Change is here! Lenovo launches its smartphones in Pakistan

Honestly speaking, I have been feeling quite abandoned by global smartphone brands, like HTC, Sony, LG, and even Apple. It seems like these companies do not consider Pakistan a market whereas they are vouching for a market share in the neighboring China and India.

However, it seems our Chinese friends have spotted the potential in our market. Weeks after Oppo's launch in Pakistan, China's largest smartphone brand (and world's largest PC manufacturer) Lenovo has decided to setup shop in our humble homeland.

Hosted at the lavish Mövenpick Karachi, Sharay Shams, Head of Smartphone Business for Lenovo Middle East and Africa, introduced five devices that cater to different segments of the market. During his introductory speech, he said that he was proud that Lenovo takes his homeland serious. Yes, Mr. Shams is a Pakistani!

Now, let's talk about the devices.

Lenovo has divided its devices market into three categories: Vibe, S, and A. Vibe is the "Smart Size" category (or in layman terms, Flagship) whereas S is "Smart Style" (or Functional) and A is "Smart Start" (or First-step).

Here is a brief look of the devices.

Vibe Z2 Pro

Announced earlier this month, the Vibe Z2 Pro is the top-of-the-line offering from Lenovo. The smartphone has a 6-inch QHD screen, one of the largest and certainly most brightest in the market. It has a 16 MP camera (with Dual LED) which has the capability to record 4K videos. The camera UI looks very (yes, very) similar to Nokia Camera app. But, the real difference is in the hardware. The camera has 6-piece lens module which gives 14% better image results. For your selfies, there is a 5MP snapper at the front-end. It comes with Android KitKat.

Inside the hood, it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (MSM8974AC) with a 2.5GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU, 3GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU. The phone has 32GB internal memory; however, there is no mention of microSD. The best part: it comes with a whopping 4000mAH battery. No word on the price, though.

S850

Now, isn't that a sexy blue phone? Well, the S850 will also be available in pink and white too. This little all-glass beauty comes with a 5-inch HD screen, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and Mali-400MP2 GPU. It has a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. It has 16GB internal memory, but no microSD card slot. It runs on Android KitKat. It will be available in early September for Rs. 29,700.

S860

If the S850 was beauty, then the S860 is the beast. This phone surely fits the Lenovo motto of "For Those Who Do". The Lenovo S860 comes with a 4000mAH battery, almost twice of the industry norm. It has a large 5.3-inch HD screen with great angle views. Under the brushed metal exterior, there is a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, and Mali-400MP2 GPU. The phone has 8MP LED Flash back camera and a smart 1.3MP front camera for your selfies. The availability is scheduled for early September for Rs. 36,500. It's a Android KitKat device.

S650

Finally, a sensible KitKat phone for the masses. Unlike the disappointing Core 2 from Samsung, the Lenovo S650 has a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal memory. It also has an microSD slot. It comes with a 8MP AF rear camera and a VGA front camera. It has 4.7-inch QHD IPS screen which is great for watching your YouTube videos. The availability is scheduled for early September for Rs. 19,700.

A369i

Lenovo A369i is the most affordable in the lot. Made for the first-time users, the phone runs on Android Jellybean 4.2. It has a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal memory with microSD slot, 4-inch WVGA screen, and 2MP rear camera. No front camera on this one. It is priced at Rs. 8,900.

Change is indeed here!

This is not it. There are five more devices—A328, A536, A606, S580, and S856—that Lenovo plans to launch in the coming weeks. Seeing Lenovo smartphones in Pakistan gives me hope of getting a device which is not a rebrand of a brand (aka Qmobile).

In all honesty, Lenovo has a fair chance with its devices, especially with S850, and S650. The devices are priced very suitably. I hope the same will be the case for Vibe Z2 Pro. Furthermore, the Lenovo team needs to learn how to present a device. I overheard the CEO showing someone how one of the Lenovo smartphones can take a selfie if you blink at the front camera slowly. This cool feature was not mentioned in the entire presentation.

All in all, change is indeed here and we now have more options in the market apart from Samsung and Huawei. In the end, it's an ultimate win for the consumer! :)

A Brief Chat With Khurram Awan, MasterChef's Judge and Mövenpick Karachi's Executive Assistant Manager for Food & Beverages

Anyone who is familiar with MasterChef can recognize Khurram Awan in an instance. During the show, he showed that he is a straightforward, no non-sense type of a person. He was critical but remained modesty—something that is missing nowadays in people who attain success.

A few days, I was at the Mövenpick Karachi to sample their new buffet menu "The Taste Of Pakistan" of The Pakistani restaurant. I met Khurram there. We had a smallest of all introductory chat, but he seemed genuinely nice and hospitable. As there were many to greet and meet, I went on to taste the buffet. "Mazaydaar" (delicious) is the only word for the cuisine at The Pakistani inside Mövenpick Karachi.

During the taste testing, the bloggers were informed that they can have a word with Khurram Awan (or in case, if he is not there, we were told to email questions). I was unlucky to miss, so I sent email in my question and hoped that he would reply. He did.

I hope everyone will enjoy reading it.

Ever since Mövenpick Karachi started its operations, I have noticed it has generated quite a buzz around its food, starting from a redefined Hi-Tea experience to a great Iftar offering at Kababji and now the Tastes of Pakistan cuisine at The Pakistani. This shows that there has been a lot of experimentation going on. What kind of response did you get from the diners?

