(PLF) & Teachers at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi “A Mega Event not to be missed”

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Karachi  (Muhammad Yasir) The Children’s Literature Festival (CLF), now rebranded as the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) due to an overwhelming nationwide response from all age groups and in preparation for the 100 years celebration of Pakistan, comes to Karachi from 14-16 December 2021. The first two days of PLF will be dedicated to the inclusive equalizing Children’s Learning Festival (CLF) on 14-15 December and one day to the Teachers’ Learning Festival (TLF) on 16 December.

All school systems are welcome, including institutions of children with disabilities. The venue is the coveted Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi where the extraordinary trio, viz. the President of the Arts Council Ahmed Shah, Secretary School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), Govt. of Sindh Ghulam Akbar Laghari and Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon will co-host alongside Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA). Sindh Minister for Culture and Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah will grace the event as chief guest along with Provincial Minister for Information and Labour Saeed Ghani and Member Provincial Assembly Tanzeela Qambrani.

The PLF is a true partnership of the Government, Civil Society Organization, Industry and Development Partner sponsors, including the Bank of Punjab (BoP), Habib Metropolitan Bank, Oxford University Press (OUP), Room to Read (RtR), British Council Pakistan, National Foods, Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), EdLab Pakistan, Learning Pitch, CandyLand, Essa Laboratories, Lightstone Publishers, Sightsavers Pakistan, SOC Films, Telenor, Oxfam in Pakistan, UNESCO, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Museum and K-Electric.

The famous choir of heritage school St. Joseph’s Convent (SJC), where millions of girls/women students have graduated since 1860 making it famous for its empowered gendered footprint, will be rendering the PLF /CLF anthem ‘Humain Kitab Chahiye’ written for the CLF by Zehra Nigah and composed by Rakae Jamil, both will be there too. There will be a special Concert by SJC choir on 14 December from 1:00-2:00pm at the Open Air Theatre, Arts Council.

At least 33 books will be launched, including 28 adapted books from RtR in Sindhi by ITA and SELD, the Hamara Adabi Jashan written and illustrated by Maria Riaz, Aik Sabaq Seekha by child author Aminah Alavi, Zebra’s Striped by Zoya Khan (written when she was just 15years old), Kaun Badshah Banna Chahta Hai by RtR and translated in Braille by SightSavers, A Special Garden written by Dr. Ambreen Ahmed and illustrated by Maria Riaz, and Amai and Shabnam by Fauzia Minallah. These are all PLF’s publications and are available for the public. Meanwhile, BoP CEO and President Zafar Masud will announce the Young Author Awards 2021-2022.

CLF Ambassadors and renowned actors Ahsan Khan and Adeel Hashmi will thrill the audience, promoting learning, protection and how to make Faiz Ahmed Faiz popular in schools and classes on the two days of CLF which is something not to be missed.  

The program is available online on CLF’s website. There are over 70 sessions and 150 resource persons and institutions participating in the mega event.

Active plenaries and pitches will take place by industry, education and climate change giants on Ed Tech, Incredible Libraries, Education Reforms and Climate Change with many eminent speakers including Zehra Nigah, Dr. Arfa Syeda Zehra, Zubeida Mustafa, Dr. Fouzia Khan, Ahmed Shah, Rumana Husain, Afia Salam, CEO Katalyst Labs Jehan Ara and resource persons from Dot and Line, AzCorp, ITA, EdLabs, Learning Pitch, Deaf Reach Wonder Tree, OUP and more. Sessions on theatre, music, performing arts, puppets and cinema will have Ali Hamza, Rakae Jamil, Nazia Zuberi Hassan, Sheema Kermani, Samar Minallah, Nigar Nazar, Atif Badar, Shayma Saiyid and Junaid Zuberi. Sohail Rana songs revival continues at PLF this time too with a session Dak Baboo Dak Baboo led by Nazia Zuberi in schools supported by ITA teams.  

