Spotify Reveals Data On Pakistani Music’s Borderless Reach

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Almost a year ago, Spotify – the world’s most popular streaming platform, entered the Pakistani market with a commitment to help local artists reach new fans and build careers, both at home and abroad, through its tools and features that enable artist discovery. 365 days later, Spotify is celebrating its first anniversary by unveiling how Pakistani music is being discovered and enjoyed around the world.

Pakistani artists found a global stage

According to Spotify’s data, there have been over 19,590 songs added to the platform from creators in Pakistan over the past year. Amongst the 184 markets, with 406 million listeners worldwide in which Spotify operates, the top countries listening to Pakistani music are India, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Spotify data also revealed who are the most-streamed Pakistani artists outside of the country. Atif Aslam became the most-streamed Pakistani artist abroad, with his hits “Kadi Te Has Bol” with Velo Sound Station, “Jeena Jeena (Badlapur)”, and “Tere Sang Yaara” ranking in the top 10 most-streamed songs from Pakistan abroad.

Acclaimed Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was the second most-streamed Pakistani artist abroad, and his uncle, the legendary qawwali maestro, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan came in third. Momina Mustehsan landed the fourth spot, and Bilal Saeed came fifth.

“Baari” by Bilal Saeed and Momina Mustehsan, the ultimate love song for millions of listeners, has earned the number one spot as the most-streamed local song abroad. The power duo made another appearance with “Uchiyaan Deewaraan” in the fourth spot, and Momina Mustehsan came in ninth with Adnan Dhool in “Awari”.

Additionally, Rap duo Young Stunners’ hits “Gumaan”, “Don’t Mind” with Rap Demon and “Afsanay” came third, seventh and eighth, respectively.

“Spotify continues to be committed to providing equal opportunities to all local artists, enabling them to connect with a global audience by creating an ecosystem where they can propel their careers, while breaking lingual and cultural barriers,” said Claudius Boller, Managing Director of Spotify MENAP, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Local genres are getting exported across the globe

Pakistani music crossing borders had another notable moment over the past year, with 11% of the Pakistani Indie genre being streamed in the US, seeing a growth of more than 150% globally in the last year.

Additionally, Pakistani Electronic is gaining momentum locally and internationally, with 23% of the genre being streamed in the US, Canada, UK, and Germany, paving the way to a 223% increase in global streams since Spotify’s launch.

Speaking about how things have changed for him since Spotify entered the local scene, Turhan James, a Pakistani electronic music producer, said, “I’m so glad to see that my music is being heard so much since Spotify launched in Pakistan. I personally feel that it has been an absolute game-changer for our music industry. The platform has given artists the opportunity to have their work showcased to millions of people, not just in Pakistan but around the world, while giving listeners the ability to consume music they would never come across. It’s been a blessing!”

Local hip-hop was also amongst the most popular genres abroad. More than 63% of the streams for the genre came from outside the country and witnessed growth in global streams of almost 70%.

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

foodpanda collaborates with Climate Change Ministry

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foodpanda collaborates with Climate Change Ministry to launch first e-bikes for e-commerce

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) foodpanda, one of the leading e-commerce companies in Pakistan, today became the first e-commerce player in Pakistan to launch e-bikes on its platform for delivery riders. As part of the ground-breaking initiative, which is being undertaken in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Climate Change, foodpanda handed over the first set of e-bikes to its riders in a ceremony held in Islamabad – which was attended by Malik Amin Aslam – Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change. 

The initiative reaffirms foodpanda’s pledge to work towards environmental sustainability. foodpanda has partnered with Jolta Electric to scale e-bikes on its platform and will also explore financing opportunities with different banks to support its riders.

Malik Amin Aslam, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change while speaking at the occasion said, “This partnership is geared towards fostering a culture of environmental wellbeing, in line with Prime Minister’s Clean Green Pakistan Initiative. As the number of delivery riders have significantly gone up, this is going to be the first of its kind practical action. Needless to say, it is a collective action approach and will pave the way for other players to take this as an example and follow suit.”

