a great opportunity to expedite efforts against polio.

Amidst security threats to polio vaccinators, the K-P government is launching a fresh polio campaign on February 1 comprising of 12 one-day campaigns which would be held for 12 weeks in 14 districts across K-P and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. And the people in the area seem equally determined to defeat the disease along with the militancy that has allowed it to breed further. “This is my hometown and I will fight for my people come what may,” says Sohrab. “I want to tell the world that  militancy is not a part of Pakhtun culture. Rather, Pakhtuns are at the forefront, fighting it.”

Hamid Hussain is an Islamabad-based journalist. He tweets @Hamidlawangeen

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 1^st, 2015.

DDoS is a kind of cyber-attack that compromises the availability of a website to visitors in a process where attackers direct a huge amount of traffic to that particular website using bots, software that performs automated tasks over the internet.

DDoS attacks are a global threat and countries around the world are working on solutions to mitigate such attacks. However, Islamabad lags far behind in dealing with the rising threat of cyber-attacks that continue to target Pakistani websites.

In 2014, hackers from different parts of the world continued to launch DDoS attacks on Pakistani websites. They also hacked websites belonging to the security forces and the federal government; defaced them and leaked private data of government and security officials.

By contrast, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) – the country’s premier anti-cybercrime watchdog – lacks the capabilities to cope with such attacks, according to industry experts.

According to an official, who had advised FIA on legal issues in the past, such attacks will continue to take place because the country has no facilities or resources to trace the hackers. Even the National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR3C), an FIA division responsible for dealing with cybercrimes, can’t trace such attacks that are executed by hackers through proxies, such as TOR – free software that enables online anonymity and resists censorship.

“There is a need for capacity building and training as no serious work has been done on cyber security in the country,” the official said. What is even more ironic is people like Rafay Baloch – recognised as the world’s best ethical hacker or security researcher by leading information security companies and publications – remain unutilised. Baloch is fully capable of advising the government on cyber security.

The white hat knows which equipment could help minimise these threats and how to maximise the benefit with minimal resources and costs.

It is usually the websites belonging to the government or security agencies that are frequently targeted by hackers. However, DDoS attacks also impact local businesses that depend on internet connectivity.

According to a government official, the country has so far been able to deal with all the attacks – though it is not clear whether any data was compromised during any of those attacks. The private businesses, on the other hand, continue to suffer as a result of big DDoS attacks.

It’s hard to find any public data that documents cyber-attacks on Pakistan, industry sources say.

Tit-for-tat

Pakistani websites are attacked almost on a daily basis with DDoS and security breaches. Such attacks usually intensify around or on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, say sources, adding that these attacks mainly originate from India. In return, Pakistani hackers attack Indian websites in a similar way on August 15.

Ironically, sources say most Pakistani ISPs are not capable of handling even a small DDoS attack, 5Gbps for example. Given such attacks are coming from all over the world, the country must do something to mitigate their impact on local ISPs.

As a result of these DDoS attacks, local business suffers a lot, say industry sources. Banking infrastructure is affected, call centres and BPO companies suffer lost business, they say.

When the whole trade is dependent on that connectivity, which is compromised by such attacks, there is not much these small businesses can do.

Explaining, an official said when one government website – which is hosted somewhere in the United States on a shared registry system – is attacked, other IPs registered on that system also suffer as a result. It is, therefore, important that IPs catering to Pakistani markets should be hosted on Pakistani servers.

Besides hosting the servers locally, the official said the gateway internet providers, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and Transworld Associate should also have enough spare capacity to mitigate such attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd,  2015.

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Anum* is barely over her fourth birthday celebrations and her parents, Shumaila* and Adeel*, have already planned an overnight stay at one of Karachi’s most prestigious schools to secure her an admission.

“The queue tends to build up fast and even if you reach at seven in the morning, there will be 20 people before you,” explains Shumaila. “People often ask their domestic staff to wait in line but I have heard the school doesn’t appreciate that. Therefore, Adeel and I are actually planning on taking our sleeping bags and camping at the gates.”

Shumaila and Adeel are hardly the only parents employing such extreme measures for their child’s education. Saadia Pasha* gave up her entire maternity leave to search for a montessori that would enroll her toddler. “Spaces in the best schools get filled and even though my son Ali wouldn’t be starting school for another two years, I just had to ensure his name was entered somewhere.” In fact, one can credit Saadia for having waited for Ali to be born before springing into action. Some like Maheen Ali* were at it during pregnancy! “Thankfully, I secured a teaching position at this school during the time and they gave preference to my unborn child,” admits Maheen. “Otherwise, my son would never have found a spot in a school where couples register themselves even before conceiving!”

Unfortunately, these three mothers are amongst thousands of parents who jump into the rat race for their toddlers’ education upon the very mention of the word ‘baby.’ They begin to run amok for forms, open days and interviews themselves and even send their children for tuition or grooming classes before the youngsters have uttered their first word. “Children generally start nursery at the age of three and grade school by five,” says Anila Weldon, founder of WeldonMoms, a support group for expecting, new and existing mothers. “But the obsession with securing admission begins even earlier – at 14 to 16 months. ”

The fear that your child will get left behind

The underlying idea behind this obsession is that attending a good montessori will be a child’s gateway to a good preparatory school and finally, a good grade school. One can say this is a vicious cycle without which most parents feel their child will be left behind.

“The fear is real, especially for parents who wish to send their child to a particular school,” explains Anila. “But a child will certainly get into a school, considering that there are so many. It just might not be one of your choice.”

Anila’s response, however, seems to imply that parents are making mountains out of molehills. Grandmother Sultana Khurshid agrees with Anila and says that, “At times, I think the children are just subconsciously used by parents to outdo one another. It is a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy — everyone just wants to be the best at everything, including this.”

Why are some parents so overwrought with their children’s education?

Exactly what it is that has bred this culture remains a mystery. When children of the world start formal education at the age of five or six, why is it that parents in Pakistan are sending their offspring to school even earlier?

At the very basic level, this could be indicative of a demographic shift which has increased the percentage of working women in our society. Gone are the days when a woman’s field of responsibility was confined to the four walls of her home. “Women of today are stepping out and earning money, alongside their male counterparts,” says grandmother Samina Aleem*. “In the yesteryears, they would remain indoors and be homemakers.” Samina also cites the rise of the nuclear family as one of the reasons for the many day-cares, montessoris and kindergartens that have sprung up of late. “The concept of joint families is diminishing so if a mother is going back to work post childbirth, who will look after the child?” questions Samina. One could leave the child with a maid but proper institutions can provide a safe, secure and educational environment where a child can grow and also play with other children.

Ayesha Alim, a certified montessori teacher, highlights another ‘convenience factor’ that encourages parents to literally dump their child at school. “Sometimes, we get children whose mother tongue isn’t Urdu or whose parents are not conversant in English,” shares Ayesha. “These parents approach us to ensure that their child learns English properly and has an acceptable Urdu pronunciation.” No doubt, parents wish to raise well-behaved and well-spoken children to boost their confidence and chances of success in the modern world.

