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

Karachi: The ties between Pakistan and Hungary are further strengthened with the formation of AquaHatch International (Pvt.) Ltd, a joint venture company of both countries, which has a foreign and local investment of $14 million to develop a freshwater ecosystem in Pakistan.

To cement this business relationship, an event was held on February 23, 2023. The Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Investment, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, was present at the event as Chief Guest. Also present at the occasion were representatives from the partner, including Faisal Iftikhar, CEO AquaHatch International (Pvt.) Ltd., Ormos Andras from Vita Fort, Hungary, Istvan Grafjodi, Hungarian Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan, Fuad Garib, CEO Garibsons (Pvt.) Ltd., Nadir N. Jaffer, CEO Jaffer Agro Services (Pvt.) Ltd., Nasser N. Jaffer, Chairman Jaffer Group, and other top management of Jaffer Group & Garibsons.

Speaking at the event, Ahsan said that he was confident that the joint venture between the two countries will flourish soon and also provide employment opportunities to help the people of Pakistan.

“Pakistan offers its investors a strong and large consumer market with an ever-expanding middle class. The country’s strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia and proximity to the Gulf countries, makes Pakistan a promising regional hub and an important market for trade and investment,” he said.
According to the minister, Pakistan and Hungary enjoy cordial relations. He shared that Pakistan had received Foreign Direct Investment worth $42.5million in 2020 and $21.2million in 2021 from Hungary.

The business partners of AquaHatch include VitaFort Agro Asia, a Hungarian Company which has developede dozens of such hatcheries in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand; Jaffer Agro Services (Pvt.) Ltd. has vast experience in supplying agricultural service, equipment, and products to farmers across the country, Garibsons (Pvt.) Ltd, and is one of Pakistan’s top rice and maize export companies and Deep Blue Seafoods (Pvt.) Ltd which has 22 years of fisheries export and aqua cultural development experience. Vita Fort Agro Asia is the only foreign firm investing in this project along with the Pakistani investors.

The minister also said that “we are in the process of signing a Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hungary and the first round of negotiations has been held in Islamabad. Bestowed with immense resources, Pakistan is a land of opportunity for investors and business concerns, both investment and trade. Despite various challenges, especially in the situation arising out of Covid-19, the Government of Pakistan is making all-out efforts to put the economy on track with long-term and sustainable economic progress. The improvement in various economic indicators is proof of these efforts,” he added.

The minister of state also highlighted the important role of the BOI which acts as an interface between international and local investors, public and private sectors.

Freshwater ecosystem

It is important to develop the freshwater ecosystem in Pakistan because at the moment, the country’s freshwater ecosystem is home to about 200 species of fish out of which 30 are considered commercially viable due to huge local demand. It is imperative to bear in mind that owing to overfishing/over-harvesting, the fisheries’ resources have depleted drastically. To meet the local demand for protein from fish, the freshwater ecosystem requires to be developed.

Aquaculture is one way to reduce the pressure on freshwater bodies and to meet the local fish demand. It emerged as an industry in Pakistan in the 1980s, when its contribution to overall national fish production became noticeable. Currently, fish production through aquaculture in Pakistan has low quality and does not cater to the local and international demand potential, especially the middle eastern and European markets.

Muhammad Faisal Iftikhar Ali, CEO AquaHatch said ‘’Currently, existing hatcheries are unable to fulfill the nation’s requirement. So far, only two million seeds could be produced locally, as for the rest, there is a heavy reliance on imported seeds which have many issues. To cater to the demands of fish seeds, AquaHatch International was set up. There is immense potential in Pakistan’s fishing industry. For example, this industry is really big in our regional neighbors like Vietnam. Right now, we are importing a lot of fish and other seafood products, but if our industry grows we will not need to do this”

“Fish offers a good alternative to poultry products as well. I think there is great potential in this field and we will be successful in introducing this side of the industry here,” he added.

In the initial phase, AquaHatch aims at setting up a pilot of producing 10 million seeds initially and supplying them to the local fish farms. The project has already procured 100 acres of land where the operations will be scaled-up to around 50 million seeds in the future.

The company’s HQ is located along the prime potential hatchery belt in Sultanabad in district Thatta, Sindh. The location has a rich ecological significance as there are several large and small natural water bodies including, Manchar Lake, Keenjhar Lake, Kalri Lake, Haleji Lake, Chotiari Reservoir, Nara Canal, etc. As the River Indus and its tributaries are the sources of livelihood for communities living around these water bodies, they are entirely dependent on fisheries resources.

The whole idea of setting up a hatchery in the area is to harness the local skill potential and provide alternative livelihoods, which will also divert the pressure on the local aquatic bodies and will enable the aquatic species and fisheries to sustain their population and prevent overharvesting and overfishing.

According to the minister, Pakistan and Hungary enjoy cordial relations. He shared that Pakistan had received Foreign Direct Investment worth $42.5million in 2020 and $21.2million in 2021 from Hungary.
“We are also in the process of signing a Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hungary and the first round of negotiations has been held in Islamabad,” he said.

KE’s Roshni Bajis bring another proud moment to Nation at Dubai Expo 2020

Karachi: K-Electric’s pioneering Roshni Baji safety ambassador initiative took the center stage at Pakistan’s Pavilion of Dubai Expo 2020 on Friday, with 2 women from the first batch sharing their inspirational journey at the “Women of Pakistan: Leading a Change” event. Organized by the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP).

These Roshni Bajis are breaking ground in a country like Pakistan where female labor force participation (FLFP) has remained the lowest in the past 2 decades as per the World Bank. According to the reports, FLFP in Pakistan’s power sector hovers around 4%.

The program was conceived in line with the UN’s 5th Sustainability Development Goal (SDG 5) that aims to achieve gender equality and women empowerment by the year 2030 and it is also in aligned with the vision of NEPRA’s “Power with Prosperity” program which focuses on uplifting the society at large.

The program is co-powered by Guarantco and is launched in collaboration with Children for Concern (CFC).

Abeera Almas and Zara Afshan, the two speakers at the event, were part of the first cohort of 40 women inducted from across Karachi in February 2021. Over the next 6 months, these women collectively reached out to over 100,000 households in Karachi’s most vulnerable communities, creating awareness on safety hazards within premises which posed a risk to residents and were easily preventable.

Furthermore, the Roshni Baji program provided KE access to a key demographic of its female customer base which was previously hindered due to societal barriers.

Sharing her delight to be a part of this illustrious occasion, Abeera Almas said, “We are proud to be representing Pakistan on such a prestigious platform and share our stories with the audience.

Programs like Roshni Baji prove that if women are given the right support and opportunities, they can excel and create a space for themselves even in technical fields. We hope that other organizations also create similar programs and empower more women to enter the workforce.

We look forward to playing our part in driving Pakistan’s prosperity and reshaping its perception on the global stage.”

