The memory of the 2014 Army Public School tragedy in ...

5 years onCOVERSTORY The memory of the 2014 Army Public School tragedy

in Peshawar still haunts Pakistanis. A recall. P4-5

Tuesday, December 17, 2019Rabia II 20, 1441 AH

Doha today: 200 - 240

BOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD

Hashtags for and against Akshay

Kumar trend simultaneously.

4

Jack Black: I could use a

little more inner calm.

Page 15

YOUR PAGE, YOUR STAGE!

Community invites you to send your contributions with contact details and complete description of the images to [email protected]. Select images will appear in both the print edition as well as Community Instagram page @communitygt. — PHOTO ESSAY, Page 10

Tuesday, December 17, 20192 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT

Community EditorKamran Rehmat

e-mail: [email protected]: 44466405

Fax: 44350474

Emergency 999Worldwide Emergency Number 112Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991Local Directory 180International Calls Enquires 150Hamad International Airport 40106666Labor Department 44508111, 44406537Mowasalat Taxi 44588888Qatar Airways 44496000Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444

Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies)Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365Qatar Airways 40253374

USEFUL NUMBERS

Quote Unquote

PRAYER TIMEFajr 4.50amShorooq (sunrise) 6.14amZuhr (noon) 11.31amAsr (afternoon) 2.29pmMaghreb (sunset) 4.48pmIsha (night) 6.18pm

“The secret of getting ahead is

getting started.” – Mark Twain

Frozen 2DIRECTION: Chris Buck, Jennifer LeeCAST: Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff , Idina MenzelSYNOPSIS: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff , Olaf and Sven leave

Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to fi nd the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom.

THEATRES: Royal Plaza, Landmark, The Mall

Jumanji: The Next LevelDIRECTION: Jake KasdanCAST: Karen Gillan, Dwayne Johnson, Jack BlackSYNOPSIS: A team of friends return to Jumanji to rescue

one of their own but discover that nothing is as they expect.

The players need to brave parts unknown, from arid deserts to snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

THEATRES: Landmark, The Mall, Royal Plaza

For movie timings and further details please scan

the QR code above with your mobile phone camera or visit qatarcinemas.com

3Tuesday, December 17, 2019 GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYROUND & ABOUT

Compiled by Nausheen Shaikh. E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change

Mughal-e-Azam Grand MusicalWHERE: Al Mayassa Theatre, QNCCWHEN: December 19 – December 20TIME: 7:30pm – 10pmWith live singing on stage, strong cast

of talents, and fairy tale sets that intensify Mughal imperial opulence, this modern-day version breathes new life into the classic story of forbidden love. The magic continues in this “must-see” musical that enthralls everyone to watch over and over again. Iconic acts in one unforgettable show, Mughal-E-Azam, takes you back in time where two hearts justifi ed that against all odds, love conquers all. Tickets available through www.q-tickets.com

Gems and Jewels Exhibition WHERE: Museum of Islamic ArtWHEN: Ongoing till January 18TIME: 9am onwards The exhibition comes in celebration of

the Qatar-India 2019 Year of Culture and presents a look at magnifi cent gems and jewellery from India. Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels from Royal Indian Courts showcases more than 100 pieces from across Qatar Museums’ (QM) collections, including many masterpieces that have never been displayed before.

The Ultimate Island Escape AdventureWHEN: TodayTIME: 6pm – 9amFull-on Adventure awaits this Qatar

National Day! Join us for an amazing night. The overnight camping, incldues camping equipment, african drumming, acoustic performance, stargazing, sleeping bags,

sleeping tents, bonfi re, live bbq dinner, breakfast, hot and cold beverages, kayak tour guide, kayak and paddle, and 90-minutes kayaking, for QR 350 per adult, and QR 250 per child. For more information, contact 33393323

The Ultimate National Day Desert Escape

WHEN: Today and tomorrowTIME: 2pm – 10pmCelebrate National Day with us in the

desert. Spend an unforgettable night in the desert with this overnight trip. You start with an exciting drive over the dunes with experienced drivers, camel riding, camp the night out in the beachfront.

It includes, 4x4 cars, certifi ed off -road driver, stop at the camel area, dune bashing and desert safari, stop at inland sea, desert camp layover, beach swimming, bbq buff et dinner, beverages, and toilet and shower facility. For more information, contact 33393323

Al Wakalat Car Market 2019WHERE: Parking opposite to Khalifa

International StadiumWHEN: December 19 – 28TIME: 4pm – 11:59pmAl Wakalat Car Market aims to congregate

car enthusiasts, prospective buyers, and automotive retailers with the best deals of the year in a single location. Al Wakalat Car Market will enable visitors to have access to cars at their best off ers of the year, which ensure to clear out stocks of approved cars.

Public Speaking Classes for AdultsWHERE: Sharq Capital, C Ring RoadWHEN: January 15 – July 1TIME: 6:30pm – 9pmGet trained by experts to be a good speaker.

Smedley Toastmasters is conducting a six-month speech-craft programme that teaches new members to speak confi dently and develop leadership skills. For more information, 66053485, 33232490 or visit www.SmedleyToastmasters.org

After School ActivitiesWHERE: AtelierWHEN: OngoingMusic and arts activities for students

taking place after they fi nish their day in school includes Group Music lessons, Hip-hop, Ballet, Drawing and Painting, Drama Theatre & Taekwondo. Ages between 5 and 10 years old after school hours.

Winter School gor Grade IX-XII Students

WHERE: Inspire Training Academy, Najma St.

WHEN: December 25 – 29TIME: 8:30am – 1:30pmDeveloping the leader within every teen

today — for a better world tomorrow.Each student deserves to discover their

potential and acquire the skills, confi dence

and motivation to make things happen and bring about change. The fi ve-day leadership and innovation programme is an exciting series of interactive workshops, energetic activities and fun-fi lled challenges specifi cally designed to inspire and enable each and every student to uncover their unique abilities, develop greater confi dence and master strategies for success in the classroom and beyond. Programme leader, Dr Ram B. Ramchandran is Vice Dean and Professor of Strategy and Planning at the O.P. Jindal Global School, India. The event is organised by Right Track Consultants.

For registration details, contact 55448835.

Ballet LessonsWHERE: Music and Arts AtelierWHEN: OngoingTIME: 4pm – 8pmFor more info e-mail at registration@

atelierqatar.com or call on 33003839.

