October - DECEMBER 2019 SDC Special Bulletin Vol 26. No. 6 · SDC Special Bulletin Vol 26. No. 6...

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Vol 26. No. 6Vol 26. No. 6Vol 26. No. 6SDC Special BulletinSDC Special BulletinSDC Special Bulletin

October - DECEMBER 2019

in aSustainable D evelopment

Digital SocietyI s l a m a b a d2 - 5 December 2019

ContentsIntroduction ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................3

Acknowledgments

SDC2019InauguralPlenaryatthePresidency .....................................................................................................................................................4

WorldBankDinnerPlenary-BetterBusinessRegulatoryEnvironment:WayForwardforPakistan............................................7

IntroductoryPlenary-SustainableDevelopmentinaDigitalSociety..........................................................................................................9

A1: ManagingourWater:CollectiveActionintheDigitalAge.................................................................................................................12

A2: YouthandPeaceBuildingintheDigitalAge............................................................................................................................................14

A3: EmergingTechnologiesandRegionalStability ......................................................................................................................................17

A4: TechnologyandLabourMarket:PreparingPakistanfortheFuture ............................................................................................20

A5: ScopeofQualityEducationinaDigitalSociety......................................................................................................................................22

A6: WomenEntrepreneursinaDigitalSociety..............................................................................................................................................24

A7: StrengtheningtheUseofEvidenceinPolicyMakingforDevelopmentImpact.......................................................................27

A8: Roundtable-AirPollution:AddressingDataChallengesandtheWayForward.....................................................................29

Engro-SDPIDinnerPlenary-RenewableEnergyReformsinPakistan:AnAppraisal ........................................................................33

B1: DigitalizingInclusionandSocialProtectioninPakistan....................................................................................................................35

B2: EcologicalTransitiontoSustainableSocietiesinaDigitalEra:CPECPerspective .................................................................38

B3: GovernanceandAccountabilityofStateInstitutionsandOf�icialsinaDigitalisedWorld:CaseofPakistan..............41

B4: ManagingMentalHealthinaDigitalSociety...........................................................................................................................................44

B5: TowardsaDigital-readyWorkforce ............................................................................................................................................................48

B6: CyberSecurityandCyberCrimeinaDigitalSociety ...........................................................................................................................50

B7: OpeningupSpacesforTransgenderCommunityinaDigitalEra..................................................................................................53

B8: GoverningPakistanWaterEconomyinthe21stCentury .................................................................................................................55

B9: PromotingRegionalCooperationinSouthAsiaforAchievingSDGs ............................................................................................57

B10: HumanRightsMovementsandDigitalActivism ...................................................................................................................................63

B11: SDGsIntegrationinPakistan:Challenges,OpportunitiesandLearningfromtheRegion...................................................65

B-12: PakistanEconomy:StabilizationwithaHumanFace .........................................................................................................................68

B-13: InnovativeSolutionstowardsDeliveryofSDGs.....................................................................................................................................70

HECDinnerPlenary:PromotingHigherEducationQualitythroughPoliciesandPractices ............................................................72

C1: LeavingNoOneBehindintheSkillsDevelopmentAgendainPakistan......................................................................................74

C2: EcofeminisminSouthAsianLiteratureinaDigitalsociety..............................................................................................................77

C3: DigitalFinancialInclusion:ChallengesandOpportunities...............................................................................................................80

C4: PromisesoftheGraphicHealthWarning(GHW)inTobaccoControlRegimeandthePerilsofTobaccoPandemic:TheWayForward ................................................................................................................................................................................................82

C5: EaseofDoingBusinessinPakistan:ACaseofTaxHarmonization ...............................................................................................85

C6: EndangeredSouthAsianLanguagesinaDigitalAge ..........................................................................................................................87

C7: RoleofWomeninMediainaDigitalSociety...........................................................................................................................................89

C8: AchievingFoodSecurityinDigitalisedWorld ........................................................................................................................................92

ClosingPlenary-LivingLegendsofPakistanPlenary:LifeandWorkofDrSyedBabarAli(OBE)...............................................95

PolicyRecommendations ............................................................................................................................................................................................100

BookBlurb:SDCAnthology........................................................................................................................................................................................107

SDPIStaffGroupPhoto

Acknowledgements

Editedby:UzmaT.HaroonandImranaNiazi

Assistedby:AnamMasood,FatimaKhalid,IfraBaigandTayyabaHanif

Coordinationsupportwithdesigner:AdnanHassanandTayyabaHanif

Noteofthankstotherapporteursforwritingthesessionreportsandtothepanelorganisersfor�inetuningthereportswhererequired.

003 Research & News Bulletin

Introduction

Introduction: The Sustainable Development PolicyInstitute (SDPI) organised its Twenty-secondSustainableDevelopmentConference(SDC)from2–5

December 2019 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The overarchingtheme of this year's Conference was “SustainableDevelopmentinaDigitalSociety”.TheInauguralPlenarywasheldon2December2019atthePresidencywithPresidentH.E.DrArifAlviastheChiefGuest.ThekeynotespeechattheoccasionwasdeliveredbyDrSaniaNishtar,FederalMinisterand Chairperson, Benazir Income Support Programme(BISP).AttheIntroductoryPlenaryon3December2019,MrAsadUmar,MinisterforPlanningandSpecialInitiatives,wastheChiefGuest.Recap of SDC: SDPI's Twenty-second SDC was madepossiblewith support from20donors andpartners; and,panellistsfromnearandfar.From2to5December,SDPI'steamofresearchersorganisedatotalof35sessionsofwhichsixwereplenarysessions;and,29concurrentsessions.The Conference was attended by 223 panellists from 17countries.Apartfrom192fromPakistan,31speakerscamefrom Afghanistan, China, Finland, France, Germany, India,Iran,Italy,Maldives,Nepal,thePhilippines(viaSkype),SriLanka,Thailand(viaSkype),Turkey,theUKandtheUS.Atotal of 150 were male panellists, 69 female and 4transgenderpanellists.Overthespanoffourdays,theConferencewasattendedbyanaudienceofover3,500.Ateamof41internalandexternalrapporteurs was deputed to cover the sessions; whileanotherteamofusherswasalsotrainedtohelpoutduringtheSDC.This special Research & News Bulletin summarizes thediscussion in the sessions during the four days of theConference.Donors of SDC 2019: SDPI is grateful for the supportprovidedbythedonorsandpartnersduringtheSDC.Theyarelistedbelow.1 TheWorldBank2 HighCommissionofCanadatoPakistan3 FriedrichEbertStiftung(FES)4 Deu t s che Ge s e l l s c h a f t f u r I n t e rna t i ona l e

ZusammenarbeitGmbH(GIZ)5 UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)6 MinistryofWaterResources,GovernmentofPakistan7 TheUnitedNationsChildren'sFund(UNICEF)8 International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung

Disease9 UnitedStatesInstituteofPeace(USIP)10 OxfordPolicyManagement(OPM)11 TheUnitedNationsEconomicandSocialCommission

forAsiaandthePaci�ic(UNESCAP)12 InternationalLabourOrganization(ILO)13 EngroEnergyLimited14 PakistanU.SAlumniNetwork15 CommissiononScienceandT e c h n o l o g y f o r

SustainableDevelopmentintheSouth(COMSAT)16 NestlePakistan17 AccountabilityLab18 EmbassyofFrance19 HigherEducationCommission(HEC)20 AllamaIqbalOpenUniversity,Islamabad

SDPI's Twenty-second Sustainable Development ConferenceSustainable Development in a Digital Society

2 – 5 December 2019 Islamabad, Pakistan

Summaryby:UzmaT.Haroon,DirectorSDCUnit

004Research & News Bulletin

Mr ShafqatKakakhelwelcomed the participantsand dignitaries of SDPI's Twenty-secondSustainable Development Conference (SDC) and

briefedthemabouttheoverarchingthemeoftheconference,i.e. “Sustainable development in a Digital Society”.Highlighting the signi�icance of digital revolution, he saidPakistan should bene�it from the opportunity of digitalrevolution while avoiding its negative consequences. Heemphasized upon the role of government in inter-governmental discussions and likely negotiations forpromotinginternationalcooperationondigitalinstruments

andproducts.HefurthersaidthatthereisanurgentneedtostrengthenthecapacitiesoftheGovernmentdepartmentstoutilize the digital technologies. He later requested theGovernmenttocreateaconduciveenvironmentfordigitalentrepreneurshipinPakistan.

WhileintroducingtheplenaryandpanelthemestothePresident,DrAbidQaiyumSulerisaidthattheSDCwillbeholding discussions on the Fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR), arti�icial intelligence and what does it mean by�inancialinclusion,taxation,businessreforms,trade,futureofjobs,womenentrepreneurs,socialprotections,renewableenergy, climate change, air pollution, education, health,youthandpeacebuilding,regionalstability,cybersecurity,food security, media, governance, accountability,transgender community, art and culture, sustainabledevelopment goals, CPEC and use of social media forhighlightingroleofhumanrightsviolationssuchasthoseintheIndianOccupiedKashmir.

He then said that the 4IR like the earlier threerevolutionsisexpectedtobringaboutfundamentalchangein all aspects of society and even within humanrelationships. Dr Suleri drove attention towardspreparedness and fast decisionmaking for countries likePakistanandsaidthatwheresocietiesareyettobesettledeven by the standards of the previous three industrialrevolutions, a shift of this magnitude can cause massive

SDC 2019 Inaugural PlenaryWelcome Address:

Introductory Remarks:

Remarks by:

Keynote Speaker:

Chief Guest:

Plenary Organizers:

Report by:

Mr Shafqat Kakakhel, Former Ambassador, and Chairman Board of Governors, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI)

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Execu�ve Director, SDPI

Mr Haroon Sharif, Former Chairman, Board of Investment (BOI)

Dr Sania Nishtar, Federal Minister and Chairperson, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)

Dr Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan

Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Mr Shahid Minhas, with support from the SDC Unit: Ms Uzma T. Haroon, Ms Imrana *Niazi, Ms Tayyaba Hanif, Ms Amber Tasawwur, Ms Ifra Baig, Ms Anam Masood, and Ms Fa�ma Khalid

Ms Ifra Baig, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


incidentsandharshprocesses.Hementionedthatwithoutdue preparedness and fast decisionmaking, 4IR is highlylikelytoeatupmanyjobs,particularlyinthepublicsectorand make redundant professions and skills which for acountry like Pakistan poses a challenge. He urgedgovernmentalorganizationstocarveoutanationalstrategicaction plan to mitigate risks and facilitate citizens ofPakistan.Itcanproduceevenmoreeconomicvalue,reducewasteandraisethestandardsof�inaloutcome.

DrSaniaNishtarexplainedthattheEhsaasProgrammeis a multi-sector and multi-component programmeencompassing130programmesandpolicy initiatives.Shecontinuedthaton13December2019,ahackathonwouldbeheld in collaboration with the Facebook to create massawareness on the issue of malnutrition. Regarding theutilizationoftechnologyinitsinitiatives,shesaidadigitalonlineeducationsystemthroughmobilephoneswouldbeintroducedtofacilitatethepeopleinfar�lungareas,besidesestablishing agricultural value chains for the farmers.Moreover, she said, the Prime Minister had recently

approvedapolicyunderwhich70millionwomenwouldbetransferredcashassistancethroughtheirmobilewallet.

Former Board of Investment Chairman, Mr HaroonSharif,saiddigitalizationwasatopicrelevanttoeverydaylifeandrequiredeffectivepolicy-makingaddressingitsprosandcons.Hefurthersaidthatthefullbene�itsofthedigitaltransformation will not be realized unless countriescontinue to improve investment in climate, appropriateeducation,healthandpromotegoodgovernance.MrSharifsuggestedthatcountrieswherethesefundamentalsremainweak,digitaltechnologieshavenotboostedproductivityor

reduced inequal i ty. He put forth the fo l lowingrecommendations:

Ÿ Implement telemedicine in public sector healthunits: Deploying technology in the provision ofhealthcare, Pakistan has the potential of rapidlyincreasingthequalityandextentofservicesinfar-�lungareaswhile�inanciallyprovidingtheincentiveof achievingbreakeven in termsof savingswithinmonths.

Ÿ Introducedistancelearning(e-education)inpublicsector educational institutes: This initiative canharmonize curricula while providing world-classlearningopportunitiestostudentsineverycornerofthecountry.

Ÿ Impart digital skills to the workforce: We have aunique opportunity to bridge the digitally skilledmanpowerde�icitcurrentlybeingobservedinmanycountries. With a special focus on China, we canpotentiallyaddanadditionalUSD500-700millionannuallytoourforeignremittances.

Ÿ Improve�inancialinclusionforpeopleatthebottomof the pyramid: A more �inancially inclusiveeconomy can result in a GDP increase of USD 36billion-per-yearandcreationof4millionadditionaljobsby2025.

Ÿ Digitalize agriculture sector: Provision of timelyinformation,sharedeconomyplatformsanddigitalpaymentswillsigni�icantlyuplifttheef�iciencyintheagriculturevaluechain.

Ÿ Enable digital entrepreneurship: Creating specialeconomic zones for IT can create employmentopportunities for an additional 100,000-300,000knowledgeworkersinthecountry.

Ÿ Extendthereachofbroadbandservices:Broadbandis the oxygen of the digital world and quicklyaddressing the supply-side of it can result inincreasingourGDPbyUSD10-15billionperyear.

Ÿ Transform public services through “digitalgovernment”:Thisisaprovenwayofimprovingthedeliveryofpublicserviceswhileat thesametime,increasingtransparencyofthegovernment.

Ÿ · Deploy public cloud and introduce open data:CloudadoptionwilldramaticallyincreasethespeedofICTdeploymentwhilereducingcostandmaking


datamoresecure.

Ÿ Adopt Arti�icial Intelligence (AI) for sustainabledevelopment:Thiscanresult inanadditionalUSD250 million per year by capturing 3-5% of theservicescomponentoftheglobalAImarket.

Ÿ Implementacomprehensivenationalcybersecuritypolicy by adopting a risk-based approach: It isimperative to have a comprehensive yet ef�icientsecuritypolicyfortheprotectionofcriticaldataforthedigitalecosystemto�lourish.

Ÿ Establishanationalcentre forthedevelopmentofblock chain technologies: This new technology isalready improving transparency, reducinginef�icienciesandcurbingpilferageintaxcollection.

Inviewofgearingupforfuturechallenges,H.E.DrArifAlvi said that the Presidential Initiative for Arti�icialIntelligence and Computing had been started to train theyouth to effectively utilize technology for their personalgoodaswellas for thecollective interestof thecountry's

economyandsociety.HementionedtheimportanceofArti�icialIntelligencein

healthcare provision, agriculture, and waste reduction inindustrialandcommercialoperations.Hesuggestedthatthetechnology could revolutionize the agriculture sector byeducating the farmers about the growing seasons, croprequirements, and water and fertilizers needs as perweatherconditions.

ThePresidenturgedtheprivatesector,universitiesandindependentresearcherstobridgethecommunicationgapofpoliciesandimplementationtoenablePakistanfacethecoming revolution con�idently. He stressed the need toimproveteachingstandardstoproducetheeducatedpeople,whowerereallygoodforthecountry'sdevelopment.

The Pres ident emphas ized that susta inabledevelopmentinadigitalageandthepeople'sthinkingwereinter-linked as the digital revolution was impacting thepeople'sdailylives.Knowledge,particularlyinthedomainofhighereducation,hadbeenuploadedtothe'Cloud',giving

* Plenary Organisers are grateful to the team from SDPI's BISP Project, Ms Sajida Iqbal, Ms Ayesha Siddiqa, Mr Adnan Maqbool and Ms Maria Butt, for assisting with the formalities of Inaugural Plenary at the Presidency.

007

Mr ShabihAliMohib startedhis presentationbyhighlighting thekeyelementsofbetterbusinessregulationsinPakistan.Hestatedthatreformsare

nodoubtakeyprocessfortheimprovementofregulatoryprocessinPakistan.Hethenboughtintofocusthreemainareasthatrequiredeffortsforthewayforward,i.e.:

· Howinstitutionscollaboratewitheachother?

· Howinstitutionsarestructuredwithinthemselves?

· Whataretheproceduresthatinstitutionsfollow?He thenmentioned that Pakistan is divided into �ive

different, inconsistent and heterogeneous regulatoryregimesandcollectivelythereare60individualregulatoryauthorities.Healsomentioned that there isnocoherenceand coordination between SECP, FBR, EOBI and BOI. He

Research & News Bulletin

World Bank Dinner Plenary Better Business Regulatory Environment: Way Forward for Pakistan

Chair: Dr Ishrat Hussain, Advisor to the PM for Ins�tu�onal Reforms and Austerity, Government of Pakistan (GoP)

Guest of Honour: Mr Zubair Gillani, Chairman, Board of Investment (BoI), GoP

Special Remarks: Mr Patchamuthu Illangovan, Country Director, The World Bank, Pakistan Office

Presenta�on: Mr Shabih Ali Mohib, Program Leader, Equitable Growth, Finance and Ins�tu�ons, World Bank Group

Dis�nguished Panelists:

1. Ms Huma Fakhir, CEO, MAP Services Group

2. Mr Ahsan Zafar Syed, CEO, Engro Energy Limited, Karachi, Pakistan

Moderator: Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Execu�ve Director, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organizers: Mr Shahbaz Tufail & Ms Mahnoor Arshad, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Syed Mujeeb-Ur-Rehman, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

bene�it to the people not to visit universities or libraries,statedthePresident.

Hestressedthatsinceintellectualracewasontheriseacross theworld, itwas important for Pakistan to join it.Besides some negative aspects, the digital revolution hadmany positive things to contribute in the �ields of health,educationandpovertyalleviation,headded.Referringtotheincumbent Government's initiatives to utilize moderntechnology forpovertyalleviation, thePresident said thatunderits�lagshipanti-povertyprogrammeEhsaas,itwoulddisburse cash grants to the poor women through theirmobilewallets.

The President, further stressed that the sustainable

development must be aimed at addressing the disparitybetweentherichandthepoor,whichrequiredcontributionofboththegovernmentsandthemultinationalcompanies.Thelattershouldberesponsibleforcommunity,clientsandfuture generations and not for their own pro�its alone.PresidentAlvi reiterated thatPakistanwouldalsohave tolookintopossibleimpactsoftheuseofarti�icialintelligenceinthecyberwar.

At the endof the Inaugural Plenary, SDPI's SDC-SAESAnthology titled “Corridors of Knowledge for Peace andDevelopment”waslaunchedandpresentedtothePresidentfollowedbyagroupphotowiththepanellists.Later,SDPI'sstaffmembershadagroupphotowithMrPresident.

008

furtheraddedtothediscussionthatregulationsaretotallydifferent at the federal level and there are new series ofregulationsatprovinciallevel.

MrMohibgaveexampleof a foodprocessor. If a foodprocessorisprocessingsomefoodinoneprovinceandthatfood needs to be supplied to other provinces too, this issimplyimpossibleasoneprovincehasdifferentstandardsoffoodprocessingthatmayormaynotbeacceptedbyotherprovince's regulatory authority. So practically, if a foodprocessorisprocessingsomefooditneedstocomplywithalldifferent60regulatorycheckstoabletosupplythefoodalloverthecountry.HementionedthatafterathoroughstudyandhavingdeepinsightsofregulatorysysteminPakistan,hehadcometoknowthatmorethan80%ofregulationsareredundantandshouldbeworkedontoeasetheprocess.

MrPatchamuthuIllangovanmentionedthatPakistanwasmakingeffortsintherightdirectionandtheprocessofpublicsectorreformswillde�initelyimproveconditionsofbusinessinPakistan.HethenshedsomelightondigitizationanditsimportanceinacountrylikePakistan.HequotedtheexampleofSingaporeandmentionedthatdigitizationhasagreatimpactintheprogressofSingapore.HementionedthatifPakistanoptsfordigitization,whichitalreadyhasstartedputtingitseffortin,PakistancanactuallytaketheplaceintheworldwhereSingaporeistoday.

DrIshratHussainstartedthediscussionbystatingthatthPakistanranked74 intheworldinEaseofDoingBusiness

thIndexReportin2007andtodayin2019,itisrankedat108 .“This decline is not because of structure but because ofregulations and the attitude of regulatory authorities.Regulatory authorities need to think critically if theirregulationswill support thebusinessor theywillbecomehindranceforbusiness,”hestated.HementionedthathehadbeenobservingtheeconomyofPakistanverycloselysincelong and that it is not only easeof doingbusiness that isdecliningbutthatthereare16differenttypesofgovernancerelatedindicatorsthatareslidingdowninthelast�iveyears.

Hefurtheraddedthatweneedtocreateanenvironmentwhere business processes are engineered for thebusinessmanandthebusinesscommunityandwealsoneedtoselectthebestofourpeopleforthisjob:bestinsenseofskills,expertise,loyaltyandthosewhowanttoworkforthecountry.Hementionedthatwehavemademanyregulatoryauthorities and hired a lot of people in them. Now theseinstitutions are over populated and the problem ofoverpopulatedinstitutionisthatpeopleworktojustifytheirpositionandnotforimprovement,helamented.

DrHussainstressedonmakingeffectiveinstitutions.Hesaid it is very important to introduce digitization in ourinstitutionsandreducethehuman-to-humaninteractionasmuchaspossible.Withthehelpoftechnology,wecanquicklyimprovethesystem.Hementionedthatwearetakingsomeseriousmeasurestoautomateourinstitutionswiththehelpof theWorld Bank Group. Automation of system helps inreducinghuman-to-humaninteractionandthuswedonotneedtopaycommissiontotheagenttogetourlegalworkdone.

He quoted an example of SECP, which is making acompletelyautomatedsystemwiththehelpofDFIDwhereitwillbepossibletoregisteranewcompanywithinfewdays

with little or no human-to-human interaction. He thenquoted an example of Punjab Schools system which hasmade a pool of teachers and their desired teachingdestinationbasedonpreferencesandprioritiesandassoonasthereisavacancyinhis/herdesireddestination,he/shegets an automated transfer to that location without anycommission.

DrHussainpraisedthePrimeMinisterofPakistanandhis keen interest in reforms and digitization. The PrimeMinisterhimselfholdsmeetingwith thereformteamandmonitorswhatisbeingdoneandwhatneedstobedone.Hehighlighted the importanceof easeof doingbusiness andmentionedthatwehaveintra-provinceandprovince-federalcoordination problems. We need to look for commoninterests and make regulations accordingly. He alsomentionedthat the largepopulation isalsoaproblemfordigitizationandautomationandmentionedthatPunjabhasapopulationofSpainin35districtswhichisabigchallenge.PunjabandKPhavealreadypassedfewlawsforelectronicanddigitalsystems.HealsomentionedthatweareworkingonspecialeconomiczonesinalltheprovincesthatareopenforeveryoneacrossthecountryandaroundtheworldandweareworkingwithBOIformodernizationofregulator.Attheendhementionedthatweshouldfocustoimproveall16typesofgovernanceindicators.

Mr Zubair Gillani mentioned we have all theopportunitiesandresourcestoimprovefromwhatwearetoday.HequotedanexampleofBangladeshandhowtheyhadimprovedtheirstatusfrom138to108intheworld.Hesaiditistherighttimetoadopttechnologyinthemodernworld.To competewithmodernworld,weneed toadoptmoderntechnologies.Weneedtothinkofwhatisrightforusandoptforitasquickaspossible.

MrGillanifurtheraddedthatwealsoneedtolookintoourreformsprocess.Hementionedthatinhisownopinion,reformsprocess itselfneeds some reforms.At the endhementionedthatweneedtokeepanalysingthesituationallthetimeandthatex-anteanalysisismuchbetterthanex-postanalysis.

MsHumaFakhir thanked those authorities that hadpushed the agendaof digitization to theWorldBank. Shementionedthat inthiseraofsocialmediaandtechnologyone can access all the information of the world withinseconds and how the Government of Pakistan hadresponded to the need of hour is commendable. ShementionedthatalltheprovincesofPakistanhavethatsparkandcapabilitytoliftthemselveswithoutanyaidfromotherprovince.

Shesaiditwasrighttimetobecomedigitaleconomyandtochangethemindset.WithtechnologyonecouldcompetewithSingaporeandJapan.Shealsomentionedthateaseofdoing business was not something to be done by thegovernmentalonebutisthejobofeverysinglePakistanitoworktowardsthat.ShepraisedtheeffortsoftheWorldBankandmentionedthatifweiftransformourforeignpolicywecansurelyprosper.

MrAhsanZafarSyedstartedthediscussionbypointingoutafewhindrancesforthebusinessandoneofthemwasinef�icient and uncoordinated regulatory authorities. Hementionedthatthereisnofocusonregulatoryprocedural


reforms.He lamentedthat ifwe lookat theworld,wearebehindintechnologyandcannoteventhinkofe-licensinginPakistan. He also mentioned that regulators require toomuch documentation that we can �ill truck-loads of

documentstosatisfytheirneedfordocumentation.Hethenrecommended that we need to improve law and order

thsituationasweareat156 positionintheworldforcontractenforcement.

Introductory PlenarySustainable Development in a Digital Society

Welcome Address: Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson, Board of Governors (BoG), SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Introduc�on: Dr Abid Q. Suleri, Execu�ve Director, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Keynote Speaker: Mr Haroon Sharif, Former Chairperson, Board of Investment

Special Remarks: Mr George Gu, Managing Director, Star Times Communica�on Network Technology, China

Chief Guest: Mr Asad Umar, Minister for Planning and Special Ini�a�ves, Government of Pakistan, (GoP)

Guest of Honour: Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Member of the Na�onal Assembly of Pakistan (MNA), GoP

Plenary Organisers:

Ÿ Mr Raja Taimur Hassan, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Ÿ Ms Fa�ma Khalid, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Fa�ma Khalid, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Tndhe overarching theme of the 22 Sustainable

Development Conference was “SustainableDevelopment in a Digital Society”, inspired by the

fourth industrial revolution. The Introductory Plenary'spurposewastopresentformallythethemeofthethree-dayconference and come upwith innovative solutions to theglobalchallengesfacedintheageofdigitalization.

Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel stressed on theimportanceof'SustainableDevelopmentinaDigitalSociety'bysayingthat “thedigitalrevolutionhas transformedourlivesand thesocietywithunprecedentedspeedandscalebringing immense opportunities as well as dauntingchallenges”. He emphasized that, to bene�it from theeconomicandsocialopportunitiesofdigitalizationand toavoid its adverse consequences, a much higher level ofinternationalcooperationisrequired.Oneoftheprofoundchallenges of our age, he said, is to bridge the increasing

digitaldividebetweenthedigitallyaf�luentandthedigitallydispossessedcountries.

Whilehighlightingthedisadvantagesofdigitalizationhementioned that digital technology, especially arti�icialintelligencewillcausethelossofalargenumberofjobsinvarious sectors. He also mentioned that cyber securitybreachesand illegaleconomicactivityaremattersofhighconcern in this age. On the other hand,while stating thebene�its of digitalization, he said that because of digitaltechnology,exchangeof informationandnetworkinghavebecomefasterandeasier,theproductionofhigherqualitygoods and services at much reduced rates has becomepossible.

Inhisconcludingremarksheaddedthathehopesthisyear's SDC will come up with recommendations whichwould help the Government of Pakistan in introducingdigitaltechnologyandencouragingdigitalentrepreneurs.


Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, while welcoming the chiefguest, Mr Asad Umar, said that his ministry can play animportant role in institutionalising a mechanism fordevisingapolicyframeworkforthiseraofdigitalizationandarti�icial intelligence. He said that Pakistan's lack ofpreparednessforthefourthindustrialrevolutioncanbeasetback for the economy. Moreover, he added that thisindustrial revolution is likely to further fragmentise thesocietymakingcollectiveactiondif�icult,especiallyonissuessuch as climate change. His proposed recommendationsincludedemphasisonbridging thedigitaldividebetweenthe“haves”andthe“have-nots”ofthesocietyand�inancialinclusion, through allocations for peripheries and mostdeprived areas where digital technology should bepromoted.

HeappreciatedthePrimeMinister'sdecisiontoprovidesmartphones for the bene�iciaries of Ehsas and BISPprogramme, saying that it is a great way of �inancialinclusion.Furthermore,hesaid,“there'saneedtofasttrackdecision making and productivity” by the use of digitaltechnology.Hesaidthat it is importanttoretrainthecivilservantsaccordingtotherisingneedsoftheindustrialera.Heprojectedthatthereisacapabilityde�icitinstatepolicymaking institutionshencepublicprivatepartnerships are

required.While suggesting to theMinister for a dedicated task

forcewithpublicandprivaterepresentationforpolicyandimplementation,hesaidthatSDPIwouldbehappytoofferitsservicestothegovernmentinthisregard.

Mr Asad Umar encouraged and appreciated theresearchofSDPIintheeconomicandsocialsectorandsaidthatthetopicforthisyear'sconferenceaccordingtohimisameansforsolvingaverylargenumberofcoreproblemsinPakistan.Hesaidthattheaspectofdigitalizationwhichhasmost potential is the democratization of business inPakistan.

Whiletalkingaboutthebene�itsofdigitalizationhesaidthat,digitaltechnologycanbeusedforrevenuegeneration.Healsosaidthatintheef�icientdeliveryofservicestothecitizens,technologyplaysaremarkablerole.Furthermore,he emphasized that accountability and transparency ofgovernanceispossiblethroughdigitalization,inbetterwaysthantheNABisabletodo.

He agreed with Mr Khakakhel and said thatdigitalizationcanonlybeasuccessiftheentirepopulationisable to bene�it from it by overcoming the digital divide.Therefore, he said that a part of the revenue generatedthrough the Universal Service Fund should be used toprovidedigitalaccesstotheremoteareas.HealsoconfessedthatbridgingthedigitaldividegoesbeyondtheMinistryofInformation Technology if people do not even have basicliteracy,theywillnotbeabletobene�itfromit,soitisthewholegovernment'sresponsibility.

He endorsed Dr Suleri's point for the need for acoordinatedeffortwhereallsectorsanddifferentministriesof the government, the private sector and the academiacollaborate.Hesaidthatattemptshavebeenmadeforthisbutthesuccessrateislowsothereisaneedtorevisitthisidea.

MrHaroon Sharifadvocated that asmore andmorepeopleadopttothedigitaleconomy,policymakersneedtothinkswiftlyandcarefullyaboutdevisingpoliciesthatwillmaximizethebene�itsofdigitalrevolutionwhilemitigatingtherisksofjobdislocation.HereferredtotechnologyasthedriverofchangeforSouthAsiatofast-tracktheprocessof


developmentinordertocatchupwiththeAsianeconomies.He emphasized the need for the information technologyministry toensure thesafety,maintenanceandef�icacyoftechnology in order to be safe from themisuse of digitaltechnology.

He said that a skilledworker in digital agewill need�lexibleskillswhichare transferable fromone industry tootherinresponsetothelabourmarketdemands,sothereisaneed for the present ef�iciency-based skill model to beexchangedwith knowledge-based skillmodel, in order toincreaseproductivity.Healsostressedontheimportanceofpolicy intervention to create linkages with advancedcurriculum through digital partnerships. “Academia andindustryneedtoinvestintheirstudentsandemployees,byofferingrelevanttrainingprogrammestopreparethemforthe future jobs market.” In addition to this, he also gaveprominencetotheincentivesfordistantlearning.

He recommended that government can help spurinnovation and be a strong support system for themanufacturing sectorby creatingSpecialEconomicZonesformicro,smallandmedium-sizedenterpriseswithbene�itssuch as import tax subsidies on equipment andinfrastructure subsidies for setting up advancedmanufacturing facilities. He added that agile teams thatconstantly evaluate and �ine-tune policies to enable theadoption of new technologies will provide a strategicadvantagewithingovernmentsandorganisationshopingtothriveintheFourthIndustrialRevolution.

He af�irmed that developing countries need to frameindigenousmodelsratherthan“copypasting”themodelsofdevelopedcountrieswhichdonot�itthelocalneeds.Healsoadvocated the need for Pakistan to develop technologicalpartnershipwithChinaasitwillbereallybene�icialforboththecountries.

DrAishaGhausPashacalleddigitalization thegamechanger for the economy. She mostly talked about theinitiativesandthesuccessfuleffortsof theGovernment inPunjab.Givingexamplesoftheinitiativesshetalkedaboutdigitalservicedeliveryinthehealthsectorandstatedthatvaccinationsthroughdigitalmonitoringhavebeenprovedsuccessful in Punjab, tracking of dengue through

digitalizationwasalsoasuccessstoryintheregion.Similarly,biometric attendance of doctors and teachers has helpedwiththeissuesofabsentees,aswellastheenrolmentandattendanceofstudents.

She called digitalization a “double-edged sword” andsaid that leaving everything to the policy makers andgovernmentisnotthesolution,itisimportantfortheprivatesector, thecivilsocietyandthegeneralpopulationtotakeauthority.

Sheinsistedthatitisimportanttousedigitaltechnologytobreakthelinkbetweenthetaxpayerandthetaxcollector,in order to avoid incidences of corruption. She alsohighlightedtheneedforthedigitalpro�ilingoftherecipientsofsocialprotectionprogrammesinordertotargetthetrulydeserving population, giving examples of PRA and thedeliveryof interest free loans to theagricultural sector inPunjab. She professed the necessity for job security bystating that the government needs tomake sure that theyouthdoesnotbecomeredundantduetolossof jobsasaresultofincreaseddigitalization.

Mr George Gu talked about the realization of theimpactsofdigitalizationthroughthelensofthebroadcastingandTVindustry.Hesaidthatthegovernment'scommitmenttothepublicbyinvestmentininfrastructureforinformationsecurityandequalrightsisnecessary.Hesaidthatprivateorganizations are reluctant to make investment in theremote areas so the government should ensure the equalrightsofthepeopletoreceivedigital informationthroughinvestment, more �lexible and commercial models andthroughthePPPmodel.

An “administrative roadmap”, he said, is required toachieve the greater good of digitalization and that thegovernment should take all factors of digitalization intoconsiderationwhileindustrialplanning.Heemphasizedontheimportanceofnationallevelsecurityofinformationandtalkedabout theneed for the lawsonprotectionofrightsrelatedtodigitaltechnology,suchasthelawonintellectualproperty,lawondigitalbroadcastingandlawonimpropercompetition.

Hesaidthatdigitalsustainabledevelopmentcannotbe


achieved simply by purchasing equipment and productsfromabroad,butinsteadthegovernmentshouldestablishitsowndigitalindustrialbase,forwhichlongtermplanningis

required.Inconclusion,hesaidthatacomprehensiveplanisnecessaryforachievingdigitalsustainabledevelopmentasithasconsiderablesocialsigni�icance.

DrImranKhalid,ResearchFellowattheSDPI,introducedthepanellistsandthescopeofthesession,invitingthemtogivetheirexpertopinions

abouttheimportanceofwater,theroleoftechnologyinaddressingwaterproblemsandcollectiveactionofcorporatesectorandtechnologyinwatermanagement.

MsSimiKamalfromPakistanPovertyAlleviationFundstatedthat'Waterislife,culture,beauty,bloombutitisalsoadisease.'ForPakistan,ithasamultifacetedbene�itsandhastheabilitytopullPakistanoutofpovertyandputitspeopleonthepathtoprosperity.Forthemanagementofwatertheremustbeapriceforwaterandoursocietyshouldbewillingtopayforit.

Furthermore,shesaidintermsofwaterlaw,Pakistanisfarbehindothernations. She referred to the IndusWaterTreaty,whichguidesregulationofwaterbetweenIndiaandPakistanand laysdownamechanismforcooperationandexchangeofinformationbetweenthetwocountries.Wealsohave Indus River System Authority (IRSA), which is anagreementbetweenprovincestoshareonlysurfacewater.

Alternately, we do not have any legislation for thegroundwater, she added. Ms Kamal also maintained thatwaterand sanitationarevery important aspects. In somedevelopingcountriesthepriceforsanitationandremovalofwasteismuchhigherthanthecostofwater.Waterpollutionhasakeyroleintheemergenceofwaterborndisease.

Mr Hassaan Sipra from COMSATS University, statedthatwater isascarceresource inPakistannowtherefore,theremustbeaprice forwater.Hesaid that theNationalWaterPolicyclearlystatesthatourpopulationgrowthandurbanisation is increasingmassivelyandper capitawateravailability is going down. In Islamabad, CapitalDevelopment Authority (CDA) and MetropolitanCorporationIslamabad(MCI)havesetthepriceforwater.Hesaid that it is important to know how much is theconsumptionofwaterandsecondly,howmuchisthesupply.Leakage along thewater pipe lines can be controlled. Heconcludedbysayingthatthepriceofwaterwouldbesetatthepointwhereoptimalusageofwateroccursandmarginalsocialbene�itsaremaximised.

Session A-1: Managing our Water: Collective Action in the Digital Age

Chair: Mr Riaz Fatyana, Convener Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs, Government of Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Fa�ma Akhtar, Nestle, Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Mr Nadeem Ahmad, WaterAid, Pakistan

3. Ms Simi Kamal, Pakistan Poverty Allevia�on Fund (PPAF), Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr Hassaan Sipra, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Mr Basharat Saeed, The World Bank, Pakistan Office

Panel Organizers: Dr Imran Khalid and Mr Kashif Salik, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Isb Pakistan

Report by: Ms Sofia Akram, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


0013

Mr Basharat Saeed from the World Bank, PakistanOf�icesaidthattherearealotoftechnologicalsolutionstothe problems of watermanagement in Pakistan, such as,better procurement, technology, better institutional and�inancial management and better collaboration betweenvariouswatersectors.

Hefocusedonthreemainpointsforwatermanagement.Firstly, Pakistan needs a better monitoring and policyframework, including legal instructionsat thegovernancelevel.Secondly,betterunderstandingofwaterresourcesisnecessary,whichincludesknowledgeaboutthequantityofavailablewaterresources,theforminwhichtheyexistataparticular time period and the current quality of water.Thirdly,thereisaneedto�ixgovernanceissuesanddevelopabetter understanding of water resources in high leveldecisionmaking.Atgovernancelevel,thereisaneedfortheuse of ef�icient technology and modern tools foraccountability,bettermanagementandbettertransparencyinordertoimprovewatermanagementinthecountry.

MrSaeedhighlightedthatPakistanisnotawaterscarcecountry.Ithasenoughpercapitawatertoful�ilourcurrent,as well as, projected needs. He added that the irrigationsystemofPakistanandtheIndusbasinhaveenoughservingformultiplepurposes.Theirrigationcanalsdistributewater,whichisusedforindustries,municipalpurposesandalsoforsustainedwaterdependentecosystems.Hesuggestedthat,for water management, it is necessary to get knowledgeabout ground realities of water and make sure theinvolvementoflegislationandinstitutionstoaccommodatemulti-purposesystems.

Mr Saeed also focused on budgeting for water andsanitation. Since2017only 3%of annualGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)isspentonwaterandsanitation.Fromthis3% almost 90% goes for water supply and only 10% isinvestedforwater,sanitationandhygiene(WASH).InruralPunjabandruralSindhmostdiseasesarefoundrelatedtoshallowgroundwatercontamination.Peopledisposetheirwasteinshallowgroundwaterthenpumpthatwaterforuse.When contaminated water is consumed it affects theintestines, which absorb nutrients from food. Herecommended that provincial and federal governmentshouldenhancebudgetandfundingforWASH.

Mr Nadeem Ahmed from WaterAid, Pakistan saidwater is a fundamental factor of life but it is the mostneglectedcommodity.Nowwearerealizingitsimportancebecauseoureconomyisbasedonit.Hespeci�icallytalkedabouttheWASHaspect.HesaidthatifwehavealookattheNationalWaterPolicy, it startswith the irrigationsystem.Humans,householdsanddomesticconsumptionismissingfromPakistan'smajorpolicy instrumentsandalsohasnoreferencetoWASH.Watersanitationtalksaboutprovisionofwaterfromthesourcetoconsumer.Ithasdirectsupplyandindirectsupply. Indirectsupplypeoplegetwater throughpipes.Debateonwatermanagementisincompletewithoutfocusingonwaterforconsumption,treatmentofhouseholdandindustrialwastewater.WatercanbemanagedthroughwaterutilitiesbutinPakistanonly30waterutilitiesexist.Accesstowaterisahumanright,whichalsoincludesrighttosanitation.Whereas,inPakistan,manylawsliketheWaterCommission in Sindh 2017 recognisedwater as a humanrightbutdonotmentionhumanrighttosanitation.HeaddedthatforWASHthreethingsarerequired,resourcesecurity,infrastructure management and �inancial security. Hefurther added that sanitation is directly linked tobehaviouralchangewhich isverydif�icultbecausepeoplearenotwillingtochangetheirbehaviour.

MsFatimaAkhtarfromNestlePakistanexplainedthatNestlehasasetofcollectiveactionsforwatermanagementwithvariousentitiesatfederalandprovinciallevel.Shesaid,agriculture value chain is a big part of it thus Nestle hasintroducedtheconceptofdripirrigationwiththehelpoftheGovernmentofPunjab.SheaddedthatNestlehasalsobeenworking with the federal government at the NationalAgriculture Research Council (NARC). She said, “We havesetupasiteinChakShehzad,whereeveryyearalmost500farmerscomeandlearnaboutdripirrigation,thengobacktotheir farms and implement this farming technique.” Sheadded, “At Nestle, we have in-house actions with dairyfactory...asweknowalmost90%ofmilkiswatersoindairyfactoryofSheikhupuraweareextractingwater frommilkand using it in the industrial process.” Ms Akhtar alsohighlightedthatNestlehasbeencerti�iedbytheAllianceforWaterStewardship,whichmeans,“in-houseweareworkingwithwaterneutrality,weareminimizingwaterinindustrial

process and also sharing it withother industries.” She furthermentioned that Nestle is alsoworkingwiththeacademia,likeincooperation with the LahoreUniversity ofManagement Science(LUMS) it has introduced watersense technology. Through thistechnology farmers are able toknowthatwhenisthereaneedtoirrigatefarmsandhowmuchwaterisrequiredforit.SheconcludedbysayingthatNestlehasalsoplannedto convert i ts packaging forrecyclingby2025.

Mr Riaz Fatyana, ConvenerParliamentaryTaskForceonSDGs,chairedthesession.Inhisremarks


he said thatwastage ofwater in Pakistan is high. Peoplewastewaterduringtheirdailyactivitieslikewashingcarsorbikes and other things. He said that another issue is ofgroundwater extraction because stream water hasdecreasedandinresponsetothistube-wellinstallationhasincreased.Healsomentionedthatanotherpressingissueisthatofwaterpollution.Largenumberoffactoriesdumptheirwastes in rivers and streams. In Faisalabad, almost 350factories�loodtheirwasteintoSamundariDam,afterthatitgetsdisposed-offinRiverRaviwithouttreatment.Pollutedwaterisveryharmfulfortheaquaticecosystem.

He conc luded the se s s ion by pos ing a fewrecommendations including the emphasis on the need to

manage irrigation, sewerage, sea and coastal water. Herecommended that Pakistan should enhance its digitaltechnologyforwatersavingpurposes.Floodwaterandrainwater should be stored and used for emergent needs. Inagriculture sector, he said that farmers shouldadoptdripand sprinkler irrigation system inorder toproducemorecropswithlesswater.Governmentshouldenhancefundinginresearchandcreateawarenessabouttheimportanceofwater through the involvement of electronic media. Hehighlightedthatwearelivingintheeraofclimatechange,despitewhich,nostephasbeentakenforwatergovernance,so, under the article 104A, there is a need to establish aconstitutiononwatergovernance.

PoliticalpartiesinSouthAsia,asinmanyotherregions,aredominatedbyleaderswhooftenresisttheentryofyouth in higher levels of party hierarchy. It is,

therefore,relevanttoexploretheperspectivesofeducatedyouth,especiallyofPakistan,connectedtosocialnetworks,aswellasthosefromlessprivilegedsocialbackgrounds,whoare frequently exposed to new ideas that escape theattentionoftheirelders.Itisalsoimportanttoseeifwomenyouthareabletonavigatetheirwayinmainstreampolitical

parties. The session on Youth and Peace Building in theDigitalAgefocusedonensuringactiveandsafeparticipationofyouthinpoliticalandpublicspacesandintegratingyouthperspectivesintheoveralldebatearoundreformofpoliticalpartiesinPakistan.

