SICPA Pakistan wins 14th NFEH Award 2022

Posted on by admin

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  SICPA Pakistan has been conferred with the 14th National Forum for Environment & Health (NFEH) Annual International CSR Award for “Best Practices in CSR”, a statement revealed.

SICPA Pakistan was recognized for its efforts in undertaking various CSR initiatives in accordance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), employees’ participation, energy conservation, environmental audits, customer complaints, and conducting numerous programs on education, health, and safety.

The ceremony was organized by the NFEH which was marked by the attendance of distinguished guests. Present at the ceremony was Chief Guest Farrukh Habib, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting; Azam Khan Swati, Federal Railways Minister; Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam along with other notable dignitaries.

NFEH Awards are distributed every year to national and international companies for their commendable performance in 34 different categories of Corporate Social Responsibility.

NFEH is a non-government, non-profit and voluntary organization that aims at facilitating, promoting, and creating environmental, healthcare, and educational awareness in various segments of society.

Set to premiere on March 11 on ZEE5 Global, the show paints a real picture of love for the viewers ~

Posted on by admin
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Having delighted audiences with critically acclaimed and path-breaking originals such as Churails, Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, Dhoop Ki Deewar, among others, ZEE5 Global has announced its next Zindagi original titled “Mrs. & Mr. Shameem”. The 20-episode series features popular actors Saba Qamar and Nauman Ijaz, and is set to premiere on ZEE5 Global on March 11, 2022.
Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is directed by Kashif Nisar, who is known for his work on series like Dumpukht – Aatish E Ishq, and O Rangreza while the show is penned by Sajjad Gul (Saji) a contemporary play writer who is also known for touching upon social issues and psychological traits through his stories.
Speaking about her experience playing Umaina, Saba Qamar shares, “Umaina is fearless, strong and is not afraid to express herself. She is a true wild child. Playing this role was very exciting and challenging at the same time as it is very different from the roles I have played earlier. I think it’s time men and women are given the freedom to choose their path and not be restricted to play by the rules. Mrs. & Mr. Shameem demonstrates this perfectly.”
Talking about the show and his character Shameem, Nauman Ijaz shares, “Shameem is not like the usual hero you get to see in series and films. He is a soft-hearted, caring man. He redefines the portrayal of how an ideal man or man of the house typically should be. Throughout the show, you’ll see him practise respect, love and concern for his family and friends but unfortunately he is made fun of for being ‘effeminate’. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing this character, and I’m looking forward to the release of the show.”
Produced by Kashif Nisar and Misbah Shafique, Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is a distinctive love story of a pure bond graduating from friendship to growing old together and everything in between.
A Zindagi original,  Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is set to premiere on Friday, 11th March 2022 exclusively on ZEE5 Global

Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company and R.J. Fleming & Co. join hands to launch a Pakistan focused Private Equity Fund!

Posted on by admin

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Kuwait Investment Authority’s joint venture with the Pakistan Government, Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company (Private) Limited (PKIC) and R.J. Fleming & Co. Ltd. (RJF or RJF Dubai) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly set up and manage (under the requisite and appropriate licenses) a Private Equity Fund in Pakistan (the Fund).

With PKIC’s strong local footprint and experience, and R.J. Fleming’s international expertise and networks this is will be a landmark partnership in the Pakistan private equity market.

The Fund will help proven Pakistani business entrepreneurs access growth capital to scale in the local and regional markets, provide best practice governance and upgrade business management skills enabling local or international options for listing or sale.

With recent international institutional participation in the early-stage market in Pakistan and very large conglomerates already served well, there is a gap and opportunity to work with medium to large scale companies and with proven reputable business leaders to help achieve their true growth potential. 

Successful investments through this initiative will showcase opportunities in Pakistan and bode well for the overall private equity eco-system of the country. Initial seed capital for the fund shall be provided by PKIC and for subsequent rounds, funding will be raised from local as well as from international investors leveraging R.J. Fleming’s global network.

 

Lucky Cement Limited Won Four Awards at the 11th Annual Int’l CSR Awards

Posted on by admin

Pakistan’s premier cement manufacturer was recognized for its diversified investments, transparency, and impactful CSR initiatives.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Lucky Cement Limited has won four awards at the Int’l Corporate Social Responsibility Award organized by The Professionals Network (TPN), at the 11th CSR Summit & Awards held at a local hotel in Karachi.

Lucky Cement Limited was recognized in four categories for its exemplary performance:

 

1-            New Ventures & Investments

2-            Reporting and Transparency

3-            Community Impact

4-            Education Scholarship Program

The recognitions were awarded to highlight Company’s diversified investments to strengthen the local industries and economy, transparent reporting of international standards for its stakeholders, and impactful CSR programs that not only uplifted the underprivileged communities of rural areas but also provided academic and employment opportunities for the youth.

