Diamond Jubilee of Department of Geography University of Karachi Pakistan. (2012-22)

 

One of the primate departments of the university, Department of Geography was established in November 1952. Its first Chairman, Dr. M.B. Pithawala was followed by Dr. Oskar Schmeider, Dr. Ibadur-Rehman, Dr. Shamsul Islam Siddiqui, Dr. Muhammad Ismail Siddiqui, Prof. Abdur Rauf Khan, Mrs. jamilaSarwar, Dr. Fazla Karim Khan, Dr. Iqtiday Husain Zaidi, Dr. Qazi Shakil Ahmed, Mr. Syed Asif Ali, Dr. (Mrs.) RAzia Afzal Niazi, Prof. Dr. Birjies Talat, Prof. Dr. FArkhunda Burke, Prof. Dr. Syed Jamil Hasan Kazmi, Prof. Dr. Khalida Mahmood and the current Chairperson Prof. Dr. FArkhunda Burke who have earnestly and painstakingly taken the department from its inception to the status of a glittering diamond. The department has been fortunate to be served by eminent, internationally reputed geographers and faculty including the uncoming, enthusiastic faculty members.

The department is housed in a two-storeyed building with lecture rooms, research laboratory, a well catalogued seminar liberary, staff rooms, girls’ common room etc. The Seminar Library containing more than 2000 books acquired by the department, through donations by retired teachers and ex-students, caters to the needs of more than 450 students. The Map Library containing about 3000 maps, ranging from topographical maps of various areas, maps of various cities and administrative maps of different scales; some aerial photographs and satellite imageries are available in the Department. The wall maps along the corridors pertaining to various regions of the world, and varying fields of geographic specialization give the department a geographic air. Satellite imageries of Pakistan and Karachi mounted on the elevations, express that maps are an essential tool of geography.

New perspectives in geography have evolved with the advent of Geographical Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Computer Aided Design (CAD). The department boasts of a computer laboratory for hands on working of students. A fully computerized research laboratory has been inaugurated by the Dean Faculty of Science, Prof. Dr. Nusrat Jamil, to cater to the thirty two registered research scholars.

An ‘A’ class Meteorological Laboratory established in 2003, in the foreground of the department is located on the WMO map. Regular reading are regularly dispatched by Supporting Staff trained for this purpose. The Abdur Rauf Khan Museum of Pre-History, contains relics of pre-historic cultures of Pakistan, collected from an area extending to about 120 miles around Karachi. The material ranges from early Paleolithic age through Middle and upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic to Harappan Age. Vertebrate fossils of Miocene Age derived from Sindh Kohistan and coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan are on display in the museum.

To commemorate Celebration of Diamond Jubilee of Department of Geography University of Karachi, Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.15/- denomination on November 19, 2012.

92nd Birth Anniversary of Hameed Naseem. Men of Letters. Pakistan (2012-21)

 

Hameed Naseem was Mufasser-e-Quran, Poet, Writer, Critic, former Deputy DG Radio Pakistan, former Director of the PIA Arts Academy, an acclaimed broadcaster and was called “broadcaster” by critics and his contemporaries. He was born on 6th October, 1920 at Shah Pur Kundi, District Gurdaspur. He was a prodigious learner and poet and started writing poetry at an early age in School days. He got opportunities to intermingle with poets and intellectuals like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Dr. M.D. Taseer who were close friends of his father Abdul Aziz, known as Aziz Bitalvi, who had profound interest in poetry. He matriculated from M.B. High School Lahore and graduated from MAO College Amritsar. Later he moved to Lahore and did his M.A. Engilish from Islamia College Lahore where he was the leading poet, orator, and prose writer of the College and was especially known for his melodious voice (taranum) which always swayed the mushairas by its profound effect. During these days, he was a regular visitor of the famous Arab Hotel, which lay across the Islamia College Lahore and Nageena Bakery near Anarkali; both places were established rendezvous for the literati, poets, and scholars of the thirties and early forties and other intellectual community of Lahore. It was during this time that he received poetic inspiration and guidance from Sufi Tabassum and developed lifelong friendship with him as well Zia Jallandari, a leading poet and who regularly prodded poet inside him and motivated him for other research and literary endeavors.

His Tafseer-e-Quran, named, Ta’aruf Al Furqan, is composed of 5 volumes and provides in-depth and detailed commentary on Quran, with references to comparative religions. He wrote booklets, Aurat Islam Ki Nazar Main, for general readers to remove their some misconceptions about the role of woman in Islam and The Message of Islam, for the English speaking communities for better understanding of the basic Islamic concepts.

