Peace & Pakistan First
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Good news might be around the corner! The US Transport Safety Administration (TSA) team, on PIAs request, is in Pakistan to assess the on-ground services, facilities & security measures for PIA’s direct flights to the USA Mainland. PIA team has worked hard to conform with the TSA standards and is hopeful that with the approval, for the first time in Pakistan’s history, PIA will operate non stop flights to the US. CAA & ASF are fully supporting this endeavor.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Sadia Jabbar Productions, famously known for taking over the digital and broadcast media with its TV shows, movies, and digital series, has now released the trailer for a new digital talk-show titled ‘Beautiful Confessions with Asma Nabeel.’
The teaser trailers for the digital talk-show were released on International Women’s Day, featuring the renowned screenwriter and a cancer-survivor, Asma Nabeel, who would be hosting this show. She would be reaching out to numerous extraordinary women to learn about their journey to becoming who they are today. The show aims to bring unheard stories of power-women that you didn’t know existed to the common man.
Talking about the new show, director and producer Sadia Jabba revealed, “A show that is completely for women, by women, was long due in Pakistan. There are so many inspiring stories that we want to put out there, and celebrate all the wonder women we are surrounded by.”
Produced by Fahid Hanif and directed by Sadia Jabbar, the new episodes will be released every Wednesday on YouTube, starting from 18th March 2020.
Previously famed for taking over the internet with their invigorative web-series ‘Shameless Proposals,’ the production house is bringing another web-show to the masses. Sadia Jabbar Productions is the name behind some of the biggest TV shows, including ‘Mera Naam Yousuf Hai,’ ‘Khuda Dekh Raha Hai,’ ‘Dil-e-Bereham,’ and more. The
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) OPPO, the leading global smart device brand, announced its plan to launch the international version of Reno3 Series in Pakistan. The decision on the launch location reaffirmed Pakistani market’s importance to OPPO’s global strategy.
Following the successful launch of Reno3 Series – the world’s first Qualcomm-powered dual-mode 5G smartphone – in China at the end of last year, OPPO is now bringing the latest Reno3 Series to customers in other markets, with slight adjustments to fit their local needs. To fit local market context, it will still mainly support 4G. However, it does come with some key breakouts as the result of OPPO’s consistent investment in user-centric technology R&D.
Through Reno Series, OPPO has been trying to achieve a well-balanced combination of technology and fashion. With powerful photography settings, Reno3 Series claim to deliver the performance of “clear in every shot”, under all kinds of lighting context. With Reno3 Series, more great details will be captured under the daylight, while dark scenes would be brighter through its cameras. Dim-light photography would not be a challenge any more with the powerful Ultra Dark Mode. Also, video shooting is made to be even smarter and simpler than before. From the first ray of sunlight at dawn to the silent night with only stars, Reno3 Series is here to empower all its users to discover, explore and capture more beauty in life through the application of technology innovation.
The Pioneering 44MP + 2MP Dual Punch-hole Camera
Reno3 Series will have the world’s first 44MP + 2MP Dual Punch-Hole Camera on OLED screen, which not only makes it lighter and slimmer but it also delivers next-level photography performance.
44MP Primary Camera delivers high-definition selfies with authentic details like people’s facial texture and ornaments. Application of binocular bokeh with the front primary camera and bokeh camera will bring even better selfie performance. The dual punch-hole design does not only improve on selfie-taking, but also offers excellent hands-on experience. It is lighter and thinner, but perfectly fits in the hand.
Further Breakthroughs Based on Powerful Zoom Technology
Reno3 Series raises the bar of mobile photography with revolutionary zooming performance. Being a trailblazer in this field, OPPO has been making consistent long-term investment in zooming technology evolution. Ever since the debut of OPPO 5x losses zoom on MWC 2017, the company has achieved three iterations and managed to pack it in slim bodies and present it to users around the world.Reno3 Pro will carry on the series’ mission to bring more technology from the lab to everyday life. The 2x optical zoom, 5x hybrid optical zoom and the maximum of 20x digital zoom on Reno3 Pro can generate clear images with little noise in all focal lengths in photo mode. With optimization on multiple aspects, it can provide a clear view of text within a 10m distance.
