Friday 23 December 2011

Punjab University: VC rejects charges from ‘mafia’



Punjab University: VC rejects charges from ‘mafia’

Published: February 18, 2011
New offices opened at Institute of Chemistry.
LAHORE: Professor Mujahid Kamran has rejected allegations of irregularities and nepotism from the Punjab University Academic Staff Association (ASA), saying the university’s improved academic performance shows he has done a good job as vice chancellor.
“The Academic Staff Association is a political mafia; they do not accept the rule of law. The university’s performance can be measured by the fact that its research publications have doubled under this administration,” he said.
Prof Kamran said that unlike the previous vice chancellor, who had made “the political mafia” key players in his administration, he had made appointments on merit. The decreased influence of the Academic Staff Association was the reason they were “spreading lies” about him. He was speaking at the inauguration of the new faculty offices and committee room at the Institute of Chemistry.
Members of the Academic Staff Association held a press conference last week where they accused the vice chancellor of favouritism in making appointments and granting transfers and leaves, among other things, to faculty.
Prof Kamran said he wanted “95 per cent” of the Institute of Chemistry faculty to have doctorates. He said he had written to the Higher Education Commission seeking a pay raise and better medical allowance for Tenure Track teachers.
He said the teachers would be housed near the French Department. He congratulated Institute of Chemistry Director Prof Saeed Ahmad Nagra and promised air-conditioning in the building.
Prof Nagra was grateful that the project was inaugurated on Eid-e-Miladun Nabi. “Our administration will do everything in its power to make the institute more productive by providing quality standards,” he said.
Advisor to the vice chancellor Col Ikramullah Khan, Dr Jamil Anwar and project director Sheikh Muhammad Ali also attended the ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2011.

FiLums: Stars hope young talent will transform film industry



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FiLums: Stars hope young talent will transform film industry

Published: February 14, 2011

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Premiere of short film Heal draws a large audience.
Premiere of short film Heal draws a large audience.
LAHORE: Two of Pakistan’s most famous film industry figures shared their experience with young filmmakers on the third and final day of the fifth annual Lahore University of Management Sciences film festival, or FiLums, and told them it was their job to transform the business in Pakistan,
“Seeing young people working to help the film industry flourish is inspiring,” said director Syed Noor at a workshop on Sunday. “The industry needs such talented minds. They will create big organisations that can transform this amateur film festival into something huge.”
He invited all the participants in the festival to his Paragon Academy of Performing Arts, where he said the students could get access to advanced equipment and learn more about making movies.
The veteran director’s words excited the young participants like Imran Latif from Red-X!, one of the film societies taking part in the festival. “He invited us to get our hands on advanced facilities and machinery so that is a big gesture,” he said
Actor and director Reema Khan told the audience about the challenges she faced in entering the film industry. “People say hurtful things about you and do anything to bring you down, but you should always keep your head high and continue to work no matter what,” she said.
“You can handle problems like the movie budget and other such things when you believe in your work. It’s important to work seriously because the work is what represents you.”
The students were moved when they heard about her struggle to make the film Koi tujh sa kahan. Reema said she had to sell her house and jewellery to make the movie, but it was a success in the end and she made twice as much as she had invested in it.
Earlier, the day began with film screenings. The halls were packed for the workshop as everyone wanted to hear Reema and Syed Noor.
Rafiq Abdul Rehman, convener for FiLums, said the newcomers in the industry needed the help of veterans like those two.
“Reviving cinema will not be possible unless the seniors hold hands with the young people and provide a platform where they can step forward,” he said.
After the workshop, the finalists of the festival were chosen by a jury of Syed Noor, Meera, Javed Sheikh, Ahsan Khan, Tipu Sharif and Zara Sheikh. They later attended the final awards ceremony for the best films and filmmakers at the event.
Several celebrities in attendance at the awards ceremony hailed the efforts of the young movie makers. “After seeing such talent, nobody can complain that there is nothing happening in our film industry,” said actor Seemi Raheal.
“The work was fantastic,” said actor Mohib Mirza. “Now we should focus on marketing our work to a mass audience that will help the industry flourish.” “There should be a cinema for independent documentaries,” said Adil Shaer. “The government should promote the new work. Producers cannot do everything alone. The distributors play a vital role too but in Pakistan they are all promoting foreign films.” Actor Syed Yorguc Tipu Sharif said movies could help present the “real Pakistan” to the outside world. “The first thing is we must understand that being in the film industry is a respectable profession,” he said.
FiLums was organised by the Lums Media and Art Society.
Best in show
A total of eight awards were handed out, four for the best national films and four for the best international films screened at FiLums. The award-winning films are:
National
Best short film — Not to be Too Loud
Best animation — Nature of Girls
Best documentary — Poor Man’s Goat
Best feature length film — Kala Pul.
International
Best short film — Seeding
Best animation — Great Expectations
Best documentary — Moving a Mountain
Best feature length — Decisive Moment
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2011.

Festival at LUMS: Learning from others key to reviving film industry



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Festival at LUMS: Learning from others key to reviving film industry

Published: February 13, 2011
Premiere of short film Heal draws a large audience.
LAHORE: “We can revamp our film industry by learning from the experience of Hollywood,” filmmaker Sarmad Sultan Khoosat said on Friday.
He was speaking at a workshop on film making skills at the second day of FiLums, amateur film festival, at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
The artiste said one way for the upcoming filmmakers to learn the necessary skills was to try producing adaptations of foreign movies.
“Film making is an art. There can be no restrictive definition for an art,” he said.
He said only free thought could ensure that film makers realise their creative potential.
He said improving one’s story-telling skills was necessary to become a successful film maker.
Quoting from a Hindu text (Nav Ras), he said, effective portrayal of nine emotions was critical to an actor or a film maker’s expression.
Film making, he said, was team work.
He added that there was great room in the national media industry for emerging film makers to market their talent and make a name for them.
“We need to redefine the film industry. There’s no reason why we can’t once again have actors and film makers who become household names,” he said.
Earlier, the second day of the festival began with the screening of movies. More than 50 short films, animations, documentaries and feature-length films were screened throughout the day.
The highlight of the day remained the premiere of Heal by Mian Adnan Ahmad.
The work was appreciated by an audience including several professional actors and directors as well as a large number of students.
During the question-answer session, Ahmed said he wanted to highlight the importance of hope in a society facing multiple challenges. He said he had never attended a film school.
Director Syed Noor suggested that newcomers try their hands on short films and documentaries first. The day they would get a chance to work on big-budget movies the experience would help them, he added.
Other prominent visitors were Lolly wood celebrities Meera and Rija and pop band EP’s Hasan Khalid and singer Shiraz Uppal.
FiLums convenor Rafiq Abdul Rehman said he realised that watching a lot of movies back to back could get boring.
However, he said, they had limited time to conduct the entire festival and that they did not want to miss any movie.
He said when planning the event the organisers had not expected such a huge turnout. He said the university policy was to disallow large crowds as the semester was underway.
“Had the festival been held during semester break we could have had a bigger audience,” Rehman said.
Nida Aslam, one of the participants, said being a film student she had always wanted to compete with others but there were few opportunities. “We need a platform to exhibit our work,” she said.
She said she was particularly impressed to learn that entries would be penalised for use of copyrighted music.
Besides regular screenings and a workshop, there will be an awards ceremony for best entries in all categories on Sunday.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2011.

Children of Taliban premieres at FiLums



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Children of Taliban premieres at FiLums

Published: February 12, 2011
Participants line up at the help desk. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE: This year’s annual International LUMS Film Festival (FiLums) not only has a selection of 130 short, feature-length and animated films and documentaries but also several workshops.
The workshops that will be conducted by veterans like Shaan, Syed Noor, Reema Khan, Moammar Rana – in addition to members of the Lums Media Arts (LMA) and the society patron Dr Ali Khan – aim to help prospective and aspiring directors, actors, screenplay writers and editors.
The first day’s highlight was the screening of Children of Taliban, a documentary by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an Emmy award winner. Usman and Sameena Peerzada and Farhad Humayun were among those who attended the screening.
The jury for the three-day event that kicked off on Friday has an impressive list of names.
Short films will be judged by Mian Adnan Ahmad (Film maker), Adil Sher (Film maker), Nasir Khan (Film maker), Bilal Lashari (Director), Tipu Sharif (Film maker) and Mohib Mirza (Film maker); documentaries by Samar Minallah, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Film maker), Adeel Hashmi (director) and Fasi Zaka (columnist); animated movies by Syed Ali Hassan (animator), Mohummad Zohaib (animator), Syed Arif Hassan (film maker) and Ahsan Amir Moosa (director); and feature length films will be judged by Syed Noor (director), Reema Khan (actor), Moammar Rana (actor), Javed Sheikh (actor) and Seemi Raheel (actor).
Some of the participants, however, were not happy with the panel of judges for feature-length films, Rizwan Khan (a participant from the King Edward Medical University) said, “I don’t intend to criticise the film industry but the panel of judges is filled with people who have a different idea about films. Their work is not something that could be a part of this event.”
Sundus Naeem (LMA president) responded to the objection with “The judges are veterans of our film industry. Our aim is to revive Pakistani cinema so every aspect of our film industry is important.”
FiLums will be presenting awards to best actor, best director, best story, best screenplay, best short film, best documentary, best animation and best feature length film on the third day. Film entries would be screened all day from 9 am to 7pm.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2011.

