UBL inaugurates Pakistan’s first-ever Digital Lab
UBL inaugurated Pakistan’s first-ever Digital Lab at a ceremony held in Karachi recently. The lab which was built in collaboration with IBM, will provide an environment for UBL’s interdisciplinary teams as well as its network of start-ups, Fintech, ecosystem partners and academia to develop personalized and engaging digital ‘customer experiences’.
The Lab was inaugurated by Sir Mohammed Anwar Pervez, OBE, HPk, Chairman UBL & Bestway Group UK. He was accompanied by members of the Board of Directors of UBL, Sima Kamil, President & CEO, UBL and senior executives from both UBL and IBM.
UBL leads the banking and financial sector in Pakistan. With a base of over 4 million customers, the Bank boasts Pakistan’s widest network of over 45,000 customer touch-points and presence in four continents. UBL’s decision to collaborate with IBM to build a Digital Lab stems from its decision to contribute to Pakistan’s digital landscape by transforming its customer experience and reinventing its existing capabilities.
Speaking on the occasion, Sir Mohammed Anwar Pervez, OBE, HPk, Chairman UBL and Bestway Group UK said, “This first of its kind initiative, which is being led by UBL, will add stimulus to the vibrant technology-based financial sector of Pakistan. It is in line with our aspirations for UBL.”
“UBL strives to be the best digital bank in Pakistan. It continuously invests in digital and mobile technologies to enhance customer experience and accelerate the national objective of Financial Inclusion”, said Sima Kamil, President & CEO, UBL. “We are confident that IBM Design Thinking is the right approach to help create personalized customer experiences.”
Located in Karachi, the Digital Lab will be based on the IBM Thinking Framework, IBM’s approach to applying creative business solutions at the speed and scale modern enterprises require. It will also help customers to place end users at the center of their innovation when addressing issues and developing solutions.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Shell Pakistan opens two fuel stations in Lahore
Shell Pakistan Limited inaugurated two fuel stations in Lahore, one located on Maulana Shaukat Ali Road while the other is situated on Gulshan-e-Ravi Road.
These fuel stations will offer a wide range of fueling options that include motor gasoline, high-speed diesel, Compressed Naturel Gas (’CNG’) as well as Shell’s premium fuel launched last year, Shell V-Power. Both sites will also offer a range of Shell’s engine oils and lubricant products for vehicles, as well as a car-wash area.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mazhar-ud-Deen, General Manager Retail, Shell Pakistan said, “These site openings are in-line with our aim of expanding our retail network and offering high-quality fuels and engine-oils to meet the growing energy demands of our customers”.
Haroon Rasheed, General Manager Global Commercial (Lubricants), Shell Pakistan also shared Shell’s vision of “expanding the range of services offered at Shell’s fuel stations to cater to an array of needs that customers have – both for fuel and non-fuel items.”
These two sites will cater to local commuter traffic which primarily consists of light vehicles including passenger cars and bikers.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Thakot-Havelian Section of CPEC
Federal Minister for Interior & Planning, Development and Reforms Mr. Ahsan Iqbal has said that dream of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is being realized and its Western Route is being completed at a rapid pace. Thakot-Havelian section is a significant part of gigantic CPEC program and progress on this project is as per schedule. He was speaking during his visit to under construction Thakot-Havelian expressway project. Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Chairman NHA Jawwad Rafique Malik and senior officers from Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority were also present on this occasion.
Expressing views Minister for Interior & Planning, Development and Reforms Mr. Ahsan Iqbal said, earlier completion of the CPEC stands among priorities of the government. Expressing satisfaction over pace of work and its quality he said, this project, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, will prepare ground for socio-economic uplift of this whole region and in near future this region will be linked up with national highways and motorways network. Our endeavor, he said, is to complete Havelian-Mansehra segment in 2018. He further said, Hakla-D.I Khan section of the CPEC will also be completed in next year. He said Western Route of the CPEC is being actualized with high construction standards under which motorways and expressways are being built throughout the country. The CPEC will cast far-reaching positive effects on national economy and the economy of the whole region as well, he added.
