05 From Dear Colleagues, Students and Friends, The first issue of Guftugu, the biannual TABLE OF CONTENTS the Dean’s Desk newsletter of the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences 100 Years of Soviet Revolution (MGSHSS) at LUMS, is in your hands. We have chosen the title as we in MGSHSS believe in opening up conversations, Neglected Narratives: An Interview encouraging debates and fostering discussions. In short, we want to promote with Dr. Layli Uddin a truly dialogic (the academic in me could not resist) social and cultural space which Events at MGSHSS promotes non-hierarchical and democratic deliberations on a range of topics. Hence, Guftugu is our vehicle to share what we Center Events accomplish at MGSHSS during a semester and also represent what we hear from the community in our forums, symposia, Editing at MGSHSS: Essence in conferences, workshops, musical events, Variety creative endeavors and artistic pursuits. We remain committed to this exchange of ideas, opinions and points of view by News Shocks and Teaching Methods: bringing them forward in a guftugu. An Interview with Syed Zahid Ali

I say with a sense of pride that MGSHSS The Newsletter is the holds a unique place among liberal arts Muslims Against the Muslim League: official voice of the programs in Pakistan, if not in South An Interview with Ali Usman Qasmi Office of the Dean, Asia. I say this because as we delve into Mushtaq Ahmad works on politics, sociology, economics, Gurmani School of culture, religion, art, literature, science and Teaching Economics Like the Last aesthetics at our School, we accomplish Humanities and Social Thirty Years Matter this through a faculty that has altered Sciences, LUMS. In the way in which the social sciences and addition to thanking the humanities are taught in Pakistan. In the Streets of Lyari all staff members in Their passion and commitment is reflected the Dean’s Office, we in the vibrant intellectual culture of the want to specially thank School, and translates into a pedagogical Exploring the Early History of Sara Saleem Khan and method that is truly transformative. They Pakistani Civil Aviation Ateeb Gul for their seek to inculcate in our students the excellent work and spirit of curious thinking, of risk taking effort for this issue. and of thinking outside the box. The Faculty News intellectual work and creative contribution of our faculty and our students will especially be foregrounded through Student Contributions this newsletter, so that the world gets to know that we implicitly understand ourselves. Let the conversations begin! Sincerely

02 100 Years of Soviet Revolution

A two-day workshop marking the and Kamran Asdar Ali on the politics, centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution history and legacy of the Progressive was held on the 3rd and 4th of November. Writers’ Movement in South Asia. Organized by Anushay Malik and Ali Raza, the workshop brought together The conference was well-attended by scholars and activists with an aim academics, students professionals, and of initiating a critically-informed activists from Lahore and elsewhere. It conversation on communist, socialist, was also attended by veteran activist Rauf and revolutionary movements in South Malik, the last surviving member of the Asia, and, specifically, in Pakistan. pre-partition Communist Party of India. One notable aspect of the workshop was The workshop was inaugurated by the personal reflections of the speakers, the noted intellectual and women’s many of whom have devoted their lives rights activist, Nighat Saeed Khan, who to progressive politics and causes in gave a keynote address on the role of Pakistan. Notable examples included: women in Marxist political thought Nighat Saeed Khan, one of the founders and leftist movements. Her address was of the Women’s Action Forum (WAF); followed by four sessions featuring a Karamat Ali, Director of the Pakistan total of thirteen speakers. Together, the Institute of Labour Education and sessions covered the history of labor Research (PILER); Aasim Sajjad Akhtar of movements, political organizations, the Awami Workers Party; and Ahmed intellectual genealogies, and progressive Salim, whose valuable work in archiving literature in Pakistan and South Asia. the records of progressive movements in Pakistan continues to be a great resource The speakers reflected on how the for researchers across the world. Soviet Revolution was important not only for the events of the revolution As part of the conference programme, itself, but also for the impact it had a concert by Arieb Azhar was also internationally. In that respect, Karamat organized. The concert was enjoyed Ali, Ammar Jan and Aasim Sajjad Akhtar by faculty and students alike. discussed the global implications of the Bolshevik Revolution’s legacy, while Anushay Malik, Ali Raza, Nadeem Khalid, Anushay Malik and Ali Raza are Sarah Suhail and Muhammad Azeem Assistant Professors at the MGSHSS. discussed its impact on leftist and labour movements in Pakistan. An important perspective from East Pakistan was Arieb Azhar in concert. also provided by Dr. Layli Uddin who gave a talk on the politics of Maulana Bhashani and the National Awami Party. These perspectives were further enriched by the contributions of Ahmad Salim, Humaira Ishfaq, Jaffer Ahmad,

03 Neglected Narratives: An Interview with Dr. Layli Uddin

I thought we could begin with you establishing a longer trajectory and filling Dr. Layli Uddin telling us a little about your work as in the gaps since so much of what I’m is a historian of a historian in general, and perhaps a looking at and the figures I’m concerned modern South Asia little about the paper you presented. with do not exist in conventional and is currently archives. One of the key concerns of my A lot of my work on Bangladesh and work is to bring in the silences that exist working on a book how it comes about, the ‘making and in the archives, and question things on the making unmaking of Pakistan’ if you will, like the grounds on which workers and unmaking functions as a counter-narrative to mobilized, their conception of and of Pakistan and existing historiographies. Especially in faith in Bhashani as a leader and how the sense in which they attribute 1971 this alliance between the marxist and Bangladesh. She is and the creation of Bangladesh to the his murids functioned on the ground. also the curator of events of high politics and big political Another question is what socialism might the ‘Two Centuries figures. What gets ignored is the role have looked like then, and how were of Indian Print’ of the peasants, the landless laborers, these constituencies being empowered. If the students. This is where Maulana Bhashani was a leader who appeared to project at the Bhashani becomes important, because his murids in their dreams, do I invalidate British Library. in a lot of ways he was speaking for that entirely because of modern ideas In November, these constituencies. His leadership and of rationality? It’s important to open she presented a charisma were important factors, and these histories and navigate neglected in the absence of understanding that narratives with caution and respect, paper titled ‘1969: connection, and the radical imaginaries because otherwise you risk ignoring Marxists, Murids that fueled those peoples, often the how people conceptualized events that and the Maulana ways in which workers and peasants we are trying to understand as history. in the Unmaking did politics is not understood. of Pakistan’ at I was going to ask you how your the 100 Years of What about your work at the experience of the conference was. Soviet Revolution British Library? How does that Given that there was a variety of conference at LUMS. that feed into your research? talks and papers, what were your thoughts about the other panels The ‘Two Centuries of Indian Print’ given what we just discussed about project looks at publications, printers alternative ways of looking at history? and authors of the early colonial period, The eighteenth to early twentieth It’s been a tremendously productive centuries. I do draw on the collection for experience here. LUMS has a great faculty my research—it’s especially helpful in in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

04 I’ve gotten to meet some great colleagues who also reads anything and everything “It’s important who share similar ways of thinking about the city. So we had a great sort of about history or doing history. There talk. We went to the Badshahi Mosque, to open these are some really impressive historians the Lahore Fort, the Wazir Khan Mosque, and academics here. The conference was the Anarkali Bazaar, and I think we saw histories wonderful because there was a mixed Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak’s mazaar. And and navigate bunch of academics and activists and it’s we saw from the mazaar this Hindu really good getting that idea of what was temple, which is no longer in use, but neglected happening on the ground. And it was is now a residence. And since then I’ve looking at the whole of the 20th century, just been resting. I still feel like there’s narratives looking at the history of the October so much more to see, because as we with caution Revolution, but also its impact in South were coming back he pointed out Neela Asia. Not just its immediate aftermath, Gumbat and all these little mazaars. and respect, but also at its long term implications up And I feel like there’s also so many to the present. So there were a number of conversations to be had about the city. because diverse papers ranging from the October I’m going to a remembrance today at otherwise you revolution, to the Progressive Writers’ the Women’s Action forum, and I met Association, to thinking about what with the Feminist Collective at a dhaaba. risk ignoring was happening in East Bengal. And also We had tea and a lot of conversation. In bringing in stalwarts like Ahmad Salim, general it’s been really great, I’ve met a how people and people who were involved in these lot of people and had a lot of food. But I conceptualized movements. It was great just hearing all imagine there’s plenty more to be done these voices and I think it really is quite here, whether at LUMS or outside.. events that promising, the work that LUMS is doing. Sara Saleem Khan, Research Fellow, we are trying conducted this interview. to understand What about Lahore in general? Is this your first time here, and did as history.” you get to see any of the city?

