And quite rightly so, as the Argentine has been pivotal for the Catalans this season and will be hoping to inspire his side when they take to Berlin for the final.

However, despite being knocked out, Bayern emerged from the match with much credit to their name as they took on one of Europe’s meanest defences and visibly shook them.

Guardiola’s men knew they had to score at least three goals if they were to have any chance of claiming the match and took just seven minutes to score past a defence that hadn’t conceded in more than 10 hours of football.

Medhi Benatia rose highest to head past Marc-André ter Stegen to give the supporters at the Allianz Arena some hope that their team could do the impossible. That lead and hope, however, was short-lived as Messi supplied a perfect through ball for Luis Suarez, who squared the ball to Neymar for the equaliser and grab the all-important away goal.

Further misery was to follow 15 minutes later as Suarez again broke clear in the 29th minute after Jerome Boateng has lost his marker to pick out Neymar for the Brazilians’ second goal.

By then the tie was all but over — Bayern needed six more going into the second-half. A humiliation the likes of the 7-0 suffered by the Catalan side at the hands of the Bavarians was on the cards.

Of Bayern’s impeccable fighting spirit

When the referee blew the whistle to kick off the second half, it was Bayern who took the initiative. They hustled, harried and pressed Barcelona from the word go to try and achieve the impossible.

Robert Lewandowski produced a moment of magic on the hour mark to beat Javier Mascherano before curling a shot beyond the diving Ter Stegen into the far corner from the edge of the box. Thomas Muller then added another with just 15 minutes to play from a similar position to give Bayern a 3-2 lead on the night. Still three goals were required but suddenly it was game on.

The Bavarians huffed and they puffed but the Blaugrana would not be breached again and as the last 10 minutes slowly ticked away, the home side finally had to resign themselves to their fate, ending up on the wrong side of a 5-3 loss.

“We believed in the miracle, but we couldn’t make it happen. It’s impossible to stop those players [Barcelona] for the whole 90 minutes. We didn’t lose it today, but lost in the first leg,” said Bayern skipper Philipp Lahm after the match.

Bayern certainly did believe in the miracle and certainly played with the intensity required to take on Barcelona. Although they fell short in the end by three goals, they went down fighting like champions and received well-deserved plaudits for their spirit.

What to take from the semi-final?

Although Bayern failed to qualify for the final, what they achieved was beyond anything that anyone could have expected — they made Barcelona look uncomfortable and forced them to work for their win. Even though the Blaugrana had a four-goal cushion to bank on at the end of the first half, the Bayern onslaught made it look as if it was the Catalans who were under pressure — a rare moment of vulnerability for the La Liga leaders.

Barcelona started making more mistakes and uncharacteristically lost possession. Even the introduction of Xavi Hernandez, known for his unshakable calm and immaculate control of the ball in midfield, could do little to curtail the Bayern romp and time and again Bayern kept piercing Barcelona’s defence.

Regardless of the outcome, the German salvaged their pride, maintained their home dominance over Barcelona and ensured that they bow out with their heads held high.

The standing ovation and the salute from the supporters at the end of the game was tantamount to the fact that the Germans were proud of their team, proud of the effort they displayed, proud of the way they never gave up.

Time was Bayern’s biggest enemy and while it was not to be in the end, pep Guardiola’s diminished side earned a massive psychological win over his previous one — a feat on its own.  

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th,  2015.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The post Barcelona progress to finals but Bavarians win hearts appeared first on The Express Tribune.

However, both China and Pakistan do not have the luxury of time.

As part of its long-term planning, China has framed three corridor routes to overcome a greater security challenge in the South China Sea in shape of possible blockade of Sea Lane of Communications at the point of Straits of Malacca during conflict times. Any blockade may stop 80% of Chinese imported energy supplies from the Middle East and West Africa. It also wants to develop western hinterlands by heavily investing in these regions.

The three routes

The southern corridor begins from Guangzhou, which is the third largest city of China in South Central China. This route moves towards western parts of China and connects Kashgar with Pakistan at Kunjarab – a point from where China wants to link to Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea. It is the shortest and the most feasible option for China. But it is not the only option.

The second Chinese option is the Central Corridor that starts from Shanghai and links the country to Tashkent, Tehran and onwards to Bandar Imam Khomeini Port of Iran on the Persian Gulf. One of its branches goes up towards Europe. This is the longer route but could be an option, if Pakistan does not deliver on the timelines of completing its road network to become a beneficiary of the New Silk Road Economic Belt.

The third Chinese option is the Northern Corridor that starts from Beijing, passes through Russia, and links it to European cities.

After over a decade of planning, China formally launched the idea of Silk Road Economic Belt, known as the One Road, One Belt, in October 2013.

The fear of a maritime blockade imposed by the US in the event of a conflict in East Asia has led Chinese thinkers to look for ways to bypass sea lanes subject to US naval dominance, writes Nadege Rolland, the Senior Project Director for Political and Security Affairs at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) in his February 2015 article.

China Pakistan Economic Corridor

In this backdrop, China and Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on July 5, 2013. The agreement was signed during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to China.

The CPEC, which will be constructed from 2014 to 2030, talks about integrated links to Chinese One Road, One Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Route. With active consultation of Chinese authorities, Pakistan has prepared a plan to construct three corridors, the western alignment, the central alignment and the eastern alignment. The last one has been picked for development in the first phase.

Article 3 of July 2013 MoU on Long Term Plan of CPEC explains the rationales behind picking the eastern corridor. “Long-Term Plan should be developed under the principle of scientific planning, steadily developing, and take the easiest the first,” it states.

It was on China’s demand for security and early completion of the route that led to the finalisation of the eastern corridor. The western route, where the Pakhtoon and Baloch belts lie, cannot be developed at a faster pace and is riskier in terms of security. However, there is a counter argument that development would address the security concerns.

The eastern alignment will pass through Thakot-Mansehra-Islamabad-Lahore and Multan. From Multan, the route will be linked to Hyderabad through Rohri and Dadu. The Hyderabad-Karachi portion will be linked through M-9. Karachi will then be linked to Gwadar through N-10 East Bay Express Way along the coastal line.

The work on central alignment will be completed later whereas construction on some parts of Gwadar-Dera Ismail Khan via Quetta route – western alignment – has already begun.

The argument that some parts of the country are being deprived off may be true in the short-term but, in longer term all these cities will be connected to the corridor. All provincial capitals are included as nodes, the key corner stones of CPEC on which it will be constructed. These nodes are at Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Sukkar, Karachi, Gwadar and Quetta.

While China will be able to address its strategic concerns, development activities will help propel growth in the country and could become a source for sustainable development. CPEC-related activities involve work worth $50.6 billion, although majority of the agreements will be settled in China.

The Chinese will provide a mix of concessionary and commercial loans to develop Gwadar Port, finance energy projects, build Infrastructure, and particularly industrial parks.

The role of the provinces remains critical as they will provide land for development projects and provision of allied facilities.

However, policymakers face significant challenges of creating synergy in leadership for ownership of CPEC, coordination among all organs of the state to realise projects in time, maintaining political stability and consensus and assuring security.

If, due to any reason, Pakistan remains unable to complete its part of the work in a timely fashion, the Chinese will still have the option to opt for other routes by cutting the country out from its long-term strategic planning.

DATA COMPILED: SHAHBAZ RANA & FAREEHA MUFTI

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th,  2015.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The post China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Lines of development – not lines of divide appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Worryingly, there was a continuous decline in new private investment in the electricity and gas distribution sectors that slipped to only 0.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the outgoing fiscal year 2014-15, according to estimates of the Economic Affairs Wing of the Ministry of Finance.

In dollar terms, the per capita income has grown by an impressive rate of 9.5% to $1,513 –up by $129 per person in the outgoing fiscal year 2014-15, according to estimates. The appreciation of rupee against the US dollar remained one of the main factors behind the significant increase in per capita income. Despite the increase, the country continues to be in the league of low middle-income countries. It needs to enhance per capita income to $4,000 to be labelled a middle-income country.

In rupee terms, there was a 7.5% growth in per capita income that increased to Rs153,060 in the outgoing fiscal year.

To arrive at the per capita income figure, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics – the government’s statistical arm – estimated 1.98% growth in the country’s population that reached 189 million this year. It then divided the total national income with the number of people and arrived at per capita income of $1,513.

The population growth rate slightly slowed down, which had been estimated at 2.01% in the last fiscal year 2013-14. In absolute terms, the PBS has estimated addition of six million people in a single year.

Like the previous year, in the current fiscal the federal government has again failed to deliver on the two most critical economic indicators. However, this time, the margin between the targets and the estimated outcomes was not as wide as in the previous fiscal year, suggesting some improvement in investment and savings in terms of total national output.

The investment to GDP ratio remained at 15.1% against a target of 15.7%, said officials at the Ministry of Finance. The ratio was slightly up from last-year’s revised rate of 15%. Savings improved to 14.5% of the GDP, shy of the target of 14.6%. Last year, the revised ratio of savings-to-GDP was 13.7%

The government has already missed the key economic growth target. Against the target of 5.1%, the economy expanded 4.2%.

