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Jun 20th, 2010 - 04:27:12 |
Shoaib Khan
About Pakistan International Airlines
By Sandy Mitchell, eHow Contributing Writer
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was founded in 1946, almost at the same time as Pakistan itself. Today, the Pakistan national airlines flies to four continents and scores of cities. North American passengers can board Pakistan International Airlines flights in New York City and Toronto
History
Pakistan International Airlines was founded in 1946, at almost the same time as the nation of Pakistan. At that time, the nation was divided into two sections---East and West Pakistan---and the airline provided transportation between the two areas. Today, Pakistan International Airlines flies throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia, with direct service from North America.
Routes and Hubs
Pakistan International Airlines flies around the world from their hub at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport in the Pakistani capital of Karachi. In addition, PIA operates an extensive Hajj schedule to and from Jeddah for the two-month pilgrimage season.
In-Flight Services
In-flight amenities and services on PIA include in-flight movies, audio and music channels, a choice of meals (including vegetarian and meals that meet religious standards) and roomy business class seats.
Tickets
Tickets for PIA flights are available via the airline's Web site (see Resources), by calling PIA directly and from most travel agents.
Business Class on Pakistan International
Airlines
Business class passengers on PIA are afforded an array of additional services, including special check-in counters, business plus lounges to relax in between flights and roomy seats with extra leg- and shoulder-room and an attached personal entertainment center.
Read more: About Pakistan International Airlines | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_4813643_pakistan-international-airlines.html#ixzz0YrjVnvKI
Jun 20th, 2010 - 04:19:23 |
Shoaib Khan
Trends in Textile Engineering Industry of Pakistan
Excerpts of the presenation by Mr. Abdul Majeed, Chairman, Associated Textile Consultants
Importance of textile industry
According to the “ECONOMIST” intelligence report of August 2003 for Pakistan the following observations have been made: Despite Government efforts to diversify exports and widen the industrial base, the industrial sector remains dominated by the Textile sector. Textile Sector still represents 46% of total manufacturing and provides 68% of Pakistan’s Export receipts.
The strong performance stemmed from two factors :
a Increase in import quotas especially by U.S.A, EU and TURKEY
b Textile industry has invested over US$1.5 billions in new technologies and modernization in the last 3 years.
Efficiency and the innovation in textile is the only hope to get the country out of economic problems.
Present status of Pakistan
Textile engineering sector
The Pakistan Textile Engineering Sector is underdeveloped and under utilized. Mostly it caters in the form of spares, components for modernization and machines used in cottage or small scale industries.
A cursory look at the structure of Pakistan Textile Industry shows that most of them are cottage industry, small/medium industrial units and few large integrated state of art units. The number of units which fall under each category varies from sub-sector to sub-sector. Similarly the Textile Engineering Units also vary from small, medium and large in size. The Textile Engineering Industry comprises approximately 80% small work shops, 15% medium engineering Units and 5% large Engineering Units. It will not be out place to mention that the large engineering units are in Public Sector. The small and medium Engineering Units work on reverse Engineering principles, only few work according to Engineering Drawings and still fewer have Testing or Quality Control facilities.
On the basis of initial survey of Textile Engineering Units (Not complete yet), approximately 500 units are engaged all over Pakistan, employing approximately 50000 work force which is mostly skilled. Even under the present conditions and without any support, Pakistan Textile Engineering Industry is providing import substitution worth around one billion US dollars. This sector also exports to small and medium Textile Units in Bangladesh, Iran, Sri Lanka, etc.
The Textile Engineering Sector is throttled through taxes on raw material, import of components, electronic and electrical parts.
Competition
The present Textile Engineering Industry is up against competition from smuggled, under invoiced, and mis-declared components, parts and accessories. For example, in case of second hand machinery, there is little or no check and the competition mainly rests on lower price. Machines smuggled especially from China, India, Taiwan are not better in quality but are selling cheaper. A bold initiative is needed which can boost the production as capacity and markets are there, only change in environment is need.
Finishing look and control components
The products manufactured locally, when displayed against foreign goods - offer a poor look – primarily because of the unsightly finishing of welding seams, electroplating, painting and other surface treatments. In addition, the adoption of wrong design parameters, or the attempt to reduce the cost of production, lead to the incorporation of under-sized electrical motors and electric / electronic control panels.