I did, actually! And yes it’s my first time in Pakistan. I’m going shopping again today, actually. But Ali Usman Qasmi took me around yesterday, and he’s Lahori

Dr. Layli Uddin presenting at the conference.

05 Events at MGSHSS

launch of Harris Khalique’s Crimson Overview Papers (OUP, 2017). A student-led Emotions and discussion on Rasul Bakhsh Rais’s The MGSHSS was host to multiple Imagining Pakistan: Modernism, Modernity in series of talks over the Fall State, and the Politics of Islamic Semester by scholars, writers, Revival (Lexington Books, 2017) also and artists. The HSS Seminar took place as part of the series. Colonial India Series, organized by Mohammad Dr. Nasir Abbas Nayyar (Director, Waseem and Asma Faiz, included Urdu Science Board), too, was Ateeb Gul and Sara Saleem Khan sessions on topics surrounding part of the series with the launch feminism, Marxism in South of his book, Miraji (OUP, 2017). Professor Margrit Pernau of the Asia, nationalism, and so on. Dr. Max Planck Institute for Human Fouzia Saeed, Director of Lok The Department of Economics Development, Berlin, addressed Virsa in Islamabad, gave a talk hosted some fascinating events in students and faculty in a talk on ‘Developing a Framework for the Fall Semester. Dr. Shahrukh titled ‘Emotions and Modernity in Indigenous Feminism’, in which Rafi Khan of the Mount Holyoke Colonial India’. Dr. Pernau began she highlighted the need for College gave two lectures: one on with a discussion of whether recognizing and documenting ‘Catch-up Growth’ and the other it is possible to write a history the stories of South Asian women on ‘Principles of a Liberal Arts and of emotion, and what the value who fought for their rights, dating Sciences Education’. In the latter, he of that history would be. She back to the literary classics that drew upon his own experience as suggested that emotions do not portrayed female characters with a professor at a prestigious liberal merely change through history, agency and power and resolve arts college to describe the process but also affect it. The challenge to make their own decisions. and the advantages of a liberal arts in such a study is not merely Dr. Ammar Jan gave a talk on education. Dr. Robert Carl Michael to determine the way emotions anti-colonial Marxism in light Beyer, a macroeconomist at the have been differently valued, but of M.N. Roy’s works. Asma Faiz South Asia Office of the World rather what it means—or has presented on the Sindhi nationalist Bank, spoke about how satellite meant—to have different emotional narrative, while Waqar Zaidi’s imagery and luminosity observed norms, and the combined effects lecture addressed the history from the outer space can be a good of these on historical events. of civil aviation in Pakistan. indicator of measuring a region’s Mariam Chughtai spoke in her GDP. In another session, Hadia As a case study, Dr. Pernau lecture about religious ideology Majid and Dr. Kate Vyborny (Duke elaborated on the events of the in the education policies of University) presented their findings Kanpur Mosque incident in pre- Pakistan over several decades. on ‘Infrastructure investments Partition India in 1913. According and public transport use: to her, while modernity has most Bilal Tanweer of the HSS organized Evidence from Lahore, Pakistan’. commonly been seen as a force for a series of events under the title of disciplining emotions, research ‘Conversations on Contemporary indicates that modernity has, in Culture’. The series began with certain places, encouraged an the launch of Muslims Against the excess of emotions—nationalism Muslim League (Cambridge, 2017), being a prominent example of this. co-edited by Ali Usman Qasmi. The Using this lens, she described the next event in the series was the Kanpur Mosque incident, in which

06 the colonial government in Kanpur eventually reached the conclusion made a decision to demolish the that emotions are not affected Three Feminist washing area of a mosque in the by will; rather, they affect it. city’s Machli Bazar in order to And moreover, that knowledge Poets at LUMS expand an existing road. What creation and the discussion of ensued were protests, in print and emotions as a category feed back Sara Saleem Khan and Onaiza Arshad in person, that eventually led to into their development. Her talk multiple deaths. These protests was followed by a question and In September, the Saida Waheed revolved around the notion of answer session that examined Gender Initiative and the Gurmani “josh” (passion), aroused in the other fascinating aspects of the Centre for Languages and Literature public through a whole campaign history of emotions in South Asia, hosted Attiya Dawood, Tanveer of articles and speeches in Urdu and elaborated on the relationship Anjum and Amar Sindhu for a talk that lamented the destruction. of Dr. Pernau’s work to previous titled Struggles and Dreams: Three academic work on the subject. Feminist Poets’. Tanveer Anjum, She also discussed the relation who is a prominent Urdu poet and between emotions and will, Ateeb Gul is Teaching Fellow and translator, has had seven collections invoking the writings of Abdul Senior Editor at the MGSHSS. published in her name, and has Majid Daryabadi, a Muslim Sara Saleem Khan is Research had her poems translated and scholar and mufassir, who began Fellow at the MGSHSS. anthologized in various countries. translating texts on psychology Attiya Dawood, a celebrated Sindhi into Urdu around the same time poet, writer and activist, has been as the mosque incident. and hailed as ‘the most important feminist writer in Sindhi’. Amar Sindhu is a prominent columnist, activist and Sindhi language poet, as well as a Professor of Philosophy and Chairperson of the Department of Philosophy at Sindh University, Jamshoro.

The discussion was moderated by Kamran Asdar Ali, who began the program by introducing the three poets and asking them to elaborate a little on their poetry and their personal journeys. The discussion that followed was a fascinating glimpse into the very diverse circumstances that brought each of the three women to their poetry and activism. Tanveer Anjum spoke about the restrictions of growing up middle-class in Karachi, the further suffocation of a bad

07 Events at MGSHSS marriage and the psychological The three poets also recited and spiritual freedom that her their works for the audience, Young Writers poetry gave her before the ‘formal’ which was very well received. freedom she attained during her The poems touched on themes graduate studies in the U.S. including motherhood, writing, Workshop The conversation around their politics, and simultaneously Bilal Tanweer

As its annual literary fixture that has gained a lot of popularity among young, potential writers, LUMS organized a five-day residential creative writing workshop from August 14 to 18, 2017.

Out of 180 submissions, writers of eight outstanding short stories were invited for an all expenses- paid workshop with mentor, Bilal Tanweer, and guest speaker, Omar Shahid Hamid. This year’s batch of writers included Isra Zia Ansari, Hira Awais and Afrasiyab personal histories brought out the seemed an acknowledgement of from Islamabad; Hurmat Kazmi important intersections between the problematic realities that they and Kashaf Ali from Karachi; their political activism, feminist described, as well as resistance to Ghammaz Hussain, Aaina Batool thought and creative work. All it. After the recital, the audience and the youngest participant three discussed their personal engaged the guests further by who just completed his A’Levels, negotiations of feminist ideas, asking about their experiences in Saud Afzal, from Lahore. The and their struggle to adapt them activist circles, their influences participants represented a to their own lives and contexts. and inspirations, notions of range of academic disciplines Amar Sindhu said that she thought translation and ideas of form. The and working backgrounds— of it as an act of translation, event concluded after a spirited and from architecture to finance, and endeavors constantly to re- involved discussion, and a similar anthropology, NGOs and business. articulate in Sindhi any concepts session was held at Books and she encounters. On a similar Beans in Gulberg the following day, The plan of the workshop for note, Attiya Dawood shared the moderated by writer Bilal Tanweer. the first three days included humorous story of how she came reading and discussion of works to own the label of feminism—when Sara Saleem Khan is Research of fiction: Family Life by Akhil somebody else described her as Fellow at the MGSHSS. Onaiza Sharma, This is How You Lose Her feminist without asking her, she Arshad is Coordinator of the by Junot Díaz, A Visit From the learnt from him what the term Saida Waheed Gender Initiative. Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, as meant, and has acknowledged well as The Party Worker by Omar ever since that she fits the bill. Shahid Hamid. Bilal Tanweer, the mentor and workshop organizer,

