#Joke - Suna hai mian biwi gari ke do pahiya...
Heartless Sons kill mother for contracting second marriage
FAISALABAD: A divorced woman was shot dead by her two sons on Thursday over contracting a second marriage with her brother-in-law in Chak No 235 GB in Sadar Jaranawala Police jurisdiction.
Police said Zubaida Bibi, 42 was married to Muhammad Liaquat Ali some 23 years ago and the couple had six children. On November 18, 2015, she got divorced from her husband and contracted a second marriage with Gulzar Ahmad, 42, a real brother of her former husband, living in the adjacent house.
This infuriated her sons. Zubaida’s eldest son Muhammad Kashif was not happy with the divorce and subsequent second marriage of his mother with his uncle.
On Wednesday night, he along with his brother Muhammad Rafaqat, 19, shot dead their mother when she was asleep at her house. Police shifted the body to Tehsil Headquarter Jaranwala for autopsy.
Investigation Officer Sub-Inspector Muhammad Afzal said Zubaida was not happy with her former husband and got divorced. She then married Gulzar Ahmad, who lost his wife to cancer few years back.
A case has been registered under Section 302 PPC on the complaints of her husband Gulzar Ahmad.
The cases of violence over matrimonial issues are rampant in Punjab. Hundreds of women were killed for the sake honour over the last two-and-a-half years.
Data analysis shows that such incidents occurred more frequently in urban centers. A mother burnt her daughter alive for marrying of her out of choice in the Factory Area, Lahore.
A few weeks back, a teenage boy shot dead his sister dead for turning down a marriage proposal. Feminists and human rights activists blame the chauvinist mindset for such incidents.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2017.
Combination of Technology and Art - Huawei launches P10 at MWC 2017
To kick off Mobile World Congress 2017, Huawei Consumer Business Group launched the new HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus. The highly-anticipated additions to the P series feature a combination of beautiful hardware and the latest advances in software technology. Additionally, the new smartphones feature striking new colors and finishes, and introduce new Leica front and back cameras with cutting-edge portrait features to make every shot a cover shot.
Commenting on the launch, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group said “As culture and technology continue to intersect in every aspect of our world, we want to deliver new products and experiences that ultimately improve and enhance life. Our impressive new HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus weave together the exceptional imaging capabilities of Leica and our stand-out design and hardware innovations to bring users a powerful device experience.”
The HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus, to be launched soon in the Pakistan, are a demonstration of Huawei’s continued commitment to setting new performance standards and inspiring creative expression.
The HUAWEI P10’s new Leica Dual-Camera 2.0 and HUAWEI P10 Plus’ Leica Dual-Camera 2.0 Pro Edition, featuring the rear dual-camera set up and Leica front-facing camera, means consumers can explore the full range of portrait photography. With a 12-megapixel RGB sensor, a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor and enhanced fusion algorithms, the HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus deliver superior technical and artistic photography features on a smartphone.
With its industry-leading craftsmanship, the HUAWEI P10 is a beautifully designed masterpiece on the inside and out. Never content with the status quo, Huawei’s design team introduced the industry’s first Hyper Diamond-Cut finishing, in addition to their refined sandblast and high gloss finishes.
The HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus are also available in a selection of unique colors as a result of the first cross-industry partnership with Pantone Color Institute, the world’s foremost authority on color. By combining Huawei’s design expertise with Pantone’s trusted color thought leadership, two new colorways were created to reflect the personalities of the contemporary consumer and shape new color trends in the mobile market. Dazzling Blue and the Pantone Color of the Year 2017, Greenery, were designed by the Pantone Color Institute and optimized by Huawei to create a beautiful, glow-effect finish.
The HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus take smartphone efficiency and customization a step further thanks to the powerful Kirin 960 processor and all-new EMUI 5.1. Kirin 960 is Huawei’s latest high-performance SoC chipset.
With 3,200 and 3750 mAh battery, the HUAWEI P10 and HUAWEI P10 Plus support HUAWEI SuperCharge technology. The low voltage, low temperature fast charging solution comes with a super safe 5-gate protection mechanism, which offers real-time voltage, current and temperature monitoring to make charging not only fast but safe. The HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus will be available soon in Pakistan.
LG #G6 Unveiled - with a Large FullVision Display Tailored to Fit in One-Hand
BARCELONA: LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled the G6 smartphone, the newest smartphone that features a bold new display format complimented by a cinematic viewing experience, exceptional screen to body ratio, wide angle camera and more. Designed in response to consumer feedback and user opinions, the G6 is a back-to-basics approach to premium smartphones, with a focus on the features consumers want, most notably a big screen that actually fits in one hand.
The Big Screen That Actually Fits in Your Hand
The LG G6 comes with a 5.7-inch QHD+ (2,880 x 1,440 resolution) FullVision display, and for the first time ever in a smartphone, an 18:9 screen aspect ratio. Compared to conventional 16:9 aspect ratio displays, the 18:9 format offers more viewing space and a more immersive experience when streaming videos and playing games. In a G6 Game Collection promotion for G6 buyers, in-game content with a retail value of up to a total of US$200 for six games - Temple Run 2, Spider-Man Unlimited, Crossy Road, SimCity BuildIt, Cookie Jam and Genies & Gems - on Google Play, are offered for free. The games take full advantage of the G6’s immersive FullVision display and single-handed ease of use.
