PESHAWAR: Education minister Mohammad Atif on Thursday said the government had achieved 80 percent of its targets in different sectors and had initiated an early age programme in 30 schools, which would be extended to 300 schools in the province.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the 2018 Digital Youth Summit (DYS) held in collaboration with Jazz, World Bank and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB), at a local hotel.

The event was held to bring together the next generation of digital innovators in the province and to attract three key audiences, including tech industry leaders from Pakistan and abroad, the nascent startup community, and young people looking to network, learn and be inspired. The event was attended by the people from the private sector, investors, government, civil society, youth groups and academia.

Digital Youth Summit held in Peshawar

The minister said the first-ever tech university of the province in Haripur was in the pipeline which would greatly help the people.

He said digital labs had been set up in 1,340 government schools in KP to impart quality education to the new generation.

The minister said the government had planned many schemes for the youths, who were 60 percent of the country’s population, and it would materialise all commitments if the PTI got another chance to rule the province.

The event was also addressed by KP IT Board managing director Shahbaz Khan, World Bank country manager Melinda Good, Jazz chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer Ali Naseer, who said the summit was held every year with local and international digital entrepreneurs, technologists, companies and investors in order to share knowledge and experience.

They said there were several panel discussions at the event, along with workshops for practical tips and training in areas like Android development, block chain, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Dr Shahbaz said KP had embarked on a digital journey and was making every possible effort to capitalize on the opportunities presented through the digital economy.

“We are investing in digital skills and the required infrastructure to pave way for a Digital KP. The government has adopted a strategy that focuses on policy reforms and proposes a clear road map in the form of initiatives to support this strategy,” he said.

Melinda Good said the market for digital entrepreneurship was a multibillion dollar industry, which was growing at a rapid rate, and that it was thirsty for young talent.

“With creativity and passion, you can be at the forefront of social and economic change. I hope you will be in the driver’s seat of this exciting future,” she said.

Ali Naseer said as the leading digital company, Jazz was willing to play an integral role in shaping Pakistan’s digital future.

“Our support of the KPITB’s aim to promote digital entrepreneurship in the region is not new, as last year, we signed a MoU with them to support the execution of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s digital initiatives. Under this partnership, Jazz will not only support the Digital Youth Summit, but also proliferate the benefits of connectivity and digital enablement by empowering youth through technology, digital skills and literacy,” he said.

Mr Ali Naseer said under KP’s Youth Employment Programme, Jazz would build basic knowledge and understanding of the mobile internet by partnering with the digital skills training toolkit in KP.

He said the initiative was meant to proliferate the benefits of connectivity and digital enablement to 40,000 youths in two years.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2018