Hobby ClassesWHERE: Mamangam Performing Art

CentreWHEN: Saturday – FridayMamangam is an art and performance

centre started with a vision of spreading our knowledge, interests and experience in various disciplines in arts across diff erent countries for children and adults.

Mamangam has become the favourite centre for learning. We off er regular classes in the following disciplines like traditional classical and folk dance forms, art and craft, drawing and painting, personality development and public speaking, Bollywood dance, contemporary, hip hop styles, music both vocals and instrumentals. To develop health consciousness, we train them karate, yoga with special sessions for kids and adults. Mamangam has also come up with chess and robotics in regular batches in an attempt to give a better learning experience, as they sharpen their minds and brains too.

For those who wish to register for more details, visit www.mamangamqatar.in

There is always that one life-turning incident that haunts you. For many, it could be for life. December 16 this

year marked the fifth anniversary of what remains one of the most gruesome tragedies of all time and certainly, the most horrific one where schoolchildren are concerned. Nothing comes close to the hell that was unleashed on unguarded schoolchildren and staff of Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS) that day in 2014.

I have vivid memories of the day, waking up from a nightmare, turning on the television on impulse, and spending the next few days, weeks and months wallowing in unspeakable grief. The reason? It didn’t take much to relate to it. As a parent, it’s your worst nightmare: your children going to school and not coming back. It may happen in other parts of the world; indeed, it has several times even in far more secure First World countries like the United States with its history of random shootings (mostly with a deranged gunman at work), but nothing quite like what happened in Peshawar.

In the capital of Pakistan’s northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, half a dozen militants stormed the school and butchered students, teachers and staff indiscriminately, emptying several rounds on even the already dying or dead before setting the valiant principal of the school, who tried to save as many students as she could, ablaze in a targeted operation whose sheer depravity left the South Asian nation reeling from a trauma whose scale knew no bounds. TV anchors broke down during bulletins and live beepers, and programmes had to be halted every now and then because the emotional current simply spiralled out of control. Many of the medical staff at the hospitals in Peshawar themselves collapsed at the sight of what they saw in emergencies.

Just to get a gist of the human side of the tragedy, sample this from a post one compiled after the first day:A grief-stricken mother who

went to school every single day for three months with her son’s school bag, only to be brought back home each time by her distraught husband. She’s now bed ridden.A mother who regrets she

didn’t give her son 25 rupees (less than 25 cents) to nibble junk food that day.A mother wallows in guilt for

cajoling her son — reluctant to go to school that day — so that he could chill. Now, there’s a chill down her spine.A father despairs he

admonished his son to go to school after he twice demurred. So near, yet so far!Hiding from a militant, he

lied to his mother on phone that he was fine when, in fact, he already had a bullet in his chest.He (15-year-old Dawood)

overslept (skipped school) and

survived: all his classmates of Grade 9 didn’t and have gone to sleep forever.

Then, there was the case of a father, who, a year after the tragedy disclosed that the family hadn’t cooked food at home since they lost their son. Another said he couldn’t bring himself to eat the foods his son savoured.

I remember writing this first post at the turn of events, which is still fresh in memory:

“Today was the kind of day,

when your perspective on — and about — life changes. I looked at my children differently, if you know what I mean. I’m sure many of you would have, too. And felt somehow relieved they were not where hell was raised this morning.

But wait a minute. The children who died today could just have been ours — HOW difficult is that to surmise. Ah, that changes the equation completely: terribly, strenuously, painstakingly

unimaginable, right? Well, then, try even imagining how the grieving parents would have felt in Peshawar tonight. Life will never be the same again for them; it will be a forever, achingly haunting pain they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives.

So what are we going to do about it?

Will we dishonour their memories of their children and our memories of their children by sitting on our haunches and resigning ourselves to fate and move on like we mostly have until now or rise and FORCE the stakeholders to change and eliminate the last militant and their like on the land without discrimination?

Short of this we all will be just waiting for the bell to toll.”

To their credit, the government, the opposition and the political parties united with the armed forces to agree on a National Action Plan, which led to a decisive military operation against terrorists across Pakistan. But even braver were the schoolkids, who, rejoined the school a month later with even greater resolve and vigour.

Having said that even though the students, their teachers, principal and the staff are remembered every year with an outpouring of rich tributes, it is hard to get past the bare knuckle reality of what happened that day — the day that shook the world. Five years on, Pakistanis of all shades and opinion are still wont to get emotional about the tragedy.

Community reached out to a few expatriate Pakistanis for their opinion.

Riyaz Bakali, Director of The Next Generation School in Doha, tried to make sense of the horrific episode. “Education is one of the building blocks of nations. I feel it was a soft target for terrorists. However, targeting such young kids was an extreme step by even this yardstick”.

Away from the emotional trauma, Bakali thinks their martyrdom is what paved the way for Pakistan to attain peace. “The graves of our youth became the steppingstone to reach the hideouts of these cowards. History will always remember these brave children as game changers,” he concluded in reference to the decisive cleanup operation that Pakistan’s armed forces launched after the APS tragedy to break the back of terrorism.

Mohsin Mujtaba Rizvi, chairman


COMMUNITY COVER STORY

Day that shook the worldExpat Pakistanis recall the most devastating school tragedy in history — but

one which helped unite a nation to defeat terrorism. By Kamran Rehmat

of Pakistan Professionals Forum Qatar, felt it was like humanity that failed on the day.

“When I first heard the news, the event was still unfolding. I was shocked, it was horrible. It felt as if humanity had failed. As a Pakistani I was annoyed, enraged and ashamed at the same time. We had failed our children. We paid a very high price for extremism that had turned into a Frankenstein of

terrorism. Verses of (poet, author) Faiz Ahmad Faiz were echoing inside me:

Tujh ko kitnoñ ka lahu chahiye ai arz-e-vatan

jo tere ariz-e-be-rañg ko gulnar kareñ

Kitni aahoñ se kaleja tera thanda hoga

Kitne aañsu tere sahraoñ ko gulzar kareñ

(O Motherland, the blood of how many do you need?

That blood which will impart a rosy hue to your pale cheeks

How many sighs will soothe your heart?

How many tears will cause your deserts to bloom?)

