Internal Security Threats

Anwar Syed

ON March 20 I went to a conference on ‘internal threats to Pakistan’s security’ organised by the Punjab University political science department, guided by its eminent chairperson Dr Ambreen Javed with the help of her learned and very energetic colleagues (seven of whom happen to be women).

The conference went well. A good number of professors from all over the country discussed domestic trouble spots. But their presentations, laced with the technical language of modern political science and sounding erudite, did not in each case bring out the connection between the problem under discussion and national security.

I propose to present below my own reading of some of the troublesome situations we encounter in this country and their bearing on national security. Discussions of security may relate to individuals or collectivities such as the state. In the former case it means protection of the individual’s life, liberty and property, and in the latter the state’s survival in good order. In both cases, weakening can be a prelude to destruction.

A breakdown of law and order, making the individual vulnerable to killers and robbers, will bring about his loss of security. The resulting chaos will testify to the state’s weakening and the consequent ineffectiveness of its writ. A more direct threat to its survival may arise from rebellions mounted by dissident groups (to which we shall return shortly).

Want of legitimacy of the ruler or ruling group weakens the state and thus poses a threat to its security. Illegitimacy means that the ruler has taken power from a source, and in a manner, other than the relevant law or tradition having the force of law. In other words, the ruler is unlawful and his continuance in office constitutes an ongoing lawlessness. If it is all right for the man at the helm to be a lawbreaker, and still remain at the helm, the lower orders may conclude that it is likewise all right for them to ignore the law. This attitude of mind may then spread and lawlessness become part of the prevailing culture. The state in that event has become dysfunctional.

There is no need to dwell on the self-evident truth that extremism and terrorism can pose a serious threat to the security of the state concerned. But I do want to say a word about their meaning and import. Extremism is a state of mind in which its holder is certain that his understanding of truth is, to the exclusion of all others, correct. His version is not open to discussion, negotiation or compromise.

In the earlier stages of his career, Maulana Maududi maintained that the vast majority of Muslims (99 per cent or even more) should stop calling themselves Muslim because they practised Islam only partially and selectively. This, to my mind, was an extremist position. He stated it in his books and pamphlets and it was open to people to ignore it. That being the case, it didn’t hurt anyone.

Now consider Gen Ziaul Haq’s assertion, made in an address to the nation after he had seized the government, that secularists in Pakistan were “snakes in the grass” who must be crushed. This was extremism of another brand. He believed that those who did not think as he did deserved to be killed. Ziaul Haq was an extremist who came to the verge of being a terrorist.

Hijacking, kidnapping, indiscriminate killings (among other things) may be seen as acts of terrorism. Contrary to what the anti-terrorism law and courts in Pakistan may say, not every act of violence is a terrorist act. There are individuals and organised groups who despise Gen Musharraf’s regime. They have been bombing military installations, hijacking vehicles, kidnapping and killing military and paramilitary personnel. These actions need not be reckoned as terrorism; they are acts of war that opponents have been waging against Gen Musharraf’s government.

This is not to say that one of these two types of violence is more or less defensible than the other. I set them apart for the sake of clarity. Language has different words to denote different situations and there is no need to mix them up. War may include acts of terrorism as, for instance, when one side resorts to indiscriminate bombing of the other’s civilian residential districts. But not every act of war is an act of terrorism. It is terrorism, plain and simple, when a suicide bomber or one who engineers a blast chooses to target and kill uninvolved non-combatants.

There are two faces of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan which too should be distinguished. One of them has the objective mainly of forcing American withdrawal from Afghanistan and other places in the Muslim world. Then there is this other extremist-cum-terrorist, the ideological hardliner, who will continue his operation even if America and the other western powers go away and leave Muslims alone.

He has only one passion, which is to enforce his version of Islam on individuals and public authorities in everything they do plus their form, mission and modus operandi. He has no interest in the survival of Pakistan as such. In his thinking Pakistan is worth preserving only if it moves to Islamise its people and institutions truly and fully. If it doesn’t, the extremist will wage war against both its government and people. He feels that if the state of Pakistan perishes as a result of his campaign, so be it.

Since soon after its inception, the state of Pakistan has been creating or intensifying threats to its own security. It was to be a federation but those who manage it have consistently ignored this constitutional requirement and acted as if it were a highly centralised unitary state. Folks in its smaller provinces have been demanding provincial autonomy to assert the state’s federal character. They regard it as a contract that formed the basis of the state’s establishment. This contract has never been implemented. Dissidents in Balochistan have periodically risen in revolt to protest its ongoing violation. The most recent of these revolts has been going on for several years.

Not a day passes without a clash between Baloch nationalist groups and the central government’s agencies and forces. This state of war is moving the local elites to thoughts of separatism and secession. That will mean the state’s disintegration and eventual extinction. Yet its managers at the centre show no signs of readiness to alleviate the Baloch grievances. Their indifference should be treated as the gravest threat to the country’s security.

There are other internal threats such as neglect of nation building and national integration, military rule and denial of democracy, oppression of political opponents, economic policies that widen the gap between the rich and the poor and generate the latter’s alienation from the state. All of them deserve to be considered. Having run out of space, I will have to defer that task to another time.

Your Future

By Rahat Hussain

When you were 8 years old, your dad handed you an ice cream. You thanked him by dripping it all over your lap.

When you were 9 years old, he paid for piano lessons. You thanked him by never even bothering to practice.

When you were 10 years old he drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastic to one birthday party after another. You thanked him by jumping out of the car and never looking back.

When you were 11 years old, he took you and your friends to the movies. You thanked him by asking to sit in a different row.

When you were 12 years old, he warned you not to watch certain TV shows. You thanked him by waiting until he left the house. When you were 13, he suggested a haircut that was becoming. You thanked him by telling him he had no taste.

When you were 14, he paid for a month away at summer camp. You thanked him by forgetting to write a single letter. When you were 15, he came home from work, looking for a hug. You thanked him by having your bedroom door locked.

When you were 16, he taught you how to drive his car. You thanked him by taking it every chance you could.

When you were 17, he was expecting an important call. You thanked him by being on the phone all night.

When you were 18, he cried at your high school graduation. You thanked him by staying out partying until dawn.

When you were 19, he paid for your college tuition, drove you to campus carried your bags. You thanked him by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.

When you were 25, he helped to pay for your wedding, and he cried and told you how deeply he loved you. You thanked him by moving halfway across the country. When you were 50, he fell ill and needed you to take care of him. You thanked him by reading about the burden parents become to their children. Mon papa merveilleux (my father is fabulous).

And then, one day, he quietly died. And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder on YOUR HEART.

Respect thy parents if you love them.

