Agriculture: Tech developments to help farming sector

The plan is to develop genetic modification expertise for producing high yield/pest resistant crops. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is developing new technologies which include remote sensing, laser land-leveling, bio-fertilisers and solar tube-wells for enhancing the efficiency in agriculture sector.

The plan is to develop genetic modification expertise for producing high yield/pest resistant crops. MoST will produce, preserve and process fruits and vegetables that satisfy food chain requirements of the international market.

“The ministry will establish facilities for producing quality controlled halal food for Muslim consumers in different parts of the world and will support schemes for modern techniques in poultry, livestock and fish farming,” an official told the media.

Pakistan Council of Science and Technology Chairperson Dr Mudasar Asrar said that despite contributing 20-25% of the GDP and being the mainstay of our economy, it has not been possible, for one reason or the other, to exploit the livestock and agricultural sector to its full potential.

Significantly lower average yields of crops, persistent decrease in the quantity as well as the quality of water available for irrigation, high cost of fertilisers, limited availability of quality certified seeds, weak pest management and large post harvest losses are only some of the factors, limiting the growth of this critical sector, she said.

“Today about 30-35 million people in rural areas are engaged in raising livestock and about a third of their income is generated from selling livestock products.”

Pakistan is still spending a significant amount of foreign exchange on the import of food grains, meat and dairy products, she said

Balochistan to receive big slice of Chinese funds

Commitment: $4.5b is the annual investment China has pledged over the next seven years. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

After taking operational control of the strategically important deep-sea port of Gwadar, China is focusing on poverty and militancy-stricken province of Balochistan, which will get a major chunk of funds worth $31 billion pledged by Beijing for energy and port expansion projects, sources say.

The government is working on a plan to expand Gwadar Port, which is part of an investment programme set by China for boosting economic activities in Balochistan.

“Of the total investment, Lahore-Karachi motorway, Gwadar Port expansion and integrated development of Gwadar will attract an investment of $11 billion,” a source said.

Gwadar Port has given western China access to the Arabian Sea, which has upset India and the US. Many western and Indian analysts believe that China has intentions to build naval bases there.

However, Chinese authorities insist that Gwadar Port will give western China access to oil supplies from the Gulf and will boost economic activities in Pakistan. Under a long-term plan, China is expected to lay oil and gas pipelines through Gwadar Port to meet its energy needs.

According to sources, the government has also handed over to Pakistan Army the task of providing fool-proof security to Chinese officials in Balochistan in a bid to address Beijing’s concerns and execute the investment plan in the province, which will get 38% of the funds.

In a meeting of the federal cabinet on February 25, it was announced that China had agreed to invest $4.5 billion annually over the next seven years in Pakistan. The premier described it as an unprecedented example where only one country, China, would invest $31.5 billion.

“In the energy sector, 10 projects will be launched in Gadani, Balochistan and six coal projects in Thar, Sindh,” he added.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal told the meeting that China had initially approved projects worth $15-20 billion and working groups had been set up in that regard. However, Beijing was concerned over the security situation and called for making improvements.

PPRA rules

Background discussions with officials reveal that Chinese investment would portray a positive picture of Pakistan and help woo investors from around the world. However, China wanted that it be awarded contracts directly.

The Ministry of Water and Power approached the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to seek advice on direct award of contracts for mega energy projects to foreign companies, investors and sovereign states. But the PPRA turned down the plea.

However, officials point to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline contract, which was being given directly to Iranian company Tadbir Energy. Apart from this, the government was negotiating a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with Qatar on a state-to-state basis. The officials suggest the government would have to strike such deals with China as well.

“Pakistan has procured nuclear power plants from China without any bidding and the same model could be followed in order to execute the multi-billion-dollar investment plan,” an official said.

Many countries, like China and Russia, and even foreign private investors were interested in undertaking big energy projects with the offer of financing but they wanted contracts without bidding, the official said.

