Courts and Politics in Pakistan

From the Dean’s Desk

Dear Colleagues, Students and Friends, CONTENTS

The second issue of Guftugu is with you. Conferences at MGSHSS As the first one it covers most of what we accomplished in MGSHSS during the Everyday Urbanisms: An Interview semester. It was indeed a busy and eventful semester, with conferences, workshops, with AbdouMaliq Simone musical events, poetry readings, along with a number of new faculty hires. We started Events at MGSHSS the semester with a major international The Newsletter is the Punjabi Conference, the first of its kind. official voice of the Toward the middle we hosted the annual Centre Events Office of the Dean, conference on Courts and Politics in Mushtaq Ahmad Pakistan. And by the end of the semester colleagues organized a major conference Faculty News Gurmani School of titled, The Great Transformation? The Humanities and Social China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Sciences, LUMS. Culture, Economy and Society in Pakistan. MGSHSS Professor Co-authors UNDP There were other events that brought Report on Pakistan speakers from Europe and the US for discussion and exchanges with our faculty and students. Our faculty as always History Across Borders: Ali Usman remained active in teaching and research Qasmi & Pallavi Raghavan We would like to thank and our students involved themselves in a Sara Saleem Khan and range of activities. All this is recorded in Ateeb Gul for their work the following pages. Sikh Architecture in South Asia: An on this issue and for Guftugu represents the best of what Interview with Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz their contributions to it. we offer as a School and highlights the Naeem We are also grateful to creativity, dedication to excellence and the Nazish Riaz for helping vision of our faculty and students. Of course out with the pictures. none of what is accomplished happens Women and the Economy: An Special mention must without the hard work and commitment of Interview with Dr. Hadia Majid be made of the Karachi- all our staff colleagues that make sure all that we do is made possible. based writer, journalist, Remembering Saba Mahmood Our guftugu continues. and photographer Vaqar (1962-2018) Ahmed, whose pictures have been used for the Warm regards front and back covers. Student Contributions The layout has been designed by Muhammad Junaid. We also thank authors who not only provided us with write- ups but also pictures to go along with them.

1 02 CONFERENCES AT MGSHSS

International Punjabi Conference Tabinda M. Khan

On February 16 and 17, 2018, the and cultural transformations of the Baba Farid and Amir Khusro. Gurmani Center for Languages and Punjab [“Punjab vich samaji, maali tay The second panel, “Punjab: Language Literature and the Mushtaq Ahmad rehtali kayapalti”] with Tahir Kamran and Identity” [“Boli tay Shanakht”], Gurmani School of Humanities and (GCU, Lahore), Manzur Ejaz (USA), and featured Tariq Rahman (BNU, Social Sciences hosted an international Mahmood Awan (Ireland), and was Lahore), Amarjit Chandan (England) Punjabi conference on the theme moderated by Sarwat Mohiuddin and Gurmeet Kaur (USA), and was “Punjab’s Cultural Identity: Past and (Islamabad). Tahir Kamran analyzed Present.” This was the first time that the changes in the Punjabi oral a Punjabi conference was held at tradition produced by the adoption of LUMS and the hosts, Moeen Nizami, print technology and the use of Urdu the Director of the Gurmani Centre, as a symbol of Muslim nationalism. and Kamran Asdar Ali, the Dean of Mahmood Awan recalled that the the MGSHSS, expressed their hope British army recruited primarily from that it would become an annual event the Punjab, making it a foremost and would stimulate scholarship beneficiary of military spending on Punjabi language, literature, and on salaries; he used Punjabi folk politics. The conference was conducted literature to demonstrate that the almost entirely in Punjabi, rather army was perceived as a benefactor than English, which was a path and army jobs as a path for social breaking development for LUMS. In mobility. Manzur Ejaz explained that moderated by Ali Usman Qasmi (LUMS). his concluding remarks, Syed Babar urbanization and the adoption of Tariq Rahman compared the Punjabi Ali, the guest of honor, exclaimed that modern technology had transformed language movement with movements never before had this much Punjabi villages in Pakistani Punjab and in other countries, and noted that it been spoken inside a LUMS auditorium! had displaced many of the activities was a deviant case because it entailed The conference began with a traditionally associated with village life. a dominant ethnic group conceding keynote speech by Mushtaq Soofi, On Friday night, the conference the right to have its language an eminent writer and President of concluded with a Punjabi Qawwali serve as the basis for government the Punjabi Adab Board, followed performance, which drew on the and education, in the interest of by five panels, one on Friday and poetry of Waris Shah, Bullhe Shah, nationalism. Amarjit Chandan asked the remaining four on Saturday. conference participants why no one The first panel was on “Socio-economic spoke of the Punjabi nation; he tried to uncover the reasons why Punjabis had been unsuccessful at organizing a movement for their linguistic rights. Gurmeet Kaur spoke about the need to acquaint children, in the Punjab and the diaspora, with Punjabi folk tales because they were based on a spirituality grounded in oneness with nature, which not only united people across religions and national borders but also countered the materialism of modern consumerist societies.

1 02 The third panel, “Classical Literature: discussed how colonial, communal Gender Question” [“Classical adab tay and nationalist biases were present in nar naari da sawaal”], analyzed the historiography and considered whether representation of women in Punjabi it was possible to have an “objective” folk literature and in plays by (and representation of historical events or about) the Punjabi diaspora in Canada. if it was inevitable that history would Anne Murphy, who heads the Punjabi be distorted to serve the needs of Studies Program at the University of ideological movements. The discussion British Columbia, Vancouver, narrated was impassioned, and sometimes the story of Komagata Maru. In 1914, combative, but it demonstrated that a group of 376 passengers from the in Heer Ranjha celebrated women as the conference had successfully Punjab attempted to emigrate to Canada strong, feisty, courageous and bold. inspired participants to reflect deeply on board the Japanese steamship Zubair Ahmad moderated the panel on difficult and controversial issues Komagata Maru; all but 24 were denied and there was a lively discussion after related to Punjabi historiography, entry because of an immigration law the presentations. Audience members linguistic rights and communal that allowed exclusion on the basis debated whether the “daadi” woman divisions (particularly the division of race. Murphy argued that “the of Punjabi folk tales was a creature of between Muslim and Sikh Punjabis over past is still present” and that though the past and suggested that in future the choice of Shahmukhi or Gurmakhi Canadians have come to recognize panels on the gender question, Punjabi as the script for Punjabi scholarship). the Komagata Maru incident as a dark women activists and artists should be A recurring question throughout the period in their history, discrimination invited to share their perspective. conference was how Punjabis could persists in other forms, against preserve and celebrate their shared immigrants but also against women. The fourth panel, “Partition: The killers and the killed” [“Wandd: kaun qatil, language, history: and culture, while She analyzed three plays on the the territory of the Punjab was divided Komagata Maru incident and compared kaun maqtul”] with Pervaiz Vandal (UCA, Lahore), Mazhar Tirmizi (UK) between two nation-states, and while two which showed the perspective of the community structures of Punjabi the sole woman aboard the ship (her and Nadhra Naeem Khan (LUMS), was moderated by Kamran Asdar Ali diasporas often reproduced these perspective was excluded from earlier national and communal divisions. productions). The other two panelists, (LUMS), and the fifth panel, “History owned fully or selectively” [“Tarikh It was perhaps fitting that the Saeed Bhutta (GCU, Lahore) and Jamil conference concluded with the launch Pal, analyzed the representation of de wirasat, puri ya adhuri?”] with Mushtaq Soofi, Qazi Javaid and Iqbal of Gurmeet Kaur’s book for children, women in Punjabi folk stories, and Fascinating Folktales of Punjab, at the described how characters such as Heer Qaiser, was moderated by Nadhra Naeem Khan (LUMS). Both panels Gurmani Foundation in Gulberg. In this beautifully illustrated book, Kaur presents Punjabi folk tales, in side- by-side Shahmukhi and Gurmakhi scripts with an English translation, and also provides a conversion table that can help children learn both scripts. By introducing children to the sights, sounds and tales of pre- partition Punjab in this linguistically pluralistic way, she demonstrated that it was possible for Punjabis to celebrate their shared cultural heritage without losing their distinctive identities.

Tabinda M. Khan is post-doctoral fellow at the Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature, LUMS.

03 04 Courts and Politics in Pakistan

On March 14 and 15, Prof. Mohammad between courts and politics in the Waseem, Director of the Political country in the past and at present. Science program in the HSS The keynote speaker, Senator Raza department, Prof. Martin Lau, Dean Rabbani, delineated the major stumbling SAHSOL and Dr. Asma Faiz, Assistant blocks on the way to harmonious Professor of Political Science, organized relations between the two institutions. the LUMS annual conference on Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali, chaired “Courts and Politics in Pakistan”. This the inaugural session of the conference. conference was a joint collaboration This was followed by seven working between SAHSOL and MGSHSS. sessions that directly addressed the The two-day event focused on the leading issues and interactions between crucial and controversial relationship the courts and the parliament, the constitution, Islamization of laws and This conference drew upon the the evolving complex relations between intellectual input of academics, lawyers, the Bar and the Bench, the specific case justices, media personalities, and the of KPK in the matter of judicialization of civil society members as speakers, politics, as well as the courts’ attitude chairpersons and participants. The towards the mass mandate in general. faculty and students of LUMS as well Leading scholars in the field as other universities turned up in participated in the conference from numbers to listen to what turned within Pakistan and abroad and out to be a high-quality discourse. shared their scholarly and professional experience in law and social sciences. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Culture, Economy, and Society in Pakistan

