Comment by Riaz Haq on January 19, 2018 at 10:35am

#Pakistan keeps #terrorists on the run and #economy on a roll
Businesses' focus shifts from bombs and kidnappings to taxes and policy. #Taliban #TTP #terrorism #India #Karachi #Rangers

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Pakistan-keeps-ter...

KARACHI -- Terrorism, corruption, misrule: Negative perceptions have dogged Pakistan for years. But thanks to sweeping operations by the army and a powerful paramilitary force, those perceptions may be becoming outdated, and businesses are taking notice.

In Karachi, the country's largest city, motorcycles and elaborately decorated buses weave down dusty roads between colonial-era buildings. Less than a decade ago, these were truly mean streets. "Between 2010 and 2012, we saw one or two terrorist attacks every month and one or two targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom every day," recalled Army Maj. Gen. Mohammad Saeed. "There were 17 no-go areas which the police could not touch in Karachi."

At the time, even major hotels had occupancy rates of just 10% to 15%. Hundreds of shops and other businesses closed down.

Then the Rangers began to clean up.

The Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary law enforcement organization overseen by the military and the Interior Ministry, set out to tackle the violence head-on. In 2013, the Rangers Sindh -- which operate in Sindh Province, including Karachi -- mobilized 15,000 troops. The provincial legislature granted them broad powers to search homes and make arrests, enabling them to quickly turn the tide.

These guns were seized at a hideout in Miranshah -- the front line of Pakistan's anti-terrorism operations. (Photo by Go Yamada)

In 2017, there were zero bombings and only five kidnappings, according to Saeed, who serves as director general of the Rangers Sindh. This is no small feat in a city with a swelling population of 17 million -- perhaps even 20 million if migrants from rural areas are factored in. "We destroyed all of the terrorists' pockets," he said, adding that hotel occupancy rates are over 90%.

The story is similar in Pakistan's other major cities. And as the Rangers have made headway, business sentiment has improved and growth has picked up.

Mohammad Saeed, director general of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh

Pakistan's real gross domestic product grew 5.3% in the fiscal year through June 2017, the quickest pace in 10 years. The central bank projects the growth rate for this fiscal year will approach 6%. Inflation has stabilized and exports are brisk.

"Unfortunately, Pakistan is a victim of negative perception," said Arif Habib, who heads the conglomerate Arif Habib Group. "There is a lot of difference between perception and reality."

But the rest of the world seems to be catching on to the positive changes, too: Foreign direct investment is estimated to reach a record $5 billion or so in the current fiscal year, up from $3.43 billion last year.

This is not to say Pakistan's safety problems are a thing of the past. The budget for maintaining security is insufficient, and efforts to shore up the police are still a work in progress. Another major challenge is to prevent militants who have fled to neighboring Afghanistan from coming back.

Treacherous borderlands

Miranshah is a one-hour military flight away from Peshawar, in Pakistan's northwest. It is the main city in North Waziristan, one of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

This is the front line of Pakistan's anti-terrorism operations. The Afghan border is just 20km away

Around 2008, insurgents from al-Qaida and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan controlled some 30% of North Waziristan. But large numbers of militants have fled or been killed since the army began weeding them out in 2014.

More than 300 people died in terrorist attacks in the FATA in 2014, but the number was down to 113 in 2017.

"During the operation, 26,000 rifles, 13,000 submachine guns and explosives for more than 50,000 suicide bombs [were seized]," said Col. Wasi Uddin in a bunker at the heavily guarded headquarters of the army's 7th Infantry Division. Monitors on the wall showed real-time footage of the border with Afghanistan.

Now that the heavy fighting appears to be over, people are returning and efforts to rebuild houses and public facilities are in full swing. The army is spearheading a drive to reopen hospitals, schools and bazaars in the FATA. Residents have been given 130 sq. km of farmland as well as job training programs.

"Now we are building a 1,400km-long fence along the border to stop the cross-border terror," the colonel said. But sporadic attacks are still a threat in the mountainous border region. A young military officer and another person were killed in an ambush on the outskirts of Miranshah in mid-December.

Pakistan's national security adviser, retired Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua, blames the neighbor. There is "no border control in Afghanistan," said Janjua, who has sparred with the U.S. over security measures. "In 2016, out of 128 terrorist attacks in Pakistan, 125 were cross-border terror from Afghanistan."