Black Virgin

Kalpana Sahni

In 1999 the mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, tried to prevent the opening of an art exhibition at the city-funded Brooklyn Museum of Art. The mayor was offended by one of the exhibits depicting the Virgin Mary and threatened to freeze the annual funds for the museum if it went ahead with the show.

Catholic organisations labelled the work sacrilegious and obscene. The art community and the American Civil Liberties Union in contrast came out in support of the exhibit. The controversy snowballed. The Museum Director defended the exhibition, went to court and won the case. The debate ensured serpentine lines to the box office while devout Catholics prayed and chanted outside the museum.

But there were latent undertones to all this. Chris Ofili, the painter, is British born, British educated, a British citizen, recipient of the prestigious Turner Award and an avowed Roman Catholic. However he is black and his Virgin Mary is also black and decorated with elephant dung — a threat to powerful cultural prejudices.

So, which image of the Virgin Mary is authentic? Does European iconography possess the only authentic representations? What about the images of the Copts or the Assyrian Christians — societies that adopted Christianity before Rome?

The Egyptian Coptic church is the oldest of them all. St Mark the Apostle began preaching in Egypt in 35 AD, whereas St Thomas is said to have preached and converted in Iraq 40 years after Christ. Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Persia were regions where Christian converts existed in the first century, followed a little while later by Armenia and Georgia. In North East Africa the Coptic influence percolated to the Ethiopians and Nubians. The depiction of Mary was widespread and, understandably, in these regions, Mary is not a blue-eyed blonde. I have even come across a Virgin Mary seated in padma asana on a lotus in Georgia’s State Museum!

But let us return to Europe where Christianity was officially adopted some 400 years after Christ. Although initially the church in Rome forbade any kind of imagery there were numerous shrines all over Europe where the image of the Virgin Mary was worshipped. These images are said to have been discovered between the 10th and 12th centuries. How was she depicted?

Believe it or not — she is black! Her features, in most instances, are non-European! And ironically, most of these images are located in Catholic churches in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Now I am not out to distort history but the veneration for the Black Madonna has never ceased, and she continues to be worshipped till this day.

France alone has 300 documented Black Madonna shrines — the largest number, including the famous 13th century statue in the Chartres Cathedral. Spain has 50 (including one in Monserat near Barcelona), Italy 30, and Germany 19. Poland’s most sacred site is the shrine of the Charna (black) Madonna of Czestochowa — the protector of Poland. Her icon is said to have been made by St Luke. Over 30 million people visit her shrine annually.

Initially the Catholic Church refused to acknowledge the presence of the Black Madonnas but later attempted to explain away the ‘black’ colour as a deposit caused by the soot residue from the votive candles and smoking incense. But it was unable to explain why only the faces and hands had succumbed to the soot deposits while the clothes had retained their bright colours or why many of the images had African features.

Interest around the Black Virgin or Madonna has grown tremendously. Explanatory theories have been advanced claiming the origins of this cult back to the Egyptian Goddess Isis who was venerated all over the Roman Empire. It is believed by some that with the advent of Christianity in Europe the image of Isis with Horus in her lap was transformed into Mary and Christ. Still others claim that the dark image represents Mary Magdalene holding in her arms the son of Christ. Many of these Black Madonnas are said to possess miraculous healing powers and so continue to attract thousands of devotees annually.

The most intriguing image, however, is in Les Saintes Maries de la Mere church in France. Here the Black Madonna is venerated as the patron saint of the Gypsies. Every year they congregate from all parts of Europe on May 24 or 25 and pay homage to the image they call, interestingly, Kali Sara. (Whether this is Kali as Durga, Kali as in black or both is unclear.)

She is dressed up in new attire and her relics are taken to the sea where they are purified by immersion, and carried back to the Church. So, which of all these Madonnas is the authentic one? Or are they all equally authentic, none more so than the other?

posted by Shirazi @ 8:32 AM, 3 comments, links to this post

A Conversation: Bloggers on Blogging in Pakistan
March 19, 2007

Adil Najam

Radio program Aap Ki Duniya on Voice of America’s (VOA’s) - now of the Wasi Zafar outburst fame - hosted an hour-long Round Table on blogging in Pakistan.


Hosted by Murtaza Solangi, the program featured a conversation on the state and future of blogging in Pakistan with four bloggers: Awab (of TeethMaestro and Karachi Metroblog) Ramla (of Next>), Hakim (of MicroPakistan) and myself (Pakistaniat). You can listen to it here:


Although framed in the context of the role of the Pakistan’s blogistan (’blogsphere’ for non-Pakistanis), the lively conversation was, in fact, broader and looked also at why people blog, whether it makes a difference, and what the future potential of blogging might be. I enjoyed the conversation very much. Not only because I can now match ‘voices’ to names but also because it made me think more clearly about why we spend so much of our time on this, whether it is really worth doing, and what it might mean in a broader context.

I am not arrogant enough to assume that the world will change dramatically just because a few of us are writing blogs. On the other hand, I am convinced that at least for those few of us who write and read these things, a world with blogs is different from a world without - at the very least, it is different in how we interact with that world.


To blog, at least for me, is about conversation and about community. The magic moment comes when you realize that there are others out there who want to be part of your conversation of your community. For us at ATP, that has always been out motivation. This is why I chose the photogrpah above (I do not have a full reference for it, but it is an AKRSP photograph from the Gilgit area). The photograph too - just like blogging in general and certainly ATP - is about conversation and about community.


As I said during the show, at the very least this becomes a way of catharsis - bhaRass nikalna. But when your thoughts echo back to you and you realize that there is someone out there who is not only listening to you, but maybe even nodding their head. It is then that you realize that this is more than just bhaRass nikalna. And it can be - not yet, but one day - it can be much more.

Pak Tea House

All those who have some relations with literature written in Pakistan are very well familiar with Pak Tea House and what has happened to it in present times.

Raza Rumi and group of Pakistani writers bloggers has taken the spirit and put it online as Pak Tea House.

It is about Pakistan and the inspiration is the defunct institution of Pak Tea House in Lahore that was once a place for intellectual discourse, recognising creativity and where the old and the young mingled with ease and mutual respect.

Halqa-i-Arbab-i-Zauq of Lahore also flourished here - but this was a platform not restricted to arts and literature as it enabled the visitors to discuss and share ideologies and contribute to social and political movements.

We will be posting news, views and insights on diverse topics that relate to Pakistan, South Asia and the rest of the world.

Your contributions, ideas and comments are welcome...