While sharing his views, Muntaqa Peracha, Interim CEO at foodpanda said, “Launching e-bikes is in line with our core philosophy of embedding technology into our business and aimed at defining a direction for the future. foodpanda is today a household name and has over the years become an integral part of people’s lives through its value-added offerings. This is reason enough for us to stay one step ahead and demonstrate our commitment to climate action at a time when there is a great urgency to act.”

In December last year, foodpanda and the Ministry of Climate Change pledged to work together for launching and accelerating efforts to protect the environment. foodpanda recognizes that climate change is one of our greatest challenges which requires immediate action. Partnerships like these and other initiatives are small steps in the right direction to mitigate the impact of climate change.

The ceremony was attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, Muntaqa Peracha, Interim CEO foodpanda Pakistan, Hassan Arshad, Principal, Policy & Communications foodpanda Pakistan and Usman Sheikh, CEO Jolta Electric, along with other senior representatives from the companies. 

 

IBA Karachi and Al Kauser sign an MoU to provide financial assistance to deserving students

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February 21, 2022: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi and Al-Kauser signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure cooperation between both the institutions with the purpose of mutually strengthening each other, and in playing their role in making quality education accessible to the deserving students studying at the Institute by providing them financial assistance.

Director Finance, Al Kauser, Syed Akif Abbas, and Executive Director, IBA Karachi, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi signed the MoU at the ceremony held at the IBA Main Campus.

The IBA was represented by the Executive Director, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi; Director, Alumni and Corporate Relations, Ms. Malahat Awan; Director, Finance, Mr. Moeid Sultan; Director, Talent Hunt Program, Dr. Junaid Alam Khan, whereas representatives for Al Kauser included, Mr. Qaim Mehdi and Director Finance, Syed Akif Abbas.

This collaboration will not only help the deserving students but will also facilitate in creating a pool of talented graduates that have the required skill set and technical knowledge in consonance with the industry requirement so that they can perform well in dynamic business environments.

Al Kauser aims to facilitate the access of education to financially disadvantaged students at the IBA on an annual, pay-as-you-go basis. It is currently sponsoring 12 students of the IBA under the Al-Kauser Scholarship. Moreover, it will also provide support to up to 4 students every year.

The IBA supports approximately 30% of its student body every year to ensure inclusivity through its financial assistance program.

Pakistan Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) Q4 2021 report issued by Dun & Bradstreet and Gallup Pakistan

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The Consumer Confidence Index increased to 77.0 points in Q4 2021, compared to 70.8 points in Q3 2021, translating into 8.8% q-o-q increase.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan and Gallup Pakistan have issued their report on ‘Pakistan Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)’ for Q4 2021. The Consumer Confidence Index increased to 77.0 points in Q4 2021, compared to 70.8 points in Q3 2021, translating into 8.8% q-o-q increase. This improvement in sentiment is driven primarily by improvement in future expectations as respondents reported a greater increase in Future Expectations (up 13.6%) compared to Current Situation (up 2.3%) in this quarter.

During the current quarter, all CCI parameters witnessed a slight improvement while still indicating pessimism, driven primarily by increase in future expectations (up 13.6%) Q-o-Q. Overall increase primarily stemmed from improved perceptions regarding Household Savings (up 16.3%).

Unemployment continues to drag consumers’ enthusiasm and remained the most pessimistic parameter (NI = 55.3). Across all parameters, consumers were only optimistic regarding Future Financial Situation (NI = 109.3). During Q4 2021 survey, 91% consumers believed that daily essentials have continued to become expensive/very expensive in the last 6 months compared to 94% in Q3 2021.

Mr. Nauman Lakhani, Country Lead of Dun & Bradstreet in Pakistan stated, “The eighth issue of Pakistan Consumer Confidence marks the end of the calendar year 2021 and completion of two cycles of CCI. Current Consumer Confidence growth of almost 9% as compared to the sharp decline last quarter is healthy, but consumers remain in the ‘pessimistic’ zone. The slight improvement is a likely indication of normalizing demand, amidst people adapting to the ‘new normal’.”

