Uber partners with TCS: providing convenience and ease for riders
Uber, the global ride-hailing giant, connecting riders to drivers, has partnered with TCS, Pakistan’s largest and most recognized courier, logistics and e-commerce solutions provider. The new partnership offers exclusive discounts for Uber riders to make commuting to and from TCS retail outlets even more safe and convenient.
“The thought behind this initiative is to provide an easy and seamless travel experience to our riders,” said Omar Askari, Head of Business-Uber, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with TCS and are looking forward to making Uber more and more convenient for our riders.”
The new service will initially be implemented at over 40 TCS outlets in Karachi and Lahore. Not only will new Uber riders have the option to avail promo codes at these TCS locations, but the Uber app will also show users the various TCS Express centers as safe and prominent pick-up locations on the map.
While commenting on the partnership Ms. Saira Awan, Vice Chairperson and Group CEO at TCS Holdings said, “TCS is really excited about its partnership with an innovative global brand like Uber. We feel that our walk-in customers will benefit greatly from synergies being created by the two organizations.”
Riders can now book Uber rides from any of the selected outlets by merely tapping on the map. Additionally, new users will be able to avail a unique promo code for their first rides.
The collaboration between the two companies is aimed at giving riders a safe and easy solution for their travel needs and is expected to expand to more cities across Pakistan given the nationwide reach and coverage of TCS.
What is TCS?
Pakistan’s most recognizable and preferred courier, logistics, cool chain, e-commerce, warehousing & distribution and premium gift delivery provider; TCS provides services to the corporate sector, SMEs and household customers. With a widespread network of 950+ outlets in over 380 Operational Hubs, 2,200 Service locations, 620+ satellite-tracked vehicles, a dedicated Boeing-737, a proficient team of more than 4,200+ couriers equipped with technological advancements and the fastest digital printing and stuffing facility in the country, TCS leads the Pakistani courier and logistics industry in terms of both service and reliability. The company can be found on the web at www.tcs.com.pk.
What is Uber?
Uber is evolving the way the world moves through its app. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers at the push of a button, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for our partner drivers and transport operators. Uber’s rapidly expanding global presence continues to bring people and their cities closer and is currently providing service in more than 600 cities across 77 countries on six continents. To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry 7, or sign up at uber.com/app. For more information, please visit uber.com/cities.
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Blue Economy future talks
Team of Bahria University Karachi (1st Maritime University of Pakistan) holds a discussion with Mr. Ali Haider Zaidi Federal Minister of Maritime Affairs to discuss the Blue Economy Potential of Pakistan.
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SSGC stresses on blue flame in its back-to-basics sessions
SSGC launched its school-focused awareness program called Back-to-Basics through several sessions in Karachi’s leading schools.
The Company’s Corporate Communication Department (CCD) team informed the students about safe and wise use of natural gas especially in a scenario marked by gas demand and supply gap in the country as a result of depleted reserves.
The CCD team led by its General Manager Shahbaz Islam and comprising of Chief Manager, S. Imran Ahmed, Manager Huda Qureshi and Dy. Manager Faizan Munaf gave comprehensive presentations to the students while sprinkling them up with interactive activities.The Company representatives stressed on the importance of ensuring blue flame while using gas-fired appliances since it results in lesser gas consumption, reduced gas billing and cleaner utensils.
The students were told that yellow or orange flames may mean incomplete combustion and if these colours on flame persist for long, they are a sure sign of gas leakages. The SSGC team informed the children about signs related to gas leakage including smell of rotten eggs, hissing sounds and wilted plants. It was also stressed that reporting any incident of gas leakage in the neighbourhood to SSGC by dialing 1199 is one’s national obligation since it is a matter of life and death besides gas wastage. The sessions also featured parents of many students.
The SSGC team gave them some tips to conserve on gas while cooking that included use of pressure cookers and proper maintenance of utensils to minimize gas wastage. The administration of the schools appreciated SSGC for the sessions and requested the visiting team to collaborate with them in similar programs in the future.
