Sajid Khan etches name in history alongside Pakistan’s bowling greats

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan’s right-arm off-break bowler Sajid Khan single-handedly propelled Pakistan into the driving seat of the rain-hit Dhaka Test Wednesday after he finished with figures of 8/42. 

After rain hampered play for a day-and-a-half in Dhaka, the Test match was headed for a certain draw, given Pakistan declared their first innings on Day 4. However, Sajid Khan breathed life back into the game, taking six quick wickets on Day 4 and then two again the next day, to finish with eight wickets. 

Pakistan have enforced a follow-on against Bangladesh and are eyeing a victory against the hosts. Taking eight wickets is no easy feat and by achieving it, Sajid has etched his name in history alongside some of the greatest of the game that Pakistan has ever produced. 

Here’s a brief look at the most number of Test wickets taken in an innings by Pakistani bowlers:

Pakistan’s most prolific leg-spinner, Abdul Qadir, took 9/56 against England in the 1987/88 series. 

In March 1982, now Prime Minister Imran Khan, once Pakistan’s most celebrated cricketer, ran through a Sri Lankan batting order in Lahore to finish up with figures of 8/58. 

In the 2000/2001 England vs Pakistan Test series, former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq bagged figures of 8/164 in the first Test of the series. 

Former right-arm fast bowler Sikander Bakht, now a prominent cricket analyst, took 8/69 against India in the second Test match of the 1979 series, in Delhi. 

Former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz ripped through an Australian Test batting line-up in the 1978/79 series when he took 9/86 to hand Pakistan a 71-run victory over the Aussies. 

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“The Optimist” The House of Kamiar Rokni Celebrates 20 Years of Kamiar Rokni with Solo Fashion Show

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The House of Kamiar Rokni is set to celebrate 20 years of the indomitable Kamiar Rokni with an immersive fashion presentation, titled ‘The Optimist’.

The Optimist is a collection poignant in name even more so in this new world era of change, evolution and upheaval. It chronicles Kamiar Rokni’s artistic oeuvre over the last two decades, chronicling his past, present, and future.

The ties that bind fashion, art, culture and imagination make up the very fabric of The House of Kamiar Rokni’s DNA. Rokni is a colourist whose inspiration is steeped in history, music, his lineage and a perspective of memory that is deeply visual.

The Optimist explores artistic and cultural influences from Russia to China and extends to the Subcontinent, while playing with the diversity within femininity, from the modern to the classic, from softer to bolder expressions. The Optimist is based in rich velvets, organzas, jacquards, chiffons with handwoven silk trims, detailed silk and tissue nets, also introducing multiple rich textiles within one outfit. The collection explores many silhouettes across a colour palette that channels rich, high contrast bursts to the softer, dreamier and more ethereal hues.

Speaking on the vision behind this celebration, Kamiar Rokni commented, “I was thinking about past and the present and the future as a concept to commemorate 20 years of design. The more I looked back on my own work, the more I felt that The Optimist would be a completion of a trilogy that starting with The Orientalist and went to The Modernist. When I looked to the future, I thought of what encapsulated my design best and I believe it is the optimism inherent in all that I craft.”

 About The House of Kamiar Rokni

Launched in late 2007, The House of Kamiar Rokni is among Pakistan’s premier fashion design houses. The brand strives to provide an immaculate essence of style in all their creations, designing signature one-of-a-kind pieces that evoke a sense of individuality and elegance in the people that wear them. Kamiar Rokni is one of South Asia’s most celebrated and awarded fashion designers, his work symbolic of an old-world charm and traditional heritage.

Facebook: www.fb.com/TheHouseofKamiarRokni

Instagram: www.instagram.com/TheHouseofKamiarRokni

Official Hashtag: #KamiarRokni20

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ZebBangash’s new song ‘Tum SaathHo’ out now

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Renowned singer/composer ZebBangash, popular for her melodious voice and distinctive style, recently announced the release of her new song ‘Tum SaathHo’.

The song titled ‘Tum SaathHo,’ a peppy homage to Pakistani Pop Music from the 80’s, is a collaboration with the leading actor and singer of the industry, HaroonShahid. The release of the teaser on Social media last week has been met with much anticipation from fans of both artists who still remember their  last chart-topping collaboration “SambhalSambhal” from ShoaibMansoor’s Film, ‘Verna.’

