Indian, Pakistani surgeons conduct historic liver transplant

A group Indian doctors lent a helping hand to their Pakistani counterparts to jointly perform a complicated liver transplant procedure for the first time in Pakistan.

The living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was performed at Lahore`s Shiekh Zayed Hospital on Friday by a team of Indian and Pakistani surgeons, officials said today.

LDLTs are "highly sensitive and complicated" surgical procedures as two lives - the donor and recipient are at risk, doctors said.

The joint operations were done by Indian surgeon Subash Gupta, a senior transplant doctor of Apollo Hospital in Delhi, and three of his colleagues and the three-member Pakistani team of Tariq Bangash, Khawar Shahzad and Umer Ali.
"The joint venture of leading Indian and Pakistani transplant surgeons has made history by opening a new era of living-relative liver transplants in Pakistan," Bangish said.

The first liver transplant was performed on Khanum Maula and the liver was donated by his close relative Irshad Bibi.

The second surgery was conducted on 45-year-old Abida Parveen and the liver was donated by her 19-year-old son.

It took 12 hours for the surgeons to complete each sensitive procedure.

Both recipients were brought to Shaikh Zayed Hospital with complete liver failures.
The Indian doctors visited Pakistan to perform the transplants at the request of the Pakistani surgeons.

Before the arrival of the Indian doctors, surgeons at Shaikh Zayed Hospital finalised arrangements for the sensitive operations and prepared the donors and recipients.

The condition of all the recipients and donors was stable and they were kept under observation in intensive care for 24 hours.

Consultants were put on high alert for post-operative care of the patients for 24 hours, a highly sensitive period for all who undergo hours-long surgeries.

Pakistan notches up top slot in Google search for sex

Pakistan has secured a dubious distinction of being the number one globally for searching the term 'sex' on Google in 2011.

Pakistan is followed by India. Interestingly, of the top ten cities in the world searching for "sex" as per Google Trends data, eight are Indian.

According to a 2010 Fox News report, Pakistan, which has over 20 million Internet users, had outranked all countries in Google searches for pornographic terms last year also.

Google Trends analyses a portion of Google web searches to compute how many searches have been done for the terms you enter, relative to the total number of searches done on Google over time.

Google Trends uses IP address information from server logs to make a best guess about where queries originated.

On the issue of accuracy, Google Trends say, "The data Trends produces may contain inaccuracies for a number of reasons, including data-sampling issues and a variety of approximations that are used to compute results. We hope you find this service interesting and entertaining, but you probably wouldn't want to write your PhD dissertation based on the information provided by Trends".

Pakistani boy who has one body, two faces

A boy born in Pakistani Kashmir has two faces but one body, a media report said.

Shahida Perveen, 30, gave birth to the boy Friday and soon thereafter, a crowd gathered at the hospital to see the child, reported Dawn.

Doctors said that except for the ears, all the facial features of the boy were duplicated. "This condition is known as craniofacial in the medical world," said one doctor.
The boy has irregular breathing and his chances of surviving were slim.

"We are not very hopeful about his life," hospital Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Naeem Ahmed told Dawn.

Such abnormalities point to genetic problems and occur in marriages between cousins, he said. To avoid the same happening again, Dr Ahmed advised the couple to consult doctors before going for another pregnancy.

Yousuf returns to Number-one Spot in Test rankings

Pakistan senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who returned to international cricket with a cracking century against Sri Lanka in the first Test, zoomed to the number one spot in the latest ICC Test Rankings.

After snapping his ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League, Yousuf marked his return to the national team in style, hitting a pivotal 112 in the first innings at Galle.

The numero uno status, which Yousuf attained toppling his skipper Younus Khan, gives Pakistan a 1-2 position in the table for the first time since the rankings were introduced in June 1987.

Yousuf was second when he was removed from the rankings table early in 2009 as Pakistan had not played a Test match since before the qualification date for the rankings.

Even though Yousuf shone with the bat, Pakistan made a mess of things on the fourth day of the Test when it lost eight wickets for 46 runs to lose by 50 runs while chasing a modest 168-run target.

