ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi Monday said that the digitalisation of the economy was essential to empower women and bring other deprived segments into the mainstream. Dr Alvi stated this, while addressing the plenary session of the 24th Sustainable Development Conference organization by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

He further said Pakistan has dealt the corona pandemic with effective strategy as the government disbursed billions of rupees among a large number of deserving and vulnerable families in the wake of breakout of the pandemic.

He said the nation is witnessing the positive results of this strategy and our policy is being acknowledged by the world. The president said the Covid pandemic also opened door of E-learning and online education.

He further said the disbursement of the cash assistance to women under Ehsaas programme directly to their banks accounts would make the women more financially empowered.

He said the banks had also introduced schemes for women to make them establish their own businesses, which would ultimately make them play a constructive role in the society.

The president said the Covid-19 pandemic had shown the world multiple ways to do the things online and the nations making the decisions accordingly would excel.

He lauded the society’s support as well as the government’s prudent police of smart lockdown and data-driven decisions to support the poor and the economy, which saved the people as well as the economy.

He also spoke highly of the government’s mass vaccination drive, which he said had helped to aware the masses about the importance of preventive care instead of curative one, which was also costlier.

He said Pakistan was the fourth largest country for the prevalence of diabetes, which was also preventable.

President Alvi said the Covid pandemic also provided an opportunity to promote the online learning, which the nation could not adopt earlier despite availability of tools.

The president said the think tanks such as the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), the organiser of the conference, should identify the new trends and exploit them.

Highlighting the strengths of the Pakistani nation, he specifically mentioned the hosting of millions of Afghan refugees by the country, which the developed countries could not do rather let them drown in the oceans.

President Alvi also asked the think tanks to ensure that their work was also bought by the opinion makers like the government and parliamentarians, which otherwise would not have any impact base in the decision making.

Criticizing the trend of the fake news, the president urged the people to be cautious of the phenomenon which could adversely impact the nations and damage the people’s mindset.

The executive director SDPI appreciated the government’s timely steps to contain the pandemic and commodities’ prices, which also saved the people from food scarcity.

He said the adoption of online life was essential as the information technology had made the people netizens of the internet world. He said 250 speakers from 20 countries would address the three-day conference who would ponder on new lessons and opportunities for sustainable development.

SAPM Dr Sania Nishtar said the Covid pandemic had learnt the world that health was a national security issue and also compelled the people to do the things digitally.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021