Indian youths keen to discover the real Pakistan
our correspondents
"I want to know Pakistanis first-hand," says Karan Raghav, a student of finance at the University of Delhi. He believes that the best way to know a country is to know it personally, and "that's why I opted to come here".
Karan, who landed in Karachi Airport on Monday, is a member of a group of five Indian students and one team leader visiting Pakistan on a 10-day trip from India as part of an exchange programme.
The tour is part of an ongoing initiative taken by the Rotary Club and Aman ki Asha - a collaboration between the Jang Group and Times of India-to improve relationships between India and Pakistan by encouraging people-to-people contact between the two historically estranged neighbours.
During their stay in the city, the students will be living with Pakistani families, "so that they can have a feel of the daily lives of Pakistanis which is usually not shown in the mainstream media", said Irfan Qureshi, district chairman of the India-Pakistan peace committee, Rotary Club.
The all-expense-paid tour is being hosted by the Rotary Club, which includes a comprehensive tour of the city of Karachi and a cruise on the Arabian Sea, among many other cultural programmes especially arranged for the guests for the next 10 days.
Parth Singhania, a student of chartered accountancy, who loves cricket and music, considers himself lucky to be here. "Only a few people get this opportunity to go to Pakistan and learn about its culture, also to understand its beliefs and values," he says, explaining why he jumped at the idea to visit India's neighbour.
He looks forward to making friends with "some of the most hospitable and awesome people", and believes the programme will be a good learning experience. He dreams to impact the life of millions of people, join the Indian Administrative Service and make South Asia a better and safer place.
Tanima Narang, a national level badminton player, who also has an interest in ikebana, the Japanese art of flower decoration, considers herself an ambassador of peace and love from India.
Sachi Bhuttani, a theatre lover, would love to explore Pakistan more, and take "the real picture" back home. She aims to work with Rotary in the future as well.
Karan is someone who likes to keep an eye on the socio-political happenings in both India and Pakistan. "I want to promote the idea of Aman ki Asha by motivating people to encourage regular interaction with people across the border and understand their perspectives and opinions."
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A group of young Indians arrive at the Karachi airport on a 10-day visit — The News photo by Naqeeb-ur-Rehman
"I want to know Pakistanis first-hand," says Karan Raghav, a student of finance at the University of Delhi. He believes that the best way to know a country is to know it personally, and "that's why I opted to come here".
Karan, who landed in Karachi Airport on Monday, is a member of a group of five Indian students and one team leader visiting Pakistan on a 10-day trip from India as part of an exchange programme.
The tour is part of an ongoing initiative taken by the Rotary Club and Aman ki Asha - a collaboration between the Jang Group and Times of India-to improve relationships between India and Pakistan by encouraging people-to-people contact between the two historically estranged neighbours.
During their stay in the city, the students will be living with Pakistani families, "so that they can have a feel of the daily lives of Pakistanis which is usually not shown in the mainstream media", said Irfan Qureshi, district chairman of the India-Pakistan peace committee, Rotary Club.
The all-expense-paid tour is being hosted by the Rotary Club, which includes a comprehensive tour of the city of Karachi and a cruise on the Arabian Sea, among many other cultural programmes especially arranged for the guests for the next 10 days.
Parth Singhania, a student of chartered accountancy, who loves cricket and music, considers himself lucky to be here. "Only a few people get this opportunity to go to Pakistan and learn about its culture, also to understand its beliefs and values," he says, explaining why he jumped at the idea to visit India's neighbour.
He looks forward to making friends with "some of the most hospitable and awesome people", and believes the programme will be a good learning experience. He dreams to impact the life of millions of people, join the Indian Administrative Service and make South Asia a better and safer place.
Tanima Narang, a national level badminton player, who also has an interest in ikebana, the Japanese art of flower decoration, considers herself an ambassador of peace and love from India.
Sachi Bhuttani, a theatre lover, would love to explore Pakistan more, and take "the real picture" back home. She aims to work with Rotary in the future as well.
Karan is someone who likes to keep an eye on the socio-political happenings in both India and Pakistan. "I want to promote the idea of Aman ki Asha by motivating people to encourage regular interaction with people across the border and understand their perspectives and opinions."
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Coming up...
Convention on the Benefits of Relaxed Indo-Pak Visa Policy
Saturday, January 14, 2012, Time: 10:30am - 4:00pm
Where: Punjab Institute of Language .....more
Convention on the Benefits of Relaxed Indo-Pak Visa PolicySaturday, January 14, 2012, Time: 10:30am - 4:00pm
Where: Punjab Institute of Language .....more
Coming up...
Book launch:
'Justice with Urdu'
Saturday, January 14, 2012, Time: 4.30 pm
Where: Multi-purpose Hall, India International Centre, M .....more
Book launch: 'Justice with Urdu'
Saturday, January 14, 2012, Time: 4.30 pm
Where: Multi-purpose Hall, India International Centre, M .....more
Salman bowls over kids from across the border
MUMBAI: Dabangg's Chulbul Pandey or Bodyguard's Lovely Singh, Salman Khan has managed to win hearts across the borders. Under the Aman Ki Asha campaign, three children fr
.....more
MUMBAI: Dabangg's Chulbul Pandey or Bodyguard's Lovely Singh, Salman Khan has managed to win hearts across the borders. Under the Aman Ki Asha campaign, three children fr
.....more
Why is Gopal Das free and not Khalil Chishty?
Shivam Vij
India's central government wants him to do it, the Rajasthan government wants him to do it, but Rajasthan's acting Governor Shivraj Patil is not signing .....more
Shivam VijIndia's central government wants him to do it, the Rajasthan government wants him to do it, but Rajasthan's acting Governor Shivraj Patil is not signing .....more
Stars that shone in Peshawar
Giving heritage status to the ancestral house of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor will push the wall of prejudice and see talent as it exists
By Sarwat .....more
Giving heritage status to the ancestral house of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor will push the wall of prejudice and see talent as it existsBy Sarwat .....more
Exhibition Of kites, kurties and cartography
In nature there are no borders. Pritika Chowdhry addresses these man-made divisions and the devastation they brought in her recent works at Rohtas 2
.....more
In nature there are no borders. Pritika Chowdhry addresses these man-made divisions and the devastation they brought in her recent works at Rohtas 2.....more
Page 73 of 174
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We probably didn't need to do this Special Report. Newspaper stories don't matter when it comes to Indians in Pakistani jails and vice versa. In fact, 'vice versa' sums it up. We do to them what they do to us.
Except when the two countries decide to begin talking, yet again! This time a little before the foreign secretary level talks, some Pakistani prisoners were released by India (and vice versa must have happened) and some more were release....read more
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The Jang Group has entered into an agreement with the Times of India Group, the largest media group of India, to campaign for peace betw
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