Sessions on creative writing and art of book making will be led by Mohsin Tejani of the School of Writing and Batool Nasir of OUP and on Dastani Goi Bait Bazi by Badar and Syed Nusrat Ali. Kitab Gari – a CLF/Library/School on wheels – also being called ‘Jadoo Gari’ will also be launched at the PLF and will engage the children, teachers and families through interactive activities throughout the event. Moreover, there will be STEAM activities by Science Fuse, Digital Story Writing by AKUIED, numeracy –heritage by SBP Museum, tiny tales and arts & crafts by British Council Library, Environment and Climate Change Corner by the Grand Maali of Pakistan Tofiq Pasha Mooraj, interactive activities by SEF and Naunehal Magazine and much more.

The PLF/CLF/TLF are ITA’s flagship nationwide programs, promoting learning and above all social emotional learning especially at the time of COVID-19. They have a nationwide footprint, having completed 74 CLFs in all provincial capitals, Islamabad and over 25 districts of the country, digital CLFs and PLFs, collectively reaching over 1.6 million children and teachers since its inception in November, 2011.

End to gender parity for skilled women to ensure national prosperity: FPCCI

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Emphasizing upon removing gender parity for skills development in labour market, Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Senior Vice President, FPCCI, has said that it would not only ensure socio-economic development especially of low income population but also contribute significantly towards national economic stability.

“Everybody should play their role for Pakistan to develop and to acquire sustainability in social and economic aspects. Women are half of the country’s population and it is essential to provide accurate pathways for women for accessing new opportunities and for facilitating a high participation of women in the labour market,” Syed Mazhar remarked this at a webinar ‘Gender-parity in TVET for socio-economic prospects of Pakistan’.

The webinar was organized by European Union-funded TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP), Germany and Norwegian Embassy.

Purpose of the event was to emphasize on the inclusion of women in labour market through skills development and to aware the general public about the significance of technical education and vocational training for women to access and excel in the labour market.

Mr Markus Strohmeier, Managing Director and CEO Siemens Pakistan; Mr Tobias Becker, Country Director, GIZ Pakistan; Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Senior Vice President, FPCCI; and Qurrat Ul Ain Naveed, an entrepreneur, skills and entrepreneurship expert, were the panelists of the webinar.

The webinar addressed the topics of gender balance, equality, improved access and quality of skills training as well as the challenges which are faced in real life leading to gender-incomparability in TVET as well as labour market.

The TVET SSP has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), provincial Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVTAs) and large number of private sector organizations.

The TVET SSP has been striving since the inception of its second face for more women inclusion through access and conducive environment so that more technical skills are learnt by women and the gender gap is reduced for a durable, positive and strong impact on economic productivity.

Giving his expert opinion in the webinar, Markus Strohmeier said that public-private partnership in the TVET SSP is the way forward for the inclusion of women. “This initiative is the means to polish their skills, and to compete and achieve their goals,” he explained.

Addressing the audience, Tobias Becker shed light on the role of GIZ Pakistan on behalf of the German Development Cooperation in implementing the TVET reforms in Pakistan. He said, “GIZ Pakistan in partnership with NAVTCC is successfully implementing the TVET SSP and is delighted to see the positive outcome of this Programme,”

He also mentioned that people of Pakistan are willing to enhance their skills and compete in the international labour market for better returns.

Moreover, he revealed that from the 50,000 vocational graduates of TVET SSP, more than 30 percent of them are women. This clearly demonstrates that women can succeed in a gender-inclusive TVET.

Qurrat Ul Ain Naveed remarked that technically and vocationally trained youth, especially women are an asset for the country and said the TVET SSP is significantly contributing to making women confident and empowered. “Skills of women are enhanced by training programmes like TVET SSP,” she maintained.

In the webinar, Moderator Sonia Omair, Development Communication Advisor GIZ Pakistan, discussed about the significance of gender-parity in TVET for socio-economic prospects of Pakistan. She said that technically trained youth, and particularly more women, contributing to the labour market will lead to a promising future of the country.

Aga Khan University Hospital Delivers the First-Ever Gene Therapy in Pakistan for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

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The Aga Khan University Hospital Delivers the First-Ever Gene Therapy in Pakistan for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Geneticists deliver the first-ever gene therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy at AKUH, obtain extraordinary results

Shavez, a two-year-old boy from Chiniot, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at the age of 6 months. In this condition, patients experience muscle weakness, decreased muscle tone, limited mobility, breathing problems, delayed motor skills and scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and other serious health problems. Many children suffering from this condition do not survive beyond their second birthday.

