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India’s daughters have long been discriminated against. They are taught to be subservient, docile, and self-sacrificing and the whole social structure is designed to keep them suppressed. The parents of girls take it for granted that they have to pay for dowry and carry the burden of a lavish wedding where the groom’s family can make unreasonable demands and expect them to be fulfilled. No questions asked. It is also considered normal that the girl will give up everything to go live with and serve her husband’s family. With such thoughts so deeply embedded in the social psyche, it is no surprise that women continue to be second-class citizens. Such an environment ends up promoting all kinds of prejudices and stereotypes that hold women back from fulfilling their potential. Sadly, it’s not the “others” who impose these restrictions on women, but their own families. With a complete absence of any support, it is no surprise that many women choose to succumb to societal norms and ultimately make a compromise to sacrifice their aspirations and abilities. Over the years, many efforts have been made to change the mind-set and empower women. Some of these efforts have yielded results and without doubt, women in India today are far ahead from where they were just a few years ago. However, in a country as vast and varied as India, there is still a long way to go before women can truly be considered equal and enfranchised. The good thing is that the effort persists and is gaining critical mass. Many celebrities have lent their weight to the cause, and in an icon crazy country like India, their words make an impact. This latest video featuring Amitabh Bachchan once again draws the viewer’s attention towards all the deep-seated prejudices against women that society accepts so casually. It is a laudable effort and Mr Bachchan’s baritone adds greater gravitas to a serious issue. It is a clever ploy to use the ultimate patriarch’s commanding presence to try and break the stranglehold of patriarchy. After all, if Amitabh Bachchan is saying something, many are likely to believe that there probably is some substance to it. Therefore not only does it encourage women to find their own voice, it also compels men to give their prejudices more than a fleeting thought. A solitary video or campaign cannot change an entire society overnight, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. Many small steps are needed for all of India’s daughters to be free to pursue their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. It is one more brick in the wall, and with due apologies to Pink Floyd, this is one bit of education we do need!

The desert of Tharparkar spreads over 19638 sq km in southern Sindh, Pakistan. It’s known for its rich culture, religious harmony and arid lands that turn green after the yearly rainfall. Since its origin, Thar has been infamous for its droughts. After three years of continuous droughts, the people of Thar are hoping for a surplus harvest this time around.

It’s one of the most peaceful areas of Pakistan and is ingrained with a beautiful culture, a unique geography, and hospitable people.

I moved to Thar in 2013 from Sanghar, where I have been practising photography and developing documentaries with local organisations. My infatuation with Thar has plagued me ever since I graduated from the University of Sindh in 2012. It’s one of the most peaceful areas of Pakistan.

The farmers in Thar do not use chemical pesticides and fertilisers in their fields. Therefore, these farms produce an abundance of organic vegetables, fruits and cash crops – which makes Thar even more exceptional.

Hundreds of children lost their lives due to malnutrition.

The hat trick of droughts affecting Thar had a domino effect on all areas of the desert. Firstly, it took a toll on socio-economic conditions. Secondly, it gravely disturbed the lives of the locals there. Furthermore, many livestock died and the rest migrated towards the barrage area. Lastly, hundreds of children lost their lives due to malnutrition. It’s safe to say that after these devastating consequences, the people of Thar are brave enough to hope for better weather this year.

As they have done after every rain shower, farmers are cultivating the desert land again this year, praying it will prove to be prosperous – but unfortunately, they are not certain about how much the rain will yield. And considering that they are heavily dependent on it, they will ultimately lose all their livelihood and investments if the rain fails to come at all this year.

This year, they are cultivating desert land again.

Qeemat rai, a villager of Bitri Unar near Mithi, told me that his family cultivated eight acres of land last year.

Qeemat Rai, a villager of Bitri Unar near Mithi, told me that his family cultivated eight acres of land last year and five of his family members worked rigorously for four months. Even after such hard work, all they earned was a meagre Rs85000. Their calculations concluded that this figure amounted to Rs100 per day for each person involved for those months.

Mr Khanu (another local) said,

“If the government installs tube wells for agricultural purposes, we would be able to save our crops and ultimately, stop migration towards the barrage area.”

For decades, the people of Thar have been cultivating land on rainfall. They have been fetching water from deep wells and the lack of electricity and other basic necessities have left them beyond development. These people spend most of their lives in search of water; collecting water, praying for water in the form of rain. If they get rid of these problems, they would be able to ultimately promote their culture and lifestyle.

If they get rid of these problems they may promote their culture, lifestyle, geography and ultimately might be able to save their religious harmonic life.

Thar is also abundant in resources such as renewable energy. Solar-powered tube wells can be installed for agricultural purposes; three different crops can be harvested in one year and ultimately, these resources can contribute in improving the socio-economic conditions of the locals.

One can take the 211 acres of desert land near the Umerkot district as an existing example, which is being cultivated by the Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) of Umerkot. AZRI is utilising renewable energy and has installed water pumps charged by solar power, wind energy turbines and drip systems to turn it into cultivable land.

Dr. Attaullah Khan Director of AZRI stated,

“We have 12 acres of fruit beer trees by drip water systems, and they get more than enough fruits from this garden.”

AZRI is utilising renewable energy and has installed water pumps charged by solar power, wind energy turbines and drip systems to make desert land into green.

He further added,

“The AZRI team has planted indigenous trees, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and local grass in the desert lands, which are growing more effectively than in the barrage land.”

The land can be made green the whole year round.

If the same techniques of renewable energy are applied to other areas of Thar as well, then the barren land can be made green the whole year round and farmers could cultivate three crops per year.

If you get a chance to visit Thar, you definitely should.

All photos: Manoj Kumar

Like 2.5 million others from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal and millions more from Africa and South East Asia, my grandfather fought with the British military in World War II. Tens of millions of others across the old British Empire gave precious resources to aid the war effort, many millions losing their lives in the process. They accepted the call to join the Allied forces to help defeat the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Germany at the door step of the United Kingdom. Winston Churchill, the war time prime minister, told them to ‘brace themselves for their duties’ and this would be ‘their finest hour.’ It was only with the enormous sacrifice of the countries that became the Commonwealth that the Allied forces were victorious. Churchill betrayed my grandfather and millions of others like him. He did not believe that the countries in the old British Empire should be given the same respect that they showed the UK. In fact, Churchill believed in white supremacy and was violently opposed to the prospect of those countries gaining independence. Whilst Churchill was voted ‘greatest Briton of all time’ in the UK, many across the Commonwealth countries are aggrieved by the celebration of his memory. In 2016, the Bank of England sought to select a character to appear on the new £5 bank note. The policy was to select someone who would be ‘universally acceptable’ and not ‘unduly divisive.’ On April 26, 2016, they announced the character would be Winston Churchill and the notes began circulation on September 13, 2016. It was no secret that Churchill thought very little of the native populations of the countries colonised by the UK. In conversation with the Secretary of State for India, Churchill proclaimed,

“I hate Indians. They are a beastly people, with a beastly religion.”

In 1943, Churchill helped engineer the Bengal Famine in which three million Indians died of starvation. In that year, the harvest of Bengal was hoarded for the exclusive benefit of the UK, despite dire warnings of the consequences on the native population. When notified of the mass starvation, Churchill’s only regret was that Gandhi was not amongst those who had perished. Even Britain’s Viceroy of India said, “Churchill’s attitude towards India and the famine is negligent, hostile and contemptuous.” And the Secretary of State said he “didn’t see much difference between his (Churchill) outlook and Hitler’s.” Faced with the prospect of the UK losing rule over India, Churchill stated that he would “rather see them have a good civil war.” Despite the enormous sacrifices made by those in the old ‘British India’, Churchill’s attitude was one of sheer contempt for the people. Although many other colonies gained independence after the Second World War, the British refused to grant independence to the people of Kenya as the substantial supply of tea and tobacco helped boost the British economy in the Post World War II period. Churchill stated that Kenya’s fertile highlands should be the “preserve of white settlers,” approving the clearing out of the local “blackamoors” and describing the indigenous people as “brutish children.” In 1952, a resistance movement commenced operation with the purpose of reclaiming land and gaining independence. Churchill’s response to the uprising entailed massive round-ups of suspected “Mau Mau” and supporters, with large numbers of people executed. From 1952 – 1960, the British established approximately 150 detention camps throughout Kenya, holding approximately 150,000 indigenous people – later dubbed “Britain's Gulag” by Pulitzer-prize winning historian, Professor Caroline Elkins. In her book Britain's Gulag: The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya, she explains the tactics adopted under Churchill to crush the local drive for independence,

“Electric shock was widely used, as well as cigarettes and fire … the screening teams whipped, shot, burned, and mutilated Mau Mau suspects.”

Churchill’s actions in Kenya place in his league with history’s most prolific and detestable leaders. Churchill believed in the essential superiority of white British people and their right to exterminate other races and cultures. In 1937, he told the Palestine Royal Commission,

“I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.”

When, in South Africa, at least 115,000 black Africans were swept into British concentration camps, where 14,000 died, he wrote only of his “irritation that Kaffirs should be allowed to fire on white men.” When the British used chemical weapons to quell the Iraq revolt against British rule in 1920, Churchill’s response was,

“I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes.”

Churchill’s views on race, extermination and chemical weapons place him at odds with the UK’s government’s stated position of tolerance of diversity. The Bank of England’s decision to celebrate Churchill as a man of ‘British thought, innovation, leadership, values and society’ by placing him on the £5 bank note is a flagrant insult to the millions of individuals across the Commonwealth whose freedom he bitterly detested and violently opposed. Whilst my grandfather and millions of others accepted Churchill’s invitation to ‘offer blood, toil, tears and sweat’, Churchill’s response was to continue a policy oppression and domination of their countries. In his statement announcing the new note, Mark Carney Governor of the Bank of England, quoted Churchill saying,

“A nation that forgets its past has no future.”

