Shirazi: 08/18/12

Saturday, 18 August 2012

KPK clerics push govt to declare Eid tomorrow

P eshawar: The official Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Peshawar has asked the provincial government of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa to announce Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow.
The Zonal Committee also raised objections over the decision of Central Committee, headed by Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, to declare Eid on Monday.
The Zonal Committee claimed receiving 18 testimonies of Shawwal moon being sighted.
Clerics have yet again failed to develop consensus over the decision to celebrate Eid on a single day across the country.
The Meteorological Department had earlier ruled out the possibility of moon’s sighting anywhere in the country.
Chief Meteorologist Tausif Alam said there was no possibility of sighting the Shawwal’s moon in Asia, including Pakistan
But residents of Waziristan marked Eid today after local clerics’ committee announced that Shawwal moon had been spotted in the tribal area on Friday.

Moon not sighted, Pak to celebrate Eid on Monday

K arachi: Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (CRHC) has announced that Shawwal moon has not been sighted in any part of the country, and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Monday, August 20.
A meeting of the CRHC was held Saturday at Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi to sight the Shawwal moon, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
CRHC Chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman presided over the committee’s meeting, which is being assisted by Met, SUPARCO and naval experts.
The Met Office had earlier ruled out the possibility of moon’s sighting anywhere in the country.
Chief Meteorologist Tausif Alam said there was no possibility of sighting the Shawwal’s moon in Asia, including Pakistan.
However, Eid ul Fitr was celebrated in parts of North Waziristan today after an unofficial committee of local clerics proclaimed that the moon had been sighted in Miranshah.

PTI, NYT and the Massive Media Fail

PTI, NYT and the Massive Media Fail

Let's get one thing straight here. I'm not upset at Pankaj Mishra for doing his job.

After reading the feature in the New York Times about Imran Khan, entitled "Imran Khan Must Be Doing Something Right", I was in shock for several minutes. And then when I was able to close my mouth, I immediately opened it in order to let out several whoops of disbelief. For here was a piece in arguably the world's most important newspaper that made IK look like Bozo the Clown.

Okay, perhaps I'm being too harsh. Sugandha Gupta, a resident of LA with whom I connected recently on Twitter, says that she thought it was an accurate portrayal of "the delicate balance of South Asian politics". And of someone who seems "conflicted", to put it mildly.

Here we have a writer who is allowed hours and hours of special alone time with Imran Khan - in his bedroom, amongst other venues - while the would-be leader of Pakistan spills his heart out on various subjects. He rants about "Westoxified Pakistanis" (according to Omar Waraich, "Westoxified" was a term used in a 2001 essay by Salman Rushdie about how progressive thinkers are lambasted in the Muslim world; IK's hatred of Salman Rushdie is well known and he should stop using this term immediately) and makes fun of Bilawal Bhutto for not speaking Urdu without batting an eyelash at the fact that his own two sons are being brought up in London and only visit Pakistan on school holidays. Pankaj Mishra accompanies him on a road trip to a convention in a rural town in Punjab, where IK promises to rid the nation of corruption but doesn't pay the road toll. The "media coordinator" tells Mishra about how hard it is for her to do her job in the face of male opposition in the party.

Here's another gem from the article:
“Morons!” he exclaimed. “First you have to guarantee basic social and economic rights before you get to gender rights! What is the point of these NGO workers showing up in conservative tribal areas wearing bluejeans?!”
So, it appears that IK has just reduced the fight for gender equality - which is a part and parcel of social rights - to frivolous women wanting to wear tight clothing. (Probably IK is unaware of the death of Farida Afridi, cofounder of women's NGO SAWERA, who was not wearing blue jeans when she was shot in the head by unknown assailants in Peshawar last month after receiving death threats for her work in the tribal areas making women aware of their "basic social and economic rights".)
All of this ends up on the pages of the New York Times and beamed around the world.

I mean, what the hell?

Are Imran Khan's handlers completely insane? How on earth did the PTI "media coordination department" overlook vetting Mishra? It's a fact of modern journalism that every journalist has an angle, either of his or her own construction or dictated suggested by his or her editor. An angle, or a slant. The job of the media coordinator or publicist of any celebrity, politician, or other public figure is to vet that journalist and find out that angle. Accompany the journalist everywhere and steer him or her away from awkward lines of questioning, complete blunders, and divisions within the party.

Journalists will ferret these things out from anybody who hasn't had extensive experience and training in how to handle the media - another area in which the PTI "media coordinators" seem to have dropped the ball. Why hasn't IK been briefed on each journalist and told what to say and what to stay away from? Perhaps they use the excuse that IK is his own man and won't be told what to say or not to say in interviews. But this is completely naive and foolish. These are not sycophantic Pakistani talk shows anymore This is the big league. This is where the Big Boys come out to play.

This is not cricket.

I get a lot of flak for criticizing Imran Khan and the PTI, and I'm definitely no fangirl of his contradictory stance on many issues. My own political stance is non-existant; I'm not in favor of any party or politician currently working in Pakistan today. But I am a writer, and as a writer, I can safely say I don't feel this was a hatchet job on IK in the least. I think this was a case of a renowned writer sitting back, letting IK talk, and letting the story write itself. The PTI "media coordination team" is simply too Mickey Mouse to handle anything other than the most basic level of "media coordination"; Imran Khan should hire a professional publicist, stat. Otherwise his political campaign will be DOA before the elections even arrive, if this is the level of professionalism with which his party handles his affairs.

