All Blog Posts (1,921)

Mardan Lynching; Jadhav Death Sentence; Trump's Early Crises

Why was Mashaal Khan, an Abdul Wali Khan University student, killed by a mob of his fellow students in Mardan? What does this lynching incident say about Pakistani state and society? Is it a failure of the state? Or is it a symptom of a larger societal problem in the country? Do extreme right-wing politicians, media, judges and bureaucrats share responsibility for this ongoing madness of vigilante justice…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 16, 2017 at 5:30pm — 2 Comments

Pakistani-American's Tech Unicorn Files For IPO at $1.6 Billion Valuation

Washington D.C. based AI technology firm Afiniti, founded by serial Pakistani-American entrepreneur Zia Chishti, has filed for initial public offering (IPO) at $1.6 billion valuation, according to VentureBeat.

Zia Chishti founded his first company Align Technology in 1997 in …

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 15, 2017 at 10:01pm — 4 Comments

Yet Another Honor For Malala

Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 and survived to tell her story, has become a household name in the West. She and her family have found a new home in Birmingham, England.

She has been honored with some of the highest international awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Last week, Malala was named the youngest ever UN Messenger of Peace, with a special focus on girls'…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 12, 2017 at 8:21pm — 9 Comments

Pakistani Stock Market Still Offers Great Value After Stellar Performance in 2016

Pakistan's KSE-100 continues to offer attractive valuations for investors in 2017.  Its equities are trading at a forward price-earnings ratio of just 9.1, according to Pakistani brokerage firm Arif Habib Limited.

Pakistani shares are on offer at a deep discount to the Indian shares trading at 17.3 price-earnings multiple. While India's stock market is among the world's most expensive, the Pakistani…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 10, 2017 at 6:07pm — 9 Comments

US Missile Strikes in Syria; US Mediation in India-Pakistan Dispute; Bannon’s Future

Did Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad really use chemical weapons against his own people? Are US Missile Strikes on Syrian Shayrat airbase justified? Why did Russian President Vladimir Putin stand by and watch his Syrian ally punished by US missile strikes? What is President Trump’s strategy in Syria beyond these limited strikes? How will the Trump Administration deal with ISIS in Syria? How will Russia and… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on April 8, 2017 at 7:02pm — 4 Comments

Pakistani Students Team Wins First Place in Stanford Design Contest

A 3-person team of Pakistani students, including a female student from Islamabad's National University of Science and Technology (NUST), won first place in a contest organized by Stanford Center of Longevity. The team's entry is a device they designed and prototyped that enables tremor patients to perform daily routine tasks.

The Purpose: 

The purpose of the contest is to encourage innovation to help improve the quality of life of aging populations in the…

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Added by Riaz Haq on April 2, 2017 at 8:53pm — 11 Comments

H-1B Visa Abuse; Flynn's Immunity Request; Muslim NATO's Pakistani Commander

Why is H-1B visa abuse in the news? Why are Indian companies under suspicion as the chief abusers? Why does the lion's share of H-1B visas goes to Indians? Are H-1B visa holders replacing higher-paid ($95,000+ per year) American tech workers at significantly lower pay ($60,000 per year)? What proposals are under discussion to control this abuse?…



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Added by Riaz Haq on March 31, 2017 at 10:56pm — 10 Comments

Nielsen: Pakistan Consumer Confidence Highest Since 2008

Consumer confidence index in Pakistan jumped five point from the prior quarter to reach 106 in Q4/2016, according to Nielsen’s global survey of consumer confidence for 63 countries released recently.…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 28, 2017 at 9:30pm — 2 Comments

Pakistan Day; Adityanath as UP CM; London Terror; FBI Trump Probe

What is the significance of March 23 for Pakistanis? How did Pakistan celebrate its National Day? What does the participation of friendly nations China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the parade mean?…



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Added by Riaz Haq on March 24, 2017 at 9:25pm — 17 Comments

H1B Visa Abuse: What Do Software Engineers Earn in India and Pakistan?

A segment of CBS 60 Minutes, top rated American newsmagazine on television, has recently brought sharp focus on H1B visa abuse. It alleges that the H1B visas are being misused by Indian body shops to bring low-cost Indian software engineers to the United States to replace higher-paid American…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 24, 2017 at 9:30am — 18 Comments

Dutch & Indian Elections; Trump Travel Ban 2; Pakistan Census

What does the Dutch election result say about the right-wing populism wave in Europe? Is it a setback for anti-Muslim Geert Wilders, known as Dutch Trump, after Brexit and Trump wins? How will it impact the upcoming French presidential election? Will it help or hurt Marine Le Penn's chances?



