There is a lot of Valentines Day related activities happening in Karachi right now, the best of which are mostly at Park Towers in Clifton. My parents took part in a Cadbury activity that gave them 100 points on togetherness. A rigged meter telling my parents married since 30 years that they are indeed perfect [...]

Did Red Bull give Cadbury wings? is a post from: PakMediaBlog All Rights Reserved.

February 13^th, 2012. Islamabad. For those of us still following the game of thrones taking place at the center, it appears that Prime Minister Gilani is running out of road. He’s taking a long walk off a short pier. Insert your own cliché here. The debate has overtaken the Prime Minister, the discussion is now focused on what Pakistan must do, post-Gilani. To write the letter or not? Will Senate elections go ahead or not? Will the PPP spin this ungraceful end to a five year term as a victory, will Gilani go back to Multan a living shaheed? Pity the constituency whose only claim to a fruitful five year term is a representative with a knack for getting stabbed in the stomach and making it look like he meant to fall on his sword. Gilani will end up being a sacrifice for an utterly worthless cause – twenty-eight million US dollars that will never be returned to the people of Pakistan. Ever.

The statute of limitations on the Swiss cases are rumored to be anywhere between April and August 2012. The time for reopening old cases is diminishing fast. Yet we insist that the court charade of the last few months was necessary – it’s not about the money, it’s about setting an institutional precedent.

It has been nearly two decades since our President and his late wife stole a mind-bubbling sum of money and squirreled it away into Swiss banks, mansions in Surrey, bank accounts in Dubai and trendy flats in London. Reading the famous 1998 New York Times article reinforces the idea that when politicians from very poor countries amass vast amounts of wealth, they are not likely to let go of it that easily. So forget fantasies of liquidating the Bhutto assets and paying off Pakistan’s international loans. The Pakistani Supreme Court can humiliate the Prime Minister, but it can’t overturn decades of sophisticated white collar crime, much of which takes place outside its judicial territory.

And surely impotence of this intensity is severely humiliating for Chief Justice Chaudhry himself. Having become the defacto arbitrator of every aggrieved party in Pakistan, he suddenly finds himself without any implementation power whatsoever. He is the supreme commander of a court system that is rotten at the foundation, fighting the country’s largest and most public corruption scandal while his own lower court clerks accept petty bribes to tie up litigation for years. His own middle-class biases against the landed elite of the PPP notwithstanding, Chaudhary now faces the task of living up to the dubious honor of being the sole institution in this country deemed impartial and uncorrupt. Which means that if he isn’t seen going after egregious acts of corruption, he will be immediately deemed implicit.

In the face of such impotence, charging and convicting a seated Prime Minister of contempt is a sufficiently bold task to secure Chaudhary’s tripod of potency: judicial independence, of having real power (as opposed to simply striking down the NRO and not being able to do a damn thing to implement it for a full two years), and of being a guardian of the people. Gilani’s removal, whenever it happens, will be sufficiently large to distract from the fact that the PM never stole the twenty-eight million. He never decided to write the letter, or not to write it, for that matter – any more than he decided to become Prime Minister. It will serve to silence those who suggest that post-reinstatement, the CJ has been “bought out” by the PPP, to outcry those who notice that investigations into sugar cartels, NILC, Hajj, Abbotabad,  and Karachi came to naught. It is eye candy for the myopic, a desperate sideshow to distract from a flaming circus of budget malfunctions, energy scams and policy fubars.

But lets not beat ourselves up too much. John Burns pointed out in 1998 that multilateral organizations such as the World Bank regularly support teetering Third World economies “bled dry” by corruption in exchange for weak promises of institutional reform. The last five years have been immensely lucrative for friends of the regime, for those individuals and institutions capable of buying out or bullying Mr. Hundered Percent. At last count, this included everyone from ARY Gold to the Pakistan Army, from AKD to NLC to the men who bring you fantastically overpriced imported cars at huge markups. Zardari did not invent corruption, but he’s a fine example (an institutional precedent, as it were) of just how successful some men and women become in countries with broken democratic systems. Where the Army can quietly wring the neck of anyone attempting to infringe on its economic and political territory. Where an entire Parliament – incumbent, opposition and all – routes all decision-making through the Supreme Court. Where a judge is deeply contemptuous of men who take advantage of their office for personal aggrandizement – and then goes and does exactly the same.

