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First Pakistani brand launches virtual clothing amid global NFT craze

Artisans work in a small embroidery factory in Karachi, Pakistan on May 6, 2009. (AFP/File)
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Updated 29 October 2021
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First Pakistani brand launches virtual clothing amid global NFT craze

  • Non-fungible tokens are digital assets that use blockchain technology to record ownership of online items
  • Rastah’s entry into the NFT space will be marked by an auction of their digital piece next week
Updated 29 October 2021
Sabah Bano Malik

RAWLPINDI: High-end streetwear brand Rastah has become Pakistan’s first fashion outlet to venture into the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with the upcoming release of their digital outfit.

NFTs are a type of digital asset which use blockchain technology to record the ownership of online items such as images, videos, trading cards or land in virtual worlds. First launched in 2015, NFTs exploded in popularity earlier this year. According to NFT market tracker DappRader, sales volumes of NFTs surged to $10.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021.

The fashion world has also embraced NFTs, with luxury accessories brand Jimmy Choo recently launching virtual collectables and American designer Rebecca Minkoff showing an entire NFT collection during New York Fashion Week 2021. In India, one of the most coveted designers Manish Malhotra, sold NFTs of digital sketches of some of his most recognizable creations at $4,000 per image earlier this month.

Rastah’s entry into the NFT space will be marked by an auction of their digital piece from the upcoming “Love & Fear” collection on the Foundation Rastah site on Nov. 5. The garment, produced in collaboration with Lahore-based design house DMTLabs will also come in the physical form.




A digital fashion item designed by Rastah, Pakistan’s first fashion outlet to venture into the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). (Photo courtesy: Rastah)

“It’s an immense moment of pride for us to be able to accompany this digital NFT with an actual physical piece,” Rastah cofounder Zain Ahmad told Arab News over the phone. 

“The inspiration to make the NFT came from the DNA of our brand which focusses on working with artisans and providing them access to a global marketplace,” he said.

For the brand, entering the NFT space was an act entering the global stage and form of “rebellion.”

“Rebellion in the sense that you have these artisans and designers who are not connected to the Internet or to the outside world,” Ahmed added. “For us to create an NFT Rastah is saying ‘hey, we’re here, and we’re going to be part of the discourse.’“

He sees the introduction of NFTs also as a way of empowering the artisans who work with the brand and making them earn more.
 
“We see a future of NFTs where we work with our designers to create physical pieces and we will also create an NFT for that piece with all of the money going to the artisan,” he said. “This is only the start of us expanding into the NFT space.”

Rastah’s collaborator DMTLabs sees big opportunities for designers in NFTs.

“There is a massive opportunity for fashion in the NFT world, this is the first time that a Pakistani brand is entering into the NFTs,” DMTLabs founder Sadat Mirza said. “We are very excited to represent this landmark moment.”

“Our goal is to empower creators and brands into the digital creative future with sustainable solutions and deliver future-proof digital assets and visual experiences.”
 
Zain Naqvi, one of the founders of Alter, the NFT auction space which made headlines earlier this year by facilitating the sale of one of Pakistan’s most viral memes, “Friendship ended with Mudasir,” told Arab News the launching of digital fashion items through NFTs is “logical growth.”

“Before Rastah there have been other fashion brands benefiting from stepping into the NFT space. For example, Vogue Singapore and Vogue China have done covers of their magazines that were NFT’s. You did not see anything on the physical magazine but the moment you turned your phone on it was an augmented reality (AR) projection of the cover,” Naqvi said.

“I think it’s the perfect marketing tool to build on the work and connect with millennials and the next generation.”
 

Topics: Pakistan NFT

Pakistani security forces suffer deadliest year in decade while fighting insurgency— think tank

Updated 6 sec ago
AP
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Pakistani security forces suffer deadliest year in decade while fighting insurgency— think tank

  • On average, nearly seven lives were lost daily, says Islamabad-based think tank’s report
  • Pakistan military says 925 insurgents, 383 soldiers were killed in operations during 2024
Updated 6 sec ago
AP

PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces in 2024 suffered the highest causalities in nearly a decade while battling insurgency, an Islamabad-based think tank said.

This comes as militants attacked a security post in the country’s restive northwest, which borders Afghanistan, killing a police officer and a civilian early Tuesday.

An officer was also wounded in the attack at the Draban Post in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police official Abdullah Khan said, adding that the civilian was an employee of the Customs department.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, who often target security forces across the country, especially in the former tribal regions in the troubled northwest bordering Afghanistan.

The Center for Research and Security Studies said in its report Tuesday that this year was the deadliest for Pakistani security forces in 9 years.

