UIT awarded ’Most Active Student Branch’
Usman Institute of Technology (UIT) affiliated with NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, was recently awarded ’The Most Active Student Branch 2017-18’ from IEEE Karachi Section at the annual general meeting held at DHA Sunset Club. The award was presented to IEEE UIT Student Branch on the basis of the influential activities and efforts to organize quality events, workshops, seminars and gathering maximum participations in other universities of Pakistan.
From 2017 to 2018, the IEEE UIT Student Branch organized numerous technical, non-technical, professional, entrepreneurial conferences and seminars along with science exhibitions. These activities serve a beneficial role in gaining technical skills, knowledge and personality grooming for students of UIT. The IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.
IEEE creates an environment where members collaborate on world-changing technologies – from computing and sustainable energy systems, to aerospace, communications, robotics, healthcare, and more. The strategic plan of IEEE is driven by an envisioned future that realizes the full potential of the role of IEEE in advancing technology for humanity.
UIT representatives stated that – “IEEE UIT Student Branch provides a great opportunity for the student to develop leadership, communication, networking, negotiation, and team-building skills. Also, IEEE UIT Student Branch enables teachers to enjoy teaching students, watching them learn new concepts and applying their knowledge to their work and the future. IEEE benefits are in three main categories of Trusted Voice, Global Community, and Profession. All these remarkable contributions made us the Best IEEE Student Branch.”
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TPL Insurance & TPL Life collaborate with soneri bank to offer innovative insurance products
TPL Insurance and TPL Life are Pakistan’s leading enterprises in innovative insurance business and have signed a ’Master Agency Agreement’ with the prestigious Soneri Bank Limited. The partnership will provide customers with coverage of vehicles by TPL Insurance, while their life-risks will be covered through the TPL Life Bancassurance product.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at Soneri Bank – Karachi to commemorate the partnership aimed at expanding insurance and banking collaborations in the market. The three partners aim to work cohesively and in future hope to explore many other avenues of business to generate more benefits and accelerate business growth.
Mr. Muhammad Aminuddin – CEO, TPL Insurance said, “We are pleased to partner with Soneri Bank in our efforts to expand the insurance outreach and combine our strengths to create innovative insurance products for the consumers. I am confident that this alliance will facilitate Soneri Bank customers to the fullest and we will continue to enrich this collaboration with more value-added services.”
Soneri Bank offers world-class banking services with its presence and comprehensive network of 291 branches spread across all the big cities and commercially important towns of Pakistan. It also operates 21 Islamic banking branches and over 300 ATM machines in the country.
Mr. Amin A. Feerasta – Executive Director, Soneri Bank expressed his delight on this strategic alliance stating, “we are proud to announce our partnership with TPL insurance for combining our strengths and bringing value added products for our customers. Soneri Bank with its ethos of Roshan Har Qadam has always strived to bring betterment to the life of its customers and these innovative solutions is a step forward in enriching the lives of many. We look forward to bringing new collaborative products in the future”.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Faisal Abbasi – CEO, TPL Life said “Developing innovative insurance products for the Pakistani Market has been the hallmark of our existence. This alliance with Soneri Bank will go a long way in providing tailor made insurance solutions for the bank’s customer base – especially for consumer segments that seek quality financial security ambit for themselves and their loved ones on a regular basis.”
During the signing ceremony, Mr. Aminuddin, Mr. Feerasta and Mr. Abbasi were accompanied by their companies’ senior officials, including: Mr. Syed Ather Abbas – Deputy Managing Director, TPL Insurance, Mr. Aurangzeb Siddiqui – Head of FIG, TPL Insurance, along with Mr. Humayoon Asghar – Head of Business Solutions and innovation, TPL life and Mr. Muneer Khan – Head of Commercial and Corporate Business, TPL Life. Soneri Bank was represented by Mr. Mohammad Aftab Manzoor – CEO, Mr. Mirza Zafar Baig – CFO, Zulfiqar Lehri – Head of Consumer Banking, Mr. Muhammad Qaisar – Head of Corporate & Investment Banking and Mr. Shahid Abdullah-Head of Treasury, Capital Market, PRI & FI.
