Author: admin

ACCA hosts its third Africa Members’ Conference 2021

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) will be hosting its third Africa Members Convention (AMC) from 14th to 16th December 2021, for the first time online.

The theme this year is ‘Repositioning the profession in Africa to drive and support economic recovery, sustainability, and social governance’ which has a forward-looking agenda aimed at helping the profession across Africa and globally build and sustain resilience in a still challenging environment due to Covid-19 and the climate crisis.

In shaping the future of the profession, over 6,000 ACCA members in Africa have been invited, alongside key decision and policy makers across economies who will be engaged during the AMC, in order to drive actionable changes. Day 1 will focus on the role of African accountants at the heart of the continent’s route to recovery; day 2 will examine the role of digitalisation on the profession, and day 3 will focus on accountants and their role in policy development in Africa and on the global stage too.

Speaking of the event, Jamil Ampomah, director of ACCA Africa says: ‘We’ve chosen a broad theme that brings together the issues which confront finance professionals and business leaders every day of their lives. Our theme also builds on the work at our first two Africa Member Conventions. In Ethiopia in 2017 we addressed the impact of socio-economic trends on the future of finance and business in Africa, and in Rwanda in 2019 we explored the evolution of finance as Africa thrives amid disruption.’

‘We believe that this event will help the accountancy profession and its stakeholders deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead for 2022, supporting them to understand the new and emerging environment in which it works.’

Key speakers at the AMC include: 1. Ms. Orla Collins FCCA, ACCA president 2. Dr. Ndidi Edozien, Chair at Circular Economy Innovation Partnership 3. Mr. Shailen Ramgoolam, Partner EY, Mauritius 4. Mr. Rodney Ndamba (FCCA), CEO Institute, Sustainability Africa 5. Dr. Bhavish Jugurnath, President of the Africa Emerging Tech Hub 6. Mr Amin Miramago, CEO, Institute of Certified Public Accountants Rwanda, (ICPAR) 7. Ms. Alta Prinsloo, Chief Executive Officer, Pan African Federation of Accountants -PAFA, South Africa 8. Dr. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, President of Human Capital África and Senior Economic Adviser at África Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI). 9. Mr. Edwin Makori, CEO, Institute of Certified Public Accountants Kenya (ICPAK) ACCA members can register for the AMC online here.

ACCA has also opened up this event to non-ACCA members, who can also register at the same address.

7th Sky Entertainment brings Feroze Khan & Sana Javed together again for ‘Aye Musht e Khaak’

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  7th Sky Entertainment, under the leadership of Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi, have brought the fan-favourite duo of Feroze Khan and Sana Javed together for the third time for yet another mega-project titled ‘Aye Musht e Khaak’.

The drama follows the story of two completely different individuals. Mustajab is a pragmatic young man with little belief in fate while Dua is a compassionate girl with a firm belief in fate and strong moral values. In a surprising turn of events, Mustajab falls for Dua who does not reciprocate his feelings. His liking soon turns into obsession as he spins a web of lies to get what he wants. The question arises, will Dua figure out Mustajab’s reality or will Mustajab come to accept Dua’s firm belief in God?

Exploring the themes of faith, love, and deception, Aye Musht e Khaak has been penned down by Maha Malik, directed by AehsunTalish and produced by the ace producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi. With Feroze Khan and Sana Javed in lead roles, the drama supports an ensemble cast including Asad Siddiqui, Shabbir Jan, Iffat Omar, ShahoodAlvi, Danial Afzal Khan, Hira Umer and many more.

With several sensational and chart-busting projects like Khaani, Fitoor, Rang Mahal, Khuda Aur Mohabbat and more, 7th Sky Entertainment explores distinct genres and has hence become a household name in Pakistan. Aye Musht e Khaak is yet another addition to their list of critically acclaimed dramas on-air at the moment.