Maker of Revo talks about its re-launch

If Adam Motor re-launches Revo, then its price would be around Rs600,000 owing to the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee since 2005. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS

KARACHI: When the country’s premier expressed a desire for a ‘made in Pakistan’ vehicle at the recently-held auto show in Lahore, he had probably forgotten about Adam Revo — Pakistan’s first locally produced car that made an entry nine years ago.

Among the attentive audience was Feroz Khan, the maker of Revo, who was astonished at the silence of the industry giants present at the Lahore Expo Centre where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made the remark.

“I felt hurt when none of my life-long friends stood up and informed the prime minister that Pakistan had already succeeded in producing a local car in 2005,” Khan told The Express Tribune in an interview. “Add to this the maker of that car was sitting right before him in the audience.”

Adam Motors, the makers of Revo, launched the car on April 18, 2005 with high hopes. However, the company sold just 600 units before it broke down owing to a lack of working capital. Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz inaugurated Revo’s plant in 2003, located a few kilometres from Karachi, owing to which most units were sold in the city.

According to Khan, Aziz promised him to buy his car for the government as it was the cheapest in the country. The government could have easily bought 5,000-10,000 cars a year but it never fulfilled its promise and that, according to Khan, was one of the major reasons why the project collapsed.

When launched, Revo’s price was Rs269,000 — cheaper by Rs46,000 when compared to the more popular choice of Suzuki Mehran.

Asked whether he could re-launch Revo, Khan reluctantly said that it could “within 15 months after studying the current needs of the industry”.

Khan’s reluctance to take another risk is understandable. He still owes Rs230 million despite paying a large part of the Rs1-billion debt he accumulated in launching Revo.

If Adam Motor re-launches Revo, then its price would be around Rs600,000 owing to the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee since 2005, Khan said.

The current price of Suzuki Mehran is Rs686,000.

“This is a better time to produce a local car as prices have gone up way too high owing to the expensive imported parts,” said Khan. “But I must say that I am fearful in re-launching Revo because of this country’s politics.”

Despite difficulty in procuring its spare parts, one can still find Revo on roads after all this time.

Those who still use the car say some of the attractive characteristics of Revo are its strong body and spacious interior.

Khan believes Pakistan can achieve more milestones in the future because of the position where its auto industry stands today. However, for that to happen, the local industry needs to work hard especially if it wants to prepare itself for regional competition.

Trade with India

The Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) and Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (Paapam) needs to work collaboratively if they want to prepare themselves for trade with India, otherwise both would face difficulties, said Khan.

Pakistan’s auto industry also needs to study non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in India and then apply the same if they fail in exporting their parts to India because of them, he added.

“Pakistan can export auto parts to India but then it needs to upgrade its standards such as environment, pollution, vehicle inspection etc,” he stressed.

Microsoft Innovation Center Holds Hackathon Windows 8.1

 

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Microsoft Innovation Center team is quietly working to further the technological advancement of Pakistan. The activities of MIC include mentoring startups and holding workshops and seminars that educate hundreds of people in the country. Most recently, MIC held the Windows 8.1 Hackathon under the banner of Punjab Youth Festival.

The two day event, which will conclude today, saw a massive response both from the students and the developers. More than 1500 people actively responded to the event and the event got almost 419 team registrations.  Yesterday, more than 250 people gathered at the venue, and developed applications for Windows 8.1 store.

Prior to the Hackathon, MIC also held more than 20 sessions in different Universities to educate students about App Development on the Windows platform. Windows Platform is steadily growing and is the third most popular OS in the mobile OS zone. The technical consultants were Shahid Aziz and Usman-ur-Rehman. The team visited Universities in various cities including Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur.

While the results have not yet been finalized, more than 300 application submissions are expected from the event. The three main categories of the competitions include

• Innovation
• Game Development
• Code for Pakistan

Another special category is reserved for the team/individual who will submit the maximum number of applications to store in this competition. The last date for the participating teams to send in their work for evaluation is 30thMarch and the result is expected around April. The winners will get their hands on the new stylish Lumia 1520 phablet as well other phones from Lumia series including Lumia 1020, 920 and 625!

