'Victor's justice' is how many people, according to Amnesty International, are likely to describe Saddam Hussein's execution. The expression is perhaps the most apt comment on the event. Almost all aspects of the affair carry the stamp of haughtiness medieval potentates used to display in their treatment of a vanquished enemy. That alone could explain the fact that all those responsible for hanging Saddam Hussein chose to disregard with contempt the grave and far reaching consequences of their brutality.

Saddam Hussein's crimes were many and of the most heinous variety. Nobody could defend him. He massacred thousands of his countrymen. Many of those killed belonged to a sect different from his although they claimed to be a majority of the population. Many others of his victims belonged to a minority race that cruel fate has scattered across several countries. He could justly be condemned for sectarianism and racism of the worst possible variety. His long and most expensive war against Iran as well as his invasion of Kuwait not only cost death and destruction to victims of his aggression but also dealt a grievous blow to Muslim peoples' solidarity and Asian unity and indeed to the cause of world peace. He also extinguished the Baath party's promise of a secular, democratic and egalitarian politics and condemned the people of Iraq to all the shameful and degrading consequences of dictatorship.

The lengthy charge sheet against Saddam Hussein meant that he had deserved to be suitably punished. However, there are cogent reasons why Saddam Hussein should not have been hanged. The world is moving, and one should say fortunately, towards universal abolition of death penalty. The Finnish Presidency of the European Union rightly pointed out no exception could be made in the case of Saddam Hussein by all those that like the EU stood for abolition of the death penalty. It may be worthwhile to reaffirm the main argument against death penalty -- that it destroys the possibility of the guilty one's realisation of the enormous nature of his act, which is the main purpose of punishing any one for any crime. Not only was Saddam Hussein deprived of the possibility of realising how wrong on many accounts he had been, the discourse over his crimes has been encased in an unreasonable format.

However, Saddam Hussein's execution cannot be justified even by those outside the death penalty abolitionist lobby.

First of all, it is difficult to accept the present Iraqi judiciary's credentials about its independence of the executive. Regardless of the steps taken to create the facade of a national democratic government in Iraq, the fact is that Iraq is still an occupied territory and whatever is done to the members of the vanquished regime will be laid at the altar of the occupying power. That power, which it will be argued had no legal ground to try Saddam Hussein, however strong the case for his trial by his free people may be.

Quite a few flaws in the trial of Saddam Hussein and the environment in which the trial was held have been pointed out. Internationally respected human rights organisations have questioned the independence of the tribunal, pointed out deficiencies in procedure and drawn attention to lack of protection and opportunities to Saddam's defence counsel. The vulgar haste in carrying out Saddam Hussein's execution was an ugly example of disdain for political repercussions.

The choice of the day of perhaps the most important festival on Muslim peoples' calendar for Saddam's execution was an act reminiscent of medieval barbarism, of days when columns of human skulls were erected to complete a defeated adversary's humiliation. The hangmen knew what they were doing because newspaper reports from Baghdad before the hanging did allude to the possibility of the hanging being put off till after the Eid-ul-Azha. There were also reports that Saddam's execution on eid day was considered by some depraved minds as a festival gift. Such display of utter contempt for civilised behaviour brutalises large segments of humankind and their generations to come. It will not be easy to convince the already embittered sections of the Muslim community worldwide that some newborn zealots are not out to confirm the clash of civilisations. Hangmen in all countries of the world are off duty on national holidays.

The choice of the case for settling scores with Saddam Hussein was rooted in diabolical mischief. The case for which the ousted Iraqi dictator was tried and sentenced related to his 1982 massacre in a Shia village while Saddam also faced a much graver charge of killing thousands of Kurds around the same time. By preferring the former case to the latter, Saddam's prosecutors have enlarged the area of conflict within the Islamic fold, the effects of which are not confined to Iraq and can indeed be seen in Pakistan even.

