KarachiChronicle

Canadian/Pakistani actress Armeena Rana Khan has signed her next television project with ARY Digital, titled Rasm-e-Duniya. The serial is being produced by Abdullah Seja of iDream Entertainment, and will be directed by Roomi Insha. The writer of the serial is Imran Nazir. The star cast also includes Javed Sheikh, Samina Peerzada and Sami Khan.

Armeena Rana Khan

Armeena has also recently been cast for upcoming British feature length film The Real Target. Inspired by true events, the movie is based on international secret agents exposing corruption and conspiracy around the world.

Armeena will be seen playing the role of Agent Wilson, a double agent sent from Canada to London on a deadly mission. She will be seen alongside several international actors in-cluding David Cheung and Yolanda Lynes, and will be trained in Kung Fu by Master Wong for this exciting project. The movie is being directed by David Cheung, and produced by Soo Cole and Jing Lang, and will be releasing in 2017.

On signing her second international project this year as well as her upcoming television serial, Armeena said, “This is the next phase in my career. This is where we try and take Pakistan onto the international scene.I am very excited to be representing my fans and followers. This truly is the start of an exciting journey for us all”.

A beautiful style of Armeena Rana Khan

Armeena Rana-Khan, better known by her stage name 'Armeena Khan' is a Canadian/Pakistani actress. After completing her initial schooling in Canada, Khan graduated with an Honours de-gree in Business from university in England. Thereafter she began a brief career in modeling and featured in print and television campaigns for various clothing and consumer brands including Nishat Linen and Faysal Bank. She went on to study Acting in London at Ealing and Pinewood studios before focusing on her acting career full time.

In 2012, Khan took on her first acting role in an Art house Indian film. This was followed by her first Pakistani role in the drama ‘Shabe-Arzoo Ka Alaam’ (ARY Digital). Khan went onto perform in two British short films, 'Writhe' and ‘Stranger Within Me’. These were selected for the 2013 and 2014 Cannes film festivals respectively (short film corner).

In 2014, Khan’s second Pakistani drama "Mohabbat Ab Nahi Hogi" proved to be a commercial success and firmly established Khan in the Pakistani Television industry.

In 2015, Khan starred in two successful dramas, 'Ishq Parast’ (ARY Digital) and ‘Karb’ (HUM TV). 2015 asaw the International release of Khan’s first Pakistani feature film ‘Bin Roye.' Additionally Khan is also the 2015 celebrity face of ‘Sprite’ in South Asia.

‘Janaan” which was the first sympathetic portrayal of Pushtoon culture, released in 2016 and became one of the biggest blockbusters of Pakistani cinema so far. Khan is currently working on one major feature film, 'Yalghaar', slated to be the most expensive Pakistani film to date.

In an effort to address the critical issue of lack of physical activity in children, NESTLÉ MILO partnered with National Grammar School Lahore (NGS), to organize a three-day Sports Festival, under the theme “Champions of Tomorrow”.

Schools from all over Lahore participated in the Sports Festival where a variety of sports – Cricket, Futsal, Basketball, Badminton, Table Tennis, Throwball, Dodge the ball, Snooker, Swimming, Cross Country, Chess, FIFA ' 17, Arm Wrestling and Tug of war – were played. The purpose of the Sports Festival was to promote a healthy and active lifestyle and to reiterate the significance of sports in children’s lives.

Hoorain and Abdullah playing Chess

Mr. Roland Stieger, Business Executive Manager DNS (Dairy, Nutrition solution) Nestle Pakistan said, “Playing sports gives children confidence, determination and instills team spirit in them. With NESTLÉ MILO we want to convey the message that sports is a great teacher; the lessons learnt in sports help us throughout our life. We look forward to bringing more parents and kids on our Champions of Tomorrow platform with NESTLÉ MILO and these kind of activities.”

Nayyar Ali Shah, Maryam Khalid, Yasma Salman

"The Champions of Tomorrow is a platform brought to life by NESTLÉ MILO that aims to nourish ambitions for our kids” added Mr Shazil Khan, Marketing Manager Dairy Nutrition Solution, Nestle Pakistan.

NESTLÉ MILO is all about nourishing ambitions of Pakistani kids. It is enriched with Protomalt, has a unique cocoa-malt taste and comes packed with healthy energy that helps children win every day. NESTLÉ MILO is a persevering coach, full of positive energy, who inspires the confidence to set the bar high and the determination to push you to the best of your abilities.

Since 1996 Collectibles has been the preeminent retailer of watches throughout Pakistan. On the occasion of the 20 years of Collectibles, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations hosted a dinner at Chateau de Penthes, Chambesy, Gevena, Switzerland, home to the world’s finest watch brands and a fitting location to pay tribute to two decades of dedicated activity.

Tehmina Junnjua, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations expressing her views

Congratulating Mr Rameez Sattar and the entire Collectibles team, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua said “It is a privilege to host such a distinguished dinner and celebrate the good fortunes of Collectibles over the twenty years of its existence. It is fitting that we are here in Geneva celebrating this in the home of so much of what Rameez and his team take back to Pakistan with passion and expertise.”

Mr Rameez Sattar, CEO of SONRAJ Pakistan,parent company of Collectibles thanked the Ambassador for her warm words saying “We have been building brands and expanding the watch business throughout Pakistan. Our vision has always been to represent the world of luxury, train our staff to the highest levels and provide our customers with the very best in service. Twenty years on I feel that we have only just begun. As long as Switzerland produces watches we will bring them to our customers with imagination and dedication”

Rameez Sattar, CEO of SONRAJ Pakistan

Ronak Lakhani, Chairman of the Special Olympics Pakistan who was awarded sitara -e Imtiaz by government of Pakistan for her dedication towards the betterment of the society. Speaking at the occasion, she said "despite of the injury in her leg, I would not miss the dinner for anything. I would like to tell you how Rameez/Collectibles have changed the lives of many people in Pakistan who are intellectually disabled. Collectibles has been a pillar of support for 13 years as they not only gave money but their time and encouragement to the athletes. Thank you all for supporting Rameez and supporting us.”