First of all I would like to Thank you for taking time out and visiting us at the inaugural ceremony of Tastes of Pakistan – regional food promotion at our signature restaurant "THE PAKISTANI". When we started in Jan 2014 and our plan was and still working to have the best Food & Beverage offerings at Mövenpick Hotel Karachi. General perception about hotel is that is expensive and food has just normal taste. Our main focus is to create home taste for our guests staying with us or visiting us in our restaurants. We believe on fresh products and freshly prepared food for our guest. Our Executive Chef is successful so far revisiting the food recipes and tweaking them to the best. Our experiments have paid off so far and by introducing a very well balance Hi Tea experience to our guests. Tastes of Pakistan will be another mile stone and we have planned many more exciting promotions in coming months. Our guests visiting our food & beverage venues are very happy with our food offerings and quality and have received excellent feedback.

Over the years, the tastebuds of Pakistani diners have gone global. With the Tastes of Pakistan, it seems you have gone back to the basics. Do you think this experience will work out for Mövenpick?

Very well said Saad. Of course, the awareness regarding food is different now and the horizon is has expanded and I must say that the media has played an important role in it. We have linked Tastes of Pakistan with 14th August, as Azadi Week celebrations, being the only Mövenpick hotel present in this region we proudly present our food to our very own populace. Pakistani food is rich in every aspect and we or I am sure none of the Pakistani will leave its base. Our food represents our culture, heritage, ethnic and cultural diversity. It is not about experience it is about creating experience for our guests. Being an international hotel we have quite a good number of foreigner guests and we take this as an opportunity to present our rich culture and food

Lastly, you were a judge at MasterChef. You tasted the food and gave feedback, sometimes critical and many a time crucial. Now, after MasterChef, food at Mövenpick will be judged very critically. How do you feel about it?

Hmmm… I knew this was coming my way. MasterChef Pakistan has created a benchmark for food industry and has been very successful. Yes we did lots of food tasting and gave our feedback. Food at Mövenpick was judged even before MasterChef but rightly said now it will be more thorough. Honestly we have not created any strategy for this but our aim is to offer food which is fresh.

Yeah, it's only a three-question interview and I am really happy that Khurram took out the time to reply. Do give the Taste of Pakistan a try, especially the Kata Kat which was the best I have eaten in a fine dine restaurant. The press release is stated below with reservations details.

Karachi Pakistan, 8th August 2014: Movenpick Hotel Karachi launched a cultural week with the title of “Tastes of Pakistan” at The Pakistani restaurant to highlight the different cultures of Pakistan in celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day – which is on 14th August 2014.
During this week-long event from 8th August 2014 – 14th August 2014, an exclusive dinner buffet inspired by the different cuisines of Pakistani culture will be served. The menu includes famous dishes from several regions of Pakistan such as: Lamb Malai Seekhan, Chicken Sajji, Mutton Chaamp, Chapli Kabab (KPK), Jheenga Masala (Sindh), Mutton Kunna (Punjab), Rogan josh (Baluchistan), Chicken Karahi Dahi wali (Punjab), Bakrai ka paya (Punjab), Karachi Haleem (Sindh), Balouchi Bhindi, Balouchi Bhindi, Lahori faloda, Khajoor ka halwa, Aam ka halwa, Amrood ka halwa, etc. 

“We have linked Tastes of Pakistan with 14th August, as Azadi Week celebrations; being the only Mövenpick hotel present in this region we proudly present our food to our very own populace. Pakistani food is rich in every aspect and we or I am sure none of the Pakistani will leave its base. Our food represents our culture, heritage, ethnic and cultural diversity. It is not about experience it is about creating experience for our guests. Being an international hotel we have quite a good number of foreigner guests and we take this as an opportunity to present our rich culture and food”, says Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, General Manager.
Folk singers will sing traditional songs from the different regions of Pakistan like Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi, Pashto, etc. The restaurant is decorated with props precisely representing each region. A hut has been constructed at the entrance of the restaurant with tradional chairs, huqqa, paan station, well, wheel cart, ajrak in a village-style setup. The decor is an attraction for guests to take pictures in a village setup while experiencing the exotic variety of cuisines. 

On the social media, the hash tag for posting the details of the campaign is #TastesofPakistan. To experience the delicious variety and cultural ambiance, the guests can reserve their tables by either calling on 021-3563 3333, Ext: 4246 or by sending an e-mail at hotel.karachi@moevenpick.com.

کچھڑی اور وہ بھی بے نمکین

وزیرِاعظم بنے کے کچھ 64 دن بعد نواز شریف نے گئے پیر کو قوم سے خطاب کر ہی ڈالا. اس کمال تقریر کو سن کر میں تو شش و پنج میں پڑھ گیا کہ اس خطاب کو کرنے میں اتنی دیر کیوں لگی؛ کیا الفاظ کا خزانہ بھی خالی تھا یا پھر کوئی لقمہ دینے والا نہیں مل رھا تھا. وجہ کوئی بھی ہو کل رات کا خطاب کم اور روداد زیادہ تھی.

شکر ھے کہ خطاب اتوار والے دن نہیں تھا ورنہ لوگ کوزے گونے کو زیادہ ترجیح دیتے. صاف بات یہ ہے کہ وزیرِاعظم کی تقریر تقریر کم اور پریس ریلیز کا جامع سہ ماہی خلاصہ زیادہ لگ رہی تھی. کوئی نئی بات بامشکل تھی. اہم عوامی معملات کو بہت سادگی سے رفوچکر کیا گیا. بجلی بحران کے بارے میں زیادہ حقیقت پسندی سے کام.نہیں لیا گیا. سیلاب کے بارے میں مشکل سے تین یا چار منٹ کا "بائی دی وے" قسم کا ذکر کیا گیا. غریبوں کو گھر دینے کے ساتھ ساتھ اپنے ساتھ ھونے والے 14پہلے ھونے والے ظلم کا بھی ذکر کر دیا. نوجوانوں کا لفظ بھی آیا اور چلا گیا. کراچی کا نام لیا کیا. رہی امن و امان کی بات تو وہ اب صوبائی معامله ہے.

