COO of 500 Global appreciates Pakistani start-ups during a visit to NICL at LUMS

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“Technological leapfrogging, be it through new venture creation or innovation of industry, is the only way to attain the kind of economic growth needed to satiate the influx of our youthful population,” Chairman NICL, Saleem Ahmad.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistani technology start-ups took the spotlight as Courtney Powell, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, 500 Global, a USD 1.8 billion international venture capital firm, visited the National Incubation Centre Lahore (NICL) at LUMS. The visit was facilitated by Paklaunch. Ms. Powell was accompanied by Board Member, Max Scheder-Bieschin, and hosted by Chairman NICL, Saleem Ahmad. The team was welcomed by the LUMS leadership including Rector, Shahid Hussain; Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad and members of the Board Trustees.

During the day-long engagement, Ms. Powell and Mr. Scheder-Bieschin discussed the role of NICL in preparing the future generation of start-up founders. Mr. Ahmad presented NICL’s vision for venture incubation in high impact sectors, its rigorous focus on skills development and role as an innovation hub for industry, citing the example of electric mobility work that fits well with the organisation’s cleantech initiative. The visit coincided with the launch of the USAID-sponsored electric vehicle market assessment report, chaired by the US Consul General, William Makaneole at NICL.

The guests were given a tour of the NICL facilities including the Makers Lab, a suite of state-of-the-art prototyping workshops; the Facebook Innovation Lab, where virtual and augmented reality solutions come to life and a co-working space, featuring a plug-and-play set-up. They exchanged insights with entrepreneurs from NICL’s graduated start-ups as well as those currently in incubation, and participated in a roundtable discussion with the Foundation Council members including Qasif Shahid (Finja), Usman Javaid (Ricult) and Ahmed Hussain (SSC).

“We’re truly impressed with the passion and potential we have seen so far,” said Ms. Powell of her visit. “At 500 Global, we believe that there is talent everywhere and fantastic founders in every market, and it’s just access to education capital and network that is needed to see their companies succeed. At NICL today, we’re inspired to meet some of these talented founders and trailblazing entrepreneurs firsthand. We’re excited to be on the ground here to learn and formulate what our dedicated Pakistan strategy should be.”

Speaking on Pakistan’s emergent start-up landscape, Mr. Ahmad said, “Pakistan’s nascent start-up ecosystem is inflecting with rising international investor interest on the back of talented founders. We at NICL are attempting to generate a manifold growth in entrepreneurially-minded, highly skilled human capital that accelerates this positive trajectory. Technological leapfrogging, be it through new venture creation or innovation of industry, is the only way to attain the kind of growth needed to satiate the influx of our youthful population.”

500 Global is a leading venture capital firm with more than USD 1.8 billion in assets and a growing focus on technology, innovation, and unlocking capital in emerging markets.The company has invested in more than 2,500 start-ups worldwide with a portfolio that includes 33 companies valued at over USD 1 billion and 120 companies valued at more than USD 100 million.

NICL is a springboard for venture incubation and corporate innovation through an intersection of applied research, industry and talent, to solve Pakistan’s biggest problems.

Faiza Nabeel organized a second meeting of the Women Empowerment standing committee at FPCCI

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Faiza Nabeel convener of FPCCI Regional standing committee of Women Empowerment organized a second meeting of the Women Empowerment standing committee at FPCCI in which Sania Kamran MPA PTI and parliamentary Secretary of the women development program participated as a chief guests. A large number of Women Entrepreneurs and members of all Women chambers also attended the meeting.

The main agenda of the meeting was to introduce the importance of CPEC and Gwadar for women. Atif khan President of Lift Gwadar and Chairman CPEC Gwadar gave a detailed briefing on Gwadar and prospects of business opportunities for women in Gwadar. Sania Kamran ensured her cooperation.

All the participants appreciated Faiza Nabeel for arranging such an informative and beneficial event and her contribution to women’s empowerment.

Aima Baig and Young Stunners – New Faces of Infinix!

