From Mush Standard Time to Zardari Standard Time

Hi All.

Make sure you update your clocks at midnight tonight and advance them by one hour to welcome Day Light Saving in Pakistan.

Oooh I remember the chaos that happened back in ‘02 when Pakistan implemented DST. People against Musharraf at that time said they would not follow the change and it caused so much confusion. Two of my bosses at work were daggers-drawn because one said it must be followed and the other was against it. We had a ball coming to work at different timings every day!

Anyways… make sure you advance your clocks from Musharraf Standard Time to Zaradari Standard Time lest you arrive late or early for work on Monday!

1217 - The New Directory Inquiry Service

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has decided to upgrade and improve the directory inquiry service to make the facility comparable to any other across the world.In its effort to provide callers updated information, PTCL recently launched the 0800-01217 toll-free number enabling customers to update their information in PTCL directory inquiry database free of cost. The Company initiated the 0800-01217 service so that correct information is available for each call made to the directory inquiry service. The directory inquiry service number has now been changed to 1217. Similarly all two-digit abbreviated dialing numbers are being changed to four digits as the systems and services are upgraded. The 14, 17 and 18 services have now all been changed to 1214, 1217 and 1218 respectively.

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Religious Teacher Held for Murder of a Blind Student

Qari Ziauddin, who teaches Koran to boys in Qari Latif Islamic school, hanged Atif upside down with a ceiling fan in the school after beating him with sticks, which caused his death.

This is the police statement released in the murder investigation of a seven year old blind child who was beaten to death by his teacher for not learning the Holy Quran. This tragic incident took place at a madrassa in Vihari, a town near Lahore.

The barbaric act only intensifies in its gory as the teacher did not even bother to take the poor child to the hospital after his condition went from bad to worse. The boy eventually succumed to his death in that condition and this teacher of our Holy book ran away! He was eventually caught by the police on charges of torture and murder.

“I was forced to confess!” AQ Khan Breaks The Silence

Four years after the nation heard a confession from Pakistan’s top nuclear scientist, he has come out of his shell to say that the confession was forced on him!

It was not of my own free will. It was handed into my hand.

AQ Khan told this to the Guardian newspaper from his home in Islamabad. He was quick to add that he did not want to talk about this and let by-gones be by-gones.

Sorry Mr. Khan, as much as we respect you and your services to this country, I doubt you will not be given the third degree about your recent confession. Rest assured, you will talk at lengths about this ‘false’ confession that you have started a fire about. The media is not going to rest and neither will the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after you casually dismissed the allegations against you for selling the technology to Libya, Iran and North Korea by saying

They (the West) were supplying to us, they were supplying to them… anyone who could pay.

Step aside Ch Iftikhar! For the limelight is soon to shift from the black-coats to the white-coats!

Karma’s Super Slasher Sale

Great News Girlies!

On popular demand, Karma is holding its 2nd Super Slasher Sale at Karma Couture Studio (DHA Lahore) on 1st June, 2008 from 11 am - 8 pm!

It’s 50-80 % off on Couture (off the rack) and Pink so make sure you go early to avoid sell outs!

Take care and let’s go shopping!

 

Rumors, Sensationalism, and the Stock Market

Amid mixed signals coming from the coalition government in Islamabad, the Pakistan Army and the President’s office regarding President Pervez Musharraf’s plan to ‘call it a day’, Pakistani stocks have suffered a hard blow as they plunged to their lowest in almost 14 months.

The forbes website had this report to share on its website:

Thursday morning, the Karachi Stock Exchange’s 100-share index fell 4.2 percent to 11,742.83. The index hasn’t touched that level since early April, 2007

Owing to the hyped news about a possible resignation by the president in the next 48 hours, coupled with an air of uncertainty over the future of Pakistan’s fragile economy in the hands of a government already swamped with internal problems, investors were having ‘jitters’ according the Forbes report.

The Pakistan Army and the President’s office spokesperson were quick to dismiss this news as ‘nonsense’ and ‘baseless’ stating that there were no such plans under consideration. However, there has been a lot of buzz about the meeting between Army Chief Gen Kiyani and the President last night that went on till after midnight.

What was it about?

What was discussed?

Was the President given any options or timelines?

Or was the chief just dropping by to check on the Army House he is to occupy as soon as President Musharraf vacates it?  

Although the ISPR has termed this meeting to be a ‘routine matter’, there is certainly something in the air to raise our eye-brows about. We could very well be shooting blanks about this whole scenario but one can’t deny that the change in the command of the 111 Brigade, responsible for the security of the President, the capital and its adjoining city of Rawalpindi at such a crucial and tender point in time makes one think that ‘where there is smoke, there must be fire’! ISPR said Brigadier Aasim Salim Bajwa’s (commander 111 Brigade) relocation to the United States for a professional course is nothing abrupt and was scheduled for quite some time.

