Discovering Pakistan

 

Munaza Kazmi

Pakistan is a beautiful country, filled with awesome people and the best mountain ranges on the planet… The Himalayas are truly without rival anywhere in the world. I’ve spent months traveling Pakistan over the last year and I cannot recommend this incredible country enough…

Nevertheless, Pakistan is one of the most misjudged travel destinations for a variety of reasons. Hence, there is a fair bit of taboo surrounding travel in Pakistan – thanks, media – but really, Pakistan is a very safe country to visit.

ISLAMABAD

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan but not even close to the biggest city. There are 213 million people in Pakistan and just 1 million in Islamabad. That makes the city great for a stopover and introduction to the country. I’d recommend at least one day to explore Islamabad.

Start the day right with one of the best coffees in Islamabad, found at Mocca Cafe in Kohsar Market. While you are there be sure to wander around and begin to experience the local shopping. I would suggest taking advantage of the opportunity to buy some handicrafts, that would remind you of this mesmerizing land, when home. For a beautiful pashmina, head over to F6 markez, school road. For Afghan Handicrafts and antiques head over to the few shops around the corner from Maharaja Handicrafts on Aga Khan Road near the flower market.

I would suggest, if you are a nature lover, then you must visit the hiking trails, since it is awonderful passage with a lot of beautiful surprises awaiting, like mesmerizing fresh water pools and waterfalls, a glace of little squirrels playing around, a hello from a mama monkey, or a lovely song from a colorful rare sparrow and maybe a meeting with a leopard…. leopards do live in the forest, so it’s better to visit in the day light and with guide. 

This trail will lead you to a superb restaurant on the hill top, Monal, where you can fill your appetite, by having breakfast buffet and view of whole city. 

In the mean while when you would be landing back to the city from Monal, I would recommend you stop by Faisal Mosque, to glace at the serenity and the art of perfection.

Running with the clock, the day can be spent in the lush green Shakrparia, where you can have an opportunity to witness the gigantic Pakistan National Monument and Heritage Museum, a blooming flower petal-shaped structure built of granite, with the inner walls inscribed with the outlines of Pakistan’s landmarks i.e. Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Khyber Pass and Minar-e-Pakistan.

Nearby, in the Garden Avenue, it’s located a heritage museum Lok Virsa, which I would recommend you pay a visit, since it is itself a history, showcasing the true colors of Pakistan. Also, don’t forget to have lunch in the 1969 Restaurant, located on the opposite of the museum, that is based on 1960’s Pakistan Film Industry theme, where one could see the flashback of time.

For the evening, get ready to have an experience of a blend of culture with a cup of tea. Saidpur Village, more than 500 years, located at slopes of Margalla Hills, and known for its heritage, culture, history and, folklore. The area is now look after by local government and have been transformed into restaurants for tourist.  By sitting in one of the resultants there, one could image how glamorous the past was, the blend of three epochs; Muslim, Hindu and Sikhs.

Later check in to the Serena Hotel if you want an unforgettable introduction to Pakistani culture, architecture, and opulent interiors inside what is considered the most beautiful hotel in Islamabad. The hotel has all the perks you could ever need, including an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and huge restaurant to enjoy a buffet dinner.

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Munaza Kazmi has recently done Master of Philosophy from Bahria University Islamabad. Her debut novel is Unrequited Love. 

She’s an author, columnist writing in different newspapers and a researcher having seven publications till yet, she’s been writing since 2016.

You can connect to Kazmi at twitter @munaza_kazmi or on research gate as munaza kazmi.

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COURTESY dailyspokesman / pic taken from twitter

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EXCLUSIVE REPORT: A new trend of Greetings in Pakistan. . . Right or Wrong?

 

Exclusive

Editor-in-Chief

Farukh Shehzad

From the last two years, coronavirus pandemic has been spread all over the world and we saw a huge number of people have lost their lives.

Heads of the governments of the entire world had put strict lockdown in their areas of living to curb the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus.

High-level government officials from around the world issued several kinds of SoPs for its people to follow on a regular basis.

Health workers, doctors, and other relevant departments told people that wash your hands for 20 seconds during every few hour to stay safe.

Doctors from all over the world emphasised people about avoiding unnecessary gatherings and spend most of your time at home to stay safe.

Doctors and heads of government of the entire world said that always wear a face mask when you go outside in the market.

