Dr Minhaj Qidwai elected new KBA President

Dr Minhaj Qidwai and Khalid Mohiuddin have been elected unopposed as the President and the Secretary respectively of the Karachi Bridge Associates (KBA) for a three-year term starting from 2017.


According to the results declared by the KBA at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed at the National Stadium, Karachi, all the nine candidates having submitted their nominations were elected unopposed.

The Founder President of the KBA, Ahsan Rizvi, having relocated abroad, didn’t contest the elections while Azwer-ul-Haque, a veteran bridge player and administrator, was conferred the post of Chairman Emeritus and Rehana Saigol, a former President of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), has been inducted as an Advisor of the KBA.

Besides Dr Minhaj Qidwai (President and Director), and Khalid Mohiuddin, (Secretary), Mubashir Puri (Director), Tehseen Ayub (Director), Syed Ameer Hassan (Communication Manager), Mohammad Rafiq (Facility Manager), Shaikh Abdul Muqeet (Business Development Manager), Shahab Khan (Media and Publicity Manager) and Wajahat Suri (Training Manager) are the other elected office-bearers of the KBA for the period 2017-2019.

“Serving our members, working closely with like-minded organizations and promotion of bridge among youth are our top most priorities. The new KBA management looks forward to work as a team with all the bridge fraternity to promote bridge in Pakistan and make Pakistan shine on the global bridge map,” Dr Minhaj Qidwai remarked.

“We would like to welcome our member for pairs event every Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm and team event every Sunday from 3 pm to 9 pm at the Aslam Bridge Hall. For playing on Tuesdays the members may have to speak to one of our team members to know the venues holding the event which include Karachi Gymkhana, Karachi Club, Defence Club or Golf Club or elsewhere,” he announced.

“All who desire to learn bridge are encouraged to contact the KBA management for lessons and training sessions. We are open to suggestions on how to promote bridge particularly among the young Pakistanis to excel in this mind sport,” he added.

Younis Khan could become interim Pakistan Test captain

With Misbah-ul-Haq uncertain about his future as the Pakistan Test captain, following a dismal run soon after claiming the number one slot in the world last year, there are strong enough indications of change of guard down the road. 

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed, who has been leading the national team in the shortest format of the game (Twenty20 Internationals), has recently also been appointed the skipper for the One-day Internationals, replacing the under-fire Azhar Ali, who prudently chose to resign instead of waiting to be axed.

With Sarfraz having shown the aggression as well as the enterprise when captaining the side in the opportunities having come his way so far in the limited overs matches, he remains untested for the longest format of the game.


There are many people who consider him as the natural choice to lead the national team at the Test
level whenever Misbah’s tenure is over. Yet there are a few heads who desire Sarfraz not to be fast-tracked into the role which could jeopardize his own future as well as that of the national team.

I also reckon that it would be wiser to let Sarfraz do an apprenticeship before being thrust into the most challenging role of his career.

If he fails to deliver as a Test captain at this stage this could hurt him in the limited overs formats as well and Pakistan could be struggling to find another capable leader.

While Misbah’s days, by his own admission, seem numbered in the Test arena, the selectors can turn towards Younis Khan, the greatest-ever batsman produced by Pakistan, to lead the Test team in the period when Sarfraz could be groomed as his successor.

Younis as captain and Sarfraz as vice-captain could become win-win situation for Pakistan in Tests. Both of them are at the peak of their careers and together they can work wonders for the country.

Younis has a proven record both as a batsman as well as a captain. His records are far too impressive to ignore by any stretch of imagination.

In fact he has been very harshly treated on most occasions despite his accomplishments. It’s never too late and too little to make amends. He is only 39 at the moment. He is among the fittest guys on the park.

He still has a lot to offer to Pakistan cricket, if allowed to do it. He has the capacity to turn it around.

With Misbah’s retirement a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ the powers that be have a great option in Younis. Reappointing him as the Test skipper at this point of time will have multiple benefits.

