Arif Afzal Usmani shares his enthralling story of perseverance in KPC reception

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Enduring ups and downs of the highest order, journalist Arif Afzal Usmani, having fought his way for more than four decades to stay afloat and be counted as one of the respected names in the media industry, was formally recognized by Karachi Press Club (KPC), for the first time, on August 20. 

As declared in his remarks on the occasion, he felt elated by the honour bestowed upon him by the KPC whose top office-bearers were present to greet him at the boardroom where more than 30 members and guests, mostly his former colleagues and acquaintances, listened attentively. 

It was in the fitness of things that one of his closest contemporaries, Ehsan Qureshi, a former sports editor of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), and a former two-times Joint Secretary of the KPC, conducted the proceedings very professionally as he seemed to be knowing everyone present in the session rather well. 

While shedding light on the journey of Arif Afzal, he recalled the overwhelming contribution of the legendary broadcaster, Azeem Sarwar, who had mentored both of them besides numerous other youngsters who went on to succeed in sports journalism in the later years. 

Both, Arif Afzal and Ehsan Qureshi, holding the distinction of being a part of the inaugural episode of the Azeem Sarwar-classic, Aalami Sports Round Up, which went on air on the national hook-up of Radio Pakistan for the first time in June 1985. It duly became a blockbuster, breaking all previous records of listenership in Pakistan. 

Arif Afzal, now living in a posh locality of New Jersey, did not shy away from sharing that he hailed from a middle-class family of Landhi in Karachi and he had to work extremely hard to earn make ends meet. He cherished his first cheque at Radio Pakistan, which was worth Rs 50 as well as the maiden payment of Rs 25 received for his maiden article published in Daily Hurriyet. 

He disclosed about the theft of his motorbike in the late 1980s which, in the heat of the moment, left him heartbroken and he did not consider the country livable anymore although the magazine he brought out by the Club Cricket was faring very well in the market those days. 

Unable to find the suitable food of his choice, he spoke about his starvation for a few days, after landing in the United States for the first time. By his own admission, he had to wage a struggle to find a foothold in the bustling city of New York. He did not lose hope and continued to fuel his passion for writing even when doing different kind of jobs for earning livelihood. 

As many of his colleagues and friends would testify, Arif Afzal is credited to have continued working with missionary zeal despite the occasional setbacks. He has been an honest trier all along. He has not been afraid to experiment, having survived failures. Asia Tribune, a newspaper he bought 16 years ago, could still be seen and read online every day. 

Having relocated to the US more than 35 years ago, Arif Afzal expressed the desire to return to the home country for good, provided his better half, a dietician by profession, concurred.

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari’s demise marks end of an era in Pakistan librarianship

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, one of the founding fathers of library science in Pakistan, is no more. According to the sources, quoting his family, he breathed his last in the United States of America (USA) on August 8 at the age of 90. 

His demise marks the end of an era in Pakistan librarianship. He made monumental contribution in the country’s academic history as a pioneering scholar, educator, and visionary. He was credited to have dedicated more than six decades to structure and professionalize the landscape of Library and Information Science (LIS) in Pakistan. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari had served as a key early faculty member before becoming Chairman of the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Karachi, where he succeeded in shaping the careers of multiple generations of librarians. 

He founded the Library Promotion Bureau (LPB) at Karachi in August 1966. The bureau, which celebrated its golden jubilee with fanfare in 2016, appeared to have lost its momentum soon afterwards. The LPB published Urdu-language textbooks on library science besides providing resources to researchers. 

He had launched the Pakistan Library Bulletin in 1968 which was later renamed as the Pakistan Library & Information Science Journal (PLISJ). It became an internationally recognized journal which was also approved by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). He served as its Chief Editor for more than 50 years. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari authored and compiled dozens of standard textbooks, directories, and professional guides. His highly cited early works included the Pakistan Book Trade Directory of 1966 and Who's Who in Librarianship in Pakistan whose first edition was published in 1969. 

Upon retirement from the long stint of service in Saudi Arabia, he had relocated in USA but he had made it a point to visit Pakistan every year. Unlike the majority of his contemporaries, he had lost none of his zeal or passion even in his advanced age as he frequently travelled to various cities to receive first-hand information about the profession of librarianship. 

