The Express Tribune

Known as the city of winds, Baku offers warm hospitality, rich culture, inspiring architecture and natural beauty to amuse all kinds of travellers. The city is soaked in history, and almost every turn you take will give glimpses of its glorious past and aspirations for the future. The architecture and food are inspired by the millennia of cultural influences from Romans, Mongols and Turks. Today, the city is a melting pot of ancient history and modern architecture. Baku ticks all the boxes on the list of any discerning traveller and I couldn’t resist the first opportunity I got to visit this great city. I got the opportunity to travel to Baku when I snapped up a deal for a holiday package in just $500 inclusive of a return flight from Dubai, a four-star hotel and airport transfers. I didn’t waste any time to sort out the itineraries and mark points of interest in my plan. While planning, I came across several interesting facts about the city. It is the largest city along the Caspian Sea and is 28 metres below sea level (yes you read that right, below sea level). This makes it the lowest-lying national capital and the largest city in the world situated below sea level. Not to forget its seaside boulevard, which is one of the longest promenades on the earth. Manat is the official currency and one unit equals $0.60 or Rs73. Despite being one of the strongest currencies in the world, it is hardly available at any currency exchange, even in Dubai. I suggest that you carry dollars and get them exchanged once you land in Baku or use your ATM card to withdraw local bucks from the teller machines. Azerbaijan’s visa policy is super friendly. Pakistanis can get e-visa within three working days by applying online, and it costs only $23. The immigration at the airport was also pretty straightforward. After checking into the hotel, I decided to walk around the neighbourhood. While asking for directions, I met some Azerbaijanis who instead of just pointing the way actually showed me to where I wanted to go – talk about hospitality! Though language was a barrier since very few people speak English, yet we managed to have great conversations at a nearby café. Azerbaijani is the national language of majority of the population while many people also speak Russian, making it the second language of the country. The list of “must visit” places is long; however, you can divide the city it into two larger areas: the old town and the city centre. The old town, or Icheri Sheher as it is commonly referred to, has a number of historical buildings including Shirvanshah Palace and Maiden Tower. The town centre has shopping malls and modern buildings such as Carpet Museum, Hayder Aliyev Centre and Flame Towers, which has become a symbol for the new Baku. The entire city is well connected with metro trains, and you will find a train station for all the landmark points in the town. Taxis are also readily available but I would suggest avoiding them since even a short trip can be really costly. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="401"] Maiden Tower[/caption] On my quest to explore the city, I stumbled upon Heydar Aliyev Centre renowned for its distinctive architecture. It spans an impressive area of 56,000 metres square and was opened in 2012. There’s an entry fee but it’s worth the price. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Heydar Aliyev Centre[/caption] Next, I headed to the old city, which is the most ancient part of Baku. There was something magical there and it felt surreal. The defensive walls dated back to the 12^th century are still preserved. Another distinctive structure was Maiden Tower which is almost 800-years-old, and you can even find it on the Azeri currency notes. There were street vendors selling souvenirs and other articles. Just a piece of advice: don’t hesitate to bargain with street vendors, it is totally acceptable and sellers make discounts. Walking through these ancient walls, I reached a street filled with local eateries and decided to try a traditional restaurant called Sehrli Tandir. There was a delightful spread of local dishes from salads to soup and lamb to goat kebabs. The most notable thing was the bread which was cooked in a Pakistani-style oven (tandoor). Azerbaijani’s cuisine is delicious and very economical; a dinner for two at such a lavish restaurant costs less than $30. After enjoying my meal, I took a taxi back to the hotel; it is recommended to get a metered taxi which is readily available throughout the city. The following day, I was going with a group to explore the countryside of Azerbaijan. I had bought a package in $50 which included pick up and drop off at the hotel, lunch and sightseeing. Passing through forests and mountains, we reached a small village where our lunch was arranged with an Azeri family in a traditional setting. It again provided me an opportunity to chat with the wonderful people of Azerbaijan. There was a strange kind of contentment on their faces. The lunch was 100% organic; even the chicken was home-grown. Lunch was followed by their traditional tea, served in a pear-shaped glass called an armuda, which is consumed widely throughout Azerbaijan. On the way back to Baku, we stopped at a lake, and even though it was a cloudy day, the view was spectacular. One can also take a horse ride in just $5 to enjoy the lake from more than one vantage point. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Lake panorama[/caption] On the third day, I hired a taxi outside my hotel for $50 and went to Gobustan National Park, which is 65 kilometres from Baku. It was established in 1966 when the region was declared a national historic landmark of Azerbaijan in an attempt to preserve the ancient carvings, mud volcanoes and gas-stones in the area. It houses over 6,000 rock carvings and dates back to 5,000-20,000 years depicting primitive people, animals, bullfights, camel caravans and many more. I spent hours learning about the history and appreciating the handicrafts dated back to thousands of years. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Gobustan[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="514"] Gobustan[/caption] Sometimes referred to as earth’s biggest pressure cooker, Azerbaijan is home to 400 of the world’s 1,000 odd mud volcanoes. In 2001, one of these made world headlines when it suddenly started spewing flames 15 metres high. The most recent eruption was in February 2017, when the Otman Bozdag volcano on the outskirts of Baku flared a 350 metre-high blaze into the sky. The mud is also considered to have medicinal qualities, and some tourists are found happily covered in it. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mud Volcano[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mud Volcano[/caption] One of the most popular tourist attractions in Azerbaijan is Yanar Dag, meaning the burning mountain. It was accidentally lit by a shepherd nearly 70 years ago when he tossed his cigarette butt. Since then, it has been continuously burning fairly steadily all year round even in winter when the rest of the mountain is covered in snow. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Yanar Dag[/caption] The last thing on my itinerary was a visit to The Baku Ateshgah, also known as the Fire Temple of Baku. The temple was used as a Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian place of worship. The complex was built during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="401"] Baku Ateshgah[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Baku Ateshgah[/caption] With this, I called it a day as I was flying back the next day. My visit to Azerbaijan was for four days in early summer, which was a fairly sufficient time to enjoy Baku and its surrounding countryside. I had a fantastic and joyful time, and on top of everything, I was taken aback by the sheer hospitality of Azeris. What an amazing nation! I long to revisit Azerbaijan but this time during the winter season so that I can relish Shahdag Mountain Resort, the first and largest ski resort in the country, located in Azerbaijan’s Greater Caucasus range. Thanks to its varied landscapes featuring 75% of the world’s climatic zones, it can be visited all year round. If you haven’t considered visiting this transcontinental country yet, then I would highly recommend doing so. And if you’re into football, it is also one of the cities hosting the quadrennial UEFA Euro 2020 International Men’s Football Championship hence more reason to visit this outstanding city. All photos: Shahnam Ali

Recently, I found myself posing for a big fat family photograph at a wedding in Lahore, during which I was duly handed one of those decorative desi prop-style labels to pose with. Instead of the usual titles like 'Larki walay' (bride’s family and friends) and 'Larkay walay' (groom’s family and friends), can you guess which label I was handed? 'Bahar walay' (outsiders). As a child of the Pakistani diaspora residing in the United Kingdom, my life has been divided neatly between Birmingham and Lahore, but neither of these two worlds accept me. However connected I may be, there has always been a sense of displacement and otherness. While visiting Pakistan, the Pakistani diaspora community continues to be 'out of place'. Although there is a strong sense of belonging because of frequent travelling, we are often quoted higher prices than locals in the bazaars because apparently we are instantly recognised as ‘outsiders’ simply by our movements and choice of apparel. Our visits involve us straddling the line between Pakistan’s traditions and the modernity of the society in which we have been raised. As a result, we explore Pakistan purely as tourists and often experience a culture shock. While family interactions might be the central reason for most visits, often these trips also serve as a means through which overseas Pakistanis can engage with their heritage, customs and festivals. Even then, the family related visits involve a transference of funds, as well as valuables and social and economic remittances which could significantly further local development. While the Pakistan Tourism Summit 2019 drew a dividing line between foreign and local tourists, it neglected a group of precious and regular travellers who occupy an in-between state – the overseas Pakistanis. Imagine if the panel at the summit had included an international Pakistani who was as famous as the foreign influencers and had come to Pakistan in an attempt to connect with their roots. Rather than only wanting to explore a particular destination, tourism for this kind of visitor is the result of a deeper longing to understand Pakistan. Yet, it appears that Pakistan’s Tourism Summit does not want to listen to a Pakistani living abroad who promotes tourism. Is it because we have the same skin colour as the locals? But surely no one is as influential as a person who looks and talks like the locals, comes from their culture, yet is born and/or raised in the same world as the foreign travellers. We are the crucial first movers who occupy a unique space between both worlds. Surely we can use our position to help develop and facilitate new avenues for tourism in Pakistan. With the ability to act as influencers, we can not only test the waters and spread the word about potential tourist destinations, we can also invest directly in constructing new tourist facilities and even help to bring existing ones up to international standards. Although we may have a better understanding of potential safety and security threats than foreign tourists, we are still as vulnerable to the threats posed by political conflict, poor infrastructure and unreliable transport facilities. Tourism cannot flourish in Pakistan until these problems are addressed. Above all, the development of tourism in Pakistan is largely dependent on the degree to which the locals are involved in the process. Overseas Pakistanis are more likely to have the interest, linguistic skills, as well as the awareness to engage with, and help foster, local contacts. It is, however, quite common for us to be treated differently in Pakistan as compared to the people who are perceived as being 'real tourists,' as noted by travel blogger Alex Reynolds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iudspL1wM_Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-oc9RcI6ig Diaspora tourism cannot and should not be separated from other forms of tourism. It forms a major component and is an important source of earning since we often prefer purchasing goods produced in Pakistan in order to help support our local artisans. Pakistanis living abroad realise that they are representatives of their nation, and the way they present their country could colour the manner in which the West perceives Pakistan. An engagement with the language, customs, art and etiquettes of Pakistan gives us the opportunity to pave the pathway between Pakistan and the West. Thus, we have been shaping the image of Pakistan in our own capacity. It must be remembered that during the times when the country was facing an image problem across the globe, it was the Pakistanis abroad who had to deal with abusive comments and racists remarks on a daily basis. Approximately 7.6 million Pakistanis live abroad and have the spending power of $20 billion, but unfortunately, the Pakistani government does very little to take advantage of the Pakistani diaspora to help promote tourism. However, when it is a matter of donating funds, then the overseas Pakistanis become the "most valuable assets" in the world. Overseas Pakistanis are often temporarily embraced only as a means of investment, whereas we are the ones who have protected and transferred narratives about our homeland, long before a handful of foreigners discovered the beauty of Pakistan. The three kinds of tourists that travel across Pakistan are: the unknowing foreigner, the local expert, and the somewhat knowledgeable overseas Pakistani. I believe that the last one could be used to help bolster Pakistan’s nascent tourism industry. Ultimately, it all depends on whether the government tries to approach and incorporate this community into their tourism plans. As Canadian-Pakistani actress Armeena Rana Khan perfectly puts it,

