It is said that that Pakistani government and the Pakistan cricket board promised VVIP security, same that is given to the president of Pakistan, to the Srilankan cricket team.
If this is the security for the president of Pakistan, then God save president of Pakistan from being assasinated in the middle of the street.
Having my office on main Sh-e-faisal, I get to see and notice the security measures taken whenever president is in the city.
Police force is deployed from the morning, no matter at what time the president has to pass the road.
They are deployed on every street leading to the main sh-e-faisal.
Rangers and police personnel are deployed at every few meters on each side of the road and on the islands. Traffic is stopped from coming to the roads some 20 - 30 minutes before the president is expected to pass the road.
And when finally the president passes the road, his motorcade includes at least 2 dozen vehicles of different sort.
With at least 8 police mobile vans, 2 ambulances, vehicles of the elite commandoes, traffice police bikes, and mobiles and various other vehicles.
This is the security measures I have seen over the years that are being given to the president of Pakistan be it ex-President Musharraf or now President Zardari.
The claim of giving high profile VVIP security to the Srilankan team do not prove to be correct.
Its time for the government and agencies to deliver what they promise else even head of states would not be willing to visit Pakistan, let alone a sporting team.
Whoever is behind the attack on the srilankan cricket team, but it seems that the cricket in Pakistan is gone!
Ever since 9/11 we have been struggling and struggling with war within war-
No team eagerly willing to come to Pakistan, and it has taken much deliberation and persuation by the Pakistani authorities to make the foreign teams come to Pakistan.
Now with this incident, it seems that International cricket in Pakistan gone ! for atleast another 5 years.
Srilankan cricket team is a humble cricket team, who has always come to Pakistan's rescue, but with this incident, they ought not to come to Pakistan's rescue in case other teams deny to tour Pakistan.
So what is now left for Pakistan cricket is International tours-and domestic matches, which are dead and bear no interest to the general public !
Previously, newzealand's cricket team came into close attack , when a bomb exploded in the next hotel where they were staying - and it was said that the bomber mistook other foreigners as Newzealand team.
So this time the terrorist got close to what they were targetting . Injuring 6 srilankan players and killing several security officials.
Srilankan's wouldnt have expected this from Tamil Tigers back home - what they experienced in Pakistan.
We are now a nation being covered by seen and unseen enemies from all sides. Outside and with in.
Oscars can easily be termed as the world cup of movies, with every movie wanting to make it to the oscar. Every actor, director, producer and every one associated with movies having a wish to make it to the oscars.
Slumdog millionaire made it to the oscars and won it big time !
8 Oscar awards !
With acting cast being indian, shot in mumbai - it can easily be said India has won the worldcup of movies. ;)
congrats !
'Slumdog Millionaire' wins Best Picture and 8 more oscars.
According to cnn
"Slumdog Millionaire," the little film that overcame tremendous odds simply to earn an American release, won eight Oscars Sunday night at the 81st annual Academy Awards, including best picture."
For many years many indian movies tried to make it to the oscar under the best foreign movie nomination - Lagaan and Friday were nominated but they didnt win the oscar.
This year though, directed and produced by Biritish movie makers, with the indian cast , showing indian slums - the movie has made it big , the world over , bagging 8 oscars , BAFTA and emmy's
This has made the indian dream come true.
May be from now on , we might be seeing many indian movies in English , and a release in the USA.
or the slubdog just won the oscars because it had a british tag on it ? being produced and directed by birtisher ?
Here is the complete list of nomination and winners of this years oscar
Best picture
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
WINNER: "Slumdog Millionaire"
Director
WINNER: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"
Actor
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
WINNER: Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
WINNER: Kate Winslet, "The Reader"
Supporting actor
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
WINNER: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"
Supporting actress
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
WINNER: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
Animated feature
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
WINNER: "WALL-E"
Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," screenplay by Eric Roth, screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
"Doubt," written by John Patrick Shanley
"Frost/Nixon," screenplay by Peter Morgan
"The Reader," screenplay by David Hare
WINNER: "Slumdog Millionaire," screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Original screenplay
"Frozen River," written by Courtney Hunt
"Happy-Go-Lucky," written by Mike Leigh
"In Bruges," written by Martin McDonagh
WINNER: "Milk," written by Dustin Lance Black
"WALL-E," screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon; original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
Art direction
"Changeling," James J. Murakami; set decoration: Gary Fettis
WINNER: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Donald Graham Burt; set decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
"The Dark Knight," Nathan Crowley; set decoration: Peter Lando
"The Duchess," Michael Carlin; set decoration: Rebecca Alleway
"Revolutionary Road," Kristi Zea; set decoration: Debra Schutt
Cinematography
"Changeling," Tom Stern
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight," Wally Pfister
"The Reader," Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
WINNER: "Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle
Costume design
"Australia," Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Jacqueline West
WINNER: "The Duchess," Michael O'Connor
"Milk," Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road," Albert Wolsky
Documentary feature
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
WINNER: "Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"
Documentary short
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
"The Final Inch"
WINNER: "Smile Pinki"
"The Witness -- From the Balcony of Room 306"
Film editing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight," Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon," Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
"Milk," Elliot Graham
WINNER: "Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens
Foreign language film
"The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany
"The Class," France
WINNER: "Departures," Japan
"Revanche," Austria
"Waltz with Bashir," Israel
Makeup
WINNER: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Greg Cannom
"The Dark Knight," John Caglione Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
Original score
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance," James Newton Howard
"Milk," Danny Elfman
WINNER: "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E," Thomas Newman
Original song
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, lyrics by Peter Gabriel
WINNER: "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," music and lyrics by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
Animated short
WINNER: "La Maison en Petits Cubes"
"Lavatory -- Lovestory"
"Oktapodi"
"Presto"
"This Way Up"
Live-action short
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"
"Manon on the Asphalt"
"New Boy"
"The Pig"
WINNER: "Spielzeugland"
Sound editing
WINNER: "The Dark Knight," Richard King
"Iron Man," Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire," Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers
"WALL-E," Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
"Wanted," Wylie Stateman
Sound mixing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
"The Dark Knight," Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
WINNER: "Slumdog Millionaire," Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
"WALL-E," Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
"Wanted," Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
Visual effects
WINNER: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
"The Dark Knight," Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
"Iron Man," John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
Noticing the number of school going days in Pakistan, ( more relevantly in Karachi ) it seems that there are no more than 120 school going days for school students. This shows the state of our education and the importance of school.
Just calculate it how
Total number of days in a year : 365
Total number of saturday and sundays [52 Sundays and 52 Saturday] : 104
Summer vacation holidays [if schools are to open from 15th august] : 75
Winter vacation holidays : 15
Eid ul Fitr Holidays: 4
Eid ul Adha holidays: 4
Miscellaeous / other gazetted holidays: 20
Strike / Rain / riot holidays [avg]: 5
Exam days [ calculated as 7 days exams per semester / 2 semesters]: 14
Total number of [non academic] days: 241
365 - 241 = 124
So in reality the students are studying only for 124 days -