Shehar Bano Rizvi, writer, speaker, photographer, but above all a mother, encapsulated the

horror like only a mother can.“A massacre in a school? Six

gunmen opening fire at innocent kids? Why? How can any human being have the heart to pull that trigger on children?”

A longtime resident of Doha, she recalled how the APS tragedy left her utterly speechless and heartbroken.

“Partly, my faith in humanity died that day along with those innocent children. A horror unheard of for any parent! When we send our kids to school, no-one in their wildest imagination can think of them being subjected to such barbarism,” Shehar Bano said. “My heart as a mother, a human still bleeds for the families of the victims and the survivors who witnessed such an act of horror. My prayers are with them”.

The tragedy still disturbs the deep recesses of the mind of many.

Omer Azad, who is in the construction business, and has spent a better part of his life in Doha, says, “A shiver runs down my spine whenever I think of that moment. Without a shadow of doubt it remains the darkest hour of our country, if not the modern world. Never had I conceived that humans would do such barbaric things. They were all kids with shining dreams. They were all like angels. To think that they went to school and their bags, shoes and uniform dipped in blood returned to their homes; their parents and loved ones — it still gives me chills thinking about that moment.”

Rida Omer, a housewife, looked askance — even five years later. “They had goals to achieve. They had dreams to conquer and a future they could not see. Their hands were to make paper planes yet they left behind history. They had a life to cherish, a life that was meant to be, but they sacrificed it for generations to come and generations to see.”

“Today, I pay tribute to all those flowers that withered in the gaze of another bloom. May their souls rest in peace,” she said with melancholy.


COMMUNITYCOVER STORY

DOHA — Members of the Pakistani community gathered here to mark the 5th anniversary of the Peshawar Army Public School tragedy. They lit candles in the honour of the martyrs and off ered prayers for the departed souls during an event at a local hotel. A minute’s silence was observed in their memories.

Commodore Saqib Ilyas, Defence Attache at the Embassy of Pakistan, addressing the gathering recalled the incident and paid rich tribute to all those who lost their lives. He also praised the spirit and resolve of the grieving families, and the nation and the armed forces for uniting to defeat terrorism.

Pakistani community in Doha lights up candles in memoryFIRST DAY, LAST DAY

Khaula BibiAge: 6Class: 1Daughter of Altaf Hussain

and Safoora Bibi

Khaula was the youngest, and only female student killed in the horrifi c attack. According to her father, a teacher at APS, December 16 was Khaula’s fi rst day at school. She had gained admission to class 1 a day earlier, and was excited to study at the same school as her siblings.

Her family describes little Khaula as a fl ower. Even at that tender age, she was passionate about education and was outspoken about the right of girls to go to school. She helped weak classmates with their English and Urdu. She persuaded a professor in her neighbourhood to send his daughter to school, and despite his vehement opposition, he melted. He was swayed by Khaula and her sweet words.

Her family is shattered. Her mother says she will never recover from the loss of her precious daughter. — courtesy dawn.com

(dawn.com, Pakistan’s leading media portal, of the Dawn Media Group, published an enormously insightful account of all the victims. Those interested may scan the QR Code with their smartphone:

LIVES LOST: A group of students who were martyred in the attack.

TRIBUTE: Commodore Saqib Ilyas, Defence Attache at the Embassy of Pakistan, addressing the gathering; right, a member of the audience lighting the candles. Photos by Tahir Mehmood


COMMUNITY

DESS takes part in Team Qatar Flag RelayQatar Olympic Committee (QOC) recently organised Team Qatar Flag Relay as part of Qatar National Day celebrations. Doha English Speaking School (DESS) took part in the relay. The students of DESS were the off icial flag bearers of the flag that will be taken to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics representing Qatar. This year’s flag, will be transported and held by various members of the communities before it reaches

its final destination when it will be transported to Tokyo. It will remain there until the arrival of the Team Qatar delegation in Tokyo in 2020. Over 700 students of DESS cheered their fellow students as the flag was presented by Mariam Farid, Qatari hurdler, to Charlotte Malloy, Deputy Headteacher at DESS, who ran the first leg of the relay for DESS. Over 200 students of Grade V-VI at DESS ran one by one and in unison.

QND CELEBRATIONS: Concorde Doha has recently launched a series of off ers as part of Qatar National Day celebrations. Mashhur Rifai, General Manager at Concorde, said, “Qatar National Day is a cherished occasion that embodies loyalty and belonging to the country. The hotel and hospitality sector in Qatar is gaining international reputation and appreciation for its global quality service.”

TEACHER LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT: A P Sharma, Principal of Birla Public School, recently inaugurated ‘FEEL Teacher’, a learning and development intervention for teachers of various schools in Doha, organised by ERAM Engineering Company. Various schools have deputed their teachers to participate in the sessions. ERAM Engineering is also organising learning and development intervention for off icers of various companies ‘Feel Executive’.

BLOOD DONATION DRIVE: Altrad/Cape, in association with Hamad Medical Corporation, recently organised a blood donation drive. The employees of Altrad/Cape took part in the drive. Speaking on the occasion, Samir Chopra, said, “It was a great opportunity for Altrad/Cape to demonstrate their ongoing support to the local community”. Dr C Surya Narayanan, Altrad/Cape Medical Off icer, thanked Operations, QHSE and HR teams of Altrad/Cape for their dedicated support for organising the drive.


COMMUNITY

NRNA-NCC marks 17th establishment dayNon-Resident Nepalese Association — National Co-ordination Committee (NRNA-NCC) recently marked its 17th establishment day at Western Plus hotel. Dr Narad Nath Bhardwaj, Ambassador of Nepal, was the chief guest on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, the ambassador asked all the manpower and human resource agents and agencies to work within the boundaries of legal system, and to make the labour market safe and respectful. He added that the Government of Nepal has launched Visit Nepal Year 2020, a campaign to attract tourists to Nepal, for which the Embassy of Nepal is set to organise various events to promote the campaign. He said, “I would like to request all Nepalis in Qatar to follow the rules and regulation. We need to respect the laws of the country we are staying in. I suggest all the workers to hone their skills. The Embassy of Nepal is always ready to help Nepali workers and employees in case of any need or help.”

