Well done, Team Pakistan

The nature of Pakistani cricket fans is such that winning cricket matches isn’t enough for us; we want our players to be unpredictable, flashy and eccentric. That is why a hit-and-miss batsman like Shahid Afridi, equally capable of reaching dizzying heights of brilliance and moments of sheer stupidity, is a folk hero while the solidly dependable Misbahul Haq has never garnered much affection or respect. Now may be the time to change that view. Under Misbah’s captaincy, Pakistan has become what it never was previously: a team that is consistently victorious. If winning series in all three formats of the game against Sri Lanka was not enough to convince the sceptics then nothing will.
Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are teams recovering from the loss of their best bowlers — Sri Lanka to retirement, Pakistan to prison. What our complete dominance showed is that we still have the best bowling reserves in the world. The surprise, though, was the batting line-up. Previous Pakistan cricket teams have had individual batsmen that rank among the best in the world but have also been prone to inexplicable collapses. The current batting squad is devoid of stars but heavy on reliability. As much as we love to moan about Misbah’s slow strike rate, his dependability is the glue that binds the batting. Given that both he and Younis Khan are in the twilight of their careers, it was also very encouraging to see the maturity shown by Azhar Ali and the late blossoming of Mohammed Hafeez’s talent.
Crediting our comprehensive victory against the Sri Lankans to the change at the top of the Pakistan Cricket Board may be premature but going forward it will be a welcome respite to have a chairman who doesn’t seem to go out of his way to antagonise star players. The return of Shahid Afridi, after his pointless feud with Ijaz Butt, also points to a new future, one where infighting and rivalries can be banished and forgotten. Given our history this dawn may be a false one and the cricket team could soon revert to type.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2011.

Diamer-Bhasha Dam: ADB agrees to provide technical, financial support

ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for technical and financial cooperation in the construction of multi-billion-dollar Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
The MoU will be inked next week, said the Ministry of Water and Power after a meeting between Water and Power Minister Naveed Qamar and the Manila-based lending agency’s Director of Energy Wing Rune Stroem on Friday.
Stroem is leading a delegation to assess detailed engineering design of the dam, which will store 8.5 million acre feet of water for irrigation purposes and generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity.
The delegation, the first formal mission on Diamer-Bhasha Dam, will also review the cost component and consider options to make it a bankable project, as the ADB alone cannot finance the full cost estimated at $11.2 billion.
The government and the ADB also agreed to organise roadshows in three different countries with the assistance of international lenders, equipment suppliers and others concerned for seeking co-financiers for the project, said the water and power ministry.
An official of the Economic Affairs Division said the ADB has not yet formally conveyed the exact size of the loan but there are indications that the agency may extend up to $4.5 billion that will meet 40 per cent of financing needs.
After a refusal in 2008, the World Bank also recently expressed its willingness to finance the project, said the official. The US has also committed to financing the project under the Kerry-Lugar Act, but it also has not given the exact size of its share in the financing.
Stroem said the mission was giving highest priority to Diamer-Bhasha Dam and looking for its early execution. Praising the progress made so far on the project and the efforts to resolve related matters, he said the project would help improve socio-economic life of people and bring prosperity in the country.
Naveed Qamar said the ADB’s role as lead financier of the project would help attract other donors and sponsors to fund mega projects in Pakistan. He said the project would be a milestone for the country’s economy and meet water and power needs.
The government is attaching high priority to the project and has completed all formalities for its construction, hinting at its approval at the Council of Common Interests, the highest constitutional body on inter-provincial matters.
Qamar said most of the land for the project had been acquired and the resettlement package was being implemented. The ADB mission also discussed the energy efficiency programme and matters relating to other mega water and power projects being executed by the government with the cooperation of the bank.
Stroem said the bank was also considering various other projects for financial and technical assistance in the water and power sector.
Matters relating to power sector reforms and rehabilitation of electricity generation companies were also discussed. The mission was told that rehabilitation of power companies was under way, which would be completed at the earliest.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2011.

