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expansion MOOD STREET Town
Talk ramp Understanding
neighbours By Rana Musa Tahir Gaming zones opened in Lahore ten years ago. Spread throughout the city, these zones attract hundreds of boys everyday who spend hours and hours in front of the computers, playing games with each other on LAN (Local Area Network). These are small dark confined places, usually in the basements of buildings where dozens of computers are crammed against each other. Majority of the customers who come here are O’Levels students but one can find 30 year old adults as well as 10 year old children. At the average price rate of Rs.70 per hour these customers play different games such as Call of Duty 2 (COD 2), Lord of the Rings (LOTR), Warcraft (DOTA) and the most famous of all, Counter Strike (CS).
Question of sustainability Lahore embraced eight new housing schemes last year with huge environmental costs By Ammara Ahmad Lahore is witnessing a new face of urbanisation through
housing schemes that sell smaller plots and houses on instalments which are
feasible for middle class. According to a real estate agent, some eight new
housing schemes were inaugurated in Lahore last year. The damage such
ventures are causing to the environment has not been taken into account. In the last twenty years, governments have started taking green initiatives to ensure that their cities become sustainable. The most popular definition of sustainability is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." (Don’t exploit your nature so much that your children have nothing to exploit.) "Many schemes are on paper," says Ajaz Anwar, an painter and conservationist. "They are just sold-out future investments, neither used for housing nor any commercial activity." These schemes are on huge expanse of fertile land, which otherwise could have been used for farming but farms pay less than housing schemes. Pakistan has a food shortage, resource depletion and over-population problem. "These schemes lack an integrated approach and are isolated," says Imrana Tiwana, an architect and environmental/urban designer. Commercial centres, hospitals, institutes and even office buildings should be near these residential units. Instead of loading the downtown further, these schemes should take the traffic and population away from it." Schemes near the airport, Raiwind and Multan Road are usually lack public transport past eight at night (good luck with emergencies). Furthermore, they compel the families to drive faraway daily, thus expanding their ecological footprint. Petrol and CNG are expensive and diminishing plus automobiles are the largest cause of greenhouse gases and climate change. So we are developing billion dollar residential areas on two assumptions — the residents will transport themselves safely and not devastate the environment in the process. Existing housing schemes can teach us many lessons. Many
posh localities, even Defence and Model Town have villages that couldn’t be
relocated. Hence, when the scheme maintains the households but not the
villages within it, it isn’t sustainable. The location should be at least
150m from light industry and warehouses, and 500m from general industries.
Otherwise the community might have urban heat islands, industrial pollution
and eventually a displacement issue. These schemes are taxing Lahore’s main sewage which has not been updated for decades. Posh localities have waste management schemes. Yet some only collect waste to keep the society clean, leaving the waste treatment to WASA. How many housing schemes in Lahore incorporate agricultural systems, renewable power plants, reliable/green public transport, natural ventilation systems and a sustainable drainage and waste treatment plant? "One huge drawback after a successful residential scheme is," says a Nespak expert "that a Phase two or extension follows swiftly." If you open the website of any of these housing projects, you will see no Environmental Impact Assessment report. EIA is meant to assess the environmental impact of a project and minimise it. According to the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, it is mandatory for housing schemes to have an EIA. In fact Article 10(1) of the Act demands EIA to be published in an English or Urdu national newspaper and in a local newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by the project. Lawyer Rafay Alam states: "It is illegal for housing schemes to not get an EIA report and publicly declare it. Objections can be raised by citizens after seeing the report and the Punjab Government can levy limitations on the project." TNS called two of the largest housing schemes in Lahore and inquired if they have had an EIA done. After referring to several people, one directed us to their marketing manager and another to their corporate department. No environmental expert emerged, proving how profit centric the business is. An internationally acclaimed solution to urban sprawl is apartment towers. All around the world, cities are going up vertically and not horizontally. As buildings cannot outsize the Washington monument in Washington, basements harbour several (upto 80)floors. However, there is a commercial tax on apartment buildings in Pakistan that discourages investors. Plus the construction techniques, design and initial infrastructural cost is much greater. "Managing the apartment temperature," says an expert. "is quite a challenge. The building has to be maintained, needs an advanced drainage system. Often, spaces develop in a building, like the staircase or backyard that becomes dumping area for residents." However, apartments reduce the transportation cost if offices are located nearby or in the same building. Internationally, if you live at a particular location, your child has to attend a school in the same area. Companies ensure that workers live near offices- to save their employee’s time and energy. Instead of being forced to accept apartments eventually, because of lack of space and expenses, we better adopt them out of choice and conserve Lahore’s green cover. Lahore’s new housing schemes are the need of the time. In fact they generate the much needed revenue and economic growth. Yet, our vision isn’t only to mint profit but growth, stability and a better standard of living. At the end of the day, it is not the financier who suffers but the ordinary citizen. Therefore, the community should demand these housing schemes to immediately get EIA reports and environmental management reports done through independent organisations.
