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Pakistani culture fair in Shanghai brings exotic products

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BEIJING, June 24 (APP): A Pakistani culture fair featuring jewels, handcrafted carpets and garments produced in Pakistan is being held in Shanghai this week and brings the charm of Pakistani products to locals without having to travel abroad.

According to Hussain Haider, Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai, who addressed the fair, China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, largest source of imports, second largest export destination and largest source of foreign direct investment.

“The two countries’ ministries of commerce have made great efforts to provide convenience for trade between the two countries since the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including a tax-exempt agreement, through which our jewel industry has also gained benefits from,” Aqeel Chaudhry, founder of renowned Pakistani jewel brand WINZA told the Global Times.

It is noteworthy that sales of the jewels of WINZA, which has participated in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) since 2020 and launched their first flagship store in China last November at the Shanghai New World Daimaru Department Store on the famous pedestrian street Nanjing Road East, are expected to achieve a 35 to 40 percent increase this year compared with pre-epidemic sales volume in 2019.

“The sales growth is related to China’s overall increase in consumption economy and consumption market. The jewelry consumption market saw a 40 percent increase during the first quarter of 2021 compared with the same period in 2019, the only jewelry market in the world with such an achievement,” Chaudhry said.

“The policies under the BRI and the free trade agreement have inspired more Chinese businessmen to go to Pakistan and activated our industrial parks there. The financial policies and green channel under the CPEC dismissed our worries about the flow of funds,” Xiao Yan, a person in charge of the Pakistani culture exchange platform OBOR Batter, told the Global Times.

According to Xiao, almost all the business sectors of his company have basically fully recovered from the epidemic.

After living in China for 11 years, Chaudhry thinks the long-term friendship and mutual trust between the two countries and their peoples have brought prosperity to his family business and personal career.

“Although the employees of our company are all Chinese, we understand each other’s cultures very well and developed an enterprise culture that satisfies the needs of Chinese employees,” Chaudhry said in fluent Chinese.

“In Pakistani people’s minds, the CPC witnessed China’s rise from poverty to prosperity and China’s influence to the world as a responsible power. During the progress, China and Pakistan have always been in the same boat,” Xiao said.

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Nadir Magsi – The Passion behind the Rally Motorsports in Pakistan

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Motorsports have been a lifelong passion for Nadir Magsi, deeply ingrained in his family’s heritage. Both his grandfather and father shared a fervent enthusiasm for motorsports, passing down this exhilarating legacy. For Nadir, it was more than a hobby; it was a family tradition. His journey behind the wheel began at an early age, crafting his first vehicle at the tender age of 10, ingeniously using a generator engine and a Triumph gearbox.

The expansive and arid terrain of his ancestral land in Jhal Magsi served as an ideal playground for off-road driving. Those precious school vacations were eagerly awaited, as they meant more time to indulge in his driving passion. Little did he know that years down the road, he would spearhead an endeavor to transform the Jhal Magsi car rally into one of the premier off-road events in Pakistan, and indeed, a global sensation.

Nadir’s education in motorsports took an international detour when he spent five years in the United States. It was there that he honed his skills in karting, mastering the art of precision driving. He firmly believes that karting serves as the foundational training ground for aspiring rally drivers, offering essential technical expertise.

Upon returning to Pakistan from the United States, he found the local motorsports scene in its infancy. Although Pakistan had seen a few off-road events in Chowlistan in 1994-95, these were sporadic occurrences, far from being regular fixtures on the motorsports calendar. Nadir marked his formal debut in the Chowlistan rally and has been a steadfast participant in every rally held in Pakistan ever since, securing victories in a significant majority of them.

Among the four major rally events in Pakistan, namely Chowlistan, Thal, Gwadar, and Jhal Magsi, the latter holds a special place in Nadir’s heart. Beyond its sentimental value as his hometown, he considers Jhal Magsi the most challenging due to its diverse terrains, necessitating drivers to adapt to varying conditions. He firmly believes that anyone who can navigate the Jhal Magsi course can compete in rallies across the world.

While motorsports in Pakistan are still in a nascent stage, organizations like Pakistan Motor Sports, led by passionate motorsports enthusiasts in the private sector, have been instrumental in its development. The government’s support has been limited, but there are promising signs on the horizon.

Nadir holds the Pakistan Army in high regard for its pivotal role in facilitating major rallies like Gwadar, Jhal Magsi, and Chowlistan. He recognizes that without the army’s assistance, the rally scene in Pakistan would not have reached its current level.

