The National Incubation Center Hosts Huawei Cloud Connect 2021 Launch

Islamabad;- The National Incubation Center Islamabad proudly hosts Huawei Cloud Connect launch 2021. The purpose of this event was to address the need of Cloudification for the 4th industrial revolution.

An esteemed panel of profound industry experts joined the event to discuss the challenges and opportunities for start ups with cloudification. The panelists included Shaukat Ali – Managing Partner PSEB, Hank Shao – Managing Director, Huawei Cloud Business, Aiman Khan – CEO, SLOSH AI Solutions, Abdul Rahim Ahmed – Chief Information Officer, Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA). The participants and Panelists were welcomed by Parvez Abbasi, Project Director, NIC.

“NIC ‘s vision is to help young people in startups and business development which is not possible without private intervention. NIC welcomes Huawei and hopes to build a relation with startups in terms of IT and communication” — Parvez Abbasi-Project Director The panel discussed the potential and opportunities that cloud services have to offer. As a startup, investing in hardware is not an option in most cases. Cloud is a natural choice, to facilitate startups. Huawei is introducing cloud connect as a CSR, to invest back in the society and for uplifting the society technology wise.

Mr. Hank Shao elaborates that cloud connect is an innovation that helps startups to focus on their business. During this booming era of software industry and entrepreneur, the business needs to reach customers as soon as possible. Cloud connect provides a new pool of customers and services without any boundaries to its users.

SLOSH being a health-Tech startup in Pakistan, brought attention to the challenges faced by IT or digital innovators in Pakistan as there is no direct representation to resolve issues in real time. As well as trainings for the cloudification of startups. To which Huawei Cloud Connect can now act as a provider.

“These facilities, incubation centers all over Pakistan are playing a tremendous role in building a knowledge based economy. Such initiatives are the only way to create jobs and move forward with the legacy thinking we have in mind”– Shahzad Rasheed, CEO, Huawei cloud Pakistan Mr. Shaukat Ali -CTO-PSEB, explained how Pakistan has recently signed six cloud services to create a platform where any IT company can get services in affordable prices. He also discussed lack of awareness on potential of cloud services and arrangement of subsidized training courses for a comprehensive eco systems.

Mr. Farhan Ali, Director Huawei cloud Eco-System & Solutions, shed a light on the global footprint and offering by Huawei spark program for startups. Huawei cloud Spark Program is a global support program. Huawei cloud works with partners, venture capital, and governments to enable startups to help and accelerate their business development. Huawei cloud deals with more than 220 plus services sufficient to a variety of verticals, which gives its users a whole new market to innovate and come up with solutions.

“NIC Islamabad took this initiative to launch Huawei cloud connect, IGNITE is focused on promoting innovation and entrepreneurs in Pakistan. 2021 has been remarkable for Pakistani startups, 376-million-dollar worth of investment came to Pakistan.”—Asim Shehryar-CEO-IGNITE

The event was concluded with distribution of shields as a symbol to strengthen the NIC startup bond with Huawei. NIC is optimistic on its plans for a flourishing ecosystem for entrepreneurs / Startups and Huawei cloud connect will only take this to new heights.

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MMBL’s Ambition for Driving Digital and Financial Inclusion highlighted at DevFest 2021

Islamabad – 31st December 2021: Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited's (MMBL's) efforts for accelerating socio-economic growth by promoting digital and financial inclusion in the country were highlighted at the 6th Annual DevFest 2021, organized by Google Developers Groups Islamabad at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad. 

 

As a lead collaborating partner at DevFest 2021, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) launched the MMBL Dost Hackathon, which was formally announced by Khurram Javaid, Head Digital Sales, Marketing and Partnerships along with Mohammad Ali Ibrahim, Head Marketing and Communications at MMBL. The 45-day Hackathon set down the foundation for making scalable problem-solving innovations in collaboration with GDG. MMBL's digital channels provide convenient and inclusive banking products and services that are crucial to bringing more people into the financial landscape. 

 

MMBL's Chief Finance and Digital Officer, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr was one of the keynote speakers at the event along with the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz, Corporate Outreach Lead – Google Developer Groups Islamabad, Ali Naqi Rizvi, and Senior Director Commercials Global Centre at S&P Global, Shafqaat Shah. While addressing the tech entrepreneurs and graduating students present at the event, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr stressed the importance of financial inclusion and the growing digital landscape in Pakistan. He stated, "Uplifting & upskilling the youth of Pakistan remains at the core of MMBL's business ethos and paves the way for successful idea generation and creativity through a digitally-empowered and resilient workforce."

 

MMBL's team also showcased digital on-boarding of customers and digital lending through the DOST platform and contributed towards various sessions in the two-day event focusing on Technology, Financial Inclusion, Digital Banking, Startup Ecosystem, and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). MMBL’s Manager Transformation & Partnerships, Sundas Kazmi participated during the panel discussion in D&I. While discussing MMBL’s role in broadening horizons and providing financial support for women, she shed light on how MMBL strives to engender equality in the banking sector by designing female-centric products and services to address their financing needs and enabling them to overcome barriers restricting their access to finance. The bank's flagship initiative, Women Inspirational Network (WIN) is specifically targeted towards the uplift of women all across Pakistan. 

 

The MMBL stall showcasing a range of the bank’s cutting edge digital financial products and services received massive footfall, including one special visit by Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz. The bank’s efforts for promoting financial inclusion in the country were appreciated by the visitors. The two-day festival was concluded with the prize distribution to the winners of the Women’s Online Safety Hackathon, which was a major component of the event, along with various workshops & codelabs, energizer & mentoring sessions, and fireside chats.

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realme is the Fastest Growing 5G Android Smartphone Brand with a Growth Rate of 831%

realme resolves to ring in the New Year with more technologically advanced products

realme, the world’s fifth largest Android smartphone maker, has continued its strong growth momentum in 5G smartphones. According to the latest data released by market analyst firm Counterpoint Research, realme was the fastest growing 5G Android smartphone brand globally in Q3 with robust growth in Pakistan, India, China and Europe. realme was able to out-grow the market with its 5G smartphone sales growing 831% YoY comparing to the global growth rate of 121%. 

“Our goal is to help at least 100 million young people worldwide to enjoy the benefits brought by 5G technology with 5G-powered smartphones at the core,” said Sky Li, realme’s Founder and CEO, “We will continue to bring more appealing 5G products to the market with leap-forward performance and trendsetting designs. Our first premium flagship GT 2 Pro, which features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G processor and world’s first bio-based eco-friendly polymer smartphone design with award-winning designer Naoto Fukasawa, is going to make its world debut soon.”

Dubbed as “Global 5G Democratizer”, realme has been dedicated to democratizing 5G smartphones to the masses with its strong R&D investment, diverse product line up as well as deep insights of the users. The three-year-old upstart has been ranked the third 5G smartphone brand in emerging markets with its 5G share going up to 15.5 percent in Q2, 2021, as shown on Counterpoint Research findings in September.