Private schools vow to resist closure attempts



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Private schools vow to resist closure attempts

Published: February 11, 2011
Association warns of protests, litigation if LDA tries to force schools to move.
LAHORE: The Punjab government’s notification calling for the closure of ‘illegally established’ private schools on 58 roads of the city has been dubbed a conspiracy against education by the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA).
The Punjab government had issued a notification SO (H-N) 5-2/81 to private schools, colleges and academies situated in Shadman, Iqbal town, Shah Jamal, Model Town, Township, Chungi Amar Sidhu, Gujjarpura and areas adjacent to Ferozepur Road and Canal Road, among others. The November 24, 2010 notification calls for the closure of the institutes because they had either been established illegally or were violating LDA laws.
Adeeb Jadwani (APPSMA president), Amjad Ali (general secretary) and Kahif Adeeb (senior vice president), during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, said that the claims that the institutes created hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic and caused nuisance for the area residents were nonsense.
“These schools have played an important role in imparting education,” said Jadwani, adding that the notification will affect “millions of students”.
“They will no longer be able to get education. People living in the locality could easily pick and drop their children. We consider this to be a conspiracy against the children and education itself,” Jadwani said.
The association president warned of country-wide protests if the decision was not withdrawn. The office bearer added that “thousands” would be rendered jobless and “millions of children” would become unable to get quality education.
The APPSMA members told reporters that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) had steadily increased the commercialisation fee over the years. The irritated office bearers said that they paid a commercialisation fee equal to six per cent of the land value. “Since 2008, there has been a steady increase of 1.5 per cent every year in the fee,” they said.
“Not only has the LDA kept on increasing the fee, the DCO has also re-evaluated the land value, doubling it. Schools cannot pay such exorbitant amounts of money. Shortly afterwards we started receiving notifications, almost every other day, to shut down the educational institutes,” Jadwani added.
The association president said that the association would take the matter to court if the LDA tried to force the schools to relocate. Abu Bakar Naseem (Punjab organisation president) had his own solution to suggest, “If the LDA has a problem with the traffic, they should do something about it. Shutting down schools and putting people out of jobs and education is not the answer.”
When contacted, Sohail Janjua, the LDA spokesperson denied any knowledge of the notification.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2011.

Should dying languages be left to die?



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Should dying languages be left to die?

Published: February 9, 2011
Nayab Gohar Jan, Haider Naqvi, and Ali Javed from LUMS-B receiving the English trophy at the Lahore School of Economics. PHOTO: BILAL AHSAN FROM THE LSE PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY
LAHORE: Holding on to old languages is a hindrance to the evolution of a culture suited to today’s era of globalisation and secularism, held the government at the final day of the Lahore School Debate and Declamation 2011.
Students from the University College of Lahore (UCL) argued in favour of the topic of the final round. This house would let dying languages die_ while the Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) team opposed it.
The four-day event came to an end on Tuesday with Lums as the winners.
Abbas Ali, Raza Hassan and Khadija Bukhari represented UCL-A and Haider Naqvi, Ali Javed, and Nayab Gohar Jan represented Lums-B.
The government defended the topic saying that languages no more held utility in a culture. “Protecting old languages challenge the process of change,” they said.
On the contrary, the opposition said that a language was a culture’s identity that it could not afford to lose. A nation’s culture, they said, was largely based on its languages and it certainly was the state’s responsibility to preserve it.
“Languages die over time and become a part of a forgotten cultural heritage when people prefer official languages over their native ones. For instance, English is a global language and is imposed upon us. We are never given a choice to officially communicate in our native language. This is linguistic colonialism,” they said.
While some judges felt that some questions remained unanswered, G Rhydian Morgan, the chief adjudicator, said that both sides had explained well how languages died. “Debates are based upon logic and analysis. The basic aim of debates is to raise questions and it was certainly delivered, he said.
Dr Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, the LSE dean, presented the trophy to the winning team. The best speakers and runner ups were awarded medals by LSEAD, the LSE debating society. The Best Speaker Award was given to Fatima Bukhari, the president of the UCL Debating Society.
Dr Chaudhry said that people could not be blamed for the death of languages. “Nobody can favour death. That is what made this debate interesting and very difficult to argue upon,” he said.
Raza Hassan, a finalist from UCL, said that debates about culture and religion always led to confusion. “Culture and globalisation go side by side. We cannot keep culture and avoid globalisation or the other way round.”
Meanwhile, Urdu debates were also held at the same venue, but on a smaller scale. A team each from Lums and the Government College University debated over the topic: Iss awam ki rai mai Pakistan khud mukhtar kharja policy banana ka haq kho chukka hai (The house believes that Pakistan has lost the right to form an independent foreign policy).  The Lums team won this event too.
A total of 70 teams from various institutions participated in the debating contest.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2011.