The Team

iFaqeer: A writer, blogger and journalist who currently makes his living as a technical writer. He edited several magazines and newsletters, in Pakistan and in the US. Amongst recent publishing credits are " Spider," Pakistan's Internet magazine and a cover story for the Siliconeer. He blogs at iFaqeer, WadiWallah, and Rickshaw and contributes extensively at Urdu-ke-Naam; and PakistanFutures.

Mozaffar: He has little to offer the world, save for a few bits of wisdom stolen from jum'a khutbas. In the meantime, Mozaffar is trying to purge himself of the assorted variety of Nifaq-nuggets he keeps finding in my system. Otherwise, he is completing a doctorate in Islamic Intellectual History.

Mozaffar's Moments: is the personal blog of this contributor.

Raza Rumi: A writer and blogger from Lahore, Pakistan: He maintains a blog Jahane Rumi and regularly contributes at Pakistaniat, desicritics and blogcritics. He has been writing for the Friday Times, a weekly Pakistani publication and occasionally contributes to other Pakistani publications such as the Herald and the News.

Shaheryar Ali: A student of Philosophy. His interests include arts, politics and history.

Given these names, not only can I predict its tone, I can also see this young blog going places; soon. Reason: we have desrth (Keht ur Rijal) of those who can feel, have concerns and can voice their concerns; we all need to listen to them.

Job Security in Local Context

Industrialists (owners) that define the corporate culture in Pakistan have many things in common. Exceptions apart, corporate leaders in private sector ruthlessly eliminate any one who is not totally behind them. This trend breed job insecurity in the blue as well as white collars incumbents at all levels. Result: lack of commitment, involvement by the employees and not putting in their best that in turn results non-standard work environment and poor productivity. In a private survey restricted to some specially chosen industry units in Lahore, Manga, Bahi Pheru, Raiwind, Chunnian, and Shekupura reveals involuntary job loss, for any reasons, as a most common concern of the employees. Survey also shows an increase in unemployment duration and decrease in job tenure (the average length of time workers spend with one employer). Every one seems to be having a long list of experiences, different concerns they have been working in.

Job security is "a collective agreement clause which prevents or ameliorates the detrimental effects of job loss due to such factors as technological change, economic downturn, and or contracting." But this is not about job loss due to any stated reasons. What is being discussed here is losing a job on the whim of the owner employers. That is one of the major concerns of the employees in industrial sector in Pakistan.

Psychological research on the industrial management suggests that trust is vital to maintaining a sense of job security. But trust is what is lacking here. Employees do not trust their employers and vice versa. "I am working fine, I like my job and the work environment, I have good opportunities for professional growth, Mien sahib (as the owner chief executives in spinning sector are usually called) likes my job, but I am not sure how long I will be working here," says a technical manager in a large spinning unit who has already served in four units since he graduated for Agricultural University in Fasilabad and does not want his name here; obviously. Majority of those who were asked were already looking for new places to work just in case when they are shown the gate, or when 'gates are closed on them' as it is called. The technical manager narrated an incident when Mian Sahib fired another manager: "How much time will it take you to reach the factory gate? Five minutes. That is all you have to leave the premises. Your pay cheque will follow. Out," that is exactly how a manager who had served the unit for five years were fired. "No exaggeration here," narrated the technical manager.

A circulation manager in one large publication house was fired one fine morning. "Leave the office immediately," came the orders after he had served 30 years in an organization. "I picked up my cigarette pack and moved out quietly," told the fired employee.

Not surprisingly, most senior managers surveyed are found deeply concerned about this uncertain situation and its effects are visible not only on production but also on morale, motivation and physical health. Most organizations do not have comprehensive job security agreements. Even where agreements are in place, many managers who were contacted for their opinion were not convinced that their employers would actually stick to them.

The survey confirmed a significant correlation between job insecurity and poor performance. People do not adjust to job insecurity. Productivity of the employees continues to deteriorate the longer employees remain in a state of insecurity. Moreover, the more insecure people felt at work, the more likely they were to experience tension at home. Conventional economic theory often assumes that security breed complacency. By contrast, the survey found quite clearly that the relationship between job insecurity and self-reported motivation levels is a negative rather than a positive one.

The industrialists are alive to the situation. But surprisingly, instead of taking measures to revert the situation they use their authority to hire and fire as strength. One owner of a large unit says, "That is all I have to control the large work force of 11 hundreds in my concern. I do not want to go into lengthy and difficult legalities in court kachery. It is much easier for me to fire any one who is not up to my requirements."

In the short term, firing any unwanted employee, for any reasons, may avoid an unhealthy situation and put all the others on guard and may increase efficiency as well. But, in the long term, the trend currently driving Pakistan private industry has worrying implications not just for individual employees, but also for nation's industrial growth and the health of its social and work environments.

Whilst there is much that individual employers can do to uphold their duty, there is also a pressing need for polices aimed at regulating the corporate sector. In fact, reservation in the corporate sector could have been legislated in Pakistan from 1947 itself. And after all, a state claiming to be a welfare state, concerned for the poor, regulating at the time every aspect of the way companies carried on their business, including adoption of new technologies and hiring and firing, could well have pushed for hiring and firing policies that included jobs of all kinds and levels.

More than the policies, the corporate warriors should take advantages of modern management and human resource development principle and should try to win credible commitment of their employees. The researchers and analysts say that, over the long term, such commitments can only be established by fair and open regulatory policies, which would allow for creative, rather holing back work force.

Future of Technology

Every analyst and trend watcher seems to be predicting the future of information technology (IT) these days. Given the exponential rate of developments in all the fields of IT activities, it is so safe to predict that the future of IT is bright. But many in their forecasts are over exaggerating the effects? Some are doing it to promote certain trends or products and services, some others to prove the industry leadership.

This is not yet another crystal ball gaze but is a simple extension of empirical observations of our own environment into the future, assuming that the present milieu surrounding meaningful employment of IT everywhere continues, good chances are that it will continue to improve here too though at a much slower speed that what one would like to see. But this is not from the point of developers but views here are of those who are at the other end of the equation – the users.


Users’ perceptions are already changing noticeably. Most of the analysts, trend watcher and users I talked to expressed hopes of positive changes IT is poised to bring about. Developments in IT has resulted in expanded access and pervasiveness of computers. Some of the software houses are doing contractual IT work for western developers in their individual capacity. Businesses which are online cross political and corporate boundaries in seconds, forming new alliances that were unknown to traditional structures and channels. Public and private sectors IT institutions are preparing large number of employable IT graduates every year. Political image notwithstanding, industry giants are showing interest to invest in Pakistan to take advantage of IT professional’s base here that is familiar with international business language (English) and available at comparative rates.

