They are just clothes, I tell my father, when he passes a comment about my ripped jeans. He doesn’t understand – perhaps he never will. I run my hands along the tiny rips, feeling bits of skin and wondering if the freedom I feel is the oppression they want me to see. I see my legs in a pair of jeans, they see skin that is fighting the patriarchy. I see my choice, they see my rebellion. On November 3, 2017, Egyptian lawyer, Nabih al-Wahsh, stated that any woman wearing ripped jeans deserves to be harassed and raped. He passed more disgusting comments while on the show Infrad, suggesting that women who dress a certain way deserve to be raped. Wahsh is a known conservative, but it’s still shocking to see such comments from someone whose profession requires him to be a champion for the freedom of his people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0vjEHrHsT8 I’m sitting here, reading this news and questioning if this is the world I live in or if the news is simply playing a horrible joke on me. I read further and find out that no, this is indeed the truth. This is the world I live in, even though I don’t want it to be. Wahsh claimed that men have a national duty to harass women who dress in ripped jeans. This all goes back to the misogynistic society that many Muslim countries have built their beliefs upon. No, my clothes do not call for harassment. The length of my t-shirt is not a sign for you to come on to me. The rips on my jeans do not allow you to believe that it is your right to rape me. When you come from a country like Pakistan, rape is nothing new. On any given day, you can turn on the news and see numerous rape stories that occurred on that very day. Rape is taking away the dignity of another human being. Rape is telling the world that you do not care about the value of choice. Rape is a reminder that gender equality may never exist. Rape is telling the world that you see humans as bodies, and nothing else. So to hear someone say that a woman should be raped for something she is wearing is crushing, savage and brutal. In Egypt, it is no different. Rape is one of the most common crimes in the country. Marital rape is not illegal. It may not be in the top 10 countries with the highest rape statistics, but comments like these suggest that it could be. Wahsh passed the following statement,

“I say that when a girl walks about like that, it is a patriotic duty to sexually harass her and a national duty to rape her.”

My little brother and I have always been close, even when we were little babies. I’ve watched him grow from a chubby, cuddly little toddler to a tanned, jaunty middle school boy. As he matures in this world, I sometimes get the urge to protect him from the harsh aspects of reality. Realistically, this is impossible. No matter how much I want to consider him as my “little kitty”, I know that I can’t shelter him from all the horrible things in the world, like pain or injustice. It bothers me to no end that he will, if he hasn’t already, be expected to “act like a man” or “man up” in social situations. He will be told to hide his emotions and to show no weakness, as these tacit shards of advice will keep him from becoming a true man. People around him will tell him that it is okay to call a girl a “slut” or a “b***h” if he is rejected by her, or if she is showing some skin. He may also learn to casually put in a sexist or a rape joke to make his “boys” laugh. He may try to hide pieces of his personality that seem too feminine, and may even think that homophobic names like “faggot” are funny to throw around at other guys who show some kind of effeminate tendencies. It scares me to think about the harshness of our patriarchal society and its effect on men. The signs of gender inequality are obvious in women, but in men they are much more subtle, yet just as corrosive. A patriarchal gender system puts the male ideal over the female. Thus, anything that relates to women – like housework, child-rearing, or even being clean – is trivialised and put down. Men who do not fit into the traditional role of masculinity are ignored, and are seen to be as weak as the women who are being mocked. On top of that, men are constantly told to garner respect and be leaders. If a man loses his respect and is the ‘omega’ in anything, then he is just not manly enough. In this way, violence is thought of as a suitable mode to regain lost masculinity. This is why we constantly hear about more men being put behind bars for gang violence or abusing women to show their manliness. The patriarchy’s effect on the men in our lives is way more subversive than we have known before. I don’t have to tell you this in order for you to visualise this issue – you have undoubtedly seen it before your eyes. Don’t believe me? Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc45-ptHMxo Mainstream, sane feminism has tried to destroy the existence of gender roles for the sexes. Back when civilisation was being built up by our ancestors, gender roles were necessary for sustaining the next generation of humans. Now, at the advent of new technology and a burgeoning population, we don’t need them. A woman doesn’t have to stay at home to make babies when machines and plastic diapers can do it for her. And likewise, a man doesn’t have to be out hunting for his family’s sustenance when there are grocery stores and factory farms. These notions of how, what and why an individual should act like based on his or her gender are just reiterations of our primordial past as hunters and gatherers. These ideas have infiltrated all parts of our society and have caused deep rifts in the way that people of all genders are perceived. Newer generations of humans have to simply realise that outdated ways of living won’t work on an industrialised planet. Gender roles are just an old world notion that we have to shake off, regardless of whatever political or religious ideology one believes in. Instead of being labelled breadwinners or homemakers, men, women and everyone in between the archaic gender binary is simply a human being who has the responsibility of not being an ‘jerk’ to other people. It’s as easy as that. Our existence is no longer about fighting off sabre-tooth tigers and trying to build primitive huts. So let’s quit perpetuating the gender roles of our cavemen ancestors.  It is for the new generation of thinkers, leaders and builders to take the reins of social change towards gender equality. Hypermasculinity hurts all males, as it is a choking culture. I don’t want my little brother, and men everywhere, to have to deal with roles and responsibilities they didn’t sign up for. Paying the bills does not make my brother a man, and hitting and subjugating other women will never show how well his leadership and control skills are. He, and every other man on this planet, should not feel that his existence and his right to be a man is invalidated because he dresses a certain way or chooses to cry over something that he is passionate about. My brother shouldn’t have to worry about being friends with other women because he will be considered “whipped” or a “p***y”, for trying to exercise the natural friendship between men and women. More importantly, he should never think that it is okay to devalue another male, just because he wasn’t born a man. My fellow millennials, I call on all of you to start changing the thought process of the boys and girls of the future. We’re all sick of the patriarchal, sexist culture that our forefathers and foremothers have left behind. They ruined the economy and left us with crappy gender biases. It is time for us to reclaim our lives, and our gender identities. From now on, think about the lasting effects of calling someone a “p***y” or a “b***h”, and keep negative homophobic and transphobic ideas out of your language. Just respect other people, and never be afraid to express your gender and sexual identity. Together, we can build a better world, but we have to start with baby steps. This post was originally published on BrownGirlMagazine and republished with permission.

It was a day I wanted to dedicate to my parents; a day which would have made me realise that I am a normal person – a knowledge seeker who loved to study and who managed to not get the label of a ‘drop out’. It was a day which would have amassed all the bits of happiness from the six years of exhaustive struggle of getting a university education, finally making me smile cheerfully. But no, I had to stand by the principles I had learnt all these years, while studying independently as well as at my college, and thus boycotted the Institute of Business Management’s (IoBM) convocation ceremony. There are many reasons for this boycott, which, for a student activist like me, were imperative and timely to exercise. The two main factors that made me take the decision to shun the happiness that many of my peers enjoyed this month, were the misogyny of the institute as well as its increased commercialisation. Let me start with the latest incident, which took place in IoBM in October earlier this year, where a female faculty member was schooled by a security in-charge for wearing “improper attire”. Affronted, the visiting teacher went to lodge a complaint, but it was in vain. She was instead told by her head of department that she should wear “respectable clothes”. When I was made aware of this, I was upset. Since the name of IoBM was attached to my career and my life, I had to do what I could. I asked my News Editor at The Express Tribune if it called for a story, and his response was affirmative. He formed a team, and we began collecting information on the humiliating incident. Once published, the story went viral and the readers condemned IoBM’s despicable attitude towards women, an attitude shaped by the institute’s flawed dress code policy. However, I soon realised that there were not many people who would stand with me on this matter, as was the case earlier during my studies at IoBM. My friends kept me at bay, my instructors scolded me, the people associated with IoBM (who called themselves feminist) shunned me, and everyone maintained their sinister silence. While many of my mentors who were visiting faculty at IoBM supported me in this cause, one female instructor, who is also a famous journalist, informed the management that I was doing the story and should be stopped right away. However, the truth had to prevail. A day after the publication of the article, I received a call from a highly respectable male faculty member at IoBM who said,

“We have evidence that you penned the story, and if you don’t delete the story or do another in our favour, we will take stern action”.