(PLF) & Teachers at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi “A Mega Event not to be missed”

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Karachi  (Muhammad Yasir) The Children’s Literature Festival (CLF), now rebranded as the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) due to an overwhelming nationwide response from all age groups and in preparation for the 100 years celebration of Pakistan, comes to Karachi from 14-16 December 2021. The first two days of PLF will be dedicated to the inclusive equalizing Children’s Learning Festival (CLF) on 14-15 December and one day to the Teachers’ Learning Festival (TLF) on 16 December.

All school systems are welcome, including institutions of children with disabilities. The venue is the coveted Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi where the extraordinary trio, viz. the President of the Arts Council Ahmed Shah, Secretary School Education and Literacy Department (SELD), Govt. of Sindh Ghulam Akbar Laghari and Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon will co-host alongside Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA). Sindh Minister for Culture and Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah will grace the event as chief guest along with Provincial Minister for Information and Labour Saeed Ghani and Member Provincial Assembly Tanzeela Qambrani.

The PLF is a true partnership of the Government, Civil Society Organization, Industry and Development Partner sponsors, including the Bank of Punjab (BoP), Habib Metropolitan Bank, Oxford University Press (OUP), Room to Read (RtR), British Council Pakistan, National Foods, Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), EdLab Pakistan, Learning Pitch, CandyLand, Essa Laboratories, Lightstone Publishers, Sightsavers Pakistan, SOC Films, Telenor, Oxfam in Pakistan, UNESCO, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Museum and K-Electric.

The famous choir of heritage school St. Joseph’s Convent (SJC), where millions of girls/women students have graduated since 1860 making it famous for its empowered gendered footprint, will be rendering the PLF /CLF anthem ‘Humain Kitab Chahiye’ written for the CLF by Zehra Nigah and composed by Rakae Jamil, both will be there too. There will be a special Concert by SJC choir on 14 December from 1:00-2:00pm at the Open Air Theatre, Arts Council.

At least 33 books will be launched, including 28 adapted books from RtR in Sindhi by ITA and SELD, the Hamara Adabi Jashan written and illustrated by Maria Riaz, Aik Sabaq Seekha by child author Aminah Alavi, Zebra’s Striped by Zoya Khan (written when she was just 15years old), Kaun Badshah Banna Chahta Hai by RtR and translated in Braille by SightSavers, A Special Garden written by Dr. Ambreen Ahmed and illustrated by Maria Riaz, and Amai and Shabnam by Fauzia Minallah. These are all PLF’s publications and are available for the public. Meanwhile, BoP CEO and President Zafar Masud will announce the Young Author Awards 2021-2022.

CLF Ambassadors and renowned actors Ahsan Khan and Adeel Hashmi will thrill the audience, promoting learning, protection and how to make Faiz Ahmed Faiz popular in schools and classes on the two days of CLF which is something not to be missed.  

The program is available online on CLF’s website. There are over 70 sessions and 150 resource persons and institutions participating in the mega event.

Active plenaries and pitches will take place by industry, education and climate change giants on Ed Tech, Incredible Libraries, Education Reforms and Climate Change with many eminent speakers including Zehra Nigah, Dr. Arfa Syeda Zehra, Zubeida Mustafa, Dr. Fouzia Khan, Ahmed Shah, Rumana Husain, Afia Salam, CEO Katalyst Labs Jehan Ara and resource persons from Dot and Line, AzCorp, ITA, EdLabs, Learning Pitch, Deaf Reach Wonder Tree, OUP and more. Sessions on theatre, music, performing arts, puppets and cinema will have Ali Hamza, Rakae Jamil, Nazia Zuberi Hassan, Sheema Kermani, Samar Minallah, Nigar Nazar, Atif Badar, Shayma Saiyid and Junaid Zuberi. Sohail Rana songs revival continues at PLF this time too with a session Dak Baboo Dak Baboo led by Nazia Zuberi in schools supported by ITA teams.  

