Throne of Origins
Monday, 9 February 2026
This article appeared in Daily the Nation
Labels: In Print, Nation, Takht-e-Bahi, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, February 09, 2026,
,
Three Continents, One Table
Sunday, 8 February 2026
This extraordinary coincidence deserved a proper celebration. Tassawar Ali Rana and Saleem Sarwar stepped up with characteristic enthusiasm to make it happen. Thanks to their tireless efforts, the Lahore Chapter of the 55 PMA Long Course came alive for a memorable brunch at DeSOM (the Defence Services Officers Mess), BBQ - a venue perfectly suited for camaraderie and good food.
The turnout was impressive — 23 members, including 13 gracious lady wives — creating a vibrant, heartfelt reunion filled with shared stories, laughter, and the unmistakable bond forged at PMA Kakul decades ago. Tassawar's dedication to keeping our course mates connected over the years is truly inspiring; his energy turns occasional meetups into cherished traditions.
The afternoon overflowed with warmth: sizzling barbecue, cups of chai, nostalgic anecdotes, and the simple joy of seeing familiar faces light up. Everything — the food, the conversations, the easy camaraderie—was spot on.
"Special thanks are due to Sir Saeed Akram, Kalyar and Zaka for travelling all the way from Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha and Sialkot alongwith their wives and a son respectively to join us for brunch." A couple of notes of regret: Tahir Khan, though expected, couldn't join at the last moment. We also missed our regular stalwarts like Khalid Javed, Ghulam Shabbir, and Ali Akbar, whose presence would have made the gathering even more complete.
Labels: 55 PMA, Get Together, Men At Their Best
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, February 08, 2026,
,
Thatta Kedona
Saturday, 7 February 2026
The cluster of mud and brick houses in the plains of Punjab, Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (TGD) looks like a typical Pakistani village about 80 kilometres away from Lahore and 40 kilometres from Indus civilization ruins in Harappa. There is no gas or telephone in the village. No asphalt roads lead to it. Yet it is different, the beautiful dolls and other handicrafts made by the village folks are collectors' delight all over the world. Influencers from Indus civilization from nearby Harappa and modern techniques brought by the German volunteers can be seen in the village together.The dolls made in the village are on display in international doll museum in Iceland, prestigious galleries and showrooms in Pakistan and abroad. TGD village doll project was one of the 767 worldwide projects presented in the "Themepark" at expo 2000 in Hannover (Germany) as an example of thinking of twenty first century. Earlier, the dolls from Pakistan participated in international toy fair in Nuremberg. These dolls show how culture goes beyond simple work of art and becomes collaboration among applied and natural sciences as well as other forces that affect our lives.
Labels: Dr. Senta Siller, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, February 07, 2026,
,
To Carry the Dust to Multan
Sunday, 1 February 2026
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, February 01, 2026,
,