Mr. Bilal Ijaz Gilani, Executive Director Gallup Pakistan, added, “The current quarter results show improvement in overall consumer sentiment, driven largely by improved expectation for future. Having said this, the overall sentiment remains in the negative with majority rating current and future situation of their finances to be in dire straits. Given the continued pressure of inflation, slow economic growth and disparity between small vs large and those selling to domestic vs international markets growing, the chances of sentiments improving drastically in the short term are low as well. Businesses therefore need to keep this current and short-term forecast in mind while planning for expansion.”

The CCI report has been developed by assessing Consumers’ Confidence about the economy as well as their personal financial situation. The Index covers four key parameters i.e., Household Financial Situation, Country’s Economic Condition, Unemployment, and Household Savings. The Index reflects ‘Current Situation’ (economic changes witnessed in the last six months), as well as ‘Future Expectations’ (changes expected for next six months) of consumers across the country.

The CCI ranges from 0 to 200, with 100 as the neutral value. A score of less than 100 indicates pessimism while a score of more than 100 indicates optimism.

Phenomenal Response to Bajao.pk’s “Nayi Awaaz” Online Music Competition

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Last month has been buzzing with the music artists booking studios and sharpening their vocal cords to submit their entries to the Bajao music’s online music competition, Nayi Awaaz. The uptake of the competition has been phenomenal with hundreds of entries pouring in. In a recent post on their social media channels they thanked everyone for the overwhelming response and congratulated all those who had cleared the screening process.

The Bajaoo Music Nayi Awaaz is a one of its kind online music competition. The competition is powered through the social media channels of Bajao.pk, where after an initial screening, videos are being uploaded and people can vote for their favourites using the Bajao App. People will vote first for the top 10, then top 5, and finally the Top 3 winners of the competition. The competition promises cash prizes and the winner will also get an opportunity to get a song produced by a leading music producer. The competition is being hosted by Yashal Shahid, Bilal Khan, and Abdullah Qureshi, while the talented Umair Jaswal, will announce the winners.

Pakistan has no dearth of talent, and the regions music legacy gives birth to rich voice and diversity music genres, styles, and voice qualities, with a unique music style and quality that is not to be found anywhere else. One has to just login to the social media channels of Bajao Music to listen to the beautiful tunes coming from every corner of Pakistan.

In recent months there has been online discussions on the need for providing space and time to new undiscovered voices and lesser-known music talents of Pakistan. Enveloped in the principles of equal opportunity without discrimination and ensuring just coverage to the rich diversity of Pakistani music, Bajao.pk launched an online music talent hunt. There is no dearth of talent in our beloved nation, however, it is hard for those with no inroads to get recognition. Many are left manipulated and untapped. It is heartening to see that finally someone is making an effort to give the underground musicians a chance to showcase their talent.

Another challenge has been a meagre collection of Pakistan music in one place, with hardly any representation in the popular western music portals and apps. The collections are scattered and require a deep search before we get to the soul of Pakistani music. Bajao.pk fills this gap as an indigenous Pakistani portal and app carrying over a million audio and video tracks covering all the golden hits and latest Pakistani and international songs. Users can experience all this and exciting curated playlists ad free on the go, with or without internet access. It is good to finally find the golden voices from the country in one place.

We are waiting to see who emerges as the nayi awaaz and hope to hear the rich melodies hitting the waves and becoming global sensations. Culture is as important to a nation’s growth as its economic and resource growth. It is on us to support, preserve and promote the culture of Pakistan, especially its music.

To stay updates please follow the Bajao.pk Facebook @Bajao and Instagram @Bajaomusic.

TPL Corp Honors Pakistan’s Leading Athletes With Life Insurance

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Lahore (Nut Desk) TPL Corp, Pakistan’s leading conglomerate, invited some of the nation’s most illustrious athletes from diverse sporting backgrounds to reward them with Life Insurance. This is the first step in TPL’s collaboration with these young sportspeople to work towards the development of sports in the country. 

