Proud Pakistani

31/05/2021

Meet Maryam Arif, Pakistan's youngest novelist at the age of 16, with eight published novels and two popular podcasts with a global audience.

Maryam has written three self-help books, as well as blogs, copywriting instructions, children's books, and a 50,000-word novel. She has also released two coloring books, one for adults and one for children, in addition to the eight novels she has written.

She got her first book published when she was 14 years old, and by the age of 15, she authored seven books in a year. Becoming one of the youngest Pakistanis to publish eight novels. Maryam is also a verified author of Goodreads.

She is the host of two podcasts, New Trends, and Live Biology, and is one of the youngest Pakistani podcasters with a worldwide following on both platforms.

31/05/2021

Gucci is known for romanticizing cultures they don't comprehend and elevating aesthetics they don't comprehend, and they've done it again. This time, the Italian high-fashion house has launched its own kaftans line, which varies in price from $2,500 to $3,000.

The brand's "flower embroidered organic linen kaftan" costs $3,500, or Rs540,977 in Indian rupees.

However, the kaftan resembles a kameez in appearance.

The design isn't even the most innovative or meaningful interpretation of a centuries-old tradition; rather, it's an average version of designs we've seen outside of stores or in Generation catalogs.

The firm actually took its look from the streets of Asia and the Middle East, copied the most popular styles, slapped them on top of a green-tracks-wearing girl, handed her a basketball, and voila — billions.

31/05/2021

Kuwait on Sunday announced the "immediate" restoration of several visas for Pakistani citizens, including family and business visas, after a decade-long ban.

Kuwait prohibited Pakistani work visas in 2011, and despite prior governments' efforts, the restrictions have not been eased. During Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the oil-rich country in March 2017, the then administration also announced the removal of the embargo by Kuwait. The decision, however, was never executed.

During the meeting, issues of mutual interest were discussed, including bilateral relations between Pakistan and Kuwait. The interior minister brought up the visa problem with Kuwait's prime minister, who has been suspending visas for Pakistanis since 2011.

According to the statement, technical visas in the medical and oil areas would no longer be restricted, and Pakistanis residing in Gulf nations would be allowed to visit Kuwait with an online visa.

28/05/2021

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professionals has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Google and Tech Valley to establish Islamabad as the gold standard for digitally integrated government schools.

The effort is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan's "Digital Pakistan" agenda, which intends to reshape the country through digital means. In the initial phase of this effort, Tech Valley will install Google Work Space based on Cloud-Based Infrastructure in 200 male and female schools across the Islamabad Capital Territory.

While Google will give remote learning tools as well as Chromebooks to these institutions.

The second phase will include virtual training for all instructors on how to successfully use and benefit from these technologies.

28/05/2021

In the year 2020, the pandemic swept the globe. However, once vaccinations were available, we expected that everything would return to normal. That, it appears, will not be possible in 2021. A volcano erupted in Congo, followed by a rat pandemic in Australia. Pakistan is currently dealing with a respiratory ailment that is spreading through chickens.

Coryza is the name of the infectious illness, and it has already spread throughout Pakistan. According to reports, some chicken farms in Karachi have already closed down. The sickness appears to be a regular cold with respiratory issues in the chicken.

The disease has been documented in the United States, albeit the transmission has not been as widespread. In this aspect, Pakistan has been hurt worse by Coryza. Prices are also impacted as a result of this.

Looking back through history, we can observe that Pakistani chicken has been afflicted with illnesses on occasion. It was avian flu once upon a time, and then it was another disease. And each time, the prices fall. As a result, chicken prices, which had risen to PKR 520 to 600 in the previous week, are projected to fall once more.

28/05/2021

The photo-sharing app on Facebook After years of testing aimed at reducing the strain of using their services, Instagram is offering the option for users worldwide to conceal like counts on posts, and Facebook will shortly follow suit.

Instagram users will be able to conceal the number of likes on all of their feed posts as well as their own. Instagram stated in a blog post that both choices will be accessible on Facebook in "the coming weeks."

