After being released all over Pakistan last week, the Karachi premiere of the much-awaited revenge-thriller/courtroom-drama ‘Taxali Gate’ took place at Nueplex Cinemas, DHA Phase VIII, Karachi on Saturday 24th February 2024.
The one-hour fifty-one minute movie which has been heralded as anticipated as the box-smashing ‘Maula Jutt’ is helmed by visionary maestro Ali Sajjad Shah aka Abu Aleeha whotook on the dual role of director and screenwriter and is produced by Executive Producer Shabbir Shah, Waqas Hassan Rizvi andAyesha Omar in her debut as a first-time producer under the aegis of the Distribution Club banner. HUM TV is the official media partner for the movie.
The ensemble studded cast includes Ayesha Omar, Yasir Hussain and Mehar Bano in the lead titular roles supported by equally stellar performances by seasoned actors Nayyer Ejaz, Iftikar Thakur, Babar Ali, Alyy Khan, Iffat Omar and Umer Aalam each of them bringing their unique talents to the big screen.
The red-carpet of the movie premiere was well attended by cast-members, crew-members, socialites, family members and members of both extensive print and electronic media.
‘Taxali Gate’ begins with a brief history lesson about Lahore and the inconspicuous lower class red-light area once infamously called Heera Mandi, now renamed Taxali. The title is thus a reference to the gate leading into the locality, and in a broader metaphorical context serves as the audience’s entry into the lives of the characters in the movie.
‘Taxali Gate’ revolves around the murder of two youngsters and their perpetrators and focuses on such themes as sexual consent; social injustice and law enforcement all set against the historical backdrop of Lahore’s walled City.
The movie is an immersive cinematic experience poised to leave an indelible mark on the landscape of Pakistani cinema, transfixing hearts and minds alike with its compelling narrative and stellar performances.
Ayesha Omar disclosed that the premiere of the movie coincided on the birthday of her late father and was a birthday gift to him and said about the movie; “it’s a great film with an amazing story and all the actors gave powerful performances. It’s been an amazing journey as my first effort as a producer. We produced the film on a limited budget and it was challenging to film in the outside location but the result was amazing”.
Co-star Yasir Hussain added; “Taxali Gate deals with themes such as social injustice and consent and the film has an international cinema feel to it. My character was very challenging to play but the movie will leave an indelible mark in Pakistani cinema for many years to come”.
Public Relations for ‘Taxali Gate’ was managed by Catwalk Event Management & Productions Pvt. Limited under the helm of Frieha Altaf.
After a palpable buzz the grand premiere of the much-awaited revenge-thriller / courtroom drama ‘Taxali Gate’ took place at Cue Cinemas, Main Gulberg Boulevard, Lahore on Saturday 17th February 2024. The cinematic masterpiece was simultaneously released overseas in the United Kingdom and Canada.
The one-hour fifty-one minute movie which has been heralded as anticipated as the box-smashing ‘Maula Jutt’ is helmed by visionary maestro Ali Sajjad ShahakaAbu Aleeha whotook on the dual role of director and screenwriter and is produced by Executive Producer Shabbir Shah, Waqas Hassan Rizvi and Ayesha Omar in her debut as a first-time producer under the aegis of the Distribution Club banner. HUM TV is the official media partner for the movie.
The ensemble studded cast includes Ayesha Omar, Yasir Hussain and Mehar Bano in the lead titular roles supported by equally stellar performances by seasoned actors Nayyer Ejaz, Iftikar Thakur, Babar Ali, Alyy Khan, Iffat Omar and Umer Aalam each of them bringing their unique talents to the big screen.
The Red Carpet of the movie premiere was attended by cast members Yasir Hussain, Ayesha Omar, Mehr Bano, Iffat Omer, Nayyar Ejaz, Iftikar Thakur and Umer Aalam; director Abu Aleeha, producers Shabbir Shah and Waqas Rizvi. Supportive celebrities who graced the scintillating event included Mustafa Qureshi. Mikaal Zulfiqar, Iqra Aziz Yashma Gill, Fizza Ali, Marhoom Ahmad Bilal, Zeeshan Ali, Qaiser Pia, Sheheryar Cheema as well as both extensive print and electronic media.