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Shell Pakistan and care foundation join hands to inculcate road safety awareness amongst school children
As per the World Health Organization’s Road Safety Report, ‘Road Traffic Injuries (RTI)’ is the 8th leading cause of deaths across the world and the cost of road traffic injuries account for 3% of GDP’s for developing countries like Pakistan.
Shell believes it can play a role in the vision set out by the National Road Safety Strategy 2018-2030 “to create a safe and sustainable road network across Pakistan as part of the Government’s commitment to bring better quality of life to the people of the country”.
Road safety education in schools is one potential way of reducing the number of deaths or injuries amongst road users. It can play an important role in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of children and young people ensuring they become responsible drivers, passengers and pedestrians. To achieve this objective, a memorandum of understanding was signed with CARE Foundation in Lahore to inculcate road safety awareness amongst the future generation of our road users.
Shell Pakistan Limited is working towards incorporating Road Safety education in the government approved curriculum across the nation. CARE Foundation coming on-board this mission is the first step.
The agreement between CARE Foundation and Shell Pakistan Limited stipulates that the road safety book will form part of the curriculum for the schools of CARE Foundation in the coming school year for grade six and seven. The book, produced by Shell Pakistan for young minds; through content developers and publishers, is a narrative based learning, on observations of unsafe behaviors by people on the road.
“Shell prioritises the safety of the people it works with and the space in which it operates, making road safety one of our key focus areas. Shell Pakistan works with great commitment to achieve road safety in a larger context by collaborating with partners and communities, we work towards building a robust safety culture on the road and beyond our operations,” shared Haroon Rashid, Chief Executive and Managing Director of Shell Pakistan, at the ceremony.
“I hope that this partnership will raise the much needed awareness on road safety. Disorderly traffic is a serious risk to individuals commuting daily on the road. I believe that this initiative would have a tangible impact towards achieving the mission of making our roads safer,” said Seema Aziz, Chief Executive Officer, CARE Foundation at the event.
The long-term vision is to advocate road safety education and include as part of the curriculum of the country’s educational institutions, over the coming years.
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Session on smart economy
Session on Blue Economy and Smart Shipping organized by Bahria University (Dept. of Maritime & H&SS) and LUAMS at University of Baluchistan to explore potential of Blue Economy.
Event is graced by spokesperson to CM Balochistan, VC Turbat University, Ex DG Fishries, Maritime Experts and stakeholders.
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Realme get ready for leap to quad camera series launch in Pakistan
Realme powered by Oppo, the fastest growing youth’s favorite smartphone brand in Pakistan, has announced the launch of realme 5 series on October 2, 2019 in Lahore. realme is continuing its breakneck release cadence announced the launch of the realme 5 and 5 Pro, its new mainline smartphones for Pakistan and the successors to the impressive budget-focused Realme 3 and 3pro. Both phones have four rear cameras and will be available on typically budget friendly prices. This launch will officially mark realme’s entry in to the quad camera era staying ahead of competition and competing with much higher priced models in terms of specs and design both.
realme will truly revolutionize the camera experience of the users in every segment. The company will reveal more details in the coming days. Brand aims to launch multiple products in the upcoming month both in the classic number series as well as higher end models. The aggressively innovative brand has yet again taken a leap and will incorporate quad cameras in all new devices across various price rand in an unprecedented move.
The Realme 5 Pro is the more advanced device. It comes with a Snapdragon 712 processor, a 4,035mAh battery, a 6.3-inch 1080p LCD screen with a waterdrop notch, and up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There’s also a headphone jack and a microSD card slot, and the phone charges over USB-C with VOOC 3.0 fast charging.
The smartphone features a quad-camera setup on the back which comprises a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, which we’d also seen on the Realme X, alongside an 8MP wide-angle camera and two 2MP sensors for macro photography and depth sensing. All the three cameras except the depth sensor support the company’s Chroma Boost feature for improved saturation.
The non-pro Realme 5 is lower-end, but some people might actually prefer it. The screen is bigger at 6.5 inches, although it has a lower 720p resolution, and the battery capacity is also massive at 5,000mAh, the biggest battery to be featured on a realme device thusfar. It charges over Micro USB, too, which may or may not be a deal-breaker for you.