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Infinix Integrates Extended RAM Feature into All-New NOTE 11 Series

RAM has never been more important than it is today with the ever increasingly demanding applications emerging in today’s app market. Infinix’s latest smartphone release, the NOTE 11 Pro integrates Extended RAM, which allows the phone’s RAM to be boosted by up to 5GB in a single click – from 8GB to 13BG, allowing uses to choose different levels of RAM increases. This is a game-changer when you’re using more apps at a certain time and need a temporary boost in performance without compromising your daily battery life. Extended RAM technology means that a part of the ROM will be used to work as RAM when the RAM is not sufficient to ensure buttery smooth performance. Users can simply open it in the settings under -“Storage”-“MemFusion”.

NOTE 11’s Extended RAM feature will be available on NOTE 11 Pro / NOTE 11S / NOTE 11. With Extended RAM activated, the phones can load games faster and ensure that users can start gaming instantly, even if they switch among multiple apps.

Infinix always seek to pack the latest and greatest technology into it’s devices at attainable price points, and extended ram is just one of the many handy features planned to be integrated into future devices. Stay tuned to Infinix social media channels for future updates!

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GO granted permission to expand its retail outlets network in KPK

The company operates more than 900 retail outlets including the M5 Sukkur - Multan Motorway

LAHORE: Gas & Oil Pakistan Limited (GO), Pakistan’s fastest growing oil marketing company has been granted permission by Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to operate additional petrol storage facility of 8,050 MTs recently completed at their depot located in KPK.

This brings the total petrol storage of the company in KPK to more than 9,600 MTs, which is more than 60% of the total petrol storage of all OMCs in the province. This major milestone will allow GO to further expand its retail network in the KPK province by more than 200 retail outlets and will and will further strengthen GO’s commitment to ensuring adequate fuel storage across Pakistan. Commenting on the development, Chief Executive Officer, Khalid Riaz said, “With this expansion, we intend to meet the fuelling needs of the people of KPK and firmly establish GO as a truly national player in the country. As a Pakistani company, we are proud that we will be adding new sites to our growing network which is already the largest in the private sector in Pakistan.”  The company’s announcement is part of its ambitious business growth strategy that will enable GO to cater to customers round-the-clock, in all seasons and in every situation. The company operates more than 900 retail outlets including the M5 Sukkur – Multan Motorway with Executive Washrooms.

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M3, Allama Iqbal Industrial City: Work on infrastructure being executed rapidly: Chairman FIEDMC

FAISALABAD: Chairman FIEDMC Zafar Iqbal Sarwar has said that the infrastructure for the promotion of industrial activities in M3 Industrial City and Allama Iqbal Industrial City is being completed rapidly.

Concerns of foreign investors and issues related to Sui gas, electricity supply, audit and land have been addressed. By December 2022, Allama Iqbal Industrial City will be a city of lights. He expressed these views in a press conference with representatives of various Chinese companies.

He said that 90 percent of the work required to solve the problems faced by Chinese companies has been completed. Allotment Letters, NOC, Fesco and the Sui Northern Gas Department have made rapid progress on issues related to which the record increase in investment and concerns about the provision of facilities and security to foreign investors have been allayed.

He said that according to the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, we have the full support of both the federal and provincial governments. All the concerned government agencies are fully cooperating and liaising with FIEDMC.

He said that in his short tenure as Chairman FIEDMC, he has convened several meetings of the Board of Directors on several occasions, but also in meetings with delegations of domestic and foreign investors to address the issues facing him. The work has been completed on a solid basis. In reply to a question, Zafar Iqbal Sarwar said that legal notice has been issued to those who have not completed the construction work on vacant plots and reply has been sought within 7 days.

He told the media about the details of construction, development works and supply of electricity and gas, adding that work on supply of natural gas would be completed by March next year, and two grid stations had been installed by Fesco.

Problems with development and the provision of basic services have been unresolved for some time, and we have worked on them expeditiously. Record work has been done especially with regard to infrastructure in Allama Iqbal Industrial City. Replying to another question, he said that priority was being given to SME sector and in terms of labour colony and transportation, the said sector was not being ignored.

The government has given us a free hand, so steps are being taken to build a hostel and set up a bank in the commercial area. Expo centre has been in demand in Faisalabad for many years. Therefore, the Expo centre has been approved which will create more employment opportunities.

He told the media that after the approval of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, one window operation is being activated in January, which will not waste people’s time.

Praise be to God, our intention is clear, we have ensured the provision of all basic facilities to the Chinese companies, due to which they are satisfied with the performance of FIEDMC. Representatives of Chinese companies also answered various questions of media representatives at the press conference.

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Zong signs MoU to power DHA Bahawalpur with 4G Connectivity

Islamabad- December 31st, 2021-Pakistan’s cellular and digital services leader, Zong 4G, has entered into a partnership with DHA Bahawalpur to power the latter with its best-in-class 4G connectivity.

With over 14000 towers Zong 4G, Pakistan’s widest data network company, is equipped to provide the best communication services and customized solutions for the development of current and future residential developments. Under the agreement, Zong 4G will provide complete network coverage in DHA Bahawalpur. Zong will also play a key role in future digital developments with its innovative ESS solutions towards Smart Homes for DHA Bahawalpur.

“We’re pleased to have joined hands with DHA Bahawalpur to effectively meet the project’s connectivity needs,” shared Zong’s official spokesperson. “Our partnership with DHA will enable the residents to access our best-in-class 4G services with an unmatched digital experience. ”

“Joining hands with the country’s leading cellular and digital services provider is a major step towards the development of this mega project,” shared Brig Basharat Ali, Project Director, DHA Bahawalpur. “The partnership gives us the confidence that we are offering our residents the best of connectivity they can have in and around the premises.”

DHA Bahawalpur is a leading lifestyle value addition at the important junction of Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan. The project is contouring the concept of premier community lifestyle and has become the epitome of developing and creating residencies and communities for the diverse populous.

Zong 4G is working directly with corporate clients across the country to develop a digital environment for them, bringing bespoke solutions to disrupt everyday processes, and new techniques to solve both basic and complicated issues. Through an extensive Business Solutions portfolio, Zong 4G aspires to reinvent how businesses operate, having an overall impact on the corporate ecosystem in Pakistan.  Its unrivalled technological advancement and telecommunications experience has been a harbinger in developing these wide-ranging business solutions.

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PTCL Launches the Huawei Managed CloudCampus Solution

Karachi: - Huawei Technologies Pakistan and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) launched the PTCL-Huawei Managed CloudCampus Solution with which enterprises will be empowered to run critical applications with complete security and ensured data privacy at their disposal. Not only so, enhanced performance will be delivered with higher capacity bandwidth, network visibility, and a seamless on-ramp to the cloud with significant application performance.

He event was attended by Mr. Zarrar Khan, the group CBSO of PTCL Business Solutions, Mr. Faisal Anwar, CIO, UBL, Mr. Azeem Siddiqui, Head of IT, OneLink, Mr. Salman Ali, CIO, Soneri Bank, Mr. Zeeshan Kaiser, CIO, Samba Bank, Mr. Adnan Siddiqui, CIO, BankIslami, Mr. Gao Weiji, Managing Director, Huawei Enterprises, Mr. Shahzad Rasheed, CEO Huawei Cloud, along with senior management from both organizations.

