Pakistan
I have been working as a freelance journalist based out of Karachi , Pakistan.
My forte being Social Justice, IR , Development Economics and Global Affairs, i rely on my judgement to investigate stories that are under rated & under reported.
We live in a constantly volatile environment and its our job to create the right balance by supporting credible journalism and passionate stories.
Lead by example !
Reuters photo By In 1994, the World Bank decided to do a review on the potential for consumer banking in Pakistan, market dynamics within the country and its impact on the consumer population, their buying power and overall business banking options.
World Bank photo By Children today are undergoing major challenges within the constant social settings in an extremely volatile society. Rising access to negative media and society poses a high risk to developing children in almost all geographies affected by civil and conventional war and destruction.
By The future has imploded into the present. With no nuclear war, the new battlefields are people's mind and souls. Mega-corporations are the new governments, computer generated info-domains are the new frontiers. Though there is better living between science and chemistry, we are all becoming 'Mind-slaves'. The computer is the new cool tool.
AFP photo By Many countries in the Middle East have been fighting for resources for decades but today some of them are at war. From the Middle East to the Far East, Asia has been dominated by water wars. The battle lines have been drawn clearly as the world enters a more deadly and decisive phase of war.
AFP photo By PIA-Pakistan International Airlines was reportedly one of the top five airlines in the world back in the 60s -leading by example. And now it has been cut down to a white elephant with no tusks. From the Glorious Lion to a toothless tiger, it has been a tedious journey for the airline and the aviation industry.
Reuters photo By Over 200 million Pakistani people face running out of water within the next 10 years. More dams and reservoirs have been committed by the current government with a severe calamity crisis management initiative being led by the Government, Judiciary and Civil Society.
Reuters photo By Pakistan is under siege on rising costs and is struggling to deliver. The incoming government has been gifted with an enormous pile of debt payments, a crumbled economy, white collar crime-proceeds and trail of corruption that has been unprecedented in the history of Pakistan.
EPA photo By 2018 will be remembered as a 'decisive year' for Pakistan. Media and Communications reached unprecedented highs and lows, all in the span of 365 days. Press freedom eventually came under attack following the biggest political battle in the history of the nation between a past regime accused of massive state corruption and the new breed of change makers aiming to steer the country out of the economic crisis.
Moving towards next Millennium Development deadline next year, Pakistan now Ranks Number 3 on the Global Slavery Index, a worldwide report that indicates the deteriorating Human Rights scenario in emerging nations. A weak economy, poor law and order, corruption and a rising population are all factors that affect the country, impeding growth and reducing development to marginal levels.
KARACHI: Some time back, it was investigated that hazardous sewage and industrial waste were risking lives. This was initially done in Punjab where the government had invested $20 million for pollution-free water treatment plants in southern parts through a UN development programme.
KARACHI: A recent incident at a local hospital, which resulted in the death of a prominent politician, is a sad reminder of the falling standards of our healthcare system. A minor surgery was purportedly botched by doctors, resulting in the patient slipping into a comatose state and finally losing her life.
KARACHI: Water dominates world economics as a silently rising threat to global stability; in the corridors of power, some fear that the next big war will be fought over scarce water resources. Water and food security have recently been critical themes at the United Nations.
KARACHI: As the summer heat wave approaches, there is another kind of epidemic that affects this power starved nation - the volatile food prices. The average person in the country is living below the poverty line, of less than $2 a day.
KARACHI: Over decades, the rise and fall of nations has led us to believe that an improved security situation is directly proportional to commercial and business success, hence the ultimate difference between progress and chaos. Severe lack of security in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces has magnified security challenges in the country and brought down growth in business and profitability.
KARACHI: A month from now, the Coalition of the International Criminal Court (CICC) will celebrate Justice Day to promote international justice, rule of law and accountability. It will commemorate the Roman statute of the ICC and discuss international humanitarian law and human rights concerns, paving the way for Asia to lead from the front, to end impunity and cleanse the moral and ethical pathway to a better, more powerful justice system.
