Wednesday, July 17, 2013

OLD PICTURES- Nostalgia


OLD PICTURES- Nostalgia
 
Rana Liaquat, wife of Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, with famous American animator, film-maker 
and entrepreneur, Walt Disney, in 1951. 


Broadcaster, Mustafa Ali, announcing the creation of Pakistan on the radio at 12 am, August 14, 1947. 



Fatima Jinnah, sister of the founder of Pakistan, Muhamad Ali Jinnah, playing with her dog at
 her residence in Karachi in 1959. 


US Vice President, Richard Nixon, writing his comments on the visitors’ book at Radio Pakistan’s Karachi station in 
the 1950s. With him is famous Pakistani radio personality, Z A. Bokhari. 


A hotel and pub in Karachi’s Malir area. 


A traffic constable directing traffic near the famous Metropole Hotel in Karachi in 1960. Today the hotel serves as 
a wedding hall and parking lot. 


A 1962 tourism poster for Karachi. 


Pilots and cabin crew of a PIA flight meet Chinese revolutionary leader and Premier, Zhou Enla (early 1960s). 

A 1963 ad for the Tudor cigarette brand. Tudor was launched by the Pakistan Tobacco Company specifically to target 
the market of women smokers in Pakistan. 


European tourists take a walk at Lahore’s Shalimar Gardens, 1966.

Current Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, poses with his car as a young man in late 1960s. 


Pakistanis and tourists wine and dine at Karachi’s Beach Luxury Hotel in 1969. 


Chairman PIA, Nur Khan, hosts a party of the airline’s staff in late 1960s. Under Khan, PIA rose to become one 
of the top 10 airlines in the world.


A 1969 press ad of Pakistan’s Murree Beer. 


A bar, restaurant and ballroom in Swat, 1970. 


Former Pakistan military dictator, General Yayah Khan having dinner with famous Pakistani singer, Noor Jehan in 1969. 
Yayah was having an affair with the popular vocalist and former actress. 


The cover of a 1967 issue of the National Geographic. It had a special photo feature on Pakistan’s tourist resorts, 
wildlife and politics. The cover shows two Pakistani women on a swing. One’s from a village in the Punjab (part of West Pakistan)
 and the other from a village in the Bengali-dominated East Pakistan. 


A winning candidate of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) during the 1970 General Election. The PPP swept the election in the 
Punjab and Sindh provinces of West Pakistan. 


Nadeem sharafi,s Jeep Infront of The famous Taj Mahel Cinema in Karachi, 1970. It was torn down and turned into 
an apartment block in the 1980s. 


One of the first Pakistani pop stars, Alamgir, in Karachi (1973). 


A tourist tries to navigate a treacherous road in Dir, 1972, in the former NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). 


A cinema house in Peshawar, 1972. 

Natives of a Sindhi village drench a European tourist with cold water from a well to beat the summer heat (1973). 


Young American and European tourists with locals at a restaurant in Ziarat, Balochistan, in 1973. 


Students outside the Arts Lobby at the Karachi University in 1974. 


Famous Pakistani painter, Jamil Naqsh, with a model in Karachi in 1974. 


Pakistani Christians pose outside a church in Lahore in 1975. 


An all-girl Iranian pop band that toured Pakistan, with famous Iranian singer Madam Gagosh in 1974. 


 Western tourists wait at a bus stand in Sibi, Balochistan (1975).
 
 
A 1975 press ad for one of Pakistan’s largest selling cigarette brand, Red & White. 


Western tourists enjoying a few rounds at a restaurant Karachi’s Tariq Road, 1975. 


Tourism peaked in Pakistan in 1974-75. Over a million tourists passed through or landed in Pakistan between these two years.
 The government declared tourism to be an industry. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Tourism issued a special 
stamp to celebrate Pakistan becoming a popular tourist spot in the South Asian region. 


A PTV host interviewing world wrestling champion, Anokhi (from Japan) who arrived in Karachi in the late 1970s to 
compete with Pakistan’s famous wrestlers, the Bholu Brothers. 


