Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Review of Ashk by GEO TV – Episode 6
Review of Ashk by GEO TV – Episode 6
Written by Zafar Mairaj
Directed by Sarmad Khoosat
Produced By:Abdullah Kadwani & HuJuneun Saeed
Cast:Fawad Afzal Khan,Resham,Neelam Munir,Seemi Raheel,Sohail Sameer,Mehreen Raheel,Mohsin Gilani,Shafqat Cheema,Irfan Khoosat,Zamurd khan,Tipu Yurguc Sharif & Imran Bukhar
“Main sab kuch bardasht kar sakti hoon. Laikin apni muhabbat share nahin kar sakti.”
As Madiha opened the window and started howling, I thought the stitch in my side would burst from laughing helplessly. Lady, you love him. You do not mind him marrying anyone else, but you cannot ‘share your love’. Honestly, as Bedi Singh said, “Khuda nay tumhain bari complicated mitti say banaya hai.” Something tells me Madiha is just about to get her wish in life – that Rohail suffers from a loveless marriage, and only she receives his ‘true love’. This Madiha-Bedi Singh scene was probably the best scene of the entire episode, which just about tells you how banal the episode was.
Yes, I am totally MAD! Why do the ‘real’ best scenes turn out to be figments of the characters’ imagination? WHY? I found myself smiling silly at the cute Rohail-Zaibu scene, especially when he brandished the toy at her. Finally, I thought, comes the chemistry and the “Ishq” we have all been waiting for. But as usual (and typical of this serial), it was only Rohail’s dream. Loads of “Ashk” for us!
With the wedding that just would not get over to the antics of Bilal and Deenga, this was one episode that easily merited a hand on the forward button. The only saving grace were the Deenga-Mehru confrontations as well as the character of Irfan Khoosat, who makes a lot more sense than many of the characters in the drama serial. Oh, and before I forget, how come the “nai’s son” is a “bawarchi”?
I honestly feel the main issue with today’s episode was editing – what was the entire point of putting in short, choppy scenes of Madiha and Bedi Singh in between the wedding ones? If anything, they only broke whatever tempo there was between the scenes. Also, Turkey is only a couple of hours behind Pakistan. So how come it was early dawn in Turkey while it was late night in Pakistan?
Sigh! Thanks to the promos, we already knew what would become of Rohail and Zaibu’s marriage at least on the wedding day itself. Now, let’s see if the story further intrigues us. For now, sorry Ashkians, but this episode just didn’t work – it had potential but the overly long wedding scenes and the giveaway promo just about spoiled it all.
Written by Drama Buff (dramabuff.dp@gmail.com)
Sure by PTV HOME Episode 100
Pakistani TV Drama Sure by PTV HOME Episode 100
Writer:Amna Khalid.
Cast:nadia hussain, nayyar ijaz, hina dilpazeer, shahood alvi, Mehwish Siddiqui, Seemi Pasha, Sajid Shah.
Bay Iman by PTV HOME Episode 9
Pakistani Urdu PTV Drama Serial Bay Iman by PTV HOME Episode 9
Written By Riffat Siraaj.
Cast:Rehman,Zeba Bakhriyar,Nazli Nasar,Maira Khan,Pari Hashmi,Zohaib Somro,Sumbal Iqbal,Akbar Subhani,Ayesha Khan, Beenish Han
Athkeliyan by A Plus TV Episode 33
Urdu Pakistani Drama Athkeliyan by A Plus TV Episode 33
This soap is a spicy package of endless entertainment for all. It’s about two lower middle class families of mama’s boy Imran and a loving Mamoo’s beloved niece Farzana. The two families come closer by a difficultly arranged marriage between the two. The usual tales of saas-bahu confrontation assumes a new dimension between the less-typical wilful housewife of a well-settled and sober Imran as she takes on her nagging mother-in-law who has been against this match all along. Khala Chammo’s efforts to find a husband for her ageing daughter add fuel to the fire until Farzana’s Mamoo feels his heart leap at the sight of Imran’s phupo, a struggling dentist. Despite an initial show of reluctance, Phupo accepts the proposal as her last chance and leaves for Mamoo’s place where she shuts the doors on Farzana. Thereon follows a never-ending series of funny events with the arrival of Mamoo’s female tenant and her junkie husband, Neelam Baji, Imran’s foreigner cousin, his mother’s suitor Javed Sb. With all these colourful characters and their charismatic stories every episode of this star-studded soap Athkeliyan is full of innocent infatuations, some daring dreams, some persistent pains, and gigantic jealousies. It’s about human need of bonding and relations no matter how mischievous those may turn out to be
Producer:Barkat Saddiqi
Director:Kashif Saleem
Writer:Anjum Ansaar
Cast:Shehnaz Pervaiz,Mehmood Aslam,Azfar Rehman,Ayesha Toor,Fazila Lashari,Rehana Kaleem
Bano Bazaar by Geo TV Episode 62
Pakistani Urdu Desi Geo TV Soap Serial Bano Bazaar by Geo TV Episode 62
The heartwarming story of Bano, a simple girl from Lahore’s inner city who dreams big and desires the glitz and glamour of the lime light. Her dream takes her to Karachi where she soon becomes a famous star. However, it’s not long before she realizes that stardom comes at the price of being close to her family and finding true love amongst the many handsome men who take interest in her.
