Pakistani News for the Rest of Us

Alhamra Cultural Complex looked surreal amidst decorative lights, as performances varying from enthralling Uzbek dances to hilarious slapstick performances by the Wall Street Theatre, Indian theatre and Ajoka’s theatre heightened activity at the Rafi Peer World Performing Arts Festival on Monday night.
The Uzbek camp in particular was jam-packed with spectators who were completely enthralled by …

A United States-based non-profit organisation has named Pakistani and Bangladeshi journalists for its media awards for population reporting, but rejected Indian applications because they lacked merit.
Pakistan’s Dawn journalist, Ms Zubeida Mustafa will receive the 25th Annual Global Media Awards for excellence in population reporting from the King of Morocco on December 5 in the best …

Do mangoes in Lahore taste sweeter than their cousins in Lucknow? May be it is time to find out.
The Pakistan government is seeking zero-duty access from India for fruit. In return, it would be willing to give similar free access to fruit and veggies from India. Islamabad has just signed trade agreements for fruits …

Pakistan has received a trophy for being the fairest field hockey team in this year’s Athens Olympics, where it finished fifth in the actual event, an official said yesterday.
The award, which Pakistan won for getting the least green, yellow and red cards and playing clean hockey, was announced at the 38th annual International Hockey Federation …

When three men from Pakistan had lunch at a Beverly Hills restaurant, the conversation immediately focused on their common passion cars.
After much discussion, they decided it was time for a career change. They invested their money, time and effort in launching a new business in Ventura County. Of course, it was an automobile business venture.
Autosport …

Pakistan’s cell phone population will touch 10 million from existing 6.8 million, by the end of current fiscal, said a senior official of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
According to data provided by the PTA, the number of cell phone users is increasing tremendously in the current fiscal year compared to previous fiscal year, which ended …

What does one call a stock exchange “bull” in Urdu? This is just one of the many problems which Pakistan’s only business channel Business Plus is facing ever since it was launched in August this year.
The Lahore head-office of the channel also has to constantly justify its area of operation in a city whose stock …

Pakistan punjab’s volleyball team defeated their indian counterparts in the first volleyball test match of the indo-pakistan punjab volleyball cup held in shaheed bhagat singh stadium here today.
The visitors beat indian team 16-25, 25-21, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13.
India were one game up initially but the pakistani spikers came back strongly to win the next game 21-25. …

The air around Alhamra Cultural Complex was charged with excitement as throngs swarmed to see the opening of the much-awaited World Performing Arts Festival on Friday night.
The festival, which was organised by a known cellular company and the Rafi Peer Theatre (RPT) boasted up-to-the-mark performances and excellent stage light arrangements. Disco lights had been …

A new cable television channel that claims to be the first US Muslim lifestyle network in English debuts next week, bringing to fruition an idea born in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
Bridges TV founder and chief executive Muzzammil Hassan, who moved to the United States from Pakistan in 1979, says his wife came …

Corporate sector received the largest chunk of 54 per cent of the total credit extended by the financial sector in 2003, followed by small and medium enterprises or SMEs that received 19 per cent.
According to a report titled Pakistan: Financial Sector Assessment 2003, agriculture and consumer finance sectors each received about 8 per …

Crocodiles with huge teeth-filled mouths lie in the sand and slap their snouts on the edge of sulphur springs, greeting worshippers who journey to the Mango Pir shrine on the outskirts of Karachi.
It is one of thousands of Sufi shrines where millions of devotees come from all corners of the country to pray, chant, …

Viagra, the world’s renowned magic medicine to treat male impotency, is coming to Pakistan as it has passed all the tests and crossed almost every hiccup to be in the shelves of country’s medical stores.
The high-powered federal drug appellate board of the health ministry met early this week in Islamabad and has reached closed to …

Microsoft Pakistan has launched its global Empower Program for the software industry in Pakistan with active support and participation from the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA) at a launching ceremony here today.
Jawwad Rehman, Country Manager, Microsoft Pakistan said that the Empower program would provide an extremely cost-effective and …