08 led classes on the elements peer work, thereby sharpening learn and advance their craft of of literary craft and narrative their critical abilities to evaluate literary writing. It has been made construction, as well as on the and edit works of fiction. On the possible through a generous grant politics of storytelling. Omar Shahid final day, the originally submitted from Ferozsons Pharmaceuticals. Hamid took over the workshop stories were critiqued, and discussion on the fourth day, and participants were given guidelines Bilal Tanweer is Assistant brought in his unique perspective for the publishing process. Professor at the MGSHSS. and shared his experiences as a writer with the participants in The LUMS Young Writers Workshop an intense two-hour session. & Short Story Contest 2017 has completed six years. The number The heart of the workshop was peer of graduates from the workshops critiques. This rigorous exercise is over 40. It remains a unique allowed participants to hone and one-of-a-kind platform in their writing skills by critiquing Pakistan, helping young writers

09 Centre Events

The Gurmani Centre for Languages the prestigious ‘Y’ category. Numud is a The Gurmani and Literature (GCLL) arranges weekly student magazine published by the GCLL. talks every semester under the banner Centre for of ‘Halqa-i Danish’. The purpose of this Other notable events this fall included Languages and series is to throw light on Pakistan’s a discussion of Parveen Malik’s culture and different aspects of its autobiography Kasiyan da Pani, and a Literature literatures. In the Fall Semester 2017, talk on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s literary several events were held under the contributions. The Centre also hosted theme of ‘Our Culture and Literature: exciting events related to literary Some Windows and Dimensions’. translations, among which was a showcasing of Punjabi translations of In the session ‘Three Best Voices from Bertolt Brecht’s poetry, and a lecture Sindh’, Attiya Dawood, Amar Sindhu on the Dar al-Tarjama-e Usmaniya: and Tanveer Anjum spoke about and Urdu Translation and Academic Prose. recited their poetry. They talked about their lives, experiences, and creative This semester’s long running lecture work. They spoke about the struggle series was called ‘Bazm-i Adab’, a series that they faced during their journey of seminars in which a scholar read toward feminism and how it informed original Urdu texts with participants. their own creative work. Another Suheyl Umar, Azhar Waheed, Yasmeen important event was the inauguration Hameed, Ahmad Bilal Awan, and Tabinda of the Intizar Hussain Collection. The Khan read texts ranging from the poetic late writer’s collection is now the part of works of Iqbal to those of Rumi to the Gad & Birgit Rausing Library at LUMS. letters of Ghalib to the Marsiya tradition.

A session was also arranged in the The GCLL is also working on the memory of Nayyar Masud. In addition Contemporary Punjabi Poetry to speakers talking about Masud’s Project in which selections from personality and art, the Zambeel contemporary Punjabi poetry are Group performed a dramatic reading compiled along with their Urdu of his famous short story ‘Taoos translations. So far, selections from 60 Chaman ki Maina’. Another session Punjabi poets have been compiled. that attracted notable speakers was on the work of Masood Ashar. The Asif Farrukhi, Masood Ashar and event was well attended, and the Maria Usman is Administrative Moeen Nizami commemorating Nayyar Masud. audience included Ashar himself. Assistant at the Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature, LUMS. In addition to events centered on literary works, this semester saw the launching ceremony of the journals Bunyad and Numud. Bunyad is a journal of Urdu studies published by the GCLL and approved by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in

10 Centre Events

The SWGI and the Gurmani Centre Ireland, Russia, Pakistan, Guatemala, The Saida kicked off the academic year hosting two Cambodia and Nigeria) and was presented consecutive talks with three renowned by seven readers from different walks of Waheed Gender feminist poets from Sindh – Tanveer life. The stories shed light on the real life Initiative Anjum, Attiya Dawood and Amar Sindhu. struggles of these seven strong women, The sessions focused on their lifelong highlighting the need to bring such voices struggles against deep-rooted patriarchal to the forefront of our political agendas. structures, and how these shaped their poetry and political activism. The poets As part of a tradition, the Initiative spoke openly about the various fractures hosted a series of seminars with of gender and class privilege in Sindh, and scholars of gender studies, starting the backlash they faced for identifying with Kamran Asdar Ali’s paper titled as feminists. The second session, held ‘Female Friendships and Frictions: Sexual at Books and Beans in Gulberg, shed Politics in 1960’s Pakistani Cinema’. The light on their understanding of art and paper presents a queer reading of the its critical link to politics. They recited 1961 film Saheli, opening up a discussion their works in Sindhi and Urdu for the on women’s representation in popular audiences, discussing the contexts that media and the various untapped gave birth to the poems, and reflecting archives for women’s cultural and on the importance of poetry as a form sexual politics. In the second seminar, of resistance and empowerment. Kiran Ahmed presented portions of her dissertation ‘Agency, Articulation and On September 26, the SWGI welcomed Attachment: The World of Women Digest Kiran Ahmed presenting on actors Sania Saeed and Nimra Bucha, Writers’, largely based on her lengthy women digest writers. and writer/director Kanwal Khoosat, ethnographic work with women fiction to discuss the play Mushk, gender writers’ engagement with the digest roles, theatre and performance. The genre, and the community (of readers and conversation, moderated by Maryam writers) that formed around it. Her work Wasif, revolved around the need to traced the various forms that feelings move beyond the limiting constraints and practices of attachment and agency of gender and the importance of layered take in the lives of these women. The and complex female protagonists. last seminar for the semester focused on The actors spoke in depth about the Tehmina Pirzada’s work on narratives of importance of the collective experience Muslim girlhood in graphic narratives of theatre, the differences between such as Gogi and Burka Avenger, and the television and theatre and the need ways in which the female protagonists for the youth to support local plays. navigate Pakistani cities/spaces.

Toward the end of the Fall semester, the SWGI facilitated the Swedish Embassy Onaiza Arshad is Coordinator of the in bringing the documentary play Seven Saida Waheed Gender Initiative. to LUMS. The play consisted of seven life stories of women’s rights activists from across the world (Afghanistan, Northern

11 Editing at MGSHSS: Essence in Variety

One of the perks of being an editor is been told that Voltaire will protect my that I get to read pioneering scholarship right to speak up and disagree (funny before it is even sent out for publication. how Voltaire never actually said that). Over the years, I have had the pleasure Taimur Rahman, Assistant Professor (and of editing established writers and guitarist—a literary analysis of Dylan’s new writers alike, those working in lyrics doesn’t sound so non-academic formal fields of study as well as in now, does it?) in the Humanities and new and unorthodox disciplines. The Social Sciences, relying on the Voltarian world of publishing is as exciting as promise, wrote a rigorously-argued ever and the MGSHSS faculty, in many disquisition on how characterizing the ways, is at the cutting-edge of it. pre-colonial Indian economy as feudal betrays the realities of that period as Inquiring into the relationship between well as the very concept of feudalism. sports and the society is as fascinating By diving into the very oeuvre of Marx, an academic issue as it can get (apart Taimur Rahman is able to fishout the from a literary analysis of Bob Dylan’s real nature of the economy in pre- lyrics, that is—You look surprised; It’s all colonial India, namely the Asiatic Mode right. You don’t agree? That’s on me). Ali of Production that sees the individual Khan, Associate Professor and Chair of as part of the community, thereby Ateeb Gul Humanities and Social Sciences, wrote focusing on the elements of unity and two articles. The first addressed how self-sustainability in an economy. changes in the larger Pakistani society reflected in how the Pakistan cricket India reminds me of Pakistan, and team evolved over the years from a Pakistan of police corruption (that was group of elite and formally educated one lousy segue!). Sadaf Ahmad, Associate individuals from only major cities to a Professor in Humanities and Social team with a more democratic makeup. Sciences, wrote a ground-breaking article It also draws a well-argued connection investigating corruption among Pakistani between the increasing religiosity in the policewomen. Arising out of ethnographic team and the immorality (and illegality research in nine Pakistani cities over a —funny how the two can be so apart in course of one year, the results of this many cases, but not in this) of match study not only document the nature of fixing in which many members of the corrupt practices in the policewomen team participated. The second article culture, they also provide perspective and investigated the reasons for the mercurial context to those practices. The article nature of Pakistan cricket—almost as approaches the issue of corruption among mercurial as this article is about to get. policewomen from multiple angles, including gender, class and seniority. Was the pre-colonial Indian society a You know, positionality! Also, while I feudal one? You may say so, but I have am certain that it was not intentional

