KARACHI: “I don’t know if you have noticed, but perhaps your parents or grandparents have, that there are strange things happening all around us,” said Prof Salima Hashmi while delivering the keynote address on the occasion of the 25th convocation of the Indus Valley School (IVS) of Art and Architecture here on Saturday, where some 109 creative minds with imagination earned their degrees and diplomas.

While sharing a cherished memory, she said: “A very long time ago, it was the last century, there was a little girl wearing a pink satin suit, who was entrusted with handing out a pile of books, one at a time, to a room full of people. The book was Dast-i-Saba and it was the work of the poet Faiz. A newly-published collection of poetry written in prison in Hyderabad, not too far from here.

“A proud little girl handing out poetry, she didn’t know it was anything special — just a book. But, as people opened it and began to read, the atmosphere became electric. She saw grown men silently weep. Suddenly she knew — here was something special. The words were special. They had flown from behind the high walls that encircled her father. Words were free, and they could be where he could not.

“And there’s the crux of the matter. Thus, the need to silence the voice. Erase the words. Keep them from you, the reader. The imperative to destroy the image, or blind those who dare to see…”

She added: “So, as you go out into the worlds which are yours to construct, embellish, make beautiful and meaningful — not just for yourself, but for all of us and those who will follow — ask yourself, just how free would you like to be? To imagine, to create, to achieve your potential? How will you secure those freedoms which will allow you, each one of you, to be as expressive as you were born and trained to be? And how long and hard will you be willing to fight, to speak out? To care enough? So that all of us can enjoy the fruits of your creativity for all time to come.”

Earlier, after observing a minute of silence for former faculty member Javed Haider, who had passed away the night before only, executive director of IVS Samina Raees Khan, in her welcome address, said that before the 109 who were passing out as the historical 25th batch of 2018, there are 1,656 IVS alumni, who are already contributing to and serving as instruments of social change as artists, designers and architects.

Of the 109 students, 25 students are from the department of architecture, 10 from the department of interior design, 26 students from the department of communication design, 24 students from the department of textile design and 24 students from the department of fine art.

Looking back at the last four years, Ayesha M. Ali, this year’s valedictorian from the department of fine art, said that she had been a medical student before joining IVS. “Art then for me was just to draw well. But here I learnt that art meant conveying messages and to express ourselves by exploring ourselves first,” she said.

Later, chairman, board of governors of the IVS, Dr Ishrat Husain congratulated the class of 2018 and their parents for their dedicated efforts that culminated in today’s proud achievements.

He mentioned efforts of IVS to become a leading centre of excellence in the field of art, design and architecture and encouraged efforts in promoting a culture of excellence in research and innovation, contributing towards a just and tolerant society and enabling students to serve as instruments of positive change. The convocation ended with the thesis display of the graduating class.

KARACHI: Speakers at a programme shared their sentiments about portrayal of persons with disabilities in the media during a panel discussion held in connection with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Monday.

The programme Media & Disability: Pity-heroism Dichotomy was organised by the Network of Organisations Working for People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOW­PDP) at the Institute of Busi­ness Administration’s main campus. Some members from the media as well as some people with a disability talked about how they feel.

Columnist and anchorperson Zarrar Khuhro pointed out that the disabled got news in the media until bigger news sidelined them. “Some disabled persons get publicity for doing things no one will appreciate a normal person for. So tell us what we are doing right, what we can do better or should we do anything at all?” he asked.

Yumna Ikram, who is visually-impaired, said that she wanted to study computer science because she found it interesting. She also thought that being one of the first visually-impaired people to enter the field would also help open doors for others like her but she was used by television channels to gain sympathy and for raising their ratings.

“I also thought that I should let them pursue their motives while I use their channels to spread awareness for others like me, to show them that if I can do it, so can they,” she said.

Amna Raheel, the girl known to have made her wheelchair her wings, said that she was surprised to find that people thought of her as a hero for doing things such as studying and graduating that were nothing out of the ordinary for any normal individual.

“I was being hailed as an ‘inspiration’. But I wanted to live like a normal person, not a hero. I was feeling like a misfit due to the way me and my work were being portrayed and seen,” she said. “To talk about my feelings, I started blogging. Then I was asked why I was being an attention seeker.”