Similarly, computers and the Internet have penetrating in households more and more. Fairly large number can afford and obtain computers and the Internet connections. Rich and poor have nearly equal access to cyberspace almost anywhere and anytime. Online activities of home users are maturing beyond casual communication and fun surfing.

It is in this situation that those who have employed IT in corporate sector say that business practices as well as consumers’ behaviours are changing positively: Businesses have gone increasingly international in scope. Markets have expanded and monopolies are changing into oligopolies if (yet) not pure competition. Anyone who can bring a first class product and harness technology successfully is bound to prosper in world market. “World in which we do business today differs profoundly from that of ten years ago, and this difference is mainly attributable to IT solutions. Why else sky suits made in Karachi and sports goods made in Bheikho (near Sialkot) are seen prominently in international championships,” says an International Marketing expert Punjab University Professor Ehsan Malik. Sure we are not making most of existing IT infrastructure. “What I can say with certainty about the future is this: Large number of business concerns, large and small, is poised to making optimum use of IT and benefit. The realization is already upon us that IT (coupled with standard business practices) is the only way ahead,” adds Professor Ehsan Malik.

Call centre technology developer Anwar Sheikh thinks, “IT is not just a set of programs, instruments or utilities processing information. IT is a mixture of all these essentials to meet to achieve business goals and should be able to meet the needs of any business outfit. It is the output from all the applications and experience to produce something useful; a product, a process, a system, a methodology. It is a result that matter ultimately because that is what businesses want. Every futuristic concern now believes that employment of IT results in better efficiency, lower cost, more production flexibility, and product quality and consistency. I see more business adopting call centres and deploying other IT solutions in future.”

The power of computers is increasing by every day. They are getting affordable to have, simpler to learn and massively customisable for different set of wants making them vital part of all contemporary life activities. It is now imaginable to consider an era where hotel, airline, rail and other reservations, stock exchange trade, banking, shopping, payroll accounting and many other functions, which have already become part of life in the developed world, becoming routine here too. “It is no prophecy because these systems are already successfully working in the west. What I see is the local users developing trust in gizmos and networks to transfer information as well as money economically and speedily,” says Mahmood Ahmad, graduate from reputed local IT institute now studying abroad.

IT is not autonomous. It is part of social and cultural phenomena. Information is a universal engine of social change. “Information found online in its various forms -- “voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and online, including those not yet conceived” -- is bringing about social changes; some are already visible. Users are demanding quality information that they can turn into common knowledge and apply to real life problems on ground. Sociologist Dr. Muhamad Anwaar predicts, “What we find on the Internet is to become part of wisdom ultimately. Or it will be rejected right away.”

Past events and measure taken are suggesting safer surfing in future. Users have been complaining of information deficiency syndrome (and information overload), spam, security concerns, identity theft, cyber crimes, copyright violations, and unsavory material that mar the internet experience. Only spasm has coasted millions to businesses besides irritating individual users by filling in their inboxes with mails sometime carrying viruses, Trojan horses, ads for herbal medicines or links to explicit imagery. But a lot is being done to clean the cyberspace and make it more liveable. Majority of local users believe that email, instant messaging, searching, surfing and blogging will mature and improve in quality in future. A hardcore techie Khalid Shahzad says, “In future, commute on the Information Highway will be much safer. Ethics will get better. On the downside, I see paid contents on the Internet increasing. More information will go behind subscriptions and or security firewalls.”

Future seems heavily IT dependent. IT plays central role in business word and lives of individual users, whatever they happen to be doing in life or career. Academicians, media and IT professionals themselves are best placed than any other category, to span the gaps between real world and IT and the gap between IT and perceptions.

New generation will be more digital than the present one.

How Things Work at Home

Electric and water supplies have become an essential part of contemporary urban life; bright lights, heat, air conditioning, cooking appliances, televisions, computers, and central water supplies are modern conveniences. Of the many kinds of repairs and maintenances required at homes, electrical and plumbing ones tend to intimidate people the most.

Problem is that most residents cannot handle the troubles. Wiring seems confusing and the specter of electrical shock is scary. Most people do not know that doing certain jobs like replacing fuzzed bulb can be easy and safe, provided basic safety precautions are followed. Similarly, many homeowners can not (or do not) tackle minor plumbing problems, like dripping faucets and clogged drains what to talk of repairing leaky water-supply lines or fixing those messy plumbing problems in kitchens and bathrooms.

What you do when an electrician or a plumber is needed in a hurry? This question was asked to some residents of posh localities of Lahore - Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Gulberg, Model Town and Cantonment - generally considered modern face of ancient Lahore. Answers revealed that home repairs rituals are not easy for many.

"Generally speaking repairmen are not qualified to do the job. Most have learnt to handle home repair and maintenance while 'on job training' instead of from vocational schools, says Civil Engineer Shahid Mirza, second, houses even in posh localities start having repair problems due to poor quality of material used."

In the absence of any central maintenance system and or services, residents have to find repairmen for trouble shooting as and when they arise. Mostly electricians and plumbers are found with the eclectic and or sanitary stores. Some of them also have working arrangements with the shopkeepers. Call comes to the shopkeeper and he in turn informs the workman to go to the given address. It is mutually beneficial for both of them; workman gets the assignment and shopkeeper sells the parts required. The prices vary and are bargained.

One of the situations is this: "Give whatever you like Sahib Ji," says a handyman. After the work is done and Sahib gives what he thinks is appropriate, the workmen finds it less and says, "you can keep this also, I will do it for free putting Sahib in a very embarrassing situation," narrated Dr. Munir Ghazanfar of Gulberg III. "The worst is that you have an electric outage at home at an odd timing and you don't find any one to repair," adds Dr. Ghazanfar.

Although metropolitan has so many posh localities, the DHA excels them all. It is the first ISO certified housing scheme in the country. It provides the best facilities to its residents and (offers excellent investment opportunities for a variety of projects). But even DHA does not have dedicated maintenance and repair service where one can ring and get the job done in a jiffy.

"We get maintenance staff from our factory when we need to install, maintain, repair, or operate any electric equipment or have a problem with house circuitry or any other," says Mian Muhammad Karim who lives in DHA and owns a business concern at Kasur Road.

But every body does not have such an arrangement where they can get tradesmen at telephone's call. Rahila Anab, a housewife who lives in DHA with her children while her husband is working abroad says, "It was easy during early phases of development when we used to get hold of people working in houses under construction nearby but now we have to go to the market to find requisite person from shops where they usually hang around. They charge for coming and fault finding and along with the work performed. My elder son is a handyman at home but I do not encourage him to take on anything to do with electricity."

