Day: January 31, 2009

PESHAWAR: Maulana Fazlullah, chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Swat chapter, on Friday announced relaxation in the ban on girls’ education by allowing students to attend school up-to fourth grade.

In an interview with the BBC Urdu Service, he said the issue of girls’ education was being discussed by the Taliban Shura and the ban would be reviewed.“We are not against girls’ education. We are against obscenity and anti-Islamic practices. We want to create the right conditions so that girls could receive proper education,” he stressed.

Maulana Fazlullah, one of the most wanted men in Swat and believed to be hiding somewhere in the Matta area, defended beheadings and argued that this punishment for spies was in “accordance with Islamic teachings”.

In reply to a question, he said the military operations in Swat had intensified in recent days. However, he said the Taliban fighters had done their planning to retaliate. “The army should have started military operations to stop US drone attacks on Pakistan instead of bombing and shelling Swat and killing people,” he said.
Source: The News
Date:1/31/2009

KARACHI – Feedback from the viewers can help people, associated with the entertainment industry, mend their work and motivate them to strive for the best. But, over the years, time has proved that quality of production has been a hallmark of women producers as compared to men.

At PTV, Sultana Siddiqui and Saira Kazmi had left concrete imprints on the minds of their viewers with their production quality. Great work has its own value and it stands at a strong level.
The young blood in the mainstream production today has shown variety and versatility outlook in their work. A TV enthusiast Shenaz Ramzi commented, “Among the producers row for boosting Pakistani drama industry, Momina Duraid is probably the best and grab the top slot of the producers, as she has been successful in producing several quality plays.” She said, “Atiqa Odho, Mehreen Jabbar, Zeba Bakhtiar and Rubina Ashraf have gave a new wave in the line of drama production. The way they knit stories to sensitivity, no man in the production field can do that.” There was a time when men held the supreme position as far as producing and directing plays were concerned. But the road has been rebuild as private channels have paved the way ahead for stronger media production and a teamwork that encourages young women to become a part of it.

Source: The Nation

Date:1/31/2009