Finally, it was not necessary to ignore the lesson of history that political foes are not overcome by sending them to the gallows. Caesar alive was less dangerous than the consul stabbed to death by his courtiers. A politically motivated judicial verdict followed by hanging has never finished off a political figure. Indeed it has often made the victims of judicial murder into heroes.

The rise of the new millennium marked many changes and new dimensions to the architectural fabric of the country. Corporate head offices were a distinct addition to the built environment. Karachi experienced this input in a corresponding manner.

Head office building of SSGC on main Sir Shah Suleman Road was a dominant structure designed and supervised by eminent architect Habib Fida Ali. In his simple, straight lined yet ornate approach, he has designed the exterior in fair face concrete. The elegant grey cement appearance provides a weather proof effect which not only makes the building efficient but also contextually relevant. The intelligent use of glass enhances the optimum use of day light making the building energy efficient. ABN Amro Building by another eminent architect Yasmeen Lari on Sir Abdullah Haroon Road is a fine addition to the city architecture. Aesthetically balanced use of granite and glass has given the assemblage a smart appearance.

Pakistani architecture also made a few breakthroughs. The tallest building -- MCB Towers -- was finally completed and inaugurated. Designed by Arshad Shahid Abdulla, the building comprises a balance of glass fenestration and concrete with subtle grooves and niches. The building acts as a dominating edifice. It is corporate structures that have been adding to the skyline in Karachi and other prominent cities, most of which possess good quality design inputs. In Lahore, the foremost addition is the Allama Iqbal International Airport Complex. Designed and supervised by M/s. NESPAK, it has added a worthwhile edifice which shall remain the gateway to the former Mughal capital for times to come.

Besides the strength and vigour of corporate sector, especially multinationals, other influences are also showing reflections in the buildings and spaces created in the recent past. Flexibilities in the financial markets and new products in leasing/loaning have allowed large scale real estate ventures to flourish. Many international realtors can also be found developing joint projects and ventures with the local counterparts. The element of comfort is now facilitated by the use of multi-ranged technologies, gadgets and products.

The ideas and images related to the built environment are largely developed to show the gloss and glamour which has become the ultimate aspiration of all and sundry. However, the building solutions available for low income groups are extremely limited and evolve without the input of corresponding professionals.

For this reason, we find that the quality of life and the corresponding built environment for low income groups is degrading fast. In Karachi, one finds many visible architectural developments in the above respect. A significant trend is the patchwork of corporate spaces in the existing buildings. In this phenomenon, the corporate enterprises choose a portion of an existing building and transform it according to their requirements. Building interiors, partial external elevation, signage and decor, partial landscape and even invisible infrastructure are changed to suit to the corporate standards.

Hundreds of buildings in Karachi and elsewhere in Pakistan have been given such partial facelifts. The usual clients include mobile telephone franchises, banks, leasing companies, fast food chains, boutiques and the like. This approach has created melo-dramatic effects on the built fabric. One finds a shining, well articulated and bright looking built space in an otherwise shabby and run down structure. In other words, the contrasts in input and appearance of buildings is too sharp to be ignored.

The newly created Defence Housing Authority in Islamabad became centre point for real estate projects. Several real estate builders signed memoranda of understanding with the administration of Islamabad DHA for trendy high-rise edifices. While the spade work began in 2004-05, a lot shall start coming out of the ground soon. Real estate and corporate ventures are also actively pursued in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and medium sized cities. However the architectural quality of design and appearance is even below mediocre. In majority of cases, the material, construction techniques and structural strength is also dubious in nature. Resort development in Murree and Mangla are examples.

Automobile showrooms of very gaudy kinds is another visible trend that has consolidated itself during the past few years. Major arteries where the elite and upper middle income groups move have converted into outlets for glowing auto showrooms. Glass-facaded structures with optimum use of glass, outlandish building elements and powerful illumination are a typical configuration of this mundane assemblage. The architects who have designed such structures have been pinned down by their demanding clients to increase the capacity and visibility of their merchandise. The trend is growing fast. As the automobiles are being marketed and acquired with most flexible conditions, the car showrooms are likely to rise in number, though not in quality.

