Author: Ali Qasim

Muharram moon sighting 2021: Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet today.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT- Desk)

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet gather today in Quetta for the sighting of the Muharram-ul-Haram moon which will ring in the new Islamic year, 1443 AH.

Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Moulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad will preside over the meeting, which will be held at the Deputy Commissioner office in Quetta.

The provincial and district Ruet-e-Hilal Committees will also meet, simultaneously, on Monday, at their respective headquarters for the moonsighting.

Information regarding the sighting of the crescent moon should be passed on to Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad on his mobile no 0321-9410041; to Syed Mushahid Hussain Khalid, DG (R&R), Ministry of Religious Affairs, on mobile no 0300-6831822; and to Hafiz Abdul Qudoos, Director (R&R) on mobile no 0333-2697051.

According to astronomical parameters, there is a good chance of sighting the new moon on Monday evening. Thus, the first day of the new Islamic lunar year, 1443 AH, 1st Muharram, will likely fall on Tuesday, August 10.

 

PIA announced discounted fares for Canada-Pakistan Flights.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT- Desk)

The national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has announced discounted fares for Canada to Pakistan flights.The national carrier announced to reduce fares up to 25 per cent for flights from Canada to Pakistan for a limited period.

According to the spokesperson, the passengers from Toronto could avail the discounted fares by August 15.

Earlier in the month, PIA had announced special flight operations for the Najaf pilgrimage starting August 11 where 11 flights will take off with pilgrims willing to visit Najaf ahead of Ashura.

The 11 Najaf-bound flights will operate from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore starting August 11, while the return begins from August 21, the PIA chief Air Marshal Arshad Malik had announced.

CEO of the national flag carrier had said operating special flights specific to religious occasions has been PIA’s custom.

In order to facilitate the pilgrims, such operations are part of the flag carrier’s responsibilities, he said. Malik added that the flights are being arranged after instructions from the federal cabinet and aviation minister.

 

Rich tributes paid to MAJOR TUFAIL SHAHEED’S VALOR ON 63RD ANNIVERSARY

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT- Desk)

Pak Nation salutes the second recipient of Nishan-e-Haider Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed on his 63rd martyrdom anniversary, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Taking to Twitter as the national hero’s martyrdom marks 63rd anniversary, the ISPR said, “His fortitude, determination and valor remain hallmarks of a soldier who dares to fulfill his mission at all costs.”

“Tribute to bravery and resilience of Major Tufail Mohammad Shaheed Nishan- E- Haider. Despite being mortally wounded during combat, he completed the mission and embraced martyrdom setting a noble precedence of valour and determination,” said a statement by the ISPR.

Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed was born in Hoshiarpur, an eastern Punjab city, on 22nd July in 1914 and he earned his commission in the year 1943 for the Punjab Regiment.

In August 1958, he was assigned to counter the Indian offensive and progression in the area of Lakshmipur. The conqueror of Lakshmipur, as Shaheed is also referred to, he carried on with his mission despite heavy resistance and embraced martyrdom.

It was this valor that won him Nishan-e-Haider award, Pakistan’s highest military award bestowed for courage and bravery.

TikTok gets supports from leading stars, demand of lifting the ban strengthens.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT- Desk)

TikTok is most popular app among the youth that can be effectively used to entertain and educate the masses at large, like rest of the world, but in Pakistan app gets routinely banned either by courts or by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The app still remains largely popular among the masses, including showbiz celebrities, who have been vocal against the unjustified bans on one pretext or the other. Famous musician Haroon believes that TikTok holds advantage over others because it connects with the masses at large more than any other app.

I noticed the Health Ministry official account was giving out important messages related to coronavirus and SOPs; and the President set up an official account too. Banning Tiktok is a lost opportunity for the Government and organisations to really connect with the masses and focus on sharing content that can impart positive messages on civic behaviour, health and hygiene and possibly other educational opportunities in the future,” opines Haroon.

According to him, TikTok serves as a vital tool for the promotion of music. “Personally, I am a fan of TikTok. It is the most important tool for promoting music. Thousands of fans interact with me, sing along to my karaoke videos. It helps me stay in touch with music lovers, so I’m obviously disappointed that the app keeps getting banned. Considering so much content is available all over the internet, the ban makes no sense. Why not just ban the internet then? However I would encourage everyone to post good, responsible content on TikTok so we can all enjoy the great content on offer,” adds Haroon.

