Pakistan

Oneday the sky bend himself and ask the earth “raise up your gaze and take a look at me i have uncountable mysterious and chain of glories all over on me, but they are like burning scars one me” at this the earth put his hand on to it heart and its veins, then she move it [...]

At least three children and two women were reportedly killed “when missiles fired by a suspected unmanned U.S. aircraft hit a Pakistani tribal village Friday in the third such attack in as many days,”  reported the AFP today. Several media outlets, including Dawn, BBC News, and Reuters cited an eyewitness, who said, “Two drones were [...]

. Assalamualaikum Seeedi ! means…Blessings on u sir Ramadan is here, 4 days have already been passed. Roza(fasting) is somewhat a tough task for students of FAST(my university).A normal days starts with a sehri at 5:00, namaz at 6:00, bath at 6:30, and FASTian surprises wala bus travel at 7:15.Classes commence on from 8:30am and with [...]

In past, I used to be showing all of my content in the front page, which irritated new users and readers who had low bandwidth. As a blogger, I want to reach more and more people and by keeping this in mind, I have to keep my FrontPage from slowing down with all the images [...]

I dont suppose any of us are naive enough to not already be aware of cases like these. It’s still interesting to have a read of this though. Nazia Hasan, Sultan Rahi and Afreen Baig are highlighted here, but there’re not the only ones, the writer’s right, it’s a global tragedy, not only a Pakistani one. [...]

With due apologies to Omen One, Star Wars III, First Blood one, Evil dead one and all the other ones out there, Alchemy Technologies proudly presents their new widescreen hit – Evul Boss One Brought to you by the daring camera work done by the team from the first floor Scene One – Alchemy Campus on a fine Wednesday afternoon at 2:45pm. The Empty Room Evul boss ventures out of his lair and discovers that all indentured younglings have escaped their binding and bonding workstations and are nowhere to be found. Scene 2, Alchemy campus, 30 seconds later. Younglings The camera slowly zooms in…

No comments. Unconfirmed email source, couldn’t get confirmation on the MarcFaber website since the content is no longer public. No offense intended but still read at your own risk. Dr. Marc Faber concluded his monthly bulletin (June 2008) with the following:“The federal government is sending each of us a $600 rebate. If we spend that money at Wal-mart, the money goes to China. If we spend it on gasoline it goes to the Arabs. If we buy a computer it will go to India. If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. If we purchase a good car it will…

Sally Jenkins story at the Post, comparing Phelp and Usain Bolt amazing feats at the 2008 Olympics highlights the many ways one can win or write. Where for some of us natural endowment plays a part in how we fare in life while for others it is an extended 8 year plan with discipline that reduces our behavior to sheer performance. Doesn’t matter if you are an athlete or an entrepreneur, if you would like to win, the Sally Jenkins piece is a must read. Ms. Jenkins piece illustrates how two unrelated events, two Olympians and 10 medals can be combined to create a great human interest…

The measure of a man is not how he begins things, but how he ends them.

And now for something from a completely different side of the menu… You know you are getting old when: The two primary items on your annual birthday bash are rest and sleep; The wild party at work you have been dreaming about all week is a lecture on probability of default models; The best gift you have ever received on any birthday ever is a voluntary backrub from your eldest child; Without any threats or begging involved; You can’t eat your birthday cake because the sugar spike and the resultant hangover will wipe out the remaining part of your weekend; Your sneakiest gift to…

WASHINGTON: The White House on Friday said that it expects the winner of Pakistan''s weekend presidential vote to cooperate in the fight against terror

ISLAMABAD: In a rare interview on the eve of her father becoming the next president of Pakistan, the politically active 18-year-old Bakhtawar has reve

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N women legislators on Friday staged a token walkout from the National Assembly to protest Senator Israrullah Zehri''s remarks throu

KARACHI: A number of prominent astrologers of the country have put forth contradictory predictions regarding the PPP Co-chairman and presidential cand

ISLAMABAD: There are different estimates of votes to be secured by the winning presidential candidate, Asif Ali Zardari, in Saturday''s election. b

آصف علی زرداری صدارتی انتخاب میں کامیاب ہوگئے تو تسلیم کرلیں گے ، میاں نوازشریف

پشاور ہائیکورٹ کے معزول چیف جسٹس طارق پرویز سمیت3ججز اور سپریم کورٹ کے 3ججز نے دوبارہ حلف اُٹھا لیا۔دوبارہ تقرری کو غیر آئینی نہیں سمجھتا، اب باعزت طریقے سے ریٹائر ہوں گے ، جسٹس سید جمشید علی ،عبد الحمید ڈوگر آئینی چیف جسٹس ہیں تاہم معزول چیف جسٹس افتخار محمد چوہدری کے حلف لینے کے بعد حکمت عملی طے کی جائے گی۔ وفاقی وزیر قانون فاروق…

مسلم لیگ (ن) آصف زرداری کے صدر منتخب ہونے کی صورت میں تقریب حلف برداری میں شرکت کرے گی  نواز شریف ،ججوں کی دوبارہ تقرری مشرف کے غیرآئینی اقدامات کی توثیق ہے  انتخابات میں وقت ملتا تو آج صورتحال مختلف ہوتی مرکز میں ہم اپوزیشن میں آگئے پنجاب میں پیپلزپارٹی کوبھی اپوزیشن بینچز پر بیٹھنا چاہیے مسلم لیگ (ن) کے سربراہ کا انٹرویو

فاٹا کے ارکان پارلیمنٹ نے صدارتی انتخاب میں آصف زرداری کی حمایت کا یقین دلایا ہے ، وزیراعظم سید یوسف رضا گیلانی۔۔ صدر مملکت کے اختیارات کا تعین پارلیمنٹ اور عوام کریں گے ، آصف علی زرداری

دہشت گردی کے خلاف جنگ، امریکا نے چھتیس کروڑ پچاس لاکھ ڈالر پاکستان ٹرانسفر کردیئے

