All Blog Posts (1,943)

PTI Chief Imran Khan vs MQM's Altaf Husain

What is the reason for Imran Khan's selective and misplaced outrage against MQM on Zahra Shahid Husain's murder while ignoring the Taliban killings of ANP and MQM members?



Why is the PTI continuing its sit-in campaign against alleged rigging?



How to explain…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 26, 2013 at 10:03pm — 7 Comments

No Solution to Pakistan's Load Shedding Without Renegotiating IPP Contracts

Pakistan's installed generating capacity is about 20,000 MW. It exceeds current demand of 17,000 MW and actual supply of just 10,000 MW. The capacity utilization is only 50% mainly because the producers do not buy sufficient fuel and choose to operate at only 50% of capacity and still enjoy soaring profits. A third of the installed generating capacity is owned by the independent power producers (IPPs). The… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on May 24, 2013 at 7:00pm — 30 Comments

Strategic Pak-China Economic Corridor, Connectivity and Maritime Cooperation

China's new Prime Minister Mr. Li KeQiang has just ended a two-day visit to Pakistan. Speaking to the Senate, Li declared that "the development of China cannot be separated from the friendship with Pakistan". To make it more concrete, the Chinese Premier brought with him a 5-points proposal which emphasizes "strategic and long-term planning", "connectivity and maritime sectors" and "China-Pakistan economic…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 23, 2013 at 11:30am — 46 Comments

Out-of-School Children in Pakistan

A recent Express Tribune newspaper headline screamed: "Over 27 million children out of school" It included the following graphic that looks even more scary:

The story had the intended effect. Various…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 22, 2013 at 8:30am — 22 Comments

Comparing 30 Years of Military Rule in Indonesia and Pakistan

General Suharto stepped down 15 years ago tomorrow. Here's an excerpt of today's New York Times story on the Indonesian strongman's legacy:



"Mr. Suharto’s spirit continues to loom over modern-day Indonesia. He brought the country back from the brink of political, social and economic…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 20, 2013 at 10:00pm — 6 Comments

India Leads the World in Racism

43.5% of Indians, the highest percentage in the world, say they do not want to have a neighbor of a different race, according to a Washington Post report based on World's Values Survey.



About Pakistan, the report says that  "although the country has…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 16, 2013 at 10:30pm — 40 Comments

Pakistan Tax Collection Project Suffers Setback

In yet another egregious example of  increasing judicial activism, Islamabad High Court's Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the judge who also ordered Musharraf's arrest, has suspended Pakistan's top tax collector Arshad Hakeem. Hakeem was working on an ambitious technology-based project to go after powerful tax dodgers in the country.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on May 6, 2013 at 10:51am — 4 Comments

Political Campaign Spending Fattens Pakistani Media Bottomline

Fear of violence has reduced the number of traditional mass rallies this year, particularly in  Balochistan, KP and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. Instead, the political parties and candidates are increasingly relying on electronic and social media to reach out to voters in preparation for May 11 general elections in the country.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on May 3, 2013 at 10:45pm — 13 Comments

Karachi Tops List of Fastest Growing World Cities

Karachi's population has grown 80.5% in the last decade, making it the world's fastest growing megacity, according to  recently released Demographia World Urban Areas Report.  Karachi is followed by Shenzhen, Lagos, Beijing, Bangkok, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Delhi, Jakarta and Istanbul.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on April 27, 2013 at 9:30am — 7 Comments

Heli Skiing in Pakistan

The Karakoram is home to the highest concentration of peaks over 8,000 meters high to be found anywhere on earth, including K2, the second highest peak of the world (8,611 m/28,251 ft). K2 is just 237 m (778 ft) lower than the 8,848 m (29,029 ft) tall Mount Everest. The range is about 500 km (311 mi) in length, and is the most heavily glaciated part of the world outside the polar regions.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 19, 2013 at 8:57am — 5 Comments

Book Review: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

It's a story of a sickly little village boy's rise in Pakistan from abject rural poverty to great urban wealth as a young man who falls in love with "the pretty girl", an equally ambitious fellow slum-dweller in the city. …





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Added by Riaz Haq on April 14, 2013 at 4:00pm — 10 Comments