Supermodel and entrepreneur Mehreen Syed believes that TikTok helps provide a platform to talented content creators in Pakistan. “I’m glad there are so many apps Pakistanis can turn to for entertainment or just to have a good time. In difficult times like these, apps like TikTok provide fun content that one can enjoy. There is so much talent in Pakistan and the creators on TikTok are prime example of that.”

“It is a good platform for creators to showcase their talent so when it gets banned, they are deprived of it. So I hope instead of banning apps for indecent content, authorities can work with social media companies to educate users on how they can post content responsibly,” states Maheen.

Even musician-turned-actor, Junaid Khan, thinks that while creating safe content for consumption is the responsibility of the creators, banning a platform is never the ideal solution. “We should always responsibly create content on different social media platforms as that can ensure a safe environment for everyone. At the same time, I feel banning an entire platform can deprive a lot of good creators,” remarks Junaid.

Youtube sensation Irfan Junejo believes that TikTok has given a voice to millions of users in Pakistan. “I don’t see how banning an app helps anyone. Platforms like TikTok have given a voice to millions of users who can create and enjoy content on the app. There will always be all kinds of content on a platform but banning an app entirely should never be the solution,” observes Irfan.

Samsung to launch two smartphones, smartwatch on 11th August.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore ( NUT- Desk)

South Korean technology giant Samsung is expected to unveil two new foldable smartphones and a new smartwatch on August 11 (Wednesday). This will be the its second big product launch of the year.

Samsung, which was first to introduce foldable technologies in smartphones in 2019, will launch two new devices in the category – Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3, according to industry insiders.

The company is also expected to introduce the S Pen stylus, the signature feature of the premium Note series phones, to the new foldable devices to attract more niche professional users. Samsung, which holds nearly 75 per cent of the foldable smartphone industry, currently offers three foldable models.

The IT and mobile communications arm at Samsung reported a 22.4 per cent quarterly decline in sales in the April-June period to 22.7 trillion Korean won ($20 billion), influenced by a “component supply shortage” in the industry as well as “production disruptions in its Vietnam factory”.

The company said it plans to achieve “solid revenue and profit by boosting the competitiveness of the product line-up with the launch of new foldable models and the expansion of mass market 5G phones”.

 

Samsung is unlikely to release its Galaxy Note series smartphones at the upcoming event to reduce production pressure on the company. Samsung usually issues its Note series, one of its best-selling models known for its stylus S Pen, in August every year.

The company is expected to launch its new smartwatch Galaxy Watch 4 that will come with a combined operating system from Google and Samsung. To challenge the dominance of Apple Watch, which has been the best-selling smartwatch for many years, Samsung has merged its Tizen OS with Wear OS.

Samsung will launch new Galaxy Buds 2 to compete with the likes of Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro. Being developed under the codename ‘berry’, the new buds will be able to connect to multiple devices at the same time, according to a report by TechRadar. They will be priced about $175, according to MySmartPrice.

New products will help the company to diversify its current portfolio and attract more customers while strengthening its premium line-up of electronic devices.

Pakistan Post open Amazon facilitation centres.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore ( NUT- Desk)

Pakistan Post has opened Amazon Facilitation Centres in various major cities to boost online business in the country.

According to Pakistan Post, Facilitation Centres were established in Islamabad General Post Office (GPO), Peshawar GPO, Karachi GPO, Gujrat GPO, Multan GPO, Gujranwala GPO, Sialkot GPO and Faisalabad GPO.

The initiative was aimed to promote e-commerce in the country and boost exports. Pakistan Post will transport sellers’ consignments from their doorstep to various warehouses of Amazon.

These Facilitation Centres have all the facilities for collecting and scanning the sellers’ products and delivering ahead to various warehouses of Amazon in the world.

Pakistan Post office has been formally authorised as the delivery partner of the global e-commerce giant. It would promote e-commerce in the country, and help boost exports, making Pakistani products now available to millions of consumers globally.

It is pertinent to mention that E-commerce is the best opportunity especially after Covid-19 pandemic as online buying and selling is increasing rapidly.

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Air Link Communication Ltd. Plans Pakistan’s Biggest Private Sector IPO.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

The IPO will be the largest since Interloop Ltd. raised about Rs5 billion in 2019.

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Air Link Communication Ltd. plans to raise at least Rs5.85 billion ($36 million) through an initial public offering this month, which would be the largest from a non-state firm in Pakistan.

The Lahore-based company plans to sell new and existing shares at a price between 65-91 rupees each, Chief Executive Officer Muzzaffar Hayat Piracha said in a reply to queries. It will take investor orders on August 30 and 31 and then price the offering.

