Canadian Pakistani Times by CanadianPakistaniTimes

Canadian Pakistani Times

Thursday

April 11, 2013

Volume 1, 53

69 VYING FOR 10 RESERVED SEATS OF NON-MUSLIMS Non-Muslim members are elected in proportion to the number of general seats won by political parties.

NEW DELHI: Former prime minister

They have been nominated by 18 political parties in order of preference under Section 47A of the People’s Representation Act, 1976.

Rajiv Gandhi, whose family still dominates India’s ruling party, may have been a middleman for an arms deal in the 1970s, according to diplomatic cables published

The ECP had received 161 nomination papers from all over the country, but rejected 92 because the candidates had not been nominated by any political party.

Monday. The Hindu newspaper, accessing new information compiled by WikiLeaks, cites confidential US embassy cables stating that Gandhi was employed by Swedish group Saab-

Non-Muslim members are elected in proportion to the number of general seats won by political parties in the elections.

Scandia to help sell its Viggen fighter jet.

Article 51(6e) of the constitution says: “The members to the seats re- ISLAMABAD: Sixty-nine candidates, seven of them women, are vying for 10 seats reserved served for non-Muslims shall be elected for nonMuslims in the National Assembly, according to the final list issued by the Election in accordance with law through propor- Commission of Pakistan (ECP) here on Monday. tional representation system of political MQM: Manwer Lal (Karachi); Sanjay parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of Paul (Lahore); Dr Paul Jacob Bhatti Perwani (Karachi); Hargun Das Ahuja total number of general seats won by each (Islamabad); Mahesh Kumar Malani (Larkana); Mangla Sharma (Karachi); (Tharparkar). political party in the National Assembly.” Rashid Khan (Karachi). The PPP has awarded the highest number of 12 tickets to non-Muslim candidates, followed by the PML-Q (nine), the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (eight), the PML-N (seven), the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Jamiat Ulema-iIslam ( six each), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the All Pakistan Muslim League (five each), the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (two), and the ANP, PML-F, the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, the National Party, Awami Muslim League, PML-J, JUI-Nazaryati, People’s Muslim League and Tehrik-i-Tahafuz Pakistan (one each).

PML-Q: Akram Masih Gilani (Lahore); Munir Minhas (Talagang); Basant Lal Gulshan (Quetta); Tariq Javed (Hafizabad); James Masih (Gujranwala); Leela alias Kalpana (Larkana); Iqbal Masih alias Bala (Toba Tek Singh); Zaheer Babar (Faisalabad); Jagjeet Singh (Tharparkar).

The prominent PPP candidates are former MNA Ramesh Lal, Dr Khatu Mal Jeewan, Dr Paul Jacob Bhatti and Mahesh Kumar Malani.

PML-N: Ramesh Kumar Vankwani (Karachi); Tariq Christopher Qaiser ( Sar godha ); I sp ha nyar Bha ndar a (Rawalpindi); Anita Irfan (Quetta); Mr Khalil (Quetta); Bahawan Das (Sanghar); Dr Darshan (Ghotki).

Akram Masih Gill, former federal minister for interfaith harmony, has once again been nominated by the PML-Q. Following is the list of candidates: PPP: Ramesh Lal (Larkana); Pahlaj Mal (Rohri); Dya Ram (Buner); Dr Khatu Mal Jeewan (Umerkot); Dr Saroop Chand (Mirpurkhas); Mr Amber (Bannu); Mehar Chand (Jacobabad); Naseeb Chand (Hangu); Khem Chand (Karachi); George

Late Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi linked to arms deal: report

PTI: Lal Chand (Umerkot); Inder Lal (Buner); George Clement (Faisalabad); Soron Singh (Buner); Amir John Francis (Quetta); Sajid Ishaq Sandhu (Islamabad); Shunila Ruth (Lahore); Jai Kumar (Hyderabad).

JI: Mahmood Gill (Lahore); Pervaiz Masih (Pesha war ); You nis Gill (Islamabad); Younis Sohan (Karachi); Humaira (Karachi); Emmanuel Francis (Quetta). JUI-F: Asiya Nasir (Quetta); Devanand (Jacobabad); Akram Waqar Gill (Arifwala); Ravi Kumar Khatri (Sukkur); Patras Bhatti (Faisalabad); Ranjeet Singh (Kohat).

Gandhi, who was then outside politics and working as a commercial pilot, was the “main negotiator” for Saab-Scandia and was paid because of his access to his mother Indira Gandhi who was prime minister at the time, the cables say.

APML: Javed Akhtar Bhatti (Islamabad); Sohail Anjum (Islamabad); Ashar Adnan (Islamabad); Jugnu Bruce (Lahore); Aakash Raj (Rawalpindi). PkMAP: Jagdesh Kumar (Killa Abdullah); Tahir Jadoon Johnson (Quetta). ANP: Ashok Kumar Kapoor (Mardan). PML-F: Oam Parkash (Sanghar). BNP-M: Raj Kumar (Quetta).

PML-J: Javed Paul (Gujranwala). AML: Iqbal Masih Khokhar (Sialkot).

embassy officials but also state that US offi-

“We would have thought a transport pilot is not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification,” a US diplo-

JUI-N: Hina (Quetta). People’s Muslim League: Kanji Mal (Umerkot). Pakistan:

They cite information given by Swedish cials were unable to confirm or deny the information.

