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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
‘His daughter has grown up without her father': Families of men acquitted in 2006 Mumbai train blasts case recount years of struggle
Family members of the 12 men acquitted in the 2006 Mumbai local train blasts case Monday expressed relief and highlighted the hardships they faced during the lengthy imprisonment of their loved ones. As they rush to complete paperwork to get those acquitted released from various jails in Maharashtra, they say they believed in their relatives' 'innocence from the beginning'. The case concerns explosions on seven western suburban coaches in Mumbai, killing 189 commuters and injuring 824 on July 11, 2006. The Bombay High Court Monday overturned a 2015 verdict by a special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) that awarded death sentences to five men and life terms to seven others. Dr Tanveer Ansari, who was serving life imprisonment, was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terorrist Squad (ATS) in 2006 when his daughter was six months old, said his brother Maqsood. Tanveer, a resident of Agripada, had completed his Unani medicine from Nagpur and was working at a hospital at the time of his arrest, with the ATS claiming that he had surveyed the trains for the blasts. 'He was at a clinic and was picked up by the police without any proof. We were informed two days later, and my father went to meet him and found that he had been brutally assaulted and tortured. My father was deeply affected by it. My mother passed away two years later and Tanveer was permitted to visit only for half an hour. We continued to fight for justice, knowing that he and others booked in the case were innocent,' Maqsood said. He added that their father also passed away in 2018, awaiting Tanveer's return. 'My father required surgery, but Tanveer was not granted parole. His daughter has grown up without her father,' Maqsood said. Maqsood stated that over the years, the families of the convicted men have remained each other's hope, staying in touch through a group called Innocent Families. Besides Tanveer Ansari, the others awarded life imprisonment in 2015 are Mohammed Majid Mohammed Shafi, Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh, Mohammed Sajid Margub Ansari, Muzammil Ataur Rahman Shaikh, Suhail Mehmood Shaikh, and Zameer Ahmed Latifur Rehman Shaikh. Kamal Ahmed Mohd Vakil Ansari from Bihar, Mohammad Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh from Mumbai, Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddique from Thane, Naveed Hussain Khan from Secunderabad, and Asif Khan Bashir Khan from Jalgaon in Maharashtra were awarded the death penalty in the case. Kamal Ahmed Mohd Vakil Ansari died in prison in 2021. One of the accused, Wahid Shaikh, was acquitted by the trial court in 2015 after spending nine years in jail. He continued to advocate for justice on behalf of the others. 'From the first day, we have been saying that the whole case is bogus and that wrong persons were arrested and tortured into giving false confessions. Even after I was acquitted, the fight continued to ensure that the wrongly arrested are released. We have been saying that justice will not be done to the victims till the correct perpetrators are arrested,' Shaikh said. He also founded an organisation called the Innocence Network, not only for this case, but also to provide legal services and assistance to those who have been wrongly arrested. During a programme organised to mark the 19th anniversary of the blasts, on July 11, Shaikh said families spoke of the impact the wrongful arrests had on their lives, including facing poverty with the sole breadwinner arrested, and loss of loved ones during the pendency of the trial and later the appeal.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Playing the strings of peace
Amid the Indian outrage over Diljit Dosanjh's traitorous collaboration with the irrefutably Pakistani Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3, there are two men who once melted away that geopolitical line like butter in a heated pan. And as music-loving millennials may have guessed, those two men were none other than Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia. Banding together to form the pop tour de force that became Strings (can hits such as Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar and Duur ever be erased from the cultural stream of consciousness?) Maqsood and Kapadia proved that any heartstrings across any border can be conquered, if you pluck them just right. Now, during a resurfaced clip on The Rafay Mahmood Podcast, Maqsood recalled the sheer force of love Strings received from their Indian fans, and how they never once compromised their principles across the border despite being given every inducement to do so. Launching pad "I think we got a bit lucky in the sense that in 1992, Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar was a huge hit - but what was when we disbanded Strings and took a break," recalled Maqsood. "We had some idea that we were a big hit in India — but we didn't know just how big." The musical duo not knowing 'how big' they were in India became something of a recurring theme during their 2000 comeback with the Duur album. "We made the album behind closed doors. We never thought music would be our profession. I