Speaking of the occasion, Mr. Amin Ganny, Chief Operating Officer, Lucky Cement Limited said, “Being an industry leader we understand our responsibility. Each initiative planned at the Company has a well-defined objective with the ultimate aim of strengthening Pakistan. And in this process, we have always made sure to uplift the local communities with a vision of mutual growth and prosperity”.

He further added that “We have always believed in the philosophy of “Make in Pakistan” and our investments are a depiction of our philosophy. Similarly, we have always ensured the provision of affordable education to empower our youth for a brighter future. With this, we are determined to continue making strides and further elevate the industrial landscape of Pakistan through our investments and CSR initiatives”. 

The Company has diversified into several industries including automobile, chemicals, power, life sciences, and smartphones. To further empower the youth of Pakistan, the Company also launched three dedicated scholarship programs for the rural areas in addition to its already well-established CSR program focusing on health, education, community development, and women empowerment.

Navigating the ‘messy middle’ in hybrid workspaces

Posted on by admin

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The remote-work world that we embraced at the height of the pandemic has evolved with blended, hybrid environments now taking center stage. This will define the post-pandemic business landscape, according to Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index (WTI).“The best of both worlds” is what employees surveyed in the WTI are after: 73 percent want flexible remote-work options to continue, while, at the same time, 67 percent are craving more in-person time with their teams. WTI figures show that 46 percent of the globally surveyed employees were considering leaving their current employer because they can work from home.

In the EMEA region, this figure, although lower at 36 percent, is still significant. As such, a company’s approach to hybrid working will define “who stays and who goes,”the index notes. What’s the sentiment in Pakistan?Last year, news outlet Nikkei Asia reported that emerging nations such as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh have a strong presence in the global remote-work market. In fact, the article notes that, in 2020, workers from these countries made up over 80 percent of the remote workforce. With economies reopening after pandemic-induced lock downs, companies will be able to implement an effective hybrid workspace, having had equal success operating exclusively in-person and exclusively online.

The importance of balancing the two comes down to employee well being – offering the flexibility of remote work alongside the collaborative, social aspect of seeing colleagues in person. Just like the rest of the business world, we’re learning as we roll out these hybrid-enabling changes. On what we’ve learnt, Nicole Herskowitz, Microsoft Teams General Manager, highlights that hybrid meetings have been a game-changer for shaping a successful work environment.

For Microsoft, Herskowitz shares that following the “ABC” practice on Teams-based meetings has been key. The ‘A’ is for Audio, because having the right tech to give everyone an equal opportunity to be heard clearly is a cornerstone of inclusive collaboration. The ‘B’ is for Bring Your Own Device (turning on your camera but muting your mic). ‘C’ is about Collaboration; specifically, about assigning a facilitator to streamline interactions between virtual and in-office meeting attendees.

As the WTI highlighted, enabling successful hybrid working will mean re imagining office space and investing in supporting technology. Microsoft has innovated on the technology front with new Teams Rooms features to better manage the messy middle. There’s a Front Row layout where the video gallery is at the bottom of the screen, spread out horizontally.. The Surface Hub capabilities in Teams Rooms have also been enhanced to offer more ways to collaborate seamlessly.

Badzaat- a story of love,pain and hope is what 7th Sky Entertainment has in store for us.

Posted on by admin

Badzaat- a story of love,pain and hope is what 7th Sky Entertainment has in store for us. Starring, Imran Ashraf, UrwaHocane and Ali Abbas

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) 7th Sky Entertainment, under the banner of  Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi are bringing to us yet another passion project-Badzaat. Starring Imran Ashraf,UrwaHocane and Ali Abbas along with Mehmood Aslam, Saba Faisal, Nida Mumtaz, Zainab Qayyum, Sidra Niazi, Zoya Nasir and Sajida Syed.

The story is packed with a love triangle along with deep rooted family issues that start coming to the surface. Written by Misbah Nosheen and directed by Siraj-Ul-Haq.

Wali and Daniyal are portrayed as cousins yet their differences create havoc. Wali is someone who is learning to accept mistakes and correct them while Daniyal is the complete opposite.

Anabia being young and innocent will get stuck in this web of conflict and family feuds.

A drama packed with lots of emotions and family values at stake.

With many power projects such as Khaani,Fitoor,RangMahal,Khuda Aur Mohabat and more,7th Sky Entertainment is all about bringing those societal issues that much need to be highlighted.Badzaat is another addition to their golden list of highly acclaimed dramas on-air at the moment.