Begum Nusrat Bhutto kissing her daughter, Benazir Bhutto, in Karachi’s Mid East Hospital, 1978. Benazir was arrested by 
the Zia regime after he toppled her father, Z A. Bhutto’s government in July 1977. She developed a serious ear infection in jail 
and was finally shifted to the hospital for an operation. She was shifted back to jail after the operation. 


Famous progressive Urdu poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, with legendary Indian actor, Dilip Kumar, 1979. 


LP cover of Nazia and Zoheb Hassan’s first album, ‘Disco Dewane’ (1980). 


One of the first batches of the ‘Afghan Mujahideen’ arrives in the tribal areas of Pakistan, 1980. 


Front page of the (now defunct) Pakistani English daily, The Muslim. It has a photo and story on the Pope’s first ever visit of Pakistan
 in 1981. The 
   Pope held a rally at Karachi’s National Stadium. 


Future US President, Barak Obama with a Pakistani friend in 1982
 
Mr. Obama US President with his friend Mr. Nadeem Sharafi and Ms Jane Shakaowksi, US Senator in Chicago - 2005


Western tourists near the Attock Bridge in Punjab in 1982. 


Famous American film actor and star, Robert Di Nero (left) during a pleasure trip in Chitral, north Pakistan. 


Popular revolutionary poet, Habib Jalib, being manhandled by the police during an anti-Zia rally in Lahore in 1981. 


The premier of ‘Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom’ at Karachi’s Nishat Cinema, 1984. In 2012, the cinema was burned down 
by religious fanatics. 


Passengers at the Karachi Airport are shifted to another plane after a Pan Am flight they were on was hijacked by Arab terrorists and 
forced to land in 
   Karachi in 1986. Pakistani commandos stormed the plane and shot dead the hijackers.
 Some of the passengers were also killed in the crossfire.
 
    
The Pakistan Cricket team celebrate the winning of its first major trophy, Sharjah, 1986. (from Left): Abdul Qadir, Mohsin Kamal,
 Javed Miandad, Mansoor Ilahi, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Mansoor Akhtar. 


Future Pakistani Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq with trophy at school, 1987. 

Benazir Bhutto waves to the crowd at her wedding reception in Lyari, Karachi in 1986. 


Hosts joke during PTV’s marathon transmission of the 1988 General Eelection. Benazir Bhutto won the election. 


Legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, arrives at a college in Lahore during his 1988 visit to Pakistan. 


A 1989 magazine centrefold of Pakistan’s deadly pace attack of the late 1980s: Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, 
Waqar Younis and 
   Aqib Javed. 


Pakistani pop band, The Strings in 1989. They were part of the first wave of new Pakistani pop bands that dominated 
the charts in the 1990s. 


Pioneers of the new wave of Pakistani pop music, the Vital Signs in 1989. 


MQM Chief, Altaf Hussain, at MQM member, Farooq Sattar’s wedding in Karachi.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Being Authentic

In his book, The Transparent Self, Sydney Jourard explains, "When I say that self-disclosure is a means by which one achieves personality health, I mean something like the following: it is not until I am my real self and act my real self that my real self is in a position to grow. One's self grows from the consequences of being. People's selves stop growing when they repress them."

The problem of hiding and repressing one's true self, feelings and motives goes back to the first man, Adam. When he sinned he felt guilty and exposed, so he hid himself. When God called, "Adam, where are you?" Adam replied, "I was afraid so I hid." Fearing God might condemn and/ or reject him if he admitted what he did, Adam hid to defend himself.

Sin has the same effect on us all. Fearing rejection for our sins, failures, negative emotions, and false motives, we hide from God and then from other people. And, if we do this long enough, eventually we hide from ourselves until we no longer know who or what we really are. Personal growth then ceases and death as an authentic person begins.

To be fully alive and fully functioning, we need to be very much aware of the masks we hide behind and what we are hiding. Only when we face our reality; that is, our secret sins, dark side, and supercharged repressed negative emotions, and confess these to God and to at least one other trusted person, can we ever feel forgiven, free, and become authentic and real.

