SDPI Director briefs German delegation on CPEC

Islamabad: Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Joint Executive Director Dr Vaqar Ahmed has briefed a German delegation led by Co-founder Al-Sharq Reise Christoph Dinkel Aker about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Ahmed mentioned 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, CPEC, public accountability, economy, COVID-19 recovery, foreign relations and various challenges the country is facing in terms of fiscal growth and the uncertain situation in Afghanistan.

The SDPI Joint Executive Director contended 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 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 remarked that civil society played a crucial role in the rebranding of the country.

Co-founder Al-Sharq Reise Christoph Dinkel Aker on the occasion stressed that it was high time to learn more about Pakistan and fight the stereotypes about the country in the European society.

The German delegation expressed grave concerns over the situation in Afghanistan and the challenges being faced by Pakistan 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.

Earlier, Dr Hina Aslam, SDPI Research Fellow and Head of Energy Unit and Senior Research Associate Rabia Tabassum, informed the delegation that gender inclusivity was a key focus of the country, and “we are fast moving towards achieving this goal.”