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Tag: Pakistan

  • Pakistan, Qatar agree to enhance bilateral trade volume

    In order to enhance bilateral trade, Pakistan and Qatar have agreed in principle on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) and a free trade agreement (FTA), The Express Tribune has reported, adding that the agreements would soon be signed after necessary formalities.

    Pakistan has also offered to establish a plant in Qatar to manufacture footballs for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as well as subsequent football tournaments.

    Nebras Power, a major investment group in Qatar’s energy sector, has expressed an interest in investing directly in Pakistan’s power sector.

    The Nebras Power Consortium will take part in the privatisation of the Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki power plants in Pakistan.

    It has formally informed the Pakistani government about its interest and hoped that it would promote direct cooperation between the two governments in the fields of energy and power generation.

    According to a document, Pakistan’s commerce and energy ministries attended the 5th Pak Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Qatar last month.

    A copy of the minutes issued by the signatories of the two countries was sent to the respective ministries for implementation of the decisions made by the two countries.

    Pakistan has expressed an interest in exporting sports goods for the FIFA World Cup 2022. Qatar has welcomed Pakistan’s interest and said it would consider its goods on the basis of price and quality for the mega event.

    The document also read that the Pakistani government had fully endorsed a report sent by the Qatar government to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to recognise its products, including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and natural gas, as ecofriendly.

    Qatar has also requested additional traffic rights to enhance aviation links with Pakistan. The two countries will consider the matter on a commercial basis.

    The two countries have agreed on an air service agreement in the near future to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar in other areas of aviation and agreed to hold further meetings during the forthcoming air service talks scheduled to be held in Shi’ar Uqba, Jordan where further progress is expected in this regard.

    According to Qatar’s media, the two-way trade exchange between Qatar and Pakistan reached QR9.5 billion in 2018, witnessing an unprecedented 63pc growth as a result of better ties. The balance of trade is currently skewed in favour of Qatar due to the export of high-valued products to Pakistan. But the South Asian nation is also working aggressively to enhance collaboration in the field of manpower aiming to increase the flow of remittances, which will eventually make the economic relations more balanced.

  • Black Wednesday: PM appreciates Fayazul Hasan Chohan for his courage

    Black Wednesday: PM appreciates Fayazul Hasan Chohan for his courage

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has appreciated Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan for his courage as the latter expressed restraint over lawyers’ Wednesday ransacking of Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in Lahore, ARY News reported.

    According to reports, the premier, during a telephonic conversation, said that Chohan was an asset of the party and lauded his nerve for offering restraint during the violent protest. He said that miscreants wanted a Model Town-like carnage, but the provincial government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had foiled their heinous designs.

    PM Imran vowed to expose the real characters behind the lawyers’ agitation and added that no one would be allowed to take law into their own hands.

    Earlier, Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda had also appreciated Chohan.

    “Well done Fayazul Hasan Chohan! Very graceful of you that you didn’t take any harsh action and avoided the inevitable despite how these hooligans maltreated you,” he tweeted.

    On Tuesday, Chohan was slapped and tortured by agitated lawyers as their protest against doctors turned violent. At least four patients lost their lives and hospital equipment worth millions was damaged.

    The provincial information minister, who had arrived at the scene to hold talks with the lawyers, was thrashed by the protesters who, according to Chohan, also “tried to kidnap him”.

  • Pakistan: Qatari royals among seven arrested for hunting without license

    Pakistan: Qatari royals among seven arrested for hunting without license

    Seven Qatari nationals, including four royals, have been arrested for attempting to hunt the houbara bustard in Nushki district of Balochistan without permission of the Foreign Office, a private media outlet reported.

    According to reports, the Qatari nationals were en route Nushki when they were intercepted and taken into custody on the Quetta-Nushki highway. Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Sasoli confirmed the arrest and stated that they were aiming to hunt without proper license.

    He added that the Qataris had been handed over to the wildlife department.

    The four royals have been identified as Sheikh Mohammad bin Mansoor Jasim, Sheikh Khalid bin Ali, Sheikh Abdullah bin Jasim and Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali Khalid.

    A case has been registered against the foreigners who were in the country on a three-month visa. They had been informed before that they would not be allowed to hunt if they did not possess a proper hunting license.

    According to the Wildlife Department, 100 houbara bustards can be hunted for a fee of $100,000.

  • Police releases plan for twin cities ahead of Pak- Sri Lanka Test series

    Police releases plan for twin cities ahead of Pak- Sri Lanka Test series

    The Sri Lankan cricket team has landed in Pakistan and the matches are scheduled from 11th to 15th December. Surely there will be strict security checks and also some traffic problems. Therefore, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Hamza Shafqat, has shared the traffic plan for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match.

    The traffic plan, planned by Islamabad Traffic Police and City Traffic Police Rawalpindi, will be from 10th December to 15th December from 6 am to 6 pm.