More to See, Less to Hold
Even with the large screen featured on the G6, the smartphone is easy to hold. And unlike other phones with a similar screen size, the LG G6 fits comfortably in one hand, giving you a big screen experience without the inconvenience of a big phone. In fact, ergonomics research teams led by Dr. Andris Freivalds at Pennsylvania State University and Dr. Ji Yong-gu at Yonsei University tested the LG G6 for stability when holding the phone, comfort in various postures and actions, as well as muscle fatigue when using the smartphone for long periods. The LG G6 received the highest marks in all test categories.
Attractive and Mostly Screen
Sculpted from aluminum and glass, which comes in black, platinum and white, the LG G6 features a minimalist design that’s sleek all-round and perfectly smooth to the touch. The metal frame that wraps around the perimeter of the phone imparts solidity in style with a soft matte finish and the back is perfectly flat, with no camera bump to avoid or protect. Complimented by narrow bezels, the upper bezel was minimized by rearranging the camera, sensor and speaker in a row on the front upper side. The rounded corners of both the body and display not only unify the design but also dispersing the impact if the phone is dropped.
Transform Your Mobile Viewing Experience with Dolby Vision
The LG G6 is the first smartphone to feature Dolby Vision technology. But not only does it support Dolby Vision, the G6 also supports HDR 10, both of which are standards for High Dynamic Range (HDR), the picture quality technology which allows for a wider range of color and luminosity, wherein both the darkest and the brightest areas are more vivid, revealing greater detail for a truly immersive viewing experience.
With smartphone screen sizes getting bigger and the speed of the Internet becoming faster, LG decided to support two HDR standards for viewers to have access to as much content as possible. With HDR content from Netflix and Amazon on the rise, watch popular shows in stunning HDR quality on the LG G6. Amazon will also increasingly create 18:9 content for a cinematic viewing experience on the 18:9 QHD+ display.
Get More In, Leave Nothing Out
With the LG G6, you don’t need to ask people in the picture to reposition, cram together or find another place to stand in order to get everything in, simply choose between standard and wide angle settings. And with dual 13MP rear cameras, including a 125-degree lens on the wide angle, the LG G6 captures panoramic shots that regular phones cameras can’t. The G6 delivers an outstanding and unique camera experience by creating seamless transitions when zooming in and out between the wide-angle and standard camera lenses even during 4K video capture. The G6 also comes with an expanded 100-degree field of view with its 5MP front camera, which means users can take selfies or wefies without the need for a selfie stick. Plus, the wide angle camera reduces edge distortion, which makes for more natural images.
Square Up and Share
And to view selfies, wefies, wide angle pictures and even the ones in the new Square Camera Mode, recent LG G6 photos appear in one window in film mode which means users don’t need to move to their gallery to review them. The G6 provides a Square Camera function which divides the 18:9 ratio display into two identical squares. The LG G6 can also take perfectly square photos in 1:1 ratio, ideal for Instagram, Snapchat and other social media apps. Users can also choose other ratios, such as 4:3, 16:9 and 18:9. Users can also take pictures in 1:1 ratio in one window, while checking, editing and uploading pictures in another window immediately after shooting. What’s more, users can create GIFs by combining between 2 and 100 photos from the gallery.
Built for the Unexpected
The LG G6 can go just about anywhere without worry thanks to its IP68 water and dust resistance that makes it safe to be immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes. And you can worry less about accidental drops and other rough environments during everyday use because the LG G6 has been designed and built to be dependable even when the going gets rough.
And the LG G6 not only meets international testing standards but also endures further tests for high temperatures and nail penetration and uses a proprietary technology that dissipates heat via an internal heat pipe, the first in an LG smartphone. And to further disperse heat inside the unit, LG engineers positioned the components most prone to overheating as far from each other as possible.
A Helping Voice with the Google Assistant
The LG G6 has Google Assistant built-in. LG worked closely with Google to make sure the Google Assistant experience is great right out of the box and that’s why the LG G6 has Google Assistant built-in. It works seamlessly and intuitively with LG apps, empowering users to get fast answers, manage everyday tasks, enjoy the best music and videos and search the G6 more quickly and efficiently than ever. And with the remote after-service utilizing artificial intelligence, the more Google Assistant is used, the more personalized it becomes because it knows more about the user.
“The LG G6 offers users new visual and manual experiences, as it marries an expanded screen with the convenience of one-handed use,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “LG will continue to lead smartphone innovation with a focus on convenience and reliability in order to exceed consumer expectations.”
