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[TABLE]
Brazuca's been co-produced in Pakistan but story of the football goes deeper & wider than the production line.
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First Pakistani expedition takes off for K2
First Pakistani expedition takes off for K2 - Pakistan - DAWN.COM
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The Brazuca.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=752871911432120&fref=nf
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pakistani peopel most talented people in the world. good work for drones
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Made in Pakistan: Sports car made by students to be unveiled today
Made in Pakistan: Sports car made by students to be unveiled today - Newspaper - DAWN.COM
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BBC Sport - Glasgow 2014: Bowling biochemist hoping to inspire Pakistan
Muhammad Shahzad thinks he is 30 years old, but is not quite sure. Calendars were scarce in the rural Pakistani village in which he was born.
So, too, were forenames - it was not until he went to school that his teacher added Muhammad to the family name by which he had always been known.
The disclosures are accompanied by a broad smile. A childhood of such poverty might be embarrassing for some, but Shahzad considers them a vital component of his journey. A journey that will detour briefly from his blossoming career as a biochemist to allow a short stint competing at Glasgow 2014.
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Glasgow 2014: Meet the Pakistan Lawn Bowls team
Shahzad is one of his nation’s first Commonwealth Games lawn bowls representatives.
Given his country has no history of playing the sport, and Shahzad only took it up as a hobby when he moved to Glasgow as a student about the time of the last Games, expectations of the four-strong team are low.
But with one condition. “They would understand if we did not win a gold medal,” he says. “But if we lose to an Indian, we won’t be able to go home…”
Home for Shahzad is Kalu Khan, a small village in the Swabi district of KPK province. Born in that rural, tribal settlement to illiterate parents whose only means of income was their tobacco crop, he was 16 when he first had his photograph taken and 19 when he saw streetlights for the first time. Until then, he had never been in a city.
Muhammad Shahzad’s family home in Pakistan
Shahzad and his family lived in this shack in rural Pakistan
His parents had to work for four days in the fields to raise the £2 he needed to make that trip to Peshawar to sit his entrance exams for medical college.
“If I showed you a picture of my home, you would not believe it,” he says. "You could not imagine how little money we had. My dad is a tobacco farmer and there is only a crop once every year so you either have a good crop or you are short of food.
“But I enjoyed my childhood. Sure, we didn’t have gadgets or facilities, but I don’t have any regrets except that my grooming and personality might be better if I had gone to a better school. Sometimes people hide these things but I am proud of where I came from and what I have achieved since.”
Before bowls
Shahzad believes his aptitude for bowls comes from playing a game called Pittu Garam. He says “We would play before and after school because it was free and we couldn’t afford to play cricket or hockey. My mum would make me a ball out of old cloth, with which you have to hit a pile of small rocks that have been piled up by the other team.”
Little wonder. After being enrolled in school by his teacher cousin - “I started when people born at the same time as me did; that’s how I know how old I am” - Shahzad shone, securing a scholarship and becoming the first person from his community to earn a place at college.
He subsequently qualified as a medical dentist before turning his attention to biochemistry and agreeing a bond with the Pakistani government that enabled him to study for a PhD at Glasgow University.
Such successes mean he is now a role model for the people of Kalu Khan - 15 other children have followed his journey to medical school - and he sends back money every month to his parents, as well as supporting orphans and the local 1600-pupil school.
The first picture Muhammad Shahzad ever had taken, aged 16
Shahzad had his photograph taken for the first time when he was 16
“My flatmates are from good families in Pakistan,” he explains. “They go to the shops and buy a shirt maybe for £25 and wear it only once but for that money I am helping four or five kids for a whole year at home. My parents work for weeks to earn £25 but I can spare that and it means that kids can get an education and that can change a whole community.”
Given the way it has suffered in recent years, his community needs all the help it can get.
Shahzad’s childhood - in a region that borders and shares a language and culture with Afghanistan - was played out against a backdrop of what happened following the attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001. About 20 of his friends and members of his extended family were killed during the so-called War on Terror.
“After 9/11 it was bad,” he recalls of growing up less than 100 miles from the border. "My people suffered but it was nothing to do with us - if you ask my dad who is the president or prime minister of Pakistan he would not know.
“Kabul is near us and I remember hearing of an American soldier who showed a picture of New York’s World Trade Center Twin Towers to people and they had no idea what it was. They thought it was Kandahar.”
His selection for Glasgow 2014 was fraught. The Pakistan Olympic Committee had never heard of bowls when Shahzad first contacted them in 2013, but eventually relented to his lobbying and agreed to enter him.
Map
Subsequently, they have also selected two Glasgow restaurateurs - Qureshi Ayub ‘Chico’ Mohammed and Ali Shan Muzahir, both of whom moved to Scotland as children and play at district level - as well as a Pakistan-based novice.
