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Lahore (Nut Desk) Get up to 12% savings on your Qatar Airways flight along with a chance to win a complimentary FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ package 13 lucky winners will win a trip of a lifetime to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ The promotion will run for flights booked and travelled by 31st August 2022 16 June 2022 ISLAMABAD – Qatar Airways passengers who are Visa cardholders in UAE, Kuwait and Oman, are being rewarded with the chance to win special savings and prizes, including a fantastic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ package thanks to Visa and Qatar Airways. The package includes match tickets along with 3-4 nights of hotel accommodation in Qatar. Some of the packages offered as prizes include airline tickets to / from Qatar. In time for making travel plans for this summer, the promotion also gives Visa card holders up to 12% discount for flight tickets booked from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, UAE and Pakistan. The offer will be valid for online bookings completed through www.qatarairways.com using the promotional code VISA22, payment made with Visa cards and travel starting within the campaign period. The promotion will be offered for all Qatar Airways-operated destinations subject to certain exclusions. Qatar Airways VP Sales – Middle East, Levant, Caucasus and Pakistan, Mr. Dersenish Aresandiran, said: “The FIFA World Cup coming to Qatar this year is a major draw for passengers from all over the World. As the World’s Best Airline, we are delighted to be able to work with Visa to offer passengers the opportunity to join us here in Qatar for this extraordinary event.” Madhur Mehra, Visa’s Head of Merchant Sales and Acquiring for MENA, said: “As travel continues to reopen post-pandemic, this promotion is a great way to reward Qatar Airways passengers when they use their Visa card to book their travel. We are delighted to partner with Qatar’s national carrier to enrich Visa cardholders’ payment experiences with chances to win once in a lifetime and unique prizes.” Qatar Airways is providing incredible travel options during Summer 2022 with flights operating daily from the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International, to its global network with a huge number of leisure choices. Whether passengers are seeking summer vacations including tranquil beach gateways, energetic city breaks, bold adventure destinations or incredible family and friend escapes, there is something for everyone. The airline is providing global connectivity from more than 150 gateways worldwide to some of the most desired vacation destinations, whilst offering unparalleled comfort and exceptional service on board to give passengers an unforgettable journey. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ in the latest World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. The airline’s hub, HIA, was recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021. In addition to this, Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These awards provide assurance to passengers across the world that the airline’s health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment.

Karachi (Nut Desk) Dawlance is the technology-leading enterprise in Pakistan’s home-appliances industry, which recently hosted a vibrant ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of its 10,000 Tree-Plantation projects. Dawlance has the vision to ensure the well-being of humanity and environmental sustainability, whereby the company has collaborated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the University of Karachi (KU), for large-scale tree plantations in Pakistan, while also nurturing the vast mangrove forests along the coastal regions. The Chief Executive Officer of Dawlance – Umar Ahsan Khan, unveiled a monument, built at the KU, for commemorating this plantation drive. He stated that: “Being a responsible corporate citizen – Dawlance remains committed to make resourceful contributions, for ensuring socio-economic development for the wellbeing of the community and preservation of nature, in sync with the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations. This collaboration is a part of the “Dawlance for Humanity” initiative, which is enabling a better quality-of-life, education and healthcare for the nation.” Chief Marketing Officer of Dawlance – Syed Hasan Jameel said: “For this plantation-initiative, we engaged the Dawlance family and the students of Karachi University and the WWF teams, along with a large number of volunteering citizens. All these participants were also trained through Green-Workshops, to create public awareness about; the importance of vegetation and forests for maintaining the ecological balance of nature. Dr. Tahir Rasheed – the Regional Head of WWF in (Sindh & Balochistan) said that: Trees have a long-term positive-impact on the environment and the society while promising the prevention of global-warming & climate-change, to ensure a safe and healthy future for our coming generations. It is heartening to see the Karachi University students gaining awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability”. The parent-company of Dawlance – Arcelik is the second-largest manufacturer in Europe, offering a wide-range of globally leading products and technologies that meets and inspires European standards for sustainability, by promising more than 50% energy-conservation for a healthier, greener Pakistan. Over the years, Dawlance has invested over 35 billion dollars to setup 3 large-scale factories in Pakistan and its nationwide network of 1800+ dealers for sales & service. Some of the other distinguished guests representing the KU at the Dawlance plantation ceremony included: Professor Dr. Nasira Khatoon – Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. Anjum Perveen – Director of the Centre for Plant Conservation (Botanical Garden & Herbarium) and Dr. Saboohi Raza – Chairperson, Department of Agriculture & Agribusiness Management.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL), HBL and Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF) have collaborated to provide easily accessible, subsidized financing to dairy farmers in Pakistan with a long-term commitment of five years.

Dairy farmers require financial support to upscale their operations, enhance milk yield and improve herd size. Committed to Nourishing Pakistan with better nutrition and better living for farmers, FCEPL aims to provide a long-term sustainable financing solution for dairy farmers in partnership with HBL and SEDF. This one-of-a-kind partnership will facilitate upscaling operations for sustainable dairy farming and the purchase of exotic animals, benefitting the overall milk supply value chain.

Ali Khan, Managing Director, FCEPL, said: “This is the first time such an initiative is being undertaken for dairy farmers. Our partnership with HBL and SEDF will enable farmers to upscale their operations, enhance milk supply within Pakistan and benefit the economy. Farmers will be able to make independent decisions to grow their operations. The idea behind the tripartite agreement is to work with farmers on herd improvement, mechanization and infrastructure development.”

Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO – HBL stated: “Livestock and dairy alone contributes more than 14% to the national GDP. Pakistani dairy farmers produced more than 60 Billion Liters of milk during 2021-22 making it the fourth largest milk producer globally. Despite these impressive statistics, milk yields and animal productivity are amongst the lowest. This necessitates policy intervention and collaboration. HBL is the leading farmer financing provider in the country and is committed to enhancing financial inclusion in rural Pakistan. The Bank has been actively lending for dairy partnering with farmers for the purchase of quality animals and ensuring funds for feed, vaccine and animal well being. HBL’s dairy value chain partnership with FCEPL will facilitate dairy farmers in improving their farm practices and timely availability of credit. This will increase milk yield resulting in sustained and higher profits for our hardworking dairy farmers.”

Mehboob Ul Haq, Managing Director, SEDF said: “The Sindh Enterprise Development Fund is proud to team up with FCEPL and HBL in this new venture. We hope to provide dairy farmers with solutions to grow their business and strengthen the country’s dairy industry and economy. “

Leveraging the Prime Minister Kamyab Jawan Program (PMKJ) the total fund allocation for this tripartite arrangement for FCEPL recommended farmers is Rs. 10 Billion. This partnership promises to strengthen the dairy farmer community where farmers between the ages of 21-45 are eligible to apply for a loan between PKR 1million to 10million with faster case processing and turnaround times i.e., within two weeks.  The mark-up cost is as low as 4% with further subsidization by SEDF for farmers based in Sindh.

FCEPL has taken various initiatives over time for creating value for its farmer community such as extending advances at zero mark-up, cow subsidy programs, incentivizing hygienic practices, and investing in capability building of farmers with trainings on best practices and robust processes, thus improving the livelihoods of farmers and transforming the dairy sector of Pakistan.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  A cheque presentation ceremony was held at the Bank Alfalah Head Office as part of the MoU signed on July 10, 2020, between Bank Alfalah and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, to provide financial assistance to five undergraduate students under the ‘Alfalah Islamic Sponsorship Program’.

