Town Talk
• Exhibition of paintings and book launch by Moazzam Ali from Monday, Jan 7 to Jan 15 at Hamail Art Galleries on M.M Alam Road, Gulberg.

'Only leader with global vision'
-- Baba Najmi, labour rights activist and poet known for his defiant works, recalls his memories
By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed
I met Benazir Bhutto for the first time in Larkana in 1987 -- a year after her return to Pakistan in Ziaul Haq's period. There I found her to be a kind-hearted and soft spoken person who was worried about commonman's future in this country. On the other hand Nusrat Bhutto was a bit strict. But luckily I found her to be very lenient towards me as well. Once, when PPP was in power, Nusrat Bhutto asked me what she could do for me but I simply refused to get any favour.

Gaming Zones
Computer and video games are among the fastest growing sources of entertainment
By Jazib Zahir
On a typical afternoon at Kiran Zone in Defence, a family of four tentatively enters the shop lined with a daunting array of gaming consoles and cartridges. The group engages in an animated discussion with the sales clerk attempting to grasp the subtle differences in performance, design and software options between the Sony Playstation, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox. After some deliberation, they settle on a Playstation 2 and a handful of games recommended by the clerk. Both of the children in the family are girls and opt for the customised Playstation with a pink exterior. The family skips out of the store pleased with an investment that promises to offer it hours of entertainment.

RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S
QUESTION
TOP 10
New year resolutions
Year 2008
1. Not a year like 2007
2. Learn to live without electricity, water and gas
3. Better time management

I can simply say Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a brave politician who thought her life was not more important than her country that needed her the most. Despite the insistence of party leaders and workers not to come to Pakistan in the face of threats to her life, she decided to return and apply balm to the wounds of those who had suffered a lot at the hands of a dictator. She often said she would strengthen democratic forces to such an extent that the army will have no option but to go back to barracks. I remember she told me she would go and meet Balochis and Pakhtoons in areas where full-fledged military operations were launched against them.

Last year, in a meeting with her, I succeeded in convincing her that she must not go to Pakistan till the party is strong enough to avert such threats. She asked us to go back to Pakistan and strengthen/reorganise the party in the face of fresh challenges that the country faced.

Mohtarma was a great politician and a diplomat who believed that aristocracy and establishment were in no way ready to hand over real power to the masses. She was accessible to all and the poor got special treatment from her. I remember PPP team was visiting flooded areas in Punjab in 1992 when a group of people started protesting against us. It was during the government of Mian Nawaz Sharif. These protesters were carrying black flags to condemn PPP's visit to Punjab. At this moment I got infuriated and got hold of a person who was riding a motorbike and chanting slogans against PPP. While I was trying to throw his bike in the canal, passing by Mohtarma intervened and stopped me from doing so. She said the poor man should not be deprived of his motorbike irrespective of whatever he is doing.

She also had great respect for party workers. I still remember when she resisted all pressures when some feudals objected to my selection as PPP's general secretary in Punjab. Many called me extremist but Mohtarma insisted that dedicated party workers should get major role in managing party affairs.

Here I will also like to dispel the wrong impression that she would not listen to anyone. In fact she listened to everyone and acted wisely. In 1996, during a meeting in the Prime Minister's House, I pointed out names of few cabinet members who in my opinion were bringing bad name to the party. At this point many participants feared I would have to face repercussions and might be expelled from the party. But contrary to all they thought Mohtarma sat with me for long after the meeting and discussed this issue at length.

I also remember how like an experienced arbitrator she resolved issues that had led to estrangement between Jahangir Badar and me in 1986.

Above all, I hold her in great reverence for the respect and honour she gave to party workers. She treated party workers like her family members. I still have her condolence message with me that she sent me on the death of my sister. I also remember how she travelled all the way from Peshawar to Sialkot by road just to reach my sister's wedding. She could not find a flight but did not use it as an excuse.

Prophet Muhammad's grandsons were his successors. I met Balawal at BB's funeral and I must say that in the eight years Benazir was in exile with her children, she gave them time. Bilawal is a well-groomed young man. We accept him as our leader and are with him in every way," says Sajida Mir.

"We will carry on her mission. We will follow the 1970 manifesto of the party. If our officers are conscientious they should bring the murderers to the fore.

"Some people tried to distance Naheed Khan from Benazir because whenever she would see a stranger around BB, she would start walking next to her, sometimes right, sometimes left or behind her -- she would cover her in every way. How could Benazir be killed in Punjab? There has been too much security in Punjab. In Senator Latif Khosa's house our handbags were checked and I am PPP's Lahore President. Even the seats on which we sat were checked to ensure there was no bomb hidden there."

"The Pakistan People's Party city office is close to Liaquat Bagh and Benazir's stopping there to respond to the cheering by party workers was natural," another worker says.

