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A daily review of media coverage of media and communications issues. |
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Media Protest
Watchdog flays threats to media by MQM |
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Reporters without Boarders have expressed its concern over threatening statement issued by Mohjir Rabta Council (MRC) affiliated to the MQM. One of the journalist named told Reporters Without Boarders on condition of anonymity that he was scared because “having your name on the list means that MCR wants to eliminate you.”
(Post-A12)
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Aaj TV attack condemned by APNS, concerned over ‘anti MQM’ label on journalists |
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The All Pakistan Newspapers Society has condemned the May 12 attack on the offices of Business Recorder and Aaj TV and urged the federal government to institute a judicial inquiry into the matter and evolve a rapid response system to provide security and protection to the premises of media establishments and to the life of mediamen, says a press statement issued on Thursday. According to the statement, APNS Secretary-General Mohammad Aslam Kazi announced that the executive committee had considered the report of the facts-finding commission on receipt of complaint of violence against daily Business Recorder and Aaj TV.
(Nation-3) (Nation-4) (Khbrian-8)
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/25/nat18.htm |
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Mohajir Rabita Council should retract statement, says PFUJ |
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The recent press release issued by the Mohajir Rabita Council (MRC), which named some journalists and columnists as chauvinists, was unacceptable, said the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) that has appealed to media groups and demanded that immediate safety and security measures be taken for all journalists working in the print and electronic media. In a statement issued Thursday, the association urged the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to use its influence on organizations such as the MRC and ask them to withdraw the press release, since it will not only create insecurity among journalists, but would also harm the democratic culture and freedom of expression in Pakistan.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\25\story_25-5-2007_pg7_19 |
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PFUJ demands adequate security |
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The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), in an appeal to all media groups, has called for immediate safety and security measures for journalists, including comprehensive life insurance, in view of increasing incidents of violence and threats against them. In a statement issued here on Thursday, the PFUJ expressed concern over what it termed record rise in incidents of violence against journalists and other media personnel in 2007. Terming unacceptable a recent press release issued by the Muhajir Rabita Council, which had named some journalists and columnists as chauvinists, the PFUJ urged the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to use its influence on organisations like the MRC to withdraw the statement, as it would not only create a feeling of insecurity among media personnel but would also harm the democratic culture and freedom of expression in the country.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/25/nat17.htm |
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Journalist raised issue in MQM press conference in Karachi |
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During the press conference of MQM leaders a journalist rose to draw attention of MQM leadership towards a list of 20 journalists prepared by the Muhajir Rabita Council, who could be eliminated. The MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar totally disowned the council and its list, saying such trends had nothing to do with their party.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_default.asp |
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Media Unions
Press Club office-bearers elected unopposed |
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Muzaffargarh Press Club's office-bearers were elected unopposed on Wednesday. Ijaz Rasool Bhutta was elected patron-in-chief, Abdus Sami Khan patron, Yaqeenuddin chief executive, Naeem Ahmed Khan president, Muhammad Azhar Dogar senior vice president, Rana Nazar Muhammad vice president (first), Malik Mazhar Hussain vice president (second), Saifur Rahman Baloch vice president (third), Rana Amjad Ali Amjad general secretary, Farooq Sheikh deputy secretary, Dr Akhtar Ali additional secretary and Abid Hussain as finance secretary. All these office-bearers were elected unanimously. Five members of the executive committee were also elected unopposed.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98827&catid=2 |
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Media Workshops
PF workshop concludes |
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A three-day workshop on Article Writing organized by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) concluded here on Thursday at Abdullah Government College for Women. Principal Prof. Shamsu Jehan inaugurated the workshop while college lecturer Noorain Aleem supervised the arrangements. Tauseef Ahmed Khan, the Chairman, Department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST), and Lecturer, Masroor Hafeez were the chief guests. Over 40 students of BA Part-I and II along with the lecturers of the FUUAST participated in the workshop. PPF Chairman Fazal Qureshi delivered his lecture on news making and article writing to the participants. Later, the Principal and chief guest distributed certificates amongst the students.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/arc_news.asp?id=4 |
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Media Miscellaneous
Shabir new Press Secy to Prime Minister |
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Senior Information Group officer Shabir Anwar will take charge of new Press Secretary to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here from today (Friday). “The Prime Minister has given formal approval for his appointment as Press Secretary and a notification will be issued sometime on Friday,” said an official here when contacted. Shaukat Aziz called Shabir Anwar at the PM House and held a detailed meeting with him and approved his appointment whereas the outgoing Press Secretary Javed Akhtar will be appointed as Director General of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). Javed Akhtar served as the PM Press Secretary for two and half years.