“I sometimes think ‘what am I doing?’ because people back home expect a lot from anyone who is representing Pakistan,” says Shahzad, who will begin his campaign against Fiji’s Samuela Tuikiligana on Sunday. “I owe a lot to my country because they raised me from nothing. That makes me very proud to wear that flag on my chest.”
After Glasgow, the terms of his bond dictate he must return to Pakistan to take up a post as a professor at a medical university. That, though, will not mean the end of his bowls career, with Shahzad keen to introduce the sport to his homeland, even if it might cost him his place in the team for Australia’s Gold Coast Games in 2018.
Untapped talent
“There are so many kids from my area who could be world-class athletes. We swim in one of the most dangerous rivers in the world every day so, if we can do that, how well can we swim in a pool when we don’t have to avoid rocks?”
“If I can convince my university to have one green, we can really develop bowls,” he says. "A huge chunk of the world’s population is in India and Pakistan so if they get interested, it changes everything.
"In hockey, you have to support 16 players to win one gold medal; in cricket you need a team to win matches; but in bowls you only need to support one person to win a gold medal so it makes so much more sense. Why not support 10 and maybe get five medals?
“Maybe I’m not one of them but it would be worth it if it means I have inspired other people.”
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Avada, the highest selling WordPress theme on Australian tech site ThemeForest, has made its duo creative team, who call themselves ThemeFusion, more than $4 million in sales.
Based in Lahore, Pakistan, developer Muhammad Haris partnered with US-based designer Luke Beck to start their WordPress development venture.…
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Wow. This is awesome ! Thanks for sharing.
What a nice video. Love the opening shot of the Baadshaahi Mosque and other Lahore venues. @waleedhbk
BTW, what is a theme he is talking about ?
Why doesn't everybody do it if it is so easy.
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..BTW, what is a theme he is talking about ? Why doesn't everybody do it if it is so easy.
Theme is like a toolbox for developing websites. It is not 'so easy' to develop successful themes, specially given that you would need to provide timely, helpful support to your customers after selling it.
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Hmmm. Smart kid.
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[Nisar Malik: Immortalising Pakistan
https://www.facebook.com/WalkaboutFilmsPakistan](http://tribune.com.pk/story/720422/nisar-malik-immortalising-pakistans-nature-haven/)
Save The Almost Extinct Himalayan Brown Bear - YouTube
Nisar Malik ..Great Pakistani - YouTube
](http://tribune.com.pk/story/720422/nisar-malik-immortalising-pakistans-nature-haven/)
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IT expert Umar Saif.
A Professor With A Western Past Remakes Pakistan’s Entrepreneurial Future - Forbes
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Another Pakistani hero emerging:
Recognition : Pakistani activist receives prestigious award – The Express Tribune
Recognition : Pakistani activist receives prestigious award
By Our Correspondent
Published: November 11, 2014
Farida Shaheed has won the award for her work on culture and gender rights. PHOTO: ONLINE
****LAHORE: **In recognition of her extensive work on issues surrounding culture, gender, religion and the state, the International Award UCLG – Mexico City Culture 21 award for personality will be presented to activist Farida Shaheed at a ceremony on November 12 in New Mexico. **
A statement issued on this said that the award is given to personalities that distinguish themselves through their contributions to culture as a dimension of sustainable development.
Shaheed is a special rapporteur for the United Nations on cultural matters. She is known internationally for her work on culture and identity in relation to development and human rights, and the state’s responsibility in this regard. Her work as a social analyst in translating knowledge in practical terms has won her acclaim.
Shaheed began working for the United Nations as an independent expert in 2009. She has since proposed several initiatives to integrate culture and human rights. Shaheed has also identified and detailed main challenges of cultural rights in society, including the right to access of cultural heritage, the right to benefit from scientific progress and the right to freedom of artistic expression, creativity, and historic narratives in divided societies.
Shaheed heads the Shirkat Gah – Women’s Resource Centre. The organisation critiques issues of sustainable development through a gendered lens. Shaheed has done extensive work on dispelling the notion of culture as a static monolith or a relic of the past. She advocates an understanding of the dynamic nature of culture and its interconnectedness with laws, development projects and social norms in a contemporary environment.
The jury for International Award UCLG – Mexico City Culture 21, comprising Cuautéhmoc Cárdenas Solórzano, Gonzalo Carámbula, Daníelle Cliche, Catherine Cullen and Alicia Ziccardi selected Shaheed from among several notable activists from around the world.
Shaheed has received several other awards including the Prime Minister’s Award for Two Steps Forward One Step Back – Women of Pakistan, a book that she co-authored.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11[SUP]th[/SUP], 2014.
