The arrival of James Dean and Marlon Brando in the 1950s in
films such as Rebel Without a Cause and The Wild One heralded a new kind
of cinematic idol. He was the ‘angry young man’ a brooding type with a
propensity to explode into sudden bursts of anger. His character became
even more complex by the presence of bottled-up emotional
vulnerabilities which he carried as a burden. He was a contradictory
character with the good intentions of the conventional hero but
(simultaneously) exhibiting an ambiguous ethical disposition.
The
character became an immediate draw, especially among the youth who
vented their frustrations against the sterile socio-political conformity
imposed by the American post-war establishment through him. The
cinematic angry young man symbolised the tumultuous underbelly of
suburban serenity.
In Bollywood, the cinematic angry
young man did not arrive until 1973’s Zanjeer, starring Amitabh
Bachchan. His role was of a brooding cop prone to bursts of anger which
saw him undermine the system by bypassing the apathy of the bureaucracy
and the police, and taking on the villains on his own terms.
Amitabh’s character in Zanjeer was a way for the audience to vent their
own resentments, especially against the degenerating law and order
situation and the rising political and economic corruption in India in
the 1970s.
The new-age angry young man can be seen storming TV talk-shows and political rallies, specially those covered by news channels
And even though Bollywood’s angry young man would continue
in this vein across the 1970s and early 1980s, his character in films,
no matter how menacing, intense and angry, was always about a
conscientious entity up against crooked individuals, never the state
itself.
Indian film critic and author Nikhat Kazmi, in
her book Ire In The Soul, suggests that even though the worsening
political and economic situation in India in the 1970s and the lack of
any political leader who clearly articulated the pitfalls of the
situation inspired the creation of Bollywood’s angry young man, he might
just have been created by the Indian state itself.
In
other words, popular ‘angry young man’ films were never about masses of
people rising up against state institutions. Instead, the films were
about a renegade individual getting rid of the rotten apples who were
spoiling a system that was otherwise okay. The system was never blamed.
Only individuals were.
So Amitabh’s angry-young-man
roles were weaved more as an instrument of collective catharsis, rather
than as exemplary cinematic motifs of mass revolution.
By the 1980s, however, Bollywood’s angry young man character started to
seem rather irrelevant in India’s shifting sociology, politics and
economics.
Strangely, till the late 1970s, heroes in
Pakistani cinema remained rather straight-arrowed and conventional,
apart from Nadeem’s character in the ‘socialist’ film Har Gaya Insaan
(1973).
All this began to change from 1975 onward when,
due to the Z.A. Bhutto regime’s haphazard nationalisation policies and
his growing autocratic tendencies, the country’s politics and economics
began to come under severe stress.
It was, thus, in
1979’s Maula Jat that Pakistani cinema first witnessed the creation of
its very own angry young man. He was played by the late Sultan Rahi.
Rahi’s character was quite unlike that of Bollywood’s angry-young-man.
Whereas Amitabh’s roles in this context were street-smart, brooding and
ideologically-charged, Rahi’s role was that of a man steeped in the
rugged and earthy myths of honour and revenge in rural Pakistan.
Maula Jat’s theme of an angry young man in a Punjabi village taking on
cruel feudal lords and eventually his main nemesis — the cool,
calculated psychopath Noori Nath — went down well with audiences to whom
these villains symbolised the uncaring and exploitative
‘establishment.’
When hordes of working-class
Pakistanis and peasants started venturing into cinemas to watch the
film, the Zia dictatorship stepped in and demanded the director re-cut
certain scenes of violence from the film.
According to
the film’s producer, Sarwar Bhatti, this happened because Gen Zia’s
regime — which had by then established a working relationship with
various anti-Bhutto members of Punjab’s landed elite — was alarmed by
the film’s ‘anti-establishment’ tone.
But by the late
1980s, just as Bollywood’s angry young men had become unintentional
self-parodies, so did Rahi’s roles. They became disconnected with the
changing political and economic dynamics of a transforming society.
Economic liberalism had unleashed an unprecedented streak of consumerism
in both India and Pakistan and their film heroes became either
sanitised consumer brands, or untouchable and implausible superheroes.
But
the new urban middle-class prosperity had an underbelly as well. This
time it was the frustrations of a class which had gained economic
mobility but felt that its aspirations to achieve political power were
being blocked. The manifestation of this particular frustration did not
come in the shape of a new version of the angry young man. Rather, it
did produce one, just not on the silver screen, but on the political
podium!
The new angry young man has emerged on TV
talk-shows and in political rallies, specifically those covered by TV
news channels. Imran Khan in Pakistan and Arvind Kejriwal in India are
prime examples. They are real flesh-and-blood men (though not very
young). But as angry political entities brilliantly utilising the media,
they are largely scripted characters and acts written by the
circumstances of an urban class which wants to vent the political
frustrations which betray their economic wellbeing.
Narendra
Modi too represents the same. But instead of being cast as the angry
young man, he has been scripted (by the same class), as the new
Bollywood hero: the superman.
KARACHI: In what appeared to be an attempt to take advantage
of the ongoing crisis within Karachi’s dominant political party,
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Tuesday lambasted Muttahida
Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain for his last month’s vitriolic
speech, but assured the Urdu-speaking community that he would always
stand with them as “being a Mohajir is not an insult”.
The
MQM has been in the throes of a serious crisis following the Aug 22
anti-Pakistan speech of Mr Hussain. The Karachi-based leadership had
already severed ties with him and has been running the show from here.
Mr
Khan, who arrived here on Monday evening, used harsh terms at his
party’s Pakistan Zindabad rally at Nishtar Park to describe the MQM’s
“reign of terror” in Karachi.
PTI to march towards Raiwand on 24th
The event was held amid high security and with extra
measures to protect the women sitting towards the right side of the
stage. The usual fervour, which earned the PTI a majority of supporters
from Karachi in the 2013 general elections, was missing this time
around. It was evident from the half-empty ground.
Patriotic
rhetoric and MQM-bashing replaced the usual fervour as one after the
other PTI members raised slogans of Long Live Pakistan with Mr Khan,
criticising the MQM supremo for “wreaking havoc in Pakistan”.
The
PTI chief began his speech at around 10.30pm by criticising Mr Hussain,
saying that a citizen of the United Kingdom was wreaking havoc in
Pakistan and despite his anti-Pakistan slogans no concrete action had
been taken against him.
He said that Mr Hussain “should
be the last person to speak about Pakistan being a centre of terrorism,
as he has contributed a lot to it by working along with Indian spy
agency RAW”.
Referring to a meeting with journalists
belonging to the Hindustan Times in 2003, he said that they told him
that the MQM supremo was working for the Indian intelligence agency.
Speaking
about the murder of slain MQM chairman Azeem Tariq in 1993, he alleged
that an insecure Mr Hussain got him murdered as he was far more educated
and informed individual.
Assuring the Urdu-speaking community of his support, he said, “Being a Mohajir is not an insult. You are not alone.”
The
PTI chief said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “is accused of a bigger
crime and that is of corruption which was revealed through the Panama
Papers leaks but the focus shifted from it”.
He
announced that he will lead a public march towards Raiwind on Sept 24,
adding that PM Sharif has “taken over institutions and needs to be
countered”.
Addressing the courts, he said that what
other way the PTI should seek to counter corruption, money laundering
and tax evasion practised by the Sharif family.
He also congratulated the Pakistan army for “protecting the state against terrorism”.
TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif accused Saudi authorities of “bigoted extremism” late
Tuesday in an increasingly bitter war of words over Iran's exclusion
from this year's Haj.
