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^ They can afford to do that because they have a nation to rule which only knows how to sob and that's it. Our leadership is a truely rewarded lot.
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excellent thread !
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Thank You llxxlll :)
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**Pakistani students win International award for short film on drone attacks!
KARACHI - A short film by two Pakistani students on US drone attacks in Pakistan and their impact on society has won an international film award, however they were refused US visa to receive the award in Washington.**
The film was awarded with the Best Audience Award at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in Washington DC. Filmmakers Muhammad Danish, writer and director, and Atiqullah, producer of the short film, are students at Iqra University, a private management studies institute in Pakistan.
The 20-minute short film revolves around the idea of assessing social, psychological and economical affects on people from the tribal areas of Pakistan. The film identified problems that families face after becoming victims of drone missiles. Besides, it unearths line of action of terrorists groups who then use victim families for their vested interests. Despite being chosen for awards, both the students could not attend the award ceremony. They had applied for US visa twice, but were rejected by the US Embassy. “If we get visa then it would be quite easy and helpful to frame our point of view in front of selected youth film makers,” Danish said.
“The film gained interest from audience across the globe, compelling festival administrators to give Audience Award to the film.”
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**Muhammad Iqbal was born blind, but he wanted to gain education, even it meant to start from nursery,so he started his schooling at the age of 18, and finished grade 10 in just one year with top percentage,later on, he went to college and chose sociology as his majors, besides, this he teaches deaf and blind kids. He also took training in various things, such as computers, in which he scored 97%. He has done lots of field work in Swat as well. his focus is to help handicapped people and provide them education.
**Muhammad Iqbal says “I’m handicapped, but I’m not helpless”
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Great Thread 
Report by CNN
Master Ayub Khan has been teaching the poor students for 25 years without receiving a single penny. Converting a Public Park in Downtown Islamabad into a Night School, he has been able to teach these would be illetrate kids.
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“Furman Ali Khan” A Pakistani National Living in Jeddah - KSA - received a Medal of First Class by the order of King Abdul Aziz, for rescuing 14teen in Seoul Jeddah before his death.
Anwar al-Saqqaf - Jeddah:
Wednesday, 26/10/2011
Approved by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to give the martyr Farman Ali Khan, may God have mercy on him, (Pakistani), the Medal of King Abdul Aziz first class, for having rescued 14 people from drowning during the floods that swept through the province of Jeddah in 1430H and then died, may God have mercy on him, he was preparing to rescue others.
The approval of the Custodian of the Two granted this award in recognition of his heroic humanitarian and honor of the martyr and his family on this noble humanitarian work.
P.S. Its not related but I wanted to share. 
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wonderful stuff guys :k:
@ Tanvir thanks for sharing the video, I always admired Shehzad Roy for his emphasis on education and reforming govt schools
and his new program wassu or main is very informative especially for youth. great initiative!
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What a gem 
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**“Everyone gives charity but no one gives the handicapped an opportunity to earn an income. I do that.”
“A majority work for their own benefit, while there are those who do selfless acts for others. Naima Khan, General Secretary of Hamnasheen Welfare Association and Founder of Green Fingers, a nursery that hires and trains physically and mentally impaired people of all ages to earn a living.Naima went from being a school teacher to a mentor for her workers”
listen to Naima Khan talk about her journey!
**
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**Bryan Farris writes about his visit to Pakistan and how his experience changed his perception about Pakistan
**
Pakistan is a land of extremes: from extreme heat to extreme hospitality. From extreme religious sentiment to extreme devotion to food. From extremely exaggerated journalism to an extremely undervalued global reputation.
**What most of the world fails to realize is just how beautiful this country is and how spectacular its people truly are. It is impossible to overlook the problems: Pakistan is facing lawlessness in Karachi, a violent political system, jaw-dropping inflation, an insufficient power supply and terrorists staking claim over the northern areas. These are real issues that do exist: but they do not define Pakistan—as much of the world would have you believe.
**While it may be impossible to overlook the problems, it is (apparently) quite possible to overlook the splendor that a country like Pakistan offers.
Where else do you greet every stranger with the phrase “Peace be with you”?
Where else do you find BBQ Chicken Tikka that melts in your mouth?
Where else is being 20 minutes late considered on-time?
Where else can you see opportunity in every alley?
Where else do motorized scooters (100% of which are red hondas) weave in between cars which cruise past rickshaws, which veer around donkey-pulled carts, which are dwarfed by strutting camels?
Where else can you buy seasonal fruit on every single street corner?
Where else do the echoes of a minaret bring an eerie peace to 4a.m. in the morning?
