Promotion of IT can fulfil SDGs on hunger eradication, education: FM

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said inclusion of 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 the launch of 4G broadband services in 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 Rs154 million to Jazz for providing high-speed mobile broadband services in Multan and Khanewal districts of Southern Punjab. The 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 Rs203 billion to 15 million poor families through digital cash system under the Ehsaas Emergency Programme.