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Infinix Pakistan has just unveiled YoungStunners and Aima Baig as their new brand ambassadors for the upcoming Infinix NOTE 11, and the fans simply cannot wait. Youth’s favourite duo of YoungStunners (Talha Anjum and Talha Yunus) alongside Aima Baig has been seen working with Infinix for the launch of their AMOLED Stunner i.e NOTE 11. Infinix has strongly kept its place as the leading selling smartphone brand of Pakistan and has yet again introduced heartthrob brand ambassadors for NOTE 11 which will be available from 15th November.

“Aima Baig and YoungStunners advocate Infinix better with their youthful music that goes with the vibe of Infinix. They are perfect ambassadors to mirror the DNA of Infinix and our products,” said Mr. Joe Hu – CEO of Infinix Pakistan.

Infinix has always been able to provide the youth with cutting-edge technology and on-trend devices. The new NOTE 11 is promised to be an absolute Stunner with its 6.67’ inch vivid AMOLED display which is surely going to stand alone among the rest.

Since Infinix has announced Young Stunners and Aima Baig as brand ambassadors for the new NOTE 11, fans cannot hold back themselves for the final product and the expected music video as well. Starting the year with the PSL anthem, the YoungStunners duo and Aima Baig have been seen winning hearts across borders. Groove Mera surely added a pop of colours to our screens with a rich blend of music and the song undoubtedly became an anthem across country. While the recent performance of YoungStunners in Pepsi Why Not Meri Jaan has surely uplifted the whole mood but these pictures of the duo from the sets of Infinix have made us all curious once again for the upcoming launch. Aima Baig and YoungStunners have indeed won the hearts of youngsters in a very short time and they truly represent the youth of the country.

Infinix NOTE 11 will be available from 15th November while the date for the launch of the music video has not yet announced. Since Infinix has previously set its mark with brand ambassadors like Feroze Khan and Alizey Shah, the excitement is truly justified this time around with YoungStunners and Aima Baig for 15th November.

Punjab Free & Compulsory Education Act Will Soon Be Implemented Across The Province: Aisha Nawaz Chaudhary

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)  “The constitutional amendment of Article 25-A, pledging free, quality and equitable education for every Pakistani child occurred in the year 2010. The Punjab Assembly passed the Free & Compulsory education Act in 2014. However, despite the lapse of seven years since the passage of this provincial law, it is yet to be notified. What then was the point of passing a law that the government did not intend to implement?” This question was raised by Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) during a round table discussion in Islamabad with the members of the Standing Committee on School Education, Punjab. 

This parliamentary roundtable was organized by civil society organizations including CPDI, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA) and Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) in collaboration with Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

Chairperson of the Provincial Standing Committee on School Education, Punjab Ms. Aisha Nawaz Chaudhary chaired the roundtable. Responding to Mr. Mukhtar Ahmed’s question she assured the civil society stakeholders that the standing committee was in constant coordination with the provincial education department and the law would soon be notified. “The notification of the Punjab Free & Compulsory Education Act is a top agenda item for this standing committee. We will soon begin its phased implementation, starting with the most vulnerable districts in Punjab.”

Public finance expert and author of the recent published white-paper “Public Invest in Education: An Appraisal of SDG 4 in Pakistan” Mr. Asim Bashir Khan while providing an overview of the findings and recommendations of the white-paper said “Both the federal and provincial governments understand the fact that the current state of public investment in education is not up to the required mark. This is evident from the majority of the sector plans as well as the Vision 2025 document which pledges to allocate 4% of the GDP to education. However, in actuality Pakistan has been unable to allocate more than 2.5% of its GDP in the last 20 years. The COVID crises have led to a further decline in public investment in education with merely 1.5% of GDP being allocated for education in the fiscal year 2020 – 21.”

PCE’s National Coordinator Ms. Zehra Arshad while talking about equitable access to education said “Although our international commitment according to SDG 4 is to attain 100% literacy, we still have 22.84 million out-of-school children of which 12.16 million are girls. This number is further expected to increase by at least 4.2% in the aftermath of the pandemic.” She further warned that with merely eight years remaining until the conclusion of the United Nations Agenda 2030, Pakistan was on the verge of missing its targets under SDG-4 (i.e., quality equitable education) by a huge margin.

