FARUKH SHEHZAD

WATCH VIDEO: Community with Shared Future: A Multilateral Approach to Tackling Global Challenges

WATCH VIDEO: Community with Shared Future: A Multilateral Approach to Tackling Global Challenges

ISLAMABAD, APR 26: Pakistan on Monday viewed the "alarming developments" in occupied Palestinian territories with "serious concern" and condemned Israeli violence during the month of Ramazan, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO).

"Pakistan views the recent alarming developments in the occupied Palestinian territories with serious concern.

"These include harassment of people coming for prayers, arrests of innocent Palestinians and other arbitrary restrictions in violation of fundamental human rights," said the FO, adding that the "illegal measures" had seen an upsurge since the start of the month of Ramazan.

The statement said "Pakistan condemns these violent acts carried out by the Israeli occupation forces" and called upon the international community to take immediate action to protect Palestinians.

"Pakistan steadfastly supports the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.

For just and lasting peace, it is imperative to have a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations and OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) resolutions, with the pre-1967 borders, and Al Quds Al Sharif as the capital of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State," read the FO statement.

Ramazan dispute

The Palestinian clashes with Israeli police began with the start of Ramazan, on April 13. Palestinians say police have tried to prevent them from holding their usual Ramazan evening gatherings outside Damascus Gate.

Police say the measure is part of efforts to ensure Muslims can safely get to the main prayer site.

"Palestinians love to relax in this area after evening prayers at Al Aqsa Mosque, but the occupation (Israel) doesn't like it. It's a matter of sovereignty," said Jerusalem resident Mohammad Abu Al-Homus.

Clashes and other violent incidents between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem have occurred nightly since the start of Ramazan and have laid bare simmering tensions in the holy city.

The incidents threaten to break a sustained period of relative quiet in a contested city at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli police had made over 50 arrests and Palestinian medics said 100 were injured during clashes on April 22. From late Thursday night into early Friday, police in riot gear and on horseback had fought to keep apart two groups of protesters — Palestinian youth hurling firecrackers and setting fire to garbage bins, and ultra-nationalist Israelis chanting anti-Arab slogans.

In a statement in English, Hebrew and Arabic, the US Embassy had also said it was "deeply concerned" about the violence and had urged an end to incitement and a return to calm.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem, including the eastern sector captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as its capital. Palestinians seek to make East Jerusalem, including its Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, capital of a future state.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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ISLAMABAD/JAKARTA, APR 25: After publishing the sad news of Indonesian Submarine sank as hopes of rescuing 53 sailors on board faded on Saturday, the Pakistani authorities conveyed their sympathies and condolences with the Indonesian government and its people and especially with those families who lost their loved ones in this tragic incident.

Indonesia Embassy in Pakistan also said, we are truly sorry for your loss. We would like to offer you and your families our deepest & most sincere condolences and may the soul of your great submariners rest in peace.

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ANKARA, APR 24: Pakistan and Turkey entirely reject U.S. President Joe Biden‘s recognition of the 1915 events during the Ottoman Empire period as “genocide”, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, minutes after Biden’s declaration.

“We have nothing to learn from anybody on our own past. Political opportunism is the greatest betrayal to peace and justice,” Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter. “We entirely reject this statement based solely on populism.”

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ISLAMABAD, APR 24: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that Pakistan and India were not engaged in any "peace talks" and the United Arab Emirates was not facilitating anything.

In an interview with TRT World, Qureshi said he wanted to "correct" the host, Andrea Sanke, on her question that whether the "secret" round of peace talks between Pakistan and India being facilitated by the UAE were "showing more promise" than the peace talks in Afghanistan.

"We are not having any peace talks at the moment and the UAE is not facilitating anything," said the foreign minister. He had arrived in Istanbul on Friday for a two-day official visit to "participate in a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan", according to a statement from the Foreign Office.

Qureshi said he had "seen stories about the 'role of mediation', [but] no".

“[The] UAE is a friend and it has good relations with Pakistan and India," said the foreign minister, adding that all friends had been consistently saying that the two were nuclear countries with outstanding issues who could not go to war, therefore, "the best way forward is dialogue."

"Pakistan has never shied away from dialogue. India had shied away, India took certain steps that vitiated the climate," Qureshi stated.

"Look at the statement Pakistan made, look at the statement Prime Minister Imran Khan made when he won the elections: 'You take one step towards peace, we will take two'.

