Ali Zafar’s “Dekha” To Be Featured in Hollywood’s Flick

http://www.koolmuzone.com/2010/05/ali-zafars-dekha-to-be-featured-in-hollywoods-flick/

While talking with Arab News in an interview, Ali Zafar disclosed that his song Dekha will be featured in a Hollywood flick Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps which is set to release in September this year. We have big expectations from the film and hope Ali’s track to get massive exposure, since the track is to appear in sequel of Wall Street (1987) an Oscar winner movie.
He also mentioned that he looks forward to do more work for west. This is Ali’s second musical project for an international film, first one being “Tere bin Laden” in which Ali Zafar also acts as a lead role.

Pakistan Rock Music / Al Jazeera Video

LINK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkBaQDOerYE

A short video by al jazeera channel, pakistani rock music in recent years have been making waves around the world, with many of the pakistani songs taken in bollywood movies also.

singers like Atif Aslam , Ali Zafar, Call Band, Junoon, Strings, Jal Band, are famous in India as well as Pakistan,and whereever urdu and hindi is understood.

Pakistan music combines east with west.

There are a lot more underground bands making their way into the mainstream rock scene in pakistan in recent years,. With singers like Rahat Fateh Ali giving background music for Mel Gibson movie, Appoclypto, and Salman Ahmed from Junoon, www.junoon.com, singing the title song of American t.v. series CW channel' Aliens in America.,and collaborating with artistes like , Melissa Ethridge,

Pakistani music sure has a long way to go.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/3888722-paistan-rock-music-al-jazeera

The Real Face of Face Book.

LINK
http://www.koolmuzone.com/2009/03/dawn-images-the-real-face-of-facebook/

Sunday, 29 Mar, 2009 04:30 AM PST
by Hafsa AhsanSource: Dawn ImagesIn the good, old days, the adage was that “Big Brother” is watching. Today, even when there is no security camera in your vicinity, there is someone who has an eye on all your activities — or at least, has the potential to do so.
Every website you visit in cyberspace has the ability to track you and your activities. But those to whom you willingly submit your information, and use it to interact with your friends, have an extremely easy time doing it.
And that is where social networking websites like Facebook come in the picture. You willingly post your personal and professional information, publish all the one hundred and six photos which you took at your annual dinner, and discuss the latest happenings in your college with all your friends. All this while, you may be totally oblivious to where this information is being stored and how it will be used.
The recent brouhaha surrounding Facebook and the way it changed its privacy policy, is by no means the only controversy which has enveloped this particular social networking service. Facebook has been the focus of quite a lot of criticism over the years. And yes, these concerns relate to privacy and privacy only.
In August 2007, Tech Crunch (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/11/facebook-source-code-leaked/) reported that the source code of Facebook in PHP was published on a blog for all and sundry. As one can imagine, if anyone gets their hands on the source code of Facebook, they have unlimited access to the data of whoever has an account there. Facebook responded promptly, admitting that some of the code was leaked and announcing stricter measures to guard it. But the question remains how the code got public. And if it can go public once, it certainly has the potential to do so again, especially with professional hackers around.
November 2007 saw another Facebook outcry, when a blogger on CA Security Advisor Research Blog (http://community.ca.com/blogs/securityadvisor/archive/2007/11/29/facebook-socialads-going-too-far.aspx ) reported that the social networking website was collecting information about its members’ activities on its affiliate websites. For instance, if you visited an affiliate website of Facebook, information about you and your activities will be collected and sent to Facebook (even if you were not logged into Facebook at the time). This could be information about a game you have played for instance. Moreover, not only would this information go back to Facebook, but it would be published in your Mini-feed as well. Facebook again responded to say that they do not use or retain information about their users on affiliate websites, if the users choose to opt out of this or are logged out of Facebook at the time.
The more recent complaint came on the forefront in February 2009, with regards to the Facebook terms and conditions. Now, it is a general attitude that terms and conditions of any website are hardly, if ever, read thoroughly.
It was very likely that the changes would have gone unnoticed. However, Chris Walters, a blogger for The Consumerist website, spotted the fine print in the new terms and conditions drafted by Facebook, and hence, the storm began.
Basically, the new conditions stated that Facebook would retain the information of its users, even if the users delete it from Facebook. It was also stated that even if users stop using Facebook, their information will be retained. One can only wonder what use this information would be to Facebook — if the user has discontinued using Facebook, or has deleted a photo / wall post, what’s the point in retaining it? As the users, non-users and privacy activists raised this issue, Facebook was pressured into reverting to its previous terms and conditions, something which can be regarded as a victory for privacy conscious individuals.
The interesting point here is that it was pointed out exactly a year ago, in February 2008, that Facebook does not have a proper system in place for users who want to close their account and discontinue Facebook – this gives rise to the suspicion that the account is not actually closed, and the data of the user can be accessed indefinitely by Facebook.
Currently, to counter the wave of criticism, a group has been created by the owner of Facebook entitled “Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.” Users have been invited to share their views and contribute towards a “new” draft of the terms and conditions, which are written in a reader-friendly language.
In the light of the many incidents mentioned above, what can an average individual do? The one major thing which can be done is to visit the “settings” every once in a while. You will discover quite a few additional checkboxes, pertaining to the use of your information by Facebook. Interestingly, these boxes are checked by default. Hence, you have to be vigilant, keep track of your settings, and uncheck all the extra boxes It is quite normal to expect the Facebook controversies to continue. At the end of the day, it is all about how vigilant you are about your use of social networking websites. Irrespective of how Facebook uses or does not use your information, it is you who has to make sure that you don’t go overboard by uploading private photos or discussing anything which may come back to haunt you. The idea of anyone having a dossier on you is already spooky to the nth degree. Hence, the less that dossier has, the better it is for you and your peace of mind.

