Author: yasir

Halan Microfinance Bank (“the Bank”), a Pakistani microfinance bank owned by MNT-Halan, Egypt and the MENA region’s first fintech unicorn, has received a national license from the State Bank of Pakistan, allowing it to expand outside of the Sindh province to the rest of the country. The national license permits the Bank to launch and manage financial services, including branchless banking, cards, mobile banking, retailer-based transactions, and wallet services. These services will complement the Bank’s current product suite, which includes microfinance, salary advances, pensions, current accounts, and savings accounts. The Bank targets the financially underserved by offering unsecured and low-ticket…

Spotify has announced a major milestone for 2025 – 10 years of Fresh Finds, the initiative designed to help independent artists get discovered at the earliest stages of their careers. Since its launch in 2015, Fresh Finds has supported nearly 70,000 artists, becoming a global pipeline for new talent and a key discovery engine across genres. In 2024, over 18,000 artists from 127 countries were featured on Fresh Finds playlists and more than 65 million artist discoveries were driven by Fresh Finds last year alone. The Fresh Finds ecosystem includes both global and local playlists, and a wide range of genre-based…

MOL Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by donating fully equipped ambulances to the District Administrations of Karak and Kohat. At a ceremony held at the Peshawar Secretariat, a representative from MOL Pakistan formally handed over the ambulances to Mr. Muhammad Abid Majeed, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home and Tribal Affairs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the event, messages from MOL Pakistan’s leadership were conveyed on their behalf to highlight the significance of this donation. A message by Mr. Zsombor Marton, Global Head of Exploration & Production at MOL Group, was read out, emphasizing the company’s…

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in partnership with the National Alliance for Safe Food (NAFS), successfully led Pakistan’s national commemoration of World Food Safety Day 2025 under the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action.” Held in Islamabad, the event brought together key stakeholders from government, regulatory authorities, the food industry, academia, and civil society to highlight the importance of food safety in ensuring public health and sustainable development. World Food Safety Day, officially recognized by the United Nations and observed annually on June 7, aims to raise awareness about foodborne risks and promote collective action to ensure the…

Pakistan’s leading telecom and ICT services provider, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has teamed up with renowned technology solutions provider, DWP Technologies to integrate software driven Enterprise and Mid-tier storage platforms from Dell Technologies to modernize its data center infrastructure. A signing ceremony was held in Islamabad to formalize the partnership, attended by Jafar Khalid, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, PTCL & Ufone, 4G, and Rohail Bashir, Chief Operating Officer, DWP Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd., along with senior management from PTCL Group, DWP and Dell Technologies. As part of its ongoing digital transformation journey, PTCL is focused on upgrading its…

Today, the world is changing rapidly more so than ever before with disruptive technological development driving change in the nature and future of work, and the workplace. It is recognised that in the course of a career youth would have to re-invent themselves, learn new skills or change jobs several times. Consequently, online short courses leading to micro-credentials have emerged as a response to the need for continuous re-skilling and up-skilling in the wake of a widening skills gap in the labour market. Aga Khan University (AKU) is excited to bring you LEADS – an online and hybrid programme for…

Aeon & Trisl Real Estate Group has once again claimed the coveted title of Emaar’s No. 1 Broker for Q1 2025, marking an unprecedented seventh consecutive quarter at the top. At the core of this sustained success is Mr. Sikander Aziz – a powerhouse in UAE real estate with a reputation that extends far beyond. His year-on-year excellence and record-breaking milestones have redefined industry leadership. Crowned Emaar’s Top Seller for both 2024 and 2025, Aziz blends local mastery with global insight, shaped by his experience across the region. His influence has made him not just a top performer, but a…

The Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), also known as the Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab), is all set to hold the auction of premium residential plots in NSIT Residencia this June. Building on the momentum of four previously successful auctions, this latest venture marks another bold step forward in the authority’s mission to redefine urban living and development in Punjab. NSIT City is envisioned as a dynamic urban center comprising three districts IT, Education and Film districts. Located adjacent to DHA Phase 6 and 7. NSIT Residencia sits at the heart of this transformative zone, making it…

(By Mirza Mubashir Hassan Baig) The red carpet rolled out amidst a whole lot of excitement at Nueplex Cinemas as the highly anticipated Pakistani horror film DEEMAK held its grand premiere, drawing in celebrities, film critics, and media. The event marked a new milestone for the genre in Pakistan, with rave reviews and thunderous applause. Directed by Rafay Rashdi, presented by Syed Murad Ali & WahWah Productions, in media partnership with GEO Films, and distributed by Mandviwalla Entertainment, DEEMAK is a gripping supernatural horror, written by Ayesha Muzaffar of Abu’s Jinns fame, which delves into the haunting consequences of repressed…

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) hosted a high-level Data Validation Workshop in Islamabad, bringing together stakeholders from agriculture, health, environment, trade, academia and social sectors to review and validate findings from the Food Systems Policy Coherence (FSPC) study in Pakistan.The workshop is part of GAIN’s global efforts to foster inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food systems in response to growing challenges such as malnutrition, climate change, and fragmented policy responses. With Pakistan among the countries participating in the multi-country FSPC initiative, the study aims to enhance alignment and coherence of policies across sectors to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable…