Pakistani News for the Rest of Us

Something cheerful for Pakistanis to begin the new year 2008 with. San Francisco-based Saman Hasnain, a 37-year-old mother of two and real estate agent by profession, was short-listed for the competition and crowned Mrs Pakistan World by voters online. She will now represent Pakistan in Mrs World 2008 and Mrs Globe 2008 pageants. The pageant, …

The first Pakistani being trained to go into space, Namira Salim - a well-known artist who will blast off into space in the world’s first commercial space liner in 2008 - is now also set to become the first Pakistani to travel to the North and South Poles when she travels there next month as …

‘Ramchand Pakistani’ - a Pakistani film based on the real life drama of a seven-year-old Pakistani Dalit Hindu boy - Rambchand - which is set for an international release early next year, is being critically acclaimed. Written and produced by first-time director Mehreen Jabbar’s father, Javed Jabbar, the film stars Syed Fazal Hussain in …

Wateen Telecom and Motorola together rolled out the largest and the first in the world WiMAX 802.16e network nationwide in 22 cities of Pakistan. Motorola’s first commercial WiMAX network went live today in 22 cities in Pakistan, making it the first of its three high-profile nationwide network contracts to launch. Wateen Telecom of Pakistan is …

U.S. based Aerion announced its first customer, Pakistan-based Princely Jets, after opening its order book at the Dubai Airshow. The futuristic supersonic business jet appears to be gaining altitude, with its US manufacturer saying it has letters of intent worth $US1.5 billion from customers interested in its $US80 million plane. The supersonic jet, capable …

Recently I had an opportunity to visit Pakistan on business and I grabbed this opportunity to visit Mohenjodaro. I had planned to visit Mohenjodaro on the third day along with one of our local associates. My first destination in Pakistan was Karachi which I found to be quite a pleasant city. I was treated …

Chairman of Orascom Hotels Samih Swairis was so enthralled by the beautiful colours of the minibuses plying on the Karachi city roads that he requested to arrange few for his resort in Elgouna Island picnic resort near Cairo city. The deco body formation of these buses started in July 2007 and completed on November 7, …

“Ice-skating in Karachi is a blessing in disguise, especially with the hot weather all year round. There is finally going to be another activity to do in the heat other than eating and shopping at malls,” said Unisia Raza. The Arena, other than a skating rink and a mini golf course, also caters to other …

Nigar Nazar speaks of her creation with obvious affection. “Gogi is a Pakistani woman who wears polka dots – because I love them.” Though internationally recognized and honoured as Pakistan’s first female cartoonist, Nazar modestly confesses, “I doodled long before I became an artist.” She approached the principal of the Arts Council of Pakistan …

It’s being hailed as the film which has revived a moribund Pakistan cinema. It has received accolades for boldly taking on the fundamentalist Mullah lobby in Pakistan, and the world over, and laying down the real picture. Khuda Ke Liye moves through three countries - USA, England and Pakistan - with the message …

The notion that Pakistan is more dangerous than Iraq is absurd. I hired a car in Islamabad and headed out onto the partially completed M2 motorway that will eventually connect Lahore (near the Indian border) with Peshawar (the last city on the road to the Khyber Pass and Afghanistan). Suicide bombs, battles in tribal …

A study published today (27 April) in Nature says the region received more snow in the past century than at any other point during the past thousand years. Oxygen locked away inside ancient trees shows that human activities have resulted in a dramatic increase in snowfall in northern Pakistan, say researchers. A senior Pakistani geologist …

New York-based artist Shahzia Sikander has achieved international acclaim for her diverse body of works, which range from miniature-size paintings to room-size installations … In the mid-1990s, her early works prompted curators and critics everywhere to align Sikander with many other artists whose work dealt with themes of personal and cultural identity. She was included …

With his catchy numbers and boyish good looks that make female fans swoon, Roy is the latest musician to try his luck in India from across the salt desert. While Hindi films are only now making their way to theatres in Pakistan, music has always made it’s way across the border to our country. And …