DAILY NEWS AND ARTICLES : January 2019

Friday, January 25, 2019

AIOU to hold inter-regions sports competitions at country level

ISLAMABAD, Jan 24 - Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will hold inter-regions sports competitions at country-wide level through its strong regional network in order to encourage talents and positive attitude for establishment of a healthy society.

The competitions would be held at Regional level across the country while grand competition would be arranged at the University’s main campus in which the winning teams of regional competitions would be invited to participate.

The Director Regional Services has been advised to chalk-out comprehensive plan to involve the maximum number of students in such activities at their door-steps.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Suzuki unveils the 3rd Gen Wagon R

After quickly grabbing a huge share in Pakistan’s auto market, Suzuki’s Wagon R has made a name for itself.

The 3rd generation of the Wagon R has finally been unveiled in India, and is expected to hit the local markets as well.

The starting price of the Wagon R third generation in India is Rs. 4.19 lakh (Rs. 823,000). It comes primarily in three different variants: LXI, VXI and ZXI. The Wagon R, in India, is offered in 7 different trims based on transmission and engine options.

The 2019 version of Wagon R has the feel of a completely new car, improving on its design, looks and even performance.

The front of the car gets a new grille and redesigned headlights. The bumper also has a different look with a trapezoidal housing for fog lights. Overall, the feel of the Wagon R has drastically changed for the better.

The rear of the car has also received major changes; a new tailgate along the elongated tail lamps.

Suzuki has opted for Heartect platform with the new Wagon R which makes it much lighter but at the same time, more rigid and provides better safety and performance.

When we talk about the dimensions of the car, the third-iteration of Wagon R is 60mm longer, 145mm wider and 25mm shorter.

One important fact to note is that this time around, the Wagon R has 35mm longer wheelbase which means that it will have significantly larger cabin space.

According to Suzuki, the safety element has also been improved; there is effective absorption of impact and dispersion of crash energy.

However, in Pakistan, the safety of the cars is an ignored factor and it remains to be seen which variants are imported/assembled.

The cabin also comes with various changes and most noticeable of all is the new dashboard and a new infotainment system with a two-tone finish.

There is no doubt that this is a huge step up on the models that are currently being sold in Pakistan or India, for that matter.

For the first time in Wagon R’s history, the vehicle now comes with a 1.2L petrol engine along with an already existing 1.1L petrol engine. The comparison of both engines paired to a 5-gearbox is as following:

The 1.2-liter motor makes 82 bhp and 113 newton meters of peak torque while the 1-liter unit makes 67 bhp and 90 Nm. Both engines are paired to a 5-speed gearbox.

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Realme 2 Pro has all the essentials of a mid-ranger [review]

Check out the Realme 2 Pro if you’re in the market for a mid-ranger.

The original Realme 1 was a great phone for the price. It quickly gained the market and Realme made its name as a value-oriented brand in India, but it had no presence in Pakistan.

However, just a few weeks ago, the Realme brand finally launched in Pakistan and brought two smartphones, the Realme 2 Pro and C1.

Today we have with us the Realme 2 Pro and we’re going to see how good of a phone it actually is for the price and is it a threat to other brands in Pakistan?

Review

Design and Display

The body of the phone is actually made of polycarbonate instead of glass, unlike what most people thought.

The famous diamond pattern back from the original Realme 1 is also gone and we now have a much more subtle design on the back of the phone.

This is a letdown, considering that you’re paying Rs. 44,000 for an all-plastic phone.

The sides of the phone have a different textured finish than what you have on the back and might chip easily if you don’t take care of it or put a case on it.

The back of the phone also houses the dual cameras and an LED flash right next to it. The fingerprint scanner is also placed in the middle.

The fingerprint scanner is actually the largest upgrade over the Realme 1 since it didn’t have one at all.

The right-hand side of the phone houses the power button whereas there’s a volume rocker on the left side. On the bottom, you will find the 3.5mm headphone jack and sadly, an outdated micro-USB port instead of Type C, which is what you should be getting, especially at this price range.

As for the display of the phone, we have a 6.3-inch IPS LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340) with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The odd aspect ratio is thanks to the dewdrop notch on top of the screen.

It’s not actually bad looking and does preserve some screen real estate and the screen-to-body ratio is also 90.8%. Not only does the Realme 2 Pro look good with such a good screen-to-body ratio but you also get a larger surface area to play with.

The display itself is actually nice and offers plenty of brightness which makes it easier to view in direct sunlight and it also gets dim enough to use comfortably in the dark.

Performance

Before moving on to the performance of the phone, let’s get the specifications out of the way first.

Realme 2 Pro runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core chipset. There’s an option of 6/8GB RAM and 64GB/128GB storage and in Pakistan.