Powerful 64MP Zoom Quadcam with Ultra Dark Mode
Reno3 Pro is packed with 64MP Zoom Quadcam, making it extremely versatile and enabled to answer well to different shooting requirements in life scenarios. The powerful 64MP Ultra-clear Main Camera allows photos to have wider zoom range, containing clearer details.
The AI-powered Ultra Dark Mode is also significantly increased from Reno2, making photo taking in dim light much easier, empowering everyone to take clear night shots of what human eyes can’t see. Popular scenarios are upgraded based on OPPO’s customer observation.
Ultra-Clear 108MP Image Presents All Kind of Details
Reno3 Pro will present Ultra Clear Image up to 108MP; Apart from the 64MP Ultra-clear Main Camera, Reno3 Pro is the industry pioneer in using advanced software to level up the image quality. The Ultra Clear 108MP Image on Reno3 Pro will show you the life captures with extreme clarity and high quality. With the improvements on the dynamic range, details will be perfectly represented on your screen.
More amazing features will be revealed at the official launch conference
in Lahore Pakistan soon.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Lucky Cement Limited (psx: LUCK) won the Management Association of Pakistan’s Corporate Excellence Award in the Cement Sector category. Mr. Syed Noman Hasan, Executive Director of Lucky Cement Limited received the award at the 35th MAP Annual Corporate Excellence Award Ceremony held at a local hotel yesterday.
The Corporate Excellence Awards was instituted by MAP in 1982 with the sole aim to recognize and honor companies showing outstanding performance and demonstrating progress and enlightened management practices.
Mr. Syed Noman Hasan, Executive Director, Lucky Cement Limited, remarked, “We accept this award with great pride and are extremely grateful to all our employees and stakeholders for helping us achieve repeated success over the years.”
He further added, “Lucky Cement is determined to continue making efforts in elevating the company to new heights. We are firmly invested in meeting the needs of our stakeholders and ensure to follow prudent business practices with a wider objective of contributing to the economic growth of Pakistan.”
Lucky Cement received the award based on having the best corporate practices and governance in the cement sector. The primary criteria for this award emanates from best Corporate and Management practices reflected by Leadership, Corporate Governance, Customer and Market Focus, HR, Strategic Planning and Communication, Social Responsibility, Risk Management, IT Infrastructure, Service Delivery and Security.
Engro Fertilizers has won the ‘Amir S Chinoy Corporate Excellence Award’ at the Management Association of Pakistan’s (MAP) 35th Corporate Excellence Awards. Minister of Planning Development & Special Initiatives Mr. Asad Umer is presenting the award to Mr. Nadir Qureshi, CEO, Engro Fertilizers.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Ms. Romana Sohail was announced the grand prize winner of Go Home with Luxury contest by Shell Pakistan Limited (‘Shell Pakistan’) and Visa. A special celebration was held at SPL Defence service station today. The proud winner of a Mercedes had participated in the contest, which was aimed at encouraging customers to use alternative payment options.
The winner of this contest, Ms. Romana Sohail said, “When I first received the call, I could not believe that I had won the contest and would be owner of such a grand prize. I have been fueling at Shell for as long as I can remember and always encourage my friends and family to do the same. I am thankful to both Shell and Visa for rewarding me and my family.”
Taha Magrabi, General Manager Retail of Shell Pakistan said, “Winning a luxury car is a dream that we want our customers to experience. During this campaign, we received an overwhelming response. We continuously look for opportunities to extend rewards and benefits that are meaningful to our customers and are proud to organise this campaign with Visa. My heartiest congratulations to Ms. Romana Sohail and her family.“
Kamil Khan, Visa’s Country Manager for Pakistan expressed his thoughts saying, “By incentivizing consumers to use their cards, we are exposing them to the benefits of digital payments and helping increase their preference for digital payments over cash – that is why such promotions are important. I want to thank Shell for their partnership in running this promotion. I also want to congratulate our lucky winner, Ms. Romana Sohail, and her family on their brand-new Sedan.”