Priceless food By Saadia Salahuddin From the posh restaurants of M.M Alam to the roadside restaurants that offer live cooking round the clock on Abbott Road, Lahore thrives on eateries. But Abbott Road is rather special: here, its not just food that one can buy with money but also food that comes free of charge. It’s Friday when I am writing, having just walked down
the road to my office. I assessed there was more rush today at free food spot
and just stopped to enquire what was the matter. "Today is Friday, a day
when they serve halwa with regular daal roti," said a labourer waiting
to get into the free restaurant. What else is their speciality, I enquired
from the fellow who informed me about halwa. "They serve ‘Aaloo Gosht’
on Tuesdays," otherwise a meatless day. I find out this is the day when
the free food restaurant receives the greatest number of guests. The long line of hungry humans is only of men. There is no woman to be seen. What do hungry women do? One wonders. I talked to one and all eyes were on me. What do I want from these people? What am I up to? They wanted to know. I told them I am inquiring out of curiosity. Many of them said they have noticed me before, walking past them. What do I do? They ask. When I told them I am a journalist, one of them asked, "What good you can do for us." "I don’t think I can do any good for you," I said. "Oh, you are also working to fill your tummy. Everyone here has only one business," said a young man who I found was from Multan and was here in search of work. There were labourers from Jhang, Depalpur, Faisalabad, Khanewal, Narowal, Layyah and Quetta that I came across here. The men waiting for food were mostly labourers. There were some security guards as well but it was pitiable to find three little street urchins — less than ten year olds, among those waiting for food. Fair of face and in dirty dresses, these children pick trash from this and its adjoining roads. The moment some men sensed I was from a newspaper, they wanted to put their point forward. One said, "Please put my name in paper. I am Abdul Ghaffar from Narowal. The arrangement here is very good. I eat from here every day." Another one said, "Please tell them to quicken the service. We lose three to four hours daily to have free food from here." "But you get food for free, don’t you," I said. "People value their time only. Our time is also precious," he said with contempt for disregarding the importance of time in his case. This fellow finds work only twice a week. There is no work, many said. A man pops in, "Please write in the paper that security companies are not treating security guards well. Their salaries range from Rs.5,500 to Rs.12,000 for the same work. They should end this discrimination. Everyone should be paid the same. They can pay all the security guards Rs.12,000 a month. I wouldn’t come here if I could afford to have food myself." This was an angry security guard speaking to me. There was an old man whom the men sitting by him called Baba Jee. "I had had stroke five years back which rendered me invalid. I can’t labour. I need money for treatment. I am grateful to the free food initiative where I feed every day." There are people who are working as labourers in a government project and have not been paid since June. The assembly hall extension that started five years ago will take another two years to complete. There are 50-60 labourers in this project. Some 2000 to 2500 people have free food here twice a day and are grateful. Other than the this place there are other free food outlets like Darul Ehsan on Safan wala Chowk that offer food three times a day, another one near Lahore Hotel that serves food offered by a businessman who deals in carpets, and then I learn about a place ‘Sabir Pia’. Langar at Data Saheb is known to all. The poor who throng Abbott Road come from nearby places. One prays for these food outlets to prosper.
Town Talk * Storm 2010 "Arif Lohar Live in Lahore" Coke
Studio and Adat Together on Nov 5 at 8pm, Venue: Airport Road Lahore * Akhiyan Walio by Maas Foundation on Nov 5-6 at 7pm Hall2 Alhamra, The Mall Lahore. * Jal, Amanat Ali & Bunita Khan live in Lahore on 7 Nov from 8-11:30pm at the Battle Field, Defence, Lahore. * Official launch of Smudge — The social nudge on Nov 1. A magazine that aims at addressing issues that face the youth * SkillCity 1st South Asian HR Conference on Employee Engagement on Nov 3 from 8:30am-6:30pm Pearl Continental Lahore.