Condominiums and multi-storeyed apartment projects are on the rise. Due to international partnerships, the foreign entrepreneurs have brought the formulae and images for new avenues of luxuries and comforts corresponding to a global life style. Exotic verdures, gymnasia, restaurants, fitness centres, swimming pools and club houses are few of the accessory spaces routinely incorporated in the real estate development projects. This rising trend has taken over the prize locations such as beach fronts, highway edges and affluent neighbourhoods. The ecological considerations are compromised against the prospective revenue gains. Some of the projects are already underway while several others are undergoing different phases of development. Quality of design has become subservient to the marketing.

Much of this retrospect shows that the architectural stride is all lucrative and shall continue to flourish at least in the near future. However there are many arguments that contest this wishful thinking.

Despite the rise in the number of architects and architectural firms, the total contribution of this profession in shaping the built environment is miniscule. The bulk of the buildings, common residences, warehouses, factories, educational and health facilities, institutional buildings and even public offices are developed without any architectural input worth the name. There are several reasons for this state of affairs. The total number of architects are extremely few compared to the construction activity in the country. In all, a little over three thousand architects exist in a nation of over 15 million people. Thus there are hundreds of medium and small cities in Pakistan where neither any architect has ever ventured to contribute in professional terms nor dared to reside.

Most of the architects are commercially-oriented professionals. They only undertake such assignments where they are paid for their services. There is nothing wrong in this approach. The problem is that millions of people belonging to low income groups have an extremely limited capacity to bear the fee of any professional. They view the charges of the professionals, including architects, as a burden. Therefore they build with a crude sense of construction on their own or with the advice of mason or petty contractors. At times, this approach becomes disastrous. The most visible example has been the tragic loss of life during October 2005 earthquake where buildings collapsed without warning. Had they been properly designed, they would have given at least basic signals of failure before final collapse.

On November 01, 2006 an infant died and three people were critically injured when roof of their house collapsed in Gharibabad -- a low income locality in Karachi. Investigations revealed that the roof rested on a wall which was structurally unsafe and had no foundations! Many precious lives are lost across the country in similar incidents.

The architectural profession is unable to service the lowest and highest end of market and social demands. That is to say our architects have not been able to find solutions to the building problems of low income masses. Apparently it requires sustained research activity which has yet to take root in our country. As a result, the poor have to be content with extremely substandard quality of built environment.

As far as the upper end of demand is concerned, local/national firms hardly possess the experience and expertise in certain specialised type of works. Design and supervision of sky scrapers; condominiums; conservation consistent solutions; urban renewals and social housing are unchartered territories. Much of this gap is filled by foreign consultants and syndicates.

Architectural conservation is one area which is in need of focused attention. Thousands of outstanding building structures across the country await the professional attention. However, one finds total neglect on the part of professionals in this regard. Even conventional architects do not possess the competence to take up these assignments. In certain cases, they have spoiled the buildings in question due to poor inputs. Mohatta Palace in Karachi and Tollington Market in Lahore are examples of inappropriate conservation.

Much is needed to be done in this domain. Architects must be made socially responsive in approach and practice through exposure and awareness attempts. The professional bodies must be sensitised to this grave social responsibility. Vocational training in building, surveying and construction related trades must be upscaled.

Every profession possesses a 'para' category. Architecture shall also benefit from para architects, if a properly designed course and curriculum is imparted. Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) in Karachi has successfully demonstrated in this respect. After careful analysis, this model can be upscaled widely.

Regardless of occasion, event or venue, we have a tendency to arrive late. It is considered so normal that nobody expects an explanation even if you are late by a few hours. Probably this approach owes itself to the many time zones in which we exist. Pick up a newspaper and you would find not one but at least three dates for the same day, following the Roman, Islamic and Bakarmajeet (the vernacular) calendars. Thus we live in years 2007, 1427 and 2063 simultaneously.