Commenting on the institutional and cultural barriers limiting girls’ education in the post-pandemic context, PYCA’s Executive Director Areebah Shahid urged the parliamentarians to revisit the data of the beneficiaries of the EHSAAS Education Stipend Program, which is based on the lists of vulnerable households prepared almost a decade ago. “Thousands of households have fallen below the poverty line as a direct impact of the pandemic and it is imperative that the EHSAAS Education Stipend program also takes stocks of this new situation.” She also urged the members of the Punjab Assembly to adopt gender-responsive budgeting on the same lines as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so that educational planning and spending could effectively prioritize girls’ access to quality education cross the province.

The civil society stakeholders also asked the parliamentarians to take-up the issue of the absence of the chapter on out-of-school children in this year’s Pakistan Education Statistics report. Given that Pakistan hosts the second largest population of out-of-school children in the world, eliminating the chapter on out-of-school children deprives both the decisionmakers and the civil society from valuable data that is imperative to frame policies aimed at addressing the educational crisis in Pakistan.

Mr. Muhammad Rashid Zaka, Director General Research at PIPS shed light on the key role of the parliamentary committees to hold line departments accountable. “The implementation of education across Punjab can be made manifold more effective by strengthening parliamentarians’ oversight in the implementation process.

MPA Shamim Aftab, while talking about the need to curtail learning losses pointed at the need for piloting small digital and hybrid learning initiatives to make the country’s education system resilient and better prepared in the face of emergency situations such as the current pandemic.

In her closing remarks MPA Aisha Nawaz Chaudhary said “The best way to move forward is to have greater engagement between legislators, education department officials and civil society activists so that the consequent policy direction is both participatory and inclusive.” She also expressed interest in holding similar round tables in vulnerable districts of Punjab to learn about the challenges in the education system directly from the district officials and community members.

‘Karachi: The Way Forward’ – The Administrator Karachi in conversation with the Executive Director IBA

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi organized a discourse on ‘Karachi: The Way Forward’ by the Administrator Karachi, Mr. Murtaza Wahab, at the IBA City Campus. Attendees included the IBA faculty, students and alumni, media, members from the academia, corporate sector and diplomatic corps.

Mr. Wahab, Barrister by profession, has been associated with the Government of Sindh since 2015. He currently serves as Advisor to the Chief Minister Sindh on Law and as Administrator Karachi.

Dr. Zaidi welcomed Mr. Wahab to the IBA and quizzed him on his strategy for solving the many administrative and municipal affairs of the largest metropolis of Pakistan, Karachi.

Mr. Wahab thanked Dr. Zaidi for the opportunity to communicate with the future leaders of Pakistan. He briefed the audience about his educational background abroad and mentioned that he decided to come back and serve his city as he felt a sense of belonging and responsibility towards Karachi. As Advisor to the Chief Minister Sindh on Law, Mr. Wahab facilitated in passing some integral legislations, including a legislation for recording Hindu marriages in 2015-2016 (Sindh is the first province in Pakistan to introduce this Act) and in 2019, the Sindh Government passed a law to establish the basic rights for the prisoners. Furthermore, he played an instrumental role in developing the Sandspit road and Manora beach front.

Inquiring about Karachi’s urban flooding and debilitating road infrastructure in times of monsoon rains every year, Dr. Zaidi inquired how the Sindh Government was planning to solve the problem. Dr. Zaidi also quizzed about resolving the overall deteriorating municipal management issues, including broken roads and lack of cleanliness in the city.

Elaborating the Sindh government’s strategy on maintaining the administrative and municipal affairs of the metropolis, Mr. Wahab said that the Government of Sindh has developed urban spaces for the people of Karachi among other projects. But due to the political polarization of the city, where 17 different agencies have control of different administrative areas of Karachi, the Sindh Government’s hands are tied as it doesn’t have the sole control of the city’s administration.

Discussing the city’s sanitation, Mr. Wahab said that garbage collection drives will be initiated in the 7 divisions of the city, with the first one initiating in the worst effected Korangi District and within 2-3 months things will improve on this front. He further said that the Sindh Government will be implementing a garbage plant to produce power and electricity from the city’s waste.

