A seminar was organized at the Jahangir Siddiqui Auditorium at IBA City Campus, Karachi, on 19^th October to mark the opening of Autism Spectrum Welfare Trust Office at Karachi and to launch Autism Awareness Campaign in Sindh.

The Seminar was opened by a welcome address by Ms. Rukhsana Shah, Chairperson of the Trust, who spoke about the lack of awareness about autism and learning disabilities among doctors, teachers and parents all over Pakistan, and lauded the efforts of the government of Sindh in this field. She appreciated the role of the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation (MJSF) who sponsored the setting up of the Autism Trust in Lahore in 2015, as well as funded the Karachi Office which opened on the 1^st of October this year.

In her inaugural speech, Mahvash Jahangir Siddiqui, Chairperson MJSF gave a brief background of the work done by the Foundation all over Pakistan. This was followed by an address by the Chief Guest, Dr. Zulfiqar Shallwani, secretary to the government of Sindh for Special Education.

Dr. Shallwani enumerated the efforts of the government of Sindh in the field not only of autism, but all disabilities in general. He said that in April, the first Autism Centre was set up in Karachi at the existing Special Education Centre in Gulistan-e-Johar. In other parts of Sindh, we are also setting up a similar Centre for Down’s syndrome and Neuro Developmental Disorders in which medical colleges and DHQ hospitals would be involved to ensure sustainability and growth of the Centre.

The key-note address on Autism was delivered by Dr. Irum Rizwan, a pioneer in the field of Autism in Karachi, who also runs the Autism Unit at Dow University of Health Sciences. This was followed by a presentation on ADHD by Dr. Salma Khalil, a discussion on Learning Disabilities by Ms. Sanam Hafeez, and Overview of Trainings for ASD management by Ms. Asma Ahmad, followed by a detailed discussion.

The seminar was attended by about 200 teachers of special and mainstream schools, doctors, parents, professionals and prominent members of the civil society.

The Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been working towards healthcare, education and social enterprise through sustainable development to underprivileged members of society with a special focus on women, minorities, children and disabled individuals. Foundation’s goal is to promote economic development and to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential.

Mahvash Jahangir Siddiqui (Chairperson Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation), Rukhsana Shah (Chairperson, Autism Spectrum Disorder Welfare Trust) and senior members from both organizations attended the seminar at the Jahangir Siddiqui Auditorium at IBA City Campus to mark the opening of Autism Spectrum Welfare Trust Office in Karachi and to launch Autism Awareness Campaign in Sindh.

Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation (MJSF) has announced a $1M commitment to support Acumen’s Pakistan Fellows program and it’s Pakistan Fund over the next five years. The partnership with Acumen, a non-profit social venture fund, will support Pakistan’s emerging leaders and catalyse social and economic development through business.

Acumen and MJSF have worked together to tackle the problems of poverty in Pakistan for more than a decade now. Over the last 15 years, Acumen has invested $16M in 16 companies in the country, impacting 4.8M lives. MJSF and JS Bank were one of the first to support Acumen‘s presence in Pakistan.

The Acumen Fellows program is a leadership development program that equips emerging social leaders around the world with the skills, knowledge and moral imagination to drive change in their communities. The Pakistan Fund, with the support of its anchor partner MJSF, will invest in early stage companies that improve the lives of the poor by developing and deploying innovative business models in education, energy, health care and agriculture.

“MJSF’s continued support allows Acumen to invest in dynamic leaders, companies and ideas that are helping to eradicate poverty and impacting lives across the country,” said Mr. Naeem Zamindar, Acumen’s Pakistan Director. “Mr. Ali J. Siddiqui has played a pivotal role in establishing Acumen here in Pakistan. His support has been instrumental in helping Acumen grow and deepen its impact across the country.”

Mr. Muhammad Ali Charanya, COO MJSF, said “Sustainable development is one of the focus areas of MJSF and our partnership with Acumen has enabled us to work on several specialised projects including Jassar farm, PharmaGen, and low cost housing projects that otherwise would not have been possible. Moreover, collaboration has helped develop many young and dynamic entrepreneurs to enter into the social impact sector.”

The Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been working towards healthcare, education and social enterprise through sustainable development to underprivileged members of society with a special focus on women, minorities, children and disabled individuals. Foundation’s goal is to promote economic development and to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential.

Caption: Commitment renewal signing ceremony between Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation and Acumen was attended by Mr. Muhammad Ali Charanya (COO, MJSF), Mr. Naeem Zamindar (Director of Acumen Pakistan), Ms. Zoha Arshad (Business Development Associate, Acumen) & Mr. Zaid Haroon (Senior Vice President, Communication, JS Bank) along with their team members.

Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation (MJSF) & Uqaily Family & Friends Association (UFFA) have collaborated to upliftan existing government school at Mori, district Thatta. The inauguration event of the Jahangir Siddiqui Government School was attended by many prominent personalities from all strata’s of society especially from the educational sector. MJSF and UFFA jointly seek to support the right of education, for the underprivileged children.

