ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Friday stressed the importance of equipping youth with digital skills as the IT ministry, in collaboration with Huawei, launched a training portal to develop a more technologically skilled workforce, the state media reported.
The government views information technology as a driver of economic change, seeking to transform the sector into a cornerstone of its strategy for financial stability. Pakistan has earmarked IT as a priority sector, courting foreign investment from countries like China and the Gulf states.
“The main objective of this program is to impart training to our youth, making them eligible for jobs and enabling them to contribute to the country’s development,” Khawaja was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan as saying at the launch of the portal.
“To bolster the economy, it is essential to equip our young population with the necessary training and skills,” she added.
The minister emphasized the importance of IT in the modern age, pointing out that the government was also setting up e-employment centers and e-libraries.
Highlighting the country’s potential in the field, Khawaja noted that over 150 million young people in Pakistan were under 30, adding that they could play a critical role in driving economic progress.
The minister announced the formation of a National IT Skills Committee, comprising representatives from IT boards and provincial ministries, to strengthen governance and coordination in the sector.
Huawei’s Deputy CEO Ahmed Bilal Masud highlighted the company’s commitment to fostering digital literacy and bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry needs.
“By investing in the future of our youth, we are paving the way for a skilled workforce that will drive Pakistan’s economic growth and technological advancement,” he said.
He informed that the training program would utilize Huawei’s extensive resources and global expertise to deliver comprehensive education for students and trainers, aiming to enhance ICT education nationwide and promote digital transformation in Pakistan.
Pakistan launches IT training portal with Huawei to build digital skills among youth
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Pakistan launches IT training portal with Huawei to build digital skills among youth
- Shaza Fatima Khawaja says it is vital to equip Pakistani youth with necessary skills to bolster the economy
- The training program will use Huawei’s resources and global expertise to deliver comprehensive education
Challenges for millions pushed back to Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan
- Over five million Afghans returned home since September 2023 as Iran, Pakistan ramp up deportations
- Those who returned face challenges in form of unemployment, lack of housing, shortage of electricity and water
KABUL: After decades hosting Afghans fleeing crises at home, Pakistan and Iran have ramped up deportations and forced millions back across the border to a country struggling to provide for them.
Whether arriving at the frontier surrounded by family or alone, Afghan returnees must establish a new life in a nation beset by poverty and environmental woes.
AFP takes a look at the people arriving in Afghanistan and the challenges they face.
FIVE MILLION
More than five million Afghans have returned home from Iran and Pakistan since September 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The figure equates to 10 percent of the country’s population, according to the agency’s deputy head in Afghanistan, Mutya Izora Maskun.
Three million returnees crossed the borders just last year, some of whom have spent decades living abroad.
Such a huge influx of people would be hard for any country to manage, Maskun said.
INADEQUATE HOUSING
Months after arriving in Afghanistan, 80 percent of people had no permanent home, according to an IOM survey of 1,339 migrants who returned between September 2023 and December 2024.
Instead, they had to live in temporary housing made from materials such as stone or mud.
More recently, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spoke to Afghans who arrived back between January and August last year about their living arrangements.
Three-quarters of tenants said they could not afford their rent, while the majority of families were sharing rooms with up to four people, according to the survey of 1,658 returnees.
DESPERATE SEARCH FOR WORK
Just 11 percent of adults pushed back from Pakistan and Iran were fully employed, the IOM survey found.
For those who returned in the first few months of last year, the average monthly income was between $22 and $147, according to the UNHCR.
WATER, ELECTRICITY SHORTAGES
More than half the returnee households lack a stable electricity supply, according to the IOM.
The agency said that households headed by women faced “significantly higher vulnerabilities,” with around half of them struggling to access safe drinking water.
SPEEDING UP LAND DISTRIBUTION
More than 3,000 plots of land have been distributed to returnees nationwide, Hamdullah Fitrat, the Afghan government’s deputy spokesman, said in mid-January.
The process “was accelerated,” he said while recounting a special meeting with supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
On their arrival in Afghanistan, returnees usually receive help with transport, a SIM card and a small amount of money.
