Category: Uncategorized

  • Fawad Chaudhry calls Dr Salam a ‘visionary’

    Fawad Chaudhry calls Dr Salam a ‘visionary’

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry paid a rich tribute to Pakistan’s first Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam by saying that he was a “visionary” who launched Pakistan’s space programme when China and India hadn’t even started.

    Addressing at the convocation of Capital University for Science and Technology (CUST) at the Convention Centre, the minister said, “When we started our space program and established SUPARCO in 1962 under the patronage of a great scientist like Dr Abdus Salam, a visionary, China and India had not even thought about the idea.”

    “We [Pakistan] are the second country in Asia, after USSR, to launch our rocket, Rehbar, into space in 1963. Our space program is one of the most modern space programs in the world,” Fawad revealed.

    “And now when we talk about sending our mission to space in 2022, people are shocked and are unable to believe it,” the minister added.

    Watch video here:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ua2QKBtEO/

    The minister also shared that work on introducing agriculture drone to enhance crops production was in progress.

    He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was focusing on the development of the science and technology sector and that the budget of it was increased 600 times in the last eight months. He added that the government intends to further increase the budget up to 1500 times through public-private partnerships.

    Fawad regretted that the science and technology sector was not given its due importance in the past because of which there was a lack of progress in this field.

    Pakistan lost its focus on development after involvement in the Afghan war, Fawad said.

  • ‘Don’t panic, exciting times ahead’, PM Imran promises relief, again

    ‘Don’t panic, exciting times ahead’, PM Imran promises relief, again

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has again asked the nation not to panic, as exciting times promising end to poverty and price hike were just around the corner, The News International reported.

    According to the details, PM while launching ‘Digital Pakistan’ — a government initiative aimed at introducing the latest technology for public welfare — said that the country will experience a quantum leap ahead, adding that his government will not rest until the elimination of price hike.

    “E-governance is necessary to curb corruption, which is rampant across the country at all levels. This initiative will ease the lives of citizens. Our government will put all out efforts to promote Digital Pakistan. The future of Pakistan is very exciting,” PM Imran said.

    The primier said that the campaign will “unleash the youth’s potential” in the country, adding that developments in the digital arena were taking place at a fast pace, and in future everything would be done through a mobile phone.

    Imran Khan said, “The vision sets Pakistan’s digital ambition and has been designed both for the public and private sector to work towards a digitally progressive and inclusive Pakistan”. He added, with the introduction of ‘Digital Pakistan Vision’, the full potential of contribution of the youth and the women to the economy will be unleashed.

    The premier while regretting that he had not launched this project at the very beginning when his government was formed, said “I should have given attention to a Digital Pakistanearlier. This is the most important thing for Pakistan right now, especially its youth. The whole world is moving forward digitally and we have been left behind”.

  • 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. 

  • WATCH: How Bilal Ashraf became Pakistan’s sexiest man

    WATCH: How Bilal Ashraf became Pakistan’s sexiest man

    Bilal Ashraf has been voted as Pakistan’s sexiest man.

    British Pakistani showbiz reporter Asjad Nazir, who founded the list and compiles it annually, shared the news on his Twitter account. The list is based on votes from fans around the world.

    At number seven, Bilal was the only Pakistani to feature on the top 10 list based on votes from fans around the world. Hrithik Roshan topped the list followed by Shahid Kapoor (2), Tiger Shroff (4), Zayn Malik (5), Harshad Chopda (6), Bilal (7), Mohsin Khan (8), Virat Kohli (9), and South Indian superstar Prabhas (10).

    Speaking to the local media, the 39-year-old shared that he was surprised by the news and felt “beyond humbled.”

    “I am beyond humbled to be featured as part of a list among such legendary gentlemen and that, year on year, has generated so much attention globally. This has come to me as an amazing surprise and such moments make the struggle and commitment we all put into our work all worth the while. This encourages me to try my best to further myself in my field. I’m extremely grateful for this recognition.”

    Bilal from his latest film Superstar

    Bilal, who is 39 years old (yes 39) was born in Karachi. He made his film debut in a cameo appearance in the 2014’s thriller O21. Two years later in 2016, Ashraf made his lead acting debut in Janaan, a romantic comedy, alongside Armeena Khan and Ali Rehman Khan. The next year he appeared in the war film Yalghaar and the romantic drama Rangreza. Bilal latest and most recent project was Superstar, with Mahira Khan, which propelled him into the spotlight and established him as an actor who is here to stay.

    Meanwhile, Bilal, in an exclusive video with The Current, revealed how he achieved those abs, which contributed towards his sexiness.

    “I think the first thing is to eat healthy. You are what you eat,” said the 39-year old. “If you eat clean, eat in moderation, apart from the occasional cheat meal [you’re good to go].”

