Global Voices » Faisal Kapadia

Watchdog Social Media Monitor Pakistan's Historic Elections

Faisal Kapadia — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:32:48 +0000

This post is part of our Special Coverage Pakistan Votes 2013.

As Pakistan nears its first democratic transition of power with the country's historic elections only days away, social media is empowering Pakistanis to take a more active role in the vote.

Elections in Pakistan are a tense affair. The five-year tenure of the democratically elected Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government is set to end with elections on May 11, 2011. Nearly every time elections were held in the past, parties have hurled accusations of rigging and misconduct at each other, giving way to violence.

But unlike the past, when the average Pakistani had to rely on the mainstream media to gather first-hand news and form their opinion, social media has changed things. There is an increasingly informed portion of tech-savvy populace which is using Facebook and Twitter.

Two new online platforms in Pakistan are attempting to use social media to monitor the upcoming elections for irregularities and violence as well as to inform the public about the electoral process.

Voter Stats. Infographic courtesy of Pak Votes

Pak Votes

Pak Votes (English, Urdu) is an election monitoring citizen journalists platform. It is an initiative that aims to highlight the voice of ordinary citizens through citizen media to generate an alternate narrative of 2013 electoral contest.

Using social media tools, it encourages openness by citizen participation and tries to provide timely and reliable information. The focus is to increase the people's ownership of the democratic system.

The innovative citizen journalism portal aims to empower the common people to voice their opinion on the upcoming elections, cite any Code-of-Conduct violations before, during and after the upcoming elections, and also report incidents of violence or rigging.

The project has trained 40 field monitors from the most remote and most violence-prone areas around Pakistan. These field monitors are reporting election problems in real-time to the platform from remote regions, which are generally ignored by the mainstream media. These reports are mapped here.

A shopkeeper vows to vote for PTI. This picture was sent to PakVotes for iVote campaign by @SoofiaSays

For example, a PakVotes-trained citizen journalist from Quetta, Balochistan has reported:

Most women don’t even have their NIC cards with them. Either they never had an ID card made, or their husbands or fathers have them. This essentially forces them out of the voting process and so, they get to have no say in the electoral process.

Apart from the monitoring, the platform aggregates blogs, opinion pieces, and analysis from citizens on the PakVotes website. @wordoflaw wrote in a post ‘Wattan Ya Kaffan’.

Rather tragically, there are two elections being contested in Pakistan. One is an election that is focused on rhetoric and a “New Pakistan”. The other, the election that the ANP is contesting, raises the issue that in order for there to be a “New Pakistan”, the State of Pakistan must continue to exist. And it is that Pakistan which is under attack.

Cartoonist Sabir Nazar draws for PakVotes. New Pakistan vs Old Pakistan.

The project can be followed on Facebook and on Twitter (@pakvotes). If you are in Pakistan and witness violence in any form, report it to PakVotes by sending an SMS to 0334-40-2222-4, send an email to report@pakvotesmap.pk, or simply tweet to @PakVotes.

Pak Voter

This platform allows Pakistani citizens to learn about elections and the electoral process via social media in order to urge them to get out the vote. Pak Voter provides information and links for informed voting decisions, while offering the information in a neutral and apolitical way.

This process does not begin and end with elections — it is an ongoing endeavor and would require constant and long-term engagement of Pakistanis to not only vote, but remain active after elections and hold the winners accountable to their mandate.

Speakers at Pak Voter's first voting information session on May 7, 2013. Photo by Faisal Kapadia.

Writer Sidra Rizvi explained why it is important to vote on her own blog:

Exercising our vote is something we all must do. If we don’t vote, the people who shouldn't be in power will win. Their loyalists will vote for them. And with us not casting any, they will once more gain control. Isn't this what we are trying to change? Shouldn't we cast a vote then, if not to elect someone, then to help not elect someone who is not capable?

A @pakvoter-hosted chat on Twitter was the number one trending topic in Pakistan under the hashtag #letsvote on May 8, 2013:

@FarriRizvi (Farheen Rizvi): roads and banks are the coins of an elected govt. Elected govt shud provide security for domestic/foreign investment @pakvoter

@RJ_kulsoom (Umme Kulsoom): Don't know your polling station? Check it here today http://www.norbalm.com/pakistan-elections-urdu/ … and #letsvote on may 11. #pakvoter @pakvoter

@PakVoter (Pak Voter): It is unrealistic to not participate in the election process and then sit and criticize. you must go out and vote! #letsvote

@rraheelNJ (Rizwan Raheel): @PakVoter @faisalkapadia a single vote can tilt the balance, and it just might be your's. Use your right to choose what you think is right

@hiranazam: Vote. Even if you feel your vote doesn't count. Even if you feel it's wasted. Even if you feel the elections are rigged. Go. Vote. #LetsVote

This campaign can be found on Facebook and on Twitter (@pakvoter).

The post was co-authored by Qurratulain Zaman

Rare, Live Glimpse into Pakistan's Progressive Fashion Industry

Faisal Kapadia — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:25:11 +0000

As religious violence and American drone strikes continue to plague Pakistan, the country's latest fashion week promises some respite from the turmoil.

Fashion Pakistan Week is being live-streamed on April 9-10, 2013 from Karachi and is showcasing lines by 27 Pakistani designers.

Unknown to most of the world, fashion plays a huge role in Pakistani life.

Pakistan's Fashion Weeks

Since 2009, Pakistan has hosted dozens of fashion weeks. These ‘Fashion Weeks’ offer the world a rare glimpse into a blossoming and professional industry that illustrates cultural norms in Pakistan aren't as rigid or conservative as most believe.

This Spring/Summer 2013 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week will be followed by two more fashion events in April – the Bridal Couture Week in Karachi which will focus on wedding wear and then Lahore will host another Fashion Week.

Global Voices interviewed three designers ahead of the event, who explained that despite their nation's circumstances, they are constantly innovating and creating:

Fashionably yours -Zari Faisal from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.

Fashionably yours – Hasina Khanani from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.

Fashionably yours – MONA IMRAN from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.

Designers are also coming up with high tech ways to reach their market. A great example is this E Store which will be carrying these collections hours after they walk the ramp, for anyone to purchase locally or internationally.

Fashion Pakistan Week is set to break social media boundaries in the country, as well. Not only will the event be livestreamed, but fashion bloggers like Nida Moughal and some Twitterati will be covering the event. The Internet is a big worry though; the whole region is plagued by broadband issues because two out of the four submarine cables that link Pakistan to the web have been damaged.

Fashionistas Against Taliban

Security concerns and Taliban threats at the first Pakistan Fashion Week in 2009 also marked the beginning of the Fashionistas Against Taliban (#FAT) movement. The event pulled war correspondents from neighboring countries into Pakistan to cover fashion and has been the source of satire-loaded tweets, memes and this Facebook Group which has developed cult-like status amongst the country's social media users.

Pakistani fashion designer Deepak Perwani. Image used with permission.

Sabahat Zakariya (@sabizak_) whose Twitter profile says she is a ‘reverse snob and tweeter about life’ remarks:

@sabizak_ (Sabahat Zakariya): #FAT “@tammyhaq: Thank goodness for fashion week season. Back to back fashion weeks will provide some respite from all the election griping”

On more than one occasion though #FAT is poked a little bit for fun on Pakistani social media.

Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) A recovering bureaucrat and columnist known for his dry wit quips:

@mosharrafzaidi (Mosharraf Zaidi): That's so Taliban! RT @holland_tom: “Fine dining and an obsession with fashion are marks of sickness in a state.” – Seneca. #FAT

Investigative blogger and Twitter user Shahid Saeed (@shahidsaeed) tweets a picture of a Pakistani politician who's known for sporting punk-like hair colour:

@shahidsaeed (Shahid Saeed): Shireen Mazari’s hair be so #FAT twitter.com/afi_alikhan/st…

Meme for Fashion Pakistan Week – used with permission

Samra Muslim (@samramuslim), a self-described lover of shoes, marketing, and media tweeted about the social media hype surrounding Fashion Pakistan Week:

@samramuslim: Looking forward to #FPW now – strongly feel it will be a great #socialmedia #casestudy from #Pakistan! Good luck @fashionpakistan @dperwani

Umair Mirza (@Umairmirza) celebrated the fashion week joining the “digital age”:

@Umairmirza: the most interactive #FPW ever ! u'll feel like you are there at the venue ! thanks @fashionpakistan. its a DIGITAL AGE love !

This event, which may offer a peek to a different side of Pakistan, will be available to watch here:

The author of this post Faisal Kapadia is managing the live streaming and social media of this event.

Pakistan's Darkest Night On Social Media

Faisal Kapadia — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:51:57 +0000

Courtesy @SamirRajani

A massive power breakdown rocked Pakistan at 11:45 pm on Sunday, 24 February 2013, plunging 70 percent of the country into darkness for 14 hours.

Government-enforced electricity outages or ‘loadshedding’ have been in place since 2008 to manage Pakistan's electricity shortage. So when the lights first went out, many responded by powering up their generators or lighting candles, thinking it was a scheduled outage. Until tweet after tweet came in reporting that practically the whole country had been affected.

The news was verified almost instantly by journalists like Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) on Twitter:

@faizanlakhani: Confirmed: #Karachi #Lahore #Islamabad #Rawalpindi #Mangla #Dina #Faisalabad
#Sialkot #Quetta #Hyderabad #Peshawar are suffering #blackout

On the night of the outage, six power plants were working around the clock to meet the demands of the 180 million strong country. And when one plant got stressed out and shutdown, it set off a domino effect across Pakistan's national power grid.

Load sheddings (rolling blackouts) are quite common in Pakistan and are wildly unpopular. Reports suggest government mismanagement:

The government does not want to upset voters so there are no planned outages to manage the electricity shortage …[Sunday] was bound to happen. You can’t keep people happy with an uninterrupted power supply when surrounded by so many problems.

One of the first people to suggest that this power failure was on a national level was Samra Muslim (@samramuslim) with this tweet:

@samramuslim: #Karachi: which parts have power. Please confirm. @kesc_ltd

@YusraSAskari: #BlackOut #Pakistan RT @shahrukh1985: @yusrasaskari Just called relatives in Hyderabad & Dadu. Same scene since 23h30. February 24, 2013

Image from inside Karachi airport via @sanasaleem

Soon social media in Pakistan was buzzing with queries to the online Twitter account of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation @kesc_ltd.

When most of Pakistan aside from the high-security red zone and military bases remained shrouded in darkness, people once again turned to humor to make life easier during the blackout. As hilarity ensued, even our neighbors joined in on the puns:

@godfatheriv (Godfather IV): #OverHeard Pakistan's population to increase by 7% in the last few hours.#BlackoutInPakistan LOL

@zedgardezi (Zed Gardezi):'Does Mobilink work off Tarbela and Mangla dams?!?!’ Hahahaha #BlackoutInPakistan

@nikhilm0204 (Nikhil Malhotra): @lolendrasingh Rajnikant used his new electric shaver and #BlackoutinPakistan

@anilasultan (Anila Sultan): May your phone be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. #BlackOutInPakistan #UPS twitter.com/Hasty_Gandalf/…

@Slackistanii (Wolf): Don't blame the government dammit, its all bane's fault #BlackoutInPakistan

With umpteen promises to turn the power back on within hours and people ranting and raving about all kinds of conspiracy theories from an army coup to an alien invasion, day light finally brought with it the sanity of restoration to the national grid. As city after city came back to power, Pakistanis realized that even the darkest night in our history could be seen through with unity to laugh in the face of helplessness.

Pakistan: Riots Aftermath – Project Cleanup for Peace

Faisal Kapadia — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 22:59:55 +0000

September 21, 2012, was a day that will be remembered for a long time in Pakistan. On this Friday the government of Pakistan announced a day of protest against the film insulting the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) which was a source of a worldwide controversy as its trailer was released on YouTube.

The protests started peacefully with thousands of people taking the streets in solidarity against this video, but the absence of leadership on the ground led these protests turn violent.

The world then witnessed images of mobs looting and burning cinemas, breaking into banks and stores and general mayhem until religious leaders called for peace and the throng dispersed around the evening, not before 19 Pakistanis had lost their lives.

People gather at burnt Sarhadi Lutheran Church which was set ablaze by angry protesters during demonstrations against blasphemy anti-Islamic movie. Image by Owais Aslam Ali. Copyright Demotix (22/9/2012)

Sabahat Ahmed states in his blog at Pak tea house:

Recently, certain elements using freedom of conscious and freedom of speech as an excuse, have made an anti-Islam film either to show their malice towards Islam and the Holy Prophet, or maybe, to spread hatred against Islam. As a result of this, there has been a violent reaction among various organizations and countries. They, in order to vent their anger and displeasure, have resorted to furious protests, often leading to arson and destruction of private and public property. I always wonder that why don’t they try to give a satisfactory response to the criticism of the critics, and to make an effort to convey the true and real message of Islam to the World.

Ali Ahmed depicts the pretentious shock of the urban elite at his blog “My Bit For Change”:

The elite should stop reacting with such marvellous shock. And please, please stop mocking the mob. If you are privileged enough to have a voice, use it to address the larger disease, not selective symptoms. The ones responsible for law and order and the ones who claim to be our leaders, they are responsible for not just the violence on Friday, but the daily horrors Pakistanis outside the Red Zone have to deal with

There were others though in Pakistan, who felt that instead of just sitting and declaring these protests righteous or bad they should do something about the destruction caused. Thus Faran Rafi and a bunch of other volunteers from all over Pakistan started a Facebook event called “Project cleanup for peace“. Within five hours it had 2,500 volunteers and on 23 September just two days after the carnage they took to the streets in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

A lot of mess to cleanup. Protesters loot and burn a family park in peshawar. Image by Musharrat Ullah Jan. Copyright Demotix (22/9/2012)

Here is a video interview with Faran Rafi:

Faran rafis interview - projectcleanupforpeace from Faisal Kapadia on Vimeo.

I asked my Twitter followers this question:

@faisalkapadia (Faisal Kapadia): A bunch of youth recently had a cleanup event in karachi lahore and isloo after recent riots #projectcleanupforpeace your thoughts?