Written By Sheema Kamal
Directed by Arshi
A Soap by Asif Raza Mir & Babar Javed
Cast:Rashid Mehmood,Kiran Haq,Fareeha Jabeen,Sohail Sameer,Jibran Shahid,Ijaz Aslam,Humera Abid Ali,Ashraf Khan,Kamran Mujahid,Mehroo Butt.
Sethi says Kayani to visit US; army denies
Sethi says Kayani to visit US; army denies
ISLAMABAD:
An awkward disconnect between civil and military authorities came to light on Monday, in relation to planned meetings in the US, with whom relations are just beginning to thaw.
Moments after Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi announced that the army chief General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani would visit the US as part of the strategic dialogue, military sources rubbished the defence secretary’s claim.
Talking to the media after attending a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence, Sethi revealed that, even though the exact details of the army chief’s visit had yet to be finalised, a tentative agenda was being prepared in consultation with all the concerned ministries. However, military sources requesting anonymity, denied the report, saying Gen. Kayani had no plan to participate in the strategic dialogue in Washington.
In addition, Sethi said that two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between the US and Pakistan, including one on the Nato supply routes, during the strategic dialogue, adding that the ministry of defence had been given authorisation to sign the MoUs.
Anti-Terrorism Act
In a bid to make anti-terrorism laws punitive enough to tackle terrorists, the ministry of defence, in collaboration with all the stakeholders, is preparing a draft to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, Sethi said, adding that the draft would soon be presented in parliament and its concerned committees on defence and law.
Responding to a question, Sethi said was unaware of the release schedule of Coalition Support Fund (CSF) payments, but was hopeful that it would released soon after the resumption of bilateral ties between the US and Pakistan.
However, sources in the defence ministry said, “A legal deal to shape cooperation in the war against terror is on top of the agenda for the strategic dialogue, but the army chief would take up the issue of CSF forcefully, with the Americans subjecting it to further cooperation from the Pakistani side.”
Earlier, Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence met to discuss a range of issues pertaining to national security, strengthening civil and military relations and regional security.
Chairman of the committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed unveiled the future plan of action of the committee and said it would hold meetings with the three services of the armed forces to develop a national counter-terror strategy.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2012.
UN doctor injured in attack on vehicle near Sohrab Goth
UN doctor injured in attack on vehicle near Sohrab Goth
KARACHI: A foreign doctor was injured when unknown men opened fire on a vehicle belonging to the United Nations (UN) passing through Koochi Camp near Sohrab goth on Tuesday, Express News reported.
Initial reports suggested that the doctor, identified as Dr Foston, received injuries when unknown men opened fire on the Land Cruiser he was seated in. However, it could not be ascertained as to how many people were travelling with him.
Local police said two young Afghan men opened fire on the vehicle.
“A foreigner was wounded critically while his driver sustained superficial wounds,” senior police official Shahid Hayat told AFP.
“One of our drivers and one of our staff were hurt, but currently they are both stable,” an official from the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) told AFP from the capital Islamabad.
Dr Foston was shifted to Patel Hospital situated nearby, where doctors declared that he was out of danger.
He went on a visit to Koochi Camp, one of the Afghan refugee settlements in Karachi for a polio immunisation campaign.
Bengal Tigers, white lions unveiled at Karachi zoo
Bengal Tigers, white lions unveiled at Karachi zoo
KARACHI: A pair of Bengal Tigers and white lions were finally unveiled to the public during an inauguration ceremony attended by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed on Tuesday, Express News reported.
Hundreds of people flocked to see the animals, while some of them had taken a day-off from work especially to see them.
The tigers are being kept temporarily at the zoo and will be permanent residents of Safari Park.
