February in History to Hollywood: Pakistani visual effects artist wins third Oscar The recognition from the industry for Pakistani February 25, 1948: visual effects artist, 38-year-old Mir Zafar Ali, has Urdu was declared the been nothing short of a dream come true. His latest national language of . Academy Award, for Frozen, was the first in the animation category for the Walt Disney Animation February 21, 1956: Studios. Constituent Assembly decides the country shall be a Federal Ali’s first Oscar came for The Golden Compass in Republic known as Islamic 2008.Ali’s forte is to mainly recreate natural Republic of Pakistan. phenomena such as water, fire, destruction and snow as well as visually recreate fantasy. His second February 24, 1960: Academy Award came last year for the Life of Pi, a most of the commercials we had were for these Presidential Cabinet decides movie based on Yann Martel’s acclaimed novel. damn pesticides!” to name the new Capital as Ali grew up in Karachi watching a wide range of Islamabad. films and was particularly interested in science- It was in July 1999 that he took the courage to start fiction and fantasy movies. Jurassic Park was his again and enrolled in a BFA programme at Savan - February 16,1971: first main inspiration. “It completely blew me away!” nah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This one Korakaram Highway, linking he said. step went a long, long way from Karachi to China and Pakistan, opened. Hollywood. “My family was very supportive of my He studied at the BeaconHouse School Systems decision and that was a huge thing considering that What’s inside: and always wanted to go to art school. “But back in most of my relatives thought this was just a hobby the day, going to art school wasn’t thought of as a and a waste of time.” good career move hell, it’s still not thought of as a F Pakistan's Sharmeen good career move,” he admitted. As a result, it took In the last quarter at SCAD, one of his , Obaid Chinoy: The Oscar him a while to figure out what he wanted to do. Garman Harigstad, who he says he owes much of double winner his success to, told him about an entry-level visual In A’ Levels, the visual effects artist studied what fx artist position at Digital Domain. F 'Cholistan Jeep rally many students do out of a lack of a better choice magnifying Pakistan's soft science. After that he enrolled in university to study Ali compiled a demo reel of his best work on image' computer science. “But in my last year, I realised I projects at SCAD and sent it over. Two weeks after, wasn’t fit for regular software engineering.” he was on his way to Los Angeles to work on The Day After Tomorrow. F Pakistan-born played part in discovery of Ali veered off into AutoCAD and 3d studio max Since he brought a tsunami to New York in The Day gravitational waves classes, which “pretty much sealed the deal.” He didn’t bother looking for a regular software engineering job After Tomorrow, Ali has given X-men’s Banshee his sonic scream and made monsters rise from the sea Four Pakistanis recognised after graduating and instead took a short course in F in Percy Jackson. in Forbes '30 Under 30' sculpture at the Indus Valley School of Art and Archi - list tecture and started looking for jobs in 3d animation. “I was lucky enough to land at Sharp Image one of the Now when he comes to Karachi he is not known as best visual fx and post production houses in Pakistan.” the crazy kid who wanted to study art but as the F Three Pakistanis crazier man who created fantasy worlds that people shortlisted for world’s In the two years that Ali worked in Karachi, he took back home love to lose themselves in. biggest photography up countless commercials, from Safeguard to By Abdullah Sheikh BS433808 contest pesticides in farm lands. “I hated spring because Courtesy: Express Tribune Positive Post is published to project positivity all around Pakistan amongst our youth and the entire nation. Our efforts are to inculcate patriotism and a sense of ownership in them. It is a compilation of news extracted by the students of Communications and Media Studies of Greenwich University. Pakistan's Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy: The Oscar double winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, 37, has made his - tory as the only Pakistani to win two Oscars.

She made headlines in Pakistan when her name was called at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, for best short sub - ject documentary film of the year.

She walked up to the stage to accept the award, waved her Oscar triumphantly and said: "I have another one!"