In 2016, the Bank of England has forgotten the sacrifices made by the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the Commonwealth will not be served by this fresh insult. For these reasons, I began a petition to urge the Bank of England to replace Churchill on the new £5 note, and urge readers to sign.

Steering away from the melodramatic genre of our drama industry – which continually encircles around the ‘bechari aurat’ (oppressed woman) – projects like Ek Thi Marium attempt to bring about a much needed change showcasing the true meaning of the commonly misused term: woman empowerment.

The project is a biopic of the first Pakistani woman fighter pilot, Marium Mukhtar, who was martyred whilst in the line of duty. The gripping narrative, crisp direction, and deep dialogues have made this telefilm both moving and inspirational; two qualities which our monotonous sagas continually lack.

Pakistani woman fighter pilot, Marium Mukhtar
Photo: Reuters

Ek thi Marium narrates the story of a spirited young woman whose struggles, diligence, unshaken faith and conviction made her the proud recipient of the Tamgha-e-Basalat (Medal of Good Conduct) post her martyrdom.

Marium Mukhtar, while fighting stereotypes, made the courageous decision to become a GD fighter pilot for the Pakistan Air Force – a field presumed to be a man’s profession.

Photo: Facebook

During the 120-minute telefilm, we see Marium transcend from a cadet to a PAF fighter pilot. We see her struggle and overcome the harshest of circumstances, deprived of all the blessings we so casually take for granted.

Sanam Baloch
Photo: Screenshot

She is forced to shape herself in accordance to the Air Force standards, and comply with orders that separates her from her natural self. Apart from the mental stress, we see Marium partake in strenuous physical exercises that push her to her breaking point, like her male colleagues are expected to do as well. But like a true hero, we see her rise to every challenge.

Sanam Baloch
Photo: Screenshot

Marium’s story plays a big role in breaking the unspoken barrier between civilians and soldiers, who just can’t seem to connect with one another on the societal front – with the assumption that it’s due to their discipline, principles, petite attire, and intimidating personalities.

Ek Thi Marium shows viewers the other side of the stern face that one associates with soldiers, and illustrates the struggles that one goes through to finally reach that dignified stature. The movie creates a connection and illustrates a more humane aspect of our soldiers, who we unintentionally take as selfless and courageous individuals, lacking any sort of emotion other than patriotism.

Photo: Facebook

The star of the telefilm, Sanam Baloch, does complete justice to her character and her much awaited comeback, effortlessly portraying a very real yet heroic figure. Hina Bayat performs beyond everyone’s expectations in her concluding speech, when she becomes the proud mother of her shaheed (martyred) daughter. The film is tear-jerking to say the least and will leave you with a heavy heart.

Sanam Baloch
Photo: Facebook

“Hamari Marium tou qaum ke naam par qurbaan hogai, magar aap ke gharon mein ek ek Marium hai. Aap sab se bus itni ilteja hai ke apni apni Marium ko, qaum ki amanat, aur Allah ki rehmat samajh ke palein – Shukriya”

(Our Marium sacrificed herself in the name of her nation, but in each of our homes, there is a Marium. I humbly request you to understand that your Marium is an asset of the nation and a blessing from God, hence, raise her accordingly.)

Sanam Baloch
Photo: Screenshot

Ek Thi Marium shares very important social messages. Marium’s parents empowered her to live her life based on what she wanted. They stood by her, against all social pressures and believed in her when she lost faith herself – these are the moral values that our society should preach.

Sanam Baloch
Photo: Screenshot

Photo: Facebook

Women like Marium Mukhtar, Muniba Mazari, Musarrat Misbah and Fatima Bhutto are the ones that deserve to be role models of our rising youth. This is what empowerment truly looks like! When a woman can stand alongside men and contribute to the most heroic task – safeguarding her beloved nation.

Manchester United – a team consisting of extra-ordinary individuals but performing below the ordinary level of expectations. After the disastrous derby day defeat, no one thought things with someone like José Mourinho at the helm could go this wrong.

After the disastrous derby day defeat, no one thought things with someone like José Mourinho at the helm could go this wrong. Photo: AFP

But bloody hell, (Fergie-style) we have been wronged.

Mourinho got it horribly wrong in the first half of Manchester Derby. He really underestimated City, and above all, Pep Guardiola’s strength. Although United’s performance in the second half at Old Trafford was much better, things haven’t changed much since then.

United had a chance to forget all that by making a statement in their first European group game of the season.

Well guess what?

That didn’t turn out too well either, instead they received a crushing defeat at the hands of Feyenoord.

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba (C) and Chris Smalling react after losing the UEFA Europa. Photo: AFP

If Mourinho wasn’t in hot water before, he definitely was after this defeat. A state of panic settled in on Mourinho’s heart. One would think, it can’t get worse than this, can it?

But we got our answer in the game against Watford. Boy oh boy, Mourinho’s men certainly don’t learn from their mistakes.

But we got our answer in the game against Watford. Photo: AFP

There are a number of factors that have contributed to United’s catastrophic start to the season.

Where do I begin?

School boy errors

The only consistency I have witnessed in the Red Devils games so far this season, is their ability to make life difficult for themselves. They repeat the same mistakes every match day. From sloppy passing to no pressing, they have been making pretty basic errors. It seems as if their midfield doesn’t exist and there is absolutely no guard.

Luke Shaw’s inability to close down players before they receive passes in open spaces is just one example. Photo: AFP

United players, defenders in particular, have shown a great deal of reluctance when it comes to pressing down on the opponents. The wing-backs aren’t doing enough. Luke Shaw’s inability to close down players before they receive passes in open spaces is just one example. Then there are the silly and reckless tackles of Marouane Fellaini. You just can’t afford to give away possession that often and that cheaply.

Players’ positioning

Daley Blind was seriously exposed against City. It’s been over two seasons now that he has been playing as a centre-back (CB) and he still hasn’t fully adopted the CB role. To be honest, you can’t really blame him. Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano is another relatable example here. Just like Blind, he isn’t a natural CB and just like the Dutchman, he is the culprit in defensive mismanagement.

Daley Blind believes Manchester United’s Community Shield victory can be the springboard for a Premier League title challenge. Photo: AFP

It isn’t easy to shy away from the man-marking controversy, specially when they result in your team conceding goals. Valencia might have delivered some relatively strong performances very early in the season, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is not a proper right-back. Mourinho prefers him for his attacking ability, which actually faded long time ago.

Hardly two out of 10 crosses by Valencia reach the penalty area. And those that avoid hitting defending legs don’t reach his teammates. Mourinho must put his trust in Matteo Darmian or Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

Wayne Rooney

The biggest question mark remains on United’s captain, Rooney. Does he deserve a place on the team? Is he still good enough?

The answer to both these questions is yes, but in a complicated way. Rooney still deserves a place on the United team, but perhaps not a guaranteed one.

Who says he needs to start every week? That is actually hurting the team’s morale. Although it will be extremely harsh to entirely blame Rooney for United’s poor run of games, but he is amongst the main culprits.

Wayne Rooney. Photo: AFP

I believe Rooney is good enough to proudly wear the Manchester United shirt. To doubt his ability is to doubt his intentions and his commitment to the club. And that is out of question.

The only problem here is where does one place Rooney?

Debates of playing him as a central-attacking-midfielder or a striker has not only lowered the player’s morale, but has also damaged his ability to showcase his true self. The solution to this problem lies in changing the formation.

The Formation

The 4-2-3-1 formation is certainly not helping United during these dark times.

Let’s talk about Rooney for instance. I believe if United switch to the old-age and ever-green 4-4-2 formation and use Rooney as a striker alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, it could help both the team, and the player. But fixing Rooney’s position behind the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation, Mourinho is limiting the team’s capabilities.

Marcus Rashford could be set for another impressive outing in the Europa League. Photo: AFP

The same goes for the 4-3-3 formation. Playing three proper strikers up-front along with a three man midfield could do the trick for United. Paul Pogba’s pairing with Fellaini hasn’t worked out yet and United could be running out of time.

It is about time United bring in Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera or Morgan Schneiderlin to the team. Mourinho must switch his formation or play the best available players at their appropriate positions to turn things around.

Rest assured, we are in for a thrilling response.

You know they say that ‘hormonal teenagers’ is a cliché? And do you know what they say about clichés? They say that most clichés are true. And they are. And hormonal teenagers are the truest clichés in the universe. Psychology and medical science tell us now more than ever; if there was ever a time to accept this cliché and all the baggage that comes with it, it’s now. More parents, logically, should accept that between the ages of 13 to 18, young adolescents go through various surges of hormones in their bodies and sexual arousal is also a part of this physiological development. Logically, more parents should help their children process this transition and accept the various changes their body is going through. Whether it is that of rage, sexual maturity, depression, anxiety or any other adjustment their body is making or getting used to. This is one of the most critical stages of their personality development and how they handle their changes and emotions and the choices they make at this stage may as well define them for the rest of their life. Ironically, while Pakistani authorities seem to be doing all within their purview to clamp down on information regarding sexual health (no pun intended whatsoever), Rutgers World Population Fund, an international NGO dedicated to young people’s health and development, published a study where it stated that adolescents, which make one-third of Pakistan’s population, still do not have a lot of awareness about the various psychological and physiological changes that occur in their bodies. They are also deprived of the basic rights to learn about these topics since taboo and stigma regarding sexual health is extremely strong in Pakistani society. Regardless of how ostrich-head-in-sand-like attitude Pakistani parents attempt to act, teenagers will be teenagers. And now with smartphones and 24 hour internet connectivity, their ‘questions’ and curiosities about their bodies and sexuality as well as emotions can be easily answered by the Google magic. The question is – are parents comfortable with their children finding out about the birds and the bees from Google instead of a trusting, reliable and understanding adult in their own family? Horrifyingly, teenagers are relying on shady websites to educate them and provide them with assistance regarding prevention of pregnancies or to improve male potency. I even once came across an ad on Facebook that claimed to sell you a cream that could prove to your prospective groom that you’re still a virgin. Before you label me as an agent of Jews or an “NGO aunty” (yes, I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve been called that) or a ‘liberal fascist’ out to destroy the moral fabric of Pakistan, do remember that this is the life and safety of our kids at risk. A lot of these shady websites sell unapproved or potentially unsafe drugs that can cause serious mental and physical distresses in an individual. There are numerous ways to have this conversation with our children. You can even get mental health professionals involved. You can sit down with doctors and/or just have private conversation with your child/teenager. You can regularly listen to them and understand them without them fearing judgment or hate from you. They’ll get plenty of that from their peers and the rest of the world. As a parent, it’s your job to make them feel safe and comfortable.