Yaan Bouillonnec, International Commercial Director of Vacheron Constantin said “Vacheron Constantin is the oldest watchmaking manufacture in Switzerland since 1755. We are proud to share together 20 years with Collectibles. Rameez, you have been at the forefront of the Swiss watch industry in Pakistan and we are proud to have you as our partner.”

Raman, Yann Bouillonnec, Juan Carlos Torres, Rameez Sattar and Arbaaz Rameez

Mark Izatt, Marketing Specialist at Sonraj gave the audience some insights into the approach the company made reinforcing the approach to brands that the company takes “We take our responsibility to reflect the values of each of the watch brands we represent seriously. Taking their unique DNA and inviting our customers to appreciate every detail.”

Juan-Carlos Torres, Global CEO of Vacheron Constantin and Patrik Hoffman, CEO of Ulysse Nardin also joined and paid tribute on the achievements of Collectibles.

The event was perfectly put together by bringing Pakistani hospitality to city of Geneva and was attended by dignitaries and prominent people from the Swiss watch industry and Pakistan.

ARY Films hosted exclusive movie premieres for Mehreen Jabbar’s most awaited film ‘Dobara Phir Se’ in Lahore & Karachi respectively.

‘Dobara Phir Se’, is an urban romantic movie, directed by Mehreen Jabbar, produced by Salman Iqbal, and co-produced by Jerjees Seja and Mehreen Jabbar. The film has mainly been shot in New York and Karachi, starring Adeel Husain, Hareem Farooq, Sanam Saeed, Ali Kazmi, Tooba Siddiqui, Atiqa Odho, Shaz Khan & Musa Ahmed Khan.

Tooba Siddiqui,Adeel Hussain,Sanam Saeed,Hareem Farooq and Mehreen Jabbar

at Dobara Phir Se Premiere in Karachi

“We are pleased to be a part of this project with Mehreen Jabbar for Dobara Phir Se. We hope to live up to the promise of providing quality entertainment to our viewers and we believe that this trend will continue with DPS as it is the third film to release soon under the banner of ARY Films.” shared Salman Iqbal, Founder and President of ARY Digital Network and producer of the movie.

The soundtrack for Dobara Phir Se comprises of seven singles composed by eminent artists including Haniya Aslam, Shiraz Uppal, Jimmy Khan, Arooj Aftab and Rekha Bhardwaj.

Sarwat Gillani at Dobara Phir Se Premiere

"Dobara Phir Se is a simple story of complicated lives and we have poured our heart, sweat and soul into making it. The movie has great songs and engaging storyline and we are looking forward to another bouquet of quality entertainment.” said Mehreen Jabbar, director and co-producer of Dobara Phir Se.

“Dobara Phir Se is all set to hit and rule the cinema screens on 25th November 2016 simultaneously all over the world. We continue to fulfil and justify the promise of ARY Films by providing wholesome, Made In Pakistan entertainment to cinema goers.” stated Jerjees Seja, CEO, ARY Digital Network.

Dobara Phir Se is an ARY production, directed by Mehreen Jabbar and will be releasing in Pakistan, Middle East, UK & North America in November 2016.

Dobara Phir Se is a Pakistani romantic drama film directed by Mehreen Jabbar and a production of ARY Films. The film is produced by Salman Iqbal and co-produced by Mohammad Jerjees Seja. The film stars Ali Kazmi, Hareem Farooq, Adeel Hussain, Tooba Siddiqui, Sanam Saeed, Atiqa Odho, Shaz Khan, and child actor, Musa Khan.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa is the 16th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan Army.

Pakistan Army is the sixth largest army in the world interm of number of troops.

Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was commissioned in 16 Baloch Regiment on October 24, 1980. He is a graduate of Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, (Toronto) Canada, Naval Post Graduate University, Monteray (California) USA, National Defence University, Islamabad.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa

Qamar Bajwa has been an instructor at School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta, Command and Staff College, Quetta and NDU. He has also been Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade and Chief of Staff of Rawalpindi Corps.

Bajwa has commanded 16 Baloch Regiment,an Infantry Brigade and Infantry Division in Northern Areas (Commander FCNA).

He has also commanded Pakistan Contingent in Congo. He has commanded Rawalpindi Corps, and is presently Inspector General Training and Evaluation at GHQ

Social media was abuzz on the appointment of General Bajwa as COAS as people from all walks of life expressed their views.

A selection of views is as follows.

Releases New Flagship ZERO4 and ZERO4 Plus

Infinix, a leading mobile device manufacturer in more than 20 countries globally, recently
released the new flagship ZERO4 and ZERO4 Plus mobile phones. Designed to appeal to
professional and personal lifestyles of tech-enthusiasts through the perfect configuration of
advanced hardware and software. Best described by the moniker “THE PRO”, Zero4 and
Zero4 Plus achieves the ultimate professional photo experience. Zero4 boasts a 16-megapixel
main camera with f/2.0 lens and an 8-megapixel front camera, optical image stabilization
(OIS), laser autofocus (laser AF), and 4x Sharper Zoom.

Infinix is not flooding the market but they are inclined to work on software of handsets and only bring technologically advanced cell phone.

