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Sindhi Poetry at ATP: faasla
2008-02-21 13:45:00
Owais Mughal This poem was published on February 20, 2008 in The Daily Kawish. Poetess is Shagufta Jabeen. I think it is a very beautiful poem. I have tried to translate it below the Sindhi text (next page), but my translation is a bit amateurish. Any correction or suggestions from our seasoned readers will be appreciated.
More About: Poetry

Pakistan?s First Water Desalination-&-Power Plant
2008-02-21 02:05:00
Owais Mughal On the same day (Feb 11, 2008) when South Bound Lyari Expressway was inaugurated, another important project of Pakistan reached its opening milestone. This one is called the DHA Desalination and Power Plant . It is the first project of its kind in Pakistan which desalinates water from the Arabian Sea for human consumption as ...
More About: Water

Pakistan Elections 2008: Electainment
2008-02-20 13:00:00
Owais Mughal Pakistan Election 2008 is a serious business. Our present and future depends on it. There is however, a lighter and human side to it too. Soemtimes it brings smile to us and sometimes a laughter. And that lighter side is also a part of our Pakistaniat. I’ve tried to collect few such moments here. (1) ...
More About: Elections

Architecture Pakistan: True Blue in Lahore
2008-02-20 00:32:00
Owais Mughal Photo Credits belong to Zafar Iqbal at trekearth.com. The subject is a brightly colored house in Lahore . Also note the use of spot lights for night illumination as well as the few resting pigeons at the scaffoldings.
More About: Architecture , Pakistan , Blue , True

Pakistan Elections 2008: Vote I Must
2008-02-19 12:20:00
Adil Najam We have recently been talking about whether people think that they should at all vote in these elections and it is clear from reports that the turnout has been rather low. But it seems that like in all elections there are some who you cannot keep away from polling, even if you wanted to. ...
More About: Politics , Elections , Pakistan , Picture of the day , Vote

Pakistan Elections 2008: ATP Newsroom
2008-02-19 00:26:00
ATP Team and ATP Readers All Things Pakistan (ATP) is a blog. We are not a news site. We are, however, deeply interested in meaningful conversation on everything that relates to Pakistan. Including news. Especially news about the elections now being held in Pakistan In this post we invite all our readers to help us write ...
More About: Elections , Newsroom , 2008

Pakistan Elections 2008: Vote I Must
2008-02-18 17:29:00
Adil Najam We have recently been talking about whether people think that they should at all vote in these elections and it is clear from reports that the turnout has been rather low. But it seems that like in all elections there are some who you cannot keep away from polling, even if you wanted to. ...
More About: Politics , Elections , Pakistan , Picture of the day , Vote

Pakistan Elections 2008: To Vote Or Not To Vote?
2008-02-17 06:05:00
Adil Najam Although this election remains shrouded in uncertainty, despair and gloom, it is quite clear that - one way or the other - these elections will be yet another defining moment in Pakistan ’s traumatic political history. Elections are critical because they give the citizen on opportunity to make their voice heard; to make a statement. This ...
More About: Politics , Vote , 2008

Aitizaz Ahsan bazaban-i Aitizaz Ahsan
2008-02-16 04:42:00
Adil Najam Aitizaz Ahsan, flaws and all, has become the voice of the moment. The voice of a generation. This voice, which has become my voice and, maybe, yours speaks more passionately in the idiom of poetry than in the idiom of prose. It speaks most passionately in this poem - Kal, Aaj and Kal - ...
More About: Society , Politics , People , Poetry

Damage to Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan - Chilas Stupa and Answer to ATP Qu
2008-02-15 15:43:00
Darwaish Looks like our last ATP Quiz has turned out to be a bit tough for readers as very few came close to guessing correctly. Let me just give you the answer. The votary stupa that you are seeing above (left picture) was carved some thousand years back and often referred as ‘Chilas Stupa’. It used to ...
More About: History , Heritage , Answer , Pakistan , Damage

Pakistan Elections 2008: A Manifesto Review ? Are They Really Serious About
2008-02-15 05:41:00
Zahra Naqvi The nation is gearing up for Election 2008 but issues-based politics remains a distant dream. However as an electioneering ritual all major political parties have announced their election manifestos to offer voters their pledges, promises, potential policies and programmes that will be realised if they are voted to power on February 18, 2008. The comparative ...
More About: Politics , Elections , Education , Review , Pakistan