There are 145 monitoring posts on the Afghan side of the border -- around one-eighth the number on the Pakistani side -- reflecting the capacity constraints of the Afghan military and police.

Police accountability

Over in Peshawar, at the base of the Khyber Pass on the Pakistani-Afghan border, a determined effort to bolster the police is bearing fruit.

The city is a key hub for trucks carrying goods to and from Afghanistan. Freshly slaughtered lamb, mutton and live peafowl can be found at the local bazaars. Men tend to carry rifles -- a symbol of masculinity -- but violence has decreased significantly, according to the police chief for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province.

"From 2007 to 2017, [the number of] dead and wounded in the province decreased to one-sixth," said Inspector General Salahuddin Khan. The police head count has surged to 82,000, from 34,000 in 2001, and the force receives training from the army.

A Karachi bazaar bustles with shoppers in December. (Photo by Go Yamada)

Khan and other police leaders are focusing on "depoliticization, digitization and confidence." They reject politicians' interference with recruiting, and have created a database of rented houses and vehicles terrorists might use.

"For security, cooperation from the local people is essential," Khan said. This includes holding the police themselves accountable: The government has established a Dispute Resolution Council, which includes third-party members appointed by a high court, to receive complaints against law enforcement.

Khan is not satisfied. "Support from the government is better than it used to be," he said. "But the budget is never enough. We are [making requests] all the time."

In Karachi, there is still a sense of unease despite the obvious improvement. Some government officials and foreign businesspeople still ride around in bulletproof vehicles with their own security details.

For now, the Rangers are keeping the pressure on. If police capabilities improve, Saeed said, "we will pull back."

Comment by Akhtar Hussain on January 20, 2018 at 7:07am

Thank you for sharing this wonderful and inspiring news !

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 27, 2018 at 7:33pm

A #British archaeologist named Hugh Trevor Lambrick, who was the Deputy Commissioner of #Larkana in 1940s, called (Shushangi) 'Toshangi' the #GrandCanyon of #Sindh . #Tourism #Pakistan on #Vimeo https://vimeo.com/253033673?ref=tw-share


A British archaeologist, author and civil servant named Hugh Trevor Lambrick, who was the Deputy Commissioner of Larkana in 1940s, called (Shushangi) 'Toshangi' the Grand Canyon of Sindh. It is one of the most dramatic places to visit in the Kirthars. The deep gorge (700ft deep) is formed by the waters of Kenjhi River which has been flowing in the area since time untold.
Salman Rashid, Travel writer, Fellow of Royal Geographical Society traveled in 1996 to this place from Ghaibi Dero (Shahdadkot Sindh).
We a group of trekkers i.e. Aziz Ahmed Jamali, Abdul Qadir Jamali, Muhammad Yaqoob, Asad Mir, Aqeel Baig & Sufi reached here from Khuzdar Baluchistan side

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 1, 2018 at 8:18am

Pakistan aims to revive glory of ancient Mughal city Lahore
March 1, 2018 by Khurram Shahzad

https://phys.org/news/2018-03-pakistan-aims-revive-glory-ancient.html

Perched on scaffolding, restoration experts chip away at decades of grime and repair broken mosaic tiles in a bid to save the colossal murals depicting historic battles and regal ceremonies on the walls of Lahore fort.


The painstaking work is part of efforts to preserve Lahore's crumbling architectural history as officials juggle conserving its diverse heritage with building modern infrastructure in Pakistan's chaotic second city.

The metropolis, which once served as the capital of the Mughal empire that stretched across much of the subcontinent, has been subsumed into a myriad of civilizations across the centuries.

This rich past is most visible in the milieu of architecture salted across the Walled City of Lahore—from Hindu temples and Mughal forts to Sikh gurdwaras and administrative office built during the Raj.

"You get a history of a thousand years, 500 year-old houses and monuments and mosques, shrines and a very peaceful atmosphere," says Kamran Lashari, director general of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA).

Prime among them, and dating back to the 11th century, the Lahore fort was first built of mud and was then later reinforced with stone over the centuries by a long cast of Mughal emperors who oversaw its expansion and the accompanying artwork.

But periods of conflict along with searing heat, monsoon rains and years of neglect have taken a toll on the fort.

Despite the onset of decay, experts suggest the city's vast Islamic architectural heritage could make it a contender to rival more established Silk Road travel destinations.

"Lahore can easily compete with Samarkand. It nearly matches Ispahan," says Sophie Makariou, president of the Parisian-based National Museum of Asian Arts.