Sessions on creative writing and art of book making will be led by Mohsin Tejani of the School of Writing and Batool Nasir of OUP and on Dastani Goi Bait Bazi by Badar and Syed Nusrat Ali. Kitab Gari – a CLF/Library/School on wheels – also being called ‘Jadoo Gari’ will also be launched at the PLF and will engage the children, teachers and families through interactive activities throughout the event. Moreover, there will be STEAM activities by Science Fuse, Digital Story Writing by AKUIED, numeracy –heritage by SBP Museum, tiny tales and arts & crafts by British Council Library, Environment and Climate Change Corner by the Grand Maali of Pakistan Tofiq Pasha Mooraj, interactive activities by SEF and Naunehal Magazine and much more.

The PLF/CLF/TLF are ITA’s flagship nationwide programs, promoting learning and above all social emotional learning especially at the time of COVID-19. They have a nationwide footprint, having completed 74 CLFs in all provincial capitals, Islamabad and over 25 districts of the country, digital CLFs and PLFs, collectively reaching over 1.6 million children and teachers since its inception in November, 2011.

End to gender parity for skilled women to ensure national prosperity: FPCCI

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Emphasizing upon removing gender parity for skills development in labour market, Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Senior Vice President, FPCCI, has said that it would not only ensure socio-economic development especially of low income population but also contribute significantly towards national economic stability.

“Everybody should play their role for Pakistan to develop and to acquire sustainability in social and economic aspects. Women are half of the country’s population and it is essential to provide accurate pathways for women for accessing new opportunities and for facilitating a high participation of women in the labour market,” Syed Mazhar remarked this at a webinar ‘Gender-parity in TVET for socio-economic prospects of Pakistan’.

The webinar was organized by European Union-funded TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP), Germany and Norwegian Embassy.

Purpose of the event was to emphasize on the inclusion of women in labour market through skills development and to aware the general public about the significance of technical education and vocational training for women to access and excel in the labour market.

Mr Markus Strohmeier, Managing Director and CEO Siemens Pakistan; Mr Tobias Becker, Country Director, GIZ Pakistan; Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Senior Vice President, FPCCI; and Qurrat Ul Ain Naveed, an entrepreneur, skills and entrepreneurship expert, were the panelists of the webinar.

The webinar addressed the topics of gender balance, equality, improved access and quality of skills training as well as the challenges which are faced in real life leading to gender-incomparability in TVET as well as labour market.

The TVET SSP has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), provincial Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVTAs) and large number of private sector organizations.

The TVET SSP has been striving since the inception of its second face for more women inclusion through access and conducive environment so that more technical skills are learnt by women and the gender gap is reduced for a durable, positive and strong impact on economic productivity.

Giving his expert opinion in the webinar, Markus Strohmeier said that public-private partnership in the TVET SSP is the way forward for the inclusion of women. “This initiative is the means to polish their skills, and to compete and achieve their goals,” he explained.

Addressing the audience, Tobias Becker shed light on the role of GIZ Pakistan on behalf of the German Development Cooperation in implementing the TVET reforms in Pakistan. He said, “GIZ Pakistan in partnership with NAVTCC is successfully implementing the TVET SSP and is delighted to see the positive outcome of this Programme,”

He also mentioned that people of Pakistan are willing to enhance their skills and compete in the international labour market for better returns.

Moreover, he revealed that from the 50,000 vocational graduates of TVET SSP, more than 30 percent of them are women. This clearly demonstrates that women can succeed in a gender-inclusive TVET.

Qurrat Ul Ain Naveed remarked that technically and vocationally trained youth, especially women are an asset for the country and said the TVET SSP is significantly contributing to making women confident and empowered. “Skills of women are enhanced by training programmes like TVET SSP,” she maintained.

In the webinar, Moderator Sonia Omair, Development Communication Advisor GIZ Pakistan, discussed about the significance of gender-parity in TVET for socio-economic prospects of Pakistan. She said that technically trained youth, and particularly more women, contributing to the labour market will lead to a promising future of the country.

Aga Khan University Hospital Delivers the First-Ever Gene Therapy in Pakistan for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

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The Aga Khan University Hospital Delivers the First-Ever Gene Therapy in Pakistan for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Geneticists deliver the first-ever gene therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy at AKUH, obtain extraordinary results

Shavez, a two-year-old boy from Chiniot, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at the age of 6 months. In this condition, patients experience muscle weakness, decreased muscle tone, limited mobility, breathing problems, delayed motor skills and scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and other serious health problems. Many children suffering from this condition do not survive beyond their second birthday.

