IT can fulfill SDGs on hunger eradication, education: FM

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the government is constantly striving to improve the people s quality of life and economic well-being by ensuring availability of accessible, affordable, reliable and high quality digital services. Addressing a ceremony here on Thursday, he said our government firmly believes in mass
adoption of emerging digital technologies and innovative applications to ensure crosssectoral socio economic development and transformation of governance model, social interaction and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan was one of the first countries to endorse the SDGs. He said our long term development agenda and provincial development strategies are aligned with the SDGs. In his remarks on the occasion, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin ul Haque said all preparations have been completed for the auction of next generation mobile services spectrum next month. He said this will
bring billions of rupees to the national exchequer.
Qureshi said inclusion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 in Pakistan’s national development agenda was reflective of its political commitment to ensure an across-the-board uplift of its people.
Addressing at the launch of 4G broadband services in the Multan and Khanewal districts, the foreign minister said Pakistan in pursuance of SDGs had adopted certain areas on priority basis including hunger eradication, health and fitness, quality education and
economic growth.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) under the Ministry of Information Technology awarded a contract Rs 154 million to Jazz for providing high-speed mobile broadband services in Multan and Khanewal districts of Southern Punjab. The foreign minister said information communication technologies (ICT) and global connectivity were important to enhance human development, eliminate digital divide and build knowledge societies.
Qureshi said promotion of ICT could prove helpful in poverty alleviation by making markets digitally accessible for farmers and improve food security. He said the efficient use of information communication technology was an effective measure to combat the COVID-19 situation by raising awareness campaigns through mobile networks, data collection and analysis, epidemic geo-fencing, and vaccination records.
He recalled that during the coronavirus pandemic, the government gave away Rs. 203 billion to 15 million poor families through digital cash system under the Ehsaas Emergency
Programme.
The foreign minister said ICT could help achieve the SDG in education sector by opening up avenues of knowledge for students in remote areas with limited resources. In this regard, he  mentioned the e-education portal set up by the Ministry of Education for distant learning.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Federal Minister for Information Syed Amin Ul Haque witness the signing of contract of the launch of 4G broadband services in Multan and
Khanewal districts, here at the ceremony held in Islamabad. Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque said his ministry through USF had contracted projects