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The F.E. Choudhry Gallery: Introducing Chacha
2008-04-14 17:27:00
Nadeem Omar and Adil Najam The recent award of the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography to a photojournalist of Pakistani origins provides us a moment of reflection on the legacy of great Pakistani photojournalists. One name that embodies this rich legacy more than any other is F.E. Choudhry. With this post we launch a series in ...
More About: People , History , Gallery , Picture of the day

ATP Pictorial: This, Too, Is Islamabad
2008-04-13 01:02:00
Adil Najam ATP contributor Mast Qalandar is a chronicler par excellence of ‘All Things Islamabad ’ (here, here, here, here, here). His writings on Islamabad constantly reminds us - even those of us who have lived long in the Capital city - that Islamabad is much more (and also much less) than what we think it is. Indeed, ...
More About: Pictorial , Development , Picture of the day

aa gaya ain laRaai meiN agar waqt-i-JAZZ
2008-04-12 03:05:00
Owais Mughal With apologies to Allama Iqbal: aa gaya ain laRaai meiN agar waqt-i-JAZZ qibla ru ho ke zameeN bos hui qaum-e-Hejaz The following photo is courtesy of Mr. Waheed M. Zuberi. It shows a traffic policeman busy talking on cellular phone while controlling the traffic through a busy intersection. The photo was taken on a Clifton, Karachi Road at ...
More About: Jazz

Yousuf 9000: Second Pakistani to Reach Cricket Milestone
2008-04-11 20:03:00
Owais Mughal Today when Mohammad Yousuf scored a boundary off the bowling of Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh) he completed his 9000 runs in One Day International (ODI) career. He is the second Pakistani and World’s 12th batsman to reach this milestone. The list of Pakistan’s top 10 batsmen in terms of career runs is as follows. The number ...
More About: Cricket , Reach , Milestone

The Poetry of Inayat Ali Khan
2008-04-11 00:15:00
Shahran Asim This post also contains two audio files of Inayat’s poems. The reason I started wrote this post is because I saw a repost on Anwar Masood and I thought that we should also start introducing some more humor for ATP readers. I think these post serves a breath of fresh air in the current situation where we hear about violence everywhere. Professor Inayat Ali Khan is one of my favorite poets and I think since ATP has started doing some humorous poetry (here, here and here), I thought that I should also continue to contribute in this area. We have sad many sad events in the last year or so and some of these humorous blog posts serve as Oasis for the entertainment starved readers. He was born in the State of Tonk in Rajisthan, India in 1935. He belonged to a family of poets where his father and mother also used to do humorous poetry. (more…)
More About: Poetry

Stop The Violence, Please!
2008-04-10 00:36:00
Adil Najam This photograph of lawyer leader Aitzaz Ahsan on top of an ambulance putting his hand together and begging for peace and a stop to the needless violence by some who are ’supposedly’ his supporters, speaks volumes. It speaks volumes about Aitizaz Ahsan; volumes about the culture of anger and violence that has gripped Pakistan, and volumes about the the state of Pakistan politics. A sense of anger and angst continues to define Pakistan. Read also, Aitizaz Ahsan’s letter to his fellow lawyers, back in December. (more…)
More About: Violence , Stop

Growing violence in Pakistani politics - Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Sher Afgan
2008-04-09 00:47:00
Darwaish Last two days have been dramatic in Pakistani politics. Since February Elections, we have been hearing good news, atleast on political fronts. It seemed that Pakistan is finally moving towards national reconciliation and this time politicians are really coming together and serious about solving public problems. But things have suddenly changed since yesterday. In separate ...
More About: Politics , People , Law and Justice , Violence

Adrees Latif: Pakistani Photojournalist Wins Pulitzer Prize
2008-04-08 08:29:00
Adil Najam The Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious journalistic awards in the world and winning any of these awards is as big an honor as a journalist can achieve. The 2008 Pulitzer Prizes were just announced and in the category of “Breaking News Photography” the winner is Adrees Latif of Reuters, a Pakistani -born, Bangkok-based news ...
More About: Wins

The Media Factor
2008-04-07 16:43:00
Raza Rumi On the flourishing ‘column’ industry despite the slow growth of readership’ What is so peculiar about the Pakistani media opinion factories churning out problems and solutions products day after day? Frankly, they are self perpetuating oligarchies and boring at best. The slightly discerning mortals who browse the daily newspapers in English and vernacular languages or ...
More About: Society , Media , The Media , Factor

Wastage of Food in Wedding Dinners
2008-04-06 15:00:00
Syed Ahsan Ali In our beloved country, how many times have we noticed small, poor kids scanning piles of garbage to get something to eat. These are usually the places where animals also compete for the same food source. In the following photo poor kids are seen finding out some eatables out of the rotten fruit ...
More About: Society , Food , Wedding

