PM's Disqualification

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani was disqualified by the Supreme Court on 19^th June 2012 on contempt of court. A three member jury disqualified Gillani and gave out a statement that he was no longer eligible for the post of Prime Minister and could not be a Member of Parliament for the next five years. Under the constitution, anyone convicted of defaming or ridiculing the judiciary is barred from being a Member of Parliament. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said Gilani had effectively not been prime minister since April 26 when he had been found guilty of contempt for refusing to rewrite a letter to the Swiss authorities. Following the verdict, all federal cabinet ministers stopped using the security protocol assigned to them. National flags were also removed from their vehicles.

It all started in 2009, when the NRO case was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the appeal of a member of PPP. Since then the NRO case had been going on in the court and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani was asked to rewrite a letter to the Swiss authorities to revive the money laundering cases involving President Asif Ali Zardari. But the government filed a review petition instead.

It was over the non implementation of the NRO order that brought Gillani to the dock and disqualified him. In my opinion, if the member of PPP hadn’t filed an appeal against the NRO case, this wouldn’t have happened and Gillani would have completed his five years as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. In hindsight, the appeal against the NRO case proved to be an appalling thing for Gillani’s career. Also, if Gillani had supported the constitution and the judiciary, and had written a letter to the Swiss, then he wouldn’t have faced this disqualification.

Now whoever comes on the Prime Ministers chair will have the same fate as Gillani because he too will have to rewrite a letter to the Swiss otherwise he will also be disqualified by the Supreme Court.

Citizen Kane

Orson Welles’s classic tale of a publishing tycoon’s rise and fall is compelling, distressing, and ingenious in its storytelling, earning its reputation as a milestone achievement in film. It is the world’s most famous and exceedingly rated film. An American drama film, this was known as a masterpiece in cinematic history, with its remarkable cinematic and narrative techniques and tentative innovations.

More importantly, the inventive, bold film is an acknowledged landmark in the enlargement of cinematic technique. It uses film as an art form to energetically communicate and display a non-static view of life. Its components brought together some important aspects such as the use of a subjective camera, eccentric lighting, prefiguring the darkness and low-key lighting of future film noirs, creative use of shadows and strange camera angles, following in the tradition of German Expressionists, low-angled shots illuminating ceilings in sets, sparse use of revealing facial close-ups, sophisticated camera movements, over-lapping, flashbacks, flash-forward’s and non-linear story-telling, long, continuous shots or lengthy takes of sequences.

In the entire movie the foreground, mid ground and the background are in focus in every scene. This was done by experimenting with lenses and lighting. One of the story-telling techniques introduced in this film was using an intermittent sequence on the same set while the characters changed costume and make-up between cuts so that the scene following each cut would look as if it took place in the same site, but at a time long after the previous cut.

The film traces the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a man whose career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a brutal chase of power. Narrated chiefly through flashbacks, the story is exposed through the research of a newspaper reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word: "Rosebud." 

Tambola

The construction of clubs in Karachi is growing in number with more and more being added to the list. Apart from the famous already existing DHA clubs we now see a rise in the growing new ones like Royal Rodale, SouthEnd, Dreamworld Resort, and so on. The first facility that each of these started right after their functioning was the Tambola night. The reason for this is the increase in demand of Bingo, another name for Tambola, due to great appreciation by women of all ages. Years old clubs like Gymkhana, Karachi Club, Creek Club and many more are all crowded the most on their respective Tambola nights that is one day in a week when mostly women come to spend their evenings indulging themselves in the luck of numbers.

Tambola is the game of calling out numbers from 1 to 90 with people in the audience striking out the numbers on their sheets if they have them. The success behind this game is the huge crowds of women who go to their clubs every week on nights when the Tambola is scheduled. The clubs allowed only members at first but now many have permitted the entry of guests on these nights which results in women going to every club almost every day of the week. Each club has a Tambola night that does not conflict with the other clubs’ Tambola nights leaving each day of the week with a Bingo night. The National Sailing Club holds its Tambola night on Sundays with Karach Gymkhana keeping it’s on Mondays. Tuesdays is seen to be Karachi Club’s night and Wednesdays is given to DHA Golf Club. Sunset Club holds its Tambola night on Thursdays along Royal Rodale and Beachview Club entertains its Bingo audience on Fridays leaving Saturday to Defence Authority main Club and Dreamworld Resort. Each of these days women are greatly seen playing the game with great interest and a huge circle of them rotates from club to club every day. The ratio of men to women playing is 4:10 with most women comprising of housewives who make sure to keep their evenings free to enjoy a night with friends, testing their luck.