“Yaar ab aisi larki se shaadi thori karsaktay hain!” (One cannot possibly marry such a girl!) “Yaar wo Sunni hai or mein Shia; meray ghar walay kabhi nahi manein gay.” (She is a Sunni and I am a Shia; my family will never agree.) “Aisi larkian toh sirf time pass hoti hain; shaadi thori kartay hain in say.” (Such girls are there for fun, to pass the time only; you are not supposed to marry them.) “Ammi abbu nahi manein gay. Wo hamari zaat ki nahi hai.” (My mom and dad won’t agree. She doesn’t belong to our caste.)

In December 2017, I paid a visit to the Kech District in Balochistan, during which I had a very stimulating interaction with members of the community organisations formed by the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP). However, the biggest surprise for me undeniably was to see the social mobilisation of local women, as they participated in the meetings alongside the male members of their village. Such a high rate of female participation in these meetings was a shock, to say the least, particularly given the conservative nature of the province of Balochistan. Decision-making here is a domain solely belonging to its men, while the women neither have any say in the decision-making process nor enjoy any of the social, economic and political rights enshrined to them through the 1973 Constitution. Like all young people of my generation, I have never witnessed gender relationships leaning towards equality in Balochistan. Interestingly, our elders inform us that Balochistan used to be more tolerant and open towards women’s participation in cultural and social events, and its women enjoyed a good space in the public sphere. However, things turned against them with the onset of radical religiosity in the province, which subsequently discouraged public spaces for them. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The men and women of Kunchiti village at Kech District, discussing their social and political issues in their Community Organisation. Photo: NRSP[/caption] During my interaction with members of the local community organisations, I asked several women about how this change took place, through which women started participating in the community alongside men. One such woman, known as Noor Jahan, narrated her story to me.

“Ten years ago, I couldn’t even dare to step out from the house because of the traditions we had, where women were to remain confined to the house. These four-walled houses were the only space where we could think of doing something. Stepping out of this space, particularly for doing something generally considered to be men’s work, was strongly discouraged. In 2007, NRSP organised us and formed our community organisation. In the beginning, I, like all other women of the village, was hesitant to sit with the men of our village, because I had never done that before. Gradually, I found myself more comfortable and confident in these sort of meetings, and started speaking out about our problems. I also found a huge change in the mindset of our men, who were at first reluctant about our participation in these community organisations, particularly sitting with other men. But now it is very normal to sit with them, discuss the problems of our village and try to find solutions. I even got a flood protection wall built in our village under my supervision with the support of the NRSP, and I feel very proud of what I have achieved and will continue to do for my community.”

“Nine years ago, I was living a meaningless and purposeless life. Sitting in the courtyard of our mud house was my daily routine – it was all we had ever done or seen in our life. Then, one day, back in 2007, a social mobilisation team of NRSP visited our village. When I requested my father to let me attend the meeting of the village women, my father took a deep pause, after which he asked me, ‘what would the people of the village think about us if I allow you?’ After a long time spent persuading him, he gave me his permission, and from thereon my life curved towards the path of success. Today, after taking four months of English language classes from a community organisation in a nearby village, I now run my own language centre in my village. Sometimes, I think women can do anything in a better way, even in a perfect way, if we are provided the opportunity and space to do so. Just sitting at home cannot bear any fruit for our society, so it is imperative for both men and women to understand the importance of women’s participation in the development of society. I owe my success to the social mobilisation team of NRSP, and our men, who understood the significance of women’s participation in the process of making ourselves developed.”

Being the fourth daughter my parents were blessed with, I always used to ask them if they had ever wished I had been born a boy. I spent a lot of time wondering if, after having three girls, they were disappointed to see yet another daughter instead of a son. To my relief, my parents always responded to this question with a resounding ‘no’. Rather, they would get surprised and question me instead on the kind of nonsense that fills up my brain with questions such as these.   It is true that I have never felt loved any less by my parents because I was the fourth girl child. But then why did I ask them such a question in the first place? I did it, not through any fault on their part, but rather, because I was growing up in a society where I would see heartfelt joy at the prospect of having a baby boy, but a restrained smile at best at the prospect of welcoming a baby girl. I was part of a society where gender predictor tests would decide whether the parents wanted to keep the baby or not, and where I heard the now familiar statement countless times,

“Dua karo iss dafa beta ho.” (Pray that it’s a son this time.)

“Chalo koi baat nahi, is mein bhi koi maslihat hogi.” (Don’t worry, it must be in your best interest.)

“Mein hun na aap ka beta.” (I will be your son.)

“Mein aap ka beta ban k dekhaon gi.” (I will prove myself by becoming a son to you.)

I rarely wear makeup to work. Most days, I wear none. Not even BB cream, or eyeliner, or even a basic sort of lipstick. I don’t wear makeup, and I get asked about it, every single day.

“Kya hua, kisi se larayi hui hai?” (What happened, have you had a fight with someone?) “Thori si lipstick tou laga lo, acha lagta hai.” (Put some lipstick on at least, it looks nice.) “You don’t want people to think you don’t care about your appearance.” “Listen, women should put some effort into their looks. Istarah achi image thori jaata hai.” (Otherwise it doesn’t present a good image.) “Dekho; presentation matters.” (Look; presentation matters.)

I walked into my house on a very crisp and warm evening this week, only to find that Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had passed disgusting comments about the women who attended the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Lahore jalsa, on their apparent ‘character’. The crude statements targeted women who participated in the PTI rally and Member National Assembly (MNA) Shireen Mazari. Where Sanaullah raised ‘concerns’ over the ‘character’ of PTI’s women supporters, Abid Sher Ali’s tirade elaborated the scuffle between him and MNA Murad Saeed during the parliament’s budget session on April 27. Unsurprisingly, the comments received severe backlash from all quarters. Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Imran Khan expressed his disgust and strongly condemned the filthy language used by Sanaullah and Ali against PTI women supporters. https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/990998548996153344 Disgruntled by the horde of people that showed up at the party’s power show last week, lawmakers and leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) thought best to belittle the PTI’s popularity by going on record and passing intolerable comments about the women who attended the rally. While Sanaullah and Ali made irreversible damages to the deepening politics, they are not the only ones who have uttered such remarks. PTI leader and former pop singer Abrarul Haq thinks using gendered terms relating to pregnancy to relay ‘pain’ is a smart idea. In a tweet (which he obviously deleted after the entire PML-N fiasco), Haq tweeted the following: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="475"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Shudders A cold chill runs down my spine every time I read something of the sort, because not only is it insulting to all females, it also shows the mindset chosen by these leaders and lawmakers. As mentors, ideals and symbols that people look up to, these men should be ashamed of themselves. Using “labour pains” as an intelligent pun sheds sufficient light on your humour level and the levels you are willing to stoop down to, just for political or selfish gains. But perhaps what bothers me the most is women-on-women oppression – it should never be okay to belittle another woman on the behest of your own socio-political gains. Many women, in politics and otherwise, took it upon themselves to prove that Sanaullah’s comments were perhaps not ‘wrong’. https://twitter.com/MehrTarar/status/991657212878704641

“As I always say, misogyny is enabled and endorsed by not just men but also women.” – What a beautifully haunting thought.