Doctors and Health departments of all countries said that do not shake hands every time when you meet with your friends and family members, because when you shake hands it helps coronavirus to jump onto your body.

NEW TREND OF GREETINGS

During this time of coronavirus, I noticed that a new trend to express greetings is taking place in all over the world, especially in the western world and this trend has also been shifting towards Pakistan as well from western world high-level heads of states.

And that new trend is “SHAKING ELBOWS OR TOUCHING ELBOWS” which means when two men meet at any place they touch their elbows to express greetings instead of doing shake hands because according to these high profiles govt officials shaking hands during the meeting is a dangerous act and it helps coronavirus to walk onto our body.

 

And this new trend of “SHAKING ELBOWS OR TOUCHING ELBOWS” is gaining rapid popularity in Pakistan’s society and culture as well which is quite alarming for us being a Muslim.

But at the same time these high profiles, well-educated govt officials of all countries believe that by “SHAKING ELBOW OR TOUCHING ELBOW” is a safe activity and it will not make any damage to us, they think the shifting of coronavirus thru touching elbow to our body can not happen at all.

Now here the question is raised and what we need to figure out that does this newly established trend of expressing greetings has any solid basis?

Does it okay to adopt this new greetings trend for the rest of life or not?

These are the few alarming points and questions and people must find their answers because everyone knows that finding answers to the questions always put you on the path of truth and that’s what we all need to do today.

WHAT I BELIEVE:

For me, it is very simple and clear that if the coronavirus due to shaking hands is shifted from one person to another person than it (coronavirus) could also shift by touching elbow and shaking elbow of two men when they meet.

At the time of meeting with someone to express greetings if touching elbow for you is a safe activity and keeps you safe from coronavirus then at the time of the meeting between two men shaking hands should also be a safe activity.

Shaking hands is a much better way and highly natural act of a human being to express greetings at the time of meeting with someone.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

So, I think we all should come back towards natural and Islamic act of shaking hands when we meet with someone because it is much better, beautiful and safe act as compared with touching elbows at the time of meeting with your friends and family to express greetings.

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Rise of China is an opportunity to build a sustainable economy

 

Seymur Mammadov

Less than a month after Joe Biden took office, the Atlantic Council think tank released a report titled “The longer Telegram: Toward a new American China strategy”. The purpose of the report is to convince the Biden administration to continue to exert maximum pressure on China and, in fact, to resurrect the Cold War strategy toward Beijing. The report defines the rise of China as “the most important challenge facing the United States and the democratic world in the 21st century”.

The claims of the Atlantic Council do not stand up to scrutiny. The rise of China should be viewed not as the most important problem for the United States or a threat to the democratic world, but as a good opportunity for close cooperation in the formation of a multipolar world, the creation of a community of the common destiny of mankind, wrote Seymur Mammadov in his article published by China Daily.

The authors of the report are trying to expand the ideological differences and conflicts between China and the United States, to create an atmosphere of the Cold War between the two major powers that play a very significant role in the world economy.

It is high time for the United States to understand that the world does not revolve only around them, that there is no longer a unipolar world that the Americans are claiming. Washington should abandon the Cold War thinking and start looking for ways to cooperate with China. This is the most sensible way to address the global challenges that all countries of the world are facing amid the spread of COVID-19.

In addition, any rhetoric should be at least based on grounded facts, and not replete with unfounded accusations. Calling the very factor of China’s growth and the attempt to influence the world with their political model led by the Chinese Communist Party as a threat, the authors of the report are overly carried away in building the image of the enemy, forgetting about the picture of reality. And they look at the situation from only one “ideological” angle. Through the same magnifying glass of perceptions and prejudices of the Cold War.

And the reality is that many of China’s positive innovations being introduced in various countries of the world are in fact aimed not at changing the “political system” in certain countries, but at building and creating active business models that can serve well to stabilize the business climate on the planet. Also, China is actively funding young economies in developing countries. And the role of China in this can hardly be overestimated.

