~ POSITIVE PAKISTANIS and HEROs ~

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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**National Savings Pakistan announces ‘Student welfare bond’

ISLAMABAD: The National Savings Pakistan announced a `Student Welfare Bond’, which will be available at office of National Saving Centres, Post offices and all scheduled banks.**

This was stated by Director General National Savings, Zafar Mehmood during a meeting with delegation of National Youth Assembly.
He said, “The purpose of introducing this Bond is to create the propensity of savings among youth; the 62 percent of the total population”, says a press release here Monday.
Zafar Mehmood said Student Welfare Bond would promote the habit of small savings among the students, and each bond would be issued before two months proceeding the date of draw should qualify for a prize.

“This programme would be run under Public Debt Act 1944 and the ratio of taxation would be levied according to the existing law”, he further informed.

He further said one saving bond would be of Rs 100 and there is no upper limit on its buying, adding that this scheme is not intended for generating money but to promote saving culture in youth.
Lucky draw of the Students Welfare Bonds will be held after each quarter and maximum prize of these bonds would be Rs 700,000, along with other small prizes.

Zafar Shaikh said that the National Savings Organization was fully committed to provide maximum relief to small savers as the organization provides market-based return to small and middle class savers by introducing the prize bond of lowest denomination.
It would not only reduce dependency of the government on external borrowings but would also help students meet expenses incurred on their studies, he said.
The delegation of National Youth Assembly led by President, Hanan Ali Abbasi, has proposed some useful suggestions apropos to Student Welfare Bond.

The President NYA highly appreciated the step taken by the National Savings and commented, “it was our longstanding desire to stabilize the youth of the country financially at governmental level, and I feel that it is a first step towards achieving financial wellbeing of students”.
During this meeting, a comprehensive media campaign for creating awareness has been devised. According to the plan, an exclusive TV ad shall be shot. Besides that it is also decided that print, electronic and social media will be utilized for the purpose.

The Youth-Minister for Science and Technology, Asim Nawaz, and Member National Youth Assembly, Raja Yasir Ayoub, at this occasion, said, “this is a positive step of improving saving and promoting culture of saving in youth through the saving instrument”.”The National Youth Assembly will go in great lengths to create general awareness in more than 100 districts of the country, where we are operative in a full-swing”, said Hanan Abbasi. Hanan also urged to initiate Gramin Bank-like projects to encourage the micro financing in the country.
They also proposed that the government should also introduce Student Education Bonds, which would be used to help the students to foot the bill for their education.

The Director General, Zafar M. Shaikh, agreed upon nominating `Goodwill Ambassadors’ from the national/international achievers of National Youth Assembly.

He said, “National Youth Assembly can help the National Savings Organization to publicize its youth-welfare and youth- centric scheme Student Welfare Bond by using its broad network 0across the country”.
National Savings Pakistan announces ?Student welfare bond?

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Shahid Afridi to front Pakistan polio fight

**KARACHI: Dashing cricketer Shahid Afridi is to front efforts to eradicate polio from Pakistan, going head-to-head with militants who have banned vaccinations in an al Qaeda-linked stronghold on the Afghan border.
**
The charismatic former Pakistan captain was born in Khyber district, which is part of the militant-infested tribal belt, and campaigners hope his Pashto credentials can persuade parents to inoculate their children.

“It is a noble cause and I am happy to be part of smashing polio from Pakistan which has crippled many children,” Afridi told AFP.
He said the main target was remote areas of Pakistan, such as the al Qaeda and Taliban infested tribal belt on the Afghan border.
“I am from that area and speak their language, so I will try to go door-to-door to remove any negative concept about the campaign and I hope this will help us raise healthy future generations,” added Afridi.

The campaign is being run by Pakistan and Unicef Aseefa, the younger daughter of President Asif Ali Zardari and assassinated ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is also an ambassador for the cause.

“It’s my duty to help mankind as the Almighty has given me stature, so I am ready to do any social work which helps human beings,” said Afridi.
Local Taliban and Pakistani warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose loyalists are fighting the Americans in Afghanistan, have banned anti-polio vaccinations in the tribal region of Waziristan to protest against US drone attacks.

They say the drone strikes kill civilians and have condemned the immunisation campaign as a cover for espionage.
Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi was jailed for 33 years in May after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden through a fake hepatitis vaccination programme.

Pakistan is one of just three countries where polio remains endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria.
The highly infectious disease affects mainly the under-fives and can cause paralysis in a matter of hours and some cases can even be fatal.
Shahid Afridi to front Pakistan polio fight | DAWN.COM

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**Pakistani student wins silver medal in Genius Olympiad

** Pakistani student won silver medal in an international competition about environmental issues held at State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego.

Students from forty countries presented 657 projects in the Genius Olympiad where the Shadab Rasool Buriro from Khairpur, Sindh stood second to win silver medal.
**Another Pakistani student Abdul Daim from Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was awarded with honourable mention certificate.

**Shadab Rasool and Abdul Diam, both students of Pak-Turk Schools presented their project, ‘Removal of Pollutants from Industrial Waste Water by usage of Tea Waste’ in the contest.

They had discovered a unique and economical way to reduce soil contamination, which is result of accumulation of man-made toxic substances that has a negative effect of plant and animal life.
Pakistan bagged silver medal in 1st Genius Olympiad held in 2011 while so far Pakistani students have won 124 medals in the international and national competitions speak of their extraordinary talent, which result in amazing accomplishments.

