Originally scheduled to take place at Conway Hall in 2020, the first edition of the festival had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the organisers had now confirmed that the festival would be held on Saturday, June 17, at Conway Hall, located at 25 Red Lion Square, London. The event would run from 10 am to 10 pm, providing attendees with a full day of literary and cultural delights. During the press conference, Saiyid revealed the exciting programme of the festival. Attendees could look forward to engaging debates, thought-provoking panel discussions, insightful interviews, mesmerizing dance performances, and a showcase of clips from several movies. The festival aimed to bring together around 100 Pakistani and international authors, intellectuals, and media personalities, creating a platform for literary exchange and dialogue.

Notably, 31 speakers were traveling to London to participate in the literature festival. The lineup included Ali Khan, Ameena Saiyid, Amin Hashwani, Anjum Halai, Asma Faiz, Azhar Abbas, Faisal Mushtaq, Dr Farzana, Fatema Hasan, Fatima Asad-Said, Iftikhar Malik, Inaam Nadeem, Ishrat Husain, Mahvish Ahmed, Makhdoom Ali Khan, Mohammad Waseem, Muhammad Hassan Khan, Pomme Amina Gohar, Qamar Ahmed, Rashed Rahman, Razi Ahmed, Sayeeda Leghari, Shabbar Zaidi, Shahbaz Taseer, Shayma Saiyid, Stephen Lyon, Syed Khawar Mehdi, Tara Uzra Dawood, Tariq Alexander Qaiser, Tariq Suleman, and Zafar Masud.

Ameena Saiyid also shared some notable guests who would be attending the festival. Javed Siddiqui, the legendary playwright and scriptwriter, would travel from India to engage in a conversation with Saif Mahmood, the author of “Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets.” Poet and Supreme Court advocate Khalil ul Rehman would also journey from India to participate in the Mushairah, a traditional Urdu poetry recital. Speakers from the United States attending the Pakistan Literature Festival include Kamran Asdar Ali, Sadia Abbas, Mo Muzammal, and Ghazanfar Hashmi. Kamran Asdar Ali, Sadia Abbas, and Mo Muzammal would contribute their expertise and engage in conversations on various topics. Hashmi would participate in the Mushairah, adding his poetic talent to the event. Former governor of the State Bank, Reza Baqir, would be traveling from Dubai to join the literature festival.

In addition, Sadaf Saaz, the organiser of the Dhaka Literature Festival, would travel from Dhaka to share her insights and experiences. Acclaimed dancer and actress Suhaee Abro, an award-winning artist from Italy, would perform to the music of the late legendary singer Musaddiq Sanwal. Suhaee’s performance would be introduced by Musaddiq’s life partner, Shehla Zaidi, who is based in the UK. The audience could expect a captivating and soul-stirring performance that pays homage to Musaddiq’s incredible musical legacy. Adding to the artistic showcase, Shayma Saiyid, an acclaimed Kathak artist from Pakistan, would present a brief dance tribute honouring the late Sheherezade Alam, Jahanara Akhlaq, and Sandhya Desai.

Source:  The News

Prof Dr Sumera Jawad, the Principal of the College of Art and Design, Punjab University and Muzna Zulfiqar along with Executive Director Alhamra Muhammad Saleem Sagar opened the exhibition. A cash prize of Rs15,000 for each of the 10 selected participants was announced during the opening ceremony. The exhibition showcased 500 artworks of 412 talented young artists who have created various pieces, including paintings, sculptures, and installations. The artworks explore a range of themes, from social issues to personal narratives, and showcase the diverse artistic styles of emerging artists.

Seminar on women’s property rights: An awareness seminar was organised in collaboration with Ombudsperson Department and Quality Enhancement Cell of Fatima Jinnah Medical University on Women’s Property Rights and Harassment of Women at Workplace.

Ms Nabila Hakim Ali Khan, Ombudsperson Punjab, was the chief guest. Secretary Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab Ms Saima Sadiq and Advisers Provincial Ombudsperson Punjab Sibtul Hasan and Shahid Raza were also present.

Vice Chancellor Prof Khalid Masood Gondal welcomed all the distinguished guests. The main objective of the seminar was to create awareness about Women’s Property Rights and Harassment of Women at Workplace. Vice Chancellor Professor Khalid Masood Gondal in his address said, Women are the main asset of our country and protection of women’s rights is our top priority.

Source: The News

The minister said after inaugurating Sukkur Arts Council at Sukkur Cultural Complex congratulated the participants and said that it was his dream to build a cultural arts council on the pattern of Karachi Arts Council in Sukkur.

He said that several cultural complexes were under-construction in different cities whose work had been suspended due to issues of funds availability but now he would make efforts to complete the construction of the buildings soon.

He said that an arts council should be built at division level to promote all languages because whoever lived in Sindh was Sindhi. Ideology of extremism and bigotry could be defeated through the construction of arts councils, said the minister.

He said that Sindh’s progress was somehow connected with Sukkur and it would gladden him if the city was developed into a hub of arts.

He told the participants that according to experts’ opinions a city was buried beneath the present Sukkur like that of “Lakhian Jo Daro”. Location-wise no other city of Pakistan was so beautiful as twin cities of Sukkur and Rohri, said Mr Shah.

Earlier, Sukkur Arts Council president Mumtaz Bukhari informed the audience that the construction of the council was a dream of writer, poets, and literary figures of Sukkur, which had come true that day.

Source: Dawn

Pilac Director General Dr Sughra Sadaf told Dawn both new radio stations had started their test transmissions at the 99.4MHz.

“Pilac has also been running the Punjab Rung Radio at Lahore for the last 13 years. It has played a marvelous role in spreading awareness about the Covid-19 and dengue through special transmissions. It broadcasts programmes to remember noted personalities related to language, art and culture.”

She said new radio stations at Rawalpindi and Multan had been established to expand the network of the Punjab Rung, which had a very special scope and certain objectives that made it different from other radio stations.

Elaborating objectives of the new radio stations, the DG said they would promote mother language, its dialects, arts, culture and Sufism. Besides, , she added, the stations would promote diverse culture of Punjab through broadcasting folk music, folklore, programmes on arts and cultural awareness.

Ms Sadaf said the radio stations of Pilac were providing technical expertise to the educational institutions, media and cultural bodies in programming, production, folk music, fine arts and literature.

“These radio stations are focused on live transmissions that are presented on national, international, religious days and social events. They also carry out awareness campaigns by broadcasting informative programmes for public awareness.”

Sughra Sadaf said the FM radio stations work for the education department by airing educational content on a daily basis that helped students in distance learning.

She said Pilac wanted to expand the network of these radios to the divisional level to promote mother language, arts, culture and Sufism.

Newspaper: Dawn

The polls will be held today (Jan 24) from 9am to 5pm.

Two panels, Shah Latif Peoples Cultural Panel, with tilt toward Pakistan Peoples Party as the name suggests, and newcomers Shah Bhitai panel are in the race, according to Ameer Afzal Avesi, additional commissioner-II, who will act as election commissioner in the polls.

Badar Khan Soomro, a nominee of Shah Bhitai panel for the office of president, said that win or defeat did not matter as “we all want to contribute towards progress of art”.

The polls will be held today from 9am to 5pm

The pro-PPP panel had fielded Jawed Shaikh, an engineer by profession, for the slot of president. He had been secretary of the council in 2015-16 while Abdul Sattar Khuhawar was contesting for the seat of secretary.

Khuhawar, who was among founders of the council, had remained vice president in 2013-14. Abdul Nabi Sariyo, a lawyer, and outgoing secretary of the council is once again contesting for the same seat from Shah Bhitai panel. Previously, he had enjoyed support of the PPP cultural wing but this time, he had switched sides and filed papers against the pro-PPP panel.

Ayoub Gaad, famous artist with long association with art and film who has remained chairman of fine art section of the council, always complained about negligence of the art gallery he had set up. He is also in the race for the same slot and faces Habib Burdi as his rival.

Shah Bhitai panel enjoys support of outgoing president Aziz Sangi, whose big portraits have been prominently hung around the Arts Council by this group.

“We are facing difficulty reaching out to members from Garhi Khero, Jacobabad, Thull and Kashmore who are around 60 in number,” said Sattar Khuhawar.

He claims support of all members from Larkana district which are higher in number. Both the groups have stepped up their efforts but a fair number of voters interviewed by Dawn were of the opinion that neither group could sweep the polls as contestants from both sides wielded almost matching influence.

One of the peculiarities of this election is Shams Solangi’s contesting as independent candidate for the seat of chairman of drama section.

Despite the fact that PPP had thrown its weight behind Shah Latif Peoples Cultural Panel, voters’ mood can be different than the party’s assessment. There is very likelihood of emergence of joint representation from elections, said Khuhawar.

The Arts Council was founded during PPP rule in 2008 after construction of an open-air theatre, which was a brainchild of Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, the then zila nazim of Larkana.

The objective behind the construction of the arena was to promote literary and cultural activities in the area but with passage of time lateral entries into the council swelled the number of members to 1,080. The number of eligible voters was 880 but an additional list of members was added at the eleventh hour, said Prof Jam Jamali, caretaker president of the council.

Newspaper: Dawn

Each committee will be chaired by a member of the governing body, said a spokesperson of the ACP on Monday.