"If you can't value your own then others will be more than happy to have them."

I had heard about the pristine beauty of Naltar since I was a child, but somehow had never made it to this remote valley, located around 40 kilometres from Gilgit. Perhaps a lot had to do with the fact that the road to the valley is barely passable by jeep, and it takes around two hours to get there from the Karakoram Highway. However, this month I finally made it to Naltar, and I was not disappointed. The bare Karakoram mountains, the rocky landscape and the dusty road was soon forgotten as we turned a corner and emerald green slopes dotted with tall, conifer trees greeted us. Towering above them were snow-capped peaks and below us were rushing streams on the valley bed. As we entered the valley, the scenery became even more panoramic and we were told that up ahead were three colourful high-altitude alpine lakes. Unfortunately, due to landslides caused by recent heavy rainfall, we were unable to reach them. The narrow jeep track to Naltar Valley is currently being expanded to a double road that should be completed by next year. This will undoubtedly bring in a huge influx of tourists because Naltar is a very special place indeed – the lush green valley is full of dry temperate forests populated with species like spruce, fir and blue pine. There are also old juniper trees galore. However, better roads will invite more tourists and will result in more hotels and rest houses being built, making Naltar yet another vulnerable tourist spot in Pakistan. Aisha Khan, the head of the Mountain and Glacier Protection Organisation (MGPO), has seen it happen many times before:

“From what I have seen, easy road access invariably means an overload of infrastructure and irresponsible tourism resulting in environmental degradation.”

Already the valley is seeing a boom in construction in anticipation of the road being completed, at the cost of precious old trees being cut down. Not many are aware that the famous Babusar Pass once used to have the same dry temperate forests as Naltar. But when the road to the top of the pass was being made, all the thick forests were cut down. Yes, every last tree was chopped. Today, the top of Babusar Pass is completely bare. Even the huge stumps of the cut trees have been removed, and avalanches and land sliding are now a common occurrence. According to Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programmes at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan,

“A dry temperate zone means a lot less rain and slow growing species like juniper at high altitudes, with spruce as the dominant conifer species. Deforestation has steadily taken place in Naltar in the last 10-15 years – the locals are definitely involved but could be people from Gilgit too.”

The locals don’t have much income opportunities; most are small farmers who take whatever they can get. Unable to visit Naltar’s picturesque lakes, we crossed the trout-filled stream and headed up towards the ski slopes for which Naltar has long been famous. Decades ago, this remote valley was selected by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as a winter sports resort. The Air Force started its snow survival training for its aircrew at Naltar in 1958 and has a small base there. Soon skiing gained popularity amongst the locals, and the PAF decided to encourage them.

The Winter Sports Federation of Pakistan was formed here in 1990 and the facility was offered to other departments and organisations. Today there are three well-maintained ski slopes in Naltar of varying difficulty, equipped with proper ski lifts from Switzerland. Efforts are underway to transform Naltar into a world-class skiing resort with modern facilities, but I hope experts from Switzerland are consulted on how this can be one with minimal damage to the environment. Every year skiing tournaments take place and skiers from all over the world are invited to Naltar, but not much attention is paid to the consequences faced by nature. On both sides of the ski slopes are forests. I was told that this is all part of a designated protected area: the Naltar Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1975. It occupies an area of 27,206 hectares and is home to a small number of Astore Markhor, an endangered species of wild goat. Other large mammals here include the Alpine Ibex and the snow leopard. Naltar Valley is where Leo, the famous snow leopard who is the star attraction of the Bronx Zoo in New York, was found in 2006. He had been captured by a local shepherd and was sent away as Pakistan did not have the proper facilities to look after him. There was another reason for my visit to Naltar. The only snow leopard left in captivity in Pakistan today is currently residing in this valley, thanks to the support of the Snow Leopard Foundation. Lolly – or Lovely, as her current caretaker calls her – is now around seven-years-old and she has been living in Naltar since 2016.

We climbed up the narrow track leading to her enclosure; on the way we passed yet another large government guest house that had recently been completed. It was a hideous concrete and glass structure. I wondered how many trees had been cut to make way for it? How many died for the wood used in its doors and window frames? There needs to be a ban on further construction of guest houses in Naltar Valley, or else it will slowly but surely meet the same fate as Babusar.

We found Lovely relaxing under the old trees inside her spacious enclosure. She didn’t want to see so many visitors all at once; she got up and started pacing nervously at the other end of the green, fenced area she now calls home. She looks healthy now, but when she was found in 2012 by local villagers in the Khunjerab National Park, she was injured after being abandoned by her mother. Once taken from their mothers, snow leopard cubs can no longer survive in the wild, as it is their mothers who teach them how to hunt. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]

The new enclosure[/caption] Dr Ali Nawaz, head of the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) in Pakistan, said they raised funds to construct the enclosure and information centre for Lovely in Naltar. The SLF now wants to hand over the centre to the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government, but they would need to raise revenue to feed Lovely and maintain the centre. According to Khaleel Ahmed, who is currently working for the SLF in Gilgit,

“A lot can be done for future planning now that the road is being readied and more visitors will come to Naltar. We can help the G-B government set up a ticket system and make a proper information centre equipped with videos of snow leopards and so on.”

He was hopeful that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan would help them secure funding to set up the centre.

It is clear the wildlife rich forests of Naltar’s mountains are the ideal home for snow leopards. Naltar’s precious landscape should thus be protected – there is too much at stake. While this government wants to promote tourism to our beautiful mountainous areas, they must also ensure it does not come at the cost of our environment. All photos by author.

