Metro Matters 15-01-2018
KEC fetes Agha Saleh and Abid Ali Abid
Karachi Editors Club (KEC) hosted a lunch at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) in honour of USA and Denmark based Pakistani intellectuals Agha M. Saleh founder of a NGO Sukhi (New York) and Abid Ali Abid who is a poet also. They were in Pakistan to attend the International Media Conference held at Karachi but flopped due to lack of local attendance and mismanagement.
Iranian envoys at Karachi Raza Khalil Ur Rehman and Raza Sultan also attended The KEC lunch on special invitation. Ahmed Malik President Karachi Press Club also graced this occasion and appreciated the services of the guest of honours.
Latest Pak-USA relations after Trump statements and tweet were also discussed in this meeting at length. Agha Saleh emphasised that Muslim Ummah should be united against international conspiracies’ against Muslims the world over.
President KEC Mubasher Mir on this occasion lauded the contribution of respected guests who representing Pakistan positively abroad and thanked them for sparing their precious time for lunch. He also presented to Agha Saleh and Abid Ali Abid honorary membership certificates of the KEC. Razia Sultana presented her latest novel to Agha Saleh. Abdul Hameed Bhutto presented Sindhi Ajraks and Topies to all the respected guests of honour including Iranian Envoys.
A tribute to the larger than life, Habib Fida Ali
A commemorative evening was organised and hosted by Architecture Design Art (ADA) to honour the larger than life, late Habib Fida Ali at his during the reported week. The evening kicked off with refreshments served immediately as friends, colleagues and clients of the renowned architect gathered to pay their respects and honour the great figure that was Habib Fida Ali, and share their memories of him.
It was made possible because of the initiative and efforts of Maria Aslam, architect and environmental historian, and editor and publisher of ADA magazine, the formal part of the evening was opened by television host Ayesha Tammy Haq. Close friend of Habib Fida Ali, Towfiq Chinoy (one of the earlier houses that Habib did was of Chinoy that forged a great friendship between the two stalwarts), Chairman I.I.N, was the first to share his memories of Habib. Rehana Saigol spoke of the wonderful memories she and her husband have of him, as he wasn’t only their close friend but also an architect who had so much in common with them.
Marjorie Hussain, an eminent art analyst, critic and curator, Ali Naqvi who worked closely with Fida Ali on the master plan of the academic block of LUMS, and later launched his own architectural firm, Ali Arshad Associates and the host of the evening.
Maria Aslam paid tribute to Habib Fida Ali and thanked all those that helped make the evening possible.
This evening was the first of a series of events by ADA magazine – that has now completed ten years of its existence and is now venturing into ADA Events. Moving beyond publications ADA will be holding events that are inclusive of our environment, culture and society and which are inextricably connected to architecture design art.
Safe Shelter, Clean water for all
The launch of 1000 green shelters programme, which aims to reach out to disadvantaged communities under Heritage Foundation’s initiative of “Safe Shelter, Clean water for all’ took place here in Makli Goth, Thatta during the reported week. The event also marked the closing of the four-day workshop on Zero Carbon, for senior students of architecture, that took place at Zero Carbon Cultural Centre (ZC3).
The green shelters programme will be facilitated through the Zero Carbon Cultural Centre (ZC3) that has been set up by Heritage Foundation at Makli, from where prefabricated panels for construction of shelters and eco-toilets along with other necessities for an improved quality of life will be provided free of any monetary cost.
The workshop for students of architecture studying in Sindh and Balochistan was conducted with the collaboration of PCATP (Pakistan Council of Architects and Townplanners) and INTBAU (International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism), Pakistan chapter, at ZC3, Makli Goth. The mentors of the workshop included Ms. Master Nilofur, INTBAU Pakistan Chapter members Ar. Yasmeen Lari, Ar. Tariq Qaisar, Ar. Plnr. Sadia Fazli, Ar. Ghazala Naeem and Naheem Shah.
Ms Safeeyah Moosa CEO, Spiritual Chords S. Africa then spoke about the water handpumps component being funded by them and expanding Heritage Foundation’s Flood-resilient Zero Carbon Shelters (Lari OctaGreen) to South Africa.