Happy Valentine?s Day, Peshawar, Pakistan
2008-02-14 06:01:00
Adil Najam This rather striking picture, taken by Associated Press in Peshawar Pakistan is remarkable just for it captivating composition. But I have no doubt that our readers will not disappoint in making more of this than probably needs to be made!
More About: Society , Valentine , Picture of the day , Happy

Pakistan Elections 2008: Why the lull this Time?
2008-02-13 18:01:00
Syed Ahsan Ali I have witnessed few elections since 1990. It has always been a fun witnessing elections in your mohalla in the hustle bustle of Karachi. Motorbike riders running around on their bikes flashing flags of parties of their preference. This is considered by some to be a nuisance but they play a vital role ...
More About: Society , Politics , Elections , Time , Pakistan

ATP Quiz: What is This and Where in Pakistan?
2008-02-13 06:36:00
Darwaish I think many ATP readers might find this one very interesting. This is an ancient rock picture located somewhere in Pakistan . Can you guess what is it and exactly where? In case you know about it, please share as many details as you can. I must tell you though that the current status of this ...
More About: Quiz , History , Heritage

Pakistan Election 2008: Suggest a Title
2008-02-12 14:28:00
Adil Najam Credit: Associated Press.
More About: Politics , Pakistan , Picture of the day , Election , Election 2008

Lyari Expressway (South Bound) Inaugurated
2008-02-12 01:10:00
Owais Mughal The famous Lyari Expressway project is now ready to be opened. Atleast in half. The proposed project called for a 4-lane expressway on either side (2-ln each side) of Lyari river. The South bound corridor is now complete and it was inaugurated today (Feb 11, 2008). The total length of Lyari Expressway, North and South ...
More About: Bound

Pakistan Elections 2008: Will They? Won?t They?
2008-02-11 16:45:00
Adil Najam Yesterday, while passing through Chicago airport on my way to Tokyo, Japan, I found myself transfixed by a wall full of posters announcing that Chicago is an “Applicant City” for the 2016 Olympics. The airport was full of them but, frankly, the posters themselves are not remarkable. They became remarkable for me because of the thoughts ...
More About: Politics , Elections , Pakistan , 2008

Provinces and Islamabad to compete for the Cricket Title
2008-02-10 15:33:00
Owais Mughal This year PCB is experimenting with a brand new format of Pentagular Cup cricket tournament; and that is only provincial teams will take part in it. The tournament starts today. The captains for the participating teams in Pentagular Cup are: Shahid Afridi (Sindh), Shoaib Malik (Punjab), Younis Khan (NWFP), Shoaib Akhtar (Federal) and Naseem ...
More About: Cricket , Islamabad , Title , Compete

billi - an excerpt from Shafiq-ur-Rehman?s ?lehreN?
2008-02-09 06:13:00
English translation is given at the end. Owais Mughal Following ‘azad’ poem is by one of my favourite writers, Shafiq-ur-Rehman and it comes from his book ‘lehreN’. The poem is actually a satire on modern day poets who write ‘azad’ Urdu poem by using all the ‘azadi’ they can get. The poem describes a situation of fighting ...

Learning Resource Center, Nushki
2008-02-08 20:51:00
Owais Mughal This is the photo of the Learning Resource Center at the Government Boys Primary School, Ghareebabad II in Nushki, Balochistan. Photo credits belong to Mr. Qudrat Barrech who is a teacher at this school. One can see interesting things in this photo. I am very happy to see this mini library in an area ...