LSE debates: LUMS-A, UCL-B in the final



LSE debates: LUMS-A, UCL-B in the final

Published: February 8, 2011
Politics, extremists’ contribution debated over in English quarters, semis.
LAHORE: A team each from the University College Lahore (UCL) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) on Monday made it to the finals of the Lahore School Debate and Declamation 2011 that will be held today at the Lahore School of Economics.
The quarter finals and the semi finals of the English debates were held on Monday where participating teams from Lums (3), UCL (2), FAST (2) and Salamat ICAS (2) spoke on issues of extremism and the political situation in Pakistan.
In the quarter finals, the teams could talk about: the contribution of extremists to the market place of ideas, the portrayal of fallen regimes as evils in history and textbooks. A majority of the participants chose to talk on the former.
The side providing the propositions had the stronger line of arguments.
Saram Israr, a participant from UCL, represented the government and said that the clash between orthodox and extremist views had generated new ideas and challenged thoughts prevalent in society. “Being the opposition to a system provides new insights to various concepts within a society and a broader vision to law and society in general,” she said.
Most of the audience supported the government’s line of argument.
The opposition failed to raise a convincing argument to oppose the idea.
Tazmeen Abdul Jabbar, an LGS participant representing the opposition, said that an open exchange of ideas should take place in an open market.  “Where extremists step in, we see that this fails to happen, since they do not have tolerance for other people’s ideas,” she said.
Two teams each from UCL (A and B) and Lums (A and B) succeeded to the semi finals. During this round, the speakers talked about the present political situation in Pakistan, and youth participation in politics.
Lums-A and UCL-B made it to the finals and will compete today for the championship trophy.
Syed Ali Akbar, the president of the LSE debating society, LSEAD, said that both the listeners and the speakers had been enjoying the debates.
He said, “We ensure the comfort of the participants so that we can get the best arguments from all of them. It is important to communicate on all subjects, from the most common to the taboo.”
Shahraiz Chishti, the LSEAD general secretary, agreed that extreme ideas provided something to the market place. He said, “Ultimately even if there is a negative idea, there is some sort of criticism for it, consequently extracting a positive contribution from the society.”
The finals of the Urdu debates will also be held on Tuesday. Today is the last day of the event.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2011.

LSE debates: Controversy, humour debated side by side


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LSE debates: Controversy, humour debated side by side

Published: February 7, 2011
A participant at the LSE debates tries to win over the jury on the third day. PHOTO: RAHIB RAZA / EXPRESS
LAHORE: Students discussed a wide range of topics from homosexuality to law at the Lahore School Debate and Declamations 2011 held at the Lahore School of Economics (LSE) on Sunday.
The semi finals of the English debates will be held today. With the end of round three, four and five, the names of the institutions that made it to the semi finals are yet to be announced. Besides this, the results of the Urdu debates semi finals, also held on Sunday, will be announced.
While students from 70 teams debated over topics of law and sexuality in the third and fourth round, the topics of the fifth round were rather casual.
In the third round, the participants spoke on jury trials, conviction of expecting mothers and favouring litigation or mitigation.
The audience found the government, the teams in favour of the topics, more convincing. The held that people should not take the law in their hands and that a higher authority was made to provide justice to the people. They maintained that mitigation was not at all persuasive. The theme of the fourth round was based on homosexuality and sex education. Participants talked about gay parades in the community, sex education at high school levels and funding of sex change operations.
Syed Ali Akbar, president of LSEAD, LSE debating society, said that sexuality was not frequently talked about and the social stigma attached to it needed to be removed. “It has to be discussed.
That was our aim behind the theme. Although some participants were not comfortable with the topic, they came up with convincing arguments,” he said.
The government from the University College Lahore held that the number of honour killing cases in the coutry was on the rise. “It’s time to break the shells and step into the world where people would know about taboos,” they said.
G Rhydian Morgan, the chief adjudicator, said, “Sex issues are always tricky to handle, but the participants handled them well.” He said that the students shared the same views about such controversial topics as the liberal countries around the world. “I found it quite similar to the arguments the participants had during a debate in South Africa which is very liberal when it comes to homosexuality,” he added.
Round four was made a free speech round where the participants were allowed to communicate in any language and use casual language. Light topics helped ease the tension built by serious topics in the preceding rounds. The debates were conducted on three topics: ‘Brides should wear black’, ‘teaching an old dog a new trick’ and ‘doing things to people because of stuff’.
Semi finals for Urdu debates were conducted on the subject of blasphemy.
Faiza Ahsan, a senior adjudicator and the Lahore Grammar School debating coach, said, “Religious element should not be brought to the debates. Especially with children under 19 years of age, since they are they are not mature enough to understand the core effects and lack the required knowledge.”
Both the English and Urdu debates will continue today at the same venue.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2011.

