Moin Akhtar (1950-2011)
April 23rd, 2011
April 22 was the day laughter died. Moin Akhtar, one of the most beloved comics and actors ever to grace the stage and television screens of Pakistan, passed away at the age of 60. It is nearly impossible to do justice to his versatility. Be it through satire or mimicry, slapstick or song, Moin Akhtar had a comedic range that will surely never be matched in Pakistan. He was awarded both the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance by the government, but the true measure of his genius will be shown by the emptiness we all feel at the news of his passing.
Moin Akhtar made his debut at the young age of 16, wowing audiences with his stand-up comedy on a variety show on state-owned television. For the next 40 years, he never stopped making us laugh. It is impossible to list the sheer number of memorable performances he delighted us with but among the highlights were TV shows Bandar Road se Keamari, Eid Train and of course Rosie, where he did the Pakistani version of Dustin Hoffman’s Tootsie. Apart from his acting, which encompassed television, movie and theatre, Akhtar was renowned for his impersonations. From Waheed Murad to Dilip Kumar, he had a knack for mimicking the celebrities of our time, although he played it strictly for laughs with nary a hint of malice. It is a testament to his genius that no matter what character he played, whether in drag or playing off stereotypes, he remained gracious and charming, never resorting to vulgarity or cheap laughs.
Despite being the consummate showman, Moin Akhtar never hogged the limelight. In fact, one his greatest assets was that he brought out the best in those around him. Few will forget his partnership with Anwar Maqsood and Bushra Ansari on the sketch comedy show Studio 2½, and his later interview show Loose Talk with Maqsood. His work with Umer Sharif on stage shows like Buddha Ghar Pe Hai and Bakra Qiston Pay was so legendary that it has become a staple fare to watch even now.
Terrorised teachers
April 23rd, 2011
The Taliban may have been vanquished but they still lurk ominously in many areas, perhaps waiting for an opportunity to strike back. Warnings of this have come in from many places. But what is as dangerous as the militants themselves is the dark legacy they leave behind. Classrooms in many parts of the conflict zone stand vacant — teachers are no longer willing to teach because of the threats meted out in the past. A report in this publication spoke of a group of veiled teachers in Swat who were threatened with knives by militants during their reign over that region. The trauma has meant all but one of the teachers has given up the profession.
There are many others like them. Reports coming in mention continued threats, schools are still being blown up and international humanitarian agencies say the existing security situation further holds back education, especially for girls. This is nothing less than a disaster in a part of the world where barely three percent of women are literate, according to official figures for Fata. NGOs active in the area believe the actual rate could be even lower.
The Taliban have left behind deep shadows that continue to darken the lives of the people. A vigorous effort needs to be made to drive these shadows away. The fear of people that the militants will return needs to be eradicated. The best way of doing so is to work towards development and to actively promote education. Programmes of this nature have been highly successful in some regions. It is vital that they be expanded; offering literacy to women is important to the uplift of communities. This, in turn, can happen only if teachers can be persuaded to return to the classrooms and, by doing so, also help dispel the fear that exists among both female pupils and their parents, preventing many from continuing the learning that is crucial both to their own future and to their communities.
Blast at a gambling den
April 23rd, 2011
It is hard to know where to place the blame for the blast that killed 19 people at a gambling den in Lyari. Was it, as a senior officer of the Sindh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department claimed, the result of a fight among the gamblers? Or could it be merely the latest round in Lyari’s long-running gang war? At this time, it is also not possible to rule out the fact, especially given the target, that religious militants were behind the blast. If indeed the police officer is correct in his hunch, then this attack can be written off as a one-off incident. Certainly, the police can be blamed for the fact that this gambling den was still operational even though it had been raided and shut down a few months ago.
It is the other two possibilities that are far more frightening. Of the two, it is far more likely that this attack was a fight over turf between rival gangs. Just this month, the Lyari Town office of the City District Government Karachi was attacked with a hand grenade while workers of political parties have been murdered in a round of target killings. Even though the Rangers have carried out raids in Lyari, as yet there have been no significant arrests and the raids seem more like a show of force than an action meant to yield results. The Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department has been operating in Lyari for some years, but with precious little visible success beyond the arrest of a gangster from the Arshad Pappu gang, last month. Also, the massacre at a scrap market in which 13 people were killed happened not too far from this neighbourhood and its gangs were accused by some of involvement.
Lyari has never been known as a hotbed of religious fundamentalism so it is unlikely that the Taliban or its associates were behind the attack. For now, it is wiser to concentrate on the criminal gangs operating in Lyari. The problem here is that the biggest gangs have the support and protection of various political parties, all of whom are loath to give this support up. In return for their political patronage, these gangs can act as enforcers for political parties in Lyari. As long as this relationship lasts, violence in Lyari will continue unabated.