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How the Catastrophic Storms in Karachi are Making Life Unliveable?

2020 has been a tough year for Pakistan so far. The unexpected wave of Coronavirus caused numerous casualties and brought life to a complete halt. Now when people had only started to recover and return to normal life, a series of continuous rainfall befell the country – causing havoc in Sindh especially. While the rest of Pakistan enjoyed the drop in high temperatures, the past two weeks were devastating for Karachi: the city of lights had turned into an abyss of darkness and despair amid heavy downpours.

Heart-wrenching images have been circulating on the internet that provide a glimpse into life in Karachi: an old man carrying his sewing machine (the only source of his income), struggling shop owners desperately looking for intact items so they could salvage some of their life’s work, and kittens drowning in rainwater. Roads and underpasses are filled with water to the brim. The vehicles of those who saved for ages to buy a car are now submerged and forever lost, and the destruction of houses has left people without any place to seek shelter.

The residents have been deprived of electricity for days. Many civilians have not only lost their homes and livelihood but their loved ones too. The rainwater has mixed with sewage water which is a great threat to the health of many. In areas like Malir, the water is increasing to a dangerous level every day, leaving the residents in a state of helplessness and desolation. The desert areas of Tharparkar have received plenty of rainfall which has destroyed the residents’ mud-houses as well as their crops, forcing them to migrate to unknown areas with their animals and without any assistance from the government.

In these difficult times the people have come out to help one another: a few NGO’s namely Al-Khidmat foundation, Chippa Welfare Association and Edhi Foundation have been working to rescue the citizens.

While many of the residents are struggling to save the lives of their family members and desperate for a place to seek shelter, people living in the posh areas actually seem to be enjoying the multicolored hues of the skies and a change in the weather. While many have nothing to eat, the other side of Karachi has been ordering food online from eateries whose workers put their lives in danger by commuting through the rainwater to earn something for themselves in these desperate times.

This highlights the disparity between the classes and the plight of the underprivileged- a scene from the movie ‘Parasite’ come to life, a stark and sobering contrast between the haves and have nots.

The monsoon rains this time have broken an 89-year-old record with an increase of 306 MM as compared to the monthly average for August. With more rainfall expected in the coming weeks, the city is likely to be hit by more flash floods which will further disrupt the lives of the people.

The city is now in a dilapidated condition and the question which arises here is that who is to be held responsible for all this destruction – the Government which has once again failed the citizens of Karachi or the management authorities who have failed to repair Karachi’s infrastructure and unclog the city drains in preparation for the monsoon?

The truth is, no one is willing to take responsibility for Karachi’s welfare. In the face of such calamity, all anyone is able to do is watch Karachi sink deeper and deeper still.

 

 

 

 

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Is This My Pakistan?

What comes to your mind when you think of the country, Pakistan? Do you think it is a place that our founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, would be proud of? Well, I am here to give you my two cents on what I personally see, and what do I feel when I see it.

I see a place where a child’s worth and the amount of celebration that should be done is determined by your gender at birth. A place where, if it is revealed to be a girl, you will hear hushed whispers saying, “oh no… better luck next time.” Hearing this always released a bitter laugh out of me, because these same people otherwise love quoting the religion of Islam on everything, but when it comes to the blessing of a baby girl, their narrative changes.

Speaking of which, people who are religious (read: mullahs) seem to hold some sort of autonomy over others. The mullahs and Quran teachers, even the ones who are known who molest and sexually abuse kids, are still at their posts, and the Pakistani masses do not seem to protest about this as much. On the contrary, a Pakistani celebrity was facing severe backlash for shooting a twirling scene (without music) at a mosque, for which she also apologized for. Another woman was sent actual rape threats, and abusive voice messages, all over a picture in which she had tied the flag of Pakistan onto her dog’s collar because apparently dogs are shaytaan ki nasal. I am going to keep this part brief, but I see a place where women ‘crossing boundaries’ irks the common folk more than destroying and potentially permanently scarring children’s mental health.

I see a place where the white part of our beloved flag, which is a representation of religious minorities, is largely ignored. Ahamdis live in constant fear of being killed. They have been shot dead in courts, while closing their shops, at their prayer meetings and inside their mosques. It seems as if a difference in faith from the majority of this pious population is threatening. A mere accusation of blasphemy can ruin your life, whether it gets proved or not. I wonder, what gives them the right to murder innocent human beings, and ostracize them from society?

I see a place where, even during a pandemic, your religion determined whether you would survive or not. An NGO in Karachi denied ration cards to Hindus and Christians, because apparently ‘only Muslims are entitled to them’. In other places, people had to convert to Islam to receive aid, changing their faith to survive. It is alarming that creations of God are going against their own kind, in the name of God.

You might be thinking what a pessimistic approach this is to be writing about our beloved country, but I am merely stating the realities of our motherland. Of course, there are positive things as well, but in recent times where people have more access to be aware of things happening nationwide, my image of this nation has become anything but positive. It is also important to note that being critical is not the same as being ungrateful, another thing which Pakistanis need to keep in mind. I sincerely hope that one day, this country becomes a safe space for women, children, and minorities.

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Review of SHERY’S by LUMS Culinary Club

Being forced into staying at home by a global pandemic has had home cooks try to perfect their craft and try innovative recipes every day. Some have even gone as far as to step in and try to fill the void left by closed restaurants by starting delivery-based businesses. At LUMS Culinary we have always been ardent supporters of home-based food businesses as it is our belief that the most innovative food trends in Pakistan stem from that stream.

