Pakistan

Karachi: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye has announced “The Heritage Table” as the official theme for Turkish Cuisine Week 2026, celebrating the cultural stories, traditions, and shared memories preserved through Turkish cuisine. Turkish Cuisine Week will be observed from May 21 to 27, 2026 across Türkiye and at Turkish diplomatic missions and cultural centers worldwide under the patronage of First Lady Emine Erdoğan. The annual event showcases Türkiye’s rich culinary heritage and its role in connecting people and cultures. This year’s theme presents Turkish cuisine as more than just food, highlighting it as a living cultural heritage shaped over centuries through migration, traditions, rituals, and communal dining experiences. Planned activities during the week include chef collaborations, traditional cooking demonstrations, communal dining events, and presentations of historic recipes and culinary techniques. On the occasion of Turkish Cuisine Week, İrfan Neziroğlu hosted a special dinner featuring traditional Turkish dishes at the Turkish Embassy Residence on May 20, 2026. Speaking at the event, Ambassador Neziroğlu said Turkish Cuisine Week provides an opportunity to share the spirit of Turkish hospitality and cultural heritage with the people of Pakistan. He noted that this year marks the fifth global celebration of Turkish Cuisine Week. He further stated that the Turkish dining table, or “sofra,” symbolizes togetherness and reflects the warmth of Turkish hospitality while emphasizing the healthy, traditional, and zero-waste nature of Turkish cuisine. Featured dishes for this year’s celebrations include Mantı, Tandır, Dolma, Baklava, and Helva, each representing different aspects of Türkiye’s culinary identity and cultural storytelling. Tourism and cultural officials stated that Turkish Cuisine Week continues to strengthen cultural exchange and promote Türkiye’s rich gastronomic traditions to audiences around the world through events hosted internationally.

Karachi (May 22, 2026): The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that it will remain closed from Tuesday, 26th May to Thursday, 28th May 2026, on account of public holidays for Eid-ul-Adha. Read More: https://theboardroompk.com/chief-justices-cockroach-taunt-created-a-new-political-force-in-india-cockroach-janta-party/ All banking activities including clearing house operations, inter-bank transactions, and other services at the central bank will be suspended during these three days. Commercial banks across Pakistan are also expected to observe the holidays in line with the SBP announcement. Customers are advised to complete their essential banking transactions before the closure. Normal operations will resume on Friday, 29th May 2026.

Karachi, May 22, 2026 – Karandaaz Pakistan has formalised a partnership with Tapsys under its Raast Merchant Onboarding & Facilitating Entities (RMOFE) programme to support digital payment adoption among up to 10,000 micro and small merchants across Pakistan. The partnership will focus on merchant onboarding, activation, and the use of smart soundbox technology to provide real-time audio transaction confirmation in local languages. The initiative is designed to address practical barriers that continue to limit digital payment usage at the grassroots level, including limited familiarity with digital tools and the need for instant, reliable payment confirmation in busy retail environments. Through this collaboration, Karandaaz and Tapsys aim to support the shift from digital payment infrastructure to active merchant-level usage, particularly in underserved markets. Tapsys, a digital payments enablement company with an operational presence across 85 cities, specialises in expanding merchant acceptance in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. Under the partnership, the company will deploy its on-ground expertise and PayApp platform to support Raast-enabled merchant payments. Commenting on the partnership, Waqas ul Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of Karandaaz Pakistan, said:“Micro and small merchants are central to Pakistan’s transition towards a more inclusive digital economy. Through the RMOFE programme, Karandaaz is focused on supporting practical, market-facing solutions that move digital payments beyond infrastructure and into everyday business use. Our partnership with Tapsys is aligned with the national vision for a Cashless Pakistan and aims to address the trust and usability barriers that limit adoption at the merchant level. By enabling locally relevant tools such as real-time payment confirmation, we hope to support wider acceptance of digital financial services in underserved markets where the need and potential impact are significant.” Highlighting the importance of simple and locally relevant payment tools for small merchants, Karim Jindani, Chief Executive Officer of Tapsys, said: “Our mission is to simplify digital payments for the segments that have traditionally been left behind. By integrating Raast payments with smart soundbox technology, we are giving micro-merchants the confidence to transition away from cash. This partnership with Karandaaz allows us to scale our PayApp platform and on-ground expertise, ensuring that digital financial empowerment is not restricted to major urban centres but becomes a nationwide reality.” The partnership reinforces Karandaaz’s focus on supporting innovations that respond to real-world adoption challenges and contribute to more inclusive digital financial growth across Pakistan.

Islamabad, May 22, 2026: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Pakistan’s leading integrated information and communication technology (ICT) company, has entered a strategic partnership with Mercantile Pakistan, the authorised distributor & service provider of Apple products in Pakistan. In pursuance of the partnership, PTCL will facilitate customer access to Apple MacBook Neo through its established digital channels: Flash Fiber Website, and dedicated support helpline. A structured incentive framework supports the initiative, in which customers will receive vouchers worth PKR 30,000. Additionally, subscribers of PTCL’s Flash Fiber will benefit from a complimentary 100 Mbps internet bolt-on, valid for a period of twelve months. This collaboration represents a significant step in the ongoing efforts of both organisations to advance the accessibility of premium tech products within Pakistan’s rapidly evolving digital marketplace. PTCL and Mercantile Pakistan remain committed to identifying opportunities that generate meaningful value for their respective customer bases and contribute to the broader development of Pakistan’s digital economy. Commenting on the development, Amad Khan, VP Wireline, PTCL, said, “PTCL’s digital platforms have consistently served as an effective vehicle for delivering value-added propositions to our customers, and this collaboration with Mercantile Pakistan is a further expression of that capability. Enabling access to Apple MacBook Neo through our channels addresses a genuine demand among our customer base for the latest products delivered through a trusted medium.” Endorsing the partnership, Chief Executive Officer, Mercantile Pakistan, Nauman Durrani said, “Mercantile Pakistan has long been committed to expanding the reach of Apple’s technology within the country, and our partnership with PTCL provides a well-established channel to fulfil that objective. PTCL’s extensive customer base and digital infrastructure make it an ideal partner, and we are confident that this association will yield tangible outcomes for consumers who seek access to best-in-class personal computing solutions.” The alliance with Mercantile Pakistan further consolidates PTCL’s positioning as an integrated technology and digital solutions provider, extending its role beyond telecommunications infrastructure to encompass broader digital lifestyle enablement.