"It was an olive branch because we as a government, we have a people-centric agenda. We want economic security, we want to concentrate on our economic stability and for that we need peace, we need peace with our eastern neighbour and we need peace on the western front. So talks make sense," said the foreign minister.

He stated that if India wanted to convince Pakistan that it was willing to talk then it would have to create a "conducive environment" — which it had originally vitiated by the actions taken on August 5, 2019, according to Qureshi.

He added that Kashmiris had been "snatched" of their statehood, alienated, deprived of their rights and were still in a "double lockdown". "We are facing a Covid lockdown, they are facing a Covid lockdown and they are facing a military siege."

"So how do we talk to people in that environment. Give them (Kashmiris) the relief, give them the statehood.

"Even the secular voices within India have said the Kashmir policy of the Indian government has failed, it has boomeranged [and] it has failed to achieve the objectives that were initiated when it was launched, so revisit [and] rethink," said FM Qureshi.

"If you are willing to engage, Pakistan will never shy away."

The UAE's envoy to Washington had previously confirmed that the Gulf state was mediating between India and Pakistan to help the nuclear-armed rivals reach a “healthy and functional” relationship.

Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba had said in a virtual discussion with Stanford University's Hoover Institution that the UAE had played a role “in bringing Kashmir escalation down and created a ceasefire, hopefully ultimately leading to restoring diplomats and getting the relationship back to a healthy level”.

“They might not sort of become best friends but at least we want to get it to a level where it's functional, where it's operational, where they are speaking to each other,” he had said.

Top intelligence officers from India and Pakistan held secret talks in Dubai in January in a new effort to calm military tension over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, people with knowledge of the matter had told Reuters.

Ties between India and Pakistan have been frozen since a suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in occupied Kashmir in 2019 was blamed on Pakistan, leading to India sending warplanes to Pakistan.

Later that year, India's prime minister withdrew the occupied region's autonomy in order to tighten his grip over the territory, provoking outrage in Pakistan and the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of bilateral trade.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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• PIDEpk has taken a bold step for achieving 7% - 9% economic growth rate annually for next 30 years to create 2Mn jobs per year & reduce public debt, which it said has already become “unsustainable”.

ISLAMABAD, APR 24: The PIDE Reform Agenda for Accelerated and Sustained growth was launched today at the Planning Commission of Pakistan. Minister of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar was the chief guest at the launch event. 

Asad Umar, in his opening remarks lauded the efforts of PIDE for coming up with a growth reform Agenda. He said that now that economy has stabilized after efforts of the government now is the time to work towards growth which is not only high enough but sustained for a long period as well. Thus the PIDE’s reform Agenda for a accelerated and sustained growth comes at very appropriate time.

Thereafter Vice Chancellor PIDE, Dr. NadeemUlHaque, presented the salient features of the PIDE Reform Agenda for Accelerated and Sustained Growth.

According to PIDEthe task of preparing the Reform Agenda began with asking a central question; Can Pakistan experience accelerated and sustained economic growth and If yes, how? To find an answer VC PIDE constituted a PIDE Growth Commission. The Commission comprised renowned local economists and development practitioners from all over the country.

The commission also had an adequate representation of the female professionals. The commission was supported by a secretariat at PIDE, consisting of 18 researchers led by Dr. NadeemUlHaque, Vice Chancellor PIDE.

The first step involved developing a slide deck that depicted the structural issues that constrain growth in Pakistan and the measures required to alleviate these constraints. This slide deck was discussed and modified extensively in several meetings of the PIDE Growth Commission. Next, the secretariat at PIDE drafted the outline and initiated writing the Reform Agenda based on the outline. The drafts of sections and chapters moved back and forth between the PIDE staff and the Vice Chancellor till the first draft of the complete Reform Agenda stood completed. At this stage, PIDE’s research staff interacted individually with commission members and other practitioners in government and the private sector and incorporated their suggestions.

The Commission met several times to discuss and debate each aspect of the Growth Reform Agenda. The points on which consensus could not be achieved were taken off the report while others were added. The final Growth Reform Agenda reflects the consensus viewof the PIDE Growth Commission.

The reform agenda mentions that an increasing labour force is entering the market due to youth bulge. To ensure gainful employment for the labour force entering the market and to sustain the country’s high level of debt the required GDP growth rate is 7-9% per annum. The document takes pain to stress that this is the required growth and not a projected rate.

