Posts

Showing posts from October, 2017

Will Gwadar Grow to Become a Major Metropolis Like Shenzhen?

Image
"We believe Gwadar is following in the footsteps of Shenzhen which represented a historic population rise, from a population of 30,000 in 1980 to 11 million people in 2017. Gwadar is poised to see massive population growth due to incoming industries, and we expect this to be one of the most strategic cities in South Asia." Hao-Yeh Chang,  China Pak Investments Corporation Gwadar: The Next Shenzhen? Gwadar is booming. It's being called the  next Shenzhen  by some and  the next Hong Kong  by others as an emerging new port city in the region to  rival Dubai . Land prices in Gwadar are skyrocketing, according to  media reports . Gwadar Airport  air traffic growth  of 73% was the fastest of all airports in Pakistan where overall air traffic grew by 23% last year, according to  Anna Aero publication .  A new international airport is now being built in Gwadar to handle soaring passenger and cargo traffic. Recent Aerial View of Gwadar Hammerhead Growth Gwadar Property

Pakistani Academia's Growing Interest in Decolonizing Minds

Image
There is increasing recognition in Pakistan and other nations colonized in the past by the West of the need to " decolonize knowledge " and to deal with the entrenched "injustices inherited" from colonial masters. Language is being recognized as a "library of ideas" essential for creation and transmission of knowledge in former colonies. Habib University Conference: Habib University, Pakistan's leading liberal arts institution of higher learning, is leading the way forward with "Postcolonial Higher Education Conference (PHEC)", an annual conference held each year at the university's Karachi campus since 2014. The conference attracts scholars from around the world. This year’s PHEC's theme was “Inheritance of Injustice” to highlight the results of historical injustices seen today in many facets across the world, from economic and ecological to geo-political, according to report in Newsline Magazine .  The conference featured

Diwali in Silicon Valley

Image
Brightly colored festival gift displays at major retail stores and poor air quality in Silicon Valley are reminding Indian-Americans this year of  Diwali celebrations  at home. Big box retailers like Costco know their customers. Merchandizers working for them are stocking up their local Silicon Valley stores with products most in demand before Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, to cater to a  sizable population  of Indian-Americans in the Valley.  A variety of Indian mithais (sweets) and spicy snacks are on display at major mainstream retail stores that are competing with the traditional Indian supermarkets for business. Stores like Costco are now also carrying raw or prepared daals, rice, vegetables, flour, naans and chapatis. Diwali Gift Display at a Silicon Valley Costco Adding to the ambiance is the particulate matter from multiple major forest fires in the San Francisco Bay Area that are still not under control after several days of fire fighting.  Tragically, the fire

Pakistan Meat Industry Experiencing Strong Growth

Image
Pakistan per capita meat consumption has nearly tripled from 11.7 kg in 2000 to 32 kg in 2016. It is projected to rise to 47 kg by 2020. Rising Incomes and Meat Consumption: Pakistan's per capita meat consumption has nearly tripled from 11.7 kg in 2000 to 32 kg in 2016. It is projected to rise to 47 kg by 2020, according to a paper published by the United States National Library of Medicines at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).   Organization for Economic Development (OECD)  explains that meat demand increases with  higher incomes  and a shift - often due to growing urbanization - to food preferences that favor increased proteins from animal sources in diets. Meat Production in Pakistan. Source: FAO The  NIH paper  authors Mohammad Shoaib and Faraz Jamil point out that Pakistan's meat consumption of 32 Kg per person is only a third of the meat capita meat consumption in rich countries like Australia and the United States. A study published in  Proceedings o

Pakistani Hindu Women Ride High On Thar Development Wave

Image
As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl today, the  Thar development boom  is empowering Pakistani Hindu  women with jobs in nontraditional occupations  ranging from engineering to truck driving, according to multiple media reports. These pioneering women will hopefully be a source of inspiration for young girls. Thar Development: Thar, one of the least developed regions of Pakistan, is seeing unprecedented development activity in energy and infrastructure projects.  New roads, airports and buildings are being built along with  coal mines and power plants  as part of  China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) . There are construction workers and machinery visible everywhere in the desert. Among the key beneficiaries of this boom are  Thari Hindu  women who are being employed by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) as part of the plan to employ locals. Highlighted in recent news reports are two Hindu women in particular: Kiran Sadhwani, an engineer and Gulaban, a

Khwaja Asif Defends Pakistan Policy at USIP in Washington D.C.

Image
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khwaja Mohammad Asif was a featured speaker at an event organized by Washington-based think tank USIP (United States Institute of Peace) where he was interviewed by Dr. Moeed Yusuf. The topics of discussion ranged from US-Pakistani relations and President Donald Trump's new Afghan policy to Pakistan's ties with Afghanistan and India. Foreign Minister Asif with Dr. Moeed Yusuf at USIP in Washington Here are some of the key Points made by Mr. Asif at this event held in Washington D.C. on Oct 5, 2017: 1. US funded, armed and trained militants to fight the Soviets in 1980s as part of the Cold War, then walked away without helping to rehabilitate them and left it to Pakistan to deal with them. 2. Pakistan does want to deal with these militants who are a liability for the country. Pakistan is working on finding the best way to do it. 3. US domestic politics prevents action on gun violence but Washington expects Pakistan to demolish all

Saran on India-Pakistan Ties; Gen Mattis in India; Tourism in Pakistan

Image
What does former Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran say about ties with Pakistan in his recent book "How India Sees the World: Kautilya to the 21st Century"? Why have "low-hanging fruit" issues between India and Pakistan like Siachin and Sir Creek not been resolved? Whose fault is it? Who in India torpedoed solutions agreed with Pakistan at the last minute? Why does ancient Indian thinker Kautilya, regarded as the Indian Machiavelli, dominate foreign policy thinking in India with regard to Pakistan and Afghanistan? Why did US Defense Secretary General James Mattis go to India? What was his agenda relative to India's role in Afghanistan and cementing US-India defense ties? Why does Indian security analyst Prof Bharat Karnad say that India "severing relations with TTP will mean India surrendering an active card in Pakistan and a role in Afghanistan as TTP additionally provides access to certain Afghan Taliban factions"? Did Mattis ask India to