SUNDAY May 16, 2021
$17.5b
COVER STORY Page 2
My grand daughter wants to be educated but the state doesn’t allow her — Mohammad Zahid
is the trade deficit that Pakistan is running with China
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
CULTURE & SOCIETY
Page 3
Page 4
It is extremely difficult to enhance supply in short term — Adnan Shaffi
People think that as a Hindu, cleaning toilets is the only job I am eligible for — Lakhsmi Bai
STATELESS AND HELPLESS By Kifayat Ali Shah
Since the NCOC inoculation policy is completely dependent of CNICs, the significant number of marginalised Bengali, Burmese and Afghan migrants denied the right to one are especially vulnerable to the virus
T
here is a tiny slum by the name of Arakan Abad in Karachi’s Korangi district. The faint smell of rotting fish that lingers around the lowincome neighbourhood clues you in to what its denizens do for a living. Every morning, the young lot of Arakan Abad goes out far away from shore into the deep waters of the Arabian Sea. Wrestling with the tides, they catch what sustains a profitable industry for both Karachi and the rest of the country. One would think an economy they help nourish would provide them the means and the opportunity to meet their most basic needs. But their lean, sunburnt bodies and poverty-stricken lifestyle reflects the nation’s apathy towards their labour. The fishermen of Arakan Abad have no credentials to prove that they are the citizens of Pakistan. And amid the lingering threat of the novel coronavirus, that means their most vulnerable have no recourse to get vaccinated.
My wife’s ID card was blocked in 2015 and since then NADRA hasn’t issued her an ID card Shamul Alam “Yes, I want to be vaccinated but I don’t have a National Identity Card (NIC),” says 65-year-old Shona Ali. “Whenever I pay a visit to the hospital for vaccination, they refuse me. There are a large number of people [in our community] who have contracted Covid-19 but we are helpless and they cannot get vaccinated,” he lamented. Ali has been living in Pakistan since he was a young child, but in the eyes of the state, he is still Bengali. Growing up, catching fish was the only means he had to earn a living but his advanced age makes going into deep waters an option no longer.
Ali, however, is not alone in being deprived of the most basic rights. There are many others in Pakistan of Bengali, Burmese and Afghan descent who, despite being born and brought up in Pakistan, have not yet been issued CNICs by the state.
Unwarranted suspicion Under the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951, people born in Pakistan are automatically eligible for citizenship. However, prejudice against Bengalis and suspicion that they are illegal migrants means that they are often refused the identity documents. The Pakistani Government has provided Covid-19 vaccination free of cost to its citizens who have their identity cards and are aged 40 years and above. But there are estimated to be around 2.5 million people in Pakistan of Bengali, Burmese and Afghan descent and a significant number of them continue to be denied the right to register as citizens. With the pandemic in full swing, this means these marginalised communities are especially vulnerable to Covid-19 as they live without any safety net from the government. Initially these communities lived in different parts of the country but the biggest city of Pakistan Karachi is now the residence for most of them. Most Bengalis reside in Arakan Abad, Bengali Para, and Ittehad Town areas of Korangi and Machhar Colony of Kemari area. The Afghans, on the other hand, have been living in Afghan Basti near Sohrab goth. The Bengali and Burmese immigrants living in Pakistan alone number around one million, according to data. Many of them settled decades ago after either they or their parents or grandparents migrated from the region of Arakan in Myanmar via then East Pakistan. They initially settled in different parts of the city but with the passage of time they started to cluster around the Korangi area located adjacent to the area of Ibrahim Haidery. Arakan is a coastal geographic region in
While Pakistan’s government and people have vociferously raised their voice against the plight of Rohingya in Myanmar, in a tragic twist of irony, their descendents living in our own country seem to have been long forgotten by both lower Burma comprising of a long narrow strip of land along the eastern seaboard of the Bay of Bengal. For those unaware, the region is where Myanmar’s persecuted Muslim Rohingya ethnic group mostly resides. While Pakistan’s government and people have vociferously raised their voice against the plight of Rohingya in Myanmar, in a tragic twist of irony, their descendents living in our own country seem to have been long forgotten by both.
Crisis upon crisis Lack of access to vaccines is just one of contributing factor to the larger ordeal of the people of Arakan Abad. Shamul Alam, another resident of the slum, was a constable in Sindh Police until he retired from the service. But despite his years on the force, the government recently declared his family stateless. Earlier he used to live in Teen Hatti area, Lalukhait and served the country by dedicating his life to fighting crime. Since retiring from the police department, he began working as a fisherman. More recently, he has been diagnosed with diabetes and is no longer able to go into the sea and catch fish. “My daughters are unmarried, since they do not have ID cards,” he said. Alam’s wife Mumtaz Begam also faces many issues she does not have an ID card. “My wife’s ID card was blocked in 2015 and since then NADRA hasn’t issued her an ID card again. For this reason, our sons and daughters are facing the same issue, and neither me nor my wife Mumtaz Begum can get vaccinated for Co-
vid-19,” Alam shared. Mumtaz is above the age of 60 years and would have been vaccinated months ago had it not been for the lack of an ID card. According to Alam, NADRA officials want to be bribed in exchange for the documents. Three of Alam and Mumtaz’s children were issued CNIC cards before she was denied hers. The rest of their children have been denied a card since 2015 as well. Alam complained that the area where he lives in lacks the basic necessities of life including water and electricity. “Even Karachi electricity calls us criminals, as the whole area is provided electricity through the Kunda system (illegal connections),” he says, adding, “Lack of identity makes the lives of the people of our community even worse.” Alam pointed out the broken, inundated streets of Arakan Abad. “The area is broken like our heart,” he said. “Everybody wants an ID card, even for instalment of utilities.” Before the partition, his family migrated from India as they wanted to be a part of Pakistan. Alam’s parents spoke Burmese but with
Overlooked
2.5 million people approximately of Bengali, Burmese and Afghan descent live in Pakistan
the passage of time, Alam forgot the language and now is Bengali speaking. Since members of both communities have melded together in these southern parts of the country, most Burmese people speak Bengali.
Marriage struggles While dowry, is considered one of the main elements in planning of a girl’s marriage, as far as Burmese young girls are concerned, an CNIC is one of the main reasons causing a delay in their marriages. Many girls belonging to the Burmese or Bengali communities, who do not have CNIC cards, face issues with their marriage proposal. For prospective husbands and their families, an CNIC is on the top of the list of demands within the community. Since four of Alam’s daughters do not have CNIC cards, they are still unmarried.
‘Alien’ fishermen Alam’s daughters among his family are not the only one who are facing problems in lieu of ID cards. His sons in fact, are also facing income issues. Most of the citizens of Arakan Abad have been adopting the profession of fishery. However, the lack of ID cards has added a new dimension to their struggles and problems. CNICs have now been made compulsory for going to fish in the sea. Due to this restriction many of the residents are unemployed now. Alam’s eldest son Mohammad Zahid, who is 26 years old, is a fisherman but cannot go fishing in the sea. “The coast guard has sent me back for attempting to fish. How can we go fishing after the ban for those who do not have CNIC cards,” says Zahid. He is now running rickshaw to make ends meet.
Illiteracy and extremism Mohammad Zahid’s son has three kids: Zulekha, aged 5, Ehtasham aged 3 and Fareeha, aged one. Admission in schools should be the right of every child. But unfortunately stateless children are not allowed to get admission in schools because their parents are not registered citizens in Pakistan. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
COVER STORY
health department wants to vaccinate every single person within the province,” he adds. This statement is a curious one as it has been well-documented that the Sindh government hasn’t always strictly followed NCOC guidelines for inoculation within the province.
