Addressing to a packed auditorium, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, announced the commencement of a Chinese language course at the Institute of Business Adminstration next semester. Mr. Ishrat Hussain, former Governor State Bank of Pakistan and the current Dean and Director of IBA, was delivering a lecture to the students about the global financial crisis.

Interestingly, he pointed out that Pakistan’s current financial crisis needs to be isolated from the global crisis, as Pakistan’s plight has to do with the mismanaged transition from the previous government to the next one. In his address to the students, he also stressed on the importance of China as the next most economic superpower rather than the United States or European Nations. He believed a Chinese language course would equip the students with the necessary skills to be prepared for the paradigm shift in powers.

IBA itself has suffered from uninspired leadership during the term of the previous director. With the induction of Ishrat Hussain, a visionary leader and an inspiring orator, the students are looking forward to the welcome changes that he’s bringing about.

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From Jamash

So it looks like we are quickly forgetting our own language, aren’t we ?

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Faisal Qureshi the host of Ankahi talk show on Samaa TV has initiated a a day long cleanliness drive in Karachi on Sunday 12th October 2008 in collaboration with Loose Ends Pakistan, Ankahi, CDGK and Samaa TV

The objective of the day long campaign is to bring conscientious people together to take ownership of Karachi and play a part in letting it breath again. The project is to clean the clutter created by excessive advertising messages in the form of graffiti painted all over the city. We will begin this project by taking on a section of such an area and completely repainting it.

Loose Ends Pakistan would like to invite all citizens of this city to come together to take a stand and play a part in making Karachi a better place.

For details of the event, watch Samaa TV. For security reasons the venue will be announced through: facebook, Samaa TV, and Chopaal. Please register yourself with Chopaal and add tag “lepkarachi” for live broadcasts of the event.

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On my recent visit to Rawalpindi I asked a question to many people which most of them were unable to reply. I asked “Do they know who City Nazim of Rawalpindi is”.
Even though I am not a big fan of MQM but I support Mustafa Bhai.
Keep it up Mustafa Kamal.

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Cowasjee narrates his versioin of the (in)famous Zardari signature story at Mazar-e-Quaid. Simply love his last line. We shall now have a spelling-minister.  “Now, back to this September 12 when I went to the Mazar and asked the keepers to let me have photocopies of what had been written by the September 11 visiting ‘dignitaries’ in the visitors’ book. I was given copies of remarks recorded by the president, the Sindh governor and the Sindh chief minister. Subsequently, on September 14, I wrote in my column: Read more

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Found at Nando's Clifton

Image Credit In the Line of Wire

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Eid Mubarak !!

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Throughout this Ramzan i have been wondering where all the people of Karachi are? There has hardly been any traffic on the roads during the evening hours, except for after midnight when everyone suddenly throngs the roads and everything gets jammed from 12 - 2am.

Therefore I was quite pleasantly surprised yesterday when i visited a Bayan at Gulistan E Anis by Dr Shuja and found the whole place jammed to the hilt. There was no place to sit and cars were parked outside for miles. After Dr Shuja explained the verses of the Quran he was translating for all, I got talking with a few “regulars” and found out that apparently Karachi has had a lot more people flocking to these darses and religious gatherings throughout the month. In fact one of the people I spoke to even mentioned an issue with mosques having no more space for people who want to sit in “Eitikaf” during the last 7 days of Ramzan as all of them are full.

This is obviously a good thing because Ramzan is meant to be a month of prayer and forgiveness but I still got the feeling that due to the economic and security situation of our city a lot more people are turning to religion.

When one finds no help from earthly sources one turns themselves to the heavens I guess. Speaking of turning to heavens the full moon party will be on shortly in Karachi and in all other cities of Pakistan in the form of the Roohate Hilal guys looking for the moon in our skies. Which begs the question, why are so many ill sighted people on the Rooh ate Hilal committee anyways, all i see on this committee are people with thick spectacles and portly stomachs. Plus they can never agree on when Eid will be and normally every city in Pakistan has its own eid.

Well whenever it is i certainly hope it is a happy one for all, Eid mubarak Karachites & the entire team at KMB!!!!

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 Haseena is my cousin’s old maid. Yesterday, hours before Aftaar she is frying The Pakoras while I in the kitchen stand over the chopping board with a knife in my hand and a packs of imported carrot, olives, radish, cucumber, chilies, and other food items. i am chopping, dicing and preparing them for the salad, snacks and dip sauces (Chathnee and Raita) to be served to over a quarter hundred close relatives for an Aftaar and dinner.

Read more

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Nazim Karachi Mustafa Kamal gave a detail interview to daily Ummat. Point of interest was different issues related to city and development work and its status. Read here

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Takht-e-Mughlia

Chef Zakir has become a sensation with his cooking show on Masala TV. Few days back I discovered that he owned a restaurant, which was doing rather well. After inquired about its reputation, I found good reviews and decided to check it out with friends.

What I discovered was something delightful, worth the price and ideal for a family/friends gathering. “Shaan-e-Mughlia” is the name and it boasts open air spacious lawn, truckloads of finger-licking food just as Chef Zakir cooks it. The ambiance, greenery, structured and spacious seating arrangement was surely a breath of fresh air.

The place is running on sheer word of mouth, people referring other people. Without much advertising, it is heavily pre-reserved and crowded. So, a good idea would be to call in and reserve before you show up. Also, there is a long waiting list to avail the ‘takht’ seating.

More in Pictures:
Read more

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Dr Awab is currently live on Samaa TV in Faisal Qureshi’s “Ankahi” ( a ver good program for all especially youth). Topic for today’s discussion is Voice of Pakistan. The program will discuss issues currently we are facing in political context. It would be great if someone could record it since many (including myself) are not able to watch it. It would also be great to know the views exchanged in the program. The other guest would be Mina Kidwai. Here is one link to watch it live if you are in office and not able to watch in normal way.

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It’s been announced by the Federal Government today that there would be three public holidays from October 1 to 3 (Wednesday to Friday) on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

This would ideal for the people who have Saturdays off but what about the ones who don’t? Comments?

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Sindh Police has setup reporting centers near crowded & shopping areas of Karachi.

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