Happy Birthday Mehraz-Head Boy 2012-13

The post below is for a very special person PAF Chapter A Levels had the honour of witnessing. Read on  an insight to his life which is written by none other than his sister, Laiba Khan, and edited by Moaaz Sidat and Lubaina Ehsan. 
Happy Birthday Big Guy! :D

PAFIAN Stage Play, 2012-13

Written, Produced & Directed by Laiba Khan (Mehraz ki Behen)

Scene 4 shot 2:

(Mother talking to her eldest son)

Mom: Beta, I wonder why you aren’t a high achiever at college?

Son: Well... mum, that’s just too ordinary. almost half of the students end up being high achievers. But tell me, how many end up as Head Boys? Wow! JUST ONE.  And mum, that’s your son, Mehraz.

Guess who the son was?

I know that it is not a difficult one to answer, as every PAFIAN knows that it is none other than our very own, Mehraz Khan; Head Boy 2012-13. And, allow me share this with all the smart girls of PAF Chapter that today is his 19th birthday!

People often ask me how and why Mehraz became so popular and successful. Well, mainly it was because of his adorable looks (*wink wink*) and innovative style followed by sincerity, acute sense of responsibility coupled with humour, caring attitude for his team (and non-team) and never ending love for his school that made him THE MOST POPULAR Head Boy that PAF Chapter has ever seen. It also gave him the privilege of becoming Director Logistics at PAFMUN 2013 after an initial start as a Security volunteer in the first edition. He spent days and nights at Chapter teaching us the true meaning of responsibility and dedication, inspiring us with his ways of organising various events and delivering nothing short of the very best!

On a personal level, he 'donated' his iPhone to a pick-pocketer just after offering Friday prayers. With a shoe size of 14 and a height of 6’4”, he definitely earned the respect of all those who knew him. If you know what I'm referring to ;)

He was tense throughout the tough Election Campaign 2012-13, even more than he ever was for his CIE results. I remember my share for his campaign, especially the comments from his close friends for me, like 'The promos/banners are amazing. Mehraz is lucky to have a sister like you' which made me proud to be his sister. Oh and, in the end all the hard work paid off with a triumphant victory.

I still remember the old PAFMUN days when I had to wait for him for long hours but he just wouldn’t go home until every single person had left. Ms. Shireen would always say, "Mehraz, go home! It's not safe. You have your sister with you too." She said this despite knowing very well that he would not leave and would stay till the very end. It was perhaps that everlasting confidence she had in him which became a reason as to why she loves him like her very own son.

Last but not the least, how can we forget Farewell '13? What a grandeur night it was. For the very first time I saw my brother actually crying with tears in his eyes and subsequently, bringing to tears to the eyes of all those around him. It was impossible for me also to control myself. Ms. Seema Irfan came to him and said, "Beta, it is okay. Please don’t cry." Mehraz replied (in a weird tone): "Miss, when I came here I... *BHEN BHEN BHEN*."

Two things I hate about my brother. One, his singing acumen. Two, his crying pitch. Although, I'm glad he is not fond of doing these too often. Allow me to share a childhood memory of Mehraz Khan. When he was in 2nd Grade, our parents went to a parent-teacher meeting in The City School, Darakhshan Campus, and got a complaint from his class teacher saying, "Mehraz is a very nice boy. Just make sure he never sings again, we will award him full marks in music."

In the end, I would just like to tell him that his family and the never ending list of his friends love him so very much and are immensely proud of him. As Ms. Seema Irfan said, and I quote,

"Mehraz has left a legacy."

We wish to thank him for all the amazing and beautiful moments he gave us and wish him an even more successful career in his life ahead. Ameen.

Lil' Cute Mehraz ^_^
Collage Courtesy: Laiba Khan.

Puzzle Pieces

Written by the founder of PAF Chapter's Blog, Syeda Ramsha Wasti; the gem of Class of 2013.

So I got a text yesterday from one of my best friends and it said, “You know it’s weird how you never text. Chapter ended and it seems like all friendships have ended as well”.

Well, I was never fond of texting and people who know me know that either I reply extremely late or don’t reply at all. But this text had me thinking that time has changed. We have arrived at that time of the year where we don’t see each other every day and catch up on stories. The time when we have gotten so busy with university applications that we barely have time to think about anyone or anything. People running without a proper plan, like me, are fearful about the future and are unsure about where life would take them. However, people with a proper plan and equipment to run that plan are busy devising a technique to make it successful. In this race to get somewhere, and secure a seat at some good college for the next four to five years, we have forgotten about ourselves and it’s getting difficult to keep our heads square on our shoulders. You talk to a random friend, and after a few minutes of conversation, he would end up asking you about universities you have applied to. You step out of the house to go see your relatives and they would ask you about the result of some X university you took the test of. I am not saying that it’s wrong, but it’s sort of sad how your life reduces to loads of CATs. 

SO MANY ADMISSION TESTS!
And, we thought we'll sit back and enjoy the summers after our tough CIEs.
Oh, well.

Hey, does this sound very pessimistic? Someone once told me that the most important thing is to keep your head square on your shoulders and perform everything you step into with utmost sincerity. And just remember, all you people out there, that there is a huge waterfall once this bumpy road ends!  While there are several metaphorical meanings of a waterfall, one of them is that it represents revitalization and renewal. So what I am trying to say here is that if you manage to pull your weight through these tough times while giving it your best shot at every point, a waterfall; a treat; a new life awaits you! 

I started off with Chapter, didn't I? I don’t know what sort of jigsaw puzzle I have put up there. Oh well, in my defense, we have arrived at that time of the year “in which the past becomes dreamy because its symbols have all vanished”, and the future too is dreamy because it is uncertain. While I go reminisce about Chapter, remember to be optimistic about everything. 