Recently, the two organizations signed a strategic MOU for Learning Development collaboration that aimed to strengthen their partnership for learning and development of individuals. It paved the way for transformational journey through enhancing resources competitiveness. With learning and development programs in place, PTCL and Huawei continued the planned partnership model in preparation for the emerging technologies adoption and challenges of digital transformation.

This is a first-of-its-kind intelligent network automation Cloud platform that not only integrates management, but also controls and analyzes functions, along with providing a complete life cycle automation of enterprise networks that implements intelligent fault closure through big data analytics. This solution consists of services like: AI-Enabled WIFI-6 Campus, Software Defined LAN as well as Software defined WAN (SD-WAN). The infrastructure of these services employs PTCL’s industry-proven connectivity, capacity and Data Center infrastructure with Huawei’s next-generation autonomous driving network management and control system Cloud platform for enterprise networks.

Speaking at the occasion, Zarrar Hasham Khan, Group Chief Business Solutions Officer, PTCL & Ufone, said, “Pakistan is undergoing a digital transformation, and PTCL, as the national carrier will make sure that we’re playing our role. This event is part of a series of steps that we are taking with different products, but with the same goal to provide convenience to our customers.”

Mr. Gao spoke at the event, “I believe this is a new chapter of cooperation and I look forward to seeing more and more achievements as PTCL and Huawei go forth hand in hand. We’ll continue to work together, we all need to place the improvement of digital skills high on our agenda and tackle the challenges facing governments, enterprises, and even technology firms themselves to be able to bring the benefits of digitization to more people, homes, and organizations than ever before.”

Mr. Shahzad Rasheed reaffirmed the sentiment, stating, “Huawei is the number 1 IT leader in Pakistan, both in terms of installments and revenue. Under the leadership of Mr. Zarrar I have zero doubt that success is near, this partnership can do miracles. We have to believe in this relationship and execute it.”

As part of their mission to build a fully connected and intelligent world, Huawei and PTCL are always aiming to contribute to digital empowerment to help realize the vision of Digital Pakistan.

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Alibaba.com holds Business Summit to bring Pakistani sellers onboard

Sialkot – December 30, 2021: Leading global B2B e-commerce marketplace, Alibaba.com held a Seller Summit; titled ‘Unlock Business Growth Code’ in Sialkot to bring Pakistani sellers aboard its platform, thereby helping them to access over 200 markets globally. The summit featured talks by representatives of Alibaba.com, local trade associations, senior government officials and a number of successful online sellers.

Alibaba is one of largest business-to-business marketplace platforms that drive global e-commerce and continue to register substantial growth by the day. The company is actively working to tap into Pakistan’s unexplored potential for e-commerce and has launched multiple similar initiatives in the recent past. According to business estimates, Pakistan is expected to witness an annual growth of 28% in e-commerce in the next 3 years, crowning it as one of the biggest exporters of online goods.

Also read:  PTCL Launches the Huawei Managed CloudCampus Solution

The Sialkot Summit will help Alibaba reach out to local micro, small and medium scale businesses, who can grow their businesses by selling through Alibaba’s platform. In order to ensure sustainability of the new businesses, particularly those who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Alibaba.com will extend support services like advertising, logistics, payments and daily operations systems. The platform will help the SMEs connect with new buyers and explore new markets globally.  

The summit featured roundtable conference and keynote speeches of important stakeholders for exchange of ideas and consultation in order to chalk out a clear pathway for growth of local businesses and exports. 

Speaking at the event, Head of Alibaba.com, APAC, Mr. Stephen Kuo said we are thrilled by the enthusiasm and keenness of local business leaders and entrepreneurs to explore new horizons. There is a lot of untapped potential for growth of e-commerce in Pakistan and Alibaba.com wishes to help unlock it for sustainable economic growth of SMEs and in turn the national economy. He said that the ecommerce giant will fully support local sellers by helping them start their business online, right from setting up their stores, uploading products to logistics and operations. He further said, the collaborative arrangement will create unprecedented shared value and facilitate mutual growth in the long run. 

Also read: PPAF broadens financial support to uplift agribusinesses in Pakistan

Also speaking, Vice President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ms. Shabina said, we are thankful to Alibaba.com for its efforts to open newer avenues for local businesses to enhance their sales and profitability. The world is changing fast through digitization; therefore traditional businesses should also change for good. E-commerce is the future and is beneficial for the small and medium business holders because it is less effort and operational cost for better revenues. Through, Alibaba’s global platform, our businesses can access markets all over the world and contribute effectively to the national economy.

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PTCL & Ufone welcome 4th batch of FUEL Leadership Program

Islamabad – December 30, 2021: PTCL Group has welcomed the 4th batch of its flagship leadership development program, ‘FUEL’ that focuses on carving out the next line of business leaders through two-year immersive training of its most talented and top performing employees. 

To welcome the new batch and bid farewell to the graduating batch, an event was organized in Islamabad that was attended by Hatem Bamatraf, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, PTCL & Ufone, along with the top management. 

On the occasion, Syed Mazhar Hussain, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, PTCL & Ufone shared his thoughts with the audience & said, 

“I congratulate the graduating batch and wish them good luck in their professional careers. Moreover, I would like to wholeheartedly welcome the new batch and encourage them to pursue their dreams with enthusiasm and passion. I have always believed that great companies are a reflection of their people. When you have talented people in your company with the right culture & right discipline, they can move mountains.”

Also read:  Pakistani American technology executives convene at NIC LUMS

PTCL launched FUEL program in 2013 to prepare the next generation of leaders to assume important organizational responsibilities and so far over 100 employees from various functions have been trained thoroughly. However, this year Ufone is also participating in the program that will provide a learning opportunity for mid-level professionals within the company. FUEL is feedback-intensive and transformative in nature that helps the employees in acquiring a clear perspective on their career path and future. The program consists of rigorous development interventions such as certifications, executive coaching, leadership academy in collaboration with LUMS, mobility program, job rotation, etc.

PTCL and Ufone have been recently recognized as the Best Places to Work by the Pakistan Society of Human Resource Management (PSHRM) at its 2021 Annual awards, thereby authenticating the Group’s standing as one of the most employee-centric organizations in the country.

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Pakistani American technology executives convene at NIC LUMS

Lahore, December 30, 2021: In a bid to build stronger connections between tech diaspora in the US, and tech talent in Pakistan, Pakistani American and OPEN Seattle tech delegation, visited the National Incubation Center Lahore (NICL) at LUMS. The delegation comprised of technology executives from Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Educative, Leverify, and Data Science Dojo, looking to understand the growing entrepreneurial landscape in the country and pave the way for future collaboration. 

 

The guests were given a tour of NICL facilities including the Makers Lab, a suite of state-of-the-art prototyping workshops; the Facebook Innovation Lab, where virtual and augmented reality solutions come to life; and a co-working space, featuring a plug-and-play set-up. They also exchanged detailed insights with Foundation Council members, and the faculty and team at NICL. 

 

The visit will help promote collaboration and mentorship opportunities for Pakistani start-up founders, as well as technology transfer for scalable impact. The start-ups currently enrolled in the incubation programme had the opportunity to engage with the delegation and garnered interest.  These range from enzymes production, AR- enhanced textbooks to enrich learning, a crowdfunding platform, online coding school for children, to gamification of physical fitness. 

