Orya MAqbool Jan
Orya Maqbool Jan is a renowned columnist, poet and CSS officer from Pakistan, who writesUrdu columns for Daily Express, Pakistan.
He has received numerous national awards, including the best Urdu columnist in 2004. One of his collection of poetry has been published.
He has a Masters degree in social work from Punjab University, Lahore.He was the deputy commissioner and district magistrate of three
districts for about five years and assistant commissioner and sub divisional magistrate of three sub divisions for about three years.
This involves an overall responsibility of law and order, monitoring of development activities, welfare of people, revenue collection
personnel management and public relationship of a very sensitive nature. He has contributed to various research papers including one
titled "Comprehensive plan for Improvement of Quetta water Supply and Sewerage System". He worked as a managing director of
Baluchistan water & sanitation authority.
He is presently working as Director General Walled City Project in Lahore after having worked as Information Secretary to the Punjab
Government.
He is the author of four popular TV serials "ROAZAN", "SHAHARZAD", "QAFAS" and "GARDBAD".
Yaseer Lateef Hamdani
Yasser Latif Hamdani (born 1980) is a Pakistani lawyer and writer and was associated with the Progressive Muslim Movement in the
United States of America.
As a student at Rutgers University, he was actively involved in the US Democratic Party and worked to elect Jon Corzine.
In an article written in 2008, Hamdani claimed that he was amongst the founding members of the Progressive Muslim Movement in the US
which aimed at "liberating the rational faith of Islam from the clutches of the clergy" . As a student at Rutgers, Hamdani first brought
national attention to the growing influence of Salafi and Wahabi Islamists in Muslim organizations on American campuses.
During the Pakistan Chief Justice constitutional crisis, he came out heavily in the favour of the Chief Justice in his interview on the BBC.
He shot to fame as a representative of the Lawyers' Movement during 2007 . In a radio interview on BBC, he declined to join the call
for mass uprising as called forth by Benazir Bhutto in the aftermath of the emergency imposition, "unless it had any chances of moving
towards success". He has also commented extensively on US politics and in an article declared that Barack Obama would be better for
Pakistan.
Back in Pakistan, Hamdani has championed the cause of Pakistani religious minorities. He prepared a manifesto titled "what do
religious minorities want" which was published and circulated and was in part adopted by the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance after Hamdani
appeared on anchor Meher Bukhari's show "Nai Rahain" on Sama TV.
Hamdani has promoted peace initiative with India which he considers essential to the fulfillment of "the basic objectives of the Pakistan
movement".
His articles have been published in publications like Dawn Newspaper, Daily Times Pakistan, The News and Daily Star and is a regular
contributor to Chowk.com,PakTeahouse.wordpress.com, Pakistaniat.com and NaseebVibes.com.