Warid Brings Amazing Karachi Offer

Warid Telecom recently announced its Karachi Offer ‘Bol Utha Karachi’ in which  people in  Karachi can make free and unlimited calls to all Warid numbers from 12am till 12pm with the daily rental of only Rs. 3.99+t. This amazing offer can be subscribed by both existing and new Karachi based subscribers by sending “KHI” in SMS to 4337.   This limited time offer is for prepaid subscribers only and will automatically be renewed daily at midnight. Being reputed for its quality and reliability, Warid always brings amazing tailor-made offers for its valuable customers.

This is the 2nd part of the Powegen conference coverage.

The 5th International Power Generation Conference & Exhibition 2012 was held at Marriott, Karachi on the 2nd of February with the agenda ‘Future Energy Mix in Overcoming the Power Crisis’.

Powergen Pak Conference 2012

It was a star-studded event with speeches and presentations from Manzoor Soomro- Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Mian Abrar Hussain, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Tilo Klinner – Consul General Germany, Nasim Khan VC Hamdard University, Saigan Sharif – Additional Secretary of Ministry of Science & Technology, Qazi Kamal – Chairman Fuel, Gas, Power Sub-SITE Association, Tahir Saleem – Chairman IEEE, Zubair Motiwala – Chairman Board of Investment Govt. of Pakistan, Naeem Qureshi – Managing Editor Energy Update, Shazia Marri – Minister for Electric Power Sindh, Junaid Qureshi – CEO SSJD, Faisal Qureshi – CEO 24/7 Online TV, Abdullah Muhammad Yousuf – Chairman IPP’s Advisory Council, Rukhsana Zuberi – Chairperson women in energy, Shaaf Mehboob – CEO Adoptive Solar.

Here’s the remaining part of the conference:

Shazia Marri – Minister for Electric Power Sindh

Shazia Marri

• We need a system where people listen to each other’s point of view and learn from it. Democracy provides this feature.
• When I used to sit in opposition during Musharraf government, he used to reject any point raised against Kalabagh dam and was hell-bent on making that dam.
• Kalabagh dam will provide only a fraction of our energy needs and so much time and money has been wasted arguing about it which could have been utilized  in some useful way.
• The difference between this government and the previous is that we are willing to listen to everyone and diligently work towards coming up with a workable solution acceptable to all.
• Ghazi Barotha project producing 1450MW of power in an environment friendly.
• 3,000 MW added during this government’s tenure.
• Sindh’s target for 2012 is to have 10% of contribution from alternative sources: wind, solar and biomass.
• Power station under process in Nooriabad.
• Sugar distilleries are an ideal source of biomass.
• Austrian company working on a wind power project to be completed by March 2013 which will contribute 500-800MW.

Shazia Marri

Junaid Qureshi – CEO SSJD :

• The total demand in 2011 was 19,400 MW which will swell to 50,000MW by 2022.
• Wind energy costs 13-15 cents per KWH whereas biomass costs 11-13 cents/KWH.
• While wind energy projects become feasible after 50MW, biomass are feasible in the range 1-50MW.
• A 15MW project needs 1,730,000 tons of biomass, the source of which can be a number of things, sugar molasses, animal waste etc.
• Sugar cane produces 11-13% of the main product and 60% of biomass.
• Rs. 322 Mn Revenue/year is possible.
• If 2000 MW of electricity is generated through biomass, it would result in savings of Rs.57 Bn/year and $1 Bn/year saving in imported oil.
• The plant would have to be nearer to the biomass source in order to minimize the huge cost of transporting thousands of tons of the material. In addition it would need a steady supply of water.
• The ideal place for the plant would be rural whereby villagers can aid in the supply of biomass and get benefited from the plant as well.