Shery’s is an Instagram-based food delivery business (username: sherys_pk) that has a small but diverse menu full of innovative offerings that we were eager to try. One of the most important aspects of ordering food in a global pandemic is hygiene and Shery’s did not disappoint as we were reassured of strict hygiene protocols being followed by the young man behind the business. After a lot of consideration that also involved Shehryar (the man behind the business), we settled on ordering the Flaming Hot Cheetos Burger, the Fried Chicken Wrap, and Flaming Hot Cheetos Mozzarella Sticks.

As we ordered this during Ramadan the food was delivered exactly 30 minutes before Iftar. The rider followed strict hygiene protocols and our hands as well as the riders were sanitized before the food was handed to us. The order was very fresh and packaged neatly, I could still feel the heat through the packaging.

The products I started off with were the mozzarella sticks and the burger. I am usually very apprehensive towards ordering Flaming Hot Cheetos products from anywhere as it is very difficult to cook them right and a lot of the times the product is only aesthetically pleasing but when you take a bite the Cheetos crust tastes burnt. However, upon taking the first bite from the burger I was pleased to have the perfect burst of flavor on my taste buds. The special in-house mayo along with the taste of Cheetos in the burger made it a very enjoyable meal. Being a huge fan of spicy food, I felt the burger could have been spicier but apart from that it was a very enjoyable and flavorful experience. The mozzarella sticks also had that perfectly crisp outside shell and were a great side with the burger. Having been obsessed since my childhood with flaming hot Cheetos, I have followed the trend of using hot Cheetos in cooking very closely and I can confidently say that this

is one of the better Cheetos-infused meals I’ve had, even compared to big name restaurants

Moving onward to the fried chicken wrap I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of flavor and the spice level of the wrap. The chicken inside was not soggy at all as is the case with most crispy chicken wraps and again the sauces used by Shery’s were unique and innovative which was a pleasant departure from the usual generic condiments used in the market.

Overall ordering from Shery’s was a very enjoyable experience. In the absence of an ambience or an overall culinary experience the pressure is high on home-based delivery services to use solely the taste of the food to create a loyal customer and give a good experience. In this regard Shery’s delivered amazingly and the food quality was more than enough to make a loyal customer out of me. Their Instagram username is ‘sherys_pk’ and I would encourage our readers to give it a try!

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Student Council takes actions amidst Pandemic

Written by Manaal Shuja.

 

While we plummeted headfirst into this global nightmare, our Student Council members were busy making sure we’d have a cushioned landing at the end of it.

 

General Secretary Abdullah Haroon describes how their prime goal was to help students feel “at home”; since students can’t go to LUMS, LUMS had to be brought to the students.

 

For many amongst us, the first couple of weeks spent in lockdown were full of anxiety-ridden thoughts of the future. These were compounded by the inescapable realization that everything would have to change.

 

Haroon says, “We had to keep people feeling like they were part of the community – and that’s where our online activities program came in. I was happy to see that many societies took up the initiative on their own.”

 

Aside from pitching activities such as Esports, Book club, and fitness classes, the Student Council also took it upon themselves to register LUMS on Coursera so students could gain access to thousands of free courses. This is not only a great way to keep busy but also an all-inclusive platform where you can pick up new skills. Needless to say, this is one venture the student body absolutely loves

.Coursera - Wikipedia

Moreover, in stabilizing the academic process, Haroon affirmed that the council remained committed to play as representative a role as possible from the get-go. “We’ve been trying to ensure this semester and the upcoming summer semesters are done in the right way – that the learning process is a productive one. To that end, we remain proactive on LDF; all concerns are communicated directly to the VC or Provost.”

 

Haroon states it has been this way from the start, what with emergency meetings with the Vice Chancellor and the faculty as well as stringent cross-questioning of proposed policies. He says, “During these meetings, we had one goal – take the students’ side.” What’s more, he was happy to note that the administration was fully receptive to the council’s suggestions.

 

When asked how the council was coping in such a high-stress environment, Haroon admitted it had not been smooth sailing all the way. “We’re worried just like everybody else but then we have this huge responsibility to fulfill. It’s been difficult adjusting and making sure everyone’s voices are heard. But a lot of our council members are doing amazing work on the field also. We tell them you focus on this work; it’s tremendously important.”

 

With a complete lockdown and global pandemonium, there’s no possible way to feel the way we did before. All that can be done is find a new ‘normal’. Haroon also ruminated on this, remembering especially how so much had been planned for the seniors’ send-off:

 

“Seniors are very sad they didn’t get the send-off they wanted. Juniors too. We had so many plans. But we’re getting along; we call each other, we have Zoom and group chats. There are always issues to be dealt with. It’s been tough adjusting to the new dynamic but we’re doing okay.”

Zoom Memes Surge During Coronavirus Quarantines - StayHipp

Everyone is doing their part – our Student Council more than most. At this point, it’s important to mute thoughts of the future and zoom (no pun intended) full speed ahead to whatever awaits.

 

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Top 5 Songs That Made it to My Summer Playlist

While my summers might not have been as productive as I initially perceived them to be, it nonetheless provided me the opportunity to diversify my taste in music. For the very first time, I introduced myself to the likes of A$AP Rocky and other notable rappers (Drake is an obvious inclusion in that list). Additionally, I also manifested a keen interest in Indie music, which I feel, among numerous other musical genres, was missing from my life.

As I sit down to list my Top 5 favorite songs from this summer, I realize that the playlist will still come across as very generic and “basic” to some people. For that matter, I welcome any other music suggestions the readers might have, and I promise to give them a listen!