It has become difficult to differentiate between commercial and residential districts in Gulberg. Dr. Munir Ghazanfar who is an old resident of Gulberg III says that repair and maintenance problems are tackled by my wife. She has telephone numbers of every one (from plumber to car mechanic) and gives a call when needed. They charge more but problems are solved pretty quickly. Mrs Ghazanfar explained, "Telephone numbers have not come easy way to me. I had personally gone after each one of them in the past when I made it a point to have their telephone numbers handy for future. Every one has one; most have mobile phones."

A satellite colony in Cantonment area has a best system working. One small concern provides house repair and cleaning services to the residents of the 800 households in the colony. Repair business offers membership to the residents for a fee and do not charge any thing for minor repairs or fault finding. "We only pay rupees 250/- per month and that solves most of our problems. Call and next moment the repairmen will be on the door. And they will carry our repair so that they don't need to come again and again where as repairmen from market will invariably leave the job so that he may be needed for repeat visit," say Sajida Javed, a housewife. Non members have to pay rupees 50/- per trip plus the cost of fixtures.

"Repair and maintenance in the house is easy. We can always get the repairmen from the market on cost. It becomes difficult when the problem is to be solved by WAPDA, WASA or any of the city development agencies," says Inam Karim who lives in Model Town, one of the best planned habitat of its time.

Civil Engineer Shahid Mirza says every one should be able to do certain basic tasks required from time to time: Familiarize yourself with electrical service panel in the house and it is easy to learn to reset a tripped circuit breaker (must use professional help instead of taking risk when required particularly in case of electric problems) or how to shutoff water at the water main or locally at the plumbing fixture when some leakage is flooding the home. Every one should have repair tools and necessary know how in the first place.

Man Behind the Gun

Developments in computer technologies, in the past decades, have had their impact on human life in more than one way. But where this increasing interaction between human beings and computers is leading and how is it defining the focus of research in the field are some of the valid fields of study that are likely to make difference in human lives in future.

The emergence of information technology (IT), the availability of the web, and the user friendly designs are rapidly increasing the use of computers. Despite odds like literacy, availability (and reliability) of phone connection and affordability, the use of computers is significantly increasing in Pakistan as well. E-mail, real-time text correspondence and voice exchange are already popular asides from word processing and spread sheets. But in Pakistan, most of the new concepts are still untested, which makes any analysis inconclusive.

In developed world, concepts, such as video communications, virtual discussion groups, and forums have become routine and a normal part of corporate culture, education, and entertainment pursuits alike. There the evolution and success of IT aided commerce, telemedicine, distance education, newspapers, and play are all using rapidly developing communication technologies that reach out to bigger number of audience.

In the face of universally increasing interaction between humans and computers, there are some users who are very well integrated with the use of computers, while others still feel estranged. But is that what makes computers friendly or unfriendly in the first place? This question is central not only for users but also for manufactures of computers, related products, and software.

Human and computer interaction is entirely user-based. Which is why computer users have become one main focus of the research and development in the field? The factors that define the computer users and how they will approach any computers are important to the researchers and designers. Talking about the market trends, Amir Hamza, a local assembler and computers' trader and himself computer literate told, "The buyers come with diverse demands. Some ask for iPods, laptops and palmtops but most are looking (and settle) for full-colour, massively high-resolution, large-format display desktop computers." Through the futuristic views of the computer users, manufactures get ideas that keep their research and development departments busy. "But it still may take some time when more sophisticated computer gadgetry becomes affordable in our market," predicted Hamza.

Understanding computers should be easy. For any user, the main area of concern is usability. And, for computer designers, usability has three commonly recognized components: Functionality to ensure that the computer solves the correct problems, ergonomics - an application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of computers, systems and environment - to guarantee the elimination of physical and psychological problems that may arise from the use of the product, and product's accessible and supportive nature. "That is why the hardware and software manufacturers are going long way to obtain the opinion of consumers," said Mansoor A. Sheikh, a local software developer.

When discussing human and computer interaction, the focus is on all aspects of the human use of computers to improve the usability of IT systems. The actual physical design of computer parts also affects how a person interacts with the computer. The goal of ergonomics is to optimize the human-machine and human-environment relationships by basically, fitting the systems to the needs of users. Many research works have been done that suggest that human factor improvements can yield substantial productivity gains savings cost in the process.

The repetitive motions, such as mouse clicking, constantly typing or staring at screen, can result in serious health hazards. Ergonomically sound products, such as wrist supports or glare screens to avoid eyestrain are useful for those whose time is mostly spent in front of computers. Using such products would help users to work more efficiently by minimizing the chances of any injury in the long-run.

With culture as the foundation, users still need to be identified in a much more specific manner in order to ascertain their specific needs and wants. The computer and the Internet being relatively recent phenomenon, the manufacturers can even sensitize the people and initiate cultural trends favourable for the computers. For that the interested companies have to examine the local culture and adapt to it. A marketing expert Dr Professor Ehsan Malik opined, "Any firm that can familiarize to the local cultural needs will have a bigger niche for its products."

Considering only the existing users - from those using computers for entertainment to those professionals engaged in producing say an Urdu software - the division can be based on the frequency of use, the computer expertise of the user, the knowledge of each task tackled, trained users versus untrained users, and finally the comprehensive understanding of the system in its entirety.

The users may also be defined by the type of interaction they have with computer. For instance, someone may use computer as an aid to data collection. And then use the computing features to improve the quality of data by bringing completely new dimension into it. Notwithstanding the fact that only the Internet users will constitute the population and the result may not necessarily reflect the view of the general public. Computer assisted interviewing is an innovation in which the role of the interviewer (biases, interpretations) is eliminated. The interviewing program, on the screen, simply guides the respondent through the questionnaire. There are several advantages, such as no routing errors, the immediate revision of data, new possibilities of question formulation, the quick availability of results, and most importantly, protection against persuasive behaviours. However, the computer user, who probably has not been exposed to computers in some ways, may be affected by just the presence of the computer.

But where the user is more comfortable with computers, the user-respondent would enjoy more privacy and freedom, as they do not have to relay their responses to a middleman, a human interviewer. Moreover, if the theory of social exchange is deemed effective, the user-respondent, in the case of computer assisted personal interviewing, in which an interviewer types in the responses, will be more confident.

Different plans to integrate computer with human as an every day life are under way in numerous institutes and firms manufacturing computers and related products. The days are not far when using computer would be as simple as interacting with another human being. Looking even further into the future, one can subscribe to Raymond Kurzweil's so far quasi-fictional idea in which he has predicted about "merging of mind and machines" in the future.

We are likely to see rapid changes in the fields. But what ultimately matters, as they say in the army, is the man behind the gun (read in front of the computer)!