The event was attended by notable Nepali community leaders, including R K Sharma, T B Karki, Deb Kaji Dangol, Rajendra Aryal, Raj Regmi, Binesh Tamang, Sagar Nepal, Raju Sayed, Bimal Gurung, Bimal Subedi, Chanak Pokharel, Shankar Neupane, Hira Dhan Rai, Karim Baks Miya, Mohamed Saddam Hussein, Aziz Ali, Chudamani Karki, Thakur Kumar Pariyar, Prem Chalaune and Azmad Ali.The newly elected members of NRNA – International, including Rajendra Kumar Sharma, Secretary NRNA-ICC; T B Karki, Adviser; Rajendra Aryal, Vice Co-ordinator Middle East; Raj Regmi, Youth Co-ordinator Middle East; and Ramesh Bhatta, Hom Nath Sharma, Yubaraj Raj Sharma and K B Hamal, members, were felicitated on the occasion. The event was chaired by Mohamed Muktada Musalman, Chairman of NRNA-NCC. Uttam Gurung welcomed the gathering and Padam Giri hosted the event. – Text and photos by Usha Wagle Gautam

Minipolis Edutainment Centre all set to mark Qatar National DayMinipolis Edutainment Centre, located in Medina Centrale at The Pearl, is all set to celebrate Qatar National Day over the period of two-days with entertaining education activities, stated a press release.Minipolis has announced its schedule of activities for the Qatar National Day that includes numerous competitions and fun, interactive and engaging educational programmes that are aimed at giving children an exceptional experience through combining educational and recreational activities. The Qatar National Day activities will kick-off on December 17 till December 18 starting at 3pm till 8pm and involves cultural and religious educational activities along with competitions, including Holy Qur’an recitation, best poem competition, best cultural attire competition and the Best Qatar themed painting competition.The prizes include iPhone 11, iPad Pro and Xbox, for first position holder; a winter camp subscription, second position; and charged daily card, third position.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tahani Saker, CEO of Palma Hospitality Group, said, “We congratulate our beloved State of Qatar, its people and residents on the occasion of the Qatar National Day. The Qatar National Day programme launched at Minipolis Edutainment Centre is aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030 that focuses on human development through developing Children’s abilities in order to achieve integration between educational and recreational activities.”Moreover, Minipolis Edutainment Centre is an educational learning centre that combines education and entertainment for children between the ages of 2 and 12 with the aim of helping in developing their creativity and motivate them to enjoy and love learning through many diff erent activities and workshops. Additionally, Minipolis off ers many diff erent activities such as Crazy science, physical and mind activities, painting, wall climbing and other activities that are suitable for Minipolis’ targeted age group.

Bhavan’s bags Gandhi, Ambedkar and Constitution of India Quiz 2019 title

Shantiniketan Indian School (SIS) recently hosted Gandhi, Ambedkar and Constitution of India Quiz 2019, organised by the embassy of India. Fifteen Indian schools in Qatar participated in the Inter-School Quiz, to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the 70th year of the Indian Constitution and the

Ambedkar Jayanti. Hemant Kumar Dwivedi, First Secretary (Culture and Education) at the embassy of India, was the guest of honour. Bhavan’s Public School bagged first position in the Teacher’s Category. Mujeeb Rahman, Vijesh Vijayan and Ummerkutty O V, faculty members at Bhavan’s, participated in the competition.


COMMUNITYPakistan’s artistes to perform at two diff erent locations on QNDAn array of Pakistani artistes and singers are all set to perform at Al Janoub Stadium and Doha Stadium on December 18, as part of Qatar National Day celebrations. The artistes, include Pareshe Khan, Abid Gumariyane, Bakhtawar Qayoom, Dil Raj, Gulaab, Hashmat Sahar, Khan Zeb, Nazaneen Anwar and Shazin Khan. “We feel privileged and honoured that Ministry of Interior (MoI) has invited us to be part of Qatar

National Day celebrations once again. Like previous years, our community is taking part in the celebration with great enthusiasm. We have tried our best to showcase Pakistan’s rich culture and demonstrate our love for Qatar. We are thankful to MoI for allocating two diff erent locations for our events,” said Janan Bangash, Chief Co-ordinator of the event. The events will be held from 3pm-9pm.

Pareshe Khan Gulaab Shazin Khan Abid Gumariyane Nazaneen Anwar

Chief Coordinator: Janan Khan Khan Zeb Dil Raj Bakhtawar Qayoom Hashmat Sahar

Qatar Oryx Chapter of ASHRAE conducts technical workshopQatar Oryx Chapter of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently conducted a workshop on ‘Innovation in Air-Conditioning and Application of Technology for Maximum Benefits’ for the Air Conditioning Engineers in Qatar at Intercontinental Hotel Doha – The City. The event was supported by Al Malki Group and Samsung Gulf Electronics. Over 150 Engineers from various sectors in Qatar attended the workshop.The workshop was conducted by Nitin Kumar, Product Manager at Samsung Gulf Electronics. Nitin spoke about the new technology in VRF indoor side, elaborating on the 360 Cassette Unit, which combines revolutionary performance with an elegant design, blends in any setting and has a bladeless flow control ensuring fast comfortable cooling without the cold draft by ensuring 100 percent of air volume compared to traditional four way cassette units. He also spoke about

Wind-FreeTM Cooling technology which maintains the desired temperature and eliminates cold drafts by delivering air through micro holes on the unit›s fascia panel when the louvers are closed, producing a dispersed and gentle flow of air defined as ‘still air’.Hassan Sultan, Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Qatar Oryx Chapter of ASHRAE, welcomed the gathering. Kinan Fahs, The Chapter President Elect, and the Chairman of Electronic Communication Committee for the Chapter, co-ordinated the workshop. Seenu Pillai, Chairman of Chapters Technology Transfer Committee for the Chapter, was the master of ceremonies. Speaking on the occasion, Mohamed El Khatib, General Manager of Al Malki Group, thanked ASHRAE Qatar for providing them the platform to address and share knowledge with the gathering.


COMMUNITYFASHION

With a focus on sustainability, inclusivity and old-fashioned elegance, these

six labels are the rising stars of menswear.

Ahluwalia StudioPriya Ahluwalia’s collections

take inspiration from her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots. All pieces are made from secondhand and dead-stock clothing, using textile techniques to give them new life. A trip to Lagos, where she saw street traders wearing clothes with obscure British graphics, led her to research secondhand clothing further. Visiting Panipat, India, the global garment-recycling capital, fuelled her passion for responsible sourcing.