Chairman NHA Mr. Jawwad Rafique Malik welcomed the visiting guests. Giving briefing Mr. Jawwad Rafique Malik told that 120 Km long Thakot- Havelian expressway is located in North of the country and it is an important section of China Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Project passes through Havelian, Abbottabad, Manshera, Shinkiari and Thakot. In order to facilitate its construction, the project is divided into three segments. Construction of six state of the art tunnels having total length of 9 Km is also included in scope of the project. The project is being completed at cost of Rs. 134 billion and hopefully will be completed by February 2020. On completion the project will open up new avenues of economic development in the entire region.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
LRBT holds Charity Golf Tournament
LRBT, the largest eye care network in the world working since 1985, held its first charity golf tournament recently held at Karachi Golf Club. 21 teams were playing for LRBT’s mission of fighting blindness in Pakistan by giving the gift of sight to the poor. The event was one of its kind and each element starting from the guests welcome area, the décor and the flawless execution of the tournament and ceremony has set new standards. The prizes were given to the winning teams & individuals by Mr. Ghias Khan, President Engro Corp, Mr. Hussain Abdullah Haroon, Vice President Karachi Golf Club and Mr. Najmus Saquib Hameed, Chairman LRBT. The wining team was from Jubilee Insurance and comprised of Mr. Tabish Sabah, Mr. Zubair Khan, Mr. Ali Nadeem and Mr. Naazer Minhas. The runners up were a teenage team from Engro consisting of Daniyal Khan, Samir Feria, Sameer Sayeed and Omar Khalid. The Longest Drive was won by Dr. Asif Arian & Closest to the Pin by Mr. Shujjauddin Sheikh. Engro was the title sponsor of the tournament.
Speaking at the ceremony Mr. Hameed thanked the sponsors and partners who supported LRBT in putting up such a great event and also shared the news of LRBT reaching another milestone of treating its 37th million patient Maryam, a 6 year old little girl from Malir.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
K-Electric Extends Support to Hospital in Lyari
K-Electric, under its Sustainability initiative, has partnered with Model Addicts Treatment & Rehabilitation Center (MATRC) Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Hospital for the installation of a dedicated 200 KVA PMT. The newly installed dedicated PMT will help meet the growing electricity demand of the MATRC ANF hospital and further improve its operations.
ANF has been providing free treatment, food, boarding and rehabilitation to addicts through its facilities in Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi. Since 2005, MATRC’s setup by ANF has treated over 14,000 patients throughout Pakistan. The power utility provided relief for the installation of dedicated PMT for the 60-bed hospital situated on Mirpur Road, Lyari.
According to KE spokesperson, “As a socially responsible organization, K-Electric has always been at the forefront for providing generous and valuable support to organizations working for social welfare. This is yet another testament of KE’s commitment to support healthcare organizations – empowering them to continue their efforts to serve the community.”
Spokesperson of MATRC ANF Hospital said, “KE team worked closely with the hospital’s management during the project and demonstrated high level of professionalism to further improve the reliability of power supply at our facility. The support from K-Electric will help us enable expand our services while reducing the cost of providing medical care in the long run.”
Earlier this year, KE partnered with Husaini Hematology and Oncology Trust to further enhance reliability of power supply of the Trust’s emergency center. Whereas last year, the power utility strengthened power supply to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) with the installation of an additional feeder. KE also installed a new 40 MVA power transformer at Aga Khan Grid Station as well as installed an upgraded 400 KVA dedicated PMT at Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Eye hospital located in Korangi. Earlier, the utility partnered with Kashif Iqbal Thalassemia Care Centre (KITCC) for the installation of a dedicated 150 KVA PMT.
KE, under its Social Investment Programme (SIP) reaches around 3.9 million lives annually through 15 partners including SIUT, TCF, Indus Hospital, LRBT, The Kidney Center and SOS Children’s Village among others. Initiatives under SIP include facilitating education for the underprivileged; providing free or subsidized electricity to Karachi’s key educational and health institutions; educating thousands of school children through its fire safety and energy conservation programme while engaging youth through cricket and football platforms including KE-Lyari League.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Jamil Naqsh Museum Inaugurated
Paying tribute to one of Pakistan’s most renowned artists, the Jamil Naqsh Museum has opened its doors to the public. The museum houses all of Naqsh’s major works and reflects the culture of the subcontinent.
