The prevalence of Glaucoma in children is increasing rapidly in Pakistan, requiring proper intervention, Al-Shifa Trust eye hospital said Friday. Glaucoma in children is a vision-threatening condition highly prevalent in our population. It said this might be due to the high incidence of consanguinity or family marriages in Pakistan.… Continue
Author Archive: Siddiqi
SBP’s reserves decreased by US$ 354 million
The total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at US$ 9,815.9 million as of 24-Mar-2023. The break-up of the foreign reserves position is as under:
- Foreign reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan: US$ 4,244.3 million
- Net foreign reserves held by commercial banks : US$ 5,571.6 million
- Total liquid foreign reserves : US$ 9,815.9 million
During the week ended on 24-Mar-2023, SBP’s reserves decreased by US$ 354 million to US$ 4,244.3 million due to external debt repayment.… Continue
Emirates and United activated a codeshare partnership to enhance connectivity to the US
Emirates and United have activated their codeshare partnership, allowing Emirates customers to enjoy easier access to an expanded choice of U.S. destinations. Today, Emirates customers can fly to three of the nation’s biggest business hubs – Chicago, Houston or San Francisco – and connect easily to an expansive network of domestic U.S.… Continue
Bank Alfalah and SAWiE join hands to promote climate-smart agriculture in Pakistan.
Bank Alfalah, a leading commercial Bank in Pakistan and SAWiE, a digital platform offering smart farm advisory services to smallholder farmers, signed an MoU to promote climate-smart agriculture practices within Pakistan. Under this MoU, SAWiE will leverage its systems to combine geospatial data with machine learning and AI applications to provide sustainable solutions to farmers.… Continue
The PSX witnessed a mixed session today.
· The PSX witnessed a mixed session today. The benchmark KSE-100 opened in the green but traded both ways. Activity remained sluggish throughout the trading session. Investors opted to remain sidelined because of the impending delay in signing the SLA between the government and IMF and the prevailing political uncertainty affecting investors’ confidence.… Continue
foodpanda partners with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) to promote education in Pakistan
Pakistan’s leading food and grocery delivery platform, foodpanda, is proud to announce its partnership with The Citizens Foundation (TCF), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting education for less privileged children in the country. Through this partnership foodpanda aims to support TCF’s numerous initiatives by raising awareness about their cause and encouraging donations from foodpanda’s customers.… Continue
MMBL signs agreement with Careem to offer subsidized travel services for its employees
Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has entered into a new partnership with Careem, Pakistan’s largest ride-hailing service, to provide discounted and subsidized intra as well as inter-city travel services for its employees. The initiative is designed to bring ease and convenience for MMBL employees and their families, enabling them to commute safely and affordably with Careem across Pakistan.… Continue
Removal from the list of high-risk countries is an achievement for Pakistan.
On Thursday, former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Dr Shahid Rasheed Butt, said removing Pakistan from the European Union’s list of high-risk countries is a great achievement. He said that the development would positively impact the overall business environment; it would save time and cost for exporters, boost exports, and improve international borrowing capabilities.… Continue
KCCI to remain open till 5:00PM on Friday for Membership renewal
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) will remain open for membership renewal till 5:00PM on Friday, March 31, 2023 which is the last date for membership renewal. According to a statement issued, the process of membership renewal is currently underway at the Karachi Chamber for the year 2023-24 and as the last date for renewal of membership was falling on Friday, KCCI’s management decided to keep membership department open for renewal only from 9:30AM till 5:00PM with prayer break in between 12:30PM to 2:00PM.… Continue
Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta of Aga Khan University receives the 2023 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.
Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, distinguished university professor and founding director of the Institute for Global Health and Development and the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at the Aga Khan University, has been awarded the prestigious Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research for his contributions to global child health.… Continue
KATI felicitates the removal of Pakistan from the list of high-risk countries by the European Union
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) President Faraz-ur-Rehman expressed his gratitude for the European Union’s removal of Pakistan from the list of high-risk countries. He said that after FATF, it is another major achievement of the government through which exports can be increased.… Continue
Energy giants sign MoU to pursue green hydrogen projects in Pakistan and aboard.
Leading exploration and production (E&P) companies Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore and pursue green hydrogen opportunities within and outside Pakistan.… Continue
200bps increase in Policy Rate is expected on April 04, survey results.
SBP’s next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting will be held on the 4th of April, 2023.
