Am thankful to Nadia Rasul for finding them worthy enough for an inclusion. However for the kind of interest it has generated, I understand that it will not have many people pleased but that is what my opinion of the gathering was. You might consider me myopic in my approach here, but well that is my approach and as always I shall stick to it unless proven wrong. And of course as always when I am proven wrong I will admit it publicly.
In the midst of violence and chaos in Karachi, master craftsmen are giving birth to art-in brass. Unfortunately, business has taken a down turn in the recent years due to instability in the city.
Son of a Bug is a feature-length experimental documentary that explores the history of The Bugs, the first Pakistani rock band (formed circa 1964), and the contested spaces of culture and religion, particularly what it means to be Muslim and Pakistani/Pakistani-American, as revealed through the father-son relationship between former drummer-turned-Texan, Jumshade “Jimmy” Muzaffar, and his Texas-raised son, Shams-Tabraiz “Tabby.”
Spread the word, let’s support Ali Kapadia’s Peace Film via Kickstarter.
Pakistan is a country surrounded by complex issues and I am passionate about addressing them. One of these issues is Pakistan’s relationship with India.
Ever since the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947, they have repeatedly been at war with each other and there seems to be no end to it. The two countries have fought 4 wars with hundreds of thousands of casualties and refugees. Even when both countries have half their population living on less than $2/day, they spend more on their military than education, poverty relief and social services combined. The strife is fueled by political interests that benefit from such conflict and the conflict has no place in today’s world. (Know more about it and support the cause by donating or spreading the word)
AMONG the top ranking Pakistani-American artists, Lubna Agha, who sadly passed away on Sunday in Boston, did not opt to convey her themes to Western art enthusiasts through traditional genres like miniatures, but chose to communicate through an idiom which was unique and, at the same time, not totally alien to them. She combined the modern-abstract style of the West with traditional Islamic art motifs. (source)
A blood moon is essentially a full moon, except it is orange in colour and it happens rarely, but when it does it is a therapeutic and relaxing sight. And the beauty of the moon is so captivating that the New York-based musicians decided to name their band ‘Blood Moon Therapy’. Recently, the band made headlines for its ‘rock diplomacy’ tour across Pakistan. Although cynics cringed at the poor sound quality, one thing was certain — rock can transcend boundaries.
While talking about the experience of performing in Pakistan, founding member and guitarist Nicholas Bacon, says “It was interesting as we were allowed to improvise and innovate on stage due to the constant challenges related to sound and equipment failures.”
Meanwhile, Michael Lombardi, the frontman of Blood Moon Therapy, who is also a leading TV actor, adds, “What surprised me the most was the knowledge of rock music here,” he says. “There were these kids wearing AC/DC t-shirts and they were singing along, having a ball. It feels like the 60s in America; these people want to be free and express themselves through rock.” (Complete article)
The First Lady of USA, Jacqueline Kennedy, arrives in London on Pakistan International Airlines’ B720, AP-AMG , PIA’s first B720 delivered brand new on 12 dec 1961. Jackie loved flying on PIA.
Pakistani activist gets US’ International Women of Courage Award
WASHINGTON: A Pakistani woman activist from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has been conferred with the International Women of Courage award by the US.
Shad Begum was presented the award by US First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a ceremony on Thursday, which was also attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman.
Shad hails from Lower Dir district of Malakand division, which was briefly under militant rule before the Pakistan Army launched an operation in May 2009. She has been recognised for her contribution to the improvement in the lives of women in conservative communities.
Shad is among 10 women who were given the award from as many countries, which are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, Sudan, Cambodia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Turkey and Brazil.
Born in 1974, Shad founded the Anjuman Behbud-e-Khawateen Talash (ABKT) in Lower Dir in 1994 to work on women rights and development. The organisation has now been renamed as the Association for Behaviour and Knowledge Transformation (ABKT).
Last year, a Pakistani woman named Ghulam Sughra, was given the award. (via pakistank2)
By Murtaza Haider, Ph.D. Associate Dean of research and graduate programs at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto.
——
Several policy-makers, politicians, and development professionals in the west believe that the economic survival of Pakistan rests on handouts from the United States. Often American legislators ridicule Pakistan for willingly accepting American dollars in charity, but not delivering on American demands in return.
The Westerners are not alone in believing that Pakistan’s survival rests on handouts from the US. While speaking on Canadian TV earlier this week, Raheel Raza, a Canadian of Pakistani origin, argued the same. “Ever since the inception of Pakistan the United States has given Pakistan aid without which it cannot survive,” said Ms. Raza.
The US economic and military assistance to Pakistan indeed has a long history stretched over decades during which several American governments have poured billions of dollars into Pakistan. The question, however, is to determine first why Americans aided Pakistan and second what was the money intended for. And even more importantly, one should determine if indeed Pakistan’s economic survival rests on American aid.
The British newspaper Guardian maintains an active database documenting six decades of American aid to Pakistan. The data is compiled by Wren Elhai of the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC. The database reveals that since 1948 the US assistance to Pakistan has largely been for civilian purposes. Of the $61.7 billion in total assistance (in constant 2009 dollars) provided to Pakistan between 1948 and 2010, $40.4 billion were provided for economic assistance and $21.3 billion in military assistance. The economic assistance to Pakistan peaked in the early 60s when in excess of $2 billion annually were provided to Pakistan. (Complete article)
I hope you all read this article in it’s entirety! (via umalik)
This blog aims at telling you the "truth" about Pakistan. Unfortunately, today the news emerging from Pakistan on the Western media are so much polarized that it gives a very unreal image of Pakistan.
At "What no one told you about Pakistan", we aim at telling you the real stories about Pakistan.
