Category: Pakistan

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

The concerned philanthropists and donors of Punjab by generously donating for providing quality schooling to children from the deprived communities in Sindh are playing an important role in strengthening the cause of national unity. This was stated by Punjab Governor, Muhammad Balighur Rehman while speaking at a fundraiser organized to collect donations from Lahore’s business community for the schooling of 10,000 students from the deprived areas of Sindh. The Punjab Governor said on the occasion that the government always required the support of noble charities for the provision of quality healthcare services and education to the children of destitute communities in faraway and underprivileged areas in the country. He said that genuine charities were able to serve the downtrodden people only after receiving unwavering philanthropic support from noble donors from the business community. The Governor held out the assurance that the government would fully support the charitable work by non-governmental organizations to enroll the out-of-school children in the country as the state alone didn’t have the resources to fulfill this fundamental obligation as per the constitution. He suggested that the government education authorities should work in close coordination with the concerned NGOs to ensure quality schooling for every child in the deprived parts of the country. Speaking as the guest of honour, Punjab Industries Minister, SM Tanveer, said that the concerned philanthropists and business community in Punjab had always acted as a patron for generously donating to lessening the miseries of the downtrodden communities in Sindh. Tanveer said that like his late father, noted industrialist SM Muneer, the cause to educate children from the deprived areas of the country was very close to his heart as he would do his best to support this noble charitable drive. APTMA Patron-in-chief, Dr. Gohar Ejaz, said that the presence of a large number of leading businessmen and industrialists at the fundraiser especially those from the textile industry showed well that they stood fully committed to the cause of enrolling every out-of-school child in the country. He said the concerned industrialists irrespective of the prevailing economic crisis and a slowdown in business activities would continue with their philanthropic activities for the uplift of the deprived communities. He said that unwavering philanthropy was the only noble way for the industrialists to pay back to the country that enabled them to earn name and fame in the business sector. Dr. Ejaz said the concerned community of businessmen and industrialists in Lahore was always available to host more such events to support the drive to educate students from lesser privileged areas of the Sindg. CEO of non-profit Green Cresent Trust (GCT), Zahid Saeed, said that his non-profit had established 160 charitable schools having an enrollment of over 30,000 children from needy families in Sindh He said the support his non-profit had received from concerned businessmen in Lahore made him optimistic about enrolling hundreds of thousands of out-of-school children in Sindh under a joint effort by the government and concerned charities. He said the GCT was well on track to increase the number of its charitable schools in Sindh to 250 with an enrollment of a total of 100,000 students from deprived areas till 2025. He expressed his gratitude to the business community of Lahore for generously donating to the charitable drive of his non-profit in the education sector.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

In an environment wrought with economic challenges and deteriorating living standards, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics gave us hope as it inaugurated the self-enumeration portal. The portal is one of many technological innovations stitched together to digitize the census process in Pakistan, bringing it at par with those developed nations that conduct their census using technology to various degrees. These include United States, United Kingdom, India, Iran, Egypt, and Bangladesh among others.

In the aftermath of the controversies arising during the 2017 census, Mr Sarwar Gondal, Member SSRM, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics took an exemplary initiative to use an integrated multi-technology approach to digitize the census process. Hence, eliminating any shadow of doubt about the census results. Working day and night, Mr Gondal, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics talented team supported by stakeholders and the Chief Census Commissioner, Mr Naeem uz Zafar, developed a comprehensive and extensive digitized methodology and approach for the census. While learning from international best practices, Mr Gondal was cognizant of the ground realities.

During the inauguration ceremony of the self-enumeration portal, Chief Census Commissioner, Mr Naeem uz Zafar, greatly appreciated the contribution of Mr Gondal and the hard work of the PBS team, including the dedication of Ms Rabia Awan.

The self-enumeration web portal has been developed to provide citizens with an option to fill out the census form themselves using the internet. This option not only offers citizens ease and convenience, but also makes the census more transparent and accountable. The https://self.pbs.gov.pk can be accessed through any device at any time. The citizens have greatly appreciated this initiative and even in the short time since its launch over million people have visited the site and 50,000 families have already filled out the census form.

While talking about the digital journey, Mr Naeem uz Zafar, shared the challenges and accomplishments, especially in building the trust of all stakeholders, in particular at the provincial level. He shared that it was essential to build the ownership of all stakeholders at all levels, and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics leadership travelled to every part of the country to ensure that there was a keen understanding of the census process and the benefits of the implemented digital process was realised by everyone.