Following are some of the reactions to this cleanup operation:

@norbalm: in fairness they made some effort so not negating, but something constructive can also be done, seeking out the victims

@chatmasala9: round of applause for them

@Rida_Umar: Such exemplary projects by Pakistani youth. It definitely takes time for the revolution to occur,but it does happen.

@HaseebAfsar: It's great to see that there is positives in the society and it's about time this positivity is mobilised to uproot all evils

@silverskyN: #ProjectCleanUpForPeace was supported by individuals who were frustrated after the mockery made out of the #IshqeRasoolDay. The message was simple that we believe in respect for ALL religions, tolerance, co-existence and inter faith harmony. Although we are aggrieved, we do NOT support resorting to violence! Islam is a religion of Peace and Love.

So the protests have finished, the cleanup has been done, the walls painted over, the roads swept. What about those who lost their lives during this anarchy? Will Pakistanis ever be able to recover from the emotional and psychological turmoil and anger the country felt that Friday?

“They must” seems to be the resounding answer. They must learn to control at least some of their emotions so that more lives are not lost. These youths have shown the resilience in their cleanup efforts indicating a change.

The Pain of Being Physically or Mentally Challenged in Pakistan

Faisal Kapadia — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 20:17:14 +0000

In this world everyone is striving for perfection, and yet there are many who are falling behind from our relentless rat race for existence. Being a physically or mentally challenged person in Pakistan is a very painful existence because society finds it exceedingly hard to accept people who are a bit different, who need a little special care. They are usually shunned to the point that they feel alienated.

The first issue though is that of access. Less than 10% of buildings, restaurants and public places in Pakistan have proper ramps and facilities for disabled people. Erum Sangji, an apparel sourcing agent in Karachi, speaks on the lack of access issue in reference to her niece who is autistic:

Furhan Hussain commented on Twitter:

@FurhanHussain: Please note how schools/universities inculcate zero awareness in youth by not providing ramps and accessibility options in campuses.

Disabled protesters set a wheelchair on fire during demonstrations against social welfare cuts and demand special job quotas during International Disability Day. Hyderabad, Pakistan. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copy right Demotix (3/12/2011)

Bisma Askari, an architect working in Karachi, said:

bismAskari: Even basic facilities such as ramps are at a minimum, but are made with the wrong proportions. A wheelchair access ramp should have a ratio of 1:10 therefore making it comfortable for wheelchair use (an example of this is the pedestrian bridges at sharah e faisal. Only now do places like dolmen mall and port grand have wheelchair access but something like the flooring at port grand is not convenient for wheelchairs as well as there is no access to the shops / mall as there are steps.

Samra Muslim said:

@samramuslim: @faisalkapadia with older people it's like ‘why do u need to be out – u r old and dying’ … Sad mindset we have …

Another huge stumbling block in the lives of physically and mentally challenged people in Pakistan is the social stigma attached to them as well a lack of proper educational facilities.

Taimur Mirza, an adventurer and off-road enthusiast who is raising a disabled 23 year son, Shehryar, speaks on this issue:

Ameenah remarked on the non participation of the state:

@ameenahtobani: haven't seen any facility for them they really feel handicapped no effort from state to make them feel indpndnt!

Faizan Lakhani chimed in about the lack of facilities:

@faizanflkhani: We don't have dedicated car park area for them. No special arrangements in public transports. #gv #Pakistan

This is not the only chapter in this book though. Despite all of these issues and hurdles, disabled citizens of Pakistan have been busy striving to achieve success with great merit in fields such as sports and education.

The Paralympics Association was founded in 1998 in Pakistan, and had trained athletes with disabilities to achieve the amazing result of 16 gold, 19 silver and 20 bronze medals in various sporting events around the world. The video below is a small reminder of their achievement:

There are several organizations and NGOs in Pakistan working for the rights of physically and mentally disabled people. Schools such as Manzil, Autism Institute, Dar ul Sakoon in Karachi and the Rising Sun school, and the Thevenet Centre in Lahore are also included in this list. These are just a few examples in this fight against injustice and humiliation. One of the most recent achievements in this field is a remarkable rickshaw provided by the NOWPDP, which can be controlled by hands alone.

Imran Ghanchi at the Unique Pakistan blog talks about the special rickshaw for disabled people:

“This rickshaw has better features than the one I had,” explained Ghanchi. “I am encouraging other disabled people to become drivers.” He is buoyed by the backing of the network.

Zafar Ullah Khan, a disabled person aged 40, writes in his blog:

The Government of Pakistan should at least take concrete steps to provide government jobs to educated special people. Those who have fake degrees reach the parliament. We have genuine degrees but are deprived of our right. It is also the clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which has been signed by 153 countries including Pakistan, which on 5th of July, became one of 107 countries to have ratified it. The most fundamental principle of the convention is to change society attitude towards person with disabilities by making it more inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based.

The government has taken some steps such as the formation of a separate NIC (national id card) for the differently abled people in this country, giving them the chance to at least apply for some of the benefits they should get by default. However the integration of such individuals in the society at an acceptable level is a fight which they and the concerned citizens of this nation are fighting everyday.

Pakistan: Shia Target Killings Continue

Faisal Kapadia — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 23:59:04 +0000

On August 16, 2012, gunmen stopped a passenger bus in Mansehra, pulled 20 Shia Muslims off and killed them in cold blood. This is the third incident of targeted killing against the Shia community in Pakistan in the last 6 months.

The bus was en route to a popular tourist destination in the north of Pakistan Gilgit, from Rawalpindi, a city close to the capital Islamabad.

According to police official Shafiq Gul the gunmen were masked and the victims were pulled from three separate vehicles:

They stopped three vehicles, searched them and picked up people in three batches of five, six and nine and shot them dead. They were all Shias.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted responsibility for the attack.

In a similar incident on February 28, gunmen in military fatigues hauled 18 Shia Muslim men off buses travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and killed them. On April 3, a Sunni Muslim mob dragged nine Shia Muslims from buses and also shot them dead in the town of Chilas.

Activists of Majlis e Muslimeen Pakistan hold a protest against Shiite target killings in Gilgit & Quetta. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (10/4/2012)

The social media in Pakistan were quick to react. Activist Ali_Abbas_Zaidi was among the first to report this incident:

@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi: Passengers were (again) made to stand out of the buses, identified and shot. 18-20 reportedly killed #Gilgit – Most probably #ShiaGenocide

@Darveshh expressed his horror that the incident took place in the Islamic month of Ramadan:

@Darveshh: 20 funerals. 20 families. It's 27th Ramzan. Three days into Eid. Think of each child, mother, father, sister and brother. #ShiaGenocide #Gilgit

More reactions:

@sheerazhaider: #ShiaKilling This is 4th time in 4 months,1st one kosistan,2nd chelas,3rd manwar gilgit,and last babusar naraan today.CJP Are You Awake?

@yaroun1: RT @moeidhaider: @AwkwardShia @Marwa_313 : almost everyday shias r being brutally killed in pakistan (quetta gilgit) & majority is silent & yes media as well

@zahaibnabeel: Strongly condemn targeted killing of 20 Shia Muslims in Gilgit. Need to spread Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)'s msg of peace & harmony among all.

@Aushpaz Imagine if the first target killing incident in #Pakistan was dealt with judiciously, we would not have been mourning #gilgit today!