George Clooney Dating Fatima Bhutto

LINK 1 : http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=76072&cat=2

LINK 2 : http://a-list.msn.com/default.aspx?cp-searchtext=Fatima%20Bhutto

George Clooney Dating Journalist Fatima Bhutto
Atlanta, GA 2/11/2009 04:44 PM GMT (TransWorldNews)

George Clooney is reportedly dating journalist Fatima Bhutto, the niece of slain Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto.
Sources tell the National Enquirer the actor is getting serious with Bhutto, 26. “He's still out there with his usual assortment of Hollywood eye-candy hanging from his arm. But George insists those days could be coming to an end if Fatima wants to take their relationship to the next level and spend some serious time with him in the US,” the insider said.
Clooney, who split with Sarah Larson last year, has allegedly been keeping the relationship under wraps. The pair reportedly met at an international conference last year and have been keeping in touch ever since. “Fatima was educated at Columbia University… and knew of his heartthrob reputation, but she didn’t take his advances seriously because she thought their age difference – not to mention where they each lived – would make a serious relationship impractical. But Clooney had courted her by phone and e-mail and arranged to meet her abroad when their schedules allowed it,” the insider adds.
Clooney, 47, has not commented on the reports.

The most eligible bachelor in Hollywood is rumored to be wooing Fatima Bhutto, niece of the late Benazir Bhutto. The two supposedly met at an international conference sometime last year.
George Clooney has had several high-profile hookups before, like with an Angel, a model and a cocktail waitress-turned-reality TV personality. But Bhutto, 26, is largely unknown here. Given her growing buzz, though, she won't remain so for long.
What do we know about this "new girl"?
She's beautiful:Check out these photos of her.
She's smart: She has a B.A. in Middle East studies from Barnard and a master's from the University of London. What did she study?
She's articulate: Bhutto's first book was a collection of poems. She's also a columnist for the News International. Search for her columns.
She's got moxie: Following the assassination of her aunt, people wondered if she would go into politics. Her answer? "I don't believe in birthright politics."
Want more? Here's a link to her Web site.

Rioters burn Muslim family of 6 to death in south India

APPublished: October 12, 2008, 14:03
Hyderabad: Rioters in southern India killed six members of a Muslim family by setting fire to their home after earlier clashes between Hindus and Muslims left four others dead and 15 injured in the same village, officials said on Sunday. Tensions have been high in Vatoli village since Friday when violence and looting erupted between the two sides, leading to four deaths, said Andhra Pradesh state Home Minister K. Jana Reddy. Authorities imposed a curfew on Friday, but were unable to stop the deadly arson attack, which apparently occurred before dawn on Sunday, Reddy said. "It is a beastly and barbaric act," Reddy told reporters. "Police are investigating the case and we will catch the culprits." Three children, including a 2-year-old, were among the six burnt to death, he said.