Mr Gondal and Mr Zafar have personally led the digitization of the census from the front, from concept to execution. They have attended all trainings across the country, provided oversight to technology development, procurement, and distribution. Focus has also been put on standardizing concepts and maintain quality while ensuring reliability of data collection. The training involved conventional training, conceptual videos, real life examples case studies, mock exercises and addressing FAQs.

The use of digital technology and (GIS) modernizes the entire census process, making it more transparent, efficient and accurate. Opting the digitalized way the entire census process reduces the execution time as well. A national census coordination center is set up along with integrated media strategy for public awareness campaign and comprehensive security arrangements have also been made. The questionnaire for the census is simplified. The field operation procedure is comprehensive and census workers are thoroughly trained. To confirm authenticity a post-census survey will be conducted to validate the census results.

This year, enumerators going door-to-door will have tablets or smartphones that will let them enter information digitally. Additionally, a dedicated call centre has also been established. The census enumeration process is being logged in real-time and the process can be monitored live. Using an innovative approach, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is using its social media platform to log its digital journey and as a customer, service point to answer queries and provide guidance to citizens. These are just a few of the technological innovations brought into the census process through the dedication, hard work, and resilience of the current Pakistan Bureau of Statistics leadership.

The digitization of the census is an important step towards modernizing Pakistan. Extensive and comprehensive steps have been taken to plan and execute this massive national effort. International best practices were adapted to the realities of Pakistan to develop an indigenous technological solution to conduct the 7^th population and housing census of Pakistan. All credit goes to the leadership of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics for overcoming all challenges to successfully accomplish this monumental task.

The whole census process has been digitized to improve efficiency and transparency. In times of constant challenges and trying times, the census is giving us hope for a better future.

 

 

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

To facilitate Afghan refugees in access to health and essential services Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) and International Rescue Committee (IRC) signed an “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) that outlined operations and activities where CAR and IRC intend to collaborate.  

The vision of CAR aligns with the strategic approach of International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan. As IRC in Pakistan has been working proactively with Afghan refugees since 1980’s with a wide range of programming under emergency relief, health, education, cash assistance and essential services. The strategic partnership between IRC and CAR is testament of resolve to work collaboratively for Afghan refugees.

Amongst multiple challenges faced by Afghan refugees one the foremost is limited access to healthcare, malnutrition, and high rates of infectious diseases. Maternal and child health is also a concern for Afghan refugees in Pakistan as many refugee women lack access to reproductive healthcare services, leading to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. Mental health is another area of concern for Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Overall, the health challenges facing Afghan refugees in Pakistan are complex and multifaceted. Addressing these challenges requires accurate information. It is envisioned that IRC and CAR will collaborate in the development of an annual health status report which will identify areas for assistance in health sector to cater for preventive, curative, and rehabilitative healthcare to Afghan Refugees.

Muhammad Abbas Khan (Commissioner Afghan Refugee) speaking at the MOU signing ceremony appreciated IRC longstanding commitment towards the cause of Afghan refugees and reaffirmed the support of Commissionerate in working collaboratively for provision of quality services with dignity and diligence. He further noted that Pakistan is very proudly hosting millions of Afghan Refugees and this hospitality is only possible due to the generosity of host communities. The financial and technical support of international community is paramount along with fostering partnerships for this noble cause.  

Shabnam Baloch (Country Director IRC-Pakistan) opined that this collaboration between International Rescue Committee & Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees will pave way for pragmatic programming that is based on evidence-based research and triple nexus approach. She further reiterated IRC’s commitment to work alongside government counterparts for fostering a conducive environment for Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

A representative of UNCHR Mr Raymond Tagle was also present at the MOU signing ceremony and congratulated both agencies on the envisioned partnership.

Pakistan has a long history of hosting Afghan refugees, dating back to 1979. Since then, millions of Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan. Even today, Pakistan hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world. To streamline the process of coordination the “Commissionerate Afghan Refugees” (CAR) was established in 1979 with the mandate for refugee camp management and to facilitate access to health and education services, skills training for livelihood opportunities, and helping refugees in voluntary repatriation.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

President Dr Arif Alvi has called for using digital technologies to improve the health and well-being of the people of Pakistan and provide them with quality healthcare services. He emphasised that advances in medical technology could help transform the country’s medicine and healthcare system. The President expressed these views while talking to the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan and Afghanistan Siemens Healthineers, Mr Khurram Jameel, who called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, today. Mr Khurram Jameel briefed the President that Siemens Healthineers was one of the leading healthcare solution providers in Pakistan and its mission was to transform healthcare delivery and improve patient experience through digitalization. Talking to the CEO, the President emphasised that Pakistani healthcare providers needed to embrace innovation and transform healthcare delivery to successfully meet the challenges in the health sector, besides fulfilling the future healthcare needs of the country. He underlined the need for establishing partnerships among government institutions, private organizations, and NGOs to work together for the betterment of persons with disabilities and raise awareness about breast cancer. The President appreciated the efforts of Siemens Healthineers for the development of the healthcare sector of Pakistan.