Pakistani immigrants Pakistan is the country, whose economy is significantly dependent on its overseas citizens, in the form of remittance. However, they cannot handle the issue of stateless citizens in its own soil. Recent data collected from the State Bank of Pakistan shows that the Pakistanis living outside the country have sent home over $ 2 billion for the tenth consecutive month in March. Bringing this largely ignored segment of the population of Pakistan could only benefit the country as they could be added to the tax bracket and only significantly improve awareness, education and health related crisis for generations to come. The pandemic, which has highlighted a long-ignored issue, has also created an urgency that can be looked at as opportunity for the government to right this wrong. Creating and implementing a policy for issuance of ID cards of these stateless citizens will not only mean the difference between life and death for these people but also permanently change their lives and their off springs lives.
Unregistered and unheard
1.4m
is the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, according to UNHCR
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MAY 16, 2021
One thing is sure that without education youth can be led astray and more prone towards criminal activities. The religious seminaries established in the areas have been raking benefits from the failure of the state. “Education is the right of every child but unfortunately my communities have been deprived of these basic rights of getting education,” he said, adding that “Now we have only the option to send my children to the seminary.” Young Zulekha, with her head covered with a scarf, returned from the seminary and hugged her father. Zulekha can only learn recitation of the Quran at the seminary. “Look at her!” he lamented, adding, “She wanted to be educated but the state does not allow her.” Zahid wanted his kids to get admission in schools, he adds that but without birth records and without his possessing an ID and my c card himself, his children continue to suffer.
The Afghans of Sohrab Goth A large number of Afghan refugees live in Afghan basti near Sohrab goth area of Karachi. According to UNHCR official for Pakistan Qaiser Khan, there are 1.4 million of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan and most of them are not registered. Khan further added that the total population of Afghan
There are a large number of people [in our community] who have contracted Covid-19 but they are helpless as they cannot get vaccinated Shona Ali refugees in Pakistan is 1.4 million and most of them have registration cards however, there are many Afghan community members who are deprived of identity cards. Due to lack of ID cards, these Afghan people are forced to do small menial tasks to earn money such as scavenging and running carts and are thus, deprived the opportunity to do better for themselves and their families.
Government response Director General of Sindh Health Department Dr Irshad Memon when contacted accepted that the government does now allow to vaccinate those who have no credentials. While talking to The Express Tribune, DG Health Sindh said that the Sindh government wants to vaccinate the entire population but we have to follow the federal government policy in this regard. Memon further said that they will wait till the announcement of National Command Operation Center (NCOC) policy regarding stateless immigrants. “However, the Sindh
Photos: Contributor
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Wireless Ntwork
Artificial Intelligence
The tech sector appears on track to be the latest casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic as a worldwide microchip shortage begins to take shape A OMAR QURESHI KARACHI
The novel coronavirus has had a calamitous impact on almost every facet of life and business. But back in March last year, few would have imagined the pandemic would thrust the technology sector into jeopardy as well. By December 2020, German auto supplier Volkswagen began issuing warnings of a projected shortage of semiconductors. The carmaker blamed pandemic uncertainties as the prime reason behind the looming chip shortage and forecasted a drop in automobile production in 2021. Shortly afterward, computer producing industry, smartphone segment, TV makers and producers of almost all electronic items flagged a warning of an oncoming chip shortage which could disrupt whole tech industry and people’s lives at large in 2021. Fast-forward to today, the chip shortage seems inevitable and leading global companies that specialise in electronic products have begun taking steps to sustain their businesses amid the shortage of semiconductors. Ford Motor Company has announced that it would be able to achieve only half of its 2021 production target due to global chip shortage. In a recent statement, Apple warned that semiconductor crisis could dent sales of its production by several billion dollars.
The shortage reflects strong underlying demand for consumer electronics, which we expect to be sustained through 2021 Fitch Ratings
in its shifts. Many industries also halved the number of shifts hence production fell to 0-25% compared to what was being produced before the pandemic. Last year, electronic and car manufacturers utilised stockpiles of chips however given the trade restrictions due to the pandemic, the inventory has ended now and many industries are struggling to gather chips for production for next few months. In addition, supply disruptions due to lockdowns and closure of borders added to the scarcity. Majority of chips are produced in Asia however transportation to factories of electronic products all across the globe posed additional problems. A large amount of chips is exported from Asia to North America and European factories to be installed in the finished goods. The prolonged stalling of trade during mid-2020 led to inequitable distribution of chips with major firms reporting massive shortages. On March 19, factory of Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics caught fire due to a power surge in one of the machines, and it placed further pressure on the broader chip industry amid a global shortage of semiconductors. Renesas, which commands nearly a third of the global market share for microcontroller chips used in cars, said 23 machines were damaged in the fire. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Hidetoshi Shibata told a news conference that recovery to pre-fire levels was expected to take around 100 to 120 days from the incident. Carmakers including Toyota, Hyundai, GM and Ford were hit due to the fire because two-thirds of output at the affected plant consisted of automotive chips used by these companies for production. Chip supplies to carmakers would stop around the end of April and Renesas expects these companies to feel the impact for a month-and-a-half to two months. Renesas accounts for 30% of the global market for microcontroller units used in cars.
Booming demand
While some companies are dealing with the projected crisis by slashing productions, others have resorted to increase prices to balance demand and supply factors on one hand and to meet the soaring cost of production on the other. “The shortage reflects strong underlying demand for consumer electronics, which we expect to be sustained through 2021,” said Fitch Ratings in a recent statement. “This has been partly driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.” Qualcomm, which makes chips for Samsung phones, is struggling to meet the ballooning demand. Apple’s major supplier Foxconn has also warned of the chip shortage affecting supply chains to clients.
Supply side disasters The major cause behind the shortage was global lockdowns in March 2020 because of which factories had to either cease production altogether or cut the amount of people
Right after the pandemic gripped the world, a tech boom followed as companies and educational institutions went to work from home and online education models respectively. As a result, retail buying of laptop, smartphones and tablet PCs soared past expectations and their production rose faster than forecasts of the respective companies, which eroded the leftover inventory. Substantial buying of laptops and other electronic products by the consumers during the pandemic tightened their supplies in the market and producers were forced to enhance output in order to bridge the demand supply gap hence they exhausted their stocks, which they had procured for production during later months. Globally, car sales inched up after the lockdown as automobile companies moved to clear order backlog while new orders poured which eroded input material including chips faster than expected. With every
Robotics Internet of Things
VR/AR
Personal Computer
Medical Devices Power Equipment
company that uses chips in production panic buying to shore up stocks, the shortage has squeezed capacity and driven up costs of even the cheapest components of nearly all microchips, increasing prices of final products. Sanctions against Chinese tech companies have further exacerbated the crisis. Moreover, recovery came back much faster than expected for firms specialising in hardware. The pandemic gave significant push to demand of desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, televisions and other gadgets hence factories had to ramp up production while working below capacity.
Compared to last year
10 per cent was the increase in prices of phones launched in budget phone category Cryptocurrencies also gained traction over the past one and half year and demand for graphic cards needed to mine cryptocurrencies surged to a point that many companies sold out their entire inventories. These graphic cards also utilise semiconductors hence crytocurrency mining also played a vital role in chip shortage. Besides, the videogaming segment grew by a manifold with Sony and Microsoft releasing next generation consoles in 2020 hence a modest proportion of global chips were utilised by the two companies.