5.Sundress- A$AP Rocky

The controversial arrest of the Harlem rapper perhaps saw a surge in A$AP’s following with thousands of his fans coming out in large numbers in support of his release. Sundress, will probably not be new music to most ears but it definitely has something to offer. Rocky’s collaboration with Tame Impala was long-awaited which did reasonably well in adding a psychedelic touch to the tune. With a catchy and engaging music video relating to the insecurity and trust issues that come along (most) relationships, the song substantiates its position as arguably my favorite Indie Rap!

4.Metanoia- MGMT

If Electric Feel was made to be enjoyed on a sultry afternoon at a Californian beach, then Metanoia was your come-down song to listen to. Melancholic to describe at the very best, the unexpected shifts and turns between the seven parts will possibly transcend your inner reality to a whole new level and, that is what makes Metanoia an MGMT classic.


3.Beverly Laurel- Tame Impala

Beverly Laurel by Tame Impala will always be a palpable experience for the Impala fans who at the same time nod in agreement that the song hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. In another controversy that arose after its release, the album categorization came under attack, where critics till this very day situate Beverly Laurel under Currents (as opposed to Lonerism). But all that said, the 3 minutes mostly instrumental musical-tune will encapsulate your soul in its entirety with its perfectly composed pitch. Listening to it will make you reminiscence those old summer days when there were less obvious things to worry about!

2. Forget Her- Jeff Buckley

The sad demise of the Californian star Jeff Buckley left the world in an unspeakable amount of pain but not at the expense of Jeff’s music losing any importance among his fan base. Forget Her is a nearly perfect yet a mesmerizing rendition that encompasses the themes of loneliness, rejection, and abandonment. Every word of the song hits you right at the bottom of your heart and one wonders how Jeff Buckley is able to express something in 5 minutes what you have felt your entire life!

 

Honorable Mentions:

Crimson and Clover- Tommy James & The Shondells

Porcelain- Moby

Lost on You – LP

Sweet- Cigarettes After Sex

We Turn Red- Red Hot Chili Peppers

 

1.Los Angeles- The Midnight

In a world full of Beliebers and Ed Sheeran fans, not many people are aware of The Midnight and that continues to be an unfortunate bitter-sweet reality. Originating in 2012, the synthwave music band has augmented its position within the electronic Indie circuit courtesy its single: Los Angeles. The song is nothing short of a metaphorical mastery that can be dissected in so many different ways. If you are a fan of the movie La La Land, start off by watching the music video and what you have is an epitome of a “perfect relationship” put into perspective. Or on the contrary, you can simply listen to Los Angeles as it is and let yourself embark on a sentimental journey to all the happier times that lie ahead. The song cannot be described for anything less than an unforgettable experience!

 

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Jaabirana Rajneeti

by Taha Iqbal

“We have taken this decision as a family. A new era has begun,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed in an address to the nation on August 8, 2019. It is not lost on me that families are extremely important to the vast majority of South Asians. But, maybe sometimes irrelevant family members should shut up and allow individual members to make decisions about matters that affect them the most.

On Monday, August 5, 2019, Minister of Home Affairs and President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Amit Shah informed parliament that President Ram Nath Kovind had signed a decree effectively abolishing articles 35 A and 370 of the constitution. Article 370 allowed India’s only Muslim majority state to make its own laws in all matters except for communications, defence, finance and foreign affairs. Jammu and Kashmir was legally exempt from the Indian constitution. As a result, the state was able to establish a separate constitution and flag. Crucially, it enabled the Kashmiri government to deny property rights to outsiders. Article 35 A can be understood as an extension of Article 370. It allowed the state legislature to define permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. In doing so, the local legislature was given the authority to forbid outsiders from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs or winning education scholarships in the region. Furthermore, female residents (and their future children) were barred from property rights if they married individuals from outside the state. In short, both these constitutional provisions allowed Kashmiris to decide how they wanted to govern themselves and enabled them to prevent demographic change that would compromise their ability to actualise the former. The Lok Sabha also passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019 with 370 votes in favour and 70 against it. The Jammu and Kashmir state will now be divided into two “union territories” directly ruled by New Delhi. The Jammu and Kashmir union territory will include the Hindu-majority Jammu region and will have a legislative assembly. The Buddhist-majority Ladakh region, which has a considerable population of Shia Muslims, will also be a union territory, but without the privilege of its own assembly.

Before Monday’s decision, prominent Kashmiri leaders were jailed or put under house arrest. Reuters reports have put the number of arrested at approximately 500. Internet and communication services along with cable networks were also shut down in anticipation of widespread unrest. An additional 38,000 troops were deployed in the region. Reports suggest that Indian law enforcement used tear gas and pellet guns to disperse a crowd of 10,000 protesters that had gathered in the state capital of Srinagar. One can write a book on how Kashmiris are caught up between the interests of different states that are unwilling to hear what they have to say. However, amidst the overblown ultra-nationalistic and at times jingoistic responses to the new status quo from either side of the border, there is an urgent need to examine the justifications given by the Indian government for the steps taken and the more obvious reasons for why this was done. The Bharatiya Janata Party led government coalition claims that articles 370 and 35A have resulted in Kashmir becoming a breeding ground for separatism, nepotism and corruption. All of this has led to Kashmir being left behind the nation in terms of development.