This news devasted Shavez’s parents. His elder sister already had this condition, and they knew all too well what it meant for their child’s life. “Even though we had a daughter with the same condition, no doctor ever told us that the condition could occur again if we got pregnant”, said Liaqat Ali Ghauri, Shavez’s father.

SMA is a group of hereditary diseases that destroys motor neurons – nerve cells in the brain stem and spinal cord that control essential skeletal muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy. Even though there is a lack of data to assess the prevalence of SMA in Pakistan, cousin marriages are the most common reason attributed for its occurrence. Global data suggests that 1 in 10,000 live births are affected by SMA with a carrier frequency of approximately 1 in 50.

Liaqat had done his research with his daughter and knew there were no treatment options available until 2019, when Novartis, a global pharmaceuticals company, developed a gene therapy drug to cure the condition. This medication had shown promising results for patients in the United States and Europe.

This is a new drug that only requires one dose to cure the disorder, but the cost of this drug is millions of dollars, making it out of reach for most people. Novartis developed a globally managed access programme to provide free-of-cost therapy to 100 patients a year to address this. Shavez was one such lucky patient, selected by Novartis to receive the drug and became the first such candidate in Pakistan.

Dr Salman Kirmani, Associate Professor and Chair, Division of Women and Child Health, at the Aga Khan University and his team, saw Shavez in June 2020, when he was one and a half years old, and applied for him to be part of Novartis’s Managed Access Program.  Soon, they received the nomination for the drug. Dr Kirmani’s team spent the next six months training the staff, working with authorities to receive the medication, and running the necessary tests to assess if Shavez was fit to receive the drug.

Shavez was administered the drug one day before his second birthday. Since then, he has received regular consultations and has shown significant improvement. The doctors at AKUH are hopeful that they will continue to see further progress in the years to come.

“We found out about this drug in 2019, but we thought we would not receive it until much later. But then, we found out about the programme and were lucky enough to have received it. Ten months later, we see significant improvement in Shavez’s condition, and we will continue to provide life-long follow-up to monitor his health”, said Dr Salman Kirmani.

“I thought our lives had ended, but we were living in hopes that there might be a miracle and one of our babies would survive. And there we have it, Shavez is recovering day by day. It is all because of the hard work of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Allah has been very kind to us”, said Mrs Liaqat.

For Shavez’s treatment, in addition to the drug cost, his family needed financial support to cover other treatment costs. This they received from Aga Khan University Hospital’s Welfare Programme. The hospital is committed to providing access to quality healthcare, and in 2020, supported over 850,000 indigent patients with welfare and zakat worth PKR 300 crore. Shavez received free-of-cost care at AKUH, making it possible for him to get world-class quality care at no additional financial burden to his family.

Telenor Pakistan signs License Renewal Template to reiterate commitment to its customers

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Continuing its commitment to provide best-in-class telecom and digital solutions to its customers and connecting them to what matters most,Telenor Pakistan has sign edits GSM license renewal template issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) under protest and without prejudice.Telenor Pakistan reserves right to continue seeking a legal resolution to its dispute with PTA in this regard.

PTA issued a 15-year license for network operations to Telenor Pakistan in 2004, the renewal of which was required to be done within available framework. Telenor Pakistan has always advocated for a level playing field and fair terms and conditions; and believes that the coverage and quality of services will improve throughjoint efforts of all stakeholder involved to ensure long term viability and sustainability of the telecom sector. The dispute on the onerous terms and conditions of the license template is sub-judice before Supreme Court of Pakistanand Telenor Pakistan will continue the legal recourse to resolve disagreements. However, subject to outcome of aforesaid legal proceeding, in order to ensure greater certainty to business operations, Telenor Pakistan has taken a step forward towards its future ambitionby singing the license template.

Commenting on the development, CEO Telenor Pakistan, Irfan Wahab Khan stated,“Telecom and digital services have become fundamental for modern, sustainable societies to prosper. At Telenor Pakistan, we are continuously maximising our efforts towards enabling our customers and accelerating the pace of digitalisation in the country. The digital ecosystem in Pakistan has immense potential to grow however, there is a need for collective efforts to exploit the potential and bring greater value to consumers. We look forward to the resolution of industry issues and the support from PTA towards ensuring a more conducive regulatory environment in the country.”

