Recognizing the benefits of modern day revolution in information technology sector, the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Syed Masood Kausar has endeavored to introduce Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the people of
FATA, enabling them to use this technology as a means to propel socio-economic development.
Plans to introduce ICT infrastructure to the areas of FATA come in light of the fact that such services are non-existent to begin with.
With large parts of FATA being underdeveloped, lacking at times, even basic facilities, the idea of ICT would seem fanciful but very much like essentials such as power, water, sanitation etc, ICT too, in this modern age has become as much a need as a necessity and the developing ICT policy under the FATA secretariat seeks to address this.
In this regard the FATA ICT Policy has been approved by the Governor KP with the formal announcement of it being made by the Additional Chief Secretary FATA Dr. Tashfeen Khan who has outlined many of its key features.
Of course the IT policy in itself does not only extend to the areas of FATA themselves but also to those who administer this very area, the FATA Secretariat. Thus the policy details the development of ICT Infrastructure in FATA, the introduction of e-Governance as well as legislation/regulation for fostering the ICT industry in FATA.
Explaining the methodology of framing the FATA ICT policy, the Additional Chief Secretary FATA firstly explained that the necessary funding and technical assistance for this activity was to be gained from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and that a participatory approach was to be adopted in the formulation of the policy. It was explained that the policy itself drew upon a large pool of IT experts of FATA, with consultancy services for framing the draft being engaged in addition to two workshops being arranged, attended by the various stakeholders such as government officials, IT professionals, university teachers, students, representatives from civil society and local NGOs.
