Framework for Economic Growth, Pakistan - Planning Commission

International conference on “Framework for Economic Growth, Pakistan”DiscussionDiscussant: Dr. Ali Asghar KhanHead of Omar Asghar Khan Development FoundationWe are here to talk about youth andcommunity engagement. As Dr. Nadeemsaid that FEG is a recipe, I agree with hispoint that we need to add spices in it forimplementation. Connecting people is veryimportant because we as a nation need toconnect with others in this region. If we talkabout people in Baluchistan or KPK weknow that what is happening over there.Connectivity of people in these areas shouldbe prime objective of the government to leadthem to improving things. Youth in oursociety feels that their voices are not beingheard and they are looking for space forthem. Organizing citizens and particularlythe youth in society is the way forward andthe government needs to play its role fortheir development and engagement in socioeconomicdevelopment.If we look at the institutions we find that allour institutions have suffered due to militaryrules in the past. Trade unions, labor unionsand student unions are not active as theywere also affected in these regimes. Weneed to give youth space to organizethemselves, and provide them opportunity tocollectively work for them. Access toinformation is also important. Students arebeing used as instruments by many to holdtheir rallies in the streets. But unfortunatelyin decision making process the youth areseldom seen.Access to information has also become verydifficult in the country and even budgetaryinformation is not correctly available. If welook at KPK budget we find that out of 85billion rupees about 56 billion were notallocated. So if we can’t ascertain that wheremoney is to be used how can we holdinstitutions accountable? Without holdinginstitutions accountable no change willcome and that requires political will. Lastyear KPK government allocated 4.5 millionrupees for educational budget for Mardancity. But at the end of the year in the revisedbudget 576 million rupees were spent.Unless, we as a nation, including state don’traise the questions we would not be able tosolve the problems. We need to give youthchance to be heard and strategies need togive importance to youth to empower them.***Discussant: David MartinCountry Director, British Council, PakistanThank you very much for inviting me here.It was fascinating for me to hear aboutNGOs working in Bangladesh. In Pakistanmany NGOs are doing fascinating job. Lastnight I was talking to a number ofrepresentatives of organizations that howthey can achieve networks and worktogether to avoid stepping over each other’stoes and being rivals, but instead becomingtrade partners and allies in work activities.British Council is running a programme foractive citizens for youth engagement andempowerment in community. We had setupa program in 2009 to train young people to78