5th LEADERS IN ISLAMABAD BUSINESS SUMMIT to take place in Islamabad

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Islamabad (Nut Desk) The 5th edition of LEADERS IN ISLAMABAD BUSINESS SUMMIT, is to be held on August 17 and 18, 2022 at the picturesque Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The Summit will be jointly hosted by Nutshell Conferences Group and Martin Dow Group, in strategic partnership with OICCI – Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
 
LIIBS 2022 is 5th in the series and brings together the top local and international business and corporate leaders, as well as notable Government and political personalities, entrepreneurs, strategists, tech gurus and intelligentsia, to discuss and share best practices and routes, reflect on challenges, envision the future, and share creative and innovative strategies. The Summit highlights the best way forward for success, which is sustainable, inclusive, and profitable.
 
Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue, Dr. Miftah Ismail; Senator Sherry Rahman, Federal Minister for Climate Change; and Senator Musadik Malik, Minister of State (Petroleum Division); will grace the event as guests of honor.
 
“Imagineering the Future’’ will be the theme of this year’s two-day Summit, which will bring together more than 30 distinguished and renowned panelists belonging to diverse industries. The primary agenda will entail discussions and solutions about the present and the future of public health, digital opportunities, healthcare, value systems, economic realities, productivity, innovation, and investments. The Summit will have the leadership from Pakistan’s corporate and public sectors, joined by the following international speakers:
 
·        Ralph Simon, Founder & Chief Executive, Mobilium Global Limited, UK
·        Jimmy Nguyen, Founding President, BSV Block Chain Association
·        James Michael Lafferty, CEO & Board Member, Fine Hygienic Holding; Olympic Coach, Speaker & Corporate Trainer
·        Khoo Boo Hock, Chairman, InfraZamin; Director & Co-Founder, Green Guarantee Company, UK
·        Malak Al Akiely, CEO, Golden Wheat for Grain Trading Limited
·        Markus Strohmeier, Managing Director & CEO, Siemens Pakistan
·        Prof. Francis Davis, Professor of Public Policy, University of Birmingham & Vising Professorial Fellow, University of Oxford, UK
·        William Bao Bean, General Partner, SOSV and Managing Director, Orbit Start-ups
·        Ron Thomas, Managing Director, Strategy Focus Group, USA & UAE
·        Douglas Corley, Founder, DHB Global & CEO, Alaunius Technologies & Global Panel Member, MIT Technology Review
·        Dr. Selena Milanovic, Strategy Consultant – Healthcare, Siemens Advanta Consulting and Global Shaper, World Economic Forum
·        Joey Wilson, Senior Consultant, EY-Parthenon and Global Shaper, World Economic Forum
·        Nick Van Breda, Co-Founder, Vertelknuffel & Premium Coach, ExO Works
·        Dorine Van Der Wijk, Founder & Researcher, Swirls of Life, The Netherlands
·        Paul Papadimitriou, Founder, Intelligencr, London; Global Keynote Speaker & Futurist
·        Oscar Wendel, Journalist, Author / Partner, METAL International, USA
·        Michal Kugleman, Deputy Director & Senior Associate for South Asia, The Wilson Centre
·        Arif Anis, USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of “I’MPOSSIBLE” and “MADE IN CRISES” & Founder of HumanX, UK
·        Zain Jeewanjee, CEO & Founder, Zain Jeewanjee Insurance Agency, USA and Member Board of Advisors, RAND Corporation
 
Nutshell Conferences Group has always been a keen and active supporter of transformative initiatives and maintains a wide platform for the launch of ideas that can help Pakistan and other countries in the context of regional and global development. With an impressive lineup of the best of the best from Pakistan and beyond, LIIBS is going to be an excellent showcase of ideal structures to work with.
 
Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder of Nutshell Group and CORPORATE PAKISTAN GROUP, is a strong supporter of innovation and development. He believes that sharing of good ideas and focused conversations are essential for progress. He is enthusiastic about the 2 days of great learning and exchange of ideas. Announcing the Summit, Azfar said that Covid-19 refrained the world from such opportunities for the last couple of years. The platform of LIIBS, and the associated discussions, will help us project on the global stage, the potential of Pakistan for investment and collaboration. This will also create several new opportunities for coming together and devising strategies for innovation and growth. Moreover, LIIBS is a very effective tool to encourage foreign investors and regain their confidence in Pakistan.
 