12 on the part of the author, the instances is marked as waste but is not) and “The essence of corruption were documented and has it delivered to those in need. As argued so well, and the voice given to much as the article is pioneering, the of research the interviewees was so authentic, that Rizq initiative that is one of the main I could not resist myself uttering at subjects of the article is humbling. here lies in the many places: ‘well, the policewoman did varied topics ask for a bribe, but she had a point!’. This is just a selection of articles that I have received in the four months that and the diverse On the economics side of the equation, I have been at the MGSHSS. (Overall, Syed M. Hasan, Assistant Professor in this is my eighth year here but that is a methodologies Economics, wrote two articles. One story for another time.) The essence of —from addressed total factor productivity research here lies in the varied topics in small and cottage manufacturing and the diverse methodologies—from historical to in the Punjab (no reason to panic, I historical to sociological to textual to already did that for you; total factor anthropological to statistical sociological productivity simply means the extent —employed to make sense of important to textual to of output that cannot be explained by developments around us. Looking forward looking at traditional sources of input). to reading and editing—and doing anthropological The article does the important job of some of my own writing for heaven’s pinpointing the internal and external sake—a lot more in coming months. to statistical reasons for productivity losses in —employed to small and cottage enterprises in the Ateeb Gul is Teaching Fellow and province, and of highlighting how state Senior Editor at the MGSHSS. make sense intervention in these small industries can increase total factor productivity. of important Relevant reading for a Sunday afternoon developments at the Chief Minister’s office. around us.” If that doesn’t fly, Syed M. Hasan wrote another article that documents food waste in Lahore’s restaurants. The article breaks new ground in documenting the extent of the food wasted, the reasons for the wastage, and the excellent initiative called Rizq, a social enterprise that, in summary, picks up food from participating restaurants (food that News Shocks and Teaching Methods: An Interview with Syed Zahid Ali

Syed Zahid Ali Macroeconomics is a rather broad field; a macroeconomic policy context. A is Professor in could you explain in which areas of common theme is the role of interest macroeconomics you mostly work? rates and/or exchange rates to deal the Department with economic distortions. I have of Economics at In the past, my research has touched also, however, published work related the MGSHSS. He on a wide range of topics in open to trade, productivity, intangible has an extensive economy macroeconomics. I have, for capital, and unemployment issues. example, done research work that record of high- sought to provide explanations of the quality research. well-known price puzzle, namely that Can you briefly tell us about your He has published an increase in policy interest rate could recent research contribution? extensively in I have recently become internationally- increasingly interested in recognized news shock models. My papers, journals, including ‘Degree of Openness of the well-regarded Economy, Habit Persistence, News Shocks and the Price journals such as Puzzle’ and ‘Anticipated vs. Economics Letters, Unanticipated Currency International Depreciation and the J-curve Review of Phenomenon’, for example, would fall under the category Economics & Finance of open economy business cycle and Economic literature with news shocks. Modelling, as This is still a nascent literature paradoxically raise inflation. In much well as in leading and most contributions have focused on of my work, I have also looked at the anticipated (news) shocks to total factor Pakistani journals. concepts of exchange rate pass-through productivity. In my own work, I have and cost channel of monetary policy. tried to move beyond this traditional use of anticipation effects and apply them to other sources of exogenous Are you interested in theoretical fluctuations like terms of trade shocks or empirical macroeconomics? and shocks to monetary policy. Beyond novelty, the aim has been to show that In general, my work is informed by these types of anticipated movements advanced mathematics and shares can have important implications for

14 major. I think I have taught nearly fifteen “In designing different courses, including those at and developing the very basic level (Principles of Micro and Macro) and advanced Masters level courses, I courses. In designing and developing courses, I have tried to include my own have tried to research into the course material, and include my also to reduce the gap between courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. own research Where I can, I try to keep my approach technology-driven, and employ a blended into the course learning strategy (by using MATLAB material, and Dynare in Macroeconomics courses) to create a work-integrated learning and also to environment for my students. I have also taught courses in the MBA program Syed Zahid Ali reduce the and attempted to diversify by teaching gap between explaining outstanding puzzles in the focused quantitative courses such as literature. For example, the introduction Econometrics and Financial Econometrics. courses at of anticipated movements in the terms I also supervise both undergraduate undergraduate of trade of an economy can help explain and post-graduate research projects, why a J-curve exists whereas the same which I consider an important and graduate economy without news shocks would responsibility since they are often key be unable to explain this phenomenon. contributing factors to my students’ levels. Where Similarly, the introduction of anticipated admission prospects for universities. I can, I try changes in monetary policy can help resolve the ‘price-puzzle’, which refers to Kashif Zaheer Malik, Assistant Professor to keep my the empirical finding that prices increase (Economics), conducted this interview. approach after contractionary monetary policy. technology- You are passionate about teaching. driven, and How do you integrate research with employ a your teaching responsibilities? blended Teaching is important to me, and I have taught courses in a number of modules learning and streams within the economics strategy.”

15 Muslims Against the Muslim League: An Interview with Ali Usman Qasmi

Cambridge University Press recently during this that it occurred to me to Ali Usman Qasmi is published your co-edited volume, have an edited volume bringing together Associate Professor Muslims Against the Muslim League. Did various political figures and ideas that in the Department your previous work lead you to this? were prominent in Muslim South Asia of History at the beside the Muslim League. In a way, I Well, there is no consistent pattern as thought of the title before the content. MGSHSS. He works such with one project leading to another. primarily on the My main focus has certainly been Muslim political history South Asia, especially in the modern Naturally the title is an indication of Muslim South period, and I’m looking at various reform of the contents, but what was movements, contestations with the idea the thought process behind the Asia. His book of modernity, colonialism and the way selection of contributions? What The Ahmadis and it has shaped the discourse on Islam in makes it thematically cohesive? the Politics of contemporary South Asia. My doctoral Religious Exclusion research was on a set of movements, I partnered up with Megan E. Robb, who in Pakistan called Ahl al-Qur’an, and afterwards I was at Oxford at the time, and we were won the started working on a project looking at very lucky in terms of contributions. Karachi Literature the history of the Shi‘a community in A lot of people liked the idea and were Festival Peace the Punjab. The Ahmadi book was, in willing to contribute. Of course, it could Prize in 2015, and a way, accidental. I hit upon this large have been better. There is so much we cache of really exciting material in didn’t cover that could have enriched our his latest book the archive that hadn’t been explored understanding of what happened. But Muslims Against before and I thought that this was the central premise is that there’s a rich the Muslim League something that needed to be utilized. complexity when it comes to the political was published events of the 1940s, especially the debates Muslims Against the Muslim League around the idea of the Muslim qaum, with Cambridge emerged from my active interest in and the kind of political petitioning University Press trying to move the gaze away from being made on behalf of that qaum. All in 2017. the Muslim League to include all the the chapters coalesce on the point of other things happening in the context needing to explore this complexity. The of Muslim South Asia in the first half Muslim League narrative has been most of the 20th century. I was, and still am, popular because it was successful, but working on a biography of Ataullah this doesn’t mean there weren’t other Shah Bukhari, a very famous political alternatives to it. Even other narratives leader and polemicist through whose that conceptualized the Muslim qaum life I wished to look at various political but approached it differently, or processes of the colonial period. It was envisioned a different future for it. In

16 a way, from my perspective, the idea was to enrich the meaning attached to the notion of that qaum, rather than reduce it to the League’s version of the two nation theory, and perhaps begin a much-needed conversation. “My aim is to have critical A lot of your work seems to be on Ali Usman Qasmi extremely delicate subjects? How engagement do you negotiate the controversy with these around the things you write about? improve the way you communicate your point. In both these ways, I feel that different texts, Well the first thing is that the books are teaching complements my research. in English, and not many people read in and that is English. The second is that they’re not what makes available in Pakistan. Of course, I’d rather Now that this book is out, they were, because, as I said, part of the what are the projects we can academic endeavor is to begin a discussion. I’m not expect to see in the future? polemical in my arguments, and I try to works useful remain very academic in my approach. In terms of my research and teaching in this sense. My aim is to have critical engagement I’m moving towards vernaculars and with these different texts, and that is literature. So, I have developed a course Because what makes academic works useful in that covers the Urdu literary history in this sense. Because they’re not polemical the 19th century, and hopefully there they’re not or sectarian, even if they are provocative, will be a follow-up course focusing on polemical or they can act as conversation-starters. the 20th. I’m also drafting a course with As academics and faculty members Zahid Hasan in the Gurmani Centre, sectarian, even at LUMS, an institution that espouses where we’ll teach the Punjabi genre certain values of contribution to society of Waar. Waars are basically poetic if they are through research and teaching, this is renditions of war or mythical traditions. provocative, part of what we’re supposed to do. The idea is to give an introduction to the form, its contents, dictions, themes. they can act as It’s an alternative imagination of what How does teaching tie into all of history can be: an entirely different conversation- this? Are your courses usually way in which people have approached starters.” connected to your research work or the past, talked about it and passed it are they completely independent? on. More generally, when I’m done with my current projects, I feel like it will be In my case, my work tends to be related to time to move toward cultural studies what I teach—I teach a course on Islamic (enough of political history for now). Movements, and one on Regional Histories For instance, I’m very interested in the of Pakistan. But it’s more than that I tradition of Punjabi marsiya, because it is think, because it forces you to read a lot, something that is very close to my heart. and in fact read more broadly, stuff you won’t otherwise read and move beyond Sara Saleem Khan, Research Fellow, your area of expertise. It also helps you conducted this interview. become more articulate, and helps you

17 Teaching Economics Like the Last Thirty Years Matter

In the sterile world of textbook introducing informational asymmetries, Three economists economics, agents are individualistic Daniel Kahneman for integrating insights from the MGSHSS— in the extreme, rational to the point of from psychology and Richard Thaler Faisal Bari, Ali being robotic and moved into action for continuing in Kahneman’s tradition Cheema and Rashid only by financial concerns. This view and ‘making economics more human’. served a particular purpose: If all these Memon—have assumptions were met, the market Despite these strides, textbook been involved in mechanism could achieve as efficient an economics has remained religiously the teaching of outcome as a socialist/planned economy. devoted to its roots, rendering it CORE, ‘an open- anachronistic and uninspiring. With the cold war over and markets access platform for firmly in the driving seat, the time CORE offers much respite by breaking anyone who wants was ripe to question the axiomatic away from this tradition and presenting to understand foundations of this type of economics. At ‘modern’ economics in an accessible the economics least three Nobels have been awarded for format. First, CORE takes a behavioral introducing germs from the real world approach to economics. This means that of innovation, into economic models. George Akerlof, we are no longer interested in models inequality, Michael Spence and Joseph Stiglitz for that contribute to grand debates such as environmental sustainability and more’. As a Ali Cheema teaching a class. free, open-access courseware, it is available for pedagogical use in economics classrooms and helps students get a taste of how real-world economics is done.

18 markets versus socialism, but are simply CORE achieves interested in modeling localized human this through behavior. As a corollary, the text takes content innovation behavioral facts as points of departure and question and teaches one how to construct models that could potentially explain formulation that is said behavior. This deep connection based on evidence between theory and behavioral fact is a and economic remarkably important pedagogical tool. debates in the Second, the text allows for a nuanced real world today. institutional context by moving away As a collaborating from the binary of capitalism/socialism institution of CORE, to degrees or varieties of capitalism. LUMS has been a From a modeling perspective, this allows a student the flexibility to global forerunner locate economic agents in a context as Rashid Memon in adopting close as possible to the reality being the curriculum modeled but without cluttering the substance as well as the tools (strategic as part of its model with unnecessary detail. games) required to build such models. undergraduate Both these features permit the CORE Finally, for the truly passionate, CORE program. Not only to develop models of markets that offers a number of video clips from are Faisal Bari, are’imperfect’ in terms of mobility famous economists as well as ‘enrichment’ Ali Cheema, and of agents and in the information and boxes that provide snippets from the rationality they possess and allow Rashid Memon life of eminent economists – for one students to explain numerous every-day must not forget the intellectual giants engaged with the behaviors. For example, whereas standard on whose shoulders we stand today. teaching of CORE models argue that workers are paid at the Department according to their productivity, CORE’s models bring bargaining power to center of Economics, they Rashid Memon is Assistant stage. Students find the latter to be much Professor at the MGSHSS. also serve as peer more realistic. Equally importantly, the reviewers of the new model is constructed such that if CORE curriculum neither the worker nor the employer had any power, the new model would collapse whose suggestions into the standard model. Introducing have been students to how economists model power incorporated into in an introductory setting is CORE’s the courseware. most important contribution in terms of

19 In the Streets of Lyari

I first visited Lyari in August 2012 when One of the city’s original settlements, a colleague of mine, Laurent Gayer, Lyari has been the site of an on-going invited me to help conduct a focus conflict between rival gangs, political group discussion with members of a parties and law enforcement agencies community-based organization that over the past two decades. Over the worked with youth in the area. Until past five years, my research in this this visit I had only heard snippets area has focused on the dynamics of about this part of the city in terms everyday life, examining how diverse of its reputation for violence and residents cope with, strategize around, criminality, but I knew very little of and resist multiple forms of violence by substance about this supposed ‘no-go’ state and non-state actors and in public area. The members of the community and private spaces. My research also organization talked about how Lyari had looks at the impact of structural forms been maligned by the media, how people of violence that result from economic in Lyari were discriminated against in deprivation and discrimination faced employment and how the Muttahida by marginalized urban citizens. Qaumi Movement (MQM) in particular had waged a campaign against the people of Because of the periodic conflicts taking Lyari. The themes that they discussed— place in this area and in the city as a marginalization, stigmatization, political whole over the past two decades, fear manipulation and state neglect—were has become a way of life for many of issues I had explored before in my the residents. In my work, I analyze how previous work on Muslim women, and young men belonging to the Baloch my interest in the area grew from here. community learned to navigate through

Entrance to Lyari, Karachi

20 the periodic bouts of violence by adapting regard, I have conducted interviews with their movements within the city and women working in a variety of fields even at times by migrating outside the exploring the relationship between country. This research demonstrates their involvement in paid employment the ways that the insecurity and fear and their experiences of violence in caused by violence reinforces social multiple spaces—at home, in public and economic marginalization. and at their places of employment. This research draws attention to the shifting I approach the residents of this area sites of potential violence for women not as passive victims of violence but depending on their social, economic, Nida Kirmani as active citizens negotiating multiple and political circumstances. It also constraints. Residents assert their explores how changes in the economy agency in a variety of ways—from have affected gendered power relations. “One of the everyday coping strategies to outright resistance. I have conducted extensive In the coming year, I plan on developing city’s original research on a series of street protests my research on Lyari into a full-length that took place in Lyari from 2012 to manuscript, which will explore the settlements, 2014 organized against law enforcement relationship between gender, marginality Lyari has agencies, political parties and the and urban violence in greater depth. gangs. This research highlights how The manuscript will make a series of been the site acts of resistance are constrained, important interventions in the fields determined by and constitutive of of gender and urban studies. Firstly, of an on- particular relations of power. it will contribute key insights to the going conflict understanding of violence in Pakistan, Laurent Gayer and I have also highlighting its links with economic, between rival collaborated on a paper investigating social and political factors. Secondly, the local media’s relationship with the it will focus on a part of Karachi that, gangs, political conflict, focusing on Lyari’s most popular despite being one of the city’s oldest parties newspaper, Janbaz. This research explores and most conflict-ridden settlements, the ways residents engage with the local has received relatively little scholarly and law newspaper as a means of negotiating attention, thus contributing to the the conflict, as a form of entertainment, understanding of urban marginality enforcement and as means of establishing a sense of in South Asia and in the Global South agencies over community. It also draws attention to the more broadly. Thirdly, it will highlight newspaper as an arena where local state the gendered experiences of urban the past two and non-state actors compete for power. I violence—an area that has received very have also worked with a local filmmaker little scholarly attention in the region or decades.” from the area to produce a short elsewhere. Finally, by analyzing instances documentary based on these findings. of everyday and organized resistance, My research on Lyari challenges the the project will frame the city as a key division that exists within the literature site for the assertion of citizenship rights between public forms of violence, such among marginalized populations. as the violence between criminal gangs, political parties and law enforcement agencies, and private forms of violence, Nida Kirmani is Associate such as that which is experienced by Professor at the MGSHSS. women within their homes. In this