These individuals included Mahoor Shahzad, the Women’s Singles Champion at the 2017 Pakistan International tournament; Shehroze Kashif, the youngest climber in the world to summit K2 and Mount Everest, Hajra Khan, Captain of Pakistan Women’s National Football Team and Talha Talib, Pakistan’s first Bronze medal winner at the World Weightlifting Championship.

TPL Corp CEO, Ali Jameel stated, “I’m pleased to see young individuals making our country proud with their achievements. I would like to express my gratitude towards Mahoor Shahzad, Shehroze Kashif, Hajra Khan and Talha Talib for their contribution towards sports in Pakistan and hope to collaborate with them on making relevant sports reforms.”

During the occasion, conversations were held about the challenges that athletes face and how we can mitigate them. Additionally, Mr. Jameel promised getting personalized equipment gear for Talha Talib, imported from the UK.

Speaking about this meeting, the athletes were grateful to receive Life Insurance and hoped that this initiative could open up more opportunities for athletes to train and compete in challenging situations without the fear of any serious injury.

Infinix Launches ZERO 5G Featuring 6nm 5G Master Processor and Uni-Curve design

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Infinix today launched its first premier 5G smartphone, ZERO 5G, delivering the benefits of 5G – such as higher speeds, seamless connection, faster downloads and greater coverage more accessible than ever before. The smartphone is integrated with a 6nm MediaTek’s Dimensity 900 master processor for high-performance gaming, a uni-curve design for a sleek look and feel, a 48MP AI Triple camera with 30x ultra-zoom for crisp close-ups of distant objects, a 6.78” FHD+ ultra-smooth display with 120Hz Refresh Rate and 240Hz Touch Sample Rate for lower latency and immediate responsiveness and a 5000mAh with 33W quick charge technology to power users through their entire day.

<INSERT IMAGE HERE> “Infinix is setting a strong course in today’s fast-growing marketplace and providing innovative, yet high-performance 5G technology that is more attainable to users through the new ZERO 5G smartphone,” stated Charles Ding, Deputy Product Director of Infinix Mobility. “Our innovation gives users a smartphone with better performance from a slimmer and stylish design that includes every key technology feature they are looking for in a 5G device that offers the most bang for its buck within its price range.” Accelerate Your Day Infinix is improving the user experience with 5G technology with super fast connectivity that better supports bandwidth-heavy apps such as gaming and video streaming. With the growing number of people using their smartphones for mobile gaming and streaming, 5G connectivity has become a crucial feature for smartphone devices.

The Infinix ZERO 5G is equipped with a powerful 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G chipset bringing a full-domain and full-speed 5G network experience. Its Clever 5G Mode automatically switches between link4G and 5G according to the user’s bandwidth, which can significantly improve download and gaming speed and reduce power consumption. MediaTek’s Dimensity 900 5G chipset is built on a 6nm high-performance manufacturing node and integrated with a 5G New Radio (NR) sub-6GHz modem with carrier aggregation.

The chipset is equipped with an octa-core central processing unit (CPU) consisting of two Arm Cortex-A78 processors with a clock speed of up to 2.4GHz and six Arm Cortex-A55 cores operating at up to 2GHz that deliver exceptional performance for snappier app responses, faster frames per second (FPS) for gaming and better connected experiences. With the chipset’s Arm Mali-G68 MC4 graphics processing unit (GPU) and an independent artificial intelligence (AI) processing unit (APU), power-efficiency is optimized to extend battery life even further for mobile gamers.

The ZERO 5G smartphone provides even faster and more reliable connectivity for gamers with Wi-Fi 6 and 2×2 MIMO technology that offers about 1.2Gbps connectivity speeds. Infinix takes the ZERO 5G’s connectivity solutions even further with Dual 5G SIM technology, which enables the smartphone to connect to two separate 5G SIMs, intelligently switching to the fastest network and enabling seamless internet access from both connections as needed, powering users day’s like never before on an Infinix device.