“On average, nearly seven lives were lost daily,” according to the report which tallied “at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks.” It also said: “Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e. 1612 fatalities, accounting for over 63 percent of the total recorded this year and marking 73 percent more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated.”

The think tank said its latest report was based on data collected from open sources, mainly media outlets. In Pakistan, the military doesn’t regularly confirm causalities among troops.

There was no immediate comment from the military on the report.

Last week, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif said in a news conference that 925 insurgents were killed in 2024, a record high compared to the past five years, while 383 soldiers were killed in such operations. He also said Pakistani security forces this year conducted 59,775 operations against insurgents in the country.

Pakistan in recent months has stepped up intelligence-based operations against the Pakistani Taliban, emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. 

Topics: Pakistan Pakistan militancy

Pakistan’s Azan Ali Khan clinches Junior Under-17 Scottish Open squash title

Updated 31 December 2024
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Pakistan’s Azan Ali Khan clinches Junior Under-17 Scottish Open squash title

  • Khan defeats Swiss opponent to win tournament that featured players from 22 nations
  • Khan will now compete in the British Open World Junior Squash Championship next year 
Updated 31 December 2024
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani squash player Azan Ali Khan clinched the Junior Under-17 Scottish Junior Open Championship 2024 in Edinburgh this week, defeating Switzerland’s Landro Wagle in the final while remaining undefeated throughout the tournament, a non-government organization sponsoring him said on Tuesday. 

The Scottish Junior Open 2024 was held from Dec. 28 to 30, featuring players from 22 countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Egypt and the United States. 

“Azlan Ali Khan has emerged as the champion of the 2024 Scottish Junior Open Championship,” Muslim Hands Pakistan, Khan’s sponsor, said in a statement. “Azan Ali Khan defeated Switzerland’s Landro Wagle in the final to win the title.”

Muslim Hands Pakistan, a branch of the UK-based charity, works to alleviate poverty, sickness and lack of education in the country. It operates over 335 schools, serving more than 25,000 students and runs projects in health care, water, sanitation and vocational training.

Khan dedicated his victory to Pakistan’s out-of-school children. The South Asian country has a population 22.8 million out-of-school children aged 5-16 years, making Pakistan the country with the second-highest number of out-of-school children. 

Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Youth Program, congratulated Khan, his coach and team manager on the achievement.

“Azan Ali Khan is now preparing for the next stage and will compete in the British Open World Junior Squash Championship,” Muslim Hands said. “The British Open World Junior Squash Championship will be held from January 2 to January 6 in Birmingham.”
 

Topics: Azan Ali Khan Pakistann Scottish Junior Open 2024 squash

Religio-political party vows to continue Karachi sit-in protests despite crackdown 

Updated 31 December 2024
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Religio-political party vows to continue Karachi sit-in protests despite crackdown 

  • Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen party leads Karachi sit-in protests in solidarity with violence-hit northwestern Kurram district 
  • Police and paramilitary Rangers force fire tear gas to disperse protesters from various locations in Pakistan’s Karachi
Updated 31 December 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Pakistani religio-political party Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) on Tuesday announced it would expand its sit-in protests, currently being held in Karachi in solidarity with the violence-hit Kurram district, to other parts of Sindh as law enforcers cracked down on protesters to clear the roads for traffic. 

The MWM has been leading sit-in protests at over 10 locations in Karachi since last week to protest against violence in the northwestern Kurram district. With a population of around 600,000, Kurram has been plagued by tribal and sectarian violence for decades. The region’s volatile security situation often necessitates travel in convoys escorted by security forces. However, a devastating ambush on November 21, in which gunmen killed 52 people, underscored the persistent dangers.

The attack escalated tensions in the district, resulting in violent clashes and road blockades that have severely disrupted access to essential supplies such as food, medicine, and fuel and claimed the lives of at least 136 people since November. A grand jirga— a traditional council of political and tribal elders— has been attempting to mediate between rival factions, but the unrest has spilled beyond Kurram.

“The sit-ins will continue until the issues of Parachinar are resolved,” MWM leader Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi, referring to Kurram district’s capital city, said in a statement. “I urge people to come out of their homes. We will extend the sit-ins from Karachi to Obaro [near the border with Punjab].”

Police and Rangers personnel used tear gas to disperse protesters in Kamran Chowrangi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Abbas Town and Gulshan-e-Iqbal areas of Karachi on Tuesday morning. Angry demonstrators set tires ablaze and pelted stones at law enforcement personnel in response. 

Numerous protesters had been arrested during the crackdown, Naqvi alleged. However, a police spokesperson declined to confirm the arrests when approached for comment. 