One of the phrases being used repeatedly in the Pakistani mainstream, as well as social media, is of ‘liberal extremism.’ I have repeatedly heard and read that Pakistani society is polarised – and both the ‘extremes’ are equally harmful. A few columnists and anchor persons continuously point towards the ‘dangers’ emanating from liberal extremists. Some way or the other, our media is trying to project itself as striking the vital middling position and professes ‘miana ravi’ or moderation in opinion. This term is no longer just restricted to the media but has also found its way in everyday conversations and drawing room discussions. Well, at least semantically, a phrase like liberal extremism or liberal fascism can only be termed as an oxymoron. From a philosophical point of view, you cannot be a liberal and a fascist at the same time. However, since in everyday political terminology, the word liberal corresponds to certain positions, therefore at least theoretically it is possible for someone to be a ‘hard core’ liberal. Even from that angle, you can only be called an ‘extremist’ if you are ready to resort to violence or take extremely inflexible and fringe positions. It is important to know as to what liberal values espouse. Liberalism is not a strictly defined doctrine and has meant different things at different times and places. However, broadly speaking we can say that ideas with liberal underpinning are: women liberation, religious tolerance; preference of self-introspection over irrational patriotism; separation of state and religion, increased role of state for levelling income inequalities, less ambitious external policy; and a passive yet alert military with no expansionist aspirations built around romantic nationalism. In Pakistan, those who espouse these values are rare and in media – they are restricted to merely English print and web. Moreover, they do not use violent tactics the way religious fundamentalists do and therefore to label them as fascists is a gross exaggeration. In addition, the local category of liberals is fully cognisant of the fact that Pakistan suffers from acute religious sensitivity and therefore while projecting their point of view in the public sphere, they often carefully word their opinion. They have to otherwise run the risk of being slain. In fact, even their vocal opposition of blasphemy law was mostly on the ground that the said law was against the ‘true’ spirit of Islam, rather than on the fact that there is no place for religion inspired law in the matters of state. The fact is that liberals in Pakistan are not the ‘hard-core’ variety but rather close to centre and have to argue from position of severe disadvantage. The media does not give them the space, and when they speak, they have to tread very carefully and consequently often end up projecting a much compromised point of view. And despite this, a sizeable number of people categorise them as some kind of fascists or Western elitists. This in my opinion just shows as to how orthodox and schizophrenic our society has become. Here some of the people claim to be following a ‘balanced’ middle simply on the grounds that they do not out rightly support religious extremism. Yet a substantial number of such people may be giving what is known as ‘soft’ support to the militants through weird conspiracy theories and at times apologetic defence whereby extremists are acting violently due to some sort of ‘reaction’. In my books, this mind-set is also ultraconservative and extremist though its manifestation is in a different way. The central issue in my opinion is that in Pakistan, on the ideological spectrum, the orthodox positions virtually dominate. In fact the opinions which would fall under the category of fringe opinions in the West are actually the mainstream opinions in Pakistan. When extreme conservative opinions become the mainstream opinion then even moderately liberal opinions start appearing as the ‘other extreme.’ Moreover, unfortunately the mainstream media has successfully projected liberal values as some kind of a modus operandi cum intellectual vehicle to westernise Pakistan and to undermine the existing ‘rich’ patriotic culture and values. Consequently, anyone vying for the liberal values is immediately bracketed as some kind of a western liberal extremist and even a fascist. When even moderately liberal points of views are categorised as extremist then clearly there is something wrong with our conception and ideological direction. Moreover, this is proving seriously detrimental because liberal opinions are being simply shot down as liberal extremism without even being properly considered. Consequently in the battle of ideas, only the variants of one kind of narrative are reigning supreme and counter opinion is virtually absent in the public sphere. Instead of a balanced middle which emanates from conflation of competing ideas, what we are witnessing in Pakistan is just the dominance of variants of conservative ideology. Hence it is no surprise that intellectually we are becoming bankrupt.

I still remember when I was first introduced to The Mindy Project by a friend while sitting in her apartment in DC back in 2014. We started binge-watching it for a few nights after dinner during my brief stay with her.

When I returned to my internship in Vancouver, I heard one of my colleagues (an Indian-Canadian woman) raving about it. Mindy Kaling is undoubtedly a talented lady and the show has been quite popular – on a separate note, there was something about it that made all the brown girls go crazy. They finally got to see a brown woman in a lead role; not just as a mysterious exotic femme fatale but as an independent and intelligent woman trying to make it through her career and love life.

Trust No Aunty @hatecopy #themindyproject pic.twitter.com/cuhVHKkp1k

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) September 20, 2016

Critical race theorists have spoken at length about how women of colour are depicted, particularly in the media. Only recently have they been assigned leading roles, providing considerable voices to their cultural ethos, whilst showcasing a heroine that mainstream audiences can also relate to.

But this Eid, I was pleasantly surprised by the manner in which Pakistani cinema projected minority voices. I’m using the word ‘minority’ not only to refer to their population size, but to reflect the diverse religious and ethnic communities of Pakistan.

It only dawned upon the audience during the second half of Actor in Law that Meenu Screwvala was a Parsi girl, even though it was hinted at earlier on (Mehwish Hayat’s accent and her Parsi mother’s dressing). Not only was she employed in a mainstream private news channel, her character was illustrated as an independent and head strong female. Interestingly, towards the end of the movie, her marriage with the male Muslim lead is glorified by referring to the Quaid (who had also married a Parsi girl).

Meanwhile, Meena in Janaan is a fun loving and high spirited Pakhtun girl who has grown up abroad. The fact that her English accent is thicker than her Pakhtun accent is an apt reflection of her immigrant persona. Although the male lead, Asfandyar, fits the reserved yet aggressive young-blooded male Pakhtun model, he speaks impeccable Urdu with only subtle hints of a Pakhtun accent. The obstacles that inter-ethnic unions have to face were portrayed commendably by the film makers through the wedding of the Pakhtun Palwasha to a Punjabi boy.

The case of making minorities visible in pop culture faces a twofold problem globally. They can either be under represented or misrepresented. Minelle Mahtani, a Canadian author and journalist, who identifies herself as ‘mixed race’, quotes research that there has not been a single drama series made in Canada that has featured successful interracial couples as leading roles. Statistics on actual couples in the country suggest otherwise. This further complicates the situation and increases feelings of rejection as minority citizens are made to feel less ‘Canadian’ and whiteness becomes the norm.

Misrepresentation relies on negative images of minorities, a lot of which can be witnessed in Hollywood. Characters representing minorities are usually used to drive ahead plot lines and so the South Asian character might just be the funny cab driver who has a 10 minute conversation with another character. The black Canadian would be the villain or thief, or worse – the Muslim male could be the terrorist.

A similar picture is painted in Pakistan.

While growing up in the 90s, I could have never imagined a Parsi girl in the lead role of a mainstream commercial film, and that too not just as a passive subject but as someone actively asserting that identity. Pakhtun are often shown as the illiterate ‘gatemen’ (chowkidaars) with a heavy accent and Sindhis are seen as extremely subjugated tillers (muzara) bowing down to their feudal masters.

There is still a long way to go in terms of the TV serials in the country where religious and ethnic minorities are made invisible or are underrepresented. Maybe they can learn something from the coming-of-age that Pakistani cinema is experiencing and not only represent the stereotypical, unaccented Sunni Muslim prototypes and expect audiences to only relate to them.

How do you break a woman who has the audacity to have a spine to stand up for herself? What does it take to knock her down if she has the gall and gumption to fight against all that’s wrong? How do you shut a girl who has the temerity to have a rational mouth on her? Well, you can’t! And B-Town has finally manifested the point in all its cinematic mightiness.

In the prevailing culture of putrid patriarchy, if a female refuses to submit, it is considered as an attack on the male ego. You label her a slut, whore, or in archetypal desi lingo, a r***i, but every so often this spirited female behaviour also serves as a prelude to dire consequences as severe as verbal abuse, physical violence, and in extreme cases, rape. These repercussions make me sick in the pit of my stomach and on the evidence of this profound visual piece, the bowels of the filmmakers too.

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s court room drama, Pink, shows us the horrors that any sister, mother, daughter, girlfriend – yours as well as mine – can face at any point in their subjugated life cycle.

Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

The three female protagonists of Pink are your regular young urbane women. The troika of Minal (Taapsee Pannu), Falak (Kirti Kulhari) and Andrea (Andrea Tariang) share a flat in a ‘posh’ South Delhi locality. Their night out at a rock concert ends in them accepting an after-party invitation from Rajveer (Angad Bedi), nephew of a powerful politician and two of his chums, which consequently sets off a terrifying chain of events.