With such a massive response coming from Pakistani youth, you can expect better Windows applications in the Windows Store. More than that, it encourages students to come together and learn. Later, some participants can even use their skills to start their own company. Events like these help in education of students as well as equipping developers with the right platform where they can exhibit their talent.

Above 7,000 Pakistani women working abroad on prominent posts

About 7,331 Pakistani women were sent abroad for employment during the last five years in different cadres. Official sources said that women have been appointed on important posts including Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs) in Pakistan embassies. These women were posted in Pakistan embassies of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Norway, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia for resolving the problems of the Pakistanis. Elaborating the responsibilities of CWA, they said, these officials attend the problems promptly and take up issues with the concerned authorities. “Even the legal aid is provided wherever it is required and appropriate action is taken to resolve the issues of overseas”, they said.

Social network: Sina Weibo, ‘China’s Twitter,’ files for IPO in US

Weibo had 129.1 million monthly active users in December and 61.4 million average daily active users.

NEW YORK: 

Weibo Corporation, the Chinese micro-blogging service often compared with Twitter, filed for a US stock offering seeking to raise $500 million.

The move will allow the popular Chinese-language social network to spin off from the internet giant Sina, according to documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The filing said that Weibo had 129.1 million monthly active users in December and 61.4 million average daily active users.

The company did not indicate whether Weibo would file its IPO on the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange.

The lead underwriters will be Goldman Sachs Asia and Credit Suisse. “A microcosm of the Chinese society, Weibo has attracted a wide range of users, including ordinary people, celebrities and other public figures, as well as organisations such as media outlets, businesses, government agencies and charities,” the SEC filing said. “Weibo has become a cultural phenomenon in China.”

“Weibo allows people to be heard publicly and be exposed to the rich ideas, cultures and experiences of the broader world,” it added.

“Media outlets use Weibo as a source of news and a distribution channel for their headline news. Government agencies and officials use Weibo as an official communication channel for disseminating timely information and gauging public opinion to improve public services.”

The filing said Weibo’s initial public offering (IPO) will be part of a carve-out from Sina, but that Sina would continue to provide us with certain support services after it becomes independent.

FCR commissioner reduces Dr Shakil Afridi's sentence by 10 years

Express News screengrab of Dr Shakil Afridi.

PESHAWAR: The Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) Commissioner Captain (retd) Munir Azam announced his decision to reduce Dr Shakil Aridi’s sentence by 10 years,Express News reported Saturday.

Shakil was convicted of treason by the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) tribunal for alleged ties to militants and jailed for 33 years in May 2012 and asked to pay a fine of Rs320,000.

Authorities set aside the sentence in August last year on appeal and ordered a retrial, but now a tribunal has agreed to cut a decade off his jail term.

“The tribunal has reduced the 33-year imprisonment to 23 years and also reduced the fine of 320,000 rupees to 220,000 rupees,” defence lawyer Samiullah Afridi told AFP.

Samiullah said that he would appeal against the decision as he wanted to have a new trial, as stipulated by the authorities last August.

“We will appeal against this decision, because it is unjust,” Samiullah said.

Jamil Afridi, the brother of the jailed doctor added: “We wanted to have a fresh trial, but the court just ruled on one point and reduced the sentence by 10 years. We will file an appeal against this decision.”

Lawyers for the doctor had challenged the August ruling, made by the commissioner of the northwestern city of Peshawar, in the FATA Tribunal.

Shakil was arrested after US troops killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in May 2011 in the northwestern town of Abbottabad.

Islamabad branded the raid a violation of sovereignty and US relations fell to an all-time low.

Shakil had been recruited by the CIA to run a vaccination programme in Abbottabad in the hope of obtaining DNA samples to identify Osmam bin Laden, although medics never managed to gain access to the family.

He was convicted not for working for the CIA, for which the court said it had no jurisdiction – but for alleged ties to militants.

In November, authorities unexpectedly charged Afridi with murder and fraud over the death of a patient some six years earlier.