Mr Adnan Ra�iq in his introductory remarks talkedabout theproblems facedby the youthof Pakistan in thecurrentage.Hesaidthatinequalityandsocialdivisionsexistin the society, such as divisions based on ethnicity and

Session A-2: Youth and Peace Building in the Digital Age

Introductory Remarks: Mr Adnan Rafiq, United States Ins�tute of Peace, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Dr Farhan Zahid, Security Analyst, Que�a, Pakistan

2. Ms Tuba Azeem, Ins�tute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Mr Ali Rehmat, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr Ali Saleem, UN Expert Group on Youth, Peace and Security

5. Dr Naeem Ahmed, Department of Interna�onal Rela�ons, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Dr Nathalene Reynolds, Ms Rubab Syed, Ms Rabia Tabassum, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan, and Mr Shahbaz Tufail, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Raja Waheed Ashraf, Rawalpindi Pakistan; Mr Ali Rehmat, Ms Fa�ma Khalid and Ms Rubab Syed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


religion.Thisleadstomarginalizationandexclusionoftheyouth along multiple lines. Adding to this, he said that,Pakistan experiences concentratedpoverty and theYouthDevelopmentIndex(YDI)remainslow.Heemphasizedthatall these issuesmake theyouthvulnerableandultimatelyleads to acts of violence. He said that it is important topromoteeconomicandpoliticalinclusionoftheyouthinthesociety to tackle the rising problems associated withdisintegrationandexclusion.

MrAliSaleemsaidthat“exclusionandmarginalizationofyoungpeopleisattheheartofyouthpeaceandsecurity.”He said that the prevailing social, economic, politicalexclusionoftheyouthhascreatedanatmosphereofmistrustamongthemaboutthegovernment.TheyouthofPakistanseesnovalueinmultilateralism,andhavekeptthemselvesawayfromtraditionalcivilsociety.Thisisareasonfortheyouthgettingincreasinglyinvolvedinactsofviolenceandextremism.Hesaidthatit isextremelyimportanttomovefrom remedial actions which are security based toprevention-based approaches with upward attitude ofrecognizingyoungpeople'spotentialinaseismicshiftinasociety. For a meaningful and true youth led peace andsecurity,hesaid,itisimportanttoaddressthequestionofmarginalization and exclusion of young people, andconnecting them to national and even global networks tocreate conducive environment. He put accent on capacitybuildingofyoungpeopletobuildagencyandleadership.

MsTubaAzeempresentedherresearchpaperrelatedtothetopic,highlightingfearsandthreatsbeingfeltbylocalcommunities of Balochistan presiding around the coastallineofBalochistan.ShesaidthattheperceptionsaboutCPECare that it is a “macro agenda, involvingmultiple frames,aiming at the socio-economic development” of the regionand that Gwadar deep-sea port holds geopoliticalimportance. She suggested to ensure integration of localcommunities in CPEC in order to address the localinsurgencies. She also expressed that “CPEC requiresintegrateddevelopmentcommunicationstrategytoassessandmitigatetheenvironmentalandsocio-economicimpactontheindigenouscoastalcommunitiesandensurethattheirstakesareaddressedandwellprotected.”

She suggested that the government should revise itspolicymandating companies setupon the coastal belt toabide by the environmental regulations and stimulatingstewardshipwithinthecoastalcommunitiesprovidingbasicamenitiesandlivelihood.Sherecommendedthattechnicalinstitutes shouldbe established toproduce skilled labourforce,highindemand,onthecoastalbeltandworktowardsalternate earning opportunities for the youth of coastalsettlements of Balochistan. She also highlighted that aseparatedatabasemustbemaintainedfortheregistrationofminorities,ethnicities,tribes,andindigenouscommunities,awarding them special privileges based on theirvulnerabilities, arising from their socio-economic,environmental,legalandpoliticalconditions.Shealsotalkedaboutpromotingcoastaltourismandtacklingtheissuesofwatercrisisintheregion.

DrFarhanZahidsaidthatPakistan,asanation,isfacingterrorism for the last 20 years; we have experiencedeighteenthousandterroristattacksinPakistansince2001.

Welostmorethan60,000peopleandlost120billiondollarseconomicallywhichisanaccumulative�igure.Theissueofyouthradicalization,accordingtohim,isoneoftheprimaryissues we are facing today. Dr Zahid said that linkingmadrasah with terrorism would be an erroneousassumption. It should be noted that madrasah constituteonly1%ofthestudentbodiesofPakistan,therest29%arefrom the private schools and 70% are enrolled in publicschools.He asserted thatmadrasahshave tinynumberofstudents enrolled at their institutions and the number ofcaseswehaveexperiencedinlast�ivetosixyearsarebytheterrorist groups which are popping up links to globalterrorist organizations like Al- Qaida, Daish, regional andlocaljihadiorganizationsandsectariangroupslikeLashkar-e-Jhangviaremostlyveryeducatedandurbanizedpeoplebelongingtoaf�luentfamilies.

Theotherissueisthedemographicdividend.Sincethe1990sPakistanisexperiencingademographicdividewhichactuallyisapositivething.Thereareveryfewcountriesinthe world which have this bene�it and if you experiencedemographic dividend it means you are blessed by thenatureandyoucangrowandoutperformothercountriesinaveryshortperiodoftime.Inordertotakebene�itfromthedemographicallydividendoneneedstomakesomeeffortsfor reaping the bene�its of this phenomenon; one has toprovide vocational trainings, education and develop theskillsonlythentheycanworkandonecanbene�itfromthisdemographicdividend.Ifweareunabletoearnbene�itsfromthisdemographicdividendthensomeoneelsemaygetthisyouthontheirsideandutilizethemfortheircauses.

DrNaeemAhmed,whiletalkingaboutyouthandpeacebuildinginthecontextofPakistanandlinkingitwithbanonthe student unions and its overall impact on Pakistanisociety, said Pakistan witnessed enormous use of digitaltechnologyandtheirimpactonsocio-economicandpoliticalfabricsofthesociety.However,asfarastheroleofyouthinpeacebuildingisconcernedtherearedivergentviews.Oneview is that youth shouldbekept away frompolitics andpeacebuildingprocesseswhichisveryspecialized�ieldinthe domain of political leadership, policy makers anddiplomats and the youth involvement in politics isconsideredasataboo.Theotheropinionisthatyouthcanplayavitalandeffectiveroleinpoliticsandpeacebuildingprocessesiftheyaregivenasocialandpoliticalspaceintheoverall structure of the state and society. They are of theopinion that the youth represent themost energetic anddynamicsectionofthesocietyandhavethepotentialtofuel


increasingsocioeconomicandpoliticaldevelopment.Itisafact that in a depoliticized society the role of youth ismarginalized and is considered as the most neglectedsection in the society. He added that after 9/11 incidentPakistanfacedtheworstformofyouthradicalization,whenthedomesticmilitancyorganizationsestablished terroristgroups such as Al Qaida and started playing the role offacilitatoraswellasbecomingpartoftheglobaljihadist.Theyouth is in�luencedby thepowerfulonlinepropagandaofIslamicState.

Intoday'sdigitalageit isveryeasytoconnectpeopletogether and disseminate knowledge in universities andcollegesastheyarenurseriesofpoliticaltrainingofyoungmindswhichthenhavetoplayanimportantroleinpoliticsofthecountry.

It is responsibility of the state, not only to create aconducive environment but also establish variousinstitutions which educate youth to develop the skills ofcriticalthinking,resilienceaswellasabilitytoidentifytheirinterests and needs; this also helps in creating a deeperunderstandingoftheshiftofstereotypeimpressionoftheyouthasvictimsofviolenceandencouragethemasactiveandvibrantforce.

State and civil society need to �ind ways and devisestrategiestopreventtheyouthfrombecomingin�luencedbyextremist ideologies and train them for future decisionmaking.Failingtodoitwillleadtheexploitationofpotentialyouthbythemilitantsandterroristorganizations.Thus,itisdetrimentaltotheinterestofthecountry.

MrAliRehmatpresentedthe�indingsofhisresearchon“Digital Society andConservationofNaturalResources ofIndigenousCommunities”.Thispresentationhighlightedthe�laws in the national and provincial policies related toconservation with regard to mining in particular whichcreates con�licts between the government, miningcompanies , conservat ion organizat ions and thecommunitiesandalsoprovidedpolicyrecommendationsforamendmentsinthesepolicies.

The �indings of the research had the following

recommendations:

Ÿ Amendmentsshouldbedoneintheminingregulationstoensurethecommunityparticipationinthecontractstoavoid the con�licts between community, the companyandgovernment.

Ÿ Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of thecommunities should be ensured by adding it in thenationalminingpolicies.

Ÿ Thegovernmentandminingcompaniesshouldcreateadatabaseof theareaswhichareof economic interestsl ike mining. The leased lands without properinformationcancreatecon�lictsandcancause�inancialdamagetothelicensee.

Ÿ Thegovernmentshouldsetcriteria(keepinginviewthelandroyalty)forpro�itsharingbetweenthecommunitiesandcompanytoavoidcon�lictsoverpro�itsharing.Mr Rehmat emphasized that making changes in the

nationalpolicescouldbringhugechangesinthelivesoftheindigenous communities. It would help them to grow�inancially,eradicatepoverty,hunger,illiteracy,frustrations,massmigrationandviolence.


Session A-3: Emerging Technologies and Regional Stability

Chair: Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat (retd.), President, Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Guest of Honour: Re�red General Samrez Salik, Islamabad, Pakistan

Special Guest: H.E. Dr Marc Baréty, Ambassador of France to Pakistan

Moderator: Mr Shahid Minhas, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Dr Sylvie Ma�ely, French Ins�tute for Interna�onal and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), France

2. Mr Ejaz Haider, Indus News Lahore, Pakistan

3. Mr Usama Nizamani, Junior Consultant, Islamabad Policy Research Ins�tute (IPRI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organizers: Ms Rabia Tabassum, Mr Shahid Minhas and Ms Ifra Baig, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI),

Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Huzaifa Shabbir, Interna�onal Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat (retd.) whilechairingthesessionsaidthattechnologyismerelyatoolanditsvaluedependsuponitsapplicationand

thepurposeforwhichitisused.Togainstrategicresults,theuseof technologychangedwith the revolution inmilitaryaffairs(RMA)25yearsago.Hethentalkedaboutafewtruthsrelatedtotechnologysayingthattechnologypromisesmorebutdeliversless,costsmorethanestimatedandarriveslaterthanthought.Technologymaybebasedonsciencebutisafunctionofadministration,withoutwhichtechnologymaynotcomeabout,thismeanspoorlyadministratedcountriescannot operate technology. It cannotbe created andusedwithoutsuf�icient�inancingandsuccessfulmarketing.

In industrially independent and creative countries,strategy and doctrine can drive technology, while thedependent countries have to design the best possiblestrategic and doctrinal use of acquired technology. Theformerareusuallythewinnersandthelatterthelosers.Hethengaveexamplesofcountrieshavingstrategicadvantageand decisive edge bestowed by technology, over other

countries,suchastheUSA,IsraelandIndia.Hesaidintheeraofhybridwarfare,everythingdoneby

theenemyhasanimpactonoursecurity,suchasfakenews,falseaccusations,FATFmanipulation,�iringacrosstheLOC,actsofterrororevensomethingasmundaneasnotplayingsports onPakistani ground. Inhis concluding remarkshesaidthatitcanbesaidthatthereisaUSdrivenRMAthatisapparent. The industrialized, nationalistic, homophobic,secular,liberalandanti-Islamworldstandstobeprotectedandgainsfromthis,whiletherestwhochoosetodisagreewiththeformerdosoatagreatriskastheeventsinIraq,Afghanistan,LibyaandSyriahaveshown.Technologydrivenair power will always be the tool of �irst resort and theground forceswould come in to settle thepolitical issueslater,hestated.

Dr SylvieMattely, from IRIS, France shared that theRegionalandGlobalStabilityInternationalConventionwassignedandtheconcernedcountriesdiscussedtoputinplacethenecessaryrulestoavoidproliferation.However,withtheemerging technologies today, she said, the context is


somewhatdifferent.Emergingtechnologiesbringoutnewissuesandquestionsthatgofarbeyondtheusualissuesofour life. They are creatingnew challenges anddif�icultiesrelatedtotheircontrolandmanagement.

She talkedabout three topics,namely, thenewglobalissue, thenewtechnological issue,andwhatmaybe theirconsequences.Withglobalization,moreandmorecountriesmay invest in innovation, as well as produce and tradeemerging technologies. Previously, only few industries insomecountrieswereabletodosoanditwasreallyeasytocontrolandmanagethemasitconcernedjustafewstates.Today, emerging technologies are mass technologies,whereasinthepast,theywereprimarilymilitaryones.Inthecaseofmilitarytechnologies,thereisastronglyrestricteduse.Itmeanstodaytheyarereallyessentialtotheeconomicgrowth and trade leading to opportunities because ofemerging technologies. Everybody is perfectly aware thattechnologies are and will be the future, the core of oursystem, our progress, our standard of living anddevelopment,everythingdependsonthem.Sheemphasizedthatitisimportanttotakeintoaccountthateveryonemayeasilyaccesstheemergingtechnologiesforthebestandalsofortheworst.

Shefurthersaidthatemergingtechnologiesarealsothenewtechnical issue. “Youperfectlyrealize that innovationcyclesaregettingshorterandshorter. Iusedtosaytomystudentswhen I talk about innovations that previously, ittookmorethan70yearsforaphonetobecomeaconsumeritem.” Moreover, emerging technologies are mostlycommercialized cyber technologies or based on arti�icialintelligence(AI).Thereisnomore,orfew,physicaltransferacrossborders.That iswhywecall itdigital technologies.Finally,theothertechnicalissuethatmaybeconsideredisthatofciviliantechnologiesormilitaryprojects.Thedefenseindustryhasseentheemergenceofsmartweapons,digitalmilitaryplatformsandbiodataaccumulations.Theissueisthat how can we manage the evolution of emergingtechnologiesandensurethattheywillnotbeusedtodisruptorcauseregionalorglobalinstabilityandinsecurity.

She said that for public good or collective good it isimportant that both public and private sectors work

together.Thisistheonlywaytoknowwhethertheemergingtechnologiesaretheworstorthebest.

Mr Ejaz Haider, having the international relationsbackground, focused on emerging technologies and theissuesofstability.Hesaidthatoneimportantthingtonoteisthekindofemergingtechnologiesbecauseeithertheyaregoingtostabilizetheworldordestabilizeit.Thereisarangeof problems associatedwith emerging technologies. Also,there isaparadox thatwhatwe thinkmakesus secure ispreciselywhatalsomakeusinsecure.Hegavetheexampleofcyber-attacks saying that, it is a virtual battle that hasterriblephysicalconsequences.Hesaidthattheideabehindevery technological development is to get symmetricaladvantage.

IntheairstrikefromIndiatoPakistanthepilotsweremadetolosesituationalawareness.Insimplewords,whenthe Pakistan Air Force (PAF) dominated the situation theIndian Air Force (IAF) went blind. Wing CommanderAbhinandanVarthaman,whowasheldcaptivefor60hoursin Pakistan after his aircraft was shot down in an aerialdog�ightbetweenIndiaandPakistaninFebruary2019,wasunabletolearnthecommandfromhisgroundcontrol.

He said that all technological emergence is poised toreshapelandandinternationalrelations;and,raisedafewquestions:Whethertheymightbedevelopedandintegratedinto judicialestablishment?Howdisparitiesandadoptiontimelinesbyregionalstates,includingChina,couldshapethescenario?Howtheymightaffectthepowerbalancebetweenthestateandsocietye.g.stateandnon-stateactors?

Thereisacommonmotiveinallthesequestions,whichis whether these technologies will be used for militarypurposes as much as for civilian purposes. He said hisanswerwasyes,theywillbeusedformilitarypurposes.Insimplewords,statewilldevelopanytechnology,giventheavailable and developing knowledge and expertise, thatgivesitanadvantage,whethercommercialormilitaryorablendofboth.

Moreover, he said that the heart of most of thetechnologiesliesincomputerandfastinternetconnection,consequently, integration of digital environment has alsobroughtitsrisks.


MrUsamaNizamani,researcher,researcherfromIPRI,focused on the role of emerging technologies, what thefuture crises in South Asia may look like and how thesetechnologiesaregoingtocompoundandaffectthedecision-makingprocessesofthestates.

Supersonic missiles and hyper sonic missiles aredevelopinginthisregionandalsobeyondthisregion.Theuseofarti�icialintelligenceisincreasing,likefullyautomaticvehicles, smart speakers, and interactive computerinterference. These are the forms of technologies that lieunderarti�icialintelligence,whereasontheotherhandthereis arti�icial general intelligence (AGI) which basicallyreplicates the general intelligence of the power of anyaverage human being. For command control andcommunication related purposes, remote operatingsatellites and navigation satellites are pretty handy. Forexample,Indiahasrecentlydevelopedsatelliteswhichcanbasically provide the resolution image of about 0.8m andthey have made quite a progress as compared to theirprevioussystem.

Forthe�irsttimeinhistory,anucleararmedcountryhaddecided to attack the territory of another nuclear armedcountry,hestated.IndiabasicallydecidedtooutdoPakistanwithrespecttoundertakinganairstrikeoverBalakot.

Hewarnedthatfakenews,whichisverycommonthesedays,hasthecapacitytointerferewithourdecision-makingprocesses.Hefurtheraddedtothisbysayingthatwheninacon�lict,onesidemiscalculates theactivesituation,actionandreactionasaresultofthatmiscalculationmayleadtocrisisescalation.

RetiredGeneral Samrez Salik talked about two keypoints: the impact of technologyonwarfare and strategy,and, the challenges to regional stability. He said that thepropensitytocon�licthasmultipliedinrecenttimesandithas certain implications from the emerging technologies.The complexity of war is changing, due to emergingtechnologies there is adiffusionof lines;previously thereused to be a clear line betweenwar and peace, betweencompetentandnon-competent,allofwhichandmanyothersare diffusing now as a result of the fourth-generation

warfare. He further added that there is a virtuous cyclebetween technology and strategy, it is not easy to saywhethertechnologyisdrivingstrategyorstrategyisdrivingtechnology,bothareinterdependent.Thenhetalkedaboutthe �ifth-generation warfare, that is the hybrid warfareincluding socialmedia.He cautioned that it doesnot endhere,asnowwearealsohearingaboutthesixth,seventhandeighthgenerationwarfare.

Heassertedthattechnologyhasbroughtusclosertotheachievement of strategical dominance which meanssubduingtheenemywithout�ighting.Thebulletsarebeingreplaced with the tweets and that winning a battle ofnarrativesismoreimportantthanwinningaphysicalbattle.

HeexpressedthattheIndianoceanregionispronetocon�lictsandthatthereisamanifestationofcon�lictsinthisregion,asthereisabattleofportsgoingon.Hethensaidthaton the globe of Earth, in Asia there are four triangles ofinstabilityasofnow,�irstisSyria,secondisIranandSaudiArabia, third is Pakistan and Afghanistan, and fourth isPakistan and India. Global politics and geopoliticaltransitionsaregoingtoaffectourregionthemost,suchasshifting from unipolarity to multipolarity, power shiftingfromtheWesttotheEast,riseofAsiaandriseofChina,andtheBeltRoad Initiative.Regional transformations suchastheriseofHindutvaandIndo-US-Israelnexusarealsotakingusclosertocon�licts,hewarned.

H.E. Dr Marc Baréty, Ambassador of France,appreciated that SDPI is a premier platform to share andpromoteresearchontheissuesofsustainabledevelopmentfrommany countries. He acknowledged that the panel ofexpertshadtalkedabouttheissuesofregionalchallengestostability and the future potential of warfare through thedigital technology. There is a dire need to strengthenbilateralandregionalrelationsforalong-termpeaceintheregionandacrosstheworld,hestressed.HealsosaidthatTheFrenchEmbassywaspleasedtoseerepresentationfromIRIS,FranceandthattheFrenchEmbassywouldbehappytofurther continue such cooperation and collaboration inresearchandacademicwork.


DrAmitabhKundusharedhisviewsregardingtheadvantagePakistanhasoverotherAsiancountriesintermsofhighpercentageofworkforceinsectors

otherthanagriculture.Hesaid,“Italsohassomekindofanadvantage,Iwouldsay,thatis,alreadyhavingastructurefordevelopinginternaltradebutalsotheglobalvaluechain.So,wecanthinkafreshandperhapsbecomealessonforothers

thcountries.” Accordingtohim,the4 IndustrialRevolutionandthedigitaltechnologyinterventionsaregoingtobeskillbased.Butasaconsequence,genuineapprehensionswillbereleased in the labour market. Particularly, in the lessdevelopedcountries, therecanbereassuranceof thesub-contracted jobs. They may start getting back to the lessdeveloped countries because the technology will beavailabletoreducethecostofthelabour.Thiswouldhaveaneffectonthecountrieswhichhavealargeinformalsector,like Pakistan andmany others e.g. India and Bangladeshtogether.He communicated that someadverse impacts oftechnologyonthelabourmarketarecertainlygenuineandtheestimatesvaryconsiderably.Hemaintainedthat40%to50%of theworkers in the developed countries are to be

thaffectedby the 4 IndustrialRevolution,while in the lessdevelopedcountries,theaffectedworkforcecouldbe60%to

70%.Heconcludedbysayingthat,“Somekeyconcernsareraised,whicharegenuine,andIknowaboutPakistanonlythrough themacro data available in the global level, theyshouldberesolved.”

Ms Ingrid Christensen shared her views on thechanginglaboursectorwiththeadvancementoftechnology.She stated that new technology can shape our work lifesigni�icantly but demographic changes and the agingpopulationarethecurrentmajorconcernsoflaboursector.“One is the labour forcewill have a higher degree of theelderlypeople,andtheotherthingisthat,therewillbemuchmoreaheadforcareworkersbecauseweallhopefullygrowolder.”Shealsohighlightedtheissueofclimatechangeandincreasinginequalitiesresponsibleforbringingchangesinthelabourmarket.Sheconveyedthatwomenandlessskilledworkers may be more at risk than men and high skilledworkers. According to her impact of such changes alsodependonautomationandifautomationiscominginabigway then, the impact will also be bigger. On the role oftechnologies,shewasoftheviewthatnewtechnologieswilllead to the creation of new jobs as labour is required todevelopandmaintainthesetechnologies.Thiswillalsoleadtotheproductionofnewproducts.Butthese impactswill

Session A-4Technology and Labour Market: Preparing Pakistan for the Future

Chair & Special Remarks: Dr Amitabh Kundu, Research and Informa�on System for Developing Countries (RIS), India

Speakers:

1. Ms Ingrid Christensen, Interna�onal Labour Organiza�on (ILO), Pakistan Office

2. Mr Malik Zahoor Awan, Pakistan Workers Federa�on, Pakistan Office

3. Mr Saleem Qureshi, Haier Labs, Karachi, Pakistan

4. Dr Dr Talat Mahmood, Germany

5. Dr Nasir Khan, Na�onal Voca�onal and Technical Training Commission (NVTTC), Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Dr Sajid Amin and Ms Fareeha Armughan, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Iqra Khaliq, Interna�onal Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Ms Fa�ma Khalid, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan; and Ms Shanza Khalid, Pakistan Ins�tute of Development Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan.


essentiallydependonthestrategiesofadoption,innovationandautomation.

Mr Saleem Qureshi from Haier Labs said thatautomationactuallyproducestonnesofjobs,“Accordingtoarecentstudy,1.8million jobshavebeenreplacedwith2.1millionjobscreatedbecauseofautomation.”Hesaidthatitisimperativeforthesocietytoprogresscontinuously.Sharinghispositive views, he said, “InPakistan,wehave a youngeconomy, a youngworkforce that is highlymotivated andhighlyeducated.Whereastheothersarelaggingfarbehind.Now,whenwestartlookingatthingsfromthisperspective,eachindividualshouldenhancehimself.”PeoplewhoworkonWordPresswebsitesneedtomoveontonexttechnologytoreact.Theyneedtomoveontoparametricdesigning,heemphasized.

Addressingtheissueofclimatechange,hesaidthatitisaffectingourcashcrop,i.e.cotton,andpeoplearefailingtounderstand theseriousnessandseverityof this issueandthislackofunderstandinghindersthemtomovetowardsthenextlevel.

Dr Nasir Khan from the National Vocational andTechnicalTrainingCommission(NVTTC)statedthatthewaywerespond to skilldevelopment iswhatdifferentiatesusfromothers.Hesaid,westillconsiderskilldevelopmentafactorofcharity.Wheneverwetalkaboutskilldevelopment,technicalandvocationaleducation,itisanelementofhumanyouth empowerment. We need to primarily change ourapproach to skill development and think of it as a factorincreasingourindustrialproductivity.Thentheindustrywillitselfcreate jobs.Hesuggested thatweneed tobring thisindustryintoourcontextinabigway.Weneedtomakeourentire skill development sector industry-responsive. TheNationalSkillStrategyidenti�iedeightareasofinterventionincluding governance, funding capacity and quality. Heemphasizedthatwehavetotakecareof themarginalizedsector of the society including women, transgender andthose segments of the society which need attention. Headded,“Weobviouslyhavetoworkonindustryengagement,labourexportandthemostimportantfactoristhatwehaveto increase the imageof technical andvocational training

sectors in theeyesofouryouth,andbringthebestyouthtowardsthesector.”HeconcludedthattheGovernmentandorganizationsshouldrespondtothedemandcomingfromtheindustryandthenproducewhattheindustryrequires,tomakeitcompatiblewiththechallengeofthenextindustrialrevolution.

Dr Dr Talat Mahmood emphasized the need tounderstandthefastpaceoftechnologicalchange.Givinganexample he said, “It took 38 years for Radio to reach 50millionusersbutittookFacebookonlyoneyeartoreachthesamenumber.Suchspeedofchangerequiresorganizationstobemuchmoreadoptivetotechnologies.”Technologiesaregeneratingbillionsofdollarsofgrowthintheworld.Onecancollectdatafromeveryextremityofvaluechainaroundtheworld,theiranalytics,automation,digitalsolution,networkconnectivity, data centres, clouds and security. All thesetechnologies are creating growth. According to him, earlyadoption of disruptive technologies is important tomovefromwatchouttostandoutapproach.HerecommendedthatInternational European connectivity of Pakistani start-upecosystems and development of innovation centres inPakistan,arenecessary.

Mr Malik Zahoor Awan from Pakistan WorkersFederationtalkedaboutthegloomystateoflabourforceandstressedonthedraftingoflabourstandardsbyInternationalLabourOrganization. If theemployerandgovernmentaretogetherthenworkerscannotdoanythingtoformulateanyof the international global rules in the new era ofglobalization.Hegaveanexampleof thePakistan tobaccocompany,thattherewerearound6,000workersbeforebutnowbecauseofautomationtherearelessthan600workers.Everythingisdonethroughmachinesnow.Moreover,eventhoughPKR17,500isthebasicminimumwage,itishardlyever applicable in the industries. He concluded on aremindingnote,“Emptystomachisagreaterdangerforanysociety.One-�ifthofthepopulationofthisworldstillgototheirbedshungryeverynight.”


The session of the Conference revolved aroundeducation through digitalization and the reasonswhy Pakistan lags behind in digitalization of

education.Thespeakersemphasizedonthesigni�icanceofusingtechnologyineducationsectorinPakistan;ensuringthequalityofdatausagethroughtechnologyineducation;and,alsoonpreparingpeopletobecomecapableofusingtechnology.

DrAfshanHuma'sdiscoursefocusedonthescopeofquality education in adigital societybybrie�ingona fewfundamental indicators of quality of education, namely,qualityamonglearners,qualityinthelearningenvironment,quality in the learning resources, quality in the learningprocessesandquality in the learningoutcomes. Shesaidthattheresourcesandoutcomesofqualityeducationneedtobestraightforwardandshouldbemorehelpfulinaidingthestudentsthantheteachers.

Pakistanhasnotbeenabletoimprovetheliteracylevelin the country. The maximum �igure quoted in thegovernment documents is about 52 to 53% literacy. Sheemphasized on the fact that there are disparities amonginstitutions,notonlybetweenpublicandprivate,butwithin

the public institutions as well. The disparities includedifferences in physical infrastructure, learning resources,content being taught, teachers' availability and theirexpertise, laboratory equipment and facilities, researchpractices,aswellasbusinessincubationcentres.

Shefurtheraddedthattechnologyhelpsustomeltdownthehardinfrastructures.Thismeansthatwedonothavetobringeverychildtotheclassroom,buttheclassroomcanbebrought to the child through technology, hence access toeducationcanbeprovidedinremotelocationseasily.Wecanengagemorenetworkprovidersgoingacrossthecountry.

We can use technology to scale up and improve thelearningexperienceand itsquality.Wecanhaveenrichedcurriculumbeyondthetextbooks.Shesaidsheisoneofthepersons in the country who are campaigning against thetextbooksbecausetheylimitthescopeofeducation,whiletechnologyhelpsthestudentstogobeyondthetextbooks.Asevery child has a different learning style, multiplemediacontent is available through technology for learning.Independent thinking, critical thinking and creativity arealso enhanced through the multiple media content andtechnologyaccess.

Session A-5Scope of Quality Education in a Digital Society

Chair: Dr Fateh Marri, Execu�ve Director, Higher Educa�on Commission (HEC), Pakistan

Discussant: Dr Nasir Mehmood, Dean Faculty of Educa�on, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Prof. Giovanni Abramo, Ins�tute for System Analysis and Computer Science, Na�onal Research Council of Italy (IASI-CNR), Italy

2. Dr Afshan Huma, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Ms Deepthi Bandara, Quality Assurance Accredita�on Council (QAAC), Sri Lanka

4. Mr Qaiser A. Raja, Skill Development Academy, UK

Panel Organisers: Mr Shahid Minhas, Ms Sadia Sa�, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad; and,

Higher Educa�on Commission, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Sheikh Abdullah, Na�onal Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan.


For teachers' training, as a result of technologicalprogress we now have more online professionalcommunities. These professional communities are acontinuousmodel of re�lective practices and professionaldevelopment.

Data driven decision making is possible if you havetechnology-basedassessmenttools,suchasonlinequizzesand games, and record keeping analysis such as studentpro�iling.Technologyhelpsconnectstudents,teachersandparentsandalsotheschoolwiththelocalcommunity,andultimately the global community. In conclusion, she said,“Educate with today's technology, develop a responsivegeneration.”

Prof.GiovanniAbramomainlytalkedaboutassessingthequalityofresearch.Hebeganhisspeechbyexplainingtheconcept of “knowledge base economy”,whichmeans thatknowledge is increasingly a source of comparativeadvantage at all levels, and improving the ef�iciency ofresearch and education system, that are the producers ofnewknowledge,whichiscritical.Hefurtherexplainedthathowdigitalmethodscanimproveresearchperformanceofinstitutesandthesigni�icanceofknowledgeasasourceofcomparative advantage. Ef�iciency of research �ields andfundingcriteriashouldbebasedonresearchperformanceofindividualsandinstitutions,hesaid.Heprovidedmethodstomeasureandcompareresearchperformancebyfractionofcountingoutput.

Performanceshouldbeevaluatedatthelevelofinputorthenumberofpublicationsbyan institute.Signi�icanceof�ield classi�ication and choosing �ield of research verycarefully,toenabletechnologiesformeasurement,weneedtohavecredibleoutputsource,laboursourceandtools.

Performance of institutions can be enabled bymaintainingadataofperformanceofindividualresearchersandinstitutionasawholeandchoosingareasand�ieldsof

researchwhichhavelessworkdoneuponvalidindicators.Research performance at individual level is absolutelyrequiredtomeasureperformanceattheorganizationallevel.Bothperformancecomparisonisnowfeasiblebecausewedonothaveinputdata.

Dr Deepti Bandara started by emphasizing on theplayers ineducation.Educationhasthreeplayers: learner,teacher and administrator. Learners already have digitalskillsorbehaviour.Weneedtothinkabouthowwecanguideyoungstersinorderusetechnologyeffectively,shesaid.

Secondly teachers must have skills to cope with thechallengesinadigitalsociety.Olderprofessorshavetolearnfromtheyoungsters.Therefore,roleofa lecturermustbemoreofafacilitatorthanaknowledgeprovider.

Administratorisaveryimportantsegmentofsociety.InSri Lanka administrators are verybackward in theuseoftechnology.Theydonotthinkthatthereisaneedforusingtechnology in work. The universities there are providingdigitalskillstolearnersbutthebooksarenotwellequipped,according to the speaker. In the end she appreciated theIslamabadAdministrationforusingmoderntechnologytohandlecapital.

Mr Qa i s e r A . R a j a s t a r t e d by d e s c r i b i n gmisinformation, i.e. anything that is abundantly available,always opens up to certain undesirable entries. Theinformationinabundanceisuntrustworthy.

Thequalityof education cannot exceed thequalityofteacher.Ifthequalityofteacherisnotuptoacertainlevelthewhole system will collapse regardless of the standard ofeducation.Theteachersarethefuelofeducationsystem,andifwedonotput theright fuel, thesystemsimplywillnotwork. We can improve the quality of teachers throughdigitalizationandmocksessions.Headded, “Ourteachersarelikethelungs,aslungsenergizethebloodwithoxygen,inthesamemannerourteachersenergizethestudentswithknowledge.”

There must be decentralization of education thatanyone can access anytime, anywhere and the traditionalwayof educationmust come to anend.The credibilityofinformation must be ensured, as sometimes wronginformation on a good platform results in disaster of thesociety.Quantityoverquality is themajorproblemof thetoday'sdigitalizationprocess.

Three important components of education in digitalsociety are substance, delivery platform and suitableinfrastructure todeliver information.Adigital societycanhelpinallthreeofthose,theonlythingwehavetodoistoensurethatgovernmentgets involved.Theworldbelievesthatthereisaneedtodevelopanoperational,culturalandcriticaldimensionofnewliteracies.Manysuggestthatthereshouldbeaninternalqualityassurancesystemtoensurethequalityoftrainingwhichisbeinggiventoteachers.Lastly,herecommendedthatgovernmentshouldcomeintoplayandhavea standardizationof thedigital eraof trailing.ThereshouldbeKeyPerformanceIndicators(KPI)systemintheeducation.

DrNasirMehmoodappreciatedtheideasgivenbyallspeakersandemphasizedtheimportanceoftechnologyinourlives.Technologyhasmadeourliveseasyandsimplebutit totally depends upon how we are going to use it.Technology has increased our capacity and ef�iciency in


certainways,digitalsocietyhasthecapacitytoprocessthedataandpresentitinmanymoredifferentwaysthanbefore.Qualityofeducationisdifferentforeveryoneandeveryonehas to decide independently about choosing quality forthemselves.

Technological gadgets can generate valuableinformationforusbutitcannotinterpretinformationforus.It is we who have to interpret that information and thatinterpretation actually is our measure of quality whichultimatelywillbehelpful forusto improvethiseducationsystemasawholeacrosstheworld,heemphasized.

DrFatehMarriemphasizedonthequalityofteachersanddiscussed that there isanationalacademy forhighereducation for training of teachers. He stated that we areworkingonthemechanismforensuringthequalityofthecontentwhichpeoplearegettingonlineandthinkingaboutthe policies for recognizing online degree courses. Hefurtherdiscussed that credit transfer systemwill soonbeimplementedinPakistan.E-of�iceandonlinetestingsystemimproves the ef�iciency of the education system and alsoprotects environment.He concluded that there should besomede�inedpolicies forensuring theauthenticityof theonlinecontentinimprovingthequalityofeducation.

Session A-6: Women Entrepreneurs in a Digital Society

Moderator: Dr Rajan Ratna, United Na�ons Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), India

Guest of Honour: Ms Shandana Gulzar Khan, Member Na�onal Assembly, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Masarrat Misbah, Depilex, Karachi, Pakistan

2. Ms Romela Hamid, Self- Management Training (SMT), Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Ms Amna Zafar, Check Box Media, Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Ms Nataliya Khan, Photographer, Sea�le, USA

Panel Organisers: Ms Samavia Batool & Mr Mobeen Ali Khan, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Muhammad Awais Umar, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr Rajan Ratna started the session bywelcoming the panellists and the audience.Duringhisintroductorynote,heexplainedthe

signi�icanceofwomenentrepreneurshipinadigitalsociety.Digita l society brings opportunit ies because ofadvancements in technology such as computer, software,programmingandinternetwhichbringstheworldtogether.Whileitprovidestheopportunitytoreducetransactioncost,ontheotherhanditbringssomechallengesespeciallyforthosewhoarenotdigitallycompetentorsavvy.Manyofthe

governmentsdonotconsidergenderorwomenwhentheyformulate their economic, trade and �iscal policies. Theyalways have the understanding that these policies willuniversallybeappliedtoeveryone.Butthetruthisthatmanytimes and in many sectors women employees orentrepreneurs have faced much bigger challenges. Theyhave beenmarginalized in developing or least developedcountries of South Asia because of the economicliberalization.

In sustainable development goals, one of the goals is


totallydedicatedtofemales.Ittalksaboutgenderequalityand women empowerment. Empowerment of a womanmeans awomanwho is not only socially empoweredbuteconomicallyempoweredaswell.Unfortunately,SouthAsia,including Pakistan and India, is lagging behind in theirperformanceonSDG5,whichmeansthatwearewaybehindmeetingthetargetofwomenequalityandempowerment.Hesaid that if this is the status today, how are we going totransformtheworldincoming10years,asthegoalofSDGsisgoing to completedby2030. It is an established fact thatwomen's role in society isofmultitaskingwhere theyareexpected to take careof thehousehold responsibilities aswell.Underthesecircumstances,whenwetalkaboutSDG5,the life of women becomes more and more dif�icult andcomplex.

MsRomelaHamidstartedherspeechbysharingtheincidentof2005earthquake,becauseofwhichshebecamephysicallydisabled.Shesaid,afterbecomingdisable,'IcametoknowthattherearemillionsofpeopleinPakistanwhodon't know how to live a life with disability, especiallyfemaleswhoarealreadyamarginalizedgroupinPakistan'.Shesaidthatduringtherehabilitationprocessdoctorshadtoldherthatshewillbeonwheelchairfortherestofherlife.“AtthatmomentIfeltthatmylifeisindetour,becausemypersonalinjuryisnottheonlyloss,Ilosttwoofmydearestsisters in this disaster.” She was determined not to takedisabilityasaburdenbutadifferentlifestylewhichcanbelivedfully.Shesaid,“Ilearntself-managementtrainingunderthesupervisionofDrGarrisonintheUAEandhisteamofphysiotherapists.” “When she returned to Pakistan, shestated,“Inoticedthatthereweremillionsofpeoplewhoareindepressionandconstantpainwhodidnotknowhowtolive a life andmanage disability especially thosewho areliving with physical disability.” She referred to theWorldHealthOrganization's (WHO)disability report saying thatindicates that 26 million people are with disabilities inPakistanand15millionarephysicallychallenged.ShestatedthatthisishertargetpopulationinPakistan,“Iwanttotrainthem about independent life. I want to tell them thatdisabilityisabeautifullifestylebutinadifferentway.”“Weprovidedifferent typesof counsellingsessionsandhealthcare services across Pakistan. We are making them

independent both physically and �inancially by providinghealthcareservices,livelihoodtrainingsandvocationalandbusinessskills.”InPakistan,mostofthetimethesepeople,especiallywomenwithdisabilityfacelackofopportunitiesbecause of infrastructure development problems, lack ofaccessibi l i ty and no reasonable accommodationeverywhere,sotheycannotmovefromtheirhomesforjobsandfortheireducation.Keepingthesethingsinmind,shesaid,shecameupwiththeideaofself-managementtraining,inwhichtheyareworkingontwoSDGs1)Goodhealthandwellbeing2)decentemploymentandeconomicgrowth.Inherconcludingremarksshesaidthat,ifweempowerthesetypes of marginalized people in Pakistan, everyone willunderstandthatweareallequalandtogetherwecanbuildabetterPakistan.

Ms Nataliya Khan introduced herself as a lifestylephotographerbased in Seattle,U.S. Shehas specialized infamilyandchildrenlifestylephotography.Shesaidthatshecallsherselfanaccidentalentrepreneur,asshebelongstoafamilywherenofemalehasherownbusiness.Whilesharingherstoryshesaidthatherlifepathchangedwhenshemovedto Seattle after her marriage, where she discovered herpassion forphotography. She said that shehad to remainveryprofessional,intheinitialdaysofherbusiness,becauseitisreallydif�icultforagirlwithaPakistanibackgroundtodealwithpeopleinordertomakesurethatshegetspaidforherwork.Sheconcludedbysayingthatinheropinionmorefemalescanbecomeentrepreneursiftheyareprovidedwithproperskilldevelopmenttrainingandpolicysupportfromthegovernment.

MsAmnaZafarKhan,startedherspeechbysayingthatin Pakistan we �ind very few examples of femaleentrepreneurs.Inadequacyofdigitalskillsandknowledge,isanotherchallengebeingfacedbyPakistan'spopulationalltogether. She said that, she startedherbusinessbydoingbasic online advertisement for small businesses, andgradually,withthepassageoftimesheaddedresourcesintoit and now she successfully runs a digital marketingcompany.Shesaidthat,whileworkingwithwomenshehasrealizedtwothings,oneisthatfemaleentrepreneurshavelessaccesstotraditionalretailmarketsothedigitalplatformforthemisveryimportant,andtheotheristhat,womenfeel


hesitant sharing their own journey or sharing what theyhave accomplished, they downplay themselves becauseculturallywehavebeentaughttodothat.Sheexpressedthatas a result of the fourth industrial revolution, digitaltechnology gives us access to the markets that wasinaccessiblebefore.Shesaidthathercompanyalsoworksondeveloping digital literacy cell amongst women, toencouragewomenentrepreneursandprovidethemwiththeskills required to successfully promote and run theirbusinesses.Shefurtheradded,thatit'sbeenayearandtheyhave trained over 500 female entrepreneurs andwish tocontinue doing that. She said that they hope to build awomenmentorshipandnetworkingsystem.Furthermore,shesaid that there is lackof informationanddonothaveaccesstothesuccessstoriesofwomen.Shesaidthatifwebringmorewomentogether,havingsimilarnetworksandopportunities,engagewitheachother,wecanreallytaketheconversationforward.

Ms Masarra t M i sbah sha red h e r s t o r y o fentrepreneurshipbysayingthatshestartedherbusinessin1980 when the technological progress was slow, onlylandline telephones were available and businesstransactionswererecordedmanuallyonnotepads.Overaperiodof40years,herbusinessexpandedalloverPakistan,from a single branch of her salon to 76 branches. Sheexplainedthatitisafemaleorientedbusinessandtherearearound 35 female employees working in each branch.Around 75% of females working there as therapists,beauticians and technicians are from very humble

background.Shesaidthatevenforthemanagerialroles,inher organization, females aredominatingovermales. ShesaidthatsheisreallythankfultoAllahAlmightyforgivinghertheopportunitytohelpotherfemales.Inadditiontothis,shesaidthat,shestartedher�irsttraininginstituteinitiallyfor the girlswhowere alreadyworking for her and thenexpandeditforthosewhowantedtojointheprofession.

Moreover, she said thatdigitalmediahasbecome therequirementofbusinessthesedays.Ontheonehand,digitalenvisionhasbroughtmanypositivechangesinthesociety;ontheotherithasnegativeconsequencesaswell.Thereisaneed to develop strategies to encourage positive use ofdigital technology. As female entrepreneurs it is ourresponsibility to guide our subordinates and colleaguesabout the rights and thewrongs of digitalizationbecausemostofthemcomefromhumblebackgroundswheretheydonot have access to education and trainings. It is also ourresponsibility to pay back to the society because we areearningfromit.Around20yearsback,shesaid,“Istartedtoworkforburnvictims.Wearenotonlytreatingthembutalsoproviding them with professional skills and trainings tostand on their own feet. In the past 20 years we havefacilitatedaround766burnvictims.”Intheendshesaidthatthetakeawaymessagefromhersideisthatdonotgiveupandnevereverthinkthatlifeisdif�icult,nothingisdif�icultuntilyouhavethecouragetolive.Sherecommendedthatweneed to provide platforms and support to femaleentrepreneurstoensuretheirinclusioninbusinesses.