The film, A Girl in the River - The Price of victims remain unknown. Forgiveness, highlights the issue of honour This is why Ms Obaid Chinoy chose it as killings in Pakistan. It traces the story of an the subject for her latest film. 18-year-old woman, Saba, who was shot by In her acceptance speech, she said that after her relatives to redeem their family honour, and dumped into a river. She miraculously seeing the film, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to change the law survived to tell her story. on honour killings.

The subject of honour killings is not dis - "That is the power of film," she said. cussed much in Pakistan - mainly because most of the crimes go unreported and the By Abdullah Sheikh BS433808 Courtesy.bbc.news

'Cholistan Jeep rally magnifying Pakistan's soft image'

Managing Director, Tourism Development Corporation Punjab difficulties spectators faced so that such problems do not recur. He (TDCP), Ahmar Malik said on Tuesday that the mega car sport said that he has instructed officials to start making arrangements event was magnifying the soft image of the country and the TDCP for the 12th jeep rally three to four months before the scheduled was making efforts to ensure participation of foreign car racers in date. future events of the annual Cholistan desert race. He said that 12th annual jeep rally would be held in 2017 and a Talking to APP, Ahmar said that number of female racers' partic - proposal was under discussion to introduce a 500 kilometer long ipation was rising gradually in the Cholistan Desert Jeep race track that would pass through three districts of Bahawalpur division. By Nida Latif BS485390 Rally and the spectators who opt for desert tourism on the eve of Courtesy: www.dailytimes.com.pk race near historical Derawar fort was also witnessing continuous surge every year.

To a question about participation of foreign car racers, the MD TDCP cited some difficulties like arrivals of two sports vehicles along with every foreign racer besides spares and their own expert mechanics. Moreover, issues related to customs and expenses on transportation of vehicles would also have to be addressed.

Ahmar Malik, however, added that TDCP was working on tackling these hurdles and spectators would soon witness foreign racers rais - ing Cholistan dust in future races.

He said that the 11th Cholistan Jeep rally concluded successfully, however, TDCP officials have also taken into account the 2 Don't need it? Leave it here: Peshawar gets Pakistan-born scientist played part in its own version of Deewar-i-Meherbani discovery of gravitational waves Most of the walls in the posh Serve Mankind and set up the neighbourhood of Hayatabad wall. are drab structures of white and People in terror-torn Khyber concrete; others have no paint Pakhtunkhwa (KP) might be at all. A bright yellow wall, adversely affected by day-to- breaking the monotony, stands day violence, but are always out with the curious addition of willing to help each other out, clothes, hanging in various Lodhi believes. The general colours and sizes. public, in fact, has responded with overwhelming generosity, This is Peshawar’s wall of kind - bringing clothes for men, ness, a charity wall installed on Pakistani-born astrophysicist Dr holes some 1.3 billion years ago women and children, undergar - the main road. Any passerby, Nergis Mavalvala was among and had been hurtling through ments, shawls, jackets and coats. who wishes to donate used the team of eagled-eyed space to reach Earth on Sep - There are also some shoes, bags clothes for the homeless and who, for the first time, tember 14, 2015. and purses and wallets. observed ripples in the fabric of poor, is welcome to drop them Dr Mavalvala, 47, was born to a spacetime called gravitational off here. “Some people have even Parsi family in Karachi where waves. she did her primary schooling. The detection announced only She attended the Convent of on Thursday confirms a major Jesus and Mary before going to prediction of ’s the US as a teenager where she 1915 general theory of relativity graduated with a BA in and opens an unprecedented and from the Welles - new window onto the cosmos. ley College in 1990. Mavalvala worked During her graduation at the with researchers at the US- Massachusetts Institute of based underground detectors Technology (MIT) she started Laser Interferometer Gravita - working on gravitational waves tional-wave Observatory which would lead her to one of (LIGO) Laboratory to build so - the biggest discoveries of the phisticated sensors to detect century. gravitational ripples created By Nida Latif BS485390 from the collision of two black Courtesy: Express Tribune

