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  • Bank Alfalah and Alfalah Insurance in collaboration with Fidelity Insurance Brokers inked a memorandum of understanding to provide International Health Insurance “GlobalCare” to their prestigious clients in Pakistan

    Bank Alfalah and Alfalah Insurance in collaboration with Fidelity Insurance Brokers inked a memorandum of understanding to provide International Health Insurance “GlobalCare” to their prestigious clients in Pakistan

    Karachi, 1st September 2022, Bank Alfalah and Alfalah Insurance have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in collaboration with Fidelity Insurance Brokers. This partnership is aimed at catalyzing synergies to provide International Health Insurance Product “GlobalCare” to their prestigious clients.

    The signing ceremony for the launch of an International Health Insurance Product called “GlobalCare” between Bank Alfalah and Alfalah Insurance and in collaboration with Fidelity Insurance Brokers, was held at Bank Alfalah Head office in Karachi. The documents were officially signed by the CEO of Alfalah Bank Mr. Atif Bajwa and Mr. Abdul Haye, Chief Executive Officer, Alfalah Insurance in presence of Mr. Hassan Rehman Mohammadi, Director and Mr. Khurram Ali Khan, CEO, Fidelity Insurance Brokers. Bank Alfalah will play its vital role as one of the major distributors of “GlobalCare”.

    Mr Abdul Haye gave the welcome address in which he thanked Bank Alfalah for responding to the initiative of providing International Health Insurance to its prestigious customers.

    GlobalCare is an International Health Insurance product backed by world-leading health insurance provider AXA, powered by Alfalah Insurance & in collaboration with Fidelity Insurance Brokers. GlobalCare offers cashless health insurance in 1 million plus health facilities located in more than 160 countries. The product offers the peace of mind to its subscribers to avail world best healthcare in any country of their own choice for up to USD 1 million.

    Mr. Atif Bajwa, CEO of Bank Alfalah, emphasized the importance of health insurance and committed to increasing awareness using digital marketing.

    Mr. Khurram Ali Khan the CEO of Fidelity Insurance Brokers talked about the collaboration efforts they made with AXA to offer this exclusive design product for the Pakistani market. Mr. Faizan Siddique, Senior Vice President, Fidelity Insurance Brokers, further elaborated on the product features and its comprehensive medical coverage.

    Committed to the growth and development of Pakistan’s insurance sector, Mr. Hassan Rehman Mohammadi, the Director of Fidelity Insurance Brokers asserted on strengthening the joint efforts to improve technical cooperation in the development of the online distribution channels in Pakistan to accelerate innovation and to make insurance products easily accessible to the people of Pakistan.

    This collaboration will be the cornerstone for building and enhancing the capabilities of the entire insurance value chain and will improve the overall insurance ecosystem in Pakistan.

  • Balochistan appoints its first female deputy commissioner

    Balochistan appoints its first female deputy commissioner

    Ayesha Zehri has been appointed Balochistan’s first female Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Nasirabad district.

    It is the first time in the administrative history of the province that a female officer was appointed as DC of any district.

    The appointment took place on Tuesday and she assumed her new responsibilities after a notification of the appointment was issued by the Services and General Administration.

    Chief Minister (CM) Balochistan Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said that Zehri’s appointment reflects confidence in the abilities of women from the province.

    “Women are an important part of society. Empowering women and making full use of their abilities is one of the priorities of our government. The appointment of the first female officer in the province as a deputy commissioner is an expression of confidence in the abilities of the women of the province. I pray for her success”, he added.

    Replying to the CM, Ayesha thanked him for acknowledging her efforts.

    Prior to this appointment, she had held the post of Assistant Commissioner (AC) of the Khichi district. In Nasirabad, Ayesha has replaced DC Mohammad Hussain.

    Earlier this month, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif visited Balochistan where he appreciated Ayesha for her work during floods.

    In a video, it can be seen that the PM along with CM Bizenjo clapped for Ayesha.

    Who is she?

    DC Ayesha Zehri did her BE in Electrical Engineering from Khuzdar Engineering University and Wapda. In 2017, she appeared in the Provincial Services Commission exam and joined the provincial services.

    As assistant commissioner of the Chagai district, Zehri conducted many raids against criminals and drug smugglers and arrested a number of suspects.