Chandni Zohaib, a woman in her early 50s, said,” I live alone with my husband who loves watching the TV in the evening. My kids are married which leaves me to do absolutely nothing at home and so I head out with my friends to keep myself busy otherwise the depression of loneliness will kill me!” Ayesha Salman, in her late 40s, says that since she is a widow her son and daughter in law have a life of their own in which she feels like an outsider so she prefers to stay out and enjoy the night with people with minds like her. Shaheena Baig, a recent widow claims that though she has a loving family of a husband, two sons with wives and a grandchild, she believes that staying in the house with them makes her feel dependant and lifeless. She feels that she has given all her life to bring up her family and now it’s time for her to pamper herself. Mehreen Nasir, and Indus Valley School of Art graduate was married 8 years ago and has 3 children. She stated, “ All day I pick and drop children to and from school looking after their needs and studies. By the time night comes I feel as if life is nothing but this which sends me into phases of depression thus 3 hours of harmless entertainment feels like a blessing after which when I go home I am able to enjoy my family even more. Life should have everything in it and not just a woman’s duty towards her family”. Zeest Merchant, an 18 yeard old studying at Lyceum school tells that she enjoys coming with her mother to Tambola as it is just not fun but also she and her mother get their personal time aside from their family. She feels that her mother and she feel free and independent for those few hours where they enjoy being women.

It is a fact that mostly women in our country are housewives who spend each day looking after the needs and wants of their families with busy spouses and children. They crave for some source of entertainment other than the daily soap operas that sometimes cause even more depression. The changing trend in women activities is growing due to these reasons as they now prefer to spend some time of their days doing things that please them and make them happy. The above examples of women were the views of almost every other women who plays Bingo on a regular basis and the number of them is growing with passing time.

Jewelry or the Box?

We all are well aware of the statement that certainly has formed its way as a fact. That 'the first impression is the last one'. From humans, I believe this expression has taken its place to be used for other things such as a gift box. No matter what the gift is if the box happens to stand out it makes the receiver's day. Similarly in the case of jewelry item the box certainly matters a lot. However, there are a number of arguments there to this. For some, in the special case of jewelry, the box, wrapping or whatever means of presentation does not matter as long as the piece of jewelry inside is breath taking. Speaking to a friend back from school, who is now married I discovered that when her husband gifts her ring or pendant she really does not care in what it is delivered but what carat it is! On the other hand however, another friend of mine believes that even if the jewelry inside is just average the presentation of it, which clearly is the box, is the first thing that one sees and brings a smile on the face if nice.

 According to me, I agree with both the above opinions but am greater bend towards the latter. I do feel that more important is the piece sitting inside every gift box specially jewelry ones, but at the same time as I stated earlier first impressions are the last ones. And in such a case the first impression is of the box. Whenever the box is gifted people around look at the box first. Even the receiver of the gift comes across the feel of the jewelry box first than the piece sitting in it. If the box is made of a simple card board with no design or stylization the first emotion that one will feel is of disappointment. And as far as I believe the human mind tends to register the first impression well since it hits the brain immediately.

            Also jewelry boxes are meant to keep the jewelry in them safe too when not worn. Thus these boxes are not thrown away but kept for the longest of times. Therefore a good looking and impressive jewelry boxes does matter as it remains with us for almost our entire life! Viewing the changing trends around us these days people spend thousands on packaging. A recent example of Junaid Jamshaid lawn is relevant to this. Though the lawn prints were just average but people went wild buying those including men and only because the packaging of these suits was beautiful. Men found it easier and prayers answered to buy such a gift as the boxes said the best about the gift.

Thus, I feel that yes though in the case of a jeweled item the piece of jewelry is important but at the same time the way that piece is presented matters a great deal too. As a 3 carat diamond ring will feel worse than a silver one if given in a box made of plain card board!

