City Reporter
Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that technology has suffered from a setback due to some previous court decisions.
The federal minister was addressing a two-day International Media Conference at the Fatima Jinnah Women University on Wednesday.
He said past decisions of the state and the courts, particularly those in 2014, had dealt a blow to Pakistan’s relations with digital and tech companies and hindered the progress of the industry in Pakistan.
The federal minister said that he had urged judges in his meetings with them to not hear cases pertaining to the technology or digital sector. He said the country needed to prepare itself for the future and foreign investment could only be attracted through altering state policies. He suggested that technology companies should be invited for the training and skills development of Pakistan’s students.
The federal minister also lamented the over-regulation of students by the state and said, “why do we try to become parents of every child; leave some things to the parents for them to do”. Referring to some universities with strict dressing codes, Chaudhry advised against enforcing strict measures. “Those who want to wear jeans should be able to wear jeans. Others who want to take an abaya should be allowed to do so,” he said.
The minister highlighted that if Pakistan does not alter its state policies, it will never be able to attract foreign investment. “Political and economic independence moulds an individual’s life,” he said.