Our general assumptions about the state largely fall in line with this government argument. In the popular imagination, Kashmir largely resembles a less intense war zone with regular occurrences of spontaneous or planned violence. The only difference between the imaginaries of populations across the border seems to be about which actor is responsible for the violence: the Indian military or Pakistani supported terrorist militias. However, dear reader, you might be surprised about how developed Jammu and Kashmir actually is. According to census data, the state’s poverty rate stood at 10.35% in 2011-12 compared to the national average of 22%. Bihar, Assam, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat (where Mr. Modi hails from) all had poverty rates higher than Jammu and Kashmir’s. Per capita income in the region is also higher than that of Bihar, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. The state does even better in terms of social indicators. Life expectancy in Kashmir is 73.5 years while the national average is 68.7 years. Kashmir does better than all of the states mentioned earlier in this category. The infant mortality rate in Kashmir is also significantly lower than the national average and is lower than the states mentioned bar Maharashtra. 8.7% of women between the ages of 20 and 24 years were married before the age of 18 years, compared to the national average of 26.8%, according to data from the National Family Health Survey IV. In Bihar, this figure was 42.5%, and in Gujarat 24.9%, data shows. Mr. Amit Shah also alleged in his speech that Kashmiri children were being denied an education because of the state legislature’s decision to not accept the Right to Education Act. However, he failed to mention that children in the state are provided free and compulsory education until Class 8. The gross enrolment ratio in senior secondary schools is also higher than the national average. Jammu and Kashmir has 23 colleges per 100,000 residents which is much better than Bihar’s 7 and Assam’s 14.

Mr. Shah is correct about two things though. The state does have a high government debt burden and fares poorly in attracting private investment. However, both of these are a consequence of the security situation in the region. The state has to borrow capital from the central government because of its huge security expenditure. Private investors are also weary of entering a market that is plagued with violence-induced uncertainties. What is apparent at this point, however, is that Kashmir is not necessarily underdeveloped and even the areas in which it is lagging behind have nothing to do with Article 370 and Article 35A of the constitution. So, what about separatism then? There are many reasons for why separatist tendencies exist in the Kashmiri population. The first and most obvious one, is oppression at the hands of the Indian state. According to Mr. Modi himself, 42000 people have died in the last 3 decades due to violence alone. There are reports of illegal detention, torture and rape at the hands of security forces. I won’t explore this issue further because of precisely how well documented this is. What is relevant is that members of the population resort to violence against the state because of the actions of the state and the unwillingness of the state to change its behaviour and hold criminals operating within it accountable. Pakistani support for violent groups is also a reason for why members of the population become terrorists. Pakistani patronage gives violent dissidents access to resources that they otherwise would not have had. Notice however, that not only do both these broad reasons have nothing to do with both articles of the constitution, they will only be exacerbated further in response to the Indian government’s actions. With most of their political leaders in some form of state-mandated confinement and a crackdown on media, communication services and any form of peaceful organisation, the separatist sentiment in Kashmir will only get worse. This will also increase pressure on the Pakistani government to do something, given how important Kashmir is to Pakistani identity and therefore the Pakistani population and may lead to further support being given to these groups if the states current attempts at taking the issue up at international forums fails.

Why would the Modi government do this then? Jammu and Kashmir has been a focal point for Hindu nationalism ever since Partition. While Jinnah and the Muslim League considered that being a Muslim-majority state it should have been part of Pakistan and that Partition would remain unachieved so long as the whole of Kashmir remained under Indian rule, for the Hindu nationalists the state was inseparably a part of India. The transfer of one more state to Pakistan would make it stronger and India weaker. The Bharatiya Janata Party has a history of opposition to Article 370. In 1953, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, died in a jail in Srinagar where he was detained by the Sheikh Abdullah government for protesting against Kashmir being an autonomous republic within India. A year before his death, Mukherjee was the president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh – the predecessor of the present day Bharatiya Janata Party. He saw it as a threat to national unity and famously proclaimed, “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur Do Nishan nahi challenge.” There is a strong element of territoriality within the ideology of Hindu nationalism and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Hindutva is not only based on ethno-religious categories but also on the belief that India occupies a sacred land whose frontiers matter as much as religion and language. Hence the demand for Akhand Bharat (complete, undivided India), which emerged in the 1950s and which implied that Partition should be undone to restore the natural extension of the sacred land that is Bharat. Such measures inevitably allow the BJP to secure its more hard-line electoral base. These actions will also appease party activists and politicians who lean towards the extreme right. Splitting Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories can be viewed as a unique attempt at gerrymandering to prove electoral outcomes for the BJP. We would be remiss however to exclusively focus on the Hindu right wing as has been the case with most coverage on the issue. Commentators have pointed out that this may also be an attempt by the BJP to divert criticism from India’s lack lustre economic performance. India’s economic growth cooled sharply in the first three months of this year. Gross domestic product increased 5.8 per cent from the same quarter the previous year, down from the 6.6 per cent growth rate recorded in the last quarter of the 2018 calendar year. The Indian economy also faces three huge problems: an ever-increasing population, deteriorating infrastructure and public sector corruption. Therefore, economic growth does not necessarily translate into a better quality of life for the vast majority of Indians. Triggering controversy in Kashmir takes media and public focus away from this difficult conversation and enables the BJP to dominate positive headlines. And yes, most headlines are positive. Comparing the Indian media to the work of Pewdiepie would be a disgrace to Pewdiepie (although he too has given shout outs to fascist organisations). There is also a crackdown on dissenting voices. The founders of NDTV, a channel that has been quite critical of the Modi government were prevented from leaving the country because of a “money-laundering” case. Videos published by the BBC have been called “fake news” by elected officials. As a result, most Indians are currently accessing news that portrays this as a move that was long overdue and will be in the national interest.

