No end to Bangladesh crisis without polls: opposition head

DHAKA: Opposition leader Khaleda Zia insisted Wednesday that there could be no resolution of Bangladesh’s growing political crisis unless Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agreed to stand down and allow new elections.

“Every conscious and conscientious person in Bangladesh knows that the only way to resolve the current political crisis is to hold an inclusive, competitive and meaningful election,” Zia told AFP by phone.

“The more quickly it can be arranged, the better it is for everyone. If it is delayed, the crisis could become even more complex,” she said in her first interview with Western media since she was confined to her office more than a month ago.

Zia, leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said that she wanted to reach a consensus on the framework for the elections with her arch rival Hasina but there had been no response to proposals that she had previously put forward.

“We said a fair election should be held based on consensus of all parties and through talks. We want that,” she said.

“We also have to make some decisions on the election commission, administration and electoral rules so that a level playing field is created for all the parties.

“We made a seven-point proposal on these matters a few days ago… but we’ve not heard anything from them,” she added.

More than 80 people have been killed in political violence since Zia was confined to her office in central Dhaka on January 3, shortly before the anniversary of last year’s general election that was boycotted by all opposition parties.

Many of the victims have died in firebombings of buses and trucks since Zia ordered her supporters to stage a transport blockade which is in its sixth week.

Hasina has said she will not deal with “terrorists” or “murderers”, comparing the arson deaths to the recent execution of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State organisation.

But Zia said the arson attacks appeared to be the work of Hasina’s Awami League.

“It’s the Awami League which is behind all this violence and they are putting the blame on us,” said the two-time former prime minister.

“We’ve read in the newspapers how petrol bombs were found in the Awami League’s office.”

Zia, who is the leader of a 20-party opposition alliance, said that 18,000 opposition activists had been arrested since the start of the year.

Earlier in the day, British High Commissioner Robert Gibson became the first senior Western diplomat to meet Zia since the start of her confinement.

In brief comments after the meeting, Gibson urged “all parties to fully consider the effects of their actions and resist from causing further damage to the country’s national interest”.

Although there were widespread calls for Hasina to stage fresh elections in the aftermath of last year’s effective one-horse race, those calls have been more muted in recent months.

Zia, 69, welcomed the prospect of greater international pressure on Hasina.

“The world community should put stronger and more effective pressure on the government for compromise and dialogue,” she said.

Zia and Hasina have a notoriously poisonous relationship after ruling the former East Pakistan for much of last 25 years.

Godfathers: Afghan Taliban smuggle drugs and gems, just like a mafia, says UN

KABUL: At one point during their free reign in the late 1990′s, Afghanistan’s Taliban had claimed elimination of poppy cultivation in areas under their control. Over a decade after US-led troops invaded the war-torn country, the Taliban are now the biggest criminal lords in the land.

Their movement against the Nato troops has been increasingly financed by criminal enterprises including heroin laboratories, illegal ruby and emerald mines and kidnapping, making negotiated peace harder, said a report submitted to the UN Security Council.

The report said there was a new “scale and depth” to the Taliban’s integration with criminal networks, which includes directly running marble mines, taxing the production and export of narcotics and kidnapping for ransom.

Diverse financing, including foreign donations, helped the Taliban survive 13 years of US-led war in Afghanistan, analysts say. “They are increasingly acting more like ‘godfathers’ than a ’government in waiting,’” a panel of experts who advise the Security Council on sanctions said in the report made public late on Tuesday.

In 2014 the Taliban inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan security forces as foreign allies withdrew most of their troops. More civilians were killed in 2014 than in any other year of the war, according to the United Nations. US President Barack Obama is now considering a request from Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani to slow the pace of the withdrawal of US troops, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. Ghani is also trying to open up channels for peace talks with the Taliban.

