BAHRIA UNIVERSITY
Marketing seminar at Bahria University

“WE MUST LEARN TO MARKET OURSELVES”

- City Nazim

City Nazim stresses for marketing strategy from individual to nation

KARACHI , December 12: City Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal stressed upon the MBA students of Bahria University that “We must learn to market ourselves as an individual, as a city and as a nation”. Mustafa Kamal was speaking as chief guest at a seminar “Market Expansion and Growth Strategies” held at Bahria University ( Karachi campus) The City Nazim emphasized on the fact that our total population consists of 65% youth, which is a big plus point for any nation to develop itself.

The seminar was organized by students of MBA (1B) of Bahria University in coordination of Miss Sobia Shujaat Lecturer “Management Sciences”, Bahria University Karachi. The event turned out to be a big success as a large number of students attended it, along with many experts and professionals in the field. Bahria University auditorium was jam-packed with students and participants.

Four guest speakers were also invited from the corporate world, to share their valuable marketing experiences with students. They were S.M HUSSAINI (CEO KASB MODARBA), MUHAMMED INTESSARUDDIN (CEO BULLS AND BULLS), MEHNAZ AHEMED (AVP CITIBANK) AND SHAHZAD QAMAR (UNIT HEAD MARKETING BANK ISLAMI).

KASB Modarba CEO S.M. HUSSAINI, speaking on the occasion, said that Islamic banking is surprisingly growing much faster outside the Muslim world, and London has taken the centre stage in Islamic banking transactions.

CEO Bulls and Bulls, Intessaruddin, while delivering his speech managed to take the limelight with his impressive and charismatic style of delivery, and was inspirational for the students owing to his indepth knowledge and experiences. He mainly focused on the fact that the youth should develop a marketing plan for themselves for the remaining part of their lives.

All the students of Bahria University participated actively in organizing the whole event, and everything went according to plan.

Bahria University, Karachi Web-presence. – [ http://www.bimcs.edu.pk ]

SHAANAKHT FESTIVAL 2009.
By Mishelle Raza

The Festival held from 9th – 11th Nov 2009, was a free, and open to the public event

‘This is not the time for forty million women of Pakistan to sit quietly.’ Women across the country in 1947 sat up and took notice of Begum Raana Liaqat’s words. It was time to roll up their sleeves and get to work – Pakistan was a fledgling nation with no identity, except that of a Muslim state molded painstakingly from the rubble of a hasty British exit from the subcontinent. During the 1940s and 1950s, Pakistani women joined their brave sisters who had struggled for Partition – they participated in jalsas, led demonstrations on the streets, courted arrest, ran clandestine radio stations and shed the veil as a form of protest.

This exhibition was just one of many – CAP delved into the lives of the young Pakistan Air Force in Parvaz, charting their transfer from the Royal Indian Airforce to Pakistan. Never-before-seen photographs of dashing young men at P.A.F. soirees mingled with portraits of mess life. A break from the Karachi heat offered a look at rare photographs of pre-Partition Kashmir in Forgotten Paradise and reveled on the beauty of the region.

In “Hashim Raza: Life of an Extraordinary Pakistani,” photographs culled from the considerable archives of one of Pakistan’s first civil servants left all visitors amazed. Another exhibition, Sunehrey Sapney: Pakistani Cinema in the 1960s was a journey through the golden age of Pakistani cinema with a display of some amazing original film posters, snippets of films and songs from the CAP Film Archive and recollections of cinema-lovers, critics and those within the industry. Also featured was a dose of the silver-screen, Chandni Raatein – three nights of film screenings under the stars – the magic of blockbusters Koel, Sassi and Armaan were brought back to life at the festival. Visual artist Amean J. also paid tribute to the extraordinary contributions of ordinary citizens to Karachi in Karachiites.

Families with children were welcome to pay a visit to CAP’s Imagination Stations, which kept children entertained at the festival with cartoons, 3-D photographs and interactive art activities along with an exhibition of some of the most beautiful vintage cars in the country.

On the 9th of November, Tehrik-e-Niswan and CAP presented Sheema Kirmani’s Rang Badal Lo Bhai. On the 10th of November, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan and Still Waters Publishing explored Pakistan’s rich literary landscape, as six renowned writers including Fahmida Riaz, Haseena Moin, Ilona Yusuf, Mohammad Hanif and Musharraf Ali Farooqi read their favorites from Pakistani literature in Urdu and English. The evening was hosted by Feryal Gauhar and concluded with a musical performance by Laal.

On the 11th, CAP welcomed guests to Raag and Roll – an evening of musical fusion that proved to be a feast for the ears!

Popular Pakistani bands Fuzon, Noori, Aunty Disco Project and Taal Karisma joined traditional folk singers for a unique musical collaboration.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan is a not-for-profit educational institution and heritage centre, established in February 2007, with the aim of strengthening civil society and giving full rein to the creativity of Pakistanis, allowing them to explore their heritage and history. CAP’s largest projects to date – the Oral History Project and Government School Outreach Tours – are part of a wider attempt to showcase Pakistan’s history and celebrate our nation’s achievements.