The inauguration was graced by art enthusiasts andvarious notable figures, who all came to pay homage to the artist and his work. The opening exhibition highlighted Naqsh’s work from the early 1960s to the start of 2000s.
Speaking at the inauguration, chief guest for the occasion and opposition leader Senate, Aitzaz Ahsan, said, “Jamil Naqsh is a renowned name in the world of art. Living abroad has not dampened his love for the traditions of our nation. Over the years, his contributions have helped highlight our traditions and talent on the international forum. It has been an honor being present today to pay tribute to the great artist”. He carried on to highlight the importance of art in Pakistan, “Jamil Naqsh and his art are a point of pride for our nation. His contribution has made it possible for the world to view our traditions in a way that doesn’t need a language.”
A congregation of Jamil Naqsh’s friends gave way to the idea of commemorating the artist’s work. The idea of the museum fulfilled a twofold purpose; displaying of Jamil Naqsh’s work to the public, and contributing to Karachi’s local art scene.
“The Jamil Naqsh Museum will hold a great significance for the city of Karachi in coming years. The idea behind setting up a whole museum dedicated to the artist’s work was to provide the younger generation a place which inspires them to do something similar in the field of art,” added Dr. Setna, a trustee of the foundation.
Jamil Naqsh, a contemporary artist, is a master of texture, light and space; which are often the backbone of his art. His artwork depicts the female form, which is often paired with pigeons and other subjects of nature. Throughout his career, his paintings have been grounded in tradition, usually depicting his subjects from Mughal era.
The artist has received a host of awards commending his work, the most prestigious amongst them being the Shakir Ali Award, the Sitar-e-Imtiaz, and the President’s Pride of Performance.
This Museum, by the friends of Jamil Naqsh, is not only a tribute to his contribution to the world of art, but also looks to inspire upcoming generation of artists.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Twelve Journalists get award for excellence
The Centre for Excellence in Journalism at the Institute of Business Administration (CEJ-IBA), Karachi and Center for Communication Programs Pakistan (CCPP) in partnership with Palladium Pakistan organized the Award for Excellence in Journalism “Lab Azad” on Wednesday, Dec 20, 2017. Twelve journalists received the awards in rights-based reporting for news stories published between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 at a ceremony held on Wednesday at CEJ.
The winners in each of the four categories are as follows:
Mainstream Broadcast (TV/Radio)
Health rights with focus on access to services
Amina Shaheen, Geo TV
Population growth and realisation of human rights
Shayan Saleem, Samaa TV
Women rights with focus on reproductive health and family planning
Shumaila Jaffery, BBC
Mainstream Print/Online – English
Health rights with focus on access to services
Yousaf Ajab Baloch, Balochistan Point
Population growth and realisation of human rights
Bilal Karim Mughal & Saher Baloch, Dawn.Com (Saher Baloch now works for BBC)
Women rights with focus on reproductive health and family planning
Atika Rehman, Fahad Naveed & Munnazzah Raza, Dawn.Com
Mainstream Print/Online – Urdu
Health rights with focus on access to services
Muhammad Atif Sheikh, Freelance
Population growth and realisation of human rights
Syed Sajjad Kazmi, Daily Dunya
Women rights with focus on reproductive health and family planning
Fariha Fatima, ARY News
District Correspondents
Health rights with focus on access to services
Nisar Ahmad Khan, Dawn News
Population growth and realisation of human rights
Islam Gul Afridi, Daily Akhbar E Khyber
Women rights with focus on reproductive health and family planning
Amjad Ali, Daily Islah
Speaking on the occasion, CEJ director Kamal Siddiqi said, “I am happy that we continue this partnership with CCPP and Palladium Pakistan as it helps recognise rights based reporting.” He added that the CEJ would start its Masters in Journalism programme next year so they would try and introduce rights-based reporting in the syllabus.
The panel of judges included Rahimullah Yusufzai, resident editor of The News Peshawar, Afiya Zia, scholar and contributor to Dawn, Farah Zia, editor of The News on Sunday and Hafiz Tariq Mehmood, director news at News One TV.
On awarding journalists for rights based reporting, Rahimullah Yusufzai said these awards will encourage journalists to write on socio-economic issues that have a direct impact on the lives of people.
