Human development PTI govt's top priority: NA speaker

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Tuesday urged provincial assemblies to form task forces for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called upon lawmakers to carry out maximum legislation beneficial to common man.

He was speaking at the first meeting of the National Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs chaired by MNA Riaz Fatyana and attended by scores of parliamentarians here at the Parliament House.

He told that he had written letter asking the provincial assemblies to form task forces on SDGs.

He assured of his full support to the legislators and asked them to participate in the affairs of Project Management Unit of National Assembly to oversee its strategic plan.

The speaker said human development was the top priority of the government of PTI, adding stunting was a sensitive matter and as real representatives of the people, parliamentarians should focus and coordinate with all segments of society to improve standard of living of people.

Representative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Shakeel Ahmed said the SDGs were focused on eradication of poverty and hunger, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy and building of sustainable cities and communities.

He said the role of the legislators should be to mainstream SDGs in plans, policies and resource allocation, adding SDGs monitoring, reporting and evaluation capacities should be strengthened.

As compared to other regional countries, Pakistan fared poorly in areas of universal primary education, poverty alleviation, economic growth and infrastructure development in the previous years, he added.

During the meeting, the participants adopted a resolution read out by MNA Mehnaz Akbar on steps for reduction in malnutrition in mother and children.

MNA Shandana Gulzar Khan suggested that all the measures to be taken for securing SDGs should be time bound otherwise the whole exercise would be futile.

The National Assembly members discussed threadbare the ways to move forward on achieving development goals.

MNA Marriyum Aurangzeb said the Parliament should perform its oversight role and see how the federal government will execute projects and allocate budget for socioeconomic development projects.

The committee should set its priorities and influence the work of the standing committees concerning issues touched in SDGs, she added.

Chief of Sustainable Development Policy Institute Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said all stakeholders from federal to local level should take ownership of the SDGs and efforts should be made to use natural resources with responsibility and secure environment for the future generations.