The meeting of the governing body chaired by Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmad Shah elected the heads of the approved committees. The heads of committee included Talat Hussain of Drama Committee, Dr S.M Qaiser Sajjad of Medical & Social Welfare Committee, Kashif Grami of Special Events Committee, Qudsia Akbar of Fine Arts Committee, Munawar Saeed of Artist Liasion & production Committee, Muhammad Iqbal Lateef of Library Committee, Noor-ul-Huda Shah of performing Arts Committee, Ambreen Haseeb Amber of Poetry & Literary Committee, Syed Saadat Ali Jafri of Stage Shows Committee, Bashir Khan Saddozoi of Press & Publication Committee, Nusrat Haris of Electronic Media Committee, Dr Mohammad Ayub Shaikh of Folk & Heritage Committee whereas the co-opted member Shakeel Khan of Talk Shows Committee, Uzma Alkarim of Youth Committee, Chand Gul Shah of Women Empowerment Committee, Ikhlaq Ahmed of Fiction-Literary Committee and Irfan Ullah Khan of Administration Committee.—APP

Newspaper: Business Recorder

The Peshawar district administration will visit both houses on Wednesday (today) for a survey and measurements. The deputy commissioner and the Revenue staff will determine the value of the land. The Archaeology Department has already allocated funds to buy the houses. Both buildings are in dilapidated conditions and owners plan to build plazas on these places.

The museum will feature biographies, photographs and their affiliation with Peshawar, as well as other records of the two artists and their families.

The families of Yousaf Khan (Dilip Kumar) and Raj Kapoor had strong ties in Peshawar and Mumbai. Dilip Kumar wrote in his book that there were good relations between their elders in Peshawar. “There were many Hindus who lived in Peshawar and my father Agaji had many Hindu friends with whom Muslims had good relations.

“Raj Kapoor’s grandfather Basheshwarnathji used to come to our house with his son Prithviraj Kapoor and other family members.”

Director Archaeology Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Dr Abdul Samad Khan told the writer that both houses had been declared national heritage and both would be turned into museums, as restoration of both houses was part of the Peshawar revival plan.

Abdul Samad said that the owners wanted to demolish the houses and build plazas so a letter had been sent to the deputy commissioner for implementation of Section 4. Dilip Kumar’s house has been severely damaged and only the outer walls are left, but Raj Kumar’s house was not much damaged. The government registered cases against the owners and prevented them from demolishing the houses.

Raj Kapoor was born on 14 December 1924 in Kapoor Haveli, Peshawar. He was the eldest son of the family. His other brothers included Shashi Kapoor and Shami Kapoor. His family moved to India around 1930. The Kapoor Haveli is situated at Dhaki Nalbandi near historical Qissa Khwani bazaar, which was built in 1918 by Raj Kapoor’s grandfather Dewan Basheshwarnath Kapoor.

Rishi Kapoor had requested the Pakistani government to convert the house into a museum in 2018. According to sources, the owners have demanded Rs1 billion for the house.

Dilip Kumar was born on 11 December 1922 in the Khudadad Mohalla, on the backside of Qissa Khwani bazaar of Peshawar in the house of Lala Ghulam Sarwar. He moved to Mumbai with his family in 1935 for business. He was a fruit merchant and a landlord. He first came to Peshawar in 1988 and visited his house once and kissed the soil. Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, two great actors of Indian film industry, first and last appeared together in the film ‘Andaz’ in 1949. It was the first film to be made on the formula of triangular love (one hero, two heroines). The film was directed by Mehboob Khan and music was composed by Nowshad. The heroine of the film was Nargis. The songs of the film were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. The year the film was released, it did great business and the same year Raj Kapoor’s film ‘Barsaat’ broke its record.

The songs of the film also became very popular, especially ‘Tote Na Dil Tote Na’.

Dilip Kumar’s memorable films include ‘Andaz’, ‘Mela’, ‘Jugnu’, ‘Shaheed’, ‘Didaar’, ‘Babul’, ‘Dagh’, ‘Azad’, ‘Niya Dour’, ‘Ganga Jamna’, ‘Ram’ aur ‘Shyam’, ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Kranti’, and ‘Vidhata’.

Raj Kapoor’s memorable films include ‘Aag’, ‘Andaz’, ‘Barsaat’, ‘Sargam’, ‘Awara’, ‘Shiri 420’, ‘Anari’ and ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai’.

In the songs filmed on Raj Kapoor, “Awara Hoon” Pyaar Hua Iqrar Hua, “Ab Raat Guzarnay Wali Hai and Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein Ham” became popular.

During the ANP rule in 2012, the then minister for information and culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain and the Minister for Tourism and Archaeology Syed Aqil Shah visited Dilip Kumar’s ancestral home and declared it a national heritage site.

While former prime minister Nawaz Sharif formally declared Dilip Kumar’s ancestral home as a national heritage site in 2014, but the directions could not be implemented. Dilip Kumar’s artistic services were also recognised by the Government of Pakistan and he was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1988. The current owner of the house has demanded Rs2 billion.

The Archaeological Department told the writer that Dilip Kumar’s house was declared a national heritage site. Disputes arose between the landlord and the culture department over the sale of the house and then the landlord approached the court, which wasted a lot of time.

Newspaper: The News

Related link: Dawn

Officials in Peshawar say the dilapidated homes are to be bought, restored and turned into museums, foreign media reported. The city has a vibrant cultural history, and a host of Bollywood’s greatest stars trace their roots there.

Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were born and raised in Peshawar’s oldest and most famous road, Qissa Khwani — or Street of Storytellers — later moving to Mumbai where they became leading actors of their generation. A host of current and former top Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, have roots in the same area of Peshawar’s old city. Kapoor died in 1988. Kumar, who is 97, lives in Mumbai with his wife, Bollywood actress Saira Banu.

Newspaper: The News

The Meray Paas Tum Ho writer recently appeared at a local channel wherein he shared his two cents on freedom for women in Pakistan. “What sort of freedom do they want?” Qamar asked rhetorically. “They’re out on the roads already, they’re chanting these vicious slogans at Liberty Chowk…I want to question their fathers and brothers. Where are they? Where were they when these women came out on the streets, shouting and screaming? They must have come to the protest with their knowledge. Are they not free to do so? What other kinds of freedom do they yearn for?”

He added, “Do these women want to get inside a room with their boyfriends as their fathers guard the door? Their brothers informing others that their sisters are busy? Is this the kind of freedom these women want?”

Qamar then questioned whether it’s constitutional to ‘abuse’ the country in an attempt to get a point across or to slander men. “Who appointed these 35, 40 women as representatives of the rest of the pious women of Pakistan? This is something that has not been questioned,” he said. “Under the disguise of freedom of speech, can these women abuse the culture, traditions, norms, brothers and fathers of our country? I would want the rest of the women of Pakistan to not fall prey to the agendas of these ‘vulgar’ women.”

As the interview went viral on social media, many, celebrities included, slammed the scriptwriter’s views. Famous designer Maheen Khan tweeted, “Who is this sick, depraved man? Men like him are the real enemies.”

Singer Annie Khalid added, “Wow… he is so angry. He hates women; it’s written all over his face and in every word uttered by his filthy mouth. I pity all the women in his life, including his mother and sister, the women he’s interacted with in the past and will meet in the future.”

Many social media users called out the channel for giving Qamar air time and asking for his opinion on women’s issues. “No space for him in any women’s rights discourse. Those who work on women’s rights are free to disagree with each other but people who have no credentials to comment on such sensitive issues have no place in this debate and their opinions don’t matter to us,” shared one user.

“A big shoutout to our beautiful media ‘fraternity’ for paving the way for people like him; for amplifying his voice, his views through your content and dramas. You guys definitely put the ‘pro’ in protests and ‘mis’ in misogyny. Shabash! Lagay raho,” Kanwal Ahmed of Conversations with Kanwal, added.

“Why is everything about sex for this vile man? Azaadi does not mean sex and boyfriends. Azaadi means the right NOT to be harassed or sexually assaulted. Azaadi means the right to be able to move freely. It also means the right to call your out for being a rape apologist,” penned another.

“If news channels wanted productive and thought-provoking discussions about the Aurat March and feminism, Khalil ur Rehman Qamar would be the last person they’d invite because he is simply not relevant/an expert. Their only priority is getting ratings and that’s honestly just disgusting,” a user said.

“KRQ is a complete embarrassment but these news channels know exactly what his viewpoint is and still proceed to give him space to voice his terrible opinions for clicks. Do better, have some integrity, let this old man live out his days alone in the darkness that are his thoughts,” wrote another.

Qamar has always been called out for his problematic stances on Aurat March and feminism.

Newspaper: Tribune

In the same statement, the fate of the on-going drama serial Jalan was still left undecided. PEMRA was still investigating the content of the drama and based on the investigation, the drama’s fate was to be decided.

Well, the verdict is out now.

Jalan is banned

PEMRA has released a statement banning the drama serial Jalan from airing on television. The statement reads that PEMRA has put an immediate ban on the drama as it goes against the social and moral ethics of Pakistani society.

The statement also reads that PEMRA had given repeated warnings to the channel ARY Digital to revise the content of Jalan to make it more in accordance with the social and moral ethics of Pakistani society. However, the channel refused to comply with PEMRA’s warnings.

As a result, PEMRA has now but an immediate ban on the drama. Jalan includes a plotline that depicts an illicit affair between a brother-in-law with his sister-in-law. The outrage regarding the drama’s storyline has been present on social media ever since the drama started airing.

Website: GalaxyLollywood

It was agreed during a meeting between Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki and Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Information and

Broadcasting, Senator Faisal Javed Khan.

The Saudi Ambassador said the beautiful face of Pakistan should be highlighted at the international level for development of the country’s tourism industry.

Senator Faisal Javed Khan said this cultural cooperation would further improve people to people contacts between the two fraternal countries.

Website: APP

ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 4th Sep, 2020 ):Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Friday banned repeat telecast of ARY drama serial Ishqia and Hum TV drama serial Piyar Ke Sadqey under PEMRA Ordinance section 27.

The ban has been imposed due to material against the social and religious values o the society.

According to a press release the repeat telecast of the said drama serials would also be applicable on ARY Zindgi and Hum Sitarey as well.

Moreover, ARY has been advised to review the content o its drma serial Jalan following many complaints from the viewers.

The channel has been warned that if its content was not modified to conform with Pakistani social norms and values, action would be taken against the channel under section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance.

It is worth a mention that the viewers have been criticising the central themes of these television dramas and expressed their strong reservations over the telecast of content that violates the sanctity of respected family relations.