Hailed as a man of character, Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari will be greatly missed and the vacuum he has left may be impossible to fill. Sadly, the LPB and the PLISJ, the two entities which were very to his heart, are unlikely to last in his non-presence.

Sunday Book Bazar at Frere Hall lights Karachi on self-help basis

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sunday Book Bazar at the historic Frere Hall has continued to light the city of Karachi for nearly three decades, albeit on self-help basis, as the participating booksellers and vendors are still needed to share the operating costs among themselves. 

During a candid conversation with the weekly event’s Coordinator, Manzar Saqib Abbas, on August 9, it was revealed that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, (KMC), has only been providing the space inside the premises of the Frere Hall but the onus of bearing all other expenditure related to the Sunday Book Bazar was solely on the shoulders of the participants. 

The Sunday Book Bazar, it may be recalled, was the brainchild of a man called Saif-ur-Rahman Grami, who worked as Director Culture of KMC those days. It was first organized in 1997 as a part of the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. 

It has weathered many storms over the years, staying afloat despite the indifferent attitude of the departmental authorities, who have generally been reluctant to support such initiatives. 

Although it has gone on to become a regular feature, primarily because people are still indeed interested in visiting the place for the sole purpose of buying books, the KMC seems to have made negligible efforts to improve it. 

The credit goes to the bookworms and the booksellers for keeping it alive. The KMC could be expected to do more, in their role of facilitators. Isn’t it their responsibility to actively promote such undertakings? 

Manzar Abbas brought to light the fact that the Commissioner office, in the past, had taken interest in adding value to the Sunday Book Fair by approving a grant for this purpose. 

Sadly, he added, the funds had not reached them and they were still awaiting fulfilment of the commitment made quite a few years ago. 

He disclosed that an average of 15 stalls is set up by the booksellers on every Sunday throughout the year. There are quite a few attractions for the visitors to the weekly open-air book bazar as there is ample parking available in the compound, free of charge, as it brings together readers, families, and collectors every Sunday from morning until evening. 

The towering structure of Frere Hall is located on Fatima Jinnah Road in Civil Lines. It is not far away from the Cantonment Railway Station and the roads in this area are mostly clear on Sundays.

AKU-IED, Sindh Government establish a landmark partnership for inclusive education

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

In a move set to reshape how Pakistan educates children with disabilities, the Sindh Cabinet has approved a five-year partnership between the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) and the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently at the Chief Minister House in Karachi. 

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, who witnessed the signing, called it “not merely an agreement” but “a solemn commitment to every child with disabilities in Sindh that their dreams matter, their potential is recognized, and their future will no longer be limited by barriers." 

The partnership will establish an Inclusion and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Unit at AKU-IED, for training, research, and innovation that will house sensory rooms, therapy spaces and dedicated resource centres. The initiative aims to train more than 2,000 educators and, through them, reach an estimated half a million school children over the next five years. 

According to UNICEF, an estimated 96% of children with disabilities in Pakistan are out of school, with Sindh bearing a large proportion of this burden due to poverty, gender disparities, and limited functional accessibility. Overall, Sindh has 7.4 million out-of-school children, where disability acts as a major compounding barrier to attendance. 

"For too long, children with disabilities have been invisible in our education system. Today, we are making a promise to every family in Sindh that their children matter,” Tuaha Ahmed Faruqui, Secretary of DEPD, stated.

The initiative's most ambitious commitment is workforce transformation. AKU-IED will deliver modular courses, Training-of-Trainers programmes, and certification pathways to more than 2,000 educators. Its Bachelor of Education degree will offer specialization in inclusive education with monthly stipends. 

Beyond training, the collaboration establishes a province-wide research and advocacy agenda: baseline assessments, implementation evaluations, and annual policy commissions to inform government decisions. Biennial SEN conferences and policy seminars will convene experts and advocates, while public education campaigns will produce multimedia resources, toolkits, and community sensitisation initiatives to shift mindsets about disability inclusion. 

"This is not just an institutional milestone. It is a commitment to every child in Sindh who has been waiting for an education system that sees them, hears them, and empowers them," Professor Farid Panjwani, Dean, AKU-IED, reckoned. 