NP: Handery Masih (Mastung).

Tehrik-i-Tahafuz Iqbal (Bannu).

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 by ethnic Tamil extremists. – File Photo by AFP

Faheem

mat was quoted as noting wryly in one of the cables. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. His Italian-born widow Sonia is now head of the ruling Congress party and their son Rahul is positioned as a prime ministerial candidate before elections scheduled for next year. After entering politics reluctantly, Rajiv was later tarnished by a scandal involving Swedish gun manufacturer Bofors, which was accused of paying bribes to middlemen including an Italian businessman close to the Gandhis. The Congress party lost elections in 1989, a defeat partly attributed to the Bofors scandal. Saab-Scandia ultimately lost in its bid to sell its Viggen jets to India. British-made Jaguar planes were selected for the tender.

02 April 9, 2013 - On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie, the Honourable Gordon O’Connor, Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, was joined by His Excellency Philippe Zeller, Ambassador of France to Canada at a wreath-laying ceremony held at the National War

April 11, 2013

NDP bill would reduce excessive money transfer fees BRAMPTON– Bramalea-GoreMalton MPP and NDP Consumer Services Critic Jagmeet Singh reintroduced a bill today that cracks down on exorbitant fees charged for international money transfers. “People in Ontario should be able to send money to their loved ones overseas without being gouged. There’s not much choice out there for transferring money abroad and it’s reasonable to protect consumers from excessive fees,” said Singh. “This bill will set a cap on the fees for remittances to stop these companies slicing off huge portions of people’s hard earned money to

pay for a straightforward transaction.” At a press conference today at Queen’s Park, Singh explained how the bill will cap the fees of companies like Western Union and Moneygram at 5% of the total transferred. Currently there is no limit to transaction fees, and companies charge as much as 20%. That means individuals can pay $10 in fees on the average remittance of about $50 per pay period ($1,450 per year, according to Statistics Canada).

Singh’s bill reflects the “5x5” goal supported by the World Bank and G8 countries to reduce the price of transferring money via remittances from the international average of 10% to an average of 5% by 2014. “This is about fairness for all Ontarians, particularly those who have recently emigrated to the province,” said Singh. “People should be able to send money to their family and loved ones without being hit by extremely high rates that bear no relation to the cost of the service.”

10th Muslim Matrimonial Dinner Brampton – Ontario – Canada organized by Farah Marriage Bureau for more info please call 647-627-6909.

April 11, 2013

BRAMPTON 6th April 2013 — After months of consultation with Canada’s Punjabi community from coast to coast to coast, New Democrats made an announcement today to mark the month of Vaisakhi celebration of Canada’s v i b r a n t P u n j a b i c o m m u n i t y .

The announcement was marked with GTA Caucus Chair and Deputy Heritage Critic MP Andrew Cash, Asia-Pacific Gateway Critic MP Jasbir Sandhu, National Caucus CoCh...air MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan, along with Member of Provincial Parliament Jagmeet Singh. As they intend to put a

BRAMPTON, ON- Yesterday, Kyle Seeback, Member of Parliament for Brampton West, hosted an interfaith roundtable with various religious leaders at his Brampton constituency office. Twenty-three different religious leaders participated in the roundtable discussions; among the attendees were leaders from the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Bahai, Muslim and Brahma Kumaris religious groups. The roundtable was set up to bring together faith leaders from our community to discuss issues of concern and promote understanding among people of all faith traditions, cultures, and belief systems. “I was pleased to meet with all faith leaders to hear their point of view and concerns”, commented MP Seeback. “I thank all the leaders for participating in constructive discussion and look forward to continue working with them”.

bill in the House of Commons to get the month of April declared as “Punjabi Heritage Month” every year. As Punjabi’s both of Indian & Pakistani origin have a very deep rooted history in Canada. Punjabi Press Club of Canada fully supports the idea and would lobby for this cause.

“I believe the meeting passed quickly because all of us present were able to actively engage in the discussions, said Archpriest Roman Galadza from St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church. “These were both pleasant and constructive.” Recently, MP Seeback joined Prime Minister Stephen Harper as he announced the establishment of the Office of Religious Freedom within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The Office, which is now operational, will promote freedom of religion or belief as a Canadian foreign policy priority. Specifically, the Office will focus on advocacy, analysis, policy development and programming relating to protecting and advocating on behalf of religious minorities under threat, opposing religious hatred and intolerance, and promoting Canadian values of pluralism and tolerance abroad. “MP Kyle Seeback sets a first one;

not only has he been regularly visiting different places of worship, shaking hands and meeting with people and attentively listening to them, today he invites and receives local representatives of different faith groups in Peel region to seek their counsel and wisdom”, added Dr. Hamid Slimi, Imam at Sayeda Khadija Centre. “They come from their willingness to work with a leader like Mr. Seeback who has shown a great leadership and respect.” In this country whose hallmark is toleration of diversity and respect for human dignity, MP Seeback is proud that the Office of Religious Freedom has been established. This roundtable was organized by MP Seeback partly to get feedback about the establishment of the Office of Religious Freedoms.

Great leader Rest in Peace.....Amen!