The UN report called for sanctions to disrupt the Taliban’s alleged criminal activity, warning that fighters in charge of lucrative illicit businesses would be less inclined to respond to calls by their leaders to settle for peace. “Taliban members involved in criminal activities will not benefit politically or economically from a potential reconciliation between the government of Afghanistan and the top leadership of the Taliban movement,” it said. The activities described in the report – which cites Afghan officials and businessmen affected by Taliban extortion - include charging to smuggle emeralds out of the country, taxing the production of lapis lazuli and facilitating illegal ruby mining in areas under the Taliban’s influence near Kabul.

“Taliban penetration of the natural resources sector is deep and (the) extortion in that sector is fairly pervasive,” the panel said. As well as charging farmers who grow opium poppies, the Taliban profits from heroin production and export, and can often be found fighting close to heroin laboratories, the report said. In 2014, the group fought hard for control of Sangin district in the southern province of Helmand, where a number of laboratories were located, the report said, citing Afghan officials.

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Fawad Khan may star along side Sid, Alia in Karan Johar’s new movie

Fresh from winning the best debut by a male actor award at the Filmfare awards, actor Fawad Khan will be returning to the Indian silver screen, sharing it with the likes of Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt in a Karan Johar film, the Mumbai Mirror reported on Thursday.

The movie is scheduled to start filming in April, and will be directed by Shakun Batra of Ek Main aur Ekk Tu fame.

Rarely does a filmmaker write a super script in 2 months….@shakunbatra's new family film just got greenlit and cast! Details coming up….

— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) February 11, 2015

There is speculation on whether there will be a clash with Fawad doing a cameo opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Karan’s directorial, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. But that may be sorted after Fawad was spotted coming in and out of the Dharma office in Mumbai.

There were some reports suggesting that Fawad may not have been first choice for the role. The Mirror said that Fawad was included because Varun Dhawan was busy shooting with Rohit Shetty and Shah Rukh Khan. However, Bollywood Life claimed that Arjun Kapoor was also in the running for the role.

The as yet unnamed movie will be a family-centric drama.

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English Premier League: Balotelli ends drought as Liverpool down Spurs 3-2

LIVERPOOL: 

Liverpool assistant manager Colin Pascoe said Mario Balotelli’s long-awaited first Premier League goal for the Reds could kick-start the striker’s spluttering Anfield career.

Balotelli came off the bench to net a dramatic winner seven minutes from time in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory as Brendan Rodgers’ side boosted their hopes of a top-four finish.

It was the Italy international’s first goal for Liverpool in 13 league games, and his first in the English top flight since he scored for Manchester City against Wigan in 2012.

Pascoe hopes Balotelli’s struggles will now become a thing of the past and that the enigmatic 24-year-old, who had previously scored only twice in all competitions this season, can take confidence from the goal. “I hope it can be a springboard, he is training hard,” he said. “It’s testament to him that’s he kept going and got his reward.”

The Reds had twice led through Lazar Markovic and a Steven Gerrard penalty, only to be pegged back by goals from Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Mousa Dembele.

However, Balotelli came off the bench to strike the decisive blow and secure the points against one of Liverpool’s rivals for a Champions League spot.

Liverpool now lie seventh in the table, one place behind Spurs and only three points off the all-important top four.

“The last couple of weeks Mario’s been ill,” added Pascoe. “And he has had some knocks on his foot and he couldn’t get his boot on. To get a winner at Anfield is an experience on its own and he is immensely happy.”

Pascoe also revealed that Liverpool captain Gerrard was withdrawn in the second half as a preventative measure because of a slight hamstring problem.

“Steven felt his hamstring and felt he had to come off,” said Pascoe. “He could feel it a little. But it was an important win, it was a great win and we deserved it.”

Wenger frets over Sanchez, Ramsey injuries

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was concerned about the fitness of Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey after the Arsenal stars suffered injuries in his side’s 2-1 win over Leicester.

Wenger lamented what looks like a third hamstring injury of the season for Ramsey as the Welsh midfielder went off just nine minutes after coming on as a second half substitute.

He was also critical of heavy Leicester tackling that saw Chile winger Sanchez taken off with a knock following a clash with Matthew Upson at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

“I don’t know [the extent of the injury] but it is not good news,” Wenger said of Ramsey. “He’s had a recurrence now of a few injuries.

