KARACHI, Aug 01 (APP): Federal Minister for Information Technology & Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque said on Tuesday that US $7.1 billion investment had been made in the telecommunication sector in the country with earning of billions of rupees.
He was addressing the ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the Health Incubator and Science & Technology Park at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) of Karachi University (KU).
The MoU was signed by Syed Junaid Imam, Member Ministry of IT & Telecom and Prof. Dr Iqbal Choudhary, Director ICCBS.
The IT minister, on the request of KU Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, said the Examination Centre of the Karachi University would be digitalized, and directed the Member IT and Chief Executive Officer of National Information Technology Board to coordinate with the university management in that regard.
He said that under the MoU, the Pakistan Software Export Board would establish the Health Incubator and Science & Technology Park at the ICCBS.
“Our effort is to integrate information and communication technology and academia. The establishment of a health incubator in the university will greatly help medical start-ups, and that of a science and technology park will connect students to the digital world,” he added.
The minister said the revolutionary steps taken by the incumbent government should have been done many decades ago.
He said the Pakistani youths had a unique position in the world in terms of their ability and competence.
He said the MOITT through the Universal Service Fund spent Rs 77.8 billion on 83 projects to provide broadband services in the remote areas across Pakistan to facilitate the rural population as they could smoothly perform their work and connect to the digital world.
He further said due to the ministry’s efforts, the smartphone manufacturing bill was passed by the Parliament and currently 28 companies, including Samsung and Nokia, were making mobiles phones.
Amin Ul Haque said the tech giant Google had opened its office in the country and provided 15,000 scholarships to Pakistani students last year and would provide 45,000 scholarships during the current year, and the number would be enhanced to 450,000 in 2024.
On the occasion, KU Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, Patron-in-Chief ICCBS Prof Dr. Atta-Ur-Rehman, ICCBS Director Prof. Dr. M Iqbal Choudhry, CEO Pakistan Software Export Board Ali Raza, CEO Ignite Asim Shahryar Hussain and Aziz Latif Jamal as well Nadira Panjwani also addressed the ceremony.
Later, talking to media persons, Minister Amin Ul Haque said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement –Pakistan (MQM-P) believed in free, fair and transparent elections.