Munaza Kazmi

Joined by China, Afghanistan, Iran and India -- and with a population of more than 200 million people -- it's no surprise that Pakistan is a country of geographical and linguistic diversity. 

However, there's common ground to be found in the cuisine. 

Overall Pakistanis are passionate about their cuisine, which is full of flavor and bursting with color. And they just love eating. Food is among the most significant! Even we have foods for different occasions and from different regions.

Tea

However, a habit of Colonial-Past, Pakistan is a nation of tea lovers, and there are several varieties of tea on offer from Kawa, Karak chai, Masala chai to Gulabi chai. Adding tea leaves into the boiling cup of water.

Tea is a social drink bringing everyone together, often served with savory dishes such as samosa, pakora or paratha.

Pakoras

These easy-to-make crispy, fried fritters are a classic finger food served as a starter or a side dish with the sweet cup of tea. Also, it’s our Pakistan’s sweetheart dish in Ramazan.

Vegetables are thinly sliced before being soaked in a seasoned and spice gram flour batter and then fried for a few minutes. 

Grab them while they are hot. If you prefer a meatier option, chicken pakoras are also on menu. 

Paratha

Abroad bread is eaten cold, here it’s always hot and comes with different flavors. Pakistanis make a range of perfect melt-in-your-mouth flatbreads including roti and naans but the paratha, made with clarified butter or ghee is a particularly delicious indulgence. 

Eaten for breakfast, you can go for the plain option but there are also various fillings to choose from including mincemeat, potato, spinach, and cauliflower paratha etc.

Kebabs

There are many types of kebabs in Pakistani cuisine. Such as the popular seekh kebab, which is ground meat grilled on skewers. The highly favorite chapli kebab, name is taken from the Pashto word “chaprikh” which means “flat”. It comes from the flat shape of minced meat slices, dish of the North – You can taste the flavors of coriander and pomegranate seeds in this tasty recipe.

And the shami kebab, small patties made with minced meat mixed with split chickpeas, finely chopped onion, mint, green chilli and egg to hold it all together. 

Gol Gappa

A popular street food having roots with Bangladesh, was once sold by cart-pushing vendors. However, with the growing trend fast food restaurants you can enjoy it along the ambience.

The round shell is made with semolina and fried. Once it cools and becomes brittle, a hole is created and filled with a mixture of tamarind chutney, chilli, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is served with a bowl of spicy tamarind dip. Try, and you will crave it back home.

Biryani

Created in the royal kitchens of the 16th-19th century Mughal Empire by BeghumMumtaz Mahal, aimed to create a delicious, nutritious and wholesome dish for the soldiers in her husband Emperor Shahjahan's army.

Today it is among the most celebrated dishes in Pakistan and often served on special occasions. 

Made with lamb or beef but chicken biryani is a favorite. However, Karachi city is famous for the bone marrow Biriyani version.

The meat and rice are cooked separately before being layered and cooked together with an assortment of spices. 

Kabuli Pulao

Nevertheless, Kabuli Pulao is a specialty of Afghan cuisine, but it is very common in Pakistan. Kabul’s families made it first with tender meat, raisins, nuts, rice, and caramelized carrots.

Silk Road traders brought it from Afghanistan to western Pakistan, and it gradually spread throughout the country.

Nihari

“Narha” an Arabic word that means “Morning”, perhaps that’s the reason it is a must have breakfast dish. It used to be left to simmer and cook overnight to be served at sunrise. Logically it’s so rich that surely it will fill your stomach.

The food was born in Old Delhi, including lamb shanks, mutton, including the bone marrow as the main complements. It is also usually served with rice or naan.

Haleem

Served mostly in Breakfast and Lunch, but popular in the Holy Muharram, originated from Middle East, Indian Sub-continent and Central Asia. Warm and comforting, this dish may look simple enough, but a combination of lentils, wheat, barley and minced beef are slow-cooked for overnight in gentle spices to get sticky consistency. 

Paya

This warming goat curry, with a soup-like consistency, is often eaten on cold winter mornings.  Again, slow-cooking it will ensure that all the spices have infused into the perfectly tender meat. 

Halwa poori and Channa

An essential part of Punjabi breakfast, the combination of a poori which is light and fluffy, is served with the rich tasting halwa and chickpea curry. 

Charga

For the lovers of chicken Chargha is a fantastic suggestion. This recipe combines chicken, spices, and yogurt to make a distinctive and delicate flavor.

Its name “Chargha” means chicken in Pushto, and it is an invention in Lahore city, Pakistan. You can choose from the Tandoori Chargha version with roasted chicken or the traditional deep-fried chicken version.

