VISITING ISLAMABAD OVER THE WEEKEND

Pakistan is a country that loves to celebrate, be it an occasion, a festival, national holidays or simply a long weekend. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to get a long weekend with either one or two days holiday prior or after the weekend. There are several ways to utilize the long weekend and the best option is to “travel”. You must be th  inking about how one can travel to another place within 2-3 days. Well, it is very much possible.
Islamabad, not only the capital of Pakistan but the second most beautiful capital city in the world, is the best option for a peaceful yet energizing weekend getaway.  Islamabad  is a perfect spot for the locals who live in the nearby cities or towns. You can easily plan a short trip when such holidays pop up and travel to Islamabad. A strong reason to love Islamabad includes its peaceful environment surrounded by immense greenery, along with several attractions for tourists.
ISLAMABAD TRAVEL GUIDE
Once you have a timeline, the next thing to decide is about the mode of transport. Since it’s a local trip, you can choose one of the many available transport options. You may fly to the city, take a train ride or simply drive yourself all the way to Islamabad. Weekend trips are usually done by car, after all road trips are always fun. Worried about accommodation? Don’t be. There are plenty of cheap and cozy options available for lodging, ranging from top 5 star hotels to inexpensive guest houses.
Islamabad is the best epitome of beauty and the other characteristic that makes it superior is that it connects several cities and towns, up to the north. So, if you are really adventurous and enjoy driving up towards northern areas, there is good news for you. The several destinations that Islamabad is connected to are Murree, Bhurbhan, Rawalpindi,  Faisalabad , Lahore, Naran and Muzaffarabad.
TOP ATTRACTIONS IN ISLAMABAD
As Islamabad is famous for its tranquility, it is equally renowned for the places to visit that make Islamabad what it is. Mosques, monuments, parks, museums, art galleries, hills and legendary restaurants with mouthwatering food are the specialties of the city.
Mosques and monuments: Shah Faisal Mosque is the biggest mosque in the country and the most beautiful present to Pakistan from the Saudi King Faisal.  Karachi is home to Pakistan’s founder  M.A Jinnah’s tomb , Lahore has ‘Minar-e-Pakistan’ and Islamabad has the national monument.The Golra Sharif is another prominent shrine.
Museums and art galleries: LokVirsa museum, the National art gallery and Rohtas gallery are a must for heritage fans.
Hills and parks: Margalla Hills, Rawal Lake, Daman-e-Koh, ChattarBagh are few of the many stunning locations to enjoy the weather and scenery.
Restaurants: Monal restaurant, Kabul restaurant, Papa Sallis, Des Pardes and the list goes on. These are some of the most famous eateries with delectable offerings that are not easy to miss.

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Research and Insights Event on Smart Finance and Ethics conducted in Islamabad

ACCA held two sessions on the importance of ‘Smart Finance Function’ and ‘Ethics’ in the accountancy profession in Islamabad.

The events provided an opportunity for the finance professionals to benefit from case studies of successful and distinct businesses from different cross-sections of industries in Pakistan underlining the importance of investing in the corporate finance function. The session on Ethics consisted of a presentation, which was delivered to give an overview of professional ethics directed at accountants – in business and in practice.  

Arif Mirza (ACCA), Head of Policy MENASA, ACCA Pakistan spoke to the audience and stressed on how the quality of finance leadership, the adoption of breakthrough technologies, better people practices, and innovative thinking can transform the corporate finance function; making it increasingly smarter and relevant for the business.

Amir Shafique, Director Finance Telenor Shared Services, appreciated ACCA efforts and was keen to have more sessions with ACCA related to Smart Finance. He stated that, “Successful alignment of the finance organisation to the strategy of the business is essential. To transform the finance structure, the future CFO team must ensure the right processes; systems and metrics are in place which will also aid strategy execution. Finance leaders will need to prioritise investment in technology to drive growth and digital technologies will become a core finance leadership enabler in all businesses.

Qasim Malik, HR Manager – SNL Pakistan highlighted, “The session on ‘Ethics’ was extremely relevant for young employees and that as trusted professionals you have a responsibility to promote ethical rganiza. When faced with an ethical dilemma, you would like your rganization to support you in making the right decision.  Therefore, you might lead on implementing a code within your rganization.  But a code alone is not enough.”