Conference jointly organised by LUMS project and the multiple ramifications see the development of a large scale and the University of Nottingham. that are implicitly or explicitly comparative project and the selection The conference attendees came from connected with it. Also, how similar of presentations for publication. Canada, UK, China, Singapore, Denmark, developments are being played out in Malaysia, and all over Pakistan. The other countries, thus giving a yardstick conference brought together a mosaic to compare developments in Pakistan. of complementary expertise and The presentations were followed by a for three days there was intensive half day discussion on how to carry discussion which was theoretically forward this cutting edge research informed and empirically rich agenda. This multilateral collaboration examining CPEC at multiple levels— reflected on developing a large scale macro, mezzo, and micro, as well as comparative project on the BRI, comparatively. It moved the discussion introducing new partners that can from hyperbole, conjecture, and make this feasible as well as considering sensationalism to a more nuanced and a publication strategy for the various critical understanding of this complex presentations. The next year will

03 04 Pakistan Beyond Seventy: The Long View Rasul Bakhsh Rais

The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced assigned role of guardians of the state. to democracy. He said, “we were International Studies and LUMS Three distinguished former American part of that process, and it was very jointly organised their first annual ambassadors—Richard Boucher, Robin successful”. He sounded very optimistic conference in Washington, DC, on Raphael, and Shirin Tahir-Kheli— about Pakistan. Ambassador Boucher April 16–17. It brought together spoke in panel two on “U.S.-Pakistan argued that there are fundamental Relations in the ‘America First’ Era: transformations in Pakistan—growing Learning from the Past”. Having served middle class, control over the entire in different US administrations and territory, transition to democracy, dealt with U.S. Pakistan relations, they and back to economic growth. reflected on what was good in common In the third panel, Sameer Lalwani, interests and what went wrong in the Tanvi Madan, Daniel Markey, Olga relations between the two countries. Oliker, and Rasul Bakhsh Rais discussed Robin Rafael argued that the US lost the evolving nature of Pakistan’s interest in Pakistan after the end of the regional, economic, political, and Cold War, as it began to focus on other security relationship, with a focus on issues. It became more attracted to China, Russia, India, and Afghanistan. India and demanded active enforcement The session was moderated by of nuclear non-proliferation. Ryan Evans, founder and editor- In the opinion of Shirin Tahir-Kheli, a in-chief of War on the Rocks. leading scholars and policy experts member of the US National Security The presenters in the forth panel on to explore the dynamics that are Council in the Reagan administration, “Pakistan’s Economic Futures: Stability likely to shape Pakistan’s political the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Innovation” discussed a wide stability, its economic progress, and made Pakistan a front-line state. range of issues and factors that have a its relationship with its neighbouring There was wider understanding on potential to shape economic trajectory. countries and the United States. strategic issues that included non- Mehmood Khan, Imtiaz ul Haq, Hassan proliferation. The US expected Pakistan Abbas Khan, and Abubakr Muhammad The conference had four panels. The not to enrich uranium beyond 5%. talked about foreign investment, energy first panel was on “Pakistan’s Political Richard Boucher was involved with the issues, water, and environmental risks. Futures: Shaping the State”. Madiha Johannes Urpelainen, an expert on Afzal, Laila Bushra, Asma Faiz, and transition to democracy in Pakistan— the one that emerged out of a deal energy resources and environment, Yasser Qureshi made presentations moderated the discussion. that were moderated by Shamila between Pervez Musharraf and the late Chaudhary. The panellists discussed Benazir Bhutto. He thought the military The conference was capped with a judicial activism, rising violence against was tired and the movement for talk by Aizaz Chaudhry, Pakistan’s minorities by religious fundamentalists, democracy came from the military. The Ambassador to the United States. dynastic politics, issues of populism and US tried to help out with the transition He spoke on “Pakistan’s Place in the popular representation, civil-military World”. The ambassador gave a detailed relations, and constraints in the way of account of Pakistan’s foreign policy, consolidation of democracy. A dominant regional developments, constraints, and view of the panel was that public the value Pakistan attaches to good opinion has shifted towards democracy, relationship with the United States. but there is weariness about bad democracy both among the urban as Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais is Professor well as rural populations. There appears of Political Science at MGSHSS. to be an institutional clash shaping up between the political forces and the military and judiciary assuming a self-

05 06 Everyday Urbanisms: An Interview with Professor AbdouMaliq Simone

You’ve been described as an For example I spent ten years in South Urbanist, I was hoping you could Africa, even though I was only going to clarify what that means exactly— spend one. It was at a particular historical tell us a little about the field that period of time, at the beginning of the you’re in and the work you do? 1990s and a major transition was underway, where the liberation movement and the Well, the word urbanist, the designation, new government had to completely remake usually comes from a kind of French and the legal framework and the institutions perhaps Spanish kind of derivation—the that govern urban processes. There were French will use it more. It usually refers a lot of opportunities that were available to those who do architectural projects to a stranger, a foreigner—it wouldn’t be that don’t just concern design issues for a that way today. Indonesia too was kind building but the way in which the spaces of an accident but then this one social relate to each other. For example, whoever movement—I went to an AGM and we hit it is doing the new centre of Lahore. That off, and I came back to work with them for would be the conventional notion of the In March, 2018, the MGSHSS two weeks, then two months, then a longer word Urbanist. For me, I use it because period of time. So of course there are hosted a workshop on the work that I do kind of has nothing things that attract you about a place, but Everyday Urbanisms, an to do with the degree that I have. there are also these opportune moments. opportunity for scholars Which is? And I guess I emphasize that because to engage with a variety I’m a Clinical Psychologist by training, a lot of the research that I do is almost of perspectives on urban like way way back in the day. So I sort of always 90% within the context of working experiences. Professor appropriate the the term to describe what with other people, other institutions, on either projects that may be medium- AbdouMaliq Simone, an I do, which is—I’m interested in urban processes, the lived experiences of people term or long-term. It’s about cultivating urbanist who has worked and more than people in urban life. I’m extensively on urban also interested in its materiality, its design, spaces in the muslim world, and its governance. So all these things I participated in and lead the like to have a foot in, like to address in some way, it seems that the notion of workshop. Professor Simone, urbanism allows me to legitimately say who also gave a talk titled that I have my feet in all these things. ‘The Spiraling of Stamping I noticed that you seem to have engaged very closely with just a Feet: Peripheral Spaces and affiliations with groups of people over couple of places, for example Amman Practices for New Urban time, and out of these affiliations the and Djakarta. Is there a particular research comes in the service of trying Worlds’, kindly agreed to give reason you were drawn to these to make things happen in terms of this interview for Guftugu. places or did it just happen? what these institutions had in mind. Yeah, I mean it was a combination of things. You mentioned this in your talk

05 06 the other day as well, and I was Those collectives not simply being age for example. I would imagine actually hoping we could discuss human ones, but collectives that are that your own distance from the process of articulating the particular relationships between someone’s position doesn’t just elements and connections you’re people and materials, and senses and affect your ability to articulate their looking at. How do you balance the ways of sensing, that are only really experience, but your access to them. smaller everyday things that can identifiable in a very local way. How much has that been a problem, only rise out of affiliations, with If you’ve sort of been immersed in and how do you work around it? the larger concepts that seem to several of them, then how do you Yeah I mean I’m a white, old man be your focus? You used particular think about what kinds of connections (laughs). And of course spending most frames in the talk like ‘spiralling’ are there? And sometimes those of my life working in contexts where and zaar—I was wondering if that connections can only be poetic ones. I’m something of a rarity, you’re always sort of metaphor or frame is a You have to find the kind of language aware of occupying that particular kind way to understandably lay out the that is not the language of social of position. But there are ways in which complexities you’ve observed? structure in order to make those you can play with it. Which is always Yeah, I see what you mean. So I did articulations. It’s that you have this a kind of risk because playing with speak in—with the exception of some juxtaposition, the simultaneous identity is also playing with certain of the more ethnographic stuff about unfolding of very different and singular political privilege, because whiteness the kids in these areas of Djakarta—I situations on the ground. And the can play in ways that other identities did speak in fairly sweeping can’t play. So it’s always this kind terms. And part of that can of game, you know, anticipating be a bad habit, really. It’s one what they anticipate of you, of the limitations of trying to and your anticipations of their suture together very different anticipations and it goes back kinds of languages in a kind of a and forth. So how can you turn more poetic strategy, of trying it into something that isn’t to link particular sensibilities, the kind of paranoid structure particular large-scale socio- where everyone’s defending cultural changes, and to make themselves against each other? very micro-level investigations You sometimes need to part of those things. A lot of demonstrate a willingness to times that’s not very useful, I act outside of the ordinary mean sometimes you have to assumptions, which is something do it, but there is the danger I’ve always tried to do. I’ve tried to go impetus is to compare them, to look for of being carried away by your own to places I’m not supposed to go, I’ve their commonalities, and of course we sweeping motions. I guess what always tried to delicately say things do that all the time. We all compare. sometimes I’m concerned about is that where I’m not expected to say them. That’s what we’re trained to do since large generalizations are made. Because, It’s kind of a disarming thing. Of course we’re kids. But I’m interested in how quite rightly, people want to think in this world now, it’s become kind of they simultaneously exist within about the larger forces and structures difficult—there are places where you their singularities within the larger and their impact on themselves, and could go easily and talk freely twenty world. I’m trying to find ways to speak what they think they can do about years ago, that I would never be able about them together at the same it. Who owns that kind of speech, to do now. Because the world is much time, without necessarily finding the owns that kind of generalization? more paranoid, you know. Not in a common variable. It’s a nebulous space, And oftentimes those that own it clinical sense, but in the general sort and its tricky but you’re trying to are not interested in the more small of ‘How do I immunize myself in this invent a way to speak about the two scale kinds of processes, may choose world where I no longer know clearly so it’s not a self-other relationship. to dismiss them as idiosyncrasies, or what’s taking place?’. And I guess idiosyncratic performances of that So this makes me think about that’s why I like to work collaboratively larger structure. And I guess what I what you said about how different with people, and I have a partner who also want to do is try to take seriously people occupy and experience has an incredible way of talking, and the multiple forms of agency that space differently based on who sensing, and working with her has different kinds of collectives have. they are, in terms of gender or been a great learning experience.