The fixed investment remained at 13.5% of GDP against the target of 14.1%. It was just 0.1% up from the last year’s level. The public investment stood at 3.9% of GDP as against the target of 3.8%.

The target of private investment was also missed, which stood at 9.7% of GDP as against the target of 10.3%. Within the private investment, the investment in electricity and gas generation amounted to only 0.3%, which is not sufficient to end energy shortages, which are hampering growth.

The outcomes suggest that the government has not lived up to its commitments given to the International Monetary Fund. Under the three-year $6.7 billion bailout programme, the government has promised to promote policies for private investment in power generation through both the entry of new players as well as expanding the existing capacity of those Independent Power Producers systematically adhering to energy mix targets and least-cost generation plans.

Improving investment climate remains one of the top four priority areas of the IMF.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th,  2015.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The post Per capita income: A Pakistani now makes $1,513 a year appeared first on The Express Tribune.

A consortium led by Jehangir Siddiqui (JS) Global bagged four contracts, outbidding its competitor – AKD Securities’ consortium.

The PC board approved financial advisers for the privatisation of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Peshawar and Multan power distribution companies. It also awarded advisory contracts for the privatisation of Lakhra Power Generation Company and Central Power Generation Company.

In October 2013, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation had approved an early implementation of the privatisation programme designed for 39 public sector enterprises (PSEs). These included nine power distribution companies and four power generation companies.

The privatisation of power companies is said to be more complex and faces almost similar issues. The government wanted to first privatise Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) by August this year, but the timeframe has now been pushed to the end of December.

There were delays in seeking the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) approval for multi-year tariffs and conducting technical due diligence of Fesco, said PC Chairman Mohammad Zubair while talking to The Express Tribune.

He said the issues had been resolved and the company would be sold by December. In order to make it attractive for prospective buyers, Nepra would approve a five-year tariff plan, he said.

“To address employee concerns, a ministerial committee is also negotiating with the labour union.”

After Fesco, the Lahore Electric Supply Company and Islamabad Electric Supply Company are the next in line.

The PC board on Friday approved the appointment of a top-ranked consortium of JS Global as financial adviser for the Hyderabad, Sukkur and Quetta power distribution companies.

JS Global, with Fieldstone and Burj Bank as partners, also grabbed the contract for advisory services for the sale of Lakhra Power Generation Company. It will get Rs580.3 million in consultancy fee for the four companies.

The government will pay a fee of Rs141.3 million to JS Global, much lower than Rs365.5 million quoted by the consortium of Guernsey, which included AKD Securities, for Hesco. JS Global will receive approximately Rs123.4 million for advisory services for the Sukkur power distribution company, much lower than Rs362.7 million quoted by the consortium of Guernsey.

The government will pay about Rs211.5 million to JS Global against Rs453.8 million quoted by the consortium of Guernsey for the Quetta power distribution company.

For the privatisation of Lakhra Power Generation Company, four parties had submitted technical and financial bids. These included the consortium of JS Global, consortium of Bridge Factor, consortium of Guernsey and consortium of UBL and Ernst and Young (EY). However, the consortium of JS Global scored the highest with 95.9 points, followed by UBL-EY consortium with 90.9 points. The government will pay Rs104.1 million in consultancy fee to the top-ranked consortium.

The PC board approved the consortium of National Bank of Pakistan, MAS Clear Sight, Bridge Factor and Topline Securities for the privatisation of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company. The government will pay Rs150.8 million in consultancy fee to Bridge Factor.

Six consortia had submitted technical and financial bids for financial advisory services for the privatisation of Central Power Generation Company. The PC board approved the consortium of United Bank Limited, Ernst and Young, Lahmeyer Group, Pakistan Engineering Services (Private) Limited, Haider Mota BNR and Excelerate with a score of 91.72. It will charge a fee of Rs226.6 million.

The second-ranked consortium of JSGCL, FieldStone and Burj Capital had quoted Rs132.7 million in fee but lost to the top-ranked consortium with a thin margin. Its cumulative score was 90.29, just 1.43 points less than that got by the UBL-EY consortium.

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

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The post Privatisation: PC appoints financial advisers for seven power firms appeared first on The Express Tribune.

However, Farzana Shoaib needed something else for her contentment. She changed the dimensions of the family by turning her perfect little home into a shelter for old women in need. As many as 35 women over the age of 60 live in 10 rooms of her house.

According to Shoaib, the sole purpose of setting up the facility was to take care of and give platonic love to the old mothers. She believes in taking care of them herself instead of relying on maids and caretakers. “Caretakers and maids never serve them the way we do,” she reasoned. “They will do their 12-hour shift and leave. [In contrast], we are here 24 hours to keep an eye on them and help them.”

She recalled how last month, a woman named Kausar had trouble breathing at midnight. “My son took her to the hospital immediately,” she said, explaining how her son, Asad, is always there for the women. “Servants will never do this.”

Shoaib has the support of her family members who live with these 35 women like family. “At first, I was reluctant and didn’t support my mother as I felt this is a job for old age homes and shelter homes,” said Asad, recalling his initial stance in 2007 when the facility started. “But [then I realised that] the satisfaction you get from serving these ladies is something inexplicable.”

How the operations started

Shoaib and her son took care of seven women from their neighbourhood for almost five years. They then registered themselves in 2011 under the name, ‘Binte Fatima Old Home/Shelter’.

“Since the registration, we started getting many cases in which children living abroad left their mothers here alone,” said Shoaib. “Whenever people come to leave their mothers for admission in our shelter house, we try to patch them up and [encourage them to] live together.” According to her, she is very selective in giving admissions to women. Moreover, admission is not granted to any female without reference or proper paperwork.

Shoaib’s elder son and his wife serve around eight women at their residence in Bara Kahu, Islamabad. That shelter is also known as Binte Fatima.

“I earn my living and help my mother in bearing all the expenses by importing birds from Bahrain and Europe to Karachi,” said Asad. “There are some people who send money to take care of their mothers.”

The division of labour

“Many other shelter homes such as Madadgar and Panah helped us initially to understand the schematics,” said Asad, explaining how he, a businessman in Dubai before 2011, manages the affairs of the shelter home.

Ammara Asad, Shoaib’s daughter-in-law, and Asma, her 18-year-old granddaughter, assist in serving the women day and night. From giving them medicines and combing their hair to ironing their clothes and serving them their favourite food, these three women help the women with almost everything.

Ammara takes care of the medicines and treatment. She also consults doctors for them when needed. “Most of them need medicines as they are Alzheimer’s patients and their memory is fading with age,” she said.

According to Asma, she feels happy serving the women. “I have been very close to my grandmother since childhood which is why I feel happy to do the work she does,” said Asma, “Many of the women here need a free and open environment to enjoy their lives and others only need a smile from their younger ones.”

The shelter is divided into two sections: around 17 women live on the ground floor — they just need care and attention — while the others live on the first floor of the house. They are mentally unwell and need extra medical care.

“This is like my own family,” said 74-year-old Nuzhat who has been living in the shelter for the past six years. “I feel Hajra [Asad’s two-year-old daughter] is my own granddaughter.”

According to Halima, she was referred to Binte Fatima by her friend when her landlord asked her to leave last year. “I was an orphan,” said Halima, who loves to read. “ I needed somewhere to live where someone can take care of me in old age.”

Taking care:

A typical day at Binte Fatima

Shoaib has designed a planned routine to take care of the women as a majority of them suffer from varying blood pressure and diabetes and need to follow a strict pattern for food and medicine consumption.

All the women wake up early for Fajr prayers and are served breakfast by 8am. After that, Ammara gives them their medicines and many go for a walk while others watch TV.

The women are then served lunch, offer Zohr prayers between 12 noon and 2pm and then take a nap. After their siesta, they get ready for tea which is served at 5pm. During tea time, the women share nostalgic moments, sharing stories about their childhood and young age. They also sing and spend time with little Hajra.

A kind heart Why Binte Fatima?

Fatima, a 73-year-old woman, was Shoaib’s neighbour when they lived in apartments at Teen Talwar, Clifton. Fatima, who had migrated with her mother from India, never got married and lived alone after her mother died. One evening in 2007, Fatima fell in her bathroom and fractured her hip bone. She had remained there unconscious for four days.

After four days, her neighbours got worried and called the police to check on the old woman. Luckily, she was alive but had broken her bone. She could not move which is why she could not ask for help.

Many neighbours suggested that Fatima be sent to Edhi or some other old home. However, Fatima begged and cried in front of everyone to not send her to an old home, saying that all she needed was a family, a caring hand and a loving environment.

Shoaib, who was very close to the old woman, took her to the PNS Shifa Hospital for surgery and took care of her until her recovery. Within a year, she started walking again with a rod inserted in her right leg after the surgery.