Where else do you find a people who take prayer so seriously, they start every flight with one?
Where else, but Pakistan?
Pakistan is not a country of terrorists, but rather a country afflicted by terrorists.
Real Pakistanis are the opposite of the stereotype in just about every way possible. And I meet them every day.
Pakistanis are hospitable. I’ve spent my entire time here living with a host family. At first I was a guest, but Jean, Wilburn, Asim, Maria, Susie, John, Ben, Thomas, Annie, Tashu and Ethan made me feel so welcome that they became family. I know I have a home here forever. Anywhere you go in Pakistan, people will welcome you with open arms (and probably a even a hug—from strangers too).
Pakstanis are loyal. I mean…crazy loyal. When you make a Pakistani friend, you’ve created a serious bond. Leaving is so hard because I feel such powerful ties with people here. For my farewell dinner, a co-worker (but really a new best friend), Jamshaid, made two 9 hour trips between our site in the flood affected areas and Lahore just to join for dinner. Another friend of mine who had moved out of Lahore months ago made a 250Km round trip to meet me for Sehri breakfast at 3am. I’ve never felt so honored.
Pakistanis love tea. If this isn’t self-evident, I don’t know what is. Pakistanis love to sit down, stir their chai and chat. Spending time with others and building quality relationships is so important. Back home people tend to fly through their days, but in Pakistan, every moment with another is cherished.
Pakistanis are optimistic. I’ve never been somewhere where young people were as energized about opportunities in their own country as here. There is a bright future ahead and Pakistan’s youth are driving it. A few friends of mine—Ali, Babar, Zehra, Saba, Jimmy, Khurram—have inspiring aspirations for change in PK.
**This is the Pakistan that the world needs to come to know. Yes, there are terrorists and violence, and that can’t be forgotten, but if that is your perception, then you are judging a book by the headlines.
**Sure, there are probably safer ways I could have spent this year, but then I wouldn’t have been stretched in the way that I have been.
**Pakistan has become a part of me; it has forever changed me, my perspective on the world, and my trust in humanity.
**Here’s to you PK.
Shukria, Allah Hafiz. (Thank you, may God protect you).
A Rubberband Kind of Year: See You Later Pakistan | Rising Pyramid
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Aisam wins another doubles title. :k:
ESTORIL OPEN 2012
QURESHI/ROJER WIN FIRST TEAM TITLE IN ESTORIL
Estoril, Portugal
Top seeds Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer defeated fourth seeds Julian Knowle and David Marrero 7-5, 7-5 on Sunday to capture the Estoril Open doubles title.
Junior Pakistani Squash and Hockey teams also scored wins on the same day. :k:
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Nice shairing Tanvir Bhai :k:
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**true champions of Pakistan, our blind cricketers who are the world champions!
**
**Pakistan’s blind cricket team deserves praise for being world champions. Instead, what they get is pity.
**
“I used to listen to cricket matches on the radio as a child, and always dreamt of playing the sport though I knew it was not possible,” says cricketer Abdul Razzaq.
No, this is not the Abdul Razzaq, that most fans of Pakistani cricket are familiar with, the all- rounder who is famous for his ability to score quick runs.
This Abdul Razzaq is the captain of the Pakistani blind cricket team, and his achievements are, in some ways, even more impressive than his famous namesake. In captaincy since 2002, he has won two world cups for Pakistan, and the team has been undefeated on international platforms since 2006.
When I first meet him, in the Government Institute for the Blind that also serves as his home, Razzak is clearly in a tizzy. He quickly climbs down the stairs from his residence, briskly walks over to the admin offices and then down to the parking lot and back up again. He moves faster than I would expect a visually challenged person to, though he does take each step carefully and at times has to be led by someone else.
The captain is caught up in the flurry of trying to organise his team for a national tournament. His task is far from easy, and it is not helped by the fact that these players are not being flown around like their counterparts in the Pakistani national cricket team which is still basking in its victory at the Asia Cup. While the national team hits headlines every so often — whether it is for match fixing or winning tournaments — and is a regular fixture on the sports pages, spectators, advertisers and sponsors often forget that the blind cricket team even exists.
The difference between the two teams in terms of resources and official and corporate interest, is quite marked.
For forty-year-old Razzaq, every national series means he has to call for a bus by himself, get all the players together and make sure thay all leave on time. And this is exactly what he is doing today. If his struggles were limited to arranging logistics, he says he would not complain, but he has bigger problems than just trying to get the bus driver to show up on time.
“The last world cup that was supposed to happen in 2010 was cancelled because of lack of funds and visa issues,” he says.