(Jang-8)
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http://nation.com.pk/daily/may-2007/25/index16.php |
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Gondal new Punjab information secretary |
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Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Director General Ashfaq Ahmad Gondal has been made the Punjab information secretary. A notification to this effect will be issued today (Friday). Gondal has worked as principal information officer (PIO), APP director general, the Punjab director general of public relations and press secretary to former Prime Minister Zafrullah Jamali and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Javed Akhtar, the press secretary to the PM, has been made Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation DG. Mian Shabir Anwar, DG at the office of Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani, has been made Press Secretary to the PM.
(Nawa-i-Waqt-1)
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\25\story_25-5-2007_pg7_53 |
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Mobiles phones snatched from the Post workers |
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In a burglary in I-9 police station area Islamabad, unknown robbers snatched mobiles sets from two The Post workers at gun point. The Post workers Syed Imran Abbas and Shehzad Ashraf were standing outside TIP office. Robbers were riding on a motorbike. Police station I-9 has registered case against unknown robbers.
(Khabrian-8)
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Media University to impart quality education: Durrani |
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Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Khan Durrani lauded the courage and unrighteousness of young journalists and vowed to give more freedom to media in Pakistan while talking to delegation of students of Mass communication department of Bhawalpur.
(Nation-13)
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Media Department at National College of Arts starts working |
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The Department of Film and Television at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore has enrolled its first batch for the session 2005-2009. The department, established through a project approved and funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), offers a four-year undergraduate degree in Film and Television Production. The project was approved by HEC in August 2004 .The commission provided funds for the renovation of existing building and procurement of equipment for the establishment of a studio. It was decided that every year 16 students will be selected for the four-year undergraduate course in Film and Television Production. The department will also launch a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Script and Screenplay Writing. Besides, plans are underway to offer other certificate, diploma courses and a master's degree programme in future.
(Nation-14)
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98904&catid=17 |
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The Maan of NUML |
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Seniors have always been a source of guidance and inspiration for the juniors at any institution, as they impart to them a spark of knowledge which keeps them alive and thriving. Following the example of their seniors, they build up their future along the same lines. This kind of initiative was first taken by the students of Mass Communications Department of NUML. An association comprising old students of the department was established, excluding the 5th batch of mass communications students of NUMLS, at the first ever colorful get-together party held at the NUML premises. It was the first reunion of its kind by the Mass Communications students and first at any university in the twin cities. The name MAAN which means 'pride and honor' was suggested by Ch. Habib Asgher, which stands for Mass Communications Alumni Association NUML. Amidst beautiful environment near F-9 Park, the event was well arranged and well conducted.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=98911&catid=17&date=05/25/2007&fcatid=14 |
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Information Minister Govt spokesman |
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The NWFP government has clarified that NWFP Minister for Information Asif Iqbal Daudzai is the spokesman of the provincial government who has been performing duties as spokesman. A notification issued by NWFP government has said that only NWFP Minister for information is authorized to present view point of government on all policy matters.
(Nation-20)
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Letter to the Editor: Freedom of Press? |
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Sidra Haroon, “The press is no stranger to the government’s intimidation tactics, but any efforts to silence it or dissuade it from doing its job will have unpleasant consequences. A free press is an essential ingredient for a democratic society.”
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/LetNews.aspx?dtlid=98856&catid=4 |
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BBC rebuffs Pakistani legal claim over Woolmer programme |
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The BBC voiced surprise on Thursday that a Pakistani journalist is seeking substantial damages from the broadcaster for allegedly inferring he was linked to cricket coach Bob Woolmer’s death. Ehsan Qureshi, a correspondent with the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, said Tuesday that footage of him talking to Woolmer was used by the British broadcaster in a defamatory manner. The segment, part of a Panaroma programme called “Death at the World Cup,” showed Qureshi in conversation with Woolmer at a social event during the two days before the coach died, he said. Qureshi’s lawyers, in a legal notice they said was served to the BBC, said the programme “gave an impression as if me and the other gentleman accompanying him were the suspects or had anything to do with the death of Bob Woolmer.”