Oh, this reminds me of something I read somewhere: if you type ‘no pop songs’ on Google, Google is most likely to give you a list of pop songs. So why not remove ‘no’ or negative words from our lives and write and wish for something we want instead of talking about what we don’t want. Can you put the pieces of puzzle together for me?

Happy Birthday Ms. Shireen

The post below is written by Mehraz Khan and edited by Lubaina Ehsan for none other than Ms. Shireen Karamally. She is the woman who has inspired us, The PAF Chapter A Level family, and continues to inspire us each passing day...

Today is the Birthday of someone who is not ordinary human but a super-human, 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. SHIREEN!

"We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and our relationship to humanity.” - Martin Luther King.

Everyday, on the Baloch expressway at 7:57am in the morning one could see a 2004 model, registered 2006 (I remember the registration number too ^_^ ), silver coloured Allion swiftly moving towards one of the largest and best-est school in the world; The City School PAF Chapter. That car manages to reach at 8:00am everyday, is parked outside the A level section, the woman who walks out of it is swifter than the 1500cc car and rushes towards the assembly area where the day begins for the section. She does not care if her hair are finely brushed or whether she has put on make-up. All she cares about are the students who study in the school. 

And, this woman is none other than MS. SHIREEN KARAMALLY, The Headmistress of PAF Chapter A Level Section.

Ms. Shireen was born in India and received her education from India. She moved to Pakistan after her marriage, started working for the The City school in 1998 and continues to make The City School better and better till date.

She is the most popular figure in the CSN network, one would wonder why? Let’s see...

Women mostly love shopping, make-up, long conversations on the phone and the list goes on and on... But, this lady, she loves the people around her, she loves her "bachas", she loves her job and most importantly, she loves her Allah and fears Allah.

She is someone one wouldn’t try to mess with because that is the worst idea one can ever get. She loves the people who love her, can make the life of haters as hard as they can think of (even though she refrains from that) and that, is the true quality of a leader.

As I came to PAF Chapter last year, I was told about Ms. Shireen as someone who treats you the way you treat her and also that ONE SIMPLY DOES NOT CHALLENGE MS. SHIREEN KARAMALLY! And, all this was crystal clear in my mind after the Orientations on the first day of A Levels.

My first encounter with her was two months later which was not a very good one for me, she saw me standing with seven girls and said,”beta, larkon say bhi dosti karlo." And, I know she does not remember all this but it was a really embarrassing moment for me. Since then, I have never been seen standing with so many girls alone.

I have seen her cutting hair of students, I have seen her scold people in the assembly and I have also seen her comment on people's pictures which would make them realise that how disrespectful they become sometimes. BUT, I have also seen her motivate the students who are sometimes demotivated, I have seen her hugging the students who are crying and I have seen her giving hope to the ones who become hopeless.

Her job in the school office is till 4:00pm but she has never left before 6:00pm and sometimes it's 8:00pm.

I personally got to know her during PAFMUN 2012 and since then it feels as if I have known her forever :') She has guided me through the obstacles that I would have never conquered alone.

I am one of the people whom she has scolded the most, but as she says, "The ones I scold most are the ones I love most."

She has always been an inspiration. When I was doing something new I looked up to her, whenever I felt tired during an event I looked at her and completely came back to life because she is always energetic and lively no matter how tired she feels.

Whenever I thought I was to stay late at school, I'd see her sitting in her office as she'd tell me that she was staying till two more hours too. i thought i was in school late, i saw her sitting in her office and she said i am here for two more hours too.

EVEN when I thought I was driving fast I saw her overtaking my car as if driving slowly ^_^

It is because of her that I became the Head Boy of the A Levels sections and it is because of her I have worked so hard as the Head Boy. Her motivating speeches and her scolding made me a better person and a better Head Boy.

Her way of telling me I have done something good is very unique. I receive a text message saying "Love you my bacha." And, that text means the world to Mehraz Khan :') My tears on the farewell were not only because I was going away from PAF Chapter but also because I will be going away from Miss Shireen.

I will never forget the paragraph you wrote on my shirt in the shirt signing day.
It means a lot.

I will always remember her and love her not only as my Teacher but as my Family. Also, the Head of PAF CHAPTER A Level’s family. May you have an awesome birthday Ms. Shireen and may you live long.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. SHIREEN!

Life-A Poem

By: Minahil Malik

Life is a murmur of the past,

A shadow of memories.

An aisle of stories,

And a trunk full of possibilities. 

It is the morning sun kissing the sky,

The horizon erupting into colours of honey, lemon yellows and autumn reds at the sunset.

The invincible night sky studded with starry sequins, 

And the galaxies, milky ways and rocky roads waiting to be discovered.

Life is the hot chocolate during a winter,

Your tan skin and wet pool hair during the summer.

The crazy obsession for a 90’s song, 

Or fantasizing madly about a new film star.

It is the deprivation faced by a poor man, 

The helplessness of a young woman forced to earn by being sold.

The tears of an orphan 

And the sacrifice of a young boys childhood.

It is being grateful to God for what you have,

It is looking down rather than looking up.

It is giving your affection and aid to those who need it,

And spreading smiles.

Life is the loss of someone close to you,

It is the annihilation of blind trust.

The pain, grief and rage,

And the moments of despair and regret.

Life is destiny, how you choose to live it.

It is learning from your experiences and accepting your situation.

It is bringing yourself to terms with what you’re feeling

And finally it is putting all that at the back of your mind and moving on.