Is it too early to send your child to school?

While some might consider it cruel to subject children to a stringent lifestyle at such a young age, there is some scientific evidence that supports the concept. According to paediatrician Dr Sakina Rizvi, during the first five or six years of life, a child’s brain undergoes enormous change. “Parents must provide an environment conducive to these changes and for most children, that environment is available only in the classroom. This is especially true for children who hail from an under-privileged background.” Saadia, for example, admits that ideally — she would have kept Ali at home till he turned four as she is a stay-at-home mother. “But in retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t otherwise he wouldn’t have been attending one of Karachi’s top schools today. It was all worth the hassle.”

Anila, on the other hand, has a different approach to early childhood education. “During the early years, children need to play more rather than be regimented — that is how they learn. Also, they learn more at home, so if you are sending your child to school for early learning, your objective isn’t being met.” Anila also disagrees with the idea that early enrollment into a good school will breed good children. “Sending a two-year-old to school so that they learn English or good manners is not the right motivation.”

Unfortunately, the debate isn’t as black and white as we would like. Within the spheres of learning at home and at school, there are multitudinal smaller issues to consider. Back in September 2013, about 130 educationists from the UK launched the ‘Too Much Too Soon’ campaign to advocate the extension of informal, play-based learning and to delay the start of formal education. They did so via a letter published in The Daily Mail, calling for the national school-starting age to be changed from four to seven, in line with other European countries enjoying higher academic achievement and child well-being.

The letter was released based on numerous studies that supported its claims. According to David Whitebread, a researcher from the faculty of education at the University of Cambridge and also one of the signatories of the letter, there have been many studies that have resulted in superior learning and motivation arising from playful learning, as opposed to instructional. Nueroscientific research has indicated that play-based activity stimulates synaptic growth in the frontal cortex of the brain, responsible for better mental functioning. This would lend credence to Dr Sakina’s idea that the young brain is more absorbent but it also highlights the issue of formal versus informal education. Other studies cited by David have proved that physical and imaginative activity supports children in developing emotional and social skills which are crucial during the early years. So perhaps it would be okay to enroll your child in a playgroup early but delay their entry into grade school?

Within educational research, most studies considered by the campaign have shown superior motivation and higher academic and practical achievements by children who attended play-based pre-school programmes, especially those from disadvantaged families.  The campaign also cites a study from New Zealand which compared two groups of children: those who joined schools at five and seven. The results showed no difference in the children’s reading abilities but the ones who started at five had poor comprehension of the text and a negative attitude towards reading altogether.

Internationally, the debate as to the ideal school-starting age is gaining momentum and many countries, within Europe in particular, are delaying the legal age requirements. This makes one wonder if this change would be beneficial for local schools in the long run. “If my child gets into a particular school, I boast to everyone about it which generates publicity for the school,” explains Anila. “If he doesn’t get in, I crib about it and still generate publicity.” So while there may be mixed verdicts for parents and children, the school emerges as the indisputable winner.

Regardless, Samina seems to resent this hype regarding children’s education, claiming that she barely sees her granddaughter anymore. “At just four, the poor kid goes to kindergarten, followed by grooming classes to prepare her for a good grade school.” Sultana also agrees and says that, “Education is indeed important but turning your child into a robot with thousands of things on their schedule is simply not justified. Children are children and we should let them be just that. You never get childhood back, whether it’s yours or your children’s, so why complicate it unnecessarily?”

SOURCES: THEDAILYMAIL.CO.UK  AND DATA.WORLDBANK.ORG/INDICATOR/SE.PRM.AGES

*Names have been changed for privacy

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, February 1^st, 2015.

It is often said that wearing a big smile is your best accessory. Not only is smiling an effortless and inexpensive way to transform your appearance, it is also an expression of joy from one person to another that transcends all language barriers. A smile can speak volumes about one’s feelings, without them having to say a word.

But in order to maintain its glory, one must realise that their smile needs some care first. Unfortunately, most of us find it difficult to simply brush our teeth twice a day, let alone floss or visit the dentist regularly. Over the past few years, awareness regarding dental health has made people much more conscious of their smiles but they still have a long way to go before they know the right way to keep their mouths clean. Here are some common myths regarding oral hygiene — categorised into three groups — that most of us wrongly believe in. Overcoming these will take you one step closer to a healthier smile and a healthier you.

When simply brushing twice a day is not enough

While it is indeed a great thing if you are committed to the ‘twice a day, every day’ rule, brushing alone cannot ensure oral hygiene no matter how fancy your brush and toothpaste might be. In fact, most of us probably aren’t even brushing properly! Most dentists recommend holding the brush at a 45 degree angle to your gums and moving it back and forth in short strokes for effective cleaning. You must also cover the inner, chewing areas of your mouth and not just the outer surfaces to eliminate all germs and food particles. Make sure the head of your brush isn’t too large and the bristles aren’t too hard lest they damage the gums. On average, a proper brushing session should take about three to four minutes, enough to spur blood circulation throughout the mouth.

Nonetheless, it is best to compliment your brushing routine with professional cleaning and scaling for the best results. Scaling refers to the dental process whereby dentists remove tartar, calculus and food debris from around your teeth and below the gum level.

Sadly, many people are unaware of scaling and often confuse it with whitening. In reality, whitening is an aesthetic procedure that brightens the teeth with special bleaching agents while scaling is used to prevent or treat oral conditions like gingivitis or periodontitis. It is also believed that scaling is harmful to the tooth enamel but dentists recommend it every three to four months for people with poor oral hygiene as it can clean places inaccessible to even the finest of toothbrushes.

Avoiding scaling allows unwanted materials to accumulate on and around the teeth and gums and can lead to bleeding, swelling, redness, pain, tender gums, bad breath, tooth mobility and even the loss of teeth. Therefore, it is important for you to invest in at least two scaling sessions a year to maintain a healthy mouth.

Extractions – A dental nightmare or blessing in disguise?

Extraction refers to the removal of unwanted/damaged teeth, the need for which is indicated when the tooth cannot be saved via restorative treatments. You may also need an extraction to prevent crowding or impaction in the jaw.

Many dentists in Pakistan have to face an onslaught of baseless accusations whenever they prescribe an extraction, especially regarding the connection between our teeth and eyes. Many patients wrongly believe that extractions cause partial or complete visual impairment and therefore, would rather continue in pain than have a problematic tooth removed. On the contrary, the dental and optic nerves follow separate pathways and an extraction cannot affect vision in any way.

Of course, every dentist’s top priority is to save the tooth via root canals, fillings or dental crowns, but at times, extraction might be the best way forward. A few moments of pain can spare one from a variety of dental troubles and one can also see a prosthodontic for replacement options like dentures, bridges and implants. Bear in mind that an empty dental socket can lead to resorption of the surrounding bone, a compromised bite and gradual misalignment of adjacent teeth so it is important to revisit your doctor if you have had an extraction before.