Website: Urdu Point

The workshop was aimed to educate amateur actors regarding the art of acting and the sensibilities of theater.

Local and senior artists will also participate in the event to guide the students with their own experiences. The enrolled participants will learn how to approach, analyse and incorporate new text into their specific characters, an official told on Wednesday. PNCA has not only housed many cultural activities but also boasts publication of different literature on theater works, techniques and scripts, he stated.

Newspaper: The News

Presiding over a meeting of the committee on Wednesday, its chairman Faisal Javed noted that the film industry had declined to this level because previous governments had done nothing to promote it.

The meeting expressed dismay that the Indian film industry conveyed its government’s message to the whole world through films, but the Pakistani entertainment industry had failed to find any direction.

These observations came during a briefing by the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publishing (Demp), an allied department under the ministry of information and broadcasting.

The Senate panel’s chairman informed the meeting that the government would bring a comprehensive, effective and useful policy for revival of the film industry which would benefit the Pakistani culture and tourism sectors.

The committee agreed that all stakeholders would be taken on board and special incentives would be offered to the investors and producers to promote the film industry.

The committee’s chairman said that a vibrant film industry had multiple advantages and it would also help project the country’s positive image.

“We can also promote our tourism sector by shooting movies at various tourist destinations. We want to work with Demp to bring about reforms for better film-making in the country,” he said.

The committee resolved to support Demp in production of short films and documentaries at various tourist destinations which would also serve as infotainment for Pakistanis and the people abroad.

The meeting also discussed the issue of making payments to media houses, delay in payment of advertisement dues of private TV channels and salary to journalists and other media workers.

It strongly criticised airing of the wrong map of Pakistan on PTV and expressed dissatisfaction over the action taken against the officials responsible for the mistake and summoned the managing director of the state-run TV channel in the next meeting along with the inquiry report.

Information Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani informed the committee that out of Rs1.15 billion advertisement dues of private TV channels pending between 2013 and 2018, Rs1.004bn had been disbursed. The matter was also raised in a meeting of the cabinet recently, he added.

Newspaper: Dawn

The course would offer a foundation for understanding cinema-and its relation to culture, history, technology and aesthetics-Film Studies. According to an official, the classes were aimed to teach students to create and analyze moving images, to produce research, and to make art.

He said that classes will be start from October 5 with having two semesters and last date to apply for course is September 5. The best local and international faculty will be teaching everything you need in your capacity to become a Professional Film Maker, he said.

Sarmad Khoosat, a well-known Pakistani Director and Andre F Nebe German director would teach the direction. Peter Bussian American Cinematographer would teach the Cinematography. Lisa Locus American script writer and Saim Saddique will teach the techniques of script writing, he informed.

Newspaper: The News

Sultana Siddiqui is a titan in Pakistan’s media landscape. She has hosted shows in a regional language, directed and produced some of the most memorable drama serials, as well as helped launch the careers of many entertainers. Now, however, she’s fighting to protect that legacy from investors with deep pockets.

In the last couple of months, she says that her company, the Hum TV Network, which owns several entertainment and news channels, has come under attack from foreign investors who want to wrest control of her business.

“I’m the only woman who runs a media group in Pakistan and I have built my company after years of hard work,” she tells TRT World.

Starting in 2004, Hum is credited for revolutionising the popular soap-opera industry with shows such as Humsafar. Siddiqui and her son, Duraid Qureshi, have been at the helm of the company from the beginning.

Unlike all other media groups in the Islamic republic that are tightly controlled private enterprises, Hum TV is the only one listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange where anyone can buy its shares.

An unusual pattern of trading at the bourse in recent weeks saw millions of company shares exchanging hands and the stock price shooting through the roof.

The intense bout of trading took place ahead of a company board meeting earlier this month, when a decision was supposed to be taken on the appointment of directors.

A company’s directorship is distributed among the investors in proportion to the stock ownership. Siddiqui, her close family and associates, hold 30 percent of the shares – whereas the foreign investors, according to Duraid, now control more than 44 percent.

The largest foriegn investor – Kingsway Capital, a UK-based asset manager – recently increased its shareholding, raising concern in the company that it was working with a few Pakistani backers to take over Hum TV.

Private equity firms like Kingsway, which invest in other companies on behalf of wealthy people and institutional investors, do not disclose who are its ultimate backers.

The cost of transparency 

Duraid Qureshi, who is also a director on the company board, says the Hum TV management never felt threatened by foreign investors until recently.

“Foreign investors were confident in our management from the start. We had an understanding with them that they were not interested in taking control of the management. But I guess their interests have changed now.”

Under Pakistani law, which regulates television channels, foreign investors cannot control a local media house, he says.

As per Hum TV’s last year’s financial statements, foreign investors, which also includes Netherlands-based fund Stichting General Holdings, control 48.6 percent shares. With a few more share purchases they can cross the 50 percent threshold, giving them an unprecedented sway over the company.

Qureshi says the company became vulnerable to a takeover after it incurred financial losses in the last two years. “That was because we had invested in a news channel. And it’s a normal cycle where you lose money initially in a new project and then breakeven after a while.”

Many years of work 

For Sultana Siddiqui, Hum TV is the culmination of her life-long work. She started to make her way up the professional ladder in the mid-1970s when the industry was dominated by men and when there was only state-run Pakistan Television for the artists.

Along the way, she dabbled in many businesses – once even winning a government tender to supply 300 ballot boxes during an election in the 1980s.

She is also a pioneer of the drama industry. Back in 1996, she opened up one of the first private production houses and started selling content to PTV.

“I was 26 years old, a single parent and raising three kids. Things weren’t always easy. I’d drop my children to school, go to work, then pick them up and go back to work again.”

Website: TRTWorld

The petitioners did not appear before the court, citing security reasons.

The lawyers filed applications on behalf of Ms Qamar and Mr Saeed, seeking exemption from personal appearance before the court. They said the petitioners were facing death threats and were unable to come to the court.

The counsel for the complainant urged the court to dismiss the applications as personal appearance of a suspect was necessary to avail pre-arrest bail.

The court, however, extended the bail till Sept 3 and directed the petitioners to appear at the next hearing.

The Akbari Gate police had registered a first information report against the artistes under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) following a court’s direction to act on an application of a lawyer as per law.

The section deals with the offence of injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult religion.

Advocate Farhat Manzoor Chandio, the complainant, pleaded that the culprits had trampled upon the sanctity of the mosque by their act, which also sparked an outrage among the citizens

Newspaper: Dawn

Related link: The News

While the government has revoked its restrictions on the duration of movies, cinema owners are still at odds over the duration of intervals between the shows. Moreover, as they decide to raise the curtains once again, they are also facing the logistical challenge of bringing new movies to the big screen.

Shortly after the lockdown was lifted, the government decided to introduce a mandatory gap of 40-60 minutes between each show.

Details available with the Express Tribune show that the cinema owners are at odds over the plan given to them by the Department of Primary and Secondary Health.

With the proposed interval between the shows coupled with the restriction on the seating, cinema owners believe they will not be able to earn enough money to pay for expenses.

“By introducing the mandatory gap of 40-60 minutes the government has also limited the number of shows. We will only be able to screen three shows per day,” said Chairman Film Exhibitors Association, Zoraiz Lashari, adding that the biggest challenge for cinema owners is the acquisition of new films. “Immediate availability of new films in Pakistan does not look possible anytime soon,” said Lashari.

With strict restrictions on the seating and a long list of precautions, it appears the cinemas are all set for tough days ahead. One irked movie fan said: “They need to come up with a plan to deal with the situation.” “If Covid-19 is here to stay, we can’t be deprived of movies forever. They need to come up with a plan to restore the cinemas,” the moviegoer emphasized.

On the other hand, the provincial administration reiterated its concerns about public safety. “Coronavirus is a contagious disease and keeping the people safe from it is the first responsibility of the government,” said Secretary Primary and Secondary Health, Captain (Retd) Usman Younis.

The SOPs for the cinemas, Younis said, are designed to give the staff plenty of time to disinfect the space. “We have abolished the limitations on the duration of each show, but it is important that we have an interval of 40-60 minutes between each show to allow the management to sanitize the counters, seats and other commonly used facilities at cinemas,” said Captain (Retd) Usman Younis.

According to the owners, the losses incurred during the outbreak will have a lasting impact on the already weak cinema industry.

“Cinemas were already contending with the new streaming services. We don’t expect to survive this crisis,” cautioned on owner.

Newspaper: Tribune

Speaking on the occasion president of the council Ahmed Shah said the drama was to start its run in March, but then the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to activities. It had become difficult to tell when life would again become normal. Now when the [virus] cases have come down in our region and the government has allowed events with SOPs, director of the play Dawar Mehmood again got in touch with the council to do the play.

Mehmood said his team had already done rehearsals for three months and the play was about to be launched when Covid-19 hit us. But “the show must go on”, so now the play will be staged on Oct 20.

He emphasised that it’s not the old Ankahi; instead it’s called Ankahi 2020, a tribute by his production company to Ms Moin (who had penned the play in the early 1980s for PTV). It has 11 actors taking part in it.

Ms Moin said the play was written more than 30 years back. In order to give a message to the new generation that we need to spread love not hatred, Mehmood has adapted the story as per today’s requirements. She hoped that the stage production would be just as successful as its original version.

Writer of Ankahi 2020 Sajid Hasan said Ms Moin is a legendary writer whose dramas, when they ran on TV, had such a profound impact on viewers that there would be no traffic on roads [because everybody would be watching them]. He claimed that he had kept the ‘elements’ of the [original] play intact and stressed the media that they shouldn’t make comparison of the stage production to the TV play.

Co-writer Saqib Sameer said working with Sajid Hasan benefitted him in two ways: one, he worked alongside him; two, he got to learn from him.