تقریر کے کئی پہلو ایسے ہیں جن سے صاف واضح ھو گیا ھے کہ ن-لیگی ٹولہ حکومت کرنے کے لیے آیا تھا خدمت کے لیے نہیں. تقریر کے اندر خزانہ خالی ہونے کا رونا بہت رویا گیا مگر صدر صاحب کو باعزت رخصت کیا جارھا ہے. ذرداری صاحب پیپلز پاڑی کے کو-چیرمین تھے. کچھ حساب کتاب انکا بھی بنتا ہے. آخر صدر وفاق کی نشانی ھوتا ہے اور انکی ناک کے نیچے خزانہ خالی ہوا مگر کوئی پوچھنے والا نہی ھے. دوسری بات یہ کہ ن لیگ خود پارلیمان کا حصه تھی. کیا انکو خزانے کے حالات کا اندازہ نہیں تھا جو انتخابی مہم میں ایسے وعدے کیے جن کا وفا کرنا مشکل کیا ناممکن ھے. ایک طرف 48 ارب کا رونا ہے تو دوسری طرف گھروں بنانے کا ذکر کیا جارہا ھے. چین کے دورے کا ذکر بڑھ چڑھ کر کیا. کیے گئے معاہدوں کو کارنامے کے طور پہ پیش کیا گیا مگر سچ یہ ہے کہ معاہدے کے ھونا اور اس پہ عمل ھونا دو الگ الگ چیزیں ھیں. معاہدے تو پچھلی حکومت بھی کرکے گئی ہے اور وہ بھی کچھ 50 ھیں مگر کتنوں پہ عمل درآمد ہی شروع ہو سکا.

امن و امان تو صوبائی معاملا ہے. مان لیا تو پھر وزیرِاعظم کی ذمہ داری عمرے اور دورے کرنے کی ہے؟ چلیں صوبائی مان لیتے ہیں تو پھر اپنے بھائی کو ذرا لاھور میں رہنے کی تلقین کیجیے. درالحکومت کا خیر ذکر ہی نہیں کرتے ہیں.

تو پھر اس تقریر کا حاصل کیا تھا؟ جہان تک مجھے لگا تو 22 تاریخ کی انتخاب مھم کا ایک حصہ تھا یہ تقریر. فرق صرف اتنا تھا کہ وعدوں میں ذرا کمی اور وفا ہونے کی تاریخیں 2017 تک کی تھیں. نواز جی، ایک مشورہ ہے: چوتھی باری کی امید نہ رکھیں! قبلہ تو آپکا ٹھیک ہے اب ذرا سمت بھی درست کر لیں.

دوستی ہو تو ایسی ...

سب کو دوستی کا دن مبارک ہو. سیانے ٹھیک کہتے ہیں کہ برے وقت میں دوست ہی کام آتا ہے ورنہ باقی تو تماشہ بین ہوتے ہیں. دوستی کا انحصار ساتھ دینے پہ ہوتا ہے اور کراچی کی ایک سیاسی پارٹی اس مقدس فریضے میں پورا اترتی ہے.

نام لوں تو برا بنو مگر کیا کریں رہنا تو آخر اس شہر میں ہی ہے. شہر سے یاد آیا کہ گزشتہ روز کراچی میں ابر برسا اور اتنا برسا کے ہر طرف وینس جیسے مناظر دکھنے لگے. شبہ ہونے لگا کہ آیا کبھی اس شہر میں سڑکیں ڈالی بھی گئی تھی یا نہی. سڑکوں سے یاد آیا لیاری ایکسپریس وے آج تک مکمل نہیں ہوئی. کیوں نہیں بنی تو آسان سا جواب یہ کہ وہ دوستی کی نظر ہوگئی. سیاست کی ایک ایسی دوستی جسکی کوئی مثال نہیں.

کل کی بارش کے بعد لوگوں نے الله کے بعد ایک شخص کو بہت یاد کیا گیا. جناب نے موقع دیکھ کر ایک بیان بھی دیا اور پھر ایک ذرا اوپر سے بھی بیان آیا. نام لوں تو برا بنو مگر کیا کروں تھوڑی بہت سمجھ رکھتا ہوں جو اس بات پر مجبور کرتی ہے کہ کچھ حقیقت پسندی سے کام لیا جائے.

چھوٹا منہ اور بڑی بات مگر جو کارنامے انجام ہوئے تھے وہ پانچ سال پہلے کے تھے اور  ان باکمال پانچ سال سے پہلے ایک اور سابق ناظم نعمت الله خان نے کافی کام کیا تھا. اگر یاد کرنا ہے تو انکو بھی کیا جائے.

کہنے والے کہتے ہیں کہ پہلے تو کبھی ایسا نہیں ہوا تھا تو لگتا ہے لوگ 2007 کی اس طوفانی بارش کو بھول گئے ہیں جب سڑک کے کنارے لگے سائنز گرنے کی وجہ سے 100 افراد اپنی جانوں سے ہاتھ دھو بیٹھے تھے. ہمیشہ کی طرح ذمہ داری کسی اور پر ڈال گئی اور خیر منائی گئی. یاد کرنے والے یہ بھول جاتے ہیں کہ جن صاحب کے کمالوں کو یاد کیا جاتا ہے وہ اس پارٹی سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں جو پچھلے 25 سال سے کراچی سے وفاقی اور صوبائی نشتیں جیتی آئی ہے اور یہ بات عام ہے کہ چاہے ممبر اسمبلی صوبائی کے ہوں یا وفاقی کے ہوں آپکو اپنے علاقے کے لئے کچھ چھوٹا موٹا فنڈ ضرور ملتا ہے اور اگر فنڈ نہ بھی ملے تو آپکے پاس کچھ اختیارات تو ہوتے ہی ہیں.