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PSO celebrates International Women’s Day
Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the country’s leading oil marketing company, celebrated International Women’s Day that honors social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. A program was arranged to mark the occasion at the PSO House for staff of the company. Ms. Tara Uzra Dawood, Member PSO Board of Management, was the Guest of Honor at the ceremony.
Ms. Shamail Shah, General Manager, PSO, welcomed the guest speakers including Ms. Anita Florijn, the co-founder of Family Education Services Foundation (FESF), Ms. Yasmeen Taha, a seasoned journalist, Ms. Aamra Tariq, a prominent lawyer and assistant professor at the Hamdard School, Ms. Sahar Ahmad, a grooming expert.
On this occasion, Ms. Tara Uzra Dawood, a member of PSO’s Board of Management, expressed her pleasure at seeing a large number of female employees who are part of PSO’s workforce. She said that as a civilized nation we must acknowledge and celebrate women’s contribution to society, business, culture and politics. In today’s modern world, technology and social media is proving to be a major catalyst for change and we should recognize our potential and utilize it for the betterment of society, she further added. She encouraged women in the organization to come forward and rise within an organization like PSO.
Earlier, Ms. Shamail Shah, General Manager, PSO, shared her views about the occasion. She said that as an equal opportunity employer, PSO empowers its workforce, especially female employees who are serving the company almost at all levels of the hierarchy including some key positions in the company.
Guest speakers also spoke about various aspects of women empowerment and their contribution in business, economy, society and culture at large. Topics such as psychotherapy counseling for women at the workplace, women’s rights at workplace, opportunities for women in the business world and self-grooming were also discussed.
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The Kidney Centre PGTI Inaugurates ’Mucca & Rustom Cowasjee Emergency Wing’
An Inauguration Ceremony was held at The Kidney Centre Post Graduate Training Institute for the newly reconstructed and remodeled ’Mucca & Rustom Cowasjee Emergency Wing’. The state-of-the-art Emergency Wing have a centrally located clinical workstation, making it faster and easier for clinicians to move through the space and provide a clear view of all patient areas at all times. Increase in number of beds in the Observation area, dialysis area, as well as a triage will meet the growing needs of our community and will help our emergency medicine team provide an even higher level of care to those we serve.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Cyrus Cowasjee lauded the services and treatment provided to the patients by TKC. Mr. Adnan Afridi, Chairman Board of Governors, profusely thanked Mr. Cowasjee for his generous support for the much-needed remodeling of the ER.
The Inauguration Ceremony was attended by Mr. Cowasjee and his family, Chairman and Members of the Board of Governors at TKC, along with the Management Team and doctors at the Hospital.
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Chairman SECP Policy Board Speaks at MUFAP Event
Khalid Mirza, Chairman Securities & Exchange Commission (SECP) Policy Board spoke at a recent event organized by Mutual Funds Association of Pakistan (MUFAP) to launch its 2018 Yearbook.
Khalid Mirza has served as the founding Chairman – Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan as well as the Competition Commission of Pakistan. Having implemented major capital market programs and corporate sector reforms, he transformed the Monopoly Control Authority into a modern competition agency and has served as the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Chief of Mission in Turkey and Chief of Regional Mission in Thailand.
Speaking at the event, he outlined the growth of the mutual fund industry from Rs. 25 billion in 2002 to around Rs. 600 billion, i.e. over US $4 billion currently. He also mentioned the gaps that managed assets are only 2% of GDP while in India the mutual fund industry stands 20% of its GDP.
Outlining institutional challenges, he stated that the mutual industry in Pakistan remains small by international standards with mainly institutional funding. He said that it is incumbent on policy makers and regulators to adopt a progressive and enlightened view and take measures as necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the industry as a pillar of the financial system.
Some of the measures proposed included having a level playing field between mutual funds and Government securities, promotion of pension and retirement benefits, new product development, increasing fund governance and compliance, reducing capital requirements etc.
He outlined that the SECP would issue the necessary directions for much-needed reforms in the fee and expense framework for mutual funds.