Rukhsana Zuberi – Chairperson women in energy

• Public sector is the biggest consumer of electricity.
• Solar geysers are a great energy saver. I’ve one installed in my home and my gas bill remains the same in both winter and summer.

Shaaf Mehboob – CEO Adoptive Solar

• The circular debt has ballooned to Rs.400 Billion.
• With this much money, 1600MW of energy could have been generated by installing a solar-powered plant.
• It costs approximately Rs.200,000 to produce 1KW of electricity through solar power.

Faisal Qureshi

Faisal Qureshi – CEO 24/7 Online TV

• You’ve been listening to enlightened views from learned people the entire day and there’s nothing more I can add that can surpass those insights except the fact that there’s a chandelier over my head with over 40 bulbs each at least 40 watts and it’s been on the entire time. If people in this room cannot see this waste of energy, then I’ve got nothing to say.

Abdullah Muhammad Yousuf – Chairman IPP’s Advisory Council

• 30 years ago hydel source contributed 70% of total power requirement whereas thermal only 30%.
• The trend has reversed now with thermal contributing 70% and hydel 30%.
• Cost of fuel to electricity generation:
  • Hydel   Rs.2-3
  • Gas       Rs.4-5
  • Oil        Rs. 12
  • IPP        Rs.40
  • Government is giving Rs.200 Bn subsidy on electricity while it can only afford Rs.80 Bn.
  • That means government is having a deficit of Rs.120 Bn added to it.
  • Rs.26 Million is the penalty charges to the government for non-payment of dues on time by PEPCO.
  • Rs.350 Bn are the receivables owed to WAPDA.
  • Energy crisis costs 2-3% GDP loss.
  • $15 Bn was the furnace oil import bill last year.
  • $32 BN is the expected bill this year.

CONCLUSION:

It was a thought-provoking conference on the energy problems beset by Pakistan and the gravity of the situation. However, this sort of discussion is pertinent to a conference that is being held for the first time. For a conference that is in its fifth year and still not able to generate a viable solution that is embraced by the four main stakeholders: government, consumer, industry and research institutes, that reflects poorly on our state of affairs.

Sure, there were many solutions proposed. But then these solutions have been proposed since God knows when. What we need now is one solution acceptable to all which alleviates at least some of the nation’s suffering. And that this conference was unable to come up with in spite of having the brightest minds present.

Related posts:

1. PowerGen Pak Conference 2012 The 5th International Power Generation Conference & Exhibition 2012 was…

The 5th International Power Generation Conference & Exhibition 2012 was held at Marriott, Karachi on the 2nd of February with the agenda ‘Future Energy Mix in Overcoming the Power Crisis’.

The conference was attended by a plethora of scientists  and dignitaries from all walks of life.

Power-Gen Pak Conference 2012

It was a star-studded event with speeches and presentations from Manzoor Soomro- Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Mian Abrar Hussain, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Tilo Klinner – Consul General Germany, Nasim Khan VC Hamdard University, Saigan Sharif – Additional Secretary of Ministry of Science & Technology, Qazi Kamal – Chairman Fuel, Gas, Power Sub-SITE Association, Tahir Saleem – Chairman IEEE, Zubair Motiwala – Chairman Board of Investment Govt. of Pakistan, Naeem Qureshi – Managing Editor Energy Update, Shazia Marri – Minister for Electric Power Sindh, Junaid Qureshi – CEO SSJD, Faisal Qureshi – CEO 24/7 Online TV, Abdullah Muhammad Yousuf – Chairman IPP’s Advisory Council, Rukhsana Zuberi – Chairperson women in energy, Shaaf Mehboob – CEO Adoptive Solar.

The conference was organized by Energy Update Magazine 

Here’s  a brief lowdown of what went on in the conference.