Key Specifications:
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 821 Processor
- Display: 5.7-inch 18:9 QHD+ FullVision Display (2880 x 1440 / 564ppi)
- Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 32GB or 64GB UFS 2.0 ROM / MicroSD (up to 2TB)
- Camera: Front 5MP Wide (F2.2 / 100°)
- Rear Dual: 13MP Wide (F2.4 / 125°) / 13MP Standard OIS 2.0 (F1.8 / 71°)
- Battery: 3,300mAh (embedded)
- Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat
- Size: 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm
- Weight: 163g
- Network: LTE-A 3 Band CA
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.2 BLE / NFC / USB Type-C 2.0 (3.1 compatible)
- Colors: Astro Black / Ice Platinum / Mystic White
- Other: Water and Dust Resistant / Fingerprint Sensor / UX 6.0 / Dolby Vision™ / HDR10 / Qualcomm Quick Charge™ 3.0 / 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC
Zong Partners with LUMS for Dedicated Internet Services and VDI Solution
Zong, Pakistan’s leading 4G network has partnered with LUMS, one of the leading Universities of Pakistan, for provision of dedicated internet services and VDI solutions. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is virtualization technology that hosts a desktop operating system on a centralized server in a data center.
In this regards a contract signing ceremony was signed between the management of Zong and LUMS. It is pertinent to mention that previously Zong has set up a mini customer services center at LUMS for facilitation of students and faculty members at the university along with setting up a 4G research lab at the University.
Zong is the leading 4G Telecom service provider with over 2.8 Million 4G subscribers and 4G coverage in over 300 cities of Pakistan. The company has recently committed to invest over $200 Million in Pakistan for network expansion in the country.
#Zong partnered with LUMS for Dedicated Internet Services and VDI Solutions
Zong, Pakistan’s leading 4G network has partnered with LUMS, one of the leading Universities of Pakistan, for the provision of dedicated internet services and VDI solutions. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is virtualization technology that hosts a desktop operating system on a centralized server in a data center.
In this regards a contract signing ceremony was signed between the management of Zong and LUMS. It is pertinent to mention that previously Zong has set up a mini customer services center at LUMS for facilitation of students and faculty members at the university along with setting up a 4G research lab at the University.
Zong is the leading 4G Telecom service provider with over 2.8 Million 4G subscribers and 4G coverage in over 300 cities of Pakistan. The company has recently committed to investing over $200 Million in Pakistan for network expansion in the country.
Intel alliances with Nokia and Ericsson for world’s first 5G connection
Intel has conglomerated with Nokia and Ericsson to establish innovative testing initiatives to develop a 5G connection in US and Finland.
Chipmaking giant Intel and both Multi-national telecommunication companies- Nokia and Ericsson, will focus on the development of 5G connection with the co-ordination of 3GPP standards in the presence of surroundings for the network, cloud, and client.
All this investment of ideas and work by partnering with communication providers is helping to install and identify suitable options to form world’s first 5G connection as a commercial reality.
Preliminary steps involve the use of augmented reality and virtual reality to ensure the first responder drone surveillance in drastic environments which include step-by-step blueprints of the network, cloud and 5G connectivity requirements, including speed, security, analytics and everything which is user-friendly. Industrial partners include Honeywell and General Electric as further alliances for the adoption of 5G in the country.
Labs located in New Jersey in the US and Espoo in Finland will start testing LTE, 4.5ag, 4.5G Pro and 4.9G technologies.
Nokia will contribute in providing, radio access, mobile transport, and cloud platforms, while Intel will provide its 5G Mobile Trial Platform and proficient expertise in areas such as mmWave and NB-IoT.
The goal will move onto other areas such as independent driving, smart cities, healthcare, media and telecommunication as other partners join for additional progress.
Chief Strategy and Technology Officer of Ericsson, Ulf Ewaldsson, said: “This collaboration brings together necessary competence from technology providers, industry partners, and academia to find sustainable solutions to digitize and transform other industries.”
Moreover, Ericsson established a partnership with AT&T and Qualcomm specifically focused on the thrusting progress towards 5G interoperability using the new 5G New Radio (NR) standard. A plethora of advancements is yet to come with this 5G innovation.
Dawood Public School (DPS) and Engro Foundation donate PKR 2.4 M for Lady Dufferin Hospital
Dawood Public School (DPS) and Engro Foundation have come together to help patients at the Lady Dufferin Hospital by donating a sum of PKR 2.4 million to the hospice. The funds were collected through the Festival of Lights – a fundraising carnival organized by DPS for the residents of Karachi.
The festival was an event full of shimmering lights and unique illuminated artifacts. The fun-filled carnival aimed to generate funds for the hospital by transforming itself into a mesmerizing display of lights. The students, teachers, parents and staff at DPS voluntarily set up food & activity stalls to join this noble cause of helping Lady Dufferin Hospital in their mission to provide healthcare to various women and children.
The Lady Dufferin Hospital is a not-for-profit organization that goes beyond socio-economic ambits to provide the finest medical care to women and children. With over 300 beds and state-of-the-art medical facilities including obstetric, gynecological and neonatal pediatric services, the hospital caters to thousands of patients unable to afford good quality medical treatment.