Quality control
There are very few units which have their own material testing facilities, or have an access to any such service from out side. Although reverse engineering is practiced, yet this copying is done without adequate material testing. This results in poor quality or in many cases in an undue over - engineering. A great stress on quality control is being laid by all the major importing countries, especially in the wake of ISO 9000 series. There is, therefore, a need of assisting the local textile engineering the relevant institutions, such as PSI, NPC, CTL, etc.
Assistance of present institutions
To encourage the local textile industry an access to the modern practices in the specialized areas of manufacturing processes, productivity enhancement and quality control, an institutional mechanism should be set up which provides the industry an adequate and industry-friendly assistance from such organizations as MIRDC, PITAC, CTL
and PSI, etc. In addition such institutions as Pak-Swiss Training Centre and Pak-German Training Centre, as well as the Small Scale Industrial Estates should be encouraged to provide the industry necessary technical assistance and production aids such as tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, etc. for productivity improvement and quality control.
Employment opportunities
Keeping in view the linkage of the Engineering Sector to other sectors of economy, it can be safely assumed that every one person employed in Engineering will add at least 2 more persons in the over all economy. There is ample scope for qualified engineers in mechanical, electric and electronics disciplines to boost this sector.
Need for training institutions
Diploma Level Courses on the pattern of Pak-Swiss Training Centre in Karachi should also be opened in the Textile Institutions in Faisalabad and Karachi and more such courses should be introduced in the Polytechnics in areas like Multan, Hyderabad, Lahore and Gujranwala.
Exhibitions
Most of these small workshops are shy or afraid of getting registered or displaying their products, mainly from the fear of the revenue collection, labor controlling and other government regulating agencies. This fear keeps them away from the mainstream Industry. This also leads to the lack of interaction among the small scale, medium scale and higher level industry for a purposeful vendor development.
National Exhibitions held annually can be very helpful in bringing out the skills, the range of products and opportunities of group collaboration. It will help the planners and large scale engineering industry in defining the way for developing skills in order to make this sector strong and viable. This will culminate a Vendors List which can be recommended to foreign suppliers interested in coming to this market and starting assembling / manufacturing on large scale.
The interaction between the foreign textile manufacturing industry could also be enhanced by facilitating the indigenous Textile Engineering Industry to participate in the specialized Exhibitions and fairs being held in those countries.
Future opportunities
Our main competitors in primary textile products with the advantage of large engineering sector in this region are China and India. The only country in this region without strong engineering base is Pakistan and our dependence upon outside Engineering Industry keeps our cost of production higher with low engineering skills.
Looking into the future a strong competition from China and India for this market requirements can be used to involve them to start assembly plants under their guidance and cooperation.
Some progress in the direction has led to the development of a Task Force in the Ministry of Industries and Textile Engineering is growingly lucrative for investors, local and foreigners.
E-commerce Gateway MoU with Chinese Co.
The E-commerce Gateway has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a Chinese company Global Enterprise Consulting to launch a business a match making' service in Pakistan and China.
According to E-commerce Gateway Pakistan. "This service includes seeking of agents, distributors, buyers, suppliers or joint venture partners in Pakistan or Middle east for Chinese companies that intend to do business in these markets".
The service will include all kinds of facilitation required to help increase the Chinese exports to the Middle East and South Asian markets.
Jun 20th, 2010 - 04:12:49 |
Shoaib Khan
About the Textile Industry of Pakistan
By Mary Anne Kirk, eHow Contributing Writer
Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producer in the world. Because of its plentiful, indigenous cotton supply, the textile industry is central to the Pakistani economy and is both a source of employment and a source of exports. Pakistan's industrialization began in the 1950s with the textile industry at its center. Today, textiles account for 38 percent of total manufacturing and 8 percent of GDP. The textile industry employs almost 40 percent of the industrial workforce. Despite the critical role textiles play in the economy, most textile manufacturers are cottage or small-scale industries. Pakistan relies on outside engineering and manufacturing expertise and must purchase most of its equipment abroad. Recognizing the importance of the textile industry to the nation's economy, the Pakistani government began taking steps in 2005 to rebuild the competitiveness of this critical industry.