07 08 EVENTS AT MGSHSS World Literature? Aamir Mufti at LUMS

a workshop. His first lecture, “The the relationship between Edward Nomos of World Literature,” was a Said’s critical writings and his meditation on the failures of one-world writings on Palestine. In addition thinking, particularly with respect to these two talks, Professor Mufti to the question of world literature. was able to interact with advanced The lecture was delivered to an undergraduate students in a seminar auditorium packed with students and setting, where he guided students on faculty, as well as guests from other methods of reading through a close institutions from across the city. examination of Erich Auerbach’s Aamir Mufti, Professor of Comparative essay “Philology and Weltliteratur” Literature, UCLA visited the Mushtaq His second public lecture drew The diverse audiences of all three Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities an equally diverse audience, and events, undergraduates, faculty, and and Social Sciences from the 29th to was held the following day at the visitors from other institutions in the 31st of January 2018. During his Gurmani House in Gulberg. Titled, Lahore made for excellent interlocutors visit, he delivered two public lectures “The Missing Homeland of Edward with Professor Aamir Mufti, himself and also engaged with students during Said,” it was a careful tracing of a defining intellectual of our times. A Conversation with Bani Abidi & Amarjit Chandan

2018 marks the last year of the pasts and somehow articulating them, was at the core of Abidi’s exhibit, centenary commemorations of the as well as the politics of how nations called ‘A Memorial to Lost Words’. first world war. Amidst the global grieve and commemorate great loss. The sound-piece was originally efforts to remember the lives and The panel was moderated by Dr. Ali exhibited at the Edinburgh Art Festival, losses of the Great War, there are Raza, who introduced both speakers and and the song consists of two conversant notable absences, revealing gaps in their works. In the very beginning of yet independent voices: a single historical memory. In the history books the discussion, the panelists introduced male voice, and a chorus of women, and memorials, then as now, there is the audience to a little-known alternating with each other to produce little if any mention of the thousands collection of recordings of soldiers a haunting, resonant melody. The male of Indian soldiers that fought and speaking in their native languages, portion of the song, sung by Ali Aftab died at the behest of their English compiled in P.O.W. camps during the Saeed, comprises of verses adapted colonizers. In February this year, the war for German anthropologists. After along the lines of a soldier’s letter MGSHSS hosted artist Bani Abidi and playing some recordings of Indian home, written by Amarjit Chandan poet Amarjit Chandan for a discussion soldiers, they discussed what these men who kindly read out a translation of on the possibility of retrieving these were saying, about their homes, about his work. The chorus, sung by Zainab the war, about their lives before the Jawwad, Saleema Jawwad and Ismet war. Abidi told the audience that many Jawwad is a folk-song from the time of of the letters these men sent home the Great War. The artists themselves never reached their destinations, while gave the audience a live performance on the home front, in Indian villages of the song, a moving tribute that all over the subcontinent, women were raised further questions about the singing songs about the war and their multitude of ways in which it is men being away. This projecting of appropriate to retrieve a history that words over great distances, words that has been suppressed or forgotten. never reached their intended listeners,

07 08 Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque Looks Back at an Asian Tiger Sanval Nasim

institutional decay and evolution. and regulation of “the mulla”. The literature on socio-economic The reforms that generated this reforms in Pakistan can often be dry, astonishing structural transformation leading to limited dissemination and were indigenous and not donor- readership. Dr. Haque explained that driven. Donors no longer dictate he chose the fictional trope—and the country’s development agenda, avoided tedious jargon, which usually which is now democratically only economists appreciate—to established by local stakeholders. communicate with a wider audience, But how does this radical change come especially younger generations. about? At the end of the discussion, Dr. Haque spoke about how in Dr. Haque argued that a spatially his fictional Pakistan the central diverse network of thinkers, writers, government plays a peripheral role and intellectuals spur a discourse on with power decentralized to local local problems—shifting away from The Department of Economics hosted elected representatives. The civil traditional themes such as national Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque on March 2, service—our antiquated colonial security and foreign policy—and 2018, for a discussion on his new inheritance—has been downsized and become “agents of change”. The book Looking Back: How Pakistan the political hierarchy abolished. The networks develop as the government Became an Asian Tiger by 2050. Dr. rent-seeking culture that supported diverts significant public funds Haque is an eminent economist who the privileges, perks, and entitlement toward universities, frees university spent a large part of his career at the of the civil and military bureaucracy administrations from bureaucratic International Monetary Fund. He is and nurtured crony capitalists and control, and promotes independent also a former Vice Chancellor of the land-developers—thereby stifling think tanks. The networks set Pakistan Institute of Development growth and development—has new agendas which spillover to Economics (PIDE) and served as Deputy been replaced with a culture of the media and gradually become Chairman, Planning Commission of competition, entrepreneurship, and part of everyday public debate. Pakistan, in the previous government. merit. Highly skilled professionals Development policy recognizes “that He has published work on a wide now manage institutions previously local networks of thought are vital to range of topics, including corruption, under the civil bureaucracy. the creation of a process of change human resource development, and Cities and urban landscapes are that will crowd-source knowledge, macroeconomic stabilization. engines of growth and hubs of cultural create greater ownership of change and reform as well as develop In his book, Dr. Haque creates a and commercial activity. Zoning laws democratic debate and society”. fictional world in which Pakistan has that separated the rich from the “transformed itself from a poverty- poor have been abolished. Museums, The audience at Dr. Haque’s talk ridden, malnourished, corrupt and parks, and libraries dominate public included students, LUMS professors, aid-dependent country in 2015 to spaces. Cities have walkways and and local policy practitioners. qualify for the ‘High-Income’ category sidewalks, making them accessible to Sanval Nasim is Assistant Professor, by the World Bank, and the top pedestrians and limiting motorists. Department of Economics, LUMS. decile in both the Competitiveness These thriving metropolises expose Index and Social Progress Index by the youth to the richness and 2050”. He then sets out to describe diversity of city life, catalyzing at length a set of key economic, cultural movements and artistic political, and social reforms that led expressions. This change has led to an to Pakistan’s incredible (imaginary) increase in school enrollment, greater transformation. The narrative provides demand for vocational and technical an intriguing insight into Pakistan’s training, reduction in extremism,

09 10 Omar Kasmani: Trans Identities in Pakistan

of the messy landscape of gender the discussion. Dr. Kasmani spoke identity and related terms and concepts. largely through his experiences while His focus was on language, and the conducting research in a khwajah sirah inherent tensions of the old versus community in Sehwan. He touched the new, especially in a country like on local mythologies surrounding Pakistan with its particular history the transgender community and with queer categories like the khwajah the changes in how they have been sirah predating newer ‘Western’ perceived over time. There was also a concepts. He discussed the tendency detailed discussion on the problems of moving between categorizations with the gender categories on Pakistani and terminologies in invoking gender ID cards and ways in which non-binary identities that lie outside the male/ persons navigate these complexities female binary, and reflected on the in the country. Dr. Kasmani graciously inadequacy of the term Trans* in answered the audience’s questions the context of Pakistan. His paper about his ethnographic work in discussed how categories like Trans* Sehwan, the challenges he faced as Omar Kasmani’s seminar ‘Neither. Nor. “expand and contract” in such situated an outsider and researcher, and the Trans* - Dispensable Masculinities contexts – bringing the notion of ways in which his relationship with and the Uneasy Promise of Trans* in temporality and evolution of language his interlocutors developed over time. Pakistan’ encapsulated a discussion and grammar to the forefront of

09 10 CENTRE EVENTS Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature Aroosa Subhani The Gurmani Centre for Languages Culture and Society”. Renowned essayist and novelist, reflected on and Literature has continued in its literary scholars were invited for this how she is strongly connected to her endeavor to promote South Asian series, including Zahida Hina, Mazhar roots, and her writings are reflective culture & literary traditions at LUMS. Mahmud Shirani, Mustansar Hussain of her values. Her perspective is deep- One such initiative, continuing over the Tarar, Muhammad Izhar-ul-Haq, Zafar rooted in her writing and it can be last few semesters, has been running Iqbal, Khurshid Rizvi, Neelum Ahmad easily interpreted by the readers. under the title of ‘Halqa-e-Danish’, Bashir, and Rakshanda Naveed. The Another scholar loved by many, a series of weekly sessions based on series allowed each invited guest to Mustansar Hussain Tarar was also some major themes that are selected deliver a lecture rooted in their own part of this semester’s series where he over variety of genres in prose and individual specialization. For instance, talked about his personal and literary poetry. The primary aim of this series Zafar Iqbal is known for his unique life, as well as some of his future is to highlight Pakistan’s cultural poetry style—since his ghazals are projects. A talk by Dr. Manzur Ijaz, US values and how different aspects of different from the traditional Urdu based Punjabi intellectual, was also it are embedded in its literature. and Punjabi poetry—however the organized where the topic of discussion This semester’s lecture series was Halqa-e-Danish talk also elaborated was “Khittay Mein Runuma Honay Wai organized around the theme: “Meeting on his essay writing and criticism. Tabdeelion Mein Punjab Ka Kirdar”. The the Leading Figures of Pakistani Zahida Hina, renowned columnist, talk was attended by various poets, literary scholars and students. Dr Ijaz discussed how Punjab’s transformation took place from different perspectives including social and political. On a similar note, Shamim Hanafi, prominent Indian scholar, spoke about his literary criticism, playwrights and poetry. Kaleem-ullah Lashari was invited from Karachi for a lecture on Makli Necropolis (Thatta) – one of the largest funeral sites in the world. He shared a lot of information on Makli Ka Kabristan and as to why it is given so much importance as a heritage site. The talk was highly informative and was attended by Yasmeen Cheema, Zulfiqar Kazmi, Qasim Jafri, Dr. Moeen Nizami, Ahmad Bilal Awan and other guests. Another notable event under the umbrella of Halqa-e-Danish this semester was titled ‘Rumi’s Legacy’ where the main guest was Esin Chalabi Bayru – Vice President of the International Mevlana Foundation. Mrs. Chalabi is well-known among lovers of Rumi and has been promoting his teachings through public talks and