While the functionaries of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have often been accused of hitting headlines for the wrong reasons, here’s an opening for them to undo some of the sins of the past.

They will be hailed as the saviours of Pakistan cricket if they decide to bring in Younis as the Test captain and also give him an extended run to let him fire on all cylinders. He still has the energy and the burning desire to make things happen.


He may not be the show boy in the cricket field but he is certainly the most strong-willed person one

could think of. He has proved his mettle every single time he has gone on to bat.

He has remained an outstanding fielder all along, having plucked a record number of catches. Wherever standing, he's a source of inspiration for the whole team.

Younis has been subjected to the toughest of pressures at all times. The most brutal treatment was meted out to him by the regime of Ijaz Butt which kept him out of the team for a year and and a half.

He not only has had to bring all his skills into play to negotiate and dominate the most fearsome bowling attacks of the world but he also had to deliver with a sword hanging around him all along.

It’s indeed shameful that a batsman of his caliber, who has phenomenal Test record against all opponents, has been put under trial more often than not.

Instead of getting the due recognition from his own country’s administrators he has had to engage in uncalled for battles. Just look at his numbers. He is only 23 runs away from becoming the first Pakistani batsman to reach the milestone of 10,000 Test runs.

He has already scored 34 Test centuries, which is Pakistan’s highest. He can be proud of his average of 53.06 after 116 Tests in 17 years. What else could have been asked from this man?

He has all the major Test records for Pakistan under his belt. He has delivered all over the world, having scored heaps of runs in every continent. He has withstood the fastest bowlers of the world fearlessly. He has been equally proficient in taming the best spinners in the planet.

Yet Younis, a gentleman by nature, has never been accorded the respect he deserved in Pakistan. There has been politicking and all sorts of nuisance to curtail his advancement. Give credit to this man to have weathered the storm with a smile on his face, most of the time.

Obviously he’s a human being and sometimes he has reacted bitterly to the senseless campaign to malign him. He has always believed in letting his bat to do the talking and he has been successful in silencing his critics by scoring heavily.

He was the man who brought glories for the country as Pakistan had won the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in 2009 under his captaincy in England. It’s the only time Pakistan has got hold of this crown.

Despite bringing home the trophy, Younis faced more criticism at home rather than praise which was mind-boggling and unfortunate. The hero was being treated as a villain for reasons that defied logic.

He has been at the receiving end in the battles between the various groups surrounding the PCB and he has only survived due to the weight of runs he scored.

Needless to say, Younis has been blessed with nerves of steel. He can handle the bowlers of all kinds and he can also absorb the pressures from different corners. It’s rare to find a man possessing so much mental toughness as him.

If better sense prevails and the PCB is prepared to look beyond its club, Younis is ready for another stint as the Pakistan captain. With Sarfraz waiting in the wings, and sharing responsibilities as the vice-captain, Pakistan could become a force to reckon with in Tests once more.

SSUET progressing in sports arena

The Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, had a very busy sports month in January with the start of new year 2017 with its teams participating in different sports events in a big way.

According to the SSUET Director Sports, Mubbashir Mukhtar, the their outfits participated in cricket, football and table tennis competitions during the month of January, having emerged successful as the champion in the Inter-University Cricket Tournament organized by Bahria University.

SSUET had clinched the trophy by dethroning Indus University in the final.

The SSUET had another achievement when it, for the first time, organized the HEC Football Tournament (Zone G) in a most successful manner.

The tournament was participated by as many as 15 universities with the University of Karachi becoming the champion of Zone G alongwith IBA as the second qualifier. Both teams will now take part in the final round to be staged in Peshawar.

Mubbashir Mukhtar disclosed that a schedule of sports events for February 2017 has already been prepared whereby a five-member team will take part in All Pakistan Judo Championship to be held in Tando Jam on February 3-4.