 

“It’s heartening to see the rapid growth in Pakistan’s technology space and startup potential” said Moazzam Chaudhry, who heads Product Management at Google Cloud and is the President at OPEN Global. “There is no dearth of talent and potential in Pakistan; I’ve met some start-ups today at NICL, and am impressed with their serious passion and maturity even at the early stage!” 

 

Presenting his vision for NICL, Chairman Saleem Ahmad, stated that, “solving Pakistan’s biggest problems requires extraordinary human capital development.  We are committed to doing our part in bridging the skills gaps needed to not only sustain the growth of our nascent start-up ecosystem but also create viable career opportunities for our abundant youth.  Equally importantly, we aim to help local industry innovate to enhance industry productivity and global competitiveness”.  

 

The National Incubation Center Lahore is a springboard for venture incubation and corporate innovation through an intersection of applied research, industry and talent, to solve Pakistan’s biggest problems and is supported financially by Ignite and Ministry of Information Technology.

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realme Embarks on a New Era with a Sales-first Approach for Pakistan

The company has appointed Harvey He as the new Country Manager for Pakistan and partnered with three leading channel distributors for better consumer outreach across the country.

realme is looking to expand its footprint in Pakistan by ushering a new sales-first era in 2022. With expansion in focus, the company has appointed Harvey He as the new Country Manager for Pakistan and joined hands with three leading channel distributors. These strategic developments underscore a new direction for realme, following the local assembly of its smartphones in Pakistan. The three distributors that realme has taken on-board are Airlink Communications (North Region), United Mobile (Central Region) and Muller & Phipps (South Region).

With New Year just around the corner, Harvey He has taken the helm at realme as Country Manager – Pakistan. Harvey brings with himself a stellar sales management experience and has been acquainted with Pakistan since realme set up shop in the country. He is the Head of Sales for realme Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka and has now taken the additional charge as Country Manager – Pakistan, thereby bringing his seasoned understanding of the local smartphone industry to the fore.

Also read: realme Announces Three Technological World Firsts at realme GT 2 Series Event

Being the fastest growing smartphone brand of the country, Pakistan ranks among the top four markets for realme within South Asia. The brand went on to sell more than two million devices in Pakistan since its entry, which is a testimony of the growing demand for realme smartphones. A local assembly line has also been setup in the country to absorb the rise in demand for realme products which in-turn will bring a lot of benefit to the end-consumer by making product prices even more attractive.

To further bolster its footprint in Pakistan, realme has also partnered with three leading channel distributors namely Airlink Communications, United Mobile and M&P. The onboarding of these distributors amplifies the sales-first approach that is at the heart of realme’s strategy for Pakistan in 2022.

realme strives to provide the ultimate value-for-money and top notch quality in its products, while also being a flag bearer of affordable 5G technology. As a young brand, realme resonates with the youth’s daring spirit and is focused on delivering trendsetting smartphones for young people around the world.

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Alibaba hosts ‘Pakistan Seller Summit’ to open doors of opportunities to 190 countries for Pakistani businesses

A vibrant event ‘Pakistan Seller Summit’ was held today in Sialkot by Alibaba, to welcome the local businesses to join this resourceful platform. Highly interactive discussions were held by leading experts from Alibaba, along with specialists of global-logistics, senior bureaucrats and officials from Pakistani trade-associations, to train more than 200 participating entrepreneurs.

Alibaba is a globally leading digital platform and has now enabled access for the Pakistani businesses, allowing them to list their stores, to sell their products to B2B buyers around the globe.

The title of the summit was “Unlock Business Growth Code – Nonstop business opportunity with export e-commerce”. The forum also recognized successful sellers, whose businesses have grown multifold, facilitated by export ecommerce at Alibaba. Special facilities are now being offered by Daraz (Alibaba Group) to build capacity and improve performance of the SMEs in Sialkot. The speakers also engaged the sellers who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, while sharing case-studies of success stories; how Alibaba helps to boost the business.

Shabina Gillani stated: “This event promises to empower local businesses, by nurturing e-commerce in Pakistan by enabling global accessibility and nurturing e-commerce in Pakistan. The president from Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and the other industrial associations enlightened the participants about how the SMEs can grasp the emerging opportunities for online business ventures. Valuable data and insights about the performance of each product-category and the buyers’ preferences were shared. This summit has achieved great milestones for recruiting new SME business to join Alibaba.com.”

Sectors that can gain exceptional advantages by enabling digital trade & overseas logistics, include the Surgical-Gloves Industry of Sialkot, as it exports large quantities across many countries. With this technology, Alibaba are introducing a digital solution for comprehensive B2B export. Many effective solutions were also suggested for partnering logistic companies to ensure long term environmental and commercial sustainability. Experts believe that global accessibility will also reduce the economically-damaging trend of cross-border smuggling in Sialkot region.

The event was hosted offline, through Zoom, Facebook and the official website of Alibaba, while it was live-streamed online. It featured highly qualified and experienced guest-speakers like: Stephen Kuo – Head of Alibaba.com Asia Pacific, Mr. Song – Head of Alibaba.com Pakistan, VP of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce (SCCI), Hassan Nawaz – Partner of Shipway Co., along with Ody – Apparel Industry Operation Manager of Alibaba.com and also the Beauty & Care Industry Operation Manager of Alibaba.com – Mr. Davis. The two successful sellers of Alibaba.com, featured at the event were – Mian Arham, the CEO of Bin Naseer Co. and Qamar Abbas, the CEO of Marjan Bikers.

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Healthwire raises $3.3 million to fuel its “quality healthcare for all” vision

Healthwire, a health-tech startup and operator of one of the largest horizontally integrated ecosystem of healthcare service providers in Pakistan, has closed $3.3 Million in funding. The round drew participation from 47 Ventures, Habib Bank Limited, Dilsons Private Limited and angel investors from Silicon Valley.

Healthwire was founded by Hamza Iqbal, a LUMS graduate, with a vision to make access to quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every citizen of Pakistan. Since its inception, Healthwire has been singularly focused on digitizing the operations of doctors, clinics, hospitals, labs and pharmacies and now boasts the largest and most widely integrated platform of thousands of health care service providers in over 60 cities of Pakistan.

In a statement, co-founder and CTO of Healthwire, Muhammad Nabeel said “The patient-doctor interaction is the point where the whole healthcare ecosystem converges. By having this interaction on our health-tech platform, we can ensure that quality healthcare is accessible to patients in the remotest areas of the country. The economies of scale of the tech platform allow us to ensure that this access is affordable and inclusive.

Khurram Zafar, Managing Director of 47 Ventures, and a seed investor in Healthwire said, “We are excited to be doubling down on one of the stars in our portfolio. The growth and momentum that Healthwire has built even during the tough COVID period is a testament to the strength and resilience of the team. It is destined to become the health tech leader of Pakistan.”

Sagheer Mufti, COO at HBL, commenting on the occasion said: “HBL is excited to invest in Healthwire, as it is an integrated healthcare digital platform. It will ease the customer journey and improve quality of healthcare, particularly multiple healthcare providers. Through provision of embedded banking services, to providers like hospitals, clinics, labs, health insurance providers and pharmacies will be able to serve, patients more effectively. HBL and Healthwire partnership seeks to expand access to quality and convenient healthcare in Pakistan. With the Healthwire investment. and collaboration, digital financial inclusion will be widened, reaffirming HBL’s commitment to be a technology company with a banking license.”

