Briefs

Pak-Qatar Takaful opens branch

By our correspondent

KARACHI: Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited inaugurated a new branch in Gulshan-e-Iqbal to provide a wide range of Islamic insurance services to consumers, a statement said on Tuesday. “With these new branches, we’re not simply expanding our business, but making a commitment towards promoting Takaful among the masses,” Kamran Saleem, its chief financial officer said. “Our primary aim is to transform the financial industry by offering our highly competitive products and services, while realigning it with Islamic principles.”

 

Asiatic Public Relations honoured

News Desk 

KARACHI: Asiatic Public Relations Network (Pvt) Ltd, a leading PR agency of Pakistan, 2016 Gold SABRE Awards South Asia, a statement said on Tuesday.

“The prestigious SABRE Awards for Excellence in Public Relations Programming attract close to 5,000 entries globally each year and provide the premier showcase for the best that public relations (agencies) have to offer,” the statement said.    Asiatic Public Relations Network was declared as the winner in the social media campaign category.

 

JazzCash to empower millions

News Desk

KARACHI: JazzCash, collaboration between Mobilink and Mobilink Microfinance Bank, has joined hands with global payments technology company, Visa, to offer Visa debit cards to consumers.

A statement issued Tuesday said this would enable JazzCash to further strengthen its Mobile Financial Services ecosystem by leveraging on Visa-enabled merchant locations both locally and internationally. 

Aniqa Afzal Sandhu, VP Digital and Mobile Financial Services at Mobilink, said, “We look forward to further empowering our rapidly increasing Mobile Account customers with access to retail and online payments through Visa debit cards.”

Visa debit cards will bring more convenience and ease to JazzCash customers by enabling them to use their Mobile Account for various spending avenues. 

Kamil Khan, Country Manager, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Visa, said, “Visa’s vision of being the best way to pay and be paid, for everyone, everywhere, is core to our business and consistent with the mission of achieving global financial inclusion. As a global payments technology company, we see one of the most valuable contributions we can make is helping to bring more people into the formal financial system.”

 

Inbox hosts Pakistan’s first SDX event

News Desk                                                                                   

ISLAMABAD:  Inbox hosted SDX, an event focused on the ‘Software Defined Everything’ nature of modern data centres at a local hotel, a statement said Tuesday.

Executives from leading disruptive cloud companies spoke about how software defined networking and related technologies could enable enterprise customers to benefit from cost efficient, effective management of their data centres.

Global experts from companies like Viptela, Plumgrid and Luminus talked about advances in Software Defined Networking, Software Defined Wide Area Networking and Network Function Virtualisation and how companies globally use them to become more efficient and agile. 

The event ended with live demos of technologies and technical deep dive sessions. Participants consisting senior and executive technology professionals from the capital, appreciated the quality of speakers, the technologies on display and specifically the practical nature of the talks, customer testimonials and demos.

The similar event is also planned at Karachi at a later date.

 

Faysal Bank, IGI Life sign agreement

By our correspondent

KARACHI: Faysal Bank and IGI Life Insurance signed an agreement to offer ‘ProtectSmart’ insurance programme for Faysal Bank customers, a statement said on Tuesday.

ProtectSmart insurance is a term life insurance cover with value-added services. The product provides life insurance coverage, and in case of any unfortunate event, will address the economic constraints of a family. It is a term life cover that offers coverage of up to Rs4 million, while keeping in mind the affordability and ease of subscription for customers. The product is underwritten by IGI Life Insurance.

Faysal Bank Head of Retail Banking Fouad Farrukh appreciated the bank’s agreement with IGI Life Insurance in launching ProtectSmart insurance. He said, “Undoubtedly the uniqueness of the product will attract larger target audience while providing convenience in payment options.”

IGI Life Insurance Deputy CEO Nadeem Malik welcomed the strengthening of the relationship between the two institutions and expressed his outlook towards an even stronger relationship in the future.  

 

BASF introduces new phytase

News Desk

KARACHI: BASF has introduced Natuphos-E, a new phytase for animal nutrition, in Pakistan. “With unprecedented enzyme stability, Natuphos-E helps poultry utilise phosphorous and key nutrients more efficiently, bringing a wide range of benefits to the animal feed industry and local farmers,” a statement said on Tuesday.

“As the first company to market phytase for feed more than 25 years ago, BASF is once again proud to be setting a new standard in feed phytase technology,” said Faisal Akhtar, Managing Director, BASF Chemicals and Polymers Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd.

The industry’s feed output currently stands at 6.5 million tons a year and is expected to double by the year 2020. “Natuphos-E will ensure more efficient and sustainable output for the feed industry,” the statement is said.

 

UAE firm to offer high-speed internet

By our correspondent

KARACHI: A UAE-based satellite operator Yahsat will deliver unprecedented high-speed internet connectivity to the country’s public and private sectors, which have so far been underserved by traditional services, a statement said on Tuesday.

The company, which has been connecting individuals and businesses across the country since the last year, partnered with a local service partner Pak Datacom Limited to distribute its satellite broadband service.

“With the roll-out of a number of key economic projects in Pakistan, there has been an increase in the demand for the fast and secure internet services,” the statement quoted David Murphy, chief commercial officer at Yahsat as saying. “Government and corporate organisations are looking for reliable broadband services to communicate and share data in remote locations either as primary or secondary over satellite.”

 

TDAP hosts mango festival

By our correspondent

LAHORE: The embassy of Pakistan in Morocco in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) organised mango festival in the north African country from 7 to 8 August, a statement said on Tuesday. The statement said Pakistani mangoes were presented to public in the form of mango chunks and juices.  This event was organised in collaboration with Marjane hypermarket, which is one of the biggest chain-store in Morocco.