The shelter home was named after Fatima who inaugurated it in 2011. Unfortunately, she died in 2012.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2015. 

The post The Good Samaritan: A family, a caring hand and a loving environment appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Wana’s climatic conditions are perfect for the apple crop, after all apple orchards punctuate the highlands of the area. Yet the fertile soil keeps on giving – plums are a supplementary delicacy.

Plums are a precursor to the region’s signature apple picking season. Come summer, the produce from the area’s few plum gardens adds to the palate of the Waziristanis. A wide variety of plums are harvested in villages like Spin, Shakai, Azam Warsak and Kari Kot.

Bumper crop

Like yesteryears, the orchards have witnessed another bumper crop this season.

Every evening, hundreds of plum cartons and crates arrive at the central fruit market situated in the heart of Wana Bazaar. The crates are auctioned to wholesalers in the morning, following which the produce trickles down to the rest of the country. Transporters prefer the Gomal-Zam Road that connects Wana with Tank district.

Local bazaars are equally replete with the harvest. As a part of Pukhtunwali, those visiting the orchards of Wana are offered these fruits for free.

With or without water

Dependency on tube wells for irrigation is high and the perennial problem of power shortage adds to the woes of these fruit growers.

Irked by the running costs of operating his tube well, Kalotai village’s Adam Khan invested his life savings in a solar power generation system. “I spent Rs1.2 million on it,” pointing towards the newly-installed solar panels, he tells The Express Tribune.

Adam is one of many farmers unhappy with the rates offered by the market dealers. “They pay a measly Rs250 to Rs500 for every six-kilogramme carton,” he said.

After tending to the crop all season and incurring all production costs, including packaging and the agents’ commission, he is hardly left with enough to make ends meet.

Not every other farmer of Wana can afford an alternative power or irrigation source. Groundwater depletion is a matter of grave concern.

“Locals cannot depend on tube wells for long. They eventually have to return to the water channel irrigation system,” said Allah Noor, an engineer native to Wana. Noor was of the view new channels can be dug up only when small dams are built in the western mountains. “The older channels have all dried up at the cost of Wana’s greenery.”

Into thin air

Wana also has an agriculture department of its own.

Lost in the passageways of the tehsil headquarters compound, the rooms assigned to the department have been padlocked since long. Officials vanished into the ether long ago and access to data is obviously out of the question.

Agriculture has traditionally been the bread and butter of the Waziristanis. Prolonged periods of political turmoil and militancy have ripped the region’s social fabric apart. While the sustainability of traditional farming practices remains unanswered, external factors are an equal threat to the Waziristani way of life.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2015. 

The post Purple haze: The story of Wana’s blooming plums appeared first on The Express Tribune.

It was an overcast day in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir, on May 22. Feroz*, a 38-year-old fruit vendor in the Rajouri Kadal neighbourhood was wrapping up business for the day when he spotted Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicles crossing the main square. Feroz paid them no heed; the security officials were a familiar sight. “I could sense that the situation was possibly volatile, but I didn’t feel nervous or scared,” recalls Feroz. “People living here are used to feeling like this, and I am no exception.” 

The boy on the bicycle

Feroz didn’t know these men were on alert for young boys who had pelted their bunker with stones in the neighbouring Kawadara area. As Feroz locked up, CRPF men circled the alley leading towards his shop. Across the street, an 18-year-old student named Sajad* was riding his bike, heading home from his part-time job when the CRPF men spotted him. Feroz watched as the men turned their guns towards Sajad and, in a split second, fired a round of pellets at him.

Read: Funeral held for Pakistani prisoner killed in Indian Kashmir

The boy was struck in his left eye, neck, head and arm. The last thing he remembers seeing is the CRPF men retreating, as men in the neighbourhood swooped down on him and took him to a nearby hospital.

At Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), doctors plucked out all visible pellets from Sajad’s body. A few hours later, Sajad slipped out of the hospital, choosing to go home even though he still had pellets embedded on the left side of his head. “I had just been riding my bike when this happened, and I wasn’t expecting it,” he says. “I might have been in pain, but I thought I would be safest at home.” Even as he says the pain from his injuries is “impossible to describe”, his fear of being arrested in the hospital outweighed his discomfort. With his eye badly injured by the pellets, Sajad waited in silence at his home, spending his days in darkness, too scared to go back to the doctors.

Sixteen-year-old Hamid’s injuries from being shot at with a pellet gun are extensive. PHOTO COURTESY: SHAHID TANTRAY

Crowd control

Pellets are small iron ball bearings that are fired at high velocity. According to Amnesty International India, the pellet gun cartridges used in Indian Kashmir contain 400 to 500 plastic pellets. When fired at short range, a single shot can pierce the target’s body with hundreds of pellets.

Read: Killed in Srinagar: Funeral prayer of blast victim offered in AJK

Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir police Javaid Gillani told Amnesty International India that state police are instructed to use pellet guns when protests go ‘out of control’. “There is a standard operating procedure that is followed in such situations and police fire the pellet guns from a safe distance,” he states. However, he concedes that the pellets do not have a predictable trajectory.

The Indian government insists that pellet guns — resembling shot guns and often used while hunting animals — are ‘non-lethal’ weapons. However, experts maintain that pellets can be lethal and cause permanent damage. According to a study by SKIMS, the leading hospital in Srinagar, the guns were extensively used to quell anti-India protests in 2010; at the time, pellet injuries killed at least six people and left 198 injured in a span of just four months. The study found that five of these injured people lost their eyesight — the youngest victim was just six years old, while the oldest was aged 54. The casualties have racked up since: on August 19, 2010, Mudasir Hajam was the first of the six people killed. He died when pellets damaged his lower abdomen. Since March 2010 to October 2013, SKIMS dealt with 36 eye injuries caused by pellet guns. And from January to June 2014, 15 patients with serious eye injuries caused by pellets were admitted to hospitals across the valley.

On May 25 this year, The Hindu newspaper reported that Hamid Nazir Bhat, a 16-year-old boy, lost vision in his right eye after he was shot at by police in his village, Palhalan, in north Kashmir. Doctors say at least 100 pellets hit Hamid’s head and eyes; two pellets remain in his right eye, causing vitreous haemorrhage, a leakage of blood in the space between the lens and the retina.

Read: Modi to spend INR350m to mark 50th anniversary of 1965 Indo-Pak war

The police allege that Hamid was taking part in a protest on the 25^th death anniversary of leader Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq; his family said he was going for tuitions. “Even if I have to sell all my land to get my son treated, I’ll do it,” his distraught father Nazir Ahmad says. “Our boys go out for tuition and their blood is spilled on the streets. How is this justice?” Doctors said that several patients admitted on the same day have over 100 pellets lodged in their skulls as they were shot at from a close range of less than two feet. The guns were aimed directly at their faces when the shots were fired.

Doctors at SKIMS and Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital told The Hindu that in the five years since the 2010 protests, an estimated 700 people have been left disabled by pellet gun injuries. Since many victims, like Sajad, choose to leave hospitals before receiving proper treatment for fear of being arrested or harassed and media coverage, the number of casualties may be even higher, doctors say. A hospital administrator explains, “Many of our patients run away from the hospital with pellets and pus in their eyes because police spies note down their details, arrest them and often extort money.” A senior ophthalmologist in Srinagar Sheikh Sajad adds, “Around 70% of those injured lose their sight in one eye, and at times in both. While they haven’t been killed, their lives are ruined forever.”

Lethal combat

A CT scan shows pellets embedded in an injured victim’s face and head. PHOTO COURTESY:UMER BEIGH

According to police officers, pellets are ranked from grade five to grade 12 — with five being the largest and fastest pellets with the widest range. Last month The Hindu reported that officials have been ordered to use the number nine pellet for crowd control, as it does not cause lasting damage. However, the instructions are not followed and in many villages, police officials choose to use number six or seven pellets.

Read: Lakhvi’s release: New Delhi trying to politicise UN sanctions body, says FO

“The police have a duty to protect lives, provide safety and prevent violent crime. However, in carrying out this duty they must use non-violent means as far as possible,” says Shemeer Babu, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India. “When the use of force is unavoidable because of compelling reasons, it should be only what is strictly necessary and to the extent required.” He adds, “When the police are trying to contain violent persons, it is important that they focus any use of force accurately at those individuals. However, pellet guns cannot ensure well-targeted shots and risk causing serious injury to bystanders or other protesters not engaging in violence. These risks are almost impossible to control.” Babu, like other international observers, is unequivocally against the use of these guns. “Pellet guns should have no place in law enforcement,” he says firmly.

According to one official who wished to remain unnamed, “Pellet guns have to be used from a range of 500 feet or more. Any closer than that, and the pellets become a lethal weapon.”