The Beast of Balochistan

Owais Mughal

World’s largest mammal that ever walked the face of the earth used to live in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Yes it is true.

This mammal is called Baluchitherium (The Beast of Balochistan). So far the fossils of this mammal have only been found in Balochistan and Central Asia.

In 1999, a team of French Palaentologists discovered the complete skeleton of this giant mammal in Dera Bugti Hills of Pakistan. The find came as the result of a 5 month long expedition by the French Team in the Balochistan desert.

All in all it was a 5 year long on-and-off study. The French team was led by Professor Jean-Loup Welcomme of the Natural History Museum in Paris. While the first complete skeleton of Baluchitherium was dicscovered in 1999, it was as early as 1846 when first pieces of fossilized Baluchitherium were accidentally stumbled upon in Dera Bugti by a British Army officer who went by the name of Vickary.

In 1909 another skeleton was found in the same area by a British team led by Mr. Forster-Cooper of the Cambridge Sedgwick Museum.

According to a BBC news report of May 10, 1999, "Baluchitherium is an extinct rhinoceros that lived during the Tertiary Period about 20 to 30 million years ago. With its long neck and legs, it was thought to feed high up in the trees. However, unlike the modern rhinoceros, the animal had no horn."

It had an estimated shoulder height of nearly 18 ft (5.5 m), a length of upto 28 feet (from nose to rump) and a weight of about 10 to 15 tons. The head was four feet long, sitting on top of a six feet long neck. This beast had poor eyesight, but made up for this with keen hearing and smell. Baluchitherium is classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, family Rhinocerotidae.

Following photo shows the French team and their Pakistani helpers recreating the skeleton of a Baluchitherium

BBC News report further says that, "Although fossil remains of Baluchitherium have been discovered before, a near-complete skeleton has always evaded palaeontologists. The fact that the Baluchitherium was able to live in Baluchistan is giving scientists clues about the climate in the area millions of years ago."

Eventhough Balochistan is now mostly a desert but since Baluchitherium would have needed as much as two tonnes of fodder every day, the French team believes this area of Pakistan must have been heavily forested.

It is said that the Baluchitherium was a very defensive animal, and attacked any animal that was nearby. This beast tried to charge and trample foes with its front feet.

In an article written few years ago at www.thehotspotline.com blogger Ali Khan writes, "At a recent function organised by the Pakistan Embassy in Paris which saw the launch of the Pak-France cultural forum, professor Welcomme delivered a lecture on his recent find. He also thanked the Nawab of Bugti, the Bugti people and the University of Balochistan for extending all assistance to the French team. The Nawab of Bugti convinced other tribes to allow the team to work in the area and also provided material and technical assistance to Professor Welcomme’s team."

The latest news about Baluchitherium came last week when in early March 2008, more pieces of Baluchitherium have been excavated in Dera Bugti area. I read this update in Jang’s latest news feed but didn’t see the detailed news on it in the regular paper.

Is There A Baluchitherium Museum in Pakistan? The short answer in NO.

But then I am not familiar either with what has been done at Government level to help finding and preserving Baluchitherium fossils. A National museum displaying some fossils of this mammal who roamed the land of Pakistan before us is the need of the hour. Does any of our readers know about any effort in this regard? If we come to know of any effort, we’ll update this paragraph here with the new information.

(Photo shows the French team and their Pakistani helpers recreating the skeleton of a Baluchitherium)

Baluchitherium Trivia:

1. Baluchitherium is a Van Halen instrumental from their 10th studio album, Balance (album).
2. Baluchitherium is also the name of a monster appearing in the computer game NetHack.

References:

1. Geological Survey of Pakistan

2.Major Fossil find in Balochistan by Ali Khan

3. BBC News Feed of May 10, 1999

4. Enchanted Learning

5. La Baluchitherium

Apolitical

Thanks to Asma

Bandit!

Kalpana Sahni

On the Thai island of Koh Samui there is a speedboat with a rather strange name, “I am Bandit”. Could it be a warning about the reckless speed of the man at the wheel or is the man boasting about his “profession”, or else, is it just a way of warding off the evil eye? I decided it must be the latter.

The Thais are among the gentlest of people who are forever smiling. I never witnessed any quarrels on the streets, or any impatient honking of cars. Even the demonstrations in Bangkok against Prime Minister Thaksin were orderly and peaceful — truly a Suvarnabhoomi (land of gold in Sanskrit), so aptly named by Emperor Ashoka in the 2nd or 3rd century BC. Yet every morning and evening “I am Bandit” hurtled at breakneck speed, upsetting the tranquil turquoise waters as it headed towards the distant jetty where it disgorged its petrified passengers.

At the end of two weeks I had collected a few familiar sounding words. I became aware that during the period of ancient contacts with our subcontinent, Sanskrit terms had been introduced to the Thai language through Khmer. With this list I headed for a shop where luckily the owner spoke English. I discovered that “sok” (happiness) was indeed from “such” and “singha” was lion. However, Thai is a tonal language with five different pitches that needs one to “sing” the word exactly at the right pitch otherwise the Thais might just get it all wrong.

Imagine a simple word like “mai” can mean “wood”, “silk”, “burn”, “new” or “not”, all depending on the tone and pitch of one’s pronunciation. I had had a very frustrating morning trying to get soap in the hotel. Whichever way I sang the word I still got a blank expression in return. It was my acting prowess that got me what I desperately needed. We must all seem tone deaf to the Thais who have given up on foreigners ever being able to pronounce their names correctly, and so have found easy equivalents.

There is Ping Pong, an energetic young girl running a resort and two sisters, Tip and Top, maintaining a plant nursery... But still, “Why would somebody call their boat ‘bandit’?” I asked.

The Thai lady seemed surprised by my question.

“Oh-oh-ooo, bandit is a good word. Means wise person.”

Only then did something click in my brain and I saw the connection between “bandit” and “pandit”. Yes of course, the voiceless consonant “p” (in pandit) was replaced by a voiced “b”. A similar change occurred with the word “mantri” (minister), which became “mandarin” in Chinese. Then again, I don’t envy our ex-minister of Human Resource Development, Pandit Manohar Shyam Joshi being hosted by the Thais!

These two words are relatively simple examples of phonetic adjustments that are easy to decipher. I decided to find out a little more about the Khmer language, which, unlike Thai, is not tonal.

In the Angkor period of Cambodian history (9th-15th century) numerous Sanskrit and Pali words (by way of Buddhism) were absorbed into the Khmer language, and subsequently into Thai, since Thailand was a Khmer colony. The new words adjusted to their new homes imbibing the rules of pronunciation and sounds of the local languages.