Vatoli is in Adilabad district, 275 kilometres north of the state capital of Hyderabad. Muslim leaders called for better protection for minorities, especially in rural areas. "Despite our repeated pleas and appeals, the government has failed to provide protection to the Muslims who live in remote areas and who have a very small population in those places," said Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the lower house of the national Parliament

India records highest number of murders in world

NEW DELHI
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
INDIA has recorded the highest number of murders in the world, a latest study by a government agency shows, news reports said yesterday. Data put together by the National Crime Records Bureau, a department of the Federal Home Ministry, showed that the number of murders in India, was three times that of Pakistan and double of the United States.There were more than 32,000 incidents of murder recorded in India over 2007-2008, whereas there were nearly 16,700 murders in the US and about 9,700 in Pakistan, the NDTV network reported.India is closely followed by South Africa which registered nearly 31,000 incidents of murders. However, the survey clarified that the rate per population of murder and other crimes in India was much less compared to other countries.India has the world's second largest population after China with an estimated 1.13 billion people.The murder and rape rate in India was three and four per 100,000 population respectively, whereas South Africa had rates in the two categories as 65.27 and 115.8 respectively, the Times of India daily said in its report.The NCRB said the data was compiled in 22 countries which included Australia, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Japan, Canada, Britain, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and Sri Lanka.According to the NCRB, the US topped the crime list with 23 million cases including murder, rape, sex and drug offences, while India reported 5 million incidents of crime.The top number of rape cases were reported in the US, which recorded 93,934 such assaults. More than 54,900 rape cases reported in South Africa and 18,359 rape cases were reported in India over 2007-2008.Indian crime rate has been increasing every year.DPA

LINK:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/asia_news/2008/06/03/india_records_highest_number_of_murders_in_world

Pakistans Tribal Areas

What kind of negotiations is government doing with taliban in the frontiers….
Ask these militants to write down their demands as to what type of Shariat do they want there.

And ask these Hardliners to attach the reference of any Hadhees and Quran …with all their demands….

So that we also know ..and they also should know whether the demands they are making such as no education for girls etc are according to the Islam or not….let them find out any hadees ..i am sure when they will try to bring support or prove for their demands ..they hey will not be able to find out anything for their demands.The government should make public these negotiations and do some intense publications such as pamphlets and news papers and distribute in these troubled areas …mentioning Hadhees and Quranic references against their unjust demands …….so that an ordinary tribes man and ordinary Illiterate man can understand Islam….. These kinds of brochures and pamphlets needed to be distributed through mosques and dropped down by airplanes …in thousands of numbers..so that they reach every corner of the frontiers……..And it should be published in the Local news papers of frontiers and tribal areas..not the big cities …So that the illiterate ordinary boy or girls can no longer come in the tricks these people play with their minds to make them suicide bombers……But this kind of a thing has to be on a very intense and on a very large scale…

Secondly what steps is government taking to unwashed the brains of these militants when they are caught or when they surrender……. ..These militants should be passed through an intense course or procedure …where they are taught true islam about suicide bombings and many other things, like music, girls education, and concept of Jihad etc etc …… They should not be released before they are passed through such exams….. These kinds of experiment has been done in Saudi Arabia ..and later those militants accepted that they were wrong…..Such a procedure is much more needed in Pakistan than Saudi Arabia…..

Indian Film Industry

Indian film industry the so called bollywood is a dying industry ….
With over 800 movies a year ..most of them are copied from Hollywood exactly the same ..including the dialogues …..and the songs are copied from either Pakistani, English or Arabic music…and all this bollywood does in the name of Inspiration..without any credits given.

There is no originality in Indian movies…its only glamour and nude dancers they are selling their movies…leaving very few countables on fingers, which can be named as good cinema…

And now with increasing jealousy and war of egoes in between some major big names in bollywood, like shah rukh and amitabah, salman and shah rukh, …and many to name….
This industry is for sure going towards a disaster…..just for how long can u sell movies with half naked ladies dancing around with fast copied music playing in the back ground… they are selling only because of glamour nude dances.…