The Agenda takes the view that the development model that Pakistan has been using since the sixtiesfocuses primarily on investment in hardware led by infrastructure. This model, argues the agenda, developed by Dr. MahbubulHaq and the then Harvard Advisory group in the ‘60s was correct for those times when the country needed investment infrastructure. However, with change dynamics, now the model needs to undergo a paradigm shift - the country now needs to shift its focus from investment in hardware to investment in the software of the society. This software is the quality human capital, innovation, R & D, and most importantly the laws, rules, and processes that further economic activity.

The Reform Agenda points out that the present laws, rules, and processes constrain the generation of ideas and carrying out overall economic activity.  The agenda citing several frictions in carrying out entrepreneurial activity calls for a revamp of the laws and processes that hamper economic activity. The examples of frictions include; 09 procedures are required to get a permit which cost around 9 percent of the construction value, land developers need 22 NOCs from different agencies to proceed with land development, 45 steps are required to lay an optic fiber for internet connectivity and on average, a firm spends 577 hours and wades through 47 procedures to pay the several taxes that it is required to pay. The reform agenda argues that amending laws and processes to significantly reduce these frictions will enormously boost growth by increasing productivity and hence investment – the two key drivers of growth.

Therefore, argues the Agenda, to begin the journey on a high growth trajectory requires a well-functioning state – entire public service including Civil Service, Judiciary, regulatory bodies, and local governments, etc will have to be reformed to deliver.

The agenda stresses that the cities that major economic activity happens in cities that are dense, walkable, and mixed-use. The agenda recommends rethinking our cities to serve as an engine of economic growth.

The agenda stresses that to increases the competitiveness of our goods and services the energy rates must be brought down significantly. In this regard, the agenda recommends several measures to clear the mess that the energy sector faces. These include; decentralization of the sector, making the regulatory authorities likeNepra and Ogra independent enough to take their decisions. The agenda also recommends sufficiently enhancing the capacity of these regulatory authorities by housing these with professionals. 

The reform agenda also identifies policy, regulatory, and procedural constraints that inhibit openness to external trade and suggests measures required to increase the degree of openness.

Recognizing that technology and artificial intelligence are disrupting almost every field, the agenda argues for state readiness to embrace technology. Internet access is recognized as a key element of such readiness.  The agenda recommends; releasing spectrum, developing a plan to facilitate laying down connectivity fiber, revisiting internet taxation, and exploring subsidizing internet access to students and marginalized segments.

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• Accountability court seeks compliance report from authorities
• Objection petitions filed against some attached properties

ISLAMABAD, APR 24: The accountability court has directed the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as well as the relevant authorities to sell unclaimed shares and properties of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and deposit the proceeds with the state treasury.

Accountability Judge Syed Asghar Ali allowed the application filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking directives to the authorities concerned to sell the attached properties of Nawaz Sharif under section 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The court order stated: “Perusal of record revealed that the accused namely Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has been declared as proclaimed offender (PO)…this court vide order dated October 01, 2020 ordered the attachment of properties of accused.”

According to the order, six objection petitions had been filed before the court with respect to some of the attached properties. However, there are certain attached properties against which no claims have been preferred, it said, adding that “Mr Sharif has not surrendered before this court even after lapse of six months…therefore, in view of the available record and in order to procure the attendance of the accused, the application filed by NAB is allowed”.

“Concerned authorities on whose disposal of the attached properties are hereby directed under section 88 of the CrPC to sell out unclaimed attached properties while the chairman SECP is directed to sell out the attached shares of the accused in different companies within 30 days,” the order said.

According to the judicial record, Mr Sharif owns 467,950 shares in Mohammad Bakhsh Textile Mills, 343,425 in Hudaibya Paper Mills, 22,213 in Hudaibya Engineering Co and 48,606 shares in Ittefaq Textile Mills.

The deputy commissioners of Lahore and Sheikhupura have been directed to sell immovable properties within 60 days which included House No. 135 Upper Mall Lahore and 88.4 kanals of agriculture land in Ferozwattan in Sheikhupura district.

The excise and taxation offices of Islamabad and Lahore have been directed to take possession of vehicles with the assistance of the local police and sell them within 60 days.

The vehicles are Toyota Land Cruiser Model 2010, Mercedes Model 1973, Mercedes Benz Model 1991, Tractor Model 2011 and Tractor Model 2015.

The court directed the Manager MCB New Garden Town, Lahore, Standard Chartered Bank, Gulberg Islamic Branch, and Wapda Town Lahore, Manager Allied Bank New Garden Town and Manager Bank Al-Falah, Y-Block Defence Branch Lahore, to transfer the available funds into the accounts of Mr Sharif in favour of the state treasury within 30 days.

