Wateen Telecom and ChinaSat to provide uninterrupted connectivity in remote regions

Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s leading telecommunication services provider and ChinaSatcom have signed an agreement for satellite capacity lease of Wateen’s enterprise network of more than 300 sites. Under this transponder agreement, ChinaSat will provide Wateen with Ku-band satellite bandwidth for Pakistan, as well as the neighbouring regions served by the ChinaSat Satellite CS-12.

The agreement enables the telecom operator to provide a variety of telecommunication services including GSM backhauling, high-speed Internet, news gathering, disaster recovery, and data connectivity in remote regions.

Commenting on the development Wateen Telecom’s CEO, Rizwan Tiwana, said, “We are elated about offering end –to-end connectivity to people who rely on satellite technology in areas where deployment of a fiber optic network for high-quality service is hindered. With ChinaSat capabilities we can easily meet the ever-evolving needs of a market which requires quality products on optimized models while increasing our customer base and expanding our enterprise.”  

President ChinaSat HK, Mr Yang Tao, commented, “We consider Wateen as one of our respectable partners in Pakistan. It is a great honor to cooperate with Wateen to expand their telecom network all over Pakistan with our cost effective space segment. As Pakistan enters into a new era of development, this will enable more people to enjoy telecommunication service via satellite.”

Besides operating a 22,000 km fibre optic network across the country, Wateen Telecom provides satellite solutions and services in Pakistan, Africa, and Afghanistan. In addition to cellular backhaul over satellite, Wateen operates hundreds of data-links distributed over several DVB-S2 hubs and maintains a large pool of technical resources nationwide. This helps fulfill CMOs, banks, media broadcasting companies, and other SME’s daily connectivity requirements.

magnificent seven attributes for professional success by ACCA

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) have recently published an international caliber study on what makes the ‘perfect professional’ in 2016 and beyond. The research findings highlight the fact that an optimum blend of skills, experience, and intelligence is now needed by professional accountants.
The seven key skill areas sought by employers now and in the future are intellect, creativity, emotional intelligence, vision, experience, technical skills, and mastery of the digital world. The employers currently and in the future expect skills and abilities to perform activities consistently to a defined standard which are often based on a professional qualification. They also require an employee’s ability to acquire and use knowledge for an existing or new situation especially to explore potential outcomes, and generate new ideas.
With the awareness and application of existing and emerging digital technologies, capabilities, practices, strategies and culture, the employers look for digital competency in their future employees. But most importantly, the most sought after skill is the ability to predict future trends accurately through extrapolating existing trends and facts, and filling the gaps by thinking innovatively.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Helen Brand OBE, ACCA’s chief executive said:
'Over the past decade, the traditional role of an accountant has evolved into skillful finance professionals who are leaders, trusted expert counsel, and key strategic advisers to organisations whether in the public or private sectors.
'With this metamorphosis comes a requirement for a whole new set of skills. On top of technical excellence, professional accountants now require creativity, emotional intelligence and the vision to lead.'
With input and insight from over 2,000 business and finance professionals around the world, Professional accountants – the future is the most in depth analysis of the profession – and where it is headed – ever conducted says Helen Brand:
'We discovered a brave new world of more regulation, greater globalisation, ever increasing risk, and of course, massive technological advancement. The accountancy profession has to be ahead of the curve on all fronts - trained to the highest of professional standards, looking beyond the numbers and with a global mind set.'
According to Helen Brand, her message to current and aspiring accountants is that a blend of all these attributes makes the perfect finance professional, ready for the global business challenges they will face:
‘These ‘magnificent seven’ strengths show the way ahead. They are the means by which accountants use their technical knowledge, skills and abilities blended with the interpersonal behaviours and qualities to put them to use.

‘Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The key is to recognise where you excel and where you need to work to build your competency through the continuous professional development which professional accountants already know so well.’

Jovago launches holiday packages in Pakistan

To celebrate the World Tourism Day(#WorldTourismDay), Pakistan’s leading online hotel booking company Jovago.pk, has announced the launch of its first holiday packages in Pakistan. The packages consist of hotel stays, meals, transport, spa services depending on the particular hotels and a dedicated travel guide where applicable.

This initiative will focus on popular destinations such as Naran, Kaghan and AJK in Pakistan, leisure and romantically oriented destinations. According to Paul Midy, Jovago’s CEO, “the move is part of the company’s initiative to promote domestic tourism in these countries, as we approach the peak season”. He added that “this will therefore be quite ideal for families, couples, group of friends and even corporate groups vacationing in the months of August to December”.