No short term fix Speaking to The Express Tribune, Priceoye.pk founder and CEO Adnan Shaffi detailed that cars, laptops and other electronic instruments are increasingly dependent on chips now that everything is computerised. He added that chips are made out of silicon and its supply is limited right now. But more important thing is that a semiconductor fabrication plant, commonly known as fab, costs billions of dollars to be constructed hence a unit cannot be created in a week or a month’s time. “It takes years to set up a fab unit because process is quite slow,” he said. Shaffi pointed out that demand for semiconductors rose since Covid struck the world and lockdowns were imposed however supply remains largely the same until now. It is extremely difficult to enhance supply in short term, he said. The sale of electronic device sales soared all across the globe when businesses implemented work from home models and demand for laptops and mobile phones skyrocketed. Even more important than this is the fact that a 5G device uses a lot more silicon or higher amount of chips compared to its predecessors therefore a rise in production of 5G
Surging demand for EVs, 5G smartphones and PCs is driving chip demand Annual shipment of devices, including growth rates
Electric vehicles
Quantum Computing
5G smartphones
Personal computers
Autonomous Driving
phones and tablets enhanced chip utilisation by a manifold. “Atleast 25% of all smartphones sold in the world in 2020 were 5G ready,” he said. “Although world is yet to adopt 5G technology on a wider scale but still companies are making 5G ready devices so that consumers do not feel left out once 5G is introduced all over the world.” Rise in demand and production of 5G devices is lifting the demand of chips upward.
Winners and losers Fitch Ratings expects chip foundries, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to be key beneficiaries of the robust demand and chip shortage. The ratings agency expects semiconductor foundries to enjoy strong pricing power in the near term. “We further expect recent market trends to spur revenue growth at Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) companies, as higher chip demand will boost the need for assembly and testing services,” it said, adding that the chip shortage could lead to a cyclical upturn for larger fabless and Integrated device manufacturer (IDM) companies, resulting in higher revenue growth and operating margins in 2021. The chip shortage could dissipate gradually over second half of year 2021 as foundries ramp up capacity at existing plants. They are also likely to invest in new semiconductor fabrication plants (fab), which take two to three years to become fully operational, to cope with higher demand over the medium term. According to it, additional risks to chip supplies include US-China tensions which may spur China to develop more autonomous supply chains. “The established trend among IDMs to outsource chipmaking, assembly and testing is unlikely to be affected by the increased use of in-house production by some IDMs amid the chip shortage,” it said. It forecasted that massive investments in new plant capacity at this point in time can drastically reduce prices of chips in future when demand will fall and supply remains on higher side. “Nevertheless, we view this risk as low,” it said. “The pandemic’s effects in popularising more flexible working-from-home arrangements, increasing demand for cloud services and accelerating the deployment and adoption of 5G technologies are likely to have an enduring impact on consumer electronics demand.” The robust growth in demand for chips from the automobile sector, associated with the increasing market share of electronic vehicles and spread of more advanced vehicle technologies, also appears to be a structural rather than cyclical phenomenon.
Local impact Shaffi said that even in Pakistan, phones, TVs and laptops are available in limited quantity and one of the prime reasons behind lower volume is the scarcity of semi conductors. Just like other countries, companies are sending lower amount of units to Pakistan as well, which is consistent with a decline in production and supply, he said. “Recently, Samsung launched mid range phones in Pakistani market but it is already sold out and local consumers are having a hard time finding those variants in the markets because global supply of these models is low,” he said. He added that at present, prices of smartphones are largely stable hence chip short-
Smart Phones
age has not yet impacted Pakistan’s mobile phone segment. However, price of newer models, which are being launched in the budget phone category, have increased compared to last year by approximately 10%. Shaffi was of the view that this was not the result of semiconductor scarcity rather it was due to local market conditions. Karachi Electronics Dealers Association Techno City Chapter Chairman Malik Muhammad Yasin said that revised prices of laptops were notified to dealers and importers of Pakistan May 1. “The prices have been revised upward and this is primarily due to the global chip shortage,” he said. “The chip that powers wi-fi in devices is immensely short and since it is a necessity to have that particular chip during the assembly process, companies are having hard time producing electronic merchandise.” At the same time, companies are taking the opportunity to expand revenues hence they have resorted to hike prices stating the reason to be shortage of finished products, he said. “HP, Dell, Lenovo and other prominent laptop makers have elevated prices by 15% which came into effect on May 1, 2020.” According to reports, he said that chip shortage is expected to ease by January-February 2022 and prices will remain on the higher side until then.
Supply of AMD declined the past few months but it has stabilised lately. I predict an electronic crash in two months Thrift.pk owner Rahim Amir Rahim Amir, owner of Thrift.pk, which sells technology related merchandise online and in retail, said that the shortage would persist for atleast two quarters. “Graphic cards and PC processors are mainly impacted bby the shortage,” he said. “At times, the prices of graphic cards rise by 100-250%.” He added that demand for graphic cards and processors is soaring amid Covid-19 pandemic and supply is limited. Retail customers are offended due to exorbitant price difference, he detailed. Amir expects the market prices of the two commodities to remain on a higher side for a few more months. “During this time, customers will prefer buying low end products,” he said. Amir highlighted that Intel’s supply was not affected because it makes its own chips. “Supply of AMD declined during the past few months but it has stabilised lately,” he said. “I predict an electronic crash in two months.” A source in the TV retail segment of Pakistan, on the condition of anonymity, said that chip shortage is a serious issue for TV makers and the scarcity has forced TV makers to hike prices. He said that imports are still disrupted due to which the availability of TVs in Pakistani market was suffering. Due to chip shortage, a lot of companies have halted launch of new TVs and customers have lower choice due to this and they are forced buy model that were released in 2020.
Biggest semiconductor companies by revenue 50%
468%
6%
Growth 2019-2020
Growth 2019-2020
Intel Corp: $75.7 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing: $37.9 billion
Growth 2019-2020
Qualcomm Inc: $24.7 billion
350
5
500
300
Micron Technology: $19.6 billion
4
400
250
Texas Instruments: $14.1 billion
200
ASE Technology Holding: $13.7 billion
3 2 1
Units (mil)
600
Units (mil)
Units (mil)
Broadcom Inc: $22.9 billion 6
300 200 100
0
2020
2021f*
NVIDIA Corp: $11.8 billion
100
STMicroelectronics: $9.7 billion
50
0
2019
150
NXP Semiconductors: $8.8 billion
0
2019
2020
2021f*
2019
2020
2021f* SOURCE: INVESTOPEDIA
MAY 16, 2021
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CULTURE & SOCIETY
By Ali Ousat | Design by: Umar Waqas
In India and in Pakistan, being a minority often comes with guaranteed marginalisation in terms of both economic opportunity and social attitudes
On the busiest street of old Karachi, between small houses and littered garbage, there rests a large and imposing black iron gate. The gate, not only solely exists for the protection of the hundreds of residents dwelling inside, but it also symbolises a great big divide between the minority and majority of this city. It represents the fears and anxieties of the Hindus, Sikhs and Christians of the city who know that they are not completely safe here. The Narain Pura minority compound commonly known as ‘Bhangi Para’ - where the majority is always reluctant to enter - in reality is the worst expression of ordeal faced by the minority living in this country. The area that predates partition, is located next to Civil Hospital Karachi. Alongside the Hindu temple inside the Bhangi Para, there is a tiny one-room house. Inside the dark and dismal room hangs a smell that can only be described as despondency. Inside the 10 feet room, deep in the corner of the room, Lakshmi bai and Kishore Mohan are sitting idle by themselves. There are some broken pieces of a computer littered around, the dust settled on them. The shattered pieces of metal tell the story Kishore’s fragmented dream of training as a computer operator in an effort to secure respectable job however, his ordeal has resulted in him employed as a sanitary worker in the education sector. Lakhsmi Bai, who is a 68-year-old, retired sweeper of the health department, is the owner of the room and shares it with 27-yearold Kishore, who she considers a son.