Doctors say patients sustaining pellet injuries are hard to cure. “Pellets often pierce the eyeball, causing blindness, or even death if the pellet damages a soft spot on the back of the head or in the chest,” explains Dr Nisar ul Haq, the president of Doctors Association Kashmir. Former head of the ophthalmology department at Kashmir Medical College Dr Bashir Ahmad Bhat says that the chance of retaining normal eyesight after a pellet hits your eye is rare. “It is the rarest of cases where you wouldn’t lose your eyesight,” he says. He adds that even the most modern medical techniques can only remove the pellets — the damage, however, remains forever.

Radiography of a victim’s pelvis showing the location of pellets. PHOTO COURTESY:UMER BEIGH

Just a mile away from Rajouri Kadal, where Hamid was shot, 17-year-old Danish Altaf sits in his room, struggling to focus his gaze. Danish was shot by CRPF men on the street a year ago during protests against human rights violations in Gaza. Nearly 150 pellets have left their mark on his body. “We have sold almost everything we could in order to afford the surgeries Danish needed,” his mother says. Danish’s treatment has cost the family INR300,000 (Rs480,923) to date. The family is not well-off and Danish would supplement his father’s earnings through a job as a wedding decorator. His parents are afraid to talk to anyone about the incident, as they fear police action.

Condemnations and calls for change: the government’s response

As Hamid lay in his hospital bed, his case was taken up by Junior Health Minister and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Aasiya Naqash. “There should be a total ban on the use of pellet guns,” Naqash said in a statement to the media in May. “We always spoke against it (pellet guns) when we were in the opposition and held protests on the issue. There can’t be any argument (over use of pellet guns),” she said, demanding an inquiry into the incident that has left Hamid blinded in one eye.

Read: Altaf refutes BBC’s ‘Raw agent’ allegations against MQM

This is not the first time the PDP has broached the subject. In 2014, the party’s president Mehbooba Mufti demanded an ‘official ban’ on use of pellets as a means of crowd control, staging a walkout from the state’s legislative assembly in protest against the use of pellet guns. However, this time around, the party says it will push for tangible change. “There will be a change for good and it will happen with the passage of time,” says PDP’s chief spokesman Mehboob Beg, when asked about  the party’s stance on the use of pellet guns.

An X-ray of the chest shows pellets embedded widely in the shoulder, arm and chest of a victim. PHOTO COURTESY:UMER BEIGH

Meanwhile, senior minister and PDP leader Syed Altaf Bukhari says the government would “review the use of pellet guns soon.” He adds, “The issue has been bothering us for a long time now.” State Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar is not optimistic about such reviews. “We hope the use of pellet guns will be curbed soon. But the police have their own concerns and we cannot really force them to stop using pellets against protestors.”

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Umer Beigh is a freelance journalist based in Indian-administered Kashmir. He tweets @omibeigh

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, June 28^th, 2015.

The post No end in sight: the deadly use of pellet guns in Indian Kashmir appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Painted onto thousands of rickshaws in the city, violent scenes from Pashto movies zip from street to street and corner to corner, giving locals and visitors a taste of local cinema. Onlookers may never have seen one of these movies, but the rickshaw art provides a quick synopsis of plot of many such flicks – blood, gore and alpha males.

For the rickshaws owners wanting to add some colour to their lives, there are only a few people left to paint these images on their vehicles. One of them is Ustad Hafiz Khan, an artist who brings the silver screen of yore back to life by painting actors like the late Bader Munir and Asif Khan.

Holding out for a hero

With a love for action flicks, many of these rickshaw drivers, perhaps unwittingly, immortalise—and in doing so glorify—the bloody images of their idols.

The artist and his brothers were busy at their workshop with their brushes, painting the back of rickshaws. According to the ustad, every young driver wanted his rickshaw to stand out and woo passengers. Hafiz added customer requests served as his muse.

Hafiz recalled in days gone by, the trend was different as rickshaw owners were happy with elements of truck art –motifs made with rexine-like material and chamak pati. But as a result of what seems to be a revival of Pashto cinema among rickshaw drivers, the artists saw an increasing demand for dramatic characters at each other’s throats painted on the vehicles.

Over the years as the number of cinemas kept reducing and technology made billboard printing more affordable, artists who used earned a living by painting posters and hoardings for movies became less marketable. As a result, most of the cinema billboard painters have been forced to substitute massive hoardings for a quarter of a rickshaw as their canvas.

“This has also become a way to keep this art alive as painted posters have already been replaced by printed ones,” said Hafiz. “However, it took no time for young rickshaw drivers to take to such images as they like to watch these movies.”

The source

Produced mainly in Peshawar, Pashto movies have been widely criticised for being anti-culture and packed with violence. However, even the giants of Bollywood cannot hold a candle to their mass appeal.

According to the filmmakers, young people such as rickshaw drivers and daily wage labourers were their loyal fans. “It is these people whom we make movies for as they are the main audience,” said Shahid Khan, a Pashto film producer. On Eid, seven new movies will hit the screens across the city.

Latest attractions

Thanks to the introduction of radium strips (what car stickers are also produced on), silver screen violence can be viewed any time of day. Needless to say, it does come at a price.

“The first effort after buying a rickshaw is to decorate it,” said Rahat Gul, a rickshaw driver. Gul shared Rs20,000 have been spent to do up his vehicle.

Just like Pashto films are criticised for their imagery, so is the art. However, the critics are not the ones with mouths to feed. “We are trying to make our vehicles more beautiful with the hope that passengers are attracted towards them,” said a rickshaw driver.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2015. 

The post The crimson trail: A tale of blood and savagery zipping around the city appeared first on The Express Tribune.

In his 1949 book A Short History of Decay, Romanian thinker and perpetual pessimist Emil Cioran railed at length against man’s tendency to dream — “his need for fiction over evidence and absurdity” — when confronted by the arbitrariness of life. “Idolaters by instinct, we convert the objects of our dreams and our interests into the Unconditional.” This kind of ‘idolatry’ peppers F Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby.

Read: [Pen]ultimate: Javed Jabbar’s 13 must-reads

Much has been made of Gatsby and its commentary on society and the illusory nature of the American Dream. This illusory nature, however, extends to all aspirations in the novel. So much so that the book can even be seen as a cautionary tale against ‘dreaming’.

Case in point, take Jay Gatsby whose life revolves around using his dreams and ambitions to defeat the ‘tick of the clock’ — the irreversibility of time.

At the heart of the novel lies Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy Buchanan. For Gatsby — who loathes his impoverished past and invents an entirely new concept of self in a bid to escape it — Daisy represents all the luxury and sophistication he has always longed for. Gatsby falls in love with Daisy and lies to her in order to convince her — and perhaps himself — that he is good enough for her. When he misses his chance to be with her, ironically because of his own ambitions, he dedicates himself to winning her back — to reclaim the past.

Read: Braving the ebbs with the flows

“You can’t repeat the past,” Nick, our narrator, remarks before Gatsby at one point. “Can’t repeat the past…Why of course you can!” is the response he gets.

Events, however, prove Gatsby wrong. Before his life is abruptly cut short by the jilted husband of the mistress of his own arch nemesis — Daisy’s husband Tom to be precise — he catches a glimpse of his dream being just that, fiction.

That Gatsby dies is not the tragedy in Fitzgerald’s story. Gatsby’s death, in fact, could even be read as him being emancipated from materialism by the very arbitrariness of life; a kind of moksha in the Hindu sense.

The tragedy is the very hollowness of Gatsby’s dream of a future, or even a meaningful past, with Daisy. Did Daisy, who for Gatsby was perfect in every way, ever have any real connection with him? Or was Gatsby simply a temporary relief from the boredom imposed on her by society’s demands?

More so, did Gatsby really love Daisy or did he love what she represented? In his own words, her voice was “full of money”.

This hearkens back to Cioran’s lament against ‘idolaters’ who convert the objects of their dreams into unconditional truths.

Obsessions which mirror Gatsby’s, plague minor characters in the novel as well: Myrtle, Tom’s mistress, whose desperate search for a life away from poverty is what kills her, and her husband George, who deeply loves her despite her greed and materialism.

Others, like Jordan Baker — briefly a romantic interest for narrator Nick — constantly twist the truth, creating even more fictions.

Even Nick himself may not entirely be reliable when recounting his encounters with Gatsby. His account is dotted with “probably” and “perhaps”, and “possibly” and “I suspect”. Is Nick reinventing Gatsby to fulfil his own spiritual needs?

At one point, he does compare Gatsby to Jesus, calling him a “son of God” who “sprang from his Platonic conception of himself”.

In the end, however, Nick does allude to the folly of losing touch with reality and chasing “the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.” He admits that “it eluded us then”, but that we will continue to “run faster” and “stretch out our arms farther”. “[And] so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

The post Gatsby and the folly of hope appeared first on The Express Tribune.

It was in the early and mid 2000s, that the trend of setting up exclusive stage shows reached its peak. Dance performances, in fact, became seminal to the thriving commercial theatre of the city. The dancing got admired to such an extent that the script lost its significance and the stage was enveloped by performers busting out dance moves. It was then that stage actors such as Nargis, Hina, Shaheen, Shahzadi, Saima Khan, Khushboo, Mehga, Nida Chaudhry, Qismat Baig and Mahnoor decided to shift to a more lucrative medium — CDs.

