Connect with us

Latest

How To Choose Peace Over Panic Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Published

on

Where has gone the hustle and bustle of my city? What has happened to the life I was used to seeing around since the day I born? Certainly, something went wrong as something unusual is prevailing there.

A day before today, we all were super excited for the year 2020. Fireworks, laughter, and the happy crowd were everywhere, but in a blink, it all disappeared leaving stillness behind.

Surprisingly, “life surprises you the most when you least expect it” as we all were drunken into the idea that how we are secure more than ever and that we’ve figured out the life, the universe, and the systems. The wake-up call came and we’ve been hit harder than ever with no remedies whatsoever.

It’s crazy how fast everything we know has changed overnight. Now, the entire world is in chaos. Humanity is going through the hell of a tragedy. It’s not only the immune system which is collapsing but pretty much everything: money, freedom, education, entertainment, and the entire world.

Right now, we all are going through this phase on varying levels, but there is one common thing that we all share: fear of uncertainty.

So, the question right now is how to get through this corona craze without losing our brain? It’s now more important than ever to actively choose peace over panic, though it’s easier said than done to eliminate fear, worry, and negativity when we’re continuously getting dragged into it.

Nonetheless, Abdu Sharkawy, a doctor and expert at the University of Toronto in Canada, warned that mass panic about the coronavirus could do more damage than the disease itself. We need to stay calm as much as possible not to make this situation any worse than it already is.

The number one thing you can do to improve your mental health in this tough time is to choose a few credible media sources to intake information and only access those sources once a day.

Since hopping on to the news website every ten minutes to check the latest update will not change anything, but it will make you more anxious. There is a plethora of evidence to show that excessive exposure to media causes more panic and fear.

Getting continuous information “is helpful when it influences what you would do,” says Alice Boyes, author of “The Anxiety Toolkit,” “but at the moment, most of us are doing all the things we can do.” Washing our hands, staying six feet away from others, practicing social distancing. “When you’re already doing all you can do,” she says, “there’s not much additional benefit” in seeking extra information.

Secondly, it is not the time to accuse yourself of not being productive as we all are going through a tough time. So, it’s completely okay to sit back and let your mind breathe for a while. Don’t let social media make you believe that you are not using all the “extra time” effectively. “It’s tough enough to be productive in the best of times let alone when we’re in a global crisis,” says Chris Bailey, a productivity consultant.

To be honest this immense urge to overachieve, even in the time of global crises is reflective of our “busy for the sake of being busy” mindset which is a modern-day obsession and somehow we are still feeling obliged to participate in “Do more” culture which is just to make tough time even tougher.

The best way to not get trapped into this is to acknowledge your feelings and emotions and allow yourself to get things done at your own pace which will help you to function better.

Thirdly, the human mind has a natural tendency to focus on negative things and right now most of the things happening around us are increasing the level of negativity even more. It’s more important than ever to actively practice gratitude every once in a while. As an old saying goes, “it’s good to look on the bright side of life. It’s a call for us to remain optimistic in the wake of difficulties.”

Every time you think about something that gets delayed or went wrong due to coronavirus, try to replace those thoughts immediately and think about the things you still have. Also, think about other people whose suffering is greater than yours and that is easy to do right now.

We sure are facing trouble and there is no harm to feel bad about it but thinking about the people going through worse than you will help you to move your emotions towards empathy rather than negativity.

Even though things might not look ideal right now but we still have so many things to be grateful for, Life, family, and health.

I am allowing myself to find a ray of hope and I think you should do this too. Let’s hope together to see better days with a newfound appreciation for the small things that add joy in our everyday life and make us feel alive.

 

Business

Pakistan Banks Association elects Zafar Masud as chairman, forms 16-member executive committee

Published

on

KARACHI – On December 28, 2025, the Pakistan Banks Association (PBA) formed a new 16-member Executive Committee, which includes two women and eight new member banks, reflecting a move towards increased inclusivity and wider industry representation.

Following the elections, the Executive Committee unanimously elected Mr. Zafar Masud, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Bank of Punjab, as Chairman of the PBA. Commenting on his election, Mr. Masud said the newly constituted Executive Committee represents an important evolution in the Association’s governance.

He noted that the expanded and more diverse membership strengthens the PBA’s ability to advance a National Economic Agenda, with a focus on bridging credit gaps in priority sectors, accelerating financial inclusion through digital channels, and supporting Pakistan’s sustainable economic recovery.

The leadership team also includes Mr. Nassir Salim, President and Chief Executive Officer of Habib Bank Limited, as Senior Vice Chairman, and Mr. Yousaf Hussain, President and Chief Executive Officer of Faysal Bank Limited, as Vice Chairman.

Mr. Nassir Salim emphasized the importance of resilience and strong compliance frameworks amid global headwinds, while Mr. Yousaf Hussain highlighted modernization, technology adoption, and agility as key priorities to ensure the banking sector remains innovative and regionally competitive.

Commenting on the milestone, Mr. Muneer Kamal, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the PBA, said that the expansion of the Executive Committee, including the historic inclusion of female representation, reflects the Association’s commitment to diversity and modern governance.