LSE debates: Risalpur, Faisalabad win declamation trophies



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LSE debates: Risalpur, Faisalabad win declamation trophies

Published: February 6, 2011
Old masters debate who should have the power to legislate
LAHORE: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy, Risalpur won the All Pakistan Bilingual Declamation Contest (English) while the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) won the Urdu Declamation Contest at the Lahore School Debate & Declamation ’11.
Saturday was the second day of the debates competition in which more than 70 teams are competing.
Another highlight of the day was the Masters’ Round. The round pitched senior debaters, among the best in their time, against each other. All teams participating in the 4-day event thronged to the Masters’ Debate for inspiration.
The topic chosen for the round was This House Supports Legislation Through Citizen Certified Referenda. Daniyal Asad and Ayesha Ahmed were the opening government, G Rhydian Morgan (a British Speaker and the chief adjudicator) and Hamza Ijaz were the closing government, Abdur Rehhman and Ali Hannan were the opening opposition while Waqqas Mir and Umar Mehmood Khan aka Don were the closing opposition. The government’s stance was based around the premise that people, not legislators, should have the say. They argued that legislators had their vested interests to look after and were susceptible to pressure from powerful lobbies. They gave the examples of the big tobacco and big oil in the United States. Morgan, speaking in favour of the motion, said, “The people should not be afraid of the government. The government should be afraid of the people. We need to assert our rights.” The opposition, on the other hand, contended that citizens were more vulnerable to pressure and propaganda. They also argued that the parliament had a system of checks and balances, which citizen certified referenda would not have. Mir pointed out, “You have the constitutions to run to in case of emergencies if the parliament messes up.” Khan argued that the government had not proven the burden of proof that lay on them.
“Who will scrutinise the bill? Who will initiate the referenda? Important questions have been ignored by the government.” The match was decided on basis of popular vote. The house decided it in favour of the closing opposition.
SAJ Shirazi (LSE deputy controller examinations) said, “I was a debater in my time but I could not have matched the participants’ skills and ability to reason. That is the kind of excellent public speaking skills we want in the rest of the children.”
Dr Azam Amjad Chaudhry (Dean of Economics) while talking about the importance of such competitions said, “It is time for our youth to share their opinions as well as develop respect and tolerance for those of others.
In today’s world nothing can ever be resolved without dialogue and communication. Whether you argue in English or Urdu, getting out of your comfort zone and still managing to give convincing arguments is a skill that deserves appreciation.” Three rounds will be held on Sunday and at the end breaks will be announced. This year marks the fifth annual debating championship organised by the Lahore School of Economics (LSE). On the first day of the competition, equality of women, paternity and maternity leaves and compensation for housewives for their services to the family unit were debated.
Speakers are asked to present their arguments in seven minutes. Two teams consisting of three members each define, propose and conclude the arguments on the motion presented before the house.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2011.

Voice of Kashmir: Photo exhibition seeks to revive commitment



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Voice of Kashmir: Photo exhibition seeks to revive commitment

Published: February 4, 2011
Over 300 pictures of historic struggle on show at Alhamra till 5th.
LAHORE: More than 300 pictures depicting the events in Kashmir since 1947 went on display at the Alhamra Arts Council on Thursday.
Organisers said the exhibition of stark photos was an effort to generate greater attention for the Kashmir issue, which they felt had been ignored in recent years.
“These pictures show the true events and the sufferings that the people of Kashmir have faced for many years,” said Rana Mehmood, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir information minister and chief guest. “We cannot forget their sacrifices. Peace is the only solution that one feels is suitable after looking at these pictures.”
The Voice of Kashmir exhibition, which displays photos published in various local and international newspapers and other news media, was organised by the Unified Media Club of Pakistan and will run till February 5, which is Kashmir Day.
Wajid Zulqarnain, one of the organisers, said the exhibition aimed to seek help for Kashmiris.
“It’s important that we be there for them. We realise that this problem has lost attention and we are trying to revive the cause of peace in Kashmir,” he said.
Many of the visitors to the exhibition were students, such as Fatima Habib. She said the exhibition reminded people that the Kashmir issue was still a major problem. “Our personal problems have taken our attention away from the Kashmir issue. The situation there is worse than in our cities,” she said.
The exhibition was concluded by Rana Mashood, the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker. MPAs Sajida Mir, Ajasim Sharif, Tariq Mehmood Bajwa and Mian Naseer also attended the exhibition.
Punjab Governor Latif Khosa and Senior Advisor to the CM Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa are to attend the exhibit on Kashmir Day.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2011.

