One Pound Fish Man: Pakistan’s Shahid Nazir song gets record deal with Warner Music

 

London: A Pakistani fish seller at a London market, Mohammad Shahid Nazir, is about to sign a record deal with Warner Music for his unique style of selling fish by singing.

“Come on ladies, come on ladies, have a, have a look, one pound fish. Very very good, very very cheap, one pound fish,” goes his song.

Nazir was spotted after a YouTube video of him singing at the Queen’s Market, Upton Park, got more than 3.6 million views, The Sun reports.

British star Alesha Dixon and US boy band Mindless Behaviour have both recorded versions of the song.

Nazir said: “People have come from Australia, the US, Canada and all over Europe. They don’t come here to work or shop, they come for One Pound Fish Man.”

Shahid moved to Britain just over a year ago with the hope of making enough money to send to his wife and four children in Pakistan.

On his first day at the fish stall, his boss told him to shout to customers to get their attention. He said he did not like shouting, and so made up a song.

News Details: The News Tribe

Pakistani: Arslan Khan

KARACHI: Regardless of the current scenario sketched by international media, Pakistani youth have enough potential to lead the world as the same has been proved by the series of international awards won by Pakistani youngsters from Arfa Kareem to Shayan Aneeq Akhter and from Humaima Malick to Arslan Khan whose documentary film, ‘Kingdom of Women’ was acclaimed one of the world’s best documentaries, at none other than the Cannes Film Festival in France.

Arslan Khan holds the honour to have debuted with a documentary film that was screened at the short films corner of Cannes Film Festival. The youngster focused the renowned ‘Mina Bazaars’ of Karachi, where women are both sellers and the buyers.

Talking about the film, Khan said that he tried to portray the real picture of society with various success stories about underprivileged women. He was of the view that negative angles of society are often exploited deliberately. Elaborating his viewpoint, Khan said that the total population of Pakistan is about 180 million with the ratio of women being 52 % i.e. 100 million. He further said that around 250 cases of acid attacks were registered last year, which is a miniscule number of women being subjected to such violence. “On the other hand, around 200,000 success stories are annually reported about Pakistani women”, he added.

Khan further said, “The influential international media illogically highlights the minimal negative stories while ignoring the positive ones and those involving Pakistani women’s achievements.” As per his opinion, the worst face of Pakistan was presented to the global community under Western conspiracy. He said that domestic violence prevailed across the globe and even Western countries were its victims, however, only Pakistan’s case is the one exploited. He said that circumstantial crimes couldn’t be eliminated even in most developed parts of the world and one couldn’t declare a segment of society as deprived on its basis. Khan further said although a part of Muslim community merges its family tradition with the religion and imposes irrational embargos on women, Islam indeed is the religion that bestows women with uttermost respect and freedom.

He said that he was astonished to see that men were strictly prohibited entries in ‘Mina Bazaars’, places where a large number of women had been successfully running their businesses. Khan further said that he produced the film under acute shortage of funds. He also said that the achievement came as a result of teamwork and particularly his director, Amna Khaishgi’s endeavours. “At the time when we were facing problems in the editing of film, fortunately Abu-Dhabi Film Commission offered us its post-production facility and then selected the documentary for the top-nine category of documentary films at Abu-Dhabi Film Festival in October 2011.

Following the competition, the film became only Pakistani documentary film to be placed at festival film archives of New York University, Abu Dhabi and UAE National Film Library. The library also recommended them for entry in the Cannes festival, where finally the film was selected for screening.

Khan’s life tells us that he is an absolute self-made man. He has been bearing his expenses since matriculation. Living on his own rules in a third-world country was a tough task for him. Following his philosophy of life and desire to prove, he sacrificed various opportunities to earn money, go abroad and financially stabilise himself.

