Sindh CM, bigwigs laud Barrister Sarah’s cultural diplomacy paintings

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Barrister Sarah Asim Khan’s creativity earned more accolades as her second Art Exhibition, in collaboration with the Consulate of Italy in Karachi, turned out to be another success story. The admiration of guests for her artwork also encouraged women empowerment. 

The recent exhibition was aligned with the celebration dinner of Italian National Day at the Hotel Avari Towers in Karachi, hosted and organized by the Consulate of Italy in Karachi under the leadership of Consul General of Italy, Danilo Giurdanella. 

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, was the chief guest on the occasion and he graciously endorsed Sarah’s cultural diplomacy paintings pertaining to different countries. 

The Acting Governor of Sindh, Agha Siraj Durrani, Sindh Minister for Health, Azra Pechuho, Rear Admiral Mian Zakirullah Jan, Commander Karachi, Rear Admiral Salman Ilyas, MD Shipyard & EW, Sector Commander Rizwan, Iqbal Memon, Commissioner Karachi, Faisal Edhi, Chairman, Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation, and Ahmed Shah, President, Arts Council of Pakistan, were also present on the occasion along with diplomats and dignitaries from Britain, United States of America, Kuwait, Germany, Indonesia and various other countries. 

Barrister Sarah is acclaimed as the pioneer of cultural diplomacy and international mythological art in Pakistan. She has created paintings for 30 countries during the last couple of years which were displayed at the event. 

She created one of the paintings for the Consulate of Italy to promote friendship, trade and harmony between the countries which is titled ‘Italy and Pakistan Solidarity Beyond the Borders’ and it is displayed at the Consulate of Italy in Karachi. 

Another of her painting, which pertains to wildlife, is displayed in the office of Deputy Consul of Italy, Enrico Alfonso Ricciardi, also at the Consulate of Italy in Karachi. The diplomat had mentioned and praised Sarah’s paintings during his speech at Italian National Day. 

A lawyer by profession with varied experience in the UK and Pakistan, having diverse extracurricular interests in art, wildlife, hiking, travelling and social work, Barrister Sarah has emerged on the horizon as one of the most versatile young leaders. 

She attained her entire legal education at the University of London, including Bachelor of Laws, Masters in Corporate and Commercial Laws from Queen Mary College and a qualification in Intellectual Property Law and Policy from the London School of Economics & Political Science. 

Upon being called to the Bar at the Society of Lincoln’s Inn, she underwent Pupillage with a Chamber at King’s Bench Walk, London, and acclaimed eligibility to practice as a Barrister in the UK. She remains active in the legal fraternity and was the Programme Host and Master of Ceremony of 4th National Judicial Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Karachi in which the then Federal Law Minister, Barrister Farogh Nasim, was the chief guest and the Attorney General of Pakistan, Anwar Mansoor Khan, was the guest of honour.  

Inspiration for arts made her a self-taught artist, patronizing conservation of wildlife, harmonizing world cultures and heritage and with it promoting the soft-image of Pakistan to the world. Enthused by socializing with people from different countries, cultures and walks of life, her art-work is unique and creative in blending mythologies and national symbolism of the countries in art. 

As President of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, RI District 3271 during 2018-19, she was recipient of the Outstanding Services to the Cause of Rotary Award as well as Recognition of Performance District Support Rotary Award. 

Her artwork and columns have supported Rotary’s cause of protecting the environment. Some of her paintings pertain to abstract wildlife which cultivates eagerness for the prosperity of flora and fauna. Furthermore, she is a columnist on subjects relating to wildlife conservation and environmental protection. 

Her columns diligently create awareness about safeguarding the natural environment for a thriving ecosystem which plays an essential role for the harmonious coexistence of humans and wild animals; and, ecofriendly recreational activities. 

As an active Rotarian, Barrister Sarah has contributed to enhance the positive public image of Rotary International which remains committed to providing humanitarian services around the globe with magnanimous and high spirits.

Dedicated libraries for women demanded

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Association)

The speakers at a seminar ‘Role of Libraries in Women Empowerment’ which was held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on March 26 demanded of the concerned authorities to develop libraries exclusively for women in major cities of the country. 

The seminar, organized jointly by Literary Committee of KPC, National Library Association (NLA) and Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD), highlighted the issues being faced by women library users besides throwing light on the opportunities awaiting them by making frequent use of libraries. 

