Wasiq1's Karachi blog : January 2016

Sunday, January 31, 2016

“Qissa Khuwani Nights” at the poolside Mövenpick Hotel from 29th- 31st January 2016 ( Price is PKR 1995+Tax/person)

Mövenpick Hotel Karachi has organized a 3-day Peshawari Food Festival which is called “Qissa Khuwani Nights”. The event has been organized at the poolside from 29th January 2016 till 31st January 2016.

Qissa Khuwani means the “Bazaar of Storytellers”. Inspired by the historic Qissa Khuwani Bazaar in Peshawar, where traders from various ethnicities used to discuss their stories over a cup of kava at the market’s tea houses, the three-day event invites everyone to experience Pakistan’s early history.

The venue has been traditionally decorated with elements of truck art, rickshaw, Lollywood movie posters, bonfire and Peshawari textures. Folk singers and musicians entertained the guests. Stalls of dry fruits and traditional food inspired by the Qissa Khuwani Bazaar have been placed at the venue.

The food for buffet dinner was prepared by the Peshawari Chefs who are flown in from Namak Mandi (Peshawar): Haji Anaar Gul, Haji Anzar Gul, Haji Shafiullah and Qari Abdul Qayoum. Dishes like Peshawari Murgh Yakhni, Patta Kabab, Namkeen Gosht, Lamb Chops, Chicken Sajji, Peshawari Pullao (Kabuli Style), Qabuli Murg Palau, Saag Panner with Paneer Ki Roti, Chapli Kebab, and Kandhari Nan were served at the buffet.

The event was inaugurated by Sikander Mehmood (CEO, Arabian Sea Enterprise Ltd.) and Mirza Mansoor Ahmad (General Manager, Mövenpick Hotel Karachi) along with the team of Mövenpick Hotel Karachi.

Karachi Kings - Dilon ka Badshah

Karachi Kings - Dilon ka Badshah
How many of you supporting #Karachi Kings in first edition of #PSL ?
Posted by Karachi Karachi Hai Yaar on Saturday, January 30, 2016

karachi kings

Dr Asim serves Rs5 billion notice to DG Rangers for releasing copies of canadian passport to media damaging reputation

drAsimHussain-NationalAccountabilityBureau-NAB-corruption-Zardari-PPP_10-6-2015_199788_l

KARACHI: PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain on Saturday served Rs5 billion defamation notice to Director General Sindh Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar.

According to Samaa TV, the notice was served by Advocate Anwar Mansoor Khan , counsel for Asim Hussain. The lawyer accused the Rangers DG of seizing his client’s two passports and keeping him in custody illegally. He said Mr. Hussain was subjected to harassment to extract statement against his will.
He said the passports were returned after an application was submitted with a court. The lawyer said nobody had access to the passports of his client till they were in Rangers custody, adding that releasing copies of the passports to media was an illegal act that was aimed at damaging reputation of Mr Hussain.
The notice further said Rangers had no justification to keep Asim Hussain in 90-day custody. The lawyer noted that people were forced to believe that his client was involved in illegal activities.
The notice further said all these actions were carried out at the behest of Director General Sindh Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar.-SAMAA

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Protesting PIA employees Union gets six Months

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to placate workers, the government on Friday said it had put on hold plans of engaging a strategic partner for the beleaguered national carrier by six months.
Ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan, who is also the chairman of a Senate Special Committee on Performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), announced the high-level decision at a hurriedly conducted news press conference at the Aviation Division in Islamabad on Friday, adding that the airline’s management had six more months to improve performance.
Government only seeking strategic partner for PIA: Dar
The government had on January 22 bulldozed a bill through the National Assembly under which PIA would be transformed from corporation to a corporate company, allowing the government to sell off a significant chunk of the airlines to a ‘strategic partner’.
It had prompted PIA’s workers’ unions to stage a protest by closing all offices of the airlines across the country from January 26. While flights were not disturbed, workers had threatened to halt flight operations from February 2 if the government did not roll back the bill.
On Friday, the government decided to put the bill’s implementation on hold for six months.

Khan said that the process of finding a strategic partner for the airlines had been halted. “Employees of the airlines may immediately call off the strike.”
He went on to assure that the government would protect the rights of workers and that there would be no lay-offs. While inviting employees to resolve issues through dialogue, he warned them that blackmail would not be accepted.
Seeking a strategic investor for PIA
High-level decision
The decision to halt the hunt for a strategic partner was taken during a high-level meeting at the PM House on Friday.
According to an official statement, Premier Nawaz Sharif had chaired the meeting shortly before Khan’s press conference, in which they deliberated over options to stave off the strike.
During the meeting it was agreed that union leaders would be expected to support PIA’s management in reviving the national flag carrier.
Further, it was reiterated that none of PIA’s employees would be laid off nor would they lose their financial benefits and would continue to have job security.
PIA strategic partnership
The meeting also agreed not to engage a strategic partner for the next six months but PIA would be expected to improve its performance during this period.
The meeting asserted that there would be no tolerance for strikes which cause economic losses to the airline in addition to affecting passengers and bringing a bad name to the country.
The meeting further decided that the government would not be blackmailed by PIA unions and associations and if strikes are not called off, PIA would be declared as part of essential services.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2016.