Before we begin, let’s address the elephant in the room: the COVID-19 pandemic has sucked the normalcy out of almost everyone’s life. That being said, this pandemic shall pass eventually, and there is little value in spinning endless conspiracies and rhetoric around it. While the country was gearing up for the revival of its tourism sector, the global travel advisories, suspension of major flights, and subsequent transformation of hotels up and down the country into quarantine sectors have essentially robbed us of an otherwise promising season. Yet this unforeseen delay may be a blessing in disguise for the tourism sector as it allows those involved to benchmark, evaluate, and bolster Pakistan’s institutional tourism capacity. At the turn of this decade, Pakistan saw the return of British Airways, previously red travel advisories turn green, visits from various dignitaries including the British royal couple, and press-authorities on tourism boast of Pakistan’s attractiveness for tourists. The rusting mechanism, once employed by tour operators, was being cleaned and readied for the season. This wasn’t a surprise. After all, Pakistan boasts beautiful mountains, pristine lakes and rivers, historically vibrant cities, and unparalleled tales. For years, the plague of terrorism had walled these wonders from the rest of the world, and the walls were beginning to crumble. Pakistan was ready to open itself up to the rest of the world. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) further catalysed growth in this sector with the construction of much-needed motorways, and exclusive economic zones. YouTubers from different countries also provided a soft image bump, which proved to be a powerful form of marketing. However, some problems need addressing before tourism can become a serious sector for Pakistan. The country is still not an incredibly easy place to travel in: with no-objection certificates (NOCs) required for movement within certain areas, a gora (white) complex which produces an inconsistent experience amongst diverse groups of tourists, a set of cultural and linguistic barriers, and a lack of standardised resorts and infrastructure in remote areas. With multiple iterations of handling seasonal inbound tourists, there is bound to be an evolution of tourist-friendly policies and social impediments. However, the number of hotels is small, their rates unpredictable, and their standards inconsistent. At times, domestic tourists find themselves stranded on segments of roads blocked by massive landslides. In some areas, the definition of a highway is a stretch of rocky terrain, slightly smoothed by the number of large trucks and buses passing over it. Available flights to the northern areas are often difficult to find during peak season with no alternatives. Perhaps it may be a good idea to follow in Nepal’s footsteps and incentivise private flight operators who can give aerial tours of the northern areas. To the casual observer, the COVID-19 pandemic is a devastating blow to the thousands of people who earn their livelihood through an increasingly promising tourism sector. The observer would not be wrong, but it would be foolish not to consider that the nature of policies this pandemic has brought could be potentially game-changing for ensuring the sustainability of our tourism sector in the long run. Imran Khan’s recent push for the up-gradation of the construction sector, with various incentives offered to those who initiate construction projects, could not have come a better time. Construction of world-class resorts and hotels along with reliable roads will not only help retain a large number of economically weak workers but will also boost the tourism sector for years to come. The government of Pakistan can even go further by building extensions to and renovating existing resorts while establishing new sites for ecotourism. Construction alone will never be the answer; thorough planning and measurement of the number and types of touristic sites need to be married with an active policy that ensures that Pakistan opens its doors to the rest of the world, unequivocally and universally. In the past few years, there have been various private sector initiatives, often student-driven, that have done a lot of good work by establishing themed tours that enhance urban tourism. Perhaps the time has come to appreciate the fact the history of Lahore and Peshawar is second to none, and a majority of global tourists choose urban destinations like Paris, London, and Rome. Local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to be empowered, complementary industries, like souvenirs, need to be spawned, hotels and resorts need to be constructed, and a compelling narrative needs to be unilaterally produced that projects the splendours of this country to the rest of the world. It is perhaps too soon to comment on how the next few months will unravel, but it is a matter of fact rather than speculation that the tourism industry in this country needs work to achieve its true potential. Pakistan is joining the race late, and it would be unwise to remain idle when given a chance to catch up to the rest of the world during this strange break.

India’s 2020-21 budget, presented by Nirmala Sitaraman, allots a whooping sum of $66.9 billion to the Indian ministry of defence. Though there are a number of divisions and sub-divisions under which this amount will be spent, the major chunk goes to the army. In Kashmir there is roughly one army personnel for every seven citizens, making it the world’s most militarised zone. The region of Jammu and Kashmir, which counts for one percent of India’s population, has been receiving 10% of the funds from the centre. But this money is not spent on developmental projects and is instead used to maintain a military presence in the area. Jammu and Kashmir has been under a state lockdown since August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370. As a result, the economy of the region has suffered. This was immediately followed by a harsh winter and the closure of the national highway. There was hope that once spring and summer arrived the economy could start to recover from its low-level equilibrium trap, however, those hopes have been dashed following the Covid-19 lockdown. The sectors classified as being the worst hit during the 2019 lockdown continue to be the cumulative sufferers following the Covid-19 outbreak. The tourism sector, which happens to be the backbone of the region’s economy, has had to come to a complete halt. As a result, 30,000 jobs have been lost in the hotel and restaurant sector alone in 2019. At a time when the the tourism sector was looking to regain its footing, the pandemic has hit the area and is expected to expedite the closures of several businesses. The handicraft sector also provides jobs to more than 50,000 artisans who lost their livelihood during the lockdown imposed in August last year. Additionally, the transport, e-commerce and the information and technology sectors have also been badly hit over the past few months. Those losses are bound to be exacerbated now due to coronavirus. The announced 21 day long lockdown, which has now been extended, could wreak havoc for Kashmir’s already conflict ridden economy. Strawberries, one of the first horticulture crops of the season in Kashmir, will be ready for plucking by the end of April. This will be followed by more than 11,000 tonnes of cherry and various other yields. But if the lockdown continues and the supply channels remain blocked, these farmers will incur huge losses. However, a lockdown in Kashmir is almost a normal feature for those who live here. As a result, the people are now forming committees and help groups in order to ensure that no one in the neighbourhood goes to bed hungry during this crisis. People are remaining indoors, trying to assist one another in whatever way they can, and staying calm even as the number of Covid-19 cases in the valley continues to rise. Fortunately, food and rations are being distributed by the government to peoples’ door-steps, which seems like a luxury when compared to the past. The main issue in the region is not the impact of this pandemic alone but the cumulative effect of the past crisis added to this one. An economy exposed to recurring shocks is bound to become fragile and the fact that transfer payments are now facing delays is only adding to the crisis. If the lockdown continues deep into summer, the incipient Covid-19 crisis will evolve into a structural crisis for Kashmir’s economy. Since the production base in Kashmir is mostly informal, even if production manages to take place, goods can’t be sold in the open market, therefore hurting the masses even further. All business activities in the region are caught in this low level equilibrium trap. A lot of money is locked down in inventories and assets that can neither be monetarised nor liquidated. The recovery process for the services sector will also be a long and arduous one. The scope for things like “work from home” is limited since, given the blanket ban on communications put in place on August 5, 2019, 4G internet services remain closed in the region. Similarly, the education sector has also once again gone into limbo. While the rest of the country, and the world, switches to online classes, students in Kashmir struggle to download even a simple PDF file. At the same time, the fledgling IT sector is also incurring insurmountable losses. Currently, India is spending just 1% of its GDP on fighting a pandemic which is becoming a growing threat in the country. Economic experts like Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have pointed out that these measures are simply not enough. The government needs to mitigate not only the impending health crisis but also needs to attend to the financial concerns of the poorer sections of society whose daily income has come to a standstill due to the lockdown. After the lives of the masses what matters most for them is their livelihood. Given the persistent shocks faced by Kashmir’s economy, it is mandatory that the government puts into practice long term policy interventions in order to save the region’s economy from entirely collapsing.

For much of the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid’s campaign has been driven by pessimism and trepidation. From mediocre performances on the field to a lack of purpose off it, the Los Blancos found themselves entrenched in a diatribe with a swathe of negative opinions from fans and critics alike. But the return of the clubs’s favourite son Zinedine Zidane after his dignified exit nine months ago has cut through all the noise, at least for the time being. Zizou’s work is cut out for him as the rebuilding job at a club like Real Madrid, with extremely high expectations, won’t be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. https://twitter.com/kevinchimuka/status/1113392173150502914 However, unlike towards the end of his last tenure, Zidane will have financial backing from the club. A report from The Independent claimed “Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has promised Zidane an expensive overhaul,” immediately after the Frenchman’s arrival. A few days later L’Equipe’s front page (titled Casino Royal) stated that: “Perez is ready to show faith in Zidane to turn the ship around by giving him a €500 million summer budget.” If Madrid are keen on spending heavily in the upcoming summer transfer window, they will have to do it wisely, bearing in mind their current expectations and without compromising future ambitions. Defence Real Madrid’s defence is, arguably, the least concerning aspect of their squad. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane might not have had the best of seasons, but they still form a formidable pairing in the centre of defence. But with Ramos aging and especially if Varane decides to leave, Madrid would need adequate replacements in order to beef up their backline options. Looking at the options, three names stand out in particular. These include Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly (27), Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar (24) and Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt (19). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kalidou Koulibaly during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on March 10, 2019 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] All three have no obvious weaknesses and possess the ideal skill set expected from a defender (strength, positioning and ball playing skills), supplemented by the fact that they are young enough to be part of the club for a very long time. While Madrid would be happy to bring in any one of these players, Skriniar would be cheaper as compared to the other two, considering the absence of a release clause in his contract with Inter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Milan Skriniar of FC Internazionale competes for the ball with Danny da Costa of Eintracht Frankfurt during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale and Eintracht Frankfurt at San Siro on March 14, 2019 in Milan, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] The 24-year-old also offers an added dimension of having played as a defensive midfielder with the Slovakian national side, and consequently can provide cover on two positions while also aiding in-game tactical switch. Midfielders Real Madrid have a substantial amount of talent in the centre of the park, with an impressive blend of young (Marcos Llorente, Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos) and experienced players (Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro). In order to cater to an aging Modric and take off pressure from Kroos, Madrid need a couple of additions to their midfield. However, they don’t need to spend heavily in this regard as the players they have loaned out – James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich and Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea – will be ideal suitors. Rodriguez’s incisiveness in the final third, both in open play and dead ball situations, will add creativity in central positions. This is of particular importance because a majority of Madrid’s attacks are wing-based, which is why the Colombian’s presence will stretch opposing defences and bring more unpredictability going forward. Also, through his quotes in the press, the midfielder has also indicated that there is no love lost between him and the Spanish giants, despite being left frustrated for playing time under Zidane previously. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] James Rodriguez of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Allianz Arena on March 17, 2019 in Munich, Germany. Photo: Getty[/caption] Kovacic might not have had the best of seasons at Chelsea, but he can still play a vital role in The Whites midfield with his ability to play line-breaking passes; a trait which is of pivotal importance, especially against many La Liga sides who like to sit deep and defend. Also, the Croatian’s best time in Madrid colours came while playing under Zizou, which makes a strong case of having him back in the Spanish capital. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea in action during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 18, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Getty[/caption] Forwards Ever since the departure of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the talk surrounding Real Madrid’s attacking pedigree has shown no signs of subsiding. Since the departure of the Portuguese, the goals have significantly dried up for the Los Blancos and hence the need for some clinical finishers in front of the goal is, probably, more than ever. Talking about forwards, one player that has constantly been linked with Real Madrid is Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. Although there is no doubt about the Belgium international’s footballing prowess and he will also be a seamless fit at Real, signing him now, at the age of 28, would mean the club shelling a lot of money in return for only two to three peak years. While it would be unfair to totally rule out a move, the club should only consider Hazard as a fall-back option. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] 31st March 2019, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales; EPL Premier League football, Cardiff City versus Chelsea; Eden Hazard of Chelsea looks back at a missed chance. Photo: Getty[/caption] Moving on, Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Kylian Mbappe, despite being an ideal solution to Real Madrid’s goal scoring troubles, is a long shot considering his massive price tag. Although there are plenty of rumours in the transfer market regarding his move to Spain, the French club will go all out to keep the 20-year-old star at the club, keeping in mind the fact that he is at the core of their European ambitions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kylian Mbappe of PSG celebrates a goal during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint Germain and Guingamp at Parc des Princes on January 19, 2019 in Paris, France. Photo: Getty[/caption] Taking into account all the factors and realistic options available on the market, Real Madrid will be better off if they work on the lines of signing Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi. Mane’s pace and technical ability has been part and parcel of Liverpool’s success in the past couple of seasons, and he will add a lot of potency to Real Madrid’s attack. Although he has played mostly as a winger for The Reds, if need be, he can play in a more central role as a striker as well. In Mane, Madrid will find a willing worker, who can track back and help out with defence and also link up well with Marcelo Vieira on the left wing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sadio Mane of Liverpool FC runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on March 31, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Photo: Getty[/caption] On the other hand, Icardi has stacked up some great numbers for his Italian club with his lethal finishing. He may not participate much in build-up play but his positioning and movement in front of the goal is particularly impressive. Real Madrid have been guilty of creating lots of chances but not converting them during the ongoing season, but Icardi’s signing should go a long way in changing that. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mauro Icardi of FC Internazionale scores the second goal during the Serie A match betweenGenoa CFC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on April 3, 2019 in Genoa, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] To Madrid and Zidane’s advantage, being knocked out of the title race on all fronts is somewhat a blessing in disguise, as it gives them additional time to plan for the future. But the 13-time European Champions will have to be clever with the way they go about their business in the transfer market, before it builds up more scar tissue against their name as a formidable force in the world of football.

