Latest news with #Alvi
Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
KE CEO says consumers to face load-shedding till they pay bills
K-Electric Chief Executive Officer Moonis Abdullah Alvi said the power utility's consumers will continue experiencing load-shedding until they pay bills. Speaking at Express Tribune podcast, the K-Electric chief said the utility's ATNC loss is less than the average loss across the country at 28 per cent. Besides, the efficiency of power plants has improved from 30 per cent on aggregate basis to 45 per cent. He said the aggregate technical and commercial loss has slumped to 20 per cent from 42 per cent that was at the time of privatization. "We have spent around $4 billion on generation, transmission and distribution," said Alvi, adding the investment has made the company efficient. To a question, he said people come on roads to protest against the load-shedding and they will keep coming as long as they are facing power shutdown. He added that power consumers would keep facing load-shedding unless they pay for the electricity they consume or stop stealing electricity. The K-Electric CEO highlighted that the electricity in Karachi is supplied through 2,200 feeders. Of them, 70 per cent feeders are exempted from load-shedding. The rest of the areas face load-shedding due to Kunda connections. "We are unable to remove Kunda connections from those areas despite our concerted efforts. Even, when we removed them, they were reconnected to the supply lines," said Alvi, adding, "It is not possible for us to provide free electricity". He said the regulator has set K-Electric tariff at Rs40 per unit while the tariff for the other Discos is determined at Rs33 per unit. The K-E consumers are paying for per unit electricity at par power consumers across the country. Alvi noted the generation cost of K-Electric is Rs32 while the generation cost for the Discos across the country is Rs26, which includes nuclear and hydel power.
The Print
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Print
Guru Dutt built Bollywood's most unlikely dream team—bus conductor, unknown writer, dancer
'Aap bahut photogenic hain (you are very photogenic),' Alvi told him. 'Kuchh actogenic bhi hain ya nahin (Am I also a little actogenic or not)?' Dutt replied, as quoted in Nasreen Munni Kabir's Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema. This, in fact, was how Dutt discovered most of his A-team: through chance, curiosity, and a fine-tuned instinct for creative spark. Together, this group played a major part in making his most acclaimed films, from Pyaasa and Kaagaz ke Phool to Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. But Baaz (1953), Dutt's first film as a leading man, flopped. Later, when he asked Alvi what he thought of it, he gave a diplomatic answer. New Delhi: Abrar Alvi's most extensive writing experience was lavish love letters when he landed on the set of Baaz, where his cousin Jaswant had a small role. That didn't stop him from critiquing the dialogue, though. Actor and director Guru Dutt overheard, handed him a few scenes to rewrite, and soon hired him as a writer at his production house. Dutt offered Alvi the screenplay and dialogues for Aar Paar (1954), and the writer went on to script some of Dutt's most enduring films. As Kabir wrote, his contribution was immeasurable: 'Alvi's particular talent was in scripting realistic and intelligent repartee and in giving each screen character his or her own individuality.' More such happy accidents followed with other outsiders and unknowns. A BEST bus conductor who later took on the name Johnny Walker. A teenage actress, Waheeda Rehman, whose only credit when Dutt first saw her was a dance number in a Telugu film. An aspiring singer, Raj Khosla, who became one of Hindi cinema's top directors. A cameraman, VK Murthy, who would go on to become the first Indian to use CinemaScope in Kaagaz ke Phool. And a production manager, S Guruswamy, who was part of virtually every film Dutt made. With them, he made some of the most emotional, existential, and enduring films in Hindi cinema. Dutt was the face of these collaborations, but it was this inner circle that gave him creative momentum—through friendship, trust, and an openness to experiment. There were occasional fights too but the bond didn't break. 'Like all creative people, he was very demanding of his co-workers,' recalled cinematographer VK Murthy in a 2010 interview. 'We quarrelled a couple of times because of the time I took to set up the lighting. We had a big argument during the making of Aar Paar. Later, he explained how he was under pressure to deliver quickly, and that we needed to cooperate and work faster. He was a reasonable man, and from then on, we worked harmoniously.' It was with Murthy that Dutt's visual signature was created, from the shattered mirrors and ghostly reflections of Kaagaz ke Phool to the interplay of light and shadow in Pyaasa. In the centenary of Guru Dutt, who was born on 9 July 1925, the spotlight naturally falls on him. But it was the people in his orbit who kept his star burning as brightly as it did, even if it was short-lived, given his death at the age of 39. His legacy was a team effort that was never about fame or money but something more lasting. As Dutt himself put it in a 1963 interview: 'Fame… is a some time thing. It, like everything else, shall pass.' Also Read: Guru Dutt chose Raj Khosla over his brother to direct CID. It became the biggest hit of 1956 'Worked together, partied together' When Guru Dutt made his directorial debut with the 'Bombay Noir' Baazi in 1951 (not to be confused with Baaz), there was a fair bit of scepticism swirling around him. Its star, his friend Dev Anand had brought him on board, but the actor's elder brother Chetan Anand wasn't sure Dutt was up to the job. But not only was the film a box office hit, it was the turning point where his inner circle of actors, writers, and technicians began coalescing. 