Interactive Digital Media Advertising is growing at more than 80% every year for the past 3 years in Pakistan², this was stated by Adil Ahmed, COO - The Symmetry and Director Octave. He was addressing an international conference on Digital Marketing which was recently organized by Terrabiz in Karachi. Adil covered key aspects of the shift from a traditional media to digital media, internet usage trends and expected growth, active advertisers and their growing demands, case Studies of some of the most successful Online Campaigns; and why & how digital advertising is more measurable than…

I am delighted and excited to feature the Marketing 2.0 Conference being organized by Terrabiz Karachi on the 30th of August 2008. If you responsible for marketing and branding in your organization, this is your chance to learn how to integrate online and offline marketing strategy with your current marketing Mix, while exploring the possibilities that the latest marketing tools like social networking, Web 2.0 and the virtual world presents for your brand from some of the world’s most hi profile branding and web 2.0 gurus including: Khurram Hamid, Global Head, Mobile Marketing Innovation,…

Today in our website analysis series, we will review www.aryzauq.tv Masala TV in Pakistan now has competition. Ary Group, which I guess is the largest network of channels, has launched their 24/ Pakistani Food channel ARY Zauq. Launched recently, the channel has limited audience but there is positive buzz about the channel. Since I am more into websites then cooking, I will start right away with the analysis. First Impressions Ary now seems to be more focused on their websites, and I wasn’t surprised to see a professional looking website for the new channel. It’s clean, it’s green (the…

Today in our website analysis series, we will review www.zong.com.pk Zong is China Mobile Brand launched earlier this year in Pakistan. China Mobile is known as the largest mobile and telecom service provider in the world with the largest number of user base globally. First Impressions Zong’s website seems very impressive as you land on the homepage. Though it’s all flash based, it still manages to download speedily. The content is laid out well and you won’t find it difficult to find your required information. The color scheme, the fonts, the color choices are well aligned with the…

Okay this is great news! CIO is Launching a Pakistan based version of its magazine. THe launching ceremony is going to be held on 15th 5th of August 2008 at Sheraton Karachi. Event is being organized by TerraBiz (contact them for more information)

In the pass I’ve blogged about pretty, rainbow colored rainboots that you can play matchy, matchy with and have a lot of fun. But after a particularly bad day yesterday, braving the pouring rain for half a hour (even though it is usually only a 15 minute walk!), squeezing onto the bus and getting my jeans soaked even though I have an umbrella, I am thinking that I should really invest in a serious pair of rainboots. Something that will just keep my feet (and hopefully half my jeans) nice, dry and CLEAN. Something I can wear so then I would NOT have to avoid puddles or worry about…

Fata members announced to support PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election 2008 to be held on Saturday. This announcement was made by parliamentary leader of Fata members Munir Orakzai after a meeting with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. “We are with the ruling coalition. We standby on our promise, which we made before formation of the government. We wholeheartedly announce to support Asif Ali Zardari,” Munir Orakzai, flanked by PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and JUI (F) Chief Maulana…

Pakistan reserves the right to appropriately retaliate cross border strikes in future. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee CJCSC General Tariq Majid while talking to visiting German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung on Friday at Joint Staff Headquarters here. They exchanged views JCSC focusing bilateral ties and regional security environment. While discussing regional security issues reiterated that a stable Afghanistan is in interest of the region as well as Pakistan, however; Afghan leadership in order to “cover its own failings in Afghanistan keeps slandering our sincerity with…

In an interview with Private TV Channel and Indian Based TV Channel, Mian Nawaz Sharif has said that as far as votes are concerned, none of the party including PPPP enjoyed enough numbers. PPPP was able to elect their Prime Minister due to the Support of PML-N otherwise it (PPPP) neither has enough majority in Senate nor in the provinces. He said that former President Pervez Musharraf had resigned from his office due to the coordinated effort of all political parties. Nawaz Sharif further said that Justice (r) Saeed Uz Zaman is a prominent figure and he had refused to take oath under the PCO…

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif said Friday that his party would not become a part of any move to destabilize the Pakistan People’s Party’s government. Addressing the PML-N Central Parliamentary Party meeting here at the Punjab House, Nawaz said PML-N accepts the majority and mandate of the People’s Party in the center. Similarly, the PML-N chief hopes that PPP would honour the mandate of his party in the Punjab province, according to party sources. Nawaz said the PML-N would not compromise on its principled stand and would continue its efforts for strengthening of the democratic…

We will be open from Iftaar to Midnight, every day except Mondays. Doors will open about 45 minutes before Iftaar. Note from Sabeen I am traveling until the 15th of September. Sunny Arjun will have my phone and will answer calls. For urgent matters, please contact Rabeea Arif at rabeea@t2f.biz PeaceNiche Board Member, Zaheer Kidvai can also be contacted on zaheer@kidvai.com If you need to book T2F for a meeting or event during my absence, please contact Rabeea Arif at rabeea@t2f.biz or 0334-337-0779 I will be available on e-mail - sabeen@t2f.biz - but may not be able to reply instantly.

The Theft Our trusty Macintosh iBook was stolen from T2F on Sunday 3rd August 2008, during a music performance. This is the Mac that used to sit in the niche amongst all the books and was used by scores of people to check mail, update Facebook, and find guitar tabs. Now she’s gone The laptop was a 12″ white iBook with a G4 processor, 2 hard disk partitions - one of which was called “The Song Spinner”, and a slightly messed up video display. Please keep your eyes and ears open and alert us if you come across it. Lament I am hideously finicky about my music. A snob even.

