ITU team calls onIshaq Dar, discusses IT affairs

Islamabad

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday assured the visiting Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of full cooperation for the expansion of IT services not only in Pakistan but in the whole region of this part of the world.

The delegation of ITU led by Houlin Zhao, Secretary General ITU called on Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here Tuesday. Minister of State for IT Ms Anusha Rehman Khan was also present during the meeting.

The finance minister welcomed the guest and congratulated him on being elected as the Secretary General of ITU. The minister also acknowledged the services of ITU as specialised agency of the United Nations for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to standardise and regulate international radio and telecommunications and ITU’s special services to Pakistan in managing disaster relief communications in the wake of natural disasters.

Houlin Zhao appreciated the efforts of the government in the development of IT sector in the country. He also said that it was the agenda of ITU to support and further increase the presence of small and medium size entrepreneurs in the IT sector for the development of the industry and attracting further investment in the sector particularly in application development. He suggested that Pakistan should develop strategies to become more involved in such projects which promote regional connectivity through the use of fiber optic cable.

The finance minister said that telecommunication industry had thrived in Pakistan during the last decade and has significantly contributed to the GDP of the country. He also said, “It is the vision of the government to make maximum efforts for the development of the IT sector and for technical inclusion of the population of Pakistan in the World of telecommunication services.” The minister specially recognised the services of the Minister of State for IT Ms. Anusha Rehman Khan who had played a key role in the promotion of IT sector and related infrastructure in Pakistan.

Houlin Zhao visited Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Headquarters on Tuesday. Chairman PTA, Dr. Syed Ismail Shah and other officials were present during the visit. Zhao appreciated the role of PTA and chairman PTA for the development of telecom sector of Pakistan. 

Earlier, chairman PTA briefed ITU secretary general about the functions of PTA, regulatory initiatives taken by it and overall performance of the telecom sector. The ITU secretary general was informed about the mobile broadband growth after launch of 3G/4G services.