News Update Times

• Carrefour brings ease for its customers with the opportunity to shop now and pay later.
• Innovative solution reflects the rising demand for payment flexibility.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Pakistan, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bank Alfalah to launch its first ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ initiative. This first-of-its-kind solution means that customers with an Alfa account can now scan a product’s QR code to pay in instalments in-store without experiencing any price markup, affording more flexibility when it comes to check-out.

The agreement was signed between Imran Mansoor, Country Finance Manager of Carrefour Pakistan, and Syed Irfan Akhtar Gillani Business Head of Retail Central, of Bank Alfalah, at Carrefour Head Office, Fortress. The ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ service can be availed by all BAFL credit card users across all products and categories.

Umer Lodhi, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said: “We believe in providing our valued customers with an elevated shopping experience by offering a range of services and products paired with innovative digital solutions. With our ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ service, we are thrilled to support more customers with easy, manageable payment options – demonstrating our commitment to convenience and value. Our latest initiative in collaboration with Bank Alfalah has been designed for transparency and ultimate flexibility to protect the purchasing power of our customers in Pakistan.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Yahya Khan Group Head of Digital Banking Group, remarked, “Bank Alfalah is committed to providing affordable and convenient services to its customers. Our partnership with Carrefour is yet another step forward in this endeavour. Through this collaborative effort, we are hopeful of creating a long-term positive impact across our customer base. ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ service allows consumers to make purchases and pay for them at a future date. This is not just an initiative but an experience that aligns with our vision of customer centricity, and focusing on providing unmatched services to give a great experience.”

The process to use Carrefour’s ’Buy Now, Pay Later’ feature is quick and easy. Customers can use the Alfa app to scan an item’s QR code, choose ‘Credit Card,’ and enter their payment information. After choosing their desired tenure, they will be able to pay in manageable instalments. The last step is to accept the terms and conditions, which maintain that the instalment plan can only be booked for the transaction amount of PKR 3,000 or above and for a tenure of up to 12 months.

In addition to the convenience of in-store shopping, Carrefour also offers its delivery service through the Carrefour Pakistan app and customers can use MyCLUB to gain instant discounts, earning and redeeming points. For further information, please head to https://www.carrefour.pk/mafpak/en/ to check out the variety of products available in stores.

LAHORE (ZAHID CHUGHTAI)

After successfully promoting the sowing of hybrid rice in Pakistan which brought prosperity to the farmers and enhanced the crop size, Guard Agricultural Research & Services (Pvt) Limited has joined hands with another Chinese food giant Litong Food to promote the sowing of high-yielding hybrid chillies in Pakistan over an area of 8,000 acres of land. Under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agriculture programme, both companies have plans to grow Chinese hybrid chillies and then export back all the production to China. Initial estimate of export potential of this joint project is US$ 500-550 million. As per the initial negotiation between the two sides, Litong Food in collaboration with the Guard Group of Pakistan will sow high-yielding hybrid chilli crop over 5,000 acres of land during the coming season while another 3,000 acres will be sown on its own in Pakistan. As per the plan, this area under the chilli crop will be increased to 200,000 acres of land in the future. Setting up a processing plant after achieving 50,000 metric tons of hybrid chilli production and a breeding station to ensure the transfer of technology to chilli production is also part of the proposed collaboration. Guard Agricultural Research & Services (Pvt) Ltd, Executive Momin Ali Malik said that the Chinese government has shortlisted its two companies under its CPEC projects in Agriculture & Livestock. Litong has been selected for Agriculture while Royal Company has been selected for livestock projects. He said his company is already experimenting with the sowing of high-yielding hybrid chilli seeds produced by another Chinese company ‘Paprika’ in Pakistan for the last six years and got very encouraging results. He claimed that the Chinese company keeping in view the track record of successful promotion of hybrid rice, chilli and tomatoes contacted them to work in collaboration with them. It has also been planned to set up a 500 acres model farm in Southern Punjab which will start working by the end of October after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both companies. Sixty per cent of the planned 5,000 acres of land will be in Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Kunri, Matli and Mirpur Khas areas of Sindh while 40 per cent will be in Multan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan in South Punjab. ‘Hybrid Chilli gives three picking per sowing and a production of 600 maunds per acre in contrast to traditional varieties which give only 200 maund per acre,’ said Momin Ali Malik said and added that contracts will be made with interesting farmers with a buy-back guarantee of their crop. Farmers will get the market rate plus a premium for their produce under this agreement. Chairman of Litong Food will soon be visiting Pakistan most probably in the second week of October 2022 to sign an MoU in this regard, Malik concluded.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) United Bank Limited (UBL) and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam (SAUT) recently entered into an agreement to initiate a research project for the development of improved cotton and wheat seed varieties. This research will develop climate resilient wheat and cotton seeds with better germination rates, significantly improving crop yields and income for the agriculture sector of Pakistan.

The agreement signing ceremony was held at UBL Head office Karachi and was attended by Mr. Shazad G. Dada, President & CEO UBL and Dr. Fateh Muhammad Mari, Vice Chancellor of SAUT along with senior executives from both institutions.

During the session, Mr. Shazad G. Dada said, “As Pakistan’s most progressive and innovative bank, UBL’s vision is to support the agricultural sector of Pakistan through research, development and use of technology. We feel the need for this is now, more than ever, as we start the re-building process following the devastating floods earlier in the year.  As the State Bank of Pakistan’s nominated champion Bank for the province of Sindh we are proud to collaborate with SAUT and will continue to work towards finding innovative solutions to support the agriculture sector of Pakistan.”