Healthwire, building upon its strong presence in the healthcare service provider ecosystem, has now deployed a web and mobile application for patients to connect with those service providers. The platform is already connecting over 10,000 patients with doctors every single day. The startup intends to use the funding to further fuel its growth and become the healthcare super app of Pakistan.

Hassan Sheikh, Director at Dilsons Private Limited while commenting on their investment in Healthwire said: “Dilsons strategy to invest in Digital Healthcare fits well with integrated solution provider Healthwire. This gives us an opportunity to be part of Digital Health ecosystem which will shape the future of health tech. This partnership will enable us to be a part of Pakistan’s leading digital healthcare platform for disease management with strong capabilities and eventually leading to better healthcare outcomes for patients.”

Caption: From Left to Right: Muhammad Nabeel (Co-Founder & CTO, Healthwire), Hassan Sheikh (Director, Dilsons Private Limited), Hamza Iqbal (Founder & CEO, Healthwire), Khurram Zafar (Managing Director, Healthwire)

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GAAC’s Contract Ensures World Can Support Afghanistan Navigate Through Tough Times

With the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), through the General Aviation Airport Coalition (GAAC), has cleared one of the major hurdles to reach the affected population through its airports while also bearing the cost of reconstruction of its devastated airports.

As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan deepens and the scarcely connected landscape of the country further limits access to those in need, the major source of quick and effective connectivity, airports, have started its operations thanks to the UAE-based GAAC.

The GAAC signed a contract to provide security, advanced technology systems, and ground handling services for all international airports in Afghanistan to assist the country to start flight operations at all of its airports.

The GAAC contract with the Afghan government includes security service at Hamid Karzai International Airport, the major international airport in the country in Kabul that connects it with the world as well as other international airports located in Herat, Balkh, and Kandahar.

The coalition’s contract also covers providing ground handling services in Kabul, Herat, and Kandahar airports.

Meanwhile, the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad, Pakistan. Under the Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths highlighted the extent of the crisis in Afghanistan.

The Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs told the meeting that that by the middle of 2022, universal poverty could reach 97 percent of the population. He also told the meeting that within a year, 30 percent of Afghanistan’s GDP could be lost altogether, while male unemployment may double to 29 percent.

With Afghanistan’s economy in freefall, a large proportion of the population faces hunger and lack of work. According to the United Nations, around 23 million people face starvation with a large percentage of children in healthcare facilities because of malnourishment and a large number of people working without salaries.

After the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, no international airline was willing to continue flights to the new Taliban regime-led country. However, the GAAC stepped up to provide world-class security and flight operations services so that the devastated country remains connected to the world.

Under these circumstances, aid remains one of the only ways to stop an imminent crisis for Afghanistan, which is not possible without working air traffic to the country.

The GAAC took the challenge of making the airports of the country operational at the level at which international airline operators would be comfortable operating flights to the country.

GAAC activated an air bridge corridor so that humanitarian aid could reach Afghanistan at the beginning of September 2021.

GAAC restored airports in the country, which were damaged after the US withdrawal from the country. Repairs were estimated to cost an estimated US $1 million, which were borne by the UAE as assistance for the devastated country.

The UAE has continued to send assistance in the shape of various projects, including healthcare and food assistance, but most of all UAE is helping build infrastructure to make Afghanistan self-sufficient, and helping make its airports operational is one of the most significant milestones in this regard.

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Telenor, UNICEF Hand Over Digital Birth Registration System to Punjab Govt

Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF have handed over the Digital Birth Registration (DBR) system to the Punjab Government.

After its successful launch and implementation in 5 pilot districts, the local government in Punjab is now all set to take over the Digital Birth Registration project and scale it across the province. The project transfer took place at an event in Lahore, attended by officials from Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF along with Punjab Government officials.

Designed with the goal of birth registration for kids under the age of 17, with a special focus on children under 5 years of age, the Digital Birth Registration system, since its inception in 2016, has already helped recognize the identities of approximately 1.8 million children across Pakistan.

The DBR project ensures that every child gets their basic right of identity which would lead to giving them better access to education, healthcare, and basic human rights.

Together, UNICEF and Telenor Pakistan have facilitated the creation of easy to access, convenient, and real-time mechanisms bringing birth registration to the doorstep in far-flung, hard to reach areas, thus reducing the high opportunity cost and time incurred by the parents.

This successful public-private partnership model has shaped regional collaboration in technology and best-practice sharing for the achievement of universal birth registration for children across South Asia.

Commenting on the development, Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan, said, “Millions of children in Pakistan remain unaccounted for and without an identity despite birth registration being the fundamental right of every child. Our collaborative initiative Digital Birth Registration has been instrumental in giving unnamed children an identity, thus bringing Pakistan a step closer towards socio-economic empowerment and the eradication of social inequalities.”

“After successfully handing over the project to the Sindh Government, today, UNICEF and Telenor Pakistan are furthering this ambition by handing this flagship project to the Punjab Government to scale across the province and reach more families. Together with UNICEF, we are stretching the boundaries of inclusion while enabling the nation’s transition to digitalization in every aspect,” he added.

“Government of Punjab is striving hard to translate the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan of Digital Pakistan. Today we are advancing towards the realization of an inclusive digital society. Local Government Department Punjab, in collaboration with NADRA, has launched a web-based application to have real-time and authentic data for better planning,” said Mahmood ur Rasheed, Minister for Local Government Punjab.

“Birth Registration is the proof of legal identity of children and is our responsibility towards international commitments,” he added.

Wilbroad Nagmbi, Chief Field Office, Punjab, commented, “Birth Registration is a fundamental right of a child recognized by the convention on the right of the child (CRC). Registration of birth is the first legal binding at the national and international level to incorporate the full range of human rights.”

“In addition to contributing to a country’s civil registry, birth registration also strengthens the quality of vital statistics, straightening planning and government efficiency. Moreover, a child who remains uncounted is less likely to be included in development policies and planning for the provision of social services. Ownership of the idea of digitization by LG&CD Department Punjab through the Launch of Baldiaonline Application is highly appreciated,” he added.

“Local Government Department is focusing on Girl Childbirth Registration and due to socio-cultural constraints, registration of girl child is low in South Punjab,” said Noor ul Amin Mengal, Secretary Local Government Punjab. “LG&CD Department has formulated Birth & Death Registration Rules to facilitate the general public and enhance registration. In the future, the department plans to integrate with the health sector for scaling up birth & death registration in Punjab,” he added.

The upscaling of the DBR project shall ultimately contribute to universal birth registration for children in Pakistan; an obligation that Pakistan upholds under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the government’s commitment under the Asia Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Regional Action Framework.

The Digital Birth Registration project will also help Pakistan in fulfilling its commitment to fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (16.9), particularly those relating to children.

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Zameen.com Acquires Sales & Marketing Rights for Union Tower, Sialkot

Pakistan’s largest real estate portal, Zameen.com, has acquired exclusive marketing and sales rights for Sialkot’s upcoming business complex, i.e. Union Tower, and launched the project. In this regard, a ceremony was held at the project site on Paris Road.