@AnjumKiani: if u want to call it a #ShiaGenocide then call It, If u want to term it as a #SunniGenocide Do it. For me its a #MuslimGenocide. #Gilgit

@javhb: RT @AnjumKiani: The 16 martyred in #Gilgit by Khawarji terrorist were neither 16 Sunni's or 16 Shia's, They were Pakistani Muslims. Full Stop!

South Asia: First Pakistan-India Social Media Summit Wraps

Faisal Kapadia — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:57:57 +0000

It was a very hectic Friday and Saturday in Karachi at the Pakistan-India SOCMM12 summit. With sessions starting from 9:30 am and going on till 5:00 pm with only a one hour break for lunch/prayer, the community was busy discussing, networking and learning from the panelists. The attendance was quite high with many calls coming in to gain admission, so the organizers decided to open doors for all, midday on the first day. However this summit was not without its difficulties of which the major one was obtaining visas for the Indian delegation.

Beena sarwar at Journeys to democracy wrote:

Recounting the difficulties related to the visa issue, Sabeen Mahmud of Peaceniche, the non-profit organisation behind the event, thanked the Pakistan High Commission staff in New Delhi who stayed back till 10 pm to process the papers, as well as Interior Ministry Advisor Rehman Malik, who went out of his way to expedite the visas.

Bina shah commented on this event:

The highlight of the weekend was meeting the guests that were invited from India, who were able to attend thanks to (former) Senator Rehman Malik's personal influence in getting them visas. I met a cricket writer, a journalist, an educator. One of them had even read my novel. We compared notes about Karachi and Bombay. Social media, as they said, knows no boundaries or visas, but meeting our neighbors in the flesh was incomparable to anything else.

The summit also came in for some criticism from bloggers in Pakistan who chose not to attend this gathering citing several reasons including sponsorship by the U.S consulate and the invitees belonging to one particular class.

Kashif Aziz wrote at Chowrangi in a post titled “trolls liberals and wannabes”:

The Social Media Mela (aka SOCMM12) was an apparent attempt by the US Consulate PR department to win the hearts and minds of Pakistani Social Media. However, the bunch of enthusiasts grouped at the venue does not represent Pakistani Social Media per se. The so-called influencers have an out reach mainly to the English speaking part of Pakistan, and that too in a small percentage.

Casim Butt tweeted about this fact as well:

@casimbutt: guess what? SOCMM12 is being hosted by #USCG Lahore and Karachi=) told you it's totally disconnected from the rest of #Pakistan, Great work=)

Despite the criticism this social media summit managed to include not just people from India but a sizable contingent from Lahore as well as Karachi.

Sajshirazi wrote on his blog making sense of social media:

This year, Social Media Mela (#SOCMM12) is being held again in Karachi. Heavy contingent of Lahore Bloggers, tweeps, writers and activist (including Ali Aftab Saeed, Ali Dayan Hasan, Amin Shah Gillani, Ammar Aziz, Assad Zulfiqar Khan, Faheem Zafar, Faiza Sultan Khan, Khurram Siddiqi, Mehmal Sarfraz, Mehreen Kasana, Mira Hashmi, Nabiha Meher Shaikh, Nighat Dad, Nuzhat Saadia Siddiqi, Raza Rumi, Saba Gul, Shehryar Khalid, Syed Muneeb Ali, Taimur Rahman, Tuba Mehmood, Yasser Latif Hamdani, Rub Nawaz, Hasan, Abdul Majeed Abid and your truly) is expected to be there. These are the vibrant people who belong to a community, which follows common values and goals. No?

The melas popularity was also witnessed across nearly all major newspapers of this country as it was given page length print space.

Express tribune's coverage

Dawn's coverage

Also of note were the musical performances in this social media mela, with Qawalli (traditional sufi music) being performed at the end of the first day and Laal band's performance at the end of the second day.

All in all, it was pretty clear that the people present were quite thrilled at this meeting of minds and enjoyed the opportunity given to them to their fullest. The underlying theme of peace was reiterated again and again impromptu in several sessions with calls for an ethical code for social media made by bloggers and responsibility key in them. You can photos of the event in its Flickr account.

Will the countries of India and Pakistan find peace through summits of this nature? Obviously not as that demands a political solution, but lines of communication must remain open and there is no better way of doing that then to have the netizens of both nations unite at opportunities given to them. The participants of SOCMM12 achieved that.

Ellia khan, a volunteer at SOCMM12, says:

‏@elliak: Day 2 of ‪#socmm12‬ was fantastic! Going to miss the craziness!

Venkat Ananth ‏the cricket columnist on yahoo visiting from India speaks of Karachi on twitter:

@venkatananth: @beenasarwar @IamOnir @karunajohn @Raheelk @imsabbah Definitely. Closest city to Bombay in spirit (stress!) and culture. Always.

Onir, the independent filmaker who visited SOCMM12, tweeted:

@IamOnir: After the three days conference. #SOCMM12 the common desire is “ease the visa regulations on both sides and let common ppl meet each other”

South Asia: First Pakistan-India Social Media Summit

Faisal Kapadia — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:45:46 +0000

Pakistan has seen a hyperactive social media community making its presence felt in the past year in activism, online campaigns as well as discussion. In line with this, a social media summit between Indian and Pakistani netizens titled the “Social Media Mela 2012″ has been announced and scheduled for the 13th and 14th of July 2012. By expanding its footprint across the border, the Social Media Mela 2012 aims to nurture dialogue, thought leadership, and critical engagement with entrepreneurs, journalists, activists, and creative professionals. The Summit will feature sessions that explore the creative arts, the changing face of media and politics, pop culture, slacktivism versus activism, education, innovation in the interruption economy, crowd-funding, and the business of social media.

Director of peace niche “sabeen mahmud”

Reactions on this summit/mela (fair) have been mixed in the Pakistani social media diaspora. As tempers flare and with seats being limited to 300 everyone, the netizens are divided trying to either get into the summit or shoot it down.

Taimoor malik tweeted about a session featured in this summit

@Taimoor Malik : #gvfk There will be an open mic session called “Dil Ki Bharaas” Interesting antics can be expected. #socmm12

Abdullah soomro thought the idea of a summit is crucial in his tweet

@soomro_abdullah: Much needed initiative to encourage collaboration and dialogue among social media fraternity of two countries. gvfk #socmm12

Saj Shirazi was hopeful as per his past experience on twitter

@sajshiraji : Given my last year's experience, I feel excited about #SOCMM12

The Logo Of Social Media Mela 2012

Samra muslim is looking forward to this media mela as per her tweet

@samramuslim: should be extremely interesting to listen to both India and Pakistan success stories on social media and meet the ppl! #gvfk

As in any social media summit, a key element is its live streaming and coverage. Although Peace Niche has committed to live twitter feeds as well as a flicker stream, live streaming of this event has not been confirmed as yet due to the obvious security issues with our Indian friends visiting.

Puruesh Chaudry from Islamabad points out the necessity of live streaming as well.

@puruesh (Puruesh Chaudry): would love the hear the indian perspective #gvfk, will it be live webcast? #socmm12

With 3 days left and the invites just going out, Peace niche, the organization that is arranging this summit in the port city of Karachi was a beehive of activity today.

Panelists on both sides of the border featuring in this summit cannot control their excitement and were heard expressing it on social media as well.