Khuda ke Liye

Khuda Kay Liye was released on 20^th July 2007 all over Pakistan and is written, directed and produced by Shoaib Mansoor with an impressive cast which included a prominent actor from India, Naseerudin Shah. The film touches upon the religious and political scenarios of our country which caused many Mullahs to call for a ban of this film in Pakistan. However, the film held its ground and became a block buster hit grossing over $10 million worldwide. The film talks about two situations of our country that many of us are either facing or have faced in our lives. One tells us about how we Pakistani Muslims are targeted by the US as terrorists where as the other part discusses that their targeting is justified because of a few Muslim fanatics. Shocking as my last statement sounds but true nonetheless because instead of blaming the foreign bodies for calling us terrorists I would rather peep into my own collar! Just as the film convinced me to by showing exactly what some Muslim extremists are doing to their ‘brothers’ by teaching them that Islam permits to kill in the name of Jihad. After seeing this why would not people call us terrorists? Why will not they blame us? It is because of some of our own Muslim fellow beings that we have earned this title.

The film is of two brothers who live a pleasant life with their parents in Pakistan. Both brothers have the gift of music and with determination find themselves emerging as successful singers. However fate has something else planned for them and one of the brothers, played by Shaan is taken into custody by the FBI when he goes to America to study music. The reason for his imprisonment happens to be the 9/11 incident which left many Americans feeling hatred for Muslims especially Pakistani ones. The exact situation is shown in the film when Shaan’s neighbor in America gets drunk and accuses him of being a terrorist because he is a Pakistani. The police then take hold of Shaan and no matter whatever they find in his possessions they take it to be negative and further torment him without hearing what he has to say. He pleads his innocence but they refuse to listen and torture him in his cell with ways beyond humanity. Is this our identity? Our religion that has turned against us and has made people other than us look at us with hatred? When we show our green passports the lines we are asked to make and rooms we are sent in for further questioning at airports, are those because this is the identity we have made for ourselves?

The answer to this works parallel in the film where the other brother, played by Fawad Khan, comes in contact with a Muslim extremist Mullah and leaves his love for singing and follows the ‘right’ way of Islam. The Mullah misinterprets the teaching s of Islam and further preaches them to Fawad and many others like him who then feel that most unfair things are justified in the name of Islam. Fawad marries a woman without her wish and consummates the marriage forcefully keeping her entrapped in a small village which cuts her off from the entire world. The woman, played by Iman Ali, is a Pakistani Muslim girl living in Britain with her father and his girl friend. The father suffers from his guilt of living with a woman he hasn’t married and decides not to defy his religion further by lying to his daughter and forcefully marrying his daughter to her cousin who is Fawad Khan. This is another aspect of our society and we as a nation. Where the guilt of our sub consciousness is burned onto others while we free ourselves of it asking apologies from God while others suffer. Also the freedom of right to speak , to chose one’s own spouse and more are faraway thoughts and anyone who wishes to achieve such freedom is shunned from the society, according to Muslim extremists. Whereas Islam and our holy book says nothing of this kind. The use of arms and other weapons is alright for a common man and for him to use on anyone because they have the right to kill is what the film shows Fawad and his other Mullah driven friends doing. Fawad turns in to a monster with his wife with no feelings of humanity left in him. Is this what Islam teaches us? No. but it is certainly what Muslim extremists have taught and are still teaching their followers brain washing and programming them against other human beings going against the subject of humanity which their religion teaches them.

The film also highlights the fact that we as a nation are not exactly one but are divided where we fight our own people. When Iman ali, the daughter, is captured by Fawad and kept trapped in a village the British government comes to help her with her foreign mother where her own people abandoned her. Her rights were spelled out by Muslim scholar, played by Naseerudin Shah, where as the Mullah sahib thought those rights to be horrifying, rejecting them outright. And then we call ourselves a nation?

Right to Marry

Recently, I came across an article about three girls who were buried alive by their tribal heads in order to punish them because they wanted to choose their own husbands and not marry the men whom their parents had chosen for them. The orders for their brutal murder were given out by their tribe heads who made a point to murder the girls themselves as they found their deed extremely dishonorable. According to the United Nations Organization, these girls had absolute right to choose their spouses and certainly were not supposed to be brutally murdered.

