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shortage MOOD
STREET Town
Talk
By Madiha Sikandar "Los Angeles and Lahore have more in common than people might think. They are both cities that people love to hate yet cannot live without. They are crowded, they are rich and poor at the same time, they are ugly and beautiful. You are Los Angeles. You are Lahore," says Khurram Siddiqui. RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S
Behind the LPG crisis Distributors and sellers both blame the marketing companies plus the city district government Lahore while producers call the shortage artificial By Aoun Sahi This is crisis time for the
people of Pakistan. It started with sugar crisis six months back, then came Its price has increased manifold, even then it is not easily available in the city. The price of LPG has dramatically increased from Rs 65 to Rs 140 per kg in less than two week's time in Lahore and its surroundings. Here it is important to point to the fact that producers have not increased the price at all. Both marketing companies and distributors are blaming each other for the situation while the role of city district government is also being criticised. In Lahore drivers of two-stroke rickshaw are the worst affected by increase in price and non-availability of LPG. The fares have gone up accordingly while most of the commuters are not ready to pay the new fares. "My business has decreased drastically in the last two weeks due to increase in LPG prices. I am on roads for four hours now and have not received even a single customer," says Muhammad Khalid, 45 years old ricksha driver and father of five children. "So far five potential commuters have strongly argued with me over fare rates. They said I am charging very high fare but I am not. In fact fuel prices (LPG) have doubled while cylinder refill takes at least one hour because most of the LPG sellers are on strike." He says that more than 50 per cent of rickshaw drivers in the city have stopped their operation due to these very reasons. Khalid is unable to understand the reason behind sharp price increase and unavailability of LPG. "LPG sellers are saying that they have been getting it at high price and that is why they are selling it at high price," he says. An LPG seller on Multan
Road tells TNS on condition of anonymity that they are getting LPG from According to him distributors and marketing companies are the main benefactors of this crisis and they are earning huge profit because of it. LPG production and marketing companies and distributors are the main players responsible for its sale and purchase. They are blaming each other for the present crisis. According to the LPG Distributors Association Pakistan (LPGDAP) Chairman Muhammad Irfan Khokhar LPG production and marketing companies are responsible for the price crisis. "Marketing companies buy it at the rate of Rs 46,000 per metric tonne from producers and sell distributors the same at the rate of Rs 79,000 per metric tonne while according to Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) rules, they cannot earn profit of more than $125 per metric tonne," he tells TNS. According to him LPG is short and marketing companies are selling it at exorbitant price and are also not issuing receipts. He tells TNS that marketing companies are selling 11.8 kilogramme cylinder at Rs 1,055 against the Ogra fixed price of Rs 764 per cylinder. "The rise of Rs 309 against the prescribed price of Ogra has pushed the retail price in the market and this is expected to touch Rs 150 a kilo, if not checked," he tells TNS. According to him there are 65 marketing companies out of which 30 are relatively larger. "They have their monopoly over LPG supply and prices". He is also not happy with the role of City District Government. "We informed Mian Aamir on January 8 that marketing companies were not supplying gas at specified rates. He assured to take strict action against such marketing companies, still no action has been initiated against them," he says. According to him, instead of taking action against marketing companies the CDGL is blackmailing the distributors and police has registered more than 232 cases against distributors, that is why they have called a strike in protest against these actions of CDGL. On the other hand The LPG Association of Pakistan, representative body of LPG marketing companies, is accusing distributors and decanters of hoarding and black-marketing the LPG despite sufficient supplies. Fasihuddin, the Association's spokesperson says, "There is no shortage of LPG. It is easily available in most parts of the country except Lahore and surrounding towns. Prices would have been high in all parts of the country if there was an actual shortage but retail price has decreased in other parts of country," he says. He says a gang of LPG distributors and decanters is buying the gas for Rs 58 per kg and black-marketing it up to Rs 140 per kg openly but accusing the LPG production and marketing companies of raising prices. "Such gangs have forced the city government to raid shops," he says. He tells TNS that the Association has identified 55 retail outlets in the city where LPG is available at Rs 65 per kg. "If marketing companies are selling LPG at high price, how are they providing gas to consumers at that rate," he asks. He says, "If LPG distributors