LAHORE: Together with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and CODE Pakistan, UNDP Pakistan held the 2nd provincial launch of its flagship Pakistan National Human Development Report (NHDR) 2024, “Doing Digital for Development Access, Adopt, Anticipate, and Accelerate.”
UNDP was represented by Assistant Resident Representative (ARR), Ammara Durrani, with PITB represented by DG IT Waqar Naeem Qureshi and ADG PITB Qazi Afzal. UNDP’s digital partner Jazz and stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, students, and tech entrepreneurs attended the event.
“Digital technologies offer Pakistan the fastest path to improving its Human Development Index ranking,” highlighted UNDP ARR Ammara Durrani.
Earlier, UNDP launched the latest edition of NHDR 2024 in Islamabad on Doing Digital for Development: Access, Adopt, Anticipate, and Accelerate which focuses on the fact that in an increasingly interconnected world, the integration of digital technologies has the power to bridge gaps, empower communities, and drive economic growth. It furthermore argues that without equitable access to digital technology, Pakistan’s human development outcomes will remain low and under-served. Now, in the post-launch phase, the NHDR aims to continue building momentum on Pakistan’s digital development agenda by convening a national dialogue based on the Report’s findings.
The event featured its signature “Tech Tales,” moderated by Executive Director of CODE Pakistan, Dilawar Khan, along with women entrepreneurs who shared their journeys of using digital tools to elevate their businesses and their stories of ‘persistence amidst resistance.’
“We need domain champions and ‘man on the moon’ resolve to achieve Pakistan’s digital transformation,” said Punjab PITB DG IT Waqar Naeem Qureshi. “NHDR is not just a report, it is hope for Pakistan,” added PITB ADG Qazi Afzal.
The event also featured “Digitalks” session with speakers from Managing Director Punjab Safe City Authority, Muhammad Ahsan Younis; Anoosha Shaigan, CEO, Courtning the Law; Ali Fahad Ahmed, Head of Marketing Jazz; and Munizae Jahangir, Journalist and TV Anchor showcasing digital platforms designed to connect citizens with services such as Safe City, Human Rights, Access To Justice, Digital Inclusion, and Financial Inclusion, all aimed at supporting vulnerable groups in remote areas.
The session explored the transformative potential of digitalizing the legal system to democratize justice. The benefits include increased access to legal information, enhanced efficiency in judicial processes, reduced costs, and making justice more affordable and accessible. Digital tools can also facilitate public participation and improve service delivery. Successful digitalization requires overcoming these obstacles to create a more transparent, efficient, and inclusive justice system. The session also covered how factors such as the digital divide, cyber security, privacy concerns, resistance to change, and robust regulatory frameworks need to be addressed to facilitate this process.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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