Elsewhere the Realme 5 has a Snapdragon 665 processor and can have up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Like the Pro variant, there’s still a microSD card slot and a headphone jack. The quad camera array is similar to the Pro’s, but the primary sensor is 12 megapixels and the selfie camera drops down to 13.
The quad-camera setup includes a 12MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture lens, and the rest of the three sensors are same as the Pro variant. The smartphone also gets the 4K video recording at 30fps.
Since its entry into the Pakistani market less than 9 months ago, realme powered by Oppo, has already launched 5 products across different price segments from premium flagships to trendy mid-rangers, all designed particularly for the youth. They are also gearing up for the launch of their next products in the classic realme series in the coming months. realme is proving it has planned an even steeper growth trajectory than its parent company through a targeted focus on the youth.
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NBP, World Bank team discuss dynamics of Pakistan’s financial sectors
The World Bank technical team (FCI) visited the National Bank of Pakistan Head Office to discuss the dynamics of Pakistan’s financial sectors, particularly the development finance landscape and the role NBP can play in this area. The World Bank Group is conducting this analysis on the request of the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Pakistan.
The World Bank Group plays a critical role in advancing development finance in Pakistan since it can leverage its financial sector expertise by holding country engagement and dialogue, financing and risk-sharing instruments, unique datasets and research capacity, and influence with standard-setting bodies. Mr. Marius Vismantas (Lead Financial Sector Specialist) and Ms. Namoos Zaheer (Senior Financial Sector Specialist) met Mr. Rehmat Ali Hasnie, SEVP/Group Chief, Inclusive Development Group and Mr. Faisal Ahmed Topra, SEVP/Group Chief, Strategy & Development Analytics Group, discussed various initiatives planned by NBP for development finance and priority sectors including agriculture, SME, Housing and Microfinance.
Mr. Rehmat Ali Hasnie informed the representatives on NBP’s initiative to reposition itself and increase its market penetration and growth in the priority sectors of the economy.
The World Bank team appreciated the renewed focus of NBP and assured of its support for further development of these sectors that are essential contributors to Pakistan’s economy.
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Khushhali Microfinance Bank, Jubilee Insurance hold medical camp in Chistian
A one-day medical camp was held by Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited (KMBL) in collaboration with Jubilee Insurance in the city of Chistian in Bahawalnagar district to provide free medical facilities like checkups, consultation sessions and medicines to the patients in the area.
It was the first medical camp arranged by a microfinance institute in the area. Doctors and paramedical staff were appointed at the camp to attend to the local people in general health care. An average of 160 patients were attended by each doctor and were provided with 5 days’ supply of free medicines.
General public of the area were informed by announcement banners and multiple area visits by KMBL officers. Moreover, the camp had a well-organized token system to handle the large number of patients. Senior citizens were given high priority for all medical facilities. Cold water was also available for all visitors.
Talking on the occasion, KMBL President, Ghalib Nishtar shared his views, “I’m proud to say that KMBL, among its other community initiatives, has now ventured into provision of free health services for the underprivileged. These medical camps are organized to provide basic healthcare services and general check-up to the aged and the underprivileged as well as to sensitize them on health care”.
As a part of its non-financial service initiatives, Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited (KMBL) has organized series of medical camps in collaboration with Jubilee Insurance in rural areas where the availability of such medical facilities is highly limited. More than 30 such medical camps have been set up during this year till now by KMBL in areas with poorer populations.
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Future summit held
Technology is the best chance to boost socio-economic development: Syed Veqar
“Using modern technology, Pakistan has the best chance to recover the loss it has sustained in previous decades in its socio-economic development.” This was stated by Syed Veqar ul Islam, Director and CEO of Jaffer Business Systems (JBS).
He expressed his views while addressing The Future Summit, a two-day international IT conference, held in Karachi at a local hotel. Moderating the 9th Session of the Summit held on the theme ‘Dialogue on Re-imagining the Future with Technology,’ Syed Veqar Ul Islam, who is also a member of Prime Minister’s IT task force, said that the world was in a great transition stage because of the impact of technology that had already changed our lives to an extent we could never have envisaged.