have proofs against marketing companies they should present these proofs of malpractices of production and marketing companies to Ogra for immediate measures." LPG consumers admit that there are some points in the city where LPG is available at Rs 65 per kg but there they have to face other problems. "You will find long queues on these points and it takes at least three hours to get LPG from here. They are also not selling more than two kg per person," says Mustafa, a rickshaw driver. If a rickshaw driver spends three hour a day in getting fuel, what will he earn," he asks. While residents of other cities are also buying LPG at high price and it was not available at less than Rs 85 per kg in any city of Punjab till Thursday, January 18. City District Government officials think that both marketing companies and LPG distributors are responsible for the price crisis in the city. Tariq Zaman, environment officer CDGL says that government's first priority is to provide LPG to people at Ogra's fixed rate. "The companies say that they are providing gas at the same rates which are fixed by Ogra while distributors are earning profits. We know there are elements both in marketing companies and among distributors responsible for the price hike and unavailability of LPG in the city, that is why we have given ultimatum that from now on we will conduct raids on distribution and marketing companies and not on retailers," he says. He is hopeful that within a couple of days LPG prices will come down to Ogra's fixed price which us Rs 65 per kg. According to latest information CDGL has dropped cases against the retailers and distributors and they have been asked to open their shops while marketing companies have been asked to ensure supply of LPG at Ogra's fixed price. Distributors have called off the strike and have promised district coordination officer to sell LPG to consumers at the rate fixed by Ogra by Tuesday, January 23 provided that marketing companies provide them LPG on these rates. One can only hope that until Tuesday the crisis will be over.
By Naila Inayat This morning at the money exchanger, a kitty-party auntie showed up. She had all the currency in the world you could think of. The money exchanger returned her some money she had apparently dropped at the place. With $$ signs in her eyes she said: "Oh really! Pakistan jaisay mulk mein yeh hona tu ajeeb baat hai?" Every day begins in a very
predictable manner. You wake up and the first thing your mum talks about You reach office hoping to finally kick off the day with assured zeal. You look at your 'to do list' and a colleague passes by after greeting you or you greeting him whatever you may call it. She shares the most important query of our times, "Iss Mulk ka kya banay ga?". She obviously wants me to ponder over it. But me frankly am quite disgusted hearing this, time and again. In college my 'Popular Culture & Communication' taught us about two terms that are sometimes useful in describing some aspects of a culture, as 'high' or 'low'. A low context culture is one in which similar experiences and expectations are communicated. Much more is explained through words. Instead, in a high context culture much is left unsaid, letting the culture explain. I always used to get confused about this entire frame of reference but today somehow out of nowhere it has started making sense. Apparently we are part of both the 'contexts'. Because there are five kinds of people/groups in our culture: One, who are still optimistic about the country's future, two, the pessimists who have good reasons to say whatever they say. The third class is of the 'haves' (you can also call them pseudo intellectuals) and the fourth is that of the 'have-nots,' (all they want is roti, kapra aur makan, not only as a rhetoric but actually) and lastly the expatriates (who left this 'meritless' country for 'good' I don't know for whose good, theirs or ours:@) Have-nots first: Way back in college not too long ago, an issue under discussion regarding an assignment was 'Common man and President Musharraf's issue of uniform'. So with all my Daniel Pearl/Talat Hussain qualities wanting to come out, I went up to this shoemaker and asked him this question. He looked at me head to toe in amazement, and took a while before giving a shy but categorical answer: "Aey Pervez Musharraf kaun aey tay vardi de ke gal aey?" Then he shared with me his problems which made me realise he didn't fall in any of the above mentioned groups. The expatriates: Whoever they are, they're a real pain in the neck. A bomb explodes and they call up asking if everyone is okay. Well that's not what they actually want to ask. They want to tell how smart they were to run away from this wretched country in time and are now living a life we can't even dream of. Whereas the fact of the matter is that all they do is eat, 'drink' and party and not to forget their children speak English with an accent. They can't speak Urdu at all, but they do understand (Lucky you Urdu!) It's hard to understand what are they so worried about? This country, or the people who live here or nothing at all? And then they email to us maps of a divided Pakistan (according to the US New World Order) as if we haven't seen them. I recall that in school, in the morning assembly prayer, at the end we would say God Bless my country, my parents, my teachers and my school. We were supposed to pledge allegiance to the flag of Pakistan. Most of the time the flag was not even there but then too we said it. It always felt good. Even even today I feel no different. Town Talk • Dhurpad/Khayal classical vocals concert at Alhamra, Gaddafi Stadium on Jan 22 at 5:30pm. Ustad Hafeez Khan Talwandi, Ustad Afzal Khan and students will perform classical compositions rendered in the classical Dhurpad/Khayal style. Ustad Wajid Ali and Khawar Hussain will accompany on Tabla and Sarangi. 