Pakistani News for the Rest of Us

A distillery in Pakistan is canvassing suggestions for a name for the Islamic country’s first 18-year-old single malt whisky. Staff at the Murree brewery and distillery in Rawalpindi insist the spirit will be “very smooth and very palatable”. “We already produce malts that are three, eight and 12 years old, and are confident …

Born in Pakistan in 1966, Mr. Aslam came to England as a teenager when his father, a poet, filmmaker and communist, fled to escape political persecution after Gen. Zia’s takeover. The family landed in a working-class section of Huddersfield in northern England, a provincial backwater, uncelebrated and unsung, a place that might be described as …

The Karakorams in Pakistan contains some of the most spectacular mountains in the world. Here you’ll find Laila Peak (6614 m), which is said to be the most beautiful mountain in Asia. No one has ever skied that mountain. Fredrik Ericsson and Jörgen Aamot are, this summer, taking on that challenge, as the first in …

Pop has never been more in sync, as Indian record labels root aggressively for Pakistani pop. In fact, Lahore-based Ali Zafar, the latest voice to cross over, is an RD Burman buff who’s found a taker in Universal Music. “ Zafar is the third Pakitani artist, after pop band Jal and singer Faakir, to hit …

The Indus Valley is arguably the world’s foremost area for growing dates. Cultivation from this region is traced as far back as the 6th century B.C. Indus Valley date is rich in vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates, plus it has no cholesterol or fat. It could very well be earth’s perfect food.” The new …

Showcasing the newfound warmth in India-Pakistan relations, the erstwhile city of Nawabs - Lucknow - is playing host to the first-ever exhibition of award winning photo journalists from Pakistan. The three-day exhibition, which began on Monday, features 33 photographers under the aegis of Lahore Photographers’ Association. A large number of people, a majority of them …

The activation charges of mobile phone connections in Pakistan have been reduced from Rs1,000 to Rs500 per connection, beginning with the new fiscal year, which starts on July 1. However, a 15 per cent excise duty has been imposed on actual transaction value of payphone cards and prepaid calling cards. “The proposed measure would …

A new Pashtun TV station in Pakistan is revitalizing a traditional form of expression. Featuring mostly men wearing trousers and T-shirts, playing guitar and keyboards along with Pashtun instruments, Khyber TV is fusing tradition with outside influences and creating space for change. “Khyber Beats,” the channel’s music video show, has gained millions of viewers in …

Impak is meant to be more than an internship. It will also provide workshops and prominent speakers, and allow interns to experience the natural and historical aspects of Pakistan through group trips to Lahore and the Northern Areas. Participants will write journals which will be posted on the group’s website. The Pilot Programme based in …

Pakistan has become a leading country in Asia and the third largest user of CNG in the world after Argentina and Brazil. About 700,000 vehicles have been converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the country by March 2005 as compared to 450,000 vehicles during the same period last year, showing an increase of 56 …

The world’s second-fastest growing economy after China is no longer India. It’s Pakistan. Now that Pakistan is within striking distance of China’s growth, it aims to catch up. The growth target for the next fiscal year, as set out in the nation’s annual budget yesterday, is as much as 8 percent, the same as Beijing’s …

A recent study by Pakistan Software Export Board clearly establishes the important role of expatriate entrepreneurship in the development of the software industry in Pakistan, in particular, and developing countries, in general. The study found a clear, positive correlation between ventures that had foreign-based founders (generally, expatriate Pakistanis) and their success and growth over the …

Pakistan’s economy during the current financial year has shown impressive growth of 8.4 percent, the fastest pace in two decades, according to Pakistan Economic Survey 2004-2005, released on Saturday. This is much higher than the original target of 6.6 percent and 6.4 percent last year.
Economic Survey, a pre-budget document, shows that the Gross National Product …

Karachi got its second major hospital for cardiovascular diseases with the formal inauguration of Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases (KIHD) here Friday. The first phase of the project having 20-bed cardiac emergency, 20-bed Coronary Care Unit and 80-bed Indoor facility, has been completed at a cost of Rs185 million. It has 20-bed each male wards …