Jumbo Karachi Guide: Abdul Qadir Qureshi’s dream debut as Chief Editor

Jumbo Editorial Team

Abdul Qadir Qureshi, whose career as a working journalist spans well over four decades, has the standout quality of undertaking the toughest of assignments and delivering in the nick of time. Meeting and beating deadlines have been the hallmark throughout his illustrious career.

He made the national news agency of the country proud by filing innumerable stories day in and day out for decades. His efficiency and consistency have remained unmatched in the profession. His contribution to the cause of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) has been legendary.

Jumbo Karachi Guide presented a different kind of challenge to Abdul Qadir Qureshi in the role of Chief Editor. But he brought all his expertise and experience into play and came up with a spectacular performance to put together the landmark publication.

Abdul Qadir Qureshi, widely recognized as the doyen of working journalists in Karachi, has always believed in letting his work to do the talking. He has done a commendable job by making Karachi’s first-ever comprehensive travel guide a real historic document. His selection of top-class articles in the inaugural issue has provided a head start to the project.

Jumbo Karachi Guide has been published by Jumbo Infomedia. It is spread over 148 pages of A-5 size in four-colour while being printed on Matt Finish paper with worthy resource material between the covers.

Jumbo Karachi Guide arrives

Jumbo Editorial Team

Jumbo Karachi Guide took a good number of years to be compiled, edited, produced and finally published. Its inaugural edition has arrived and the early feedback has been terrific.

It’s Karachi’s first-ever comprehensive travel guide. The paperback, published by Jumbo Infomedia, is spread over 148 pages of A-5 size in four-colour and it’s printed on Matt Finish paper with a wealth of information inside covers.

Jumbo Karachi Guide has been compiled by a team of vastly experienced journalists with the iconic figure of Abdul Qadir Qureshi being its Chief Editor.

Besides Karachi Important Telephone Numbers, Karachi Postal Area Codes, Karachi Facts and Chronology of events, the articles published with eye-catching and historic photographs of the city are Introducing Karachi, Modern Karachi, Climate of Karachi, From Kolachi to Karachi, Karachi’s Architectural heritage,Cultural history of Karachi, Karachi Tramway becomes a thing of past, Education remains identity of Karachi, Evolution of new media through blogging and social networking, Hub of business, Karachi Port continues to offer new opportunities, Enchanting beaches and coastline, Engagement in sports and recreation, Premier hotels of Karachi, Hot and spicy food, Shoppers Paradise for everyon’s delight, Multiplexes revive cinema culture in Karachi, My Karachi: Oasis of harmony, Hamara Karachi Festival rocks, Karachi International Book Fair gladdens bookworms, Fashion Week making waves in Karachi, Karachi Literature Festival illuminates literary scene and Social sector development in Karachi.

The maps of Pakistan, Sindh and Karachi have been printed separately while Practical Information section has the listings of Airlines, Ambulance Services, Art Galleries, Banks, Blood Banks, Booksellers, Breakfast & Brunch, Chocolates & Sweets, Cinemas, Clubs, Coach Services, Courier Services, Cultural Centres, Departmental Stores, Farm Houses, Fast Food, Florists, Foreign Mission, Fun Spots, Gift Shops, Golf Clubs, Handicrafts, Health Clubs, Hospitals, Hotels, Ice Cream Shops, Laboratories & X-ray Centres, Libraries, Medical Stores, Money Changers, Museums, Photo Colour Laboratories, Photographers, Rent A Car, Restaurants, Travel Agents and Tour Operators.

The handy book, priced Pak Rs 600, is available at all leading bookstores and it can also be obtained directly at the office of Jumbo Infomedia.

KIBF 2011 concludes on a high

Jumbo Editorial Team

After five action-packed days and evenings the curtain fell to the 7th Karachi International Book Fair 2011 at the Expo Centre in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on December 20. Quite remarkably the high intensity was sustained throughout the event with the total number of visitors estimated to be in the excess of 300,000.

There was as much activity on the fifth and final day as the one witnessed on the earlier four days. The people continued rushing in and all three halls were full even when the announcement for closure was made on the public address system late in the evening.

