Following the completion of the second year of Spotify in Pakistan, the music streaming platform has released interesting data regarding which local and international artists are most popular among people across the country.
Indian crooner Arjit Singh is the most streamed international singer in three provinces — Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) — a statement from the platform said, while the singer that can be hailed as the unanimous king among local artists is Atif Aslam, who is the most streamed local artist throughout all four provinces.
Sindh
With Aslam being the most streamed local artist, Young Stunners, Hassan Raheem, Asim Azhar, and Abdul Hannan completed the top five local artist list. In terms of tracks, Pasoori remained the most streamed track in Karachi and Hyderabad, while it was the fifth most streamed song in Sukkur.
According to data revealed by Spotify, once again, music transcended land borders with King’s Tu Aake Dekh Le being the second most streamed song in Karachi and Hyderabad.
While Iraaday and Bikhra, two stunning chart toppers from Hannan and Rovalio followed by AP Dhillon’s Excuses completed the top 5 list for Karachi, Hyderabad had Bikhra, followed by Excuses and Kaifi Khalil’s Kahani Suno 2.0 in the top 5 tracks.
Punjab
The love for Pasoori continues to be unflinching across Pakistan. It comes as no surprise then that the track is among the top five most streamed songs in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot. Other tracks that completed the leading five list in most cities of Punjab included Excuses and Insane by Dhillon, 295 by Sidhu Moosewala, and Bikhra.
In local top tracks charts, Khalil’s Kahani Suno 2.0 has been a notable addition receiving love across the province. Ranked among the top five most streamed songs in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan and Sialkot. Other tracks that have garnered immense admiration from audiences across the province include Bikhra, Iraaday, Ghalat Fehmi by Azhar, and Gumaan by Young Stunners.
As for the most streamed local artists, Aslam at the top was followed by Young Stunners, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (NFAK), Raheem and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (RFAK).
Balochistan and KP
In both eastern provinces, songs from Pakistan’s western provinces were streamed the most. While Aslam reigned supreme as the most streamed local artist in Balochistan and KP, Hannan made his way to the second berth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Young Stunners, NFAK, and Azhar completing the lineup.
As for Balochistan, the list saw Azhar make an appearance at the third spot after Aslam and Young Stunners. RFAK and Hannan were the fourth and fifth most streamed local artists in the province.
Regarding top tracks, the local sensation, Eva B has made a mark for herself with Kana Yaari in Quetta, Balochistan.
Other most streamed songs in both provinces remain the same as what audiences from Punjab are listening to.
Love for K-pop
A surprising insight that Spotify’s recent data revelations showcased was an uptick in the number of people streaming K-pop. BTS in particular, are amongst the top 5 most streamed artists in Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as Balochistan. Cities including Islamabad, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta all showcased immense love for the teen band. In Sukkur, three out of the top five most streamed songs are k-pop.
This trend underlines the diversity in the music of listeners across the country. At the same time, it demonstrates how audiences are changing perspectives especially when it comes to music consumption in Pakistan. Tracks like Yet to Come, Dreamers, the official FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 soundtrack and Dynamite are among the leading k-pop tracks in the country.
For 18 graduates of the Reko Diq Mining Project, the National University of Technology, Islamabad, has started a training program. These graduates will complete an 18-month on-the-job training program at Barrick’s International Mining Sites after completing a two-month course at NUTECH.
The graduates will acquire proficiency in mining and associated technical domains during the training program. The chosen graduates will also get specific instruction on environmental protection, safety, exploration, and geology.
Along with the development of communication skills, the curriculum will also emphasise the most recent advancements in the mining industry. Barrick’s International Graduate Development Program for 2024 includes the Balochistani graduates.
Additionally, nine Baloch graduates were selected in 2023 and transported to Barrick’s facility in Argentina for on-the-job training.
WhatsApp is implementing a new upgrade to refine the Updates tab interface, hence boosting accessibility for status and channel updates.
WABetaInfo reports that the upgrade introduces expedited shortcuts that streamline the updating of statuses and channels. Users can now select and upload photos and videos directly from the interface, reducing the steps involved in choosing media from the gallery.
The Meta-owned messaging application has also revamped the button for generating text-based status updates and introduced a feature for recording and sharing voice status updates. This offers customers a more expedient method to disseminate text and speech updates without depending on the floating action button.
The revisions correspond with recent modifications to other tabs, ensuring a modernised interface that improves navigation and update creation. WhatsApp is modifying the floating action button to facilitate content sharing within channels.
When selecting the floating action button, users will see several options, including creating status updates, starting new channels, or sharing photos, videos, voice, and text in existing channels. This revamp integrates all content-generating options into a singular section.
The new shortcuts are anticipated to be accessible to a broader user base in the forthcoming weeks. Beta testers can currently access them in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.24.26.13, available on the Google Play Store.
Through Chinese expertise, the arrangement, which was made possible by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), intends to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output.
The Punjab government and China’s “AI Force Tech” company have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce advanced agricultural machinery during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China.
Through the use of advanced robotic technology, the MoU seeks to transform Pakistan’s agricultural industry, guarantee economic growth, and boost farmers’ wealth with China’s assistance.
Through the partnership, Pakistan would also have the chance to absorb knowledge about China’s sophisticated farming methods.
In the meantime, plans have been revealed by the Federal Minister of Planning to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China to study contemporary farming methods.
A Chinese business and the Punjab government previously inked an agreement to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies to Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hygea Medical Technologies while she was in China in order to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment equipment and techniques to Punjab.
This equipment will make it feasible to treat cancer without the need for chemotherapy or surgery.
Following a meeting with Hygea Medical Technologies President Dr. Luo Fuliang, Maryam Nawaz said the organization has promised expert assistance for the establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.
She went on to say that the hospital will work with China to treat cancer patients utilizing the newest equipment and techniques following the agreement.
Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation are present. From December 8 to December 15, the chief minister will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.
CM Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend a number of conferences, events, and meetings with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations and looking into potential joint ventures in the areas of infrastructure development, technology, agriculture, and governance.