بات سادی سی ہے مگر ہے کڑوی: اگر نیت اچھی ہو اور مقصد نیک ہو تو کرنے والے اپنا کام کرتے ہیں. کمالیہ دور کے پانچ سال پچھلے پانچ سال کی وڈیروں کے ساتھ دوستی بہہ لے گئی. دوستی ابھی بھی کرلی گئی ہے وہ بھی انکے ساتھ جنکو وہ اپنا قاتل سمجھتے تھے.

بات سادی سی ہے مگر شائد سمجھ نہ آۓ: دوستی سب سے کرلی سواۓ اپنو سے. دوستی کرلی سارے جہاں سے سواۓ اپنے شہر سے.

Politicking the Pixel

It is election season in Pakistan, and for the first time ever, it seems that the young are as enthusiastic as the old. The Election Commission is hard at work to make sure that the best people enter this race. And, like any elections, campaigns are required to be run. In 2008, the internet did not influence the elections much. It was not used as an effective tool for political campaigns. Learning from Obama's "Yes We Can", Arab Spring, and perhaps the 2012 French elections, political parties in Pakistan have now understood that politicking on the web is as essential as done elsewhere.

It is my habit to check Dawn's website almost three times in a day. A headline "PTI fundraiser aims for Guinness Book record" took my attention. Pakistan has found a recent passion in breaking world records and on the above, it seemed PTI volunteers did not want to be left behind.

However, the news story that followed the headline made me break my inactivity of months for it. (To be honest, I had no option but too add that filler at the start.) The online edition of Dawn said:

Ahmad Moeenuddin and Ali Mehdi of the PTI Youth Wing launched fundyourtsunami.com where blocks of pixels can be bought to colour an image on the website.

If you are a web-savvy person, you might have already guessed my source of excitement. Moeenuddin and Mehdi has done something that only people of their age and awareness can do. They have brought pixel marketing and politicking together. Are there any examples of such sort? I do not know any, but kudos to these two young men for thinking out of the box.

For the common man, there is a need of definitions at this point. First, what is a pixel (px)? To make it easy, pixel is like the smallest form of an image (consider it as a dot) on a monitor or any other digital display device. When many pixels join together, a clear image is formed. The higher the number of pixel, the better would be the picture's quality. To put it in another way, you measure display space on a website by pixels. Websites sell advertisement space by grouping pixels into blocks like 480 px by 60 px, etc.

Now you will ask why such enthusiasm when everyone is doing it? Well, technically, everyone is selling advertisement space. Pixel marketing begins when you create a full functional website and keep its primary display for sale. It was first developed in 2005 when a 21-year-old British student, Andy Tew created a website where he sold 20 px by 20 px. He called the website MillionDollarHomepage.com and created it for funding his university education. With smart efforts and a press release, he earned enough to survive the first year at university—all within the two weeks of the launch of website. Today, there is no space left to buy his website.

Come 2013, a new application has been put in use. Ahmad Moeenuddin and Ali Mehdi made FundYourTsunami.com to gather election funds for Pakistan Tehreek-i Insaf (PTI) (Pakistan's Movement of Justice).  For every pixel bought, not only the color will appear in the block but  a message from the buyer will be placed (and that too if he or she wishes). Till now, an amount of USD 16,051.00 has been collected. However, there is another important factor which made these young men act this way. PTI has promised upto 25% of its seats to candidates in the 25-35 age bracket. It is something that will strike a chord with many first time, politically motivated young voters. It seems PTI truly activated the educated young. This has worked for them in many ways. I even found a SoundCloud account, no idea if it is official. Yes, previously, there were times when their supporters engaged in discussion very harshly, but it seems that things are now under control.

PTI's out-of-the-norm way of politicking is the need of time. With law and order in a fix, an active presence on all social media fronts can work wonders. The analysts who are not taking social media on count are quite unrealistic—and to an extent, irrational. This election is different, I can just feel it.

چلا گیا جھپاٹو

زندگی میں چند لوگ اسے ہوتے ہیں جن سے آپکی وکیفیت ہوتے ہیں مگر وہ آپکے دوست نہیں ہوتے. آپ ان سے روز ملتے ہیں. آپ انسے سلام دعا رکھتے ہیں ، بحث کرتے ہیں ، انکے ساتھ چاۓ ناشتہ کرتے ہیں ، اور اایک وقت ایسا آتا ہے کے اپ الله حافظ کرتے ہیں اور آپ اپنے راستے کو ہو جوتے ہیں. جھپاٹو اور میرا بھی کچھ ایسا ہی تعلق تھا. میں نے کبھی سوچا بھی نہیں تھا کہ میں جھپاٹو کے بارے میں کچھ لکھو گا. سچ تو یہ ہے کہ مجھے آج دوپہر تک وہ یاد بھی نہیں تھا. 

آج پانچ بجے کہ بعد میرے پاس کچھ زیادہ کام کرنے کو نہیں تھا؛ تو میں اپنے ایک دوست سے ایس .ایم . یس. پہ بات کرنی شروع کردی. اسنے مجھے جھپاٹو کے بارے میں دریافت کیا کہ کیا میں اسے جانتا ہوں، اور ایک دم سے دل میں کھٹکا ہوا . میرے دوست نے میرا اندیشہ درست ٹھرادیا. ایک رات پہلے جھپاٹو کی جان کسی نے لے لی. قتل کے وقت وہ اپنی بیوی کے ساتھ تھا

جھپاٹو کا جرم کیا تھا ؟! یہ کبھی کوئی نہیں جان پاۓ گا مگر سب کو اندازہ ہے کہ وہ سیاست کا نشانہ بنا. جھپاٹوکی وابستگی ایک سیاسی تنظیم سے تھی. اسکی بیوی امید سے ہیں. اسے زیادہ مجھے پتا نہیں اور نہ ہی میری عادت ہے ایسے وقت میں ٹھو رکھنے کی

خیر، چلا گیا جھپاٹو اور پیچھے انگنت یادیں چھوڑ گیا. آج بھی مجھے یاد ہے کہ ایک بنک نے اسکی چل ڈھال دیکھ کر اسکو فنڈ ریکووری کی جوب کی پیشکش کی تھی. آج بھی مجھے یاد ہے کہ سیاسی وابستی ہونے کہ باوجود وہ سب سے کتنی گرمجوشی اور صاف دل ہوکر ملتا تھا. کیسے وہ اپنی ڈگری حاصل کرنے کے لئے دیں میں دو دو امتحان ساتھ دیتا تھا. آج بھی مجھے یاد ہے کہ اسنے بتایا تھا کہ چکور پیزا کی ڈیل کتنی بہترین ہے

سو، چل گیا جھپاٹو اور پیچھے چھوڑ گیا کئی سوال جن کے جواب شاید کبھی نہ ملیں

Talal Qureshi's Sensational Surprise

For the last ten years I have been an avid electronica listener. And, I always wished for locally produced, good quality music. Sadly, Pakistan has yet to accept the complexities involved in electronica. To many, it is just "music" or "sythentic music made with computers."

Pakistan has its share size of surprises, and Talal Qureshi is one of them. Based in the Karachi, he was first noticed by the local crowds when he first released his track, Shift Phase. Later, he remixed Adil Omar's Off The Handle. Recently, he teamed up with Zeeshan Parwez—one half of the famous Sajid & Zeeshan duo—and released a track titled Wasted Youth. He also has a hand in producing music for the upcoming movie, Gol Chakkar.

From house to dubstep to soundtracks, Talal is a rare talent. He has shown that he is truly a musician who is not bound by trends and fads. His new single Senses is a testimony of the very fact. Generally known for his dubstep tracks, this new offering is more ambient and minimal and no way near to dubstep.

Infused with minimal and techno elements, Senses is a track which takes you on a journey. This track is not your usual club hit but instead, it is a mellow lounge sensation which grips you with its simplicity. The deep dark vibe takes you into a journey. Tracks like Senses define new boundaries, and open our minds to newer horizons. With dhool and raga elements, Talal has opened a different dimension altogether. This is not something from Buddha Bar compilation. This pushes the bar higher. Talal has did something similar to what Junoon did back in 1990s when they invented "Sufi Rock". Without words but with simple, yet impactful elements, he has made something quite revolutionary. In my views, we are hearing the earliest incarnations of Sufi Electronica.

Senses is a welcome break from the usual formula stuff that is going around for the last few months. The track has already received airplay from BBC Asian Network, BBC 6 and all famous, BBC Radio 1. You can hear the track below:
 

To know more about Talal Qureshi, check out the following links:

SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/talalqureshi
Twitter: twitter.com/talalqureshi
Facebook: facebook.com/talalqureshimusic
YouTube: youtube.com/talalqureshi

اس دفع ذرا سمجھداری سے

کچھ ایک سال پہلے میں نے پہلی دفع اردو میں بلوگ لکھا تھا. اسکا مقصد صرف ایک تھا کہ کچھ باتیں صرف اپنی زبان میں ہی اچھی لگتی ہیں. آج ایک دفع پھر خیال آیا کہ پھر سے کچھ لکھا جائے. سال کے آخری حصے میں انتخابات ہیں' اور اس دفع خدرا عقل سے کام لیا جائے. پچھلے 4 سال میں ہم سب نے دیکھ لیا کہ جمہوریت کے نام پر کیسا مذاق کیا گیا.

صرف کراچی کو ہی لے لیجئے. بےگناہ لوگ مرتے رہے اور سیاست کرنے والے سیاست کرتے رہے. بھاتا خوری نہ صرف غنڈوں نے کی بلکہ محافظوں نے بھی پیسے لوٹے. سارا ملک اندھیرے میں جانے کو ہے کیونکہ بجلی غایب ہے. کہاں ہم گیس پیدا کرتے تھے' آج اسکے بھی لالے پڑھ گئے ہیں.

کہتے ہیں کہ سمجھدار وہ ہوتا ہے جو دوسروں سے سبق لیتا ہیں. ہم میں بھی اب سبق لینا چاہیے. اپریل اور مئی میں دو یوروپی ممالک میں انتخابات ہوے. ایک تھا فرانس اور دوسرا تھا گریس. دونوں کی اوم اپنی موجودہ حکومت سے نالاں تھی. فرانس کے سرکوزی نے اپنی عوام کو کچھ زیادہ نہیں دیا سواۓ مہنگائی کہ. گریس میں بھی کچھ ایسا ہی معملا تھا. اس سال جب انتخابات کا وقت آیا تو دونوں ملکوں کے عوام نے ووٹ سے اپنے مستقبل کا خود چناؤ کیا. فرانس میں پہلے راؤنڈ میں کوئی برتری نہ لے سکا اور دوسرے راؤنڈ میں ہوللاند نے سرکوزی کو شکست دی. گریس میں انتخابی نتائج ملے جلے آے. کسی پارٹی کو سبقت حاصل نہ ہوسکی. آخری خبر آنے تک وہاں پی حکومت بنانے کے لئے مذاکرات کامیاب نہیں ہو سکے ہیں.