Makariou adds that its failure to shine is more to do with safety concerns that have plagued the nation after multiple attacks.

"Due to the bad reputation of Pakistan, it remains unknown," she explains.

Pearl of the Punjab

But as security across Pakistan continues to improve, officials are hoping to revive Lahore's lost glory.


More than 40 conservationists with the the WCLA—including engineers, architects and ceramists from across the globe—are currently working on restoring the mosaic mural on the fort's exterior.



"It's one of the largest murals in the world. It contains over 600 tile mosaic panels and frescos," says Emaan Sheikh from the Agha Khan Trust for Culture.

Restoration of the mural is just part of a larger project to refurbish the fort, which includes conservation projects in the royal kitchen, the summer palace and a basement, according to WCLA's director general Kamran Lashari.

Similar work by the WCLA has already been done to revamp the artwork at the historic Wazir Khan mosque and the Shahi Hammam—one of the only surviving Turkish Baths in the subcontinent that is approximately 400 years old.

The city's famed Delhi Gate, which once hosted extravagant Mughal processions arriving in Lahore from the east, has also been fully restored along with dozens of homes in the Walled City.

Many of those involved in the project are optimistic.

"The cities which are most famous for tourism, you can take London, Madrid, Istanbul, Rome, all the prerequisites which are available in those cities, are available in Lahore," claims Ahmer Malik, head of Punjab's tourism corporation, referring to Lahore's architectural and cultural attractions.

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 1, 2018 at 10:22am

Pakistan's crumbling architectural heritage
Syed Raza Hassan


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-architecture/pakistans-...

Pakistan (Reuters) - When British colonial rulers hastily left South Asia at Pakistan’s painful birth in 1947, the ensuing chaos and violence meant little attention was paid to the architecture they built or influenced in Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi.

More than 70 years later, architectural gems have been torn down and many are either crumbling or under threat from real estate developers in Pakistan’s commercial capital which is mushrooming into a mega-city.

The structures, weathered by the salty air, open the door to Karachi’s colonial scars, researchers say, pointing out that many of the original owners were among millions of Muslim and Hindu refugees who fled their homes amid communal and religious violence that accompanied the end of British rule in India in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan.

”Every brick of the heritage building narrates a story of those who left in 1947,“ said Akthar Baloch, a researcher who has written several books on Karachi’s heritage. ”They built them with love and affection.

"When people like me feel bad looking at the neglect of these heritage sites, one wonders how the families of the owners must feel if they ever visit Karachi." (Click reut.rs/2F03sEg for a picture package of Karachi's crumbling heritage buildings)

Karachi’s population has skyrocketed to nearly 17 million people in 2017 from an estimated 400,000 at independence, and every inch of the city has become a valuable commodity for developers building homes or drafting plans to alter the city’s skyline with new skyscrapers.

Jahangir Kothari Parade promenade, once an imposing British heritage site, is now obscured by a maze of overpasses and the shadow of Pakistan’s tallest building.

The promenade is part of a handful of buildings, along with the colonial-era Imperial Customs House, which have been restored to their former grandeur, but such projects are rare when the focus is on tearing down old and building new.

Rapid urbanization has ensured large-scale destruction, particularly in the old city areas, where more profitable multi-story residential buildings have sprung up.

But amid the new concrete, remnants of the colonial legacy can still be seen, often recognizable by their state of neglect.

The Saddar neighborhood of Karachi has perhaps the largest concentration of British architectural history, while in the city’s eastern district, the iconic old colonial jail has been declared a heritage site by Sindh province’s antiquities department.

So far more than 1,700 premises have been listed as heritage sites by the antiquities department and the process continues.

The Sindh Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, introduced in 1994, has helped provide legal protection for structures of historical significance. But courts are also busy with cases of developers trying to circumvent such protection.

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 4, 2018 at 7:31pm

Over 92,000 foreigners visit Pakistan since launch of CPEC

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/288568-over-92-000-foreigners-visi...

Since the start of ground work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship multi-billion dollar project of “One Belt and One Road Initiative," more than 39,000 Chinese came to Pakistan in past five years.

More than 92,204 visas were issued by the government of Pakistan to foreign nationals in an apparent effort to expand foreign investment, business opportunities and tourism in the country during this period. Over 120 Pakistani missions abroad issued 29,622 visas to foreign nationals in 2013, 10,267 visas in 2014, 22,932 visas in 2015, 13,456 visas in 2016 and over 15,927 foreign nationals came to Pakistan in 2017, revealed official data/documents Geo News has had exclusive access to.

