ACCA Pakistan Leadership Conversation (PLC) 2023 kicks off, economic recovery in focus

       

  

 §  ACCA’s annual, flagship conference returns with high-level conversations planned in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore

§  PLC is a platform for leaders and policy makers to propose forward-thinking solutions and build consensus

The 2023 edition of ACCA Pakistan Leadership Conversation (PLC) kicked off with its inaugural session in Islamabad featuring an impressive line-up of country’s top thought leaders.

With Pakistan’s challenging economic situation in focus, this year’s event theme is ‘Shaping the future in uncertain times: Learn. Adapt. Thrive.’. A number of panel discussions and keynotes were part of the programme in Islamabad’s session addressing today’s key business and economic challenges and proposed solutions for climate action, effective public financial management, development of future-ready talent, and achieving business resilience and economic growth.

ACCA’s head of Pakistan, Assad Hameed Khan, initiated the conversation with his welcome address emphasising on the role of professional accountants in nation building.

 

Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, was the Chief Guest. She shared the country’s roadmap to economic recovery and highlighted government’s key short-term and long-term priorities.  The Country Head of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Pakistan, Zeeshan Sheikh, also shared his views on ‘Investment Opportunities for Climate Action’. Muhammad Farooq, Senior Joint Secretary (Development) at the Ministry of Climate Change, spoke on the topic ‘National Adaptation Plan: Building Resilience and Reducing Vulnerabilities’ aimed at integrating businesses and government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Notable conversation leaders who deliberated at the conference included Bilal Anwar, CEO, NDRMF, Hassan Daud Butt, Ex-CEO, KPBoIT, Ayla Majid, ACCA’s global Vice President, Abid Qayyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, Shehzad Ahmed Malik, President, ICMA Pakistan, Alexa Greenwald, Chief Strategy Officer, TCM, Alia Zafar, Group Head of HR, BoP, Faisal Mushtaq, CEO, TMUC, Ghazanfar Azzam, President and CEO, Mobilink Microfinance Bank, Samia Qamar, Director and Country Lead (People) at S&P Global, and Zuhair Khaliq, Founder and General Partner, TeamUp Ventures.

The aim of the conference is to develop a meaningful framework for growth, facilitate ideation, and shape forward-thinking policy choices and business opportunities, focusing on high-impact actions to contribute to the country's progress. The leaders will convene again on 22 February in Karachi and then on 23 February in Lahore.

Seed Ventures joined ACCA as this year’s co-organisers. Bank Islami and The Coca-Cola Company were the Strategic Partners. Platinum Partners included SKANS School of Accountancy, U Microfinance Bank, and The Millennium Universal College. Telenor Group Adroit Accountax/ Obox Accounting, National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited, National Disaster Risk Management Fund, Tabani's School of Accountancy, PAC Group of Colleges and Mirchawala’s Hub of Accountancy supported as Gold Partners. TCM - The Centrum Media joined as Outreach Partner and KPMG and Nutshell Group were the Knowledge Partners.

The event is also supported by the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), Pakistan Stock Exchange, Special Technology Zones Authority, Pakistan Software Houses Association, KP Board of Investment and Trade, The Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business (PBC), ICMA Pakistan, National Incubation Center, Universal Service Fund, Punjab Board of Investment & Trade, Punjab Information Technology Board, Central Power Purchasing Agency, and the CFA Society Pakistan.

ACCA is the world's leading body for professional accountants, with more than 241,000 fully qualified members and 542,000 future members worldwide. It uses its unrivalled connections across the globe to connect people with fulfilling careers, organizations with the best finance talent, and economies with the ingredients for growth.

OPPO Find N2 Flip, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League Launched Globally on Feb 15

                                               

Global smart technology company OPPO, Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League, unveiled its latest flagship foldable smartphone - Find N2 Flip, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League, on Feb 15^th.

 

“We are glad to launch our new Find N2 Flip to the global markets.” said William Liu, President of Global Marketing at OPPO. “OPPO Find N2 Flip, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League, is the perfect device for fans to both capture and experience true-to-life content from their favorite football games.”

 

As part of the partnership, the Find N2 Flip will be used by official UEFA Champions League photographers to capture the action of the game at close range along the sidelines，framing the inspiring and exciting moments. The best photos will then be shared in an OPPO Gallery on the UEFA Champions League website and the OPPO UEFA Champions League landing page.