Prepare yourself for a perfectly outrageous motion picture! Thursday, 28th Aug 2008 | 7:00 pm Network (1976) is director Sidney Lumet’s brilliant criticism of the hollow, lurid wasteland of television journalism where entertainment value and short-term ratings are more crucial than quality. Paddy Chayefsky’s black, prophetic, satirical commentary/criticism of corporate evil (in the tabloid-tainted television industry) is an insightful indictment of the rabid desire for ratings. Indignation toward the network executives by an unbalanced news-anchorman is manipulated by a ruthless…

Join us at T2F for the opening of SoulBox Tuesday, 26th Aug 2008 | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Nida Zarar Meyer harks back to the days when we used to store our precious “stuff” in shoeboxes - our very own time capsules. Nida, a graphic designer who is part of the 5 person Designers Collective, explores the significance of hanging on to “junk” that has sentimental value. Watch out for the SoulBoxes of Shoaib Akhtar, Begum Nawazish Ali, and Meera! Date: Tuesday 26th August, 2008 Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Venue: The Second Floor (T2F) Address | Map

An Awareness and Activism Session on HIV/AIDS Tuesday, 19th Aug 2008 | 7:00 pm Over the last few years, HIV has spread rapidly in Pakistan. Reported cases of HIV infected people jumped from 8 in 2001 to 75,000 in 2008. The risk of HIV infection and its impact feeds on violations of human rights, including discrimination against women and marginalized groups such as sex workers and people who inject drugs. Over the past decade, the critical need for strengthening human rights to effectively respond to the epidemic and deal with its effects has become startlingly clear. Let’s break the…

I have long held that given how easy it is now to build software (take a look at basecamp.com, 4 people, million dollar revenue) it is as likely for a ground breaking killer app to come out of Karachi or Lahore as  California. Not as easy mind you, but as likely. And Zivios just might prove me right. Faraz Khan and the good people at Emergen have been busy working on a next generation Active Directly killer for the last several months and in 4 days it should finally be out for beta. And its open source. And They are giving it away. Nothing better to build popularity! For a long time, the…

Inbox Business technologies has closed the largest ever deal for Microsoft software, integration and deployment services with PTCL/Ufone. The 8.5 million dollar deal includes enterprise wide licensing for Microsoft software, and implementation of key Microsoft technologies into the PTCL /Ufone enterprise by the Inbox Enterprise Services Group.  Inbox has already migrated PTCL from their domino infrastructure to Exchange from what I hear and next will be moving to single identity management. This deal also shows that licensed software is doing very well in Pakistan. Oracle, Microsoft and IBM…

.,..have I been working on top secret projects? hmmm who knows. I’m back now though…time to post!

…this is the third year I’ve decided not to write about or cover ITCN. What should that tell you? Alot, actually If it looked like a telecom show last year, I bet this year it would have looked like a telecom+ISP show, if evolution theory holds…but I think there are much better, more focused, less marketing and more substance and networking oriented events out there now. Go to those. Like the P@SHA Job Fair, SI sessions or an IBM Sponsored technology event. http://www.ittazee.com/2007/08/08/its-that-time-of-year-again/…

Sometimes things just fall into place. I dont know what the “magic” ingredient was this time, but this year’s P@SHA job fair was possibly one of the most involved job fairs i have been to in the last 2-3 years.  I think two things that would stand out were (1) great venue and (2) most of the kids who showed up not only came to drop their resumes but to attend the workshops that were happening. It felt more like am Austin or Bay Area technology event than a simple job fair. There was networking, job hunting, knowledge building, all rolled into one. Apparently I am not the…

You can download VS 2008 sp1 and .Net 3.5 sp1 @http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ab99342f-5d1a-413d-8319-81da479ab0d7&DisplayLang=enThis release offers major improvements in WCF and WF.Brief overview avaialble @ download page says:.NET Framework version 3.5 Service Pack 1 provides the following new features and improvements: ASP.NET Dynamic Data, which provides a rich scaffolding framework that enables rapid data driven development without writing code, and a new addition to ASP.NET AJAX that provides support for managing browser history (back button support). For more…

when you are getting subject titled error in Visual Studio (this happens when you try to add a web reference), try using following command on vs command prompt:devenv /resetskippkgs

As i posted earlier that i will be presenting @ IASA Singapore's chapter evening. It turned out to be an interesting session and i got the chance to interact with the audience and hear their pain points on composite architecture and enterprise mashups.Enteprisewise initiatives, sharing data across services/apps and need for top quality tools came out as the most crucial elements to the success of composite architecture. I also heard some interesting remarks from the audience. One of the gentlement mentioned that there is nothing that composite arch/enterprise mashup offers that couldnt be…

When i tried running an ibattis related unit test fixtures in my exsiting test assembly I started getting this wierd error that's a known bug documented at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/327131.Interesting thing is that when i run that fixture in a separate assembly it works fine but as soon as i add it to existing test fixtures it crashes with this error :"The invoked member is not supported in a dynamic assembly".I think it has to do with how nUnit created dynamic assemblies for test fixtures internally. Unfortunately i cant change that behavior. So for now the work around is to use a…

If you are like me you would like to embed sqlMap.config file for your ibatis project. Although its not provided out of the box but its very simple to implement.All you have to do is to write your own sqlMapper implementation.The core logic revolves around building DomSqlMapBuilder. protected static void InitMapper() { DomSqlMapBuilder builder = new DomSqlMapBuilder(); XmlDocument sqlMapConfig = Resources.GetEmbeddedResourceAsXmlDocument("YourNamepspace.YourConfigFile.config"); mapper = builder.Configure(sqlMapConfig) as SqlMapper; } for more details do check out…

Those beautiful faces, our daughters <br /> Gone forever, heads sunk in grief <br /> As words betray us, to describe <br /> Heinous crimes and we call ourselves <br /> The follower...

There is no one left to punish me. I’m the last Mannon; I’ve got to punish myself. Living alone here with the dead is a worse act of justice than death or poison.

They have decided that the centre of gravity of all the trouble is Pakistan. Right or wrong this appears to be the central US perception now.

You are not God,<br /> Not even half God.<br /> Nor Poseidon or Neptune.<br /> Why this bloody ruin?<br />

Whether the women were buried alive or whether they were already dead when buried is not the point. They were murdered.

Coke Studio recently finished their series of Made for TV jam sessions in what was a highly creative and engaging campaign. Does their website match the Brand Image? For the answer, head over to Brand Channel, where this week I review the Coke Studio Pakistan website.

Telenor may be one of the Telecom brands in Pakistan, but does their website live up to the Brand’s promise? For the answer, head over to Brand Channel, where this week I review the Telenor Pakistan website.

Head over here for a clip from my recent appearance on Samaa TV’s ‘Bits and Bytes’ where I talk about the potential for Online Marketing in Pakistan.

