Posts

Global Baby Bust: Pakistan is A Rare Bright Spot Among Most Populous Nations in Asia

Image
There is an alarming rapid decline in fertility rates in both developed and developing nations, according to the United Nations.  Here is how the  Wall Street Journal  describes it: "The world is at a startling demographic milestone. Sometime soon, the global fertility rate will drop below the point needed to keep the population constant. It may have already happened".  Total Fertility Rates in 12 Most Populous Nations. Source: Wall Street Journal Birth rates are low and fertility is rapidly dropping for women across all levels of income, education and labor-force participation around the world. Fertility is falling among Pakistani women too but more slowly than elsewhere in Asia. In fact, Pakistani women have the third highest fertility rate (3.47) among the 12 most populous nations of the world.  Pakistan Fertility Rate. Source: Data Commons Birth rates have economic, social and geopolitical consequences. "The falling birthrates come with huge implications for the way

India's Modi Brags About Ordering Transnational Assassinations

Image
In a campaign speech on May 1, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi bragged about his campaign of transnational assassinations of individuals he has labeled "terrorists". “Today, India doesn't send dossiers to the masters of terrorism, but gives them a dose and kills them on their home turf", he is reported to have said, according to a  tweet  posted by his BJP party. Last month, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh made a similar  admission . “If any terrorist from a neighboring country tries to disturb India or carry out terrorist activities here, he will be given a fitting reply. If he escapes to Pakistan we will go to Pakistan and kill him there,” Singh said in an interview to Indian TV news network News18.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a BJP Campaign Rally. Source: BJP Earlier, Pakistan government accused India of carrying out  assassinations  of Sikh and Kashmiri separatists on Pakistani soil. “We have documentary, financial and forensic evidence of t

Pakistanis' Insatiable Appetite For Smartphones

Image
Samsung is seeing strong demand for its locally assembled Galaxy S24 smartphones and tablets in Pakistan, according to Bloomberg . The company said it is struggling to meet demand. Pakistan’s mobile phone industry produced 21 million handsets while its smartphone imports surged over 100% in the last fiscal year, according to media reports . The world's 5th most populous country has 192 million mobile phone users and 135 million broadband subscribers, according to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). It is the  world's 7th largest mobile phone market.  Pakistan Telecom March 2024 Indicators. Source: PTA Pakistani mobile phone manufacturers claim that almost all major mobile phone brands except iPhone are being assembled in Pakistan. “All mobile brands except iPhone are being manufactured in Pakistan and mobile phone import has been largely replaced with local manufacturing,” Aamir Allawala, vice chairman of the Pakistan Mobile Phone Manufacturers Association (PMPM

Pakistani Student Enrollment in US Universities Hits All Time High

Image
Pakistani student enrollment in America's institutions of higher learning rose 16% last year, outpacing the record 12% growth in the number of international students hosted by the country. This puts  Pakistan  among eight sources in the top 20 countries with the largest increases in US enrollment. India saw the biggest increase at 35%, followed by Ghana 32%, Bangladesh and Nepal at 28% each, Pakistan 16%, Colombia 13%, Italy 10% and Spain 5%.  Top 8 Source Countries of Foreign Students in US. Source: IIE OpenDoors "During 2022-2023, there were 10,164 Pakistani students, compared to 8,772 in the previous year, indicating an impressive 16% increase," according to IIE  Open Doors  Report for 2022-23. There has been an overall 33% increase in enrollment of Pakistani students in US colleges and universities.  Major Destinations of Pakistanis Studying Abroad. Source: UNESCO The most recent UNESCO data (2021) counts 71,865  Pakistani students  abroad in higher education. More r

Agriculture, Caste, Religion and Happiness in South Asia

Image
Pakistan's agriculture sector GDP grew at a rate of 5.2% in the October-December 2023 quarter, according to the government figures. This is a rare bright spot in the overall national economy that showed just 1% growth  during the quarter. Strong performance of the farm sector gives the much needed boost for about 37% of Pakistan's workforce engaged in agriculture. It helps the country's rural economy improve their living standards. In the same period, India's agriculture sector that employs 43% of the workforce slowed to 1.2% growth . This could be one possible contributing factor for Pakistan (rank108) significantly outperforming India (rank 126) on the World Happiness Index once again.  World Happiness Map 2023. Source: Gallup Pakistan has seen bumper crops of rice, corn, wheat, sugar and cotton this fiscal year after the devastation caused by massive floods in the prior year. During the first six months of the current fiscal year 2023-24, exports of agro and food p

Biden's Gaza Ceasefire Veto Defies American Public Opinion

Image
Aaron Bushnell, an active serviceman in the United States Air Force, burned himself to death in front of the Israeli Embassy in protest against the US policy in Gaza. Before setting himself on fire in what he called an "extreme act of protest", he said he would "no longer be complicit in genocide". Polls show that the vast majority (63%) of Americans want an immediate end to the carnage being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.   USAF Engineer Aaron Bushnell Although Bushnell resorted to this extreme form of protest against the Biden Administration's policy of unqualified support for Israel, he was not alone in opposing it. American public opinion polls confirm that the vast majority of Americans, including Jewish Americans, want an immediate end to the Gaza carnage.  Gaza Ceasefire Poll. Source: ISPU Overall, 63% of Americans support a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a  recent poll  conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). In terms of r

Pakistan Elections: Imran Khan's Supporters Skillfully Used Tech to Defy Powerful Military

Image
Independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) party emerged as the largest single block with 93 seats in the nation's parliament in the general elections held on February 8, 2024.  This feat was accomplished in spite of huge obstacles thrown in front of the PTI's top leader  Imran Khan  and his party leaders and supporters by Pakistan's powerful military to prevent their victory.  Pakistan's Official Election Results 2024. Source: Aljazeera   Imran Khan and his top party leaders were thrown in jail on trumped up charges, his party was denied a unified electoral symbol of cricket bat, his supporters' rallies were banned, the mainstream media were prevented from carrying PTI leaders' speeches and the Internet was repeatedly blocked when the party held online events. So how did they succeed in spite of it? The answer lies in how skillfully the PTI activists used  technology  to get the party's messages out to the country's young electo