He was a promising poet of his times and his collection of poetry, Dood-e-Tahayar (The Smoke of Wonderment), is an important work of classical ghazal structures, and shows his confident grasp of the art of poetry writing which is guided by the rules of poetry and its rhetoric. His collections of poetry, Jast-e-Janoon, Gard-e-Malal, are also rated as valuable to Urdu literature. He was also a known critic who wrote critique on many poets and his book, Allama Iqbal Hemaray Azeem Shaaer, Panch Jadeed Shair, Kuch Aur Ahim Shair, introduction to Kuleeyat Shafeeq Fatima, are widely acclaimed among the literati circles. His book, “Allama Iqbal Hemaray Azeem Shaaer” was awarded Presidential Award posthumously on Iqbal Day in 2003 which was received by his widow, Nafisa Begum, and daughter, Seemin, from the President of Pakistan at the occasion of Iqbal Day in Lahore.

Notwithstanding his great contribution of producing 5-volumes’ of comparative religion commentary on Quran Hakeem, his autobiography Namumkin Ki Justajo, published in 1990, will remain his most memorable work and is still rated one of the best autobiographies in Urdu literature. This autobiography is unique in two ways – firstly, it is written in third person and secondly, it shows a picturesque kaleidoscope of cultural and literary life in Lahore and Amristar and in many parts of the world in those times, wherever he lives or visited, which have now vanished, and his contemporary personalities and events. It vividly portraits the days at MAO College Amristar, Islamia College Lahore, early days of Radio, and events of his colleagues like Meeraji, Noon Meem Rashid, Krishan Chander, greatest of them all, Prof. A.S. Bukhari, the first Indian to become Director of All-India Radio. Due to these peculiar characteristics of this autobiography, it has been called Ahad Nama by the critics.

Mr. Hameed Naseem also served as Director of the PIA Arts Academy in 1967 for few years and used his talents as a programme person in the promotion of Pakistan art and culture at international levels, mostly the destinations of the PIA at those times. At the twilight of his life and career, Mr. Hameed Naseem was researching and writing, Adbi Urdu Nasar, which could not be published due to his sudden death in 1998 and is still available with his heirs as a manuscript.

He was one of the pioneers and founders of Radio Pakistan after the creation of Pakistan. He started daily programme, Pakistan Hamara hay, from Radio Station Lahore which tried to inculcate national integration among the newly founded nation. He wrote many national songs (Qaumi Taranay) during the wars of 1965 and 1971 which were sung be eminent singers like Ustad Amanat Ali, Farida Khanum, Noor Jeha,. He had a long career in Radio Pakistan and was widely respected as a famous broadcaster and many posthumously remember his reputation as broadcasters’ broadcaster. He also served at BBC in London for few years on deputation but returned to Pakistan for love of the people and the country and declined all lucrative offers of staying at the BBC. The BBC remembered his contributions by placing a floral commemorative wreath on his grave after his death. He strated the programme, Roshni, and Quran-i-Hakeem aur Hamari Zindigi and conducted the programme himself for years in his typical broadcaster’s voice. This religious programme was so much popular among the listeners that it was broadcasted for decades till recent years. He was also founder of the Radio Station Hyderabad and appointed its first Station Director. Hameed Naseem retired as Deputy Director General but kept serving the Radio Pakistan as Advisor on Religious Affairs till the time of his death, and even performed his duties on the last day of his life, 28th September 1998.

His death was widely mourned in the literary circles, Radio Pakistan, PTV, and the electronic media relayed news and the print media published news reports as well as special features. Many famous poets and writers wrote obituaries in the national dailies and Literary Magazines, acknowledging his contributions for the Urdu literature, religion and Radio Pakistan. Hameed Naseem will always be remembered for his valuable contributions to Urdu literature, Poetry, history of Pakistan, and most importantly expounding our great religion.

On 92nd Birth Anniversary of Hameed Naseem, Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on October 19, 2012.

Wetlands Of Pakistan. The Arabian Sea Coral Reefs. (2012-20)

 

Wetlands of Pakistan The Arabian Sea Coral Reefs Commemorative Postage Stamps October 4, 2012:- Coral Reef Discovery Along Makran Coast, (Arabian Sea) Pakistan:- Coral Reefs are the “Rainforests” of the ocean. Reefs are ecologically important ecosystems and have a high biodiversity that serves as a storage bank of rich genetic resources. They are a source of food and medicine, and they protect the coast from wave erosion. Scientists have found an abundance of compounds to help fight heart disease, asthma, cancer, HIV and more.