Power-Gen Pak Conference 2012

Manzoor Soomro- Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF):

• Promote and popularize science.
• Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) signed with all chambers of commerce in Pakistan.
• Reach is not limited to MOUs but to universities and beyond.
• Provide funding to research institutes.
• Enormous potential in both conserving and generating energy cost-effectively, only it needs to be channeled out properly.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjVeR4LkS-Y&feature=youtu.be

Mian Abrar Hussain, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce

• The energy crisis and resulting loadshedding of electricity and gas has resulted in a staggering monetary loss of Rs.288 Billion per annum. 
• This is a loss of Rs.24 Billion per month, or Rs.857 million per day. 
• This much money could have been used to finance 44 Large scale manufacturing units or serve 10 million unemployed people. 
• $12 Billion is the annual import bill for furnace oil. 
•  30% of energy wasted in distribution. 
• Energy security plan is needed on the same lines as Nuclear Security Plan to safeguard the future of Pakistan.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqekJYHaYPE&feature=youtu.be

Power-Gen Pak Conference 2012

Naeem Qureshi – Managing Editor Energy Update

• Welcomed the participants to the fifth PowerGen Pak Conference.
• Thanked the speakers and the guest for gracing the occasion with their presence, and the sponsors for lending support to this worthy cause.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW-k4nvLqBY&feature=youtu.be

Dr. Tilo Klinner – Consul General Germany

• Renewable energy is the future of the world due to depleting natural sources of fuel.
• Wind energy percentage contribution to electricity generation in the world:
  • 21% Denmark
  • 15% Portugal
  • 14% Spain
  • 7.5% Germany
  • There’s a 40 MW plant in Gujarat, India run solely on solar power.
  • 17,000 MW contribution by solar power to national grid in Germany.
  • There are large lignite coal fields in Eastern Germany which provide the bulk of the power. However, they’ve a large carbon footprint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4g2VPhRjAI&feature=youtu.be

Nasim Khan VC Hamdard University

Power-Gen Pak Conference 2012

• In 1999, a German company estimated the wind corridor in Pakistan to be worth 50,000 MW.
• Research by an American University put the estimate at 110,000 MW.
• Germany has been able to capture and make use of 17,000 MW of solar energy in spite of the fact that Germany doesn’t get as much sun as Pakistan.
• Due to circular debt, electric companies are unable to afford wind power companies.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6qVKkA-dRc&feature=youtu.be

Saigan Sharif – Additional Secretary of Ministry of Science & Technology:

• Karachi to Gwadar corridor has the potential of 7,000-10,000 MW generation through wind energy.
• Nexus needed between government, research institutes and industry for a workable plan.
• Much of the existing problems are due to lack of understanding between the three.
• Government has its own limits and cannot launch projects based on research by institutes. However it can support them in conjunction with the industry.
• Scientists have the tendency to quarrel amongst themselves for who gets the patent to an invention or innovation.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR-kpByM8EE&feature=youtu.be

Qazi Kamal – Chairman Fuel, Gas, Power Sub-SITE Association

• There are 104 Nuclear power plants in US and 70 in France which contribute roughly 20% of total electricity.
• 35% of power in Western Europe is achieved through nuclear means.
• China has plans to set up 40 nuclear power plants.
• India plans to generate 63,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2032 with the help of General Electric USA.
• Pakistan only gets 712 MW of nuclear energy.
• Pakistan has substantial reserves of uranium, 500 times more than gold in various mines all over the country.
• Pakistan also has 5% uranium enrichment capability.
• 2,000MW energy through KANUP 2 and 3 will be attained.
• 8,000MW is the target for nuclear energy.
• The establishment of Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex will go a long way in attaining self-sufficiency in nuclear energy.