100 rupees suggested donation. •In a Leaf discourse session renowned short story writer Bano Qudsia will share her literature and ideas on art at Model Town Library on Jan 24 at 5:30pm. •Football: Wapda vs Ptv at Railway Stadium today at 2:30pm. •Football: Wohaib vs HBL at Punjab University Old Campus Football Ground at 2:30pm •Football: Wapda vs Navy at Railway Stadium on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 2:30pm. •Football: Wohaib vs Army at the Punjab University on Tuesday, Jan 22 at 2:30pm. •Football: Wapda vs KRL at Railway Stadium (Garhi Shahu) on Jan 24, Thursday at 2:30pm. •Football: Wohaib vs Navy at the Punjab University Old Campus Football Ground on Jan 24, Thursday at 2:30pm A devotee's life Official photographer of the Pakistan People's Party shares his life and times with The News on Sunday. The party owes a lot to many workers like him By Shehryar Warraich Workers are a valuable capital of any political party. Pakistan People's Party is considered fortunate in this respect. It has such team of workers who sacrificed their lives for their beloved leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and then for his daughter Benazir. Workers are still ready to risk their lives for the present PPP leadership. There are such workers who not only gave their whole lives to the party but also of their offsprings. For this very reason Pakistan People's Party is considered the largest party.
In early days of People's Party, the worker who became member in 4 paisas was
called 'Jiala'. People's When Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto resigned from the Ayub cabinet, Chacha Ghulam Rasool also resigned from his job and joined Bhutto's People's Party. "After 1967, I joined Bhutto Sahib permanently as a party photographer and would go to election campaigns with him. I was with him even after he became president and prime minister. During that period I took thousands of pictures of Bhutto. I also covered those magnificent gatherings where countless people used to come and see Bhutto's splendor. One day in Faletti's Hotel in Lahore, Bhutto Sahib saw my work and gave a comment, Chacha, your work is very beautiful. For the first time Bhutto Sahib called me Chacha and since then I made Chacha part of my full name. Unfortunately, all the photographs have been taken away by the law enforcing agencies after the removal of Bhutto. All that happened during the time when we were actively driving the movements for Bhutto's freedom."
Chacha Ghulam Rasool was kept in Lahore Fort, manhandled and tortured.
"Police tortured me terribly during my 15 days remand. They would take
off my clothes and beat me harshly. Then I was He was arrested many times -- before Bhutto's execution and after the return of Benazir. When Benazir returned to Pakistan in 1986, Chacha Ghulam Rasool once again started his photography for the party. "That was again a tremendous moment for the nation. A new ray of hope lit in the hearts of people. They found new aspirations. Millions of people gathered to welcome Mohtarma. I have the honour to work first with Bhutto Sahib and then his daughter. Delighted with my work, Mohtarma sent me bouquet of flowers twice. When in 1990, Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed her government, rallies and demonstrations were held all over the country. I was also a part of this movement and accidentally injured one of my shoulders during a procession. The injury was so deep that I lost my shoulder forever. I did not feel any pain at that time because we had hopes and we were working for higher aspirations but now with the murder of Mohtarma, all hopes seem to have dwindled." Financial burdens and strains kept increasing on his family during that time because he had six children and the only guardian and supervisor left was his wife Taliha Bibi. She speaks: "In Bhutto Sahib's era, our financial position was very good. My husband possessed two shops which we had rented out, then with Ghulam Rasool's continuous arrests the situation got bleak day by day. We even had to sell out our shops. There was a time when I had to work as a servant in people's houses to earn livelihood for my children. We have no repentance even after sacrificing every thing," says Taliha Bibi. Chacha Gulam Rasool presented the services of his young son Mubarak Ali alias Chacha to the party in 1990 because of his ill health. Mubarak Ali is serving the party as a photographer for the last 17 years at only Rs. 2000 monthly salary. Mubarak Ali has seen death very closely in Karachi and Rawalpindi in blasts on Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Today where ideological politics seem to be diminishing, Chacha and his family prove the fact that such devoted and unknown party workers can play a vital role in keeping the political parties alive.