While commenting on the commitment demonstrated by each and every member of Dawood Public School, the Principal Ms. Mahvish Roshani said: “Today is a phenomenal day for everyone at the school because our hard work and efforts have borne fruit. The event ‘Festival of Lights’ garnered massive footfall and for that, we are thankful to the people of Karachi. The entire school came together to put up a dazzling show and generate funds for the hospital. Such events recalibrate our belief that innovation in education can lead to many new frontiers and instrumentally create agents of change for the society.”
The determination of DPS’s students, teachers, and staff was also lauded by Dr. Zaryab Sethna, Medical Superintendent atLady Dufferin Hospital. He said: “The hospital and its patients are awed by the energy and dynamism exhibited by the entire DPS family. It is wonderful to note that such educational endeavors can instigate a remarkable change in society and for this, I would like to thank the Dawood Public School for its vision.”
The funds shall be used to aid deserving mothers and children at the Lady Dufferin Hospital. According to a report by ‘Save the Children’, Pakistan has one of the highest Mother Mortality Rate of 276 per 100,000 live births and the under-five child mortality rate of around 89 deaths per 1,000 live births during the last decade or so.
The health indicators in Pakistan also present a gloomy situation especially when it comes to maternal and infant mortality rates. According to a report, “Ending Newborn Deaths,” in 2012 Pakistan had the highest rate of first-day deaths and stillbirths at 40.7 per 1,000 births, followed by Nigeria (32.7), Sierra Leone (30.8), Somalia (29.7), Guinea-Bissau (29.4) and Afghanistan (29.0).
Samsung’s new Laundry System presented at MENA Forum 2017
Samsung Electronics Middle East and North Africa MENA, today introduced its revolutionary FlexWash™ laundry system at MENA Forum in Singapore. This versatile washing machine was designed to offer two washers in one system, giving consumers more choices to do laundry the way they want, in all types of situations. Incorporating a range of core Samsung laundry technologies, FlexWash™ provides the most advanced, flexible laundry solution to meet the needs of busy modern families.
Within the machine itself, each distinct laundry compartment includes unique features to tackle the family’s laundry requirements. The FlexWash™ front-loader is equipped with up to 23kgs of capacity — the largest in its class — to handle normal or bulky loads. The FlexWash™ top-loader adds another 3.5kgs of capacity and is built to wash smaller loads separately from the main load. To power through big laundry loads, users can operate both washers at the same time with different settings.
“The way people live their lives is changing, especially when it comes to efficiency in the home. At Samsung, we ensure that our products evolve with our customer,” said Georges Barakat, Regional Head of Digital Appliances, Samsung Electronics Middle East & North Africa office. “FlexWash™ is our latest innovation that fits in all your laundry needs at once, cutting down the time you are spending on laundry. This latest innovation enables our customers with the freedom and flexibility to adjust the laundry process for the way they live, not the other way around.”
The new FlexWash™ washer also uses three core Samsung laundry technologies: EcoBubbleTM, Bubble SoakTM, and Vibration Reduction Technology (VRT). EcoBubbleTM uses air and water to dissolve detergent, creating powerful bubble action for cleaning that is 40 times more effective. Bubble SoakTM thoroughly soaks clothes in active bubbles after the normal wash cycle for an extra round of powerful cleaning, while VRT reduces noise and vibrations during high-speed spins.
Finally, FlexWash™ is IoT-enabled, backed by smart features that will allow users to control the FlexWash™ machine with their smartphones, using the Samsung Smart Home app. They will be able to start, stop, and monitor every cycle for both machines.
Based on product dimensions.
The Samsung Smart Home app supports Android OS 4.0 (ICS) or later which is optimized for Samsung smartphones (Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series). This app also supports iOS 7 or later for iPhone models. Smart Home App available in App Store and Play Store.
Telenor Pakistan and #Facebook to hold nationwide competition for School Children
Telenor Pakistan and Facebook have launched the second installment of its knowledge-based initiative Internet Champion – iChamp, which includes a nationwide competition for school children and a reality show on national TV this year.
iChamp 2017’s goal is to touch secondary schools on a mass scale across Pakistan to educate youth on the benefits and safe use of the internet. The program will be supported by Facebook’s Free Basics project that provides free access to dozens of fun and learning websites.
Covering 76 districts across all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, an estimated 600,000 students will be trained by experts through Free Basics with free handbooks and other resources.
In the program’s first phase, iChamp training and competitions covering the responsible and positive use of the internet will be held at over 1,600 schools nationwide, with three students from each school shortlisted for the district-level competition.
In the second phase, a district-level competition will be held at the district HQ’s main school with all winning students from each school participating and three being shortlisted for the provincial level competition. The third phase will feature a provincial level competition to be held at the respective provincial capital where the district-level winners will compete and only three winners will be selected from each province.
Telenor and Facebook holds competition for school children
The selected 12 students will proceed to compete in the iChamp reality show on national TV. This will be the first and the biggest show of its kind where students from across Pakistan will converge to support Telenor’s cause of digital inclusion and facilitating learning through mobile internet.