We must remember that Kashmiris are the primary stakeholders in this situation. They have been historically discriminated against and oppressed. They have not consented to Article 35A and Article 370 being revoked. They have been denied access to information, which is a fundamental right in any democracy. They have been stripped off their right to protest against this decision by a government that is framing its actions as necessary for the prosperity of these people. What has happened to Kashmiris historically and what is happening to them currently is unjustifiable. No actor has cared about their dignity as human beings, has respected their autonomy or stood up for their right to self-determination. We should all be outraged by what is happening in Kashmir. But we must also remain cognisant of our own shortcomings. Because there are parts in Pakistan where citizens disappear never to be seen again. There are elected representatives of vulnerable communities who have been jailed for simply trying to make things better. There are criminals amongst those responsible for protecting all of us who have not been held responsible for their actions. We must criticise the actions of oppressors, but we must also introspect, lest we have our own version of Kashmir soon.

 

 

 

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Everyone’s a mental health advocate

By Anonymous

Everyone’s a mental health advocate

… Until it’s not an abstract concept anymore.

You vomit positivity on your Facebook page, put the Artidote’s latest post on your Instagram story.

You’re a good person.

Until you’re not. Until you see that girl you heard an unsubstantiated rumour about show up. You whisper a witty comment just within earshot, and your friends erupt in sniggers.

Just a bit of harmless fun.

Until it’s not.

And hey, I’m not blaming you. God knows that I’ve done the same thing countless times. Any distraction from our insecurities is a welcome one, and exploiting someone else’s insecurities achieves that while moving us up a rung on the social ladder.

What else can you expect from a people who are taught to look at the less fortunate, not with compassion, but with relief — at least I’m better off than that guy.

F**k your performative woke-ness. Being aware is useless if action does not follow. You have to hold yourself to higher standards. Your expensive university education means nothing if you graduate without learning to think for yourself. Use that brain that-almost-got-you-into-the-Ivy-League-leken-visa-nahi-aya and engage in some good old-fashioned critical thinking. Your definition of mental illness must extend beyond “Be nice to me when I’m sad, while I continue to be a d**k to everyone around me.”

Next time, when you hear something about someone, maybe try weighing your amusement against a person’s reputation. Next time you have a witty remark up your sleeve, ask yourself: is this truly witty, or am I just using the shock value of saying something offensive to score brownie points with the people who I call my friends?

To be brave in this life does not have to mean dying on battlefields. It can also mean holding on to warmth and compassion in spite of the horrible things that have happened to you. If being kind were easy, everyone would do it. Kindness is a virtue because of how difficult it is in practice. To exist in this world and not be jaded; that is the true challenge.

Be better.

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The friends we once had

Remember your best friend in grade 8? I remember mine. We used to talk on the phone for 8 hours straight till my mom would come out of her room at 6AM and glare at me with hints of disbelief and quite prominent traces of anger in her eyes. It would take a lot of scolding and many threats of being ‘phone-grounded’ from my mom to make me stop talking to my best friend. 7 years later, I don’t even know how she’s doing.

It’s the summer of 2019 and I’m about to enter into my junior year which quite honestly I’m still having a hard time believing. But having one of those early 20s crises most of us are pretty familiar with at this point, I’m wondering where it all went wrong. We all have had friends we used to be close to in junior school or college but are not anymore. Some have fought their way into distance and some have ‘drifted apart’ from people they could hardly imagine their lives without. But somewhere in our heads, when we see photographs of our school plays or when Facebook and Snapchat memories rub it in our noses, we stop and think about what genuinely went wrong. Like an epiphany it hits me: being in my early 20’s means I’m about to graduate and it technically also means that these friends I’ve made in my entire life, they are the ones who will know about all the phases I will never want my work friends to know about, They will know about the crazy haircuts, the emo diary entries, the dramatic junior school break ups and all the shameful playlists and posters we had. They will also be the people who have seen our families struggle and make it to where they are, who have seen us fall in love for the first time, they have encouraged us to follow our dream and apply for that English degree everyone else thinks is useless. They are a part of who we are at this point in our lives and we may find many more friends and acquaintances in life but will they will really only know one half of who we are.

I’m afraid this sounds more dramatic than I intended, but it hits me like a slap in the face and I reach out to all the old friends, afraid of not being able to connect like we did in the past yet taking the risk because if not now, then when? We come out of school, looking forward to college and leave college thrilled about going to a university; amidst all these huge changes what we fail to realize is that somewhere between the transition from uniforms to casual kurtis, we forget about the priceless feeling we got when we made that first best friend in grade 6 and promised it was forever.

PS: It’s not too late to text the friend you haven’t seen in years, the friend you terribly miss when you see a packet of cocomo or a cold drink poured in a plastic bag-‘Kal ho na ho’, my friend (shameless Bollywood reference because it can truly never be irrelevant).

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LUMS STREETSTYLE- AN INTERVIEW WITH ANQA KHAN

If you are an avid Instagram user, chances are that you might have at some point come across the page @lumsstreetstyle. With followers nearing 2000 in just a span of 5 months, the blog is a must-follow for all fashion enthusiasts out there. It doesn’t matter if you are into traditional wear or find yourself more presentable in Western clothing, LUMS Streetstyle has something for everyone!

Meet Anqa Khan, the person behind the blog! Although, she is originally an Econ-Pol major, her interests for fashion sees no boundaries at all.

PLUMS asked Anqa about her 5-month journey into fashion blogging, her inspirations/motivations and what at the end of the day keeps her going!