Javad Zarif was responding to a
claim by Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz
al-Sheikh, that Iranians were "not Muslims".
"Indeed, no
resemblance between Islam of Iranians and most Muslims, and [the]
bigoted extremism that Wahhabi top cleric and Saudi terror masters
preach," Zarif tweeted.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei was due to meet later on Wednesday with the families of
some of the more than 400 Iranian victims of a stampede that killed
nearly 2,300 pilgrims at last year's Haj.
He published a scathing open letter on Monday, accusing the Saudis of failing to protect pilgrims.
"The
hesitation and failure to rescue the half-dead and injured people... is
also obvious and incontrovertible. They murdered them," he wrote.
For
the first time in almost three decades, Iranians have been blocked from
the annual pilgrimage to Islam's holiest places in Saudi Arabia after
the regional rivals failed to agree on safety and logistical issues.
That has sparked acrimonious exchanges ahead of the start of the Haj on Saturday.
Khamenei
described the Saudi royal family as "small and puny Satans who tremble
for fear of jeopardising the interests of the Great Satan (the United
States)”, and called on the Muslim world to end its management of the
Haj.
The grand mufti responded on Tuesday, telling the
Makkah daily: "We must understand these are not Muslims, they are
children of Magi and their hostility towards Muslims is an old one."
"Magi"
was a reference to the Zoroastrian religion that was prevalent in Iran
before Islam, and is sometimes used as an insult against Iranians.
Iran and Saudi Arabia often vie for regional dominance, backing rival sides in conflicts from Syria to Yemen.
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama made history on
Tuesday by nominating for the first time a Muslim to serve as a federal
judge.
Abid Riaz Qureshi, an American national of
Pakistani origin, has been nominated to the US District Court in the
District of Columbia, The Huffington Post reported.
“I am pleased to nominate Qureshi to serve on the United States District Court bench,” Obama said in a statement. “I am confident he will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
Qureshi,
born in Pakistan, received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University
in 1977 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1997. He has been
partner at a Latham and Watkins, a law firm based in Washington DC since
2006, leading their pro bono efforts since 2012, reported
The National Law Journal.
President Obama’s nomination has been hailed as a milestone by Muslim advocacy groups.
“I
commend President Obama for taking this important step in continuing to
pick the best and brightest from every community to serve as part of
our nation’s judiciary,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of
Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy organisation.
"A
judiciary that reflects the rich diversity of our nation helps ensure
the fair and just administration of the law, and it is vital for
American Muslims to be included. Mr. Qureshi’s profound commitment to
the rule of law and justice for people of all backgrounds makes him an
exceptional nominee.”
The nomination comes towards the
end of Obama’s final term in office and in the midst of a
racially-charged election campaign in the country.
The
success of Qureshi’s nomination remains uncertain, however. With just
months left in Obama’s term, Senate Republicans have virtually stopped
confirming his judicial picks.
But the nomination does
carry symbolic value for judicial diversity in a campaign in which
Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has expressed insecurities
regarding fair treatment by a Muslim judge.
Trump said it is "absolutely possible" that he would receive unfair treatment if a Muslim came to serve as federal judge.
On a recent visit to the mountain resort of Nathia Gali in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), I clambered up the narrow and steep path to
the Lalazaar Wildlife Park to revisit the snow leopard being kept in
captivity there.
I was attending a workshop on climate
change organised by the Heinrich Boll Foundation based in Islamabad with
a group of journalists interested in environmental reporting.
The last time I was there in 2012, I wrote a blog piece "Snow Leopard in a Birdcage"
in which I had criticised the local wildlife department for not feeding
the snow leopard properly and for housing it in a small enclosure meant
for pheasants, causing injury to the animal.
I had hoped things would change for the better for the male snow leopard named Sohni or Sundar.
Promises
were made of shifting him to a larger, purpose-built enclosure and
there was plenty of talk of money being allocated for it by the
provincial government.
Four years on, the only thing that had improved for Sohni was that his birdcage had grown in size.
He looked bored but otherwise healthy as he sat atop his shed looking at us lazily in the cool, summer evening.
Sohni has been living in a birdcage for the past six years. Photo provided by the author
The sun was setting yet hundreds of tourists were still trekking up to Lalazaar.
But not everyone was happy about what they saw.
One
lady, who had brought her three children to see Sohni, was disappointed
after finding out that the snow leopard was kept in such cramped
conditions.
She didn't think it was worth trekking up and told me her children felt really bad for Sohni.
Sohni's
past is certainly more colourful than his present. Shahbaz Sharif’s
eldest son, Hamza Sharif, allegedly acquired the snow leopard cub from a
source in Central Asia illegally.
The Convention on the
International Trade against Endangered Species, to which Pakistan is a
signatory, bans the trade of endangered animals.
Sharif kept the cub in his house for six months in nearby Doonga Gali, where it was reportedly taken care of and fed well.
But
six years ago, WWF-Pakistan learnt about Sohni being kept in illegal
captivity and approached Sharif, convincing him to hand the animal over
to a local zoo to avoid bad publicity.
This is how Sohni ended up in the Lalazar Wildlife Park.
I
had hoped that the environmentally inclined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI) government would do more for Sohni after coming to power in the
2013. But so far, there has not been any action taken to improve his
lot.
As one friend recently quipped, “perhaps you should
tell the PTI that it’s a political defection from the Noon League and
they might do something about it!”
Experts say that only around 3,500 to 7,000 wild snow leopards remain in the mountain regions of Central Asia, including the 200 or so in the mountain ranges of Pakistan. In addition, there are between 600 and 700 snow leopards in zoos around the world.
In
Pakistan, there are currently two snow leopards in captivity: Sohni and
a female snow leopard Lovely, also known as Lolly, in Gilgit-Baltistan
(GB).
Lovely was found in December 2012 by local villagers in the nearby Khunjerab National Park after being abandoned by her mother.
The
villagers say the injured six-month-old cub was deserted by her mother
when the cub failed to cross a river in Khunjerab with her.
Snow
leopard cubs cannot survive in the wild once taken from their mothers
because it is their mothers who teach them how to hunt.
The wildlife department of GB was alerted by the
villagers and the cub was moved to a rehabilitation centre in Sust, the
closest town near the Khunjerab National Park.
The centre
has a small wire mesh cage with a flimsy notice put up by the Park and
Wildlife Division Hunza-Nagar, urging visitors not to give the animal
“any food or other items without the prior permission of the wildlife
authority”.
Unfortunately, the snow leopard was treated
so poorly in the last few years that she currently suffers from
malnutrition and sits listlessly in her cage, barely switching her tail.
Dr Ali Nawaz of the Snow Leopard Foundation in Pakistan has been actively trying to do something positive for Lovely.
The
organisation has designed and raised funds to construct a purpose-built
enclosure for her up in the picturesque Naltar valley, which should be
open to public soon.
He told me that by the end of
August this year, they would be shifting the female snow leopard to the
enclosure, which they have designed in accordance with international
standards.
They will then hand the centre over to the GB government to run it.
While Lovely has a bright future, what about poor Sohni stuck in Lalazaar?
So
far, Dr Nawaz has not been asked to develop a new enclosure for Sohni
but he is ready to provide technical support should the government ask.
Every
winter when it snows in Nathia Gali, Sohni is sent down to Abbottabad.
Dr Nawaz told me that it must be stressful for the animal. He said it
would be better to shift the snow leopard to its natural habitat.
As
for any suggestion to house both Sohni and Lovely in the same enclosure
in order to encourage breeding, Dr Nawaz is against such a proposition.