Go the extra mile for a beautiful smile 

Even though it might seem tedious and bothersome, it is crucial for you to make up a daily dental regime to keep your mouth in check. Brushing must be followed by flossing and perhaps a mouthwash to keep your breath fresh. The correct way to floss is to secure the thread tightly between your index fingers and slide is slowly between the teeth, right down to gum level. All remaining particles or calculus lodged in there will surface with the thread when it is removed.

Although we tend to be complacent about it, our diets plays an important role in our overall dental health as acidic foods and beverages breed bacteria and reduce the pH value of the mouth. For example, people with proper water intake tend to have better oral hygiene as water encourages the production of saliva — the natural cleanser of the mouth. Foods rich in saturated sugars, such as chocolate or soft drinks, also render the teeth vulnerable to cavities and tooth aches. Similarly, habits like smoking and drinking can also impact the mouth adversely. In fact, their impact isn’t restricted to bad teeth or dental infections alone — it might be a precursor for mouth and neck cancer as well! Sound, personal hygiene habits, coupled with regular visits to your dentist can save one from having to worry about dental problems. and their smile losing its charm.

Brushing in the morning vs brushing at night 

Contrary to popular belief, brushing at night is much more important and beneficial to the human mouth than in the morning. This is because at night, our mouth remains closed the entire time that we are asleep, giving bacteria and other harmful microorganisms the opportunity to initiate cavities or decay. Brushing in the morning simply eliminates bad breath while night-time dental rituals ward off all potential problems.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, February 1^st, 2015.

A 2011 United Nations report stated that access to the internet is a basic human right, and “should be a priority for all states”. In 2012, the UN Human Rights Council passed a motion that spoke of “the global and open nature of the internet as a driving force in accelerating progress towards development,” and stated that it was against international law for governments to block internet access.

Yet, as of 2015, only 2.7 billion people have access to the internet, while it is estimated that by 2018 nearly half of the world’s population will have digital access. This still leaves a significant portion of the world’s population offline. However, this may change if Mark Zuckerberg, founder, CEO and chairperson of Facebook, has his way.

In late March 2014, Zuckerberg stated his intentions of providing internet access to the world through an initiative called ‘internet.org’, which was meant to be a global partnership between technology leaders, nonprofits, local communities and experts working together to bring internet access to two-thirds of the world’s population. Facebook’s Connectivity Lab project was also revealed simultaneously, which, through the technology of drones and laser, would embark on this mission. Professionals working for this project were recruited from prominent companies such as Nasa and the Ames Research Center.

It is only lately that intriguing details behind this project are coming to light. The company intends to manufacture drones in the thousands that will fly high and in the high corners of the Earth where internet isn’t readily accessible. These drones will provide wireless internet through laser beams transmitted via unmanned aircrafts that will fly at least 60,000 feet. This altitude is both above unforgiving weather and what any aircraft can reach. The Facebook drones will also be enormous in size, as big as a 747 commercial jet.

Although Facebook drones seem to have the technological answers, they may run into legal issues. For example, plans to have one pilot fly several drones at once may not sit well with certain governments whose laws dictate that each drone must be piloted by a single pilot.

Moreover, Facebook isn’t the only company experimenting with such a project. Technology giant Google also has similar designs. In fact, Titan Aerospace, a startup that manufactures solar powered drones, was initially in negotiations with Facebook before being bought by Google. Insiders report that Google’s offer to better any deal from Facebook was readily accepted by Titan Aerospace, who were acquired by Google to work on their Project Loon. Google’s own initiative is termed a research and development endeavour designed to provide internet through high-altitude and unmanned weather balloons.

After some experimentation, both companies intend to launch their projects full scale in the near future. Facebook has stated that after test runs it will run its drones in third world nations, where easy access to the internet is most needed. Of course, neither Google nor Facebook are running these projects purely out of the goodness of their hearts. Both technology giants are in the business of the internet, and marshaling the information superhighway is in their prime interest.

Noman Ansari is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to The Express Tribune magazine. He tweets @Pugnate

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 8^th, 2015.

AUCKLAND: It was in Auckland’s Eden Park that Pakistan had achieved the impossible all those years ago against New Zealand in a historic semi-final in 1992. On Saturday, they once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Former New Zealand all-rounder Gavin Larsen was watching from the stands against South Africa but in March 1992, he was out there on the field when a 22-year-old Inzamamul Haq took the game away from them. For the Kiwis, the defeat on home ground still hurts and Pakistan’s unpredictability and never-say-die attitude invariably brought back painful memories of that match for Larsen.

As Pakistan plugged away at the powerful Proteas batting line-up, New Zealand’s Cricket Operations Manager former all-rounder Gavin Larsen reminisced about his team’s shocking defeat at the hands of Imran Khan’s men at the cauldron of Eden Park, a defeat that still stings.

“One of the greatest games of my life was the semi-final and the atmosphere was amazing,” he told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview. “In Martin Crowe, we had the best captain in the tournament, who used his resources very well. But his injury meant that John Wright had to lead the team in adverse circumstances.”

After setting Pakistan a 263-run target, New Zealand were very much in control when Inzamam walked out to bat at number six with the green machine still needing 124 at more than seven runs an over.

“Inzamam shoved a dagger through our hearts, it was an emotional yet an amazing experience and it was indeed a dream shattered,” said 52-year-old Larsen. “We felt that we would have beaten the English team that played the final until Inzi just pulled the rug from under us.”

Larsen, playing an active role in organising the World Cup in New Zealand, feels that the current Pakistan team is a level below in skill and ability compared to the team he used to often get hammered against in the 90s. “The team we played against had Javed [Miandad] and Imran ,and later on Inzamam, the Ws [Wasim and Waqar] and Mushy [Mushtaq Ahmed] were right on top of the game. Pakistan were unpredictable, but on their day they could destroy anyone. With the ball in their hands, it was impossible to deal with their reverse swing.”

But for all the awe that he has for the class of 1992, Larsen feels that the team playing in the World Cup under Misbahul Haq is yet to come to terms with modern ODI cricket. “The game continues to evolve, now you need a positive mind-set,” he said. “In the 90s, there were phases where you needed to grind at times. The current Pakistan team has three or four match winners at best — other teams have up to seven.”

However, he is much happier with the current New Zealand team. “The biggest factor in the resurgence of New Zealand cricket is the competitive nature of our domestic cricket in the last decade. The current line-up has some great and skilled players who are turning things around for us and hopefully a World Cup win would be the perfect icing on the cake.”

If the present-day side can do what Larsen and the others failed to do at home 23 years ago, then perhaps all those wounds will finally heal. But for now, the memory of March 21, 1992, is as fresh in Larsen’s memory as it was when Moin Khan hit the winning boundary on that day.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2015.

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The company is expected to be set up in the next two weeks. Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting on Monday to consider matters pertaining to the establishment of the mortgage refinance company before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan formally incorporates it.