April 11, 2013

SPORTS

Misbah, Hafeez deny rift reports

Misbah ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez. -File photo LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez again denied reports of a rift Tuesday, saying the rumours were damaging the team. Misbah had already denied similar reports on the team’s return from South Africa where Pakistan were routed 3-0 in Tests and were edged out 3-2 in the one-day series, defeats which local media blamed on differences within the side. But former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt reignited the controversy on Tuesday, alleging Hafeez and team’s

head coach Dav Whatmore had formed a nexus that left Misbah sidelined.

Misbah said Pakistan lost because South Africa played better.

Pakistan’s next assignment is the eightnation Champions Trophy in England in June, and Misbah was upbeat.

“Both Hafeez and Whatmore support and

“I said this in South Africa, I repeated this

back each other and that has put great pressure

on the team’s return and now I say this again –

“Pakistan has done well in England so I am

on Misbah, affecting his performance,” Butt

we lost because South Africa were a better

quite hopeful that we will achieve good results

told Dawn.

team and the reason of our defeat was not dif-

in the Champions Trophy,” he said.

Pakistani cricket has a long and sorry history of infighting and Hafeez said Butt’s accusations were bad for Pakistan. “Ijaz Butt is a respected person and he

ferences,” said Misbah.

Pakistan face India, South Africa and the

Hafeez, who replaced Misbah as T20 skip-

West Indies in the group stage of the tourna-

per in May last year, said the Pakistan team

ment, while defending champions Australia,

needed better and more positive support.

England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand make up

should have thought that such a statement af-

“Such baseless reports of differences do not

fects a country’s image,” Hafeez, sitting along-

help,” said Hafeez, who flopped with the bat in

side Misbah, told a press conference.

both Tests and one-dayers.

PBSF chief hails Majid’s performance

the other pool.

Great Canadian road trip: The Klondike Highway, Yukon Plunging through unbelievable wilderness and crossing the mighty Yukon River a number of times, the Klondike Highway provides both northern exposure and an unforgettable trip. Huge expanses of forest and scenic vistas over lakes and valleys are interrupted every hour or so by quirky roadhouses staffed by interesting characters. Scarf down a cinnamon bun at Braeburn Lodge (where the baking is so good they had to install an airstrip for hungry bush pilots), then take your dinner at Moose Creek Lodge, where you can relay your order to the kitchen from an oldfashioned phone installed high in a tree. Make

“Majid has reached a new high in his career and proved PBSF’s investment in juniors worthwhile,” he told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the PBSF’s decision to give wildcard to four-five juniors in the national circuit was wise as it has started yielding fruitful results.

sterling performance of cueist Mohammad Majid went down 5-6 to Thai cueist Noppon Majid Ali in the 14th Asian under-21 Saengkham in the grueling final. snooker championship in Indore, India, on

Hamza Akbar’s winning national title and Majid’s feat in India are notable examples in this regard, he remarked.

KARACHI: President of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) Alamgir Shaikh on Tuesday hailed the

Sunday.

sure to reserve plenty of time for Dawson City, which has been one of Canada’s most rollicking towns since the time of its great Klondike Gold Rush, more than 100 years ago.

April 11, 2013

Bollywood Stars Jimmy Shergill & Neha Dhupia for the promotion of their forthcoming forthcoming Punjabi movie Rangeelay in Brampton - Ontario - Canada

The revolutionary chant… KARACHI, April 7: It is never easy to pull off a wheelswithin-wheels kind of a play a play with strong political, intellectual and historical underpinnings. Peter Weiss’s Marat/Sade is one of the most difficult dramas to be produced on stage primarily because of its ambiguous subject matter and characters. When it was first presented in the 1960s theatre-goers did not digest it readily and even to date when it’s staged, not everybody can get the hang of it. Sunil Shankar’s version of Marat/ Sade, translated by Dheeraj Laal Chaneeliya and Kashif Hussain and performed at the National Academy of Performing Arts’ inhouse auditorium on Saturday evening, was a reasonable effort on two counts: one, it managed to recreate the spectacle that the play is known for; two, it did not tamper with the inherent, unresolved uncertainty of the drama, therefore compelling the audience to put their thinking caps on. The action takes place a few years after the French Revolution in the asylum of Charenton. The asylum’s director Coulmier (Wusullah Khan) tells the audience that they’re about to see a play directed by the Marquis de Sade (Nazrul Hasan) with its characters played by asylum inmates to show the sequence of events that led to the death of the revolutionary leader Jean-Paul Marat (Hassan Raza) at the hands of Charlotte Corday (Joshinder Chagger). The period ranges from the time of the French revolution to Marat’s death in 1808. Coulmier claims the play will shed light on the latest treatment of patients through education and art. He also believes that the drama will entail a patriotic view of

the post-revolution France. As the play (within the play) begins, it slowly descends into chaos of a different kind. Coulmier receives a surprise when the scenes enacted by the inmates are intensified with each passing moment and political overtones drown out the arty side of the drama. The patients speak lines that Coulmier hadn’t expected them to. As the plot thickens Sade himself becomes a character and engages in philosophical debate with Marat discussing the futility of the revolution. It becomes clear that the Marquis is trying to dissociate himself from political happenings and is interested in having an individualistic stance on life. However, the two men’s verbal spat doesn’t alter the end of the play and Charlotte manages to kill Marat in one of the climactic scenes. Things go out of hand and the inmates go berserk. They beat up the nurses and the supervisor, signalling utter chaos and disorder. Sunil Shankar seems to be an ambitious young man, as last year too he did the