Telenor Pakistan has been at the forefront of delivering unhindered and exceptional services to its customers while playing an active role in promoting the country’s prospects in embracing the digital revolution. Continuity of seamless and best-in-class connectivity and digital services, for its 49 million customers, remains the top priority for Telenor Pakistan.

HUAWEI CLOUD announces Spark Program for SMEs in the Middle East

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•    50 SMEs to receive up to $15,000 fund support on HUAWEI CLOUD in addition to training to enhance cloud capabilities during the first phase of the program.

                •    Spark is the first step of HUAWEI CLOUD Oasis Program which plans to invest USD15 million over the next three to accelerate the development of technology                                       enterprises and ecosystems in the Middle East.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) HUAWEI CLOUD has announced the launch of “Spark”, a new startup ecosystem support program aiming at empowering SMEs to develop their cloud capabilities. This initiative is the first step towards supporting HUAWEI CLOUD partners in line with the recently  launched Oasis Program, where Huawei announced plans to invest USD15 million over the next three years to accelerate the development of technology enterprises and ecosystems in the Middle East.

Spark will support more than 50 SMEs, each will receive up to $15,000 fund support on HUAWEI CLOUD in addition to cloud training during the first phase of the program. A select group of SMEs will then join Spark Accelerate Program, where they will receive further technical support from HUAWEI CLOUD experts to help transform their businesses in the cloud and evolve their offerings.

Frank Dai, President of HUAWEI CLOUD Middle East, said: “SMEs play a prominent role in Middle East economies, where they contribute by far the largest share of national economic output. However, they face unique challenges, including a shortage of a skilled digital workforce and a lack of resources to digitize operations. By empowering more SMEs to succeed through Spark and similar programs, we can jointly cultivate an even stronger technology ecosystem in the Middle East.”

SMEs are the backbone of the global economy and are essential contributors to job creation and economic growth. According to the World Bank, small businesses represent about 90% of all businesses worldwide and more than 50% of employment opportunities. In the region, 99% of the Saudi private sector consists of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and 70% of the country’s workforce. Similarly, the SME sector represents more than 94% of all companies operating in the UAE and provides jobs for more than 86% of the private sector’s workforce.

Digitization is a game-changer for the SME sector, contributing to significant revenue boost and business resilience. A whitepaper by UAE’s Ministry of Economy revealed that digital technologies had helped 76% of UAE SMEs attract new customers, 65% were able to generate cost savings, and 50% were able to access new markets. For example, 45% of SMEs accepting digital payments recorded an increase in sales averaging +12% and could process payments seven times faster than non-digital payments.

HUAWEI CLOUD delivers a smart experience for people, cities, and enterprises in all scenarios, as part of Huawei’s commitment to providing reliable, secure, and cost-effective cloud services to empower applications, and help organizations of all sizes grow in today’s intelligent world. To support a wider cloud rollout, Huawei has unveiled several programs to help the region cultivate digital experts and build the local ecosystem. It recently announced a support program for developing 3,000 cloud experts in the region as part of the HUAWEI CLOUD Oasis Program. The Oasis Program includes USD7.5 million to be allocated for partner development, over USD2.5 million to be put behind credits and other cloud resources, and more than USD4.5 million in marketing support for program projects.

According to Gartner1, HUAWEI CLOUD ranks as the No. 5 IaaS cloud service provider globally, with a growth rate exceeding 200% between 2019-2020.

Sania Mirza’s latest video goes viral

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Sania Mirza Malik, the wife of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, shared a video of her dancing with sister Anam Mirza and is going viral.

The athlete took to the picture and video-sharing social media application Instagram for posting the clip, that has millions of views, that sees her dancing with her sister to the song together forever.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXOyAEwsEZl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Sania Mirza is seen wearing gharara with elaborate patchwork. She donned a pink dupatta and jewellery.Her sister, on the other hand, was wearing a sharara with a dupatta. She is also wearing jewellery like her sister.

The tennis player frequently is a big fan base on social media platforms thanks to the videos and pictures that she uploads of herself with her family.

She shares videos of her taking online challenges with her husband on Instagram as well.