Currently, motorsports enthusiasts participate out of sheer love for the sport, without significant recognition or financial rewards. Nadir is hopeful that one day, the corporate sector, especially automobile manufacturers, will recognize the benefits of supporting motorsports and participate for their own gain, as they stand to gain considerable exposure from event coverage.

He also anticipates that media coverage of motorsports events will continue to expand, garnering public attention and achieving the recognition it rightfully deserves. When asked about the future of the rally scene in Pakistan, Nadir is optimistic. He has unwavering faith in the potential of Pakistani drivers and is dedicated to mentoring and assisting new talents without seeking personal credit.

Nadir firmly believes that true potential can only be unleashed when the corporate sector invests in motorsports, providing financial stability, recognition, and rewards. He commends Red Bull for its substantial support of motorsports in Pakistan since 2004.

Additionally, he hopes that academies and karting facilities will emerge in Pakistan to train young aspiring drivers from an early age. While National Motor Sports does its part to support drivers, Nadir stresses that government and corporate backing can revolutionize the motorsports landscape in Pakistan, ushering in a new era of opportunities for motorsports enthusiasts.

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Choudhry Rahmat Ali; The Creator of the Name “Pakistan”

Fariyal Mir

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The nationalist Choudhry Rahmat Ali was born in 1895 and passed away four years later after the creation of Pakistan. He was among the advocates of the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Sub-continent. He is honored for the creation of the name of “Pakistan.” The creative Rahmat Ali has created the name when he was at the University of Cambridge studying Law in 1933. He issued the name in his first pamphlet “Now or Never; Are We to Live or Perish Forever?” In this pamphlet, he has given the reason for the creation of a separate country “Pakistan”.

The enthusiastic Rahmat Ali has started his famous pamphlet with these words  “At this solemn hour in the history of India, when British and Indian statesmen are laying the foundations of a Federal Constitution for that land, we address this appeal to you, in the name of our common heritage, on behalf of our thirty million Muslim brethren who live in PAKISTAN – by which we mean the five Northern units of India, Viz: Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Kashmir, Sind, and Baluchistan.”

He is the one who persuaded people towards the partition movement and motivated them even to fight for the movement. After the independence of Pakistan, he was not happy because what he had written in his pamphlet was larger than what they have gained. He was the one who raised the issue of Kashmir in the United Nation and also argued for the rights of Muslims in India.

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Digital Farming has been introduced with the name “Digital Dera” comes into play

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China’s digital farming and smart agriculture practices are going to be a shot in the arm of Pakistan’s agriculture growth with inspiration from Chinese agro-based innovative technologies and techniques. A group of young Pakistani agri-tech entrepreneurs has pioneered a project “Digital Dera” in district Pakpattan, around 148 kilometers away from Lahore.

A tech-savvy project “Digital Dera” aims to empower farmers with cutting-edge agriculture solutions and assist them in the creation of smart communities. Talking to Gwadar Pro, founder of “Digital Dera” and co-founder of a Think Tank ‘Agriculture Republic’, Aamer Hayat Bhandara emphasized that data, information, advisory, and technology are pre-requisites for maximizing agricultural growth.

He believed that despite the ideal weather and fertile land, Pakistan is unable to achieve the standard yield due to the lack of modern agricultural techniques. He also urged the usage of sensors to assist farmers in making accurate decisions for their crops. He was of the view that because China is leading the world in technological innovation, therefore, he proposed that Chinese agro-based companies aligned with modern agriculture vision may digitally equip Pakistani farmers by transferring technology of agriculture drones, geo-tagging, data collection through satellite imagery, electric tractors, and human resource development.

Talking about the impact and prospects of “Digital Dera”, he said that this model can easily be replicated anywhere in the country. He also looked forward to collaborating with China on capacity building and the transfer of digital technology in agriculture.

It is an encouraging development that footprints of China’s digital farming in Pakistan are getting visible. Farmland Digital Integrated Management System, which Shandong ARK IT Business implemented in east China’s Shandong Province, is now working on digital agriculture development in Pakistan. While supplying high-quality drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation equipment, the company also uses artificial intelligence technologies to help Pakistan’s small farmers and large-scale plantations save money and boost efficiency.

The Farmland Digital Integrated Management System’s machine vision and intelligence are primarily used for monitoring plant diseases and insect pests. To achieve agricultural production prediction, pest control, and other challenges, the system uses artificial intelligence technologies such as computer vision, picture recognition, and deep learning. Pakistani farmers can directly replicate the advanced Chinese agricultural technology in order to accomplish higher crop yields to ensure food security in the country. It should be noted that Pakistani food imports have risen by 54 percent during the last fiscal year. In Pakistan, various factors have contributed to increased food imports, and one of them is low crop yield. According to a study conducted by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in 2020,

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