This news devasted Shavez’s parents. His elder sister already had this condition, and they knew all too well what it meant for their child’s life. “Even though we had a daughter with the same condition, no doctor ever told us that the condition could occur again if we got pregnant”, said Liaqat Ali Ghauri, Shavez’s father.

SMA is a group of hereditary diseases that destroys motor neurons – nerve cells in the brain stem and spinal cord that control essential skeletal muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy. Even though there is a lack of data to assess the prevalence of SMA in Pakistan, cousin marriages are the most common reason attributed for its occurrence. Global data suggests that 1 in 10,000 live births are affected by SMA with a carrier frequency of approximately 1 in 50.

Liaqat had done his research with his daughter and knew there were no treatment options available until 2019, when Novartis, a global pharmaceuticals company, developed a gene therapy drug to cure the condition. This medication had shown promising results for patients in the United States and Europe.

This is a new drug that only requires one dose to cure the disorder, but the cost of this drug is millions of dollars, making it out of reach for most people. Novartis developed a globally managed access programme to provide free-of-cost therapy to 100 patients a year to address this. Shavez was one such lucky patient, selected by Novartis to receive the drug and became the first such candidate in Pakistan.

Dr Salman Kirmani, Associate Professor and Chair, Division of Women and Child Health, at the Aga Khan University and his team, saw Shavez in June 2020, when he was one and a half years old, and applied for him to be part of Novartis’s Managed Access Program.  Soon, they received the nomination for the drug. Dr Kirmani’s team spent the next six months training the staff, working with authorities to receive the medication, and running the necessary tests to assess if Shavez was fit to receive the drug.

Shavez was administered the drug one day before his second birthday. Since then, he has received regular consultations and has shown significant improvement. The doctors at AKUH are hopeful that they will continue to see further progress in the years to come.

“We found out about this drug in 2019, but we thought we would not receive it until much later. But then, we found out about the programme and were lucky enough to have received it. Ten months later, we see significant improvement in Shavez’s condition, and we will continue to provide life-long follow-up to monitor his health”, said Dr Salman Kirmani.

“I thought our lives had ended, but we were living in hopes that there might be a miracle and one of our babies would survive. And there we have it, Shavez is recovering day by day. It is all because of the hard work of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Aga Khan University Hospital. Allah has been very kind to us”, said Mrs Liaqat.

For Shavez’s treatment, in addition to the drug cost, his family needed financial support to cover other treatment costs. This they received from Aga Khan University Hospital’s Welfare Programme. The hospital is committed to providing access to quality healthcare, and in 2020, supported over 850,000 indigent patients with welfare and zakat worth PKR 300 crore. Shavez received free-of-cost care at AKUH, making it possible for him to get world-class quality care at no additional financial burden to his family.

Telenor Pakistan signs License Renewal Template to reiterate commitment to its customers

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Continuing its commitment to provide best-in-class telecom and digital solutions to its customers and connecting them to what matters most,Telenor Pakistan has sign edits GSM license renewal template issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) under protest and without prejudice.Telenor Pakistan reserves right to continue seeking a legal resolution to its dispute with PTA in this regard.

PTA issued a 15-year license for network operations to Telenor Pakistan in 2004, the renewal of which was required to be done within available framework. Telenor Pakistan has always advocated for a level playing field and fair terms and conditions; and believes that the coverage and quality of services will improve throughjoint efforts of all stakeholder involved to ensure long term viability and sustainability of the telecom sector. The dispute on the onerous terms and conditions of the license template is sub-judice before Supreme Court of Pakistanand Telenor Pakistan will continue the legal recourse to resolve disagreements. However, subject to outcome of aforesaid legal proceeding, in order to ensure greater certainty to business operations, Telenor Pakistan has taken a step forward towards its future ambitionby singing the license template.