The 15-episode reality show will feature competitions based on using the internet productively and a grand finale where the ultimate iChamp will be announced. The show will also be powered by Free Basics with contenders looking for the right answers on their mobile phones and thus promoting the use of the cellular internet for education and learning.
“We are excited to be part of the Telenor iChamp which is a transformative initiative that aims to bridge the digital inclusion gap amongst the underserved youth in Pakistan,” said Ime Archibong, Director of Partnerships at Facebook.
“We have brought more than 50 million people online globally through Free Basics and through this partnership with Telenor iChamp we hope that every parent and student in Pakistan can take advantage of the internet for their learning and development.”
“It feels great to be back with the second, bigger and better installment of our Internet Champion program,” said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO, Telenor Pakistan.
“Children are the future of our country and us at Telenor Pakistan are ready to go the extra mile to support and empower our youth. With a mission of empowering our society and a relentless commitment to promoting digital inclusion in the country, we will continue our efforts in the same direction with a passion that will help nurture a responsible digital generation,” he added.
Started in 2012, iChamp has been the key source of learning about the good and safe use of the internet for schoolchildren across Pakistan. In its first run in 2012-13, the program reached 1,603 schools and trained 632,289 students nationwide with 61,380 getting the ‘highly trained’ status.
Team Telenor and Facebook
iChamp is a strong platform that is supporting Telenor Pakistan in its incessant efforts to educate children on using the internet safely while accessing it for fun and learning. As part of these efforts, Telenor Pakistan recently launched an internet safety guide book in Urdu and English languages that helps parents talk to their children about internet safety.
LG Electronics Equips Rural Health Center Manga Mandi with #Solar Energy
LG Equips Rural Health Center Manga Mandi with Solar Energy
- LG Solar Powers Rural Health Center (RHC) with 9.9 KW of Solar Panels
- Possess a 10KVa of inverter capacity and will be facilitating up to 500 patients on a daily basis
Lahore: LG Electronics and World Vision Pakistan recently equipped the Rural Health Center (RHC), Manga Mandi with LG Solar Panels with the aim of providing an uninterrupted power supply to 100% emergency services. It will also support major OPD functions keeping in view the routine load details of the hospital and the prevalent electricity load shedding woes.
The hospital was inaugurated by Mr. Kevin Cha, Regional CEO LG Electronics Middle East & Africa along with Mr. Y. G. Choi, President LG Electronics Gulf F.Z.E and Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Chief Executive Officer, District Health Authority, Lahore. Also present on the occasion were Mr. Philip Shin, Country Head, LG Electronics Pakistan and Mr. Rizwan-ul-Haq, Program Head, World Vision Pakistan and Technical Partners JKS and MOMIN Pakistan teams and Hospital Staff.
Also speaking on occasion, Mr. Kevin Cha shed light on the global presence of the company saying, “LG Electronics, the global leader and technology innovator in electronics currently operates in about 120 countries around the world, and we are proud to say that we have actively participated in CSR activities in nearly all those countries; all in our effort to give back to the local community and Pakistan is on priority list.”
“There is nothing as gratifying than helping build your own community and society where you operate,” said Mr. Y. G. Choi, “LG Electronics has also provided products such as a vaccine refrigerator, air conditioner, TV, monitor, etc. to help patients receive more convenient treatment.
Syed Farrukh Raza Alam Head of B2B and CSR Project Head - LG Electronics Pakistan explained about the project, further expressing, “The LG Solar Powered Rural Health Center (RHC) is a testament to our high-end renewable energy resources and services we aim at facilitating our people with. Addressing the hindered electricity situation is the need of the hour, especially considering the fact that hospitals too are falling prey to the lack of supply thus leading to serious consequences.”
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Chief Executive Officer, District Health Authority said, “I am pleased to see that companies are now shifting towards an alternate energy resource in order to tackle the supply and demand gap as far as electricity is concerned. It is immensely satisfying to know that up to 500 patients will be eased on a daily basis due to the support provided to the OPD functions among others. I hope to see more companies and people adapting to such an alternate source which without any doubt is environment friendly as well.”
A 10 KVA hybrid solar power solution has been installed at the hospital premises that will not only improve the efficiency and delivery of health services of RHC but will also cut down the consumption of WAPDA supplied electricity as a result of the dependency on solar panels during the day time. Similarly, the solar solution also has the capacity of providing a backup of up to 2 hours of electricity in case of a power failure at night. It will help combat challenging emergency situations during summer when the temperature soars to excruciating levels.
The hospital is based in District Lahore and faces peak temperature in summer that ranges up to 45 Degree Celsius plus. It had become highly challenging to serve local communities with critical medical care due to the shortage of electricity. Addressing this dire need, LG Korea and World Vision Pakistan have now transformed it with the hybrid solar power solution that addresses this concern.