Recall that back in May 2020, at the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced that China will provide $2 billion over two years to help with COVID-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries. Thus, China became one of the first countries in the world to express its desire to invest its financial resources to combat the global pandemic and maintain the potential of the global economy. More specifically, China tried to mitigate the negative effect of the pandemic and help African countries by showing a global, open and friendly gesture – China signed agreements on the suspension of debt service with 12 African countries and wrote off matured interest-free loan for 15 African countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative is making an even more global contribution to the potential for world economic development. In Africa alone, 46 out of 55 countries have signed agreements with China on the Belt and Road Initiative. At the same time, the initiative itself is a unique proposal for the involved countries. The bottom line is the uniqueness of the offer – most of the investments in projects in different countries are made by China itself, giving the poor countries the opportunity to compensate these investments as a long-term loan.

For some developing countries, the BRI has become the only opportunity to modernize, and sometimes even create from scratch, their infrastructure, transport communications and social facilities. Thus, in a number of African countries, thanks to the initiative, new schools, hospitals, roads and railways were built, and this led to the development of poor African countries, providing employment for tens of thousands of jobs.

Therefore, we can confidently say the opposite – Washington, as well as organizations such as the Atlantic Council, completely ignore the promising benefits of China’s innovations in various economies of the world, which opens up new opportunities for the same business in the US and European countries. The bottom line is that by raising the economies of underdeveloped countries, China is pulling these countries to the level of real cooperation, and in a more or less cost-effective format for world business. And at this stage, the business circles of the United States and European countries are indeed acquiring new markets for sales and cooperation with an already more established infrastructure, communications, and human potential. And of course it is unreasonable to refuse such opportunities that China presents to the Western world.

One way or another, all the reproaches and accusations recently voiced against China are created against the background of the policy of far-fetched statements by the US political forces interested in this and have little to do with the real state of affairs. In this sense, China, perhaps earlier than other European countries, realized this truth – cooperation is always more beneficial than confronting each other. And the United States certainly needs to respond to these examples of humane political will and meaning.

The author is the director of the international experts’ club EurAsiaAz, and editor-in-chief of Azerbaijan’s news agency Vzglyad.az.

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COURTESY dndnews

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Bilateral Relations of Azerbaijan and Pakistan based on Perceptual Process and Cognitive Functions

By Prof Shazia Cheema

You can find countless articles and comments on the Azerbaijan-Pakistan Bilateral Relationship and most of the articles deal with historic perspectives and military relationships between young nations. Yes, historical perspectives are a core component of any relationship but do only historical perspectives can transfer good feelings to the young generation?

PAKISTAN HAS HISTORIC LINKAGES WITH SEVERAL COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD BUT DO ALL OF THEM TAKE A BOLD DIPLOMATIC STANCE ON KASHMIR WHEN PAKISTAN NEEDS IT?

Pakistan has military relations with several countries but do they stand with Pakistan on Kashmir cause as does (did) Azerbaijan that stands (stood) shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in every hard time at Diplomatic Arena? The answer is simply No— So what is unique in the Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations that transform both nations as one entity at Diplomatic Sphere?

Pakistan has historic linkages with several countries all over the world but do all of them take a bold Diplomatic stance on Kashmir when Pakistan needs it? The answer is No. Even many so-called brotherly left Pakistan in a situation in OIC when the Kashmir issue was supposed to push. Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Malaysia were three countries that kept the Kashmir issue alive in OIC Forum.

AZERBAIJAN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT ILHAM HEYDAR ALIYEV HAS RECLAIMED ITS TERRITORY WHICH WAS UNDER THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF ARMENIA. YEREVAN WILL REMAIN LICKING ITS WOUNDS FOR ALL TIMES TO COME INFLICTED BY SHAMELESS DEFEAT IT (YEREVAN) FACED AT THE HANDS OF THE STRONG AND RESILIENT NATION OF AZERBAIJAN

We need to find the strong foundations of Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations through the perceptive journey of events, social fabrics, and norms both the nations possess.

There are several writers who believe that Azerbaijan always helps Pakistan on the Kashmir issue because Pakistan was co-author of several UNSC resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh and stands with Azerbaijan on this, particularly diplomatic matter.

SINCE NAGORNO-KARABAKH IS RESOLVED AND BAKU MAY NOT NEED THE SUPPORT OF ANY COUNTRY ON THIS ISSUE AFTER WINNING A HISTORIC WAR THEN WHY BAKU EVEN NOW STANDS SO STRONGLY WITH PAKISTAN ON KASHMIR CAUSE? THE WORLD SAW THAT BAKU STOOD ON THE KASHMIR ISSUE AGAIN ON KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY BY ILLUMINATING THE ICONIC HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTRE IN BAKU WITH THE PAKISTANI FLAG ON FEBRUARY 5, 2021.

