Pak secured second position for People Choice Award at Museum 2022.
The Festival’s goal is to celebrate food, culture, and entertainment while showcasing the diverse populations in the nation’s capital city. The event was a part of the festival’s 2022 Events DC International City Food Festival.
Samosa, chicken tikka, Ghulab Jaman, Firni, and Karak Chai were among the street foods from Pakistan that Washingtonians and culinary critics were introduced to. The executive chef at Shinwari Restaurant, Chef Muhammad Asghar, attended the event on behalf of the embassy.
Ambassador Masood Khan stated, “This is the third time Pakistan has participated in the Embassy’s Chef Challenge and it’s a terrific opportunity to celebrate our cuisine, bridge cultural gaps, build international understanding, as well as exhibit Pakistani products.
We aspire to take our culinary diplomacy to even higher heights. “Winning a place among the top three People’s Choice Awards demonstrates our cuisine’s tremendous worldwide appeal to international palates,” he continued.
Embassy Chef Challenge
The Embassy Chef Challenge, one of Washington’s premier international culinary events, gathered together chefs from various embassies to produce cuisine particular to their countries and compete for the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice Awards. After a cuisine sampling, event attendees choose the winner in the latter category.
Culture Tourism DC’s Embassy Chef Challenge, which debuted in 2009, is an annual friendly competition between embassy chefs from all over the world. During the event, participating embassies present the distinctive tastes of their home nations in a delectable, diplomatic culinary challenge.
The 2022 Challenge provided Washingtonians with an international immersive gastronomic experience, with more than 40 embassies in attendance.
The Cultural Section of the embassy, under the direction of Press & Culture Attaché Maliha Shahid and Head of Chancery Hassan Rabbani, organized the participation of the embassy with the assistance of regional sponsors including National Foods and Savera Works.
Pakistan Calls for New Global Security Framework Amid Nuclear Arms.
“Nuclear disarmament obligations remain largely unfulfilled, as evidenced by the constant shifting of goalposts toward additional non-proliferation measures,” Ambassador Khalil Hashmi told the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security.
The integrity of long-standing rules is eroded by the creation of exceptions and the pursuit of discriminatory policies, according to Ambassador Hashmi, Pakistan’s permanent representative to UN offices in Geneva.
“Military capabilities are assuming a force multiplier character due to growing weaponization and integration across nuclear, outer space, cyber, conventional, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) domains,” he said at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Nuclear dangers were increasing, and war was “returning to the realm of possibility,” he added. He added that a handful of states appeared determined to maintain the status quo in order to maintain their strategic advantage.
As a result, the Pakistani envoy stated that political and military tensions, strategic imbalances, and nuclear threats are on the rise.
In reference to India’s arms buildup, Ambassador Hashmi remarked, “Many of these disturbing trends are visible in South Asia, where the largest state continues to benefit from nuclear exceptionalism and discrimination in the application of international norms and legality.”
He continued, saying that India “continues to be a generous beneficiary of conventional and non-conventional armaments, technology, and platforms.”
According to Pakistani Representative
Nuclear weapons and their delivery methods are no longer isolated, and it is clear that a more robust and equitable international security architecture is needed.
He stated that Pakistan remained dedicated to the universal, verifiable, and non-discriminatory goal of a weapons-free world.
The cardinal principles enshrined in the first special session of the General Assembly dedicated to disarmament, namely that it was the primary responsibility of militarily significant states to pursue disarmament in an equitable and balanced manner and in a way that ensured that no individual state or group of states obtained advantages over others at any stage, were also to be faithfully adhered to and implemented, he continued.
According to Ambassador
Pakistan also underlined its demand that talks on a thorough Nuclear Weapons Convention start right away.
The Conference on Disarmament (CD) agenda item that has been around the longest is a proposal for a negative security assurance (NSA), he claimed.
According to Pakistan, the time is now for treaty negotiations since it has the ability to significantly improve the climate for fostering confidence and reducing tensions.
Cricket fans: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be streamed live in HD.
