Parents of late Arfa Karim visit Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore. Photo: SABAH
LAHORE:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that providing Pakistani youth with internationally competitive education and training in the information technology sector was among the government’s top priorities.
The Prime Minister expressed these views during a meeting on Sunday with late IT prodigy Arfa Karim Randhawa’s parents, Samina Amjad and Amjad Karim Randhawa, as well as Arfa Karim Foundation Managing Director Tabinda Islam.
Paying rich tributes to Arfa Karim, the Prime Minister hailed his remarkable contributions to the IT sector from a young age and for making Pakistan proud on the world stage. He said that in recognition of its enduring services, the IT Tower in Lahore has been named Arfa Karim Tower.
The Prime Minister said the government was working round the clock to transform Pakistan into a regional hub of the IT sector. He added that special emphasis was placed on IT education and training for young people, as well as the promotion of entrepreneurship in the technology sector.
He said the federal government was also continuing its laptop distribution program this year, to encourage high-achieving students.
Terming the creation of the Arfa Karim Foundation as a positive step towards promoting IT development, the Prime Minister assured the full support of the government at all levels.
Parents of late Arfa Karim appreciated the government’s initiatives for the development of IT sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz.