Onir the independent film director said

@IamOnir: looking forward …. been a dream for many years to visit your city and country

Sabbah Haji, another panelist from India, is equally thrilled as she tweeted

@imsabbah: Faasla na rakhein…Pyaar honay dein… *giggle* Honoured to be one of the speakers at ‪#SOCMM12‬ in Karachi

Nighat of Bytes for all is all for unity as she tweets!

@nighatdad: BIG YES! RT @faisalkapadia: @nighatdad #pakindiasmbhaibhai :) this summit we can show the world tht pak and india can collaborate #socmm12

The schedule of this social media mela is provided here and by the looks of will be the talk of new media in Pakistan for some time to come. Whether or not it will lead to more controversy or actually bridge the teetering divide between India and Pakistan even if limited to its netizens still remains to be seen. Do follow on twitter for live updates with the hashtag #socmm12!!

Pakistan: Stop Dumping On Us

Faisal Kapadia — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:47:06 +0000

Globalization is often touted as the solve it all solution of the problems this world faces today. However there are several very highly toxic effects of globalization as well. For instance these seemingly dissipating borders means that the western world has been and even now is engaged in dumping its plastic and medical waste to third world countries. They are able to do so as there is a lack of whistle blowing as well as checks and balances in countries like Pakistan, which has been subjected to dumping for the last 30 odd years.

Skeptic life reports:

As it is, there is no systematic method of medical waste management in Pakistan. Not all medical facilities have incinerators and it is not uncommon to find possibly contaminated waste in open trash heaps. The last thing we need is hazardous waste from other countries adding to the problem, especially when this waste can be infected and cause diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS.

Untreated medical wastes are drained into the sea. Image by Raja Islam. Copyright Demotix (1/11/2010).

Uroos reports on her visit to a garbage heap in Lahore:

On my visit to Lahore two days ago I along with some other media friends of mine took a drive down to Shadran which is the scrapyard heaven in Lahore. I see crushed plastic, piles of medical waste, IV tubes and infusion bags lying on the ground in warehouse and people coming to buy them, I caught hold of one of the kids who works there, to my utter shock he tells me that local manufacturers who make plastic products even down to utensils come and buy this scrap to reuse!

Green action reports on the dumping of plastic waste in Pakistan:

At present, there are hundreds of importers and buyers in Pakistan who are trading different used plastic items and materials. Definitely these types of used items are economically cheap and very cost effective, especially for the average buyer in the Pakistani market. But, the overall hazards resulting due to the unrestrained and uncontrolled usages of these used plastic items outweigh the so-called benefits and advantages.Sipping water from a used pet bottle would not be an ideal option for any health-conscious individual living in any part of the world, but there are a number of traders in Pakistan rejoicing the economic benefits offered by the treasured rubbish, that is discarded by the more developed countries of the world

One begins to wonder, how are Pakistan’s authorities allowing this dumping of hazardous materials on our soil? The case though is a multilayered one with many of these materials being passed off and misdeclared in our customs under “plastic scrap” and other categories to be cleared and sold off by importers. What they cannot sell off they dispose, so they are hand in hand with the whole process. Many of our hospitals too are often found disposing medical waste in their own backyards or adjacent rubbish heaps, to the extent that several unborn fetuses have been routinely popping up all over Karachi in waste heaps.

Day and night news reported on just such an incident on their blog:

In a what comes across as callous disregard for public safety, around 900 kg of bio medical waste(BMW), including used syringes, blood-stained cotton gauze and bandages packed in plastic disposable bags, has been dumped in the open in the compound of the UT administration’s flagshiphospital, GMCH-32.The fact that the hospital is one of the most frequented and trusted institutes of the region only add to the culpability of those who allowed this. With this, thousands of people including the staff, patients and their attendants have been rendered vulnerable to deadly infections.

Non-degradable plastics in a garbage dump in Karachi. Image by Syed Yasir Kazmi. Copyright Demotix (15/12/2009).

Pakistan today also discussed in detail the joys of importing plastic waste borne diseases in Lahore:

In Pakistan purchasing diseases is quite an easy task. In fact if you want to purchase an infection from an operation theatre of Germany or Japan all you have to do is to go to any one of the bulk traders of post consumer hazardous plastic scrap in Shahdara market and tell him to sell you HIV, Hepatitis C or Tuberculosis. The rates vary with good infections fetching from Rs 100 to 150 per kg. You might be wondering what this is all about. Day in and day out we all talk about the lack of accountability in Pakistan. The authorities that are responsible for ensuring accountability are those working in connivance with plastic scrap traders of Lahore to ensure clearance of containers carrying thousands of tones of infection into our local market.

Although a strengthening and overhaul of customs law as well as more diligence on control of such imports will prove useful. It is of utmost importance that local communities get involved in keeping our country clean of such products. For this purpose reporting such waste piles are key, too long have we been exposed to harmful diseases due to lack of vigilance. The effort will require us to not drive past burning heaps of open air rubbish in our city and stop to ask why and who is exposing us to these hazardous materials. More can also be achieved by organizing community cleaning drives and not restricting them to beach fronts.

Only if we ourselves show care for the environment around us can we effect change in keeping it safe and livable here in Pakistan.

Pakistan: Moral Policing of Dating Couples Gets TV Show Axed

Faisal Kapadia — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:04:01 +0000

On January 17, 2012, a morning show was broadcast on Pakistani news network Samaa TV where its female host, Maya Khan, and a group of middle aged women were seen scouring the parks of Karachi. Their sole objective was to hold accountable couples visiting the parks in order to be on a date together without their guardians’ knowledge.

During this show the group was seen chasing the couples around the park, forcing many of them to flee, cornering one and then recording them without their consent. As they repeatedly asked for the camera to be switched off, they were told it was, but the Samaa Team continued to film discreetly with sound.

During this episode couples were also asked to prove they were married to one another and produce their marriage certificates for the host Maya Khan.

Screenshot from Youtube Video. Click on image to watch.

This episode prompted strong protests from social media users in Pakistan, and many reacted like Mehreen Kasana, who said:

See, girls fall in love pretty much every single day of the week and so do boys. Sometimes they make the right decision, sometimes they make mistakes. It’s called being human. But trust me, they don’t need a team of middle aged women hounding them down public places to enlighten them about their decisions. And trust me, their mothers will handle whatever happens. No one asked you or anyone else to take the responsibility of scrutinizing them.

The uproar following the airing of this episode was by this time apparent all over Twitter and Facebook in Pakistan. Bina Shah in her piece for the Tribune remarked:

Time and again the ethics of our media have been called into question, as channels embrace sensationalism in order to achieve the highest ratings. The television channel in question will find themselves open to legal action by victims of their harassment who are being portrayed on television without their consent. Airing this segment also appeals to the worst instincts in our hypocritical society by passing moral judgment in the name of family values upon two innocent people, which makes for some of the most irresponsible broadcast journalism found in Pakistan today.

A loosely knit group of civic society activists at this juncture uploaded and started an online petition against this show called ‘STOP “Subah Saverey Maya kay Sath” vigilantism like Lal Masjid‘. Dozens of people also complained to PEMRA (Pakistan’s electronic media regulatory authority) via this online feedback form.