Last minute plans will also be well catered for due to the flexibility offered by the packages; for instance, by either directly calling Jovago Pakistan’s Customer Service or by filling in a simple query form, the team will be able to organize for transport and/or accommodation at the same time, easing the hassle of travel and most importantly giving customers a memorable vacation experience.

According to Tina Wang, Managing Director of Jovago.pk “Having just recently come back from the Northern areas of Pakistan, I can fully appreciate having tailored options available even as I make last minute plans. Jovago wants to make travel easier for everyone, whether it’s for business or leisure and we hope that our new travel packages can further help promote domestic tourism in Pakistan by making it a no-brainer to enjoy the beauty of Pakistan with safe transport, variety of accommodations and breathtaking destinations all in one memorable experience.”

While these are the first packages by Jovago launched in Pakistan, the plan is to offer packages in many other Asian countries. The company that now boasts the largest inventory of hotels in Pakistan plans to run the promotion on a yearly basis; while regularly updating the packages on the respective Jovago country websites.

About Jovago Pakistan:

Jovago.pk is an online hotel booking service with offices in Pakistan, Nairobi (Kenya) and 10 other offices across the continent. Jovago is founded by Africa Internet Group and has Rocket Internet, MTN, Millicom, AXA, Orange and Goldman Sachs as its investors. Jovago.pk, Pakistan’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.pk has over 2000 local hotel listings in Pakistan and over 200,000 hotels around the world.

Jovago highlights astonishingly beautiful places in Pakistan which are ideal for shooting a movie

Undoubtedly, Pakistan is one of the very few nations blessed with absolutely jaw dropping landscapes that are accessible to people during all four seasons of the year. Although, unlike the past, the domestic tourism has immensely increased within Pakistan, there is still so much of potential in the travel and tourism industry of Pakistan which can be tapped using the right measures.

Just like the tourism industry, the film industry in Pakistan is also showing signs of a promising future This opens up a huge room for collaboration between these two industries, both supplementing and complementing each other to deliver excellent output. One of the ways how these two industries can work together, is by conducting movie shoots at the astonishingly beautiful places within Pakistan; that are still relatively unknown to the common masses.

Jovago Pakistan, highlights popular travel destinations within Pakistan that can serve as excellent places to conduct a film shoot.

1. Babusar Lake

It is located at the most northern part of the most beautiful Naran Valley. It is a very famous tourist spot as is almost always filled with travel enthusiasts who can’t just stop awing at the serenity of this amazing loveable place.

Once reached, you can also visit the following places:

Lulusar Lake

Lalazar Plateau

Dodiputsar Lake

Kunhar River

Nanga Parbat

2. Muzzafarabad

This capital city of Azad Kashmir is known for its absolutely beautiful mountain cliffs and various other tourist attractions. In addition, the place is also very well known for its unique culture and hospitality of its residents.

3. Murree

Murree is one of the beautiful travel locations that is relatively more urbanized compared to other adjoining popular tourist locations. It is also very popular for its wildlife in addition to its beautiful scenic views.

4. Skardu

Located near the very famous Gilgit is a town called Skardu which has a lot of influx of tourists from all around the country.

The following tourist locations are easily accessible through Skardu:

K2

Hushe

Askole

Tibet

Trango

Five craziest places to visit in Karachi

Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan. Being the metropolitan hub, it has various towns that cater to different industries, such as Baldia town- home to garment factories, Korangi- home to factories and construction sites. Similarly, there are areas that cater to the tourism and provide the best attractions in the city. Listed below are some of the craziest places a person has to visit in Karachi (different from the common tourist spots) – whether a tourist or a resident of Karachi.

1. Lyari Town:

Crazy? Definitely. Considered to be one of the most dangerous and politically unstable areas of Karachi, Lyari is still one of the beautiful places in Karachi. Visitors from outside Pakistan, when visiting Lyari make us realize that it is not as dangerous as we deem it to be. Although no positive image is presented, recently the boxer Amir Khan visited Lyari and claimed it to be one of the must places to visit in Karachi.

2. Do Darya:

What can be better than sitting near the sea, having the traditional Nan and karhai and BBQ with the water hitting rocks below you, the smell of sea and food and the view all makes the place the BEST place to visit in Karachi. With restaurants like Kolachi, kababjees, Sajjad and many more, you have unlimited choice of where you want to dine. Do Darya is a must place to visit.