Traveling on the N5 - Part IV
2008-02-08 02:27:00
Owais Mughal Three episodes ago, we started our journey on Pakistan’s longest highway N5 in Karachi (km 0). On our way we stopped at Rohri, Bahawalpur and Lahore. Today in Part IV we will continue our journey on N5 northwards of Lahore (km 1260) and cover a distance of 280 km to reach Rawalpindi (km 1540). ...
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VIDEO: Chasing Storms in Thar Desert
2008-02-07 17:51:00
Owais Mughal In September 2007, we had featured a video of the Jeep Safari by 4×4 Off-Roaders Club into Hingol National Park and Mud Volcanoes of Balochistan. Today we are bringing another spectacular video from the same club into the Thar desert of Pakistan. Take a Look. WPvideo 1.10 Related ATP Post: Mud Volcanoes of Balochistan
More About: Video , Desert

ATP Quiz: Clock Towers of Pakistan
2008-02-05 05:40:00
Owais Mughal Following is a collection of Clock Tower (ghanta ghar) images from Pakistan . Can you tell us where are they located? Once part of every major public building, Clock towers have now gone out of fashion from modern architecture. For Quiz purposes let us number following images from (1) through (9) starting from top left, ...

Benazir Bhutto?s New Book: Reading Between And Beyond The Lines
2008-02-04 01:42:00
Adil Najam The much-anticipated, and now posthumus, new book by Benazir Bhotto - Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West - is to be released soon and excerpts were printed today in the Sunday Times (London). I have read the excerpts but have not read the book yet. I am very eager to read the book and just ...
More About: Politics , People , Books , Reading , Book

Emperor Ashoka in our Backyard: Deciphering the Rock Edicts and the Law of
2008-02-03 07:36:00
Mast Qalandar If you think it was the MMA who tried to introduce the “law of morality” in the Frontier province of Pakistan (NWFP), think again! A “law of morality” was first introduced in the region much, much before the MMA or the Taliban appeared on the scene. Even before Pakistan, before the British and before the ...
More About: History , Tourism , Rock , The Rock , Mast Qalandar

Tribute to a Musical Giant: Khamisu Khan and Son
2008-02-02 09:18:00
Adil Najam For the last one-and-half hour I have sat here totally transfixed. Utterly spellbound. I am as mesmerized by this magical sound today as I was the very first time I heard the legandry Alghoza (Alghozo, Beeno) maestro Khamiso Khan . The sound grows on you slowly. And then, at some point, it takes hold of you. ...
More About: Musical , Giant , Tribute

Restraining the Chaudhries: It Ain?t Over Till Its Over
2008-02-01 09:01:00
Adil Najam In a post, written just a few days ago, I had argued that Gen. Musharraf’s hold on power which had earlier benefited so much from the machinations of one set of Chaudhries (Shujaat and Pervaiz Elahi) continues to be undermined by the unwavering resolve of another set of Chaudhries (Iftikhar and Aitizaz Ahsan). Events ...
More About: Politics , People

Encouraging Pakistani Entrepreneurs: Sofizar Wins MITCEF-OPEN Business Acce
2008-01-30 22:02:00
Adil Najam Sofizar, which works on “click fraud” and “web analytics Solutions” (maybe we at ATP should be talking to them!) describes itself as “a Carlsbad, CA based internet marketing company with development and operations based out of Lahore” won the 2007 MITCEF-OPEN Business Acceleration Plan (BAP). Zafar Khan, the CEO of Sofizar, along with others from ...
More About: Society , Development , Open , Pakistani

Deplorable: Iconic Humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi Facing Deportation From U
2008-01-29 07:31:00
aAdil Najam Hassan Abbas from WatanDost just alerted me to this most deplorable and shocking news. According to the Daily Times: Renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi was interrogated by US immigration officials at the JF Kennedy Airport in New York, who also seized his passport and other documents, a private TV channel reported on Monday. Edhi told Geo News that US immigration officials had questioned him for eight hours at the airport. “They asked me why I don’t reside permanently in the US despite having a green card,” he said. “I told them that I’m a social worker and I have to travel extensively around the world, and so cannot live there permanently,” he added. (more…)
More About: Humanitarian , Deportation , Facing

Irreconcilable Differences: Imran Khan and Jemima Reunited
2008-01-29 06:31:00
Adil Najam Well, not really. Headlines like that were in rage today and referred to the fact that Imran Khan and Jemima, now divorced, appeared together in a protest outside 10 Downing Street, London, where Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf was meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. According to The News: The high profile divorced couple stood side by side in front of the prime minister’s office for some time, where a large number of overseas Pakistanis had gathered to protest the arrival of Musharraf in London and his “anti-democratic” steps in Pakistan. internet advertising (more…)
More About: Imran Khan , Differences , Reunited