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Showing posts from December, 2020

India's "Firehose of Falsehood" Propaganda Model Targets Pakistan

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India with its massive disinformation campaign against Pakistan, as recently revealed by EU Disinfo Lab, appears to be following what a US think tank RAND calls "Firehose of Falsehood" propaganda model. It has over 750 fake media outlets covering 119 countries. There are over 750 domain names, some in the name of dead people and others using stolen identities. Pakistani policymakers charged with countering the Indian propaganda should read the RAND report "Firehose of Falsehoods" for its 5 specific recommendations to the US government to effectively respond to the Russian disinformation campaign. In particular they should heed its key advice: "All other things being equal, messages received in greater volume and from more sources will be more persuasive.......Don't expect to counter Russia's firehose of falsehood with the squirt gun of truth. Instead, put raincoats on those at whom the firehose is aimed"  Scale and Duration of India's Campaign:

Bhutto Dynasty: How the Bhuttos Used Money For Political and Personal Gain

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The role of money in elections and politics is generally known and understood around the world. Pakistan is no exception. In a recent book entitled "The Bhutto Dynasty" written by veteran British journalist Owen Bennet Jones, the author describes how former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto saw " kickbacks " as an essential part of politics. Jones says that  the "amnesty she (Benazir Bhutto) secured from General Musharraf scuppered a  Swiss trial  in which there was a very high chance she would have been convicted of, among other things, using money from bribes to buy a necklace worth $175,000".  The Bhutto Dynasty: Owen Bennet Jones has described in some detail how Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto saw the role of money in Pakistani politics. Here's an excerpt of Benazir's candid admission that "kickbacks must be taken": "In a surprisingly unguarded interview with the American Academy of Achievement in 2000 she (Benaz

Brief History of Karachi: The Birthplace of Pakistan's Founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah

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Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, is believed to have started as a small fishing village named Kolachi in 1729.  It attracted the attention of the colonial rulers in 1857 as a suitable site for a major port in British India. Thus began the story of Karachi which has now grown into a megacity of 14,910,352 people, as reported in the most recent 2017 Census of Pakistan.  Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah , the founding father of Pakistan , was born in the city of Karachi on December 25, 1876. He also died in Karachi on September 11, 1948, a little over a year after realizing his dream of the creation of Pakistan. In a glowing tribute to Pakistan's founding father, his biographer, American historian Stanley Wolpert, Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), wrote the following: “Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creat

Pakistan Tech Exports Jump 51% in November 2020

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Pakistan's technology export growth is continuing to accelerate with a 51% jump in November 2020 over the same month in 2019. The country's tech exports rose 39% in the first 5 months (July-Nov) of fiscal year 2021 over the same period last year. This came on top of a 21% increase in FY 2020 over FY 2019.  Pakistan Technology Services Growth Pakistan exported $763 million worth of services related telecommunications, computers and information technology from July to November 2020 period. This represented a 39% increase from the same period in 2019. In November 2020, the country exported IT services amounting to $168 million, a 51% jump from tech exports November 2019.  Pakistan Trade Data Currently, Pakistan relies heavily on three categories of products for exports which are often derided as 3 Cs: chadar ( textiles ), chamra (leather) and chawal (rice). Lately, the country has begun to diversify to higher-value added exports like  technology services and pharmaceuticals .  Pak

Fireeye Founded by Pakistani-American Ashar Aziz Alerted US Government to Massive Cyber Hack

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Massive cyberattack that recently targeted US government agencies and private companies, labeled the 'SolarWinds hack', was first discovered by US cybersecurity company FireEye, founded by a well-recognized Pakistani-American cybersecurity expert Ashar Aziz. Karachi-born Ashar served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fireeye from 2004 to 2012.  Ashar became the first  Pakistani-American tech billionaire  when the company stock soared after its initial public offering (IPO) in 2013. His net worth was last estimated at  $268 million in 2015 .  Ashar Aziz Solar Winds Hack: Solarwinds is a cybersecurity toolset used by multiple US government agencies to detect and stop cyberattacks. It is alleged by American government agencies that some Russian-sponsored hackers managed to compromise Solarwinds software by adding malware to updates distributed by the company to its customers. It only came to light when the perpetrators attempted to break into the  cybersecurity  firm FireEye

Pakistan Shipbuilding Industry and Blue Economy

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Karachi  Shipyard , the oldest and the only major shipyard in Pakistan, is experiencing unprecedented growth.  It is rapidly expanding manufacturing facilities to respond to growing demand for both civilian and military vessels. Karachi also has several small boat yards near Karachi Fish Harbor where craftsmen build wooden fishing vessels with their hands to meet fishermen's demand.  There are now plans in the works for building a new shipyard in Gwadar.  Pakistan has the potential to build a large " Blue Economy " in its 290,000 square kilometers of coastal water or about 36% of the country's land area open for tapping vast resources in it.  These resources include seafood and energy resources as well as international transport and trade connectivity with the rest of the world. It offers opportunities for water sports, recreation and  tourism  in the coastal areas of Pakistan. Pakistan needs a large fleet of ships to defend it and to take full economic advantage of i

