The week started off with opening of the Artisans Gallery. An exhibition of paintings was organized for the event and Federal Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Shaukat Aziz inaugurated it. Shaukat Aziz was all praise for the initiative and suggested that all domains of art including the artifacts rather than just paintings should be promoted from the Gallery's platform.
He was particularly pleased that ' gender bias' was in favour of the woman as the work of three women and two men were displayed. He added that 'art is a form of expression, it brings out creativity, one's emotions with imagination having no limits.' He was of the view that an institutional forum has been created to display the products of emerging artists who have shown tremendous entrepreneurship and ingenuity.
The welcome address by Ms. Tina Shah, the Secretary General of the Gallery was very moving and motivating in context. Giving a brief background on Artisans Gallery, she said that it started out as Artisans Club of Arts and it has taken the club six years (1998-2004) to build a structural forum in the form of 'Artisan Gallery' on purely self-help basis. Moreover, it has been involved in social work and promoting cultural activities of the twin cities along with providing a platform to emerging artists.
She quoted a famous Chinese sonnet:
'Hold fast the dreams for if dreams die
Life is a broken winged bird, which cannot fly
Hold fast the dreams for if dreams go
Life is a barren field covered with snow.'
Present on the occasion were famous luminaries such as Leila Zuberi, Ghulam Rasool and Sir Farooq Qaiser who comprise the advisory board of the Gallery as well.
The young artists whose work was displayed were Nahida, Wajiha and Tehmina- all of them are students of Fatima Jinnah Women's University along with Zohaib Jaffrey and Mehmood Rasool. Explaining her work Miss Wajiha said that it was an assignment given to her by the teacher. An option was given whether to do it in single colour or portray it realistically. She decided to do it in purple because she thought she could express more easily in that colour. There is no theme behind her three exhibits. However she has given it perspective and tried to create depth in the paintings. Normally writing and drawing is 2D whereas the paintings displayed were done in 3D. Coincidentally the clothes worn by Wajiha were also purple. It was a small affair with hope and eagerness reflected in the eyes of the youth gathered there for the occasion.
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My next stop was at the Khaas Gallery for the opening of the exhibition of paintings by Aziz Hasan, a Karachi based artist. He has displayed 28 exhibits in his fifth showing.
However, it is the first one in the Capital. His work is based on acrylics. Speaking about is work he said that Ali Imam of Indus Gallery fame encouraged him to paint since he was a child. He said that he has not been to any formal art school as such but he has had a lot of international exposure to art. While living for four years in America, he familiarized himself with American Contemporary, Renaissance and the Fresh artists. No proper art training has given him a lot of leeway and his approach is liberal with no confinement which cannot be judged by the regular criterion.
Explaining the theme he said that his work is space oriented with the reflection of infinity, divinity and cosmos. Colors are vibrant because he loves them. Paintings are a reflection of how he feels. The manner in which the painting evolves is natural and he cannot force himself to paint any color. To him it's like poetry that inspires him to paint. He works on four to five paintings at a time. Sometimes he works on the background and leaves it for sometime but later on goes back to finish it and at other times he completes a painting in one go. There is no hard and fast rule, as it has to flow from within. He said that he works from his heart-it is a part of his soul, a part of him and if he is going to adorn someone's home then it should be cheerful, lively, happy, positive and optimistic.
The work done in metallic is a 'reflection of enlightenment'. Enlightenment can be spiritual, intellectual or mental. He philosophizes that no matter how dark things get, no matter how much one goes through in life and even if the worst happens, one should see the good and the brighter side. That's what he believes in and it is mirrored in his paintings.
The sensitivity of layers is the reflection of the process of life on earth. The painting comes out naturally whatever one is feeling at that particular moment. A replica cannot be done. It has to be different and the most beautiful work has come out when he has been the saddest. He loves big canvasses as the whole concept of space is there. He loves his space and respects people's space. Space is infinite that's the whole philosophy. The viewer has to connect and find his or her own meaning in it.

