Tayyiba Zabih

21/10/2022

I despise the place they call home

18/10/2022

15/10/2022

Historical places are not my thing however this part of Lahore had me there

17/09/2022

03-22

23/08/2022

The lesser the interaction, the lesser the disappointment

16/08/2022

We cannot live better than in seeking to become better.
~Socrates

04/03/2022

Another column published in “Daily Times”

03/03/2022

Uzbek President’s visit to Pakistan

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the president of Uzbekistan, will come to Pakistan today for a two-day official visit on Prime Minister Imran Khan's invitation. The 7th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission and the Second Joint Business Forum was held between the two countries on March 2, 2022, in Islamabad, ahead of the Uzbek President's visit.
This will be President Mirziyoyev's first visit to Pakistan since taking office in 2016. The president of Uzbekistan is in Pakistan at a time when the two nations' diplomatic relations have been established for 30 years.
On this visit, the president of Uzbekistan will go along with a high-level delegation that represents the foreign minister, other cabinet members, senior government officials, entrepreneurs, and members of the press. The Pak-Uzbek leaders will discuss all aspects of bilateral ties, including cooperation and integration of politics, trading, economy, connections, education, culture, law, and defense. There will be a handful of bilateral agreements considered and signed. Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev one-on-one, followed by a delegation-level meeting. A discussion between the Uzbek President and President Arif Alvi will also take place. The Trans-Afghan Railway Project, which connects Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, will be considered as part of strengthening cultural and educational relations.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Uzbekistan in July 2021 highlighted that the two countries' comprehensive relations are developing. Imran Khan spoke at the Uzbekistan-Pakistan Business Forum on "Central and South Asia 2021" during his two-day visit. Imran Khan highlighted his intention for both states to be connected via aviation, roadways, and railways. He believes Pakistan has significant potential to link Central Asia to the rest of the world and serve as a trading centre.
The historical, archaeological, architectural, and ecological wonders of Uzbekistan captivate travellers from all over the world. Pakistanis have a keen interest in Islamic history and have been travelling to Uzbekistan for many years. Bukhara, Samarkand, Termez, and other cities in Uzbekistan have a rich history. As I mentioned in my previous column, Pakistan's healthcare centres should be well-known in Central Asian countries so that people can benefit from low-cost treatments.
Topics such as tourism and the healthcare system should be addressed during the conference between the two countries' top business executives that is going to be held during this visit. These are the issues that should be considered at the government level to increase business between the two countries and ensure that people from Pakistan and Uzbekistan can safely travel between them.

26/02/2022

Medical Facilities in Pakistan

Pakistan has approximately 900 private and over 1300 public hospitals. Pakistan's government does not compromise when it comes to health care, investing billions of rupees in medical treatments. Pakistan's private healthcare sector currently provides good quality and patient satisfaction to 70% of the population.

A liver transplant is one of the most complicated surgeries, and there are numerous liver transplant hospitals in Pakistan. Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital performs liver and kidney transplants, as well as pancreatic surgery, liver surgery, gallbladder surgery, and a variety of other surgeries. The government supervises the projects of this hospital. This hospital is one of Pakistan's best and most affordable. Shifa International Hospital's dermatology, neurology, cardiology, pathology, and radiology specialists are among the best in the country. The Aga Khan University Hospital is another well-known hospital in Pakistan, and it is one of the few hospitals in the country that has obtained ISO 9002 certification. The Aga Khan University Hospitals' quality assurance team is a model for other public and private health-care organizations, and they are part of a global referral network. The instruments and technologies at AKUH are on par with those in the United States, England, and other advanced nations. The Aga Khan University Hospital clinical laboratories are currently the finest and most advanced in Pakistan. The College of American Pathologists awarded the AKUH laboratories Gold Standard Accreditation. The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospitals are also one of the notable hospitals specifically for cancer treatment. The First Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital was established in 1994 in Lahore under the command of Pakistan's current Prime Minister, Imran Khan. These Hospitals provide free treatment to those Pakistani citizens who cannot afford it. People who require free treatment have their names hidden in order to protect their self-esteem. Despite the fact that therapy is free, everyone receives high-quality services regardless of color, religion, nationality, or language.
There are so many outstanding hospitals that deserve to be recognized on a global scale, but a column is a little platform with limited information. In Pakistan, Ziauddin Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Rehman Medical Institute, Bolan Medical University Hospital, Nishtar Medical Hospital, Doctors Hospital, National Hospital, and a slew of other hospitals provide top-notch care.