had my own job, Faisal had his family business," noted Maqsood. "We just decided to make some music, and that we would see what would happen. It was only later that we decided that we should burn all our bridges and focus on our music." The first indication that anyone across the border was taking any notice was when Indian Network Doordarshan sought their record company's permission to air their music. Maqsood recalled being stunned at learning that Indian clubs and discos still resorted to Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar. "We still didn't realise how big we were; Faisal and I were both busy with our studies," remarked the singer. "But when we released Duur - all the label companies asked, 'Are you the same guys who sang Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar?'" It transpired that teenaged fans of 1992 had now grown into adults who worked at label companies — a turn of events that opened up doors for Strings. "We had maybe 12 or 13 companies that we could choose from to release it [in India]," explained Maqsood. "That is how the legacy of Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar worked in our favour." Love from India The Indian promotion of the Strings comeback album inevitably led to a whirlwind tour of the country. "When Duur got released there, we stayed there and promoted and travelled all over India," said Maqsood, looking back. "We lost count of how many cities and towns (big and small) that we visited. We played at clubs, at colleges — everywhere!" One moment of an almost electric connection with a 10,000-strong chanting Indian crowd, however, has become cemented in Maqsood's memory. "There was this one time when we were playing in a Delhi Park singing this medley of Indian songs that we did in our set [...] and there were these 10,000 Indian youths just chanting along for Pakistan!" said Maqsood in awe. "Faisal and I couldn't believe it. There was this Indian audience, there was Strings, and there was nothing else in between. Zero boundary. No political or geographical line — in that moment, India and Pakistan were just one." Upon returning to Pakistan, the duo had started to get an inkling that perhaps stardom could be on the cards for them after all, despite the Pakistani musical landscape of the time wedded to more 'dhol'-oriented music (think Abrarul Haq) and less of Strings' signature pop sound. "We had no idea what was going to happen, but we knew that this is the music we want to make," said Maqsood. "We had the trailer, so to speak, of success. Success was not even on the cards at the time, but we could feel this buzz around us. And that buzz? It was pretty inviting. So we decided to quit our jobs and focus on this." Bollywood boundaries That buzz, as we all now know with the benefit of hindsight, gave birth to a catalogue of music forming the bedrock of early 2000s Pakistani pop - although once again, it was not just Pakistan paying attention. Bollywood, too, entered the equation, recruiting Strings to compose what ultimately became the song Yeh Hai Meri Kahani from the film Zinda starring John Abraham and Sanjay Dutt. Through it all, however, the band remained committed to staying true to their principles — and if that meant walking away from a potential Bollywood moneymaker, so be it. "We never tried to reinvent ourselves," insisted Maqsood. "We always gave priority to our aesthetics — people realised this, and that is why they liked Strings." Maqsood recalled being offered to compose a track for the 2006 Bollywood film Kabul Express — although that particular partnership dissolved before it could begin. "Everything was sorted, and then I said, show us the script," said Maqsood. "I asked, what is the Pakistani angle in this? And then we saw the script, and knew that we couldn't do this. We said no." To a man who loves the country he has grown up in, maintaining such a balance is no difficult task. "When you already have these things ingrained in you, you don't have to 'balance' anything out," You just know that there are some things you cannot do. It becomes muscle memory." Being staunchly patriotic is not the only principle the Strings pair stuck to. Guns and cigarettes, too, remained a big no-no. "In Aakhri Alvida [from 2007 Bollywood film Shootout at Lokhandwala], there was a scene where they wanted to pick up these guns and look at them - and we said we wouldn't do it," stated Maqsood. "They said, 'It's a video, just pick it up!' But we said no. This had nothing to do with being Pakistani, but sixteen-year-olds could be watching this!" The same principles applied to smoking. "There was this other shot in Zinda where John [Abraham] puts down his keys and picks up a cigarette pack. We asked them to move it. There are some things where we would have to tell them, this is how we want to do it." There was one other boundary that principle-loving Strings swore they would never cross, no matter how tempting the prize: recording a song written by someone else. "In [Bollywood 2008 film] Dostana, they wanted me to sing it — but we said no, because we did not sing other people's compositions!" mandated Maqsood. "These were our principles, and people respected us." In other words, for any aspiring musicians searching for the blueprint to success, Maqsood has the answers you seek. Create music that speaks to you, and let nobody sway you from what you believe.