During this time, KE also equipped the Roshni Bajis with various skillsets such as teaching them how to ride and maintain a bike, training them in martial arts and self-defense and making them Pakistan’s first certified female electricians capable of completing the internal wiring of a house, office, or warehouse on single-phase supply.

Expressing her excitement during the event, Zara Afshan said, “It gives us tremendous joy that through this Roshni Baji Program, we have become the source of national pride. The journey towards becoming safety ambassadors was not easy, but we showed everyone that with determination and passion, it is possible.

I feel proud to be a Roshni Baji; not only have I been able to create a change in my community, but I am empowered enough to financially support my family.”

Zehra Mehdi, Director for Sustainability at K-Electric also added, “We would like to thank the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan and the organizers of the Pakistan Pavilion for providing us the opportunity to highlight our initiative.

As a progressive and innovative power utility, KE is always seeking opportunities to create value and drive socioeconomic development through grassroots engagement. We believe in empowering residents to take ownership of their communities, because this creates sustainable impact.”

Zaki Ahmed Khan – Vice President EFP also commended the initiative, stating “Pakistan is progressing quickly to become a major player in the region, and we recognize that women can play an integral role in driving this transformation.

We are proud to showcase some of these inspiring initiatives today, and we look forward to collaborating with global leaders and experts to help Pakistan catalyze its efforts to the next level.”

Askari Bank partners with Hysab Kytab

Karachi: Hysab Kytab – one of the leading Fintech has signed an agreement with Askari Bank. This collaboration will empower Askari bank’s Internet and Mobile banking app users to take greater control of their financial well-being.

With PFM, users can effortlessly record and track expenses, create budgets in various categories, plan and track saving goals, view all accounts in one place and much more.

Speaking about the partnership and why PFM solutions are a must-have for banks Veqar-ul-Islam – CEO & Director JBS and Founder of Hysab Kytab said ” I believe the partnership between FinTech and banks is key for the development of compressive solutions offering to end customer.

This collaboration with Askari bank will help to boost the digital financial awareness and inclusion of banking customers”.

Speaking about the partnership Yasir Ilyas – Head of Hysab Kytab said ‘’ This partnership is a major milestone. Hysab Kytab is a PFM born in Pakistan and I thank Askari Bank for trusting and selecting it for their own digital platform.

This is the kind of support that our local banks can offer to help Pakistan’s FinTech industry to grow and provide solutions for the local requirements.

Commenting on the partnership Khurshid Zafar COO of Askari bank said: “Askari Bank has always strived to provide state of the art digital solutions to its customers.

Our partnership with Fintechs is yet another step forward in this endeavor. We are equipping our customers with a digital tool that will enable them to track their spending patterns in the most effective way possible. I strongly believe this partnership will help us achieve our goal towards digitization.”

Shehryar Ali Shah CDO of Askari Bank said: “We are very excited to collaborate with Hysab Kytab on this project as it aligns with our strategic vision to be the best digital bank for our customers.

This technology will capitalize on our momentum towards the use of digital and self-service channels and will elevate customer experience through Askari Bank’s Digital Channels with an unrivaled mobile banking technology.”

ENA enters into an exclusive partnership with Jolta Battery

Karachi: Pakistani startup Energy and Automation (ENA), a company of Jaffer Business Systems (JBS) recently joined forces with Jolta Battery Private Limited, a sister company of Jolta Electric – Pakistan’s First EV company, to provide solutions to the telecom & banking sector.

An exclusive agreement to this effect took place between the two companies with a potential of $35million in the most advanced Graphene-based Supercaps Energy Storage Solutions with an innovative power backup storage technology called “ENARGEZE SUPERPOWER” which is powered by Zoxcell.

This will be great for the local power and energy storage industry as Pakistan has around 50,000 telecom towers across the country. Also a plus for the banking sector which is estimated to have more than 30,000 bank branches all over Pakistan.

In 2021, the global demand for energy was projected to increase to 2.5 to four terawatt-hours annually in the next eight years. In Pakistan, however, the energy storage market and capacity is quite basic and fragmented.

The country is beset by frequent power outages, unreliable transmission infrastructure, short life, and low-efficiency alternatives. So this [Enargeze Superpower] will be a real game-changer.

Speaking at the event, ENA’s Chief Executive Amir Salman explained that the Supercapacitor is 25 times better than VRLA dry batteries.
They said that this new technology is safe to use and minimizes the use of generators. In the bigger picture, this will contribute to a greener Pakistan by reducing carbon footprint and fuel consumption.

This initiative of ENA will set a benchmark in the industry and will emerge as a new trendsetter in the country by creating a pool of employment opportunities and facilitating huge growth.

Rehan Aslam, the Co-Founder & COO of Jolta Batteries, declared this a historic and one of the biggest partnerships in the Energy Storage Sector of Pakistan as a revolution in the private sector of Pakistan.

“Jolta Battery is bringing the most advanced technology in Pakistan, which will be significantly helpful to the national exchequer by reducing the import bill of up to $1 billion in three to four years,” he said.

He added that by localization of Supercaps, technology would increase jobs in Pakistan and also add value to green and clean energy in Pakistan.

This event was held in the presence of Jolta Group Chairman Muhammad Azim, Jolta Electric CEO Usman Sheikh, Jolta Battery Co-Founder & COO Rehan Aslam, JBS CEO Veqar Ul Islam, ENA’s Chief Executive Amir Salman, and Director Faisal Murad.

Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain marries 18-year-old girl on Wednesday

Karachi: Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain, a popular television host and PTI MNA, got married for the third time to an 18-year-old woman. Hussain and Syeda Dania Shah married on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, following months of speculation, Amir liaquat’s former wife, Tuba Aamir confirmed through an instagram post that she has filed for divorce from Hussain. Tuba shared an announcement, in which she disclosed the couple has been separated for 14 months.

Hussain took to his Instagram handle and wrote, “Last night, tie [the] knot with Syeda Dania Shah, 18.” he continued to add, “She belongs to an honourable Najeeb ut Tarfain “Sadaat” family of Lodhran, South Punjab.”

The host added, “Saraiki, lovely, charming, simple and darling.

He also “requested” his “wellwishers” to “please pray for us.” And said that I he has “just passed the dark tunnel, it was a wrong turn.”

FCEPL announces Financial Results for FY 2021

Karachi: FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL) announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company reported revenue of PKR 52 billion, registering 18% growth versus last year.

FCEPL recorded highest-ever volumes of Ice Cream and highest-ever revenue in Dairy and Ice Cream segments in 2021.

This milestone was achieved by focusing on overall volume growth through expansion of distribution, greater brand penetration, mix improvement through value accretive brands and improving efficiencies across the value chain.

These initiatives reflect FCEPL’s unwavering commitment towards enhancing access to nutrition for a healthier and food-secure Pakistan.