Stakeholders urge govt to notify free and compulsory education Act

Posted on by admin

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Expressing grave concern over the 2.2 million out of school children in the country, parliamentarians and stakeholders have emphasized upon the government to immediately notify the Free and Compulsory Education (Article 25A) in order the ‘free and compulsory education for all’ goal is achieved to meet the sustainable development goals.

These consensus views were expressed during a national conference on right to education where parliamentarians and other stakeholders organized by the Awaz CDS-Pakistan, Pakistan Development Alliance and VSO Pakistan. The purpose of this conference was to highlight the progress, challenges and way forward viz-a-viz implementation of Article 25-A after 12 years of its inception.

The panelists included Chief Executive Officer Awaz CDS, Zia ur Rehman; Chairperson National Commission for Child Rights, Afshan Tehseen; Zahra Arshad, Pakistan Coalition for Education, Areeba Shahid from PYCA, Malik Ibrar Hussain, President All Pakistan Private Schools Association; Atif from All Pakistan teachers forum, Dr. Hammad Lanng, Ministry of Human Rights; Nafeesa Khattak, Convener SDG4, Sub-Committee, National SDG Task Force; Punjab MPA & Chairperson Standing Committee on School Education, Aisha Nawaz Chaudhry; Shandana Gulzar-MNA and convened SDG 5,Malala Fund Country Director Javed Malik.

It is to mention here that the Free and Compulsory Education was passed by the parliament in 2010 however, the government is yet to notify it in Federal Capital and Punjab despite the passage of several years.

Starting the discussion, CEO Awaz CDS Zia ur Rehman said that due to the delay in notifying the Act, Pakistan is lagging behind in achieving the SDG on education. “As a developing state, we cannot afford to be lagging in achieving SDGs especially in education, which is key to progress and sustainability,” he remarked.

He mentioned that parliamentarians are visionary and committed to strengthen the education system and girls education. He urged them to highlight the demand of education at the lower sector and treat education as emergency and especially girls secondary education.

Nafeesa Khattak said that the parliament will be engaged to put pressure on the government for notification of the Act. She said that the government had engaged Ulema as well as private schools to encourage their input on the single national curriculum (SNC), yet it needs to enter the implementation phase to achieve education targets. The SNC is a balanced approach at government schools while the Madaris need to impart quality education along with religious education.

In her remarks, NCRC Chairperson Afshan Tehseen mentioned with concern that 2.2 million children are out of school in the country which needs to be controlled.

She regretted that Pakistan had committed 4 percent of the national budget for education but allocated only 2.8 percent. “We can make education a priority agenda if the government allocates a significant chunk of budget for this sector as well as collective efforts are ensured from all stakeholders,” she remarked.

Punjab MPA Shamim Aftab stressed the need to engage all stakeholders as well as parliamentarians for ensuring implementation of the Article 25-A. “The government should engage civil society to bring change through ensuring education to all children.

Ayesha Nawaz, another MPA from Punjab, said that education is the priority of the present government. She also shared that Punjab standing committee on education has also passed the amendment bill to notify Punjab free and compulsory education act 2014 at once. She also assured that in coming session, this bill will be passed from assembly hopefully.

Shandana Gulzar, Convener SDG5 Sub-Committee, National SDG Task Force, Chairperson Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, urged to keep girls at par with boys in education and choices of life ensuring equal opportunities. She further stressed that gender equality cannot be achieved if girls remains out of discourse in education.

Celebrating one year in Pakistan, Spotify reveals exciting insights on local music trends

Posted on by admin

 

  • Pakistani Spotifiers enjoyed discovering artists and songs from home and abroad. The most-streamed artists’ list included Arijit Singh, BTS, Atif Aslam, The Weeknd and more.
  • Asim Azhar and Zainab Fatimah Sultan’s “Ghalat Fehmi” and Young Stunners’ “Gumaan” and “Afsanay” are among the top 3 most-streamed Pakistani songs.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Marking its first anniversary in Pakistan, Spotify – the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service unveiled how its Pakistani listeners relished the platform and discovered artists from the country and beyond.

 A growing number of Pakistani listeners discovering and connecting with more local and global music

As Pakistani music lovers became more familiar with Spotify, they used the platform more – and broadened their tastes. Since launch, the average number of artists streamed per user has increased by 60%. Spotify users’ appetite for diverse content was also apparent from how they searched for playlists with the most searched playlist words, including “English”, “Urdu”, “Desi”, “Bollywood”, “Coke Studio” and “Punjabi”.