KARACHI: Migration has taken place from third world countries for better business prospects and better financial benefits, as most people want optimum earnings to survive and prosper. Consumerism is at the heart of the matter. We crave for more and more in life, we do not care about the damage cost or the opportunity loss we might have to sustain.
Special Report By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI Our Earth is Green and then it is Blue. Blue planet, the third largest Planet is covered is covered by Water but Human Populations are fast being deprived on Fresh Drinking Water as the water crisis deepens. More than a Billion Trillion Liters of water is in fact - unfit...
By Zeeshan Shah Endangering the Planet and Its Populations, from the Great Barrier Reef across the Indian Ocean to the wide reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, Millions of Fish, Mammals, Deep Sea plantation and other Aqua life has thrived under water for decades.
Pakistan ranks today as the 11th most-strongest military power. But in terms of real economic progress, the country ratings have plummeted further down to the 14th least viable economy in the world. Accordingly to the latest report by the World Economic Forum, the country ranks 126th in the world, one step further downwards from last year.
Back in 2005, over 100,000 lives were lost in the deadliest Tsunami disaster in history that hit the Far East, wiping out towns and villages into darkness, yet few lives were saved by the Mangrove population with no deaths in the forest area. History has taught us one thing - every battle fought...
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI As we reach the end of the year, we will yet again mourn that fateful day that changed Pakistan forever on December 16th 2014.The day that will always remind us that the blood of our innocent children will not go un-avenged. Some of the unfortunate ones may let this day go by,...
By Zeeshan Shah/Karachi: Proxy Wars dominate the world of Politics today and have infiltrated Pakistan. A proxy war is a conflict between two nations where neither country directly engages the other. While this can encompass a breadth of armed confrontation, its core definition hinges on two separate powers utilizing external strife to somehow attack the interests or territorial holdings...
KARACHI: When we no longer carry on as we did before, there is an impetus to innovate. It is probably the time to look at new ways to create value. The reason we usually do not is because the money is coming in and the tide is stable, so why disrupt everything?
October 29, 2013 BY Zeeshan Shah We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice could find free play"- Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
The constant victimization within Karachi occupies our minds. One of the most vibrant cities of our times is going through a catharsis. Endless bloodshed is necessarily the order of the day, as war in turns eliminates itself through war.
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI: Pakistan aspires to inspire others, everyone and anyone except its own people who live and breathe Pakistan and who suffer tremendously. One is bound to recall the early days in the 1980s, known to some of us as the "dark ages".
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI: From 1931-1935, Pakistan endured one of the deadliest earthquakes in the history of disaster in the sub-continent where over 60,000 people perished in three major earthquakes in the area that is Baluchistan today. The event also marked Pakistan as on the edge of disaster, where a series of Earthquakes measuring from 7.1 to 7.7 on the Richter...
Zeeshan Shah/CorporateAmbassador, Karachi The Government Manifesto " Strong Economy - Strong Pakistan " is still largely limited to sheer slogans and rhetoric. Challenges are formidable and a bold approach is needed that would include economic gains and a democratic transition that is focused on growth and stabilization.
KARACHI: As the world battles the recent aviation setback deep in the Alps, our thoughts go back to the greatest unsolved aviation mystery of the ill fated Malaysian Airline 370. Questions remain. Have we forgotten it ever happened ? Or it is time to rethink what may have happened.
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI Over the last few decades, Pakistan has gone through a major paradigm shift, both within its strategic placement within the region and with its allies all over the globe. Some of the major breakthroughs that the country has witnessed is its increased presence as the "Underdog" in world politics- as the key player in the...
"Pakistan in violation of the WHO Guidelines " Over the last few decades, our country has repeatedly failed in providing basic health care to its people. Despite massive influx of funds through foreign private funding over the years, massive indulgence in fraud and corruption.