Actress Amna Ilyas, who will essay the central character of Sana Murad, said there will be 25 to 30 changes in the play — there are dances, fighting sequences, songs, laughter and cries etc. Since the team has gone through an extensive rehearsal session, all of them have an idea “what it’s going to look like”.

Newspaper: Dawn

However, the defence counsel argued that the proposed accused did not commit any offence as the entire video was shot after permission of the department administration. He further submitted that chief minister Punjab had also issued orders for detailed inquiry of the incident whereas respondents had already sought apology on various forums, He pleaded with the court for dismissal of the plea.

The court, after hearing detailed arguments of the parties, directed SHO Akbari Gate  to proceed against the proposed persons if some cognisable offence was made out.  The petitioner had argued  that a music video was filmed on singer Bilal Saeed and Actress Saba Qamar at Wazir Khan Mosque whereas posts were also shared on social media about it.

He submitted that the mosque was the holiest place and the step violated its sanctity, whereas feelings of the people were also hurt.He pleaded with the court to issue directions for registration of a FIR against Bilal Saeed, Saba Qamar, producer Ahmad Waqas and department officials as the police concerned had failed to perform its official duty on his application.

Newspaper: Nation

According to the notification, the Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department has suspended Ishtiaq Ahmed, a mere day after social media erupted in anger over singer Bilal Saeed and actress Saba Qamar shooting a music video inside the mosque premises.

The department’s deputy director of finance has been assigned to lead a probe into who allowed the shooting to be carried out inside the mosque and where the mosque’s administration was when the shoot took place.

Protests have erupted across Lahore, with people demanding action and punishment against the stars. The company behind the music video shooting, on the other hand, said it had requested prior permission, which was granted against payment of Rs30,000.

Ahmed, the manager, told Geo News that no dance actually took place inside the mosque but that the video on social media was the wonder of post-shoot editing. Meanwhile, speaking to Geo News, Punjab Auqaf minister Sahibzada Saeedul Hassan said the video shoot raised a lot of questions.

He also vowed strict action against those who gave the permission “no matter how high a position they held”. Earlier, Qamar and Saeed had faced severe criticism on social media, with many calling for harsh punishments for both for disrespecting a religious site. So much so that #SabaQamar became the top hashtag trend on Twitter as the brief clip from the song went viral.

The actress had, however, responded to the criticism in a series of tweets, saying the clip was a “prologue to the music video featuring a Nikah scene”. “It was neither shot with any sort of playback music nor has it been edited to the music track,” she said on Twitter. Saeed also uploaded a lengthy apology on his Instagram account, saying both he and Qamar “realise what has happened over the past few days has hurt your sentiments deeply”.

Newspaper: The News

Related link: Samaa

Bilal Saeed and Saba Qamar have made a joint statement while releasing the teaser of the upcoming song on Instagram, clarifying to fans that the accusations are false.

“This is the only sequence that was shot at the historical Wazir Khan Mosque. It’s a prologue to the music video featuring a Nikah scene,” he said in his statement.

Regarding social media outcry about music being played inside the mosque, he said, “It was neither shot with any sort of playback music nor has it been edited to the music track, the adminstration of the Mosque was also present at the time of shoot and they are witness that no music was played there.”

Bilal appealed to Pakistanis to watch the video before jumping to any conclusions. He assured that they carry the same love and respect for Islam in their hearts and could never even think of disrespecting it. However, Bilal and Saba both said that if they have unknowingly hurt anyone’s sentiments, they sincerely apologize with all their heart.

Website: Daily Times

Tariq Aziz was the man of firsts, the first male television anchor, the first Pakistani game show host, the first to represent our culture onscreen and subsequently the first to influence it. His encapsulating speech, intimidating tone, contagious style and enigmatic presence set the benchmark for every showman to follow. And In today’s world of exuberance, Aziz left a legacy of eloquence which can never be forgotten.

The 85-year-old Neelam Ghar host breathed his last on Wednesday morning after being rushed to a private hospital in Lahore on Tuesday. He then passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest, reported Radio Pakistan.

In his last and cryptic tweet from yesterday evening, Aziz wrote, “Lagta hai waqt tham gaya hai. Rawan dawan zindagi ruk gae hai. Kayi dinon se bistar per laitay laitay soch raha hun ke azaadana harkat bhi Maalik ki kitni bari naimat thi. (It seems as if time has paused and life has stopped. I’ve been lying in this bed for so many days and thinking what a blessing the freedom of movement itself was).”

He then added, “Najaane puraana waqt kab laut ke aaega abhi tou koi umeed nazar nahi aarahi. (I wonder when old times will return, for now I see no hope).”

In another one of his recent tweets, Aziz revealed that his upcoming book Footpath se Parliament tak is almost ready to be published.

His quiz show Neelam Ghar was first aired in 1974, it later came to be known as the Tariq Aziz Show and was then renamed the Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz. Aziz was also a politician and became a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan between 1997 and 1999.

He received his early education in Jalandhar before starting his career at Radio Pakistan, Lahore. When the country’s first television broadcast was made in November 1964, Aziz became the first male PTV broadcaster.

He starred in film Insaniyat (1967) with renowned actors Waheed Murad and Zeba, following which he also played the leading role in film Haar Gaya Insaan.

Aziz has appeared on several local television programs and morning shows, along with organising telethons for charity purposes.

The late actor also received a Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1992 for his services to the nation.

Newspaper: Tribune

Related Links: Dawn, The News, Business Recorder, Nation, APP, Samaa, Journalism Pakistan

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the demise of our beautiful and beloved Sabiha Raza (Sabiha Khanum) who passed away earlier today, June 13th, 2020,” her granddaughter, Sarish Khan, said in a FaceBook post.

Sabiha starred in a number of movies, but directors mostly cast her opposite her husband, the late Santosh Kumar (Syed Musa Raza). Sabiha and Santosh were branded as the “perfect couple”. Having been in the public eye for four decades, she finally retired, and migrated to the United States where she lived with her eldest daughter. Her son and the youngest daughter are also settled here.

Newspaper: Nation

Related links: The News, Tribune  Samaa

The TV series, ‘Ertugrul Ghazi,’ originally Dirilis: Ertugrul in Turkish is being aired on the Pakistan Television in Urdu language and has been endorsed by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself.

The warrior in the statue in the Maraghzar Housing Scheme situated along the Multan Road is seen carrying a sword and riding a horse.

Muhammad Shahzad Cheema, the president of the Maraghzar Housing Scheme, says he decided to erect the statues of Ertugrul after some of the residents floated the idea of paying a tribute to him. Giving details of the project, he says these special statues have been made using fibre and metal in the city of Kamalia of Toba Tek Singh district.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

“I won’t mention the cost of these statues; otherwise, their value would get the attention of the public,” Cheema laughs. “I went to Kamalia myself to place the order for these statues.”

At present, there are two statues that depict Ertugrul on a horse. One of them has been unveiled while the other is going to be erected soon possibly at a central place.

“We will call the place Ertugrul Ghazi Chowk,” says Sohail Anwar Rana, the secretary general of the scheme, referring to the location where the first statue has been unveiled.

Cheema says that while the entire country was enjoying the TV series and got acquainted with the historical figure after watching the show, he already knew about him. “I had read about him beforehand,” asserts Cheema.

“What has affected me most about this character is the way he united the entire tribe and formed the Ottoman Empire – this is something that the world’s anti-Muslim community cannot digest. Our kids may enjoy the show, but they should be able to also see him in artistic depiction – something physical they can marvel at”.

WHO IS ERTUGRUL?

Not much is known about Ertugrul from 13th century as there is a lack of authentic information about him. Even name of his father comes in two different versions, Suleyman Shah and Gunduz Alp. What is authentically known about him is that he was father of Osman I, the founder of Ottoman Empire. Most of information about him comes from the stories about him written during the Ottoman Empire about a century later.

Pervaiz Hoodbhoy in his column in this newspaper has quotedMehmet Bozdag, thewriter and producer of the TV series, saying, “Facts are not important. There is very little information about the period we are presenting — not exceeding 4-5 pages. Even the names are different in every source. The first works written about the establishment of the Ottoman State were about 100-150 years later. There is no certainty in this historical data… we are shaping a story by dreaming”.

When asked about the accurate depiction of Ertugrul, Cheema does not give it much importance, saying that it does not matter because writers tend to take liberty through artistic licence, especially in TV programmes and movies. But what should be kept in mind is that under the Ottoman Empire, more than 30 countries were united – something that is a food for thought for the Muslims today, he says.

REACTION TO STATUE:

Ever since the unveiling of the statue, it has become a centre of attention of the people who have started gathering around hit to stand and stare at it or even to take selfies with it.

But not all historical figures are seen in the same way, especially by those who revere Ertugrul. A similar statue of Sikh Emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who founded the Punjab Empire and ruled parts of, what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was unveiled last year in the Lahore Fort. However, just a few days after its unveiling, it was vandalised by members of an extremist religious organisation.

The people like Cheema though have a different perspective.

“As Muslims we should not give regard to Ranjit Singh as his rule led to antagonism against the Muslims,” he says, waiving aside the fact that the emperor, who hailed from Gujranwala, was one of the most important in the history of the land.

Newspaper: Dawn

HOME1947 Series is a deeply personal exploration of the lives and stories of the millions that were displaced in 1947 during the creation of two new independent states, India and Pakistan.

The final film of HOME1947 series, Dark Secrets chronicles the childhood memories from an idyllic world, of chasing peacocks and eating grapefruit, which came to a crashing end in the ensuing riots that took place during the Partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

HOME1947, a series of 7 short films conceptualized and produced by the SOC Films, recreated the long-lost sights and sounds of what millions once called home and explores this world not through the words of historians and politicians, but through the eyes of those who lived through it.

Newspaper: Dawn

The writer was on a talk show to discuss the aftermath of the decision of the Lahore High Court to throw away the petition trying to block Aurat March 2020. He was sharing why he thinks slogans like “mera jism meri marzi” trigger his fragile masculinity.