Despite record inflation and rupee devaluation which led to a steep increase in commodity prices, the Company managed to offset the spikes and improve Gross Margin by 350bps versus last year, through several innovations and savings initiatives in the value chain.

As a result, profit after tax improved by 10X compared to last year – PKR 1,804 million in 2021 vs PKR 177 million in 2020.

On September 8th, 2021,

FrieslandCampina, celebrated its milestone 150-year anniversary of delivering superlative dairy products and nutritional excellence. In line with its commitment to the Nation, FCEPL partnered with the University of Education to launch a 6-month pilot School Milk Program with the aim to improve the nutritional status of thousands of children and enable them to take full advantage of the education provided to them.

DAIRY AND BEVERAGES: The segment reported revenue of Rs. 46.9 billion, growing 16% compared to the same period last year. Olper’s led the growth in the segment while strengthening its position as the market leader through brand and trade investments, and expansion of retail footprint by 6,000+ outlets. Olper’s UHT Milk, Cream, Flavoured Milk and Tarrka Ghee also recorded double-digit growth.

With a focus on improving accessibility and affordability, the Company launched the Olper’s Pouch at a price point of PKR 50 in Pakistan. Other recent launches include Olper’s Flavored Milk, Olper’s Full Cream Milk Powder (FCMP), Olper’s Cream, Olper’s Pro-Cal, Tarang Tea Whitening Powder (TWP) and Tarang Elachi, all of which gained a healthy market share in a short timespan despite strong competition.

The Company will continue to leverage FrieslandCampina’s global expertise, introduce new products and explore new channels to serve its customers effectively and efficiently.

ICE CREAM AND FROZEN DESSERTS: The segment reported a revenue of Rs. 5.22 billion, reflecting a growth of 42% versus last year. By investing in seasonal activities and festivities, introducing new products, consumer-focused campaigns and employing e-commerce channels to enhance product availability, the Company achieved its highest-ever volumes in the second half of the year.

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: The financial performance of the company for the year ended December 31, 2021, is summarized below:

FUTURE OUTLOOK

The business environment remains challenging amidst the resurgence of COVID–19 cases. Supply chain disruptions and dynamic consumer needs may affect the business’s ability to serve consumers effectively.

However, the Company will continue to remain agile and drive efficiencies across the value chain to deliver growth. The business will also continue to invest in brand equity and expand its profit accretive portfolio to leverage margins.

At FCEPL, our purpose is to transform the health and well-being of Pakistanis now and for generations to come. Thus, the Company will expand upon its partnership with the Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA) and the Government to educate the consumers on the potentially hazardous effects of loose milk, and positive features of safe, packaged milk.

As dairy farmers are the backbone of the Company, FCEPL’s Dairy Development Program will ensure inclusive growth and increased profitability for the farmers. The business will continue to train the farmers with best practices for improved productivity, yield and profits, thereby developing and uplifting the communities we operate in.

FCEPL remains committed to the highest standards of hygiene, food safety and sustainability, and will continue to leverage its global expertise and experience of 150+ years to provide safe, affordable, and nourishing dairy products to millions of Pakistanis, every day.

Hysab Kytab’s white-labelled PFM is Now Available on Temenos Exchange

Karachi: Hysab Kytab, a leading provider of financial management solutions today announced that Hysab Kytab’s White Labelled PFM solution is now available on Temenos Exchange, the open marketplace for fintech solutions.

The Hysab Kytab PFM’s out of the box integration with Temenos Infinity is aimed at offering banks the ablity to understand their customers financial dreams and identify non-intrusive cross-selling/up-selling opportunities for new revenue streams through hyper-personalization.

With Hysab Kytab as an integral part of Temenos Infinity solution, banks’ customers will be able to gain 360-degree view of their finances putting them in the driving seats of their financial wellbeing by helping them make informed financial decisions.

Temenos Exchange brings open innovation to market faster, and at scale. The marketplace offers pre-integrated and approved fintech solutions that can be easily deployed on top of Temenos open platform, enabling banks to accelerate the creation of new financial services, while reducing the costs of development.

Temenos Exchange acts as an accelerator for fintechs and software developers, helping them develop, validate and monetize new banking solutions.

Joining Temenos Exchange means Hysab Kytab can write once and sell its solution across a vast banking audience of more than 3,000 clients in 150 countries. Collectively, this community serves the banking needs of 1.2 billion people worldwide.

‘’It is increasingly becoming important for Fintechs to collaborate with organizations that can extend their reach and improve their technical expertise.

I believe this integration with Temenos will enable Hysab Kytab to scale by boosting its current reach in previously untapped markets, including millennials and tech savvy customers.

This kind of collaboration will also help fintech industry as a whole to work collectively for the common goal of boosting digital financial inclusion of customers.” said Mohammad Yasir Ilyas, Head of Hysab Kytab.

“Hysab Kytab participation in Temenos Exchange further extends our commitment to the banking community and enables Temenos customers to easily reap the benefits of Hysab Kytab’s PFM solution. We look forward to leveraging the power of the Temenos platform to help us achieve our business goals.”

“This collaboration is aimed at providing the best value for money and helping banks build a deeper relationship with their customers by understanding and meeting their evolving financial needs,” added Mohammad Yasir Ilyas.

KUTS continues classes boycott for seventh straight day

Karachi: The protest of the University of Karachi’s teaching and non-teaching staff has entered its seventh day, with academic activities at the province’s biggest educational institute remaining suspended since Feb 1.

Differences emerged between Sindh universities and boards department’s secretary Mureed Rahimo and the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) when the latter declared the selection board null and void during a meeting for the appointment of professors in three departments of the varsity a few days back.

As per the teachers association, Mureed Rahimo misbehaved with the KU vice-chancellor and other senior teachers of the university during the selection board meeting. They demanded of the concerned authorities to remove Rahimo from the post.

“The protest will be extended to other universities of Sindh if demands are not accepted,” warned the teachers.

Academic activities will remain suspended in the university till their demands are not fulfilled, the protesters added. “The autonomy of the KU has been attacked by refusing the bylaws of the varsity,” said the teachers.

Examinations have also been postponed at the university due to the teachers’ protest.

On January 31, the Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) observed the black day at the varsity and has been boycotting the classes since then.

Later on February 3, the teachers’ body convened its general meeting in the Arts Auditorium and announced that the boycott would continue indefinitely as the secretary’s attitude was not acceptable.

In the general meeting, office holders of the KUTS had expressed that the selection board for the appointment of Dr Zafar Iqbal Shams in the environment department, which was summoned on the orders of the Sindh High Court, was cancelled by the universities and boards department in clear violation of court orders.

The body had announced that the boycott of teaching activities would continue till the selection board was convened.

The KUTS had also demanded the replacement of the incumbent universities and boards secretary with a competent bureaucrat who knew the University Act.

The meeting had urged the administration of the varsity to complete the process of the selection board within three months and conclude within 15 days the process of scrutiny of applicants who had applied for selection under a 2019 advertisement.