“Apple was just a fruit a decade before, but it now refers to a modern lifestyle. The world of the internet, coupled with smartphones, tablets and other telecommunication devices, has totally changed the world, which is increasingly becoming smaller day by day,” Veqar Ul Islam said.
Talking about the mind-boggling pace of technology modernization has seen in recent years, he said software is not just a computer program that provides specific features and functionality; it is a great phenomenon by itself which has entirely transformed today’s world.
“If you look in your wallet, you find you are carrying nothing but a bunch of different software, e.g. a national identity card, a driving license, a passport, debit and credit cards, etc. Conventional gadgets like camera, music and video player, wristwatch, television, calculator, etc., are now all based on software components,” he said.
Other panelists who addressed the 9th Session of the Future Summit were Sam Lee, CEO, Blockchain Global Limited, ToliMarkis, co-founder, EX Sports, Johan Bjurman Bergman, Co-founder, On the Ground and Director Operations, Cordoba Ventures and Elena Nemchenko, a Ukraine-based IT and project management practitioner.
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Indus Motor offers women leaders scholarship for markhor-2019
Indus Motor Company (IMC) has pledged to serve as the official Women Leaders’ Partner in the upcoming Youth Leadership Conference, Markhor 2019, to be held from October 2 to 6, 2019 at Makra Peak Base, Shogran.
The five-day conference will be held under the theme ‘Innovate for Impact’. It will bring together around 100 participants from Pakistan and other countries in South Asia on a rigorous training platform, focused on instilling the Markhor Spirit amongst the youth. The Markhor Spirit signifies the ability to go beyond one’s limits and achieve the unachievable.
Expressing his views, Mr. Ali Asghar Jamali, CEO, IMC said, “We are delighted to collaborate with the Youth Impact for yet another Markhor Conference this year with the ambition to encourage Women Empowerment and Leadership. This time we are supporting the students of our ‘Toyota – Goth Education Program’ being run under our iconic Neighboring Communities Uplifting Activities.”
The conference is being organized by Youth Impact (YI), a non-profit organization committed to develop leadership potential in the youth, with the support of several corporate sponsors.
Ten female delegates in the conference will be fully sponsored by IMC to encourage female participation in this leadership conference and facilitate women empowerment. The females, aged between 17 and 24, hail from Lyari, Jacocabad and neighboring villages around IMC facility.
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Everyone’s a winner: Golootlo Awards cash prize to NBP contest winners who missed the world cup
Anum Shakeel — (Manager PR and Communication Decagon-Pakistan)
0Earlier this year, Golootlo and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) partnered in a campaign to make the dream of watching the ICC World Cup live a reality for a few lucky individuals. Several people won and flew to England but there were some who couldn’t manage to go despite winning.
Golootlo ensured that these individuals wouldn’t be left unrewarded. The company awarded a cash prize to all those participants who couldn’t manage to go due to personal reasons. Golootlo is always looking out for its customers and this move is a testament to that fact. Customer care and satisfaction has always been the company’s utmost priority and it always will be.
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Timesaco offers 10pc discounts for students, teachers, journalists and others
Asad Ullah (Media Manager – Timesaco)
Chinese taxi service Timesaco has offered the 10 percent discount for students, teachers, doctors, senior citizens, security personnel, lawyers and journalists.
The company has also offered discounts for people, who are traveling to education institution and health centers including schools and universes, hospitals and also to the marriage halls, Chief Executive Officer of the company Donald Li shared with journalists here last Sunday.
All private companies, organizations and government departments can also get 10 percent discount for their employees through using Timesaco Group feature, Donald said.
He said under a platform of modern hi-tech service company ‘Timesco’, we have all sets to provide five special services in different sectors including transportation, logistic and advertising.
The company would provide a rapid services platform to citizens by launching five special services including the Taxi Service (Buraq), City Freight (Cargo+), Instant Delivery (Fema), and vehicle media (AdWheel), under the umbrella of Timesaco, he said.
Replying to a question, he said that Timesaco has taken thousands of drivers onboard from across the country and now they are available on roads to provide their services to the customers.
