The Pak Factor

The beauties of Karachi Cattle market 2009

Hina Safdar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:43:24 +0000

The celebrations of Eid ul Azha in Karachi begins with the setup of bakra mandi. This year at least two hundred VIP tents will be installed in the upcoming Super Highway cattle market on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha and an area stretched over 4000 square feet has been earmarked for this purpose. Many farm owners has step in the market already with some really healthy, highly decorated and classy sacrificial animals. Some of the famous ones include Aamir Dilpasand Cattle Farm, Lasania Cattle Farm, Shah Cattle Farm etc. Although the prices ...

Karachi cattle market 2009

Hina Safdar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:16:05 +0000

This year, again, Karachi’s biggest mandi (market), in Sohrab Goth, has become the centre of attraction as an estimated half a million sacrificial calves, goats, camels, and sheep have been put on sale in the market. Center of attraction are some really beautiful and healthy bulls like named Toofan, Diamond etc. many farm owners has also displayed their animals in around 15 decorated tents. Social websites like facebook are flooding with comments and pictures about the cows, bulls and goats in cattle market making it easier for customers to search ...

Hillary Clinton’s bridge building Visit to Pakistan

Hina Safdar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:47:14 +0000

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wound up a bridge-building visit to Pakistan on Friday leaving a sharp question ringing in my ears; ‘If she can go to such many places in Pakistan not only to approach Pakistanis hearts but facing tough questions and answering them herself (either satisfactory or not), why our leaders are reluctant to follow her foot steps? On Wednesday, when Ms. Clinton arrived, a car bomb in a market in the northwest city of Peshawar killed more than 100 people, mostly women and children, and wounded ...

Kiss The moon (Chan Di Chummi) A documentary about Transgenders in Pakistan

Hina Safdar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:32:36 +0000

An official selection at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival and shown at the 33rd Festival des film du monde Montreal (Montreal World Film Festival), Produced with German collaboration and released in 2009, the 90-minute Chan di Chummi (Kiss the Moon) is a revealing documentary about the lives of transsexuals. It portrays the life of eunuch (’Khusras or Hijra), members of a closely-knit sub-culture of transsexuals in Pakistan. The strikingly ample transgenders “Khusra” community is well-versed in the complex and ancient cultural traditions of Pakistani society. Sometimes their relationship to society ...

Huma Wasim Passes Away in Chennai

Hina Safdar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:59:32 +0000

This morning a depressing news embrace every Pakistani as Huma Wasim, wife of former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram, died of kidney failure at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, India. According to hospital officials, Huma breathed her last around 9.45 a.m. Huma, 42, mother of two, was admitted to Apollo Hospital on Oct 20 when Huma’s condition worsened mid-air while on her way to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore from Pakistan. Huma had been in the intensive care unit ICU ever since. Huma was suffering from sepsis (an inflammation of several tissues, including blood leading to kidney

Abdul Sattar Edhi honored by UNESCO non violence Award

Hina Safdar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:09:24 +0000

Abdul Sattar Edhi of Pakistan and Frantois Houtart of Belgium were awarded the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-Madanjeet Singh Prize on the unanimous recommendation of an international jury to UNESCO Director-General Konchiro Matsuura, according to an announcement in Paris. The prize was created in 1995 on the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, with the help of Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Katlama- The Delicious Festive food of Lahore

Hina Safdar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:49:16 +0000

A local Lahori festive specialty, Katlama (pori base prepared with May’da i.e white flour) topped with Basin (gram flour) mixed with herbs and spices, and fried in oil in a flat iron pan of giant size (absolutely not for calorie conscious folks!!). No matter where you buy it, Katlama always tastes the same. It is also known as Desi pizza. You can have the traditional variety of this savory, pastry type-dish, a little slice of deep-fried heaven, and sometimes meat-filled during festivals in Punjab. Some restaurants also serve the value added ...

Coordinated Multiple Militant Attacks in Lahore

Hina Safdar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:07:41 +0000

Approximately 25 militants including 3 women, dressed in police uniforms simultaneously attacked three law enforcement agencies in Lahore this morning. Militants launched a string of attacks in the Pakistani heartland and in the troubled northwest, killing 24 people after a week of violence in which more than 100 people died. The regional center of the Federal Investigation Agency and two police training centers, Manawa and Bedian Road were the targets of the assaults that occurred just before 9:30 a.m. in Lahore, the capital of the province of Punjab and Pakistan’s second most populous city. The coordinated attacks threw parts of Lahore into chaos, and in the capital, Islamabad, officials expressed dismay and surprise

Disgruntled Younis Khan Resigns from Captaincy

Hina Safdar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:53:23 +0000

The 31-year-old Younis, who had led Pakistan to Twenty20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, faced harsh criticism after the team crashed out in the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy, has resigned as captain of Pakistan Cricket team in protest at match-fixing allegations made against the team by a senior member of parliament who is also the chairman of National Assembly standing committee on sports. The standing committee had asked Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt, Younis, Coach Intikhab Alam and manager Yawar Saeed to explain their defeat against Australia ...

GHQ Attack Hostages Freed

Hina Safdar — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:45:17 +0000

The brazen attack on one of the most secure areas of the country in the middle of the day, and the taking of hostages, shows a new level of audacity from the militants. It is the third major militant strike in Pakistan in a week and was carried out as the army prepares a major offensive against the militants in their northwestern stronghold of South Waziristan on the Afghan border. Militants wearing military uniform attacked the Pakistani army’s headquarters yesterday, killing six soldiers and taking hostages after a 40-minute gun ...