Category: World

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)

Philip Morris Pakistan Limited (PMPKL) successfully organized an event on World Environment Day 2023 at its Karachi Head Office, highlighting its strong commitment to environmental conservation and responsibility.

Under the “Beat Plastic Pollution” theme, PMPKL recognized the urgent need to address the challenge of protecting the environment. As an organization striving for a sustainable future, PMPKL firmly believes in its responsibility to conserve the environment and encourage more sustainable living. The event served as a platform to engage employees and inspire active participation in promoting planet-friendly practices.

PMPKL invited all attendees to bring their plastic bottles and shoppers to the event. Dedicated collection points were available, allowing participants to deposit their plastic items for recycling. By actively participating in this initiative, PMPKL and its employees aimed to contribute to the reduction of plastic waste and promote recycling in the community.

The event program included an engaging composting activity, providing an opportunity for attendees to learn about the benefits of recycling organic waste through composting. Participants rolled up their sleeves and discovered how to create nutrient-rich soil for gardening through this effective recycling method.

During his keynote speech, Roman Yazbeck, the Managing Director of Philip Morris Pakistan Limited (PMPKL), stated, “In alignment with this year’s World Environment Day theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution,” PMI recognizes the urgency to address plastic waste. Our commitment to reducing plastic consumption is deeply rooted in our vision for a sustainable future. To effectively address plastic pollution, we have implemented strategies aimed at minimizing our environmental footprint.”

PMPKL acknowledges that Governments, businesses, and individuals alike must work hand in hand to accelerate action and transition toward a circular economy

Guest speaker at the event, and lifelong environmentalist, Tofiq Pasha also commented, “I firmly believe that raising awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution is crucial in today’s world. However, it is also imperative to recognize that plastic pollution is just one aspect of the broader environmental challenges we face, including food security caused by climate change and human intervention. To mitigate these challenges, we must embrace collective action and adopt sustainable practices. It is high time for individuals, organizations, and governments to prioritize environmental conservation and work collaboratively towards a greener and more sustainable future.”

Philip Morris Pakistan Limited successfully embraced this World Environment Day with renewed determination, commitment, and collaboration to beat plastic pollution. PMPKL aims to create a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for generations to come.

The campaign ‘Chalo Dubai’ highlights their incredible ‘Kids Go Free’ deals across the destination’s top hotels, most eye-catching hot spots, and attractions.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is thrilled to unveil its latest campaign, Chalo Dubai, which is aimed at Pakistani travelers. For the first time, the campaign video exclusively targets this market by featuring actors speaking in Urdu.

Dubai is the ultimate family vacation destination, offering world-class attractions and a variety of indoor and outdoor activities for families to enjoy. The campaign videos showcase the city’s unique experiences and highlights its affordability and family-friendly environment, making it an ideal holiday destination for Pakistani visitors, especially those with kids.

The Kids Go Free initiative allows families to explore Dubai’s diverse attractions, including classic landmarks such as Dubai Fountain, At the Top Burj Khalifa, and LEGOLAND Dubai Park that is located at Dubai Parks and Resorts, as well as newer experiences like the Museum of the Future, AYA Universe, and the Sky Views Observatory. Moreover, children can take advantage of complimentary stays and dining at a range of beach properties, city hotels, and resorts, including world-renowned chains and boutique hotels such as Atlantis The Palm, Address Sky View, and Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers among others. Dubai offers excellent value-added options for families, making it an ideal choice for a fresh and exciting vacation destination.

Talking about the campaign, Bader Ali Habib, Head of South Asia, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “Through this campaign, the first to be run in Urdu specifically to target the Pakistani market, we want to showcase Dubai as the ultimate family vacation destination. Our ‘Kids Go Free’ initiative helps families to explore and experience Dubai’s unparalleled offerings, making it more accessible and affordable than ever before. With growing demand for family-friendly experiences among Pakistani travelers, we aim to highlight Dubai’s full range of attractions and activities for families, catering to a diverse range of preferences. We are confident that Dubai will exceed their expectations and provide them with unforgettable memories.”

Dubai has been crowned as the No.1 global destination in the TripadvisorⓇ Travellers’ Choice Awards 2023 for a second successive year, offering a wide range of world-class attractions that ensure a leisurely and safe experience for the entire family in the city. If you’re traveling on a budget, you can now enjoy an unforgettable family getaway for less, as Dubai Economy & Tourism announces their incredible ‘Kids Go Free’ deals across the destination’s top hotels, most eye-catching hot spots, and attractions.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

The World Bank’s Human Capital Review Research Report was released recently, highlighting concerning statistics about Pakistan’s education and healthcare systems. According to the report, over 23 million children in Pakistan are currently out of school, and a large number of children suffer from malnutrition. During the Human Capital Review Research Report ceremony, Acting Country Director of the World Bank, Gilles Dragoles, spoke about the lack of job opportunities for women in Pakistan. The ceremony was also attended by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, who emphasized the importance of developing human resources for the progress of countries. Minister Iqbal noted that although Pakistan had the potential to be a middle-income country, the country’s infrastructure is lagging behind, and natural disasters have also taken a toll on the economy. He revealed that Pakistan had suffered a loss of 30 billion dollars due to floods, and had requested the IMF to provide relief. In order to address the issues highlighted in the report, Minister stressed the need to increase employment opportunities for women and ensure that all children are enrolled in school. Efforts are reportedly underway to achieve 100% enrollment of children in schools in the upcoming financial year’s budget. These revelations from the Human Capital Review Research Report underscore the urgent need for Pakistan to prioritize investment in education and healthcare, as well as promoting gender equality and economic development. The report, which analyzed new and existing data, quantified the country’s human capital crisis. Pakistan’s Human Capital Index (HCI) of 0.41 indicates that a baby born in the country today will only be 41% as productive as they could be if they had access to complete education and full health. This figure is lower than the South Asian average of 0.48 and other neighboring countries such as Bangladesh’s 0.46 and Nepal’s 0.49. In fact, Pakistan’s human capital outcomes are more akin to those of Sub-Saharan Africa, which has an average HCI of 0.40. In addition to the low HCI, Pakistan’s low female labor force participation exacerbates the crisis of human capital utilization. In response, the World Bank’s Vice President for Human Development, Mamta Murthi, highlighted the importance of investing in human capital to build sustainable economic growth and prepare the workforce for future skilled jobs. Furthermore, developing strong human capital can enable countries to adapt to the effects of climate change, promote a green and inclusive economy, and reduce inequality. This report serves as a call to action for Pakistan to prioritize investment in education and healthcare, as well as promoting gender equality and economic development. Without addressing these urgent issues, Pakistan’s potential for further growth and development will be constrained. “With over 20 million school-age children out of school, high levels of child malnutrition, and low empowerment of women, Pakistan’s human capital challenges are among the most serious in the world—it is a human capital crisis that is profound, silent and with far reaching negative effects on the potential of the country and its people,” said Najy Benhassine, the World Bank’s Country Director for Pakistan. “The Human Capital Review shows that Pakistan can realize sub¬stantial economic growth by bringing its popula¬tion growth rate under control, investing significantly more in the supply and quality of health and education, and bringing women to the labor force.” The report provides a wide-ranging assessment of the key challenges and opportunities for Pakistan to improve its human development outcomes, while underscoring the need for a long-term commitment and sustained human capital investments. The HCR puts forward several recommendations for Pakistan to boost its human capital, including the need for long-term planning that goes beyond the tenure of any government and political cycle; making family planning a priority across all human development initiatives; investing more smartly in people and developing avenues for them to deploy their human capital more productively; making child malnutrition a national priority; and introducing measures to reduce out-of-school children and improve learning outcomes. “Pakistan needs a healthy, skilled, and resilient population to ensure high economic growth that is both sustainable and inclusive,” said Lire Ersado, the lead author of the report and World Bank’s Human Development Practice Leader for Pakistan. “With the right policies and invest¬ments, the growing working-age population can become healthier, more educated, more skilled, and more productive—and can earn more if the economy generates more and better jobs.”

Dubai Economy & Tourism launches new campaign for Pakistani travelers with an exciting YouTube series.

Starring former members of the band Strings, Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood, the YouTube series takes you on an unforgettable journey through the vibrant city of Dubai. 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)  Dubai Economy & Tourism (DET) have launched a new campaign that targets Pakistani travelers with a YouTube series. The episodes, featuring Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood, former members of the popular band Strings, take viewers on a thrilling journey through the vibrant city of Dubai, showcasing its unique experiences and attractions suitable for visitors of all ages.

The campaign aims to promote the diverse range of offerings available in Dubai for travelers all year round. The YouTube series serves as the campaign’s centerpiece, highlighting Dubai’s affordability and proximity to Pakistani travelers. Its ultimate goal is to encourage more Pakistani tourists to explore and experience the beauty, excitement, and charm of the cosmopolitan city.

The three-episode series, with each episode running for an average of 9 minutes, invites Pakistani travelers to explore the city’s fascinating history, modern architecture, and exciting leisure and entertainment options.