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri told reporters that the goal was to offer users more control over their experiences on the platform. He said that while the platform's studies on concealing like counts showed no significant changes in users' psychological well-being, they had polarised user opinions.

28/05/2021

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has raised $500 million from foreign markets at a rate of 7.5 percent, marking a historic transaction for Pakistan's power industry as well as the country's first green bond sale.

According to people familiar with the subject, the bond offer was also oversubscribed by more than four times, garnering $2.2 billion and lowering the initial guideline level, which predicted a rate close to 8%.

According to Hussain, the revenues from the bond would be utilized to fund the Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams.

He said that “We are taking a lead against fossil fuel.”

27/05/2021

For a long, the YouTube Scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza and Karachi-based M***i Tariq Masood have been exchanging verbal barrages and spicy video messages about religious beliefs differences, and controversial statements made by the forefather of particular sects.

M***i Tariq Masood initiated a one-on-one meeting with his staunch critic Muhammad Ali Mirza to clarify some controversial Islamic beliefs of that sect. Muhammad Ali Mirza initially resisted, but has now accepted the challenge and invited M***i Tariq Masood to an open debate in Jehlum at any time.

Muhammad Ali Mirza said: "I'm ready to host M***i Tariq Masood any time but the condition is there shouldn't be a discussion on menial fiqh differences but on the major Islamic beliefs mentioned in that particular sect's forefathers books. Moreover, he said that M***i Tariq Masood should accompany M***i Taqi Usmani along with himself in meeting"

"I'm also ready to bear all the expenses of his visit. M***i Tariq Masood will have to prove my points wrong which I've raised and if he did so then I will accept my mistake and publicly apologize or else M***i Sahab will have to retreat from his sect's religious beliefs" he added.

27/05/2021

Daraz, Bangladesh's premier e-commerce site, has signed on as a new sponsor for the national cricket teams of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

One of Daraz's officials said “Within a very short period Daraz has become one of the leading e-commerce sites in Bangladesh and arguably the most popular. The way Daraz has provided customer service at the doorsteps of millions of people, especially during the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been admirable,”

Daraz's adventure began with the opening match of Bangladesh's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

27/05/2021

The Provincial Assembly of Sindh has approved a new draught law that will make marriage obligatory for 18-year-olds as soon as feasible.

Parents must inform the Deputy Commissioner in writing and offer a comprehensive reason if their marriage is postponed, according to the Act. The bill orders the parents to pay a specified sum (which will be announced after the Act is approved) into the official bank account of the Deputy Commissioner's Office.

27/05/2021

Javed Afridi posted on Twitter that the first MG car was built locally in Pakistan.

ALHAMDULILLAH FIRST LOCALLY Flag of Pakistan PRODUCED MG CAR ON THE WHEELS NOW", Javed Afridi Tweeted with images.

According to reports, MG plans to develop two assembly plants in Pakistan, each capable of producing Electric Vehicles (EVs) for the Pakistani market locally.

In an interview with a UAE-based major media site, Javed Afridi, a significant partner in MG Pakistan, also claimed that MG Motors is aiming to develop a second EV assembly factory in Karachi to cater to exports to markets that demand right-handed E-Vs.

27/05/2021

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has made significant progress since its inception seven years ago, delivering a total of $25 billion in direct investments to Pakistan.

Many projects have been begun or finished under CPEC, a dynamic project of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin at his regular briefing in Beijing.

He specifically cited the completion of Pakistan's first electric-powered public transportation project, the Orange Line Metro Line (OLMT) in Lahore. He said, "Last month as an early harvest project, the Orange Line, was made operational, marking the beginning of the subway era for Pakistan.”

Wang stated that projects completed under the CPEC had improved Pakistan's infrastructure and electricity supply, provided jobs for people, and contributed to the increase of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

27/05/2021

The sun will align with the sacred Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Thursday (today) at 12:18 Saudi time, according to experts (14:18 PST).

