‘Raised as commandos’: Pakistani sisters brave ridicule, gender bias to pursue competitive weightlifting

Shafaq, 16, and her sister Khadija, 15, train at the Star Weightlifting Academy in the northeastern Pakistani city of Gujranwala on Sept. 24, 2021. (AN Photo)
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Updated 27 September 2021
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‘Raised as commandos’: Pakistani sisters brave ridicule, gender bias to pursue competitive weightlifting

  • Clips of Shafaq, 16, and Khadija, 15, training in Gujranwala have gone viral in the last week, making the Dar sisters overnight media darlings
  • Their father, a former weightlifter himself, is resolved his daughters will carry forward his legacy and compete in international games

LAHORE: As Shafaq Dar completes a barbell press and puts the weight back in its place, one of her coaches nods approvingly while all around, men take a pause from their training routines to watch.
The scene is from clips of Shafaq, 16, and her sister Khadija, 15, training at the Star Weightlifting Academy in the northeastern Pakistani city of Gujranwala, which have gone viral in the last week, turning the Dar sisters into overnight darlings of the media.
While such attention and encouragement are routine for top athletes, it is unusual for women from Gujranwala, a city that is famous for producing male wrestlers and great food but not female athletes.
But the girls’ father Waheed Dar, a former weightlifter himself, is resolved that no matter the gender biases and other obstacles, his daughters will carry forward his legacy and compete in international games. All his energies, now, are centered around training them for the South Asian Games in 2023.
“My daughters joined the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation in 2019 and they are now preparing for the National Championship scheduled for next month,” he told Arab News in an interview. “Their performance in the championship will pave the way to the South Asian Games where they are determined to get a gold medal.”
Dar said it took him some time to accept the idea that his daughters wanted to be weightlifters, which he had always considered a “men’s sport.”
“But later I surrendered when my daughters said if I had a son, I would never have said no to him,” Dar said, choking up with tears.
Dar was also inspired by a Bollywood film called Dangal, based on the true story of amateur Indian wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his struggle to challenge gender stereotypes and turn his daughters Geeta and Babita into world-class fighters. Both are Commonwealth Games gold medalists.
The Phogats come from the northern Indian state of Haryana, which has among the worst gender ratios in the country and the highest incidences of violence against women. And while Gujranwala’s rankings on the status of women are not close to as bad and more and more women in the city are pursuing an education and jobs, there are very few training opportunities for girls who want to enter the sports industry. Social norms are also not in their favor.
Indeed, when the Dar sisters first began training, they were ridiculed by the community.
“We were not appreciated ... even our friends in schools disapproved of our choice to become weightlifters, rather we were degraded by them,” Khadija said in an interview. “Our neighbors mocked our mother that she didn’t do the right thing by allowing her daughters to become weightlifters.”
But both sisters say with their family’s support and blessing, they have learnt to ignore the criticism and have no doubt they can excel. They spend most of their time at the training center, doing workouts that include 50 snatch and 65 clean and jerk weightlifts collectively.
Khadija, weighing 59 kilograms, can lift 130kg in snatch and clean and jerk collectively, while Shafaq, who weighs 45kg, is doing 120kg in both snatch and clean and jerk routines.
“Let me tell you that we are not delicate,” Khadija said, laughing. “We have been raised as commandos.”
Muhammed Islam Natiq, the girls’ coach, is hopeful they will make their mark in the upcoming national championship and work their way to the Asian Games. However, he said the Pakistan Sports Board was not doing enough to promote new talent and the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation was low on funds.
“The Pakistan Sports Board provides only one million rupees (approximately $6,000) in funds annually which is nothing given the facilities required to train the athletes,” Natiq said. “The Federation requires three million rupees minimum to tap new talent and prepare young boys and girls for the world championship.”
“A properly constructed and implemented strength-training program,” he added, “can produce athletic performance but it needs a lot of money.”
Hafiz Imran Butt, the chief executive of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, agreed that a lack of funds was making it difficult for young athletes to perform in international competitions.
“The poor financial status of our athletes negatively impacts their performance,” he said. “Apart from that, lack of facilities and little international exposure also undermine their ability to compete in international tournaments.”
The director general of the Pakistan Sports Board Col. (r) Asif Zaman, however, said it was the responsibility of provincial authorities to financially support sports federations.
“The sports ministry has been devolved under the 18th Amendment, making these issues the responsibility of the federating units,” he said.
Zaman said a new policy formulated by the federal cabinet had made it mandatory for provinces to spend all allocated funds on their sports federations.
“If Punjab is getting Rs6 billion for sports, for instance, it will have to spend all that money to meet the requirements of all sports federations,” he explained.
The top PSB official said his own institution was taking care of top athletes like Olympians Talha Talib and Nadeem Arshad, and said it would offer elite training to the Dar sisters ahead of the South Asian Games if they outperformed others during the national championship next month.
 


Pakistan parliament approves bills to extend tenure of services chiefs to five years

Updated 04 November 2024
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Pakistan parliament approves bills to extend tenure of services chiefs to five years

  • Extension in services of army, navy and air force chiefs follows controversial amendments to the constitution last month
  • The opposition PTI party condemns the amendments for changing Pakistan “from a democracy into a monarchy”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate on Monday approved bills to extend the tenure of the army, navy, and air force chiefs from three to five years, amid protests by the opposition benches. 

The office of the army chief is considered to be the most powerful in the country, with the army having ruled Pakistan for almost half of its 75-year history. Even when not directly in power, the army is considered to be the invisible guiding hand in politics and holds considerable sway in internal security, foreign policy, and economic affairs, among other domains. 

Six bills were passed by the upper and lower houses on Monday evening, including one to increase the term of the services chiefs.