To participate in this contest, customers were required to spend Rs. 3,000 or more with their Visa card at selected Shell Pakistan stations on fuels, lubricants, Select store or any other purchase to avail this amazing possibility of going home in an all new Mercedes Benz A-Class sedan. This contest ran for 3 months, from November 1st, 2019 to January 31, 2020.
More than 5,000 products offered through newly launched Carrefour delivery app.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Carrefour, operated in Pakistan by Majid Al Futtaim, has introduced a mobile app to better serve its Pakistani customers. The new app brings shoppers across Lahore a simple, digitised, and convenient mobile experience.
Through the app, customers can now shop from the comfort of their home and choose from more than 5,000 products available at Carrefour stores, while also receiving reliable and timely delivery right to their doorstep.
The application is set to lead the online marketplace in Pakistan, enabling thousands of shoppers to benefit from Carrefour’s extensive product offering. Initially, the app will offer products from the store’s grocery and household sections, eventually expanding to provide textiles, light household items, and fresh food items, adding more choice and value for consumers.
Jean Marc Dumont, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, commented: “At Carrefour we take pride in our ability to understand our customers’ needs and exceed them through some inventive thinking and the creation of a new product or service. With same-day delivery and more than 5,000 products, the newly launched app is another example of this thinking in action. The app’s arrival is exciting news for shoppers, who can now easily receive the same unbeatable value and quality that Carrefour offers across all its stores.”
In addition to the convenience of shopping for quality products from a trusted retailer, customers will also enjoy the benefit of earning points for shopping transactions that can later be redeemed in the form of discounts. The minimum order value when shopping through the mobile application is PKR 1,500, while orders above PKR 4,000 will enjoy free home delivery.
The Carrefour Pakistan app is available for download on the Google Play store and the Apple Store for all mobile users.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Telenor Microfinance Bank (TMB) celebrated International Women’s Day in commemoration of achievements of women across the country, based on the theme #EachforEqual. This day is marked for honoring the social, economic and cultural accomplishments of females in different segments of society.
As an organization, Telenor Microfinance Bank believes that having a diverse workforce is the key to fostering innovation and meeting the challenges of a dynamic marketplace and therefore, strives to create and nurture an environment which is gender inclusive. The bank takes pride in being an equal opportunity employer which empowers females in particular at all levels of hierarchy.
Commenting on the occasion, PouruchistySidhwa, Chief Human Resource Officer, Telenor Microfinance Bank said,“As one of the top employers in Pakistan, we understand and value the benefits of having a diverse workforce which is crucial for organizational culture and business performance. With a firm belief that diversity drives innovation, we are proud to foster a work environment where women have the creative, mental and physical freedom to excel and grow according to their true potential”.
The women at the bank are provided with leadership roles and opportunities to prove themselves. Over the years, we have witnessed some dynamic women emerge as future leaders not just at the bank but also in the roles they took on later in their careers.
Telenor Microfinance Bank recognizes the fact that a woman’s role in society is very diverse. Just how they are given responsibilities at work, they are also the driving force behind their families. Therefore, the Bank offers workplace day care facility, which puts them at ease and simultaneously allows them to spend more time their children. Furthermore, facilities such as leaves, pick and drop, insurance benefits, work from home and effective maternal care are also available.
Telenor Microfinance Bank not only appreciates the working women of urban cities of Pakistan but also firmly believes that women of rural areas have great potential and can be financially independent while contributing productively to their families, society as well as the country’s economy.
Other than providing digital solutions to their financial needs, Telenor Microfinance Bank also provides women with loans and access to credit facilities enabling them with the resources they need to execute their ideas. In addition, the Bank is providing instant access to convenient digital financial solutions to the masses of Pakistan through its flagship digital payment solution Easypaisa.