“These are your mother and sisters?”

Upon her return home from school, I asked my daughter whether or not she raises her hand in class, to which she replied, 

“Yes mom, I did,” she said. “In fact, I raise my hand all the time now, even when I am not sure if I have the right answer.”

Dating isn’t easy if you are a woman. Not only do you need to ensure that the man you are getting enamoured with poses no real danger – i.e. he isn’t a rapist, a serial killer, a psychopath, or simply a creep – you also have to deal with society’s dissection of your character, once your private life becomes public knowledge. Unfortunately for celebrities, their private lives are always in the public eye and thus open to scrutiny, and if you are a female celebrity, the scrutiny is always worse. Most of the time, the commentary is uncalled for and the media coverage unnecessary. However, with the boom (and bane) of social media, everyone can voice their opinion publicly. There is no editorial control, no filtering. The raw (and mostly harsh) comments on celebrities’ pictures will have you seething most of the time. A case in point is how model Nadia Hussain’s young kids weren’t spared from criticism on Instagram. More recently, it is how people have endlessly mocked Priyanka Chopra for dating Nick Jonas, a man 10 years her junior. https://www.instagram.com/p/BTkgOyfFXPl/?utm_source=ig_embed https://twitter.com/xSaraTweetingx/status/1011885060696485890 Internationally, there are a number of celebrity couples with a huge age difference. From George and Amal Clooney to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, people date and marry beyond their age bracket and appear happy. When a man marries or dates a younger woman, we find it cute. We idolise the man for winning over a much younger woman, who might even be ‘out of his league’. “She prefers mature men,” we argue. Which is completely understandable, because one’s personal preferences aren’t anyone else’s business. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Actor George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney attend the 'Money Monster' premiere during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2016 in Cannes, France. Photo: Getty[/caption] https://www.instagram.com/p/BacdZ4XAIRn/?hl=en&taken-by=blakelively However, bring this equation to a younger man and an older woman, and suddenly she is a cougar. Especially if you have anything to do with South Asian culture, each and every move you make is scrutinised. Everything you do in your life is open to jibes by strangers. No matter what you achieve in life, how successful you are, what you contribute to charities or how you inspire hundreds of thousands across your country, you are still a woman who needs to conform to societal norms, including dating a man who is older than you are – ideally not dating at all. Sexism is deeply rooted in South Asian culture. While people will still criticise women who date a significantly older man, their wrath will be focused on the woman and not her partner. Ankita Konwar was mercilessly trolled online for dating and marrying Milind Soman. Women are also labelled ‘sugar babes’ or ‘gold diggers’ for being with someone significantly older than them. https://twitter.com/IndianWriterV/status/927454640383320064 https://twitter.com/MGNTheTwin/status/1012983198983180288 On the other hand, no one in the South Asian culture criticises a man for dating or marrying a younger woman. For example, no one had any issues when Shahid Kapoor married Mira Rajput, or when Saif Ali Khan married Kareena Kapoor. If anything, people still blame Kareena for Saif’s separation with Amrita Singh, even though the ‘home wrecker’ in this case was not Kareena, but another woman altogether. Similarly, Ranbir Kapoor is dating Alia Bhatt and no one is calling him Alia’s dad, whereas everyone is busy trolling Priyanka and calling her ‘Nick’s mother’. https://twitter.com/PWNeha/status/1012030554017951744 https://twitter.com/capricious_grin/status/1011188886347878400 https://twitter.com/Mvs_M/status/1014048006507843584 Firstly, the person you date, their age, their looks, their background or anything about your dating life in general should be your own business. Even if you are unfortunate enough to be a public figure, people need to respect and appreciate that you are still a human being with emotions and a heart. We also need to be careful about what we say and how we say it online. No one wants to hurt another human being – especially a stranger who doesn’t even know that you exist – with bitter comments. Secondly, we need to do something about our gender biases. Instead of measuring love in numerals and passing judgement on women, people need to address our deep-rooted prejudices. There is a lot of societal pressure on women when it comes to relationships. From behaving a certain way to expecting women to be more compromising and patient, the onus of which way a relationship goes is always on a woman. Add the stigma of divorce, being an atypical beauty or being older than your partner to the mix, and you have a woman suffering silently, unable to enjoy her relationship. Thirdly, and most importantly, mind your own business. Seriously, what is this obsession with what others are up to? In western countries alone, the paparazzi have driven several celebrities to suicide. If you are famous, you can avoid the paparazzi by disguising yourself, avoiding public places, as well as with the help of your security staff. However, when it comes to the World Wide Web, there is no shelter, no protection and no security. Online bullying is still bullying, and hating on Priyanka – a wildly successful, gorgeous woman – for dating an attractive, younger man achieves nothing other than making you a sexist and a bully. Live and let live!

If you were to look back and think of one of the most unbelievable decisions made in the past five years, Donald Trump getting elected as President of the United States would perhaps top the list. Just imagining the “strongest” democracy in the world actually handing over its reigns to the man without a plan makes you feel a little bit better about the state of your own democracy. You think, maybe America is worse than us, for what sane mind would ever vote Trump into power?  Well, all this thinking made us wonder, who is Trump’s equivalent in our own political sphere? Though perhaps many of our politicians are eligible for this comparison, recent events bring only one person in mind – our very own “King Khan” (or if Reham Khan's allegations are to be believed, perhaps Kink Khan is more apt?) Now, before we are immediately bashed in the comments, we’d like to explain why we’re making such a heavy comparison when it comes to the sadiq and ameen (honest and truthful) politician. Leadership comparisons will of course be flawed – after all, Trump is the leader of the free world, and Imran Khan isn’t even the elected leader of our own country (yet). No, the following comparison is simply based on how two leaders play the game of politics, the extent they are ready to go to in their pandering, and how ardently their supporters are willing to believe every word that comes out of their leader’s mouth. 1. Rich celebrities make their way into politics At the baseline, both Trump and Imran are rich celebrity personalities who felt their presence was needed in the political sphere. Giving Imran some credit here, his athletic achievements have always been more remarkable, as we’re not quite sure what (if anything) Trump has ever achieved. 2. Make Pakistan great again Trump’s call to “Make America Great Again” resonated with white folks who felt eight years under Barack Obama had somehow ruined the country in a way that only a politically inexperienced reality celebrity could fix. Similarly, Imran’s Naya Pakistan reached out to the youth disenfranchised by the Pakistan of old. The attainability of each slogan aside, one can’t deny they are semantically similar and work the same way to simply gain devoted followers who will throw the slogan back at you every chance they get. 3. Pandering to the right Both Trump and Imran have been pledged support by the extreme right of both countries. While Trump has often had a kind word or two to say about literal Nazis in America, Imran has said the same but for their equivalent in Pakistan – the religious right-wing. Despite counting on liberals to vote for him, Imran has verbally insulted the group repeatedly (khooni liberal scums, anyone?) in favour of praising and joining hands with right-wing groups, especially during his election campaign. After all, he didn’t earn the name Taliban Khan for nothing. https://twitter.com/marvisirmed/status/1006256492771774465 You can’t blame Imran, just as you can’t blame Trump; after all, both men have simply done whatever it takes to win. Yes, a lot of PTI supporters argue Imran is doing whatever it takes to garner votes and that once he comes into power, he will go back to his “Naya Pakistan” self. But dialling back a little into history reveals that people who voted for Trump did not think he would follow through on the problematic promises. However, immigrant families separated on American soil would perhaps tell them otherwise. 4. Racist inclinations Even though Trump is the “least racist person you’ll ever meet”, he’s quite overtly racist. And Imran has, on multiple occasions, proved that so is he. Anyone remember the last Pakistan Super League? Cricket had finally come home and everyone was celebrating the victory, as Pakistanis should – except Imran. In a press conference, he addressed the international players who came to Pakistan as phateechar. He also said,

“I don’t know any of these foreign players, I have not even heard their names – the government seems to have grabbed someone from Africa and said look it is a foreign player.”