Najam Sethi on Desperation in PDM: Says It is "Now or Never" For PMLN

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Prominent Pakistani journalist and political analyst Najam Sethi, a strong critic of Prime Minister Imran Khan, sees desperation among the Pakistani Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders. In a recent interview with well-known journalists Raza Rumi and Murtaza Solangi on  Naya Daur  social media channel, Sethi said the Pakistani opposition, particularly PMLN, believe it is "now or never" for them.   PDM Leadership L to R: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz Najam Sethi added that if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government led by Prime Minister Khan survives the current 5 year term and succeeds in stabilizing the nation's economy,  the ruling party will be re-elected for another 5 year term in 2023 with the support of what Sethi calls "Miltablishment" (a euphemism for Pakistani military). This, Sethi said, would mean that the PMLN would break up and lose its relevance. Sethi acknowledges there is genuine support for PTI in spite of Imran Khan g

Pakistani Military Launches Defense AI Program

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Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has launched a Cognitive Electronic Warfare (CEW) program at its Center for Artificial Intelligence and Computing (CENTAIC), according to media reports. Modern connected weapon systems generate vast amounts of data requiring artificial intelligence and machine learning software for speedy analysis and rapid decision-making on the battlefield.  AI/ML in Military Modern electronic warfare requires the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning ( AI/ML ) to analyze vast amounts of data coming from a large number of sensors mounted on various military platforms deployed on the ground, in the air and on the seas. EW systems can collect a considerable amount of data about an enemy’s frequency use, radar deployment, and many other factors. Here is how British defense contractor BAE Systems defines it: " Cognitive Electronic Warfare (CEW) is the use of cognitive systems – commonly known as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or machine learning – to enhance

Remembering Chuck Yeager (1923-2020): Flying Legend Admired Pakistan Air Force Pilots

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United States Air Force's legendary pilot Charles Yeager died on December 7, 2020 at the age of 97. He was a highly decorated soldier who was also awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian award. He remained active on twitter until very recently. In a 2017 tweet, Yeager called Pakistan Air Force pilots "the best in the world".  In another tweet in 2015, Yeager said "they (PAF pilots) kicked the Indians butt".  General Charles Yeager (1923-2020) General Yeager got the world's attention as early as 1944 when he shot down 5 German fighter aircraft in a single day. Later, he became the first man to break the sound barrier. Yeager's life as a daredevil pilot was documented by Tom Wolf in his 1979 book "The Right Stuff" that was later made into a movie. Actor Sam Shepard played Yeager in the movie.  @GenChuckYeager's 2015 Tweet General Yeager, a colonel in 1971, served as an advisor to Pakistan Air Force. He was

Pakistani Scientists Publishing CRISPR Gene Editing Work in International Journals

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CRISPR CAS9 is the latest revolutionary gene editing technology to take the world by a storm. Pakistan is among a select group of nations where scientists are publishing their work on CRISPR in international journals. In fact, Brazil, China, India, Iran and Pakistan are the only developing nations listed among the countries where scientists published CRISPR research in 2018. The rest of the list is made up of highly developed countries of North America, Europe and East Asia. A quick  Google search  revealed several CRISP papers authored by Pakistani scientists.  CRISPR Gene Editing Papers Published in 2018. Source: Science Magazine What is CRISPR/CAS?  CRISPR CAS9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats- CRISPR associated protein 9) technology was developed by Dr. Jennifer Doudna of UC Berkeley. She has recently won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2020 for her discovery.  This gene editing technology has been adapted from the natural defense mechanisms of bacteria w

Pakistan Leads South Asia in Infrastructure Investments; Among Top 5 in the World

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Pakistan led South Asia region and ranked 4th in the world in infrastructure investment commitments in the first half of 2020, according to World Bank's "Private Participation in Infrastructure" report for the first half on the year 2020. Mexico led the pack with $4,016 million, followed by Brazil 2nd with $3,543 million, China  3rd with $2,859 million, Pakistan 4th with $1,921 million and India 5th with $1,762 million in private infrastructure investment commitments in the first 6 months of 2020. Here is an excerpt of the World Bank report: "Pakistan had the fourth highest investment commitments—a new entrant to the top five countries this year—with US$1.9 billion of investment commitments, accounting for 0.69 percent of GDP. This can be attributed to the financial closure of the Thar Block-I Coal-Fired Power Plant, which was the only project to reach financial closure in the country during this time period. The Thar power plant and the pipeline in Mexico were the o