The Government of Sindh will provide grant funding, while AKU-IED contributes expertise and institutional resources. The SEN Unit will develop a strategic roadmap designed to sustain impact well beyond the five-year term. 

“The true measure of an education system is whether it reaches those who have historically been left furthest behind. By preparing teachers and schools to educate children with special needs, this partnership will help to ensure that all our children have the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President, AKU, recognized. 

The partnership envisions a Sindh where every child, regardless of ability, finds belonging, understanding, and empowerment in their classroom, a future now within reach.

AKU launches pediatrics manual to strengthen child healthcare

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Aga Khan University (AKU) has launched the AKU Manual of Pediatrics, a free, locally developed clinical resource created “by clinicians, for clinicians” to support the diagnosis and management of common childhood conditions in Pakistan. 

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Developed in collaboration with the AKU's Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the manual provides evidence-based guidance for pediatricians, family physicians, medical officers, residents, and other healthcare professionals and is available free through the AKU Manual website and mobile application. 

The manual was unveiled at a ceremony attended by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, as chief guest. 

"Strengthening Pakistan's health care system requires practical, actionable, evidence-based solutions that support our health care professionals. The AKU Manual of Pediatrics is an important step towards improving the quality and consistency of child health care, and I commend Aga Khan University on this valuable contribution," the Federal Health Minister noted. 

The ceremony brought together leaders from government, academia, professional bodies, and the healthcare community, including representatives of the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA), Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), Armed Forces Postgraduate Medical Institute (AFPGMI), Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN), together with pediatric leaders and healthcare professionals. 

Developed by the AKU's Centre for Clinical Best Practices with the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the manual provides 88 evidence-based clinical practice guidelines across 14 pediatric subspecialties. 

It is designed for pediatricians, family physicians, residents, medical officers, and other health care professionals, offering bedside-ready, point-of-care guidance tailored to Pakistan's context. Its Editor-in-Chief is Dr Adil H Haider, former Dean of AKU Medical College. 

The programme featured keynote addresses and a panel discussion on the role of locally developed guidelines in improving pediatric care and outcomes, before the official digital launch. 

“The AKU Manual of Pediatrics reflects a deeper purpose: to place reliable knowledge in the hands of those who care for children. When clinical decisions are guided by evidence, informed by global science, and rooted in local realities, we move closer to a health system in which every child has a fairer chance at life and health,” the AKU President, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, observed. 

"Science is universal, but practice is always local. When evidence generated elsewhere needs to be applied in Pakistan, it needs to be understood, adapted and trusted. Our manual is a step towards bridging that gap," Prof Dr Fyezah Jehan, Chair of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at AKU, added. 

The manual is available free of charge through a mobile application and the University’s website.

Which is stronger, fear or guilt?

By Zara Waqas

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Guilt is like a heavy sack on your back. “Just remove the sack”. “Pretend it isn't there”. Guilt is the strongest thing a person can ever feel. It makes people rethink their decisions, it makes breathing in peace feel impossible. It is impossible to not just think about it. 

You get reminded of it every single second you have to yourself. “I could have done better or why did I even do that. May be, I shouldn’t have done it”. 

Guilt can be expressed in many ways, crossing someone, ruining someone's day or even more complex expressions. It's like an endless sea. However much you try to get out, it just swallows you whole and the thing is, there is no way to get out of it. 

You are in the middle of the sea, stranded. No way to go, endless water, waves which make you feel stronger guilt. As you try to get to calm water, the waves just follow you and attack right as you were getting peace. 

There is no way to get out. Stop running. “How do I stop running” and I have to face it. “I can’t face it” you can’t. You keep running away from it, regretting every single second of your life which led you to that moment. The waves hit you stronger every single time. No escape. You try to distract yourself. Go out. 

Hang out with friends. Help your mom in the kitchen. Write in your journal. Watch a vlog. But when you get a moment to rest, you are reminded about that moment again and again. 

Late at night, you can't sleep. You toss and turn, repeatedly. You get hit with stronger waves. You can't find any distractions so all the waves hit you all at once like a wrecking ball. Every single decision you make, you overthink it. “Will I mess up again? Or “Am I making the wrong decision again?” You can't get a moment of peace. This is a shame. 