Pakistani Politician "Qazi Hussain": The Real Terrorist

LINK

http://www.naitazi.com/2008/01/08/qazi-hussain

Ever thought why there is no threat to Qazi Hussain’s life, when there is a threat to every leader life including Fazal-ur-Rehman?
Jamaat is trying to impose Islamic rule through supporting suicide bombings in Pakistan….
They were sending Jihadist in Kashmir and Afghanistan..it is a known fact…now the same “Jihadist” have become terrorist and destroying Pakistan. , and Jamaat is supporting them….Is it possible that they have been sending Jihadist allover the world and suddenly they don’t know about who is doing these suicide bombings.Qazi wants Musharraf to go and impose his so called Islamic rule…but luckily he does not have the majority of people with him to make government so he is supporting these terrorist who call themselves Jihadists, killing thousands of innocent men, children and women in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.
They are just making Pakistan weaker and weaker and when America will attack Pakistan for this reason that Al-Qaeda has become strong in Pakistan , then Qazi Hussain will order his “Jihadists” to fight against America… and he will be happy that there are bombs allover Pakistan… that is what he calls “ISLAMIC LAW”… he will be the cheif then… thinking he is ruling Pakistan.
There have been news earlier that many Al-Qaeda leaders were living in the house of Jamaat’s party members. The one man who should be arrested and interrogated is Qazi Hussain.

Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy

Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul Haq,Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Bazid Khan, Khalid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Iftikhar Anjum, Abdur Rauf, Saeed Ajmal .
There you go guys, there is our team chosen for the champions trophy. Lets dissect our this selectionand i will let you guys decide what you make of it. Why don’t we start with our own (pyare) Captain? Looking at his recent performances there is a great argument if he even belongs to the national team. His decisions are very debatable and his performances have not been up to the mark for a long time. Is he a opener, 2 down, 4 down or is its 5 down guy. Can anybody tell me his place or what rank does he play on. When he is doing captaincy he is seen lost, You see him doing press conference and he is scratching all his body and getting upset on reporters He should be rather be upset on his decisions on the ground and his batting. He himself is responsible for repeating same mistakes again and again like trying Kamran Akmal as an opener although he has failed countless times as a opener. I don’t want to even talk about how many catches will Kamran drop that will make me go on writing on this blog forever. Kamran can drop catches and let the guy score 100, that’s acceptable since Kamran scored a fifty also. Am I missing something here, is that the logic here (confused). Lets move on to other guys and my favorite Shahid Afridi. Can somebody please give me a reason for hisselection? Please I beg you what will he have to do to get him kicked out of the team. I guess he will have to quit cricket and only than our chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed would not consider him.People vouch for his bowling which also has been below par for the longest time. On top of it he missed all of the practice matches , plus his injury and he still gets selected. WOW. Only in pakistan if i may say you get to hear and see such mind boggling things. Moving on, Shoaib Akhtar is fit again (hip hip hurray), I think he will be able to bowl his first spell and then he will need treatment..hahaha. I think that’s how much fit he is. Umar Gul and SalmanButt coming from injuries god knows how much fit they are. Khalid Latif wont likely get a chance to play may be one match if he is lucky. Who knows how Bazid Khan will perform as he has to fill Mohammed Yousuf’s shoes. After saving Pakistan from an embarrassment from Hong Kong Fawad Alam is left out from the team As Shoaib Malik will say “Array warna Afridi bhai team mein kaisay atay agar fawad ko khilatay". Fawad has been wasted so many times in previous series, I don’t remember the captain giving him chance to come early and perform so he can show his true talent. Poor guy is being wasted away as so many talented guys in Pakistan.