KUTS President Prof Dr Shah Ali Ul Qader said that the secretary had zero knowledge of the varsities.

He had added that the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association’s (Fapuasa) Sindh chapter has convened a meeting on February 8 to discuss the issue of selection boards for the public sector universities in the province.

“We might extend our protest to other universities of Sindh if our demands are not fulfilled.”

He had clarified that the KU was not promoting teachers through the selection board. “When the varsities advertise any post in newspapers, it means they call applicants from outside and inside to ensure merit.

This selection board was formed for three departments under the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan’s rules.”

The selection board was constituted by the KU for the environmental science department under an advertisement published in 2019 and for the food science and zoology departments under a 2014 advertisement.

Sindh Universities and Board Secretary Mureed Rahimo said the KU wanted to summon the selection board under an advertisement that was published in 2014.

There should be a deadline for the constitution of the selection board after an advertisement has been published, the secretary had said as he asked how the varsity could do a selection on the basis of an ad that appeared around a decade earlier.

CAP, CTO ink MoU for POS integration of tier-I retailers

Karachi: Aiming to collaborate and cooperate for POS integration of tier-I retailers within the jurisdiction of CTO, Karachi, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Consumers Association of Pakistan (CAP) and the Corporate Tax Office (CTO), Karachi.

Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan has introduced sophisticated scheme for POS integration of tier-I retailers and million rupees Prize Scheme for their customers across Pakistan for the purpose of broadening of tax base and documentation of economy.

Under this MoU, CAP in collaboration with CTO Karachi will launch awareness programs and facilitation schemes for the purpose of speedy and effective POS integration of tier-I retailers falling within the jurisdiction of CTO, Karachi.

Kaukab Iqbal, Chairman, Consumers Association of Pakistan and Dr. Aftab Imam, Chief Commissioner, Corporate Tax Office, Karachi signed the MoU.

FCEPL joins hands with UVAS to Establish PNDDC

Karachi: FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL), subsidiary of the Dutch multinational corporative Royal FrieslandCampina in the Netherlands, is establishing the novel Pakistan–Netherlands Dairy Development Center (PNDDC).

The PNDDC is set to be a premier precompetitive platform with the signature ‘grass to glass’ philosophy underlying FCEPL’s corporate vision – collaboration and integration between industry, experts, academia, and the government.

The agreement Memo was signed between the founding partners; FCEPL and University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in a ceremony held in Islamabad in attendance of Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, global leadership of FrieslandCampina and Dutch Ambassador.

Syed Fakhar Imam, the Federal Minister for Food Security & Research witnessed the ceremony and appreciated the approach and initiatives of FCEPL, “I am impressed with the work of FrieslandCampina towards dairy development in Pakistan, which is helping to improve food security and livelihood especially in rural settings.”

“Pakistan is a key player in the global dairy market, and it is with initiatives such as the PNDDC, we intend to unleash the tremendous dairy potential in Pakistan and to elevate its role even further in the years to come.” Said

Ali Ahmed Khan, Managing Director, FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Ltd “The beginning of this center together with UVAS will pave the way to smoothly implement many of upcoming development programs that are in store.

We are in discussion with Dutch Universities and companies to become part of this center through in-kind and/or in-cash support to achieve the objective of transforming dairy landscape of Pakistan at-par with the Dutch Dairy Sector”.

The company aims to build a bridge with their global tier research, illustrative of their 150 years of experience in the dairy industry in The Netherlands and Pakistan; providing a prime platform that will revolutionize the concept of dairy in the world’s 4th largest milk producing country; unlocking dairy development expertise for all core stakeholders through the sharing of rich Dutch dairy expertise.

Prof. Dr Nasim Ahmed, VC at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore said “The dairy supply chain is the cumulation of several avenues, livestock training and research being at the core. UVAS is already partnering with FCEPL on various fronts and setting up a formal platform will further strengthen this partnership paving the way to the dissemination of global industry best practices.

“The activities performed by the center will definitely have a positive impact on the dairy sector and the country as a whole.” said by Prof. Talat Pasha, Vice Chancellor University of Education and a leading dairy expert.

“FrieslandCampina, with yet another initiative of bringing Dutch dairy expertise and experience to Pakistan through establishing a formal collaborative platform is certainly laudable and will help to strengthen professional ties between the two countries.” said by Wouter Plomp. the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Netherlands Dairy Development Center will contribute to the improvement of production, food security, quality, food-safety, and sustainability throughout the dairy value chain of the Pakistan dairy sector.

The center will be located at UVAS and the commencement of operations will begin soon with a detailed 5-year operational plan and activities.

With its partners PNDDC will undertake a variety of activities which include, research and innovation on breeding, feeding, quality and safety of milk; strategic and policy studies; publication of white paper on dairy landscape in Pakistan; running expertise centers; and various capacity building (training) programs.

Moreover, PNDDC would also commence exchange programs, incorporating knowledge and expertise from Netherlands, through arranging expert missions and Farmer2Farmer missions – Dutch farmers and experts would visit Pakistan for guidance and hands-on assistance of local farmers, meanwhile Pakistani farmers will visit Netherlands for hands-on training.

The center would also manage deployment of academic talent (research sponsorship for Pakistani students) at the Netherlands or the countries with comparable challenges & opportunities as Pakistan.

5th Road Safety Conference to be held on Feb 3

Karachi: The ‘5th Road Safety Conference’ is being organized by Consumer Association of Pakistan at Hotel Marriott Karachi on Thursday 3rd February, 2022.

Provincial Minister for Transport Owais Shah Qadri will grace the occasion as a chief guest. While DIG Traffic Police Ahmed Yar Chohan, DIG License Imran Yaqoob, DIG Motorway Police Shahid Javed, Consul General of Japan ToshiKazu Isomura, Hon.Consul General of Yemen Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Hon. Consul General of Morocco Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, CEO Dr. Essa Laboratory, Dr Farhan Issa will also be present.

Among other guests of honour, CEO Habib Oil Mills Pvt. Ltd. Moid-ul-Hasan, Chief Commissioner FBR, Dr Aftab Imam, Additional Collector Customs Asad ullah Larik, Consul General of Sri Lanka, Jagath Abeywarna, Managing Director Mass Transit Authority, Abdul Sattar Issani, DGM South Sales and Marketing Exide Pakistan Ltd, Saleem Khan and few other prominent figures will be in attendance.

According to the CAP chairman, Mr Kaukab Iqbbal, the purpose of this conference is to create awareness among the people about traffic laws, awareness is important so that people use traffic and obey traffic laws. He said that the rate of road accidents is increasing due to non-compliance of motorists with traffic rules which results into dangerous accidents.

Kaukab Iqbal also said that parents are providing cars and motorbikes to young children who are even not at the age to obtain license. Due to reckless driving, the rate of accidents is also increasing fast. The second reason is not following the proper lines during driving, as it has now become a norm that the heavy traffic in the city starts running ahead without schedule.