FAST students win top positions in design contest

Teams from FAST-NUCES, sign competition. Lahore have won the first and second prize at an international The second slot was secured by competition. Nearly 200 people another team from FAST called 'If you don’t need it, leave it’ donated new clothes,” Lodhi from across the world partici - Ball Bot. The teams are part of a Asad Ali Lodhi led a two-day says. pated in the contest. The winners research group called Consensys drive with his organisation Lodhi says over 500 homeless were announced on February 6. at FAST. Serve Mankind requesting lo - and poor people have found The two projects, EcoSens- cals not to trash their used The DIY project competition is clothes through the wall. This is Wireless Sensor and Actuator clothes, especially warm gar - an international contest involv - particularly helpful to people Network, won the top position ments that can be used in the ing technical ideas presented by during the chilling cold of Pe - at the Global DIY Project De - winter. students and engineers from shawar and at a time when nights around the world. can get icy. 50-year-old Aslam “If you don’t need it, leave it and Khan is one such beneficiary; if you need it, take it,” they told The competition invites projects standing in front of the striped people. The phrase comes from related to robotics, wearable wall, he sports a blue jacket he the original wall in Tehran technology, software, hardware picked up earlier this week. Deewar-i-Meherbani which and alternative energy devices. inspired Lodhi to kick start By Abdullah Sheikh BS433808 Courtesy: Express Tribune Courtesy: Dawn

3 Pakistani scientist develops device to diagnose cancer rapidly

Pakistani electrical engineer at nanotextured walls that mimic blood samples into thinking its the University of Texas at Ar - layers of body tissue. actual tissue,” Iqbal said. “We lington has developed a new used inherent properties of the Iqbal has worked on the project cancer cell detection method cell walls to create a diagnostic that will be able to improve with Young-tae Kim, a UTA tool. The cancer cells behave dif - associate professor in the early diagnosis of cancer. ferently as they come into con - Bioengineering Department; tact with the nanotextured walls. Samir Iqbal, an associate profes - Muhymin Islam, a STEM They dance,” he added. sor in the Electrical Engineer - doctoral candidate; and engi - ing Department, detailed his neering students Mohammad Identifying those “dancing cells” team’s results in a recent Na - Motasim Bellah, Adeel Sajid will help doctors pinpoint can - ture’s Scientific Reports paper and Mohammad Raziul Hasan. cer cells and start treatment ear - Iqbal did his bachelors from called “Effects of Nanotexture Iqbal said his team observed the lier than allowed with current NED University of Engineer - on Electrical Profiling of Single many layers of tissue in the technology. ing and Technology in Karachi Tumor Cell and Detection of human body and decided to de - in 1996 after which he did his Cancer from Blood in Mi - velop something that would “Discovering the cancer earlier, PhD from Purdue University in crofluidic Channels.” mimic that layering. before it metastasizes, is essen - tial to surviving cancer,” Iqbal Indiana. The tool works by tracking cel - “The answer was in creating a said. “Our device has the poten - By Abdullah Sheikh BS433808 lular behavior in real time using nanotextured wall that fools tial to do that.” Courtesy: Express Tribune KGS, Lyceum win big 146 APS students depart for Dubai to watch at Harvard Model United Nations 2016 PSL matches The Karachi Grammar School Other schools from Pakistan, (KGS) won the best interna - including Karachi’s Lyceum, tional delegation award at the Aitchison College and Roots Harvard Model United Na - Millennium from Islamabad, tions (MUN) 2016 held in also participated at the event. Boston, United States.