Stunning Design Language Smartphone design is heavily driven by the desire for bigger screens and more minimal yet functional features without losing the key technologies – such as camera quality, memory capacity and battery life. The ZERO 5G comes with a large 6.78” FHD+ ultra-smooth display with 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, giving users a smooth experience and a quicker response to touch input when browsing webpages, consuming online media and playing action-packed games.

The smartphone showcases a Uni-Curve design with a softly curved back using a composite material that mimics the look and feel of glass, creating a device that is more comfortable to hold, yet premium to the touch allowing users to express their sense of style with their device. The rear contour drop camera design is integrated into the curve of the device, creating an ergonomic design that is palm friendly and a move away from traditional camera modules’ harsher right-angle positioning.

The unique design of the ZERO 5G incorporates subtle textures and colors that reflect the serenity of natural sceneries with three bold colors including: Cosmic Black to represent distant galaxies, Skylight Orange to represent the bright and energizing sun and Horizon Blue to represent the mesmerizing sky. Capture Every Moment The ZERO 5G features a crisp 48MP main camera with 30x ultra-zoom comprising of a 13MP portrait camera and 2MP virtual camera.

The 30X 48MP zoom camera allows users to capture stunningly high-quality from a great distance. Users can also capture moments that the human eye cannot normally see, with the 960 frames per second (fps) slow motion capabilities for stunning video captures.

realme 9 Series is Coming to Pakistan

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Lahore (Nut Desk)

realme 9 Series is Coming to Pakistan – Promising a Real Upgrade to Powerful Performance

The upcoming edition of realme’s ultra-popular Number Series features an impressive upgrade to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6nm chipset in an economical price

Always striving to make advancements in the field of technology, realme has innovation in their DNA. With every new release, the tech popularizer strives to bring the latest and greatest developments in tech away from the exclusive sphere of premium products and share them with the average consumer. The same remains true with the upcoming release of the realme 9 series as it aims to bring real power into the palm of your hands without causing your wallet any distress. The first handset in the series, the realme 9i, comes packed with a game-changing Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor, a 33W Dart Charge and a stunning 50MP AI Triple Camera for you to dream big with the limits of what you can achieve with just a smartphone whether you’re a gamer or a photographer.

The rise of smartphone gaming can be attributed to the popularity of online multiplayer games such as PUBG or Fortnite but not all devices are equipped to handle the strenuous task of running heavy gaming for extended amounts of play time. Issues such as lag, overheating, and screen resolution can really impact the gameplay experience. The team at realme understood these issues and added the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 6nm processor in its price segment to the realme 9i. In comparison to the previous generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (Snapdragon 662), this processor provides a 20% increase in CPU performance, a 17% increase in GPU performance, and a 10% increase in AI performance.

These changes allow for the realme 9i to provide faster loading, less lag, faster launch times, and higher frame rates which significantly improves the gameplay experience. The 6nm processor also consumes less power than its 12nm counterparts, consuming 62% less power and affording 46% better performance. Lower power consumption also prevents your smartphone from heating up too much or too quickly. This combined with the handset’s massive 5000mAh battery allows you to play games on your phone for hours on end without worrying about your phone’s battery life. However, even if you end up exhausting its battery, the realme 9i has got you covered with first in its segment super-fast 33W Dart Charge that will charge your phone from 0-100% in just 70 minutes.

Gaming isn’t the only activity that requires real power from your smartphone. One of the other great benefits to come with the realme 9i is its amazing photography capabilities. The rear camera is a combination of 3 lenses in a triple AI camera: the 50MP Ultra HD main camera, the 2MP Black and White portrait lens, and the 2MP macro lens for close-up photography. The previously mentioned increase in AI performance brought on by the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor really helps increase camera performance in its beauty mode, night mode, and fast photo mode. You’ll never have to worry about filling up your phone with too many photos either as the realme 9i supports up to 128 GB of internal storage with the option to expand storage by up to an astounding 1TB with an external memory slot. So don’t let the fear of storage get in the way of the creative muses.

