The debate on the creation of new provinces rages in the country and Newsline examines the constitutional, legal, administrative and economic implications of this step.
Posted on 17 February 2012 by Tea Server
The debate on the creation of new provinces rages in the country and Newsline examines the constitutional, legal, administrative and economic implications of this step.
Posted on 16 February 2012 by Tea Server
There is no limitation and restriction when we come to discuss the development of innovative project in Pakistan specially under multimedia and information technology industries. We have produced several entrepreneurs from Pakistan such as late Arfa Karim, De-Variables and today we are introducing the very young professional from Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Shahzad with his newly created application “Smile – SMS”.
Posted on 15 February 2012 by Tea Server
Dreams? Should dreams be left as dreams or should you be doing something to make it real?
My dream was to travel & Explore. I am living it. I am finding out ways how can i live it more? But does that mean i am putting my family, studies, work and all at stake? The answer is No. It’s all about balance in your life. I am not traveling 24/7 and 365 days a year. But i never leave any opportunity to travel. Be it for work, a workshop, conference, talk, family visit or even for the sake of pleasure. The objective is to move. It’s all about balance.
The photograph above was captured in September 2011 while i was crossing Chillinji glacier on Wakhan Corridor Trek. It was my dream to go to that place, explore glaciers and live in wilderness. I did that. But not in a luxury way. I had to save, take time out, get out of my comfort zone and take the first step to move.
What’s your dream? Are you living it?
Posted on 29 January 2012 by Tea Server
From: Dr Kamran Iqbal (cc’d to signatories below)
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012
To: Zafar Siddiqi
Dear Mr Siddiqi,
Thank you for your prompt and courageous response. We appreciate the moral courage of SAMAA TV’s stance. We hope you will continue to lead by example in developing a code of ethics and directives, which you have issued for your channel that we urge, should be made public on your website. You may want to have a look at the code of conduct guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists, to consult while drafting your guidelines.
Also, we would like to mention here that in Ms. Maya Khan’s team which is being terminated, innocent people should not be axed, and protection for those lower ranking workers, who had no say in what Ms. Maya was doing should duly be taken care of.
We will support you in taking the step to make directives and code of ethics and conduct guidelines made public. As a citizen media consumer group, would promote and spread these improvements in other channels one by one as there had been numerous examples which deserve similar attention and correction and it is clear that flaw has been at policy design level. A group of us would be happy to meet you and/or anyone you designate to initiate a discussion on this if you desire.
We look forward to seeing the directives on your website to share with the public.
Sincerely,
Ali Kazmi, Student, Islamabad
Ali Taj, Hedge Fund manager, Winchester Fund, Cerritos, California
Ally Adnan, Director, Huawei technologies, Dallas, TX
Amna Chishty, marketing consultant, Canada
Asadullah Khan, Head of Programming, Capital TV, Islamabad
Asif Alam, Financial Services Executive, New York, NY, USA
Asif Sattar, Admin Operations at Kiers Facilities Ltd, Slough, England
Beena Sarwar, journalist, Cambridge MA/ Karachi, Pakistan
Danielle Gehrmann, linguist, Sydney, Australia
Hassan Turi, student, Agricultural university, Peshawar
Hira Kamal, concerned citizen and media person, Jeddah
Syed Hussein El-Edroos, Business Development & Training Manager, Islamabad
Prof. Dr. Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Dr. Kamran Iqbal, Founder & CEO, Human Voice Initiative, Karachi, Pakistan
Kamyla Marvi, Citizen, Karachi Pakistan
Kiran Nazish, Freelance Journalist
Meera Ghani, Concerned Citizen, Lahore
Mira Hashmi, film critic and teacher, Lahore
Mohsin Sayeed, journalist, Karachi
Muhammad Faraz Faheem, Senior Software Engineer, Karachi, Pakistan
Munnazir Aziz, video producer, Lodhran, Pakistan
Nadia Fazal Jamil, actor, Lahore, Pakistan
Naheed Tofiq Mooraj, Proprietor of Candle Works, Karachi
Naziha Syed Ali, journalist, Karachi
Nighat Dad, advocate, Lahore
Noman Quadri, concerned citizen, Karachi
Dr. Osama Siddique, Law Professor, Lahore
Rabia Akhtar. PhD candidate, Kansas State University, USA/Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Raza Bashir, Corporate Banking, Karachi
Saadia Toor, professor, New York,
Saba Hamid, Actor, Lahore, Pakistan
Sahar Habib Ghazi, Journalist, Palo Alto, California
Shah Hayat Ahmad, Citizen, Karachi, Pakistan
Siraj Khan, Financial Executive, Boston MA USA
Shayan Afzal Khan, a concerned citizen, Islamabad
Tammie Mahmud, Trainer & Education Program Developer, Boca Raton, FL
Usmann Rana, student, Lahore
Posted on 28 January 2012 by Tea Server

Posted on 28 January 2012 by Tea Server
Sent Jan 27 21012 by the undersigned, in response to his email (below)
Dear Mr. Siddiqi,
We deeply appreciate your prompt reply and assurance that the kind of show broadcast on January 17th, 2012, ‘Subh Sawerey Maya Ke Saath’ on SAMAA TV will not take place again.