    During the rain emergency in Bolan, she helped the flood-stricken passengers stranded between Bibi Nani and Pinjra Bridge.

  • PM Shehbaz deposits gifts worth Rs270 million in Toshakhana

    PM Shehbaz deposits gifts worth Rs270 million in Toshakhana

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has deposited all the gifts that he has received from foreign leaders worth Rs270 million permanently into the Toshakhana.

    According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, “The premier does not wish to retain any of the gift items presented to him during his visits to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, dated April 28 to April 30, 2022.”

    “The Prime Minister desires that as a policy, all precious gifts should be taken on charge by Toshakhana and consequently be permanently displayed at the PM House. The gifts would be displayed in secure display cabinets, equipped with alarm systems, under the responsibility of the Toshakhana.”

    The gifts included a pair of wristwatches (A. LANGE & SOHNE Datograph Fly back — No 242655 and Rolex — model No 326259TBR Sr No 85C423E3), pair of cufflinks (Chopard), one pen (Chopard), a ring (Chopard) and a rosary (Chopard)

    Furthermore, the PM Shehbaz has directed concerned authorities to make arrangements for displaying the gifts so that the general public can be given knowledge of fraternal ties with friendly countries.

    Formed in 1974, the Toshakhana is a government owned department under the control of Cabinet Division of Pakistan. Its main purpose is to secure gifts received by members of parliament, ministers, foreign secretaries, president and prime minister from foreign dignitaries.

  • ‘It is water everywhere, just like a sea’: PM Shehbaz visits flood-affected areas

    ‘It is water everywhere, just like a sea’: PM Shehbaz visits flood-affected areas

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif visited Dera Ismail Khan, KP to review ongoing restoration and rehabilitation work in flood-affected areas today (Wednesday).

    During the visit, while talking to the media, PM Shehbaz said, “You wouldn’t believe the scale of destruction there. There is water everywhere as far as you can see. It is just like a sea.”

    The premier emphasised the need for a “sustainable system” to cope with the challenges of climate change.

    He said trillions are needed for relief and rehabilitation activities post floods. “We will need trillions of rupees to cope with this calamity”, he observed.

    “The country is grappling with an unprecedented situation, witnessing floods that have resulted in the loss of lives, infrastructure and crops,” he said, adding that it was time to “rise above politics and demonstrate the spirit of service and welfare.”

    The Premier announced that a sum provided by a philanthropist for flood relief would be used for installing 100 prefabricated houses in DI Khan.

    Moreover, the premier announced that under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), every flood-hit household would be given Rs25,000 and Rs1 million would be given in compensation to the relatives of the deceased.

    According to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),18 more people died from the flood in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,343. Eight children were among the dead in the last 24 hours.

    The government has said 33 million people have been affected. The floods were brought by record monsoon rains and glacier melt in Pakistan’s northern mountains. A total of 116 districts have been adversely affected.

    World Health Organisation (WHO) said more than 6.4 million people need humanitarian support in the flooded areas.

  • Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s controversial audio tape with a woman gets leaked

    Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s controversial audio tape with a woman gets leaked

    Senior writer-director Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar has landed in hot waters due to his leaked audio tape with an anonymous woman.

    In the conversation, the woman, whose identity remains uncertain, can be heard saying that as per their mutual understanding, she wanted to meet him; however, her skeptical husband didn’t let it happen.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xrugolax4g

    The women even told him that after that, her relationship with her husband had turned soar and they were not talking to each other.

    Thus, she attempted to convince Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar to have belief in her and also told that if he agreed, she would send him her picture showing that she was ready to step outside of her house to meet him but the writer scolded her and even used explicit words.

    Qamar has married twice – initially to Rubi Naz and later to Rozina Qureshi.

    Recently actress Resham shared her stance on Khalil-ur-Rehman and Mahira Khan’s controversy on Tabish Hashmi’s show Hasna Mana Hai.

    On being asked by the host about her opinion on the writer, Resham said that he is talented when it comes to story telling, however his comments about top actress Mahira Khan are derogatory.

    “He said that he regrets signing Mahira for Sadqay Tumhare, but who is he to sign her?,” she asked.

