Afrah Jamal

First Published in Economic Affairs (Apr 2014) P-36 They conquered Everest in their spare time & crafted empires; their names were featured in Forbes ‘30 under 30’. Somewhere along the way they had reset the bar. Their contributions had not gone un-noticed. The people who had made the list included trailblazers, trendsetters, risk-takers & crusaders, seen at the 6th LADIESFUND® Annual Women’s Awards. An event to salute an unlikely band of heroes who left a legacy of courage & compassion also acknowledged exceptional women on the rise. LADIESFUND® launched by Dawood Global Foundation (2007) & headed by Tara Uzra Dawood, celebrates these achievements by adding powerhouse women and their noble causes to their wall of fame. It also makes its core mission - Educate 1000 Girls, the lynchpin & encourages the entrepreneur within our ranks. The talented Alycia Dias, who performed the anthem & walked away with a musical scholarship, would be joined by other...

First Published in Economic Affairs (Islamabad) March 2014 A forlorn figure making portraits in hotel lobbies may not be newsworthy. The flash-forward of him wandering his old stomping grounds however can make headlines. By then he has acquired some elegant titles that go well with stardom, while retaining a measure of humility that keeps him grounded. Renowned musician and actor Ali Zafar has been in the game for a decade. His name is listed in ‘ Wall Street Money Never Sleeps’ ( 2010) - soundtrack section. He has an array of awards under his belt and a line-up of movies & songs to his credit. He saunters on stage to take his place as the star of the evening but happily shares the spotlight - with a fan, randomly chosen for a photo-op, with nimble footed celebrities who waltzed in and in some cases, leapt out, and Shahbaz – the surprised looking technician who got his 5 minutes of fame in exchange for some bottled water. The singer scores with his generosity and ende...