Hardware Ensures High-Performance with the Power of “The Pro”

ZERO4 Plus goes beyond high-performance with a stunning 20.7-megapixel main camera
with f/2.0 large aperture and 13-megapixel front-facing camera, all driven by the power of a
HELIO X20 10-core TRICLUSTER processor providing lower energy consumption and smooth
operation (ZERO4 is equipped with an 8-Core 64-bit high-performance processor). Zero4 Plus
offers a configuration of 32GB ROM + 4GB RAM to meet the capacity needs of shooting
and storing HD photographs and videos (ZERO4 is equipped with a 32GB+3GB
configuration

Automatic camera settings provide convenience, but rarely satisfies the creative or
professional photographer. Therefore, Infinix has introduced the new Pro manual adjustment
camera interface with ZERO4 and ZERO4 Plus. Now, any user can choose between automatic
adjustments or an unlimited combination of manual aperture, shutter speed, color, ISO,
brightness, and other controls to enrich the visual creation experience.

Software and Hardware Combine for More Pro Power

With optical image stabilization (OIS) Zero4 and Zero4 Plus make shooting videos and photos
much clearer, even in the least desirable shooting conditions. OIS offsets camera shake with
automatic double-axis lens adjustments in the opposite direction of any jitter caused by the
screen shaking. Moreover, new optical anti-shake algorithms allows ZERO4 and ZERO4 Plus
to create an excellent shooting experience by enhancing stability and image quality.

The photographic power of Infinix ZERO4 and ZERO4 Plus can be further demonstrated by 4X
Sharper Zoom and Laser Auto Focus (AF) technology. The camera calculates precise distance
via reflection through the emission of a low-power laser to the subject being photographed.
An infrared laser sensor next to the camera detects the reflected laser and communicates
with the mirror motor to adjust the lens to the appropriate position. Laser AF technology
ensures sharper photos for macro photography, low light environments, even when shooting
a scene with low-contrast. Additionally, 4X Sharper Zoom technology combined with the
f/2.0 large aperture lens will give greater flexibility in the distances possible from the
photographer to the subject being photographed.

Greater technology enables professionalism and ever dynamic means of challenging
conventions. Infinix ZERO4 and ZERO4 Plus are the collision of cutting-edge technology and
the professional ideas of today’s tech enthusiasts.

"Customer Appreciation Days" don't cut it. In fact they add very little to thank loyal customers for their business.

You can't make people feel appreciated by doing an occasional tribute to their importance. And you can't do it by holding an event; an often crowded and cheesy affair with free coffee and muffins.

Customer appreciation is about making them ALWAYS feel special. Every time they "touch" your business for whatever reason.

These 10 acts will warm your customers to you and create a customer service culture unmatched by others.

1. Recruit employees that REALLY like to serve others; who are "born" with the natural desire and ability to put the needs of others before their own. If you don't have employees born to serve, you will never be able to express your appreciation to your customers.

2. Appreciate each of your customers differently. Applying a boiler plate approach to all assumes that everyone likes to be thanked in the same way. Not true. Everyone is different and the challenge is to find the way they, specifically, like to be recognized for their loyalty. By the way, avoid "trash and trinkets" and other gimmicks to say "thank you"; they're cheap and impersonal.

3. Take every opportunity to thank themfor their business. A simple but powerful tool to reinforce how much they are appreciated.

4. Empower your frontline people to serve your customers the way THEY want to be served. Escalations to supervisors on complaints or other issues robs your employees of the ability to have personal credibility and "flex" to the customer's unique needs.

5. Take the problem solving role. People feel listened to and respected when someone takes an earnest concern in helping solve a problem they are encountering.

6. Institute a loose system of rules and policies. In fact refer to them as "guides" to indicate an openness and flexibility to engage customers in a friendly manner. Allow employees to act in favour of the customer; do whatever it takes to "say yes".

7. Reserve special offers and deal promotions for your existing customers to thank them for their loyalty rather than as an incentive to attract new customers. Offering "3 months free service" to someone to get them to switch from their current supplier does little to make your existing customer base feel special.

8. If you can't meet your customer's specific needs, for whatever reason, help them find where they can go to get satisfaction EVEN A COMPETITOR. This shows you care about them and not about pushing your own agenda.

9. Have a conversation with a customer to discover what's going on with them; don't flog your message and products at them.

10. Surprise them with something they don't expect. This isn't about sending a birthday wish to them every year; it's about discovering something more intimate about them and giving them a "gift" accordingly. Surprise gifting speaks volumes about how you really feel about them.

Treat your customers like human beings with feelings and individual desires if you want to make them feel special.

About Author

Roy Osing (@royosing) is a former President and CMO with over 33 years of leadership experience covering all the major business functions including business strategy, marketing, sales, customer service and people development. He is a blogger, content marketer, educator, coach, adviser and the author of the book series Be Different or Be Dead

ARY Films, Pakistan's leading film distribution and production house in Pakistan, will be showcasing 4 films at the first Pakistan Film Festival organized by the Pakistan Mission in New York on Dec 3rd & 4th, 2016.

Two recently released movies under the ARY Films banner, Dobara Phir Se and Lahore Say Aagey will be premiering at the Film Festival in New York. In addition, Oscar award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's animated blockbuster 3 Bahadur and Mahira Khan starrer Ho Mann Jahaan will also be screened during the two day festival.

“It is proud moment for ARY Films to be a part of this film festival, and showcasing some of the brilliant body of work we have brought forth under our umbrella to this prestigious audience.” stated Salman Iqbal, Founder and President of ARY Digital Network, who will also be attending the Film Festival.

Jerjees Seja CEO ARY Digital Network shares “The ARY Films team is extremely proud of the work we have been doing under the Made in Pakistan umbrella in the last five years for the revival of cinema and we hope to keep upping the benchmark for the industry as we enter 2017.”

To support their films being showcased at the Film Festival, the actors & directors are also going to be in New York including Mahira Khan, Saba Qamar, Wajahat Rauf, Yasir Hussain, Sheheryar Munawar, Asim Raza, Tooba Siddiqui, Adeel Husain, Sanam Saeed and Mehreen Jabbar.

