Chiselling away impurities

By Syed Hassan Ali

Carving out images to life is not an easy task, but for some young artists who exhibited their sculptures last week, it didn’t seem very difficult either. From fibreglass to terracotta, wood and white cement, each material was distinctively chosen to suit the figures and their subjects that were put on display.

The Russian Science and Culture Centre (Friendship House), which has been hosting a variety of cultural activities for five decades in the city, offered its premises free of cost to the sculptors for the exhibition. The group show that remained open round the week ended here on Sunday.

Four large-sized relief sculptures in fibreglass by Saqib Jamal have one thing in common: all their figures are dancing. “The world looks to me in motion as if it has been placed on a dancing board. Everyone is running away from love, beauty and nature,” he says, describing his subject as naach. By using figures from different backgrounds, the young sculptor, a graduate of the Central Institute of Art and Craft, perhaps has tried to make the point that cultures do not make any difference when it’s about ‘the dance.’

The impassive face and the one with sad expressions depicting the growing despondency in the world are put up by Saleem Raza, an NCA graduate and currently teaching the art of sculpture at the Sadequain Institute. He has given a refined look to the wood that he used to express his subject. His small sculptures are equally impressive as he has skilfully used terracotta to perfect the heart-rending figures in desperate plight.

The very emblem of declining human values is two big and three small sculptures of limbs. Using mixed media for her artwork, Kanwal Khattak Khan – through big and strong to small and weak limbs in series – epitomizes the regression of mankind. An alumna of the Arts Council of Pakistan, the young sculptor says she does not want to compromise the art for the sake of commercialism. “See, one may not like to decorate his home with this ugly face of society,” says Ms Khan while referring to her sculptures and adds “these are my true feelings and I have not compromised on them.”

Shahid Hussain, who could not attend the exhibition for personal reasons, is represented by his four sculptures of a woman. He has used white cement and mixed media.

Of the three relief sculptures in fibreglass put up by Nazia Islam, ‘Approaching the hands of a wall clock’ grasps the viewer’s attention the most. The sculpture reflects time’s fleeting nature and people running after it. Rafia Maniar put up only two sculptures, both figuring a straight-faced man. They are so aesthetically sculpted that they look deceptively simple. Through their positioning, however, they become the bearers of the artist’s observation of the world around her. The kneeling man with an impassive face depicts the slavish behaviour of our society in general.

The force of profound hard work by young sculptors does touch the heart of viewers and the curator, Shakeela Waheed, who has also taught the art to some of the young exhibitors, deserves commendation for a job well done.

Air guards absence make air travel unsafe

By Syed Hassan Ali

Most domestic and international flights of Pakistan International Airlines originating from the metropolis have no air guards on board to ensure in-flight security to passengers and air crew against hijacking and other terrorist activities.

Sources said that air guards used to travel on all of the flag carrier’s international and domestic flights until a couple of years ago. However, at present air guards are deployed only on certain international flights travelling to destinations considered ‘threatened stations’, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kabul, and Kathmandu, the sources added.

Foreign carriers usually have guards from their respective countries on board flights flying into and out of Karachi.

As far as domestic flights of the Pakistan International Airlines are concerned, air guards provide in-flight security to passengers and crew of the ATR planes only, which are smaller in size and mostly serve destinations on Pakistan’s coast. All other domestic flights travelling between major cities, including those of private Pakistani airlines, have no air guards on board, the sources said.

Airport Security Force sources said that no amount of ground security measures could guarantee one hundred per cent results against hijacking, particularly when Pakistan, like many other countries, had become a victim of terrorism. Though the standard of security of airports has been appreciated by foreign agencies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the American Federal Aviation Administration and the International Air Transport Association in the past, the deployment of highly-proficient sharpshooters – commonly known as air guards – trained by officers of the Pakistan Army’s Special Service Group had been limited to certain flights, they said.

When contacted, ASF officials, though confirming that car parks, public areas, the terminal building, apron and perimeter were fully protected with the latest equipment and highly trained personnel, they preferred to keep mum over the question of in-flight security.