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FM 91 Turns 10

FM91, Pakistan’s major FM radio station, is celebrating its 10years of being on air this October, with a complete revamp in their brand look, as well as host of competitions and prizes for the station’s listeners.

“It’s a big achievement to make it to a decade in a highly cluttered radio industry. FM91 has always prioritized the preferences of its listeners, which is evident in the content of our shows.”according to Sarah Tahir Khan, CEO, FM91

“FM91 believes that a decade long journey will not be exciting if our audience are not a part of it; hence, the management has devised amazing competitions and giveaways. These celebrations are bound to bring FM91 and its listeners closer than before” said Shazya Aamir, COO FM91

FM91 Grand Anniversary celebrations includes giving out Mega Prizes such as return ticket to Sri Lanka, smart phones, watches, jewelry and much more, along with 10 days of Special programming, in which all the new and old Radio Jockeys will be participating.

The Station’s Anniversary celebrations were kicked off by the launch of a new FM91 logo, making them more simple and appealing to the target audience.

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Pakistan’s Annual Awards & Festivals

When in Pakistan, keep an eye out for these Festivals and Awards that will make your visit more worthwhile and enjoyable!

1.        Karachi Eat Food Festival

Karachi Eat is a food festival where foodies are given the opportunity to relish and devour dishes from a spectrum of cuisines.The event was held on the 23rd, 24th  & 25th of January 2015 at Frere Hall. Karachi’s renowned chefs and creative street vendors gathered together and served their customers with a diverse platter of food and entertainment.

2. Literature Festival

Pakistan’s Literature Festivals are held in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. The first event took place in Karachi on 20 March 2010, and was organised by Pakistan, the Oxford University Press and the British Council. The events feature prominent literary figures, incorporatingliterary debate sessions, reading, lectures, plays, art fairs and book launches.

3.       Hotel Awards

Jovago.com is the top online hotel booking site in Pakistan and hosted its first Hotel Awards on 12 August 2015. The purpose of this activity was to promote the tourism industry as well as to highlight the importance of travel in Pakistan. Hotels that were nominated and won were the Lahore Continental, Avari Hotel, Hotel One, Heritage Luxury Suites and Parhena Cottages.

4.      Pakistan Fashion Week

Pakistan Fashion Week is an event organised by the Fashion Pakistan Council and has been annually held in Karachi since 2009. The event is hosted over three days, at which famous designers show case their newest collections and pieces.

5.       Lux Style Awards

The Lux Style Awards is the oldest and most prominent event that celebrates the evolution of Pakistan’s entertainment industry encompassing Pakistani television, fashion and film. The first Award was held in 2002 in Karachi at the Expo Centre.

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Mobilink Users Can Now Acess Zameen.com For Free

By GUlshan Naz: Zameen.com has entered into a wide-ranging partnership with Pakistan’s leading cellular network Mobilink. Representatives from both organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to that effect at Mobilink’s Head Office in Islamabad on Friday.

With this partnership, Mobilink users will be able to browse Zameen.com’s website and use its smartphone apps absolutely free and without payment for mobile internet data. Zameen.com is visited by 1.3 million people every month and has over 400,000 registered members.

The deal between the two industry leaders will provide Mobilink users easy access to more than 1 million properties listed on Zameen.com, as well as putting them in direct contact with over 6,600 registered real estate agencies.

Mobilink is Pakistan’s largest cellular network with over 38 million subscribers out of a total of 136 million mobile users in Pakistan, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Around 25% of Pakistan’s 10 million-plus 3G/4G subscribers are also Mobilink users per the PTA’s February 2015 stats, and they can now access Zameen.com and its apps free of charge on their smartphones.

Zameen.com Co-CEO Mr Imran Ali Khan said:

This partnership marks a major milestone in Zameen.com’s journey towards an online revolution in the real estate market of Pakistan. As a leading player in the tech industry of the country, Zameen.com operates on the cutting edge of technology and this collaboration with Mobilink is part of its mobile-first approach.

With the signing of this MoU, Mobilink has taken another step towards firmly establishing itself as Pakistan’s most digitally aware and innovative cellular network which is keenly tuned into a changing online landscape.

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