As many as 146 students of accessories and Peshawar Army Public School (APS) have Zalmi’s kits among the students departed for Dubai along with and took selfies with them. star player and Twenty20 cap - Over 3,000 delegates repre - tain Shahid Afridi to watch Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Lyceum’s eight-member team senting over 199 countries par - Pakistan Super League (PSL) Afridi in his tweet on social secured the ‘best small delega - ticipated to debate issues of matches. media networking website Twit - tion award’. international importance. ter stated that the promise made According to Inter-Services A 14-member KGS team par - The sixty-third session of Har - has been successfully fulfilled as Public Relations (ISPR) ticipated at the MUN in vard Model United Nations 146 students have been taken to statement, the students left for Boston for the first time, the was held from January 28 to Dubai for PSL. Dubai from Bacha Khan Air - team’s head told The Express Sunday January 31 at the Sher - port on a chartered plane of Tribune. The winning team also aton Boston Hotel. More than I am thrilled that we have been Shaheen Airlines and will return won all debate competitions in 3,000 delegates and 300 faculty successful in delivering a promise country on February 8. Karachi before heading for advisors from around the We hope to bring back smiles. Boston. The team clinched the United States and every conti - The young cricket lovers would Help us,a warm welcome to best delegation award at Zab - nent of the world convened to support Shahid Afridi during APS kids in dubai. mun-VIII, MUNIK and BAY - confront and debate issues of PSL. MUN. international importance. By Abdullah Sheikh BS433808 Courtesy: Express Tribune Afridi also distributed cricket Courtesy: dunyanews.tv 4 Women in power: Ammara Khattak becomes Pakistan's Fiza Farhan appointed member of first woman DC of Abbottabad UN’s first-ever panel on women empowerment

Ammara Aamir Khattak who A Pakistani woman has been has taken over as the deputy named as a member of the commissioner (DC) of the gar - United Nations body dedicated risoned city of Abbottabad is to the economic empowerment the first woman to step into this of women. role. Fiza Farhan was elected as a Previously, Khattak served as member of the first ever High- Saeeda Yasmin, a government the Hazara additional commis - Level Panel of the UN Secretary- schoolteacher also expressed the General on Women’s Economic sioner. eral other eminent gender and same views. “Women workers Empowerment, according to a equality actors. She will also es - Local women, especially from will certainly feel more at ease communiqué released. civil society organisations, have approaching a woman for their tablish connection with econom - high hopes for the 37-year-old day-to-day problems,” she said. Fiza is CEO of Buksh Founda - ics experts, academics, trade DC who was strong and brave “Let us hope the problems re - tion and director of Buksh En - union leaders, businesses and enough to take the appointment lating to women are now dealt ergy. She was also part of the ’30 government representatives from in a trouble-prone district, once in a more effective and efficient under 30’ list by Forbes magazine across the world. manner.” for Social Entrepreneurs in 2015. ruled by Major James Abbott. Speaking of her appointment Fiza said, “It is indeed an honour “The provincial government Yasmin also said Khattak’s ap - As a member of the panel, Fiza for me to represent Pakistan and should be appreciated for its pointment as DC will inspire will join leaders of World Bank the women of Pakistan on this openness and faith in women,” other women in Hazara to suc - Group, International Monetary prestigious High-Level Panel.” Faiza Bibi, a social activist, said. ceed and pursue their dreams. Fund, UN Women as well as sev - Courtesy: Express Tribune Courtesy: Express Tribune