The university hockey team has making preparations to participate in HEC Hockey Tournament
(Zone G) which is scheduled to start in Karachi from February 7. The tournament is expected to be participated by eight universities.

In February, Director Sports SSUET informed that the university's boxing squad will be in action in the Final round of All Pakistan Boxing Championship which is being organized by SBB University Lyari.

The final round will start by the end of the month.

During the month, Pakistan Marine Academy (PMA) is organizing a Sports Gala from February 16 in which SSUET will participate in cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, badminton, athletics and tug of war events.

The SSUET Director Sports stated that the preparations for participation in these events have started in a big way.

He remarked that the SSUET could not have gone this far in its sports activities without the active support of its Chancellor Jawaid Anwar, Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Jawed H. Rizvi and Registrar Syed Sarfraz Ali who themselves are passionate about sports and desire to see the institution on the top in the sporting arena.

Quetta Gladiators sign title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life

Quetta Gladiators, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, has signed title sponsorship deal with a leading private insurance firm for the second edition of the tournament starting in less than a couple of weeks time.

The signing ceremony between the two parties was witnessed by capacity crowd in the hall of Movenpick Hotel, Karachi, where it was held on January 30. The top management of the PSL franchise alongwith some of their players and coach Moin Khan, who is also a former Pakistan captain.

The Quetta Gladiators skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed, who is also the Pakistan T20 skipper and tipped to become the leader in all three formats in not too distant future, however, was unable to make it due to personal reasons.

Nadeem Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, which owns Quetta Gladiators, was particularly pleased at signing the title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life Insurance.

“Jubilee Life is a dynamic young corporate entity which takes pride in long term relationships. Our successive meetings with them over the past few weeks to finalize the matters reflected their positive approach,” he noted.

“Our squad has a lot of young faces who make up for their inexperience with their aggression and high level of commitment. We may have entered the inaugural PSL as the underdogs but our boys excelled in the field to storm into the final. Now our aim will be to bring home the trophy,” Nadeem Omar remarked.

He paid glowing tributes to Moin Khan, the coach of Quetta Gladiators, for having put the acts together so nicely, also acknowledging the services of Azam Khan, the manager besides complimenting Sarfraz Ahmed for leading by example.

Javed Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee Life Insurance, lavished Quetta Gladiators for emerging as a popular brand right away with their brilliant craftsmanship.

“Your team has worked wonders in a short span of time and we appreciate your brilliance. We look forward to working with you for a long time to achieve our mutual objective of putting Pakistan cricket on top of the world,” he observed.

The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and the Chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), Fawad Ijaz Khan.

نیا سال سب کو مبارک

ﺗﻮ ﺟﻮ ﻧﺌﮯ ﻋﯿﺴﻮﯼّ ﺳﺎﻝ ﭘﮧ ﺧُﻮﺵَ ﮬﻮﻧﺎ ﭼﺎﮬﺘﮯ ﮬﯿﮟ

ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﻥ ﮐﯽ ﺧُﻮﺷﯿﻮَﮞ ﮐﻮ ﻧﻈﺮ ﻧﮩﯿﮟ ﻟﮕﺎ سکتی، ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﻥ ﺳﺐ ﮐﻮ ﻣُﺒﺎﺭﮐﺒﺎﺩ ﺩﯾﻨﺎ ﭼﺎﮬﺘی ﮨﻮﮞ، ﺍُﻥ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫَ ﻣﻞ ﮐﺮ ﮨﻨﺴﻮنگی ، ﮐﮭﮑﮭﻼﺅﮞ گی، ﺧﻮُﺵ ﮨﻮنگی ﮐﯿﻮﻧﮑﮧ

ﻣﯿﮟ ﺯﻧﺪﮦ ﺍﻧﺴﺎﻧﻮَﮞ ﮐﮯ ﺑﯿﭻَ رہتیﮬﻮﮞ، ﺍﻭﺭ ﺍُﻥ ﮐﯽ ﺧُﻮﺷﯽ ﮐﮯ ﻟﻤﺤﺎﺕَ ﮐﻮ ﺭَﺩّ ﻧﮭﯽ ﮐﺮﻧﺎ چاہتی،

ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﻥ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫَ ﮬﻤﺪﺭﺩﯼ ﺑﮭﯽ رکھتیﮨﻮﮞ ﺟﻮ ﺍﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﮐﻮ ﺧُﻮﺵ ﮬﻮﺗﺎ ﺩﯾﮑﮫّ ﺧُﻮﺵّ ﻧﮩﯿﮟ ﮬﻮ ﺳﮑﺘﮯ،

ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍﯾﺴﮯ ﺩﺍﻧﺸﻮﺭﻭَﮞ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫَ ﺑﮭﯽ ﮬﻮﮞ ﺟﻮ ﮐﮩﺘﮯ ﮬﯿﮟ ﮐﮧ ﺳﺎﻝ ﻣُﺤﺮﻡَ ﺳﮯ ﺷُﺮﻭﻉ ﮬﻮﺗﺎ ﮬﮯ،

ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍﯾﺴﮯ ﺻﺎﺣﺐّ ﻧﻈﺮّ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫَ ﺑﮭﯽ ﮬﻮﮞ ﺟﻮ ﻟﻮﮔﻮﮞ ﮐﯽ ﮨﻨﺴﯽّ ﮐﮯ ﭘﯿﭽﮭﮯّ ﭼﮭُﭙﮯَ ﻏﻢَ ﮐﻮ ﺑﮭﯽ ﺗﺎﮌَ ﻟﯿﺘﮯ ﮬﯿﮟ، ﮬﺮ ﻗﮩﻘﮩﮯّ ﮐﮯ ﭘﯿﭽﮭﮯّ ﭼﮭُﭙﯽَ ﺁﮦ ﮐﻮ ﺟﺎﻥ ﻟﯿﺘﮯ ﮬﯿﮟ،

ﺍﻭﺭ ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﺱ ﻣﺎﮞ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫَ ﺑﮭﯽ ﮬﻮﮞ ﺟﺲ ﮐﺎ ﺑﯿﭩﺎ ﺍِﺱ ﺳﺎﻝ ﮔﮭﺮ ﺁﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﺑﺠﺎﺋﮯ ﻋﺪﻡ ﮐﺎ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ﺑﻦ ﮔﯿﺎ،

ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﺱ ﯾﺘﯿﻢَ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫ ﺑﮭﯽ ﮬﻮﮞ ﺟﺲ ﮐﺎ ﺑﺎﭖَ ﺍﻭﺭ ﻣﺎﮞ ﺩﻭﻧﻮﮞ ﮨﯽ ﻧﮩﯿﮟ ﺭﮬﮯ،

ﮨﺎﮞ ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﺱ ﻣُﻔﮑﺮّ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫَ ﺑﮭﯽ ﮬﻮﮞ ﺟﺴﮯ ﻓﮑﺮ ﮬﮯ ﮐﮧ ﺍﻧﺴﺎﻧﯿﺖّ ﮔﮩﺮﮮ ﮔﮍﮬﮯَ ﻣﯿﮟ ﮔﺮﻧﮯ ﺟﺎ ﺭﮬﯽ ﮬﮯ ﺍﻭﺭ ﮐﻮﺋﯽ ﭘُﺮﺳﺎﻥ ﺣﺎﻝ ﻧﮩﯿﮟ،

ﺍﻭﺭ ﻣﯿﮟ ﺍُﺱ ﭘُﺮﺍُﻣﯿﺪَ ﺍﻭﺭ ﺭﻭﺷﻦ ﭼﮩﺮﮮَ ﻭﺍﻟﮯ ﻧﻮﺟﻮﺍﻧﻮَﮞ ﮐﯿﺴﺎﺗﮫُ ﺑﮭﯽ ﮨﻮﮞ ﺟﻮ ﮐﮩﺘﮯ ﮬﯿﮟ ﮐﮧ ﮨﺎﮞ !