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Queen Mary College’s former chowkidar denied pension



Queen Mary College’s former chowkidar denied pension

Published: February 2, 2011
Protest against Principal Dr Marayum closes down Durand Road
LAHORE: Queen Mary College’s (QMC’s) principal came under fire on Tuesday when hundreds protested against her in front of the college.
The protesters gathered around Nasreen, a former chowkidar at the QMC for 32 years who has not been paid her pension, and accused Dr Irfana Marayum, the principal, of apathy towards her condition.
Nasreen has been bed ridden for the past three years and has been unable to come personally to collect her pension.
However, her son, Abid Ali has been visiting the QMC for three years but has not been able to get his mother’s pension released. The administration, he said, insists his mother come personally to collect her pension even though he had explained that she was ill and could not walk. “Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman wrote to Dr Marayum asking her to release my mother’s pension but the principal was not bothered.”
Other QMC employees said that Nasreen’s case was heart breaking for them. They could not believe that she had been reduced to begging for her right.
Ali said his mother often cried when she was reminded of her pension. He said that he was her only son. He said he had six sisters to look after.  “The money from my mother’s pension is much needed in the house.
I have been to the college about a hundred times but they have not budged.”
Another relative of Nasreen’s said, “The principal is aware of Nasreen’s condition. She has always been very rude.  If she continues to ignore us, we will be forced to protest in front of the chief minister’s house.”
The protest closed down the Durand Road in front of the college. An employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the principal did not consider the services of non-faculty employees valuable to the welfare of the college. Nasreen’s condition, he said, was a sign of that.
A QMC faculty member said, “This is the worst example of brutality. An old female worker has been left in such an intolerable condition without a pension.”
Another faculty member said, “The principal enjoys luxuries in her office and chooses to feign ignorance regarding the problems of her staff that are equally responsible for the prosperity of the institution.”
Dr Marayum was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2011.

Shah Jewena championship: Aga Khan, LGS lift English team trophies



Shah Jewena championship: Aga Khan, LGS lift English team trophies

Published: February 1, 2011
The Aga Khan University debaters hold the trophy. PHOTO: FATIMA BOKHARI
LAHORE: The 8th annual Shah Jewana Debating Championship, 2011 came to an end on Monday with the Lahore Grammar School (LGS), Johar Town, the winners among schools and Aga Khan University (AKU) the winners among the participating universities across the country.
Held at the at the University College of Lahore (UCL), Topics for the final round debates included the spot fixing controversy involving some Pakistani cricketers in 2010 and diplomacy around the case of an American citizen, Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistani citizens last week in ‘self-defence.’
The day started with preparations of the school teams on the topic: ICC should not have banned three Pakistani cricketers before the final verdict from the tribunal was received.
Three teams from Aitchison College and one from LGS competed in the finals.
From Aitchison College, Belal Qasim, argued that, “If the suspected players were not suspended and later found guilty, all the games involving them would have been held questionable.”
Asad Khan from the LGS contented, “Until the players were proven guilty, they should not have been suspended, especially when the cricket boards lacked evidence and were depending upon unreliable sources.”A collective effort of four team members showed consistency on justifying their individual roles and won the argument, with Aitchison College as runner ups of the event.
Saboor Karamat, one of the adjudicators, said, “After judging the line of arguments of both sides I gave LGS points on their argument that justice cannot be served before trial. They had a valid defence and communicated properly with the audience.” He said that the LGS team defended their position well. He praised them for their ‘general knowledge’ and ‘confidence.’
The final debate among the universities was a contest between three teams from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and one from the AKU.
The topic was: Granting diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis.
Participants from LUMS argued over Davis’s trial in Pakistan. They said, “Under the law, he is a prisoner of Pakistan. His trial should be held in Pakistan. The US government would never let a foreigner accused of murder go. Why should we?”
The AKU participants said, “We have an ideal tool for bargain. We should ask for Dr Afia Siddiqi’s release in exchange of Raymond Davis. This should be proposed to get the most out of this traumatic episode.” The AKU were judged winners.
Dr Sayyed Asad Hussain, UCL director and chief guest at the event, appreciated both the teams and applauded the speakers. “They made the listeners feel like a ping-pong ball getting swayed by their arguments.” The best speaker’s award was presented to Zaib Aziz from LUMS.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st,  2011.