ہم سب نے دیکھ لیا کہ یہ حکومت کتنی جمہوری تھی. اب یہ ہماری ذمہداری بنتی ہے کہ ہم باتیں کہ ہم کسی جمہوریت چاہتے ہیں. ووٹ ڈالتے وقت اس بات کا دیہان رکھیں کہ کسی صحیح آدمی کا انتخاب کریں.  اس دفع کی ناسمجھی بہت مہنگی پڑسکتی ہے.

My Ode to Ferry Corsten

If someone asks me who is your favorite music artist, then my answer would be Ferry Corsten. For people who are not accustomed to this name, let me introduce him.

Ferry Corsten is an electronic dance music producer as well as a DJ of international fame. He hails from The Netherlands, the country known for its DJs like Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, And Nicky Romero. Unlike the other three, Ferry is relatively unknown. However, one should not be in error with his profile. Ferry is a master at what he does. He is one of the most creative person in the genre. For the past twenty years he has tried to experiment with his sound. He has tried to create fusions and define limits. This is why many people think that Ferry is 'boring'.

Being his fan, I thought that I should celebrate his work. The mix that I am making available for download was created a day before the airing of 250th episode of Ferry's show Corsten's Countdown. This mix celebrate Ferry's work under his own name, the remixes that he made, and the talent he showcased through his music label, Flashover Recordings.

The mix was submitted to di.fm for airplay and it was aired on May 10th after permission from Ferry's management. I cannot thank enough all the people who made this possible.

To download or listen to the mix, visit http://minus.com/mywshz

Show and tell

Hayelo! Flaunting already Gilani sahib! It seems that the government cannot stop at making unwise decisions. The same day when Gilani got his 'stick on hand' verdict, he asks the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to allot land for 'Benazir hall of fame'.

According to Dawn, the hall of fame "would be a tribute to legends of the country as well as new creators and innovators. The prime minister said the government held the country’s intellectuals in high esteem and gave weightage to their opinions. 'The artist community is the ambassador of Pakistan in the world since they are show-casing country’s culture, tradition and the image in the world,' he said."

Indeed Gilani sahib but the problem is the image that your government matters more. For example, it would have been a moral thing to do if you would've resigned after the verdict. It is written in the constitution (the one you love so much) that a person with conviction cannot be the leader of the country. Being staunch at this moment will not help you or the country. Thanks to the 'policy of reconciliation', the country now stand on thin ice. Has it occurred to you that the 'public mandate' you talk about is no longer with you.

On March 29, Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan concluded "53% favor disqualifying PM to hold office, if he disobeys the Supreme Court. 13% support further reprimand without disqualification. 18% would like SC to uphold PMs view or change its own verdict [while] 16% are unable to give a view." A day earlier, it was reported by the same organization that "61% oppose while 33% favor PM Gilani’s view that President Zardari enjoys Presidential immunity against court proceedings." And, if that was not enough, on March 15, it was reported by Gilani Poll/Gallup Pakistan that " 52% agree that the leading political parties of the country do not represent the ideology of their generation, 31% somewhat agree whereas 10% disagree and believe that the leading political parties does represent the ideology of their generation."

Has it occurred to you that why all of this happening? Why the public is not supporting its elected prime minister? The answer is quite simple. The economy is in bad a state. The PEW Research Center shows that the during the past four years of democratic rule, the economic conditions slumped. When asked, "Is the country's economic situation good or bad?", 85% respondents said it is "Bad". Your government came into the power with the promise to eradicate load-shedding. Sadly, the promises remained promises. Instead of improving, cities like Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Peshawar now suffer with 16 to 18 hours of power cut. The Pakistani currency depreciated in its value while the inflation galloped. Amazingly, I was unable to find any official poverty-related figures even since this government came.

However, the cherry on top is the question by the PEW Research Center, "How satisfied are you with the country's direction?" Only 6% are satisfied by the outlook. A legendary performance I must say.

By the way Gilani sahib, will you put shoes in the 'hall of fame'?

Fei Fei Foe FUN!

Loo jee! One day you sleep early and all the fun happens behind your back. On Saturday night when I went to my bed, I prayed for a better tomorrow. Next day, when I woke up, I ran to the computer as I knew I would have missed a lot of ASOT 550 (yes, it is still going on) Los Angeles. As soon as I logged into the di.fm forums, I came to know that something awful. The tradegy of tragedies occurred. A loss so massive that it could never be filled. It was like the end of the world for a bunch of listeners when Fei Fei, an American DJ, played an entire set filled with Dubstep, Brostep and (gulp!) Trancestep tunes.

Aray bhaiya! Kia batao! From the looks of it, it seemed that a catastrophe. I was sad too because I landed into the Aly & Fila set where they aired new ballad (of doom and distress) with Jwaydn. But, Fei Fei was the talk of the trance town. Her Facebook page was filled with activity, both good and bad.

The "Dirty" Khan

Ever since Imran Khan pulled the crowd to his October 30 rally, it seems that everyone is taking sides. While taking sides, his critics are trying to be critical at everything. Everything from his party to the family has come under the spotlight. His scandalous past along with his marriage and present family life is questioned. While one half of the critics criticize his aloofness with his party affairs, there is an another half which hellbent to show Khan in bad light.

Indeed, Khan has nothing but been scandalous in his youth, but is it too hard to accept that to err is human and one grows up over the years. It is about time that we separate the wheat from the chaff. Khan's frivolity during the epitome of his youth is not something that would disturb the matters of governance. It should be taken as a blessing that everything about Khan is almost black and white.