While speaking up he addressed Marvi Sirmed, a fellow panelist and journalist, saying that when women like her raise those slogans his heart breaks. At this point, from what it appears, Marvi tried to taunt him by saying the words “mera jism meri marzi” and lo and behold, that unleashed the disgusting vitriol from the misogynistic writer.

He called Marvi disgraceful things such as “tere jism mein hai kya?”, “uloo ki pathi” and the good old “bitch“.

All this while, the talk show host kept trying to shut Marvi up and not the abuse that was coming out of Khalil’s mouth. Wonder where PEMRA really is when incidents of actual violence against women are needed to be controlled.

Naturally, Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar giving a gaali has gotten a lot of Pakistanis naturally very angry

For many, feminism may or may not be a thing to support on a personal level but abuse is a line that one never crosses. For a man who claims to be the biggest feminist in the world and fancies himself an intellectual, to go and abuse a woman in such disgusting manner on live TV is appalling, to the say the least.

Finally celebrities found the courage to condemn Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar after his gaali when their silence had been deafening about his behavior in the recent past

A petition to boycott the writer has also begun circulating

Perhaps, banning him could be the only compensation left to all the disgusting behavior he has helped normalize, especially against women.

People also called out TV channels who invite Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar so he can spew gaali and perpetuate his dangerous views for the sake of their ratings

The anchor of the show who did not stop Khalil Ur Rehman from his gaali, is also being questioned for allowing such abuse to go unmuted on live TV

Many are calling actors and channels who are continuing to collaborate with Khalil Ur Rehman despite his dangerous behavior toward women

Sadly, despite the obviously dangerous, uncivilized remarks made by the actor incels and internet trolls are continuing to laud Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar after his gaali showing exactly why he is a dangerous man to be put as an example for society

His behavior has only emboldened more women to proudly chant why they need activities like Aurat March and why they believe in important statements like mera jism meri marzi

Seeing the dangerously misogynistic views being perpetuated by Khail Ur Rehman and the support from industry insiders as well as internet trolls really reveals the depravity of our society, today. The fact that no one could give him a shut up call during the show, or even before when he proudly shared his dangerous views about women, is an evidence of the deep rooted misogyny prevailing in this society. People are finally waking up to his dangerous behavior and calling him out for abusing a woman on TV and it’s high time action is taken against such behavior.

Mangobaaz

The event was arranged by Rawalpindi Islamabad Photo Journalist Association (RIPA) in collaboration with PNCA and the Peace and Culture Organization (PCO) while the chief guest of the ceremony was Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed.

Speaking at the ceremony Minister for Railways said, “Photographers are the backbone of journalists, exposed and vulnerable to any threat in the field, and despite of all these risks they never compromise their professionalism”.

Present at the occasion, Ambassador of Azerbaijan, Ali Alizada commented, “A photographer has to risk his/her life in a battle field, bomb explosion site, floods, earthquakes etc. We are proud of them and will try our level best to share their hardships and help them in solving their problems and issues”.

Chairperson PCO Mushaal Mullick appreciated the role of photographers with special reference to the coverage of Kashmir in highlighting and exposing the brutalities of Indian forces and the misery of the Kashmiri people.

President RIPA Sajjad Haider in his welcome address thanked all the guests and expressed his commitment to work for the betterment of his community in all aspects. He further highlighted the problems and issues faced by Photo Journalists and commended their bravery.

The chief guest distributed prizes among the photographers of media fraternity.

APP

Sheema Kermani, a women rights activist and art performer, Victoria Schofield, a British writer and commentator who writes extensively on South Asia, and Karamat Ali, a noted labour rights leader, spoke to a session titled ‘Women Of Substance: Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto and Asma Jahangir’.

Fouzia Saeed, an expert on gender and culture and head of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), moderated the session. Speakers said the three women were the voices of the oppressed and their bravery and courage would be remembered for forever.

Kermani, who also heads the Tehreek-e-Niswan, said the three women were courageous and outspoken persons who not only reshaped the political history of the country by confronting military regimes of their eras but also struggled for a just society and equal rights.

Mentioning the hot issue of the forthcoming Aurat March, she said that backlash which the organisers of the march had been receiving showed anti-women mentality. “Defeat of this mentality will pave the way for a just and equality-based society, for which Fatima, Benazir, and Asma struggled for in their lives.”

Schofield, who was also a close friend of Benazir since their studies at the University of Oxford, said the three women had raised a strong voice when others were silent due to oppression.

She added that these women were role models and Pakistan should celebrate their heroic lives. She also shared her experiences of working with Benazir and Asma. Citing the speech of Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood at the KLF’s inaugural ceremony, she said that it was very important to teach gender equality at school. “It will help in removing gender stereotyping from society.”

Ali, who is also the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler), said Fatima challenged the dictatorship of Gen Ayub Khan when there were silence and fear everywhere, and she was able to rattle the foundations of his reign.

He said Asma started her struggle at a young age when her father was detained by Gen Yahya Khan. Similarly, Benazir had a history of struggle against Gen Ziaul Haq, challenging his fascist dictatorship.

The News

The film is being termed as the biggest action-movie in the history of Pakistani cinema, having sensational and close to reality situations of fights and action scenes that have the blood-chilling affects that are likely to thrill the viewers. It took Bilal Lashari several years to complete the film to allow all the actors to fully understand their characters and perform according to their best abilities to make it look like reality. Besides, he wanted to present the action scenes in a manner which the viewers have not seen before. It is hoped that the film being the largest budget film ever made in Pakistan, will set a new standard for production in the country.

The Legend of Moula Jutt is a masterpiece of VFX and special effects. The film also features some scenes of graphic violence that are not suitable for young children to watch, so according to Bilal Lashari, Director of The Legend of Moula Jutt, children and weak hearted adults should not be brought to cinemas to see the film.

Produced under the banner of Geo Films, Encyclo Media, Lashari Films and AAA Motion Pictures, the film is the largest budget project, carrying the features of the latest technology which will become a great precedence of special effects and cinema. The fans are eagerly waiting for the movie as soon as its release date was announced.

The cast of the film includes Mahera Khan, Fawad Khan, Omaema Malik and Hamza Ali Abbasi in lead roles, and Ali Azmat, Faris Shafi and Gohar Rasheed will also entertain the viewers.

A month has passed. Sarmad Khoosat, the director of the film, maintains he has said all that he felt he needed to say in a letter addressing those in the echelon of state power.

He maintained that his film was passed by the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) with some cuts that he was willing to concede with.

But Khadim Hussain Rizvi, chief of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), threatened to mobilize a rally. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), with no jurisdiction in the matter, was engaged by the government to pacify things instead of standing by the filmmaker. TLP leader postured that the film would release over his dead body.

A meeting was supposed to take place featuring various members of CII, potentially TLP as well as members of Central Board of Film Censors on February 03. The meeting never happened. A member of CBFC, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to Instep.

As the filmmaker lives under threats with his film in limbo, a new issue has emerged.

According to a letter by Sindh Board of Film Censors (SBFC) addressing the Secretary of Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department, Government of Sindh, Karachi, a member of the SBFC is supposedly responsible for some of the mess chasing Zindagi Tamasha.

In its letter, dated February 21, it is stated that a Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Jatoi, who “looks after” the work of Secretary, “Sindh Film Censor Board is deliberately and consistently indulging in acts that are in defiance of laid down rules, regulations and procedures of SBFC”.

It goes on to note that Zindagi Tamasha was censored and passed with “certain extrusions” and on January 21, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Jatoi – without approval – approached cinema owners and distributors for restrictions on the film, which led to the filmmaker filing litigation in “Lahore High Court”.

When asked to explain these discrepancies, “he shifted blame” to others.

Noted the letter: “As you are aware, this matter has also attracted attention of the Senate Function which issued a call-up Notice to the undersigned to appear on Feb 21 in the Parliament House in Islamabad,” adding that the meeting has been put on hold, indefinitely.

It states that it was decided on a meeting held on Feb 20 that no “provisional certificates” would be issued by Secretary, unless “signed by Chairman” in accordance with the rules of the Sindh Film Censor Rules.

However, noted the statement, in disregard of the SBFC rules, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Jatoi issued certificates to Call of the Wild and Brahms: The Boy 2. For this violation, he should be removed from his position “and proceeded against per E&D rules for gross misconduct”.

According to this letter, signed by Chairman SBFC (Khalid Bin Shaheen) and Vice-Chairman (Muhammad Sachal Shaikh), all members of SBFC have been taken onboard. Also addressed to various Sindh ministries, it states that Mushtaq Ahmed has “consciously decided to ignore and deny the existence of SBFC, etc.”

Well, the plot thickens. Many questions have emerged because of this statement. Does the Sindh Board of Film Censors also have an issue with Hollywood films; Call of the Wild and Brahms: The Boy 2? Most importantly, where does this leave Zindagi Tamasha? Does it mean SBFC will make sure cinema houses/exhibitors/distributors will run the film and TLP leader, therefore, should be exonerated in the case of Zindagi Tamasha vs. TLP threats?

As critics and fans we continue to wait for the film’s release, beginning with the province of Sindh.

This was announced by managing director of Oxford University Press Arshad Saeed Husain at a press conference at the Arts Council on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Husain said the aim of the event when it was incepted was to bring together Pakistani and international writers to promote and encourage literary discourse and debate. This time around it’s the 11th edition. The theme of the festival is: How the written and spoken word connects across borders and results in exchange of ideas and inspiration for literary works, focusing not just on a particular geography but looking at how the written word transcends borders and travels across continents.

Mr Husain said the festival will take place on Feb 28, 29 and March 1. Its advisory board comprises of Muneeza Shamsie, Iftikhar Arif, Salman Tarik Kureshi, Ahmed Shah, Michael Holgate, Bina Shah, Harris Khalique and Mujahid Barelvi. This year the event will feature more than 200 speakers — over 180 Pakistani and 14 international.