“Approximately, more than 80 percent people in the city of Karachi do not have driving license nor do they know about the traffic rules. Due to the congested roads and overcrowding in the city, innumerable accidents are taking place on daily basis. Traffic laws should be read as subjects in educational institutions. On the contrary, every educational institution is required to educate the students about the traffic laws”, Chairman CAP said.

Consumer Road Safety Conference is such a platform which gives complete awareness to the masses regarding the traffic laws and also to capture the attention of the family members.

FCEPL commemorates success of empowered women Agripreneurs in a ‘Rural Women Rising’ event

Islamabad: FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Ltd (FCEPL) hosted an event titled ‘Rural Women Rising’ in honor of women farmers and Agripreneurs, on the 31st of January at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad.

The theme of the event was “breaking the barriers and empowering women through dairy value chain”.

The event celebrated these women, hailing from rural sites from within Sindh and Punjab, as well as their combined accolades, achievements, and ongoing journeys.

These were only made possible by the guidance, training and facilitations of FCEPL’s expert field teams and their ongoing resolve for uplifting the socio-economic status of the hard-working rural women within their communities.

This is indicative of FCEPL’s commitment to the UNSDG’s of gender equality, poverty alleviation and zero hunger.

“It is incredible to witness how FrieslandCampina has changed the lives of so many of our rural women, their families and communities.” Said First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Samina Alvi who was the chief guest on the occasion, “It is evident that these women are just as valuable and capable as men in their communities and [because of FCEPL’s facilitation] they are earning much-needed livelihoods for themselves and their families.”

Federal Minister for Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, commented “It has been my pleasure to witness the strength displayed by the women celebrated here.

It has been an incredible showcase of their skill and ambition. The empowerment of women is a matter of national interest and FrieslandCampina should be proud to be at the helm of such an important mission.”

FCEPL, formerly Engro Foods is one of Pakistan’s premium dairy companies and part of Royal FrieslandCampina (RFC), Netherlands. As part of its corporate values particularly Gender Equality, FCEPL kept its focus on the empowerment of rural women, both economically and socially through actively involving these women in the dairy value chain.

Another proud moment for the dairy industry in Pakistan, Hein Schumacher, Global CEO, Royal FrieslandCampina was also in attendance, “Our resolve of diversity and inclusion keeps us motivated to help unleash the potential of these great rural ladies to earn livelihoods, empower them and play active role in the economic growth.

FrieslandCampina is proud to be a patron for the Pakistani women and truly understands the great work and contributions, they are capable of.”

In this journey of over 15 years, FCEPL have actively partnered with reputed international agencies such as UNDP, USAID, GIZ, DEG and DFAT to train and facilitate women to become successful dairy entrepreneurs.

Over 28000 female farmers in Pakistan have benefitted from these programs to date, with over 2000 female extension workers trained as well. Few of those many amazing success stories were shared in the event by the beneficiary rural women themselves which were inspiring and mesmerizing.

While narrating those success stories and transformation that has happened in their personal, family and community lives, some ladies broke into tears leaving a long term impression on the audience.

Speaking on the occasion President Food and Beverages RFC, Roel Neerbos applauded the efforts of FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan “It is only through invested efforts like these can the rural sector truly develop and become the powerhouse we know it can be.

We are happy and congratulate all those women for becoming successful agripreneurs and wish them best of luck in future as well. Credit goes to local leadership of FrieslandCampina.”

Presenting the vote of thanks Ali Ahmed Khan said “FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan remains committed to improving farmers livelihoods with women focused approach and we are creating all that enabling environment through our dedicated team of experts and enablers.

We are extremely thankful to our global leadership as well as the government and development partners for great support in our journey of women inclusive growth and development in the dairy sector of Pakistan.”

The event was attended by wide array of audience and dignitaries including Ministers, MNAs, MPAs, Member of SDG Parliamentary Task Force, women entrepreneurs, NGOs, INGOs, Development Partners, academia and leadership of FCEPL.

Faysal Bank appoints Nutshell as strategic communications partner

Karachi: Faysal Bank Limited enters into a strategic communication partnership with Nutshell Communications (Pvt) Ltd.

Nutshell Communications will provide external stakeholder engagement, corporate branding, and strategic communication services to Faysal Bank Limited.

An agreement in this regard was signed by both parties recently at Faysal Bank Limited head office by Raheel Ijaz, Chief Operating Officer, Faysal Bank, and Rabia Ahmed, Director & Chief Operating Officer, Nutshell Communications.

The signing was witnessed by Yousaf Hussain, President & CEO Faysal Bank Limited, and senior officials from both organizations.

Faysal Bank Limited was incorporated in Pakistan on October 3, 1994, as a Public Limited Company under the Companies Ordinance, 1984. The Bank’s shares are listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Faysal Bank’s footprint now spreads over more than 200 cities with over 606 (including 595 Islamic) branches. Faysal Bank is nearing the completion of its landmark conversion to an Islamic Bank, from a conventional bank.

This historic feat is being regarded as the world’s largest conversion, whereby a large running bank has undergone such a massive transformation.

Nutshell Communications (Pvt) Ltd., a Nutshell Group company, is a full spectrum communications firm, providing strategic engagement and communication solutions to its clients and partners across Pakistan.

Martin Dow becomes Pakistan’s first company to introduce Artificial Intelligence tool ‘MD-AlDer’

Lahore: The leading pharmaceutical group Martin Dow has achieved another landmark by introducing the Artificial Intelligence tool ‘MD-AIDer’ for classification of diseases in dermatology for the very first time in Pakistan.

The objective is to reach breakthroughs in the healthcare sector by bringing enhancement in diagnosis of diseases through innovation and accuracy.

The exact implementation of this latest innovation ‘MD-AIDer’ adopted by Martin Dow will play a vital role in assisting the doctors and the dermatology specialists to refine their learning in a well-versed manner through this self-learning intelligent tool that will take the entire healthcare sector into a new era of success and transformation.

Fawad Abbasi, Director Business Unit at Martin Dow Ltd, while expressing his views on the achievement of this milestone said, “Being one of the topmost pharmaceutical company, Martin Dow strongly believes that by implementing and utilizing the modern methods of technology, the healthcare sector will achieve a phenomenal growth and expansion in the coming years with interminable success and advancement.”

Muhammad Shoaib, Business Unit Head, Martin Dow said “For the very first time in Pakistan, the introduction of ‘MD-AIDer’ tool will revolutionize the entire dermatology field and in turn will witness an everlasting effect on the healthcare industry as it will prove to be an effective tool for classification of diseases.”

Moreover, this new AI tool with an expanded diagnosis capability will also help the doctors in early detection of rapidly deteriorating diseases and the prominent dermatology experts from all over Pakistan will be involved in implementation of the ‘MD-AIDer’ tool in the right spirit.

