ISLAMABAD: The federal government has assured Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of full support for digitalisation and the development of IT infrastructure in the province, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Wednesday.
A high-level meeting on the Digital Master Plan and the National Digital Commission was held at Governor House Peshawar. The meeting was co-chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Federal Additional Secretary Ministry of IT Rafique Ahmed Buriro, Pakistan Digital Authority Chairman Dr Sohail, Pakistan Software Export Board CEO Faisal Jaidi, Ignite CEO Bilal Abbasi, Advisor on Science and IT Usman Saifullah, KP Chief Secretary Dr Fakhar Alam Irfan, IT Secretary Nisar Ahmed and other senior officials of the federal IT ministry and the provincial government attended the meeting.
During the session, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and PDA Chairman Dr Sohail gave a detailed briefing on the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative and the National Digital Master Plan.
They said that, under the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Digital Pakistan vision, all provinces were being linked with a central digital infrastructure. The system is aimed at providing citizens economic, social and developmental facilities through a one-window arrangement.
According to the briefing, the digital ecosystem is expected to improve service delivery in business, health, education and other important sectors.
The meeting was informed that all four provinces have been given representation in the National Digital Commission. It was further stated that 500 digital platforms being managed by the federal government are currently functional across the country, including 150 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The federal IT minister assured complete cooperation by the federal government in resolving issues faced by the IT sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
She said 800,000 youth from the province had already been trained under the DigiSkills Programme. She added that, on the directives of the Prime Minister, special training in Artificial Intelligence, modern digital technology and small business startup development would be provided to the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The minister said the initiative would help young men and women access online employment opportunities from home.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Federal Ministry of IT. He said the federal government’s initiatives would play an important role in economically empowering the youth of the province.
The governor also reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to extending full support for federal initiatives and digital reforms.
Later, Federal Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja visited the National Incubation Center Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Peshawar. She met male and female trainees, asked about their startups, innovative technical projects and training programmes, and appreciated their talent and efforts.