Khadda Kebab

It is traditional Balochi dish and my favorite, Pakistani’s eat likes their Emperors. The whole mutton is very slowly cooked into the mud furnace by first stuffing with carrots and raisin rice. The aroma and taste are worth of waiting.

Dumpukht

The mild and delicious recipe found its origins in the Royal Mughal Kitchens, lamb shanks steamed for about 6-7 hours in dough-sealed pot along seasonal vegetables and salt. After cooking Served mostly with white rice. You can have them easily in Peshawar or any Desi restaurant across Pakistan.

Kadhi Pakora

If you are vegetarian, Pakistani Cuisine offers a variety of delicious treats.Kadhi Pakora is one of the choices you should consider. This delicious yogurt curry is a combination of gram flour, fritters, and spices that will add flavor to this food.

Smooth and consistent texture will make your taste buds fall in love with this food. The recipe originates from Rajasthan and is popular in Pakistan and India. People often combine it with rice or roti for dinner.

Smoked Eggplant

Another vegan delight, so tasty, simple and quick to make. 

A masala base is created by frying onions, tomatoes, with spices, and mixing with roasted eggplant in the oven, that gives the dish a smoky flavor.

Daal Tarka

A quite simple dish of lentils served with cumin rice, mostly common in Punjab. When the lentils are thoroughly cooked, the tarka is applied; onions, cumin seeds and crushed garlic cloves are fried until brown in a separate pan and added to the lentils without stirring. It makes a sizzling sound as the tarka mixture hits the lentils.

Gajrela

Gajrela is made using a combination of grated carrots, nuts, milk, sugar, boiled eggs, khoya and clarified butter. 

This flavorful dessert often makes an appearance at weddings.

Matanjan

Dating back to Mughal India. This was a sweetheart of Emperors. An eye-catching multicolor dessert, made with sugar, milk, sweet meat, food coloring and flavored with cardamoms, raisins, pistachios and various dry-fruits.

Sheer Khurma

Another dessert eaten at weddings or on Eid al Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. 

Sweet and milky dish is slow-cooked using milk, vermicelli, sugar, infused with cardamom and topped with crushed pistachios.

I am sure you had found another reason to visit Pakistan. Have a nice Holiday.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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Munaza Kazmi

Have anyone of you ever thought about Holiday in Baluchistan? Obviously after reading this you would book the first flight to Baluchistan.

A beauty in itself, a hub of energy and trade corridor, a link to South-Asian countries and a treasure on Earth in terms of Natural Resources, Baluchistan is a must-visit place and an integral part of Pakistan.

Exploring Baluchistan is not just sight-seeing adventure, it is the intense culture, rich tradition, colorful handicrafts, wonderful flavors, delicious food, mesmerizing aromas moreover half of Pakistan is in its name.

Gwadar, located on a natural hammerhead-shaped headland in the promising land of Baluchistan. The city is situated on a tapered and sandy 12 kilometers long strip that links Pakistan to rocky outcropping in the Arabian Sea known as Koh-e-Batil or Gwadar Peninsula.

However, Gwadar adores strategic significance for not just tourism but the economic development of Pakistan, reasoning the gateway to CPEC and OBOR. Gwadar’s CPEC routes are based on M8 motorway and Makran coastal highway that connects the province of Baluchistan with the rest.

Places to visit…

On the South is Koh-i-Batil, at an altitude of 470 feet, where the huge waves come to embrace the land. The Beach promises a flamboyantly calm evening, while sun setting, going into the faraway lands with seagulls making way to home, dramatic!

Discovering further towards the interior of Baluchistan, you need to drive from Gwadar on Makran Coastal Highway, this is one of the meaningful roads of Pakistan, since it connects the port town of Gwadar to the entire province. Moreover, like Karakoram this highway have its own mysterious, dramatic and magical views.

Places to see…

An exotic beach about 150 kilometers from Zero-Point on Makran Coastal Highway, KundMalir is scenic and is considered to be one of the most picturesque beaches in this world.

Then comes Ormara an old coastal town. Its historical routes are linked with Alexander the Great, who stayed here with his army for a few days on his way back from the Indus region after conquering Sindh, Punjab, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions in 400 BC. His general, Ormoz, died there, and the present-day city was named after him. It is a spectacular view for tourists. With fun in the waters at day and bonfires and camping at night, it is the most sought-after place to visit.

Moving further we would be heading towards Quettacity district and division of Baluchistan and the 5^th largest of Pakistan. 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 Muhammad Ali Jinnah, have spent last of his memorable his days. Moreover, the valley is abundant with juniper and pistachio forests and diverse wild life. 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.