It is one thing to have a tiny fan base and minimal sponsorship, but when tournaments are cancelled, these blind players are deprived of their raison d’être. Still, Abdul Razzaq has not lost heart. “A T-20 world cup for the blind is coming up in December this year. After playing in that, I plan to retire and open a blind cricket academy.” The captain says that there are no dedicated blind cricket academies in the country and he hopes the institution he plans to open can find new talent and promote the blind version of the game.
Perhaps the worst aspect of being a blind cricketer is that, far from being celebrated as a sportsman, the players are looked at with the same pity reserved for those suffering from grave misfortunes. “The public seems to feel only pity for us,” says Razzak. “We don’t want that.”
Very few people come to see them play and even those who do use words like ‘becharey’ which is demoralising to say the least. “We are sportsmen, and we should be treated as such. This is like any other sport and people should understand that.”
Though markedly different from conventional cricket, the game has internationally governed laws approved by the World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC). Established in 1996, the WBCC’s other members include Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Before any changes are introduced in the format, all of these countries agree to the modification in the game and play accordingly at both the local and international level.
In every match, players are divided into three categories based on the severity of their blindness. A team of 11 has four totally blind players (category B1), three partially blind players (category B2), and four players with partial vision (category B3). The formats currently in play are one-day matches with 40 overs and T20s.
But with more than half the team unable to see the ball, one may well ask how the game is played at all? It is interesting to see how different the bowling and batting are from regular cricket. For one thing, the bowling has to be under arm and the ball has to bounce once on either side of the mid pitch line before it reaches the batting crease. This is a difficult task since there are durational limits on the match. Another modification is that the bowler has to give a verbal signal, shouting “play”, as he releases the ball. After every twenty overs, completely blind cricketers are required to bowl five overs which makes the game even tougher.
The batting comes with its own set of challenges. In the batting order, three consecutive players from each category have to play, making the game trickier when B1 category players bat. On the plus side, runs by totally blind players count for twice as much as those made by their partially blind teammates. The ball used in these matches is made of plastic and filled with metal ball bearings so that batsmen can locate it by listening for the rattling sound.
Abdul Razzaq has a number of feathers in his cap: not only is he the captain of the Pakistan team, he is also the record holder for the fastest half century, scoring 50 runs in just nineteen balls. He also took five wickets while giving only thirteen runs against New Zealand. His personal best was when he scored 87 runs against Australia. Under his guidance, the team won a series against India just last year.
But the star player complains of poor coverage. “They did not even show our matches live. Not even on PTV, which is state-owned,” he says bitterly. “Even finding sponsors for the game has been an uphill task.”
“It’s not considered sports but charity,” adds coach Nafees Ahmed.
Ahmed has been the coach of the Pakistani cricket team since 1998 and has come to see off Abdul Razzaq, helping him arrange for the bus and ensuring that the team leaves on time.
Nafees is also a teacher at this institute and has been very active in promoting this game. He has played a pivotal role in the formation of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, under which all the national team members and other officials are registered.
One of his main concerns has been the players’ low salaries and he has lobbied for an increase in their allowances for over a decade now. In the last three years or so, he says, things have improved somewhat. “Each player now gets a monthly stipend of Rs8,000 to Rs12,000 depending on his category,” says Ahmed.
But Abdul Razzaq still considers this too little.
“Even the women national team players get more than that,” the captain complains.
Razzaq also teaches at another blind academy a few kilometres away from his home but despite having two jobs, his living conditions are modest at best and the two-room house in which he lives with his wife and three children is a testament to that.
By now, all the cricketers have gathered and Abdul Razzaq introduces them to me. One of them is Noor Wali, a young man from the tribal areas who is currently studying political science at Government College, Lahore. There are players from all corners of the country, from South Waziristan to Karachi, all united by their love for cricket and their common handicap. Huddled on a bench, they are listening intently to a cricket match on the radio.
As the players troop inside the bus that will take them to Peshawar, Razzaq turns around to say one last thing. He does not want people to come and see them play because they pity them — he has a different reason for wanting people to come to their matches.
“Pakistan is the Blind Cricket world champion. I wish people would realise this, come see our matches and promote us.”
**In short, he wants Pakistanis to take pride in their champions.
**
http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/373460-team-1336054990-705-640x480.JPG
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**Pakistan inches towards its first imaging satellite
After the successful launch of the communication satellite PAKSAT-IR last year, the country’s space agency, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), is all set to launch an advanced high resolution remote sensing satellite system (RSSS) technology.