Tell us about LUMS streetstyle

“LUMS streetstyle is basically a fashion blog where I post anything related to “streetstyle fashion.” As the name suggests, I look for people here at LUMS and whosoever fits the requirements I have in mind gets featured on the page. Additionally, while the purpose of the blog is to highlight fashion trends, I also use it as a platform to give tips to general audience on how to dress and better etc. More importantly, I would say the page is about appreciation, validation and complementing people.”

How did you come up with this idea?

“Well to be completely honest, I never knew I would be doing all of this fashion blog thing. But a lot of people (mainly my friends) asked me start one and that’s how I got all my motivation. Also, for a very long time I had been following the hashtag #parisstreetsyle on Instagram, which I would say was an immediate reason for creating the LUMS streetstyle page.”

Have your friends been any supportive?

“A lot. I always make it a point to take advice from my friends before featuring anyone on the page. Funnily enough, there have also been times when my friend would literally force me to come downstairs from my dorm because they found someone well-dressed.”

 

Why Instagram? Why not Facebook or Snapchat? Do you plan on extending your idea further?

“Instagram is all about pictures! That is what my blog is about and that is what fashion is about. Regarding any extension plans? I don’t plan on shifting to either Facebook or Snapchat but I do want to personalize some aspects of my page.”

How do you decide what gets published on the page? In other words, is selecting a “well-dressed” individual something very spontaneous or you really have to try and look around?

“Its definitely not spontaneous, definitely not. I really have to try and look around people who would fit the requirements I have in mind. A lot of things matter, from shirts to shoes (no chappals, mind you!). But above all I also have to consider the quality of the picture.”

What are the three essential fashion elements you look for in a person?

  1. Formal dressing
  2. Contrasting colour
  3. Wearing something different but carrying it in a casual way

Speaking for the LUMS community, do you think people here do not value traditional wear as much as they do Western clothing? Are you tackling this notion somehow?

“I don’t think there is a biasness against traditional clothing. I have been giving equal importance to both the trends and on the other hand, I have seen people putting in a lot of effort in traditional clothing.   Honestly, weather has a big role to play in that regard. People prefer wearing Western because it keeps you warm in Winters while on the contrary, Shalwar Kameez are pretty comfortable to wear during summers. However, I do have one concern or rather a suggestion to make. I would advise guys to wear more Shalwar Kameez or Kurtas. It looks so good on them but more often than not you will only see them wearing on Fridays. “

Talk us through your collaboration with RGB and other clothing brands?

“I have collaborated with two clothing brands so far: RGB and Perfect Tee Company. I think that’s a big success considering it has just been one semester since I first started the blog.
So, these two brands wanted to target the LUMS community and they reached out to me for help. I have enjoyed and liked the collaboration a lot. It gave me control over my creative space where I knew my opinion was being validated and given weightage.”

Who is your fashion inspiration?

“Don’t get me started on that! It’s a long and a very exhaustive list but I will try cutting it down short. First and foremost, as I mentioned earlier, I am a lot into Paris Streetstyle and I try following different pages on social media that reflect on Parisian fashion vibes. Its very minimalistic yet sophisticated at the same time.
I religiously follow Nicole Kidman’s Instagram. Just love her fashion sense. Closer to home, Amrita Thakur is one of my favorite fashion bloggers/style curator. In Pakistan, Khadija Shah, the owner of Elan also has inspired me all along this way.”

 

What is the future outlook like for your fashion blog? Do you plan on pursuing your passion in some other ways?

“My dream job is to be a style curator following the footsteps of Amrita Thakur and start my own fashion company. I realize this plan seems quite farfetched at this point. However, I hope my Econ-Pol degree lands me a job in fashion retail business where I can be a corporate cool along with enjoying my passion.
As far as my blog is concerned, I realize the page will not be restricted to LUMS and inevitably has to spread out. However, my short-term goal at the moment is to focus more on personalizing the account.”

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Sonder and Mokita: In conversation with Haider Ilahi

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge”- Stephen Hawking

There is something to be said about a person who draws knowledge from the world, the people and the events surrounding him, the good and the bad; and turning it into a symphony of words that speaks to the soul. Like a tree with its roots firmly in the ground with the world spinning quickly by, as years turning into aeons; people into a kaleidoscope of colours whirling into a spectacular illustration; time burdening it with its age-old secret and the dawning truth ageing it further every day.

There is nothing more radical than to learn, unlearn and relearn oneself from the knowledge that one is provided with and it was by chance that I stumbled upon somebody quite similar to that. From the batch of 2019, Mr Haider Ilahi tells us about what he learnt so far from his experience as a member of the LUMS community and how it shaped him as a person.

Sleepless due to reading Songs of Blood and Sword the whole night, downing a cup of coffee and making our way towards Khoka in the chilly November morning, I and my two friends went to meet Mr.Ilahi as he greeted us with a polite smile.

We started off by asking him about his routine.

Q: How do you usually spend your day?

 A: Previously, I would sleep and wake up very late. I wanted to adjust my routine since it was messing my day up. Directing my biological clock to wake up at 6 am, I started rising to a clean, empty and quiet campus giving me a clear head to think. I have my breakfast and then do my readings outside with the music always playing in the background. Then my friends begin to wake up and I start wasting time (smiles!). By the end of the day, I go to bed early usually around 10 or 11 pm and even though it’s really hard, I still try to maintain this routine.

Q: What kind of literature do you like?

A: I used to read a lot of fiction but I am lucky in the respect that I really like the courses that I take. So, primarily, having just started my senior year, this is the first semester that I am really involved with my course packs. Usually, it would be me opening my books only during a mid or a final, but now it’s constant. So, whenever I am free and have to read something, I’ll do a reading of the course that legitimately interests me like philosophy or sociology. When I do have the time, I try to find novels and books suggested by friends. But I hardly have the time right now, so it seems to be just course packs.