While some thespians were already banned from stage performances on claims of spreading vulgarity, the amplified production budget of releasing these dance numbers proved to be the final nail in the coffin. As a consequence, no such CDs are being released this Eid.

Reflecting upon the matter, Qismat Baig, a stage actor told The Express Tribune, “Stage actors are not releasing dance performance CDs because of the high budget.” She added, “These are proper dance shows that are choreographed and shot in expensive hotels. It costs around Rs1 to Rs1.5 million to compile one CD and there are hardly any sales — these factors are discouraging their production.”

On the current status of the commercial theatre, she states, “Dance is still popular during stage shows but only if it’s not vulgar. People from educated families still come to watch the stage shows and also buy CDs.”

Ali Raza, a stage producer, reminisced about the days when the production of dance CDs was all the rage. He notes, “Like films, stage actors were also enthusiastic about launching their dance performance CDs on Eid. They would hire the best of producers and choreographers; choose the best locations, including five star hotels and film studios in order to shoot.”

Though the trend of releasing CDs didn’t last too long, audiences still want to see dance performances in the commercial theatre, claims Raza.

Reaping the financial benefits, many actors bid farewell to stage shows and began focusing completely on CDs. In 2003, Nargis, who is considered to be the pioneer of this trend, made a record by selling around 200,000 copies of her dance compilation CD, titled Welcome Nargis. Apart from Nargis, other performers such as Khushboo, Deedar and Nida Chaudhry were also popular among dance enthusiasts, which lead to massive sales particularly during Eid season.

The demise of the trend of releasing dance CD’s on Eid means the termination of a steady income for many investors, technicians and dancers. But the tech-savvy consumer of today has acquired another method of acquiring these dance recordings — the mobile phone.

The dance shows can also be accessed by visiting your nearest mobile phone shop owner, who will copy and transfer these shows directly on to your cell phone.

“Since we were already downloading songs from the internet and copying them into customers mobile phones; treating these dance shows the same seemed like a natural progression,” says Wasif Khalid, a mobile shop owner in Lahore.

Since the margin for revenue generation via cell phones is too small, it cannot be considered an alternate release medium that could replace CDs. Mobile shop owners get a hold of these recordings by ripping CDs or downloading these performances illegally.

“We do have certain packages for our customers. For example there is a package worth Rs300 in which you get a complete dance performance and some Bollywood songs,” said Khalid.

Consumer wise, the shortcoming to this cheap alternative is that none of the dance shows being transferred to mobile phones are newly produced. They either feature older dance shows or re-edited versions of the same. But for now, no new content is being generated.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

The post Losing the final dance-off appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Papyrus to printouts

Before the advent of the printing press, things had to be written and embellished by hand. Letters and symbols were carved on stone, on wax and clay and eventually inked on parchment. Eventually the skill evolved to brush on paper.

As writing milestones moved from the standardisation of the Kufic script (circa 700CE), to the invention of block printing (circa 800CE China), the printing press (1400CE in Europe) and to computer and mobile tech, cursive (handwritten) calligraphy became redundant. Only calligraphy as an art form has prevailed. And in Pakistan, it is quite closely connected to religious symbolism – be it on paper or as a carving.

Nasir Khan Yousafzai, an artist from Swat, carves Quranic verses and names of significant religious figures into wood with meticulous detail. He learnt the art from his brother. However, he also paints his carved calligraphy with multiple colours – colourful finished pieces which helped make a name for him.

Yousafzai’s work is elaborately detailed. According to another artist: “Calligraphy is a difficult task that requires diligence, time, energy, delicacy and a great skill set. Nasir is brilliant at what he does. His art is very close to Pukhtun culture and always contains a message for people.

His work [which also portrays] images of early childhood marriages […] is particularly inspiring.”

Tracing Swat’s symbolic routes

Symbols etched on architectural remains have been excavated from the valley, dating to 1CE.

According to Doris Meth Srinivasan, a curator of South Asian Art in America, carvings and symbols in Swat reflect not just Gandharan influences but also Hellenic ones. Srinivasan notes in her research that the history of symbols in Swat flows from the Greek influences of Alexander’s raiding armies to the Buddhist settlements to the permanent impact of Muslim rule.

And here Yousafzai agrees that generation after generation in Swat has carved stones, wood and various other objects to express their emotions and therefore, the district serves as a centre for calligraphy. Yet, he complained that demand for such forms of art is slowly receding.

A dying art form?

“People demand more computerised and innovative designs today,” he told The Express Tribune.

Yousafzai argues though calligraphy was once used as the most predominant form of art and even ornamentation in houses, it has now been sidelined due to advances in technology. He told The Express Tribune that the government needed to set up institutes and help develop the arts, including calligraphy.

However, even as the artist claims demand is falling, his work is appreciated globally. Yousafzai’s work is displayed at exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and many other countries. The demand for his work is highest during the month of Ramazan, during which Yousafzai retreats into mountainous areas to work in peace. Locals say his work is not only decorative but has added value due to its religious nature. For those who look for curative powers in holy text, Yousafzai’s work brings the best of both worlds.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2015. 

The post A cursive history : Keeping calligraphy alive in Swat appeared first on The Express Tribune.

“I remember as soon as the rain would start it was an almost ritualistic faor my family to get ‘garam garam’ jalebi from Nimco and eat it while standing in the rain,” said 23-year-old Musaid Raheel. “It also meant it was time to hit the beach and play football with friends.”

Arishay Hussaini, 22, and her friend once took her father’s safari jeep out for a drive during the rain. “We were driving along Sea View, singing all the Backstreet Boys’ songs we could think of.”

Read: Parts of Karachi plunge into darkness as city receives first monsoon rain

There were some who made the most of testing times. When her garden pool used to get filled up with rainwater, a 50-year-old resident remembers how all the children would ‘swim’ in it. “I also remember the lovely smell of wet earth that would hit you after it rained,” she said. “In fact, my brother and I thought it was so nice that we researched the smell and found out that it actually has a name – Petrichor.”

Savera Dar, 27, remembers jumping in puddles of rainwater when during a particular monsoon season her friends went to Golf Club for breakfast. “We saw puddles of rain on the main road and, instead of getting into the car, we started jumping in the puddles for hours.”

For most people, rain is all about fried food. “Rain for me in Karachi is hot and spicy pakoras with podina chutney and paper ships floating in stagnant rainwater,” recalled Amber Asim. The 38-year-old doctor was upset she cannot enjoy rain the same way she used to in her childhood. “I wish those peaceful days return to Karachi and these long-lasting traffic jams end.”

Read: Heavens open: Rain washes Karachi

Those who lived in gated communities were sure to engage in a muddy game of football. For Asad Qamar, 23, who used to live in Overseas Bungalows in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, monsoon meant getting together with his neighbourd and playing football in H Park. “The ground would get very muddy and slippery but that never stopped us.”

And then there were those who posed for God every time lightening streaked through the skies. A 24-year-old woman remembers playing in the rain with bags draped over their heads to protect their hair. “At each flash of lightening, all of us would just stop, look up and pose,” she said.  During the last heavy rains in 2011, Muhammad Wahab recalled how a KESC truck gave him a ride home to DHA Phase II. “I left my office on Sharae Faisal at 3pm but couldn’t find any way to my home until I saw the KESC truck and asked them for a ride,” said the 40-year-old. Three other stranded residents also hopped on board by the time the truck made its way to DHA.

Osama Khan may have lost his favourite sunglasses on Sea View in 2005 but he was still enjoying the lovely weather at Do Darya on Friday afternoon. “Nothing can replace the feel of rain in Karachi, the sight of the sea and enjoying heavy rain with friends.”

Motorcyclists must wear helmets and ride slowly

Make sure the tyres of your motorcycle have less air to avoid slipping on the road

Make sure you apply grease on your motorcycle’s plugs to prevent water from entering

Stay updated on traffic and road conditions on Radio FM88.6

If you are stranded, call 1915, or 99216355, 99216356 or 99216358

Contributions by Yusra Salim, Yasal Munim

and Siham Basir

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2015. 

The post Monsoon memories: A memory unfolds with every drop of rain appeared first on The Express Tribune.

ISLAMABAD: Media in Pakistan is getting growingly sensitive to the issue of public money being stolen by the Balochistan bureaucracy via spurious purchases, kickbacks in the award of contracts and acquiring trash technology in the name of ‘advancement’.

This and some other leakages in the budgetary drum make Balochistan the highest guzzler of public money by corrupt means as compared to other provinces — in terms of percentage of the budget.

This angle is to be probed further to establish and to name the top activists of the guzzling mafia manipulating a culture of misspending and theft of the public money.

