National Commission for Human Development Chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf on Saturday said that in the next six years, Pakistan's ranking in the International Human Development was expected to jump 16 positions. Speaking here at a news conference, he said under a six-year plan, already approved by the President General Pervez Musharraf, the NCHD which was currently covering nearly half of the country's districts would reach every part of Pakistan.
"Under a six year plan, the projects initiated by the NCHD will cover all the 105 districts of Pakistan including Northern Areas, FATA and FANA, and we can jump our ranking (in Human Development) by 16 positions," he said.
"There is a firm political commitment of the President and the Prime Minister, and they genuinely understand that economic development is not possible without human development," he added.
The NCHD under its Universal Primary Education Programme has so for enrolled over one million out of school children in 17 districts and the drop out rate was less than 20 per cent.
The commission has trained over 404,000 volunteers for ensuring community participation in the education and health, and has established 54,000 literacy centres in 57 districts. In those centres 83,000 adults with 80 per cent women have been educated in basic literacy. "We are planning to establish 9,000 new community-based primary schools." Dr Nasim said. He said there is now general awareness all over the world that community involvement was essential for human development. The NCHD was currently hosting a Chinese delegation led by Hu Deping, which was on a weeklong tour of Pakistan to study and visit various projects initiated by the commission.
The delegation comprises a number of private entrepreneurs, and Deping who is also an important member of the Chinese Communist Party's central committee.
Dr Nasim said that within a short period of time, China has lifted 400 million people out of poverty. He invited the overseas Pakistanis to donate for the NCHD projects and said the money they send would be spent on the districts or villages of their choices. "Since all our projects are community based, therefore, they are actually present on ground and not just restricted to Islamabad," Dr Nasim added. "We are of course supported by all the ministries concerned and the people in power but our support is at the grassroots level."
He said Pakistan looks at China as its main strategic partner and the Chinese have stood by Pakistan in times of need. He thanked the Chinese delegation for supporting NCHDs initiative, and appreciated their donation of dollars 400,000 to Pakistan Human Development Fund.
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