The voiced consonants in the numerous Sanskrit and Pali words, though written accurately, became voiceless in speech. The Khmer equivalent: of Garuda is pronounced Krut, Brahma is written Preah Brum but pronounced Prom, and the incense “dhoop” becomes thoop. The reverse too can happen, i.e. when voiceless consonants become voiced: tara (star) is pronounced dara and the deity Varuna is Phirun.

Once we become aware of this it should not be too difficult to trace back to the Sanskrit or Pali originals. Nothing can be further from the truth! Take Angkor Wat, the magnificent 12th century temple dedicated to Vishnu in Cambodia. The first word Angkor is derived from the word for town “nagar”. The initial sound “n” changed its place with “a” and “nag” became “angk”, ending with “or” instead of “ar”. All this is about phonetic adaptation into a host language.

Does the following passage make sense?

“Preah Ream, Neang Seda and Preah Leak continued on again, meeting a yeak ...”

This Khmer or Cambodian text of the Ramayana translates as “Rama, Sita and Laxman continued on again, meeting a demon ...”

One needs expert guidance to comprehend how gaja (elephant in Sanskrit) becomes khot, or vajra (diamond) turns into pet! But the choicest examples of phonetic transference into the Khmer language I am leaving for the readers to guess: the first one is not too difficult. The equivalent word for India is: bpra– dtayh-eun–dee-a; Buddha is Bpray–ah bpoot; and Buddhism logically follows as Bpoot- ta — saa — s’naa. Please try singing them in their Thai variant to get a more authentic sound!

My Future Lies With You

Every time of life is a greetings time. You don’t have to wait for an accession to send greetings to those whom you love. Not for a person like me. I am a collector; I collect sentiments, passions, love and joy. I do it through sending greetings to others and receiving greetings from them.

Advent of the Internet has added another cultural dimension in our society; greeting through the Internet. There are so many sites on the World Wide Web offering free cyber greetings for all occasions from where users can select, customize and send e-cards with a few clicks.

Imagine what you get on e-cards. The messages printed on the greeting cards are poetic, passionate, persuasive and very comforting. The e-cards available on the internet meet the requirements of all the conceivable situations in the human relationship. There are in endless varieties, designs, shapes and sizes from simple messages like ‘I wish you were here with me now’ to such questions as ‘I often wonder what made us fall in love and more?’

One of the e-cards that I have received lately is from the Chairman of a German NGO. Almost entire manifesto of the NGO is printed on the e-card. I might not have read the material if I was given a leaflet about the NGO but the e-card is so beautifully and aesthetically designed and presented that not only I read it but it touched my heart too. I wish others could follow the line to make their voices heard in this din.

The greeting card shows how our cultural heritage values architectural styles, fashion designs and form visible record of our history. Most of the cards are work of art that is collector’s delight.

The best card I had the pleasure to receive was from a foreign volunteer working “to fight against poverty in rural areas.” It was simple and beautiful. What touched me was the message on this e-card. It said, “my future lies with you.” I haven’t asked my friend weather this message is focused or on purpose? I have bookmarked the page and see this whenever I come and work on computer. I enjoy every time I look at this card.

When was the last time you send an e-card to any of your loved ones? It is time to send it now.

Cost of Iraq War to Exceed $3 Trillion

Raza Rumi

This is an astounding figure. Not to mention the loss of over 1 million civilians, the sectarian blood-baths, the destruction of a civilisation and reduction of a country to rubble..

And, this economic cost is just a little part of this sordid, ugly tale of our times. Naomi Spencer writes:

Stiglitz said the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be somewhere between $5 trillion and $7 trillion for the US alone. Another estimated $6 trillion will be borne by other countries, he said.

More than a million civilians have been killed in Iraq alone. Some 4.5 million more have been displaced by the violence, with thousands of refugees fleeing the country into Syria, Jordan and elsewhere every day. With $3-5 trillion, the US government has destroyed an entire society.

One consequence of the chaos wrought in the Middle East, Stiglitz asserts, has been the enormous rise in the price of oil. For industrialized countries, the increase in the cost of oil attributable to the war is around $1.1 trillion. For developing countries, the effect has been much more extreme. According to Stigltiz’s and Bilmes’ book, the increase in the cost of oil more than offsets the increase in foreign aid to countries in Africa.

Spencer’s article in full can be read below:


By Naomi Spencer

As the five-year anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq approaches, a leading economist is estimating that the overall cost of the war will be between $3 trillion and $5 trillion. This figure does not take into account the enormous devastation that the US military has wrought upon the population and social infrastructure of Iraq.On Thursday, Joseph Stiglitz told the congressional Joint Economic Committee that $3 trillion was at the low end of estimated war costs. After factoring in the cost of weapons and operations, future health-care costs for veterans, interest on foreign loans used to fund the war, and future borrowing, Stiglitz said the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be somewhere between $5 trillion and $7 trillion for the US alone. Another estimated $6 trillion will be borne by other countries, he said.

Stiglitz, former chief economist for the World Bank and a Nobel laureate, is co-author with Harvard economics professor Linda Bilmes of The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict, a book released Friday. The book builds on 2006 research that estimated the cost of the so-called war on terror in excess of $1 trillion.

Officially, the US spends $16 billion every month to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan, but this figure includes only direct expenses.

These enormous sums are being expended to carry out a crime of immeasurable proportions. More than a million civilians have been killed in Iraq alone. Some 4.5 million more have been displaced by the violence, with thousands of refugees fleeing the country into Syria, Jordan and elsewhere every day. With $3-5 trillion, the US government has destroyed an entire society.

Those charged with carrying out the conquest have also been sacrificed. Over 5,000 military personnel—the vast majority US troops—have died in the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. A substantial portion of the estimated costs will go to pay for health care for the tens of thousands of wounded soldiers.

The American ruling class has initiated a policy of unending war as it cuts jobs and social programs in the United States. According to Stiglitz and Bilmes, $1 trillion could pay for 8 million housing units, university scholarships for 43 million students, health care for 530 million children, or the salaries of 15 million public school teachers in the US.

In an interview published Thursday in the British newspaper, the Guardian, Stiglitz noted that the US spends $5 billion a year in aid to Africa. “Five billion is roughly 10 days’ fighting, so you get a new metric of thinking about everything,” he said.

The United Nations estimates that $195 billion would end world hunger and most of the devastating diseases afflicting the world’s poor. AIDS, measles, tuberculosis, malaria and other water-borne illnesses could all be brought into manageable numbers or wholly eradicated within a short time for less than the cost of one year of waging war in Iraq. Instead, the US occupation of Iraq has reintroduced diseases such as cholera into Iraqi society.