With an aim to empower women throughout Pakistan, Telenor Microfinance Bank is passionate about promoting workplace equality to empower women realizing their true potential as well as the limitless growth prospective they can offer to the local economy.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Emirates is providing customers more flexibility, choice and value through its newly introduced waiver policy for all booked tickets issued on or from today, 7 March until 31 March 2020, allowing customers across its network the choice of changing their travel dates without change and reissuance fees.
The move provides Emirates’ customers with peace of mind should they decide to change their travel plans due to the evolving COVID-19 situation. Customers can change their booking to any date for travel within an 11 month date range in the same booking class without change penalties. Difference in fare, if applicable applies. The policy covers all existing destinations across the Emirates network.
Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline, said: “We want our customers to feel fully supported, comfortable and confident when making travel plans, while offering them the best fares, without incurring change fees should they decide to delay or adjust dates. The situation remains dynamic and we will continue to look at ways to provide flexibility, convenience and peace of mind for our customers.”
Emirates Skywards will also be providing more flexibility to its members who have been impacted by the outbreak of the coronavirus through imposed travel restrictions and flight reductions. Skywards Platinum, Gold and Silver members can maintain their current status by fulfilling 80% of their tier travel requirements between 31 March and 30 June 2020. In addition, Skywards members booked to travel between 1 March and 30 June 2020 will be able to benefit from an additional 20% bonus Tier Miles.
For additional peace of mind, Emirates is also taking its aircraft cleaning process to the next level through additional precautionary measures of implementing enhanced disinfecting procedures after flights from destinations most affected by COVID-19. If the airline is alerted to any suspect or confirmed cases of infectious diseases, teams will be immediately deployed for a deeper cleaning to thoroughly disinfect all cabins of that aircraft with stronger, approved chemicals. Across all its aircraft, Emirates utilises HEPA filters, which are proven to remove more than 99% of viruses in the cabin environment. If there is a suspected case onboard, Emirates will go a step further to replace all the HEPA filters on the aircraft.
Customers are advised that fare differences or applicable taxes may apply if they wish to change their bookings to a different fare class. Current refund and rebooking conditions for tickets issued before 5 March still apply. Customers impacted due to cancellations of flights impacted by the COVID-19 virus are advised to check emirates.com for rebooking or rerouting options.
Customers who wish to change their travel arrangements after making bookings between 7 March and 31 March can visit their travel agent or contact the Emirates call centre at +971 600 555555.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Having won the Pepsi battle of the bands season 2 in 2017, Kashmir has emerged as one of the most promising alternative rock bands in the country. After 2 years of several single releases and music videos, the award-winning group in collaboration with Pepsi and Zellbury, has finally released their debut album titled “Khwaab.”
The news arrives alongside the release of another single ‘Dhoop,’ accompanied by a music video directed by Umar Anwar shot in Thailand. The album has nine songs, plus two bonus songs, a compilation of all the songs the band has released individually over the past two years. The corner stone of this album was set back in 2018 when just after winning Pepsi Battle of the Bands, the band announced their album titled ‘Khwaab’ to be released song by song, ultimately leading to a compiled album.
Talking about the release of their album, the band members were visibly excited, “If I could use one word to sum up this whole experience, we can easily say it has been surreal. To have been performing at all these venues, to have been able to put all this music out there has always been a dream, and getting to release this album is just the first step on this musical journey. We have put our heart and soul into making this music, and we hope people can feel some of what we have put out there through it,” said the band.
The band launched their album at a star studded event at Arts Council, Karachi where the band also performed music off their album for the audience. The album launch party was held in collaboration with Pepsi and Zellbury, and welcomed media fraternity, bloggers, and artists. The band’s personal and intimate performance was the highlight of the event.
The album has been released for now as collectible USBs and CDs and will also be available online on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and Google Play.