‘Taxali Gate’ begins with a brief history lesson about Lahore and the inconspicuous lower class red-light area once infamously called Heera Mandi, now renamed Taxali. The title is thus a reference to the gate leading into the locality, and in a broader metaphorical context serves as the audience’s entry into the lives of the characters in the movie.
‘Taxali Gate’ revolves around the murder of two youngsters and their perpetrators and focuses on such themes as sexual consent; social injustice and law enforcement all set against the historical backdrop of Lahore’s walled City.
The movie is an immersive cinematic experience poised to leave an indelible mark on the landscape of Pakistani cinema, transfixing hearts and minds alike with its compelling narrative and stellar performances.
Ayesha Omar disclosed that the premiere of the movie coincided on the birthday of her late father and was a birthday gift to him and said about the movie; “it’s a great film with an amazing story and all the actors gave powerful performances. It’s been an amazing journey as my first effort as a producer. We produced the film on a limited budget and it was challenging to film in the outside location but the result was amazing”.
Co-star Yasir Hussain added; “Taxali Gate deals with themes such as social injustice and consent and the film has an international cinema feel to it. My character was very challenging to play but the movie will leave an indelible mark in Pakistani cinema for many years to come”.
Public Relations for ‘Taxali Gate’was managed by Catwalk Event Management & Productions Pvt. Limited under the helm of Frieha Altaf.
Anticipation reaches a crescendo as the highly awaited Pakistani film, ‘Wakhri,’ prepares for its national premiere, finally unveiling the cinematic production to the local audience. The motion picture is set to be showcased across Pakistan on 05th January 2024, promising a cinematic experience like no other.
Penned and directed by the visionary Iram Parveen Bilal, the film is produced by Abid Aziz Merchant (Sanat Initiative), Apoorva Bakshi (Awedacious Originals), and Bilal’s Parveen Shah Productions. Additionally, following the success of Maula Jatt, Nadeem Mandviwala has also come on board, signing with ‘Wakhri’ for its journey to the silver screen.
Award-winning Director Iram Parveen Bilal says, “Wakhri is first and foremost made by and for our people; it is my love letter to the women of Pakistan and to allies around the world. It is a cry for all marginalized voices to be heard. I began making films to connect with humanity and to explore complex concepts alongside my audiences. Securing a nationwide release for this cherished film stands as a crowning achievement for our relentlessly dedicated team.”
The film unravels the story of a widowed school teacher whose life takes an unexpected turn when her unfiltered opinions on social media catapult her into the limelight overnight. As an unlikely influencer, she grapples with the complexities of managing archaic norms, concealed identities, and the upbringing of her 10-year-old son. ‘Wakhri’ becomes a poignant exploration of women’s struggles to express themselves and claim their space, both in the physical and digital realms.
Producer Apoorva Bakshi who has previously produced the International Emmy-winning show Delhi Crime and most recently The Hunt for Veerappan on Netflix shared, “I applaud the stance that Wakhri takes in a highly patriarchal world and the hope it echoes through the actions of our formidable protagonist. Growing up as women in the same societal fabric, we have come to understand the value of freedom and the enormous fight it takes to come into your own and live life on your terms. Where norms and expectations surpass dreams and desires or gender identity is still taboo, we hope that audiences witness the marginalized, seize the slightest sliver of chance, and turn it into a giant victory for themselves and society as a whole.”
The journey to bring ‘Wakhri’ to the silver screen has been marked by significant milestones, including participation at the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors Hub in 2018, the Cannes Cinefondation L’Atelier in 2019, and a presence at the Busan Asian Project Market in 2022. The project received a production grant from CAPE (The Coalition of Asian Pacific in Entertainment) and the CAA Foundation, cementing its importance in the realm of cinematic storytelling. The film also recently participated in the prestigious film festival, the Red Sea International Film Festival where several renowned international stars showcased their work as well.
The film’s producer Abid Aziz Merchant adds, “Recently acclaimed at the Red Sea International Film Festival, ‘Wakhri’ shines with its distinctive narrative and directorial excellence. The film’s global resonance and recognition underscore its exceptional storytelling, casting a spotlight on the prowess of Pakistani cinema on the international platform. This achievement not only honors Pakistani filmmakers but also signifies a noteworthy milestone, affirming the nation’s rich contributions to the diverse landscape of global cinema.”
