Sunday, 18 August 2013

Proud Pakistani


Celebrating  Independence Day with patients of National Institute of Child Health(NICH) on 14th August.
We can do a lot only if we wish to! celebrating Independence Day with these children and singing with them is pure joy.


Please do pray for their health  :)











Sunday, 14 April 2013

No End In Sight - Comics



No End In Sight 

In order to address the load shedding issue, citizens take to the streets and set KESC building ablaze and block roads by burning tyres. An ambulance gets stuck in traffic jam which results in the death of the patient. Next day the newspapers highlight the losses that the protests cause and the lives that were lost.

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Kitne lo ge?

Kitne lo ge - my first comics


How much will you take?

A boy bribes the traffic police man when he stops him for over speeding. Later he himself becomes victim of breaking traffic rules.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

CARTOONS AND JOURNALISM


CARTOONS AND JOURNALISM



A picture says a thousand words, if played carefully; a picture can convey what a write up may not be able to. Political cartoons have been an integral part of daily newspapers. The concept of political cartoons dates back to dictatorship and no freedom of speech, people raised their voices through political cartoon satire.  The trend of political cartoon spread like wildfire, now even electronic media is using cartoons to highlight the political situation in the country.

Today a new breed of comics is emerging, different from satirical, opinionated political cartoons. Single panel cartooning and multi-panel comics are significantly different. The former is basically being opinion visuals while the latter captures the passage of time and movement.
Illustrative depiction is getting popular in media. “Editorial cartoons are visual comments,” explained Abroo, a graphic designer at Dawn newspaper; everyone has their own way of expressing, there are people who burn tyres, set ablaze their houses but a cartoonist expresses through his pencil, he added.

For years Pakistan has been connected to comics through one panel political cartoons in newspapers. Archie, Spiderman, baby blue, batman, Garfield these are the names that pop-up into ones minds when we talk about comics.

 “As I grew up I realized that Pakistan lacked a good comic scene. There were no characters, no comics, no nothing. Being a business student I have been taught to find out gaps in the market and I realized this was one market that was completely untapped. So I launched Kachee Goliyan.” disclosed Ramish the co-founder of Pakistan’s first proper online comic, Kachee Goliyan (KG).
The concept of local comic characters other than the political satire has long been missing in our society, but now with the passage of time it has started developing. Sufi and JC are two local comic characters developed by KG that started in 2011 as a Facebook page and gained popularity with 103k fans today.

Similarly Jay’s Toons was created in 2010 by a journalist Jahanzaib Haque. His Toon series comment on political/social dynamics of Pakistan. Social media has played a vital role in promoting comic journalism; Comics by Arsalan, Comics Power are a few among the active groups on Facebook that are working on comic journalism.  Leading newspaper artist also post their works online as they receive more exposure.
“I try to toon whenever there is an issue I wish to raise awareness about. I Toon for free and all the material is available for people to steal so no monetary plans involved” remarks Jahanzaib. Visual are more appealing and powerful form of expression more people can relate to them even those who are not educated can understand and make out the message from it. Comics can be with or without text.
Zahoor a cartoonist of Express Tribune confesses, “Editorial cartoons have strong message, with punch and criticism into it,” comics portray issues in a humorous way that is not taken offensively by the readers and it says it all. One can always communicate bitter messages in light tones using humour and that is where comics come in.
Comics and cartoons are far more interesting than write ups and text .Mostly the cartoons show unsaid stories and different people perceive them according to their mindsets. In Pakistan much needed importance is not paid on education in this field.
 “No attention is given by the society towards the field of art hence the youngsters aren't much motivated to express their way of thinking through the comics or cartoon characters, there should be proper acknowledgment and awareness throughout the country for the subject of art” confessed Fizza, an art student.
Not only education but this line of medium should be given the respect that it deserves. Once it starts to be taught it institutions and gains recognition, wonders can be done in comics in Pakistan.

Sunday, 6 January 2013

ENOUGH OF SHOAIB SANIA

Pakistan lost the third One Day International (ODI) against India by 10 runs in New Delhi, but managed to seal its victory in the series by winning the first two matches. I am not a cricket fan and phew I am relieved the series ended, couldn’t take the drama any more. India Pakistan matches turn into some crazy war everywhere and this just doesn’t seem to end, anything related to them creates so much hype.

Let’s take the example of Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza's wedding; they have been in news since April 2010 when they decided to get married . The entire month news channels and social media kept on talking and bragging about the wedding followed by a bizarre scandal. Every news channel somewhat turned into gossip freaks that kept on broadcasting clips of wedding with rose petals falling and all wacky wedding songs. The wedding turned into some IndoPak “frandship” bridge Aman ki Asha stuff.

Even now that three years have passed Shoaib and Sania wedding craze still lingers on, by the end of every India Pakistan match people go crazy on facebook with susral and maika posts. It was still bearable when they were newly married. It’s been three years now guys it high time we get over them already. Please leave the couple alone.

Here are a few of post which I found cluttering my facebook home page











Saturday, 1 December 2012


COINING OUR VALUES




On my way to Agha Khan Hospital to meet my younger brother, who had just went through a major surgery, my three year old nephew came along. Throughout the way he kept on pleading with me to take him so he can meet his beloved uncle.
 
I tried to convince him that children are not allowed in hospitals and the guard will scold him if he tried to go inside. For a while he stayed quiet and I sighed with relief, thinking that he had understood the scenario, but then he put his hands in his pockets and started to look for something. In no time he found what he was looking for, a five rupee coin! Stuttering, he said
 “Appi mere pass coin hai , mai police ko doun ga aur phir who mujhe jane dein gein.” (I have a coin I will give this to the police and then he will let me go.)
This claim obviously stunned me and left me speechless. I couldn’t imagine how this thought came to his childish mind? Is it us the adults? Is it something he witnessed around him?

Thursday, 22 November 2012

 Sanghar-Chotiari

 
Nothing else excites me more than travelling; I absolutely adore travelling especially road trips . Last year I got the chance to visit Sanghar. Sanghar is one of the largest districts of Sindh. Roughly about 3-4 hours drive time from Karachi.
 
A three-day training on Grassroots Comics as a Teaching-Learning Tool and Environmental Education for Government School Teachers’ was organized with Indus for All Programme, WWF - Pakistan from 26 -28 October, 2010 at Chotiari, Sanghar. I was accompanied by Nida shams and Muhammad Zafar Khan, Manager Communication and Awareness Raising of the Indus for All Programme.
 
As we passed the smooth roads, rural cultural change met the eyes. Women working in fields dressed up in bright blues, orange and yellow ghagra cholis with traditional bangles reaching up to the elbows. People of Sanghar still travel in tanga (horse carts) but the culture has changed a lot with the emerging trend of Quinchi.
 
My main destination in Sangar was Chotiari. It is among the 200 unique sites of world. Chotiari is a reservoir with rich biodiversity containing terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of deep water, shallow marshes, wetland, agricultural land, migratory birds and sand dunes.
 
Our workshop was held at the WWF information centre which was newly built keeping in mind the luxury of the urban areas and combining it with the rural aesthetics. It was an amazing place build on the idea of local clay huts. Bamboo chick art ceiling with embroidery work by local women on community centre. Elements of local environment and traditions were highlighted. Information centre had a tuck shop, educational exhibit room, guest room, conference room, a beautiful lawn/sitting area and an impressive solar panel unit.
 
Though I didn’t get to explore the streets of Sanghar due to my tough schedule, the places I visited had a wonderful view and beauty to be admired. Here are a few clicks from the trip.
 
Bullfalo bathing in water


Chotiari Conservation and Information Centre-Sanghar district

Backside view of information centre

Sunset at Chotiari

In search for dinner
 

View from inside of information centre

Handmade bamboo chick ceiling

solar panels

one of the sessions I conducted

Final posters exhibition
 

Garden
 
Group photo with participants

Goats crossing the road
 
Sunset as we left for home
 
Read more about Chotiari