New Delhi: Foreign investors operating in Pakistan have expressed “cautious optimism” about the country’s future growth potential, according to the latest Perception and Investment Survey 2019 conducted by the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI).
The survey was conducted among the leading foreign investors of the country.
Pakistan performed impressively on several business climate parameters — with “75 per cent of the respondents indicating willingness to recommend new FDI in Pakistan to their parent companies”.
But some concerns were also raised — “inter-provincial coordination issues, matters relating to the renewal of cellular mobile operators’ licences, extended time in processing corporate remittances and capacity issues in some of the regulatory bodies”.
Outrage after Malala’s shooter escapes from prison
People in Pakistan have expressed outrage on social media after Ehsanullah Ehsan, the Talibani leader who shot Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012 and carried out the attack on the Peshawar Army school in 2014, escaped from prison.
People have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
Only if instead of hounding #PTM activists & supporters or arresting Manzoor Pashteen etc, they had focused on their job, which is keeping Pakistan's borders safe from mass murderers like Ehsanullah Ehsan! https://t.co/Mi0f37UiV1
— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) February 6, 2020
https://twitter.com/QaziTahirMahsud/status/1225425888336138240?s=20
This is a complete shit show!https://t.co/1lqk6dUxfR
— Maria Memon (@Maria_Memon) February 7, 2020
Ehsan released an audio clip, which began doing the rounds on social media Thursday, claiming he had escaped from prison and is now in Turkey.
“I am the former spokesman of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. I had surrendered to the Pakistani security authorities on 5 February 2017 under an agreement. I honoured this agreement for three years, but the Pakistani authorities violated it and kept me in a prison along with my children,” Ehsan said in the clip.
Ehsan goes on to say that he escaped on 11 January “with the help of God,” and that he will make a detailed statement “when I can”.
Also read: Pakistan saw a spike in militancy in the New Year, but an 85% drop over the last decade
Pakistan approves export of endangered falcons
Pakistan has recently approved the export of 50 falcons of rare species to Saudi Arabia, where they will be used by Prince Fahd bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud for hunting.
The falcons, called the Saker and Peregrine, have been deemed rare and vulnerable. The Saker falcon, in particular, has been labeled an endangered species.
Saudi Arabia uses falcons to hunt for another type of bird — the houbara bustard.
According to Dawn, “As falcons age with time, hunters need to change their aged falcons with younger ones that could hunt houbara bustard more efficiently. Hence, an export permit was requested by the kingdom and duly issued by Pakistan.”
But Dawn also points out that trapping, selling and purchasing falcons is illegal in Pakistan, so the overseas trade could encourage an underground black wildlife market.
Pakistan’s first-ever International Screen Awards in Dubai
Pakistan’s entertainment industry is holding its first-ever Pakistan International Screen Awards, an award ceremony commemorating actors, filmmakers, television stars and social media influencers. The event is due to take place in Dubai in the famed Coca-Cola Arena on 7 February.
An audience of over 10,000 is expected to attend from the UAE itself. Actor Javed Sheikh, who has been part of several Indian films as well, is a member of the jury.
“It gives me great pleasure to have a platform to showcase the progress of our film fraternity and in a time and age of a digital world it is time to stand up for what one believes in. Patriotism is at an all-time high and we all can’t wait to showcase our best,” said UAE-based executive producer of the event, Faisal Khan.
Also read: Superheroes: Four-part web series on trials of urban Pakistani women to release soon
All Indians of good conscience should wish Pakistan well, hope its economy does well, the country acquires a growing stake in integrating with the global economy. The only Pakistani I have met in my life was a manager in a hotel in Dubai. He seemed friendly enough, but maybe that is how hospitality professionals are trained to behave with paying customers.