As ‘Wakhri’ gears up for its national premiere, it promises to be a cinematic triumph that resonates with the ever-evolving fabric of the Pakistani audience. Serving as a thought-provoking piece, the film aims to engage viewers in a journey of contemplation, encouraging them to think beyond conventional boundaries. The film not only reflects the challenges faced by women but also serves as a mirror of the current dynamics of society. With its compelling narrative and stellar cast, ‘Wakhri’ is set to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of audiences nationwide.
Seven-Day ‘Pakistan Youth Festival – 2023’ ended with all the pomp and grandeur. This edition of PYF-2023 started off with a bang on 23rd January 2023 and ended on 29th January 2023. PYF-2023 was hosted by Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.
President Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) Karachi, Mr. Muhammad Ahmad Shah and the members of Governing Body welcomed the chief-guest, official-dignitaries, ACP-members, members of press (electronic-media, print-media & social-media), festival-participants, distinguished-guests and youth to first edition of PYF-2023 at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.
The closing ceremony of the PYF-2023 was inaugurated with a spectacular musical performance by the renowned musical act Jambroz Band. After first performance, cash-prizes & awards were distributed to the winners of ten different categories of competitions and two special competitions of painting and photography were held. Special awards were given to the special children who participated in the Special Children’s Festival.
Honorable Minister of Culture & Education His Excellency Sardar Ali Shah was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of PYF-2023. During his speech he said; “64% of Pakistan’s population consists of youth and keeping in mind that we have not made any policy for youth, our youths are performing in the youth festival organized by Muhammad Ahmad Shah, this is his contribution to counter the intolerance and extremism in this country”.
Sardar Ali Shah further added; “we have to prepare our youths for trades also, we have to get out of this stereotype mentality that only doctors, engineers and officers are successful; our youth can be Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam and Hadiqa Kayani. Our Indus Valley culture has got traces of dance, in this context; the education department has decided to appoint seven and a half hundred music teachers”.
Honorable Minister of Culture went on to say that; “Ahmad Shah has made Arts Council a cultural hub and I don’t see any other institution in the whole country which is working like this for the promotion of arts and culture. I call Ahmed Shah ‘Guru Guntal’ who is a democratic dictator.”
On his concluding note, Sardar Ali Shah said; “I have seen middle-class children in large numbers in this festival which is a good sign. In the end I congratulate all the youths who participated in extra-curricular activities along with their curricular activities to make this event a success”.
President ACP Karachi Muhammad Ahmad Shah also spoke during the closing ceremony of PYF-2023, he said; “The youth in the ACP Karachi has kept the whole week very vibrant and energetic, we (ACP) is happy to have with this energy amongst us. We started the youth festival sixteen years ago, our entire team has worked hard, and you all in here in ACP have been making the whole week vibrant with this energy”.
Addressing the youth, Ahmad Shah said; “you have to have trust on yourself and if that is there, the world is yours, at this moment we our youth is facing lack of employment and to counter it we will soon be having IT Trainings for those who cannot afford it. You only have to dare and the world cannot stop you, after God’s will. First is your formal education and other activities after that the future of the country will change for good”.
On his concluding note, President ACP said; “we are grateful to the schools, colleges and University of Karachi for their all-out support to this youth festival and without your support, this festival would not have been possible”.
Nighat Chaudhry and Wahab Shah helped and encouraged the children during the dance finals and during the concert on the last day of the PYF-2023 Ali Azmat, Sahir Ali Bagga, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Natasha Baig, Wahab Bugti, Ahsan Bari, Arman Rahim and Afaq Adnan lit up the festival with the magic of their voices and received applause from the audience.
Star of the closing ceremony was none other than the legendary singer Ali Azmat, who had team of excellent musicians with one of the most energetic drummer in Pakistan Kami Paul on drums, Ustad Aahiq Ali Mir on tabla, Manu on bass-guitar and young kid on lead guitar.
Ali Azmat started off softly with yaaro-yahi-dosti, his first song had a feeling of ‘something-missing’. His second song of the evening neend-aati-nahi, another classic-hit from Junoon’s self-titled first album also had Ali Noor and Ahsan Bari on vocals. Ali Noor brought-in that next level energy which was felt missing in the first song. Ali Noor’s vocal-tone and pitch was much higher and audible as compared to Ali Azmat’s. A real treat it was to witness Ali Noor alongwith Ali Azmat.