Over 180 experts from Pakistan, 14 from abroad to speak at the festival

The participating countries other than Pakistan are the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany and Italy. There will be more than 80 sessions and 22 book launches.

Writers William Dalrymple and Zaheda Hina will be the keynote speakers for the opening day, while on the concluding day novelist and political commentator Ahdaf Soueif and Harris Khalique will deliver keynote addresses. Four prizes will also be given on the occasion in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, Urdu literature, and Sindhi and Balochi literature. He then briefly talked about the various sessions, including panel discussions, interviews, mushairas, film screenings, workshops, art strand and book launches.

Ahmed Shah said the Arts Council always supports literary endeavours, which is why this year it has put its weight behind the prize for Sindhi and Balochi books.

Critic Muneeza Shamsie said she is looking forward to the event. She always enjoys it. It’s a great occasion for audiences to interact with writers. It also brings to us writers who may be very well known abroad but we may not know about them. One of the things she really likes about the festival is that a lot of people bring their children to it. In that connection, she narrated an anecdote when in Islamabad a young girl met her and asked her [Shamsie] whether she was a poet. She replied that she’s a critic and had already spoken at that function, to which the young girl asked what she spoke about. This is the kind of curiosity that literary festivals instil in children.

The British Council’s director for Sindh and Balochistan Michael Holgate said the council feels that the KLF is a cornerstone of Pakistani cultural calendar, and is proud to be associated with it from the time it was incepted.

Mujahid Barelvi talked about the importance of resistance literature.

Salman Tarik Kureshi said he has been part of the event for the last 11 years. He called it an alimana jashn which people eagerly look forward to.

Raheela Baqai conducted the press conference.

Dawn

Related Stories

Business Recorder: February 28 to March 1: KLF all set to celebrate its 11th edition

The News International: KLF’s 11th edition to host over 200 speakers

Almost a month into the postponed release of Sarmad Khoosat-directed Zindagi Tamasha, the film is nowhere to be seen, not in cinema houses and not even on TV or a streaming service thus far.

The film marked Sarmad Khoosat’s return to direction after Manto in which he also played the titular role. But, Zindagi Tamasha features three debutants (Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Ali Kureshi) as well as Samiya Mumtaz. Featuring “undroon Lahore” as Sarmad puts it, the film has made a conscious effort to go beyond tropes and at its heart is a story of a family. Even the writer, Nirmal Bano, is a fresh graduate of NCA. Though Zindagi Tamasha got cleared by CBFC, a looming threat is following it, with TLP leader, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, going to extreme lengths, stating that he would rather die than see the film release.

A great deal of confusion has been created as well. Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) was willing to show the film to members of TLP, CII along with certain others and a date was set for viewing (February 3).

Almost two weeks later, TLP has not viewed the film. Speaking to Instep, a senior member from CBFC explained that they had already given the film a certificate to release.

“As far as I can say, there is nothing untoward in the film. We gave it certificate to release. That is when the objections began,” he said, on the condition of anonymity. The senior source at CBFC further noted that objections have been raised by those who have yet to see the film. “We thought that those who are raising objections due to the nature of the teaser/trailer, let us invite them and show them that there isn’t anything objectionable.”

He reiterated that a screening was set for the date of February 3 but for some reason, it never happened. “A print had also been sent to Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) and so there is also a lot of confusion. It might be cut in such a way that all potential objections are removed and could end up with a strange edit.”

The senior member of CBFC explained that the objections have come because it is an old man with a beard who is dancing at one point. Without giving away the story of the film, he added that it has been presumed that the film is making fun of clerics. “But having seen the film, I can tell you it does no such thing. It doesn’t mock ‘Naat Khawans’ or clerics at all. But in the eyes of CII, we don’t know.”

As for not receiving an invitation letter, as claimed by the objectionable party, CBFC senior member maintained, “As far as my knowledge serves, that process has passed and Islamabad censor-board has done so.”

As the ultimate body dedicated to deciding on films, what control does CBFC have if they have to placate those who have nothing to do with films in the first place? The senior member unequivocally noted that there are people in Islamabad who should be asked these questions.

“The film has not released. Had objections come after its release, it would make some sense? But the people who raised objections haven’t seen the film. So, it would be better if they sit-down and watch the film first and whatever objections they have can be satiated. Though I’m not a member of CII, I do think their concerns will disperse. Media is free around the world exception being Pakistan. Show them the film. We were showing them the film. I was told CII has seen the film. Let us see what happens,” he concluded. CII has yet to see the film, noted a recent report. It reiterated that CII ‘will’ watch it and give a report on it.

The Jang Media Group is the official partner of PSL last season’s winners, Quetta Gladiators, and is supporting the team this year. Sung by ET and Lucky Ali, Aaja Maidan Main opens with Shan-e-Pakistan, the tagline of Quetta Gladiators, introducing the line-up of players for the current year. The song is a depiction of how the PSL winners are ready to defend the title against the major players from other teams.

The song has shots of the team and snippets from last year’s victory, celebrating their win and also their preparation this year. The song is written by Zeeshan Mehboob and is motivating yet capturing while it has been produced by Numair Adil who came out with a catchy tune that you will be humming even later on as well.

With this release, Quetta Gladiator added another feather to their collection to motivate and encourage the players and keep the spirits of the supporters alive. The Quetta Gladiator, along with Jang Media Group, is all set for PSL Season 5 starting from the coming week.

The News International

Talking to a private news channel he stated the festival would be started from 7th February, the puppet show would be for entertainment and education purpose altogether.

People of Karachi had waited for this entertainment gala since 1976 when he brought the puppet art in Karachi but soon shifted the whole crew to Lahore as conditions were more conducive there. Karachi’s social environment was not conducive and safe for the art activities back in late 70s and 80s, so we went to Lahore as the city had a spacious and well equipped art complex, he recalled.

“International puppet festival will exhibit the puppets from all over the world, old styled and contemporary puppets will also be part of the shows,” said festival director Yamina Peerzada.

The festival organizers had also included traditional Rajhistani puppets who were losing the attention and attraction of public and falling towards decline as new generation adopted modern puppetry art skills, they had received thousands of requests from the people of Karachi for organizing the festival, she added.

It would purely serve all the purposes as the researched stories had contained fun and serious moral messages to educate children and adults simultaneously, moreover it would be a family festival, she mentioned.

The Nation

The recently concluded second edition of Adab Festival Pakistan took place from January 31 till February 2, 2020, at the Karachi Arts Council. The idea behind the festival is to address issues and challenges faced by artists in Pakistan and provide a platform for free speech and exchange of ideas. Free and open to all, Adab festival featured a series of activities including book launches, poetry and prose recitation, talks, interviews and film screenings, among other things.

One of the panel discussions held during the three days focused on the role of women on television, with particular reference to female portrayals in Pakistani dramas and what they are inculcating in viewers.

Comprising veteran playwright(s) Haseena Moin, Raana Shaikh, journalist-writer Reema Abbasi, Bee Gul (writer), Angeline Malik, (actor, writer and producer) with Tasneem Ahmar as the moderator, it represented voices that are pushing the envelope with their progressive scripts.

Reflecting on portrayal of women in TV dramas made in the past compared to what is shown on television presently, Raana Shaikh, who was associated with PTV since its initial years, pointed out that it is media’s responsibility to send progressive messages for generations to come.

“Dramas that we penned in the past did talk about women’s miseries but we didn’t leave them there,” she asserted, adding that women in our society are not very educated and aware so we need to tell them ways to get out of a problem rather than forcing them to compromise on their rights. “A society cannot be strong until its women are strong. Why don’t we make dramas on the lives of women like Madam Noor Jehan, Sana Mir, Malala Yousafzai, etc.? They are also our women but we just want to focus on one kind of woman – dependent, submissive and compromising!”

An integral part of Pakistani television’s golden era, Haseena Moin, who has 50 scripts to her name, spoke about her beginnings. Sharing that she started writing for local TV after graduating from university, she said that girls were well taken of at her university at the time. When she was called by the then General Manager of PTV, she could only think of creating a female who has a say in matters and can convince people of her stance.

“I wrote a story of a young woman who was the daughter of a maid but since she was nurtured in a good family, she proved herself to be Shehzori (reference: drama serial Shehzori), a girl no one can take advantage of – no matter which social class she belonged to. This is where I began from,” she recalled.

It is the duty of a writer to show that a woman also has self respect, she added, asserting that if you crush a woman’s self respect, you crush her. “We have done that; we are beating women, kicking them out of the house, and this is very painful for women whether they speak up or not,” she furthered.

Angeline Malik, producer of long running series, Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain, that aims to highlight bold subjects shared that it is not acceptable to show a strong woman who can seek divorce. She revealed that she has received notices from PEMRA for touching upon bold themes on TV.

“Instead of changing mindsets, if we keep promoting a similar ideology that sees women only in one light, how will we bring change?” she questioned, speaking to Instep on the sidelines of the event. She added that there should be a balance of stories airing on TV. “We should be able to tell all sorts of stories rather than churning out similar narratives for all slots. If we don’t show viewers what will educate them, we will be stuck in a rut.”

Bee Gul, writer of popular drama serial Dar Si Jati Hai Sila that stood out for sensitively handling the subject of sexual harassment within the confines of a household, also commented on the current state of Pakistani television. She shared that Dar Si Jati Hai Sila was said to be ‘bold’ and was put on hold for eight to nine months but she didn’t make any change in the script.

“Unfortunately, channels see a sensation in putting forth social issues; directors, writers and actors become insensitive and want to play in that area,” Bee Gul noted, adding that if we make socially relevant dramas with responsibility, the outcomes are worth the risk.

Speaking to Instep post the discussion, Bee Gul furthered, “I don’t agree that the audience doesn’t want to watch anything different on TV; it is important to educate them and for that we need alternate dramas in parallel with run of the mill stories. Today women are doing wonders and they don’t appreciate regressive portrayal on the small screen; this is not how they want to be shown.”