A fresh deal under which 40 bulldozers were purchased by the Agriculture and Cooperative Department (A&CD) has nudged up the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

NAB has been active in Balochistan over provincial government’s purchases for a long time. But the latest deal, concluded in December 2014, has proved to be such a blatant attempt that NAB wonders what kind of daredevils reside in the province’s bureaucracy. Through an open tender they invited bids for the provision of 40 bulldozers of the USA, UK, EU and Japan make only. The end purchase was that of bulldozers made in France, with almost all the core and attached parts produced in China.

The actual purchase, however, nullifies the A&CD bigwigs’ claim that these dozers were made in France

NAB Balochistan and the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) remained in direct touch with the process of this procurement.

Their officials are yet to go public with information that these 40 bulldozers were assembled and manufactured in France using parts imported from China and supplied to the French manufacturer by certain Chinese enterprises.

Such manufacturers helped the producer attain at least 45% more in profit embedded in the price of bulldozer. The suppliers and the procurement officials connived to avail the procurement right under the noses of the CCP and NAB officials supervising the process of tendering and bidding.

The provincial government is thus reported to have incurred a loss of about Rs450 million to its exchequer only in this deal.

NAB is on the heels of the relevant officials, one of whom said that the dozers have already been supplied to the user agencies but that there was no word at the A&CD offices of NAB getting active about the purchase of machinery by the department.

The CCP ensured participation of maximum bidders in the procurement of these bulldozers.

The Government of Balochistan allocated Rs3 billion in its budget of 2014-15 for the procurement of 200 bulldozers for agriculture purposes. A&CD, Balochistan floated a tender to procure the first lot of 40 Bulldozers.

The CCP received complaints from suppliers of bulldozers on the terms of the tender. It was complained that five brands of bulldozers were invited in the tender.

However, bids were to be entertained only if the bidders provided details of supply during the last five years proving that their brands were already in business in Pakistan.

CCP learnt that the import data of Customs showed import of only one brand of bulldozers in Pakistan during the last five years, and found out that such deals inevitably created a monopoly of one supplier.

It was also complained that the prerequisite horse-power (HP) range for the procurement of bulldozers was set at 120-125 HP, despite the fact that the majority of the brands mentioned in the tender failed to meet this requirement.

CCP also learnt that the former (now dissolved) provincial Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock had established a horse-power range between 120-130 to ensure better competition and the practice was emulated by the Agriculture Department of Sindh in its latest procurement.

These prerequisites in the tender document appeared to hinder a level-playing field among various suppliers of bulldozers by ostensibly foreclosing the market to most of potential bidders.

The CCP advised A&CD that the inclusion of such prerequisites would restrict competition in the market and that it would heap up heavy costs on the national exchequer.

In response, the AC&D acknowledged the competition concerns and resolved the matter by amending the bidding document, which eventually required supply record during the last 25 years instead of 5 years.

The writer has worked with major newspapers and specialises in analysis of public finance and geo-economics of terrorism

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th,  2015.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The post Delving deep in the tender deals appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Co-director of Ensemble, Shezray Husain, can be viewed at the helm of this trend, as she had pitched the idea to Sikander Rizvi of Xander’s a few years ago. Rizvi gladly agreed and so opened the doors to the modern gourmet café in 2011, just a year after Ensemble. “Having been a fan of Café Flo [owned by Rizvi’s mother Florence Villiers], we approached Rizvi, who was looking to open a casual eatery. We had a fairly straightforward deal,” said Husain.

For Rizvi, the idea of opening a restaurant stemmed from the dearth of a midway eatery between the prevailing fast food and fine dining options in the city. “I felt there was a need for such a space. I helped my mother at Flo for a year and then launched Xander’s. It’s a few minutes’ drive from Flo and I couldn’t have found a better location,” he shared.

Sharing the same vicinity are Sonya Battla’s outlet and urban café Cosmopolitan. “Sharing a courtyard is fun and there’s a lot of activity and music,” Battla holds. “I really enjoy this concept. It’s fun and there are no issues of accommodation on either side. Both businesses are mainly indoors and separate otherwise,” added the designer.

The businesses of food and fashion seem to strike the perfect synergy. Mohsin Ihsan of Cosmopolitan agrees, saying, “Fashion and food go together pretty well. This sharing of the same space gives both businesses the levy to cater to a larger audience.” He added, “We have almost the same target audience and customers feel at ease being offered both things under one roof. There’s a natural connection between the two.”

Rizvi feels Xander’s and Ensemble complement each other. “Ensemble is a well-established name. Initially, people used to find out about Xander’s through their visit to the store or by word-of-mouth. Now, people visit Xander’s and window-shop or shop at Ensemble,” he explained. Ihsan stated his business is doing well because Battla is accommodating. “We’ve always shared a comfort zone. It’s nice to see businesses paving the way for each other. This only brings out the best in them.”

Feeha Jamshed recently opened doors to her standalone flagship store alongside café Mews. Neeshay Rabbani Jaffer, the co-owner of Mews who manages the space with Aamir Tariq Khan, commented on how they developed this concept. “Imagine a place where you can browse for interesting new products and revel in an eclectic mix of bespoke fashion or just sit on a quiet street, away from the hustle and bustle of a big city,” said Jaffer. “Mews was borne out of a desire to foster a similar feel, to create a sense of energy and buzz,” she added.

Jaffer explained how this is achieved by melding the creativity of the two businesses and by fusing their passion for good food, ambience and fashion. “We both have our own sets of clientele and by creating this ecosystem, we allow those two worlds to spill-over into one another for mutual benefit,” she stated. “After a long day of shopping, what better way to relax than with one of our coolers or desserts, or while waiting for a pizza, how better to pass the time than splurging on one of FJ’s bespoke outfits?”

Of their future plans, Ihsan shares Cosmopolitan has plans of expanding to different cities but that their current focus is to deliver to customers in Karachi. “We haven’t discussed a collective design in another city as yet,” he added. Husain hopes to replicate this idea in other cities as well, adding, “We’ve been together for four years [Ensemble and Xander’s]. We’re looking at other projects, such as in Islamabad, because we work well as a team.”

Given Mews is still in its nascent stage, Jaffer feels it’s too soon to embark upon expansion without further refining their existing set-up. “If we are to expand elsewhere, we’d definitely like to build upon this philosophy, maybe with a combination of brands in order to further flesh out the entire feel,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

The post Food for fashion appeared first on The Express Tribune.

In the proposed policy, the government has not brought about changes in the existing import rules for used cars and instead decided to plug the loopholes being exploited by the consumers under different import schemes, show official documents.

The Import Policy Order does not allow import of used cars by individuals and businesses. However, expatriate Pakistanis are permitted to bring vehicles up to three years old to Pakistan at reduced duties under the schemes of personal baggage, transfer of residence from abroad and gift to a family member.

Since there is a bar on car imports for personal use, the consumers are misusing these schemes as they find the imported vehicles of better quality than locally assembled cars.

Earlier, there were hopes that the government would allow the import of second hand cars on a commercial basis in a bid to provide consumers with a wider choice, who are forced to buy comparatively expensive locally assembled cars.

The Federal Board of Revenue had also backed the demand aimed at breaking the monopoly of existing auto players.

DESIGN: TALHA KHAN

However, the automobile policy that the Ministry of Industries and Production tabled in a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee on Wednesday talked about limiting the import of used vehicles.

“The schemes, meant for specific segments of beneficiaries, have been turned into a free-for-all instrument of import with a serious impact on the local industry,” said the policy, suggesting that “these distortions” would be corrected.

According to the policy, the “age limit of three years to be continued in case of cars” and the Ministry of Commerce will define special operating procedures under the Import Policy Order to prevent the misuse of import schemes.

The Engineering Development Board (EDB), a state-owned body said to be looking after the interests of the car lobby, stated, “allowing commercial imports will discourage new investments in the automotive sector and will have a negative impact on existing players.”

It proposed that in case of imports, payment of duties by expatriate Pakistanis should only be accepted through banking channels in an attempt to discourage misuse of the schemes.

The Ministry of Commerce also backed the EDB and the Ministry of Industries, agreeing on the age limit of three years on the import of used cars and pickups.

Similarly, it agreed that trucks and buses may continue to be allowed with the age limit of five years.

According to the policy, the FBR will issue import duty rates for all types of vehicles in US dollars on June 30 of each year. Currently, import duties are fixed in US dollars for only up to 1,800cc vehicles of Asian make.

Duties for all other vehicles including the ones made in European and western countries are not fixed due to their huge range and variants.

Until 2011-12, the import of up to five-year-old cars was allowed. However, the Pakistan Peoples Party government reduced the age limit to three years.

In 2011-12, which was the last year for the five-year limit, 57,000 used cars were imported, suggesting consumer dissatisfaction with the kind of vehicles local assemblers were producing.

The number came down to only 29,000 units in fiscal year 2013-14 after the reduction in age limit.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2015.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

The post Consumer interest overlooked in new auto policy appeared first on The Express Tribune.