Up next was mera-mahi with its nostalgic sound, then saain-mera-sacha, khud-hi-ko-kar-buland-itna and rangeela-re. All these numbers had the crowd singing along-side Ali Azmat
Then zamanay-kay-andaaz-badlay-gaiay and pappu-yaar-tang-na-kar were followed by a slow number tara-jala and then beastly garaj-baras.
After an hour’s performance, concert mellowed down a bit with slow numbers with na-re-na, mola and sayooni. Last song of the evening being a medley of jazab-e-junoon and josh-e-junoon.
I would rate an overall performance with 06/10 with flawless performances from Kami-Paul (Drums), Manu (Bass-Guitar) and Ashiq Ali Mir (Tabla) these three guys didn’t miss a beat. Kid on lead-guitar missed a few beats, but his overall performance was up there. Seems like Ali Azmat has lost his spark.
Zoha Rahman, an accomplished and talented actress, has recently achieved a major milestone in her career. Her latest short film, ‘Eid Mubarak’, has been acquired by Disney’s Creator+ for their ‘Flip the Script’ Short Film Fund. This is a significant achievement as it means that the film will be featured on a popular international platform and have the opportunity to reach a wide audience.
Directed by Mahnoor Euceph, Eid Mubarak is a live-action short film based on the real childhood experience of the writer and director. With this film, the team hopes to bring into the Western mainstream an experience that is universal in the Muslim world, and create bridges of understanding across cultures. From color to composition, every frame of Eid Mubarak will be a testament to the creativity and hard work of the entire team, which includes not only Americans, but also the artisans of Pakistan who need a spotlight to showcase their unique talents to the world. The film was shot in Karachi, Pakistan over the course of five 12-hour days in May 2022, and completed post-production in the summer in Los Angeles, California.
The film is set to premiere at the Children’s Film Festival in Seattle, February 2023, providing a platform for Zoha’s work to be seen by a diverse and engaged audience. Zoha made a name for herself after starring in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ as the Marvel universe’s first hijab wearing character. She has featured in Netflix’s ‘Young Wallander’ and Apple TV’s ‘Foundation’. Her acting abilities have stretched across the pond to Bollywood as well, where we saw her in the mega biographical sports feature ‘83. Zoha will also star in Anshuman Jha’s ‘Lord Curzon Ki Haveli’, set for festival release later this year.
About Zoha Rahman: Zoha Rahman is a British-Pakistani actress who is quickly rising to fame in the country. The budding star is known for her role as a hijabi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: Far From Home. She is currently starring in the Apple TV+ production Foundation and can also be seen in Kabir Khan’s film ‘83.
10th Edition of Karachi Eat Food Festival, which is now known as The Eat Festival concluded week last at the Beach View Park, Karachi. This year’s event had its own highs and lows.
VENUE: On any normal day, if you visit Beach View Park, you will feel like visiting an abandoned place, a neglected park or a vacant space. This park has no green grass (most of the grass that you will see is brown), has litter all around and has too much dust. Despite being located ideally between DHA and Clifton with Arabian Sea on the other side, this park has been in a neglected state for long long time. This park has an entry fee and apart from that authorities of this park charged a whopping amount of 2.5 million on account rental-charges for The Eat Festival. Despite all the income that comes from this park, not much is spent on it.
If organizers of ‘The Eat Festival’, claim to the best or the premium food festival in Karachi, then they shouldn’t ignore finer details. Choosing Beach View Park was one of worst decision to start off with. Organizers have been choosing Beach View Park for quite some time now and each time I have to inform at-least some-one responsible, for choosing a better a venue next time.
First thing that we noticed upon entering the venue was its parking space. That place does not deserves to be called as a parking space at all, I would rather call it an abandoned beach with an un-even ground with no proper hard-surface full of sea-sand and sand-dunes created from sea-sand. We also didn’t see any ushers to guide us for parking nor any security for parked cars. Don’t know how much dust I inhaled. Saw some parents with minors complaining about too much dust. A total disgusting feeling to start OFF with.
EAT FESTIVAL: Upon entering the Eat Festival, first stall that comes up was of National Foods. Excellent stall with a very good tasting ‘Bombay biryani’ and an equally tantalizing ‘tawa chicken’.
To see ‘foodpanda’ stall there was very innovative. It sure was an excellent idea to bring in a food delivery merchant at this event. beverage giant 7-up also a nice and interactive stall. Falak with their free-samples also witnessed large footfall on day one.