 

As the first Chinese brand to partner with the UEFA Champions League, OPPO will work closely with UEFA to bring more passion and inspiration to sports through its world-leading devices and technologies while helping fans witness, capture, and share the magic of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

Animated movie ALLAHYAR and the 100 Flowers of GOD to release on 02nd June 2023 in 3D

                                            

ALLAHYAR and the 100 Flowers of GOD, an animated feature film is all set to release on 02nd June 2023. It is an action thriller and is equally encompassed with science-fiction, adventurism and will be the first ever Pakistani stereoscopic 3D film. The movie is produced by 3rd World Studio, Islamabad.

The movie is a sequel of ALLAHYAR and the Legend of Markhor, a much-celebrated animated masterpiece released back in the year 2018.

 

The story follows Allahyar, a young boy from northern areas of Pakistan, who along with his best friend Hero (Chakor), travels to a new world in order to rescue his father from a race of ruthless, tree /wood -poaching robots. The film talks about cli

mate change, clean renewable energy and stresses the importance of trees and forests for a better green future. It equally touches other key issues like social inequality, injustice and the value of friendship and unity.

 

The movie features a star voice-over cast, including Humayun Saeed, Ali Zafar, Iqra Aziz, Meera, Bushra Ansari, Nadia Jamil, Anum Zaidi, Azlan Uzair, and the talented Azfar Jafri, whereas Ali Zafar, Ali Noor, Sanam Marvi, Bushra Ansari and Grehen, the Band are the vocals of this film.

 

Uzair Zaheer Khan, the talented writer, director and producer of the film stated; “Alhamdulillah” we've taken this film to the next level, from entertainment value, visual appeal and storytelling to production quality, we hope that the audiences will love this animated work of art more than our last film."

 

Nadeem Mandviwalla, the executive producer and distributor for AY100FOG stated; “We at Mandviwalla entertainment have always tried to bring to the audience films which are unique and have a distinctive entertainment value for cinema-lovers. It is surely going to be a great pride for us to distribute and release the first 3D film of Pakistan”.

realme Confirms to launch its Speed Flagship realme GT3 during MWC on February 28

                                                  

realme, the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brand, confirmed that it will unveil realme GT3 – its next-gen flagship device during Mobile World Congress 2023. The MWC ‘23 is slated to kick-off on Monday, February 27 in Barcelona, Spain, where realme will reveal its GT3 smartphone with an offline launch event on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

The all-new realme GT3 device marks another milestone for realme’s leap-forward journey as it is equipped with the first-ever 240W world’s fastest charging power. realme believes that pushing the boundaries is not about reaching towards an end but opening up new possibilities for a start.

Join us for the greatest leap ever in the GT journey. People can catch the launch live on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/zAHrL8M4ttY 

Light and premium; Infinix X2 InBook series now available across Pakistan!

                                               

Infinix, Pakistan’s leading selling smartphone brand introduces yet another series of light weight laptop i.e. X2 InBook series starting from Rs. 135,999. Weighing only 1.28 kgs, the two variants Inbook X2 i5 and Inbook X2 i7 along with Infinix ZERO book carries a full metal body finished to perfection. Available on the outlets nationwide, Infinix X2 Inbook series is easy to carry around and also available in most on-trend color options including grey, blue and silver.

 Infinix INBOOK X2 series weighs only 1.28 kg, which makes it one of the lightest and sleek laptops available in the market. It is yet easy to carry around due to its light weight & portable size, and the full metal finish also serves as a style statement. In terms of display, Infinix INBOOK X2 series offer a 14-inch full HD display with 100% RGB and 300 nits of brightness which ensure that users get an immersive viewing experience altogether. Infinix INBOOK X2 series has two variants operating onto most powerful processors i.e. INBOOK X2 with Intel Core i5 and InBook X2 with Intel Core i7 whereas Infinix ZERO Book is available with Intel Core i7 processor. 

And for users who need a long-lasting battery, Infinix X2 InBook houses a 50 Wh battery that will last for an entire day with a single charge only. Likewise, ultra-fast 45W type-C charger powers up the system up to 60 per cent in one hour which serves as a hassle-free charging solution. Operating on Windows 11, INBOOK X2 i5 is available at Rs 135,999 and INBOOK X2 i7 at Rs 169,999 only. 

