Pakistani News for the Rest of Us

Five million people are expected to throng Lahore next weekend for Basant, the spring festival of Hindu origin that has become Muslim-majority Pakistan’s most riotous street party. Glamorous stars of Lollywood (as the local film industry is known), wealthy business families and tens of thousands of the city’s poor will cram on to rooftops to …

The little one survived because she was taken to one of the most remarkable couples in Pakistan, Bilquis Edhi and her husband Abdul Sattar Edhi who run the Edhi Foundation which simply cares for the cast-offs, the desperately poor, the injured and the crippled of Pakistani society. The sack baby was lucky. The foundation specialises …

Lahore goes into history books by hosting the first ever international marathon on Sunday (tomorrow) and the mega event is likely to attract about ten thousand runners. Lahore is all set to organise such a high-profile international event which will feature 60 renowned athletes from 16 countries apart from scores of local runners. “It is …

UNLIKE many children their age, 12-year-old Tariq Hussain Bacha and Zeeshan, 11, have never heard of pop stars Britney Spears or Avril Lavigne. But the two boys from Pakistan`s tough, tribal badlands are now child stars themselves, after selling thousands of albums of traditional songs at home and abroad. And their lives could hardly be …

Classical music buffs in town were treated to a rare and scintillating evening of vocal classical music at the Alliance Francais Thursday evening. The star of the evening was a young woman, Marion Baglan, an opera vocalist from France. Even though most of the presentations were classical, there were some of the contemporary too. Baglan, …

The first ever gender sensitive code of ethics for the print media was launched here on Friday, calling upon media persons to ensure a positive and fair portrayal of gender issues. A group of two to three individuals in each province will regularly monitor news items on gender and women development issues. To publicize the …

Pakistan’s exports surged to more than $6.495 billion, registering an increase of 10.45pc, during July-December 2004, compared to US$5.881 billion during the corresponding period last year. Main commodities for exports during December 2004 included Cotton cloth worth Rs 7,532 million, Knitwear worth Rs 6,859 million, Bedwear worth Rs 6,343 million, Cotton yarn worth Rs 5,060 …

Book street has been designed by Sajjad Kasuar, a professor of architecture at the National College of Arts, Mr Zaheer said. The street will be paved with durable tiles and have wrought iron benches, specially designed wrought iron lights and reading stands and shelves. The street will be open only to pedestrians in the evenings. …