The United States has introduced a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to blacklist Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. Azhar is the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (banned in Pakistan since 2002) and has been blamed by India for masterminding February’s Pulwama incident, even though no evidence has been produced which links Azhar to the incident. China has refused to list Azhar as an international terrorist after careful consideration of the definition of international terrorism according to international law. China has made this position absolutely clear and as such, it would appear that the US is looking to transform the UNSC into a place of high stakes geopolitical theatre, because China’s veto of the US resolution is inevitable. The US therefore is using the internationally immaterial issue of Azhar in order to provoke tensions between China and India at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already invoking blood-curdling Sinophobia in further attempts to rally the jingoist Hindutva vote. But this is not all that the US is doing. Washington is also provoking and in fact insulting Pakistan by suggesting that a local matter is worthy of wasting the UN’s time, even after one of the permanent members of the Security Council has made its position unambiguous. As if on cue, India’s jingoistic media kicked into high gear suggesting war against China. Meanwhile, members of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) continue to call for a boycotting of Chinese goods. When it comes to Pakistan however, America’s willingness to inflate the international importance of Azhar makes it clear that the US is willing to risk productive relations with Pakistan in order to both placate India and to goad India into an even more extreme position vis-a-vis China (not that the BJP needs much help in this respect). Although the US has admitted that Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process is crucial, beyond this, the US has clearly made its decision in terms of a long term strategy in South Asia. While some US diplomats will feign attempts at a balanced South Asia policy, the reality is that India is now a key US strategic partner. US diplomats at the UN will happily do India’s bidding, even over a matter as absurd as trying to convince the world that Azhar is an international terrorist when legal precedent says otherwise. Pakistan must adjust its own expectations accordingly. While it would be imprudent for Pakistan to provoke any superpower, the message that Washington is not so subtly sending is that when it comes to a superpower partner, China is the singular key to Pakistan’s prosperous future, while the US is becoming little more than a puppet master helping direct flagrant Indian aggression against China. This is all the more reason for Pakistan to take a more assertive role in the Afghan peace process. As the country most directly affected by Afghanistan’s prolonged status as a failed state, Pakistan has no excuse not to emerge as an international leader in driving forward an all-parties peace process. Any idea that Pakistan should merely shadow the US in respect of the peace process should now be put to rest, as it is clear that the US has India’s strategic desires at heart and that, by comparison, Pakistan’s security needs come a very distant second or even third. The reality Pakistan must now face is that whilst America’s priorities in the South Asia during the 80’s related to containing Afghanistan to the West and the Soviet Union to the North, today the US is squarely focused on provoking China and for this, India will remain a key ally of Washington. All that Pakistan must now do is acclimate itself to a new reality where China’s all-weather friendship will grow in stature and material importance while the US will be willing to insult, debase and ignore Pakistan as though the events of the 80’s never occurred. This post was originally published here.

Following the Marvel path, The Conjuring universe has grown steadily over the last six years through both, the increasing returns that most films in the franchise have delivered and in stature through the critical acclaim that the first two Conjuring movies received. Now five movies in, the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down with a third Conjuring film already set for 2020. But before that, we’re getting another Annabelle movie. And this one promises to be much different than its predecessors. [caption id="attachment_81026" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Annabelle Comes Home, which will serve as the sixth film in the Conjuring franchise and the third Annabelle film, does not take the prequel route like Annabelle: Creation did. Unlike the first Annabelle, which was widely panned for being a rudderless and aimless production, this film shifts the focus directly towards the Warren family – the paranormal investigators played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who served as the protagonists of the first two Conjuring films. [caption id="attachment_81027" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The first trailer, which came out recently, sprinkles a handful of jump-scares throughout its two and a half minute runtime and the film more or less appears to centre on an artefact room where the Warrens keep the demonic doll. However, soon enough the doll begins turning up in strange places and much to the surprise of the Warrens, so do the other artefacts. The weight of this is felt by the Warren’s 10-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends who seem to be at the centre of the latest Conjuring film. [caption id="attachment_81024" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] By all accounts, Annabelle Comes Home seems like a much more small-scale film as compared to its predecessors which were much more expansive in scope. And though the Warrens are back, they don’t seem to have a central role in the film in the same way as their daughter does. This is promising because it means that perhaps this time the focus will be on a tightly-constructed narrative, which is where horror films work best. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] As evidenced by the trailer, it’s perhaps also safe to assume that this film won’t just be about the titular doll but will also focus on some of the other haunted artefacts in the Warren family’s possession which, if anything, may provide the producers with a few more ideas for some future spin-offs. In the context of this film though, it will undoubtedly add to the scares. This is something that producer James Wan has confirmed when he essentially described the film as being Night at the Museum with an evil doll because of the various haunted artefacts that will be activated in the film. [caption id="attachment_81031" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The good thing is that Annabelle Comes Home seems to channel all the elements that have made the Conjuring franchise such a big success, which provides the viewer with something to look forward to. After straying away from the central narrative and focusing on aimless origin stories, the franchise seems to have finally learned its lesson. With Annabelle Comes Home, the focus seems to have been shifted back towards the scares and, in a blatant but smart bit of fan-service, the filmmakers have brought back two of the franchise’s most beloved characters, even if it’s in a supporting capacity. That said, only time will tell if the latest installment in the Annabelle saga matches up to the Conjuring movies, which at present, stand head and shoulders above the other films in the franchise. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Annabelle Comes Home hits cinemas on June 28, 2019.