Revealing that a library exclusively for women has been operating in Balochistan for the past six years, they urged the government as well as other stakeholders were to set up such libraries in various cities to facilitate women in learning and earning. 

Farheen Mahmood, Vice President, NLA, and Principal, Government Degree College, North Karachi, was the keynote speaker in the seminar while the session was presided over by Jahangir Moghul, a renowned social figure and philanthropist. 

The speakers in the seminar included Asma Hassan, a famous motivational writer and author, besides experienced librarians, Muhammad Ibrahim, Huma Mannan Butt, Muhammad Nasir Nayab and Muhammad Amin Jamali. 

The NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, and its Secretary, Anwar Hussain, also spoke on the occasion while the proceedings were conducted by Syed Khalid Mahmood, a veteran journalist and library activist. 

The audience, mostly belonging to the field of library and information science, was enlightened by the thought-provoking narrations by the worthy speakers for about two hours. 

The seminar was organized as part of the International Women Day’s celebrations. Copies of acclaimed book, Mayar-e-Zindagi, authored by Asma Hassan, one of the speakers of the event, was presented to the dignitaries and participants.

Author Asma Hassan advises youngsters to read books

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Speaking at the seminar ‘Books are forever’ which was jointly organized by Department of Library & Information Science (DLIS) of University of Karachi, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and National Library Association (NLA) at the University’s Faculty of Arts Auditorium on February 18, Asma Hassan, the author of famed book Mayar-e-Zindagi, advised the young generation to devote more time in reading general books besides their textbooks. Following is the text of her speech: 

“Our relationship with books can never be broken whether they are in conventional printed form or in the digital format. It has been observed that the young generation of today spends hours after hours every day using social platforms like Facebook, Youtube and Instagram but it finds reading just a couple of pages of a book very challenging because they consider books as boring whereas Tik Tok videos are focus of their attention.” 

“Personally I am not a critic of these activities but I only wish that social media should purely be considered as a source of entertainment so that maximum time could be utilized in doing productive work.” 

“The practice of reading non-textbooks or reference books seems on the verge of extinction. We only read that much which could let us pass the exam or let us secure the required marks to appear on merit list. I firmly believe that book reading is essential for mental development. It enables us to think from different angles and our thought-process improves.” 

“Now it’s the time that we should get rid of the illusion that life could be led without reading books. If we don’t engage into reading books and we don’t strengthen our relationship with books we will be rolled over in the time to come.” 

“We need to promote book reading culture for the sake of our society. We need to do it for making progress in life. The thinking of people would change and their lives will become more purposeful if they could read more books. We should mobilize all our resources to guide our youngsters in particular to let them adopt the right course for a better future for themselves.” 

“We, the writers, also have a responsibility to shoulder. We need to produce the kind of stuff which appeals to the young guns, motivates them and urges them to do better. We, through our write-ups, have to give them solutions to the many probing questions they have in their minds.” 

“I am fully convinced that when compelling content will be produced and motivational books will be published in good numbers, more and more youngsters will start reading such books and they will learn a lot to bring about improvement in their life.” 

“My request to the students of the Library & Information Science department is to read more and more books themselves to be able to serve organizations much more effectively as professional librarians in their careers.” 

“The University of Karachi is a great institution and its students are extremely fortunate to be blessed with such a proactive faculty at their department which augurs well for the future. The National Library Association (NLA) has been doing a fabulous job and they have made their presence felt in a short span of time. They appear on course of achieving higher glories. Rotary International, we all know, is a leading international voluntary service organization with its chapters serving the humanity all over the world, including Pakistan.”

“It’s real very heartening to find three wonderful entities joining hands for the promotion of book culture in the country. Joint efforts are indeed more likely to yield results as the resources are pooled and bigger events become possible. I congratulate all of you for organizing such a successful and memorable seminar. Long Live Books, Long Live Pakistan!”

Rotary renews pledge to support books

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

While emphasizing on the importance of reading, the top officials of Rotary International renewed the pledge of the leading voluntary organization of the world to continue supporting the cause of books besides concentrating on other areas of community services. 

Rotary International’s District Governor for Pakistan, Dr Aftab Imam, and Jahangir Moghul, who is the Assistant Regional Public Image Coordinator of Rotary International’s Zone 1-B, addressed the during the seminar ‘Books are forever’ which was jointly organized by the Department of Library & Information Science (DLIS) of University of Karachi, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and National Library Association (NLA) at the University’s Faculty of Arts Auditorium on February 18.