Welcome to the world of run-your-own business. Exciting isn’t it? But before you get too caught up in dreams of dominating an industry, it’s worth looking at the common issues that will make or break a start-up business. For instance, did you know that according to research 56% of people say they won’t use a company again if they experience bad service?

According to the Department of Labour’s Small Business Association in the US, more than half a billion new businesses are set up every year. And an almost equal amount of them are shut down. I have found that the situation is not much better in Pakistan and the potential for failure of your start-up is all too likely.

1. Have a solid business plan

“Those who don’t plan, they plan to fail”. Make this your mantra. A stellar business plan can provide a road map for your start-up business and encourage investors to commit to your project. This plan also helps one to communicate with potential partners, vendors, employees and customers.

Make sure to include the following:

• Mission Statement

• Summary

• Information on the product or service you’re offering

• Target audience

• Marketing strategies

• Competitor and market analysis

• Financials (funding available and funding required)

2. Testing. Testing. Testing

You may think your product is brilliant, but test out your product or service with real customers, and make changes if necessary. Then, test it again.

3. Identify your customer

Everyone’s a potential customer, right? But if your product or service is for a particular group (such as anti-aging skincare for elderly women), you need to make sure your branding, marketing messages, campaigns and website content cater to that niche.

4. Be realistic about funding

A solid business plan will help you estimate how much cash you will need to get the business going (and be sure to include contingency plans for surprises and set-backs). Explore different sources of business finance, from bank loans to government-backed schemes.

5. Work out which legal structure is right

Sole proprietor, partnership, limited liability company, or limited liability partnership? Different structures have different tax consequences. You could be missing out on tax breaks if you don’t have the right structure.

6. Team Building

Hunt for the best talent. Hire smart, passionate and intelligent people who share the same vision and then get out of their way.

So, what could break your business?

1. Bad service

According to one report by Walker Information, by 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.

• Remember — every time you carry out a service or sell something, you are marketing yourself and your business; so, the best marketing tool is excellent service.

2. Underestimating the need for marketing

No matter how fantastic your service or life-changing your product, if people don’t know about it, it won’t sell.

• Did you know that according to consumer research, people are targeted with some 5,000 marketing messages on a daily basis? How do you stand out? Think about your product and your target audience and offer them something that shouts, “I’m the solution to your issues.”

• Even if you get most customers through word-of-mouth, the people who hear about you will look you up online. They’ll look at your website, and they’ll search on social media pages. You need to be found in multiple places

3. Not having the right insurance in place

A corporate or an LLC offers you protection against being held personally liable for actions by your employees or others. Insurance is available for many risks — the risk that your market won’t materialise, your customer base isn’t looking for the products you sell and so on. Ensure that you are covered.

4. Missing your story

What lead to the creation of your product? People like personal stories. Make sure to share yours.

Ahmad heads up Pakistani.pk a local startup project. He tweets @ThisIzSparta

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, August 16^th, 2015.

The post Growing Pains appeared first on The Express Tribune.

One day, as she was bustling around in the kitchen, Nusrat Jahangir felt an unfamiliar tug in her belly. “It felt like something was kicking me from within,” recalls the 31-year-old homemaker. “Naturally, I got a little worried but not once did I suspect that I might be pregnant!” As fate would have it, however, a quick check-up with her doctor confirmed that Nusrat was indeed, with child.

“Strangely enough, I completely bypassed the obvious symptoms of pregnancy, such as morning sickness, fatigue and vomiting. There was a sporadic flu but that was about it,” shares Nusrat. Coincidentally, Nusrat also had a history of irregular menstruation which made it all the harder for her to figure things out. “I experienced some irregularities in my cycle following the birth of my second child and simply attributed all skipped periods to that. How could I have ever known?” she says, exasperated.

Fortunately for Nusrat, her condition is not out of the ordinary —  she is amongst the thousands of women across the world who fail to realise they might be pregnant. In fact, according to Dr Rubina Hassan, chairperson of Obstetrics and Gyneacology at Ziauddin University and Hospital Karachi, about 20% of expecting mothers have no inkling that they are expecting until late into the pregnancy. “Each pregnancy varies and so, it is highly likely that a woman skips all key symptoms completely,” explains Dr Rubina. “Regardless of whether it was planned or not, 80% of women can tell as the developing foetus starts moving and kicking. Sometimes though, the baby is less active or rests in a way that the mother cannot feel its presence.” In such cases, it is generally after the first trimester that it begins to sink in. “Most baby movements begin in the fifth month and are common in 90% of pregnancies,” adds Dr Rubina.

Inefficient pregnancy testing

For most doctors, the ideal and most reliable method of detecting a pregnancy is via a blood test. “These days, women resort to over-the-counter pregnancy tests which do not always beget accurate results,” claims Dr Rubina. “Not to mention, it is necessary to wait for one week after a missed period to take these home pregnancy tests. False readings will obviously lead to undetected pregnancies.”

The case for irregular menstruation

Much like Nusrat, 32-year-old Asma Alam also had a case of intermittent periods and actually visited the doctor to have her condition checked. “Instead, I was told that there was nothing wrong with me —  I was simply four months pregnant!” shares Asma, who welcomed her third child —  a beautiful baby boy —  just two weeks ago.

“I am one of four sisters, two of whom were diagnosed with ovarian cysts. So I assumed I might have developed a cyst too,” admits Asma. “This pregnancy was completely out of the blue as I had had a baby girl just six months earlier and that too, via a caesarian section.”

According to Dr Rubina, it is natural for women with conditions similar to Asma’s to overlook the possibility of a pregnancy. “Patients with a history of ovarian complications like cysts simply assume the discomfort and pain they feel is because of their condition, not a baby,” she explains. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) —  a condition wherein tiny cysts develop on the ovaries, thereby impeding regular periods —  is one of the most common causes of infertility as well as unsuspected pregnancies in women. Dr Rubina also adds that some expecting mothers continue to experience bleeding well into their pregnancy which deceives them into thinking they are without child.

Lactation amenorrhea

Although few women are aware of this, breastfeeding actually delays the process by which your menstruation cycle resumes after childbirth. In fact, many women resort to natural birth control via the Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM) which inhibits menstruation whilst the mother is lactating. According to Dr Nusrat Shah Kamal, gyneacologist at Civil Hospital in Karachi, “Women who breastfeed their babies round-the-clock and have not started menstruating as per normal are highly unlikely to conceive during that time.” In general, this period lasts up to about six to eight months following delivery, while breast milk remains the main source of feed for the baby. “Once the six months are over, the mother’s milk is accompanied by solids and formulas like Cerelac. It is very much possible for women to conceive from then on.”

The weight issue

One would assume that a pregnancy would eventually manifest itself at least in terms of body weight if nothing else. But in some rare cases, even that does not hold true. Asma, for instance, did not gain any weight even four months into her pregnancy. “I have always been skinny and rather weak,” she shares. “But even while pregnant, I hardly put any extra pounds on.”

Interestingly enough, one of the side-effects of PCOS includes the accumulation of excess fat around the belly which makes one appear bigger than they might be. “This would make it even harder for one to detect a pregnancy,” says Dr Rubina. “A few extra pounds are inconspicuous on a person who is already overweight. Extra flab around a belly that is already swollen is likely to go unnoticed.” In such circumstances, a woman may go up to her third trimester before her condition becomes evident.

Infertility and general carelessness

“This is a very painful reality for married couples,” says Dr Rubina. “When one or both the partners are told they are infertile, they give up on the idea of conceiving psychologically. Such couples have a delayed response to the first signs of pregnancy.” Dr Nusrat further elaborates on this by hinting at the lack of attention paid by women to biological changes. “It is not careless but some women just do nothing about irregular menstruation,” she complains. “Others are careless, regardless of whether they want children or not. They assume it is impossible to conceive while breastfeeding but it is not.”

The solution

In a country where the greater half of the population shies away from topics like childbirth and family planning, it is imperative that we spread awareness regarding the matter. An undiscovered pregnancy can potentially be fatal to the unassuming mother as she goes about her daily business, conducting tasks that can perpetrate physical harm to her or the baby. Such instances may be rare but there is still a dire need for us to educate the masses and encourage dialogue to curtail unwanted and unexpected pregnancies.

How can you not know you are pregnant, especially after the first trimester?

There may not be a definite reason as to why women don’t realise it but over the years, experts have come up with the following reasons to credit surprise pregnancies:

Obesity:

Overweight or obese women are more likely to have irregular menstruation, making them accustomed to missing a period here and there. Moreover, their body shape may cause them to overlook the obvious physical change that arises due to pregnancy.

Placenta:

If a woman’s placenta is positioned near the front of her uterus, she may not feel the baby move as much. When and if movement is felt, it is easy to confuse it with gas, even in women who are very far along in their pregnancy.

Morning sickness:

Surprisingly, some women do not experience morning sickness at all and if they do, it is very mild. Nonetheless, morning sickness can also be explained as a stomach bug or just a side effect of feeling stressed out.

Denial:

Women who do not wish for a child may subconsciously deny the fact that they are indeed having one. It can happen to mature mothers, especially those in their 40s with children already.

