The Londoner

Farida Khanum is a renowned Pakistani Ghazal singer from Punjab. Farida Khanum has been given the title "Malika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazal) in tribute to her singing talents. The ghazal she is most famously associated with is "Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Naa Karo". In 2005, she was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest civilian honour by President Pervez Musharraf. Farida Khanum was born in Calcutta and raised in Amritsar. She migrated to Pakistan after independence in 1947. She started learning Khayal from her sister Mukhtar Begum at age seven and later learnt classical music from the renowned maestro of Patiala Gharana, Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan. She gave her first public concert in 1950, where renowned singers like Zeenat Begum and Iqbal Begum also sang. Farida Khanum lives in Lahore, Punjab and performs at select musical gatherings.

Indian air force violates Pakistan airspace and has been repulsed by the Pakistan air force. Indian planes entered through Azad Kashmir and Lahore sectors. Pakistan airspace has been violated for the first time in many years and is being seen in Pakistan as a grievous breach and Pakistan air force is on red alert.

President Asif Ali Zardari wants to give a corporate image to Pakistan and he himself is visiting different friendly countries to win their confidence. “The ministry has been created to (realise) his vision and ensure return of investment. We are not seeking any financial relief directly and this was not the thrust of President Zardari’s visits to different countries. We are immediately looking at deferred oil payments from Saudi Arabia and UAE to get some economic relief”, Federal Investment Minister, Senator Waqar Ahmad Khan said in an exclusive interview with the Gulfnews.com. Senator Waqar said that Pakistan is creating a special task force to protect investment and provide security to potential investors in the country. The Task Forces, he said comprises officials from the ministries of interior, defence, investment and finance. He added the task force will “protect investors round the clock”, Senator Waqar said the new Ministry of Investment has been created to safeguard investor

Muhammad Arshad Islamabad—The Pakistan Economy Watch on Thursday said India should reverse its foreign policy and exploitation of religious minorities at home to avoid further terror attacks and ensure peace and prosperity. Elimination of terrorism needs more than threatening calls and venomous statements against Pakistan. India’s Afghan policy and will to dominate the region will continue to contribute towards miseries of the one-third of the population of this planet. It will keep the pace of economic activities slower. “India will have to choose between its Afghan policy or learn to compromise on internal peace and economic development,” said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President, Pakistan Economy Watch. He said whole world has failed to tame Al Qaeda and Taliban; they have all the capabilities to destabilize India. Testing these elements will prove a costly endeavour for New Delhi. “India should rather focus on its vulnerabilities like highly divided society, social, political and religiou

By Farhan Sharif Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan’s inflation eased from near a three-decade high in November after the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate four times this year. Consumer prices in South Asia’s second-largest economy increased 24.68 percent from a year earlier after gaining 25 percent in October, the Federal Bureau of Statistics said in Islamabad today. Prices fell 0.12 percent from October. The decline in the inflation rate probably isn’t enough to prevent the State Bank of Pakistan from increasing rates further in its next monetary policy statement in January, economists said. The central bank promised the International Monetary Fund as part of a $7.6 billion bailout that it would raise borrowing costs if foreign reserves drop too low. “The central bank might want to avoid an interest-rate rise, but it seems they will increase again on the IMF’s suggestion,” said Asif Ali Qureshi, head of research at Invisor Securities Ltd in Karachi. “There are very high c