21 Exploring the Early History of Pakistani Civil Aviation

A year or two before the Partition, Jinnah if Jinnah ever said those words—civil would tell the Muslim industrialist Habib aviation remains so intertwined with Rahimtoola that he wished to form a nationalism that the two are difficult Muslim airline. ‘Habib’, he said, ‘I want an to disentangle, even today. But that is airline which will be the reserve for the exactly what my new research project Pakistan Air Force. By starting an airline on the early years of Pakistani civil you will employ technical staff. You will aviation sets out to do. Using private have pilots. You will have navigators. and public sources both in Pakistan You will have all these people, all trained and abroad, my project explores the technicians. They will be my reserve for contours of civil aviation in Pakistan in my Air Force’. Or so recalled the one-time its early years, and its relationship to the senior PIA executive Enver Jamall in his state and the nation-building project. 1980s memoir. One cannot be certain

Waqar Zaidi

Passengers and bystanders with an Orient Airways Douglas DC-3 on the occasion of the arrival of the Burmese High Commissioner to India at Calcutta, October 1947.

22 The outline of the early years of Pakistani times of emergency, and following “Using private civil aviation are well known. The several prominent crashes, increased first airline to operate out of Pakistan government and public concerns over and public was Orient Airways, formed in late safety. Pakistani aviation moreover could 1946 by a group of leading Muslim not function without foreign assistance. sources both industrialists, prominently Mirza Ahmed British, and later American, technical in Pakistan Ispahani. Initially based in Calcutta, support was crucial to the running of the airline shifted its operations to aircraft and aerial facilities. Perhaps and abroad, Karachi in October 1947, and remained most galling for the country’s civilian Pakistan’s leading airline until it was and military leadership, aeroplanes my project folded into the newly formed Pakistan connecting East to West Pakistan explores the International Airline Corporation in 1955. needed to land and resupply in India. contours of The period from 1947 to 1955, I am The era of private civil aviation officially discovering, was an exciting and ended with the formation of the state- civil aviation turbulent time for Pakistani aviation. controlled Pakistan International in Pakistan The fledgling Pakistani airlines–which Airline Corporation in 1955. How and included, as well as Orient, Yusuf why this came to be is an important in its early Haroon’s airline Pak Air Limited and the aspect of my project. What pressures non-scheduled charter airline Crescent and opportunities pushed the state years, and its Airways–struggled through a wide range toward the creation of a state airline, and relationship to of challenges. On the technical front, civil what was its relationship to the nation aviation had to contend with a shortage and nationalism more broadly? The the state and of trained personnel and spare parts, project also explores the international challenging maintenance logistics and context, particularly technical the nation- rapid technological change. Other than assistance programs by the United building Karachi, civilian aerodromes were crude States, and international civil aviation and increasingly unsuited to the new (including in post-colonial states). project.” generation aircraft entering service by the early 1950s. The relationship with the state was a difficult one—there Waqar Zaidi is Assistant were heavy government demands in Professor at the MGSHSS.

23 FACULTY NEWS

Kamran Asdar Ali Microfinance? New Evidence in Banking & Finance. His seeks to encourage a (Professor and Dean, from Pakistan’ and ‘Pakistan fellowship with the Lakshmi discussion around the work MGSHSS) wrote the afterword KLEMS Database and Mittal South Asia Institute of AbdouMaliq Simone and for the Nichola Khan edited Productivity Measurement at Harvard University has Edgar Pieterse’s book, New volume, Cityscapes of at the Industry Level’, at the begun in January 2018. Urban Worlds: Inhabiting Violence in Karachi: Publics Singapore Economic Review Dissonant Times (Wiley, 2017). and Counterpublics (London: Conference, and at the Fourth Syed Muhammad Hussain’s Hurst, 2017). He presented Asia KLEMS Conference, (Assistant Professor, Hasan H. Karrar’s a paper, ‘New Lands, New Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Economics) article (Associate Professor, Freedoms: Cultural Readings respectively. He also received titled ‘Comparing the effects HSS) article, ‘Shanghai Spirit of an Early Pakistan’ at a a grant from Tetra-Pak Pakistan of discretionary tax changes Two Decades On: Language, workshop organized by Cornell to look at the economic impact between the US and the UK’ Globalization, and Space- University on Migration and of the dairy sector in Pakistan. was published in The B.E. Making in Sino-Central Asian Discrimination at the Berlin Journal of Macroeconomics. Cooperation’, was published Technical University/Center Ghulam Moeen ud Din in the International Journal for Metropolitan Studies (Professor and Director, Amen Jaffer’s (Assistant of the Sociology of Language. on September 23, 2017. He GCLL) attended a conference Professor, HSS) article, His review of Ross & Tunsjø also presented a paper titled titled ‘Translation: A Scholarly ‘Spiritualising Marginality: eds., Strategic Adjustment ‘Toward a People’s Literature: Dialogue Among Civilizations’ Sufi Concepts and the Politics and the Rise of China: Power Soviet Cultural Politics and the held at the Allama Iqbal Open of Identity in Pakistan’, was and Politics in East Asia was Progressive Writers’ Movement University on August 18 and published in Society and published in H-Net Reviews in South Asia’ at the workshop, 19, 2017. He presided over a Culture in South Asia. He in November, 2017. He The Russian Revolution in session and presented a paper also presented a paper titled was also invited to the Aga the Long Twentieth Century, on translations of Persian ‘Women Networks and the Khan University Institute in at the Slavic-Euroasian Chishti literature. Zahid Politics of Infrastructure in London to give a presentation Research Center, Haikkaido Hasan (Research Associate, Lahore’ at the Right to the City titled ‘Making Neoliberal University, Sapporo, Japan, GCLL) also participated in the in the South, ‘Everyday Urban Borderlands: China’s Belt and December 7–8, 2017. conference and presented Experience and Rationalities Road Initiative and Economic a paper on translations of of Government’ conference, and Social Transformation Syed Zahid Ali’s (Professor, Pakistani languages. that was held at the University in Northern Pakistan’. Economics) paper, Paris Diderot, CESSMA, in ‘Anticipated vs. Unanticipated An article by Imtiaz ul Haq November 2017. He was also Ali Khan’s (Associate Currency Depreciation and (Assistant Professor, selected as a Fellow of the Professor and Chair, the J-curve Phenomenon’ is Economics), titled ‘It’s all in Summer Program in Social HSS) article, ‘Transregional forthcoming in the Journal the name: Mutual Fund Name Science for 2018–2019 at the Cinemas: The Case of India, of International Money and Changes after SEC Rule 35d-1’, Institute of Advanced Studies, Pakistan and Bangladesh’, was Finance, in March 2018. was accepted for publication Princeton. Along with Nida published in the IIC Quarterly. in the Journal of Banking & Kirmani (Assistant Professor, Abid Aman Burki Finance. He presented his HSS), he was awarded the Nadhra S. N. Khan (Professor, Economics) paper, ‘Performance-chasing GCLL and MGSHSS grant (Assistant Professor, HSS) presented his papers, Behaviour in Venture Capital for organizing a workshop presented a paper titled ‘Does Repeated Borrowing Investments’ at the Essex on Everyday Urbanisms in ‘Lahore Fort’s Picture Wall: Help Explain the Impact of Finance Centre Conference Spring 2018. Their proposal Jahangir and Shah Jahan’s