We also appreciate your moral courage in ensuring that SAMAA TV made a public, unconditional apology broadcast on January 24th, 2012. However, we cannot accept Ms. Maya Khan’s words broadcast that morning as an apology. She said she was sorry ‘if’ she had hurt anyone’s feelings without any acknowledgement that what she and her team did was wrong, which involved lying to people, filming them without consent, making fun of aggrieved couples after chasing them, and demanding their nikah namas.
In fact, her nonchalant attitude and words only compounded social and emotional wounds of the aggrieved citizens as she clearly lacked seriousness and genuine concern for the people and families she has caused harm through her deceitful, defamatory, intrusive and invasive programming, a value which is in complete contrast to your assertion that SAMAA TV is a channel with progressive values.
To add salt to the wound, speaking to the New York Times on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 (the same day as SAMAA TV broadcast her ‘apology’), Ms. Maya Khan ‘rejected her critics, calling them “an elite class that don’t even watch my show,” and said the show merely intended to highlight the dangers that unaccompanied youths face in Karachi’.” (NYT, Jan 26, 2012).
In your email to us you said, “There are certain other directives that have been put into place as of yesterday” (i.e., January 23rd, 2012). Such directives need to be made public.
Subsequent to our correspondence with you, we have been made aware of other programmes broadcast earlier as part of this appalling morning show series, in which Ms. Maya Khan pits mothers and daughters and harangues young girls in the most indecent ways along with her team (as in this show of October 2011). There are probably many other shows that you probably have not yet seen and will be horrified, as we were, on seeing, that objectify women ‘Beti ka Achar) and put them at real risk of being killed for ‘honour’ (‘Beti ki kari’). We do not accept the disclaimers that ran in some of these programmes that SAMAA TV is not responsible for the content.
In the absence of genuine apology and public information about corrective policy directives, and compensation to affected families, we will have to conclude that SAMAA TV is not sincere in its apology, and plans to continue with programming that blatantly violates the constitutional rights of Pakistani citizens as well as basic journalistic ethics and constitutes a case of journalistic malpractice.
In that case, it will become incumbent upon us, as conscientious citizens of Pakistan, to broaden our movement until corrective policies are put in place and made public along with a visible, genuine and unqualified apology from Ms. Maya Khan, specifically taking back her words and actions and accepting her misconducts, not just with regards to the show of January 17th, 2012 but also for previous shows in which she has disrespected families, media consumers and viewers alike.
We, the undersigned, as well as the over 5,000 signatories of the online petition that has been communicated to you, are ready to lobby with corporations (and their international offices if need be), that are advertising on SAMAA TV, asking them to look into this issue before advertising with this program and channel. We also reserve the right to approach to these brands if the need arises.
However, judging by your prompt response and by the apology broadcast on SAMA TV your behest, it appears that you, Mr. Zafar Siddiqi, while being genuinely well-meaning, have been misled by your producers (your senior producer Sohail Zaidi, for example, defended the program and told BBC Urdu Radio that he was not answerable to anyone).
Therefore we urge you to:
1. Make public the written corrective directives and guidelines that have been put in place, proactively leading by example as a channel with conscience which is reponsible and cares about its viewers and their sentiments.