“Sanchez had a knock with his knee and I don’t think he was himself. From the moment he got his knock, he was never comfortable. I don’t know how long he’ll be out.”

First-half goals from Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott gave Arsenal what Wenger described as an “important” response to Saturday’s derby defeat to Tottenham, and kept them right in the middle of a tight race for the top four. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.

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Illegal aliens: NADRA blocked 88,000 CNICs in Balochistan (National)

QUETTA: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has blocked some 88,000 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) in Balochistan after their holders failed to prove they were citizens of Pakistan, a senior official said on Wednesday.

“NADRA has blocked 88,000 CNICs after their holders failed to furnish the required documents to prove their citizenship,” said Quetta Assistant Commissioner Tariq Mengal, who heads the committee which investigates cases of foreign nationals who have been issued CNICs.

According to Mengal, around 45,000 CNICs had been blocked in Quetta alone over the past year. He said most foreign nationals with CNICs were caught once their cards had expired. Many others were caught during a routine check of their database. “The CNICs of many Afghan refugees were blocked after their family tree was analysed.”

Of late, the National Accountability Bureau arrested NADRA’s two assistant directors for issuing CNICs to illegal Afghan immigrants and refugees.  Subsequently, a court awarded both the officials seven-year imprisonment each and imposed a fine of Rs2 million. “They had received a huge amount of money as a bribe,” a NAB official said after investigating the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.

Pakistan gain impetus ahead of India clash

Momentum was the buzz word during Waqar Younis’ post-match conference after Pakistan downed England in their second warm-up match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Waqar sounded pleased with the turnaround in the fortunes of his team ahead of the pulsating clash with arch-rivals India, and claimed that his players were feeling confident after chasing successfully against Bangladesh and England.

Like the win against Bangladesh, the bowlers kept a tight leash on England, pegging them back repeatedly with strikes at regular intervals.

As expected, leg-spinner Yasir Shah flummoxed the English, preying on their perennial weakness against the spinning ball before Misbahul Haq and Umar Akmal combined for a fine match-winning 133-run alliance for the fifth wicket.

The World Cup warm-ups, especially the ones being broadcasted live, remain a tricky business. The competing teams are compelled to play at almost hundred per cent, leaving little room for experimentation.

In recent years, these matches have increased in intensity, only burdening the players further. At the same time, winning warm-ups can improve a team’s morale.

On Wednesday, Pakistan looked sharp sans Muhammad Irfan in their bowling attack. While Yasir took the honours, the death-bowling by Sohail Khan must have pleased the think-tank.

Sohail ‘gate-crashed’ his way to the World Cup squad on the basis of his death-bowling bursts during the Pentangular Cup held in Karachi last month.

The selectors and the coaching staff are pinning their hopes on Sohail to deliver the goods at the backend of the innings, and the strongly-built pacer strangled English batsmen with his yorkers, slower ones and bouncers – leaving the batsmen bewildered.

The 30-year-old has seemingly recovered from the shin injury he suffered in the game against Bangladesh and now seems a certainty along with Yasir for the game against India.

Younus Khan, on the other hand, is hardly a certainty after enduring another failure at Sydney. A painstaking 19 off 40 deliveries must have further dented the batting great’s confidence.

Pakistan needs aggressive and bold decision making and perhaps need to sideline Younus for the opener. Umar Akmal, who kept wickets in both warm-ups, did his chances no harm by playing a brilliant match winning 66-ball 65 and thankfully now seems to be in the right frame of mind.

Sohaib Maqsood, who scored an unbeaten 93 against Bangladesh, needs to bat at number three against India. His presence at the top of the order can propel Pakistan to a big score.

Nasir Jamshed is likely to be given a go against his favourite whipping boys in the opener and the presence of Ahmed Shehzad and Maqsood at the top of the innings can possibly further the momentum that Waqar alluded to repeatedly in his media interaction.

Sarfraz Ahmed is likely to miss the India clash, with Akmal reclaiming his spot behind the wickets. In the longer run, one hopes that the flair of Sarfraz is utilised by the team management as historically, keeping seems to take a toll on Akmal’s batting.