MsShandanaKhansaidthatthemajorproblemfemaleentrepreneurshavebeenfacingforthelast�iveyearsisthelackofmarketopportunityforfemalesfromremotevillages.Forthemwearetryingtocreategeographicalindicationlawwherebyweimpartpremiumtotheproductthatismadeintheir speci�ic region. We are combining two laws, “e-commercepolicyandGI”,allowingregularwomen,whomaynot wish to leave the safety of their homes for personalreasons,tobeabletoselltheirproducts.Thedigitalsocietycouldbe veryuseful inPakistan, she said, “Ifwe sort outthese two things, �irst is double taxation. We have twodifferenttaxationsystemsattheprovincialandatthefederallevel. Secondwedon't have the gateway for internationaltransactionsotherthanStateBank.”


Add i n g f u r t h e r, “When we t a l k a b ou t t h ethimplementation, 18 amendment gave industry, women

development, agriculture, food and labour regulation toprovinceswhiletheMinistryofCommerceisinthecentre.Itis a really complex setup, if youwant to promote femaleentrepreneurship then this complex system needs to berevised,”shesuggested.ForthatweneedtoalignourpoliciesastheSMEpolicyhasnothingtodowithtradepolicyand

tradepolicyisnotlinkedwithinvestmentpolicy,similarly,theinvestmentpolicyisnotalignedwiththetariffpolicy.Shesaid that it is really challenging to change the provincialpoliciesinordertoprovidespacetofemaleentrepreneurs.Adding to the list of challenges, she lamented that theprocedureforregisteringbusinessesisextremelycomplex,especiallyforwomen.

Session A-7: Strengthening the Use of Evidence in Policy

Making for Development ImpactChair: Mr Sartaj Aziz, Former Finance Minister of Pakistan

Moderator: Ms Mehr Shah, Karandaaz, IslamabadDiscussants

1. Dr Arnaldo Pellini, Research Associate, Overseas Development Ins�tute (ODI)

2. Mr Andy Murray, Sta�s�cs Advisor and Team Leader, DFID

3. Ms Safiya A�ab, Execu�ve Director, Verso Consul�ng Speakers

1. Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Execu�ve Director, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Mr Mosharraf Zaidi, Chief Execu�ve Officer, Tabadlab, Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Mr Anees Jillani, Chairman, Board of Governors, The Society for the Protec�on of the Rights of the Child, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel organizers:

Ÿ Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad

Ÿ Mr Qasim Shah, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad

Ÿ Mr Ahmed Khaver, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad

Ÿ Ms Mahnoor Arshad, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad

Report by: Mr Ahmed Khaver, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Mr Andy Murray, from DFID Pakistan,highlighted the central objective of theStrengthening theUse of Evidence in Policy

MakingforDevelopmentImpactprogrammeandsaidthatitaims to challenge conventional understanding aroundpolicymaking andmaking sure that evidence de�ines our

policydirection.Healso said that indecision-makingandpolicy decisions, Building Capacity to Use ResearchEvidenceProgramme(BCURE),hastaughtlessonsthathavehelpedstructureSEDI.

DrArnaldoPellini,ResearchAssociateattheOverseasDevelopment Institute, while stating the objective of the


projectsaidthattheprogrammediscussesthedemandanduseofevidenceinthreesectorsinPakistan,whichincludeChild Labour, Planning and Reform for EconomicDevelopmentandSkillsEducation:

Pathways into Employment . Furthermore, hehighlightedthatduetoincreasinguseofdigitaltechnologiesthere is a need for developing new capabilities ingovernmental use of evidence.While discussing the SEDIprogrammehesaidthatthekeyquestionstobeexploredare;whatdrivespolicydecisionsinallthethreesectors?Doesevidence play a role in that sector? What rules andcapabilitiesde�ine thedemandanduseof evidence?Howdoespolicy-makinginthesectorworkandwhy?

MrMosharrafZaidi,founderofTabadlab,deliveredapresentation on Skil ls Education: Pathways intoEmploymentandhighlightedthat70millionPakistanisarebetweenages15-29years.Furthermore,forthissubstantialnumber of Pakistanis, the total Technical and VocationalEducation and Training (TVET) slots account to only437,000. Skills include welding, electricians, beautyparlours(forwomen)andhardlabourformen.Intermsofquality,thereisquitealotofvariance,heopined.Healsosaidthatelitebureaucracy, specialistandexternalexpertsandelectedpoliticiansconstitutethepolicy-makingarchitecturein the sector, although news media has a signi�icantin�luence.Ourprofessionaloutlookonskillscoupledwiththecastesystemhasnegativelyconstructedskillseducation,helamented.Thewholefocusinskillseducationisgenderbiased in favour of men, he said. National Vocational &Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Act puts theresponsibilityofdatagatheringonthesubjecttoNationalSkillsInformationSystem(NSIS),headded.Heopinedthatthegovernment'soutlookontheskillstraineeislimitedtolabourtobesentofftotheMiddleEast.

Anees Jillani, Chairman Board of Governors, SPARCwhiledeliberatingon the subject child labour inPakistanopinedthatthecountryhasbeenmovingbackandforthinoursocialpolicies.Forinstance,heprovidedanexampleoftheJuvenileJusticeActwhichwaspromulgatedin2000andwasstruckdownin2005bytheSupremeCourt.Hestatedthat the minister responsible for the child labourpolicymakinghadnoideathatthesubjectmatterwasunderhisministry.Hehighlightedthatcoordinationandtheclarity

ofrolesamongstakeholdershasbeenlackingandministriesareshytoengageonthesubject.Heapprisedtheaudiencethat the article 25A of constitution bounds the state todeliverfreeandcompulsoryeducationforchildrenintheagegroupof6to16years.Hesaidthatthesituationongroundisentirelydifferentandthatstillalmosthalfofthestudentsinthe age bracket are not in schools. He opined that childlabour is concentrated in rural areas and in the informalsector(e.g.workingathomes,self-employedvendorsatthestreets). He also said that even if all students end up inschools itwill notmake anydifference as there is dismalqualityofeducation.Factories,minesandhazardoussectorsareprohibitedforchildrenundertheageof14toworkbytheConstitutionbutnotacrossthespectrumoflabour,hesaid.Noprogrammesatthefederalandtheprovinciallevelsexist,onlyinspectionexercisesareconducted,helamented.

DrVaqarAhmed,JointExecutiveDirector,SustainableDevelopmentPolicyInstitutedeliveredapresentationtitled“Strengthening the Use of Evidence in Economic PolicyFormulation”,which reiterated the lackof availability anduse of evidence in the policymaking process, issues ofcapacity and coordination shortcomings. He stated thatpolicymakingisnotnecessarilyevidencebased.Attimes,hesuggested that, certain initiatives and programmes arepolitically motivated and do not allow time to bring inevidence. In addition, he said that collecting, managing,�iltering and synthesizing of evidence is lacking in theeconomicpolicymakingspace.Healsoopinedthatdonorsstand out as signi�icant funders, as knowledge producerssuggested that the government put in a budget line forknowledge production. He added that capacity-buildingprogrammesinthesectorarenotanissueandareavailable.Healsoaddedthatevidenceisaccessible,however,itisnotcontextandtimerelevant.

MsMehrShah,Director,KnowledgeManagementandCommunications,Karandaaz, said thatpolicydebates andeffortsareworkingindifferentsilosandtheeffortsmustbeorganized jointly todeliver fromoneplatformandhavealargerandsustainedimpact.

MsSa�iyaAftab,ExecutiveDirector,VersoConsulting,providedanoteofcautionthatdatacanbemadeandcanbeinterpreted and used very differently. The use andimplementationofthedataalongwithpoliticsisanareawe


needtofocus,shealsoadded.MrSartajAziz,formerforeignand�inanceministerof

Pakistansaidthatevidence-basedresearchhasbeengainingtractover thepastyearsbut recently ithasgainedgloballimelight. The testing and experimentalmethodbased onresearch is providing increasingly better and effectiveresponseandimpactindevelopmentsectorduetoresearch-basedevidence,headded.Multipleburningissuesexistandrequire research-based analysis, for instance, polio anddengue recrudescence, micro credit and nutrition, hehighlighted.Healsoaddedthatinstitutionalbuildingisthecruxofitallandifinstitutionsarebuiltef�iciently,theywouldinternally absorb research-oriented approaches andproducebetterpolicies.Makingand re�iningpolices is aninstitutionalprocesswheredonorscannothelpinthat,he

suggested.Sequencingofone'sreformsisessential,andtoelaborate the example he said that Chinamanages policyevery decade and rede�ines approach and objectiveaccordingly. However, he added that our political systemdoesnot allow land reformsand incomedistribution andthis is where skills come in and education ensures theirearning. He stressed that evidence-based research couldhelp in addressing these issues and also institutionalizedpolicymakingcouldhelpPakistandecideaneffectiveandmeaningfulapproach.Helamentedthatfromthe1970s,wesentlabourtotheMiddleEastbuthavefailedtorede�ineandimproveourlabour'scapabilitiesandcapacities.HeaddedthatPakistankeptproviding thesamequalityandtypeoflabour over the decades. This approach, he opined, hasresultedinourlabourgettinglowerwagesandpays.

Session A-8Roundtable - Air Pollution: Addressing Data Challenges and the Way Forward Moderator: Ms Maryam Shabbir, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute

Guest of Honour: Ms Zartaj Gul, Minister of State for Climate Change, Government of Pakistan

Panellists:

1. Ms Maryam Abbasi, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan.

2. Ms Zainab Naeem & Ms Nageen Sohail, Fa�ma Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

3. Mr Abid Omar, Pakistan Air Quality Ini�a�ve, Karachi, Pakistan

Discussants

Ÿ Mr Muhammad Khan, Balochistan Environment Protec�on Agency, Government of Pakistan

Ÿ Mr Amin Baig, Punjab Environment Protec�on Agency, Government of Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Ÿ Dr Imran Khalid, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organiser: Ms Maryam Shabbir, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Khansa Naeem, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

After a welcome note and key introductions ofpanelists,MsMaryamShabbir fromSDPI said thatmany reports by the World Bank and different

organizationshaverevealedhealthimpactsofbadairquality

inPakistan,particularlyinLahore.Statingthefocusofthesessionandpresentingtheagenda,shesaidthatthesessionwillparticularlytalkaboutdatachallengesandtakeinputfrom the government and from data providers. She


mentioned that Federal EPA in Islamabad have startedproviding air quality emissions on a weekly basis inIslamabad, but private entities are providing data morequickly.

Ms Zainab Naeem, researcher from Fatima Jinnah

Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan presented the

review of public perception and need for emission

inventories.MsNaeem started by saying that onemostly

talksaboutPM2.5concentrationbecauseitisthoughttobe

causingmajorharmtohumanandenvironment.Manyother

pollutants in the air which include volatile and chemical

compounds unburn hydrocarbon. She further discussed

majorsourcesofsmogwhichisaviationindustry.In1999

IPCC reported that aviation industry contributed 2% to

globalgreenhousegasemission.In2000ICOreportedthat

global air passenger traf�ic is proposed to increase by an

averageof4.6billionperannumto4.9billionperannum

between1999 and2020whichwas proved by theWorld

Bank2018statisticsandshowedthatithasincreasedto4.9

billionperannumfortheglobalevasionindustry.Theglobal

greenhousegasemissionthatwerecontributed2%in1999,

arenowbeingreportedastobe5%.

Ms Naeem added that carbon dioxide is one of the

greenhouse gases which is contributing towards climate

change. Carbon monoxide reduces blood oxygen. Nexus

oxidizesinairandproducesthreeacidswhicharenitricacid

whichcanresultincardiovascularandrespiratorydiseases,

hydrocarbonswhichdisturbourmolecularsystemandthen

volatile particulate matters which are mutagenic, cause

neurotoxicityandproducesulfuricacidandacidrainwhich

ismaincauseofsoot(blackcarbon)whichisreleasedfrom

industrial emissionandair craft anddeteriorating theair

quality.

Somecountries likeChina,Turkey,Thailand,USAand

the UK have carried out private survey and found that

mortalities have been reported due to aviation emission

aroundtheairportvicinity,childrenandwomenremainthe

mainvictims.In2018,InternationalCivilAviationAuthority

has setup some protocol standards, one of the major

protocols that they have setup is Carbon Offsetting and

ReductionSchemeforInternationalAviation,27signatory

member countries are liable to follow those protocols.

SecondlyJune2018thecounciladoptedthe�irstconditionof

Na60 (CORSIA's protocol) which ensures environmental

protection.Europeandsomeothercountriesaretryingto

shifttowardrenewableandbiofuels.

MsNaeemmentionedthatsheconductedgeneralpublic

survey at two airports to �ind out the general public

perceptionabouttheaviationemissioninventoryandabout

howmuchtheyawareaboutgreenhousegassesandclimate

change.Totalparticipantswere60,30inLahoreand30in

Islamabad, the �irst question was whether they were

travelling inbusinessclassoreconomyclass,nearly40to

50%weretravellinginbusinessclassbut50to60%were

travellingineconomyclass.Whenaskediftheywouldprefer

totravelinaircraftwithgoode-fueloptiontheyallsaidyes

butnoonewaswillingtopaymoreforsustainabletravel.She

concluded by pointing out that the statistics of the

international �lights and the domestic �lights that were

carriedoutinPakistan2019showedthattotalcargocarried

outwas295943in2011fortotalpassengerandin2018this

amount trigger the number of �light, the number of

passenger the number of cargo. The international civil

aviation authority established carbon emission calculator

andcalculatethecarbonfootprintfromairtravelforoffset

programs.Itestimatestheaircraftfuelburn.

Mr Abid Omar, Founder of Pakistan Air Quality

Initiative,Karachi,Pakistanwasthen invitedtotalkabout

data being generated by the air qualitymonitors and the

methodologybeingusedtocalculatetheairqualityindexfor


Pakistan.MrOmarstartedhispresentationbysayingthatit

is generally believed that pollution in Pakistan is coming

fromIndia,butwinddirectionsshowthatmostofpollution

isgoingfromPakistantoIndia.NASAsatellitedatashows

what pollution level looks like. He stated that it is very

unfortunatethatairpollutionisaproblemwearenotalone

init.Some92%oftheworldlivesintheplacewheretheair

qualityiswellabovesafelimits,thisisajointhotspot.Asso

many people are affected by air pollution, it has brought

researcherstogetherto�indworkablesolutionsforit.

MrOmarsaidthatpublichaveaccesstorealtimedataall

aroundtheworldbutinPakistanwesetlowcostairquality

monitorsinstalledbackin2016butitisleastimportant,we

arenotreallyinterestedinmonitoringdata.Thethingwhich

mattersiswhattodowiththedata,whatispolicyoutcomeof

thisdata,asthereisnopolicymonitoringinPakistansince

decades.Privateentitieshaveinstalledairqualitymonitors

in different cities of Pakistan. He mentioned that his

initiativehas15monitorsonlyinLahorenow.Theirlow-cost

monitoringprovidedataonhourlybasis.Theselow-costair

qualitymonitorshavecreatedgrossrootmovementamong

concerned citizens. He added that in November, Prime

MinisterImranKhantalkedaboutLahore'spollutionlevels

andcomparedthemtoDelhi.Headdedthathisdatashows

thatLahoreinthisyearhasonly10hoursofgoodairquality

whichmeetsinternationalstandardsandPakistanbaseline

standards.ButGovernmentEPAdataonlytalksaboutPM2.5

ifcomparedwithPakistanAirQuality Initiative's low-cost

data to �indouthowreliable it is. In2018,USmonitoring

setup in Lahore and their data is similar to that of the

Initiative's. He concluded by stressing that Pakistan has

dangerous levelsofairpollution inLahore, inPunjab last

yearonly18daysmetPakistanairqualitystandards.

MrMuhammadAminBaig, DeputyDirector, Punjab

EnvironmentalProtectionAgencywastheninvitedtospeak

andgivehisinsightsontheroleofbrickkilnsincomparison

to industrial and transportation sector pollution

contribution in the smog seasonandwhat is the capacity

issuebeingfacedbythegovernmentfortheinstrumentsin

monitoringdata,makingitavailableonlineandstrategiesto

combatairquality.

MrAminBaigstartedhistalkbyhighlightingthat the

�irstpolicytocombatwiththesmogwasformulatedin2017.

Inthatpolicyeverydepartmenthasitsowndomain.There

aresomanyindustrialunitswhicharecontributingtowards

theairpollutionspeciallysmog.Hepointedout there isa

challenge regarding thenumber of air qualitymonitoring

stationswhicharenotsuf�icienttomonitordatafromentire

country.MrBaig said thatEPAPunjab is restructuring its

department and enforcing industrial units to install their

ownairqualitymonitoringsystem.Recently,theEPAissued

theNOCtoindustrieswithaconditiontoinstalltheirownair

qualitymonitorstation.Itshouldbeseenasawayforward

that the EPA is issuing environmental approvals under

section 12 of Punjab EPA Act 1997, enforcing all the

industrialunitsthatarecontributingtopollutiontoinstall

theirairqualitymonitoring systems.Themain issue is to

reinforcethelawwhichisthemainfactor.Of240brickkilns

of Rawalpindi, only a few kilns converted to zigzag


technology,which could signi�icantly reducepollution.He

concluded by saying that EPA is working towards such

initiativesandremainshopefulthatwhenrestructuringwill

becarriedout,moredatawillbeavailableoneasyaccess.

Mr Muhammad Khan, Balochistan Environmental

ProtectionAgencywasinvitedtotalkaboutdatachallengest hwith the government of Balochistan, as after 18

Amendment,environmentalissuesneedtobetackledwith

atprovinciallevelsinsteadofthefederallevel.

Mr Khan started his talk by stating that in 2003,

Balochistan was the �irst province to install several

monitoringstations.Quettawasthesecondmostpolluted

citybefore2000,courtesy89brickkilns,10,000twostroke

rickshaws,among89brickkilns,onebrickkilnswasusing

12to15-tonnesofcopperdaily.Before2010therewereno

emitant air quality standards for Pakistan. In 2005 EPA

startedtheprogramtouniformpolicy. InBalochistanPC1

has been approved for 10 more monitoring systems to

monitor the borders, data ismaintained till 2015.Due to

operational cost the station has stopped but there is one

station in Quetta, while Lahore and Karachi have two

stationsandonemobilestationeach;onestationandone

mobilestationinIslamabadandoneinPeshawarwherePM

2.5 is provided, PM 10 nonstop data and 16-kilometer

radiations, temperature and humidity. He concluded by

invitingaudienceandpanelistsaliketoaccessandcollectthe

data for policy making. While conducting the vehicular

emissiondataallbuseswerecheckedandphaseout60%last

month increasing road side dust, which increases PM 10

leveleverytime.Hefurtheraddedthattheyhaveconducted

twocycleinayear,oneinhotseasonandotherincoldseason.

For PM 10 level its 6 points, connected to the main

intersectionsofthecity.AirqualityistwotimeshigherPM10

level,twotimeshigherthannationalenvironmentalquality

standard.

DrImranKhalid,ResearchFellowatSDPI,Islamabad,

talked about institutional framework. Research is saying

againandagainfocusshouldbetransportsectorparticularly

when it comes to fuel sector addressing our air pollution

problemsobrickkilnsarethere,openingburningofwasteis

there, the industrial emission are there but the key

proponentinPakistanoverthepastdecadeandhalfhasbeen

transportsectorsoasthepopulationisgrownwhichonecan

seeinshapeofsmogembeddedline.Weseeairpollutionin

winterintheformofsmogbecauseoftemperatureaversion.

The government started taking steps. But what is the

institutionalframeworkunderwhichallthisishappeningso

quicklygooverwherewearerightnowandtheprocessthat

wefollowedpastfewyearssotheenvironmentalprotection

ordinance of 1983 is relevant, the national conservation

strategyof1992isrelevant,theenvironmentprotectionact

of1997isrelevant.Alltheseactsandlegislationorframe

workareloottoenvironmentpollution,loottoairpollution,

loottowaterpollution.DrKhalidsaidthatwhilewealways

talkaboutawareness reasoningand institutionalbuilding

buteven30or40yearsafterthe�irstlegislationcameabout

environmentalmanagementwe are still so far behind. So

thatisde�initelyaconcern.Alongwithitweneedtoaware

therelevantstakeholderabouttheseresearches.In2010we

have20amendmentswhichdoesnotallowcollectiveaction.

Wehavefogcommissionsreport,wehaveclearairprogram

of2005,wehavescientistandexamplesasAbidtoldusthat

allthisalreadydoneinBeijing,inLosAngles,inLondonin

50s--soitisnotarocketbuildingexercise,wejustneedto

cometogetherandaddresstheseissuessuchthatweneedto

addresscon�lictovercapacityoverresources.

MsMaryamShabbirhighlightedthatthecapacityissues

aretherootcauseinmanyconventionaldepartments.One

needstomovetowardsdigitaldatabasisandunlessitisnot

availabletopublicitcannotbeutilizedforpolicymakingto


minimize pollution level. Inviting the Minster of Climate

Change,MsZartajGul,theGuestofHonouratthesession,

saidthatPakistanisbeingaffectedbythebiggest internal

migration due to climate change specially in Southern

Punjab.Itisunfortunatethatthereisairpollutionandsmog

whichisaffectinglotsofpeopleinPakistan.Shesaidthereis

aneedtodevelopasolutioninsteadofblamegame.Solution

has to come from scientists, environmentalist, academia.

TheMinister concludedby saying that the PrimeMinster

alreadyannouncedthathybridbuseswillsoonbeavailable.

Thewholeprogramofzigzagtechnologyhasbeenpassedon

toTEVTAandDESCOMtoincreaseskillinpeople.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri , Executive Director,Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI),Islamabad, in his introductory remarks said that

though the country has embarked upon the renewableenergymixandeffortsat theGovernment level arebeingmade for cheaper and cleaner energy mix, yet issues ofcapacitypaymentsandcirculardebtrequireasustainablesolution. He urged the Government to capitalize on thedigitalrevolutionand�indwaystosolvethecomplexissueofthe energy sector. He said that collective effort andconsensus of stakeholders are crucial in structuring aresolutionofcomplexenergyissues.

Mr Shahab Qadir, CEO, Engro Powergen QadirpurLimited, Pakistan said that the Engro Energy is the only

largestcompanyofPakistan,whichusesthelocalfuelandthe company has the ability and capacity to tackle thechallengesposedbytheemergingtechnologies.Hesaidthatwhile devising new energy plans, the government shouldavoid past mistakes. Mr Qadir stressed the need forintegratedenergyplanstoachievetheobjectiveofcheaperand cleaner energy mix. He further emphasized on theimportance of enhanced demand creation and a moreliberalisedenergymarketinthecountry.Hesaidashift isneeded from single-buyer-model tomultiple-buyer-modelthatwouldcausetheinteractionofdemandandsupplyofpower,thussettingalowerandef�icientbasketprice.

Highlighting the importance of utilization, he added,indigenousresourceutilization inpowerproductionmust

Engro-SDPI Dinner Plenary Renewable Energy Reforms in Pakistan: An Appraisal

Welcome Remarks: Engr Ahad Nazir, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad Pakistan

Guest of Honour: Senator Shibli Faraz, Leader of the House, Senate of Pakistan

Introduc�on to SDC: Dr Abid Q Suleri, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad Pakistan

Panelists:

1. Dr Rana Abdul Jabbar Khan, CEO, Alternate Energy Development Board, Pakistan

2. Mr Shahab Qadir, CEO, Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited, Pakistan

3. Dr Fa�ma Khushnud, Independent Power Producers Associa�on (IPPA), Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr Sardar Muhazzam, MD, Na�onal Energy Efficiency and Conserva�on Authority(NEECA), Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Mr Ahad Nazir & Mr Mujeeb ur Rehman, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad Pakistan

Report by: Ms Ifra Baig, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan


begivenpriorityandtheimportanceofrenewableenergymustbeaggrandizedwithrespecttoalowerbasketpriceofelectricityandamoresustainablepowersector.UtilizationoflocalresourceshasalwaysbeenasuccessforEngroandcould be similar for Pakistan's economy as utilizingrenewable energy would de�initely be cost effective andmore environmentally friendly that would lead towardssustainable development of power sector. Mr Qadirconcludedhis speechbyurging the government to go forcompetitivebiddingprocessforrenewableenergyprojectsand also urged the need for creation of demand forrenewableenergy.

Dr Fatima Khushnud from Independent PowerProducers Association (IPPA), Islamabad, called upon theGovernment for creating conducive environment andensuring consistency in policieswhich are critical for theprivatesectortogrow. ShesaidthattheGovernmentmustuphold the sanctity of the private sector contracts andshouldevolvemechanismwheremarketfortheIPPsshouldbe open from single buyer regime to open or multiplemarkets.Shealsostressedtheneedforchangingthemindsetat all levels through educating the public on energyconservation.

Dr Khushnud emphasized that if these policyrecommendationsarenotconsideredthenitcouldpileuptoaffect the risk premium, which would directly cause thebasket price of electricity to increase for the generalpopulaceofthecountry.Furthermore,thepolicyrelevanttodemand creation must be given a priority. Pakistan hasexcesspowergenerationandthiscouldbeutilizedtoreducethe basket price through demand creation and throughrenewable energy drive. Pakistan can move towards anambianceofenvironmentalandpricefriendlyenergyforthepopulace. She concluded by highlighting that with theGovernment's focus on enhanced power generation fromrenewables,itshouldalsoconsiderthetribulationscausedbytheinef�icientoldpowerplants.Theseoldplantsarethereason for increased power prices and must be eitherrestored to re-powering or must be decommissioned.Economicgrowthandincreasedeconomicactivitieswoulddirectlycontributetowardsdemandcreation,shesaid.

MrSardarMuhazzamfromNationalEnergyEf�iciencyand Conservation Authority (NEECA), Pakistan, said thatthereisaneedtofocusonenergyef�iciencyandconservationalong with the renewable energy mix. He said that theNEECA is already working on National Energy Ef�iciencyStrategy Paper and emphasized the need for integratedenergy planning and harmonization of the energy sectorregime.He recommended creation of ef�icient frameworkwith regard to power appliances and further added thatdigitalization is imperative with regard to energyconservation and sustainable management of the excesselectricityinthemarket.

DrRana Abdul Jabbar Khan fromAlternate EnergyDevelopmentBoard,saidthattheboardhasdevelopedgreenenergy building codes to help ensure the zero energyconsumptionbuildingsinfuture.Hesaidthatthereisahugepotential in renewable energy sector in Pakistan and theBoardisworkingonfacilitatingtheprivatesectorinevery


manner. He said that under the recently approved newpolicy, the board has set the targets of 20% renewableenergymixby2025and30%by2030.Hefurthermentionedthatthetariffdeterminationhasbeeneasedandmademoretransparentaswellascompetitivethroughinternationallycompetitivebidding.

SenatorShibliFaraz,Leaderof theHouse, SenateofPakistan stressed the need and importance of cheaperrenewable energy for the country suggested the need forestablishingadedicatedministry forrenewableenergytotacklethecomplexchallengesandfutureenergydemandofthecountry.HelamentedthatthepastgovernmentpoorlynegotiatedtheenergycontractsincludingtheIndependentPowerPlants(IPPS)andLique�iedNaturalGas(LNG),which[posedto]compromisethefuturethecountry.Hesaid,therewerema�iasaroundineverysectorandenergysectorwasnoexception.

SenatorFarazsaidcleanandcheaperenergyproductionprojectswereignoredinthepastandcostlyprojectsweregivenprioritywiththeattentiontomintmoney.Hesaidthat

the incumbent governmentwas tryinghard to curtail thecircular debt and capacity payment issues. By 2020 thegovernment aims tobringdown the circulardebt to zerolevel. While highlighting the inconsistency in legalframework and contradictions within the institutionaloperational regime, Senator Faraz stressed the need foramendmentinNEPRAAct. Hesaidthattheadministrativeinfrastructureoftheenergysectorrequiresalotofchangesat all levels, which need coordinated efforts by allstakeholders . The National Energy Ef� ic iency &Conservation Authority (NEECA) has to set improvedstandards of energy ef�iciency and conservation to helpmakethecountryenergysuf�icientandef�icient,headded.Senator Faraz also stressed on the need for an ef�icienttransmission and distribution mechanism along with theproductionofcheaperandcleanerenergymix.Hesuggesteddigital solutions to curb this issue and said these areimperativeforbridgingthecommunicationalgapsbetweentheinstitutions.

Chair: Mr Parvez I�ikhar, Member PM's Special Taskforce on IT, Government of Pakistan

Introductory Remarks/ Ms Mahnoor Arshad, Project Associate, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Moderator: Pakistan

Panellists:

1. Mr Ahmed Qadir, Director General, Compe��on Commission of Pakistan (CCP)

2. Dr Sajid Amin Javed, Research Fellow, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Mr Syed Muhammad Mustafa, Technical Advisor, GIZ Office, Pakistan

Panel Organizers: Dr Vaqar Ahmed and Ms Mahnoor Arshad, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Mahnoor Arshad, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Session B-1: Digitalizing Inclusion and Social Protection in Pakistan

MrSyedMustafa,TechnicalAdvisor,GIZ,saidthatsingle window services and one windowoperations are required for social protection in

Pakistan. Social protection assists people to get out ofpoverty.Peopleknowverylittleaboutthesocialprotectionprogrammes except a select few like the Benazir Income


SupportProgram(BISP).Only2%ofthetotalpopulationisawareofthesocialprotectionprogrammesbeingconductedhere in Pakistan. There should be a coherent socialprotectionsystemprevalenthereinPakistan.

With regard to the single window services, heemphasized that the government cannot decide thisovernight.Time isrequiredtoget thingsdone.He furtherassertedthatmodelshavebeentestedandtriedinKhyberPakhtunkhwa(KP)andPunjab.Therearecertainstepsinabusinessprocessandtheprojectsshouldbestreamlinedandthendigitalized.InKP,thereareproperdatabasesandof�iceshavebeenmadeinwhichtrainedstaffisrecruited.Policiesarethenmadeandgivenoutandoperationsregardingsuchtaskshavebeenstarted.Theprocedureshouldbesuchthatpeopleshouldcometoonewindow,telltheirqueryandthenmustbesentovertotheconcerneddepartment.

However,inPunjab,conditionsarereallydifferentfromthoseofKP.InPunjab,thereisavailabilityofproperlymadeinfrastructureandstaffisavailable.Aservicesimisissuedtothecustomerafterproperscrutinyof theirCNIC.AnATMcard is then issued to them through which cash transferservice is provided to the customer. On the other hand,challengesarebeingfacedinKP.Thereisnocommunicationdepartmenttoconnectthe�iscaldepartmentwiththeonewindowof�ice.Follow-uprequiresmoretime.Duetolackofproperdatabases,itgetsdif�iculttoidentifyanyduplicationbeing done. Departments are hesitant to share datawitheach other. Departmental processes are not mapped outproperly.

Furthermore, when a service is provided, pricedocumentationisrequired.Servicesarestillmanualwhichhindersprogress.Thepolicieswhicharebeingmadedonotaddress issues related to data privacy. The staff ends upconductingsurveysoverandoveragain.

MrAhmedQadir,DirectorGeneral,CCP,speci�iedthatthepopulationofPakistanis36%urbanand64%rural.Itis

ththe 6 most populated nation and there is almost 22%internet penetration here. There are 28 million socialnetwork users in Pakistan. Pakistan is moving towardsdigitalization. There must be digitalization of health, e-commerce, etc. Internet plays a very important role in

expandingbusinesses,hesaid.Severalgapsaretherewithregard to bringing digitalization in to Pakistan. Digitalcompetenciesneedtobepromoted.Dataanalyticsshouldbeused in order to withdraw useful results from theinformation provided. Product and service innovation isneededandinfrastructureneedstoberevamped.

Data is the essential facility, he postulated. Datacollectedfromthepublicisusedwithouttheirconsentduetowhichthepublic'strusthasbeenshattered.Datacollectionshouldbeprotectedandtheprivacyofthepublicshouldbemaintained throughout. A data protection programmeshouldbedevisedandglobalstandardsofdataprotectionmustbemet.Companiesshouldproperlyde�inehowpublicdataisbeingusedandforwhatpurposes.Hefurthertalkedabout the Open Government Partnership Act whichadvocates openness, transparency and accountability. Hesaid that a good policy runs on the infrastructure ofinstitutions.

DrSajidAmin,ResearchFellow,SDPI,startedoffbystating that threemajor transformationshavebeenmadeglobally. The �irst one refers to shifting from economicempowermenttodigitalempowerment.Thesecondoneistheshiftfrompovertytosocialinclusion.Andthethirdoneistheseparationbetweentheeconomicandsocialpolicies.Hefurthersaidthatmacroeconomicpolicyshouldhaveasocialpolicycomponentinitaswell.Digitalizationofthesocietyanddigitalizationofpublicserviceprovidersisaneedofthetime.RedesigningproductsandservicesandbringingaboutdigitalizationhereinPakistanischallenging.Itisrequiredtobeseenastowhatneedstobechangedintheproductsandservices.LargescaleevidenceismissingonwhatworksforPakistanandwhatdoesnot.Testingisrequired.

Furthermore, there is low digitalization in Pakistan(only22%).Acheckisrequiredinordertoseewhetherthereis equitabledistributionof digitalization in the societyornot. He asserted that what we do is that we divide thebene�iciaries but take the overall programme to behomogenous, whereas, in reality it is heterogeneous innature.Datamaysometimesnotbetheendproduct.Itisnottheinterpretationbutthesyntaxwhichshouldbegivendueconsideration.Thereshouldbecollaborationbetween the


publicsector,privatesector,civilsocietyandtheacademiaonthreefronts.Firstistodifferentiatethegeneraldigitaltoolsfromtheeffectivedigital tools.Thiswillresult inahigheruserengagement.Secondistheidenti�icationofthetriggersthatdrivedigitalizationtothesocialserviceproviders.Thirdisthedigitalizationofidenti�icationprocesses,whethertheyaredisbursementprocessesorothers.

MrParvezIftikhar,MemberPM'sSpecialTaskforceonIT,chairingthesessionsaidthatthereareseveralissuesprevalentinPakistananddigitalizationwillhelpsortthemout. He talked about the social protection programmes.Digitalizationmakesiteasierfortheseprogrammestotalkamongthemselvesbutonlyifthereiswillingnesstodoso.Data,ifusedproperly,canhelp.Hesaidthatheisaproponentofpilotprojectsastheyaremoreeconomical.Hesaidseveralstart-ups face obstacles in establishing their applicationsduetolackofaccessibilitytodata,forexample,NADRAisabrilliant organization but due to security concerns datastoredtherecannotbeshared.

Thereis44%accesstointernetthroughsmartphonesanditisapitythatsmartphonesarebeingtaxedhighlyinPakistan.HementionedthatasmemberoftheITtaskforce,hehasplacedhisrecommendationtothePrimeMinisterthatIT products should not be taxed in Pakistan. Smartphonetaxationisabarriertointernetaccessaswell.Smartphonescan become a great source for implementation of onewindowoperations inPakistanbutnot inthenearfuture.This delay is due to the fact that awareness aboutdigitalization is lacking among individuals. The DataProtectionBillhasbeenmodi�iedandtheEuropeanGeneralData Protection Regulation (GDPR) model should beadopted.Technologyisatool,hefurtherasserted.AssuchnosocialprotectionprogrammesarebeingconductedproperlyandwithfulldedicationhereinPakistananddigitalizationwillcertainlymakethemmoreef�icientandeffective.


Session B-2Ecological Transition to Sustainable Societies in a Digital Era: CPEC Perspective

Chair: Ms Kanwal Shauzeb, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Planning Development & Reform (MPDR), GoP

Moderator: Dr Hina Aslam, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Special Remarks: Mr Hassan Daud, Chairman Board of Investment (BoI), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Dr Huan Liu, Tsinghua University, China

2. Dr Muhammad Imran, PMAS-Arid Agricultural University Pakistan

3. Mr Xiaofei Wang, Global Energy Interconnec�on Development and Coopera�on Organiza�on (GEIDCO), China

4. Mr Sudheendra Kulkarni, Columnist, India

Panel Organizers: Dr Hina Aslam & Ms Sana Malik, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Numra Abid, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, Pakistan

DrHinaAslam,fromSDPI,Islamabad,asmoderatorofthesession,formallyinitiatedtheproceedingsbygiving a brief overview and introduction of the

worthypanellists.Shesaidthatoursocietiesandeconomiesarestrugglingtotransforminresponsetoclimatecrisisandrapidly deteriorating environmental conditions, whichrequire attention and efforts. Digital technologies offer avarietyof services toenable sustainable formof resourceuse, conservation and environmental protection byincreasingthestandardoflivingoftheworldpopulationinthe era of structural transformations, technologicaladvancementsandalterationsinsocialandeconomicorder.DrAslamsaidthatovertheyearsChinahastremendouslyachieved ecological transition, using concrete policy andtechnologicalmeasures.Keyobjectiveof this session is tomakefunctionaladjustmentsinmajoreconomiczonesandto put forward the policy recommendations forsustainabilityofChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC),sheexplained.

DrHuanLiufromTsinghuaUniversity,China,discussedsustainable development through CPEC with clean airperspective.Shesaidthatcleanenvironmentofanycityisanindicatorofsustainabledevelopment.CleanairactinChina

hassetupagoaltoreducetheparticulatematterupto25%infouryears.DrLiuaddedthatthegovernmenthasmovedtotechnology-based emission control. Before that the localgovernments only reported the reduction in emission.Centralgovernmentnotonlywantstheemissioncontrolbut[animprovementin]theairqualityaswell.ShestressedthatthisisabigtransitionforChina�ightingforairpollution.Weshouldusescienti�icmeasurestoevaluatetheeffectivenessof the control measures. We need to understand ouremission sources. China will integrate the air controlmeasuresintheaircontrolmodelandthemodelwilltellusdose-response function. Based on technologies, Chinaevaluated its forecast measures such as energy structurechange,actsrelatedtoemissionreduction.TheMinistryofEnvironmentisreformattedandanewdepartmentforairpollutioncontrolisset.Shehighlightedco-bene�itsofCarbonEmissionReductionintheImplementationof“AirTenAct”.From2013to2017,thecumulativeCO emissionreduction2

broughtbytheimplementationofthe“AtmosphericAct10”,themeasure is estimated tobebetween1.5 and3billiontonnes. She explicitly highlighted that how China'ssustainable societies experience can be transferred intoCPECdevelopment,sincePakistansigni�icantlydependson


roadfreighttransportationusing96%oftotalroadfreight,only4%transportedbyrailfreight�70%trucksaretwoandthree axle (Bedford), 8% articulated & 22% multi-axletruckswhicharemostly30yearsold.Itbecomesextremelyimportanttomitigatetheeffectsofairpollutiononpeopleand theenvironment toachievesustainabledevelopment.SinceCPEC isa route forothereconomiccorridorsof theworld under BRI, it can bring an opportunity for a cleanglobalsupplychain.

DrMuhammad Imran, from the Arid AgriculturalUniversity Pakistan, said that air, water, forests, groundwater are the constituents of environment andwheneversomeone plans for urban settlements, mega projects andbuildingindustries,oneshouldmaintaintheseconstituentsandecosystemservices.WhiletalkingaboutCPEC,hesaidthatweareexpectinghugelandcoverchangethroughoutthecountry,whichisassociatedwiththeecologicaltransitionsin terms of all the resources.We are expecting 7,000 bigvehiclesmovingperdayemitting336.5milliontonnesofCO 2,which can lead half of the glaciers to vanish in 2100accordingtoforecastandcanalsocause�loodsandclimatechange. DrImranfurthersaidthatinordertomaintainourecosystemandmitigatetheeffectsofchangesduetomegaprojects there are two solutions. One is to build an eco-friendlytechnologybutthemostpracticalwayistomaintainour forests, another dimension is the implementation ofSDGs, which is to eradicate poverty and hunger. He alsotalkedaboutthechallengesrelatedtothistradingaswearetryingtoprovidedigitalservicestoautomated,timely,lesslabour intensive, effective monitoring of carbon stockstrading and related ecosystem services; and, secondchallenge is to develop organizations to maintain anddevelop some policies. DrImran concluded by saying thatthere are four essential components to carry out: �irst,monitoring land use cover change; second, identifyingcarbon source and sink areas; third, evaluation of carbonstocks;and,fourislinkinglandusechangewithCO stock2

trading.MrXiaofeiWangfromGlobalEnergyInterconnection

Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO),China,talkedaboutsustainabledevelopmentsmartgridand

energyinterconnectionandalsogavesomesuggestionsforPakistan.Hesaidthatinthecomingyearsenergydemandwillincrease,suchasdemandforelectricityandoil.Hesaidthatthewaytodealwiththissituationistheuseofsmartgrids.Smartgridisaconceptthatenergyfromgeneration,transmission,distributiontoutilisationcanbecontrolledbytheauthoritysystem.MrWangaddedthatinChina,10yearsago, the load centre was in the west while the powergeneration centre was in the east; there was not muchconnectivity, but in one decade, China has �inished anationwide energy transmission system (fromeast to thewest),whichisalsothelongesttransmissionline(3,000km).HesaidthatinChina,theyalsohaveanenergycontrolsystemthroughwhich theycanmonitorall thepowergenerationand utilization. He said that we believe that throughworldwideinterconnectionmapwecanutilizeenergyinthebestway. In conclusionMrWang suggested that PakistanshouldconnectwithChinaandothercountriestouseenergyasacommodityandwhichcanbesoldorboughtfromChina.

MsKanwalShauzab,ParliamentarySecretary,MinistryofPlanningDevelopment&Reform(MPDR),whopresidedaschairof thesession,madesomeannouncementsaboutwhattheGovernmentintendstodoonthissubject.ShesaidtheGovernmentintendstodeveloppolicyinstrumentsandguidelinestoencouragethebankingsystemtomakegreeninvestments. She continued that the green �inancingmechanismcanbewidelyadoptedsothatcapitalmarketscan allocate �inancing to reduce carbon sector of theeconomy. These measures include subsidies for cleanenergy,pricingof carbonemissions,emission tradingandtaxes,reducingthepriceoflowcarbontechnologiestomakethemmoreattractive forprivateentrepreneurswhichcanhelpaccess international �inance fromgreenclimate fundandothers.Investmentinlowcarbontransportation,energyef�icientproductionandcleanenergyforthecitiescanandshouldcomefromprivatesectors.MsShauzabalsosaidthatPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Government intends toprioritise creation of a policy environment to mobilizeprivatesectorresources,andinparticulartheinternationalgreen�inanceforinfrastructuralneeds.Furtheraddingshesaid CPEC can also become an environmental corridor,


0040

China's share of global green bond market is 40% andlearning from their experiencePakistan can launch greenbondsunderCPECanditisanopportunityforPakistantoreach its SDGs targets. She also acknowledged the roleofindividualeffortstomovetowardsasustainablesociety.

Mr Sudheendra Kulkarni from India, started hisconversationbythankingthepanelorganizersandsaidthatcomingtoPakistanislikecominghome.Hede�ineddigitaleraasinstantaneousconnectivityfromoneplacetoanotheranytime.HemaintainedthatIndiaandPakistanasdigitallyd isconnected . He sa id we need to broaden theunderstandingof theconceptofsustainabledevelopment,which means economic growth that is ecologicallysustainable. Another dimension is peace, without peacethere can be no sustainable development. Quoting theexampleofIndiaandPakistanrelationshesaidthatnationsandsocietiescannotreachtheirfullpotentialofsustainabledevelopmentiftheyarenotlivinginpeace.Mentioningthewater dispute between the two countries, he commentedthatwearenotabletosharewaterfromtheriverswhichconnectthetwocountries.MrKulkarnilamentedthatIndiaandPakistanarenotprosperingtogetherinthedigitalera,theerawhichoffersunlimitedopportunitiesfor�lourishingofhumanpotential.Therearesomepolitical,ideologicalandgeo-strategical factors that are continuously underminingtheconnectivitybetweenthesetwocountries.ThereislackofpeaceandcooperationbetweenIndiaandPakistanandboth spend huge amount of money in maintaining hugearmiesandsatisfyingtheirhunger fornewweapons.Thishascreatednewissuesofuncleandrinkingwater,poverty,insanitation,disease,unemploymentandother indignitiesoflifeamongthepeopleofSouthAsia.