They said that five under-vehicle inspection systems built by ASF engineers had been put up at the entry gates of the Jinnah International Airport, while the sixth UVIS was being installed to keep out unwanted motorists.They further said that in addition to making good use of modern X-ray screening machines, metal and explosive detection systems, latest communications devices, riot control equipment and closed-circuit TV cameras, ASF security personnel frisked passengers and crew members before allowing them entry into an aircraft. The officials also said that before take-off, planes were thoroughly searched by the personnel of different agencies to ensure fool-proof security.

However, ASF spokesman Major Imtiaz Ali Khan avoided discussing the issue when he was approached to comment on why air guards were withdrawn from the national flag carrier. “I am not supposed to answer your queries,” he said.

Hijack threat

The sources said that the need for training of air guards and their deployment on all flights was felt after a PIA plane flying from Karachi to Peshawar on March 2, 1981, was hijacked by three armed men. The hijackers diverted the flight to Kabul where they released some hostages and gunned down a diplomat before taking the plane to the Syrian capital of Damascus.They initially demanded the release of 92 prisoners, coming down to 55, besides asylum for themselves and their friends. It was only after the Zia government agreed to their demands and Syria announced that it would take in the prisoners and the hijackers that the gunmen gave up.Sensing the heightened security requirements after this incident, the ASF, which was established in 1976 as a directorate of the civil aviation department, was placed under the ministry of defence in December 1983. Finally in 1984, the force was subjected to the Pakistan Army Act.

This was not the only hijacking case as on September 5, 1986, a Pan American flight carrying around 379 passengers was hijacked in Karachi. At least 21 people were killed during the deadly hijacking, for which a Jordanian national was convicted by a court in 2004.

However, since the deployment of air guards on flights no such case happened again. The effective deterrence that air guards provided, until they were pulled from flights, was manifested when air guards foiled a midair assassination bid by killing the assailants who targeted a Pakistan People’s Party MNA (Ilyas Ahmad Jatt) on board a PIA flight (PK-675) just as it took off from Islamabad bound for Faisalabad.For reasons best known to the authorities concerned, the service was suspended on Jan 1, 1998 and it was in May the same year that a Fokker plane that originated from Turbat was hijacked. Though the hijackers could not succeed in their plan to divert the flight to Jodhpur, India, and the pilot managed to land at Hyderabad airport, the importance of in-flight security was reemphasised by the incident.Perhaps it was for this reason that after the events of September 11, 2001, the government decided to revive the air guard service on all domestic and international flights. In July 2002, the first batch of air guards, comprising 52 well-trained personnel, including nine women, were taken on board as part of a plan to secure flights.

Commercial concerns?

However, ASF sources said that the service could not continue because the national airline had some financial reservations. The travel allowances that were offered to air guards and seats being spared for them were cited as the sole reason for the objections, they said, adding that since then the role of air guards had been limited to securing airports and just a few flights.

The PIA’s General Manager for Public Affairs, Syed Sultan Hasan, rejected the claims about the financial burden, saying that it was only the prerogative of the ministry of defence to decide whether or not the sharpshooter security guards of the ASF should be deployed on flights. However, he did confirm that air guards were travelling on four international flights – Mumbai, Delhi, Kathmandu and Kabul – and domestic flights destined to the coastal and northern areas. He was of the view that infallible ground security at airports would leave little possibility for any untoward incident in the air.

Young shooters exhibit precision at naval club

By Syed Hassan Ali

KARACHI, May 20: Attention! three, two, one, start!, cautioned a range officer as a shooter wearing ear plugs raised his pistol, took aim and fired five shots at five different targets exactly 25 metres away within four seconds each with a loud bang.

It was a weekday at the Pakistan Navy Sports Shooting Club, which is open to the general public, and the practice was in full swing. Young men and women exhibited precision, concentration and accuracy by hitting every shot on target, mostly on the bull’s eye. They were enthusiastic about their next month trials for the South Asian Shooting Championship to be held in Dhaka on July 3.