Waqar, meanwhile, also confessed that the team has had to ‘give in’ to their plans in search of the right balance amid the absence of front-line all-rounders in the recent past. Some of the selections have thus left the pundits puzzled, and at times extremely infuriated.

The now hugely experienced head coach claimed that Younus remains an immensely valuable player in the Pakistan line-up and the demanding conditions were the primary reason for his struggles.

The indications are that the usually conservative mindsets of Waqar and Misbah are reluctant on leaving Younus out of the opener. If Younus plays, Maqsood would be the most likely ‘sacrifice’.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.

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Five Pakistani trends to watch in 2015

With most of our attention focused on breaking news and headlines of the day, sometimes we miss the trend lines in society shifting significantly. Here’s a list of five trend lines to watch in 2015.

Firstly, Pakistan’s (informal) economy will boom: everyone and their mother-in-law are making the case for why Pakistan’s economy is on the brink of collapse and mismanagement. This makes a sensational news story for ratings but the truth is more nuanced. With oil and electricity prices steadily declining, disposable incomes will rise and a consumption-centric culture will fuel a boom. Put your finger on the pulse of Pakistan’s informal economy and you’ll feel the full force of the boom to come. For example, restaurants aren’t just packed but have waiting lists for over an hour (on a weekday and outside defence), gleaming new cinemas are seemingly popping out of nowhere and lines for parking outside shopping malls are stretching over a kilometre long. Unlike the last major consumption boom, fuelled by cheap credit in the Musharraf years, this one has a stronger footing (as long as fuel prices hold). This is not to say that there aren’t real imbalances or problems in Pakistan’s formal economy but the economy that the ordinary Pakistani consumer experiences should brace itself for a real boom.

Secondly, security is no longer a public good: we’re at a tipping point for how middle and upper class Pakistanis view personal security. We have precedence for how public goods turn into private goods. Our parents studied in public schools, we studied in private schools. After accepting a few hours of load-shedding, our parents did a cost-benefit analysis on buying generators. We view generators as a necessity of life in Pakistan. How will this trajectory move forward in personal security? Those who can afford it will hire private guards, move into gated communities or leave Pakistan. None of this is new but we should expect more security experts talking about personal security on the media, hosting workshops, and communities and neighbourhoods taking charge of their own personal security. Every man (and minority) for himself.

Thirdly, Pakistan’s start-up culture will come of age: imagine a marriage between Pakistan’s signature entrepreneurial spirit and Silicon Valley inspired cutting edge best practices on entrepreneurship. This is a marriage made in heaven (and Pakistan). Take the example of the car pooling application Tripda, led by Ahmed Usman Sheikh, which has the potential to up-end how we imagine urban and inter-city transportation in Pakistan. With established interests not allowing any transformational changes to Pakistan’s public transport status quo, upstarts like Tripda can create the space and conversations needed to trigger a virtuous cycle of change. While most Pakistanis would never have done business with a technology start-up in their lives, this will begin to change this year as start-ups and the infrastructure around them (incubators, funding, and technology) come of age.

Fourthly, a do or die year for Pakistani cricket: I might not be very popular saying this right before the World Cup but the one thing we still really celebrate about Pakistani cricket is its unpredictability. This is really a nice way to say we lose more often than we win, but the spectacular, unpredictable wins are worth the wait. This masks a subtle but steady downwards trajectory for popular interest in cricket. If Pakistan marks an early exit from the World Cup this year, we may see the visible beginning of the end of Pakistan’s love affair with cricket. But then again, this is exactly the type of pressure situation that delivers Pakistan at its best. Let’s just say this trend’s a bit unpredictable (I’ll let you figure out if the pun is intended).

