National News

ISLAMABAD, (APP):Minister for Planning, Development and
Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said the government is planning to
launch 5th generation cellular services soon to ensure the fastest
connectivity.
The people who already have access to 3G and 4G technology,
would be able to benefit from the next advanced mobile network
technology after the launch of 5G in near future, he added.
The minister was addressing ‘Pakistan StartUP Cup’ competition
for young entrepreneurs jointly organized by the United States
Embassy and the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Islamabad here.
In the ‘Pakistan StartUP Cup’ competition, over 950 teams
from Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, and Islamabad competed for the
top prize of Rs 1 million.
Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan and the United States were working
on ‘Knowledge Corridor’, under which around 10,000 PhDs from
Pakistan to be trained in the US universities.
He said,”We have big hopes from our youth, who have potential
to contribute to the development and prosperity of the country.”
The government, he added, would help the youth inculcate leadership
qualities through innovation for the country’s better future.
Innovative youth could launch successful entrepreneurship to
play an important role for the country’s economic growth, he added.
The minister said the government inherited big challenges of
terrorism and energy shortage in 2013, but now the western
media and think tanks considered Pakistan as the most ideal
country for investment.
He said political stability and continuation of economic
policies was a must for the country’s development.
Ahsan said the government had granted Rs 250 billion to
Higher Education Commission (HEC) during last four years for
promotion of higher education in the country. University campuses
would be set up at every district, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of
Mission Jonathan Pratt congratulated the top 12 teams and encouraged
them to continue pursuing their startup dreams beyond the competition.
The winning team, “Cowlar,” hailing from Islamabad, developed
a startup plan to sell smart collars for cows designed to help
farmers improve herd health, optimize dairy operations, and boost
milk yields.