Riaz Haq's Blog (1,556)

Pakistan to Develop Urdu LLM for Generative AI

National University of Science and Technology (NUST), National Information Technology Board (NITB) and Telecom network operator Jazz have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop Pakistan’s first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM) with focus on Urdu, including datasets for Pashto and Punjabi languages. It is aimed at empowering individuals, businesses, and organizations with advanced…

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Added by Riaz Haq on November 7, 2024 at 10:00am — No Comments

Will India Grow Old Before it Gets Rich?

India's population has aged faster than expected while its economic growth has slowed over the last decade. This raises the obvious questions: Will India get old before it gets rich? Is India getting poorer relative to its peers in the emerging markets? …

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Added by Riaz Haq on October 29, 2024 at 12:30pm — 4 Comments

India: A Rogue State Ruled By Gangsters?

The United States and Canadian governments are alleging that Indian government agents plotted assassinations of Sikh dissidents on their soils. Their investigations paint a shocking picture of how recklessly Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government operates. …

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Added by Riaz Haq on October 19, 2024 at 4:43pm — 7 Comments

Renewable Energy: Clean Electrification of Pakistan's Economy

Access to abundant and cheap electricity is essential for running a modern competitive economy. The rapidly growing power demand for generative AI data centers makes it even more important. The best way to ensure it is in switching to renewable energy sources. That is why Pakistan is in the midst of a renewable power boom. It is ramping up generation of clean energy with solar,…

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Added by Riaz Haq on October 10, 2024 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Is Pakistan Getting Ready For AI Revolution?

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has taken the world by a storm. It has drawn the attention of academia, businesses and governments around the world.  This technology is expected to transform almost every sector from business and commerce to government, industries and defense. Are Pakistanis aware of its potential?  Is Pakistan getting ready for what is being described as the "AI…

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Added by Riaz Haq on October 6, 2024 at 5:00pm — 7 Comments

Investors Celebrate Pakistan's Continuing Economic Recovery

Pakistan's benchmark KSE-100 index hit an all-time high after the announcement of the $7 billion IMF bailout deal today. Economic indicators such as inflation, exports and remittances are also showing significant improvement as well. Speaking to reporters after the IMF deal,  the Fund Managing Director  Kristalina Georgieva acknowledged progress made by Pakistan. She said  "The economy is on the sound path. Growth is up and inflation is down". The …

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Added by Riaz Haq on September 26, 2024 at 5:00pm — 18 Comments

Powerful Hindutva Lobby Flexes its Muscle in California

Last year, California lawmakers voted 31-5 to approve the first state-wide bill (SB 403) explicitly banning caste discrimination. The bill, enjoying broad support among California voters, was sponsored by Senator Aisha Wahab.  It was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom under pressure from wealthy political donors belonging to the Hindutva lobby.  …

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Added by Riaz Haq on September 20, 2024 at 8:30pm — 11 Comments

ITU Cybersecurity Index 2024: Pakistan Ranked Among Top Tier Countries

International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked Pakistan (score 96.69/100) among top tier countries for cybersecurity in 2024.  Out of a maximum score of 20, Pakistan received 20 for legal measures, 18.21 for technical measures, 20 for organization measures, 20 for capacity development and 18.48 for cooperative measures, according to the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024…

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Added by Riaz Haq on September 14, 2024 at 8:30pm — 1 Comment

Shifting Monsoon Pattern: Is Arid Pakistan Turning Wet?

Semi-arid Pakistan, with its farmlands predominantly irrigated by the world's largest contiguous canal system, has experienced an increasing amount of annual rains and floods for several years. Even the desert regions of the country, like the vast Thar desert straddling India-Pakistan border, have recently…

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Added by Riaz Haq on September 6, 2024 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment

New Net Metering Policy: Is Pakistan's Solar Boom in Jeopardy?

Recent experience in California has shown that changes in incentives have a huge impact on residential adoption of solar power technology. Since the introduction of NEM 3.0 last year, new rooftop solar business in California has dramatically slowed. New residential solar installation applications have plunged 80%, according to Cal Matters. This has driven many solar installers out of…

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Added by Riaz Haq on August 30, 2024 at 10:00am — 13 Comments

Pakistan EV Launches to Accelerate Clean Energy Transition

Pakistani automobile joint ventures with Chinese automakers BYD and Changan have recently launched several all-electric and plug-in hybrid models of automobiles in Pakistan. Earlier, Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited announced plans to build a hybrid electric vehicles plant in the country. Other major brands like Toyota, Haval, and Hyundai are already offering similar models in the country. It all began with the 2019 …

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Added by Riaz Haq on August 18, 2024 at 2:00pm — 14 Comments