PSL’s success is Pakistan’s success: Sethi Chairman Pakistan Super League Najam tion of the country. I would like to thank Sethi has termed the success of HBL Pakistani fans all over the world. It is because Pakistan Super League (SPL) a major suc - of their support that we have succeeded,” he cess for Pakistan as it promoted a soft image added. of the country. Speaking about the commercial aspect of He said that we faced multiple challenges as PSL, Najam Sethi pointed out that the we set out to organize the League and with League’s commercial value has grown due to the support of all stakeholders, we have the tremendous response that it received from managed to overcome all the challenges and the fans. “PSL’s TV ratings are comparable to deliver a successful tournament. With the en - Pakistan’s World Cup matches which is a tire nation supporting PSL, the League proved huge achievement,” Najam Sethi stated. to be a unifying factor for the country. not only able to devise an effective anti-cor - Terming the involvement of international ruption policy but, with the cooperation of all Najam Sethi said that PSL has given Pakista - cricketers a huge advantage for local players, five franchises, we were able to successfully nis a national product that they can proudly he highlighted that this has already started implement the policy in a transparent man - own and the response that we have received having an impact on Pakistan cricket. from the fans has been phenomenal. ner,” he added. “Our players went through a fast-track learn - The League has been instrumental in ing experience and in these 15-20 days, they He thanked all five franchise owners and strengthening the process of national integra - have shared dressing rooms and made friend - their managements for successfully partner - ships with some of the top international ing with PSL. He also thanked the sponsors cricketers. All the foreign cricketers have pro - for their support in making the tournament vided us with an extremely positive feedback a huge success. about their experience in PSL,” he added. He also thanked Prime Minister of Pakistan, Najam Sethi expressed his satisfaction on the Chairman PCB, Board of Governors, PSL transparency of the League. “HBL PSL’s Governing Council and all members of the anti-corruption efforts were benchmarked PSL team for their continued support. against international best practices. We were By Aamir Saeed Ansari BS50 5621 Courtesy: The Nation 5 Four Pakistanis recognised in Forbes '30 Under 30' list

Four Pakistanis made it to Forbes ’30 Fiza Farhan, 27, Founder & CEO of Under 30’ Asia list for 2016 on Thursday, Buksh Foundation in which the business magazine recognised 600 young game-changers across 20 differ - Farhan was elected as a member of the first ent fields. ever High-Level Panel of the UN Secre - tary-General on Women’s Economic Em - This year’s Social Entrepreneurship and powerment this month. Farhan, who is Media & Marketing category feature fea - CEO of Buksh Foundation and director of ture four Pakistanis who they believe are changing the world.

Khalida Brohi, 25, Founder of Sughar Muniba Mazari, 28, Anchor, PTV Brohi started a non-profit organisation to empower women in rural Pakistan at the Mazari was appointed as Pakistan’s first fe - male Goodwill Ambassador to advance

Buksh Energy, was also part of the ’30 under 30’ list by Forbes magazine for Social Entrepreneurs in 2015. Muniba Mazari appointed UN’s first woman Goodwill Ambassador to Pakistan

Umar Anwar Jahangir, 24, Founder & age of 16, after witnessing an honour Secretary of Bahria Medics killing. Brohi’s social enterprise provides six gender equality and empowerment of months of training to women in 23 Pak - Jahangir is running several non-for-profit women by the United Nations Entity for istani villages, where they gain business healthcare programmes in Karachi. One of Gender Equality and the Empowerment knowledge, learn ways to monetise tradi - its flagship initiatives is a programme to of Women. tional embroidery skills, and get access to create the country’s first blood bank inte - By Nida Latif BS485390 loans and markets. grated to mobile networks. Courtesy: The Express Tribune

Pakistan receives ASSET `Best Deal of the Year Award 2015'