Do Not Backbite One Another - must read this
Do Not Backbite One Another
(Friday Speech was delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, N. C., on August 28, 1987)
Allah (S.W.T.) talking to the believers said in surat Al-Hujurat, (Verse 12), what can be translated as,
"Do not backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful."
This verse clearly forbids backbiting. Thus it is one of the forbidden things that scholars agreed upon, and with this magnificent style of deterrence, Allah (S.W.T.) raises this question, "Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?" Then the verse answers, "You would hate it." All sane human instincts hate eating a dead human flesh and as you all hate this, you might as well also hate falling into backbiting.
But what is backbiting and what are the limits?
The prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), himself answered this question to his companions, reported by Imam Muslim,
"Do you know what is backbiting?" The companions answered, Allah and his prophet know better. The prophet replied, "Mentioning your Muslim brother with what he doesn’t like."
Then it was said, "Even though it is true?" Then the prophet (S.A.W.) answered, "If it is true then it is backbiting, if not then it is slander." Thus the prophet (S.A.W.) has clarified the meaning of backbiting and did not leave room for people’s interpretation.
He (S.A.W.) gave attention to fighting this immorality among Muslims, thus we see lots of ahadeeth about backbiting, its danger and sins. Some of this is reported by Imam Abu-Daoud, and others in a good hadith that the prophet (S.A.W.) delivered a speech saying, " O Those who believe in the tongue and not in the heart, don’t backbite the Muslims, don’t follow their private mistakes, who ever follows Muslim private mistakes, Allah will follow his private mistakes, and whoever Allah follows his private mistakes, Allah will disgrace him even in his house." In the prophet’s speech, he made backbiting a character of hypocrites and warned that following the Muslim’s private mistakes, their mistakes and misdeeds will result in Allah’s following his private mistakes and disgrace him even if he hides in the middle of his house.
Imams Abu-Daoud and An-Nisai’ reported in a good hadith that after stoning Ma’iz, because of Adultery, one of the companions told another "He, meaning Ma’iz, is sitting same as the dog". Then later He, the prophet (S.A.W.), passed by a stinking dead animal along with those two companions. He (S.A.W.) commanded them, "Bite it," Then they said, "O’ prophet should we bite a dead animal?" Then He answered, "What you have mentioned about your brother is worse than this."
In another authentic hadith reported by Imams Ahmed, Abu-Daoud, and At-Tirmithi that Aisha, the wife of the prophet, mentioned a woman to him and said that she is short. Then the prophet (S.A.W.) said to her, "You have backbitten her."
Also in another hadith reported by Imam Abu-Daoud, that the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "When I was ascended up (miraj), I passed by some people with copper nails, scratching their faces and chests. Then I asked Gabriela, who are these people? He then answered, "Those are the ones who eat peoples’ flesh (Backbite people) and accusing people by talking bad about them."
In another authentic hadith reported by Imams Bukhari and Muslim, that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said in his speech in the day of sacrifice, in Mina, during his pilgrimage journey, "O’ people, your blood, fortune and honor are sacred amongst you, as sacred as your day today in this month, in this place, here I thus informed".
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, whoever looks at the reality of the Muslims today, see a wide spread of backbiting among them. Unfortunately, many that avoid the forbidden things and practice the compliance fall into backbiting. This is because of ignorance, negligence, or diseases of the heart. Backbiting is the fruit and result of such causes. The most important causes of backbiting are hatred, envy, anger, exploitation, scoffing and sharing bad company in their talk.
Wiping out the sin of backbiting and its cure is pointed out in the end of the same verse we have mentioned in the beginning, what can be translated as, "And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful." Thus (taqwa) piety, fearing Allah, is enough to prevent from sins, backbiting is one of them. (taqwa) Piety pushes the believers to hurry for repentance to Allah and asking for His forgiveness. The conditions of a sincere repentance in this case (backbiting) are: To stop backbiting, regret it and intend not to do it again, this will clear a person from Allah’s right. For complete repentance, the Muslim must ask his brother for forgiveness. He must also increase supplication for him in his absence and to mention good things about him where he has backbitten him before. Imam Mujahid, one of the famous of tabe’en said "That wiping out the backbiting of your brother is to mention good things about him and to supplicate good things for him."
Coca-Cola to close South Australia factory with loss of nearly 200 jobs
The shutdown is the latest employment blow for the state, following on from the closure of the Holden car factory
Coca-Cola Amatil has announced the closure of its South Australia factory in the latest employment blow to hit the state.
Around 180 workers will lose their jobs when the bottling operation in the inner-city Adelaide suburb of Thebarton closes in 2019.
South Australia has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country – 6.4% – and will this year see the closure of the Holden car factory in Elizabeth with the loss of around 1,000 jobs.
oca Cola boss Alison Watkins said it had reviewed its supply chain to maintain “competitiveness in the market” and decided it was not viable to update the Thebarton factory.
But the defence minister, Christopher Pyne, said on Wednesday the company was leaving his home state because of high business costs and concerns about the reliability of the power supply.