There are plans for 16 countries to leave their mark in Australia. The tournament will present opportunities for some to win the title and for others to atone for past wrongs.
Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney will serve as the host cities, according to ICC. The Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval would host the semi-finals, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground would host the championship match.
Take a look at all the participating teams:
Australia
England
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
India
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Namibia
Scotland
Ireland
Netherlands
UAE
Zimbabwe
We are hoping that Pakistan can maintain the same pace and win the trophy this year after their spine-tingling journey to the semifinals in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, when they won all five of their group stage matches for their best finish since 2012!
This seems to be a tournament you wouldn’t want to miss! Particularly in light of Shaheen Afridi’s eagerly anticipated return to the Pakistani team and Rauf, Nawaz, Naseem, and Babar’s outstanding performances in the prior games.
The 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be streamed through tapmad, as we previously reported. The entire event will be broadcast live in HD.
Speaking of streaming, tapmad has successfully streamed one significant tournament after another, redefining the streaming experience for users in Pakistan. They recently broadcast the Tri Nations Series, the Asia Cup, and the Pakistan vs. England T20 series in HD.
If you didn’t already know, tapmad is Pakistan’s first OTT platform and has the rights to stream more than 100 live channels in the entertainment, news, and sports categories, in addition to a number of on-demand media. The app, which is accessible on both Android and iOS, is simple to download . They provide a promotional rate of PKR 1 for the first week along with a conventional subscription costing PKR 199 per month. Once you sign up, you have access to all of their media, including channels like Tensports, F1, and others, in addition to watching the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Imran Khan slams PPP and MQM-P for failing to address Karachi issues.
Imran Khan questioned Karachiites whether their issues were addressed by the PPP and MQM-P during a public rally in Karachi’s NA-239 constituency ahead of by-elections.
He urged Karachi residents to vote on their future because the upcoming by-election was a referendum. Imran Khan has urged the entire nation to rise up against the corrupt rulers.
While criticizing the MQM-P, the PTI chief questioned whether MQM-P leaders were satisfied with the coalition they had formed with Asif Ali Zardari. He also questioned whether Zardari had resolved the issues concerning the MQM-P and Karachi residents.
After Long March
Imran khan claimed that the Zardari mafia has made the Sindhis their slaves. He added that after the long march, he will travel to the interior of Sindh to fight for Sindh’s true independence and promised to go to every district in the province.
Khan thanked the residents of Korangi, Malir, and Shah Faisal Colony for turning out in large numbers for the PTI rally and welcoming him to Karachi.
Imran khan stated that after being ousted, he held his second public gathering in Karachi and received overwhelming support from Karachiites.
Imran khan stated that Karachiites are politically conscious, which is why all national-level political movements originate in Karachi.
Khan urge everyone to get ready for a call against the incumbent govt.
The PTI leader claimed that speaking out against the thieves was a form of jihad rather than politics. I’m here to help the candidates for the LB election and the general public get ready for the Azadi March.
He took an oath in front of everyone present saying, “We will always uphold the constitution. We’ll defend the nation’s autonomy. Never will we bow down to anyone but Allah (SWT). Together with Imran Khan, we’ll work to achieve Azadi (freedom), and we’ll be prepared for everything.
“People in Karachi have the highest levels of political consciousness nationwide. At one point, the megalopolis was the center of all political movements. Karachi is the financial center of Pakistan, so when Karachi prospers, so does the entire nation, he remarked.
According to Imran Khan
This time, the PTI, according to Imran Khan, will not occupy a seat on the Sindh opposition benches. He insisted that the PTI would take over both the federal govt and Sindh. He added that the city’s mayor would be from Karachi this time.
Karachi, sadly, was unable to witness peace. “People fell into poverty, while thieves like Zardari grew rich,” he continued.
He claimed that since the coalition administration adopted NRO-2, Pakistan’s foreign debt has increased by a factor of four. “They go in benefit when the rupee devalues because their fortune is in dollars,” he said.