They can barely take care of these two — imagine the headache if there
were more.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran
Khan has accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of offering an extension
and a promotion to Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif because “he is
afraid of the army”.
In his post-midnight address to a
rally in the capital on Sunday, Mr Khan said, in so many words: “The
prime minister is repeatedly asking the army chief to take an extension
and become a field marshal because he fears him; [PM Sharif] has all
other institutions under his control.”
His claim came as
the capital was rife with rumours that the army chief might be promoted
to the rank of field marshal, in recognition of his success in leading
Operation Zarb-i-Azb.
Information minister dismisses claim
According to some quarters, the offer was made, but Gen
Sharif refused to accept it and decided to stick to his earlier decision
of retiring as per schedule, on Nov 29 this year.
In
January, when social media was abuzz with talk about a possible
extension for the army chief, Gen Sharif had come out with an
unequivocal statement, saying: “I do not believe in extension(s) and
will retire on the due date.”
Information Minister
Pervaiz Rashid said: “The PTI chief is known for making such
irresponsible statements,” adding that until Mr Khan revealed the source
of his information about the prime minister’s purported offer, “How can
I respond to this assertion that is based on rumours?”
A
security official told Dawn that the army chief had already announced
his decision to retire on time and only the government could explain the
rumours that had been doing the rounds over the past few weeks.
“As
far as a decision regarding an extension or promotion for the army
chief is concerned, it can only be made by the prime minister,” the
official said.
In his speech, the PTI chairman predicted
that the next Aug 14 would be the “real independence day”, when the
country would be free from the clutches of the current ruling elite who
had deprived the masses of education, health and other basic facilities
over the years.
“They win elections through fraud and
then make money in connivance with corrupt government officials as there
is no one to check them,” he alleged.
He also came down
hard on the National Accountability Bureau, saying that it only acted
against minor criminals. “Those who loot the country appoint a Federal
Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman and bring in people of their own choice
to the Election Commission to manage elections.”
Overseas
Pakistanis were willing to come back and invest in the country, but
because of rampant corruption they preferred destinations like Dubai and
Malaysia, he said.
In contrast, Mr Khan said, a minister
had been arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the father of a member
of the KP Assembly had been sent behind bars by the provincial
accountability department. “One must ask the FBR why it doesn’t act
against those named in the Panama Papers.”
Imran Khan also accused two FBR officials — Dr Irshad and Amjad Tiwana — of ‘fixing’ the tax records of the Sharif family.
Challenging
the democratic credentials of the Sharif brothers, the PTI chairman
said those who were “spoon-fed politics by military dictators, took
money from the ISI and even attacked the Supreme Court” were now giving
him sermons on democracy.
He supported the military
establishment’s assertion that the National Action Plan (NAP) against
terrorism couldn’t achieve the desired results because the government
had failed to fulfil its commitments about NAP.
Mr Khan
said the federal government had failed to bring reforms to the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas, or streamline seminaries.
NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan continued their wordy duel on
Sunday, with one side underscoring the importance of Jammu and Kashmir
to its existence and the other pouring scorn about alleged terrorism
emanating from its neighbourhood.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit made a series of comments about independence of Kashmir.
“As
far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we dedicate this independence
day to the independence of Kashmir,” Mr Basit said at the flag-hoisting
ceremony at the mission on Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Indian reports claimed his comments came within hours of “two ceasefire violations and a terror attack in Kashmir’s Poonch”.
Basit says political aspirations of Kashmiris cannot be suppressed
The Indian side used the opportunity to change the focus.
“India and others in the region have already received enough of
Pakistan’s trademark exports — international terrorism, cross-border
infiltrators, weapons, narcotic and fake currency,” alleged a statement
from the external affairs ministry, citing an “apparent” Pakistani
proposal to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir.
Two days
ago, Pakistan had suggested an exclusive dialogue with India on Kashmir
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Azad Kashmir belonged to
India.
The Indian premier had said the foreign ministry
should get in touch with expatriates from Azad Kashmir, gather
information from them on “the pitiable condition in the region and let
the global community know about it”.
At the
flag-hoisting ceremony, Mr Basit stressed that political aspirations of
the people of India-held Kashmir could not be suppressed, nor could
anyone belittle or wish away their legitimate struggle, according to APP
news agency.
He called upon the international community
to ensure implementation of the relevant UN resolutions in order to
settle the longstanding Kashmir dispute.
The high
commissioner said Pakistan would continue to extend its full diplomatic,
political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the people of Pakistan were united in their
efforts to overcome internal and external challenges and thwart all
conspiracies aimed at destabilising the country.
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on
Monday granted bail to Axact Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shoaib Shaikh
and 13 others in the fake degrees case.
Justice Iqbal Kalhoro approved the bail plea against a surety bond of Rs500,000 each after hearing arguments from both parties.
All those granted bail in the case have been in custody for the past 15 months.
Lawyer
for Axact, Shaukat Hayat, argued during the hearing that the Federal
Investigation Agency (FIA) and the prosecution had been employing
delaying tactics, pointing out that the accused have not been indicted
thus far – despite a lapse of 15 months.
Hayat claimed
there had been no headway in the case to legitimise his stance that the
accused were entitled for bail, especially since his clients had no
criminal record or allegations of involvement in terrorism.
The
Axact scandal surfaced in May last year when The New York Times
published a report that claimed the company sold fake diplomas and
degrees online through hundreds of fictitious schools, making “tens of
millions of dollars annually”. Subsequently the offices of Axact were
sealed, its CEO and key officials were arrested and a probe was launched
on the basis of the allegations leveled by NYT.
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi took aim at what he called supporters of “terrorism” in his
Independence Day speech on Monday, ratcheting up criticism of Pakistan
while avoiding direct mention of month-long protests in Indian-held
Kashmir.
Modi also pitched a vision of national unity
and progress in his third annual address from the ramparts of the Red
Fort in Delhi that, at 94 minutes, was the longest delivered by the
65-year-old leader.
Yet it was a broadside against
Pakistan that left the strongest impression in a speech that otherwise
skirted foreign affairs and focused on his government's own
achievements.
“What kind of life is this, inspired by
terrorism? What kind of government setup is it that is inspired by
terrorism?” asked Modi, who delivered the open-air address amid a
security lockdown in the Indian capital.
“The world will know about it and that's sufficient for me.”
The Indian PM went aggressively further in a diatribe against Pakistan.
"People of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them," said Modi in his Monday address.
Modi also said that Indians "also cried" when children in Peshawar were killed in the APS attack in December 2014.
"This is our nature, but look at the other side. They glorify terrorists."
As
Modi spoke, two gunmen attacked a police station in Indian-held
Kashmir, wounding six reservists. The army also claimed it had foiled an
attempt to infiltrate two 'militants' from Pakistan into north Kashmir,
killing both.
Kashmir has witnessed violent protests
since a July 8 encounter in which the security forces eliminated a
commander of militant group Hizbul Mujahideen. At least 54 people have
been killed and thousands hurt in clashes with the security forces.
Modi met national party leaders on Friday to seek ways to end the worst unrest in Kashmir since 2010.
Report card
In keeping with earlier speeches, Modi delivered a report
card on efforts to improve the lot of ordinary Indians, reeling off
achievements in rural electrification, financial inclusion and health
provision.
He strongly backed the fight against
inflation, endorsing a 4 per cent target, within a range of 2 percentage
points either way, agreed with Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram
Rajan.
He barely mentioned his government's latest ─ and
arguably most significant ─ reform achievement: the passage of a key
amendment that clears the way for the introduction of a Goods and
Services Tax (GST) next year.