Younus, who scored 25 and 3 in the Test, paid the price for his failures as he not only dropped to second position but also conceded 30 valuable points.

His Sri Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 9 and 14, also faced the brunt of a poor Test, after being dropped two places to fifth position.

Sangakkara's fall has benefitted Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and Shivnarine Chanderpaul of West Indies. Both the left-handers have moved up one place each to occupy third and fourth places respectively.

Thilan Samaraweera has dropped out of the top 20 after slipping two places to 22nd, Tillekeratne Dilshan had fallen two places to 27th, Kamran Akmal has dropped one position to 30th and Salman Butt has slipped to 52nd position after losing two places.

Among the Test bowlers, Pakistan pacer Umar Gul have dropped four places to 18th position while Sri Lanka spin wizard Ajantha Mendis slipped three places to 28th spot.

However, Galle Test's surprise hero Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who took 4-15 in the second innings, has jumped eight places to 48th position.

Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Aamer, who had returned with a figure of 6-117, has entered the table in 60th position while Younus, who had figures of 2-23 and 2-27, has zoomed 29 places to 83rd spot.

Jacques Kallis continues to lead the Test all-rounders list with Mitchell Johnson of Australia in second and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori in third position.

Pakistan remains Among top 10 'failed states': Report

Pakistan, split down the middle with terrorist attacks and facing an economic crisis, remains among the top 10 failed states, says an index prepared by the renowned Foreign Policy journal.

The country, placed ninth among all countries last year in terms of its overall achievement, has improved its position only by a notch - it is placed 10th in the index for 2009 published in the July-August issue of the journal.

The annual exercise, now in its fifth year, is carried out by the journal and Fund for Peace, an independent research organisation.

The ranking is done on the basis of the following factors: demographic pressure, refugees/internally displaced persons (IDPs), group grievance, uneven development, economic decline, delegitimisation of the state, public service, human rights, factionalised elites and external intervention.

The top 10 failed states in the latest list are: Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Guinea and Pakistan.

India is placed 87th among the 177 countries under study, with its score showing an improvement over the previous year. But its neighbours fare badly in this ranking, with Sri Lanka placed 12th, Bangladesh 19th and Nepal 25th.

At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom 10 in the list are the top achievers: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands.

Foreign Policy noted that it is "a sobering time" for the world's most fragile countries, what with the global financial meltdown, natural disasters, and government collapse.

"Yemen may not yet be front-page news, but it's being watched intently these days in capitals worldwide. A perfect storm of state failure is now brewing there... Many worry Yemen is the next Afghanistan: a global problem wrapped in a failed state.

"It's not just Yemen. The financial crisis was a near-death experience for insurgency-plagued Pakistan, which remains on IMF life support...All indications are that 2009 will bring little to no reprieve," the journal said.

faisal mosque pakistan

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 to 1993 when overtaken in size by the completion of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Subsequent expansions of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia during the 1990s relegated Faisal Mosque to fourth place in terms of size.

Faisal Mosque is the National Mosque of Pakistan. It has a covered area of 5,000 m² (54,000 sq ft) and has a capacity to accommodate approximately 300,000 worshippers (100,000 in its main prayer hall, courtyard and porticoes and another 200,000 in its adjoining grounds). Although its covered main prayer hall is smaller than that of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (the world's third largest mosque), Faisal Mosque has the third largest capacity of accommodating worshippers in its adjoining grounds after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina.^[2]. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 80 m (260 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10 x 10 m in circumference.

The Faisal Mosque is named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.

History... The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia supported the initiative of the Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad during an official visit to Pakistan. In 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. After four days of deliberation, Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay's design was chosen. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by National Construction of Pakistan, led by Azim Borujerdi, and was funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, at a cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately 120 million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. The mosque was completed in 1986, and used to house the International Islamic University. Many conservative Muslims criticised the design at first for its non-conventional design and lack of the traditional dome structure, but virtually all criticism was eventually silenced by the mosque's scale, form, and setting against the Margalla Hills upon completion.

Location...t is located in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and in front of a magnificent backdrop provided by the Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is a focal point of Islamabad, and a famous and recognized icon of the city.