In order to gauge the view on monetary policy outlook, Topline Research polled key market participants on expectations over policy rate and key macro estimates.… Continue
OGDCL launches program to distribute 100 ambulances across Pakistan
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) is the largest exploration & production company in Pakistan working across the nation. The company has an impressive track record of carrying out social work in areas where it operates for the welfare of local communities.… Continue
The PSX witnessed a mixed trading session today.
· The PSX witnessed a mixed trading session today. The benchmark KSE-100 opened in the red territory but traded in both directions, as investors still eye at IMF to release the long overdue tranche. Participation remained sluggish in the main board as the cautious approach is adopted by players drying up volumes, whereas 3rd tier stocks continued to lead the volume board.… Continue
Pakistan and Turkiye two souls and one heart: Ambassador
Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci on Wednesday lauded the humanitarian assistance of the government of Pakistan and Pakistani organisations in the wake of the deadly earthquake in Turkiye. He commended several Turkish NGOs’ relief and rescue operations, which helped tens of thousands of victims nationwide.… Continue
DP World expands offering at Berbera Port with new edible oil terminal.
DP World has started developing a new edible oil terminal at the Port of Berbera in Somaliland, reducing supply chain costs and creating vital local jobs. It has already agreed to a long-term lease for the facility. The edible oil terminal will be the latest addition to Berbera’s growing trade ecosystem, following the recent opening of the Berbera Economic Zone (BEZ), 15 km from the port along the Berbera to Wajaale road (Berbera Corridor) that connects to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.… Continue
ZEM builders recognise outstanding business partners
ZEM Builders, one of the leading players in the construction and real estate industry, held a delightful event for its business partners, featuring a gift ceremony, dinner, and a joyful Qawali night by Shahbaz Fayyaz.
The event was held at one of the most premium malls in Islamabad, ZEM Mall, and Bahria Enclave.… Continue
Meezan Bank enters into a strategic collaboration with PaySa to expand point-of-sale payment services
Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s leading Islamic bank and PaySa, a fintech startup specializing in digital payments, have partnered to enable Point of Sale (POS) payment services to tap into the country’s booming digital payment ecosystem. According to this agreement, PaySa will deploy POS terminals and grow the Bank’s merchant and retailer network as an independent sales organization.… Continue
An exorbitant increase in FED on Cigarettes will push farmers below the poverty line
Tobacco farmers of KPK’s economically marginalized areas have warned that the recent exorbitant increase in federal excise duty (FED) on cigarettes will reduce economic prospects for tobacco farmers and, in the face of hardship, increase poverty and unemployment. Additionally, it might encourage a few farmers to turn to anti national elements to choose paths that threaten the integrity of the country.… Continue
A positive session was recorded at the PSX today.
· A positive session was recorded at the PSX today. The market opened in the green zone and traded in the same range during the trading session reaching an intraday high of 203.47 points as investors chose to be vigilant due to the ongoing political and economic uncertainty.… Continue
Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy
Mrs. Fariha Spogmai and Sheikh Abdullah Mandokhail Representative and Patron Pakistan canoe & Kayak Federation visited Balochistan’s first and only International Canoeing and Rowing Olympic Sports Academy & Center “Hayat Durrani Water Sports Academy (HDWSA) at Hanna Lake Quetta. The founder and Chief Executive of (HDWSA) and Secretary Pakistan canoe & Kayak Federation Hayatullah Khan Durrani “Pride-of-Performance” & first Pakistani Recipient of British Caving Legend Award along with honourary players of Pakistan Customs canoeing team warm welcomed the Honourable guests from Islamabad on their arrival at the Hqrs of Customs Sponsored academy HDWSA.… Continue
DeafTawk partners with Dialog Axiata to launch operations in Sri Lanka
Bringing deaf and hearing-impaired persons closer to their communities, Dialog Axiata PLC announced the launch of a trilingual version of the internationally renowned sign language interpretation app ‘DeafTawk’ in Sri Lanka, a first in the country. GSMA, an organization that represents the interests of mobile network operators globally, played a vital role in connecting DeafTawk and Dialog for this partnership.… Continue
Artificial inflation will end if influential hoarders are netted
Former President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt on Tuesday said influential profiteers have set new records of looting with the arrival of Ramadan. The prices of essential commodities were already skyrocketing, but with the advent of Ramadan, a new wave of inflation has come across the country, he said.… Continue
EthosEnergy cements long-term partnership with GPSC
Rayong, Thailand – EthosEnergy has been awarded a Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA) for gas turbine maintenance, inspection, and repair services by Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited (GPSC) – one of the leading power generation companies in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC).… Continue