There are Rs88,150 available in MCB, Rs30,000 in two branches of Standard Chartered Bank, EUR566, $698 and GBP498 in three other branches of the same bank, Rs397,810 in Allied Bank and Rs88,704 in Bank Al-Falah.

The court sought compliance report from the above mentioned authorities.

The judge also mentioned two properties — 12 acres of agriculture land (guava orchard) in Mouza Manak Lahore and 24 kanals of fish farm in Mouza Badokisani, Lahore — since the attachment was objected to by Mohammad Ashraf and Umair Razzaq, respectively.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has already challenged the attachment of properties of the Sharif family in Murree and Changla Gali with other properties frozen in connection with the Toshakhana reference.

Maryam Nawaz filed the objection petition against the attachment of House No. 24-A&B, III, Hall Road, Murree, and a house in Changla Gali, Abbottabad, in the Toshakhana case.

She stated in the petition that both houses were owned by her late mother, Kulsoom Nawaz. She said the two houses had been purchased much before the period mentioned in the reference and after the death of the owner of the houses in question, the ownership devolved upon legal heirs as per the judgement and decree dated May 14, 2019, and the houses were undivided properties in the joint ownership of all legal heirs.

She requested the court that the order dated Oct 1, 2020 was liable to be corrected under section 88 (6A) of the Criminal Procedure Code and the above-mentioned properties may be released from the attachment.

According to the Toshakhana reference, former president Asif Ali Zardari had obtained vehicles by paying only 15 per cent of the price of luxury vehicles. Out of three vehicles, he gifted a 1991 model Mercedes to Mr Sharif.

The National Accountability Bureau alleged that former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had facilitated the allotment of the vehicles to Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif by dishonestly and illegally relaxing the procedure for acceptance and disposal of gifts vide a Cabinet Division memorandum of 2007.

The Accountability Court-III of Islamabad had in May last year issued non-bailable warrants for Nawaz Sharif for not attending the court proceedings.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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WATCH VIDEO: Chairman STZA expressing his views on Special Technology Zones Authority Launch

WATCH VIDEO: Chairman STZA expressing his views on Special Technology Zones Authority Launch

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• Special Technology Zones Authority and iENGINEERING Corp. Sign MOU to Build the First Technology Park in the Islamabad STZ.

ISLAMABAD, APR 24: The Government of Pakistan has committed to develop the technology sector in Pakistan. The Special Technology Zones Authority has been mandated to provide legislative and institutional support to encourage investments and high-tech business in the technology zones across Pakistan.

The Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) has initiated the work to establish the first Special Technology Zone (STZ) in Islamabad. The Islamabad Special Technology Zone will be the pilot project of the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA). In order to create the state-of-the-art infrastructure that can facilitate the business environment, an MoU has been signed between the STZA and iENGINEERING Corporation.

Mr. Amer Hashmi, Chairman STZA, stated that the first Technology Park in the Islamabad STZ will be established soon. 

He further said, “Islamabad Special Technology Zone is based on 150 acres of land in the Islamabad Capital Territory. The land has been identified and approved by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the land has been earmarked for the establishment of the Islamabad Special Technology Zone.”

The Islamabad Special Technology Zone (STZ) will include the state-of-the-art iENGINEERING Technology Park. The Park will develop a business campus, which will comprise of a cluster of midrise energy efficient buildings over 250,000 sq. ft in Islamabad STZ with initial investment of US$ 2 million which will create more than 2,500 highly skilled jobs and will generate over US$ 100 million in the next five years. The Park will accommodate local and foreign technology companies with Pakistani descent owners, startups, and tech-hubs which will initially materialize up to US$ 50 million of zone enterprise cumulative annual revenue for Islamabad STZ.

The Special Technology Zones Authority has been mandated to develop a technology-driven knowledge ecosystem to encourage hi-tech innovative solutions and futuristic entrepreneurship. STZA will develop a national network of Special Technology Zones which will change the economic outlook of Pakistan by enhancing IT exports and encouraging technology and knowledge transfer from global technology hubs.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding, both the organizations will work together to achieve high-tech industrial growth, create job opportunities, upskill the youth, and attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) through development of a knowledge ecosystem driven by innovation and collaboration.

While addressing the gathering, Mr. Riaz Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer of iENGINEERING Corporation, stated that iENGINEERING Technology Park will have the first mover advantage for the pilot technology zone of the Islamabad STZ. It will focus on transforming cost centers into profit centers, which will significantly increase revenue capacity. 

iENGINEERING Technology Park plans to facilitate acquisition of foreign Pakistani-descent businesses by providing a mechanism for zone enterprises to invest their profits and acquire new customers and generate new revenue streams. He further said, “that iENGINEERING Corporation has more than 20 years of unique operational experience in the technology sector in USA and Pakistan.”