Exodus From Pakistan: 1.62 Million Emigrated in 2023

Pakistan had a net negative migration of 1.6 million people, the highest of all countries in 2023, according to the World Population Prospects 2024 report released by the United Nations. Other Asian nations like India (-980,000), China (-570,000), and Bangladesh (-550,000) are also far up the ranking. Pakistan's figure of 1.62 million includes 541,000 Afghans who were expelled from the country last…

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Added by Riaz Haq on August 15, 2024 at 9:00am — 5 Comments

Pakistani Athlete Wins Olympic Gold After 32-Year Drought

Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem shattered a world record to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Nadeem is now inspiring a new generation of Pakistani sportsmen and women to excel in athletics. Thousands of fans, including government ministers, came to Lahore Airport to greet Arshad Nadeem when he returned to the country. 

Aeshad Nadeem's gold medal in the Paris Olympics came 32 years after Pakistan won a bronze medal in field hockey at Barcelona, Spain. It's also the…

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Added by Riaz Haq on August 11, 2024 at 10:00am — 6 Comments

Growing Demand For Pakistani Workers in Gulf Arab Kingdoms

Millions of Pakistani workers have been participating in the development of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and other Gulf nations over many decades. They have been doing so in spite of the almost complete absence of basic human rights and harsh working conditions. A recent Pakistani government report…

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Added by Riaz Haq on August 2, 2024 at 9:30am — 2 Comments

Pakistan's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Initiative Transforming Lives

Pakistan's journey to build a digital public infrastructure (DPI) began in March 2000 with the establishment of NADRA, the National Database and Registration Authority. The Gates Foundation defines DPI as follows: "DPI is a digital network that enables countries to safely and efficiently deliver economic opportunities and social services to all residents. DPI can be compared to roads, which form a physical network that connects people and provides access to a huge range of goods and…

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Added by Riaz Haq on July 19, 2024 at 1:30pm — 7 Comments

Solar Power Boom in Pakistan

Falling solar panel prices and soaring rates for grid electricity are driving a renewable power boom in Pakistan. A second factor spurring the growth in clean energy installations is the requirement of major western apparel brands for garments and textile manufacturers to switch to clean energy. As a result, the solar panel imports in the country jumped from 2,800 MW in 2022 to 5,000 MW in 2023, in…

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Added by Riaz Haq on July 10, 2024 at 12:30pm — 25 Comments

Pakistani Stock Market is the World's Best Performing Market in 2024

Pakistan's KSE-100 shares index topped 80,000 points on Wednesday as stocks climbed more than 600 points, making it the world's best performing stock market. The benchmark KSE-100 index has posted an annual return of 89% during FY24 (July 2023-June 2024) in PKR terms while in US dollar terms, the return was 94%, as the Pakistani rupee appreciated against the US dollar, according to …

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Added by Riaz Haq on July 4, 2024 at 6:00pm — 13 Comments

Growing Pakistani Diaspora in North America

The US government granted 16,320 immigrant visas to Pakistani nationals. Another 11,861 immigrant visas were given to Pakistanis by the Canadian government in the same period.  The total number of new Pakistani immigrants admitted as permanent residents in…

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 27, 2024 at 9:00am — 5 Comments

Are Some Pakistanis Feeding into Indian Delusions of Grandeur?

Many Pakistanis are singing effusive praises of India on social media platforms and racking up millions of views, according to a report in the Indian  mainstream media. These Pakistanis are boosting their earnings by feeding into the Indians' delusions. The "India Today" report claims that, in the last 6…

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 20, 2024 at 9:00am — 18 Comments

Agriculture: A Rare Bright Spot in Pakistan's Economy

Pakistan's agriculture sector grew 6.3% in 2023-24, far outpacing the overall economy that grew just 2.38%, according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2023-24.  This is good news for about 40% of the country's population working in the agriculture sector. By contrast, India's agriculture growth slowed to …

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Added by Riaz Haq on June 13, 2024 at 9:30am — 21 Comments

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    Blog Posts

    Pakistan to Develop Urdu LLM for Generative AI

    National University of Science and Technology (NUST), National Information Technology Board (NITB) and Telecom network operator Jazz have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop Pakistan’s first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM) with focus on Urdu, including datasets for Pashto and Punjabi languages. It is aimed at empowering individuals, businesses, and organizations with advanced…

    Continue

    Posted by Riaz Haq on November 7, 2024 at 10:00am

    Will India Grow Old Before it Gets Rich?

    India's population has aged faster than expected while its economic growth has slowed over the last decade. This raises the obvious questions: Will India get old before it gets rich? Is India getting poorer relative to its peers in the emerging markets? …

    Continue

    Posted by Riaz Haq on October 29, 2024 at 12:30pm — 4 Comments

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