Private PolicyFounded in New York by Haoran

Li and Siying Qu, Private Policy takes concepts of youth culture in downtown New York as its brand DNA to “make cool stuff for the kids of today”. Each season, it focuses on one socio-politicial topic. In its AW16 collection, it shone a light on social class discrimination and environmental issues, and for SS17 its focus was slave labour in the fi shing industry of southeast Asia. For AW19, ‘Human vs Money’ explores capitalism’s obsession with consumption.

Robyn LynchShown as part of this year’s

Fashion East in London, Robyn Lynch’s debut collection is a comment on her Irish heritage and youth culture. Think football-terrace wear and reworked Aran knitwear in head-to-toe colours. Inspiration comes from her father’s style and archive footage of players and fans at the Dublin games. Working in only three colours (her graduate collection used the colours of the Irish fl ag) Lynch has honed her sportswear look into something instantly recognisable.

Rahemur RahmanOne of the rising stars of London

fashion week, Rahemur Rahman is redefi ning what it means for fashion to be “Made in Bangladesh”, by using design to retell stories of South Asian identity. For his fi rst fashion week outing at a Bengali arts and cultural centre in east London, he cast models who are Sikh, Muslim and Hindu, from Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian heritage. The collection, titled “For

people who dream in colour”, uses a palette of pink, jade, brown and purple inspired by family photos from the 1980s.

BodeEmily Adams Bode was the fi rst

female designer to show at New York men’s fashion week. Having

been nominated for the coveted LVMH prize earlier this year, she is carving a name for herself with her vintage aesthetic. The garments are one-of-kind, made from rare fabrics in limited quantities. Using artisan craft techniques, such as quilting, the storytelling of each garment is central to her collections.

CasablancaFounded by Charaf Tajer,

Casablanca is a label that oozes jet-set and swag.

It’s a fusion between old-world elegance and leisurewear that brings retro aprè s-sport glamour to 2019. A feelgood sun- drenched colour palette with vivid all-

over prints of palazzos and pools decorates silk shirts, while track suits come in luxe terry towelling for post- match cocktails. Designed in Paris and made in Casablanca, where his parents met, Tajer’s label is putting modern luxury on the map.

— The Guardian

A league of their own: new menswear brands to watch

Turn over a new leaf, Helen Seamons introduces six labels to love

Rahemur Rehman Ahluwalia Studio Bode

Casablanca Robyn Lynch Private Policy


COMMUNITY PHOTO ESSAY

Astrophotography - VII

Milkyway from Khor Al Udaid. The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy›s appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye.

The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy 2.73 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, behind the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy.

Photos by Ajith Everester (@ajitheverester)


COMMUNITYLIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE

ARIESMarch 21 — April 19

CANCERJune 21 — July 22

LIBRASeptember 23 — October 22

CAPRICORNDecember 22 — January 19

TAURUSApril 20 — May 20

LEOJuly 23 — August 22

SCORPIOOctober 23 — November 21

AQUARIUSJanuary 20 — February 18

GEMINIMay 21 — June 20

VIRGOAugust 23 — September 22

SAGITTARIUSNovember 22 — December 21

PISCESFebruary 19 — March 20

Your audience will be attentive to you today. Take the lead and

others will follow. Be yourself and project your voice into the

auditorium of eager listeners. Information will flow freely, and you

shouldn’t discount any ideas from the peanut gallery. Be open to

questions and comments from others. Their participation is vital to

your performance.

Try not to read too much into other people’s words today. You may

have spent hours tearing apart every off -the-cuff remark. You may

build up a wild scenario in your head regarding what that person is

thinking. Instead of trying to sneak up on the answer through the

back door, try the direct approach. Simply ask your question.

Get involved with the energy of today so you don’t get left out of the

loop. Your contribution to the group is important. You should foster

positive relationships among all parties. Think big. You can do no

wrong by expanding your mind out into the minds of others. Make

a commitment to quench your thirst for knowledge and freedom

through information.

Don’t get stuck doing just one thing today. The more varied your

activity, the easier it will be for you to integrate the diff erent pieces

of the puzzle. This is a day to think big. The more you know, the

greater an asset you’ll be when it comes time to solve the biggest

problems. Learn how to multitask eff ectively.

You could feel confident today, and you should have a strong idea of

exactly what it is you want. Information is power. Others are working

to wield power over you. Don’t let them get away with it, especially

today. Encourage synergistic behaviour among all parties. You can

accomplish a great deal by working together instead of against one

another.

Long-term trends are coming to an important climax now. This

dramatic period is highlighted by the added amount of information

being thrown your way. Try to make small adjustments to your

direction that incorporate this new information. Be aware of the

prevailing winds and your relationships will be much better off .

You can add more tools to your toolbox today. Express your

concerns and you’ll find helpful remedies present themselves.

Keep the lines of communication open and let the information

flow. There’s a great expansiveness that comes when you think for

yourself – and think big. Don’t get bogged down with the emotional

side of things. Concern yourself with the facts.

You might be in a whirlwind today, and there will be information

buzzing around asking you to do this and go there. You’re the one

most perfectly suited to deal with the tone of the day. Stay lively and

upbeat. Don’t get stuck on any one thing. Keep the energy moving.

The answer will be right there waiting for you.

Your mind will expand today. You’ll feel like there’s a ton of

information crammed into your head that needs processing.

Regarding big projects, try to finish them as quickly as you can. The

best policy is to pace yourself. If you wait until the last minute to

finish, the quality of your work will suff er. Make a plan and maybe

even a timeline. Set small deadlines as you go along.

Take a break from what you’re doing. Look at what people are doing

around you. Check your plans in relation to those of others and see if

there’s a way you can combine forces and kill more birds with fewer

stones. Co-operation instead of competition is the lesson that needs

to be emphasised today. The better you learn this today, the better

off you’ll be tomorrow.

Join others before you make your big travel plans. The smallest idea

can be quickly transformed into a huge plan of attack, thanks to the

prevailing winds of the day. There’s a light, communicative feeling

in the air encouraging cooperation. If you find that people aren’t

chiming into the group eff ort, you may want to excuse them from

the group.

You might be jumping around today. This is one of those situations

in which you don’t want to stay in one place for too long. Each place

is an individual step that leads to where you want to go. Keep your

eyes focused ahead and keep on going. Stagnating will leave you

lost in the middle of nowhere.