Martin Dow Group has been consistently using its expertise and technical excellence for decades which is well reflected from its new innovations from time to time.

Faysal Islami’s Shaheen Flies Even Higher

Karachi: Shaheen Shah Afridi, the Brand Ambassador of Faysal Bank Limited has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021.

This is a proud moment for the entire nation and Faysal Bank Limited. The 21-year-old bowler is the youngest ever cricketer to receive the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, and the only Pakistani to receive this honor.

“Swing, seam, sheer pace and sizzling yorkers – Shaheen Shah Afridi gave an exhibition of it all in the year 2021,” the ICC said in a statement, as it announced the 21-year-old as the winner of the award.

Faysal Islami, the Best Emerging and fastest growing Islamic Bank of Pakistan is proud to have Shaheen Shah Afridi, as its corporate brand ambassador.

Jaudat Hussain, Head Retail Banking Faysal Bank, said, “Faysal Islami & Shaheen Shah Afridi share common values of Excellence, Commitment to move forward and above all Belief in His Rehmat.

Faysal Bank is proud of his achievement as much as we are proud of our own world’s largest conversion of a conventional bank to a full-fledged Islamic Bank”

Faysal Bank Limited firmly believes that its conversion to an Islamic bank is a step that will have a positive impact on a vast segment of society who want to bank with a fully Islamic institution and have limited choices available due to limited size and reach of most existing Islamic players.

Martin Dow Marker joins hands with DVAGO for ‘Patient Safety’

Karachi: Pakistan’s leading pharmaceutical company Martin Dow Marker Ltd. (MDM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a leading pharmacy chain of Pakistan i.e., DVAGO today for Joint Patient Awareness, Access & Care (JPAAC) program.

The purpose behind this strategic collaboration is to increase patients’ awareness on disease and dosage compliance and the dissemination of reliable information to cater to the health issues of the public.

To achieve this objective both companies agreed on organizing and facilitating pharmacist training programs, pharmacy management skills trainings and educational awareness sessions to improve their capabilities in counseling the patients and to improve the access of medicines to the public.

The collaboration will also aid Martin Dow Marker in providing greater access to authentic medication via DVAGO’s E-Commerce platform to patients from the comfort of their home, so they stay safe during the pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion Group Director Business Growth & Strategy, Martin Dow, Dr. Anum Akhai said, “We are consistently working towards patient safety and awareness with leading pharmacy chains amid covid-19 and the rising spread of the new variant omicron with an ultimate aim to serve the masses aptly.”

While also talking at the occasion Chief Commercial Officer – Pharma & Trade, Nouman Lateef & Head of Trade Marketing, Sheraz Ahmad, expressed their views that this is just the biggening of collaboration with DVAGO and more initiatives will continue for greater good of patients and quality health service for the entire country.

KE Sustains Continued Power Supply as Gusty Winds Batter Karachi

Karachi: As the gushing winds started blowing in the port city from Friday morning, K-Electric ensured that the power supply to the city remain stable.

However, areas with high incidence of theft and kunda usage were preemptively shut down temporarily in the interest of safety of the residents and the power supply was swiftly restored after receiving clearance from the ground teams of KE.

During the on-going spell of heavy winds, the maximum number of feeders that switched off for safety reasons was around 150 out of KE’s network of more than 1900 feeders that supply electricity to the entire city and it’s surrounding areas.

K-Electric’s Director Communications Imran Rana commented, “Our systems remained predominantly intact as strong gusts of wind, blowing at the speed of 36-45 km/h, battered Karachi. Our teams ensured that the city is provided with safe and reliable power supply.

In areas where theft and kundas are prevalent, a limited number of feeders were temporarily shut down out of caution owing to safety hazards in these areas. However, they were soon restored after receiving clearance from the on-ground teams.”

Heavy winds also caused a streetlight pole to collapse to the ground in Korangi resulting in injury of a passerby. KE spokesperson expressed his sorrow over the incident and clarified that streetlight poles are not owned, installed, operated, or maintained by K-Electric.

There was an electrocution case also reported inside home in Mansehra colony, Landhi area of Karachi. Initial findings suggested that the unfortunate incident occurred while using the water motor inside the premises.

Cognizant of the ongoing intensified weather, KE strongly urged citizens to exercise caution and keep a safe distance from broken wires, TV and internet cables as well as electricity infrastructure. Customers are further advised to be cautious when using electrical appliances, especially water motors, while inside their premises.

TCS trail blazing new Routes and Trade Corridors

Karachi: Pakistan’s logistics giant TCS Private Limited recently transported another pharmaceutical shipment by road to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, following TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) protocols, administered by the United Nations International Road Transport Union (IRU).

TCS Private Limited is the first Pakistani Company to have qualified for international operations with Pakistani trucks and drivers.

Amongst the requirements for this qualification are an Electronic Customs User Interface and an international guarantee in favor of the ‘World Customs Organization’. More Pakistani Companies are now lining up for this qualification as a direct result.

TCS Private Limited’s vehicle entered Uzbekistan on January 12, 2022, after navigating through days of heavy snowfall across Afghanistan’s mountains.

In a historic first, the TCS Private Limited crew, in freezing cold but enthused with a sense of purpose, spent a night inside their truck on the famous Friendship Bridge, which constitutes the border between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan because the gates of both countries closed for the night just as the TCS Private Limited TIR truck was crossing the bridge.

Incidents such as these and its earlier piloting of TIR protocols pertaining to Land, Customs and Border procedures have given TCS Private Limited invaluable experience for operating future trade routes between Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics.

This landmark mission was achieved by TCS Private Limited in close coordination with the Ministry of Commerce, and the Pakistan National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (PNC-ICC), and the Uzbek International Forwarders Association (UIFA).

In a statement on the occasion, TCS Private Limited’s Co-Founder and Chairman Khalid Nawaz Awan, said, “We are proud to be trail-blazing new routes and trade corridors that will rejuvenate the economies of this region.

As Pakistan’s logistics backbone, TCS Private Limited will extend its physical footprint by opening its Sales and Customer Support Offices in countries across the region”.

Earlier in 2021, the TCS Private Limited pilot was supported by Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity (PREIA) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

The entire project was widely lauded by the Uzbek and Pakistani governments in July 2021, during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Tashkent.

Significance of digitization highlighted at the concluding day of The Future Summit

Karachi: The fifth edition of Pakistan’s largest corporate event ‘The Future Summit’ organized by the Nutshell Group in collaboration with the Martin Dow Group concluded at a local hotel today in Karachi.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs, Khalid Mansoor while addressing The Future Summit said “During the initial stage of CPEC, power was too expensive because of the furnace fuel cost which could directly hit country’s Balance of Payment.”