Dr. Fateh Mohammad Mari, Vice Chancellor of SAUT said, “SAUT is one of the premium agriculture institutes of the country. It has been actively exploring all the avenues of improving quality agriculture graduates who are contributing towards the adoption and extension of best agricultural technologies.” Mr. Mari thanked UBL for their support in meeting this shared objective and agreed with the points highlighted by Mr. Shazad G. Dada.

The leadership of both the institutions expressed their resolve for effective collaboration and for exploration of other possibilities which may help in the overall development of Pakistan’s agriculture sector.  

UBL and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam (SAUT) recently signed an agreement for the development of Pakistan’s agriculture sector. The signing ceremony was held at the UBL Head Office in Karachi. Picture shows Mr. Shazad G. Dada, President & CEO UBL (seated 2^nd right) and Dr. Fateh Muhammad Mari, Vice Chancellor of SAUT (seated, 2^nd left) along with senior executives from both institutions.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Xiaomi Pakistan has launched its latest tablet, the Redmi Pad, a device that utilizes state-of-the-art technologies, providing consumers with an immersive high-quality audiovisual experience.

The Redmi Pad comes equipped with quad speakers which are compatible with Dolby Atmos® providing you unparalleled sound. It also boasts a 10.6” display with a 90Hz refresh rate with lower visual latency giving you a viewing experience like never before. The Redmi Pad is also the first tablet in the world to have received the SGS low visual fatigue certification, making any viewing relaxing and easy on the eyes. The Redmi Pad is also certified by TÜV Rheinland for low light, which protects your eyes from screen fatigue and makes binge-watching a relaxing pastime. These features alone make the Redmi Pad a must-have.

It also boasts an 8MP 105° ultra-wide camera with FocusFrame technology making it perfect for group video calls.

An 8,000mAh long-lasting battery keeps the Redmi Pad powered for longer movie marathons, gaming, or hours of photography. It comes with a 22.5W in-box charger which also supports 18W fast charging.

Market Availability

The new Redmi Pad is available at our local stores as well as online stores at Corecart, Mistore and Daraz for PKR 57499/-.

Quick Specifications

Display	10.6” Display
Sound	Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos®
Battery	8,000mAh Battery
Front Camera	8MP 105° Ultra-wide camera with FocusFrame technology
Rear Camera	8MP main camera
Processor	MediaTek Helio G99

 

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL) signed an agreement with Sehat Kahani, to introduce free OPD consultations and telemedicine solutions through digital platforms to their customers.

Mr. Azeem Iqbal Pirani (CEO, PQFTL), Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram (CEO, Sehat Kahani), Mr. Zeeshan Haider (Head of Alternate Distribution and Bancatakaful PQFTL) and Dr. Iffat Zafar (COO, Sehat Kahani) signed the agreement along with senior officials of both companies.

On the occasion, Mr. Azeem Iqbal Pirani (CEO, PQFTL) said “We are delighted to partner with Sehat Kahani as this strengthens our resolve to continuously provide innovative solutions to our customers in healthcare. We are moving towards digitalization at a fast pace and partnership with Sehat Kahani will further enhance our reach and help us spread awareness about Takaful products while providing online healthcare solutions to our customers who will now have the convenience of availing healthcare consultations even from their homes without having the need go to healthcare centers.

Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram (CEO, Sehat Kahani) said, “Pak-Qatar is the leading Takaful coverage provider in Pakistan and a trustworthy name for Takaful services. We are excited for this opportunity to reshape the health takaful market through this groundbreaking partnership. With combined efforts of Pak Qatar and Sehat Kahani, this partnership will greatly reduce the burden at tertiary care facilities and help us achieving a healthier Pakistan”.

Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL) is the first and largest dedicated Family Takaful Company in Pakistan. PQFTL is a progressive and a technology-driven Shari’ah Compliant company providing innovative Takaful solutions since 2007. PQFTL is the fastest growing Family Takaful operator in the country. The company is rated “A++” (having a Stable Outlook) by VIS Credit Rating Co. Limited and Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA). The Company’s paid-up capital is in excess of Pak- Rs. 2.45 Billion.

Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited is recipient of several domestic and international awards and nominations including, ‘Best Takaful Company’ Award from FPCCI in 2020, ‘Brand of the Year’ at the FPPCI Awards in Karachi 2018, ‘Best Takaful Operator’ by IFN Awards in 2017, ‘Best Takaful Operator in Pakistan’ award at the 10th International Takaful Summit London 2016 and ‘Best Takaful Company in Pakistan’ for the year 2015 at ‘RTC Islamic Banking & Finance Awards’ ceremony in Islamabad.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Faysal Bank Limited (FBL), one of the leading Islamic Banks in the country, and K-Electric have come together to ease customer’s payment burden in times of economic crunch.

As part of the collaboration, Faysal Islami Noor Card holders will now be able to pay their electricity bills through easy instalment plan options of up to 3 months. Faysal Islami Noor card has gained immense popularity amongst industry card customers because it is a Shariah compliant alternative to conventional credit cards that offers amazing discounts and offers.

Speaking on the occasion, Head Consumer Finance (FBL), Mr. Aneeq Malik said: “Customer convenience has always been of paramount importance to the Bank and our partnership with K-Electric is a depiction of our commitment to our customers. We are confident that through the proposition will allow customers to manage their monthly expenditures in a more convenient and relaxed manner.”

Delighted at the launch of this campaign, Chief Distribution Officer at K-Electric, Mr. Amer Zia said, “Our collaboration with Faysal Bank through this offer is another testament of our commitment towards providing maximum relief to our consumers”.

Mr. Feroz Khan, Head Unsecured Business (FBL) further added, “We are committed to further building customer loyalty by offering the best in class products and benefits to our valued customers. This collaboration aims to ease customer expenditure on their KE billings specifically in the high billing periods.”