Highlights of the January 2008 issue
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Between the Lines
By Idrees Bakhtiar
We were busy, racing against time, preparing the next issue of the
Herald, when the news of a bomb blast near Benazir Bhutto’s car in
Rawalpindi was aired by television channels. Initially people were not
interested, even snubbing someone who pointed out the killing of 15
people in the suicide hit. “There are crises galore already on our
hands,” someone on the staff disinterestedly remarked.
The magazine had to be sent for printing, after all. Then everything
changed — all of a sudden, unexpectedly, as the news of unspeakable
horror came, leaving everyone in a state of disbelief. A state that
continues to overpower us, even today, as people continue to say that
it is difficult to believe that she has died. In fact, what we are
voicing is our wish that she should not have died.
.
After Benazir
By Muhammad Badar Alam
Those who assassinated Benazir Bhutto on December 27 must be sure that they
have done much more than kill an individual or the leader of the biggest
political party in the country or even its future prime minister. There are
some loud and clear signals that their act has jeopardised the very
stability and integrity of the country. If not handled cautiously and
carefully the situation that arose in much of the country generally, but
more specifically in Sindh, might degenerate into what the enemies of
Pakistan are looking for: one political party fighting bloody battles
against another, one ethnic community targeting the other and one federating
unit pitched against the rest. Or worse still, it could bring all against
all, shaking the very foundations of the national polity.
By Ayesha Siddiqa
Since deposing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the GHQ has always accepted the Pakistan Peoples Party when it considered the alliance beneficial or unavoidable — in both 1988 and the mid-1990s
It was on the morning of December 27 that I was discussing with a friend why
the phenomenon of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) could not be recreated in
the country. That very evening, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. My heart
sunk at the news. That she was controversial could not detract from the fact
that her death is a national catastrophe. Indeed, towards the end of her
life there were many, including her party workers, who questioned her
decision to tie a knot with the military establishment and its
representative, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. This was a questionable
decision because she was seen as cosying up to the forces that were
uncomfortable with her father’s PPP. However, for the moment, this debate
has gone into the background, overshadowed by a greater tragedy.
By Muhammad Badar Alam
How much Benazir Bhutto was driven by a sense of destiny and how much was
she the product of the peculiar circumstances of her life is a question for
historians to answer. But if any conclusion can be drawn from the story of
her life it is that she managed to hang on to her destiny even when she was
initially thrust by the not-so-mundane realities of her life into it and
even though the practical problems of everyday life kept dodging – and
sometimes tripping – her in her larger-than-life endeavours.
By Talat Aslam
The wedding of the year has done wonders for Benazir Bhutto’s image. Two years ago, she was being compared to Cory Aquino; today, with a little help from media friends and foes, she has become Lady Di. Little wonder the government can rest in peace...
A young woman flies into the lion’s den on April 10, 1986 to a reception
that few who witnessed it will easily forget. A bruised nation, from which
all hope has been systematically drained, responds spontaneously to the
courageous woman who returns home to proclaim that the people’s suffering is
about to end.
A young woman steps on to the dais on December 18, 1987 to address a massive
crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of their leader as bride. The same carnival
atmosphere prevails. The same songs resound in the night air. The same
scenes of frenzied enthusiasm can be seen. But where has all the hope
disappeared? And why are those who spent sleepless nights in the days when
she took the country by storm, sleeping soundly in their beds, or more
poignantly, rubbing shoulders with the beaming bride on the fairy-lit dais?
By Quddus Mirza
There are many memories of Gulgee which one can recall, but the most
recurring one is that of an enthusiastic old man, full of energy and
very hospitable. Not one to shun people, he would welcome everyone with
his broad smile, discuss his work, and give advice to young artists who
sought it. As a painter who had dedicated his life to art, he was a role
model for students, young artists and contemporaries alike. I did not
have the privilege to have interacted extensively with him, but I tried
to visit or call him whenever I was in Karachi. He was, by nature, a
warm person, who certainly did not deserve the ignoble end he met.
The should-have-been Most underrated films of 2007
By Mira Hashmi
“Underdog”, “dark horse” — what’s with the animal analogies when it comes to
people n’ things that push their way up from the rear and then proceed to
leave all agog? Perhaps it’s the fact that we regularly underestimate our
furry friends, nonchalantly booting them about only to have them have the
last laugh by turning around and kicking us. Or perhaps it’s because
“underwoman” and “dark strapping young man” would just have totally
different connotations. Whatever the reason, the fact is everybody loves
little David who sneakily comes along and beats Goliath at his own game. In
the world of cinema too, many a time it’s the no-frills, no-stars
shoestringers that walk away with the plaudits, leaving showier,
muscle-bound contraptions with egg on their face. Here are some of 2007’s
finest underrated flicks...
The would - be Most overrated films of 2007
By Mira Hashmi
Then there were the contenders that came in with a lot of big talk and
blather, star pedigree and pockets spewing the big green ones. But somebody
should’ve reminded them that gargantuan budgets and internet blogathon
hullabaloo doesn’t necessarily mean a successful piece of work. They either
went belly up at the box office or were savaged by critics. Here are the
2007’s sob stories...