According to studies minorities are more prone to develop negative emotions like isolation, repression, fear, guilt, pity and low self-esteem
In fact, Muslims in India and Hindus in Pakistan, share the same fear and sense vulnerability; a knowledge passed down by generations of marginalised communities that teaches their off spring to hide in the shadows from fear of attracting hate and revenge should their success and prominence bring them from their majority-ruling oppressors. Their opportunities are limited and but their problems infinite. In the Bhangi Para, the most interesting sign, which is hidden from common sight, is the sign of Shia Muslim Alam (religious flag) which is placed atop the roof of the house of a Hindu community member. On the night of Aashura Muharam, the Hindu community take out processions and mourn the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain. According to a resident, Mola Ali (Hazart Ali) also a otar (Bhagwan) that is why Hindu commemorate the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of Hazrat Ali (a.s).
What does the constitution say? The Constitution of Pakistan, in article 25 (1), guarantees that “all citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.” Article 5 provides that “adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures. However, the reality reads a bit different. Peter James is the resident of Phar-Gunj Christian colony which is considered city’s most remote residence, where hundreds of minorities people says as our Muslim brother live in constant fear in India, so do were here. According to him, the religious fundamentalism on both sides of the sub content has ruined the lives of innocent people. “This not the dream what Quaid-e-Azam had dreamed of, I don’t know why people hate us,” he laments, adding, “The Pakistani constitution however, has given us full rights to live but religious extremism constantly threatens us.”
All changes begin with the mind “We as minorities, suffer a lot,” comments Lakshmi. Lakshmi, whose studied till 8th grade, is considered an educated woman in the community. According to her, no one thought about going to school at that time. “My father enrolled me in the school so I would get a respectable job,” she says, adding that “As an educated woman, I was considered to be a confident and bold girl in the community.” “I tried my best to find a respectable job but social anxiety and prejudices barred me from freely being able to get a respectable job,” Lakshmi said. “People think that as a Hindu, the only job I am eligible for is to clean the toilets,” she says. As you go deeper into Bhangi Para, some happy moments can also be witnessed. Loud and boisterous celebrating can be witnessed in the crown. People seem to celebrating a religious holiday; some were taking out a religious procession. Sound systems were buzzing with famous Indian Bollywood songs. The doors of houses wide open – an invitation to all - and pets could be witnessed roaming the neighbourhood freely. But if you look closely, there is a deep pain, lurking right beneath the surface. The compound itself is not a usual sight for the majority population of this country as most of them avoid mingling with other faiths - the sweepers and sewage workers that they consider beneath them. However, the colours of Bhangi Para are a beautiful reflection of interfaith harmony. In the other parts of the sub continent, it would be hard to imagine that Hindus, Sikhs and Christians would share the same meals and residential places. However, in Pakistan they are all considered a minority. They face the same difficulties and prejudices; their oppression binding them together to face a common threat to their safety. Bhangi Para is also expression of the most neglected part of the society. There are some 90 apartments that are in dilapidated condition and can fall down and collapse at anytime. Many of the flats are abandoned but few families do still reside there. The residents say their fate hangs in a limbo and they have nowhere else to go. Like in India, many Muslims and other minorities such as low caste Hindus share the same fate and live peacefully. Across the border, there are also some compounds where minorities share the same meals together and bond together in their times of suffering and joy alike.
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MAY 16, 2021
Rafiq Sharif, who was union leader of Karachi Water and Sentry Board (KWSB), fought to have the name of his workers from ‘bhangi’ or ‘kundi’ men to ‘health workers’ – in order to earn respect for the minorities performing these jobs. “I had to fight really hard to change these prejudices however, it didn’t achieve much. We can only abolish this mindset through education,” he said. “People still believe that Christians and Hindus are untouchable. Whatever they call them, we are still Bhangi or Chora.” According to Rafiq, the workers contract several diseases including Hepatitis C. “We have to go deep in the gutter, where the water comes into our ears and mouth, and some times we end up gulping the gutter water,” he laments. “Believe me this is the actual lifestyle of minorities in the country.”
Our people are professors and doctors, but people still consider us ‘choras’ Rafiq Sharif “We have no health benefits and resources to educate our children,” he says “That is why our children, even if we save everything we have just to educate them, the only jobs they are offered afterwards, is of a sweeper.” “Our people are professors, doctors, and engineers, and prove themselves in every part of the society but people still consider us ‘choras’ or ‘bhangis,’” he adds.
Brewing crises Head of Psychotry department Sindh Government Hospital Dr Beenish Shoro, the, says, “Social anxiety is most common among minorities, as they believe that people observe us and are judgmental toward us.” She adds that Psychiatric illnesses in Pakistan are widespread but consequences are often worse and more severe and longer in minority groups. “The stigma associated with seeking help is also higher among them,” she further adds.
Photos: Athar Khan
CULTURE & SOCIETY
According to studies minorities are more prone to develop negative emotions like isolation, repression, fear, guilt, pity, low self-esteem, sense of uncertainty and therefore they are more likely to suffer from severe depression and anxiety disorders than their majority counterparts. There is also scarcity of mental health services in rural areas where majority of the minorities live. This discrimination and deprivation of basic rights makes them more vulnerable to psychological problems.
Many of them pay a price for carrying the religion which has, of late, gathered much hatred due to political polarisation Indian journalist B Vijay Murty “People usually abuse them and make fun of them that is why their personalities become distorted,” says Shoroo. “They have a lot of negative emotion and anger against the majority that make them more vulnerable.”
Successful story Senator Anwar Laal Din also belongs to Christian community and became a senator three years ago with the help of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He says actually God has chosen us to serve humanity. “As a minority we have all resources and equal right to live what the constitution of Pakistan has given us,” he says. “I was born and brought up in the slum area of Karachi, called Natha Khan Goth, which is considered a highly deprived area of the city. Now God has chosen me to serve my people, I am a senator now which proves that minorities in Pakistan do have equal rights to live. “I have a message for my community: Get education and prove yourself as fortune is waiting for you. Struggle, work hard, and prove yourself, and success will find you.”