Khan decided to become an actor, writer and director, rejecting an attractive executive job abroad, when he was an unemployed youngster who refused assistance from his family. Before becoming an icon among his social and media-related circles, he faced ignorance, and rejection but remained steadfast. Finally, success knocked his door and he got a chance to become a writer, director and actor all at the same time. Gradually, he started getting opportunities to write dramas and perform with mainstream media groups of the country, including the state-run television. Now he works independently and is writing two feature films that revolve around various social issues. In his message to the youth, he said that a man has to decide his destiny determinately and then leave the rest to nature, which helps him achieve his goal. “Trust in Almighty Allah and yourself”, he advised.

 

Details: Daily Times

PkPositive News Of May-12

Report on “Women in Pakistan IT Industry” Unveiled : ProPakistani

Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) today unveiled its research report on working women in Pakistan IT industry, in a press conference held in Karachi.

In the context of HR policies and practices, a majority of women were satisfied with their work environment.

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Pakistan short film on drone attacks gets international award: The News Tribe

A short film by two students of a Pakistani on United States drone attacks in Pakistan and its societal affects has won an international film making award.

The film was awarded with Best Audience Award at National Film Festival For Talented Youth Washington, US.

Filmmakers Muhammad Danish, writer and director, and Atiqullah, producer of the short film, are students at Iqra University, the leading private Pakistani management institute.

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Citi Pakistan wins ‘Best CSR Programme’ award: Good NewsPK

Citi Pakistan has been awarded the ‘Best Community Programme’ award for its pioneering work in microfinance and vocational training at the International CSR Awards 2012.

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Afridi makes list of 100 top professionals: Ary Digital

Former captain of national cricket team and one of the top all-rounders of the world, Shahid Afridi’s name has been included in British International Biographical Centre’s list of 100 Top Professionals of 2012.

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Pakistan student wins International Student Paper Award 2012: The News Tribe

A Pakistani student has won International Student Paper of Year Award 2012 by Project Management Institute, world’s leading project management institute.

Muhammad Ehsan Khan, PgMP, PMP, is a project management practitioner and consultant who has been associated with this growing profession for more than a decade.

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Pakistani Students Gets 4th Positions At Intel Science Fair: Learning PK

Two Pakistani teenagers to get fourth place and cash $500 award at the Grand Awards Ceremony of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair on Friday in Pittsburgh.

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Hamid General Homoeo honored: Times Of Pakistan

Dr. Willmar Schwabe Germany, the world’s largest and most reputable manufacturer of Homoeopathic medicines has accorded the certification of Largest Importer of Schwabe single remedies worldwide to Dr. Hamid General Homoeo, Karachi, in recognition of their outstanding merit on selling single remedies of Dr. Willmar Schwabe Germany.

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Intel ISEF 2012: Peshawar girl wins science accolade: Express Tribune

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2012 was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Three Pakistani teenagers Shiza Gulab, Mahnoor Hassan and Bushra Shahed attained fourth position for their project titled ‘Energy Square for Cattle.’

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Pakistani Students Develop GUI Platform for Configuration of Cisco Routers: ProPakistani

Four Pakistani students from Sir Syed University Karachi have developed a user-friendly, easily manageable software with graphical user interface to configure/control a variety of large-scale cisco routers, which are usually controlled/configured through command line.

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Eight Pakistanis to get posthumous awards as UN recognizes peacekeepers’work: APP

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (APP)  – The United Nations is set to honour at a solemn ceremony on Tuesday, May 29, the sacrifices of 112 peacekeepers, including 8 Pakistanis, who paid the ultimate price in serving the cause of peace in hot spots around the world last year.

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Pakistani girls shine at Intel, science and engineering fair: Dawn

Three Pakistani students were awarded US$ 500 for their innovative project entitled “Energy Square for Cattle” at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2012, a program of Society for Science & the Public.

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LUMS prominent in “100 Business Leaders of Pakistan”: The News Tribe

The university Pro-Chancellor Syed Babar Ali, Rector Abdul Razak Dawood, and Vice Chancellor Dr. Adil Najam are all featured in the list of 100; the first two as amongst the most prominent corporate leaders in Pakistan, and the third as a leading educational leader.