Commenting on the development, CEO Telenor Pakistan, Irfan Wahab Khan stated,“Telecom and digital services have become fundamental for modern, sustainable societies to prosper. At Telenor Pakistan, we are continuously maximising our efforts towards enabling our customers and accelerating the pace of digitalisation in the country. The digital ecosystem in Pakistan has immense potential to grow however, there is a need for collective efforts to exploit the potential and bring greater value to consumers. We look forward to the resolution of industry issues and the support from PTA towards ensuring a more conducive regulatory environment in the country.”

Telenor Pakistan has been at the forefront of delivering unhindered and exceptional services to its customers while playing an active role in promoting the country’s prospects in embracing the digital revolution. Continuity of seamless and best-in-class connectivity and digital services, for its 49 million customers, remains the top priority for Telenor Pakistan.

HUAWEI CLOUD announces Spark Program for SMEs in the Middle East

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•    50 SMEs to receive up to $15,000 fund support on HUAWEI CLOUD in addition to training to enhance cloud capabilities during the first phase of the program.

                •    Spark is the first step of HUAWEI CLOUD Oasis Program which plans to invest USD15 million over the next three to accelerate the development of technology                                       enterprises and ecosystems in the Middle East.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) HUAWEI CLOUD has announced the launch of “Spark”, a new startup ecosystem support program aiming at empowering SMEs to develop their cloud capabilities. This initiative is the first step towards supporting HUAWEI CLOUD partners in line with the recently  launched Oasis Program, where Huawei announced plans to invest USD15 million over the next three years to accelerate the development of technology enterprises and ecosystems in the Middle East.

Spark will support more than 50 SMEs, each will receive up to $15,000 fund support on HUAWEI CLOUD in addition to cloud training during the first phase of the program. A select group of SMEs will then join Spark Accelerate Program, where they will receive further technical support from HUAWEI CLOUD experts to help transform their businesses in the cloud and evolve their offerings.

Frank Dai, President of HUAWEI CLOUD Middle East, said: “SMEs play a prominent role in Middle East economies, where they contribute by far the largest share of national economic output. However, they face unique challenges, including a shortage of a skilled digital workforce and a lack of resources to digitize operations. By empowering more SMEs to succeed through Spark and similar programs, we can jointly cultivate an even stronger technology ecosystem in the Middle East.”

SMEs are the backbone of the global economy and are essential contributors to job creation and economic growth. According to the World Bank, small businesses represent about 90% of all businesses worldwide and more than 50% of employment opportunities. In the region, 99% of the Saudi private sector consists of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and 70% of the country’s workforce. Similarly, the SME sector represents more than 94% of all companies operating in the UAE and provides jobs for more than 86% of the private sector’s workforce.

Digitization is a game-changer for the SME sector, contributing to significant revenue boost and business resilience. A whitepaper by UAE’s Ministry of Economy revealed that digital technologies had helped 76% of UAE SMEs attract new customers, 65% were able to generate cost savings, and 50% were able to access new markets. For example, 45% of SMEs accepting digital payments recorded an increase in sales averaging +12% and could process payments seven times faster than non-digital payments.

HUAWEI CLOUD delivers a smart experience for people, cities, and enterprises in all scenarios, as part of Huawei’s commitment to providing reliable, secure, and cost-effective cloud services to empower applications, and help organizations of all sizes grow in today’s intelligent world. To support a wider cloud rollout, Huawei has unveiled several programs to help the region cultivate digital experts and build the local ecosystem. It recently announced a support program for developing 3,000 cloud experts in the region as part of the HUAWEI CLOUD Oasis Program. The Oasis Program includes USD7.5 million to be allocated for partner development, over USD2.5 million to be put behind credits and other cloud resources, and more than USD4.5 million in marketing support for program projects.

According to Gartner1, HUAWEI CLOUD ranks as the No. 5 IaaS cloud service provider globally, with a growth rate exceeding 200% between 2019-2020.

