KP, federal govt agree to expand digital opportunities for youth

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi and Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the digital sector, expand IT infrastructure and create more employment opportunities for the youth and women of the province.
The understanding was reached during a meeting jointly chaired by the governor and federal minister at Governor House, Peshawar, to discuss the Digital Master Plan and the National Digital Commission.
The meeting was attended by the Adviser to the Chief Minister on Science and Information Technology Usman Saifullah, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhr Alam Irfan, Secretary Science and Information Technology Nisar Ahmed and other relevant federal and provincial officials. Participants were given a detailed briefing on Digital Nation Pakistan and the National Digital Master Plan. They were informed that all four provinces had representation in the National Digital Commission, while 500 digital platforms were operational across the country under the federal government’s initiatives. Of these, 150 digital platforms were currently functioning in KP.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said digitalisation had become an essential requirement of the modern era, adding that KP had a significant share in Pakistan’s young population. He stressed the need to channel the potential and energy of young people towards positive and productive activities.
He said the government wanted to equip youth and women with modern IT skills to enable them to achieve economic independence. He urged the federal government to provide greater opportunities to the youth of the province under its IT training programmes.
The governor said special initiatives would be undertaken for the province’s youth in collaboration with the federal government, while the provincial IT department would maintain close coordination with the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications.
Highlighting the achievements of the KP Information Technology Board (KPITB), he said the province had made significant progress in digitalisation and expressed the desire to establish more IT parks with federal government support.
He added that such facilities would provide modern training opportunities to young people, particularly women, and help empower them economically.
Kundi said the development of the province’s youth and equipping them with skills in line with modern requirements remained among the government’s top priorities. He also highlighted the province’s efforts to transform its image from one associated with terrorism to a destination for tourism, stressing the need to project a positive image of KP.