Pakistan ranks second in Arabia Fast Growth 500 list

Pakistan has the second largest number of fast-growing companies among 15 regions including Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, according to 2011 Arabia Fast Growth 500.
A total of 70 companies from Pakistan made it to the list of Arabia500, with Turkey topping the list with 117 companies and Saudi Arabia ranking third with 40.
Arabia500 is a project by AllWorld Network which aims to bring together the fast-growing companies of the world based on their yearly growth, number of employees and revenue generation.
E2E Supply Chain Management tops Pakistan’s list with a growth rate of 1,918% in the Transportation and Aviation Industry between the years 2008-2010. Founded in 2006, the company has a 2010 revenue range of $50-200 million and 297 employees.
Exceed Private Limited comes second in Pakistan’s list with a growth rate of 1,320%, revenue range of $10-50 million and 90 employees in the Construction and Engineering Industry.
Companies from Pakistan which made it to the list include Rozee.pk, Folio3, Vita Pakistan Limited, The HobNob Group, Iqra National University-Iqra Trust and others.
The least number of companies are from Yemen and Syria with one from each, while two companies from Palestine also made it to the list. Other countries in Arabia 500 include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia and UAE.
The winners are invited to the Arabia 500 Awards Ceremony and Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Turkey which takes place from December 3-6.
Companies from Pakistan
Rank Company Name Growth Rate (%) Growth Period Revenue Range Industry
1 E2E Supply Chain Management (Pvt) Ltd. 1,918% 2008-2010 50-200 million USD Transportation and Aviation
3 Exceed Private Limited 1,320% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Construction and Engineering
4 Fund Marketing International 954% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Import/Export Trade
8 Almoiz Industries 477% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Agriculture and Mining
10 Innovative Technologies Pvt. Ltd (Luscious Cosmetics) 392% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Consumer Goods
12 Etimaad Engineering (Pvt) Limited 388% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Construction and Engineering
13 Arbisoft (Pvt.) Ltd. 385% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Software Services and Products
17 Umer Trading Company 337% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Import/Export Trade
20 Rozee.pk 304% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Recruitment and Training
23 Taneez (Pvt) Ltd 271% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Construction and Engineering
26 Student Shelter In Computers 229% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Education
28 i2c Inc 217% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD High-Tech and Telecommunications
32 Empowerment thru Creative Integration (ECI) Pvt Ltd 194% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Professional and Consulting
34 KBK Electronics (Pvt.) Ltd. 186% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Consumer Goods
38 Naya Tel Private limited 173% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD High-Tech and Telecommunications
39 Dawood Family Takaful Limited 171% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Finance and Insurance
43 Sonya Travels (Pvt) Ltd 157% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Travel and Tourism
44 Folio3 149% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Professional, Scientific and Tech Services
45 Medialogic Pakistan 146% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Professional and Consulting
47 Seagold Private Limited 143% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Transportation and Aviation
50 Tradekey Private Limited 136% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Professional, Scientific and Tech Services
55 Karma Enterprises Private Ltd 127% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Textiles and Fashion
57 Frontier Foundry Private Ltd (FF STEEL) 122% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Manufacturing and Packaging
58 Meskay and Femtee Trading 119% 2008-2010 50-200 million USD Agriculture and Mining
60 Roshan Packages Pvt.Ltd 116% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Manufacturing and Packaging
64 Sofizar Private Limited 109% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD High-Tech and Telecommunications