Lastly, the rise of the Pakistani people standing up for what’s right: the flip side of the institutional failures hurting Pakistan is the rise of individuals trying to do the right thing, at great personal sacrifice and risk. Take Jibran Nasir, in many ways, Pakistan’s last man standing against extremism. His organic movement to reclaim mosques by asking imams to condemn the Peshawar attack was particularly inspiring; a direct confrontation of clerics at the Lal Masjid by unarmed civil society activists was unimaginable just a few months ago. Another anecdotal example, a group of concerned Pakistanis in Switzerland coming together, attempting to fund education for underprivileged children thousands of kilometres away in Gadani through The Citizens Foundation. Away from the spotlight of the headlines, Pakistanis will rise to Pakistan’s rescue in 2015.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2015.

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Partnering with Pakistan to empower women

Today on National Women’s Day, we are reminded of the many personal and economic challenges facing women across the globe, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight Australia’s steadfast and ongoing commitment to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across Pakistan.

Australia’s aid programme to Pakistan promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment by promoting women’s voice in decision-making, leadership and peace-building, women’s economic empowerment, and ending violence against women and girls.

Australia has zero tolerance for violence against women and girls, both in Australia and internationally, and recognises that it has a responsibility to contribute to international efforts to improve the safety of, and opportunities for, women and girls globally. I am pleased to highlight a new AU$ 7.5 million aid programme we are implementing in partnership with Troicare to work towards the elimination of violence against women in Pakistan. The programme provides support services for women and their children, as well as innovative approaches to engaging with men, women, and religious and community leaders to challenge attitudes and behaviours that tolerate violence against women. Ending violence against women and girls is crucial to ensuring women’s full participation in their communities and enabling economies to maximise growth.

The Australian government is also committed to promoting women’s leadership, and recognising that expanding women’s participation and access to opportunities is central to sustained economic and social development. Australia is supportive of the excellent advocacy work undertaken by the Pakistan National Commission on the Status of Women. Like Australia, the Commission is committed to promoting women’s leadership, women’s economic empowerment, and ending violence against women and girls. I believe that improving gender diversity in leadership and decision-making roles is a shared challenge for Australia and Pakistan. Evidence shows women’s leadership is fundamental for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty, and women’s leadership, economic independence and status within families and communities are closely connected.

Australia also believes that women’s empowerment is one of the most effective methods for promoting economic growth and achieving lasting peace and security. Australia provided AU$ 6 million to the World Food Programme to provide life-saving and empowering humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in response to varied humanitarian crises in Pakistan over the last year. This support has helped deliver emergency food relief and life-saving nutritional support to internally displaced people in Pakistan, including more than 69,000 families displaced from North Waziristan, almost three quarters of whom are women and children.

While improving women’s empowerment is a challenge for all of us, Australia believes that facilitating women’s economic empowerment is not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do. Australia invests in key health, education and agricultural development programmes in Pakistan to address genuine development need and to stimulate economic growth and employment opportunities. Australian aid investments in agriculture enabled approximately 8,000 women farmers to access new agricultural technologies and management practices in 2013-14. In addition, 1,100 women’s small businesses were established or restored their operations.

Australia’s AU$ 10 million aid investment in Livelihood Strengthening Programme in Border Districts, implemented by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has built the capacity of women to gain skills and opportunities for earning, and enabled women to access microfinance through community investment funds. Such participation in the formal economy improves women’s status in the household and community, enabling achievement of more balanced representation of women in key policy, legislation and other decision-making roles.

In line with the government of Pakistan’s Vision 2025 commitment to improving nutrition in Pakistan, Australia has partnered with the World Bank to establish AU$ 41 million Multi-Donor Trust Fund to support nutritional needs of mothers and children across Pakistan. We hope this new investment will provide life-saving and empowering nutritional support to women and children across Pakistan, and in turn increase life opportunities.

Australia also recognises that child, early and forced, marriage constitutes a violation of human rights and we will continue to advocate internationally for an end to these practices. Child, early and forced, marriage continues to be an impediment to not only the economic, legal, health and social status of women and girls, but also to the development of a community as a whole.

Australia congratulates Pakistan on its Vision 2025 commitment to the empowerment of women, and looks forward to the opportunity to continue working together to advance the gender equality agenda in Pakistan. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2015.

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Is the Saudi connection the main problem?

