All Blog Posts (1,917)

Burka Avenger - Pakistan's Female Superhero to Air on GeoTV

Pantheon of women superheros has a new entry from Pakistan - the Burka Avenger, a mild mannered school-teacher who fights feudal villains and terrorists getting in the way of girls' education.







The… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on July 24, 2013 at 11:30am — 13 Comments

Unconventional Gas Production Marks New Milestone For Pakistan

First tight gas well  producing 15 million cubic feet per day of natural gas is on line at Sajawal gas field in Kirthar block in Sindh province, according to a report in Express Tribune. This marks a major milestone in development of unconventional hydrocarbon energy sources in Pakistan. Sajawal gas field is located 110 km south east of Karachi, Pakistan. It puts…

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Added by Riaz Haq on July 18, 2013 at 9:30pm — 8 Comments

Ending IMF Bailouts and Electricity Blackouts in Energy-Rich Pakistan

Frequent IMF bailouts and power blackouts in energy-rich Pakistan are closely tied. One of the key reasons for recurring balance-of-payment crises is the country's rapidly rising oil import bill. The lack of sufficient fuel exacerbates load shedding, negatively impacts economy, reduces tax revenue growth and worsens current account and budget deficits. This requires repeated injections of IMF loans in US dollars to meet import requirements and deal with budget shortfalls.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on July 11, 2013 at 10:30pm — 10 Comments

Emphasizing Huqooq-ul-Ibad (Rights of Others) in Ramadan



Muslims around the world have begun observing the holy month of Ramadan with long hours of fasting during daylight and by flocking to the mosques everywhere for taraveeh (extra prayers) after sundown. The imams are delivering khutbas and making television presentations on the blessings of Ramadan and emphasizing extra rewards for praying during the month. Meanwhile, the Taliban have refused to agree to a ceasefire by claiming that the “reward of fighting is much higher…
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Added by Riaz Haq on July 10, 2013 at 1:00pm — 5 Comments

Indian Economy Shrank in USD Terms in 2012-13 as Global Economy Slowed

Sharp fall in Indian currency against the US dollar and slower economic growth have caused India's GDP for Fiscal  Year 2012-13 to shrink in US $ terms to $1.84 trillion from $1.87 trillion a year earlier. The Indian rupee has plummeted from 47.80 in 2012 to 54.30 to a US dollar in 2013, according to Business Standard. Since this report was published in Business…

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 29, 2013 at 8:00am — 22 Comments

There is No Illiteracy and No Crime in Pakistani Village of Rasoolpur

Pakistan's sensational media coverage projects only the dark side of the country with a constant stream of news stories of militancy, illiteracy and deprivation. But BBC Urdu took a road less traveled and found a small village of Rasoolpur in the Punjab which…
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Added by Riaz Haq on June 27, 2013 at 4:00pm — 4 Comments

Two Pakistani Start-ups Going to Silicon Valley

Lahore-based Groopic and Islamabad-based Tunacode have been accepted to be part of this summer’s Blackbox Connect program in Silicon Valley.



Founded by Pakistanis, both companies are start-ups with innovative products whose founding teams are looking to live, learn and network for two weeks at an Atherton mansion this summer from July 15 to 26, 2013.  These young entrepreneurs are a reflection of…

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 25, 2013 at 7:03pm — 3 Comments

Kerry's Hyphenation of India and Pakistan Angers Indians

US Secretary of State John Kerry's current visit to India has aroused Indian media's anger with the Times of India  protesting that the secretary has "sought to draw parity between India and Pakistan".



In an article titled “Kerry’s soft line on Pakistan a sore subject,” Indian newspaper…

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 25, 2013 at 9:49am — 15 Comments

Pakistan to Beg and Borrow Billions to Finance 2013-14 Budget

Pakistan's proposed federal budget 2013-14 includes $36 billion in spending with deficit financing of $16 billion. Of this $16 billion, over $5 billion will be borrowed by the federal government to pay the power sector to settle the so-called circular debt.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on June 18, 2013 at 3:30pm — 9 Comments

Pakistan's Vast Oil Reserves

Pakistan has more shale oil than Canada, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) report released on June 13, 2013.…





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Added by Riaz Haq on June 16, 2013 at 11:30pm — 28 Comments

Pak Cricket Needs World-class Batting Coach and Top Sports Psychologist

Pakistani national cricket team's horrible performance at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy is uncharacteristic for a side widely regarded by experts as one of the most talented in the world. The latest losses have unleashed a torrent of anger in Pakistan with demands for heads at PCB to roll yet again.…





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Added by Riaz Haq on June 16, 2013 at 10:05am — 2 Comments

Pakistan Energy Supply Fails to Keep Pace With Growing Access

Pakistan has made remarkable progress in electrification of its towns and villages both in absolute terms and as percentage of population over the past two decades, according to a recently-released report titled "Global Tracking Framework" issued jointly by the World Bank and the International Energy Agency. This report at least partly explains the dramatic increase in demand-supply gap and consequent increase in…

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 10, 2013 at 11:30am — 6 Comments

"Democratic" India's Share of World's Poor Jumps as "Autocratic" China's Poverty Declines Sharply!

A billion people were lifted from abject poverty between 1980 and 2010. China accounts for nearly three quarters of these, or 680 million people brought out of misery, by reducing its extreme-poverty rate from 84% in 1980 to 10% now, according to a report in The Economist.  The report adds that with "poorer governance in India and Africa, the next… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on June 6, 2013 at 5:30pm — 10 Comments

Karachi Slum Girl Goes to Harvard Business School

Anum Fatima, a resident of Ibrahim Goth slum located near Karachi's Steel Town, is making history; she is going to Harvard  Business School this summer as part of a student exchange program.



Anum's father is employed as a driver and her mother works as a maid. The slum school she attended is run by The Citizen's Foundation (TCF), a private foundation. From 5 schools in Karachi in 1995, TCF has expanded to 910 purpose-built schools with 126,000…

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Added by Riaz Haq on May 29, 2013 at 6:00pm — 21 Comments

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 — 29 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 — 39 Comments

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    Blog Posts

    Biden's Gaza Ceasefire Veto Defies American Public Opinion

    Aaron Bushnell, an active serviceman in the United States Air Force, burned himself to death in front of the Israeli Embassy in protest against the US policy in Gaza. Before setting himself on fire in what he called an "extreme act of protest", he said he would "no longer be complicit in genocide". Polls show that the vast majority (63%) of Americans want an immediate end to the carnage being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.  …

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on February 27, 2024 at 5:30pm

    Pakistan Elections: Imran Khan's Supporters Skillfully Used Tech to Defy Powerful Military

    Independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) party emerged as the largest single block with 93 seats in the nation's parliament in the general elections held on February 8, 2024.  This feat was accomplished in spite of huge obstacles thrown in front of the PTI's top leader Imran Khan and his party leaders and supporters by Pakistan's powerful military…

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on February 16, 2024 at 9:22pm — 1 Comment

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