One stall ‘Mahigeer’ attracted our attention, as most of us are sea-food lovers and we can easily distinguish fresh catch from the frozen one. We tried their ‘prawn masala’ and among all the eateries that we tried, this was the most disappointing one. I have some serious doubts on jury that had selected some of eateries. Quantity and Quality weren’t upto the mark.
Mezan competed against National Food as one of the biggest stall of this year’s festival. At Mezan we tried their loaded fries and they sure tasted good.
Apart from few big names and some recently established name, most of the stalls were offering low quantity as well as low quality of food. We were told that all the eateries were chosen by a selected jury. We would want to know more about the jury. We have all sorts of low quality options starting from under-cooked, over-cooked, stale etc. etc. Apart from a well-known chapli-kabab stall, most of the meat (beef) I tasted at Eat Karachi was from shelves (shelved-meat) that has been stored in deep-freezers for as long as possible. Beef tasted at the Eat Festival lacked fresh raw natural crispiness.
‘De Calzone’ was too crowded on day one, couldn’t try their stuff, but really wanted to. ‘Sundays ice cream’ had an awesome tasting peach flavor. Lipton introduced four new flavors and their berry felt very refreshing.
Arif Chatkhara House from Lahore with their famous tawa chicken had a deserted look on day-one and had good crowds on remaining two days. Some of them were debating about the prices at this stall, as ‘tawa chicken’ was available at National Foods for half the price.
Some of the stalls full of buzz on all three days were Bombay Wala Zafrani Matka Chai, Punjabian Dhaba, Bullseye Burger, Burger Boss, Churrisity, Pizza Nation, Yellow Taxi Pizza Co, Vlektra Electric Motorcycle, Snace, Momo’s on the Go, Habib, Walls, Wrapped, Sol, Fomo Dumplings and Khouwsa House.
Entertainment area for kids was also well located this time far from main stage, with almost no distraction for little one nor for their parents. Toilets were with water on day one, but it got better on remaining two days.
In my opinion, the best stall of this year’s Eat Festival 2023 was to ‘National Foods’, with their excellent innovative stall, interaction with visitors, excellent desi food (biryani, butter-chicken & tawa-chicken) and the best part was live music at their stall with Khudgharz and Ali Tariq.
SECURITY: Inside the Eat Festival, there was no sign of ushers nor of any security staff. Outside the main gate security staff was seen negotiating with the so called stags (un-accompanied boys) and that was one of the reason why so many of them came and gate-crashed. Security staff (consisting of bouncers, guards and some policemen) was rude all throughout the three days. Can’t say much about the police but you train your bouncers and your guards to be a bit polite and soft. Didn’t see any Rangers anywhere. Last month when Pakistan Cricket Board hosted English Cricket Team, all the security arrangements were handled SSU of Sindh Police. They did a tremendous job, I would highly recommend them.
MUSIC: music was the second best part of this year’s Eat Festival. With Ahmed Godil taking on the role of master of ceremony, first day had Asim Azhar as the show stopper. Second day also had an excellent line-up that included Zeb Bangash and finally Bilal Maqsood as show-stopper.
On third day, we were expecting an excellent show and we will midway through the show with Kaifi Khalil singing his third song, when all came to an end. Gate crashing as heard from many friends and as seen from videos was perhaps one of the worst incident to happen at Eat Festival. I am sure organizers will learn something from this for future events.
CLEANING: To cater 140+ stalls, there weren’t enough trash bins, most of the staff at stalls were seen dumping their trash nearby. Only few trash pickers with trash bags were spotted on day one and they were just transferring trash bags from one place to another within the Eat Festival. You could spot trash bags at many places like the one seen in below picture.
CONCLUSION: Organizers has predicted a footfall of around 40 ~ 50,000 on day-one. For next two days their prediction was 80,000+ for second and 100,000+ for third day. Arrangements weren’t sufficient enough on last two days.
I must clearly say that, Beach View Park is not a suitable venue for an event like Eat Karachi (Karachi Eat Food Festival). Some better options would be like Expo Centre or DHA Golf Club. Both of these venues have ample space for parking, music and stalls.
Identifying above points are just for the sake of improvement only and I must say that will all the bad incidents that happened during the 10th edition of this event, my favorite event in Karachi still remains to be ‘The Eat Karachi (Karachi Eat Food Festival)’ and I will continue to recommend this event to my friends (males only) as this is not a family event anymore. Security lapses will also be seen during next years Eat Festival. Official Statement like the one copied below wont do much, you will have to act more than just giving official statements.