    Murree Road will be blocked from Faizabad to 6th Road

    Stadium Road from IJP Road to Murree Road will also be blocked

    Ghousia Chowk turn towards Murree Road will be shut

    People would have to take alternate routes from Haroon Chowk and Dhoke Kala Khan Chowk towards Ghousia Chowk.

    Turns towards Murree Road on Islamabad highway – for traffic coming from Zero Point and Koral will be blocked.

    Rawalpindi to Islamabad:

    If you are entering Islamabad from Rawalpindi, these are the alternate routes.

    A U-turn in front of Kidney Center on Murree Road will be used to divert traffic towards Islamabad.

    Traffic from Sadiqabad will use Farooq-e-Azam Road/Kurri Road to merge onto the Islamabad motorway.

    Islamabad to Rawalpindi:

    For those coming to Rawalpindi from Islamabad, these are the alternate routes

    Traffic coming from Rawal Chowk will be averted to Islamabad motorway and they can enter Rawalpindi from the following points:

    Dhoke Kala Khan

    Khanna Pul

    Koral Chowk

    Traffic from IJP-9th Avenue Chowk will use Pindora Chungi, Katarian Market, Pirwadhai Mor, Carriage Factory and Pirwadhai to enter Rawalpindi

    The authorities have also advised the citizens to cooperate with the traffic police for uninterrupted traffic flow.

  • Pakistan falls at 152 on UNDP’s human development index 2019

    Pakistan falls at 152 on UNDP’s human development index 2019

    Pakistan remains among the medium human development countries with its position falling from 151 to 152, according to the 2019 Human Development Index (HDI) released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Geo News reported

    According to the details, the UNDP’s Human Development Report (HDR) –launched on Monday in Colombia — gave Pakistan a score of 0.560.

    The score puts the country as the second last country among the Medium Human development countries. Solomon Islands is the only country behind Pakistan in the category.

    The HDI classifications are based on HDI fixed cutoff points. Countries which are below the cutoff points of less than 0.550 are categorised as low human development, while medium human development are categorised within the range of 0.550–0.699. Scores of 0.700–0.799 is for high human development and 0.800 or greater for very high human development.

    As per data, Pakistan’s life expectancy stands at 67; while the expected years of schooling was at 8.5 years, with the mean years of schooling standing at 5.2 and the country’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita was $5,190.

    When the report was first published in 1990, Pakistan scored 0.404. The latest report gave the country a score of 0.560 which shows an overall increase in the score by 1.17%.

    However, the trend from 1990 till 2018 showed that Pakistan had steadily improved from being a low human development country to a medium development country.

    Speaking on the release of the report, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan Ignacio Artaza has stated, “The HDR shows us that inequality is not ‘natural’ or inevitable. However, governments, civil societies, and ordinary citizens need to work together and translate words into concrete actions to ensure that people all over the world can live their lives to their fullest potential”.

  • Tourists from 50 countries can now avail visa on-arrival

    Tourists from 50 countries can now avail visa on-arrival

    To boost the tourism industry and foreign investment, the government has announced a new visa policy encouraging the tou­rists from 50 countries to avail visa-on-arrival facility.

    The visa-on-arrival facility was previously available to nationals of 25 countries only. As per reports, Sikhs holding Canadian and British passports would be allowed to avail of the offer and the e-visa facility will also be provided to the citizens of 175 countries.

    While talking to the media Vice Chairperson Overseas Pakistanis Commission Ch Waseem Akhtar said that the country is progressing due to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “public-friendly economic policies” and that “major steps” are being taken to promote tourism.

    He added that the promotion of tourism is the need of the hour and the issuance of on-arrival visa to 50 countries by the government of Pakistan is a breakthrough and this will not only portray the soft image of Pakistan but will also bring foreign exchange and investment into the country.

    The plan to introduce on-arrival visa was first revealed in December 2018 by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood. The minister had stated that the government was considering initiating a visa-on-arrival facility for almost 55 countries to strengthen the tourism sector of Pakistan.

  • VIDEO: British journalist destroys Shireen Mazari on silence over China’s repression of Uighur Muslims

    British journalist Mehdi Hasan has called out the Prime Minsiter (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan government for voicing concerns over repression being faced by Muslims across the globe expect the Chinese persecution of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

    Speaking to Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on his show, Al Jazeera’s Hasan asked as to why had Pakistan not publicly criticised China on its detention of millions of Uighur Muslims.

    “There’s a quote on your Twitter profile page from the great Muslim leader and the grandson of the prophet, Imam Hussain, that reads ‘those who are silent when others are oppressed, are guilty of oppression themselves’,” he said, adding that in China, millions of Uighur Muslims were being detained against their will in “concentration camps” and yet the Pakistani government had said nothing.

    “In fact, PM Imran Khan has said that he will not criticise China on this publically. Couldn’t the Uighurs say that your silence, Pakistan’s silence, means that you’re guilty of oppressing them too?”

