Starting Feb 1,2009 PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) has implemented a new system in which users will have to first activate their SIM before usage. Activation will include some info gathering by Call Center. No charges apply. This advertisement appeared in different papers for the same.

[Image: Daily Express]

Just heard through EXPRESS TV that two student groups have clashed near/in National College Karachi. Police is not able to go inside the premises as yet.

According to a recent report published in Dawn, 500 of the 1,500 water samples collected and tested by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board were found unfit for human consumption.

Anyone who can afford now drinks bottled water. The rest make do with boiling the murky water. I think it is about time KW&SB should start charging commission to the multinational companies who sell the bottled water. Had they been doing their job properly and supplying clean water to the residents of this city, the multinationals would not have been doing such a roaring business.

 Iqbal was a spiritual poet, Jinnah a secular lawyer. Iqbal studied the Quran and compared it to western philosophy, Jinnah studied constitutional law. Iqbal saw in a separate country the chance to re-imagine Islam, Jinnah saw it as a way to secure the rights of his Muslim nation from the tyranny of a democratic majority. Iqbal hoped to separate geography from nationality and help humanity rise to its united potential, Jinnah hoped to separate bigotry from the state and make all people equal before law.

 Two men, one spirit. The spirit of human liberation from dogma, persecution & poverty. The spirit of a New World Order. An order based on tolerance, justice & human dignity.

There’s only one difference between them: Iqbal dreamed and Jinnah delivered.

We’re children of two men who imagined a different world. Will we make the most of this opportunity, this responsibility, this possibility?

Join in to see ten people explore the vision of Jinnah & Iqbal.

Speakers include: Ramla Akhtar, Khalid Mohammad, Mohammad Nawaz, Tahir Attarwala, Jamal Ashiqain, Imtiaz N. Mohammad, Imran Khan, Salaina Haroon

Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Venue: The Second Floor (T2F), Kh-e-Ittehad, Phase 7, DHA

Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm

This is interesting enough line. Some of you would already know where this is. Answer after 2 days if not guessed already.

What ever happened to those green buses that were supposed to be crawling all over the city a while back?

The ISEO or International Schools Educational Olympiad, has been organized by Karachi High School for the past 10 years. A phenomenal competition platform that invites students to participate in everything from quiz competitions, film making, drama, vocals, photography and a cyber fair amongst other categories.

This year, the competition completes a decade and gathers close to 120 schools from across the country to congregate and compete at the KHS grounds. This is a 5 day event that has been supported by Intel, British Council and CityFM89. (more…)

CDGK & Nazim Karachi announced today plans to launch a Parking Plaza in Saddar within one months time to help relieve the traffic congestion in that area. I believe this is a positive move by the local administration in developing this project as Karachi is strife with numerous building projects with ample office space but absolutely no parking for its visitors.

Geo [via @GeoNews Twitter update] The country’s first parking plaza in Saddar here would start operation within a month’s time. This was announced in a statement of the City District Government Karachi. The seven storey facility has been constructed at a cost of Rs.700 million. It has a capacity of 800 cars and 300 motorcycles. The Nazim of Karachi, Syed Mustafa Kamal, visited the parking plaza on Thursday and said that this is the first parking plaza in the country.

One of the most associated words with our city Karachi is uncertainty. The same has become true for the Kara Film Festival. It is getting postponed since 2007, then was scheduled for 2008, after which organizers had to postpone it even further till February 2009, all because of the instability in the country. Now the festival which is scheduled from 4th to 15th February 2009 is again in trouble. Major sponsors have backed out of the festival because of the recession. Till now, they have only one of the venues that is Arts Council and because of lack of funds, are not able to book PIIA which was also in the list before. The organizers are trying some serious fund raising through their facebook group.

Kara Film Festival has always been into controversy from issues ranging from lack of management, over influx of Indian films and stars to favoritism. Whatever the case may be, it has been one of the important platforms helping in improve the cultural scene by promoting independent cinema but yes organizers need to streamline and take their efforts way forward to subsequently increase its access.

I personally wish Kara Film Festival good luck because I want to see more local stuff on a relatively large screen. Those who can help with funds do so more. I guess they would organize the event any how so moreover at least support them by going there and giving yourself some entertainment. Remember culture displays a nation’s core and revives its spirit.