Mr. Atif Bajwa, Director and CEO Bank Alfalah, presented a cheque amounting to PKR 4.5 million to Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA Karachi, to provide financial assistance to deserving underprivileged students, who demonstrate academic brilliance. Participants included Ms. Malahat Awan, Director ARC, IBA; Ms. Ayesha Javed, Head of Marketing and Communications, IBA; and Dr. Muhammad Imran, Group Head, Bank Alfalah Islamic.

Dr. Zaidi appreciated Bank Alfalah’s contribution and said, “We are grateful to Bank Alfalah Islamic for extending their support for students from our upcoming classes. Their generosity will help students and their families in this time of unprecedented crisis by enabling the gift of higher education and their better future, which represents an investment in a better future for all of Pakistan.”

Mr. Bajwa opined that, “The Alfalah Islamic Scholarship Program not only reaffirms Bank Alfalah’s commitment to giving back to the society, but it is also in line with our vision of building a future for Pakistan where our youth has access to quality education. At this time when many families are struggling financially, we have launched this initiative to allow bright, young talent to pursue their education without any obstacles. We believe supporting these students goes beyond investing in their futures. Their success is the country’s success, and we want to do all that we can to help them. We couldn’t have had a better partner than the IBA Karachi for this.”

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  The globally eminent smartphone brand, TECNO unveiled its latest CAMON 19 series at Rockefeller Center, New York. The stylish phone comes with some of the best photography features for its fashionista users.

To overcome the traditional challenges associated with nighttime photography and low-light conditions, TECNO Camon 19 series comes with a 64MP bright night portrait photography technology and the industry’s slimmest 0.98mm bezel. As released before, the phone supports Samsung’s RGBW color filter sensor technology, which enables light intake to be enhanced by 30 percent.

“The TECNO CAMON 19 series is the answer for consumers around the world who are seeking a premium smartphone that combines style and performance with an elevated photographic experience”. He added, “We’re very proud to introduce the TECNO CAMON 19 series and continue to reinforce TECNO’s commitment to exploring more possibilities in the fusion of technology, innovation, and design.”

As Camon is TECNO’s Flagship Photography series, the latest addition comes with some of the best features. Camon 19 series comes with the First RGBW+G+P Sensitive Lens for 64MP Bright Night Portrait. Along with this, it has the Slimmest Bezel, Dazzling Backshell, Optical-Zoom Lens, Night Portrait Video, TüV Rheinland Certification, and a long battery life with immense storage.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) organized the first of a series of Industry Dialogs to debate the various climate actions needed for Pakistan to achieve the Nationally Determined Commitments made at COP26.

The Industry Dialog builds on the effort started by the OICCI earlier this year through the Pakistan Climate Conference, which built on learnings from COP 26 to identify and implement efforts needed to promote positive climate actions and reduce climate change impact in Pakistan.

The Industry Dialog brought together local climate experts, policy makers and corporate decision-makers to share learnings and best practices to help Pakistan reduce climate impact. The main speakers at the event include Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, Focal Person, Department of Climate Change, Government of Sindh as well Ahmad Rafay Alam, prominent Environment Lawyer.

Since the beginning of 2022, the OICCI has taken a leading role to organize a national discourse on several critical areas to support Pakistan’s efforts for the commitments made at COP26. The OICCI has committed to organizing multiple Industry Dialogs to get national alignment on actions needed and will also be releasing a detailed White Paper in Q3 2022 on learnings from global climate experts, policy makers and corporate decision makers to help Pakistan craft its climate journey.

Mr. Ghias Khan, President OICCI, added “Pakistan has much to do to meet its ambitious Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs). The Pakistan Climate Conference was just the beginning and today’s Industry Dialog is the next step towards highlighting the climate best practices needed by the country.”

Mr. Amir Paracha, Vice President, OICCI, highlighted, “Climate change has a real and visible economic impact. I am confident that the efforts being made by the OICCI will lay the foundation for an action plan to help Pakistan meet its global climate commitments and ensure the sustainability of its economy.”