'To create magic on reel, one needs a dream team in real. With Baazi, Guru Dutt got a chance to work with people who went on to become his A-team, who were an integral part of many of his memorable films in the next decade,' wrote Yasser Usman in his book Guru Dutt: An Unfinished Story. It was a motley crew, and yet it clicked into place. On that set, Dutt met Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi, a bus conductor. He was brought in by actor Balraj Sahni, who'd seen him performing comic routines on Mumbai's BEST buses. Kazi showed up in character, lurching and slurring like a drunk, though he was actually a teetotaller. Dutt took to him instantly, and as someone who wasn't a teetotaller himself, named him after his favourite whisky: Johnny Walker. If Dutt placed his faith in an artist, he would give them a lot of room. 'He'd tell us, Johnny ye tumhara scene hai, ye dialogue hai, ye shot hai. Isme tum jo behtar kar sakte ho to karo [Johnny, this is your scene, this is the dialogue, this is the shot. Do whatever you can to make it better],' Walker recalled in Usman's book. He went on to be part of every film Guru Dutt directed or produced, except Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Right from his first film, Dutt also had a clear sense of how his films should look. He used light and shadow to an almost poetic level in his cinema. 'On the sets of Baazi, Guru Dutt recognised one such person with whom he was going to create unforgettable images and emotions on screen. His name was VK Murthy,' Usman wrote. Baazi was also where Raj Khosla entered the picture. He had come to Bombay hoping to become a singer, but joined Dutt as an assistant director on Dev Anand's recommendation. When he admitted to exaggerating his Hindi writing skills, Dutt let it slide with a grin. The next to join was production manager S Guruswamy, who handled the nuts and bolts of the filmmaking process. 'They worked together, they partied together. This camaraderie of the team members was translating beautifully on celluloid too,' wrote Usman. The partnership wasn't about forming a coterie around Dutt. It was also about mentorship and mutual benefit. Khosla, for one, went on to become a successful director in his own right, known for films like Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978). But the turning point was CID, produced by Guru Dutt Films. Even though Dutt's brother Atmaram wanted the job, it went to Khosla. The brothers fell out but the film became one of the biggest hits of 1956. 'He never interfered with my work. It's Guru Dutt's skill that I learnt, the use of the face, the eyes more than body movements. And the use of close-ups—they tell the main story,' Khosla told Kabir. In the same interview he also recounted that reviews and criticism did not affect his mentor very much. 'Guru Dutt never bothered about critics. He was his own critic. He knew where he was going wrong and he would say, 'Raj, this film is going wrong, this film will not go over right—yeh gadbad ho gayi hai [this has gone wrong]'. He could feel it,' said Khosla. When CID earned Rs 30 lakh, Dutt called Khosla and handed him the keys to a Dodge convertible. 'It's a present for having made CID,' he said when asked why. Khosla was a 'gushing admirer of Guru Dutt, his persona and his filmmaking,' wrote Amborish Roychoudhury in his book Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography. Yet, it was not a relationship where anyone was beholden. Khosla turned down Dutt's offer to direct another film for him, reportedly saying, 'I am a small plant and I can't grow under a big tree.' Another dream team member who was fierce about her individuality was Waheeda Rehman. Also Read: Guru Dutt turned melancholia into art. He was 'lost in filmmaking, lost to life' A reluctant muse The story goes it all began in 1955, when Guru Dutt's car hit a buffalo in Hyderabad. Stranded for a day with Guruswamy, he spotted a young woman across the street and asked who she was. Her name was Waheeda Rehman, a dancer in the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi. Dutt arranged to meet her, spoke to her briefly, and returned to Bombay. Months later, a man named Mannu Bhai Patel showed up at her home in Madras and told her Guru Dutt wanted to see her in Bombay. After some deliberation, Rehman travelled to Dutt's office at Famous Studios in Mahalaxmi, where he, Khosla, Alvi, Murthy, and Guruswamy were waiting with a contract. 'When I first met him, I did not think he was a famous and great director because he spoke very little. The meeting lasted for about half an hour,' said Rehman to Kabir. She signed on but right from the beginning she dictated her own terms, sometimes to the ire of the others, especially Khosla. For one, she refused to change her name as he had requested. She also demanded a say in her costumes. 