“Our message is stronger than ever. Please stop the fighting. Please stop the killing. Please drop your guns.” Juan Antonio Samaranch, President International Olympic Committee speaking at the Winter Olympics, 1994. The sports arena has often been used in modern-day diplomacy to advocate for peace, but it has also been used to aggravate existing conflict. George Orwell wrote in The Sporting Spirit (1945) that sports is “war, minus the shooting” and has the potential to bring out the worst characteristics of nationalism. How that is controlled, or even amplified, is in the hands of those who hold the political controls. In the days following the Pulwama incident, tensions once again began to escalate between Pakistan and India. While India’s very first reaction was the imposition of a heavy economic sanction, many of the responses which followed came in the form of sports sanctions, primarily impacting something very close to the hearts of people on both sides: cricket. The fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) became the primary target of the increasing hostility and vitriol. Prominent Indian-owned media companies and broadcasters, including IMG Reliance, D Sports and CricBuzz, terminated their contracts and coverage of the tournament, leading to a virtual PSL blackout in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also came under extraordinary pressure from prominent Indian sporting personalities, media outlets and ordinary citizens, to boycott the upcoming Pakistan-India match at the cricket World Cup (June 2019). https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1097384109200928768 https://twitter.com/MinhazMerchant/status/1099007211689467906 Outside of cricket, other sports have also been effected. It is suggested that Pakistan supplies 90% of the hockey sticks used in India, and would suffer heavily from an increase in customs duty of 200%. As a result, the hockey fraternity in India would have to quickly find new suppliers who could match the demand, as well as replicate the quality from across the border. The Shooting World Cup, which was taking place in New Delhi a week after the attack and was intended to be an Olympic qualifier, also got dragged into the conflict when Pakistani athletes were not granted visas to participate in the tournament. Further economic sanctions would come later, followed by military responses, but it appears that the use of sports sanctions was going to kick start this ‘Operation Isolation’. However, these sanctions did not prove to be effective in isolating Pakistan on the sports field. We saw the PSL replace its distributors almost immediately and have yet another successful edition. Regarding the World Cup, wide coverage of the discussions between the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC) were made public, including copies of the communication between the two bodies. It is clear that the ICC and the organising team of the World Cup do not condone any political battles being played out on the cricket pitch. https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/1098065107693625344 Perhaps the most surprising stance came from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in response to Pakistan’s plea regarding the Shooting World Cup. Not only did the IOC revoke the tournament of its Olympic qualification status for the particular discipline, they further went onto suspend all discussions with the Indian government regarding hosting future sporting events in India. The IOC also recommended that all international federations should refrain from hosting any international sporting events in India until written guarantees are provided assuring participation of all athletes. This may prove to be a landmark ruling from the Olympic governing body, which has traditionally not taken such a publicly strong stance on political matters. This is especially true as the initial plea was only to do with the shooting event. However, India is no doubt going to work to revoke this suspension as quickly as possible, even if it means salvaging its ties with Pakistan. Failure to do so could mean that a number of its hosting rights and bids would be up on the chopping block, including the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup (2020), the Hockey World Cup (2022/2023) and ICC Cricket World Cup (2023), among others. https://twitter.com/mehreenzahra/status/1098830460862558208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1098830460862558208&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogsdesk.tribune.com.pk%2Fapplication%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D80906%26action%3Dedit This of course is not the first time tensions have escalated between the two neighbours, nor is it the first time that the field of play is used for sanctions to be deployed and political statements to be made. India-Pakistan cricket relations have been turbulent ever since they kicked off in 1952. There have been many positive outcomes where both countries have hosted each other on multiple occasions and opened up their borders for citizens to travel in support of their teams. At the same time, boycotts from governing bodies and protests from ordinary citizens have also had the opposite impact on cricket and other sporting ties between the two nations. The Indian cricket tour to Pakistan (2004) is considered as one of the four most prominent acts of sports diplomacy, with the ‘Christmas Truce’ of World War I (1914), where German and British soldiers were said to have held informal sessions of casual football on Christmas day, being number one. Even outside of the subcontinent, sports have always been a feature of international diplomacy, albeit a more subtle one. We have seen countless protests and boycotts when it comes to international sports, such as the Black Power Salute (at the 1968 Olympics), America’s boycott of the 1980 Olympics during the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s boycott of the 1984 Olympics, and the international sporting boycott of Apartheid South Africa. However, it would not have been difficult to foresee the potential for sports to have these impacts when the Olympic movement was first initiated. After all, it was developed on the sole idea of using sports to encourage and improve peace among the warring kingdoms in Ancient Greece. The way international sports are conducted and covered today, indicates their potential and ability to bridge gaps between nations. With massive potential to be used as a catalyst in international diplomacy and break barriers, the power of sports can only be as strong as the will and commitment of our global leaders. In an era where hard power is frowned upon by the international community, governments are increasingly inclined to use alternative modes of diplomacy, sports included, to achieve their political goals and shape their international image. If we, the people, can understand the relationship between the two, then we can also influence its impact. This isn’t the first time sports have been used to convey and act upon undertones of conflict and hate, and it unfortunately won’t be the last. For now, we can be aware of how these actions relating to the field of play can be used to condition or influence certain emotions within us, and also pray that our leaders use the pitches and courts to help us come together, rather than to push us apart.

The sky was a pool of black ink, dusted with stars at midnight. Arsh looked out from the window — she saw many little streets sprawled out below. She had only known these streets from inside the walls of her room. She had never walked on them. She had never been under the open sky. She looked at these streets longingly. To her, these streets and everything else of the outside world was a distant dream. Arsh was thinking about him. He came again tonight. Her caramel skin flushed bright pink as he folded her into his arms. Her heart fluttered as his fingertips grazed her bare skin. She had never felt so close to a man before. Over the years, many men held her, touched her, felt her — but he was different from all the others. She fell in love with him. She waited for him each night. She longed for him, as any lover would. On the nights he didn’t come, she was restless. She waited for him till she saw him next, till he told her how beautiful she was. As she stood by the window and watched darkness engulf the sky, she decided she’d tell him what she felt for him. Maybe he’d take her away somewhere far. Maybe he’d relieve her of this life. Overhead, a star blinked in the dark sky, as if telling her it was time. The morning sun filled the brothel. It was bright inside. Arsh slipped into plain white clothes and went downstairs. The morning is always bright. It’s the night that’s dark. It’s always the night that’s dark. “Arsh!” Farnaz called, with a cigarette clenched in the corner of her mouth. “You look happy! I’ve never seen a bigger smile on your face.” “I’m going away,” Arsh said in low voice, so that nobody else could hear. Farnaz laughed. But then her eyes were suddenly wide with concern, and her skin shone pale under the gleam of sunlight. “You know you can’t go away,” Farnaz said quietly. Arsh smiled in reply and bustled away. The rest of the day, she was tangled in her thoughts. She didn’t even know his name but she knew he was the one who’d save her. The world glittered with promise. “Take me away!” Arsh whispered into his ear. There was a steely glint in his eyes. “Please take me away!” Arsh’s voice crackled at the edges. He slapped her so hard her teeth rattled. “You’re a whore,” he spat. Arsh swallowed everything else that she had to say. The words dried up in her throat. It was near dawn but Arsh was wide awake. She looked into the mirror, her dark eyes sunken in an ashen face, stared back at her. Her lips were stained in a dark, blood-like red. Her hair, black and velvety like the sky at midnight, carelessly tumbled down her back. Her angarkha, heavily embroidered in gold and silver threads, danced around her when she moved. 'A whore,' she thought. She felt sparks of resentment cascading in her as she looked at herself. She felt angry. But then her anger melted and she started crying. And as a tear caught in her lip, she realised her lipstick was smudged at the corners. His words filled her head. They were sharp, piercing—they cut through her like knives. Even after he left, the word ‘whore’ twisted inside her. It crushed her. It tinted her entire existence. It was a small word but it encompassed a bitter world — a whore’s world. Arsh had endured years of abuse. There were different men in her bed each night. They treated her like an object. They used her and then discarded her. She was perceived as an unthinking, unfeeling being. Her existence only sparkled in the dark hours of the night. They forgot she was human too. She looked at the faded sky from the window. She spread out her hand towards the sky, trying to reach for it. It was close but far away. Maybe just like the man who she thought would save her. Khudkushi (suicide). The word echoed against the big, bare walls of the brothel. Its weight settled on all women who lived inside. It grew heavier and heavier, thicker and thicker, folding them in, needling them all over. It hung in the air, sharp and poisonous. 'Khudkushi,' they murmured in small voices, afraid not to say it out too loud. They didn’t want anyone else to hear. A silence spread in the brothel, full of fear and anticipation. It was suddenly dark inside, and empty despite the people. Outside, the day shifted from morning to night. And the air smelled of earth and ash and rain. And faintly of death. Arsh took away her life. She cut her wrists and bled to death. For her, death wasn’t just an end—it held meaning. It meant freedom. It meant floating somewhere far, untethered. It meant relief from a corseted existence. Khudkushi became Arsh’s freedom. She finally fled from a life she did not want to live.

