My First Media Experience

Dear readers! I come back after a long time. I had some works to be done. Some responsibilities and duties to be performed which were in my priorities. I know I didn’t update any post for the 3 months. I am still busy but now intend to update my blog from time to time. Well during this time period, I faced different types of situations. Some memorable moments came in my life which I can’t forget. Some people became my friends and some became more close friends. I learnt a lot from my past experiences and from different lessons of life. During this time period in which I disappeared to update my blog, one of my unforgettable experience was to enter in the field of showbiz. It just happened accidentally and may more people knew me. Not around the world like a showbiz star and I am also not now, but between my family, friends, relatives and office colleagues, who made me star.

I accidentally participated in an acting competition named Lights Camera Action which was telecasted in the morning show Ye Waqt Hai Mera on CNBC Channel. It was a Sunday morning (8th April 2012) my friend called me and said that there are open auditions for acting arranged by the channel CNBC, I am going and please you come up with me. I had no issue so I was ready to go because Sunday is also the holiday and I have no office on that day. So I went to the office of CNBC channel which is situated in the building of Techno City Center, adjacent to Uni Plaza (I.I Chundrigar Road). There were open auditions and a lot people came for experimenting their acting abilities and to become hero and heroin.

Like other people, I also gave the auditions. The admin of the program distributed some scripts to all the participants that consisted of different situations on which they had to speak dialogs. I also selected a script and prepared my dialog delivery. When it came to my turn then I was ready. I don’t fear or hesitate to face the camera that’s why I acted with my full energy, confidence and face expressions. When the auditions winded up then I came back to home. Program admin said to us that we would telecast 3 auditions in every program and on every Friday, 3 participants would be selected from theses 12 peoples. I was waiting for my audition and the result. At last, my audition was telecasted on Monday (23rd April 2012). My all family members, relatives and friends saw it and appreciated me a lot. All motivated me that definitely you would be selected. On Friday (27th April 2012) which was the day of selection, when the host of the program Ayesha Omar announced that “these 3 participants are our this week’s finalist” then I was also in these 3 selected people. I just couldn’t express my feelings on that time. My all followers congratulated me and gave their best wishes for the final. The chief guest of the program and popular drama director Haider Imam Rizvi selected me for the final.

The final of this acting show was recorded on 7th May 2012 at PACC Auditorium. Alhamdolillah I was in the 10 finalists of the show. The judges were different popular personalities of showbiz like Shamoon Abbasi, Kazim Pasha, Seema Ghazal, Rauf Lala and many more. Well I also performed in this final with full confidence but couldn’t win that competition. The winner was Sohail bhai which is a theater artist and no doubt he deserved the victory. This final was telecasted on Friday (11th May 2012) at 10 a.m. I was in my office on that time and not only my family, relative and friends but also my office colleagues watched my performance on a big screen of my office. All appreciated my performance and gave their wishes for the future. I really want to thank all of them. CNBC channel also awarded me an appreciation shield which is my first achievement in showbiz.

CNBC Lights Camera Action session 2012 finalists (I am on 3rd from left)

So this was my first experience in media and Alhamdolillah I was successful. I just enter accidentally in showbiz and got success. Still I don’t want to make showbiz my profession. It is just my hobby and I am fond of acting. So I got good offer then I will definitely work on it. My performance has made me popular in my relatives and friends and they motivate me that you have to work more, you have talent etc etc. Some friends call me Raj Aryan, some call me Major Ram, and some call Vin Diesel (as it is my favorite). I will definitely work Insha Allah if get any good offer. One more time I want to thank all my followers and friends who appreciated my performance and wish me for the future.

Siachen Avalanche - Battle With The Snow

Pakistan Army is considered to be the most powerful and brave militaries in the world. Since Pakistan came into existence, the names of our unlimited soldiers have been written in letters of gold in the history due to their patriotism and passion to protect their country from the enemies without caring their lives. Our soldiers always face wars and other types of critical situations with great courage and fighting spirit. This spirit is the faith and belief because in our religion, martyrdom is a great reward of Allah. So every soldier is always ready to fight and martyr at any time to save their country and to be successful in front of Allah.

Now one more time, our beloved and brave soldiers are facing a big tragedy which is one of the greatest incidents in the history of Pakistan Army. This is the matter of 139 Pakistani soldiers who have been buried alive under a huge avalanche of snow at Siachen glacier. This horrible incident occurred on Saturday 7th April 2012. The avalanche is about 1 kilometer wide and 100 foot deep and trapped the whole camp of Pakistan army. Rescuers started the searching of soldiers at once and now, heavy machinery and other latest technological instruments are now working to save the life of our militaries. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani visited the place of avalanche on Sunday and said that the avalanche of this magnitude is unprecedented in the past 20 years at Siachen.

