It is to inform you that the leadership of Shiya Ullema Council, Jafferia Alliance and ISO have announced that they will take out a protest rally today at 1600 hrs from Karachi Press Club to Chief Minister House to protest against the bomb blasts during Ashoora and Chehlum at Karachi.

Disruption of traffic is expected on Dr. Zia Uddin Ahmed Road, Club Road and near PIDC house between 1600 to 1800 hrs. Everyone are advised to avoid the above mentioned areas during the stated timing.

I find this billboard very disgraceful way of marketing new products by McDonald. I wonder if the product is either on the right or left :)

Now RR is a club for elite in Defence and no one with chappals are allowed. If you want your drivers to eat at your party for which you have paid yourself, beware they will be asked NOT to enter by the management if they are wearing chappals. On this someone at the party which I attended said, rules are rules and I was like yeah how rude. Finally the hosts managed to get their drivers in but that left me thinking that it is so easy to humiliate others and create class divide. Quaid ka Pakistan – no unity, pride and indiscipline!

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Moments back another bomb blast is reported at the emergency gate of  Jinnah Hospita in Karachi. Several casualties expected . reports are still pouring in.

The blast is reported to have been heard several kilometers away .

Latest Update:  Dawn News reports that the blast site to be 10 meters away from the hospitals main emergency entrance gate. A Dawn News reported confirms at least fatalities.

Latest Update: The blast took place in the hospital parking lot ten meters away from the emergency entrance, a number of ambulances destroyed.  several ambulance drivers have been reported severely injured. Abdul Sattar Edhi reported Dawn News that he narrowly escaped the blast.

Latest Update: One of our author MB reports ” i can see people walking for miles and miles on SF because no one is willing to help them and no public transport is available ”.

Latest Update: Samaa Tv showing a child, telling she saw some policeman taking a television set off a bike, and inspecting it when the television set exploded. the little girl’s two siblings, she says were also at the spot where the blast took place.

Latest Update: 10 people have been reported dead in this blast alone. (Geo Tv)

A bomb has exploded  destroying a bus which was taking the people for the central Chehlum Procession around 10-15 minutes ago on Shahrah-e-Faisal, near FTC building – Around 50 to 65  people are reported to have been present in the bus -

Latest: A motorcycle had been reported to have hit the vehicle when the blast occurred. Television reports say at least three fatalities have been confirmed. The blast occurred near Nursery flyover.

Latest: Samaa TV reports 12 fatalities, 30 people injured.

For the first time Telenor djuice and Redbull had  brought the an international Monta ball Freestyle Football competition to Pakistan bringing out the best of our countries freestyles, sixteen of them from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi who finally battled for the top position here in Karachi, a few days back, on the 31st of January at Forum Karachi.

To enjoy the event a number of Monta ball freestyles, fans and enthusiasts and TV celebrates attended the event. I saw a lot of young people who were not even competing were also their showing their talent.

The event concluded announcing Karachi’s Areeb Iqbal being the winner who would be flying to Cape Town, South Africa  to represent Pakistan at the World Finals of Red Bull Street Style.

Areeb has already made us proud by placing his entry into an international competition to represent Pakistan, it would be really great if he comes back home a winner, so lets hope and pray he does .. :)

Image credits: Dawn.com ( Photographer: Fahad Peracha ).

I have a FIFTY-FIFTY collection and at times i watch it and wonder if our issues have changed during 25 years. Not a single issue highlighted then saw a day of solution as we entered 2010. Even more added to bucket. Our leadership has failed miserably in every domain. They are not only incapable of handling our problems but are oblivious at first place and too corrupt for any good expectations. A recent headline and a 50-50 clip along:

