Pakistani News for the Rest of Us

It is easier to start up or wind up a business, hire and fire workers, in Pakistan than India, says a latest report of the World Bank. The report Doing Business 2006 included Pakistan in one of the 12 top reformers in the world. The bank gives Pakistan an overall ranking of 60 on the …

The number of cellular phone subscribers in the country continues to rise and has crossed the mark of 15 million, with cellphone companies hoping the customer base is likely to double in the next two to five years. Operators believe with cheap calls on top of falling handset costs, the demand for mobile phones is …

Pakistan has launched a Pop Idol-style hunt for talented fast bowlers to face England later this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board will hold trials in 10 cities across Pakistan and the best fast bowlers outside first-class competition will be picked. The talent scouts, a team of former Test players headed by national selector …

Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has stepped in at the last minute to allow a pipe band to play at tomorrow’s record-breaking piping attempt in Holyrood Park. The head of state said the trip was important for international relations and personally organised 31 flight tickets for the band, who touched down in Edinburgh yesterday. Pipefest …

Pakistani rock band Jal was performing for the first time in Bangladesh. JPR Events had brought to the music lovers and concert -goers in Dhaka. Jal-An Urdu word of Persian origin, which simply means ‘water’. Playing along the lines of Latin-Acoustic Guitars; the main emphasis of their music is one the melodies and the lyrical …

Security is certainly not an issue for the Indian players who have gone to Pakistan for the inaugural Super Hockey League. Rather, a day before the real action unfolds on the field, they were all excited about the new opportunity and focussed about the task at hand. The Indians are happy to be back …

The city is increasingly influenced by the broadcasts of the growing numbers of FM radio channels. These channels have mainly targeted and immensely affected the youngsters. One can hear such expressions in every locality of the city, whether it is upmarket Defence and Clifton, middle-class Gulshan-e- Iqbal and North Nazimabad or slums of Liaquatabad, Lyari …

The fast developing port city of Gawadar will have its first state of the art desalination plant with capacity of purifying 0.2 million gallons per day (MGD) water in next six months. Associated Builders, a part of Hashoo Group conglomerate on Wednesday inked an agreement with Pure Water Technologies for installing this Rs100 million project. …

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will be rolling off its own version, an 11-day long event to be played at the Hockey Club of Pakistan. To add some “colour” to the Rs2.63-million league PHF has, however, succeeded in inviting six Indians. Interestingly, world record holder Sohail Abbas has not been included in any of the six …

The group of Japanese students was ever so polite and attentive while communicating with the guests around them. Attired in Pakistani dresses of ‘kameez-shalwar’ suits, the young Japanese students were almost respectful and minded the local cultural sensitivities. Mr Yamane, who brings his students to from the Urdu Department in Osaka University of Foreign Studies …

Honda’s automobile production and sales joint venture in Pakistan, today held a Manufacturing Capacity Expansion ceremony of its auto plant. To meet ever-increasing demand for automobiles in Pakistan, where economic growth continues. The annual production capacity will be doubled from the current 25,000 units to 50,000 units by the end of 2006. The automobile market …

Insan Foundation Pakistan (IFP) uses the powerful medium of street theatre to captivate audiences in Delhi with its simple message for peace in the region. The troupe had two plays in its repertoire for Indian audiences. The first play carries a powerful message of peace and is entitled Gall Nikki Jaee (meaning ‘A Small Matter’). …

Arfa Karim, the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional, was awarded a gold medal in a reception hosted by Pakistani IT professionals in Dubai. The 10 year old has recently received the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal in Science and Technology and the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award 2005. The smart 6th grade student revealed her plans study …

There was a time when there were not many flower shops in Pakistan and the people would ask the mali working in the garden next door to make a small bouquet. However, times have changed since.
Most flowers come from Punjab town of Pattoki and include roses, lilies, irises, tuberoses, daffodils and gladiolas. A few years …