The students also had an opportunity to see the other projects; they participated in workshops, symposiums, cultural events, exhibitions and interacted with some of the world’s brightest young minds, said supervisor of the students Ahmet Efeturk.

Moreover, experts from Harvard, Cornell, Syracuse and SUNY delivered lectures during the mega event on how learning takes place and ways to improve skills.

Both the students will embark upon one-week trip to Turkey from tomorrow (June 30) as announced earlier by the administration of the Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges.

Pakistani student wins silver medal in Genius Olympiad - thenews.com.pk

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Bravo Shadab Rasool and Abdul Diam :clap:

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When the Pakistani diaspora returns to Pakistan | DAWN.COM

I recently met** Roshaneh Zafar**](http://www.kashf.org/site_files/display_content.asp?id=5), founder of the venerable Kashf Foundation](http://www.kashf.org/site_files/default.asp). I came away very impressed.
What impressed me the most was not Zafar’s foundation — though it deserves much praise for being one of the world’s most renowned microfinance organisations — but rather her own life story.
Zafar was privileged enough to come to the US to get her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Yet, instead of returning to Pakistan to pursue a career in politics or corporate finance, she decided to work directly with the Pakistani people. In her case, low-income females — nearly 300,000 of them.
This then got me thinking about the Pakistani diaspora. How many of them choose to return to Pakistan to help ease the nation’s plight?
For sure, many if not most Pakistani-Americans and US-based Pakistanis retain strong links to Pakistan. Some do so by staying close to relatives still in the country, or via the Internet and the various Pakistani media outlets accessible in America. Others quite famously](Portrait of a Giving Community — Harvard University Press) exemplify the diaspora’s “giving” bonafides. We often hear about the remittances sent back to relatives, yet it’s equally important to acknowledge the humanitarianism. This largesse can be seen in the work of groups like APPNA](http://www.appna.org/), but also from the quiet actions of individuals. I know of various Pakistani-Americans — who otherwise rarely visit Pakistan — spending extended periods in the country to provide relief assistance after the 2010 floods.
Then there are the many diaspora organisations dedicated to Pakistan. Some, such as the various chapters of the Pakistani American Association (from North Carolina](http://ncpaa.org/) to Florida](http://www.pakistaniamericanassociationoftampabay.org/index.php)), promote Pakistani culture. Others, such as the Pakistan American Business Association](http://www.pabausa.org/), advocate business ties between the two countries. Still others are unabashedly political.
In the context of politics, only in recent months have I begun to fully understand the considerable influence Pakistani politicians’ exercise over the diaspora. As I’ve suggested before](http://dawn.com/2011/07/31/musharraf-in-america/) (only somewhat in jest), Pervez Musharraf seems to have more supporters in America than he does in Pakistan (and he has an extraordinary public relations operation to sustain his apparent popularity here). Then there’s Imran Khan, whose PTI party was scheduled to hold a jalsa in New York City](StockExaminer - AI-Powered Stock Chatbot)until it was abruptly postponed](http://allevents.in/Corona/Imran-Khan-Jalsa-in-New-York,-Postponed-[-Official-]/418589961492988)with no apparent explanation. When Musharraf spoke at the Woodrow Wilson Center](The State of the U.S.-Pakistan Relationship: A Discussion with Pervez Musharraf | Wilson Center) last summer, many of the 400 people in attendance were Pakistani-Americans. I suspect a visit by Khan would draw many more.
Yet my main interest here is those diaspora members who decide to go back to Pakistan — and not simply to visit relatives or attend weddings. I’ve previously alluded](http://dawn.com/2012/05/10/how-can-pakistani-americans-increase-pakistan-expertise/) to Ijaz Nabi and Adil Najam, long-time successful professionals in this country who returned to Pakistan to join LUMS. There are also the likes of Pakistani-American Nadia Naviwala, a Harvard-educated, one-time USAID staffer who not long ago decided to relocate to Pakistan to serve as the US Institute of Peace’s country representative there.
These are only the more well-known cases. I recently received an email from a young, newly minted law school graduate, born and raised in America, who had decided to move to Pakistan — where she had never lived before. I imagine there are other examples like this one.
So what inspires diaspora members to return to Pakistan? More than three years ago, a blogpost by Nosheen Abbas](http://blog.dawn.com/2009/06/17/clogging-the-brain-drain/) highlighted the various opportunities diaspora members perceive in Pakistan, and the sense of attachment that attracts them.
In truth, I doubt there’s one overarching motivating factor — and certainly not idealism. Several years ago I had lunch with a deeply cynical diaspora member who lamented — as many do — the hopeless state of Pakistan. Not too long after this conversation, he returned to the country to take a prominent position in government. He was likely drawn to Pakistan by a job, not by do-goodism.
Another question is how diaspora members are treated once they arrive back in Pakistan. Do they encounter hostility? Are they dismissed as out-of-touch outsiders? And, in the case of those born in the United States, are they tainted for being Americans?
On all accounts, I suspect the answer is no. Various Afghan and Iraqi diaspora members (from accountants to politicians) have returned to help rebuild their countries of origin, a process that seems to be encouraged](http://www.e-ariana.com/ariana/eariana.nsf/allDocsArticles/3DFD2ABD65E6426487256F27007E6DBF?OpenDocument) in these countries.
Pakistan is not a nation trying to rebuild, but it is a nation trying not to fall apart. Contrary to those subscribing to messiah theories of governance, Pakistan cannot be “saved” by a single great leader](http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2010/10/waiting-for-ayatollah-godot/). Rather, it needs better institutions — both state and private — with both the ability and will to truly respond to the basic needs of the masses.
If diaspora members choose to leave stable and comfortable lives in America and come to Pakistan to help strengthen these institutions, then I don’t see why they should be received with anything other than appreciation.
[HR][/HR]http://dawncompk.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/michael-kugelman-80x80.jpg?w=670The author is the program associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter: @michaelkugelman

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**Small-town girl with big-time dreams

**Sitting within the modern halls of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and studying under the tutelage of world-renowned scholars and eminent researchers, Maheen Suleman Sheikh realises that no dream is unattainable and no aspiration too big.