The sharpshooters participating in rapid pistol match seemed in high morale when they said four seconds were good enough to hit five targets.“It’s entirely a human attribute that they expand or squeeze their tasks according to the time they have,” explained Maqbool Hussain Tabassum, who has 50 national and international medals to his credit during his six-year career at the navy. He said the Navy’s range could be considered as the best out of all four shooting clubs in the country, situated at Lahore, Jehlum and Islamabad.

Photo by Fahim Siddiqi.

Built on a 15-acre piece of land in the Karsaz area, the shooting club’s membership is only granted to the holders of arms licence. It comprises five different firing ranges which are 300 metres, 50 metres, 25 metres, 10 metres and a trap and skeet. The ranges are equipped with electronic target system, running target system and auto-machines. Built under the able guidance of the international military sports council in 1995, complete safety is ensured at the ranges with walls and screens provided to prevent escape of bullets.

“There has never been a single accident at the club,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of Pakistan Navy Ghulam Murtaza, while attributing the club’s success to an emphasis on safety of its members. He said tanner rifle is used at the 300-metre firing, which is equipped with an electronic target system. “Under this system, a computer gauges the bullet-hit portion with the help of a microphone fitted at targets and calculates score according to the shot’s accuracy. The scores are then displayed on monitors placed near each shooter,” he explained.

Weapons and bullets

A naval official at the club told Dawn that members brought their own weapons and bullets, whereas targets, including clay birds for both trap and skeet shooting, proper ranges and scoring facilities were provided at the club.He said that weapons used at the 300-metre range were 7mm and tanner rifles equipped with telescope. Similarly, .22 rifles were generally used at the 50-metre range, .22 pistols and big bore pistols were used at the 25-metre range, and air guns and pistols are used to hit a target at a distance of 10 metres. For both trap and skeet shooting, 12 bore rifles were used.

When Lt Commander Mujahid Ovais, officer-in-commanding of the shooting range, was asked about the chances of any misuse of the facilities being provided in the heart of the city, he said there’s no such chance because sensitive agencies gave security clearance of an applicant before membership was granted to them. Besides, he said, the membership of an applicant was approved only when they had proper licensed weapon.Talking about the performance of navy shooters in national and international events, he said with the meagre resources at its disposal this club had produced players who had won international medals, including the one in Olympics.

However, he regretted that the Pakistan Sports Board, which had always supported cricket and hockey, had never encouraged this game.He was confident that the club could even perform better if the sports board provided a little assistance to it. He recalled that a coach from Ukraine trained the players for a few months some years ago and they won a gold medal in Olympics. There’s no doubt that with a little assistance the country could compete with any other in shooting, he added.

The Christmas

Nobody knocks at the door in this day and age for now it’s the email or SMS that drops in. In this fast growing economic hub of the country we are missing out on life and its value. Everyone with the survival of the fittest approach in mind is short of time to continue with the old traditions and customs, whether good or bad.
There was a time when people used to visit and greet each other on many occasions, including Eid and Christmas. Families and friends used to spend time together, exchange smiles and sweets, and share views and thoughts. Children used to ask for Eidi while the elders bargained on. A few among us who found it impossible to see our relatives and friends made it a point to post letters and greeting cards and send gifts to fill in our absence. Visit to a market place for selection of a gift or a card followed by its purchase and delivery was something that expressed our love and affection to our nearest and dearest on such occasions.
Unfortunately, it’s no more there which is obvious from the fact that the sale of greeting cards has drastically dropped over the past some years. Initially it was e-greetings and now it’s short messaging service that has replaced them. As for presents, some courier services do have introduced packages to buy and deliver gifts on the senders’ behalf though the convenience with which we send such presents can’t fully express our efforts, warmth and emotions.
And the results are clear – families are spending less time together.
The world is spinning fast and taking the souls of many with it. I’m not at all against technological advances or economic progress. However, it’s equally important that such advancement must not make us oblivious to our social and cultural development.—HA