    It is the producer or the channel’s call to hire an actor and that too of Mahira’s stature. Khalil is just the writer and doesn’t hold the autonomy on over the project’s casting.

    The Naagin star also said that that Qamar likes to connect his name to established stars particularly females to get clout on media.

    Previously Resham took to her Instagram handle to write a scathing comment for Qamar after the latter commented on the Masjid-e-Nabvi incident involving PMLN leaders.

    The Jeeva star said that Khalil has gone mad and he needs to admitted to a mental hospital before he starts biting everyone with his poisonous teeth.

    Writer-Director Khalil-ur-Rehman recently took to his twitter handle to share his take on the Masjid e Nabvi incident involving PML-N. 

    He asked that when was this ordered that we can’t term a thief as one at the holy place?

  • FACT CHECK: Woman was not raped by 20 men in Karachi

    FACT CHECK: Woman was not raped by 20 men in Karachi

    Several media reports on social media are claiming that a woman was gang-raped by 20 men at an industrial unit in Karachi’s Korangi district. The alleged rape occurred at Artistic Milliners, a vertical denim manufacturing company. The hashtag ‘Artistic Milliners Rape Case’ has been trending on Twitter since (Wednesday) morning.

    However, the police have denied the news reports.

    “Police have checked and verified that no such incident took place,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Muquddus Haider, said while talking to Dawn.

    Police have conducted an inquiry into it. No victim has come forward while the factory management told the police that it was a drive to defame them,” he added.

    Police found that a YouTube channel called Dhoom is behind the alleged false propaganda. As per the police, it was an attempt to defame the company.

    Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) has also condemned the fake news. “We reiterate that M/S Artistic Milliners (Pvt) Ltd is a very old and valued member of KATI. It is one of the largest exporters of Pakistan earning precious foreign exchange for Pakistan and enjoying an excellent repute among industries,” read a statement issued by KATI.

    According to the police, the alleged video circulating of the woman is actually of a woman found in a park and has no association with the alleged Karachi incident.

  • Xiaomi launches 280,000 mAh power bank for outdoor use

    Xiaomi launches 280,000 mAh power bank for outdoor use

    The MIJIA Outdoor Power Supply 1000 Pro, a new outdoor power supply from Xiaomi, has been launched. This product will compete with outdoor power banks made by well-known companies like Anker and others.

    The “mixed solid-liquid electrolyte lithium battery” used by the MIJIA Outdoor Power Supply 1000 Pro has passed the acupuncture test. The internal battery pack may be recharged 1,000 times and complies with IP67 protection standards.

    With an ultra-high output rating of 220V/1800W, the power supply’s built-in 280000mAh/1022Wh super-capacity battery can handle the majority of outdoor electrical appliances and everyday items.

    The MIJIA Outdoor Power Supply 1000 Pro is capable of charging drones (28Wh) approximately 32 times, laptops (70Wh) approximately 13 times, SLR cameras (15Wh) approximately 61 times, camp lights (10W) approximately 92 hours, and car refrigerators (60W) approximately 15.3 hours, among other devices.

    Using two-way inverter flash charging technology, the MIJIA 1000 Pro can recharge 100 per cent of its power in just 1.5 hours and 80 per cent in just 50 minutes.

    The pure sine wave bidirectional inverter, which may be used as a home backup energy storage device, has a similar interface to the household mains waveform and allows for simultaneous charging of up to 13 devices.

    Additionally, the MIJIA Outdoor Power Supply 1000 Pro offers parallel charging of two solar panels at the same time, with a maximum charging power of 200W MAX, and may be used in conjunction with the MIJIA Solar Panel 100W.

  • Maryam Nawaz wants her passport back

    Maryam Nawaz wants her passport back

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice- President, Maryam Nawaz, once again approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on September 7 for the return of her passport.

    In the petition, filed through Advocate Muhammad Amjad Pervaiz, Maryam maintained that “Retention of the passport for an indefinite period tantamounts to be violative of her fundamental rights of treatment in accordance with the law, life, liberty, right of movement and equal protection of the law.”

    Earlier, three judges had refused to hear the PML-N leader’s petition seeking her passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah. After much delay, the petition was withdrawn by the petitioner.