11 12 seminars that touch on the relevance Poet and Nasir Kazmi’s contemporary) Hameed, Azhar Waheed, Shoaib Ahmad, of his philosophy for contemporary and Dr. Moeen Nizami. There were two Zainab Sattar and Tabinda Khan. Muslim societies, the challenges of singers from LUMS – Aswad Ali and The Centre alongside Mushtaq Gurmani fundamentalism, and on the western Usama Mustafa who performed on School of Humanities and Social appropriation and interpretation of selected ghazals of Ghulam Husain Sajid. Sciences also organized a two-day Rumi’s thought and poetry. The same Another guest singer – Mohammad International Punjabi Conference, titled passion was witnessed at the talk Toufeeq was also invited. The ‘Punjab’s Cultural Identity: Past and as well. The event was moderated by students also conducted an informal Present’. The conference started off Dr. Tabinda Mahfooz who gave a brief quiz in memory of Nasir Kazmi. by Dr. Moeen Nizami with a welcome introduction of Mrs. Chalabi at the Another series titled ‘Bazm-e-Adab’ was note while Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali, Dean onset of the talk. Dr. Moeen Nizami organized as an academic and literary MGSHSS acknowledged the presence also spoke about Rumi’s writings sitting with prominent scholars and of participants who were there from including Divan-e Shams Tabrizi and teachers. The pattern of these sittings USA, Canada, UK, and Ireland. Masnavi Ma’navi. A good number of was that a scholar read original Urdu guests from Islamabad and other cities The conference comprised of different texts, selected prose and poetry, along sessions titled: ‘Socio-economic attended the event while a group of with participants which included LUMS students named Soz performed Transformations in the Punjab’, students as well. Selected literature Language and Identity in Punjab’, the Song of the Flute from Rumi’s chosen for this semester included: Masnavi. The attendees also included and ‘The Gender Question in Classical Kalam-e-Iqbal - Javed Nama, Bang-e- Literature’. The panel had a diverse Qasim Jafri, Yasmeen Hameed, Moneeza Dara, Baal-e-Jibrael, Kashaf-ul-Mahjub, Hashmi, Aamir Raza, Nauman Bukhari, list of literary scholars, researchers, Kalam-e-Ghalib, Masnavi Maulana Rum writers, columnists and poets. Zahid Hashmi and Yasmeen Bukhari. by Shoaib Ahmad, Kalam-e-Bulleh Shah, ‘Ba Yaad-e-Nasir Kazmi’ was another Gumnaam Adeeb Ke Naam, and Deewan- noteworthy event organized under e-Haafiz. The series was conducted Aroosa Subhani is a Coordinator Halqa-e-Danish and was attended by under the supervision of Dr. Moeen at the Gurmani Centre for Ghulam Husain Sajid (Prominent Ghazal Nizami, Dr. Zia ul Hassan, Yasmeen Languages & Literature, LUMS.

11 12 Saida Waheed Gender Initiative (SWGI) Onaiza Arshad

themes in the works of the three poets – with particular emphasis on issues of class and political consciousness. As part of a tradition, SWGI collaborated with the AKS International Minorities Film Festival to screen the beautiful documentary “Chan di Chummi- Kiss of the Moon” at LUMS. The screening was followed by a panel discussion on the background of Trans* politics in Pakistan, old and new community traditions, the formation of a modern transgender identity and state recognition/ regulation of ambiguous bodies. A major part of SWGI’s role in supporting work on gender at LUMS has been its support to faculty and student research. This year the Initiative extended financial support to a group of students from SDSB Since its inception, the Saida Waheed on his current research in the Mozang doing research on representation of Gender Initiative has been hosting neighbourhood, Lahore. The seminar women in local politics, and a student monthly seminars, and inviting local titled ‘Gendered Infrastructures: from MGSHSS, completing her senior scholars of gender studies to share their Women and Urban Politics in Lahore’ project on the impact menstruation working research and/or published discussed the role of elderly women and feminine hygiene practices have work with the community at LUMS. in mobilizing around infrastructure on young girls. Furthermore, SWGI is This semester started off with Dr. issues faced by their communities. also supporting two faculty research Maria Rashid’s fascinating work on the The last seminar for the semester was projects at LUMS. The first one is led by relationship between the Pakistani Dr. Humaira Ishfaq’s ‘Feminist Voices Emad Ansari (Asst. Professor, SAHSOL) military and the mothers and widows in Pakistani Urdu Literature: Sara and aims to create a database of case- of dead soldiers. She discussed parts Shagufta, Fahmida Riaz and Kishwer law reflecting notions of gender justice of her dissertation titled ‘Of Mothers Naheed’ and covered major feminist and patriarchal power differentials, and Widows: Militarism’s Intractable Subjects’, focusing on the ways in which the military manipulates and manages the female subjects affect via spectacles of mourning, compensatory regimes and commemorative practices. Dr. Omar Kasmani’s seminar ‘Neither. Nor. Trans*. Dispensable Masculinities and the Uneasy Promise of Trans* in Pakistan’ focused on third gender grammars and the way in which Trans* language has evolved in Pakistan, and the impact it has had on gender politics in the country. SWGI’s third seminar, by Dr. Amen Jaffer, was a discussion

13 14 and subsequently prepare guidelines programs of study challenging the representation of women in film/fiction for lawyers not ordinarily trained in misogyny of academic research and to the conceptualization and crisis these concepts. The second project is problematizing knowledge production. of masculinity(-ies) in Pakistan; and by Dr. Suleman Shahid (Asst. Professor, The participants exchanged notes the notion of ‘women empowerment’ SSE) and consists of preliminary on how they discuss sensitive issues within the development sector to the research for developing a safety/SOS of religion, sexuality, and power precarious position of women and app for women commuting in cities. disparities in their classes and analyzed gender non-conforming individuals The initiative organized a two-day the stark difference between the in public spaces. Panelists engaged in workshop bringing together local way gender programs are organized constructive conversations around the scholars of gender, sexuality, women’s in the public and private sector structure and arguments of one other’s studies and individuals leading gender Pakistan. Dr. Rieker encouraged the papers, answered questions from the studies centers to discuss the various participants to reflect on the ways audience, and discussed the future of intellectual challenges faced in the in which they’ve been doing ‘theory- their research with their respective field. The workshop was facilitated work’, problematize the categories moderators. As part of the events of by Dr. Martina Rieker, Assistant they use in the classroom and think the colloquium, SWGI paid a humble Professor and Director of Institute through what ‘categories’ they would tribute to the life and work of the Late for Gender and Women’s Studies at want to create in order to better Asma Jahangir, and brought together The American University of Cairo, develop gender studies in Pakistan. a panel of young women that worked and broadly covered curriculum and To close the year, the 3rd SWGI Student with her and idolized her. They spoke programmatic development, South- Colloquium was hosted on the 20th and about the space Jahangir opened up for South linkages in the form of research 21st of April. The colloquium—organized females in the legal fraternity and the networks and research development, to encourage student research in fierce feminist legacy she left behind. the relationship between the political the areas of gender, sexuality, and and intellectual mission of gender women’s studies—consisted of papers Onaiza Arshad is Coordinator of the studies and the personal research written by students from all over Saida Waheed Gender Initiative. interests of the participants. There was Pakistan. The panels, moderated extensive discussion on how to develop by the faculty at LUMS, focused on intellectually-rigorous and cohesive diverse themes ranging from the

13 14 FACULTY NEWS Mohammad Waseem international conference, ‘The of Institutions and Beyond in Hassan Karrar’s (Associate (Professor, HSS) organized Role of Mysticism in Establishing Pakistan’. Professor, HSS) article the annual LUMS conference on Harmony and Peaceful ‘Assembling Marginality in ‘Courts and Politics in Pakistan’ Coexistence’ on February 22nd, Ateeb Gul (Teaching Fellow/ Northern Pakistan’ was published on 14th and 15th March jointly 2018 at Lahore College for Senior Editor, HSS) published in Political Geography. with Martin Lau, Dean of the Women University. his article ‘The Declining School of Law, and Asma Faiz Standards of Arabic-to-Roman Ali Khan’s (Associate from the department of Political Asma Faiz (Assistant Professor, HSS) Science. Waseem and Asma also Transliteration in Academic article ‘The organized a series of HSS faculty Professor, HSS) organized the Writing, Editing, and Publishing’ Mercurials: The Nature of seminars during the Spring 2018 annual LUMS conference on in Publishing Research Quarterly. Pakistani Cricket’ was published semester. Additionally, Waseem in the IIC Quarterly. was awarded a fellowship by Sciences Po, Paris for the summer MGSHSS hires assistant professors in anthropology, Maryam Wasif Khan 2018. He also gave a lecture at political science, history, economics and in the (Assistant Professor, HSS) the Institute of Public Policy on Gurmani Centre. spent two days at Princeton Local Government, led a seminar University in early April where on ‘Judiciary and the Peoples’ Melinda Gurr: Gwen Kirk PhD, University PhD, Syracuse she led a seminar for graduate Political Rights’ for the Human University in Anthropology of Texas, Anthropology, Socio- students in the European Cultural Rights Commission of Pakistan and works on Brazil (landless Linguistics (Punjabi Cinema, Studies program and also gave (HRCP), and participated in peasantry, environmental Urdu- Hindi) in the Gurmani the conference on Afkar Taza at issues). Center as assistant professor. a talk titled, ‘Mecca, Mujahids, Alhamra and in the conference on and Modernity: The Invention of ‘Changing Regional Dynamics in Karrar Hussain: PhD, Shayan Rajani: PhD, Tufts Origin in the Urdu Novel’ which South Asia’ at Punjab University. University of California, San University in History (16th – was hosted by the Department Waseem also delivered the Diego (most recent work is on 18th Century Mughal Period, of Comparative Literature and guest lecture on the conference behavior outcomes in health Sind). the Program in South Asian on Social Sciences to be held campaigns). Studies. She shared parts of her Philipp Zehmisch: April 25-27th, 2018, at Kinnaird book manuscript in a panel on College. Umair Javed: PhD, Ludwig-Maximillian London School minorities and nationalism at the of Economics in Political University Munich, Germany American Comparative Literature Sociology (Pakistani Bazaar in Anthropology (Indigenous Association’s Annual Meeting in Syed Zahid Ali’s (Professor, politics and the state). He will groups, Andaman Islands, Economics) paper, ‘Anticipated join the Political Science Stream. India). Los Angeles. Her article on Mirza Umrao Jan Ada vs. Unanticipated Currency Hadi Rusva’s Wiley- Depreciation and the J-curve (1899) will appear in the Amen Jaffer (Assistant Blackwell Encyclopedia of World Phenomenon’ was published Courts and Politics in Pakistan’ on Professor, HSS) Literature in the Journal of International 14th and 15th March jointly with was invited later this year. Money and Finance, in March Martin Lau, Dean of the School to present his paper, ‘In Search Shahryar Khan’s (Adjunct 2018. His other paper, ‘Price of Law, and Mohammad Waseem of the Political: Social Life in Faculty, HSS) rticle ‘The Puzzle in a Small Open New from the department of Political Pakistan’s Sufi Shrines’ at the ‘Left a Decline of Hockey in Pakistan’ was Keynesian Model’ was published Science. Asma and Waseem also Politics in the South Asia: Past, published in the IIC Quarterly. in the Quarterly Review of organized a series of HSS faculty Present, Future’ workshop at the Economics and Finance (0nline). seminars during the Spring 2018 University of Toronto in March semester. In addition to the 2017. Furthermore, State and Nida Kirmani (Associate above, Asma gave a presentation Subject Formation in South Asia, Professor, HSS) wrote a chapter Ghulam Moeen ud Din Nizami at the LUMS-Johns Hopkins a book that he is co-editing with titled ‘Earning as Empowerment: (Professor, GCLL) presented University (JHU) conference Mashal Saif, has been accepted The Relationship between Paid a paper titled ‘Persian Sufi on ‘Pakistan Beyond Seventy: for publication by the Oxford Work and Domestic Violence in Poetry and the Sima’ Gatherings Prospects and Challenges’. The University Press (Karachi). Lyari, Karachi’, in Rethinking New of the Punjabi Chishtis’ in an title of her presentation was ‘Clash Womanhood: Practices of Gender,