Of playschools

L I T T L E hearts need apt care and best schooling. Bearing this in mind, yours truly browsed through the internet, asked colleagues and friends, and visited different localities in search of the best playschools for his first-born. In the absence of any official rating, there was no option but to go through each and every playschool in the city despite knowing that a single visit wouldn’t be enough in any way to evaluate their standards.
Most schools register children and charge a few hundred rupees for that before holding any kind of assessment to grant admissions. There are a few reputed ones as well where parents are told to get their children registered first even if they want to see a classroom or meet teachers for any query. Once a child is successfully registered with the school, the parents are provided with a prospectus containing a general outline of the questions to be asked from the child at the time of admission. From twinkle, twinkle little star to ring a ring-o-roses; from the alphabet to counting; and from the names of parents to those of colours, the child must know all, as it’s just a pre-requisite for admission. The preparation goes on till the test date is announced or published as the case maybe according to the status of a school.
Even if the three-year-old is lucky enough to remember what was taught to him at the time of evaluation, there is a catch, for the reputed schools in addition to the child’s assessment also interview the parents. Sometimes they come up with an excuse like ‘we are sorry the school policy is that we prefer working mothers’.
Then there are some other pre-nurseries, which do not have such strict policies and thus grant admissions merely by charging an extra buck. The successful parents are asked to pay an admission fee, annual charges, volunteer donations, tuition fee and examination cost. Besides, a long list of stationery items to be purchased for their child is handed over to them.
Certainly many parents looking for better education of their child have no objection to all such demands. But yours truly happens to be a reclusive nonconformist who preferred to get his tiny tot admitted to a school not that classy. After all it was not a question of securing a seat in any distinguished medical college but one in a kindergarten for a three-year-old.—HA

Circus in Gulshan

In the present times of world-weariness when a fun-starved society has turned to news channels for entertainment, it is encouraging to see the country’s biggest circus in Gulshan, enthralling Karachians.

The troupe, Lucky Irani Circus, has come all the way from Lahore to pitch a tent in the midst of several high-rise apartment buildings. Being an affordable recreation the show has attracted large crowds from different parts of the city over the past some days. Lion show, flying trapeze, walk and cycling on wire and the spine-tingling death-well are the major attractions not only for children but also for grown-ups. Besides, one of the most brilliant performances is that of a juggler who plays with balls and fiery torches while balancing himself on a rolling cylinder.

On a recent visit I came to know that the circus was initially owned by a family migrated from Jalandhar and settled in Nawabshah after Partition. Later it changed hands and got fame for acrobatics from Iranian gymnasts who remained part of it until a couple of decades back. Started with a 60-member crew, the troupe used to travel from villages to towns in a single truck to put up shows. Now with hundreds of performers and lots of animals and vehicles the troupe stages circuses across the country round the year.

However, the journey to a fully-fledged circus company was not easy in the absence of any official patronage. But then, I wonder what really binds a joker to circus if it’s neither remuneration nor respect that society offers him. Maybe just a noble act to please people, or what? –HA

Party flags

On a recent chilly morning I was driving back home after dropping my tot at her school when I got confused about crossing an intersection. In fact the traffic signal ahead was wrapped in a party flag. Both the red and green colours of that piece of cloth were dictating me to adopt two opposite courses of action. There was no other car around.

Luckily a traffic cop standing on a nearby pavement caught my sight. He was telling me to stop. I applied brakes and requested him to ask party workers to pull down their flag for the convenience of commuters. He said he did try but their response was disgusting. They said: “Mind your own business.” Since that day he only minds his own business, he said.

Afterwards I noticed a number of pedestrian bridges, flyovers, road islands, streetlights and traffic signals decorated with flags of different political parties.

Interestingly, the number of flags has doubled since the general elections. It seems their election campaigns still continue and decorating public property is very much in vogue, yet I hope that the leadership of all parties may pull down the flags from traffic signals at least in the best public interest.—HA