MrKulkarniexplainedhisviewsonecologicalaspectsof CPEC. He said that expanding CPEC into regionalconnectivity project can promote Indo-Pak peace andcontribute to sustainable development in South Asia. Hewroteanarticlefocusingontheconceptthatyes,IndiaandPakistancanbecomegoodneighbours.SouthAsia is leastintegrated region in the world in terms of digitalconnectivity.Hesaidit isashameforusthatwearemostpopulousregionoftheworldwithapopulationof1.7billion

buthavinglargenumberofpoorpeople.Heemphasizedthatthere isnodirect �lightbetween the capitals of India andPakistani.e.DelhiandIslamabad.Therewasa�lightbetweenMumbai and Karachi but it had been discontinued. Nowthereisa�lightbetweenLahoreandMumbaiandthatisjusttwiceaweekwhichmeanswearecloseyetsofar.Ifwedreamtohaveanationfreeofpoverty,weneedtohaveconnectivitytopromotecooperation. IfCPEC isexpanded, itwillbringsocial,ecologicaland�inancialsustainabilitytoSouthAsia.WhatispreventingSouthAsiancooperation?Theansweriscoldwar.Bothgovernmentsshould�indawaytosolvetheKashmir issue. He said that by expanding CPEC, Kashmirissuecanberesolved.Chinacanhelpbecauseitisarisingpower and has good relations with its neighbouringcountries.Moreover,ChineseleadershipandChinafavoursfriendlyrelationbetween IndiaandPakistan.MrKulkarni


highlighted that the Pakistan's Prime Minister gavereassuringstatementthatifIndiatakesonestep,Pakistanwill taketwostepstopromotepeaceandcooperation.HeaddedthatbyexpandingCPEC,IndiawouldhaveaccesstoPakistan and Pakistan would have access to India. Indiawould also gain access to Afghanistan via Pakistan andonwardsandPakistanwouldhaveaccesstoIndianmarketsand Indians and from there, onwards to Bangladesh -countrywhichwasonceapartofPakistan.HeconcludedbysayingthatexpandingofCPECwillhelpexpandIndia,Chinaand Bangladesh corridor. It will give more bene�its offormingaSouthAsiathatisfreeformwar,con�lict,poverty,diseaseandenvironmentaldegradation.

MrHassanDaud,ChairmanBoardofInvestment(BoI),Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, �irst congratulated and thankedDrAbidSulerifororganizingsuchasplendidConference.Whileoffering his special remarks at the occasion he said thisplatform brought three most important parties ofsustainable peace on one platform i.e. India, China and

Pakistanandalleconomicroadsareforsustainablepeace.We are living in time of complexity, change and limitlessopportunity.Thewholeconceptofsustainabledevelopmentisembeddedinecologicaldevelopmentandbringingpeopleabovepovertylineandconnectingthem.Bythis,humanswillhavenoboundaries.Theycanmovetoareaswheretheygetbetteropportunitiesandinvestment.Isdigitallyconnectedsocial media actually bringing peace or not? We shouldembrace the change because world is prospering. Whilediscussingthegreenbeltandroadinitiative,hesaiditwillhelptoconserveresources.Wehave�ibreopticprojectfromKashgar, he informed the audience. We have projects inhealth care to promote sustainable development. Virtualuniversityisconnectingruralandurbanresources.Similarly,digitalizing health care is important. He stressed thatweshouldmakepoliciesthataresustainable.Heconcludedbyquoting,“Itdoesnotmatterhowfastorslowyouaremovingunlessyouaremoving.”

Thespeakersinthispanelstressedonthesigni�icanceofdigitalaccountabilityforimprovedgovernanceofPakistanandhowdifferente-governancemodelsof

thegovernmentarerelyingondigitaltoolsandtechnologiesto seek feedback from the citizenson theperformanceofvariousgovernmentdepartments,andimproveitssystemsandresponsivenessofitspublicof�icials.

Mr Fayyaz Yasin, Director Pakistan Programme,Accountability Lab, while moderating the session madeopening remarks that with the use of the differenttechnologicaltools,wecanmakeoursystemsmootherandmake accountability and governance more impactful. HesaidthatPakistanhasonlynowbeguntoconsiderleveragingtechnology for effective governance and governmentresponsiveness towards citizens, however, the room forimprovement requires a deep dive into challenges andexamples from within the country and beyond. Mr Yasinemphasized that the challenge for the digital world is to

tackle the major societal issues such as malnutrition,maternalandchildhealthandachievingothersustainabledevelopmentgoals.

Mr Aftab Alam focused on the second-generation“RighttoInformation”Actanditsrequirementforproactivedisclosureofinformation.Hebeganbydrawingcomparison

thbetween the �irst generation (pre-18 Amendment) lawsthand second-generation laws (post-18 Amendment). The

latter is distinctive in its proactive disclosure provisions.Section5,undertheAct,focusesonthe29categoriesthatshouldbedisclosedbyallpublicbodies.

Thespeakerfurtheraddedthatthepublicinstitutionsarenotonlyobligatedtoenacttheseprovisionsbythelawbut also by the country's position as the SDGs' signatory.Pakistanhasaresponsibilitytoenhance'effortstopubliclypromotetherighttoinformation'underSDG2,10and16.MrAlam then spoke of IRADA's research in this regard. Heevaluatedcomplianceofstatutoryaswellas international

Chair: Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability

Moderator: Mr Fayyaz Yasin, Director Pakistan Programme, Accountability Lab, Islamabad

Discussant: Ms Nataliya Tariq, Country Representa�ve, Associa�on for Progressive Communica�on (APC), Islamabad.

Speakers:

1. Mr Shahid Farooq, Project Manager, Punjab SDGs Support Unit, United Na�on Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan, Lahore

2. Mr Muhammad A�ab Alam, Founder and Head of Ins�tute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), Islamabad

3. Dr Arnaldo Pellini, Research Associate, Overseas Development Ins�tute, Tampere, Finland

4. Dr Muhammad Mansoor Ali Zaidi, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, NUML University, Islamabad

Panel Organizers: Mr Raja Taimur Hassan & Ms Rubab Syed, Sustainable Development Policy, Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad

Report by: Ms Rameen Mu�i & Mr Arsal Illahi, Na�onal Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Session B-3Governance and Accountability of State Institutions and Officials

in a Digitalised World: Case of Pakistan


obligationsofproactivedisclosureinthenoti�iedministriesatthefederallevel.

The results showed that the Ministry of Financeachievedthehighestscoreof19/39andMinistryofOverseesPakistani, and Ministry of Energy and Maritime Affairsreceivedthelowestscores.Theresearchfurtherfoundthatthe least complied indicators were duties, functions,remuneration,guidelinesondiscretionarypower,auditandinquiryinvestigation.Theresearcherconcludedthatnoneofthefederalministriesareapplyingtheproactivedisclosureof information which hinders effective governance andaccountability.

MsNataliyaTariqattheendofthe�irstdiscussionbyMrAftabAlam, stated that the “Right to Information” isaconstitutionalrightandshouldbemademoreaccessibleandequitableacrossallgendersespeciallyforwomen.

MrShahidFarooqbeganbypresentingdigitalrealitiesandtheirevolutionaryeffectsongovernance.Hestatedthatgovernmenthashadmultipletransformationsfrometoo-governance(i.e.electronicgovernmenttoopengovernment)inwhichgovernmentwasmadeinclusiveofallprivateandpublicstakeholdersratherthanonlygovernmentof�icials.

Toful�iltherequirementofthisnewformofgovernance,InformationCommunicationTechnologies(ICT)canactasacost-effective catalyst through online videos, emailcommunication and social media. This strategy can besuccessfulthrough“politicalwill,openmindsofof�icialandopen eyes of citizens as principle agents to achievinggovernanceandaccountability”.Thespeakerthenshiftedhisfocus towards Pakistan and posed a question thatwhy itrankslowonthee-governanceindicators.Hestatedthatithas failed to use ICT for public value, misused “Right toInformation” forpublic interestand limitedawarenessonopengovernmentdata.

Theseproblemsexistbecauseofthedegreeofpoliticalwill for citizen centric governance through principles ofopengovernment,prevalenceofcolonialmindsetinpolicymaking, scarcity of knowledge of policy among the civilsocietyanddigitaldivide.

MrShahidFarooqurgedthegovernmenttotrainthecivilservantsonthedigitaltoolsandtechnologiesandstressedthe need for revision of national e-governance and ICTpolicies inorder tomake it realistic.Hesaid that ICT isacatalyst which can help accelerate good governance andensureaccountability.

MsNataliyaTariqinthelightofthepointsdiscussedbyMr Shahid Farooq, suggested that the tech communitiesshouldbelinkedwithpolicymakers.Shefurtheraddedthatthe open government data includes stakeholders butgovernmenthasnotyetsubmittedtheNationalActionPlan.

Dr Mansoor Ali Zaidi presented his remarks bydifferentiatingbetweennoiseandinformationandstressedupontheyounggenerationtoknowthisdifference.Hestatedthatnoisestemsfromlackofdigitalaccountabilityandalotoffakeinformationormisinformation.Thecountrylacksacomprehensive internet governance and accountabilitymechanism to tackle this challenge. Neither the FIArecognizesthedigitalcrimestoitsfullcapacitynordotheuniversitieshaveprofessionalthinkersandentrepreneurstorestructure digital system. We need digital skills ineducational curricula and career development tools tofacilitate capacitybuildingandresilienceof the society inthisdigitalage,hestressed.

DrZaidilamentedthatwehadfailedtodevelophumancentric policies and design thinking. He concluded thatsolutionliesindesignthinkingfromtrainedprofessionals.Pakistanneedsdesignthinkerstomeetthechallenges.

MsNataliyaTariqagreedwiththeviewsofthespeakerandsuggestedthatthereisadireneedforyoungpeopletoaddress the ever-changing problems. She also raised aquestiononthefreedomofassociationandspeechanditsimplicationsonPakistan'ssociety.

Dr Arnaldo Pellini talked about the correlationbetween the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) and policymaking in light of New Zealand's Data Futures Forum,Taiwan's Crowdsourcing and Legislative Process andIndonesia's Haze Gazer. He stated that technologies arebecoming transnational bringing forth prospects,


uncertainties and economic implications. One of thesigni�icanteffectsofthisisthatthepublicgoodsprovideddo

stnot coincide with the needs of the 21 century andmultiplicity of the 4IR. Since these three case studies aresuccess stories on how the 4IR can be used, the lessonslearnedare:evidence-basedapproachestodecisionmaking,use of technology to drive economic growth and citizens'accesstodatafortrustandexpansionofknowledgetodataanalytics.

MsNataliyaTariqaddedthatwithdigitalization,dataprotectionandprivacymustbekeptinmind.

Spec ia l Ass i s tant to the Pr ime Min is ter onAccountability, BarristerMirza Shahzad Akbar towardsconclusionofthesessionsaidthatintoday'sdigitalsocietythe governance is not ruling but ensuring public servicedeliverytothecitizens.Hesaidthatifanygovernmentfailstodeliverthepublicservices,itwillbeeventuallykickedout.Hestressedthatcitizencheckonthepublicservicedelivery

isfundamentalforaccountabilityandgoodgovernance.Barrister Shahzad said that in large democracies like

Pakistan, India,andtheUSA,ensuringparticipationofthecitizensisabigchallenge.Technologyanddigitalizationcanhelpensurethecitizens'participationandtheirfeedbackongovernment actions and policy decisions. Technology hasdownsidetoo,wheregovernmentisbeingjudgedonadailybasis.Onindividualandsocietalprivacyanddataprotection,he stressed the need for striking a balance between anindividualandasociety.

BarristerShahzadfurthersaidthatPakistanisanoverlegislatedcountry,whereasontheotherhandthereislackofimplementationoftheexistinglegislations.Hesaidmostofthe executive functions are being performed by thesecondarylegislationssuchasSROs,directives,andrules.Hestressedtheneedforexecutionsoftheexistinglaws.Hesaidthat access to information is fundamental for the servicedelivery,whereparticipationofcitizenisveryimport.


Session B-4: Managing Mental Health in a Digital Society

Chair: Dr Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary, Health Reforms, Islamabad, Pakistan

Moderator: Ms Ifra Baig, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Special Remarks: Dr Saima Hamid, Vice Chancellor Fa�ma Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Rawalpindi

Discussant: Prof. Dr Mehtab S Karim, Vice Chancellor/ Rector, Malir University of Science & Technology

Speakers:

1. Dr Shakil Malik, Professor of Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK (via Skype)

2. Dr Faryal Razzak, CEO, The FEEEL Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad

3. Dr Semra Salik, Clinical Psychologist at Psychecare, Islamabad

4. Dr Wahab Yousafzai, Consultant Psychiatrist Shifa Interna�onal, Hospital, Islamabad

5. Dr Zarqa Taimur, Chairperson Advisory Commi�ee on Learning Disabili�es, Government of Pakistan (GoP)

Panel Organisers: Ms Sana Malik and Mr Moazzam Bha�, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Isb., Pakistan

Report by: Ms Sana Malik, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr Shakil Malik, Professor of Psychiatry from theBrightonandSussexMedicalSchool,UK,joinedthesession via Skype link. He started with a brief

introductiononthepracticalroleofapsychiatristandhowdigitalizationhastransformedlivesacrosstheglobe.Asmostofuscarryamobilephoneinourpocketswithitsinherentadvantages in certain aspects it also has huge negativeimplications.Hefurtherelaboratedthatthebrainisabundleofnervestransmittingelectricalimpulses;itislikehavingamegacomputerprotectedintheskullandtheelectricityisgeneratedbychemicals,whichcontributetochangesinitsneuroplasticity.Thebraincontrolsall thefunctionsofourthinking,perception,memorytoexecutivefunctioningalsomonitoringtheheartandglycaemicindex(GI)system.

He relayed facts such as 40 billion photos have beenpostedonInstagramalonein2019.Mentalhealthisofprimeimportanceyetonewithlowestpriority.Mentalillnesshashit epidemic proportions due tomultifactorial causes butmost importantly due to 'psycho-social toxicity'. This heexplained is when the psychosocial environment gets

polluted;asofnow20%ofpeoplearedisabledduetomentalillnesses,whichalsocontributestocardiovasculardiseases.Developed countries like the UK andUS have collectivelyinvestedUSD293billionandChinaUSD88billiontowardsresearchonhowdamagecausedbymental illness canbeundone.Althoughthecostsofmentalillnessarebiological,socialandpsychological,theprojectionsforlosstoeconomyinparticularduetomentalillnessby2030willbeUSD16trillionandbytheendof2030,ithasbeenpredictedthat6trillion people will be suffering from depression alone,whichwillmakeittheleadingcauseofdisability.

Dr Malik further elaborated on the effects of digitaltransformation,hesaid,althoughwearehyperconnected,wearenonethelessmoreisolatedandlonelier.Theaveragenumberoftimesanindividualcheckshis/herphonearoundtheworldisevery12minutes.HavingthousandsoffriendsonFacebookprovesthatwereallydonotknowwhichfriendsare exploiting the social capacity of our brain. Feeling ofloneliness, humiliation, anomie and interpersonalrelationshipshavebecomemechanical,thusincreasingfear


factorsamongstus.Then there is a world of cybercrime, which involves

bullying,stalking,cybersuicide,makingdrugsmorefreelyavailableallofwhichtogetherresults inacostofUSD5.3trillion.Helinkedhowdigitalizationenablesdeviantcultstobe developed, video gaming addictionwhich is similar todrug or alcohol addiction, psychological warfare causinggeopoliticalinstabilityallofwhichresultingintechnologicalsingularity.

Heemphasized, inPakistan speci�icallymentalhealthproves a double burden of disease and causes seriousconcerns along with eradicating communicable diseases.The use of gadgets is increasing day by day and posingseriousthreatstothepsychologicalwell-beingofchildrenaswellasadultswhichmakesapersondysfunctionalalteringthebiochemistryof thebrainwhichaffects theheart andimmunesystem.InPakistan,mentalhealthfacilitiesarerareandthisisthe�irsttimeaPrimeMinisterhasfocusedonthisissuebyspreadingawareness.

AsapracticingpsychiatristinPakistan,hesaidhecansafelysharefromhisexperiencethathe�indsdrugaddiction,useofalcohol, cyberbullyingandsuiciderates increasingdaybyday.Thereisnotasinglepersonwhoisnotaffectedinahouseholdcollapsingthemicroandmacrosocialsystem.

Guestimates suggest that 25% of men and 35% ofwomen are suffering from mental illness in Pakistan. Anationalmonitoringsystemneedstobeputinplacebythegovernmentsothatcybercrimes,whichareahugesourceofdepression amongst women, can also be controlled.Extensiveresearchisneededinthisareaandthecredibilityofdatahastobebuiltandsustained.

DrWahabYousafzai,fromShifaInternationalHospital,Islamabad stated that managing mental health is anenormousissueinPakistanbecauseofthewayitisperceivedanddealtwithbythesocietyassomethingunmentionable.Weareallpushingourpsychologicallimitsaswehavequickandeasyaccesstotechnologicalmeans.Butitisadouble-edgedsword,whichwedonotrealizeinitially.Itseffectsarefeltaftersigni�icanttimehaselapsedandwhenthedamageis irreversible. The speaker focused on problems forindividualsand those related tohimwhichare causedby

mentalillness.Heemphasizedthatdepressionisanillness.He illustrated a case study pertaining to an online gamecalled 'bluewhale'where somechildrenwere affectedbythisgameinPeshawarandoneofthemcommittedsuicide.

Mental health is the complete wellbeing meaning, itincludes social, spiritual, biological and psychologicalfaculties.Itisadvantageousaswelltosomeextentasithelpsbuild and sustain social capital, personal life, family life,community life, national life and helps contributeinternationally,saidDrYousafzai.

Despitebeingheavilyin�luencedbytheWest,thelocalcultureinruralPakistanisstilltraditionalandconservativewith practices such as blood-letting, shrine cultures,chaining,anddefectivelawsbeingfrequentlypracticedwithnormalcy. In this part of the world mental health isunfortunately heretofore associated with extreme humanrightsinfringements.Hefurtherexpressedhisthoughtsonhowwehavetheproblemofmentalretardationbecauseofcousinmarriagesanddonothaveinstitutionstocatertotheneedsofmentallyillpeopleinthiscountry.Institutionalizedcultsaredamagingoursocietyascriticalthinkingislacking,coupledwiththeneedtoremainfastpacedandupdatedwiththe latest trends in the world proves to cause extremeconcernformentalhealthprofessionals.Hesuggestedthatthelinkbetweenhowdigitalizationeffectsthementalhealthofanindividualinourlocalcontextneedstoberesearchedandinvestedinbeforeitbecomesamultiprongedproblem,whichisbeyondtreatment.

DrFaryalRazzaqstartedhertalkbyexplaininghowweare currently going through an era of Fourth IndustrialRevolutionwherewe are experiencing an unprecedentedchange in arti�icial intelligence. According to Dr Razzaq'sopinion, the Maslow's hierarchy of needs has changedsigni�icantly in the sense thatwe now have digital needswherewehavetohaveaccesstodigitaldata.Moreover,ourdigitalneedsseemtobeextensive.Butwemustunderstandthatashumanbeingswearehardwired tobeemotional,meaningwehavepsychologicalneedswhichcangetaffectedwith depression, anxiety and stress if not looked afterappropriately.

DrRazzaqfurtherde�inedemotionalintelligenceasthe


abilitytorecognizeone'sownemotionsandthoseofothers.She argued that where digitalization has negativeimplications,itcanalsoprovetobeasavioursuchaswhencontrollingyourstress,digitalizationcanbeausefultoolaswell. She recommended that one should develop copingstrategies and look for meditation apps. It is aboutunderstandingtheconceptwhatyouareseekingisseekingyouaswell.Ifyouseekusefulthings,usefulthingswillcometoyouinthedigitalspacehenceitisnotalldoomandgloom.

DrRazzaqsharedhowinherexperiencesocialmediamakesoneenviousaboutotherslifesooneshouldlearntopractice gratefulness and gratitude, which lowers one'sstresshormones.Practicekindnessandempathyespeciallyonlinenotjustinyourpersonallives,shesaid.Connectwithonlylovedonesonlineandstayawayfrompeopleyoudonotpersonallyknow.Sheconcludedbysayingthatoneshoulddevelop compassion to celebrate the success of others orthosearound.

DrSemraSalik,aClinicalPsychologistatPsychecare,Islamabad, opened her discussion by saying how it hasbecomefashionabletogetyourselfpsychologicallyscreenednowadays.Andthisscreeningsuggeststhatouryouthisnotinsafehandsanymore.Socialmedia isnotreal,yet it isabitter reality. Taking the situation into consideration weneedtogetsomegoodoutofit.Shesuggestedintroducingforumswherewecanprovidesupportgroupsandplatformsto seek support. Suchplatforms canhelp improvementalhealthattitudes.Digitaltransformationdoesnothavetobeindependent of human wellbeing. She referred to use oftechnologicalgadgetsbychildrenwhohaveneverbeentoschoolanissueofconcern.

DrSaliksaidthatthegroundrealityisthatwecheckourphonesevery�iveminutes,stressingthatwearesufferingfrom sleep deprivation and have fear of missing out onsomethingwhichmerely'appears'tobeimportant.Mentalhealthneedstobeaddressedatthegovernmentallevelwiththe understanding that not every psychological issue ispathological.Nationalmonitoringsystemsneedtobeputinplace to address policy gaps and mental health isunfortunatelynowhereinthepolicyandthereremainsalackofeffectiveandef�icientregulatorybodies.

Socialmediaisnotasafeplace;inparticularforchildrenand young adults. Nowadays even schools are movingtowardsuseoftabletsandchromebooks,thusincreasinglyexposing naıveminds to theWorldWideWeb. Instead ofdevelopinganalyticalcapabilitiesandthinkingpersonalitiesweareindoctrinatinginformationwhichlacksauthenticityandcredibility.

DrSalikstressedontheneedoffollowinginternationalstandardsofemploymentpolicies. Sheconcludedhertalkbysayingthatweneedtoappreciatethatgoodthingsarealsotakingplace.E-mentalhealthappscanreducewaitingtimesandwecandeliver interventionsata lowercost.Wemayaddress simpler natured psychological issues online butcannot address mental pathologies as we cannot accesssomeone'straumaonlinebutatleastitwilldosomegoodifnotentirely.

DrZarqaTaimur,Chairperson,AdvisoryCommitteeonLearningDisabilities,GoP, inher talk focusedonPakistanandsaidmentalhealthisanabilitywhichhelpsusrelateourinside with the outside and vice versa. There is a nearepidemicglobally,butalsoifyouputthattothecontextofPakistan,inourfamiliesthereareatleastonetotwopeoplesufferingfrommentaldistress.

ThewaywelookathealthinPakistanthebiggerpictureis not taken into consideration. Digital platforms need tochangetocatertomentalhealthandthereneedtobeonlinesolutionsavailableforanindividualinsteadofspendingtimeon Facebook or Instagram. There is an emergency likesituationforthecrisisofmentalhealthinPakistan,whichiscoupled with other stressors such as poverty, injustice,unemploymentandgovernment'sinabilitytocomprehendtheproblemathandletalonerectifyingit.

Thequestionishowdoweconvincethedecisionmakerstodosomethingaboutit?Wehavelostourvaluesystemsandtraditionalway of family life and communal livingwhereeverything was dealt with promptly and face to face.Pakistan is a compromised nation psychologically andemotionallyandshequotedtheexamplesoftheaudiencetotheMuneebandMughees'deaths,ModelTownincident,thechild in Kasur who was victim to sexual abuse and thenmurdered.


She pleaded the audience to understand that youngpeople'swiringintheirbrainschangewithconnectionsandconnectivityandcanbeeasilymanipulatedandhijackedforviciousmotives.Butourdecision-makersseemtobeunabletotakedecisions.Compassionislostanditseemsthereisadeep-set agenda of dehumanizing Pakistan especiallythroughdigitalizationwhere localcustomsandnormsaredisintegrating and we are experiencing �ifth generationwarfare.

Shealsoaddedthatmajorityofvictimsarewomen i.e.affectees of domestic abuse and violence, rape and acidthrowing.Thereisariseindrugaddictioningirlswhoaresufferingmore.So,weaswomenneed to thinkabout thewhys,when, and how arewe in a positionwherewe aredeniedbasicessentialrights.DrTaimursaidthat64%ofourpopulation falls in between the age bracket of 11 and 30years and there is a vicious circle of teenagers going torehabilitationcentresinPakistan.Shecautionedthattheso-calledrehabcentresareinfactdrugpushersandareaswhichperpetuatecrime.

Shesaidthatasimplepolicyisnotenough.Somethingneeds to be done. She was of the opinion that theGovernmentdoesnotneedtodoanything�inancially.Itjustneedstogiveadirection,whichwecanformulateforthem.Anhouroftalkingtoyourstudentsinschoolsandimpartingbasicskillsincounsellingaredirectives,whichwillhavetocomefromthegovernmentandnooneelsesotheyarefullyimplemented. Without a strategy we will get nowhere.Solutions are simple, they only need to be advocatedproperly.SheconcludedbyurgingtheaudiencetojoinandsupportChangingHeartsandMindsPakistan(CHAMPS),amovement to raise awareness to cater to people withdisabilities, develop mental health professionals andleadership.

Dr Mehtab Karim, Vice Chancellor / Rector, MalirUniversityofScience&Technologywasthediscussantatthesession.Hesaidthatingeneralterms,Pakistanseemstohaveadoubleburdenofdisease.Hesaidwealsosufferfromwhatcanbecalledasthethirdburdenwhichisthatweknowverylittle ofmental health issues in Pakistan. MentioninghisstudycarriedoutwiththehelpofpsychiatristsatAghaKhanMedicalUniversity,DrKarimsaidheconductedasurveyof2,000householdsinKarachiandthe�indingsrevealedthat47%respondentssufferedfrommentalillness.Interestingly,peoplewho are older and younger aremost affected. Headded that recommendations are many but a healthsurveillancesystem isneededatbasichealthunit level toscreenandaddressthegrowingmentaldisorder,prevalentthroughout the country. There needs to be a committeeformed with professionals who can protect our futuregeneration,andhelpbuildresilienceinplaygroundsratherthan decapacitate in front of the computers. Parents alsoneedtobeeducatedespecially thosewhoareuneducatedthemselvesormaybeunawareofthenegativesideeffectsofdigitaltechnology.

Dr Saima Hamid, Vice Chancellor, Fatima JinnahWomen University (FJWU), Rawalpindi, offering specialremarks at the session said that the direct relationshipbetween mental health and digitalization or the causalassociationsstillrequiremoreevidence.Shecontinuedthatfromthegistofdiscussionitcanbeprovedthatbothhavea

strong indirect if not a direct relationship. We require amultiprongedapproachtoresearchthecauseandeffectatthe micro, meso and macro levels between the two. Sheconcludedbysayingthatweneedtodevelopstrategieswithcollaborationfrombeyondjusthealthandeducationsectors.We should empower families, children and educationalinstituteswiththeknow-howtotakethisforward.Burdenon health care system is enormous. But the governmentneedstocaterformentalhealthandmakeitpartofprimaryhealth care service. She thanked all the participants andaudiencefortheirvaluablecontributionandsuggestedtheurgentneedformoresuchsessionsinfuturetoputthoughtsintopolicyandaction.

In conclusion, the panellists and session chair putforwardthefollowingpolicyrecommendations:

· There should be a high power committee tomeanderandcombateffectsofdigitalizationasisdoneintheWest.

· Weshouldprotectourchildrenbyhavingschoolswithplaygrounds.

· Skillsorientatedandconceptuallearninglifeskillsneed to be imparted in addition to seeking aneducationsonotimeiswasted.

· Weshouldadvocatefordrugfreeenvironmentsasdrugusageisbeingfacilitatedbysocialmedia.

· Digitalregulationneedstobemanagedatmicroandmacrolevels.

· Thereshouldbeanemphasisonmediatotalkaboutthematureandintelligentuseoftechnology.

· Thereare20billionusersofsocialmediaandmanyofthemarebeingaffectedbyitsextensiveusewhichshouldbemonitoredbytheStateorgovernment.

· Topromotesuccessinoursociety,wehavetodeviseplansforcontrollingpsycho-socialtoxicity.

· In schools, children should be given one-hourawarenessclassesaboutrecognizingandmanagingmental health and we should guide them withethical standards so that they can developcompassionandkindnessfromayoungage.

· Useofmeditationapplicationsshouldbepromotedwhichcaneasilybedownloadedandarespeci�ictoourcontext.

· There shouldbeproper rules and regulations foruseofdigitaltechnology.

· Wehaveto increasethecredibilityofdatawegetfrominternet.


0048

Session B-5: Towards a Digital-ready Workforce

Thesessionwasbasedonthenotionthatontheonehand modern technologies are creating new jobswhichwerenotavailablepreviouslyandontheother

hand,somepeoplearelosingtheirjobs.Thisdemandsanewskills'setandexertingpressureonthelabourmarketsandsocial security systems. Themoderator,MrAbdul Qadir,stressed on the two key questions for the session as thefuturescenariosofworkingandemploymentrequirementsandchallengesfordecentworkinPakistan.

MsBanoBarkistressedthatinthisdigitaleraperiod,institutesshouldbereadytoadoptmoderntechnologiesanddevelopworkforceaccordingly.Shesaidthatduetolackofeffective educationandworkforce,Pakistanmaymiss thewaveoftheFourthIndustrialRevolution.Thereisaneedforgovernment, industries and universities to work as acoalition to integrate digital transformations fully in thesociety.

DrParasKharelexplainedthattechnologycandisplacemany jobsandsomeof thehuman jobsarealready takenover by the machines. He said that technology is biasedagainstroutinejobsforwhichhumanworkforceshouldbereadytodealwith.Thereisaneedforstatesandnon-stateactorstocooperateinternationallyinordertoharnesstheopportunities and adapt to challenges posed bydigitalizationofeconomy.

MrAthar Jameelnoted that thearti�icial intelligencehas disturbed themarket. He said that many startups inPakistanwerebasedontechnologywhileworkondemandviaAppsisalsoontherise,theexampleofwhichcanbeseenfrom'Foodpanda'and'Careem'.MrAtharJameelsaidthatPakistan ranked is third in software development whichexplainstheskillssetofyouthinITindustry.Thebene�itsofdigital labour are observable in the form of increase inwomen'sparticipationrateandengagementofmoreruralanddisableworkersineconomicactivities.Thereisaneedforgovernment tobringregulations indigitaleconomy inordertoformalizesectorwhileregulatingdutiesandrightsofemployersandemployees.

MrNavamNilespointedoutthatthedemandfordigitalreadyworkforceinSriLankacamefromglobalvaluechaininapparels and the country has managed to organize itsinternal institutions to take advantage of that. Thegovernmenthasdirectedtheresourcestowardsdevelopingeducation, research and technical training initiatives. Hesuggested that governments should work on structuralreforms which can generate incentives for workers topromotetheirskills.

MsGhazalaSaifeetalkedabouttheGovernment'sroleindevelopingdigitalworkforceinPakistan.ShestressedthatGovernmentiswellawarewiththechallengesofthemodern


Chair: Ms Ghazala Saifee, Parliamentary Secretary, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Mr Abdul Qadir (FES), Dr Vaqar Ahmed and Mr Asif Javed (SDPI)

Moderators: Mr Abdul Qadir, Friedrich-Ebert-S��ung (FES), Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Bano Barki, Chief of Party, USAID-PRIEA, Pakistan

2. Dr Paras Kharel, Research Director, SAWTEE, Nepal

3. Mr Navam Niles, Centre for Poverty Analysis, Sri Lanka

4. Mr Athar Jameel, Director Communica�on & Outreach at Centre for Labor Research, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Asif Javed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


era and is taking several initiatives to ensure the skilldevelopment among workforce. The creation of NationalVocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC)andNationalSkillCouncil(NSC)arekeystepsinthisregard.

She further added that the Government is keen to aligntechnicalinstitutionsandtrainingwithCPECrelatedtradesanddemandofSpecialEconomicZones.

0050

Session B-6: Cyber Security and Cyber Crime in a Digital Society

Pakistan is signi�icantly behind in ensuring a robustcyber security posture of its public and privateorganizations. The session on “Cyber Security and

CyberCrime inaDigitalSociety”mainly focusedon threeobjectives.First,tohaveacriticallookattheeffectivenessofPakistan's current cyber security challenges. Second, toidentifysolutions,likehavingresponsivelaws,policiesandstrategies. Third,togivepolicyrecommendationsthatwillbe forwarded to relevant government ministries andparliamentarycommittees.

MsZaheemaIqbalfocusedonPakistan'sdigitalthreatlandscapeanditscurrentcybersecurityframeworkandtheincreasing cyber threats in this connected andtechnologicallydependentworld.All these inventionsandpracticesaremakingourliveseasyontheonehandbutontheotherhanditisenablingthecriminalstomisusethedata;create war without borders to ful�il their political andideologicalobjectives, stressedMs Iqbal.Thishasbecomeoneofthebiggestchallengesofnationsaswearebecomingmore dependent on Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT), she added. She also explained that

Pakistan's cyber landscape is witnessing cyber terrorismwithexpansionofe-commerceande-governmentandithasbeendeclaredthethirdmosttargetedcountrybyTailoredAccess Operations (TAO) because of no proper technical,legalandorganizationalmeasures.

Shehighlightedthatthemainissuewiththeordinancesagainstcybercrimeisthatattheimplementationstage.Thegovernment has devised ordinances and initiatives tocontrolthisthreatbutthepublicitselfclaimsthatsuchlawsinterfere with their privacy and target their freedom ofspeech. Therefore, she suggested that the Pakistan cybersecuritycommandsshouldbeatmilitarylevelandfederaland provincial of�ices should be merged to ensureimplementationatthehigherlevel.Shealsoproposedthatgovernment should formulate strategies and provideplatforms for the public to make complaints about suchthreats.Weneedtothinkatthenationallevelinthisregardirrespectiveofourpersonalorpoliticalinterests.

DrRa�iusShanhighlightedthestateofcybersecurityinPakistan. Rising internet usage is bringing unconnectedpeople to the digitalized world. Data usage has been


Chair and Guest of Ms Khawar Mumtaz, Former Chairperson, Na�onal Commission on the Status of Women, Islamabad, Honour: Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Zaheema Iqbal, Senior Cyber Security Researcher, Na�onal Ins�tute of Mari�mes Affairs, Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Dr Rafi us Shan, Chief Cyber Security, KP CERC, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Informa�on Technology Board, Government of Pakistan

(GoP)

3. Mr Nahil Mahmood, Director & Principal Consultant, Delta Tech, Lahore , Pakistan (Video message)

4. Mr Rafay Baloch, Cyber Security Advisor, Pakistan Telecom Authority, GoP, Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Dr Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, Professor, Department of Interna�onal Rela�ons, University of Peshawar

Moderator: Brig. Mohammad Yasin (Retd.), SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Brig. Mohammad Yasin (Retd.), Mr Hassan Murtaza, and Ms Imrana Niazi, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Anam Masood, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

0051

continuouslyincreasing.Intherecentyearsithasincreasedfrom100GB/Dayto150700GB/Sec.Today'sworldisbeingdominated by internet of things (IOTs). This immenseincrease has been bene�iting people in multiple waysstarting from GPS in their cars to transferring datainternationally.Allthisbringingtogetherofdatamayleadtodatacolonizationastechnologycompaniesaretakingchargefrom nation states in the name of building the newdigitalizedworld.Thisnewworldisaspiringtobringfreeinternet to thepeoplebut thequestion is that thesedatacarriersarenotalignedwithstatepoliciessowheredoesthecitizens'rightsstandandhowcanthenationstateensuretheirrights,hequestioned.

Healsohighlightedthathowanattackcanbemadeattherateofonly$5whichcanultimatelyleadtomillionsofdollarslosses.Thatisnotbecauseoflackofframeworkinthedevelopedworldbutitisbecauseofaccessingpersonaldataby such agencies. So, there has to be a data controllingauthority whether in-land or off-land and every dataprocessorhastoregisterwithanauthoritywhichwillensurethe rights of the data owner. Also, there has to be someorganizational measures and collaborations with the

research and development body to launch laws and legalmeanswhichwillcoversuchgapsbylegitimatemeans.Thestate has to ensure better awareness on cyber threats,stressedthespeaker.

Mr Nahil Mehmood focused on Pakistan's cybersecurity challenges and solutions. First, he talked aboutinternationaltelecommunicationunit's(ITU)rankingwhichisalsoknownasGCIwhichindicates �ivepillars forcybersecurity commitments ofmember states. This frameworkconsists of legal, technical, organizational structures,capacitybuildingandco-operationmeasures.GCI surveysdeclarethelevelofcybersecurityonthebasisofmeasurestaken towards the protection of technological data. TherecentsurveydeclaresPakistanwithhavingmediumlevelsecuritylevelcategory.

Discussingcybercrimeframework,hetalkedaboutthemajorcyber-attackin2016byaBangladeshswifthackerandthe ransomware attacks that occurred all over theworld.Therehavebeenalotof�inancialfraudsandmanybusinessemailshavebeencompromised.ToenhancePakistan'sweakcyber security posture, it should adopt cyber securitytransformationmodelandcybersecuritymaturitymatrix.


0052

AlmostinallinstitutionsinPakistan,securityhardeningandvulnerabilityhasbeen largely ignored.Thecybersecuritytransformation model is one solution to ensure securityhardening,vulnerabilitymanagement,securityengineeringandsecuritygovernance.

MrRafay Baloch talked about cyberwarfare trends,tacticsandstrategies.Aswearegoingintotheageofdigitalrevolution,itischangingourwayoflivinginthisworld,hestated.Tofullyunderstandtheriskofacyberattack,weneedtounderstandthechallengesthattheglobalsecuritymarketisfacingtoday.Withincreasingdigitization,cybersecurityisnolongerabusinessproblem--ithasnowbecomeahealthandsafetyproblem,warnedthespeaker.Withthestartofinformationageinthelate1990s,wehadfewvirusesandhacking into systems for fun. Later internet bankingwasintroduced and we started witnessing organized crimegangshackingintosystemsforfunaswellasforpro�it.Laterwhen we talk about state sponsored attacks and stateshackingintootherstatestoachievetheirstrategicgoals,wewitnessedarevolutionizedattackin2010onIran'snuclearcentrifugesandfromthereonwardithasalwaysbeenawildride, he explained recapping the developments over theyears.

HealsotalkedaboutCyberEspionagePegasusMalwarewhichisadeadlyspywareandcanbesenttomobilesviatextorWhatsAppwhichhasaffectedmorethan45countries.IthasbeenfoundtobelinkedwithIraniterroristgroup.Wealsoobserved thatCyberEconomicWarfare isonenationstatehackingintoanothernationstate,forexamplehackinginto�inancialsystemstocoverbudgetde�icits.InmodernagewealsoseeCyberInformationWarfarelikemanipulationinUSelectionsorCambridgeAnalyticascandal,heexplained.

Nationalinternetismandatorytoensurefunctionofourservicesallthetimeincaseofanyadversary.Anationalcybersecurityunitmustbeestablishedwhichcanhandlecybersecuritymattersinternallyandexternally.Sectoralsearchesarerequiredtosearchforcyberthreats.GovernmentshouldapproveandfacilitatecybersecurityresearchcentresunderspecializedcadresasofChinaandIsraelmodel.Wealsoneeda special coordinator to promote technical cybercooperationintheformofbilateralandmultilateraltreaties.

Dr Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi stated thatcyber security is a practice of protecting networks andsystems from digital attacks. Technology is no longer aluxury,itisanecessitysointhesamelineitisveryimportantthatlawsmustbeformed.Wehaveseenmobiledatathefts,ATMmoneytheft,piratedcomputerprogrammes,etc.Thepresence of laws ensures the right to speak and makesreachingoutforhelpeasy.Withoutcybersecurity,itislikewe are living in a jungle with mean and cunning peoplearound.Wearesoopenthroughsocialmediathateverybodynotes our every move. Transcendental jurisdiction ofinternetneedsattentionintheformofcybersecuritypoliceforce and strict vigilance of cyber cafes is indeed veryimportant,suggestedthespeaker.

Ms Khawar Mumtaz talked about how dynamics ofsocialrelationsarechangingbecauseofdigitization.Thelackofpreparednessfordealingwiththisneweraisconcerningatmanylevels.Threatstonationallevelareimportantbutalso at citizens' level they stand important too especiallywhencitizensaretheoneswhomakeupourstate.Cyberwaristakingplaceoverothercon�licts.Onemajorproblemistheapplication of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act(PECA)andthelackofcapacityforitsimplementation.Thethreatsorblackmailingputsonpressureongeneralpublicespeciallywomen.Digitalrightsfoundationwhichhassetupahelplineandinits�irstyearreceivedover100complaintsregarding cyber harassment and 67% were by women.Similarly,harassmentatworkplace iscomplimentedwithonline harassment. So, the Harassment Act in such casesoverlapsandgetscon�lictedwithPECA.Othermainissueisthat in the name of security, sometimes citizens arevictimizedand censorship takesplace.The inadequacyofprotectionofpersonaldataisalsoveryalarming.Weneedtolookatbothaspects:thedepthofsuchproblems;and,theirneedaswellequallyatthelevelofstateandofcitizen.Thelackofseriousnessinaddressingsuchissuesclearlyanswersourquestionthatiswhywehavebeenleftbehind,observedMsMumtaz.


0053

MsAlishaShahsharedherlifestoryinthefollowingwords:“IwasborninamalebodyandbutinsideIwasawoman.IwasnamedAliRazaat�irst,butittook20yearstomakemyownidentityasAlisha.”Shefurthernarratedthatshefailedtogetacceptancefromherfamily.Gettingeducationwasnotasdif�icultasgettingtherespectfromhome,shesaid.Sheisstillstrugglingtogetspaceinherfamily.Shetookadmissioninacollegetochangeherlife,hercommunity,herpeopleandthebehaviourofsocietytowardshercommunity.

MsShahfacedbullyinganddiscriminationincollegeaswell that began from home. No one in society faces thissituationwhichiswhypeoplecannotnotimaginethepaintransgender face. Each day brings a new challenge. Shewantedtostudybutduetofamilyproblemsshewasnotabletocompleteherstudies.AfriendthehelpedhertocontinueherstudiesandtograduateShesaidthatshewantedtogotoauniversitybutdueto�inancialissuesandnosupportfromfamilyandfriends,shecouldnotgetthere.Shelefthomeandwent to her community and met people like her. Theyacceptedher,encouragedheranddidtheirbestforher.

She then got admission at the Bahauddin ZakariyaUniversity(BZU)inMultan.MsShahaddedthatwhensheenteredtheclassroom,shewasnervousandconfusedwheretosit.Herteachercalledherandsaid,Alishasitinthemiddle

andinfrontofeveryone.ThesupportingspiritextendedbyherteacherhelpedhertocompleteherMPhilandnowsheisthe�irstMPhilscholarintransgendercommunityfromBZUMultan.Shelamentedthatthetransgenders'communityisneglectedbysociety.Theyfacehurdlesingettingeducation.Lastly, she said that transgender have hurdles in publicplaces.Shestressedthattheywantacceptanceandrespectinsociety, change in patriarchal mindset, environment freefrom discrimination and people should stop abusing thetransgendercommunity.

MsMoonAliKhawajasharedherlifestoryandstatedthatthattherewerealotofhurdlesinahersuccessstory,buthowapersoncancopeupwiththesehurdlesisimportant.She said that she belongs to a middle-class family fromLahore.Shecontinuestolivewithherfamilyandtheyhaveacceptedherthewaysheis.Fromtheveryearlystageshelikedtowearfemaleclothesandplaywithdolls.Duetoherattachmentwithhereldersisterher,theclinicalpsychologistthoughtthiscausedthechangeinher.

