Samsung all set to assemble smartphones in Pakistan by year-end

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Hammad Azhar congratulates Lucky Group, Samsung on entering into joint venture to manufacture smartphones in the country

In August last year, Hammad Azhar, who was industries and production minister at that time, had met with Samsung Pakistan MD and CEO. “Smartphone production in Pakistan is multiplying following DIRBS [Device Identification Registration and Blocking System] implementation and Mobile Policy launched recently,” he had tweeted after the meeting.

“They [Samsung Pakistan MD and CEO] appreciated both policies and are now actively considering setting up a smartphone assembly plant in Pakistan,” he added.

The DIRBS allows the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to stop the use of smuggled mobile devices. All mobile devices being connected to local networks using local SIMs are subject to registration within 60 days from their first use on a local mobile network.

Earlier last year, Pakistan was ranked as a 4th Generation Regulator (G4) by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), making it the only country in South Asia to have achieved the status. Of the 38 economies in Asia-Pacific, only 8% have managed to achieve the G4 status.

In the ITU report “Global ICT Regulatory Outlook 2020 (GIRO)”, Pakistan scored 88 out of 100. The country is also among the top five regulators in the Asia-Pacific region with a global rank of 48. The GIRO is built on data provided by 193 countries, which forms the basis of ‘ICT Regulatory Tracker’. The tracker is an evidence-based tool that helps decision-makers and regulators monitor the rapid evolution of ICT regulation.

Recently, Bangladesh has started exporting locally assembled mobile phones to the USA, thus joining Vietnam, India and Indonesia. Mobile phone exports out of Vietnam have surged to over $60 billion. India’s mobile phone exports – $3 billion in 2019 – are targeted at $110 billion by 2025, creating thousands of jobs.

Pakistan’s manpower cost is reportedly one-third of the Chinese and it is the seventh-largest market of mobile phones. In 2019, over 28.2 million mobile phones were imported legally into Pakistan – thanks to the full introduction of DIRBS by PTA in early 2019, which helped to control smuggling. In addition, around 12 million sets were reportedly assembled in the country.

The demand for high-quality affordable internet-enabled devices is surging as the internet is getting integrated into the lives of young tech-savvy individuals. Nearly 40% of the population has yet to cross the age of 15 and start looking for their own smartphones. Seventy-six million mobile broadband users in Pakistan today can easily double to 150 million by 2025.

As per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, mobile-phone imports reached half a billion dollars in the Jul-Nov period of 2019. At this pace, full-year imports are expected to be over $1.2 billion. Promoting local manufacturing, together with exports, will start balancing that import bill.

In December last year, VIVO had also said that it will be setting up a manufacturing facility in Pakistan. The development was announced by Hammad on Twitter.

Samsung all set to assemble smartphones in Pakistan by year-end
Samsung all set to assemble smartphones in Pakistan by year-end

Pakistan’s active coronavirus case count near 50,000

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK) Another 30 people have died in Pakistan due to the global coronavirus epidemic, while 2,452 new cases have also been reported. The number of active cases is nearing 50,000, with the current figure recorded at 48,850.

The National Command and Operation’s daily data sheet on coronavirus from Monday morning showed that 49,503 COVID-19 tests were taken across the country in the last 24 hours. Of them, 2,452 came back positive.

 

According to the official portal, the positivity rate stands at 4.95%.

The number of deaths from coronavirus in the country has reached 22,811 and the total number of cases has reached 991,727. During the last 24 hours, most deaths occurred in Sindh followed by Punjab. Out of the 30 deaths in the last 24 hours, 21 people died on ventilators.

The total active coronavirus cases in Pakistan are 48,850 as of July 19. The active case count in Sindh is 19,655, in Punjab 17,178, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 7,168, in Islamabad Capital Territory 1,916, in Balochistan 1,962, in Gilgit-Baltistan 612 and 1,012 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

NCOC’s daily stats show that 903 patients have recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, pushing the total number of recoveries in Pakistan to 920,066. There is no patient on the vent in Balochistan.