Adding fuel to the rumor was Nawaz Sharif’s address last night at Aiwan-e-Iqbal on the occasion that marked 10 years of Pakistan becoming a nulcear power and the first Islamic state to do so. Sharif’s speech centralized on Musharraf and Musharraf only as he slammed down the recent demands by some to give the President ’safe passage’.

…’this man’ was a lair who backed out of all commitments he had made. He did not quit when the people gave a verdict against him in the elections, and earlier he did not honour his commitment of taking off his military uniform by the end of December 2004.

It is not a hidden fact that Nawaz and Musharraf do not see eye to eye. The heights of hatred they have for each other has been witnessed on various occasions esp when Nawaz Sharif made a failed attempt to come back to Pakistan last year and was sent away from the Islamabad airport and so forth. But politicians and dictators alike should weigh their words and personal grudges when in public. There is an entire nation that hangs on their every word.  

Personally, the President had several ‘ideal’ chances in the recent past to step down and hand over the reigns to a suitable candidate. The most recent one being the general elections. It was expected by a majority of Pakistanis and several nations around the world that perhaps Musharraf would step down after one of the most successful elections held in the country for decades. That announcement never came. The President stayed on for reasons known only to him or his closest circle. Now the people want him out. Out of the President’s chair, out of the Army House, and perhaps out of Pakistan (if he is that lucky).

One can only hope for a stable and progressive Pakistan in times to come…

The circus continues ladies and gentlemen.

And The Deal Is Done!

The much talked about, fought about, hyped about, and mocked about deal between Islamabad and the Taliban fighters in Pakistan’s north has finally been sealed. At least that is what we are being told this morning to say the least.

There are sketchy and murky details trickling in as to what exactly were the terms agreed upon by both sides. It really doesn’t matter though because it was evident from day 1 whom this deal benefits the most. But let’s not get in to that debate yet again.

It is said that is deal enjoys the backing of Baitullah Mehsud, the head of umbrella Taliban movement in Pakistan.

In shambles is what this deal will be if the Taliban do not stop using ongoing incidents of attacks on them from unidentified sources or from US across the border to thwart this peace initiative. Already, a bomb explosion in Pakistan’s tribal area bordering with Afghanistan killed six Taliban leaders this morning. are they going to pin this on Pakistan Army yet again and reply with another suicidal wave? That would surely shatter this so called deal quicker that you can say ‘whoa’!

While several nations from around the world have expressed their approval over the deal, Washington has remained speculative as always. They recently blocked the sale of APCs to the Pakistan Army and lately, they have imposed financial sanctions on four Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders, a Pakistani based extremist group.

So will this deal last?

Will the Taliban prance on the streets WITHOUT brandishing their rocket launchers and AK-47s according to the deal?

Will the unspecified number of militants and Taliban leaders released by the Pakistani government give up their antics and  ‘retire in peace’?

Will the continuous attacks on Pakistan Armed forces REALLY halt?

Will the bombings by United States predator drones have an impact on the deal?

…

Time will tell.

China: From Mournings to Protests

The devastating recent earthquake in China has not only taken away loved ones, but it has also fueled a rage against the government for building schools that could not stand the force of the quake.

Parents of the estimated 10,000 children who lost their lives in the quake have grown so enraged about collapsed schools that they have overcome their usual caution about confronting Communist Party officials. Many say they are especially upset that some schools for poor students crumbled into rubble even though government offices and more elite schools not far away survived the May 12 quake largely intact.

It reminds me of the Margalla towers that fell during the quake in Pakistan a few years ago. Every day there was a new story to hear about a certain some one who lost their child or relative or friend in the rubble.

The grief stricken crowds in China are getting agitated by the day. They demand retribution. They demand harshest of punishments to be awarded to those who built these faulty school buildings. They also want to know why the rescue workers only worked till 10 pm on the first night when the earthquake struck and did not continue until 9 am the other day.

May the souls of all who lost their lives rest in peace (Amen)

Related Clicks:

China earthquake delays $ 500 million aid to Pakistan

Fearing floods from ‘quake lakes’, Chinese order evacuations

WeCite Welcomes Aleena!

Our newest and freshest (if there is any such thing) addition to the WeCite Blog family is a sweet, charming, shy, and homely girl who likes to talk about home decorations, kittens and share yummy recipes… NOT!