15 16 Class, Culture and Religion in the British Council US, Georgia Nadhra was also a guest speaker South Asia (London: Palgrave). State University, and the Institute on South Asian art at both NYU for Strategic Dialogue for talks. and NCA, Lahore, in Spring 2018. MGSHSS Faculty Awarded FIF Hadia Majid (Assistant Grant Professor, Economics) received Nadhra Shahbaz (Assistant Waqar Zaidi’s (Assistant project funding from International Professor, HSS) presented her Professor, HSS) research Professor Yunas Samad and Dr. Labor Organization for her paper ‘The Lahore Museum Sikh article, ‘Stages of War, Stages Hassan Javid have been awarded proposed work: ‘Diagnostic Study Gallery: Art Works and Their of Man: Quincy Wright and an FIF grant for their project on on Decent Work in Rural Economy Narratives’ at the College Art the Liberal Internationalist ‘Governance, Masculinity, and in Pakistan’. She also gave her Association (CAA) conference in Study of War’, previously Radicalization: Attitudes to Violence’. presentation titled ‘Women’s Los Angeles, USA, 21-24 February published online, appeared in The proposed study will investigate Labor Supply and the Link with 2018. She was also invited to the second print issue of the attitudes to violence in young Growth: Examining the Last Three people, both men and women, in Lahore. It is hypothesized that Decades’ on January 31, 2018, at Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais, the CREB Seminar Series, Lahore poor governance and the lack of a Professor of Political Science social contract between the state School of Economics, and another at MGSHSS, recently won two titled ‘Women and CPEC’ at the and citizens provides the context prestigious awards for his book, for violent attitudes among young Women’s Chamber of Commerce Imagining Pakistan: Modernism, and Industry, November 3, 2017, State and the Politics of Islamic people, with the demand for justice at Lahore. Hadia was additionally Revival (Lexington Books, 2017). resulting in a search for alternative the lead presenter for the National Both awards were received at the dispute resolution strategies. These Consultation on Decent Work 9th Karachi Literature Festival are rooted in informal institutions panchayats, biraderi in Pakistan’s Rural Economy, (KLF), held 9th to 11th February, based on International Labor Organization, 2017. The book won the KLF networks, and religious authorities Non-Fiction Best Book Award, 2018, awarded to the best book December 20, 2017. which, it is argued, tend to legitimate in English in the non-fiction category, and the KLF Best Book the use of force and the pursuit of German Peace Award, 2018, which recognizes contributions Rasul Bakhsh Rais (Professor, extra-legal mechanisms through made to the causes of tolerance, peace, and harmony. HSS) published a book Islam, which to achieve political, social, Ethnicity, and Power Politics: and economic objectives. The Constructing Pakistan’s National proposed study will also examine the extent to which the prevalence Identity with the Oxford University Rashid Memon (Assistant Professor, Economics), Ahmed of sectarian attitudes facilitates Press Pakistan. Yunas Samad (Visiting Faculty, HSS), and Furrukh A. religious extremism and can serve as Khan (Associate Professor, HSS) have been awarded a Tania Saeed (Assistant three-year research grant from the European Commission. This a means through which to radicalize Professor, HSS) gave a talk EU-funded research project is part of an effort to connect the young people. It will also probe the about her book Islamophobia literature on migration management with that on the migration- correlation that appears to exist and Securitization. Religion, development nexus. between violence in the public Ethnicity and the Female Voice sphere between men and violence in at UC Berkeley, California, the private sphere against women. where she was invited by the give a talk on ‘Buildings as Public 2018 volume of International By unpacking precisely how attitudes Center for Race and Gender Archives’ at the Knowledge History Review. Another research to violence are shaped by broader (CRG) and the Islamophobia Architectures and Archives article, ‘Convertibility and the societal processes in Pakistan, Studies Center. She launched Seminar held at the Information Militaristic Perversion of Aviation this study aims to contribute to her book at the Comparative and Technology University, Lahore. in Disarmament Discourses, understanding the root causes of International Education Studies She also presented her work at 1919-1945’ appeared in the violence and the ways in which it (CIES) conference this year in the ‘International Workshop to fifth volume of The Journal of can be curtailed. As such, this study Mexico City. She was also a Review the Lahore Fort Prototype Research Institute for the History should be of great interest to policy- panelist on Islamophobia in the Interventions’ organized by of Global Arms Transfer. In makers, practitioners and activists, UK for the ‘Bridging Transatlantic the Aga Khan Cultural Service– January, 2018, Waqar became and academics. Voice: Young Engagement and Pakistan and the Lahore Walled a founding member of Birkbeck Mobilization Dialogue’ in Berlin, City Authority, held at the Lahore College’s Centre for the Study of and was additionally invited by Fort, January 15–17th, 2018. Internationalism.

15 16 MGSHSS Professor Co-authors UNDP Report on Pakistan

Dr. Faisal Bari (Associate Professor, Economics, issues for Pakistan and its economy: the large at the current levels. Another surprising LUMS) and Dr. Adil Najam (former Vice youth population of the country, otherwise finding is that far from being apathetic, Chancellor, LUMS) recently co-authored a known as the ‘youth bulge’. The findings of Pakistan’s youth are eager to be engaged ground-breaking report on Pakistan, titled the report are cautious. The report highlights and make a difference. They are held back Pakistan National Human Development Report: several problems with the projected future of by various factors including lack of quality Unleashing the Potential of a Young Pakistan. Pakistan in terms of education, employability, in education and employment, and lack of The report was commissioned and published and engagement of the youth—however, it also opportunity. by the United Nations Development Program calls the situation ‘salvageable’. According to (UNDP). In the words of the report itself: the report: The report has been hailed as a breakthrough in terms of identifying the development The 2017 Pakistan National Human The NHDR’s revelations include the challenges facing Pakistan and the Development Report (NHDR) focuses projection that at the current annual opportunities that these challenges present. It on the country’s youth as a critical force growth rate of net school enrolments, it is filled with solid policy recommendations on for shaping human development in the will be 2076 before Pakistan can achieve what kinds of changes should the government country. This Report covers three drivers its goal of zero out-of-school children. And, roll out on an emergency basis. The report of youth empowerment – education, with the highest youth unemployment is being hailed as a breakthrough, with one employment and engagement – with in the region, Pakistan must generate commentator calling it ‘a magnificent starting the objective of informing public policy nearly a million jobs every year for the point for a serious exploration of the lives, discourse and improving the policy next 30 years, without interruption, in aspirations and future of nearly half of all landscape for young people. order to even maintain unemployment Pakistanis’. The report addresses one of the thorniest

17 18 History Across Borders: Ali Usman Qasmi & Pallavi Raghavan

‘HIST 125 – Introduction to South Asian and remembered in the neighboring country, History’ was designed to be a cross border and recording student responses to them. The classroom, where over 20 students interacting course culminated with a class trip, in which 11 over Skype and various other social media LUMS students traveled across the border to together engaged in the study of a shared meet their fellow classmates in person. South Asian history. Designed by both professors to be a collaborative course in which students would examine various episodes of significance in the two countries’ history with a shared lens, the aim of the course was to have them confront the assumptions that underlay their conception of the ‘other’. This semester, Ali Usman Qasmi taught an A major part of the course involved class innovative new course in collaboration with projects which required students to work Pallavi Raghavan from the OP Jindal Law over Skype in groups of 2 or 3, exploring School in Sonipat, India. The course, titled how events were differently understood

17 18 Sikh Architecture in South Asia: An Interview with Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Naeem You joined LUMS in 2009. What of South Asian art and architecture in 2003. did you do before then? Why and when did you decide to focus on the history of Sikh art and I studied and specialized in advertising architecture as your field of specialty? during my undergraduate and Master’s programs and later taught this at different As part of the doctoral studies coursework, institutions in Lahore. These included we were asked to write a research paper the Department of Fines Arts (PU), Lahore on any topic related to South Asian art College for Women University, and the and/or architecture. One of my professors National College of Business Administration asked me to visit the Lahore Fort and and Economics (NCBAE). In between my look for something that fascinated me. teaching career, I also worked as a Senior While walking in the fort, I noticed a Creative Manager in an advertising agency structure—an L-shaped covered platform for almost two years. Art History came to with five openings on one side and three me much later in life. It was in 2002 when on the other adjacent to the Musamman the Department of Fine Arts (PU) announced Burj. I jumped onto it fascinated by the Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Naeem its PhD program in art history. My initial beautifully carved marble arches and pillars plan was to work on a topic that covered Khan is Assistant Professor and started taking pictures without any both art history and advertising but finding knowledge of its history or significance. at the MGSHSS. She no possibility of such an option, I switched One of the Lahore Fort guides (whom I can specializes in Mughal and full time to the formal study of the history never thank enough for doing so) informed Sikh Art and Architecture in the Punjab. Her book, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi in Lahore: A Summation of Sikh Architectural and Decorative Practices, is forthcoming as part of the University of Bonn’s SAAC series (Studies in Asian Art and Culture).