Sajida says, "The PPP has been kept away from Punjab for the last thirty years. The chain that was binding the four provinces has broken with Benazir's assassination," she says.

"We, the people of Punjab, have a chance to play an important role. This is the time for Punjab to prove that Pakistan People's Party is the strongest here.

"She deserved a state funeral. Rajiv Gandhi was also killed in a rally but was accorded befitting burial. A Bhutto is killed every ten years; four funerals have been held in forty years.

"We will have to go to elections if we are true to Benazir who had been faithful to the nation. Not holding election means destroying the political process. So elections should be held in time."

Many a time Sajida Mir broke into tears while talking about Benazir Bhutto. "We felt strong with her around. I could even slap a police officer if he misbehaved because I knew my leader was brave. We drew strength from her. She was a very kind person. She would forgive even her enemies.

"She was available to all on mail which she would promptly reply. That is like a party chairperson. Her murder is an attempt to crush not just the PPP but a message to women to stay out of politics."

Sajida Mir and Amina Zaidi are the women who have kept women in politics alive -- on the streets of Lahore. Sajida inherited politics. She was born under the flag of PPP. At the age of eight she was actively protesting for Bhutto. "Politics is a life full of thorns," she says and rightly so. She has been to jail 24 times and has 17 cases of terrorism against her and some under MPO.

The government has postponed elections to counter sympathies for Benazir Bhutto but the Pakistan People's Party will flourish. Benazir really cared for the poor and was very hopeful [about their future], so were the people. She did not know she was called here to be killed," says Shamim Niazi, President Lahore Division of Pakistan People's Party -- a brave PPP worker associated with the party for the last forty years.

Shamim lost her 27-year-old son Amjad Niazi this year and what can be a greater loss than that of one's own child but she says, "I forgot Amjad with Benazir's death."

"When Bhutto was in Adiala Jail, he said to Benazir, 'My life is over. You will have to carry on the work I have started.." And she was carrying on her father's mission; she wanted to fight poverty, had plans to provide employment to the people of Pakistan. Both Bhutto and Benazir laid their lives for the nation. We will keep Benazir's mission alive.

"On Bhutto's death Benazir had said, 'Allah will take revenge' and look he did.

"If a woman is daughter, sister, wife and mother she can fight for her rights as well. For Ziaul Haq woman was to be confined to chaadar and chardiwari. My leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto brought women out to ask for their rights."

At Shamim's house was another PPP worker from Baghbanpura who did not cook anything for three days on hearing the news of her leader's murder. "It was as if a family member had died." Her mother Mehmooda was party president Baghbanpura unit 30 years back. She was killed and their house torched. Since then the rest of the family is living in a rented house but their support for the PPP remains.

"We should look after the families of those who lost their lives with Benazir. This is how we can keep PPP alive," says Shamim Niazi.

Z.A Bhutto gave Shamim Niazi the title, 'People's Party ki ghazi, Begum Shamim Niazi'. Shamim hails from Riasat Dir while her husband is a Niazi and has spent four years of her life in jail. She was thrown out of her 19 kanal house in Garhi Shahu and she never got it back. Her young daughter whom I met, says, "My mother loves the party." At present Shamim faces two cases of terrorism against her. Both her hands are broken. While she was in jail they would hit her on her knees which has made walking difficult for her. She had undergone two eye operations because of tear gas shells fired in rallies directly on her. A true social and political worker, she has given political consciousness to the party workers.

-- SS

I would say Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto's death is a huge loss, not only to her family, party or friends but to the nation on the whole. Unfortunately, she left us at a time when she was needed the most. Over the years, she had groomed herself a lot. In the party meetings, we found her to be a great listener. She would not take impulsive action but consult others before making move, especially on matters that could have major effect on the party or the country.

I can hardly compare her to any other contemporary leader. She was unique and matchless, true to her name Benazir which means matchless. The vacuum created by Benazir Bhutto is too big to be filled by anybody. Any one stepping into her shoes will find out that pursuing her agenda will be a tall order for them. She was a leader who was equally popular in the four provinces. Only she could have strengthened the federation whose units are under the threat of disintegration. All we can do to honour her is to follow her agenda and take the struggle forward from where she has left it.

As a person I have found her to be an an exceptional human being with extra-ordinary capabilities. She was very hardworking woman with a clear and well-defined vision. A major trait of her personality that had not been known to many was that she was a very forgiving person. She would not seek revenge. When she said 'Democracy is a great revenge' it was not simply a statement but she meant it.

She played all her roles beautifully, for example that of a daughter, sister, wife and mother. Another quality of hers was that she believed in consultation. She would seek advice of her aides and advisors on every important issue and would follow it happily if there was logic in it.