I always believe such an approach to the Azerbaijan-Pakistan relations is just on the surface and does not represent the depth of the unusual bond between Baku and Islamabad. Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Heydar Aliyev has reclaimed its territory which was under the illegal occupation of Armenia. Yerevan will remain licking its wounds for all times to come inflicted by shameless defeat it (Yerevan) faced at the hands of the strong and resilient nation of Azerbaijan. Since Nagorno-Karabakh is resolved and Baku may not need the support of any country on this issue after winning a historic war then why Baku even now stands so strongly with Pakistan on Kashmir cause? The world saw that Baku stood on the Kashmir issue again on Kashmir Solidarity Day by illuminating the iconic Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku with the Pakistani flag on February 5, 2021.

This was a historic event that must be documented with a new vision in the book of Azerbaijan- Pakistan bilateral relations.

According to official information, one of the most important landmarks of Baku—- Heydar Aliyev Centre was lit with a Pakistani flag on Kashmir Solidarity Day to express the solidarity of Azerbaijan with Pakistan on the “Kashmir Solidarity Day”.

The projection of the Pakistani flag on its national monument to mark the “Kashmir Solidarity Day” is a testimony of Azerbaijan’s bold and principled stance on the just struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the media reports, the Embassy said that today’s event reflects that the peoples of Pakistan and Azerbaijan stand together in raising the voice for the oppressed people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

According to regional Foreign Affairs experts, the bilateral relationship between the land of modern Pakistan and modern Azerbaijan are centuries-old but not stagnant and improving with every passing day although, unfortunately, both countries have no direct railway, road, or air contact. Traveling between both the countries is not easy and it is trans traveling through third countries. There is no direct by air linkage established between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and people-to-people contact is not as frequent that can be with direct travel linkages.

EXPECTATIONS FOR GOOD SUPPORT AND BROTHERLY RELATIONS ARE THE DRIVING FORCE FOR THE AZERBAIJAN-PAKISTAN BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP

Let me explain what I think about Perceptive linkages between both countries that are enhancing and consolidating contact between Baku and Islamabad.

Perception is based on old experiences and it is not only the passive receipt of old experiences rather it is also shaped by the recipient’s (subject) learning, memory, expectation, and attention.

The process that follows connects a person’s (Subject) concepts and expectations (or knowledge), restorative and selective mechanisms (such as attention) that influence perception. In simple words, I wish to say that expectations for good support and brotherly relations are the driving force for the Azerbaijan-Pakistan bilateral relationship, and this core point—Expectation for respectable support— is the focal point that needs to be enhanced in the future.

AZERBAIJAN AND PAKISTAN FEEL THE SAME COMFORT LEVEL IN EXPECTATIONS TO EACH OTHER, IT IS MAINLY BECAUSE BOTH THE NATIONS BELIEVE IN POSITIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY.

Mutual expectations are based on the perception of each other, (Baku and Islamabad). The human cognitive system learns through embodied experiences, mare observation cannot formulate a tangible experience. We expect as much as our cognitive functions (reasoning, judging, decision making, evaluation) allow us. And all these cognitive functions work solely based on prior schemas. What decision in the past lead to what circumstances is a key factor in expectations? The human mind is trained to expect via perception.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan feel the same comfort level in expectations to each other, it is mainly because both the nations believe in positivity and productivity. No hidden agendas no bad intension, both want a safe, sovereign, prosperous future and both feel that they can expect any help in this regard based on their perceived notion. That’s why Azerbaijan never feel shy to initiate support for Pakistan just based on mutual perception. This is a unique and cherishable relationship, difficult to grasp in this give and take connotation, but giving and taking is not always bartering, some time is an investment, emotional, psychological investment which pave way for people to people relationship.

As we know that expectations are based on cordial mutual relationships and human relationship needs frequent physical contact, therefore I suggest that inexpensive and direct travel linkage between Azerbaijan and Pakistan must be established before the delay and experts exchange programs, student-exchange programs, transfer of knowledge programs must be enhanced.

The youth of both countries wish to meet and exchange their experience, knowledge, and skills and these desires need proper platforms, government support, diplomatic encouragement, and financial resources.