Hailing from Sialkot — a city known for its surgical instruments, sports goods and cricket star Shoaib Malik, not for any tradition of foreign higher education — Maheen has managed to secure admission to one of the world’s top business schools. And her story is one of a young woman taking her destiny into her own hands.

“It was **indeed a difficult journey. The biggest issue I faced was that there was no proper counseling or guidance in Sialkot,” Maheen recalls. “I didn’t even know what liberal arts were, let alone the logistics of the application process. I had to do all my research on my own,” she says. Her school wasn’t too supportive either, she says. Like most others, it was concerned mainly with securing the highest number of A-grades as opposed to encouraging students to test themselves beyond the classroom. Her biggest, and only, resource was the internet.
**
But Maheen had everything else going for her: excellent O and A levels grades, with distinctions, a superb SAT score, and supportive parents willing and able to fund her higher education, which drove her to continue applying to foreign colleges against all odds.

Maheen applied to seven schools out of the top 20 in the US, including three Ivy League universities. But as rejection after rejection piled up, she saw her parents’ support turn into muted disappointment. “My parents were very disappointed but they didn’t express their feelings much because they had seen me do my best. They provided a strong support system and I made it through the rejections without sinking into depression,” recalls Maheen, the only daughter among three sons.

Maheen had applied to schools in the United Kingdom and Canada too. She got into McGill with a merit scholarship and in the University of Manchester and Warwick University in the UK. These were all great schools but she was adamant that she wanted to go to the US, as she believes that the American system better prepares one to meet the challenges of life as one can study humanities and learn languages besides fulfilling major requirements. When she finally got an offer from Bryn Mawr, a women-only liberal arts college in the US, she accepted it. It wasn’t an Ivy League as she had hoped, but it was something.

“I thought that since Bryn Mawr was a liberal arts school, I would take courses in non-business fields and do well in them, which could improve my chances of acceptance to top schools’ arts and sciences programmes,” she says.

Maheen says that that one year spent at Bryn Mawr was very productive. From a school in Sialkot to a college in the US, the difference was huge. Bryn Mawr expanded her horizons, improved her flexibility and helped her figure out what she wanted to do in life. But it lacked a real competitive environment — students only competed with themselves and not with each other. She didn’t think the real world was like that.

Within one semester, Maheen’s academic interests changed too. She studied a high-level math course, which exposed her to the theoretical end of the subject and she discovered how little she enjoyed it. She realised she was more adept at applied economics, like finance and business economics, and felt that since Bryn Mawr couldn’t satiate her academic needs and her parents were spending a ton of money on her education, she should try to transfer to another school that would provide her that opportunity.
Maheen applied for a transfer of credits to Wharton. In the six months of living on her own in the US, she had learnt much more than she did during all those years at school. Hence, her application was stronger this time: she had humanities and social sciences courses from Bryn Mawr along with regional distinctions in A levels (which she got after getting into college). Her application also included community service she did while at Bryn Mawr along with voluntary and paid job experience she gained during that time.
Maheen remembers the time when she found out she got into Wharton: “I was ecstatic when I saw the acceptance letter from Penn and I felt that my hard work had finally paid off.”

But despite being over the moon about the acceptance, Maheen went on debating whether she should really go for the offer. “As an international student, it’s hard to switch schools and adjust to a different setting, and that held me back from accepting Penn’s offer, which I did an hour before the deadline,” she says. “Moreover, going from a school where competition among peers was non-existent to the best business school in the world seemed intimidating as I had adjusted myself to Bryn Mawr already.”

But there has been no looking back for Maheen now that she is at UPenn. Initially, she found it hard to adjust to the new cutthroat environment but eventually blended in well in the course of one semester. Her experience at the college has been invaluable not only for herself but for all those aspiring to study abroad from her hometown.
“Using what I have learnt from my experience of college applications, I have tried my best to help out students from Sialkot who have a serious interest in studying abroad. I have guided them about SATs, edited personal statements and helped them choose colleges and will continue to do so,” the eager young student says.

Maheen’s story shows the positive side of Pakistan to the world — one that’s willing to send their daughters thousands of miles away to study and become capable of competing with the world. So as the classrooms of Wharton reverberate with ideas on best business practices, Maheen knows in her heart that she is not only getting a top-notch education, she is also earning the right to be called a living example of what one can achieve if one is committed despite the odds.
Small-town girl with big-time dreams – The Express Tribune

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**“PAKISTAN YOUTH FORUM is running hair donation drive that is being held all over Pakistan by the Pakistan Youth Forum to donate hair for cancer patients who face alopecia due to chemotherapy . Hair to Help is a Karachi based non-profit organization whose president Syed Fahad Ali has spread out the cause in all the major cities i.e Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Creativents, an event management company arranged the event in Islamabad on the behalf of Hair To Help. The Creativents team worked tirelessly and put together an event that became more than a hair donation drive, it turned into a complete cancer awareness program.”