The first woman to run for Pakistan’s presidential elections did so in 1965, and it was Fatima Jinnah versus Ayub Khan. The latter swept the elections and was sworn in as president. That was 53 years ago. Now, 53 years later, is Pakistan ready to make history and elect the first woman president of the country? Recently, social media was rife with speculation that Justice (retd) Nasira Iqbal, a Pakistani jurist and law professor who served as a justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) for eight years until 2002, was being considered for the office of the President of Pakistan. Iqbal holds a degree in intellectual property law from Punjab University, a Master of Law degree (cum laude) from Harvard Law School, and a Master of Laws from Punjab University. She has also represented Pakistan at various international events. Iqbal was among the first five women to be appointed to the LHC. Additionally, she heads the activist group Concerned Citizens of Pakistan Society (CCP). Among other honours, she received the Fatima Jinnah Medal for Women’s Rights in 2006, the Woman of the Year Star Award in 2007, and the Wonder Woman Award in 2011. Iqbal is also part of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan. A woman of her stature and qualification would make a fine president and break the illusion that only businessmen can make it to the country’s top office. After all, the presidential stature requires someone who is involved with society and is aware of the crucial issues that plague the country. The president should also deliver concrete statements and have an opinion about the state of events in their country. A retired Justice of the LHC with brilliant academic skills would thus make a promising president for the country. Over the years, many Pakistanis have complained of the silence of current President Mamnoon Hussain, and multiple memes have since then become trends on social media platforms. The general understanding is that after Asif Ali Zardari revoked the controversial amendment that gave executive powers to the president, the president’s position is solely a ceremonial one. Even so, the ceremonial position holds unimaginable powers; the president is the representative of the country across the world. The prime minister and president should ideally be candidates who would represent the country adequately on national and international forums. While President Hussain’s tenure passed calmly, it left some with the feeling there was more the president could have done. Further, electing the first female president of the country would catapult Pakistan into a seemingly more progressive state, where women are granted high office. Decades after Shaheed Benazir Bhutto took the landmark step of running for the office of prime minister, these rumours suggest that Iqbal would be next female to set new precedents by occupying the president’s office. For the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), this would be the defining moment of their government; they would ensure immortality in history books and past recollections if they succeed in empowering women. Arguments circulating on the press and online claim the Imran-led party can give high offices to women, but that doesn’t imply that their policies would reflect the same. However, I believe that all steps taken to push women out of the glass ceiling will contribute to a better country. I am not a PTI fan and I did not vote for them, but if they nominate Iqbal, they would have my respect. It is not easy to be a woman in Pakistan, and history has taught us how difficult it was for Benazir to break the androcentric walls that patriarchy helped establish. On a separate note, while watching the FIFA World Cup 2018, I learnt that Belgium has a female president. Croatia’s president is also a woman. Standing in the office while searching these women on Google, I thought to myself, what a sight it would be to see a woman taking oath as president! Perhaps Iqbal’s entrance into the president house will give Pakistan that one push needed to ensure that women are respected and taken into account. I also believe the increase in rape-murder stories and domestic issues can also be affiliated with the lack of respect shown to women politicians. There have been incidents where mud-slinging reached horrible standards, where women have been called “tractor trolley” without any consequences. This lingo should not be acceptable in any society. And I believe that if a woman presides over the country, all the men and women who thought that it wasn’t possible in the first place will be in for a real surprise.

Will you forget it? I think not. After all, the US Open 2018 is not one to forget anytime soon. The tournament was thrilling from the start, with remarkable displays of tennis, alongside upsets and firsts. However, what will remain etched in our collective memories is the women’s singles final; a certain Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and the chair umpire. The 20-year-old Osaka – who had never won a grand slam before – was playing with her idol. Williams, on the other hand, is no ordinary idol. The 23-time grand slam champion is an enigma. Not only is she a champion of tennis, she is a champion of hearts – an inspiration for men and women alike. Williams has dominated women’s tennis for two decades, and her journey is as impressive as her game. She’s become a role model, a trend-setter with a big personality; she has successfully become America’s darling. Thus, if you had to predict a winner before Saturday’s final, you would have picked Williams in a second. It was the story we all wanted to witness unfold: a 36-year-old mother of one makes a grand comeback after almost losing her life. Not only that, had Williams won, she would have made history by equalling Margaret Court’s 24 grand slam titles. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with Serena Williams before their Women's Singles Finals match at the 2018 US Open. Photo: AFP[/caption] America was rooting for her. The world was rooting for her. However, as the match commenced, the young, athletic Japanese outshone Williams. Point after point, she brilliantly returned everything shot her way, winning games with her serve and big forehand until she claimed the first set. It was beautiful to watch the novice take on the champion. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="435"] Serena Williams during her match against Naomi Osaka in the Women's Singles Final. Photo: Getty[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Naomi Osaka competes against Serena Williams during US Open 2018 women's final match on September 8, 2018. Photo: Getty[/caption] In the fifth game of the second set, however, things took a dramatic turn. Chair umpire Carlos Ramos issued Williams a code violation after he witnessed coaching. Williams denied the incident, however, her coach admitted otherwise. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Serena Williams argues Saturday with chair umpire Carlos Ramos while playing Naomi Osaka of Japan during their 2018 US Open women's singles final match in New York. Photo: AFP[/caption] Williams then demanded an apology from the umpire, insisting she did not take coaching. Her fit of rage did not end there. She was issued a point penalty for racket abuse, and finally a game penalty for calling the referee a liar and a thief. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Serena Williams smashes her racket while playing against Naomi Osaka at the 2018 US Open in New York, Sept. 8, 2018. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Serena Williams smashes her racket. Photo: AFP[/caption] What transpired after that was not pretty. Williams continued arguing with officials, accusing Ramos of sexism and claiming to fight for women’s rights. The episode has led to much conjecture and debate. Opinions remain divided and the final almost forgotten, which, by the way, Osaka won. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Serena Williams upset, arguing with chair umpire Carlos Ramos during Women's Final match. Photo: Getty[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Serena Williams argues with referee Brian Earley during her Women's Singles final at the 2018 US Open. Photo: AFP[/caption] Is there enough evidence to suggest Ramos was sexist? Unfortunately, there isn’t. Yes, a game penalty seems harsh, but Ramos was within his jurisdiction in making that call. The gold-badge umpire is known for being a stickler for the rules. In his three-decade-long career, the Portuguese has had contretemps with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, as well as Novak Djokovic, who won the US Open this year. Murray was once issued a warning by Ramos for mumbling “stupid umpiring”, whereas Nadal has been issued warnings for slow play as well as coaching. Players have always bemoaned his no-nonsense application of rules; however, he continues to command their respect. Saturday’s episode had nothing to do with race or sexism. It was an unsightly outburst from a powerful tennis icon. It is as Ramos stated,

“It’s an unhappy situation but a la carte refereeing doesn’t exist.”