The ‘Activity Lounge’ also remained occupied until the final moments with lucky draws taken out by various participating stall holders. Quite a few books continued to be launched in the presence of luminaries of their respective fields.

The parking lots in and around the huge Expo Centre remained packed but thankfully everything was smoothly managed that allowed the traffic to move freely despite the rush of vehicles. The security systems at all gates functioned efficiently and it didn’t cause hindrance in movement of the hundreds of people who were disciplined enough to stand in long queues without complaining.

The organizers were complimented to have made excellent arrangements to facilitate what was believed to be the busiest five days of the year at the Expo Centre with the largest turnout in a single exhibition.

Mammoth weekend turnout at KIBF 2011

Jumbo Editorial Team

The 7th Karachi International Book Fair 2011 has already drawn huge crowds on the first three days and the total number of visitors at the five-day event of Expo Centre in Gulshan-e-Iqbal is expected to cross the magical figure of 300,000.

“Surely we have had a bigger turnout in this event than in the past editions which is a clear reflection of its growing popularity among the masses. The people of Karachi have a passion for reading and almost everyone coming here is returning with a shopper full of books,” Owais Mirza Jamil, Convener, KIBF, observed while talking to the media on December 18.

“Look people of all ages have reached this spot. They have come from different areas of the city. The parking lot is full with cars and motorcycles. Outside Expo Centre there is huge activity of public transport causing jams. Big queues are being witnesses at the entry points. The book culture is very much alive and kicking in Karachi,” he said while pointing towards the crowded halls and corridors.

Aziz Khalid, Chairman, Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA), was also greatly satisfied with the large gathering on the first three days with even greater rush being anticipated on the last couple of days.

“The most heartening feature of the KIBF is the positive role of the young mothers who are constantly encouraging their tiny tots to purchase lots of books of their choice. These kids will definitely develop passion for reading from the childhood which augurs so well for the society,” he reckoned.

Nadeem Mazhar, a member of the Managing Committee of the 7th KIBF 2011, was also thrilled with the presence of thousands of bookworms, adding that the people of Karachi love to read books and they look forward to this fair throughout the year.

Soul Unshackled launch illuminates KIBF 2011

Jumbo Editorial Team

The Activity Lounge of the 7th Karachi International Book Fair 2011, being held at the Expo Centre, has remained occupied from the outset but it came to real life with the launch of the book titled ‘Soul Unshackled’ on December 17.

Paramount Publishing Enterprise has come up with yet another fantastic book, which has been authored by a youngster from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohail Fida, whose dreams were shattered with his imprisonment. The Urdu translation of the book titled ‘Na Qafus Na Ashiyana’ was also launched simultaneously.

In the book, written in confinement, Sohail Fida has narrated the story how his life took an unexpected turn when he was arrested on suspicion of murder, falsely accused and tortured by the police into signing a confession for a crime he did not commit, sentenced to death by the local magistrate, and thrown into the dark dungeons of the death cell to await execution.

Iqbal Saleh Mohammad, Managing Director, Paramount Publishing Enterprise, delivered yet another thought-provoking welcome address, in which he precisely spoke on ills and weaknesses of the society.

Dr Masuma Hasan, a leading scholar, who is recognized as the first women Ph.D. as well as the first women Federal Secretary of Pakistan, was the chief guest in the launching ceremony which was presided over by Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, Former Inspector General of Police, Sindh.

Agha Masood Hussain, a famous journalist and scholar, and Shakeel Farooqui, a former Controller of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) also shared their candidly during the ceremony, conducted nicely by Umbreen Mahar of Paramount Publishing Enterprise, lasting around 90 minutes.

Soul Unshackled to be launched at KIBF on December 17

Jumbo Editorial Team

Paramount Publishing Enterprise will launch another unique title in two languages which is a story of a young prisoner, who has completed his education while facing charges connected to the murder of a local boy in Swat.

The launching ceremony will be taking place at 4 pm on December 17 in the Hall Number 2 of the Expo Centre where the 7th Karachi International Book Fair 2011 is being held with great fanfare.