We’re actually used to getting the lower end variants here but the Realme 2 Pro actually comes with the highest end configuration in Pakistan with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

Furthermore, if you decide that 128GB of internal storage is still not enough, there’s also a dedicated microSD card slot available which allows you to expand the storage by up to 256GB.

As is the case with most mid-rangers nowadays, day to day performance was smooth on the Realme 2 Pro. There was no lag or stuttering when moving through the UI or during the animations.

The loading time of applications was decent as well and their overall performance was satisfactory.

The gaming performance on the Realme 2 Pro also did not disappoint. Heavy and demanding titles like Asphalt 9, PUBG also ran great and the FPS were stable and high as well.

The 8 GB RAM on board also made sure that multitasking was a breeze. You can open up multiple applications in the background and you’ll still be able to switch between them without them shutting down or reloading from the start.

Camera

Moving on to the cameras, on the back you have a dual camera setup. The main camera is a 16MP unit with an aperture of f/1.7, backed by a 2MP sensor used for portrait shots.

The 16+2MP setup on the Realme 2 Pro is actually not a bad configuration, especially with the wide aperture, the night results have been more than decent.

Photos that were taken in daylight or well-lit conditions had good detail and sharpness and the images had nice contrast as well.

Battery

The battery on board the Realme 2 Pro is a huge 3,500mAh unit. Unfortunately, there’s no VOOC or Super VOOC charging support built in the Realme 2 Pro so you only get the regular 5V/2A charging here.

Again, at this price range, you expect fast charging to be available on the phone, but unfortunately, you have to make do with a slow charging phone.

The chipset on board actually does support Qualcomm’s Fast Charge 4.0 but it isn’t enabled here. Hopefully, you won’t be needing that during the day.

During our testing, the power efficient 660 processor managed to help the device last through the day.

Verdict

Realme 2 Pro offers decent value for money and gives a tough time to its competition but it also falls a bit short in some areas like fast charging and USB type-C, which is pretty much standard in this price range but it’s nowhere to be found in the Realme 2 Pro.

Apart from that, you get lots of RAM, a huge amount of storage and a fairly capable processor as well.

All in all, it’s a good start by Realme in Pakistan and hopefully, future products from Realme in Pakistan will improve on the price-to-specifications ratio.

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AIOU sets-up exams centers in middle-east countries

ISLAMABAD, JAN 23 - Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in collaboration with Pakistani missions has set up Examination Centers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman and Bahrain.

The final exams of Metric, FA, BA, B.Ed (1.5 years) and MBA COL programs for Pakistanis settled in Middle-East will start from February 3 and will be continued till February 21.

Roll number slips to all the enrolled students have been sent at their given addresses. Date sheet/roll number slips have also been placed at website overseas@aiou.edu.pk.

Students abroad could also contact for further information from University’s Directorate of Overseas Education and e-learning in Islamabad, at phone numbers 92-51-9250140 or e mail overseas@aiou.edu.pk.

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Britain Airways team to visit Islamabad airport next week to assess security measures

ISLAMABAD, JAN 23 - A team of senior officials from Britain's national flag-carrier will be visiting Pakistan next week to inspect whether all prerequisite security measures are in place before the airline resumes its flights to Islamabad in June after a 10-year break.

"The main purpose of the visit will be to engage the Pakistani authorities on the critical security measures which British Airways (BA) will require full implementation of before they commence operations in June," read a letter written by British Deputy High Commissioner Richard Crowder to Secretary Aviation Division Shahrukh Nusrat.

During the visit, according to the letter, the BA team would like to visit the new Islamabad International Airport to "see first-hand the security measures in operation and to understand the infrastructure and services in place to support [BA] flights to and from Islamabad".

The deputy high commissioner wrote that the resumption of directs flights to Pakistan by Britain's flag-carrier was excellent news for both the countries.

"I see British Airways' return as a vote of confidence in the future of our two countries' links, and, of course, a reflection of the great improvements in the security situation in Pakistan in recent years," he wrote.

BA's head of worldwide airports, Paul Coventry, International Risk Adviser David Craig and Director Safety and Security John Monks will be visiting the country on January 29-30. The team is expected to visit the Islamabad airport on either day of their visit.

In September 2008, British Airways had suspended all its flights to Pakistan "for an indefinite period" citing security concerns in the aftermath of the Marriott Hotel bombing that claimed more than 50 lives and injured more than 250 people.

The airline last month decided to resume direct flights from London Heathrow to Islamabad’s new airport. According to a press release issued on BA's website, the route will launch as a three-per-week service, operated on a three-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with return fares starting from £499 [roughly Rs91,000].

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Tuesday, January 22, 2019

New car makers to invest $1.5 billion in Pakistani Auto Sector

The leading automotive companies of Pakistan have committed to bring new investment of $1.5 billion in the auto industry of Pakistan.

Amir Allahwala, former Chairman Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), made this statement while briefing the Senate Committee on Industries and Production on Tuesday.