While welcoming the first Tech Park developer, Mr. Aamer Saleemi, Chief Executive Officer of Islamabad STZ, assured his full support in early execution of the project. He said that Islamabad STZ will act as a catalyst for enhancing the IT exports of Pakistan and it is expected to attract more than US$350 million Foreign Direct Investment in the technology sector which will provide job opportunities to more than 200,000 youth of Pakistan. Islamabad STZ will be first place of choice in the region for the global tech companies and expatriates due to its state-of-the-art technology supportive infrastructure, lucrative tax incentives and one-window services.

With the Honorable Prime Minister, Imran Khan, as President of the Board, STZA is an autonomous body established under the Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan. The Authority has been mandated to promote the knowledge-based national ecosystem for stimulating and enhancing the multi-dimensional collaboration between technology industry, academia, and government for 21st century innovation, entrepreneurship, and new technology creation.

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• Study of 24 countries shows the pandemic is prompting billions1 to consider more sustainable behaviors

• 80% of adults in the Middle East are more mindful of their impact on the environment since COVID-19, far higher than global average of 3 in 5 adults

• Almost three quarters of adults (72%) in the region admit companies behaving in more sustainable and eco-friendly ways is more important than before the pandemic

KARACHI, APR 24: As Earth Day is observed around the world today, new research on sustainability, commissioned by Mastercard, reveals a marked increase in consumer passion for the environment, as personal attitudes toward the environment evolve as a result of COVID-19.

In the Middle East region, 9 in 10 people, stated that they’re willing to take personal action to combat environmental and sustainability issues. This compares to 8 in 10 globally. Over 80% of adults in the Middle East also said they are even more mindful of their impact on the environment since COVID-19.

Social media seems to be driving an increase of environmentally conscious consumers, especially among Gen-Z, with 43% globally seeing social media posts from influential people showcasing climate change or environmental issues since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, almost a quarter (24%) of the global respondents say social media has made them more aware of their environmental and sustainable choices.

This signals a growing trend toward eco-conscious spending and consumption among people who want to turn their efforts and purchases into meaningful action for the planet.

Eco-actions essential for forward-thinking brands and businesses

Over 72% of adults in the Middle East think it’s now more important for businesses and brands to do more for the environment, and over 25% said they are going to stop using or buying from brands that do not have a plan to help the environment or behave sustainably. Nearly 15% admitted that for the first time, they have boycotted companies that have not adopted sustainable values.

Buying less impulsively by being more aware of purchases is the top change regional respondents will make as a result from COVID-19.

Specifically, respondents in the Middle East region highlighted the top three issues they want companies and brands to focus on, besides dealing with the pandemic. They want brands to focus on the health and wellbeing of their employees, reduce air and water pollution, and offer more sustainable and durable products.

“Companies, consumers and communities must work together to make the significant changes needed to effectively address climate change," said Jorn Lambert, Chief Digital Officer, Mastercard. "By embedding sustainability into the very fabric of our business – from pay-on-demand solar energy products to tools that help inform consumer spending – we can unlock the power of our network, reaching billions of consumers and partners, to create positive change for the environment.”

Eco-conscious consumers more aware of their actions

Among adults surveyed in the Middle East, 7 in 10 see reducing their carbon footprint more important now than pre-pandemic. Globally, 58% of respondents have become more conscious about how their actions can impact the environment than ever before, with Gen-Z and Millennials (65%) leading this shift.

The trend toward more conscious consumption has grown over the last decade. However, changes in attitudes and actions have increased at a rapid rate as a direct result of COVID-19.

Mastercard is equipping its global network to be a positive force for the environment

Last year, Mastercard formed the Priceless Planet Coalition which unites the efforts of consumers, financial institutions, merchants and cities to fight climate change. The coalition continues to expand and now includes more than 50 members. Collectively, the coalition has committed to the restoration of 100 million trees. Planning is already underway for the restoration of 1.2 million trees in Kenya’s Makuli Nzaui landscape.

Mastercard continues to support partners, customers and consumers by offering environmentally focused products and services, such as cards made from sustainable materials to reduce plastic waste. The company has also pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050, building on existing commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions aligned with 1.5-degrees Celsius. Mastercard has also issued a $600 million sustainability bond and recently announced changes to its executive compensation model to help accelerate progress around three global ESG goals: carbon neutrality, financial inclusion and gender pay parity. This is all in support of the company’s goal of building a more sustainable and inclusive digital economy.