Q: What about your childhood book-preferences?

A: It would be novels, crime stories, and detective stories. Even now, some of the favourite books that I go back to are fiction; which I used to read when I was really young. So, uh, it wouldn’t be surprising that I go back to those Famous Five books (we all laugh) that usually send me back to my childhood. But other than that, philosophy would be my preferred genre.

Q: What made you decide upon your current major?

A: I had an understanding that I would do Political Sciences but my father wanted me to have an open mind about choosing another major if it appealed to me. He personally wanted me to take Economics but, ultimately, he left the choice on me saying that I should analyze my penchant as well as my strengths and weaknesses. When I came as a freshman, I took a month or two to contemplate and then decided on doing Pol Sci and stuck with it. Despite that, even though I am a Pol major and its requirements aren’t very stringent, I promised myself that I’ll take up courses from other disciplines as well except for SDSB, which I had to take eventually as an out-group (the word ‘unfortunately’ was left unsaid). This really broadened my perspective as a whole.

Q: Apart from studying, what hobbies do you indulge in like sports etc?

A: I used to play a lot of football before I came to LUMS. For some personal reasons, I gave that up. It was hard because at that point football was the only thing I was really passionate about. So when I gave it up, I had to sort of find a replacement for it; something to keep me active in a way. Then by the end of my sophomore year and the beginning of my junior year, I found that spark in a specific branch of academics. Met with a couple of teachers who really inspired me to align my goals and ambitions. So if I had to choose now in retrospect, I’ll always choose this over football as it is something much more fulfilling and gratifying.

Since he mentioned music previously,

Q: What about your taste in music and did it develop over time?

A: Yeah, it did develop over time. If I had to go and pick one genre, it would be Blues. I have discovered some of the most incredible blues artists from the 60s and even early 30s. Other than that, since it’s in my blood probably, I have recently started to get really deep into Sufi qawwalis since almost all qawwalis do use spiritual and Sufi takes. As my Punjabi isn’t really good, I have sort of become a student of that. So, 50% it’s qawwali and 50% it’s blues.

Q: What are your thoughts on Iqbal since you mentioned that you respect his philosophy?

A: Well, I can’t talk about Iqbal without talking about society because even my own opinion is formed partly due to society. So when I was growing up, I understood Iqbal as how he was taught: “Qoumi Shayar hain” and “Unko Pakistan ka khwaab aya tha”; that’s all very nice and cute but in my junior year I heard about a course being offered called ‘Philosophy and Poetry of Iqbal’. This course was being taught by the only person I call my teacher, Sir Koshul. Since it required the consent of the instructor, the professor took my interview. I remember when he asked me why I wanted to take this course up, my reply was that one of the things my father used to talk about was my generation; that the most unfortunate aspect of our generation is that we haven’t studied Iqbal well and even if we have, we didn’t try to understand him. That really stuck with me. At that time I was trying to study Kant and Nietzsche on my own and, although it was fun, there was a thirst and a void inside me as if I was missing something. So, ultimately, I stumbled upon Iqbal and truth be told, that course changed my life. It was primarily the philosophy of Iqbal but the poetry of it cannot be separated as they complement each other.

Q: Why did Iqbal impact you so?

A: This course and Iqbal’s ‘Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’, it struck me really deeply and my whole life was turned upside down.  Those questions that plagued my mind, Iqbal answered them.  Culturally specific and contextual, Iqbal is not just for Muslims only. He is beyond that; he is universal. Iqbal understood the fact that the need of the current day and age, and I hate using this word since it has an extensive debate behind it, is for us to reconcile things ‘rationally’. For instance, and I speak personally, growing up in a Sunni Muslim not-so-extremist family I would have questions about my religion and somewhat related aspects.  When I would look for the answers, religion would always say this is where you take a leap of faith.  Kind of like religious schooling in subtext. Whilst from my school to my university, the exact opposite coaching’s been done: to perceive everything rationally and build reasonable, sound arguments so it could all make sense. So you can imagine the conflict inside me and I notice this about a lot of people in my generation as well. The disparity has expanded so much that both of our domains do not even see eye to eye most of the time. It has thus created a perception-gap throughout because we have failed to understand the needs of our time. And Iqbal talks about this in the preface that the need of the time requires a method that is physiologically sound and mentally adequate or something along these lines. That is why Iqbal is so exceptional and made so much sense to me. Where religion told me to take a leap of faith and I couldn’t uncover any empirical or sort of logical reason for that, Iqbal resolved my conflict through his philosophy and I started seeing patterns in things as my observational sense got acute. I feel like he is truly misunderstood whenever I have this conversation, even with my friends. I apologize if this is getting lengthy (we didn’t mind at all), but Iqbal is a teacher of mine and I think everyone could learn from Iqbal regardless of what their personal inclinations are towards everything. Religion, faith, science, whatever belief you hold; I think if you respect the text and go to it as a student, you’ll take a lot from it in the end.

Q: How did these texts change your perception?