-- S. Irfan Ahmed

• Exhibition of paintings and book launch by Moazzam Ali from Monday, Jan 7 to Jan 15 at Hamail Art Galleries on M.M Alam Road, Gulberg.

• Exhibition of glass handicraft by Martin Williams from Netherlands opening at Alhamra, The Mall on 10th January,

Thursday at 5pm.

• Exhibition at the Collectors Gallery at Alhamra Cultural Complex till Jan 31 from 9am to 5pm daily. The first exhibition includes work of more than 40 legendary artists including Sadequain, Gulgee, Jamil Naqsh, Ijazul Hassan, Saeed Akthar, Eqbal Mehdi, Nazir Ahmad and Zulfiqar Zufli.

• Talent Hunt Show at Alhamra Hall III, The Mall every Saturday

from 5pm to 8pm.

• Punjabi Sangat every Friday and Sunday at Najam Hussain Sayed's house 7pm. It is a gathering where Punjabi classical poetry is read, interpreted and sung. The sangat has been going on for the last 30-40 years. Any person who chooses to visit the Sangat can freely and actively participate.

• Polo PPA Tournament at Lahore Polo Club. Today is the last day. Time: 10am. Handicap limit: 4-8 goals

• Football: Wapda vs NBP today at Railway Stadium at 2:30pm

• Football: Wohaib vs. KPT at the Punjab University today at 2:30pm

I met Benazir Bhutto for the first time in Larkana in 1987 -- a year after her return to Pakistan in Ziaul Haq's period. There I found her to be a kind-hearted and soft spoken person who was worried about commonman's future in this country. On the other hand Nusrat Bhutto was a bit strict. But luckily I found her to be very lenient towards me as well. Once, when PPP was in power, Nusrat Bhutto asked me what she could do for me but I simply refused to get any favour.

Some people think I am a die-hard PPP worker but this is not the fact. I simply like this party only and only for the reasons that its workers and leaders come from all walks of life, ethnicities, geographical regions and so on. I have always said without fear whatever I found to be correct at a particular time. I have criticised all the rulers starting from General Ziaul Haq to President Musharraf including Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.

I was the person who read the poem 'Aseen aan tere naal ni behna' in front of thousands of people attending a PPP congregation when Benazir Bhutto was not in power.

But a few years later, when PPP had come to power, I read out my famous poem 'Aata' in Karachi in the presence of PPP leaders. Many participants got infuriated at what I had read out and PPP leadership stopped inviting me to its meetings.

But later on this anger subsided and I was again welcomed to the party sessions. Again I wrote a poem 'Jarnail Ji' addressing Musharraf days after his coming to power after staging a coup.

About Benazir Bhutto I can say she was the only political leader in the country with a global vision. She used to go to prestigious universities and deliver lectures there. It was she who could write columns in newspapers like Washington Post and New York Times. How many leaders we have now who can match her and speak in front of international leaders?

This might be of interest to you that I started poetry quite late in my life. I was associated with film industry in Lahore and left for Karachi in 1976. I have done hard labour for decades to earn livelihood. There I came to know how tough an ordinary man's life is and started developing a liking for PPP. It was last year that I returned to Lahore -- my hometown and settled here.

I wrote several poems against Asif Ali Zardari but at the same time I wrote first poem on Bilawal on his first birthday. On a visit to Benazir Bhutto's house, Zardari hosted me and said in a light tone that I criticised him but left out many others. I have regularly visited Larkana on every death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. I met Benazir Bhutto for the last time in 2005 in London. Here she presided a two-hour session held in my honour. Despite my severe criticism in the past she gave me great respect and sat there while I read out my latest poetry.

I can still recall her fresh and smiling face in mind while I sit in front of you to mourn her death. Just like any other Pakistani, I am in a state of shock and do not know when I will come out of it.

Benazir symbolised hope for this country. She was leading us to a direction. With her death the nation has lost direction. She came to take part in the elections. We are living with the hope that elections will be held and that too will be meaningful if they are free and fair.

Those who do not want democracy are behind this assassination. The leader was not allowed to become a ruler. 2007 has been a bloody year. It saw trampling of justice, silencing of truth, putting a person like Aitzaz Ahsan under house arrest and ban on media.

Mustafa Qureshi recalls his association with the Pakistan People's Party which dates back to 1963 when the PPP was first formed. He was a student then and was taken by Mir Rasul Bakhsh Talpur to the first meeting of the party in Hyderabad, Sindh. We sat on the last bench. I met Bhutto for the first time then and heard his speech. Bhutto loved artists. Benazir later made me president Punjab Cultural Wing.

Benazir was also fond of artists. She would enquire about them. I once told her I wanted to establish a fund for artists who who were unwell and in financial straits. She showed great eagerness on my advice to hold a big cultural show in London and asked me to bring along artists from every genre. Last year I met her at Jehangir Badar's brother's wedding in London and she remembered the idea well and said soon we will make it happen. Time did not give her a chance. She certainly had good memory.

