A Karachi based company, Crown Group has introduced its own range of electric cars in Pakistan. The company displayed a number of environmentally friendly vehicles, including motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, cars and ambulances, which it says are energy efficient. The starting price for an electric car, a pilot project, is Rs400,000. It’s a two-door hatchback with a seating capacity of two persons.
The government of Pakistan is going to create Pakistan’s first artificial intelligence centre with China’s help for Rs1 billion in a bid to set up technology zones across the country. This is part of its Rs6.26 billion plan to digitise the country. Parliament is also going to be digitised. The IT ministry plans to use technology to record attendance, votes and quorum. This will cost Rs8 million.
Pakistani weightlifter, Rabia Shahzad has won gold at the Glasgow Open Classic Weightlifting Championship 2020. Rabia Shahzad, aged 21, studies at IBA Karachi and trains independently without depending on any sort of support from the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation. Last year, Rabia Shahzad, clinched the gold medal at the Hampshire Weightlifting Championship held in the United Kingdom.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will meet in Paris for five days to decide on Pakistan’s grey list fate, staring on February 16. In October 2019, the FATF had decided to keep Pakistan on its grey list till February, giving it time to implement the FATF’s 27-point action plan. Pakistan is on its grey list because of deficiencies in the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Terrorist Financing regulations.
The sale of illegal cigarettes in the country has increased significantly since the imposition of the Federal Excise Duty (FED), according to a quarterly report released by the State Bank of Pakistan. The output of the official cigarette industry declined by 35.5% due to the increase in FED as it pushed the consumers towards cheaper alternatives in the form of counterfeits and cigarettes smuggled from abroad.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is all set to receive the first 12 of 26 dual-seat JF-17B Thunder aircraft in the near future, according to the revelation made by Air Chief Marshall, Mujahid Anwar Khan. The delivery of remaining jets will be completed in 2021. Out of the 12, 4 multirole fighters have been built at the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) whereas the remaining 8 at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra.
President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay an official visit to Pakistan on February 13th to cement relations between the two countries. The Turkish President will be accompanied by a delegation of Turkish businessmen. He requested that Pakistani businessmen who are interested in B2B with the delegates are requested to contact the Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he will be inviting Turkey to join the multi-billion dollar CPEC projects. He further added that he hopes to strengthen ties with Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Islamabad mid-February, which he hopes will build on the brotherly relationship between Islamabad and Ankara as he will be bringing various buisness houses and investors with him.
Pakistan beat Afghanistan by six wickets in the U19 Cricket World Cup to secure a place in the semi-final and will now play against India. Pakistan’s bowlers put on a disciplined performance as they dismissed the Afghan side for just 189. Captain Farhan Zakhil was the top-scorer with 40 (55) with seven boundaries to his name while Muhammad Amir Khan was the pick of the bowlers as he returned with figures of 3-58 in 10 overs.
The government has finally declared national emergency to eliminate attacking swarms of desert locust which have destroyed crops in Sindh and are headed towards Punjab. The four provinces also approved a national action plan (NAP) that requires Rs7.3 billion to overcome the crisis. The PM directed the authorities concerned to make immediate measures on basis of damage of ripened crops.