The company will have an authorised capital of Rs10 billion with Rs6 billion paid-up capital, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance.

The government will inject equity of Rs1.2 billion and 2% of the amount or Rs24 million will be released immediately to meet initial expenditures.

Besides the government, contribution to the equity will come from the National Bank of Pakistan, Askari Bank, Habib Bank Limited, United Bank Limited, Bank Alfalah, House Building Finance Corporation, Bank Al Habib and Allied Bank Limited. The International Finance Corporation of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are also expected to provide funds.

It was decided that directorship will be offered to only those banks that will contribute significantly to the equity. Some banks were seeking to restrict their contribution to small amounts, though the government desired that they should pump more money into the company.

Some of the banks had already given their consent for equity injection while others were in the process of finalising plans, officials of the finance ministry said.

State Bank of Pakistan Deputy Governor Saeed Ahmad will be the first chairman until a new board is constituted and selects the chairman. The company’s head office will be in Karachi.

It is proposed to be established with the objective of promoting, developing and improving the housing finance market in order to increase accessibility and availability of affordable housing finance with greater participation by banks and financial institutions.

Refinancing facilities will be for long, medium and short-term to banks and financial institutions against their existing conventional and Islamic housing finance portfolios.

Commercial banks in Pakistan are reluctant to take big exposures in the housing sector that has become an obstacle in the way of addressing the issue of lack of housing facilities. Banks that are in the housing finance business are offering loans at very high interest rates, making them unaffordable for the people.

Against a total credit of Rs10.8 trillion extended by banks, house financing amounted to only Rs39.4 billion at the end of December last year, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s statistics.

The finance minister said the new company must provide all forms of technical advice, consultancy support and assistance to banks and financial institutions in conventional and Islamic housing finance products along with developing and promoting international best practices for housing finance, said the finance ministry.

Exim Bank

Dar also chaired a meeting to review arrangements for establishing the Export Import (Exim) Bank, the plan for which the government had announced in the budget.

Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood said all spadework for the launch of the bank had been completed.

He said the bank would work as a development finance institution with an authorised capital of Rs10 billion. It is expected to be set up in the next two weeks.

The minister issued instructions for preparing a comprehensive business plan for his consideration before launching of the bank. The bank would promote export refinance and support small and medium-scale enterprises, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March  17^th,  2015.

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Ever since he was a teenager, Adeel Hamid* has been the centre of everyone’s attention. Over six feet tall, with chocolate brown hair and a porcelain complexion, the 29-year-old banker was sure to turn heads everywhere he went until he chose to marry a girl one foot shorter than himself. Friends and family alike began castigating the couple for their height difference and many even went to the extent of labelling Adeel and his significant other as ‘misfits’.

Unfortunately, Adeel’s story hardly constitutes as breaking news.  Harsh as it may sound, his experience lends credence to the bitter reality that people are judged by their appearance, no matter how hard they try to prove themselves otherwise. “Honestly, I was rather shocked by how negatively people spoke about my wife (Ushna) and me, just because of our height difference,” says Adeel. This started to take a toll on Ushna’s wellbeing Adeel shares. She started to internalise things and this made her believe she didn’t deserve to be with Adeel.

Ushna’s concern is shared by people who are below the average height, which is approximately five feet seven inches for males and five feet two inches for females in Pakistan reports the averageheight.co. According to a study by Oxford University which was published last year, feeling smaller makes people feel paranoid, mistrustful and more likely to think that others are staring at them or talking about them. The study refers to the problem as ‘short-man syndrome’, also known as the Napoleon complex, and as per the findings, shorter men or women make for a more jealous spouse in comparison to their taller counterparts. ‘Heightism’, a universal term given to the prejudice or discrimination against individuals based on their height is, however, the byproduct of society. From marriage proposals to job interviews, height influences decisions and overshadows the more important aspects of an individual’s personality such as their capabilities and talents.

In Pakistan, marriage proposals are sifted through primarily on the basis of looks. Asma Siddiqi*, a 22-year-old student from the University of Karachi, shares the humiliation she had to go through after facing rejection based on her height. “At a wedding last year, an aunty seeking prospective brides looked at me and remarked ‘if only you were taller’,” she recalls. What is surprising is that even men face similar discrimination, if not in the field of marriage, then in the competitive job market. Malcolm Gladwell, a Canadian journalist and bestselling author, states in his book titled Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, that most CEOs of 500 Fortune companies are tall men with an average height of above six feet. “Tall men have better jobs, more success with women and more money than their shorter counterparts,” says Gladwell in the context of cultural bias.

Unfortunately, society tends to favour taller individuals. “People tend to take tall people more seriously,” explains Areeba Muzzaffer, an intern at the Agha Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Karachi who is five feet six inches tall. “As soon as you see a short person you can’t help but crack a joke on their height,” she adds. Shahzeb Hassan, a 23-year-old student from the Lahore University of Management Science, agrees with Areeba. At over six feet tall, Shahzeb shares that his height helps him portray a positive self-image and boosts his confidence.

Moreover, personality related issues pertaining to short height stem from culture. According to Dr Aisha Mian, the head of psychiatry department at AKUH, parents emphasise on height at a very early age by asking children to drink more milk or engage in certain sports to help them grow tall. “Sentences of praise such as mashAllah kitna lamba hogya hai (look how tall you have grown) are a prime example,” she adds. Eventually those who don’t gain height end up with a lower self-esteem. In fact, sports or other professions that require people to have a certain height, such as basketball, sumo wrestling or modeling also contribute to disappointment for some who do not meet the height criteria. On the other hand, Dr Nargis Asad, a clinical psychologist at AKUH, says that there are other factors that contribute to lower self-esteem besides one’s height. “There may be people who search for taller spouses but not everyone follows the stereotype,” she adds. People who are shorter consciously enhance other parts of their personality to make up for their height, she adds. For instance, Dr Aisha explains that shorter men, in turn, become louder, more assertive or participate in extra-curricular activities to become more visible. On the other hand, women wear heels or try to make up for their height by excelling in other things.

But unlike what many believe, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Even tall people have to face their fair share of problems. “With being tall comes the notion that one is more serious, ambitious and logical,” states Dr Aisha. And it can be hard to live up to everyone’s expectations all the time.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy. 

Learn to respect yourself

American poet Robert Frost once said, “Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.” Therefore, to be content with one’s stature one must get rid of the negativity and adorn a more positive self-image. Follow these useful tips to build self-compassion:

Treat yourself how you would treat others

If you think calling someone else short would hurt their feelings then don’t do it to yourself either. 

Care about yourself

Self-pitying or being paranoid because of one’s height will only stop them from moving ahead in life. If you care about yourself, do what’s right for you rather than what’s harming you. 

Reach for your goals

Height doesn’t stop you from becoming successful. If you put your mind to something, there is nothing that can stop you from achieving your goal.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, March 15^th, 2015.

The post The height of success appeared first on The Express Tribune.