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Munaza Kazmi

Known as the “Fruit Garden of Pakistan” Quetta, city district and division of Baluchistan province and the 5^th largest of Pakistan. Quetta is a variation of Kwatkot, a Pashto word meaning ‘Fort’, as it is encircled by the four imposing hills namely Chiltan, Takatu, Zarghoon and Murdaar, which really gives it a status of enchanted valley, that surely engulf the visitor in its charm.

The city enjoys rich history dating from 11^th Century when Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered it, and on top it is a love land for all Pakistanis because it’s the region where founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam M. Ali Jinnah, have spent last of his memorable days.

The only high-altitude city of Pakistan, Quetta situated at 1,680 meters above sea level, having total population of 2.8 million. Local language is Pashto, but don’t worry as some people can even communicate in English, otherwise we have option open for sign language. Climate is dry and temperate is chilly where you would find a rich diversity of dry fruits. Moreover, the valley is abundant with juniper and pistachio forests and diverse wildlife. Also, if anyone is obsessed with horses, it’s the right place to be, as horse breeding is thought to be the passion of locals.

Next, I would suggest you pay a visit to the colorful bazars where you would found yourself in brightest of colors of silk, handmade coppers, precious jewels, luxurious rugs, not less than that of the Arabian Nights. I would say, it's hard to describe the Quetta valley without getting carried away.

However, I landed Quetta in the later afternoon, where I was surprised with the hospitality of locals who went so far to communicate with me even in signs as I don’t understand Pushto, to tell me about the beautiful surroundings and their rich culture. However, it was just a little episode as the hotel driver was waving the board with my name and the shuttle was waiting outside with a basket full of fruits and assorted fritters for my aftar. Really grateful for the hospitality of Serena.

I checked into the Quetta Serena Hotel, as is Serena is my favorite, reasoning its remarkable hospitality and the best services, moreover you can find them all over the country.

Quetta Serena Hotel, Quetta's plushest hotel by a comfortable margin, the Serena is unusual among top-end hotels in that it looks like it actually belongs to its surroundings - its design echoes local architectural styles, with Baloch textiles, woodwork and local marble continuing the decorative theme inside. The rooms (all with wi-fi) are suitably refined with high-quality service from staff, plus there are two good restaurants, a food court, a coffee shop, a tennis court, outside pool also a good bookshop from where am planning to fill some left place in my personal library.

Quetta Serena has 140 rooms set in beautiful landscaped grounds.Yet despite the recent unrest all the rooms were booked, and the uniformed staff have been kept on the normal day to day business and some of the rehabilitation task, and they were truly delighted in warmly welcoming me. It surprised and equally delighted me to find out the unbending spark and encouragement in the hotel staff that is truly reflected in their hardwork.

By the by it was dinner time, so after making myself easy, I went straight to the Xuelian Restaurant. The handsome restaurantwith a wonderfully opulent dining area and an outdoor terrace overlooking the gardens, the manager told me Xuelian Restaurant is known for serving the best Chinese and Thai food in Quetta.

"Would you like to order dinner, madam?" a saffron-suited waiter asked on my first night.

I mumbled something about whatever they could rustle up in the kitchen being fine. His face registered surprise. 

"We have everything listed on the menu, madam. Fish and chips with mushy peas, sizzling beef fillet, traditional Chinese or Pakistani cuisine."

"How can you?" I asked. "Hotel must be busy in rehabilitation”.

"But we are a five-star hotel madam," he said proudly. "We must maintain standards at all times."

A few minutes later a steaming plate of delicious Shashlik and Egg Fried Rice with Mint Margaretta arrived at my table.

Next morning, I woke up for Sahoor by a polite wakeup call and avail myself with the room service menu that has everything from the classic club sandwich to delicately spiced curry.  Later I spent much of the day in the handsome garden filled with numerous roses and beside the pool with a book that I bought from the hotel book shop.

By the time of late afternoon my appetite was getting increased later evening I was ravenous equally by the day pass and by the increasingly tasty smell of cooking from the hotel food court, which made me slip from the luxury of book to the live kitchen. And there what I seen is worthy of national award, the sight of hotel staff working with much diligence was a feeling of intense proud and delight, besides it was a massage enclosed in their behaviors that “we are strong enough to resist any storm, because we have the unity, faith and discipline”.

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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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