I was on my way to work last week when I came across #MacMiller trending on Twitter. Confused regarding what that could be about, I scrolled through my Instagram and found numerous tributes to the 26-year-old rapper, only to confirm what I had already expected. Mac Miller’s death, caused due to an apparent overdose, came as a shock to many. Working as an entertainment journalist, the aforementioned incident ultimately became my priority for the morning. As I added testimonies and tributes from famous artists and celebrities in Hollywood, there was one that I, along with the rest of the world, was desperately awaiting – Ariana Grande’s. After all, Miller dated the famous teen sensation on and off from November 2012 to May 2018, so all eyes were waiting for Grande to react. After checking (and failing) to find anything related to the late rapper on her social media accounts that day, it was then reported that Grande had turned off the comments on her Instagram posts. Why, you might ask? Apparently, the singer was being mercilessly trolled and harassed for her former boyfriend’s untimely death. If that wasn’t enough, to my absolute horror, #ArianaKilledMac then started trending on social media. It all started when American tabloid TMZ broke the story of Miller’s passing, but did so including a now-edited line claiming he “had trouble recently with substance abuse… in the wake of his breakup with Grande”. https://twitter.com/BrianEatsLondon/status/1038227966982021120 https://twitter.com/Niklas_Dee/status/1038759326763155456 The tweets and comments under this hashtag regarding the couple’s relationship were extremely disturbing, so much so that some straight up held Grande directly responsible for Miller’s lost sobriety and death. Others questioned how Grande might sleep at night now. This is not even the first time Grande has been blamed for Miller’s addiction and behaviour. After their relationship went south, mainly because of Miller’s drug addiction, Grande found love in Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson. The couple then announced their engagement after dating for hardly a month. However, the former couple’s breakup was said to have played a role in Miller getting arrested for drunk driving, sparking a backlash from his fan following, and prompting Grande to tweet the following: https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/999314187384901633 The public reaction can hardly be justified, given that it’s not as if their breakup caused Miller to succumb to extensive drug use. The rapper had a history of substance abuse, which sadly is what led to their breakup in the first place. So how does it make any sense for people to blame Grande for Miller’s overdose? Unsurprisingly, women continue to face flak for the actions and behaviours of their partners. A few months ago, I was hanging out with some of my friends. One of them, let’s call him A, was having one cigarette after another. This went on until he consumed almost half the packet, which was full when we sat down. After a while of noticing him chain smoke, I finally asked him if there was an issue at work.

“Nai, yaar! It’s my girlfriend. She’s being difficult.”

“Did she ask you to increase your normal consumption of nicotine?” “Well, of course not!” he responded. “Do you think she’s coping with this mental stress like you are? Smoking one cigarette after another?” “Well, I hope not,” he then said. “Would she appreciate that you have had at least 10 smokes in the past two hours?” “No, she won’t.” “Did she ask you to harm yourself like this?” I asked him finally. “I guess not.”

“Yaar, kya biwi se larr ke aye ho aaj?” (Did you fight with your wife before coming to work?)

“This definitely is because of some issue with the girlfriend.”

“I am happy for her in moving forward with her life, just as I’m sure she is with me.”

While universities around the world are trying to promote freedom of expression and invest in the development of their students, in the case of Pakistan, higher education institutions are stifling debate, cracking down on any independent thought and churning out automatons by the hundreds. For instance, they are more focused on wasting paper with unoriginal research papers, as former students of University of Engineering and Technology (UET) were recently caught plagiarising a whole paper verbatim and almost got away with having it published. International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) has stopped its students from celebrating Pakhtun culture day, while Punjab University arrested students for protesting its administration's decision to hand over its grounds to a madrassa. To add to this misery, universities also promote patriarchal and sexist stereotypes. https://twitter.com/AdilNajam/status/1035719278463528961 Recently, Bahria University barred its female students from entering the campus from the same gate as its male students; it further asked both sexes to maintain a minimum distance of six inches between each other. IIUI, on the other hand, hosted job fairs on two different days to prevent the two sexes from mingling. Moreover, other universities make ambiguous dress policies that allow them to dictate what female students can and cannot wear, while male students largely remain unscathed from these policies and actions. While National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) deems itself prestigious and modern, but it too promotes these stereotypes. It has separate curfew timings for boys and girls hostels and there have been numerous incidents where female students have been harassed and asked personally invasive questions by the guards at these hostels. This semester, NUST announced designated areas for smoking, but only for male students. If any female student is caught smoking in these areas, she would be fined and her parents/guardians would be informed. https://twitter.com/ayeshaijazkhan/status/383665721806700544 https://twitter.com/hyraness/status/1042355294179930112 https://twitter.com/AmmarRashidT/status/1042148595535949824 When the students protested against this blatantly sexist policy or vented out on social media, they were reported to the respective heads of their departments, some have even been told their degrees will be withheld. Furthermore, to shield itself from litigation, the university makes each student sign a disclaimer so students can never even sue the university. This collective ignorance that women don’t smoke or women shouldn’t smoke is prevalent in this country. Last year, Mahira Khan caused uproar when pictures of her smoking were plastered all over the internet. People started worrying about her character, lungs, threat of cancer but there was no ‘concern’ shown for Ranbir Kapoor, who was standing beside her and also smoking. https://twitter.com/Lanaschild_/status/1042436343975043072 Someone once said that smoking damages a man’s lungs and ruins a woman’s character; it seems our society is proving it to be true. Volumes of research shows that smoking is injurious to health, so why is this vital piece of information thrown at women only whilst majority of the smokers are men. Health doesn’t see gender, then why is a university concerned about one set of students and not the others? Do the male students have special powers that will stop them from coughing up their lungs in the near future or are they unloved by the administration? Why is NUST so concerned about its female students that it threatens to call their guardians, if they are even found in these smoking areas, let alone found smoking? We live in a country where women are constantly harassed; they feel unsafe in public areas, they are killed in the name of 'honour', and under these circumstances, a prestigious university is threatening to call their guardians. Will the university claim any responsibility if God forbid any harm befalls its students? https://twitter.com/AadarshAyaz/status/1042247779773497344 It is sad that in this day and age, universities like NUST care more about their 'good name' and bow down to patriarchal norms. This policy is nothing but sexist in nature, designed to promote problematic gender stereotypes that women don’t smoke and that boys have a special set of rules provided to them due to their male privilege. https://twitter.com/itsmeeshashafi/status/1042760995045691393 Research shows that roughly 6% of the young female population smokes in this country. The number is probably higher since some women choose to hide their smoking habits due to the probable consequences they would have to face if caught smoking. These policies won’t be able to force women to stop; they will continue doing so as is their right. Sadly, it is our society that loses out in the end because it refuses to acknowledge that half of its population has a mind of its own – they exist!