Touching on the role of the mutual fund sector, he said that it needs to counter the paucity of investable securities, act in investors’ interests, and remain both transparent as well as accountable.
His talk was appreciated by the audience who highlighted the importance of regulators realizing changes in international financial architecture and market globalization. In the evolving scenario, mutual funds are likely to occupy a significant niche position between the capital and money markets on one side and the banking system on the other.
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Collaborating for Success JS Bank partners with IAL Saatchi & Saatchi
JS Bank, one of the fastest growing financial institutions of Pakistan has entered into a partnership with IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, the country’s top advertising agency. The agreement was signed between Kamran Jafar – Deputy CEO, JS Bank and Nida Haider – Managing Partner, IAL Saatchi & Saatchi.
The agreement between JS Bank and IAL is designed to help introduce innovative promotional campaigns and initiatives in line with rapidly changing market trends. Through this collaboration, JS Bank will work with IAL Saatchi & Saatchi to embrace new developments in global advertising by focusing on strategic planning, ideation, performance measurement and commercial growth & profitability.
Speaking at the occasion, Kamran Jafar stated, “It is an interesting time in Pakistan’s financial industry and top of mind presence amongst customers is vital for success. It’s important to understand that communication channels and rules of the game have evolved, and we are confident IAL Saatchi & Saatchi is the most capable partner for us to help deepen our brand’s engagement with audiences of today and tomorrow. This partnership reflects our commitment to leverage advertising, PR and digital channels for best business outcomes.”
Looking forward to a successful collaboration, Nida Haider said, “We are excited with this initiative as we believe in the growth story of JS Bank, and we know we can help make JS Bank the top banking choice for the people of Pakistan. IAL Saatchi & Saatchi has a history of working with the largest brands in the country, and our partnership with JS Bank will be a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase our creativity & depth of strategy for their success.”
JS Bank is known for its innovative products that caters to the needs of its diverse customers and the Bank’s drive for innovation resonates with IAL Saatchi & Saatchi’s reputation for creativity & ingenuity. This combination of innovation and creativity makes this a promising partnership for clients and audiences of the bank and the agency.
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Jazz Super 4G Upgrades Technology with L900 to become an even faster Mobile Network
Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital communications company, has recently introduced a new LTE carrier, L900, in Islamabad to help with the growing customer demand to ensure the best internet experience for everyone. This carrier addition now catapults Jazz into the elite LTE-Advanced/4G+ operators group. Capable 4G sim cards and handsets will allow Islamabad city’s residents enjoy a superior data experience and better coverage than before.
Additionally, devices incapable of this carrier aggregation will nonetheless be able to experience deep indoor coverage improvement through this new LTE carrier.
Pakistan’s data demand is growing rapidly, evident from the rapid increases in user base and data traffic. In many cities, data traffic on LTE networks has noticeably grown four times, as 4G phones are becoming mainstream in the device market. Understanding that current LTE coverage and capacity cannot meet near future data demands, Jazz decided to reaffirm its position as a leading mobile operator by deploying this new LTE carrier.
Asif Aziz, Chief Commercial Officer at Jazz said, “Jazz is a new age digital service provider and the leading telecom company of Pakistan, spearheading the way towards the digitalization of Pakistan through innovation, technology and a consumer centric approach towards enablement.”
He continued, “The introduction of L900 will help with the rising customer demand and guarantee the best internet experience for everyone.”
“Through this new LTE carrier, subscribers will enjoy a faster mobile network and more advanced technology. This move improves our LTE coverage significantly, which means our subscribers can enjoy superior data experience in indoor locations,” added Khalid Shehzad, Chief Technology Officer at Jazz.
Jazz has the largest mobile subscriber base in the country with more than 57 million customers and the highest number of mobile internet users at 20 million. The mobile operator has been recognized by OOKLA, the global Speedtest leader, as the fastest mobile network in Pakistan after winning the Speedtest Award twice in a row during 2018. All this success is down to the constant need to innovate in keeping ahead of customer demand and market dynamics.
So far the results after L900’s addition are very encouraging with net increase in current throughputs & active users, primarily due to better enhanced additional capacity and deep indoor coverage, respectively.