The End or a New Beginning

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Monday announced that he was stepping down from the post, amid tremendous pressure from the ruling coalition government to do so. “For the sake of the nation and people, I’m resigning. I don’t want anything from anybody. I’m not vindictive. Let the people be the judges. Let them do justice. I’m going with the belief that I have done everything for the nation with honesty,” Musharraf said in a live televised address to the nation. The President added that he will submit his resignation to the National Assembly in a shortwhile. Senate Chairman Mohd Mian Soomro will meanwhile take over as Acting President. While announcing his decision to step down, a emotional Musharraf said, “Even if the impeachment motion (to be brought against him) is defeated, the relationship between the President and the government will not be alright.” There might also be tensions between the Parliament and judiciary and even the Army might get dragged into it, he added. “I’m worried Pakistan is going down abyss rapidly, poor people are being affected,” he said. Quoting recent opinion polls, Musharraf said that 80% of the population wanted him to stay. “But I’m resigning so that there should be no more uncertainty in Pakistan,” he added. An emotional Musharraf asked his supporters to accept his decision for the sake of the country, saying, “If this (the current impasse with the ruling coalition) would have been on a personal level, I would have done something else.” On the plans to impeach him, an aggressive Musharraf said that he was not afraid of any chargesheet. “Not even one charge can stand against me,” he said, adding “but the question is: should a personal issue lead the country into an instable phase. Can the country take any of this? Will it be right that the office of the President be subjected to impeachment?” “I may win or lose impeachment, but the people, the nation will definitely lose. I love Pakistan. I’m ready to give my life for the nation. I will never do anything that puts nation in the peril.” In a bid to seek Musharraf’s impeachment, Pakistan’s ruling coalition has prepared a chargesheet against him, which was to be filed in the National Assembly today. At the start of his speech, Musharraf said that it was a day of important decisions for him, adding God is with him. “Seen Pakistan through worst times” The President also said that he has seen Pakistan through the worst of times in the last eight years. The challenges that Pakistan has faced and successfully tackled during my tenure have never been faced by any other Pakistan ruler, Musharraf added. “When I took over Pakistan’s reign in 1999, the country was in tatters. It was set to be declared a terrorist state. I have worked hard for last eight years and turned challenges into opportunities,” Musharraf said further in his address. “I am proud I have kept Pakistan intact,” he added. The ex-General further said that he has kept Pakistan and its people in mind whenever trying to resolve any problem. “I gave a slogan ‘Pakistan first’ from the core of my heart,” he added. He also lashed out at the current rulers, saying some people who have always kept their self-interest above Pakistan’s are leveling false allegations against him. “They have cheated Pakistan’s people,” he added. Talking about reconciliation, Musharraf said that he always wanted that and is ready to create an atmosphere for that. As proof of his sincere attitude, the President said that he was never involved in politics of vendetta and victimization of anybody. Enumerating the highlights of his rule, Musharraf said that the economy was sound when he was at the helm of power. He talked about the GDP which was at 7% as late as December 2007 and that Pakistan was rated high by international rating agencies. But over the past eight months, the economy has begun a downslide, with foreign exchange reserves, stock exchange, currency rates falling. Prices of all essential commodities have also increased, he added. Apparently, moved by the importance of the “moment” in his life, Musharraf said, “I thank the defence forces for their loyalty and also the people of Pakistan for the love they bestowed on me. I’m a common man, part of the middle class. I know their difficulties. I hope the government looks into it.” He went on to call upon ‘Allah’ to keep his Pakistan safe and solve the problems of its people. The man who ruled Pakistan for nine long years, in a way played a crucial part in the sub-continent’s history, bid adieu by saying, “Pakistan Khuda Hafiz.” Musharraf gets farewell guard of honour Looking sombre, Musharraf inspected the guard of honour presented by a tri-services contingent on the forecourt of the Presidency. A military band played martial tunes during the brief ceremony. Musharraf then shook hands with members of his staff at the Presidency before leaving the imposing building in the heart of Islamabad for the last time. He then drove to his camp office in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi. Where will Musharraf go? The announcement of resignation came amid conflicting reports that Musharraf might go in exile. Reports also suggested that a Saudi plane is on a standby at the Rawalpindi airport, fuelling speculation that Musharraf might fly to Saudi Arabia after his address to seek asylum in the Islamic Kingdom. It may be noted that top US officials have said that granting asylum to the beleaguered Pakistan President was not on the cards. Some reports also suggested that the former Army Chief may seek refuge in Turkey where he owns a house and spent his formative years. As of now he will be staying at the Army House until the government takes a decision on him. Sources said that he has been assured of a safe exit by the Army and has been assured security in Pakistan. "Technically, Musharraf can stay for another one month in the Army House but will be provided security as a former President," said an official. However, neither Musharraf in his televised speech nor the ruling coalition have said a word about his future. Replying to a question, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said that the coalition leaders will decide on Musharraf's future. Musharraf seized power in a bloodless military coup in 1999 and then imposed a State of Emergency in November last year to push his re-election to another five-year term through the Supreme Court.

Happy Independence Day to all the Pakistani and Indian friends out there.