He informed the committee that eight new car makers have already entered the Pakistani market with an investment of $1.5 billion while another investment of as much amount is also expected in the near future.

Under the investment plan, the new plants have been established to manufacture glasses and windscreens of vehicles. Moreover, another plant to make alloy wheels is being set up in the country.

The committee was informed that over the past five years, Pakistan auto industry had witnessed phenomenal growth as in 2013-14, Pakistan produced 116,000 units of cars, which reached 218,372 units in 2017-18.

Amir went on to say that Suzuki’s Mehran car will come to an end within the next two months.

Suzuki had launched Mehran in 1989 in Pakistan, and it has since been one of the most popular cars in the country.

“We have heard for a while that Suzuki is considering stopping manufacturing Mehran, but despite all the criticism and flaws, Suzuki sold more than 42,000 units of Mehran in 2017,” the panel was informed.

He also informed the upper house of the parliament that Pakistan exports as much as 75000 cars to countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka every year.

He, however, did not provide the numbers for imported vehicles.

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Tickets for PSL games in Dubai go online for sale

LAHORE, JAN 22 - Tickets go online for sale for the opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League and the matches scheduled in Dubai.

The star-studded tournament will start with a glittering ceremony on February 14th at 7 PM followed by the first game of the fourth season of the league between the defending champions, Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars at 7:45 PM.

Dubai International Stadium will host the total of 14 matches during the tournament, which will be divided into two legs.

PSL 2019’s eight matches will be staged in Pakistan, three in Lahore and five in Karachi including the big final.

However, the details regarding the availability of tickets are not yet revealed.

The fourth edition of the PSL will start from February 14 at the Dubai International Stadium, while the final of the tournament will be played at the National Stadium Karachi on March 17.

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JIT fails to convince CM Buzdar; wants deadline extended by a week

LAHORE, JAN 22 - Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has showed no-confidence over the initial probe report into Sahiwal alleged police encounter that killed four including a minor.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Police Syed Ijaz Hussain Shah, who is heading the JIT, presented his initial probe report in a meeting being chaired by Chief Minister Punjab after end of the given deadline to JIT.

Well informed sources said the CM, while showing his resentment over Mr Shah, said the non-seriousness towards the inquiry will not be tolerated.

To this, the JIT head reportedly responded by saying that it was not possible to submit a report about such a high profile case within three days.

Reportedly, the JIT head told the Chief Minister that the team could not rely only on the statements of the eyewitnesses, and it needed to conduct a forensic analysis of the car.

CM Buzdar, however, rejected the JIT’s request to extend the deadline for the probe, saying that “he would not tolerate the delay of even a moment in provision of justice”.

Sources say that at max, the Chief Minister could give one more day to the JIT, and if it fails to submit the report by then, formation of a judicial commission could be announced with JIT’s initial report referred to the commission.

Sources have claimed that the JIT failed to determine the people responsible for the incident within the deadline given by the CM Punjab.

It was also learnt that efforts were underway to save police high-ups in the case by scapegoating sub-inspector and constable-level policemen.

replacing the CTD Chief and SSP Operations is also being discussed.

Mr Buzdar also directed the JIT head to refrain from issuing statements in media as the matter was highly sensitive in nature.

Earlier in the day, the JIT head had, in front of media personnel, excused himself from presenting a final report of the Sahiwal incident.

“It is not even possible to submit an initial report right now. We will conduct investigations on scientific basis and determine what the truth is,” Mr Shah had said while speaking to the media after visiting the incident site and recording statements of eyewitnesses.

It is pertinent to note that Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar had promised that the JIT team investigating the Sahiwal incident will submit its report on Jan 22.

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UNGA president calls on army chief

RAWALPINDI, JAN 22 - Ms Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President of the United Nations General Assembly UNGA called on General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) at GHQ, Monday.

Matters of mutual interest including regional security were discussed. The visiting dignitary acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan Army’s contributions for United Nations in maintaining peace, stability and rehabilitation in conflict zones.

She also said that UN values Pakistan’s role in the war against terror and efforts to resolve the regional issues.

COAS thanked visiting dignitary for her acknowledgment and contributions as part of UN.

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Pak-Iran share fraternal relations: Asad Qaiser

ISLAMABAD, JAN 22 - Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardost called on Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Tuesday at Parliament House and discussed matters pertaining to bilateral relations and regional issues.

Referring to warm relations between Iran and Pakistan, the Speaker remarked that both countries are intertwined by stronger multi-dimensional relations and underlined the need for renewed commitment to diversification of strategic, trade, economic, cultural and Parliamentary relations in the face of regional and global challenges.

Highlighting deep rooted religious, cultural and moral ties between the two countries, the speaker said that the trade volume between both countries is not optimum. He urged that both countries can benefit from mutual imports and exports.