Head over to Interbrand’s Brand Channel, where this week I have reviewed DAWN’s website.

Click on to Netxpress Online for the final two parts of my series on Online Communities. Part 3 takes a look at the Bad and Ugly sides of the Online Networks, and Part 4 reflects on the Trends and the potential.

Many of us face internet speed problem problem most of the time. I would like to share a link where we can test our real internet speed. To test you internet speed Clik Here now You must have java enabled and installed in your browser to use this online internet spead test. This ...

Today Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaaf Chairman Mr. Imran Khan led a rally to protest against NRO president & condemn foreign attacks on Pakistani soil killing innocent people and to demand the restoration of judiciary. The rally started at around 4.30 pm local time outside the Islamabad press club...

Editorial: What is your name? The News, September 05, 2008 Sectarian conflict is nothing new in Pakistan or anywhere else for that matter, and wherever there are sects within the same faith there will at some time have been conflict. Today, the sectarian bloodletting in Kurram agency has a death...

Oneday the sky bend himself and ask the earth "raise up your gaze and take a look at me i have uncountable mysterious and chain of glories all over on me, but they are like burning scars one me" at this the earth put his hand on to it heart and its veins, then she move it over on its weak and tiny...

Have you wondered why most of the under-belly of Baloch colony flyover is blocked for traffic. Well, it is because of the creeping encroachment out there. And it gets really dirty when it rains hard as rain water gets blocked. It is really unfortunate that such a prime place is being encroached upon right under the nose of the administration and nobody seems to care. Mr. Mustafa Kamal, the mayor of Karachi, who jumps around building roads and bridges and parks, is requested to wrest this land from land mafia before it is too late.

AVARI TOWERS IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 799 + Tax (Poolside) IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 950 + Tax (Sky Grill) IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 899 + Tax (Asia Live) IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 699 + Tax (Khorshed Mahal for Corporate Groups) Avari Towers will donate 100 Rupees from each Iftar sold to several nominated Charities. MARRIOTT HOTEL IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 950 + Tax (Poolside) SEHRI: Rs. 500 + Tax (Nadia Café) PEARL CONTINENTAL HOTEL IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 850 + Tax (Poolside) SEHRI: Rs. 550 + Tax (Marco Polo) SHERATON HOTEL IFTAR BUFFET: Rs. 825 + Tax (Special Set-up in the Parking Area) SEHRI: Rs. 550 + Tax (Cozmo until the 10th of…

CDGK has done excellent job by continuing with the development work even with a political chaos. Jail Road leading towards Hassan Square is one such example. While one can definitely argue about the standard of the work (especially flyovers) one should appreciate the efforts put in by CDGK to give Karachi a green look.

In a country where DICTATORs are treated as hero’s, and ironically by educated, you cannot expect much when you talk about accountability. A land where thugs become leaders, accountability is an alien specie. While Mr. Musharraf is playing golf and will soon prepare some lectures for his foreign tours and earn some dollars by selling his lie-crafted visions his democratic-child ZARDARI is all set to continue his left over work aka the promise-dodge-next policy. Had this been real, pakistan would be have been a different story altogether. In such dismay this is the maximum people on…

Forum: Internet Service

Forum: Internet Service

Forum: Internet Service

Forum: Buy/Sell

Forum: Internet Service

Technology usage in Pakistan has matured tremendously in the recent past. It’s time for organizations in the country to go beyond basic utilization of IT to enterprise empowerment as they contribute to the global economy.  To address the CIOs’ need for a complete, integrated and open technology platform that provides a powerful competitive advantage in [...]

(Courtesy daily.pk) Pursuant to a decision of the TeleCard Board to actively participate in the fast-growing Wireless Broadband market, the company has announced that it has chosen Augere (http://www.augere.eu/) as the principal contractor to design and build the network such as to position a great offering / value proposition for the growing and very quality sensitive [...]

Barrett also announced that Intel will award four $100,000 prizes to the most innovative ideas for applying technology to meet unmet needs related to education, health care, economic development and the environment. Ideas will be evaluated for sustainability and innovativeness of the solution. More details on the INSPIRE•EMPOWER Challenge are available at www.intelchallenge.com. KARACHI, Aug. [...]

ISLAMABAD: The 2nd Open House (job fair) of NUST School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (formerly NIIT) was staged at new NUST Campus in H-12 Islamabad yesterday. Some 45 companies participated in the job fair. Students presented 77 projects. Out it 45 were from Computer Science and Engineering, 16 from Information and 16 from Electrical [...]

Australia leads the regional market, with China and India gaining fast New Delhi/Singapore, August 18, 2008 – IT spending by the insurance industry in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) is estimated to grow from US$3.2 billion in 2007 to reach US$5 billion in 2011, with a compounded annual growth rate of 11.5% over the same period, according [...]

The second Champions Twenty20 League will take place next year between September 25 and October 11, and will feature 12 teams, four more than the first edition to be held between December 3-10, 2008.

South Africa A dismissed Sri Lanka A for 180, and then took a seven-run lead with nine wickets left in their first innings.

A round-up from the latest Championship matches where rain wipes out play across most of the country.

The problems facing Zimbabwe Cricket as it struggles to retain players was highlighted with the announcement of a 44-man list of contracted players.

Ali Brown is being released by Surrey at the end of the season.

VVS Laxman, the Deccan Chargers captain, has said that it was a "collective failure" that resulted in the franchise finishing last during the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2007-08 and said he was "really shocked" that team-mate Shahid Afridi criticised his performance in public.

After comprehensively beating the Zimbabwe Board XI in the four-day games, the Pakistan Cricket Academy took their winning form to the one-dayers, as Mohammad Talha and Yasir Shah shared seven wickets between them to bowl out Zimbabwe for 124 in Harare.

Surrey are still hopeful that Shoaib Akhtar, the Pakistan fast bowler, will be able to play their final two Championship matches of the season. Akhtar arrived in the UK yesterday, but was found to have the wrong type of visa, preventing him from taking the field against Kent at Canterbury.