Punjab Police finalizes the Eid-ul-Adha Security Plan. Nearly 47000 officers and officials will perform security duty.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT Desk)

IG Punjab chaired a video link conference on Eid-ul-Adha security plan, CPEC projects and security of Chinese citizens.

On Eid-ul-Adha, about 47,000 officers and personnel will be on duty for the security of 25,672 mosques, imambargahs and Eid congregatios in open spaces across the province.

On Eid-ul-Adha, notification has been issued to cancel the leave of officers and personnel posted in the field formations of Punjab Police.

Inspector General of Police Punjab Inam Ghani has said available resources should be utilized for the security of Eid gatherings at mosques, imambargahs and open spaces across the province on Eid-ul-Adha while special attention should be paid to the security of cattle markets and traffic management. He issued these instructions while presiding over a video link conference today while giving instructions to all RPOs, CPOs and DPOs of the province. The IG Punjab stressed that complete checking and clearance of sensitive mosques, imambargahs and other Eid gatherings should be ensured before Eid prayers while snipers on the roofs of A category mosques and imambargahs and commandos in plain clothes inside Eid gatherings should be   deployed while immediate action against violators should not be delayed while strictly enforcing the ban on collection of sacrificial skins by unauthorized or banned organizations.

During the meeting, Additional IG Operations Sahibzada Shehzad Sultan while briefing IG Punjab said that on Eid-ul-Adha, there will be Eid gatherings at 25672 mosques, imambargahs, minority places of worship and open spaces across the province and around 47 thousand police officers and officials shall  perform security duties during this event . He further said that 250 Gazetted Officers, 537 Inspectors, 1680 Sub-Inspectors, 3171 ASIs, 2387 Head Constables, 27869 Constables, 9093 Police National Volunteers, 3329 Special Police and 222 QRF Teams will also be deployed at the sensitive places whereas 242 walk through gates, 12373 metal detectors and 10640 CCTV cameras shall also be installed for security purposes.

In addition, IG Punjab has issued orders to cancel the leave of all officers and personnel posted in the field formations of Punjab Police on Eid-ul-Adha to protect the lives and property of the citizens and maintain an atmosphere of law and order.  In a letter sent to all RPOs, CPOs and DPOs, it has been directed that on Eid-ul-Adha, the citizens go back to their home areas and safety of their homes is  the responsibility of the police.  No officer or official will be able to go on leave on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha ,he added.

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WhatsApp rolls out new feature making conference calls more easier

Posted on by Ali Qasim

WhatsApp rolls out new feature making conference calls more easier

Lahore (NUT DESK)

WhatsApp is here with a new update feature that makes conference calls easier than ever before. The new feature ensures no one misses a group call again by allowing users to join video calls even after they have already begun.

Head of Facebook Will Cathcart took to Twitter to announce the exciting new update.The feature was much-requested by many users who expressed anxiety on spontaneous group calls that had to be accepted or rejected upon receiving the call.

WhatsApp is aiming to make communications easier and user friendly as the pandemic is increasing distances. Joinable calls will reduce the stress of answering a group call as it starts and gives people the choice of when to join. Joinable calls will allow you to become a part of the conversation at any time you wish. You can also drop off or re-join so long as the call is still ongoing.

A call info screen will allow you to see who is already in the call or is invited but hasn’t joined.You can even join group calls later from the CALLS tab in the App. Simple select join and you’ll be part of the group call.The feature is all set to roll out on July 19 and is available on Android phones running version 4.1 or newer.

PAK president Arif Alvi is now on TikTok

Posted on by Ali Qasim

PAK president Arif Alvi is now on TikTok

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

The President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi has joined the popular video-sharing platform TikTok, he confirmed via his official Instagram account.

The president uploaded a video of himself on Twitter to make the announcement and wrote that the purpose of him joining the app is to spread the message of positivity among the youth of Pakistan.

“To spread the message of positivity & motivation for the youth of Pakistan, we will keep pushing inspiring videos for the TikTok users,” he wrote. Link of his tweet is below.