In rural areas of our country, Pakistan, decisions regarding many matters are not taken to the courts. They are solved by groups of people within the areas who are the heads of the tribes. They are the respected lot of the community whose decisions are taken to be the final ones. They are usually the powerful people who give the final verdict to one’s punishment by deciding with each other and observing the matters carefully.

As the news reached the masses, politicians from their area defended the killings by calling it legal in their area. They stressed over the rules of their tribal system that did not allow women to choose their own husbands instead such decisions were taken by the families or tribal heads. They highlighted the displeasing fact that such was a tradition of their culture that has been carried forward and will be continued.  No arrests have been taken place and the government itself is hesitant as the ministers from Baluchistan favor the event themselves. For them speaking regarding the decisions that they make is talking against their culture which for them is highly offending. They are proud of the decisions that they make regarding the treatment of women in such cases. For them it’s the matter of their respect and ‘honor’ which they avenge by sentencing the ‘culprits’ to shameful and agonized deaths.

The girls were human beings and had the right to all the human right articles set by the United Nations. Though such traditions do exist in our society, it is the government who needs to take action against such happenings. Burying humans just because they willed to live a life of their own choice does not mean they should be killed. And instead of condemning the event, the tribesmen and politicians from the province were proud of the practice and were ready to fight for it. The government here should have taken action in order to stop future such practices but of course hesitated as the powerful ministers of Baluchistan found the incident satisfactory.

Every day we hear or read about many such practices in a country like ours and even some remote areas of India. Women being shamefully stoned to death, black polishes rubbed onto their faces in public, their hair being shaved off, burned in front of everyone and so on are all common practices in such areas. They all exist because the right to freely marry and choose one’s own spouse has still not been accepted in such cultures and thus anyone who dares to go against the rule is punished. The rule here is that no marriage decision shall be taken by any individual and instead such matters will be handled by their families or tribal heads who will decide for them.

Bol-an eye opener

The film, directed by Sohaib Mansoor, revolves around a family with an arrogant Mula father, a helpless mother and their four daughters who suffer torture and abuse under their father every day just because they are daughters and not sons. The basic theme of the film focuses around households which are anti female offspring and reject them out right. Such is the story of every Pakistani household and we as a nation not only suffer through such an ordeal but we are the ones who have encouraged it either directly or indirectly. We as a part of this society have followed such trends obeying to them and thus promoting them.

This is just not the case of people belonging to rural areas but of most people living in urban areas as well. A common example to this is that at the time when a woman conceives the first ultra sound makes the hearts beat in hope for a son. It is just not the grandparents, whom we consider old fashioned, but the parents as well who wish for a male heir. People in a country like ours wish couples the birth of a son every time they want to truly bless them. Why does this happen in every other family? Because we believe in such traditions where the birth of a son means prestige and high esteem.  

A family with daughters is regarded as weak and their father is looked at with pitiful eyes though facts prove that it is a daughter that turns out to be more faithful than a son. Individuals realize this fact but still pray for the birth of as many sons as possible. If we compare other nations and societies within them such a concept has been erased in many while it still strongly persists in Pakistan.

Other factors that persist in our society and that we tend to adapt in our lives is the dominance of one person whether he/she is right or wrong. Freedom of speech is what we lack in along with many other rights especially in the case of women. Even in the film we see a reflection of our country where the sisters have to obey to their father even though they disagree on all the things he has to say. The older daughter, who is divorced, manages to speak herself out but is beaten up with great violence every time she does. However it is her spirit that we all relate to since every human being wants to retaliate against the norms of the society but is forced not to. We see the older sister struggling throughout the film trying to bring justices to her family members and saving them from the tyrant father but is only successful till she sacrifices herself. Their mother who has been subjected to constant violence and sex since she is unable to produce a male child is helpless in front of her husband and has absolutely no right to speak in the matters of her daughters.

Though the film does have elements of exaggeration but at the same time one must accept that it is the reality and this is exactly who we are turning against our own people and fighting them as enemies. Is this how we are building ourselves? Dominating the lives of other individuals with wrong decisions just to satisfy ourselves is the start of destruction of a strong society and when most of us agree to those wrong decisions we further the damage. The film proves to be an eye opener for our society from which we should learn in order to give ourselves a better standing that what we have today.