65 SPEL – Synthetic Products Enterprises Limited 105% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD Manufacturing and Packaging
68 ExpressPac Private LTD 98% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Consumer Goods
73 Abacus Consulting Technology (Pvt) Ltd. 83% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Professional and Consulting Services
76 Shaigan Pharmaceuticals Private Ltd. 79% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD Health and HealthCare
78 S. K. Stones Pvt Ltd./Amish Marble 78% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Construction and Engineering
79 Iqra National University-Iqra Trust 75% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Education
82 iTextiles 75% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD Textiles and Fashion
86 City University of Science and Information Technology 71% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Education
91 Cotton Web(pvt) Ltd 64% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Textiles and Fashion
105 Interwood Mobel 52% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Construction and Engineering
106 Southern Travels (Pvt) Ltd 49% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Travel and Tourism
107 Egas Pvt. Ltd 47% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Energy and Power, Water
109 Riaz Textile Mills (PVT) Limited 45% 2008-2010 50-200 million USD Textiles and Fashion
111 Descon Engineering Limited 41% 2008-2010 200-500 million USD Construction and Engineering
116 International Trading Corporation 36% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Import/Export Trade
117 Malang Gas Link 36% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Conventional Energy
125 Inbox Business Technologies 28% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Software Services and Products
127 Mustang Security Services (Pvt) Limited 28% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD Computer Networking and Software
130 City University and Peshawar Model Degree College(Boys) 27% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Education
131 Rawalpindi Flour and General Mills Ltd 27% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Agriculture and Mining
133 Vita Pakistan Limited 27% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Food Industries
134 Techlogix Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. 26% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD Software Services and Products
136 Multilynx 25% 2008-2010 10-50 million USD High-Tech and Telecommunications
148 Remington Pharmaceutical Industries (Pvt) Ltd. 15% 2008-2010 5-10 million USD Manufacturing and Packaging
149 Kestral Trading 14% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Professional and Consulting Services
151 Corvit Networks 14% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD High-Tech and Telecommunications
153 Faysal Asset Management Limited 12% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Finance and Insurance
157 The HobNob Group 10% 2008-2010 < 1 million USD Food Industries
159 Creative Chaos (Private) Limited 10% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Software Services and Products
163 Ideal Distribution Line 10% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Computer Networking and Software
160 Royal Group 10% 2008-2010 1-5 million USD Import/Export Trade
Start-Up to Watch A2Z Creatorz < 1 million USD E-commerce and Web services
Start-Up to Watch Bramerz (Pvt) Ltd < 1 million USD E-commerce and Web services
Start-Up to Watch Gizelle Communications < 1 million USD Media, Publishing and Printing
Start-Up to Watch Hillcrest Solutions (Private) Limited 1-5 million USD Professional and Consulting Services
Start-Up to Watch Mint Consulting Group (MCG) 1-5 million USD Professional and Consulting Services
Start-Up to Watch Moftak Solutions < 1 million USD Software Services and Products
Start-Up to Watch Mustang HRMS (Pvt) Limited 1-5 million USD Professional and Consulting Services
Start-Up to Watch Optimedia Pvt. Ltd. 1-5 million USD Media, Publishing and Printing
Start-Up to Watch Ovex Tech 1-5 million USD Professional and Consulting
Start-Up to Watch LOGIX College < 1 million USD Education
Start-Up to Watch M/s. Saiduddin and Co. < 1 million USD Professional and Consulting
Start-Up to Watch Onstyle Sports < 1 million USD Textiles and Fashion
Start-Up to Watch Smartek < 1 million USD Construction and Engineering