History
The Pakistani textile industry depends on domestic agriculture to supply its raw materials, thus the success of the cotton crop is critical to the health of the textile industry. Cotton accounts for 14 percent of land under cultivation in Pakistan. Pakistan has suffered from a number of cotton failures over the years, beginning in the early 1990s. These crop failures drove up the price of cotton, and this coupled with a market recession and tightened finance regulations led to a weakened textile industry.
Industry Sectors
The spinning sector is where the majority of Pakistan's textile industry is concentrated. Over the years, spinning expanded while weaving declined. The rapid expansion of the spinning sector was hastened by access to cheap raw materials---cotton---and cheap labor. This sector's profitability was furthered by a protectionist fiscal policy and export subsidies. In keeping with increased spinning capacity, cotton production has increased tremendously. The textile industry's weaving sector is comprised of towels, bedding and hosiery and has been adversely affected by tariffs and inflation over the years. The garment sector has undergone considerable modernization and has developed great export potential.
Government Initiatives
In 2005, the Pakistani government created a special textile sub-committee in order to formulate a new textile strategies and policy in the hopes of revamping the textile industry. The sub-committee submitted a report entitled "Textiles Vision 2005" which included a number of recommendations including improved product quality, equipment upgrade, developing human resources, aggressive targeting of new markets and development of high-powered leadership for the textile sector.
Exports
Cotton and yarn are Pakistan's primary textile exports. The textile industry accounts for over 60 percent of Pakistan's total exports. The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association is the organization that regulates the industry, which is currently facing a number of challenges, including the need to improve quality.
Competition
Pakistan must compete with other producers similar in conditions and comparative advantage. The Pakistani Textile industry's biggest competitors are China, India, Indonesia and Turkey. The cost of power in Pakistan is comparatively high.
Read more: About the Textile Industry of Pakistan | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5055213_textile-industry-pakistan.html#ixzz0Yrfe5ka6
Jun 20th, 2010 - 03:42:34 |
Shoaib Khan
Pakistan Shipping Report Q3 2010
Recently released market study: Pakistan Shipping Report Q3 2010
New Transportation market report from Business Monitor International: "Pakistan Shipping Report Q3 2010"
PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 07, 2010
Pakistan's state-owned shipping line, the Pakistani National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), has seen an opportunity in the still-depressed global shipping market. At the beginning of May it said it intended to buy a further five cargo ships at an estimated cost of US$130mn. It had already bought three oil tankers for US$150.2mn. Under its recently appointed new chairman, Brigadier Rashid Siddiqi, PNSC seems focused on expanding the fleet as freight business begins to pick up, but before ship prices recover too strongly. The company is also pitching to get more business from other state-owned concerns, particularly those trading bulk commodities such as oil, steel and fertilisers.
Pakistan's economic outlook is difficult; a moderate recovery is under way but activity is weighed down by high debt levels, a continuing credit squeeze, political uncertainty, a poor security situation, and power shortages - not an encouraging outlook for the ports and shipping sector. BMI forecasts growth of only 2.4% in the current fiscal year (running to June 2010), followed by annual average growth of 3.0% to 2014, a marked slow-down on the past five years.
We predict quite strong recoveries in tonnage at Pakistan's key ports this year, but the improvement will be relatively short-lived. At the Port of Karachi (POK) we see total tonnage rising by 6.5% this year to 41.24mn tonnes, but the pace will slow a little in the next couple of years, down to an average of 5% per annum in the period running up to 2014, which will nevertheless be ahead of GDP growth. At Port Qasim (PQ) we see growth of 5.9% in 2010 to 26.46mn tonnes. At this port, however, cargo growth will continue at broadly the same pace until 2014.
There is no doubt that strategically speaking Pakistan has major potential for shipping and port development, particularly bearing in mind its possible role as a supply route connecting the Middle East/Gulf and China. It is, however, equally clear that the various insurgencies and conflicts in Pakistan itself and the surrounding region, including of course Afghanistan, continue to effectively block that potential being realised. On balance, therefore, we conclude that the risks to our forecasts are on the downside. Major risks include further deterioration in the security situation and any higher-than-expected increases in oil prices.
Jun 19th, 2010 - 01:05:10 |
Shoaib Khan
China’s access to the sea through Pakistan
The Daily Mail
Posted on 30 April 2010
There is a huge advantage to Pakistan because of its geographic location and its ability to harness the energy of powers who do not have access to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea.