On January 22, lawyer Osama Siddique drafted a brief letter expressing outrage at the highly intrusive, invasive and potentially irresponsible behavior on the part of the host. This letter and a followup letter were sent by a group of citizens to Zafar Siddiqi (President CNBC Pakistan, with which Samaa TV is affiliated).

Beena Sarwar, a civil society activist deeply involved in this protest remarked on her post ‘No to vigil aunties‘:

The first time I saw a link to this show was on Jan 22, shared on a Facebook group, on Jan 21, 2012. I, and many others, began sharing the Youtube links on Facebook and Twitter. As it spread, the outrage grew.

People were shocked at the level of intrusion and vigilantism on display. From India, came comments on twitter about the Saffron vigilante brigade that has been known to drag couples into temples and force them into instant marriage. Which reminded me that the mentality we are protesting is not limited to Pakistan.

Graphic courtesy Teeth Maestro

By 23 January the online petition mentioned earlier had 4,800 signatures on it, and several articles were being written on what was wrong with this kind of broadcast journalism; this combined pressure resulted in the removal of the Maya Khan Facebook page and subsequently the taking down of YouTube links to this show.

In her show on the 23 January, Maya Khan apologized for this episode and mentioned time and again that this was not meant to hurt people. However by this time civil society activists were asking for a public and unconditional apology and the removal of this show from the airwaves. Efforts had also started to contact the sponsors of this network and more specifically this show.

Samaa TV responded to the letter sent to them by asking Maya Khan for an unconditional apology, which she refused, upon which on January 28, Zafar Siddiqi wrote back to inform that Maya Khan and her team have been terminated and her show will not longer air from the 30 January.

So today is the first day the show is off air. This is a watershed moment in Pakistan’s broadcast media history and social media as it comes to the realization that although it is allowed to push the limits set upon it, there are limits and they must be observed. In any case it is a good precedent for civil society to gear up and enforce rights like privacy and freewill to interact without public harassment in Pakistan.

Pakistan: Embracing the Google+ Circles

Faisal Kapadia — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:51:04 +0000

The past couple of weeks might be forever remembered as a game changer in the realm of social media in Pakistan. It was when Google rolled out its all encompassing and challenging social behemoth of a network called Google Plus.

Although in the beginning this social network was by invite only, I doubt if they could have wanted a more hyped up roll-out. Pakistan is crazy about social networking, so it is of little wonder that the launch of Google+ garnered so much reaction.

Awab Alvi at Teeth maestro wrote after his first look at Google+:

Decent attempt by G+: I think Google must realize it specializes in “Search” maybe tapping the social network may help refine its search engines but it should not dabble too extensively and hope to edge into Facebook’s turf as it already has a 700 million head start. As I don’t think Google+ will trigger a mass exodus from Facebook, but it might start something like the slow food movement amongst social network.

Cartoon by Randall Munroe, published in XKCD – A Webcomic. Used under a CC BY-NC 2.5 License.

Shoaib Taimur, one of Pakistan's now infamous Twitterati commented:

I like the idea of Google Plus though it seems a bit barren at the moment. I would love for Google to open this trial for everyone. Overall it’s not confusing as Google Wave, though it ain’t a Facebook killer.

Ammar yasir of Teabreak thought:

” it might start something like the slow food movement amongst social network..”
That's exactly how users migrated from Orkut and MySpace back in the day. As for Facebook it missed the chance to kill GMail when they were revamping their messaging service.

However, it will be interesting to witness Facebook's reaction.

Image by Flickr user Sean MacEntee. Used under a CC BY 2.0 License.

A couple of weeks have passed since the launch and everyone is now a bit more familiar with the G+ concepts of circles for friends, huddles for messenger and hangout for video chat (although that's still not operating 100 percent in Pakistan).

As people explore more and more, the debates are getting increasingly technical. Some people have come to realize that although Google promises more privacy it is in fact more open than even Twitter as anyone may add you even if you can block them on finding out.

Wasio Abbasi a freelance writer and new media professional commented:

I haven't come across any indication to know who I am “Circled” with someone, seems like something new to explore.

Dr. Kamran Iqbal, a very poignant commentator in the Pakistan blogosphere remarked on Google+:

The great thing about Google+ is that it gives considerably greater personal space and control, has less clutter, and quite diluted in space much like a spacious city, unlike Facebook which now looks like a densely crowded populace like typical urban metropolis.

Currently G+ has become open for all, i.e. no more invites needed to join it and therefore there are lots of bloggers from Pakistan now reviewing it.

Imran Jaffery at Maboot sums it up with:

At the end of the day, I guess people won’t have enough time on their hands, and they ultimately would have to choose between Facebook or Google+. And I am afraid *cough* in months ahead or in a year now on 50% of Facebook users would switch to Google+. Geeks, Tech-Savvy users and the guys who usually share the worthwhile content would be moving quickly to Google+ in my opinion as this product is more compelling for that group of people. And Facebook only will be left with Stalkers and friendship seekers.

Hammad Armghan at Gizmo Heat concludes:

For me Google Plus is a complete package with tons of exciting features. Google plus indeed (is) the strongest attempt that Google made to step into a Social Networking.

So it seems like an all out war as Google+ takes on Facebook, Skype and even Twitter with the just announced mystery bulk SMS features to come. The Internet may benefit with a one stop dashboard for social media and Google with its documents, search, maps and now Google plus social networking has the capability to provide us with this solution. What remains to be seen is how they will handle the enormous load of people coming their way in the long run.

Thumbnail image by Flickr user west.m (CC BY 2.0).

Pakistan: The Veenagate Controversy

Faisal Kapadia — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:17:39 +0000

Veena Malik at Lux Style Awards. Image by Arun Reginald. CC-BY-SA-3.0

When Veena Malik, an aspiring Pakistani starlet joined the cast of characters on the Indian reality show Big Boss, not many heads turned in her direction. Most did not believe that she will survive at the show beyond a couple of weeks at best. However she made it through the preliminary rounds and became a household name in India when she was finally ousted in the last round of this spectacle. Back home the hardliners were already sharpening their knives to teach her a lesson for her alleged obscene antics in the show and now she comes back to face the music. She stands outspoken and defiant though, as on a recent talk show on Express TV she was accused by Mufti Abdul Qawi (a religious scholar) of insulting Pakistan and Islam.

Ayesha at Sharp Perceptions blog lauds Veena's courage:

Kudos to Veena for standing up for herself; for giving words to the feelings of those countless people who fear to speak out in public even on real issues faced by our society.

Raza Rumi at Pak Tea House notes:

“In a nutshell, Veena Malik has challenged the middle class morality embedded in the Urdu press and, by extension, its electronic counterpart. The mere fact that a Pakistani performer is prancing around in western clothes and playing to the Indian viewers’ gallery by indulging in mock-romance with a ‘Hindu’ actor has alerted the guardians of public morality also endearingly known as the ghairat brigade. The imbecile notion of ghairat largely focuses on controlling women and regurgitating militant nationalist narratives through state and non-state actors. Anchor after anchor has prodded hostile commentary on Veena Malik and declared her short of wajib-ul-qatl. This is not too dissimilar to the public floggings of the Taliban variety.”