final and grand play, Equus, for the Napa festival. But ambition should be made of sterner stuff. If one is handling as complicated a theme as Marat/Sade, the director has to know the difference between screaming and shouting. On occasions the screams of the inmates sounded like shrieks and on other occasions their shouting created indecipherable din. This may have been done on purpose. The problem is that Napa doesn’t educate its audience before a historically and politically charged play about its background. They don’t have to, it’s not their job. What has to be kept in mind is the fact that Pakistani audiences are not accustomed to such forms of theatre, so a little bit of background information wouldn’t harm. When that doesn’t happen, a majority of theatre goers try to understand the play visually and by using their auditor sense. It is in this context that the loudness of Marat/Sade took away the charm of its storyline. Shankar’s actors performed well. Rauf Afridi was quite impressive as Herald, as was Meesam Naqvi as Duperret who was in the asylum on the charges of sexual harass-

ment. They looked one-dimensional characters, which was required of them. Nazarul Hasan and Hassan Raza could have been better, because for some reason both fumbled their lines here and there and in order to recover from that appeared less effortless. Joshinder as the drowsy Charlotte left much to be desired, though. The kind of talent that the actress has, she has to work on her voice because her voice is feeble, and when she strives to sound dreamy it becomes feebler. Apart from these factors, the effort that the entire team put in was creditable. The footwork, for the most part, was synchronized and the pounding music that the inmates produced with their feet, not to mention the occasional songs, were quite good. It’s the nuances that needed to be worked on. Otherwise, kudos! By: Peerzada Salman & Madeeha Syed

April 11, 2013

Napa festival begins with ‘Accidental death’... Such is the case with Lau Tau Qatal Nama

From there on it’s an unfolding of events how they happened according to witness and police testimony. While cross examining the other police officers (Hammad Khan and Farhad Alam) who were also in charge of the alleged terrorists’ interrogation, it comes to light that maybe something sinister was taking place. On a scale much grander than first conceived.

Mera. Adapted from Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist, this Urdu play starts off with two stout Pakistani police officers, played by Sayyid Hammad Sartaj and Faraz Chhotani who begin by giving us some background on the infamy of their headquarters. Not long ago, a man suspected of a terrorist act, allegedly jumped to his death from the fourth floor. The catalyst of the play is Shahjehan Narejo, who plays a character simply named Maniac in Fo’s original and Jaali in Farhan Alam Siddiqui’s adaptation. He is a shape shifting, Aladinesque rogue who has been apprehended eleven times previously under the guise of different professions. With his wit and gift of manipulation he can disorient the officers enough for them to beg him to leave the premises, despite him being a wanted criminal. He returns to the headquarters to collect his things and dispose of criminal records he considers petty, sort of like Robin Hood.

KARACHI: News wise Pakistan is one of the best places to get yourself a story. The reason being that, despite paddling around in fountainhead of tales of the overly dramatic and sensational, no one can tell a story as colorfully as us.

Shahjehan Narejo plays his character with energy, exuberance and is exceedingly engaging throughout. There were some technical slip ups with the phone ringing even after it had been picked up on stage, but on the whole the set and lighting were far too minimalist to leave a wide enough margin for faux pas. There are some bits of the play that delighted the audience considerably but the dialogue delivery could have been more animated and heartfelt. Overall it’s an apt play to lay bare how the nation feels in general about being lied to by those with who possess authority but have little sense to deserve it.

Due to a series of events involving him intercepting a phone call from a judge who wishes to investigate the alleged suicide from before, whose identity Jaali naturally decides to assume.

By: Mehar Khursheed / Dawn.com

Khel Ek Raat Ka…. After the initial phases of awkwardness on behalf of the woman and the indifferent nonchalant disposition on behalf of the man have dispersed does the play truly begin.

needed, in terms of cultural growth. It is delightfully matter of fact when discussing sexual encounters of both the Man and Woman. It portrays the pressurizing effects of society on an opinionated Woman and the pressure that The Woman at first tries to an opinionated Man can put on society sleuth out of the Man what he thinks of her. Does he think she’s a woman in return. of ill repute? Does he think this is a Sanam Saeed acted with the habit of hers, to just waltz into a comfort of someone to whom the presstrange mans home? What did she do ence or absence of an audience doesn’t that got her out in the severe cold any- matter. She was humorous, she was way? The irony being that the Man hysterical and exceedingly neurotic doesn’t really care, one way or an- but all to accurate effect. Saqib Khan other. He insists that bringing a lone on the other hand really did not utilize Woman and her baby to his home, out the purpose of the arena stage as for of the cold, was an act of kindness he around forty minutes of the play he committed without second guesses. acted with his eyes closed.

Turkish media has been consumed in this region with a relish. an adaptation of a renowned Turkish This method is excellent in order to gauge the reacplay by the name of Dört Oyun [meaning four tion of the audience and if utilized fully can prove to be exceedingly engaging. games] was more than welcome. As the story goes, Man, Woman and Baby It is written by a famous Turkish playwright, all burst in through the doors and to the stage, seekpoet and author Melih Cevdet Anday. Staged as ing refuge from the blistering blizzard. It is apparent Khel Ek Raat Ka and starring actors Saman Saeed from the beginning that the Man is drunk and that he and Saqib Khan, the play centers around their emoand the Woman have no previous knowledge of one tional escapades and the audience centers around them. A technique that has risen in popularity is em- another. ployed in this production, where the audience surrounds the stage also known as theatre in the round.