The book is being launched in two languages. While the edition in English has been titled ‘Soul Unshackled’ the book in Urdu has been named ‘Na Qafus Na Ashiyana.’

Dr Masuma Hasan,. Chairperson, Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA), and a former Ambassador, will be the chief guest in the launching ceremony to be presided over by Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui, Former Inspector General of Police, Sindh.

A large number of intellectuals, media professionals and the industry leaders are expected to grace the launch of a harrowing and heroic autobiographical account of a prisoner.

All roads lead to Expo Centre as KIBF 2011 opens

Jumbo Editorial Team

The areas surrounding the Expo Centre are buzzing with activity and there’s a lot of noise inside three halls since morning as the 7th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) 2011 was opened to the public at the designated time of 10 am on December 16.

The stalls have been tastefully decorated and there has been considerable rush of people of all ages from the moment the gates were opened on a Friday morning on which life generally is slow in Karachi.

There were students, clad in uniform, as well as teachers and professionals who not only visited the various stalls but also availed the opportunity of purchasing books in comparatively less crowded environment as more people are expected to pour in during the weekends.

The officials and volunteers of the KIBF are there at the reception area to greet and facilitate the visitors. The KIBF Convener, Owais Mirza Jamil, and the Chairman of the Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA), Aziz Khalid, are supervising all the arrangements with the assistance of their team members.

A record number of 290 stalls have been set up in the KIBF 2011 which promises to become the largest event of its kind in Pakistan.

Record number of 290 stalls being set up in Karachi International Book Fair 2011

Jumbo Editorial Team

A record number of 290 stalls are being set up in the 7th Karachi International Book Fair 2011which will be held at the traditional venue of Expo Centre in Gulshan-e-Iqbal where more than 250,000 visitors are expected this time round.

The announcement in this regard was made by Owais Mirza Jamil, Convener, KIBF, in the media briefing held at Hotel Pearl Continental on December 14. The foreign participation was being expected from India, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey.

“The KIBF 2011 will be the biggest-ever publishing and bookselling event of the country yet with 290 stalls to be spread over three halls of the spacious Expo Centre. Besides the foreign participants there will be presence of the outstation exhibitors who have shown great enthusiasm,” he disclosed.

Aziz Khalid, Chairman, Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA), added that the Indian contingent will be the biggest from abroad while quite a few leading names from Lahore have already arrived with their giant containers loaded with books of all kinds.

He acknowledged the support of the National Book Foundation (NBF), an organ of the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, besides thanking the Pakistan Library Association (PLA) for having come on board to accomplish their mutual objective of promoting book culture in the country.

The Managing Committee of the 7th KIBF 2011 comprises of Owais Mirza Jamil (Elite Publishers), Waqar Matin Khan (Emkay Books), Ahsan Jaffri (Say Publishing), Aziz Khalid (Urdu Academy), Iqbal Saleh Mohammad (Paramount Books), Kamran Noorani (Pakistan Law House), Khawar Iftikhar (Nafees Academy), Mohammad Iqbal Gaziani (Progressive International Agencies), Mohammad Nadeem Akhtar (Children Book Shop), Nadeem Mazhar (Sindhi Kitab Ghar), Saleem Abdul Hussain (Liberty Books) and Syed Nasir Hussain (Publishers Marketing Associates).

Karachi International Book Fair 2011 attracts massive media attention

Jumbo Editorial Team

The media briefing of the 7th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) 2011, held at Hotel Pearl Continental on December 14, attracted larger gathering than anticipated, much to the delight of the organizers and the event managers. There was adequate representation from the print, electronic and digital media.

The crowded media briefing appeared to be the perfect start for the 7th KIBF 2011 to be held at the Expo Centre from December 16 to 20. It was announced that although the exhibition will get underway on December 16, as scheduled, but the formal opening ceremony will be held the following day in which Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Sindh Minister of Education, will be the chief guest.

The high turnout of media professionals and the thought-provoking interactive session reflected their concerns for the decline in readership habits in the society besides highlighting the willingness to contribute their bit in promoting healthy activities.