Pakistan Fashion Week 2013 in Karachi



Two-day Pakistan Fashion Week 2013 held April 9 and 10 in Karachi  is yet another illustration of the fact that life goes on in Pakistan in spite of the terror and violence that makes daily headlines. It's a testament to… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on April 11, 2013 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

Pakistan Elections 2013: Impact of Youth Vote and Taliban

There are reports of Taliban targeting candidates of ANP, MQM, PPP and other political parties in the country, including in Karachi, the economic hub of the nation. There's also talk of millions of new young men and women voters who may tip the balance in PTI's favor if they do turn out to vote. Who will be the winners and losers in the coming elections? Watch the show to find out!…



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Added by Riaz Haq on April 8, 2013 at 11:24am — 14 Comments

World Health Day 2013: Pakistan Report Card

Years of life lost due to violence have more than doubled (up 109%) in Pakistan since 1990. Violence now ranks 20 among various causes of premature death, up from 34 in 1990. Other major killer diseases which claimed more lives include lifestyle diseases like heart disease (up 103%), cirrhosis (105% up) and diabetes (up 157%).  Overall, age-adjusted death rate in the country has declined from 1,120 per 100,000 in 1990 to 982 per 100,000 now, according to…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 7, 2013 at 11:30pm — 3 Comments

Pakistan's Urban Middle Class's Appetite For International Brand Name Products

Consumer spending in Pakistan has increased at a 26 percent average pace the past three years, compared with 7.7 percent for Asia, according to data compiled by Euromonitor International, a consumer research firm. Pakistan's rising middle class consumers  in major cities like Karachi,…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 3, 2013 at 11:00am — 8 Comments

Pakistan's Human Development in Musharraf Years- Highest in Pakistan's History



Pakistan's HDI grew an average rate of 2.7% per year under President Musharraf from 2000 to 2007, and then its pace slowed to 0.7% per year in 2008 to 2012 under elected politicians, according to the 2013 Human Development Report titled “The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World”.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on March 31, 2013 at 6:30pm — 27 Comments

Pakistan Day 2013

As Pakistanis celebrate Pakistan Day today, March 23, 2013,  there are some who are questioning the founder's

wisdom in seeking partition of India to carve out Pakistan as an

independent nation.  They do not recognize today's Pakistan as Jinnah's Pakistan. The doubters justifiably point to the…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 23, 2013 at 10:00am — 16 Comments

Turkish Invasion Intensifies Culture War in Pakistan

Cultural invasion of Pakistan is in full swing with Turkish schools and soap operas finding broad acceptance across the country. Local TV channels are airing soap operas dubbed in Urdu and Gülen movement is operating over a dozen schools in different parts of the country.…





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Added by Riaz Haq on March 21, 2013 at 11:00am — 16 Comments

Learntive: Education Initiative of NEDUET's Silicon Valley Alumni

DVDs and YouTube videos are at the heart of Learntive, a Silicon Valley NEDians' initiative to promote better learning among school students in Pakistan.…







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Added by Riaz Haq on March 16, 2013 at 5:00pm — 3 Comments

Florida Real Estate Developer Plans World's Tallest Building on Karachi Islands

World's tallest building for Karachi is back on track with Bahria Town's Malik Riaz signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with German-American real estate tycoon Thomas Kramer. Riaz brought in Kramer after his earlier deal with Abu Dhabi Group collapsed soon after signing about three weeks ago. Both Riaz and Kramer have an established track record for…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 12, 2013 at 8:30pm — 2 Comments

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    Blog Posts

    Will India Grow Old Before it Gets Rich?

    India's population has aged faster than expected while its economic growth has slowed over the last decade. This raises the obvious question: Will India get old before it gets rich? Is India getting poorer relative to its peers in the emerging markets? …

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on October 29, 2024 at 12:30pm

    India: A Rogue State Ruled By Gangsters?

    The United States and Canadian governments are alleging that Indian government agents plotted assassinations of Sikh dissidents on their soils. Their investigations paint a shocking picture of how recklessly Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government operates. …

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on October 19, 2024 at 4:43pm — 7 Comments

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