Fozia Azam

Federal Minister for Information and Technology and Telecommunications Syed Amin Ul Haque said the government is determined to close the digital divide between the country's urban and rural areas. Speaking at the opening ceremony of Pakistan-ITU Digital Inclusion Week 2022, he said effective steps are being taken for digitalization in the country, and the IT ministry is taking every possible step for a brighter digital future.

The two-day event aims to increase awareness of how crucial it is to mainstream digital inclusion in Pakistan to close the country's digital gap, especially among those who are most at risk, such as girls, children, and persons with disabilities. Amin expressed his gratitude to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for supporting Pakistan in particular as well as all other countries worldwide in the fields of women's empowerment, ICT accessibility, and child online protection.

He said empowering women is the government's main goal and actions are being taken to give young people digital skills. He added the ministry's ICT for Girls Project is a significant effort to empower women. He pointed out that what was formerly thought of as the technology of the future—artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, mobile robots, and many more—has now become a need thanks to the digital revolution. According to him, several initiatives are being worked on to provide telecom services in remote corners of the country.

He said the National ICT Council for Persons with Disabilities was established by the IT ministry with the goal of assisting individuals with disabilities and making them contributing members. He stated that it is crucial for ITU member nations to cooperate when it comes to digital transformation. The Pakistan-ITU Digital Inclusion Week event will highlight three key initiatives: Girls in ICT Day Pakistan, Accessible Cybercafé for All, and Child Online Protection.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk