An evening of celebrities galore and one of the most outstanding events presented at the Governor House. It was attended by the who’s who of showbiz and other industries.

Dawood Global Foundation and UNDP co-hosted the 9th LADIESFUND UNDP Sustainability Powerhouse at the Acton House Gardens, Runnymede British Deputy High Commission Karachi. The event centred around UNSDG Goal #17 Partnerships for the Goals, by bringing together powerful dynamic men and women across sectors to meet, network and find ways to connect and support each other for the achievement of People, Planet and Prosperity.  

The British Deputy Head of Mission Martin Dawson warmly welcomed guests and shared insights about the Deputy High Commission’s 15 years of collaboration with the LADIESFUND and his own personal three-year journey and relationship with it.

LADIESFUND President Tara Uzra Dawood welcomed guests, giving a powerful speech about Pakistan’s legacy of being natural recyclers and upcyclers and wanted to work with UNDP and other developmental agencies to not only train people in traditional sustainability, regenerative sustainability, solar but also to take trainings to other countries.

Rida Amjad Malik, UNDP representative, spoke about UNDP’s recent collaboration with Dawood Global Foundation for green skills trainings of 1200 youth in Interior Sindh, and their long-standing partnership with LADIESFUND since 2015’s Educate a Girl Climate, where 400 female journalists were trained in Climate Journalism.

Sarmad Khan, formerly of UNDP, who had flown from New York City just for the event, spoke about being tasked by UN Secretary General to spearhead the implementation of the UNSDGs. He emphasized, “Goal 17 serves as the cornerstone of sustainable development, fostering collaboration among governments, the private sector, and civil society to achieve the global objectives.”

Jaweria Ali spoke about being a news anchor today with roots as an Educate a Girl scholarship girl. Senator Nasreen Jalil won the Best Dressed award for the Eco Glamour dress code, wearing a stunning block print sari. The funds generated from this event will be utilized towards the charitable efforts of DGF for women advancement with intended focus on Educate a Girl.

Oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected officials and governing body members of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi was held at their auditorium. The event was graced by the presence of several distinguished guests, including the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah; Sindh’s Minister of Culture, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah; Commissioner Karachi, Syed Hassan Naqvi and consul generals were present at the ceremony. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah congratulated the newly elected body, emphasizing that the success of Muhammad Ahmed Shah and his team since 2008 has been remarkable. It is a significant achievement that 450 artists from around the world performed in Karachi for the World Culture Festival. President Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, Muhammad Ahmed Shah said, “we have maintained democratic traditions and given the right to elect to the common public.” He acknowledged that all these successes have been made possible by the Sindh government, and especially the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, who plays a pivotal role. Syed Murad Ali Shah is the backbone of this initiative. This year, programmes will include governance, economics, and environmental issues. Nobel Laureates will also visit the Arts Council, and artists from Italy, France, and Spain will be invited to the Arts Council. He added that the World Culture Festival Summit will commence on November 6, and the World Culture Festival in November 2025 will be a global-scale event.