Design...

The Faisal Mosque is the work of famous Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay who won the Agha Khan Architectural Award with this project. The mosque's relatively unusual design fuses contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin's tent, with its large triangular prayer hall and four minarets. However, unlike traditional masjid design, it lacks a dome. The minarets borrow their design from Turkish tradition and are thin and pencil like. The interior of this prayer hall holds a very large chandelier and its walls are decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall, and has the kalimah writtern in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern.

The mosque's architecture is a departure from the long history of South Asian Islamic architecture. It is one of the most outstanding and modern Islamic architecture examples in the world.

Pakistan court Dismisses Sarabjit's plea

The balance between life and death once again swung for Sarbjit Singh, sentenced to death by a Pakistani court in 1990 on charges of being a terrorist. On Wednesday a Pakistani court again rejected his review petition. His lawyer didn't turn up, apparently because he hasn't been paid his fees.

In India, Sarabjit's family was again left pleading for his life.

Said his wife Sukhpreet Kaur: "I would like to request both the governments to please come to an agreement and release my husband who is innocent and has suffered a lot."

So, what are Sarabjit Singh's options now?

First, if his lawyer submits an application in the court giving reasons why he could not appear and ask for another hearing of the review petition.

Second, the presidential pardon -- that is if the President Asif Ali Zardari accepts his mercy petition.

And third, if the Pakistan government passes the law of commuting all death sentences to life imprisonment. The law was proposed last year by the PPP-led government.

"We will appeal this decision," says Rana Abdul Hamid, Sarabjit's former lawyer.

Sarbjit Singh has spent the past few years between hope and despair. This latest development just another blow to a man who is fighting for a second chance.

Afridi criticises ICC for T20 WC next year, ignoring his Show

Pakistan star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has criticised the ICC for holding the next Twenty20 World Cup just nine months later and ignoring him for the
`Player of the Tournament` award.

Afridi, who was instrumental in Pakistan`s T20 World Cup triumph in England, said the ICC`s decision to hold third edition of the tournament in 2010 has left the team with very
little time to celebrate their victory.

"There is just no proper gap between the two tournaments for us to enjoy our victory. I don`t know why the ICC has done this, but to me it seems cricket today is more like a business than a sport," Afridi, who won the man-of-the-match award in both the semifinal and final, said on his return home today.

The 29-year-old all-rounder also admitted that inspite of his stellar performances in the T20 World Cup, he was little disappointed at not winning the player of the tournament award.

Although Afridi was the star for Pakistan in both the semifinal and final against South Africa and Sri Lanka with back-to-back half centuries and wickets, Tillekaratne Dilshan bagged the award with his commendable show with the bat.

"I was not expecting them (ICC) to ignore me for the player of the tournament award. I had scored over 160 runs and taken 11 wickets. My fielding was also top class and I was surprised when I didn`t win this award," he said.

First Transexual organization in pakistan

Pakistan transsexual volunteers has announced the frist organization in the country. The organization chief Bindya Baji told the reporters that this organization will help the transexuals to work for their rights. Bindya Baji is a guru in karachi and an influencial person among transexuals. The name of the organization is Boet. There are more than 300 members in this organization and will register more members through out the country.

Bindya Baji thanks to chief justice of pakistan who ordered to government to register all the transexual in the country. The transexuals are facing problems in the society. The society does not accept them and they do not have access to the facilities like jobs and other means. this is the reason the transexuals in pakistan starts begging and other low profile activities.

Bindya also said that there are not many demands from our organization, just we want to be acceptable in the society like other citizens.