Angad Bedi
Photo: Twitter

The typical trident of desi boys who think a ‘drinking, smoking, rock concert-attending girl’ is someone who asks for it, then proceed with subtle sexual advances throughout the night.

Clearly oblivious of the term ‘consent’, Rajveer tries to force himself on Minal despite a categorical ‘no’ from her side and ends up getting smashed by a glass bottle.

Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

Taapsee Pannu
Photo: Screenshot

While guys rush to the hospital to get the gash fixed, girls flee the scene only to realise next morning that Minal has been slapped with an attempt-to-murder charge. This is where the gripping, but yet, a not-so-glitzy crime-thriller goes mainstream as Amitabh Bachchan – a retired lawyer suffering from bipolar disorder, gives the movie a massive dose of exposure by stepping in as the girls’ court-room saviour.

Amitabh Bachchan
Photo: Screenshot

Taapsee Pannu and Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

The premise is simple: A “no” means “no”. Means “no”. Means “frikking NO”. It should never and I repeat, never ever, like ever, be taken as an “hmmmm, maybe.”

The first-half of Pink, resolute in its refusal to either show the incident or even let us hear the account, is built on awkward silences, reflective subtexts, and all that lies between the lines.

Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

The sharp screenplay and edgy narrative puts the girls, and, by extension, the audience through the metaphorical wringer.

The girls are first-rate. Pannu has the film on her shoulders while her figurative partners-in-crime, despite not being high profile actors, still manage to hit all the right notes.

Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

Big B is still the ‘Big Daddy of Bollywood.’ He towers through Pink and imbues his character with a tragic splendour.

It is a role that goes from saying nothing to talking too much, and that gear-shift is managed remarkably by Mr Bachchan, who brings to the table an almost righteous rage. His fervent defence of these brave women is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.

Taapsee Pannu
Photo: Screenshot

In an era when feminists are roundly dismissed as ‘feminazis’, Pink is a brutal indictment of our times shackling women in stereotypes.

Characters cannot be determined by the clothes they wear, the time they come back home, the fact that they drink or smoke, hell, not even their promiscuous sexual history. Most importantly, women should not have to bear the brunt of male rage for these flawed perceptions.

Taapsee Pannu and Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang
Photo: Screenshot

Way back in 88, Hollywood tried to make the same point through Jodi Foster’s The Accused in which her character is gang-raped in a bar: because she wears a short skirt and has been drinking, she is made out to be a woman who is game for casual sex. It took Indian cinema almost 30 years to catch up but Pink nevertheless is a belatedly exceptional case of ‘better late than never.’

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Having lived abroad for nearly five years, I have become a keen observer of certain behavioural differences between Pakistani children, and those raised in the US or the UK. I firmly believe that cultural differences in early childhood decide who we become in our adulthood. A lot is determined by how parents and family members react to a child’s behaviour in his initial years of life, thereby instilling in him either a rightful or an inappropriate sense of what is correct or wrong. Each year during my annual trip to Pakistan, I noticed aggressive behaviour in Pakistani children which people in our country conveniently term as ‘childhood zidd’ (stubbornness). Some consider it an innate feature of infancy, while others may find such behaviour cute or even hilarious. Last year, I saw three-year-old Ali lying down flat on a marble floor in the midst of a tantrum. Facing downward, he kicked his right leg furiously each time he wailed. When his kicks and moans did not grab the desired attention, he started banging his forehead where he was lying on the hard floor. This propelled everyone in the room to act in accordance with the toddler’s demands. Instantly, Ali’s mother came running with the iPad he was crying for, while his grandmother kissed Ali’s forehead and caressed his red, tear-stained cheeks. Just seconds later, the three-year-old was grinning ear to ear and banging his head to the beat of his favourite cartoon song. Little Ali had won his battle ingenuously, and with ease. It’s true that Pakistani mothers and grandmothers are amongst the most caring ones in the world. Every now and then their hearts melt as their children wail. While this sympathetic state is laudable in some scenarios, it should be cautiously monitored, mitigated, perhaps even avoided at times – just like the one mentioned earlier. The situation is a self-witnessed, perfect display of negative attention for a child, the pitch and duration of his tantrum will most likely increase the next time he is denied access to passive screen time on his desired gadget. By giving instant and unwarranted attention to the child’s inappropriate behaviour, we are negatively reinforcing the notion that crying and yelling can grant him anything he wishes. The rage and frustration in the child builds up with time as we increasingly reward him for his negative behaviour. Giving in to such tantrums is a direct consequence of the utmost care and pampering that most Pakistani parents provide to their children. Likewise, it can also result from one or more parents’ inability to tolerate the crying sound for more than certain duration of time. Acting readily – at times blindly – in accordance with the child’s wishes seems the easy way out during that moment of tension, at times frustration, when one is trying hard to gather himself after a long day at work. While doing so, we fail to realise that our instant submissive reaction in that moment will negatively build upon our child’s moral instincts and social behaviour. Sadly, this is exactly what our grandmothers and their mothers have practised with their kids and grandkids – particularly boys – in the yester years. This unhealthy dose of care and attention, even during times when it should be totally avoided, is one of the reasons that build up rage and impatience in children. I often wonder if this aspect of upbringing is perhaps what makes us so intolerant, annoyed, and disgruntled as a nation, especially every time something goes against our wishes. It seems that we’ve been born incapable of practising actual self-control and patience. I strongly believe that the amalgamation of a child’s emotions and character in the future is dependent on how his parents reacted to his behaviours – good or bad – particularly, in the early years of his life. By the age of two, children experience some understanding of morality. Their feelings begin to be triggered by what is right or wrong. Unfortunately, this is the time when most parents in Pakistan are yearning to make their kids learn ABCs and 123s, so that they can boast about their child’s “intelligence” prior to even joining school. This is an unfavourable attitude, the roots of which have slowly scathed our children’s early years with the worthless and unwarranted pressures of the world. At least in the old days, parents weren’t as panic-stricken or possessed by the insane desire to make their kids outperform others in academics. It was either incessant love and care, or an ill-disposed spanking which their children’s negative behaviour warranted. While none were the correct course of action to be followed by parents in their child’s moment of inappropriate aggression (considering both granted the child the attention he sought for) they were at least constructively circled around fostering the child’s upbringing during an age when it most needed. Nowadays however, the focus of renovating a child’s behaviours at a tender age has been drastically mitigated by the hungry race and greed for attaining academic intelligence, good grades, and related achievements that can be bragged about. While doing so, we have forgotten the art of cherishing the most precious moments of our little one’s lives by filling their laps with iPads, and their hands with an insane number of automatic, unproductive gadgets singing out the alphabets and numbers to them. When our children moan for these prized possessions, we fall prey to their tears and frustration and reinforce their negative attitudes when it is most undesirable. It is an unhealthy mix of care and competition, which Pakistani parenting currently revolves around. Last week, here in Massachusetts, I saw a four-year-old in the middle of what could have become a highly repetitive negative behaviour, if addressed wrongly by her parents. Sitting on a bench in a children’s playground, I witnessed a perfectly healthy reaction by the child’s parents to their daughter’s aggressive moaning, on retreating. She didn’t want to leave the park despite two initial warnings from her mother, and hence threw a tantrum on the thought of going back home. As she lay protesting on the cold rubber mulch beside the playground slide, her mother started making her way to the car. Meanwhile the dad, sat patiently on the bench, and busied himself on the phone without throwing the slightest glance at his daughter. Consequently, within seconds of not being given the desired attention, the kid came over to her dad, gave him a hug, and walked back to the car herself. I couldn’t help compare and contrast this situation with a Pakistani child and her parents in place. I envisioned their responses to the tantrum in my mind. Some hugging during the crying time was the primary image that formulated in my mind, followed by dragging the child to the car in utter helplessness. Perhaps, I have seen this, and similar reactions manifesting in different Pakistani playgrounds before. It is true that children demand a lot of care and attention in the early years of their lives. However, an excess of everything is wrong; hugs and pampered attention during a tantrum, the instant reward given after a high-pitched protest, or the constant unhealthy quest of academic limelight – instead of a healthy mission of rightful upbringing – are all factors detrimental to instilling correct moral instincts in our children in their most important years. Parenting is a lifelong, arduous, yet meaningful gift from God. It is a constant attempt in learning to shift between fruitful attention and essential ignorance between a child’s momentary happiness and the thought of his future self and between loud weeping and vibrant giggles. Our reaction in each of these sweet and rough moments tests us as a parent. It certainly takes a village to raise a child, as an old African proverb goes. We need to ensure that in the village of various behaviours, challenging or rewarding, we play our part well.

Guava season is almost over, but it is always good to have an easy recipe in hand for those ‘guests out of the blue’ times. A friend gifted me some guavas recently and suggested that I make guava mousse. I had never heard of such a thing before, much less tasted it, but the idea appealed to me. It would be my cooking experiment weekend. After skimming through a dozen recipes and taking tips from each, I finally came up with one recipe I would go with. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] When you take out the mousse, add strawberry syrup for additional sweetness or beauty.[/caption] I believe the way a dish is presented matters a lot, I feel it enhances the taste. So early Sunday morning, I went out and got myself a set of ramekins. Back home, I had the chopping board in place and the ingredients were laid out. The guavas were all pink and ripe; just perfect. Let’s begin! Ingredients: Ripe guavas – 2 Condensed milk – 2/3 can Whipping cream – 1 small packet Fresh lemon juice – 1/2 lemon Method: 1. Cut up the guavas in small chunks and chuck them in a blender. 2. Add the whipping cream, condensed milk and fresh lemon juice. 3. First start the bender on the lowest speed then the highest one, till the mixture takes on a creamy consistency. 4. Sieve out the seeds and pour the mixture in moulds. Be careful not to let it overflow. 5. Refrigerate for at least four hours. When you take out the mousse, add strawberry syrup for additional sweetness or beauty. I honestly prefer it as is. And ta da – all done! It’s not too sweet; it’s just perfect. I would recommend everyone to try this at least once. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] First start the bender on the lowest speed then the highest one, till the mixture takes on a creamy consistency.[/caption] All photos: Arhama Siddiqa

He made Pakistani cricket boring, but our team became predictably consistent with their performances under his leadership. Fortunately, the flamboyance that rode on erraticism is now missing from our Test team. They have started playing methodically and there seems to be a plan and a strategy being followed in each game and situation.