OICCI is the representative body of international investors operating in Pakistan, aiming to leverage the expertise of OICCI members for the benefit of the Investor and the Country. The OICCI draws on a diverse membership both in terms of sector and geography with the current 210 members representing 31 different countries and 14 different sectors of trade and industry.

Okara (Nut Desk)  PepsiCo Foundation has extended its partnership with WaterAid to enable its ‘access to safe water’ program for rural communities. The partnership was announced during a program launch ceremony held at the Government Girls Elementary School Mirzapur in the Depalpur Tehsil of District Okara. The announcement was made by PepsiCo Senior Director Commercial and Corporate Affairs Mr. Mohammad Khosa in the presence of the WaterAid team, local government officials and members of the local community.

The program will enable safe water access for more than 24000 people (including 2400 school children), through the construction of 7 community managed water filtration schemes. In addition to the water filtration plants, hygienic toilets and hand washing amenities will be developed in four schools. Community members will be trained on WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) related behaviors and practices.

Senior Director Commercial and Corporate Affairs, PepsiCo Pakistan, Mr. Mohammad Khosa, commented, “We strongly believe in creating smiles for everyone; especially for the communities we work with. The rural extension of our safe water program will focus on provision of safe water to underserved communities in the potato growing belt of Pakistan so that potato growers, field workers and the entire communities that they are a part of can benefit from this facility. I thank the PepsiCo Foundation and WaterAid for their partnership on this program”

Through partnerships funded by The PepsiCo Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm, PepsiCo since 2006 has helped more than 55 million people gain access to safe water through distribution, purification, and conservation programs, far surpassing the company’s original target to help 25 million people by 2025. In Pakistan, PepsiCo has enabled safe water for over 200,000 people in the urban underserved areas of Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.

PepsiCo Pakistan’s safe water program is part of its PepsiCo Positive mission which is focused on charting a new course to drive positive action for the planet and people. Under the PepsiCo Positive agenda, PepsiCo strives to create growth and shared value with sustainability and human capital at the center.

WaterAid Country Director Arif Jabbar Khan said that “Through our long-standing partnership with PepsiCo, we are bringing positive changes in the lives of millions of people. The rural extension program in Pakistan opens our support for several communities in need” Mr. Khan also said that WaterAid has that WaterAid designs programs that are comprehensive, sustainable and localized to community needs.

Mastercard Economics Institute: Pent-up demand drives global leisure and business flight bookings past 2019 levels.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  After a turbulent two years, new research from the Mastercard Economics Institute reveals that global leisure and business flight bookings1 have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, while spending on cruise lines, buses and trains saw sharp improvements this year. A new report, Travel 2022: Trends and Transitions, delivers critical insights across 37 markets about the global state of travel in a post-vaccine and less restricted chapter of the pandemic era.

Importantly, if flight booking trends continue at their current pace, an estimated 115 million more passengers in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa will fly in 2022 compared to last year, according to an analysis by the Mastercard Economics Institute. Key findings through April 2022 include: 

Leisure and business flights surpass pre-pandemic levels: Travel recovery has been a largely consumer story for much of the pandemic. By the end of April, global leisure flight bookings surpassed 2019 levels by 25%; short- and medium-haul leisure flight bookings were up 25% and 27%, respectively.

Hard-hit transportation industries see spending rebound: Recent spending levels point to greater comfort with group travel. Global spending on cruises gained 62 percentage points from January to the end of April, though remains below 2019 levels. Buses are back at pre-pandemic levels, while passenger rail spend remains 7% below.

Travel spending shifts back to experiences4 over things: For the better part of a year, international tourists spent more on experiences instead of souvenirs when in destination. Experiential spending is now 34% above 2019 levels; the areas seeing the largest spending increases are F&B outlets (72%) and amusement parks, museums, concerts and other recreational activities (35%). In the U.K., spending growth each month in 2022 more than doubled compared to 2019 levels, currently 140% for April.