Latest news with #Khoja
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Mayor vows to preserve city's heritage
KARACHI: Mayor Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, has stated that the restoration of the city's historic buildings is ongoing. Following the restoration of Khaliq Dina Hall, Frere Hall, and Empress Market, the historic Denso Hall and Library has been reopened after renovation. He emphasized the commitment to fulfilling promises, digitizing all KMC assets, and preserving the city's heritage to educate the younger generation about Karachi's rich history. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated Denso Hall and Library on M A Jinnah Road, Mayor Wahab urged various institutions, banks, and multinational companies to join hands in serving the city. He was accompanied by Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, Parliamentary Leader Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Dil Muhammad, Labor Bureau President Aslam Samoo, Mumtaz Tanoli, Senior Director of Culture and Sports Mehdi Maloof, and other officials. Mayor Wahab expressed that Karachi has everything, and what's missing is a love for its soil. He said critics will keep criticizing, but the work will continue to make Karachi more beautiful and vibrant, restoring historic structures that represent the true essence of the city. He noted that Denso Hall, built in 1886, was the first public library open to locals. Previously, libraries and halls were only accessible to British officials and their families. He expressed regret that the building was converted into a government office in the 1980s, depriving children and students in the area of its use. In 2007, the building was handed over to a private party, after which it remained closed until December 31, 2023. Now, it has been reopened for citizens as promised. Mayor Wahab encouraged the public to use the space for literary, academic, and cultural events. He envisioned gatherings of religious recitations, qawwalis, inter-collegiate debates, poetry readings, and storytelling. He assured that the KMC budget was used transparently for the renovation. He highlighted the spirit of the city's past, noting that philanthropists once donated generously – such as Rao Ram Das gifting a clock for the hall, and over 3,000 books being donated by Persian and Khoja communities. The KMC itself is historically significant, having registered its first birth and death in 1872.
India.com
25-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Who was Kareem Bhai Ibrahim, man who donated land for orphanage where Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani's Rs 15000 crore Antilia stands, he bought land in…, Ambanis bought it for Rs…
Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's Antilia is valued at a staggering Rs 15000 crore. New Delhi: Mumbai has always been a goldmine for heritage and cultural exploration. From its film city to old Parsi and colonial houses, beaches, museums, and classical architecture, the 'City of Dreams' attracts people from all over India and the world. The city also endorses many architectural marvels. Mukesh Ambani's Antilia is one of them. The 15000 crore super luxurious building stands out not only for its opulence but also for the controversies that surround it. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani's magnificent mansion 'Antilia' was valued staggering USD 4.6 billion in 2023. Located in the heart of Mumbai, Antilia is more than just a house—it's a spectacle, an architectural wonder, and a symbol of the Ambani family's immense wealth. What if we tell you that this 27-story skyscraper, owned by Reliance Industries boss is built on land originally designated for charity and religious education? According to AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, the land where Mukesh Ambani resides was once meant for the orphaned and underprivileged. Antilia stands on a Waqf property? Back in 1895, a wealthy shipowner named Kareem Bhai Ibrahim donated the land, where Antilia stands, to establish an orphanage called the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana. The orphanage was set up to offer shelter and education to orphaned children, with a strong emphasis on religious and moral values. By 1986, this property was reportedly transferred to a trust under the Waqf Board, a charitable institution responsible for managing Muslim religious endowments. The land, thus, was meant to benefit the public by housing orphaned children and providing them with education. It was in the year 2002, the Waqf Board decided to sell the land. But here's where things get murky. The land, once valued at approximately USD 18 million, was sold to a commercial entity associated with Mukesh Ambani's family for just USD 2.5 million. The Waqf Board, along with several local politicians, initially opposed the sale, arguing that the land should not be sold to a private party, especially at such a low price. But despite these objections, the sale was eventually approved, and the construction of Antilia began. All you need to know about Kareem Bhai? Kareembhai Ibrahim was a wealthy shipowner. The 4,532-square-metre (1.120-acre) plot on which Antilia is built was previously home to the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana (Kareembhai Ibrahim Khwaja Orphanage). Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana belongs to a charity run by the waqf board. The orphanage had been founded in 1895 by Currimbhoy Ebrahim, a wealthy shipowner. The trust requested permission to sell this land in 2002, and the charity commissioner gave the required permission three months later. The charity sold the land allocated for the purpose of education of underprivileged Khoja children to Antilia Commercial Private Limited, a commercial entity controlled by Mukesh Ambani, in July 2002 for Rs 210.5 million (US$2.5 million) The prevailing market value of the land at the time was at least ₹1.5 billion (US$18 million).