Zimbabwe Board XI turned in an impressive day with the bat after conceding a first-innings lead to Pakistan Academy, ending the third day with a lead of 172 and seven wickets in hand.

Shoaib Akhtar has had to put his plans to join Surrey on hold after arriving in the UK without the proper visa. He has been forced to head back to Pakistan, but is still hopefully of joining the county once the paperwork is completed.

PESHAWAR: Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik Friday said that government’s writ would be established at all cost in all parts of the country and action would be taken against those challenging the government. This he said while talking to journalists after holding talks with Chief of his own faction of JUI Senator Maulana Sami Ul Haq at Akora Khattak. Rehman Malik said that a loya jirga would be held for restoration of peace in Kurram Agency. The proposed Loya Jirga would soon be held in Peshawar in which people from different sects would participate to evolve…

ISLAMABAD: Members of Parliament from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Friday announced to support PPP candidate Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election to be held on Saturday. This announcement was made by parliamentary leader of FATA members Munir Orakzai after a meeting with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here. “We are with the ruling coalition. We standby on our promise, which we made before formation of the government. We wholeheartedly announce to support Asif Ali Zardari,” Munir Orakzai, flanked by PPP Co-Chairman Asif…

LAHORE: PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif vowed early Friday that he would accept Co-Chairman PPP Asif Zardari as President of Pakistan if he (Zardari) became the President in today’s presidential race. He said this while talking to media-men at Lahore airport on his return from Islamabad. He suggested the politicians to avoid mudslinging and wished to find sophistication as well as discipline in the politics of Pakistan. Responding to a question he said that the deposed judges should have been reinstated few days after 18 Feb, the day when general election was held however even today judges are…

ISLAMABAD: Meteorological Department Friday forecast thundershowers with isolated heavy falls at scattered places in Upper and central Punjab including Islamabad during next 48 hours and the possibility of hailstorm at a few places cannot be ruled out during the same period. A Westerly wave is affecting Upper parts of the country, which is likely to persist during next 48 hours. Moist southwesterly current is reaching upper parts of the country. Heat low lies over Northeast Balochistan. In NWFP, Kashmir including earthquake affected areas and Northern Areas, scattered thundershowers with…

ISLAMABAD: Heavy rain Friday hit federal capital whereas Rawalpindi received showers with hailstorms. According to metrological office, the rain spell that hit Islamabad and Rawalpinid on Friday would lasts for next two to three days. Met office predicted rains and thunderstorm in upper Punjab, upper NWFP and adjoining areas.

Ramadhan moon’s been sighted in Pakistan and on 2nd we’ll have our first fast. May the month of Ramadhan brings to us Allah Almighty’s countless blessings and bounties. In faith. Please remember us in your special prayers. And do pray for Pakistan too ~ Ramadhan commences in Pakistan the same day after years. I hope this proves to be a good sign in the bigger picture. ps: In case you cant comprehend my post .. ramadhan = Ramzan.

Ok, one of the best thing that the traffic police in Islamabad has done lately is to put a fine on drivers not wearing seat-belts. Being a big seat belt fan (it has saved my life in near fatal accidents, twice), I would recommend putting on the belt BEFORE starting the car, not after. Thanks. Have a safe drive, safe life. P.S. Thanks to one of our avid readers (KABIRDAS) for pointing a logical mistake in this post!!!

Aisaa tu hota hay aisay kamon may. Images Courtesy: DayLife.com

Said Pur Photo Walk 13, originally uploaded by Suh@il << FreeDom >>. Loved the pic … thought to share on Islamabad Metblogs.

Thats how Musharraf resigned, originally uploaded by SajidIqbal. Thats the reason: Its says: متن: نگاہ مرد مومن سے بدل جاتی ہیں تقدیریں —————————————————- پیر پنجر سرکار کی کامیاب چلہ کشی صدر مشرف کی رخصتی کا باعث بنی —————————————————- 25اگست محفل شکرانہ بروزسوموار 7 بجے تا 11…

Yesterday, the Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf said that there would be no unannounced loadshedding across the country during “Sehr” and “Iftar” time, adding that people can contact him on his cell number 0333-5210000 in case of loadshedding during Sehr or Iftar. He failed to mention our options for ‘announced loadshedding’ during Sehr and Iftar, or ‘unannounced loadshedding’ during the remaining 22 hours of the day, but we won’t go there. I am a big fan of loadshedding and consider it a permanent part of the Lahori lifestyle, but…

It’s Ramdhaan. Mubaarik ho. And yeah, God bless us all and our country. Wonder what actual action feels like, no? We as a nation, naah, we as individuals would be totally clueless in the face of action, no? There was action, yes there was. Long marches, protests and what not. But that is the drama. The center stage. All dramas have a villain and a hero. All villains and all heroes take action. What these dramas don’t show are the people who just sit and watch. Why? Because they make for a very boring subject. Are you boring? Do you plan to be boring? Stay boring perhaps? How about…

SAH who was found dead in his house in Karachi was laid to rest on August 31 in his native town, Lahore. I personally don’t know much about SAH, but heared he was somewhat of a controversial figure. May Allah rest his soul in peace and forgive all his sins. Amen. Source: The News

All things being equal, A 10 year old can predict the future of our country as well as our City. Its matter of days now that Zardari will be our new president. Our economy will be in greatest depression of all times. Value of Rupee will plunge deeper. Food  and Electricity crisis is gonna get worst. The trouble in our north and west is going to be more complex day by day. A massive human tragedy is about to unviel itself. 300K Bajaur Refugees were just a trailor. The Movie is about to start fellows. We are about to see a major influx of refugees in our large cities very soon. We will see…

Yesterday, while walking down the usual zig zag of streets from bus stop to my flat, I was thinking randomly about inflation, cost of living, job security, stock markets, dollar price,  Zardari, Lawyers Movement, Bajour, Baluchistan etc. etc.  Then suddenly I came across this banner…. Banner in Urdu Reads: Last Chance, Last Price, Below Purchase Price, Shop has been sold, Business Gone Broke This banner per see looks like just another business trick. But If you look closely and try to read between the lines. This banner becomes a satire, a commentary at current state of affairs in…