Thus begins to unfurl a more psychological drama. The Woman is trying to achieve some sort of external validity through this Man, she wants him to see her as a person. And as we all know people are best known for their deceit, their betrayal and their selfishness. She asks him why he isn’t the least bit curious about her. She could be mad. She could be homicidal. That needn’t even be her baby.

Perhaps what he was drinking was real brandy because he seemed to only gain confidence in the second quarter of the play. The set design was quite commendable, as they managed to fit in three separate compartments into such a small space, as the audience shared the stage with the actors.

Overall, it was encouraging to see a play that had enough faith in the audience to present itself as mature, The Man, drinking, stumbling candid and real. is most hospitable to her ideas, he humours her through out and they emBy: Mehar Khursheed/Dawn.com bark on this emotional, personal, psychological, somewhat sinister route to expose each others past and presentall the while without ever asking the others name. The play in itself is much

Music festivities at the Napa festival…. One of the most ideal ways to adapt to changes is to fuse with it. This was achieved at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) last night where some great Pakistani rockers took the stage by crooning old classics and playing on our ‘heartstrings’. They transformed vintage chart toppers into ballads with their melancholy guitar solos and fluid drum performances. Local band Fuzon put aside their vocalist for an evening to take on the fresh graduates of Napa. Though there wasn’t a huge turnout, the band gave it their all and mesmerised the crowd with jaw-dropping performances. The musicians, with Immu on keyboards, Shallum on lead guitar, Jason on drums and Ali Zafra on bass, spoilt the audience with a night of music indulgence.

The main highlight of this show is Nafees Ahmed, head of Napa’s music department and sitar player of the night. Ahmed, who was behind those intricate sounds that gave depth to these modern renditions, also made it a point to introduce each student before their performances. There were some inevitable moments where the vocalists did not coordinate their timings at the beginning of certain songs, but as the music droned on, their music instincts took over and gave a strong finish to their rough starts. It would not be fair to criticise these students though, as some of the songs were truly difficult for a trained singer, let alone newly trained vocalist. Thanks to the budding talents of Napa, the concert is a delightful sound (and even visual) experience. By: Kurt Menezes & Mehar Khursheed

April 11, 2013

Faraib….

When

Sar Bureeda Khwab…. The second play of the Napa festival was Samina Nazeers’ Urdu adaptation of the renowned Arthur Miller classic Death of a Salesman. The original is a nostalgic play to begin with but the lyricism of our language made it seem even more so. Nazeer Farooqi (Nazar-ul-Hasan) played the lead quite brilliantly as he relayed the disillusionment that often accompanies living in a congested high-rise community. There is a feeling of wistfulness all throughout the drama as Farooqi laments about the sliver of sunlight that fights its way through the residential apartments springing up around them, shutting their modest home in like a vault. He complains of the crowding, of his longing to be able to tend to a garden in his old age…if it wasn’t for his worthless offspring. This resentment is more pronounced towards his eldest born, Kamal Farooqi (Hammad Siddique), who has just returned home after a three year absence. The initial reason seeming to be that despite all the love and affection afforded to him, he has returned back home at the age of 30, still amounting to nothing. The house is in need of repairs, the fathers’ income is commission based in a redundant position of door to door sales and the children are not bringing in any earnings. Abida Farooqi (Sameena Nazeer) as the mother is overjoyed just on the basis that her boys are all under one roof. Nazeers’ performance could have been more involved and could have used a more genuine demonstration of despair and sentimentality, instead it seemed superficial and forced. The family’s growing tragedies include the suicidal senility of the eldest Farooqi, the plans of the youngest son, Ahsan, to abandon the family for marriage and Kamal’s disappointingly sinister past.The play gets into motion as both the father and eldest son prepare themselves for job interviews the next day.

They have high hopes and frantically start counting the chickens before they have hatched. They make big plans for a big sparkling future based simply on the unfounded belief of them being magnificent. Their respective interviews are the catalysts that start laying bare the characteristics of both father and son. The play is riddled with flashes of the family’s past and we are shown bits from the way the father lavishes attention, resources and love on the first born and the neglect endured by the second (Zain Nazar). The ‘woman’, a mark of Farooqi’s infidelity, is seen silhouetted in the dark, haunting Farooqi’s memories with her alluring laugh. The dilemma of family dynamics is portrayed splendidly as on the one hand you’re aching for the success of your flesh and blood and on the other you berate them for not living up to what is expected of them, and what is expected of them is sometimes unattainable. Sarbureeda Khwab is not just about the failed sacrifices and fallen dreams of a middleclass family but also about the brutality of a capitalist system where the value of human effort and energy is of no value at all.

he investigated the intricacies of

human relationships, he did so by trying to expose those facets of his characters which hid behind multiple masks. ‘Betrayal’ was one of his dramas that fell into that category. An Urdu adaptation of the play titled ‘Faraib’ written by Zohair Raza and directed by Uzma Sabeen at the National Academy of Performing Arts in-house theatre on Monday came pretty close to Pinter’s work in terms of intensity. Faraib basically traces the seven-year deception trail of a married couple Ramiz (Rauf Afridi) and Zoya (Joshinder Chagger). Ramiz’s best friend Zain (Fawad Khan), who is also married, has had an affair with Zoya for the past five

