Nation highly indebted to security forces for fearlessly fighting against terrorism: Kakar
PESHAWAR_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 on 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.
Meanwhile,
PM for achieving true IT potential through HR training, enabling environment,
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday said that with a focus on training of human resource as per contemporary needs, enabling environment and by imbibing the spirit of entrepreneurship in the youth, the true potential of Pakistan’s IT sector could be achieved.
“This will turn-around and uplift our economy in 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 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 the 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.
“We believe that 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 establishment of 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 the 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 started six months ago under the Tech Destination initiative. He said the government was well on its way to achieve the goals as substantial work had been done in this regard.
He said the government, under the SIFC, some radical steps had been taken to facilitate the IT firms which helped increase IT revenue by 13 percent during last month.
He called for promotion of specialized and globally competitive skills to make the youths immediately employable by the IT firms after their graduation.
He said the 65 E-Rozgar centers were already working in Punjab which had so far trained 80,000 people.“Over 2,200 Missing Persons Recovered in Balochistan, Claims Caretaker Information Minister”
He said in order to scale up the program, 10,000 E-Rozgar Centers would be opened in the country which would also be given the status of Special Technology Zones to make them enjoy tax exemptions.
He told the gathering that starting from February, the government would launch a pilot project initially to enable 10,000 freelancers receive funds from PayPal which would be expanded later on.
Federal IT Secretary Hassan Nasir Jami said within the short span of time, the IT ministry had introduced multiple initiatives to enhance IT exports and facilitate the freelancers.
He said the IT ministry was committed to developing an IT ecosystem and called upon entrepreneurs, students and developers to take advantages of opportunities available.