Chairman Martin Down Group, Ali Akhai, believes that Pakistan is the land of opportunities for investors and businessmen, with a huge potential for business and the economy, worldwide. The Summit, according to him, will give a platform to foreign investors, businessmen, and policymakers to explore and multiply these opportunities.

 

Beaconhouse and Tech Valley sign MoU to digitise education for Leaders of Tomorrow

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Beaconhouse, a global network of private schools and institutes educating over 315,000 students in seven countries, has partnered with Tech Valley, an innovative digital consulting firm and trusted country partner of Google for Education in Pakistan. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two parties to work towards incorporating different Google technologies in Beaconhouse schools, carrying forward its mission to inculcate global best practices to improve education delivery. Under this MoU, Tech Valley, with the support of international Google for Education teams, will assist Beaconhouse in procuring and incorporating Chromebooks for their programmes such as Homebridge and the inception of the Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) model on their campuses. Additionally, Tech Valley will conduct training for teachers and admin staff to help them effectively utilise Google technologies such as Google Workspace and Google Cloud Platform. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ali Ahmed Khan, Chief Operating Officer of Beaconhouse, said, “Beaconhouse looks forward to working with the Google for Education team and its local partner, Tech Valley. As its first education sector partner, we are excited to kick off this project and empower our students with Google tools and devices.” Umar Farooq, CEO, Tech Valley, noted that as a local partner of Google for Education in Pakistan, their goal is to revolutionise the education sector of Pakistan by empowering students, teachers, and administrators with a simple solution for intuitive, and easy-to-manage teaching and learning model through Chromebooks and other Google technologies. Paul Hutchings, Country Manager, Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan; and Tim Paolini, APAC Sales Lead from Google for Education, also joined the ceremony remotely. The aim of this project is to equip students and teachers with the latest devices and acquaint them with technology through an easier and more flexible education model. Undoubtedly, it is time to move away from the traditional learning style and adopt technologies to help students adapt to the dynamic high-tech environment.

Martin Dow bleeds green to save lives

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Martin Dow, a leading multinational pharmaceutical company of Pakistan commenced the 75th year of the country’s independence with a cause to save lives by carrying out a blood donation drive in collaboration with Indus Hospital.

Blood shortages are particularly acute in developing countries across much of the subcontinent, and Pakistan is no exception. Adequate and reliable supply of safe blood can only be assured through a stable base of regular, voluntary, and unpaid blood donors.

The primary goal was to facilitate the patients with blood donations for surgery, chronic illnesses, cancer treatment, and transfusions for blood loss from traumatic injuries. The donation drive was efficiently managed at Martin Dow Group Corporate Office starting from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Expressing his views about these camps, Shahrukh Masood, Group Director HR & Corp Comms, said, ‘Martin Dow believes that the opportunity marks a true test of leaders’ commitment to save lives and accelerate progress towards health care for all in our lifetime. The leadership has realized that their commitment to safety is higher than ever. A single bottle of blood can save 13 lives. Every donation makes a difference. Not only is this cause necessary, but also more important as it enhances social solidarity. It sends a powerful message of mutual aid, civic commitment and social buy-in to Health for All. For healthy adults, blood donation is not only safe, but provides a sense of belonging and pride, as well as a free health check-up.’

Highlighting the need for an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood, Shahrukh Masood stressed on the importance of raising awareness for safe blood and blood products for transfusion. The theme ‘Bleed Green’ was selected to highlight the critical contribution that unpaid blood donors make to national health systems, and to promote solidarity in voluntary blood donations.

Martin Dow rolled out a complete program for the volunteers to review the guidelines before, during, and after the blood donation, such as being mindful of hydration, eating healthy food, getting enough sleep, avoiding rigorous physical activity, and skipping smoking at least 30 minutes before and after the donation.

OPPO ColorOS 12 won four design awards

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OPPO ColorOS 12 won four design awards at the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2022

Pakistan (Nut Desk) OPPO ColorOS 12 won four design awards at the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design Awards for 2022, recognizing the pioneering design of its operations system ColorOS 12 with OPPO SANS Fonts, O Relax app, OMOJI, and the Two-Finger Split Screen function.