“In the said Act, in section 8A, in sub-section (1), for the expression “three (03)” the word “five (05)” shall be substituted,” read the bill, seeking to amend the Pakistan Army Act, 1952.

Similar bills were passed to increase the duration of the country’s naval and air force chiefs to five years also. 

“The purpose of these amendments are to make consistent the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 (XXXIX of 1952) The Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961 (Ordinance No. XXXV of 1961) and The Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 (VI of 1953) with the maximum tenure of the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff and to make consequential amendments for uniformity in the aforementioned laws.” 

Speaking outside parliament, the chairman of the opposition PTI party, Gohar Ali Khan, said:

“Today, democracy has been changed into a monarchy.”

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, said “modifying the service chiefs’ tenure is not a good thing for the country and the armed forces.”

The passage of the new bills follows controversial amendments made to the constitution last month, granting lawmakers the authority to nominate the chief justice of Pakistan, who previously used to be automatically appointed according to the principle of seniority.

The amendments allowed the government to bypass the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and appoint Justice Yahya Afridi as the country’s top judge, replacing former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa. 

The opposition and the legal fraternity had opposed the amendments, arguing that they were aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments and curtailing the independence of the judiciary. The government denies this.


Pakistani forces kill six militants in shootouts near border with Afghanistan — military

Updated 04 November 2024
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Pakistani forces kill six militants in shootouts near border with Afghanistan — military

  • Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks recently
  • Pakistan blames the surge in militancy on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed six militants in two separate engagements in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Monday.
A militant was killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan’s Dosali area, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
In the second incident, Pakistani forces intercepted a group of militants while infiltrating the country’s border with Afghanistan in the South Waziristan district. Five militants were killed as a result.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij [militants] for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
Afghan officials, however, deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
 


Pakistan Navy test-fires ship-launched ballistic missile ranging 350 kilometers

Updated 04 November 2024
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Pakistan Navy test-fires ship-launched ballistic missile ranging 350 kilometers

  • The missile is capable of striking land and sea targets with ‘high precision’
  • Pakistan, India consider their missile programs as deterrent against each other

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired a ship-launched ballistic missile having a range of 350 km and capable of striking both land and sea targets, it said on Monday.
Pakistan sees its missile development as a deterrent against nuclear-armed arch-foe India. Both countries have fought multiple wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.
The two South Asian neighbors have long been developing missiles of varying ranges in a bid to ensure deterrence against possible attacks from each other, with analysts often warning these developments could push the region into an arms race.
“Pakistan Navy conducted a successful flight test of an indigenously developed ship-launched ballistic missile,” the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
“The weapon system with 350km range is capable of engaging land and sea targets with high precision.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikldB3jieWo
The flight test of the weapon system, equipped with a state-of-the-art navigation system and maneuverability features, was witnessed by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, senior naval officers, scientists and engineers.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu congratulated the participating navy units and scientists on the development.
 
 


Qatar investment team due in Pakistan this month, PM Sharif says after Doha visit

Updated 04 November 2024
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Qatar investment team due in Pakistan this month, PM Sharif says after Doha visit

  • The statement comes days after Sharif visited Qatar seeking to bolster economic cooperation between both nations
  • Before arriving in Doha, Sharif attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh and met the Saudi Crown Prince

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday a team of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will visit Pakistan this month to set up an information technology (IT) park in the South Asian country.
The statement came days after Sharif visited Qatar while seeking to bolster economic cooperation amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost foreign investment to stabilize its frail $350 billion economy.
Before arriving in Doha, Sharif attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he discussed trade and investment with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Speaking at a meeting of his cabinet, Sharif said a QIA team will visit Pakistan this month, while its chief of Asia-Pacific & Africa Investments, Faisal Bin Thani Al Thani, will also arrive in Islamabad by the end of this month.
“Qatar emir said the same thing. They also suggested setting up an IT park here [in Pakistan],” Sharif told his cabinet members in televised comments.
During his visit, Sharif led delegation-level talks with the Qatari emir before holding a separate meeting with him to discuss a wide array of issues.
“The leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Qatar relations, exploring potential avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, potential areas of investment, energy, and culture,” Sharif’s office said last week.
He also met a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA) and invited them to invest in Pakistan’s energy, infrastructure and technology sectors.
The developments came amid Pakistan’s attempts to increase trade and foreign investment after it narrowly escaped a default last year by securing a last-gasp $3 billion financial assistance package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The South Asian country has since sought to promote closer economic ties with regional and international allies to bolster its fragile economy, which has been suffering from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
 


Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 250 bps to 15%

Updated 04 November 2024
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Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 250 bps to 15%

  • Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 in July and 200 in September
  • It takes the total policy rate cuts in the country to 700 bps in under five months

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 250 basis points to 15 percent on Monday, it said in a statement, for a fourth straight reduction since June, as the country keeps up efforts to revive a sluggish economy with inflation easing.
Most respondents in a Reuters poll last week expected a cut of 200 bps after inflation moved down sharply from a multi-decade high of nearly 40 percent in May 2023, saying reductions were needed to bolster growth.
Average consumer price index inflation in the South Asian country is 8.7 percent in the current financial year, which started in July, the statistics bureau says. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects inflation to average 9.5 percent for the year ending June.
Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 bps in July, and 200 in September that have taken the rate from an all-time high of 22 percent, set in June 2023 and left unchanged for a year. It takes the total cuts to 700 bps in under five months.
October inflation came in at 7.2 percent, slightly above the government’s expectation of 6 percent to 7 percent. The finance ministry expects inflation to slow further to 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent in November.
However, inflation could pick up again in 2025, driven by electricity and gas price increases after a new $7-billion IMF bailout, and the potential impact of taxes on the retail, wholesale and the farm sector announced in the June budget to take effect in January 2025, some analysts say.