Smaller classes not always betterR

esearchers have found that smaller class sizes are not always associated with better pupil performance and

achievement.“This fi nding is perhaps due

to the fact that class size eff ects are more likely to be detected in countries with limited school resources where teacher quality is lower on average,” said study researcher Spyros Konstantopoulos from Michigan State University in the US.

The precise eff ect of smaller class sizes can vary between countries, academic subjects, years, and diff erent cognitive and non-cognitive skills, with many other factors likely playing a role, according to the study published in the journal Research Papers in Education.

Smaller class sizes in schools are generally seen as highly desirable, especially by parents. With smaller class sizes, teachers can more easily maintain control and give more attention to each pupil.

As such, many countries limit the maximum size of a class, often at around 30 pupils.

for the fi ndings, the researchers decided to analyse data produced

by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Every four years since 1995, TIMSS has monitored the performance and achievement of fourth grade (age 9-10) and eighth grade (age 13-14) pupils from around 50 countries in mathematics and science.

It records pupils› academic ability in these subjects and their self-reported attitude and interest in them, and also contains information on class sizes.

To make the analysis more manageable, the researchers limited it to data from eighth grade pupils in four European countries – Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia – collected in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

They chose these four countries because they all mandate maximum class sizes, which would help to make the statistical analysis more reliable.

Despite these limitations, the data still encompassed 4,277 pupils from 231 classes in 151 schools, making it much larger than most previous studies on class size.

The analysis revealed that smaller class sizes were associated with benefi ts in Romania and

Lithuania, but not in Hungary and Slovenia.

The benefi cial eff ects were most marked in Romania, where smaller classes were associated with greater academic achievement in mathematics, physics, chemistry and earth science, as well as greater enjoyment of learning mathematics.

In Lithuania, however, smaller class sizes were mainly associated with improvements in non-

cognitive skills such as greater enjoyment in learning biology and chemistry, rather than higher academic achievement in these subjects.

The benefi cial eff ects were also only seen in certain years.

“Most class size eff ects were not diff erent than zero, which suggests that reducing class size does not automatically guarantee improvements in student performance,” said

Konstantopoulos. “Many other classroom processes and dynamics factor in and have to work well together to achieve successful outcomes in student learning,” Konstantopoulos said.

The researchers think smaller class sizes may have had greater benefi cial eff ects on pupils in Romania and Lithuania than in Hungary and Slovenia because schools in Romania and Lithuania have fewer resources. – IANS


COMMUNITY CARTOONS/PUZZLES

Adam

Pooch Cafe

Garfield

Bound And Gagged

Codeword

Wordsearch

Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. Squares with the same number in have the same letter in. Work out which number represents which letter.

Puzz

les

cour

tesy

: Puz

zlec

hoic

e.co

m

Sudoku

Sudoku is a puzzle based

on a 9x9 grid. The grid is

also divided into nine (3x3)

boxes. You are given a

selection of values and to

complete the puzzle, you

must fill the grid so that

every column, every anone

is repeated.

AUSTENHARDYSHAKESPEAREBYRONJOYCESHELLEYCHAUCERKEATSSPENSER

CONRADMARLOWETENNYSONDICKENSMARVELLWORDSWORTHDONNEYEATSELIOT

MILTONFIELDINGPOPETHAKERAYCOLERIDGELAWRENCEBROWNING


COMMUNITYPUZZLES

Colouring

Answers

Wordsearch Codeword

Across1 Bird to measure plant (10)7 Sit on mud awkwardly and get off (8)8 Press club (4)9 Dance band leader meets everybody (4)10 Exaggerate term of imprisonment (7)12 The loud beat changed quickly (2,3,6)14 My bases, perhaps, in ambassador’s residence (7)16 A little lower - a little lower than the knee (4)19 Top tennis player, so we hear, is to step down (4)20 Film star giving pal a coin (2,6)21 Pitiful tea bellman prepared (10)

Super Cryptic Clues

Solutions

Down1 Go up and get caught on branch of tree (5)2 Animal to upset King Arthur’s city (7)3 Burden a person usually carries (4)4 It’s mixed in a pot to drink (8)5 Making a racket, one is thrown out (5)6 Painful exclamation suppressed by the French is disreputable (6)11 The main work of an artist (8)12 A miser deployed lots of soldiers (6)13 A grizzly youngster? (4,3)15 Sporting venue taking an age to erect (5)17 Criminal fight with swords (5)18 Observe a defect (4)


COMMUNITY BOLLYWOOD

Hashtags for and against Akshay Kumar trend simultaneously

Two contradictory hashtags pertaining to Akshay Kumar were trending yesterday, after he first liked a

Jamia tweet and then declared he had done so by mistake.

On Monday afternoon, the hashtags #BoycottCanadianKumar and #ISupportAkshay started trending on Twitter, almost around the same time.

While one section of netizens is agitated with the actor’s behaviour, his diehard fans have rallied forces to support him.

It all started after Bollywood superstar Akshay yesterday morning took to Twitter to clarify that he had earlier “accidentally” liked a tweet by Jamia Millia Islamia University students.

At a time when many Bollywood celebs are lashing out at authorities over tension at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, Akshay landed himself in a soup by liking a video that mocked the attack on Jamia.

He later clarified, “Regarding the ‘like’ on the tweet of Jamia Milia students, it was by mistake. I was scrolling and accidentally it must have been pressed and when I realised I immediately unliked it as In no way do I support such acts.”

Condemning the actor’s behaviour, netizens started tweeting with the hashtag

#BoycottCanadianKumar.A user tweeted: “Akshay Kumar

Liked a tweet which was cheering brutality on Jamia Students and the caption was “Jamia ko Mil rahi hai azadi” The bigotry and Evilness of Canadian Kumar is out in Open. Let’s pledge to boycott his movie from now onwards.

#BoycottCanadianKumar”Another user trolled:

“Now it’s is very much clear that @akshaykumar is also one of the biggest bhakt and have RSS ideology. I always doubted this but now it’s clear. #BoycottCanadianKumar”

Immediately, the actor’s fans

came out in support of him with the hashtag #ISupportAkshay.

One fan tweeted: “In Universities everything happens except Studies.