    Responding to the question, Mazari said that the link established by Hasan was “absurd” since her government had talked to China. “When we have evidence, we take it up. But China is an ally of ours, and we will not go screaming on the streets about it.”

    When asked if Pakistan had condemned Chinese actions privately, the minister said that Islamabad had been speaking to the Chinese and “hearing their point of view”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “You haven’t stood up and spoken about the Uighurs… that’s the problem,” the journalist maintained as Mazari said repression must be called out regardless of who was behind it when asked if she would condemn the Chinese actions.

    PAKISTAN, CHINA & UIGHURS:

    The Chinese government has reportedly detained more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps. Most of the people who have been arbitrarily detained are Uighur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily from China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.

    Human rights organisations, United Nations (UN) officials and many foreign governments are urging China to stop the crackdown; however, officials maintain that what they call “vocational training centres” do not infringe on Uighurs’ rights.

    While the Chinese government has refused to share information about the detention centres and prevented journalists and foreign investigators from examining them, internal documents leaked in late 2019 have provided important details on how officials launched and maintain the camps.

    As part of a campaign seeking relief for Uighurs in China, Islamabad has time and again been called out for raising its voice for Muslims facing Indian oppression in held Kashmir as well as helpless Palestinians, but not for those in China where lie Pakistan’s economic interests — such as the construction of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    CPEC is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan. Originally valued at $46 billion, the value of CPEC projects is worth $62 billion as of 2017.

    It is expected to not only benefit Pakistan and China, but also to have a positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan and India with the enhancement of geographical links through improved road, rail and air transportation system with frequent and free exchanges of growth and people to people contact.

  • Get tickets for Pak vs Sri Lanka Test matches in just Rs50

    Get tickets for Pak vs Sri Lanka Test matches in just Rs50

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fixed Rs50 as price of the tickets for the upcoming two-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, the PCB has announced that the tickets for both the Tests will be available online through website www.yayvo.com from Saturday.

    The Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship with the first Test starting in Rawalpindi from December 11 and the second in Karachi from December 19.

    For the Rawalpindi Test, the fans can buy tickets from the TCS sale centres from Saturday and in Karachi, sale of tickets from the TCS sale centres will commence from Monday.

    The board in its news release said, “The PCB, in an effort to encourage the fans to be part of return of Test cricket in Pakistan, have fixed price of Shoaib Akhtar Enclosure at the Pindi Cricket Stadium at Rs50”.

  • Mark Zuckerberg’s sister finds Pakistan to be a friendly country

    Sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Randi Zuckerburg described Pakistan as one of the friendliest countries she has visited.

    Addressing a session during the AdAsia event in Lahore, Randi praised the country for the women it had produced.

    “Pakistan has given us women such as Malala Yousafzai and Benazir Bhutto. This shows that Pakistan is a country that really honours its women,” she said.

    She also revealed she was a fan of cricket and said she was surprised to find out Pakistan was the ideal country when it came to sports because it also produces top-quality soccer balls.

    Zuckerberg, who serves as the CEO of ‘Zuckerberg Media’ said that it is not necessary that every new idea will be accepted – it could flop as well.

    “Today everything is media and it is now time to invest in video. We need to control its use. None of us would change the world if we stick to our phones all the time,” she added.

  • Why practicing mindfulness is important

    One of the most misunderstood concepts of modernity is ‘Multitasking.’ Multitasking at our jobs and social media interactions have reduced our ability to retain focus on one thing at a time. 

    However, if we introduce the practice of mindfulness in our lives – one can not only rejuvenate the complex networking of neurons of our brain but the abilities like concentration, time-management, and stress management can also be improved to phenomenal extend. 

    Here are some easy mindfulness exercises which you should consider to add in your daily life:

    STOP

    When you’re in a stressful moment, a popular mindfulness exercise called S.T.O.P. can be helpful. 

    • Stop. Just take a momentary pause, no matter what you’re doing. 
    • Take a breath. Feel the sensation of your breathing, which brings you back to the present moment. 
    • Observe. Acknowledge what is happening, for good or bad, inside you or out. Just note it. 
    • Proceed. Having briefly checked in with the present moment, continue with whatever it was you were doing. 

    PRACTICE MINDFULNESS DURING MEETINGS 

    Another very useful technique that can be practiced in group forms is by practicing it in the office with your colleagues. Meetings can be wastage of time when people aren’t listening. Here is how you can introduce mindfulness in your office meetings:

    • No phones or computers allowed at meetings, whenever possible. 
    • If you need a note taker, have one person act as secretary and circulate the notes afterward. 
    • Give uninterrupted opportunities to speak to people in the meeting. 

    Mindfulness works; that is why from Google to General Mills, they have started teaching mindfulness in their offices. You should do it as well.