Although there is healthy guilt. You do something wrong and you get pushed to make it right. Sometimes, that guilt never ever leaves. There are two types of guilt, one makes you grow and the other makes you criticize yourself again and again. 

Guilt makes you replay moments again and again in your brain. It increases stress levels and makes you think like you are the person in the wrong even though sometimes it isn’t your fault at all. 

Guilt is pretty strong and sometimes, people can’t handle it at all. It is better that we start to control it rather than to try and finish it. 

Fear is also a very strong emotion. The real question is: which is stronger? I just told you about guilt. Let's talk about fear now.

Fear is a very important emotion in which you feel some kind of danger, or you get a feeling that this isn’t right. That this is not good. 

Fear is sometimes, rarely useful. It can help you from taking decision, sometimes these decisions are bad ones. You think about them because the idea of it makes you shiver in fear. You feel something wrong and the brain quickly tells you about it and passes the message to the muscles. 

Your blood starts pumping faster, your heart is racing, your mind is overworking itself with the endless possibilities on what will happen. Fear of heights, dark spaces, being alone, fast cars, long words, failure, rejection, judgement, dogs, animals, bugs, open spaces, enclosed space and the list could go on forever. 

Fears can go from the simplest of things to the most complex things. Understanding your fears is very important. Most people say “overcome” your fears. But that's not really possible is it now? 

You fear something, when you come across it, your body immediately gives you signals, your brain starts working rapidly and fear isn’t something you can stop just like guilt. You can’t stop these two emotions. 

A difference between the two is that fear is a future threat. And guilt is something that has happened in the past. Fear is like being scared, nervous and not ready to face things. Guilt is feeling an unhealthy amount of remorse and regret. 

These both combine usually. For example, you lost someone in the past and it might have been because of you and that brings you guilt. But it also brings you fear of ever losing someone again. 

You can think of guilt and fear as twin sisters, some differences included. Then there is their elder sibling. Shame. Shame can pull inwards both of these emotions and turn them into something else entirely. 

It mixes with guilt and makes you criticize your own self. “I did something bad to I am bad or that is a huge problem to I am the problem”. It mixes with fear the same way: “I don’t feel good, I don’t feel safe to maybe I am too weak” or “I feel like throwing up in enclosed spaces to I am just a cry baby”. 

These two emotions mix with shame to trap you in an endless cycle, or a loop. Which one do you find stronger?

Tariq Zakaria urges duty cuts to overcome LABSA shortage

By Gul Nasreen 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Vice Chairman of Pakistan Soap Manufacturers Association (PSMA), Tariq Zakaria, has pointed out that detergent, soaps and allied products manufacturing industry was facing an acute scarcity of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA) HS Code 3402.3100. 

“LABSA is a key raw material used in the production of detergents, dishwashing liquids, soaps, and other cleaning products. The shortage has significantly disrupted production and increased manufacturing costs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),” he observed in a press release. 

“The custom duty of this raw material is 10% besides sales tax 18%, income tax 5.5% and regulatory duty of 4% while for commercial importers an additional sales tax of 3% and income tax is 6% are imposed. The government must consider and accommodate commercial importers to serve the national companies by importing sulphonic acid,” he appealed. 

Tariq Zakaria regretted that the national manufacturers of LABSA were currently unable to produce sufficient quantities to meet the growing demand of the domestic industry due to shortages of the required raw materials, as a result of which many manufacturers were operating below capacity, while others were struggling to continue production. 

“Industry representatives have urged the Government of Pakistan to take immediate measures to address this critical situation by abolishing the anti-dumping duty and regulatory duty on the import of LABSA. Removing these duties would reduce production costs, stabilize the supply chain & help manufacturers continue producing essential household cleaning products at affordable prices,” he reckoned. 

“The industry has also requested the Government to allow commercial importers to import LABSA and supply it to local manufacturers producing detergents, dishwashing products, and other finished cleaning products. This step would help overcome the current shortage and ensure uninterrupted industrial production,” the PSMA Vice President added. 

“Furthermore, industry representatives have emphasized that existing policies and incentives largely benefit multinational companies, while Pakistan's small & medium enterprises receive limited support despite playing a vital role in employment generation and industrial growth,” he concluded.