Tahir Saleem – Chairman IEEE:

• Problem with energy usage not energy production.
• KESC has installed capacity of 1260MW but only 600MW of power are being delivered by them.
• WAPDA had planned 40,000MW of electricity by 2010. Hardly 2,000MW have been added.
• 10-15% of energy saving is possible without any investment.
• 22% of energy saving is possible with investment.
• 70% of electrical consumption is by the industry.
• Load lightening devices are available which reduce electrical consumption.
• Government should make it mandatory for the industry to install these devices which will reduce the electrical load on the national grid.
• Co-generation provides 30% additional energy, a strategy which is being used by hotels.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ntFBeYYd9E&feature=youtu.be

Zubair Motiwala – Chairman Board of Investment, Govt. of Pakistan

Zubair Motiwala

• 22,000 MW is the installed capacity.
• Rs.300 Bn circular debt in July, now touching Rs.400 Bn.
• 12 hours of loadshedding in the industrial areas until 2 weeks ago.
• Pakistan has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world – 173Bn which will last 300 years.
• Thar has huge reserves of lignite coal as determined by research carried out by RW Germany.
• Special incentives offered by Pakistan Board of Investment for investing in Pakistan’s coal reserves:
  • 20% Return on Equity
  • 30 years tax holiday
  • No custom duty on import of machinery
  • Sales tax exemption
  • United Energy, 3 Gorges and Engro are some of the companies interested in this investment.
  • In 2015 the first powerplant using the thar coal would be operational.
  • Pak-Chine energy commission has determined that there’s a 80km wide as well as long wind corridor with speeds up to 800 knots, which is more than India.
  • A Turkish company is already operating wind turbines in Sindh which are producing 5MW.
  • 34 more turbines are in the offing which will raise the output to 50MW.
  • Plans are in place to allow duty-free import of batteries to store wind energy.
  • Break-up of contribution to electricity:
    • 1/3^rd Hydel
    • 1/3^rd  Thermal
    • 1/3^rd  Diesel/captive/nuclear

• Contribution of gas to national grid:
  • Sindh 69%
  • Balochistan 13%
  • Punjab 5%
  • Share of gas:
    • 27% Sindh
    • 17% Balochistan
    • 45% Punjab
    • Total production was 3800 mmcf, now 200 mmcf have been added making to 4,000 mmcf.
    • Sindh gets 1150 mmcf and Punjab 1800 mmcf.
    • There are 2700 CNG stations in Punjab while 800 CNG stations in Sindh and Balochistan.
    • Most of these 2700 CNG stations in Punjab are illegal connections given after 2007 and result in shortage of gas as the network has become so much convoluted.  
    • 40,000 of unutilized hydel capacity in Pakistan.
    • 2,000 MW for 300 years possible from Thar coal reserves.
    • 15,000 MW addition expected from Thar coal by 2020.

 TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART……..

Power-Gen Pak Conference 2012

Power-Gen Pak Conference 2012

No related posts.

KARACHI: The father of an army brigadier against whom the army initiated court martial proceedings has requested the government to hold an inquiry into his son’s arrest and direct the concerned authorities to release him. Brig Ali Khan and four other officers were detained in May, 2011 for suspected links to Hizbut Tahrir. Brig Khan [...]

one of the better written articles about Bulleh Shah that i have read in a while.

http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta2/tft/article.php?issue=20110930&page=16

Organically grown Turnip   Photo: Zahra Ali

Home grown Carrots by Siam Rizwan

Even little things, such as consuming farm-grown food, contribute additional CO2 to the environment, and that means we often spend our hard-earned money on things that are detrimental to our planet and our lives. By saying this, I do not aim to discourage the consumption of all farm produce, but I do strongly discourage buying from inorganic farms.

Islamabad: Eggplants growing in a sack at Nadeem Iqbal’s organic garden   Photo: Zahra Ali

1. Prepare your own compost by reusing newspapers, wood shavings, used tea bags, vegetable and fruit peelings, eggshells, plant cuttings, etc.
2. Save seeds from your homegrown heirloom vegetables and herbs to use the next growing season.
3. Reuse empty sacks, bags, plastic bottles, tires and buckets, and just about anything else that can hold 6-12 inches (15-30cm) of soil and has a drainage hole, as planters in which to grow vegetables and herbs.
4. Reuse water used for washing dishes and vegetables to irrigate your garden.