Fashion designer Munim Kazi, who is also deaf and mute, said that after getting his degree, he applied for a job without putting the bit about his disability in his curriculum vitae. “I didn’t want to be judged for my disability even before meeting the interviewers,” he said.

“But then they realised that I could not communicate with them in the normal way, they asked how they would conduct the interview and I explained to them that it could be done through writing. After bagging the job there was the issue of how to communicate with my colleagues. We started with writing on paper and then slowly they also started talking to me through sign language, which I taught them little by little. When you start communicating with the deaf you realise they are not much different and as normal as you are,” he said.

Rapper and comedian Ali Gul Pir shared his observation that in the plays or movies the roles were especially written for the disabled to gather sympathy. “The little persons too are brought in as funny characters,” he said.

Actor Adeel Husain said that discrimination was part of this world “but there are variations in the reactions you get. But everything isn’t black or white. There are grey areas too.”

Turning to the friends living with a disability, he said: “It is your decision to take such things to heart or pay them no heed and carry on with your work. It is not so simple, I know.”

Dawn

KARACHI: Several gunmen in plainclothes entered the Karachi Press Club (KPC) late on Thursday night and harassed journalists, according to a statement issued by the KPC’s office-bearers.

“Dozens of gunmen in plainclothes entered the KPC at 10:30pm, harassed journalists, examined different rooms, kitchen, upper floor of the building and sports hall. They forcibly made videos and took pictures with mobile cameras.”

The incident caused concern among journalists and when some of the KPC members inquired about them, they did not get any satisfactory reply.

The armed men came in at least six double-cabin vehicles, land cruisers, Prado and other vehicles, besides a police mobile.

The KPC office-bearers immediately informed Additional IG Karachi, Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh, about the incident. He assured them of an immediate inquiry.

The club’s president, Ahmed Khan Malik, and secretary Maqsood Yusufi termed it a violation of sanctity of the club and urged the governor and the chief minister of Sindh to order an inquiry and take action against the “intruders”.

Journalists have called for a protest on Friday afternoon against the incident.

Dawn

Related Story

The Express Tribune: Armed men barge into KPC, harass journalists

KARACHI: The latest order from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) warning private television channels to not broadcast what it called hate speech has once again caught the electronic media off-guard. Media managers and practitioners once again find themselves at a crossroads between military, political parties and the government.

The warning was issued late Thursday night after a speech of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain in which he had made certain remarks against the armed forces. He later sought an apology for the tirade, but private news channels which ran his speech had already been served show-cause notices.

Pemra’s directive, which is being widely viewed as a follow-up to the military spokesman’s reaction, is nonetheless interesting because when the MQM chief was live on more than 20 news channels, the regulatory body was nowhere in sight and had approached none of the channels.

It was only when Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted the army’s response to Altaf Hussain’s speech, threatening legal action against the MQM chief that Pemra sprang into action.

Interestingly, a few hours prior to the broadcast of Altaf Hussain’s speech, then Senior Superintendent of Police Malir Rao Anwar held a press conference that ran live and equated the MQM with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

However, Pemra chose to say nothing at the time and although the Sindh government recalled Anwar from his posting not long after, television channels went on with their coverage that concentrated on what quickly became the talk of the evening.

Given the content of Anwar’s press conference, one expected a strong reaction from the MQM chief which is exactly what happened. Altaf Hussain spoke in a critical fashion and the military spokesman reacted. Having assessed DG ISPR’s reaction, the information ministry and the defence minister appeared to have quickly jumped on the bandwagon of how the MQM chief’s words constituted “hate speech” that should be prosecuted, bringing us once again to the question as to whether the latest Pemra order on the same in fact constitutes media censorship.

Most media practitioners and observers believe that both Pemra and the media are responsible for the content that ends up getting aired live. Azhar Abbas, President and CEO of the upcoming television channel BOL, says it is the responsibility of news management teams to monitor live content.

More on this: Altaf’s remarks on army to be legally pursued: ISPR

“All TV channels have submitted written assurances to Pemra that they will use a delay mechanism to ensure that hate speech is not aired,” he says.