What does the BJP sweep in UP elections mean for India and Indian politics? How did the BJP manage it? Did the… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on March 21, 2017 at 10:29am — 1 Comment

World Happiness Report 2017: Pakistan Tops South Asian Nations

World Happiness Report 2017 ranks Pakistan (score 5.269) at 80, well ahead of the rest of South Asia.

The latest world happiness report released on March 20, 2017 ranks Bhutan (score 5.011) at 97, Nepal (4.962) at 99, Bangladesh (4.608) at 110, Sri Lanka (4.44) at 120, India (4.315) at 122 and Afghanistan (3.794) at 141 among…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 20, 2017 at 1:00pm — 2 Comments

Is Husain Haqqani a Traitor?

It is well-known that Mr. Husain Haqqani, who served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011, has a long history of  opportunism.  He has switched loyalties many times since he began his career in Karachi, Pakistan in 1980s.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on March 13, 2017 at 8:30pm — 8 Comments

Trump Slump in Tourism; Corruption in South Asia; Imran Khan on PSL Final

How does President Trump's latest travel ban on citizens of 6 Muslim nations differ from his earlier executive order blocked by courts? Will the new order face similar block? What is the economic impact of Trump's travel ban on US travel and tourism industry? Will it lead to increased trade deficit and job…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 12, 2017 at 7:07am — 1 Comment

Does Pakistan Have Cyber Warfare Capability?

Recent reports of Russian hacks of the American Democratic Party's election campaign staff to influence the outcome of US elections have brought international cyber espionage in sharp focus once again. How many nations have such capabilities? What are their names? Are India and Pakistan among them?…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 9, 2017 at 6:42pm — 26 Comments

Transparency International Says India Most Corrupt Country in Asia

A Transparency International (TI) study of 16 Asian countries, including India and Pakistan, has found that India has the highest bribery rate.  69% of survey respondents in India said they have paid a bribe, given a gift or done a favor to receive government services like education and health care. Vietnam follows with…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 8, 2017 at 9:42pm — 4 Comments

Trump Slump: Muslim Ban Hurts American Travel & Tourism Industry

U.S. President Donald Trump's revised travel ban on citizens of six Muslim-majority countries will not reduce its impact on tourism, according to Taleb Rifai,  the head of UN World Tourism Organization. "People don't go to places where…

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Added by Riaz Haq on March 7, 2017 at 11:01am — 1 Comment

Hate Against Indian-Americans; Trump NSA Gen McMaster; Pak Op Radd-ul-Fasaad

Why was Garmin engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, shot dead and his colleague Alok Madasani, also 32, injured in shooting at a bar in Olathe, Kansas? Why are Indian-Americans being targeted by white nationalists after President Donald Trump's victory? Why have… Continue

Added by Riaz Haq on February 27, 2017 at 9:58pm — 9 Comments

American Tourist Ranks Pakistan Among Top 10 Favorites After Visiting 196 Countries

Cassie De Pecol, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for traveling to all 196 countries of the world in shortest time, has put Pakistan at number 5 among the top 10 "must visit" countries.



Other countries on De Pecol's top 10 list are: Mongolia, Bhutan, Maldives, Vanuatu, Oman, Tunisia, Peru, Costa Rica and USA.…



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Added by Riaz Haq on February 21, 2017 at 7:30pm — 9 Comments

China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Among World's Most Polluted

The 2.5 micron particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution of air accounts for the world's highest number of pollution-related premature deaths in China and South Asia, according to a report titled "State of Global Air 2017".…

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Added by Riaz Haq on February 21, 2017 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

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    Blog Posts

    India's Modi Brags About Ordering Transnational Assassinations

    In a campaign speech on May 1, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi bragged about his campaign of transnational assassinations of individuals he has labeled "terrorists". “Today, India doesn't send dossiers to the masters of terrorism, but gives them a dose and kills them on their home turf", he is reported to have said, according to a tweet posted by his BJP party. Last…

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on May 3, 2024 at 5:09pm — 2 Comments

    Pakistanis' Insatiable Appetite For Smartphones

    Samsung is seeing strong demand for its locally assembled Galaxy S24 smartphones and tablets in Pakistan, according to Bloomberg. The company said it is struggling to meet demand. Pakistan’s mobile phone industry produced 21 million handsets while its smartphone imports surged over 100% in the last fiscal year, according to …

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    Posted by Riaz Haq on April 26, 2024 at 7:09pm

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