Plastic Bottle Towers by Willem Van Cotthem

If you do not have a plot to start a vegetable garden, consider designing a container garden on your rooftop, balcony, terrace or windowsill. Vertical farming is a growing practice across the world that allows individuals with limited space to create bigger gardens and thus achieve larger yields.

Most of us will not be able to grow enough vegetables to fulfill our daily consumption, but we can definitely reduce our bills and CO2 emissions greatly.
For every 10 lb (4.5 kg) of tomatoes grown at home, you save 20 lb of carbon emitted into the environment and hundreds that you spend in buying it. 

So why not start a vegetable garden before World Environment Day on 5 June 2012? It’s easy and rewarding, and you’ll join the many other people around the world who have made small changes to their lifestyles in order to make a big difference to the planet. 

for more reading:

Reuse, Recycle and Produce: Bottle Gardening in Karachi

How, where and when to plant seeds

Green Economy  Initiative

World Environment Day 

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Tree Hugger

Special thanks to Talib Qizilbash.

By Surojit Gupta for The Times of India

Trade ties between India and Pakistan are expected to get a boost as New Delhi reaches out to the business community across the border, starting Monday to assure them about the positive impact of normal trade ties. Commerce minister Anand Sharma will undertake a rare journey to Pakistan, leading a large delegation of senior officials and top businessmen as the two hostile neighbours take baby steps to normalise trade and economic relations.

The private sector led by industry chambers has put up an “India show”, in Lahore and Karachi – the first ever trade exhibitions from India where over 100 exhibitors are participating. Firms representing pharmaceuticals, textile, gems and jewellery, chemicals and petro-chemicals are showcasing products.

The move is a follow up to the efforts to normalise trade ties. The Pakistan government announced granting of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India in November last year. But, criticism from a section of industry in Pakistan has forced Islamabad to take measured steps on the issue. But, officials said they were optimistic that by the end of 2012, the transition to full MFN status would be complete.

Officials said they will launch outreach programme to assure businessmen in Pakistan that Indian goods will not swamp the Pakistan market if trade is normalised. “We will tell them that there are enough trade safeguards measures to ensure that Indian goods do not flood the Pakistani market. Let us first liberalise trade and see the impact,” said a senior government official.

Pakistan allows exports to India but has a positive list of 1,938 items which are officially allowed to be imported from India. Latest data shows that formal trade between India and Pakistan rose to $2.7 billion in 2010-11 from $144 million in 2001, while informal trade including third country trade is estimated at $10 billion, according to a Ficci status paper. “I have no doubt in my mind that bilateral trade, which currently stands at $3 billion, can be raised to $10 billion if trade through third countries (Dubai, Singapore and Central Asian countries) is channelised into direct exchange between the two countries,” said R V Kanoria, president, Ficci.

The government has undertaken a series of measures to increase bilateral trade. There is a move to open a second gate at the Attari-Wagah border, which is expected to increase the number of trucks crossing the border to 500-600 daily from 150-200 at present. Pakistan has agreed to remove restrictions on the number of commodities traded by the land route once the infrastructure in Wagah is ready, while both countries have agreed to avoid arbitrary stoppage of goods at ports. Suggestions have been made for opening up of an additional land route at Monabao-Khokhara Par on the Sindh border for faster movement of goods.

“We are taking significant steps to improve the border infrastructure. India has invested nearly Rs 150 crore to develop infrastructure at the Integrated Check post near Attari,” said a senior government official. He said the visa regime for business travel is also expected to be liberalised soon with multiple entry visas for 10 Indian cities, along with exemptions for police reporting. The formal announcement is expected to be made soon. Talks to expand trade in petroleum products are progressing, while efforts are also on to start negotiations for trade in electricity between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Both sides have agreed on grid-connectivity between Amritsar and Lahore, which would pave the way for trade of up to 500 MW of power.