For most female legal practitioners in Pakistan, sexism and misogyny are an unavoidable occupational hazard. It usually begins during their very first job interview when they are asked questions that no male employee is asked and are actively discouraged from pursuing a career that they have worked hard to earn a degree in. "We don’t encourage women to go to court," is what a partner at one of the biggest law firms in Lahore told a female colleague of mine during a job interview. You could be the most eloquent orator that this country has ever seen, and they’d still question if a woman could hold her own in court. This is where sexism usually begins for women in the legal profession. Sadly, it is not where it ends. It grows, like an obstinate weed, enfolding our entire legal system. In the lower courts, women are subjected to constant harassment, with leering stares being the least of their problems. I have spoken to countless female lawyers who have recounted incidents where male lawyers made sexual remarks as they walked through the dilapidated building that functions as the home for our trial courts. Male lawyers routinely belittle female lawyers arguing in court by making jokes about their gender, with even the judges sometimes chiming in. Patriarchy then proceeds to chuckle together. Sexism has seeped into our jurisprudence, where there have been countless judgements that have displayed misogyny and sexism in the language employed to describe the behaviour of women. If an example is needed one can simply turn to the recent judgment by the Lahore High Court in the Khadija Siddiqui case. Regardless of the guilt or innocence of the accused, the judgment was remarkable in its casual use of sexist language in describing the female victim. You would think that the chief regulator of the legal profession in Punjab, the Punjab Bar Council, would rise to the task of defending the rights of women. Yet, as recent events show, the Punjab Bar Council is complicit in the sexism and misogyny that spreads like a malignant tumour throughout the legal profession. The Punjab Bar Council publishes an official diary every year without incident, but this year, one of the pages carried a sexist quotation (quoted from where, still remains a mystery). Here was the regulatory body of the legal profession in Punjab publishing a quote that can be translated as saying:

“A society that gives its women more rights than necessary will eventually come to regret it.”

Like most millennials in Pakistan, we grew up watching Bollywood films. From films like Hum Saath Saath Hain to every single movie where Shah Rukh Khan opened his arms and struck his signature pose, it felt like we lived and breathed these movies, knowing all the songs and dance moves by heart as we watched our favourites on repeat. Growing up leaves you with significantly less time to watch movies, and a vastly more refined palette. As we grew older and ventured towards watching movies and TV shows produced in Hollywood (or “foreign films” for the most refined cultural consumer), we barely had a chance to revisit the movies we practically grew up on. However, every once in a while we’d get the chance to re-watch an old Bollywood classic, only to come to terms with the fact that our “faves” are indeed problematic now. The horrific scale of sexual and physical violence against women in India and Pakistan, as well as the recent #MeToo movement, has brought about more awareness within the larger public when it comes to consent and the sexism prevalent in our society. Trying to figure out if our childhood has indeed been ruined, we went and re-watched some movies from our past, and the following five movies did not sit well with us: 1. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Let’s rip the band-aid right off. DDLJ is a cult classic and is a deeply romanticised film, especially by women. We were all told to look for our very own 'Raj', but let’s see what that means, shall we? Raj was a rich, entitled brown boy, and the first time we see him, he is literally trashing a store owned by a fellow hardworking Hindustani, only because he wants beer. When he meets Simran for the first time and is stuck in a train compartment with her, Raj thinks it appropriate to dig through the girl’s bag and dangle her undergarments in her face. From Simran’s perspective, Raj is nothing more than a creep who is harassing her as she tries to read in peace (the old fashioned equivalent of putting your earphones on). Later, as Raj and Simran travel together and she wakes up in his bed after a night of consuming alcohol, he lies to her and tells her they had sex, somehow thinking that telling a girl he had sex with her while she was in no position to consent, would make him look good. Later, when Simran starts to cry, he then slut-shames non-Indian women by telling her she is a Hindustani girl with Hindustani values; it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he’s implying here. There are so many moments in DDLJ when we find Raj’s behaviour disturbing, but nothing is worse than his treatment of Preeti (played by Mandira Bedi), whom he deliberately strings along while he tries to win over Simran’s family. The movie tries to present Raj as some sort of ideal, a man every woman wants, but what exactly is that man? Where is Simran’s choice? She literally goes from her father controlling her to him letting her go, only to send her to Raj, another man who shall now control her future. Women are the ones who put DDLJ on a pedestal, and women are the ones who must recognise that it indeed does not deserve it. 2. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai KKHH was an instant favourite as a child; from a boy-girl friendship to a basketball playing Kajol (whose amazing haircut one of us unfortunately tried to replicate as a child) the movie seemed pretty great… back then. Now, it is hard to watch the movie without noticing how frequently Kajol is shamed for being a ‘tomboy’, or seeing her change her physical appearance, grow her hair and wear “feminine” clothes for Shah Rukh to realise that his former friend is actually an attractive woman. The movie also directly sends the message that a man and a woman cannot be friends, which most adults would disagree with. The no-music dance scene is considered its most ‘romantic’ one, recreated many times to pay some sort of tribute to the original. However, watching it now, we saw how the filmmakers put in the ‘women don’t want it, so ease them into it’ tactic. No wonder why explaining ‘no means no’ to South Asians is such a challenge. Kajol is shown to hesitate and move away, but Shah Rukh, obviously knowing better than her and exhibiting the dominant role a man is supposed to take, moves closer, not giving up until she gives in. Safe to say, as adult women, we find this behaviour creepy. 3. Biwi No 1 In hindsight, we don’t really know why this movie was popular to begin with. The entire plot was problematic; from Salman Khan cheating on his wife (played by Karisma Kapoor) with a ‘younger, more beautiful’ woman, to leaving his wife and kids for aforementioned woman when his wife discovered the truth, to the movie actually making it seem like the appropriate solution was for the wife to change the way she dresses and put some makeup on to gain her husband back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOrGUZ-Z8m0 The movie pretty much blames women for infidelity; half the blame is laid on the ‘seductress’ and not the cheating husband, while the other half is laid on the wife, who should put in more effort into being attractive for her husband instead of making her children her primary focus. In between the women who are at fault, there’s no space left to blame the man, who is ultimately forgiven by the wife. But one re-watch is enough to ensure that you will never forgive this film for wasting your time and your brain cells. 4. Dil To Pagal Hai Dil To Pagal Hai had the potential to be a good film, but it is hard to move past the movie policing women’s bodies. Rahul’s (SRK) entire relationship with Nisha (Karisma) is messed up, as he constantly slut-shames her over her choice of attire. If shaming her was not enough, she is presented as the foil to Pooja’s (Madhuri) character; her shalwar kameez attire, pooja-doing character. Rahul constantly doubting and shaming Nisha while appreciating Pooja’s purity and virtue as he stalks her and bullies her into working with him is enough to make you cringe throughout the movie. 5. Mohabbatein Apart from being tortured onscreen because of looking at Uday Chopra, Mohabbatein is that ridiculous movie we have locked up in some corner of our brains. Following the usual ‘pursue the girl till she says yes’ trope, Chopra went all out after the girl, despite the girl understandably rejecting him. Basically, if the girl says no to you, corner her in the park, break into her hostel, follow her around like a creep till the filmmakers finally decide she is in love with him. Chopra probably got more chances to prove himself as an actor though than he did to get the girl. Moreover, the movie heavily romanticises suicide. The whole, love is eternal concept and giving your life for your beloved is extremely problematic. There is a reason why Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy and not a love story. Instead of focusing on the real issue and struggle Aishwariya Rai’s character was going through, Shah Rukh hallucinated his dead girlfriend, wrote on fallen leaves and spontaneously played the violin. He was clearly going insane, guys! Media and art is subjective to the culture and ideas of the day and age it is being viewed under. Just as art produced in the colonial era is considered racist by today’s standards, similarly, movies that demean or shame women in order to uplift the man as the hero and saviour she has to depend upon can only be termed sexist by today’s standards. As times change, it is easier to see where we were going wrong; for instance, the rape joke scene in 3 Idiots will never stop being problematic. We’re sure upcoming generations will have more to say about the movies they grew up on, but for now, all we have is our DVD of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham that we can largely watch guilt-free to remember our childhood without feeling like the ‘inferior’ gender.  