SAPM Khalid Mansoor also emphasized that CPEC is not China centric. From their view point, it is all about regional connectivity.
Apart from China, Special Economic Zones open to entire world. We will soon hold international conference on CPEC significance.

PM aide on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor further said that by 2030, China Pakistan Economic Corridor project will open countless doors of foreign investment in Pakistan that will benefit the country’s economy.

As already, not only China but also other countries and business leaders across the globe are giving enormous attention to this multi- faceted and magnanimous project of mega development.

Addressing on the second day of The Future Summit, Mr Douglas Corley, Founder DHB Global and CEO, Alaunius Technologies and Global Panel Member, MIT Technology Review said that during the severe wave of coronavirus pandemic, three pillars have gained excessive importance which are government vs governance, rebuilding trust and adapt to drive business with continuity.

He also said that the role of technology is indispensable to mitigate the impact of covid whereas it is the primary responsibility of the leadership to ensure safe products.

In line with what’s coming next, Douglas also highlighted merger of healthcare with climate change innovation, date rush and the influence of crypto currency in the future.”

Senator Dr Musadik Malik while expressing his views during the second day of The Future Summit said “there was a time when television created a magic around all the nook and corners in the world, then the emergence of the mobile phones grasped the market.”

Senator also said that the role of policy makers is predominant for decisive decision making and anticipation of future in the most systematic manner.

Senator Malik also highlighted the significance of electronic chips which are being used in healthcare to monitor and closely check the patient’s condition from time to time. This shows the extent to which technology has impacted the lives of the humans.

Malik also said that “one must imagine future in a different way and then devise strategies accordingly, keeping into consideration your vision and mission and by means of innovation you drive your life towards future.

Trends are visible to everyone, what trends we see in healthcare discusses that the burden of illness is increasing as people are living longer and countering several diseases.

Minister of State and Chairman Board of Investment Muhammad Azfar Ahsan in his remarks at the concluding session of The Future Summit said ” I utter this with due responsibility that Pakistan’s economy is reinvigorating at fast pace.”

Azfar said that the incumbent government is taking all possible measures for improving and boosting the country’s economy by increasing the level of the exports and added that it is highly significant to refine the entire process of corporate governance.

Chairman BOI also said that the business community’s role is decisive in the economic growth of Pakistan and the doors of BOI are always open for them.

The incumbent government has paid immense attention to ensure business friendly policies at all the levels without any discrimination. Investors’ friendly policy of the incumbent government resulted in the economic development in the recent years.

Azfar added that BOI is taking on board multiple sectors that will aid a lot in attracting huge foreign investment in Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Addressing at The Future Summit’, President Institute of Business Management IoBM and Management Association of Pakistan Mr Talib S.Karim while recalling the time when COVID pandemic unearthed said that the biggest challenge for the educational institutions was to get adept with the usage of virtual and online learning system which was successfully adhered in letter and spirit in order to avoid any loss of studies due to the rising wave of the coronavirus endemic.

Dr Shahid Mahmud, Chairman and CEO Interactive Group of Companies in his remarks praised the efforts of the Nutshell Group and the Martin Dow Group for organizing such a mesmerizing moot.

He said Pakistan will become fifth economic power of the world in the coming years.
CPEC will be instrumental in bridging the robust relationship between South Asia and Africa among diversified communities and businesses.

Dr Shahid said “my perception on CPEC is that in the years ahead, we will become such kind of a nation on which China will depend upon.”
China has pushed its economy by fully utilizing manpower effectively and efficiently to explore numerous opportunities all around the globe, CEO Interactive Group said.

Nutshell Group and Martin Dow Group extended their heartfelt gratitude to their partners and sponsors Engro Corporation, Siemens, SAP, K-Electric, Faysal Bank, Habib Metropolitan Bank, HBL, JS Bank, PharmEvo & Ehad, NBP Funds, Al Meezan Investment Management Ltd, Hilton Pharma, CMS, NdcTech, Jaffer Business Systems, Bluetech Consulting, Hysab Kytab, OICCI, CPG, Institute of Business Management and ACCA.

The Nutshell Group’s initiative of holding extensive business summits in the previous years has received immense appreciation from the government, corporate, private and public sectors, as well as the civil society, and aims to expand the scope of this conference at the regional level in coming years.

Nutshell Group & Martin Dow Group to co-host the 5th edition of ‘The Future Summit’

Karachi: Nutshell Group is hosting the 5th edition of Pakistan’s largest corporate event ‘The Future Summit’ in collaboration with Martin Dow Group. The platinum sponsor for the Summit is Engro Corporation.
 
The Future Summit will take place at a local Hotel in Karachi today and tomorrow. This year’s summit titled ‘What’s Coming Next’ aims to highlight the core issues and importance of business strategies to address leadership and business concerns crucial to today’s global decision makers.

Along with numerous distinguished guests, Mr. Imran Ismail (Governor Sindh) and Mr. Reza Baqir (Governor State Bank Pakistan) will also grace the summit with their presence.
 
Nutshell Group customarily partners with leading companies spanning across a variety of sectors including Healthcare, Information Technology, Banking, IT, Engineering, Energy & Power, etc. for this Summit.

Nutshell Group and Martin Dow Group would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to their partners and sponsors Engro Corporation, Siemens, SAP, K-Electric, Faysal Bank, Habib Metropolitan Bank, HBL, JS Bank, PharmEvo & Ehad, NBP Funds, Al Meezan Investment Management Ltd, Hilton Pharma, CMS, NdcTech, Jaffer Business Systems, Bluetech Consulting, Hysab Kytab, OICCI, CPG, Institute of Business Management and ACCA.
 
The Future Summit is a yearly event, with the upcoming edition being its 5th consecutive year. It brings together the most influential and forward-thinking corporate leaders and senior executives from Karachi and across the country, as well as from outside Pakistan, to highlight and discuss leadership and business concerns crucial to today’s decision makers. TFS is a flagship brand of Nutshell Group that pulls in distinguished speakers and audiences from a multitude of industries, and focuses on business strategies for the future!
 
The Nutshell Group’s initiative of holding extensive business summits in the previous years has received immense appreciation from the government, corporate, private and public sectors, as well as the civil society, and aims to expand the scope of this conference at the regional level in coming years.
 
Complete list of speakers is given below:
Imran Ismail, Governor Sindh. Dr. Reza Baqir, Governor State Bank Pakistan. Ali Akhai, Chairman Martin Dow Group. Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson Pakistan Stock Exchange & Karandaaz & Former Federal Minister for Finance & Former Governor, State Bank of Pakistan.

ACM Sohail Aman (Rtd), Chief Executive Strategic Engagements, Nutshell Group & Pakistan’s Chief of Air Staff (2015- 2018). Ehsan Malik, CEO Pakistan Business Council, Ghias Khan, President & CEO Engro Corporation & Vice President-OICCI. Syed Veqar Ul Islam, CEO & Director Jaffer Business Systems & Member Policy Board SECP. Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO Habib Bank Ltd. Saquib Ahmad, Country Managing Director SAP. Atif Bajwa, President & CEO Bank Alfalah Ltd. Shazad Dada, President & CEO United Bank Ltd, Yousaf Hussain, President & CEO Faysal Bank Ltd. Mohsin Nathani, President & CEO Habib Metropolitan Bank.