Of course there are some other systems of demarcation of time that we don't follow, such as the Chinese calendar in which each year has a particular name, such as the year of rat, horse, dragon etc. Had we been doing that, the last year would have surely been called the Year of Book -- especially in the art circles, since a lot of books on Pakistani art and artists were published. These included the monographs on Lubna Agha, Bashir Mirza, A.R. Nagori, Esther Rahim, and autobiography of M. F. Husain in Urdu, as well as the important publication on Pakistani art by Salima Hashmi (Memory, Metaphor, Mutations, in collaboration with Yashodhara Dalmia) and 'Chaar Mussawir' (the four painters -- Ali Imam, Ahmed Pervez, Anwar Jalal Shemza and Kutub Sheikh) by Shafi Aqeel. In addition, many catalogues of individual artists were printed on the occasion of their solo exhibitions in the country or abroad.

All of this written material along with good quality reproductions serves several purposes. It helps in contextualising the creative activity and thinking process of an artist. At the same time it provides the theoretical background to a single artist's method and manner of shaping images, besides placing him/her in the art of a region and period.

The books on artists contribute in other ways too. In the absence of art museums and the invisible history of retrospective shows, a book on an artist turns into a substitute of a retrospective exhibition on a smaller scale. It documents the development of an artist and brings together the works from various periods and phases. Apart from that, the book on an artist is an easy way to introduce him/her to a public, which is not interested in the visual art or in its practitioners -- unless these turn into extraordinary characters, such as Sadequain or Gulgee. With the dominance of English as the lingua franca of the art world, the books reach a limited circle!

The art book plays a significant part in establishing an artist. At least this is what happened in India where, along with other factors (such as the economic boom, international interest, and Non Resident Indians' investment), the publications of books on Indian artists enhanced their value and position. Actually a book on an artist is an indication of his importance, and even if one does not go through the contents, the presence of a monograph affirms their place in the art world. It is a sign to confirm their status and elicits respect from practitioners, critics, collectors and viewers alike. (A number of eager and relatively younger artists are making attempts to have books published on themselves).

There are differences in the monographs on artists. Some of them are purely coffee table books. Others have a large body of text -- an analysis of the artist's work. But if we trace the history of books on Pakistani art, we find that it is a journey from the illustrated volumes for the coffee table to more serious and readable discourses on art. Thus the recently published books probe deeper into the issues relating to art and society.

Regardless of the motive, one must acknowledge that any publication on art is a positive endeavour because it facilitates to bring the art from the circle of elite, which can afford to create and collect art, to the general public. At the same time, the printing of a few books in Urdu, such as the autobiography of Husain and book on four painters by Shafi Aqeel, helps in breaking the boundaries of language in our art world and make it more accessible to ordinary people.

The publication of these books not only consolidates the position of the artists, it introduces a league of writers on art. Because with every book, we have an author on art, a profession that is not adopted with any fondness, because it does not offer much fame or fortune. In most cases the artist does not agree with the author who he thinks has either not understood the work or written with some malice.

What has happened in the space of just one year may continue and increase in the coming months, because people have realised that it is an important way of preserving an artist's work and ideas. In our short history, we have had a number of artists with diverse art practices and approaches, but with the absence of any substantial written material on them, they are beginning to fade away from the collective memory of this nation. One has witnessed that the publication of monographs on artists like Laila Shehzada and Esther Rahim have contributed in consolidating and/or reviving their presence in the art world.

One hopes that the future of Pakistani art be as fruitful as it was in the year 2006, more so because of the interest shown by Oxford University Press and the hard work by Jalaluddin Ahmed of FOMMA that culminated in a large number of art publications. This was something we needed to comprehend our own artists, and to introduce them to the outside world. This will certainly increase the involvement of our artists and public, because although we appreciate the works of visual arts, we are also people of the book!