About ARY Films:

ARY Films is a film distribution and production company in Pakistan, part of ARY Digital Network. ARY Digital Network has started up a company with the name of 'ARY Films'. It has taken its first step towards becoming the premium entertainment provider in the region with the first commercial release 'Main Hoon Shahid Afridi’ which was successfully running nationwide.

ARY Films is the only Brand in Pakistan which is not only releasing films in Pakistan but also worldwide in countries which includes UK, USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

Trailer of ‘3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam’ and its sound track ‘Band Baj Gaya’ was launched. This film is the sequel to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s 2015 animated blockbuster, 3 Bahadur.

The Revenge of Baba Balaam, features voice overs by Fahad Mustafa, Behroze Subzwari, Sarwat Gillani, Ahmad Ali Butt, Khalid Malik, Zeba Shahnaz, Zuhab Khan, Arisha Razi Khan, Hanzala Shahid, Ali Gul Pir, Mustafa Changezi, Badar Qureshi and Bassam Shazzali. Shiraz Uppal has composed the soundtrack of the film.

The story line revolves around three friends who find themselves at odds with each other after successfully reclaiming their town from Mangu the villian.

Sarwat Gillani rendered her voice for ‘3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam

Mangu has been vanquished along with the evil key of power. Roshan Basti is once again safe thanks to Amna, Saadi and Kaamil. However unbeknownst to anyone, Baba Balaam, the sly and villainous sorcerer who gave Mangu his powers has returned to take revenge on the 3 Bahadur and gather an army to defeat the powers of good once and for all.

When Deenu their trusted friend lands into trouble, the three friends forget their differences and join hands again. They know that only then can they defeat Baba Balam who seems to have cast a spell on their bustling Roshan Basti.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy while expressing her views about this venture said“Revenge of Baba Balaam is a family entertainer. You will laugh at the antics of Mithu the parrot and be in awe at the courage displayed by the 3 Bahadur. At Waadi Animations we create films so that children can see a reflection of themselves on the big screen. We want them to go home from the cinema feeling that they too can be tomorrow's heroes.”

Salman Iqbal, Founder and president ARY Digital Network states, “We are pleased to be a part of this venture as 3 Bahadur was the biggest animated venture in Pakistan. With the sequel, we hope to surpass and exceed all viewer expectations”.

Jerjees Seja CEO ARY Digital Network said “3 Bahadur is another entertainment venture for the children of Pakistan – which hopes to show them that it is only when we work together that we can overcome the greatest obstacles.”

Waadi Animations and ARY Films released sound tracks of ‘3 Bahadur - The Revenge of Baba Balaam’.This film is the sequel to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s 2015 animated block buster,3 Bahadur.

Mangu has been vanquished along with the evil key of power. Roshan Basti is once again safe thanks to Amna, Saadi and Kaamil. However Baba Balaam, the sly and villainous sorcerer who gave Mangu his powers has returned to take revenge from the 3 Bahadur and for that, he formed an army to defeat the powers of good once and for all.

Two sound tracks of ‘3 Bahadur - The Revenge of Baba Balaam’ were released. First sound track Jhoomay Bar Bar was released few weeks ago. Shiraz Upal created the music and composition of this track which was sung by Jabbar Abbas

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy

Second sound track #BandBajGaya is composed by Shiraz Uppal and performed by Ali Gul Pir for Teeli, Bassam Shazli for Pateeli, Mustafa Changazi forTony and Badar Qureshi for Sannata

The release of ‘3 Bahadur - The Revenge of Baba Balaam’ will coincide with winter vacations of schools and this will be a good opportunity to children to watch this movie in cinema houses around the country and admire their favorite characters.

Sastaticket.pk saw record-breaking online sales with growth of 700% on Black Friday.The real upswing was evident in the purchasing of tickets and hotel bookings.

During the four-day event, travelers enjoyed amazing deals and discounts across multiple categories including hotel reservations and online flight booking for international and domestic purposes.

The booking frenzy started at midnight on November 25, 2016, with an influx of millions of travelers to witness what Black Friday had in store for them. With more than 250 tickets sold and over 150 bookings in just four days, Sastaticket.pk marked the highest record in the history of online booking portal.

The event also witnessed a surge in domestic travelling as more and more people booked hotels in northern parts of Pakistan. A total of over 50 hotel reservations were made through online portal.

Commenting at their success, Shazil Mehkri, CEO, Sastaticket.pk (Pvt.) Ltd said, “We are humbled to report that the response was beyond expectations. As an online booking portal, we focus on making travel easier for the Pakistani travellers. We aim to give customers priority and strive to continuously exceed their expectation and deliver a better experience.”

“The purpose of partaking in this sales event is to make sure that everyone gets a chance to fulfill their travel wishlist,” he added.

Sastaticket.pk is a one-stop shop for all travel related services. A leading consolidator of travel products, www.sastaticket.pk provides reservation facility for domestic and international flights, domestic and international hotels, and holiday packages. It has more than 100,000 hotels across the globe and more than 20 Airlines on portal. Sastaticket.pk is an online venture of Quality Aviation – a leading travel agency of Pakistan with more than 20 years of experience in traveling.

French pop star Abbas Hasan has officially started his work as ambassador for the Pan-Asian International Film and Music Awards Academy (PAIFMA) with his debut trip to China. At a PAIFMA event in Shanghai, the pop sensation was a showstopper on the white carpet with his signature rockstar style. The artist also shared a snap on his social media with the following caption:“Thank you to the Pan-Asian International Film & Music Awards Academy (PAIFMA) for recognising my work & celebrating the arts in the way that only you can do. So honoured to be working with you. China was amazing. Bring on LA!”