Shesaid,wecanchangethehabit,butwecannotchangethenaturebecausenaturecomesfromGod.WehaveastrongbeliefthateverythinghappenswiththeWillofGodbutthenwhydoesnotthesocietyacceptusasGod'screation.Societyneedstopromotehumanity,shestressedandadded,“Ihad


Session B-7: Opening up Spaces for Transgender Community in a Digital Era

Chair: Dr Qibla Ayaz, Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Islamabad, Pakistan

Moderator: Ms Rubab Syed, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Moon Ali, Khawaja Sira Society, Lahore, Pakistan

2. Mr Abdullah Rasheed., CII, Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Ms Alisha shah UNDP, Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr Muhamad Faisal, Baitul Mal, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel organizers: Dr Nathalene Reynolds and Ms Hania Shah SDPI, Islamabad

Report by: Ms Ayesha Aziz, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan


theprivilegethatIwasborninaSunnifamilythustheyhadthesameconcept.Thesociety'snon-acceptancetowardsuspressurizesafamilytodistancefromus.Myfathertoldmethatweareacceptingyou,butyouhavetoproveyourselfthatyou are not less than anybody. This was life changingmomentforme.”

MsKhawajanarrated, “Aftermy father'sdeath I facedharassment, bullying inmy school, college and universityand a constant fear and stress as my brother was neverwillingtohelpmewiththissituation.TimewentbyandIcompletedmyACCA. I tried to get a jobbutdue to socialbarriersforthetransgendercommunityIcouldn'tgetajob.MissAfaf fromSKANShelpedmetogeta jobasateacherassistantinSKANSandthusIwasabletosupportmystudiesand�inallycompletedmystudies.”

Shefurthernarrated:“Onemorningmybrothertookmetoareligiouspersonandexpressedmewronglyinfrontofhim.Istartedcryingandtoldhimaboutmyself.Hethentoldmybrotherthatyoucannotplaywithnature.IdevelopedaKhawajaSiraSocietywiththecollaborationofsomefeministorganizations. I'm working as a director of Khawaja SiraSociety. We have provided the community with healthservicesandimplementedalotofprojectswiththehelpofglobalfundandUNDP.Thisispurelytransgenders'ledandrunorganization.”

“This organization consists of 14 people and each ofthem is a highly quali�ied transgender. Recently we havedevelopedaneconomicchainmodel,oneofwhichisKundaChaari,alunchboxdeliveryserviceandotheroneisPehchanTheatre to promote the art of transgenders. We havelaunchedanacceptanceprogrammeandthemaintargetisuniversities and colleges. We need to work for the adulttransgenderswhohavepassed thephaseof educationbyempowering themeconomically.There isaneedof familysensitizationbydevelopingdifferentprojectsandseminars.I have made a community-based model with thecollaboration of health ministry and now 17 CBOs areworking for the help of transgenders,” Ms Khawajaexplained.

Mr Muhammad Faisal shared his life story in thefollowingwords:“Weliveinacomplexsocietywherewecan

raiseadogbutnotatransgender.Myfatherwasmymainsupporter.Afterhisdeaththeonlysupportwasmymother.In school, teachers and students start humiliating andharassing me. I left school because at home no one waswillingtobelieveme.Thesocietyforcesthefamilytonottoacceptatransgender.Iunderwentalotofdomesticviolencesincemychildhoodwhichforcedmeattemptsuicidetwice.Oncemybrotherpointedagunatme.Duetolifethreats,Ilefthome. When no one accepts the only options left fortransgendersarebegging,dancingandprostitution.”

Continuinghisstory,hesaid,“Aftermymother'sopen-heartsurgery,mymothercalledmeback.Once Iwas ill, Iwent toPIMSformytreatmentandtoldthemthat Iamatransgender and I don't have any money to pay for myexpenditure.Theydidn'tpayanyheed.Ididn'tlosehopeandwenttoPakistanSecretariatandmetAzraJamaliwhothensentme to a hospital andmy treatmentwas done at theexpense of the hospital. I went to Baitul Mal and metAssistantDirector,UzmaNaveed,andtoldherthatIneeded�inancialassistancetocompletemystudies.ImetManagingDirector,AunAbbasBuppi,whoofferedmeajobatBaitulMal.FamilyandsocietyneedtounderstandthatwearethecreaturesofGodandacceptus.Everyoneisquestionableforthewearetreated.”

MsZarisharedherstorythroughavideomessageandexplained:“Fromaveryearlystagethesocietyputpressureon my family and humiliated me and my family. I facedharassmentinschoolfromtheteachersduetowhichIquitmyschool.MyfatherleftmetoworkinamansioninLahore.Iwantedtogohomebuthewasneverwillingtotakemehome.Ownersalsoaccusedmeoftheft.Afriendhelpedtoleavetheplace and offered me a job. After some time, he startedharassing me. I came to Rawalpindi with some of mytransgenderfriendsandstartedworkingwiththem.Ifacedsomeissueswiththecommunityanddecidedtolivealone.Then a friend toldme to ask Bubbli Malik for help.” Sheconcludedhertalkbysayingthatfamiliesshouldacceptus,and education should be provided to the youngtransgenders.

MrAbdulRasheedpresentedastudybytheCouncilofIslamicIdeology(CII)onfortherightsofthetransgenders.

He highlighted the recommendations of CII and said thattransgendersshouldbeissuedCNICaspertheirdominantaspectofgender.Theirreligiousritualswillhavethesameparameters in Islamic jurisprudence. They should not bedeprivedofduerightofinheritanceaspercategorytheyfallin.CIIhassupportedthelong-standingdemandoftheirself-perceived identity to be recognized. Transgenders shouldnotbesubjectedtopoliceclassi�icationandmedicaltestforproving their identity. Government should take steps fortransgenders'educationandjobs.Theyshouldbetrainedin

differentskillsinordertoempowerthem�inancially.DrQiblaAyaz concluding thesessionhighlighted the

lack of awareness pertaining to problems of thetransgenders.HestressedupontheneedtoacceptthemasacreationofGodandhumiliatingthemislikemakingfunofGod'screation.Governmentshouldpromotetheawarenessprogrammes and make special wards in hospitals andspecial institutes for education until the society acceptsthemaspartofsociety.

Session B-8: Governing Pakistan Water Economy in the 21st Century

Technical Presenta�on: Mr Mehr Ali Shah, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Pakistan (GOP)

Panellists:

1. Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Former Assistant Secretary General, United Na�ons, Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Mr Ashfaq Mahmood, Former Secretary, Ministry of Water and Power Resources, GOP

3. Prof. Dr Shaheen Akhtar, Department of Interna�onal Rela�ons, Na�onal Defense University (NDU), Islamabad

4. Mr Ahmad Rafay Alam, Environmental Lawyer, Lahore, Pakistan

Moderator: Dr Imran Khalid, Research Fellow, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad

Panel Organizers: Dr Imran Khalid and Mr Kashif Salik, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad

Report by: Ms Sofia Akram, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

After a detailed introduction ofworthy panel byDrImranKhalid,heaskedthespeakerstosharetheirextensiveknowledgeonthegovernanceofPakistan

water economy. He also inquired about the governanceissues andhow these issues canbe improved. FurtherheaskedthemabouttheirviewsontheNationalWaterPolicypromulgatedin2018.

MrMehrAliShahsharedalistofwatermanagementchallengesinPakistan.AccordingtoMrShah,theforemostaspectofwatermanagementistheburgeoningpopulationversuswaterbeinga�initeresource.In1951,Pakistanhad34millionpopulationwith5,260 cubicmetersper capitawhereasitdecreasedtolessthan1,000cubicmeterswith

the increased population of 208 million in 2018. Thissituationhasfurtherexacerbatedwiththeextremeclimaticconditions likeunprecedented rains, �loods anddroughts.Hesaidthereisnomechanismforwaterpricingduetowhicheveryonetakesit forgranted.MrMehrAliShahexplainedthat water infrastructure of Pakistan includes threereservoirs, namely, Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma; 18barrages; 107,000 km water courses; and, 45 canals.Western rivers of Pakistan have an average annualavailabilityof137MAFandoutofthis103MAFisusedforirrigationcanals.

Mr Shah also talked about increasing the storagecapacityofthedams.Hesaidthatexistingstoragecapacityof


damshasdecreasedduetosedimentation.Without action, the futureofwater supply looksvery

bad especially given the plans to continue increasingirrigatedarea.Hesaidthatgroundwaterextractionhasalsoincreasedto50MAFandthere isnoregulationrelatedtogroundwater depletion. For water management, manyinstitutionsareworkingatthefederalandprovinciallevelduetowhichtheyhaveoverlappingrules.Thereisaneedforuni�ied service for water management. National WaterPolicywasformulatedin2018withtheapprovalofalltheprovinces.Theprioritytargetsofpolicyare:

· Wateref�iciencyshouldincreaseby30%andwater

conservation should enhance through lining of

watercourses,groundwaterregulationandwater

pricing.

· Developmentof10MAFnewwaterreservoirs.

· Transparentwater distribution through real time

watermonitoring.

· Developuni�ieddatacollectionandreporting.I n h i s c onc l ud ing remarks , h e f o cu sed on

implementationofwaterpolicy.Hesuggested,thereshouldbecreationofpolicyimplementationcellintheMinistryofWater Resources and further suggested that a steeringcommitteebecreatedtoassistandsteerimplementationofthedecisionsoftheNationalWaterCouncil.

DrShaheenAkhtargaveherpointofviewrelatedtowatermanagement starting fromconservation to storage.Shesaidthatwaterconservationhasnotbeengivenmuchattentioninthepastyearsorpresently.Agriculturesectorisconsumingmorethan90%ofwaterandhencecroppatternsshouldmoveawayfromtraditionalcroppatternsandwaterintensive crops should be replacedwith other crops. Shefurther explainedwater sector is highly bureaucratic andthere is less engagement with the end user. For watermanagement, water productivity, water ef�iciency, andawareness,politicalwillareveryimportant,sheadded.

Mr Ahmad Rafay Alam explained the constitutionalhistoryofwatergovernance.Hestartedhisdiscussionwiththewaterlawinpre-partitionIndia.Waterlawinourpartoftheworldgoesbacktocolonialexperimentoftakingover

Punjab and Sindh for agriculture purposes. He explaineddetailedhistoryofwaterlawbeforeandafterthepartitionofIndiaandPakistan.HisdiscussiondepictsthatwaterlawisunderdevelopedinPakistanandoneaspectofwaterlawisclear: that there is no clarity on whether water is to bemanaged or governed centrally by the Federation,independently by the Provinces, or in some form offederalismyet tobenegotiated.TheConstitutionof1973looksatwaterasasubjectofprovincialcontrol,insteadtheprovinceshavenotdonesotilldate.

After that the recent approvedNationalWater PolicyandWaterCharterwasapprovedbytheCCIearlierin2018.This is not the outcome of awater dispute referred by aProvince or the Federal Capital. He recommended waterpolicies must be provincial in nature. He also suggestedareasthatneedtobedevelopedareprovincialwaterlaws,drinking water laws, laws in relation to health andsanitation.

He further discussed the challenges of IndusApportionmentAccord and recommended that Council ofCommonInterest(CCI)shouldbeactivatedandconstantlyeducatedwith regard to provincial water dispute so thatpressureshouldcomedownandpeoplehavetheabilitytoholdarationaldiscussion.

Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel focused on theimplementationofpolicies inPakistanand shared that in1991 Water Apportionment Accord was negotiated anddiscussedintheframeworkofCCI.CCIwasthebestforumbut the issue was about the implementation of WaterApportionmentAccord.HesaidthatPakistandoesnothavepoliciesorhaspoliciesthathaveremainedunimplemented.HesaidthatwewereabsolutelydelightedwhenweheardtheNationalWaterPolicywasapprovedwiththeapprovalofalltheprovincesbuthowtoimplementithasbeenthequestion.The United Nations Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)was approved in 1992 and it took 20 years toformulateclimatechangepolicybutitstilllargelyremainsunimplemented.PakistanhasfederalagencieslikeWAPDA,National Flood Commission, IRSA and Council of WaterResources.However,thereisnoimplementationincountry.

Furthermore,hehighlightedtheissueofwaterstorage


in Pakistan. Before the IndusWater Treaty there was nostoragedam.Afterthattwolargedamswereconstructedbutcurrently,theyarenotenoughtostorewater.AccordingtoaWorldBank report,we have seasonal variabilitywhich iswhyweneedstoragecapacity.Hesaidthereisalsoaneedtosavegroundwater.AftertheIndusWaterTreaty,300tubewellswereinstalledwhichextractedfourMAFatthattimeandnowtheyextract50MAF.Hesuggested thatweneedstorageforperennialirrigationandtoregulateabstractionof ground water. He lamented that there are no seriousefforts to improve water productivity. It can be achievedthrough micro irrigation. He recommended that thereshouldbeanincreaseininvestmentinwatermanagementand we should also strengthen our Ministry of WaterResources.

MrAshfaqMahmooddiscussedtwomainpoints:the�irstonewastheformulationofNationalWaterPolicywhichtook14 years to emerge.He said at least nowwehave acharterwhichcoversallwaterrelatedissues.Secondly,wehaveaseparateMinistryofWaterResources.Issuesrelated

towaterstillprevail.Oursystemisveryslowinrespondingto these issues. Neither have we achieved ef�iciency norincreasedstoragecapacityofdams,helamented.Hesaid,ithasbeenalmost45yearsthatwebeenhavingadiscussionregardingtheconstructionofnewdambutithasnotbeenmadeyet.

He also focused on the importance of Water andSanitation Hygiene (WASH). He pointed to a generalstatementinNationalWaterPolicybutwhatistobeachievedinWASHprogrammeisnotmentioned.Hefurthersaidnowthereisaneedtothinkabouttheimplementationofpolicies.In Pakistan the water quality is degrading and waterabstraction is increasing day by day which is not only afederallevelissuebutprovincialaswell.Herecommendedthatthereisaneedtopartnerwithmediainordertoeducatepeople about the importance of water. Media needsinformation that can come through the organizations. Hesuggested a programme be developed to improve watergovernanceinthecountry.

Session B-9: Promoting Regional Cooperation in South Asia for Achieving SDGs

Moderator: Dr Rajan S. Ratna, Economic Affairs Officer, United Na�ons ESCAP South and South West Asia Office

(UNESCAP-SSWA), India

Panellists:

1. Dr Abid Q. Suleri, Execu�ve Director, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Prof. Amitabh Kundu, Research Ins�tute India (RIS), India

3. Dr Posh Raj Pandey, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal

4. Dr Fatemeh Kemali Cherani, Social Scien�st, Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Mr Abdul Basir Azimi, Biruni Ins�tute, Afghanistan

6. Ms Safoora Kawsar, Ministry of Health, Maldives

7. Ms Hasna Munas, Verite Research, Sri Lanka

Panel Organizers: Dr Rajan Sudesh Ratna, Economic Affairs Officer UNESCAP-SSWA, India, and Ms Hania Shah, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Hania Shah, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


0058

Dr Rajan Sudesh Ratna from the United NationsESCAPSouthandSouthWestAsiaOf�ice(UNESCAP-SSWA),India,introducedthetopicofthesessionand

said every South Asian member of the UN has takenresponsibility of achieving the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs) forwelfare of the region and its people.Hecontinuedbyposingquestionsinfrontoftheaudienceandthe panellists that whether the countries will be able toachievethesegoalsindividuallyorwillsomekindofregionalcooperation will help to accelerate this process, thusreducing inequality and poverty? Can it create enoughdecent jobs for theunemployed youth? Is it possible thatthroughregionalcooperationwecanempowerwomenandbringgenderequality?Canweaddress issues likeclimatechange,tradeandregionalintegration?AlltheseissuesarethereontheagendaforSouthAsiabuttheprocessisstuck.

Dr Ratna further said, entire South Asian region issufferingfromcon�lictbetweentwocountries,whichmakesusthinkifthegovernmentscannottalkthancanthethinktankstalktoeachother?Canresearchersandpeopletalktoeachother?IsthereapossibilityofregionalcooperationinSouthAsia?Shouldregionalcooperationbeonlydependentupontheinitiativestakenbythegovernment?

ComingbacktotheSDGs,hesaidthattheUNESCAPhad

identi�iedsevenbroadpolicyprioritiesasfollows:

1) Creation of jobs through industrial oriented

structuraltransformation;

2) Sustainableinfrastructure;

3) Universalaccesstoeducationandhealthandskills

toharnessyouthbulge;

4) Universalsocialprotectionand�inancialinclusion;

5) Sustainableagriculturalproductivityimprovement;

6) Fosteringwomenentrepreneurship;and,

7) Enhancement of environmental sustainability

throughlowcarbonclimateresilientpathways.DrAbidQaiyumSuleri,ExecutiveDirectorSDPI,said,

he does not see much development in South AsianAssociation forRegionalCooperation(SAARC) in thenearfuture.Therefore,weneedtoadoptatleastthreestrategies:�irst,thinkingsub-regionally,weknownowthatSAARCcanbeeasilycategorised into tworegions.Oneregion iseast,which seems to be working really well, e.g. India and itseastern neighbours, other is west i.e. Afghanistan andPakistan,andthenfurthercategorizingPakistan'sworkingwithSriLankaandNepal.

Secondly, we need to have a sectoral alliance, likealliance on safe drinking water, clean and green energy,breathableair,education,etc.Countriescancometoworktogetheronthesetopicsofmutualinterestbykeepingtheirpoliticaldifferencesaside.Asaregionweareaccountabletothehugepercentageofhumanitythatlivesinthisregion,thatiswhyweneedtohavesectorialalliances.Thirdly,weneedtotalkaboutSouthAsia-PlusModelbyincludingChina,Iranand some Central Asian countries in it. So, if there arepoliticaldifferenceswithinSAARC,havingChinaasoneofthestakeholderswouldhelpbreakthroughthesechallengeswhichhamperprogress,asitisacommondenominatorinthe region which has huge investments in Afghanistan,Nepal,Pakistan,BangladeshandIndia.Similarly,thevolumebilateraltradebetweenChinaandIndiaishuge.Therefore,ChinacanplaytheroleofalltheSouthAsiancountriesunderoneroofandinitiatethedialogueofrethinkingtheirwaysofdoingbusiness.FurtherbybringingIranintheSouthAsiaPlusModel,wewouldensurepeaceandstabilitybecausenonation's progress is possible without a peacefulneighbourhood,soourstabilityisinterconnected.


Dr Suleri concluded by saying thus, in view of suchinterdependency on each other to achieve the SDGs andstabilitythenweneedtothinkoftheSouthAsia-PlusregionandSDGs,wherebywecanstillholdourpoliticalopinionsalongwiththinkingaboutourpeople.

Mr Abdul Basir Azimi, from Biruni Institute,Afghanistan,saidthatinAfghanistanin2017,theSDGswerenationalised and all developmental projects and nationalframework were aligned with the SDGs. Afghanistan'seconomic growth is 2% on average, which is very low.Estimation shows that to achieve SDGswe need a highereconomicgrowthof6.5%andanotherstudyshowsthatweneedabout2.5–5billiondollarsperyeartoachievesomeSDGs. He said, we need partnership, connectivity andregionalintegrationtoattainhighereconomicgrowth.

Mr Azimi continued that the main challenges inAfghanistanagainstsuchgoalsincludethreemajorpoints:�irst is climate change. It is not just regional but aninternational issue.All countries in this regionhavebeen

affectednegativelyduetoclimatechange.Afghanistanhasbeen affected badly due to huge drop in agriculturalproductivityandseveredroughtslastyear(2018).SecondmajorchallengeforAfghanistanissecurity,whichresultsincivilian causalities, criminal economy,ma�ia, immigration,etc., and third huge challenge is uncertainties, such asuncertainty about ongoing presidential elections, peacenegotiation with Taliban and all of which are againsteconomicdevelopmentinAfghanistan.

Mr Azimi said, response to these challenges isconnectivity,whichisveryimportantbecauseAfghanistanbeing an agrarian country like Pakistan, where climatechangehasbadlyaffectedthissectorandweneedtoworktogetherforit.Hecontinuedthatanotherpointisregionalconnectivity, it is important for Afghanistan becauseAfghanistan wants to be part of global value chain. Thestrategic vision in Afghanistan now is that Afghanistanshould be a 'Land Bridging Country' instead of a 'LandLockedCountry'.WearetryingtoactlikeabridgetotransferenergyformCentralAsiatoSouthAsia.Andwewanttobeatransitcountryforpipelines,transmissionlines,�ibreopticsandotherprojects.

Hefurtherhighlightedthatunfortunately,ourregionispoliticallynotreadytowalktogetherbecauseofthelackoftrust.Weneedtrustinordertoworktogetheraswehavenegative perception about each other whether it is theperception of India about Pakistan or the perception ofPakistan about Afghanistan. He further added,we shouldcome together and use this platform based on mutualbene�icialpartnership.Heemphasisedthatprivatesectorispayingforthisdysconnectivityinthisregionnotpoliticians.Wehavemanyopportunitiestoenhanceeconomicgrowth.Issueslikewaterscarcity,scarcetrade,securityandstabilityaresameinallcountries.

Professor Amitabh Kundu from Research InstituteIndia(RIS),India,mentionedthatPakistan'soverallimportfromIndiaisabout3%andexportisabout2%andIndia'sexportimportfromPakistanisindecimalpoints,thus,withthegiventhreatthatIndo-Paktradewillcometoahaltitisnotgoingtoaffecteithercountry'strade.Butshouldweaskadifferentquestion,giventhediversityofpotential thatwe


haveinSouthAsia?Whatcouldbethepotentialifwehavetrade among countries? What could be the possibility ofinvestment?

Professor Kundu elaborated that looking at thequantitativedata,thenumberofdocuments,whichhavetobeproducedinordertohavecooperationasinglobalvaluechain you have to allow the commodities and services tomovefreelyacrosstheboundaries.Theaveragenumberisthreeandthevalueof intheforeigndirectinvestment(FDI)region shows that it is less than 2%, except in Maldives,wherethe�iguresaremuchhigher.So,theclimateforaglobalvaluechaintocomeupdoesnotexist.

Whatisthecontributionofnetworktrade?Theglobal�iguresoftradeforthosecommoditieswhichareapartofavaluechainshow40%,inSouthAsia,the�iguresstandat2-3%which is quite disturbing and pose as an obstacle ineconomicdevelopment.

The current advisor to Prime Minister on �inancialmattersofPakistan,pointedoutProf.Kundu,hadstatedthatthebanningoftradebetweenPakistanandIndiaispartiallyresponsibleforthehigherin�lationratesandthatmeanswehavetotakedirectandindirectinputintoconsiderationanduseinter-industryinputoutputframework.Thus,thereisaneed to do an in-depth analysis of the possibility ofcooperation.

DrFatemehKemaliCherani, IranianSocialScientistfromIslamabad,discussedaboutsustainabledevelopmentin terms of Iran. Dr Cherani while talking about Iran'seconomic dependence on oil said oil is its biggestdisadvantageduetotheeconomicsanctionsthathavebeenimposed on Iran. Talking about the positive points of theSDGs,shehighlightedthreepoints,�irstaboutthegrowingpaceofwomenentrepreneurship.Secondly,educationandtheimprovementintheliteracyratesamongbothmenandwomen.Third,isthedigitalsocietyandtheincreasinguseofinternetinIranbyprotestingthroughdigitalmainstreams.

DrCheranisaidthatwomenentrepreneurshipisoneofthe great opportunities for women in Iran, as womenparticipationinformaleconomyinSouthAsiaisverylow.Butwomenhavealotofcapacityinbusinesssector.ManyIranianwomenareinvolvedinnumerousstart-upsinIran

but lack of availability of data hurdles thepropagationoffacts about Iran. This is a great opportunity for regionalcooperationbut Iran isnot included in themanyregionalcooperationinitiativesinthisregard.Aslastyeartherewasafemale entrepreneurship initiative in SouthAsia and Iranwasnot there. That can alsobepartly because of IraniandomesticpolicyasunfortunatelyIraniangovernmentisalsonothappywiththewomenentrepreneurship.

Ms Safoora Kawasar from the Ministry of Health,Maldives, said that technology is the catalyst nowadaysacrossall thesectors. Inall theaspectsofconnectivity i.e.transport, etc.,Maldives is99%seaand1% land.Beingasmallisland,theinternetaccessisavailableto99%ofthepopulation. But the problem in the country is aboutinterconnectivity.Eveninthehealthsector,shesaid,wehavemorethan21applications.Asinglepersonintheislandhasto enter in 5 to 6 systems. Butwhatwill happen if thesesystemsareinter-operableandinterconnected?Itwillsavealotoftimeandmoneytocollectdataforthesamepurposefromonesource.ApplyingthesameconcepttotheaspectofthecommondatasystemforSouthAsiawouldgoalongwaytohelpachievetheSDGs.Sheconcludedbysayingthatthereis scope not only through exchange people to peopleconnectivitybutthroughpersonaltraininglikeinSriLankathrough technology,which can servemotives and furtherelevatetheSDGsagenda.

DrPoshRajPandeyfromSouthAsiaWatchonTrade,EconomicsandEnvironment(SAWTEE),Nepal,said,�irstly,digitalsocietyistheinterfacebetweenthesocietyandthetechnology across physical digital and biological streams.Secondly,thisdigitalsocietyusesdisruptivetechnologysuchas mobile, internet, arti�icial intelligence (AI), cloudcomputing,dataanalyticsandithasgreatimplicationsfortransforming our social economic and political systems.Thirdly,thede�iningcharacteristicsofthisFourthIndustrialRevolution(4IR)areitsscopethatisitsbreadthordepth,itsspeedanditsscale.Lastly,itcreateswinnersandlosersandalso ethical andmoral dilemma particularly in regulating

this technology. Thus, this Fourth Industrial Revolutionneedstobecautiouswhileusingthisdisruptivetechnology.

DrPandeycontinuedbysayingthatthetechnologyhas


certainimplicationsthatcanacceleratetheachievementoftheSDGsoritcanhamperitaswell.TakingthecaseofGoal-2that is hunger and sustainable agriculture, 4IR has thepotentialtotransformagricultureevenatasmallerlevelbygettinginformationtothefarmersabouttheprices,qualityofseeds,etc.Incaseofhealth,itispossibletodeliverhealthservicesinremoteareas.Atadvancelevelthemedicalsystemcan be transformed. Thus, technology has the ability toprovideprecisehealthservicesandpositiveimplicationsonqualityoflife.

Similarly,inGoal-8,inclusiveandhigheconomicgrowth,newtechnologiesdirectlycontributetoeconomicgrowthbybringingtheef�iciencythatensuresproductivity.Despiteallthesepositiveaspectsofthisdisruptivetechnologytherearecertain blind spots. Firstly, technology is capital intensiveandinourproductiontheshareofcapitalwillbehigherthantheshareofwagessoitincreasesinequalityinthesociety.Secondly,itdisaggregatesourmarketintohigherpaidandlowerpaidsector.

Hesaidthatwecancooperatewitheachotherthroughbuildingdigitalskillsamongourworkforce;the�irstpriorityintheregionalcooperationistopreparethemforthedigitalsociety. Secondly, we need to share the experience andknowledge in e-governance for public services delivery.Thirdly,datasharingareaneedstobeadvancedasFourthIndustrialRevolutionisbasedondataalongwithattentiontoprivacy,securityandalsointellectualpropertyrightofthedata.Lastly,weneedtoworkoncybersecurityanddigitalinfrastructure,saidDrPandey.

MsHasnaMunasfromVeriteResearch,SriLanka,saidthattheSDGsstillseemtobeanalienthingtoacommonpersoninthesecountriesandthatispartoftheprobleminSri Lanka as well. Although we have a ministry forsustainabledevelopment,thingsarebeingdoneforthesakeofbeingdone.StilltheSDGsagendaisseenassomethingthatis externally driven. Thus, based on the lack of publicdemandonSDGsistheprimaryreasonwearenotworkingonthingsthatneedtobedone.Thebasicknowledgeofthesegoalsbythegeneralpublicisstillmissing.MsMunasaddedthat in Sri Lanka through budget allocation analysis welearned that thepromises toachieve theSDGs in the �irst

year were not achieved thus by making the informationpublic through technology has created an uproar and ademandforthejobtobedoneonthepartofthegovernmentandtherewerealizedthegreaterroleofthetechnology.

DrRajanS.Ratnathankedallthepanellistsforhonestopinionandtalkaboutregionalcooperation,cybersecurityissues and the industrial revolution.Headded that it stillseemslikeSouthAsiahasalongwaytogoandthatbringswithitselfmorechallengesforallofuswhowantthisregiontointegrate,cooperateand�indopportunitiesforincreasedtrade.Launching of the EIF-UNESCAP joint project: E-Commerce Capacity Building for women-led SMEs inSouthAsia

Panellists:

1. MsShandanaGulzarKhan,MNA,PTI,Islamabad,

Pakistan

2. DrRajanS.Ratna,UNESCAP-SSWA,India

3. DrAbidQ.Suleri,SDPI,Islamabad,Pakistan

4. MsNaimaAnsariCEO,Innovations,Pakistan

5. MsShireenArshadKhan,SAWDF,Lahore,Pakistan

6. Ms Fizza Mumtaz, Member, SAWDF, South Asian

WomenDevelopmentForum,IslamabadTheworldhaswitnessedrapidemergenceofelectronic

commerce (e-commerce) or digital commerce. This hasbrought about signi�icant changes in the way business isconductedacrosstheglobe.TheSouthAsianregionisalsoexperiencing substantial growth in trade through the e-commerce platforms. However, e-commerce is still at anascentstageintheSouthAsianLeastDevelopedCountries(LDCs).Whiledomestice-commerceisontherise,theuseofane-commerceplatformforinternationaltradeisotherwiselimited.

South Asia in particular faces challenges relating toaccessto�inanceandICTasmanywomenentrepreneursinsub region are not able to expand their businesses andbecomepartofawiderregionalandglobal supplychainsmostlyduetolackofknowledgeandlimitedscaleoftheirbusinesses(micro,smallandmediumenterprises(MSME)).Access to ICT, especially to thosewith small e-commerce


businesses can bring about additional informationresources and open new communication channels,particularly inmarginalised communities. Examples fromother developing countries illustrate that womenentrepreneurs using ICT technologies �ind new exportmarketsandreachasigni�icantnumberofcustomers,secureahighernumberoforders,andsigni�icantlycutsetupandoverheads costs. Also, the use of ICT ensures ef�icientbusiness practices, and allows for �lexible workingarrangements, e.g. work from home, etc. Therefore, e-commerce can be a powerful tool for bringing in greatergains to women entrepreneurs since it addresses theoutmoded barriers of geographic isolation and limitedaccesstoinformationand�inancing. Therefore,totrainandequipwomenentrepreneursforusinge-commerceplatformwill facilitate their business opportunities and can assisttheminbecomingapartofregionalorglobalsupplychain.

Inthisbackground,EIFandUNESCAPhavedecidedtowork on a joint project on building capacity of womenentrepreneurs through e-commerce platform to enhancewomen'seconomicempowermentandentrepreneurshipasa strategy for poverty reduction, social wellbeing and

sustainableeconomicgrowth,therebyachievingtheSDG5on Gender Equality and other related goals of the 2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.

The project mainly focuses on four least developedcountriesofSouthAsia,i.e.Afghanistan,Bangladesh,BhutanandNepal,however,ESCAPandEIFarelookingforpartnerstoexpandthisprojecttoalltheSouthAsianmembers.Thepurposeoftheproject'slaunchinPakistanduringtheSDPI'sTwenty-second Sustainable Development Conference on“Sustainable Development in a Digital Society” was toexploresuchpartnerships.

In the inaugurationofEIF-UNESCAP Initiatives itwasshowedthattoachievethegoals,apropertrainingneedstobegiven.Forempoweringthewomeninthedigitalera,weneed to train them on e-commerce. The women will betrainedby ITexperts. Itwouldbenecessarythat theyareprovidedwithproperequipmentlikenetwork,gadgets,etc.There should be increased interconnectivity between theregionssothatmoretradecanbeachieved.Thiscanbedonebytourismandhandicrafts'promotion.


MsAyeshaIlyasfromSDPI,Islamabadintroducedthesessionchairandpanellistsandgaveabriefoutlookofthetopic.Thesessionrevolvedaround

the discussion on Human Rights Movements and DigitalActivism.

After a round of introductions, the �loorwas handedovertotheChair,SenatorAyeshaRazaFarooqto formallystart the proceedings. Senator Ayesha Raza Farooqwelcomedthepanellistsandappreciatedthetopic 'DigitalActivism and Human Rights Movement' not just in thecontext of Pakistan but across the world. She alsoappreciated the participation of female panellists in thesession.

SenatorFarooqrequestedthe�irstpanellistMrMichaelMeyer from Democracy Reporting International (DRI),Germany, to share his views on how digitalization hasincreased the scope of manipulation and propagation ofagendasinlightofsocialactivism.

Mr Michael Meyer, who joined the Conference viaskypevideocall,portrayedtheissuesofhowgenuinesocial

mediadebatesare,howeasilymanipulatedandwhatthatmeansforgenuinehumanitarianorhumanrightcauses.

MsInshahMalikfromKardanUniversity,Afghanistan,saidSouthAsiancountriesareparticularlyvolatiledue toissuesofhumanrights,civillibertiesandfreedomofspeech.Theadventofdigitalmediahasaccentuatedtheseissuestoasubstantialdegree.ShehighlightedtheempiricaldatafromKashmir to understand how social media movements inSouth Asia administer and challenge coercive politics byattemptingtocontrolthenarrative.

Furthermore,shesharedstatisticalfactsinthecontextofKashmir.ShesaidthatTwitterrecentlyremoved1milliontweets from users in Kashmir on the behalf of IndianGovernment. Further she explained the dangers ofpropagandaintechnologysuchasDeepfakesinharmingtheotherwisepro-humanrightsandcivilrightsmovementsinKashmirandelsewhere.

DrNathaleneReynoldsfromSDPI,Islamabad,saidthatsocial media networks have facilitated the freedom ofspeech, allowing groups that earlier struggled to express

Session B-10: Human Rights Movements and Digital Activism

Chair: Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Member of the Senate of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Ruwa Altaf Shah, Journalist, Turkey

2. Dr Inshah Malik, Kardan University, Afghanistan

3. Dr Nathalene Reynolds, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr Michael Meyer, Democracy Repor�ng Interna�onal (DRI), Germany (Skype)

5. Ms Nighat Dad, Digital Rights founda�on (DRF), Lahore, Pakistan

6. Mr Saroop Ijaz, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Islamabad, Pakistan

Special Remarks: Mr I A Rehman, Former Director, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Lahore

Panel Organizers: Ms Ayesha Ilyas, Ms Hania Shah and Dr Shafqat Munir, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad

Report by: Mr Shukar Ullah Baig Sawal, Devako Consultancy, Rawalpindi and Mr Ali Rehmat,

Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


themselvespubliclytocirculateinformationthathadbeenspreadonlybyrumourandwordofmouth.

DrReynoldsnarratedthehangingofAfzalGuruandsaidnodoubtsocialmedianetworkshavefacilitatedthefreedomofspeech,allowinggroupsthatearlierstruggledtoexpressthemselvespubliclytocirculateinformationthatinKashmirhadbeenspreadonlybyrumourandword-of-mouth.Itis,therefore,necessarytoexaminethediscourseofthevariousactors in the tragedy, of which Afzal Guru was theunfortunatevictim:bothinKashmirandintherestofthecountryaswellasinthemediaandincivilsociety

MsRuwaAltafShahajournalistfromKashmir,basedinTurkeysaid,therehavebeenreportshowtheGovernmentofIndiabannedthetwitteraccountsofcitizensandjournalistswhowereposting information about the abuseof humanrightsinKashmir,particularlyduringthelastthreemonths.She articulated that post-lockdown when the people ofKashmirwerenotabletospeakforthemselves,theKashmiridiasporautilizeddigitalmediums to raise the cause. ShefurtherelaboratedthattheentireKashmirinationwasandisstill living under communication blackout. She suggestedthatbeingademocraticstateitsregulationsondigitalrightsshouldbedemocratic.

MsNighatDad fromDigitalRights foundation(DRF),Lahore, said we are unable to connect online and of�linefreedoms.Pakistanhasintroducedthelawsandwehavetheonlineandof�linefreedomoflookingintointerpretingofourconstitutions or the laws we already have for the onlinefreedoms. She added that we have seen the massiveenactmentofregulationsindifferentcountries,PakistanisalsooneofthesecountrieswhichintroducedPreventionofElectronicCrimesActin1916.Althoughitwastodealwithprevention of electronic crimes, yet the law has beenmisused against political defendants and journalist. Shesuggested that we should look into international humanrightsespeciallyindevelopingcountriesandrequestedthatthe government should sensitize and mobilize Pakistanipeopleonhumanrightsviolations.

MrSaroopIjazfromtheHumanRightsWatch(HRW),Islamabad talked about how digital advancement hastransformedthescopeoftheissuesthatthehumanrights

movement can work on or address. The human rightsmoments and organizations can now attempt to bringchangeorstophumanrightsabusesinrealtimeasopposedto only documenting it post facto or only work onlongstandinghistoricissues.

Hesaidtechnologyhasfundamentallychangedtheworkof the human rights movements in two ways: �irstly,gathering information about the abuse of rights andsecondly,thedisseminationandtheuseofthatinformationto in�luence policy. Furthermore, he highlighted theresponseofauthoritarianstatetotheuseoftechnology,byquoting the example of internet shutdown in IndianoccupiedKashmirforpastfourmonths.

Senator Ayesha Farooq thanked SDPI for providing aforum to talk about the issue of digital technology andhumanrightsmovements.ShetheninvitedMrI.A.Rehmanto share concluding remarks and his feedback on thediscussionofthesession.

MrI.A.Rehman,aprominentpeaceandhuman-rightsadvocate,congratulatedtheyoungpanellistsandtheirworkonhumanrights.Hesaidthatinhumanrightsmovementsthere are three key words: information, response andmobilization. He said that in comparison to other mediasourcessuchasradio,TV,audio,andvideowehave,digitalmedia which is much faster. Speaking in the context ofhuman rights, Mr Rehman stressed that through digitalmedia you receive the information, respond andmobilizemuchmorequickly.Recollecting,hesaidthattherewastimetogetapetitionsignedby100people,whichtookmanydaysbutnowyoucanget100oreven1000petitionssignedinamatterofminutes.

MrRehmansaidthattheresureexistsanimbalanceofresourcesinmanycountriesandbetweennations.RaisingtheissueofKashmir,hesaidthatwedonotknowwhatishappeningthere,becauseallmeansofcommunicationhavebeencutoffandblocked.Hehighlightedthatthistechnologybringsitselfafewchallenges,whileitmakesthingseasierforus, it does the same for the oppressors as well; the realchallengeremainshowtonotonlysurviveitbutalsohowtobeatthatsystem.


0065

MrRehmansaidweareanunder-developedsocietyandweneedtolearnandadapttonewtechnologies.Hestressedthatweneedtobepersistentinourcauseofpursuinghumanrightsinthistechnologicallyadvanceddigitalsociety,soif

theyblockoneblog,wecreate10more.Thatistheonlywaytosurviveand�ightourwayoutofthewholesituationbymakingitamassmovementandnotlimitedtoafewthings.

Session B-11: SDGs Integration in Pakistan: Challenges,

Opportunities and Learning from the RegionChair: Ms Shaista Parvaiz Malik, Member Na�onal Assembly, Government of Pakistan (GOP)

Moderator: Ms Amna Sandhu, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Mr Shoaib Sultan Khan, Na�onal Rural Support Programme (NRSP), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Ms. Amina Khan, Overseas Development Ins�tute (ODI), UK.

3. Mr Shakeel Ahmad, United Na�ons Development Programme (UNDP), Thailand (Via Skype)

4. Mr Shahid Naeem, Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan (GOP)

5. Mr Amer Durrani, Reenrgia, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Hassan Rasheed, Na�onal Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, Pakistan; and Ms Amna Sandhu, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

ThesessionchairedbyMsShaistaParvezMalikwasofutmost importance as Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs) integration is a major hurdle in its

implementing countrywide. Few SDGs are considered asbasic requirements in sustaining development in thecountry. A number of key practitioners and academicianswereinthesessiontodiscussthepolicyoptionsandpublicproblems. Provincial and federal coordination wasconsidered ofmore importance in implementing strategyregardingSDGs.

Mr Shakeel Ahmed from the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP), Thailand joined viaSkype. Mr Ahmed particularly focused on the integratedefforts to achieve the SDGs agenda. He pointed out theimportance of four integrated SDGs particularly on

education.Hementionedthatweneedtoknowifinvestingineducationwillbene�itusornot?Hefocusedonanumberofpossiblechallengesregardingeducationandinvestmentineducation,andhowthatcanbeimprovedtohelpall.Healsodiscussed the alternative options to integrate number ofSDGs.Lastly,hecomparativelyanalysedthesituationofthecountryinrelationtointernationalfundingbodiesandotherdevelopingcountries.

Following up on this,Ms Amina Khan from ODIdiscussed the importance of synergies and trade-offs inimplementation of the SDGs agenda. She discussed howmost of the SDGs are overlapping and interlinked, thus,achieving one will help achieve others. Therefore, it isimportant to identify these synergies and work towardsmutualsuccess.Ontheotherhand,fewSDGscon�licteach


0066

otherdirectlyor indirectly.Thus,decisionmakersneedtounderstand these interlinkages and work to maximisesynergies while minimizing trade-offs. Her presentationendedwithrecommendationsforgovernmentsonhandlingsynergiesandtrade-offsineffectiveimplementationoftheSDGsagenda.

DrShahidNaeemfromthePlanningCommission,GOPmentioned the Government's efforts in achieving SDGsobjectives. He pointed out policy decisions taken duringLocal Government Summit in 2017. He also focused onprovincial SDGs framework and highlighted how theavenueswheremoreworkisstillrequired.MrNaeembeingthe resource person from the Planning Commission ofPakistan clari�ied theGovernment's stance and initiativestaken on the subject topic until now. He explicitly talkedaboutUNDP'sconsiderationforSDGsandtheneedtoinvolve

corporate sector for implementation and Pakistan'sinitiativeontakingupSDGsasNationalDevelopmentGoals.HementionedthattheGovernmentofPakistanhasalignedallthegoalsinAgenda2030withSustainableDevelopmentGoals in order for them to be met more effectively.Government of Pakistan is working explicitly in alldimensions to ful�il the requirements and outcomeobjectivesofAgenda2030.Thenhecriticallypointedouttheloopholes in integration and coordination amonggovernments.FederalGovernmentofthecountryhasrightlyworked upon the SDGs framework and implementationstrategiesbutalotofworkispendingfromtheprovincialgovernments,whichneedstobedonesoonforthepurposeofsmoothimplementationofSDGsuniformlyinthecountry.He mentioned the recent Local Governments Summitinitiatives to make local governments more effective inimplementationofSDGsstrategiesand integrationamonggoals so that integrated goals of SDGs shall get primaryimplementationfromthelocalbodies.

MrAmerDurranifromReenrgia,Islamabadthenspokeonthefailuresinrevenuecollectionandfocusedonlocalizedrevenue collection techniques. He rightly pointed out therevenuesystemofthecountryanddisparitiesincollectingthe relative tax from the public. Without taxation andrevenue, government is unable to implement anydevelopment goal in the country. Centralized revenuecollectiontechniqueshavebeenprovedinsuf�icientanddefactoinacountrylikePakistan.Hegaveexamplesofmanyotherdevelopinganddevelopedcountrieswheresuccessfulpractices have proven best for revenue collection andsustainable development goals implementation. Heproposed localized revenue collection methodology andtalkedabouttheireffectivenessasmorelocalizedrevenuecollectionmeansdataofmorepeople inaccuratemannerandtherewouldbelesschanceoftaxevasion.EconomywillbemoreformalizedwiththisandlocalmoneycanbeusedforSustainableDevelopmentGoalsimplementation.

