TCF Directors in SF Bay Area

Besides giving a presentation at Chandni on September 15, TCF directors also met people at the residence of Bay Area entrepreneur and businessman Naveed Sherwani, on Monday, September 16. Here you see (L to R) Ateed Riaz, Nilofer Saeed, and Mushtaq Chhapra.

TCF meeting at Chandni

In between meeting Urdu Academy folks and attending Sheema Kermani’s program I was able to briefly attend the TCF (The Citizens Foundation) meeting.  Mushtaq Chhapra, a TCF founder-director, was heard recounting TCF’s journey, its accomplishments, and the future plans.

Fayyaz Uddin Saieb's “Kuch Khawab Uthaya Phirta Houn”

The Urdu Academy mushaira program also included an exordium to Fayyaz Uddin Saieb’s new Urdu poetry book “Kuch Khawab Uthaya Phirta Houn.”

Urdu Academy of Northern California

How long can a mushaira last?  For hours and hours, if it is good.  Urdu Academy mushaira held on Sunday, September 15 was really good, attendees tell me.  When I reached Chandni, around 7 pm, to attend Sheema Kermani’s program I found the Urdu Academy key players still hanging out.  Here is a photo featuring (L to R) Fayyazuddin Saieb, Syed Ilyas Ahmed, Khalid Rana, Basir Kazmi, and Tashie Zaheer.

Chandni it is

Last Sunday (September 15) was a very busy day, as several programs—of interest to the Bay Area residents of Pakistan descent—took place, all on that day. 

Urdu Academy’s annual mushaira (12 pm-7 pm), a presentation by TCF (The Citizen Foundation), and theater and dance by Sheema Kermani and her troupe (7 pm- 10:30 pm), kept attendees running from one program to another.  Chandni Restaurant in Newark appears to have become the primary choice of Pakistanis for holding social events.  Here you see Chandni’s owner Syed Sarwat (on right) with journalist Abdus Sattar Ghazali.