F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday said the entire nation was highly indebted to the KP police which was fighting against the terrorists with bravery and valour.
“You are God’s chosen group who are fighting for the State’s security, the martyrs deserve paradise while the opponent group is destined to be the hell forever,” he said while addressing the officials of KP Police at ‘Police Darbar’. He said the security forces always fought fearlessly with the terrorists, keeping in mind Allah’s promise that those who were on the right path, would never get afraid of the enemy.
“The war you are fighting is morally correct : you should do your duty with utmost belief, courage and confidence,” he remarked. Paying tributes to Shaheed Siffat and Shaheed Malik Saad, the prime minister said that they were the assets of the KP Police. Recalling the barbarism by the terrorists in APS incident in Peshawar some years back, the prime minister said the cruelty of the terrorists who targeted innocent children would never be forgotten.
He said death was the ultimate reality which might occur to anyone, any time, so there was no need to be afraid. “Every attack from the terrorists will be responded with more power and in a ferocious manner.” Strongly condemning the miscreants, the prime minister asserted that he would continue to raise his voice against them till the last moment of his life. “They are cowardice and shameless, they have no courage to fight from the front and always fight from behind the doors,” he added.
He pointed out the terrorists were hampering the process of development and prosperity of country. He said they were not worthy to be sympathized in any manner. “They are cowards, cruel, senseless and shameless.” Prime Minister Kakar said no one knew the names of terrorists who had been killed but the martyrs’ names would be remembered for long time.
He said terrorists had initiated a war with the State on their own choice but the end result would not be according to their wishes. “The state is going to win this war, it will take some time but we are destined to win it because we are on the right path. Allah Almighty also helps those who are on the right path,” he asserted.
PM Kakar said : “We will have to fight with wisdom and proper strategy”. He vowed to take the fight against terrorism in the country to the logical end. The prime minister also announced to look into the issue and demands of KP Police.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Inspector General Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said the provinces of KP and Balochistan had been under the war against terrorism for decades. He said the KP police was bravely fighting with the terrorists in the province and had rendered numerous sacrifices in the war against the terrorism.
He said the KP police was committed to uprooting the menace of terrorism and eliminating other crimes. He said the security personnel were fighting bravely against the terrorists by putting their lives at risks. He also sought financial help from the federal and provincial governments to equip the police with state-of-the-art weapons and facilities.
PM for harnessing true IT potential through HR training, enabling environment: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said that with a focus on training of human resources as per contemporary requirements, enabling environment and imbibing the spirit of entrepreneurship in the youth, the true potential of Pakistan’s IT sector could be harnessed.
“This will turn around and uplift our economy in the short to medium term, Inshallah… I assure you of the government’s full support to help you explore the untapped potential in Pakistan’s IT sector,” he said addressing a Tech Destination Pakistan event which featured the launch of E-Rozgar Centers in the country.
He said the government through its Digital Policy envisioned bringing economic prosperity and citizen empowerment through digital transformation as it was working on the vision of “Digital Pakistan” through multiple cross-sectoral digital transformation initiatives. He said the government was taking every step possible to facilitate the IT sector by creating an enabling environment and an ecosystem through a broad range of legislative, policy, regulatory and operational initiatives with a focus on inclusion to help reap full benefits of digitalization.
He said the IT sector was the government’s focus for achieving a sustainable economic development and realize the full potential of technological advancement. The prime minister said that Pakistan had experienced significant growth in the information and communication technology sector in recent years. The country’s ICT industry has become an important contributor to the economy, generating revenue, attracting FDI and creating jobs, he added.
“We are exporting IT and IT-enabled services to more than 190 countries. Our IT industry is an integral part of the knowledge economy thereby earning its repute as a leading offshore outsourcing destination through innovation, availability of talent, government incentives and other initiatives for the IT sector. With over 90% Tele-density, Pakistan was recently ranked as the 2nd most financially attractive destination in the world for offshore outsourcing of IT and IT enabled Services (ITeS). Pakistan was also ranked as the third most popular country for freelancing,” he said.
Prime Minister Kakar said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and its various committees had already started to deliver and perform their role in an active manner. “Among other priority sectors, the inclusion of IT Sector under the umbrella of SIFC demonstrates the commitment of our government to further promoting the ICT industry, ” he added.
“We believe that the development of IT sector will bring huge benefits to the nation. It will help in creating more employment opportunities, increase revenues, lift service sector exports and boost foreign reserves.” He said that Pakistan with its talented and skilled human resource base, digital infrastructure, entrepreneurial spirit, and vision to digital transformation was all set to become a knowledge-based economy.
The prime minister told the gathering of diplomats, civil and military officers, industry leaders, freelancers and entrepreneurs that Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) had increased the number of Software Technology Parks (STPs) from eight across Pakistan to 30 now. “We are in the process of establishing another 40 Software Technology Parks in the smaller cities across Pakistan,” he added.
Highlighting the milestones achieved by the government, he mentioned 50% foreign exchange retention, up-skilling and re-skilling of 100,000 individuals, centralized test for IT students, establishment of 10,000 Pakistan E-Rozgar Centers, Pakistan Startup Fund, approval of Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP), approval of Telecom Infrastructure Sharing Framework, Establishment of Telecom Appellate Tribunal, and National Space Policy.
He said the government’s efforts were leading Pakistan to emerge as one of top online gig markets, with freelancers contributing from remote areas.
“The establishment of E-Rozgaar/Co-working centers across Pakistan, supported by interest-free loans and assistance in training costs, aims to enhance partner capacities. This initiative aims to create an ecosystem where talented individuals can thrive.
These spaces will not only serve as physical locations for work but also as hubs for knowledge exchange, skill development, and networking,” he remarked. In his address, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Dr Umar Saif said the event was the continuation of the journey initiated six months ago under the Tech Destination initiative.