On the other hand, Infinix ZERO Book comes with a 15.6-inch HD display and 400 nits of brightness output giving a larger than life viewership altogether. Priced at Rs 220,999 and equipped with a 100W fast charger, Infinix ZERO Book charges in no time to keep the users on the go!

Both the Infinix ZERO Book and Infinix X2 InBook series is now available across outlets nationwide at Rs 135,999.

Get a chance to win PSL matches for free!

                                                      

Infinix invites all to predict PSL match winners and get a chance to win PSL 8 tickets!

Pakistan’s leading selling smartphone brand, Infinix, has stepped up to give fans a chance to watch PSL matches for free.  All that is required to do is to correctly predict the winners of ongoing PSL matches onto Infinix Facebook page and increasing their chances of winning PSL tickets via lucky drawer taking place on Infinix Facebook page as well.  

As PSL 8 is heating up with nail-biting competitions, Infinix brings fans a unique opportunity to be a part of this legacy. Starting from today, in this out of the box contest, fans have to simply guess and comment the winner of the ongoing matches of PSL 8 on the Facebook page of Infinix. Those who guessed the right winner will enter the Lucky Draw. The winner(s) of the exciting Lucky Draw will get to witness the live cricketing clash of PSL 8 final playoffs and finale as well.

CEO Infinix, Mr. Joe Hu, urged the fans not to miss out on the opportunity of winning exclusive tickets to PSL 8 matches: " Infinix also aims to provide fans with innovative experiences & cherish able memories. This time around, we're thrilled to offer a chance to watch the best teams in action at PSL 8. We're eager to see who comes out on top in our lucky drawer."

Stay tuned to Infinix's Facebook page and find out more about this lucky drawer. In addition to this, there will be more surprises and gifts to make this cricket season worth remembering.

realme's First Coca-Cola® Smartphone, realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition, Takes Co-Branding to a New Level

  

The world’s fastest growing smartphone brand, realme, has just released the realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola® Edition (8+128GB Variant). With a “Dare to Leap” spirit, realme has always been known as a trendsetting smartphone brand which innovates designs and co-brands  with brands that are loved by young people and have their own attitudes. Following the success of co-branding with well-known film, anime, and gaming IPs, realme is now co-branding with Coca-Cola®, one of the world's most iconic and enduring brand to provide a fresh and exciting limited smartphone edition.

The smartphone’s rear design is inspired by Coca-Cola’s classic design elements having Red&Black collision. The 70/30 asymmetrical back design highlights the Coca-Cola logo with three points of black and seven points of red, which makes the logo classy and instantly recognizable. Coke® Red gives a positive, youthful, and energetic feeling. With a bold twist, the cropped Coca-Cola logo brings a new ray of energy to the smartphone experience. The matte imitation metal process provides an elegant touch of brushed aluminum which also remains resilient towards scratches and fingerprints. It is the most stylish edition that presents a juvenile and fashion-forward attitude.

 

Another noteworthy feature is the customized UI system, from the lock screen to the dynamic charging effect, which is all designed based on Coke® Red and Coca-Cola’s bubble element, bringing an extra cheer to each moment for consumers. Besides, ringtones are customized as well to provide more interesting details, such as the Coca-Cola ringtone and the sound of fizzing liquidly bubbles. The app icons are also designed based on Coke® Red and real images of the tangible goods.

Interesting details are customized everywhere on this product to appeal the youth. The 80’s Cola Filter is a true blast from the past with a special edition of a shutter sound. While taking a photo, it sounds like an opening of a real Coke bottle. Besides these customized details, the Coca-Cola Edition was released with a deluxe boxset, which includes interesting peripheral products, a customized SIM card needle, realmeow’s Coca-Cola figure, DIY stickers, as well as a customized and unique limited number card.

In terms of performance, realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition features the segment-leading Snapdragon 695 5G processor, a 5000mAh massive battery, and 108MP ProLight Camera. Additionally, the camera also comes with an updated Street Photography Mode 3.0. Users can experience different city filters based on their geographical locations. And there are other new features, such as Super Group Portrait and One Take to improve the imaging experience. Moreover, it also provides 8GB+8GB dynamic RAM and up to 1TB of external memory, so consumers can hold on to more memories. This all-new customized Coca-Cola Edition smartphone will surely provide a trendsetting and interesting user experience as well as a leap-forward technology to the customers.

 

*Please note, realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition is only available in designated markets