Commenting on the importance of such initiatives, chief guest Javed Jabbar said the CEJ-CCPP awards will help inspire journalists to new heights. He added that the CEJ maintains a commitment to qualitative human resource development in journalism.
Excited to have won an award, Shumaila Jaffery expressed her appreciation and said, “I am sure that these awards will motivate journalists to focus more on human rights, health issues and women development. These topics are under reported and considered less important.”
Yousaf Ajab Baloch, who won an award in the category of mainstream print/online said, “It is a success for all journalists in Balochistan, who have been striving to ensure truth and accuracy and to become a voice of the voiceless through digital journalism.”
Sharing the idea behind having awards for a specific category, CCPP Director Atif Ikram said through this award, their aim is to promote and recognise beat reporting, especially on the so-called softer subjects in Pakistan. It is absolutely heartening to see that just in its second year, the award has added two additional categories for beat reporting. Mr. Atif Akram said, “We want this award to be independent, impartial and owned by the journalist community at large”.
One of the award categories of women rights with focus on reproductive health and family planning was sponsored by Sukh Initiative.
Other dignitaries who were present on the occasion included Arshad Saeed Husain, CEO Aman Health Care Services; Dr. Fayaz Ahmed, Team leader EVA-BHN (Palladium Pakistan); Dr. Farrukh Iqbal, Dean and Director IBA and Mr. Azhar Abbas MD Geo News.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
[ads1]
Annual Population Research Conference Held to in lahore Population Growth Issues & Human Resource Development
Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM), an independent network member of Population Services International, participated as one of the sponsors in the 18th Annual Population Research conference in Lahore to address issues related to population growth and human resource development. The conference has been organized by Population Association of Pakistan in collaboration with the Government College University. Other organizations participating in the conference include The United Nations Population Fund, Population Council, Marie Stopes Society, Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, Hands Pakistan, The David Lucile Packard Foundation, Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), Rahnuma, JSI Research and Training Institute, Bargad Organization for Youth Development and Aman Foundation.
Titled “Population Growth and Investing in Human Resource Development” the conference aims to generate debate and seek policy directions on deficiency on family planning goals, investing in present and future generations through education and youth skills development by focusing on out of school children especially girls, implications of decrease sex ratio on gender issues, advocating institutional supports for old age security and advocating for increased resource allocation to sustain human resource development. During the conference, a one day youth festival will also be organized to explore opportunities for Pakistan youth.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Syed Azizur Rab, CEO, GSM said “The Population Census 2017, conducted after almost two decades, has not been able to bring concerns pertaining to rapid growth of Pakistan’s population and linked to a full range of human development concerns. Through this conference, our purpose is not only to address the challenges posed by Census 2017 in terms of population growth but also discuss about the ways our human resource can be developed”.
Population Association of Pakistan (PAP) has been working to promote and strengthen the discipline of population by providing a forum to subject experts, sharing scientific knowledge in population, facilitating their professional development, and sharing experience in the different fields related to population and development since the last 17 years.
The conference will conclude on December 22nd, 2017 with one day youth festival, focusing on exploring opportunities for Pakistan youth, at Government College University, Lahore.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Pakistan envoy attends Christmas ceremony y in Singapore
The Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Nasarullah Khan represented Pakistan in a Christmas Ceremony held in Singapore. The ceremony was organized in Good Shepherd Church, Singapore which was attended by Ambassadors, Government Officials and people from different walk life.
During ceremony Ambassador of Pakistan hoisted the National flag on Christmas tree, on this occasion religious songs were sung which are presented in Urdu as well.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Do we no longer need managers?
“The key to management is to get rid of the managers,” advised Ricardo Semler, whose TED Talk went viral, introducing terms such as “industrial democracy” and “corporate re-engineering”. It’s important to point out that Mr. Semler isn’t an academic or an expert in management theory, he is the CEO of a successful industrial company. His views are unlikely to represent mainstream thinking on organizational design. But perhaps it is time we redefine the term “manager”, and question whether the idea of “management” as it was inherited from the industrial era, has outlived its usefulness.
The World Bank estimates the size of the global workforce at about 3.5 billion people, and by no means would I expect, much less advocate, that those who are employed today will transition into a management-free structure in the near or even medium term. The vast majority of work involving human labour is still best carried out in a traditional organisational structure.