As they say in AA, we are as sick as our secrets. Also, it's not the truth that hurts us but letting go of the lies; that is, letting go of the masks and defenses we hide behind.

There are numerous ways we hide to avoid facing our dark side and to medicate our pain such as the following: being too busy, becoming a workaholic or even a religious-aholic, or in other addictive behaviors. We use chemical dependency, intellectualism, theological rigidity, legalism, saccharine sweetness, an austere bearing, control of others, being a super-personality, codependency, and a score of other ways. Only when we stop acting out in these self-defeating ways and face our inner pain can we ever have a chance of overcoming what we are hiding from. Hiding from the truth keeps us in bondage. Furthermore, living in denial can be deadly! It can destroy relationships and take years off one's life.

The tragedy is that most of us will do absolutely anything to avoid facing our reality and feeling our pain. However,  to heal it we need to feel it, admit it, own it, and bring it to God, to a trusted friend and, if needed, to a qualified counselor for healing and recovery.

Dear God
please help me
to be real
and connected
to every broken part in my life
every unresolved issue
every buried emotion
and any block in me
that hurts my relationships
and stops my feeling
and experiencing
your love
and affirmation
at the very core of my being.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

Friday, June 28, 2013

Talk Is Cheap

A man bought a parrot at an auction after some heavy bidding. "I hope this bird talks," he told the auctioneer.

"Talk ?" the auctioneer replied, "Who do you think has been bidding against you for the past ten minutes?"

Sad to say we seem to be living in a day when a person's word has less and less value. Once upon a time a man's word was his bond. Not any more I'm afraid. For far too many their word doesn't mean a thing. We've become pretty adept at parroting what we think people want to hear.

I remember one of my college professors teaching us that a person's character (among other things) could be measured by what value he or she puts on his/ her word. People who don't keep their word have a character issue and cannot be trusted.

Fortunately, however, of one thing we can be certain, God always keeps his word and always keeps his promises.
Dear God
please make me
a man/woman
of my word
so I can always be trusted
to say what I mean
mean what I say
and do what I say I will do.
 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Life With a Purpose


Motivational speaker, Mark Victor Hansen, said, "Setting goals is one of the most important things you can do to guarantee your personal, professional and financial success. Goals are like a road map to your target destination. Each goal accomplished is another mile behind you on the way to where you want to be."



Years ago I heard another speaker say, "Success is the ability to embrace a worthwhile goal and employ all of your powers for the achievement of that goal."

A life without goals is like a ship without a rudder drifting where the winds and waves of chance direct. However, even more important than setting goals is to first discover one's God-given life purpose and then establish goals to fulfill that purpose. 

Dear God
please help me 
to discover 
and clearly define 
my God-given life purpose 
and then direct me 
in the setting of worthwhile 
and specific goals 
that
with your help 
and my commitment
will assure 
the fulfillment 
of my life purpose. 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

As You Think




Golfer Arnold Palmer has won hundreds of trophies but he never flaunts these. In his office is only one trophy on display. It is a small cup he received at his first professional win at the Canadian Open in 1955.

On his office wall is this lone framed plaque that reads:

If you think you are beaten, you are. / If you think you dare not, you don't. / If you'd like to win but think you can't, / it's almost certain you won't. Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, / But sooner or later, the man who wins / is the man who thinks he can.

Life's battles, challenges, successes and/or failures are all fought, won or lost in the mind.

Be assured, too, that "what the mind dwells on the body acts on." If you don't agree with this, just think how temptation works.

Dear God
please help me 
to guard my heart 
and mind with all diligence … 
and keep my thoughts focused 
on things that are 'true, pure, and of good report.' 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Choices

It has been wisely said that "it is choice not chance that determines our destiny." The fact is that we are where we are today primarily because of choices we have made in the past. Furthermore, we will be where we are in five, ten, or twenty years—and throughout eternity—based on choices we have or will yet make.

Floyd Lane, a talented basketball player who attended City College in New York in 1951, accepted a $3,000 bribe to shave points in just three games. Because other players were doing this, he decided to go with the group.

