Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies
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A Voice of her Own: Translations of Ishrat Afreen's Poems
No full textAbstract: The collection of translated poems by Ishrat Afreen is aptly title “A Voice of her Own†as the three poems reflect a strong feminist voice and a yearning for romanticism- a combination which is unique to Afreen’s work. The poems, “Age of Sorrow,†“The Messenger,†and “Poetics of Union†bring juxtaposing ideas together to reflect an authentic and creative voice from a female Urdu poet writing about very personal topics. The poet is a contemporary poet but one whose strength in classical and literary Urdu is very prevalent in her work
Logical Placement of the Poetic Language: Coloring Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Zindan Nama
Get PDFThis being the “Faiz†number, thanks to the Editorial Board of “Pakistaniaat†on whose information and demand I could join in paying homage to our one beloved and “forlorn son†of Lahore. Faiz Ahmed Faiz, born in Sialkot, is owned as much by the city of many lights Lahore as by the vibrant dawns and dusks anywhere in the world. He celebrated Lahore, its day-breaking darkness, its illumination, struggling all his life for a true spirit of human freedom and freewill. The poetic flights of Faiz’s ideals hover around Lahore like a migratory bird; he did not give in to the oppressive forces, made no compromise with them on his principles and vision
The Significance of Socio-Political Context in Shaping the Authenticity of Jamaat-i-Islami’s Gender Discourse
Get PDFThis paper analyses an important series of episodes in politico-legal history of Pakistan from a particular perspective. It is generally contended by Islamic religious discourses that whatever has been presented by them that is the only authentic manifestation of the divine sources, i.e. the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. The paper problematizes the above contention and argues that the link between the divine sources and its human interpretations is not so straight forward. Without denying or undermining the role of the divine sources, it is argued that there are many factors which help formulate the authentic stances of the religious discourses and one of them is socio-political context of a particular discourse. To substantiate the above argument, the paper analyses the gender discourse of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan. The analysis underscores the relevance and scope of those socio-political factors which have played a significant role in construction of authentic stances of the Jamaat-i-Islami’s gender discourse at different stages of its formation
Language planning: An overview
Get PDFThis paper deals with the problems associated with language planning. Language planning is a controversial area in sociolinguistic. There is controversy about the terminology used, and in a postcolonial scenario, these problems go far beyond the academic, and become part of socio-political disagreements and conflicts. Often in the name of nationalism and progress, language planning privileges one language at the cost of other languages which may end up as serious societal conflicts. A researcher, thus, should look for hidden history in what on the surface appears to be innocuous language planning with noble goals such as wider national communication and national cohesion
Cosmopolitan ventures during times of crisis: a postcolonial reading of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s “Dasht-e tanhai†and Nadeem Aslam’s Maps for Lost Lovers
Get PDFIn this essay I engage with two writers whose work includes elements of both internationalism and cosmopolitanism. Generations apart they connect with the idea of the national from positions of exile igniting a very contemporary and historical debate on the position of faith and the location of culture in the modern postcolonial nation. I argue that exile in the case of the Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz is informed by an internationalism tied to national sovereignty, whereas the British Pakistani novelist Nadeem Aslam responding to a post 9/11 world turns to a utopian model of cosmopolitanism, looking for the universal theme of love to repair a dysfunctional society
[De] Constructing the Feminine : Addressing the Postmodern Feminist Syndrome
Get PDFThe quintessential attachment of postmodernism with challenging the master codes and metanarratives makes it a critical stand point with an almost charismatic disposition. Postmodernism takes feminism as an inclusive category, something which has actually hampered the individuation and actual positioning of the later. Proclaiming to benefit feminism by encompassing and addressing all its concerns in a radically new way, Postmodernism appears to be impeding the development of the later in a certain way. The greatest damage it has done is the extermination of the essential identity of the woman as ‘female’. The article investigates what adverse effects postmodernism imparts to the feminist agenda, especially when mishandled at the hands of Eurocentric feminism. It also looks at its positive openings that can profit feminism when specifically studied in Arab and Asian contexts. There is also a suggestion of liberating feminism from the master frame of postmodernism
THE COLOUR OF MY HEART: on reading Faiz
Get PDFThis is a reflective piece narrating a journey from the heart to the lyrics of Faiz. The author looks back autobiographically at himself as a young boy travelling from Karachi to London with an interlude in Oooty. He comes of age in metropolitan London and finds himself returning to his linguistic roots. He ends on a nostalgic note recounting an old encounter between himself and the writer in London mirroring the memory of a cosmopolitan poetic journey intersecting with different cultures