Earlier, the celebrity couple reenacted the “Mom, you are fat” video that was trending across social media.

She mimicked dialogues in which she asks the man, in this case it was Shoaib Malik, if he would love her if she was fat to which he replies in positive before drinking water from a bottle. A child then says “Mom, you are fat” after which the cricketer fakes spitting out water.

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Ayeza Khan congratulates newlyweds Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Actor and Model Ayeza Khan has expressed her excitement over the wedding of Bollywood couple Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal by sharing photos of Kate as a bride.

One of the most followed celebrities on social media in Pakistan, Ayeza Khan congratulated the newlyweds Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal by sharing Kaif’s photo with a caption, “FINALYYYYYYYY”.

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif got married to co-celebrity Vicky Kaushal on December 9 in Rajasthan . They took their seven pheras in a traditional Indian wedding at Six Senses Fort Barwara.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRDUNSvWlZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“Only love and gratitude in our hearts for everything that brought us to this moment,” Katrina Kaif wrote on Instagram. “Seeking all your love and blessings as we begin this new journey together.”

The Race star was seen in a pink lehenga while her husband donned a sherwani.

It is to be noted the picture made rounds despite the couple laying strict rules and regulations.

They had asked their guests to not take photos and videos while tagging the location of the events on social media platforms was not allowed as well.

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PM Imran Khan inaugurates Green Line Bus project

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday inaugurated the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, the port city’s first mass transit system. Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail and others accompanied the prime minister during the inaugural.

PM Imran Khan was also briefed by the operations of the mass transit system project, the city was waiting for a long.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, PM Imran Khan congratulated Javed Qureshi, Asad Umar and Imran Ismail for their vigorous efforts for the launch of the mega project.The premier said the past government did nothing for the development of Karachi and we saw the megacity being destroyed with our own eyes.

He said that Karachi is the growth engine of Pakistan and upliftment of the city means upliftment of Pakistan. The prime minister said the Green Line Bus project will be fully functional by the mid of January.Giving the example of Tehran, PM Imran Khan said Karachi cannot be transformed into a modern city until the removal of administrative flaws.

“Despite international sanctions, Tehran is a modern city,” he added.

Commenting on the water issue of Karachi, the premier said, he is personally monitoring the K4 project. He asked the Sindh government to reconsider their decision on the Bundal Island as the development on the island will ultimately benefit the province.

PM to inaugurate Sukkur-Hyd Motorway in 2 to 3 months: Umar 

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said the incumbent federal government will continue to uplift Sindh province especially Karachi as it is the economic hub of the country.

He ruled out the claims of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz about completing the infrastructure of the Green Line Bus project and added that PML-N gave no mega projects to Karachi.

He also criticized Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and asked what Sindh’s ruling party has done for the province including Karachi from the past 13 years.

Umar announced that PM Imran Khan will inaugurate Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway in upcoming 2 to 3 months.

The route and stations

The bus service will start from KESC Powerhouse Chowrangi in Surjani Town and terminate at Municipal park after passing through Nagan Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad and Gurumandir, with 25 stations along its route. The bus service will cater to 135,000 passengers on a daily basis.

The 80 buses will be operated by 200 drivers who have completed their training. Around 22 stations between Surjani Town and Numaish Chowrangi have been completed. Another three stations to extend the service to Municipal Park are yet to be constructed.

The government has yet to announce the ticket prices for the Green Line BRT project. However, according to experts, the government will set Rs15 minimum and Rs55 maximum prices for bus service.

The Green Line project

Karachi’s Green Line BRT project with intersections is 22 km long which includes 12.7 km elevated, 10.9 km at grade, and 422 meters underground, and has 25 stations.

The phase-II common corridor from Gurumandir up to Municipal Park with a length of 2.5 km has two underpasses at M.A Jinnah Road.

The state-of-art underground bus terminal with a parking facility and the commercial mezzanine floor was also constructed at Numaish intersection.

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The House of Kamiar Rokni Celebrates 20 Years of Kamiar Rokni with Solo Fashion Show “The Optimist”

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-FASHION)

The House of Kamiar Rokni is set to celebrate 20 years of the indomitable Kamiar Rokni with an immersive fashion presentation, titled ‘The Optimist’.