Imran Khan Says
This time, the PTI, according to Imran Khan, will not occupy a seat on the Sindh opposition benches. He insisted that the PTI would take over both the federal govt and Sindh. He claimed that since the coalition administration adopted NRO-2, Pakistan’s foreign debt has increased by a factor of four.
Petrol price in Islamabad may drop to Rs 11 despite Rupees 14% gain.
If the government maintains current tax rates, the price of three major petroleum products, including high-speed diesel (HSD), is expected to increase from Rs 5 to Rs 12 per litre on October 15 for the following two weeks,
Based on current tax rates, it is predicted that the ex-depot price of petrol will decrease by Rs10.75 per litre to roughly Rs214. In contrast, it is anticipated that the cost of HSD will rise by roughly Rs11.50 per litre, to about Rs247.
The cost of kerosene and light diesel oil (LDO) is predicted to increase by Rs4.50 and Rs7.50 per litre, respectively, to around Rs196 and Rs194 per litre.
The cost of importing HSD into Pakistan has grown as a result of the recent decline in benchmark international crude prices, which was accompanied by an increase in the refining margins and premiums on HSD due to refining capacity constraints.
Following production cuts declared by the major oil exporting nations, crude prices have begun to rise once more this week. However, these reductions will result in price changes starting on November 1st.
An official stated that the government could maintain the pricing of petrol and HSD through proportionate adjustments in petroleum development levy (PDL) on these two products, depending on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s comfort level in Washington.
In That Scenario
The gap on HSD would significantly widen while the PDL on petrol would move closer to the maximum level agreed upon with the IMF.
However, in such a scenario, it will be challenging for the government to implement significant increases in PDL on HSD over the following few months to achieve the desired Rs50 per litre.
Therefore, in the lead-up to the January and April deadlines for meeting the Rs50 per litre PDL limit pursuant to the IMF deal, the government would be required to follow the international pricing trend.
Currently
All major goods—including petrol, HSD, kerosene, and LDO—are GST-free as opposed to the usual 17 per cent. However, the government levies a petroleum tax of Rs. 32.42 per litre on petrol, Rs.12.58 per litre on HSD, Rs. 15 per litre on kerosene, Rs. 10 on LDO, and Rs.30 per litre on high octane blending component. Additionally, the government levies a customs fee of around Rs. 22 per litre on HSD and petrol.
In order to raise Rs855 billion during the current fiscal year, the government agreed to commit monthly PDL hikes of Rs 5 per month for both fuels—petrol and high-speed diesel—until they reach Rs 50 in January for petrol and Rs 25 in April for diesel.
Given the economic slump and floods’ severe impact on POL consumption, the aim suddenly seemed difficult to reach.
Ericsson launch graduate program, offering young talent learning.
Future technological leaders in Pakistan are to be fostered by the Ericsson launch Pakistan Graduate Program. The Ericsson Pakistan Graduate Program offers on-the-job, project-based, classroom, and online learning in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and advanced technologies within the advanced connectivity era and as a contribution to the Digital Pakistan Policy, with experts from Ericsson training and supporting young Pakistani talent.
In a fast-changing ICT sector, graduates are receiving significant work experience, skills, and knowledge that allow them to acquire professional project-based understanding.
According to Aamir Ahsan Khan, President and Country Manager of Ericsson Pakistan, “Ericsson has been in Pakistan for 60 years, and contributing to society is one of our strong pillars. The Ericsson Pakistan Graduate Program develops the graduates’ abilities and expertise while empowering them as technology specialists.
Young, inquisitive, and creative graduates are helping the creation of projects that are revolutionizing communication in Pakistan and the region while working alongside top industry professionals at Ericsson.
Communications service providers may fully benefit from connection thanks to Ericsson. Networks, Cloud Software and Services, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Global Communications Platform, and Technologies and New Businesses are all included in the company’s portfolio.
It is intended to assist our clients in going digital, boosting productivity, and discovering new revenue streams. The advantages of mobility and mobile broadband have been made available to billions of people worldwide because to Ericsson’s innovation investments. Both the Nasdaq Stockholm and the Nasdaq New York exchanges list Ericsson stock.