Also, I would suggest you plan a visit to the colorful bazars where you would found yourself in brightest of colors of silk, handmade coppers, precious jewels, luxurious rugs, and mesmerizing perfumes, not less than that of the Arabian Nights.

I would say, it's hard to describe the Baluchistan without getting carried away.

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Munaza Kazmi holds MPhil in Management Sciences (Bahria University Islamabad, 2020). She’s a travel writer, an author, & co-author of scientific contributions in national & international publications. Her main areas of research include tourism & quality management.

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KARACHI, JUN 30: iPath (Pvt) Ltd has become Pakistan's first company to attain the PCI Secure SLC Certificate. Secure SLC is the first global PCI standard to focus on the vendor's software development process and methodology rather than the payment application itself. This standard aims to embed payment application security principles early in the software development lifecycle and provides security controls and processes implemented into current industry-accepted SDLC practices. 

By obtaining this compliance, iPath’s software development is validated to protect sensitive customer payments data by building necessary security features and processes deep into the software development lifecycle.

This certification was attained via PCI QSA Firm Risk Associates, a premier global information technology company, which is a certification body of Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). The PCI Secure Software Lifecycle (standard SLC) emphasizes implementing security concepts and activities throughout the software development lifecycle. 

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Ali Shah Asani, CEO – iPath, commended the entire team for their hard work and efforts towards achieving this milestone. He expressed, "Over the course of the past few years, we have witnessed that the definition and methods of security threats in the payment sphere have largely evolved and require new strategies of building security deep-rooted within payment software to reduce attack surface; our journey towards becoming the first Pakistani company to attain PCI Secure SLC compliance has imparted our entire team with a modern-day approach at global best practices to infuse security in our software development lifecycle”. 

He added, "Achieving Secure SLC not only validates our adherence to a cutting edge PCI standard enabling us to deliver high-quality, secure software, but it is also a testament to our commitment towards providing our customers with best-in-class payment solutions."

Mr. Abdus Samad Khan, COO iPath, applauded the entire team and expressed, "Traditionally, payment software vendors developed applications and then evaluated security vulnerabilities. PCI secure SLC, on the other hand, changes the equation by shifting security towards the very left and in every aspect of the organization, not confined to the payment app alone. Prior to becoming the first IT Company in Pakistan to obtain the PCI Secure SLC, we had to undergo an extensive validation process, and the ongoing support from Risk Associates encouraged us to take all the preparatory actions to achieve this milestone." 

He added, "And this compliance with the PCI Secure SLC showcases our adaptability to changing security threats, leading to increased customer trust. Banks are lately focusing on remote teams and resource augmentation, and having a Secure SLC vendor instills trust of the institution in our abilities”.  

The occasion was attended by Mr. Kashif Hassan, Managing Director at Risk Associates, who stated, "Working with iPath throughout the certification process has been a pleasure and witnessing their commitment to protecting the integrity and confidentiality of payment transactions and customer data by accommodating the Risk Associates team with the required information. 

The Secure SLC Certification is proposed for vendors developing payment applications/software that supports or facilitates payment transactions. We commend iPath on becoming the first Pakistani PCI Secure SLC vendor and the 7th globally".

This certification proves that software developed by the iPath team is secure in design and protects payment transactions and sensitive consumer data. In addition, achieving this certification shows iPath's higher commitment to the ongoing changes in the payment application landscape.

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• Huawei Cloud-managed network platform helps enterprises to build a one-stop network management center powered by an industry-leading cloud management architecture

• Ooredoo Business announced a collaboration with Huawei and signed an MoU for new cloud managed network services in Kuwait and PTCL launched new smart solution to enable enterprise digital transformation in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, JUN 30: During the ‘Network-as-a-Service Forum’ held recently at Atlantis Hotel, Dubai, Huawei announced its latest & innovative Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) offering for the Middle East region, powering enterprises across different industries to build a strong foundation for digital transformation. 

These new-generation services will enable enterprise businesses from government, education, healthcare, retail, banking, manufacturing industries and other SMEs to keep pace with innovation, meet rapidly changing business needs and optimize network performance and user experiences through a cloud-like subscription model. 

Enterprise NaaS models allow enterprises to outsource provisioning, deployment, ongoing management, and decommissioning and end of life for their enterprise networks. The advantages of enterprise NaaS models include faster access to new technology, simplification of network deployment and management, and improved refresh cycles for enterprises to dynamically scale network components as needed. 

IDC predicts the enterprise NaaS market will mature rapidly in 2022 and beyond, growing to become a prominent way that enterprises procure, operate, and manage their networks. Close collaboration of technology vendors with their carrier/MSP partners is essential to leverage new growth opportunities fuelled by digitalization.