“It has been established that the progress made in the East and the West has been mainly possible because of their education system and their reading habits. Look towards Japan and China in the East or Europe and North America in the West they have grown phenomenally on the basis of education and books,” Dr Aftab Imam reckoned.

“If we also desire to progress then we must also pay full attention to education. We have to encourage our youngsters to read more books to gain knowledge and expertise. There should be more such activities to motivate and groom them,” he advised.

“Rotary Clubs have a history of supporting books and library related projects and our club, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan is among the front-runners in promoting such activities in Pakistan. We are alive to the situation that we need more books and more libraries in order to grow and progress,” Jahangir Moghul, the club’s Charter President, observed in his speech.

“As Rotarians our motto is Service Above Self and we pride ourselves in doing projects to serve the humanity. Many of you would have heard about Rotary. All you need is just to google the word Rotary and you will get to know a lot of interesting things. We play a proactive role in eliminating illiteracy from the society and books are the tools that help us achieve our goals,” he pointed out. 

“Let’s not forget that there are innumerable benefits of reading books. The younger generation needs to be more active in reading because this is the time where you can grow faster by acquiring more knowledge to beat the stiff competition which you encounter in different fields,” Jahangir Moghul reminded. 

“Let me urge you to enlist book reading among your top priorities. Trust me you never be disappointed or depressed by odd failures if you continue reading motivational books which given you courage and strength to continue working hard which is the key to success,” he concluded. 

The seminar was conducted by Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, while the vote of thanks was proposed by the club's Past President, Engr Asim Murtaza Khan.

Seminar highlights virtues of books

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The seminar ‘Books are forever’ which was jointly organized by the Department of Library & Information Science (DLIS) of University of Karachi, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and National Library Association (NLA) at the University’s Faculty of Arts Auditorium on February 18 highlighted virtues of book reading. 

Every speaker unanimously agreed that books held the key to success at all levels and in all spheres of life. They shared their experiences and motivated the students to devote more time to reading books in order to succeed and flourish. 

Prof Dr Faiyaz Vaid, Dean Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, was the keynote speaker while Prof Dr Nigar Sajjad, former chairperson, Department of Islamic History, University of Karachi, delivered the Presidential address 

The other speakers were Dr Aftab Imam, District Governor, Rotary International, Prof Dr Farhat Hussain Khan, Chairperson, DLIS, Jahangir Moghul, Charter President, RCKD, Asma Hassan, author of Mayar-e-Zindagi,  Muhammad Ibrahim, Member, Executive Committee, NLA, and Qazi Rasheed Bhatti, an entrepreneur and social worker. 

The NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, made a few important announcements while Engr Asim Murtaza Khan, Past President, RCKD, proposed the vote of thanks. Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, RCKD, and Advisor, NLA, conducted the ceremony alongwith Hira Yaseen, Joint Secretary, NLA. 

Famous book ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ authored by Asma Hassan was presented to all the dignitaries, alongwith shields and bouquets. The registration had started at 9 am while the meeting got underway at around the designated time of 10 am and concluded at 12 30 pm. Strict discipline was maintained throughout the two and a half hours sessions and the auditorium was packed to capacity with the students of DLIS turning up in large numbers.

Rotary, NLA join hands with KU for promoting book culture

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

As many as three organizations, Rotary International, University of Karachi and National Library Association (NLA), have joined hands for holding a seminar ‘Books are forever’ which will take place at the University’s Arts Auditorium on February 18. 

After a series of meetings between them during the past couple of weeks, the schedule was finalized on February 17, incorporating last minute changes due to sudden withdrawals of a few speakers at the eleventh hour. 

 According to the details, Dr Aftab Imam, Governor, Rotary International, and Chief Commissioner, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), will be the guest of honour while Prof Dr Faiyaz Vaid, Dean Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, will be the keynote speaker and Prof Dr Nigar Sajjad, former chairperson, Department of Islamic History, University of Karachi, will deliver the Presidential address. 

 

The registration for the seminar will start at 9 am while the meeting will be called to order at 10 am by Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, and Advisor, NLA, who will also conduct the ceremony alongwith Hira Yaseen, Joint Secretary, NLA. 

Prof Dr Farhat Hussain Kha, Chairperson, Library & Information Science department, University of Karachi, will present the welcome address while the other speakers will include Jahangir Moghul, Charter President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, Prof Dr Nusrat Idrees, Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, Asma Hassan, author of Mayar-e-Zindagi, and Muhammad Ibrahim, Member, Executive Committee, NLA. 

The NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, will make a few important announcements on the occasion while Engr Asim Murtaza Khan, Past President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, will propose the vote of thanks at 12.30 pm to mark the conclusion of the two and a half hours session. 

The students of all classes of the university’s Library & Information Science department are expected to attend the seminar in large numbers and they will be engaged in an interactive session of about half an hour with the panel of speakers. A good turnout of working librarians was also being anticipated by the organizers.

Rotary Darakhshan to contribute in promotion of library, reading culture

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) has pledged to contribute its bit in the promotion of library and reading culture in the country as a part of initiatives aimed at improving literacy and creating more employment. 

“Engagement of youth in healthy activities is of paramount importance. We have to facilitate this segment of the society in particular in order to get the best out of them. And there can’t be a more suitable place than a library and a more impacting activity than reading books for them,” Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, RCKD, observed during his speech in the seminar on the subject of ‘Revival of Library Culture in Pakistan’ which was organized by the National Library Association (NLA) during the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) which concluded at the Karachi Expo Centre on January 3. 

Jahangir Moghul, Charter President, RCKD, and a former Governor of Rotary International’s District 3271, added that their club has a history of supporting literary activities and they will continue doing it by different means to achieve the cherished goal of bringing about positive changes in the society.

“As Rotarians our motto is Service Above Self and we are committed to play more proactive role in segments which are of greater significance to the people in general. Urging people to read and facilitating them in letting them read feature prominently in our list of priorities,” he pointed out. 

RCKD, which has supported book launch events besides other such activities, including the one just a few weeks ago, has planned to honour eminent library and literary figures later this month for which a formal announcement is expected after their board meeting around January 10.

Rotary Darakhshan honours hat-trick hero Jalaluddin, statistician Shahzad Ali Khan in cricket celebration

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

With cricket fever gripping the entire world on the eve of Boxing Day and New Year, it was in the fitness of things that Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan joined the celebration by honouring two renowned cricket personalities, hat-trick hero Jalaluddin and statistician Shahzad Ali Khan, in a graceful ceremony at the Karachi Club Annexe on December 17. 

 Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler and the highest qualified coach of Pakistan, recalled the moments when he had rewritten the history in September 1982 by registering the first-ever hat-trick in One-day Internationals. 

He informed the select gathering how he was drafted in the playing eleven at the eleventh hour in place of skipper Imran Khan, who had pulled out due to the extreme heat of Hyderabad after arriving from England. 

He also shared, with mixed emotions, the immediate ‘cold-shouldering’ by the officials soon after his world record feat which prompted him to disembark from the team coach abruptly and he hired a rickshaw to quietly rush to his home in North Nazimabad. 

Jalaluddin’s untold stories were as interesting as his talk on importance of statistics and records in cricket which he highlighted the fact that television and digital coverage of the game has made fact and figures even more important than before. 

He lavishly praised Shahzad Ali Khan for having compiled the book ‘Cricket Milestones’ in which his own feat of first-ever hat-trick in One-day Internationals has also been prominently documented. 

He didn’t mince words in stating that compiling or authoring a cricket book demanded special qualities and skills as it was a very challenging pursuit which himself has also gone through lately. 

Cricket statistician Shahzad Ali Khan, in his speech, talked about his passion for the game having started in his childhood and has continued unabated for nearly half a century. He revealed how much pleasure he derives by compiling statistics and records about cricket. 

Past District Governor and Charter President of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, Jahangir Moghul, in his welcome address, praised both Jalaluddin and Shahzad, for their contributions to the game of cricket and hoped that they will continuing doing so for many more years to come. 

The Club President, Syed Khalid Mahmood, thanked both the cricket experts for squeezing time for Rotary and sharing their experiences with Rotarians, the majority of whom remain cricket followers. He wished them the best of luck in their future endeavours. 

Besides Rotarians, quite a few cricket collectors, writers, statisticians and anchors attended the ceremony thoroughly enjoying every minute of the proceedings. In the end, Jalaluddin and Shahzad Ali Khan were presented shields by the officials of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan while the Club Secretary, Awais Moghul, proposed vote of thanks.

Rotary Darakhshan, LPB call to develop reading culture in Pakistan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The top functionaries of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) and Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), who jointly organized a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30, have called for developing reading culture in the country in order to keep pace with the times. 