OPPO Launches its all new A95 Smartphone with a Remarkable Design

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) OPPO, a leading global smart device brand, today announced the launch of its latest A series smartphone – OPPO A95 – in Pakistan. Continuing the characteristic features of the OPPO A series, A95 empowers users through powerful technology and stylish design, to address young and sophisticated users’ needs for smarter everyday communications. OPPO A95 is now available to purchase across Pakistan for PKR 41,999/- only.

OPPO A95 comes equipped with a large 5000mAh battery and 33W Flash Charge to ensure longer battery life and usage time. Stylishly finished using the unique OPPO Glow design, the smartphone is not only gorgeous to look at, but comfortable to use and highly durable. It also features an AMOLED FHD+ display with All-day Eye Care to deliver a better viewing experience.

Powered by the Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 662 platform, OPPO A95 delivers a smooth and efficient user experience at all times. This is further enhanced by System Booster, a suit of system-level optimizations that ensure the phone runs seamlessly. OPPO A95 also comes with an 8GB RAM+128GB ROM configuration, and RAM Expansion technology, allowing it to convert unused ROM storage into RAM when manually enabled.

OPPO A95 comes with a large 5000mAh battery and 33W Flash Charge, which can reach a full charge in 72 minutes. With a 5-minute charge, users can enjoy 1.8 hours of YouTube video viewing and 5.7 hours of voice calls.

For photos and videos, OPPO A95 features a 48MP Triple-camera Set-up on the back of the device. With A95’s 16MP front camera and OPPO’s AI Beautification and Front Night Mode features, it’s now much easier to take more defined selfies.

Moreover, the entire phone is manufactured to be both dustproof and waterproof, with an IPX4 rating. It has also been tested for durability by being put through a series of rubbing tests against a range of common household materials designed to simulate everyday wear.

OPPO A95 is available in two stylish colors: Glowing Rainbow Silver and Glowing Starry Black. Both models feature OPPO’s exclusive OPPO Glow design, which gives the back cover of the phone a subtle shimmering appearance, creating a dual matte finish with glittery details. The phone’s cover feels ultra-fine and smooth to hold, and it is also fingerprint-resistant, scratch-resistant, wear-resistant, and fire-resistant, helping users to keep the phone spotless and free from wear and tear.

OPPO A95 features a 6.43-inch display with a 90.8% ultra-high screen-to-body ratio and a high 2400×1080 resolution. Even with the large 5000mAh battery, the phone still comes in at just 7.95 mm thin and weighs only 175 g.

ColorOS 11.1 on OPPO A95 provides the foundation for an efficient and convenient user experience, helping to improve everyday productivity for all kinds of tasks. FlexDrop, for example, ensures smooth multi-task among different apps through resized windows. Additionally, features like Game Space, Game Assistant, Game Focus Mode and Bullet Notifications all contribute to creating a fully-immersive and interruption-free gaming experience.

As the newest member of the OPPO A series, OPPO A95 is packed with a series of innovations in both hardware and software, combining high-efficiency performance with eye-catching design to meet a diverse range of everyday needs.

Gerry’s dnata wins coveted global award for best-in-class services in Pakistan

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Gerry’s dnata, Pakistan’s leading ground services provider, has been recognised for consistently delivering quality, safe and innovative services at its Islamabad hub and received the ‘Best Station’ accolade at the 2021 Pride of Ground Handling Awards.  Gerry’s dnata was also shortlisted for four additional awards.

Syed Haris Raza, Vice President of Gerry’s dnata, said: “We are delighted to receive one of the industry’s most coveted global awards as a recognition of our world-class services.  

“Islamabad is an extremely important and strategic location for the aviation industry. As the leading ground handler we are proud to have supported one of the largest repatriation missions of the year by ensuring safe and seamless operations of the flights.

“I thank each member of our team for their relentless commitment to provide service excellence across our network.”

Over the past year, Gerry’s dnata has continued to enhance its operations and services to deliver the highest level of quality and safety and help airline customers safely transport passengers and precious cargo to and from Pakistan.  Gerry’s dnata also made significant investments in infrastructure, technology and equipment. This included the opening of a new, state-of- the-art cargo facility in Lahore which doubled the company’s cargo handling capacity at the airport.

