Category: Business

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Celebrating International Women’s Day, Pakistan’s connectivity and digital services frontrunner, Zong 4G, has reiterated its commitment to women’s empowerment and inclusion in the workplace.

On this occasion, both male and female colleagues at Zong took the opportunity to renew their pledge to supporting women at all levels of the career and strengthen the culture of equal opportunity, trust, and gratitude without bias.

Both the management and the employees of Zong expressed their will to give women every chance possible to prove their mettle and ‘break the bias’, which is also the theme of this International Women’s Day.

The women of Zong found the occasion the perfect one to share their personal working experience with the organization, while the male colleagues showed their commitment to supporting their female co-workers and spoke about the value they bring to the workplace.

“Women are at the core of our working culture as much as they’re to the society,” shared Zong’s official spokesperson. “We take pride in our women and the contributions they continue to make at all fronts and on all levels within the organization.”

“It’s high time we ‘break the bias’ and let women thrive and rise to their full potential. I personally thank all women, at Zong and beyond, for making the organization and the culture worthwhile.”

Besides leading the digital transformation in Pakistan, Zong is also championing women’s inclusion within the organization and beyond.

The company recently signed an agreement with the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to promote gender inclusion in the workplace and society. The company has also been actively involved in spreading the benefits of digitalization to the young women of Pakistan.

• Company estimates that over 50 percent of global GDP will be digitalized in 2022
• Organizations from the Middle East and abroad examine topics including 5G business success, green technology, and connectivity + IT

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) At the recently concluded Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Huawei showcased a series of new technologies and solutions from across all of its business units to ensure success through digital transformation. The company came together with industry partners to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices to continuously create value for telecom carriers and to help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation.

During the weeklong event, Huawei met with organizations from the Middle East and abroad to discuss topics including 5G business success, green technology, and connectivity + IT, with a focus on creating business and social value to light up a bright future of the digital economy. Huawei has estimated that over 50 percent of global GDP will be digitalized in 2022 as the global digital economy develops rapidly.

Rotating Chairman Guo Ping committed to continue Huawei’s globalization strategy and increase its investment into foundational technologies to reshape the technological paradigm. Through this investment, Huawei hopes to reshape the fundamental theories, architecture, and software that underpin its industry, increase its mid-to long-term competitiveness, and ensure the longer-term sustainability of the ICT industry.

Under the theme of “Lighting up the Future” at MWC, Huawei featured various scenarios of how carriers should prepare for the gigaverse and how they can embed sustainability in their operations. Ryan Ding, Huawei’s Executive Director and President of the Carrier Business Group, called on operators to join Huawei in its GUIDE business blueprint to create a better digital economy together. Huawei also announced the launch of new intelligent solutions and technologies including 5G Advanced, 6G, IPv6+, and advanced computing technologies. Many of these new digital services were discussed with more than 15 Middle East telecom carriers and industry partners during the company’s Operations Transformation Forum at MWC.

Meanwhile, Huawei placed a particular emphasis on sustainability at MWC, illustrating how a new generation of green ICT solutions and strategies will support its carrier and enterprise customers. The company showcased how it can support carriers to optimize energy by building energy-efficient sites, networks, and operations, helping them to reduce their carbon footprint while lowering energy expenses to meet their cost reduction goals—achieving “More Bits, Less Watts”.

The company also won several awards at MWC. Huawei 5Green Solutions were recognized twice at the MWC22 Barcelona, winning the GTI ‘Innovative Breakthrough in Mobile Technology Award’ and ‘Outstanding Award’, a testament to Huawei’s substantial contributions to technological innovation and sustainable development in its efforts to promote customer benefits. Moreover, world leading operators Telkomsel, TPG, joint with Huawei won the GTI Awards ‘2022 Market Development’ Award for their outstanding contributions to the 2.3 GHz industry. The company was also named a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for primary storage for six consecutive years.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Nestlé Pakistan carried out a two-day training on ecotourism and sustainable waste management in Peshawar, under Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TREK) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Under the TREK initiative, over 130 public and private sector participants have been trained in Swat, Galyat and Chitral. The initiative has also engaged the local communities through training and awareness sessions on nutrition and hygiene for school children.