Lastspeaker,MrShoaibKhan,explainedthePhase-IofNationalRuralSupportProgrammeinwhichaprogrammecalledWISE,consistingoffourintegratingSDGsweretestedsuccessfully. He focused on the importance of devolving


0067

�inancialpowerstolocalbodiesandCRPsfortheeffectiveimplementationofSDGs.MrKhansharedtheexperienceofNationalRuralSupportProgrammewherepilottestinghadproven successful in low budget. Districts of SouthernPunjab andRural Sindh got development in their villagesthrough local bodies and representatives of the villages.IntegratingbasicSDGsintoWISEmechanismresultedintomorelocalizeddevelopmentandexecutionofstrategyinamoretransparentandeffectivemanner.Hepointedoutthesmallbudget'seffectivenessinthesubjectvillagesandareashow they sustained their development and the basicnecessitieswereprovidedby the relevantvillage councilsunder resource persons themselves. Students enrolled aslocalvillagerepresentativesregularlyengagedthefamiliesandmadethemawareofbene�itsofeducation.Moreover,hepointedouttheproposedprojecttobeimplementedinothercitiesandregionusinglessresourcesthanrequiredbytheothermegadevelopmentprojectsinthecountryandthese

WISE targets could be successfully achieved in a costeffectiveandtimelymanner.

Chair of the session,MNA Shaista Parvez gaveconcluding remarks by focusing on joint policy sittingsunderallthepillarsofpolicyprocess.Shepointedoutthegapsandspokeabouttheimportanceofintegrationbetweeninstitutionsforbetterexecution.Shefurtherexplainedtheimportance of platforms l ike SDPI's SustainableDevelopmentConferenceforallthestakeholdersinordertoful�ilthepolicygapsandtoeliminatethecommunicationgapamong departments of the Government. Moreover, shefocusedonmore integration inSDGs implementationandspeciallypointedoutWISESDGs for thebasicsustainabledevelopment in all regions of the country. She proposedmore options for the regular sittings in �illing thecoordinationgapsamongallthestakeholdersatbothfederalandtheprovinciallevels.


DrHafeezA.Pashasaidthatinthepoliticaleconomyofprivilegeswithinrules,regulationsandlaws,theprivileged class of Pakistan enjoys the annual

bene�its ofworth 2074 billion rupees. However, the totalrevenue collection is 3,000 billion rupees. Dr Pasha wasdiscussing the stabilization phase of Pakistan economyunder the IMF programme. He started his talk byhighlighting current account balance, reserves and �iscalde�icit that country was facing with the start of newgovernmentregime.UnderanintenseIMFprogramme,theGovernmenthas introducedheavy indirect taxes,effectiveexchangeratehasincreasedbyabout35%injustoneyearandpolicyratehasalmostdoubled.Resultantly,thehumanfaceisbeingscared,evidentfromthelowpercapitaincome,highin�lationrate(11%)speciallyonthefooditems(15%),inequalityandfallenHDI. Attheendheproposedafour-point solution for the Government. Firstly, direct taxesshould be increased to increase tax base substantially.Secondly,interestrateshouldbeloweredby2-3%.Thirdly,theprivatizationofpublicenterprisesshouldberampanti.e.foodpricesshouldbekeptundercontrol.Lastly,thesizeoffederalgovernmentshouldbetrimmedsothatmoreofthebudgetcouldbeutilizedfordevelopmentpurpose.

DrGonzaloVarelatalkedabouthowglobalintegration

intheglobalmarketisapropoorstrategy.Tradereformscanbring5.66millionpeopleoutofpoverty.Healsoemphasizedonproductivitygrowththroughgenderinclusiveness,whichwill ultimately result into increased income. Pakistan'sexport,ForeignDirectInvestment(FDI)andglobalsharearedropping. This is all happening because Pakistan's tradeecosystemisanti-exportandimporttariffsarehigh(importtariffisimplicitlyexporttariff).

The debate on stabilization was taken to a newperspectivebyDrPervezTahir.HecalledthisGovernmentanausterityregime,hesaidausterityneverbeginsathomelike charity. The iota of humanity is missing in thegovernmentpolicies.Hepointedoutthatburdensharingistherealproblem.

Continuingthedebateonstabilization,DrTariqAhmedsuggested that in this period of economic crunch,entrepreneurshipistherealsolution.“Startanewbusinessinsteadoflookingforajob,”hesuggested.HefurtheraddedthattheGovernmentshouldopendoorsforSMEsandsmallentrepreneurs.

Dr JochenHipplersaid that thisdebateoneconomywasmissingsincelong.Economyshouldbepeopleorientedandstabilizationshouldbeachievedtomakepeoplenutrientand for their wellbeing. Pakistan's institutional and

Session B-12: Pakistan Economy: Stabilization with a Human Face

Moderator: Dr Nadia Farooq, Asian Development Bank, Pakistan

Welcome Remarks: Dr Jochen Hippler, Country Director, Friedrich-Ebert-S��ung (FES), Islamabad, Pakistan

Keynote Address: Dr Hafeez A. Pasha, Former Federal Minister for Finance, Government of Pakistan (GoP)

Speakers:

1. Dr Gonzalo Varela, Trade Economist, World Bank Group

2. Dr Pervez Tahir, Former Chairman Bank of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

3. Dr Tariq Ahmed, Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences Balochistan University of Informa�on Technology, Engineering, and Management Sciences (BUITEMS)

Panel Organizers: Mr Abdul Qadir, Friedrich-Ebert-S��ung (FES), Dr Vaqar Ahmed & Mr Maaz Javed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Khadija Tul Kubra, Pakistan Ins�tute of Development Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan


economic structure continues to constrain its ability toachievelong-termpovertyreductionandinclusiveeconomicgrowth;andsustainsanunequaldistributionofincomeandopportunities for itsmale and female citizens. There is aneed toprovideequitablemarketaccess for thepoorandenable them to contribute to GDP growth throughsustainablelivelihoods.InstitutionaldeclineinPakistanhasresulted in a failure of effective public service delivery,deniedprovincialandlocalgovernmentsanequitablesharein the country's resources and continues to deny themajorityofitscitizens'accesstocriticaleconomicandsocialassets. Sustained and inclusive long-term growth andpovertyreductioncanonlybebuiltontheedi�iceofeffectiveinstitutions and a more inclusive economic structure.Equallyimportantthefoundationsofastrongandeffectivefederalstatestructurecanonlybebuiltonthefoundationsofan institutional structure that strengthens federaldemocracy.Giventhenatureofinstitutionalreformsamorecomprehensivesetofmeasureswillbepartofthemedium-termstrategyreport.However,someimmediatemeasuresarebeingproposedtoassistsocialprotectionandpoverty-reduction measures and the broader macro-economicstabilizationexercise.

FullyAutomatedSalesTaxe-Refund(FASTER)systemneeds to be improved, exporters re�inancing scheme ispreemptedbylargeexporters.However,economyhasalargeroomfortheSMEs,saidDrPasha.Industrialpolicyneedstobeharmonizedwith�inancialinstitutions,saidDrGonzalowhileemphasizingonglobalintegration.

At the end the sessionwas formally concludedbyDrNadiaFarooqwithfour-pointrecommendations:

1. WehavetobevigilantbyadoptingtheIMF'sinstructionsandsavethehumanfacebylookingatthetaxpolicies,employment,revenuemobilizationandpoverty.

2. Beststabilizationcancomebyincreasingthetotalfactorof production, global integration which wouldultimatelyresultintheinclusionofhumanfaceintothesystem.

3. Burdenofausterityshouldbeadequatelysharedsothatthehumanfacecouldbesaved.

4. Resources in Balochistan are not ef�iciently utilized,especiallythepricemechanismisnotworkingproperly.So,theneedistoincludethesepointsintopolicyagendaand formation of SMEs should be mobilized tostrengthentheyoutheconomically.



Theroundtablemeetingaimedtogatherleadingmindstosharetheirvaluable insightsonhowSustainableDevelopmentGoals (SDGs)canbeachieved.All the

expertoftheirrespective�ieldssharedkeyideasthatcanbeconvened and help in motivating researchers and policymakerstofocusonSGDswithadifferentlens.

DrVaqar Ahmed from the Sustainable DevelopmentPolicy Institute (SDPI) Islamabad, gave the introductoryremarksandalsohighlightedtheimportanceofthesession.Hetalkedabouthowitisimportanttobringtogetherexpertsfromdifferent�ieldstoproposeinnovativesolutionsinthedeliverytoSDGs.

MrAhmedKhaver from SDPI, Islamabadmoderatedthesession.AfteraroundofintroductionshetalkedabouttheimportanceofSDGsandhowPakistanshouldlookintothisthroughdifferentangles.Healsotalkedabouthowtheideas of all the speakers are interlinked andmay help inpromotingSDGswhileproposinginnovativesolutions.

Dr Usman Mustafa from Pakistan Institute ofDevelopmentEconomics(PIDE),Islamabad,stressedontheroleofagriculturalsectorinachievingtheSDGs.Hesaidthatlinkofallthe17SDGsisdirectandessentialsomultipleSDGscanbeaddressedviaagriculturalsector.Investmentinthissectorneedstobe�lourishedandpublic-privatepartnershipcan be a great initiative to take in this context. Newtechnology needs to be promoted not only in productionprocessbutalsoinpackagingandexportingthe�inalgoods.Pakistanhasgreatpotentialtoexportitsproducebutlackofawareness, obsolete technology and hurdles in exportingmakes it dif�icult for the farmers to reap the potentialbene�its.

He concluded by stating as major percentage ofPakistan'spopulationisdirectlyorindirectlylinkedwiththeagriculturesectorso,toupliftthelivesofmassesthissectorcanplayakeyrole.Eliminatinghunger,reductionofpoverty,betterhealthfacilities,educationservices,genderequality,

Session B-13: Innovative Solutions towards Delivery of SDGs

Moderator: Mr Ahmed Khaver, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Panellists:

1. Dr Saira Ahmed, Capital University of Science & Technology (CUST), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Dr Tariq Ahmad, Balochistan University of Informa�on Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Que�a, Pakistan

3. Mr Dan Gregory, Interna�onal and Sustainable Development (ISD), UK

4. Mr Ali Jaswal, Xinhua News Agency, Islamabad

5. Mr Ali Kamal, United Na�ons Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan

6. Dr Usman Mustafa, Pakistan Ins�tute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad, Pakistan

7. Mr Maaz Javed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

8. Mr Ruwan Samaraweera, Ins�tute of Policy Studies (IPS), Sri Lanka

Panel Organisers: Dr Vaqar Ahmed and Mr Maaz Javed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad,

Pakistan

Report by: Mr Maaz Javed, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


betterworkenvironmentandotherSDGscanbeachievedthroughagriculturesector.

Mr Dan Gregory from ISD, UK, emphasized on theprocessindeliveranceofSDGs.Hesaid,thereisaconfusiononwhatwaysshouldweadopttoachieveSDGsandhowtodeliveronatimelybasis.Forcontext,theinvestmentimpactneedstobepromotedasithassigni�icanteffectinachievingtheGoals.Developmentpartnersalsoplayanimportantrolein supporting public and private sector while helping inresearch,developmentandoverallpolicymaking.Themainfocusofhistalkremainedonthreepoints:�irst,majorpieoftheincomeearnedisthroughtrading;second,pro�itsshouldbe reinvested; and third, there is a need to support and�lourishsocialenterprises.

Mr Gregory also highlighted the limited role ofgovernment topromote trade.Mainpoints in thiscontextinclude:lawandlegislationsshouldbetradefriendly;everybusiness has different kind of setup and issues so theinvolvement of government should be limited; and,government should not get into day-to-day governance.These steps ensure the achievement of SDGs whilepromotingbusinessenvironmentinthecountry.

Dr Tariq Ahmed from Balochistan University ofInformationTechnology,Quetta,focusedontheimportanceofentrepreneurshipinachievingtheSDGs.Hehighlightedthe role of government in promoting and supporting thesmall and medium businesses to grow. He said that lessprivilegedareas,likeBalochistan,shouldbeonprioritylistofthegovernment.It isbecausethesmallentrepreneursarenotabletogeneratecapitalandalsonotequippedwiththelatest technology, these de�iciencies create hurdles inachievingef�iciencyandcompetinginthehighlycompetitiveenvironment when other countries have access to latesttechnologies. He recommended that small and mediumenterprisesneedattention,especiallyinthecontextofChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it is a greatopportunitytoenhancebusinessinlessprivilegedareas.

DrSairaAhmedfromtheCapitalUniversityofScience&Technology(CUST),Islamabad,gavehertalkontheimpactofCPECinachievingtheSDGs.Shesaid,specialfocusshouldbe on the conditions, life status and social capital oflabourers. Through the platform of CPEC, governmentshouldensurethatlabourersarebeingprovidedwithgoodhealth facilities, and safe work environment. Along withthese, low wage labour needs to be supported by thegovernment.CorporatesectorandNGOsalsoneedtoplay

theirroleinupliftingthelifeofthemarginalised.So,triplehelix approach needs to be implemented in Pakistan toachievetheSDGs.

MrAli Jaswal fromXinhuaNews Agency, Islamabad,spokeabouttheroleofmediainpromotingreformsforSDGs.HeemphasisedthatmajorityofpeopleareunawareofSDGsinPakistan.Mediadoesnothighlight the issuesregardingtheSDGs.Itisbecauseoflackofinterestandthecapacityofmedia todealwith these challenges.Mr Jaswal suggestedthatmoreeducatedpersonsshouldcomeuponelectronicmediatopromotetalksoneconomyandenhancethegeneralunderstanding on economic issues that Pakistan is facingnowadays.

MrRuwanSamaraweera fromthe InstituteofPolicyStudies (IPS), Sri Lanka,mentioned the impact of climatechangeon farmers.He stressedonhow theadaptationofnew technology can bring timely information regardingclimate forecasting. Mr Samaraweera said, it will help ineliminatingtheriskofclimateshockandgovernmentmaybuytimetoimplementsafetymeasuresbeforetime.Indoingso,climateinformationmanagementremainsacrucialparttoachieveSDGsinaninnovativebutimportantway.

MrMaazJaved fromSDPI, Islamabad, focusedontheroleandpotentialoftrade.HesaidthatPakistancanachieveSDGs in faster and sustainable way by adopting friendlytrade measures that not only lead to a better economicsituationbutalsopositivelyin�luencethedeliveryofSDGs.MrJavedsaidthatthereistriple-winscenarioasgoodtradepolicy spurs international trade; more trade integrationleads to development-friendly outcomes; and theseoutcomessupportachievingSDGsdirectlyorindirectly.Healsomentionedthattradeisthebackboneofanysocietythatnotonlyhelpsinincreasing�iscalspaceforthegovernmentbutisalsousefulinachievingtheSDGs.

Mr Ali Kemal from United Nations DevelopmentProgramme(UNDP),PakistanhighlightedthateverySDGislinkedwiththeotherSDG.WhilemakingapolicyifanyoftheSDGsoranysegmentofthesocietyismissingthenthepolicyis not inclusive. Policy should always be inclusive whileleaving no one behind. Mr Kemal stressed on the role ofcorporatesectorandhowitcanbehelpfulinpromotingandachievingtheSDGsinenergyandresourcesector.AwarenesstoachieveSDGsshouldbeextendedtoprivatesectoraswellso theymay comeupwith innovative solution to achievethesegoals.

0072

Chair: Dr Tariq Banuri, Chairman, Higher Educa�on Commission (HEC) of Pakistan

Moderator: Mr Shahid Minhas and Ms Hania Shah, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad,

Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Execu�ve Director, (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Mr Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan

3. Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Media and Broadcas�ng

4. Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Member Na�onal Assembly and Former Minister of Interior

5. Mr Zulfiqar Gillani, Pakistani Media Journalist, Author, Researcher and Screenwriter

6. Ms Rita Akhtar, Execu�ve Director, The United States Educa�onal Founda�on in Pakistan (USEFP)

7. Mr Taj Haider, Founding Member and Senior Leader, Pakistan Peoples Party

Report by: Mr Ahmad Raza, Na�onal Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan; and Ms Ifra Baig, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Ms Hania Shah introduced the panellists andrequested Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, ExecutiveDirector,SDPI,tomoderatethesession.DrSuleri

welcomed and thanked the distinguished guests andaudienceatthedinner.Hesaidthatorganizingthisdinnerplenary with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) ofPakistan was a vital opportunity to discuss the scope ofdigitalizationintheglobalscenario,whereeminentscholarsand distinguished speakers and experts from severalcountriesweretheretodiscussitspotential.Heemphasizedtheneedtodeeplyreviewandanalysethefuturescopeandchallenges associated with this phenomenon to thesustainable education and development. He appreciatedHECandUSEFPfortheircontributioninhighlightingsuchchallenges associated with digital technology to qualityassuranceineducation. Hesaidthatdespitedisparitiesineducationsector,thereisaneedtotacklechallengesthroughuseofthedigitaltechnologies.

MrFawadChaudhry,FederalMinisterforScienceandTechnology, mentioned that it is on the Government's

priority agenda to get recognised Pakistani universities'degreesallovertheworld.HesaidthatthegovernmentofPakistanisputtingsincereeffortstoimprovethequalityofprimary, secondary aswell ashigher education.However,continuous efforts are required to improve the quality ofeducation in the country to achieve the internationalstandards and recognition. Mr Chaudhry said thatcoordinationeffortsarerequiredfromalltheprovincesandprovincialHigherEducationCommissionstobecomemoreprominentandvisibleinqualityeducationatthegloballevel.

MrZul�iqarGillani,aPakistanimediajournalist,spokeaboutthedifferencebetweenpeoplede�iningqualityandtheactual de�inition of quality. He mentioned the differentstakeholdersofeducationandeachhasadifferentangletode�ine quality. He said that there are four differentstakeholders.The�irstaretheoneswhosponsoreducation.Second are students, especially university students. Thirdstakeholdersincludeemployees,andfourtharepoliticianswho have their own de�inition of quality. Therefore, thede�initionofqualityhastocomefromajointeffortofallthe

HEC Dinner Plenary Promoting Higher Education Quality through Policies and Practices


0073

fourstakeholders.Hefurtheradded,accountabilityofallthestakeholders should be ensured. The challenge is to dealwithcriticalissuesofevaluatingquality,andthatcanonlybedoneifthestudentsandtheacademicsystemitselfmakeapropercommitmentinworkingtowardsde�iningquality.Heconcluded by saying that the quality starts from HEC,followedbyuniversities,thenitcomesdowntofacultiesandthentoindividualstudents.

Ms Rita Akhtar from The United States EducationalFoundation in Pakistan (USEFP), appreciated the upwardtrends of students' enrolment in masters and PhDprogrammesinPakistaniuniversities.Shesaid,thequalityofthe students is well comparable to any standards in theworld.Shefurtheraddedthatforjobs,majorityofapplicantswhoareselectedarefromIBA,LUMSandNUST.MsAkhtarsaidthatthesuccessofstudentscomesfromtherespectthatstudentsgivetotheirprofessors.Sheemphasizedonthefactthat professors have academic freedom to teach studentwhich affects the quality of education. Ms Akhtar alsohighlightedtheneedandimportanceofacademicfreedomforimprovingqualityinhighereducation.

MrTajHaider,representativeofthePakistanPeoplesParty,saidthataconsistenteffortneedstobemadetowardsqualityeducationandstudentsshouldhaveanatmosphereof open competition with each other in studies so thatstandardsofeducationgethigher. HealsomentionedthatSindh Government is conscious of maintaining qualityeducationasperthecriteriaofHEC.MrHaidermentionedthat if the quality of education is not going constantlyupwards,itwillgodowneventually.

Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Member National Assembly andFormerMinisterofInterior,startedhistalkbymentioninghow under investment is the major issue for measuringquality.Heassertedthatwehavetalentedstudentsbutthereisamajorgapbetweensomeareasofthecountry.Prof.IqbalstressedthatremoteareaslikeGwadarinBalochistanmusthaveatleastonecampusofauniversitysoourowntalentedstudentscangeteducatedandbecomepartofthesupportsystem.He said that education is themost social verticalmobilityladderonecanhaveinasociety.Hesaidthathighereducation must be given to all the deserving and hard-

workingstudentsonmerit.Speakingaboutquality,Prof.Iqbalmentionedthatnot

all universities can have the system of MIT. However,students shouldget equalopportunities fromall over thecountry to get experience in learning. He continued thatPakistan should have a strategic human resource indevelopingpartnershipwiththeUnitedNationssincetheyhavestrongleadershipqualitybecauseofqualityeducationthat universities provide to the students. Prof. IqbalconcludedhisspeechbysayingthatFulbrightscholarshipprogrammebeganfromPakistanandthegoodpartofitisthatnowmanystudentsareavailingtheopportunity.Hesaidthateveryuniversityshouldhave itsowncommunity,notonlythatbuteachuniversityshouldlaunchaproductthatcomprises of knowledge, theories and all the factors thatre�lecttheircapability.Moreover,universitiesshouldknowhowtousetheirresources.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to PrimeMinister(SAPM)onMediaandBroadcasting,saidthatPrimeMinister'svisionoftransparencyandaccountabilityforallcannot be effectively implemented unless we adapt newtechnologies of digital revolution. She said that existingsystemofgovernancehasbecomeobsoletewhichneedstobe replaced with a better one through adaption of newtechnologies.Shestressedontheneedforchangingmindsetofthesocietyasawholetowardsdigitalrevolution.


0074

DrAwanalsosaidthatthegovernmentiscommittedtoimproving the governance with the help of new digitaltechnologiesandbecomepartofdigitalrevolution.Shesaidoursocietyandeconomyisnowincreasinglylinkedwiththedigitalization and governance and isfocusing on raising awareness andtrainingyouthonnewskillsaspertheneedand requirementofdigital age.T h i s w i l l h e l p empowe r a ndstrengthen our future generationwhichinturnwillcontributeinnationbuilding,sheadded.

DrTariqBanuri,ChairmanHEC,in his concluding speech highlightedthe essence of improved qualitystandards in higher education andstressed the need for rediscoveringthesensetodifferentiatebetweenwhatisgoodandwhatiswrong.Hesaidoureducationalinstitutionalpurposeseemstogiveonlydegrees,withoutrealizingtheneedofsociety

andindustry,whichisamismatch.Dr Banuri further added that education system in

Pakistan is divided into secondary education and theprimary education. Primary education is much more

importantsinceitisthefoundationfora child. To ensure qualitywe shouldgivemoreimportancetotheprimaryeducation and then to the highereducat ion . He emphas ized oncommitment for qua l i ty f romeveryone. He said, HEC is a nationalinstitution,whichhasrepresentationfromalltheprovincesandhasnothing

thto do with the 18 constitutionalamendment. He said the purpose ofanyeducationalinstitutionshouldbebuilding character, sense andvalues,

along with imparting advance knowledge and skills. DrBanuri stressedon theneed for self-assessment and self-accountabilityofteachersandstudents.


Session C-1:Leaving No One Behind in the Skills Development Agenda in Pakistan

Chief Guest: Ms Ghazala Saifi, Parliamentary Secretary for Na�onal History and Literary Heritage Division, Islamabad, Pakistan

Moderator: Dr Zubair Iqbal Ghauri, Visi�ng Fellow, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers

1. Ms Ellen Van, Chief of Educa�on, United Na�ons Interna�onal Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Pakistan

2. Ms Amina Khan, Senior Research Officer, Overseas Development Ins�tute (ODI), UK

3. Mr Osman Anwar, Senior Director of Programs, VIAMO

4. Ms Farhana Asad, Founder, The Lel Collec�on, Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Mr Muqeem ul Islam, Director General, Na�onal Voca�onal and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Arsalan Ahmed Raja, Pakistan Ins�tute of Development Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan

Primary education is muchmore important since it is thefoundationforachild.Toensurequality we should give moreimportance to the primaryeducationandthentothehighereducation

0075

Dr Zubair Iqbal Ghauri welcomed the esteemed

guestsandtheaudiencemembers.Hehighlighted

thedifferentaspectsincludingthechallengesand

opportunitieswithregardstotheskilldevelopmentofyouth

inPakistan.Hesaidthatoneofthekeychallengeswefaceis

theabsenceofmarketableskillsinyouthanditisimportant

tofocusonthegapsandtakethestepsintherightdirection

to develop the skills and bring sustainable development

usingindigenousapproach.HesaidthatSmallandMedium

Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) can play an

importantroletodeveloptheskillsofyouthinPakistan.He

introduced all the panelists and pointed out that the

discussionaimstomotivatetheyouthandgenerateapolicy

discussion to take effective steps towards youth skill

development.

Ms Ellen Van highlighted the efforts of UNICEF and

Government of Pakistan for the youth development in

Pakistan. She stated that it is important to focus on

programmesandinterventionsfortheyouthofPakistanand

givethemawindowofopportunitytoexplorethemselves.

She indicated that in this regard a better plan of

implementationonpoliciescouldhelpincreatingabigger

impactandbetterachievementofSDGs.Shehighlightedthe

effortsofUNICEFtoinvestinyouthandcontributetowards

empowerment of youth. She speci�ied that Pakistan is

blessedtohavearound65%peoplebelow30yearsofage

accordingtoreports.Thishugevolumeofyouthpopulation

presentsPakistanwithanenormousopportunitytoaddress

the pressing issues of today like climate change and if

investmentsaremadeintheyouthsectorthentheycanmove

onestepclosertorealizingtheirpotentialandcontributing

towardsprosperityofPakistan.Shealsopointedoutthatall

therelevantstakeholdersneedtofocusondevelopingthe

skillsofyouthintermsofeducation,skillsandtrainingsto

ensurethattheyachievetheirdreams.

MsAminaKhangaveadetailedpresentationonthelaunch

ofUNICEFandODIreporttitled“DevelopingSkillsinYouth

toSucceedinanEvolvingSouthAsianEconomy:Acasestudy


0076

of Pakistan”. She highlighted the different aspects of the

reportandhowthe�indingsinareportareasigni�icantstep

towardsdevelopingyouthdevelopmentpolicyframeworks

inPakistan.Shehighlightedthattransferableskillstrainings

anddigital inclusionforyoungpeopleareveryimportant.

Shealsoraisedtheimportanceofeducationpolicieskeeping

a close eye on demand and supply of job market and

internationaltrendstoovercomeunemploymentthreat.She

stated that it is important to emphasize the skills

development for women to increase their prospects and

securehigher-payingjobs.Sherecommendedthatthefocus

oninnovativeteachingmethodsincludingclassroom,onthe

job, practical training can bene�it the students towards

careerprogression andbetter salaried jobs. She speci�ied

thatwehavetointegrateskillsdevelopmentwithallmajor

economic growth and industrial policies, to feed into the

broadergrowthagenda.Sheindicatedthatitisimportantto

investinresearchtoassessthedemandforskillsandtohelp

informthedesignofrelevanttrainingstomeetthedemand.

Shehighlighted that the labourmarket recognitionof the

relevanceofeducationalattainmentinthecontextofskills

acquisition can �ill the information gaps in the labour

markets. Intheendan inclusiveandindigenousapproach

needstobefocusedtoaddressthedisparitiesindemandand

supply job market and take the steps to train the youth

accordingly.

Mr Osman Anwar emphasized on the efforts of Viamo

through a presentation to develop the skills of youth. He

introduced the technological interventions including the

mobileAppsthatsolelyfocusonempoweringyouththrough

their skill development. He highlighted the fact that

incorporating technology in developing greater linkages

betweenskillsproviders,academiaand industries tohelp

bridgethegapisakeystepinyouthdevelopmentinPakistan.

He gave a presentation on Viamo's role in bridging this

particulargapanddevelopingskillsofyouth.

MrMuqeemulIslamhighlightedtheeffortsofNAVTTCin

developing the skills of youth in Pakistan. He stated that


0077

Pakistanisacountrywithabundant labourforceandit is

importanttoempowerthemthroughskilltraining.Healso

emphasizedontheimportanceofskillstrainingforstudents

to give them better career options. He said that it is

importanttointegrateTrainingandVocationaleducational

training in secondary schools and add subjects that will

equipstudentswithmoreemployableskills fromanearly

age,priortothementeringtheworkforce.

MsFarhanaAsgharthefounderofLelCollectionsharedher

journeythathowherbusinessisgrowingsincetheunique

setofskillshelpedherdevelopthebusinesseffectively.She

speci�ied that it is time that private sector and people

themselvescanalsostepaheadtotakeinitiativeswithregard

to skill-basedbusinesses. She stated that theGovernment

shouldbackupsuchinitiativestomakeitsuccessfulinlong-

term.

MsGhazalaSai�iaschairofthesessionappreciatedSDPIs

effortsandacknowledgedthepanelistsideastobringyouth

development in Pakistan. She highlighted the efforts of

GovernmenttoempoweryouthinPakistanthroughfocuson

skill development. She stated that Government priorities

needtobeadaptiveinnatureandithastodevelopyouthina

way that they can contribute in businesses and spur

innovationtobringprosperitytothecountryotherwiseour

troubles will escalate. She said that it is the main

responsibility of Government to give the right market

opportunitiestoouryouth.

DrZubairGhauri inhisconcludingremarks thanked the

participantsandaudienceforaverycaptivatingsessionand

appreciated the efforts of SDPI team for arranging the

conference. He expressed hope that through a collective

effortfromallrelevantstakeholdersPakistanshouldmove

towardsadoptingyouthdevelopmentpolicyframeworksto

bringlonglastingdevelopment.


Session C-2: Ecofeminism in South Asian Literature in a Digital society

Chair: Ms Khawar Mumtaz, Former Chairperson, Na�onal Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW),

Pakistan

Moderator: Ms Ayesha Ilyas, SDPI, Islamabad

Discussant: Ms Yumna Hasany, Radio Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Ms Nusrat Zehra, Indus Cultural Forum (ICF), Karachi, Pakistan

2. Dr Humaira Ishfaq, Beijing, China (via Skype)

3. Dr Zhou Yuan, Beijing, China (via Skype)

4. Mr Raza Naeem, Progressive Writers Associa�on, Lahore, Pakistan

Panel Organizers: Mr Ahmed Salim, Dr Humaira Ishfaq and Ayesha Ilyas, SDPI

Report by: Ms Hania Shah and Ms Ayesha Ilyas, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

0078

The session openedwith a brief introduction of thetopic. The term ecofeminism - a combination ofecologyandfeminism-isastreamoffeminismthat

identi�ies and studies the connections between ecology(nature)andthefemalegender.Thisapproachdrawsonthefoundationsoffeministequalitybetweengenders,providinglens for critiquing patriarchal structures that work inconjunctionwithcapitalist-ledenvironmentaldegradation.Emphasizing instinct and participation, ecofeminismpromotes a commitment to environmentalism alongwithawarenessofthestructureofgenderrelationsinsociety.

MsKhawarMumtazelaboratedthatecofeminismisacomparativelyrecentphenomenonandduetothelimitationof literature in Pakistan understanding ecofeminism is achallenge.Womenarethemanagersofnaturalresourcesasisevidentfromtheiruseofwateronadailybasisintheirhouseholds. However, when it comes to their role in theenvironmentalprotection,theyhaveneverbeenregardedinsharingtheresponsibilityintheenvironmentalprotection.For example, in a village in India, women took over theresponsibilityofprotectingtheirforeststherealongwiththeintroductionofsongsabouttheprotectionofenvironmentatachildren'sschooltoinculcatetheseconceptsintheirmindsfromayoungage.

DrHumairaIshfaqtalkedabouthowthefolksongsofPotoharregionre�lectedthede�iciencyofwater.Theeffectwaterstressesonthelivesandthoughtsofthenativewomenaredescribedinthosefolksongs.Shesaidthatherstudyisbasedonecofeminismwhichisfoundationaltoanalyzingtherelationbetweenhumanandnaturalworld.Ecofeminisminspiritisawesterntheorybutvarioussocialliteraturebasedonthetheorycanbefoundintheregionaswell.

DrZhouYuansaidthatecofeminismisarelativelynewintellectual discourse in mainland China. However, theintroductionofecofeminismintheChineseliteraturesince1970wasmuchcriticizedinChinaascomparedtoMarxism.Although with its critical view of the capitalist society,ecofeminismprovedtobeavibranttopicforliterarycircles.Chinese scholarspublishedmainly the criticism theoryofecofeminism. Dr Yuan also discussed a Chinese novel,'Border Town', the plot of which revealed how the

patriarchalconceptionistherootcauseofexploitingwomenandnature.

MrRazaNaeem introduced theworkofRaziaSajjadZaheeronecofeminism.Womenwritersof theagemainlywroteforfemininemagazinesuchasTehzeeb-e-Niswaandothersonavarietyofsocialissues.Animportantelementoftheworkofthefemalewriterswastheirdeepconcernfornature and a sense of responsibility towards theirenvironment. Razia Sajjad Zaheer being one of thoseprogressivewriters,andfull-timeworkerofthecommunistparty,possessedauniquestyle.Shetranslatedmorethan40titles intoUrduandhasaboutsixnovels tohercredit.Hequotedfromoneofhernovels'AllahMaigDe'(Allahmakeitrain)whichdiscussestheconceptthatwaterisindeedthegreatestfriendofamanyetanenemyiftreatedcarelessly.Shepioneeredtheconceptinherwritingsbystressingforconservationofwater.MrNaeemsaidthatwomenwritersofthat time were not only trying to establish a balancedrelationshipwiththeoppositegenderbutwerealsoworkingtocreateawarenessforthepreservationoftheenvironment.InPakistantheconsensusonitisabitmutedandbeingawaterstressedcountryitisrequiredthattheworkofwriterslikeRaziaSajjadZaheerbegivenmoreimportance.

Ms Nusrat Zehra discussed the emergence ofecofeministconscienceinUrdupoetry.Shesaidthatasitisknown,ecofeminismisawesternconceptandonlystartedemerginginPakistani literature.For instance,FaizAhmedFaiz andNasir Kazmi talked about nature, particularly intimesofnaturaldisasters.ForthepastfewdecadestheworkofwomenwritersandpoetsinPakistanisladenwith'Gham-e-Doraa'n'(worriesoftheworld)alongwithGham-i-Jana'an(worriesoflove)andinthedigitalagethisconsciousnesshaslargelyincreased.Womentodayarediscussingthedamagesbeing caused by the environmental degradation throughtheir poetry and she presented a few examples from thepoetsoftoday.

Ms Yumna Hasany commenting on the discussiondisagreed that ecofeminism is a western induction andinsistedthatitisaglobalconceptandtheexamplesofitinthetalksofthepreviouspanelistsfortifythatbelief.Shesaidthatwomeneverywherehavenotjustfoundawaytoextractfrom


there is no more image for this part

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naturebuttogivebackaswell.Forexample,climatejustice,likereplantinginavillageinKenyatopreventdeserti�icationor ecofeminism project among the Northern Americanreservation community, or for instance women's protestagainstthemilkwhichcontainedsometoxinsconsumedbykidsareexamplesthatwomeneverywhereplayaproactiveroleinpropagatingandsupportingconservationofnature.

Thesessionderivedthefollowingrecommendations;

· Al though there has been some work onecofeminisminSouthAsian literature, �ictionandpoetry, however, ecofeminism has been mainlystudied from a non-�ictional aspect. More workneedstobedoneinhighlightingtheconceptintherealmof�ictionandpoetryasthosearethegenreswithmassappeal.

· We need to be inclusive. Rather than sticking towhatwebelievein. It is imperativeto includethevoices from all spectrums, languages have to be

openandalotoflearninghastobedoneonourpartinorder toexpand theunderstandingabout suchconceptsatalllevels,nationalandregional.

· Itisvitaltoraiseconcernsandgenerateinterestinecological causes for which building linkages inacademiathroughdigitalmediaisessential.Furtherresearchneeds tobedoneonecofeminismand itshouldalsobecomeapartofcurriculum.

· ThereisalotoflearningforthenewgenerationintheworkoffemaleauthorslikeRaziaSajjadZaheerandtheseauthorsshouldbegiventheirdueplaceandrespectintheliterarycircles.

· Inthedigitalage,newhorizonscanbeopenedbypromotingwomen'srole.Focusonecofeminisminmodern Chinese literary research is limited andthere isaneedto furtherworkon theconcept toexploretheconceptinthemodernageChina.


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Session C-3: Digital Financial Inclusion: Challenges and Opportunities

DrSajidAminwelcomedthedignitariesofthepanelandintroducedthem.Hegaveabird'seyeviewofthe agenda of the session and handed over the

proceedingstoDrSohailSafdarwhobrie�lydiscussedthethemeofthesession.

DrSohailSafdarappreciatedSDPIonmergingboththeconcepts: sustainability and digitalization. ModerntechnologieshaveahugepotentialforchangingthecurrentsituationinPakistanandacrosstheglobeparticularlyinthecontextofpovertyandsocialinequality.Themajordrivingfactorofglobaldigitaltransformationisthedissatisfactionofpublicwiththecurrentdevelopmentmodels.HeintroducedthetermFINTECHandsaidthatitisacoinwithtwosides:positiveaswellasnegative.Inaddition,hede�ined�inancialinclusionandaddedthatitisatooltoeradicatepoverty.

Mr Ali Kemal said that there are three pillars ofsustainable development: inclusivity, equity andsustainability.Theideaof�inancialinclusioncoversallthreebyincludingeveryoneequallyononeplatform.Toelaboratehegaveexampleofwaterbillingthroughmobilephone.HealsopondereduponthereadinessofPakistan inadoptingdigital�inancialinclusioncompletely.HestatedthatPakistanisstillnotpreparedforcompletetransformationofeconomy.

Syed Sohail Javaad highlighted that measuring orde�ining�inancialinclusionishard.Itcaneitherbecalledasnumber of digital accounts opened or the digitaltransformationofoveralleconomywhichmeansabilityofpeople tomake transactionswithout cash.While sharingsomestatisticsheaddedin2014the�inancialinclusionratewas only 12%which has been increased to 21-24% andaccording to World Bank only 21% of Pakistanis are�inancially included, against the global and South Asianaverage of 69% and 33%, respectively. The NationalFinancial InclusionStrategyofPakistanaimedto increasethisratioto50%by2020.Pakistanhasnotreachedwhereitshould have reached by now. This has happened becauseinitiallythefocuswastoopendigitalwalletsandaccountsbuttherewasnoactivityinthem.InordertoenhancetheactivityStateBankisplanningtoopenup65millionactivedigitalaccountswith20millionbelongingtowomenbyyear2013. He further added that the low rate of �inancialinclusioninPakistanisduetothelackofsubsidiesgiventothepeoplewhowanttodigitizetheirtransactions.This ispromoting the use of cashwhich is a very expensive andenergyconsumingprocessofprintingandthentransportingand storing. He argued that the use of technology for


Chair: Syed Naveed Qamar, Member Na�onal Assembly, Pakistan

Moderator: Dr Safdar Sohail, Special Secretary Cabinet, Government of Pakistan

Guest of Honour: Mr Nadeem Hussain, Founder & Coach, Planet N Group of Companies, Karachi, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Dr Nadeem-ul-Haque, Pakistan Ins�tute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Syed Sohail Javaad, State Bank of Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan

3. Dr Shahbaz Nasir, Pakistan Telecommunica�on Authority (PTA), Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr M. Ali Kemal, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Ms Fareeha Armughan, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organizers: Dr Sajid Amin, Ms Amna Sandhu and Ms Fareeha Armughan, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Nudrat Fa�ma, Fa�ma Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

�inancial inclusion is a great idea like the proliferation ofapps in which customer can give reviews and rate theservices.Thiswillalsohelptomaintainadatabaseaboutthenumberofpeopleusingthemandactivityratecanalsobemeasured. In theendhestatedsomeon-goingprojectsofState Bank such as micro payment gateway which is thefastestwaytotransfermoneyandsimpli�icationofprocessofopeningcustomeraccounts.

MrShahbazNasirsaidthatPTAhadpartneredwiththeState Bank to implement theNational Financial InclusionStrategy (NFIS). The regulations of 2016 facilitated theFINTECHs to come up with more ef�icient solutions andlicenses were issued. The focus was to maintainprogressiveness of regulations because initially whenJazzcashandEasypaisastarted,themarketwasatstartingpoint and advance regulations could not be applied. HetalkedabouttheStateBank'sonebankand1telcomodelinwhichverylesscompetitioniscreatedduetothecloseloopenvironment. But now branchless banking has increasedreachingalmost3.7trillionannually.

Accordingtostatistics47millionwalletaccountshavebeenopenedbutonly20millionareactive,morethan50%subscribersdonothaveaccesstointernetonphone.PTAisworkingwiththeStateBanktocreatemorecompetitionandmore channels for banking. He ended by saying thattraditional banking should be replaced by contemporarymodelsandthemes.

MrNadeemHussainmentionedthatthereareenoughelementsinplacetomakePakistancompletelydigital.Justlikeanyothercountryoftheworld,Pakistanhasalsomovedforwardintermsoftechnologyandprosperity.Weneedtoappreciateourselveswhatwehavedonesofarspeci�icallyinthe�ieldofdigitalinclusion.Thereisafacilityofopeningupawalletaccountinjustoneminutewhichisnotevenavailablein�irstworldcountries.Pakistanisabiometricallyveri�iednationwhichisthegreatestachievement.HefurtheraddedthatMicroPaymentgatewayisagamechangerandthereare40millionwalletaccounts;althoughtheactivity is low,atleast�irststephasbeentaken.Hesuggestedthattheideaofcredit score should be incorporated with FINTECHs toenhance the activity. Pakistan is making progress in

economic inclusivity and digitalization andwe should bepositiveaboutit.Theonlyneedistochangethebehavioursofcommonpeopletowardstheuseoftechnology.

MsFareehaArmughanpresentedafact-basedstudyon�inancialinclusionandsaidthattheworldhastolearnfromKenyaabout�inancialinclusion.ShefurtheraddedthatIndiahas just introduced theworld's largest �inancial inclusionprogramme. She discussed the barriers inmaking people�inancially inclusive and tap upon voluntary as well asinvoluntarybarrierse.g.barrieroflackofaccesstoservices,barrier of inappropriate products, barrier of geographiclocation, and barrier of non-account holding. Women,elderlyandtheilliteratearecompletely�inanciallyexcluded.She stressed upon evidence-based policy making. Thisdeeper lens of evidence-based study would solve manyproblems.Sheelaboratedtheideabygivingexamplesofgapbetween number of accounts opened and accounts beingused. She concluded that in Pakistan there are voluntarybarriersandpeoplehaveexcludedthemselvesfrom�inancialinclusion.

Syed Naveed Qamar concluded that the banks areactually discouraging people to use the electronicmoneytransferfacilitiesbyimposinghightaxes.Hefurtheraddedthatthechangeinpublicbehaviouristheonlychallengeof�inancial inclusion. The government policies and dif�icultaccount opening procedures have �inancially excluded alarger fraction of population specially the elderly andwomen. So, there is a need for holistic approach to formunidirectionalandeffectivepolicies.

T h e p a n e l l i s t s g a ve t h e f o l l ow i n g p o l i c yrecommendations:

· Holisticapproachisneededformakingthepolicy.Policy should be unidirectional and should havequanti�iabletargetsandindicators.Coherentlawsshouldbemade.

· Newinstitutionsshouldbeestablishedwithdigitalinfrastructure and set up while the traditionalbankingsystemsshouldbeabrogated.


· Thesystemofcreditscoreshouldbeincorporated;thiswillenhancetheactivityaswellastheissueofincentivestothecustomers.Inaddition,thelendingshouldbebaseduponthesecreditscoresofeverycustomer.

· Zero interest loans should be given so that thepeople are encouraged to increaseusageof bankaccounts.

· Thereisaneedforsuchtechnicalsolutionsthatwillenableapersontoperformatransactionatanytimewhich means that every option for transactionshouldbeincludedinsinglepackage.

· Incentives should be given to ones who arevoluntarilyusingortryingtousethedigitalwalletsorelectronicbanking.

· Banks should reduce the percentage of tax onelectronictransactions.