On the third leg of its tour the P@SHA Career Expo heads for the land of the five rivers, the Punjab - more specifically Lahore. The event will be held at the Avari Hotel in Lahore on Sunday August 24 from 9 am - 6 pm. It will include: A job fair which will see some of Lahore’s prominent IT companies posting jobs for fresh graduates and experienced professionals - Netsol, Infotech, Systems, Bearing Point, Kalsoft, TRG, VahZay, Adamsoft, Intel, IBM etc will all be there Workshops on Presentation Skills, Resume Writing, How to earn money through Blogging, etc. Counseling - guidance on…

Agile Pakistan and P@SHA are hosting a workshop on Unit testing in Software Engineering this Saturday. This is a follow on of the Special Interest Group sessions done on the P@SHA Career Expo. The workshop will cover how developers can test and debug their code faster and eventually build better code and hence applications. This is a great chance for developers and team leads to also meet up and discuss their practices. Sheheryar Sewani of Alchemy will be facilitating. Details are below, P@SHA and Agile Pakistan’s Unit Testing Workshop As your software projects grow, the chances of…

MIT Technology Review (TR), a premier technology magazine, has featured the work of Dr. Umar Saif and his team on improving Internet connectivity in the developing-world. The Project, dubbed DonateBandwidth,  is a follow-up project of the Poor Man’s Broadband work which was featured in New Scientist in Nov’07.With DonateBandwidth, users in the developing-world can help each other by donating their unused bandwidth to those who need it. This project received funding from the US State Department/NAS and HEC and will be further developed in collaboration with UC Berkeley. Umar…

Secure Auditor extolled by Reviewers as ‘intuitive and offering a great amount of flexibility and auditing capabilities for a broad range of different assets and good value for the money.’ Chicago, IL. — August 8, 2008—Secure Bytes Inc., a Chicago based startup and vendor of Integrated security solutions For Auditing, Vulnerability Assessment, Penetration Testing and Unified Digital Risk Assessment, announced today that its flagship software suite Secure Auditor earns highest 5 star rating possible, in overall rating category of a Comparative Review published in SC Magazine’s August…

LAHORE (August 05 2008): NetSol Technologies, Inc (NetSol) (NasdaqCM: NTWK) (DIFX: NTWK), on Monday announced Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Taiwan (MBFSTw) has gone live with NetSol’s LeaseSoft Contract Management System (CMS), a key product offering within the NetSol Financial Suite (NFS) of products. MBFSTw is currently using NetSol’s Proposal Management System (PMS), another LeaseSoft core application. In using both PMS and CMS modules, MBFSTw’s complete retail leasing management system is now run on LeaseSoft solutions. President NetSol Asia Pacific Region said that this is a…

Every year there are Independence day celebrations on 14th of August. On this day in 1947 Pakistan came into being. The British colonizer's left, though without French support :)So here we are again, driving through the same memory lane of naustalgia and how the Nation has progressed. This year too, like all others, we will have TV shows that will emphasize the positives and gloss out the negatives of the past 60+ years.This year I plan on spending the Independence day reading through current affairs book. But in terms of reflection, here are my thoughts on how Pakistan would be graded if it…

By Yes men, i do not mean the imposter's for WTO etc, but rather men and women who always respond with a "yes sir" to their superiors. And worse, provide advises which are always in the affirmative. Surrounding oneself with such individuals generally leads to a corrupted thought process of an illusion of always being right and a gradual degradation of analytical thinking.I bring this up, as I always usually (try to) ask my direct managers for advise before making major decisions. This is not to say that all decisions need to be approved or have an organization run democratically, but it is…

Recently, we've been swamped with project bids. I am unsure if other offshore firms are in the same boat or not, but it could just be "referrals" at work due to our higher than usual marketing effort in the previous quarter. However of late I have been excessively concerned with the future of the offshored IT services given the rapidly changing dynamics of the world with astronomical oil prices.Just to give a glimpse of the impact on a developing country, the cost of inelastic price goods such as food, fuel, electricity etc have appreciated well over 30% and rising. In a developing country,…

Working from home (WHM) has been practiced since the 90's in the US from what I know. But it was in the early 2000's that it really caught on. As is with fads, the pendulum swings to the extreme ie I knew plenty of co-workers who would go out on day trips when they were suppose to be "working from home".Confession: I went on skiing trips while WHM and would use a brittle WAP based email tool on my cell to respond to any fires. Of course, I'd have to catch up in the evening with the backlog ...but still, its not something I'd want to do againGetting to the meat of the subject, here are some of…

My favorite topic! What makes people get up in the morning and spend a significant portion of their life in a place other than home. This subject is spoken with great emphasis in the startup world. I remember being pitched by a dot com in "those" days, on how my room can be of any color of my liking. The only thing that hit me back then was, you got to be kidding me ...I really dont care what the color is as long as its not bright red!(Picture of a typical callcenter setup. NOT a great cubicle layout, specially if you're doing software development)Hiring and retaining top talent is a tough…

Most of us are usually quite skeptical about any government consultation and even when we do make the effort to attend such a meeting, we do so out of a sense of obligation expecting very little from the activity. Hence, as we boarded the plane for Lahore at 8 am on September 1 to attend the IT Policy kick-off meeting we did so with reservation. Some of our colleagues had vehemently shrugged off any suggestion of making the trip saying it would be a total waste of time. On the flight with me were Barrister Zahid Jamil, Awab Alvi (better known as Teeth Maestro), Faizan Khan of Intel…

Dirty politics, dirty wars and dirty money - make the dirt in my garden seem so clean …

That is what a resume is - a virtual representation of yourself. If drafted well, it will result in an interview call followed by employment with a company of your choice. It is no wonder then that the Resume Writing workshop at the P@SHA Career Expo in Karachi and Lahore were so well attended, and carried on well beyond the allocated time. In Karachi it was very professionally conducted by Nouman Sheikh. In Lahore the task was  undertaken jointly by P@SHA Chairman Imran Zia and myself. Amongst the tips that were provided were the following: 1. Customize your CV and cover letter for the job…