“Whatever the circumstances or no matter how long this pandemic stays, we have to devise a strategy whereas people have the tools to access information so that they are not left behind in competing with those living in other parts of the world,” Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, reckoned. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, Founder President of LPB, did not mince words in stating that the government should do much more in engaging the masses into reading, suggesting that the improvement of public libraries and school libraries was the best way to do it. 

Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, pointed out that COVID-19 crisis has acted as a point of inflection for the shift from conventional libraries to e-libraries during lockdown as people had surplus time at their disposal and quest for knowledge increased during this period. 

Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, a stalwart in the profession of library and information science, regretted the closing of e-libraries in Punjab at a time when rest of the world was busy in creating more digital facilities for its people. She urged for the development of libraries, also providing books at doorstep to the readers. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, spoke about the multiple social problems having been caused by the closure of public libraries in the developed countries during the lockdown period. He stressed for better coordination and networking between the various stakeholders for developing library culture in Pakistan.

Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB, in his introductory remarks, spoke about the need to develop software for online content to be made available in Urdu and other regional languages for the benefit of the masses while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, in his closing comments, described books as the best companion for mankind. 

The programme was organized by RCKD, Rotary International had designated the month of September for basic education and literacy.

Rotary Darakhshan, LPB join hands to discuss COVID-19’s impact on libraries

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD), with the collaboration of Library Promotion Bureau (LPB), will be organizing a seminar on the subject of COVID-19’s impact on libraries at the bureau’s record office, housed in Liaquat Memorial Library, Karachi, on September 30. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari and Prof Dr Nasim Fatima, two of the stalwarts of the profession of library and information science, along with some of the top Rotary leaders, will be sharing their thoughts on one of the most relevant topics these days. 

Jahangir Moghul, a former District Governor of Rotary International besides being Charter President of RCKD, Asim Murtaza Khan, President, RCKD, and Syed Khalid Mahmood, Vice President, RCKD, will also speak in the session which will begin with introductory remarks from Syed Ahmed Naqvi of LPB while Waqas Moghul, Secretary, RCKD, will present vote of thanks. 

The programme is being organized by RCKD, as part of Rotary International’s designated month of basic education and literacy.

Rotary Darakhshan review designated months plan

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, in its weekly meeting on September 16, held at Food Inn, housed in the famous food street of the Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS), reviewed its plan to hold programmes in accordance with the designated months of Rotary International. 

The meeting was chaired by the club President, Engr Asim Murtaza Khan, and it was attended by the former Presidents, Jahangir Moghul, Syed Khalid Mahmood, Barrister Sarah Asim Khan and Waqas Moghul besides other office-bearers and members of Rotary Darakhshan. 

Having held the installation ceremony with great fanfare in July, despite the threats of COVID-19, they had participated actively in the membership and new club development month in August.

As part of the current month being highlighted for basic education and literacy, Rotary Darakhshan has approved holding a seminar with the collaboration of one of the librarian bodies in the end of September. 

Next month they will be engaged in an activity in relation with economic and community development besides celebrating World Polio Day by organizing a free medical camp on October 24. 

Rotary Darakhshan will take part in the Rotary Foundation Month as well as the World Interact Week in November while they have also chalked out plans for disease prevention and treatment month. 

The Board of Directors of Rotary Darakhshan will be getting in touch with the relevant authorities and departments to finalize their projects for the period from January to June 2021.

Rotary Darakhshan’s webinar highlights virtues of image building

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, with the collaboration of Rotary Club of Dhaka Central, hosted a live webinar on the subject of promoting, building and enhancing the image of Rotary on August 22.   

The event, broadcast live on various social media channels, was followed by hundreds of Rotarians in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia besides many other countries. 

The webinar was organized under the auspices of Jahangir Moghul, Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator (ARPIC), with the blessings of Sam Showket Hossain, the Zonal Rotary Public Image Coordinator.

Sam Liu Chi Tien Surgeon, Director, Rotary International, was the keynote speaker in the webinar, which began with the welcome speech from Asim Murtaza Khan, President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, at the designated time of 1330 hours (Pakistan Standard Time) and concluded with vote of thanks from Irfan Qureshi, a Past District Governor, at the scheduled closing time of 1600 hours.

Zia-ur-Rahman, President, Rotary Club of Dhaka Central, which was co-host for the event, also welcomed the participants for attending the session.