Viewers will see Dubai through the eyes of Faisal and Bilal as showcase the dynamic culture of Dubai, which has grown and evolved remarkably since their last visit. The duo experience various activities, including Top Golf, gaming at Brass Monkey, Sky Views Edge Walk, and even a thrilling auto-drome driving experience, taking the viewers along for the ride.

Discussing the campaign, Faisal shared “Dubai has always held a special place in our hearts. Having lived in Dubai since 2012, it was an amazing experience reintroducing Bilal to the city that I call my second home. We were able to explore the city together and create new memories while reminiscing about our past experiences. We hope this series will inspire and encourage Pakistani tourists to discover the wonders of Dubai and all that it has to offer.”

Adding to it, Bilal Maqsood shared, “As a musician, I’ve had the privilege of performing in Dubai many times before. But this time, I had the chance to explore the city as a tourist, with my friend and ex-bandmate Faisal by my side. We were both in awe of how much the city has transformed and how many new attractions it has to offer. This journey allowed me to rediscover Dubai in a whole new light and constantly amazed me with its charm and the endless possibilities it offered. I can’t wait for our fans to join us on this journey and experience the magic of Dubai for themselves through this YouTube series.

Join Faisal and Bilal as they take you on a journey through the heart of the city, rediscovering the magic of Dubai. The series is set to launch next week, so be sure to stay tuned to Dubai Tourism’s YouTube page to catch the exciting episodes.

 

 

IRC warns against imminent humanitarian crisis as 4.5 million people in flood-affected areas continue to live in extreme conditions.

Since July 2022, IRC has reached 1.2 million affected people with emergency humanitarian support.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

As the rehabilitation process after floods 2022 is still underway, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) stresses the need to invest in multisectoral inclusive rehabilitation programs that take into account the long-term needs of the flood-affected communities. The IRC foresees that critical gaps in recovery across nutrition and food security, health, shelter, education, and WASH if left unchecked are likely to result in long-term serious consequences for the flood-affected population in particular and Pakistan as a whole.

Since the onset of the floods in July 2022, the IRC has remained active in the flood-affected districts of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh provinces. Through efforts geared towards the provision of food baskets, non-food items, safe drinking water, dignity, hygiene, and winterization kits; the establishment of medical camps, and safe spaces; and the conduction of awareness sessions on life skills and psychosocial support the IRC has reached out to approximately 1,224,938 people.

In a press statement the Country Director of IRC, Shabnam Baloch said, “Pakistan is not new to the onslaught of floods but the magnitude of the climate carnage that we witnessed in 2022 is unprecedented. More than seven months after the floods, millions of women, men, and children continue to struggle against hunger and homelessness. Health, education, and social protection services remain disrupted in the majority of the affected areas further placing the lives, livelihoods, and prospects of millions in jeopardy.”

Several months after the climate change-triggered floods devastated three-fourths of Pakistan, an estimated 4.5 million people continue to remain exposed to extreme conditions. As of February 2023, floodwaters were yet to recede from several districts in the south of the country. Some parts of Pakistan have seen people returning to their native lands, however, the conditions that they are returning to are far from welcoming.

While several donor organizations have come forward to support Pakistan in this time of crisis, the overall response by the international community has been lukewarm. As of February 2023, Pakistan had received only 36% of the $871 million from international aid to meet the overall flood response challenge. “Every sector in Pakistan’s flood response plan is currently underfunded,” added Ms. Shabnam. While this poses a challenge on its own, we also need to understand that mere financial resources will not drive Pakistan out of the climate-induced crisis that has arrived on its doorstep. “There is an urgency like never before to invest in interventions that are climate resilient and take heed of the magnitude of the threat that climate change poses to a developing country like Pakistan.”

The Gates Foundation, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA), Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), Irish Aid, Malala Fund, UNICEF, IOM, Global Affairs Canada, and German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) are among the key donors whose support proved instrumental for IRC to commence and sustain efforts in the flood-affected districts.

President Alvi writes to Indonesian President Joko Widodo; seeks support for a prominent Pakistani businessman, Malik Muhammad Asif.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday wrote a letter to his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo seeking his support to resolve the issues faced by a Pakistani investor Malik Muhammad Asif in his business matters.

The president said that both Pakistan and Indonesia were close friends and also bilateral partners, in the context of the Organization  of Islamic Cooperation.

He said the two countries had strived for promotion of economic and trade ties, besides facilitating the businessmen.

The letter said that Pakistani investor Malik Asif had also registered his complaint with Indonesian authorities, through Pakistan’s embassy, but the matter was yet unresolved.