According to Majed Abu Zahra, President of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, the sun's disc will be positioned directly over the Kaaba, and it will lose its shadow for a brief period of time.

Because of its location between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, astronomers say the celestial phenomena are known as "zero shadows" that happens twice a year at the Grand Mosque.

Abu Zehra added that " people can determine the exact direction of the holy Kaaba by placing a wooden stick vertically in the ground; the direction of the Qibla will be the exact opposite to the stick’s shadow.”

26/05/2021

According to reports, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has approved 19 international and domestic businesses to manufacture mobile phones in Pakistan.

The PTA announced the decision on Twitter, saying it has awarded Mobile Device Manufacturing Authorizations to 19 international and local businesses for the local manufacture of mobile devices (2G/3G/4G).

The authority said, “Aimed at encouraging manufacturers to set up their plants in Pakistan, the Government has introduced a comprehensive and supportive Mobile Manufacturing Policy, subsequent to which PTA issued Mobile Device Manufacturing (MDM) Regulations in 2021."

t further added that these developments made way for the issuance of manufacturing authorizations, a major milestone in the journey towards “Digital Pakistan”

26/05/2021

According to the Highway Police, a TikToker was fined heavily for breaking traffic laws and driving dangerously on the M-3 motorway.

According to a spokeswoman for the Multan Motorway Police, the accused was driving erratically on the highway and recording TikTok videos with his pals.

According to him, the TikToker was penalized for reckless driving, lane infringement, driving without a license, and causing traffic congestion.

This isn't the first time TikTokers have made headlines for their insatiable need to create bizarre films for their fans.

26/05/2021

Google has introduced an option to secure your Web and Activity page, which displays all of your Google activity, including searches, YouTube watch history, and Google Assistant questions (via Android Police). Anyone who picks up a device you're signed into might view your activities if you don't verify it.

Go to activity.google.com and click the Manage My Activity verification link to enable the verification. You may then pick the option for Require Extra Verification, save, then enter your password to confirm that you're the one trying to make the change.

If you don't have verification enabled, going to activity.google.com will display you a stream of your Google activity from all of your devices without requiring a password.

Turning on verification, on the other hand, will require anybody attempting to see the information to click the Verify button and provide their Google account password before any history will be displayed.

26/05/2021

According to reports, the current season's mango export target has been set at 150,000 tonnes, generating US$ 127.5 million in income for the country.

According to the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association (APFVEA), the export of the fruit brought in US$120 million last year.

According to the APFVEA, the climatic influence will have a significant influence on the harvest this year, perhaps resulting in a 15% yield reduction during the current season.“Sindh has been facing an impact on its mango harvest owing to climate change impact as rain and storm could further lessen the production.”

26/05/2021

According to reports, Prime Minister Imran Khan will undertake a one-day visit to Layyah today (Wednesday) to inaugurate a health insurance program for inhabitants of seven Punjab districts.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar made the announcement.

The health card plan will be available for seven districts of Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal division starting tomorrow, according to the chief minister, who took to Twitter to announce that the prime minister will inaugurate the program in Layyah.

Under the initiative, every household in DG Khan and Sahiwal would receive a Health Card worth 720,000 rupees.

25/05/2021

Our goal is to keep you updated with all the latest happenings accurately and on time.

25/05/2021

More than a hundred Pakistani women physicians in over a dozen countries joined hands with their counterparts through a technology-driven effort offering medical assistance and treatment to 1000s of individuals under trauma in Gaza and other battered cities, authorities and those associated with the project said on Saturday.

They claimed that the female physicians were reintroduced to the province health system as a result of a technology-driven programme by Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), one of the country's oldest public sector medical institutes, which has so far succeeded in reintroducing hundreds of Pakistani women physicians to the profession in the previous two years after they had quit the profession for family issues or social issues.