Urdu debates: Lahore School of Economics wins



Urdu debates: Lahore School of Economics wins

Published: January 31, 2011
Final round of English debates scheduled for today.
LAHORE: The Lahore School of Economics (LSE) on Sunday won the Urdu debates competition at the 8th Annual Shah Jewana Debating Championship underway at the University College Lahore.
Abbas Nazir of Sialkot Medical College got the Best Speaker Award. He had spoken on drones for Pakistan. Joint secretary of LSE team Ahmad Sultan said the topic for the final required a lot of preparation. He said the format was different but his team’s experience had helped then win. The final round of the English debates is scheduled for Monday (today).
The semi-final results would be announced on Monday morning. Aitcheson College, the Salamat International Campus for Advanced Studies, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, the Lahore Grammar School, the Aga Khan University, the Institute of Legal Studies, the Government College University, LSE and Westminster College, Islamabad, competed in the semi-final. The topic assigned to them was Prioritising Industry over Domestic Consumers for Gas Supply.
Earlier, “International Financial Institutions should be held legally liable for the economic collapse of countries that have implemented their policy proposals” was debated in the fifth round.
Ayesha from LUMS presented proposals for different economic systems and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme. Umer Bhatti of AKU said the aim of such competitions should be to promote awareness rather than giving definite conclusions on topics. He said his team had provided its proposals in simple language that can be understood by everyone.
Senior adjudicator Faiza Ahsan said the competition was meant to provide a platform for discussing important issues and coming up with solutions for them. “We are not entirely focusing on conclusions. Forming an understanding of these issues is more important,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st,  2011.

Debating competition: Schools battle varsities on second day



Debating competition: Schools battle varsities on second day

Published: January 30, 2011
The fifth round and quarter finals will take place today.
LAHORE: Schoolchildren came up against university students on the second day of the Eighth Annual Shah Jewana Debating Championship on Saturday.
Rounds two, three and four of the English debates and rounds three and four of the Urdu competition were held on Saturday. The fifth round and quarter finals will take place at University College Lahore today. Saturday’s subjects of debate included scholarships, political assets, mistruths of war, Wikileaks and the progress of institutions.
Many younger debaters came up against veteran seniors, but insisted that they relished the experience.
“They are more experienced, they have been debating for years, so obviously it’s very hard for any of us to win against them,” said Asad Ahmad of the Salamat International Campus for Advanced Studies. “No doubt we are learning a lot.”
“It’s a great platform for under-19 teams to be on the same level as universities,” said Lahore Grammar School debating coach Faiza Ahsan. “It gives the debaters the chance to grow.” The school teams competed with universities, but they were scored in comparison with other debaters from the same age group. “The idea is to give them the exposure that the competitors from the universities probably wish they had got when they were in schools,” said senior adjudicator Awais Maqbool Bari. “None of the debating competitions have ever allowed schools to compete at such a level.”
The quarter finals will see schools competing with schools for the trophy and the award for best speaker. But the students competing in the Urdu debates will not get a separate trophy or award for best speaker.
“We have six trophies to give away since we have introduced schools to the competition this year,” said Fatima Bukhari, president of the University College Association of Debaters, which organised the competition.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th,  2011.

Parliamentary debating competition: Shahjewana 2011 kicks off at UCL



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Parliamentary debating competition: Shahjewana 2011 kicks off at UCL

Published: January 29, 2011
Three rounds held on the first day
LAHORE: The 8th Annual Shahjewana International Debating Championship 2011 kicked off at the University College Lahore (UCL) yesterday. A total of 74 teams are competing for the English title and 34 for Urdu.
The four-day debating competition, organised by the University College Association of Debaters (UCAD), is the biggest debating competition in Pakistan.
Schools, colleges and universities from all over Pakistan are participating in the tournament during which social as well as economic, sports, cultural, religious, educational and political issues will be debated.  Lahore Grammar School, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, National University of Science and Technology, Beaconhouse School System, Rawalpindi Medical College, Bahria, Kinnaird College, Government College University and Lahore University of management Sciences are among the teams competing.
Fatima Bukhari, the UCAD president, said “This competition aims at encouraging students to identify problems and seek solutions by questioning things.”  On Friday, the English debaters discussed ‘Privacy on the internet’.  There were two rounds of Urdu debates held during which religion being a hurdle in success and privitisation of PCB were discussed.
Based on the Parliamentary style of debates, four 2-member teams are given 15 minutes as prep time after they are assigned a topic. The four teams are categorised as Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition.  The first two speak in favour of the motion while the last two oppose it. Every team member has seven minutes to argue their stance on an issue. A SISA debater, Usman Mehmood, said, “I have never been in a 2-on-2 format before. It is tougher and more exciting.”  Umar Khan, the chief adjudicator, said “This is one of the most prestigious parliamentary debating competitions in Pakistan.
The best speakers participate every year, which means tough competition and great debates.”
The competition’s final will be held on January 31 (Monday).
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th,  2011.