Then the flat where the lovers meet becomes the centre of attention. Zoya’s guilt becomes prominent and she mixes up a few facts about the foreign trip that she had with her husband. The sequence is followed by Zain and Ramiz’s discussion at a restaurant where Ramiz pricks Zain’s conscience but Zain puts that down to his drunkenness and is unaware that Ramiz knows about everything. The penultimate scene happens in 2007

years and when the play commences Zoya tells Zain that she has told her husband about her unfaithfulness.

in the flat where the Zain and Zoya affair is in full swing. Zoya tells him that she ran into his wife, Ayesha, which perturbs Zain. When Zoya drops a hint that his wife might be interested in someone

The play moves back and forth (mostly backwards) in time. When the audience first gets to see the protagonists it’s in 2013 at a restaurant where Zoya informs Zain she has come clean be-

else he unconvincingly shuns the notion. The last scene unfolds in 2004 when during a party at Ramiz’s house Zain first expresses his love for Zoya.

fore her husband. The revelation disturbs Zain suggesting he never wanted Ramiz to know about

Faraib was a successful effort in the sense

it. During the course of their chitchat it is also

that despite not being typically Pinteresque, it con-

revealed that it’s been two years since they broke up.

veyed the crux of the story as far as concealed human emotions are concerned. The high point of the play was Joshinder Chagger’s impressive act-

The next scene takes place at Ramiz’s

ing. Perhaps the only thing that she needs to work

house where Zain meets him to ward off guilt. He receives another shock when Ramiz, in a rather nonchalant way, discloses that he has known

on is voice projection; otherwise she is a natural performer. In virtually every scene she outshone her co-actors, who, by the way, did not do a bad

about the affair for the past four years.

job. But one felt that Fawad Khan could have

The scene shifts to the year 2011 in a flat where Zain and Zoya spend time together. Here the issues weighing on their minds regarding their

done a bit more to look like an audacious lover. Rauf Afridi was very good in a couple of scenes as the cuckold husband. Especially when he would suddenly start speaking at the top of his lungs, he

extramarital relationship peel off bit by bit as they quarrel over insignificant things. The defining scene follows next in 2008 when during a foreign trip Ramiz manages to ex-

By: Mehar Khursheed / Dawn.com

betrayal. Zoya pretends she does not see him eye to eye. When Ramiz pushes the subject and tells her that he has received a letter addressed to her, Zoya realizes there is no use hiding the facts.

tract the truth out of Zoya and she confesses that she’s been having an affair with Zain. When the scene begins she is reading the book by an author that Zain, who is a publisher, has introduced. Ramiz in a roundabout way touches on the subject of the book and claims that it’s about

persuasively portrayed the man faced with a painful truth and can’t do much about it. The director too must be commended for being mindful of not just physical but psychological positioning of the characters. As for the script, since it is almost impossible to transfer a Harold Pinter drama into another cultural setting mainly because of the unspoken words, the writer’s effort was noteworthy. By: Peerzada Salman

April 14, 2013 Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh As Ontario PC Leader, I would like to wish our province’s Sikh community a joyous Vaisakhi Day celebration on April 14, when families and friends will mark the creation of Khalsa. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh Ji unified the Sikh faith and did away with the caste system. He created a code of conduct for the faith, based on values such as justice, peace, courage and community service. These are values that all Ontarians share – and values that have led our Sikh community to be leaders in business, public service, academia and so much more. Over the last few years, I’ve been honoured to take part in numerous Nagar and celebrate with the Sikh community. I look forward to celebrating with the Sikh community again this year. Whether in Toronto or Malton, I’ve seen the strong sense of unity and family that tie the community together, making these celebrations a sight to behold. So on behalf of the Ontario PC Caucus, I would like to wish our Sikh community a Happy Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi di lakh lakh Vadhai Sincerely,

Tim Hudak, MPP Ontario PC Leader

April 11, 2013

April 14, 2013

A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to everyone celebrating Vaisakhi, a festival of great significance to the Sikh and Hindu communities. Ontario is a microcosm of world culture — a province infused with the uniqueness of the many groups that call it home. Vaisakhi is a wonderful example of this world culture, as it reflects the celebrations of two distinct communities in our province. For Sikh Canadians, this auspicious day commemorates the momentous inauguration of the Khalsa in 1699 — the year in which Sikhism was born as a collective faith. For Hindu Canadians, it is the start of the sacred New Year — a time to attend temple to pay respect and seek blessings and an occasion to celebrate the great joy that family and friendships bring. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize, with gratitude, the contributions of Hindu and Sikh Canadians to the social, cultural, spiritual and economic life of our province. You can take great pride in knowing that you have helped to shape our identity as Ontarians and to define our province as a place of diverse yet harmonious communities. On the occasion of Vaisakhi, I wish all celebrants much continued happiness, fulfillment and success.