3. Port Grand:

Built along the waterfront of the 19^th century native jetty bridge, Port Grand is one of the best recreational places in Karachi. With a food street at your disposal and a shopping mall where you can shop, Port Grand is the stop where all the major events are celebrated on a grand scale. From concerts and celebrations on the 14^th august, to the Defense day celebrations to the new year’s and Christmas, Port Grand is all lit up and ready to provide you with the best possible place to spend your time, with family or friends.

4. French Beach:

Located halfway between Hawkes Bay and Paradise Point, French Beach also known as Haji Ismiil Goth is mostly and frequently visited by the elites of Karachi. An ideal place for hangouts and spending the day by the clear beach, French place is one of the must visit places of Karachi.

5.  Devils point:

Located in the phase 8 extension of the defense housing society, Devils’ point is informally known as the race track in Karachi where every Sunday people come to either participate in their modified cars or to witness the races. Although a dangerous activity, the thrill of being at the devil’s point makes it a must place to visit.

Jovago highlights astonishingly beautiful places in Pakistan which are ideal for shooting a movie

Undoubtedly, Pakistan is one of the very few nations blessed with absolutely jaw dropping landscapes that are accessible to people during all four seasons of the year. Although, unlike the past, the domestic tourism has immensely increased within Pakistan, there is still so much of potential in the travel and tourism industry of Pakistan which can be tapped using the right measures.

Just like the tourism industry, the film industry in Pakistan is also showing signs of a promising future This opens up a huge room for collaboration between these two industries, both supplementing and complementing each other to deliver excellent output. One of the ways how these two industries can work together, is by conducting movie shoots at the astonishingly beautiful places within Pakistan; that are still relatively unknown to the common masses.

Jovago Pakistan, highlights popular travel destinations within Pakistan that can serve as excellent places to conduct a film shoot.

1. Babusar Lake

It is located at the most northern part of the most beautiful Naran Valley. It is a very famous tourist spot as is almost always filled with travel enthusiasts who can’t just stop awing at the serenity of this amazing loveable place.

Once reached, you can also visit the following places:

Lulusar Lake

Lalazar Plateau

Dodiputsar Lake

Kunhar River

Nanga Parbat

2. Muzzafarabad

This capital city of Azad Kashmir is known for its absolutely beautiful mountain cliffs and various other tourist attractions. In addition, the place is also very well known for its unique culture and hospitality of its residents.

3. Murree

Murree is one of the beautiful travel locations that is relatively more urbanized compared to other adjoining popular tourist locations. It is also very popular for its wildlife in addition to its beautiful scenic views.

4. Skardu

Located near the very famous Gilgit is a town called Skardu which has a lot of influx of tourists from all around the country.

The following tourist locations are easily accessible through Skardu:

K2

Hushe

Askole

Tibet

Trango

Jovago provides a complete list of exciting places within Pakistan to travel with your Kids

Unlike the solo travel, the expectation to have a perfect and a hassle-free travel increases even more when you are making plans to travel with your family. Pakistan is blessed with many beautiful and culturally rich tourist spots that make perfect destinations to visit with kids, especially during their school vacations. It is always a good idea, to expose the little ones to the places within our country which beautifully depicts its rich culture, heritage and history.

Jovago Pakistan provides a complete list of places that can be ideal travel locations if planning to go on a voyage with your kids.

1. Shalimar Garden, Lahore

The city of gardens, Lahore is known for its historic monuments and beautiful gardens. Shalimar is one of the most historic gardens that this country posses. It was made during the Mughal Era by Emperor Shah Jahan who is recognized for his love for nature and architecture during his reign.

2. Lahore Fort

Also widely known as the Shahi Qila, this fort is located in the northwest part of Lahore. It is one of the most monumental and historical places that this country has to offer. The fort building reflects a series of monuments from the time of Emperor Akbar to Aurangzeb.

3. Baltit Fort

This fort is affiliated with the rich history of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. In order to preserve the history of this ancient fort, Aga Khan Trust for Culture renovated this place making it a very attractive tourist spot for all the travelers.

4. Badshahi Mosque

Beautifully decorated with Islamic calligraphy, Badshahi Mosque is one of the biggest mosques of the world which was built during the Mughal Era. It has a very rich history and is still one of the most attractive tourist spots of the country.

5. Shandur Top

Shandur Top is known for being the highest polo ground of the world. Every year, a very famous Shandur Polo festival takes place here. People from all over the country attends this event as it takes place in July which is mostly the time of summer vacations making it one of the peak travelling seasons.