If you have been to Alchemy’s new office, you will have seen some colourful pots and lots of paintings - courtesy of Sama (Jawwad’s sister). I ran into her during a visit to Alchemy recently and I raved on about how lovely the paintings and pots were. Next thing you know I get a call from Sama wanting to know what colour the walls of my office are and whether I like a lot of colour or whether I prefer things that are subdued. The result? This flower pot which just arrived in my office. I now need to find a suitable plant for it. Isn’t it wonderful that in the midst of doom…

When I was invited to speak at NED’s IT Exhibition and Conference on August 23, I initially said i couldn’t be there because I was booked on a flight to Lahore that same morning. However, when I was told that half the Computer Science class was young women and that it would be extremely motivating for the students if I could somehow manage to go and speak there, I had to stop and think. The NEDians are persuasive to say the least and so I juggled my schedule and decided to take the afternoon flight to Lahore so that I could go to ITEC in the morning. And I am sure glad I did. From…

Blogger has added a new feature called Followers. I have always been intrigued by the hits Analytics gives me. Who are these people? Do any of them return to my blog? Why are so many of these visits from the US and the Netherlands? Who exactly is bothering to read what I have to say? Well, hopefully the few people that do end up bouncing onto my blog will fill out the Followers section. Could possibly end up as a nice 2.0 deal. it could also become a possibly embarrassing feature, "this blog has ZERO followers". A risk worth taking I suppose.Is Followers a Open 'Follow' feature, or do you…

Google Chrome, I downloaded it, used it and Loved it. Honestly, its a rather superficial judgment. I haven't read about the features (the omnibar is pretty cool though), I haven't really tested it out yet. Just used it for an hour and so, but I love it. It seems faster that Firefox. Great user interface. Over-all, a pleasant surprise. Summary: I don't feel like going back to Firefox, and thats saying a lot. To Download Google Chrome Click HereTo understand Google Chrome Click Here

Google has announced the launch of their very own web browser Chrome. Now, I am a huge Firefox supporter and promoting another browser makes me feel like I'm cheating on Firefox (notice I didn't even mention IE 8 on my blog).Chrome Beta will be ready for launch tomorrow, Sept 3 2008, for now Google has put up a rather long and difficult to flip through comic book explaining the thought behind Chrome. I will defiantly be downloading Chrome tomorrow and will let you know what I think.

If you want to understand what Analytics are all about, key-terms, methods, and understand how your visitors interact with your website this presetation takes you through the basics. Some good content and things worth considering for any Internet Marketer.

Great presentation by Seth Godin on stuff thats "broken".

Adil Najam Reader Umair alerted us to the Pakistani auction website Bolee.com, whose front page (yesterday) was advertising a “Kidney for Sale” (there were three Ads for this, but all from the same person). Search for the website on Google and you will see a bold “Welcome to Pakistan’s First Auction Site.” There are, of course, a number of other Pakistan auction website, some seemingly having much more to offer but, luckily, no kidneys. We have carried a post in the past about someone wanting to sell his kidney to make ends meet, but this Ad on the auction…

Aziz Akhmad This is not a eulogy or a tribute to Ahmed Faraz, for I never knew Faraz personally. Nor is it a comment on his poetry - I am not qualified to do that. It is just a memory of a few impersonal encounters with Faraz that came rushing to my mind when I heard of his death a week or ten days ago. As students at Peshawar, we often saw Faraz on campus. He taught Urdu. (Poetry, I guess. What else?). He was a noted poet even then but, among the students on campus, he was equally known, if not more, for his bohemian lifestyle . Peshawar University campus, built at the foot of the Khyber,…

Atiya Batool Khan I had the honor of meeting Ahmad Faraz 26 years ago in Washington. A local Urdu literary society, the Aligarh Alumni Association, had invited him to recite at a gathering they had organized in his honor - a Mushaira, or poetry reading. This was after he had left Pakistan under pressure from military strongman Zia-ul-Haq’s government. My husband and I were asked by the Aligarh Alumni Association to host him for a week, but in that short time we became fast friends, so his stay turned first into a month and then it ended up being almost a year. This was the beginning of…

Adil Najam Most Pakistanis seem to like Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Party candidate for President. However, for most, Senator Obama’s “Pakistan Connections” were limited to (a) his rather strong words about Pakistan, including about sending troops into Pakistan, and (b) his choice of Senator Joeseph Biden, who has a long and deep interest in foreign affairs, including Pakistan. Most Pakistanis are not very fond of the first of these connections. The second connection they like, especially because Senator Biden has been the key architect of a new, very generous and…

Bilal Zuberi My narration below traces back to a recent Iftar/dinner conversation with a non-Muslim, non-Pakistani friend. She wanted to know how I would spend a typical Ramzan day in Pakistan. Innocent question, but one that took me on a delightful, and extremely nostalgic, trip down memory lane since I have spent the last 13 Ramzans outside Pakistan. Simply narrating a typical Ramzan day during high school made me realize what all I have missed for so long now. I narrate here what I told her because I think a few readers may find it interesting, or nostalgic. Most will find it rather…

Celio Corp's REDFLY You’ve got to hand it to the brave and the few. Because that’s what the mavericks at Celio corp are. While you and I would try to learn from products that the world rejected and, oh, I don’t know, maybe NOT repeat the same mistakes, Celio has a different idea. They want to re-introduce the worst idea Palm ever had - the failed Foleo - to prove to the world that the world is just a random collection of idiots who don’t really know what they want. Celio will now teach us otherwise. First, let’s get the concept out of the way. What is the…

This post is not about the latest infrastructure project in Pakistan, or the newest startup out of Lahore. I am not going to be talking about the usual things I focus on here at Tech Lahore. Today, for some strange reason, I feel an urge to go a little bit deeper than usual and share with you some musings on identity. My identity. What it is to me, what it does for me and why it is the most important thing I have. To start off, I am incredibly lucky. I was born to a privileged family in Lahore, Pakistan. I attended the best schools around (Yes, a proud Aitchisonian!) and was exposed to people…

Pakistan’s Netsol has been doing quite well recently. Year-to-date the stock, which is traded on the US NASDAQ bourse, is up almost 40%. This is now expected to head even higher as Aeur growth, an analyst firm, has just put a BUY recommendation on NTWK. Netsol is considered a microcap with quite a lot of headroom for growth. The company’s stock touched $4 last year before falling to $3 and thereabouts. We do expect it will regain $4 levels before the end of 2008. This would represent roughly 40% return to an investor looking to purchase NTWK at its current price of $2.84.