24 Turab Hussain (Associate Professor & Chair, Economics) * presented the key highlights of the Punjab Economic Report 2017 at its launch, hosted by the Punjab Government. The report was a compendium of the work done in all sectors over the last ten years. It presented Decrees Read by Lahori Eyes’ Ethnographic Insights’, held an overview of the economy through the socio-economic at the American Council at the University of Corinth. profile, the social sector, information technology (IT), for Southern Asian Art’s provincial investment in energy, and public sector Hadia Majid (Assistant conference held at Harvard resource management. University from October 13 to Professor, Economics) 15, 2017, and also presented co-authored ‘Patronage and her research findings on ‘Issues Public Goods Provisioning in of Sikh Heritage in Pakistan: an Unequal Land’ for Social Colonial and Post-Colonial Indicators Research with Rashid New Faculty Narratives’ at an event at Memon (Assistant Professor, Muhammad Farid Ahmed Columbia University (organized Economics). Her paper, ‘Child has by the Sikh Research Institute Endowments and Parental joined as Assistant Professor of and the Columbia University, Investments: Intrahousehold Economics. He completed his PhD Sewa), on October 18, 2017. Allocation in Oportunidades in Economics from the University of Families in Mexico’ was Cambridge in 2017. He previously Nida Kirmani’s (Associate similarly published in the taught at LUMS in 2009–10 as Professor, HSS) paper, ‘‘What Review of Development a Teaching Fellow and has also You See is What You Get’: Local Economics. She has received served as a Teaching Fellow at the Journalism and the Search of grants from the International University of Cambridge. His research Interests draw from Truth in Lyari, Karachi’, was Labor Organization and Macroeconomics, Time Series Econometrics and Finance accepted for publication in 3ie Development Priorities with a particular focus on asset pricing. Modern Asian Studies. She also Window (DPW1) to run a Adeel Tariq contributed a chapter titled diagnostic study on rural has joined as Assistant ‘Earning as Empowerment: work in Pakistan, and oversee Professor of Economics. He is a The Relationship between Paid a randomized controlled Fulbright Scholar, and has a PhD Work and Domestic Violence trial on the integration of in Economics from Binghamton in Lyari, Karachi’, in Rethinking transport and urban labor University, an MSc in Economics New Womanhood: Practices markets in Pakistan. She has from the Lahore University of of Gender, Class, Culture and also presented her papers at Management Sciences, an MBA Religion in South Asia (London: the 3rd Annual International from the Lahore School of Economics and a BSc (Hons) in Palgrave). Along with Onaiza Conference on Urban Planning Economics & Management from the University of London. Arshad, she co-authored the and Policy Development, His fields of interest are Applied Econometrics, Applied article, ‘Development: Non- Singapore, the International Microeconomics and Labor Economics. governmental Organizations: Conference on Economics and Tabinda Mahfooz Khan Pakistan’, in The Encyclopedia Development, Colombo, Sri joined the of Women and Islamic Lanka, and the Akhter Hameed MGSHSS as a Post-doctoral Fellow at Cultures (Leiden: Brill). She Khan Resource Center. the Gurmani Centre for Languages also presented a paper, and Literature. She has a doctorate ‘Negotiating the Informal Saba Pirzadeh (Assistant from Columbia University where, State: The People’s Aman Professor, HSS) and Arielle for her doctoral dissertation, she Committee in Lyari’, at the C. McKee published ‘Arthurian worked on the role of institutions in conference, ‘The Informal and Eco-conquest in Geoffrey negotiating between Shari‘a and democracy in Pakistan. the Formal in Times of Crisis: of Monmouth, Wace, and She will be teaching two courses in the Spring Semester Layamon’ in Parergon. 2018, ‘Literature of Resistance’ and ‘Liberalism and Islamism in Pakistan’. FACULTY NEWS

Ali Usman Qasmi (Associate Rasul Bakhsh Rais’s titled ‘Securitizing the Workshop & Short Story Professor, HSS) co-edited (Professor, HSS) monograph, Curriculum: Education reforms Contest 2017, the annual 5-day a volume titled Muslims Imagining Pakistan: under the Punjab government residential creative writing Against the Muslim League: Modernism, State, and the in Pakistan’ at UKFIET, the workshop at LUMS held from Critiques of the Idea of Pakistan Politics of Islamic Revival, was Education and Development August 14 to 18, 2017. (Cambridge University Press). published by Lexington Books. Forum Conference at Oxford, His article, ‘Geopolitics on and was an International Waqar Zaidi’s (Assistant the Pakistan-Afghanistan Visiting Scholar at the Professor, HSS) article, Borderland: An Overview of University of Passau, Germany. ‘Stages of War, Stages of Different Historical Phases’, Her book Islamophobia and Man: Quincy Wright and was published in Geopolitics. Securitization: Religion, the Liberal Internationalist Ethnicity and the Female Voice Study of War’, was published Ali Raza (Assistant (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) has by The International History Professor, HSS), wrote been long-listed for the Karachi Review. His articles, ‘Liberal an article on the history Literature Festival German Internationalism and the of Oxford University Press Peace Prize Award 2018. Search for International Peace’, Pakistan titled ‘Pakistan’ in The (in William M. Knoblauch, History of Oxford University Taimur Rahman (Assistant Michael Loadenthal, and Press: Volume IV 1970–2004, Professor, HSS) contributed Christian P. Peterson’s A published by OUP, and a a chapter ‘Pakistan’ to the History of World Peace since chapter, ‘The Illusory Promise edited volume The Routledge 1750) and ‘Convertibility and of Freedom: Mian Iftikhar-ud- Handbook of Marx’s ‘Capital’: the Militaristic Perversion Ayyaz Qureshi’s (Assistant Din and the Movement for A Global History of Translation, of Aviation in Disarmament Professor, HSS) book, AIDS Pakistan’, in Muslims Against Dissemination and Reception, Discourses, 1919–1945’ (in in Pakistan: Bureaucracy, the Muslim League: Critiques edited by Must and Babak History of Global Arms Transfer) Public Goods and NGO, will of the Idea of Pakistan. He also Amini forthcoming in 2018. are forthcoming in 2018. In be published by Palgrave presented at the World History October, 2017, he was selected Macmillan in 2018. Association (WHA) conference Yunas Samad’s (Visiting as an International Scholar in Boston in June, 2017, and Faculty, HSS) article, at the Society for the History co-organized, along with ‘Elections and democratic of Technology for the coming Anushay Malik, a conference transition in Pakistan: one two years, and presented on the centenary of the step forward and two steps his work at their annual Bolshevik Revolution at LUMS. backwards’, was published in conference in Philadelphia. Commonwealth & Comparative Tania Saeed (Assistant Politics. Also, together with Professor, HSS) contributed Gerard Boucher, the first a chapter titled ‘Education and paperback edition of their Disengagement: Extremism edited volume, Social Cohesion and the Perception of Muslim and Social Change in Europe, Students’, in Education and was published by Routledge. Extremisms: Rethinking Liberal Pedagogies in the Bilal Tanweer (Assistant Contemporary World. Professor, HSS) organized She presented a paper the LUMS Young Writers