Pakistan has seen a record streak of IPOs this year. Air Link, which started operations about a decade ago and has since become one of the largest distributors of phones in the country, saw sales rise 50 percent to 3.6 million units in the year ended June.

The company plans to issue 60 million new shares and Piracha will sell 30 million from his holdings, said Kamran Nasir, CEO at JS Global Capital Ltd., consultant and bookrunner to the transaction.

Air Link, which has also recently expanded into mobile assembling, plans to use the funds to expand its distribution network. It aims to have 150 outlets by 2026 from 14 currently, which will boost margins together with the assembly business, said Nasir.

The company expects its revenue to triple to Rs129 billion rupees and net income surging 500 percent to 9.2 billion rupees by fiscal 2025 from 2020, according to Nasir.

Air Link has been in the distribution business for a decade working with top smartphone brands like Samsung, iPhone, Huawei, Xiaomi, Alcatel, TCL, Tecno & iTel. The production plant has the capacity to produce 6 million units per year.

It must be mentioned that the company has recently expanded into the mobile manufacturing facility in March.

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PTA begins additional spectrum Sale Process for better service in GB & AJK and raising funds.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

In an effort to raise one billion US Dollars for government, Pakistan telecommunication authority has begun the process for the sale of additional spectrum to mobile phone companies.

The citizens of Gilget Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir will have better internet and call services as the new spectrum will be applicable for enhancing telephony and broadband services in Pakistan only as these frequencies will be applicable for the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

PTA has issued the Information Memorandum (IM) to all the four mobile operators in country, offering each megahertz (MHz) in the 1,800 MHz band at $31 million and one mega hertz in 2,100 MHz band at $29m. The PTA is offering 12.8 MHz spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band and 15 MHz in 2,100 MHz band.

At the current base price the government is likely to get a minimum of $832m from the total sale of 27.8 MHz, if there is no competition among the four mobile operators.

The mobile operators will have to submit sealed bids within 35 days (mid-September). The whole process is expected to be completed in three months. The IM has also introduced an upper cap for the 1,800 MHz band on the mobile companies to restrict abuse of dominant position or giving advantage to any company with stronger financial position.

The limits on obtaining the spectrum of 1,800 MHz band has been set after taking into account each mobile company’s existing spectrum.

PTA has highlighted that Jazz will be able to bid on up to 5.2 MHz spectrum only as the company was currently using 24.8 MHz spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band while Zong will be able to bid on up to 7.4 MHz as it was currently using 22.6 MHz spectrum. Telenor and Ufone are not constrained by this spectrum cap as each of them currently holds less than 10 MHz.

SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY STARTS FILMING FOR ‘MS. MARVEL’.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Oscar Award Winner, Pakistani Film maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has given a personal glimpse into the sets of Disney’s highly-anticipated upcoming series Ms. Marvel. 

Taking to Instagram to share a special picture of herself with a clapboard, the filmmaker said, “On the set of #MsMarvel,” leaving Marvel fanboys and fangirls excited about the upcoming show that features Marvel’s first Muslim superhero, Pakistani-American teenager Kamala Khan aka Ms Marvel.

One of the pictures includes Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy posing with cinematographer Jules O’Loughlin, and of her director’s chair on which sits a bag that cheekily reads, “Chief Trouble Maker”.

The series, which was first announced in 2019, is expected to hit Disney+ in late 2021 and is helmed by Sharmeen along with Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, and Meera Menon.

The cast includes newcomer Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel, Rish Shah, Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Nimra Bucha, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Naki, Azher Usman, and Travina Springer among others.

James Anderson dethroned kumble to become 3rd highest wicket taker in history

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

England’s legend fast bowler James Anderson has surpassed India’s Anil Kumble (619) to become the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

The 39-year-old Anderson achieved this milestone after dismissing KL Rahul on Day three of the first England-India Test at Trent Bridge.

With 621 wickets, the England paceman is only behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warner (708) on the list of highest wicket-takers in the longest format of the game.

He finished with figures of 4/54 in the first innings, taking wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rahul and Shardul Thakur.

Before the start of first Test, he had expressed the desire to play in his 40s. “I still love turning up every day at training, putting in the hard yards and being in the dressing room with the lads trying to forge a win for England. That’s all I’ve really ever bothered about and what I’ll keep trying to do.”

It must be noted Anderson has been playing Test cricket since 2003.