Wanted Uzair arrested entering Karachi

Friday, January 29, 2016

Mubarak Jumma !

Disruption at the 500kV EHT line has caused the #KarachiBlackout : KE

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Pakistan is one of the top three markets in Chevron’s worldwide lubricants portfolio

Company official says Rs2 billion to be injected into country’s business. PHOTO: AL-ATAA MAGAZINE

KARACHI: Pakistan is one of the top three markets in Chevron’s worldwide lubricants portfolio based on its high profit margins, a company official said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Chevron Pakistan Lubricants Chairman Muhammad Najam Shamsuddin said the company will make an equity investment of over Rs2 billion from 2016 to 2018 to upgrade its infrastructure in the country.
Book building: Hi-Tech Lubricants raises Rs1.35 billion
Chevron Pakistan Lubricants is an indirect subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, which is the world’s fourth largest integrated energy company.
The equity investment will be used in upgrading and expanding its lubricants blending plant in the West Wharf area of Karachi as well as other facilities across Pakistan.
“Some people thought Chevron would exit the lubricants industry once it divested its fuel business. Chevron isn’t going anywhere. We are scaling up our investments instead,” Shamsuddin said.
US-based Chevron exited its fuel retail and storage business in Pakistan recently by selling it to Total Parco Pakistan.
Chevron Pakistan Lubricants trades under the Caltex brand in Pakistan and markets its lubricants products in the country under the Havoline and Delo brands.
IPO: Hi-Tech Lubricants to offer 7.25m shares to public
It is one of the major players in Pakistan’s lubricants industry and controls a share of roughly 24%, according to Shamsuddin. Other major players include Shell, ZIC, Total and PSO.
The company will use the new investment to increase its production by over 36% — i.e. from current 55 million litres per annum to 75 million litres per annum. “We see high growth prospects in Pakistan,” he added.
Lubricants are made by mixing additives with base oil. While some companies import base oil, others buy it from local refineries. Additives, on the other hand, are always imported. Some companies import lubricants in the finished form while others operate their own plants to manufacture lubricants locally, including Chevron Pakistan Lubricants.
The company established a chain of 65 oil change facilities across Pakistan during the last 18 months as it no longer operates petrol pumps of its own. “We plan to have up to 150 such facilities by the end of 2017,” he said.
Although he refused to divulge the company’s financials citing its status of a privately held entity, Shamsuddin said last year’s gross profit was Rs3 billion.
This Pakistani bootstrapped his company all the way to IPO
Another major player in the lubricants market – Hi-Tech Lubricants that produces ZIC – is in the process of the initial public offering (IPO). Its gross profit for the last fiscal year amounted to Rs1.3 billion, which is less than half of the gross profit posted by Chevron Pakistan Lubricants.
“We don’t plan to go for an IPO right now,” he noted.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2016.

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Posted by PakWheels.com on Tuesday, January 19, 2016

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Aerial view of Karachi's magnificent Sandspit Beach.

60 Hindu couples tie the knot in mass wedding in Karachi organised by the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC).

A mass Hindu wedding in Karachi, Pakistan, saw 60 couples tie the knot. https://t.co/kFFy5ehUbt https://t.co/XF2PZ4lFRH
— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 27, 2016

Wedding

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Zeb Bangash sings for Katrina-Aditya’s Fitoor

Army Chief visits Corps HQ, vows to make Karachi terror free

COAS General Raheel Sharif is seen chairing a meeting at Karachi Corps Headquarters on January 27, 2016. PHOTO: ISPR

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZueeykWYAAUdQI.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZueeyeW0AAy8mX.jpg

COAS visited Corps HQ Kci,chaired spec security review mtng.Corps Comd,DGISI,MI,Rangers present.Detailed brief re ongoing Kci op incl IBOs-1
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 27, 2016

Appreciated Rangers,other LEAs for successes in improving security envmt.Specially commended int agencies for achieving major breakthrough-2
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 27, 2016

in unearthing various terrorist NWs in a bid 2 dismantle terror infrastructure&sever their linkages with terrorist cells/bases outside Kci-3
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 27, 2016

#COAS vowed to go to any length for a secure& terror free Kci to ensure a peaceful & fearless routine daily life for people of Kci-4
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 27, 2016

#COAS being briefed at Corps HQ Kci about ongoing Kci ops including int based ops-5 pic.twitter.com/Dy6JKE9aS4
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 27, 2016

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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Friday, January 29, 2016

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Wednesday, January 27, 2016