Pakistan on Monday received the ‘best sec - tion which recognises Asia’s top financial Minister of State for Privatisation Moham - ond placement’ and ‘Best Privatisation institutions for excellence in the industry. mad Zubair was accompanied by Pakistan’s Award 2015’ in Asset’s`Best Deal Awards’ Consul General in Hong Kong, Ghufran category. Pakistan received the award in recognition Memon, while receiving the prestigious of the country’s transactional work on the award on behalf of the country. The Asset is Asia’s leading issuer and in - divestment of the government’s sharehold - vestor-focused financial monthly publica - ing in Habib Bank Limited in 2014-15, LUMS wins first prize in US State according to Radio Pakistan. Department competition Pakistani woman wins global Hong Kong’s top executives and policy humanitarian award makers from the finance and banking sec - tors were also in attendance of the award ceremony. A number of awards of various Pakistan was given the`Best Deal of the categories were given away to financial in - Year 2015’ Award at The Asset Triple A stitutions, banks, investment houses and Regional Awards ceremony held in Hong countries. Kong. By Aamir Saeed Ansari BS50 5621 Courtesy: The Nation 6 Three Pakistanis shortlisted for world’s biggest photography contest Zohaib Tariq was nominated in the youth 137% increase in the entries that came in culture category for his image titled “Pak - from Pakistan. istan”, showing local farmers at work. Based in Islamabad Tariq is a keen sportsman and Human made Environment by Kumail currently studying at HITEC University Rizvi Taxila. The list of winners will be announced on 14 times Huma Choudhary beautifully April 21 at a gala ceremony in London. The captured people’s lives winning photographers stand to win a share of a $30,000 prize, and their photos will be The portrait by Shahzad Khan showcased at the World Photography Awards exhibition (April–May), and Three Pakistani photographers have been featured in the 2016 edition of the Awards shortlisted for the 2016 edition of the Sony book. World Photography Awards. By Aamir Saeed Ansari BS50 5621 Kumail Rizvi, Shahzad Khan and Zohaib Courtesy: The Express Tribune Tariq have been recognised in the awards’ youth competition for photographers aged 19 and under. Rizvi was shortlisted in the ‘youth environment’ category for an aerial Pakistan by Zohaib Tariq image called “human made environment” This year saw a record-breaking number of showing a car park in Malaysia from the sky. participants – 230,103 entries that have While Shahzad Khan was shortlisted in the come in from 186 countries. A statement ‘youth portraits’ category for “Awal Gul” , a released by the awards committee also stunning close-up photograph of a child mentioned that there was an astounding taken in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad. Human made Environment by Kumail Rizvi

7th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF): Diversity in literature

The Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) has theatre, cinema, music, dance, story telling, now become the most important part of art, and singing. This year more than 250 Karachi's cultural life. The festival reflected foreign and local authors visited KLF includ - our country's diversity in literature. The at - ing Italy, France, the UK, the US, India and tendance of authors, writers as well as visitors distant parts of Pakistan to enrich and inspire in large number reflected the depth of our audience of Karachi. historical, literary, and cultural roots, and the great desire and energy to pursue knowledge, The absence of Urdu novelist, short story writer and columnist Intizar Husain who various thought-provoking subjects at the understanding, and creativity. Our rich, an - Karachi Literature Festival. This year's cient and diverse cultures and literatures find passed away just three days before the open - ing of the festival on February 2 was felt by keynote speakers were and internationally their way to homes and minds through books acclaimed nuclear physicist, Dr Pervez and discussions at KLF. the organisers and visitors alike. The writer was also a nominee for this year's peace prize. Hoodhboy, and award-winning poetess Bringing together and celebrating various au - Everyone observed a minute's silence for In - Fahmida Riaz. Both the speakers pleaded for thors' writings in diverse languages, genres, tizar sahib before the formal start of the event tolerance and love among the . and traditions KLF featured debates, discus - at the request of the founder of the event The three-day event featured around 100 sions, lectures, mushaira, a book fair, book Ameena Saiyid. sessions and 28 book launches in which 262 launches, readings, signings, comedy, satire, This time KLF has introduced a corner for authors and individuals belonging to showbiz children to have art activities like drawing took part. Paintings, sculptures and photo - and painting so that the kids became engaged graphs were discussed in detail by art practi - in a creative work another corner offered fifty tioners, critics and art aficionados. Beyond percent discount on local and foreign books the festive enjoyment lies the simple fact that for children. this festival was about books, art and culture. Hence avid readers, writers, academics Books lovers and literature enthusiasts at - By Nida Latif BS485390 tended different sessions of their interests on Courtesy: Business Recorder

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