2. Ensure a serious, genuine and unqualified apology from Ms. Maya Khan in which she accepts her deliberate misconduct and violation of the affected people, families, media consumers, viewers and the law.
3. Take this appalling show ‘Subh Sawery Maya ke Saath’ off air, as its very premise is based on the concept of moral policing and interference in people’s personal lives.
4. Ensure that Ms. Maya Khan and all your other reporters, producers and hosts comply with the new directives in future, whether they are part of the news team or the entertainment team.
SAMAA TV has many credits to its name that we appreciate, and we as media consumers, genuinely want to see this channel realise its potential as a truly progressive channel. We assure you that we will support you in the mission to translate quality into greater viewership based on dignity, fairness, respect and equal rights, not tainted by substandard hosts and programming. You may want to have a look at the code of conduct guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists, to consult while drafting their own guidelines.
Thank you,
Sincerely:
Ali Kazmi, Student, Islamabad
Ali Taj, Hedge Fund manager, Winchester Fund, Cerritos, California
Ally Adnan, Director, Huawei technologies, Dallas, TX
Amna Chishty, marketing consultant, Canada
Asadullah Khan, Head of Programming, Capital TV, Islamabad
Asif Alam, Financial Services Executive, New York, NY, USA
Asif Sattar, Admin Operations at Kiers Facilities Ltd, Slough, England
Dr Awab Alvi, Orthodontist & Social media Activist, Karachi
Beena Sarwar, journalist, Cambridge MA/ Karachi, Pakistan
Danielle Gehrmann, linguist, Sydney, Australia
Hassan Turi, student, Agricultural university, Peshawar
Syed Hussein El-Edroos, Business Development & Training Manager, Islamabad
Prof. Dr. Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Dr Kamran Iqbal, Self Employed · Karachi, Pakistan
Kamyla Marvi, Citizen, Karachi Pakistan
Meera Ghani, Concerned Citizen, Lahore
Mira Hashmi, film critic and teacher, Lahore
Mohsin Sayeed, journalist, Karachi
Muhammad Faraz Faheem, Senior Software Engineer, Karachi, Pakistan
Munnazir Aziz, video producer, Lodhran, Pakistan
Nadia Fazal Jamil, actor, Lahore, Pakistan
Nadir El-Edroos, teacher, London, UK.
Naheed Tofiq Mooraj, Proprietor of Candle Works, Karachi
Naziha Syed Ali, journalist, Karachi
Nighat Dad, advocate, Lahore
Noman Quadri, concerned citizen, Karachi
Dr. Osama Siddique, Law Professor, Lahore
Rabia Akhtar. PhD candidate, Kansas State University, USA/Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Raza Bashir, corporate banking, Karachi, Pakistan
Saadia Toor, professor, New York,
Sahar Habib Ghazi, Journalist, Palo Alto, California
Shah Hayat Ahmad, Citizen, Karachi, Pakistan
Saba Hamid, actor, Lahore, Pakistan
Sabiha Alwy, Educational Psychologist, New York
Shah Nawaz, student, Memon Goth, Malir, Karachi
Shayan Afzal Khan, concerned citizen, Islamabad
Siraj Khan, Financial Executive, Boston MA USA
Tammie Mahmud, Trainer & Education Program Developer, Boca Raton, FL
On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 12:05 AM, <Zafar Siddiq> wrote:
Dear All
I have travelled to Khi to look at this matter and yesterday Maya apologised in her program for this. I can assure this will never happen again. Samaa is a progressive channel.
There are certain other directives that have been put into place as of yesterday.
I thank everyone concerned in bringing this matter to my attention. It’s really appreciated.
best regards
Zafar Siddiqi
Chairman CNBC Arabiya
Chairman CNBC Africa
President CNBC Pakistan
Posted on 22 January 2012 by Tea Server

Its strange but yes i have always loved meals during the travel. For two specific reasons. First it becomes part of my travel memories and secondly of course if you are traveling and hungry, anything will taste good.
This hotel, not so fancy but happened to serve us the best oil filled parathas, fried eggs and garam chai during our stop over while going to start Wakhan Corridor Trek. The best part of the place was its location, Behal Hotel and restaurant, located in Kaghan valley right after you drive down from Babusar pass towards Chilas. That is the only hotel available in that area hence you are bound to have your meal either thier or take your own food along.