Kathleen Wynne Premier

April 11, 2013

Jamshed Dasti was sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 5,000. He was also disqualified to contest the upcoming polls. MULTAN: The Lahore High Court Multan bench has overturned the conviction of Former National Assembly member Jamshed Dasti on Wednesday, Pakistan Media reported. Jamshed Dasti was convicted by a district and sessions judge last week for having a fake degree. He was sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 5,000. Jamshed Dasti was also disqualified to contest the upcoming polls.

against his conviction. It is unclear whether he will contest the upcoming elections as the election tribunal is yet to decide on his appeal. The court ordered for his acquittal suspending his sentence. Now Pakistan courts are becoming a joke only matter of time as the whole system is corrupt so guess all a chain reaction.

He had filed an appeal in Multan High Court

Pakistani stocks close higher, rupee strengthens

Test-tube baby pioneer Robert Edwards dies aged 87

KARACHI: Pakistani stocks closed higher on Wednesday, driven by interest in telecommunications stocks, traders said.

The Karachi Stock Exchange.—File Photo The Karachi Stock Exchange’s (KSE) benchmark 100-share index ended 0.05 per cent, or 9.74 points, higher at 18,723.35 points. Engro Corporation Ltd fell 0.7 percent to 141.07 rupees Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd was up 0.61 per cent to 21.50 rupees. In the currency market, the rupee ended at 98.30/98.35 against the dollar, stronger than Tuesday’s close of 98.35/98.40. Overnight rates in the money market rose to 9.50 per cent from Tuesday’s close of 9.40 per cent.

British scientist Robert Edwards, who was awarded a Nobel prize for his pioneering work in developing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), died on Wednesday, April 10, aged 87.—Photo by Reuters LONDON: British scientist Robert Edwards, who leagues.” was awarded a Nobel prize for his pioneering work Edwards spent his career making the dream of having in developing in vitro fertilisation (IVF), died on a baby come true for millions of people worldwide, Wednesday aged 87, his university announced. running into conflict with the Catholic Church and “It is with deep sadness that the family announces fellow scientists on his way. that Professor Sir Robert Edwards, Nobel prizewinHe was awarded the Nobel prize for medicine in 2010, ner, scientist and co-pioneer of IVF, passed away five decades after he began experimenting and long peacefully in his sleep on April 10, 2013 after a long after the birth of the world’s first test-tube baby, illness,” the University of Cambridge said in a stateLouise Brown, in 1978. ment. “He will be greatly missed by family, friends and col-

Sindh Police identified 1150 polling stations as sensitive in the province and asked the election commission to provide extra force.

KARACHI: Sindh Police identified on Wednesday 1150 polling stations as sensitive in the province and asked the election commission to provide extra force for the security of these sensitive polling stations.

A senior police official told Dawn.com that 350 polling stations in Karachi alone have been identified by the police as sensitive and the force is requesting ten policemen and four Rangers personnel to man these polling

stations. The request from Sindh police has come in the wake of a reshuffle in its ranks ordered by the provincial caretaker regime.

The caretaker government is also mulling the option of calling army for the sensitive polling stations but the eventual decision will be taken by the Election Commission ahead of the polling day.

April 11, 2013

Challenges awaiting elected govt

Nasir Jamal

The elections scheduled for May 11 are being regarded as critical for the country’s languishing economy. Will the polls

“Timely parliamentary elections and a stable and credible government are crucial for Pakistan to obtain fresh external funds and

like implementation of tax and power sector reforms and subsidy cuts. “The post-election period should allow the new government to

throw up a stable and credible government to effectively handle the challenges facing the economy? There are no easy

address its dwindling foreign exchange reserves,” said a report, titled, ‘Successful elections are crucial as Pakistan’s balance of payments pressures mount’, published by

take unpopular decisions that a new IMF loan would certainly entail,” the report said.

answers to this question. The economy is confronted with multiple challenges at the moment: slowing growth, growing energy

Many doubt it. “The next elections are going to produce a

Standard & Poor’s ratings services last week.

easy to implement because of their popular opposition. A recent First Capital Equities report on elections has forecast formation of a centreright, pro-investor coalition, which would bring an end to the prevailing political uncertainty in the country. It also lists formation of a counterterrorism policy, revival of growth and economy, formulation of a roadmap to end energy

shortages, drying investment, soaring budget deficit and public debt, rising unemployment and poverty, etc.

shortages, reduction in government borrowing, initiation of privatisation and auction of 3G telecom licenses as immediate tasks

The immediate test for the new government will be, however, to

for the new government.It doesn’t say whether the new government will be able to implement

somehow secure sufficient multilateral funds to shore up its falling foreign exchange reserves and ward off a repeat of 2008 when the

the required reforms. But it notes that, “elections rarely manage to change prevailing economic trends in the medium term”.

rupee depreciated 29 per cent against the dollar in a matter of a

Economist at Standard Chartered

few weeks. The State Bank’s foreign exchange reserves have already dropped to $7.12 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year from $10.15 billion in July on the account of hefty repayments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and drying bilateral and multilateral funds. This is in spite of the release by the United States of coalition support fund (CSF) of about $2 billion, or equal to 0.7 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product), in the first half of the current fiscal year to December. The country has already made more than two-thirds of the repayments (to IMF) of more than $3 billion scheduled for the current financial year. The reserves are feared to drop more rapidly next financial year as the State Bank returns $3.17 billion to the Fund. Financial analysts insist that the country’s reserves held by the central bank (excluding private deposits of over $5 billion) will be squeezed to import cover of less than two months by the end of the first quarter of the next financial year to October. Therefore, the government will have no option but to seek dollars from the IMF to stabilise the reserves.