Women from hospitality industry, women’s chamber of commerce, non-profit, academia and other segments of the society actively participated in the training session. The two-day training comprised sessions on categorizing waste, the importance of recycling, learning to conduct waste audits, basic food safety and the importance of WASH compliance among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Tashfeen Haider Additional Secretary Tourism said, “We are glad that women are actively participating in community engagement activities, as training and awareness campaigns for tourists are coming to fruition.” He further said, “Department of Tourism’s collaboration through the TREK with Nestlé Pakistan and other stakeholders will strengthen the efforts to create livelihood opportunities for women and effectively address the issues faced by the tourism sector including waste management.”

Talking about the initiative, Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nestlé in Pakistan and Afghanistan, said, “Our partnership with the government on TREK, will help realize our vision for shaping a waste-free future, by driving new behavior for a cleaner environment.”

“At Nestlé, our vision is that none of our packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill or rivers. To achieve this, we have set ourselves the commitment of ensuring 100% of our packaging is reusable or recyclable by 2025,” he said, adding that active participation of women has shown wider social empowerment for the communities in the region.

Empowering women is a key part of Nestlé’s approach to enhancing diversity and inclusion. Apart from working to balance the gender makeup of our workforce, Nestlé is also working to change the economic, social and cultural outlook for women outside our operations through a host of different programs that aim to teach skills and improve livelihoods.

Kiran Afzal, Senior Private Sector Specialist, of the World Bank Group shared, “We are hopeful that this partnership will produce results on the ground by encouraging a responsible attitude towards destination management and respect for the ecosystem.”

Nestlé Pakistan’s commitment to TREK includes 2 pillars: A massive awareness campaign focusing on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and a Community Engagement plan which includes activities that will help in countering the issues of waste, pollution and destruction of wildlife, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13, 15 and 17.

The event concluded with prize distribution for participants by Salim Jan, Director Youth Affairs, Babar Khan, CEO PCB KP government and Touseef Khalid Project Director KITE.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Board of Directors of National Bank of Pakistan “NBP” “the Bank” met today to review the financial performance of the Bank and approve the audited financial statements of the Bank for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The Board observed that during 2021 the Bank has delivered strong performance in pursuit of its vision to be the Nation’s leading bank enabling sustainable growth and inclusive development. Despite a civil penalty of PKR 9.8 Bn imposed on the US operations, the Bank reported profit before-tax of PKR 52.9 Bn and after tax profit closed at PKR 28.0 Bn.

With net interest income of PKR 97.6 Bn and non-fund income of PKR 36.9 Bn, total revenue for the year 2021 closed at PKR 134.6 Bn. Despite high inflationary pressures, total administrative expenses dropped by 5% during 2021 to close at PKR 60.0 Bn. Also, loan loss and other provision charges reduced by 61% to close at PKR 11.9 Bn. Despite a civil penalty of PKR 9.8 Bn imposed on the Bank’s US operations, profit before tax amounted to PKR 52.9 Bn – highest ever in the history of the Bank. As the Bank is observing effective cost controls, operating expenses (excluding the penalties) for the year 2021 amounted to PKR 59.7 Bn which is 5% lower YoY as compared to PKR 62.8 Bn for the year 2020. Thus cost-to-income ratio (excluding extraordinary item) reduced to 44.6% in 2021. Total provision charge for the year 2021 amounted to PKR 11.92 Bn, significantly lower by PKR 19.0 Bn or 62% vs PKR 30.9 Bn for 2020. Profit after tax closed at PKR 28.0 Bn reflecting a YoY drop of 8.3%. With PKR 74.4 Bn in after-tax profits during the last three years, the Bank’s net assets stand increased from PKR 206.9 Bn at end 2021 to PKR 286.2 Bn translating into PKR 135 per share against PKR 97.2 at the beginning of 2019. Strengthening its balance sheet, the Bank created loan loss provisions of PKR 48.9 Bn over the last three years. These results have been delivered despite multiple challenges and headwinds amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and a significant drag due to non-payment of mark-up in certain legacy public-sector non-performing loans and the Covid-19 related flexibility and repayment relief provided to customers in need.