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\25\story_25-5-2007_pg2_5 |
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A tribute to our dear departed Ahmed Hassan Alvi |
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Asrar Ahmed founding member of PFUJ has paid rich tribute to leading journalist Late Ahmed Hassan Alvi, “May God rest his soul rest in peace but keep his restlessness for the common good of the journalists community alive.”
(Dawn-17)
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Akhbar Farossh demands permanent place for Akhbar market |
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The leaders of Akhbar Faroshan (Newspaper Sellers) Union of Rawalpindi have demanded a permanent place for Akhbar market in Rawalpindi. Government should provide a permanent place for newspaper sellers. They asked that government should provide 100 built cabins in different parts of city to newspaper sellers. Leaders also made demand that residential plots should also be allotted to newspaper sellers. Free medical treatment should be facilitated. The Express report on Newspaper sellers of Rawalpindi.
(Express-9)
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Television
DawnNews TV’s test transmission from today |
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DawnNews, Pakistan’s first English language TV news channel, will commence its test transmission on Friday (May 25) evening from its head office in Karachi. The 24-hour DawnNews broadcast will be fed by a network of newsrooms and studios located in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore and supported by a string of news bureaus in other cities and towns in the country. Owned by Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt) Ltd, the publishers of DAWN, the network has over 300 journalists working under the Director News, Mr Azhar Abbas. Mr Abbas has had a distinguished career in electronic and print journalism. He was formerly Managing Director of GEO News. The network also has a team of veteran journalists and qualified newcomers demonstrating a strong reliance on agenda-broadening areas, such as environment, education and fine arts. “The synergy of a young generation of film-makers and news journalists at DawnNews is expected to gradually transform Pakistan’s information scene,” says a spokesman for Pakistan Herald Publications.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/25/top4.htm |
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Radio
FM-93 launched in Islamabad |
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Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Thursday launched its channel FM 93 Pakistan here which can be heard at a frequency modulation of 93. PBC Director General Ashfaq Ahmed Gondal inaugurated the channel. FM 93 Islamabad station is the part of a chain of 47 FM channels of PBC that will be launched across the nation by the end of this year. The first FM 93 station was launched in Multan in April. It was because in Multan there was only one private FM channel was operating and PBC felt to establish their FM channel in order to provide quality entertainment to the people of Multan and its adjoining areas. The main objective behind launching FM 93 in Multan is to promote most ignorant language of the country that is Siraiki.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98908&catid=17 |
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Benazir calls for FM stations for all parties |
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Chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto has urged the government to immediately grant permission to all political parties to set up their own FM radio stations to balance the access to the public between moderates and extremists. In a statement released here, she said the PPP was opposed to discrimination in award of permission for FM radio stations. She alleged that extremists against women education and vaccinations for children were being given FM radio stations to broadcast their views, while moderate political parties were not given the same opportunity. She said that extremists could carry out illegal acts like operating FM stations without seeking permission, grabbing state lands, kidnapping police officials and other citizens, while political parties were being denied the right to law itself.
(Nation-5)
http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/25/nat3.htm
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\25\story_25-5-2007_pg7_27
http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98915&catid=17 |
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Movies
Sixth Lux Style Awards: plan unveiled |
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The unveiling ceremony of the Lux Style Awards took place at a local hotel on May 24, 2007. It was announced by Unilever Pakistan that the sixth annual awards ceremony will be held at the Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia on July 20, 2007. The ceremony was attended by stars from the entertainment, music and fashion industry including Reema, HSY, Ali Zafar, Deepak Perwani, Aijazz Aslam, and many others. The Lux style Awards will be held this year in collaboration with Citigold and the awards ceremony will be officially known as the Citigold Lux Style Awards. According to the organisers, the awards are given to honour the best talent in Pakistan’s film, television, music and fashion industry and are the only local awards which cover these categories.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=57582 |
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Rangeela's death anniversary observed |
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Salman Rangeela, son of renowned film actor and comedian Rangeela, observed second death anniversary of versatile artiste Rangeela on Thursday at Evernew Studio. No one from Pakistan film industry, except technicians, came to attend the anniversary. It is ironic that the artistes who claimed a lot about artistes’ welfare do not have time to recall late legends. Rangeela gave unparalleled performance in the field of comedy. He had around 550 films to his credit. He was a singer, film director, writer, producer and distributor. He also composed music for films.