In a world of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity), it is the tech unicorns that will be the early adopters of a post-hierarchical model. In fact, some have already embraced it. Today’s competitive landscape is defined by one word: disruption. The ideas of incremental progress, continuous improvement, and process optimizations just don’t cut the mustard anymore; those practices are necessary, but insufficient. It is now impossible to build enduring success without “intrapreneurship” – creating new ideas from within an organisation.
The organisational dilemmas faced by ambitious disruptors are best exemplified by Netflix. Their human resources guru, Patty McCord, identified a problem that appears obvious in retrospect: as businesses grow, so does their complexity. But that comes at a cost of shrinking talent density: the proportion of high-performers within an rganistion.
The slide deck she developed with the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, went viral, and Sheryl Sandberg referred to it as possibly the most important document to come out of Silicon Valley. That said, Patty McCord did not earn her accolades by identifying problems. What captivated everyone’s imagination were the unorthodox solutions that she offered: “Over the years we learned that if we asked people to rely on logic and common sense instead of on formal policies, most of the time we would get better results, and at lower cost.”
The commentary on Netflix’s corporate culture often focuses on its concrete HR policies, such as self-allotted vacations, and the absence of travel expense reports. But these are just derivatives of a larger vision: high business complexity need not be managed with standard processes and ever-growing rulebook. Patty McCord advocated the exact opposite: limit the tyranny of procedures, bring on board high-performers, and let them self-manage in an environment of maximum flexibility.
Today, we define management as the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. And if this is not a red flag to a CEO running anything other than a widget factory, I don’t know what is. Controlling things no longer appears plausible, and controlling people is downright counterproductive. Steve Jobs hit the nail on the head when he said: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
Apple’s co-founder is rightfully considered one of the greatest visionaries of our time, but had he been born in, say, the 17th century – or even 50 years earlier than he was – I doubt such a pronouncement would have resonated with his contemporaries. The post-management era is only just beginning to dawn. And it is the ever-accelerating pace of technological progress that is responsible for destroying old paradigms.
Having smart people tell landowners what to do in a pre-industrial society would not have led to better economic outcomes. In the best-case scenario, it would have invited ridicule. There was no evidence to suggest, at the time, that the production and population growth were not one of the same.
The second fundamental shift we see now is that a strategy of making a plan and then executing it is no longer viable. What used to be known as “muddling through” is now seen as adapting to the fast-changing environment. Strategy, as we know it, is dead. Dealing with uncertainty is the number one challenge and, as the cliché goes, it’s the number one opportunity too. If your company isn’t the disruptor, it’s a clear sign that it’s about to be disrupted.
Written by: Andrew Chakhoyan, Founder and Managing Partner, Strategic Narrative Consulting
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Ali Ahmad Khan inaugurate state-of-the art Lecture Hall at UVAS
The Managing Director Engro Foods Ltd Mr Ali Ahmad Khan inaugurates state-of-the art Lecture Hall renovated by Engro Foods at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences UVAS Lahore here of Thursday in City Campus Lahore.
UVAS &Engro Foods have already signed an MoU for the promotion of science-based linkages between academia and industry offering mutual good to both entities and help to address challenges and create opportunities for the well-being of society. Engro Foods and UVAS agreed to further strengthen mutual beneficial relationship to provide financial and technical assistance to the talented students in terms of merit scholarship or gold medals for position holders, supporting research in dairy sector, student internships and to utilize technical capabilities in product innovation and improvement. Both the parties will also be collaborating in developing workable business model of Minimum Pasteurization Law for ensuring the safe milk and dairy products availability at households.
It is also worth mentioning that since being taken over majority share of Engro Foods by Friesland Campina, which is largest farmer owned dairy cooperative in world, Engro Foods has started paying much more attention on collaborations benefiting the dairy value chain in longer term.
Talking on the occasion, Mr Khan reiterated Engro Foods Commitment for aiding UVAS to produce professionally well trained human resource in dairy sector. UVAS Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Masood Rabbani thanked MD Engro Foods for visiting UVAS and collaborating for uplift the dairy sector in Pakistan. Earlier Ali Khan distributed scholarship cheques among talented topper students of UVAS.