CEO and President of PTCL Mr. Walid Irshaid called on Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani at the PM’s House and presented him a cheque of Rs. 20 million for PM’s Special Fund for the Relief of Victims of Terrorism.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has signed an agreement with Emaar, Pakistan to provide state-of-the-art Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services for its major  housing/commercial development projects situated in Islamabad and Karachi.

According to this agreement PTCL is the exclusive service provider to deliver ICT services to two major projects of EMAAR Pakistan by connecting every household and office through optical fiber.  PTCL will provide quad-play services including voice, high speed internet, IPTV and remote surveillance along with many other community services like Tele-Presence a higher version of video conferencing, Digital Directories etc. The users will be able even to control their household appliances like lights, Air Conditioners remotely by using IP networks.

Dr. Sadik Al-Jadir, Senior Executive Vice President, Commercial, PTCL, said that we are on the path of fast growth, and have already delivered on our promise in various projects, to which our corporate customers have responded with great enthusiasm. At PTCL, we aim to provide state-of-art corporate services possible to our customers.

“PTCL will ensure the deliverance of all committed services with excellence, well within the specified time and we wish to extend this partnership with EMAAR for its upcoming projects”, he further added.

While commenting on the occasion Dr. Dia Malaeb, CEO, Emaar Pakistan said that EMAAR with its unique approach to develop integrated communities featuring the entire spectrum of lifestyle amenities, committed that the housing units will be handed over with the pre-fixed services, to facilitate our valued customers in our project areas.

Dr. Dia Malaebhas further added that the decision to opt PTCL as key service provider was based on its network’s strength, technical capabilities and vast range of unique products and services.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) is the largest converged services carrier, providing all telecommunication services from basic voice telephony to high speed data networks, managed telecommunication services, internet,  and wireless solutions for business’ and consumers all over Pakistan.

EMAAR is one of the world’s largest real estate developers, currently working in Pakistan on two big real estate development projects in Islamabad and Karachi. These projects with a total investment of 2.4 billion USD will include  a series of master planned communities that will set new benchmarks in residential, commercial and retail property.

Telenor Pakistan has today entered into an agreement to acquire 51 per cent of the shares in Tameer Microfinance Bank for a foreign direct investment (FDI) of USD 12.5 million (PKR 1 billion approximately) through a direct rights issue. The proceeds from the rights issue will be used to finance the further development of the bank. The transaction is subject to full regulatory approval.

“The acquisition of 51 per cent of the shares in Tameer Microfinance Bank is part of our strategy to offer financial services in Pakistan,” said Jon Eddy Abdullah, CEO of Telenor Pakistan.

“We are pleased with the deal we have entered. Telenor is a solid partner for further growth, and we have a common view about how financial and telecommunication sectors together can improve customer offerings by combining services,” said Nadeem Hussain, President and Chief Executive Officer Tameer Bank.

About Telenor Pakistan:
Telenor Pakistan is a 100% subsidiary of Telenor Group and a leading mobile operator in Pakistan with more than 18 million subscribers. Telenor Pakistan has 2500 employees. The Telenor Group has close to 160 million mobile subscribers worldwide, with revenues of NOK 105 billion (approximately USD 19 billion) in 2007 (including Kyivstar). The Telenor Group has more than 35800 employees, of which 25600 operate outside Norway. Telenor is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange. Read more about Telenor Pakistan at www.telenor.com.pk

About Tameer Microfinance Bank:
Tameer Bank, a fast growing microfinance bank licensed by State Bank of Pakistan in August 2005, has a current network of 27 on-line branches and 23 sales & service centers across Sindh and Punjab. It has given a new complexion to the microfinance sector through the induction of innovative, technology-driven financial services. Tameer aims to empower Pakistan’s under-served population through choice of bank tellers, ATM machines and Point of Sale (POS) terminals.

Its product set includes loans, deposits, overdrafts, insurance, and payments and domestic remittances. Since inception, Tameer has disbursed more than Rs 2.2 billion with active portfolio of Rs. 950 million and over 40,000 loan customers with delinquency trend of 1.4% – supported with a deposit base of more than Rs. 670 million. The total customer base of Tameer has crossed 65,000 with staff strength of 950. Read more about Tameer Bank at www.tameerbank.com

Mobilink today, announced its partnership with Afghanistan’s premier GSM mobile provider, Roshan, to offer world-class GPRS roaming service.

Cellular users are delighted with this ‘breaking news’ as communication access and connectivity in one of the world’s most rugged countries is a great challenge for service-providers. The introduction of GPRS roaming service in Afghanistan is a prime example of Mobilink’s commitment to providing unrivaled service and facilitating its customers’ needs.

Commenting on this historic development, Bilal Munir Sheikh, Vice President Marketing, Mobilink, said, “Mobilink’s ability to reach out to people in the farthest corners of a defined territory is due to our worldclass infrastructure, which has enabled us to partner with Afghanistan’s market leader, Roshan, and provide unmatched GPRS and BlackBerry access to customers in that country.”

“We are proud to go beyond the borders of our home country and become the only Pakistani operator to offer GPRS roaming in Afghanistan, enabling superior quality communication, instant access and convenience,” he added.

According to details released by the company, subscribers can initiate GPRS Roaming in Afghanistan by registering as a Mobilink International Roaming subscriber at any Customer Sales Center and avail the special affordable package. Once in Afghanistan, one must simply select Mobilink’s partner network Roshan to enjoy GPRS Roaming.

The service will allow customers’ to use their GPRS enabled mobile phone/PDA and Blackberry to browse the Internet, send and receive MMS and download content while traveling in Afghanistan. The Blackberry users can easily access their emails without fail and stay connected. Additionally, easy accesses to a range of value-added services are also available at Mobilink World at http://wap.mobilinkworld.com.

Mobilink continues to maintain its leadership in the cellular industry of Pakistan by launching new products and services which go beyond the national boundaries, demonstrating their commitment towards being a complete telecommunications service provider.