An official said, “Some two years ago a project named ‘eDoctor’ was initiated for around 35,000 female doctors who had completed their medical education at the expense of the state or privately but are no longer associated with the profession so that they could once again become part of the country’s medical workforce."

25/05/2021

During the fiscal year 2020-21, Pakistan's investment to GDP ratio fell to 15.2 percent from 15.5 percent of GDP, while the savings to GDP ratio rose to 15 percent from 13.8 percent of GDP.

According to the National Accounts Committee's authorized working paper, overall Gross Established Capital Formation (GFCF) is expected to be Rs6,492 billion, however it would fall short of the fixed objective.

Low investment and savings as a percentage of GDP resulted in the country's economy repeating its boom-bust cycle historically.

In the departing fiscal year 2020-21, the annual plan predicted that the investment to GDP ratio would rise to 15.5 percent of GDP in order to generate sustainable and inclusive growth in the aftermath of the Corona crisis.

25/05/2021

The government-run National Institute of Health has started producing a single-dose Chinese coronavirus vaccine in the hopes of meeting the country's immunization demands.

Officials said that a total of 124,000 CanSino vaccines had been manufactured with China's assistance and that they will be distributed in local packaging this week. Pakistan was one of the first nations to participate in the CanSino vaccine clinical study. Its manufacture in the country follows a successful clinical study in the nation.

The Chinese business CanSino Biologics Inc, according to the officials, provided the NIH with the raw materials and technology for vaccine manufacture, as well as sending in professionals to monitor the process.

According to them, the vaccine was developed by Pakistani scientists under the supervision of Chinese scientists, but the second batch will be made completely by the National Institute of Health.

25/05/2021

The conditions of the agreement between Daraz and Nadia Patel Gangjee's social venture, Femprow, are that they would assist newly registered female vendors in setting up their stores on the platform, therefore boosting their sales and reach with the support of Daraz' 6,000,000 monthly userbases. These tailored training are designed to assist these salespeople in improving their business ethics and understanding the relevance of social media and providing other essential recommendations. More than 150 female entrepreneurs have signed up for Femprow's expanding network of women entrepreneurs, who will be aided by this cooperation in opening storefronts on Pakistan's largest online marketplace.

Femprow is a social venture that promotes women's professional development and economic empowerment by providing offline and online entrepreneurship education, capacity building, and business and community assistance. Femprow also collaborates with key partners to help women-owned enterprises get awareness and market access. Facebook Community Leadership Program has sponsored the group, and it is a implementation partner for Facebook in Pakistan.

Ammar Hassan, CMO, Daraz, at the signing said, “More than 50% population of Pakistan comprise of Women. Most of them are not contributing to the GDP of Pakistan. Daraz aims to boost the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst the women of Pakistan by showing them a way to sell online. I am really excited with this partnership and I hope we can scale these efforts to bring sizable impact.”

On the internet marketplace Daraz, there are over 90,000 sellers. Customers benefit from these initiatives since they provide a distinct and diversified product variety.

25/05/2021

While hailing Maryam Mujtaba, a Muzaffarabad local, as a role model for all girls aspiring to achieve greatness in seemingly difficult sectors of life, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan praised her on Saturday for becoming the first female commercial pilot from the freed region.

The president congratulated Ms. Mujtaba when she and her husband Mujtaba Rathore Aga, deputy superintendent of the AJK police, visited him at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.

Ms. Mujtaba was born to a family of Kashmiri refugees from Shopian in occupied Kashmir who moved to Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi. She received her commercial pilot licence (CPL) after completing basic aviation training in Rawalpindi and afterward at Century Air in New Jersey.

Ms. Mujtaba has also been named as a brand ambassador by the Special Communications Organisation (SCO), a Pakistan army company that operates a communication network in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

24/05/2021

24/05/2021

Despite the massive development of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) over the last six years, cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja voiced concern over the lack of competition on the technical/broadcast side.