Dr. Zaidi also inquired about the city’s law and order situation and what the Sindh Government was doing before the elections to remedy the lawlessness of the city.

Mr. Wahab said that adequate measures were being taken to mitigate the situation and he also urged the audience and the citizens of the city to use the power of their vote wisely, to educate themselves of all the facts before making an informed decision to select the best candidate for the betterment of the city.

Following the conversation, an engaging Q&A session ensued between Mr. Wahab and the audience.

Dr. Zaidi presented a memento to Mr. Wahab at the end of the discourse.

foodpanda launches pilot project for food delivery by ‘Pandafly’ drones

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Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) foodpanda, Pakistan’s leading food delivery company, and also the country’s leading e-commerce platform overall, today launched a pilot project to test food delivery through a customized drone. Conducted in association with the office of the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, the test flight of the drone, named pandafly, took place in the F-9 Park Islamabad. A food package weighing approximately 2.5 kgs was taken from a restaurant at one end of the park by a foodpanda rider and loaded into the drone’s storage bag. The drone then delivered the package at the other end of the park, where it was collected by another rider and distributed to children invited from Sweet Homes for the occasion.

The use of disruptive technology by foodpanda in the future will mean faster deliveries over longer distances. Further customers living in peri-urban and remote areas will especially benefit, as they have limited options of food outlets in their local area, and with drone delivery, they will be able to order food from main urban centres as well. The last mile of delivery by drone will be completed by a foodpanda rider. Also to be noted is that this is the first of its kind commercial drone made in Pakistan for this purpose and foodpanda is thus supporting development of local technology.

Speaking on the pilot launch occasion, Nauman Sikandar Mirza, the CEO of foodpanda stated, “foodpanda’s core ethos is to constantly innovate, stretch the limits and leverage technology to find great solutions for meeting the evolving needs of the people. Before we start actual drone deliveries for our customers, there are still many aspects that need to be thoroughly evaluated and locked in, including technical, operational and legal matters and we are vigorously addressing all these. The successful test flight and delivery today has been highly encouraging and proves we are on the right flight path!”

The Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat and his office collaborated closely with foodpanda for the pilot project and the DC was also the Chief Guest at the launch event. Expressing his views, he said, “e-commerce and the use of technology to serve the citizens is definitely the future, and the Islamabad civil administration stands committed to support anyone who takes the initiative to provide greater convenience and facilities for the public. We wish foodpanda all the best in now turning this pilot project into a regular operational service.

The launch event was also attended by dignitaries, representatives of the media, some celebrities and social media influencers.           

Infinix, Diamond Co-Sponsor of Daraz 11.11 is set to offer huge discounts!

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Infinix, the leading smartphone brand of Pakistan has successfully joined hands with Daraz as the first official Diamond Co-Sponsors for Daraz 11.11 annual mega sale. Customers will be getting up to 30% discount on the newly launched smartphone line-up of HOT, Zero and the NOTE series along with laptops and accessories by Infinix. The limited stock of all Infinix products will be live on Daraz sale starting from 11th Nov till 17th Nov, so it’s better to fill those carts earlier. 

 

Infinix recently signed an MOU with Daraz as the first Official Diamond Co-sponsor for the upcoming Daraz 11.11 sale. MOU signing ceremony took place where Nancy Wang (Regional Head E-Commerce Infinix) and Abrar Malik (Head of E-Commerce Infinix Pakistan) signed the MOU with Ibraheem Khan (Head of Brands & Electronics, Daraz). Through this partnership, both parties aim to bring forward exclusive deals for tech lovers and continue to add value to the lives of customers for years to come.

Infinix has brought out amazing products over the year 2021. The highly stunned devices of the year 2021 by Infinix i.e. NOTE, ZERO, and HOT series, with laptops INBook X1 (i3 & i5) will be available on sale on Daraz. Infinix and Daraz have made sure to provide discounted deals like never before so it’s better to hurry up and shop for your favorite Infinix products through Daraz 11.11 sale.

The brand launched 3 amazing smartphone series this year including the NOTE 10 series, HOT 11 series, and Zero X series that quickly became fan favorites especially for their key features like 108 MP camera with Super Moon Mode and 60x zoom on Zero X series.

