Dr Sher Afzal Malik secures doctorate degree

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Another feather was added to the cap of the vastly experienced senior librarian, now Dr Sher Afzal Malik, who has recently secured the highly prestigious doctorate degree in a remarkably short period of time. 

Possessing an exceptionally large amount of knowledge, skill, and wisdom gained through 33 years of working in the field, the widely respected Dr Sher Afzal is also credited to be working proactively for the cause of library science and information management with his leadership roles in the Pakistan Library Association (PLA). 

He has been hailed as one of the pillars at the Quaid-e-Azam Library in Lahore where he has already served for more than three decades, having contributed immensely in adding value to the iconic institution. 

Dr Sher Afzal has obtained doctorate degree in the field of information management as the continued improvement of public libraries has remained of paramount importance to him. He has maintained that the public libraries have much bigger role to play than being mere depository of books and journals. 

For his services to the noble profession of his, he has also been recognized at the international level. The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) decorated him with the International Infoshare Award in 2024 while the same body appointed him a member of its International Membership Committee the following year. He has represented the country in various conferences and regional events. 

Keeping pace with the times, he has been advocating for creating digital libraries. In fact, he was reportedly instrumental in developing an E-library in Rawalpindi which earned him Life Achievement Award from the Islamabad Journalist Foundation. 

Dr Sher Afzal, over the years, has also proved himself to be a capable writer, having contributed to various journals and newspapers. 

Although he has penned articles on different subjects of interest for the masses, the focus has been on awakening the youth and encouraging them to read books to enhance their knowledge and become more productive in their careers.

Syed Foundation’s seminar highlights importance of women’s health

Dr Beenish Khalid 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Syed Foundation, in collaboration with the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Women’s Commission and Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan, organized a breast cancer awareness seminar at the Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC), Karachi, on October 28. 

The seminar brought together eminent personalities, healthcare professionals, athletes, and representatives of the social welfare organizations to promote awareness about breast cancer, emphasize the importance of early detection, and encourage women to take preventive measures to protect their health. 

Professor Dr Rufina Soomro, the keynote speaker, during her address, highlighted the importance of breast cancer awareness, timely medical examinations, and consulting qualified healthcare professionals whenever symptoms appear. 

She spoke about the urgent need to overcome social stigma, hesitation, and negative attitudes surrounding women’s health so that women can discuss their concerns without fear and seek timely medical care. 

The event was attended by Fatima Lakhani, Ronaq Lakhani, representatives of Dar-ul-Sukun Welfare Society, athletes from various communities, Dr Samina Wasif, Dr Sarah Khurram, Tabinda Hashmi, and Imtiaz Sheikh, Vice President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), along with other dignitaries. 

The seminar featured detailed discussions on women’s health, the recognition of early signs of breast cancer, timely diagnosis, and access to reliable medical information. 

The participants stressed that families, healthcare professionals, athletes, and social welfare organizations must work together to dispel misconceptions and overcome the social stigma associated with breast cancer. 

They also raised the vital point that ensuring women’s access to timely medical advice, emotional support, and accurate health information was indeed a shared social responsibility. 

At the conclusion of the event, the officials of Syed Foundation, led by Syed Wasim Hashmi, congratulated Fatima Lakhani on her appointment as Chief de Mission for the 20th Asian Games. 

They also extended their best wishes following the successful completion of her responsibilities and return, while appreciating her valuable contributions to sports administration. 

Syed Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to continuing initiatives and strengthening partnerships that promote women’s health, community welfare, and social awareness. 

Through such collaborative efforts, the Foundation aims to contribute towards building a healthier, better-informed, and more responsible society.

Syed Foundation was complimented by the various distinguished guests present on the occasion for their invaluable contributions in community service.

Book on Syed Babar Ali launched

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Muhammad Azfar Ahsan’s maiden book ‘Syed Babar Ali: A Centennial Tribute’ was launched with great fanfare at the Arts Council of Pakistan Auditorium, Karachi, on October 19. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be quite a memorable event with the presence of innumerable high-achievers. 

Generally, the book launch ceremonies at the Arts Council are not so well attended and neither do we come across these many luminaries assembling for this purpose but it was an extraordinary occasion by all means. 

The book itself is more than a biography, being a tribute to a century of vision, integrity, institution-building and selfless service. It is the celebration of Syed Babar Ali Sahib's legacy from the Packages Group to the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), from industry to education and philanthropy which continues to inspire generations. 

The insightful perspectives shared by the distinguished panel, which included the likes of Senator Dr Sarmad Ali, Dr Ishrat Husain, Dr Moeed Yousuf, Atif Aslam Bajwa, Zehra Nigah, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Syed Wasif Rizvi, and Muneer Kamal, besides the host, Ahmed Shah, enlightened the august gathering. 

They lavishly showered Syed Babar Ali with praise, recognizing him one of the real heroes of this country. While most of the speakers hailed him for his entrepreneurial accomplishments, Senator Sarmad Ali, President, All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), highlighted his love for nature, art and culture and literature. 

The ceremony was also attended by Aziz Memon, himself one of the most respected entrepreneurs and philanthropists. As a matter of fact, Syed Babar Ali has penned the foreword to the autobiography of Aziz Memon, titled Fabric of My Life’ which was published last year.

PLA election process nearing completion

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The election process of the Pakistan Library Association (PLA), which got underway about six months ago, is finally nearing completion and the ballot papers for the polling is now set to be dispatched all over the country, following the issuance of the final list of the candidates. 

The Election Officer, Munir Ahmed Baloch, vide an official notification dated October 16, announced the final list of the candidates which he was going to share for the information on all the members. 