Situation in India B Vijay Murty, senior journalist from India while talking to The Express Tribune said the minorities in India are in larger numbers and hence their presence is not restricted to any specific province, state or localities. They are scattered all over the country and live at their will. “Their rights and duties are equal and each community has the freedom to practice their religion without any fear or apprehension like Pakistan,” he says. “However, there are incidences of discrimination and clashes between the communities but those stray incidences cannot be completely attributed to bias or prejudice against the community by any majority group.” He adds that by and large Muslims, the largest of all religious minorities in India, face the stigma of indulging in anti-national activities because of the handiwork of few miscreants, who can be just termed as criminals without any religious bias. “Many of them pay a price for carrying the religion which has, of late, gathered much hatred due to politi-
cal polarisation,” he said. “A few years back, Zomato, a multinational food delivery company, exposed the subtle discrimination against the community by refusing to offer job to a Muslim man. The issue later picked up a storm forcing the company to apologise,” he said. “Indian constitution gives liberty for inter-religion marriages but the pro Hindu BJP government in some states consider this as an offence. In an order to check inter-religious marriages, the government in India’s largest state Uttar Pradesh enacted an anti-inter faith marriage law, popularly known as ‘Love Jihad.’ The law is primarily aimed at preventing forcible religious conversions of Hindu girls by professing love.” He says once highly protected and patronised by the state, Urdu and Persian has very few takers in other communities today. In fact, Urdu and Persian is now confined to religious books among Muslims only. He points out that attacks on Christians, who constitute 2.3 per cent of India’s population, and churches have reached a low in the recent past. However, the community leaders often face the allegations of indulging in religious conversions of the poor and gullible masses, especially in tribal hinterlands. He further adds that though they constitute barely 1.9 per cent of the total population, Sikhs in India considered a ‘martial race,’ and remain the most preferred minority community for selection in defence forcesdue to a long enduring history of Sikh bravery and heroism in wars both during pre and post-independence, which has earned them respect in society. Though majority Sikhs live in Punjab and Delhi, their miniscule population is scattered all over the country and they live in utter peace and harmony. Reports of attacks or racial discrimination against them has been negligible post the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The Pakistani constitution has given us full rights but religious extremism constantly threatens us Peter James Of late, post the farmers protest against the Indian government’s Farm Laws that originated from Punjab and spread to different states leading to violent protests in Delhi’s Lal Qila (Red Fort), Sikhs in some places were called traitors and anti-nationals but the fiasco soon fizzled out. Thus,despite the bloodiest division of the two states that were created with the sole intention of proving its inhabitants religious freedone, prejudices on both sides leave the minorities feeling vulnerable and unsafe. As the famous subcontinent writer Saadat Hasan Manto once wrote, “Hindustan had become free. Pakistan had become independent soon after its inception but man was still a slave in both these countries - slave of prejudice, slave of religious fanaticism, slave of barbarity and inhumanity.”
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CULTURE & SOCIETY
The transgender community struggles to earn a dignified living however, societal prejudices and harassment along with the Covid-19, stands in the way of their betterment A YUSRA SALIM KARACHI
Deep in the middle of the third wave of coronavirus, as people all across the country are suffer financial losses due to lockdowns and curfews, a marginalised community whose struggles are only deepened by the pandemic. Advocate Nisha Rao began a tailoring shop for transgenders in Saddar area in March however, her shop has temporarily shut down due to an adverse response from the market and customers. The shop has been rented out by Jinnah Complex apartments to Rao’s group named Trans Pride Society but the markets and unions have not been very receptive to the initiative. “At first, soon as they found out we were transgender, they refused to rent out a shop to us,” Rao shared. “We struggled quite a bit as many people were not open to the idea of transgenders running a tailoring shop however, when everything was finalised, we finally opened our shop but now lockdown and the overall Covid-19 situation has made it difficult for us to operate.”
any customers, which was very disappointment for them as they had all left begging and dancing behind them to come and earn money from stitching but when they realised there isn’t any work in the shop, they started leaving one by one,” Rao explained. After almost all the transgenders began leaving the shop and started begging again, Rimmel who was heading the shop, which involved taking orders and managing the shop, was left alone to run the entire shop by herself and thus it fell on Rao, to close the shop temporarily till Eid.
own to support themselves in the future so that they can earn with respect and dignity. Sharing about the issues they face, she said that whenever any transgender is hired the news reached the media and after few months either they are asked to leave or the circumstances become so hostile and they feel compelled to leave the job. “All they have to do is earn enough to feed themselves as most of them don’t have families supports or help. They just need enough money to make ends meet, which is even difficult for a common man so then how do you expect it to be easy for us,” she said. To build a better structure and system for transgenders, they need training and help which can only be possible with the help of provincial and federal government along with the civil society. “Just a few days ago, I read in the news that transgenders will be taught marketing skills however, the opportunity is only available to those who are educated. This is not practical as from thousands of us, hardly 100 are educated so these trainings can hardly make a real impact. What about others who really want to learn and live a better life?” she said.
Soon as the shop opened, market timings changed and we were barely able to get any orders Activist Nisha Rao
Rao who by profession is an advocate and works for trans rights came to Karachi 12 years ago from Lahore in search of her identity but since she didn’t know anyone in the city, just like most other transgenders in the city, she ended up begging on the roads. However, her passion and determination to change and better her life led her to completing her Masters in International Relations and then her LLB from Sindh Muslim Government Law college. “I saved money from begging and completed my education so that I wouldn’t have to earn from dancing and begging like most of the people from my community do,” she said. Rao completed her law degree in 2018 and since then she has been working to help better the lives of other struggling members of the transgender community too.
Transgenders have to fight an extra mile for them to be recognised Founder GIA Bindiya Rana
Since the opening of her shop at the end of March 2021, coincided with a rise in Covid-19 cases in the region, it once again led to her facing more challenges for her shop, especially as it was a new business and had yet to make an impact. “As soon as the workers started working in the shop the timing and days of markets were changed and we were barely able to get
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“Mostly people from our friend’s circle used to give us orders for stitching whereas we hardly received two to three orders from other customers,” said Rimmel, sharing how people were reluctant in coming to their shop and taking their services. “The shop was not exclusively run by transgenders. We also gave space to a woman and her husband work her as well so that if anyone was not comfortable with transgenders taking their orders or measurements, those customers could be tackled by the other two tailors but even that didn’t help much.” The other main issue behind the closure is that Rimmel and the rest of the transgender were continously facing harassment from young men over the phone as well as in person. “Our number which was available on our page for online orders was constantly being used by young boys who would call us and say uncomfortable things and harass us,” said Rao. At the shop, every now and then spectators would stop outside and just stare at them. Another issue that has prevented the flow of customers to their shop is that due to Covid-19, the main gate allowing entry to the building in which their shop is located, is usually closed. This usually causes the customers to assume the area is sealed off and their shop naturally ends up losing customers.
What does the future hold? The tailoring shop has been closed temporarily but Rao plans to give the shop another chance once the lockdown has eased. “After Eid we will either re-open the shop at the same place and shop or else, we will shift the machines
and workers to our community centre so that the problem of catcalling and harassing can be controlled,” she said. “Working in the market would’ve given them exposure and they would have learned more but the safety of my employees is important so we may shift to the community centre. However, we are also considering another location that may be better in terms of location and attracting customers, so that may be an option too” The shop is funded and supported by independent resources and despite the shop rent, machine expenses and utility bills and even the salaries of the workers, money was not a problem. “We are supported by an independent donor who showed interest in our idea and initiative, and has agreed to support the business for a year until it its stable and the shop can start earning profit and can manage its own expenses,” said Rao. She also that the charges for simple stitching were minimal with Rs 800 for a simple shalwar kameez and some additional charges if further detail and design.