Sana Saleem at the Dawn blog wrote about the inequality existing in Pakistan created by the edict preachers:

“It is true, no one would have dared to speak in such a way to a man, call him names or even questioned his character or his activities on national television. Not that they should, but has anyone ever questioned Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or the numerous others who have worked in Indian films, produced music and music videos in India? Has anyone ever scrutinised their actions? We have never discussed if any of their videos merit Islam or our culture. Yet, we consider it our right to slander a woman and make her look like the sole custodian of the country’s ‘honour’. Those who believe such vehement reactions are justified need to rethink their definition of ‘honour and dignity’. Honour that gets disrupted because of a woman’s appearance on a reality show but remains unscathed when over a 1,000 infants – most of them girls – are killed or abandoned to die. This is nothing short of hypocrisy”

Rumaisa Mohani at her blog little things noted the rise of a different segment of Pakistan in the light of recent events:

“In Pakistan, there seems the rise of a new large segment in our society —> Semi-Liberals or they may be called Semi-extremists (Neither Rightists nor Leftists) .. They are coming out in the open media and expressing their concerns about their image of being Muslims & Pakistanis being manipulated and projected in the most unwarranted ways”.

Not all however even some amongst the moderate Pakistani blogsphere hold the same views on this:

Reebs at Spring Of Autumn blog thinks that the show Big Boss should be banned in Pakistan:

“Moreover, Indian also media played a wonderful tact to gain maximum profit by deciding to involve Pakistani celebrities in BIG BOSS 4. Veena Malik is the most conflicted and a disliked personality of Pakistan. She knows how to stay in the media and gets everyone’s attention. In big boss 4 too, she has committed serious crimes, if judged according to the ethics and values of the culture/religion she belongs to. As she is a Pakistani contestant, the show big boss is getting very famous in Pakistan, therefore the cable TV channels and Pakistani satellite channels ARY are broadcasting all the episodes. It is a source of corrupting the young generation as well as hurting the family values. Big boss is allegedly creating bad taste in the prime time of family.“

Speak Your Mind blog not only comments on the issue but reveals a view of Veena Malik which is less than flattering:

“We have seen Veena Malik from the good old days. She is one of those faces who never got any recognition in the industry. She is spontaneous and open about her real life, surgeries, opinions, love life and anger, I feel Veena Malik is more of an attention seeker and hypocrite.”

Currently Veena Malik faces not just public criticism on her appearances on Bigg boss but has also been charged with “Immorality” in court in Lahore as reported by Frontier India & Allvoices:

“The petitioner pleaded that actress Veena Malik committed immoral and un-islamic acts during her recent performance in an Indian reality show and the same was also reported in local press”

All the views above, whether for Veena or against her, seem to further cement the fact that Pakistan now stands divided amongst its conservative and liberal forces, both vying for power and not willing to budge an inch on their views.

Pakistan: Website Monitoring Continues

Faisal Kapadia — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:18:37 +0000

Image by Mikey G Ottawa. CC BY-NC-BD

On June 16th the Lahore high court in Pakistan ruled that PTA (Pakistan Telecommunications Authority) should ban nine websites for hosting blasphemous contents. However the government changed this decision later to avoid international condemnation and promised to keep a close eye on popular websites including Google, Youtube, Facebook, Hotmail which could be posting blasphemous content objectionable to Muslims. This has come in the wake of the same high court ordering a complete ban of Facebook in the month of May and then its follow-up ruling (under immense public pressure) to take back the ban on the wildly popular social networking site as it was restricting access to positive communication.

The whole flare up in this issue is rooted to the “Draw Muhammad Day” group on Facebook which caused huge uproar in nearly all Muslim dominated countries of the world and the network was condemned with some viciousness. Rallies were carried out in protest by right wing groups in Pakistan and it was totally blocked in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well. As it stands now right or wrong is not a question any longer, pandora's censure box is open and all sorts of ugly demons are coming out to restrict new media and monitor online traffic and queries.

The blog Pak Point reports:

Any web-site at URL or IP level would be blocked after proper investigation by inter-ministerial committee for the valuation of web-sites at the receipt of information or complaint from any source, as soon as information is received by the IT ministry.

Jenkin's ear points out that this is the start of something bad:

Unfortunately, this is likely to lead to more problems than it solves. After all, the Vatican's web site is probably contrary to Islam, but it is probably not blocked. Another issue is that the teachings of Islam on the subject of what is and is not acceptable in a web site are probably unclear.

Sana Saleem at Mystified Justice says:

Do we, as citizens of this country, have the right to even hold an opinion? Will we have the opportunity to engage with people without being scrutinised? Will we ever be able to truly respect the right to self-regulation as a nation? The crackdown on the internet appears to be more of a political ploy than a religious one. But like all other things, we love using the religion card to strengthen our stance and to silence opposition.

For all those bent on moral-policing the internet in the name of religion, please pay some heed to the thousands of child porn websites that are still accessible in Pakistan, none of which have been mentioned in 10,428 sites to be banned. When will we learn to prioritize?

It actually seems as if the educated of Pakistan realize that we cannot as a country really communicate and function with the outside world if we isolate ourselves from services like Hotmail, Google etc. However the masses and the leaders sought to please them do not seem to realize what and how much of an impact such a widespread censure could lead to.

In a guest post at Teeth Maestro's blog, Shaista Kazmi and Azhar Aslam writes:

As an ordinary Muslim, I may not be an authority to speak on Islam, (although Islam never limited or restricted opinion formation , to any ‘authority’), still the concept of blasphemy, as it is practiced in Pakistan at least, seems skewed, lacking commonsense and dare I say quite the opposite to what we learn as Muslims were the teachings of the prophet whose very honour we are trying to protect. Doesn’t that sound how we define the word ‘hypocrisy’?

Asif Shehzad at Taragana states that some observers noted that Pakistan had gone further than several other Muslim countries by banning Facebook, and said it showed the rise of conservative Islam in the country. Created in 1947 as a homeland for Muslims, Pakistan has swung away from moderate Sufi Islamic influences common to South Asia toward the more rigid version of the faith found in the Arab world.

To me sitting here writing this piece in Shanghai, it is already obvious what would happen if a blanket ban on Youtube, Google, Hotmail, Facebook and others is imposed just as China indulged in many such censures with horrible effect. Even though these actions may be disastrous for the foreign image there are still many ways around these bans and blocks and as we saw in May, Facebook usage did not drop too much from Pakistan in spite of the ban. This is a day and age when the flow of information has become more of a weapon then the flow of arms and I doubt if anyone can stop it totally.

The only way for Pakistan to move forward and steer towards the path of progress will be our ability to allow free speech and debate, which is mostly carried out online. Stopping that will just be a final nail in the coffin, something which we citizens cannot allow.

India, Pakistan: Sania-Shoaib Mania Rolls On

Faisal Kapadia — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:17:05 +0000

The Shoaib Malik and Sania mirza wedding controversy has been an awakening for people on the both sides of the India, Pakistan border. With the media blitz, it seems people of both the countries are witnessing a desi version of “papparazzi” as TV channels, print media and other agencies have hounded, gleaned and extracted any bit of information possible about this impending wedding.