I was recently invited to a trip to Iran and Iraq by a group of close friends from Lahore, and as I had never been to these states before, I decided to take the opportunity to visit the shrines frequented mostly by Shia pilgrims. After all, how else was I going to be able to travel through war-torn Iraq (where the Islamic State has only recently been defeated) and gain access to the heavily sanctioned country of Iran? Mesopotamia – the cradle of civilisation and home to many Imams of the Islamic world – has been off-limits to most ordinary tourists since the days of Saddam Hussein. We took off from Lahore and a few hours later found ourselves landing in Baghdad, the famed city of The Arabian Nights. The airport was small and run-down, and we had to wait for at least two to three hours for our group visa to be cleared. We waited patiently and entered Baghdad at dusk; there were palm trees galore and the roads were smooth enough. Our excitement was mounting as we headed straight for the illuminating shrine of Ghous Pak (Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani). We paid our respects at the beautifully lit white shrine, ate the delicious langar (communal meal) of rice and chicken (provided by a Pakistani family from Faisalabad) and then headed to our hotel. We felt more than welcomed to a city founded on the west bank of the Tigris in 762AD by the Abbasid dynasty. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The beautifully illuminated shrine of Ghous Pak[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The door to his shrine[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="419"] His final resting place[/caption] We stayed at Hotel Palestine, which is located near the ancient Tigris River, with a colourful history of its own; it was a favourite among foreign journalists during the Gulf wars and had been shelled! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] View of the Tigris River from Hotel Palestine[/caption] There are roadblocks all over Iraq and paramilitary forces with armoured vehicles can be seen on all major roundabouts. The receptionist at our hotel smiled and clapped joyfully when she discovered we were Pakistani and gave us comfortable rooms (our recent military standoff seems to have made them happy). Baghdad looks like it is stuck in an 80's time warp – the buildings all seem to be from that era. However, most of the debris from the bombed-out infrastructure has been removed. We found it to be a bustling city with crowded restaurants and bad traffic jams. We crossed the Tigris River many times, the last one being to visit the shrine of Persian mystic Mansur al Hallaj. He is known for his saying, “I am the Truth”, which many saw as a claim to divinity resulting in his execution, while others saw it as an instance of annihilation of the ego. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The tomb of the Persian mystic[/caption] We also visited the burial place of Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi school of Sunni jurisprudence. However, the highlight of our Baghdad stay was the visit to the north of the city to Kazmain, where Imams Musa al Kazim (AS) and Muhammad al Jawad (AS), both direct descendants of the Prophet (PBUH), are buried. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Outside the Ziyarat of the Kazmain Imams in Baghdad[/caption] This is a world famous shrine and one of the most important mosques in the Islamic world, with a huge gilded dome and four minarets rising above its courtyard, all covered with gold, Kufic inscriptions. There are canopied balconies, mirror mosaics, glazed tiles, and endless floors of marble. The final resting places of all the Imams buried in Iraq, we were to discover, were equally awe-inspiring. The shrine was very crowded during our visit and there was a long walk to it as it has been bombed in the past, which is why the nearby streets had been cordoned off. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Armoured vehicles and soldiers guarding shrines are a common sight in Baghdad[/caption] The other highlight of our Baghdad visit was to the 2,000-year-old Persian monument Taq Kasra, or Arch of Ctesiphon, the world’s largest brick vault. Somehow it has survived all the recent wars and is truly a sight to see, given its immense scale and elegance. Taq Kasra is located near the shrine of Salman al Farsi (RA), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the first Persian to convert to Islam. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Taq Kasra[/caption] On our last day in Baghdad, we headed to the ancient town of Samarra to visit the 10th and 11th Imams, Ali al Hadi (AS) and his son Hasan al Askari (AS). Both are buried in a heavily-guarded shrine, which has been bombed twice in recent years and had to be rebuilt. Adjacent to the mosque is another domed building built over the cistern where the 12th Imam, Muhammad al Mahdi (AS), disappeared; hence the title of the Mahdi, the Hidden Imam. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The last place Imam Mahdi was seen[/caption] We were sorry to leave Baghdad – there was much to see and such little time – but we had to move on to Karbala, where rain greeted us. Powerful energy emanates from this city, the burial place of Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), near the place where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. Within the shrine of Imam Hussain (RA), we found the mass grave of all 72 martyrs of Karbala who fought and died alongside him, despite the heavy odds they faced. We soon joined the thousands of people jostling to enter the Ziyarat. Opposite is the shrine of his brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS), who was also martyred during the Battle of Karbala by Yazid’s men while bringing some water from the Euphrates River for the Prophet’s (PBUH) family. There is a lovely walkway lined with palm trees between the two shrines, and we often went there to sit and pray as our hotel was nearby. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hazrat Abbas (AS) shrine glistening as the sun sets in Karbala with the walkway in front[/caption] Our next stop was Najaf, and luckily our hotel was located right next to my favourite Ziyarat: Imam Ali’s (RA) resplendent shrine. He is considered the father of Sufism, as almost all Sufi orders claim their descent from him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Imam Ali's (RA) shrine in Najaf[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The entrance to the shrine[/caption] After visiting his peaceful shrine, we went to Kufa to see the great mosque, one of the oldest in the world, where Hazrat Ali (RA) was struck by a poisoned sword and passed away after two days. We visited his simple but elegant house next to the mosque (thankfully preserved by the Iraqi government) where his body was washed before being buried in secret. Imam Ali (RA) had earlier dug a well in his house and even today one can drink its healing waters. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The Great Mosque of Kufa[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The house in Kufa has been preserved by the Iraqi government[/caption] Our final stop was the city of Mashad in Iran, home of the eighth Imam, Hazrat Ali Reza (AS), whose shrine is really the heart of the city – all roads lead to his Ziyarat! We took a short flight from Najaf to Mashad, which is the second most populous city in Iran. Mashad means the place of martyrdom; Imam Reza (AS) was poisoned by Caliph al Ma’mun. A fact I learned during my journey is that none of the Imams lived to an old age – all were poisoned or assassinated. Imam Reza’s (AS) ornate shrine is enormous, with its many courtyards and mosques, and is considered the Vatican of Iran, run in an efficient and orderly manner. It is also gorgeous, with its Persian carpets and crystal chandeliers galore. We were lucky enough to eat from the shrine’s famous langar and enjoyed the Imam’s hospitality! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The underground crypt where people can pray and meditate[/caption] Mashad is a clean, modern city, and feels like it could be anywhere in Europe, except all the women wear long black chadors. Before we knew it, our visit was over, and tired but rejuvenated we found ourselves on the plane back to Lahore. There were so many memories to treasure and so many adventures to retell. Iraq is slowly recovering from war and getting back on its feet, and I would recommend everyone to go visit this fascinating country alongside Iran, regardless of your religious beliefs. As we were told wherever we went, “Ziyarat qubool.” (May your pilgrimage be accepted) (All photos by author)

In the post-modern world, the topography of the city has undergone a drastic shift. Rapid urbanisation and growing job opportunities have resulted in many cities in the developing world being swamped by an increasing number of people coming in from the villages and suburbs. In order to accommodate this burgeoning populace, the intrinsic structure of the modern metropolis has had to evolve. Countries such as India and Pakistan have had to grapple with the dual ambitions of wanting to urbanise their cities while also wanting to hold onto their rich architectural heritage. The complex history of a multi-ethnic country such as Pakistan has been razed to the ground in order to erect soulless towers to replace the colonial monuments which have served as a reminder of our turbulent past. [caption id="attachment_81733" align="alignnone" width="600"] Heritage building encroached on by local traders at Jamia masjid road.[/caption] Rawalpindi is an example of a city wrestling with these two seemingly dichotomous aims. On the outskirts of the Rehmanabad Metro station lie some old houses with large verandas and an edifice which is almost reminiscent of the homes in Downtown Abbey. Erected in the early 1960’s, they adorned the city with their marvellous porticos and the locality came to be known as Satellite Town. During the time that Islamabad was being built as the nation’s new capital, Satellite Town functioned as a diplomatic enclave of sorts, with many embassies located there. The Victorian-style houses were thus built to accommodate foreign dignitaries residing in the city. [caption id="attachment_81748" align="alignnone" width="600"] A night view of Jamia Masjid Rawalpindi which was founded in 1905.[/caption] Over the years, however, as Islamabad became the diplomatic hub, Satellite Town found itself shrinking in importance, and the neighbourhood was consumed by a city which was expanding at an unprecedented rate. The old houses of the locality now stand like ghostly relics of the past. [caption id="attachment_81678" align="alignnone" width="452"] Chan bazaar, Rawalpindi.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81734" align="alignnone" width="450"] A view of Raja Bazaar road.[/caption] In a house on Sadiqabad road lives an old engineer who has closed the gates of his house, along with his heart, to the outside world. The resident is Afzaal Ahmad, a man who comes from a distinguished family of army personnel. While looking at his old photographs, Ahmad recounts: “The Rawalpindi I was raised in was a marvel, an image straight from the British calendars. Smooth clean roads, small markets, coffee shops along with a nice book shop (London Books company), low traffic and an orderly crowd.” [caption id="attachment_81736" align="alignnone" width="600"] The main entrance of the Afzaal Ahmad's house.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81737" align="alignnone" width="600"] Old magazine ads from the collection of Afzaal Ahmad.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81745" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rawalpindi's Kashmir Road in the 1960's. From the records of Afzaal Ahmad.[/caption] The markets at the time were quite small and there was only one major road in Saddar at the time, Mall Road, which catered to everyone's needs. Ahmad recalls that the famous road had a hairdresser, a laundry shop and few clothing outlets as well. He adds: “I remember most of my classmates in Station school were British or Anglo-Indians. Anglo-Indians were considered to be the most educated after the British. I still remember this one Anglo-Indian traffic sergeant who used to roam around alone on Murree road. People were so afraid of his discipline that they wouldn’t cross the road until he had gone away.” [caption id="attachment_81738" align="alignnone" width="600"] Backyard of the house.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81743" align="alignnone" width="600"] An old building occupied by partition migrants in Saddar.[/caption] For Ahmad’s generation, and the ones which followed, things took a downward turn after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power. Fearing the consequences of nationalisation and increasing religiosity, many foreigners fled the country. The Anglo-Indians too fell prey to this and many migrated to America and Australia. The resultant vacuum gave rise to a new emerging class of locals who had a different mentality. They were hungry to tear down the old to make way for the new. [caption id="attachment_81744" align="alignnone" width="338"] An old temple in miserable condition in Moti Bazaar.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81749" align="alignnone" width="475"] A name plate outside a house in Dhakki mohallah, Angat Pura.[/caption] Rawalpindi as a city has always had a storied history. Punjab has been ruled by Graeco-Bactrian Kings and later by the Sakas, Iranian nomads, and in 1765 Sardar Gujjar Singh controlled the area which is now called Rawalpindi. The city remained under Sikh rule till 1849 when it was taken over by the British. Hence, this land has had many identities, and one can find linkages to an extraordinary past through the city’s buildings and districts. [caption id="attachment_81679" align="alignnone" width="600"] A view of Moti bazaar, Rawalpindi.[/caption] Despite the removal of the Sikh Raj, the Sikh community remained an integral part of the cultural fabric of Rawalpindi till 1947. Their remnants are still visible in Kartarpura, Angatpura, Arjun Nagar, Mukha Singh state, Old Banni and adjoining areas. The city was predominantly influenced by Rai Bahadur Sujan Singh whose haveli (house) still stands in the old Bhabra Bazaar. Rawalpindi at one point in time was a jewel, a unique blend of both old and new architecture. Over the years, people that have been allotted these vacant properties have damaged them due to sheer negligence, and today these buildings are but a shadowy reflection of their former glory. [caption id="attachment_81739" align="alignnone" width="600"] An old pre-partition haveli in Saidpuri gate trying to save its colors from the wrath of the modern age.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81741" align="alignnone" width="600"] A colonial style balcony on College Road, where famous Indian actor Balraj Sahini grew up.[/caption] Rawalpindi today is a chaotic labyrinth. Building laws and municipal regulations are virtually non-existent. Politicians and profit-driven land owners have given local municipal authorities the approval to demolish heritage buildings and sites. Commercialisation has trumped heritage. Heretics have squashed history. Rawalpindi still has the potential to become the epicentre of regional heritage, but only if preservation work is begun immediately. Today, the view from the metro bus offers a gloomy look at a frenzied skyline onto a city which does not know what it wants to be because it has forgotten what it once was. (All photos by author)