He said only that the GST
would “give strength” to the economy, while thanking opposition parties
that, after a drawn-out battle, had come on board to pass the amendment
unanimously through both houses of parliament.
The GST
would unite India's $2 trillion economy and 1.3 billion people into a
single market for the first time and, its backers say, boost economic
growth and job creation that Modi needs to win a second term at the 2019
general election.
The tradition of delivering the
annual address from the steps of the 17th-century Red Fort from where
Mughal kings ruled Delhi for two centuries dates back to Jawaharlal
Nehru's historic “tryst with destiny” speech of 1947.
Modi,
despite a barnstorming campaign that carried him to the biggest
electoral landslide in three decades in 2014, has so far failed to touch
the rhetorical heights achieved by India's first prime minister.
But,
sporting a red, pink and yellow turban, he did indulge in some
trademark wordplay to say that India was moving from “swaraj”, or self
rule in Hindi, to “suraj”, or good governance.
"One society, one dream, one resolution, one destiny ─ we proceed in this direction," he said.
LONDON: Leicester's Premier League title
defence got off to an embarrassing start as the champions crashed to 2-1
defeat at troubled Hull in the season opener on Saturday.
Just
three months after their astonishing title triumph, Claudio Ranieri's
side were brought back down to earth by a team whose preparations for
the new campaign were marred by the resignation of manager Steve Bruce
and their failure to sign a single player.
Adama
Diomande gave Hull a first-half lead before Riyad Mahrez brought
Leicester level with a penalty shortly after the interval.
Robert
Snodgrass drove in the winner 12 minutes into the second half as a team
in crisis on and off the pitch became the first to beat the defending
English champions on opening day since Manchester United defeated
Arsenal in 1989.
Hull have approached the season in a
state of turmoil, with no permanent manager following Bruce's
resignation on July 22, and a thin squad stretched to its limits by
injuries.
Caretaker manager Mike Phelan went into the
game with just 13 fit senior players, and named a substitutes' bench
consisting largely of untried youngsters, including three teenagers.
Hull's
supporters have blamed owners Assem and Ehad Allam for a lack of
investment in the squad, and graffiti calling for them to sell the club
was found daubed on the outer walls of the stadium on Saturday morning.
As
stewards hastily tried to paint over the vandalism before kick-off,
supporters gathered outside to display banners and chant for the Allams
to leave.
A Chinese consortium, led by businessmen Dai
Yongge and Hawken Xi Liu, has expressed an interest in buying the club,
and its key figures were at the match to watch the Premier League season
begin.
Leicester were sharper for the opening 30
minutes, but were unable to capitalise on the chances they created, with
Jamie Vardy a particular culprit.
Thwarted
Vardy, who scored 24 league goals last season, miskicked
horribly after new signing Ahmed Musa had darted down the left to roll
the ball back to him 16 yards from goal.
After Danny
Drinkwater had screwed wide from Mahrez's inviting right-wing cut-back,
Vardy was then thwarted by some dogged Hull defending.
Christian
Fuchs got clear after playing a one-two with Musa and, when goalkeeper
Eldin Jakupovic raced out to block, the ball ran loose to Vardy - but
Jake Livermore threw his body in the way of the shot.
Vardy,
part of the England team beaten in the last 16 by Iceland at Euro 2016,
then skied an easy chance after Musa had dashed past the flat-footed
Curtis Davies.
Hull rode the pressure, though, and took the lead in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
Kasper Schmeichel clawed out Davies' near-post header from a Snodgrass corner, but Diomande's overhead kick flew into the net.
Leicester
responded immediately after half-time, winning a penalty within 20
seconds of the restart as Tom Huddlestone was judged to have clipped
Demarai Gray inside the area.
Television replays
suggested the contact may have been outside the area, but Mahrez sent
Jakupovic the wrong way with a cool spot-kick.
However, spluttering Leicester were only level for 10 minutes.
Ahmed
Elmohamady was quick to intercept a Schmeichel throw, and raced down
the right to create space for a cross that Danny Simpson half-cleared,
before Snodgrass drove in the loose ball.
Ranieri's
response was to throw on Shinji Okazaki and Daniel Amartey in a bid to
find an equaliser, and Mahrez almost delivered with a 25-yard free-kick
that Jakupovic shovelled away.
Snodgrass almost caught
out Schmeichel with a free-kick from wide out on the right, which the
goalkeeper had to beat away at his near post.
By the
time the match entered its closing stages, the Hull fans were singing
'Can't Help Falling In Love With You' and chanting 'We are top of the
league'.
ROME: Italian authorities on Friday
ordered the expulsion of a Tunisian national suspected of planning an
attack at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, according to media reports.
Bilel
Chiahoui, 26, was arrested on Thursday after posting messages on social
media praising those behind the militant attacks in Europe and saying
he would attack the Tuscan city's famous monument, a huge tourist
attraction.
His expulsion order was signed by a judge on
Friday according to a police report, which said there was “evidence the
Tunisian sympathised with extremism and IS,” a reference to the Islamic
State group.
The police statement did not provide details on the target of the suspected attack.
There
has been mounting concern about the possibility of Italy being hit by
“lone wolf” terror attacks of the kind seen in neighbouring France and
Belgium.
Recent weeks have seen a string of suspected
militants expelled from the country on the order of Interior Minister
Angelino Alfano.
RIO DE JANEIRO: Super Saturday at the Rio
Olympics sees Michael Phelps aim for a golden last day in the pool and
athletics' greats Usain Bolt and Mo Farah take to the track.
In
tennis, giantkiller Monica Puig has a shot at landing Puerto Rico's
first ever Olympic gold. Facing her in the women's singles final is
German second seed Angelique Kerber.
The eighth day of the 2016 Games serves up 21 gold medals, that is one less than Phelps' phenomenal personal career haul.
The
31-year-old superstar goes for a 23rd and last gold in the 4x100m
medley relay and looks a certainty.
The US team are undefeated on the Olympic stage in the medley relay,
with Australia the only other team to have captured Games gold — in 1980
when the Americans boycotted Moscow.
Over at the Olympic stadium day two in athletics sees one of sport's biggest draws begin his 'Treble Treble' quest.
Bolt,
like Phelps also in his last Olympics, is gunning for 100m, 200m and
4x100m relay gold after sweeping the titles in 2008 and 2012.
The
Jamaican star embarks on the first leg of the opening heats of the 100m
before the final on Sunday.
Bolt is not the only one chasing three-peat immortality, as his
compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce attempts to complete an unprecedented
hat-trick of Olympic gold in the woman's 100m.
The
29-year-old however could face a stiff challenge from compatriot Elaine
Thompson, the fastest woman in the world this year with a time of 10.70
seconds.
It will take around 26 minutes more to watch the
men's 10,000m where all eyes will be on British hot favourite Farah as
he defends his London 2012 title.
The poster-girl for the
last Olympics, Jessica Ennis-Hill, is defending her heptathlon crown,
and is leading after Friday's opening legs ahead of Saturday's long
jump, javelin and 800m.
Britain's Greg Rutherford scraped into the finals to defend his 2012 long jump crown.
At the tennis, Puig is hoping she can continue her giant-slaying run for her date with Australian Open champion Kleber.
In
the men's semi-finals, Rafael Nadal faces Argentine Juan Martin del
Potro and defending champion Andy Murray plays Japan's Kei Nishikori.
Australian Marcus Fraser leads new Olympic sport golf going into the third round by one shot from Belgium's Thomas Pieters.