Big mistake. He and the other players got caught, arrested, and expelled from school. For the next 23 years he was unable to get a job as a player or a coach in sports because of what he had done. Finally, in 1974 his old college employed him as a coach.

When we make mistakes, which we all do from time to time, it's encouraging to know that we still have the choice to put things right. Fortunately, when we admit what we have done, God forgives us. And where possible, where we have hurt others, we need to make amends for what we have done. We also need to forgive ourselves. The important thing is to think first, pray, and make wise choices from now on. 

And most critical of all is to choose to accept God's forgiveness. Whatever else, DO NOT leave earth without God's gift of forgiveness. 

Dear God
please help me 
to make wise choices 
in everything I do
—especially in choosing 
to love 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Give of Your Best

Give of Your Best

I have read how on one occasion when visiting Scotland Queen Mary was strolling with a group of children. Suddenly the sky turned gray and thick, dark clouds appeared. The queen stopped at a nearby house and asked if she might borrow an umbrella. She told the lady of the house, 'I'll send it back to you tomorrow.' The lady was understandably reluctant about lending a good umbrella to a total stranger, but she remembered that she had an old one in the attic. One rib was broken and there were several ragged holes in it, but she nevertheless, turned it over to this lady at her front door with a weak apology.

"The next day there was another knock at the door. This time, when she opened it, a man in gold braid stood with a big envelope in hand. 'The queen sent me,' he said, 'and asked me to thank you for the umbrella.'"

Can you imagine how this woman must have felt knowing she gave the Queen a broken umbrella and didn't give her best.

For those of us who claim to be God Fearing I wonder how we will feel at the end of life's journey when we stand face to face with God to give account of our life and realize that we didn't give God our best—but only our broken "unwanteds." 

Monday, June 10, 2013

Uncommon Common Sense

Have you ever noticed that common sense is not very common and that much of our reasoning is not always reasonable?

We have all sorts of reasons and excuses for why we say what we say and do what we do. And then there are the real reasons—the motives behind our choices and actions.

People come to discussions with hidden agendas. Some bully to get what they want. Others manipulate. Some even quote or misquote Scriptures to get things done their way. Whether this type of control is with a high and mighty hand or in a sweet, manipulative manner makes no difference. Both are equally dishonest and are destructive to personal growth, conflict resolution, and interpersonal relationships.

Common sense tells us that we need to avoid these and all other dishonest games. Being truthful can be difficult at times, but when our words are spoken in love, it is the only way to grow and develop healthy and intimate relationships.

While God doesn't make our choices for us, he has, as noted in today's Scripture passage, promised to give wisdom (common sense) to all who ask him. So wisdom is available if we will ask God for it and truly mean it.

Dear God
please give me
wisdom
and discernment
so that my life
will bring much glory
to your name.
 

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz

Monday, June 3, 2013

Thoughtfulness


According to William A. Ward, "Thoughtfulness comes in many forms, and is virtually always welcomed by its recipients. Thoughtfulness is a habit—a way of life well worth cultivating and practicing.

"The thoughtful person is quick to pay a well-deserved compliment, or to send a prompt note of congratulations to someone who has received a promotion, an honor, or special recognition.

"Thoughtful people don't wait for opportunities—they imaginatively create numerous opportunities to make life brighter, smoother, and more enjoyable for those about them. Our thoughtful attitudes and generous deeds can make many people happy—including ourselves."

Being thoughtful is being kind, it is being loving.

Today, make sure you go out of your way to be thoughtful and kind—first of all to your own loved ones … and in some way to every life you touch.

Dear God
please help me
to be loving
kind
and thoughtful today
to my own loved ones
and to someone
who needs
a touch from you.

Thank you for hearing and answering my prayerz.

دنیا بدل چکی ہے

 دنیا بدل چکی ہے اظہر عباس  اسرائیل جو مظلومیت کا رونا روتا تھا اب ظالم کے روپ میں ہے۔ یورپ امریکہ کا ساتھ نہیں دے رہا۔ امریکہ کے ایجنٹ ممال...