Photo Caption – Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan and Afghanistan Siemens Healthineers, Mr Khurram Jameel and Head of Communications, Mr. Zahid Ali called on President Dr Arif Alvi, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad, on 20-02-2023.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

A ceremony is being organized in Lahore today to pay tribute to the late noted industrialist of Pakistan, SM Muneer, for showing unwavering lifelong commitment to several noble charitable causes in the country. The non-profit, Green Crescent Trust (GCT), and noted businessman and APTMA Patron-in-Chief, Dr Gohar Ejaz, have joined hands to jointly organize the event. Punjab Governor, Muhammad Balighur Rehman, and provincial Industries Minister, SM Tanveer, will grace the event as chief guest and guest of honour respectively. The ceremony is going to be attended by noted businessmen, industrialists, concerned philanthropists, and donors who support noteworthy charitable initiatives in the country. On the occasion, funds will be raised for the education of at least 10,000 children belonging to destitute families in the country. These children are enrolled in the charitable schools of the GCT in the underprivileged and remote parts of the country. The GCT has been running a network of 160 charitable schools with an enrolment of 30,900 children from less-deprived areas. GCT, CEO, Zahid Saeed said that the late SM Muneer was one of the leading patrons of the drive of his charity to provide quality school education to the children of the backward areas. He said the GCT would carry forward the mission of the late leading industrialist and philanthropist by increasing both the number of charitable schools and enrolment of the children from underprivileged areas in them. He said the GCT had the aim to increase the number of its charitable schools to 250 with an enrolment of 100,000 out-of-school children till 2025. More such fundraisers will soon be organized in Sailkot, Faisalabad, and Islamabad to support the same charitable enrolment drive. Renowned TV actor, Adnan Siddiqui, and GCT Trustee Abrar Ahmed will also attend the ceremony to show their commitment to the cause of enrolling out-of-school children.

Karachi (Nut Desk) Miss Tara Uzra Dawood, President, Dawood Global Foundation – LADIESFUND, paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Governor of Sindh Kamran Tessori. They discussed programming for women and girls in Sindh through the LADIESFUND and Educate a Girl programmes as well as finalized the date for the 14th LADIESFUND Women’s Awards for Pakistan 2023 which will be held at Sindh Governor House Karachi on Saturday, 4 March 2024 with the Honourable Governor as Chief Guest and the Honourable State Bank Governor of Pakistan Jameel Ahmad as Guest of Honour .

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)  The ‘Disaster Management Information System’ (DMIS) has been launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to ensure quick access of disaster management authorities to accurate actionable information and better handling of disasters with modern management skills to minimize losses to human lives as well as infrastructures to much extent.

This system has been launched as a result of extensive collaboration and working between the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) KP keeping in view the challenges encountered with information management previously.

While speaking at the concluding day of a two-day comprehensive training arranged by the IRC for 52 PDMA field assistants and divisional reporting officers from across the province here on Thursday, Director General PDMA-KP, Sharif Hussain explained that the DMIS system is developed as per geographic contextual needs and it entails comprehensive modules on incident reporting, relief management, monitoring of water levels in rivers, integration of weather updates with MET office and camp management information.

He further explained that the key innovation under the DMIS is the GIS component which will enable PDMA to plot all the incidences on a map and generate a daily situation report. “This information will support relief organizations in planning and implementation of humanitarian response. Moreover, the system can record public grievances, which is routed to the concerned district administration for corrective actions,” the DG said.

Sharif Hussain said that these modules are designed holistically to address a pre and post scenario where the DMIS serves as an early warning system and in the aftermath of disaster provides timely information for a speedy coordinated response based on real time information. The system is cognizant of the challenges faced in supply chain and therefore a module is in place to issue automated supplies based on the inputs from respective districts.

In her remarks on the occasion, Country Director IRC-Pakistan, Shabnam Baloch, said that the IRC is collaborating with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) at the national level as well. Such collaboration will pave way for policymakers and humanitarian agencies to make informed decisions during the phases of relief, early recovery and rehabilitation of populations that are impacted by calamities.