For years, the US political establishment has carried out attacks on social programs and the jobs of American workers. Workers are now told that there is no money for decent wages and benefits, while billions are spent on military wars of aggression.

One consequence of the chaos wrought in the Middle East, Stiglitz asserts, has been the enormous rise in the price of oil. For industrialized countries, the increase in the cost of oil attributable to the war is around $1.1 trillion. For developing countries, the effect has been much more extreme. According to Stigltiz’s and Bilmes’ book, the increase in the cost of oil more than offsets the increase in foreign aid to countries in Africa.

The White House, which refused to testify before the Joint Economic Committee on the cost of the war, reacted to Stiglitz’s remarks with undisguised hostility and derision. “People like Joe Stiglitz lack the courage to consider the cost of doing nothing and the cost of failure,” White House spokesperson Tony Fratto told the press. “One can’t even begin to put a price tag on the cost to this nation of the attacks of 9/11.”

The Iraq war, Fratto said, “is also an investment in the future safety and security of Americans and our vital national interests. Three trillion dollars? What price does Joe Stiglitz put on attacks on the homeland that have already been prevented? Or doesn’t his slide rule work that way?”

Stiglitz told Democracy Now! radio on Friday that the most significant budgetary cost of the war is the care of disabled veterans, which he said “will total hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decades.” The war has inflicted a huge number of injuries. He said that an estimated 39 percent of soldiers would have some form of disability after completing their rotations.

Bilmes, who also appeared on the Democracy Now! program, explained that while in previous wars the ratio of wounded to dead was two-to-one or three-to-one, new medical technologies have allowed many who might otherwise have died to survive extremely serious injuries. The wounded to fatality rate for the Iraq war is approximately 15-to-1. “What it means is that the United States has a long-term cost of taking care of many, many thousands of disabled veterans for the rest of their lives,” she said.

“Then you go beyond that budgetary cost to the cost of the economy,” Stiglitz added. “When somebody gets disabled, the disability pay is just a fraction of the loss to their family, to the income that they could have otherwise earned.”

“There are a whole set of macroeconomic costs, which have depressed the economy,” including the price of oil, Stiglitz said. “What’s happened is, to offset those costs, the Federal Reserve has flooded the economy with liquidity…. We were living off of borrowed money. The war was totally financed by deficits. And eventually, a day of reckoning had to come, and now it’s come.”

While the vast majority of the US and world population wants an end to the occupation in Iraq, no section of the political establishment represents this opposition.

An article in the Wall Street Journal on Friday noted that the Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, employ careful rhetoric on the issue of withdrawal from Iraq. “Both candidates draw a distinction between ‘combat’ troops, whom they want to withdraw, and ‘noncombat’ troops, who will stay to battle terrorists, protect the US civilian presence and possibly train and mentor Iraqi security forces,” the newspaper noted.

This distinction allows the candidates to posture as opponents of the war while maintaining their commitment to an indefinite occupation.

“No one is talking about getting to zero,” a foreign policy advisor for Obama told the Journal. An unnamed Obama campaign “senior advisor” said the senator was “comfortable with a long-term US troop presence of around five brigades,” according to the paper.

Since When Do Women Have Nothing to Say

Since I had chat with one of my blog friends about who comments more; men or women, I have been reading Why Women Comment Less on Blogs, Since When Do Women Have Nothing to Say and some more interesting articles I could find on the subject?

On the other hand, another friend says women comment more because they release their feelings more than men. Axinia says men comment more. Empirical observations on my blogs indicate that women comment more. I may be just a bit biased because I’m so immersed in this technology and in social media but evidences indicate that most of readers who comment are female. What is more, more women have contributed to the blog projects.

Multiple surveys confirm that females outnumber males online and how Internet usage differs between men and women. On study says, Men tend to see it as an office, a library, or a playground. Men tend to be more intense Internet users than women, being more likely to go online daily (61% of men and 57% of women) and more likely to go online several times a day (44% of men and 39% of women).

Women are more enthusiastic communicators, more likely to write to family and friends about a variety of topics, sharing news, joys and worries, planning events, and forwarding jokes and stories.

So who comments more on blogs; men or women? I’d love to hear your observations and thoughts on this.

Ava Gardner in Lahore for ‘Bhowani Junction’

Owais Mughal

This photo was taken on April 22, 1955 and it shows American actress Ava Gardner at Lahore Railway Station. She was in Lahore for the filming of Hollywood Movie ‘Bhowani Junction‘. When Ava came to Lahore, there was only one reasonable hotel in Lahore. It is still there - Falletis. The suite in which Ava stayed has been named after her - “The Ava Gardner suite”. In it’s lounge one can still see a beautiful large size, black & white portrait of Ava Gardner smiling.



‘Bhowani Junction‘ is the name of a novel by John Masters which came out in 1952. In mid 50s Hollywood decided to make a movie out of it. The movie is set amidst the turbulence of the British withdrawal from India. It is notable for its portrayal of the Eurasian (Anglo-Indian) community, who were closely involved with the Indian railway system. The film was directed by George Cukor, and was shot on location in Lahore, Pakistan. It starred Ava Gardner as Victoria Jones, an Anglo-Indian nurse in the British Army, and Stewart Granger as Colonel Rodney Savage, a British army officer.

I found following review of movie plot at The Internet Movie Database: The town of Bhowani is a railroad junction and both the Congress Party and the Communist Party are doing all kinds of sabotage to help the British quickly get out of India. Of course each is doing it for their own reasons.

The photo to the right is Lahore’s local actress Zohra Arshad who also took part in the movie. This photo was taken on May 8, 1956. Zohra was selected by MGM for personal and television appearances in Hollywood during the World Premiere of the movie.

In the movie, two people who may have given the outstanding performances of their careers are Ava Gardner and Bill Travers. Both play bi-racial people who don’t fit in either society. But they react differently. Gardner is going through a whole lot of angst, really seeing both the British and Indian point of view.

Bill Travers is the railroad station manager and his whole life is his job. He focuses narrowly on that and his tunnel vision leaves him oblivious to the momentous changes around him. Except for the fact that when the British leave he might lose that little piece of authority where he is, that which gives him stature in the Raj society.

In the movie, the issues are complex, but in the hands of a great director like George Cukor the characters and their struggles become real and even more important, the audience becomes interested. Stewart Granger who was the British Colonel in charge of the whole mess in Bhowani, said that Bhowani Junction was one of the few films he was really proud to be associated with. He has a struggle to, he really does see the Indians as human beings and not just “wogs.” He’s quite knowledgeable about their customs and at one point utilizes that knowledge to unjam that railroad terminal.