He added that the ballot papers will be dispatched to members of Sindh for both the Headquarters and the Sindh Branch Council. All the members have been advised by the Election Officer that the details and relevant instructions regarding the electoral process will be communicated in due course of time. 

Although no deadline has yet been set for the submission of the balloting papers but it is being hoped that the election results would be declared within this year. 

The PLA, since its inception in 1957, has had a chequered history and its elections have been delayed due to different reasons in the past as well. The results for the elections being held for the next term of two years (2026-28) were originally scheduled to be announced earlier this month. 

Mandated to be the representative national body of the librarians in the country, the constitution of the PLA has been based on rotational basis and its headquarters is bound to be moved to another unit upon the completion of every term of a couple of years. Accordingly, the headquarters will now be shifting to the province of Sindh, upon the notification of the ongoing election results.

Younis Hashmi, other expatriates missing buddies, memories left in homeland

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It is indeed not uncommon to find profound nostalgia, home-sickness, and emotional fragmentation experienced by people living outside their native country, particularly by those in advance age groups. 

A short social media video, popularly known as a reel, has surfaced from the Canadian province of Ontario recently in which a group of senior citizens, having their roots in the Indo-Pak sub-continent, have candidly expressed their feelings of missing buddies and memories left behind in their homeland. 

The reel, starting with the remarks from Muhammad Younis Hashmi, a former Chief Librarian of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), captures the unique grief of leaving behind a familiar life and the social network that shaped who they are. 

“Having spent quality time with them for the last many years in Pakistan, I dearly miss my buddies, besides siblings and other close relations back home having relocated here,” Younis Hashmi declared. 

“It is a great collection of valuable comments from a talented, experienced, second innings holders of our society whom have spent a valuable part of their life to support, uplift and development of their families. Even today, they are extending their full sport for their family and society in Canada. Golden memories of home country are bound to come again and again because home is, after all, sweet home always,” the soft-spoken Sulakhan Singh commented while wishing all his friends and contemporaries a happy and healthy life ahead wherever they are.

Dewan Yousuf invited as speaker at summit of Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Dewan Mohammad Yousuf Farooqui, Chairman, Yousuf Dewan Companies, has been invited as one of the speakers at the inaugural summit of Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of the Muslim world being organized by the Al Ghazali University, Karachi, in collaboration with the League of Islamic Universities, on October 11 and 12. 

Acclaimed as one of the most respected industrialists, Dewan Yousuf will be speaking on the topic “Bitcoin in Pakistan and the Prospects for Developing a Shariah-Compliant Digital Currency” at 11 am on October 11. He has also been invited as a guest of honour in the closing ceremony to be held on October 12. 

The four broad themes of the summit are future-proof curriculum development; digital transformation and AI in universities; sustainable development and green economy; and entrepreneurship and community and industrial partnership. 

According to the information provided by the organizers, around 30 Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, and Presidents of universities including the Islamic University of Medinah (Saudi Arabia), Al-Azhar University (Egypt), Ez-Zitounna University (Tunisia), Gaziantep University (Turkiye), International Islamic University (Malaysia), and University of Palestine (Palestine) have confirmed their participation. 

Several dignitaries of Pakistan, including federal ministers and government officials, are also expected to attend the summit which seeks to find practical ways of integrating into academic curricula and syllabi, patriotism, counter-narrative of private militancy, all-inclusive concept of Islamic welfare state, nurturing the youth in line with national interests, and inculcating importance of national security. 

The summit will help address capacity gaps by enabling structured exchanges around its thematic areas like curriculum modernization, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship.

KCA celebrates World Cotton Day befittingly; highlights challenges

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) celebrated the World Cotton Day befittingly by organizing an event at the Federation House in Karachi on October 7. The global importance of cotton was brought to light on the occasion besides highlighting the challenges faced by the world’s cotton economies. 

The top KCA leaders, Muhammad Atif Shakoor and Rizwan Iqbal Umer in particular, discussed the multiple problems being faced by the cotton community in Pakistan for increasing production and meeting the rising costs of raw material for the local textile industry. 

Atif Shakoor, Chairman, KCA, urged the government to take all steps on war footing basis to increase cotton production, produce quality cotton and avoid imports of cotton to save foreign exchange for the country. 

Rizwan Umer, Senior Vice Chairman, KCA, reckoned that cotton holds a special place in the Pakistan industry. H pledged to make efforts to increase cotton production, improve quality of cotton and safeguard the interest of growers. He also emphasized on playing due role to strengthen the cotton trade and textile industry further. 

Prem Chand, Vice-Chairman, KCA, was of the opinion that various stakeholders like KCA, APTMA and PCGA should jointly take-up the matter with the government to increase cotton production, improve quality of cotton and allow import of cotton seed to achieve the desired results. 

Khawaja M Zubair, ex-officio member of Executive Committee and a former chairman, KCA, felt that in order to increase cotton production in the country, availability of healthy/certified cotton seeds to the farmers should be ensured by the Government. 

He suggested the need to organize a seminar on cotton for highlighting the problems being faced by the cotton trade and the country in the backdrop of drastic decline in cotton production and evolve solutions to overcome the situation for consideration of the government. 

Muhammad Arif Piracha, former member of the KCA Executive Committee, described cotton as an environmentally friendly crop. He advised to make a slogan of cotton that would help to ensure boost marketing of cotton. 

Chandarlal, a member of the KCA’s Brokers Advisory Committee and a licensed cotton broker, urged the KCA to send letters to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Federal Ministers for Commerce and Finance highlighting the importance of cotton in the GDP of the country and inform them that with the increase of cotton production, the trade deficit would be reduced considerably.