The project has been undertaken through the cooperation of Sindh Education Foundation along with Education & Literacy Department Sindh. The school will cater to the educational needs of200 children with state of the art facilities being provided such as modern computer  and audio visuals labs, library & sports ground. JS Group conducts its Corporate Social Responsibility through a series of independent charitable foundations that operate nationwide led by the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation.

Mr. Jahangir Siddiqui, entrepreneur and Chairman JS Group inaugurated the school and stated “We are committed to providing support for all sectors of the society with a special focus on education.”

Mr. Abdul Aziz Uqaily, Secretary Education Sindh mentioned “We are thankful to MJSF and particularly to Mr. Jahangir Siddiqui for supporting the education sector.”

Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation was established in 2003 to address challenges related to poverty through sustainable development across the areas of Education, Healthcare, Social Enterprise and Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation. Through MJSF’s various initiatives, we aim to create opportunities and provide support to empower disadvantaged members of society. In addition to projects directly managed by MJSF, we have partnered with key international organizations including various United Nations agencies, Acumen and Oxfam.

Jahangir Siddiqui, Chairman JS Group inaugurates the Jahangir Siddiqui Government School in Thatta.

Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation (MJSF) and Developments in Literacy (DIL) join hands to support the right of education, for underprivileged children. To initiate this cause, MJSF provided laptops to DIL, to be distributed at various schools, managed and operated by the latter. The distribution event was held at a local school managed by DIL, where the management of both the organizations was present. Furthermore, MJSF is actively providing support to Pakistani citizens, through their ongoing and upcoming projects in the field of education

Speaking at the occasion, COO MJSF, Muhammad Ali Charanya said, “Our partnership with DIL reflects our commitment of working towards the betterment of education in Pakistan. I’m very confident that this collaboration will play a huge role in overcoming the barriers to child education.”

Contributing towards healthcare, education and social enterprise, The Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation is a non-profit organization, which mainly focuses on development of women, children, minorities and disabled individuals. The aim is to promote economic development that will result in improved quality of life, by helping individuals explore their full potential and eliminating barriers to opportunity.

Operating 126 school campuses, across three provinces in Pakistan, DIL provides education from primary to matric level. The organization actively promotes female education with an enrollment rate of 67% along with comprising nearly 90% of women, as part of the school staff. DIL model focuses on a child-centered approach, emphasizing on gender sensitivity and inclusiveness for all, relying heavily on community support and participation.

A ceremony was held between Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation and Developments in Literacy to provide educational support to underprivileged children.It was attended by Mr. Muhammad Ali Charanya (COO, MJSF), Mr. Jamil Memon (Head of Field Operations, MJSF) and Mr. Eijaz Mural (Project Manager, DIL).

Future Trust, Children’s National Health System Sign MOU to Collect and Analyze Genetic Data in Pakistan

LONDON, July 6, 2017 – The Future Trust and the Children’s National Health System signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a unique research partnership to set up a genomics center in Pakistan.

Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Dorchester in London, Ali Raza Siddiqui, Chairman of Future Trust, said, “Our partnership with Children’s National, a world leader in children’s health, will significantly expand knowledge of children’s genetic makeup in Pakistan and lead to better health for children everywhere.”

Kurt Newman, MD, President and CEO of Children’s National, based in Washington, D.C., expressed his appreciation for Future Trust’s partnership. “Future Trust shares our vision to improve children’s lives by collecting and analyzing genetic data. We are inspired by the opportunity to make advancements in areas like cancer, immunology, neurological disorder, and other conditions for children in Pakistan and around the world.”

The field of genomic medicine depends on large-scale genetic information from many individuals, and it has largely relied on data from Caucasian populations, which is poorly adapted to other ethnicities around the world. The signing of this MOU is an important step toward setting a benchmark for population-based genomic medicine worldwide, and the partnership with also improve health of Pakistani families for years to come.

The data collected through this partnership will help detect rare undiagnosed diseases and set the stage for prevention, intervention, and eradication of diseases.

* * * * * *

Future Trust is a non-profit benevolent philanthropic organization, a charitable trust, set up by JS Group for the promotion, advancement and encouragement of technology and innovation against poverty and general improvement of socio economic conditions and living standards of the people of Pakistan. It supports youth in acquiring progressive education, vocational and career guidance and entrepreneurship. JS Group is one of Pakistan’s largest and most prominent business entities.

Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is #1 for babies and ranked in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report including placement in the top 10 for cancer, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and nephrology. Children’s National has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is one of the nation’s top NIH-funded pediatric institutions.

A signing ceremony to set up a genomics center in Pakistan was held between Ali Raza Siddiqui, Chairman Future Trust,  and Kurt D. Newman, MD, President and CEO Children’s National Medical Center.

JS Bank hosted an Iftar Dinner on Sunday at a local hotel in Karachi to mark the Holy month of Ramadan. JS Bank has a long standing tradition of hosting an Iftar for prominent personalities of media, its employees and other distinguished guests. The event was thoroughly enjoyed with the live screening of the Champions trophy final for all the valued guests and made even more special due to the great win by Pakistan.