Session C-4: Promises of the Graphic Health Warning (GHW) in Tobacco Control Regime

and the Perils of Tobacco Pandemic: The Way ForwardChair: Dr Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Government of Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Mr Nadeem Iqbal Javed, The Network for Consumer Rights Protec�on (NCRP), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Dr Minhaj-us-Siraj, Tobacco Control Cell, Government of Pakistan

3. Mr Waseem I�ikhar Janjua, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Mr Waseem I�ikhar Janjua & Mr Syed Ali Wasif Naqvi, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Zareen Afzal, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


Mr Waseem Iftikhar Janjua started the sessionw i th a conc i se bu t h i gh ly i n fo rmat ivepresentation.Heenlightenedthesessionaboutthe

fact how the tobacco industry has shifted to a disruptivetechnology – a technology where the industry hasmanipulatedtheusersoftobaccoandshiftedthemtoamorehazardoususeofvape.HeemphasizedthattobaccocontrolpoliciesneedtobeproperlyenforcedinPakistan.Theytrytoaccommodatenewcustomersinplaceoftheoneswhodieorquit.Hencesuchtechnologytriestotarget,�indandexpandcustomers through innovative ideas. The aim of thepresentation was to sensitize the legislators on graphichealthwarning.Hehighlightedthatthereisanurgentneedtostopthegrowthoftobaccocropandglobalbestpracticesneedtobereplicated.

MrNadeemIqbalJavedspokeabouttheharmcausedbythetobaccoconsumptioneitherintheformofcigaretteorvape.HetalkedaboutthetwomodelspresentedbytheUKandtheUSA.TheUSAmodeltoprotectthepeoplefromtheharmsof cigarette dependsupon the alternative usage ofsnus.WhiletheUKcameupwithaninnovativeideaofvapeusageasaquickmodelforquittingsmokingcampaign.Thencoming speci�ically towards Pakistan two scenarios werepresented.First,Pakistan'stobaccocultivation:theGDPofPakistanisdependentonthecultivationoftobaccoandtheindustryreportstotheMinistryofCommerce.Ontheotherhand, theMinistryofHealth is given the responsibility tocontrolthemenaceoftobaccoasinPakistanone-fourthofthe addicts use cigarette. Second, bureaucratic laws inPakistan:inPakistanmajorityofthelawsarebureaucraticlawswhichareeitherinheritancefromtheBritisheraorareenacted through ordinances. Yet there is no law debateduponintheParliamentregardingthetobaccousageanditsmenace.

He also spoke about thepreventions takenupby thegovernmentbyaddingpictorialdescriptionofthedangerofthe cigarette on the boxes and by preventing them toadvertiseitonmedia.Thegovernmenttookaninitiativetoprevent the usage of tobacco by taking pictorial healthwarning in which 85% of the box of cigarette was to becovered by graphic health warning describing the after

effects of cigarette. However, the government had towithdraw the claim due to the pressure imposed by thestakeholders.Thoughthegovernmenthasnotreachedtotheclaimedpercentageyetithasmanagedtopostupto60%ofthe boxwith graphic healthwarning. The size of graphichealth warning on cigarette packs needs to be revisedwithoutanydelay.Thetobaccoindustryontheotherhandclaimsthatthepropertyofthetobaccoindustrycannotbesnatched by the government to which the governmentcounters with the help of Article 5.3 of the FrameworkConvention onTobacco Control (FCTC). The article statesthat the industry should not in any way in�luence thegovernment policies. There is a need for governmentinterventionintradeoftobaccorelatedproducts.

DrMinhaj-us-Siraj,DirectorofTobaccoControlCellattheMinistryofHealth,alsoaddressedtheaudienceindetailabout the steps taken by the government to prevent theusageoftobaccoandthestepstakeninthewayoftheillicitt oba c co t rade . A l l a l ong t h e t ran s i t rou t e i nPakistan,governmentiskeepingacheckandbalanceonthetrade to prevent illicit tobacco trade. He said that fromgrowing andmanufacturing tobacco to selling it legally issupported and covered by the Pakistan Tobacco Board(PTB). They are there to protect each and every leaf oftobacco.TheMinistryofCommerceisregulatingthemandbene�itting from them due to the taxes being collectedthroughtobaccoindustrysales.TheMinistryofHealththenintervenesatthepointwherethecigaretteisatthevergeofbeingsoldandusedbythecustomers.Tobaccoindustryistherefore, legally covered by Ministry of Commerce andFederalBoardofRevenue,whichiscausingburdenonthehealthsector.Thisscenarioleavesverylittletimetoaddressthe misuse of tobacco industry. Intragovernmental andinter-ministerialcoordinationisrequiredinthisregard.Healso suggested that awareness campaigns are urgentlyrequiredtoletpeopleknowabouttheriskswhicharecausedbysmoking.

Thetobaccoindustrydemandedthataprotocolshallbepassedsothattheacrossborderillicittobaccotradeshouldbechecked.Afteralengthyandheateddebate,itwasdecidedthattheprovincialgovernmenthastherighttokeepacheck


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andbalanceonthetransitroutes.ItwasveryimportantforPakistan as the transit route of Pakistan is huge covering33,000kilometres.Other step takenbygovernmentapartfrom this is the pictorial warnings towhich the industryshows resistance. This resistance originates by eitherchangingthecolourschemetomakeitmoreattractiveorbyplacing the picture at such a place on the boxwhere thepicturegetsdistorteddue toopeningof thepack.Healsoadded that such issues which are apparently of lessimportance are lingering between the upper and lowershousesintheparliamentforaction.Resultantly26statutoryregulatoryordershavebeenpassedbytheexecutivesandthe political government because it cannot be risked byputting everything in jeopardy. Putting these up for lawmeansanunaffordabledelayintheregulatoryprocess.

DrNausheenHamidverypreciselyyetinaprofoundwaytalkedabouttheimpactoftobacco.Shesaidthat60–70%ofnon-communicablediseasesaredirectlyrelatedtotobaccoconsumption.InPakistanalargenumberofpeople

are reported to have been suffering from these non-communicable diseases. We have low capacity hospitals,fewer staff, absence of proper equipment and lack of�inancialsupport.Sincepreventionisbetterthanthecuresothegovernmentandthecivilsocietyshouldworktogetherconsideringitanationalcausetopreventthepeoplefromthesehazardousdamages.Wheneveranewlegislationistobemade toaddress theseproblems the in�luentialpeopleshould intervene until they reach a �inal consensus. Suchlegislations need to be strengthened andmembers of theParliamentneedtobesensitized.ShealsorequestedSDPItoconductasensitizationsessionwiththeparliamentarians.She suggested that alternate cropping pattern may beintroducedsothatfarmersmaynotrelyontobaccocrop.ApathologicalimagemaybeusedasGraphicHealthWarninginsteadofusingsomeparticularorganasagraphicimagewithoutdetailswhichbecomesdif�iculttounderstandbytheless educated people. Currently there is little awarenessabouttheilleffectsoftobaccoproducts.


Session C-5:Ease of Doing Business in Pakistan: A Case of Tax Harmonization

Chair: Mr Shabbar Zaidi, Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Government of Pakistan (GoP)

Moderator: Engr Ahad Nazir, SDPI, Islamabad

Agenda Se�ng: Engr Ahad Nazir, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Dr Muhammad Irshad, Former Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Mr Zain ul Abedin Sahi, Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), Lahore, Pakistan

3. Engr M. A. Jabbar Memon, Senior Business Leader, Karachi

4. Mr Shabih Ali Mohib, World Bank, Pakistan Office

5. Ms Hina Shahrukh, Ins�tute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP), Islamabad

Panel Organisers: Mr Robert Carl Michael Beyer, World Bank & Mr Ahad Nazir, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Iqra Khaliq, Interna�onal Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr Muhammad Irshad focused his talk on taxharmonization.Hesaidthatalltaxrevenuesandtaxinstitutionsneedtobeharmonizedasthelackofitis

abigimpedimentinthesmoothworkingofbusinesses.Taxharmonizationandtaxesarecreatingacon�lictbetweenthetax collectorand the taxpayerand it is an issuewhich isactually a historical baggage of the FBR and the recentlyemergedrevenueorganizations..Hesaidthatifwelookatallthe reformprogrammesandprojectshavingbeencarriedoutbyFBR,theyallhadtaxharmonizationwitheaseofdoingbusinessasoneoftheprimeobjectives. Hesuggestedthatthe essential ingredient is to unify and integrate all taxcollecting institutes in this country giving them a uni�ieddirection.Hesaidthatwithoutinvestmentintechnology,itisnotpossibletodoanythingconveniently.Herecommendedthat harmonization involves legal and administrativechanges.“

Mr Zain ul Abedin Sahi agreed that lack ofharmonizationisabigissueandprovincesareworkingonit.He emphasized that there are certain people who arepressingforcombiningallthelawsintoonelaw.Thatmight

createalotofnoiseanddisharmony,warnedMrSahi.Theprovincesdiscussedtheissueandrealizedthatmultiplicityofcompliancesisoneoftheproblemswhereacompanyhastogoto�ivedifferenttaxauthorities.Thesecondproblemwasjurisdictionaloverlapseinwhichthetaxpayerwasinfactbeingaskedtopaydoubletheamountoftax.Thirdly,theprinciples of taxation are overlapping. He said that threeweeksago,PunjabRevenueAuthoritypushedforatrendtohave at least bi-monthly meetings of all provincialauthoritiestodiscussexactlythesekindsofissues.Inthelastmeeting,threedecisionswerereached.“Firstdecisionwasthatwearegoingtomovetowardsasinglereturnfromallprovinces. The second decisionwas thatwe are going tomovetowardsanegativelist.Andthethirddecisionwastoresolvetheproblemsoforiginanddestinationonasectorwise basis,” shared the speaker, adding, “One last thingregardingthedifferencesinrates, inmypersonalopinion,youjustcannotpossiblyasktheprovincestohavesimilarrates.That'snotdoneanywhereintheworld.Ibelievethatasfar as the jurisdictional, de�initional overlapping andmultiplicityofcompliancesareconcerned,weareopentoall


0086

kindsof suggestionswhichmight improve theprocess ormake it quicker and more ef�icient. Secondly, I think thecombination of negative list project in the single returnwouldberesolved.Wearetryingtounderstandwhatwecandotomakealifeoftaxpayereasier.”Hefurthertalkedaboutthedataprotectionregulations.Hesuggestedthatoneneedsaclear-cutdataprotectionregulationsothateverypersonissecure.Oneneeds to identify theproblems �irst and thencomeupwiththepossiblesolutions,analyzethosesolutionsandpickthesolutionthathasgreatestbene�itandminimumcost, and then implement that solution. After that anevaluation session is necessarywhether it hasworkedornot?Ifitisnotworkedthenweshouldpickupthesecondsolution.

MsHinaShahrukhsaidthatbeingataxstudentandtaxconsultant,shehadobservedamixedfeelingamongthetaxpayers.Sheproposedtechnologyandanalyticsasthewayforward.“Wehavemanytechnologiesthatareshapingourbusiness models. Our processes are becoming morecomplex.Ourtraditionalservicesarebecomingdatadrivenservices.Companiesaremonetizingondata.IfwerecapthetechnologicalrevolutioninourtaxsystemwehavegotIRIS.

Government is working on some online integration andobviously they are trying to automate some systems, butdigitalworldiswayaheadofus,”shesaid.ShesuggestedthatNationalTaxAuthoritiesshouldadoptdigitaltoolsandthattechnologicalrevolutionandadoptionofdigitalizationisthefuture.Itisanecessitybecauseeverythingiscominginbitsand pieces. “There are three ways where we adopt thetechnology.Firstly,weneedtoautomateoursystems.Oncethe automation is done, we need to move towardsdigitization and centralization. Centralization can help ingettingtaxharmonization.AnditcanhelpthetaxreformsinPakistan. We need to educate our people. We need tomanageourrisksandweactuallyneedtocommunicateourstakeholders. Tax authorities need to take participativedecisions.Moreparticipationfromtaxpayerisnecessary.Weshouldtakeupamodelcountrythathasgonethroughallthisprocess, we should follow their footsteps,” stressed thespeaker.SheremindedthattheTaxReformsCommissionin2013had stated that technology and analytics is thewayforward.

EngrM.A.JabbarMemonsaidthatforthelast25years,hehadbeenworkingonthetaxationandtheissuesonlegal


Session C-6: Endangered South Asian Languages in a Digital Age

Chair: Mr I. A. Rehman, Former Director, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Lahore

Guest of Honour: Mr Afrasayab Kha�ak, Awami Na�onal Party (ANP)

Discussant: Mr Mazhar Arif, Society for Alterna�ve Media and Research (SAMR), Islamabad, Pakistan

Speakers:

1. Mr Ahmad Salim, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Mr Zubair Torwali, Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi (IBT), Swat, Pakistan

3. Mr Muhammad Zaman Sagar, Forum for Language Ini�a�ves (FLI), Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Mr Niaz Nadeem, Indus Cultural Forum (ICF), Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Mr Sudheendra Kulkarni, Columnist, India

Panel Organizers: Mr Ahmad Salim, Dr Humaira Ishfaq, and Ms Ayesha Ilyas, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Aiza Zafar, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

arbitration. Suf�icient tax revenue should be generated toaffordtheexpenditureofthecountrywhichalwaysremainson the de�icit �inancing side. There should be a balancebetweentheobligationsofthetaxcollectorandrightsofthe

taxpayers.Hesuggestedthatonemustmakedatabanksanddatawarehousinginthiscountry.Onemustidentifycapablepeople. He suggested identifying the extra and availablepotentialandtaxpotential.

DrHumaira Ishfaq fromSustainableDevelopmentPolicy Institute commenced the session byintroducing the chair and worthy panelists. She

outlined that the session would focus on the vulnerablelanguages of South Asia which might disappear in a fewyears. The conservation of endangered languages is nowpossiblewithdigitalmedia.

Mr Afrasayab Khattak said that development oflanguage and collection of words show human progress.Peoplewhobelieve in diversity believe that it is a strongforceandtheyseekuniformityinvariety.It isthebasisofdemographic values.Whenvariety is negativelyprovokedthenitdivides.Issueofendangermentoflanguagesispartofourdemographicvalues.Manywordsarespokenbuttheirmeaningislost.Urduisourlinguafranca.Alllanguagesof

Pakistanshouldbedocumentedinoneculturalmap.Duetooureconomicandtechnologicalpace,wehavechallengestoenter the digital age. Elites are unaware of the languagesspoken in Pakistan. There is no legislation for thepreservationoflanguages.HesaidthatPakistanisabridgebetween Central Asia and South Asia, we have our owndistincthistoryandheritage.Persianisarichlanguagebutitisnowexcludedfromourcourses.

MrAhmedSalimwhilegivingthelinguisticoverviewofPakistansaidthatwebelongtoafortunateregionofPakistanwhere 77 languages are spoken but few of them areendangered. There are different reasons for theirendangerment.The fourprovincesofPakistan are rich inlanguageswithmajorlanguagesasPunjabi,Pushto,Sindhi,and Balochi. Punjab is a bilingual province in which two


majorlanguages,PunjabiandSaraiki,arespoken.Likewise,inKP,themajorlanguagesarePushtoandHindko.InChitral,Swat, Dir and adjacent areas, a dozen of languages arespokenbutmost of themare endangered. InBalochistan,Khetrani,Baluchi,BrahuiandmostimportantlyHazaragi-anemerginglanguage-arespoken.WorkhasbeeninitiatedinHazaragi.Consciousnessisincreasinginit.ThepeopleofHazaragiarefacingdif�iculties.OurtwoemergingprovincesareAzad JammuKashmirandGilgitBaltistan.Another20languagesarespokeninGilgit-Baltistan.

MrNiazNadeemfromIndusCulturalForumexplainedthe linguistic diversity in Sindh. The language rightsmovement in Sindh started in the 1980s. In Pakistan,languageislinkedwithpowerandpoliticswhenonthebasisoflanguagepowerisdistributedotherlanguagesbegintobeundermined.Article28oftheconstitutiongivestherighttoprovincestopromoteandpreservetheir languages.Sindhhasmany other indigenous languages; people voluntarilygiveuptheirmothertongueandconsideritasSindhisothatthepopulationofSindhispeakingdoesnotdecline.Onlysixlanguages are recognized in Pakistan in the demographiccensus.Some65languagesarenotrecognizedandincludedin the option of others. In Sindh population of otherlanguagesis4.93%.TheCitizensFoundationhasintroducedDhadki,amotherlanguage,alongwithSindhiinmodules.Weclumpotherlanguages,e.g.MarwariandGujarati,asdialects.Theissueoflanguageanddialectisahumanrightsissue.Thewayforwardisthatpower,politicsandlanguageshouldbedelinked.Sindhiismuchdevelopedaccordingtothedigitalageandiscompatibleglobally.Itisnotendangeredbutatthegovernmentallevelitis.Bene�itsofdigitaldevelopmentofSindhi should trickle down to other less recognizedlanguages.

MrZubairTorwalifocusedonthelinguisticdiversityofUpper KP and Gilgit Baltistan. Indigenous communitiesliving in themountainous terrain and valleys in northernPakistan—theregionofGilgitBaltistanandupperKhyberPakhtunkwa—speak over 30 languages. Some of theselanguages are Khowar, Shina, Indus Kohistani, Torwali,Gawri,Palula,Kalasha,Dameli,Gawar-bati,Bateri,Chilloso,Dumaki,Brushaski,Ushojo,Balti,Wakhi,Yidgha,etc.These

are the known indigenous languages spoken in northernPakistan.

Cultural,political,linguisticandecologicalmilieuaddtothe'languageandculturalloss'amongthesecommunities,he explained. Notwithstanding the toughest challenges,there are some good initiatives carried out 'privately' bymembers in these communities that are focused onreversingthelanguageandculturallossbydocumentingthelanguages and cultures in question, transmitting thelanguages and cultures to the coming generation; and bytryingtomakethelanguagesrelevantinpedagogicalsetting.

MrMuhammad Zaman Sagar focusing on NorthernPakistan's languages said that according to UNESCO, 26languagesof thenorthernpartareendangered.Languageshift isacommonissueinPakistan. Indigenouslanguageschangedueto increased interactionwith theouterworld.Thelanguageswhichchangearelivinglanguages.Linguisticrepertoiresofmanygroupsarechangingrapidly.Theshiftisa strong and unstoppable force. People from socially-connectedcommunitiesarecreatingmultipleidentitiesandtheseidentitiesmotivatelanguageuse.Incipientliteracyisprogressing.Trainingandresourcecentresareworkingtoenable the languagecommunitiesofNorthernPakistan topreserveandpromotetheirmothertongues.

MrSudheendraKulkarnisaidthatIndiaandPakistanare separate but inseparable. The most endangeredlanguageinSouthAsiaisthelanguageoflove,brotherhoodand peace. “We must rescue and revitalize this languageotherwise South Asia will never be able to resolve thecon�licts.Urdu isoneof the22of�icial languagesof India.India did not remove Sindh after 1947 from its nationalanthemasweregardSindhasacradleofcivilizationofIndia.CultureofPunjabi isuniting IndiaandPakistan.CommonlinguisticheritageisunitingdifferentpeopleofSouthAsia.We should be proud of our unmatched richness andlinguisticdiversity.Thethreatwhichlanguagefacesisthatoffanaticism. Every language is a repository and carrier ofhumanwisdom, knowledge and experience. In the digitalage, due to increased urbanization and rapid migration,everycountryofSouthAsiaisboundtobecomemultilingual.Weshouldlearnhowtorespectotherlanguages.Language


and religion should not be mixed. No single language isunaffected. Globalization has made the elites embraceEnglishwithatighthugandforgettingtheirmother-tongues,emphasizedthespeaker.

MrMazharArifsaidthatinPakistan,politicsisdecidingabout languages. Language is the biggest identity andidentityiscultureandheritage.Iflanguagedisappearsthenpeople also start to disappear. In Pakistan, the emergingmiddleclasshasatrendofadoptingotherlanguages.Marketlanguage is promoted, like English, because of a greaterchance of employment. Language is not only linked withreligionandpoliticsitisalsorelatedtothechangingmarket.ThelanguagesofSouthPakistanarelessdiscussed.ThereisaproblemoflanguagedominationandpoliticsintheSouth.If a language has to be preserved then community-basedworkhastobedoneatsuchalevelthatitiswellrecognizableatthegovernmentallevel.

Mr I. A. Rehman said that different countries havesolvedtheirissueoflanguages.Toprotectdifferentdialects

andlanguagesisnowpossiblewithdigitalmedia.HungaryisacountrywhichhasdifferentlanguagesbuttheyuseonlyHungarianlanguageintheireducationalsystem.InPakistanwehave identitycrisis,wehavemulti-identitypeople,weusuallygetrecognizedbyourcountry,language,andculture.Religionmayremainoneoftheseelementsbutlanguageisour identity, yet we cannot decide about our educationalsystemwhetheritshouldbeinthemotherlanguageornot.Thestateshouldunderstandthatourdiversityisourbeautyanditisthesourceofourprogress.

MrRehmansaidthattheStatepoliticsshouldbeonthebasisofdemocraticvalues.Pakistanhasmanylanguagesandmanyareendangered.Weshouldpreservetheselanguagesasnationalagenda,heemphasized.Manyorganizationsareworkingonlanguagetopicinourcountry,whichisapositivething,Governmentandcivilsocietyshouldalsoencouragetheir work and efforts. He concluded by saying thatlanguagesconnectpeoplewitheachother that iswhyweshouldencourageeducationalsysteminourmothertongue.

Session C-7: Role of Women in Media in a Digital Society

Speakers:

1. Ms Tasneem Ahmer, Uks Research Centre, Pakistan

2. Dr Nathalene Reynolds, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

3. Ms Amber Rahim Shamsi, Samaa TV, Islamabad, Pakistan

4. Dr Fatemeh Chemali Chirani, Social Scien�st, Islamabad, Pakistan

5. Ms Ruwa Altaf Shah, Journalist, Turkey

6. Mr Rudra Bahadur Khadka, Nagarik Na�onal Daily, Nepal

7. Ms Asma Sherazi, Aaj News, Islamabad, Pakistan

Moderator: Mr Badar Alam, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Mr Badar Alam and Ms Maryam Shabbir, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Fa�ma Khalid, Sustainable Development Policy Ins�tute, Islamabad, Pakistan


Thesessiononthe“RoleofWomeninMediainaDigitalSociety” consisted of a multilateral group ofpanellists.Thesessionaimedat listening to female

journalistsabouttheironlineexperiences,bothpositiveandnegative,anddiscussinghowtheinternetanddigitalmediaplatformscanbemadesafespacesforfemalejournalists.Italso focused on exploring the institutional and legalmechanisms available to address the problem of onlineharassmentandevaluatingreasonsforthefailureofthesemechanisms.

DrNathaleneReynoldsgaveexamplesfromhistorybysharingquotesofhistoricalphilosopherssuchasAristotleandSaintThomas,implyingthefactthatthestatusofwomentodayandthediscriminationagainstthemcouldbecalledamisogynist inheritance. She said that the cinema andadvertisingindustryhaspromotedtheinstrumentalizationofthefemalebody,pushingthefemalesexintorolesfromwhich,ironically,ithadsoughttoescape.

ShesaidPakistanifemalejournalistsarefacingalotofproblems,notonlyrelatedtoonlineharassmentbutalsotheproblemofbeinginsubordinatepositionsinsteadofbeingineditorialandleadershippositions.Shemaintainedthattheneed for the sensitization of gender issues and thepromotionofgenderdiversity,inthenewsroom,iscrucial.She further emphasized that there is a need for a stronglegislation to punish the people who cross the line andharasswomen.

Mr.RudraBahadurKhadkatalkedaboutthestatusofwomen in Nepal. He said that after Nepal became ademocraticnationin1990,therehavebeenalotofpositivechangesinthesituationofwomeninthecountry.However,women are still not in the leadership and policy makingpositions. He recommended that women-friendly policiesandtheimplementationoflawsarenecessaryconditionsfortheimprovementinthepositionofwomeninthecountry.

Ms Asma Sherazi said that cyber bullying againstjournalistsishappeningatsuchanorganisedlevelthatthevictimsarescaredtoreporttheharassers.Shesaidthatsheherself has been a victim of abuse and online bullying,multiple times. She pointed out that Pakistan has lawsagainst thesecrimesbutunfortunately, theyarenotbeing

implemented.Whilegivingtheexampleofthecharacterofthe “Big Brother”, she added that the laws automaticallybecomeimpossibletoimplementwhenthesystemandthestate isbeingchallenged,sotheonlybestoption left is toignoretheabuseandtheabuser.Inherconcludingremarksshesaidthateverywomaninmediahastostruggleandstandbyherstanceinordertobesuccessful.

MsRuwaAltafShahsharedtheproblemswomenfaceinKashmir,astate“wherethereisintersectionofthesociety,misogyny, patriarchy, conservatism and it is all blanketedunder amilitary con�lict”. She said that being a KashmiriMuslim woman, she has faced immense dif�iculty inestablishingherownspace in journalismasa reporter inIndiaandinKashmir.

Shesaidthatallthestepstakenforactivism,inthedigitalframework,postthearticle370abrogation,arebywomen.Sheexpressed thatKashmiriwomenneedadigital space,morethanothers,toprotecttheiridentityandexistence.

She informed the audience that due to the threatsjournalistsnormallyreceiveinKashmir,outofabatchof40womengraduatesonlyaboutthreeareactuallyworkingasjournalistsintheregion.“Digitalspaceisaverygoodoption


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anditiswhatweneedbutweneedprotectioneveninthisdigitalspace,”sheaf�irmed.

DrFatemehChemaliChiranistartedoffherspeechbysayingthatsheisproudtobeanIranianjournalistbecausejournalism has really strengthened her identity. Whilehighlighting the problems faced by women in theprofessionalenvironment,shesaidthat,womendonotgetbetterpayingjobsinIranandaretreatedascheaplabour.AsIrandoesnothavefreemedia,shesaid,socialmediaisusedasanalternativenewssource.

She said that cyber bullying is commonly faced byIranianwomen.Tocounterthis,thereshouldbeaplatformfor dialogue and public discussion against bullying andharassment, and campaigns in order to raise awarenessabouttheissue.

Ms.AmberRahimShamsisharedherexperiencesoffacingonlineharassmentandcyberbullyingmultipletimesasaconsequenceofthecontroversialstoriesshehascoveredbeing a journalist. She said that the “of�line threats alsotranslate online”, and that there is awhole troll army onTwitterdoing coordinatedcampaignsof cyberbullying tothreatenandmockher.

Shestatedthatreceivingsexualcommentsandremarkscaninsomecasesbeadeterrentforawoman'scareerduetofamilypressure.Sheemphasizedontheneedforsisterhoodandstrongsocialnetworksamongfemalejournalistswhichbringtheharassmentfacedbytheminadigitalsocietytothepublicattentionandsaidthatbeingsilentisnotthesolution.

Sheaddedthatforwomentobeabletonameandshametheabuserstheremustbeasystemfortheirprotectionanddigitalsecuritymustbeavailabletothem.Shealsostressedon the importanceofacoordinatedeffortofdigital rightsorganizations in order to deal with the rising issues ofcybercrimes.

MsTasneemAhmer sharedher40years' journey inmedia,talkingaboutallthedif�icultiesshefacedalongtheway. She said that with the passage of time andadvancements in technology the means of violence andharassment faced by women have also developedincreasingly, stating that “from face-to-face, via letters,telephone and now through the socialmedia, all of thesecontinuetoplayonanother'svulnerabilities”.

Shesaidthat,bullyingandharassmenthasanadverseeffectonone'semotionalwellbeing,andthatshecontinuesto give courage and strength to younger women, tocolleaguesandco-workersthat“givingupisnotthesolution,�ightingbackis”.

Shesaidthatwomenneedtobefullyawareandgetfullinformation on the operational safety nets against cyberbullyinginordertoremainsafeandprotected.Thedigitalspace, she declared, is a great opportunity for womenjournalists to share stories of the good that is happeningaround, the stories of courage and ambitions tomotivateothers, especially women who have not had any kind ofmentoring.


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Session C-8: Achieving Food Security in Digitalised World

Chair: Ms Androulla Kaminara, European Union Ambassador to Pakistan

Moderator: Dr Qamar Uz Zaman, Vice Chancellor, Pir Mehr Ali Shah University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi

Discussant: Dr Muhammad Saeed, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR), and Mr

Ruwan Samaraweera, Ins�tute of Policy Studies (IPS), Sri Lanka

Speakers:

1. Dr Babar Shahbaz, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

2. Dr Arnold Elepano, Professor & Dean, College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology University of the Philippines, Los Banos (via skype)

3. Prof. Dr Allah Bakhsh, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

4. Dr Malik Jahan Khan, NAMAL Ins�tute, Mianwali, Pakistan

5. Dr Muhammad Jehanzeb Masud Cheema, PMAS AAUR, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Special Remarks: Ms Androulla Kaminara, Head of the Delega�on of the European Union to Pakistan

Panel Organisers: Mr Qasim Shah and Mr Hassan Murtaza, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Ms Rimsha Khan, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

DrQamarUzZamanhighlightedtheimportanceof digital agriculture and impact of lack oftechnology in the agriculture sector. He

welcomedthepresentersandChairofthesession.HeinvitedDrBabarShahbaztoproceedwithhispresentation.

DrBabarShahbazgaveapresentationonAgricultureTechnologyTransfer,whichfocusedonthetransferofnewtechnology and practices to the farmers for improvedproductivitywhichwillultimatelyleadtofoodavailability.Basicneedtoachievethisgoalisbackgroundresearchwhichtransforms into technology. Agro-based industry, NGOs,farmers' organizations and institutes areworking for thispurpose.Hepointedtosomechallengeslikelowpro�itandlowyieldthatstillexist.GreenRevolutionhashelpedusinmany ways but it has various negative consequences intermsofuseofchemicalssuchasinsecticides,fungicidesandhybridseeds.InformationCommunicationTechnology(ICT)

isatooltohelpallthestakeholderswithtechnologytransfertothefarmers.Asurveyconductedin2017wasrelatedtoallICT activities. There are over 55 agricultural websites,organizations using SMS services, robo-calls and PunjabGovernment has formulated marketing systems. Key�indingsofthesurveymainlycirculatedaroundaquestionwhethertheinformationisneedbasedandtheneedsofthefarmer are rarely analyzed. Punjab Government hasresearch-based information that is available online. Butthere isnomechanism tomonitor theonline informationandno co-ordinationbetweenstakeholders. ICT is a totalapproachtomeetallthepossiblechallenges.Anothermodel,Hybrid Approach is also formulated for face-to-faceinteractionwhichconsistsof�ivecomponentsofE-learningsystem,shortlearningvideos,onlinecourses,androidbasedmobileapps,agriculturewebsiteandallofthispooledintoone approach. Village community centers have also been


developed for practicing farmers that are not computerliterate.

Prof.DrArnoldElepanogaveanoverviewofprojectsintheDepartmentofAgricultureandDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyinthePhilippines.HesaidtheoverallgoalistoachievegoalnumbertwoofSustainableDevelopmentalGoalsthatiseradicationofhungerandachievefoodsecurityand improvednutrition.He continuedbyhighlighting theproject Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture(SARAi) which consists of smart irrigation managementsystems, advisories which has a website SARAi.ph Thesecond project is Smart Plant Production in ControlledEnvironment (SPICE) which is a nursery funded by thegovernment i.e. $2.5 million to include vertical farming,micropropagation, cryopreservation practiced andmonitored in nursery. Another project isWireless SensorNetwork Based Water Information System for ef�icientirrigation water management in the Philippines which isfunded by the Department of Science and Technology incollaboration with the University of California. Fourthproject is theBiosystemsEngineeredSmart -MechanizedFarms (BEST-Mech farms) which is solely funded by theUniversity.ItisapartofSARAiprojectwhichfeaturessmartmechanizedirrigation,farmengineeringmechanizationandclimate smart mechanization. The �ifth project isInterdisciplinary Studies Centre on Food and NutritionSecurity working for food availability and accessibility.AnotherInterdisciplinarySystemisforBiosensorstodetectfood and water borne pathogens, tropical diseases, andcontaminants so that it could help in development ofagriculture. Some challenges here are in need of a newinfrastructure, maintenance, and enhancement of cybersecurity,hestated.

Dr Malik Jehan Khan gave an overview of AgritechDepartment's project Mera Maweshi. The problemhighlightedinthisprojectwasthatmostofthepopulation,i.e.about40millionrelyonlivestock.ThefarmerinPakistanhasweakaccesstoveterinaryexpertstodiagnoseadiseaseof theircattleresulting insigni�icant �inancial loss. InthisprojectasystemwasdevelopedusingArti�icialIntelligencefordiagnosisusing89clinicalsymptomsof33diseases.This

projectisavailableinmobileappandonitswebsite.Itworksby user categorization to diagnosis and perception afterwhichasolutionissuggestedifpossible,orbyshowingthatitisunable todiagnose.For thiscase ithasa localizeddatawhichhelpstoreferthefarmertovetpresentinthatlocation.IntheinputsideofMachineLearning,inputissymptomandoutput is diagnosis. It is a sophisticated HCI system forilliterate farmerswith fundsofPKR4.39milliongivenbyIgnite, Ministry of IT and Telecom in collaboration withLUMS, Livestock & Dairy Development Department byGovernment of Punjab andUVAS.He gave an example bycomparing Pakistan with the Netherlands in terms ofcultivableareathat isapproximately20millionhectorsinPakistanwhile2millionhectors inNetherlandswith agriand food export of EUR 4 billion and EUR 90 billionrespectivelyin2018.

Prof. Dr Allah Bakhsh highlighted the differencebetweendigitalagricultureandtraditionalagriculture.HecomparedtheyieldofPunjabwithworldyieldofcropsfromPunjabAgriculturePolicy.HefurtheraddedthattechnologycanhelpusthroughGISandremotesensingtoachievepro�itthroughsmartfarms.Itisanintegratedapproachasthesetechnologiesarerare.Heemphasizedonfarmerpro�itabilityinstead of only productivity. Digital agriculture has threepillars:knowledge,infrastructureandmarketing.Precisionagriculturehasapotentialtoincreaseproductivitybytakingcareofenvironmental issueswhiledigitalagriculturewillonlytakecareofpro�itability.Hepresentedtheworkdoneusing GIS and remote sensing to study integrated effects.Work has also been translated into assessing the waterpotential. Resistivity meter is used to conduct thegroundwater studies, quality, water table, and also therecharging mechanism - aquifer recharging system.Rainwaterharvestingsystemandsoilmoisturemeterwerealsoused.Hediscussedsomecasestudieshowworldisusingdigital technology in this domain. This is how one canconnect farmers if they have the infrastructure andinformation that is needed so that they can also increasetheirincome,explainedthespeaker.

DrMuhammad JehanzebMasudCheemadiscussedthatimportsinPakistanarelargerthanexportsandtheneed


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oftimeistoincreasethefoodexportsthanimports.Hesaidwe need to convince farmer community to go formechanization in order to combat decline in agricultureproductivity.HecomparedtheyieldsofPakistanwiththatofXingjianinChinathatusesmoderntechnology.Thereisnomanagementofapplicationofnutrientswhereitisneeded,he lamented. He suggested testing various technologiesalongwiththeirresultsthatmostlyincreasedyieldsi.e.autosteeringtechnique,smartirrigationsystem,UAVs,variablerateagrochemical spraying,variousharvesters.There isaneed to adopt technology to change the culture byconvincingthefarmers,heemphasized.

Ms Androulla Kaminara stated the importance ofmeasuring food security in any policy formation. ShehighlightedthemethodologyofEUtomeasurefoodsecuritythat is IPCmethodologywhich isascale fromone to �ive,increasingseveritywithincreasingnumber.ShediscussedtheannualGlobalReportonFoodCrisis,inwhichlastreporthasasectiononPakistanfocusingonSindhwhichsaysmorethan two million people are in need of assistance. Theanalysis suggested �ive reasons: drought due to climatechange,nowaterforirrigation,lackofwater,relianceonlowincomelivelihood,andfoodcrisis.Technologycanaddress

the problem but cannot ensure food security, sheemphasized.

DrMuhammadSaeeddiscusseddigitizationandendusers of technology. Pakistan's agriculture has lowproductivityandpro�itabilityoffarmersthatisavitalpart.Accesstointernetandsmartphonesbyfarmersisaneedoftime in order to bene�it them. There is a need to buildcapacityoffarmersandtonarrowthegapbetweenthemandpolicymakerstoensurefoodsecurityinPakistan.

Whileansweringthequestiononhowdigitalizationcanhelpinmonitoringoflocustattack,DrJehansaidthattheappisonlyaboutsymptomsanddiagnosisandthisscenarioisbeyonditsscopebutitcanbeforecast.DrQamarUzZamansaid that we are developing some apps for agricultureforecastingwhichcanhelpinthisregard.DrAbidSulerialsoaddedthat thisyeartomatodisasterwasduetocompleteban throughWagah border which also effected prices ofonions and chilies in India. There is a need for collectivestrategiesbyalldepartmentssothatwecancopewithissuesof food security, he stated. He thanked the panelists forhighlighting the importance and aspects of agriculture inPakistan.


DrAbidQaiyumSuleriwelcomedtheparticipants,delegatesanddignitariesat theclosingplenaryoftheConferenceandsharedabridgedproceedingsof

Twenty-secondSustainableDevelopmentConference(SDC)withthem.Hesaidthatwehaddelegatesfrom17countriesand 223 speakers in 29 parallel sessions and 6 plenarysessions. “We discussed a wide range of issues in thesesessions. The participation of the Government's treasurybenchesandoppositionbencheswasexcellent,”hestated.HethenconcludedhiswelcomeremarksbydedicatingtheconcludingplenarytocelebratetheachievementsofDrSyedBabarAli.

DrTariqBanuristartedhisspeechbysayingthatnotonlypeopleonthepodiumbutpeopleintheaudienceareadmirers of Syed Babar Ali. He said, true history of thecountryisconstitutednotbygovernmentsandparliamentsbutbypeoplewhoactuallymade this country. “Whenwelookback,therehavebeenanumberofpeoplewhoprovidedafoundationtobuildthecountry.Thesearethepeoplewhoweshouldhonour.ThefundamentalrolewhichSyedBabarAli has played for this country is truly valued andappreciated,” he emphasized. Acknowledging the role ofentrepreneurs, he said, they are the key players in themodern capitalist society, one that actually creates out of

Closing PlenaryLiving Legends of Pakistan Plenary: Life and Work of Dr Syed Babar Ali (OBE)Welcome Address: Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairperson BoG, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Summary of Twenty-second SDC 2019 & About Living Legends of Pakistan Plenary: Dr Abid Q Suleri, SDPI, Pakistan

Remarks:

1. Mr Sartaj Aziz, Former Deputy Chairman, Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform, Government of Pakistan (GoP)

2. Dr Parvez Hassan, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, Lahore, Pakistan

3. Ms Khawar Mumtaz, former Chairperson, Na�onal Commission on the Status of Women in Pakistan (NCSWP)

4. Prof. Dr Khalid Hamid Sheikh, Former VC, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

5. Mr Shahid Hussain, CEO, Service Sales Corpora�on (Private) Limited, Lahore, Pakistan

6. Dr Tariq Banuri, Chairperson, Higher Educa�on Commission (HEC), Islamabad, Pakistan

7. Mr Shamim Ahmad Khan, Former Secretary of Commerce, GoP

8. Mr Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor to PM for Commerce, Tex�le, Industry and Produc�on, and Investment of Pakistan, GoP

9. Mr Shoaib Sultan Khan, Na�onal Rural Support Programme (NRSP), Islamabad, Pakistan

Concluding Remarks by

the Guest of Honour: Dr Syed Babar Ali, Businessman, Philanthropist, Educa�onist, and Founder, Lahore University of

Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan

Plenary Organizers: Mr Wasif Naqvi and Ms Tayyaba Hanif, SDPI, Islamabad, Pakistan

Report by: Mr Muhammad Aala Shan, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan


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nothing.Dr Banuri called a modern society as discontinuous

society.Hesaidthatsomethingdiscontinuoushastohappento take it to thenext leveland theroleofentrepreneur isfundamentalinthisregard.Hefurtheraddedthatitisnottheideabuttheimplementationandsustainabilityoftheidea.DrBabarAlihasanumberofentrepreneurialcontributionstohiscredit.HeestablishedLUMS,andhemobilizedalargenumber of industrialists who not only contributed butinvestedtheirtimeandefforts.

RecognizingDrAli'sacademiccontributions,DrBanuriaddedthathemobilizedthehighestlevelofacademicsandalso contributed in enhancing the quality of faculty. Hecreatedinternationallinkagesandmobilizedresourcesfromexternalsources.Thisisafundamentaltransformationthattookplace in this country.An imitation is a great formof�latteryandnowotherworks like this arehappening likeHabibUniversity.LUMS is thegoldstar. Ithasspunoffallrangeofotheractivitiesinthecountry.Theentirenationisindebted to Syed Babar Ali, he said. Dr Banuri alsoappreciated his contribution in the enforcement of The

National Environmental Quality Standards and NationalEnvironmentalQualityAct.

MrSartajAziz said that SyedBabarAli belongs to afamilyhavingbusinessleaders.Hegotampleopportunitiesto explore new ideas. His main guiding principle in allventureswasnot justpro�itbuttheimpactonthelivesofpeople.InoneofhisinterviewsSyedBabarAlisaidthatarealentrepreneurisonewhocanthinkbeyondhislifetime.Herecognized the importance of education and training andstartedaroadmapofamodelbusinessschoollikeHarvardUniversityinPakistan.

SyedBabarAli'sin�initecapacityfornewideascarriedLUMStonewheightscombiningacademicswith�ieldvisitsand community programmes enabling students to learnfromgroundrealities.HeaddedthisqualitativedimensiontoLUMS.HesetupNUSTSchoolofArtandhisaimwastoteachart to those students who want to carry art as theiroccupation. His other aim was to preserve the art andheritage of Lahore. In endless pursuit of art, science andmanagement, Dr Ali republished some pieces of poetry,philosophy and religion - a valuable addition to our


0097

literature.NewYorkTimesintheirarticlein2009saidthatSyedBabarAliisnotonlyaninstitutionbuilderbuthimselfan institution. In his biography Syed Babar Ali combinesgracewithhumanity,itafascinatingblendofthepolitical,socialandeconomichistoryofnotonlyofPakistanbutoftheSub-continent.

MsKhawarMumtazcommendedSyedBabarAliforhiseffortsandlovefortheconservationofartandheritageaswellashiscontributiontotheconservationofenvironmentand wildlife. She said that his guidance in developingCitizensSocialCharterhelpedustogointolargerregionalcorporationandcollaboration.“MyintroductiontoDrBabarAliintermsoftheenvironmentalistwaswhenIsucceededhimasregionalcounsellorattheInternationalUnionfortheConservationofNature(IUCN).Indirectly,Ihavebene�itedfrom initiatives of Syed Babar Ali. The compassion withwhichhedealtwithusandinspirationthatheprovidedisremembered. His interest in art and conservation isadmirable.AliInstituteforEducationwasalwaysopenforoutsiders to come and use. We are very thankful for hisgenerosity. Idoappreciate thevision,opennessand tobe

abletogowiththecontemporarytimesandbeinadvancewithwhatishappeningandthatiswhathastobeseenasabeaconoflightforallofustoforeseeandidentifythatwhatisneeded.Iliketopaytributetohim.Thankyousomuchforbeingthereandbeapower,”saidMsMumtazpayingatributetoSyedBabarAli.

DrParvezHassansaidthatheishugelypleasedtobepartofthiscelebration.HesummedupthelifeofSyedBabarAli by saying he never curses darkness, he always lightscandles.He furtherthankedSyedBabarAli for lightingsomanycandlesinPakistan.“Whenitcomestosumminguphislife there are three things: transformation, empowermentand inspiration,” stated Dr Hassan, adding, “Outside thegovernment Ihaveneverknownofan individualwhohasempoweredandinspiredsomanypeople.Hewritesinhisbookthathelearnsfromothers.Ihavebeenhislawyerfor50years.Ihavelearntthatittakestimetopickpeopleupbutonce he picks, he supports them fully. His quality ofleadershippropelledhimtowardsmoreandmoreprogress.ThemostremarkablethingsaboutLUMSisthelegacyofthemanwehonourtoday.Accordingtohimeverythingshould


0098

bedoneonmerit,educationalinstitutionsshouldbeneed-basedwithnoVIPculture.TrustisthekeyoffundraisingandDrBabarAlihasin�initeabilityinfundraising.Youhavetobreedthattrust.Youneverretireontrust.IthankSyedBabarAli that he has happily well enriched and well liberatedhimself.Ithankhimforhisfriendshipandenrichingmylife.”