Coral reefs are structure made of limestone deposited by living organisms. Although thousands of species inhabit coral reefs, however, only a fraction production produces the limestone that build the reef. The most important reef building organisms are the corals. Although there are hundreds of different species of corals but in general they are classified as either hard or soft coral. Hard corals (hermatypic) grow in colonies and are the architects of coral reefs.

Coral reefs are one of the oldest environments on earth. Most of the existing reefs have been growing from over 5,000 years.

There are three basic kinds of coral reefs: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs grow in shallow waters close to the coast. Barrier reefs are separated from land by lagoon, growing parallel to the coast and forming a large and continuous reef. Atolls are ring-shaped reefs that develop near the sea surface on underwater islands or island that sink, or subside.

Coral reefs are vital to coastal fisheries. It provide spawning, nursery, refuge and feeding areas for a large variety of organisms, including economically important crustaceans (e.g. shrimps, spiny lobsters and crabs).

A field mission of the Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP), lead by coral expert from Millport University, UK, indentified the first ever coral reef ecosystem near the Astola Island. Before this discovery it was blindly believed that coral reefs are not existed in Pakistan’s jurisdiction of the Arabian Sea.

The basis of information collected about coral reef associated fish species from the fishing areas near Gwader, an expedition team encompassing divers from PWP and Pakistan Navy conducted a survey of the possible coral sites in 2011 and discovered large area of deep sea coral near Gwader. This underwater survey was conducted in five sites in Gwader along the Arabian Sea. The most significant sites were: Cher Koh, Baladi Koh and Ganjabad. The coral colonies occurring at the Cher Koh, Baladi Koh and Ganjabad are mostly in growing stage and present a healthy condition.

Coral cannot survive it the water temperature is too high. Global warming has already led to increase levels of coral bleaching and this is predicated to increase in requency and severity in the coming decades. Adverse affects of this phenomenon cannot be avoided in terms of reefs ecosystems along Makran Coast.

On Wetlands of Pakistan (The Arabian Sea Coral Reefs), Pakistan Post is issuing a set of four commemorative postage stamps each denomination of Rs.8/- on October 4, 2012.

PAKISTAN WILDLIFE SERIES MIGRATORY BIRDS IN PAKISTAN (2012-19)

Migratory Birds in Pakistan Wild Life Series Commemorative Postage Stamps September 27, 2012:- Siberian Crane Order: Gruiformes. Family : Gruidae:- Siberian Cranes are widely dispersed in their breeding areas and rare highly territorial. They maintain feeding territories in winter but many form small and loose flocks, and gather closer at their winter roosts. They are very diurnal, feeding almost all through the day and their migration is done. When feeding on submerged vegetation, they often immerse their heads entirely underwater. When calling the birds stretch their neck forward. The context of several calls have been identified and several of these vary with sex. Individual variation is very slight and most calls have a dominant frequency of about 1.4khs. the unison calls duets between paired males and female however are more distinctive with marked differences across pairs. The female produces a higher pitched call which is the “loo” in the duetted “doodleloo” call. Pairs with walk around other pairs to threaten them and drive them away from their territory. In captivity, one individual was recorded to have lived for nearly 62 years while another lived for 83 years.

White Stork Order: Ciconiiformes. Famiy : Cicniidae:- The White Stork is a large bird. It has a length of 100-115 cm (39-45 in) and a standing h4eight of 100-125 cm (39-49 in). The wingspan is 155-215 cm (61-85 in) and its weight is 2.3-4.4 kg (5.1-9.7 lb). Like all storks, it has long legs, a long neck, and a long, straight, pointed beak.

The sexes are indentical in appearance, except that males are larger than females on average. The plumage is mainly white with black flight feathers and wing coverts; the black is caused by the pigment melanin. The breast eathers are long and shaggy forming a ruff which is used in some sourtship displays. The irises are dull brown a bright red beak and red legs, the coloration of which is derived from carotenoids in the diet. In parts of Spain, studies have shown that the pigment is based on astazanthin obtained from an introduced species of cray fish (Procambarus clarkia) and the bright red beak colours show up even in nestlings, in contrast to the duller beaks of young White Storks elsewhere.

Snow Geese Order: Anseriformes. Family : Anatidae:- The Snow Geese has two color plumage morphs white (snow) or gray / blue (blue), thus the common description as snows and blues.

White morph birds are white except for black wing tips but blue morph geese have bluish grey plumage replacing the white except on the head neck and tail tip. The immature blue phase is drab or slate-gray with little to no white on the head, nick or belly. Both snow and blue phase have rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills with black tomia (cutting edges) giving them a black “grin patch”. The colors are not as bright on the feet, legs and bill of immature birds. The head can be stained rusty-brown from minerals in the soil where they feed. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away.