In
football, Brazil superstar Neymar renews his bruising rivalry with
Colombia in the quarter-finals while Germany face Portugal in a clash of
world and European champions.
Neymar suffered a cracked
vertebrae when he played the Colombians at the World Cup two years ago.
After two goalless draws the 2016 Olympic hosts finally got their
campaign up and running with a 4-0 win over Denmark in midweek.
Relief
was the buzzword in the squad as they seek to restore pride with the
7-1 thrashing by Germany at their own World Cup still hurting.
The velodrome dishes up two gold medals in the women's team pursuit and keirin.
There are also finals being fought out in rowing, fencing, weightlifting, shooting andtrampoline.
ISLAMABAD: Mobile phone service will
remain suspended in the federal capital and other high-security zones
throughout the country on Sunday, the Independence Day, sources from
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told DawnNews on Saturday.
The step has been taken to ensure security on the occasion of country's Independence Day, they added.
The
services are expected to be unavailable from 6am to 11am in the capital
and from 6am to 2pm in high-security zones in other big cities
including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Muzaffarabad.
The
mobile phone services will remain suspended in the areas located under a
10 kilometre radius from the Convention Centre in Islamabad, sources
maintained.
They further informed that the suspension of phone services is being carried out on the instructions of the interior ministry.
Since
the first wide-scale shutdowns, the government often instructs
telecommunication operators to suspend mobile and/or Internet networks
where intelligence indicates a threat to national security, especially
in major cities.
Many experts argue that network
shutdowns violate a range of human rights, and are neither necessary nor
proportionate responses to potential violent activities, the report
says.
The Pakistani government’s security concerns are
valid and it has an obligation to take all reasonable steps to protect
civilian lives, the report says, while adding "experts are concerned
that network shutdowns are becoming the norm, rather than an exception,
and are being utilised as the main strategy to curb terrorism, when
instead, improving other methods of investigation is required."
Impacts of mobile services blackouts
Using Telenor Pakistan as a case study, the report
underlines the following adverse impacts of network shutdowns to be
considered by human rights stakeholders:
Fully
functioning communication systems are essential in emergency situations,
the report says. According to a survey conducted for the research, a
major concern for citizens stuck in protests or violence while cell
phone services are suspended is their inability to call friends or
relatives for help, or trace their family and friends — which can
contribute to the panic.
"Relying on network shutdowns to
prevent terrorist attacks deprives both citizens and law enforcement
alike the opportunity to use communication tools in the fight against
terrorism."
LONDON: Younis Khan’s superb double
century took Pakistan into a dominant position in the fourth Test
against England at The Oval on Saturday.
The veteran
batsman’s 218 was the centrepiece of Pakistan's 542 all out at tea on
the third day in reply to England’s 328. Younis received excellent
support in a ninth-wicket stand of 97 from Mohammad Amir, who scored 39
not out.
Younis’s sixth innings of 200 or more in Test
cricket was a dramatic way for the 38-year-old to end a run of low
scores. He had managed just 122 runs in six previous innings this
series, with a best of 33 in Pakistan’s first Test win at Lord’s.
1000+ fours
Younis’s 308-ball stay on the crease included 31 fours and
four sixes. With this innings, Younis’s tally of total number of fours
hit in his 108-match career so far reaches to 1,027. However, during
this time span, the 38-year-old veteran has hit only 64 sixes.
Sixth 200+ score
Younis, who debuted in the year 2000 under the captaincy of
Saeed Anwar against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, has been a mainstay in
Pakistan’s middle-order for over a decade.
He has been
an integral part in the team post-2003 World Cup and formed a deadly
batting combination with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf. They were
known as Pakistan’s “big guns”.
Younis’s heroics at The
Oval today was his sixth 200th+ score, making him stand at No. 9,
shoulder-to-shoulder to with Pakistan great Javed Miandad, in the list
of batsmen with most double hundreds in Test cricket.
Australia’s Sir Donald Bradman tops the list by scoring past 200 runs 12 times in his career.
He
is followed by Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka with 11 200+ scores, Brian
Lara (West Indies, 9), Wally Hammond (England, 7), Mahela Jayawardene
(Sri Lanka, 7), Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka, 6), Virender Sehwag (India,
6), Javed Miandad (Pakistan, 6), Younis Khan (Pakistan, 6), Ricky
Ponting (Australia, 6) and Sachin Tendulkar (India, 6).
Younis is the only player from the list who continues to feature in international Test matches.
His
top score in Test cricket is 313, scored against Sri Lanka in Karachi
in 2009. Pakistan hasn’t played a Test match on its soil since then.
32 Test tons
Sachin Tendulkar leads the list with 51 Test centuries. He
holds the record to be the undisputed lord of Test cricket by playing
200 Test matches and maintaining a career average of 53.78. The best is
always looked upon as the benchmark.
Younis may not be
able to match the class of Sachin, but nonetheless has made a name for
himself good enough to be standing at No. 9 on the list of most Test
hundreds.
He has so far scored 32 Test centuries. Two more tons and he will find himself at the number fifth spot.
On
the list, Sachin is followed by Jacques Kallis of South Africa with 45,
Ricky Ponting (Australia, 41), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, 38), Rahul
Dravid (India, 36), Sunil Gavaskar (India, 34), Brian Lara (West Indies,
34), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka, 34), Younis Khan (Pakistan, 32) and
Steve Waugh (Australia, 32).
Younis is the only Pakistani to have scored 30+ Test hundreds.
9456 Test runs
There have only been 12 batsmen in cricket’s history to have
scored past 10,000 runs in Tests. A rare feat which symbolises
temperament of a batsman in cricket’s five-day format, none from
Pakistan has ever done so.
With 218 against England at
Kia Oval, Younis stands at 9,456 Test runs in 108 matches at a career
average of 53.72. He needs 544 more runs to have his name included in
the list of those who have scored past 10,000 runs in the game’s
most-challenging format.
As the England’s Test tour ends,
Pakistan look forward to two Test match against West Indies, two
against New Zealand and three against Australia.
For
Younis, the equation before possible retirement is simple: 544 runs to
get in seven Tests. Will he be the first Pakistani to do so?
SAN FRANCISCO: A Silicon Valley internet mogul who sold his
startup for $300 million at the age of 25 and appeared on “The Oprah
Winfrey Show” as a highly eligible bachelor was sentenced Friday to a
year in jail for violating his probation in a domestic violence case.
However,
Gurbaksh Chahal, 34, will not immediately begin serving the sentence
because San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tracie Brown cited questions
about the evidence while giving him time to appeal her ruling.
Brown
determined last month that Chahal had violated the probation ordered
after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanour charges of battery and
domestic violence battery.
Prosecutors said surveillance
footage from his San Francisco penthouse showed him punching and
kicking his girlfriend more than 100 times and trying to smother her
with a pillow.
Chahal entered his plea to the reduced
charges after the woman stopped cooperating with authorities and a judge
said the video could not be used as evidence because it had been
improperly obtained.
He was accused of violating his probation by kicking another girlfriend, who also didn't cooperate with prosecutors.
Chahal said both women had cheated on him, according to prosecutors.
Chahal's
attorney, James Lassart, said in court Friday that his client was
denied his right to question the woman during his probation revocation
hearing when she failed to attend the proceeding.
"In this instance, the constitution requires that my client be allowed to confront his accuser," Lassart said.
Chahal sits with his attorney James Lassart during a hearing to consider revocation of his probation on domestic violence charges in July, 2016 ─ AP
Brown allowed the penthouse video to be admitted as
evidence in the probation hearing, and she reviewed it privately before
issuing her ruling last month.