The only journalist-critic on the panel, Reema Abbasi, added a very pertinent angle to the discussion. She maintained, “When we watch today’s dramas, it is strange to note that our audience was more open-minded in Zia’s era than it is today. We were able to explore a variety of themes and that is where we got Samina Peerzada, Rubina Ashraf from. What a new-age heroine should have been like today; a perfect structure for that started at that time but unfortunately instead of taking it forward, we left it behind and entered into completely different dynamics.”

Given that the panel comprised writers from the previous as well as present era, the perspectives varied. There was emphasis on having progressive themes and stronger female protagonists but then it was also noted that there are certain boundaries that have blurred today (in the name of progression).

The citizens of Lahore also took interest in these exhibitions and they enjoyed the impressions of various artists depicting their journey of conceptualizing a piece of art up to its creation on canvas. Artists from France, Germany, Turkey, UAE and other countries took part in the event.

Business Recorder

The handicraft stalls in the main lawn of a local hotel were attracting many people who, especially women, were finding it hard to resist beautiful rallis, block-prints, pretty dresses and embroidered suits and so many other things on offer there such caps, purses, artificial jewellery, decoration pieces, etc.

Amid the hustle bustle, one could hear the fussing of a baby though the child was not visible. Then someone noticed one young stall vendor bending down for something under her display table. On closer inspection one found a small hammock made from a light blue embroidered chador tied to two legs of the table. It was a true portrayal of how these rural women are juggling family and business under the Sindh Union Council and Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCCESS) programme supported by TRDP and the European Union (EU).

The collaborative venture organises poor households into groups that are provided with grants and technical and vocational training to be able to start small businesses.

This three-day Adab Festival is a new Silk Route through which traditions, ideas, literature and the arts and their luscious fruit can travel and enter the hearts of people in every part of Pakistan and the world, Ameen Saiyid, founder and director Adab Festival Pakistan said this while speaking at a press conference at the Arts Council here on Wednesday.

“Asif Frukkhi and I are delighted that the seed of the movement of literature festivals that we planted over a decade ago has taken root and is now blooming and flowering across Pakistan,” he said.

In his comments, Adab Festival founder and author, Asif Farrukhi, highlighted the role literary festivals play, as they provide a much-needed boost to the habit of reading, and through these recognition is given to books and writers in the society which is rapidly moving away in other directions which can be destructive. He said that relevant social issues are being emphasised in this upcoming Adab Festival and some ground-breaking books are being launched.

In the second Adab Festival a creative writing course is being held for aspiring writers conducted by Aamer Hussein and Sheheryar Shaikh. Several participatory, interactive sessions on women’s empowerment, the youth, support for emotional health issues (Ask Me Anything by Dr Ayesha Mian), life coaching by Sayeda Habib and Naeem Zamindar would be held during this festival. The audience will be able to join the debate and dialogue of Adab Festival.

There will be sessions on the issues faced by Karachi, book launches, comedy, satire, a video message recorded specially for Adab Festival by Prince El Hasan Bin Talal of Jordan.

There will be over 150 speakers and almost 60 sessions. Writers will be here from Palestine, Germany, Hong Kong, China, the UK and US and all over Pakistan. The keynote speakers at the opening and closing will be former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Asif Saeed Khosa, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Professor Francis Robinson, Amar Jalil, Adania Shibli and Noorul Huda Shah.

There will be Qawwali on the opening night by Farid Ayaz and Abu Mohammad and stand up comedy on the closing.

Sessions will include one on Women Parliamentarians, education, urban planning and garbage management in Karachi, peasants in literature, how women are portrayed in TV dramas, how the electronic media supports adab, the challenges faced by the media in Pakistan, start-ups the launch of Uzma Aslam Khan’s new book The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali, Fida Hussain Malik’s Urdu translation of Governing the ungovernable, a session on the Muslim Social Cinema, an interview of Sherry Rehman, and a riveting session on Urdu poetry with Zehra Nigar and Arfa Syeda Zehra.

Ameen Saiyid thanked sponsors and supporters without whom this event would not have happened. “It is because of their generosity and vision that enabled us to not only hold this festival but also make it free so that we could make it inclusive and accessible,” she said.

The sponsors and supporters include the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, Getz Pharma, Goethe Institute, Transsion Techno, Dr Essa Laboratories, Hubco, Dalda, Lincoln Corners, the US Mission Pakistan, Pioneer Book House, Shama’s Bakery, Flash, Phenomena, Habib University, Thespianz Puppet Theatre. Adab Festival is free and open to all.

Business Recorder

The film, written by Nirmal Bano, a fresh graduate from NCA, was set to release on January 24, 2020. Directed and co-produced by Sarmad Khoosat along with his sister Kanwal Khoosat, Zindagi Tamasha is a bilingual movie which has been shot in Lahore.

It features model-turned actress Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz, Arif Hasan and Ali Qureshi in lead roles. Forming the committee, the Punjab government has stopped the release of Zindagi Tamasha and given a deadline of February 3, 2020 to review it. The committee will review reservations from different segments of the society regarding the film.

The Sindh Board of Films and Censor on Tuesday banned Zindagi Tamasha three days before its release. A notification issued by the board said although it had previously examined and cleared Sarmad Khoosat’s directorial film, it has now been informed that it may create unrest within a segment of the society.

“If the film is released for public exhibition, it may create unrest within the religious segment of the society and may be detrimental to peace. Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, it is advised not to release the film till further decision by the Sindh Board of Films Censor,” said the notification.

The decision to ban the film follows a similar move by censor authorities in Punjab. Meanwhile, the Central Film Censor Board has decided to approach the Council of Islamic Ideology for critically reviewing feature film Zindagi Tamasha, said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan in a tweet on Tuesday. She said the film producer has also been directed to postpone the release of his film for the time being.

This year, the event will showcase three plays, each staged for four days, from Thursday to Sunday. The first that will be put up on Jan 9 is titled Good Luck Darling. Directed by Napa graduate Farhan Alam, it’s a story penned by renowned humorist Athar Shah Khan Jaidi.

The second, to be presented for the audience from Jan 16, is called Wapsi. It’s an Urdu adaptation of a Noel Coward play Blithe Spirit helmed by another graduate of the academy, Zarqa Naz.

The last offering is the Urdu version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, titled Beech Bahar Ki Raat Ka Sapna. Staged from Jan 23, it’s directed by Meesam Naqvi.

Three plays on offer during festival

Addressing the media, the artistic director of the Napa Repertory Theatre, Zain Ahmed, said it’s the third laughter festival that’s being organised. The three plays presented are completely different from each other. The academy tries to provide opportunities to its alumni to come forward and display their talent. The previous two editions of the fest were very well-received.

Describing his project Alam said the best thing about Good Luck Darling is that it’s an original, Pakistani play. The topics that the writer has touched on in a lighter vein are very important.

Naz said Wapsi revolves around a novelist who invites a psychic to his place. Things get botched up and the ghost of his first wife shows up while the second wife is around. This creates two worlds on stage: one that is in front of him and the other that’s not; and both have similarities.

Naqvi praised Khalid Ahmed’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and said that he had read the play as a student; ever since he has been fascinated with the story. He has tried to gather an ensemble cast and do the play with a strong ‘movement’ aspect to it.

DAWN

MULTAN (APP): Excise, Taxation and Narcotics department has sent suggestions to the provincial government for imposition of entertainment tax on cinemas. Director Excise and Taxation, Abdullah Khan told APP here on Sunday the Excise department Punjab had sought suggestions about entertainment tax. He said the film association was demanding five percent tax and five years relaxation on new cinemas while the department suggested inspection of cinemas should be ensured, minimum seven percent tax and one year relaxation on new cinemas. He said negotiations between the government and association were underway. He hoped that entertainment tax would likely to be imposed from February 1st, adding that currently 15 cinemas are functioning in Multan City. About property tax survey, the Director Excise said the process of bringing new buildings into tax net was in progress. He said the survey would be completed by the end of June through various phases. He said that in first phase they had sought documentation from the building owners while door to door marking would be made in second phase. He said the new property tax would be imposed from July 1st. It is to be mention here that the property survey was being conducted after five years.

Prices of sugar, oil, flour to decrease from Jan 7

KARACHI (NNI): The prices of essential food items will go down from January 7 (Tuesday) as the government has announced a Rs6 billion relief package for the Utility Stores Corporation. The subsidy on prices will be implemented at more than 4,300 Utility Stores across the country. For food items such as sugar, flour, lentils, rice and ghee, a monthly subsidy of Rs10 million will be given. This means that sugar and flour prices will go down by Rs5, and prices of lentils and rice will decrease by Rs10. Cooking oil and ghee will be available for Rs20 less. The prices of at least 1,000 essentials including cosmetics and spices will also go down, according to the package.

Farmers advised to complete sunflower cultivation by Feb 15

LAHORE (APP): The Punjab agriculture department has advised the farmers of south and north Punjab to complete sunflower cultivation by January 31 and February 15, respectively. A spokesman for the department said on Sunday, farmers of south Punjab including Dera Gazi Khan, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur, RY Khan, Multan, Vehrai, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalnagar, Lodhran and Bhakkar have been advised to sow sunflower till January 31st. The farmers of north Punjab including Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Jhang, Sahiwal, Khanewal, Attock, Okara, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Lahore, Mandi Bahuddin, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Rawalpindi, Gujrat and Chakwal have been advised to cultivate sunflower crop from January 15 to February 15. He urged the farmers to use sunflower hybrid varieties with timely cultivation to get a good yield.

The spokesman said that under Prime Minister Agriculture Emergency Programme, this year the Punjab government was also providing subsidy of Rs 5000 on per acre cultivation of sunflower. Maximum cultivation of Sunflower would help in reducing the country’s import bill, he added.

