Mr. Ikramullah Khan Niazi, father of Imran Khan passed away today in Lahore. 
Inna-lillah-e-wainnah-lillahi-rajioon!
“Verily we belong to Allah, and to Allah we return.”
May Allah grant him the highest level in Jannah and ease his family of pain. Ameen!
Today’s blasts in Lahore are just the latest deadly attacks in Pakistan. At about 9.30am, the whole city was literally shaken by the sound of two explosions. They were so intense that people reported hearing them and feeling the windows shake as far as five kilometres away. At least 25 people are dead and another 150 or so have been injured.
Whether you blame it on the post-9/11 world, Pakistan’s internal political instability or its rulers’ decades-old policy of supporting the agenda of foreign powers at the expense of Pakistanis, things have gone from bad to worse over the past two years. The bombers have spread from tribal areas in the north-west and Baluchistan to target major cities, mainly in the form of suicide attacks on government and army targets.
One of the targets was the headquarters of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Temple Road, near major businesses and government offices. The first suicide bomber cleared the way for his associate by bringing the entrance gate down, while the second blew up his car inside the complex.
The second blast, unlike earlier incidents, happened in the upmarket residential area of Model Town, in front of the offices of an advertising agency. While the first attack could be attributed to the sensitive nature of the agency, the Model Town attack had no understandable motive - apart from the fact that it took place just round the corner from Bilawal House, home of the late ex-PM Benazir Bhutto and her party’s Lahore headquarters.
Lahore is Pakistan’s cultural capital, and during he bloody months of last year it remained largely peaceful compared to Karachi. But 2008 brought a deadly attack on city policemen guarding the Lahore High Court during a lawyers’ rally in January, followed by an attack on the prestigious Navy War College earlier this month.
Read more at The Guardian Blog
Did that ring any bells, huh? A wild guess? On well, March 8th is celeb
rated across the globe as an International Women’s day. Now the question arises why there was a need to mark a whole day to revise and educate others and women themselves of their rights. Well here are a few of ‘em. Now let us know a little about how it all started and all that jazz. This is where wikipedia doesn’t have a close rival (atleast in my oh-so-humble -opinion).
This year’s theme for the IWD is ‘Investing in Women and Girls’, as announced by the United Nations. The celebrations across the globe will focus on financing for gender equality, calling for a change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the history of their countries and communities. Keep reading >>>
Apart from other countries in the world, in Pakistan women’s day was celebrated with zeal. Events were planned through out Pakistan, activists joined a conference on eliminating discrimination and violence against women, a rally and even a women’s rock-climbing competition. Last year’s competition resulted in a great success and is again expected to attract many people.
In Lahore IWD was celebrated in full spirit by the civil society. Seminars were held, there were conferences, walks, candle light vigils and symposiums throughout the day to commemorate the struggle of women all across the globe. Read more >>>
The Pakistan Peoples Party Women Wing (PPPWW) Sindh has marked International Women’s Day, March 8, in honour of the late Benazir Bhutto, as the only female leader of a political party and the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world. It also said 2008 is “The Year of Benazir Bhutto”. Here’s more>>>
In most countries around the world women do not have proper rights in society. And here’s when Islam accepted and protected women’s rights, that they should not be treated as slaves or animals. Here is a brief visit to Women’s Rights in Isalm >>>
In the end March 8th is the day to talk about women, their rights and their problems.
The 23rd Lahore International Book Fair at the Fortress stadium main ground was opened yesterday. The five-day mega book fair with the theme Education for All, Books for Peace was inaugurated by Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Justice (r) Ejaz Nisar. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Book Fair he laid stress on the necessity of promoting book reading and improving the education system by all means.
The book- fair is becoming more and more popular and expanding each year. That is why publishers from around the world are attracted. Around 175 publishers from around the world, including the US, UK and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, would set up their stalls at the fair. The international publishers will offer attractive discounts and local publishers will give as much as 50 percent discounts on their books. Sounds good enough, no? :)
So, all you book-lovers out there hungry to discover the best selling authors, grab your wish-list and don’t miss this exciting and extraordinary literary event. It’s worth your while.
See you at the festival.
Many had doubts on the fairness of these elections after several acts of the previous government referred to pre-poll rigging, but majority of them have blatantly been proven wrong.