OPPO SANS is a universal typeface designed by OPPO that covers 21 countries for 11 types of language. The visual optimization ranges from the font’s structure to its glyphs. Subtle optimization like simplifying strokes also makes the font’s overall shape more concise and elegant. These updates establish a technology presence and allow it to strengthen its legibility in a variety of screen displays in different products.

O Relax is the OPPO’s digital wellbeing application that offers comforting music tracks, ambient nature, and city sound to relax your mind. Its key feature Sounds of the City, inspired by specific locations in different cities, offer users high-quality ambiance sounds recorded from locations around the globe including Reykjavik, Beijing, and Tokyo. Each presented in the distinctive sound range from lively sounds such as energetic train and pavement sounds of a city to calming and quiet sounds like wind and rain, such an audible world can enable users to immerse themself in a calming experience.

OMOJI from ColorOS 12 is supported by OPPO’s industry-leading Face Capture algorithm, With the high precision models of expression that is built upon 52 core facial expression together with 200+ stylistic elements, users can customize unique emoji that fits their style.

ColorOS 12 tailored the “Two-Finger Split Screen” function to further leverage the experience of using the 7.1-inch large screen of OPPO’s first folding screen mobile phone, Find N. Simply swipe down the middle of the foldable screen with two fingers, and the screen display will be instantly split into two. Such design is both naturally intuitive to users and easy to understand.

The Red Dot Design Award is amongst the most prestigious of all professional design competitions globally. Winning such awards recognizes OPPO’s world-class design capabilities. In the future, OPPO will continue to deliver users with a more concise and comfortable experience through  ColorOS. OPPO recently announced the date of the global online launch event for its most recent operating system, ColorOS 13. It will be one of the main OEM working operating systems in light of Android 13 to be launched. Join the ColorOS Official Launch Event on YouTube and Twitter on 18th August at 7:00 PM GMT+8.

PAKISTAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS RELEASES NATIONAL SONG ON 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY OF PAKISTAN

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Pakistan (Nut Desk) A Flag hoisting ceremony was held at Pakistan Bureau of statistics on Sunday,14 August 2022. The Flag hoisting ceremony at PBS Head office began with recitation of Holy Quran followed by National anthem of Pakistan. To mark the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan, Pakistani flag was hoisted and Cake Cutting ceremony was observed by the Chief Statistician of PBS, Dr. Naeem uz Zafar. PBS also released a National Song in connection with 75th Anniversary of Pakistan and 7th Digital Population and Housing Census for the General Public. The ceremony was attended by senior officers & officials of PBS, during the ceremony the speakers Dr, Naeem Uz Zafar, Chief Statistician and Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, Member(SS/RM) paid tribute to the founding father Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah who took every possible step to turn the dream of Allama Dr.Muhammad Iqbal into reality. They also enlightened the great unforgettable sacrifices of the Muslims to achieve this great motherland on 14th of August 1947. The duties and responsibilities of Govt officers and officials for the development of country were also highlighted. The Independence Day was celebrated with true spirit & national fervor, and it was ended with prayers for the prosperity and peace of country.
Milli Naghma by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Singer: Zaibi Shah Composition: Ali Hamdani Talent: Hassan Afridi Direction: Syed Shayan Kamaal Production: MindMap Communications DOP: Farrukh Ahmed and Muhammad Usman Concept & Script: Maleeha Baluch LogIstics and Support: Muhammad Nauman and Mudassar Saeed.

Pak-Qatar General Takaful signed MOU with ICAP

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Pak-Qatar General Takaful signed MOU with ICAP (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan) to provide exclusive discounted Takaful products.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Pak-Qatar General Takaful Limited (Part of Pakistan’s Pioneer and the largest Takaful Group) recently signed an agreement with The Institute of Chartered Accountants (a professional accountancy body in Pakistan) in order to provide Takaful services on exclusive discount to Members, Affiliates, Students and Staff of ICAP.

The ceremony took place at ICAP’s Head Office, Karachi The MoU was signed by Mr. Saqib Zeeshan (DCEO) – PQGTL, Syed Masood Akhtar ( Secretary- ICAP), Mr. Ashfaq Yousuf Tola ( President ICAP), Mr. Mehmood Arshad (Executive Director – PQGTL), Mr. Muhammad Zohaib Ali Khan (Vice President – PQGTL).

