Islamabad: PTCL Group, in collaboration with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), hosted an inspiring event to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women entrepreneurs empowered through the Ba-Ikhtiar Project under Group’s Social Impact platform ‘Dil Se’. The initiative is fostering financial independence and paving the way for sustainable growth of women entrepreneurs through building successful e-commerce stores. PTCL Group is committed to empowering these women by supporting them in registering their startup and providing mentorship until they can run their business independently.

Additionally, the program’s expansion to 20 districts under the Ba-Ikhtiar initiative aims to transform communities across Pakistan. This expansion will broaden the project’s scope to encompass diverse skill sets, including pottery, arts and crafts, food preservation, online tutoring, organic cosmetics, and more.

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The event celebrated the resilience and determination of women entrepreneurs, who have successfully turned challenges into opportunities. His Excellency, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Alzaabi – Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Pakistan graced the event as chief guest. Corporate partners, development sector organizations, and academia were present at the event, along with prominent figures from the entertainment, fashion, sports, and industry sectors. Esteemed personalities such as Kubra Khan, Hareem Farooq, Sana Mir, Ali Xeeshan, and Naseem Hameed added a touch of glamour and prestige. Their support further highlighted the event’s significance, which was already brimming with inspiring stories of transformation, growth, and success.

The event also featured a thought-provoking panel discussion, bringing together renowned personalities from diverse fields, including Sania Saeed, Jehan Ara, Azima Dhanji and Zarene Asif, who shared key insights on global best practices in women empowerment, the role of technology in solving societal challenges, and the strategies needed for women to successfully navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.

The highlight of the day was Pakistan’s first-ever AI-powered fashion show, where the women entrepreneurs showcased clothing designs created in collaboration with artificial intelligence.

This innovative segment underscored the Ba-Ikhtiar Project’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive social change, reflecting how creativity and technology can unite to inspire new possibilities.

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Speaking at the grand event, Hatem Bamatraf, President and Group CEO, PTCL & Ufone 4G, emphasized on the program’s broader significance, stating: “The Ba-Ikhtiar Project is more than just a program; it is a movement that empowers women to unlock their potential by providing them with the necessary resources and skills to succeed. Today, we celebrate not just their achievements but also the ripple effect of hope, resilience, and progress that they bring to their families, communities, and society at large.”

The CEO of PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech, further highlighted the critical role of partnerships: “When organizations unite under a shared vision, the impact can be truly transformative. Ba-Ikhtiar exemplifies how the private sector’s innovation and the development sector’s community insights can converge to create meaningful and sustainable change. This is the power of collaboration in action.”

The event also spotlighted inspirational success stories, including two participants, who represented Pakistan at Gitex Global 2024 in Dubai, one of the world’s largest tech events. Ms. Mariam Hussain shared how the Ba-Ikhtiar Project enabled her to showcase the entrepreneurial ventures on a global platform, demonstrating the transformative impact of empowerment and opportunity.
The Ba-Ikhtiar Project continues to stand as a beacon of empowerment. Through this initiative, participants have gained critical skills, including digital literacy, financial management, business development, and e-commerce. These tools have enabled them to build thriving businesses and fundamentally transform their lives.

The event reaffirmed the commitment of PTCL Group and PPAF, along with partners, National Rural Support Program (NRSP), U Microfinance Bank (U Bank) and Daraz to expanding the reach of the Ba-Ikhtiar Project, introducing additional skill-building initiatives, and creating broader opportunities for women across Pakistan. Both organizations envision a future where every woman has the tools, confidence, and support to thrive, fostering resilience and enabling communities to flourish.

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Under “Ba-Ikhtiar”, PTCL Group distributed smartphones with pre-loaded SIM cards, provided one-year free data packages and facilitated the setup of UPaisa mobile wallets in collaboration with U Microfinance Bank (UBank). In the second phase, the Group will facilitate digital marketing and financial trainings to empower participants to unlock new opportunities online.