Bank Sayem Ali believes that timely new elections were critical “Little likely improvement in Pakistan’s trade and capital flows, and the lack of alternative sources of bilateral or multilateral

very fragmented and divided house, even more fragmented than the previous one. It means that none of the three main contenders

funding make it imperative for the country to secure fresh IMF funding to shore up its reserves and boost donor and investor confi-

of power — the PPP, the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) — will be in a position to muster enough votes to form its government without help from other bigger

dence,” said the report. “Securing access to renewed external funding is likely only after a new government takes office following parliamentary

or smaller parties,” noted a political scientist working at the University of Punjab on the

Today, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the average commute time is 82 minutes a day. Toronto’s gridlock is a major issue affecting its reputation and its productivity. There is a pressing need for change. That is not up for debate. But when I listen to the rhetoric around transit investment, I believe that some politicians have made a short-sighted decision to avoid real solutions. But I know that improving our daily commute is not about scoring political points. It’s about ensuring Ontario’s success. And that is my core responsibility as the Premier of this province. I believe the people of this region want to stop fighting about this; they are ready to get moving. But to develop real momentum we have to change the way we talk about these investments.

mentation of the reforms or forming a coalition government would not be easy because of different preferences of different political parties. He warned that tax, power sector and fiscal reforms were crucial to stabilising the sliding economy as well as to prevent the

condition of anonymity.

repeat of the 2008 events. “Any delay in elections and (implementation of) reforms,

elections scheduled for May. It will also require credible plan to correct Pakistan’s un-

“I seriously doubt such a fragmented coalition government will be able to implement

particularly tax and power sector reforms, will be catastrophic for the economy,” he

sustainable fiscal and economic policies,”

tough and unpopular reforms like increasing taxes and cutting subsidies,” he asserted, re-

warned.

the report argues. The rating agency is expecting a new coalition government to be formed in June and a new IMF arrangement to be in place (as early as) in July or August. “This would help stabilise the sovereign ratings of Pakistan (B/Stable/B) at the current level. The ratings could come under downward pressure if the formation of the new government or signing the IMF deal is delayed,” the report warns. The new deal with the IMF is certain to entail some tough and unpopular decisions

minding that the previous PPP-led coalition could not implement the key condition of enforcing value added tax and the $11.3 billion standby arrangement because of opposition from its coalition partners like the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Awami National Party and was forced to terminate the programme prematurely. Even Imran Khan’s PTI and the PML-N had opposed the plan. Even if we rule out a fragmented, coalition setup post-election, he said, no government will find these conditions or reforms

Where investing in transit can take us The first subway line in Toronto opened in 1954, the year after I was born. I still remember riding the subway with my grandmother as a little girl. I was wearing my white gloves because it was a special occasion. Everyone was so excited, so proud.

for the economy because these were taking place at a time when the country immediately needs a bailout package. He, nevertheless, agreed that imple-

We need to bring excitement back to the discussion of public transit, and where it can take us, our children and grandchildren. We have to talk about what we DO want. We want to get to work on time in the morning. We want to get home to our families quickly at the end of the day. Ensuring that Ontario’s largest city can move with ease is important to businesses and industries based here in Toronto, because it will help their employees be more productive and have a better standard of living.

On the political front, 2013 will be remembered as a landmark year in the history of Pakistan: the coalition led by PPP became the first democratically elected government to complete its full term in office, and a new civilian government is poised to take over after the May elections. The next elections are not only important for the continuity of the democratic rule, but, hopefully, for achieving macroeconomic stability and growth.

- By Premier Kathleen Wynne

empt their strategy by talking about what tools they might choose to put forward to the government. But I can tell you generally about what I think needs to happen when it comes to transit investment in the GTHA. And I hope that it will do a lot to show the public that this process will be fair and transparent, and that it’s necessary, too. I believe that the cost of any new revenue must be directly tied to a measurable result.

cluding education and health care is already tightly constrained, the lowest of any province. We need to find dedicated revenue for these projects, because the money cannot be found elsewhere. I am focused on getting people excited about transit and transportation infrastructure again.

People need to know what they are paying for; they need to see where the money is going.

So I will keep talking about what we can achieve for this city, this region, and this great province. I will focus on the positive impact we can make through smart, fair investment.

I also know that this cannot just be about one group of commuters. Contrary to what some people will have you believe, there is no war on cars, or cyclists or transit. We are all fighting for a better way forward.

But I need your help. Let’s tap into the desire for a better commute, cleaner air, a stronger economy. I know the will is there. I know the support exists. And progress will be made. Together we can get this done.

Investing in transit in this region is going to pay off for the whole province.

And so any new tool cannot disproportionately impact one type of commute, but must recognize the strains across the system.

In June, Metrolinx will release its investment strategy to address transit in the GTHA, zeroing in on the shortlist of potential revenue tools it released last week.

When it comes down to it, transit in the GTHA will need tens of billions of dollars over the next twenty years. Our whole provincial budget each year is about $125B.

As Premier of Ontario, I can’t pre-

And our spending on programs in-

And it will help companies outside of Toronto as well, letting them move their products efficiently from one side of this region to the other. It will have a positive impact on our tourism, our natural environment and on the health of the millions of people who call this region home.