Past skeletons have crept up on Shoaib in the form of his “ex wife” Ayesha Siddiqui, whom he had to officially divorce to end the controversy. The allegations and the judicial case on him in India have now been taken back by the Siddiqui family for an alleged Rs. 150 million in alimony. The twists and turns of the story have been pure mayhem for media and obviously the bloggers are not far behind. The blogsphere in India and Pakistan have literally lit up with views and debates, some think its a sign of peace to come while others cite this marriage as a source for future acrimony.

Syed Zaki Ahmed at Pak spectator thinks that the marriage and the noise is good for businesses:

Now in this situation how could businessmen lag behind. Businessmen in Pakistan have joined the party as they are getting orders for hundreds of thousands of T-shirts featuring Shoaib and Sania ahead of their wedding that is expected to take place next week on 15 April.

They call me muslim blog comments on the rationale behind the decision Sania Mirza took to marry Shoaib Malik:

What can Indian Muslims learn from Sania’s very personal decision? It is this: never be apologetic about Pakistan. Do not be needlessly cynical about that country out of fear of being dubbed a traitor. You are not.

The Hindu right wing parties, from Bajrang Dal to Shiv Sena, did make a meal of Sania’s decision. Yet, the bouncy tennis sensation took the plunge. Why? Simply because, deep in her heart, love for a Pakistani and being Indian need not necessarily be a conflicting experience.

However, Capricious thinks the marriage is going to fail:

* Sania Mirza got all the fame, popularity, wealth and iconic status in a very young age. She became a darling of India, pampered and loved by all Indians and projected by Indian and world media. [..] She is a independent girl. Unlike majority of Muslim girls of the subcontinent, she doesn’t need a husband for the bread and butter. [..] The sense of providing livelihoods to the family is some thing on which man’s character, attitude and his authority develops. It gives the typical Pakistani Muslim mediocre mindset. This mindset always demands some thing extra and undue favor from the wives. Which will be absent in the marriage. The luxury of being “husband” could not be availed by Shoaib Malik.

Whilst every day brings new news like the Pakistani PM sending a special gift for the couple, the diatribe continues elsewhere. Sunni Ulema Board, a group of religious scholars, reportedly issued a ‘fatwa’ (religious edict) against Sania and Shoaib for mingling freely and living together before the marriage is solemnized. There has even been a term coined on twitter for this union with the hashtag #shoania

We have seen rumor mongering reports that the actual nikah (marriage registry) took place on the 9th of April. But nothing is over until Sania and Shoaib say it's over. It seems the media is feeding the mania and millions of people in both the country remain engrossed with all these.

Obviously this will continue till the 15th of April, as two very emotional nations watch a movie like story transforming itself in real life.

Pakistan: Operation In South Waziristan

Faisal Kapadia — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:52:22 +0000

South Waziristan. Image via Wikipedia.

Operation Rah e Nijat (path to deliverance in Urdu) is the latest attempt of Pakistan army to inflict a final blow upon the Tehrik i Taliban in Pakistan, the group which has terrorized Pakistan. The buildup for this operation started when the Pakistan army recovered the Swat Valley area from the Taliban militants back in June 2009. On 19th of June Pak army started the gathering of forces on the border of South Waziristan. After three months of blockade and minor skirmishes with the Taliban eventually the army launched a full scale ground assault on the 19th of October 2009. The Pakistan army has a total of 28000 troops and 500 special commandos on their side while the Taliban have 10 to 15,000 troops and 1500 foreign fighters. The fighting is intense and arduous and each day brings reports of the Pakistan army inching forward another few steps deep into a very difficult and dangerous terrain.

Ahsan Waheed at Pakistanpal gives credence to the difficult terrains of South Waziristan:

We could see in the distance the regions where al-Qaeda has taken refuge. It’s an almost lunar landscape of dry, trackless peaks with a sparse stubble of trees along the ridges. If you were looking for a place to hide, so rugged and inhospitable that outsiders would tremble at entering, Waziristan would be it. In the days of the Raj, maps of Waziristan were mostly blank; even the intrepid British explorers usually stayed away.

Great Satans Girlfriend gives importance to mobilizing the masses for this operation:

“The death of hope must never be allowed to cast its shadow, and that will only be prevented if the state pools all its resources to energize the masses against terrorism.”

Abdullah Saad believes that the foreign militants in the Tehrik i Taliban (TTP) have run out of places to disappear:

My take though is that there is too much at stake in Waziristan. Principally, TTP cadres may be able to trickle into settled areas to avoid a traumatic fate or to live for another day … but that luxury is not available to their “guests”. The Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs etc will have to fight it out because if they are caught, they’ll be sent home on the first available flight and in a country like Uzbekistan, they’ll be sent straight to a firing squad.

Mustufa Qadri at Newmatilda feels that Pakistan is impossible to defend against militants:

The inconvenient truths of this narrative make for sobering reading. A spate of terrorist attacks in Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar have reminded us that while it is very difficult to protect every square inch of a country beset by an insurgency, it is next to impossible to do so in Pakistan, where disposable young men with explosives strapped to their chest are all too readily recruited.

The above statement is all too true as fallout from operation Rahe-e-Nijat has been direct counterattacks on civil society aka suicide bombing as well as the spread of fear and panic in the whole country. This lead to the closure of all education institutes and putting in place heightened security all over the streets of this country. We wake up daily to reports of not just war on the Waziristan front but shocking details of how it is being fought out on our very streets as well.

Brig (r) Junaid Zaman at “Pakistan Spectator” writes about the futility of closing schools in Pakistan:

We need not to panic and we need not to make our children coward and fearful. We need to talk to our girls and boys, let them know about the threat, ask them to keep vigil, make them understand the danger our country is in and about the menace of terrorism. Make them strong and bold and make them learn to live in the tough times. When they will emerge from these times, they will be far ahead to face the life as compared to other kids of this world.

On Taragana Zarrar khan speaks of a part of public perception that blames other players for these attacks on civilians:

Many students did not accept that militants were responsible for the attack and instead blamed shadowy forces out to discredit Islam or weaken Pakistan — variations of conspiracy theories that are often heard here after bombings.

Glenda at Berry picker reflects on the will of a society still carrying on in spite of the terror citing an example from a concert in Islamabad:

They didn't have to stop Thursday night. For at least one hour, Arieb Azhar and his band of four asserted the power of music's universality, diversity and tolerance in a city that only four days before had once again felt the power of terror to subdue the human will to fight for what is true and beautiful in life.

Bilquis puts it all in perspective at CHUP (Changing Up Pakistan):

Many scholars and politicians, particularly Imran Khan, have argued that the people in these areas have lived in traditionally lawless societies for centuries. Given this ground reality, they say, we must respect their traditions and work within this context. I disagree. As T.S Elliot aptly noted, “A tradition without intelligence is not worth having.” These traditions ignore issues that have allowed a zealous ideology to mushroom all across Pakistan, especially in rural Punjab. Take the the young girl who was flogged by the Taliban in Swat, for example. Do we want these traditions? Do we want men/women/girls being bartered to resolve disputes? Do we want our people to see a continuously distorted narrow vision of what the world is? I certainly don’t.

So here we are, hopeful but terror stricken, our schools closed and our future uncertain but we will not give up. We have to fight not just the menace on the ground with our army but the silent infestation of the Taliban ideology among our societies. I just hope the world is behind us, because if we fail its your turn next.