He said that Timesaco is all sets to build Public Transportation Infrastructure Network with internet and IOT Technology, to support the government to provide Public Transportation Service for people and also to provide more and more convenient, secured and smart travel services.
Timesaco has already started its online taxi service in 10 main cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, and Karachi.
Timesaco hold its First Captains’ Representatives Conference (CRC) at Islamabad. In its First Captains’ Representative Conference Timesaco had invited representatives of drives associations and unions of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
CEO of Timesaco Donald-Li discussed on different aspects related to his online taxi service and expressed his views on building a business environment in Pakistan.
He shared that Timesaco intends to invest $20 million in services sector and provides multiple platforms to the youngsters and jobless people to create and develop their own business.
Donald said that Timesaco’s mission is to create an environment where people can do their businesses with ease and they can provide their best services to customers.
He added that Timesaco is a game changer concept; it creates millions of jobs and businesses opportunities across Pakistan. Pakistan has huge potential and many opportunities for investors who are looking over to do business in Pakistan, he added.
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Instacars car gala opens Karachi and lahore services
InstaCars, a one of its kind used-car retailer which aims to simplify used car buying experience for consumers in Pakistan, brings its very first InstaCars Car Gala to Karachi and Lahore. The InstaCars Car Gala will give buyers the chance to choose from hundreds of pre-checked used cars brought together all under one roof.
The InstaCars Car Gala will be a unique open house that will showcase the value of InstaCars services and also give prospective buyers access to hundreds of pre-checked used cars present at the gala. InstaCars will offer a special buying booth at the gala to facilitate prospective buyers to purchase used cars from InstaCars pre-checked inventory along with other value added services. The InstaCars Car Gala will take place on the 28th and 29th September 2019 from 10:00am-6:00pm at the Metro Cash & Carry, University Road in Karachi and Metro Cash & Carry, Thokar Niaz Baig in Lahore.
Shanawar Khan, Senior Manager Operations of InstaCars commenting about the event said: “We at InstaCars understand that buying a used car can be a difficult process given how unfractured and unregulated the used car market in Pakistan is. We aim to simplify that process by giving buyers online access to hundreds of pre-checked used cars from across Pakistan, while ensuring hassle-free paperwork and a secure transaction. We look forward to welcoming prospective buyers to our first InstaCars Car Gala and demonstrating how perfectly suited our InstaCar’s tagline ‘Buy your dream car the smart way’. “InstaCars has retail centers in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, with the largest variety of pre-checked used cars at affordable prices. InstaCars helps the customers to choose from hundreds of cars nationwide, ensures hassle-free paperwork and a secure transaction. InstaCars aspires to keep adding value to make a customer’s journey memorable, by improving efficiency and transparency.
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ACCA joins the digital youth summit 2019
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has joined the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) as a Community Partner for the 2019 edition of Digital Youth Summit scheduled to be held on 27 – 29 September in Peshawar.
Featuring prominent names in the tech industry, the Digital Youth Summit (DYS) is a technology focused conference that takes place annually in Peshawar. The summit aims to bring together “the next generation of digital innovators in Pakistan” and typically attracts three types of audiences: tech industry leaders from Pakistan and abroad, the budding startup community; and young people looking to network, learn and be inspired.
As a Community Partner, ACCA will contribute by powering the conversations with its award-winning thought leadership and insights. ACCA member and Executive Director at Deloitte, Asmat Ullah will lead a high profile panel discussion on the topic ‘Digital Payments: the $40 billion opportunity’ to propose a roadmap on how to supercharge financial inclusion in the country using cutting-edge digital technologies.
Speaking of ACCA’s participation at the conference, Sajjeed Aslam, head of ACCA Pakistan said, “It’s a continuation of ACCA’s commitment to supporting the startup ecosystem in Pakistan and we’ll continue supporting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board with its mission of promoting Information Technology (IT), IT-enabled Services (ITeS) and IT-enabled Education (ITeE) in the province to create jobs, improve public services and attract investment.”
“By looking to the future through our thought leadership, we deliver the insights and skills we need for success in tomorrow’s world and help businesses in the country with their future-readiness. We’re sure that the attendees at the conference will find our future-focused insights useful.”