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My third calling this week was at the discussion on 'Freedom of Information', organized by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. It was an informative discussion with the intellectual heavy weights such I A Rehman, Ziauddin, Farhatullah Babar, Tariq Azeem and various other parliamentarians, civil society representatives and journalists participating in the event.
I A Rehman, the Secretary General of HRCP, gave the background on 'Freedom of Information'. He said that the 'Right to Know' is a fundamental right and has an old history. Explaining he said that American Freedom of Information Act is more commonly known in Pakistan due to the close association with USA. However, a number of other countries such as Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, India and Indonesia have done a lot of work on it. Coming more close to home, Professor Khurshid Ahmed presented a bill on 'Freedom of Information' in the Senate but it lapsed since it was private members legislation. Quaid -e-Azam presented his first bill in Parliament as a private member and it passed. However, it was in the interim set up in 1996-97 when Fakruddin Ibrahim initiated the legislation on Freedom of Information . This legislation is supported by the fundamentals of the constitution. It refers to the transparency in government dealings along with freedom of expression valid in all areas but the ordinance lapsed. In 1999 Javed Jabbar, holding the portfolio of Information Ministry drafted the same bill that was then circulated and duly discussed in public. The scope of the draft was limited and there was no outcome. More recently Freedom of Information Ordinance got passed in 2002 amongst the plethora of other ordinances. The 'Right to Know' affects every citizen of the country. Therefore, a consensus has to be evolved amongst the civil society, trade unions, media associations and autonomous bodies.
The particulars which were highlighted follows: maximum disclosure, publication of the record by the government, openhanded governance, limited scope of exceptions. Law should be uniform, in public interest and manifest needs should be met. The fundamental right cannot be changed and it has to be referred to the people. According to the Johannesburg Principle, state security can place restrictions on Freedom of Information. Access to information should be facilitated and disclosure should take precedence over authoritative withhold. The down side of the law is that it has a long procedure, too many rules with the ultimate authority resting with the Ombudsman which has an advisory capacity and there is not judicial authority. Therefore, the exemptions cannot be challenged.
It was an interactive discussion with various parliamentarians sharing their experiences and suggesting ways so as how to tackle the aforementioned ordinance. Sitting on the fence of the fifth pillar of the state, one was impressed with the work done by the conscientious parliamentarians on such non issues which happen to a affect the lives of everyone but are taken for granted.
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My fourth invitation was for ' Gender in Journalism Awards' ceremony jointly organized by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) and UNESCO.Nilofer Baktiar,advisor to the Prime Minister on Women Development, who presided as the chief guest, said that "If I leave politics, I would like to become a freelance journalist." She said that "Journalists are free to express themselves and don't suffer form restrictions like people from other professions." She further added that 'true and honest journalism can change the fate of nations.'
Amongst the 120 entries, five were selected in each of the two categories of 'Most Gender Sensitive Reporting' and 'Best Reporting by Female Journalist'. A panel of eight judges selected the two journalists namely, Manzoor Solangi and Shimaila Matri.
Solangi was rewarded for his article, ' Sindh Aurtoon Ka Khitta Raha Hai', published in Ibrat in March 2003, from Hyderabad, while Ms Matri's prize winning entry, ' From China with Love', appeared in Newsline in October 2003.
It was a well-organized event although the attendance was thin which Ms Bakhityar duly pointed out in her speech. UNESCO director, Ingeborg Breines, speaking on the occasion said that "UNESCO appeals for equality in the media. No press is truly free unless women share an equal voice." Adding further she said that, "Women make up more than a third of the world's journalists however they are still a long way from achieving equality with men in the newsrooms or rising to key editorials positions." The event was arranged mid way so as to commemorate the International Women's Day, March 8 and the World Press Freedom Day, May 3.
The week ended on a note of being motivated to write better so as to compete for the following years awards!