Muzamil Riaz Sheikh  -  Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has been an integral part of the country's infrastructure since its inception. It is a socially responsible organization that has been contributing to economic development of the country while improving the quality of life of its workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society.

PTCL, as one of Pakistan's premier companies, has made big strides in its role as a responsible corporate citizen. It works for the welfare of society and builds healthy and long-term relationships with its customers.

As a part of its CSR policy, PTCL has been at the forefront in relief efforts whenever the country has been struck by natural disasters and calamities. The company is also providing free medical services through a wide network of medical centres and mobile medical units to improve the healthcare and well-being of not only its employees but also the underprivileged sections of society.

The company took many CSR initiatives in 2017, such as Razakaar Employee Volunteer Program, Box of Happiness, Blood Donation drive, cricket tournament for wheelchair user, easier access for disabled persons at office premises, mobile medical health units and health awareness sessions for outreach communities and collaboration with Pink Ribbon Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness.

PTCL launched the Razakaar Programme by involving its own employees to provide significant focus to education, youth development, health and safety, environment, disaster response and inclusion. So far, the company has registered 500 Razakaars across the country.

The Box of Happiness was the first initiative of the PTCL Razakaar programme. PTCL employees all across the country were invited to donate hand-packed gift boxes for little boys and girls in need. The company received a very encouraging response and was able to collect some 1000 boxes during a two-week campaign. PTCL Razakaars collaborated with orphanages in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, DI Khan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Quetta. The boxes were distributed to the children through fun and games accompanied by colourful decorations.

The PTCL Headquarters team collaborated with the SOS Children's Village in Islamabad and hosted an evening of fun and games for the children. Boxes of Happiness were distributed and PTCL Razakaars created opportunities of entertainment for the children with jumping castles, snacks, face painting and a magic show, besides other things.

In another initiative, PTCL conducted a nationwide Blood Donation Drive and collected up to 10,000 pints of blood through donation from its employees, their families and community partners. Camps were set up across 100 locations from Khyber to Mehran. The drive gained momentum through awareness walks, seminars and orientation sessions along with countrywide endorsements by over 15 blood collection agencies such as the AFIT, Thalassemia Centre and Pakistan Red Crescent Society.

PTCL Razakaars played an integral role in engaging all stakeholders. The drive was formally launched by the CEO, followed by senior members of the management, front-line staff such as guards and drivers and staff from all tiers of the organization.

Noting the overwhelming response to the campaign, PTCL plans to make this an annual drive so that the organization can continue to add value to the community at large.

PTCL was also proud to sponsor the 8th All Pakistan Wheelchair User Cricket Tournament to commemorate 15 years of Wheelchair Cricket in the country. The event was held at the Jinnah Stadium Sports Complex in Islamabad. Over 100 wheelchair athletes from all over Pakistan participated in the event.

They exhibited exceptional skills and showed the promise to represent Pakistan on an international level.

Syed Mazhar Hussain, CHRO PTCL, expressing his views, said, "PTCL believes in promoting social inclusiveness at all levels and aims to enhance the quality of life of the less-privileged, especially people with disabilities. We hope that our modest support will bring happiness to their lives."

Husnain Raza, Chairman Milestone, appreciated the efforts of PTCL Razakaars by conducting races, guarding boundaries and distributing trophies among winners.

As Pakistan's leading telecommunication company, PTCL understands the responsibility to play a proactive role in highlighting issues of importance in society and providing support in the execution of events that aim to bring sustainable betterment. The wheelchair cricket tournament is likely to enhance the athletic skills of wheelchair users and will also play a pivotal role in sensitizing the community to the potential of these persons.

PTCL has started work on making its office premises accessible for people of all disabilities. Structural changes are being made and it is hoped that an inclusive environment will be created where everyone can work comfortably.

The company also prides itself in its medical services. It operates over 32 dispensaries spread across different geographical regions. The dispensaries are actively involved in providing healthcare assistance to PTCL employees, their families and the community at large. In 2017, 201 medical camps were set up in outreach communities for underprivileged persons. Over 681 health awareness sessions were also conducted where communities were made aware of common diseases besides being provided necessary medication and vaccines. A total of 40,244 beneficiaries were reached in one year.

Relevant to the health sector, PTCL collaborated with the Pink Ribbon Foundation and conducted an insightful session on Breast Cancer Awareness for all its female employees. The PTCL Headquarters building in Islamabad was illuminated in pink in support of the national cause and all employees wore a pink ribbon as their pledge for early detection through self-examination.

PTCL's vision for value creation in Pakistan's education sector is supported by its Management Associate Program, Summit Program, Sponsorship of Child Education, the ILM Program, the Click2Learn Programme, Rehabilitation of Schools in Chitral and Swat, establishment of a state-of-the-art computer laboratory with internet connectivity and reconnection of earthquake victims with mainstream educational facilities.

PTCL is also providing opportunities for development of functional skills at the PTCL Academy which has the status of being CISCO Certified with 12 affiliated local academies. It offers M.Sc. degrees in Telecom Engineering and Management through affiliation with UET, Peshawar. It is also accredited with the Council for Six Sigma Certifications, USA.

The company has committed all available resources to build a sustainable employee base with enhanced skills to survive in the future socio-economic environment.

PTCL sees its way forward on the CSR front through partnerships with educational institutions, investments in building future skills for employability, enhancing organizational behaviour, developing professional skills and offering various training programmes. It will commit its resources for capacity building, enabling and empowering youth through digitalization, investing in building future skills for employability and working on a partnership with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) to provide hands-on experience to diploma-holders. In this way, it will develop a skilled workforce in the long-term to drive economic growth and reduce poverty.

The company's infrastructure will also be leveraged and resources will be provided to impart practical knowledge to low-income diploma-holders, with job opportunities at PTCL. Needs will be assessed on a common platform to ensure a greater overall impact. This will create an environment of shared responsibility to further PTCL's CSR policies.

Muzamil Riaz Sheikh