While speaking in the occasion Mr. Saqib Zeeshan Said, “This partnership between Pak-Qatar General Takaful and The Institute of Chartered Accountants Pakistan will help to take forward our long-term vision of providing Takaful and will increase awareness amongst the masses about Takaful coverages.

Platinum Azadi celebrations at Faysal Bank Limited

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Karachi (Nut Desk) Faysal Bank Limited organized a heartwarming ceremony for flag hoisting on August 14th, 2022 to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan, at their iconic Abdullah Haroon Road branch. Celebrations of the 75th anniversary required a platinum edge, therefore FBL decided to showcase Pakistan’s inclusivity by inviting the Special Olympic athletes to grace the occasion.

Athletes from Pakistan chapter of Special Olympics were invited to join FBL in this grand celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day. FBL is enthusiastic to have these special champions shine with equal resonance.  The reverberation of their achievements becomes equally treasurable.

 Sports in Pakistan may have carried a national Flag, but their emotional impact far outweighs any other effect. 40 members of the athletic team joined the FBL families on Sunday morning to be part of flag hoisting ceremony along with cake cutting ceremony and Prizes were also distributed among special athletes to recognize their efforts in the field of sports despite having challenges. Each person held on to a mini flag to flutter and add cheer to an already vibrant environment

 “Faysal Islami strongly believes in inclusion from all segments of the society.” Yousaf Hussain, the President, and CEO of FBL reiterated FBL’s mission as part of its strategic objectives. “On this special day of 75th year of our independence it is important to remember that we have to work towards the shining Pakistan, FBL plays its role by providing economic opportunities in a Shariah Compliant manner.’’ He further elaborated on the importance for society to endorse this need for inclusion and allow youth to aim for their dreams irrespective of their challenges.

Independence Day Celebrated With Full Patriotic Zeal At CBD House Punjab.

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Lahore Central Business District Development Authority (LCBDDA) also known as Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab) enthralls the patriotic passion with Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day celebration at CBD House Punjab. The ceremony loaded with patriotic zeal was attended by Mr. Imran Amin-CEO LCBDDA, Brigadier (R) Mansoor Janjua-COO LCBDDA, Directorate Heads, Management Officials and the entire ancillary staff of LCBDDA. The celebration began with flag hosting at CBD House Punjab, along with special prayers for the development and safety of the country, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony that enhanced the charm of the celebration. CBD Punjab family added to the celebration by recreating the iconic national song “Yeh Watan Tumhara Ha” as a tribute to our beloved homeland. Mr. Imran Amin-CEO of LCBDDA while expressing his views said “as a nation, we have seen challenging times and have come together united as one nation to overcome them. During these moments of celebration and joy, please take a minute to remember how truly fortunate we are to be able to celebrate our freedom. LCBDDA feels immense pride that we have played a pivotal role in the journey of development by establishing Pakistan’s first business district. In a short span of time, CBD Punjab has ameliorated Pakistan’s image on the global economic map and is committed to striving for the development of Pakistan with full zeal and passion”. On the account of the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan, the CBD family extends its wishes to our nation fellows on this auspicious occasion and prays that we see our flag waving with the true Pakistan spirit. Today CBD Punjab has reaffirmed its commitment for the development of the country. The future projects of the authority will be an epitome of excellence for the homeland which will surely enlist Pakistan in first-world countries.

Diamond Jubilee – Pakistan Receive A Melodious Tribute From NADRA

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It is quite overwhelming and simply heartening to see that every Pakistani – whether living in Pakistan or abroad – is equally celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Pakistan so promisingly and cheering up the people around them. In a bid to take active part to celebrate the 75th Independence Day and to to pay tribute to this heroic nation, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) came up with its melodious, rather awe-inspiring share ‘Hamari Jaan Pakistan – Hamara Maan Pakistan’ which – so far – has taken the social media by storm and has received a huge ovation from the viewers across social media, whether we talk about Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok etc. This short but head-on 95sec national song starts with a quote of the Great Quaid in which he was reiterating that this valiant nation had given countless sacrifices to get a new identity in the form of Pakistan. As of now, this quote directly correlates with the core essence of the NADRA as – since its inception – it is doing its best to give every Pakistani a true ‘national identity’. The song then takes its viewers/listeners through various monuments and beautiful landscapes of Pakistan besides excellently displaying interfaith harmony and later ends at a high note. Nonetheless, the beautiful song was written by a bunch of dedicated NADRA employees and the Chairman Tariq Malik has given its final touches.