At present we feel destroyed but Moses is born wherever there is Pharoah. Her friend Mikaal Figel cried while giving interview to CNN in which he said he tried hard to stop Benazir from going back to Pakistan but she said, "I want to go to my people, to end poverty, to bring democracy to my country." Benazir said: "Apni mitti mein jana chahti hoon, to mitti mein hi chali gain."

-- SS

On a typical afternoon at Kiran Zone in Defence, a family of four tentatively enters the shop lined with a daunting array of gaming consoles and cartridges. The group engages in an animated discussion with the sales clerk attempting to grasp the subtle differences in performance, design and software options between the Sony Playstation, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox. After some deliberation, they settle on a Playstation 2 and a handful of games recommended by the clerk. Both of the children in the family are girls and opt for the customised Playstation with a pink exterior. The family skips out of the store pleased with an investment that promises to offer it hours of entertainment.

A few years ago, it was rare to find stores specialising in video games in Lahore. At the most, major retailers like Al-Fatah allocated a specific section of their store to this category of goods. But in response to growing interest in such products, exclusive stores have cropped up all over the city particularly in pockets of Hall Road, Defence and Liberty market. This includes a dedicated Sony Playstation Club which boasts deals on the newest hardware and software for the most dedicated members. Stores stocking audio and video items for sale and rental are choosing to dedicate an increasing proportion of their shelf space to video games.

The most popular gaming systems are equipped with DVD playing and internet surfing facilities. This versatility has facilitated their establishing a place in many home entertainment centers. Some of the most popular devices are handheld gaming systems which are cheaper and more portable than their console counterparts. But local shoppers remain wary of the surfeit of cheap imitations of the branded system that tend to flood the market.

Not everyone is willing to dole out the money for a console or handheld gaming system. Others are more interested in taking advantage of the ability of their personal computers to play networked games. Such aficionados can be found planning LAN parties in their homes, taking over the computer laboratories in the most prestigious colleges and even at their workstations making the most of their free time on the job. This explains the popularity of gaming cafes in the city where enthusiasts converge to duel each other in games of Warcraft and Counterstrike.

Perhaps the greatest contributor to the surging popularity of such games is the student community. Recent national olympiads that brought together the most creative minds in art and music included sessions allowing teams representing institutions to compete against each other in computer gaming contests. The Lahore University of Management Sciences boasts a dedicated Computer Gaming Society which allows students to flex their gaming muscles and compete for an assortment of prizes. Recently, a Counterstrike tournament was held exclusively for females to encourage their participation in something that has been a male-dominated activity up till this point. Next, a Sony Playstation tournament is planned under the auspices of a female faculty member who is not only a video game enthusiast but also studies the impact of such activities on society as a field of academic inquiry.

Sajjad Haider is enrolled in the MBA program at LUMS and is a member of the committee charged with the task of planning out a lounge catering to the needs of the MBA community. He has arranged for the inclusion of a Nintendo Wii in the lounge because "it was felt that this non-academic pursuit will promote a well-balanced and wholesome lifestyle" among his peers.

The gaming industry also provides unique opportunities in business and entrepreneurship. A recently established startup operating the portal mobilegames.pk aims to develop games customised for mobile phones. Explaining the vision of the company, the CEO Ahmed Murad Akhtar points out that cell phones are much more ubiquitous than televisions or computers in our society. "People who rely on their phone as a primary source of entertainment for themselves and their children are interested in games on this medium and this is one of the niches we are interested in serving," he says.

Putting together a team for such an enterprise requires special considerations. Akhtar pours over resumes from computer science graduates looking for that "unique mesh of technical skills and artistic talent required to develop creative games with lasting appeal".

In recent years, the gaming industry has eclipsed the film industry in global revenues. While games have often been criticised for promoting mindless violence among young boys, the global trend has been an emphasis on casual games catering to all demographics. Handheld gaming systems are a way of life in Japan where the most popular titles include Brain Age, a series of mental exercises that assist in keeping the mind nimble. Nations now compete in international gaming competitions which are gaining acceptance as competitive sports. It is thus no surprise that this form of recreation continues to gain traction in Pakistan.

1. Not a year like 2007

2. Learn to live without electricity, water and gas

3. Better time management

4. Convince the rich to run helicopter service

5. Will never buy only one sack of aata again

6. Flee Pakistan

7. Quit smoking

8. Half an hour brisk walk daily

9. Get in shape

10. Open playland, beauty parlour or hair transplant centre

To enlist by popular vote for next week, send in your emails on top ten

'Ways to cope with loadshedding'

Please email at shehrtns@gmail.com