19 me that it was the Ath-dara and was Mughal monuments for its sake and to assigned to the Mughals and the latter built by the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit resurrect them by studying different to the Sikhs. One of the main actors Singh to hold his court or kachehri. parts of the Sikh period monument. propagating this (mis)understanding Up till that point, I knew only what I With my untrained eyes, I did not and playing an extremely important had read in different books about Sikh for a moment think of studying the role in shaping people’s opinions, was rulers and the now-debunked narrative important commemorative structure Thomas Henry Thornton, a British that their architecture was only a cut- for its own style or merit—a realization civil servant in pre-Partition India. and-paste of pillaged Mughal material that set in only after I started getting Thornton wrote a small guidebook on without any artistic merit of its own. acquainted to it and developed a Lahore’s architecture, first published Another important part of this rhetoric familiarity with the nineteenth century in 1860, at the request of Robert

I remembered at that time was (is) patrons and craftsmen and their art Montgomery, who was the Lieutenant- that most of the pillaged white marble and architecture in the Punjab. General of Punjab at the time (serving and red sandstone veneers of Mughal That leads me into my next in this position from 1859 to 1865). It monuments were taken to Amritsar question. Do you think that your was republished in 1862 and remained for the Golden Temple while some were work on Sikh art and architecture in print afterward as well. In 1875, used for their own residences, etc. The in the Punjab, as a historian, John Lockwood Kipling moved to guide then told me that the Maharaja’s has an activist element as well, Lahore after his appointment as the funerary monument (samadhi) was especially when it comes to the first Principal of the Mayo School right across the fort on the other side historical narratives that feed into of Arts (now the National College of of the street. A visit to the samadhi in religious exclusion and hatred? Arts, or the NCA) and was asked by the next twenty minutes gave me clear Thornton to collaborate in expanding directions for my doctoral thesis—even Absolutely. the scope of his guidebook. Divided though I was a year and a half away into two parts, ‘Lahore As It Is’ (in The narrative created in the colonial from that stage in my program. 1875) was done by Kipling; ‘Lahore As period concerning Indian art and It Was’, was essentially a reproduction My intentions of taking up the samadhi architecture was formulated around of Thornton’s earlier work with some as my research topic were to investigate the ‘Hellenic–Barbaric’ binaries. In additions. The book, in its various forms the extent of damage caused to the Punjab, the first of course was

20 and multiple editions and reprints Ath-dara, and at the samadhi—some have taught at LUMS? And what became a standard reference for those students have difficulties in ‘handling’ is the latest course that you have interested in the art and architecture such iconography, presumably designed for your students? of Lahore and surprisingly, is still because of their educational and in circulation as part of the NCA’s socio-religious backgrounds. I have taught 9 or 10 courses, including: Mughal Art and Architecture; Art historical reprint series—misinforming I always bring up this issue with of the Ancient Cultures; French Art; untrained minds and spreading biases. them and like talking to them about Geometrical Patterns in Islamic how these are religions observed This bibliographical background is Art; Buddhist Art and Architecture; by hundreds of thousands of people important because it attests to the Nineteenth Century Sikh Wall around the world, especially in South impact that Thornton’s ideas have Paintings; Architectural Heritage of had on the narrative of Sikh Lahore: Mughal, Sikh rulers and their contributions and Raj; and others. to art and architecture in The latest course I have the Punjab. And what does designed is the History Thornton say in his book? of Miniature Painting (in To summarize his comments, South Asia). We start with he completely dismisses the Jain and Buddhist Palm originality of Sikh art and Leaf manuscripts and architecture claiming that come down to modern the Sikhs were looters; that miniature paintings. We Ranjit Singh did not have any trace their development, aesthetics as he was illiterate their concepts, and the and ‘of martial habits’; that all religious, social, and he did during his rule of forty political sentiments they years was to disfigure Mughal carried and communicated monuments and rob them of in the sixteenth to their marble and red sandstone eighteenth centuries. to embellish the Golden Temple. We also study their dismissal by the British This misguided narrative of and their replacement Thornton has seeped into with Company Paintings. popular imagination and has Finally, we come down rendered the entire history of to their post-Partition Sikh contributions to South revival in mainstream art Asian art and architecture practices with a focus on moot. My passion project is to the processes and people investigate these contributions who brought this ancient and set the record straight. indigenous art form I am sure my findings back into circulation. will inevitably help save some extremely important I learn through my monuments and other artefacts teaching. Therefore, most Asia, in our neighborhood. I try to in the Punjab and elsewhere that of my courses are directly aligned to highlight the importance of respecting have been suffering from neglect my research areas. Every new field all traditions and religions associated and disregard ever since the British I explore and each folder I make in with them, especially if we want our occupation of this land in 1849. my computer to stack new research own sacred entities and texts to be material for a forthcoming publication On a more direct note, I have noticed respected by others. These moments gradually gets turned into a new that whenever we study Hindu deities in the class turn out to be telling, course. A couple of these folders are or Sikh wall paintings in the art of impactful, and pedagogically gratifying. ready to be sculpted into a course so I the Punjab—we have some in the will hopefully shape it by next spring. Fort, in the Sheesh Mahal, in the What are some of the courses you

21 Women and the Economy: An Interview with Dr. Hadia Majid

Maybe we could begin by you be very different things that you’re telling me, as a relative layman, working on. Would you say that your your field within economics? What work has evolved in a particular have you worked on in the past? direction since your PhD? Or is there Well, my PhD research, where I started a direction that you’d like to take it? from, was about household decision So, one project that I haven’t mentioned making—particularly parents’ decision probably connects what seems like two making with regards to their children. disparate pieces of work (public goods I’ve been looking mostly at investment and labor supply). I did this OXFAM with regard to education, but I’m mostly commissioned study with Ammar, on interested in what happens inside the home-base and domestic workers. OXFAM household. What are the kinds of decisions wanted to get more involved with informal being made, how do people make those workers, especially women in the informal decisions, and in recent years everything economy, and they commissioned the study I’ve been doing leads to labor supply. for us. And what we did was interviews, Particularly women’s decision to get into focus groups, with informal workers and Hadia Majid is an Assistant the labor market and their choice of work. HomeNet—HomeNet was our partner— Professor of Economics at One project I’ve done is PSRC-DFID organized the home-based and domestic funded, looking at 25 years of data from workers for us. And the one thing that the Lahore University of kept coming up again and again was (I Management Sciences. Her the National Labor Force Survey, which is representative at the household level. mean you would think these workers are research interests include The idea was, among other things, to look exploited in our country) not wages but economics of the household, at what’s happening to women in terms the lack of public goods which made their of their participation in the work force. lives miserable. Especially with respect parental decision-making, to transportation, which really curtailed and human capital Then there’s this other project funded by IGC in which my co-researchers are Kate their labor market prospects. And if acquisition. Her more recent Vyborney who’s at Duke and also visiting there’s no electricity or water, and she’s research has looked at public faculty here at LUMS, and there’s Ammar always the one responsible for keeping the Anis who’s at the Urban Institute in DC, and house running, she’s the one that faces goods provision in slums the biggest problem, and it affects her within Lahore, Pakistan – that is an evaluation of the Lahore Metro Bus. So, in that, we’re looking at many work. So there’s this connection between linking household attributes, different things including its impact on the a lack of access to properly functioning especially political labor supply, whether it’s made commuting public goods and services, and yes it has easier, affected residential prices, density, an impact on all aspects of our lives, but it affiliation, to households’ also has a significant impact on women’s ability to bargain for and that sort of thing. I’ve also done some work related to public goods, on slums ability to earn. And the reason I’m so obtain public goods from the in Lahore: one on public goods delivery, interested in that is because it goes back state. Currently, her work is and one in which I looked at the impact of to my Master’s—my thesis was on Women’s Economy. So maybe now the connection is centered on labor markets in load-shedding depending on whether you live in the center or periphery of the city. becoming clearer: I’m interested in decision Pakistan. making in the household. For women in So, I can see certain connections that particular, if you don’t have that decision- you’ve mentioned, but these seem to making power, the way to get it is by