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
We had an Indian audience chanting for Pakistan: Bilal Maqsood
Amid the Indian outrage over Diljit Dosanjh's traitorous collaboration with the irrefutably Pakistani Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3, there are two men who once melted away that geopolitical line like butter in a heated pan. And as music-loving millennials may have guessed, those two men were none other than Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia. Banding together to form the pop tour de force that became Strings (can hits such as Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar and Duur ever be erased from the cultural stream of consciousness?) Maqsood and Kapadia proved that any heartstrings across any border can be conquered, if you pluck them just right. Looking back, during a resurfaced clip on The Rafay Mahmood Podcast, Maqsood recalled the sheer force of love Strings received from their Indian fans, and how they never once compromised their principles across the border despite being given every inducement to do so. Launching pad 'I think we got a bit lucky in the sense that in 1992, Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar was a huge hit - but what was when we disbanded Strings and took a break,' recalled Maqsood. 'We had some idea that we were a big hit in India - but we didn't know just how big.' The musical duo not knowing 'how big' they were in India became something of a recurring theme during their 2000 comeback with the Duur album. 'We made the album behind closed doors. We never thought music would be our profession. I had my own job, Faisal had his family business,' noted Maqsood. 'We just decided to make some music, and that we would see what would happen. It was only later that we decided that we should burn all our bridges and focus on our music.' The first indication that anyone across the border was taking any notice was when Indian Network Doordarshan sought their record company's permission to air their music. Maqsood recalled being stunned at learning that Indian clubs and discos still resorted to Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar. 'We still didn't realise how big we were; Faisal and I were both busy with our studies,' remarked the singer. 'But when we released Duur - all the label companies asked, 'Are you the same guys who sang Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar?'' It transpired that teenaged fans of 1992 had now grown into adults who worked at label companies - a turn of events that opened up doors for Strings. 'We had maybe 12 or 13 companies that we could choose from to release it [in India],' explained Maqsood. 'That is how the legacy of Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar worked in our favour.' Love from India The Indian promotion of the Strings comeback album inevitably led to a whirlwind tour of the country. 'When Duur got released there, we stayed there and promoted and travelled all over India,' said Maqsood, looking back. 'We lost count of how many cities and towns (big and small) that we visited. We played at clubs, at colleges - everywhere!' One moment of an almost electric connection with a 10,000-strong chanting Indian crowd, however, has become cemented in Maqsood's memory. 'There was this one time when we were playing in a Delhi Park singing this medley of Indian songs that we did in our set [...] and there were these 10,000 Indian youths just chanting along for Pakistan!' said Maqsood in awe. 'Faisal and I couldn't believe it. There was this Indian audience, there was Strings, and there was nothing else in between. Zero boundary. No political or geographical line - in that moment, India and Pakistan were just one.' Upon returning to Pakistan, the duo had started to get an inkling that perhaps stardom could be on the cards for them after all, despite the Pakistani musical landscape of the time wedded to more 'dhol'-oriented music (think Abrarul Haq) and less of Strings' signature pop sound. 'We had no idea what was going to happen, but we knew that this is the music we want to make,' said Maqsood. 'We had the trailer, so to speak, of success. Success was not even on the cards at the time, but we could feel this buzz around us. And that buzz? It was pretty inviting. So we decided to quit our jobs and focus on this.' Bollywood boundaries That buzz, as we all now know with the benefit of hindsight, gave birth to a catalogue of music forming the bedrock of early 2000s Pakistani pop - although once again, it was not just Pakistan paying attention. Bollywood, too, entered the equation, recruiting Strings to compose what ultimately became the song Yeh Hai Meri Kahani from the film Zinda starring John Abraham and Sanjay Dutt. Through it all, however, the band remained committed to staying true to their principles - and if that meant walking away from a potential Bollywood moneymaker, so be it. 