    Maryam in her petition further stated that she was unable to exercise her fundamental rights for the last four years despite the absence of any charge sheet or trial, as she had surrendered her passport in accordance with the court’s order, when she was arrested in 2019. Maryam’s physical custody was remanded to an investigating officer for 48 days after being sent to judicial lockup. She was later given pre-arrest bail by the LHC.

    “There may not be any apprehension of abscondance or otherwise in view of the track record of the petitioner who notwithstanding a conviction order against her, voluntarily came back to Pakistan to surrender to the process of law while leaving behind her ailing mother on death bed,” the petition added.

    On August 8, 2019, when Maryam was visiting her father, Nawaz Sharif at the Central Jail Lahore, she was arrested in an inquiry initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and was barred from completing her visit.

  • Shaan Shahid hits out at netizen for scrutinising his controversial remarks about Fakhar Zaman

    Shaan Shahid hits out at netizen for scrutinising his controversial remarks about Fakhar Zaman

    Film Star Shaan Shahid recently criticised cricketer Fakhar Zaman’s recent performance on the field during the Asia Cup 2022 series. During the last match between Pakistan and India, Zaman could not perform to his full capacity, for which he was also scrutinised on social media.

    The hashtag of Fakhar Zaman’s name was also among the top trends on Twitter.

    During the match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup, actor, Shaan was extremely displeased with Fakhar’s performance. He took it to his Twitter, where he denunciated Fakhar’s batting and fielding, in multiple tweets.

    Post his comments, several netizens trolled him for his remarks. The social media user told him that only 2-4 films of his are worth watching out of his filmography ranging over 500 films.

    The Majajan star clapped back at him by saying that there is a difference between arts and sports.

    Earlier this year, the Zaraar hero grilled former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for wishing former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on his birthday and not wishing birthday to former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    “Happy Birthday @sachin_rt . Hope you’re having a wonderful day,” wrote Shoaib Akhtar while sharing an old picture with Tendulkar.

    Shaan, in the comments section of twitter account, expressed anger at Shoaib for wishing birthday to Sachin, reminding the former pacer that he had not wished former Prime Minister Imran Khan on his birthday.

    “Wah bhai inki to yaad hai .. @ImranKhanPTI ki 5th October ko birthday thee 2021 main .. ek bhi message nahi apkay twitter account per .. bhai?,” wrote Shaan.

  • Imran Khan expresses ‘deep regret’ over threatening female judge, dodges unconditional apology

    Imran Khan expresses ‘deep regret’ over threatening female judge, dodges unconditional apology

    Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, expressed “deep regret” over his “unintentional utterances” in an additional reply in response to the show-cause notice issued to him by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for threatening a judge Zeba Chaudhary during a rally in Islamabad on August 20.

    However, the submitted reply fell short of offering an unconditional apology.

    IHC on August 31 had directed the former Prime Minister to resubmit his response, giving him seven days to hand in the new draft.

    During the proceedings, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had said he was “disappointed” by the written response submitted by Khan. He asked him to review it and submit it once more.

    In a 19-page-long document, Khan told the court that it should discharge the notice based on his explanation and follow the Islamic principles of forgiveness.

    “That the purpose of the contempt law is not to punish anyone but to uphold the majesty of law. The respondent [Khan] believes in the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution,” the response said.

    “The respondent takes this opportunity to express his deep regrets over his unintentional utterances during the course of his speech at a rally which was taken out in response to the shocking news of the physical torture of Shahbaz Gill.”

    PTI’s Chief of Staff, Shahbaz Gill, has been under arrest since August 9 for allegedly inciting mutiny within the Pakistan army. Gill has alleged that he was tortured while in custody.

    In his resubmitted reply, Khan said that the utterances were “unintentional” and not meant to be directed towards the female judge for whom he has “a lot of respect”.

    Khan said that he never meant to hurt her feelings and if her feelings have been hurt, it is deeply regretted.

    “The respondent neither meant to threaten the lady judge nor could he think of doing so. The respondent has respect for the judiciary including the Subordinate judiciary and he believes that judges of the Subordinate/ District judiciary should be strong and independent in order to dispense justice to the common man,” the response added.

    In the end, the PTI chairman appealed to the court to discharge the contempt notice issued to him.