ISLAMABAD ( March 1, 2022): It is high time to learn more about Pakistan and fight the stereotypes about the country in the European society, said Mr Christoph Dinkel Aker, Co-founder Al-Sharq Reise, Germany. He was visiting Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) along with a 13-member delegation representing social, economic, and political experts from Germany.
The German delegation on the occasion expressed grave concerns over the situation in Afghanistan and the challenges Pakistan faces due to this crisis. The delegation also learned about the opportunities available for the youth in the country, the potential of the services industry, the state of economy, and the cooperation between Pakistan and Germany in addition to emphasizing on academic exchanges with SDPI.
Dr Vaqar Ahmed, SDPI joint Executive Director, SDPI, said that SDPI has been in partnership with different German organizations for the past three decades. This constant support has enabled SDPI to expand its expertise into different fields of global and local importance, he added.
He briefed the delegation on the system of governance in Pakistan, public accountability, economy, COVID_19 recovery, CPEC, foreign relations and various challenges the country is facing in terms of fiscal growth and the uncertain situation in Afghanistan. He said that a start-up revolution is taking place in the country right now to which the 63% of Pakistani youth population will be a game changer with their technical savvy and digital knowledge. He also highlighted the SDPI’s s policy role in connecting those start-ups to global value chains.
Dr Shafqat Munir, SDPI Research Fellow and Head of Resilience Development Programme, asserted that Pakistan faced a spill-over of extremism in the country after 9/11 and US war on terror in Afghanistan. “Pakistan re-emerged from the stigma of extremism through a National Action Plan (NAP) by taking stern measures to promote equal citizenship, women rights, and religious rights.” He said civil society played a crucial role in the rebranding of the country.
Earlier, Dr Hina Aslam, SDPI Research Fellow and Head of Energy Unit and Senior Research Associate Ms Rabia Tabassum, informed the delegation that gender inclusivity is a key focus of the country, and we are fast moving towards achieving this goal.