The balance sheet of the Bank reached PKR 3.85 Trillion compared to PKR 2.80 Trillion in early 2019. Only in 2021, YoY growth was high at 27.9% as the Bank achieved the PKR 3.0 Trillion milestone in deposits which increased PKR 600 Bn, of which 80% or PKR 477.4 Bn were customer deposits. CASA ratio stood high at 82%. As the Bank pursued a prudent and selective loan growth strategy, net advances recorded a 13.2% growth YoY to reach PKR 1.1 Trillion at the end of 2021. The Bank maintained strong funding and liquidity levels through a diversified funding portfolio. At the end of 2021, the Bank’s liquidity coverage ratio stood at 164% (2020:180%), and the Net Stable Funding Ratio stood at 278% (2020:256%) well above the statutory minimums of 100%. At the end of 2021, CET-1 ratio and Total CAR stood at 15.42% and 20.39%, respectively – the highest capitalisation level in the Bank’s history. The Bank enjoys highest local credit ratings of AAA / A1+ categories for long term and short term respectively as reaffirmed by both PACRA and VIS Credit Rating Company.

NBP’s Islamic Banking is operating a network of 189 branches throughout the country. Islamic Banking continues to focus on Commercial and SME businesses by expanding trade hubs to provide ease of service to these segments. While end of year deposits grew by 13% YoY to PKR. 84.8 Bn as of Dec ‘21 from PKR 75.3 Bn as of Dec ‘20. Average, CASA deposits increased by 26% to close at PKR 67.4 Bn

The Bank has made significant progress during 2021 in organizational transformation, product digitalization and initiatives for promoting financial inclusion with a focus on commercial and rural segments. In parallel with business growth initiatives, the Bank has continued to progress with the remediation of legacy issues in the area of Risk, Asset Quality, Operational Effectiveness, International Franchise and HR.

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the internal controls and compliance environment, in late February 2021, the Bank reached consent agreements with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the New York State Department of Financial Services, the US regulators of NBP’s New York branch. These agreements included civil penalties totalling PKR 9.78 Bn (US$ 55.4 Mn) focused on historical compliance program weaknesses and delays in making compliance-related enhancements initially identified in 2014. Whereas, there were no findings of improper transactions or wilful misconduct. The New York branch has been under new management since May 2020 and has substantially enhanced its compliance program. The U.S. regulators have recognized the many positive changes resulting from new management. The National Bank of Pakistan and the New York branch are fully committed to satisfying the regulators’ expectations

Despite the economic challenges amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bank has maintained its financial performance momentum across all business fronts during 2021. The Bank’s financial results suggest its refreshed strategy is working well and has been validated despite the stress the banking industry has experienced over the last two years.

 During 2021, NBP won multiple awards from international and local publications/platforms. These include, among others, Best Bank for Agriculture Award, Corporate & Investment Bank of the Year – Pakistan, Corporate Client Initiative of the Year – Pakistan, Debt Deal of the Year – Pakistan, Project Infrastructure Finance Deal of the Year – Pakistan, Project Finance House of the Year for the year, Best Trade Finance Bank in Pakistan for 2021 and Best Corporate Reporting Award – 2021.

Overall, NBP has made considerable progress on its strategy across its consumer and institutional businesses and for playing its systemically important role in the economy while maintaining a strong and resilient balance sheet to deliver performance for shareholders. The Bank’s Inclusive Development initiatives also recorded satisfactory results with focus on priority sectors including Agri, SME, Women, CSR and G2P initiatives. Under the Government’s Low Cost Housing initiative, NBP stands No.1 in terms of number of loans disbursed to 1,000+ families. This year, our Islamic Banking franchise, achieved PKR 100 Bn milestone of total assets (2020: PKR 89 Bn) while diversifying its product suite by introduced e.g. PayPak Debit Card, Hamsafar Auto Finance, SBP Micro Payment Gateway (Raast), etc.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) TPL Trakker, Pakistan’s leading IoT Solutions Company, has recently partnered with Telenor Pakistan to exclusively provide state of the art IoT solutions and services to strengthen domestic connectivity infrastructure in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s data and telecommunications infrastructure is rapidly transforming to enable seamless connectivity and provision of disturbance-free services to customers. By the end of last year, Pakistan’s telecom sector witnessed a growth of 189 million cellular subscribers, 108 million 3G/4G subscribers and 110 million broadband subscribers. Telenor Pakistan owns over 26% market share, the second largest according to PTA.

