Urvashi Butalia comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss why it is important to tell feminist histories,  challenging his story,  and the current state of publishing.  On this deep dive episode, we get into a discussion around the fluidity of identity, stories of partition survivors, and having empathy of the other.  Urvashi Butalia  is an Indian feminist writer, publisher and activist. She is known for her work in the women's movement of India, as well as for authoring books such as The Other Side of Silence: Voices from and the Partition of India and Speaking Peace: Women's Voices from Kashmir.  Along with Ritu Menon, she co-founded Kali for Women, India's first feminist publishing house, in 1984. In 2003, she founded Zubaan Books, an imprint of Kali for Women.  In 2011, Butalia and Menon were jointly awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for their work in Literature and Education.  Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.  https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 History vs herstory: Erasure of women from History 10:06 Womens bodies become the targets 20:30 Sona Chaman kee kahani 24:50 Hum Hindu ya Musalman nahee, hum Dalit hain 30:50 Identity and violence 37:00 Flexibity and fluidity in Identity 51:00 Reassertion of Identity during times of crisis 1:00:00 Grappling with Partition and your history 1:06:45 Does Pakistan's triumphant narrative about 1947 leave space for grief? 1:20:00 Empathy of the other 1:23:00 You cant compare traditional history vs peoples history 1:36:20 Can you write about something that is not your identity?  1:42:20 What is the ethos of a feminist publishing house? 1:48:00 Publishing is not commercially viable 1:54:30 Audience Q&As

Sarah Belal comes on the podcast to discuss the Death Penalty, criminalizing torture and the Criminal Justice System.

Mariam Shafqat Goraya, Amna Shafqat Goraya, Preh Memon, Sajeer Shaikh, Ekta Shaikh and Laiba Zainab join us to discuss their lived experiences and the experience of living as a woman in Pakistan.

1947 and 1971 are the two most pivotal moments in Pakistan's history yet they remain largely unknown. What we know about them depends on what the state wants us to know; your perception of events will be clouded by what side of the border you were born in.  The most important aspect of the story is often left untold by the state narratives: the people, the lived experiences of millions. The recording of oral histories sheds light on those experiences. Through a peoples history you can piece together the experience of 1947 and 1971.  Anam Zakaria comes on the podcast this week to discuss how to tell a peoples history, and why it is important.   Was Bangladesh inevitable? How do state narratives differ in India and Pakistan? Should an author put themselves into the work? Is there such a thing as 'objective history'? How to deal with trauma memories?  Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience.  Anam Zakaria is the author of three books - 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh,  Pakistan and India (2019), Between the Great Divide: A Journey into Pakistan-administered Kashmir (2018);  and The Footprints of Partition: Narratives of Four Generations of Pakistanis and Indians (2015), which won her the 2017 KLF-German Peace Prize.    Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience    And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience    The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.                 https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh    Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:45 Are we getting more radicalized 3:50 Oral histories and history at the margins 10:30 Putting yourself into your wrok 16:00 The process of recording Oral histories 23:00 Dealing with trauma memories 31:00 Wars fought on Womens bodies 36:30 The Reckoning for Partition 42:20 State narratives of 1947 in India and Pakistan 57:00 The Nationalization project after 1971 1:04:00 When it is labelled a genocide is political 1:09:00 Are displaced people ever home? 1:12:00 Was Bangladesh inevitable? 1:21:50 The equation of violence 1:29:00 Notions of identity 1:35:00 The politics of language 1:38:40 Pakistan's apology to Bangladesh 1:42:30 Is there more hate in urban centers or rural areas? 1:47:00 Visiting India 1:49:00 Conclusion and what's next 1:54:00 Is there any hope?

Faheem Azam is a writer, director, comedian, actor and content creator. Faheem Azam was the original head of Content at 'Teeli' and has worked on films like 'Paray Hut Love'.  

On this week's episode, we get into a discussion on the Taliban, changing narratives, motay jism, Nikkahnamas, actors being cast based on looks, performing, making films, Teeli, relationships and the colonial mind.  Why are good films not being made in Pakistan?   Do Pakistan like size zero models?   Did legends do below the belt comedy?  

Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience.   

Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience  

And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience 

 The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.         https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh  

Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Are Taliban our guardians? 12;00 Nikkahnama is a contract 17:00 Kaun log jism mota karna chahtay hain? 19:30 Size 0 models western idea hay 23:30 Actors are now cast based on looks 30:30 Personal libraries 34:30 Faheem Azam's journey: How he got here 45:30 Legends like Moin Akhtar and Umer Shareef never did below the belt comedy? 48:30 Performers need to reinvent themselves 57:30 The Colonial Mind 1:07:00 Back to Faheem Azam's journey to be a filmmaker 1:11:00 Why aren't great films being made in Pakistan? 1:27:30 Are audiences in Pakistan and India different? 1:37:00 What films work commercially in Pakistan?  1:47:30 Teeli 2:01:00 Artists in relationships 2:14:00 Faheem's Web Series

Dr. Taimur Rahman is a PhD and a Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He is also the General Secretary of the Mazdoor Kissan Party and a political activist.  

Dr. Shahram Azhar is a PhD and a Professor at Bucknell University. He is also a classically trained musician and singer.  Taimur and Shahram join us for in depth discussion on Marxism, Identity Politics and the state of the Left in Pakistan. 