The Bengal Tigers had been imported all the way from Belgium.
The zoo draws between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors every Sunday. The number increased over the last year after the zoo’s former chief, Bashir Sadozai, ordered extensive renovations.
However, some facilities are still missing and people don’t seem to know where the toilets are located. There is no proper system for families to find children who excitedly wander off and get lost in the crowd.
Dus Tak Kay Baad with Sahir – 17th July 2012
Dus Tak Kay Baad with Sahir – 17th July 2012
Host:Sahir Lodhi
The panels of Experts:
1. Nabeela (image consultant).2. Munna Mushtaq (Fashion photographer).3. Syed Abdul Ghaffar Agha (herbalist and health expert).4. Dr. Rabia Bashir (health expert).5. Liaqat Hussain (tarot Card reader).
Tu Tu Mein Mein by Ary Digital Grand Finale
Tu Tu Mein Mein by Ary Digital Grand Finale
A Reality Show by Ary Digital
11 Saas vs 11 Bahuein
Athkeliyan by A Plus TV Episode 32
Urdu Pakistani Drama Athkeliyan by A Plus TV Episode 32
Producer:Barkat Saddiqi
Director:Kashif Saleem
Writer:Anjum Ansaar
Cast:Shehnaz Pervaiz,Mehmood Aslam,Azfar Rehman,Ayesha Toor,Fazila Lashari,Rehana Kaleem
Review of Sabz Pari Laal Kabootar by GEO TV Episode 6
Review of Sabz Pari Laal Kabootar by GEO TV Episode 6
Directed by Babaer Javed
Written by Amna Mufti
Cast:Faisal Qureshi,Sami Khan,Mohib Mirza,Zyalay Sarhadi and Nimra Bucha.
Okay, so I was wrong after all, Arham did end up getting himself the much needed drugs, because nothing else would comfort him or make him forget his troubles. It is turning out to be a viscous circle because Arham is the sort of man who cannot face difficulties and would resort to some kind of a shortcut to make things easier. But the fact is that shortcuts do not make life easy but only make things more complicated in the long run. Kareema seems to be running the show in Arham’s house at the moment, what a sad state of affairs. She seems to be making the most of Arham’s mother’s insecurities.
While I enjoyed the development in Shafique and Najma’s story, I could not help but wonder if Najma was taking Shafique for a ride. I hope that Shafique’s efforts to fit in the society as a ‘man’ bear fruit. For once Shafique decided to take a stand and confront Rafique for his callous behavior but to no avail. I must say here that Faisal Qureshi’s persuasive portrayal of a heartless drug addict is a treat to watch every time. The way Anjay manages to convince Rafique of his loyalty once again by offering to loan him money showed that Anjay will leave no stone unturned to destroy Rafique completely.
Just like I thought, Rafique’s wife and Najma could not stay apart for long. The conversation between the two showed that Rafique’s wife has decided to live the life she is living and there is absolutely nothing that will make her walk away from this abusive relationship. She knows that things will never change for her but is willing to compromise for her daughters’ sake, although Rafique is as bad a father as he is a husband.
Rafique and Arham’s stories in a very apt manner put forward the message of how drug addicts start neglecting their duties and as a result their relationships fall apart. I think that the viewers are truly getting educated through this show. Arham’s mother does notice that he is not giving his home or office any time and is the least bit interested in both but cannot make out what is the reason behind this sudden change. She also notices the changes in Arham’s appearance, like his eyes getting red and his complexion getting pale but like any other parent she does not suspect drug abuse but thinks it is his diet that is insufficient. I must appreciate SPLK’s team for educating the masses through this drama. Many of the parents fail to see these changes in their children for what they are and have to pay a heavy price for it.
I can say with all certainty that the entire team of SPLK has put in a very honest effort in making this show what it is. Everything is brilliant, the script, screenplay and the acting. I am definitely looking forward to more amazing performances and great storytelling.
Author: Fatima Awan.
Athkeliyan by A Plus TV Episode 32
Urdu Pakistani Drama Athkeliyan by A Plus TV Episode 32
Producer:Barkat Saddiqi
Director:Kashif Saleem
Writer:Anjum Ansaar
Cast:Shehnaz Pervaiz,Mehmood Aslam,Azfar Rehman,Ayesha Toor,Fazila Lashari,Rehana Kaleem
Lakhon Ka Suchh by APlus 16th July 2012
Pakistani Reality Show Lakhon Ka Suchh by APlus 16th July 2012
Producer:Shahbaz Siddiqui
Director:Tanveer Araian
Writer:Shahbaz Siddiqui
Haqqani seeks exemption from physical appearance before bench
Haqqani seeks exemption from physical appearance before bench
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani on Monday moved an application asking the Supreme Court to review its June 12 order which compels him to appear before the bench in the memo scandal case when asked for.
