Haroon Riaz
Source: Khoosat Films
Filmmaker and free speech hero Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, who is arguably the most brilliant filmmaking mind in Pakistan, has just announced the release of his film “Zindagi Tamasha.” The film, perhaps controversially, portrays a naatkhwaan or a hymn reciter, played by Arif Ali, with a compromised reputation due to a sexually explicit leaked video as evident from the trailer. Nobody has watched the film yet, with its clearly fascinating story and stunning imagery and poster graphic design, such as the religious protagonist wearing a dupatta, a feminine article of clothing, but it has already hit a roadblock.
It was clear from the very beginning that the film was testing the waters of acceptance and free speech in Pakistan. The film has been passed by the Censor Board but not without event. According to Sarmad in one of the “meet and greet events” of the film, only curse words are bleeped while no line has been cut. However, his initial trailer had to be taken down and cut from the new trailer version. The earlier trailer had an ingenious shot of children on the swings chanting “Labaik Ya Rasoolullah,” revered by the Barelvi/TLP.
The recently emerged but notoriously nasty Tehreek Labaik Pakistan, a Barelvi anti-blasphemy and group headed by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, has announced countrywide protests against the film on January 22 as it allegedly “mocks Islamic values.” The film trailer has certain lines that allude to religious clerics committing sodomy and abusing young boys, while at another place, it shows perhaps a Barelvi cleric threatening the protagonist with a blasphemy threat.
Source: Khoosat Films
Sarmad Sultan Khoosat is a brave filmmaker who has made bold films such as “Manto” about the controversial Urdu author. However, this episode is apparently even too much for him. Sarmad has been receiving threatening calls and messages, asking him to cancel the release of the film and warning about dire results. Sarmad, being the sensitive and peaceful artist that he is, is now considering canceling the release of the film. He has been forced to cancel the promotion events of the film in Karachi.
Getting dozens of threatening phone calls and msgs. Should I withdraw Zindagi Tamasha? pic.twitter.com/OJB396B1xq
— Sarmad Khoosat (@KhoosatSarmad) January 19, 2020
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In an open letter heavy with disappointment, Sarmad explained how the film was much more than a film for him, on which he had dedicated two years of his life and perhaps his entire career spending. The film that has won Kim Ji-Seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival, is surely not one that can be dismissed as a mediocre effort. However, it appears that theocratic thuggery is more important in this society than an artist’s statement.
میں بھی پاکستان ہوں
An open letter to:@ImranKhanPTI@ArifAlvi #Chiefjusticeofpakistan #Chiefofthearmystaffpakiatan#ministerofinformationpakistan@DanyalGilani #censorboardofpakistan #ZindagiTamasha #pakistanicinema pic.twitter.com/D10lS1V1gw— Sarmad Khoosat (@KhoosatSarmad) January 16, 2020
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It is indeed a new low for the state of free speech in the country that a religious fundamentalist group is now hijacking the release of a motion picture. It is indeed a direct consequence of the deep state sponsoring and enabling religious fundamentalism for years, despite the recent crackdown against the TLP.
Source: Sadia Nazir
However, the genie of Islamic fundamentalism is out of the lamp, and it probably can only be undone with drastic and authoritarian measures, which will surely seem unfair and counter to religious freedom to most. However,
Every Pakistani who claims to uphold the arts and should be ashamed of it.
As of today, the censor film board has invited the members of the TLP and the government to the screening of the film for review again and the release of the film has been postponed. Let us just hope that the audiences in Pakistan get to watch at least a part of this milestone film made specifically for them.
The fate of Zindagi Tamasha hangs in the balance. Nobody is sure about the release, not even the filmmakers. But if you can be sure of one fact, it’s that Pakistani cinema audiences will be missing a great treat under heavy censorship which has no reason to be in this day and age.
With attitudes such as this, it makes you wonder if Pakistan deserves a “revival of cinema” at all. All we deserve and need are military produced shitfests and Mullah-approved scripts.
Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: Arif Ali, blasphemy, Censor Board, censorship, film, Islam, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, politics, religion, religious clerics, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, TLP, Zindagi Tamasha | Leave a comment »
The Truth Journal 
The Arrest of Awami Workers Party Protesters: Pakistan’s Fascism on Full Display
Source: Express Tribune
Manzoor Pashteen has become a symbol of resistance in Pakistan. He is singlehandedly freaking the Pakistani authorities out and bringing out the worst in them. Of course, he would argue that what his people have been going through at the hands of the Pakistani military is far worse. He was recently arrested in Peshawar following a peaceful rally. He was charged with sedition and terrorism. This probably did not come much as a surprise to many following the threats issued by the former DG ISPR.
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However, in the manner that the Islamabad police raided and arrested the peaceful protesters raising their voice against the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen only strengthened his criticism of the state. Perhaps in the most brutal crackdown on an obviously peaceful protest in the capital’s history, the police raided and assaulted the political workers of the Awami Workers Party expressing solidarity with the PTM in the protest space of the Islamabad Press Club.
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Islamabad Police had physically assaulted Ismat Shahjahan, the veteran leader of Awami Workers Party and the Women Democratic Front, and arrested several Awami Workers Party leaders, most prominently Ammar Rashid, a candidate from NA-53 constituency, and others such as Nofel Saleemi. Tooba Syed was spared somehow but at least she was free to tell the story. Waziristan MP and PTM mouthpiece Mohsin Dawar was also manhandled and arrested in the raid and later released. A day ago, he was a part of the press conference explaining the position of the PTM along with Senator Afrasiab Khattak, former MP Bushra Gohar, and Shahjahan.
Manzoor Pashteen himself was arrested under the charges of sedition. Cases against him are a pattern now which the state uses to arrest and abduct the activists of this non-violent movement, most probably for making “anti-national comments.” This time around, the charge of “conspiracy” has been added, which is very consistent with the rhetoric initiated by the former DG ISPR and which will be continued by the military establishment. These charges allude to the fact that Pashteen and his movement are the proxies of Afghanistan, another unfriendly neighbor of Pakistan. The news of the arrest even made it to the New York Times and other global publications, reminding the world that Pakistan does not enjoy the moral authority to lecture India on political repression and violating fundamental constitutional rights.
The shameless face of the fascism of the PTI government and the hybrid Bajwa-Imran regime is the Interior Minister Ijaz Shah. Not only does he f, he lies when he alleges that the peaceful protesters of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement have committed a crime. He should also elaborate on the “crimes” committed by the brave and peaceful political workers of the Awami Workers Party.
Let Pakistan’s fascism be out there for the world to see. But the people who need to see it the most and understand what that means are Pakistani citizens more than anyone else.
Every citizen must be ashamed of a state and a country like Pakistan.
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Filed under: Commentary, Videos | Tagged: Afghanistan, authoritarianism, Awami Workers Party, AWP, Bajwa-Imran regime, civil rights, conspiracy, Constitution, democracy, ethnic community, fascism, fascist, fundamental rights, Islamabad Police, Manzoor Pashteen, Mohsin Dawar, New York Times, Pakistan, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Pashtuns, PTI government, PTM | Leave a comment »