What is the ultimate Karachi shopping experience? Some say Park Towers…. No. The Forum?  Not really. Those places are too small to be worthy of being named the “Ultimate”. Once upon a time however, it used to be the Saddar area. Most especially, the Elphinstone Street (current Zaib-un-Nissa street) where you would find most upmarket and good shopping outlets in Karachi. But that was also the days of yore. For our current day and the recent past, the reigning position has consistently been occupied by the Tariq Road. This has most definitely been a go-to place for all sorts of families and all sorts of people to buy all sorts of things apparel related. For easily about two decades Tariq road has occupied the top spot on the Karachi shopping scene. And very rightly so. It is a bazaar-cum-market-cum-mall where you can find the best deals, the best bargains, the most variety and the most seasoned material. Could you say its Karachi’s Oxford Street or İstiklal Avenue? ummmm……

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This time i am writing about a more important issue , one that is very disturbing. Disturbing because it is exposing us as a callous society only busy in their material objectives, unable to think as a group. But my point is not society, mine is even more a serious one. Our media which doesnt let go any opportunity to report president’s fever/cough is mum and silent over Karachi killings. The reporting is more of a formality then any effort to inform the readers/viewers about what is really going on. While daily ummat is the only source doing some job, our TV channels and newspapers, which are also based in Karachi mainly, are happy churning out the “usual stuff”.

Our media which has done a good job in acting like a surgeon to debate each and every legal/political point is less bothered about these target killings. May be they do not want to take the wrath of the players involved or may be this is not an “attractive package” at the moment. In any case, this is a very very disturbing trend. At one hand it follows the murder of a girl and a Colonel in Punjab like a National Security issue but on other hand it is absolutely mum on the many dozen killings in mini-Pakistan.

Date: Sunday, January 31, 2010
Time: 7:30am – 9:30am
Location: MEET OPP. ESPRESSO COFFEE SHOP ON SHAHBAZ near intersection of SHAHBAZ and HAFIZ
Facebook RSVP : 9th Critical Mass Karachi Bike Ride

Starting from Intersection of SHAHBAZ & HAFIZ, DHA VI, going up SHAHBAZ towards ITTEHAD for a bit, turn left on to COMMERCIAL AVE and crossing BAHRIA, ascend the short hill on 2nd Street up to MOMIN, travel along MOMIN and down the short hill to the Saudi Consulate intersection. From here we proceed briefly on SHAMSHEER, turn left on 9th Street and then right on to MUJAHID and then down the hill at the back of Khadda Market, across SHAHEEN. Turn left on 15th Street and then down the long hill on B5th Street. From here we take 21st Street back to MUJAHID and proceed down it to Seaview and then along BEACH Ave to Village Restaurant. Here we turn left on to ITTEHAD and ride up to HAFIZ and head back to our starting point at SHAHBAZ.

First Part is a little windy and undulating although more downhill than up, the second half is straight and flat.

Since we will be on the streets this time we urge you that all children are accompanied by a riding adult, and that they have helmets on.

Shades of Prey, a 52-chapter murder mystery set in Karachi, is the culmination of the project, A Novel Experience, which began at Generation’s School, Karachi, in 2005, with the intention of enhancing the writing skills of young people. Its authors are currently at college at a variety of institutions in Karachi, Lahore, and New York. Four of the six authors will be present at the book reading.

“Shades of Prey’s universal appeal lies in its being a gripping page-turner with an intriguing twist in the tale. But Shades of Prey is more than that. The backdrop is recognizably Pakistani. As the action moves across the urban landscape of parks, shopping malls, fun-fairs and suburban communities and enters the workings of newspaper offices, schools, police stations and television channels, it explores the functioning of our society.”

Join them at T2F for an evening of readings and conversation with the authors of Pakistan’s first collaborative novel. The novel will be available for purchase at T2F’s Bookshop. If you already have a copy, bring it along and get it signed!

For more information and to view excerpts from the novel, visit www.shadesofprey.com

Date: Saturday, 30th January, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm
Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support our vision of intellectual poverty alleviation by donating generously.
Venue: PeaceNiche | T2F [New Location]