#Coca-Cola to support Karachi Literature Festival (#KLF) for second consecutive year

#Coca-Cola to support Karachi Literature Festival (#KLF) for second consecutive year

Karachi, February 06, 2014: Coca-Cola Pakistan has signed an agreement with the organizers of the Karachi Literature Festival whereby the Company will be supporting the prestigious Festival again this year, after its sponsorship support to KLF in 2013. The highlight of the sponsorship package is the Coca-Cola Karachi Literature Festival Prize for the Best Non-fiction Work in English in 2013 by a Pakistani author, with an enhanced value over last year. Honorariums will also be given to the 3 judges of this Prize.  

Speaking about the Company’s support to KLF, General Manager of Coca-Cola Pakistan, Rizwan U. Khan stated, “The Karachi Literature Festival is a beacon of enlightenment in the unsettled times we are living in, and we at Coca-Cola deem it both a duty and an honour  to extend support to this great initiative. It has always been our policy to extend support to such events that aim to inspire people, spread education and knowledge and work towards creating harmony and understanding in society.”

In 2013 the KLF Coca-Cola Award for the Best Non-Fiction Work by a Pakistani author was won by Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed for his book, The Punjab, Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed. This year the 3 works short-listed for the Prize are Thistle and the Drone by Akbar S. Ahmed, Pakistan’s Experience with Formal Law by Osama Siddique and   by Babar Ayaz. The winner of the Prize will be announced at the opening ceremony of the KLF scheduled for Friday, February 07, 2014. The Festival 2014 will run from February 7 to 9 and expects to attract about 50,000 visitors. Keynote speakers will include Robert Fisk, Rajmohan Gandhi and Raza Ali Abidi.

Coca-Cola has an extensive corporate social responsibility programme in Pakistan with focus areas being the environment, education, livelihood creation, women empowerment and youth development. Beneficiaries of its support include outstanding individuals in diverse fields as well as various organizations and institutions working for the socio-economic uplift of communities.

The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitamin water, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

Media Contacts (Karachi):

Khurram Zia Khan or Afsar Khan - Ph: 35867576 – 35837674