Raja said on his YouTube channel that no Pakistani can be found in the production team, which he believes is a weakness for the region. he said “We are too weak at this side as we barely see any Pakistani in the broadcast team as a technician. Unfortunately, we are forced to bring people from outside which cost us a lot financially and talent-wise as well."

He further added “We have immense talent in this field but there is no proper training. We are almost zero on the technical side when it comes to quality production. PSL was a great opportunity to bring in our own people into this but we failed to do so. Had we thought about this, it would have benefitted us a lot.”

People should really be interested in this area, according to the well-known commentator, because it has a lot of potentials. This field has a huge scope and you get a chance to earn handsome amount and international tours. Take interest in this field and make your country’s name,” he concluded.

24/05/2021

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) granted a TPRI (Tourism Promotion and Regional Integration) license to a newly launched private airline called North Air on Saturday in order to promote tourism.

According to info, the newly founded private airline will fly to Gilgit, Skardu, Chitral, and Gwadar.

The airline will initially fly between Islamabad and Gilgit, Islamabad and Skardu, Islamabad and Chitral, and Islamabad and Gwadar. The private airline's headquarters are located at New Islamabad Airport.

24/05/2021

According to reports, Pakistan has been selected for the World No To***co Day 2021 Award by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean for effectively meeting to***co reduction goals.

According to sources, Pakistan won the global award for successfully initiating the To***co-Free City initiative. The health authorities have built surveillance cells at the district level as part of the To***co-Smoke Free City project to introduce measures to reduce to***co consumption.

Pakistan has also declared 304 localities and parks smoke-free in 12 independent districts as part of the initiative, making it the first country in the world to do so. Those supplying cigarette products have now been licensed as part of the To***co-Smoke Free City initiative.

According to sources, to***co scheme dealers have been denied licenses in the federal capital Islamabad.

24/05/2021

According to Apple App Store ranking statistics, Facebook's rating has recently fallen to 2.3. Facebook remains the most popular social networking site; but, owing to the platform's arbitrary choices, Facebook's ranking has taken a big blow, with users giving it a poor rating.

Users who support Palestine on this website have confirmed that their pro-Palestine posts or accounts have been removed immediately, which is why they have given the platform a one-star rating, bringing the overall rating down to 2.3.

One software engineer in a post on Facebook internal message board said, "User trust is dropping considerably with the recent escalations between Israel and Palestine." he further added
Our users are upset with our handling of the situation. Users are feeling that they are being censored, getting limited distribution, and ultimately silenced. As a result, our users have started protesting by leaving 1-star reviews."

21/05/2021

In yet another tragic incident, a teenager accidentally shot himself while making a video for the popular video-sharing platform, TikTok, on Wednesday in Khyber-Swat Pakhtunkhwa's district, police officials said.

19-year-old Hamidullah unintentionally pulled the trigger of a loaded TT handgun while making the brief video in the Kabal district of Swat which left him dead on the spot.

Hamidullah's pals, who were assisting him in making the video clip, rushed him to a nearby hospital, but medics pronounced him dead upon arrival, according to police.
The footage of the teen's unintentional death went viral on social media, sparking even greater alarm among the general public. The co**se was taken for an autopsy, and police began an inquiry.

21/05/2021

According to reports, Prime Minister Imran Khan will launch the 1,100 megawatts Kanupp-2 nuclear power station on Friday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties.

On Twitter, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication, stated that the Kanupp-2 nuclear power station will be run utilizing G3 technology developed with China's assistance.
The nuclear power station will start producing energy on the 70th anniversary of the Pakistan-China friendship. This will be the 30th year of nuclear cooperation between the two countries, according to Gill.

21/05/2021

An Indian business created the Mechanical Minefield Marking Equipment Mk-II prototype to aid the Indian Army in demarcating minefields near the Pakistan border. In the plains of Indian Punjab, as well as the semi-desert and desert regions of Rajasthan, the Minefield Marking Equipment Mk-II is designed to function in all weather situations.