There were presentations from Past District Governors, Akhtar K Alavi, Salim Raza, Shahzad Ahmed and Sajid Pervez Bhatti, District Governor, Prof Dr Farhan Essa, Past President, Syed Khalid Mahmood, and District Rotract Representative, Iqra Sajjad.

“I would like to request all the club presidents and district leaders to generate maximum activities and carry out maximum possible projects for their respective communities so that our Public Image team could continue feeding the media with success stories on a regular basis. This will impact far too greatly than publicizing occasional events,” ARPIC Jahangir Moghul observed in his speech outlining the policies of his committee.

;“Our club and district leaders should be motivated further to devote their energies and resources in executing large number of projects aimed at helping out the community and let our public image team spread the word across with consistent policies,” he urged.

The most comprehensive presentation in the session was witnessed from the veteran Rotarian Akhtar K Alavi, in which he spoke at length about the real challenges being faced by Rotary as he also offered suggestions to earn more goodwill for one of the largest voluntary service organizations of the world.

Rotarians advised to avoid red-tapism in dealing with journalists

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A live webinar of Rotary International, held on August 22, highlighted the role of journalists in publicizing the various events and one of the speakers advised the fellow Rotarians to avoid red-tapism in dealing with professional newsmen if the idea was to get mileage for the various events and projects of their organization.

“It’s my personal request to the Rotary leaders of our district in particular to be polite and humble when dealing with journalists. Cultivating relationship is not a bad idea. But please don’t be rude or engage them in red-tapism, which is also against the spirit of Rotary,” Syed Khalid Mahmood, himself an eminent media professional besides being an active Rotarian, observed in his speech during the webinar titled ‘Promoting, Building and Enhancing the Image of Rotary’ and organized by Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan. 

“There’s absolutely no doubt about it that we need to build powerful campaigns from time to time to show and tell the masses what Rotary really is. We have to keep reminding them that we are a group of people that unites to work for good and actually rolls up our sleeves and do meaningful projects to help our communities,” he added. 

“Being a part and parcel of the editorial team at the largest media group of Pakistan for decades, I know exactly how challenging and demanding it is for the various organizations and institutions of different sizes and statures to be in the news on a regular basis,” Khalid Mahmood opined. 

“Those with greater public relation acumen or transparent track record manage to get their news in more frequently than others while in some cases haughty, arrogant or rude attitude of some individuals result in the killing of the otherwise newsworthy events which is surely a setback to the organization they lead or represent,” he reckoned. 

“At the outset it must be kept in our mind that the newspaper or the media organization is under no compulsion to publish any particular news item. Just as the visa officer at any embassy or high commission has the authority to reject or accept applications, similarly the working journalists also have a discretionary power what to cover and what not to cover on a given day, depending on their priorities,” he explained. 

“You have the example of a couple of Past District Governors of our District in whose tenure Rotary was in the news most often. And they appear in headline news even today whenever they get involved in any activity, Rotary or otherwise,” he pointed out. 

“The District leaders as well as the Club leaders should not forget the fact that the mileage given to their events through the courtesy of journalists bring multiple benefits to Rotary. You should make greater efforts to have your activities reported by newspapers and news channels as often as possible because the memory of public is short. We need to keep reminding them about our presence,” Khalid Mahmood emphasized. 

“Last but not the least, please don’t live under the illusion that your job is finished by posting your club activities on Facebook page or simply by updating your WhatsApp status with a picture of Rotary event. I am afraid, you will have to come out of your comfort zone to achieve the cherished goals,” he concluded.

Jahangir Moghul to organize Rotary webinar on Aug 22

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The popular social figure of Jahangir Moghul, in his new role of the Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator (ARPIC), will be organizing a live webinar on August 22 with the objective of promoting the image of Rotary International, one of the largest voluntary service organizations of the world. 

Jahangir Moghul, who was elected as the Governor of Rotary International District 3271 (Pakistan) for the year 2015-16, has been appointed the ARPIC for the Rotary year 2020-21.

“This is going to be our first webinar of the new Rotary year. It will be held on from 1330 to 1630 hours (Pakistan Standard Time) on the subject of Promoting, Building and Enhancing the Image of Rotary,” he informed PNFS. 

The joint zoom meeting, to be participated by Rotarians of Pakistan and a few other countries of the region, is being hosted by Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, the home club of Jahangir Moghul, with Rotary Club of Dhaka Central being the co-hosts. 