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Nationalism and Pakistani at conference held at IBA Karachi
The IBA, Karachi in collaboration with Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) organized a conference on Nationalism & Pakistaniat. The objective of this conference was to highlight the true concept of “Pakistaniat”.
Chief guest of the event was Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Zubair Mehmood Hayat Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military), and other prominent guests included Provincial Minister of Sindh M. Taimur Talpur, former Information Minister and Senator Javed Jabbar, DG PICSS Major General (R) Saad Khattak, Vice Admiral (R) Arifullah Hussaini, Advocate (R) Azad Bin Haider, Talat Hussain, Acting Executive Director IBA Dr. Sayeed Ghani, Associate Dean Dr. Huma Baqai, and Program Director IBA-Aman CED Dr. Shahid Qureshi.
In his keynote address, General Hayat said that the US has now realized its mistakes made in Afghanistan and now realizes that solution to the Afghan problem lies in political reconciliation. He also said that the treatment meted out in India to the minorities, especially Muslims, clearly justifies the creation of Pakistan in 1947 as our forefathers under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah foresaw the treatment the Muslims of the subcontinent were likely to face. He further said that the two-nation theory explaining Muslims and Hindus being two separate nations was first adopted by Al-Biruni some 900 years back, who in his book said that this part of the world was inhabited by two separate nations, Hindus and Muslims. General Hayat expressed that the creation of Pakistan was not only the result of tireless efforts of Quaid-e-Azam, but also due to the valuable contributions and numerous sacrifices made by the common people. He also opined that we are the custodians of one of the world’s oldest civilizations and there is no power on earth which can undo Pakistan.
Addressing the conference, Sindh Minister for Environment Climate Change and Coastal Development, Mr. M. Taimur Talpur said that the country’s armed forces with the backing of the nation fought and won a very tough war against terrorism, despite the country being subjected to both internal and external threats. Furthermore, he said that the future of this nation is safe as our younger generation is capable of steering this country to the glory and height that it rightly deserves.
In his address, former Senator Mr. Javed Jabbar said that history and civilization binds together the people of Pakistan regardless of their caste, color, ethnicity and religion. He said that notwithstanding the importance of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, the Mahargar Civilization whose traces were found in Sibi, Balochistan was 11,000 years old, originating in 9,000 BC just 1,000 years after the signs of settled life on earth were traced. He said that the Pakistani nation is ethnically diverse and this is its strength.
Chairman PICSS Major General (R) Saad Khattak opined that despite the fact that Pakistan was facing numerous challenges, this great country is bound to remain intact. He said that with conviction and devotion, there is nothing that one cannot achieve. Pakistan has achieved notable success in war against terrorism but this war cannot be fought effectively without focusing on its ideological front. He also highlighted PICSS’ motive behind organizing such conferences and said that extremist elements are creating doubts in the youth’s minds and hence PICSS is striving to help the nation fight this war on an ideological front.
Acting Executive Director IBA Dr. Sayeed Ghani said that Pakistani at is the concept of peace and tolerance. He highlighted the importance of freedom of speech and expression and said that sense of association with the country brought him back from abroad to serve the nation. He advised the participating youth to remain tolerant of each other and work hard to achieve national objectives.
Director IBA-Aman CED Dr. Shahid Qureshi spoke about the role entrepreneurship in providing hope to the youth of Pakistan. He said that the CED has already expanded its reach in different parts of Pakistan through its National Entrepreneurship Program (NEP).
In her presentation, Associate Dean Faculty of Business Administration IBA, Dr. Huma Baqai said brain drain is a serious challenge and our leadership needs to tackle this. She said that focusing on education is a need of the hour and without focusing on human development, Pakistan cannot achieve socio-economic progress. She said that the youth of Pakistan deserve quality education, employment and meaningful engagement and that our youth should not shy away from demanding these rights from the political class.
In his address, Pakistan’s first commercial pilot from Tharparkar, Mahipal Ladher said that Pakistani at means there should be no discrimination between people on the basis of religion, cast and culture. In his address, veteran actor Talat Hussain said he had returned to Pakistan to serve the country leaving behind a good career abroad. He said that the current literacy rate in the country is very low which is worrying and the true concept of Pakistani at could be achieved only through increasing the literacy rate in the country.