The problem lies within Between all the issues such as harassment, shortened work hours and lack of acceptance from people, what remains constant is the lack of will of transgenders themselves to work and earn a dignified living. “Most of them went back to begging and dancing because that’s easy money and they don’t have to work hard for it or struggle to earn in a respectable manner,” said Rimmel. “Begging and dancing doesn’t bind them anywhere and it allows them to enjoy while sitting at a shop and working there means they have to endure harassment and staring just to prove themselves.” The two shops of well-equipped machines, storage racks, and a small seating place with 10 tailors is now was left with just her. “In the beginning the media highlighted our effort however all that did was stir curiosity in people to come and see what we were doing but that didn’t lead to us getting any work,” she said.
Between all issues such as harassment and lack of acceptance, what remains constant is the lack of will of transgenders themselves to earn a dignified living Suggesting and sharing what she and her community centre has planned, Rana said that the government should initiate a training programme to teach stitching, make up, driving and any such skills which do not require degrees so that they can contribute to the economy and not squander their potential. “We will be starting a training process for 40 transgenders on our own after Eid for which we have already registered 22 people for make-up, driving and tailoring courses,” she said adding that after the six months training, they will be providing them with sewing machine equipment’s worth Rs 35,000 and another Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 to start their small set up. Other than stitching the ones who will learn to drive can buy a bike or become a driver and even use it in any ride hailing service. For the transgenders who are older and do not have anyone to earn for them, Rana plans to help them acquire road side stalls with the permission of the Commissioner Karachi so they can earn their living by selling any edible items. For this training project an International Muslim not for profit has been supporting GIA however, training 40 members from a community of 20,000 is clearly not enough and more trainings are required to cope up with this issue, which is not possible without the support of the government and civil society.
Trainings for transgenders Every business needs time and effort, says Bindiya Rana, who reminisces that her father told her when she was young that nothing can just start with a boom and each business incurs a loss before it eventually picks up pace. The Pakistani transgender activist and founder of Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), Rana was of the view that such initiatives take a while before they can do well as people need time to accept them. “It has hardly been two months; this work needs patience and determination given the situation of Covid-19 and especially since transgenders have to fight an extra mile for them to be recognised.” Rana who has been advocating for the rights of transgenders on every platform has more than 18,000 transgenders registered in GIA from a total of 20,000 residing in Karachi. With this huge number of transgenders working under her, she thinks that besides begging and dancing, they appreciate everyone in their community to learn at least one skill of their
Photos: Nisha Rao
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
an engine for growth or for exploitation? By Hassan Baig
Most countries in the world now have some form of free trade or preferential arrangements with select trading partners. How can Pakistan make the most of its own deals with countries like China and Malaysia? Free trade is a theoretical framework that allows trading partners to import and export goods and services without any sort of barriers and restrictions. Free trade is, in fact, a trade policy under which governments impose no restrictions, whatsoever, on imports and exports to each other on the basis of comparative advantage. Free trade agreements (FTAs) are treaties under which the countries regulate their trade by waiving off specific set of duties, taxes and tariffs apparently to get maximum benefit out of their comparative advantage positions. What are advantages and disadvantages of such free trade arrangements for the countries like Pakistan and what are the best practices that could be quoted as examples to be followed in the world? There is no denying the fact that it is a competitive world and almost all countries of the world are in a race to get maximum out of their trading partners. The ways and means to get maximum benefits may vary but the goal is only one to achieve a healthy social and economic development. The Free Trade Areas or Agreements provide ways and means to improve trade benefits in the form of better economic outlook and growth through technology transfer by less government spending. It creates economic efficiency, less corruption and less subsidies ensuring economic growth. But it entails side effects of jobs outsourcing with poor working conditions and degradation of natural resources. If we go deep into the analysis of such agreements, we find these contracts useful in one way or the other but at the same time having their own implications for the economy.
Bilateral relationship
$7 billion
TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) consisting of the fastest growing biggest economies of the world. The India at the last moment also pulled out of this partnership but RCEP member states have kept open doors for India to join any time at its own convenience. According to one estimate, the RCEP will account for 30% of global economy having 2.2 billion consumers on its list that is almost 30% of world’s population. Its objective is to progressively reduce duties and taxes and to get away with non-tariff barriers to promote trade and investment in their member states, which provide a great deal and opportunity of economic growth and development in the region. If we look at world trade scenario and free trade regimes, the role of World Trade Organization (WTO) seems to be very important and crucial. It started with General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and reached at the consensus formation of WTO via long sessions of Doha Talks but is still under clouds owing to multiple reasons. The WTO is generally considered closer to the concept of open and free trade institution in the world, although it only provides a system of rules and regulations to run free and fair trade without distortions, so that competition and innovations may not hamper efficiency in trade and trade products. The WTO is also considered as ploy of developed world that is being used for exploitation of developing countries as their consumer market and is working on the whims and whimsical directions of those who dictate the world trade. But fact of the matter remains that WTO is the only international trade organisation dealing with the global rules of the trade and its functions include but not limited to secure and ensure smooth and free flow of trade in the world without harming the interest of global consumers. Now coming towards Pakistan and its trade dynamics, we see various arrangements made by the government of Pakistan in the past and evolved a mechanism to achieve best of the results for trade promotion, but could not succeed to enhance its exports, which are backbone of the economy in any country of the world. Pakistan’s total trade volume is accounted for more than $75 billion out of which our exports are hardly touching $24 billion mark. Further, our main exports are textile and textile related products. The reasons are varied and myriad in nature, which can be discussed at length in the ensuing details of Pakistan’s trade. As we all know that Pakistan is a developing country with limited resources facing disruptions and inconsistent trade policies due to mismanagement of various political regimes in the past. The political developments in Pakistan have been a constant source of disturbance and proved to be main hurdles in economic and trade development policy framework, especially imports, exports and balance of trade facing a lot of challenges and were badly disturbed. The free trade agreements are still to be tested so far as results are concerned, whether they are beneficial or adversely affecting our trade. The FTA with China has entered into the second phase of its implementation and Pakistan wants to go along with it whether
is the current Pak-US trade volume Almost all countries of the world are engaged in some sort of trading blocs in the form of free trade and preferential trade agreements. Free trade areas and regional trade organizations or associations are further diversification of such trading blocs. Pakistan is also part of such arrangements, as we have signed FTAs with China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia; while enjoying preferential trade agreements (PTAs) with Iran, Indonesia and Mauritius. Pakistan is also part of South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) under the auspices of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and has a Transittrade agreement with neighbouring Afghanistan. Pakistan is also going to sign Transit-trade agreement with Uzbekistan soon opening gate for trade with Central Asian Republics. Pakistan and United States have also a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) for promotion of trade and investment as part of larger arrangement to attract investment. There are numerous free trade areas, organizations and associations promoting trade and investment in the world. Free trade areas generally consist of countries or group of countries having no tariffs and nontariff barriers in and amongst the member countries but have their own trade policy with non-member countries depending on their own relations with those countries. The best examples of such areas are North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), China backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) etc who have almost zero taxes and duties on most of their goods and services within their own territories. As we know that China backed group of fifteen Asia-Pacific economies excluding United States have formed recently a world’s biggest trading bloc called as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP was signed as trade pact on the occasion of online ASEAN summit in Hanoi on November 15, 2020 paving way to cement China’s economic partnership with Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea. Interestingly, the United States has gone into isolation by not becoming member of RCEP and
Photos: File
in favour of our exports or not owing to strategic interest entrenched in our cooperation with China. Pakistan is almost trading 313 tax free items with China, which will be stretching over to 5,000 such items in the coming five to ten years time under FTA arrangement. The trade volume has significantly improved with China as it has surged from almost $4 billion in 2004-5 to over $20 billion now in 2021. The balance of trade is definitely not in favour of Pakistan, as we are lagging behind in all respect of our industrial infrastructure and exportable products. But we have achieved a reasonable level of trade partnership with China, which will be improving in the coming days and months. Pakistan is mainly exporting stone, salt, sulphur, sugar confectionary, fish, molluscs, invertebrates, ores slag and ash. There are other items as well like meat, dairy products, oil, fresh and processed fruits, which are in high demand by Chinese importers. But all in all, we are running trade deficit of about $17.5 billion so far as trade with China is concerned. Questions are naturally arising as how to improve trade balance with strategically important country in the presence of FTA that allows both of the trading partners to get maximum out of it?
