ISLAMABAD, January 30 (INP): Senator Dr Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Imran Khan on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation spoke at the apex level event with heads of ministries and agencies of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Poverty Alleviation, Gwadar Pro reported on Sunday. Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, Republic of Uzbekistan hosted the virtual event in Tashkent. Speaking at the event, Dr Sania Nishtar thanked the SCO secretariat for encouraging all the members for cooperation in poverty alleviation as it was outlined in the Action Plan for 2021-2025 for the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy until 2025.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech at the meeting of Head of States of SCO which was held in June 2019 in Bishkek articulated his eight-point agenda.

This included a proposal to narrow the research-policy gap through the establishment of a leading knowledge center for poverty reduction within the SCO framework”, she highlighted at the SCO meeting. Further, she reiterated: “There is an urgent need to establish a permanent mechanism for regular exchange of experiences and information on the applied innovative measures aimed at poverty alleviation.” Later, Dr Sania Nishtar reflected on Pakistan’s experience in poverty alleviation. She remarked: “In Pakistan, poverty alleviation is a top priority of our government.

There are multiple programmes in Ehsaas for 16 target groups, and each programme is aligned with a certain quantifiable goal and 292 initiatives and policies which support these programmes.” The apex event discussed regional approaches to poverty alleviation in the SCO member states. Speakers reviewed a wide range of issues on the state and prospects of development of the SCO member state’s cooperation in poverty alleviation. The event was attended by heads and representatives of the ministries and agencies of the SCO member states on poverty alleviation, as well as representatives of SCO Secretariat.

INP/Javed