Addressing the conference, advocate Azad Bin Haider said that our forefathers gave many sacrifices for this country and he was an eye-witness to killings and mayhem of the partition when trains after trains came with dead bodies. He said that our leaders at the time of partition were selfless people, who had devoted their lives for the welfare of the people and development of the country.
In his address, Vice Admiral (R) Arifullah Hussaini said that Pakistani at can be explained and understood through the Constitution of Pakistan which is the best constitution whose preamble provides an understanding of this nation. He said that every word of the national anthem narrates the true concept of Pakistani at. He demanded that our Constitution should be made part of the school curriculum.
Motivational speaker Shaikh Atif Ahmed said that excellence cannot be achieved without efforts and struggle. He advised students to remain positive in their life and never fall in the trap of complaining, and mentioned that patience and conviction are two main ingredients for growth in life. The conference was also addressed by child star Tawasul Shah and others.
The conference was attended by students of various universities of Karachi, as well as academia, intelligentsia, retired civil and military officers.
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CEJ-PCP hold inaugural workshop on Philanthropy Reporting
The Center of Excellence in Journalism (CEJ), Institute of Business Administration, Karachi held an inaugural workshop on Philanthropy Reporting in collaboration with the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy (PCP).
Addressing the attendees who comprised of journalists from various media outlets, Chairman, PCP Board of Directors, Zafar Iqbal A. Khan stated, “It is the media’s job to be critical. But as you critique, you must remember to look at the positives too and give suggestions on how things can be improved.”
He further mentioned that PCP is trying to engage with journalists as it will help them to enhance the volume and effectiveness of philanthropic efforts.
Executive Director, PCP Shazia Maqsood Amjad highlighted the center’s role in bringing credibility to the sector. Referring to its certification, she said that it was an effective tool to assess the conduct of nonprofit ventures in Pakistan. She was of the view that lot of organizations across Pakistan are doing amazing work and helping people in bringing positive change in their lives. The media needs to track these stories so that such activities are encouraged in the society at large.
Director Imkaan Welfare Organisation, Tahera Hasan advised journalists visiting underprivileged areas not to impose their ideas on the people living there and instead, ask them about their problems.
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ACCA and NIC reiterate commitment to develop start-ups and innovation value chain in Pakistan
Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) visited the National Incubation Center (NIC) in Islamabad, Pakistan’s largest technology incubation centre, and was briefed on how the incubation centres run by NIC support and nurture innovation and technology enablement & transformation in the country.
Zouhair Khaliq, Member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on IT & Telecom and Co-Founder & Partner, TeamUp, Parvez Abbasi, Project Director, NIC and other senior representatives of NIC shared an overview of the growing startup ecosystem in Pakistan and the role NIC is playing with the help of global organisations such as ACCA Pakistan. Helen assured that ACCA will continue to work with NIC in supporting the entrepreneurship in the country and highlighted that the ACCA members can play a big role in improving the success rate of startups at NIC by providing guidance on financially viable business models, business forms & structures and long-term sustainability.
During her interaction with budding entrepreneurs at NIC, Helen advised, “It is equally important to work on the financial plan and seek advice of qualified professionals in the early stages of your business venture to ensure its viability, scalability and profitability.”
Helen was accompanied by the senior management of ACCA Pakistan, including Sajjeed Aslam, head of ACCA Pakistan and Assad Hameed Khan, head of business development at ACCA.
After listening to different startups and their journey of successes and challenges, Sajjeed highlighted the support which is available for young businesses through ACCA’s global network of employers, business professionals and thought leaders. He encouraged the startup owners to leverage the ACCA and NIC collaboration for access to ACCA’s valuable resources and expertise developed in Pakistan to foster innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
Helen Brand OBE is in Pakistan to attend the third edition of Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit. Powered by ACCA’s award-winning Professional Insights and featuring business leaders and luminaries from around the world, ACCA has joined the summit as a Knowledge Partner.