22 earning and your earnings in a country labor force participation to 45%, but comes through. We’ll be looking at like ours are significantly curtailed if the question is how. The research that gender identities at work, and even your socio-economic characteristics we’re doing does talk about a lot of though it’s two Economists putting it are of a certain type, if you don’t have stuff that’s being done, but whether together, we want multiple perspectives: access to public goods. And even it’s happening fast enough we don’t a historian, and a sociologist, and aside from the labor market, even know. And I’m happy if my work can a strong policy angle as well. the decision to work or not, depends inform policy, but I will continue it That sounds like it would be on your household responsibilities. even if we don’t see policy action. really great for students to see If you’re overwhelmed by household So, a lot of what you’ve talked also. Which brings me to my tasks, you may choose not to work, or about, especially in terms of last question: how does your limit work. And over time that’s what gender, strikes me as the sort of research tie in to your teaching? I’ve become most interested in, and it thing that has been approached Do you get many students who has been the main thread throughout: by multiple disciplines. Do you are interested in these areas? women’s decisions with regards to see a use for interdisciplinary their lives. Of course I’m interested Interestingly, many students here, when work, with the Humanities, for they reach their third or fourth year, in the policy perspective and how we instance? Do you feel like other can improve women’s economic lives have become quite disillusioned with subject areas could help inform mainstream Economics. And given through that, but I’m also interested your own work, especially if the in figuring out what exactly is going our society and the context of our aim is more to investigate than country, many of them are drawn to on. And if that offers up solutions to only push policy action? that’s fantastic, and if it doesn’t the Development side of Economics in then we’ll get there. But we need to The thing is, my training—because any case. It makes sense to them in a understand what the problem is first. it’s US based and in Economics and I lot of cases, you can see its applications went to a very mainstream Economics in their lives. I have in the past had school—is very mainstream. Since I’m student volunteers do survey-work on I was actually going to ask on the development side, you do need a couple of my projects, and it’s great you about the policy side of to consider all of these factors from for us because we have these really it, and how much (if at all) other perspectives also, and since I passionate volunteers, but I’ve had that drives your work? work on women’s labor supply maybe students come tell me that it was very Well, I’m all for disseminating work, more so. Feminist Economics, which helpful for them too. I actually really and that’s actually why I write Op-Eds. is not something I can say I’ve done a encourage students to do fieldwork The last time I wrote for Dawn about lot of research on (I’m still learning), in during their undergraduate. I do draw educated women and why we see so a lot of ways when you start thinking in my research in all of my classes—I few on them in the labor market. If about gender and the constraints think I have less opportunity in you look at the Labor Force Survey, it implies, you have to step outside Intermediate Microeconomics, more you see that only 33 % of women with mainstream Economics. That will in Development Economics, and a even an undergraduate degree are part not give you the flexibility you need. lot in my elective Economics of the of the workforce. So when I published Now I think Development Economics Household. That isn’t to say that I that the Minister for the Women’s does that in any case. Development model my courses on my research. Development department asked me Economics is probably more open to There’s a module in Economics of to meet her. She was very interested taking on alternative explanations, the Household that’s based heavily and we had a really long conversation, or thinking about societal structures on whatever I am doing at the time, actually. Pakistan has a lot of laws, a lot and relations, for example categories but there’s an independent thought of legislative action, we’ve signed on to like institutions and behavior. When process to it and I just weave in a lot of commitments—this isn’t to say it comes to interdisciplinarity, we’re examples from my research. It comes that our legislature is complete, it has talking about specifically a field like quite naturally, and students like to gaps—but we’re not implementing any history, which is important insofar as hear notes from the field as well. of it. Not even what the constitution understanding that there is a historical grants us (equal pay, equal opportunity). and cultural context to things. One of Inclusiveness is a word that keeps the things Karin and I are working coming up again and again, and one of on is organizing a conference in Fall. the factors in that is gender. Pakistan’s Dr. Kamran has actually been really Vision 2020 wants to bring up women’s encouraging it, and we’re hoping it

23 24 Remembering Saba Mahmood (1962-2018) I want to speak today about what spanning decades, it now had to be I learned from Saba at the end contained within a few conversations, of her life, in the years between maybe just one. Saba was enmeshed in her diagnosis and death. one of the vastest, most intimate, and In those two years, without her intense webs of human connectedness I knowing it, she was teaching me her have seen: her relationships with people final lesson: on how to die. I watched spanned decades and continents, and the denouement, the stunning final she nourished each one of these with act of her life, unfold. Her departure the genius of her intellect, emotional was premature, but not hasty. Death incisiveness, and infinite reservoirs of waited for Saba – perhaps it too, was care and wisdom. How did she nourish curious: who was this woman who so many relationships, and contain refused to capitulate to it, who stood so many people’s fears and anxieties, up to it with such grace, who insisted when she herself was – I presume, for I never saw it – terrified? What do I need to do, to be brave like Saba? Or On March 10, 2018, the academic simply, to be a bit more like Saba? world lost a giant; Professor Saba It may take a lifetime to answer these Mahmood was one of the most questions, but she has left me with esteemed anthropologists of our enough to sustain such enquiry. Maybe time. Born in Quetta, she spent I will read our time together like a text much of her early life in Karachi, – an art she had honed to perfection, eventually making her way through but that I was just beginning to learn the highest echelons of western from her. By sharing the end of her life academia: Stanford, Chicago, and with me, she gave me the opportunity finally Berkeley. Her illustrious to watch a master at work, writing the career was a credit to Pakistani epilogue to her magnificent oeuvre; academics, and her work an performing her ethics of laboring and inspiration. Professor Mahmood loving, of dying and living. The lessons had, in 2016, conducted a workshop that it wait, for she was not yet done? are there, the text has been written, as a visiting scholar at LUMS, and Those familiar with her work know but cruelly, the teacher has left – and her writings are ubiquitous in our that actions mattered a lot to Saba. the reader, a novice, is afraid. You broke classrooms. At a memorial in April, Looking back over those years, my the contract, Saba, and left before I the MGSHSS invited LUMS faculty question to myself is: what did Saba could ask you to explain this nuance and guests to pay their respects do, now that death had announced or that paradox, before you had held to Professor Mahmood. Many itself, but left the exact moment of its my hand long enough for me to be spoke at the event to celebrate coming indeterminate? How did she able to read like you. Extrapolation is and recognize the life and work of sustain the urgency that now infused now my friend, but it’s cold comfort. Saba Mahmood, as an intellect, a every conversation, each moment, When you told me I must come to scholar, a teacher, and a friend. and not let it paralyze her? How did Berkeley, I did so in the expectation Among these was Zahra Hayat those conversations bear the weight of your being with me, not just for whose words of remembrance of their finality, this compressed time the length of the PhD, but forever. are reproduced below, a moving frame – where previously a thought Every time I read this couplet by Faiz, tribute to her mentor and friend: was conceived in the expectation of I think of you, but only with love:

23 24 Hum to majboor-e-wafa hain, unconstrained; and death’s coming before. And here lies her real lesson, Magar ay jan-e-jahan was powerless before it. If you were imparted quietly, but staggering in its Apnay usshaq say aisay lucky enough to be within the ambit implications. Saba was already living as bhi koi karta hay? of Saba’s ethics of care – and it was a if she were dying, even before death’s vast ambit – her commitment to your first reminder came; she was living Part of our kinship was based on our well being would continue at least until how we should all live, for death is as shared home country, Pakistan; our the day she died. In those two fraught much as our companion as it was hers. common first language, the language years, many barriers would come down. The difference is simply that death of the poems we loved and shared, For example, there was no longer time granted her the mercy of an interval, the only language a part of our soul for me to remain intimidated by Saba one it may not allow us. And what speaks. There are intimacies possible Mahmood, the world-renowned scholar. a reckoning it must have been: how only among those who share past The stakes were too high for me not to glorious, to be able to stare death in lives, and with you, they are gone. tell her what she meant to me – and she the face and say: you don’t have much As Saba was dying, she taught. The responded. How infinite her capacity that is new to teach me, for I’ve already theme of the last course I took with her to love must have been, to make room lived in anticipation of you: I’ve lived was hope, and her question was: how for a new relationship, even as she passionately, authentically, lovingly. can we locate hope amid devastation? was trying to obtain closure on her What she, masterful teacher, has shown She showed me what it means to read numerous existing ones. The final email us, is not how to die, but how to live. as if your life depended on it. She I sent her was a love letter – some of In the end, she left an opening. The taught me the absolute importance of you have read a version of it, but it was last time we spoke, she told me I could collective reading and thinking: that her I first sent it to. I did not want to continue to write to her after her death. they are worth doing even when the write Saba’s obituary – I wanted to tell It is a doorway to another realm, one world is collapsing, even when you are her, while there was still time. And I did. I don’t yet know how to access. But I being taken from all that you love. They In her final email to her friends, am Saba’s student, and I will learn. are not luxuries for the mind at ease. sent by her husband, Charles, after Zahra concluded with a letter They can offer answers to those who she died, she left us with these addressed to Saba in Urdu, would look; maybe they can even save words by Raymond Carver: the language they shared. us. Saba, the theorist of performativity, And did you get what performed this commitment, by you wanted from this life, even so? engaging in collective reading and Zahra Hayat is a LUMS alumnus, thinking until the last weeks of her I did. And what did you want? and is currently pursuing a PhD life. Saba, when teaching, was always in Anthropology at the University a phenomenon – anyone who’s seen To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth. of California, Berkeley. She has her command an auditorium packed kindly permitted us to share her with half a thousand people knows In those final months, what did Saba’s tribute to her late teacher. this. But watching Saba teach in that life, honed to a razor’s edge, look like? precarious, defiant spring of 2017 was Remarkably similar to what it was something else altogether. She was urgent and passionate, but also calm; we were all too aware of time closing in on us, but somehow, for a few hours each week, she managed to trick us into a different temporality: one where we would all meet again, where every moment wouldn’t be freighted with the impossible burden of learning her completely and then not forgetting, overwhelmed by the terrible knowledge that she would not be back. We were no longer Saba’s carefree students. And as Saba was dying, she loved. Hers was a love that once bestowed, flowed

