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PTA rejecTs cellul Ar oPerATors' demAnd for morATorium on
ISLAMABAD
N E W S D E S K
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CCP ’s seminar on Int ’l
Women’s D ay emphasizes role of women-led SMEs in driving economic growth
Islamabad:: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) held a seminar in connection with International
Women s Day to discuss the crucial role of Small & Medium Enterprises in the economy with a special focus on contributions and challenges of women entrepreneurs
The theme of the seminar was Women in SMEs: Challenges and way forward and it was attended by a wide array of stakeholders including the representatives of small businesses, chambers of commerce & industry, commercial counsellors of foreign embassies in Pakistan, women-led SMEs, and regulators The Chairperson CCP Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan along with the senior officers including female staff members were in attendance In her opening address, Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan highlighted the critical role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in driving economic growth She explained that the choice of SMEs as the seminar's theme was due to their impact and estimated contribution of up to 40% of GDP in the economy and being one of the key components of CCP s strategic vision 2020-2023 p r
NhMP officers organize farewell ceremony in honor of IG Khalid Mahmood
A farewell ceremony was organized by National Highways and Motorway Police officers in honor of IG
Khalid Mahmood at Central Police Office Islamabad IG
Khalid Mahmood is retiring from National Highways and Motorway Police after completing his service as Inspector General of Police IG NHMP Khalid Mahmood has recently been promoted in BS-22 by the Federal Government During the service, IG Khalid Mahmood has served in many positions In the farewell ceremony former IsG Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle
Afzal Ali Shigri DG FIA Mohsin Hasan Butt
Commandant National Police Academy AD Khawaja, IG
TH E Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has rejected the demand of cellular mobile operators (CMOs) for a moratorium on quality-of-service (QoS) due to concerns that it will negatively impact network and user experience According to official sources, the PTA stated that a moratorium on QoS is not supported as it will degrade network QoS and user experience The PTA emphasized that its primary function is to promote the availability of a wide range of high-quality efficient cost-effective and competitive telecommunication services throughout Pakistan
The NGMS licenses and Cellular Mobile Network QoS Regulations 2021 contain minimum QoS standards for compliance by mobile operators
The PTA conducts regular surveys to ensure that CMOs are maintaining QoS standards The latest survey found that CMOs generally fulfill NGMS QoS standards but they struggle to meet voice QoS standards Recent licenses issued to CMOs have an obligation to provide 4 Mbps average throughput for data services which must be completed by March 2024 The CMOs had demanded a moratorium on QoS, roll-out obligations, a moratorium on Universal Service Fund (USF), and an R&D fund reduction from two percent to one percent for a one-year duration They also requested a floor price uplift mechanism of voice and data to optimize base price However the PTA responded that providing equipment and power backups is necessary to improve KPIs and a moratorium on QoS is not the solution
The PTA stated that in the context of
Pakistan’s star tup ecosystem falls behind India’s in recent years
Writing for Propakistani author Amir Khalid Qazi explains that over the past few years, South Asia has emerged as a hub for technological innovation and entrepreneurship, with India leading the charge However, despite its rich cultural heritage and vibrant economy Pakistan’s startup ecosystem has failed to keep pace with its neighbor to the east
Understanding the underlying factors that have hindered Pakistan s startup scene is crucial in developing a roadmap for a more robust and thriving ecosystem So why is the startup scene in Pakistan so unfortunate?