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CJP receives Int.Jurist Award: Saach.TV

London: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has been awarded the prestigious International Jurists Award 2012.

CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry received the award from Lord Phillips, President of the Supreme Court of the UK, for his “unique and tremendous contribution in the field of administration of justice and for the tireless and fearless endeavors towards administration of justice in Pakistan against all odds.”

Pakistani: Safirullah Siddiqui ‘Lehri’

Safirullah Siddiqui ‘Lehri’ (January 2, 1929 – September 13, 2012) was one of Pakistan’s greatest comedians who made his name in Urdu films.

Lehri won the Nigar Award for around a dozen films. He acted in approximatelt 225 films

The late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto provided him with a monthly stipend of Rs. 2,500 during her first tenure, which he continues to receive, though there has been no increase in the amount.

On January 2, 2012, Nawaz Sharif and members of his party visited Lehri at his “rihaish gah” or residence, enjoyed his jokes, and wrote him a check for Rs. 25 lakh.

 Lehri died on 13 September 2012 at 9 am in Karachi. He had been under treatment in a private Karachi hospital at the time of his death.from Pakistan.

Grieving over the demise of Lehri, Qavi Khan said there is no one like Lehri; he was an institution in his self, adding he was unique in his style, “I have never seen the likes of him anywhere.”

Lehri in Anwer Maqsood Show:

Lehri in “Yes Sir, No Sir”:

Arif Lohar wins over New York music buffs, critics alike

 NEW YORK: American music critics heaped praise on Pakistani folk singer Arif Lohar, after his stunning performances in New York last weekend.

Lohar performed to rapturous applause and well beyond the scheduled hours during the two sold-out Asia Society concerts in the Big Apple.

“The songs were devotional, and the mood was euphoric,” Jon Parleles, The New York Times critic who was once a noted musician himself, said of Lohar’s performance.

“There’s something puckish about Lohar’s stage presence, even when he’s belting 17th-century mystic poetry,” he said in his review, which was accompanied by photographs of Lohar performing and the audience in the packed auditorium dancing and waving.

Likening the Pakistani entertainer to Michael Jackson, Parleles went on to say, “Mr Lohar arrived with pop trappings. Like something out of a Michael Jackson video, his band wore long, black quasi military coats, with sequined gold hearts where badges might have been.”

“Even in the formal confines of the Asia Society auditorium, concertgoers stood up and danced as the beat and the spirit swept the room…”

Meanwhile, Richard Gehr, while not using superlatives in his review for the Village Voice, said Lohar’s sufi hit “extended over an increasingly delirious 30 minutes, with chorus after chorus of this 17th-century poem by the Sufi mystic Sultan Bahu reaching new heights of show-biz fun with a sacred slant.”

Both shows were sold-out events and when they concluded, Lohar and his band left the audience demanding encore and on their feet.

The concerts also featured Pakistan’s Arooj Aftab.

“Lohar and Aftab’s two concerts were part of Asia Society’s ongoing initiative Creative Voices of Muslim Asia, made possible by support from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art,” Asia Society’s website said.

News Details: Dawn News

Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid wins Oscar Award

Los Angeles: For the first time in the 84 year history of ‘Oscar Award’, world’s prestigious award, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, a Pakistani director has won ‘Oscar Award’ for her documentary film ‘Saving face’.

Chennai present at the occasion said that she wanted to dedicate her award to all those who worked in the film. “For all those women in Pakistan working for change this is for you” she added.

The story of the documentary film was based on Pakistani women who suffered from the acid attacks on their faces. Former MNA Marvi Memon also participated in the film.

The film was released in the year 2011. The film stars and other people related to showbiz in Pakistan have appreciated the effort of Sharmeen to raise voice for the deprived women in Pakistan.

News Details: The News Tribe

Sharmeen Obaid is the first non-American to win the Livingston Award, She also won Emmy Award in 2010.

Canadian Pop star Kristie Yung tribute to Alamgir

Kristie Yung pays tribute to one of the pioneers of POP music in South Asia, the legendary Alamgir.