A ‘runway’ success LGS-Paragon’s much-advertised fashion show was a hit with the young students from leading schools of Lahore By Usman Ghafoor Their sense of style was never in question. But, as the
young, hip A-level students of Lahore Grammar School-Paragon took to the
ramp in what was essentially the first-of-its-size, inter-school fashion
show — held recently at LGS’s Burki Rd campus — the obvious became
just a tad more prominent. The brainchild of A2 student Zaim Jaffery, himself a debator, winner of different science competitions and the creator of 4D, LGS-Paragon’s only official dance group, the fashion show was a ‘hit’ much before it actually took place, thanks to a viral advertising campaign on Facebook, now a common feature. Zaim knew he had an ace up his sleeve, as over a dozen schools of Lahore responded to his call, eventually rolling out their own teams that comprised models who brought their own outfits as well as pre-rehearsed and choreographed moves to the school’s football ground where a 60’x6’ runway had been laid out, designed by Asma Isar. Of course, most of the models were walking the ramp for
the first time. Hence, in order to avoid any "lame" entries,
Zaim says a "rule guide" was sent out to all interested teams.
"Our criterion was that the participants should at least ‘look’
models," he tells The News On Sunday. There was a rare entry, too,
such as LGS-1-A-1 student Alyzeh Gabol who has already modelled at a
professional level in different TV commercials. Decked out in a
Barbie-doll avatar, as she sashayed down the ramp, radiating complete
confidence and the right ‘attitude’, there was no way she wouldn’t
win the Best Female Model category that night. The Best Male Model award
went to LGS-JT’s Eice Khatana, who is a popular member of an underground
band also. There were only three categories in the show, led by the Best Team which was won by LGS-JT’s Team A. The 6-member judges’ panel included leading fashion designer Ather Ali Hafeez and models Sabina Pasha and Emaad Irfani. One looked forward to seeing supermodel Mehreen Syed and leading TV anchor-cum-model-cum-actress Juggun Kazim on the jury, as was advertised by the school organisers, but they were not to be found. The participating schools were to model on any one of the given themes of ‘The Royal Masquerade’, ‘Traditional’ and ‘Street Style’. Interestingly, the (girl) students of LGS-55 Main were said to be barred (by the school management) from taking part in the show, so they registered as Private-55(!). Eventually, the parknights — as the LGS—Paragon students are popularly nicked descended on the ramp, in perfect street fashio, and brought the show to a grand close.
Understanding neighbours Pakistani students play mock Indian parliament urging improved ties with Pakistan and internal stability in an event arranged by Seeds of Peace By Waqar Gillani Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while making a
convincing speech in "Lok Sabha" (Lower House) called for having
stable ties with the neighbouring archrival Pakistan, last week. But this
time it was not original. It was Syed Shahkar Ali, a Pakistani O levels
student who was playing the role of PM Singh in the "Mock
Parliament" staged by students from different schools in Lahore, held
at the Economics Block auditorium of Forman Christian College and
University. Up to three dozen students of 10 reputed English medium
schools gathered at the auditorium to play the roles of Indian political
scene. It was a call for peace among these mock Indian parliamentarians that forced them to pass a resolution at the end of this three-day mock assembly session. Seeds of Peace (SOP), a non-profit, non-religious and non-political organisation dedicated to preparing teenagers from areas of conflict with leadership skills required to promote coexistence and peace, arranged the first event of its kind that has been termed first of this series too. "The purpose of the Mock Parliament was to replicate the structure and working of our neighbouring country India. Pakistani seeds (student members of the SOP) organised this event," Sajjad Ahmed, coordinator of the SOP tells The News on Sunday. "This was to create a political sense among the students and the seeds about the neighbouring India and give them opportunity to learn about Indian politics and system for which they have been researching and doing rehearsal for at least four weeks," he says. He adds that a similar mock Pakistani parliament will also be staged by Indian students in New Delhi or Amirtsar soon. The first day proceedings started with the election process of the Indian parliament including electing the new Speaker of the House, the new PM and the Opposition leader followed by their speeches. Later, they were split in three parliamentary committees – Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Interior Affairs – allowing them to discuss several issues of political importance. Rest of the two days were spent in heated debates and discussions between the government and the opposition highlighting the major issues faced by India. Some of the issues discussed were territorial, economic problems, Kashmir, Naxalism, and Maoist Movements etc. The mock Foreign Affairs Committee of the students passed the resolution to gain the support of international community regarding maintaining positive talks with Pakistan with Indian stance on the issue of Kashmir. "Mock parliament has changed the way I think. It has helped me in familiarising with our neighbours. It was interesting to have a general debate and express views on issues while thinking as an Indian," says Syed Shahkar Ali. "Thinking and working as a member of parliament really does help me in thinking better about Indians. I better understood Indian politics and norms. This actually helped in thinking of better ways for reconciliations between India and Pakistan. Also, it further nourished my interest in becoming a politician and doing something for peace between India and Pakistan," Hira Shahzad Sardar, who acted as the Leader of the Opposition says. "We were able to achieve our aim in the Mock Parliament which was recognition of Indian issues along with the learning of parliamentary procedures," Hira Shahzad, a student who acted as member of the opposition party says. Alivna Waseem, coordinator Formanites Debating Society, gave away the certificates of participation among the students and appreciated their positive contribution. A group of Indian students visiting Lahore to promote peace through education attended the concluding session of the mock Indian parliament saying that such activities are creating better understanding among the younger generations on both sides of the border. "It is impressive and encouraging," says Shankar Musafir, an Indian delegate.
