Speakers call for effective steps to address socio-economic challenges

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a workshop here on Tuesday stressed the need to take effective steps for reconstruction of the society on positive lines and addressing the socio-economic challenges being faced by the country at present.

The two-day training of trainers (ToT) workshop organised under the ‘Hum Pakistani’ initiative was held at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). The event aimed at sensitizing the influential segments of the society about importance if the role they can play in reconstruction of the society at the local level. Under the ‘Hum Pakistani’ initiative, training will be imparted to the people at the tehsil and district levels.

At least 100 faculty members from 20 universities of the federal capital participated in the two-day training programme, who will then help spread the ‘Hum Pakistani’ narrative in every nook and corner of the country.

Shahid Minhas from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Dr Nasir Mahmood, Dean Faculty of Education, AIOU, and SAM Sherazi were prominent among those who delivered lectures on the occasion.

While deliberating upon the issues like violence, terrorism and extremism, the speakers said the nation should get united on a single platform to combat the menace of intolerance and prejudices. They asserted that the message of ‘Hum Pakistani’ should be spread across the country for ensuring a better future to the society.

Calling for need to promote the spirit of patriotism and love for the country, particularly among the youth, they called upon the government to enforce a unified education system in the country so that rich and poor can equally benefit from the national resources and have a better place in the society. They opined that the universities should prove to be a helping hand in policy-making at the national level through their intellectual discourse, and also called for laying greater focus on reconstruction of society and national integration through community-based activities. They also underlined the need of promoting interfaith harmony among the people of various religions and sects through dialogue.

They speakers underlined the importance of Paigham-e-Pakistan for re-construction of society, and said it was a good omen that narrative of ‘Hum Pakistanis’ is getting roots among the masses. The entire nation, they added, has unanimity of views on the initiative, which will help country come out of the present socio-economic crisis.At the end of the ToT session, certificates were also distributed among the participants.