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Pakistan needs many more like following:**
Hometown Heroes**
Mahnoor Yawar](TFT-Story)
TFT Issue: 14 Nov 2014
A small shoe company from Okara pulled off the most successful Kickstarter campaign in Pakistan’s history. Mahnoor Yawar reports on how it is shaping the Pakistani startup landscape
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What do people look for when they buy shoes? Some try to strike a balance between utility and economy. Others will chase the high-priced luxury that certain brands offer. Neither group is likely to pay much attention to the process that went into making them. The concepts of “heritage” and “art” tend to mean little when it comes to something as simple as the shoes we wear.That may be about to change thanks to a new behemoth called Markhor. This startup had a simple mission: to revive the ancient art of high-end handmade men’s shoes in their tiny hometown of Okara. Why let international designers like Paul Smith co-opt and repurpose one of the most intrinsic aspects of our culture?In less than four years since, the Markhor team has earned support and funding from some of the finest tech incubators of the industry, including Google-supported Pashafund and the Acumen Fund. Most recently, they pulled off the most successful Kickstarter campaign Pakistan has ever seen, raising $107,286 in 45 days – over 7 times their initial modest goal.People don’t just want to buy a product, they want to be part of a story
Co-founders Sidra Qasim and Waqas Ali are still overwhelmed by this unprecedented success. “We had expected to meet our goal eventually with a couple of hundred backers,” said Qasim, 27. “But when we hit the $15,000 mark in less than 22 hours of launching our campaign, we were stunned.”All this based on the simple promise of a remarkably high quality pair of shoes, and supporting the struggling artisans behind it. Their client base expanded to the Middle East, Europe and North America, and the endorsements started pouring in. Their success relies heavily on word-of-mouth and excellent customer service, rather than expensive marketing strategies.“People don’t just want a product, no matter how great the quality is,” said Ali, 26. “They want to be part of a story. That is what our clients have invested in with us.”And what a beautiful, compelling story it is. Markhor’s superior presentation and clean design have clearly contributed to the attention it has attracted. Noted entrepreneur and author Seth Godin featured Markhor’s campaign on his blog saying, “The world keeps getting smaller and ideas and connection are the currencies that matter, not atoms or molecules.”
Which is an apt understanding of what Markhor stands for. The team shows great passion in relating facts and figures, sharing plans for their next steps. But it’s hard to miss that they aren’t just another product-oriented group of sophisticated salespeople. They’re driven individuals supporting an indigenous art and a vital community in their hometown, both of which are increasingly marginalized by market demand for cheaper, more readily available goods. It’s a simple, but powerful, idea.“We know these craftsmen. We know their problems. We see their struggles,” Ali explains. “This is just our small way of giving back, not only to these remarkable artisans, but to our culture.”Qasim herself stands as a testament to how much an idea can achieve. Remarkable as she is – a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated circle – the odds were stacked against her right from the start. A small-town Punjabi girl who fought against cultural and social norms to make something of herself as a businesswoman in Lahore was not without its challenges. “It was hard for my parents to understand at first,” she remembers, with a wistful smile. “We went through some very difficult times. But they’ve come to appreciate what we’ve achieved over time. The struggle is never over, but it’s a start.”The team is far from their initial stage of struggle now too. From their early days working out of a local KFC for lack of a better venue, they have now expanded to a global team, from stellar designers graduating from high-ranked fashion programs to a San Francisco-based operations manager.The crowdfunding campaign was not without its hiccups either. Most Pakistani funders were deterred by the high price. “We’re importing cow leather for the soles since it isn’t available locally. We’re using materials so high in quality that they aren’t even available for the local market,” Qasim explains. “These aren’t just shoes – we’re marketing a lifestyle choice.”Of course, there was also a lot of adjustment required in thinking for both the team and their clients. “We spent a long time reassuring people that these shoes weren’t actually made of Markhor hide,” Ali says with a laugh. “People just took the logo at face value and went on.” He even related the ideological battle he fought when one client in the US requested his pair be personalized with a plea to legalize marijuana. “In the end, I was convinced there was nothing wrong with it. The client always comes first.”This attention to detail and top-notch customer service is evidenced by their limited range of products. “For us, it’s most important that we do the very best of what we can do. If that means sticking to a few things and attaining perfection, then that’s what we’ll do,” says Qasim. “We’re obviously looking to expand into other products, but our first priority is to deliver the huge influx of orders we’ve gotten over the last month.”It’s clear with this focused attitude that the only way Markhor can go from here is up. The more important fact of the matter is that they’ve laid the stepping stones for a very promising new trend. Here’s to a beacon of hope in Pakistan’s fledgling startup ecosystem, and in the steady business of stellar shoes.[HR][/HR]