Dr. Afia Siddiqui missing since 2003

An MIT-educated Pakistani woman once identified as a possible Al-Qaeda associate has been brought to New York to face charges she tried to kill US agents and military officers during an interrogation in Afghanistan, federal prosecutors said. Aafia Siddiqui, who was shot and wounded last month during the confrontation, was expected to be arraigned in federal court in Manhattan on charges of attempted murder and assault, US Attorney Michael Garcia said in a statement. A lawyer for her family said the allegations are false. A Pakistani government statement said the country’s ambassador to Washington had sought consular access to Siddiqui. US prosecutors and Afghan police gave different accounts of her arrest and the shooting incident.
Federal prosecutors said in a statement that Siddiqui, 36, was arrested outside the governor’s office in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province on July 17 after police searched her handbag and found documents on making explosives, excerpts from the book “Anarchist’s Arsenal” and descriptions of New York City landmarks. While detained in a meeting room, Siddiqui grabbed an M-4 assault rifle from a US Army warrant officer who had placed the weapon on the floor not knowing she was being held there, the statement said. Two FBI agents were also in the room. Siddiqui fired at least twice at the captain but the shots missed as a military interpreter lunged at her. The warrant officer then shot her with his pistol, the statement said. “Despite being shot, Siddiqui struggled with the officers when they tried to subdue her; she struck and kicked them while shouting in English that she wanted to kill Americans,” it said, adding she then lost consciousness and was given medical treatment. The Afghan police in Ghazni told a different story. They said officers searched Siddiqui after reports of her suspicious behavior and found maps of Ghazni, including one of the governor’s house, and arrested her along with a teenage boy.
US troops demanded the woman be handed over to them but the police refused, a senior Ghazni police officer said. US soldiers then disarmed the Afghan police, at which point Siddiqui approached the Americans complaining of mistreatment by the police, the officer said. The US troops, the officer said, “thinking that she had explosives and would attack them as a suicide bomber, shot her and took her.” The boy remained in police custody.
Siddiqui and her three children disappeared from her parents’ home in the port city of Karachi in 2003 and Pakistani human rights groups said they believed she had been held at Bagram, the main US base in Afghanistan, all these years. Her family yesterday sought her repatriation, terming the US accusations an attempt to “cover up” her five-year illegal detention, rape and torture at Bagram. The family said Siddiqui and her children were in fact arrested by Pakistani intelligence agents in Karachi in March 2003, after she was the subject of an FBI alert for alleged links with Al-Qaeda. At an emotional press conference in Karachi, her sister Fauzia Siddiqui said: “After five years of detention, Aafia was suddenly ‘discovered’ in Afghanistan? I am not that much of a believer in coincidence.” The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also termed the US claims as lies. “To say that she had been taken into custody only on July 17, 2008 is a blatant lie,” it said. “The insinuation that she had been hiding with her children since 2003 is a travesty of truth.” “Dr. Aafia’s case is a reminder of the grave injustice done to God knows how many Pakistanis in US detention facilities in Bagram in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, who have been listed as missing,” the commission said in a statement. US intelligence agencies have said that Siddiqui has links to at least two of the 14 men suspected of being high-level members of Al-Qaeda who were moved to Guantanamo in September 2006.
A US government statement said Siddiqui helped Majid Khan, a former Baltimore resident and terrorism suspect held in Guantanamo, get documents to re-enter the United States. The statement said Ali Abd Al-Aziz Ali, known as Ammar Al-Baluchi ordered Siddiqui to help Khan in his paperwork.

Abhijeet shown the door

Controversy erupted on the sets of Ek Se Badhkar Ek because playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya objected to the participation of a Pakistani singer in this weekend reality show. Consequently, Abhijeet—as he puts it —quit the show. Others say he was shown the door. Abhijeet Bhattacharya and choreographer Ahmed Khan were judges on Zee’s weekend reality show which features TV actors and singers performing in jodis. Among the new entrants in the wild card round, there were Sanober Kabir and Mussarat Abbas. Pakistani contestants have often participated in the various channels’ music reality shows. Past objections Mussarat Abbas was a contestant from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. Abhijeet has earlier protested against Pakistani singers. In 2003, he even petitioned the government seeking a ban on Pakistani singers performing in India. This time, he said, “If Mussarat sings, I will not judge him.” Abhijeet said that to allow foreigners to participate in the show was unfair to Indian talent. On another note, referring to Pakistani singers giving playback for Bombay’s movies, he said, “It’s a matter of great shame that our music directors should go to Pakistan to get Atif Aslam to sing because he didn’t get a visa to come here. Yahaan hamare singers bhukhemar rahe hain (Our own singers are dying of starvation here).” Fired or quit? Media reports have said thatAbhijeet had been shown the door due to his behaviour. But the singer states, “I spoke to the channel. They said they couldn’t change the format, so I have quit. It was mutual. But it’s sad that I had to leave because of a non-entity Pakistani singer.” Tarun Mehra, programming head of Zee, states that he isn’t aware of the fact that Abhijeet had walked out. According to him, “We can’t change the format of the show.. it’s about singing and dancing. We will have to find a replacement.” Diplomatically, Mussarat says that he will miss Abhijeet on the show: “I understand what he means. The fact that Indians aren’t allowed to perform in our country is amatter of embarrassment to us.We have such deep cultural and family links.”