Pakistan’s listeners enjoyed listening to homegrown and international artists. They streamed local superstars Atif Aslam, Talha Anjum, and Talhah Yunus along with household names from overseas such as Arijit Singh, BTS, and The Weeknd the most over the past 365 days. These artists all made the top 10 most-streamed artists in Pakistan list.

Spotify also unveiled the top 10 list of the most-streamed songs in Pakistan over the same period. “Tu Aake Dekhle” by King topped the list, while international songs such as Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI’s “STAY” and BTS‘ “Butter” took fourth and sixth place, respectively. Asim Azhar and Zenab Fatimah Sultan’s “Ghalat Fehmi” came third.

Young Stunners made a great impression on Pakistani fans over the past year, landing two spots in the top 10 most-streamed songs list. “Gumaan” came fifth, and “Afsanay” took the ninth spot.

When it came to how Pakistani fans connected with local stars, Atif Aslam was the most-streamed Pakistani artist on the platform, followed by the Young Stunners rap duo, Talha Anjum and Talhah Yunus. The top streamed local song spot went to ‘Ghalat Fehmi’ co-sung by Asim Azhar and Zenab Fatima Sultan from the movie Superstar.

Local Hip-Hop and Indie are striking a chord

With eight out of ten of the most-streamed Pakistani songs falling under local hip-hop and Indie, it is clear from the data that Spotify listeners in the country are connecting with these genres the most. Hassan Raheem made a prominent appearance in the top 10 local list with “Aisay Kaisay”, “Aarzu”, and “Joona”. At the same time, Young Stunners had five tracks in the same category, including “Don’t Mind” with Rap Demon and “Yaad” with Asim Azhar.  

Music is personal for Pakistani listeners

Pakistani listeners love music and they are all about creating their own playlists to share with their friends and loved ones. According to Spotify, local listeners created 1.9 million user-generated playlists on Spotify. The most musical day in Pakistan was February 5, 2022, in anticipation of Coke Studio‘s certified hit “Pasoori” by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill.

 There’s something about nostalgia

Spotify also revealed Pakistani listeners’ streaming data related to its locally curated playlists. Nostalgia is gaining popularity with three nostalgic playlists, “All Time Pakistani Hits”, “All Out 2010s” and “Pakistani 10s Hits”, showing up in the top 10 list.

Join the celebrations on Spotify Pakistan’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Facebook: @SpotifyPakistan| Instagram: @SpotifyPakistan

Digital Media Era In Pakistan Industry – HARIS SIYAL

Posted on by admin

Lahore (Nut Desk)

We are in the digital age, where most things in our lives are now online or in some way require the use of the Internet. Whether it’s education, business, clothing, shopping, banking or more, you can’t imagine life without a global network. We live in the “age of the Internet”.

We can consider ourselves blessed because we can sit somewhere, we can achieve almost anywhere or anything in the world. We should not visit places in person or travel thousands of miles; everything is on your devices. The strangest thing is that we no longer have to promote our products with vouchers, newspapers or printed matter.

Now we can do all this on social networks such as companies, brands, albums, songs and so on. To do this, you need the help of a professional who will help you achieve high awareness and success and help you reach more people and gain customers. A very famous man in the field is Haris Siyal aka Harry Dada. Harry has more than 15 years of experience in event management, marketing, promotion, media and communications.

It provides services to many international organizations, event management companies, media marketing organizations and suppliers in the field of event management, marketing, artist promotion, market promotion, communication and activation. on the market. He has worked with many national and international brands, celebrities and agencies. So if you are looking for professional help in this area, Harry is your man! You can find Harry Dada at harrydada.com.

 

Karachi Open Squash Championship 2022 to kick off from March 15

Posted on by admin

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Karachi is set to host another high-profile international sporting event with the Karachi Open Squash Championship taking place from 15 – 19 March, 2022.

The main draws for the 2022 Karachi Open Squash Championship see former World No.1 Karim Abdel Gawad and France’s Enora Villard heading the men’s and women’s draws, respectively.

The male event is a PSA World Tour Bronze tournament, while the female competition is a PSA Challenger Tour 20 tournament.

Former World Champion Gawad leads the men’s draw and will be looking to claim his first title since 2019. The Egyptian will face the winner of home favourite Asim Khan and England’s Declan James in his first match of the tournament as he receives a bye in round one.

World No.16 Youssef Soliman from Egypt is the number two seed. Soliman, a recent quarter finalist at the Houston Open, will open his account against the winner of Spain’s Bernat Jaume and event wildcard Muhammad Ashab Irfan from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s best chance of a home winner comes in the form of World No.44 Tayyab Aslam. The nation’s No.1 will face up and coming Egyptian Yahya Elnawasany in his first-round match. The pair last met at the Egyptian Open in September, with the Egyptian winning 3-1 in 38 minutes to level the head-to-head record at 1-1.

