This will surely be regarded as the best story of 2008 (at least, I will champion it):
First, Dawn
Mustafa Kamal second best mayor in the world
KARACHI, Nov 9: The Foreign Policy magazine of the United States has chosen Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal as the second among the best three mayors in the world for 2008.
Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit and Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju were the other two mayors of the moment, a press release issued by the Karachi City District Government said.
The magazine said: No city globalises on its own, but with shrewd investments and smart urban planning, a mayor can help turn a regional player into a global powerhouse. Here's how three of the worlds top mayors are climbing the ladder.
...
Mr Kamal, however, gives all credit for this feat to his party leader Altaf Hussain who, he says, selected the representatives from lower and middle classes that represent 98 per cent of the country's population.
In a statement, he said it was also the recognition of the philosophy of the MQM and the 30-year struggle of its leader.
And, here is the reveal, from Foreign Policy:
At issue is a sidebar from FP's recent Global Cities Index that names Kamal, Berlin's Klaus Wowereit, and Chongqing's Wang Hongju as "mayors of the moment" who have found innovative ways to globalize their cities. The mayors are not ranked, nor are we implying that they are objectively "better" than any other mayors, but that didn't stop the Karachi city government from issuing a press release on its Web site (they've changed the text since being contacted by FP) congratulating Kamal for being the No. 2 mayor in the world. For the record, the three names are not listed in any particular order.
via Teeth Maestro.
No,no, you're missing the best part, from the same Foreign policy link. (Good blog, by the way) "According to the e-mails we've received, the inaccurate story has been widely reported on Pakistani TV, radio, and blogs.Most absurdly, Karachi's city council apparently held a heated debate over whether to pass a resolution congratulating Kamal for the honor we allegedly bestowed on him. Judging by today's e-mails, the efforts of some blogs to correct the story only seem to have confused readers more."
Well this is the dilemma with Paki peoples... they are always lost in the false goodies which come shorthand... good post to clarify the stupidity...