The prestigious PAIFMA academy met in Shanghai, China, to discuss the upcoming awards ceremony that will be inaugurated in London next year. About his associating with PAIFMA, Abbas Hasan says: “Cinema and art have no boundaries, and we as artists operate as gyp-sies in a universe of ideas where borders don’t exist. I am honoured to be associated with PAIFMA for their vision which is all about using the arts to promote peace, harmony and ar-tistic excellence.”

The inaugural Pan-Asian International Film and Music Awards are due to be held next year in London. They will be uniting not only icons of Indian and Pakistani cinema but also of the fields of music and fashion from across Asia and even Europe and North America. The awards were envisioned as a highly prestigious platform to internationally recognise and celebrate the common cultural thread that exists beyond the national boundaries and within the hearts and minds of people across Asia. The team behind the awards believe that the films, the stories, the cultural artforms and the artists themselves are something to be cele-brated beyond national boundaries and to be cherished and adored by people around the world.

Named "the next big thing" by MTV India and HELLO! Magazine, Abbas Hasan is best known as the French heartthrob of the Asian music scene. Winner of 2015’s prestigious "ARTIST OF THE YEAR" award in Canada, and named one of the Top 10 Asian artists to watch by the Ca-nadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Abbas Hasan is already making waves across conti-nents.

From singing for the Mickey Mouse Club to being photographed at Elton John's parties, the French pop sensation Abbas Hasan has already had quite a journey in the music world.

Born in Canada and raised in Paris, France, the young star has been causing a stir across the international stage and is also the brand ambassador for the New York based luxury watch and lifestyle company Nooka. After performing at Priyanka Chopra’s bollywood film premi-ere in London and doing an advert with Shahrukh Khan, Abbas Hasan caught the attention of the Times of India group. He was selected as the only international artist to perform at the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA’s) in Vancouver, which was the largest Bollywood film awards show in history. Subsequently the multilingual star toured across Europe alongside Bollywood songstress Shreya Ghoshal, and his recent video "Away" starring Humaima Malick received international acclaim through press from India to Canada. The song is pro-duced by his mentor Rishi Rich, best known for his work with artists including Jay Sean and Britney Spears.

Abbas is already rumoured to be working on further Bollywood related projects, after star-ring in a previous Indian film with a Filmfare award-winning director. After multiple chart-topping singles, a film career in the works and an ever growing global fan following, the press are already hailing Abbas Hasan as the next big thing, to which Abbas replies “it’s flat-tering and I think every artist has their own soul and their own journey. For me it’s all about creating art and taking on projects that inspire me.”

Pizza Hut, one of the largest international food chains in the country and a pioneer within the pizza industry, has recently launched a new product across Pakistan.

The new scrumptious product is known as the Triple Treat Box that is a signature three tier sharing box which includes a Regular Pizza, a 10.5 inch classic hand tossed pizza, Chicken Wings, Potato Wedges, 2 Dips and the heavenly Double chocolate chip Hershey’s Cookie for an amazing price of Rs. 2500* only. One can select the pizza from the following divine flavors: Chicken Tikka, Chicken Fajita, Fajita Sicilian, Hot Stuff and Very Veggie.

Pizza Hut values experience as the Triple Treat Box can be shared among a group of people whether family or friends so they can enjoy a fun-filled meal together.

Two additions to put in the limelight are: the Classic hand tossed pizza which is a new hand tossed pizza, made fresh to order. Not too thin, not too thick.Available in Small 7.5”, Medium 10.5” and Large 13” sizes. All currently running value/menu deals will now include Classic crust along with Pan and the Double chocolate chip Hershey’s Cookie both of which are first of its kind products being introduced to Pakistan. Pizza Hut promises to satisfy ones taste buds by providing a three course meal i.e. Triple Treat Box; the name says it all!

“Pizza Hut has a rich history of introducing innovatory new products from time to time. The new Triple Treat Box is a great value meal that will bring friends and family together around a delicious experience” said Marya Khan Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer (CMIO) MCR PVT LTD.

The Triple Treat Box is available at all Pizza Hut branches across Pakistan for dine in, take away and home delivery. Call now for FREE delivery on 111-241-241 or order online at: www.pizzahut.com.pk

Pizza Hut, being the first International franchise to enter the Pakistani market has set new standards of dine-in restaurants and quick delivery of oven hot pizzas and has since then enjoyed tremendous brand loyalty from its customers

Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS), in partnership with Jazz and GuarantCo,organized an event to share the success of their Mobile-based Adult Female Literacy Programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and the lessons learnt from the programme, which can be utilized for similar projects in the future.

The ‘SMS-based Adult Female Literacy Programme’ under the combined efforts of I-SAPS, Jazz and GuarantCo, has so far enabled over 4,000 adult females to read the newspaper, write in Urdu, perform everyday calculations and gain necessary life skills.

Ms. Judith Herbertson, Deputy Country Head – Department for International Development addressing the participants

This is being done with the help of four specifically-designed textbooks and freely-given mobile phones in eight districts of KP, namely, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Buner, Malakand, Haripur, Mansehra and Kohat, where more than three out of every five females are unable to read and write.

The chief guests for the showcase event included Ms. Anusha Rahman,Minister of State for Information Technology & Telecom, Engr. Qamar ul Islam Raja, Chairperson, Standing Committee on Education – Punjab, Ms. Judith Herbertson, Deputy Country Head – Department for International Development, Dr. Shahzad Khan Bangash, Secretary of Elementary & Secondary Education – KP, and Aamir Ibrahim, CEO – Mobilink & Warid Pakistan.