“We can’t keep going on as a high-tax, highly expensive place to do business with the highest electricity prices in the country and the most unreliable electricity supply in the country and this is where the rubber starts to hit the road for businesses,” Pyne told FiveAA radio.
The Labor premier, Jay Weatherill, has been fiercely criticised by the Coalition for closing down the state’s last coal-fired power station.
But he tweeted that the government would “stand by Coke workers at this difficult time”.
Union United Voice said plant employees, as well as the union itself, were blindsided by the news. “Our members were gobsmacked,” the communications officer, Carolyn Smart, told reporters in Adelaide.
“Yesterday they were told that today’s shifts were cancelled and to come in for a meeting about the future of their work. They spent a restless and anxious night worrying about what the morning would bring.”
Smart said the union would work with members to secure their entitlements and to help them find new jobs. But she said it was a “daunting prospect”, particularly for older staff who had been in the manufacturing industry a long time.
“It’s very difficult in this environment in SA, with the declining manufacturing sector,” she said. “Many of these workers have worked here for over 30 years in the same job, doing the same role. They’re very skilled but it’s going to be difficult to find work for them.”
Watkins said the company found that further development of Thebarton “was constrained by its CBD location, site layout, dated infrastructure and expensive logistics”.
“This isn’t a decision we have taken lightly, but we know it will be important for ensuring our position in the market into the future.”
The company would instead spend $90m on improving its facilities at Richlands in Queensland and shift some naufacturing to sites at Kewdale in Western Australia, Moorabbin in Victoria and Northmead in NSW.
The company on Wednesday booked a 37.4% drop in annual net profit to $246.1m, hurt by a $171.8m after tax writedown on its SPC fruit canning business. Annual total revenue rose 1.3% to $5.25bn.
Coca-Cola also announced the departure of its long-standing chairman, David Gonski, in May. He will be succeeded by non-executive director Ilana Atlas.
The company announced a 75% franked dividend of 25 cents.
Read more on source
Samsung presents #Honda ‘Civic’ to winner of prize offer - prize-campaign
Lahore: The global leader in technology – Samsung held a vibrant prize-distribution ceremony at Metro cash and carry, Thokar niaz baig on 22nd February, where the winner of a prize-campaign was presented with a brand new Honda ‘Civic’ car 2017 model. This high-valued prize-scheme promised to reward and actively engaged the Samsung fans. This prize-campaign received an enormous response from the market.
This ceremony was the first in a series of events that will be held to present fabulous gifts and prizes, won through lucky-draw. These ceremonies will host senior management executives of the company, along with dignitaries and numerous teams of leading media channels. The buyers of Samsung products will win many fabulous prizes including a luxury car, Smart Televisions, innovative devices and much more.
As Samsung’s innovative products are created to enrich the lifestyle of consumers, Samsung has now offered this classy Honda Civic sedan as a gift to its customers. This grand prize will add great luxury and delightful experiences to the life of the lucky winner, while the Samsung consumer continues to enjoy the reliability of its vast range of products. This high-valued prize campaign was launched all over Pakistan to add excitement and create more value for the customers.
The Head of Samsung Mobile EC Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. – Mr. Omer Ghuman said; I congratulate the winner of this Honda Civic prize and hope that more and more of our consumers will enjoy the pleasant, convenient and comfortable experiences, promised by Samsung’s products, along with these fabulous prizes. Samsung has once again created this delightful prize-offer, as we believe that our consumers deserve to get the highest value-for-money, along with revolutionary products and technologies, that make their life more productive, comfortable, entertaining and informed.
Being a socially embedded enterprise, having a customer-centric approach – Samsung consistently studies the changing needs, preferences and aspirations of the consumers with diverse lifestyles and traditions. This helps Samsung in creating products, services and offerings that promise to enhance living standards and ensure consumer’s happiness.
#JazzCash Partners with #WorldRemit for Instant Mobile Remittances
JazzCash, Pakistan’s fastest growing Mobile Financial Service and Digital money transfer service WorldRemit have announced a partnership for instant mobile remittances to Pakistan for over 9 million Pakistani expatriates currently living abroad.
Bryce Currie, Global Business Development Director at WorldRemit, commenting on this partnership, said,
“WorldRemit launched its money transfer service to Pakistan in 2015 and last year alone experienced tremendous growth, tripling its transaction volume in under 12 months.
By partnering with JazzCash, we are enabling instant international transfers from mobile to mobile with unprecedented speed, convenience and safety – now WorldRemit customers can send money with just a few taps on their smartphone to be received instantly into their beneficiary’s Mobile Money account.”
Aniqa Afzal Sandhu, Chief Digital & Financial Services Officer – Jazz, added,
“Remittances play an important role in Pakistan’s economy – according the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), expatriate Pakistanis remitted almost $20 billion in 2015 -16.
By onboarding WorldRemit, we shall be adding a significant degree of convenience and reliability to families who rely on financial support from abroad to run their households.”
The decision to partner with JazzCash follows WorldRemit’s data identifying Pakistanis’ rapidly switching from the old expensive method of transferring cash at an agent location to using safer and faster digital money transfer methods.