Facebook**

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**Pakistani Photographer gets IPC award

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283726_10150898295873181_1957622718_n.jpg

**THE International Photographic Council (IPC), an NGO of the United Nations, has awarded Muzammil Izhar Siddiqui from Pakistan the IPC Distinguished Service Award-2012.

At the annual IPC Pro Award ceremony held recently at the UN headquarters in New York, the award was given for Mr
Saddiqui’s services rendered for the promotion of peace in Pakistan and abroad through his photographs.

The other recipient of the award was Ms Machiko Ouchi from Japan, who is editor-in-chief of a weekly magazine.

The IPC which was founded in 1974 follows the motto ‘Peace through understanding, understanding through photograph, the universal language’. The United Nations and IPC have co-produced many photographic exhibitions addressing major global issues such as population growth, aging, endangered species and other sensitive issues.
Mr Siddiqui was chosen as a member of the IPC due to his untiring efforts to promote photography here and to bring awareness of social issues to the fore through his images.
Having been in this field for nearly 15 years as an amateur, Mr Siddiqui teaches photography at university level and is a guest editor of a Japanese weekly Pen News. He also organises shows and takes out an Urdu photographic magazine Fotoline

Pakistani gets IPC award | DAWN.COM

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**Shafay Thobani – World’s Youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist from Pakistan

Shafay Thobani, an 8 year old child from Pakistan, was officially declared as the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists (MCTS) at a ceremony organized by Peak Freans Gluco on July 10, 2012 at Marriot Hotel, Karachi.

*Born on March 13, 2004 in Texas, USA, Shafay Thobani is the youngest IT prodigy from Pakistan who started learning computers at the age of four. On April 9, 2012, Shafay appeared in the Prometric Test, and secured 91% marks, thus becoming the world’s youngest Microsoft Techonology Specialist at the age of 8 years and 24 days only.
**
Sharing his views at the occasion, Naveed Ahmed Khawaja, Chief Operating Officer, English Biscuits Manufacturers said, “EBM has a strong focus on promoting universal human values and growing as a useful, purposeful corporate citizen and we are excited to be extending this through our sponsorship of Shafay Thobani’s achievement as the youngest IT prodigy in the country. We want to underscore the uniqueness of this milestone and highlight the true potential of Pakistan.”

Shafay is a Microsoft Certified Professional in Microsoft Windows 7 Configuration, Microsoft Windows Serve 2008 R2 and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization. Bef0re appearing in the exam, he remained under the training of Microsoft certified trainers for 13 months.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Shah Thobani, father of Shafay said, “He is the youngest MCTS today in Pakistan and this is worth celebrating. He performs mental calculation techniques in his head extremely quickly which is truly a gift. Keeping his technological and mathematical interest in mind, we as a family have decided to provide him all support to fuel his interest.

Dr. Shah is also an IT expert with more than 20 years of experience in the IT Industry.
Apart from English Biscuits Manufacturers, Pakistan State Oil and Thobson Technologies were part of the leading sponsors of the event.

What a cutie pie, May Allah swt give him even greater levels of success and achievement.

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^ Kya baat hey…MashaAllah :slight_smile:

Zara nam ho to ye mitti barri zar’kheiz hey saqi :jhanda:

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**An Ordinary Man With A Profound Vision

**There are some people whom you meet in life, though they seem to be ordinary but their work towards humanity speaks high of them. Dr. Muhammad Faizur Rehman Siddiqui is one of them. He is the Chairman of the Faiz Welfare Foundation (FWF) and also a Consultant Physician (a Specialist of Heart Disease, Hypertension, and Diabetes Mellitus). FWF is a social organization which has started its work from last year (2010).
**According to Dr. Siddiqui, the objective of this organization is to work on Hepatitis B and C patients specifically. **

It is a chronic disease which if not treated may cause cirrhosis (liver damage) after 15 years and ultimately after 20 years it may also lead to cancer.

There is no vaccine for this infection whereas the tests and medicines are expensive which is out of reach for the poor people and even lower middle class cannot afford it.

He shares the journey from being a Physician to the Chairman of FWF which in his own words ‘a long one’. He has worked at many places. After graduating from Dow Medical College in 1974, he went to Muscat where he started his professional career. He worked for two years as General Physician over there. Then he went to Abu Dhabi where he spent 26 years working at the Government Hospital for first ten years though later he started his own private practice. He also used to do a radio show in Abu Dhabi named as Radio Doctor where he used to answer the queries regarding health problems. He also participated in social activities arranged by Pakistan Culture Centre. He also practised in Government Hospital at Canada for five years. But after the death of his wife, he came back to Karachi in April 2007. Presently he is working at different hospitals which include Indus Hospital, MediLink and Park Lane.

While working at Indus Hospital, he comes across many patients suffering from Hepatitis who have no money to pay for expensive tests. Therefore to utilize the alms money in right direction, the concept of FWF comes into existence to facilitate the poor for the treatment of one of the incurable disease. Hepatitis C is one of the wide-spread diseases in the Pakistan and at least 15-20% people are suffering from this infection.
He informs that at present his foundation is treating 20 patients a month and after every one month, twenty more new patients are added. It is a six month course and they have started the treatment from December 2010, which will end in May 2011. After May, he says, “We will add 50 more patients every month for the treatment.”

