Adil Najam

Jansher Khan was the last of the great ‘Squash Khans’ of Pakistan.

He was not the greatest by any stretch; that would have to be either Jehangir or Hashim But he was the last. And as if that wasn’t dubious distinction enough; one can now also say that he is the most disgraced (and disgraceful) too.

Yes, that picture above is Jansher Khan being hauled to the jail by Peshawar police (read on, it gets more interesting).

I met Jansher a number of times in my journalism days, but I never liked him. The self-styled ‘bad boy of squash’ was never as endearing to me. He was arrogant, he was misbehaved, he was ill-tempered, and most importantly he was everything that my great squash hero (Jehangir Khan) was not. Jehangir Khan was charming, humble, and – above all – a gentleman. Jehangir was also, quite easily, the superior player even though it was Jansher was the one that dethroned him.

But I am getting ahead of the story here, so let me just quote from Dawn (15 July, 2006) to explain the essentials.

Former world squash champion Jansher Khan, his brother-in-law and four others were sent to prison on Friday by the court of judicial magistrate Ziaur Rehman. Jansher Khan and his brother-in-law Mahboob Khan were arrested on Thursday after an additional and sessions judge dismissed their pre-arrest bail petitions in a case of trespass and attack on a woman. Four rivals of Jansher Khan � Abdul Shakoor, a retired air force official, and his nephews Kamran, Arif and Asif � were also sent to the prison by the judicial magistrate. Jansher Khan had accused them of attacking him.

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By S A J Shirazi

The twin villages Ucchali and Dhadhar are the place to be for those who seek happiness in being close to the raw nature and to find the most alluring and fascinating places off the beaten track.

To travel as a person interested in nature (as if there were other ways to travel) is to have regrets these days. More and more that one would like to have seen is – inevitably, inexorably – already gone. But there are, of course, many such places out there. Only one has to find them. The surroundings of these two quaint villages are examples: a complex of three lakes recognized as International Ramsar Site, hills in the background, tall grass, walking trails, and wonderful people. The lakes are picturesque with their foliage of different kinds of towering grasses, their meadows of floating lotus leaves, their myriads of waterfowl of diverse species. In seasons when lotus and grass come into bud, the lakes present an exquisite appearance, as the water surface along the shore and marshy patches are covered with an unbroken succession of flowers and leaves.

I have travelled to, and through, many places but Ucchali Complex, as the three lakes are called, have something for, or do something to, me every time I am there. Every one who visits this place can have the pleasure.

Adil Najam

I am not sure how ATP readers will react to this, but let me say that I have been totally mesmerized by this music and have had it on auto-repeat play for the last three days.

But, first let me thank Zeeshan Suhail, on whose blog I found this wonderful fusion/jazz band called Brook’s Qawwali Party (BQP).

BQP produces a captivating sound based on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s classic works and turn it into a unique and peculiar fusion of sufi qawalli rhythyms and jazz. But I will let them explain what they and their music is about. According to the BQP webpage (since unavailable):

What would happen if New York jazz musicians were to play and improvise around the melodies of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan? From this idea, Brook’s Qawwali Party was born. BQP consists of fourteen musicians: five horns, three percussionists, guitar, acoustic bass, harmonium and three designated clappers. The exuberant sound of BQP has been enthusiastically welcomed in New York City and across the globe.

According to Sepia Mutiny “Brook’s Qawwali Party is … made up of non-desi Brooklynites who get together in Park Slope… [they are] probably one of the only Sufi bands with Jewish members in existence.”

Of the half dozen audio clips that I have heard, my favorite is ‘Beh Haadh Ramza Dhasdha’ (He Manifests Himself in Many Forms)

I am a big fan of the original by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (in the album Shahbaaz) — I believe it is a tribute to Mansoor Hallaj shouting Ana al Haqq, even as he is executed on the gallows.