Tag: Nairobi

  • Pakistan expected to export cars to Kenya

    Pakistan expected to export cars to Kenya

    Master Changan Motors, a noteworthy Pakistani-Chinese collaboration, has initiated the export of its Oshan X7 mid-size crossover to Kenya.

    The sight of containers laden with Oshan X7 vehicles en route to the port in Karachi has confirmed this export venture.

    Reliable sources affirm that a substantial quantity of Oshan X7 SUVs will soon grace Kenyan roads.

    While the official announcement of this export endeavour is yet to be made, it is anticipated to be unveiled at a ceremony scheduled for October 12, hosted at their Karachi manufacturing facility.

    In the past, Changan Pakistan’s CEO, Danial Malik, articulated the company’s intention to export right-hand drive vehicles initially designed for the Pakistani market to various other regions.

    Historically, the parent company produced left-hand drive vehicles exclusively for its domestic clientele.

    Danial Malik also emphasised that Changan’s Pakistan-assembled vehicles would find their way to distributors in South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries where right-hand drive vehicles are customary.

    This development unfolds against a backdrop of considerable economic challenges confronting Pakistan, including soaring inflation and the burdensome cost of conducting business. Exacerbating the situation, interest rates are presently at historic highs, resulting in decreased demand for automobiles.

    Furthermore, car prices within Pakistan have surged significantly, amplifying the financial strain on hard-pressed consumers.

    In response, the government has been strongly encouraging the automotive sector, which is heavily reliant on imported materials, to bolster its exports. The initial objective was to achieve 2 per cent of the total imports, a target unmet in FY23.

    According to Samaa, in May 2022, Pakistan marked a milestone by exporting its first vehicle crafted by Master Changan Motors under the newly implemented Auto Industry Development and Export Policy (AIDEP 2021-26). Notably, Pakistan stands as the sole country outside China to manufacture the latest Changan Oshan X7 model.

    Concurrently, the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) disclosed on October 11 that car sales in Pakistan had risen by 10 per cent in September compared to the preceding month, with a total of 8,312 units sold. 

    Nevertheless, this apparent short-term upturn can be attributed to improved access to raw materials, whereas the year-on-year data indicates a substantial 26 per cent decrease in sales for the corresponding period.

  • Arshad Sharif 1973-2022

    Arshad Sharif 1973-2022

    Senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif died on Sunday night in Kenya in a reported shooting incident. His wife Javeria Siddique, confirmed the news.

    Arshad was born in Karachi on February 22, 1973.

    Family:

    Arshad Sharif’s father Commander Muhammad Sharif was in the Navy and died of a heart attack in May 2011. His younger brother, Major Ashraf Sharif, served in the army and was killed on his way to attend the funeral of their father in May 2011.

    Arshad Sharif has five children, one daughter and four boys. He was married to Journalist Javeria Siddiqui. Arshad Sharif’s mother is alive.

    Education:

    Arshad did his BA from Government Gordon Graduate College Rawalpindi. He did a degree in Business of Administration from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. His Masters was in Media Studies from Ulster University.

    Career:

    He specialised in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations, including in the United Kingdom.

    Sharif was the host of the programme ‘Power Play’ on ARY News. He served on AAJ News as News Director. Prior to joining AAJ, he was leading the news team of Dunya News as Director News, and was the host of program ‘Kyun’.

    In 2011, he worked in Dawn News as Bureau Chief in that capacity. His first media job was working for a weekly journal called Pulse.

    In 1999, he contributed to the publication as a writer, a reporter, and as the managing editor. In 1999, Arshad Sharif became a member of The News, and in 2001, he joined Daily Dawn.

    Awards:

    He was the recipient of Pride of Performance Award in 2019 by the President of Pakistan.

  • Money Heist characters get Pakistani CNICs

    As ‘La Casa De Papel [The House of Paper]’ aka ‘Money Heist’ fever continues to grip the world and Pakistan ever since Netflix dropped its fourth season, a Pakistani Facebook page has given characters of the hit Spanish series their own computerised national identity cards (CNICs).

    Shaikh Parwaiz Imtiyaz (The Professor), Raheela Shaukat (Lisbon aka Raquel), Nadia Akhtar (Nairobi), Bilal Abbasi (Berlin), Taniya Khattak (Tokyo), Raja Zeeshan Ali (Rio), Delawar Khan Masood (Denver), Haji Maqsood Khan (Moscow), Sardar Hari Singh (Helsinki) and Omer Daraz Orakzai (Oslo) are on the list of CNICs by Laari Adda, which is going viral over the internet.

    While the fan art by the Pakistani Facebook page is breaking the internet, it isn’t the only thing that connects the country to Money Heist.

    Ever since the third season of the show, Pakistan has been playing an important part in the successful execution of The Professor and his team’s heist at the Bank of Spain.

    An Islamabad-based team of 65 members, including hackers and surgeons, is helping the gang do wonders.

    “We can activate their microphones, cameras and GPS. It took less than an hour to take over the defense staff’s telecommunications. The work Rio used to do was now done by 65 Pakistanis. They are geniuses, thanks to them, we had access to everything,” Tokyo had said in season 3 about the team that has also played an important part in the latest series of episodes.