Mohammad Asif's Tale

So whats happening in Pakistani cricket, lets see today Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif has returned home after authorities in Dubai decided not to prosecute him for alleged drug offences.
Asif was detained at Dubai airport on suspicion of carrying illegal drugs as he travelled back to Pakistan from India on 1 June.
Dubai's public prosecutor, Mohammad al-Nuaimi, told the Gulf News Asif had been caught "red-handed" with 0.24 grams of opium.
But he added: "In certain cases and for a faster litigation process the public prosecution drops a case due to insignificance and deports the suspect."
The Pakistan Cricket Board statement said: "The drug tests conducted on Mohammad Asif during the investigations in Dubai were clear and negative for any contraband substance."
So what do you guys think we should be doing with Asif, he will surely be facing another ban by World Anti-Doping Authority (Not Again). Good thing this time there was no Shoaib Akhtar with him so he can not or we can not blame Shoaib for Asif’s misery. Asif is a big boy and it’s about time he took responsibility of his actions and apologize to the whole nation. How many of his fans are willing to forgive him this time around. I don’t know about myself , if I am ready to give him another chance. Should we, He is not a sixteen year old kid who needs to be disciplined. He is a mature adult who knows exactly what he is doing or does he? Well to finish of this article Asif is back in Pakistan and he has maintained that he was innocent. In his words “I did not use any banned substance. During the Indian Premier League, I underwent two doping tests, and cleared both of them," he said. "If I had been tested positive, the ICC would not have cleared me."
Having said that some people never learn !!!

Pakistans Politicians

Can you tell me how does the restoration of chief justice and resignation of Musharraf will help Pakistani people and Pakistan in solving there problems.
Will Restoration of Iftikhar Choudhry and resignation of Musharraf solve the problems of Shortage of Electricity and water, problems of Waziristan and Fata, problem of Balouchistan, American Interference in Waziristan, Controlling high food prices in Pakistan.

I guess not one of the above problems will be solved and yet all the politicians in Pakistan are just protesting and arguing about just two things and leaving all the main problems just because they cannot solve these problems.

These politicians are just playing with the future of Pakistan and the Pakistani people.
Everyone from Lawyers to Ex Military Men to Politicians to Diplomats are taking advantage of the situation and trying to get the cheap publicity by speaking against Mushrraf and coming on T.V channels., doing press conference for nothing.

‘Ramchand Pakistani’, a unique India-Pakistan co-production

Mumbai, May 21 (IANS) “Ramchand Pakistani”, the latest India-Pakistan collaborative film venture, is unique because its protagonists belong to the minority Hindu community in Pakistan, says producer Javed Jabbar. The film, which is set to release in Pakistan next month, highlights the problems faced by border communities, especially Hindu minorities, during bilateral tensions.
It revolves around a family that belongs to the Kohli Dalit caste of the Hindu community of that country. And critically acclaimed Indian actress Nandita Das plays a lead role.
“The struggle of a poor and a lonely woman for physical and psychological survival is a major aspect of the movie,” Jabbar told IANS via e-mail from Karachi.
Though Pakistani actress Shameem Ara played a Hindu character, Shakuntala, in “Lakhon Mein Aik” in the 1960s, this time it’s an Indian - Nandita - who plays Champa, the key character around whom “Ramchand Pakistani” revolves.
Champa’s eight-year-old son, Ramchand, inadvertently crosses the border, and her husband Shankar, while looking for their son, is mistaken for a Pakistani spy by the Indian security forces.
The film, the directorial debut of Jabbar’s daughter Mehreen, depicts Champa’s struggle to get her family back and the psychological trauma she undergoes. Mehreen has directed several Pakistani television serials earlier.
Though the officers of the Pakistani Rangers empathise with Champa’s emotional crisis, they cannot secure any information about her husband and son from the other side of the border.
“Such examples of silence and non-confirmation are fairly common in bilateral relations, especially when the relations are tense between two neighbouring countries, as Champa’s predicaments pointedly reveal,” Jabbar said.
Through Champa’s tale of woes, “Ramchand Pakistani” seeks to subtly refer to the suspicion with which majority communities of both India and Pakistan tend to look upon the minorities.
“But as I have said, the movie set in 2002-03 is essentially a story about a poor and lonely woman’s struggle for physical and psychological survival under unfriendly circumstances,” the Pakistani producer stressed.
Though there have been instances of cross-border participation in Pakistani and Indian films earlier, this is the first time that a large mix of artistes have come together in a single venture.
Apart from Nandita, “Ramchand Pakistani” has Debajyoti Mishra as music director, Shubha Mudgal as a lead singer along with Shafaqat Armaan Ali Khan and Aseem Sinha is the editor.
Mishra has composed songs for Rituparno Ghosh’s “Raincoat” and Bhavna Talwar’s “Dharm”.
The cast also includes Rashid Farooqi, Syed Fazal Ahmed, who plays Ramchand, Nauman Ijaj and Maria Wasti.
“The movie has been made in Urdu-cum-Hindi because the story evolves on two parallel tracks on either side of the border. There is an overseas version with English sub-titles too,” Jabbar said.
“Ramchand Pakistani” evoked a good response when it was screened at the New York Tribeca Film Festival held between April 28 and May 4. The New York Times described it as a “poignant” movie.
Percept Picture Company, which released “Khuda Ke Liye” in India, may release “Ramchand Pakistani” too.
“We are in talks with the producer of the film. But nothing has been finalised,” Ashok Ahuja, the company’s marketing director, told IANS.





