Chinese PM awarded Nishan-e-Pakistan on arrival in Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan by President Asif Ali Zardari on his arrival in Islamabad for a two-day trip, reported Express News on Wednesday.
It is Keqiang’s first visit to Pakistan since taking office in March.
The award has been given to other foreign diplomats in the past such as the Prime Minister of Turkey in 2010 and the president of China then, Hu Jintao in 2006.
The JF-17s — a symbol of deep Sino-Pakistan friendship – guided the special Air China Boeing 747 aircraft of the Chinese dignitary to the Nur Khan Air Base.
President Asif Ali Zardari, caretaker prime minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso, chief of naval staff, chief of air staff and other cabinet members were present at the airport to welcome the Chinese PM.
The Chinese PM was given a guard of honour on his arrival. (Complete news)
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The Glorious days of PIA
Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan: In this photo from 1960, PIA’s very first jetliner (a Boeing 707-321 leased from Pan Am) is taking gentle turn under the command of Malik Nur Khan. Nur Khan was PIA’s Managing Director from 1959 to 1965. His success in establishing PIA on a firm and profitable financial basis in six years is now a fact of airline history. Under his charismatic and inspirational leadership PIA became one of the leading and respected airlines of the world. Under his tenure PIA became the first Asian airline to operate jet aircraft. The airline inducted modern Boeing 720B jet in its fleet. PIA started flying to China and flights to Europe via Moscow were also launched during this period. In 1973 Nur Khan was specially requested by the government of Pakistan to resume control of PIA. During his second term as airline’s head, PIA became operator of wide-body DC-10s and Boeing 747s. Popular Green & Gold aircraft livery was introduced plus many more achievements were made by the airline under Nur Khan’s leadership. He kept PIA out of Pakistan’s turbulent political arena and returned it to a sound commercial basis. Nur Khan was a dynamic leader and believed in innovation and new ideas.
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Pakistanis more optimistic than US, India about hard work: Survey
No matter what the prophets of doom say in nightly news shows on TV day in day out, an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis still believes that hard work is duly rewarded in the country and leads to material success, according to a recent poll by Pew Research Center — a nonpartisan “fact tank” in Washington DC.
In fact, of all the 21 countries where the survey was conducted, Pakistan came on top with 81% of respondents saying people succeed if they work hard as opposed to 15% who believe hard work is no guarantee of success.
The United States followed Pakistan with 77% of respondents saying hard work assured success. India, China and Japan were more sceptical with only 67%, 45% and 40% of the respondents recognising a close link between hard work and success, respectively.
“Fundamentally, the survey reveals that Pakistanis haven’t lost faith in the country. The Pakistani youth believes that current problems are short-term and can be resolved,” said Asad Umar, who joined politics in April after resigning from Engro Corporation, Pakistan’s largest conglomerate, as its CEO. “That’s why Pakistanis believe in hard work — and its direct relationship with material success – more than the people of the United States, Germany or Japan.”
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The Glorious days of PIA
Capt. Moinuddin Quraishi: This rare photo from January 1957 shows Capt. Moinuddin Quraishi (right) talking to Syrian President Shukri al-Kuwatly on the flight deck of a PIA Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation. The VIP flight carrying Syrian President and his delegation was flown by this PIA Super Constellation under the command of Capt. Moinuddin Quraishi. Capt. Moinuddin was amongst the senior Captains of PIA who had the privilege of flying as the VIP pilot for a number of visiting dignitaries from overseas who were visiting the fledgling nation of Pakistan. VIP personalities flown by PIA airliners under the command of Capt. Moinuddin also include Celar Bayar, President of Turkey, and Chou En-lai, Prime Minister of China
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K2: On this day in 1954, an Italian expedition finally succeeded in ascending to the summit of K2 via the Abruzi Spur after several previous attempts by both Pakistani and international climbers. The expedition was led by Ardito Desio, although the two climbers who actually reached the top were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. The team included a Pakistani member, Muhammad Ataullah, who had been a part of the 1953 American expedition. Also on the expedition were the famous Italian climber Walter Bonatti and Pakistani Hunza porter Mahdi Khan, who proved vital to the expedition’s success in that they carried oxygen to 8,100 metres (26,600 ft) for Lacedelli and Compagnoni. Their dramatic bivouac in the open at that altitude wrote another chapter in the saga of Himalayan climbing.
K2 (also known as Savage Mountain, Mountaineer’s Mountain, Mount Godwin-Austen, Balti: Chogori and Sarikoli: Mount Qogir) is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest. With a peak elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 feet), K2 is part of the Karakoram Range, and is located on the border between Baltistan, in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. It is more hazardous to reach K2 from the Chinese side; thus, it is mostly climbed from the Pakistani side.
K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among the “eight thousanders” for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality-to-summit rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.
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Joint Military Exercise YOUYI-IV (Friendship-2011) between Pakistani Special Services Group (SSG) and their Chinese counterparts People’s Liberation Army Special Operations Forces (Zhōngguó tèzhǒng bùduì) were held in Pakistan.
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said that YOUYI-IV exercise will be two weeks long and it will focus on the techniques & procedures involved in Low Intensity Conflict Operations (LIC) environment to handel the ever growing threat of terrorism. (via semperannoying)
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Mother Goddess (fertility divinity), derived from the Indus Valley tradition, terracotta, Sar Dheri, Gandhara (1st century BC). Presently housed at Victoria and Albert Museum. To know more about the Pakistan’s rich Gandhara past, read this article on Wikipedia.
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Pakistan Premier League (PPL): Coming soon to a pitch near you…
Four companies have reportedly agreed to buy teams in the new Pakistan Premier League, formed by the Pakistan Cricket Board to replace the current Faysal Bank Twenty-20 League. The first edition of the tournament is expected to begin in October 2013. The PCB was one of the first cricketing bodies to develop a professional T20 league in 2004, with teams being directly owned by the PCB. The newer “franchise” model is based on the EPL, Pro20 and Big Bash leagues abroad. The Pakistan Premier League will also be including teams from Afghanistan (Kabul Cheetahs) and expected to include a team from China (Beijing Warriors) and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai Rangers).
Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya and retired Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds both agreed to be part of the league straight away. The name of West Indian legend Brian Lara has already been linked with PPL as well as Chris Gayle.
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