Popular among boys, the gaming zones offer food along with games to make the most out of customers By Rana Musa Tahir Gaming zones opened in Lahore ten years ago. Spread
throughout the city, these zones attract hundreds of boys everyday who
spend hours and hours in front of the computers, playing games with each
other on LAN (Local Area Network). These are small dark confined places,
usually in the basements of buildings where dozens of computers are
crammed against each other. Majority of the customers who come here are O’Levels
students but one can find 30 year old adults as well as 10 year old
children. At the average price rate of Rs.70 per hour these customers play
different games such as Call of Duty 2 (COD 2), Lord of the Rings (LOTR),
Warcraft (DOTA) and the most famous of all, Counter Strike (CS). At every gaming zone snacks are available so that no ‘player’ has to go out if he is hungry. Most of the time boys get food, especially pizza, delivered there and eat it while playing games. These air-conditioned zones have comfortable computer seats and a homely environment which add to a dozen other reasons which make them perfect places to make you forget the outside world for hours before you even realise it. Also, as mentioned earlier, they are usually in the basements of buildings which make it difficult for someone to call you due to the lack of signals. Nowadays boys also celebrate their birthdays in gaming zones, especially in the Neo Matrix gaming zone, which has its branches spread throughout Lahore. Muhammad Usman Shehzad, incharge of one of the Neo Matrixs, says, "Young boys come here and celebrate their birthdays with fervour. They bring with them pizzas and burgers and after eating food they start playing on the computers. The birthday boy pays for all his friends." These gaming zones also have tournaments in which good ‘gamers’ participate. After a reward is decided for the winner, usually a few thousand rupees, the tournament begins. The matches go on for a few days and the winner gets the money. "All these tournaments are ways to attract more customers. The reward money the winner gets is far less than the money earned by the zone," says Habibullah Ehtesham, a 25 year old, who is regular at a gaming zone in Defence. Having said all this, one important question remains unanswered. Is gaming good or bad? Manufacturers of computer games argue that computer games besides helping people have fun, also help in the treatment of a variety of disorders and phobias and serve a range of educational functions. The manufacturers say that researches prove computer games can treat people with phobias. The belief behind this treatment method is that exposing people to the source of fear within a closed environment may actually lead to a cure. Two of the most common phobias that have been treated using computer games are claustrophobia (fear of confined places) and acrophobia (fear of heights). Another important aspect, which is well understood, is that computer games allow us to have fun. When we are very bored, tired and stressed, computer games in a nearby gaming zone are a good source of enjoyment. Moreover, we have fun ‘gaming’ because it gives us time to be with our friends. It is a great way to socialise and we can talk to our friends about other things at the same time. Lastly, owners of gaming zones claim that researches show computer games serve a range of educational functions as well. They claim that these games encourage different ways of learning, imagination, creativity and exploration. They also say that these games help students develop learning skills and logical thinking. On the other hand many people, including most parents, believe that playing games on computers in gaming zones is nothing but waste of precious time. They also claim researches show that common complaints found among children obsessed with games are eye strains, wrist, neck and back pains, photosensitive epilepsy, headaches, etc. Another big problem is that boys get addicted to these games. Some of them even bunk school to go to gaming zones. A regular bunker, Salman Ibrahim says, "My parents do not allow me to go gaming zones that is why I bunk school. I have given a two week leave application and now I can enjoy ‘Counter Strike’ everyday!" People are also concerned that sitting in gaming zones and eating there all the time can lead to obesity. It is also claimed that violent games make children more oriented towards violence. Before any conclusion is made, one thing must be understood; excess of anything is dangerous and harmful. Even excessive studying is said to be wrong. So, if done in a responsible and appropriate way, gaming is not bad at all, but if done excessively, it will have many harmful effects. As one parent, Nosherwan Ahmed put it, "Do not let them (your children) cross the limit."
Birds pick on the food leftovers at Lawrence Gardens.
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