It had been some time since I cried while reading a book. And A Place for Us changed that. Fatima Farheen Mirza’s dazzling debut novel tells the story of a South Asian Muslim family living in America. The family members find themselves torn between discovering their individual selves, while also grappling with their respective roles within the family. As a result of living in a deeply polarised American society, the characters in the novel are in a constant battle with themselves, their family and the world around them, each looking to find relevance, liberty and peace. Interestingly, one of the main talking points with regards to this book has been Sarah Jessica Parker's involvement in its publication. The Sexy and the City star chose Mirza’s novel as the first book to be published under the Parker imprint for Hogarth publications. A Place for Us begins at the wedding celebrations for the family’s eldest daughter, Hadia, in California. The occasion, however, is made all the more special due to the youngest child and only son, Amar, coming back home after having fled three years ago. The story thus revolves around the circumstances which led to Amar’s estrangement from the family and the narrative is interspersed with memories from the parents, Rafiq and Layla, and their children, Hadia, Huda and Amar. What I found particularly inventive about the narrative was how the story unfolds through the point of view of a host of different characters, with the same memory often being shown through different perspectives. We are thus able to see how the same moment impacted each member of the family in a wholly unique manner. Mirza beautifully brings to light the nature of familial love, which can be limitless and unwavering, but also envious and petty. The depiction often seems like that of a typical diaspora family, with parents trying desperately to instil both Muslim and South Asian values in their children and encouraging them to speak their native language at home. The author explores the subtle dynamics of the household, from the siblings safeguarding each other’s secrets, to the family following Islamic rituals and customs like fasting in the month of Ramazan and observing Muharram. But that’s just the feel-good part of the book. What is heart-wrenching, poignant, and particularly relevant for our part of the world is how Mirza explores the pressure parents tend to put on their children. South Asian parents often have their own expectations from their children, insisting that they must be obedient, unquestioning Muslims and top performing students who go on to become either doctors, engineers, lawyers or entrepreneurs. The novel attempts to illuminate how pitting children against one another, failing to acknowledge past mistakes and the inability to express love can tear a family apart. Hence, when Amar leaves, a part of Rafiq and Layla’s souls also leaves. But by then it’s too late to mend their broken ways. Perhaps the saddest thing in the world is to see your child leave you because of your own mistakes. Not feeling at home with your own family is a tragedy, one which Mirza renders beautifully on the page. And so, I cried when the family was torn apart because of secrets, betrayals, and the smallest of estrangements which could no longer be brushed under the carpet. The last section of the book, told from Rafiq’s perspective, is absolutely devastating. The feelings of an emotionally-reserved father, who falls prey to his own shortcomings, are expressed in a remarkably raw and affecting manner, which is quite an achievement for a debutant writer. Mirza has done a truly commendable job at penning down the story of a family over decades, and it is no surprise that her novel has received great critical acclaim. The recurrent themes of children trying to find their own identity and parents trying to protect and understand their children resonate at a deep level. After this stellar debut, one hopes that Mirza is able to pack the same amount of authenticity into her next novel, one which I am eagerly awaiting.

“My dear Marwan, I look at your profile, In the glow of this three-quarter moon, my boy, Your eyelashes like calligraphy, Closed in guileless sleep. I said to you, ‘Hold my hand. Nothing bad will happen’.” These are a few verses from the context of Sea Prayer, the fourth book by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini is a well-known author of three books, including the international bestseller The Kite Runner, and is the Goodwill Ambassador to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Sea Prayer is a 40-page book, or rather, a free verse poem beautifully complemented by Dan Williams’ illustrations. It can best be described as a small prayer to the sea by a helpless father on a moonlit beach, who is going to cross the Mediterranean with his child as soon as dawn arises but in less than ideal circumstances. The story begins with the remembrance of the happy days spent by the father in Homs, Syria when the city was at peace, with its bustling and crowded lanes and streets. Of a time when the stirring of the olive trees and clanking of pots used to awaken him, and when this city of western Syria was not dismantled by bombs, starvation and death. The father wishes for his son to remember some of the more pleasant memories of Homs. The story has been inspired by the three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, whose body washed up by the sea on the shore of Mediterranean Sea in 2015 as he fled the Syrian War. While talking in an interview, Hosseini became teary-eyed even as he remembered seeing the photograph of Kurdi. “I was gutted,” he says. “I tried to imagine, as a father, what it must be like to see viral photographs of your deceased three-year-old lying face down on the sand at the water’s edge and being lifted into the arms of a stranger.” He also stated, “I hope that this book Sea Prayer is a small tribute not only to his (Kurdi’s) family, but also, on a broader level, I hope it highlights the unthinkable despair that thousands of other ordinary people face every day to abandon home and community and take a chance on this brutal and often lethal journey across the sea.” Hosseini thus pays tribute to Kurdi’s family through his Sea Prayer, while portraying the tragic and wretched condition of millions of refugees all over the world with help of Williams’ illustrations. The beautiful memories of Homs are like a dream now, not only for the son but also for the father. Protests followed by the atmosphere of fear and beleaguerment, the black skies showering bombs and bullets instead of rain, and the sight of living bodies buried under devastated buildings is all that remains in their memories of Homs. In Sea Prayer, Hosseini not only points out the way in which the war imposed by mighty powers upon Syria has destroyed the childhood of millions of innocent kids, but also highlights the emergency and the growing crisis of refugees being forced to leave their homes and approach smugglers in search of safe shelters which are in actuality not safe at all. A heartrending letter from a father to his son provokes in us the thought of the thousands of refugees who risk their lives on the threshold of death every year just in search of shelter, while many of them simply perish at sea without leaving anything behind. Every night they sleep among the remains of human flesh burnt by explosive bombs, with their own bodies stained by blood, dreaming of a better future – a hope for a safe shelter, a desire for a home. Carrying their misfortunes, they are longing for acceptance and searching for a place where they are welcomed. But no one cares. Not even the sea. The sea is deep. It is vast. A large swarm of unwelcomed and unasked bodies of flesh are waiting impatiently at the cold beach for the sun to rise. The father sees his son, his only precious cargo, and tries to console his sleeping being with his words, while praying that the sea knows his worth. It kills him every time he thinks of the depth and vastness of the sea and the helplessness of his own self. At this instant, the mother’s voice comes up: “Oh but if they saw, my darling. Even half of what you have. If they only saw. They would say kinder things, surely.” The book will make tears fall out of your eyes silently as the deep ocean engulfs the bodies of thousands of refugees fleeing war and persecution. Some pages are without any words, and here the illustrations speak more powerfully than words ever could. Quietly, they will make your heart wail in silence due to the barbarity of what we call human beings. Humans, the greatest creation ever to be created, that cannot even feel the pain of its fellow beings. Every word, every illustration in this book will leave a deep mark on your heart. The demonstration of the transformation of a peaceful, crowded and bustling Homs into the city of death; no one could have written this better than Hosseini. No words could carve out such an impression on a heart other than his own. This book deserved to be written purely, with a heart that could feel the pain and emotions of thousands of homeless Syrians, Afghans, Somalis and Iraqis. Then who would be better than Hosseini to write it? After all, no one could feel the pain of a refugee better than a refugee himself. As he stated, “If I was a father on a moonlit beach about to take one of these journeys, you can bet that I would... say one of these prayers too.” Sea Prayer is about questioning your own self: what would you have done if you had to abandon your home and cross a deep sea on a cold night? How would you have reacted if you had lost your loved ones in the same sea? Imagine them dead. Imagine their fates being ended as a feast for the sea. Imagine the struggle of their last breaths before they were taken forever. Imagine them being washed up by the sea at the shore itself. How would you have felt? Imagine how a father would have felt to see his three-year-old like this? Hosseini leaves the grave questions for the mighty powers of the world to ponder through his short work of fiction!