Uber Joins Hands with SEED OUT through #UberAuto
Uber has joined hands with SEED OUT to participate in creating extra income opportunities in Pakistan by enabling the Uber app for 50 Seed Out rickshaws given to breadwinners of low income families.
The agreement was signed by GM Uber Pakistan, Safee Shah at an event in Lahore with Seed Out representatives present.
Seed Out is the first micro finance online crowdfunding platform and presents opportunities to donors across the globe for connecting to them to deserving candidates. The model of Seed Out addresses child education and health in addition to other social sectors.
“At Uber we are convinced that innovation and technology enables everyone to get around and makes cities better places to live, with a safe, affordable and reliable ride, at the push of a button with uberGO and uberAuto. We are proud of the great impact we have for riders, drivers and cities in Pakistan, taking very seriously our responsibility to contribute to the country and its citizens. With a collaboration like that of Seed Out we aim to do more in order to contribute to the hardworking and deserving people of Pakistan”.
said Safee Shah, GM Uber in Pakistan.
Uber helps millions of people every day to move around their city, offering access to affordable, reliable and most importantly safe rides in over 500 cities worldwide at the simple push of a button.
NA body decides to reconsider its own approved State Life Insurance Corporation bill
via Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce Ministry on Monday decided to reconsider its own approved “State Life Insurance Corporation (Re-organisation and Conversion Bill, 2016)” clause by clause, making it in line with the Bill passed by the Senate of Pakistan with amendments.
Presided over by Siraj Muhammad Khan (a dissident of PTI?), the committee took this decision after members of PPP (P) hailing from Sindh especially Shazia Marri and Dr. Mahreen Razaque Bhutto raised a number of questions on the Bill. Dr Fouzia Hameed also supported Shazia Marri. Chairman State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC), Shoaib Mir, gave a briefing on the proposed amendments referred to the National Assembly Standing Committee.
Shazia Marri argued that the word “reconsideration” in the Bill means that the government intends to privatise the organisation which contributes more than 97 per cent of its profits to the shareholders.
Shoaib Mir informed the committee that the word reconsideration in the Bill has been deleted on the recommendations of the Senate. He argued that the entire purpose of the Bill was to bring the organisation in line with international standards through corporatization and there was no intention of privatizing the entity.
SLIC is the only public sector organisation which is profitable and the only purpose is to enlist 25 per cent share of company through Initial Public offering (IPO).
Shoaib Mir informed the committee, that initially the SLIC Bill contained the word privatisation which was removed by the Senate.
The Senate also added a new clause “shareholding and management control in the company”. The clause describes: (i) representation on the Board of Directors shall be according to their shareholding; (ii) federal government shall have the management and control of the company with their share equal to not less than 75 per cent in all circumstances; (iii) the remaining 25 per cent share shall be enlisted at the Stock Exchange; and (iv) no company or person shall have more than 5 per cent share. He also gave a briefing on continuation of service of employees and guarantee of policies by federal government and utilization of surplus etc.
Chairman Standing Committee maintained that for a public limited company there is no justification for a government guarantee of shareholder investment protection. Secretary Commerce, Azmat Ali Ranha who witnessed the entire proceedings of the committee, proposed that a full session of 4 or 5 hours should be convened to discuss the SLIC Bill clause by clause. The committee members also agreed on the proposal and decided to convene the next meeting of the committee during the first week of March 2017 to exclusively discuss the SLIC Bill.
The Committee was briefed on the working and functioning of the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO) and directed that the Members from all Provincial Governments may be appointed in the IPO Policy Board as per IPO-Pakistan, Act, 2012. All the Provincial governments may be coordinated while making legislations on the subjects/matters relating to provinces.
The representatives of the IPO faced tough questions about the role of the organisation when it has no power to intervene in the field and is unaware of the fate of the case being processed by the dealing organisations.
The committee was informed that 187 cases of copyrights have been registered by the enforcing agencies like FIA, Police, Customs, PEMRA and judiciary. Shazia Marri argued that there was no need to discuss law for protection of geographical indications as the subject culture is devolved to the provinces, adding discussing this issue was a waste of resources.
An official statement states that the Committee considered “The State Life Insurance Corporation (Re-organization and conversion Bill, 2016” as passed by the Senate with amendments referred to the Committee by the House on the 2nd February, 2017 and deferred for the next meeting.
Chaudhry Asad-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Pervaiz Malik, Waseem Akhtar Shaikh, Mian Muhammad Rasheed, Ms Tahira Aurangzeb, Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharral, Dr Mahreen Razaque Bhutto, Nazir Ahmed Bughio, Shazia Marri, Ms Mussarat Ahmad Zeb, Ms Sajida Begum, Sanjay Perwani, Alhaj Shah Jee Gul Afridi and Dr Fouzia Hameed, MNAs attended the meeting. The meeting was also attended by the senior officers of the Ministry of Commerce and its allied Organizations.
Source: BR
Source: BR
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