The Lahore CCPO’s office and the Rescue 15 center were targeted–both show signs of severe destruction.  The Rescue 15 building is located on Fatima Jinnah Road–formerly known as Queens Road. The Police have said that 25 people were inside the building when the blast occured.

As is the case in such scenarios, there are conflicting counts for those injured or killed in this incident.  Geo TV’s website reports 10 killed and 83 injured.  However, according to Edhi’s services, 30 people have been killed so far.   According to the DCO Lahore, 23 people have died due to the blast.

TV news reports say 3 security personnel are among the dead.  Watching Express 24/7, they say 120 to 130 people have been injured but that the numbers come from two main hospitals serving the victims right now, which includes Ganga Ram Hospital.  The casualties are expected to rise.

Emergency crews are continuing to pull people out of the rubble–and aerial surveillance is also underway at the site. Markets in the surrounding areas have been closed down.

Those in Lahore have been requested to donate blood.  Contact 042-756-8724 or 8725 to find out more about the donation process.

According to DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta, this was a suicide car bombing. 2 suspects have been arrested by the local police. Eyewitness reports also confirm the incident as a car bombing.

Earlier this morning, I turned on the TV–when the news came of this blast in Lahore.  At the time, 150 people were reported injured–and children are trapped inside St. Anthony’s school near the Mall.  Now it is reported the students have been sent home with their family members.

It is reported that 35 adjacent buildings have been damaged by the intensity of the blast. Also, that the explosion created a crater 20 feet deep at the site.

I also heard that the windows for Quaid-e-Azam library have been shattered. Friends on Facebook who work near the area also reported shattered windows, falling ceilings.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Razas Gilani have both condemned the attack.

We here at Lahore Metblogs will keep updating this–as more information comes in.

Do pray for those affected by this tragic incident.

Some news sources for those interested: 

• Dawn  , specifically this story
• Geo TV, specifically this article

Lahore School of Economics students of Marketing (MBA – II) have organized a seminar on Integrated Marketing Communication in Pakistan. See the vibrant glimpses of the Seminar LIVE  here.

Guys, there is a painting exhibition by Aasia Bajwa on 16th and 17th May, from 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM in Zavier Hall of PC. Guess what???… you can enjoy host of things there, as there would be many other stalls and interesting items on display.

I witnessed one great rainy day in March 1998, just cannot forget that day, had a great college trip to Changamanga and then a great hang out, i mean AWSOME, :) …. sharing long-stem red roses with friends, aahhh, those last college days.

Cherishing good old memories when I was at GJ with my sister last month, was a good practice. Sometimes its good to look back and smile for little, tiny miny joys we had.

Coffee, cool weather and great company, all work together to glorify memories….do you think so???

This Sunday will be Lahore’s fifth Critical Mass event. The group’s been getting some publicity, including this piece in the Christian Science Monitor.

I can’t speak for the others (though I know many share this view), but getting on our cycles and going onto the streets of Lahore sends a powerful message: That the streets are open spaces; that men, women and children can enjoy the city and its many delights safely and without fear of molestation; that cycling is a viable form of transport; that the way our cities are managed is deplorable; and that, most of all, we are having fun in our own city and in our own country.

Come join the Critical Mass on Sunday. All you’ll need is a road worthy cycle and a sense of adventure. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Lahore School of Economics (Center for Research in Economics and Business) on 20-21 April, 2009. The underlying objective of the conference is to promote dialogue/discussion on key economic management and policy issues facing the country today. A distinguished economist or senior policy maker will be asked to present the keynote address, while eminent economists from the region will be invited to present papers or participate in the panel sessions. The papers and proceedings of the conference will be published in a special issue of the Lahore Journal of Economics.The topics and broad areas of discussion include Promoting Stable and Sustainable Growth, Free Trade Agreements – Experience and Potential, Liberalizing Trade and Investment with India: A Recipe for Higher Growth, Pakistan’s Stop-Go Growth – A Symptom of an Anti-Export Bias, Accelerating Export Growth – Looking Beyond Textiles. Read here.

The Fifth Annual Conference on Management of the Pakistan Economy is being held in

The Sayid Saigol Auditorium at the Lahore School of Management Sciences (LUMS) hosted the book reading of Nadeem Aslam’s latest publication, ‘Wasted Vigil’ on Friday evening.

The book is a journey to the past, as it picks up 25 years ago to showcase and analyse the curse of barbaric extremists that now plague Afghanistan. ‘Wasted Vigil’ is the author’s third publication and easily achieves the status of one of his most powerful novels yet. The work highlights the lives of five varying individuals and the impact of the ‘war on terror’ on them.

History’s reflection:

 At the book reading, the author explained what made him write his books. He said his fiction reflected history, claiming the subcontinent’s realities were a tad too real to ignore and needed to be spread to the masses.

As part of the event, Nadeem read extracts from his book and then talked about its contents with the audience. The book is an elegantly crafted tale of latter day Afghanistan, parts of which the author travelled to as part of research for his novel. The cover of the paperback version of the novel features Steve McCurry’s photograph of a pashtun girl in a Peshawar Refugee Camp. The same photographer captured Sharbat Gul, the Afghan girl whose eyes still haunt the world from a Nat Geo cover.

Teaching through talking:

Since the auditorium was full of students, Nadeem Aslam carefully explained the technicalities of his writing. He explained how he injected life into his texts, how he formed his sentences and how aspiring writers could create something that stood out. In the question and answer session, the participants asked meaningful questions, at times challenging the author to look at his own work in a different light. The author carefully cleared all confusions regarding the book and later signed all copies of his three books that were for sale outside the auditorium.

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Been on the lookout for desi nashta in Lahore, but none of my friends have been able to direct me to a nice place. I wonder if the readers can tell me where I can get real Lahori nashta on a Sunday morning. Please no Capri or Espresso. I want real Lahori breakfast :)

Please don’t hate me
for what I’m about to do
But the good times we’ve had together
are just about now through
Please don’t misunderstand me
I hate to see you cry
But I think that it might look better
if I told you now goodbye

I’m back on the road again
it’s time I leave you now
And maybe I’ll see you next time
that I’m around
Until then I hope your happy baby
and good times come your way
I’m back on the road again
I’m on my way

Well I’ve loved you since the day I met you
and I’ll love you till the day I die
But we both know the life I’m livin
and we both know the reason why
That I’ve got to leave ya
and I’ve got to leave today
But you know that I’ll see you next time
that I come through your town to play