ﺣﺎﻻﺕّ ﺑﺪﻟﯿﮟ ﮔﯿﮟ، ﮬﻢ ﺑﺪﻟﯿﮟ ﮔﯿﮟ، ﮬﻤﺎﺭﺍ ﻣُﻌﺎﺷﺮﮦَ ﺑﺪﻟﮯ ﮔﺎ، ﺍﻭﺭ ﻧﻈﺎﻡ ﺑﺪﻟﮯ ﮔﺎ،

ﺍﻭﺭ ﻭﺍﻗﻌﯽَ ﺍﺱ ﻣﯿﮟ ﮐﻮﺋﯽ ﺷﮏ ﻧﮩﯿﮟ ﮐﮧ ﯾﮧ ﺳﺐ ﮐُﭽﮫَ ﮨﻮﮔﺎ ﺍﻭﺭ ﺍﺳﮯ ﮬﻢ ﻋﻤﻠﯽ ﺟﺎﻣﮧَ ﭘﮩﻨﺎﺋﯿﮟ ﮔﯿﮟ،

ﺍﭘﻨﮯ ﻋﻤﻞّ ﺳﮯ، ﺍﭘﻨﮯ ﺟﻨﻮﻥ ﺳﮯ، ﺍﻭﺭ ﺍﭘﻨﯽ ﺳﻮﭺَ ﺳﮯ،

ﺑﺲ ﺳﻮﭺَ ﮐﻮ ﻣُﺜﺒﺖَ ﺭﮐﮭﯿﮟ ﺍﻭﺭ ﯾﺎﺩّ ﺭﮬﮯ ﻧﺌﮯ ﺳﺎﻝ ﮐﯽ ﺧُﻮﺷﯿﺎّﮞ ﻣﻨﺎﺗﮯ ﮬﻮﺋﮯ ﮐﺴﯽ ﮐﺎ ﺩِﻝّ ﻣﺖ ﺩُﮐﮭﺎﺋﯿﮯ ﮔﺎ !!!____

کہکشاں خان

Golden era of Pakistan snooker ends with Alamgir Shaikh’s tenure

Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, having completed a couple of successful four-year tenures as the President of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), will not taking part in the upcoming elections of the national body due to take place on December 28.


In accordance with the National Sports Policy, which restrains any official from retaining the same slot for more than eight years, Alamgir Shaikh has not filed nomination for the quadrennial elections.

The PBSA, which is affiliated to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), has been hailed as one of the best performing sports federations of the country over the years, having produced positive results on a more consistent basis than any other sport, besides cricket.

The game of snooker, it may be recalled, was revived in a big way in 1988 when Ali Asghar Valika took up its leadership and went from strength to strength.

He not only changed the nomenclature of the governing body of cue sports from the Billiards Association of Pakistan (BAP), which was dormant for the preceding decades, to the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) but brought about a revolution which witnessed phenomenal growth for snooker in particular all over the country.

In a matter of years, Pakistan came to be recognized as one of the major snooker nations, enabling it to be a preferential venue for global and continental events.

Asghar Valika, whose administrative and organizational qualities earned him worldwide acclaim, quit the leadership of the PBSA in 2008, ironically to fulfill the obligations of the National Sports Policy.

His successor, Alamgir Shaikh, having worked with him for a long time in his team, sustained the momentum and built a stronger platform for cue sports during the next eight years which witnessed more activities at national and international levels.

Once again it’s the National Sports Policy, prompting another change of guard in the PBSA. The newly elected President, however, will be hard pressed to emulate the accomplishments of his last couple of predecessors, Asghar Valika and Alamgir Shaikh, both of whom are credited to have taken cue sports to very high level.