Aziz Khalid, Chairman, Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA) and Owais Mirza Jamil, Convener, KIBF, were more than happy to take the questions from the media and they came up with befitting and detailed replies.

The National Book Foundation (NBF) and the Pakistan Library Association (PLA), who are partnering the PPBA in holding the KIBF, were also being represented by their key officials in the media briefing which lasted just over an hour.

Karachi International Book Fair 2011 set to commence on December 16

Jumbo Editorial Team

All is set for the seventh edition of the Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) to get underway at the Expo Centre on December 16. The event will be launched with a media briefing at a five-star hotel of the city a couple of days earlier.

The KIBF, to be organized by the Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association with the collaboration of the National Books Foundation, an organ of the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, will continue until December 20 and the entry to be exhibition will be free of cost.

The organizers are confident about the success of the event as the temperature has finally dropped after an extended summer that witnessed scorching sun during the day until the end of November.

The KIBF 2011 is expected to draw as big a crowd as the ones in the last six years. With elaborate arrangements being made to make the event more interactive the turnout is likely to be bigger than before.

As in the past, the KIBF 2011 will bring together domestic and international publishers, booksellers, librarians and institutional customers, agents and authors who will be showcasing their proud products to a knowledgeable audience.

The positive response to the event from the outset has made it the largest book fair to be held in the country. It has grown in stature over the years.

Portugal to host 16th International Conference on Electronic Publishing in June 2012

Jumbo Editorial Team

The 16th International Conference on Electronic Publishing will be held on June 14 and 15, 2012 at the University of Minho in Portugal’s famous city of Guimarães with the theme of Social Shaping of Digital Publishing: Exploring the interplay between Culture and Technology.

The organizers are welcoming a wide variety of papers from members of the communities whose research and experiments are transforming the nature of electronic publishing and scholarly communications.

The topics included but are not restricted to these seven main areas are Digital Scholarship, Open Access and Open Science, Interoperability and the Intelligent Web, The Social and Mobile Web, The legal, secure and trustful Web, Innovative interfaces, interaction and visualization, Failures and learnings and The future of Digital Publishing. The deadline for submission of full-text papers and extended abstracts in all categories is Janauary 9, 2012.

The best papers accepted for Elpub 2012, are planned to be published in a special issue of the Journal “Information Services & Use” (IOS Press). All submitted papers will have opportunities for consideration for this Special Journal Issue.

Guimarães is an historical city settled in the 9th century. It’s called the “birthplace of the Portuguese nationality" or "the cradle city" as it was from here that their first king, Afonso Henriques, had started to conquer land to form the kingdom of Portugal.

Located in northern Portugal, Guimarães’ historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and jointly with Maribor, is going to be European Capital of Culture in 2012: Guimarães 2012. It ranks at sixth position in the "Lonely Planet's Best in Travel: Top 10 cities for 2012". It is sought throughout the year for tourism, but in summer the number of tourists is at its peak.

The University of Minho, founded in 1973, is renowned for quality and competence of teachers, for excellence in research, the wide range of training graduate and postgraduate education and the high level of interaction with other institutions.

For these reasons, it occupies a central position in the region, an important national reference and a recognized partner both at an European and at a global scale. It has a campus in Braga and besides the one in Guimarães.

Revamped Jumbo Publishing website launched

Jumbo Editorial Team

Jumbo Publishing has launched its revamped website www.jumbopublishing.com which offers customers greater knowledge about its books in addition to important news and updates.

The newly designed website is user-friendly that makes it easy for the customer to find and learn about Jumbo Publishing’s books.

The customers can easily read a review of the book they are interested in. They can also order it very conveniently by downloading and printing the form and sending it over with the cheque/draft of the appropriate amount.

Three latest articles from the blog of Jumbo Publishing, www.jumbopublishing.blogspot.com appear on the home page and the visitors can access them rather comfortably.

The launch of our newly redesigned website is in line with Jumbo Publishing’s philosophy of spreading knowledge and providing the best possible services to its customers.