The ‘Eat Festival’ Karachi edition, formerly known as Karachi Eat is the most renowned and iconic food festival of Pakistan. During the last ten years, the festival has been a platform for budding food-preneurs, who serve up the most innovative spread to a demanding audience of food enthusiasts of all ages. The festival is expected to host over 250,000 eager festival-goers from the 06th January 2023 ~ 08th January 2023 at Beach View Park, Karachi.
At the heart of the festival was the intention to bring people together from all walks of life and provide much-needed opportunities to people from our culinary world. True to its spirit the 2023 Eat Festival Karachi edition has taken a step further in providing students from culinary schools with a launching pad that catapults them into the food industry. This year, the festival will host over 125 food-partners serving the best the city has to offer.
Another exciting aspect of this year’s Eat Festival is the online version of the festival which aims to be the largest online food festival of its kind in the Asian belt. ‘Eat Cloud powered by panda kitchens’, the largest network of Cloud Kitchens in Pakistan have teamed up with the leading online food and grocery platform, foodpanda Pakistan, to create this online experience. Online audiences can order food from the festival and enjoy it in the comfort of their homes. A fleet of foodpanda riders will be available on-ground for this purpose.
Key performers; Asim Azhar, Young Stunners, Bilal Maqsood, and Zeb Bangash will perform at the event. Media partners, Eats Official a division of Eat Food Pakistan Private Limited, will be present on-ground to welcome the food community.
The on-ground event management will be handled by ‘The Curators’ this year. The hosts are all set to welcome food enthusiasts to the biggest food festival in the city. Eat Festival, Eat Cloud, Eats Official, and CKO Events are all divisions of Eat Food Pakistan Private Limited.
The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) organised an open house event on Sunday, which brought forth a string of performances by its students and alumni in Karachi.
The event featured live music, dramatic readings, a play and dance performances. Some of the notable performers included Ustad Salamat Hussain, who is a celebrated music maestro and senior faculty at NAPA. He performed some of his most famous pieces on the flute.
Another anticipated performance was that of Ahsan Bari, a NAPA alum who is the Music Director of an internationally acclaimed ensemble act, Sounds of Kolachi.
The Fusion Girl Band covered the popular song, Bella Ciao using various instruments like the cello and guitar. The live music performances were followed by a Sufi dance performance that left the audiences enthralled. First Year Theatre Arts students presented a satirical play titled, “Shohron Ka Madrisa”.
The event was attended by well over 300 people who stayed engaged and entertained till the very end. Among others, the event was also attended by Chairman NAPA Board of Directors, Syed Jawaid Iqbal and other Board Members including Senator (Retd) Javed Jabbar, Tariq Kirmani, Anwar Rammal, Shahrukh Hassan and Fawzia Naqvi.
Inaugural session of 15th Aalmi Urdu Conference got-underway last Thursday 01st December 2022 precisely at 03:30 PM at Main Auditorium of Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi.
At this inaugural session, President Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) Karachi, Mr. Muhammad Ahmed Shah in his welcome address welcomed all the dignitaries, intellectuals, writers, artists, musicians, visitors, press, local and foreign guests attending this 15th Aalmi Urdu Conference 2022. He hoped that all present would enjoy this Urdu Conference and may take back fond memories from it.
After welcome speech two key-note speakers share their knowledge, wisdom and experience at this inaugural session of 15th Aalmi Urdu Conference. The Keynote speakers were Nasir Abbas Nair and Alex Bellem. Nasir Abbas Nayyar is a prominent Urdu language writer, critic, columnist and essayist. Alex Bellem works as an Assistant Professor and also holds the portfolio of Language Programme Coordinator at Aga Khan University London, United Kingdom.
Professor Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui during this vote of thanks address thanked all dignitaries, sponsors, participants and guest for making this event a success. After vote of thanks, Chief Guest Chief Minister Sindh, His excellency Mr. Murad Ali Shah formally inaugurated 15th Edition of Aalmi Urdu Conference. Master of Ceremony for this inaugural session was Huma Mir, who carried the session gracefully.