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http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/may-2007/25/localnews6.php |
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Many throng European Film Festival |
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Scores of people thronged the German Cultural Centre to watch European movies on the second day of the European Film Festival, showing a 108-minute Italian movie 'La Febbre' and the 89-minute Dutch movie 'Hush Hush Baby' directed by Alessandro D'Alatri. La Febbre centred on the life and reign of Congo's former president and dictator General Mobutu, who over-threw the government of President Lumumba and ruled Congo for three decades from 1965 to 1997. The story is said to parallel the current political scenario of Pakistan while President Musharraf allegedly imitated the exact role played by General Mobutu on taking control of the government.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/CityNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98872&catid=3 |
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Telecommunication
ITCN Asia to be held in Karachi |
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The seventh IT Commerce Network (ITCN) Asia will be held in Karachi from August 9 to 11, at the Karachi Expo Centre. An announcement from E-commerce Gateway Pakistan on Thursday, said that the event would serve as a comprehensive showcase for the latest technology, equipment and accessories along with other allied IT services. It would also provide investors with a definite outlook of the regional IT and Telecom industry and provide them with an opportunity to meet their prospective counterparts and business partners. The organisers further pointed out that the ITCN Asia 2007 incorporates a variety of events such as Security Asia and Consumer Electronics Asia. ITCN Asia 2007 is being organised by E-commerce Gateway Pakistan in collaboration with the Ministry of IT and Telecom, the Ministry of Privatization and Investment and the City District Government Karachi.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=57583 |
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Mobile phones import up 28% |
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The import of mobile phones grew substantially by 28.01 percent in the first ten months of the current financial year. In the last three years, the import of mobile phones has increased by almost six times. Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $728,283 during July 2006–April 2007 of the current fiscal year as compared with $568,930 during the same period in July 2005–April 2006. During July 2006–April 2007 of the current fiscal year, other telecom machinery worth $1.83 million were imported as against $1.56 million during the same period in July 2005–April 2006, depicting an increase of 17.35 percent.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\25\story_25-5-2007_pg5_3 |
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Taiwan’s telecom group postpones visit |
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Aftershocks of the May 12 carnage continue to cause jitters as a Far Eastern business group due to explore opportunities of telecom investment has refused to visit Pakistan on security grounds. A local telecom consultancy group, which arranged the visit of Taiwan-based EPI Technologies, received a communique from the company’s management, which suggested a travel ban from its board of directors following bloody incidents in Karachi. Pakistan’s communication sector has attracted $1.41 billion of foreign direct investment during the first nine months of 2006-07, retaining the top position among all other sectors. Figures released by Federal Bureau of Statistics suggest foreign investment in telecom jumped 34 per cent during July-March 2007.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=57485 |
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Art
Miniatures, abstracts exhibition starts |
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A curious amalgam of traditional miniature art and innovative abstract art is on display in a painting exhibition at the Alliance Francaise d’Islamabad. Nine National College of Arts students have exhibited their masterpieces in the exhibition. They have painstakingly used Mughal and Persian figurative drawing techniques to understand miniature painting composition. The exhibition will conclude on May 28.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\05\25\story_25-5-2007_pg11_9 |
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Theatre
Street Theatre campaign against HIV/AIDS |
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Following a successful completion of its first quarter, Pattan Lok Natak and National Aids Control Programme launched the second quarter of "Street Theater Campaign against AIDS/HIV". During the first quarter, the campaign was run in different urban and rural areas of Lahore and Rawalpindi divisions where more than 30,000 people were given awareness on AIDS/HIV issues. According to a news release, people enthusiastically responded to these theaters. Dr Asima Bukhari, Director National Aids Control Programme said that NACP would put all efforts to control AIDS/HIV in the country and would utmost try to prevent the society from this menace.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=98917&catid=17 |
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DISCLAIMER: The contents, including news and headlines, in this newsletter are reproduced from their respective publications ad verbatim as a public service to media observers. Internews does not author the contents and these, therefore, do not necessarily reflect organizational policy.
Updated at 11:00 PST (06:00 GMT) |
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