UET Alumni Association: Organizing Pakistani Alumni Abroad
2008-04-05 06:57:00
Adil Najam I am off to Washington DC shortly to speak at an event organized by the UET Alumni Association of North America this Saturday evening. I am delighted to be going there, but even more delighted that such an association has been created for the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, and is active ...
More About: Pakistani

Death Anniversary: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
2008-04-04 07:49:00
Adil Najam Today, April 4, marks the death anniversary of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. There is probably no other political figure since Mohammad Ali Jinnah who has left as deep and lasting a shaddow on Pakistan politics as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB). You can love him or hate him, but you cannot possibly ignore him. Those who love him, ...
More About: Politics , People , History , Anniversary , Death

ANP Chief Minister Makes History in NWFP
2008-04-04 02:44:00
Manzoor Ali Shah Amir Haider Hoti was sworn in on tuesday as the newly elected Chief Minister of NWFP. This for the first time in 61-year-long history of Pakistan, brings Awami National Party (ANP) led government in power in NWFP. The ANP rise to the power marked the end of hardliner religious alliance Mutthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) five years rule in the province, who came to the power after sweeping 2002 polls after the US invasion of Afghanistan. ANP banked on the wave of militancy in the province during the election campaign and promised to bring back peace to the province. The party gained nearly 30 seats in the provincial legislature and formed a coalition government with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). (more…)
More About: History , Chief Minister

Pakistan?s Brain Drain: Do We Not Know or Do We Not Care?
2008-04-03 02:41:00
Irum Sarfaraz The term brain drain was coined by the spokesmen of the Royal Society of London to describe the outflow of scientists and technologists to the United States and Canada in the early 1950s. Since then the term has become synonymous with human capital or the migration of highly educated individuals from the developing, ...
More About: Pakistan , Care , Brain

Who Will Stop This Mayhem in Pakistan?
2008-04-02 04:20:00
Deeda-i-Beena They are happening everyday but receive attention only as news of the day. Next day there is a new bombing and another report. Here is a sampling of headlines: ??..(number).. died.? ?Head of the suicide Bomber found.? ?President ? PM (and other ?notable Leaders?) condemn the dastardly attack.? ?President ? PM issue strict orders to catch ...
More About: Society , Politics , Pakistan , Law and Justice , Stop

KMB Shut Down Because of ?Bitter Rivalry? Amongst Authors? Or April Fool?s
2008-04-01 07:43:00
Adil Najam This has to be an April Fool ’s Day joke. Or is it? Like so many others, the three Metroblogs in Pakistan - Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad - are my daily visiting haunts. Today, however, I find this notice there from Sean Bonner from the “Metroblogging Headquarters.” KMB taking a break By Sean Bonner Dear Readers of Karachi Metblogs, It ...
More About: Society , Authors , Bitter

?New? Prime Minister, ?New? Cabinet, ?New? Zardari, ?New? Nawaz Sharif in ?
2008-03-31 19:38:00
Adil Najam I am in Islamabad for a short trip right now and all that anyone can talk about is the new Prime Minister and his new cabinet. Indeed, the place is abuzz with talk of the “new” politics of Pakistan. But, in typical Islamabad style, mixed with the unending cynicism about just how “new” this ...
More About: Politics , Cabinet

Beijing?s Pakistani Connections
2008-03-31 13:28:00
Owais Mughal Whenever we travel to a new country and we see any reference to Pakistan, it naturally catches our attention. Recently this ATP ka numaainda (representative) was in China. I saw following subtle references to Pakistan in Beijing . (1) Whether we liked her or not; whether we agreed with her or not; the ...
More About: Pakistani , Connections

Forman Christian (F.C.) College’s Political Clout
2008-03-30 07:36:00
Adil Najam At the new Prime Minister’s oath-taking recently, the body language of Gen. Pervez Musharraf as well as Yousuf Raza Gillani made it obvious that neither was comfortable being with the other. Each has deep reasons to distrust the motives of the other. One doubts, therefore, if they took any time t reminiscence about their college days. Both, after all, went to college at Lahore’s famed Forman Christian (F.C.) College; although at different times. (more…)
More About: Political

The Caps of Pakistan (Repost)
2008-03-28 22:19:00
Guest Post by Mast Qalandar (MQ) Pakistan is a country of several ethnic groups and cultures. This is apparent not only in the people’s looks but also in their language, traditions, food and dress. One of the things that strikes a newcomer to Pakistan is the variety of caps and turbans Pakistanis wear. Even though with increased ...
More About: Society , Heritage