Asma Jahangir, the counsel for Haqqani, filed the application in the apex court under the apex court rules 1980 for reconsidering its June 12 order claiming her client had been threatened by powerful forces in Pakistan, who are not under the control of any authority in the country.
The Supreme Court had on July 12 given Haqqani a three-day notice for submitting an application to the court for reviewing its summoning orders.
The review petition is being filed in view of the developments which have taken place after Haqqani left for the United States in late January this year, his lawyer said. Jahangir said that her client had remained in Pakistan after his resignation as ambassador. She added that her client’s family was residing in the US but he remained in the country during the memo commission’s initial meetings.
“By the time, Husain Haqqani left Pakistan on an undertaking to return to Pakistan whenever required by the commission or the Supreme Court, there was no sign of the commission agreeing to travel abroad to record evidence nor was the commission contemplating securing evidence through video link. These suggestions were orally turned down by the commission,” said further said.
Asma also mentioned that Haqqani had also filed an application before the commission and then subsequently the Supreme Court for extending the same video link facility for recording his testimony as had been to Mansoor Ijaz, the chief character in the scandal. But, his request was rejected by the commission without any reason. “At this stage, the presence, in person, of respondent is not required and to ensure such a presence would enormously risky and outweigh by many bounds the requirement of his physical presence,” she added.
She requested the court to reconsider the June 12 order as under the law as laid down whether in the criminal procedure code or the civil procedure code, that the physical presence of Husain Haqqani, at this stage of the hearings, is not mandatory.
Haqqani has also moved a separate application seeking access to video tapes of evidence collected by the commission which had been tasked with determining who authored the unsigned memo delivered to Admiral Mike Mullen.
Aisam and Faha separation carnival: The blame lies with us
Aisam and Faha separation carnival: The blame lies with us
Pakistani tennis star Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his wife Faha Akmal Makhdum decide to separate having failed to develop an understanding between each other over the course of their eight-month marriage.
First thought: Aisam, the tennis dude, loves milk (no pun intended).
Second thought: Eight months! Who the hell walks away from a marriage in just eight months and that too in Pakistan?
Third thought: Something scandalous must have happened. Must find out what.
I felt pretty ashamed at my personal train of thought when I first heard of Aisam and Faha’s separation, but once I went online to see what the media coverage was like; well, let’s just say I felt like I was cruising on a moral high ground that Jinnah would definitely have been proud off.
The Pakistani news media is accused of many things; poor standards, terrible reporting, poor grasp of the concept of what breaking news actually means, its inability to properly edit blogs, but a superfluous amount of sensitivity isn’t one of these things.
The breakdown of any marriage is a sad event. Most people would agree that it is very personal, and something that should remain between the parties involved, free of any salacious speculation. However, it doesn’t help matters when instead of merely reporting the event or simply ignoring it, the media decides to make a carnival out of it, rendering it preposterous with sound effects that dramatise every little thing and headlines like “Aisam aur Faha ki jori nakam!” (Aisam and Faha fail as a couple).
The goal here appears to be ‘strive to extract as much perverse pleasure from the event by maximising tabloid value’; anything that attracts viewership like locusts is fair game. As long as it doesn’t peeve the good people at Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA) ofcourse.
One wonders if the middle management of news organisations were ever accorded the same lack of privacy, and their own personal lives were analysed with the same microscopic precision, would they be so cavalier? How would they feel if their personal tragedies were reported with the same level of glee? It’s easy to say that celebrities themselves encourage the media’s attention, but it isn’t quite that simple. Really, it isn’t.
Do all sports stars, models, actors or anyone granted some minuscule vestige of celebrity status automatically forgo their right to personal privacy? Must their highs and lows be recorded, analysed and disseminated to the teeming masses at a pace that would put Aisam’s serves to shame? Isn’t there any point, any at all, where we just gracefully butt out of their lives?
At what point does someone become famous enough, that we feel entitled to an unrestricted access to their personal lives?
I am sure that none of us, baring those who are attention hungry, would enjoy such intrusion in our private lives. After all, no one wants to beat their own drum about their divorce, break-up or whatever else they are going through.