KARACHI: Pakistan is yet again in the middle of another natural disaster that could have beenavoided. The lack of political will remains to be the single biggest barrier in taking one of the most profitable decisions for the country. If anyone was to measure the pros and cons on Kalabagh (KBD) , the essential benefits are countless....
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI: The World is getting poorer and poorer while few wealthy people get filthy rich. Worldwide Bad Governance remains to be the primary reason for income disparityglobally, while the status quo dominates the filthy rich segments of a powerful hidden society.
KARACHI: Approximately $21 trillion of unreported private financial wealth owned by the world's super rich is stashed in tax havens through offshore banking. This sum is equivalent to the total economy of the United States and Japan combined. The three private banks handling the most assets offshore on behalf of the global super rich are UBS, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs.
KARACHI: Human Rights Day. Ironically, we are reduced to a human population with little or no rights to life. Politics is an active part of Governance while Governance has no part to play in active Politics. Democratic forces are fascists and fanatics and the public is under a constant brain drain through media wars.
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI (PCNN): As we slowly creep towards the road to progress, we also must analyze whether it's the right road to take. The National Aviation policy is one of the key components to determine our standing within the Global Aviation Industry. Globally, our standing has slumped since the early 60s where we were...
KARACHI: Not long ago, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources conducted a joint study with the UN Development Programme, under which over 15 osmosis plants were installed in southern Punjab at a cost of Rs20 million.
Terrestrial ecosystems have encountered substantial warming over the past century, with temperatures increasing about twice as rapidly over land as over the oceans. Although the transition has gradually taken place in over 18 million years or so, the world is not the same planet as its used to be.
KARACHI: Every leading portfolio analyst and fund manager today is looking for new ways to identify potential emerging markets for higher returns on capital employed, with indicators pushing its way towards South Asia, including Pakistan.
KARACHI: One of the economic problems that Pakistan shares with the world - although in a slightly more exacerbated form - is unemployment. As the economy slowly implodes due to numerous crises following mismanaged economic programs, slogans raised by political parties promising 'roti, kapra, makaan' (food, housing and shelter) have yet to be realised for the masses.
KARACHI: Our economy is growing at a mere 3.5% on average, yet our nation continues to spend beyond its means, mostly through credit cards - accumulating more debt than ever before in times of financial distress. Meanwhile, a globalising media continuously influences how we think about and manage our buying and spending.
KARACHI: Energy experts have confirmed that natural gas today is fast becoming the next big thing in power generation as a cost-effective substitute for coal - which currently generates over 40% of the world's electricity. Experts say that it is cleaner and emits 50% less carbon dioxide.
The impact of global risk is more devastating than we think. Emerging economies around the world worry about business risk as they struggle to control economic disparity - which provides the conditions for such risks to arise. Illicit trade, organised crime and corruption are major challenges today.
KARACHI: Globalisation has reshaped the world today, making it more interconnected and interdependent. Unfortunately, its benefits have not been equally distributed across countries. Business is surrounded by issues of disparity and equity, both at national and international levels. Politically, there are resurgent signs of social fragmentation, populism and nationalism.
KARACHI: The recession is long from over. Crises deepen as the world gears up for the 'centurion' - a phenomenon which occurs once in a century or a lifetime and culminates in a global economic slump.
By Zeeshan Shah We all know the implications of supplying impure and sub standard water for the people of Pakistan. The Indus Delta, the sixth largest in the world is on the verge of death forPakistan for the last many years. According to the 1991 water accord, it was decided to ensure that downstream water supply to...
By Zeeshan Shah/KARACHI As the emerging nations recommit themselves to global agendas, some countries will fall back on their commitments to ensure human development, across the board. Not because of the change of venue or delegation delays, but simply because they have failed.
Reuters photo By The International Day to End impunity for Crimes against Journalists is observed every year on Nov 2 nd by the United Nations, its purpose the recognition of and a remembrance day for journalists around the world killed in the line of duty.