Moreover, he explains that the procedure of the organization is to provide injections and medicines for whole month and after every one month, when these patients come for another round; they are being tested to see the results. But after the completion of six months, a special genotype test is conducted to see the benefits of the treatment and detect antibodies. However he is hopeful that the success rate will be 85%.
Dr. Siddiqui further reveals that the work of FWF has been evaluated by the Government of Pakistan; they have gone through the audit report of the organization after which Federal Board Revenue (FBR) has exempted the tax from the funds donated to the foundation in the form of charity. While inquiring about the expenses that foundation has to bear in the form of injections and other expenditures for which he replies that the miscellaneous costs are all paid by our pocket whereas, the donations are only used on patients.

The foundation is also supporting Indus Hospital and right now seven more people are working under this organization. Though the plan of Dr. Faiz is to expand the organization into a medical centre and also to start the ambulance services but due to limited resources, it is still under process. He has not only made the pilot project but is also working on it.

**He is clear about his intention; his vision is to work more on hepatitis B and C patients not only in the city but also in the rural areas. He is working to make specialized medical centre which will also do research on these infections by collecting data of Hepatitis Band C patients from whole Pakistan. **He says that by doing this, we will be able to recognize our work in the forum of World Health Organization.

Dr. Siddiqui believes that it is an obligation for the affluent people to work for those who are needy. He further says that he is not the kind of person who sits at home and is critical about the system, rather he believes in self-service.

*The journey of thousand miles begins with a single step, *an adage that says a lot for a person who in his own small ways is working for welfare of the people. Though he is not a celebrity or someone in power; he is an ordinary man with a big vision. As he says, “I am here to play my part and hoping that the efforts will not go vain.”
An Ordinary Man With A Profound Vision by Madiha Akhtar | Unique Pakistan

My prayers are with you Sir!

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Oldest & Youngest CCNA certs. in the world.

Two Students Prove Age Is No Barrier to Gaining IT Skills - Cisco Systems

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Gulmakai’ – the future of Pakistan

http://dawncompk.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/malala_yousufzai_670.jpg?w=670&h=350

**
**“**The only way to power is politics, and the only way to politics is education,” repeated the girl from Mingora, Swat who was among thousands of others whose lives were threatened by the Taliban in 2009, merely for seeking education.

Today, Malala Yousafzai is a beacon of hope for thousands of other girls who dare to dream of education and ambition. At the 8th International Conference on Women Leadership held in Islamabad last week, Yousafzai was given the excellence award in the category of “The Future of Pakistan”.
**“I could not believe when

I heard them calling me the future of Pakistan. I am highly encouraged by this award. I need appreciation and encouragement to complete a long and tough journey that is ahead,”** she said upon receiving the award.

The world looked at the miseries of Swat through this beautiful pair of eyes, and realised the pain through the words that came out of her which she penned under the name of ‘Gulmakai’. The innocence in her writing represented those bereavements which many adults were unable to describe. Gulmakai’s diary was first published on BBC Urdu’s website in 2009. Aged 15, Malala is now studying in the 9th grade.
“Swat is peaceful now. But I don’t understand the fact that why the government is not showing any interest in rehabilitating the people who suffered the displacement. They are not even building the schools for us. It’s just the Pakistan Army with the cooperation of UAE government, which is helping recover Swat from the horrific aftermath of Talibanisation,” she exclaims with a mix of sorrow and anger.
Accompanying Yousafzai at the conference, her parents believe that their daughter has a long way to go.

**“Death is inevitable. Every person has to die at some point, whether there is terrorism or not. This does not mean that we should stop walking on the path of truth. My husband and my daughter both have proven that no terror can hinder the way of truth. She is making us proud since the day she was born,” **her mother states.

Forty-three year old Ziauddin is the proud father of Yousafzai, who heads the Khushal Khan School and College in Swat (for boys and girls). He was the spokesman of the National Jirga in Swat at the time of Talibanisation when Abdul Hai Kakar, then a correspondent of BBC, reached out to him and asked him to find a female teacher in Swat who could write about the cruelties of Taliban. To his disappointment no one agreed to do so.

“**My only daughter, Malala was just 11 years of age when I first asked her to write about Swat and the Talibanisation in 2008. She did it. Not for the sake of her father’s wish, but for the sake of the safety and peace of her land. No one was willing to write the inside stories, the cruelty, the terror and the sufferings of the people of Swat because of the life threats by Taliban. She used the pseudonym, and I remember the first time I saw someone print the diary, I could not tell them that it’s my daughter who has written this. Today, I am happy that the world knows who Gulmakai is!”
**
Yousafzai’s ambition doesn’t end with obtaining education. She wants to be a politician when she grows up.
“Democracy is the best rule. This country needs new leaders. I want to study the law and I dream of a country in which education prevails and no one sleeps hungry. That would be my kind of country.”

The conviction in her voice, truly matches the title awarded to her. One can see her sparkling eyes witnessing the bright future of Pakistan
‘Gulmakai’](http://dawn.com/2012/07/11/gulmakai-the-future-of-pakistan/)
**

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**Let’s love Pakistan: A new resolution ****I’ve often been accused of being a killjoy. I mean, I’m not inherently morose or anything cool like that; it’s just that I take the little anomalies of everyday life a little too seriously. This usually forces me to over think stuff, which leads me to notice again and again the not-so-proverbial glass in its half-filled ignominy, which in turn causes me to be incessantly bitter and irritable with the way things generally run in this country. Yes, living my everyday life inpoor broken Pakistan certainly helps make things much, much worse!