‘Tum SaathHo’ has been composed by HaroonShahid, produced by Ahsan Pervaiz Mehdi and the music video is shot by the musician and visual artist Nouman Javaid. The song is available to stream on the music platform ‘Room Files’ by Bossmenn.

“Working with Haroon on this song has been thoroughly enjoyable’” commented ZebBangash. “Haroon and I don’t hang out all the time yet every time we work on music together we really connect , and I always like the sound that comes out in the end – funky with hints of nostalgia. This song in particular has a  new age Nazia and Zoheb vibe.  I wanted to be a part of Room Files, because above everything else, I feel it’s important to support talented artists on independent new music. We (musicians) must stick together as an industry.”

“From listening to her songs in Coke Studio, like BibiSanamJanam and ChalDiye, and singing songs like ‘SambhalSambhal’ and ‘Hum Tum’ with Zeb, we have surely come a long way,” said an excited Haroon Shahid.

ZebBangash has carved a space for herself in the industry that is both mainstream and uniquely her own. Recently we heard  her as the voice of the  Women of Steel for the blockbuster serial ‘Sinf-e-Aahan.’

Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxunKauNbCQ

PAS elects its new Executive Council and Office Bearers

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS) held its 24th Annual General Body Meeting on Friday, 3rd of December in Karachi. The AGM was attended by all the major advertisers of Pakistan. The Executive Director of PAS, Mr. Qamar Abbas, presented key initiatives of 2021 along with some of the important industry issues. The agenda for 2022 was also proposed to the members. This was followed by a presentation on the Effie Awards Pakistan by Afsheen Rizavi, project head and General Manager, PAS.

The AGM also marked the end of two-year tenure of the current Council and the Office Bearers. The elections for the new council were also part of the proceedings. The newly elected Council comprises of 14 members. Dr. Zeelaf Munir, CEO and Managing Director of English Biscuit Manufacturers was elected as the Chairperson of the Society. She is the first woman to hold this position.

She said “I am honoured and proud to be nominated as the first woman Chair of the Society. I strongly believe in the cause and the role marketing and marketers can play for a sustainable future that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, which will be our area of focus in 2022 and onwards along with some meaningful initiatives for the fraternity. I thank all my council members for putting their trust and faith in my leadership and hope to deliver on their expectations to the best of my ability”.

Khalid Farid, CEO Gillette/CCO P&G was elected as the Vice Chair and Farheen Salman, CEO, Ekaterra – A Unilever Tea Company was nominated as the General Secretary of the Society. In addition, for specific initiatives, Asif Aziz, Chief Commercial Officer of Jazz and the outgoing Chairman of PAS, was nominated as the Chair of the Govt. Relations Committee, while Faisal Rana, Director Marketing and Communication, Nestle Pakistan was nominated as the Chair of the newly formed Regional Committee.

Other representative members of the newly elected Executive Council include Ahmed Wahab Shah -The Coca Cola Co., Asiam Haq – Unilever Pakistan, Hassaan Serwani-PEL, Humayun Farooq-Reckitt Benckiser, Humayun Shaikh – Shan Foods, Khurram Koraishy – AlKaram Studio, Nauman Khan – Dabur, Sheikh Adil Hussain-Tapal Tea and Syed Usman Qaiser – Jubilee Life Insurance. The new council will start its term from 1st of January 2022. The AGM was concluded on a high note with Asif Aziz handing the Chair to Dr. Zeelaf Munir and thanking all the members of the Society and specially the Council for supporting him during his tenure.

He said “I would like to urge all the companies that are part of the PAS fraternity to keep lending their support to this industry body that we have together brought this far. For the companies who are yet to come onboard with us, I would say that the time is now for you to join forces and play your part in making Pakistani brands and communication stand out and shine across the globe.”

Zong Sets up Digital Lab at “The Star School in Okara” to Promote Female Literacy and Digital Inclusion

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) In pursuit of its ‘let’s go digital’ mission, Pakistan’s cellular and digital services frontrunner, Zong, has partnered with The Star School in Okara’s Wasawewala locality to set up a digital lab there. Zong is facilitating the school with a computer lab for digital and curriculum learning. Currently, the school has a computer curriculum and teachers but lacks computers to practically learn and practice. The digital lab set up by Zong will plug this gap and allow the young students and their teachers to access digital education and match their pace with the world in terms of modern education.