'We never tried to reinvent ourselves,' insisted Maqsood. 'We always gave priority to our aesthetics - people realised this, and that is why they liked Strings.' Maqsood recalled being offered to compose a track for the 2006 Bollywood film Kabul Express - although that particular partnership dissolved before it could begin. 'Everything was sorted, and then I said, show us the script,' said Maqdood. 'I asked, what is the Pakistani angle in this? And then we saw the script, and knew that we couldn't do this. We said no.' To a man who loves the country he has grown up in, maintaining such a balance is no difficult task. 'When you already have these things ingrained in you, you don't have to 'balance' anything out,' You just know that there are some things you cannot do. It becomes muscle memory.' Being staunchly patriotic is not the only principle the Strings pair stuck to. Guns and cigarettes, too, remained a big no-no. 'In Aakhri Alvida [from 2007 Bollywood film Shootout at Lokhandwala], there was a scene where they wanted to pick up these guns and look at them - and we said we wouldn't do it,' stated Maqsood. 'They said, 'It's a video, just pick it up!' But we said no. This had nothing to do with being Pakistani, but sixteen-year-olds could be watching this!' The same principles applied to smoking. 'There was this other shot in Zinda where John [Abraham] puts down his keys and picks up a cigarette pack. We asked them to move it. There are some things where we would have to tell them, this is how we want to do it.' There was one other boundary that principle-loving Strings swore they would never cross, no matter how tempting the prize: recording a song written by someone else. 'In [Bollywood 2008 film] Dostana, they wanted me to sing this song - but we said no, because we did not sing other people's compositions,' mandated Maqsood. 'These were our principles, and people respected us.' In other words, for any aspiring musicians searching for the blueprint to success, Maqsood has the answers you seek. Create music that speaks to you, and let nobody sway you from what you believe. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
India Gazette
06-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Exiled leader Jamil Maqsood slams judicial injustice in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
Brussels [Belgium], July 6 (ANI): Jamil Maqsood, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) and currently living in exile in Belgium, has issued a scathing critique of the judicial and administrative structure in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). In a comprehensive legal paper titled 'The Incapability of the Judicial System in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir Under Pakistani Administrative Control: A Constitutional and Legal Critique', Maqsood exposed what he describes as a facade of autonomy and a systematically weakened judiciary under the tight control of Islamabad. Maqsood argued that although Pakistan claims PoJK as a self-governed region, the ground reality is one of total subjugation, enabled by the 1974 Interim Constitution, a legal instrument that he said was imposed to strip PoJK of its autonomy. He highlights that 53 out of 56 critical administrative and policy subjects are directly controlled by Pakistan, leaving the local government and judiciary virtually powerless. 'The judiciary in PoJK is a showpiece. It cannot act independently, interpret the constitution freely, or hold the military and intelligence agencies accountable,' Maqsood states in the paper. He also criticised the practice of appointing lent officers from Pakistan, including top bureaucrats, judges, and police officials, who are not answerable to the people of PoJK but instead follow the directives of Islamabad. The paper pointed to Article 257 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which states that the future of Jammu and Kashmir must be decided in accordance with the wishes of its people. Maqsood asserted that by overriding local institutions and installing unelected officials, Pakistan is itself in violation of its constitutional commitments. In his concluding recommendations, Maqsood called for urgent and concrete measures to restore judicial and political autonomy in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of all lent officers from Pakistan who currently hold key administrative and judicial positions in the region. He further urged the repeal or substantial revision of the 1974 Interim Constitution, which he argued serves as the primary instrument of Islamabad's control. Additionally, he advocated for the establishment of an independent judicial commission