SIALKOT, Dec 14 (APP/DNA): Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said that the aim of the Smart Village project under the government’s Digital Pakistan vision is to digitally connect remote and rural areas with internet connectivity, so that the quality of life of the people improves and it becomes easier to resolve daily issues including health and education digitally.

There is no shortage of talent and skills among the young population of Pakistan, but there is a need to highlight their talents. The Smart Village project will play a significant role in bringing forward talented youth and solving the daily problems of the residents of the area. She stated this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Asia’s first smart village project in the village of Roras, Sialkot, as the chief guest. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that this pilot project has been launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, International Telecom Union, Huawei, Bedari NGO and Tele-Education at the Roras village, located in tehsil Sambrial, 15-km from Sialkot. She said that the duration of completion of the project will be six months and 100 girls and boys will be given business and computer skills courses at the Digital Village Center, which would provide employment opportunities for them and is part of Pakistan’s Smart Villages project. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that Pakistan is the first country in the Asia-Pacific countries where e-village facilities are being provided. “Our commitment is to connect the people living in our villages and remote areas to the digital world,” she added.

She said that the provision of digital facilities related to health and education in Roras is the first step. It is a good sign that the provision of modern computer lab and virtual education is going to be started in the secondary school for girls in Roras village. She said that in view of the difficulties in providing medical facilities, digital medical consultancy facilities are also being provided. She said that the initiatives of the International Telecom Union, Huawei Pakistan, Tele-Education, Bedari NGO and the Department of Education for the project are commendable. Similar smart village projects will soon be launched in all four provinces, she added.

Regional Director International Telecommunication Union Atsuko Okuda said, “The Smart Village Pakistan initiative promotes a complete government approach to bring the benefits of digital transformation in sectors such as health, education and agriculture to rural and remote communities”.

Huawei Technologies Pakistan Samar Abbas said that the challenges that come with digitalization are immense but the opportunities in Pakistan are even greater. Digitalization is essential for competitiveness, which represents an incentive to enhance the ability to play a more important role in the international community. Regional Director International Telecommunication Union Atsuko Okuda along with Director Ministry of Information Technology Hammad Waseem, Executive Director Bedari NGO Arshad Mehmood Mirza and Vice Chairperson Hina Noreen inaugurated the Smart Classroom and Digital Village Center at Government Girls High School Roras.