The WTO is considered a ploy of the developed world that is being used for exploitation of developing countries The only way forward is to get more ingress into the Chinese market through aggressive campaign for tradable items by our commercial councillors and diplomats. China is a big market and we can export so much by diversifying our exportable items. Need of the hour is to adopt aggressive economic diplomacy all over the world through our foreign Missions, especially China, United States, Malaysia, Iran, Middle East, Central Asia, EU and Africa being the main potential trade partners. Like China, we are in a great trade deficit with Malaysia with whom Pakistan has signed FTA. But the question is whether Pakistan is benefitting from FTAs or we are at a loss due to our own shortcomings of weak industrial infrastructure having nothing diversified exportable items to these countries. One is compelled to say that our own weaknesses are more contributing towards our trade deficit than to malign free trade arrangements, which could be beneficial in case of robust industrial infrastructure and diversified exportable products. It all depends on the comparative advantage of the country like Pakistan to extract maximum ben-
efits from FTAs, which is not a bad option if we are not benefitting from regional trade arrangement like SAARC owing to Indian obduracy. But we are already getting maximum benefit from FTA with Sri Lanka due to compulsorily attached advantages for such free trade arrangement. The preferential trade agreements are contributing maximum in trade development of Pakistan, especially trade with neighbouring Iran. Although volume of trade is not much due to sanctions against Iran but there is a lot of potential of exports and barter trade. The main exports to Iran are meat, rice, cotton, agricultural products and imports from Iran are mainly petrochemicals, steel and liquefied petroleum products. The trade can be enhanced by removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers and it can prove to be a win- win situation for both countries. It also applies to Turkey, where a lot of cooperation is already under way to enhance trade in merchandise through such arrangement. The US-Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed in 2003 was, in fact, meant to create jobs through economic growth by enhancing investment in various sectors of economy. The objective of this agreement was to expand bilateral trade and investment in goods and services. The growth model through this framework was envisaged to enhance digital trade, improve business climate, strengthening intellectual property rights as well as aiming at women empowerment, labour reforms and skill development for workers. The US is one of the largest markets for exports of Pakistani goods and services, so it could possibly be the main destination for Pakistani products to enjoy truly international exposure. It is not out of place to mention here that currently Pak-US trade volume is touching over $ 7 billion. To put it in a nutshell, there are advantages and disadvantages of free trade for countries like Pakistan. If we weigh the pros and cons of free trade arrangements, the advantages are more than disadvantages owing to multiple reasons, especially the competitive world creating efficiencies enhancing exports resulting in overall economic growth and development. When trade barriers are removed, the manufacturers compete with each other directly and market forces compel them to become increasingly efficient to capture more of the market share to earn profits. That’s how the free trade creates a competitive efficient markets resulting in economic growth. (THE WRITER IS AN ECONOMIST AND BUREAUCRAT WORKING FOR THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT)
MAY 16, 2021
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ART, MEDIA & LITERATURE
The Express Tribune traces the evolution of Naat as a devotional art form from humble beginnings to popular mainstream By Najam Soharwardi
Unconditional love and uncompromised respect for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is the most defining element of the Muslim psyche. That sense of attachment and reverence is so deep and powerful that it emotionally defines the Muslim identity and provides the building blocks for Islamic ideology. It is this underpinning theory that makes Iqbal end his marvellous poem Jawab-eShikwah with this couplet where God tells the people that “Ki Muhammad Se Wafa Toone To Hum Tere Hain”. Roughly translating to: If you show faithfulness toward Muhammad, then We are yours. Since the recitation of Durood – salutation upon the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – comes as a direct order from Allah in the Holy Quran, it becomes a part and parcel of a practising Muslim’s to find means to have a spiritual connection with the Holy Prophet. So here comes Naat as an effective medium to let one transport their salutations and spiritually communicate with the Prophet.
Naat has been commercialised, and like any commercial commodity, there’s no rule to define the respectful way of recitation Editor Naat Rang Sabih Rehmani But Naat also has its profound significance in our culture and tradition beyond the question of religion or righteousness. Poets have presented their ideas and expressed their emotions in Naat, an Arabic word that literally means praise but has practically been a popular medium of sharing thoughts about and feelings for the Holy Prophet. It is this wider sense of liberty that allows Ghalib to say that “Ghulaam-e-Saaqi-e-Kausar hoon, mujh ko gham kya hai”. (I am a servant of the Cupbearer of Kausar – what grief do I have?) Kausar is the name of a fountain or river in paradise from which all other rivers are believed to flow. So Naat is what comforts our mind and soothes our soul. And this rich poetic tradition has not been confined to Muslim poets as Hindu, Sikh, Christian and other non-Muslim poets too have produced work in this genre. One famous example is of Maharaja Sir Kishan Prasad Shaad of Hyderabad Deccan. Yet Naat as a literary genre did not get acceptability in the literary circles of Pakistan immediately after the partition of the subcontinent.
Naat as a mission Poets who identified themselves as Naatgo Shu’ara (Naat writers) in Pakistan led a multifaceted movement to get Naat recognised as a literary genre, make it a part of official and cultural activities, and get slots for its recitation in media. “They carried out it as a mission, it was as if they were Naat missionaries,” stresses Sarwar Hussain Naqshbandi, Naat Forum International chairman and quarterly magazine Midhat editor. While Naat was always popular as a symbol of devotion, it was not acceptable as part of creative literature. Thanks to the untiring efforts and creative work of poets like Hafiz Taib and Muzaffar Warsi that Naat finally got its well-deserved place in the literary circles, adds Hussain, who is a noted poet too. “Hafiz Taib is the most significant person who turned the
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tables and subsequently eminent poets such as Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi followed his feat and produced timeless work in this genre,” says Sarwar, who held the first National Literary Naat Conference in Lahore in 2019. When maestros who had made their name in Ghazal and Nazm, and were famous for their Marxist and liberal ideas, like Arif Abdul Mateen and Sarshar Siddiqui, came towards Naat, it was the real turning point in our history, states Dr Aziz Ahsan, a poet and critic who reviewed in his PhD the literary criticism of Urdu Naat. Secondly, he adds, there was a lack of criticism work on Naat that hampered its growth and let populism prevail that appropriated below-average work in many cases. “Only those genres or art forms leave a distinct impression in the history that get genuine critics besides genius artists.”
