118confirmed 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.
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.
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)
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)
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.
Arfa Karim, youngest MCP (Microsoft Certified Peofessional) passed away. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon. :( May Allah make it easier for her family and grant her the highest level of Jannah. (via whispermelies)
FAISALABAD: In 2004, Aarifa Karim Randhawa was the youngest ever Microsoft certified professional in the world. Born in 1995, she received the prestigious title at the age of nine.
On December 22, Aarifa was admitted to Lahore’s CMH hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. On Thursday, doctors said there is no hope for her survival, and that her life support could be switched off ‘at any time’.
Aarifa’s father, Lt Col (Retd) Amjad Karim Randhawa told The Express Tribune that she had suffered an epileptic attack, which caused severe brain and heart damage. Randhawa said “only a miracle will allow my brilliant, genius daughter to live now”. (complete news, previous post on her)
ISLAMABAD: Eight amateur mountaineers felt in the clouds when two members of their international expedition scaled their first 8,000-metre plus peak in the Karakoram range.
“Mountain climbing is a daring and challenging sport that makes all senses react,” said the team leader, Scott Mackenzie, on return from the 8,051 metre high Broad Peak. It took the expedition nearly six arduous weeks to conquer the twelfth highest peak in the world late in July.
Extreme weather conditions made the group have second thoughts at times but it continued to push up. “The weather got so bad that most expeditions to Broad Peak abandoned their ascent and left except one team,” Mackenzie noted, praising the courage of his team of young climbers ranging in ages between 24 and 27. (For complete news article click here, and here for their campaign page)
Broad Peak (8051m)
Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world and is part of the Gasherbrum group in the Karakorum in Pakistan. Originally know as K3 it is known by some locally as Faichan KangriIn. In June 2011, a team of 6 Brits will set off to Pakistan to attempt to climb this peak. The team aim to summit, without guides, without porters and without oxygen. It will be the first time any of them have gone to 8000m and will be a big test of thier physical and mental strength. If they succeed they will be the 9th - 14th Brits to stand on the summit. To find out more about this mountain follow here.
Asia Bibi, a wife and mother, used these words to defend her faith against mocking co-workers who tried to make her convert to Islam. She was later convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death.
In Pakistan, more than 150,000 Christians have signed a petition demanding justice for persecution victims, including Asia Bibi. Now you can join with The Voice of the Martyrs and our Pakistani brothers and sisters in a call for mercy. We hope to gather 1 million signatures on behalf of our sister Asia, who now sits in prison awaiting the Lahore High Court’s ruling on her appeal.
Invite your friends to visit www.CallForMercy.com and add their names to the petition as well. VOM will deliver the petition, along with the list of signers, to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC.
Disagreeing with the actual post on the part that she was being force converted, but unfortunately in Pakistan lower strata of society does face a lot of issues and discrimination but the Christian community from the same strata also face an extra hardship when confronted by Blasphemy law in Pakistan. This is a law which was enacted to protect honour of all the Prophets, Holy Scriptures and Religions but unfortunately was so loosely documented (initially taken from the law gifted to us by British Raj before independence) that it has found itself misused. Interestingly this law has been used to settle old scores and over the years more Muslims have been put in prison (eventually freed but stigmatised for life) than non-Muslims.
For Aasia Bibi in particular there have been already at least two high level assassinations, one of Punjab’s Governor Salman Taseer (a Muslim) who also happened to be one of the most successful Businessmen in Pakistan and a Religious Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti (a Christian) for raising their voice against the Blasphemy law and this woman in particular.
Even to this day, Pakistani society is asking for return to normalcy and sanity, equality for all the citizens of the country, especially the non-Muslims.
If you are a Pakistani, it is your moral duty to raise your voice for the poor victims like Aasia Bibi.
A Public Service message for Pakistanis who do not pay tax
In Pakistan only 2% of people pay their taxes, while 98% just avoid this duty. Just like a bus filled with hundred people made to be pushed by just two. How will our country work this way?
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.
