Seminar on successful rural development models in Pakistan held

ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Rural Economy (CRE) on Thursday organised seminar on successful rural development models in Pakistan, here where Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Pakistan Representative, Mina Dowlatchahi graced the occasion as Chief Guest.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CRE Dr. Aamer Irshad welcomed the participants of the seminar and talked on the importance of rural transformation and the actions taking by the Planning Commission in this context.

He said that 12th five year plan has included rural transformation in their priority list by understanding the sensitivity of the rural issues in Pakistan. Member, Climate Change and Food Security, Planning Commission Dr. Muhammad Azeem Khan, in his opening remarks highlighted the purpose of this centre as an evidence based research centre and shared few research activities with International Organisation by CRE Core Team, Syed Amjad Hussain, Dr. Faisal Anwar Malik and Dr. Qaiser Rafique Yasser (Group Heads) and Muhammad Ayaz, Sohail Ajmal Paracha and Mushtaq Ur Rehman and Muhammad Khan (senior research fellows).

Ms. Mina in her Inaugural Address said that effective rural development strategies are central in achieving the SDGs, under the leave no one behind principle. She stated that today’s concept of successful rural development models concerns not only with improvements in economic growth, per capita income, and production output but it also includes the social assessment of changes in the quality of life, such as improvement in health and nutrition, education, environmentally safe living conditions, and reduction in gender and income inequalities and food security.

She added, rural development is essential part of the process for structural transformation characterised by diversification of the economy away from agriculture.

Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Qazi Azmat Isa, shared his thoughts about integrated rural development programmes and successful case studies in South Asia and Pakistan. He said the inclusion of the rural inhabitants is the key in rural transformation; the ownership must be shared with the local community for sustainable development. The current rural development programs under implementation in the country have bottom-up and demand driven approaches. They adopted a common approach to rural development, social mobilization on the belief that poor people have an innate potential to help themselves, that they can better manage their limited resources if they organise and are provided technical and financial support.

Abdul Wajid Rana (programme leader, IFPRI Pakistan) talked about post-devaluation rural development in Pakistan and said that we are depending on the Union Councils but need to develop rural institutions to empower the rural community.

Zafar Ul Hassan (chief, SDGs, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform) shared the progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by Planning Commission, Pakistan. He said that Planning Commission have development national framework for minimum imperative of sustained development and now working on the provincial frameworks.

Dr. Stephen Davies (senior research fellow, IFPRI, Pakistan) conclude the session by beliefs that the inclusive rural transformation demarcated as a process in which agricultural productivity can sway, increasing marketable surpluses, expanded off-farm employment opportunities, better access to public services and infrastructure, capacity to influence policy all lead to improved rural livelihoods and inclusive growth in Pakistan.