Shoveler Duck Order : Anseriformes. Family : Anatidae:- This species is unmistable in the northern hemisphere due to its large spatulate bill. The bredding dark has an iridescent dark green head, white breast and chestnut belly and flanks. In flight, pale blue forewing feathers are revealed, separated from the green speculum by white border. In early fall the male will have a white crescent on each side of the face.

Non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake resembles the female. The female is a drab mottled brown like other dabblers, with plumage much like a female Mallard, but easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray tinged with orange on cutting edge and lower mandible. The female’s forewing is gray.

On Migratory Birds in Pakistan (Wild Life Series), Pakistan Post is issuing a set of four commemorative postage stamps each denomination of Rs.8/- on September 27, 2012.

30 Years of Sialkot chamber of Commerce & Industry. (2012-18)

 

30Th Years of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce And Industry (1982-2012) Commemorative Postage Stamp September 26, 2012:- The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry is one of the Top Chambers of the Country representing the export oriented industry of Sialkot. The Chamber was established in 1982 and the late Mr. A. D. Bhutta was its founder President.

The city of Sialkot is known world over for rich industrial heritage in the field of Sports goods, Surgical instruments, Military Uniform Badges & Accessories, Musical Instruments which has now expanded with addition of Martial Arts Equipments & Accessories, Knives & Cutlery, Gloves, Leather Garments, Sports wears, add more sectors etc. The local business communities, despite many constraints, have accelerated the pace of industrialization in the city, which had been originally progressing at a snail pace. The reason of this very slow progress was that the fact no trade body was there to give protection to the interest of the local industrialists. The Sialkot Association of Trade and Industry was formed in 1976 and it was affiliated with Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The said Association provided progressive and appreciative services to the business community. There were 1000 firms registered with the association within a span of seven years up to 1982. Owing to the efforts of the said Association most of the Government regulatory offices were shifted to Sialkot, but because of the bureaucratic attitude of the Government functionaries, decision on most of the cases could not be taken.

In view of the problem and difficulties of the trading community, the urgency of constituting a Chamber was widely felt, which could provide a more prestigious and dignified forum to the local business community which could effectively take up the issues with Government for redressal. It was decided by the pioneers of the local community to get the existing Association to the level of Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Association adopted the necessary resolution in the meeting held on 12-12-1979 for taking up the matter with Ministry of Commerce. Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry passed similar resolution on 28-07-1981. The Sialkot Chamber was incorporated under company Act 1913 vide License No. 24 dated 15-07-1982 issued by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of Pakistan under section 3 of Trade Organization Ordinance 1961 and was formally affiliated with FPCCI on 17-08-1982.

The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), comprises of its 7000 plus active members including proprietorships, Associations of Persons (AOPs), Partnerships, Corporations dealing in industry, commerce and trade. Most of them are connected with the production and exports. The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry has always come up to the expectations of its members and other stakeholders by contributing its services for the promotion and development of Trade, Industry and Commerce since its inception.

Being apex trade body of Sialkot, the activities of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry are manifold and multidimensional in nature. It is watching and safeguarding the interest of the business community on one hand and helping the Government in the formulation of various trade policies through workable proposals, suggestions and recommendations on the other hand. The global activities of the Sialkot Chamber have extended beyond all frontiers in terms of establishing business links among the locals and those at far ends of the world. It keeps a close eye on the global business trends and provides information to the members accordingly. Through its proactive approach the Sialkot Chamber has greatly contributed in expansion of industries, promotion of exports and generating economic activity.

Through concerted efforts of the members and facilitating role of the Sialkot Chamber, the export earning of the city stand at US $ 1.4(B) annually.

Social Compliance of the Sialkot Chamber:- The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry has not only made its contribution towards promotion of exports for Pakistan but has also contributed extensively in social sector due to which Sialkot has become a role model for the other cities of developing countries. The Social Projects taken up by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry include but not limited to:

Sialkot Dry Port Trust,

Sialkot Seerat Study Centre,

Sialkot Export Processing Zone;

Child Labor Elimination Program;

Universal Primary Education;

Khud Kafalat Rozghar Trust;

Sialkot City Package;

Sialkot International Airport;

Sialkot Tannery Zone;

Sports Industry Development Centre, Sialkot;

Sports Industry Development Trust, Sialkot;

Sialkot Business and Commerce Centre;

Sialkot Transport Company;

Quality Certification Program;

On 30th Years of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pakistan Post is issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8/- denomination on September 26, 2012.