It should be recalled that earlier this month, the Sindh High Court had suspended the app. The decision was later reversed.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer seeking a ban on the app had said that the Peshawar High Court had earlier banned TikTok too as some videos uploaded on the platform are “immoral and against the teachings of Islam.”

The lawyer had said his client had approached the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) before moving the court, however, the PTA did not do anything in this regard.

Fawad slam ban

After the SHC ban on the app, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had lashed out at the verdict banning TikTok across Pakistan till July 8, terming it “judicial activism”.

Taking to Twitter, Chaudhry had warned of consequences Pakistan will face in case it did not carry out judicial reforms.

“Pakistan will never come out of its economic crisis if judicial reforms are not undertaken,” he had said on Twitter.

“I’m baffled after reading yesterday’s verdicts on suspension of TikTok and the removal of the NBP president, and can’t help but wonder: what are our courts doing?” asked the information minister.

Chaudhry had noted that Pakistan, already, was suffering from losses worth billions of dollars due to “judicial activism”.

Imad Wasim becomes eighth Pak Bowler to reach 50 T20I wickets Landmark

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Imad Wasim becomes eighth Pak Bowler to reach 50 T20I wickets Landmark.

Lahore (NUT-Desk)

Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim has become the eighth Pakistani bowler to claim 50 wickets in the shortest format of the game.

The left-arm spinner took two wickets in the second T20 against England to complete his half century of wickets. Imad had dismissed Jason Roy (10) and Dawid Malan (1) in the first 15 balls of the match to give Pakistan an early breakthrough.

Wasim is just four wickets behind Sohail Tanvir, who took 54 T20 wickets. Wasim’s 50 wickets have come at an average of 23.06 and an economy rate of 6.40 in 51 matches.

He started his career in 2015 and has bowled 180 overs and gave 1153 runs with the best bowling figures of 5/14 against West Indies.

According to a report, his economy rate is the second-lowest among Pakistani bowlers to pick up at least 50 wickets and only former spinner Saeed Ajmal has a better economy rate of 6.36.

Pakistan eye series win against England in T20 final today.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Pakistan eye series win against England in T20 final today.

Lahore (NUT-Desk)

Pakistan have to fight back to take the T20I series from England when both teams meet tonight at Old Trafford, Manchester to play the third and final match.

Both teams have won one match each – Pakistan by 31 runs in the first match at Nottingham on Friday and England by 45 runs in the second at Leeds on Sunday.

Pakistan still has a chance to win the T20I series and take revenge from England after going through a humiliating clean sweep in the three-match ODI series.

Pakistan have always been ahead of other countries in this shortest format of cricket by playing the most T20Is and winning the most number of matches. They have played 172 T20I matches so far, while no other country has played even 150 matches.

Similarly, Pakistan is the only country in the world to record one hundred or more victories as they have won 105 games so far in this format.

Unfortunately, they do not have an impressive record against England in T20 International cricket as they have won only six matches out of 12 against England, with one match tied and one with no result.

Despite having a batting powerhouse, consisting of young and energetic players along with experienced allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan depend only on their skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Both batsmen are displaying good form.

Pakistan also have a battery of fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain and Haris Rauf and the services of good spinners Shadab Khan and Usman Qadir, but they have not been lucky enough to bowl to give a tough time to the opponents. Now, both teams are facing each other in their 21st mutual Twenty20 International tonight and it will be an interesting encounter.

Ali Zafar honors inner Korean Pop Star ‘K-pop’ with his new project.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Pak Star Singer Ali Zafar sent both his and K-pop fans in a frenzy after teasing a new look inspired by the smash hit genre on his social media platforms.

Singer Ali Zafar is channeling his inner Korean pop star look in his latest social media update. Turning to his Instagram on Saturday, the Rockstar hitmaker shared his all-new look donning ripped jeans and a printed black jacket.

Promising something special this Eid, Ali Zafar shared photographs of himself on the set of the secret project. “Onset! Get ready for something smashing this Eid,” he said. More pictures made their way on fan accounts, including some of him getting a special haircut for the project.