Pakistan not fit to tour Yet: Warne

Younus Khan's emotional plea for teams to tour Pakistan notwithstanding, spin great Shane Warne reckons the trouble-torn country is still not safe for the visitors.
Warne had sympathy for Younus, his Rajasthan Royals teammate in inaugural Indian Premier League, but the retiredAustralian felt touring Pakistan is a hazardous proposition.
"It is easy to understand why Younus wants teams to tour his country. Unfortunately, the security risk is too great atthe moment," Warne wrote in his column for 'The Times'.
"We all love playing there with the incredible atmosphere and passion inside the grounds, but it is not worth it because of what might happen. The guidance is from governments, not just cricket authorities," he added.
Soon after leading Pakistan to the Twenty20 World Cup triumph, Younus had appealed to all the teams to tour Pakistan, something they have been avoiding in recent past resulting in a virtual isolation of the country.
Warne, meanwhile, felt having another Twenty20 World Cup next year defied logic and said Champions Trophy is a "joke" and should immediately be scratched.
"One of the best things about Twenty20 is the way that women and kids, new spectators, are coming to games. But we have to be careful. To have the next event in April 2010 seems too soon. I think one of these tournaments every two years is about right.
"And we don't need the Champions Trophy any more. That really is a joke," he added.
Dwelling on Ashes, Warne said England erred by omitting former captain Michael Vaughan from the pre-Ashes camp.
"England may have made a mistake by leaving Michael Vaughan out of what looks to be their big Ashes squad. Admittedly, I haven't seen him for a while, but I do know that he's a big-match player who can bring that touch of class. He deals with the short ball really well and looks to attack. Tactically, he could have helped (Andrew) Strauss," Warne said.
"Vaughan is not just a better batsman than (Ravi) Bopara - I'd put him above everybody bar (Kevin) Pietersen. As long as he is making runs and can run between the wickets, he would be in my team," added the spin legend.

Pakistan’s moment of triumph, and a question for the world

Pakistan’s success in the Twenty20 cricket World Cup must rank as one of sports’ more timely victories. For a state that is supposed to be at war with itself, failing and in danger of fragmentation there cannot be a sweeter way to hit back.

Younus Khan who led his unfancied team comes from the North West Frontier Province, as does Shahid Afridi whose explosive batting took Pakistan to an eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka, another nation wracked by decades of civil war, but coming out of it.

The NWFP is the frontline of the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda that has so blighted the nation, left it divided, bleeding and saddled with a huge refugee problem. Indeed Khan said the World Cup was a gift to the people of Pakistan.

Cricinfo compared Pakistan’s success to a newly-reunified South Africa’s victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, saying there had not been a more timely win since then.

Younus also said cricketing nations must resume playing in his troubled, but cricket-mad nation.

“Everybody must come to Pakistan. We need a home test series. How can we attract the youngsters? Players muct come to Pakistan.”

Is the world ready to reconsider? Will India, no stranger to militancy itself, soften up? The 50-over World Cup scheduled for 2011 has been taken away from Pakistan, and is to be played now in only India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The ICC Champions Trophy that it was scheduled to host last year was shifted out, and Australia, New Zealand and England have refused to play there.

Indeed Pakistan’s cricket authorities have challenged the decision to drop them from the host nations of the 2011 World Cup and it has renewed a call to its co-Asian hosts to support its bid to hold the tournament.

Standing up for cricket in Pakistan may also be a way to challenge the forces of darkness that is the Taliban, argues Tunku Varadarajan in a piece for Forbes. The victory was a monumental boost to a nation drained of all morale.

And cricket, he says “offers an alternative vision of civilization with which Pakistanis can contrast the viciously bleak program of the Taliban.”

Aircraft crashes on civilians in pakistan

A Chinese built FT-7 jet aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force crashed over civilian areas near Mianwali, a major city in Punjab, injuring six people.

The fighter was on a routine training mission when it crashed, but both the pilots bailed out safely, the Pakistan Air Force said in a statement here.

The plane crashed 40 kilometres south of Mianwali damaging three houses. The injured were evacuated by a special C-130 aircraft to a military hospital in Rawalpindi for treatment, it said.

“On the instructions of Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, the PAF will fully compensate the damage occurred on ground and provide free medical facilities to injured persons,” it said.

A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of accident, the statement said.

Pakistan Air Force has a big fleet of Chinese aircraft, including F-7PG and A-5s. It has recently acquired fourth generation medium-range, JF-17 or thunder jets which are being manufactured jointly. These aircrafts have so far not made any public appearance.