While living in Uzbekistan, I've witnessed people traveling to different nations for medical treatment. At the airport recently, I met an Uzbek woman who was flying to another country for heart surgery. It seemed essential to write about this topic because it is necessary to make Asian people aware of Pakistan's health services.

Pakistan has exceptionally low medical costs when compared to other countries. Pakistani accommodation and food are considerably less expensive than other countries. Pakistan's atmosphere is quite pleasant, and its people are extremely kind and welcoming. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and other Central Asian countries should look toward Pakistan for affordable and quality treatment.

Pakistan's government should promote all of Pakistan's medical centers to the rest of the globe. Because I live in Uzbekistan, I believe the Uzbekistan Embassy in Islamabad and the Pakistan Embassy in Tashkent may both play vital roles in this situation. On the one hand, it will bring business to Pakistan, and on the other hand, it will allow people to get treatment at a very low cost.

25/02/2022

Since I was a child, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia have been my favorite architectural landmark. It was the world's tallest structure until 2004. In 2017, I flew all the way to Malaysia to see this work of art all by myself.
Mahathir Muhamad was Malaysia's prime minister from 1998 to 2003, and his tenure was a glorious one. He was a highly liberal man who worked tirelessly to improve his country's economic growth, tourism, and culture. Despite the fact that his name was on the list among the most successful leaders, his final words before leaving his post were "disappointed... because I have achieved too little in my principal task of making my race a successful race, a race that is respected". Many businesses in Malaysia crashed after his era ended in 2003.
My visit to Malaysia in 2017 was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. On the contrary, it has stunned me in a number of ways. I had always assumed that Malaysia was a country where people were free to practice whichever religion they liked and live their lives as they pleased, but this was soon disproved when I saw the real Malaysia. I continued to observe Malaysia and carry out research on it even after returning to my home country, Pakistan.
It is hard to issue a fatwa of Jahannum against believers of any of the sects of Islam since they all believe in one God and in Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Allah's last prophet. Unfortunately, Malaysia did not appear to be a country where individuals could freely practice their religion. Malaysian Muslims are only allowed to follow the Sunni branch of Islam; elsewhere, they risk being punished for bringing deviation into the religion. Christians are allowed to practice Christianity in Malaysia, but they are not allowed to build new churches; rather, they should be going to pre-existing churches.
Another thing that surprised me was Malaysia's high rate of child marriages. It is quite common in Malaysia, not only in the rural but also in urban areas, and it is legal for girls to marry at the age of 16 and boys at the age of 18. Even teenagers under the age of 18 who want to marry can do so with the approval of the Sharia court.
Su***de and drug addiction among Malaysian teenagers have also been on the rise. Divorced parents, troubled parents, worry, stress, and disappointment are some of the present causes. Considering the last point regarding child marriages, it is simple seeing how most child marriages don't bring pleasure to people's lives and are likely to terminate shortly or cause conflict in the lives of parents and children. Teenagers seek comfort in drugs to relieve stress, or they lose hope and choose to end their lives.
Torture of suspects in imprisonment by police continues to be an issue, but so does a lack of responsibility for such crimes. The police department tortures prisoners, particularly immigrants and asylum seekers. I recently read an article in which it was reported that six Indian men died in Malaysian police custody under unknown circumstances. In Malaysia, reports of deaths in police cells have become all too prevalent.
In the age of Najib Razak, Mahathir Mohamad's liberalism and discipline seemed to melt away. To restore peace in Malaysia, the present Malaysian government must follow all the international norms and regulations established by the United Nations (UN) at the Geneva Convention in 1955. In order to regain Malaysia's economy, liberalism, and stability, the present government should follow Mahathir Mohamad's path.