'Raj Khosla was furious – in his world, newcomers didn't throw their weight around…But his mentor could see a spark in her that Raj couldn't. Guru Dutt agreed to all her demands,' reads Raj Khosla: The Authorized Biography. Rehman made her Hindi debut in CID and stuck to her guns from the start. For a seduction scene, she refused to wear a lace blouse unless it was covered by a dupatta. Khosla protested but Dutt acquiesced. 'They had seen Guru Dutt losing his patience with other actors and senior technicians. But he seemed like an entirely different person when talking to Waheeda,' wrote Yasser Usman. Their collaboration gave Dutt's films some of their most haunting moments: the long silences in Pyaasa where she plays the sex worker Gulabo, the ache of 'Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam' in Kaagaz ke Phool. As Rehman became central to his films, rumours about their relationship worsened his already strained marriage to Geeta Dutt. His personal life, by most accounts, was turbulent, with alcohol being a major factor. On 10 October 1964, Walker and Waheeda Rehman were travelling to Madras. As Walker entered his hotel the telephone rang : Johnny Guru gaya. He broke down and Rehman was stunned, writes Usman. The cause of death was a fatal mix of alcohol and sleeping pills. Whether it was accidental or intentional has never been resolved. 'His death may have been just an accident; but I know that he had always wished for it, longed for it…and he got it,' Rehman later wrote in 1967. 'Whatever happened was perhaps best for him! That is the only consolation left.' (Edited by Asavari Singh)
The Print
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
Pakistanis see Microsoft move as more than a corporate exit. ‘So much for economic boom'
'By focusing on tactical incidents like a multinational leaving, people are not focusing on strategic events like Pakistan's DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) age, which will usher in a multi-hundred billion dollar digital economy,' Habibullah Khan, CEO of Penumbra, a digital design studio, and an expert on Pakistan's digital economy, told The Print. Former Pakistan President Arif Alvi, in a post on X , said that the country was swimming 'in a whirlpool of uncertainty' while tech experts argue that shifts of this sort will not impact Pakistan's tech ecosystem. New Delhi: Microsoft stopped its operations in Pakistan Friday, after a 25-year presence in the country. Pakistanis see it as a sign of the declining economic condition of the country. 'Even global giants like Microsoft find it unsustainable to stay,' Jawwad Rehman, Microsoft's former country head in Pakistan, wrote in a LinkedIn post. Microsoft's departure comes amid a broader wave of restructuring, with the company recently announcing layoffs impacting approximately 9,100 employees worldwide—about 4 per cent of its workforce. Though there was never a full-scale office in the country, it had maintained a liaison setup supporting corporate, educational, governmental, and individual clients. According to Pakistan's IT ministry, the closure aligns with Microsoft's global shift toward a 'partner-led, cloud-first' model. The ministry emphasised that this should not be seen as a total withdrawal but rather a strategic realignment. However, Pakistan represented only an estimated $50 million, or 0.018 per cent of Microsoft's revenue. Many feel the symbolic weight of the company's exit is heavier than the financial figures suggest. Rehman took to LinkedIn to call the move 'more than a corporate exit', describing it as a reflection of a deteriorating environment for foreign businesses. 'We must ask: What changed? What was lost? What happened to the values, leadership, and vision that once made it all possible?' he wrote. Rehman urged Pakistan's IT ministry to engage proactively with Microsoft's global leadership with a bold, KPI-driven roadmap to retain future collaboration. Also read: Punjab govt renames Jinnah heart institute after Maryam Nawaz. Backtracks after backlash A message to investors There are now debates on whose fault it is—an unstable regime, political masters, or a lack of a tech plan. In his X post, Alvi recalled a pivotal moment in February 2022, when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates visited Pakistan. According to him, Gates had facilitated a direct line between then-Prime Minister Imran Khan and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to announce a major investment, a plan that collapsed following the change in government later that year. By October 2022, Microsoft had chosen Vietnam over Pakistan for its regional expansion. 'Regime change upended those plans, and the promise of investment slipped away,' Alvi wrote. 'Pakistan now spirals in a whirlpool of uncertainty. There is increasing joblessness, our talent is migrating abroad, purchasing power has reduced, economic recovery in the 'awami' context feels like a distant & elusive dream,' he added. Khan, however, emphasised a deeper strategic pivot: Pakistan's digital future doesn't hinge solely on the presence of multinational companies. Instead, he pointed to the importance of building robust DPI—platforms for digital identity, payments, and data exchange—as seen in India, Estonia, and Singapore. 'Pakistan's digital stack is nearly complete. Once UPI, digital ID, and data exchange are integrated, we will witness a tech ecosystem boom. We could see a 400 per cent surge in e-commerce and exponential growth in digital payments. That's the real story, not whether Microsoft keeps an office here,' he said. Still, critics argue that Microsoft's exit sends a discouraging message to global investors. Sayed Z Bukhari, former advisor to Imran Khan, noted that just a few years ago, Microsoft was expanding under the PTI government. 'Today, wrong regime, wrong indicators, wrong direction prevail in Pakistan,' he wrote on X. 'This move sends a troubling signal to international investors and raises serious concerns about the country's business climate. When global tech giants exit, it reflects deep-rooted governance and policy issues-a loss that not only damages Pakistan's reputation but also weakens its digital and economic future,' read a post by PTI's Canada handle. Journalist Ihtisham ul Haq wrote a sarcastic message. ''Mulk kaafi oopar jaa raha hai (The country is progressing),'' read the post. Dentist and activist Dr Awab Alvi had something to say about the government. 'So much for the economic boom hype. With Uber & many others exiting, Pakistan's economy is crumbling despite this fascist govt's desperate attempts to convince us otherwise with hollow promises,' he wrote. A parody account of Pakistan COAS Asim Munir on X, referencing Pakistan's turbulent self-image, summed up the mood. 'First Uber, now Microsoft — the great momin nation with Arab-Turkic-Persian-Indus Valley high-IQ white genes… who just dislodged India as Amreeka's BFF.' First Uber, now Microsoft exits Pakistan — the great momin nation with Arab-Turkic-Persian-Indus valley high iq white genes, with no terrorism, winner of every war in history text book and who just dislodged India as Amreeka's BFF 🫠 — Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir's Ego (@JungjooGernail) July 3, 2025 (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
Mint
05-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Microsoft Pakistan founding head cautions: ‘More than a corporate exit' as tech giant leaves after 25 years
As Microsoft closed its Pakistan operations after 25 years, the tech giant's founding head in the country had a sombre message regarding the country's economic environment, where the company started a hope-filled mission years ago. While Microsoft announcing its Pakistan exit cited cited global restructuring and a shift to a cloud-based, partner-led model as the reason, various stakeholders termed on Friday as a 'troubling sign' for the country's economy. Microsoft Pakistan founding head Jawwad Rehman was among the first persons who confirmed the exit. 'The last few remaining employees were formally informed and just like that, an era ends,' he said in a post on LinkedIn. 'Exactly 25 years ago, in June 2000, I had the honor of launching and leading Microsoft Pakistan. What began as a bold, hope-filled mission became the most rewarding journey of my personal and professional life,' Rehman said. Terming Microsoft's Pakistan exit as more than just a corporate one, Rehman pointed out that the environment of the country has made even large companies finding it unsustainable to stay there. 'This is more than a corporate exit. It's a sobering signal of the environment our country has created.. one where even global giants like Microsoft find it unsustainable to stay. It also reflects on what was done (or not done) with the strong foundation we left behind by the subsequent team and regional management of Microsoft.' The move came as the tech giant cut roughly 9,100 jobs worldwide (or about 4 per cent of its workforce) in its largest layoff round since 2023. The former Microsoft Pakistan boss recalled his special moments at the company, reflecting on moments including — 'orchestrating Bill Gates' first call with President Musharraf and multiple meetings which followed thereafter,' and 'securing multi-million dollar Gates Foundation funding to reduce infant & maternal mortality.' 'To my original MSPK team.. thank you. You were the heart of this journey. We built more than a successful business.... we built a legacy,' he wrote. Rehman in a separate post also urged the government and IT minister to engage with the tech giants with a bold KPI (Key Performance Indicators) driven plan. Former Pakistan President Arif Alvi also called Microsoft's exit from the country a 'troubling sign for our economic future'. Recalling Bill Gates' visit to his office in 2022, when Alvi was President, he revealed that the Microsoft founder had plans to expand operations in Pakistan. 'During our discussion, I asked him directly, 'Why isn't Microsoft investing in Pakistan?' ' Alvi wrote in a post on X. 'He leaned in, sharing in confidence that he had just spoken with PM Imran Khan and arranged a call between the PM and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In a hushed tone, he asked me to keep it quiet, revealing that 'all is set and within two months, the PM and I will announce a major Microsoft investment in Pakistan,'' Alvi added. He shared that everything 'went downhill' after that after Imran Khan got arrested and a regime change happened. Alvi revealed that Microsoft shifted its focus to Vietnam for expansion in a 'decision in which they had initially favored Pakistan'. 'Pakistan now spirals in a whirlpool of uncertainty. There is increasing joblessness, our talent is migrating abroad, purchasing power has reduced, economic recovery in the 'awami' context feels like a distant & elusive dream,' Alvi said.
News18
04-07-2025
- Business
- News18
'Pakistan In A Whirlpool...': Ex-President Links Microsoft Deal Collapse To Regime Change
Last Updated: Stating that Microsoft's decision to shut down operations in Pakistan is a "troubling sign" for the nation's economic future, Arif Alvi links it to regime change in the country. Even as global tech giant Microsoft has decided to close down its operations in Pakistan after 25 years of service in the country as part of its latest mass layoffs of 9,000 employees, Pakistan's former president Arif Alvi said Pakistan is now spiralling into a whirlpool of uncertainty. He added that there is increasing joblessness, talent migration, and a reduction in purchasing power in the country. 'Pakistan now spirals in a whirlpool of uncertainty. There is increasing joblessness, our talent is migrating abroad, purchasing power has reduced, economic recovery in the 'awami' context feels like a distant & elusive dream," said Arif Alvi in a post on X. Stating that Microsoft's decision to shut down operations in Pakistan is a 'troubling sign" for the country's economic future, he linked the company's move to the regime change in the country. 'Microsoft's decision to shut down operations in Pakistan is a troubling sign for our economic future. I vividly recall February 2022, when Bill Gates visited my office. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I had the honor of conferring the Hilal-e-Imtiaz on him for his remarkable contributions to polio eradication in our country," he added. Microsoft's decision to shut down operations in Pakistan is a troubling sign for our economic future. I vividly recall February 2022, when Bill Gates visited my office. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I had the honor of conferring the Hilal-e-Imtiaz on him for his remarkable… — Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) July 3, 2025 Recalling his conversation with Gates, Alvi said they sat in the lawn outside his office, and conversation spanned fascinating topics like AI, Quantum computing, gut microbiomes, longevity, and more. 'During our discussion, I asked him directly, 'Why isn't Microsoft investing in Pakistan?" He leaned in, sharing in confidence that he had just spoken with PM Imran Khan and arranged a call between the PM and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. In a hushed tone, he asked me to keep it quiet, revealing that 'all is set and within two months, the PM and I will announce a major Microsoft investment in Pakistan," Alvi said. 'But then, everything went rapidly downhill. Regime change upended those plans, and the promise of investment slipped away. By October 2022, Microsoft chose Vietnam for its expansion, a decision in which they had initially favored Pakistan. The opportunity was lost," he added. The only path forward is through political dialogue among stakeholders. Public opinion, as many know, reflects deep disillusionment with the current arrangement & the electoral process. Yet, a vast majority still believes that dialogue is the only way to navigate this crisis, Alvi said. Jawwad Rehman, who set up and led Microsoft's Pakistan unit, informed about Microsoft's decision to close down its operations in the country in a LinkedIn post. According to a Microsoft spokesperson said, 'As a part of regular process of business evaluation and optimization, we are changing our operating model in Pakistan. Our customer agreements and service will not be affected by this change. We will serve our customers through both our strong and extensive partner organization, and other closely located Microsoft offices." We follow this model successfully in a number of other countries around the world. Our customers remain our top priority and can expect the same high level of service going forward, the spokesperson said. On Wednesday, July 2, IT giant Microsoft said it is laying off about 9,000 employees, or 4% of its workforce, in the latest round of job cuts. The latest layoffs are part of Microsoft's restructuring efforts amid AI investments. The company began sending out layoff notices Wednesday. This is the third round of layoffs this year, after about 6,000 jobs cuts (3% of its workforce) in May and over 300 sackings just a week after. In a statement, Microsoft said the cuts will affect multiple teams around the world, including its sales division and its Xbox video game business.
