An auction is currently under way for a watching the movie “Taare Zameen Par” on 24th May ’08 at Nishat Cinema, Karachi from 12 noon – 3 P.M. ExtraCorp is giving away a ticket to special child (mental and physical disabilities) for every purchased ticket.

Approximately 10 percent of the population has some form of disability and more than 14,000,000 people of the country sleep with some disability. Keeping this in mind, a philosophy was stimulated for people with disability to discover and utilize their unquestionable ability to elevate their lives. ExtraCorp, (a project of School of Leadership Foundation) creates opportunities of entrepreneurship for people with mental and physical disabilities. The School of Leadership Foundation is a non-profit organization. It is the goal of SOLF to economically enable persons with disability to lead independent, entrepreneur ventures by providing attitudinal, vocational and managerial training and long term interest free funds.

Taare Zameen Par was previously discussed on KMB by Afreen here

Corporate Citizenship in Pakistan is finally catching on and is finally becoming something more than a redundant concept taught in business schools. One such company that is going to set an example for others to follow is a management consultant company, Navitus.

Navitus, with the support of organizations from Pakistan’s corporate sector, is organizing the first of its kind event in Pakistan, Inspiratourium. According to one of the organizers from Navitus, the name is short for Inspirational Tour in an Auditorium. The details for the event are as follows:

Date: 30th May, 2008
Venue: Bahria Auditorium
Tickets Available at: Costa Coffee, The 2nd Floor, Agha’s, and Naheed

So what exactly is Inspiratourium?

Inspiratourium is Pakistan’s first motivational & inspirational event of its kind that combines thought provoking content with a creative blend of up-lifting talks, artistically supported through the magical power of performance – all designed to engage the mind & soul. This deeply moving & energizing occasion promises to awaken aspiring individuals to a deep realization of the unlimited human potential each of us is blessed with & leverage on it to make a positive & lasting impact.

(more…)

i’m sure all of us have come across situations where despite being on the right, have been ridiculed by people who believe they own the roads. maybe some of us are part of that crazy bunch!

2 events in succession have prompted me to write this post…..what hurts me is that instead of feeling ashamed of what they’re doing, they have the guts to actually ridicule the one on the right track!

just this morning, while coming to work, a guy came wrong way infront of Allah wala roundabout and blocked me at the signal, and started shouting at me to move my car. its best that i don’t express my emotions here……

please share your experiences and reactions (if any)….

The 36th Karachi Table Tennis Championship is scheduled to be held from May 23 to 29 at the Islamia Club. What makes the event this year from the past is that Rotary International, one of the leading social service organizations of the world, is jointly organising with the Karachi Table Tennis Association. Also for the first time in the history of the competition, cash prizes will awarded to winners. The winner will be awarded Rs 20,000, the runner-up will be getting Rs 12,000 while both the losing semifinalist will be receiving Rs 5,000 each. The top performers of boys and girls events will not be awarded cash prizes but they will be presented rubbers for their bats instead Farhan added.

While the cash prizes to the most of us may seem peanuts, but its a first step. What is needed is more companies taking interest in the local sports events and sponsoring small scale sports competitions to bring to the limelight, local talent. Other sports that have taken a backseat also need to be promoted in schools. The reason for there being too much negativity in the society is a lack of recreational activities for the youth. More cultural and sports events can change our society for the better.

Source: Pakistan Observer

Finally a place for the teenagers of North Nazimabad to hang out at? Or just another window shopping chance for the area’s aunties. Decked with branded shops from top to bottom, I was forced to think if the shops were considering a revision in prices to cater to the customers in this part of the city. Not saying of course, that people here are any poorer but it is a general perception here that the ‘old money’ in North Nazimabad, is less ostentatious than pull paar affluent.

Serious shoppers still head to Hyderi, that’s exactly opposite Dolmen Mall. Hyderi, too has its own version of shopping mall in the form of Madni Mall. Nonetheless, for all those who used to head to Zamzama for shoe shopping can now find some good brands right here.

Full Size Image

Chairman CBR Abdullah Yusuf
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b4_NkS26Go[/youtube]

Yesterday, a young man caught the bandits who had robbed him by chasing them down to Liaquatabad.