While washing hair may not seem like rocket science, there is (or at least, should be) much more to it than simply lathering on some shampoo and rinsing it off. A proper hair wash routine requires much more than that but most of us remain blissfully unaware of this fact.

We continue to follow our misguided washing techniques without realising how detrimental they can be to the hair and hair follicles. Read on to find out about the six most common blunders we make when it comes to our hair and how we can avoid them for a healthier mane.

1. Give it a break: We are all clean-freaks when it comes to hair but did you know that daily washing can take away hair’s natural shine, thanks to the strong chemicals mixed in commercial shampoos? According to hair experts, natural oils are produced by the scalp and reach till the ends of your hair, making them look shiny and healthy. Regular wear and tear causes the oils to deplete. If you are worried about grease, try a dry shampoo or water and restyle them with a blow dry.

2. Stick to one shampoo: Switching from one shampoo to another might be okay once in a while but regular switching —  or even using two or more different shampoos at one time — affects hair adversely. As time goes by, your hair gradually builds tolerance to the special product you are using. However, if you suffer from oily hair or style them frequently using sticky products, then a switch to a clarifying shampoo once every couple of weeks could do you good.

3. Don’t overdo it: You are overdoing the washing when you apply the equal amount of shampoo and conditioner from scalp till the ends of your hair. Experts recommend focusing the shampoo on your scalp and conditioning just the mid-shaft of each strand to the ends. This ensures that the moisture reaches where it is needed most and also protects against excess build up and residue on the skin.

4. Always use conditioner: Don’t underestimate the power of conditioner because without it, your hair will be limp, dry and dull.  Adequate conditioning after every wash will boost your hair’s strength and volume, especially if the conditioner is of the same brand as the shampoo. In fact, conditioner also cuts down on friction and breakage when you brush your hair. Using only conditioner to wash your hair may not result in the thorough cleaning of a shampoo but will leave the hair feeling and looking nice.

5. No to hot showers: It may be cold outside and as relaxing as a hot shower may seem, it can actually distress your hair further. Heat tends to open the pores on the scalp and a hot water wash doesn’t allow the pores to close down once the hair has been washed. Cold water, on the other hand, is more relaxing to the skin and closes the pores. The best option for you is to take a warm shower and at the end, rinse your hair with cold water for about 30 seconds. This will also lock in essential moisture needed for healthy tresses.

6. Let the dye stay: Unnecessary rinsing of dyed hair will shorten the life-time of the hair colour. Coloured hair tends to absorb and release water much easily so avoid washing it too much, especially with hot water as heat makes the colour fade faster.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, March 15^th, 2015.

The post Six hair wash blunders you might be making appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Despite launching a military offensive, Operation Zarb-e-Azb, against various militant groups in North Waziristan on June 15, 2014, and increasing the defense budget to Rs700.2 billion for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, Pakistan has not succeeded in uprooting terrorism from its soil. Between 2013 and 2014, approximately 5,991 people, including civilians and security personnel, lost their lives in terror-related attacks, reports the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP). Within the first three months of 2015 alone, an appalling 315 others, including the 14 who died in the recent attack on a church in Lahore, have become victims of violence. Therefore, with the state enemies becoming more brazen with each attack, it is time to see how the country plans to shield itself from their next strike.

K-P’s renewed defense strategy

With Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) being the province that was worst-hit by terrorism — according to SATP, 196 people died in nine terror attacks during 2014 — it is imperative that the government establish its defense base camp in the province. According to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and chief of Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) Peshawar Shafqat Malik, the provincial government has already taken the necessary measures and chalked out a comprehensive security strategy. This includes the opening of a police school for explosive handling in Nowshera on Feb 9 earlier this year, shares Malik.

(Top) The Islamabad police patrol the streets, ready to respond to any emergency. (Right) A police officer handles a wireless controller which gives direction to the bomb disposal robot.  PHOTO: AFP

Annually approximately 1,200 police officers across the province will receive training on how to defuse Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) using robots at the school. In the past the BDS was equipped with a pair of ordinary wire cutters and a splicer, but the school has acquired two bomb disposal robots worth Rs1,000,000 each, two advanced bomb suits worth Rs10,000,000 each and an explosive ordnance disposal vehicle to train officers. “If we had trained our squad (in using robots earlier), we could have easily controlled mass destruction and human loss,” says Malik. “From 2008 to 2013, 15 BDS members have died while defusing bombs.”

The school has also invested in various detectors which include metal detectors, mine detectors and detectors to trace bombs. But the detectors aren’t as effective as sniffer dogs, says Malik. “Their sense of smell is 5,000 times more powerful,” he shares, adding that the dogs can serve for up to 10 years. The bomb disposal unit has purchased 40 trained sniffer dogs, costing Rs4,000,000 each, from the Pakistan Army to assist in detecting explosives. This excludes their monthly expenses, including food and vaccination, which totals at Rs15,000 per dog.

One of the police officers gets assistance in wearing the advanced bomb disposal suit at the explosive handling school in K-P.

A Pakistani Ranger instructs a female student of NED University during a counter-terrorism training demonstration. PHOTO: REUTERS

While a great deal of money has been pumped into acquiring the necessary protective gear, the province suffers from short-sighted planning. A forensic laboratory has yet to be established in K-P for post-blast explosive residue identification. Malik hopes to rectify this by opening a forensic laboratory which will not only study explosive residue to establish the origin and distribution of materials used in making a bomb but will also provide a safe environment for testing explosives.

Along with strengthening the BDS, the province has taken several measures to prevent schools from becoming vulnerable targets. In December last year, the provincial police launched the Android-based One-Click SOS Alert Service to allow users to tap an alert button that will instantly notify the police in case of an emergency. Additionally, since the province does not have the budget to build a bomb room in each school, security guidelines have been provided to students and teachers at both private and government-run educational institutes and they have been taught how to use weapons to secure themselves in case of an attack.

A police school for handling explosives was inaugurated in Nowshera on Feb 9, 2015.

K-P’s provincial capital Peshawar has always been a soft target for militants; the city has 390 entry points which are almost impossible to man, explains Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) operations Dr Mian Saeed. Despite this security in the the provincial capital has been beefed up and all routes linked with red zones inside the city have been secured with checkpoints, he assures.

Besides routine patrols, the capital city police have also deployed special security forces in Peshawar. “During school hours the Rapid Response Force (RRF) patrols the city streets for any suspicious activity and the Quick Response Force (QRF) is on the alert at every police station,” says Saeed. Following the attack on Peshawar’s Imamia mosque, special security has also been provided to guard places of worship.

Other provinces take a stand

Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab have adopted a number of K-P’s security strategies. In the wake of the attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS) on December 16, 2014, the police force in every province have made several efforts to improve security of government and educational institutions. Along with providing them with security guidelines, closed-circuit television cameras have been installed and security guards have been deployed at the main gates of schools and colleges.

