PPL dispatches relief goods for quake affectees
KARACHI (PR): Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) rushed the first relief consignment, comprising over 600 tents, for earthquake affectees of hard-hit areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) on Driday.
MD and CEO Syed Wamiq Bokhari together with DMD (AO) Syed Kaleem Akhtar and GMCS Sultan Maqsood inspected the consignment before its departure for KPK, which will be received by Pakistan Army’s rescue and relief operation team in Risalpur, KPK for onward distribution.
As a national company, PPL has always been in the forefront of supplementing the government’s efforts, by providing immediate relief, medical assistance and rehabilitation to the victims of natural disasters, including the 2005, 2008 and 2013 earthquakes and floods in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
FFC celebrates Pink Ribbon Day
ISLAMABAD (PR): October has been marked internationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink Ribbon Campaign was carried out by Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd, Corporate Social Responsibility program at Sona Tower.
Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd has a legacy of being an active socially responsible organization. Health care provision is a primary element of FFC CSR program and the company supports numerous health initiatives. Marking the event FFC collaborated with Pink Ribbon to raise awareness on breast cancer.
The lecture was conducted by Ms Sonia Qaiser from Pink Ribbon and Q & A session was headed by Dr Uzma Qasim Associate Consultant Oncologist from Shifa International Hospital.
Sadaf Khan from FFC remarked on the event that “Education and awareness is the first step. Let’s take it together on the road to women empowerment!”
Telenor announces intake for ‘Open Mind Pakistan’
ISLAMABAD (PR): Telenor Pakistan has announced the call for entries for its third Open Mind Pakistan programme that is aimed at enhancing awareness, accessibility and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Open Mind Pakistan is a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind special training programme with the objective of enhancing employability of PWDs through skill development, mentoring and on-job training.
Being an equal opportunity employer, Telenor Pakistan has focused on mainstreaming disability by building strategic partnerships, raising awareness through advocacy, trainings and volunteerism, ensuring building accessibility and enabling inclusion in the workforce.
For the same purpose, Open Mind Pakistan was launched in 2013 under Telenor Pakistan’s flagship disability initiative ‘Khuddar Pakistan’. An accessible recruitment model was developed for which a renowned disability consultant from Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) was taken on board to bring in technical prowess and best practices.
Announcing the latest intake for the program, Michael Foley, Chief Executive Officer, Telenor Pakistan said, “Open Mind Pakistan has translated our ambitions into concrete outcomes. The graduates of the program have proved themselves as an integral part of the society and are now working with prominent companies, with some even having become self-employed. Open Mind Pakistan is an example for the rest of the corporate sector to follow and a testimony of our commitment to working towards mainstreaming marginalized segments of Pakistan’s society.”
After a thorough online testing and screening process, which are specially modified to be accessible for visual & hearing impaired, 16 shortlisted PWDs will be given functional and on job training for three months at National Institute of Special Education . Out of these 8 finalists will be subsequently placed across the organization for an extended period of 9 months while the rest are referred to inclusive partner organizations.
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‘Best Shariah-compliant product’ award for Meezan
KARACHI (PR): Meezan Bank has been honored with the ‘Best Shariah-compliant Product’ award for the successful launch of MasterCard Titanium Debit Card. The award was presented at the MasterCard Innovation Forum 2015 event recently held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The award recognizes the success of Meezan Bank’s Shariah-compliant MasterCard Titanium Debit Card, which was launched last year to cater high net-worth customers. This globally accepted card offers higher cash withdrawal limits, complimentary access to Middle East airport lounges and fabulous discounts at retail outlets across Pakistan.
Meezan Bank was recognized amongst MasterCard partners from Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa regions, supporting the Bank’s world-class Shariah-compliant platform and further leveraging its vision of ‘Establishing Islamic banking as banking of first choice.’
The MasterCard Innovation Forum forms part of numerous global events worldwide that are renowned for bringing together thought leaders and business partners, encouraging innovative exchange of ideas and recognizing organizations that establish credible benchmarks for economic advancements and adherence to compliance obligations in their regions.
Meezan Bank is the 8th largest bank in Pakistan and the leading Islamic bank of the country. The Bank provides a comprehensive range of Islamic banking products and services through a retail banking network of more than 480 branches supported by a countrywide network of over 400 ATMs, Visa and MasterCard debit cards, a 24/7 Call Center, Internet Banking and Mobile Banking facility.
Meezan Bank has consistently been recognized as the Best Islamic Bank in Pakistan by numerous local and international institutions, which is a testimony of the Bank’s commitment to excellence. These institutions include Islamic Finance News - Malaysia, Global Finance magazine - New York, Asset AAA - Hong Kong, Asiamoney – Hong Kong, The Banker – United Kingdom and CFA Association - Pakistan.
LUMS, National ICT R&D Fund hold workshop
LAHORE (PR): The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) hosted a workshop in collaboration with the National ICT R&D Fund team on “The Role of ICT in Precision Agriculture and Forestry (AIR AGFO),” the other day.
The workshop focused on introducing, understanding and identifying Precision Agriculture and Forestry (PAF) related challenges in Pakistan. The forum provided an opportunity for experts to share related experiences with academia and the industry that would assist in identifying collaborative research and development opportunities. The main objective of the workshop was to bring together members of PAF and ICT community so that interdisciplinary R&D activities could take off resulting in realisation of software/hardware tools for PAF to grow in Pakistan.
The workshop commenced with an address by Dr Shahid Masud, Acting Dean, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE), LUMS. The keynote speaker on the occasion was Professor Hubert Roth, University of Siegen, Germany, who had been invited from Germany. The workshop attendees enjoyed many informative group and panel discussions.
A large number of people attended the workshop, including faculty and students from SBASSE, LUMS; academicians related to ICT and PAF; industrial participants that could assist in commercialisation of resulting collaborative and interdisciplinary R&D activity and Governmental representatives who will formulate future policy related to PAF.
Serena launches quake relief operations
ISLAMABAD (PR): Under the banner of its Social Environmental and Educational Development Programme (SEED), a corporate social responsibility initiative, the Serena Hotels has launched an extensive earthquake relief campaign to support the earthquake affectees by contributing double the amount collected from guests at the rate of 5 per cent on the restaurant bill amount. The campaign has been for the last couple of days across all the Serena Hotels in Pakistan.
The Serena Hotels work extensively to contribute positively to community development.
Guests and members of local communities have whole heartedly participated in the Hotels’ numerous initiatives in the past, showcasing the true spirit of compassion inherent in the Pakistani community, says a press release.
Winter season has just set in which makes it more urgent for the relief efforts. Across Pakistan, Ministries, Military Establishments, Corporate Businesses and individuals all are working together to ensure affected people are extended the help they require. The Serena Hotels along with its guests in this particular campaign will be able to support for the immediate relief of those affected by this horrendous incident, said the spokesman of the hotel.