Earlier, the businessman had also requested President Alvi to seek intervention of his Indonesian counterpart for resolution of his problem on fair grounds.

Through the letter, the president had requested his Indonesian counterpart to personally look into the matter for a swift redressal.

President Alvi also conveyed good wishes to President Widodo as well as the Indonesian people.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

“Shadows in the Snow: Snow Leopards”, an episode of the environmental documentary series “Voices from the Roof of the World”– has been selected for the 50^th anniversary World Wildlife Day Film Showcase by UN CITES and Jackson Wild.  It took five years for Pakistani filmmaker Abdullah Khan to record this extremely elusive big cat in its vertiginous home range of the Karakoram Mountains.  His film spotlights the threats faced by snow leopards from a warming climate and the destruction of their habitat in Pakistan. With less natural prey to eat, snow leopards have attacked the livestock of local herders’, who kill the big cats in retribution. The film focuses on an innovative program to construct predator-proof enclosures and reduce human-wildlife conflict.  But the looming climate crisis calls for all the countries in the roof of the world to accelerate the protection of this vulnerable species and its stunning home range.

Voices from the Roof of the World is a compelling environmental series that aims to raise awareness of the climate crisis in the world’s highest mountain region, stretching from the Pamirs to the Himalayas.  The series is directed by Andrew Tkach, who has over 30 years of experience producing documentaries and TV magazine reports, and has won eight Emmys for his work. As Executive Producer of VRW, he has mentored local talent from Kyrgyzstan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan to produce compelling and impactful documentaries which meet the highest international production standards, addressing one of the most important issues in the world today.

The World Wildlife Day Film Showcase aims to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation and to showcase the work of filmmakers who are contributing to this cause. The 2023 showcase is dedicated to the theme of “Conservation Heroes – Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation” and highlights the critical role of collaboration in achieving effective conservation outcomes. The episode’s showcase at the event brings global attention to the need for urgent action to protect Central and South Asia’s biodiversity. It inspires audiences around the world to take action and join the global effort to address climate change and protect endangered species.  Audiences are encouraged to vote for their favorite film which will have a chance to participate in the Jackson Wild Media Awards, the Oscars of nature filmmaking.

Voices from the Roof of the World is a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Development Network’s agencies: Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Aga Khan Foundation and the University of Central Asia. AKDN and its agencies have been a strong voice of action to help communities deal with climate change disasters while conserving the environment. They regularly collaborate with communities, governments, civil society, and the private sector to invest in locally-led initiatives that build local resilience. Voices from the Roof of the World is one such effort to put a spotlight on this increasingly urgent problem.

Snow Shadows, Snow Leopards is part of the second season of this docuseries. It is available for viewing on AKU’s YouTube Channel and the AKDN website, along with nineteen other half hour films from Seasons 1 and 2. The films have been screened at a dozen international film festivals, from Banff to Rotterdam.

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

MWC Barcelona 2023 will be held from February 27 to March 2 in Barcelona, Spain.

This year, Huawei’s Carrier Business Group, Enterprise Business Group, and Consumer Business Group will once again participate in the exhibition together, displaying their latest products and solutions at Huawei’s booth in 1H50, Hall 1, Fira Gran Via. At the event, the company will join with global carriers, industry professionals, and opinion leaders to discuss a number of hot topics, including new growth opportunities, 5G business success, 5.5G, green development, and digital transformation. Together, the parties will also explore how the GUIDE business blueprint can help make rapid strides towards an intelligent world. As the intelligent world approaches, digital infrastructure for people, homes, and industries is facing an unprecedented set of new demands.

In the carrier market, ICT technologies like 5G, cloud, and AI are converging faster than ever and fueling innovation that will help carriers meet evolving demands and create more opportunities for new growth.

To better seize these opportunities, Huawei will work alongside carriers and partners worldwide to explore and build simplified, green, and intelligent ICT infrastructure that can turbocharge digital transformation and empower innovation. We will work together to lay the foundation for 5.5G and build on the success of 5G for even greater prosperity.

In the enterprise business domain, following the theme of “Leading Digital Infrastructure for New Value Together”, Huawei continuously innovates alongside its customers and partners across numerous industries such as public utilities, finance, energy, transport, and manufacturing. This work is intended to identify technologies that can be adapted to specific scenarios and explore ways to support the digital transformation of the related industries.