Basir Shamsie, President & CEO JS Bank. Mohammad Shoaib, CFA, CEO Al Meezan Investment Management Ltd. Lt. Gen. Muzammil Hussain (Rtd), Chairman WAPDA. Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi, CEO K-Electric Ltd. Prof. Dr. Fiaz Chaudhry, Professor & Director, LUMS Energy Institute Program Director, Power Sector Centre of Excellence & CEO Engineers Guild Pvt Ltd. Ruhail Mohammed, CEO Lucky Electric Power Company. Aftab Mahmood Butt, CEO KAPCO. Ayla Majid, Founder & CEO Planetive.

Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan & Chairman Telenor Bank. Asif Peer, CEO, MD & Member of the Board, Systems Ltd. Dr. Ayesha K. Khan, Country Director Pakistan, Acumen & Board Member, Bank Alfalah. Ammara Masood, CEO & President NdcTech. Ehsan Saya, MD Daraz.pk. Markus Erich Strohmeier, MD & CEO Siemens Pakistan. Khalid Awan, Founder & Chairman TCS Group of Companies. Maheen Rahman, CEO InfraZamin Pakistan. Javed Ghulam Mohammad, Group MD & CEO Martin Dow.

Ghazanfar Azzam, President & CEO Mobilink Microfinance Bank Ltd. Farrukh Khan, CEO & MD Pakistan Stock Exchange. Douglas Corley, Founder DHB Global & CEO Alaunius Technologies. Asif Akram, COO Systems Ltd. M. Haroon Qassim, MD PharmEvo Pvt Ltd & Shield Corporation. Senator Dr. Musadik Malik, Chairman Standing Committee on Water Resources, Senate of Pakistan. Hassan Aslam Shad, Legal Director CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP.

Khalid Mansoor, SAPM on CPEC Affairs & Minister of State. Sajjeed Aslam, Global Head of Public Sector ACCA, Ali Ahmed Khan, MD FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Ltd. Ayesha Aziz, MD & CEO Pak Brunei Investment Company. Talib S. Karim, President Institute of Business Management & Management Association of Pakistan. Dr. Shahid Mahmud, Chairman & CEO Interactive Group of Companies. Sidra Iqbal, Change Activist & Television Anchor.
 

Hysab Kytab’s PFM to be integrated by NdcTech in Bank of Punjab’s Digital App

Karachi: The Bank of Punjab will be integrating a local FinTech Hysab Kytab’s solution for Personal Finance Management (PFM) into its Digital Banking services.

This collaboration will be enabled through NdcTech, an award-winning regional partner of Temenos. The Temenos leading Digital Banking platform has been acquired by The Bank of Punjab for all its channels across Pakistan.

As part of this collaboration, Hysab Kytab will license their Personal Financial Management (PFM) solution while NdcTech will integrate the solution to provide a next-generation user experience, for mobile & internet users.

Once integrated, this App will enable the users to have a 360-degree view of their financial activities, track and record their spending, create budget plans, track saving goals, receive personalized insights, and much more.

By using PFM, the users shall be able to make informed financial decisions based on additional analytics available to them. Hysab Kytab’s consumer app has users in over 160+ countries clocking above 12 Million transactions and counting.

Commenting on partnership Yasir Ilyas – Head of Hysab Kytab said that ‘’Hysab Kytab’s Personal Financial Management (PFM) tool will allow BOP’s customers to view their financial information on one big picture.

Customers may create budgets and track their expenses, achieve their dreams by creating saving goals, know their net worth and have access to visualization of their category-wise spending, track subscriptions, view trends, have access to their spending and cash flow insights, and much more.’’

Navaid Kareem, Director Sales and SEVP at NdcTech said that “NdcTech focuses on building Banks of future, enabling them to become digital first. Through Hysab Kytab’s PFM & NdcTech’s extensive expertise in Banking Implementations, The Bank of Punjab will be able to provide its digital users with a holistic view of their finances, empowering them to make sound financial decisions. We look forward to creating an amazing digital user experience.”

Zahid Mustafa, Group Chief Consumer and Digital Banking, at The Bank of Punjab quoted that, “Digital financial services are rapidly becoming a customer lifestyle, our customers expect personalized banking services available to them at their fingertips, round the clock, anywhere and everywhere.

At The Bank of Punjab Our Customer is at the heart of everything we do, all our digital initiatives are built around achieving contextualized and excellent customer experience, Personal Finance Management is one of the key digital capabilities we are set to build for our customers.

We are excited to partner with NdcTech and Hysab Kytab to implement their market leading PFM solution embedded in our Mobile app and internet banking solution. Though PFM adoption is generally low in the country, we shall strive to design it in a user-friendly manner in order to enhance adoption.”

Martin Dow Marker collaborates with Fazal Din Pharma and Imtiaz Pharmacy for ‘Patient Safety’

Karachi: Pakistan’s leading pharmaceutical company Martin Dow Marker Ltd. (MDM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding recently with two leading chain pharmacies of Pakistan i.e., “Fazal Din Pharma Plus” and “Imtiaz Pharmacy” today for Joint Patient Awareness, Access & Care Collaborations (JPAAC) program focusing on different diseases and training of their pharmacists for better patient care.

The purpose behind this strategic collaboration is to bring maximum enhancement in the entire process of patients’ awareness on disease & dosage compliance to cater to the increasing health issues of the general public.

This would be achieved by taking all rational measures for the dissemination of reliable information and increasing the accessibility of medicines to the public.

These collaborations would provide extensive training sessions to the respective pharmacists which would help them become more informed and efficient in guiding patients at their pharmacies.

Group Managing Director & CEO, Martin Dow Group, Javed Ghulam Mohammad, while highlighting on these partnerships said, “By organizing such kinds of awareness, patient care and pharmacist training programs, the workforce of our partners will learn much about improving the access to medication available to the public and would be better equipped for patient counseling.

It is the need of the hour to constantly address all the serious health concerns rightly which our patients encounter during routine life and mostly tackles them wrongly due to lack of awareness about the correct solutions.”

Chief Commercial Officer – Pharma & Trade, Nouman Lateef & Head of Trade Marketing, Sheraz Ahmad, expressed their views that Martin Dow Marker will also facilitate screening and consultation camps at their partners’ premises with qualified medical practitioners for the benefit of the public.

It is hoped that Martin Dow Marker’s collaboration with Fazal Din Pharma Plus and Imtiaz Pharmacy would support in raising awareness among the masses regarding health & safety and prove to be valuable for the society.

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