Besides these, the Pakistan Air Force has US-made F-16 fighting falcons and French-made Mirages.

PAF capable of Destroying Drones: Air Chief

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman Thursday said that Pakistan Air Force has destroyed several hideouts and training camps during the ongoing military operation in Malakand Division paving the way for army advancement in restive areas.

Addressing a ceremony here, he said Pakistan is capable to hunt US drones but the decision depends on the political leadership of the county, adding that drowning the drones may lead to problems with US and NATO as well.

He disclosed that PAF has destroyed an Indian spy plan in Qasoor in 2002.

The Air Chief Marshal said that in future Pakistan would acquire 500 BVR missiles from the US

France backs India-style Nuclear deal for Pakistan

French President Nicolas Sarkozy told his Pakistani counterpart he wanted the Muslim country to have a wide-ranging deal to buy nuclear equipment like the one obtained by its rival India, Pakistan said on Friday.

Such a suggestion would cause uproar in the international community because a Pakistani scientist was at the centre of the world's biggest nuclear proliferation scandal, raising fears that sensitive technology could leak out once again.

"France has agreed to transfer civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan ... They have agreed that Pakistan should be treated like India," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters after his country's president met Sarkozy.

"President Sarkozy said, and I quote him, 'What can be done for India can be done for Pakistan as well.' This is a major development," Qureshi said after the meeting in Paris between Sarkozy and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

An official in Sarkozy's office said France wanted Pakistan to improve its nuclear security but did not comment on the idea of an India-style deal.

"The president confirmed that we are prepared ... to cooperate with Pakistan in the area of nuclear safety," he said.

The 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which was created after India tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974 and seeks to prevent nuclear technology from falling into the wrong hands, agreed in September to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India.

The waiver, which was won after years of lobbying by the United States, paved the way for a US-India nuclear deal under which India can receive sensitive nuclear technology even though it has not signed up to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Supporters of the deal say that it will help meet India's booming electricity needs, but its critics say it gives India all the benefits of NPT membership but hardly any of the obligations, and rewards it for developing the atom bomb.

Qureshi dismissed concerns about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and its proliferation history. Like India, Pakistan has also not signed up to the NPT.

"We will assure the world that we are an important and a responsible nuclear power and we can handle these matters without threatening or endangering anyone," he said.

Scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, revered by many Pakistanis as the father of the country's nuclear bomb, confessed to selling nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya in 2004.

He was pardoned at the time by the government, and put under house arrest, but Pakistan's High Court declared Kahn free in February, ending his five-year confinement.

Pakistan has never given the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, direct access to Khan.

"Pakistan has no issues with the IAEA. We are willing to give international guarantees. We want the world to feel secure, and Pakistan will give all necessary guarantees," Qureshi said when asked about the feasibility of a Pakistani nuclear deal.

‘Pollution killing 55,000 people every Year

KARACHI: We are losing 30,000 children to poor environmental conditions at our houses and 25,000 adults to overall air pollution in the country every year.

This was observed by Minister for Environment Askari Taqvi while speaking at an Earth Day event held at the Wetland Centre of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) at Sandspit, Karachi.

According to him, the industrial effluent and domestic sewage going into the sea through Lyari and Malir rivers have badly polluted the beaches. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has prepared four feasibility reports for effluent treatment plants meant for the four industrial zones in Sindh, he said.

‘Domestic pollution starts from poor quality of water… our people are indulging in unhealthy practices,’ he remarked, and observed that villagers used cow dung, instead of wood and coal, as fuel for cooking food which was a source of innumerable diseases. It was, however, a responsibility of the state to do something about it, he added.

The minister said that cow dung could be utilised in power generation, advising nazims of towns and UCs to look into the possibility of setting up big power generation projects fuelled by dung.

He also attributed vehicle emissions to the increasing air pollution and urged owners of private cars to keep their vehicles in order so that the environment could be saved from getting further polluted.

‘We are trying to have a good number of CNG buses to replace the old ones,’ he said, pointing out that the obsolete and rusty public transport vehicles causing great damage to the environment by their emissions.
He recalled that the auto-rickshaws presently plying in Karachi are another source of environmental pollution and are being phased out. ‘These rickshaws will be replaced by four stroke rickshaws by 2010,’ he added.