Lassart said the judge
should not consider the video in her sentencing because it had
previously been ruled inadmissible. The footage has not been played in
court or made public.
Assistant District Attorney
O'Bryan Kenney called for a sentence of 18 months, saying Chahal had
shown no remorse and committed a second act of violence just months
after his domestic violence conviction.
"He clearly didn't get the message," Kenney told the judge.
Chahal
made $300 million in 2007 when he sold his digital advertising company
to Yahoo. A year later, he appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in a
segment that highlighted his success and promoted him as a highly
eligible bachelor.
Chahal's legal woes extend beyond the criminal case.
Two former employees have sued him for discrimination, painting him as a bullying boss who thought little of women.
Patricia Glaser, the lawyer representing Chahal in the lawsuits, did not return an email or call seeking comment.
An
email to Chahal's online advertising technology company, Gravity4, was
not returned. A message to his Twitter account also went unanswered.
Faced
with the initial domestic violence charges, Chahal got help from
powerful former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and the former chief
financial officer for the state of California, Steve Westly, according
to one of the lawsuits and emails between Westly and Chahal reported by
The Wall Street Journal.
Westly, who was on the board of
a company Chahal founded, suggested the businessman reach out to Willie
Brown, according to a 2015 lawsuit by Yousef Khraibut, a former
Gravity4 employee.
Chahal told Khraibut that he paid
Brown a $250,000 retainer to exert pressure on the district attorney to
dismiss the charges, saying Brown had the “juice” to make them
disappear, the lawsuit said.
Brown did not return a
message left at his law office. He said in a radio interview last
September that he was asked to put together a legal team to defend
Chahal but did nothing unethical and returned most of the $250,000.
Westly,
whose name has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in
2018, said in a statement that he doesn't comment on ongoing legal cases
but added that domestic violence in any form is inexcusable.
In court documents, Chahal shot back that Khraibut was fired for not doing his work and was seeking publicity.
Popular social media website — Twitter — has joined
Pakistanis in their independence day celebrations as it introduces a
special hashtag.
For the first time in the website's
decade-long history, it has introduced a hashtag that comprises a green
crescent and a star, akin to Pakistan's flag, appearing alongside the
country's most popular national monument, Minar-e-Pakistan.
SRINAGAR: Authorities in Indian-held
Kashmir on Saturday extended a strict curfew to most parts of the
restive region as separatist leaders called for weekend protests against
Indian rule.
Government troops in armoured vehicles
patrolled the streets to thwart any attempt by protesters in Srinagar to
march to the city's commercial center.
Despite the
stringent curfew, protests erupted at about eight places in the city on
Saturday. At two places, police and paramilitary soldiers fired tear gas
and shotgun pellets to stop rock-throwing protesters.
At
least 10 people, including six policemen, were injured in clashes
across the region, said a police officer speaking on condition of
anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Separatist
leaders, who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir, urged
Kashmiris to march to a historic square over the weekend to demand a
referendum to decide the future of the region.
Shops,
businesses and schools were shut for the 36th straight day and
authorities blocked most cellphone services and internet in an attempt
to prevent demonstrators from mobilizing.
Kashmir has
been under a security lockdown and curfew since the killing of a popular
rebel commander on July 8 sparked some of the largest protests against
Indian rule in recent years. At least 56 civilians and two policemen
have been killed and more than 1,400 protesters have been arrested.
Kashmir is divided between archrivals India and Pakistan, but claimed by both in its entirety.
India
accuses Pakistan of arming and training Kashmiri rebels who have been
fighting for independence or for a merger with Pakistan since 1989.
Pakistan denies the charge, saying it only provides moral and political
support.
More than 68,000 people have been killed
since rebel groups began fighting Indian forces in 1989 and in a
subsequent Indian military crackdown.
LONDON: Younis Khan's superb double
century took Pakistan into a dominant position in the fourth Test
against England at The Oval on Saturday.
The veteran batsman's 218 was the centrepiece of Pakistan's 542 all out at tea on the third day in reply to England's 328.
That left Pakistan with a first-innings lead of 214 runs as they looked to end the four-match series all square at 2-2.
England
won the third Test at Edgbaston by 141 runs after overturning a
first-innings deficit of 103 runs.
But only six times in properly completed matches in the 139-year history
of Test cricket have a team come back from more than 200 runs behind on
first innings to win.
Younis received excellent support
in a ninth-wicket stand of 97 from Mohammad Amir, whose 39 not out was
the left-arm quick's highest Test score.
Younis's sixth innings of 200 or more in Test cricket was a dramatic way for the 38-year-old to end a run of low scores.
He had managed just 122 runs in six previous innings this series, with a best of 33 in Pakistan's first Test win at Lord's.
Ahmed attacks
Pakistan resumed on 340 for six after Asad Shafiq (109) and Younis (101 not out) had both compiled impressive centuries.
But it was Ahmed, 17 not out overnight, who was the initial aggressor on Saturday as he scored in typically brisk fashion.
By contrast it took Younis 13 balls to add his first run Saturday.
But
when James Anderson gave him width outside off stump, Younis responded
by cutting England's all-time leading wicket-taker in front of point for
four.
And when Younis off-drove Stuart Broad for a
boundary in classic style, it meant Pakistan's seventh-wicket pair had
shared a fifty stand in 110 balls.
Younis, after his
'settling-in' period Saturday, looked increasingly fluent as the veteran
batsman extended his 32nd Test century.
Ahmed was
eventually out having struck seven fours in 78 balls when he edged a
good-length Woakes delivery and opposing wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow
held an excellent, diving, one-handed catch.
Pakistan
were now 397 for seven, with Woakes having taken his 26th wicket this
series — a marked contrast to the mere 16 the improving all-rounder
managed in his first eight Tests.
The score had moved on
to 403 for seven when Younis was given out lbw for 133 to tall fast
bowler Finn.
But Younis immediately reviewed Bruce Oxenford's decision and, with
replays showing the ball going over the top of the stumps, the
Australian umpire's verdict was reversed.
Pakistan were 417 for seven at lunch, a lead of 89, with Younis 147 not out.
Soon afterwards, Younis went to 150 by pulling paceman Stuart Broad for four.
Curiously,
despite the overcast, seam-friendly, conditions after lunch, England
captain Alastair Cook brought on part-time spinner Joe Root and
specialist off-break bowler Moeen Ali for eight consecutive overs from
the Pavilion End.
Ali did have Wahab Riaz (one) stumped
by Bairstow, although the keeper was lucky when a fumbled take rebounded
straight into the stumps.
But Ali has often proved expensive this series and he was costly again when conceding 36 runs in six overs on Saturday.
Younis completed his double hundred in style when he advanced down the pitch to drive Ali for a fourth six in 281 balls.
Amir took 24 balls to get off the mark but did so in dashing fashion when he hoisted Ali for six over deep midwicket.
It was the start of a flurry of boundaries from the pace bowler.
England
eventually ended the partnership when Anderson's yorker-length delivery
struck Younis on the pad and South African umpire Marais Erasmus gave
him out lbw.
Younis reviewed but replays showed the ball just clipping leg stump.
He
walked off to a standing ovation from the Oval crowd after batting for
more than seven-and-a-half hours in a 308-ball innings featuring 31
fours and four sixes.
JHELUM: The former husband of Samia Shahid, a British Pakistani woman who died of ‘unnatural causes’
while visiting family here last month, has confessed to killing his
ex-wife, sources in Punjab Police revealed to DawnNews on Saturday.
A
police officer part of the investigation team, seeking anonymity, told
DawnNews that Shakeel had confessed to strangling Samia to death after
drugging her.