France’s Enora Villard is number one seed for the female event. The French No.4 recently lost out to Georgina Kennedy from England in the last 16 of the Cleveland Classic and will be looking to improve on that performance in Karachi. Villard will play either Pakistan’s Zaynab Khan or New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Watts in her opening match of the event.

England’s Lucy Beecroft is one to watch in the event. The World No.62 won two events in 2021 and will be determined to add to that tally in 2022. Beecroft receives a bye in round one but will face either wildcard Anam Mustafa Aziz or Serbia’s Jelena Dutina in round two.

No.3 seed Marie Stephan is entering the Challenger 20 event full of confidence as the 25-year-old recently captured her first French Nationals title, beating Enora Villard in the final. Stephan will play Pakistan’s Amna Fayyaz or Malaysia’s Yee Xin Ying for a place in the quarter finals.

Pakistan Rangers Sindh will collaborate with the event organisers for providing fool proof security arrangements to all participants.

 Chairman Sindh Squash Association and Emeritus President of World Squash Federation Jahangir Khan Said “The Sindh Squash Association is delighted to host the Karachi Open Squash Championship 2022. We are excited to collaborate with the ARY group who have always been huge supporters of sports in the country.

“We are all very excited to showcase Pakistan’s hospitality to a number of talented international squash players and I look forward to welcoming them in Karachi this March.”

Chairman AKD Group Aqeel Karim Dhedhi Said
“The business community of Karachi is proud to support Pakistan’s resurgence in sports. The Karachi Open Squash Championship, and other events in the pipeline under the ACE Games umbrella, will have our full support as we aim to promote Pakistan as a sports destination and build Pakistan’s own sporting heroes.”

ARY Digital Founder and CEO Salman Iqbal Said “I am delighted that we are partnering with the Sindh Squash Association and the business community of Pakistan to bring this star-studded squash event to Pakistan.

Pakistan has hosted a number of international cricket events in the last few years and the Karachi Open Squash Championship will be a great addition to the country’s sports industry. I am confident that with world-class TV coverage on A Sports, Pakistan’s first HD sports channel, and a memorable event, we will be able to further raise the profile of Pakistan as a sports destination. 

“Our vision with ACE Games is to promote sports in Pakistan and provide avenues for our youth to train themselves so that they can bring laurels for Pakistan and I hope that all stakeholders will continue to support us in our efforts.”

Karachi Open Squash Championship 2022: Men’s Draw

[1] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) [Bye]

Asim Khan (PAK) v [9/16] Declan James (ENG)

[9/16] Greg Lobban (SCO) v Henry Leung (HKG)

[6] Todd Harrity (USA) [Bye]

[7] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) [Bye]

Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP)

[9/16] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) v [WC] Noor Zaman (PAK)

[3] Omar Mosaad (EGY) [Bye]

[4] Karim El Hammamy (EGY) [Bye]

Faraz Khan (USA) v [9/16] Alan Clyne (SCO)

[9/16] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) v Mazen Gamal (EGY)

[8] Sebastien Bonmalais (FRA) [Bye]

[5] Shahjahan Khan (USA) [Bye]

Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) v [9/16] Tayyab Aslam (PAK)

[9/16] Bernat Jaume (ESP) v [WC] Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK)

[2] Youssef Soliman (EGY) [Bye]

 

Karachi Open Squash Championship 2022: Women’s Draw

[1] Enora Villard [Bye]

Zaynab Khan (PAK) v [9/16] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL)

[9/16] NadeenKotb (EGY) v Sofía Mateos (ESP)

[5] Nadia Pfister (SUI) [Bye]

[6] Georgia Adderley (SCO) [Bye]

Lea Barbeau (FRA) v [9/16] Chan Yiwen (MAS)

[9/16] Amna Fayyaz (PAK) v Yee Xin Ying (MAS)

[3] Marie Stephan (FRA) [Bye]

[4] Ka Yi Lee (HKG) [Bye]

Sarah Cardwell (AUS) v [9/16] Anna Kimberley (ENG)

[9/16] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) v Rana Ismail (EGY)

[7] Menna Hamed (EGY) [Bye]

[8] Lucy Beecroft (ENG) [Bye]

[WC] Anam Mustafa Aziz (PAK) v [9/16] Jelena Dutina (SRB)

[9/16] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) v [WC] Mariam Malik (PAK)

[2] Menna Nasser (EGY) [Bye]