Having said all that, one of the things that struck me about the “breaking news” reports, was the impressive amount of footage available on Aisam and Faha’s nuptials from the previous year. If celebrities (aspiring or otherwise) gladly grant the media access to their most intimate moments/spectacles, can or to be piercingly honest, should one really feel any real sympathy for them? Did their dreams of becoming famous hold too true?
At some level, it is we, the consumers of media news that are to blame for this sudden uprise of the gossip girl element of papparazi’ing our idol’s personal lives. Whether we prefer to admit it or not, we enjoy hearing all the feisty details of their lives, and the more dramatic the better. By our readership and following, we encourage our news outlets to provide us with the kind of news that awakens our mind on those one sleepy mornings in a way that a perfect cup of chai just fails to do.
Let’s face it, we’ll all be talking about the Aisam-Faha separation around the water cooler today, and we’re not better people for it.
Do Aisam and Faha as human beings deserve the amount of attention the disintegration of their marriage is getting, absolutely not. But we can’t just lay the blame on the media to make ourselves feel better. They just did their job, perhaps too well for our own comfort.
EMI Pakistan has sent a copyrights infringement notice to Hum TV
EMI Pakistan has sent a copyrights infringement notice to Hum TV
While “Wo Humsafar Tha”, winner of Best Original Soundtrack and Song of The Year at the Lux Style Awards 2012, had its share of celebrations, it seems the festivities will be short-lived. EMI Pakistan has sent a copyrights infringement notice to Hum TV, (the channel that aired the widely popular “Humsafar”) regarding the sound track which was composed by Waqar Ali and sung by Quratulain Baloch and received very high ratings (TRPs).
EMI shared documents with The Express Tribune which state that the song “Who Humsafar Tha” was originally composed and sung by legendary singer Abida Parveen for her album “Latest Ghazals by Abida Parveen”, which was released in 1985.
“We sent them a notice about a week ago to get the official license of using this sound track from EMI Pakistan. But so far, they have not got back to us,” Zeeshan Chaudhry, General Manager Marketing, Sales and Strategy at EMI told The Express Tribune. “We’ll send a follow up letter on Wednesday and if we still don’t hear from them, the matter will go into the hands of our legal team.”
Chaudhry spoke about the issue in light of the larger issue of music piracy, saying that people in Pakistan have an unclear and naïve understanding of what it really is. He said that while is it believed locally that creating illegal copies of CDs is piracy, the definition engulfs more. “People are unaware that revamping an already made song in the name of a tribute is a blatant violation of intellectual property rights because neither the label nor the artist gets anything out of it (royalties),” he said.
However, Chaudhry also makes clear that EMI does not intend to bring a decline in the Pakistani music industry, which is the prime reason for why the record company is not putting a high licencing fee on Indian labels that license songs in Pakistan. In the case of “Who Humsafar Tha”, the wrongdoer in the eyes of EMI is an independent production house, which EMI says should take this practice seriously. “We appreciate Hum TV for valuing our content, but at the same time, it is copyrights infringement because they reproduced the song without getting an official licence and fulfilling the necessary legal formalities”.
While Abida Parveen refused to comment on the matter, EMI promised that she would be paid her due share once the other party acquires the licence to her song.
“EMI is known for its credibility and regular return of royalties, Abida Parveen will get whatever the signed agreement says about her share in the revenue,” Chaudhry added.
Despite repeated attempts, The Express Tribune was unable to reach Momina Duraid, CEO of Momina Duraid Productions and producer of TV show “Humsafar”. However, the Public Relations department at Hum TV denied receiving any such copyrights infringement notifications.
“We have not received any legal notifications from anyone up till now,” the general manager of the Public Relations department, Shanaz Ramzi told The Express Tribune on behalf of Momina Duraid Productions. “If the matter goes into legal hands because of the lyrics, then we have written permission from the poet, Nasir Turabi himself.”
“Apart from that, the melody is totally different from its previous version and Waqar Ali has exclusively produced this song for the drama ‘Wo Humsafar Tha’,” she added.
When asked why it took so long for them to deliver this notice to Hum TV, EMI said that they were involved in a series of other copyright infringement issues, and the process took some time
If EMI’s claim is valid, the case of “Who Humsafar Tha” will surely be amongst the most mindboggling cases of copyrights violations in the history of Pakistani entertainment. Not only did the song become a household melody, it also played a pivotal role in the popularity of the drama “Wo Humsafar Tha”. Quratulain Baloch, who has one “Coke Studio” song to her credit, made it big with this soundtrack and gained great popularity.