The Nation

Portraits of Quaid-i-Azam that were collected from different organisation of Pakistan are displayed in this exhibition. The Exhibition was aimed to pay homage to Jinnah through different paintings and portraits of Quaid-i-Azam, an official told this agency.

He said every day number of visitors are coming to see the fabulous portraits of the Father of the Nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He said in exhibition the different paintings of former principal National College of Arts Professor Saeed Akhtar has been displayed, adding that a number of political personalities also visited the exhibition. The exhibition will continue for two weeks, he said.

The illustration, designed by Karachi-based guest artist Samya Arif, celebrates the singer famous for her rendition of ghazal, nazm and various classical forms, as well as music for film and patriotic songs.

She passed away in 2009 in Lahore.

Iqbal Bano was born in 1938 in Delhi and studied with Ustad Chand Khan, a master of classical Indian vocals. She began singing on All India Radio while she was still in her teens. She moved to Pakistan in 1952 and sang on Radio Pakistan, provided vocals as a playback singer for popular movies and attracted large crowds to her live concerts.

In 1974, she was awarded the Pride of Performance Award.

During the regime of Gen Ziaul Haq, Iqbal Bano sang Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s poetry in a black sari before a crowd of 50,000 at a Lahore stadium in 1985, becoming a symbol of resistance. She was subsequently banned from performing or appearing on TV. Faiz had written the poem critical of military rule while in prison and the sari had been declared un-Islamic.

Google Doodle has also honoured notable Pakistani figures in the past, such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Noor Jehan, Waheed Murad, Nazia Hassan and Fatima Surayya Bajia.

Dawn

Related Stories

The News International: Google Doodle paying tribute to Iqbal Bano

Thar’s 1st Maker & Science Expo is the culmination of a three-phased training through hands-on science and project-based learning using STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) methodologies. This collaborative effort of Pakistan’s leading corporations and public sector organisations, along with academia, is aimed at promoting critical thinking and enriching the learning experience of teachers and students of Thar Foundation schools in the region.

The expo was inaugurated by a girl student of Thar Foundation school, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Abul Fazal Rizvi, Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Shahzad Thahim and Thar Foundation Manager Education Sabeen Shah.

The guests visited various science stalls and took keen interest in the presentations given by the students explaining their prototypes. The projects encouraged children to utilise their learning to develop sustainable and innovative solutions that could help solve some of Thar’s problems.

Commenting on the exhibition, Abul Fazal Rizvi – CEO of SECMC and Thar Foundation said: “Thar Foundation has adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a model for inclusive development and creating broad-based impact across key sectors. The exhibition gels in with our strategy to enhance provision of a functional schooling experience for children and students of Tharparkar. The region of Thar is in need of such interventions given that the literacy rates stands at an abysmally low levels of 52 and 17 percent for males and females, respectively.”

Business Recorder

Hundreds of these kids currently enrolled in over 150 different schools, scattered across Sindh, mainly in its remote areas, under the management of The Green Crescent Trust (GCT), are expected to attend the day-long event.

Organizers said the carnival being organized to mark the silver jubilee of GCT foundation, will be held with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as the chief guest, of concluding ceremony.

Member National Assembly of Pakistan and Parliamentary Secretary for Aviation, Aftab Hussain Siddiqui will formally open the Children Carnival. Children belonging to the GCT schools in remote and rural parts of Sindh will get the opportunity to take part in various non-scholastic activities as part of the day-long Children Carnival. These activities include Qirat, Naat, Speech, National Anthem competitions, Neelam Ghar, and Tableaus.

At the conclusion of the carnival, a panel discussion will be held to deliberate over a line of action to improve quality of school education in the country belonging to underprivileged communities.

The Nation

“If it picks up momentum, we will then be doing it once in a month” said Hamid Akhund, Sitco’s executive secretary and one of the trustees of Endowment Fund Trust (EFT). “Those who are interested in purchasing handicrafts can get [them] from artisans here directly as the role of middlemen has been excluded through this facility,” he explained after listening to a folk artist, Addo Bhagat, in the lawn in museum’s backyard.

The family festival would continue till Sunday from afternoon to 8pm followed by a musical night in Sindh Museum.

The premises has been handed over to Sitco by the Sindh culture department under a memorandum of understanding (MoU). Sitco is sponsored and established by the Sindh culture department to seek revival of those handicrafts that are dying, according to Mr Akhund. The festival could also be held fortnightly.

“The ceramics which [are] the identity of Sindh [are] disappearing and only useless stuff is marketed. The same goes for maroon coloured ‘teli ajrak’ (dipped in oil) whose ingredients are not the same as always used in the past,” said Mr Akhund. “Artisans told me that the import of maroon dye from India has been stopped which they use in ajrak printing and now they want it to be imported from Bangladesh,” he said.

Sitco had arranged the event ‘Karachi Haat Crafts’ in 2018 on identical lines. The festival was inaugurated by only surviving craftsman of sousi and khaddi (handloom) from Hala, Karamullah Memon, along with Sindh culture department secretary Akbar Leghari, Hyderabad Divisional Commissioner Abbas Baloch and Hamid Akhund.

Around 150 artisans are taking part in the festival to sell their handmade products though most are expensive given the present price hike and ever-increasing inflation in society, but still seem quite popular among people. Sitco has absorbed lodging and boarding expenses of artisans and they have been given stalls free of cost.

Artisans dealing in ‘teli ajrak’, tiles and ceramics, silk products and various embroidered products right from Kohistan to Badin to Thar’s desert are on display in this women-specific festival. “Women and craft lovers will be taking an avid interest and Sitco will be making it regular feature fortnightly considering people’s response,” said Sitco director Shakeel Abro. Different stalls are set up on all sides of lawns. Two replicas of Thari chaunras (huts) are also built in the premises where elderly women promote their embroidered and artistic work on clothing.

Women’s most common three and two pieces — kameez and dupatta — of lawn and silk suits are available from Rs2,500, Rs7,000 to Rs10,000 and Rs14,000. Clothing with embroidered lungis, ajrak and other handicrafts remained dominant at the festival as young girls and elderly women from well-off families took rounds of stalls and enjoyed traditional food on the festival’s sidelines, too.

“It’s a pure dyeing work with natural block printing,” said Matiari’s artisan, Shafiq Ahmed Soomro. “Women like two-piece suits on silk and cotton fabric on ajrak. It can be as cheap as Rs2,500 and as high as Rs14,000. I’ve been taking my products to festivals like Lok Virsa and also sell locally in Matiari,” he said.

Mr Akhund said that those who have a knack for identifying genuine teli ajrak with block printing would feel comfortable to buy it for Rs10,000 as at some other urban outlets it could be as expensive as Rs25,000. “So … we are trying to promote these traditional crafts among people so that they can directly buy it from artisans instead of retail market,” he said.

Older women of the Meghwar community of Badin’s Kadhan area Ms Assan and others are there to sell their handicrafts in one of the Thari chaunra. Her counterpart Ms Marwan Meghwar from Mithi was also there in the second chaunra with different products. Elderly Assan and Marwan are running training centres in Mithi and Badin to transfer their traditional art to the next generation. Twenty trainees who get stipend are attending one-year course in those centres.

Rahiba smilingly introduced her craft of baskets, table sets and other stuff made of date palm trees’ branches and leaves. A variety of colourful products were on display at her stall. Khairpur’s Sahib Dino was busy in his khaddi work of sousi fabric mixed with cotton.

Recipient of the presidential award 2015, Fatima Mengal from Khuzdar, set up her stall of Balochi embroidered frock, wallets, purses, bracelets, keychains, bangles and trousers. “A three-piece Balochi dress costs between Rs7,000 to Rs10,000,” she said

Dawn

The closing ceremony of the festival and commemoration of the HRD was co-organised by the Embassy of Switzerland and United Nations in Pakistan. The theme of this year’s HRD was ‘Youth Standing Up for Human Rights,’ says a press release.

The objective of the film festival was to amplify the importance and enhance knowledge about the universality and diversified nature of the human rights issues among Pakistani audience especially the Youth through the creative medium of films.

The participants watched the investigative film, ‘Dick Marty, a Scream for Justice,’ in the closing event. The director, Fulvio Bernasconi, who was also invited to participate, built the story of the film on a breathless investigation and the portrait of this quite extraordinary man. The screening was followed by an interactive moderated panel discussion among the Youth and experts on law, justice and human rights. The panelists included: Fulvio Bernasconi, Director of film; Sibah Farooq, Senior Partner at S&S Law Associates and Kamran Rajar, Director-General of the Ministry of Human Rights.

The festival toured through 10 cities in Pakistan including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujrat, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Mardan, Multan and Faisalabad from 1-10 December 2019.

The Special Communications Organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication organised the photography exhibition titled ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Through My Lens’ under the theme of ‘My Land, My People’. People from all walks of life including the participants, their families, art enthusiasts, and media attended the ceremony. The primary purpose of the initiative is to acknowledge the talent of the youth from remote regions and to showcase it at the national level.

The exhibited pieces depicted landscapes and historical landmarks as well as traditional, cultural and scenic aspects of the regions.

The participants appreciated the SCO for promoting the talent of the youth in a novel way and under an inspiring theme. They remarked that the world needs to take notice that while youth from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are showcasing their aesthetic works, the youth of Indian-held Kashmir yearn for freedom and only dream to enjoy the beauty around them. They reiterated the pledge that Pakistanis across the globe stand with their Kashmiri brethren who are going through turmoil and tough times. They also appealed to both the national and international communities to come forward and fulfill their moral obligation to rid the valley of the brutal atrocities being committed by the BJP-led regime.

The spectators termed the exhibition very impressive and culturally rich, adding that the beauty of the northern areas has been preserved in the photographs. They also called for holding such exhibitions in other parts of the world also in order to promote international tourism in the country.

Later, prizes were awarded to the winners of the photographic competition. The exhibition will continue till December 13.