    Watch him share all the details in this video:

    Other Pakistanis to feature on the list included Ali Zafar at number 12, Fawad Khan at 14, Ali Rehman Khan at number 29, Sheheryar Munawar at number 43 and Azfar Rehman at number 49.

  • Pakistan outperforms leading stock markets, including Germany, Russia

    Amid efforts by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s team to stabilise the country’s economy, Pakistan has outperformed some of the world’s leading stock markets, including those of Germany, Sweden, Russia and Ireland.

    According to Bloomberg, Pakistan’s stock market surged by 30% (almost 10,000 points) during the past three months, outperforming the leading stock markets. Ireland’s stock market rose by 19%, followed by Russia’s RTS Index with a 16% increase, Sweden OMX Stockholm 30 with 14% and Germany’s DAX Index that increased by 13.9%, during the same period of time.

    Pakistan’s KSE-100 Index has advanced to the highest level in seven months, after falling to the lowest in almost five years in August, amid attempts by the government to stabilise the economy with a $6 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after a deficit blowout.

    At the same time, bond yields have begun to fall after peaking around 14% mid-year, making debt investments less attractive.

    Even over a week after the report, the stock market remains positive and continues its upward trend. On Tuesday, it touched over 40,000 points in the beginning trade hours. This came a day after the stock exchange gave the highest monthly return in over 6.5 years as the benchmark index rallied past 40,120 points.

    The upward trends in the market, coupled with Moody’s — financial services company — upgrading credit rating of Pakistan, have boosted the confidence of investors. The collective response and profits for traders and investors are making the local market lucrative for prospect interests within and without the country.

    This has materialised also in figures of net-buyers. More people are currently buying shares compared to those selling them.

    According to Samaa, Moody’s expects the current account deficit of Pakistan to continue narrowing in the current and next fiscal year, averaging around 2.2% of the GDP. It was more than 6% in the fiscal year 2018 and around 5% in the fiscal year 2019.

    The stock market had investors pulling out their funds since it plummeted to below 29,000 points in August, owing to the political instability causing negative sentiment and pushing stocks to the verge of a crash. Contrary to the erstwhile beliefs and speculations, the market hit on Monday its highest benchmark index in over 6 months, while the ROI were recorded to be the most since May 2013.

  • Fawad Alam gives another reminder to Misbah with his third century

    Fawad Alam gives another reminder to Misbah with his third century

    Sindh’s Fawad Alam has scored yet another century in the
    Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Thursday, this time making the Balochistan bowlers toil
    in Karachi.

    As per reports, Batsman Fawad, who famously smashed a double
    century in the previous round, was at it again as he brought up the 34th ton of
    his glittering first-class career.

    It was his third century of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He
    also scored a double century in the previous round’s fixture against Southern
    Punjab.

    Fawad’s purple patch could be a timely reminder of his talent
    for the chief selector and head coach Misbahul Haq, who is set to announce the
    national squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka cricket
    team.

    Former legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had earlier claimed
    that Fawad Alam would be picked for the series against Sri Lanka.

    Shoaib in a video on his YouTube channel had said that Fawad has
    proved with his performance that he is a good choice for the squad in series
    against Sri Lanka.

  • ‘I already love her,’ say Twitterati about former Google exec leading ‘Digital Pakistan’ campaign

    ‘I already love her,’ say Twitterati about former Google exec leading ‘Digital Pakistan’ campaign

    A senior Pakistani executive of Google, Tania Aidrus quit her position at the tech giant to lead Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative. Her decision to serve the country has won the hearts of Pakistanis who took to Twitter to thank her for her efforts.

    https://twitter.com/NeelumMunirKhan/status/1202569193964654592?s=20

    According to reports, Tania arrived in Pakistan from Singapore to offer her services to the country’s digitalisation programme.

    Tania was the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Initiatives on the Next Billion Users (NBU) team at Google which is focused on building new products and services that are aimed at addressing the emerging trends and needs of users in growth markets.

    Prior to this, Tania was a leader in the Global Business Organisation at Google in the US and then in Singapore where she was the Country Manager for South Asia Frontier Markets at Google focused on expanding the Internet ecosystem, increasing product adoption amongst consumers and businesses and accelerating innovation.

    Before being part of Google, Tania co-founded a mobile health diagnosis company called ClickDiagnostics which was focused on connecting rural patients in emerging markets to doctors globally. She also spent a portion of her career consulting for Fortune 500 companies and the US Government at Booz Allen Hamilton.

    Tania holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BSc from Brandeis University.

    PM Imran Khan inaugurated the ‘Digital Pakistan’ campaign on Thursday. The campaign was executed by the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT), who were tasked with digitising all correspondence between the government offices. They were given only three months to complete the task.