BEML stated“The equipment will mark/fence at a minimum speed of 1.2 km/hr with a 15-meter inter-picket spacing. The device may position pickets at intervals of 10 to 35 meters, with a 5 meter spacing between them. This device will push the picket to a maximum depth of 450mm.”

Minefield marking offers instant warning indications for persons traveling into or near risky regions. Pickets and ropes on the pickets are used to establish a physical barrier that separates dangerous regions from those that are considered safe.

20/05/2021

On Tuesday, Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Pakistan will send aid to Palestine to help the nation cope with the Covid-19 outbreak and the medical catastrophe exacerbated by Israeli airstrikes that have lasted more than a week.

Following a meeting of the federal cabinet, he told a news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was the first Islamic country to have a "very clear and firm stance on Palestine," which it still maintains. The Quaid-e-Azam created the groundwork for Pakistan's stance on Palestine, and Prime Minister Imran Khan was his "trustee," he continued.

Including Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and the country's envoy to Pakistan, who praised Pakistan for its assistance, Chaudhry said Pakistan's leadership and efforts for Palestine were "recognized by the whole Muslim ummah."

20/05/2021

Despite the government's travel prohibition, the Pakistan cricket team has been granted permission to visit the United Kingdom by the British government. Pakistan is one of the few nations on the UK's red list due to the Covid-19 problem.

The team will be permitted to travel into the nation and will be obliged to follow the Covid-19 guidelines established by the British government.

The Men in Green would most likely fly to England on a chartered airplane in late June due to the travel restrictions. The touring party will be obliged to spend a set number of days in quarantine once they arrive in the nation.

20/05/2021

Automobile sales declined 17 percent month over month in April 2021 due to weak demand and supply restrictions, while the industry saw an increase in demand in the first ten months of the current fiscal year.

Car sales fell to 17,144 units in April 2021 from 20,801 units in March 2021, according to numbers issued by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) on Monday.

According to Topline Securities' analysis, the drop in month-over-month sales was mostly due to Ramazan and supply-side concerns. the report stated, “To recall, due to countrywide lockdowns imposed by the federal and provincial governments in March-April 2020, no car sales were recorded during April 2020.”

On a month-to-month basis, Kia Lucky Motors (a non-member of Pama) had a 16 percent reduction in automobile sales.

20/05/2021

Today in Peshawar, Prime Minister Imran Khan gave 2,056 apartments to laborers (Wednesday).

PM Imran Khan visited Peshawar today, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Kamran Khan Bangash, and handed over the flats created under the Naya Pakistan Housing Program to the labourers.

He went on to say that the prime minister also opened a government school in Peshawar's Regi Lalma neighbourhood. The prime minister paid a visit to the Mohmand Dam, where he was briefed on the project by officials from the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

20/05/2021

According to importers, Chinese tyres now account for 85 percent of the market in Pakistan, up 45 percent from two years ago.
In 2018, Chinese automobile tyres accounted for 40% of the market, but that figure has now risen to 85%. China had a 30-40% market share in light truck tyres two years ago, but it has recently increased to 65-70 %

China also controls the truck/bus tyre industry, with a market share of over 75%, up from 40% two years ago.

Azim K. Yousufzai, the former head of the Pakistan Tyre Importers and Dealers Association (PTIDA), stated“Mushroom growth has been noted in the number of dealers who are regularly flooding the market with Chinese tyres.”

He stated that the government cut the regulatory tax (RD) from 35 percent to 10-20 per cent for various kinds of imported tyres imported two and a half years ago, which boosted legal imports.

20/05/2021

19/05/2021

On Monday, the US Embassy in Islamabad recognized the efforts of Ahmad Awais, a Pakistani award-winning open-source developer, in terms of code generation to the program for NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter, which will fly to Mars in 2020.

It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Pakistanis have been recognized for their achievements in the field of information technology (IT).

Syed Amin-ul-Haque, the Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications met with the teenager and praised him for his perseverance, giving him the ability to improve the software under professional supervision.