Mishelle Raza will be covering this event for Ink, to be featured on the website on 12th November 2009. Stay Tuned!

During the 1940s and 1950s, Pakistani women joined their brave sisters who had struggled for Partition – they participated in jalsas, led demonstrations on the streets, courted arrest, ran clandestine radio stations and shed the veil as a form of protest. The Citizens Archive of Pakistan invites you to come meet these women this November in an exhibition – New Nation, New Freedom, New Responsibility – that is part of the Shanaakht Festival, an entirely free festival that celebrates the lives of extraordinary individuals who struggled to create this nation.

Visit the website to find out about other featured exhibitions and performances scheduled as part of the Shanaakht Festival.

Venue | Imperial Gardens (Do Talwar, Clifton)
Dates | 9, 10 and 11 November, 2009
Timings | The festival is open to schools from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and to the general public from 3 p.m. onwards
Tickets | The festival is entirely free.
Free passes for ticketed events can be picked up from the venue.

Contact | 0332-2541272, 0332-3392004
Email | citizensarchive@gmail.com
Web | www.citizensarchive.org

MARA PICTURES RELEASES SON OF A LION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM NOVEMBER 2009

Mara Pictures, a boutique theatrical distribution company, is releasing the first Australian-Pakistani coproduction Son of a Lion in cinemas across the United Kingdom on November 6th, 2009.

In Pakistan’s tribal weapon-making village of Darra Adam Khel, a young Pashtun boy Niaz Afridi defies his father’s expectation to carry on the family’s gun making business and demands an education instead. Son of a Lion is the feature film debut by Australian film-maker Benjamin Gilmour.

The idea behind Son of a Lion was conceived while Gilmour was working as a set nurse on ‘The Bill’ and ‘Murphy’s Law’. After being turned down by major UK media corporations to produce the film, Gilmour elaborates on his unique experience-

“I ended up in the wilds of tribal Pakistan and was befriended by ethnic Pashtuns facing aerial attacks from US drones and ground attacks from their own army. While sheltered by the locals and constantly pursued by secret service and the military, a local clan collaborated with me to make this film at a great risk to their own lives. The original script for Son of a Lion changed remarkably as numerous Pashtuns contributed to make it a story of their own, a story they are desperate for the world to hear. It is without a doubt the first feature film of its kind, written and directed in close collaboration with the Pashtuns themselves.”

Comprising of a cast of newcomers, Son of a Lion has drawn critical acclaim at international film festivals and is a 2008 Independent Spirit Award Winner. With its focus on groundbreaking and innovative films from South Asia, Mara Pictures is proud to present the film to audiences in the United Kingdom. “Son of a Lion is exactly the kind of film that audience across the world need to see in today’s political climate – it provides invaluable insight on a region that is continuously under attack,” says Roopa Saini, Head of Acquisitions for Mara Pictures.

“As the UK struggles to make headway in Afghanistan and frustrations about the militants in Pakistan increases, an insight into the Pashtun mindset is timely. Through this story of a boy resisting his traditionalist father and breaking away to embrace the idea of education, we are able to realise that true change is only possible from within,” states Gilmour.

“Son of a Lion” packs emotional punch and engaging political discussion’ – Richard Kuipers, Variety

‘This gritty drama affords rich insight into little-documented aspects of life in the wake of the Afghanistan conflict. The film features strong, relaxed acting across the board…’ – Jonathan Romney, Screen

‘This is one of my favourite films ever’- David Kilcullen, author of The Accidental Guerilla

Watermans: November 6th-12th- www.watermans.org.uk

Additional Screening dates and venues TBA

For further information please contact:
Sanam Hasan, Head of Marketing and Public Relations, Mara Pictures
sanam@marapictures.com
www.marapictures.com

Only nine months into his presidency, Barack Obama has earned one of the most prestigious awards in the name of peace. Addressing reporters at the White House Obama said “”I am both surprised and deeply humbled.”

After a grueling start to his presidency, Obama has had to face head on challenges such as the global recession, nuclear non-proliferation and two wars. Despite the divisions amongst nations on how to deal with ongoing conflicts, the timing of the award may pave the way for better relations and an emboldened president to achieve the goals he ambitiously pursues. However, the President admitted that he didn’t believe he deserved the award.

Obama’s message of hope and change has been popular in Europe and to some extent viewed as a positive step forward in the Middle East. In June, Obama gave a moving speech to the Muslim world in Egypt and embarked on a new chapter of co-operation and mutual respect to reset the switch after relations during the Bush era had reach an all time low.

Some however, have criticized the award as the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to claim lives and have caused incredible hardships amongst communities in the Middle East. There is growing opposition to NATOs military presence in the region, and America, as well as its allies, face difficult challenges in the years ahead.

Time will tell if Obama’s actions and American foreign policy have made significant and positive changes to the global community, but one thing is for sure, there is a long way to go before the message of change is transformed into action.

By Iain Alexander