As many as 7,859 Chinese were issued visas in 2013, the starting period for the CPEC projects soon after the incumbent government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came into power. Following this development, Pakistani missions in China issued over 7,859 visas to Chinese citizens in 2013, 69 visas in 2014, 13,268 visas in 2015, 6,268 visas in 2016 and according to informed officials at Ministry of Foreign Affairs that estimated 12,287 visas were issued to Chinese nationals by the authorities last year.

In addition to it, officials revealed to this correspondent that about 91,000 Chinese nationals visited Pakistan on tourist visas in past five years. Some 27,596 visa extensions were also granted to Chinese on recommendations of ministries of interior, foreign affairs, water and power and planning and development, a 34 percent increase as compare to 2015-16, added the officials. This frequent flow of foreign nationals encouraged foreign direct investment (FDI) which jumped 163 percent to $222.6 million in July 2017 on a year-on-year basis, revealed official data collected from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The main contributor to this foreign net inflows has been China, which is investing around $60 billion under the CPEC's initiative. Pakistan received $2.4 billion in 2016-17, highest since the PML-N government took the charge of the state’s economic affairs while FDI remained $1.45 billion in previous PPP regime.

The government under Prime Minister Youth Programme also trained over 110,000 youth, majority of them as the authorities claimed, would be associated with CPEC projects in coming years.

For security of these Chinese workers, the government of Pakistan has also deputed an estimated 37,000 security personnel to guard Chinese workers engaged in some 22 projects directly associated with the CPEC and 214 other small and mega projects in Pakistan. For this purpose, the government has deployed 15,780 military personnel trained under umbrella of the Special Security Division (SSD) and the Maritime Security Force (MSF). Balochistan would get more security, as a few wings (450 personnel) of the MSF for coastal area, six wings (6,700 personnel) of the Frontier Corps, 3,210 police constables and 1,320 Levies personnel would guard all the routes. More than 4,200 policemen, 1,290 Rangers, 5,500 private security guards and 740 Askari Guards would protect various projects linked to the economic corridor in Punjab.

Official data continued to reveal that Pakistan issued visas to 1,505 Australian nationals in 2013, 549 visas to Germans in 2013 and 575 visas were issued to German nationals in 2017. The Pakistani Embassy in New Delhi also issued over a thousand visas to Indian nationals in 2013 and 584 Indians were given Pakistani visas in 2015. As many as 786 Iranians were issued visas in 2013 and 945 visas were issued by Pakistani missions in Iran in 2016.

Comment by Riaz Haq on March 4, 2018 at 7:46pm

Pakistan has 116 diplomatic missions in other countries. This figure includes 85 embassies, 29 consulates and 2 permanent missions.

Pakistan ranks 27 in the world and 7th in Asia on Lowery diplomacy index.

India has 181 missions including 124 embassies and 48 consulates. 

India ranks 12th in the world and 3rd in Asia on Lowery Diplomacy Index.

United States is number 1 and China is number 2 on diplomacy index.

US has 273 diplomatic missions while China has 268. 

France ranks 3rd, Russia 4th and Japan 5th in the world. 

https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/country_rank.html

Comment by Riaz Haq on June 19, 2018 at 8:14pm

#Pakistan: #Adventure #travel's best-kept secret? Alex Reynolds: "Bring an adventurous spirit and an open mind, and you won't have to find your way off the beaten track in Pakistan. The way will find you." #tourism https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pakistan-adventure-travel/index.... … via @CNNTravel

When the British Backpacker Society released its list of 20 adventure travel destinations for 2018, the top spot was taken by a somewhat surprising entry: Pakistan.
Citing "mountain scenery that is beyond anyone's wildest imagination" and the friendliness of the locals, the society says the South Asian country will change "every preconception that you ever held about this area of the world."
So is Pakistan ready to step up?
Though the country was a tourism hotspot in the 1970s, recent decades have spawned plenty of fears about Pakistan travel, owing to political instability and terrorist attacks.
But though threats remain and there are indeed places travelers should avoid -- the US State Department still advises its citizens to reconsider traveling there entirely -- improved security backed by a government-led push to promote tourism means visitor numbers are on the rise.