Trade experts said they were optimistic about the latest moves and said the effort will go a long way in helping faster regional integration. “The positive spin off for normalisation of trade is enormous. Pakistan has given signals and India now needs to take the initiative. Normalisation of bilateral trade relations will help in putting much of the political bickering on the backburner,” said Biswajit Dhar, director-general at Research and Information System for Developing Countries, an economic and trade thinktank. Experts said there was huge potential for forging joint ventures between Indian and Pakistani companies in sectors such as information technology, fish-processing, drugs and pharmaceuticals, agro chemicals, chemicals, automobile ancillary and light engineering.

Pakistanis for Peace Editor’s Note- The best chance of peace between India and Pakistan can only be achieved through trade and normalization of ties. The India Show at the Lahore International Expo Centre Feb 11-13 will go a long ways to bridging the gap and move us closer to achieving peace one day, which is the best scenario for both nations long term.

Filed under: Desi, India, Pakistan, Pakistanis, Peace, SAARC Tagged: Amritsar, Anand Sharma, Attari, Attari-Wagah Border, Biswajit Dhar, Dubai, Ficci, India, India Inc, India Pakistan Trade, India Show, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Lahore Expo Center, MFN, Monabao-Khokhara Par, Most Favored Nation, Most Favoured Nation, New Delhi, Pakistan, Pakistan-India Relations, R V Kanoria, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, Singapore, The India Show, Trade Tariffs

Noor Khan Hunzai is Executive Chef at a restaurant in Karachi. He has got celebrity status on facebook after participating it an international cooking show, along with other Pakistani and Indian Chefs, on NDTV. Noor Khan prepares the traditional dish, “Burus Shapik”, which is the local name for cheese and bread. He also prepared “Alchin”, [...]

Pakistan leaders in government and business must come to terms with a pressing need for her cities to become more efficient and resourceful to progress and serve its people. Lets start with Karachi, a city known for adapting to changes faster than most. Using technology, we can create a New Karachi, one which stems a [...]

Lets Make Karachi Intelligent is a post from: PakMediaBlog All Rights Reserved.

KarachiTips is not just a trend, but beyond that.
Back in summers 2011, inspired by the international Brotips, several such facebook pages came into existance and so did KarachiTips. It all started when three young enthusiastic individuals decided to give a shot, after getting offended by LahoriTips who were apparently dissing Karachi, and came up with a page of their own to defend their city and show their love for Karachi. In a short time, it became one of the most sought after pages related to our city. Behind all this are hyperactive heads, Abdullah, Baakh and Bilal who are amazing people. They came up with tips as in witty one-liners about life and culture in Karachi to spread the awesomness in the city, and got loved back beyond their expectations. They received immense response. They got attention even more than their parents have ever given them, lol. They’ve been covered by the media, have been organizing events and designed merchandize. They made it to several radio stations, and got featured by online and print media as well. They became celebrities overnights. They sold their shirts at different colleges and universities as well. They’ve been making business of shirts and helping the humanity by giving out all their profits to the flood survivors. They held a couple of contests on their page so that they could appreciate their fans in this way. They’ve made mistakes and learned a lot, as they claim. They’ve had their moments, seriously.
“One of our aims is to bring both positive and negative aspects of our city into the spotlight and portray them via productive humour,” explained Abdullah.
Also, Bilal says, “We want to change mindsets of our people through cultural exchange as we want to bring our people closer together conversing in a single language – of harmony.”
KarachiTips launched their website(pay a visit!) recently, which too is a great hit. Now, the next plan is to come up with a magazine. InshaAllah. They’ve got bigger and better plans for which they wanted some team mates. So, their fans were given a chance to be a part of KarachiTips. I, with little hopes, filled the form and luckly I got selected. I received an official mail from Abdullah, the co-founder, and got tremendously excited.
We’re nearly 80 team members and some of them are really close to my heart.I’ve been making new friends and working with them. Right now, sitting back, all I can do is be thankful. Heh.