Calling for individual efforts by all citizens to keep their own houses and localities neat and clean to improve the overall environment, he said that the ecological system had to be protected and this demanded consistent efforts by all citizens to adopt good habits, refrain from littering the surroundings and keep the environment everywhere clean, especially beaches.

Not enough had been done for the preservation of the country’s coastline, he observed, and pointed out that the long coastal belt was in a poor condition. He hoped that civic agencies and NGOs would continue to put in their efforts in this regard.

The minister appreciated the performance of the youths who had enthusiastically contributed towards the preservation of environment at beaches through different initiatives like the one taken by WWF-P workers and volunteers.

About 500 students of various schools participated in a beach-cleaning activity at the Sandspit marine turtle nesting site on Wednesday to mark the Earth Day. The activity was aimed at ensuring a safe and healthy sanctuary for the endangered marine turtles.

It was observed that thousands of picnickers frequented the beach area on holidays and left the site littered. The beach-cleaning was an initiative to encourage the young generation in keeping the environment clean and healthy for human beings and marine life.

The activity was followed by screening of a documentary on marine turtles and a quiz programme.

The minister gave away prizes to the students who demonstrated best performance in the beach cleaning activity and those who won the quiz programme.

Train comes to the city of Islamabad finally

ISLAMABAD: Though 40 years late, the train has arrived to Pakistan’s federal capital. The Margalla Railway Station received its first express train on Wednesday.

But regular service of the Margalla Express between Lahore and Islamabad will have to wait for a formal inauguration by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, expected on April 30.

Divisional Superintendent Jalaluddin of Pakistan Railways (PR) at Rawalpindi has said that a recent survey showed that the railway track and service can be extended to Zero Point. He and PR’s General Manager Operations Saeed Akhtar had even identified a site near Zero Point for building a railway station.

In fact the Master Plan of Islamabad provided for a railway station at Zero Point, he told Dawn. ‘But naturally the decision lies with the government.’

Though built long ago, the Margalla Railway Station was only briefly used in 1979 for a shuttle service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, mainly for the workers of the industrial units in the surrounding area. The public transport mafia however saw to it that the service did not survive for more than a few months.

It remained a desert place for several years until the dry port at Chaklala Railway Station was shifted there. But the track remained idle for three decades as the dry port handled only containers brought there by road for customs examination. Railway officials revisited the Margalla Station 30 years after it was opened in 1979 and decided to revive it. The Federal Board of Revenue, which has been running the dry port there, agreed to vacate half of the station for the PR to run its train services.

Meanwhile, the dry port operations will continue.Although the need for introducing a mass transit system has been growing with the rise in the city population, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) ignored the need under the influence of successive military and civil governments. Urban planners agree the city would not have had to suffer the present transport mess if a rail service up to Pakistan Secretariat had been introduced early.

Local politician Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had tried as railway minister to introduce mass transit between Rawalpindi and Islamabad but his proposal is now rusting in the files of Pakistan Railways and CDA.

If all goes well, the Margalla Express will start running between Lahore and Islamabad via Rawalpindi soon. It will be a daily service, departing Lahore at 7am and arriving Islamabad at noon. On the return journey, the train will leave Margalla Station at 5:25pm and reach Lahore at 22:20pm.

PR’s Divisional Commercial Officer Ashfaq Tabassum said the express train, having the capacity of 628 passengers in economy and air conditioned coaches, will have a special quota for the residents of Islamabad.

At the start the reservation will be manual. E-ticketing may be introduced later, depending on the business.
Passengers travelling from Islamabad will not have to pay additional charge as the fare between Islamabad and Lahore will be the same as in the case of Rawalpindi, the official said.

The Islamabad administration has designated three routes for public transport to facilitate passengers arriving at Margalla Station.

Railway officials were hopeful of the success of the train service as it would very convenient for the students of three universities - Numl, International Islamic University and Iqra University - in addition to the surrounding industrial zone.