In 2017, an estimated 1.7 million foreigners visited Pakistan, 200,000 more than the previous year.
In January 2018, it was announced that the country would be offering a multiple-entry 30-day visa on arrival to tourists from 24 countries including the US and UK.
Bookings are up 100% this year for Wild Frontiers, a tour operator based in the UK and US that have been running trips to Pakistan for 20 years.
For founder Jonny Bealby, it's not difficult to see why the country is appealing to travelers once again.
'Epic accessible landscapes'
"I call it adventure travel's best-kept secret," he says.
"For the adventurous traveler it offers so much. More epic accessible landscapes than you will find anywhere else, meaning landscapes you drive to rather than trek for days to.
"In Hunza [a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region] for example, you can sit on the rooftop at your hotel having breakfast and you've got seven 7,000-meter peaks all around you, which is pretty incredible."
Pakistan adventure travel destination

Bealby also points to the country's interesting cultural allures -- both in terms of architecture and people.
"The cuisine is of course great and the hotel accommodation is actually a lot better than most people think," he adds.
"Tie all those things together and you've got the perfect adventure travel destination."
According to Bealby, tourism in the north of the country has not yet been restored to Pakistan's heyday during the early to mid-nineties when hotels would need to be booked at least a year in advance, yet he has certainly noticed a change in attitudes in recent years.
"I would say that the security situation in Pakistan has improved radically in the last three years and it is now becoming a real possibility for people that previously might have been too wary of going to a place which they felt was unsafe."
Related content
23 ancient cities that have survived more than just time
'People were utterly delighted to see a foreigner'
For US-born travel blogger Alex Reynolds of lostwithpurpose.com, who has visited the country twice, the things she read were not enough to put her off.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 14, 2018 at 7:40am

‘Emerging #Pakistan’ brand buses hit #Berlin's roads on #IndependenceDay2018, showing beauty of Pakistan with its highest peaks, majestic landscape, Made in Pakistan FIFA Football, magnificent architecture and vibrant and diverse culture. #Tourism

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/355059-emerging-pakistan-brand-bu...

Berlin's iconic yellow buses are carrying brand Pakistan on the streets of the city on nation's 72nd Independence Day.

This branding campaign is running under the theme of 'Emerging Pakistan'.

The initiative is a part of celebrations planned by the Embassy of Pakistan in Berlin for the 71st Independence Anniversary of Pakistan this year

Berlin caters to hundreds of tourists, especially during the summertime, who will get to see these buses daily. For a brief time, many Berliners will see these buses portraying the diversity and beauty of Pakistan.

Speaking to this correspondent, Jauhar Saleem, Pakistan's Ambassador to Germany said, "We are endeavouring to showcase beautiful Pakistan, perhaps the best-kept secret in the world of tourism."

These special buses showcase the natural beauty of Pakistan with its highest peaks, majestic landscape, Made in Pakistan Football used for FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, monuments representing ancient civilisation, magnificent architecture and vibrant and diverse culture.

The banners on buses aim to attract foreign tourists to the wonderful land of Pakistan, for many that still remains unexplored.

Although for many Germans and Europeans, in particular, northern areas of Pakistan offer a mesmerizing adventure, an ancient Indus civilisation of Moen-Jo-Daro have always fascinated German archaeologists and researchers. Also, the culture and the ethnic richness of Pakistan is appreciated all over Europe.

Comment by Riaz Haq on September 3, 2018 at 9:09am

Hospitality Management Training Program

http://hashoofoundation.org/thematic-areas/human-capital-developmen...

Hospitality Management Training Program (HMTP) is one of the flagship programs of HF focused to impart knowledge and skills to young men and women giving them opportunities to learn & practice the skills required for the hospitality industry in Pakistan and abroad. HMTP was initiated in 1999 by introducing practical training in Marriott and Pearl Continental Hotels across Pakistan. HMTP has been expanded to Peshawar and Karachi. The qualification under this program offers food preparation, Culinary Art, Front Office, Reception, Operational Services, Food & Beverage Services and Accommodation Operations and Services. Other Technical and Vocational trainings include beautician, tailoring and professional skills training.

Following international vocational qualifications (basic to advanced diploma level) are being offered under this program:

Food Preparation and Culinary Art
Front Office and Reception Operation Services
Food & Beverage Services
Accommodation Operations and Services
HF trained over 5,000 youth since last few years, the program is facilitating youth with various International Vocational Qualifications (IVQs) curriculum/content, approved by City & Guilds UK and National Training Bureau, Islamabad.

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