The launch ceremony was graced by Zameen.com’s Senior Director Sales (Central) Shuja Ullah Khan and Director Project Sales (Central) Muzaffar Majeed.

Important names from Sialkot’s business community attending included Air Sial CEO Ameen Ahsan, Directors Akmal Cheema and Faisal Cheema, DC Sialkot Tahir Farooq, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce Imran Akbar, Chairman Air Sial Fazal Jilani, and Chairman Sialkot International Airport Khawaja Masood Akhtar.

Speaking to the media, Shuja Ullah Khan said that Zameen.com had officially launched the strategically located Union Tower. He revealed that the project was attracting the attention of businessmen and investors due to its fine location and the project developer’s matchless credibility.

Air Sial CEO Ameen Ahsan, who is also the project director of Union Tower, said that the project featured corporate space as well as international-standard hotel apartments. The project would boost businesses activities in the city, making it a safe and rewarding project for investment, he added.

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foodpanda announces Grand Entry into HBL PSL 2022 with Islamabad United

Islamabad: foodpanda and Islamabad United Join Hands - foodpanda Pakistan, the nation's leading online food and grocery delivery platform has announced their collaboration with the most successful franchise and two time champions ‘Islamabad United’ led by Shadab Khan and owned by Ali Naqvi. foodpanda has been named the Official Q-Commerce Partner of Islamabad United.

This is the first time that ISLU will play in foodpanda PINK kits for all their away matches and it's the first time any team has changed the colour of their kit for a strategic partnership.

Syed Waqas Azhar, Director Marketing at foodpanda Pakistan said:

“The strategic partnership between the giants foodpanda and ISLU, seeks to combine two of the nation’s biggest passion points, food and cricket. With this collaboration, we intend to leverage our combined audiences to create an unforgettable impact, and set the tone for the 2022 cricket season. Celebrating the love for cricket and the love for food, is a partnership which will surely be a massive success.”

Speaking of the collaboration, team owner ISLU, Ali Naqvi said:

“We are pleased to partner with one of the most renowned online platforms in Pakistan. Their reach across Pakistan is unparalleled and their values of professionalism and excellence are ones that we share. Thus, it's obviously a natural partnership for us.”

Islamabad United is the most successful franchise in HBL PSL history. Being the only team to win multiple titles and owning the highest win percentage in league history, the franchise believes in bringing change to Pakistani sports. ISLU has been able to introduce international standards of practice and a commitment to continuous growth and progress. Since the start of the HBL PSL no franchise has inducted more players into the Pakistan national team than ISLU.

foodpanda Pakistan is the country’s leading online delivery marketplace, offering a convenient app and web-based platform to order food, groceries and essential items nationwide. With over 20,000 restaurants, homechefs, shops and pandamart stores across more than 40 cities, foodpanda aims to generate business growth and create employment opportunities for Pakistanis all over the country.

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Standard Chartered launches its innovative Digital-Banking solution

Standard Chartered in Pakistan announces the launch of its state-of the-art innovative Digital-Banking solution aimed at elevating client experience by offering enhanced convenience, agility and customised offerings to its existing and potential client-base. The solution has been developed in-house leveraging global expertise and best practices and partnering with local service providers under the Digital drive of the State Bank of Pakistan.

Using the newly launched platform, clients can open their accounts, perform transactions, seek a host of services and subscribe for products, without the need of visiting the branch or using other customer servicing channels. The digital solution involves straight–through processing with automated work-flows including the integration of core banking and due-diligence systems to offer minimal turn-around-time.

With this launch, Standard Chartered once again combines its international expertise in digital banking with its local knowledge to bring together a unique offering unlike any in the market.

State Bank of Pakistan has played a leading role in creating an environment to push the frontiers in this space. Standard Chartered is also the first bank in Pakistan to join hands with NADRA to offer real-time biometric verification for account opening though the Standard Chartered Mobile App.

The Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Pakistan Limited (SCBPL) - Rehan Shaikh stated: “Our App is prepared to set new benchmarks for innovation in financial services, with a primary purpose of making banking simple and convenient for everyone. This is a key milestone in our aspiration to lift participation and drive financial inclusion across Pakistan. It also signifies our commitment to not only investing in and growing the market, and also fuelling innovation through strategic collaborations and partnerships to advance an integrated digital banking ecosystem. We will continue to build on this launch and strengthen our award-winning digital capabilities by continuously incorporating client feedback in product development and aligning with different partners to solve for client needs.”

Standard Chartered recognises that technology-driven enablement and partnerships can facilitate the resolution of challenges facing various sectors and accelerate economic growth for different market segments. Through its investment into digital capabilities, Standard Chartered is committed to working with the Central Bank, local and global service providers and financial technology players to innovate and develop curated products for unbanked segments which are quite often not reachable due to the lack of infrastructure and digital platforms. With the Bank’s SC Mobile app, millions of formerly unbanked Pakistanis will be able to enrol for and utilise round-the-clock secure banking facilities with the touch of their fingers through mobile applications now.  

The traditional legacy banking model status is already being challenged by consumer bias towards digital solutions coupled with the enhanced cyber security measures. Additionally, technologically driven, AI and analytics based, client due diligence and risk profiling tools integrated with digital platforms is resulting in better client experience. Building on this shift, Standard Chartered intends to serve a larger client base with a convenience at their fingertips.

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16th Karachi International Book Fair begins from Thursday, 30th December 2021

Over 330 stalls will be on display, with over 400,000 expected visitors

Karachi, 28 December 2021: The Managing Committee of Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) has revealed at a press conference that besides 136 leading publishers and booksellers from Pakistan and, 40 exhibitors from 17 countries will participate in the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) from 30th Dec’21 to 3rd Jan’22 in the three halls 1, 2 & 3 at the Karachi Expo Center. The five-day 16th Karachi International Book Fair 2021 is organized by the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association. 

Education Minister of Sindh Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the Chief Guest will inaugurate the Book Fair on 30th December 2021.  Renowned artist & writer Anwar Maqsood will be the Key note Speaker at the event. Karachi International Book Fair has now achieved the distinction of being Pakistan's largest consumer/trade fair since its inception in 2005. The event brings together publishing and distribution houses, domestic / international publishers, booksellers, librarians and institutional customers on a single platform. Publishers from Iran, India, Turkey, Singapore, China, Malaysia, England, UAE and other countries are attending the international event. Karachi International Book Fair has become a remarkable literary event with educated and motivated visitors from all walks of life. More than 330 stands shall display books on all subjects to discerning readers including vast numbers of families, students and book lovers from all over the country.

These views were expressed by Convener 16th KIBF, Mr. Waqar Mateen Khan and Mr. Aziz Khalid, Chairman of Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association while speaking at a press conference, held at a local hotel here on Tuesday, 28 December, 2021.

Mr. Waqar Mateen Khan expressed his gratitude to the publishers and booksellers for their participation in the fair and the Managing Committee for their untiring efforts to make this event possible. He hoped that, this year as in the, past record breaking number of visitors shall participate in the 16th Karachi International Book Fair. 

