The QAU Relief Fund for the Balochistan Earthquake sent its first consignment of aid (amounting to approximately Rs. 100,000 worth of tents and food packs) on Nov 3, 2008, to the villiages of Varm, Kan, Bangla, and Koas in Ziarat District. For information about the next consignment, please contact:

Fawad Javaid, 0306-5552247
Murad Kasi, 0333-7898167
Hamdullah, 0300-5055262

Students at Quaid-e-Azam University have organized a relief fund for the victims of the earthquake in Balochistan. For more information, contact any of the following numbers:

0333-7898167
0333-9127128
0333-4252584
0321-8006880
0334-2466924
0333-7946386

Since we are about to inaugurate a giant wall around the Kings palace, and all those kings helpers who feel they are insecure, I thought it would be good to gauge whether we all think that that the current troubles which have spilled over from across the border into our peaceful city are actually Our War – as the govt has defined it – or are we fighting Someone Else’s War…. if so then how do we fare as citizens of Islamabad and Pakistan. Your 1rupee please..

It seems now that Mr Musharaff has arrested all the people he needed, removed the judges that disagreed, appointed himself as supreme ayatollah president, cajoled all the defaulters into line ensuring they stand for election and changed the army top brass – we are now set to see Emergency powers removed tomorrow….
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071213/ap_on_re_as/pakistan

Emergency didn’t prove to be any obstacle to life in Islamabad, at least driving around I didnt see any visible signs of army or tanks on the street… So maybe now is a good time to ask WHY?
Why do we all have to suffer international inginity and honorary “banana republic” status just for one man to cling onto power… (Incidentally BB and Nawaz were no different).
Cant these people see that every time they take these extreme measures to perpetuate their meagre political existence they actually are doing more harm than good?

Mr Musharaff is changing the constitution so that we cant ask that question either….

he gets greeted by many.

Lahore Metroblog is covering full details of Imran Khan’s detention, the protests, and likewise incidents.

Like most of my compatriots, I am deeply saddened by the government’s persecution of the media. The shameful tragedy that was the shutting down of the entire Geo Network is earning the most vehement protests of all, and deservedly so. (I was glad to read in The News yesterday, though, that Geo is planning to launch itself from a new location very soon – jiyo, Geo!)

On a personal level though, what has contributed most greatly to my own heartbreak over the media’s situation is the fact that Aaj TV has stopped airing Live With Talat. Aaj TV, as you probably know, has been allowed to resume transmission. However, the government’s conditions for its resumption included the cancellation of two of Aaj’s leading current affairs programs: Live With Talat and Bolta Pakistan. Both programs have been off the air since Aaj’s return to the screen, thus depriving Pakistan of the broadcasting brilliance of Talat Hussain, Nusrat Javed, and Mushtaq Minhas.
(more…)

Taken by Sajjad Ali Qureshi (The Nation’s photo journalist). Please click on images to view the original page.

Students of Quaid-e-Azam University holding placards shout slogans during a demonstration to protest against ban on media and imposition of emergency rule in the country. The placard is a modification of I am a Muslim.

Islami Jamiat Talaba activists push Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan into a van at the Punjab University, where he had come to lead a student rally on Wednesday, 14 Nov,2007.

Imran Khan was in hiding since Emergency’s imposition for obvious reasons. Our sister blog, Lahore Metroblog, reported about the event widely.

Politics may be necessary for nation’s build-up but its a Dirty Game nevertheless. Reasons and Logics can go in background, play of words and tacts start acting. The man-handling of his is clearly a political game played by opponents or so-called-ally. Muslim League is playing dirty by posting advertisements like these in leading newspapers (more can be read here)

The awaam is in misery. Who to look up at?? Who to follow? A state of Emergency indeed.

Dictionary says Emergency is “a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action”; in our case it was neither unforeseen nor immediate action can help. Long Term Planning, Action, and a Leader is all we require.

You can also read these posts on Imran Khan at LMB: Imran Khan’s arrest, Jemima fears for Imran, and Imran Khan’s Detention. All Things Pakistan reports the arrest here</a.

There gonna be two protests on Novemver 14 & 15, as per the following schedule:

The first one:

Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Time: 3 30 p.m.
Location: Aabpara Chowk, Islamabad.

All the sections of the civil society are expected to join.

Few KEEP-IN-MINDs:

You should wear a black band to protest against the imposition of emergency.
You should bring a flower to pay homage to the men of courage.

Please remember
- To be right on time
- During the protest do not block the road and let the traffic pass by so that you do not cause inconvenience to general public.

And the other one:

Date: Thursday, November 15, 2007
Time: 2:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: Blue Area…starting from Subway upto the president house
Street: Quaid-e -azam Avenue
City/Town: Islamabad, Pakistan

For the first time in a long time, I’m gonna tone down my ADD and focus. So your favorite Islo-ite grabs a taxi today, and of course struck up a conversation…. duhhh, that what I do, I guess we haven’t met…. Right lets get back on track. So we started talking about how business has been lately and eventually we started talking about his personal experience at the airport the other day.

Currently only taxi’s with a “airport sticker” are allowed to park and wait at our local, and might I add lovely airport. So of course this gentleman’s vehicle did NOT comply with the standard airport security protocol of having that special little sticker.

So our friendly cab driver slipped the security officer a 50, yup The BIG 50 rupees, the same one you’ve had in your hot little hand before. Then cruised right in without any security checks. Now I thought the point of being at a higher security alert was to help protect the people.

Where is the protection when any old average Joe can come up in a vehicle and park it at will?

Ohhh boy, all that talk about social awareness makes me tired, I think its time for me to cruise out into the night, and see what this town has to offer on a Tuesday Night…

We’ll see you boys and girls next time…

So Stay Tuned…

Same Metro Time,

Same Metro Channel…..