Former ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q) is loosing grip even on its strongholds of power as Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the late Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) continue their sweep drive in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh respectively.
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Early results and speculations are literally pointing towards a total victory for PML(N) in Lahore, both on National and Provincial Assemby seats.
More astonishing has been the defeat of stars of PML(Q) in their own home constituencies. PML(Q) Chairman, Ch. Shujaat Hussain lost in his native Gujrat while Rao Sikander Iqbal (former Defence Minister), Khurshid Mahmood Qasoori (former Foreign Minister), Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (former Information and later Railways Minister) and Farooq Leghari (former President of Pakistan and a prominent Q-league leader) all fell victim to the shattering voter power of the PML(N) and PPPP in their respective home towns of Okara, Kasur, Rawalpindi and Dera Ghazi Khan. On the other hand, former Chief Minister of Punjab and the key PML(Q) nominee for Prime Ministership, Ch. Pervaiz Ilahi was successful in winning both National and Provincial Assembly seats for himself.
Looking at the present state of PML(Q)’s falling frontiers, we can surely understand all was not lie in the government’s claims of holding free and fair elections; another omen for strongly needed change and progress of democracy in Pakistan.
One person was killed and seven others wounded when gunmen opened fire on an election office of a PML-N candidate in Lahore late Sunday, police said. The gunmen riding on a motorbike opened fire on officials in the office of a candidate for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N. The attack took place in the city’s congested Gwalmandi neighbourhood.
Let’s just hope that this type of activity won’t get out of hand, and that it won’t be tolerated anymore. Let’s just pray everything goes well and that our new leaders will have a positive attitude. And wish that things will get better for every one of us, ameen! Good luck Pakistan! Good luck Pakistan ki Awam!
Have you decide whom to vote, or more importantly do you plan to even vote? If yes then have you done your home work? It’s the duty of every citizen to do their home work before casting a vote because it’s a tough decision and it shouldn’t be taken lightly in any way. We must be an active part of the political power system if we are to make the changes we want. It shows that we are being heard. So here’ s a site to help you in this matter, (FNS) Freidrich Nauman Stiftung, a non-government Organisation has launched a blog to educate people about the statistics and ongoing treands during the general polls.
Their website Individual Counts does not only display data about the number of candidates contesting for National and Provincial assemblies across the country but has also discussed the competiotion between different political rivals in different constituencies.
So, get educated and updated.
Sialkot, situated almost half the way to Islamabad from Lahore, is a city famous for exporting world class sports goods (read footballs), utensils and surgical instruments. Despite of its high industrial and economic status, the city pathetically lacks decent accomodation or hotels, and good logistics links with the rest of the country. But everything is going to change for the good now.
With a new Rs.40 billion Motorway link between Lahore and Sialkot in the planning stages, the city already has an international airport now.
Last year, the people of Sialkot made history by building the first privately owned airport in the country. SIAL by every mean and measure is the largest privately sponsored infrastructure project in Pakistan and speaks for the marvels industry investments into society can bring.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) started its first scheduled service off Sialkot on November 30, 2007 and from February 15, 2008, Sialkot has been brought online on PIA’s international service with weekly flights to Kuwait. Plans for a regular international cargo service are in the final stages too.
This indeed is great news for the people of Sialkot while for Lahoris, it gives us access to the facility of Pakistan’s longest runway (welcoming prospective arrival of the A380 in Pakistan) just on a two hours drive.
LMB congratulates the people of Sialkot for showing us all how citizens can make real difference and benefit from unity of economic and social strength.
Yesterday was not a, the now-unusual, no bad news day as we felt the tremors of a blast in Rawalpindi, hundreds of miles away while a bomb threat made everyone panic in our very own city as well.
Someone called the administration of Government APWA College for Women at 11:00 am claiming that a bomb has been planted in the college premises, after which, the college buildings were immediately evacuated of panicky students. Bomb disposal squad, the police and Rescue 1122 arrived at the scene only to clear the place after proper search and screening had been carried out.
Although the reported incident was a hoax, there are further intelligence reports of alleged terrorists entering different cities of Punjab including Lahore and Rawalpindi near Islamabad, where a deadly blast killed at least 11 innocent people.
You are requested to be cautious of suspicious people, unattended luggage and/or a threat in your neighbourhood. In case of emergencies just dial 15 for police and 1122 for ambulance services.