Asad Qaiser also recommended frequent exchange of delegations to assign substantive meanings to inter-Parliamentary relations.

He termed Pak-Iran Parliamentary engagement as ‘highly imperative’ for cohesion of the entire region. The Speaker said that stronger Pak-Iran relation is inevitable for regional peace, security and prosperity.

He said that Pakistan believed in the unity of Muslim countries and stressed the importance of both Pakistan and Iran working together for resolution of problems faced by the Ummah.

The Speaker noted that the two countries also need to move forward with consensus on matters of international importance.

Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardost thanked the Speaker for continued efforts for strengthening parliamentary and bilateral relations and enhancing interaction in all areas including trade and economic cooperation.

He also conveyed the desire of the Iranian leadership and the government for continued efforts for growth in bilateral ties.

He added that Iran consider Pakistan as its partner for peace in the region and expressed his hope that in future both nations will continue to chart the paths of prosperity together.

He reiterated Asad Qaiser’s proposal for diversification of trade and economic relations and urged for comprehensive engagement of the Parliamentary committees to explore the avenues for cooperation.

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Uzbek, Pak cultural and people to people ties improved manifold: ambassador Furqat

Historical movie Islam Khodja screened at PNCA

ISLAMABAD, JAN 22 – Ambassador of Uzbekistan Furqat Sidikov has said relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan are growing at a fast speed adding our special emphasis has been on promoting and strengthening people to people contacts.

He expressed these views on the occasion of screening of a movie Islam Khodja. A large number of people hailing from all walks of life including diplomatic corps witnessed the movie.

The embassy organised the movie show in collaboration with Mayor of Islamabad and the National Art Gallery.

The ambassador further said culture was yet another field where both countries had a big potential to increase cooperation.

The particular interest of Pakistani viewers was also atrracted by the fact that this film has historical ground based on existing archive materials without a single change in happened events.

He particularly thanked the Mayor of Islamabad and PNCA for assisting in the organization of such an important cultural event, which allowed highlighting the cultural potential of Uzbekistan, as well as strengthening the Uzbek-Pakistani cultural cooperation.

The ambassador told such events shall be organised in other major cities of Pakistan including Lahore and Karachi.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2019

AIOU to hold exams for overseas students from February 3

ISLAMABAD, - Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) will hold final exams of Metric, FA, BA, B.Ed (1.5 years) and MBA COL programs for Pakistanis settled in Middle-East from February 3.

According to a notification, these exams will take place in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman and Bahrain. The exams will continue till February 21.

These will be conducted through Pakistani missions in these countries.

Roll number slips to all the enrolled students have been sent at their given addresses. Date sheet/roll number slips have also been placed at website Overseas@aiou.edu.pk .

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Brexit: Theresa May's deal is voted down in historic Commons defeat

LONDON, JAN 16 - Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal has been rejected by 230 votes - the largest defeat for a sitting government in history.

MPs voted by 432 votes to 202 to reject the deal, which sets out the terms of Britain's exit from the EU on 29 March.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has now tabled a vote of no confidence in the government, which could trigger a general election.

The confidence vote is expected to be held at about 1900 GMT on Wednesday.

The defeat is a huge blow for Mrs May, who has spent more than two years hammering out a deal with the EU.

The plan was aimed at bringing about an orderly departure from the EU on 29 March, and setting up a 21-month transition period to negotiate a free trade deal.

The UK is still on course to leave on 29 March but the defeat throws the manner of that departure - and the timing of it - into further doubt.

MPs who want either a further referendum, a softer version of the Brexit proposed by Mrs May, to stop Brexit altogether or to leave without a deal, will ramp up their efforts to get what they want, as a weakened PM offered to listen to their arguments.

Laura Kuenssberg: May's nightmare

History was made tonight with the scale of this defeat - a higher figure than the wildest of numbers that were gossiped about before the vote.

But the prime minister's dilemma is a more serious version of the same it's always been.

She has no majority of her own in Parliament to make her middle way through stick.

And her many critics don't agree on the direction she should take - a more dramatic break with the EU, or a tighter, softer version.

Those two fundamental and clashing positions have always threatened to pull her and the government apart.

The Brexit debate has cut across traditional party lines.

Some 118 Conservative MPs - from both the Leave and Remain wings of her party - voted with the opposition parties against Mrs May's deal.

And three Labour MPs supported the prime minister's deal: Ian Austin (Dudley North), Kevin Barron (Rother Valley) and John Mann (Bassetlaw).

The most controversial sticking point was the issue of the Northern Irish backstop - the fallback plan to avoid any return to physical border checks between the country and Ireland.

Mrs May had hoped new assurances from EU leaders this week, saying the backstop would be temporary and, if triggered, would last for "the shortest possible period", would help her garner more support.

But in the debate leading up to the vote, members from all sides of the House said the move did not go far enough.

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