As a market leader in IoT for over two decades, TPL Trakker holds market share of 42% and has the largest nationwide operational coverage through machine learning and big data analytics to actively foster custom-built IoT solutions and generate critical business insights for customers.

With its technologically advanced ecosystem of IoT services, Trakker will partner with Telenor Pakistan to offer a range of IoT services. Customers will benefit from these IoT services by gathering valuable insights and actionable data to improve operational efficiency, optimal resource utilization as well as cost optimization. 

Commenting on this development, TPL Trakker’s CEO, Sarwar Khan stated, “Pakistan is on an upward journey towards digitisation, and technological advancements are increasingly becoming integral to the development of business ecologies. TPL Trakker, being the market leader in GPS and IoT services, is in a foremost position to deliver mission critical services to Telenor Pakistan in their efforts to revolutionise the connectivity infrastructures.”

Also present on the occasion, Telenor Pakistan’s Chief Business Officer, Omer Bin Tariq commented, “What started out as a partnership to explore opportunities in IoT domain, has now evolved into an even stronger relationship built on trust and reliability. Equipped with Trakker’s exceptional experience and capabilities, our teams are now all set to scale up IoT domain by bringing in new use cases to solve real time customer problems.”  

TPL Trakker is Pakistan’s foremost Tracking, Digital Mapping and IoT services provider that empowers numerous mainstream businesses including the telecom sector.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022, Careem Pakistan released impactful data that showed the trends of women mobility on its platform. During 2016 – 2021, Careem has moved 4.3 million women taking 32 million rides and covering a distance of over 351 million kilometers. The platform also provides income opportunities to 1,685 female Captains across the country who have driven 595,535 rides.

Careem released the data at an event hosted by its senior leadership for female journalists, Captains, care home agents and Colleagues to showcase its efforts to facilitate the progress for women in Pakistan. Careem also announced a 50% discount on women-owned restaurants on its Super App, to encourage more women entrepreneurs to join its platform during the entire month of March. At the event, Legal Aid Society conducted an awareness clinic about basic women’s rights in Pakistan to make empowered decisions in their daily lives and break stereotypes.

Speaking at the occasion, Feroz Jaleel, Country Head Careem Pakistan, stated; “Women face a host of challenges with mobility. At Careem, we are simplifying and improving the lives of Customers, while consistently enabling them to break stereotypes. This is in line with our purpose of building an awesome organisation that inspires. We take pride because 4.3 million women have moved with Careem in the last 6 years, removing the shock factor associated with their mobility.”

Careem revolutionized safe and hassle-free mobility, especially for women over the last 6 years. Public transport was always a challenging option for women to use in Pakistan, particularly because of safety concerns. Today however, millions of women use Careem to get to work and travel across the.

Careem is constantly working to raise the bar on safety. One such example includes a partnership with Mohafiz providing 24/7 on-ground support in case of emergencies. Similarly, all active Captains are screened through NADRA, and other law enforcement agencies portals for background checks and are trained on subjects like gender sensitisation, civic sense and road safety.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), the collective voice of top foreign investors in Pakistan, has unveiled the results of the biennial “Perception and Investment Survey 2021”.

The survey results present an array of insights, shedding light on the increase in confidence of OICCI members on the growth potential of the country and some areas where government attention is required.

OICCI President, Mr. Ghias Khan, in a meeting with the media representative today, shared the salient features of the survey and highlighted that foreign investors are largely positive on several business climate parameters. OICCI members forecast healthy growth of their respective business entities in Pakistan with an overwhelming 80 percent of respondents willing to recommend new FDI in Pakistan. Mr. Ghias Khan  added that “the case for business growth potential and opportunities in Pakistan is supported by over 65 percent of survey respondents indicating their plans to make new investments, out of which 8 out of 10 respondents plan to invest more or similar amounts over the next 1 to 5 years, as compared to the investments they made in the previous corresponding period”.

Foreign investors’ sentiments about the investment and operating conditions in Pakistan, in comparison with regional countries have shown notable improvement, compared to the previous survey, as Pakistan has been rated “Better” ahead of India, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Philippines but behind Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE and China. Survey respondents have been positively influenced, amongst other considerations, by measures easing business operations such as improved banking infrastructure, access to local financing avenues, and repatriation of profits. However, concerns have been shown on area of ease of doing business and perception of Pakistan.