Mr. Aziz Khalid Chairman, Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBA) stressed that this edition will be remarkable and distinctive as efforts are being made to establish effective working relationships with key international book fairs leading towards an exchange of professional expertise for highlighting the importance of book fairs at national and international level. "Fairs are not only book exhibits any more, international book fairs are very important forums not only for publishers but also for the government agencies/missions as an effective tool for diplomacy", he elaborated. "Also underlined is the commitment to the propagation of knowledge by highlighting the values of humanism and ethics that promote tolerance, discussions and openness to others in a civilized society." 

KIBF aims to motivate the nation's youth and students to take part in cultural and creative activities to strengthen their role as pillars of an intellectually, scientifically and culturally flourishing future. 

He reiterated that "Around 400,000 people are expected to visit the 16th  KIBF. The event will be visited by book lovers, students from all groups and ages, professionals from all walks of life, academicians, writers, librarians and general public. Various book launchings and book release ceremonies will also be held for notable writers during the fair besides entertaining various contests like drawing, recitation, extempore speech, and quizzes for kids. 

Karachi International Book Fair timings are 10 am to 9 pm daily from Thursday, 30 December,2021 till Monday, 03 January, 2022. Deputy Convener Syed Nasir Hussain, Nadeem Mazhar, M. Iqbal Ghaziani, Iqbal Saleh Mohammad,Nadeem Akhtar, Kamran Noorani, Owais Mirza Jamil and Saleem Abdul Hussain also attended the Press conference. 

The 16th  Karachi International Book Fair begins on Thursday 30th December with doors opening to the public at 10:00 am.

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Ziauddin University celebrate its 25 years by inviting alumni across the globe to Grand Alumni Reunion

The year 2021 marked the 25th Anniversary of Ziauddin University founded in 1996 by Dr. Asim Hussain and the family, who extended the legacy of their great grandfather, Sir Ziauddin Ahmad in Pakistan. 

On the auspicious occasion of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations, Ziauddin Alumni from across the globe united from 18th to 25th December for a 25th Grand Alumni Reunion. The event featured a range of exciting talks from the senior alumni including the Scientific Session on Research, Education, and the Way Forward. Over 250 alumni registered for the hybrid event of Gala Dinner on Saturday 25th December at a local Hotel and received a wide appreciation and response. The event opened with a Recitation from Holy Quran, played the national anthem and ZU Anthem, and the welcome address by the Dean Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Abbas Zafar. Alumni members paid a tribute to the deceased alumni, students, faculty, and Ziauddin Family members. 

The Chancellor, Dr. Asim Hussain appreciated the participation of senior alumni in the Grand Alumni Reunion and invited them to come back and participate in giving back to the country in healthcare research, innovation, and service delivery. He also emphasized the importance of alumni association with the alma mater and highlighted the achievements of Ziauddin University over the years.

Dr. Asim Hussain also shared his early experiences of founding the university and how this curation of legacy was the undertaking that was both personally and professionally important for him and his family’s vision for the future. The event was graced by the speeches of the Vice-Chancellor and founding faculty members, and the presentation by the Founding President Ziauddin University Alumni Association (ZUAA) Dr. Kamran Iqbal, followed by the dinner. The university remembers the contribution of Dr. Aijaz Fatima, Dr. Tajammul Hussain. Professor Naeem A. Jafarey, the founding Vice-Chancellor of Ziauddin Medical College who transformed the culture of the university with his exemplary leadership.

“It was a great event and connected 25 years of journey,” says Prof. Dr. Rubina Hussain Chairperson OB&GY. “Thank you for providing us with these amazing opportunities to connect! I loved the talks and the networking opportunities – and especially the virtual platform! I really enjoyed participating!” commented the alumni member. 

A number of overseas alumni also participated via a zoom link reported that they were delighted to come back to their alma mater virtually, “The combination of the platform, inspirational talks and networking has renewed their connection with the university and their enthusiasm for the network. They are all looking forward to the next reunion, which they hope will be in 2022”. 

Sir Ziauddin Ahmad was a great polymath, philosopher-scientist, politician, and luminary of the Pakistan Movement and widely considered as the torchbearer of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s mission of education-based reform of the Muslim world which led to the creation of Aligarh Muslim University. Sir Ziauddin was chosen as the first VC and the Rector of the Aligarh Muslim University where he was the longest-serving VC during which Aligarh Muslim University students played a key role in the making of Pakistan. Sir Ziauddin Ahmad’s family in Pakistan embodied his legacy by the creation of Ziauddin University which not only honors his name but also aspires to fulfill his vision and mission in the modern, present, and future context of Pakistan. Ziauddin University currently embodies full-fledged 16 different schools with nursing and medical college the oldest schools and its 7000+ alumni across the world.

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Likee brings your favorite people closer with the ‘Friends’ feature

Karachi, 29 December, 2021: Likee, a leading global short video platform with headquarters in Singapore, has announced the launch of its new “Friends” feature for users across Pakistan. Users have a chance to win a motorcycle or a huge cash prize by completing tasks and collecting points. Likee users around Pakistan have grown accustomed to the social network’s regular stream of new trends and challenges that encourage healthy competition and inspire creativity, while also offering real-world rewards for good performance.

The new ‘Friends’ feature can be found at the bottom left of the homepage and it allows users to pick and choose their audiences, fortifying the sense of community within the growing social network. By completing tasks like inviting new or active users, scanning codes to add friends, and giving KiKi eggs to friends, users can collect Heart Points. Each new Heart Point earns users the choices between 1 KiKi egg or a Likee gift, which can be a CD70 motorcycle or some Likee goodies various from hoodies to canvas bags. Friends can also combine 5 different eggs to create a KiKi bank, and once the KiKi bank is complete, they get the chance to share the prize in a value totaling up to 8 lakhs. 

Likee has designed its new ‘Friends’ feature to allow users to create their very own, private online space to share a slice of life with the people of their choice. Simply scanning a QR code from a friend’s screen or even uploading a photo of the code from the gallery allows users to quickly add new friends. Not only can users now share exclusive content with their desired list of friends, but also fully customize their videos with a range of effects and filters that truly let the creative juices flow. Users can take part in the event for a chance to win exciting cash prizes, Likee merchandise, and a CD70 motorcycle, until 6pm, December 30th, 2021.

“We, at Likee, are always exploring new avenues in the ongoing evolution of mobile entertainment, and for that reason, the app’s immediate and immense popularity in Pakistan comes as no surprise,” said a spokesperson from Likee. “We want to encourage Likee users to fully allow their creativity to take control, knowing that their content is only reaching the right people. With “Friends”, we aim to create a sense of community and allow each individual user to be able to fully customize their Likee experience and be who they are, for who they choose.”

Like has quickly become a global online video production phenomenon after its launch in 2017, and was ranked No. 1 in App Annie’s 2019 report. Just last year, Likee ranked 4th in global downloads, according to Sensor Tower.

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e-Stamping System to be Implemented in KPK

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Board of Revenue (BoR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of e-Stamping System in KPK at an event held at Arfa Software Technology Park.

PITB Chairman Azfar Manzoor, Senior Member KPK Board of Revenue Syed Zafar Ali Shah, and KPK Additional Secretary Finance Ammara Khan signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations. PITB’s DG e-Governance Sajid Latif, Director Hammad Hassan Hamdani, and representatives from KPK including Director Land Record KPK Mushtaq Hussain and Project Director e-Stamping KPK Shabbir Ahmed, and other senior officials were also present.

