Adil Najam

I had first thought of making this another ATP photo-quiz but given previous ATP blogposts, it would have been too easy. So, no mystery this time. Just surprise!

Yes, this is Lyari, Karachi. Where identity and pride of identity cannot be separated from football. They may not have much under their roofs, but on top of the roof they fly with pride the emblem of team they identify with. This is an entirely merit-based sense of identity. They identify with the game, with the skills, with the style, and above all with the passion. Hence, the flags you see. And do not see! Ronaldo, in case you are listening: this may be your biggest fan anywhere in the world!

Thanks to Adnan Siddiqi’s blog, from where I picked up these pictures; he got them from Jang Online Urdu Edition.

Adil Najam

The honorable Chaudhry Mohammad Wasi Zafar–formerly of the PPP and now a PML(Q) elected member of the Pakistan Parliament from NA-76, Faisalabad (Zafarwal, Chak No.562 GB, Tehsil Jaranwala)–seems to be a passionate man, rather quick of temper, and always ready to ‘defend’ his democratic right to be abusive. In doing so, he has sometimes been known to take the law in his own hands (literally)… and he can; after all, he is Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights.

Now, it seems that the ISI is after him (thanks to Watandost for pointing me here). I am not sure how to react. On the one hand, someone should look into the Minister’s temper tantrums. On the other hand, the ISI has no business whatsoever doing this (haven’t they messed enough with our politics already!). Supposedly, the Prime Minister has tried once, but obviously was not persuasive.

But lets start from the beginning. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, there were compelling circumstances in each case. But the news trail does seem to build up. Here is a sampling:

On 29 October, 2004, The Nation reported that “the Senate witnessed unprecedented uproar Thursday when Raza Rabbani-led opposition members and Minister for Law and Justice Wasi Zafar entered a verbal scuffle and used abusive language against each other over the consideration of the uniform bill forcing the Chair to adjourn the session…”:

The uproar erupted when the opposition started chanting loud slogans against Law Minister Wasi Zafar who was speaking on the floor about the consideration of the bill uniform. The slogans infuriated the minister who also retailed [sic] in the same way. Meanwhile, Raza Rabbani and Wasi Zafar started direct exchange of harsh words…. The law minister left his seat and rushed to the opposition benches after having a verbal clash with ARD parliamentary leader in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani… The situation got very tense when the minister and opposition members came eyeball to eyeball abusing each other and pointing fists. Some of the treasury and opposition members including Leader of the House Wasim Sajjad, Mushahid Hussain and Shahzad Waseem tried to quash the verbal brawl but the situation remained uncontrolled.

Then, on April 12, 2005, The Nation again reported on the Minister’s tantrums, this time in discussing the Gujranwalla Marathon race, where “Law Minister Wasi Zafar and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, entered into serious verbal clash in National Assembly after they reportedly abused each other at House Business Advisory Committee meeting.” Reportedly the exchange of abuse was very colorful in teh choice of gaalian.

Adil Najam

This installment of the ATP photo-quiz features someone decidedly pretier and nicer than the folks featured in the last one.

I am guessing this one is not too difficult either. Many woudl be able to reognize at least one of these ladies immediaetly. However, a liitle googling may be required to figure out the other. But more interestingly, do you know where they are, what they are doing, and when this was taken?

P.S. The first ATP photo-quiz went very well. Thank you all. Yes, it was Gen. Yahya Khan, then President of Pakistan visiting US President Richard Nixon in the White House. Thanks Suleman for identifying him, and HH for figuring out the date… 25 October, 1970 (how did you do that!). Things soon went on the downward slide for both men (Yahya and Nixon, not Suleman and HH!) soon after that.