Bina Shah at 10:36 AM

Bina Shah: PTI, NYT and the Massive Media Fail

All Muslims Observing Youm Ul Quds

All Muslims Observing Youm Ul Quds

Pakistan News / Youmul Quds News > Muslims of the entire world including those in Pakistan are observing the Youmul Quds today (Friday) against Israeli occupation of Palestine including Jerusalem.

The rallies, processions and public gatherings will be held in connection with Youmul Quds across the world including Pakistan.
This day is observed to express support and solidarity with the wronged and oppressed Muslims of Palestine, who have been divested of their first Qibla Baitul Maqdis.
The last Friday of Ramazan is marked annually as Youm al-Quds to oppose Israel’s control over Jerusalem and express resolve to wrest Jerusalem from the possession of Israel.
Muslims of Pakistan will today protest against Israeli aggression today

Karachi Blast in Safari Park Area

Karachi Blast in Safari Park Area

Pakistan News / Karachi Blast News > According to the latest News at least one person was killed and 13 other were injured in a blast that occurred near Safari Park area of the city after Friday prayers.

Eye witnesses told a blast was heard near the University of Karachi when a religious rally was passing by.

A bus, in which participants of the Al-Quds rally were travelling, and a car were damaged due to the blast. Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali said that a roadside planted device caused the blast.

Latest News, Breaking News, Military Operations Reports Rejected by Malik

Latest News, Breaking News, Military Operations Reports Rejected by Malik

Pakistan News / Islamabad News > There would be no military operation in the country anywhere said by the Interior minister Rehman Malik On Friday, E Pakistan News reported.

While talking to the media he said the people of Pakistan would decide about the operation, which would be conducted by the army.
His remarks come a few hours after Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani categorically dispelled impression created by the US media about Pakistan Army’s readiness to launch joint operation with the US in the North Waziristan Agency.
The interior minister said that innocent people were killed in Babusar by Taliban militants.

Twin Earthquakes in Iran Killed 250

Twin Earthquakes in Iran Killed 250

World News / Iran Earthquake News > At least 250 people died and more than 2,000 were injured by twin earthquakes that hit the Tabriz region in northwest Iran on Saturday, an official said.

Khalil Saie, head of Eastern Azerbaijan’s Centre for Natural Disasters, said on state television that the toll could be even higher given the strength of the tremors.

The quakes, which struck Saturday within 11 minutes of each other, measured 6.2 and 6.0, according to Tehran University’s Seismological Centre. Their epicentres were at Ahar and Varzeghan, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Tabriz.

Mahiymaan Eid Collection 2012

Mahiymaan Eid Collection 2012
Eid Collection 2012 > Mahiymaan Designer Lawn Series hits back again this year with sizzling Eid Collection for the hot summer season.

Mahiymaan designer Eid collection 2012 by Al Zohaib Textiles includes latest fashion trend of Frocks, A-line Shirts and Long Shirts with Churidar Pajama and Embroidered lawn prints that will make your Eid more classy and stylish.

UAE & Saudi Arabia Will Celebrate Eid on Sunday

UAE & Saudi Arabia Will Celebrate Eid on Sunday
World News / Eid Ul Fiter 2012 > According to official moon-sighting committees, Muslims in the UAE and Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday as Shawal moon was not sighted on Friday evening here.

Earlier it was predicted that Eid Al Fitr would fall on Sunday, August 19.

Astronomers had said the crescent moon marking the beginning of the month of Shawwal would rise on Friday 17th August at 7.54pm.

As the moonrise takes place 65 minutes after the sunset on that day, it will be impossible to see it because it will not be there on the horizon.

The ideal time to watch the crescent moon ranges between 10 to 30 minutes after the sunset on a day.

Thus, they added, the Saturday will be the 30th day that completes the month of Ramadan, and the crescent will be visible on the horizon 17 minutes after the sunset.

Quetta Sharifabad Area Blast Killed Four

Quetta Sharifabad Area Blast Killed Four
Pakistan News / Quetta Blast News Updates > Sources told that at least four people were killed and several others injured in a suicide blast at Qambrani road, Sharifabad area.

Police told that , the blast occurred near the vehicle of security forces. Police reached on the area and started the further investigations related to the blast.

Sources told that , the attack was conducted through an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), planted at Qambrani Road. Injured shifted to the nearest hospitals for the medical treatment.

Pakistan Will Celebrate Eid Ul Fitr on Monday

Pakistan Will Celebrate Eid Ul Fitr on Monday
Pakistan News / Eid Ul Fitr Moon 2012 > According to the initial reports Meteorological Department told on Saturday that there is no chance of sighting the moon of 1st Shawal this evening so Eid-ul-Fitr is likely to be celebrated on Monday.

A meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for sighting of Shawal moon (Eid ul Fitr) will be held on today at Pakistan Meteorological Department building Karachi.
Chief Meteorologist Toseef Alam told media that there is no chance of sighting the of the moon today. He also said that the final decision will be announce by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.