This is India. Jamia, AMU, JNU #ISupportAkshay”

Another fan wrote: “Hey haters, just take out ur 30 seconds and

watch wht he is saying about his DONATIONS. He is literally so down to earth, he could have easily made a show off for his donations. But look at his simplicity. How can u hate someone like him. We love u sir #ISupportAkshay”.

On the work front, Akshay Kumar’s upcoming movie Good Newwz is slated to hit theatres on December 27. – IANS

Farhan hits out at troll over Citizenship Act

Director-actor Farhan Akhtar on Sunday called a social media user “bigot” after the person asked him to reach out to Muslims, to stop destroying the country’s property while protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act.

“Hi @FarOutAkhtar @Javedakhtarjadu @azmishabana, reach out to your qaum & tell them not to destroy my country’s property. Don’t cry when these rioters get arrested & beaten black & blue,” the user tweeted.

Farhan said: “Going to request David Dhawan to cast you in ‘Bigot no 1.’ .. you are perfect for the part,” he reacted.

Several parts of India have been witnessing violent protests ever since the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in Lok Sabha last week. The situation further escalated after the bill was cleared in Rajya Sabha.

The Bill, which has since become an Act, will provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The issue has caused widespread unprecedented violent protests in the northeast, especially in the states of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, with the agitating demonstrators demanding the withdrawal of the CAA claiming that the fresh legislation would jeopardise the demographic situations and life, culture and socio-economic positions to the 45.58 million populations of region. – IANS

Tara Sutaria reminds Milan Luthria of Vidya Balan

Filmmaker Milan Luthria says actress Tara Sutaria reminds him of Vidya Balan, whom he directed in the 2011 hit, The Dirty Picture.

Luthria is currently working with Tara on Tadap, the Hindi remake of the Telugu hit fi lm RX100.

Tadap marks the Bollywood debut of Suniel Shetty’s son, Ahan Shetty.

“Nostalgia can be eerie. It gives you goosebumps when it catches up in unexpected ways. Tara’s audition wasn’t planned. She fl ew in from somewhere and on the spur of the moment I asked her to do the scene from The Dirty Picture in which Vidya shows Emraan Hashmi her old pictures and they are attracted to each other for the fi rst time,” Luthria said.

“She did it effortlessly and very quickly, and I was transported back to the day of the actual shoot. It was one of the most talked-about

scenes from the film. Then, just a couple of days back on set in Mussoorie, she (Tara) was talking about how she is a huge fan of Vidya and the film, and (that she) has seen it eight to nine times. She couldn’t believe she got to do audition on a scene from the

film,” he added.The Telugu version of RX

100, which released last year, stars Kartikeya Gummakonda and Payal Rajput.

The fi lm is a love story with an interesting twist.

Tadap is scheduled to release next year. – IANS

REMAKE: Tara Sutaria is currently working on Tadap, the Hindi remake of the Telugu hit film RX100.

ANGERED: Farhan Akhtar called a social media user “bigot.”

At a time when many Bollywood celebrities are lashing out at authorities over tension at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, Akshay landed himself in a soup by liking a video that mocked the attack on Jamia

Tuesday, December 17, 2019 15GULF TIMES

COMMUNITYSHOWBIZ

Jack Black: I could use a little more inner calm

By Sugandha Rawal

Hollywood star Jack Black feels he gets down on himself quite often, about what people think about him, and says he could do with some inner calm.

Asked about one weakness he would like to do away, Black told IANS: “It probably would be just like getting too down on myself about what people think about me. I could use a little more inner calm sometimes.”

Having entered Hollywood back in 1984, Black has made a place for himself with projects like School Of Rock, the Kung Fu Panda franchise, Shallow Hal, King Kong, The Holiday, Tropic Thunder and Gulliver’s Travels.

He is known for his powerful personality, acting calibre, comedic timings and broad scope of his talent — some might think of him as the funnyman of Hollywood, some might consider him as a charming leading man of the West and some might remember him for his music from his rock band Tenacious D.

The 50-year-old star says taking risks helped him grow in his career.

“I think one of my strengths is just jumping in and taking a chance on risky opportunities when they present themselves… sometimes it feels scary to jump into a diff erent role or diff erent thing. But I’ve always learned and grown from those opportunities and I am proud of that,” said the actor.

At the moment, Black is back on the big screen for another adventurous ride into the jungle with Jumanji: The Next Level. It’s a sequel to 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, which revived the franchise

once associated with late star Robin Williams.

The world of Chris Van Allsburg’s book Jumanji, narrating the story of a young Alan Parrish getting trapped in a board game, found its way to the silver screen in 1995. Robin Williams was its main lead.

From getting lost in the transit, tackling monkeys and battling other odds, the movie revolved around how Parrish gets stuck in the board game and comes back as an adult, and how he has to fi nish the game with his friends to escape the fate he called upon himself by rolling the dice.

In 2017, the story came back on the big screen with a modern twist. In Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, a group of high school students gets lost in the jungle after laying their hands on a video game console featuring a version of the game Jumanji.

Jumanji: The Next Level picks up where 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle left off . But there is one diff erence.

The twist is that the grandfathers (played by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover) of two original players get transported into the game as Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart’s avatars. It also stars Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas and Awkwafi na.

Black said he enjoyed working with Gillan and Awkwafi na.

“I learned a lot about patience from these two, and keeping it even in chaos and not losing my temper even under the most extreme situations,” he said on a lighter note.

Getting serious, he said: “These two are the best. I love them a lot.”

Sony Pictures Entertainment India released Jumanji: The Next Level in India on December 13, 2019 in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu. – IANS

French New Wave star passes away

French New Wave star Anna Karina, who served as a muse for Jean-Luc Godard and appeared in eight of his fi lms, is no more. She was 79.

France’s culture minister, Franck Reister took to Twitter to announce her death, as did her agent, Laurent Balandras, who attributed the cause as cancer, reports variety.com.

“Her gaze was of the New Wave. It will remain so forever. She magnetized the entire world. Today, French cinema is an orphan. It loses one of its legends,” Reister wrote.

Karina’s best known fi lms include The Little Soldier, Vivre sa vie, Band of Outsiders, Pierrot le Fou and Alphaville all throughout the 1960s.

She starred in A Woman Is a Woman, as well, in a performance that earned her the silver bear award for best actress at the Berlin Film Festival in 1961. Karina also worked with other directors of the New Wave, including Agnes Varda, Jacques Rivette, and Luchino Visconti.