With all these exciting features, the wait for the realme 9 Series to drop seems almost impossible but luckily the wait is almost over. realme is holding the launch event for the 9 Series on Monday, February 21, 2022 where more details about the trailblazing tech they have to offer will be revealed. While the price of the handset has not been revealed yet, it is safe to assume that it will continue realme’s commitment of economical pricing for advanced features. So, make sure you tune in for the upcoming launch of the realme 9 series for further information!

AquaHatch International launched, plans to develop a freshwater ecosystem in Pakistan

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The ties between Pakistan and Hungary are further strengthened with the formation of AquaHatch International (Pvt.) Ltd, a joint venture company of both countries, which has a foreign and local investment of $14 million to develop a freshwater ecosystem in Pakistan.
To cement this business relationship, an event was held on February 23, 2023. The Minister of State and  Chairman of the Board of Investment, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, was present at the event as Chief Guest.  Also present at the occasion were representatives from the partner, including Mr. Faisal Iftikhar, CEO AquaHatch International (Pvt.) Ltd., Mr. Ormos Andras from Vita Fort, Hungary, Mr. Istvan Grafjodi, Hungarian Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan,  Mr. Fuad Garib, CEO Garibsons (Pvt.) Ltd., Mr. Nadir N. Jaffer, CEO Jaffer Agro Services (Pvt.) Ltd., Mr. Nasser N. Jaffer, Chairman Jaffer Group, and other top management of Jaffer Group & Garibsons. 
Speaking at the event, Mr. Ahsan said that he was confident that the joint venture between the two countries will flourish soon and also provide employment opportunities to help the people of Pakistan. 
“Pakistan offers its investors a strong and large consumer market with an ever-expanding middle class. The country’s strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia and proximity to the Gulf countries, makes Pakistan a promising regional hub and an important market for trade and investment,” he said.
According to the minister, Pakistan and Hungary enjoy cordial relations. He shared that Pakistan had received Foreign Direct Investment worth $42.5million in 2020 and $21.2million in 2021 from Hungary. 
The business partners of AquaHatch include VitaFort Agro Asia, a Hungarian Company which has developed dozens of such hatcheries in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand; Jaffer Agro Services (Pvt.) Ltd. has vast experience in supplying agricultural service, equipment, and products to farmers across the country, Garibsons (Pvt.) Ltd, and is one of Pakistan’s top rice and maize export companies and Deep Blue Seafoods (Pvt.) Ltd which has 22 years of fisheries export and aquacultural development experience. Vita Fort Agro Asia is the only foreign firm investing in this project along with the Pakistani investors. 
The minister also said that “we are in the process of signing a Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hungary and the first round of negotiations has been held in Islamabad. Bestowed with immense resources, Pakistan is a land of opportunity for investors and business concerns, both investment and trade. Despite various challenges, especially in the situation arising out of Covid-19, the Government of Pakistan is making all-out efforts to put the economy on track with long-term and sustainable economic progress. The improvement in various economic indicators is proof of these efforts,” he added.  
The minister of state also highlighted the important role of the BOI which acts as an interface between international and local investors, public and private sectors. 
Freshwater ecosystem.
It is important to develop the freshwater ecosystem in Pakistan because at the moment, the country’s freshwater ecosystem is home to about 200 species of fish out of which 30 are considered commercially viable due to huge local demand. It is imperative to bear in mind that owing to overfishing/over-harvesting, the fisheries’ resources have depleted drastically. To meet the local demand for protein from fish, the freshwater ecosystem requires to be developed.  
Aquaculture is one way to reduce the pressure on freshwater bodies and to meet the local fish demand. It emerged as an industry in Pakistan in the 1980s, when its contribution to overall national fish production became noticeable. Currently, fish production through aquaculture in Pakistan has low quality and does not cater to the local and international demand potential, especially the middle eastern and European markets. 
Mr. Muhammad Faisal Iftikhar Ali, CEO AquaHatch said ‘’Currently, existing hatcheries are unable to fulfill the nation’s requirement. So far, only two million seeds could be produced locally, as for the rest, there is a heavy reliance on imported seeds which have many issues. To cater to the demands of fish seeds, AquaHatch International was set up. There is immense potential in Pakistan’s fishing industry. For example, this industry is really big in our regional neighbors like Vietnam. Right now, we are importing a lot of fish and other seafood products, but if our industry grows we will not need to do this” .
“Fish offers a good alternative to poultry products as well. I think there is great potential in this field and we will be successful in introducing this side of the industry here,” he added.
In the initial phase, AquaHatch aims at setting up a pilot of producing 10 million seeds initially and supplying them to the local fish farms. The project has already procured 100 acres of land where the operations will be scaled-up to around 50 million seeds in the future. 
   