26 05 STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS

I was equally Reflections of inspired by the richness an Exchange of the aca- demic culture at large. Al- Student most every other day the Hasan Hameed Dean’s office organized a ‘Can you please tell us where the talk by some M-2 is?’ I asked a girl as I entered reputed schol- LUMS. ar, and many ‘Ask a guy’, she responded angrily. of the foreign scholars such It was only many weeks later when most other universities in Pakistan. as Dr Margrit Pernau and Dr Akbar it dawned upon me that M-2 was And then there was the cafeteria, Hyder stayed on or near campus the male dorm. By then, asking the Pepsi Dining Centre, where one to give students a chance to meet for directions had become some- option each of chicken, sabzi, or with them in person. Literature, thing of a norm, for every building daal was available at every meal, as poetry and languages were greatly looked exactly the same: a mass was fresh salad and promoted through weekly seminars of red surrounded dahi, all at the most and other events, complemented by a sea of green. reasonable of rates. by an impressive Urdu, Persian and Confusing though It was the warmth Arabic collection in the library. it was, the built of the HSS faculty, While the LUMS library has been environment had however, that real- fortunate to receive the enormous a special air about ly made me feel at Khalid Ishaq Collection, the im- it: vast, green home. Senior year is maculate way in which it has been fields; red-bricked perhaps the worst catalogued and the well-trained buildings coated time to come on an and accommodating staff are equal- green with creep- exchange, abandon- ly important in making the library ers; narrow paths ing the familiarity a buzzing center for research. shadowed by trees of your home insti- on either side, their tute just when grad Unfortunately, most of my class-fel- branches bending school applications lows were not as participative as inwards to form and senior year projects hang those at IBA. The appalling way archways—within days of arriving, I ominously. But the HSS faculty Class Participation points are gen- had fallen in love with the campus. in general and my instructors in erally marked, with fixed points particular were welcoming and for every session, in addition to I soon found other things to like. friendly, pushing me to think hard- the divisive relative grading sys- Hostellites could come in whenever, er about both my academic proj- tem could be potential reasons and there was no dress-code for ects and my career plans. I remain for the lack of dialogue between students. Such policies ensured a deeply indebted—personally and students. Another reason could be (relatively) much greater degree intellectually—to their kindness. the absence of a core curriculum of freedom compared to IBA and

28 that would ensure that all students language, is sel- receive a shared grounding across Walking dom spoken by a range of disciplines. Beyond the people in Japan classroom, however, student life Through and the foreign- was a dynamic affair, and it was ers are expected heartening to watch students Waseda to have learned unequivocally call out the ad- Japanese before ministration for its shortcomings, they visit Japan. their vocal criticisms of authority Awais Khalid With the sudden unimaginable at a place like IBA. inability to free- In the last four months ly communicate, that I have spent in Ja- I felt that student life was marked one realizes how pan, the one thing that by wide-spread anxiety and depres- much one has I am certain to have learnt is that sion with many students struggling been taking language for granted. a single attempt to describe the to adjust in a space where there is It does not matter whether one country and this study-abroad almost as much pressure to ‘party is ordering food or buying train program can never be enough. If hard’ as there is to ‘study hard’. In tickets, everything seems to be you have ever travelled to Japan or the long run we must think criti- mystery shopping where you are plan on travelling to this diverse cally about the deeper values and hoping that things turn out to country, you will know that it is full aspirations that underlie these be in your favor. The surprising of surprises. Depending on what problems. At a personal level, be- part is that they eventually do! situation you are in, Tokyo can coming a little more sensitive to be the most convenient, and the the people around oneself by going Only a few weeks in Japan and you most intimidating, city to live in. up to that freshman eating alone in start to realize that even though PDC and knocking on your neigh- the language might be difficult and The biggest challenge that one bors’ doors just to say salam and the food might not be what you are faces when one arrives in Japan is enquire about their day might be used to at home, it is the Japanese the sudden inability to communi- some of the little steps that go a people who make Japan what it is. cate with the people around you. long way in combating the increas- They go out of their way to make English, albeit an emerging global ing alienation among some stu- sure that you – the annoying, dents and transforming it into the law-breaking gaijin (foreigner) empowering, life-changing experi- – do not have any unpleasant ence that is a university education. experiences in Japan. The Jap- anese people are probably the Hasan Hameed, a senior in the most honest, disciplined and Social Sciences and Liberal Arts de- hard-working people you will partment at IBA Karachi, was an ex- ever come across. If you ever change student during the Fall Se- drop your wallet or forget your mester 2017 at the MGSHSS, LUMS. phone in the streets, you will almost always find someone frantically running after you screaming ‘sumimasen’ (excuse me) just so they can reunite you with your valuables.

29 STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS

and the distribution of mithai to Diwali at LUMS all those who were present there, which included several faculty Hafsa Khawaja members, the Dean of MGSHSS and hundreds of students from For the past two-three years, the across the batches and schools. student society, Hum-Aahang, Abbas Moosvi of Hum-Aahang at LUMS has celebrated Diwali. captured the atmosphere of the LUMS has a small group of Hindu celebration in the following words: students, most of whom are un- able to return to their homes for The lights, the candles, the sweets, this religious festival. Hum-Aa- the flowers, the colours, and the

Studying in Japan, at least at the university level, is certainly much easier than studying in Pakistan. For many Japanese university students, in contrast to their in- credibly tough working lives after graduation, these four years are often joked about to be their ex- tended summer break. Being on an exchange gives you more time to experience Japan and try to under- stand the culture and the people. hang tries to create an atmo- decorations each played their part People in Japan have certain unique sphere of festivity and celebration in cultivating the spirit of the Hin- quirks which one can only wrap for them on campus, which is du festival in all its magnificent their head around if they spend their home away from home. glory. It was a night on which the a considerable amount of time in LUMS community truly united to this country. This study-abroad On October 19, 2017, the entire celebrate the victory of light over experience certainly gives you a LUMS community was invit- darkness, good over evil, knowledge comprehensive insight, if not the ed to the Festival of Lights over ignorance, and hope over de- full experience, of what it is like to in the Central Courtyard. spair – values that Rama-chandra live in the land of the rising sun. (the 7th incarnation of Vishnu) The event began with the creation worked so hard to inculcate; values Awais Khalid is a student at LUMS of the traditional rangoli by stu- for which he battled Ravana, the de- who is currently at Waseda Univer- dents in the middle of the Court- mon-king, and emerged victorious sity in Japan on an undergraduate, yard, followed by enthralling live following 14 years of fierce battle. In study-abroad exchange program. performances by the Music Society, a time of grave intolerance and dis- a series of dances prepared by missiveness for diversity, we collec- various students, the distribution tively proved that it doesn’t have to of pamphlets detailing the history, be that way – that together, we can meaning and significance of Diwali rise above and celebrate one other’s

30 opinions and outlooks. In the words tradition to hold Diwali at LUMS: clusion, consideration and celebra- of the great Sun Tzu, “There are inclusiveness, interfaith harmony, tion of them. We earnestly hoped not more than five musical notes, tolerance and an acceptance and that people would recognize the yet the combinations of these five appreciation of the diversity among significance of these ideas and how give rise to more melodies than much they matter even can ever be heard.” So let’s play! if the ideas are applied in a much less exciting The event came to be a resounding manner because beyond success due to the overwhelming the LUMS bubble, we live response it garnered. We were told in a society where such by our Hindu friends and peers notions are anything that not even for a minute did they but accepted and the feel they were away from home subsequently grim re- on such an important occasion. alities are for all to see. We were told by many others that the event was a much-needed re- The espousal of these spite from the mounting stress of ideas does not neces- academic pressure. And we were us. The event intended to act upon sarily pass through grand efforts told by the rest that they had not these values not only by organizing and events alone. It is important to enjoyed a university event as much celebrations for the Hindu com- learn to possess and demonstrate as this Diwali in the longest while. munity but by also attempting to these noble ideas with conviction Everyone at LUMS truly did come expose the rest of the student body and courage in our beliefs, in our together as one community in to the idea of the campus as a plu- conversations and in our actions; the spirit of interfaith harmony, ralistic space. It was an attempt to in ways that may be small but that diversity and festivity on the day. promote an openness of mind and certainly are not insignificant. heart towards those who may not Along with the festivity and fun, share the beliefs of the majority but Hafsa Khawaja is a student in the event provided everyone with a who belong to this community; and the batch of 2018 and President moment to reflect on the message to whom each of us owes the re- of Hum-Aahang (2017–18). that resides at the heart of our sponsibility and respect of demon- strating this in our acceptance, in- D.H.A., Lahore Cantt. 54792 Lahore, Pakistan Phone: +92 42 3560 8000 Fax: +92 42 3572 5048

04 LAYOUTS, DESIGN AND BACKCOVER PHOTO BY SADAF CHUGHTAI We would like to thank PhotoLUMS and other contributors for the images used in this issue.