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Recognizing the critical role technical proficiency plays in entrepreneurial success, the “Ba-Ikhtiar” program equips women entrepreneurs with the requisite knowledge and skills through comprehensive training sessions in financial management and digital marketing. Through these training sessions, PTCL Groups strives to empower women to confidently navigate the digital landscape and promote their businesses online, leading to an expanded customer base.

Speaking about the initiative, Syed Atif Raza, Chief Marketing Officer, PTCL & Ufone 4G, stated, “At PTCL Group, we passionately believe that innovation is the cornerstone of social progress. Our vision extends beyond providing connectivity solutions. We actively forge strategic partnerships, like the one with PPAF, NRSP and UBank, to invest in long-term development.

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The Ba-Ikhtiar program exemplifies this commitment. We are deeply invested in empowering women entrepreneurs by equipping them with the tools and resources they need to thrive. By fostering their success, the Group contributes directly to Pakistan’s overall social and economic well-being.”

Emphasizing the need to empower young women, especially those belonging to marginalized areas, CEO of PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech, stated, “embracing digital technology is essential for women to unlock a world of opportunities and drive their personal and professional growth. By providing digital literacy training to aspiring female entrepreneurs in Haripur, PPAF is playing a crucial role in enhancing their marketing skills and amplifying businesses on digital platforms, stimulating a movement towards greater inclusivity and prosperity.”

By implementing these strategic initiatives, PTCL Group positions itself as a catalyst for propelling women’s economic empowerment, fostering a more equitable and prosperous future for Pakistan.

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Group Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO), PTCL Group, Adnan Anjum and Chief Operating Officer (COO), PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech signed the agreement at a ceremony held at Ufone Tower, Islamabad, in presence of senior officials from both organizations. This public-private partnership project will enable and up-skill women entrepreneurs to drive their businesses towards sustainable growth and resiliency.

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The year-long, pilot project will be implemented across four union councils and ten villages in the Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under which one hundred women entrepreneurs will be trained. The partnering institutions will implement a two-week training module using a standardized high-impact curriculum, focusing on digital literacy, business skills, and life skills that will come in handy in driving fledgling and small-scale businesses towards success and sustainable growth.

PTCL will allocate a physical space which will serve as a digitally enabled Hub with access to basic facilities like Internet and training spaces as a central venue for the training sessions. In addition to this Ufone will be providing smartphones with registered SIMs and data packages for the one-year project to ensure their full participation. PPAF will lead the identification and selection process of the women entrepreneurs leveraging its existing presence at community level through partner organizations already engaged in diverse development initiatives. PPAF will also contribute to the overall cost of the project on equity basis.

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Speaking at the signing ceremony, Group Chief Commercial Officer, PTCL & Ufone, Adnan Anjum said: “No nation can achieve economic growth and progress without including half of its population; that is why diversity and inclusion are core themes in PTCL’s business philosophy. I am glad that PTCL and PPAF are joining hands to enable and empower women entrepreneurs to leverage digital technology and access to finance to grow their businesses. PTCL and PPAF share the vision for inclusive growth at the grassroots level because we believe it will translate into a broad-based economic transformation at the macro level.”

Also sharing his thoughts, COO, PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech said: “We are glad to collaborate with PTCL for enabling and equipping one hundred up-and-coming small-scale businesses in District Haripur under our joint pilot and PTCL’s onboarding will be a game changer because of the project’s increased dependency on the internet and digital technology. PPAF has been working to foster economic growth and poverty alleviation across the country and we believe that initiatives like this will go a long way in ensuring inclusive economic growth. We look forward to nurturing our partnerships with other organizations like PTCL for enhancing opportunities for the underserved especially the rural women across the country”.

PTCL and PPAF will onboard more technical and strategic partners to add value to this pilot project, which is expected to produce an extraordinarily replicable model in women’s gender inclusion and women empowerment.

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