**Last month however, a few days before the Independence Day, I decided to make a list of 65 things that compel me to love Pakistan. It was a personal exercise, really; one that I assumed wouldn’t just dust the dirt off my shelved patriotism, but would actually polish and dress it up for the big day as well. But boy was I wrong. Not only was I unable to go past 20 half-decent points to endorse my love for the country that is my home and identity, I felt much worse than before the brilliant idea came to me.And that’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t bring myself to celebrate this Independence Day with the kind of sentiment it warranted. I feel that too much has happened over the last year alone for us to turn a blind eye—even if it is for a day—to the tragedies we as a nation have been forced to endure. Slowly, day by day, one after another.

Our emotions, courage, hope and patriotism have all been put to test, bringing each one of us in our own little way to a cusp where we no longer understand the meaning nor have the patience to stand united, for we prefer to walk alone; to have the faith, for we are incapable of trusting; or maintaining discipline, for we have allowed ourselves to become, well, monsters.But I want that to change. On an individual level at least, I want to stop being forever angry at my neighbor for being so unbearably annoying. I want to stop wasting my time grouching about the rabid traffic I have to suffer every day on my way home, and the general disregard my fellow countrymen have for civil rights and other laws and regulations that should essentially be indispensable. I want to stop being irked by the escalating inflation rates in this country and how nobody in decision-making roles seems to be panicking about the plummeting economy yet. However, more than anything else, I want to stop fretting over our politicians’ everyday shenanigans and focus on the bigger picture—on Pakistan, the country, independent from all its blood-sucking vermin and other ailments.I want to be able to come up with 65 reasons to love the place I call home!And that’s why I’ve decided to give that list a shot again. With your help, over the next 11 months, I’m going to try to complete the list. Some big, some small; some serious, some funny; some definitive and some not so evocative or significant… but each in its own way a contributing factor to why that tiny spark somewhere inside each one of us still remains buoyant. Let’s face it, no matter how profoundly and habitually we criticize the country and its system, we all love Pakistan.

And right now more than ever, I believe it’s time to start celebrating that love1. Our unabashed sense of humour. Take the SMS joke culture, for instance. Nobody who isn’t a true Pakistani at heart will ever be able to really enjoy the hilarity of a joke that talks about carrying around a jute sac in your trunk, or how if Zubaida Apa, Zardari and Ahmed Faraz were ever to walk into a Nagori milk shop together, they’d actually be creating desi-joke history! It’s commendable how we’ve learned to laugh in good spirit at everything from our selves to everyday societal misfortunes like street crime, target killings and now, even suicide bombers. (Thank you Ali Azmat for*Bum Phata)

*2. Don’t even let me get started on Pakistani food! Ignoring the fact that most of it comes with a health warning in blazing neon, we pretty much excel at arts of the culinary kind. Whether you’re looking to spend a few grand on a single meal or only have a 100 Rupee note in your pocket, you’ll find something and that something is sure to make your tummy very happy indeed! Everything from roadside bun-kababs, chaat and fried chicken to desi bar-b-q and those scrumptious chicken rolls that come in—hold your breath—75 different flavors! Heck, even our Zinger Burgers taste better than the ones Colonel Sanders is so proud of! Seriously, once you’ve spoilt your taste buds on Pakistani food, there’s little hope you’ll settle for anything less tantalizing!

  1. Let’s be honest: We’re not just laid-back and always looking for a good laugh, we’re also the best looking bunch in all of subcontinent. Period.

  2. **I used to hate KESC & PEPCO for being such nuisances. I mean, what other country that claims to be at par with the progressing world still has to resort to load-shedding to meet its power needs, right? **But then one day my coiffeur sweet-talked me into getting a steam facial and charged me an arm for it. He then looked at me with big sad eyes when I tried leaving the salon without tipping him. Suffice to say, I had to pay a lot of money to get a fancy treatment our power companies have been giving me for free, three times a day, for years on end now! Let’s all hear it for KESC & PEPCO and their gratuitous facials!

  3. Pakistan has 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and innumerable other historical attractions spread throughout the country from the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in the South to the historical fortresses of Hunza and Chitral in the North. Some of these other sites have been placed under the protective wings of Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO and are definitely worth checking out before you plan a sight-seeing trip to Italy. So, the next time you find yourself sulking because there’s nothing to do in Pakistan except eat, eat and eat some more, think again—and go out and explore your beautiful country!

**What do you love about Pakistan?

Let’s love Pakistan: A new resolution – The Express Tribune Blog**

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**A glimpse of hope

In little over a decade, one woman has touched the lives of thousands in Pakistan. Mehmudah Rehman finds out that Dr Mubina Agboatwalla has not only provided medical care to the underprivileged but an opportunity to define their future and the future of their children, too

**
The look in her pretty little eyes tugs at your heartstrings. It’s an enquiring, beseeching look, one with an unmistakable touch of pure innocence. Nine-year-old Aisha is an orphan in the earthquake-stricken area of Muzaffarabad, Pakistan.

The place she once called home is now a pile of rubble, and her whole family, save her younger brother, was killed in the natural disaster that struck some time ago. Just when she thought there was no hope left, reassuring hands enveloped hers and gently led her to a safe and secure home that she never knew existed.

Aisha is one of the thousands of people who has been provided temporary accommodation, nutrition and medical care by a Pakistan-based NGO, Health Oriented Preventive Education (HOPE).