First event of Day-01 was titled as ‘Iqbal aur Qom’ (Iqbal and Nation) prominent scholars on the subject of Allama Iqbal shared their views & experiences. Nasira Iqbal daughter-in-law of Allama Iqbal along with Tehseen Faraqi, Sohail Omer, and Noman-ul-Haq spoke during this session.
Second event of the evening was ‘Urdu ka Shahkaar Adab) (Urdu’s Magnificanet Literature) by Zia Mohye-ud-din. Zia Mohye-ud-din is a British-Pakistani actor, producer, director, television broadcaster and is considered as the foremost reader of urdu literature. He was here to read out “rachi basi joi urdu zuban ki khushbo” (absorbed frangrance of urdu). This session turned out to be the event of day-01. Main Auditorium was packed to capacity with large number audience present outside the main auditorium watching live on screen on Jaun Elia Lawn. Total estimated crowd somewhere near 10,000 in and outside Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi.
Last event of day-01 was qawwali by Ayaz Fareed and Abu Muhammad Qawwal, where they sang Ameer Khusro’s poetry to sufi-style music.
Best Session of Day-01 of 15th Aalmi Urdu Conference by Zia Mohye-ud-din.
YouTube hosted its first-ever YouTube Brandcast in Pakistan to celebrate YouTube’s creator community, and to share the latest insights, updates, and inspiration from brands succeeding on the platform. At Brandcast, YouTube also spotlighted how the platform is supporting the Pakistani creator ecosystem by building a reliable, multi-format platform that enables creators to build local and global communities that meet the evolving needs of their audiences.
According to Google and Kantar’s Unlocking Digital in Rural Pakistan research, YouTube is the most popular online video platform in Pakistan with 62% of online Pakistanis ages 18-24 reported watching YouTube once a month or more.
In fact, out of all Pakistani internet users;
S NO
STATISTICS
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91% say YouTube makes them feel positive.
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78% consider YouTube to watch their favorite shows and content.
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76% learned something new from YouTube.
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75% claim that content on YouTube helped them dig deeper into their interests.
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73% get the video content for all their moods on the platform.
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48% of rural Pakistanis are now online.
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78% of rural Online-Pakistanis watch YouTube.
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76% of rural Pakistani YouTube Watchers say YouTube has unique content.
Farhan S Qureshi, Country Director Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, at Google, said; “YouTube is about making connections and finding a community you can call home. It’s where viewers come to learn, unwind, and connect with their passions. The platform empowers people by not only giving them a voice but also financial stability. Since the platform resonates well with people of all ages and from all areas, it is no wonder that YouTube creates deep connections between brands, creators, and audiences in urban and rural areas of Pakistan”.
More content; stronger community: At the heart of YouTube are creators, who are helping build genuine connections by delivering personally engaging content. Whether long or short form, there is something on YouTube that will fit the bill. In the first quarter of 2022, the watch time of videos grew significantly compared to the same time last year. Digital marketing videos grew by over 95%, web development videos grew by over 90%, exercise videos grew by over 80% and live television videos grew by over eight times.
The total hours of content uploaded to YouTube by channels in Pakistan from June 2021 to May 2022 grew by over 25% when compared to the same time the year before.
YouTube’s multi-format creativity gives creators every screen and every format possible to succeed: This healthy growth in content uploaded to YouTube includes short-form videos via YouTube Shorts which was launched in July last year. Globally, YouTube Shorts is now averaging 30 billion daily views, growing four times from a year ago. Shorts has been hugely successful in Pakistan as well, a testament to Pakistanis’ evolving preferences in how they choose to consume content.
Marc Lefkowitz, Director of YouTube Partner Development and Management (APAC) added; “we have creators developing diverse content for podcasts, sketches, automobile reviews, tech reviews, tutorials, gaming, and more. There are more than 5,400 YouTube channels with more than 100K subscribers. That’s an increase of 35% over last year. More than 350 of these channels have more than a million subscribers. The platform intends to continue to extend its support to Pakistani creators so they can pursue their passions and build careers in a responsible manner”.
As of June 2021, the number of YouTube channels making 1 million PKR or more in revenue is up over 110%, year over year. Whether a Pakistani from a remote village in Punjab or a metropolis like Karachi, YouTube has proven to be an effective medium for communication across the languages of Pashto, Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, or Urdu; enabling everyday Pakistanis to turn their passion into full-time careers.
About Google: Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
Kamran Hashim's Blog 