There is a a lot of discussion of enhancing the Pakistani-Chinese relationship–and it is happening. The relationship has moved beyond the military sales and security issues. Much has been made in the media about Pakistan’s Civilian Nuclear Program with China. Islamabad with other countries are also trying to get China into SAARC
Pakistan China friendship ensures that Chasnupp 3 & 4 are on track
The two countries had set a target of enhancing their bilateral trade from the present US$7 billion to US$15 billion over the next two/three years.
The Foreign Minister said that the exchange of high level visits between the two countries being planned this year would give further momentum to this upward bilateral trajectory.
China had achieved tremendous improvement in its education system and Pakistan could benefit from their advancement. Accordingly, it would be useful if more and more students could get higher education in China either on the basis of scholarship or on self finance basis.
The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister welcomed the suggestion saying that his country would explore all possible avenues to encourage Pakistani students to come to China and benefit from their education facilities.
The trade route from Gwadar, on the other hand, to Central Asia and possibly to Russia will pass through only a narrow strip, i.e. Wakhan, in north-eastern Afghanistan. But the real value of Gwadar port lies in its use for Chinese trade with Gulf States, Middle Eastern and European countries. The bulk of the cargo handled by Gwadar port is expected to either originate from or destined to China. And the route for that trade is already nearing to be fully functional. For the trade route to Central Asian states and Russia, the only segment to be built anew is Wakhan part. The construction of that segment, ensuring the safety of trucks in that area, and negotiating the terms and conditions with Afghanistan are more of a need and responsibility of Central Asian states and Russia – and not a headache of Pakistan. Indian participation in the construction of Chabahar and a road linking it to Afghanistan is more of a gimmick than a real strategic investment. The only feasible and shortest trade route for Indian trade with Central Asian countries is the land route that passes through Pakistan.
60 years of Sino-Pakistan friendship: Trade to $15 billion
In the Pakistani province of Balochistan, South Asia and central Asia bleed into the Middle East. Bordered by Afghanistan, Iran and the Persian Gulf, and well endowed with oil, gas, copper, gold and coal reserves, Balochistan is a rich prize that should have foreign investors battering at the gates. But for a half-century it has been the exclusive playground of the Pakistani government and its state-owned Chinese partners. China would prefer it to stay that way.
China is Pakistan’s oldest military and political ally, but in the last two decades it is the economic component of the alliance that has taken center stage. Pakistan, and in particular Balochistan, is China’s physical link to its sizable investments in Iranian gas, Afghan hydropower and Gulf oil. Explains Andrew Small, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, the Sino-Pak relationship “matters more now, because of India’s economic growth. Pakistan being a trade and energy corridor means that possible pipelines and projects [in Pakistan] have a strategic significance beyond the specific investments.” Chinese control of Pakistan’s commodities corridor can “bind India down in South Asia, restricting its capacity to operate elsewhere.”
Chinese companies have poured at least $15 billion into Baloch projects: an oil refinery, copper and zinc mines and a deepwater port at Gwadar, in the Gulf of Oman. “They wanted Gwadar to be another Dubai,” says Khurram Abbas, the port’s managing director, “to capture the transit trade with countries that are landlocked, like Afghanistan, and to encourage transshipment trade from the Persian Gulf to East Africa.”
China’s growing naval power: Japan jittery
China’s Tianjin Zhongbei Harbor Engineering has invested $200 million to build the first three berths and plans to invest a total of $1.6 billion to expand the port in the future. But business at Gwadar has been slow. Though the three berths have the capacity to handle $2 billion worth of cargo a year, the port saw only $700 million in 2009. “The challenge,” says Abbas, “is that Gwadar is not yet linked to the rest of the country. The government was supposed to provide road connectivity. Without roads there can be no commercial activity [in Balochistan]. And we need commercial activity, investors to set up factories around Gwadar, to get cargo for the port.”
China is taking matters into its own hands, starting to build a highway from Gwadar to the capital of Balochistan, Quetta, on the Afghan border, where it will connect to Pakistan’s national highway network, and from there to the Karakoram Highway that leads into China. China’s Harbor Engineering Corps is also working on a new airport at Gwadar, due to open in 2013.