“In developing countries, Mobile Learning has become an effective medium to improve access to education and facilitate the alternative learning processes. Besides improving access, it has also proved effective in evading structural limitations, such as cost and infrastructure, as showcased by the success of the ‘SMS-based Adult Female Literacy Programme’ in KP,” said Ms. Anusha Rahman. “The government supports the use of Information and Communication Technology to empower women across Pakistan.”

“Our Mobile Literacy project in KP looked to overcome the prevalent social and cultural barriers to female education. The project’s success was achieved by respecting the existing cultural and social norms, developing a sense of ownership amongst the local communities in providing basic literacy to their female family members, and introducing innovation,” said Dr. Salman Humayun, Executive Director – I-SAPS. “We believe that a customised curriculum along with the use of Information and Communication Technologies is the future of sustained learning, especially in areas with low literacy rates.”

“Our group-wide ‘Make Your Mark’ (MYM) initiative feeds directly into Mobilink’s corporate responsibility strategy by helping young people in Pakistan through technology, expertise and knowledge. This Mobile Literacy programme is one of the initiatives under the MYM platform, and allows us to utilize leadership position to reach out to those females who are cut off entirely from the conventional educational system,” said Aamir Ibrahim. “We look forward to continuing our work with I-SAPS and GuarantCo in a bid to empower women across the country, so they too reap the benefits of the ongoing digitalization across the world.”

Since community ownership was deemed a cornerstone to make this Mobile-based initiative sustainable, active members of the communities were engaged, sensitised and grouped in the form of 154 Village Education Support Committees for their practical involvement in the planning and execution of the initiative. The members of these committees include representatives from all sections of the community, especially the respected elders and influential individuals.

As a result, I-SAPS and Jazz not only had an all-out community support in identification of local female teachers and learners in each of the district, but also managed to establish around 150 easily-accessible Adult Literacy Centres (ALCs), where adult females of ages between 15 and 35 years were enrolled and imparted basic literacy skills.

As the learners gained some level of literacy during their basic literacy coursework, each of them has been provided with a mobile phone in order to practice and further develop their newly acquired skills.

In early 2013, the ‘SMS Based Literacy’ program won the GSMA’s Global Mobile Award in the ‘Connected Life Awards’ category, and was acknowledged as the ‘Best Mobile Education or Learning Product or Service’.

The program was highlighted by the competition’s jury as an “Excellent and needed mobile initiative with an explicit educational ideology that opens up new learning opportunities for a disadvantaged, rural group.”

Cinepax Cinemas, Pakistan's favorite cinema chain has partnered with The Little Art Organization for hosting the 3rd International Children’s Film Festival in Pakistan powered by Oye Hoye & sponsored by Candyland Novella.

We have received more than 1,100 entries for the festival which will showcase the best 80 shortlisted movies from 26 countries, catering 4000 to 5000 kids.

The movies are being screened at Cinepax Jinnah Park Rawalpindi from the 5th of December till the 8th of December.

“It is a remarkable platform for young film makers, children and adults to participate in ICFF. Cinepax tends to bring the best cinematic experience along with interactive session of sharing ideas of arts through films” said, Mohsin Yaseen, GM Marketing Cinepax.

Cinepax Cinemas is the leader in the concept of luxury cinemas in Pakistan and takes pride in being Pakistan’s largest cinema network committed to provide unmatched quality entertainment.

Cinepax is Pakistan’s Favorite Cinema Chain, which is currently running 11 cinemas with 28 screens in 8 cities across Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Murree, Gujrat and Hyderabad having total of 5,000 plus seats nationwide.

Celebrating What You Created, Watched and Shared this Year

It's time to announce the top videos and music videos from 2016 on youtube.com.pkaccording to time spent watching, sharing, commenting, liking and more by viewers based in Pakistan. The following videos represents the amazing variety of creativity shared on YouTube Pakistan every day since the beginning of the year when YouTube officially returned to Pakistan.

Top 10 videos (excluding major label music videos)

1. Commander Safeguard - Jungle Main Mungle | New Episode!

2. Jawani Phir Nahi Aani [HD 1080] ARY Films

3. Udaari Last Episode Full HD Hum TV Drama 25 Sep 2016

4. Cornetto Pop Rock –Desan Da raja (Sohni Kuri) By Qurram Hussain (Q) & Komal Rizvi

5. DJ Bravo - Champion (Official Lyric Video)

6. Dil Lagi Last Episode - 10th September 2016 ARY Digital Drama

7. Mann Mayal Full OST HD HUM TV Drama

8. Bin Roye Episode 1 Full HD Hum TV Drama 2 Oct 2016

9. Shakar Wandaan - Video Song - Ho Mann Jahaan

10. "ANGEL" SONG BY TAHER SHAH

Supplementary list: Top 10 music videos

1. Afreen Afreen, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Momina Mustehsan, Episode 2, Coke Studio Season 9

2. Kala Chashma | Baar Baar Dekho | Sidharth M Katrina K | Prem Hardeep Badshah Neha K Indeep Bakshi

4. Tumhe Dillagi Song By Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | Huma Qureshi, Vidyut Jammwal | Salim - Sulaiman

5. Aye Rah-e-Haq Ke Shaheedo

6. Tera Woh Pyar (Nawazishein Karam), Momina Mustehsan & Asim Azhar, Episode 6, Coke Studio Season 9

7. Qurat Ul Ain Balouch - Saaiyaan

8. The Chainsmokers - Closer (Lyric) ft. Halsey

9. Rang, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Amjad Sabri, Season Finale, Coke Studio Season 9

10. Aaqa, Abida Parveen & Ali Sethi, Episode 1, Coke Studio Season 9

Global Top 10 videos and music videos

Collectively these 10 videos have 550 million views and were watched for over 25 million hours. The channels behind them collectively have more than 40 million subscribers who tune in regularly watch the funny, insightful, entertaining things they create.