According to the author one major factor is the disparity in the number of startups and the corresponding funding received between India and Pakistan, as highlighted in a recent World Bank report This disparity is reflected in the amount of funding received by startups in each country, with India attracting substantial investments from leading venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital, Accel, and Lightspeed, among others
Islamabad Police Nasir Akbar Khan, retired and in service senior police officers, Additional IsG, DIsG and AIsG of the Motorway Police attended Former IsG Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle and Afzal Ali Shigri pinned the batches to IG Khalid Mahmood on his promotion to Grade 22 On this occasion, the officers paid tribute to the services of IG Khalid Mahmood particularly for the Motorway Police while recognizing the valuable contribution of IG Khalid Mahmood in upholding the core values of sincerity and professionalism p r pr
These firms have launched substantial funds with Sequoia Capital launching a $2 billion India fund Accel and Lightspeed raising $500 million+ funds and Tiger Global Management reportedly raising a $6 billion venture fund among others India has now emerged as the third largest producer of unicorn start-
Jazz commits to bridging digital gender divide by enhancing female mobile broadband user base I s l a m a b a d: Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator and a part of VEON Group, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI)with GSMA a global organization that unifies and represents the mobile ecosystem to extend its commitment to the GSMA Connected Women Initiative to increase its female mobile broadband users and maximize the business capacity of female micro-entrepreneurs Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the GSMA Connected Women Initiative s primary objective is to increase women empowerment by facilitatingtheir access to financial independence by cultivating and supporting micro-entrepreneurship avenues for them
Under this LOI, GSMA will provide advisory support to Jazz to research how female micro-entrepreneurs use smartphones for their businesses; identify the barriers hindering their growth; and devise new digital and business strategies to address these issues in order to scale their profitability Jazz s collaboration with GSMA is aimed at informing this research increasing smartphone ownership and access to the internet among female micro-entrepreneurs and providing regular updates and feedback on their initiatives p r
Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited, hosted “Dars-eBaraka” by Mohtaram Maulana Tariq Jamil Sahib on Wednesday, 8th March 2023 at Marriot Hotel, Karachi
The event was attended by customers of the bank, members of the business community & renowned scholars
The event was hosted by Muhammad Atif Hanif (CEO) Al Baraka Bank Pakistan Limited Mohtaram Maulana Tariq Jamil Sahib addressed the audience and shared his knowledge of Islam and the way of life Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited is a subsidiary of Al Baraka Group B S C It is a leading international Islamic financial group providing financial services through its banking subsidiaries in 15 pr
N a t i o n a l E l e c t r i c P o w e r R e g u l a t o r y A u t h o r i t y
( N E P R A ) , t h e c o u n t r y ’s s o l e r e g u l a t o r, u n d e r t h e t h e m e “ P o w e r w i t h E q u a l i t y ” c e l e b r a t e d I n t e r n ational Women’s Day to honor and acknowledge the s e r v i c e s a n d a c h i e v e m e n t s o f i t s w o m e n s w o r kf o r c e A g r a c e f u l c e r e m o n y w a s h e l d a t N E P R A ups the ones that reach the $1 billion mark following US and China
On the other hand the funding received by Pakistani startups pales in comparison totaling only $350 million a 5% decline from the previous year The closing quarter of 2022 was particularly dire, with just $15 5 million raised, marking the worst quarter to date after the first quarter of 2020, according to DataDarbar, a research firm based in Pakistan The sharp decline can be attributed to many factors
The fundamental reason is political instability in Pakistan which has been a persistent challenge that has hindered the country’s economic growth and development including the growth of its startup ecosystem Political instability creates an environment of uncertainty and unpredictability which can discourage both local and international investors from investing in the country For startups in Pakistan political instability can pose significant risks to their operations as it can disrupt supply chains increase costs and negatively impact consumer confidence Furthermore, the lack of stability can make it more difficult for startups to access capital, talent, and other resources, which are crucial for their growth and success International investors may also be deterred from investing in Pakistan due to the country’s political instability They may view the country as a risky investment destination which can limit the flow of foreign investment and hinder the growth of the startup ecosys- tem The uncertainty and unpredictability associated with political instability can also make it challenging for startups and investors to plan and make long-term investments