Would it be true to suggest that only the mighty can get justice in Pakistan, or just another misnomer? No matter what side of the argument you support, it is undeniable that this is a question of wide importance in a country such as ours. On September 13, 2018, a brutal crime was committed in the Chak 92 JB area of Gojra. A man called Safdar, with the help of an accomplice, threw acid on a sleeping family out of revenge. The ferocity of the attack did not stop at this; they viciously poured acid into Sakina Bibi's mouth and forced her to gulp it down, which is why she could not survive longer than six hours as the entirety of her body was burnt. Her husband lost his eyesight permanently, while two of their sons suffered severe skin damage. Their daughter was sleeping in her room while the rest of the family slept outside, and thus luckily managed to remain unhurt. A few days before this ruthless crime, the accused reportedly molested Sakina’s teenage daughter. Seeking justice, Sakina decided to report the incident to the police. However, owing to excessive aggression by Safdar and undue pressure from the village elders to come to a settlement, she decided not to report the incident on two conditions. The first was to banish Safdar from the village for six months, and in case of his early return, the second was that she would pursue a legal battle against him. The accused did return early, only to commit this barbaric crime for revenge. From that day to present day, this case has gone nowhere. Mainly because our criminal justice system is accustomed to pursuing cases only after a judicial suo motu – seen in many cases recently – and Sakina’s case failed to garner sufficient media hype, which has set the legal norm for justice in this country. What this case does, however, is raise some important concerns regarding the criminal investigation system in Pakistan. Although the Gojra Sadar Police Station initially registered a First Information Report (FIR) and arrested the accused – at least that is what the police claim – no further progress has been reported in the case. The right to information is a fundamental right provided to the victim’s family, but the same is being denied on the pretext of the sensitivity of the matter. The police are treating media knowledge of the case as Res Sub Judice (a case under judgment and thus forbidden from public discussion), which is a steep insult of legal provisions. Moreover, police behaviour towards the victim’s family has been indifferent and non-cooperative, increasing their sense of helplessness. The state is not only dodging its compulsory obligation to deliver justice, but is also leaving the people high and dry. Prima facie, the police did not take notice of the sexual harassment and molestation of the teenage girl in their FIR. The offence of breaking into Sakina’s house at night as well as the damage to the property was altogether overlooked. This deliberate ignorance of pertinent details shows an acute unprofessionalism on the part of the police, contrary to the official claims. How can a court reach the conclusion of the case and deliver a fair judgement without considering the entire description of the events? The incidents left out were important for the transition of the case, and their evasion is a matter of grave concern. Another important point of unease and concern is how easily the accused got access to the acid, with no ban in sight when it comes to the sale of loose acid. Not only is acid a dangerous substance, it is a lethal weapon, particularly in our society and specifically against women. Safdar’s method of killing Sakina is in line with the high scale of violence against women found in Pakistan, as 80% acid crimes are reported against women, and annually hundreds of women are killed by acid attacks in Pakistan. Even in this cruel case, no action or investigation has been opened up against the seller of this hazardous material. Criminal law prescribes equivalent punishment for whoever aids or abets the criminal. Then how can the supplier – an accessory to the murder – be ignored altogether? It is undeniable that the police have failed, or rather simply did not bother, to connect essential circumstances and gather evidence for this case. If they did, they would have questioned the “authority” under which Sakina was stopped from lodging an FIR in the first place. If Sakina had registered a case before the police herself, she may not have been mercilessly killed had the police taken action instead of the accused simply being banished by village elders. If the forceful settlement by the village elders had been averted, there may not have been a second crime altogether. Justice delayed is justice denied. The modus operandi of this investigation is seriously doubtful, as the police continuously avert disclosing any progress of the case to either the victim’s family or to the legal counsel. Although the accused was arrested immediately after the crime, neither was a charge filed against him despite Sakina recording a dying declaration, nor have the police presented him before the court. Instead, one police officer tried to convince the family to let the case go and settle with the accused party, suggesting there was no way they could fight the accused and emerge victorious. Their pace is thus not only complicating the case but casting serious doubts over their performance, making this a gross violation of fundamental rights that must not go unchecked. No matter how rich or poor the country, the provision of justice is a state imperative, for no private investigation agency exists to investigate injustices, making it incumbent upon the state to take notice of the system’s discrepancies. But justice is nowhere in sight for Sakina or her family. Sakina was not timid, but our system forced her to surrender. If the system continues to ignore those desperate for justice for long, it will be hard to recover public trust, which is deteriorating by the day. The urgency of this case cannot be denied. Yes, Sakina’s case is nowhere near an exception in our society, but justice must be served to set a precedent. Otherwise, this state will continue to face constant embarrassment before the international community as we fail to provide our people with basic human rights. A recent report indicates that Pakistan is one of the worst countries with respect to gender equality. Women face constant discrimination and injustice in their daily lives, and we fail to deliver them justice after their death as well. But Sakina’s soul continues to call for justice to whoever is listening, and hopefully, her call will not be suppressed any longer.

A week ago, three armed men attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi. Before they could reach the diplomatic staff inside, the militants were killed in a police operation led by SP Suhai Aziz Talpur. The encounter also resulted in multiple casualties, including two visa applicants and two policemen fighting on the frontline. From CNN to Reuters, the news made rounds worldwide. Talpur is being glorified as the daughter of Pakistan, representing the face of bravery and women power. Restoring Talpur pride, her pictures are being juxtaposed alongside Faryal Talpur, who is currently embroiled in a money laundering case. Chinese media too is in awe of Suhai’s courage and beauty, some even commenting on the similarity between her and a famous Chinese actress, and proposals of marriage have poured in from across the border. https://twitter.com/sherryrehman/status/1065890304744714242 https://twitter.com/chaudhry_nabeel/status/1065934149519908864 Meanwhile, a strong backlash surfaced on local news and social media, questioning Suhai’s real contribution and mocking her for what is being labelled a publicity stunt. In a rather distasteful attempt, a local artist came up with a cartoon showing Suhai flaunting a medal and basking in media attention while standing on top of two bleeding bodies of the policemen martyred during the operation. The cartoon blatantly discredits her contribution, while implying that she tried to steal the limelight otherwise deserved by her team members who lost their lives during the encounter. From the contented expression sketched on Suhai’s face, it almost seems as if she took their lives on purpose. https://twitter.com/SyedAliHaider13/status/1066345554089779200 On the contrary, Suhai has repeatedly acknowledged the efforts of the martyred policemen. In an interview, she explained that even though it was her team’s effort, the deceased played the most crucial role in resisting the attack. She has repeatedly stated that the real credit goes to Assistant Sub Inspector Ashraf Dawood and Constable Amir Khan for keeping the terrorists engaged. And yet, with a now familiar sarcastic undertone, people are asking if “mohtarma” (madam) Suhai was even there during the encounter. A news report went on to raise doubts if the pistol in her hand was anything more than mere pretence. Mocking her actions, as seen in the footage from the end of the operation, the anchor suggested Suhai was simply waving the pistol and walking in and out to attract the media’s attention. The anchor further questioned if Suhai was not wearing a bullet proof jacket because she reached the consulate when the operation was almost over, and hence there was no danger requiring protection. In a manner more akin to moral policing, the presenter claimed Suhai hadn’t even visited the families of the deceased policemen who, along with the injured guard of the consulate, are the real heroes. While the martyrs deserve their share of tribute and attention, blaming Suhai for the loss of their lives or the lack of media attention on them simply goes back to our patriarchal mindset. Would Suhai be getting mocked and criticised if she wasn’t a woman? Probably not, and here’s why. On October 4^th, the Karachi police completed a “successful” operation against Lyari’s notorious gangster Ghaffar Zikri. The encounter also resulted in the shooting of his four-year-old son who, according to the police, was used as a human shield. This is how a Pakistani news channel detailed the police encounter:

