Blog

  • 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.

  • Hassan Ali’s wedding festivities continue in Pakistan

    Hassan Ali’s wedding festivities continue in Pakistan

    After a grand wedding in Dubai, Hassan Ali is now celebrating his wedding in his hometown, Gujranwala.

    Pictures from the wedding festivities are limited as Samiya shared only a few on her Insta-stories.

    The bride glowed in a cream outfit.

    Further details about the event have not been revealed.

    Meanwhile, Hassan is making sure that Samiya gets to see the most of Pakistan on her first trip to the country. Samiya hails from India. The two have been sharing pictures of themselves at all the popular tourist destinations in Islamabad and needless to say, the pictures are supercute.

    Faisal Mosque
    Monal
    Pakistan Monument

    In case you missed it, here are some pictures from their Dubai wedding.

  • 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.

  • ‘Innocent till proven guilty’: Mehwish Hayat defends General (r) Musharraf

    Mehwish Hayat who has lately been actively voicing her political thoughts, in a recent tweet, defended former military dictator and President General (r) Pervez Musharraf.

    “This man was our President and guided us through some very difficult times. Like him or loathe him, he deserves the opportunity to be heard,” she wrote in her tweet, asserting that he deserves dignity.

    When someone demanded that the former president Asif Ali Zardari also be given the same opportunity, Mehwish said, “Nobody is above the law, all that I am saying is give him a chance to be heard at least. Guilt or otherwise is the decision of the courts.”

    Designer Maheen Khan agreed with Mehwish’s point of view.

    Meanwhile, Gen Musharraf, who is currently in the hospital for the treatment of an unknown ailment, released a video from his hospital saying that he has not been heard and is being “victimised.”

    The former military dictator is facing a high treason case in Pakistan for implementing emergency rule and suspending the constitution in 2007. The verdict for the case will reportedly be announced by a special court in Islamabad on December 17 after hearing the arguments of the government’s new prosecution team.

    In the video message, Musharraf had said, “As far as this [treason] case is concerned, this is absolutely baseless. I have served my country for 10 years. I have fought for my country. This [treason] is the case in which I have not been heard and I have been victimised.”

    Previously, Khadija Shah of Élan had also tweeted out in favour of Gen Musharraf.

    https://twitter.com/khadijah_shah/status/1202085199028330501?s=20
  • Fawad Alam will be part of Pakistan team against Sri Lanka, claims Shoaib Akhtar

    Fawad Alam will be part of Pakistan team against Sri Lanka, claims Shoaib Akhtar

    Pakistan legendary fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar has claimed that batsman Fawad Alam will be included in the Test squad for home series against Sri Lanka. 

    Shoaib Akhtar broke the news on his YouTube channel on Sunday following Pakistan’s poor performance against Australia in Test series.

    The pacer said, “I’m giving you the breaking news here that Fawad Alam will be playing Test series against Sri Lanka”.

    Shoaib added: “He used to say that you should work so hard in silence that your success blows your trumpet. He [Fawad] has worked so hard his success is now screaming that ‘okay you do not play me for seven years? It’s fine. Now I will work so hard that I would make it impossible for you to ignore me’.”

    Watch Video:

    Fawad Alam, who last represented Pakistan cricket team in Test match way back in 2009, has scored 12000 runs at a stunning average of 56.57 in first-class cricket. He has scored 33 centuries as well.

    The Test series against Sri Lanka will begin on 11th December in Rawalpindi with the second match scheduled in Karachi from 19-23 December.

  • VIDEO: Boris, Trudeau, Macron caught gossiping about Trump on camera

    VIDEO: Boris, Trudeau, Macron caught gossiping about Trump on camera

    The leaders of Britain, Canada, France and the Netherlands have been caught on camera at a Buckingham Palace reception mocking US President Donald Trump’s lengthy media appearances ahead of Wednesday’s Nato summit.

    The footage, shot by the British host’s camera pool on Tuesday evening and spotted and subtitled by Canada’s CBC, set the tone for the allies’ summit in Watford, just outside London.

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be heard asking France’s President Emmanuel Macron: “Is that why you were late?”

    Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interjects: “He was late because he takes a 40 minute press conference off the top.”

    In the video, Macron appears to tell an anecdote about his encounter with Trump, as Britain’s Princess Anne and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte look on, but the French leader’s back is to the camera and he is inaudible amid the hubbub.

    “Oh, yeah, yeah, he announced…” an amused Trudeau declares, adding: “You just watched his team’s jaw drop to the floor.”

    Watch video:

    Following the video, Trump responded by reviving his feud with Trudeau, labelling him “two-faced” over his leading role in the exchange.

    The prickly president’s honour was apparently satisfied by this, as he was later overheard on a second hot mic boasting: “That was funny when I said that guy was two-faced.”

    And in a final irony, Trump cancelled his scheduled press conference at the end of the summit, concluding not unreasonably that he had already said all he had to say during his ad hoc Q&As.

    It could have gone very differently, and Nato diplomats admitted that they feared the worst on Wednesday morning when video footage emerged of the leaders laughing about Trump at a Buckingham Palace reception.

    Meanwhile, in another press appearance, Trump told reporters, “He’s two-faced.”

    “With Trudeau, he’s a nice guy. I find him to be a nice guy, but the truth is, I called him out on the fact that he’s not paying two percent and I guess he’s not very happy about it,” he said.

    It is a known fact that Trump loves to dominate an international summit with impromptu, rambling press briefings that leave his fellow world leaders struggling to stick to their agenda.