Misbahul Haq changed the way Test cricket is played by Pakistan.

Misbah ul Haq scored his maiden ton on Lord’s against England. Photo: AFP

The captain of the number one Test team in the world did not always enjoy a smooth terrain though. It has been a steep climb for Misbah, but thanks to his hard work and persistence, he made it to the top.

The Misbah that we cheer for now was once the most ridiculed sportsman of this country. He is the hero of a story that only unfolded towards its end. He’s that survivor on a sinking ship, who not only makes it himself, but also rescues hundreds of others and is commended once everyone makes it to the shore. His is a tale of someone standing up every single time after being repeatedly knocked down. Misbah is the unsung champion of Pakistani cricket. It is about time we look back at his journey.

After making his first class debut back in 98-99, Misbah had to wait till 2001 to make his international Test debut and another year after that (2002) to feature in his first ODI match (both were against New Zealand). His entry into international cricket wasn’t one that could guarantee him a permanent place on the side though.

But we kept catching glimpses of Misbah every now and then in the team after that. He wasn’t a regular on the side until 2010. Interestingly, Misbah was not selected to play a single international match in any format of the game for Pakistan between 2004 and 2007. Even in 2004, he was selected to play only one ODI.

The T20 World Cup back in 2007.
Photo: AFP

It was the inaugural T20 World Cup back in 2007 that made Misbah a name to be known across the cricketing world. But it wasn’t the way Misbah would’ve preferred. His famous paddle scoop in the last over of the final against India ruined everything he had worked for before that fateful match.

Misbah averaged an outstanding 54.50 in the seven matches that he featured in with three not outs and two 50s. All these runs came at a strike rate of nearly 140 runs per 100 balls. Even in the final match, Misbah walked in to bat for Pakistan when the scoreboard read 4-65.

It was from there till the third ball of the 19^th over that Misbah remained rock solid while facing the Indian bowling attack and scored a crucial 43 runs off 38 balls. He even hit four massive 6s. Unfortunately, none of that was recalled and the only thing Misbah came to be known for was his last shot.

As far as T20 internationals are concerned, what many people do not know is that Misbah, till date, ranks number one as far as batting average is concerned. Misbah averages 37.52 in the 39 T20s he has played for Pakistan (with a strike rate of 110.20). On the domestic front, he captains Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is also incidentally the current PSL champion.

Misbah also captains Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League.
Photo: AFP

When it comes to ODIs, Misbah is remembered for his slow batting in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup against India, which Pakistan lost. He was given the title of ‘Tuk Tuk’ following those innings and the entire blame was put on his shoulders for the team’s loss and exit from the mega event.

Misbah is remembered for his slow batting in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup against India, which Pakistan lost.
Photo: Reuters

What critics tend to ignore though, is the brilliant contribution this prolific batsman had made towards reaching the semi-final of the tournament in the first place. Misbah, with three 50s in the six innings that he played in the tournament, was the highest run scorer for Pakistan – averaging a marvellous 49.60 runs per innings.

He has also captained Pakistan in ODIs. His captaincy record in the 50 over format may not be as successful as other prosperous captains of the world, but some of the most notable accomplishments include him becoming the first (and till date) the only captain from a South Asian touring side to lead his team to victory in an ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. This happened in 2013, just one year after Misbah lifted the Asia Cup for Pakistan (for the second time after 12 years) at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium at Mirpur, Bangladesh.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Aizaz Cheema celebrate Pakistan’s win.
Photo: ESPNcricinfo

Back in 2010, when Pakistani cricket was arguably at its lowest after the spot fixing scandal, Misbah was given the responsibility to lead Pakistan in Tests – Pakistan ranked 6^th in the ICC Test rankings at that time.

It was from there that Misbah, in his own cerebral way, started his journey as a leader to make Pakistan reach the top of the ranking table for the first time this year. Misbah, so far, has led Pakistan in 46 Test matches. Pakistan won 22 out of these 46 Test matches, with a winning percentage of 47.82 and a losing percentage of only 28.26, making him the most successful Test captain of Pakistan till date.

Pakistan will displace arch-rivals India to secure top Test team position. Photo: AFP

As a batsman, he has proved himself to be an individual who blossoms with each performance, and once given the additional responsibility of leading his side, he manages to do better. In the 65 Test matches he has played so far for Pakistan, Misbah averages 33.60 as a batsman in games where he is not captaining his side. However, his average rises to an astounding 54.93 in the 46 games in which he has captained Pakistan.

He holds the record for the fastest Test 50 (off 21 balls only) and is second in the list for the fastest 100 in Test cricket (off 56 balls only) sharing the spot with the great Sir Vivian Richards. Incidentally, Misbah also thrashed the Aussies for his fastest century and 50.

He was named the best Test captain of the year in 2015 by The Daily Telegraph and no eyebrows were raised when this was announced.

He was named the best Test Captain of the Year 2015.
Photo: AFP

Misbah achieved all these accomplishments without having played and captained a single Test match on Pakistani soil. This pretty much sums up how difficult his journey has been.

Misbah is no Imran Khan, nor is he Shahid Afridi or Wasim Akram.

If you must compare, he’s probably someone like Inzamam ul Haq. But he’s not as naturally gifted as Inzamam was. Come to think of it, Misbah is just Misbah. His tenacity, strength of will, mental and physical fitness and extraordinary leadership skills make him stand out from the crowd.

This piece isn’t just about my admiration for Misbah’s prodigious services towards this country, but is also a humble effort to make amends for all the disrespect this nation has shown him.

Captain Misbahul Haq holds the ICC Test Championship mace in Lahore. Photo: AFP

He’s a legend, and I hope he receives a respectful farewell when he retires from the game.

The Syrian crisis is becoming increasingly complex and intractable due to the civil war – which was triggered by a repressive government led by Bashar al Assad – who let loose a reign of terror on protesters fighting for civil liberties and democratic reforms. Eventually it escalated into an armed conflict, one that was subsequently upstaged by two powerful superpowers – Russia and the United States. The whole narrative of the civil war changed when Russia helped out their ally, Assad, (who was facing defeat at the hands of the rebels) by supplying him with artillery, tanks and strike aircraft. Iran, on the other hand, sent Hezbollah fighters to augment the Syrian army. Both these events changed Assad’s fortune (who had come under increasing international pressure to demit his office). President Barack Obama also made matters worse by refusing to commit the US forces to support the rebels. His decision to hold back on Syria proved costly as the Syrian forces, which did not have enough fighters to go all out against the rebels, got a fillip when Russia came to its rescue by supplying armoured tanks and fighter planes. However, because of increasing pressure from his administration, Obama finally agreed to provide air support to the rebels. In Syria, we have a situation where the US led coalition forces – along with Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are backing the rebel forces, while Russia and Iran are supporting the Syrian president. Turkey is fighting its own battle with the Kurds, one of the factions of the rebel forces. Iran’s support for Assad is more to do with religion as they share similar ideology of Alawites and loathe seeing a Sunni government in Syria. In effect, the Syrian crisis has now become a proxy war between Russia and the US. Against this backdrop, securing any peace deal becomes complex because of the support of two superpowers to the contending parties. It is to the credit of both Russia and the US who, setting aside their differences, brokered a peace deal between the Syrian government and the rebels to observe a ceasefire and maintain peace during the Muslim holiday, Eidul Azha. This, though a small step, should be welcomed as it gives a ray of hope to end the crisis in the region. Moreover, the temporary truce would pave the way for providing humanitarian assistance to the besieged cities like Aleppo, where the people are facing untold misery and a human tragedy of unprecedented proportion. Syria has been torn asunder ever since the conflict began in March 2011, which has already claimed over 400,000 lives, including over 15,000 children. Many of the Syrians have escaped from the conflict zones and have sought refuge in European countries. The genesis of the crisis started when Hafez al Assad, Bashar’s father, an Alawite, filled all important positions in the military, intelligence and the government with Alawites, who make up only 15% of the population. This led to a simmering anger amongst the Sunnis, who formed 75% of the population. However, when his son Bashar took over as president after his father’s death, there were strong expectations that he will undo all the discriminatory practices of his father and will give proper representation to Sunnis in both, the army and government. But he disappointed everyone by continuing his father’s legacy. He went a step further by violently crushing all dissent against him. Further, the reforms initiated by him only benefitted the Alawites and the rich Sunni businessmen. This led to a revolt against him and he came heavily on Arab Spring protesters. His heavy handedness in dealing with the revolt led to large scale human rights violations and other crimes. The US, EU and the Arab league, who were concerned with the deteriorating situation in Syria, put pressure on Assad to step down so that his successor could pave the way to form a government that could give due representation to the Sunnis, both in the government and the army, but he refused to heed them. In fact, the US, UK and France brought a resolution calling for United Nations (UN) sanctions and also military intervention against Assad’s government, which would have forced his hands. But, unfortunately, Russia vetoed the resolution. Not only that, they also extended support both on land and air to deal with the rebel forces. By early 2013, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries decided to come to the rescue of the rebels in dealing with the Russian backed Syrian army. A study of conflicts across the many parts of the world shows that it is impossible to sustain conflicts for a long period of time without the financial support and supply of arms from other countries. In case of Syria, as both the contending forces are being supported by rival superpowers, (financially and also with firepower) the conflict is not showing any sign of abatement. Russia took full advantage of the indecision of Obama in entering the cesspool of conflict as the US had learnt its bitter lessons in the Iraq conflict, which has not been able to defeat the ISIS – who continue to occupy many towns and are in control of many oil fields. One is, however, not sure for how long peace would last because of intractable positions of the Syrian government and the rebels. The US has proposed a close military cooperation with Russia in dealing with terrorist organisations like ISIS, and has requested Russia not to provide air support to Syria against the rebel forces. Sadly, an airstrike by a US led coalition on September 18, 2016 has claimed the lives of 80 Syrians troops putting a question mark on the fragile ceasefire agreement. Russia accused the US for violating the ceasefire agreement, but the US has responded by saying that it was a mistaken attack, as their main target was the ISIS, and not the Syrian troops. Now, we hear reports that the Syrian forces have launched air attacks against the rebel forces in Aleppo. On the night of September 19, 2016, 18 trucks carrying relief supplies to the rebel held northern Aleppo was destroyed as a result of an airstrike allegedly by either Russian or Syrian aircrafts. It led to the death of over 20 aid workers, forcing the UN to stop future transportation of relief. Both Russia and the US should realise that such violations of the ceasefire agreement would lead to the collapse of the peace deal and should take immediate steps to maintain the ceasefire agreement so that the situation does not spiral out of control. The only possible long term solution is for the UN to persuade Russia, the US, Saudi Arabia, Iran and EU to work out a solution that is acceptable to all parties involved. Such a solution is possible only if Assad steps down, as the rebels would not agree to any solution that has Assad as the president. Secondly, to make any solution effective, the Alawites require a guarantee that, in the event of a transition of power, their interests would be safeguarded. Another vexed issue is bringing all rebel groups like Syrian Democratic Forces, Salafi jihadist, Al Nusra groups to the negotiating table, as these factions are being supported by different countries. To further complicate the matter, Turkey has refused to extend any support to the Kurd rebels. Today, Syria exists as a country in name only, as it’s in control of only 25% of its territory, the rest being under the control of rebel forces – Kurds and the ISIS, not to speak of annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights by Israel. In the absence of any other credible plan, the only solution is to maintain a ceasefire till the relevant parties come to a resolve that ends the conflict entirely. Moreover, as there is no prospect of outright military victory by either power, only a negotiation can offer a solution to end this human tragedy.