What constitutes hate speech?

Moreover, delving into the crux of the matter, senior journalist and television anchor Talat Hussain believes there is a need to define what exactly constitutes hate speech so media managers and practitioners have a clear understanding of their freedoms and limitations along with the rationale for these.

He insists that the concept is used in an arbitrary fashion at times, leading to its abuse at the hands of vested interests and censorship in order to achieve political ends.

“For example, Altaf Hussain has said a number of things in the past and there hasn’t been a problem,” the anchor says, adding that “what was being said in the recent dharnas (sit-ins) outside the Parliament could also be regarded as hate speech”.

He further asked that although certain anchors had been resorting to hate speech in their talk shows, it was baffling that no action had been taken against them.

With the two senior journalists exploring the areas of responsibility and definitions when it comes to the concept of hate speech and how to manage it in a frenzied environment of breaking news TV, former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Justice (retired) Tariq Mehmood dubbed the operations of the media as a circus where everyone airs their views with no accountability.

However, in the case Altaf Hussain’s controversial speech, he says it is the state’s responsibility to pursue the matter through a formal complaint against the MQM chief who is in fact a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Broadcasters, PFUJ yet to respond

So far there has been no reaction from either the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) or the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against the Pemra order.

PFUJ President Afzal Butt says he has not read the order and would only relay a reaction on the subject after he has gone through it.

A ‘dilemma’ for journalists

Journalists have pointed out though that unless an enabling environment is created and the media is given adequate protection against censorship, such instances are likely to occur again and again.

This is particularly critical in the case of Pakistan which remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists who often get caught in the crossfire between state and non-state actors.

A simple example to illustrate the dilemma confronting journalists and media organisations here is a suo motu notice taken in 2014 by then chief justice of Balochistan Qazi Faez Essa over the publishing and airing of statements by banned Baloch separatist organisations.

He had asked a media representative to explain why the media aired and published these, to which the response came that if the court could assure security and protection to the media from the said banned organisations, such statements would never be aired. And this was where the subject came to rest.

So the question presents itself, is Karachi any different?

Dawn

KARACHI: Sabeen Mahmud, the respected human rights and free speech activist was killed by unidentified gunmen on Friday, April 24 in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Mahmud, who was founding director of T2F community centre, was shot around 9pm as she was on her way to home with her mother after hosting an event ‘Unsilencing Balochistan” on the disappeared people of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province.

According to the police reports Mahmud was intercepted by armed men in two motorcycles, who opened fire from both sides of her car. She was fatally injured with bullets that went through her shoulder, chest and abdomen. Her mother was also injured in the attack and is recovering.

She was the director of The Second Floor knowingly T2F a café and arts space that has been a foundation of Karachi’s activists since 2007. T2F, described as a community space for open dialogue.

The murder has been widely condemned by people from all walks of life.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The post Prominent Human Rights and Free Speech Activist appeared first on Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

KARACHI: Sabeen Mahmud, social media campaigner and human rights activist who founded the social forum T2F, was shot dead on Friday evening, minutes after the end of an interactive discussion ‘Unsilen­cing Balochistan’ organised by her and attended by journalists and rights activists, including the founder leader of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, Abdul Qadeer Baloch.

Karachi-South Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr Jamil Ahmed ruled out the killing as result of a mugging attempt and said she had been attacked deliberately but he could not share any possible motive.

“She was returning home with her mother in a car after the seminar she had organised on Balochistan,” he said.

“It’s an incident of targeted killing, but we are not aware of any threats she had been receiving. The investigations are on and it would be too early to speculate about the motive behind the killing,” the official said.

Defence police SHO Kansan Dean said pillion riders on a motorcycle attacked Ms Mehmud and her mother on Sunset Boulevard in DHA Phase-II after they had left the T2F in a car. Both of them suffered bullet injuries and were taken to a nearby private hospital where doctors pronounced Sabeen dead.

Her mother was shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital.

The body was taken to the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre for post-mortem.

“She sustained four bullet injuries on her face, neck and chest,” police surgeon Dr Jalil Qadir said. Her autopsy, conducted by senior medico-legal officer Dr Nasreen Qamar, also showed injuries on her arm and shoulder that might be bullet exit wounds, added the police surgeon.