Gerry’s dnata’s quality of service helped it win or retain over 20 contracts with key accounts across its network. The company also achieved prestigious industry certifications, including GDP and IATA’s ISAGO accreditation, which validate its capabilities and place the business in a market leading position.

Gerry’s Group and dnata, a global leading air and travel services provider, joined hands in 1993 to provide ground handling services at Karachi Airport. Since then, the joint venture has continually expanded its operations in the country and today serves more than 20 airline customers at seven Pakistani airports. Gerry’s dnata’s dedicated employees serve more than seven million passengers and handle 150,000 tons of cargo annually.

Ground Handling International’s (GHI) Pride of Ground Handling Awards celebrate excellence in ground service across the globe and the all-important people who are passionate about performing the perfect turnaround.

Pakistan’s Leading Travel Platform Bookme.pk Raises $7.5 Mn Series A Round

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Lahore based Bookme.pk announced today that it has closed a $7.5 Mn Series A funding round. Bookme is a travel and ticketing platform similar to Traveloka in Indonesia, providing customers with online bookings for Intercity Buses, Airlines, Hotels & Events in Pakistan The round was co-led by Zayn Capital, seed investor Lakson VC and UAE-based Hayaat Global with participation from MENA based BY Ventures and Jabbar Internet Group, New York based Millville Opportunities and Silicon-Valley based Mentor’s Fund.

“Our focus at Bookme has always been the customer experience. With this mind we have created a fully integrated platform that allows customers to seamlessly make bookings with the click of a button. We digitized the paper-based transport and travel sector in Pakistan to create a plug and play distribution system that inter-connects reservation systems of intercity buses, domestic & international airlines, hotels and events. In our view, making the overall experience cashless through APIs to enable Super App payment applications was an integral part of completing the digital experience.” said Faizan Aslam, CEO & Founder of Bookme. Bookme is the first completely cashless platform in Pakistan with the highest number of day-to-day digital transactions for banks and payment gateways.

Moreover, Bookme has partnered with Pakistan’s leading mobile wallet platform to offer its customers BNPL services, leveraging historical data and spending patterns for more than 6 million customers. The intercity bus segment has grown significantly in Pakistan as road infrastructure and connectivity has improved throughout the country due to massive infrastructure investments over the last 5 years. In addition, major urban cities in Pakistan have a large number of rural migrants, increasing demand for bus travel for their work-related commutes.

“Bookme is led by an exceptional team with a clear vision which has enabled it to scale rapidly and dominate the travel and ticketing market in Pakistan. We are thrilled to continue to invest in Bookme and firmly believe that the Series A funding will allow Bookme to expand its operations, increase its market share and transform the travel and ticketing space in the country.” said Babar Lakhani, Managing Partner of Lakson Venture Capital.

“We have followed Bookme’s journey from the seed stage to see it scale into one of the leading platforms in Pakistan. We’re extremely proud to be a continued part of their journey as we believe that this team is capable of building a Unicorn.” said Faisal Aftab Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Zayn Capital Frontier Fund.

Cost efficiency and shorter travel distances in densely populated provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are also creating greater demand for buses. Moreover, the 82-million-strong middle class, composed mostly of Millennials and Generation Z are also increasing demand for buses, airlines, hotels and events as domestic tourism and entertainment has grown over the last few years.

“BookMe has one of the most robust e-ticketing platforms because of its focused approach and customer centricity. Under Faizan’s inspired leadership, this stellar team has shown their market nous with unique, compelling offerings and partnerships that have supercharged its trajectory. We are delighted to play a role in their growth story and plans, and we fully expect them to continue scaling new peaks as the digital economy deepens in Pakistan.” said Mohammed Ikhlaq, Director of Hayaat Global SFO DMCC.

Pakistani startups have raised more than $300 million so far in 2021. The country has leap frogged in internet users from 20 million in 2015 to more than 100 million in 2021. Platforms like Bookme are poised to scale rapidly as one of the leading local use-cases for this emerging youthful digital economy.