According to AIG Karachi Ghulam Qadir, Sindh plans on launching its own one-click SOS alert service for citizens. Although the province has no explosives-handling school, it has a BDU and is well stocked with modern detectors and two cell phone locaters. Sindh police is planning on purchasing more cell phone detectors as well, says Qadir. After the attack on Karachi’s highly sensitive installations, especially the attack on Jinnah International Airport on June 8, 2014, the Karachi Police have formed a counter-terrorism strategy, which includes carrying out regular encounter operations and raids on places where suspected outlaws are believed to be taking refuge.

The RRF has also been deployed in different city zones to stand guard says Qadir. As a result, several terror plots have been foiled by the police in the city. “Since the approval of the National Action Plan, over 4,457 raids have been conducted and 22 terrorists have been killed, while 16 others have been detained. From December 2014 to February 24, 2015, almost 355 encounters have also been carried out in which 52 terrorists and 113 dacoits were killed,” says Qadir. He further adds that the tightened security in the province since December 23, 2014, has resulted in the arrests of 7,086 criminals, recovery of 31 Klashinkovs, 1,429 rifles, 35 shotguns, nearly 52kgs of explosives, 123 hand grenades and three suicide jackets.

The National Action Plan has become a security blueprint for all provinces. Particularly in Balochistan, ADIG investigation Muhammad Kamran says, it has helped drastically improve the security situation. To combat attacks, Balochistan police have a counter-terrorism training academy in Quetta where the police force is trained by the Army. “The first batch of the Counter-Terrorism Force, including 18 female constables, has completed its training at the academy,” says Kamran.

Additionally, the province has 22 police stations, several detectors, two Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) locators and one bomb disposal team which comprises of five members. Despite limited resources, the BDU defuses around four to six bombs monthly in various parts of Quetta, says Kamran. “We still do not have a proper training facility when it comes to handling explosives,” says Kamran. “The duty of these five personnel is, therefore, not only to defuse explosives but to also conduct search operations during VIP movements in the provincial capital,” he adds. The Balochistan police have no sniffer dogs of its own either and borrow dogs from the Frontier Corps (FC) or the Army when required. There are no plans to launch a one-click SOS service either as the province has relies on its two help lines. “One has to dial 15 to reach the police and 115 to reach the FC,” he says.

The weak spots

Despite the efforts made by provinces to secure their boundaries, several security loopholes serve as impediments to counter terrorism in the region. For instance, in most cases, the very people whom the state seeks to protect harbour militants in their homes, which was seen in the case of the APS attack. Cooperation from locals is, therefore, key to winning this battle against militants, says Saeed. Furthermore, all provinces have not been allotted equal resources. In K-P, for instance, the police department has no cell phone locators so the police can’t trace calls made to cell phones used in attacks. “We depend entirely on word-of-mouth information and that is why we cannot control terrorism in the region,” says Saeed.

Abdur Razzaq is a Peshawar-based radio and print journalist. He tweets @TheAbdurRazzaq

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 22^nd,  2015.

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How do you make an app that reforms the ‘hook-up culture’ we’ve come to know and love into something halal, everlasting and ultimately something our parents would approve of? Thirty-year-old Shahzad Younas, a British-Pakistani entrepreneur says he has the answer: MuzMatch, a matchmaking service takes its cues from Tinder, but caters exclusively to Muslims.

The app retains the fundamentals of Tinder — you are presented with a series of possible matches and you swipe right or left on your phone to signal interest or dismiss each candidate. But MuzMatch has features that speak to the hearts of a more conservative clientele; you can create a profile that describes your religious sensibilities and select ‘Sunni’, ‘Shia’ or ‘Just Muslim’, specify the extent to which you practice religion and whether you have a beard or wear a veil.

The app also has a wali feature, where messages and photos of the match are automatically forwarded to a prescribed guardian, normally one’s parent to keep the courtship as halal as possible. Younas says he wants to help Muslims ‘choose their own romantic destiny without breaking religious rules’. “Women on other dating apps are faced with weirdos and creeps,” the MuzMatch founder said. “We will ban anyone sending disgusting or inappropriate pictures and messages.”

While such apps open up the next frontier in courtship, ‘Muslim dating’ is a phenomenon that does have precedent. Nuptial websites like shaadi.com or muslima.com have millions of customers. A labyrinthine set of questions, profile features and algorithms work to get one the perfect match, whether their deen has lapsed or been reborn. Tinder-like apps are a natural progression from such matchmaking sites.

More broadly, an app like MuzMatch is perhaps a rebuff to that cacophony of Western voices that demand the ‘Muslim world’ to modernise. What better way of being ‘modern’ than to tell the story of how you met your partner online, or on a date, even if the parents did come along? The Muslim world has moved on from the monopolies that the Mrs Qureshis and Siddiquis held in matchmaking, and for the better, without necessarily removing the shackles of parental or societal consent.

It is capitalism’s unscrupulous ability to adapt to obstacles like culture, people’s preferences, habits and moods that make it the most powerful institution on Earth. For instance, instead of selling a car with interest, ‘Islamic banks’ buy it and sell it to you at a ‘profit’, ensuring that you buy your price inflated-car the way your religion would apparently want you to. One can get halal tour packages to Turkey, Malaysia and the UAE, skipping the skimpy beaches entirely and focusing instead on the breadth of Islamic history. For only Rs6 per day, you can get your daily hadith on your cell phone. You can get your non-alcoholic perfumes, red wine vinegar substitutes, impure silks and Burberry hijabs. Name a product and there is a halal option that you can find in the grocery store aisle, and now, the App Store.

Currently MuzMatch is working on an android app and will also offer a wide range of languages in the future to cater to Muslims across the world. Like banking or holidays, when there’s a particularly ‘Muslim’ way of doing things, there is indeed a market to get it done, keeping Muslim sensitivities — and a nice paycheck — in mind.

Muzmatch has features that speak to the hearts of a more conservative clientele; you can create a profile that describes your religious sensibilities and select ‘Sunni’, ‘Shia’ or ‘Just Muslim’, specify the extent to which you practice religion and whether you have a beard or wear a veil

Saim Saeed is a freelance writer. He tweets @saimsaeed847

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, March 29^th,  2015.

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The enforcement and implementation of traffic rules and regulations is taken care of only in the ‘important parts’ of the city. These ‘important parts’ include the few roads of the South zone which are, in traffic police lingo, the ‘model roads’ of Karachi.

The five intersections, Fawwara Chowk, Do Talwar, Teen Talwar, Sindh Club and Ocean Chowk, Sharae Faisal and the different roads leading to Defence and Clifton are the model roads; the rest of the city’s roads are the traffic regulators’ stepsons.

Proper marking of lanes and constables donning the new grey uniform are the salient features of these special roads. Traffic personnel are deployed round the clock and no one dares to violate the traffic laws due to, as South SSP Tanveer Odho puts it, a “zero tolerance for bribery in the area”.

The female traffic police wardens are yet another feature restricted to these model roads.