**Humble beginnings
**
**HOPE’s foundations were laid 11 years ago by renowned Pakistani paediatrician Dr Mubina Agboatwalla.
It was while completing her clinical training at the Civil Hospital, Karachi, that Dr Agboatwalla saw a cruel, unforgiving side to life.
**
Hordes of people with little or no means of support would bring their relatives all suffering from preventable diseases. Seeing people die of illnesses most of which were caused by lack of hygiene, Dr Agboatwalla decided that she had to find a solution to prevent the occurrence of such atrocious maladies.

Surely there was a way to create simple awareness about health which would put a stop to all the unnecessary agony?
Together with a small group of volunteers, she set up the first operations of HOPE in a remote locality of Karachi, Manzoor Colony. The group, headed by Dr Agboatwalla, sat on a rickety charpoy providing free vaccinations and counselling sessions for all those who needed it.
Gradually, a clinic was set up and then a hospital. But it did not take long for the group to realise that the people needed more than just health awareness. “What they needed was a complete change of lifestyle; they needed sound education,” says Dr Agboatwalla.
To start with, volunteers set up home schools, and the rest, as they say, is history. From a small group of helpers, HOPE has grown into an extensive organisation, with an international network of dedicated helpers and operations in the USA and Canada too.

**Unprecedented progress
**
In their quest to provide education and health facilities for the needy, HOPE found whole-hearted collaboration from the World Health Organisation (Who), Unicef, The Embassy of Japan, John Hopkins School of Public Health (USA), Centre for Disease Control (USA), Procter & Gamble (in Cincinnati and Pakistan), and The Rotary Club, among many other prominent corporations and philanthropists.
HOPE now has two formal schools, both in remote areas of the Sind province in Pakistan. Nearly a thousand children currently benefit from these establishments, while informal home schools in the interior of the province have also mushroomed. As of now, 4,000 children are being given primary education in these home schools. Education is also provided to older illiterate women.

Seeing HOPE’s activities, one cannot help but admire the teamwork and dedication of the volunteers. They remind you of a well-knit family, each person performing his or her task with integrity. It is no wonder that the medical sphere has also seen remarkable growth.
The two community centres located in the slum areas provide services completely free of charge and have the latest medical facilities. Nearly 50,000 patients are treated in these centres every year.

Children’s ailments and childbirth are given special attention and these centres even have their own blood banks. To date, 700 children have been treated for polio. HOPE plans to set up a centre in the underdeveloped regions of Baluchistan as well as in NWFP and in Muzaffarabad.
Another of the NGO’s very important activities is providing vocational training to those people who have no skills, and therefore, no livelihood. By teaching them the English language, computer skills, and sewing and cutting, HOPE opens up new career opportunities, especially for women.

**When disaster strikes
**
HOPE’s activities in the earthquake-stricken areas of Northern Pakistan came at a crucial time when there was need for emergency aid. The powerful earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, killed about 82,000 people while nearly 3.3 million people were left injured or homeless.
Three years after the tragedy, HOPE still runs 55 health facilities in the affected areas, concentrating mainly on a nutrition rehabilitative project in collaboration with Unicef. Dr Agboatwalla regularly visits the stricken areas to oversee activites.
In the last week of June 2007, Dadu, a district in the interior of the Sind province, was affected by severe flooding that caused more than 100,000 people to be displaced. HOPE rose to the occasion magnificently and the direct beneficiaries were a staggering 46,774 people, mainly women and children.

Destitute and needy children are often brought to the doorsteps of HOPE’s centres. These children have nowhere to go, and more often than not, no family. HOPE provides shelter to these orphan children and has also set up an adoption centre to find suitable homes for them.
Hygiene matters
HOPE also creates awareness about clean water and the diseases that can spread with the consumption of contaminated water.
In rural areas, few people have access to potable water, and HOPE has started a campaign to provide quality drinking water to these people through a home-based system of chlorination. Personal hygiene is also encouraged, especially among children, to prevent diseases like diarrhoea.
Apart from that, HOPE is also working to promote the usage of safe syringes. The use of infected syringes can lead to HIV among other infections, and in collaboration with WHO, HOPE is spreading awareness among the people on this issue.

The future
*Dr Agboatwalla has lofty aims for the future. *“I would like to see HOPE provide health and education in every corner of Pakistan by bringing these services to the doorsteps of the people in remote, inaccessible areas. This cannot be achieved alone and we at HOPE need as many people as possible to join the cause. “Towards this goal, we are planning to launch HOPE in Dubai by inviting like-minded individuals and organisations to join hands. This will be the first step towards our campaign.”

A helping hand… For thousands of people who are victims of circumstances, Dr Mubina Agboatwala and her team of dedicated doctors, teachers and trainers offer a second chance in life by giving them an opportunity to learn new skills (left), receive medical care (top) and gain an education
Dr Mubina Agboatwalla with Sulaiman … offering a mother’s love to the little one.

Absolutely Commendable work! God Bless Dr Mubina!
:k:

gulfnews : A glimmer of hope

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United Youth of Pakistan, an organization that was started by bunch of students. They have set up medical camps in Nawabshah where alot of people are deprived of medical facilities.

They have also step up free schools for the needs by the name of " The Patriots"

here, you can see the pictures of these little angels

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**Five Pakistani universities among top Asian universities: QS Ranking-2012

**ISLAMABAD - Investment in higher education in Pakistan continues to reap dividends.
According to QS World Universities Rankings 2012, 5 Universities of Pakistan have won its place in the list of top 300 Universities, says a press release.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) UK is the world’s most renowned and prestigious ranking agency.

