Author Archives: Faizanwaraich

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Sports, a field that puts you directly in the public eye can be quite challenging if you are a woman, and especially if you are a woman living in Pakistan. Since countries resources are majorly used up on training men and giving them opportunities in the sports field it would be expected that Pakistan may not harbour any female talent when it comes to sports, however, we would be surprised to find out that Pakistan is a country filled with sports women and those too with impeccable talent. Pakistan is currently hosting women’s sports like football, cricket, badminton, judo and many other sports, some that we do not even know exist.

 

Unfortunately Pakistanis are completely unaware of the raw talent their women are portraying. Pakistani media is one of the strongest communication tools that this country has till date. However, due to the under-coverage of our female sports events, it is impossible for the general public to be aware of the kind of talent we have docked within our borders. Gender bias is a hot-button issue in the sports world. The basic argument you will find in your friend circles being that women are just not that good at playing sports but this argument could simply be taken as a logical fallacy since women throughout history have set examples in the sports world. Sadly this take on women entering the athletic world leads to under-confidence being induced in the ladies which can lead to a lack of participation from women in sports, which furthers gender bias. Since Pakistani media does not cover women sports as much as it should, the gender bias perpetuates to a point where entering the sports world and being a woman don’t go hand in hand anymore.

 

For instance, the allocation of resources for women’s cricket is considerably low when compared to the men. In 2020, only 5% of the budget was given to women’s cricket by the  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) while 19% for their male counterparts. This lack of resources means more established and well-structured opportunities being available for men whereas women remain in the local leagues. Due to lack of media coverage and hype no new talent comes into light from the female community, which in turn means no sponsors or international platforms. In addition, there isn’t nearly enough money being pumped into other women’s competitions which leaves many talented females unable to pursue their dreams.

 

Media coverage of female sports events propagates a society that is forward thinking and free from the shackles of a backward thinking process that involves women sitting at home and raising their children. Media coverage also instigates the idea that the country is there to support its talent no matter what gender it is. As a progressive society, opportunities given to the local talent only benefits the society as a whole.

 

Women need to be given more opportunities and support if they are to be able to compete on an equal playing field with men. Also, there is a need for more investment in infrastructure and facilities for women and more opportunities for female athletes to compete at the national and international levels. There is also a need to change social attitudes towards women in sports to create a more inclusive environment for all. Only then will Pakistan be able to develop its sports sector, which would lead to better international recognition in sports.

NEW STORY

Local women of Swat butt heads in a volleyball match

 

Women from the Swat Green team defeated Swat white after a tough final that was held in the District of Swat Women Volleyball Championship organised by District Sports Officer Swat on Sunday. Swat Green winning by 3-2.

Regional Sports Officer Malakand Kashif Farhan was invited as the chief guest on the occasion.

District Sports Officer Swat Obaid Ullah, officials, players and students spectators were also present during the competition.

In the final, Swat Green won the trophy by defeating Swat White by 3-2 in a thrilling five sets battle, the score was 22-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, and 15-13

According to reports, Deputy Commissioner Swat Junaid Khan arranged a volleyball tournament for women in which four teams from Swat participated. The teams of Swat Green, Swat White, Swat Red and Swat Blue.

In the first semi-final, Swat Green gave Swat Red a tough defeat by 3-1, the score was 21-25, 25-20, 25-21 and 27-25, in the second match, Swat White defeated Swat Blue by 3-0, the score was 25-22, 25-23 and 25-18.

As the competition came to conclusion, the Regional Sports Officer said that on the special instructions of Deputy Commissioner Swat Junaid Khan sports events for both both female and male games should be held from time to time so that local talent can be discovered and later polished so it can be promoted on international platforms and talented players can come up and represent Swat at Inter-Provincial, National Junior and National Senior sporting events. Junaid Khan believes that giving opportunities to the local women of Swat can lead to well trained players and a platform for women to be able to showcase their talents.

He said our efforts are to provide maximum opportunities to women players in sports.

 

 

Imran’s Anti-Imperialist Delusions

 

There is an imperial moment continuingly relevant to Pakistan. But it’s not, however, Imran Khan’s delusional and frequent name callings under the umbrella of the populaist driven nationalism as the last effort to save his government accompanied with the pseudo-analysis of the self proclaimed anti-imperialist version of American intervention at each ins and outs of the Pakistani politics. In fact, such a version is reactionary and unproductive. Additionally, it allures the reactionary segment of the society to buttress their unidirectional and one to one determinative scheme which should be combatted at all levels of our society.

The imperial moment relevant to Pakistan, contrary to the simpleton’s view, holds more structural relevance. It is embedded deeply into our social, political and most importantly economic roots. Wreckage of what Pakistani society may call democracy has always been monopolised by the legislatives who were predominantly from the upper class, and this upper class have established themselves within the shadow of imperialist patronage from their genesis to their continual survival. Their economic and political dependency, institutionally and individually, constraints any agency for a liberating sovereignty. This lack of liberating sovereignty in economic terms will amount to the lack of any sustainable projects to accumulate the national wealth and equitably distribute it.

It is thus the ruling blocs innate limitation which has on multiple occasions provided coherence and purpose by the imperial patronage such as American, west, Saudi Arabia etc to provide temporary stemming for the state on key moments such as Ayub’s Five Year Plan, Zia’s Jihad, and Musharraf’s “war on terror” and now CPEC. It is the necessity of the state aligned with the vision of availing foreign investments by the ruling bloc which provides for the foreign as well as internal forces to converge their interests together in order to borrow cement to paper over the internal cracks and structural weaknesses. This imperial patronage is almost central in providing the kind of sustainability to an otherwise chaotic accumulation project by the ruling elite which includes the institutionalised monopoly of some within this country – the umpire. The umpire, along with the civil bureaucracy provides itself as the structural power brokers between the interested elite class for the governance of the fews, and that’s where the rhetoric of Khan sahb has finally worked.

 

 

 

National Assembly elects Shehbaz Sharif as the next Prime Minister, Imran ousted. 

ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif will form the new government after securing a majority of the seats in the National Assembly in the post  successful non confidence motion against the former Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

Shehbaz, on Sunday, won the premiership after the PTI’s nominee, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, withdrew and resigned his seats, by declaring mass resignation of PTI’s MNAs as a sign of boycotting the parliamentary vote and staged a walkout. 

Shehbaz Sharif, 70, will be the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, and will continue to be the premier until the 2023 election which is to be held in August 2023.

“It’s the victory of the democratic, the chaos has been defeated”, Sharif said in his first speech as the leader of the government with promises to tackle the worst economic stagnation and rising inflation.