Police
said Shakeel had killed her after Samia refused to part ways with her
second husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazim. The accused went on to say he acted
alone and that the deceased’s father, Chaudhry Shahid, did not have
anything to do with the murder.
Shakeel was arrested
after his interim bail expired. He was then presented in a local court
that sent him into police custody on a four-day physical remand.
Earlier, British MP Naz Shah had written to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene in the case.
British
police started a probe into Samia Shahid's death after her husband Syed
Mukhtar Kazim claimed she was killed while visiting her family in
Pakistan because she married someone who was seen as an outsider.
Kazim,
a Pakistani national, said he received news his wife Samia, a Bradford
resident of Pakistani origin, had died while visiting her relatives in
Pandori village near Mangla Dam.
The couple had been living in Dubai since last year, he said.
Kazim
said Samia, 28, was urged to come to Pakistan to visit a seriously ill
relative and was supposed to return to their home in Dubai.
Instead, he received a call a day earlier that she had died of a heart attack.
“Should
this be [an honour killing] case then we must ensure justice is done
for Samia and we must ensure this never happens again,” MP Naz Shah
wrote to the PM in her letter seen by The Guardian.
Peace is only possible if India, Pakistan and Kashmir talk to each other and come to a joint decision, says Muzaffar Wani.
Tral is still seething.
Muzaffar Wani, was
just another respectable figure in this small town in South Kashmir –
until his younger son Burhan Wani, who had joined the militant group
Hizbul Mujahideen in 2010, rose to be its divisional commander and
became a local legend.
It is now more than a month since
21-year-old Burhan Wani was killed, in what has come to be known as the
defining moment in the recent history of this troubled state.
And
Muzaffar Wani is no longer merely a high school principal. After losing
his two sons to encounters with the security forces, he finds himself
in national limelight, splashed in national newspapers with sensational
headlines.
Meanwhile, shutdowns and protest rallies have spilled over and seeped into small and major villages of South Kashmir.
Roadblocks have been constructed in every village leading up to Tral.
Days
after the unrest began after Burhan Wani's death on July 8, people from
different corners of south Kashmir have been gathering at Muzaffar
Wani's residence, pleading with him to lead them.
“People from many villages invited Muzaffar sahab
to rallies,” said one of his relatives. “But he has been refusing their
invitations. A lot of them came to his house. Some days back boys on
bikes had come to persuade him. They said they would bring out a bike
rally to [his residence] but Muzaffar sahab told them not to,” the relative added.
On
the road outside, dozens of vehicles are ferrying protestors to
Dadsurai village for a protest rally. Protestors had cleared the
barricades they had set up on other days, so that vehicles could go to
the rally. Security forces were limited to the gates of their camps, to
avoid potentially lethal clashes with the boisterous crowds. The
scorched residue of burnt tyres and rocks littered the intersections at
link roads.
As Muzaffar Wani approached the gate of his
residence, the protestors swarmed around him. They greeted and began
telling him how they were sustaining their protests. Some visitors also
laid out their grievances. Wani told them to not do anything that might
provoke a reaction from the armed forces. The young men seemed to accept
the advice without any question.
A visitor complained
about the bands of boys blocking the roads: they had not allowed his
water-starved village to accept a tanker the local administration sent.
He sought Muzaffar Wani’s intervention.
On his part,
Muzaffar Wani, denies that he is a leader. He had not been to any
rallies, he said. At the most, he only goes over to the nearby mosque.
“Giving speeches is the job of leaders,” he said. “I am just the father
of Burhan and a teacher.”
Pointing towards the front
lawn, where a large tent had stood until recently, Muzaffar Wani said he
had been busy with the rush of visitors at his home.
That
large tent has now been taken down, but a smaller tent is now pitched
between the side verandah and the boundary wall of his house.
During his conversation with Scroll,
slogans from protestors passing by and songs in praise of Burhan Wani
from mosque loudspeakers could be heard from the distance.
A few vehicles passing by had stopped at the gate of his residence, shouting slogans in praise of the Wani family and their son.
Excerpts from the interview.
You
were reported to have led a protest at Pampore where you are said to
have offered your daughter to the separatist movement. Is that true?
I
have not been to any rally. I am not a leader and have not given any
call [to rally]. I had been sent invitations [to many rallies] but I did
not attend any. Giving speeches is the job of leaders, I am just the
father of Burhan and a teacher.
But people look up to you as a leader. Why do you think that is?
The people would be able to answer that. Ask them why they consider Muzaffar sahab a leader.
At
your house, some visitors had come to you with their grievances and
help in dealing with the protestors.
Yes, that is because everyone is emotional, and have united at my son’s
martyrdom. They think that at this time people would listen to Muzaffar sahab and that is why they requested me to talk to the people, asking them not to cause trouble.
How has the situation been evolving since Burhan’s killing?
Burhan
decided to fight the oppression after he saw the 120 funerals of 2010
and the state’s highhandedness. But the problem did not begin in 2010.
It has been there since 1947 that Kashmir has been left as a dispute.
The people have been denied the opportunity to say what they want. We
should reach a middle ground. Indians are our brothers, so are
Pakistanis.
The people were in a slumber. His martyrdom
has awakened their conscience. Now they have awakened and are thinking
what they need to do. They are realising the cause for which someone as
young as Burhan sacrificed his life. The passions in them has reignited –
that we should get independence from India. This is why they have
gathered and are protesting. A lot of people have told us that they will
continue the hartal until a decision has been reached jointly by India,
Pakistan and Kashmiri leaders.
You had said that it was God’s grace that Burhan was killed and not arrested. Why do you say that?
Had he been caught alive, the tehreek [movement] would not be at this stage. The tehreek would have gone back 10 years. But now it has moved 20 years forward.
But wouldn’t the people still be as angry if he was arrested?
No, they wouldn’t have been. They would have been angry at Burhan sahab. Thinking maybe he too had surrendered. But he was not like that.
The
present generation is proactive in the protests. What difference do you
see in the present generation of children and Burhan’s generation?
Yes,
10- 12-year-old children are participating more in these protests. The
difference is that our generation was a little cowardly. We had seen
peace and were afraid of the gun when it appeared. But the children
today have been born in the era of the gun and they have heard gunshots
and seen piles of bodies since childhood – they have seen orphans, their
mothers getting widowed. This goes on in their minds: “What is
happening?” These are innocent children, they have not done anything
wrong or committed a crime and yet these atrocities are committed on
them. Look at how many children lost their eyes, legs or hands. How many
fathers got killed, and mothers injured. The children cannot tolerate
this because their power of tolerance is lower and this is why they
participate [more in the protests].
Photo: Rayan Naqash
You said you wanted Kashmir to be a land of peace. How
do you think that can be achieved?
If we are freed from India, we will get some time – six months, 10
months, one year, two years – to stabilise. Then we will think what to
do.
Our aim is that this is Allah’s land and his law
should be enforced here. We will make the constitution of Kashmir on the
basis of the Quran and Sunnat [deeds and sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)]. There will be 100% peace.
And securing
the rights of our Sikh and Hindu brothers is important in Islam. Our
Sikh, Hindu, Christian brothers will get more security than they have
today.
We have to show the entire world that the law of
Sharia – which we will run here – is not terrorism, it is the religion
of peace. We want to show the world that Islam is a religion of peace
and doesn’t want terrorism. We should just get the opportunity.
If
we remain with the Constitution of India, we will not get the chance to
show the people what Islam really is. They just defame us. They do the
acts of terrorism and defame Muslims instead. When a Muslim is fired at,
he is forced to pelt stones back.
