Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Center for Contemporary South Asia

Nida Kirmani- Documentary Screening of Shadowlands and Discussion

Thursday, March 16, 2023

4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST

Joukowksy Forum, Watson Institute111 Thayer Street

Dr. Nida Kirmani is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She completed her PhD from the University of Manchester in 2007. She has published widely on gender, urban studies, and social movements in India and Pakistan and is currently the Madeleine Haas Russell Visiting Associate Professor of South Asian Studies at Brandeis University. She is presenting her research conducted in Lyari, Pakistan with a documentary screening of Shadowlands, followed by a discussion on the urban violence, gender, and insecurities in Lyari. 
Shadowlands: Life After conflict in Lyari, Karachi  follows the stories of two residents of the area of Lyari in Karachi, Nawaz Laasi and Amna Baloch. Both have lost family members to gang violence in the area. Nawaz has lost four sons, two to gang violence and two at the hands of the police, and Amna’s husband was killed by the police. Through telling their stories, this documentary sheds light on the on-going ramifications of violence and questions whether peace has truly been achieved for the people of Lyari.
Moderators:
Zehra Hashmi, Brown University
Sangeeta Banerjee, Brown University

South Asia Seminar