A: For that, I’ll talk about the point where I started to understand things or rather, I thought I started to understand things and that came from the fact that if I had a text in front of me, whether it be of Allama’s or any other’s, I had to treat it with respect. More than knowledge, it is the self-discipline that is necessary to understand something. My favourite movie of all time ‘Good Will Hunting’ has this powerful scene between Will and his therapist Sean where the therapist says: “You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you?” So whatever surface idea you garner, that’s probably the worst interpretation you can attain from a text. The text Sir Koshal is teaching us, he is still working on it and even now he goes back to his very beginnings. And it’s only due to self-discipline that you start forming your own conclusions which are very sound, probably by not endorsing anyone else’s opinion. When we come to the Quran, the stipulation in which the country is right now is most likely because people have reduced the text. They have reduced God. Had they grappled with the text, had they had the self-discipline; this country wouldn’t be suffering from the current repercussions. Not saying that I have that sort of self-discipline and this is perhaps the reason I haven’t picked up Quran’s translation till now. The other end of the spectrum is that you start understanding it and you begin discovering things that are fascinatingly tangible for your inner world. Then yes, your life changes, your company changes, your friends change and your relationship with the world changes. It’s because your understanding of the world has changed and if it is worth something, you will definitely change.

Q: You talked about having some questions growing up. What were those?

A: There were a lot of questions that plagued me. I’ll talk about three of the most primary ones here. One of them was the biggest contradiction that I and most people find in religion: predestination and free will. If everything is pre-decided by God then where is this supposed free will? It bothered me a lot not being able to comprehend why I can’t understand my religious conviction. The second thing that troubled me was the nature of time. There are a lot of ways to understand time but how I perceived it was through observation. The earliest memory I have is of my mother picking me up as she prepared breakfast for me and my siblings when I was very little. Now, it’s the same mother and it’s the same Haider but when I am climbing stairs with my mum, she asks for my hand to help her ascend. This is how I understand time: seeing parents age, seeing myself grow and watching myself as I change. Thirdly, I started questioning death. I have seen death very closely and well everyone is subject to it; this developed a curiosity inside me to discern the nature of death in its truest form. So, these were the queries that I had growing up and the most intriguing thing is that many philosophers have presented these questions with answers of their own but none of them really stuck with me. That’s where Sir Basit Koshul came into the picture; he taught me about 150-200 pages of Iqbal thoroughly and that sort of lead to a mental progression for myself.

Q: The way you perceive different aspects of your life probably vary from that of your peers. Did you ever feel the need to make them understand your point of view?

A: The beauty of life is that every person lives his life in a unique way. Again Allama when he talks about human ego, call it a soul, a spirit or whatever, he says that every individual is a unique ego and everybody is looking at life with a different intellect. Doesn’t mean that somebody’s way of perceiving it is better than any other’s or only one way is the True way. These are just general rules for surviving on this Earth; a necessity if you may. It’s essential even to look at things in your own way and be respectful of how others are looking at them and then exchange ideas among yourselves. So when I am with my friends, this is the only sort of conversation that I have. Better to understand another than to gossip about someone else. Be respectful, be kind and you will start to realize that even though you might be looking at things through a different lens, you will be able to see the beauty in it. It’s really exciting if you and your friend perceive the same thing completely differently. And nothing is more beautiful than when this difference allows you to achieve the essence of that very thing.

Q: Did it change your perception of the institute that we study in?

A: I don’t want to scare you guys but I am sure that you all must have heard a lot when you first started studying here like there is freedom of inquiry, free objectivity and well the very best of education you could get in the entire country. After three and a half years, I would say it’s been probably the exact opposite. Because if LUMS is claiming this, then there sure are some conflicts within this claim. And for that, I will have to talk about rationality, something I am very cautious to talk about since we have understood it in a very restricted way. Weber gives four modes of rationality: theoretical (computative and analytical), formal (cause and benefits), practical (actions and reactions) and value (judgment mostly). What the university does and what science and each of its discipline do is endorse only formal rationality. This is the only form of rationality that they accentuate and consider to be ‘true’. According to them, the other three modes never existed. This approach is nothing but similar to a donkey whose eyes are blindfolded and is told to tread the path (this cracked me up since it was primarily apt).

“Never reduce your texts, your approach or your vision.”

And make no mistake about it; religion does the exact same thing with value rationality. So you need to reconcile the conflicts within by broadening your spectrum as these assertions make you question your courses, your chosen discipline, your degree and even the very claims that lead you to spend giant amounts of money in these four years. It is my right as well as my duty to question what this has given me in the long run. The point is that there is always more to a picture than someone would tell you. The university is, in my opinion, swindling you. That is why you need to be critical in your approach and question things. But they never address these issues because if they did, they are most likely screwed.

Q: How can we overcome such dishonest ways in your opinion?

A: Primarily by starting talking about it as it can’t go on forever. This has to change. So, talk about it and hopefully, someone with courage will stand up against it. This is all about progression. You play your part and hope that the next person plays their part for there will always be a next person. There shouldn’t be any despondency regarding this. Just keep playing your part and imparting something from it onto someone else so they can make their own choice by looking at the evidence and thus furthering the process. The change is sure to transpire. One thing I would say is that there is too much deception in this world; a lot of mirrors around creating an illusion of reality. So travel, it cleanses your mind. Take some time to yourself; take a step back to sort of escape that tornado of life. Breathe. Think. Analyze what is happening around you and to you. This is very necessary and I am kind of becoming an extremist in this (chuckles). This is how I start and end my day and I wouldn’t want it any other way since it is innately very enjoyable. If it’s chaotic inside, it will be chaotic outside and if it’s peaceful inside then it will be peaceful outside. Write if you need to. Because writing has given me a channel to express my inner-self through words and resolve the inner workings of my mind which, to be honest, has been a lot of help in bettering my life.

Quoting one of his favourite verses of Iqbal;

نوا پیرا ہو اے بُلبل کہ ہو تیرے ترنّم سے
کبوتر کے تنِ نازک میں شاہیں کا جگر پیدا