Army Chief General Kiyani is addressing the Pak Army soldiers at the place of incident

Our troops and rescuers are striving to remove the tons of snow. According to the statement of ISPR, 286 soldiers and 60 civilians are taking part in the rescue operation including bulldozers, JCB (a heavy machinery which is used for digging) and 5 helicopters. International community has also offered its assistance regarding this incident. The government of Germany and Switzerland has sent their rescue specialists to Pakistan with Human Tracing Sensors and other latest rescue equipments. Also, the US government has sent its 8 rescue specialists to Islamabad to provide technical assistance. Now the government of Pakistan is consulting with all these international teams to speed up the rescue operation.

A helicopter in the rescue operation

Bulldozers, cranes and other heavy machinery in the rescue operation

Every family member of the victim troops is hopeful. All they have a great patriotism in their hearts. They said that we are hopeful that soldiers will be picked out alive from the snow and if not than it will be a great reward of martyrdom from Allah and we will proud on them. The condition of weather in the area is so worse that is hardly effecting the rescue work. Metrological Department predicted more snowfall till two days. 4 days have been spent to this avalanche incident and still no any single body or survivor has been picked out so far. After spending time, the hope of the life of soldiers is coming to an end. Every Pakistani including me is seriously praying for our brave soldiers that all these are alright. We have trust on Allah that if our troops are picked alive from the snow than we will be happy and if found martyred than we will proud on them. Although, the Holy Quran says, “And say not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah, "They are dead." Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not." (2:154).

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD

Arfa Karim – Pride Of Pakistan

One of the youngest IT professional Arfa Karim died on 14th January 2012 at 10:50 p.m. She was famous as the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in the history (at the age of 9). As a Pakistani, she is the pride of nation who brightened the name of the country in all over the world. When she passed successfully the exam of MCP in 2004 then in her honor, the Chairman of Microsoft Bill Gates invited her to visit the Microsoft Headquarters USA. She remained the youngest MCP till 2008.

Arfa Karim was born on 2nd February 1995 at Faisalabad, Pakistan. Her father Amjad Karim Randhawa is a retired military colonel. At present, she was the student of second year of A levels in Lahore Grammar School. When Arfa returned to Pakistan after visiting the Microsoft Headquarters then she had become famous due to her historical achievement. She gave many interviews to the television and newspapers. Also, the journey of her success began. She was awarded by Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal as well as Salaam Pakistan Award in 2005 in the field of science and technology. Like youngest MCP of the world, she was also the youngest recipient of the President’s Award for Pride of Performance.

Arfa was also invited as a keynote speaker in the Tech-Ed Developers Conference organized by Microsoft in November 2006 in Barcelona. She was the only Pakistani among 5000 developers of the world in that conference. Arfa represented Pakistan in many international forums. She also earned her first flight certificate at a flying club in Dubai when she flew a plane at the age of 10.

Arfa was suffered from Heart Attack and just after that Brain Hemorrhage on 22nd December 2011. Due to these sudden attacks, she slipped into coma and admitted into Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Lahore where doctors were striving to save her life. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates took special interest in the treatment of Arfa. Gates made a contact to her father and told that he would bear all the expenses of Arfa’s treatment in the US but Pakistani doctors said that Arfa is on ventilator, therefore, it would be a risk to shift her to any other hospital in that condition. Gates also set up a team of international doctors who were in contact with the doctors of CMH about Arfa’s treatment through video conferences.

But as it is said that no one can change nature’s decisions, in spite of all these best treatments, Arfa lost the battle of life after 26 days on Saturday 14th January 2012 at the age of 16. Her funeral prayer was offered on Sunday 15th Januray 2012 at Shami Road in the Cantonment area of Lahore at 10 a.m. A large number of people attended her funeral including many politicians, armed forces officials and the Chief Minister of Punjab province Shahbaz Sharif. After that, she was buried in the graveyard of her native place Faisalabad.

After the news of her death, every eye was full of tears. Arfa Karim was a genius daughter of Pakistan who left an indelible mark on the hearts all Pakistanis. Her young death was a great national loss. The President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed their sorrow over the death of Arfa Karim. No doubt she is the great example of every emerging IT professional of Pakistan. May Allah give her in Jannat-ul-Firdous and give courage to her family to bear such a great loss (Aameen). The whole Pakistani nation (including myself) condoles sincerely to the bereaved family. We will always miss you Arfa.