**National University of Science and Technology **(NUST-108) **Karachi University **(191-200) AKU (201-250) **Lahore University of Management Sciences **(LUMS) (251-300) and Lahore University (251-300) are now in top 300 Asian Universities of the World.

It speaks volumes of the hard work put in by the management and faculty of these universities and consistent support of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in terms of improving infrastructure, access to Digital Library, providing quality education, providing opportunities for conducting innovative research, establishing international linkages, engaging in collaborative research with leading international institutions/organizations, participating in international exchange programs and producing graduates who are welcomed by national/international industry, academia and corporate sector. It is essential that this growth should continue and further focus on adding quality in research and education to our other universities as well.

HEC is focusing on development of critical technologies including Biotechnology and Genetics, Immunology, Robotics and Automation, Nanotechnologies, Superconductivity, Computer Vision, Photo-optics and Lasers, Electromagnetics and Microwaves and Nuclear Fusion for Energy, etc. which are important for the strategic growth of Pakistan. The next 5 year strategy of HEC calls for universities building Pakistan. It is important that this vision become a reality. Pakistani universities have produced more PhDs in the last 9 years (3280) since the establishment of HEC than in the first 55 years (3000). Research output has grown eight-folds since 2002 (from 815 in 2002 to 6,200 in 2011) which is a remarkable achievement by any world standards. 80% of these research publications are coming from HEIs. Output has more than doubled just in the last 3 years and is expected to double again in the next 3 years. Nearly 5,000 scholars from Pakistan have been facilitated to present their research work in leading conferences of the world. Researchers from Pakistan have established academic linkages with their counterparts in every leading university of the world in the US, UK, China, Germany, France, Australia, Korea, etc.

Pakistan’s scientists, engineers and technologists are its single biggest strategic asset. Till five years ago, these were concentrated in a few strategic organizations; however, the revolution in higher education brought about by HEC has ensured that every engineering and science and technology university has started to blossom into a center of research and innovation.

HEC has integrated Pakistan and broken the elitist myth of availability of talent only in big cities by providing scholarships to talented student belonging to the middle class and poor segments of the society through a transparent process of merit.

HEC has proved itself a role model federal organization which empowers equal and full participation of all universities and provinces to facilitate higher education for the socio-economic development of Pakistan.

Six Pakistani universities among top Asian universities: QS Ranking-2012 | Pakistan Today | Latest news | Breaking news | Pakistan News | World news | Business | Sport and Multimedia

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“Like every year PAKISTN YOUTH FORUM continues its ritual of Ramadan activities, we are aiming to organize aftars at orphanages, old age homes and in poor underdeveloped areas of Pakistan we also intend to enlighten the Eid of those ignored elements of society for whom it is really hard to survive in meager income and hand to mouth situations. We are also giving out ration bags to those who go to sleep hungry each day! We need your support too help those white collar families who do not prefer to extend their hand but indeed they are deserving.”

God Bless Them:k:

to DONATE OR SPONSOR, one can contact them at their webpage

Pakistan Youth Forum = Youth Deserve Listening | Facebook

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Well done !!! A student from Pakistan, scored 99% in Civil Engg in Sharjah University in UAE, a record highest.

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Chhipa Welfare Association

is purely a non-profit, Non-Government Organization in public sector registered with Government of Pakistan & Government of Sindh vide Registration No. DSW(2068)-K, which is daily running a big fleet of **Chhipa Ambulances equipped with first-aid box, oxygen cylinder and paramedic for the causes and services to common people without any discrimination of caste creed or colour and for saving the precious human lives without affiliation with any political or religious party or any ethnic group/trust. Eminent social worker, Mr. Muhammad Ramzan Chhipa is Founder & Chairman of this welfare organization.

*****In frequent road accidents, sudden disaster, bomb blast, firing, stamped, heavy rain, train collision, building and bridge collapse, unexpected event and emergency. Our Chhipa Ambulances with highly motivated and dedicated volunteers hurriedly rush and always reach the spot FIRST for immediate help and assistance to the suffering people and remain day & night 24 hours busy with lifting and shifting the road-lying accidentally wounded wriggling sobbing sighing helpless persons, sicks and emergency patients to hospitals and medical aid centers in attempts to save the valuable lives. Its Rescue Team daily saves a number of precious human lives which is highly applauded by public and local & foreign media.

*Chhipa Welfare daily provides 2 times free foods to thousands of the poor, labours and low-income group worried & starving people on Chhipa Dastarkhawans spread over at all Chhipa Centers with respect, proper attention and due care regularly, so that from the savings they can spend money on their children’s education, health and utility bills and could heave a sigh of relief in these days of great hardship.

**Chhipa Welfare has placed Chhipa Palna (Cradle) at all Chhipa Emergency Ambulance Centers with an appeal to people to calmly throw the un-wanted newly born child in Chhipa Palna (Cradle) for adoption by interested childless married couple registered with Chhipa Head Office who gladly want to adopt and bring up the deserted newly born minor child to make worthy citizen of country, which is most admirable step of Social Worker Mr. CHHIPA. Chhipa also gets out of ocean drowned people through expert divers posted on the brink of ocean. This measure has reduced death toll and suicide attempts of general public. **

About Us | Chhipa Welfare Association®
working for the sake of humanity, these people should be our heroes:k: