World

The Best Destinations for a Road Trip during COVID-19

Published

4 years ago

February 28, 2021

The road trip is a great way to see so many places, but this has never been more relevant than during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. With planes and trains becoming increasingly dangerous as the virus spreads, hopping in the car is a perfect alternative for a getaway. When you use your own transportation, the options multiply. Plus if you’re comfortable getting on a plane, there are plenty of places you can hit the open road to relax and take on some adventure while enjoying lower numbers of the virus. Here are some of the best destinations for a road trip.

Iceland

Not only is the tiny island country of Iceland a short flight from Europe or the East Coast of the United States, it is one of the best countries for a road trip. It only takes eight days to drive around the entire country, and spreading the itinerary out can make for a leisurely and immersive trip through one of the most beautiful places in the world. With glorious green hills, ocean views, waterfalls, and more, Iceland has it all for those who love the outdoors. Camp or stay in small inns along the way. While you will have to do the mandatory 14-day quarantine, when you are able to hit the road you will enjoy a small population and low COVID-19 numbers.

American Southwest

With the highest numbers of the COVID-19 virus in the world, few international travelers will want to come to the United States. But if you already live in the US and want to take a road trip, the Southwest is a great option. You’ll want to avoid California but with Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Texas, you can have wide open space and room to drive to great sites and parks. You have the option to camp or stay in hotels where they’re open. If you don’t have a car, now might be the right time to invest in one with a used auto loan. Then you will be able to enjoy the gorgeous vistas of the Southwest in your new car.

Canada

Canada has a fraction of the US population and a ton of land to work with, which makes it a great option for road tripping. It depends on where you want to go, but there is no shortage of options. You can even take a trip from Montreal to Vancouver and see the whole bottom belt of the country in style. Canada has so much to offer in the way of natural beauty and sites, you won’t have a hard time avoiding people. The travel restrictions are tight, but if you can make it in the country and do the obligatory quarantine, you will have less to worry about.

Australia/New Zealand

Both Australia and New Zealand have strict COVID-19 regulations, which make it a safe place for a getaway. After the 14-day quarantine, you will enjoy low numbers of the virus and wide open spaces. There is a lot of room in these countries to spread out. However, to get into Australia you will need to spend at least two weeks in New Zealand if you’re not a citizen, resident, or immediate family member. Still this provides a variety of avenues to visit Australia and stay safe by driving around the country instead of using public transport. When you follow the rules and be safe, you will have a great opportunity to enjoy these two countries and all the natural beauty they have to offer.

While you may think it isn’t appropriate to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, life will have to continue at some point. There is no avoiding a return to relative normalcy. If we don’t, the world economy could be in danger of collapsing. Make your travel plans ahead of time and do your best to be safe. If we don’t live our lives and enjoy it while we’re here, what are we doing? It is completely possible to be safe and moral but enjoy yourself. If you feel comfortable traveling, these road trip options provide the ability to stay away from people and enjoy the natural world. It will do all of us a lot of good.

World

TRG Chairman Khaishgi and CEO Aslam implicated in $150 million fraud

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2025

Jenny Jackson

In a scathing 52-page decision, the Sindh High Court has found that TRG Pakistan’s management was acting fraudulently and that Bermuda-based Greentree Holdings historic and prospective purchase of TRG shares were illegal, fraudulent and oppressive.

The Sindh High Court has further directed TRGP to immediately hold board elections that have been overdue and illegally withheld by the existing board since January 14, 2025.

In the landmark ruling, the Sindh High Court has blocked the attempted takeover of TRG Pakistan Limited by Greentree Holdings, declaring that the shares acquired by Greentree, nearly 30% of TRG’s stock, were unlawfully financed using TRG’s funds in violation of Section 86(2) of the Companies Act 2017.

“Having concluded that the affairs of TRGP are being conducted in an unlawful and fraudulent manner and in a manner oppressive to members such as the Petitioner (Zia Chishti), the case falls for corrective orders under sub-section (2) of section 286 of the Companies Act,” Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry concluded.

The case was brought by TRGP former CEO and founder Pakistani-American technology entrepreneur Zia Chishti against TRG Pakistan, its associate TRG International and TRG International’s wholly-owned shell company Greentree Limited. In addition, the case named AKD Securities for managing Greentree’s illegal tender offer as well as various regulators requiring that they act to perform their regulatory duties.

The case centred around the dispute that shell company Greentree Limited was fraudulently using TRG Pakistan’s own funds to purchase TRG Pakistan’s shares in order to give control to Zia Chishti’s former partners Mohammed Khaishgi, Hasnain Aslam and Pinebridge Investments.

According to the case facts, the Chairman of TRG Pakistan Mohammed Khaishgi and the CEO of TRG Pakistan Hasnain Aslam masterminded the $150 million fraud. They did so together with Hong Kong based fund manager Pinebridge who has two nominees on TRG Pakistan’s board, Mr. John Leone and Mr. Patrick McGinnis.

According to the court papers, Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis set up a shell company called Greentree which they secretly controlled and from which they started buying up shares of TRG Pakistan. The fraud was that Greentree was using TRG Pakistan’s funds itself. The idea was to give Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis control over TRG Pakistan even though they owned less than 1% of the company, lawyers of the petitioner told the court.

This was all part of a broader battle for control over TRG Pakistan that is raging between Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis on one side and TRG Pakistan founder Zia Chishti on the other side. Zia Chishti has been trying to retake control of TRG Pakistan after he was forced to resign in 2021 based on sexual misconduct allegations made by a former employee of his. This year those allegations were shown to be without basis in litigation that Chishti launched in the United Kingdom against The Telegraph newspaper which had printed the allegations. The Telegraph was forced to apologize for 13 separate articles it published about Chishti and paid him damages and legal costs.

After Chishti resigned in 2021, Khaishgi, Aslam, Leone, and McGinnis moved to take total control over TRG Pakistan and its various subsidiaries including TRG International and to block out Chishti. The Sindh High Court’s ruling today has reversed that effort, ruling the scheme fraudulent, illegal, and oppressive.

It now appears that Zia Chishti will take control of TRG Pakistan in short order when elections are called. He and his family are now the largest shareholders with over 30% interest. He is closely followed by companies related to Jahangir Siddiqui & Company which have over a 20% interest. The result appears to be a complete vindication for Zia Chishti and damning for his rivals Aslam, Khaishgi, Leone, and McGinnis who have been ruled to have been conducting a fraud.

TRG Pakistan’s share price declined by over 8% on the news on heavy volume. Market experts say that this was because the tender offer at Rs 75 was gone and that now shares would trade closer to their natural value. Presently the shares are trading at Rs 59 per share.

According to the court ruling, since 2021, shell company Greentree had purchased approximately 30% of TRG shares using $80 million of TRG’s own money, which means that that the directors of TRG Pakistan allowed company assets to be funneled through offshore affiliates TRG International and Greentree for acquiring TRG’s shares – a move deemed both fraudulent and oppressive to minority shareholders. The Sindh High Court also found illegal Greentree’s further attempt to purchase another 35% of TRG shares using another $70 million of TRG’s money in a tender offer.

The ruling is a major victory for the tech entrepreneur Zia Chishti against his former partners and the legal ruling paves the way for him to take control of TRG in a few weeks.