Jaffery said that he was a resident of Liaquatabad and worked at a private firm. He went to Block-J, North Nazimabad, for office work Monday evening. On his way back to his workplace, two armed bandits on a motorbike stopped him at the Sakhi Hasan Chowrangi. They took his cellphone, cash and CNIC at gunpoint, and fled. Jaffery chased them, and the bandits sped up their motorbike, crossed the Nazimabad Bridge and turned towards Liaquatabad.

Jaffery said that he saw a patrolling police mobile near the Dakhana Chowrangi, and informed the officers about the bandits. The police party signaled them to stop. On seeing the law-enforcement personnel, the bandits opened fire which was retaliated. After a brief crossfire, Hamid (alias Piya) and Farhan were arrested. Pistols and looted items were recovered from them.

Kudos to the guy, who fought for his right. Of course, this was a bit dangerous as well because these bandits do not hesitate to use their guns, but this needed mentioning.

Link: News

Karachi has witnessed a new uprising over the past week. People, frustrated by the ineffective law enforcement authorities, have taken matters in their own hands and there has been a series of incidents where mobs of people have beaten up or burned the caught criminals. Whether this is good or bad is a separate debate altogether and maybe at the moment not as important as the gaping loopholes in our institutions that the incidents point towards. Again, it is not the action that we should be worried about, but the causes. It is not the symptoms that we should be treating but the disease itself. And that disease as we all know is the massive corruption that prevails not just in the police but in every institution in Pakistan.

Bribery is one of those evils that is hardly a vice anymore. The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) curses both the giver and taker of bribe. If only this one Hadith would have an impact on the public officials in this country, half the evils will automatically be cleansed. Instead, bribery is by now so deeply-rooted in our society that there is no way even the most morally upright man can escape it. It’s either surrendering your principles and paying a bribe or becoming a victim of constant harassment and injustice by the very defenders of the law.

Such a wide scale bribery culture, thus, becomes the most single most decisive factor behind the lawlessness in the city. In a land where you can your way out of retribution, the law becomes insignificant and sense of impunity reigns supreme. Anarchy becomes the order of the day where anyone can get away for anything.

The question, then, is, Can this malice be uprooted from the system? Why does a police officer accept bribe when he knows it is wrong? The questions are simple. The answers aren’t. Meager salaries are one reason behind rampant corruption. Lack of professionalism is another. Absence of a sense of responsibility and the trickledown effect of corruption at higher levels, yet some more.

Raising salaries for lower level officials can be one incentive to discourage them from accepting bribes, however, this is one problem where solving matters only at the grass roots will be of hardly any consequence. As long as NRO cleansed leaders continue to rule this country, any change in the system cannot be envisaged. When one segment of society is beyond accountability, the down trodden segments are bound to be frustrated. When the biggest defaulters in this country can have their loans wiped off and the small debtor harried to no ends, the masses are bound to strike back.

When Dr. Shoaib Suddle was appointed IG Sindh a few weeks ago, many thought street crime in Karachi would come shooting down but that was not to be. It comes as no surprise that a people, already barely able to make ends meet in the face of sharp price increases, have finally found a voice to express their grievances. The actions of the past week carry symbolic significance. The enraged Pakistani society is not just setting fire to a handful of robbers but it is the system and those who run it that they wish to bring to ashes. Opportunistic rulers of this unfortunate country, take heed. A nation is waking up!

everyone knows about the recent incident where a couple of dacoits were caught and set on fire. we have been hearing other similar reports as well.
today, a colleague tells me that a similar incident (almost) happened in garden area, where 2 robbers were caught by residents early morning, while trying to snatch mobile phones. the residents of the area threw petrol on them and were shouting to set them on fire. however, police was called and they were handed over…..

not debating on the fairness, such incidents have gained frequency and i’m sure the culprits have something to fear now, as the common man is now standing up for the lack or law and order in the city.

is this a revolution in the making? are we finally ‘man enough’ to stand up and say NO to those who think the awam has no fear and power? or is it just frustration of lack of law and order in the country?