She explained, “Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to climate shocks but has little capacity to invest in preventative infrastructure. It is imperative that these initiatives are scaled up and resources are allocated towards a climate resilient Pakistan”.

The two-day IRC training for PDMA field assistants and divisional reporting officers from across the province was aimed at providing hands-on training to these officials along with supplementary resources for DMIS. It will play an important role in capacity building towards furnishing as well as disseminating the accurate and latest information to all relevant organizations. Pakistan faces some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world. This risk is driven particularly by the nation’s exposure to earthquakes and high exposure to flooding and some exposure to tropical cyclones and their associated hazards, and drought.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  Dawood Global Foundation held the 7th LADIESFUND Sustainability Luncheon at British Deputy High Commission Karachi where corporates and businesses were awarded for their commitment to UNSDG and women businesses trained in aligning with UNSDG, with trainers and speakers from UNIDO and UNDP including Peter Hurst from the UK, Qasar Wasique Ahmad from UNIDO Pakistan, and Rida Amjad Mirza and Hameeda Kaleem from UNDP. 

Some businesses awarded include National Foods, HOM, EY, Glow & Lovely, Toni & Guy, and training was done of women professionals, SMEs, home chefs, and a handful of rural women.  10 LADIESFUND Women of Inspiration 2023 were also awarded and then mentored the guests.  These women included Nargis Rehman, Sharmila Farooqui, Shaniera Akram, Dr. Ishrat Lindblad, Naz Khan, Hena Sadeq, Nighat Misbah, Dr. Mahnaz Shah, Niilofur Farrukh and Frieha Altaf.  The British Deputy High Commissioner Sarah Mooney and British Deputy Head of Mission Martin Dawson joined Tara Uzra Dawood in welcoming the over 210 guests, which included Huma Khalid from IFC, Hira Wajahat Khan from Stimulus consultancy for the World Bank, Zeba Bakhtiar, Shamaeel Ansari, Dr. Huma Baqai, Jehan Ara, Nighat Misbah, Naureen Hyatt, et al.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Daftarkhwan is launching its newest coworking space- Alpha, in the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP), in partnership with Aviation City Pakistan, a project spearheaded by the Pakistan Air Force.

Alpha opened its doors this December, 2022- Situated in the Old Islamabad International Airport, Alpha provides a unique chance for enterprising tech companies to engage with the innovation ecosystem focused on Aerospace, IT and Cyber Tech domains. Adjacent to Alpha, NASTP also boasts Pakistan’s very first National Incubation Centre with an aerospace vertical and a specialized focus on deep tech, funded by Ignite, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Information Technology. Daftarkhwan | Alpha has a 450+ member capacity and brings you Daftarkhwan’s signature design and vibrant workspaces including amenities such as military-grade security, secure parking, a 10,000 sq. ft. cafe and a podcast room. Furthermore an on-site daycare facility, banking centers, ATMs and one-window legal and regulatory support facilities are planned to launch this January.

CTO of ACPPL, Dr Tauseef ur Rehman says, “A central theme of NASTP’s vision is to most effectively engage the private sector into creating a productive and sustainable innovation ecosystem in Pakistan. In this pursuit, we are proud to partner with team Daftarkhwan which not only brings the best in office space experience, but also helps us curate a tech enterprises community most relevant to the Park’s focus areas of Aerospace, IT and Cyber technologies”.

Daftarkhwan has expanded to 8 sites across the nation, dominating in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Daftarkhwan currently covers a total area of 170,000 + sq. ft with a member capacity of 3000+ hailing from over 200+ companies based in a variety of industries from Technology and AI to Health and Education. With distinguished members, including Daraz, Tintash, Careem, Red Bull, Starzplay and many others, Daftarkhwan has firmly cemented itself as the primary co-working space for both local and international corporations.

CEO and Co-founder of Daftarkhwan, Saad Idrees says: “NASTP symbolizes the seriousness of purpose and focus of the most innovative public sector institution of the country in helping foster and scale the technology sector of Pakistan. This is an inflection point. Globally, some of the most cutting-edge technology breakthroughs have come from collaborations between the public and private sectors. With NASTP, we have the opportunity to help reinvent the hardware and software industries of Pakistan. Daftarkhwan is ecstatic to support this historic initiative.”

Earlier this year, Daftarkhwan raised their seed investment from Emerging Market Property Group (EMPG). EMPG is a tech enterprise that dominates the classifieds industry in the region. In Pakistan EMPG owns and operates Zameen.com, Zameen Developments and OLX.