Len Padilla, Senior Research Director at IDC spoke at the event and said, “Huawei have clearly understood the enterprise demand for Network-as-a-Service (NaaS). In order to meet that demand they are investing in systems and enablement for their network operator partners, equipping them to address the requirements of current and future clients.” 

Using Huawei’s NaaS offering built on the CloudCampus MSP platform, carrier/MSP partners can provide a depth of services to enterprise customers. CloudCampus MSP combines AIOps and a unified infrastructure for wired, wireless and SD-WAN management, providing MSPs a single platform to manage all customers in their environment. With best-of-breed network hardware, a comprehensive set of APIs, and integration with hundreds of smart solutions offered by Huawei’s technology partners, the CloudCampus MSP platform enables partners to quickly build and deliver a wide variety of managed service offerings that meet their customers’ specific needs.

“Digital transformation requires a network that features integrated security, scalable advanced routing, full visibility into network traffic and sophisticated analytics. Enterprises today need the flexibility and security of cloud as well as the agility and ability to scale up infrastructure as per customer demand - and all of this in a cost effective, simple yet comprehensive manner. This is where Huawei’s NaaS solution comes in - it is built with the focus on business agility & continuity, security & compliance resulting in achieving greater efficiencies & optimization for our customers,” said David Shi, President, Huawei Enterprise Business Group, Middle East. 

Zarrar Hasham Khan, Group Chief Business Solutions Officer, PTCL & Ufone, spoke at the event about “how carriers are transforming from being a pure-play connectivity provider to an end-to-end solutions provider. PTCL is launching a series of smart solutions for digital transformation across various industry verticals in Pakistan, such as workplaces, banks, educational institutes & healthcare. Furthermore, he shared the experience of PTCL’s Smart HealthSuite solution as an example, that integrates several technologies like Fiber-to-the-Room, Wi-Fi 6, IoT asset tracking and patient medical record management, to deliver a single medical center solution for better experience and high reliability.  In the future, these smart solutions will offer a one-stop shop, pay as you grow & cost-effective services model to help businesses contribute effectively to the digital vision of Pakistan.”

During the forum, Ooredoo Business and Huawei signed an MoU to launch a new generation of cloud-optimized managed network services in Kuwait called “Cloud Connect” to improve business performance & enable them to establish secured high-speed connections. 

Through this partnership, Ooredoo Business will be able to deliver SD-LAN and SD-WAN managed services to their customers by leveraging leading technologies such as 5G, Wi-Fi 6, AI, SD-WAN, Passive Optical LAN (POL) from Huawei. These services deliver a variety of benefits, including a single management platform, technical consulting resources and advanced service delivery. Through this offering, customers would be able to focus on their core business without worrying about network complexity. 

"Last year, we officially launched the Cloud Managed Network service strategy with our partners.  

Now we strengthen the approach to support our partners to take this business to new heights, with intelligent upgrades and comprehensive solutions. We believe, with the support and collaboration from our partners, together we can help our customers go digital successfully and accelerate industry digital transformation.” added David Shi. 

The Huawei Network-as-a-Service Forum was held recently at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai, as part of the Huawei Network Carnival & Partner Summit 2022, the company’s annual regional flagship event dedicated to the IP networking industry. 

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The Zilhaj moon has not been sighted and Eidul Azha will fall on July 10 (Sunday), Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced on Wednesday evening.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he said: “No testimony of the moon being sighted was received from any part of Pakistan.”

Therefore, Maulana Azad said, it was decided with a unanimous consensus that Eidul Azha would be celebrated on July 10.

“May God grant the blessings of the upcoming days to the entire Islamic world and this beloved country of mine,” he said.Azad stressed that a message of unity should be taken forward. The chairman then held prayers for peace and stability in the country.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

Lahore, JUN 29: Expressing grave concern over the 2.2 million out of school children, with girls being the majority, experts have stressed on the implementation of Free and Compulsory Education Act and girls right to secondary education in Punjab. 

These thoughts were expressed in the consultation session on the Implementation of Free & Compulsory Primary Education Act and Girls’ Right to Secondary Education organized by Awaz CDS and National Commission for Human Rights. The major focus of the session was to emphasize on the initiatives needed to be taken to ensure primary education of children and reducing girls drop out from secondary schools as it would contribute a lot towards ensuring educated women population, a guarantee to economic and social stability.  