It almost seems that we have awakened to Saudi Arabia’s role in Pakistan. Or perhaps, we have found the strength and space to question an old relationship that was a boon for some and a bane for others. Suddenly, every media group seems to be scrambling to report Saudis hunting in Sindh and Balochistan. In one particular programme, a guest speaker was reminded of threats to Pakistan’s sovereignty posed by the visitors. Needless to say, the discussion was comical as the anchor and guests all pretended as if the hunting was happening for the first time. As usual, many are looking at the political government with accusatory eyes. Surprisingly, no one seems to mention that Riyadh paid $ 500 million to the US for the F-16s in the PAF or that it bailed out the Pervez Musharraf regime by taking responsibility for Nawaz Sharif’s exile. This certainly does not give any authority to the Saudis to plunder our resources or conduct illegal activities, but it is vital to remember the context.

The Saudis are partly right when they claim that they gave money to Pakistani religious groups with the Pakistan government’s consent. If people could be reminded, Saudi Arabia did more than give money. It also helped with some of the groups, like negotiating with the leader of one of the terrorist outfits and paying him on our behalf to calm him down. But it is also a fact that there were occasions when Riyadh paid militants without Islamabad’s permission. If the Saudi authorities think hard, they will remember 2011-12 when the PPP government requested it to withdraw the ambassador who was caught dishing out money to militants.

Personally, I have just one question: why this sudden hue and cry? I remember a time a few years ago when an information ministry consultant informed me that my remarks about Saudi Arabia were expunged from proceedings of a discussion in Islamabad as it would be harmful for my interests. How does one explain this sudden openness?

It is possible that someone has realised that with oil wealth reducing, Saudis may not remain generous patrons and, therefore, are expendable. Perhaps, as some like to argue, since the military wants to eliminate terrorism, it is quietly creating space for people to speak up. After all, why would a federal minister suddenly feel the urge to criticise Riyadh’s role? However, many would consider the criticism as Pakistan crossing the Rubicon and abandoning burdensome relations. There is certainly a movement, but it also tends to hide much more that is there. For instance, is Saudi Arabia the only culprit when it comes to funding? What about others, like Qatar, the UAE and South Africa? Rulers of the Gulf States have huge palaces in southern Punjab where they come for hunting, from birds to homo sapiens. We were always happy to provide them services in return for small change. Interestingly, South Africa, which does not even have a palace, has emerged as an important source for private financing of militants. Of course, the difference is that Pretoria is not officially linked with this business. The country is a favourite destination for specific groups whose leaders and workers travel regularly to raise resources.

The right to protest the Saudi role notwithstanding, the entire conversation tends to hide more than it reveals. Suddenly, the army of anchors has drawn attention away from other sources of funding, including internal ones. Talk to any of the safe militant groups and they will tell you that Karachi is one of the major collection points followed by Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot. Ask any reasonable terrorism expert in town and he/she will tell you how voluntary contributions added to militants’ resources. The entire land mafia in the country is linked with one militant group or the other, which play a central role in landgrabbing. For over a couple of decades, the smaller power centres in every city and neighbourhood sought help from militants to strengthen themselves vis-a-vis their opponents. Religion and violence were central to power re-negotiation. The Pakistani diaspora is another source of financing. The bulk of the money does not even come through official channels but is shipped home from abroad by jet-setting clerics. And thank the stars for hawala operations.

The combination of unaccountable madrassas and friendly militants will only perpetuate the problem. Why should we imagine that an announcement of change in policy would clean society of radicalism that forms the basis of militancy? We have shied away from addressing the madrassa issue. Notwithstanding the fact that not all seminaries are linked with militancy, these are ideological warehouses that market a certain ideology and are used to attract funds most of the time. Why would anyone object to philanthropic causes of financing educational institutions allegedly meant for the poor? Not all madrassas cater to the poor. There are those in larger urban centres that even offer air-conditioned accommodation to those who can pay for it.