ProfDrKhalidHamidSheikhappreciatedDrBabarAliinkindwords.HesaidthatBabarAliFoundationhasgrownveryrichbecausehehasgivenlargefundstotheFoundationthataresustainableandwillcontinueinfutureaswell.SyedBabarAliavoidspublicityandsaysoneshouldalwayslearn.Payingtribute,DrHamidsaid,“Hehasbeenmyguideandmentor.HehasdonealotfortheWWFPakistanforsettingfundforitandprovidingpackagestohelpwiththework.”HeaddedthatSyedBabarAlidoesnotcareabouthispersonalprojectionbuthisfocusalwaysremainsontheupliftofthesociety.Attheendheconcludedhisspeechbywishinghimlonglifeahead.

MrShahidHussainsaidabouthimthattherearefewpeoplethatareasaffectionateandasconsideratetoothersasSyedBabarAli.Heisworriedaboutpeoplearoundhimand that is the quality which is rare. He is gifted withunmatchedmemory.Itisfascinatingtospendtimewithhim.He is extremely humble by nature. Humble in a way herespectsandacknowledgesothers.Hehastremendousfaithinyoungpeopleandalwayswillingtolearnfromthemthatiswhyhealwayslookstothefuture.Hehasahugeabilitytoreachoutandtoconnectwithpeople,cultivateandnurturetherelationseitherinstitutionalorpersonal.Heisthemostproli�ichostever,concludedMrHussainwhilepayingtributetoSyedBabarAli.

Mr Shoaib Sultan admired Syed Babar Ali in thefollowingwords:“Heleft inmymindthatthereshouldbesomethingdoneforwildlifeinPakistan.SyedBabarAligavetheideathatvillageorganizationscanturnthehuntersintowildlife guards. Now every valley in Gilgit-Baltistan andChitralisprotectingthewildlife.HeconvincedPrincePhillipto give me wildlife conservation medal. Duke was soimpressed by Syed Babar Ali that when he retired, herequestedMrBabartobecomeinternationalpresidentoftheWWF. He never forgets people. His versatile personality,

generosityandkindnessinspireme.Heisaninstitutionandbestexampleofhumanbeing.Pakistanisareveryluckytohavehiminthecountry.Heisstrivingdayandnightforthebene�itofhumanity.”

MrShamimAhmedacknowledgedSyedBabarAliandsaid,“IalwaysrespectedandadmiredSyedBabarAlioverthelongperiodofmycareerasregulatorinthecorporatesector.ThetwopiecesofadvicewhichIgotfromhimwere:onehastobeverycarefulinselectingcompanyonejoinsasadirector;and,secondisthevalueattachedtodirector.Heisveryparticularandhe tells thatweshouldneveruseanysuperlativeandadjectivesaboutourperformance.Wehaveto be modest. His autobiography not only gives us thebackground of establishment of industries and otherventures led by him but it represents management


philosophyof SyedBabarAli. Elementsof philosophy arecommitment to work, continuously learning from others,thereshouldbenobiases.Heiscontinuouslycommunicatingwithseniordevelopment.Packageshasgrownverymuchinthepastyears.IthasgoneoutofPakistan.ThecharityandphilanthropyofPackagesisquitesubstantialbuthedecidedto institutionalize it by setting Packages Foundation.Important aspects of his industrial ventures are belief,commitmentandstrategyofjointventures.Heistothepointand precise in meetings, it is the quality of a goodentrepreneur.”

Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel summed up thesuccessofConferenceandsaidthatweliketothankforeignand Pakistani delegates , c ivi l society and otherrepresentatives.ThegovernmentofPakistanalsoplayedaroleinthesuccessofthisConference.Hesaidheisdelightedto see Syed Babar Ali in midst, who is a role model forPakistanis and will inspire many generations of Pakistantowardsgoal.

MrRazaqDawoodnarratedthestoryofLUMSandhowitwasestablishedbySyedBabarAli.Hesaidthatthecountryhas adearthofpeoplewhohave a senseof commitment,character and humanity to make the difference andcontributetosociety.SyedBabarAlihasbeenaverygood

guide and has sense of commitment and character. He isremarkablefundraiser. Hehasbeenafriendandamentor.Heisunique.“It'snotthenumberofyearsBabarAlilives,itisthenumberofhearts thathe touchedandhe touchedmyhearttoo,”headded.

Syed Babar Ali while giving concluding remarksthanked everyone and said, “I am greatly honoured to behereandIhadalongjourneyandIhaveenjoyedeverybitofit.ThereasonwhyIhaveenjoyeditisbecauseeverybodyhasguidedmeandenrichedme.IamveryfortunatethatIcanspeakandthink.IamgratefultoAllah.Istartedintheprivatesector then Imovedtopublicsector.The journeywithDrParvezHassanandMrRazaqDawoodineducationalsectorhas been rewarding. I hope this institution will add toprosperityofPakistan.”HeendedhisremarkswithSheikhSaadi'squotethat'mycompanionselevatedme;otherwiseIwasthesamehumblecreature'.

At the end of the plenary, SDC-SAES anthology titled'CorridorsofKnowledgeforPeaceandDevelopment'andthejournal 'Social Enterprise Development in Pakistan: WayForward' by SDPI, British Council, and UNESCAP werelaunched.Thelivinglegend'sshieldwaspresentedtoSyedBabar Ali by Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, ChairpersonBoardofGovernors,SDPI.


00100

Thepolicyrecommendations fromtheSDC2019sessionsgivenbelowhavebeencompiledandorganisedthematically.Economics,TradeandCommerce

Ÿ Since 70% trade related regulations in Pakistan are

redundant, authorities need to bring about regulatory

proceduralreformsinordertofurtherpromoteeaseof

doing business. In this regard, an intergovernmental

groupshouldbeformedforintermediation,whichcould

bedonethroughSDPI.

Ÿ Administering regulations is a key to success and the

governmentshouldconcentrateoncreatingaconducive

environmentwherebusinessprocessesarestreamlined

andimplementedbyspecialists.

Ÿ Regulatory agencies must have quali�ied and capable

peoplewhomayinterpretregulationsappropriately.For

thispurpose,bestpracticesshouldbeadoptedtochoose

therightpersonfortherightjob.

Ÿ Thereisaneedtoreduceinteractionbetweentaxpayer

andtaxcollectorsandcreateanautomatedsystemfortax

rebate. For this purpose, digital technology should be

usedtocircumventcorruption.

Ÿ In order to reduce time, there is a need to adopt

technologytoachievethelevelsofgovernancethatwill

increase investor con�idence and help attract foreign

investment.

Ÿ Reformof reformprocesses is requiredalongwith the

creation of parallel institutions and combined efforts

fromthepublicandprivatesector,internationalpartners

and academia to keep abreastwith the changes being

broughtbytheFourthIndustrialRevolution(4IR).

Ÿ It is vital for Pakistan to learn from Vietnam and

Singaporeinordertoincreaseproductivityandaddvalue

totheirexportssector.

Ÿ Pakistan should develop a technological partnership

withChinainordertobene�itfromtheChineseexpertise

achievedinthedigital�ield.

Ÿ Pakistan should focus on improving the Wassenaar

Arrangementandcallformorecountriestobecomeits

signatories from the current 42 members. The

Arrangement,whichisavoluntaryexportcontrolregime,

aims to promote greater responsibility among its

membersinexportsofweaponsanddual-usegoodsand

topreventdestabilizingaccumulations.

Ÿ The government should encourage entrepreneurship

since the number of job opportunities being created

underthe4IRaremorethanthejobsbeinglost.Capacity

developmentinlatesttechnologiesisneedofthehour.

Ÿ Thegovernmentshouldfacilitatepeoplewithduty-free

digitalgadgets,likesmartphones,etc.

Ÿ Thereshouldbeincentivesforentrepreneurstodevelop

new technologies by offering them tax reductions and

subsidies.

Ÿ Banking institutions should be encouraged to move

towardsgreen�inancemodels.

Ÿ SouthAsianstatesneedtoinvestinmarketsthatgenerate

demandfordigital-readyworkers,andpublicgoodsthat

can create a supply ofworkers, especially in the long-

term.

Ÿ Developed economies, such as the United States, are

home to highly competitive markets that have excess

demandforadigital-readyworkforce.Theseeconomies

needtoinvestmoreinhumancapital.

Ÿ Creatingadigital-readyworkforcerequiresincremental

reformsthatcarefullyexposeindustriestointernational

opportunities and competition through Global Value

Chains.

Ÿ Governments need towork on structural reforms that

create incentives for workers to develop skills that

generate the highest rewards: from improving

competition at home (before exposure to competition

from abroad) to encouraging urbanization. Broad

partnerships, in this case, are necessary between

governments,industries,anduniversities.

Ÿ Thegovernmentneedstoreassesswhichsectorsofthe

economyshouldbeprotectedandwhichshouldbede-

regulated.Amixofregulatoryandde-regulationpolicies

areneededfordigitaltransformation.

Ÿ Moreinvestmentshouldbemadeavailableforbuilding

smalldamstoimprovePakistan'swaterstoragecapacity.

Ÿ Localized revenue collection methods need to be

developedbylocalbodiesandsupportedbythefederal

government.

Ÿ A roadmap for the revival of growth in Pakistan is

imperative to restore con�idence of local and foreign

investors.

Ÿ Development partners should play an active role in

ensuringthatthepoorestofthepoorareinsulatedfrom

thepainof�iscaladjustment.

Ÿ Provincial governments need to be more proactive in

supporting the federal government for the successful

implementation of International Monetary Fund

programme, particularly with respect to revenue

SDPI's Twenty-Second Sustainable Development Conference SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN A DIGITAL SOCIETY

1POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

¹CompiledfromSDC2019rapporteurs'reports,editedandrevisedbySarahSiddiqAneelandSaleemKhilji.ThematiccompilationbyFatimaKhalidandAnamMasood.


mobilization.

Ÿ The government should decrease indirect taxes; the

risingpricesoffooditemsneedtobecurtailedsincethis

directlyimpactsthecommoncitizen.

Ÿ Integration with global value chains is crucial for

productivity,growthandlong-termsustainability.

Ÿ For long-term sustainability, the government needs to

reducetradecostsandimprovetheinvestmentclimate.

Ÿ Burdenofausterityshouldnotbedistributedtothepoor

masses.

Ÿ Zero interest loans shouldbe given so that people are

encouragedtoincreaseusageofbankaccounts.

Ÿ Banksshouldreducethepercentageoftaxonelectronic

transactions.

Ÿ Thereisaneedtointegratetaxationauthoritiesforone-

window solution – enabling not only the inter-

adjustmentof refunds,butalso facilitatinga single tax

returnformforboththefederalandprovincialtaxes.

Ÿ Provincial tax laws should provide details of taxable

services in a manner consistent across provinces to

reduceunnecessaryfuturelitigation.

Ÿ Standardization of sales tax across most services in

provincesshouldbeundertaken.

Ÿ Improved accounting for taxes paid under the reverse

chargemechanismneedtobedone.

Ÿ Thetimeperiodforclaiminginputtaxcreditshouldbe

consistentacrossallprovincialrevenueadministrations.

Ÿ A single base to calculate all taxes applicable on

acquisition and disposal of property in provincial or

federaljurisdictionshouldbecreated.

Ÿ Thereisaneedtohaveonenationalrevenueservice.

Ÿ Taxcollectioninstitutionsshouldbeindependent.

Ÿ Revenueboardsshouldhaveoneloginandonesystemof

taxation.

Ÿ Tax collection needs to be automated and digitalized.

Analytic tools should also be used by the federal and

provincialrevenueandtaxadministrations.

Ÿ FBRandtaxdepartmentsshouldhavecentralizeddata.

Ÿ Taxauthoritiesneedtotakeparticipatorydecisions.

Ÿ Importoffooditemsshouldbereducedtosupportlocal

growersandmanufacturers.SocialSector

Ÿ The government needs to bridge the digital divide by

bringingincommunitiesandpeopleattheperipheriesof

development, especially the deprived areas into the

digital sphere through special allocations in order to

ultimatelymovetowardsgreater�inancialinclusion.

Ÿ Studentsshouldbeprovidedaconduciveandprogressive

environmentforactiveparticipationinpolitics.

Ÿ Digital pro�iling of recipients of Social Protection

Programmes should be undertaken to target the

deservingpopulation.

Ÿ The government must ensure that the youth do not

become redundant due to loss of jobs as a result of

increaseddigitalization.Hence,thereisaneedtosecure

jobsforyoungpeopleandguaranteethatinequalitiesare

beingplannedforandmanaged.

Ÿ Youngpeopleshouldbeallowedtoexpressthemselves

andgivenplatformsfortheirmeaningful inclusionand

participationinstatedecision-making.

Ÿ There isaneedtoanalysedifferentparameters,which

canhelpkeepPakistaniyouthawayfromextremism.

Ÿ Amendments should bemade in theMining Laws and

Regulations of Pakistan to ensure community

participation in mining contracts to avoid con�lict

between the locals, the company and the government.

Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the

communitiesshouldbeensured.Thegovernmentshould

develop a formal criterion, for land royalty for pro�it

sharing between communities and company to avoid

con�licts over pro�it sharing. Making changes in the

national policy can bring huge changes in the lives of

indigenous communities. This will help them prosper

�inancially, eradicate poverty, hunger, illiteracy,

frustration,massmigrationandviolence.

Ÿ Skilldevelopmentmaybedelegatedto theprivateand

developmentsectorsinordertorespondtothestructural

gapbetweenthetypeoflabourdemandedandsupplied.

Ÿ Policy debates conducted in different silos do not add

value to the policy-making process. To address social

issues,suchdebatesneedtobebetterorganizedusing

oneplatformforlargerandmoresustainedimpact.

Ÿ The focus of mental health initiatives should be on

socially-signi�icant outcomes and developing strategic

partnerships. To counter themenace ofmental health

crisisinPakistan,collaborationneedstobemultipronged

and multisectoral and go beyond merely health and

education.

Ÿ Violence through games leading to cyber bullying and

suicide rates are increasing. In this regard, national

monitoringbythegovernmentisneededsothatdigital

crimescanbecontrolled.

Ÿ Awareness campaigns should be run in educational

institutions, especially schools, where the contextual

linkagesbetweendigital technologyandmentalhealth

impacts are debated. Of�ices should also encourage

frequentbreaksforemployeesfromdailyscreentime.

Ÿ The government should develop a system and

mechanismofsocialprotectionforworkersemployedby

enterpriseslikeUberandCareeminordertoensuretheir

workingrightsunderdecentworkanddecentwage.

Ÿ South Asian countries are particularly volatile due to

issues of human rights, civil liberties and freedom of

speech. The advent of digital media has accentuated

theseissuestoasubstantialdegree.Whetheritisclimate

change or the struggle for self-determination by the

peopleof IndianOccupiedKashmir, countries inSouth

Asianeedtolookatinternationalhumanrightsnormsas

well as international regulations on digital rights of

citizenswhichshouldbedemocraticandnotborderon


censorship.

Ÿ Well-thoughtoutanddeliberatedlegalmechanismsare

requ i red to unders tand the nuances o f t he

interconnectednatureofhumanrightsmovementsand

digitalization.

Ÿ More work is needed to improve and enhance

provincial/locallevelSDGsframeworksinPakistan.

Ÿ Itisvitaltodevolve�inancialpowerstolocalbodiesand

Community Resource Persons for the effective

implementationofSDGsinthecountry.

Ÿ At the rural level, women empowerment is essential

throughtheuseofe-commerceplatforms.India,Pakistan

andBangladeshcanlearnfromeachotherinthiscase.

Ÿ Knowledge,informationandcommunicationgapsmust

be bridged for achieving inclusive growth and

sustainabledevelopment.

Ÿ In order to utilise the youth cohort and effectively

harness this demographic dividend, Pakistan needs to

locatepathwaysforskillsdevelopmentatscale.

Ÿ Public, private and development sector stakeholders

need towork together toenhance theeducationaland

technicalskillsoftheyouthsothattheycanachievetheir

dreams.

Ÿ The government should focus on the digital skills

development of women to improve their employment

and�inancialprospects.

Ÿ Although there has been some work on South Asian

ecofeminism in �iction, and poetry, it is yet to have a

strongimpact.Writersshouldalsofocusoncommunity-

based economics, local and sustainable agricultural

systems, and locally led ecological ventures, local

governance and systems of decis ion-making ,

information-sharing,andhumanrights.

Ÿ A holistic coherent approach is needed for making a

policyonDigitalFinancialInclusion.Thepolicyshouldbe

unidirectional and have quanti�iable targets and

indicators.

Ÿ Progress and protection of Sindhi language should

continue. The best practices adopted for its digital

development should be adopted by less recognised

languages.

Ÿ AllthelanguagesofSouthAsiashouldbepresentedona

culturalmap.

Ÿ Digital tools and instruments can ensure survival of

endangeredlanguages.

Ÿ Languageandreligionshouldnotbemixed.

Ÿ Itisimportanttogivegreatervisibilitytowomeninthe

historythatistaughttoyoungergenerationsofboysand

girls.The latterwill, thus,bebetter able to envisagea

commonvisionofthefuturefoundedonrespectforthe

otherandshelteredfromancestralprejudices.

Ÿ Thereisaneedtosetupstrongwomennetworksforthe

supportandemotionalwellbeingofvictimsofabuseas

sisterhoodandnetworkingareimportantto�ightagainst

femaleworkplaceharassment.

Technology,TelecommunicationandInfrastructure

Ÿ Bureaucracyandcivilservantsshouldbetrainedtouse

digitaltechnologyinordertofast-trackdecision-making

andincreaseproductivitykeepinginmindthetrade-off

betweenunlearning and fresh learning. In this regard,

more Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) need to be

encouragedinordertocomeupwithanimplementation

policy framework. The Planning Commission should

create a dedicated taskforcewhere public and private

sectorsarerepresentedforproposingsuchframeworks

inordertoovercometheexistingcapacityde�icitinstate

policymakinginstitutions.

Ÿ The Ministry of Information Technology and

Telecommunication should ensure the safety,

maintenance and ef�icacy of technology in order to

controlthemisuseofdigitalinstrumentsandtoolsaswell

astosafeguardprivateinformation.

Ÿ Amechanismneedstobedevisedforsmarterandmore

ef�icient use of technology in order to enhance

transparencyandaccountabilityofstateinstitutions.

Ÿ Early adopters of emerging technologies may offset

traditionalrestraintinSouthAsia.Therefore,innovative

approaches to policy and regulation are needed.

Advances in ICT,machine learning, biotechnology, and

theconvergenceofthesetechnologiesrequireboththe

hard regulation, and soft policy initiatives such as

guidelines, certi�ication procedures, and labelling

schemes. It is important to ensure that regulatory

solutions are �it for purpose and are coordinated

nationally,regionallyandinternationally.rd

Ÿ Pakistanmissed the 3 Industrial Revolution. The 4IR

shouldnotbemissedwhichisessentiallyskill-based.The

futureofworkanddigitalisationshouldbeviewedinthe

context of change in demography, climate, and the

traditionalemployer-employeerelationship.

Ÿ Governmentdepartmentsneedtoenhancetheirexisting

capabilitiesandfocusonlearningdigitaltoolstoensure

theuseofevidenceinpolicy-making.

Ÿ ThegovernmentshouldreviewtheexistingNationale-

GovernanceandICTpoliciestoidentifygapsinprogress

and make policies more realistic rather than creating

wishlists.

Ÿ It isvitaltoimplementexistinglawstoensurecitizens

participationinpublicdecision-making.Thegovernment

must utilize available ICT tools and social media

platformstoensureparticipation.

Ÿ Accesstodigitaltechnologiesshouldbeensuredforthe

largerpublicinordertobridgethedigitaldivide.

Ÿ There isaneed todelveuponhowdigital systemsare

beingstructuredtopromotehuman-centricpoliciesand

designthinking.

Ÿ Thereisanurgentneedfordigitaleducationanddigital

skillsthrougheducationalcurricula/programmesaswell

ascareerdevelopmenttoolstofacilitateboththecapacity

buildingandresilience.


Ÿ Moreawarenessneedstobecreatedamongthegeneral

publicontheresponsibleuseofdigitaltechnology.

Ÿ Thegovernmentshoulddeviseproperrulesandlawsto

regulatetheuseofdigitaltechnologybythegovernment.

Ÿ Organisations or enterprises have to change their

businessmodelsinordertointegratenewtechnologies.

Ÿ ThegovernmentmustputongroundPakistanComputer

Emergency Response Team (PAK CERT), which is

overdue.ThereshouldbearesponsiveCERTnetworkin

thecountry.

Ÿ Theexistingcybersecurityeffortsare fragmentedand

scattered.PakistanneedstoestablishaUni�iedTriservice

Cyber Command. The purpose would be to plan and

conductsynchronisedactivitiesandoperations.

Ÿ Digital activism or the use of digital technologies to

facilitate change in the political and social realms is a

rapidlyevolvingandstrengtheningarea.Thinktanksand

universities should conduct research on how to use

digitalactivismtofocusonhumanrightsissuesinvarious

countriesacrosstheworld.

Ÿ Datasynergyshouldbeadoptedbyvariousstakeholders

soastoensureeveryonehasthesameinformationand

there are no knowledge gaps between institutions,

especiallypublicsectorones.

Ÿ Pakistan's agriculture sector must be strengthened

through technological modernisation and can help in

achievingtheSDGsdirectlyandindirectly.

Ÿ A credit score card should be introduced to enhance

digital�inancialactivityaswellasincentivisecustomers.

In addition, lending should be based upon the credit

scoresofeverycustomer.

Ÿ Incentivesshouldbegiventocitizenswhoarevoluntarily

using or trying to use digital wallets or electronic

banking.

Ÿ A coordinated effort is required through digital rights

organisationsfornamingandshamingcyberbulliesso

thatcyberbullyingisnotnormalised.

Ÿ The government should provide an enabl ing

environmenttopromotetheuseofdigitaltechnologyto

increasefoodproductivity.

Ÿ Transport sector needs to be regulated to control the

increasing number of cars. Public transportation

facilities need to be improved and developed in this

regard.EducationandProfessionalTraining

Ÿ It is important that the present ef�iciency-based skill

model be transformed into a knowledge-based skill

model.

Ÿ Continuous education of the workforce is required in

order to keep pace with rapid digitalisation and

technologicalchanges.

Ÿ The government should establish stronger linkages

betweenacademiaandindustry,particularlyfocusingon

subjectslikeScienceandMathematics.

Ÿ There isaneed to improve thequalityofeducation in

Pakistanby:

a. Introducingvirtualclassrooms.

b. Improving Internet and network availability in

educationalinstitutionsacrossthecountry.

c. Enriching the curriculumwithmore focusonSciences

andIT-relatedsubjects.

d. Introducing robust and continuous professional skills

developmentprogrammes.

e. Providing of multiple media content according to the

needsofstudentsandteachers.

f. Buildingthecapacityofteachersinoperational,cultural

andcriticaldimensionsofnewdigitalplatforms.g. Developing a more nuanced and revised National

EducationPolicyinlinewiththedemandsoftheFourthIndustrialRevolution.

h. Adoptingcost-effectivedigitalmethodsinteaching.I. Decentralisingtheeducationsystem.

j. assessing student enrolments, teaching methodology

andcontentusingdigitalsoftwareandtools.Apartfromthis,thegovernmentshouldalso:

1. provide more educational and training support to

aspiringwomenentrepreneurs,especiallyinruralareas,

onhowtosetupsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesand

otheraspectsrelatedtomarketingandoutreachetc.

2. introduceonlinecoursesonentrepreneurship

3. traincivilservantsonusingdigitaltoolsandtechnologies

tofast-trackpublicserviceprovision.

4. promotecriticalthinkingintheyoungergenerationwith

thehelpofparentsandteacherssothattheymightbe

responsibleandmatureaboutuseofdigitaltechnology.

5. introduce Cyber Security professional degrees in

universities with the help of Higher Education

Commission. This is currently being done by the Air

University.

Ÿ Studentexchangeprogrammesandotherinitiativeshelp

buildcamaraderiebetweencommunitiesacrossborders

and should be encouraged and supported by regional

governmentsanduniversities.

Ÿ While thedevelopmentofhighereducation isvital for

Pakistan, the government also needs to prioritize

primaryandsecondaryeducation.

Ÿ Inordertomovetowardsauniformeducationsystemin

all the provinces, greater coordination between the

variouseducationdepartmentsisrequired.

Ÿ Qualityassuranceshould�irstbeimplementedintheHEC

andfromthere,itshouldbeimplementedinuniversities.

Ÿ Pakistaniuniversitiesmustbe transformed intodigital

spaces.

Ÿ Theyounggenerationneedstobetrainedtodealwiththe

impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For this

purpose, the youth within the institutes should be

impartedextraskillstobridgethedigitaldividesothat

they might work with digital tools, platforms, and

instruments.

Ÿ It is the need of the hour to develop greater linkages


between skills providers, academia and industries to

helpbridgethegapbetweenthekindofskillsrequired

and the training which public and private sector

institutesareabletoprovide.

Ÿ Vocationalandtechnicaltrainingneedstobeintegrated

within the curricula of secondary schools by adding

subjectsthatequipstudentswithmoreemployableskills

fromanearlyage,beforetheyentertheworkforce.

Ÿ TransferableSkillsTrainings(TST)anddigitalinclusion

ofyoungpeopleisveryimportanttoensuresustainable

developmentinPakistan.

Ÿ Educationistsshoulduseinnovativeteachingmethodsin

classrooms so that on-job training can bene�it the

studentstowardscareerprogressionandbetterjobs.

Ÿ Skillsdevelopmentshouldbepartandparcelofallmajor

economicandindustrialpoliciessothatitfeedsintothe

broadergrowthagenda.

Ÿ Universitiesshouldencouragestudentstobecomeactive

inthisareaespeciallythroughdigitalmedia.

Ÿ Debateontobaccouseisneededwithinacademiaandthe

parliament.

Ÿ Mothertongue-basededucationshouldbeintroducedat

theprimarylevel.

Ÿ Trainings should be imparted on the mechanisms of

reportingabuseandcampaignstoraiseawarenessand

enhanceknowledgeamongwomenaboutthereporting

ofcyberbullyingandonlineabuse.

Ÿ Interdisciplinary teaching, research, and collaboration

amongstallstakeholdersisamusttoimprovePakistan's

foodsecurity.Ÿ InternationalCooperationandRegionalConnectivity

Ÿ More comprehensive high-level international

cooperationisneededinordertoreapthebene�itsofthe

FourthIndustrialRevolution(4IR).

Ÿ CPECshouldbetransformedintoaregionalconnectivity

project,whichmayactnotonlyasanenergycorridorbut

alsoanecologicalone.ExpansionofCPECcancreatea

newSouthAsiasanwars.

Ÿ India shouldbeencouraged to joinCPECsincemutual

cooperation for progress will also lead to peace and

resolvingcon�lictslikeKashmir.

Ÿ Pakistan should establish an interconnected energy

networkwithChina.

Ÿ States and non-state actors need to cooperate

internationallyinordertoharnesstheopportunitiesand

adapttochallengesposedbytherapiddigitalizationof

theeconomy.

Ÿ Pakistan should be an active partner in efforts being

madebytheUNlikesettingupaGroupofGovernment

Experts. The Shanghai Co-operation Organization is

anotheroption.

Ÿ Anappropriatejudicialsetupshouldbecreatedtodeal

withcybersecurityviolationsandcyber-crimes.

Ÿ Pakistan's Personal Data Protection Bill 2018 is

comprehensivebutneedstobeimprovedsigni�icantlyto

effectively protect privacy and meet international

standardsinprotectingpersonaldata.Inthisregard,the

followingneedstobedone:

1. Include public bodies and government-held personal

datawithintheambitoftheActbynotrestrictingitto

commercialtransactions.

2. Expand the de�inition of personal data to include all

personal data held by both private and public bodies

withoutthecaveatofcommercialtransactionsattached

toit.

3. De�ine the scope of theAct clearly: to ensure that the

rightsofdatasubjectsareprotectedregardlessofwhere

theirdataisprocessedorheld.

Ÿ Giventhatconsentofthedatasubjectisamajorprinciple

guidingdatacollection,itisimportantthattheBillde�ine

consent and that the de�inition ensure that consent is

explicit,free,informed,proactiveandspeci�ic.

Ÿ Thede�initionof “sensitivepersonaldata”needs tobe

expandedtoincludebiometricandgeneticpersonaldata.

Ÿ Data processing by law-enforcement agencies and

investigative and intelligence bodies need to be

addressedbytheBill.Theseauthoritiesshouldbesubject

to the standards of necessity and proportionality

enshrinedininternationalhumanrightslaw.

Ÿ Internationaldatasharingneedstobeaddressedbythe

Billandhigherstandardsshouldbe inplace togovern

suchtransfer.

Ÿ Exemptions to theActshouldbe limited, including the

broadpowersawardedtotheFederalGovernment.

Ÿ EnsurethatanydeviationsfromtheActaresubjecttoan

open,inclusiveandtransparentlegislativeprocess.

Ÿ For SouthAsia to dowell on the SDGs agenda, SAARC

countries need to build trust and understanding with

eachother.Cooperationinareassuchaseducation,water

andenergy,isvitalfortheregion'sdevelopment.

Ÿ ChinaandIranshouldbemadeSAARCmembers.

Ÿ SAARC countries should learn from each other's best

practicesaswellaseachother'sfailures.

Ÿ For achieving the SDGs, importanceof integration and

collaborationbetweenregionalandnationalinstitutions

isvital for thebetterexecutionofprogrammes. In this

regard,regularjointpolicyinteractionsatvariousof�icial

levelsarerequired.

NaturalResources,EnvironmentandClimateChange

Ÿ Smartwatermanagementsystemsneedtobeadoptedin

SouthAsia,especiallyPakistaninordertomakethewater

supplysystemmoreresilientandef�icientby reducing

costs and improving sustainability. High-technology

solutionsforthewatersectorincludedigitalsensorsand

meters, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

systems.

Ÿ Rainand �loodwaterharvesting shouldbe adoptedas

alternativewatersupplysolutions,notonlyinaridand

semi-arid regions, but also for reducing �lood risk in


urbanandruralareas.

Ÿ Pakistan's existing National Water Policy needs to

revisedandupdatedtofactorintheuseofdigitaltools,

frameworksandinstruments.

Ÿ There is need to createmore awareness in the public

regarding ef�icientwaterusage to reducewastage and

overuse.

Ÿ Scepticismregardingenvironmentalhazardsandclimate

change needs to be addressed by creating more

awarenessamongstthemassesandmedia.

Ÿ Air pollution is a silent killer and should be taken

seriously. While the air quality of major cities like

Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, and Faisalabad

areinthespotlightduetodataavailability,however,other

citiesalsorequireairqualitymonitoring.

Ÿ Theimpactofsmogonhealthcanbemonitoredwiththe

number of hospital visitors being observed in every

districtandcity.

Ÿ It is theneedof thehour to sensitize andeducate the

massesaboutincreasingriskofairpollutionandsmog.

Farmers should be convinced to stop burning crop

stubbleorresidueandhouseholdgarbageburning.

Ÿ All provinces of Pakistan have set up their own

environmentalpriorities,butthereisaneedforcollective

actiontoaddresstheissueofairpollution.

Ÿ Thegovernmentshouldsubsidisecleanenergyprojects

likesolarenergyandwindfarms.

Ÿ Individual efforts are required for the conservation of

resources, especially energy and water. Eco-friendly

sustainable societies are only possible through public

cooperation.

Ÿ There should be more investment in clean and

environment-friendlytechnology.

Ÿ A stronger regulatory mechanism and more �inancial

resources need to be in place to deal with Pakistan's

growingwaterscarcity.TheNationalWaterPolicy,2018

needstobeimplementedinletterandspirit.

Ÿ Uni�iedwater services should be provided in order to

enforcelawsandpolicies.Inthisregard,theMinistryof

WaterResourcesneedstobestrengthened.

Ÿ Since water is a provincial subject, engagement of

communityshouldbeensuredforwaterconservationas

well as holding local of�icials accountable for water

provision.

Ÿ Digital tools for water management, such as the

telemetrysystem,shouldbeusedinPakistan.

Ÿ South Asian governments should recognise the role

womenareplayingandhowecofeminismcanbeapplied

to environmentally-sustainable consumption and

conservationpractices.

Ÿ There isanurgentneed tostopgrowthof the tobacco

cropandintroducingalternativecrops.ResearchandDevelopment

Ÿ Itisimportanttostudytheimpact,challengesandneeds

ofyoungpeopleinaparticipatorymannertobuildnew

partnershipsbetweenyoungpeopleandthestate.

Ÿ Government functionaries should observe and study

promisingbestpracticesaroundtheglobefornationally-

ledandnationally-ownedprocesses.

Ÿ Evidence-based research has gained global limelight.

Experimental research is providing increasingly better

andeffectivedataformakingbetterpolicydecisions.

Ÿ Research should be done on the pricing of carbon

emission and taxes, as well as the huge land cover

changesthatwilloccurunderCPECandimpactairand

waterquality.

Ÿ Thinktanksanduniversitiesshouldconductresearchto

identifygaps inmentalhealthconcerns toaddress the

problematpolicylevel(Nodata=nopolicy).

Ÿ Relevantgovernmentministriesanduniversitiesshould

investinResearch&Developmenttoassessthedemand

for skills and help inform inclusive and indigenous

trainingstomeettherequisiterequirements.

Ÿ Furtherresearchshouldbedoneonecofeminismandit

shouldalsobecomeapartofschoolcurriculum.

Ÿ Ecofeminism in modern Chinese literary research is

limitedandthereisaneedtofurtherworkinthisarea.Media

Ÿ Fakenewsandsophisticateddisinformationcampaigns

are especially problematic in democratic systems. In

order to maintain an open, democratic system, the

government should promote news literacy and strong

professional journalism. The media industry must

providehigh-qualityjournalisminordertobuildpublic

trustandcorrectfakenewsanddisinformationwithout

legitimising it. The government should invest in an

institution that identi�ies fake news, reduces �inancial

incentivesforthosewhopro�itfromdisinformation,and

improveonlineaccountability.

Ÿ Thereisaneedforpartnershipwiththemediainorderto

educate the public about the importance of water

conservation.

Ÿ Triple-helixapproachneedstobeimplementedinwhich

private-publicsectorsmustbelinkedwiththemedia.

Ÿ Peopleofacommonlanguageacrossthebordersshould

remain in contact with their lingual partners through

digitalmedia.DefenceandSecurity

Ÿ StrategicstabilityinSouthAsiaisbeingaffectedbythe

growing asymmetry in conventional forces between

Pakistan and India, the expansion and technological

modernisation of strategic forces. The asymmetry is

pushing India toward limited war strategies and

escalation dominance. The introduction of tactical

nuclear weapons by Pakistan is vital for reinforcing

deterrence.

Ÿ ANational SecurityAgency shouldbe established that

mustidentifygapstoimprovetheoverallcybersecurity

postureand laydownsector speci�ic requirements for

the regulatorswho shouldenforce these inpublic and


private organisations. The agency should formulate a

National Security Strategy that should be aimed at

defendingeconomicassetsandpreparingagainstcyber

threats.

Ÿ TheNational Cyber SecurityAgency should encourage

cyberresearchanddevelophumancapitalinthisarea.

Ÿ A practical and bene�icial Pakistan-speci�ic Security

Framework such as Cyber Security Maturity Matrix

shouldbeimplemented.

Ÿ ACyber SecurityCerti�icationBoard (CSCB) shouldbe

established to conduct on-site security assessment of

important organisations against the Cyber Security

MaturityMatrix.

Ÿ The Data Protection Act and Prevention of Electronic

CrimeActshouldbereviewedandamendedandmade

more responsive after getting input from all the

stakeholders.BusinessandEntrepreneurship

Ÿ The government's business and entrepreneurship

policies should look at ways to enhance access to

knowledge through digital media even in the

marginalisedregionsofPakistan.

Ÿ Local businesses in Pakistan lack international

connectionsandcompanies likeAmazon&Paypalwill

helplocalbusinesstapglobalmarkets.Thereisaneedto

provide commercial incentives to these companies so

that they might invest and set up their of�ices in the

country.

Ÿ Thereisaneedtoinitiateentrepreneurialspiritamong

theyouthtopromoteideasfordigitalization.StateInstitutionsandGovernance

Ÿ Policies need to have consistency and must not be

revokedorchangedfrequently.Inthisregard,federaland

provinciallevelcoordinationisessential.

Ÿ Institutionalbuildingiscrucial.Institutionsthatarebuilt

ef�icientlyareabletotakeupandproducebetterpolicies

basedonevidence.

Ÿ Think tanks, like SDPI, should play a major role in

providing provincial governments with policy

recommendationsregardingDigitalSocialSecurity.

Ÿ One-window services should be used to enhance

communication between service providers and

bene�iciaries. Under a single window service, all the

relevantdatacanbeveri�ied throughasinglewindow.

With exclusion of many intermediates, physical

attendance,etc.thegovernmentcanprovidebene�itsto

thepoorcost-effectively.

Ÿ A detailed mapping exercise of government policies

shouldbeundertaken.

Ÿ In order tomake government functions smoother and

making state institutions and of�icials accountable,

Pakistanneedstoequipstatefunctionarieswithmodern

digitaltoolsandbuildthecapacityofthepublicof�icials

tomakegovernancemoreimpactful.

Ÿ Consensusbuilding is requiredon thenotionofpublic

accountability at highestpolitical levelbydetermining

the roleof citizens inmakinggovernmentaccountable

throughcitizenparticipationinpolicy-making.

Ÿ New institutions should be established with digital

infrastructure and set up, while traditional banking

systemsshouldbeabrogated.

Ÿ ThetobaccoindustryfallsundertheMinistryof

CommerceandFederalBoardofRevenuewhichis

causingburdenonthehealthsector.Intergovernmental

coordinationisrequiredinthisregard.HealthSector

Ÿ In Pakistan, 20% people suffer from mental illnesses

whicharefurthercausingcardiovasculardiseases.Oneof

thereasonsisstatedtobetheuseofgadgets,whichis

increasing day-by-day and is posing serious threats to

mental health of children as well as adults. The

government,especiallytheMinistryofHealth,shouldset

up subsidisedmental health facilities and createmore

awareness at the meso and macro level about the

negativeimpactoftechnologicalgadgets.

Ÿ Useofmeditationappsshouldbepromotedwhichcan

easilybeaccessedfordealingwithdepressionduetothe

isolationistnatureofsocialmedia.

Ÿ Itisimportanttoimproviseinnovativestrategiestofocus

onmentalhealthissueswhicharegroundedandrelevant

tothecontextofPakistan.

Ÿ Mental health should be made part of the primary

healthcaresector,likebasichealthunits.

Ÿ Acomprehensivemulti-sectoraltobaccocontrolpolicyis

needed in Pakistan. In this regard, regional aswell as

globalbestpracticesneedtobereplicated.

Ÿ Thegovernmentshouldenactnewlawsrelatedtovaping,

vapingproductsandvapehubsinPakistan.

Ÿ Schoolchildren should not be exposed to tobacco

products,especiallycigarettes.

Ÿ Size of the graphic health warning on cigarette packs

needstoberevisedwithoutanydelaytowarnpeopleof

the links between smoking and cancer. A pathological

imagemaybeusedasGraphicHealthWarninginsteadof

usingaparticularorgan.Agraphicimagewithoutdetails

maybedif�iculttounderstandbylesseducatedpeople.Humanrights,Law-EnforcementandJustice

Ÿ While Pakistan's Transgender Persons (Protection of

Rights) Act 2018 makes it the �irst Asian country to

recognizeself-perceivedgenderidentity,farmoresteps

areneededtoeffectivelyenddiscrimination,taboosand

violence against transgender people. Acceptance and

awareness by family and society in this regard is of

utmostimportance.

Ÿ The government needs to implement the Transgender

Persons(ProtectionofRights)Act2018intrueletterand

spiritbymakingspecialallocationsfortheeducationand

skillstrainingoftransgenderpeople.

Ÿ The2018Actallows transgenders toapply fordriving

license, passport, interest-free loans, etc., but more


00107

awareness about the Act needs to be created. For

example, they should not be deprived of rightful

inheritancebytheirfamilies.

Ÿ Law-enforcementandothergovernmentof�icialsshould

betrainedabouttheActtoenforcethepenaltiesde�ined

for violence, illegal expulsion and harassment of

transgenders.

Ÿ The government should provide separate wards to

transgendersinhospitalsuntiltheyarenotacceptedand

accommodatedinregularwards.

Ÿ South Asian governments need to formulate laws for

supporting linguistic integrity and conservation of

endangeredregionalandindigenouslanguages.

Ÿ Thegovernmentneedstoenactstrongerlegislationfor

the protection of women against cyber bullying and

punishtheabusers.Onlinebullyingandthreatsneedto

be reported instead of being ignored or deleted. By

deleting such comments, the evidence is destroyed, so

reportingshouldbethenorm.Victimsofcyberbullying

should open up public discussions and platforms for

dialogueinordertoraiseawarenessabouttheissue.

Ÿ Moreopportunitiesforinteractionandnetworkingina

safe and secure environment should be provided to

courageouswomen belonging tomilitarized areas like

Indian Occupied Kashmir so that they can express

themselves and gain exposure in order to avail

internationaljobprospects.

Ÿ Strong networks should be created to bring to public

knowledgetheharassmentfacedbywomen.

Ÿ Governments should develop more women-friendly

policeincountrieslikeNepal,IranandPakistansothat

womenmightfeelsafewhilereportingtheirissuesand

arefacilitatedinsteadoffacingfurtherintimidationand

violence.AgriculturalSector

Ÿ A digital Punjab programme should be launched to

export agri-products to increase pro�itability of the

agriculturesector.

Ÿ Cost-effective and indigenous precision agriculture

technologiesshouldbeintroducedatthefarmlevel.

Ÿ Farmer associations need to be better organised into

viableunitstobuildtheircapacityandcreateawareness

andacceptanceofmoderntechnologicaltools.

Ÿ A road map for Smart Farm Development should be

devised that includes a formal research agenda, pilot

testingandinformationadvocacy.

Ÿ Dripandsprinklerirrigationshouldbeadoptedtomake

ef�icientuseofwater.


Book Blurb: SDC Anthology “Corridors of Knowledge for Peace and Development”

Jointly published by SDPI and Sang-e-Meel

Corridors of Knowledge for Peace and Developmentwaslaunchedon2December2019byPresidentArifAlvi at the inaugural of SDPI's Twenty-second

Sustainable Development Conference. It is based on peerreviewedandapprovedpaperspresentedatSDPI'sSDCheldin2018.

CorridorsofKnowledgeforPeaceandDevelopmentisSDPI'sprincipalcontributiontopolicy-relevant,timely,andreliable research and analysis on key global sustainabledevelopmentissues.Offeringabigpictureviewthroughtheeyesof leadingpolicyandacademic stalwarts fromSouthAsiaandbeyond,thebookaddressesissuessuchashumancapital;socialexclusion;povertyalleviation;4IR;unfairlawsand legal systems; �iscal rules and regulations; transportcorridors; a changing climate; ultra-nationalism; humanrightsandviolenceagainstwomen.

This collaborative effort of some 30 authors from 10countriesseekstodemystifythese issuesandchartawayforward,whileexplaining,asclearlyaspossible, themostpressingpolicyquestionsandthedifferentpolicypositionsthatde�inethem.

Ourhopeisthatthoseactivelyinvolvedinsuchdebates-asthoughtleaders,changeagents,andstrategists-willbeabletodrawonthepenetratingre�lectionsandlearningstohelp generate new ideas that spur action towards thecommon goal of achieving sustainable development and

regional connectivity for the economies, ecosystems andcommunitiesofSouthAsiaandbeyond.

Thee-versionofthebookcanbedownloadedfreeofcostfromthegivenlink:

ht tps ://sdpi .org/publ icat ions/corr idors-of -knowledge-for-peace-and-development/

BookblurbbySarahS.Aneel

October - DECEMBER 2019 SDC Special Bulletin Vol 26. No. 6 · SDC Special Bulletin Vol 26. No. 6...

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Transcript of October - DECEMBER 2019 SDC Special Bulletin Vol 26. No. 6 · SDC Special Bulletin Vol 26. No. 6...