1. Adele Carpool Karaoke

2. Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen/PIKO-TARO

3. What's inside a Rattlesnake Rattle?

4. Nike Football Presents: The Switch ft. Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Anthony Martial & More

5. Grace VanderWaal: 12-Year-Old Ukulele Player Gets Golden Buzzer - America's Got Talent 2016

6. Water Bottle Flip Edition | Dude Perfect

7. Channing Tatum & Beyonce's "Run The World (Girls)" vs. Jenna Dewan-Tatum's "Pony" | Lip Sync Battle

8. Donald Trump: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

9. THE $21,000 FIRST CLASS AIRPLANE SEAT

10. Brothers Convince Little Sister of Zombie Apocalypse

In Music, 2016 seemed to be all about "work," with Fifth Harmony landing the year's top music video (and more than a billion views) and Rihanna scoring the most views in the first 24 hours for a video in 2016.

1. Fifth Harmony - Work from Home ft. Ty Dolla $ign

2. Calvin Harris - This Is What You Came For (Official Video) ft. Rihanna

3. Hasta el Amanecer - Nicky Jam | Video Oficial

4. The Chainsmokers - Closer (Lyric) ft. Halsey

5. Rihanna - Work (Explicit) ft. Drake

6. Mike Posner - I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) (Explicit)

7. Sia - Cheap Thrills (Lyric Video) ft. Sean Paul

8. ZAYN - PILLOWTALK

9. Coldplay - Hymn For The Weekend (Official video)

10. twenty one pilots: Heathens (from Suicide Squad: The Album) [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

For even more end-of-the-year awesomeness and top ten lists, check out the YouTube Rewind channel.

YouTube is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, Calif., and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

Pakistan’s first and only youth centric telecom brand djuice bring the first Pakistani interactive online film ‘Oye Kuch Kar Guzar' in collaboration with YouTube.

The film will inspire and actuate Pakistani youth into discovering their true potential and self-reliance in order to work their way towards realizing their dreams.

The film is featured solely on YouTube. Besides inspiring youth into self-discovery and self-belief, the maiden online film will go long way in strengthening the digital ecosystem and digital uptake in the country. It will establish and bolster digital media as a convenient and reliable entertainment resource in the country.

Ushna Shah, Ali Safina and Uzair Jaswal at the premiere of Oye Kuch Kar Guzar

‘Oye Kuch Kar Guzar’ is especially designed to appeal to the youth of Pakistan. It will be the first time that a brand will allow viewers to choose their own story by using annotations, cards and end screens. The film aspires to enable youth to overcome their constraints, follow their dreams, confidently express themselves and own up to their individuality.

The film is a distinct genre to allow the viewer to steer the story flow according to their own taste and preference. The film is split into mini episodes and at the end each episode, the viewer can navigate the story in their chosen direction, besides being able to skip ahead or see related videos throughout.

Ayesha Omar spotted at the premiere of Pakistan’s first interactive online film

‘Oye Kuch Kar Guzar’

Sharing his thoughts, Bilal Kazmi, Chief Marketing Officer said, “It is the first time that a Pakistani brand has created this sort of digital content for youth to inspire and motivate them into facing their true selves. This relatively newer genre will enable viewers to direct the story according their whims. We believe that internet has a massive potential to serve a digital entertainment resource. djuice has set the precedent and we will continue to create special online content in the future.”

Djuice and Adcom Team at the premiere of Oye kuch Kar Guzar

Speaking about Oye kuch Kar Guzar, Haris Rasheed, Director of the film said, “Coming from a middle class family, this is a story I myself deeply connect with. We all struggle to find our place in this fast paced world, and most of us give into the pressure of settling too soon with what we can achieve rather than what we want to achieve. With passion one can do what they want to do rather than what they have to do. Breaking free of the ‘norms’ of society and finding your own place and your own voice in this world doing what you love is what this story is all about.”

With the launch of 3G/4G services in the country, the technological uptake has improved exponentially. It has ripened many opportunities ready to tap into in the digital ecosphere. With a large portion of population having access to technology, the entertainment potential of internet awaited to be explored. djuice has opened new horizons with the launch of this film.

Oye Kuch Kar Guzar, an online movie is recently released in Pakistan by famous telecom brand djuice and it can be watched online on YouTube without bearing exorbitant ticket cost for each member of family.

‘Oye Kuch Kar Guzar’ aims to deliver the motivational message to the audience to overcome their limitations, follow their dreams, confidently express themselves and own up to their individuality. The movie is fast paced,made while keeping in mind the current generation who want everything done Jhat pat’ (Immediately), for which it usually opts for short cuts and end up getting nowhere.

Rising star of Pakistan Cinema Ushna Shah

The movie revolves around the character of Sherry, played by Ali Safina, who hates working at his father’s auto workshop and wants to pursue his dream of becoming a singer. He along with his friend Jango played by Uzair Jaswal, started their journey to Karachi via train for a music audition. There they meet Xara played by Ushna Shah and Shabnam Mushtaq Chaudhry played by Mahjaben Habib.

While Xara is a modern girl similar to the women we currently have in society, it is characters like Shabnam Mushtaq who with the passage of time become obsolete. To revive our culture, we as society need to unearth male and female versions of Shabnam Mushtaq. After a long time one sees a character who loves reading Urdu. Hoarse voice of Xara in train was fun and comparing it with fixing of Mada’s engine in Ferrari is a hilarious example.

Tahir Shah’s entry to express feelings about love was also an interesting scene to watch. The poetic verses he spoke about love are striking and catchy. The most exciting and unique part of this movie is that viewers are given certain options so that they can maintain control on what is happening in the movie. These options are fun but in reality they are just addition of few funny scenes in the movie without any concrete impact.