Another major obstacle to the growth of Pakistan s startup ecosystem is the lack of support from the government In India, the government has been proactive in promoting entrepreneurship through various initiatives and programs, such as the Startup India campaign In contrast, the Pakistani government has been slow to embrace the startup community and provide the support that is necessary for its growth This includes funding mentorship and access to markets Moreover the ‘red-tapism’ in Pakistan makes it very inefficient for newcomers to consider the Pakistani Market as it produces inefficiency which then causes low productivity Because to get a simple thing implemented the founders have to go through a long chain of command
The lack of access to capital in Pakistan adversely affects the growth trajectory Despite the presence of a few local venture capital firms and angel investors, the startup ecosystem in Pakistan is largely unfunded This limits the ability of entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and develop innovative solutions Furthermore, the lack of investment in the ecosystem discourages potential entrepreneurs from starting their businesses and contributes to the overall lack of innovation
To read the full article visit www propakistani pk
Campaign for registration of house ser vants and tenants in full swing
pr countries offering retail corporate treasury and investment banking services, strictly in accordance with the principles of Islamic Shari a
LSE holds 5th annual conference of S ocial S ciences, Media Studies, Ar t and Design l a h o r e: Lahore School of Economics successfully hosted the Fifth Annual Conference of Social sciences Media Studies
Art and Design on 7th and 8th March 2023 and featured four sessions, including English
Language, Political Science, Media Studies, Art and Design The opening session was addressed by the Prorector of the Lahore School of Economics, Dr Azam Chaudhry, who emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary research approach for long-term development The conference brought together senior academics researchers and practitioners including Dr Tariq Rahman Dr Mohammad Waseem and Dr Shabnam Khan from diverse backgrounds to explore emerging trends and cutting-edge research in their respective fields The first day of the conference focused on English as a language and notable speakers from various universities were in attendance They stressed on the changing nature of research due to technology and the need for faculty to adopt new theoretical avenues They also highlighted the importance of encouraging creativity in classrooms with a student-centred approach p r
According to the details, following the special orders of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, the Islamabad Capital Police’s "Knock the Door" campaign for the registration of house employees and tenants is in full swing, a police public relations officer said He said that during the campaign various teams of Islamabad capital police are going to the streets and door-to-door to ensure the registration of tenants and domestic workers as well as to inquire about the problems faced by the citizens In this regard the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Islamabad has registered a data of 84 house servants and tenants of 145 houses from Shalimar police station jurisdiction The purpose of this campaign is to avoid any untoward incident by maintaining law and order in the federal capital Islamabad adding that the registration of tenants and domestic workers could not only keep a close watch on miscreants but also prevent the elements involved in any kind of suspicious activity Citizens are also requested that they can ask for the identity of a person if someone dressed in civil clothes comes to their house in order to collect the data
Book Launching: 'Pak istan Studies: A Book of Readings,' held
LAHOrE p r
A Book of Readings, edited by Dr Sikandar Hayat, Distinguished Professor of History and Dean of Social Sciences, and published by Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore (2023), was held at the FC College University Lahore It was attended by a host of participants from the university faculty staff students Deans Chiefs HODs Directors former and current rectors and contributing authors of the book Dr Sikandar Hayat, in his introductory remarks, as expressed in the 'Preface,' explained the need for the book in these words: 'I realized, with dismay, that there was no proper, accessible book for the students who indeed had to take up the Pakistan Studies course as a compulsory course to complete their degree requirements T h e c o u r s e r e a d i n g s w e r e s e l e c t e d f r o m h e r e a n d t h e r e , f r o m d i f f e r e n t s o u r c e s , l a c k i n g a n y coherence or consistency in t h e i r s t a n d a r d s a p p r o a c h o r s u b s t a n c e M o s t l y t h e s e w e r e c h a n c e s e l e c t i o n s s o m e i n d e e d n o t m e a n t f o r u n d e r g ra d u a t e s t u d e n t s b e y o n d t h e i r c o m p e t e n c e o r c a p a c i ty Dr Hayat explained that in terms of content, this book is valuable for undergraduate students all over Pakistan as it covers pertinent topics in line with the HEC guidelines on the subject The authors had made a conscious effort to keep the narrative simple straight free of jargon and thus easy to follow and comprehend for students at the undergraduate level