In addition, Huawei works with partners to accelerate the intelligent transformation of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Through these joint efforts, we hope to stride together towards an intelligent world. In the consumer business domain, Huawei will launch a number of innovative products, including the Mate 50 series, WATCH Buds, and WATCH GT Cyber, demonstrating the company’s technological innovation in different scenarios, such as mobile imaging, health and fitness, and smart office, and providing users with smart, innovative, and industry-leading experiences.

At this year’s event, Huawei will unveil more surprises, including those related to leading, innovative, and all-scenario technologies centered on mobile phones, to bring more disruptive products and experiences to users worldwide.

For more information, please visit Huawei’s official website for MWC Barcelona 2023, https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2023 

The world is in a climate emergency as natural disasters linked to global warming are taking place across the globe. Last year, it was the catastrophic floods in Pakistan.

This year, we witnessed destructive earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye.

Sadly, this is just the beginning. It has been reported that in the year 2023, there will be an increase in forest fires across the globe. We will further lose our crop, as well as several endangered animal species. Is there any way to hit pause on the destruction? The answer is yes.

The world can change if everyone joins hands and starts working towards taking measures to curb climate change. Fortunately, there are several environmental activists in Pakistan that recognize the state of emergency we are in, and are doing everything in their power to stop the world from falling apart.

These individuals are from different walks of life and include businessmen, fashion designers, event managers, models, actors, filmmakers, photographers, makeup artists and others.

The mission to save the planet started when Syed Qazzafi, an environmental activist and the CEO of Miraal Events, decided to take a stand. With his vision Miraal Events conducted fashion shows internationally in partnership with Saffron Events UK. This included the Scotland Pakistan Fashion Week (SPFW) in Glasgow, 2018 and another very successful show in Manchester. Both the shows promoted sustainable fashion.

A press conference was also held in Glasgow to launch the short film titled ‘Be the change’. The film aimed to motivate people to speak up against the climate crisis and take action. Moreover, under the leadership of Syed Qazaffi, several environmental friendly events also took place in Pakistan including the ‘Green Festival – Show with a cause’ in Hyderabad. Currently, Syed Qazzafi has pulled in together an exemplary team to embark on a documentary shoot that focuses on providing awareness regarding the environment and the damage we have done.

Titled “Healing the Planet”, the aim of the documentary is to enlighten viewers, and urge them to reduce their carbon footprint on the world. The video will be shot in the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The team that has been making us proud on an international level includes Syed Qazzafi, Grafix Media Glasgow, Ceo of Colees Media Pakistan Saqlain ali, Imran Ali from Arayan Films Pakistan, Film factory Pakistan, Cineflix’s Ceo Aarifa Naz, and Syed Zeeshan Ali (creative Head) from Rophayels.

The exemplary fashion photographers who are on board include Aashna Khan, and Muhammad Husnain Mehmood. syed Ali Jubran (Journalist ) will be handling the PR for the project and the achievements the team makes during the documentary shoot.

(Nut Desk)

Prince Fred Khalifa Khalilian, the second-largest shareholder and former Chief Operating officer (COO )of the renowned corporation Monster, was exonerated of all charges by a US court after the group that had accused him of wrongdoing had their case dismissed.

Prince Fred declared that he had always had faith that the truth would eventually be revealed, and that the accusations against him would be disproved. After a two-year period, the lawyer affirmed that the investigations had not been able to uncover any substantial proof to back up the claims. The person who had lost money and standing on an online betting website was reinstated to Monster after two years of fighting for his innocence. Despite the fact that he had been exonerated of all charges, the lost money and reputation remain unaccounted for. Due of his ability to go forward in life, Fred Khalifa Khalilian decided to work on his more ambitious plans.

Khalifa Khalilian stated that he felt a great sense of relief and that his faith in the legal system had grown after hearing the court’s final decision. The Monster company specializes In and sells high quality cables, speakers, lighting, game mice, and headsets, with its products are very well regarded by professional players worldwide. Prince Fred had used all of his ability to kick-start the business when it went down in the past because of intense competition with Apple. He implemented a tactical approach to address the blunders made by Noel Lee, who was the founder of the company.

From 2014 until July 2017, Fred was responsible for the company’s finances. Some individuals made false accusations against Fred, which were subsequently dropped. Noel Lee and his son Kevin were among those falsely accused. Unfortunately, Khalifa Khalilian was forced to relinquish his position due to the allegations of robbery, cheating, and plotting destructive plans against the company.

He was also accused of issuing threats of defamation, death, and harm to the families of Monster’s employees for personal gain. The court investigated the case for an extended period of time and ultimately found that there was no evidence to substantiate the claims against Fred.

So, the second largest shareholder and ex CEO of the well-known company Monster, was exonerated from all charges by American lawsuit.