It’s not a good sign for democracy when the government and media start speaking the same language and begin complimenting each other. The media has never been as compromised and irresponsible as it is today. It has forgotten its role as a fifth pillar of democracy, which plays a pivotal role in nation building. Today, the larger media in India is a polarised institution, accentuating the existing social and religious fault lines rather than cementing it. The larger blame falls on televised media. In its desperate attempts to attract attention and increase ratings, the media literally plays to the gallery appealing to the baser sense of masses. No doubt the result is the mass hysteria. Prime time shows in the evening have become a sheer demonstration of hysteria and war mongering. At a time when we bare witness to the consequences of the everlasting war in the Middle East, instead of advocating restraint and enlightening the masses, the media has unleashed a war mania in the subcontinent. It has used a very crude nationalistic tone, thereby, aligning itself with the Hindu right wing ruling party, which has been trying to polarise the whole nation under the banner of nationalism. It suits Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to keep the political pot boiling on the Pakistan issue. The media should not shy away from questioning the government’s methods and tactics in dealing with its neighbour and the larger issue of Kashmir. It is a very disturbing time for the sane minded – especially for peace loving citizens. The problem is that a large section of the media has become the voice of the government, which is divisive, paranoid and rationally challenged. The media had embedded the present regime much before BJP came to power in Delhi. Ever since Modi became the prime ministerial candidate for the right wing party in 2013, the corporate media embedded itself with the BJP bandwagon. It played a great role in promoting a man who had been shunned as a political pariah for a long time because of the role he played in the Gujarat riots of 2002. The media drove to make the masses accept this great divisive figure. The corporate world, which owns a majority of the media houses across the nation, invested their capital and politics into Modi’s campaign and presented him as a panacea to all economic and political problems the country faced. Two and a half years into power, the BJP leader is struggling to honour the tall promises he made. The falling graph of Modi is not acceptable to his corporate patrons or the media houses that vehemently campaigned for him. Therefore, to keep the myth of Modi alive, all kinds of false and hysterical reporting is taking place. To justify the maximalist position that the BJP government has taken after the Uri attack, the media is concocting different narratives to sustain Modi’s image as a strong man. According to an article on Quint, Exclusive: Uri Avenged As Spl Forces Cross LoC, Kill 20 Terrorists, the Indian troops crossed the border and destroyed a terrorist camp. The story has been denied by the army and the government. This whole attempt is to establish that the Hindu right wing government is decisive and prompt in taking action, unlike its predecessor, Dr Manmohan Singh. Some news channels are running uncorroborated stories that the prime minister held a meeting in the war room and discussed all the possibilities with the military chiefs. The hyperactive social media cells are also busy in circulating fabricated stories on WhatsApp and other networks about Modi’s bravery. If you watch Times Now, Zee News, News X, ABP news – you will encounter a situation where the anchors are deliberately indulging in provocation and incitement, as well as prodding the government to attack Pakistan. They clearly lack reason and a sense of responsibility towards the audience. One can understand such one sided, polarised debate being conducted on a channel that is run by the BJP – but such mindless jingoism being played by the liberal media tends to be quite disturbing. They have been trying to create a situation in the country where any kind of question regarding the government is termed as anti-national. TV debates are radicalising the masses and pushing them to think in one dimension. Through the Huffington Post, Shivam Vij questions,

“Who is putting out such big claims in the media, which no officials are willing to back? What is such disinformation campaign achieving?”

He further argues that there is a deliberate attempt by Modi’s supporters to keep the myth of Modi alive. If the media is trying to save Modi, it is harming the larger cause of democracy in India. The one sided story that the media is presenting is not able to hide the grave human rights violation that is taking place in Kashmir. How does India benefit from raising the issue of Balochistan? How is it relevant for peace in Kashmir? Can Pakistan’s atrocities in Balochistan compensate India’s repression in Kashmir? Instead of questioning the Delhi regime about its failure in the Kashmir valley, the media is now preoccupied with the asylum being granted to Baloch leaders in India. The media is supposed to be a mouth for the voiceless people, but unfortunately it’s now in collusion with the government in suppressing the voice of dissent in the valley. People like us feel suffocated in this kind of atmosphere. We cannot argue or question the State’s decisions without being labelled as anti-national. In this country, the larger media is more concerned about protecting Modi rather than the hapless victims of Kashmir and the country. This is undoubtedly a very alarming situation. Recently, we are witnessing mindless jingoism that is being used by some radical Hindu groups as they’re harassing Pakistani artists. They have given the artists an ultimatum to leave India or else they will take matters in their own hands. Can media escape the blame for inciting people to adopt the majoritarian mannerism? In our zeal to teach Pakistan a lesson, we are turning inward, paranoid and fanatic – not a good sign for a liberal democracy or a country that aspires for a preeminent position in the world. The collusion between the media and the right wing Hindu government is turning the nation into a breeding ground for radicalism. The so called liberal media only promotes irrational voices for the masses to endure. This is the tragedy of new India and its democracy – many reporters speak the language of fanatic right wing supporters. On the other hand, there is hardly any debate on the matter of isolating Pakistan on the international front. Can it be achieved? If yes, then is it feasible to create tension in South Asia – where the majority still live below the poverty line on both sides of the border? We’re all aware that India has been surviving in its diversity – which is its leitmotif as a nation. And now there are forces that are hell bent on destroying this heritage. They want to convert pluralism into majoritarianism, with the media now hand in glove with such regressive forces. India is under siege today; not by external forces, but by internal agents who are against the idea of India.

The stage was set, popcorn ready and the browser switched to the right streaming website. This after all was supposed to be a momentous night, a date when I would watch history being re-written, and a day when arguably the greatest football club on planet earth would add another feather to the cap. But sixth placed Villareal clearly failed to read the script. The Yellow Submarine came to the Bernabeu with ‘Mission: Damage Limitation’ against the leaders but left the capital with Real Madrid’s dreams sunk. Zinedine Zidane’s men had equalled the previous best of 16 – a feat achieved by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in 2010-11 – in their previous match against Espanyol, but a 1-1 draw on Wednesday completely extinguished the hopes of surpassing the league record and extending that run. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Ronaldo was largely starved of service and was penalised for a foul when getting on the end of a Marcelo centre before firing an ambitious long-range effort off target in the 32nd minute.
Photo: Twitter[/caption] Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were back in the starting XI for their tilt at history, but the pair had little joy during the first half that saw Bruno Soriano scoring from the spot to put the visitors ahead. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Ronaldo upset again
Photo: Twitter[/caption] Skipper Sergio Ramos was both the villain and the hero for the home side. It was he who gave away the penalty when he used his hand to block a shot from the opponents, although he redeemed himself immediately after the break by powering a header through to the back of the net to level the score. From here on out the onus was on the triumvirate of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to make magic happen, but Los Blancos failed to find a winner, despite a late onslaught. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Ramos salvages draw for Zidane's men
Photo: Getty[/caption] Post-match coach Zinedine Zidane refused to blame the players for the heartbreak.

“I am happy with my players,” he said. “I’m not going to talk about records. We are going to rest and think about the next match.”

Zidane further added, “The defensive mistakes can happen in football, this is not the worst. I would say the main problem was the first half overall. We didn’t start the game as we should, the second one it was great though. We cannot always get the three points in the last minutes. I think we can improve our first half, not the second one because we did have high intensity, we did create so many chances to score and I cannot blame my players.