The MWM leader accused the Sindh government of practicing “double standards,” claiming that representatives of the provincial government expressed solidarity with demonstrators while simultaneously ordering law enforcers to clear protest sites forcefully. 

“Last night, Sindh government representatives came to us and the issues [caused by road blockades] were resolved,” Naqvi said. “But this morning, peaceful sit-ins were attacked.”

Karachi police chief on Monday warned demonstrators of action if the protests continued to disrupt public life. The Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), the MWM’s rival religious group, on Monday, threatened to hold protests at 60 locations in Karachi starting Tuesday if the MWM demonstrations did not end. 

Last week, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also criticized MWM protesters for paralyzing the city.

“If the purpose of a protest is to inconvenience people, disrupt the city’s operations, block ambulances and fire brigades, or hinder police and administrative vehicles, then such actions are inappropriate,” Wahab said. 

Meanwhile, the warring factions in Kurram are formally expected to reach a peace agreement today, Tuesday, as the grand jirga reconvenes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson said last week. 

Topics: Protests Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen kurram

Militants attack security post in restive northwest Pakistan, killing 2

Updated 31 December 2024
AP
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Militants attack security post in restive northwest Pakistan, killing 2

  • Militants kill police officer and civilian in attack on Dera Ismail Khan district, police say 
  • No group has claimed responsibility for incident but suspicion likely to fall on Pakistani Taliban
Updated 31 December 2024
AP

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Militants armed with assault rifles attacked a security post in restive northwest Pakistan early Tuesday, killing a police officer and a civilian, officials said.

Another officer was also wounded in the attack at the Draban Post in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police official Abdullah Khan said, adding that the civilian was an employee of the Customs department.

He also said security forces returned fire and that “a group of insurgents” fled the scene.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, who often target security forces across the country, especially in the former tribal regions in the troubled northwest bordering Afghanistan.

Security forces have also stepped up intelligence-based operations against the Pakistani Taliban, emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.

Topics: Pakistan Militancy Dera Ismail Khan

Pakistan unveils economic plan today for sustainable growth amid challenges

Updated 9 min 41 sec ago
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Pakistan unveils economic plan today for sustainable growth amid challenges

  • Economic transformation plan to focus on export-led growth so Pakistan escapes boom-bust economic cycle, says finmin
  • Development takes place as Pakistan grapples with economic crisis that has triggered inflation, drained its foreign reserves
Updated 9 min 41 sec ago
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government is set to launch its five-year homegrown National Economic Plan today, Tuesday, targeting sustainable growth and development in the long-term, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said amid Islamabad’s struggle to ward off its macroeconomic crisis. 

Pakistan’s government has attempted to steer itself out of a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has weakened the South Asian country’s currency and drained its foreign exchange reserves over the past two years. 

Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said in July that the National Economic Plan will be based on the 5Es framework (exports, energy, economic growth, education and equality), adding that it would aim to foster stability and lay the foundation for future growth in Pakistan.

In a video message, Aurangzeb said the plan has been aptly titled “Uraan Pakistan” which means “Flying Pakistan,” and aims to take the country’s prevalent macroeconomic stability to sustainable growth. 

“There are three to four key pillars of this [economic plan],” Aurangzeb said. “First of all, our growth will be export-led so that we do not go into the boom-bust cycle that we have been going through for the past few eras. Secondly, the private sector has to lead this country,” he added. 

Pakistan agreed to a 37-month, $7 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this year, promising the lender financial reforms in exchange for it. These reforms include increasing the tax base, regulating the energy sector and handing over loss-making state owned enterprises to the private sector. 

“The structural reforms that we have started, we have to take them through the finishing line,” the minister said. “Whether that is on the taxation side, whether its on the energy side, whether it’s our SOE reforms, whether it’s our privatization agenda.”

Aurangzeb vowed that the plan would put Pakistan on an upward economic trajectory in the next two to three years, saying it would ensure that this will be the last IMF program Islamabad resorts to. 

The development takes place amid Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s increased efforts for greater collaboration in trade, defense, agriculture and other key sectors of the economy with regional allies to attract foreign investment and brighten Pakistan’s economic prospects.

In its move to attract foreign investment in key sectors, Pakistan has enhanced its bilateral trade and investment ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Central Asian states and other Gulf countries. 

Pakistan suffered a sovereign default before Islamabad clinched a last-gasp $3 billion bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023 that helped its economy stay afloat. Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has repeatedly said Islamabad needs to adopt an export-led economy to achieve long-term and sustainable economic growth.

Topics: Pakistan National Economic Plan

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