in PoJK to ensure merit-based appointments and uphold the rule of law. Finally, Maqsood emphasised the need for Pakistan to comply with both Article 257 of its own Constitution and relevant United Nations resolutions to respect the political will and self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He called for the restoration of genuine autonomy, warning that the existing system undermines the credibility of Pakistan internationally and robs the people of PoJK of justice, dignity, and political agency. Jamil Maqsood has long been an outspoken voice from exile, consistently highlighting issues of human rights violations, press censorship, and political repression in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. His latest paper adds legal weight to growing international concerns about Islamabad's policies in these regions. Observers say such criticism from within the diaspora is gaining ground as local media in PoJK remains under tight surveillance and judicial independence continues to erode. (ANI)
India Gazette
17-05-2025
- India Gazette
Tourists return to Himachal Pradesh as India-Pakistan Tensions ease, bringing relief to local travel industry
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 17 (ANI): With tensions between India and Pakistan de-escalating and the situation returning to normal, tourism in Himachal Pradesh has begun to pick up again. The increasing temperatures in other parts of the country and pleasant weather in the hills are drawing tourists to Himachal Pradesh. Tourism stakeholders, who had suffered a temporary slump, are now optimistic and smiling again, hopeful for a strong summer season. The return of tourists has relieved many who depend on the travel industry for their livelihood. Among them is Maqsood, a Kashmiri migrant labourer who has been working as a porter at the Shimla Railway Station for over four decades, and has described the impact of recent geopolitical tensions on the local tourism economy. Speaking to ANI, a Kashmiri migrant labourer, Maqsood, said, 'Earlier, business was going well,' Maqsood recalled. 'But when there was some trouble at the India-Pakistan border, tourists completely stopped coming. Now that the situation has improved, tourists have started arriving again over the past four or five days. We are hopeful that things will stay peaceful and good. People are coming by buses, taxis, and trains--Shimla is packed once again.' 'The weather is warming up after recent rains, and the tension has eased. We expect a lot of tourists this year. Rooms are still available for now, but the season is just starting. Shimla is calling--it's the best place. Himachal is a very good and peaceful place. There's no conflict here--never has been, and never will be,' he said. Tourists themselves are also expressing satisfaction and relief. Vishwanath, a visitor from Maharashtra, shared his experience, saying, 'Since last week, the situation has normalised, which is why we planned our trip to Himachal. We're visiting Shimla, Kullu, and Manali. The weather is great today, and many tourists like us are here. I wish all tourists a great trip.' He added, 'The India-Pakistan problem has been resolved, so don't worry about it, just relax and explore. The station here is very good. There are many places to see. All the hotels are fully booked. The people here are very nice and helpful. It feels good. There is peace here.' Sneha, another tourist from Pune, explained why her plans changed after the situation calmed down. 'Earlier, we didn't want to come, but now that the situation is normal, we're exploring Shimla by rail and enjoying it. We came from Delhi, and everything here is wonderful. We'll be heading to Kullu and Manali too. Everyone should come and experience this,' she said. Sandeep Verma, a taxi driver associated with the local tourism industry, reflected both pride and positivity. Verma said, 'The recent loss we faced due to the dip in tourism wasn't very big. For us, the country comes first. On behalf of my taxi union, I salute and congratulate our armed forces who showed courage and brought us victory. They deserve applause. Speaking of business, some of our bookings were cancelled last week, but now things are returning to normal. With the support of the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, tourism is back on track.' 'I want to assure everyone on behalf of Himachal's tourism operators that our state is peaceful. You're all welcome here, and there will be no trouble. Summer season has begun--June is our peak time for tourism, and we are confident it will be a good month,' Said Sandeep Verma. As Himachal Pradesh enters its summer season, the hills are again echoing with visitors' laughter, the buzz of activity, and the hope of a thriving tourism economy. (ANI)