Defending Dictatorship: Another View on Pakistan
2008-03-27 16:24:00
Syed Abbas Raza A military dictatorship is a military dictatorship, and a democracy is a democracy. And the latter is always automatically better than the former. It is safer to agree with this statement and to look at every particular complex political situation through the lens of this cliché than to risk having one’s liberal-democratic credentials ...
More About: Politics , People , Pakistan , View , Dictatorship

Pakistan Elections 2008: Poetic Politics
2008-03-26 14:06:00
Adil Najam Our repost of our ATP Mushaira post on Anwar Masood prompted reader Shahran Asim to send us this newer audio recording of Anwar Masood commenting on elections in Pakistan . I thought it was not only hilarious but also pertinent; and certainly worth sharing. Thanks, Shahran. (more…)
More About: Politics , Elections , 2008

ATP Mushaira: Anwar Masood (Repost)
2008-03-26 05:27:00
Adil Najam I want to introduce this new (hopefully regular) feature at ATP. (Actually, if you press the ‘ATP Mushaira ‘ category you will find that this is the second installment in this category; the first being our little Faiz Mela on Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s birthday.) Of course, poetry has been a regular and favorite subject for us at Pakistaniat.com. However, this (sub-) category is distinguished from other posts on poetry because here we will feature kalam i shair ba zaban i shair (i.e., poetry recited by the poets themselves). The Mushaira is a particular - and particularly enchanting - Pakistani tradition. It is, of course, not just a Pakistani tradition, nor any more only an Urdu tradition. Indeed, it seems that the new revival of the mushaira is happening neither in Pakistan nor in India but in the Middle East and North America, because of affluent expatriates yearning for poetic connections to the homes they left behind. Indeed, a new crop of poets are emerging ...
More About: Anwar

A Trip to Saidpur: Khawaja Khizar in Islamabad
2008-03-25 03:23:00
Mast Qalandar People often describe Islamabad as a city without a soul. Actually, Islamabad’s soul is not to be found in the city itself, but on the fringes of the city. In the little hamlets and hills. Fauzia Minallah, an Islamabad based artist, has recently published a delightful coffee-table book titled ‘Glimpses into Islamabad’s Soul’. She describes ...
More About: Books , History , Tourism , Mast Qalandar

Profile: Meet Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani
2008-03-24 05:01:00
Adil Najam With the PPP leadership having endorsed him and his nomination papers having been accepted, unless something dramatic happens - and in Pakistan, it always can - Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani will soon be elected as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. Whether Mr. Gillani will become the person to harken meaningful democratic change in the ...
More About: Politics , People , Profile , Meet

March 23, 2008: Let Democracy Reign
2008-03-23 18:21:00
Adil Najam Addressing the Pakistan military parade today, Gen. Pervez Musharraf proclaimed that “you are seeing that a real democratic era has begun in Pakistan.” I say “Amen” to that. I remain confident as ever that Pakistan remains a democratic society trapped inside of an undemocratic state. I repeat and stand by what I had written ...
More About: Society , Politics , Democracy , March , Reign

March 23, 2008: What Jinnah Has to Tell us Today
2008-03-23 05:36:00
Darwaish Today is 23rd March, 2008. On this date in 1940 the historic Lahore Resolution (Later Pakistan Resolution) was passed. Last year in the series of March 23 posts (here, here and here), Adil Najam had written about ‘Owning Mohammad Iqbal.’ This year I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my ...
More About: Politics , People , History , Law and Justice

PPP Names Yousuf Raza Gillani as Nominee for Prime Minister
2008-03-22 20:31:00
Adil Najam The news, although not surprising, is still too fresh and without enough details to make a full commentary on. But it is worth getting a discussion on. The Pakistan People ’s Party (PPP) has finally made up its mind on who its nominee for Prime Minister will be. And the winner is Yousuf Raza Gillani. According ...
More About: Politics

Basant in Pakistan
2008-03-22 07:10:00
Shiraz Bashir Basant - the kite flying festival of spring - was supposed to be celebrated last weekend in Lahore but, at least officially, it was postponed because of the tragic Lahore bombings. But Basant season is obviously here. For good and for bad. Basant is a festival celebrating arrival of a spring season. People dress up ...
More About: Society , Sports , Heritage , Pakistan

Pakistanis Celebrate Eid-Milad-un-Nabi, Good Friday and Holi Today
2008-03-21 06:34:00
Adil Najam The vast majority of Pakistanis are Muslims - over 160 million according to some counts - and will celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi today to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Coincidently, this year Eid Milad-n-Nabi comes on exactly the same day when the another 3 million Pakistani Christians will be marking Good Friday to ...
More About: Society , Religion , Today , Celebrate