Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah) header
Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah) profile picture

Interested in this, that, the other. Temperamental about likes and dislikes. Always in pursuit of happiness.

Somewhere between here & there
Joined May 2009
Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)Photo by Zahra Hidayatullah (@ZHidayatullah)
As India celebrates its 75th Independence Day today, amongst its finest heroes, they also celebrate my great grandfather Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah. Although Sir Ghulam chose PK & was one of Mr.Jinnah’s closest allies, 1/n amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-…
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The stories you tell are unique; in their perspective and observations made. That’s why one continues being fascinated by them.
Three weeks after sending in my manuscript to Hamid Akhund of EFT (Karachi), I called to very diffidently ask if he liked what I had written. The way he said he did, uplifted my spirit unimaginably. The more I write the more uncertain I become of myself.
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
After 2.5 wonderful years with the @FT in Islamabad, I am thrilled to announce that I have joined the @nytimes to cover business and economic affairs across the Gulf Cooperation Council. I am now based in Dubai. Please send any tips or advice to [email protected]!
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
Her family did not prioritise education for girls. She funded her own schooling by tutoring and stitching clothes. At 13 she was designing her own video games. Sadia Bashir. Born Faisalabad, Punjab. Her family's socioeconomic circumstances made an English-medium school feel unreachable. She reached it anyway. Paid for it herself. Then sat in the school library teaching herself graphic design, computer science and game development because nobody else was going to. MSc in Computer Science from COMSATS University Islamabad. She began as a programmer. Then found a mentor who backed her financially. She and a colleague set up a small basement studio. In 2016 she founded PixelArt Games Academy in Islamabad. Pakistan's first academy dedicated to game development training, research and industry collaboration. Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018. Enterprise Technology list. Al Jazeera covered her work. BBC featured her story. MIT Technology Review Pakistan recognised her contribution to Pakistan's technology sector. She built a space for Pakistan's game development community when that community had no space. She trained developers. She connected them to the global industry. She put Pakistan on the map of a sector the world had not expected to find there. A girl from Faisalabad who stitched clothes to pay her school fees. Built Pakistan's gaming industry from a basement. Sadia Bashir. Pakistan Zindabad. 🇵🇰
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You worded the whole reality of her life. Utterly devastating!
I can’t stop thinking about Laiba. Imagine working hard your entire life, becoming a gold medalist, coming from a family where education isn’t just a degree, but the hope of changing everyone’s future. Your parents have sacrificed so much, and you finally think you’ll be able to give them the life they deserve. Then someone preys on your vulnerability and offers you a dream. Harvard. An acceptance letter. You start imagining yourself there, the life you’ll build. And then you discover it was all a lie. The devastation. The guilt and shame she may have internalised over being deceived, when she had done absolutely nothing wrong. And I keep wondering, if she had believed that our system would protect her, that this man would be caught and held accountable, might she have felt there was somewhere to turn? I wish she hadn’t left this world feeling so hopeless, believing that someone else’s crime had destroyed everything she had worked so hard for. It’s devastating.
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She wanted to go to Harvard.
Turns out the IIUI student who was a gold medalist had a scholarship offer to study in Saudi Arabia Alas
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Hahahahaha the inimitable Bhai! No Muqabla!
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Thank you so much @odysseuslahori !! 🙏
Replying to @ZHidayatullah
@ZHidayatullah A very happy birthday to you, Zahra. May you live long and prosper.
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A memorable meeting with the Leader!! I first met Nawaz Sharif sahib in the 1990s during a jalsa in Narowal City. Two days ago, I had the opportunity to connect with him in a way I have never imagined before. Our conversation ranged from the subtle variations among Punjabi dialect to the practical possibilities of agricultural cooperative, his knowledge of both subjects runs remarkably remarkably deep, and he spoke with the ease of someone who has spent a lifetime, observing learning and engaging with the world around him. What moved me most was not simply the breadth of his knowledge, but his gift for listening. He gave the conversation his full undivided attention, the President of PMLN, 3 x Prime Minister of Pakistan talking to a first term MPA of Punjab. He responded thoughtfully and allowed ideas to flow without hassle and that made the encounter feel unusually personal. It took me an entire day to observe the experience and reflect on how much had passed between our first meeting (picture attached) and this most recent conversation.