The matter that gets the most eyebrows raised is Jemima's association with Imran Khan. For this, let us travel back to 1995 when Khan married Jemima. Jemima was (and perhaps, still is) a Muslim when she married Khan. She readily moved to Pakistan and lived here for almost a decade. During her almost decade long stay in Pakistan, she tried her best to adjust into the society. In her public appearances, she was usually seen in Shalwar Kameez. She actively participated in the activities for Shaukut Khanum Memorial Hospital. Due to her efforts, Diana the Princess of Wales visited Pakistan twice. With Khan, she bore two sons: Sulaiman Isa and Kasim, both are now in London with their mother. During the 2010 floods, she took an active part in gathering funds from all over Europe. On various occasions, she has spoken against the American drone attacks. The sudden divorce in 2004 did raise some controversy, but for a woman who considers Pakistan her second home, we should all think before we speak.

With Nusrat Bhutto dies the People's Party

Nusrat Bhutto, former First Lady and mother of Benazir Bhutto, died yesterday in Dubai at the age of 82.

Like Zardari, Nusrat had to step into politics when her spouse died, but unlike him, she kept the party together. For almost a decade, she kept the legacy of Zulfikar Bhutto going in letter and spirit. Though her life with Zulfikar was not a bed of roses, she stayed behind her man and kept her appearances. She hid her emotional scars—as well as the ones she received from her abusive husband—gracefully. She held so many tears back.

After the death of Zulfikar Bhutto, she took the reins of the party and prepared it as a potent democratic power. Born in Iran, it could have been easier for her to leave but she stayed. She stayed because she knew that the ideology that her husband gave was a sacred trust for the people of his country. She feared less and strives harder. She marched along against the military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq. She got both the leftists and rightists talking about democracy. She became a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, she got nothing but grief. In her life, she witnessed four deaths; one difficult than the other. Till this very day, the murders of her son, Murtaza and her daughter, Benazir, have not been arrested. She was almost forgotten too till the very afternoon when she died. The actual Bhutto family received the information from the television reports.

The party she handed over to her daughter was her blood, sweat, and tears. Sadly, her hard work is now going to waste. The People's Party where it stands today was not the one she aspired to be. She was known for her close relation with her workers. She used to bread bread with them. The present situation is far bleak; the party is getting distant from the good influences of her time.

Later today, her body will be flown to Larkana. She will get buried in Ghari Khuda Baksh. However, with her body, the People's Party—of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto—will also be laid to rest.

September 11: Ten Years Later

It was a usual September evening; hot and humid. My mother and sisters were getting ready to visit a book-fair, and I was going with them. Around 0530pm, I saw the ad of the New York Stock Exchange,and thought life never stops there. Rain or shine, the city of New York just continues. I wondered if I would ever see it in my lifetime unless something awful happens there like an airplane crash.

Minutes later, the BBC interupted its regular programming for a developing story. The news anchor said that an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. My mother sat down with me to watch the news. And, our trip to the book-fair was called off. My mother did not have the heart to go. The event that unfolded before our eyes was simply dreadful.

Ten years forward, I work for a company associated with that book-fair. A lot has changed, but yet a lot is not fixed.

ZulfiLeaks: Pot, Kettle, Ghairat!

Whatever Zulfiqar Mirza said today was almost similar to something that I said to a friend who is an ardent MQM supporter, some days back. However, trusting Zulfiqar Mirza's word on this would not be a smart move.

Courtesy: pyfpakistan on YouTube

In the video, the anchor Naseem Zehra reads a excerpt from one of Zulfiqar Mirza's speech. In the excerpt, it is said:

"We wanted to break Pakistan, we were against Pakistan. ... If Mr. Asif Ali Zardari would have not chanted the slogan of Pakistan Khappay (Stays), then we would have left Naudero and would have chanted the slogan of Pakistan Na-Khappay (Stays Not)..."

Upon which Mirza replies that his quote is taken out of context, and he apologizes. This kind of reasoning is nothing new, especially for Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders.

ZulfiLeaks: First Peceptions

Like it or not, Zulfiqar Mirza is officially the Grinch. Thanks to him, Eid may be a horrible event.

I might shed a light on his "resignation" speech, sometime later but one thing I can see clearly that he looked provoked. Why Mirza reached to such a drastic step? One can only guess. As far I can analyze, there are three possibilities.

First, we all know how Zulfiqar Mirza clings to Lyari and considers himself to be their savior. The surgical operation around Karachi are being done on the orders of Senator Rehman Malik. Earlier this week, it was Mirza who reminded Malik that Malik was made Senator from a Sindhi seat even though he is a resident of Sialkot. This whole event unfolded before the Prime Minister's eyes. Last night, as Mirza was in Badin, Malik took the chance and conducted the operation. 80 people were arrested and torture cells were unveiled. Hence, there was a fallout on Rehman.

Second, starting this Monday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan will start hearings related to Karachi violence. It is common that there is blood on everyone's hand. However, this whole debacle will cost PPP a lot. It needed someone to save their face. Zulfiqar Mirza is the perfect candidate. The amount of revelations made in his press conference shows that the pointing game has been taken to a new level.

Third, Mirza has been in the flood-hit area of Badin last night. Badin is supposed to be his hometown, and it has been affected by a flood since the middle of the month. While his hometown was drowning, Mirza was in Karachi tongue-lashing. His last night visit to Badin might have made him see the writing on the wall. Due to mishandling of the floods by their elected representatives, people in Sindh are now looking towards newer options. Mirza's presence in Karachi rather in Badin might have hurt his followers. This might be spelling doom not only for himself but his party as well. This resignation might be an attempt to renew his losing political power in the area. Moreover, the recent strike by MQM was observed in the areas of Interior Sindh, especially in Nawabshah, the hometown of Zardari.

All in all, this will end up in more bloodshed. Good thing, I did not buy new clothes for Eid. Who wants to celebrate when your hometown is burning?

WeakyLeaks?

Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott once wrote:

Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!