Pakistan’s unique geostrategic location at the crossroads of East, South, West, and Central Asia enables it to function as the “Zipper of Eurasia”, as I wrote over half a decade ago in September 2015 for the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies. I built upon this observation in March 2019 to declare that the creative leveraging of the unprecedented trans-regional connectivity potential offered by CPEC enables Pakistan to become the Global Pivot State. This ambitious vision is finally beginning to take shape after Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Uzbekistani Minister of Transport agreed to pursue a trans-Afghan railway line on Wednesday. I previously proposed such a corridor in my April 2019 debut analysis for CGTN about how “CPEC+ Is The Key To Achieving Regional Integration Goals”, which described the northern branch of CPEC through Afghanistan into Central Asia as N-CPEC+ (“N” referring to North). Eventually, this corridor could expand as far northwards as Russia to create a new North-South integration axis across Eurasia which aligns with President Putin’s vision for the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) like I explained in an academic article that I co-authored over the summer that was republished by the prestigious Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC). As Pakistan begins to take on a more prominent role in trans-Eurasian integration processes, its strategic importance to both China and Russia will continue to rise. Both Great Powers have a shared interest in the South Asian state fulfilling its destiny to unite the supercontinent through CPEC+. It’s only through this connectivity paradigm that a true Convergence of Civilisations can occur, like I explained in an analysis for CGTN in May 2019. The outcome of Eurasia’s diverse civilisations cooperating on trade and other forms of integration could powerfully discredit Huntington’s infamous prediction about a coming “Clash of Civilisations”. Russian, Chinese, and Pakistani interests are all directly served through N-CPEC+. Moscow’s regional allies can become more internally stable as their economies grow upon securing access to the global markets that this corridor provides through the Indian Ocean, as could Russia’s resource-rich Siberian region. Beijing, meanwhile, will see its Pakistani-based CPEC investments put to use as a springboard for trans-continental integration processes and could also secure contracts to construct parts of its northern branch expansion as well. As for Islamabad, it would financially benefit by having its ports facilitate Central Asian trade with the wider world. N-CPEC+ is therefore more than just a connectivity corridor, it’s a grand strategic concept for the future of intra-Eurasian relations in the emerging Multipolar World Order. Russia, China, and Pakistan are coming closer together as each country realises that they need the others in order to fulfill their shared vision of stability in the supercontinent. In fact, continued movement in this direction might even lead to the creation of a new multipolar trilateral between them to replace the stalled one between Russia-India-China (RIC). The end result could be that a Golden Ring rises between them, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan in the Heartland of Eurasia. To be clear, this won’t happen overnight, but the progress that was just made on agreeing to the Peshawar-Kabul-Mazar-e-Sharif trans-Afghan railway shows that the political will is certainly present to take this vision to its ultimate conclusion with time. Some formidable obstacles still remain, however, such as the unresolved conflict in Afghanistan and the efforts of external powers like India to sabotage this vision. There are also obvious questions of financing and other issues related to project implementation, as well as identifying which companies in the region and beyond are most eager to immediately tap into this project upon its completion. Nevertheless, there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic, especially since it’s becoming undeniable that Russia and China both appreciate the strategic significance of Pakistan’s N-CPEC+ initiative to their GEP and Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) respectively. In fact, as GEP and BRI continue to synergise their connectivity capabilities, their patron states are realising that N-CPEC+ is indispensable to the success of their joint vision for the supercontinent. This understanding is accelerating trilateral integration between them and therefore leading to one of the most exciting geopolitical developments of the 21st century thus far.

Climate change is a ‘hot’ button issue in Pakistan. Both literally and figuratively. Summer 2022’s disastrous floods submerged almost a third of the country under water, affecting 33 million people, and displacing eight million. 2024’s heatwave is currently in full swing, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department reporting that nationwide temperatures are five to six degrees Celsius above normal. This has led to a surge in heatwave-related casualties with over 568 dead, and more than 5000 hospitalised. Apart from this, glaciers are rapidly melting, and forest fires have increased due to the harsh weather. In the backdrop of this fast-escalating crisis in the worlds fifth most climate-vulnerable country, the judiciary’s intervention is integral. Recognising the importance of the climate crisis, the keen interest taken by Superior and District judiciary is highly commendable. First, a look at the recent Climate Change Conference organised by the Law and Justice Commission in the Supreme Court. It was attended and chaired by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik. The Chief Justice, called climate change an “Illness and sickness of the Earth, as a fever is to the human body.” He emphasised the importance of protection and preservation of natural life and the environment and urged the participants to play their part in spreading climate awareness. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, remarked that climate protection cases are still not mainstream and urged all judges to deal with them like serious human rights issues. He said it was time to go beyond human-centric approach and begin protecting nature. Further, he encouraged the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Commercial Courts to solve climate issues. He gave the idea of a ‘Global Court’ as a forum for Pakistan to claim losses of $15-20 Billion as a result of the 2022 floods, attributed to fossil fuel emissions from the Developed nations. Justice Ayesha Malik delivered an insightful presentation on Environmental Jurisprudence and its enforcement. She mentioned the Asghar Leghari case, where the court formed a commission to deal with an environmental protection case. She revealed that this case ultimately brought about the current Climate Change policy at the national level and even played a part in forming the Ministry of Climate Change. Justice Ayesha informed the audience about the tools the court uses to deal with environmental protection cases like zoning laws, which are laws that limit the commercial or industrial use of land. She urged the courts to push for enforcement of climate laws. The Justice also mentioned how women and vulnerable groups were most affected by climate change. Further, she talked about how the courts made use of Public-Private partnership, which played a pivotal role in helping the government fight climate change in public spaces where it lacks the requisite funding. Lastly, she mentioned that courts play a huge role in battling climate change by the method of Calling for Reports and Information in cases related to climate change. This leads to the creation of reports, data and documentation. Secondly, last week’s lecture at the Federal Judicial Academy, titled ‘Climate Causality: From Causation to Attribution’ conducted by Ms Petra Minnerop, the Founding Director of Durham University’s Centre for Sustainable Development Law and Policy (CSDLP), is also of profound importance. Organised by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah (Supreme Court), Justice Jawad Hassan (Lahore High Court), and Judge Fakhar Zaman (Federal Judicial Academy), the lecture was attended by judges, magistrates and law officers from all over Pakistan. Ms Minnerop discussed the importance of ‘Climate Causality’, which refers to the causal chain connecting climate change to losses. It plays a part in minimising the loss and damage from climate change, a duty recognised by courts, and enshrined in Art 8(1) of the Paris Agreement. She explained how Causation and Attribution are intertwined legal concepts in global climate jurisprudence. The main obstacle faced by the courts is establishing causation. The Professor went on to give examples of case law from around the world, from the United States, to France, to Phillipines. Cases were brought against both governments and corporations, alleging their complacency or direct involvement in exacerbating climate change. For example, she explained how in the Australian case of Gloucester Resources Ltd VS Minister for Planning, a proposal for construction of an open-cut coal mine was rejected by a court on environmental grounds, including the projected carbon emissions that would arise from its operation. Such cases were highlighted to encourage the judiciary to take a proactive approach in cases related to climate change where the necessary criteria have been met. She elucidated that evidence was crucial to prove a claim in climate litigation, citing the convergence of observation and climate models. The intensity of climate events confirmed by climate models, make or break a case. The lecture followed a Question and Answer session, where a civil judge questioned Ms Minnerop as to why Pakistan was bearing the brunt of climate change alone while it was amongst the lowest contributors to carbon emissions worldwide. Ms Minnerop replied that Pakistan was a signatory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as among the more than 100 countries to pledge to curb methane emissions and deforestation at COP26. She added that Pakistan was responsible to take a serious approach towards its nationally determined contribution and sustainable climate projects to collect the climate finances pledged by the Developed countries at COP28. Further, she suggested that Pakistan needs to have verified data-sets available regarding climate change developments and needs to have proper legislation and research in place to take advantage of climate litigation as a useful tool in combatting climate change. Ms Minneropended the lecture by thanking the judges and law officers for their interest and willingness to play a role in curbing climate change through their respective domains. This recent upsurge of awareness regarding Climate Change taken up by the nation’s judiciary is commendable and gives the citizens a hope for a clean, green and sustainable Pakistan.

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