However, if EMI’s claim is unfounded, it will lose credibility as a record label company and will come across as one that survives on its own legacy of music – an organisation making desperate attempts to catch someone, somehow.
Disclaimer: The Express Tribune is a sister concern of Express Entertainment, a competitive entertainment channel.
Social Media Mela or Twitterati kitty party?
Social Media Mela or Twitterati kitty party?
Yesterday afternoon, I was at the Social Media Mela, (better known as SocMM12) at Avari Towers, Karachi. As I neared the hall where the particular session I had to attend was to be held, I heard they were running late ─ and fashionably so.
When I first saw #SocMM12 trending on Twitter, I immediately thought of guns (let’s blame rap songs on the radio for this). When I found out what it really was and I took a look at the event guide online, I made a biased assumption; this wasn’t going to really be a broad-horizoned ‘social media’ mela; it was going to be one big tweet-up.
As I sat outside the Indus hall for fifteen minutes, awaiting the session, many people who looked familiar walked by. These prominently included a spectacled, curly-haired girl, who turned out to be Mehreen Kasana; and a woman in a gaudy, yellow kurta with a bindi on her forehead, who, to my surprise, did not turn out to be Marvi Sirmed.
Since the session I had to attend was delayed by almost an hour, I decided to attend Sana Kazmi’s ‘How I Got To Mohali’ session. Having heard her name on Twitter a lot, I was curious to see her in real life.
Upon entering the hall, I realised I was totally underdressed. Everyone else had suited up and here I was – hair unkempt, nose unpowdered, in my creased pick-anything-for-work outfit.
“So this is a tweet-up”, I said to myself, as I saw many prominent Twitterati in the hall.
Social media mela? I don’t know. I think it should have been called the ‘Indo-Pak Twitterati kitty party’ or the ‘Subcontinental Tweet-up’. And I say ‘Indo-Pak’ not because there were many Indians there, but because most Pakistanis were dressed like Indians. I thought they were from India until I heard them throw questions at the panel and tell them that they were Pakistani. Saris and bindis everywhere!
A way of welcoming our friends from across the border, perhaps?
With the exception of a few faces, all I saw was middle-aged, Twitter-savvy liberals kissing up to each other. They were chatting and laughing loudly, complimenting each other at any chance they could find. Some were seen looking like they we holding a very important discussion, but upon moving closer, one would discover that they were engaged in talking about something banal and obvious. In all, it looked like a kitty party of Pakistani elites who were friends and very active in the social media scene (just Twitter, really). They are often seen giving each other shout-outs on Twitter and inviting each other for dinners out of social media courtesy.
Sana Kazmi’s session went well. Although it seemed as though she had little experience addressing to an audience, I found her to be one of the most pleasant speakers there. It was quite an enjoyable half hour where she told about her amazing Twitter experience that landed her and her friends seats in the 2012 cricket world cup semi-final in Mohali. I’m glad I chose to attend this session because the one I was looking forward to ─ The Maya Khan Takedown: In Praise of Slactivism ─ had little to offer.
Probably, the only entertaining bit of the Maya Khan session was moderator Faisal Kapadia’s humorous remarks. The little enlightenment anyone got from it was points raised by Beena Sarwar. Occasional laughter was heard over Kasana’s comments, who I found to be as funny in real life as on her blogs. Upon being asked what we’ve gained from the Maya Khan takedown, Marvi Sirmed digressed into irrelevant details of unrelated things. After a good five minutes of incessantly telling everyone how she was suspected to be a CIA agent at age eight, she was interrupted by Kapadia to answer the real question. This did not stop her from going on another five minutes; only this time, it was a tad relevant.
A person from the audience I totally expected to raise his hand was Mohsin Sayeed. And, boy, did he have an agenda! He barely gave the panellists a break to respond and went on about how he thinks that slactivism targets are misogynistic picks. I don’t understand how this is misogynistic because the list includes Amir Liaquat and Mubashir Lucman, too. Saeed basically ordered everyone to point fingers at Kamran Shahid.
When I got done with the session, I moved to the refreshments section to see the speakers off stage and possibly talk to some ─ but for the most part, to grab something to eat! Of course, they were too busy talking to each other. A generally loud, jolly Mohsin Sayeed was seen hugging a confused, unwilling looking Sabeen Mahmud. A bunch of girls flipped their hair and occasionally talked in Urdu in their broken, made-up accents.
I sighed and moved forth to get my hands on some cinnamon sticks – easily one of the highlights of my day.
Read more by Imaan here or follow her on Twitter @SheikhImaan