Nahar Net
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
New Syria Opposition Head Rules out Moscow Talks Plan
by Naharnet Newsdesk over 10 years The newly elected head of Syria's key opposition National Coalition on Monday ruled out taking part in a Russian-led bid for new talks to end the Syrian conflict. Khaled Khoja, who was elected early on Monday to head the opposition grouping, said Moscow's proposal was impossible. "The dialogue with the regime that Moscow is calling for is out of the question," he said at a news conference in Istanbul, where the Coalition is based. "We can't sit at the same table as the regime... except in a negotiating framework intended to achieve a peaceful transition of power and the formation of a transitional body with full powers," he said. Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been trying to relaunch peace talks that would include meetings between delegates of the regime and the fractured opposition. It has invited 28 opposition figures, including members of the tolerated domestic opposition as well as individual Coalition members, to Moscow later this month. Among them are Hadi al-Bahra, whom Khoja succeeded on Monday, and two other previous Coalition chiefs, Moaz al-Khatib and Abdel Basset Sida. It remains unclear whether the Coalition will seek to ban those of its members who have been invited from attending the talks in Moscow. Khatib visited Russia last year for discussions and has recently established his own movement, though he remains a member of the Coalition. Several opposition groups are expected to meet in Cairo this month to form a unified front, according to opposition sources, although a timetable and list of participants has not been made public. Khoja's comments were the first since he was elected with backing from both secular and moderate Islamist blocs. He is the first member of the Turkmen minority elected to the post and is seen as more independent than his predecessor, who had strong ties to Saudi Arabia. Coalition member Samir Nashar said Khoja's win showed a "decline in the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood", which had backed his rival Nasr Hariri. Khoja secured 56 votes, six more than Hariri. The election took place in Istanbul. The National Coalition is the internationally recognized representative of Syria's uprising, but is often accused of being out of touch with reality on the ground in the nearly four-year war. It has also been riven by conflict between its regional backers, including arch-rivals Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Turkey has also vied for influence, including by backing the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in the coalition. Khoja has lived in exile in Turkey for decades, after leaving Syria in the 1980s following two stints in prison. But despite his ties to Turkey, his candidacy was not backed by Ankara. Nashar, who is close to Khoja, expressed hope that "the new leadership will work to return the Syrian revolution to the right path". Nashar, who has been critical of Islamist forces in the coalition, also hoped that Khoja would strive to "build a national front committed to the revolution... and establish a pluralist civil state in Syria without exclusion or marginalization." Khoja has a history of opposition activism, and was a founding member of the Syrian National Council, a key component of the coalition. He served as the National Coalition's representative in Turkey before being elected president. Born in Damascus in 1965, Khoja studied first in Libya after going into exile before settling in Turkey. He graduated in medicine from the University of Izmir in 1994.
Arab News
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Farshi Shalwar: Centuries-old staple of South Asian fashion makes Eid comeback in Pakistan
KARACHI: A centuries-old staple of South Asian closets, the farshi shalwar, is back in Pakistan and ruling fashion trends this Eid Al-Fitr. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The word 'farshi' comes from the Persian word 'farsh,' meaning 'floor,' and the farshi shalwar, particularly popular in Pakistan and northern India, is characterized by its floor-length, flowing and wide, loose pants, creating a dramatic and graceful silhouette. 'Right now, it's the hottest trend,' fashion stylist and director Tabesh Khoja, popularly known as Khoji, told Arab News, saying he first styled a farshi shalwar in 2023 for the fashion label of model and actress Sadaf Kanwal. 'I styled Sadaf Kanwal actually and after that I have seen every other designer doing a farshi shalwar version of their own,' Khoja said. No doubt, Kanwal seems to have played a key role in bringing the farshi shalwar back this Ramadan and Eid, with her label Sadaf Kanwal Fashion creating a number of outfits over the last two years featuring the baggy trousers. 'Throughout the [last] year, I shot so many collections of so many designers and all of those designers at least used to have two farshi shalwars for sure in their collections,' Khoja said. 'So it took us an entire year to make it a fashion trend.' According to the stylist, the trend dated back to the 17th century and was popular among noble women in the Mughal era. Modeled after the flowing gowns worn by British noblewomen, the complete outfit consists of three basic parts: a kurta or a long shirt, dupatta or long stole, and the third and most important, the farshi shalwar or pajama, a flowing two-legged trouser held by drawstrings that falls straight to the ankles from where it starts flaring and flowing copiously onto the floor, trailing as one walks. In media, iconic movies such as Umrao Jaan (1981) and Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) that depict Muslim culture of 19th-century Lucknow show noblewomen and royal courtesans wearing farshi shalwars. 'They had a variety of silhouettes in terms of a kurta or a jacket on top, among other things. The outfit has been there, the silhouette has been there since the 17th century but how you make it relevant now is very important,' Khoja added. HOW TO STYLE A FARSHI SHALWAR? According to Khoja, some of the popular ways to style the farshi shalwar include pairing it with a button down shirt and accessorizing it with different kinds of jewelry pieces and hairdos. 'You can dress it up or dress it down. Sadaf [Kanwal] uses big organza dupattas. You can do big shawls also like [actress] Mahira Khan wore [designer] Banto Kazmi's when she got an award at the UK Parliament. So something of that sort also with a plain silhouette.' Pakistani actress Tuba Anwar said celebrities had been wearing farshi shalwars since last year but the trend had 'peaked' among the general public in recent months. For her, the fact that everyone would be wearing the baggy trousers this Eid reduced their appeal. 'I was planning to wear farshi shalwar on this Eid and then when everybody started discussing it, I was like 'No, this is not what I'm going to wear because I have to do something very different'.' When she wore farshi shalwars at all, Anwar said she preferred them in solid colors. 'In terms of styling, I would like to wear it with solid colors, not a lot of embroidery going on, not a lot of things or abstract things going on in the clothes that I am going to wear,' she said. The farshi shalwar craze is not limited to women alone. Actor and host Fahad Mustafa has donned the farshi shalwar look on his hit gaming show Jeeto Pakistan during Ramadan. Singer and songwriter Falak Shabbir has been seen in the outfit as well. 'It's certainly not limited to women. Fahad Mustafa was of course wearing it on Jeeto Pakistan. I am going to wear it on Eid,' Khoja said. 'So, you will see a lot of people of different sorts, male and female, wearing it.'
