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PESHAWAR, Jul 29 (APP):A 3-day capacity-building workshop titled “Data Interpretation and Use” commenced here on Tuesday, jointly organized by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The workshop, being held from July 29 to 31, is aimed at promoting evidence-based planning and policy-making by empowering provincial stakeholders to optimally utilize PBS’s comprehensive databank.
The event brought together over a hundred senior planners, statisticians and development experts from across key government departments including Planning and Development, Education, Health, Industries, Labour, Livestock, Local Govt and Rural Development, Finance, Communication and Works, Agriculture and other vital sectors.
The workshop focused on enhancing participants’ technical capacity in utilizing socio-economic data sets for effective governance and resource optimization.
Muhammad Sarwar Gondal (Sitara-e-Imtiaz), Senior Member (Support Services/Resource Management), PBS, in his inaugural speech, delivered an insightful presentation on the breadth of PBS’s data resources, including datasets from population and housing censuses, PSLM, HIES, labour force surveys and economic indicators.
He highlighted real-time case studies to illustrate how robust data interpretation can translate into effective policy decisions.
Gondal also invited participants to the upcoming Data Fest 2025 to be held on 11–12 November 2025 at Pak-China Friendship Center, Islamabad, encouraging cross-sectoral data collaboration and visualization.
Presiding over the inaugural ceremony, Dr Naeem uz Zafar (Sitara-e-Imtiaz), Chief Statistician of Pakistan, emphasized the critical role of reliable statistics in achieving sustainable development and ensuring good governance.
He reaffirmed PBS’s commitment to supporting provincial governments through enriched data services, digital dashboards, and institutional capacity development.
Mahjabeen Qazi, UNFPA Provincial Head, underscored the importance of data-informed governance for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She praised the proactive collaboration between PBS and KP govt departments as a promising model for other provinces.
Fayyaz Alam, Additional Secretary for Education, KP, on behalf of KP govt, appreciated PBS and UNFPA for conducting the workshop at a crucial juncture.
He noted that in line with the Chief Minister’s directive and the Chief Secretary’s vision, all departments have been tasked with developing actionable roadmaps for governance reforms and that such workshops offer the tools to build them effectively.
Throughout the workshop, participants are engaging in hands-on sessions covering key sectors such as health, education, WASH, labor, trade, prices, and living standards.
Live demonstrations of PBS’s interactive dashboards, custom time series, and sector-specific indicators are being delivered, alongside practical group exercises to enhance data application skills in real-world planning scenarios.
An on-site Data Dissemination Desk has also been established to provide instant access to relevant data sets and guidance to all participants.
This collaborative initiative marks a significant stride toward fostering a data-literate governance culture in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bridging the gap between numbers and narratives, and paving the way for strategic, inclusive, and transparent development.