A version of this post originally appeared on ProPakistani.

Air space wars: Three new airlines to fly domestic routes

KARACHI:
The sharp rise in air passengers in recent years has prompted at least three business groups to start their engines and try and capture part of the local aviation industry, officials told The Express Tribune on Friday.
Indus Air, Bhoja Air and Pearl Air are all set to launch flights in 2012 on domestic routes, according to a senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The new entrants will go head-to-head with national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Blue and Shaheen Air to get a foot-hold in the domestic aviation industry.
Indus Air, a fresh entrant, was recently awarded a licence to fly while Bhoja Air is re-launching its operations after a gap of 12 years.
Meanwhile, Pearl Air was among the airlines, which were issued licences in the 1990s when Pakistan adopted the open-sky policy. Pearl Air’s sponsors have finally begun efforts to start their aircraft business.
“We need at least two more carriers,” said a senior CAA official. “Passengers are being subject to longer and longer wait times at airports and flight cancellation has become a norm. Existing airlines operating with a limited number of aircraft are having a hard time dealing with passenger flow.”
Despite an increase in fares, the number of air travellers within the country jumped to 3.6 million in fiscal 2011 compared with 3.5 million in fiscal 2010.
“The dilapidated state of Pakistan railways has forced passengers opt for the aerial route and has added to the pressure on airlines,” official said.
The three airlines will work under stricter controls considering the setbacks small Pakistani carriers faced in the past and the embarrassment suffered by the regulator CAA.
Except for sponsors of Bhoja Air, the people behind Pearl Air and Indus Air have no previous experience in the aviation industry.
Indus Air has also been a subject of various rumours recently, suggesting that the owners had connections with the government. The fact that it managed to get a licence in a very short time added fuel to these rumours. But a senior CAA official who was close to the process said there was no proof to suggest connections between the sponsors and top government functionaries.
The man behind Karakoram Motors, Abdul Wahab, is the lead investor of Indus Air. “He has been wooed into the business by former PIA officials who are on the board of directors of the carrier,” the CAA official said. Wahab was not available for comments.
A general manager at Karakoram Motors’ office said nothing has been finalised as yet. The model of aircraft is still being considered, the official added.
However, according to CAA, the airline has contracted four Boeing 737-300 aircraft from a company in Bulgaria. Aircraft inspectors will shortly fly to the country to review the condition of the aircraft, official said.
Bhoja Air’s Chairman Farooq Omar Bhoja said he cannot say when the airline starts flying. “It’s too early to say anything.” Without sharing details, he said that Bhoja was grounded by CAA in October 2000.
After former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif opened country’s airspace in 1993, Bhoja leased B 737-200s. It was grounded after it started losing money and failed to clear CAA dues.
Bhoja Air has appointed Arshad Jalil as its managing director. Jalil was CEO of Shaheen Air for a longtime and owns an aircraft maintenance company.
Pearl Air was among the airlines, which were issued licences in the 1990s but it never actually flew. However, its sponsors have renewed efforts to get aircraft and restart operations.
When Pakistan adopted the open sky policy, more than 20 airline licenses were issued to different business groups, however, none of them except Shaheen survived.
The last airline to declare bankruptcy was Aero Asia. “We have learnt our lessons,” said the CAA official. “None of the new airlines or the ones renewing operations will be allowed to fly on foreign routes for at least a year.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2011.

Pakistan to become a permanent member of the UN Scientific Committee

UNITED NATIONS: The UN General assembly has unanimously decided to appoint Pakistan as a permanent member of the United Nations Scientific Committee (UNSCEAR), a top international body dealing with nuclear radiation.
A press release of Pakistan Mission to the UN said the 193-member Assembly’s decision is an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s technological advancement in applications of the peaceful uses of nuclear radiations in the fields of health, agriculture, environment and research & development.
The UNSCEAR, which was established in 1955, consists of 27 Member States and is based in Vienna, Austria.
Pakistan had been an observer of this committee since 2007. The committee members are designated to provide scientists to serve as members of the committee which holds formal meetings annually and submits a report to the General Assembly.
The body was established solely to ‘define precisely the present exposure of the population of the world to ionizing radiation.’