Khurram Siddiqui's work is an ode to city life By Madiha Sikandar
"Los Angeles and Lahore have more in common than people might think.
They are both cities that people love to hate yet cannot live without. They
are crowded, they are rich and poor a
It is one thing to photograph and another to make others care about them by
revealing the core of their humaneness. Khurram Siddiqui's digital
photographic exhibition 'Urban and Urbane' at the Nairang Art Gallery aims to
do the later. The exhibition was an epigrammatic display from Jan 11-13.
However, its effects are ceaseless. The exhibition was inaugurated by
Shahnawaz Zaidi, the principal of the Arts & Design Department of Punjab
University. Photographs are known for their ability to capture moments but
Shahnawaz explains his work as 'visual poetry'. This being his first solo exhibition, comprises of 29 photographic prints. He explains, "The art is neither film nor digital, but rather a hybrid approach of beating the odds". His work is an ode to city life. Living in cities is an art and we need the vocabulary of art and style to describe the peculiar relationship of man with the materials that exist in the continual creative play of urban living. He shows us a world we know but hardly see on paper.
Khurram develops his photographs through mixed media and digitally
manipulates them to create the required upshot. Interestingly, he does not
use the much in use digital cameras for his work, but instead deals with
having to work with a 35mm film camera and prints his photographs on a plain
card paper. Hence keeping his work economical yet wholesome-the very
principle that forms the A chemical engineer by profession, the artist nurtures his passion for photography by using each moment as a source of inspiration and solace. He finds something interesting in the ordinary for instance in one of his photographic prints he focuses on the knot of a tie, while the photograph reads 'knot for granted'. The captions and text mark his photographs with wit. His subjects are simplistic yet meaningful, appealing yet alluring. "An artist is blessed with the power to change a society, be that subtly," he says. He shows us nothing more than what we see with our eyes, thus proving how little we see with our eyes. It has little to do with the things you see, but the way you see them."
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TO LAST WEEK'S TOP 10 1. Add lemon juice to honey in warm water 2. Honey plus few drops of
ginger juice
3. Honey plus a pinch of ground black pepper 4. Honey plus a drop of suhaga melted on tawa 5. Paint throat inside with pure glycerine 6. Taken steam with little vicks in it 7. Sherbet Banafsha, 2tbsp in warm water 8. Sherbet black mulberry 9. Johar Joshanda 10. Antibiotic To
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severe electricity shortage. Flour is out of reach. Long queues of people in
front of utility stores, waiting for their turn to buy flour is a common
sight these days. In Lahore and its surrounding towns people are facing
similar situation in getting LPG (liquified petroleum gas).
distributors at a rate of Rs 80 to 90 per kg while we also pay Civil Defence
Department Rs 5,000 per month and police Rs 2,000 to 3,000 per month as
bribe. How can we sell LPG at Rs 65 per kg in these circumstances," he
questions. According to him there are around 2700 LPG selling point in the
city and all of them are forced to bribe different government departments,
otherwise they would not be allowed to carry on their businesses.
over a cup of tea is "Iss Mulk ka kya banay ga?" Take a bus for
office. The older women in the ladies' section
Party has countless 'Jialas'. These workers committed suicides for Bhutto,
served jails, were punished with lashes and often sacrificed their lives for
Bhutto's daughter. Still faithful to the party since 1967, Chacha Ghulam
Rasool, now 64, is living in a small house of Chungi Amar Sidhu. He joined
People's Party in 1967 when Bhutto decided to create a separate political
party. "I joined Bhutto in 1960 when I was working in communication
department as a photographer and Bhutto was a federal minister. My job was to
cover Bhutto's official functions. There I got the chance to come close to
him and know his thoughts. He had something magical in him. Since then he
wanted to do something different for the country," Chacha Ghulam Rasool
recalls. He says, "Bhutto always said we had every thing to be one of
the leading nations of the world." For those objectives every layman
started loving him.
sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment and ten lashes. I thank God that
I was beaten in the name of Bhutto. Many other political workers were also
treated in the same way but the enemies could not crush our morale."
t
the same time, they are ugly and beautiful. You are Los Angeles. You are
Lahore," says Khurram Siddiqui.
foundation of a city dwellers life.
