Tag: Pakistan

  • VIDEO: British journalist destroys Shireen Mazari on silence over China’s repression of Uighur Muslims

    British journalist Mehdi Hasan has called out the Prime Minsiter (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan government for voicing concerns over repression being faced by Muslims across the globe expect the Chinese persecution of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

    Speaking to Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on his show, Al Jazeera’s Hasan asked as to why had Pakistan not publicly criticised China on its detention of millions of Uighur Muslims.

    “There’s a quote on your Twitter profile page from the great Muslim leader and the grandson of the prophet, Imam Hussain, that reads ‘those who are silent when others are oppressed, are guilty of oppression themselves’,” he said, adding that in China, millions of Uighur Muslims were being detained against their will in “concentration camps” and yet the Pakistani government had said nothing.

    “In fact, PM Imran Khan has said that he will not criticise China on this publically. Couldn’t the Uighurs say that your silence, Pakistan’s silence, means that you’re guilty of oppressing them too?”

    Responding to the question, Mazari said that the link established by Hasan was “absurd” since her government had talked to China. “When we have evidence, we take it up. But China is an ally of ours, and we will not go screaming on the streets about it.”

    When asked if Pakistan had condemned Chinese actions privately, the minister said that Islamabad had been speaking to the Chinese and “hearing their point of view”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “You haven’t stood up and spoken about the Uighurs… that’s the problem,” the journalist maintained as Mazari said repression must be called out regardless of who was behind it when asked if she would condemn the Chinese actions.

    PAKISTAN, CHINA & UIGHURS:

    The Chinese government has reportedly detained more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps. Most of the people who have been arbitrarily detained are Uighur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily from China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.

    Human rights organisations, United Nations (UN) officials and many foreign governments are urging China to stop the crackdown; however, officials maintain that what they call “vocational training centres” do not infringe on Uighurs’ rights.

    While the Chinese government has refused to share information about the detention centres and prevented journalists and foreign investigators from examining them, internal documents leaked in late 2019 have provided important details on how officials launched and maintain the camps.

    As part of a campaign seeking relief for Uighurs in China, Islamabad has time and again been called out for raising its voice for Muslims facing Indian oppression in held Kashmir as well as helpless Palestinians, but not for those in China where lie Pakistan’s economic interests — such as the construction of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    CPEC is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan. Originally valued at $46 billion, the value of CPEC projects is worth $62 billion as of 2017.

    It is expected to not only benefit Pakistan and China, but also to have a positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan and India with the enhancement of geographical links through improved road, rail and air transportation system with frequent and free exchanges of growth and people to people contact.

  • Get tickets for Pak vs Sri Lanka Test matches in just Rs50

    Get tickets for Pak vs Sri Lanka Test matches in just Rs50

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fixed Rs50 as price of the tickets for the upcoming two-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, the PCB has announced that the tickets for both the Tests will be available online through website www.yayvo.com from Saturday.

    The Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship with the first Test starting in Rawalpindi from December 11 and the second in Karachi from December 19.

    For the Rawalpindi Test, the fans can buy tickets from the TCS sale centres from Saturday and in Karachi, sale of tickets from the TCS sale centres will commence from Monday.

    The board in its news release said, “The PCB, in an effort to encourage the fans to be part of return of Test cricket in Pakistan, have fixed price of Shoaib Akhtar Enclosure at the Pindi Cricket Stadium at Rs50”.

  • Mark Zuckerberg’s sister finds Pakistan to be a friendly country

    Sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Randi Zuckerburg described Pakistan as one of the friendliest countries she has visited.

    Addressing a session during the AdAsia event in Lahore, Randi praised the country for the women it had produced.

    “Pakistan has given us women such as Malala Yousafzai and Benazir Bhutto. This shows that Pakistan is a country that really honours its women,” she said.

    She also revealed she was a fan of cricket and said she was surprised to find out Pakistan was the ideal country when it came to sports because it also produces top-quality soccer balls.

    Zuckerberg, who serves as the CEO of ‘Zuckerberg Media’ said that it is not necessary that every new idea will be accepted – it could flop as well.

    “Today everything is media and it is now time to invest in video. We need to control its use. None of us would change the world if we stick to our phones all the time,” she added.

  • 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. 

  • 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 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.

  • #BeautifulPakistan is trending on Twitter and the pictures are truly beautiful

    #BeautifulPakistan is trending on Twitter and the pictures are truly beautiful

    Every Pakistani will agree that Pakistan is truly a beautiful country. From the vast coastlines to the high mountains, the picturesque landscapes of the country are unmatched.

    The Independent recently wrote that travel experts are recommending Pakistan as a must-visit destination for 2020.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to Pakistan this autumn put the country back into the spotlight. Plus, it’s now easier to get there from London, thanks to new direct British Airways flights to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad,” read The Independent’s article.