AlfaMall Grand Sale 11.11

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) AlfaMall is Bank Alfalah’s revolutionary e-marketplace for merchants and customers, that is aimed at ‘Building Trust’ amongst them through a wide range of benefits.Taking a substantial stride in this regard, AlfaMall has announced a Grand Year-End Sale on 11.11, bringing a huge opportunity for all online shoppers, to access the platform and shop for their favourite products. ­

This Grand Sale is extensive with over 65,000 products including smartphones, accessories, electronics, bikes, and travel packages to name a few.Additionally, customers have a chance to availinstallment planswith 0% mark-up,extending up to 18 months. AlfaMall is not exclusive to Bank Alfalah customers only, customers of any bank or credit card holders can shop freely at Alfa Mall. The unique 11.11 Sale allows everyoneto be a winner with a flat discount of Rs. 2,000.

AlfaMallcomprises of local businesses and individuals offering an assortment of productsat “lower than market prices”, along with free shipping tocustomer’s door steps. Merchants affiliated with AlfaMall are aggressively participating in the sale by offering lucrative discounts, rapid delivery, and easy return & refund option. Simultaneously, merchants get low discount rates, digital and swift payments for promotion of their businesses.

One merchant associated with AlfaMall shared his feedback about the platform stating;“Our goal with AlfaMall 11.11 Grand Sale is to create a one-stop-shop for customers of Bank Alfalah as well as other banksto be able to buy their desired products at discounted prices and pay as per their own convenience on the installment plan. This Grand Sale is a win-win collaborationbetween AlfaMall and merchants like uswhich has proven to be extremely beneficial for both parties.”

AlfaMall’s Grand Year-End Sale will remain live from 5th to 15th November. Customers can simply login to their Alfa app or visit the AlfaMall website for a seamless online shopping experience with loads of benefits.

 

TECNO brings massive discounts on Daraz 11.11 sale 2021

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)   TECNO Mobile Pakistan is here with another special discount of up to 30% on Daraz 11.11 sale and the offer can be availed from November 11 till November 21, 2021.

All the latest TECNO models including Spark 6 go, Spark 7 Pro, Camon 17, POVA 2, and Spark 7t can be purchased at special discounts of up to 30% only on Daraz.pk.

TECNO Discount Offer

Product Actual Discounted Price
Camon 17 (6+128) 24,999 23,399
Spark 7 Pro (4+64) 22,699 21,399,
Spark 7T (4+64) 21,999 19,999
POVA 2 (6+128) 28,999 27,199
Spark 6 Go 19,999 17,999

Kelvin Zeng, CEO of TECNO Mobile Pakistan, said:

“Since our start in Pakistan, we have been working hard to provide the best for the local consumers. With this Daraz 11.11 sale, TECNO offers up to 30% discounts on all latest phones including various Spark, Camon, and POVA devices. This is a great opportunity to upgrade your smartphone with the latest TECNO phones, that too at a discounted price.”

TECNO has been giving a tough time to the competitors in the market. It has already become the number three (No. 3) most selling brand in Pakistan within no time due to its quality products. So what are you waiting for? Hurry and get your favorite devices from Daraz right away.

 

LCBDDA organised breast cancer awareness session amongst all employees

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Date, Day. Lahore Central Business District Development Authority (LCBDDA) also known as Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab) organised breast cancer awareness session to educate men & women about the importance of early detection of the disease and its possible treatment. The session was attended by all the female staff of CBD at head office. The objective of the session was to raise awareness amongst the female employees about breast cancer and the importance of early detection, as well as encouraging them to look after their general health and wellbeing.

Emphasizing on the importance of the awareness, Executive Director HR, LCBDDA, Mr. Saud said: “LCBDDA, being a socially responsible employer always support health and wellbeing of employees. This comes as part of our continuous efforts to promote and encourage our LCBDDA family and people in the community to look after their health, safety and wellbeing.” LCBDDA’s goal is to provide a friendly and secure environment to its female staff and through such activities CBD gives every woman confidence to openly speak on the issue for themselves and others.