Television: Best Friend or Worst Enemy of Your Kids?

Most of the people including kids love to watch television. Even if they are asked to quit watching it, they will still watch it. Some parents think of it as a useful device for their kids. In fact, they use it as an alternate when they are busy somewhere else. They bring educational DVDs so that their children could learn something positive while they are not present.

However, they forget the fact that a TV, merely, cannot fulfill the purposes of education their children need. By dragging their kids into digital life they forget about the ethics and practical education that their kids need in the early age of their lives.

Despite of the fact that children need guidance in the early stages of their childhood, they make toddlers watch different TV shows including cartoons, learning shows while parents are busy in their own issues. They somehow think a TV can replace them.

Now the question arises whether TV is good or bad for kids?

No wonder TV is a good source of learning for kids during the age of 6-15 but it also needs parental guidance (PG) so that children can really learn what was intended and do not get distracted

I personally believe, during the age 4-15 years kids get to learn new things and try to mimic everything they like or watch. So it is parents’ duty to keep an eye on their children’s activities and monitor which programs they watch.

There are some programs which are especially developed for kids. It is proven that the kids who watch educational and informative TV shows, perform better academically than those who do not watch them. These programs set children to a new way of learning things and at the same time keep the fun factor intact so that they enjoy the programs while watching.

Normally, kids have their own way of handling things. Though they could not practically learn a thing while watching it, but they get to know how to do it.

According to another study done by scientists, it was proven that watching cartoons help children in relieving stress. Hence, some preschoolers who actively watch TV programs get good grades and are less aggressive as compared to other kids.

However, watching excessive TV is harmful for the kids. Kinds in early age need to learn different languages and socialize with their peers to develop a balanced personality. However, watching excessive TV would not give them enough time to participate in any such activities. Not only that, it is harmful for their health and eyesight as children like to concentrate on their favorite characters and that’s why they try to get as near to their TV screens as they can.

Not only do they concentrate on their favorite characters, they adopt their habits. Now, a good program can lead such children’s mind to develop good routine whereas some animated, action and deceptive programs can spoil their minds. Children always try to skip their lunch and sleep, thinking that they will miss a special scene if they leave.

They try to follow their favorite characters who claim to “Save the World” by different abilities and powers they have.

As an example, I want to mention an incident that we heard few days ago. A 7-year-old kid got injured while jumping off of a high cabinet at kitchen thinking he will be invisible by imaginary wings or he would throw a net like Spider-Man did in his movie.

Children get involved in the activities of bullying other kids, they fight with the kids of their age or below to show that they have power to beat anyone. Moreover, the fact cannot be denied that they develop sexual interests before they come of age and oftentimes get into fights to impress girls as they see in different movies or cartoons. This is not only done by kids but some teenagers as well.

Additionally, watching excessive TV prevents kids as well as grownups from participating in different sports activities, music events, gatherings and art shows that develop a skill for their future.

According to a documentary, kids of age 2-5 spend 32 hours and kids of age 6-11 spend 28 hours a week in front of TV. Those who have TV in their bedrooms, spend 1.5 more hours per day than those who don’t. Most importantly, there are no rules in some families on watching TV

I believe, parents should keep an eye on their children while they watch TV, as some cartoon programs as well as movies can lead them to unethical activities particularly those which involve sexual harassment.

In conclusion, I want to state that watching TV is helpful for growing kids but it can play the negative role of spoiling them. Parental guidance is a must for every kid who does not know the difference between what’s right and what’s wrong. There should also be a timetable for children which should include a specific time for watching TV and other activities. Following these guidelines, kids can live a peaceful and happy life and do not get distracted.

Technology and Loneliness

Man is a social animal and loneliness can drive him crazy. To solve this problem, many new inventions have been made and one of them is mobile phone. Everyone has this electronic gadget with so many social networking applications in their pockets all the time. Whenever they are standing alone, waiting for someone or just feel lonely, they tend to use that device. We expect our loneliness to disappear by using it. So in order to do that, we update our profiles, we check others’ profiles and spend hours and hours scrolling through those screens in order to stay up-to-date.

But is this connection, that’s available to us 24/7 really satisfying us or leave us contended? According to many researches, the more the technology is advancing, the more the loneliness increases.

Loneliness is a complex and an unwanted feeling, usually unpleasant to us. It’s an emotional response to isolation or lack of companionship. These feelings can also lead to anxiety and if not treated in early stages, then depression. People have even committed suicides because of it.

Science states that a human brain can’t process more than 150 true relationships and we see our profiles, our contacts list, there are more than 150 people we call as friends.

Sir Nasim Nicholas Taleb said, “the difference between technology and slavery is that slaves are fully aware that they are not free”.

Technology is undoubtedly a fascinating phenomenon and it attracts us through small screens. It has enslaved us by presenting us some fantasies, by showing that technology is happy, active and optimistic.

Some of us might have also seen pictures on facebook, of our hands cuffed with cellphones. Isn’t that correct? Technology is enslaving us. We spend much of our times on these sites, in search of happiness or to feel up to date and in control, but it rarely is the case that we are happy after using it. We don’t feel good, sometimes not even close to it.

Marther luther king said, “the irony of our time is that we have guided missiles but misguided men”.

Technology is misguiding us by presenting us three illusions that we can focus on whatever we want, that we are always heard and that we are never alone. Man likes to be in control so he uses this technology to feel powerful. And we update our profiles and put statuses and share our feelings and think that we are always heard. And the third one, the craziest one, the one driving the generation crazy, is that we would never be alone. It is increasing the human misery.

We are chatting, messaging and in real life, we can’t even start the conversation. This technology takes us close to those who are far away and takes us away from those who are close to us.

In order to end the feeling of loneliness, we have entered in a paradox. We collect friends online like stamps, we replace real conversation with mare connection and we hide our vulnerable feelings to show that we are always happy.

If social media is a bridge between people then why most of the people feel lonely in general? Is this the paradox we are feeding on? Is this what makes everything, media interesting?

The Half Mother: A Review

Agony has a universal language. We as humans are implicated in each other’s sufferings. ‘The Half Mother”, Shahnaz Bashir’s debut novel is one of the few novels written by a Kashmiri himself that has successfully taken up the cause of depicting the anguish and sheer pain experienced by most of the mothers of the splendid valley in its true form. One of the purposes of the trend in Kashmiri writers of writing the book in English is obviously to reach extended audience. Additionally, they can portray before the same bigger audience the kind of traumas, affliction and sufferings that majority of Kashmiris have been facing till now at the hands of grossly immoral and barbaric Indian forces.

The novel circulates around the protagonist, Haleema, and her struggle to locate her only son Imran who was taken away by the relentless Indian Army. It may be mentioned here that the novel is a depiction of reality in Kashmir which is under illegal occupation of Indian forces since past several decades. So this is a story describing the plight of a Kashmiri family at the hands of cruel Indian forces i.e., a story of oppressed and the oppressors. There should be no question of neutrality on the part of any reader or reviewer. Our sympathies should be with the oppressed and not the oppressors.

The novel exquisitely narrates the story of Haleema who lost her mother at an early age. The setting of the novel is Natipora on the outskirts of Srinagar during 1990s when the war between Kashmiri freedom fighters and the Indian occupant forces started. This is the time when Haleema is living with her father Ghulam Rassol Joo (Ab Jan) and her only son Imran born out of her marriage that lasted only three months.

The Indian barbarians killed Ab Jan after which it was really hard for Haleema to make both ends meet while looking after Imran. The death of Ab Jan was not just the start of misery for Haleema. It was, in fact, the threshold of a painful journey into darkness with the forced disappearance of her only son, Imran, at the hands of Indians.