What about you? Do you always look forward to stop over any restaurant while traveling to add that to your memory?
Posted on 24 December 2011 by Tea Server
Police officer Tahir Khan says the attack Saturday in Bannu town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province also wounded 18 soldiers.
A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Ehsanullah Ehsan, claimed
responsibility for the attack. He said they targeted the troops to
avenge the killing of a Taliban commander in a recent U.S. drone attack.
The Taliban attacked a paramilitary camp before dawn Friday, killing
one soldier and kidnapping 15 others. They said that attack was also
meant to avenge the dead commander.
Posted on 18 December 2011 by Tea Server
Cyclists compete during the second stage of the Himalayas 2011 International Mountainbike Race in the mountainous area of Lake Saif-ul-Maluk in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sept. 17. The cycling event, organized by the Kaghan Memorial Trust to raise funds for its charity school set up in the Kaghan valley for children affected in the October 2005 earthquake, attracted some 30 international and 11 Pakistani cyclists.
Policemen pick up clothing and shoes of residents who were targeted by a suicide bomber during a funeral in Bero Shina, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sept. 15. The funeral was for a member of a pro-government Pashtun tribe in northwest Pakistan. The blast killed at least 40 people.
The death toll from a suicide bombing at a funeral in Pakistan’s northwest climbed to 40 on Friday, police said.
A tear runs down a boy’s face as he lies on a bench after being treated for his injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Sept. 13. Gunmen opened fire on a school bus, killing four children and the driver. Fifteen children were wounded.
Gunmen opened fire on a school bus in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, killing four children and the driver, a police official said.
Mohammad Azam, 56, sits injured as a dead child lies nearby, at the site of a double suicide bombing in Quetta Sept. 7. Two suicide bombers targeting a senior security official struck near government offices in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least 22 people.
A pair of suicide bombers killed 22 people while targeting a top army officer in southwest Pakistan on Wednesday, missing him and killing his wife, several guards, a senior officer and two children, officials said.
Local residents attempt to extinguish burning vechicles after a car bomb blast in Quetta on Aug. 31. A car bomb exploded in a parking lot after Eid prayers, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others.
Pakistani railway and security officials gather around train wreckage following a crash in Lahore on Aug. 30. At least two people were killed and 17 others wounded, five of them critically, when two trains collided in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. Train travel is popular among Pakistan’s poorer classes, but the railways have been hit by a severe funding shortfall and a lack of barriers at most level crossings are a frequent cause of accidents.
Pakistani Army officials display ammunition and arms recovered during an operation in Dra Zinda outskirts area of Dera Ismail Khan, Aug. 29. Pakistan is under intense pressure to eliminate sanctuaries of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters, but the militants have responded by intensifying attacks on security and government installations across the country.
A cobbler waits for customers at his shoe repair shop in Quetta Aug. 29.
Pakistani paramilitary troops enter into a house during a crackdown operation against target killers and the extortion mafia in a troubled area in Karachi, Aug. 28. Over one hundred people lost their lives in the week prior in a fresh wave of violence which crippled the Pakistan’s largest city.
Pakistani security personnel examine a crashed American surveillance drone just inside Pakistan territory in the town of Chaman, on Aug. 25. The American surveillance drone crashed in southwestern Pakistan near a paramilitary base close to the Afghan border, Pakistani officials said.
Posted on 08 December 2011 by Tea Server
Be it the small airport destination like Dera Ghazi Khan or international ones like Karachi, in the middle of a desert like Bahawalpur or in the mountains like Quetta, Gilgit or Skardu, I have always enjoyed my journeys. There is an another charm in enjoying your journey other then the destination. Be it on road, on train or in the air. I would always wait for the train to stop at railway stations so that i can have my food. I would always wait for the bus to stop at the hotel so that i can enjoy my meal. Similarly, I was always excited with in flight meal and would always wait for it. No matter if i already have had my meal at home or in the hotel or whereever, i would still wait for the inflight meal.
There is a different charm in having your cup of tea or coffee while flying. If its a day flight you’ll get to have your meal with spectacular views.
I have also found our PIA’s inflight meal to be better and tastier in every flight. With every different destination, i would get a different meal and then a different happiness to enjoy it.
How about you? Can you share how do you enjoy your journeys?