Adil Najam

Sometimes a picture says itself all that needs to be said.

This one does so on the billboard at the back of the guy in this traditional Siri Paye (should we say, ‘Head and Hooves’; someone please help me with the proper English term for this!) shop in Lakshmi Chowk, Lahore. Here is what the board says:

Main Text:
Desi bakray kay atum bumm Sri Paaye.

Other Text:
Aik baar khao gay, baar baar aoo gay!
Behtareen masaalouN say tayar shodda!
Amritsar waalouN ki fakhriya peshkash!

So, you have a Pakistani bill board, mentioning Atom Bombs, Amritsar, and the heads and hooves of a severed animal! The results, one might guess, must be ‘Politically Delicious!’

Is comparing food to Atom Bombs really the best way to attract customers?

Adil Najam

The recent sacking of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudhry, has ignited passions all over the Pakistani blogistan. That is not surprising. What is remarkable is the consensus in opinion and outrage that seems to be universal (including in the results of our ATP Quick Poll).

As I read the hundreds of comments posted all across the Pakistani blogistan, it is also striking how many times people have invoked poetry as a way to express their strongly held feelings and heartfelt emotions. As always it is in Faiz Ahmed Faiz that people find the most comfort and solace. My own favorite – hum daikhain gay – has been repeatedly invoked; so has nisaar mein teri galiyoun mein and aaj bazaar mein pabajolaaN chalo. Another great favorite of mine – kuch sanoo maran da shouq vi see; this from Munir Niazi – has also been mentioned.

I am, however, always surprised that we do not hear more of Ahmed Faraz’s poetry in these discussions. From what one can fathom, the sacked Chief Justice may not be the ‘perfect hero’ that poets commemorate, but I imagine that sitting under guard as he is he may well reading Faraz right now and feeling the intensity of at least some of the verses.

This is particularly so for the poem ‘Mohassra’, which is probably Faraz’s most prominent political poem (written during the Zia years):

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry may also find some solace in Ahmad Faraz’s Qaid-i-Tanhai. The additional verses at the end of this video clip seem equally pertinent.

Owais Mughal

We hope that you have already voted in our opinion poll on Cricket World Cup here. Following is the second in series of our World Cup specials.

Probably an an old news now but if you have not heard about it yet then on March 7, there was a fire scare at the hotel where Pakistan and South Africa’s cricket teams were staying. The photo below is from AFP and it shows Pakistan’s cricket team sitting on the side walk after getting evacuated from the hotel in Trinidad.

While we are all glad that no one was hurt, there are few statements from the players which I enjoyed very much and want to share.