Category: Business

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab for Information and Spokesperson Punjab Government Hasaan Khawar has said that, introducing progressive thinking of private sector in public sphere, Lahore Central Business District is not just a new project but an innovative and well thought out business model as well. He said that the project, started with just Rs 100 million, has so far generated a humongous investment of Rs. 40 billion, which will gradually increase to Rs. 100 billion by March 2022 and Rs 200 billion by March 2023. He said that, as per the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, the Government was moving towards generating business activities of up to Rs. 2500 billion from this business district. These views were expressed by SACM Hasaan Khawar while talking to media after visiting the site of CBD Prime, the first project of Lahore Central Business District.

Lahore Central Business District CEO Imran Amin, COO Mansoor Janjua, Executive Director Commercial, Executive Director Technical and other senior officials were also present. On this occasion, Spokesperson Government of the Punjab Hasaan Khawar said that previous governments had invested our scarce national resources on infrastructure and other expensive projects without future planning. He stated that the vision of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan was to utilize public sector resources when utmost necessary, to make unused government lands usable and to create new jobs through new businesses and private investment. With this in mind, we are introducing the concepts of urban regeneration and vertical growth in Lahore Central Business District. He further said that after CBD Prime, Central Business District’s master plan includes the first organized Downtown, a digital and a residential city.

On making this project environmental friendly, SACM said that this project includes modern civic initiatives i.e. blue roads, underground traffic system, facilities for pedestrians, smart trees, uninterrupted power supply and internet of things will be introduced. Answering various questions on the occasion, he said if Nawaz Sharif can be given a health card at the airport on his return to Pakistan if he so desires. “We have invested in the private sector through health cards,” he said.

Today the hospitals are showing willingness to be included in our panel so that they can attract business, he said. After taking a presentation in a container, SACM said that the journey started from Imran Khan’s D-Chowk container has reached this development container in Lahore today. We pray that these development containers reach every city and every citizen of Pakistan.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) 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.

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.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)  PTCL Group has welcomed the 4^th 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.”

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.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) 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.

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.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) 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.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) 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.

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 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.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) 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.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)  H.E. Mr. Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan, recently welcomed the opportunity to speak candidly with CEO of Bookme, Mr. Faizan Aslam. In the meeting, the two gentlemen had a substantive conversation regarding the complex nature of the e-commerce industry, their interests and priorities across a range of issues, the impact that startups are creating upon the tech sector of the country and the importance of managing competition responsibly.

Mr. Faizan accentuated the powerful impact that Bookme, as a startup, has originated in the e-commerce industry of the country. From being a comprehensive e-commerce solution for tickets booking to raising a prodigious 7.5 million investment, Bookme has made a splash in the tech sector of the country. The continuous determination of Bookme being the best solution for its customers was also communicated in the meeting.

As Bookme aims to engulf more verticals and services under its umbrella, it will be offering a supreme amount of job opportunities for hundreds and thousands of people. The two gentlemen also discussed the existential nature of competition in the economy that can be covered by reducing imports. And bringing foreign currency in the country would greatly help in escalating value towards the economy, and that Bookme has done just recently.

By bringing millions of dollars of investment in the country to be used for digitization of travel sector, it will be beneficial to cover the gaps in the grey economy and eventually will create a huge impact. Mr. President congratulated and strongly aided the multilateral efforts of Bookme for a great support towards the economy through the services of their business. And for upholding the commitments that the government made with the public.

Regarding this meeting, CEO of Bookme, Mr. Faizan Aslam quoted his thoughts, “I felt honored to meet The President and to share the emerging value that Bookme has anchored. I gratefully acknowledge the productive time that he shared with me. I found it really encouraging the way our government is showing interest in the developing startups of Pakistan and taking measures for e-commerce and tech sector. This ecosystem is beneficial for entrepreneurs and it will eventually be helpful for Pakistan’s economic growth.”

UNICEF and Telenor Pakistan hand over Digital Birth Registration system to Punjab government to scale across the province

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Leveraging innovation in technology, 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 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 give 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 area; 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 digitalisation in every aspect.”

“Government of the Punjab is striving hard to translate the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan of Digital Pakistan. Today we are advancing towards the realization of inclusive digital society. Local Government Department Punjab in collaboration with NADRA has launched Web based Application to have real time and authentic data for better planning”, said on the development 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,” Minister said.

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

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

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 of fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (16.9), particularly those relating to children.