http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/south-asia/ramchand-pakistani-a-unique-india-pakistan-co-production_10050907.html

Pakistani Rock Band Junoon in Kashmir to heal wounds

Pakistan’s hottest rock band Junoon plays in Srinagar, Kashmir on Sunday, in what must rate as the biggest music show in decades in one of the world’s most militarised regions.
Junoon, or madness in Arabic, will play in a heavily fortified auditorium on the banks of the Dal lake, but its Sufi music and soaring guitar riffs should resonate far beyond, given that this is where Sufism, a form of Islamic mysticism, struck roots in the subcontinent.
The idea of a Pakistani band playing in the centre of Kashmir, which has been at the heart of 60 years of unremitting hostility between the neighbours, is itself remarkable, a testament to the change that is quietly taking place.
It would have been unimaginable a few years ago, Ïndia’s NDTV quotes a local college professor as saying.
Both nations have faced challenges in recent days; India, the blasts in Jaipur which at another time would have almost reflexively been blamed on the neighbour, and Pakistan renewed bombings and a civilian coalition government that is dangerously drifting apart barely weeks after it was formed.
The neighbours have been tested in Kashmir itself recently with reports of cross-border incursions and gunbattles but they have kept their counsel, and resumed peace talks this week.
So what’s the subtext to Junoon in Kashmir, if at all ? Yusuf Jameel, who has reported extensively on the region, says the political connotations of their presence in the disputed territory are not lost on anyone, and authorities are trying to ensure there is no trouble.
The concert has been organised by the South Asia Foundation, a non-government organisation, and is part of celebrations marking the inauguration of the Kashmir Study Institute at Kashmir University. Indian President Pratibha Patil is expected to attend the show as also other government leaders which obviously complicates the issue.
“After all, Islamabad has not officially given up its claim on Kashmir, though to many both in the neighbouring country (Pakistan) and here in Jammu and Kashmir, it is only dragging its feet from what it would until a few years ago insist is its jugular vein,” writes Jameel. The hardline elements in Kashmiri separatist groups are not going to be very pleased with the Junoon act, he says.
But the band that sometimes has been likened to U2 has been down this kind of road before. Founder Salman Ahmed, who trained to be a medical doctor, says inspired by the music of Led Zeppelin he traded his stethoscope for an electric guitar because he thought that was a better instrument to heal his deeply wounded society.
Blending traditional Sufi music with western instruments and melodies, the band has created a new genre of pop music, Sufi rock. And their songs call for harmony and peace instead of nuclear proliferation and corruption, making them a constant thorn on the side of Pakistan’s ruling authorities.
In the early 1990s a law was passed - aimed directly at the band - banning “jeans and jackets” from appearing on television. The group did a video for a song called Accountability which proved too much for then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

And they have done their bit on the other side of the border too. They were in India playing the week New Delhi stunned the world conducting nuclear tests in the summer of 1998.
“We want cultural fusion, not nuclear fusion”, young Indians waved a banner in a packed concert. Junoon denounced the arms race, saying India and Pakistan couldn’t afford it and were better-off giving their citizens clean drinking water, jobs and health facilities.
The Indian tests were followed by a similar series by Pakistan that month.