    “Tour operator Wild Frontiers has been tipping Pakistan as the next big destination for a couple of years – it has seen an increase in customer numbers of 20 percent this year compared to 2018,” it added.

    The hashtag #BeautifulPakistan has been trending on Twitter since morning on Wednesday, as people shared a posted pictures of the country on the social media platform. And we have to say, some of the pictures are dreamy.

    https://twitter.com/ElifTurkey/status/1202124710407999489?s=20
    https://twitter.com/aminn_riaz/status/1202181300087611395?s=20

    https://twitter.com/BeautyOfPak_/status/1202111048142217216?s=20
    https://twitter.com/MalikIbraheem29/status/1202164042225344513?s=20
    https://twitter.com/BeautyOfPak_/status/1202196949459460099?s=20
  • VIDEO: ‘Being tried for treason after serving Pakistan all my life,’ says ailing Musharraf from hospital bed

    VIDEO: ‘Being tried for treason after serving Pakistan all my life,’ says ailing Musharraf from hospital bed

    Former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf has regretted being tried for treason “despite having served Pakistan all his life”.

    In his latest video message from American Hospital Dubai, Musharraf, who is facing a high treason case back in Pakistan for implementing emergency rule and suspending the constitution in 2007, said that he was “very ill”.

    “I keep coming and going to the hospital,” he said, adding that his version of the story “wasn’t being heard”.

    “Even my lawyer Salman Safdar is not being heard by the court,” he said, adding that he had fought wars for Pakistan and served his country for 10 years.

    Musharraf also said that he was ready to record his statement with the commission, provided they came to Dubai.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “As for me, the commission can come here, I can give them a statement. They can come and hear me, see my condition and then decide for themselves. When they return, they can give their statement and my lawyer will be heard in the court too and I hope it is then that I will get justice,” he said.

    The former army chief, who has been residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a while now, felt under the weather Sunday night and was admitted to the hospital. He was set to undergo various tests in this regard.

    Musharraf’s close aide and the ex-chairperson of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), Dr Muhammad Amjad, said the ex-president was rapidly becoming weaker due to an unknown disease, which is why he was unable to return to Pakistan to face the treason case.

    A couple of days ago,Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had called Musharraf the nation’s benefactor, saying he had “rid the country of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif in 1999”.

    “When Musharraf was in power, a lot of people used to stand queuing up to light his cigar,” he had added.

  • Pakistan declared ‘more attractive destination for global investors than India’

    An international credit rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service, has upgraded the outlook for Pakistan’s economy from negative to positive, declaring the country a more attractive destination for global investors than India as the latter’s credit outlook downgraded to negative earlier this year, Sputnik News reported.

    According to the agency, upgrade in Pakistan’s status is driven by “Moody’s expectations that the balance of payments dynamics will continue to improve”. On the other hand, it said that India’s outlook downgraded, “on concerns that its economic growth would remain materially lower than in the past”.

    “Moody’s decision to change the outlook to negative reflects increasing risks that economic growth will remain materially lower than in the past, partly reflecting lower government and policy effectiveness at addressing long-standing economic and institutional weaknesses than Moody’s had previously estimated, leading to a gradual rise in the debt burden from already high levels.”

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh said the upgradation of outlook to stable was affirmation of the government’s success in stabilising the country’s economy and laying a firm foundation for robust long term growth.

    The announcement also pushed Pakistan’s stock market above 40,000 points — highest after a gap of 10 months.

    The premier himself has also claimed that over the first four months of the current fiscal year beginning April 2019, Pakistan’s current account deficit fell by 73.5%, as compared to the same period last fiscal year. “The country’s exports of goods and services in October 2019 rose 20 per cent over the previous month and 9.6 per cent over October 2018.”

  • Unemployed? Here are the reasons why

    Unemployed? Here are the reasons why

    Being unemployed is never easy – on the person, his family or on the society as a whole. Here is what you need to do to get viable employment. 

    To get a job and then to sustain it, a candidate must possess two types of skills: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are basically the primary talents one can have like engineering, programming, designing, and so on so forth. On the other hand, soft skills are those that let you manage yourself and people around effectively; some examples are social skills, communication skills, emotional intelligence, time management and so on.

    A person who has both will have better employment opportunities. So what one should do to learn both, especially, if you cannot afford to go expensive university, or you do not have enough time due to personal reasons? 

    Edx.org is a platform created by the world best universities from where you can take many online courses for free. These courses are ranging from computer sciences to creative skills like graphics designing or content creation. There are hundreds of other courses that you can take to polish your hard and soft skills. 

    Be
    mindful of one thing that to grow professionally – you have to develop the
    habit of learning. As a famous American author Alvin Toffler rightly said:

    “Illiterate
    of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who
    cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

    So 2020 is not far away – be comfortable with your anxieties, fears and above all uncertainties. Perhaps, millennials do not have many options to escape this reality.