If you haven’t yet gone through this melodious tribute, here we go.

Keep the momentum of this day high and Enjoy Viewing! VIDEO…

/ https://fb.watch/eUCMTerqCb/

Scholars join artists to mark 75th Independence anniversary

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Lahore (Qasim Ali)  Pakistan’s distinguished scholars joined eminent artists to celebrate cultural resistance and resilience at a special event held at Alhamra on Friday 12 August. Organised by Ajoka Theatre, in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council and Samosa Media UK, the event included scholarly presentations on the resilience of writers, poets, musicians, dancers, theatre activists and visual artists as well spectacular performances by dance guru Sheema Kermani and the radical Laal Band. 
Ajoka Executive Director Shahid Nadeem, and Ajoka Chair spoke about the purpose of the event and said that Pakistani artists have shown remarkable resilience in the face of challenges such as military rule and religious extremism. 75th anniversary of Independence provides an occasion to pay tribute to the heroes of cultural resistance and celebrate their achievements. Anwar Akhtar of Samosa Media UK, talked about keen interest among British Pakistanis in the 75th anniversary of independence and 1947 Partition. He said South Asian culture is now significant part of British society, reflected by recently concluded Commonwealth Games ceremony revolving around Bhangra performances. Mariya Afzal of British Council spoke about Council’s plans for the 75th anniversary and congratulated Ajoka for organising such a meaningful event. After introductory remarks, a video compilation “Ushaq Ke Qaflay” was screened which paid tribute to artists and writers who continued freely creating despite imprisonment and bans. They included Faiz, Faraz, Jalib, Daman, Sadeqain, Ajmal Khattak, Shaikh Ayaz, Gul Khan Naseer, Fehmida Riaz , Yousaf Lodhi, Kishwar Naheed, Sheema Kermani and Madeeha Gauhar.
In the next session, scholars made presentations. Asghar Nadeem Syed and Nasir Abbas Nayyar discussed resistance and socio-political criticism in Urdu literature. Academic-musician Taimur Rahman spoke about the role politically aware musicians have played in struggle for freedom and social justice. Dancer and social activist Sheema Kermani shared her experiences as a dancer and dance teacher in carrying on with her work in defiance of pressures from authoritarian rulers and extremists. She also recited revolutionary Latin American Pablo Neruda’s poem about resistance to oppressive forces. Playwright Shahid Nadeem, in his presentation on theatre of resistance, said though theatre suffered an irreparable loss at the time of Partition, groups like Ajoka and Tehrik i Niswan picked up the pieces and developed a potent theatre for social change movement. He said though Ajoka is now permitted to perform at arts councils, challenges of censorship and thought control have not gone away. The last presentation of the session was by visual artist and former Principal of National College of Arts, Naazish Ata-Ullah, who discussed the political and social critique by Pakistani artists, showing their work on slides.
The last session of the evening consisted of performances. Noted Punjabi Poet Afzal Sahir and poet-activist Khalid Javed Jan of “Main Baghi Hoon” recited inspiring poems, followed by songs from Ajoka plays. A very well- performed dramatic reading of the English translation of Shahid Nadeem’s play “River of Sorrow” was the next item of the programme. The play was translated by Amena Chima and recently published by Sahitya Akademy in an anthology titled “ Plays from a Fractured Land. Editor of the anthology Playwright Atamjit Singh spoke from US and praised the play as a major contribution to Punjabi drama, Popular TV and theatre actor Samiya Mumtaz read the lead role and was ably assisted by Fizza Jamal, Yusra Irfan, Naseem Abbas. Qaiser Khan, Sameer Afzal, Qurrat Taj, Fizza Tirmizi, Faizan Sukhera, Saira Salman and Rizwan Riaz. The highlight of the session was a spectacular dance performance by Sheema Kermani, based on a Fehmida Riaz poem. The event ended at a high note with an energizing performance by Laal Band, led by Taimur Rahman. 
Ajoka Director at the end, thanked the artists and scholars for their valuable participation and Lahore Arts Council, Punjab Council of Arts and British Council for their support. The event was attended by a large number of young people and artists from various disciplines.