T2F to open doors to public Sunday onwards
The café had been shut after the deadly attack on Sabeen Mahmud on April 24
Sabeen Mahmud.
KARACHI:
The Second Floor (T2F) café will open its doors from Sunday, announced PeaceNiche chairperson and mother of slain Sabeen Mahmud, Mahenaz Mahmud, in a press statement on Friday.
Sabeen, the founder of T2F and director of non-for-profit organisation PeaceNiche, was shot dead on April 24 in DHA when she was returning home after hosting a talk by Baloch activists on missing persons. Mahenaz, who was with her, had sustained injuries.
Following the deadly attack on Sabeen, activities at T2F — a space for cultural and social activities and open dialogue — had come to a halt. The coffeehouse, bookshop and exhibition gallery also discontinued operations, and the place was seen locked with shutters down.
However, Mahenaz announced that: "T2F café will be open for regular service from Sunday, May 3, 2015."
Meanwhile, events will not be held at the premises in May as the team is travelling to London for the Alchemy Festival, where the organisation is curating and producing a multi-media exhibit, titled 'Dil Phaink'.
The press statement further appealed to the public and press to end all speculations regarding the incident and the future of PeaceNiche. It said that it won't be accountable for funds, events and trusts made in the name of Sabeen, except for those which the organisation had officially declared.
Moreover, the statement urged against sharing Sabeen's family photographs on social media as well as unverified and false content.
It further said that PeaceNiche does not endorse content produced, including written and oral or visual, and information regarding Sabeen shared on Facebook and Twitter and at vigils, tributes and public gatherings. It ends on the words: "Rest gracefully, rest gently and rest in power, Sabeen."
Fashion journalist Mohsin Sayeed, who was also Sabeen's friend, said that people were too shattered to run the place again, which is why it was shut.
"It is not difficult to open up the place but who will run it like Sabeen did?" he asked. He said that with Sabeen's personality being balanced and unbiased, now the challenge is how to run the place the 'Sabeen way'.
He further ruled out speculations that people are scared to operate T2F and said that had the people been scared, they would not have come out on the streets to protest her death.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2015.
The Second Floor (T2F) café will open its doors from Sunday, announced PeaceNiche chairperson and mother of slain Sabeen Mahmud, Mahenaz Mahmud, in a press statement on Friday.
Sabeen, the founder of T2F and director of non-for-profit organisation PeaceNiche, was shot dead on April 24 in DHA when she was returning home after hosting a talk by Baloch activists on missing persons. Mahenaz, who was with her, had sustained injuries.
Following the deadly attack on Sabeen, activities at T2F — a space for cultural and social activities and open dialogue — had come to a halt. The coffeehouse, bookshop and exhibition gallery also discontinued operations, and the place was seen locked with shutters down.
However, Mahenaz announced that: "T2F café will be open for regular service from Sunday, May 3, 2015."
Meanwhile, events will not be held at the premises in May as the team is travelling to London for the Alchemy Festival, where the organisation is curating and producing a multi-media exhibit, titled 'Dil Phaink'.
The press statement further appealed to the public and press to end all speculations regarding the incident and the future of PeaceNiche. It said that it won't be accountable for funds, events and trusts made in the name of Sabeen, except for those which the organisation had officially declared.
Moreover, the statement urged against sharing Sabeen's family photographs on social media as well as unverified and false content.
It further said that PeaceNiche does not endorse content produced, including written and oral or visual, and information regarding Sabeen shared on Facebook and Twitter and at vigils, tributes and public gatherings. It ends on the words: "Rest gracefully, rest gently and rest in power, Sabeen."
Fashion journalist Mohsin Sayeed, who was also Sabeen's friend, said that people were too shattered to run the place again, which is why it was shut.
"It is not difficult to open up the place but who will run it like Sabeen did?" he asked. He said that with Sabeen's personality being balanced and unbiased, now the challenge is how to run the place the 'Sabeen way'.
He further ruled out speculations that people are scared to operate T2F and said that had the people been scared, they would not have come out on the streets to protest her death.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2015.