**
Expanding Pakistan’s presence in space for commercial and strategic purposes, SUPARCO, has sent a proposal to the government for financing of the RSSS project, through which the country can attain imaging facilities, currently used by advanced countries for surveying and mapping of earth.
As part of Space Programme 2040, the proposed satellite, next in the BADAR series, will carry a number of engineering evaluation and scientific experiments including those from Research and Development organisations, academic institutions and other national agencies.
Pakistan had launched its first satellite PAKSAT-1R in collaboration with neighboring country China.
PAKSAT-1R, that was launched in August last year has a design life of 15 years. It provides TV broadcasting, internet and data communication services across South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa and the Far East.
PAKSAT-1R project was completed by SUPARCO with the cooperation of China’s Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).
Pakistan inches towards its first imaging satellite – The Express Tribune
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Along with the blind team, Pakistani women's teams are also very successful in international tournaments.
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yes ... future of cricket is bright! :)
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**Pakistani film-maker takes it to Cannes
**
Faraz Waqar, a young Pakistani film-maker who graduated from the New York Film Academy, Abu Dhabi, has been selected to show his thesis film 9:11 am at the Festival de Cannes 2012 Short Films Corner this year, according to a press release.
“My graduation thesis film 9:11 am was submitted to a select list of international film festivals and I am very happy to say that it has been selected for its world premiere at the Festival de Cannes 2012 Short Films Corner,” he confirmed.
Waqar considers Shoaib Mansoor — the mastermind behind films like*Khuda Ke Liye* and Bol — his main inspiration and adds that studying film and working in the industry has always been a dream. “Reviving the film industry in my own country and making films addressing the various social and political issues facing the Middle East and South Asia has always been my goal,” says Waqar.
However, the pressure for financial success and lack of support from his family forced Waqar to study Business Management instead of film-making. He spent 12 years working in the corporate world as a banker in the Middle East but never let his dream of becoming a film-maker die. “After achieving a fair degree of success in my business career and achieving financial independence, I was in a position to finally pursue my dream and passion.”
When asked about his perspective on screenings at film festivals, Waqar said, “Recognition at quality film festivals adds a lot of credibility to a new film-maker’s profile. It gives one confidence. Recognition at a major festival immediately brings you into the spotlight, especially in a market where film-making is still in a nascent stage.”
9:11 am takes budding film-maker to Cannes – The Express Tribune
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**Saira Batool - One of the First 4 Female Fighter Pilots in Pakistan
**
PAKISTAN welcomed its first female pilots into the country’s air force yesterday, breaking into the all-male front-line bastion of its armed forces. Saba Khan, Nadia Gul, Mariam Khalil and Saira Batool were among 36 cadets who received their wings after three and a half years of intensive training. General Ahsan Saleem Hyat, the deputy chief of army staff, said the four had “shown the spirit and courage to rise above the ordinary and break new ground for others to emulate”.
“If Pakistan is to rise to the height that it deserves, both men and women of our beloved land must find equal space and opportunity,” he said.
Carrying rifles and dressed in the same green uniform as their male colleagues - except for a kameez (tunic) flapping over their trousers, and one wearing a headscarf - they paraded before hundreds of family members and diplomats, and took the military oath.
Standing in front of a T-37 training jet, Flying Officer Saira Batool described her training as tough but "very thrilling".
“My parents, their prayers and my instructors and above all, almighty Allah, helped me achieve this success,” said Ms Saira Batool.
The women are the first female pilots in the 58-year history of the Pakistan air force. They trained in MFI-17 Super Mushfhak and T-37 jets and, depending on their abilities and the needs of the air force, could go on to fly fighter jets. Three more women are due to get their wings in October, but the air force will see how they perform before deciding whether to induct more such trainees, said Air Commodore Abid Kwaja, chief of the flight training college.
The women undergo the same training alongside their male colleagues, but live in separate quarters, and in a concession to religious sensitivities in the conservative Islamic nation, do their physical exercises separately from the men. "In the initial part of the training we felt they were a little wanting in muscular power, which is needed to control the aircraft. They were put in the gym and given physical exercises, and within one or two months they came up to physical requirements," said Air Cmdr Kwaja.
**
“They are as good as the male cadets,” he said. “There’s no reason they can’t become fighter pilots.” **
**About 5 per cent of Pakistan's air force officers are women, mostly serving in areas such as engineering, medicine, air traffic control and administration. Pakistan is still a male-dominated society and generally has a poor record for women's rights. Violence against women is still rife and usually goes unpunished. Women's literacy is only 35 per cent, compared with 62 per cent for men.
http://www.hazara.net/women/womanpilot.html**
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