The disappearance of Imran was a significant blow to Haleema’s hopes for a better future. Imran was the only ray of hope for her. With his disappearance, she had been turned from ‘Mother’ into a ‘Half Mother’ – a mother with her son lost and with no knowledge as to if he was dead or alive. The uncertainty about the life of Imran was the real pain for her.

Every day she would move out in search of her lost son and visit jails and torture centers run by the Indians but to no avail. Cherishing her dear son’s memories, she would sing: “O crescent moon, why do you hide from me? Sulking as you are, why have you kept from me?” The writer has beautifully portrayed Haleema’s unending efforts to locate her son. In doing so, the writer has not only described the agony and sufferings of Haleema, but also has aptly exposed the brutalities, cruelty and indifference of Indian forces.

It was only hope of finding her son that kept Haleema alive. But her unsuccessful search at the end of every day was dealing a significant blow to her hopes and health. She continued to hope against hope of finding her son. She, in fact, live every day and died every day. With the passage of time, her physical and mental health kept on degrading.

She would constantly keep on looking towards the window with the hope that her son would just be come and knock at the door. But all her wishes and hopes kept on melting away. The writer has delicately described Haleema’s inner pains perhaps due to the fact that the writer himself belongs to Kashmir and must have observed many similar cases of sufferings at the hands of occupied forces.

This novel is a significant and successful effort to portray the extent of agonies of its protagonist, Haleema, to create wider awareness about Kashmiri struggle against illegitimate occupation. However, as I see, it does miss a passion of sacrifice for the Kashmiri struggle as a whole on the part of Haleema though both her father and son in reality died for the same cause.

If she had thought that her son was just one of many being martyred every day, she would not have gone through such trauma and would not have ended up her life as portrayed in novel. In fact, as we observe every day, most Kashmiris are out there for any sacrifice for their freedom. Such passion of sacrifice is totally absent in the character of the protagonist. A story parallel to this could have been written with message of sacrifice and hope for the freedom of Kashmir. But, perhaps, it is easier said than done. And Haleema was a ‘half mother’!

To sum up, the novel is an excellent effort to create wider awareness among the world community about the brutalities and relentlessness of Indian forces. The narrative and the story of the novel is such that one gets absorbed into it and is glued to it till the end. The language of the author is delicate. The author uses his own experience as a Kashmiri in creating the protagonist of this novel and has described the deep pain and suffering of the protagonist as if it is happening to him, and cruelties and inhumanity of the men in uniform.

However, the end of the novel does not seem to me as convincing. There could have been a better ending serving both to create awareness among the world community and to strengthen the struggle of Kashmiris for their freedom by giving a message to the Kashmiri audience that no matter what pain and suffering an individual Kashmiri might go through, he or she values his collective identity as Kashmiri more than anything else.

Daughter Remains A Daughter Her Whole Life

Daughters are a blessing from God. This is why Islam has given much importance to daughters. However, in our society, every class of people seem to have a desire for a male child. People want their first born to be a son. They think if a girl was born, it would be a burden for them.

They would have to marry her off and spend lots of money on her. She would use surname of her husband after marriage and if there was no male child then their family name will come to an end. Not only is a son considered an heir to the family name, he is considered an earning hand who will support the family in future.

On the other hand, families who own some property, fear their daughter will cause divide of their family riches and take her share to some other family. A son is their safe bet because the property stays within the family. 

However, no matter what their rationale is, the reality is that daughters are more loving, caring and obedient to their parents than a son. At the age when parents require care and affection, daughters take good care of their parents. They never prove to be a burden.

Sons, however,  usually kick their parents out and send them to some old-age homes. A son is a son till he gets his wife, but a daughter is a daughter for her whole life. 

It’s about time we change our faulty concept of giving dominant role to a male by default. Both the male and female children are a blessing of God and we should feel just that, blessed. Today, a daughter has proved that she is not less than a male in any field of life, she can earn money and support her family and do better than male.