25 26 STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS

Aurat March Sana Tahir

and pens from the depths of our bags and passed them around alongside a Jab tak aurat tang rahay gi, pink chart paper. In the hustling, jolting jang rahay gi, jang rahay gi bus we managed to scribble down a variety of empowering slogans ranging Awaiting us at the LUMS khokha, on from the clichéd but timeless “Smash the 8th of March 2018, was the bus the Patriarchy”, to the more optimistic that was to transport us to Lyton “The Future is Femme”, and included Road, the starting point of the Aurat the more fun pop culture references March. At first the turnout seemed such as “Girls Just Wanna have quite disappointing, but as word spread, Fun(damental) Rights”. Upon arrival, we more people began to gather until the were met with a huge crowd outside of bus was completely filled. We set off Hamdard Hall which mostly consisted on our journey with popular Pakistani of women and girls (and, surprisingly, songs blaring from the speakers. A a few men as well), who were carrying majority of us had taken the decision colorful banners and placards. The air to miss our classes to be a part of was abuzz with excited chatter and the this monumental event. The thrill of enthusiasm of all the participants was momentarily disregarding academic palpable. Everyone seemed unfazed by responsibilities in pursuit of a cause the glaring sunlight and sweltering such as this was heightened by the fact hot weather, because their minds were that many of us (despite our strong preoccupied by a greater purpose. feminist/activist sentiments) had never Eyes were glistening with the hope taken to the streets in such a manner of a better future, arms were raised before. For us, this was an adventure we in tandem with shouted slogans in a knew we would regret not partaking in. gesture of triumph not achieved but En route, we all scrounged up an strongly anticipated, as we began assortment of highlighters, markers, to march. Henceforth, we claimed the streets as our own. With every Whilst marching, all of our differences confident stride forward, we distanced seemed to dissipate and there was one ourselves from the traditional notion thing uniting us all: determination. of women’s rightful place being rooted The need to get out onto the streets in the domestic sphere. We were out on and voice our demands was driven by the streets and we did not care if we the realization that writing lengthy were ogled at, sneered at, or ridiculed. statuses on Facebook, or posting Every chant began with a single voice, frequent tweets about the subjugation until more voices converged, and it and oppression of women, and the rose to a crescendo, blocking out the subsequent importance of feminism sounds of the vehicles rolling by our and human rights, would no longer procession. We were marching and suffice. It was time to take action. It was raising our voice for women of all time to show our sexist, misogynistic, kinds—rich, poor, working, trans. and patriarchal society that women are, indeed, a force to be reckoned with.

25 26 The media coverage taking place during that were distributed amongst all the the march would ensure that this participants, which were either laced message would be heard loud and clear. around necks or tied around the hair The Aurat March was the first of its as headbands. These scarves created kind and scale in Pakistan, as it involved an image of us as a unified force, an a reclamation of public spaces as army that was ready to wage war never seen before, by women who had against unjust institutions. The hour previously been too anxious to venture long walk from Lyton Road to Regal out alone or were forbidden to do so. It Chowk was representative of treading was a rebellion against patriarchy and the path towards progress and positive repressive societal norms. The entire change. The organizers could not have event was rich with purpose towards picked a better day than International a better tomorrow. The collective Women’s Day to start the (hopefully) chanting of witty slogans signified an annual tradition of the Aurat March. end to the silence surrounding women’s Sana Tahir is a Junior at MGSHSS and rights issues and the beginning of a member of the Feminist Society. an era of raising our voices against the perpetuation of inequalities and exploitation. There were pink scarves The Past in the Present: A Workshop by Taymiya

Zaman Hamad Abdullah Nazar

On the 19th and 20th of March, 2018, placed within pre-modern times, and had. In fact, students found that their Taymiya Zaman, Associate Professor through having them engage with own ways of identifying themselves of Islamic History at University of questions of occupation, education, and and conceptualizing belonging were Francisco, visited LUMS to conduct a lineage, Zaman demonstrated the vast actually quite recent in origin. workshop on Mughal History, titled “The differences between pre-modern and In her discussion on pre-modern Pasts in the Present—Spaces, Stories, modern ways of belonging. Students understandings of sexuality, Zaman and Silences” The workshop, organized were surprised to see the extent to referred to several anecdotes from by Bilal Tanweer, Assistant Professor which the ideas of identification and the Mughal period to illustrate how of English at MUGHSS, was attended by belonging that they had taken for sexuality then was not as limited as students of LUMS, GC, NCA, and IBA. granted differed from the ideas of it is now within the heteronormative On the first day of the two-day belonging their pre-colonial forefathers codes of today. One of these anecdotes workshop, the discussion revolved around excerpts from chosen texts: Ain-i-Akbari, Humayunnama, Jahangirnama and Baburnama, and the conversation touched on pre- modern ideas of sexuality, religion and rulership. Zaman led participants in the discussion, and the group focused on examples from the time, as well as engaged in an activity that allowed them to examine their own ideas of how modern principles of behavior and thought differed from Mughal ones. Students were asked to introduce themselves as persons

27 was Babur’s public confession of love Divine, thus legitimizing their rule. Mosque. The Fort gave an indication of for a bazaari boy in the Baburnama. The second day of the workshop was a a dead space since it has been turned Another one of the examples Zaman field trip to the Badshahi Mosque and into a museum and no longer used. relied on to illustrate to students the the Lahore Fort. The group learned how The Badshahi Mosque, on the other pitfalls of viewing the Mughal period our contemporary conceptions of these hand, was a much alive space since through our contemporary modernist spaces had altered from their original it is still used for offering of prayers. religious lens was that of the difference use and purpose. In the Mosque, At the end of the trip, she posed a

in narratives about Akbar and Zaman told students how it used to be Aurangzeb’s era. As she highlighted, an inclusive space for people of other question for students to reflect on: it is common practice to appropriate religions as well, during the Mughal whether worshipping places should Akbar as a liberal, un-Islamic ruler period. Referring to the banning of non- be turned into museums or continue for his efforts to propagate Deen-e- Muslims now to enter the mosque and to be used for prayers? The workshop, ilahi, in contrast to Aurangzeb, who is pointing to a curtain which segregated thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable viewed as a conservative, ideal Muslim. men and women in the mosque, Zaman for the participants, concluded after Zaman deconstructed these narratives told the students how in the past the their lunch in the Lahore Fort. by placing them within the context dignity of the mosque was maintained of their own time, demonstrating not through such legal, binding rules Hamad is a Junior at MGSHSS, how these attempts were really but through established social norms. and an active member of the products of the different mechanisms During their trip to the Lahore Fort, society Hum Ahaang. Mughal rulers relied on to construct Zaman asked the students to feel the themselves as rulers ordained by the difference between the Fort and the

27 28 The Winning Combination:

Economics Students in Bangladesh Sarim Jamal

Cultural exchange is the best remedy “another”, there have always been winning the debate competition for bigotry, prejudice, and even cultural fear and consequent prejudice against together; despite the shroud of political narratives in these increasingly “them”. However, it was a beautiful, difference usually highlighted. The nationalistic times. To counter these unadulterated feeling to see how much truly inspiring moment for me was to specific vices, I was honored to the entire region had in common—how witness the entire hall look at Deepak represent my institute and my country what I had read came to life. From and me in an awestruck fashion as at the 14th edition of the South Asian enjoying the same films, music, biryani, we spoke our hearts out in the grand Economics Students Meet (SAESM) in humor, and a sense of adventure, I saw auditorium to win the tournament. Dhaka, Bangladesh in January, 2018, how I truly had friends from across That will remain perhaps one of the the regions whom I had never even most touching moments of my life. imagined to meet before. We have the At the end, I would like to appreciate same yearning for peace, as exhibited the core activity of the conference. by the respect we gave to each other All of my colleagues spent the during the heat of competition. We have entire semester writing regression the same appreciation for beauty. We analysis-based papers to present at saw in awe the sunset in the majestic the conference, in themes as diverse Bay of Bengal after the ferry ride. We as education and trade. My friends joked, gossiped, and had common Ibrahim, Ramsha, and Hadi won the standards of fun—as exhibited by the Best Research Paper Awards in their late nights my friends from all the respective themes. Ibrahim even with some very talented and amazing countries spent in the floor room lobby won the overall best research paper colleagues. With representation of listening to music and playing charades. award at the conference. We were all students and faculty from India, However, the friendships developed really proud of him. As for the events Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, were complemented by rigorous aspect, we finished runners up in Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bhutan, and respectable competition the Economics Quiz Competition and this was a truly cosmopolitan South among the countries in the areas of shared the Parliamentary Debates Asian affair. The World Bank’s aim of conference events and research paper victory with India. None of this would #OneSouthAsia was the norm at the presentations. Activities included the have been possible without the entire conference, and I saw it first hand truly rigorous Budding Economist support of our esteemed mentors and in the areas of events, academics, and, Competition and Quiz Competition, instructors: Dr. Turab Hussain, Dr. Irfan above all, clearing up misconceptions. in which national pride was on the Qureshi, and Dr. Imtiaz Ul Haq. In terms Starting in reverse order: The truly line. I was truly in awe to see the level of joy, making my professors and the cherishable moment of the conference of effort and passion showed by my country proud stood equal in learning was destroying the misconception that colleagues in these. But perhaps the that I had friends all over South Asia. Indians and Pakistanis cannot live in most special part of the conference for tandem or that they are intolerant to me was the inaugural Inter-Country each other. From the very first ice- British Style Debate Competition Sarim Jamal is in his junior breaker at a Chinese Restaurant to organized by the conference to discuss year at the MGSHSS. an admittedly tearful goodbye at the economic issues. Partners were motorway, we saw this narrative of by lottery and, as fate would hate being dismantled. In my relevant have it, I was drafted with my Politics and Sociology courses, I have Indian co-speaker, Deepak. taken it as an axiom that culture is It was a poetic affair—why socially constructed. And, when you would it not be? Pakistan and do not know the culture of a so-called India working and eventually

29 29 30 D.H.A., Lahore Cantt. 54792 Lahore, Pakistan Phone: +92 42 3560 8000 Fax: +92 42 3572 5048

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