The company’s HQ is located along the prime potential hatchery belt in Sultanabad in district Thatta, Sindh. The location has a rich ecological significance as there are several large and small natural water bodies including, Manchar Lake, Keenjhar Lake, Kalri Lake, Haleji Lake, Chotiari Reservoir, Nara Canal, etc. As the River Indus and its tributaries are the sources of livelihood for communities living around these water bodies, they are entirely dependent on fisheries resources. The whole idea of setting up a hatchery in the area is to harness the local skill potential and provide alternative livelihoods, which will also divert the pressure on the local aquatic bodies and will enable the aquatic species and fisheries to sustain their population and prevent over harvesting and over fishing. 
According to the minister, Pakistan and Hungary enjoy cordial relations. He shared that Pakistan had received Foreign Direct Investment worth $42.5million in 2020 and $21.2million in 2021 from Hungary. 
“We are also in the process of signing a Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hungary and the first round of negotiations has been held in Islamabad,” he said.

IBA Karachi organizes Career Fair 2022

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) After a wait of two years owing to the pandemic, the IBA Career Fair 2022 was brought back on campus physically in all its splendor and glory by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi at the Main Campus for its students to explore the job market.

The Career Fair is held each year by the efforts of the IBA Alumni and Placement Society with the help of the management at the IBA Karachi, to help provide both corporate companies as well as emerging ventures with the chance to engage with the diverse community of the Institute.

The organizers were able to revive it with exponential zeal by bringing on-board 120+ companies and 50 career counselors. The companies that were in attendance this year were from a variety of industries including consumer goods, banking, e-commerce, software development, textile, food, and many more.

At the inauguration of the Career Fair, Executive Director, IBA Karachi, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi stated, “Today we have witnessed the largest number of companies and students we have ever had which is empirical evidence of the quality of education offered at the IBA Karachi.”

Additional Commissioner Karachi and IBA Alumnus, Syed Jawad Muzaffar, was also invited to speak on the scope of CSS in the opening ceremony of the event. He proudly mentioned that Civil Services had nine successful students from IBA this year belonging to different departments. He also encouraged students to join the Civil Services to get the opportunity to serve Pakistan in the public sector.

The event also featured career counseling which gave the students the opportunity to interact with 50 industry experts regarding their career exploration and development on a one-on-one basis. These counseling sessions were aimed at providing students the personalized support and assistance in nurturing their career growth and involved counselors from many renowned brands like Unilever, L’Oreal, CBL, Shan Foods, Engro, P&G, Khaadi, Swvl, Pepsi, and several others who aided the students to have a look into their future and inspired them to be more committed towards their career.

The IBA Career Fair 2022 featured Ismail Industries Limited as the Platinum sponsor, Friesland Campina as the Gold sponsor, and Meezan Bank and ICI Pakistan Limited as the Bronze sponsors. Other sponsors included: Diner’s as the clothing partner, KFC as the food partner, Pepsi as the beverages partner, Makstudio as photography partner, and Bogo and Bagallery as gift partners.