The quote may not be very appropriate for the topic I am going to write on, but somehow, I feel deceived. Last year, in November, WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing website, revealed a hefty load of information from U.S. Diplomatic Cables – popularly known as "Cablegate." These cables hold a lot of candid information, and a considerable amount of it was quite new. This release of information made the U.S. insecure. Intellectuals around the world were amazed by this revelation. Julian Assange became a worldwide sensation. it was considered that the U.S. would be in a lot of trouble after this event, however, it seems that nothing happened.

Almost nine months after the "Cablegate," it seems that a lot of the information revealed in these cables, somehow, resulted into events. I know that I would be called a "conspiracy theorists." However, the release of information and the event afterwards seemed so coordinated at times that it does nothing but fuels the fire of curiosity and suspicion.

When the first releases were made public to the media back in November, one of the most obvious ones was about Gaddafi and his "voluptuous blonde." The world raised an eye-brow over it. In February 2011, after the fall of regimes in Egypt and Tunisia occurred, the people of Libya started a movement against thier leader, Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Due to the stubborn attitude of Gaddafi, a war broke out. In the last week of the same month, the "voluptuous blonde" named Galyna Kolotnytska left Libya and returned home. She spoke about Gaddafi in the high regards. However, till this day, I cannot decipher the reason of bring this particular women in the scene. It is common knowledge that Gaddafi has an army of 40 virgin women protecting him but why a foreign nurse had to be pulled in. Furthermore, the stress on the word "voluptuous" is more than ordinary. Maybe, it is a case of "sex sells."

Moving on, in the last week of April this year, WikiLeaks released the Gitmo Papers. It was then reported that Khalid Muhammad Skeikh, one of the detainees and a senior at al-Qaeda, said that the death of Osama bin Laden will result in a "nuclear hellstorm." Almost a week later, on May 2, the U.S. Navy Seals fly into Abbottabad, Pakistan and killed Osama bin Laden who was living in a mansion almost a kilometer away from Kakul Military Base. Readily, questions about "nuclear safety" were risen. This month, almost all of the Navy Seals involved in the mission were killed by a missile shot by a Taliban soldier. Days later, the Taliban soldier was killed by the U.S. Army. This coordination is far too amazing to be left unnoticed.

In May this year, DAWN and WikiLeaks brought out the "Pakistan Papers"; the diplomatic cables related to Pakistan. In this revelation, there is one very peculiar. Filed under the Reference ID 09KARACHI138, and titled as Sindh – Gangs of Karachi, the Counsel General Stephen Fakan wrote in 2009 about the Gangs in Karachi in which he asserts that the police is outnumbered. In his report, he gives elaborate details about the gangs. Come August, the situation becomes quite like the one he has reported. The police looks out-numbered and powerless while tackling the Karachi unrest.

The way the information is presented is somehow amazing. These cables look as if they were constructed to benefit someone. Much to my surprise, these cables have done nothing for the world. It made the whole unsafe as well as opened new war-fronts, not one real-time but also online. The assumed affected, i.e. the U.S. Government, is not affected at all. Many a time, it looks as if WikiLeaks have benefited the superpower.  I guess it might not be so leaky after all.

Let there be sobbing!

First, this video:

Courtesy: Zohaibji0 on Dailymotion

And then its response:

Courtesy: thedaxxling on YouTube

Oh! Sob, sob. "Dr." Amir "Tunni" Liaquat Ali is in controversy – again, and I rolled my eyes again. Mute the first video and see the mouth diarrhea happening. It is evident that the "Tunni" is guilty of his doings, and he claims in the second video that he did insulted certain Islamic personalities accidentally. However, there is more than that meets the eye in these videos.

Mooning Around!

Pardon my language but every year there are two occasions when it gets as embarrassing as having your pants pulled down. The two moons (no pun intended) of Ramadan and Shawal have been controversial for decades, and it seems never-ending.

Every year, in the areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, a controversy arises that whose moon is more accurate: the one of the local Maulvi or the one sighted by the government-appointed Maulvi? The practice was less exposed in the 1990s but as the electronic media grew in the last decade, the "divide" has become more evident than ever.

One with a million!

Well well well, someone is not happy after all that posing. Pakistan's new foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar does not like to called "Fashion Icon" as reported by the Indian newspaper, The Hindu. However, she has no one to blame except herself. Ever since her nomination was announced, there have been discussions about Hina Rabbani Khar. Her credentials, though impressive, have been blown out of proportions. Time and again, it is reminded that she is a foreign graduate – a creature higher than local graduates. Her first trip after holding the office was to India, and ever since, she has landed she has been catching the eye.

Dressed in seemingly simple clothes, Khar has simply loaded her with accessories. You name it and she's got it. Limited edition bags and expensive shoes, she even owns South Sea pearl jewelry. For a safe estimate, only her shoes are almost worth a full-year salary of a daily wager in Pakistan. Who knows? These shoes are really made for walking.

Nonetheless, the argument behind it is that they are personal possession. However, let's not forget that this is no joyride. One can strut her stuff when she is on a personal trip, but this is business. She is on a state visit to India where she is representing a country which is still recovering from the floods that hit last year – one of worst natural disaster in the recorded history.

So much for her credentials – and the aura of being a foreign graduate – as she fails and fall flat on her face – with her Jimmy Choos – when it came to representing her people. I thought that foreign graduates knew how to make better impressions for their client but this is a failure. Her bad choice of accessorizing herself shows that Pakistani leadership live in a world entirely different from the one their public lives in. The aftermath of her actions are best put in a headline by The Guardian:

Pakistan foreign minister bags attention on India trip

That pretty much sums it all up. By the way Ms. Khar, are those Jimmy Choos good at tossing around?