What is PCOS?

It has been estimated that about one in every 450 pregnant women are unaware of their pregnancy until the 20th week or later. One in 2,500 remains oblivious until she actually goes into labour. The most common reason for this is that they suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, as it is referred to by the medical fraternity.

According to The Mayo Clinic, PCOS is a very common endocrine system disorder among women of reproductive age. Those with PCOS may have enlarged ovaries containing small collections of fluid called follicles, located on each ovary. Although the real cause it yet to be determined, a large number of women are diagnosed with the syndrome across the world. Owing to its symptoms, which include infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods, excessive hair growth, acne and obesity, many patients confuse pregnancy with PCOS. Consequently, they fail to realise that they are expecting.

Ishrat Ansari works on the Karachi desk at The Express Tribune

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, August 23^rd, 2015.

The post Unexpectedly expecting appeared first on The Express Tribune.

But healthy life expectancy has not increased as much, so people are living more years with illness and disability, according to the analysis, published in The Lancet journal.

“The world has made great progress in health, but now the challenge is to invest in finding more effective ways of preventing or treating the major causes of illness and disability,” said Theo Vos, a professor at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington who led the analysis.

The study’s main findings were that global life expectancy at birth for both sexes rose by 6.2 years  — from 65.3 in 1990 to 71.5 in 2013. Healthy life expectancy at birth rose by 5.4 years  — from 56.9 in 1990 to 62.3 in 2013.

Healthy life expectancy takes into account both mortality and the impact of non-fatal conditions and chronic illnesses like heart and lung diseases, diabetes and serious injuries. Those detract from quality of life and impose heavy cost and resources burdens.

For most of the 188 countries studied, changes in healthy life expectancy between 1990 and 2013 were “significant and positive”, the researchers said. But in many — among them Belize, Botswana and Syria — healthy life expectancy in 2013 was not much higher than in 1990.

And in some, including South Africa, Paraguay, and Belarus, healthy life expectancy has dropped. In Lesotho and Swaziland, people born in 2013 could expect to live some 10 fewer healthy years than people born there 20 years earlier.

The study also found stark differences between countries with the highest and lowest healthy life expectancies, and in the rates and direction of change.

Nicaraguans and Cambodians have seen dramatic increases since 1990, of 14.7 and 13.9 years respectively. People in Botswana and Belize, however, saw declines of two and 1.3 years respectively.

In 2013, Lesotho had the world’s lowest healthy life expectancy, at 42 years. Japan had the highest, at 73.4 years.

In countries like Belize, Botswana and Syria — healthy life expectancy in 2013 was not much higher than in 1990

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th,  2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

The post Health is wealth: Global life expectancy rises, but people live sicker for longer appeared first on The Express Tribune.

On August 11, Hussain Khanwala village in Kasur district made headlines around the world as news broke of an abuse scandal on an unprecedented level in Pakistan. Four hundred videos of at least 280 children forced to perform sexual acts had been created and sold in the village since 2006. Since then, rights organisations and activists have urged for the removal of social taboos surrounding child sex abuse, encouraging survivors to talk about their experiences.

One effort to help survivors speak up is ‘Talk, Dammit’, an online project trying to give voice to those silenced into submission. The project’s Facebook page lets victims of abuse share their stories with others. The effort empowers the contributors as much as the readers and encourages them to break their silence and to speak up.

“’Talk, Dammit!’ is a project where I talk to victims of child sexual abuse and bring forth their stories in bits and pieces — anonymously and with their consent — for all of you to engage with in constructive dialogue around the issue,” explains the project’s creator Syed Faizan Raza Rizvi. The 22-year-old student and graphic designer asks people to share their story by messaging him via Facebook. In a very short period of time, the page has become a platform where people feel safe sharing their stories with the world. The comments under each post reveal that the prevalent attitude towards abuse may be shifting, as readers share words of comfort with each contributor. This show of support and care gives courage not only to the contributor but also to other survivors of sexual abuse who fear being exposed.

Speak up

Since the page was created earlier this month, more than 50 people have shared their stories on it. Even though most contributors choose to remain anonymous on this platform, their desire to talk about their struggle is refreshing.

A victim of a child sex abuse scandal stands in his house in Hussain Khan Wala town, in Kasur district. PHOTO: REUTERS

Aamna*, a contributor on the page, explained the effects of abuse thus: “It made me a shy child, someone who hated being in the limelight and had zero self-confidence. It also made me fear every person I came across. My studies took a toll as well.” Amna says that the ‘Talk, Dammit’ page was the first place where she had ever shared her story with others. “I’d already seen my friends make rape jokes and judge cases of abuse seen in the news,” she says, explaining why she told her story. “I didn’t want that kind of judgment.”

Sarah*, another contributor on the page talked about the feeling of liberation that sharing her story gave her, saying, “When I wrote it down on paper, it felt somewhat tangible, like a tangled wire. It felt as if it was something I could actually solve and untangle. I know, I won’t be able to get over it completely but I still think that talking about it has helped me realise what my problem really is and how I’ll solve it.”

When asked why others should share their stories and speak up, Sarah explains, “Bottling up is like letting poison spread inside you. It kills you inside. Let it out, and spread awareness. You never know who is benefiting from it.”

“If not for yourself, talk for the sake of others,” says Anushay Khan, one of the few ‘Talk, Dammit’ contributors who have disclosed their names on the page. Khan adds, “You are never wrong. It is never about the clothes you wear, the way you talk or how you present yourself. It is in the mind of these sick people. I knew I was not at fault since the first day and everyone needs to realise that. Talk to someone, every reply will help you one way or the other. It shapes your personality, it gives you confidence, it gives you hope. You need to gather all that and become the man or woman you want to be.”

While talking about the effects of abuse, Khan said, “I thought it was all fun and play. Even though I was being molested since before, I realised it at the age of 11, when I was old enough to know what was happening. I talked about it with a few cousins of mine but since no one was alarmed, I kept quiet for a while.”

The man behind the voice

Syed Faizan Raza Rizvi has associated himself with many different causes over the years. Over the past few months, he has worked tirelessly to get help for victims of the heat wave in the country. Deciding to take the initiative was a spur-of-the-moment decision for Rizvi. “Apart from the obvious reason, the Kasur tragedy, I decided to take this initiative because there were plenty of people in my circle who had gone through such traumatic experiences and wished that they could talk about it,” he explains. “I knew if there were people like that in my circle, there would be plenty more who would want to share, even if it was done anonymously.” He was surprised by the response he received. “I did not know if people would be willing to share their stories with a stranger over the Internet, but the response has been overwhelming,” he says. “In two weeks, I gathered 50 stories and there will be many more.”

Rizvi explains that as his contributors decided to share a very personal and sensitive part of their lives with the world, he has decided to work on the project alone. “I can’t even dream of a team at the moment, as trust is a big factor in the project,” he explains. “People are opening up because they know it is safe to do so, and I do not want to change that.” When asked about expanding the project, he answers, “I do plan to turn this into something bigger, I haven’t decided what that will be, but it doesn’t stop at just putting stories out. This is why the project now has its own Facebook page and is separate from my other work.”

The project is already effecting change. “Through this page, a few trained psychologists have contacted me, saying that they are willing to help the people who have come forward, free of cost if they are willing to take help,” Rizvi says with pride. “I think that is a huge deal.”

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Hurmat Majid is a subeditor at The Express Tribune.

She tweets @bhandprogramme

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, August 30^th, 2015.

The post The talking cure appeared first on The Express Tribune.

A sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways is also monitoring the campaign to recover the railways land and there have been some successful operations in some parts of the country.

However, no breakthrough has so far taken place in the Rawalpindi Division where a total of 188.79 acres of land belonging to the Pakistan Railways has been encroached upon for years.

According to the railways authorities, a total of 118 acres are occupied by informal settlements, 36 acres by the Pakistan Army’s Joint Staff Headquarters, and eight acres by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

A total of 7.7 acres are in use of the Punjab government’s Housing and Physical Planning Department, while another 16 acres have been used in road infrastructure within the limits of Punjab.

Chakwal Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) has built a park on 13 acres of railways land.

Officials said the railways land has been used by these departments for around 50 years now. Neither has railways been paid, nor the land leased out, they said.

Rawalpindi Divisional Superintendent Railways Abdul Malik said they were in talks with the JS Headquarters and squatters to reach a settlement.

He said DHA had agreed to provide 26 acres to railways in Lahore in lieu of the eight acres in the housing society’s possession in Rawalpindi.

Similarly, Chakwal TMA has agreed to give control of the park to railways. Malik said they were also corresponding with the Punjab government to recover the land, which is in use of provincial government departments.

DHA has agreed to provide 26 acres in Lahore, as an alternate to eight acres it occupied in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi Divisional Superintendent

Railways Abdul Malik

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

The post Encroachments galore: No solution in sight to reclaim railways land appeared first on The Express Tribune.