Liu Chi Tien Surgeon, Director, Rotary International, will be the keynote speaker in the webinar with Sam Showket Hossain, Rotary Public Image Coordinator, and Past District Governors, Akhtar K Alavi, Muhammad Faiz Kidwai, Salim Raza, Shahzad Ahmed and Sajid Pervez Bhatti, also scheduled to share their thoughts. 

Asim Murtaza Khan, President, Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, will deliver the welcome address while the meeting will be moderated by the club’s Past President, Waqas Moghul.

Engr Asim Murtaza installed as Rotary President

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Engineer Asim Murtaza Khan, one of the bigwigs of Pakistan’s oil and gas sector, was formally installed as the President of the Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan for the year 2020-21. 

The honours were performed by the Governor of the Rotary International, District 3271 (Pakistan), Prof Dr Farhan Essa, in a ceremony held in Karachi on July 31. He decorated Engr Asim Murtaza with the Presidential sash. 

Jahangir Moghul, the Charter President of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan and the only District Governor to be produced by the club, was also present on the occasion. 

Engr Asim Murtaza has been working as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), in an honorary capacity, at the Petroleum Institute of Pakistan (PIP), a think tank of the petroleum industry, since November 2015. 

Previously he had worked at the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) for over 32 years, having served on key operations and general management senior positions. He was appointed MD/CEO of the PPL in May 2011 and headed the organization until his superannuation in February 2015. 

He was chiefly responsible for establishing Bolan Mining Enterprises, joint venture of the PPL and the Government of Balochistan for mining of barites, iron ore and lead- zinc besides being one of the founder Directors of PPL’s overseas subsidiary companies, PPL Europe E&P Ltd and PPL Asia E&P BV. 

A brilliant student from the outset, he had earned his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, followed by a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), UK, and is an alumnus of the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA. 

Engr Asim Murtaza is a Fellow and Central Council Member of the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP), Chair of the Petroleum Engineering Advisory Board and Member of the Academic Council of NED University, Member of a key Committee of the Pakistan Engineering Council, and is the Founder President of the NED International Alumni Association registered under the Societies Act.

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan celebrates International Women’s Day

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary clubs across the planet celebrated the International Women's Day 2017 with great fanfare and Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan marked the occasion by holding a gathering at the DA Beach View Club in Karachi on March 8.

The day to commemorate the struggle for women's rights and celebrate the political, social, economic and cultural achievements of women throughout history was accorded due deference by the Rotary Club, helping in creating greater awareness. 

The International Women's Day witnessed a number of conferences, meetings, rallies, exhibitions and festivals in Pakistan and it was in the fitness of things that the Rotarians were proactive in celebrating the annual event. 

Historically, the International Women's Day was observed for the first time in New York in the early 1900s while it was adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1975.The 2017 theme for International Women’s Day focused on ‘Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030.’

The Charter President of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, Jahangir Moghul, who is also the Immediate Past District Governor of Rotary International in Pakistan, appreciated the UN initiatives in meeting the challenge. 

“The United Nations on their part has been doing the job in highlighting the issues and facilitating in its own ways. But more efforts are needed in this direction as empowering women and girls is indeed the only way to protect their rights and make sure they can realize their full potential. There is no doubt that women’s rights are human rights. It’s a pity that their rights are still being reduced, restricted and reversed at a lot of places. As Rotarians, we have a responsibility to use our unique position to make a difference,” Jahangir Moghul remarked. 

Having a proven track record in community service, the former Rotary chief of Pakistan reckoned that on International Women’s Day, all Rotarians should pledge to do everything they can to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The former District Secretary of Rotary International in Pakistan, Syed Khalid Mahmood, who is also a Past President of the Rotary Club, believed that the girls need to be guided and motivated to choose from a broad range of careers instead of restricting them to a few traditional fields. 

He urged women and girls to participate more actively in the ongoing process of the digital revolution. 

Sarah Asim Khan, one of the members of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, delivered a talk on the occasion in which she deliberated on the various aspects of the International Women’s Day. 

The meeting of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan was chaired by its President-Elect, Asad Sadiq, and it was also attended by Mahmood Shaikh, Waqas Moghul, Kousar Moghul, Fahim Sulaiman, Asim Murtaza Khan, Amin Noor, Ashiq Hussain, Awais Moghul, Farzana Awais, Haris Moghul, Tariq Hussain, Natasha Moghul, Darakhshan Anjum, Javeria Khalid and Beenish Khalid.