Acting President Visits Lahore
Acting President, Muhammadmian Soomro was in the provincial metropolis for a short visit. In fact, the Senate Chairman had availed the first available opportunity to pay an official visit to the town after he had taken oath as the Acting President to fill the vacuum created by the not so unexpected resignation by President and former Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. Muhammadmian Soomro held separate meetings with Governor Punjab, Salman Taseer at the Governor’s House and Provincial Chief Minister at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Shahbaz Sharif, who is also the PML (N) President. Acting President, Muhammadmian Soomro exchanged views with Governor, Salman Taseer and Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif on matters of national and provincial importance. Muhammadmian Soomro has been visiting the provincial metropolis as he has family and a personal house there.
Sherry Rahman at Seminar
Journalist and writer-turned-politician and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms Sherry Rahman also paid a short visit to the city a few days back. She was the chief guest, inaugurating the seminar on “Journalists Safety and Ethics”. The seminar was held at a local hotel under the auspices of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists. She also addressed a news conference thronged by the electronic and print media teams.
Independence Day Updates and Theatre
In connection with the Independence Day celebrations, organised by the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), a play “Yatra 1947” was staged at an Auditorium just across the road from Model Town. Punjab Governor, Salman Taseer, who was the chief guest, appreciated the stage play along with a large number of people including media personnel and intellectuals who swarmed the Auditorium. The play, under the heading “Celebrating Freedom, Commemorating Peace”, was conceived and directed by Kewal Dhallwal of Amritsar’s Theatre Group Manch Rang Manch. Artists were students who hailed both from Pakistan and India. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier, the play was to be staged during the Ajoka Theatre Festival but the Manch Rang Manch team members could not make it in time for the play. SAFMA had planned to stage the play at the Alhamra Cultural Complex in the vicinity of the Qaddafi Stadium in Gulberg but dilly-dallying tactics adopted by the official quarters concerned, forced the organisers to change the venue.
As was mentioned last week, while reporting the enthusiastic celebrations of the Independence Day in the provincial metropolis, where Pakistan Resolution was passed in a historic session of All India Muslim League on March 23 in 1940, flag hoisting as well as cake cutting ceremonies were held at scores of places all of which could not be mentioned in one go.
Provincial Assembly Speaker, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan hoisted the national flag atop the profusedly illuminated Assembly Building along with a number of male and female MPAs, rendering the national anthem en masse.
Flag hoisting ceremony was followed by colourful celebrations to celebrate the Independence Day in a befitting manner. Popular folk singer Shaukat Ali and other artists added colour to the festivities with their thrilling performances. Punjab University’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Mujahid Kamran hoisted the national flag at the Institute of Education and Research in the Quaid-I-Azam (new) Campus. Earlier, the ceremony was to be held at the Allama Iqbal (old) Campus. Faculty members and officials joined the Vice-Chancellor in rendering the national anthem.
And,Vice-Chancellor, Dr Khalid Aftab hoisted the national flag in the Oval Ground along with some faculty members and officials.
A Unique Exhibition
Despite all the technological and scientific advancements, fake products continue to be manufactured and marketed everywhere and the menace is increasing rather unabatedly. In order to create greater awareness among the public at large, a unique exhibition was held at the Aiwan-e- Iqbal at which neither paintings nor photographs but fake and fair products were displayed. Provincial Assembly Speaker, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan was the chief guest at the exhibition of Fair and Fake Products held under the banner of the Consumer Solidarity System. The Speaker and other guests were shown fake and fair products in pretty large numbers and told how they can differentiate between them.
Walima Celebrations
PML(QA) President and former Prime Minister, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain hosted a grand walima reception at a local hotel for his son Chaudhry Salik Hussain. A large number of people from all walks of life including politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats and businessmen turned up virtually from all over the country to felicitate the father and the son on the happy occasion. Almost the entire PML (QA) leadership topped by Opposition leader in the National Assembly and party’s Provincial President, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi were present on the occasion. (Retd) General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Speaker, Dr Fehmida Mirza were surprisingly absent at the celebrations.n