CE/Secretary General, OICCI, M. Abdul Aleem added that “OICCI members have once again emphasized on the need for predictable, consistent, and transparent policy framework and its fair implementation. Governance issues, including ‘Gap in Policy implementation’ continue to remain an area of serious concern along with increasing tax burden and cost of doing business. These factors not only hinder business environment but also contribute to lower FDI in the future.” The survey also highlighted sector-wise issues which OICCI intends to take up with the concerned stakeholders.

While engagement of the federal government with investors has slightly declined compared to the previous survey, OICCI members have acknowledged that senior functionaries in the federal government have shown understanding and commitment to resolve investors’ issues.

Authorities in the provincial government of Sindh has shown improvement versus previous engagement levels. However, respondents have also mentioned that at times, policies and regulations tend to be inconsistent and abruptly introduced with ineffective enforcement. The performance of regulatory bodies also reveals a mixed perception and concerns have been expressed over the excessive regulatory environment in certain areas.

In conclusion, the OICCI Vice President, Amir Paracha commented, “Going forward, we believe the largely positive feedback from foreign investors through PIS 2021 survey need to be leveraged by all the key stakeholders, especially those in the federal and provincial government, and institutions like Board of Investment, FBR, and other regulatory bodies.”

The issues identified need to be addressed on priority and opportunities are to be explored with speed and determination so that Pakistan can accelerate its growth momentum and attract large FDI”. To achieve this, regular and structured engagement with foreign investors, along with a predictable, transparent, and consistent policy framework is imperative. Simplifying the tax regime and increasing positive visibility of Pakistan at international forums will also contribute to improving the perception of the business environment of Pakistan.

 

 

 

foodpanda join hands with USAID SMEA to enhance culinary expertise of its homechefs

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) To further its mission of strengthening the HomeChef ecosystem in Pakistan, foodpanda collaborated with USAID SMEA (Small and Medium Enterprise Activity), to further enhance the culinary expertise and education of its HomeChefs.

As part of this collaboration, an extensive three days Culinary and Kitchen Management training was organised at College of Tourism and Hotel Management (COTHM) Lahore.

The training consisted of Demonstrations, Practical & Group work and covered key topics like: cooking, baking & desserts, food safety – level 1, menu planning, packaging and temperature management for food delivery, and managing food safety standards.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Infinix’s premier 5G smartphone, the Zero 5G is available for sales in stores and online. The highly anticipated 5G smartphone in Pakistan comes with a price tag of PKR 49,999.

Featuring the fifth-generation technology, the ZERO 5G not only provides high speed internet with a seamless connection, but also faster downloads and greater coverage. Despite its premier 5G status, the ZERO 5G is compatible with all networks, including 2G, 3G, and 4G. The Uni-Curve design is made up of a composite material that imitates the look and feel of glass, creating a device that feels premium to touch yet comfortable to hold.

The ZERO 5G comes in three exciting colors: Cosmic Black, Horizon Blue, and Skylight Orange. It supports the AndroidTM 11 operating system, with 6 GB Ram and 128 storage. The ZERO 5G features a crisp 48MP main camera with 30x ultra-zoom comprising of a 13MP portrait camera and 2MP virtual camera. The 30X 48MP zoom camera allows users to capture high-quality photos from a distance. With its 960 fps slow motion capabilities in video mode, the handset allows users to capture moments that even the human eye can miss.

The front camera is 16MP Dual Flash Light coupled with enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) shooting technology that makes users look flattering in all angles and lighting conditions. Infinix is committed to bringing its users a high-quality smartphone experience, by prioritizing ease, innovation, and affordability in all of its tailored devices. The ZERO 5G carries a 5000mAh battery that lasts all day long, with a 33W super-fast charging capacity that is TUV-Certified for safe charging. Zero 5G is available in three beautiful colors Cosmic Black, Horizon Blue, and Skylight Orange.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Dawood Global Foundation held the 13th Anniversary of the LADIESFUND® Women’s Awards for Pakistan 2022 at Sindh Governor House where over 700 hundred of the most dynamic and inspiring women in Pakistan gathered to celebrate the strength and empowerment of women, as well as acknowledge the great economic contribution of Pakistani women who are not only job creators but all finalists in Trailblazer and Momentum categories. The First Lady of Pakistan Samina Alvi flew in from Islamabad to be Special Guest for the occasion. The Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail Sahib, was the Chief Guest for the event and State Bank Governor Dr. Reza Baqir was Guest of Honour.