Let me make it very clear that I am not suggesting closing down or banning madrassas. The entire private sector education area must be regulated properly because militant organisations have penetrated into the private English-medium school system as well. Madrassas, in fact, should be taken away from the ministry of religious affairs or the interior and should be put under the education ministry and treated like other educational ventures. In madrassas, the issue is not the lack of English or the curriculum but the manner in which things are taught. Also, they are used to raise funds with little accountability regarding expenditure.

It will be worthwhile remembering that we are talking about over three decades of radicalism that has taken roots in society. The social factors that created this remain unchanged. The alternative plans are few and far between. Unfortunately, the state will have to take a lead role in changing the scene as the civil society is fairly weak despite the claims we make about its strength. The majority of people wait for a cue from the state as they have done in the case of Saudi Arabia. Only with the nod from certain quarters have people begun to speak about what they always knew.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2015.

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Designer of soy sauce bottle passes away

TOKYO: Kenji Ekuan, considered one of the pioneers of modern Japanese industrial design and father of the iconic Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, has died at the age of 85, his office announced Monday. The designer, who passed away on Sunday at a hospital in Tokyo due to a heart complication, conceived the iconic teardrop-shaped design with a red plastic anti-drip top in 1961, which Kikkoman continues to use for its soy sauce bottles.

Since then, the company has sold hundreds of millions of bottles with the design, which combines simplicity, usefulness and beauty, and became synonymous with soy sauce in Japan as well as the rest of the world. Born in Tokyo in 1929, Ekuan lost his sister and father when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during the Second World War. Ekuan later admitted that the total devastation caused by the bomb motivated him to become a “creator of things.”

He later managed to enrol in an exchange programme at the prestigious Art Centre College of Design at Pasadena in California from where he graduated in 1955. Two years later, he was among the founders of GK Industrial Design Associates, which would go on to play a significant role in creating what is today considered the contemporary Japanese lifestyle.

During his celebrated career, Ekuan was also behind the designs of several Yamaha motorbikes, the Narita Express train that connects Tokyo with Narita international airport, and the bullet train that runs between Tokyo and Akita prefecture. In 1976, he was elected president of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design and in 2000, he received The Order of the Rising Sun, one of the highest recognitions given by the Japanese government. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.

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Rohail Hyatt hints at Coke Studio comeback

KARACHI: Pakistani music producer Rohail Hyatt hinted at the possibility of producing one more season of Coke Studio in an interview with BBC Urdu.

The former Vital Signs band member took to his Facebook page, however, to clarify that he would not be producing Coke Studio 8. If Hyatt does go on to produce another season of the music show it will mark his seventh stint as producer of the show.

Hyatt issued a statement on his Facebook page stating that, “Just for the record, I’m not producing the next season of Coke Studio Pakistan (2015). I think the BBC interview is being interpreted by some as if I am producing this season… What I meant to say was that I would like to produce my 7th season of Coke Studio one day. I hope this clears any confusion.”

However, sources have also revealed that there is a possibility that Rohail Hyatt might return to Coke Studio for its 10th anniversary to produce a finale. Nothing is confirmed yet. On the other hand it is confirmed that despite the criticism they faced in the production of Coke Studio 7, Strings will be the producers for Coke Studio 8.

They are already looking for potential artistes and some international collaboration cannot be ruled out as well. Some of the well-known Pakistani pop artistes are also expected to make their comeback in Coke Studio in season 8.

Right after its beginning seven years back, Coke Studio became the most viewed music show of the subcontinent under the auspices of Hyatt.

Hyatt vacated the seat of producer of the show after six seasons in charge due to personal reasons with Strings assuming the mantle of the new producers.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2015.

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The robot, who is named Ikram after the Mexican-Syrian philosopher Ikram Antaki and belongs to the Univserity of Canterbury, made the decision after viewing the 14 countries’ flags.

After narrowing down the options to India, West Indies, Scotland, New Zealand and Afghanistan, the robot predicted that Afghanistan would be named the champions.

Eduardo Sandoval, a University of Canterbury HITLab PhD student, developed the robot’s prediction software.

“Of course, this is very unlikely, but with cricket the outcome can always be unexpected,” Sandoval was quoted as saying by nzherald.co.nz.

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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11399641

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