According to the traffic sub-inspector of the South zone, Tufail, it is very important for the traffic regulators to enforce the law in the red zone as Chief Minister House, Governor House, the Sindh Assembly, the Supreme Court Karachi registry and the Sindh High Court buildings were all situated in these areas.

“How can we not implement the law in these areas?” he asked. “We have zero tolerance for bribes in the red zone.”

What public transporters have to say

Khan Coach Services manager Zahir shed light on the different ‘phases’ of the traffic police.

“Earlier in the month of March, there was a bout of crackdown against the carriers on the rooftop of the buses on which commuters usually travel,” he said, adding that such crackdowns are for a month or two before everything goes back to normal. “Now we have reached an understanding with the police that they won’t fine us for carrying passengers on the rooftop in the morning.”

However, he added that abiding by all the traffic rules once they enter the red zones is also a part of their understanding. “When our Khan Coaches cross the main tower in Saddar, the conductors ask all the passengers travelling on the rooftops to get inside the bus,” he explained. “If we don’t do this, we are fined immediately.”

Marwat Coach conductor Jawed said that the intensity of getting fined differed in different parts of the city. “For example, when our vehicle reaches Drigh Road, we make sure that no passenger is on the rooftop as that is [the point] where the traffic police checking gets tougher.”

The commuter’s version

People who travel in public buses agree with the version of the transporters.

According to Owais Muhammad, a regular commuter of the Super Hasan Zai Coach, whenever the coach crosses Bahadurabad, the driver puts the brakes.

“The conductor then makes sure that all the passengers are inside and none on the rooftop,” he said, adding that if the conductor forgets to do so, the driver always get a ticket on Sharae Faisal.

Why the discrimination?

According to SSP Odho, Karachi is suffering from a serious shortage of traffic police personnel. “Out of the 3,200 police force for the traffic, only 1,100 give duty shift-wise for as many as 35 million vehicles plied on the roads,” he said.

He said that in such a situation, their foremost priority is to maintain the flow of traffic in the South zone. “Most of the diplomatic and high-profile movements are observed in this zone,” he said.

According to Odho, the South zone has traditionally been a very secure zone in Karachi. “We have never allowed the eight-seat Qingqi rickshaws to be plied on the model roads and red zones,” he said. “We want to maintain it as a polished area. Such Qingqi rickshaws and public buses, with passengers travelling on the top of the rooftops, do not leave a very good impression on foreign diplomats.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2015.

The post Inequality of law: The traffic police’s fancy for ‘model roads’ in the red zone appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Cantonment elections 101

After nearly 17 years, the country is gearing up for elections in cantonment areas in all provinces. There are 42 cantonment boards across the country and eight of them are located in Sindh, with six in Karachi alone. The Express Tribune has compiled above a list of all candidates contesting the seats; some of them are contesting from the platform of their political parties while some are contesting as independent candidates.

Karachi has six cantonment boards — Clifton, Faisal, Karachi, Manora, Korangi Creek and Malir — and they all are divided into wards. The number of wards equals the number of elected seats in each board. The remaining seats in the board are reserved seats (for women and minorities) and nominated seats on which members are nominated by the station commander of that particular cantonment board. Once the election process is completed, the cantonment board will comprise the people who won these elected seats, plus those who were nominated and those elected later on reserved seats. This time, there are only three women from Karachi who are contesting the cantonment elections across the entire province. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional has fielded only one candidate in all of Sindh.

Clifton Cantt

Nominated Seats 10

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Asad Iqbal (JI)

2. Junaid Ali Khan (MQM)

3. M Ahmed (PTI)

4. M Arif Jamal (Ind)

5. M Farhan Wazir (Ind)

6. M Owais (Ind)

7. Shaikh Zulkafeel Maqsood (Ind)

8. Syed Naeem Hasan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Majid Khan (MQM)

2. M Karam Khan (PML-N)

3. M Shafiq (PPP)

4. Rashid Ali (PTI)

5. Syed Younis Shah (JI)

6. M Javed (Ind)

7. M Riaz (Ind)

8. M Zubair Ahmed Awan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (3)

1. Syed Shah Faisal (MQM)

2. Ameer Shah (PPP)

3. Jamshed Akhtar (JI)

4. Liaquat Ahsan (PML-N)

5. M Arif (PTI)

6. Anwar Zaib (Ind)

7. Akhtar Rehman Tareen (Ind)

8. M Waseem Baloch (Ind)

9. M Younus (Ind)

10. Nasir Shehzad (Ind)

11. Raja Akhtar Ali (Ind)

12. Zafar Hussain (Ind)

Candidates for seat (4)

1. Abdul Hameed Khan (JI)

2. M Arif Kayani (PML-N)

3. M Jamil (PTI)

4. M Younus Rizvi (Ind)

5. Shakil Haider Jafri (Ind)

6. Habibullah Khan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (5)

1. Abdul Hameed Baloch (PPP)

2. Abdul Hamid (JI)

3. Basharat Hussain (MQM)

4. M Atiqur Rehman Khan (PTI)

5. Syed M Azhar Ali Shah Hamdani (PML-N)

6. Riaz Ahmed (Ind)

7. Tufail Khan Niazi (Ind)

Candidates for seat (6)

1. M Ilyas (PTI)

2. M Monis (JMI)

3. Zakauddin (MQM)

4. Zulfiqar Ahmed (PPP)

5. M Yamin Rajput (Ind)

6. Sohail Rana (Ind)

7. Abdul Talat (Ind)

8. M Arif Chawla (Ind)

Candidates for seat (7)

1. M Shahid Sheikh (MQM)

2. M Rashid (PTI)

3. Naveed Ahmed Abro (PPP)

4. Shahid Ayub Khan (JMI)

5. Saleemul Haq (Ind)

6. Taha Shahid (Ind)

Candidates for seat (8)

1. Hamid H Khawer (PTI)

2. M Ashfaq (PPP)

3. M Zakir Mehanti (JMI)

4. Nizamuddin Shaikh (PML-N)

5. Pervaiz Murad (Ind)

6. Safeerullah Abbasi (Ind)

7. Capt (r) Adeebuz Zaman Safvi (Ind)

Candidates for seat (9)

1. Abdul Rasheed (JMI)

2. Kashif Ahmed Khan (MQM)

3. M Yaqoob Choudhry (PML-N)

4. Azizul Haq Suharwardy (PTI)

5. Afaque Riaz Ahmed (Ind)

6. Ghulam Ahmed Naz (Ind)

7. Asim Salim Anjum (Ind)

8. Syed Muzaffar Hussain (Ind)

9. Tahir Mahmood Arain (Ind)

10. Tariq Mahmood (Ind)

11. Ziaul Hassan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (10)

1. M Aslam Khaliq (PTI)

2. Raghib Bashir (MQM)

3. Sufian (JI*)

4. Shah Faisal (Ind)

5. Shahzad Qureshi (Ind)

6. M Najeeb (Ind)

7. M Younus (Ind)

8. Dr Nayyar Mir (Ind)

9. M Arsalan Khan (Ind)

Voters 148,386

Faisal Cantt

Nominated Seats 10

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Ahmed Ali (PML-N)

