Pakistani News for the Rest of Us

This, in itself, is a cultural and even political event in Pakistan, a country where dance was officially banned for many years and the opposition coalition, the MMA, is dominated by extremist clerics who would like the same to happen to music. For Lahore, the 10-day festival was a huge, at times startling cultural event. …

Born in Karachi, 42-year old Asim Abdullah made his fortune from hi-tech investments, notably the sale of his company Veo Systems, to Commerce One, the business-to-business internet marketplace. Last summer, the entrepreneur was spotted in Paris at Ungaro’s fashion show, the first clue that the Silicon valley millionaire was to become a fashion sugar daddy. …

The festival runs until December 11 and will feature 150 films from 30 countries, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Canada, the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Poland, Italy, Chile and Brazil. Pooja Bhatt and Irfan Khan are among the actors, actresses, producers and directors who will take part, Zaidi said. The festival will see …