    According to a statement, Digital Pakistan is a comprehensive plan which will help the country in competing in the digital market globally and will also create jobs and ease for the people of Pakistan.

    Earlier in September, senior PTI leader Jahangir Tareen had announced the government had engaged a senior former Google executive to help revamp its payment system and set into motion the digitisation initiative.

    He said the government had persuaded the Google executive, who was in Singapore, to lead the project from Pakistan, after a lot of effort and headhunting.

    “She is leaving Google. In fact, she has left it and she is moving to Pakistan and will lead the digitisation initiative,” Tareen had said.

  • Five things that can ruin your marriage

    They say marriage can make or break your life.

    If you’re in a relationship or planning to get married – be careful about these things:

    1. Pressure from friends and family  

    First things first. You should not marry because your amma (mother) forced you to tie the knot with your khala ka larka ya larki (daughter or son of your mother’s sister). It’s your life and only you will be dealing with your matters. Your parents will not come to rescue if you lack compatibility with your partner. So, think logically before getting into any sort of a relationship.

    2. If you’re lonely or depressed

    If you think that marriage is a cure for your loneliness or depression – you’re mistaken. Yes, having a great life partner does contribute positivity in life, but getting married solely to solve the above-stated issues will be a disaster. There can be multiple reasons for depression – it can be because of medical or hormonal changes in your body. In that case, it is best to consult a mental health specialist instead of getting married.

    3. Love will solve everything

    This only happens in Pakistani dramas and Bollywood films. Because, in reality, love will not solve everything. In fact, it will add problems in your life if you’re not good at solving your problems. A good relationship demands great problem-solving skills, right decision making, and above all, lots of commitment.

    4. Unrealistic expectations

    “Tumnay toh kaha tha ke shaadi ke baad (you promised that after marriage).”

    Yes, It is a trap, nothing more than that. A person who cannot fulfill commitments before marriage will certainly be unable to keep promises after marriage.

    5. Being unforgiving

    “Mein tumhein sari zindagi maaf nae kar sakta/sakti (I cannot forgive you for the rest of my life).”

    This attitude will only affect your life. There are chances that your contemporary partner will move on and may find someone more understanding. It is imperative to let things go and be more optimistic – only if your partner is putting effort.

    There are innumerable relationship advices on the internet. However, the ability to learn and adjust to the situation is invaluable.

  • Imran govt admits obtaining $10 billion loan within over a year

    Imran govt admits obtaining $10 billion loan within over a year

    The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government has admitted to have obtained a total of $10.37 billion debt from different countries and international lenders up until September 30, this year.

    In a written reply to a question in the National Assembly, Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insadf (PTI) government secured $10.37 billion from various governments and international institutions from August 14, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

    The government, during this period, received $1.54 billion from China, $151.79 million from Saudi Arabia, $68.6 million from France, $0.4 million from Germany, $62.48 million from Japan and $0.01 million from Kuwait.

    It also obtained a total of $991.2 million loan so far from International Monetary Fund (IMF) during this period.

    The government received a total $2.751 billion from multilaterals including $997.45 million from Asian Development Bank (ADB), $23 million from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), $155.04 million from International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), $556.05 million from International Development Association (IDA), $6.14 million form Islamic Development Bank (IDB), $922.84 million from IDB (short terms), $42.24 million from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), $8.36 million from Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC Fund), and $39.8 million form ECOT/BANK.

    The government obtained $4.805 billion loan from commercial banks including $365 million from Ajman Bank, $2.235 billion from Consortium of Chinese banks (ICBC, CDB, BOC), $150 million from Citibank, $410 million from DIB/Noor, $195 million from DIB, $500 million from Emirates NBD, $300 million from ICBD and $650 million from Credit Suisse.

  • Danish woman comes to Pakistan to marry her love after his visa gets rejected

    Danish woman comes to Pakistan to marry her love after his visa gets rejected

    Who says true love does not exist? This love story of a Danish woman and a Pakistani man will be the sweetest thing you will see today on the internet. 

    A woman from Denmark, traveled all the way to Pakistan to marry her love who was denied a Danish visa.

    Greta and her parents came to Pakistan where she married Shahzeb. “I saw him for the first time at a coffee shop in Malaysia,” she said and thought that he was very handsome”.

    “Pakistan gave us such a warm welcome. Shahzeb’s family members welcomed us with rose petals when we arrived and it was so beautiful. Nothing like that ever happens in Denmark. Pakistan’s culture is very beautiful, but people don’t really know anything about Pakistan and only read negative things about it. People must visit this beautiful country,” she urged.

    Later, her parents shared the couple’s struggle with a radio station, who then released a song, titled Blacklisted Love, to tell the people their love story.