“We can’t always play well from the first minute. It can happen and, in fact, it did happen the first 45 minutes.”

Barca, meanwhile, were unable to take advantage of Real’s slip-up with Luis Enrique’s men also drawing their encounter against Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp, a match overshadowed by an injury to Lionel Messi. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]

Lionel Messi went off injured with a groin strain for Barcelona in the second half.
Photo: Sky Sports[/caption] Despite being held by Villarreal, Real still sit top of La Liga on 13 points after five matches. They are two clear of Sevilla and three clear of rivals Barcelona. The capital side will face Las Palmas away tonight and coach Zidane will be hoping that Ronaldo rediscover his goal scoring touch.

Just heard the horrendous news that you two have decided to split up. I would really like to sympathise with you but got tied up with pulling in all my winning bets that your marriage wouldn’t last even this long.

Hate to say it, but it would have been better if you two hadn’t gotten married at all. I mean, you lasted longer without marriage and while rounding up six kids. So really can’t figure out why you had to take the hassle of getting married in the first place.

Don’t take this personally, but the western society at large seems to have an obsession to get divorced if they are married. So the best way to avoid this compulsive behaviour is not to get married in the first place, as demonstrated by your example. Since everyone is jumping on the melodramatic bandwagon provided by the news of your splitting up, there was hardly any reason why I shouldn’t be putting in my two cents either.

So I am.

I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t admit that even the people in my own country are catching up to the trend. Since they have the tendency to follow all the trends of the west, they haven’t left the relationship department unaltered either. Regretfully, dating is now as widespread here as polio used to be. So is the rebellion of girls and boys against the desires of the family to get married to whomever they wish.

However, even after all this fuss and feathers and hullaballoo, the result in 80% of the cases in Pakistan is a divorce. Yes, it is a sad situation but we have gotten, as with other negative trends, quite comfortably inured to it.

Angelina, I understand that you and Brad are asking to be left alone through this ‘challenging’ time, but let me assure you, that will not happen. So I wouldn’t count on it if I were you. Thanks to tens of outlets on social media, the human mind today thrives on sensationalism. Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or what-not, everyone’s mind is ravenous for an instant new ‘bang’ for the senses every few seconds.

Um. Is it too late for us to pray for #Brangelina?

Is anyone else still upset over the #Brangelina split?

Y'all Madame Tussauds have split up their #Brangelina waxworks :( pic.twitter.com/I3v3uMHoRD

— #AT (@andytelasai) September 21, 2016

Your divorce news is not only an instant bang but one that promises to linger far longer than other sensational bangs of the day. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, the human of the 21^st century feeds off the lives of those around it and, considering by the media hype, your divorce seems to be the greatest news since man stepped on moon.

The only thing that saddens me in your case is the six children. Seriously, what were you thinking? Either you shouldn’t have adopted and produced your crew or you shouldn’t have split up. The problem seems to have started, as in all marriages, when you got married. Now imagine the media circus that those children will be subjected to. Can’t say the couples considering divorce in my country are sensitive to their progeny in the equation either. The 21^st century is all about ‘me.’ It is a rare couple in today’s world that even gives a horse’s behind to ‘them.’

Sad, but true.

However, I must say you are lucky you are not in Pakistan because here your divorce would be instantly pinned on you and Brad would be cited the absolute victim of a sinister ‘aamil’ or ‘kala jadoo’ (black magic) commissioned by Jennifer Aniston to get her revenge. You would also be accused of being a horrible mother who is so tied up with her own happiness that she doesn’t care a fig about the well-being of her six children.

For if you did, you would have put up with whatever Brad shovelled out.

In all probability after the divorce, you would be ostracised from your family and given the cold shoulder by most of your friends too. Married friends suddenly get very insecure about maintaining friendships with divorced or unmarried friends. Yes, Pakistan may have come a long way but in a lot of cases such as divorce, the mind-set of the society is as primitive as outdoor toilets.

Also, if you were in Pakistan, there would be no way you could even imagine getting married again. Not with six kids. Even the 60-year-old man in our country looks for a 25-year-old when seeking a first, second, third, or fourth wife. So in a way you are least lucky to be in the US.

However, there is one thing I fail to understand. How can a person whose net worth is over $308 million, who own properties around the world, is amongst the highest banked actresses in the world, and who probably already has a line of suitors outsider her door be miserable in any sense of the word?

Come on yaar, quit stringing us along. For once, admit that divorces and marriages are just as ordinary and as much a part of your routine as breakfast and lunch. You public figures actually enjoy the public feeding frenzy that occurs at such news and bask in the light of the fallouts. I am being very honest and whoever calls me a heartless person on the aforementioned analysis would be the greatest hypocrite of all.

I wish you both all the best for your future.

In our part of the world, our society comes equipped with a ‘sorting hat’ of sorts. When a girl is born, the hat is placed on her head and she is given an instant identity of a daughter, niece or a sister. As she grows older the identity keeps evolving; she becomes a wife, a mother, a grandmother and then she dies. Of course men are also handed the same titles too, a son, a brother, a husband etc. However in more cases than not, it is not what gives them their identity. An alcoholic husband who beats his wife will still be admired and looked up to for being the Vice President of a big company. Most commonly, his success is what he is associated with. The woman on the other hand, will still continue to be known by her biological relation to others. To put it in even simpler terms, Sadaf Aziz may own a large multinational company, but her identity will remain “Aziz mia ki begum.” Even if she wins a gold medal at the Olympics, chances are that people might still know through her husband. Ring any bells? With this in mind, women start to conform to what is expected of them from the ‘society.’ They lose their individuality and start behaving and acting the way they are expected to by others. Sit a certain way, be feminine, don’t talk loudly, hair should be tied, don’t laugh loudly, women don’t play rough sports, you should not have short hair, you should wax, mothers should not work, you can’t go there, wear makeup, don’t wear makeup, and so on and so forth. A Pakistani advertisement recently tried to tackle that and created an ad starring regular students encouraging others to “do your own thing.” They took to the streets of Anarkali wearing fashionable clothes while strangers watched. It was about owning your space and the discomfort was quite apparent. It did not go down too well with many and the girls ended up getting so many threats, they had to eventually take down the ad completely. And now H&M has come up with a new ad to subtly fight the stereotypes on what a lady should be. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] An ad to subtly fight the stereotypes on what a lady should be.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] She’s a lady plays in the background featuring a curvy woman comfortable in her own skin, a woman dressed in ‘manly clothes’ and a woman laughing with completely out-of-control hair dining with her friends. They are dark skinned, light skinned and of all shapes and sizes too. It features a woman with more toned muscles than most of our heroes, a woman who sits and eats fries in bed and one with no hair on her head. Literally. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] A woman with more toned muscles than most of our heroes.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] An especially striking one illustrates a woman who confidently walks into a boardroom, with a file in hand, full of people waiting for her to start a meeting. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] A woman confidently walks into a boardroom, with a file in hand, full of people waiting for her to start a meeting.
Photo: Sreenshot[/caption] The ad even stars a transgender. People, who, we are finally starting to realise, do really exist in our part of the world. Womanhood encompasses a lot more than one believes. While we, in Pakistan, may not be able to relate to the ad 100%, we can still take something away from it, in the least that we are all individuals and we can be ourselves while still keeping the role that the sorting hat put us into. A great mother can also confidently lead a huge company. A loving wife can prefer to not be dressed in dainty clothes all the time. A grandmother can sing and dance to karaoke. A single girl might become a cartoonist or heck, even a boxer.

“A lady can be anything she wants. She can look any way she wants. She is whatever she wants to be.”

After directing his commercial and critical flop Bombay Velvet (2015) last year, Anurag Kashyap is back again in the lowlife underbelly of Mumbai with his crime-thriller Raman Raghav 2.0. Raman Raghav 2.0 is a story of a scoundrel serial killer, Ramanna, who is heavily inspired by the real-life Indian serial killer of the 60s, Raman Raghav. And thus, the 2.0 in the title. As the story progresses, Ramanna’s strange obsession with a young cop by the name of Raghavan thickens the plot and reveals a strange connection between the two souls. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="696"] Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Raman Raghav 2.0. PHOTO: IMDB[/caption] But Raman Raghav 2.0 is not just the story of a serial killer. It promotes the idea of fate, where two souls separated at birth are reunited later in life. The film parallels the life of Raman the serial killer and Raghav the police inspector. The film engages in the notion that two sides of a coin can have more in common than one usually believes. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="696"] Raman Raghav 2.0. PHOTO: IMDB[/caption] Raman Raghav 2.0 is the territory that Kashyap feels most comfortable exploring – brutal violence with a mix of delicious dark humour. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vicky Kaushal, and Sobhita Dhulipala. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="696"] Vicky Kaushal in Raman Raghav 2.0. PHOTO: IMDB[/caption] Does this film spell Kashyap’s comeback as the rebel filmmaker in the overabundance of Bollywood masala films?