NCA thesis display: Heritage, depression dominant subjects



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NCA thesis display: Heritage, depression dominant subjects

Published: January 27, 2011
National College of Arts welcomed the general public on Wednesday to the display of students’ theses. The juries have already graded the work.. Photo: S. Hussain
LAHORE: National College of Arts welcomed the general public on Wednesday to the display of students’ theses. The juries have already graded the work.
A total of 164 students have displayed their work throughout the college premises.
The work of Product Design and Interior Design students has been displayed at the Tollinton Market Gallery. Out of the 164 students, 51 students belong to the Architecture Design Department, 42 are of Product Design, 30 of Fine Arts, 12 of Interior Design, 9 of Film and TV, 8 of Multimedia, 7 of Musicology and 5 of Ceramic and Textile Department.
Frequent themes this year are cultural heritage and depression in society.
David Courtyard of the college saw Allaudin Chohan, a Musicology student, perform qawali as part of his thesis on Qawal families. A display had pictures of the Din Muhammad family, the Santu Khan family, the Manzoor Ahmad Khan family, the Kerala Rajpoot family and the Wairanwalley family.
The Fine Arts theses, had four major disciplines: miniatures, painting, printmaking and sculpture. A lot of figurative work was exhibited with many students focusing on suppression of women in society, and their personal lives.
Rao Haider, a lay visitor, said that art depicting women’s travails had become a cliché . He said that he would like to see a more optimist approach as there was always hope.
Amal Uppal, a Fine Arts student, said that often teachers encouraged students to highlight darker subjects like depression, loss and pain. “I have tried to portray a positive side of the society.
I am glad the viewers are appreciating it,” she said. From the heritage of Balochistan, to fictitious histories ‘inspired by video games’ called Battle of Rowzanak and studio apartments as an idea of accommodation in a city that was ‘running out of space’, the display is worth a visit.
The display will continue till January 31st.
with ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY PPI
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th,  2011.

Commemoration: Pakistan-China friendship to be celebrated



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Commemoration: Pakistan-China friendship to be celebrated

Published: January 24, 2011
‘Chinese language should be part of school curriculum,’ says Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Mahfooz Elahi.
LAHORE: The government of Pakistan has declared 2011 as “the year of friendship between Pakistan and China” to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The foreign secretary, Salman Bashir, has asked chief ministers and governors to hold events throughout the year to celebrate the friendship.
A notice had been sent to educational institutes in the provinces. Each institution is encouraged to make its own calendar for holding special events relating to the Pakistan-China friendship.
The Chambers of Commerce and Industry have also been called upon to consider holding events such as business conferences and formal receptions.
The provincial governments may also organise special programmes in various cities and districts. The Punjab government has sent these recommendations to all the DCOs and higher education officials. May 21st, the date of establishment of ties, has been set aside for special events and functions.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2011.

Street life: Lahore’s fading splendour showcased



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Street life: Lahore’s fading splendour showcased

Published: January 19, 2011
Photos show how city’s cultural heritage is being lost.
LAHORE: A bittersweet portrait of this city, showcasing its hidden architectural beauty as well as its grotesque civic issues, runs at the Alhamra Arts Council till January 22.
Photographer Qasim Naeem said his intention with the ‘Lahore Tilak’ exhibition was to highlight places that are not normally included in discussions of the city’s architectural or cultural marvels.
“Many places and subjects that are so close to our true culture get ignored,” Naeem said. “Haveli Nonehaal, for example, holds such enchanting beauty that one cannot get enough of it.
Unfortunately it is also used a dump where people throw garbage. I wanted to highlight such areas of Lahore that we know exist but don’t know where and how.”
Many of the city’s monuments are rapidly deteriorating and Naeem’s pictures capture the fading art of Lahore, whether that be in railway platforms, old mosques, or the streets of the Walled City.
They also capture the people who live and work near these places.
Arif Khan, professor at Punjab University, said he was impressed with the pictures. “Work that motivates you or inspires you to do something is what I consider a successful exhibition and the work of this young artist does that,” he said. “Every picture has its positives and negatives and both hold beauty.
They show us parts of our city that are slowly fading from attention and our lives.”
Some visitors to the exhibition did not appreciate the HDR imaging of some photographs. “I would have appreciated his fusing of glorious Mughal cultural representations with examples of difficult lives, if he’d showed us the originals,” said Mukhtar Awan, a miniatures artist.
Lahore Tilak is the first exhibition of digital photographs by Naeem.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th,  2011.