Under the new leadership, the PBA aims to deepen collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan, the Ministry of Finance, and the Federal Government to support infrastructure development, expand private sector credit for agriculture and SMEs, and advance the country’s digital transformation.

Continue Reading

Business

Saudi carrier flyadeal opens new office in Islamabad

Published

on

ISLAMABAD – flyadeal, Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding low-cost airline, has opened a new dedicated sales and marketing office in Islamabad, highlighting its swift growth in Pakistan. During a brief visit to Pakistan’s capital, flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway reaffirmed the airline’s dedication to becoming a key player in the country’s vibrant air travel industry.

flyadeal launched non-stop scheduled flights from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan in February, connecting  Riyadh and Jeddah to the country’s commercial hub of Karachi, which signalled the airline’s first move into South Asia.

Since then, flyadeal has significantly scaled up frequency, now operating 18 non-stop services each week between the two countries serving a total of five gateway cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Peshawar, Sialkot, Lahore and Islamabad.

“Our Pakistan flights have proved a great success since our entry, bringing affordable low fares and reliable punctual services to this exciting market,” said Greenway.

“Having expanded from one to five cities across the country in the space of just eight months, thanks to regulatory and travel industry support, it’s only a matter of time before we grow further with much-needed additional capacity and provide the travelling public with wider reach and greater choice of non-stop flights bridging both countries.”

flyadeal has partnered with leading general sales agent Matchless Travel to serve the travel trade and members of the public across Pakistan through its nationwide network of offices.

Farooq Ahmad, flyadeal Head of Sales, added: “flyadeal has developed a great relationship with Pakistan’s travel agency community, quickly building confidence within the trade of our value-added product offering. Our dedicated sales office in Islamabad complements the efforts of Matchless by providing increased brand presence and awareness.”

Following the sales office opening, flyadeal’s senior management team from the head office in Jeddah and Karachi hosted Islamabad’s travel trade to a thank-you dinner.

All flyadeal services to and from Pakistan are operated with Airbus A320 family aircraft in a single 186-seat Economy Class configuration. The flights cater to a mix of business, leisure, pilgrim and migrant worker traffic, as well as the large outbound Pakistani expatriate community living in the Kingdom. Jeddah-bound flights serve as the gateway to the Saudi holy city of Makkah.

flyadeal operates scheduled flights from bases in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to more than 30 domestic and international seasonal and year-round destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and South Asia with a modern fleet of 43 Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Effective 1 January 2026, flyadeal will add Madinah as its fourth base in the Kingdom, a strategic move to enhance air travel options to and from the Holy city. 

 

Continue Reading

Gold

Ways to check the purity of gold: Methods and Facts

Published

on

LAHORE – In Pakistan, uncertainty always looms over the minds of people. Some people remain unsure whether the gold they bought is pure or not, so in case of such a scenario, here is what you can do.

Ways to verify your gold:

  • Check Official Markings

Look for engraved markings on the inner side of the jewelry; it may say 24k, 22k, 21k, or 18k. In Pakistan, 21k means 87.5% purity; on the other hand, 24k means 99.9% purity and is mostly used as investment bars.

  • Professional Ways to Test

If you remain unsure about your gold, then you should consider visiting major gold markets such as Karachi’s Sarafa Bazaar or Lahore’s Liberty Market.

Three such ways include:

Electronic Gold Testers: In today’s modern world, jewelers use handheld electronic devices to measure the electrical conductivity to provide the user with immediate karat reading.

XRF Spectrometry: This method is widely regarded as the best and most accurate way; most high-end gold laboratories use X-Ray fluorescence to get the exact elemental composition of the item.

Touchstone Test: This is known as the Kasauti Test, the gold is rubbed against a dark stone(Kasauti), and the streak is then compared with known purity needles, or it is treated with acid.

  • Test at Home

Magnet Test: Gold is not attracted to magnets if the item is powerfully attracted towards a powerful magnet, then it is likely that it contains some sort of base metals, most probably iron or nickel.

Floating Test: Gold remains a dense element if gently placed in a bowl filled with water and sinks all the way to the bottom. Then, it can be considered pure gold. However, if the gold item floats or sinks slowly, it is most likely fake gold or the item is gold-plated.

Vinegar Test: By applying a few drops of vinegar on the item, you can check its purity because pure gold retains its shine, but fake gold loses it altogether.

Ping Test: This is a sound test. First of all, take the gold item in your hand and gently strike it against another metal. Pure gold produces a high-pitched ringing sound, whereas base metals produce a “thud” sound.

Note: It is pertinent to mention here that methods to test at home aren’t completely reliable, and the results shouldn’t be considered as the final results, as there are chances that they can be influenced by other factors. That’s why it is better to follow the other ways mentioned in the article.

  • Precautionary measures before buying

Before buying the gold item, request a certificate of confirmation of the purity of the gold being bought. Before paying the price for the gold, verify the daily price of the gold from the Jewellers Association or upfront.pk to avoid being overcharged for lower-quality gold.

 

 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2026