Speaking at the occasion PITB Chairman Azfar Manzoor said,

“PITB’s flagship project e-Stamping has achieved remarkable results across Punjab since its launch. A total of PKR 244 Billion of revenue has been collected through e-Stamping System in Punjab to date.” Azfar Manzoor further stated that PITB’s e-stamping system has revolutionized the traditional system and digitized the process of issuance of stamp paper for the convenience of the citizens. “Digitizing the issuance of stamp paper in KPK will increase revenue and bring transparency,” he added.

Senior Member KPK Board of Revenue Zafar Ali Shah commented that fraud, financial theft, and forgery, which were commonplace in the past, would now be eliminated through this system.

“The old system of obtaining stamp paper in KPK will be replaced with a modern tech-driven system. Implementing a modern system in the province with the help of PITB will bring transparency and eliminate corruption,” he stated.

Earlier on, PITB had also signed an MoU with the Government of Sindh in the same spirit and e-Stamping implementation is now underway in the province. The collection of stamp duty has been a major source of revenue for the Government of Punjab. The centuries-old process had major issues pertaining to citizen facilitation like leakage of revenue through fake and fraudulent practices. e-Stamping System has radically transformed the traditional procedure of stamp issuance minimizing the duration of issuance from 2-3 days to only 15 minutes.

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AAA associates distributed wheelchairs to empower underprivileged families

Islamabad:- Yusaeid Foundation, the Welfare NGO operated by AAA Associates under its Corporate Social Responsibility Program, distributed wheelchairs among people with disabilities. The ceremony was conducted at AAA Associates’ Head Office, phase 7, Bahria Town, Rawalpindi. AAA Associates has been empowering individuals, families, and communities through Yusaeid and considers it as a primary objective. AAA Associates under its’ NGO Yusaeid has been involved in charity work and donated profusely in the past.

A few days ago, an event of similar nature was conducted at Layyah in collaboration with Saaya Association, and the Hands and Social Welfare Department.

Chairman AAA Associates and Yusaeid Foundation Sheikh Fawad Bashir, while talking to the press, emphasized the need of contributing to society through charitable work. He further said, "As a philanthropist, I believe we all have to give back what we take from nature or society. Corporate Social Responsibility should be inculcated as it plays a critical part in developing society, improving communities. "

MD AAA Associates and Yusaeid Foundation Lt. Col (R) Shahzad Ali Kiani also weighted on contributing to the society and said that "The importance of social work lies in its aim to confront social issues in all facets of life - from providing the one-on-one support of family welfare to shaping legislative policies that eradicate systemic injustices. Yusaeid is dedicated to humanitarian services, and aims to use philanthropy to build a world where everyone has equal access to the basic needs of life."

Yusaeid Foundation is one of the leading non-profit organizations in Pakistan, entirely dedicated to humanitarian services since 2014. It provides assistance to people and communities in need and is committed to improving educational support, eliminating hunger by running food programs, empowering youth, Inclusiveness empowerment, and health care services among all the communities.

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Infinix RAP Battle between Young Stunners and RAP Demon is anticipated to be the biggest online RAP battle of 2022

Exclusively live on Infinix’s official social media platforms, the rap battle can be expected to stun the audience with dazzling performances  

 

Lahore – December 29, 2021: Pakistan’s leading and most-selling smartphone brand, Infinix is all set to dazzle its audiences with the most exciting online rap battle between the country’s latest hit musical sensations, the Young Stunners and RAP Demon, this January 1st, 2022. The rap battle will be aired live for viewers across the country to watch exclusively on Infinix’s official social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

 

The Young Stunners and RAP Demon will be bringing in all the heat and energy to this action-packed online rap battle, which comes as a celebration for the success of Infinix’s introductory campaign for its NOTE 11 series. The smartphone brand has previously been in partnership with the Young Stunners as brand ambassadors for its spectacular new model, the NOTE 11 AMOLED Stunner, and is now bringing this chance to showcase their talent live. This online music concert is aiming to bring together thousands of hip-hop fans from across the nation onto one platform in order to support their favorite local talent in the most electrifying face-off. 

“The Infinix NOTE 11 series has been designed precisely for the youth - the music-loving trendsetters. We are proud to have partnered up with such fantastic local talent, and become a part of Pakistan’s hip new generation with our brand’s presence, its youthful persona, and its cutting-edge high quality devices,” commented Joe Hu, CEO Infinix Pakistan.

The Infinix NOTE 11 series consists of NOTE 11 – the AMOLED Stunner phone with a 6.7-inch FHD+ Waterdrop AMOLED display, and the NOTE 11 Pro ‘Speed Up’ featuring MediaTek Helio G96 ultra-gaming chipset. Infinix has always been focused on setting new trends for the youth, empowering its users to stay connected and at par with modern times with latest, state-of-the-art devices, and encouraging them to standout in a crowd. The NOTE 11 series stands for this philosophy, and more outstanding new models of the series can be expected to be launched soon.

The voices behind ‘Afsanay’ and ‘Gumaan’, Young Stunners are a rapping duo featuring Talha Anjum and Talha Yunus. The band took no time in rising to fame, giving out one hit music number after another in quick succession. RAP Demon, also known as Abdullah Malik, reached over a million views for his rap song ‘Gauntlet 2.0’, making it the first step of many towards popularity in the hip-hop music industry in Pakistan. He is well known across borders in neighboring countries as well. 

So don’t forget to tune into Infinix’s official social media handles this Saturday at 8:00 pm sharp, and get ready to groove with your favorite rappers! 

For more information, please visit: https://www.infinixmobility.com/pk/

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Roche Diagnostics Pakistan launches an advanced self-testing device for INR monitoring

Roche Diagnostics Pakistan partners with Dawaai.pk to launch an innovative product CoaguChek INRange for the patients on warfarin therapy. This innovative solution will enable the patients to frequently check their International normalized ratio (INR) values conveniently wherever they are. Furthermore, they will be able to easily share the results with their consultant via their phone or any other computing device for quick and efficient therapy management.

As a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, Roche is focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. Being the world’s largest biotech company, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders.

In this regard, the launch of CoaguChek INRange will enable users to easily get their result in just one minute by a single drop of blood. This solution will save patients, especially the bed ridden and elderly ones from the hassle of going to the laboratory for testing over and over again followed by visits to their consultants. According to a research conducted by Australian Point of Care Practitioners and Integrated Cardiovascular Clinical Network, Country Health South Australia, published in US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes Health USA, regular monitoring of the anticoagulant effect is required and evidence suggests that patients who self-monitor using point-of-care testing have better outcomes than other patients. With this solution, patients can easily perform the test at their convenience anywhere. This solution is available nationwide at dawaai.pk where professional pharmacists and consultants are available to guide and educate the patients.

Dr. Rubina , aged around 60, She herself on warfarin therapy has been using the basic version of the Roche’s product CoaguChek XS for more than 10 years and has been managing her INR effectively with the solution and also recommends that INR monitoring at home gives her peace of mind, saves her from the hassle of visits to the labs & difficulty of drawing blood along with reducing subsequent follow ups with her consultant.

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