The Singer turned Actor then turned to the microblogging app once again to share his final look for the project, debuting his ode to K-pop!

“K-Pop in Pakistan?” teased Zafar.

Needless to say, thanks to korean singer’s immense popularity, the tweet proved to be a hit, however, left Pakistani K-pop fans divided over the look. While some expressed excitement about the upcoming project, some were left unimpressed.

Some even speculated whether Ali Zafar had managed to score collaboration with some K-pop stars.

“GIVE US MORE DETAILS ARE YOU GONNA COLLAB FOR NOW BTS IS IMPOSSIBLE BUT YOU CAN COLLAB WITH SUPER JUNIOR YESUNG CUZ HE NOTICED PAKI FANS TWO TIMES,” tweeted one excited fan.

PTV completes recording of Eid-ul-Adha programs!

Posted on by Ali Qasim

PTV completes recording of special Eid-ul-Adha programs

Culture Minister Khayal Ahmed Castro and leading singers and comedian also featuring in the Eid exclusive program.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) PTV Lahore Current Affairs Department also recorded a show full of entertainment and humor in the special programs of Eid-ul-Adha. The producer of this show is Syeda Maryam Shah. The show features important political, social personalities and showbiz stars. The current affairs department of Pakistan Television Lahore Center has also arranged to present a colorful and entertaining program for its viewers on Eid-ul-Adha, which will be aired on state TV on the occasion of Eid. In this regard, recording of these programs has been completed at Lahore Center. These Eid-ul-Adha programs will be aired on Chand Raat and three days of Eid. Producer Syeda Maryam Shah’s Eid show is hosted by Ejaz Waris and Qara-ul-Ain and its guests include Punjab Culture Minister Khayal Ahmed Castro and showbiz personalities. While comedian Sakhawat Naz, Singer Malko and Saira Naseem will present their performances.

With 6,000+ units sold, realme C21 is the True Quality King in the Entry-level Segment

Posted on by Ali Qasim

With 6,000+ units sold, realme C21 is the True Quality King in the Entry-level Segment

 The price drop of realme C21 to PKR 19,999/- was a huge hit among consumers, with over 6,000 units sold.

 Lahore (NUT Technology) Reliability, performance, affordability, and top quality are the key decision-making factors for young users when choosing a smartphone in this day and age. With the emergence of new technologies, the competition in the smartphone industry has expanded to new heights resulting in a heavily saturated market which has made it an undeniably perplexing experience for consumers to determine the best smartphone that fits all of their needs.

realme, the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand that has time and again proven to be a market force in high-performing yet affordable devices, has made this tiresome decision-making process exceptionally easier for young consumers with the launch of realme C21 – the world’s first smartphone with TÜV Rheinland High Reliability Certification. The phone’s new price of PKR 19,999/- has raked in more than 6,000 units in sales, making it the ultimate favorite device in this price segment.

The TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High Reliability Certification sets a high-quality standard for consumer electronics as well as industry standards for major markets around the world. The TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High Reliability Certification contains 23 major tests, including;

  • 12 Daily Use Test Scenarios, such as drop, wear and tear.
  • 7 extreme environment test scenarios, such as super high and low temperature, high and low humidity, voltage fluctuation, button life, static electricity, and air pressure.
  • 4 Components Reliability Test Scenarios.

realme C21 has validated itself to be the most reliable and top-quality entry-level smartphone not only by being the first recipient of TÜV Rheinland High Reliability Certification but also due to the astounding specifications that it holds. This extremely capable smartphone comes with leap-forward features like AI Triple Camera with Super Nightscape, 6.5” HD+ mini drop full-screen, Octa-core 12nm 2.3GHz processor, and a large 5000mAh battery. realme C21 is a powerhouse of a device that is designed to bring groundbreaking experience to youngsters at a price that is hard to challenge making it an entry-level smartphone king at an unbeatable price of PKR 19,999/- only.