Enter Ms. Aleena Kaiser (otherwise known as Sherry), a 24 year old bubbling party animal from Karachi who just loves life and believes in ’spreading love and ishtyle all around’. She’s quick and fiery and after her countless travels around the world, she has found her place at WeCite (for the time being atleast).

Aleena is passionate about movies, gossip, fashion, and ‘any thing that makes you go ooooh’! She promises to bring one twist after another to the WeCite Blog (the prospects of which has fuzz worried to death right now) and wants to share her life’s experiences for every one to learn from (ahem, did we mention she’s ONLY 24?)!

Welcome to WeCite Aleena. We hope you do a kick @$$ job of keeping our readers entertained and well-informed!

Do You Know What You Are Drinking?

A startling revelation has been made according to a recent report by the Institute of Public Health with regards to Lahore’s drinking water.

According to the claims of this report, ‘half of Lahore population has been drinking water having faecal contents, and even those living in the so-called posh areas are no exception!’

And this is what they found:

the institute had tested some 92 drinking water samples between May 1 and 15 and found faeces in 43 of them.

Would you believe that!

Defective sewerage system is one of the main reasons of water contamination. Due to defective system, sewage mixes with the water supply lines. The survey suggests that the discharge of industrial effluents into the subsoil through holes should be banned in order to avoid ground water contamination.

So if you are not using bottled water at your homes, be very careful!

Rihanna Back On Top

Rihanna, who spent the majority of last summer on top with the UK charts with ‘Umbrella’, is back at number one with the latest single called ‘Take A Bow’.

The Caribbean Queen overtakes former number one singles from the Ting Tings with ‘That’s Not My Name’ at 2 and Madonna with ‘4 Minutes’ at 3.

Your Diet Can Determine Your Child’s Gender

Can your diet really determine the sex of your child? Scientists this week declared that first-time mothers who consume more calories around the time of conception are more likely to give birth to boys. The theories surrounding gender selection are as outlandish as they are numerous. So what should we believe?

So it all comes down to the banana. The yellow fruit with the phallic shape – appropriate in this context – is the best dietary aid for intending mothers wanting a boy, according to research published yesterday.

 

In what they claim is the first scientific evidence that diet influences infant gender, researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Oxford have found that women who consume more calories around the time of conception, and, in particular, eat more bananas, are more likely to have sons. At the same time, those who skip breakfast (and breakfast seems to be key) are more likely to have daughters.

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Coca-Cola to phase out use of additive after DNA damage claim

Coca-Cola, the world’s biggest soft drinks company, is phasing out a controversial additive that may cause hyperactivity and DNA damage. By August, no cans of Diet Coke should contain the preservative sodium benzoate.

Coca-Cola wants to remove E211 (sodium benzoate) from other products where possible. But the company said there were no satisfactory alternatives yet for its high-acid drinks Fanta and Dr Pepper. The substance also remains in rival drinks such as Irn-Bru, Pepsi Max and Lucozade.

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Iraq Stands Suspended by FIFA

In the face of a recently dissolved Iraqi Football Association (IFA) by its own government in Baghdad, the world governing body, FIFA, has suspended the country and her players from International competition for one year.

The FIFA Executive Committee that met in Sydney ahead of this week’s FIFA Congress said it made the sanction following an Iraqi governmental decree on May 20 to dissolve the Iraqi National Olympic Committee and all national sport federations, including the IFA. It has given May 29 as the deadline for the Iraqi Government to annul its decision to dissolve the IFA. Among possible consequences if this deadline is not met with include Iraq being ousted from the FIFA World Cup that is set to take place in 2010.

The Asian Football Confederation has also demanded that Iraq reinstate its football body.

Britney Spears gives ‘Parenting Tips’ to little sister!

Now this really cracked me up!

Jamie Lynn Spears says older sister Britney gave her some parenting tips at her baby shower.The siblings were reunited at their parents’ home in Louisiana earlier this month for the party with family and friends.
‘It was wonderful to be able to spend time with her and just be girls again,’ Jamie admits. ‘We painted our nails and did stupid stuff, and we had our private time too. To be able to be in the privacy of our own home and just be sisters again was wonderful.’
And Brit, 26, who has sons Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2, with ex husband Kevin Federline, chatted to the 17-year-old about becoming a mum.
‘She said: “There’s going to be some long nights, but it’s completely worth it,”‘ Jamie tells OK!
The Zoey 101 star is due to give birth to fiancé Casey Aldridge’s baby this summer.

Sister or no sister, I would be vety careful about taking parenting advice from Britney Spears! Then again, maybe lttle Spears wants to follow her elder sister’s footsteps to becoming (in)famous! God help the poor kid if this is so!