US, allies must invest $100 billion in Pakistan for regional development: Mossadaq Chughtai

WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (APP): An economically vibrant Pakistan will be pivot for regional development, so the U.S. and it’s allies must back the country with $100 billion to ease Islamabad’s debt worries and bolster infrastructure,a prominent Pakistani-American business leader said.For it’s part, Pakistan must assign a high priority to ensuring law and order and strive for transparency and good governance to infuse a new momentum into economic growth, Mosadaq Chughtai, who owns businesses both in the United Stats and Pakistan, said.He argued in an interview that at this critical moment, Pakistan needs to take bold new measures as part of the larger effort to stimulate industrial growth and make Pakistani products more competitive in international markets.
“More than anything else, it is a sense of security that matters to investors -I understand some of the problems related to the Afghan war but we cannot wait as other countries are moving forward apace - and we must tighten governance to provoke international intererest in so many potential areas which are awaiting to be explored in Pakistan,” he emphasized.
Chughtai was referring to areas holding out large scale investment promise like energy, water management,infrastructure and industries as well as small and medieum enterprises that strengthen grassroots development and step up bottom-up growth in economies.
Secondly, he noted, Pakistan should roll out a clear plan in it’s internatioal engagement and go for economically-driven approach to foreign relations with major countries like the United States.
“Pakistan is likely to remain a very important strategically located country for regional development as well as for major world powers in the foreseeable future --- Pakistan should say to the United States if we are a critical ally to peace and security in the region, here is what our country needs.
“We have suffered economically and gone through unrest due to war being fought at our doorstep, we need our allies to arrange at least $ 100 billion for our country, $ 60 billion of which will be used to retire debt we owe and the rest of the $ 40 billion would be diverted to boosting energy production and expanding infrastructure facitilies like transport, road and rail networks.”
The entrepreneur, who is one of the directors of the Pakistani
American Leadeship Center, an advocacy group working on the Capitol Hill, felt the Pakistani government should assure the world that it would maintain transparency in the use of such funds and involve them in the process.
On the need for bold new measures, Chughtai proposed that Pakistan waive off duties on import of all machinery which is new and not older than two years, as inflow of modern technology would bolster production, enhance skills of workforce and quickly raise the quality of products and this way add tremendously to the volume of exports.

Pakistan secures two gold, five silver awards at APICTA 2011

Pakistan has won two gold and five silver awards at the 11th annual Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) in Pattaya, Thailand.
ICT firms from Pakistan secured two gold awards in the e-Health and e-Logistics & SCM categories, and five silver awards in the Communication, Financial, Security, e-Inclusion & e-Community and e-Government categories.
The Pakistani team had 18 products competing with 162 products from the Asia Pacific region.
The Center for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) once again swept the awards with gold in e-Health and silver in the Communication, Security and e-Government categories.
Lumensoft Technologies went for gold in the e-Logistics category, with the Infotech Group taking silver in the Financial Apps category and Engro-Orix taking silver in the e-Inclusion & e-Community category.
This is the second consecutive year that Pakistan’s ICT firms have stunned the world with their innovative and creative products and apps in different fields of life and businesses.
Pakistan ICT firms had grabbed seven awards out of 16 categories at the APICTA 2011 held in Malaysia. These included Runners up Awards in Security Applications, e-Inclusion and e-Community, Financial Applications, Communications, e-Government and e-Health categories.
Pakistan had been making their presence felt at APICTA for three years but had failed to make a mark in the renowned regional event.
The APICTA 2011 awards were announced by the Association of Thai ICT Industry and supported by the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA).
Here is the list of APICTA Award winners from Pakistan:
Gold Awards:
Center for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) for e-Health Applications Category
Lumensoft Pvt Ltd for e-Logistics category
Silver Awards:
Center for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) for Security Applications Category
Center for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) for e-Government Category
Center for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) for Communication Category
Infotech Pvt Limited for Financial Applications Category
Engro Foods & Orix Leasing Pakistan for e-Inclusion & e-Community Applications Category
The APICTA Awards were initiated to increase ICT awareness in the international community and to assist in bridging the digital divide.
The APICTA network has 16 member economies and provides an international awards program to showcase innovation, creativity and excellence in ICT in the Asia-Pacific region. APICTA’s member-economies include Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
APICTA provides the region’s ICT entrepreneurs with valuable networking and product benchmarking opportunities, fosters ICT innovation and creativity, promotes economic and trade relations and facilitates technology transfer.
A version of this post originally appeared on ProPakistani.