ISLAMABAD: It’s the last weekend before the last weekend in the last few days of this year.
For those rushing through the two weeks until 2019 starts knocking on our doors – now may be a good time to fulfill the resolutions of 2018. Or, you could opt for something that is less stressful but memorable nonetheless.
Head to the movies this weekend for Aquaman has finally splashed onto the cinema screens. The Jason Mamoa (Game of Thrones fame) starrer is the next installment from DC Comics’ universe which is making most fans dive deep into the unchartered waters of Justice League’s powerful underwater superhero.
And while popcorn serves as a good distraction from usually mundane movie scripts, it’s not real food. Enter Jinnah Market’s Wild Wings. The franchise which is celebrating its one-year anniversary on Friday is treating fans to its successful relationship too by selling their meaty goodness at half the price.
Once you have learned to fly without wings, drop by at Hangout’s Sham-e-Adab and Ghazal Night which is taking place at the National Institute of Science and Technical Education in Islamabad. Enjoy recitations of classic Urdu poetry and ghazals at the show which begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 pm.
Not one to single out Islamabad in our list of events lined up for the weekend, there’s something in store for Lahoris too. Get your dose of poetry at Royal Kitchen Lahore Fort’s Bulleh Shah Night. For those who buy tickets in time for Friday’s festivities, they will be treated to a rickshaw tour of Hazuri Bagh before settling in for a night of performances by What Shah, Sayeein Zahoor, and Fazal Jutt.
Did poetry tug at your heartstrings? Now let the Lahore Laugh Club tickle a few ribs, too, with their open mic, stand-up comedy night at Kickstart in Gulberg, on Saturday. For those interested in supporting new talent or trying their hand at making others laugh, tickets are available at the venue too.
For art’s sake, the Allama Iqbal Museum is playing host to ‘Stray Reflections’ a curation of work by Sehr Jalil. The exhibition will launch on Sunday is open to the public until January 6, with the collection being described as ‘visible poetry’.
Islamabad, too, has something up its sleeves for art connoisseurs with ‘No Man’s Land’ by Saadia Hussain and Mohsin Shafi on display now at The Farm in Banigala. If you venture out to the venue during the day, you can treat yourself to the lovely Nomad Market Place where farmers, artisans, and craftsman sell their wares in the delicious winter sun.
There’s something to delight all your senses this weekend
There’s something to delight all your senses this weekend
- Options range from art exhibitions, on sale restaurant specials, comedy and poetry nights
- Residents in both Islamabad and Lahore are sure to be spoilt for choice
Pakistan mulls space-based monitoring to support port expansion, maritime safety
- Minister says satellite technology could aid port planning and environmental protection
- Islamabad seeks to modernize ports as it eyes transshipment role, Central Asian trade
KARACHI: Pakistan is considering the use of space-based monitoring systems to support port expansion, maritime safety and environmental protection, the country’s maritime affairs minister said on Wednesday, as he visited the headquarters of the national space agency.
The visit comes as Islamabad seeks to position itself as a transshipment hub by upgrading cargo handling, streamlining import and export processes and offering its southern ports on the Arabian Sea to landlocked Central Asian states as trade gateways.
“Advanced space-based monitoring systems can play a vital role in safeguarding seas, improving maritime management and strengthening responses to environmental threats,” Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said, according to a statement released after his visit.
Chaudhry was briefed on satellite-based assessments identifying potential sites for new ports, as well as tools for maritime traffic monitoring and disaster response.
Pakistan has been working to expand and modernize its port infrastructure to improve efficiency and attract regional cargo flows, particularly as it seeks to enhance connectivity through its coastline along the Arabian Sea.
During the visit, officials from the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) outlined the use of high-resolution satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and digital modelling to monitor ports, track cargo dwell time, detect oil spills and support search-and-rescue operations at sea.
“We can benefit from continuous monitoring of coastal ecosystems to assess water quality, sediment dispersion and overall environmental health,” Chaudhry said, adding that data-driven approaches were essential for informed policymaking in the maritime sector.
He also highlighted the growing risks posed by climate change, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather events, and said stronger cooperation between maritime authorities and scientific institutions was needed to protect coastal communities and infrastructure.
SUPARCO officials said the agency was ready to develop artificial intelligence-based solutions for ports and maritime operations, including systems to address customs-related inefficiencies and improve emergency response times.
The minister said the ministry and SUPARCO would move toward formalizing cooperation through a structured framework to support joint initiatives.