“The digital lab in Wasawewala School is aimed at reducing the digital divide that continues to be massive especially among the underserved segments of Pakistani society. The initiative is in line with the country’s vision of Digital Pakistan of which Zong is a key enabler. This is one of the many steps we have taken and plan to take in the future to digitally empower the Pakistani masses and open the doors of opportunities for them.” shared Zong’s official spokesperson. Gul-e-Mariam, Chairperson of “The Star School “ Wasawewala campus ( registered elementary school for girls ) emphasized that in rural areas the digital divide is adding to lack of awareness and education.

Commenting on the partnership Gul-e-Mariam said “Poverty, socio cultural barriers and powerful gender norms in the patriarchal rural system adds to the problems of female literacy. To alleviate poverty and increase female literacy and hence economic empowerment we need to educate our women in rural areas. Digitalizing Wasawewala girls’ school has opened avenues of awareness and doors of opportunity to females of Wasawewala as well as the surrounding areas. We aim to conduct awareness sessions on health, education and connect class rooms from urban schools to our rural school campus.” She further added, “We express our gratitude to the Zong team for their support in spreading the light of knowledge and trying to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural schools.”

Zong’s has lately accelerated its efforts to promote digital education in Pakistan. Recently, the company joined hands with Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) to launch an online course called ‘How to E-lance’. The efforts are aimed to expand the digital learning outreach and support even more young people, especially women, who face mobility and safety challenges to get digitally connected and establish online careers.

Robust and resilient public financial management essential to manage present and future risks

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) depends on the effectiveness of governments and their management of the public purse.

There are important lessons to learn from the Covid-19 crisis for governments and the resilience of their approach to public financial management (PFM), says ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) in a new report Rethinking public financial management. Launched to coincide with ACCA’s annual Virtual Public Sector Conference (1 – 2 December 2021), the report explains that a government’s ability to do anything depends on the strength of its PFM system – how it prepares budgets, obtains financing, spends money, and keeps its accounts. And to meet ongoing challenges such as Covid-19 and meeting the UN SDGs, it’s essential that governments have the right, skilled people in place to do this very necessary work.

Alex Metcalfe, ACCA’s head of public sector and co-author of the report explains: ‘It’s a significant risk to a government’s success if it doesn’t have the right number and quality of public finance professionals. To benefit from their improved PFM systems, governments may need to make a significant and sustained investment in their PFM systems, and also in competent public finance professionals who will advise on future decisions.’ Gary Bandy, a PFM specialist and co-author adds: ‘Financial management is critical to the delivery of public services and sustainability of economies. The pandemic has led to lessons for governments about what did and what didn’t work as well as expected.

We offer recommendations for a way ahead as it would be a real opportunity missed to learn from the pandemic if governments returned to a pre-Covid status quo for their PFM arrangements.’ The report sought views of 1,500 ACCA members and affiliates globally, asking them how they felt governments responded to the Covid-19 pandemic and how PFM must now evolve to deal with future crises. Respondents also said that the four most commonly faced challenges by governments were: · responding to the financial needs of individuals and businesses (45%) · being able to transition to remote working (42%) · having the necessary technological/ digital capacity (42%) · maintaining accountability and transparency of government spending (41%) Respondents in North America, the Middle East and Western Europe were much more positive about the effectiveness of their public sector institutions than respondents from other regions. Looking at sectors, public sector respondents – 62% – were much more likely than those in the private or not-for-profit sectors (42% and 37%) to agree that their government had made an effective response to the pandemic. Respondents offered three main areas for development of PFM: · improving transparency and accountability of government spending · better prioritisation of resource allocation, and · intensifying the focus on risk management Relatively few respondents included tracking climate change as one of the top priorities for development, but governments must rebuild and manage the public finances in a way that contributes to the climate challenge. Alex Metcalfe concludes: ‘There isn’t a one size all approach tackling the challenges, and each government will have its own fiscal and economic issues to solve.

The path to return to the new normal will be different because each government is in a different place as a result of its Covid-19 responses. The long-term implications of Covid-19 spending – significantly increased government debt or other liabilities in most cases – means difficult policy choices will have to be made.’