Islamabad-Government closes coal power project due to high fuel costs.
The government recently informed the coal power project’s sponsor, China Communications Construction Group (CCCG), of its choice. The plant’s construction was expected to cost the corporation $542 million.
According to the sources, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has requested the relevant authorities to recommend substitute choices that would be provided to the sponsor instead of the imported coal power project plant.
In order to identify other solutions, the authorities have been ordered to perform feasibility studies. The choice represents a break from Pakistan’s pledge to China in February of this year.
Pakistan has committed to including the 300-megawatt Gwadar power plant among its highest priority plans for paying bills once the project had been put into service.
In an effort to allay China’s largest worry, the government also consented to include the much-delayed coal power project in its top priority plans for paying electricity debts.
Harvest Programs
The early harvest programs that were to be finished during the first phase of CPEC included the Gwadar coal power project(2015-18). However, there were delays since the Chinese insurance company declined to offer loan guarantees because other Chinese coal power projects had payment issues.
During a pre-CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting this week, Ahsan Iqbal went over specifics.
The JCC, which oversees CPEC’s strategic planning, will need to approve Pakistan’s decision before it can make any unilateral changes to a project.
The 11th JCC session should take place before the second week of November when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would travel to China.
Power Plant Using Solar Resources
The government was attempting to schedule the JCC meeting for the final week of October. However, the meeting will once more be held remotely, much like the previous JCC gathering.
According to the reports, the government is thinking of offering the Chinese corporation the choice of building the power plant using solar resources or moving it to Thar.
The choice to build three CPEC power facilities using imported coal eight years ago has proven to be exceedingly expensive, therefore the PML-N-led government is now encouraging the use of local coal.
The Gwadar plant was built to supply electricity to the port city, which experiences load-shedding for 12 to 16 hours a day and imports all of its electricity from Iran.
Around 14MW of the approximately 70MW of electricity Pakistan receives from Iran is designated for Gwadar.
According to sources, the planning minister once more recommended that the Ministry of Finance hurry up and form a special bank account to protect Chinese projects from circular debt.
The government recently paid the Chinese IPPs roughly Rs45 billion, bringing the amount owed by Chinese power plants down to less than Rs240 billion.
These payments are a standard part of clearing the cost of energy production, and the Chinese plants have not received any special treatment.
Update for Security Procedures
Pakistan has updated its security procedures, according to sources, to address the issue of the protection of Chinese citizens and their property.
The Joint Working Group on Safety and Security made the choice last month during a meeting. The updated protocols, however, have prompted worries from the Ministry of Communications.
In order to sign agreements with the Chinese government during the upcoming JCC meeting, Ahsan Iqbal gave the Ministry of Science and Technology instructions to fulfill the necessary paperwork.
Both nations voted to create six sub-working groups on communication technology infrastructure, application innovation, policy and regulation, HR development, cyber security, and radio spectrum regulation during a meeting of the Joint Working Group on Information Technology.
Pak-China Technology Business Forum
During the JCC summit, the Pak-China Technology Business Forum will be formally launched.
Prior to the upcoming JCC conference, Pakistan would attempt to get the revised PC-I of the Mainline-I project of Pakistan Railways approved.
The revised cost estimate from the Ministry of Railways is $10 billion, which is around 45% more expensive than the initial cost. The Ministry of Planning, however, has voiced concerns.
The agriculture industry will receive a lot of attention because both parties anticipate concluding new government-to-government and business-to-business agreements at the upcoming JCC meeting. Pakistan would also ask China for a technology transfer.
LAHORE-Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan celebrated his 74th birthday on Thursday.
Nusrat Fateh Ali was commonly referred to as Shahenshah-e-Qawwal. He was born on October 13, 1948, in Faisalabad. In Pakistan, he was a forerunner of fusion music.
The first musician to combine eastern and western musical influences was Ustad Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan. He brought his Qawali customs to a global audience.