Direction of movie and cinematography is brilliant, however its music is weak. Considering that the movie is revolving around a person who is passionate about singing, I think the writer should have created some more situations where songs can be incorporated.

Ali Safina’s career as a film actor went on the back burner after his debut movie Jalebi, but in my view he has shown some incredible acting abilities in this movie and can turn out to be a successful hero, if he continues to appear in movies regularly.

Ushna Shah also showed her acting abilities in this movie. Ushna made her cinematic debut through Teri Meri Love story, few months ago but in comparison to her debutante movie, her performance was much better in Oye Kuch Guzar.

Mahjabeen Habib justified her role as Shabnam Mushtaq Chaudhry. Her accent is good and dialogue delivery is absolutely spontaneous. I hope more directors cast her in movies in future as she has the remarkable ability to become a good female comedian.

Nayyar Ejaz as Phehla the dacoit, once again impressed with his acting. Nayyar unlike traditional villains, did not scream and perform his role by giving lot of facial expressions and also by bringing subtle changes in his voice pitch, which made his character stand out amongst all.

This online movie is an hour long trail of fun and laughter, but I disagree with the derogatory way they portray the profession of auto mechanic.

Making and releasing movies online is a recent trend and I feared that if more online movies are produced, it will have an adverse impact on cinemas which are already feeling the pinch due to the ban imposed on showing Indian movie, as number of audience interested in watching Pakistani movies is already alarmingly quite low.

Khaadi, Pakistan's premium clothing & lifestyle brand, today revealed the theme song for their 18th Anniversary titled ‘Choo Liya Aasman’ featuring the All Girl Band. Xulfi has composed & produced the song while Guddu & Shaani directed the video.

“18 years – A big milestone in Khaadi’s life. This has been a great journey with its shares of struggle. After 18 years of success, it feels great to pass the mantle to young talent who have just begun their own journey”, shares Shamoon Sultan, CEO Khaadi.

"Working on this song for Khaadi was an absolute pleasure. I'm very happy to have worked with Khaadi on this milestone moment of an incredible journey they embarked upon 18 years ago." commented Xulfi on the song.

"The song interprets passion, enthusiasm and positivity towards any challenge life tosses in our direction. It speaks to the soul by encouraging one to never abandon ones dreams and goals." they further added.

The song is now released across Pakistan on all leading online platforms & radio stations, and is also available on the Khaadi Facebook page.

Khaadi is a multinational Pakistani clothing fashion brand founded in 1998 by Shamoon Sultan. It specializes in "hand-woven" technique products, specially a wide clothing range for women in Prét wear, it also provides unstitched lawn, children’s clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry and is scheduled to open a clothing range for men's wear.

Pizza Hut is now Pakistan’s biggest restaurant chain that has successfully made its place all over the country and in the hearts of its people.

Having seventy two stores in twenty four cities, Pizza Hut endures to deliver the best food experience to its customers throughout Pakistan and provide them a warm and welcoming environment. Pizza Hut understands the importance of knowing where your food comes from; hence the goal is to cater the customers with good quality ingredients that has been at the core of Pizza Hut.

Tony Ozanne, COO MCR PVT LTD cutting ribbon to mark success of Pizz Hut

“We live up to the commitment of providing superior restaurant quality food. We believe that our customers should not only enjoy the best food experience at Pizza Hut but should get good value for money too as we are ready to take up the challenge to cater to almost every geographic area in Pakistan.” shared Aqueel Hassan, CEO MCR PVT LTD.

“Pizza Hut values its customers and we try to give them a whole new experience of food with scrumptious and exciting pizza flavors as the brand is known as the market leader in food innovation and we want to keep our customers happy and satisfied.” expressed Marya Khan, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer (CMIO) MCR PVT LTD.

“We aim at making Pizza Hut the fastest growing and most loved food chain in Pakistan using the finest quality ingredients and continue to make advancements in our food commitments. We are dedicated to serve customers throughout Pakistan and live up to our promises towards our loyal customers and approach potential markets all over the country.” stated Tony Ozanne, COO MCR PVT LTD.

Pizza Hut has spread its wings all over Pakistan in the food and service category since its inception and is all set to widen its horizon through opening new stores

Armeena Rana Khan Signs Next Television Project.

NESTLÉ MILO Partners With National Grammar School to Promote Sports - Champions Of Tomorrow

Collectibles celebrating 20 years of its presence in Pakistan

Star-studded premieres of Dobara Phir Se held Nation-wide

How social media reacted on General Qamar Javed Bajwa appointment as Chief of Army Staff By Khurram Zia Khan

Infinix expanding its presence in Pakistan By Khurram Zia Khan

10 moves that will make your customers feel appreciated By Roy Osing

ARY Films to showcase four films at Pakistan's first film festival in New York

‘3 Bahadur - The Revenge of Baba Balaam’ to hit cinema houses on 15th December

Songs of ‘3 Bahadur -The Revenge of Baba Balaam’ released By Khurram Zia Khan

Sastaticket.pk Sees Record-breaking Online Sales on Black Friday

ABBAS HASAN SHOWS OFF HIS ROCKSTAR STYLE ON WHITE CARPET AS AMBASSADOR FOR PAIFMA IN CHINA.

Pizza Hut Introduces the Triple Treat Box

Jazz and I-SAPS Mobile-based Adult Female Literacy Programme doing wonders for women

Cinepax Cinemas and The Little Art presents International Children’s Film Festival 2016

YouTube Pakistan Rewind 2016

djuice brings Pakistan’s first interactive online film ‘Oye Kuch Kar Guzar’

Oye Kuch Kar Guzar a ride of fun and laughter By Khurram Zia Khan

Khaadi launches Theme Song for its 18th Anniversary

Pizza Hut is now Pakistan’s Biggest Restaurant Chain