I believe that Diplomatic Relations can only be sustained when they are backed by Economic interests and bilateral trade is a nucleus power in the 21st century for Diplomatic Relationships. Therefore, traders and businessmen must work closely to enhance bilateral trade between the two-nation because the level of trade is not promising as it was reported just around US$ 16-17 million annually (according to 2019-2020 figures).

I remember in my meeting Ambassador Azerbaijan in Pakistan Ali Alizada rightly said that Azerbaijani and Pakistani are two brothers and they love each other. Yes, we are two brothers and we should meet frequently.

One should understand that Azerbaijan has again out rightly showed its unshaken support with Kashmir cause on February 5, 2021, and now this we (Pakistan) that must appreciate this event at Diplomatic as well as People to People level.

The writer Shazia Cheema is an analyst writing for national and international media outlets including Pakistan Observer, Eurasia Diary, InSight, and Mina News Agency. She heads the Thought Center of Dispatch News Desk (DND). She did her MA in Cognitive Semiotics from Aarhus University Denmark and is currently registered as a Ph.D. Scholar of Semiotics and Philosophy of Communication at Charles University Prague. She can be reached at her: Twitter @ShaziaAnwerCh Email: shaziaanwer@yahoo.com

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COURTESY dndnews

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Unemployment a Dark Shadow encircling our Graduates

 

By:  Munaza Kazmi

Our educational institutions turn out university graduate’s year- in- year out, the labor market which is expected to absorb theses graduates puts on the toga of inelasticity. 

Therefore, the labor market seems saturated. New jobs were either not being created or created in error, neither were the current jobs restructured nor reengineered and this has brought about a strong negative and dark impact on national economy, as well as the standard of living of the community. Hence, the issue of graduate unemployment can take many ugly forms.

The unemployed graduates appear to experience shame, hardship and frustration. Apart from the fact that the unemployed graduates are deprived of earning salary, they are equally deprived of socialization effect of work and removed from social ties and relationship. 

Consequently, they are put in a situation of worklessness, dispossessed and having no income value in the society. Moreover, they are unhappy with themselves in the world of material consideration. Since, the one who’s unemployed is not socially recognized and this make some friends and relatives to look- down on them as liabilities in the society. This makes the unemployed graduates to exhibit a kind of non- conforming and negative social vices, that can have much darker effect not only on individual level but on national level.

It has been observed that unemployment has a negative effect on the unemployed, such as low self-esteem, frustration and depression. Unemployment may lead to anti-social behavior such as prostitution in the females and arm robbery or kidnapping in males. 

In the broader context some devasting effects of graduate unemployment on the economy can lead to, Increase in burglary and armed robbery; while if one don’t have money, it is more likely he might choose the short and wrong way since there are mouths to feed, Psychological and financial stress; I would say, it is a double stress, deprivation from socialization, or isolation due to the risk of exposure to frequent questions from friends and family regarding the job, topple with deprivation of earning, Aggression, fear anxiety and frustration; let’s say after qualifying with grade A, have been acting as a president in student consul, with the dream of becoming a manager…what a graduate finds in the end??? Unemployment, or bestowed with a job of 18,000 Rupees a month. Won’t it would be a heartbreak, a catastrophe, not for himself alone but for the family, who till now have built an empire of dreams or might thought of taking a retirement. 

Homelessness, wandering, vagrancy and insecurity; with much hiking of prices, who is going to support the one on which already there have been done much investment, Prostitution, kidnapping, drugaddiction; we have seen so far that people educate for seeing a bright future but what they would see if there comes no platform, when they only get letter of rejection due to lack of experience, if not then a meager salary with which one couldn’t even afford the transportation. Am not supportive of the impacts but it is reality, that is where the crime and social disgrace finds its way.

Next there comes a question, how the experience would come when a graduate never given a chance? we try new fashion, latest applications but not fresh gradates, and if then to judge on a day’s review, by the old matured and experienced gurus. What a graduate would be doing by all this rejection, by dashing of dreams, by continuous humiliation topple with a dire need of financial resources.

This is how our individuals, our society and of economy is suffering, an MPhil is working under a BA pass, as a receptionist. For these consequences, the graduates have been educated? We stress on having good education, but for what for being unemployed.

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COURTESY dailyspokesman

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