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
One my friends sent this beautiful post explaining Karma. I thought it’s worth sharing 😊
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
What an honour to be standing with my childhood hero ❤️
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والد صاحب کی حالیہ پوسٹ پر بعض تبصروں میں یہ دعویٰ کیا گیا ہے کہ میں پنجاب حکومت سے ناراض ہوں۔ میں دو ٹوک انداز میں واضح کرنا چاہتا ہوں کہ یہ بات صد فیصد بے بنیاد اور جھوٹ ہے۔ میں نے اپنے والد سے اپنے لیے کسی کام کی سفارش کرنے کو نہیں کہا، نہ ہی مجھے کسی عہدے کی خواہش یا کوئی ناراضی ہے۔ ظفروال کے عوام کی نمائندگی میرے لیے بہت بڑا اعزاز اور ذمہ داری ہے۔ میری توجہ اپنے حلقے کے مسائل، مؤثر قانون سازی اور بطور چیئرمین پبلک اکاؤنٹس کمیٹی اپنی ذمہ داریاں ادا کرنے پر ہے۔ کمیٹی میں ہم بلدیاتی اداروں، مقامی تعلیمی و صحت کے اداروں اور اضلاع کی برسوں سے زیرالتوا آڈٹ رپورٹس کا جائزہ لے کر عوامی وسائل کے احتساب کو آگے بڑھا رہے ہیں۔ میرے لیے یہ کام اہم بھی ہے اور باعثِ اطمینان بھی۔ میرے نزدیک اس پروپیگنڈے کے پیچھے وہی سیاسی مخالفین ہیں جو عرصے سے اپنے میڈیا روابط کے ذریعے ہمارے اور جماعت کی قیادت کے درمیان غلط فہمیاں پیدا کرنے کی کوشش کرتے آئے ہیں۔ اہلِ علاقہ ان کی سیاست سے خوب واقف ہیں؛ نام لینے کی ضرورت نہیں۔ ان کی سیاست کا محور عہدے اور اقتدار رہے ہیں، مگر مواقع ملنے کے باوجود اپنے حلقوں کی ترقی اور عوامی خدمت میں کوئی قابلِ ذکر کارکردگی پیش نہیں کر سکے۔ نارووال میں حالیہ آزاد کشمیر انتخابات، LA-37, Jammu 4، میں بھی یہ مسترد شدہ لوگ و تحریک انصاف، تحریک لبیک اور دیگر مخالف قوتیں ایک امیدوار کی حمایت میں اکٹھی ہوئیں، مگر عوام نے انہیں مسترد کرکے مسلم لیگ (ن) کو واضح کامیابی دی۔ انتخابی شکست کے بعد قیاس آرائیوں اور الزام تراشی سے عوام کا اعتماد حاصل نہیں کیا جا سکتا۔ احسن اقبال صاحب اور مسلم لیگ (ن) کی قیادت کا تعلق دہائیوں کی سیاسی رفاقت اور مشکل وقت میں ساتھ نبھانے کا ہے۔ اسے میرے لیے کسی عہدے کے حصول سے جوڑنا بے بنیاد اور انتہائی افسوسناک ہے اور یہ بات میں محترمہ مریم اورنگزیب کو بھی بتا چکا ہوں کہ وہ حلقے میں اس قسم کا propaganda کرتے ہیں۔ مسلم لیگ (ن) میری جماعت ہے اور میاں نواز شریف صاحب کی قیادت سے ہماری جذباتی وابستگی ہے۔ وزیراعلیٰ مریم نواز شریف صاحبہ نے ظفروال کی ترقی کے لیے خصوصی شفقت کی ہے، جس پر میں ان کا شکر گزار ہوں۔ ان کے ساتھ پنجاب اور اپنے حلقے کی بہتری کے لیے اپنا کردار ادا کرتا رہوں گا۔ میں اس بے بنیاد الزام تراشی کی مذمت کرتا ہوں۔ میڈیا کے دوستوں سے گزارش ہے کہ میری طرف کوئی مؤقف یا خواہش منسوب کرنے سے پہلے تصدیق کر لیا کریں۔
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
Il 31 agosto 1997 moriva Lady Diana. Aveva 36 anni. Sono passati 29 anni, ma alcune persone hanno uno strano rapporto con il tempo: se ne vanno e continuano a essere presenti. Diana non è rimasta nella memoria perché era una principessa. È rimasta perché, dentro un mondo costruito sul protocollo, riusciva ancora a sembrare umana. Forse è per questo che milioni di persone non l’hanno mai dimenticata. Le corone passano. L’empatia lascia tracce. ❤️‍🩹
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According to my cousin Nusrat, “NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels” SO TRUE!
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♾️
Life lessons from @rogerfederer (must watch) 1 Effortless is a myth 2 Belief in yourself has to be earned 3 Grit > Gift 4 Discipline is talent 5 Trust and loving the process is talent 6 You can do your best and still lose 7 Life is bigger than the court
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🌟
Princess Diana died 29 years ago today 💔🕊️
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Iconic image!
(L-R) Satyajeet Roy, Amrita Preetam, M.S. Subbulakshmi and Indra Gandhi
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
If the news are authentic then we all should be happy and congratulate the most eligible bachelor- BBZ, with prayers for a blissful life ahead with the beautiful young lady- Gloria Von Hapsburg 💞.
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Beautiful!
Sindh Ibex herd with innocent kids at Sindh - Balochistan border - Khirthar National Park
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
Government has announced PKR.5000000/- as compensation to the bereaved families of each victim of the PIMS incident. Thats all it will take to get the news off air, parents satisfied and senior journalists to move on. Nothing on the implementation of SOPs will improve. Our all knowing Hamid Mir, after unnecessary authentication of Mustafa Kamal’s hand written resignation letter, shall march on too!
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Zahra Hidayatullah retweeted
My first thought was... finally. My second thought was that he died, probably peacefully in his bed, which was a luxury that he did not afford the tens of thousands of women, men and children who died because of him.
CNN's Christiane @amanpour reflects on the death of Ratko Mladić, responsible for the massacre of thousands during the Bosnian War. Amanpour reported extensively on the conflict: "We know what happened. We, the press, were there to document in real time these crimes."
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