Renowned columnist Ardeshir Cowasjee passes away
One man who had the courage to say it all is no more. RIP. (news item, via umalik)
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The Glorious days of PIA
Air Hostess Momi Gul Durrani: In this photo PIA’s famous Air Hostess Momi Gul Durrani is seen in airline’s 1950s cabin crew uniform. Momi was one of PIA’s highly trained, professional and hard working cabin crew members of 1950s and 1960s. She was tall, fair with film-star looks. PIA had featured Momi in its many advertisements and it is said that when she smiled, she made others smile. In short period of time she gained immense popularity and achieved status of a bright star and a legend in PIA’s glorious history. Momi was on duty aboard PIA Boeing 720B jetliner which crashed near Cairo Airport on May 20, 1965. Sadly, 114 people, including Momi, died in this tragic accident.
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Major Shoaib who survived the Mi-17 crash with 90% burns left for this eternal abode yesterday. After the crash he pulled out 2 men who have both survived with injuries and walked to the ambulance before collapsing unconscious. Unable to open his eyes, he told his wife to take care of his mother and 2 daughters before he was evacuated to Kharian Army Burn Hospital. He asked about Amir, his co-pilot and coursemate who didnt survive the crash. Multiple heart attacks, swellings and infections finaly took him from us. His heroic act of valor in saving his crew while he himself burned will be not be forgotten. Allah bless him the highest place in jannat. Ameen. Respect. (Related news)
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Pakistan: Buddha Attacked by Taliban gets Facelift
JAHANABAD, Pakistan (AP) — When the Taliban blew the face off a towering, 1,500-year-old rock carving of Buddha in northwest Pakistan almost five years ago, it fell to an intrepid Italian archaeologist to come to the rescue.
Thanks to the efforts of Luca Olivieri and his partners, the 6-meter (nearly 20-foot)-tall image near the town of Jahanabad is getting a facelift, and many other archaeological treasures in the scenic Swat Valley are being excavated and preserved.
Hard-line Muslims have a history of targeting Buddhist, Hindu and other religious sites they consider heretical to Islam. Six months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting a pair of 1,500-year-old Buddhist statues in central Afghanistan.
The Jahanabad Buddha, etched high on a huge rock face in the 6th or 7th century, is one of the largest such carvings in South Asia. It was attacked in the fall of 2007 when the Pakistani Taliban swarmed across the scenic Swat Valley. The army drove most of them out two years later, but foreign tourists who used to visit the region still tend to stay away.
Olivieri himself had to leave in 2008 after more than two decades of tending to the riches dating back to Alexander the Great and the Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim invaders who followed. The 49-year-old head of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan returned in 2010 and is back at work. Read more
For similar news stories visit http://culturalsecurity.net/newssummary.htm
(via culturalsecurity)
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In this Nov. 1, 2010 file photo, a Pakistani boy reacts after he caught a fish while fishing with other boys in a flooded field next to their camp in Muzaffargarh in Punjab province, Pakistan. - Photo by AP. (via abustaif)
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Pakistan: Update on the deadly plane crash outside Islamabad
- 118 confirmed dead in plane crash near Rawalpindi source
» There were a total of 127 passengers on-board Bhoja Airlines Flight #B4-213, but officials do not expect to find survivors at this time. Reports suggest that the plane crashed in a residential area near Islamabad International Airport, and air traffic controllers may have lost contact with the pilot prior to the crash. Nearby, Chaklala airbase has been placed on emergency alert, as have hospitals and response crews around the area. Bhoja Airlines recently resumed air travel services after shuttering operations in 2000 due to overwhelming debt.
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Prayers!
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Cecil Chaudhry: Pakistan’s most loved war hero
In the 1965 war with India, Flight Lieutenant Chaudhry shot down three Indian aircraft in one mission. In the 1971 war with India, he has a close call when his plane was hit over Indian territory but he managed to glide the plane back into Pakistan.
He passed away recently after a long battle against Cancer. He will be remembered by his family and Pakistanis everywhere.
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Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy brings home an Oscar
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s “Saving Face” won the Oscar for documentary short at the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, making her the first Pakistani to win an Oscar award.
The Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy film follows British plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who returns to his homeland to help victims of acid burns. The film follows one woman as she fights to see that the perpetrators of the crime are imprisoned for life. (complete news here, previously)
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How to save a life
Humongous orange cranes rambled across the hills of debris. Surrounding the site were open-mouthed men and women gazing at the work being done. They were all residents of the neighbourhood, some of them waiting for their own relatives to be brought back from their dusty graves.
It had been four days since the massive explosion at a vet pharmaceutical factory, Orient Labs, but even then people were are buried underneath. The four-storey building collapsed as a gas cylinder suddenly exploded, last week. One of the injured workers, who was hospitalised after rescued from under the rocks and boulders, said that the owner of the factory had told them to leave the gas running after work, so that the cylinders could fill up during the weekend. However, before the gas could be turned off, the cylinder reached full capacity and exploded from the second floor.
All at once, confusion spread through the neighbourhood, when sleeping residents were shaken up to a bomb-blast-like sound and rushed outside palpitating with fear. All emergency services were alerted and rescue work was underway. Victims, who were slowly being brought out, were shifted to the Jinnah Hospital Lahore. Town Municipal trucks arrived to carry the loads of debris from the site. Police cordoned off the site (although in futility) and the morning sun slowly rose to see unprecedented chaos in the area.
Through the confusion, rescue workers arrived promptly and handled the situation expertly.
Workers of several welfare organisations and even political parties were present at the situation, but Rescue 1122’s prompt and anchored response was irreplaceable. (Complete article)
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Tipu Sultan merkez’ by ziegert roswag seiler architekten ingenieure, jar maulwi, pakistan
all images © holcim foundation
(SOURCE)
‘tipu sultan merkez’ earthen school in jar maulwi, pakistan by berlin-based architectural and engineering practice ziegert roswag seiler architekten ingenieure has received this year’s holcim award for sustainable construction within the asia-pacific region. the first level of of the two-story building is constructed with cob walls comprised of locally sourced clay, sand, straw, water and earth. resting upon brick foundations, the interior spaces are protected from moisture penetrating from the ground or rainwater. the upper floor is a bamboo framework filled with an earthen mixture.
the combined result of the structure absorbs humidity and the mass of the thick 60 centimeter bearing walls reduces the temperature of interior spaces by 8 degrees celsius during the 40 degree summer heat. local residents were able to build their new community facility by implementing appropriate construction technologies and skills which were already present within the village.
(via edificecomplex)
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