What do you mean by Kashmir?
I
am talking about the entire [state of] Jammu and Kashmir, including PoK
[Pakistan-occupied Kashmir]. We have to think about Jammu and Ladakh,
their views and religion too. It is not that the wishes of Tral will be
forced upon them.
You used the term “PoK”. Do you think the territory of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan is occupied?
Yes
they too have occupied it. But they are still better. The laws of 1947
are still there which is why they are not raising their voice. They are
not being showered with bullets. I am not a politician, only a teacher
of mathematics. I must have said something wrong because I don’t [fully]
understand politics. I think that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Jammu
and Kashmir should be united. It is the job of politicians – India’s,
Pakistan’s, and Kashmir’s. It is not my decision.
Is militancy a hindrance to making Kashmir a land of peace or is it required?
It is not needed now. It is like [former J&K chief minister] Omar [Abdullah] sahab
said – that militancy has done its job. Now it’s the people’s job to
take it forward peacefully. Militants should stay on the sidelines. Now
the talks should go on, peacefully.
Is the
current unrest not taking us away from peace? A lot of people have been
killed and the livelihoods of many is suffering...
This
happened in 2008 and 2010. If the protests stop here, these makaar
[duplicitous] people will not take the dialogue forward. They will not
listen to our problems and only talk about development. They probably
think that by building roads and giving people jobs that we will sit in
homes thinking we have got azadi. We don’t want that azadi
where roads are made. Roads and pools will be constructed anyway,
education too will go on but first we need to be at peace. That will
happen when India will free us.
Whom do you call makaar?
Those who are afraid of talking directly of azadi.
Those who made the interlocutors’ committee in 2010. [The
interlocutors] were told to talk to people from all walks of life. But
when they came here they did not speak to all. They did not come to
Tral. They did not come to South Kashmir. Anyway, whatever report they
made, it should have been made public and some action taken over it. No
action was taken. When [an unrest] happens they try to find a way to
quiet it down. And when peace returns, they stall. Now six years later
people are back on the streets. They will again respond saying make
peace first – and then stall us for six more years. But this time the
people won’t [stop protesting] until a good decision.
So if the government sends interlocutors again, will it have any impact?
How
can it today when they have betrayed us before? Once a liar is always a
liar. How can we trust them today that they will say the truth? There
is only one way: talk to Pakistan and include representatives of Kashmir
in it. The decision taken there will be acceptable to all Kashmiris. If
they talk to Kashmiris, without including Pakistan, it won’t be
acceptable to Pakistan. If India and Pakistan make a decision without
consulting Kashmiris, who knows if it would be acceptable to us? It is
important that Pakistan, India, and representatives of Kashmir sit
together and come up with a solution acceptable to all.
Photo: Reuters
Do you consider the state government to be representative of Kashmiris? Who are the representatives of Kashmiri people?
They
are also our representatives. Omar Abdullah sahab or the PDP [People’s
Democratic Party], etc too should take part [in the talks]. It is not
necessary that only the Hurriyat should [participate in the talks]. They
too are representatives of the people. They too are our brothers, and
natives of Kashmir. Someone must have made a mistake but Islam always
leaves a door open for repentance. We can sit together and make a
government together. It is not necessary that only Geelani sahab or Omar sahab...even
the doctors and professors should be included as representatives in the
talks. They too know what is happening and politics should be set
aside. They have to come forward because people are dying here and for
the sake of humanity we should conduct a dialogue by which the violence
would stop. Whether they are from PDP or National [Conference], they too
should be taken in confidence.
How do you think the PDP government has handled the unrest?
Mehbooba
is sitting inside, who is dying? Police and Kashmiri people die and are
getting injured. She goes from Kashmir to Delhi and back. Even if she
has to come to Tral, she will come in a helicopter. What is it to her?
They
have not done the right thing. They probably think that by using force
they will weaken the people's resolve. This is a wrong notion. People’s
hearts cannot be won with force. They can be won with love, not force.
They should have come forward.
The NC [National
Conference] has always betrayed us. Till elections, they tell us they
will bring autonomy. But when elections end, they do not talk about it.
The
PDP raised slogans of self-rule, people voted thinking they will
deliver but they too forgot when it came to power. Mufti sahib promised
self-rule, but his daughter has forgotten her father’s promise.
The National Conference does not talk about autonomy and PDP doesn’t talk about self-rule.
People
are dying and to remain in power they oppress people. They put pressure
on people by firing, thinking that will suppress them. If 2,000 to
5,000 people are injured, 5,000 to 10,000 families are associated with
them. They think maybe people will stop because of it. But they are
wrong. It [people's protests] can not be stopped by force or army, it
can be stopped through peace which will only come through talks between
India, Pakistan, and Kashmir.
Whenever there is an unrest in Kashmir, India blames Pakistan. How do you see this attitude?
They always say that. Even if husband and wife fight, India says Pakistan has a role in it.
The big thing is that they are raising slogans of insaniyat, Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat [humanity, democracy and Kashmiriat]. I will leave jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat.
If they are sincere and care about the people and have any humanity
left – if they are talking about insaniyat – they have to prove it. The
oppression on Kashmiris must be stopped – 200 people have lost their
eyesight due to pellet guns. This doesn’t happen anywhere in the world,
not even in Palestine.
In Haryana last year Jats caused
destruction worth thousands of crores. Not a single bullet was fired and
no one was killed. They were sprayed with water. And what do they do
here? They fire bullets and spray pellets. How can they say [Kashmir] is
their atoot ang [integral part – literally, unbreakable organ], that
Kashmiri people are their own?
They say Kashmir is ours,
but they don’t consider Kashmiris as their own. [Prime Minister
Narendra] Modi said all Indians love Kashmir. He is right. But he should
have added that they love Kashmir but not Kashmiris. They don’t try to
find solutions.
It is important that Pakistan shuns its
arrogance. Indian and Kashmiri leaders too should. They should sit
together and find a way so that peace prevails in India, Pakistan, and
Kashmir. Life is transient. Whether a person lives for 50 or 80 years,
let him live in peace. Let people of India live in peace, and people of
Pakistan too. Pakistan blames India and India blames Pakistan. An
environment has to be created in which all three nations – rather, the
entire region – becomes a haven of peace.
For the talks to happen, isn’t peace a must? If unrest in Kashmir continues, the talks are not likely to happen.
If
India and Pakistan first talk to each other [and accept] that the issue
of Kashmir needs to resolved, they [should] form a timeframe and appeal
to the people to make peace so that this issue be resolved. Maybe then
we can make peace. They must first promise in writing that a full and
final decision that will be acceptable to people would be taken.
If
a delegation comes here, where will they go in the curfew? They will go
to the PDP or the NC or the Congress. No one goes to the people who are
dying. If you want to ask, first ask people who have lost their family
members. They should talk first to the ordinary citizens and only after
that to the NC, PDP, or the Hurriyat.
How do you see Omar Abdullah’s criticism of the present government in light of his handling of 2010?
It
is politics. It is only one side of the same coin. Even if they do it
for opposition [politics], it is alright. It doesn’t matter how many
people one has killed, if they repent and join our ranks we will accept
them. I request the PDP and the NC to leave the chair and request them,
on behalf of the people of Kashmir, to resign and join us. We will start
a new chapter. It doesn’t matter if Muzaffar sahab gets a post, let them have all the posts.
Was Burhan inspired by Salahuddin, as Salahuddin had said in a recent interview?
No,
he was not inspired by any leader. He was inspired by local militant
commanders just as the present generation is being inspired by him.