Infrastructure is not the only challenge that Chinese investors in Balochistan face. The province is a key battleground in the wars currently threatening Pakistan. Quetta is rumored to be hiding wanted leaders from the Afghan Taliban. Small towns in the Baloch heartland, meanwhile, are a launchpad for a decades-old separatist movement that capitalizes on populist resentment of federal agencies and foreign investment.
Indian Chahbahar vs Pakistani Gwador to China & C. Asia
Chinese firms can usually weather these threats. Explains the German Marshall Fund’s Small, “They are less concerned about security than the U.S. because they have faith in the Pakistani military’s ability to look out for their interests, a level of faith that Chinese workers will get privileged levels of protection even amidst destabilizing [political] circumstances.” Unsaid: China is willing to play in the bribery culture traditional to the area.
Moreover, China recruits local figures as managers. Muhammad Sanjrani, the managing director of China’s Saindak copper mine in Chagai, Balochistan, is also the head of the local tribe, with historic control of the Chagai region, and has worked to sell the project to the populace.
Beijing is willing to play hardball to protect its position in Balochistan. That’s a lesson learned the hard way for Tethyan Copper, a joint venture between Canada’s Barrick Gold and Chile’s Antofagasta. In 2006 Tethyan signed a deal to survey, and then develop, the Reko Diq reserve in Balochistan, estimated to hold $70 billion in copper and gold.
Gwadar to China:- Trade lessons from the 5000 yr old Pakistani Indus Valley Civilization: The Harrappan Trade Corridor within the IVC (Dilmin, Mekan) and beyond is now being resurrected again
Though the provincial government holds a 25% stake in the venture, the deal was signed between the federal government and Tethyan’s foreign execs, and no prominent tribal authorities are involved. As a result, the mine has been unusually unpopular, exacerbating threats to other foreign investments in the province, including China’s highway project.
In January the Baloch government, struggling politically and looking to appease separatist hardliners, announced it would cancel Tethyan’s license and force investors to absorb a $3 billion loss. Almost immediately the U.S. intervened, putting pressure on the Pakistani central government to dissuade Quetta from doing this. U.S. diplomats believe the sanctity of the Tethyan deal is essential to its efforts to encourage Western investment in Pakistan as a counterterror tool. (Further Reading: “Fixing Pakistan”)
Indian Chahbahar vs Pakistani Gwador to China & C. Asia
For China, however, American intervention was an alarm bell, confirming longstanding suspicions in Beijing that Pakistan’s alliance with the U.S. in Afghanistan would come at the expense of China’s relationship with the Pakistani military establishment and its exclusive access to Pakistan’s wealth and strategic location.
But the confrontation between Pakistan’s central government, responding to U.S. pressure, and a more intransigent provincial leadership also presented China with an opportunity. The giant Metallurgical Corp. of China, which controls the Chinese stake in the Saindak site, bid to take over the Reko Diq site from Tethyan, too.
The Chinese dragon and Brazilian anaconda working a power balance in Americas
$110 billion Chinese investment in Pakistani infrastructure
Though the provincial and federal governments have yet to agree, MCC made a compelling case. In private meetings with Baloch leaders the Chinese representatives agreed to build a railroad and a power plant in Balochistan as well as to waive any requirements for sovereign guarantees. Says a frustrated William N. Center, the U.S. State Department’s foreign commercial attaché in Pakistan, “These are terms that no private company could compete with.”
Push to the Sea
A highway from Gwadar to Quetta will serve as a pipeline for China. Metallurgical Corp. of China, a stakeholder in the Saindak copper mine, is aiming to take over Barrick’s Reko Diq site. China’s Pakistan Corridor, Maha Atal, 05.10.10
Encircling India: China’s string of pearl strategy
In summary Pakistan has assisted China in three major areas:
1) Helped it end its political isolation, bring it into the UN, and build its bridges with America
2) Assisted China in its national cohesion by helping it with 5000 square miles of Aksai Chin
3) Allowing China access to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea–thus avoiding huge costs incurred by going through the straits of Malaca
4) Assisting it in the String of Pearls strategy, and allowing it to become a full member of SAARC which makes it the Chinese Subcontinent
5) Providing it pointers and coaching on the design and construction of planes based on Pakistani experience with Western arms.
6) Helping China to gain access to the Muslim world
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