We get into a debate about the efficacy of Identity Politics, New Marxism vs Old Marxism, China, and the Uighur Muslims. 

 Are we robots?  Will Pakistan give US bases?  Is the Budget pro poor?  Is Global Capitalism failing?  Is Laal reuniting?  Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience 

And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience 

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.     https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

4:00 R*pist ya Robot

12:00 Giving US bases

15:00 Budget 2021

32:00 Global Capitalism

47:00 Child abuse and culture

52:36 Identity Poltics

1:39:00 New Marxism vs Old Marxism

2:32:30 Is China State Capitalism?

2:38:00 Why are personal freedoms compromised in communism?

2:45:00 Uighur Muslims and China

3:09:00 Is Laal reuniting?

Stand-up comedian Ali Abdullah comes on the podcast to discuss nangay budhay, his stand up comedy journey, political correctness and memories of MQM!  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan, and Pakistanis, through the lost art of conversation. We do deep dive long form podcasts to show you the many shades that encapsulate The Pakistan Experience.  

 Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience  

And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience 

 The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.     https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Chapters:

0:00 Budhay itnay bhi unreasonable nahee thay

10:00 CD shops

16:00 Cringe content

22:00 Imran Khan

25:00 Stand up comedy kaisay start kia

30:00 Kya content ban raha hay yahan

38:00 Becoming a Stand up comedian

52:00 Political correctness

57:30 Are people too "jahil" here for democracy?

1:12:00 PTI is the best opposition

1:22:00 Missing MQM

1:33:00 Sindhi-Mohajir differences

Ammar Rashid, the President of Punjab of the Awami Workers Party, comes on the podcast to discuss the 'populous' nature of Imran Khan's politics and the left's response to Pakistan's economic crisis.  Ammar Rashid is an academic, researcher and activist, whose work focuses on development, housing, informal settlements, health, gender and education.   On this episode, we get into a deep dive discussion on the Budget, how Imran Khan's politics have evolved, how Pakistan can stop being a rentier state, Education, BISP/Ehsaas, Identity Politics, Weaponization of liberal ideas by the right, and after a while, Psychedelics.

And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexperience

 The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.     https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:00 Imran Khan and PTI's evolution

9:00 Is PTI actually populous?

15:00 Musharraf and Imran Khan

28:00 Manufacturing, Industrialism, Consumption and Investment

40:00 How can Pakistan stop being a rentier state?

51:00 Budget deficit and economic recovery

59:00 BISP and Ehsaas

1:04:00 Minimum wage and the price-wage surge

1:11:00 Internet Tax

1:20:30 Education

1:26:30 Weaponization by the right of liberal ideas

1:35:00 The Politics of Recognition

1:57:00 New Left Party being launched

2:00:30 How to join AWP

2:04:00 Land Reform

2:10:00 What do we need to do to make policy pro-poor?

2:17:25 PSYCHEDELICS

Khurram Hussain is a Business and Economy Journalist at DAWN, Pakistan's leading Newspaper.  Khurram Hussain comes on the podcast to unmask the provisional economic growth rate of 3.9% given by the Government. On this deep dive discussion, we get into the question of if the GDP growth actually help uplift the impoverished in Pakistan, the myth of trickle down economics, and what Pakistan can do to make economic growth sustainable.  Are we headed towards another IMF program?  Does the current account surplus matter?  Should the state bank be autonomous?  Exposing the property file racket.  Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience

Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience  And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.     https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

5:00 Shaukat Aziz

8:00 Unmasking the 3.9% Economic Growth Rate

20:00 IMF Packages - Are we going for another one?

24:00 Direct cash injections vs Corporate handouts

34:00 Corporate Power in Pakistan

41:00 India

47:00 Are economists disconnected from ground realities?

53:00  Property file racket

1:06:00 The economy is growing but for whom?

1:21:00 What is stopping sustainable Economic Growth?

1:29:00 Is PTI cleaning PML-N's economic mess?

1:41:40 Does the Current Account Surplus matter?

144:40 Remittances

1:48:20 Indirect taxation vs Direct taxation

1:53:50 Is the economy out of the woods?

2:03:00 Musharaff vs PPP vs PMLN vs PTI - Who was the economy good for?

2:07:30 Should the state bank be autonomous?

2:10:30 IMF's projections for Pakistan

2:15:30 Why isn't there more business/economic journalism in Pakistan?

2:20:25 One good thing Imran Khan has done

The families of the victims of the PIA plane crash, PK8303 in Karachi, come on the podcast to discuss their fight for justice over the past year.

 Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience 

And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience 

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.     https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:30 What happened that day

6:57 Hot and high landings

11:10 Technical fault vs Pilot Error

19:20 Harassing family members of victims

24:00 Blaming the pilot

30:00 What the families went through

50:00 The entire system is to be blamed

1:02:00 Neelam's mothers plea to the Government

1:20:00 Where is the Government?

1:32:00 Pilot did not ask passengers to brace for impact

1:35:00 Fighting the system for Justice

1:53:06 RDA - Release Deed Agreement

2:10 Humanity is dead. Government is nowhere.

2:20 Conclusion and demands