‘KP is on a journey from terrorism to tourism’

PESHAWAR: A Youth All Parties Conference was held at Pakistan’s first-ever Business Process Outsource (BPO) system, a project of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information and Technology Board (KPITB), with a theme “a journey from terrorism to tourism”.

Advisor to KP Chief Minister on ST&IT Zia Ullah Bangash, Federal Minister Ali Muhammad Khan, renowned American filmmaker and blogger Cynthia D. Richie, MPA Punjab Assembly Seemabia Tahir, Chairman Red Pakistan Farukh Dal attended the event.

Established under the name of “Work Around,” the project aims to create digital job opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and make the workforce more technology-savvy. BPO system provides space to national and international companies to set up their offices in an environment where every facility, with exceptionally high standards, is available to them.

Ziaullah Bangash while addressing the participants of the conference said that youth are the agents of change and source of a nation’s transformation. He added that investing in the nation’s youth will open new avenues of economic stability through digital transformation.

He said the KP government is taking concrete steps to empower the youths and to give a boost to the IT sector in the province. He said the provincial government under Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has launched different projects related to digital transformation and also introduced Business Process Outsource (BPO) industry in the country at the official level.

Ziaullah Bangash informed all the guests about the usefulness of the Work Around and the success of the project. Terming the promotion of tourism as important segment of the priorities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he said efforts were underway to ensure a conducive environment to investors to attract both public and private sector investment to the province.

The promotion of tourism in the province would help bring prosperity and development as the measures being taken would create thousands of new job opportunities.

The KP government is not only focusing on creating employment opportunities by promoting tourism activities but also making efforts to conserve the natural beauty of tourist spots by promoting ecotourism in the province, he said.

In view of the success of the Work Around project at KPITB and the interest of domestic and international investors in this facility, the project is being extended to other districts of the province. The project, while providing employment opportunities to hundreds of youths in the province, is encouraging foreign investment in the province, Ziaullah Bangash said.

Cynthia D. Ritchie and Seemabia Tahir also lauded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board's project Work Around and other projects launched for the training of youths, saying that other provinces should also take similar steps. Seemabia Tahir termed the Work Around project as an important project for the development of the youths and IT sector of the country.