GREE adds more cooling to its lineup

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) GREE has just launched its new series of inverter refrigerators. They come in two designs, French door and side-by-side. This the first range of inverter refrigerators by GREE. The side-by-side refrigerator series is an innovative technological marvel which has state-of-the-art “no frost” technology. The refrigerator has multi airflow system for even cooling throughout the compartments. There are several smart functions that let you operate the refrigerator in a much more intelligent way for fast freezing and fast cooling. The ion deodorization comes in handy especially when storing foods with strong odors like meat and some fruits. There are 22 compartments to store all your food items and you can also control the temperature with the precise temperature control in the LED display. There is also door opening alarm and child lock present in the refrigerator.

Total no frost:                   

The refrigerator is no frost which requires less cleaning and maintenance. This feature also ensures that the temperature is the same throughout all the compartments. The various vital parts of this refrigerator do not accumulate ice on them.

Intelligent inverter compressor:

The inverter compressor ensures that your refrigerator uses minimum energy for maximum cooling. This is the ultimate energy saving powerhouse.

Multi air flow system for even cooling  

Multiple sources of air flow ensure uniform and quick cooling throughout the refrigerator giving each of your food item the uniform cooling it needs to remain fresh.

Ion deodorization

Unique feature of removing strong smell from foods guarantees that your food is sterilized and odor free.

Large storage capacity     

The refrigerator comes with large storage capacity to store all of your items. The capacity is one of the best in its class.

LED display and touch screen for precise control   

LED panel installed in the refrigerators give you accurate control and easy operation to manage your cooling requirements.

Crisper and drawer with slide rail

For easy access to all your fruits and vegetables, Gree’s new refrigerator range includes slide rails for convenience.

Cooling functions

With various cooling functions you can customize the cooling with one touch of a button as per your requirement. The refrigerator smartly changes its cooling setting as per your requirement through its wide range of presets.

Removable and washable gasket

 The refrigerator comes with removable gasket for easy cleaning of your refrigerator.

Adjustable feet for height adjustment

You can conveniently adjust the height of the refrigerator as per your needs and aesthetics.

Child lock

Keeps the panel secure from any kind of unnecessary changes.

 

 

PTCL & Ufone collaborate with Huawei

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PTCL & Ufone collaborate with Huawei on learning & development initiatives for its employees

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and Ufone have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei Technologies Pakistan, for providing strategic learning & development initiatives for its employees. 

Syed Mazhar Hussain, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, PTCL & Ufone, and Ahmed Bilal Masud, Deputy CEO, Huawei Technologies Pakistan, signed the MoU during a ceremony held in Islamabad. The ceremony was also attended by Hatem Bamatraf, President and GCEO, PTCL & Ufone, and Mark Meng, CEO, Huawei Technologies Pakistan, along with senior management from both organizations.

The MoU aims to facilitate effective learning and development for Ufone and PTCL employees that will enable their fast-paced professional growth and development. It also reinforces the partnership between PTCL Group and Huawei to help them pursue mutual organizational growth and success. 

Speaking on the occasion, Hatem Bamatraf, President and GCEO, PTCL & Ufone, said, “PTCL and Ufone are always committed to embracing innovative and emerging technologies and programs. Our strategic collaboration with Huawei is yet another step for professional growth and development of our people. I am confident that the initiative will enable our employees to bring greater innovation, efficiency and productivity to the organization.  Employee development is a core strategic priority for PTCL Group as we consider our employees our greatest asset and will continue to invest in their development in the future.

On the occasion, Mark Meng, CEO, Huawei Technologies Pakistan, said, “We are proud to partner with PTCL & Ufone for this strategic and digital learning and development journey of its employees. We believe that such initiatives that create hi- tech learning opportunities will surely bring positive contribution and effectiveness to the way people work and interact with each other and with customers. As part of its mission, Huawei is aiming to contribute to the digital empowerment by building a fully connected and intelligent world.”

PTCL Group is fully committed to the vision of a Digital Pakistan and endeavors to nurture and strengthen the learning and development skills of its workforce.

 

 

SOC FILMS AND THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY LAUNCH THE “INHERTIHANCE” ANIMATED SERIES

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Multi-award winning production house SOC Films, in collaboration with The Legal Aid Society [LAS] and National Commission on the Status of Women [NCSW], have launched their latest animation series, “Inheritance Rights of Women according to Pakistani Law”, with the release of the first short film, “Inheritance Laws”.