Mehfil-e-Naat culture While a section of poets laid their focus on making space for Naat in literature, others took it to the public space. “We have quite a few names who devoted their lives to the Naat cause. Abdul Sattar Niazi, Adeeb Rai Puri, Muhammad Ali Zahoori Qasoori, Qamar Anjum and Syed Riazuddin Soharwardi are among the most significant names,” states Sarwar Hussain. In 1972, Riazuddin Soharwardi laid the foundation of Kul Pakistan Mehfil-e-Naat which started its journey from Karachi’s Nishtar Park. Top Naat reciters from across the country would appear on the stage. The Mehfil-e-Naat would run throughout the night, attracting large crowds having people of all age brackets. “What we adore as literature or art form become part of our culture. To inculcate a sense of belonging to Naatia literature and impart Naat recitation skills to aficionados, Riazuddin Soharwardi founded Pakistan’s first Naat College in 1980 which has trained thousands of enthusiasts till date,” says Syed Shahabuddin, one of the teachers at Naat College in Karachi. It was due to the efforts of what Sarwar Hussain describes as Naat missionaries that the Naat art form gained in popularity and became a part of religious gatherings, school assemblies and cultural activities.
Naat in the Parliament In the era of former military dictator Ziaul Haq, the government rewarded poets for producing Naatia literature. Government sponsorship played a vital role in the promotion of this genre and eventually more Naat books came out. Even so, until the end of 2015, the Naat recitation was an occasional activity in the Parliament. But in December that year, Naat recitation became a permanent feature of the National Assembly as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Capt (retired) Mohammad Safdar moved a motion to seek amendments in the rules of procedure and conduct of the business of the lower house of the Parliament. The house members unanimously supported his motion. Before its passage, only verses from the Holy Quran were recited to initiate the house proceedings. The love for Naat recitation is not confined to only right-wing parties in Pakistan. In January 2021, a newly elected legislator of the leftist Paki-
stan Peoples Party, Syed Ameer Ali Shah, took the oath of office as a member of the Sindh Assembly with recitation of Naat in the provincial assembly. Shah had won the by-election for Umerkot’s PS-52 constituency on January 18. Political rallies too have featured Naat recitation. One recent example is of singer and politician Abraul Haq who has recited “Rok Leti Hai Aap ki Nisbat Teer Hum Par Bhi Jitnay Chaltay Hain” at political rallies of the ruling Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf many times.
From radio to social media Among the earlier presenters of Naat on Radio Pakistan, a prominent name is Behzad Lakhnavi, a Ghazal poet who wrote the famous “Ae Jazbae Dil Gar Main Chahoon Har Cheez Muqabil Aa Jaye”. His recitations were highly appreciated by the audience and in the later stage of his life he only composed Naatia poetry. His Naat “Hum Madinay Se Allah Kyn aa Gaye” is among the most popular works in Urdu Naatia literature. Likewise, Pakistan has produced several worldfamous Naat reciters who have an international following and are invited to recite Naat in Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Mauritius and other countries. Waheed Zafar Qasmi, Siddique Ismail, Syed Fasihuddin Soharwardi, Khursheed Ahmed, Saeed Hashmi and Sabih Rehmani are among the most popular Pakistani Naat reciters of the television era. They are called the heirs of the traditional way of Naat recitation which is considered as the “respectful and right way” of Naat recitation. Nevertheless, Sabih Rehmani, who is the editor of Urdu Naat’s most critically acclaimed magazine Naat Rang, has a dissenting note to present. “Naat has been commercialised, and like any other commercial commodity, there’s no black and white rule to define the respectful way of recitation,” Rehmani contends. “While a section of society will live in nostalgia for what it would call the golden era of Naat, the wave of commercialisation will make its own path.”
It seems the singers and musicians have run out of ideas so they have decided to make easy money Naat reciter Syed Salman Kounain Rehmani, nevertheless, asserts that he does not approve of the bizarre “social media culture of Naat Khwani” in which YouTubers-turned-Naat reciters have made a mockery of themselves. “It’s the number of clicks that matter the most for them. It’s not only the Naat art form that has fallen prey to the cheap social media culture, we are witnessing total devastation in all forms of art and literature.” Sarwar Hussain stresses that new Naat reciters would have to work on their vocals instead of only focussing on visuals. “It’s unfortunate that many among the new ones rely too much on autotune that their voice sounds like a robot while they are lost in how to produce a colourful video with zero aesthetic sense.”
The Naat Khwan identity Before singer-turned- preacher Junaid Jamshed explored the Naat art form, it was exclusively associated with the Barelvi school of thought. Other Sunni factions either did not recognise Naat Khwani due to their religious interpretations or did not promote it despite having a soft corner for it. While noted Shia poets have authored Naat in abundance, artistes fa-
mous as Noha Khwan or Marsiya Khwan were not known as Naat Khwan. Similarly, singers who performed Naat were not called Naat Khwan. They would be labelled “a singer reciting a Naat”. However, Junaid Jamshed earned the title Naat Khwan too quickly. What else he was quick to achieve was more space for Naat Khwani in Sunni factions other than Barelvis. In fact, Jamshed’s albums inspired hardline madrasas to let their students perform Naat in mosques and release their own albums. Likewise, qawwal Amjad Sabri achieved a similar feat by adding the title Naat Khwan to his portfolio. Though his father Ghulam Farid Sabri and uncle Maqbool Ahmed Sabri – popularly known as Sabri Brothers – broke records with their world-famous kalaams, such as Tajdar-e-Haram and Bhardo Jholi, they have always been known as qawwals only. As soon as the Naat art form shattered its traditional boundaries to become a commercially acceptable identity, qawwals and singers too owned “the Naat Khwan identity”.
A debate has sparked over the recitation of Naat by noted members of the entertainment industry Sarwar Hussain recalls that there was once a time that famous poets and celebrities like Muzaffar Warsi would object to it if they were addressed as a Naat Khwan because there was an unsaid feeling that Naat Khwani was not a higher form of art. But its amalgamation with qawwli and singing has ended that stigma.
Naat is all-inclusive With more and more singers trying their luck at Naat recitation, a debate has sparked over the recitation of Naat by noted members of the entertainment industry. Among those who are highly critical of Naat recitation with music is Syed Salman Kounain, the son of Naat maestro Syed Manzoor-ul Kounain who trained several Naat reciters in classical style. “This is not Naat. They are just banking on our rich tradition of Naat. It seems the singers and musicians have run out of ideas so they have decided to make easy money,” says an agitated Kounain. “My heart weeps when I see their disrespectful videos.” But Rehmani sees the Naat recitation by singers as a positive development. “Who are we to decide who’s closer to Allah. And then Naat is a universal expression of love for the Holy Prophet. It’s not anyone’s property. A singer’s recitation of Naat could be more acceptable to Allah and His Prophet than ours.” Regarding the use of music in Naat, Rehmani says legendary singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Noor Jehan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan have recited Naat and most people have had no objection to their recitations. “We have this special problem with music in the subcontinent. It’s mostly acceptable elsewhere in the world.” In fact, he adds, this is a welcome sign for the Naat art form that singers with huge followings have made it popular among those “who would not get inspired by a typical religious person”. Rehmani believes that the Naat artform will gradually improve its style. “As soon as a more educated and sober audience will be attracted toward Naat, it will eventually put pressure on reciters to revive its lost spirit,” hopes Rehmani. Narrowing boundaries will cause harm to Naat art form, he says, asking that how would one explain why non-Muslim poets would write Naat if a misplaced sense of religiosity was attached to Naat. As noted Indian poet Kunwar Mohinder Singh Bedi Sahar writes: Ishq Ho Jaye Kisi Se Koi Chara To Nahin Sirf Muslim Ka Muhammad Pe Ijara To Nahin
Photos: File