Chief Executive Awaz CDS, Mohammad Zia ur Rehman, Member/Commissioner (Punjab) National Commission for Human Rights, Nadeem Ashraf, Director School Education Department, Mr. Ghulam Farid, Member Punjab Assembly, Ms. Uswa Aftab, and Ms. Ayesha Iqbal, Ms Noorish Sabah, Director Punjab Literacy Department, Ms. Baela Raza Jamil from ITA and other academics as well as  members from NGOs attended the event.

 In his opening remarks, Zia ur Rahman, Chief Executive Awaz CDS highlighted the significance of girls quality secondary education and explained the grey areas in the way of girls education in Punjab.

He urged the Punjab government to immediately notify the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014 which was approved earlier . He stressed for increase in development budgets for school education as developments budgets are only being distributed to PEF and PEIMA rather development budgets needs to be utilized for the development of public schools especially for girls, where missing facilities and accessibility is still a major challenge. He further warned that due to fuel price hike many girls are leaving schools and more drop outs are expected after summer vacations. 

Mr. Nadeem Ashraf, Member/ Commissioner (Punjab) National commission for Human Rights welcomed the audience and discussed the bottlenecks and challenges in implementing Free and Compulsory education act and ensuring girls basic right of getting education and shift nation towards stability.

He said that according to PSLM 2019-20, In Punjab for every 100 girls enrolled at the primary level, 38 are out-of-school and for every 100 girls enrolled at the secondary level, 162 are out-of-school . 

Ms. Ayesha Iqbal, Member Punjab Assembly highlighted the recent development for enforcement of Punjab Free & Compulsory Education Amendment Act 2020 for the immediate enactment of law . She stressed that Governor Punjab Mr. Baligh-ur-Rehman should take steps to get this education Act notified without any delay as education is priority for all parties. 

Member Punjab Assembly, Ms. Uswa Aftab on behalf of School  Education Standing Committee stressed on the importance of notification of Punjab Free & Compulsory Education Act 2014 to ensure every child is getting basic education and country is progressing towards achieving SDGs on education. 

She said that her department is constantly working on this sector and said they would make extra efforts to sensitize more and more people on girls education in order to minimize girls secondary school drop out ratio. 

The floor was then opened for Answer questions followed by insightful discussion on making primary education compulsory in the province and ensuring girls are getting secondary education and thus contributing towards stability and national goals of educated Pakistan.

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Lahore, JUN 29: A certificate award ceremony for Master Trainers in Entrepreneurial Skills trained at the Professional Development Center of National University of Science & Technology (NUST) Islamabad under the Clean Power Purchasing Development project. The project is being implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as part of the DeveloPPP.de Programme of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ). 

Chief Operating Officer TEVTA Punjab, Mr. Zaheer Abbas was the chief guest at the occasion who distributed the certificates to the master trainers along with Ms. Iris Cordelia Rotzoll, Head of Programme TVET Sector Support Programme GIZ, Mr. Muhammad Ishaq Bhatti, Chairperson Solar Quality Foundation (SQF), Mr. Faisal Mahmood, Regional Coordinator (Punjab) and DV Clean Power Purchasing Development Project, and Mr. Haseeb Saadat CEO Allied Solar Private Limited & local partner of Power One for One Germany.  Other senior officials and heads of institutes from Punjab TEVTA were also present at the occasion.

The DV Clean Power Purchasing Development Project, Mr. Faisal Mahmood presented the programme achievements over the last three years. The project has trained 37 Master Trainers on technical skills related to design, installation, O&M of solar PV plants, 30 Assessors in CBT&A to support implementation of National Vocational Qualification in Solar PV, and 40 TVET Professionals from TEVTA Punjab and PVTC on Entrepreneurial Skills to promote entrepreneurship in the Solar PV sector. A 10-kW grid-connected pilot solar PV plant was installed with the support of project partner Power One for One at TEVTA Government Technical Training Institute, Gulberg Lahore for education purpose. 

Addressing to the participants, the Head of TVET Sector Support Programme GIZ, Ms. Iris Cordelia Rotzoll, stated that all these efforts not only lead to a new beginning and small steps toward sustainable energy generation and management, but also open avenues to promote the trend of green skills in Pakistan. The master trainers, trainers and assessors trained in Solar PV technology will create a pathway for internal and external buy-in among more and more TVET trainers and managers.

Speaking at the ceremony Mr. Zaheer Abbas appreciated the role of German cooperation for promotion of clean energy in Pakistan through DeveloPPP Programme. He highlighted the fact that promotion of green skills is inevitable to fight the global climate change and save the environment while also conserving the natural resources. He expressed his resolve that master trainers trained under the project will be utilized to support implementation of solar PV training courses in Punjab and increase the quality & access to trained human resource for solar companies.

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