Understanding the need for improved legal awareness amongst women in Pakistan, the animated “Inheritance Rights of Women according to Pakistani Law” series comprises of 9 distinct animated films, shedding light on Women’s right to marital and legal property in Pakistan. The films are available in 8 regional languages to facilitate communities across the country, making a total of 72 different films. The first film “Inheritance Laws” focuses on Pakistan’s inheritance laws and the cultural values that make it challenging for women to secure their inheritance.

With this animation series, SOC Films, LAS and NCSW aim to further enhance women’s knowledge of fundamental rights and legal remedies through the dissemination of these films across an array of communities.

These 9 films will be released during the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign, with a focus to strengthen urban & rural communities at the grass-root level by providing women with insight into legal knowledge and pathways that can be undertaken for the deliverance of their fundamental rights. SOC Films will be leading the effort to further disseminate the films through a mobile-cinema tour and school, college and universities outreach program aimed at reaching and facilitating dialogue with women across Pakistan. 

Earlier in November 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between The Legal Aid Society (LAS) and The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) for the provision of legal awareness among vulnerable women at risk of discrimination, abuse and other human right violations across Pakistan.

“It is alarming how many women are blatantly denied their inheritance, their dower & marital property, their share in their families’ agricultural income, the right to rent property on fair terms and whilst independent of any male family members, or even a place in their families NADRA records. We hope that this initiative, taken with the support of NCSW and in collaboration with SOC Films, will allow us to create awareness and make these issues part of the mainstream public discourse. We hope that these videos and the programming around them will encourage, not only women but all family members to seek out more information and eventually become change-makers.” said Palvasha Shahab, Advisor for The Legal Aid Society.

“The responsibility of putting a stop to Violence Against Women is on society, including us all. NCSW is proud to collaborate on such a project with the Legal Aid Society and SOC Films. It will bring awareness to women & men about women’s inheritance rights digitally and through the on-road cinema. The significance of launching these films now is that they aren’t just films but tools for activism during the 16 Days of Activism global campaign for Ending Violence Against Women. NCSW intends that these tools, partnerships, and collaborations continue beyond the 16 days as the struggle for equal rights continues”, said Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson of The National Commission on the Status of Women.

“It is extremely important for women across Pakistan to be educated about their rights it is only when we are armed with knowledge that we can fight for our rights and equal place in society. And that is how we will gain more space and achieve an equal status in society” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, SOC Films.

The animated film Inheritance Laws can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/kAHjX2SMW7A

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Nominations for 2nd Shahkaar Awards Invited

Posted on by Ali Qasim

LAHORE (NUT-DESK)

Ajoka Theatre has invited nominations for the second Shahkaar Theatre Awards. The awards have been instituted to acknowledge the contribution and perseverance of theatre practitioners and artists. Ajoka launched Shahkaar Arshad Durrani Awards in 2020, in the memory of Ajoka’s veteran actor Arshad Durrani (late) with collaboration of the Shahkaar Higher Education Research Hub, a project by Sumaya Durrani, Doctoral Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney. Veteran actress Nadia Jamil and young actor Sibt-e-Hasan were the recipients of first Shahkaar Arshad Durrani Awards.


The 2nd awards were announced at a memorial meeting held to mark the 3rd death anniversary of the late Arshad Durrani at Ajoka office. The meeting was chaired by Ajoka’s chairperson Zara Salman and attended by Ajoka members, friends of Arshad Durrani and students of Ajoka Institute’s acting class. Tributes were paid to Mr Durrani for his undying commitment to theatre. Co-actors shared memories of his passion and will power to keep performing despite illness and old age.

The Awards are in two categories: “Theatre Excellence” and outstanding contribution to performing arts, “Against All Odds”. The nominations can be submitted to Ajoka office with supporting information by 24th December. The nominations can be made by performing arts organizations and practitioners including those associated with Ajoka Theatre. A 7-member jury of eminent professionals will make the final selection. The awards include cash award and a shield.

For “Theatre Excellence”, nominees should be under the age of 40 and at least 10 years’ experience in socially meaningful theatre while for “Against All Odds“ award, preference will be given to nominees over the age of 50, who have been associated with performing arts for over 20 years.


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