Shahen shah:
His name is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having released 125 albums in total, which is the most by a Qawwali performer.
Qalandar Dum mast, Greetings, Kudos! Tommy dillagi bhooljani page, Kasy da yar na bichry Hon gy km Jany kb, Some of the King of Qawal’s masterworks are Tera in Pakistan.
He received the Pride of Performance award from the Pakistani government for his work promoting music.
At the UK Asian Music Awards in 2005, Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan was presented with the Legends award and the UNESCO Music Prize.
He died of lungs cancer in 1997:
Khan was overweight in his later years; various reports stated that he weighed over 137 kilograms(300 pounds). He had been seriously ill for several months, according to a spokesperson at his U.S. label, American Recordings.
After traveling to London from his native Pakistan for treatment for liver and kidney problems, he was rushed from the airport to Cromwell Hospital in London.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital on 16 August 1997, aged 48. His body was repatriated to Faisalabad, and his funeral was a public affair.
His wife, Naheed Nusrat, moved after the death of her husband to Canada, where she died on 13 September 2013 in Mississauga, Ontario. Khan’s musical legacy is now carried forward by his nephews, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Rizwan-Muazzam.
Karachi: Govt eyes Rs7 trillion via diverse Prize Bonds for finance.
This is in response to the destruction brought on by the floods and the requirement to raise additional funds to deal with their aftershocks.By issuing long-term, 3-year, and 5-year Pakistan Investment Prize bonds on Wednesday, the government raised Rs 218.3 billion in additional funding, above the previously stated objective of Rs 175 billion (PIBs).
After a considerable period of time, the PIBs cut-off yields—the interest rate commercial banks charge the govt for borrowing money—fell by eight basis points on the 3-year bond and by 30 basis points on the 5-year bond. The govt was able to borrow more money than planned thanks to the drop because there was still a strong demand for funding.
As economic activity has now slowed down due to the floods, rehabilitation efforts have not only raised the demand for finances but may also result in a decrease in tax income collection. As a result, the government will rely more on domestic debt, leading to a bigger budget deficit.
According to experts
Commercial banks lowered their cut-off rates downward for the most recent PIB auction. On Monday, the central bank maintained its benchmark policy rate at 15% for the upcoming seven-week period.
The banks bid Rs662 billion in the most recent auction, compared to the government’s objective of Rs175 billion.
By selling the 3-year PIBs, the govt exceeded its objective of Rs60 billion and raised Rs80 billion. At the auction, the bond’s cut-off yield decreased to 13.83% from 13.92% at the previous auction, which conducted on September 14, 2022.
By selling the 5-year PIBs, the government was able to borrow an additional Rs110 billion in addition to the intended Rs60 billion. In contrast to the previous auction, where the cut-off yield for the Prize bonds was 13.39%, 13.09% was used in this auction.
In the most recent auction, the govt received no offers for the 15, 20, and 30-year Prize bonds despite raising an additional Rs 28 billion through non-competitive bids. Ten-year PIB bids were also rejected.
Government has set a goal of raising Rs7.025 trillion
On the other hand, the government has set a goal of raising Rs7.025 trillion over the next three months through the issuance of Sukuk (Shariah-compliant Prize bonds), three-year to 30-year PIBs at fixed and variable rates, and three-month to 12-month T-bills.
In the meantime, the Pakistani rupee ended a 13-day gaining streak as it fell 0.04% (or Rs0.09) on Wednesday to close at Rs217.88 against the US dollar in the interbank market.
In the previous 13 working days, the domestic currency had increased by a total of 9.14% (or Rs21.96).
According to experts, a decline in export revenues and a drop in worker remittances from Pakistan abroad pushed traders to purchase foreign currency at a higher rate in order to pay for imports.
They predicted that the rupee would short-term stabilize around its current levels and then possibly resume an upward trend if Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and the IMF agreed to relax conditions and the nation experienced an early influx of pledges from creditors and the international community in relation to flood relief efforts.