Her work continued through the 1970s, including roles in Christian de Chalonge’s The Wedding Ring, Andre Delvaux’s Rendezvous at Bray, The Salzburg Connection, and Franco Brusati’s Bread and Chocolate. She made her directorial debut in 1972 with Vivre ensemble.

Her relationship with Godard was reportedly

tumultuous; they were married in 1961 and went on to make seven more feature fi lms together, but divorced in 1965.

In addition to her fi lm work, Karina was also a style icon of the 1960s, sporting the French girl look with sailor costumes, knee-high socks, plaid, and headwear like berets and boaters.

Following her divorce from Godard, Karina married three more times, to French actors Pierre Fabre (1968-1974) and Daniel Duval (1978-1981) and to American director Dennis Berry (1982-1994).

Spears begs netizens to stop bullying her

Singer Britney Spears has urged her fans and followers to stop posting mean things about her on the social media.

The singer took to Instagram to ask her followers to refrain from getting mean as she shared an Instagram video to show her Christmas tree on Saturday, reports dailymail.co.uk

“Happy holidays friends! I love sharing with you all ... but it’s been hard to keep wanting to share because people say the meanest things! If you don’t like a post ... just keep it to yourself and unfollow that person. There’s no reason to ever go out of your way to make mean comments and bully people. Stay happy and nice this holiday season y’all and God Bless,” she posted along with three crying face emojis.

In the video, the 38-year-old can be seen posing, twirling and dancing around. She is wearing a white crop top.

“Hi, guys, this is what my Christmas tree looks like this year,” she said.

Last week, Us Weekly reported that Spears is planning to go to court next year over her custody arrangement with

her former husband Kevin Federline.They share two sons, Preston, 14, and

Jayden, 13, and although custody was initially evenly split the deal changed this August.

A judge downgraded Spears to 30 per cent custody of her children. Although they agreed to this split in August, a source said that Spears now wants to alter the arrangement. – IANS

UNIQUE: The 50-year-old star says taking risks helped him grow in his career.

PERTURBED: Britney Spears tells people to say away from her social media posts if they don’t like them.

ICON: Anna Karina was also a style icon of the 1960s, sporting the French girl look with sailor costumes, knee-high socks, plaid, and headwear like berets and boaters.


COMMUNITY

By Mudassir Raja

A group of limousine transport companies yesterday announced the launch of a new ride sharing app

COLO Mobile Application. COLO International Transport is a consortium of 180 Qatari limousine companies with more than 10, 000 drivers and vehicles.

In a press conference held at Concord Hotel, the representatives of the transport company announced that they were going to have soft launching of the ride-sharing app from December 18 (tomorrow). The press conference was addressed by Shiekh Fahad Hamad al-Thani, chairman; Zakir Hussain, CEO; Shoukath Ali, vice chairman; and Adil Khan, general manager.

“COLO stands for Consortium of Limousine Owners. We are all together to launch our own mobile application for online limousine taxi. There are 10 persons in our managing committee,” said Zakir Hussain.

He added: “In the last few years, majority of the Qatari limousine businesses have partnered with diff erent multi-national ride-sharing app companies to provide the services. However, for the last two years, the limousine business has been facing many challenges due to less margins and high expenses. Moreover, the ride-sharing companies have increased their commissions and lowered the fares creating fi nancial issues for the limousine companies and drivers alike. It caused adverse impact in the overall limousine market, making it diffi cult to sustain the businesses and forcing

many of them to go out of the business. The situation lead to us to form the consortium in order to tackle the challenge.”

The CEO further said: “The application development has been in process for the past one year. And now the COLO Driver and Rider App for Android and IOS platforms are completed. We are going to have the soft launch on the National Day of Qatar. It will be available for both Android and Apple users. During the fi rst two weeks, we will have limited number of drivers and we will increase the numbers gradually. By January 1, 2020, all our drivers will be mainstreamed and available to provide the rider service.”

Speaking on the occasion, Adil Khan said: “As we need to overcome the current crisis in the limousine business, we are forced to set our minimal fare as QR10, Further; we do not want to set fare that is less than what the Qatar’s public taxi service has. Our aim is to provide a healthy business environment and growth opportunity for the limousine community. COLO is dedicated to the limousine drivers and COLO would charge no commission from the drivers in the fi rst two weeks of the launch to reciprocate the drivers’ eff orts and quality services. However, from January 1 onward we will charge 15% of the total fare as commission in order for COLO to maintain operations.”

The general manager further said: “We are offering the safest and fastest ride-sharing service for the riders. In addition, we will integrate Pin Code system to further secure the riders, where the riders would confirm the pin code to begin the trip. We are aiming to launch a localised customer care platform. Moreover, we will offer attractive

offers for the riders after the launch.”

He added: “We have received full support from the Ministry of Transportation and Communication and the Ministry of Commerce while preparing and launching the COLO app.”

When asked what’s something different they are offering from other ride-sharing companies, Adil said: “As far as operations are concerned, there is no difference. We are actually providing a platform to the limousine drivers to have good earnings and try to improve the quality also. Right now, we have about 7, 000 drivers registered with us and we are going to launch them in patches. The app is prepared under the

banner of made in Qatar.”In response to a question why

they will charge more than other companies as far minimum charges are concerned, Zakir said: “Having lower fares is good for customers. However, if the person who is providing the service is not making valuable earnings, it is going to cause problems for them. We are trying to be fairer with the drivers besides providing better quality of service.”

Regarding how they are going to attract customers, Zakir said: “We have been in the business for last 15 years. However, in last six to seven years, the business has been depending completely on the mobile apps. We have over 10,000 drivers and cars here but

we were completely depending on two mullet-national companies’ apps. Last year, they reduced the minimum fare from QR10 to QR8 at the same time increasing their sharing from 15percent to 25percent. It heralded disastrous situation in our business. Many limousine companies were shut down and over 2,500 drivers lost their jobs. So, we decided to create our own application to survive.

“For customers, we cannot serve you with minimum fare of QR8. If we continue with the fare, there will be no limousine business in near future. We also want to support Qatar. COLO is completely a Qatar-based business. We do not want to have some kind of unhealthy competition.”

Qatari consortium launches COLO, a cab riding mobile application

PRESS CONFERENCE: Representatives of COLO addressing the press conference.

GROUP: Board members of COLO seen with the logo.

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