Ali J. Siddiqui, Chairman JS Bank welcomed all the guests and congratulated them on the auspicious occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. He hoped that Ramadan will bring peace, justice and equality in Pakistan. Imran Haleem Shaikh, Head of Marketing also stated that the Holy month of Ramadan demonstrates the true spirit of Islam. We hope and look forward to the message of peace being spread everywhere.

JS Bank in collaboration with JS Group’s charitable arm, Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation has also been hosting its annual daily Iftar’s at selective branches nationwide to support the less privileged people. The program runs for the entire holy month of Ramadan, helping thousands of people every year.

JS Bank is one of the fastest growing banks in Pakistan, with 307 branches in 152 cities including one international branch. JS Bank is part of JS Group, one of Pakistan’s most diversified and progressive financial services groups. For more information, visit www.jsbl.com.

JS Bank held its annual Iftar for the media, attended by Ali J. Siddiqui, Chairman and Khalid Imran, President with JS Bank’s marketing team and employees.

JS Global Capital Limited, one of the largest equity brokerage and investment banking firms in Pakistan, geared up to handle the expected US$1bn of gross foreign flows ahead of the MSCI emerging market upgrade, said JS Global CEO Kamran Nasir in an interview on Friday. JS Global is the only corporate brokerage house having a declared capacity to handle and execute US$500mn of flows, along with an unmatched financial muscle to meet foreign investors’ margin requirements. Mr. Nasir also said that his firm has elevated the company’s operational environment to an unrivaled standing, with country’s largest sales force on ground to address both the foreign and local clients’ needs. Mr. Nasir also highlighted the success of Pakistan Investment Conference held in May 2016, organized by JS Global with one of its international partners in London, which he believed was instrumental in Pakistan’s emerging market upgrade.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Nasir said that JS Global takes a lot of pride in single handedly executing the largest foreign orders on the rebalancing date (May 31’ 2017) when Pakistan was upgraded to MSCI EM after a long interval of 9 years. He said that his firm alone managed and executed over 30% of the value traded which was highest in Pakistan by any single firm. He said that it’s a proud moment for Pakistan and SECP, NCCPL, CDC and PSX where all worked tirelessly to ensure smooth execution and settlement where JS Global outshined amongst its peers. Mr. Nasir said that his firm has many firsts to its credit and added that the seamless largest execution on May 31’ 2017 has further expanded the list of Firsts for JS Global that has the confidence of Foreign Clients and locals for over 47 years now.

JS Bank has been awarded with “Clean Energy Branches Award” at the 6^th Energy Awards organized by The Pak Energy Review. Mr. Mustafa Brohi, Senior Vice President – Marketing and Brand Management JS Bank received the award on behalf of the Bank.

The award recognizes the positive impact JS Bank has had through its successful conversion of branches to Solar Power, which includes all computers, servers; ATM and teller stations, paving a way to help overcoming energy crises in Pakistan.

Over the years, JS Bank has always strived to benefit the country and its citizen through various green initiatives leading to an environmentally sustainable planet, converting its branches to Solar, indulging in various philanthropic activities through its charitable arm, Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation to supporting tree plantations.

JS Bank is one of the fastest growing banks in Pakistan, with 307 branches in 152 cities including one international branch. JS Bank is part of JS Group, one of Pakistan’s most diversified and progressive financial services groups. For more information, visit www.jsbl.com

Mr. Mustafa Brohi, Senior Vice President JS Bank receiving the Clean Energy Branches Award at the 6th Energy Awards 2017 on behalf of JS Bank.

Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation (MJSF) and USAID have signed a memorandum of understanding to address development challenges in Pakistan. Both partners seek to provide collective opportunities and support to people of Pakistan through their ongoing and upcoming projects in the areas of education, healthcare, social enterprise, disaster relief and women empowerment. Furthermore, the partnership intends to foster linkages with US institutions in the mutually agreed areas.

Speaking at the occasion, Suleman Lalani, Director MJSF, said “Our partnership with USAID reflects our commitment of working for the betterment of Pakistani society”

John Groarke, Mission Director USAID Pakistan, said “The partnership agreements we are signing today will address social development challenges of Pakistan. I’m excited by the possibilities of what we can accomplish through our creative collaboration and sharing of expertise, knowledge and resources to empower Pakistan”.

USAID is an independent Federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Their mission in Pakistan is focusing on energy, economic growth including agriculture, resilience and education and health sectors.

The Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been working towards healthcare, education and social enterprise through sustainable development to underprivileged members of society with a special focus on women, minorities, children and disabled individuals. Foundation goal is to promote economic development and to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals, families and communities by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people in need reach their fullest potential. MJSF is one the charitable arms of JS Group.

Suleman Lalani, Director Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation and John Groarke, Mission Director USAID at the MOU signing ceremony to jointly address development challenges in Pakistan.