Half an hour before her murder, Sabeen Mehmud’s Facebook status read: “Unsilencing Balochistan (Take 2) with Wusatullah Khan, Mama Qadeer, Farzana Baloch and Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur. Moderated by Moneeza Ahmed.”

“It appears that an attempt is being made to silence human rights defenders or those who take up the causes of the people,” the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s Chairperson Zohra Yusuf said after the incident.

“This is a shocking event for the city and citizens as T2F has been providing a space to the people to express their views,” the prominent rights activist said. On Thursday at 6.30pm, Sabeen Mehmud had also organised a seminar about the Balochistan situation, she said.

“It was the same seminar which was organised by LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences) where three speakers – Mama Qadeer, Farzana Majeed and Mohammed Ali Talpur – were the same, but it was cancelled under alleged pressure of ISI,” the HRCP chief said.

“It can’t be said categorically that her murder was linked with this event,” Ms Yusuf said.

“As Ms Sabeen has been consistently providing the space of T2F to discuss the issues of human rights, cultural diversity etc due to which she had received threats, prompting her to hire the services of a security guard,” she said.

“She was trying to promote liberal and rational thinking, which is lacking in society,” said Ms Yusuf.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, who is in charge of the home ministry, sought a report about the incident and ordered the city police chief to arrest the killers.

Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo formed a special team, headed by a DIG, to investigate the murder, according to a spokesman.

Dawn

The post Rights activist shot dead after seminar on Baloch issue appeared first on Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

“Since a judicial commission has been appointed to probe the incident, PBA stresses the need to let the law and the commission to fulfill its responsibilities,” a press release issued after the meeting stated. It added that the PBA urged all parties to avoid any steps which will impact any individual or entity’s legal and constitutional rights or project a negative image of any important institution of the country.

The PBA said it is imperative that all media uphold the basic principles of responsible journalism at all times.

Express Tribune

The case was registered on behalf of sub-inspector Shahadat Khan under section 15 of Anti-Terrorism Act and 324/34 and 427 of PPO at the Airport Police Station.

According to the FIR, the attack on Hamid Mir was carried out under the Jinnah overhead bridge.

The FIR said the case has been lodged on the behalf of police as the injured journalist was not in a condition to lodge a case.

The News

KARACHI: District Jail administration Shikarpur is providing illegal facilities to the convicts of Wali Babar murder case due to their political backing, The News has learnt.

An official of District Jail Shikarpur told The News on the condition of anonymity that convicts of Wali Babar case Faisal Mehmood alias Nafsiyati, Naveed alias Polka, Muhammad Ali Rizvi, Shakeel Malik and Shah Rukh alias Mani confined at Shikarpur District Jail not only enjoying these illegal facilities which are reserved for A class prisoners only but these five prisoners also visited the city in an official car of a jail officer two times during their confinement.

This source told that the jail administration providing them high class food and appointed two prisoners for looking after them.

According to the Jail manual A class facilities could be given only on court orders to eminent people.

Jail Superintendent Ali Bux Shaikh, however, told The News that all the information regarding special facilities to the convicts of Wali Babar case were incorrect. “They are being treated as the common prisoners. The jail administration not giving illegal facilities to them because they were shifted here on the administrative orders of the Sindh Government due to security reasons. How can any official of the jail could dare to give them special services,” he further said.

The leader and President Sukkur Press Club Lala Asad Pathan told The News that he had confirmed information that due to support of a political party, murderers of Wali Babar were being treated as special guests and enjoying illegal facilities in jail.

The News

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) urged the government on Wednesday to promulgate an ordinance to restrict the print and electronic media from publishing or broadcasting any statement of the Taliban.

The MQM coordination committee appealed to the government to provide full protection to all newspaper and electronic media offices so that journalists could continue to perform their professional duties without any pressure or threat.

Addressing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, the MQM’s committee in a statement demanded that ‘extreme and crucial steps’ should be taken to deal with the unending terrorism of the Taliban for the survival and integrity of the country.

It appealed to the owners of media outlets and editors to cooperate with the government in this regard.

DAWN