“Karachi’s police chief, Amir Ali Sheikh, who reached the site later applauded the effort.”

“Killing of Zikri is a huge success: Karachi Police Chief.”

The year 2018 has proven to be a great one for our local drama industry. Surprisingly, we got to watch some of the most heart-wrenching and striking stories on the small screen; stories addressing social issues that are taboo and usually remain hidden behind closed doors, rarely making it to the national spotlight. Thankfully, our drama industry is now not only focusing on producing entertaining content, but also on highlighting stories that educate the masses. Though it was a very difficult decision to select a handful of shows from an extensive list of new content, I have nonetheless managed to shortlist a few based on their concept, storyline, direction and the message conveyed to the viewers.  1. Aangan Brilliantly directed by Qasim Ali Mureed, following a strong script by Faiza Iftekhar, Aangan was certainly one of the best dramas of 2018. Based on a very ordinary and light-hearted script, Aangan told the story of a Punjabi family living in a joint household setup, bringing back the old days of PTV when the entire family would sit together to view prime time dramas. With the right mix of suspense, humour and emotions, the show resonated with the masses and filled the void of a substantial family drama missing from our TV screens for quite some time. With a huge cast and yet no leads in particular, Aangan managed to send across some really strong social messages while entertaining every member of the family watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSokn5Yhsvg 2. Meri Guriya Inspired by a true story, Meri Guriya proved to be a game changer for our drama industry and definitely set the bar very high. Not only did the show bring to light one of the darkest realities of our society – child sexual abuse and murder – it also depicted the psychology of a child molester, particularly focusing on the minutiae of how differently a child rapist behaves in public and in private. The message being sent was that the person behind such horrendous crimes could be someone you know and trust. Mohsin Abbas Haider aced the role of Dabeer, the child rapist, and made viewers literally cringe and seethe at the mere sight of him. Based on Radain Shah’s impactful script and supported by powerful performances by Sania Saeed, Sajid Hassan and Sonya Hussyn, the drama played a major role in informing people of a widespread issue in Pakistan and how we should protect our children from predators lurking around in ordinary faces, particularly after the tragedy that was the rape and murder of little Zainab. Moreover, it also focused on how necessary and important it is for the victim’s family to fight, despite the toughest hurdles thrown their way, until justice is served. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_-gNz2wOrg 3. Khaani One of the top-rated shows of the year, Anjum Shehzad’s directorial venture Khaani is a story of how an ordinary girl stands against a spoilt politician’s son who killed her twin brother over a small brawl. Both the lead actors, Sana Javed and Feroze Khan, performed exceptionally well and received immense praise from audiences. Writer Asma Nabeel penned down a very fine transition of a meek and naive young girl into a fiercely courageous woman who went against all odds to ensure justice for her brother’s murder, despite the killer coming from a family of feudal lords. As another plus, the OST crooned by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is oh-so-mesmerising! If you were living under a rock and somehow missed Khaani, you must watch it on YouTube right now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU1q3tTgagE 4. Aisi Hai Tanhai This Sonya Hussyn and Sami Khan starrer was a deeply disturbing yet incredibly moving story of cyber bullying and slut-shaming. Helmed by Badar Mehmood, this intense play realistically showed how social media can turn into a curse and ruin a woman’s entire life if not used with caution. This multidimensional and unique storyline was not just an eye-opener for the youth on their misuse of technology, but also depicted the conflict experienced by our society as it tries to follow suit with modernity while remaining encaged in conservative traditions. We really need more educational TV shows like Aisi Hai Tanhai in the future to change sexist mindsets and question the culture of judging and shaming women that still persists amongst us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77hBnp6jH7M 5. Suno Chanda  A very subtle romantic comedy, this Farhan Saeed and Iqra Aziz starrer was a Ramazan special that made waves not just in Pakistan but also abroad. Beautifully scripted by Saima Akram Chaudhry and immaculately directed by Ahson Talish, Suno Chanda proved to be a joyful turn for viewers after watching a string of plays on societal evils. The play amassed its audience through the love story between cousins Arsal and Jia, poles apart in nature and yet tied together under the bonds of a nikkah by their dying grandfather. Though Suno Chanda is not set on any particularly important issue despite its large fan following, it does stress on the importance of consent in a marriage. Overall, Suno Chanda has proven to be a breath of fresh air for makers and viewers alike, and given the overwhelming response it has received thus far, it is likely to continue airing and entertaining us for the near future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcHLpeiTfGo 6. Belapur ki Dayan Horror is a genre rarely touched in our dramas and films as it involves a great amount of risk, but ace director Saifee Hassan bravely ventured into this largely unchartered territory with Belapur Ki Dayan, raising the bar of horror shows in Pakistan a little too high. With the right mix of horror and mystery, Belapur Ki Dayan was a surprisingly believable piece of frightful transmission, at a time when our industry has seemed ill-equipped to deliver good products in the horror genre. With a very believable back-story and good performances, Belapur ki Dayan proved to be haunting and soul-stirring. Watch it now in case you haven’t, but don’t watch alone if you scare easily! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vQdajQUWQ 7. Aakhri Station  The Kashf Foundation and Sarmad Khoosat joined hands to produce the seven-part miniseries Aakhri Station, which proved to be a truly gut-wrenching ride. With a series of women-centric stories, Aakhri Station highlighted subjects relating to domestic violence, acid attacks, forced prostitution, the stigma of mental illness, HIV and AIDS. Seven women belonging to different classes and social backgrounds come together in a train compartment en route to Karachi. Despite being unrelated to each other in age and social strata, the issues they faced as women are relatable and bring them together. The cast includes Sanam Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Eman Suleman, Anam Gohar and Ammara Butt amongst others. The heart-wrenching stories depicted how these women finally awoke from their stupor and took their first step towards empowerment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-jQsKW4rx4 Many shows aired this year that kept us glued to our screens, but the aforementioned ones have the distinction of being game changers in an industry that has a tendency to remain stuck on proven formulas instead of taking risks and thinking outside the box. While bidding adieu to 2018, let’s take a moment to thank the masterminds behind these gripping shows – directors, producers, writers, artists, editors, and all other technical team members – who put in their hearts and souls to deliver such amazing stories for our entertainment. Looking at the overwhelming evolution and unstoppable growth of our local drama industry this year, we can only look forward to another year of impactful and enjoyable content to brighten our 2019 as well.