Appreciating LADIESFUND and its team, Begum President told that it has done the tremendous job in empowering the women as it had created various opportunities whether in health or education sector. Speaking on the occasion, Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail, said that under Kamyab Jawan Program, about 15,000 women had availed the facility of loan. In his official message in the souvenir, he also mentioned, “I would also like to laud LADIESFUND for such a wonderful initiative undertaken last year by introducing the nation’s first night market which brought together 30,000 famlies and featured 100 women SMEs and artisans from across our nation.”

The State Bank Governor Dr Reza Baqir spoke about the various steps taken to increase financial inclusion of women and the numerous collaborations the central bank had with LADIESFUND. LADIESFUND President Tara Uzra Dawood welcomed the guests, saying in her speech, “The intention between the 13th LADIESFUND Women’s Awards for Pakistan is to continue to honour the seen and the unseen from boxing champ Eman Khan to skills developer Saleha in Lasbela to healthy model Sana Sultan and Pakistan’s first female oceanographer Dr. Nuzhat Khan to some of our nation’s highest taxpayers to lifetime achievement winners Justice Majida Razvi and Masarrat Misbah.

We also honour those who we have been blessed to gift a wheelchair to, through our 10,000 wheelchair drive with one of our recipients – the amazing Kinza Hashmi – who did the recitation today.” LADIESFUND Lifetime Achievement Award winners, Justice Majida Razvi & Masarrat Misbah graced the occasion. Ravzi is Pakistan’s first high court judge and Misbah is the woman behind the Depilex empire. National Anthem was sung by blind Mehak Shahid, recitation was by handicapable Kinza Hashmi and a special classical dance performance was by Anjaleen Maryam Agrawalla. Moneeza Butt compered. Begum President presented LADIESFUND® Idol Award to winners Dani, Jamila and Swaleh Alam Khan.

Other winners included People’s Choice winners Rafia Ilyas and Zil Malik (Trailblazer), Hina Usmani (Momentum) and Nirmana Maghani and Pomme Gohar (Women of the Year), all of whom are great contributors to Pakistan. This year’s judges who finalized the slate of nominees included past LADIESFUND winners Yasmeen Lari (2016), Ameena Saiyid (2013), Simi Kamal (2016), Sultana Siddiqui (2008) & Souriya Anwar (2014). Voting was viral via online, radio and television reaching over 1 million homes.

Other pre-announced awards included Pakistan’s first oceanographer Dr. Nuzrat Khan (Pioneer), animal activist Yasmin Ali Zaidi (Angel) and Pakistan’s first healthy model (Sana Sultan). There was an introduction of Educate a Girl by Kashaf Ishaq, daughter of the Governor House’s Head Stewart, followed by a thought piece by Dania Hafeez on Educate a Girl Colorism’s activist work toward combatting discrimination against darker skinned girls. Uzma Tariq and Fakra Jamal spoke about their experience receiving loans through nominations made by LADIESFUND through the State Bank of Pakistan loan scheme.

Spotted at the event were Begum Governor Reema Imran, Senator Nasreen Jalil, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Senator Nasreen Jalil, Sheema Kermani, Angie Marshall, Maheen Khan, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Shabina Mustafa, Noorjehan Bilgrami, US Consul General Mark Stroh, French Consul General Christian Testot, British Deputy Head of Mission Martin Dawson, German Consul General Holger Ziegeler and his wife Claudia, as well as various diplomats, socialites and dynamic women achievers. Event sponsors were Dawood Family Takaful Ltd. And Mian Muhammad Abdullah Foundation, as well as supporters BRR Modaraba, Dawood Equities Ltd., First Dawood Investment Bank Ltd., and Pioneer Cement. Hospitality Partner was Avari Towers, Beverage Nestle Pakistan, Beauty Depilex, and Floral Zerritta.