2. Basharat Elahi (MQM)

3. M Bashir (JI)

4. M Kamal Khan (PPP)

5. M Wakeel (Ind)

6. M Imran (Ind)

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Ali Ashiq (PML-N)

2. Abdul Hameed Khan (JI)

3. Hamza Abrar (PPP)

4. Zulfiqar Ahmed (MQM)

5. M Nadeem Mushtaq (Ind)

6. Sabir Gull (Ind)

Candidates for seat (3)

1. M Fazil (PML-N)

2. Naeem Akhtar (JI)

3. Syeda Rubab Kazmi (Ind)

Candidates for seat (4)

1. Bashir Ahmed Bhatti (PML-N)

2. M Younas Ghauri (PPP)

3. Noman Malik (MQM)

4. Asif Mirza (Ind)

5. Sajida Jaffar (Ind)

Candidates for seat (5)

1. Kashif Ahmed Khan (MQM)

2. Osama Ahmed Siddiqui (JI)

Candidates for seat (6)

1. Shahdatullah (MQM)

2. S Humayun Pervaiz (JI)

3. Shaikh Abdul Qudoos (Ind)

Candidates for seat (7)

1. S Ali Akber Shah Rashdi (PML-N)

2. M Kamal Khan (MQM)

3. M Essa (JI)

4. Chamman Fatima (Ind)

Candidates for seat (8)

1. Zeeshan Bashir Farooqi (MQM)

2. M Abdul Muqtadir (JI)

3. M Usman (Ind)

Candidates for seat (9)

1. Fasihur Rehman (PML-N)

2. S Afzal Ahmed (JI)

Candidates for seat (10)

1. Javed Khan (PPP)

2. M Tariq Khan (JI)

3. M Nawabuddin (MQM)

Voters 158,826

Karachi Cantt

Nominated Seats 5

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Ashraf Abbas (PPP)

2. Bashir Ahmed (MQM)

3. Abdul Khursheed Khan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Sabilur Rehman (JI)

2. Abdul Ahad (Ind)

3. Ch Nasir Ali Khan (Ind)

4. Wasif Chaman (Ind)

Candidates for seat (3)

1. Salahuddin Alkozai (PTI)

2. Malik Ahmed Nawaz Awan (JI)

3. Abdul Rehman (Ind)

4. Essar (Ind)

5. M Ayub Khan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (4)

1. Waqar Ahmed Awan (PPP)

2. Rubina Anjum (MQM)

3. M Asif (PTI)

4. Fayyaz Ahmed (JI)

5. Abdul Rehman (Ind)

6. Eijaz Ahmed (Ind)

7. Mobin Ahmed (Ind)

Candidates for seat (5)

1. Imtiaz Ali Shah (PPP)

2. M Akram (MQM)

3. M Zahid Ayoubi (PTI)

4. Waqas Noveen (JI)

5. M Shahid

Voters 36,406

Manora Cantt

Nominated Seats 2

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Abdul Majeed (Ind)

2. Fahzad Shah (Ind)

3. Imran Khan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Fazal Wahab (Ind)

2. Hidayatullah (Ind)

3. M Noman Khan (Ind)

4. Rao Tariq Waheed (Ind)

Voters 2,527

Malir Cantt

Nominated Seats 3

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Fida Hussain (PML-N)

2. Imran Khan (PTI)

3. M Ramzan Butt (JI)

4. Khan Sherullah Khan (Ind)

5. Rashid Iqbal (Ind)

Candidates for seat (2)

1.Abdul Ghafoor (PPP)

2. Imran Shahid (JI)

3. Syed Abul Hassan (MQM)

4. Manzoor Ali (PML-F)

5. M Atif Shah (PTI)

6. Muzammil Ahmed Abro (Ind)

7. Shahid Hussain Khan (Ind)

8. Ali Akbar (Ind)

9. Ali Gohar (Ind)

10. Atif Atta (Ind)

11. Aurangzeb Khan (Ind)

12. Ghulam Khan Dahri (Ind)

Candidates for seat (3)

1. Zahid Shafi (PTI)

2. M Rafi (JI)

3. M Asif Khokhar (Ind)

4. Malik M Raza (Ind)

5. Lt Col (R) M Akram Shaheen (Ind)

6. Fl Lt (R) Rao M Ayub Khan  (Ind)

7. Atif Bari (Ind)

Voters 31,071

Korangi cantt

Nominated Seats 2

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Gul Sher (JI)

2. Hazar Khan Abro (MQM)

3. M Saleem Awan (PPP)

4. Nasratullah (PML-N)

5. Javed Munshi

6. M Arif Jhandir

7. M Shoukat

8. M Iqbal

9. M Younus

10. Mrs Nasreen Stephen

11. Syed Raees Ahmed

12. Wali Dad Khan

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Elected member:

M Farooq Ahmed (JI)

Voters 15,933

Sukkur

Pano Aqil Cantt

Nominated Seats 2

Reserved Seats 2

(one for women, one for minority)

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Elected member:

Ali Bux Mahar (Ind)

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Elected member: Khan Mohammad Brohi (Ind)

Voters 4,758

Hyderabad

Hyderabad Cantt

Nominated Seats 10

Reserved Seats 2

Candidates for seat (1)

1. Faqeer Mohammad (PPP)

2. Nisar Ahmed (MQM)

Candidates for seat (2)

1. Saleem Qureshi (MQM)

2. M Shakir (PPP)

3. Mian Ajmal Shah (PTI)

4. Akram Khan (Ind)

Candidates for seat (3)

1. Elected member: Malik Muhammad Yasin (MQM)

Candidates for seat (4)

1. Moiz Abbas (MQM)

2. M Ibrahim Qureshi (PPP)

3. Abdul Rehman (Ind)

4. Abdul Sattar (Ind)

5. Umer Sharif Rajput (Ind)

Candidates for seat (5)

1. M Iqbal Memon (MQM)

2. Nadeem Ahmed (PPP)

Candidates for seat (6)

1. Abdul Jalil Memon (PPP)

2. Manzoor Baloch (Ind)

3. Nasir Aziz (Ind)

Candidates for seat (7)

1. Riaz Hussain (MQM)

2. Kazi Ashad Abbasi (PPP)

3. S M Ahmed Rashid (PTI)

4. Abdul Karim Khan (Ind)

5. Ilahi Bux (Ind)

6. Saboor Baloch (Ind)

7. Shaikh Abdul Qadeer (Ind)

Candidates for seat (8)

1. Elected member: Abdul Aziz (MQM)

Candidates for seat (9)

1. Abdul Rasheed (MQM)

2. Lal Rehman (PPP)

Candidates for seat (10)

1. S Jamil Ahmed Rizvi (MQM)

2. Adnan Shah (PPP)

Voters 40,882

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2015.

The post Right to vote appeared first on The Express Tribune.