Over 900 books have been donated since September to barbers in the capital of Khyber Pakhtukhwa province and nearby Charsadda town by Omar Azam Khan, a student in the final year of secondary school. The small local initiative to promote reading has been welcomed by residents of the city that has only two public libraries.
About 60 percent of Pakistanis experienced moderate to high levels of mental health issues while eight in 10 individuals showed some symptoms of mental illness during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a global research firm, IPSOS, which recently carried out a study for an organization affiliated with the Pakistan Mental Health Coalition. The organization says confinement, financial distress and job losses raised stress levels.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has blocked video-sharing app TikTok, citing “immoral and indecent” content. According to a press release, in view of “complaints” and the “nature of content being consistently posted on TikTok”, PTA issued a “final notice” to the app. TikTok was given “considerable time” to respond and comply with instructions to effectively moderate “unlawful online content”, said PTA.
Bundal Island project will “surpass Dubai” after it will be developed into a city with an investment of around $50 billion, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said. “Bundal island is part of Sindh and federal government is not going to take over it,” the governor said while dispelling the perception that PTI-led government is trying to “occupy it”.
The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City owned by PIA is going to be shut down because of financial issues. Built on prime land in Manhattan in 1924, the hotel was leased by PIA in 1979 along with a Saudi prince. PIA bought the hotel in 1999 for $36.5 million and in 2005 bought the Saudi prince’s share.
Pakistani entrepreneur, Tayyab Shafiq, has launched the smallest takeaway serving delicious Pakistani food in three used London phone booths with plans to open new franchises across the United Kingdom. Tayyab, 25, rented the booths from the Red Kiosk Company which reuses old phone booths by way of which he wants promote Pakistani traditions and bring back the golden sparrow image of Pakistan.
Pakistani artist, Assam Altaf, has curated Pakistan’s first traditional food map. The map features 211 local foods of Pakistan, which is the world’s biggest halal food country. The map includes Pakistani food from Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Punjab, Sindh, Kyber Pakhtunkhawa and Balochistan. Along with mentioning the cities of specific cuisines, the map also features common traditional Pakistani food.
In a historic decision, Pakistan has become the first Muslim country to make it illegal for a man to take dowry. In the latest development by the Minister of Religious Affairs of Pakistan has decided to ban the tradition of dowry, in which groom and his family asks for a dowry and then they put it on display. The details
China has brought in new measures subjugating yet another Muslim ethnic group, the Utsuls, as the country continues to surveil and detain Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. The Utsuls, a group of around 10,000 who reside in Sanya, are predominantly Muslim. Last month, Chinese Community Party issued an order banning traditional Utsul dress — the hijab and a long skirt — in schools and government buildings.
Guinness World Record holder, Ahsan Qayyum from Pakistan is one of a kind miniature artist who uses the lead of a pencil to carve out various miniatures. The young artist from Gujranwala made the longest chain by a pencil lead consisting of 75 links, breaking record of 58 links previously held by an Indian.