The mere mention of a crime engages our natural thought process into gauging a punishment for it. Some would just ask what punishment a specific crime entails, some of us would delve into arguing what purpose a particular punishment serves, while others would discuss whether a punishment is adequate or not. We all have our own thought processes and ideologies about what is acceptable as a punishment. However, what is important is to remember the basic idea behind it is. The purpose ranges from retributive to utilitarian to rehabilitative. All punishments must serve some purpose otherwise it would be a futile exercise to impose any form of sentence for a crime. After all, what would be the point of punishing someone if it has no impact on them? Or when the person being punished is incapable of understanding why he is being punished or what lead to the punishment. With that in mind, what purpose will the execution of Imdad Ali serve? For those of you who are unaware, Imdad Ali is a 50-year-old death row inmate. He was convicted of murder in 2001 and has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia since. His family members were aware that he was mentally unfit and it was pointed out at the trial as well. However, this defence was rejected because of a judicial precedent that states that if the accused flees the scene of the crime he cannot be considered mentally unfit. He was due to be executed on September 20, 2016. Nevertheless, a last minute stay due to the efforts of Justice Project Pakistan has halted his execution till next week. Before we go any further, I must say that murder is a heinous and horrible crime and anyone who commits the crime should be punished. However, to punish someone who cannot even understand why he is being punished, or what punishment he is being given is a crime in itself. His wife, after her last visit to him reported that he had no idea that he was going to die. How will capital punishment achieve any purpose in the case of a paranoid schizophrenic? With regard to the judicial precedent that I mentioned above, what I fail to understand is how fleeing from the scene of the crime can have any bearing on whether a person is lucid or not. I’m sure that sometimes even innocent people flee from the scene of a crime. How can that determine whether one is of unsound mind? What about the guilty people who remain at the scene of the crime? This precedent has opened the door for unjust decisions to fly through. Why do I say that? Because, it was due to this precedent that a mentally unstable man is on death row and this is just one case that we are all aware of. How many disabled people will have to be hanged before it is realised that this precedent can cause more injustice than justice, ever? The death of the victim was the result of a mentally unstable man falling prey to a disability of the mind. That death was caused by something which was not in Imdad Ali’s control. To this date, Ali does not have much in his control. He is not even aware of what is happening around him. To punish a criminal is justified. But what justice would this one do? On the contrary, this is a terrible injustice to a mentally disabled man who has been on death row for the past 15-16 years for a crime he does not even understand he committed. I’ve been trying really hard to understand what purpose this would serve. Will it act as a deterrent? If so, for whom? Mentally unstable people, or mentally stable people? Will it be a form of retributive justice? Possibly. If so, one begs the following question: is retribution – an eye for an eye, the foundation for our Criminal Justice system in the case of the mentally unfit? Ironically so, the Pakistan Penal Code states that the death penalty shall not be imposed on an offender who is a minor or is insane. Then why is this not being followed? Is our criminal justice system so blind that it does not recognise the plethora of evidence suggesting that Imdad Ali is a paranoid schizophrenic? Another factor to note is that Pakistan is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The convention not only guarantees the inherent dignity of individuals with disabilities but also gives protection to the disabled individuals from cruel punishment. A man who is clearly suffering from a disability has been in jail for the last 15 years and has not received treatment for his condition. Rather, he has been put in a place where his condition has only become worse. How is that not a form of cruel punishment? To let a human being deteriorate into his disability and then to hang him for something that has resulted from that disability? By allowing the execution of Imdad Ali, our country will not only be failing to honour its international obligations but it will fail its very own citizens. People with serious disabilities exist in our country and they need help and support from the State. They need the State to provide facilities for proper treatment. They need the State to recognise that acts committed by the mentally unstable are beyond their control and contemplation as crimes. They need the justice system to recognise these disabilities and how they impact people. To punish Imdad Ali by execution will be to fail as a State and uphold a flawed system of justice.

“May I come in, Taya Abba?”

Saira had somehow dragged herself to his house. Her dislike for him had turned into hatred ever since he made her quit school. She even hated staying in the same room as him. Well, at least she wasn’t going to suffer alone; she had Afzal with her.

“Have you revised your lesson?” he asked, staring at her intently.

“Yes.”

She started to recite yesterday’s lesson. All the while Taya Abba’s eyes kept surveying her.

“Come on, Apa! You know Taya Abba doesn’t like it when we’re late.”

Afzal was running ahead of her.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up.” She pretended to catch her breath.

As she saw Afzal run out of sight, she turned around to go to the park. She had no intention to go to him today. She would give herself a day off and relax. She didn’t get many chances to stroll around in the park now, but she used to come here every day with her school friends. Maybe she would bump into a friend.

About an hour later, she got up to go home. As she got to the gate of the park, someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned around quickly, afraid that it would be her parents or Taya Abba. But it was Omar, her friend Fatima’s brother. She let out a relieved breath and smiled.

“Assalam-o-Alaikum. What are you doing here?”

She asked him as she looked around to see if Fatima was there as well. But she wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Walaikum assalam. I have a message for you from Fatima. She told me to give it to you when school started, but you haven’t been coming to school. So now that you’re here, I want you to have this so I can finally tell Fatima that I have given it to you.”

He handed Saira a small piece of paper and ran back to his friends. Saira unfolded the paper and started to read. It was a letter from Fatima. It said:

“My dear friend Saira,

Assalam-o-Alaikum.

Hope you are fine. I am alright, by the grace of Allah. I won’t be able to come to school anymore, as my parents want me to stay at home and help them with our farming. But I really miss you. Ask your mother if she can allow you to come over to my house for one day. We will play all day and eat candies (I have saved a lot of the red ones you like).

Please ask your mother and let me know

Your friend,

Fatima”

Saira laughed with joy. She couldn’t wait to ask her mother about it. She folded up the letter and held it tight in her hand, skipping all the way towards home. Afzal must be coming back too. She would ask him not to tell Ma and Abba about her day. She would inform them herself, at a suitable time. She knew Afzal would do as told, in exchange for some of the candies she had brought. She clutched the candies in her other hand to give them to him as soon as she saw him. He’d understand the rest. He was quite smart that way.

When she got close to home, she was smiling to herself. As she drew closer, she heard loud voices from inside. They sounded like someone was shouting and a woman crying. She ran inside to see what was wrong.

“There she is! Ask her where she’s been!”

Taya Abba’s raised hand pointed at her, his eyes bloodshot. She was scared just to see him.

“Where have you been Saira? Answer me!”

Her hysterical mother shook her violently.

“I.. I.. I was just…”

But before she could finish her sentence, Taya Abba stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. She fell to the ground, her little body too weak for the strike. The candies and letter fell out of her hands onto the ground and her dupatta slipped off her head and shoulders.

“She went to meet a boy in the park! She ditched Afzal and ran away. I told you to keep an eye on her. God knows where else she has been with him. I knew she was up to something but I didn’t say anything earlier because I thought everyone deserved a second chance. I thought the Quran would put her on the right path, but this little rodent doesn’t deserve a chance.”

Taya Abba’s red eyes were scaring Saira more than anything else. Boy? What was he talking about?

“Who is the boy? The boy your Taya Abba saw you with in the park?”

Her father stepped towards her, hands stiff by his side.

“The boy?”

Saira was so confused she couldn’t even get a straight sentence out of her to tell them that he was her friend’s brother.

“Whom you went out with today and Allah knows how many times before!”

Taya Abba kicked her right in her stomach. The blow made her double with pain.

“Allah would punish us all for this; you, because you’re her parents, and me, because I was her teacher. I am His servant; He will question me about it. Oh my Lord! Forgive me, I should have stopped her, but I failed. We’re all going to be punished!”

He started pacing around the room, hands clenched into fists.

Saira couldn’t breathe right because of the kick. She knew her mother would come to comfort her as she always did, but this time she didn’t. She stayed in the corner, crying.

“Who would marry her now? What would the society think of us? We are ruined.”

Ma was crying harder as all her thoughts poured out of her mouth. Abba stood close by, looking down at Saira as if she were a disgusting object. Saira couldn’t think of anything she did to deserve this.

“Father, please. I didn’t do anything.”

Saira mustered all her strength and courage to speak.

“You dare to lie! Are you calling me a liar? Were you not with a boy in the park today?”

Taya Abba pulled her up by her hand.

“Yes, but that was Omar, my…”

She couldn’t complete her sentence as Taya Abba slapped her again.

“So you’re confessing that you have an affair with a boy. I knew it. I knew you were a disgrace to us.”

He kept a hard grip around her arm and punched her. She didn’t know how to save herself, even her parents were not budging. But she couldn’t squirm under her uncle’s strong grip.

Suddenly, the grip from her arm loosened, only to be replaced by one around her neck. Her uncle gripped her neck tighter and tighter. She couldn’t breathe. She tried to wave at her mom to save her, but she just stared back, eyes wide with shock and horror. She tried to pull Taya Abba’s hands off, but she couldn’t. Her eyes felt like they’d pop out of her head as she dangled, gasping for air.

And then there was nothing.

Just the limp body of a 13-year-old girl, whose family thought their honour mattered more than her life; all because they thought she was a disgrace, more of a disgrace than Taya Abba, who murdered her over an allegation without even giving her a chance to clarify herself – whose only sin was to be a girl in a man’s world.

When women talk, men are heard – but hopefully not for long

In Thar, crops wait in their beds of soil for the rain to come

Churchill’s face on the new £5 note is an insult to the Commonwealth

Ek Thi Marium – this is what empowerment looks like

What’s going wrong with José Mourinho’s United?

Should the internet be the one teaching our children about ‘the birds and the bees’?

Are there any ‘liberal extremists’ in Pakistan?

Our minorities have found a voice in Pakistani cinema

Pink: No, she does not want to have sex with you

Parenting in Pakistan: An unhealthy mix of care and competition

When life gives you guavas, make guava mousse!

Misbah isn’t Imran Khan, Afridi, or Wasim Akram – he’s better

The onus to end the Syrian crisis now lies on Russia and the US

Is Modi’s pride more important than Kashmiri lives?

Hala Madrid? Not anymore!

What if Brangelina were a Pakistani couple?

Being a Lady 101: Don’t sit like that, don’t wear makeup, don’t play sports

Raman Raghav 2.0: Violence with a mix of dark humour

Why is our criminal justice system punishing a paranoid schizophrenic?

Series 6 Was I a threat? Part 2 ‘Red candies’