The Optimist is a collection poignant in name even more so in this new world era of change, evolution and upheaval. It chronicles Kamiar Rokni’s artistic oeuvre over the last two decades, chronicling his past, present, and future.

The ties that bind fashion, art, culture and imagination make up the very fabric of The House of Kamiar Rokni’s DNA. Rokni is a colourist whose inspiration is steeped in history, music, his lineage and a perspective of memory that is deeply visual.

The Optimist explores artistic and cultural influences from Russia to China and extends to the Subcontinent, while playing with the diversity within femininity, from the modern to the classic, from softer to bolder expressions. The Optimist is based in rich velvets, organzas, jacquards, chiffons with handwoven silk trims, detailed silk and tissue nets, also introducing multiple rich textiles within one outfit. The collection explores many silhouettes across a colour palette that channels rich, high contrast bursts to the softer, dreamier and more ethereal hues.

Speaking on the vision behind this celebration, Kamiar Rokni commented, “I was thinking about past and the present and the future as a concept to commemorate 20 years of design. The more I looked back on my own work, the more I felt that The Optimist would be a completion of a trilogy that starting with The Orientalist and went to The Modernist. When I looked to the future, I thought of what encapsulated my design best and I believe it is the optimism inherent in all that I craft.”

 

About The House of Kamiar Rokni

Launched in late 2007, The House of Kamiar Rokni is among Pakistan’s premier fashion design houses. The brand strives to provide an immaculate essence of style in all their creations, designing signature one-of-a-kind pieces that evoke a sense of individuality and elegance in the people that wear them. Kamiar Rokni is one of South Asia’s most celebrated and awarded fashion designers, his work symbolic of an old-world charm and traditional heritage.

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“BE FREE, CHOOSE FREEDOM” – SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Platon, one of the world’s most renowned portrait photographers, a communicator and storyteller, has released the official film on his conversation with two-time Academy Award Winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Platon photographed Sharmeen for the British human rights organization “The People’s Portfolio”, where she was awarded for her contribution to human rights causes, for “inspiring leadership, [and showing] great courage and compassion for fellow human beings” through her films.

The film can be viewed here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXSKy1qgSv6/

Excerpts from the film:

Platon: What do you say to a young girl, who thinks that the people around her don’t value her as a human being as much as a boy of the same age?

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: I say to her that life is going to be very tough, that you will have to fight, for a place on the dinner table, to even get a piece of bread. You are going to have to fight to get an education, you are going to have to fight to be allowed to go out of your house, find a job, you are going to have to fight once you are at your workplace to get fair wages, you are going to then have to fight to get promoted, then you are going to have to fight with your husband when he wants more of your time and he wants you to quit your job, then you are going to have to fight for your children, but eventually once you get there, you will have to fight for other women.

Platon: If they were to ask you for advice, what would you say to them, who wants to be useful?

 Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: “The volume of leadership, is what I want men to help women with. That is what we need the doors opened for. We are qualified, we have everything that it takes. Kick open that door for us, and watch us march forward, we don’t need anyone to hold our hands.”

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: “My message to any young woman who is trying to achieve her dreams, who is trying to fight through a patriarchal system or who is just trying to exist today: BE FREE, Choose freedom.”

Platon on his Instagram account shared his thoughts on working with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy:

“Dear friends, I want to share something close to my heart. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is from Pakistan, and she is one of the world’s greatest film directors. Her powerful, provocative documentaries compel us to have important conversations about women’s rights and gender justice around the world. She is the only female director to have won two Academy Awards by the age of 37. In the last 20 years, she has made 24 award-winning films in 16 different countries. I guess that’s why TIME Magazine included her in their 100 most influential people list. I first met Sharmeen at Davos many years ago and we became instant friends, but I must be honest, I don’t think I really knew her until recently when I invited her to my New York studio for a portrait session. Before I took this picture we sat down and had an honest conversation about her values. Suddenly, I felt the true force of power and humanity from her heart. I decided with my team to film our entire session so that I could share with the world the inspiration I feel from Sharmeen. So friends, it is with great pride that I share with you all for the first time this short film honoring Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. I hope this lifts your spirits as we close out a difficult year. Sharmeen, I salute you.”

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