Details on this shot-in-the-arm package, said to be materializing rapidly, are still sketchy. There have been several reports in the mainstream Pakistani news media that the Finance Ministry is close to announcing a $10BN package being formulated with Saudi Arabia and China. The Saudis will contribute $6BN in the form of deferred oil payments and the Chinese are considering an injection of about $4BN. In addition to this $10BN, IMF officials visited Islamabad and offered a multi-billion dollar support package with softer terms than the IMF typically provides. The IMF support payments were…

Software piracy is a no-no! On the eve of Dec 31st, 2007 I was writing TechLahore’s predictions for 2008, many of which have come to pass. One of the items I listed was that piracy in Pakistan is on its way to becoming extinct… and pretty quickly too. While domestic piracy is harder to check and in fact, does happen in most countries of the world, what is a real put-off for the software industry is large scale piracy in the commercial realm. Well, corporate software piracy in Pakistan - almost the norm 10 or 15 years ago - is on its way out. And not a moment too soon, as…

Guest Post by Silence from Islamabad Observer United States-led NATO forces killed 15 tribesmen, including women and children, in it’s first-ever ground attack inside Pakistani territory on Wednesday. The US forces landed by 3 choppers inside Pakistani village of Musa Neeke in South Waziristan Agency (SWA). The soldiers started indiscriminate firing with their automatic assault rifles at the sleeping inmates and shot dead nine family members of Faujan Wazir, including four women, two children and three men. The troops also killed another villager, Faiz Mohammad Wazir, his wife and two of…

A US court on Tuesday announced the indictment of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui for allegedly attacking US agents who went to interrogate her after she was arrested by local police in Afghanistan.  Dr. Aafia Siddiqui faces One count of attempting to kill US nationals abroad; One count of attempting to kill US officers and employees; One count of armed assault of US officers and employees; One count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and Three counts of assault of US officers and employees. If convicted, Siddiqui faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in…

In Babakot, And in all those places We don’t hear, we don’t see The old tradition lives, Underneath our skin Inside our heads Tarnished and convoluted In the name of honor Hangs the fate of women In ditches, proof of our humanity Shot, thrown and burnt In the name of honor In the name of humanity Inside there, still unnoticed Remains of our acts and virtues We say we are in the 21st century Far behind we are in time And the wisdom and logic Too long a walk, too hard to rectify These old ways, upon us Where we kill in the name of honor Yet still alive those men As they breathe the empty…

Asian Human Rights Commission has just release a Press Release where they report that three of the five women who were buried alive in Baba Kot, Baluchistan have been exhumed and removed in an attempt to destroy evidence. It is very concerning, while the senator who believed that ‘This is a Baluch tribal tradition (to bury accused women alive) and we have to respect it’, does not come under any serious questioning Names of victims Ms. Fatima wife of, Umeed Ali Umrani, 45 years old Ms.Jannat Bibi wife of Qaiser Khan, 38 years old Ms.Fauzia daughter of Ata Mohammad Umrani 18 years and…

Guest Blog by Silence from Islamabad Observer A United States court Thursday found American-educated Pakistani doctor Aafia Siddiqi guilty on charges to attack U.S army in Afghanistan as a member of Al-Qaeda, said a statement released from US court. This statement is a declaration of the first defeat of United States judicial system in so-called war on terror. Although, many of the citizens of civilized world and United States might not consider it of any importance, as, this is a case of a lady from third world country, who is accused of being related to terrorists. Dr. Afia Siddiqui, a PhD…

I was showing a prototype to the CEO of my company and explained to him that the solution will be available on mobile devices as well as an accompanying web portal where users can register for the services. He looked at me and asked if the portal can be completely optional. “I don’t want to register for another service on the web. I don’t like to remember passwords”, he said. This is a problem for most users: countless user name and passwords. With the  mushrooming of web 2.0 applications, every app wants you to begin from scratch - as if you never existed before. It…

Sohail Abid of IdeasHut.com has posted some interesting questions about developing a local Location Based Services (LBS) platform in Pakistan. This is in the wake of recent announcements by Yahoo (FireEagle) and Google (see below) to make it easy for developers to use LBS. His thinking is that this local platform will be based on an existing solution such as Google and will be an open API which other developers can use to come up with their own apps. He wonders if the carriers will be receptive to this idea and how will such apps be received. I am posting an excerpt from the TGP thread below.

These days its hard not to notice the increase in popularity of cloud computing. Amazon can be credited for taking this technical concept to a mainstream level. Now HP and other giants want a slice of this. Cloud computing can be thought of an extension of software as a service but with an interesting twist that it is within the reach of start-ups and the pricing has dropped to almost nominal levels. All you need is connectivity and the infrastructure is yours. Great thing is that you don’t need to know much technical details - freedom from reliance on system admins using Internet…

The September edition of the MIT Technology Review has featured the work of Umar Saif, a professor at LUMS, on improving Internet connectivity in the developing-world. The Project, dubbed DonateBandwidth, is a follow-up project of Poor Man’s Broadband work which I wrote about previously. Our congratulations to Dr. Saif and the team. Umar shared his thoguhts in an e-mail: With DonateBandwidth, users in the developing-world can help each other by donating their unused bandwidth to those who need it. This project received funding from the US State Department/NAS and HEC and will be further…

Sometimes, a picture (or a collection of them) is worth more than a thousand words. So instead of boring you with text and bullet points, i’ll just show you! Click on the image to go to the hosted presentation on slideshare, the best place in the world to share slides. I would’ve embedded it here, but we’re having some technical difficulties in that. This presentation is featured as “Slideshow of the Day” on slideshare.net, the highest honor on that site. Also, I’ve included it in the World’s Best Presentation Contest under the Business category, so…