Awais offers help to various countries in telecom policy making
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari Saturday offered to provide expertise and training to several countries in the formulation of policy and regulatory framework.
He invited middle management telecom professional teams from less and
under developed countries of Asia, Africa and Pacific Regions to visit Pakistan to participate in the policy and regulatory trainings to be conducted by experts of the ministry of information technology and the telecom watchdog PTA.
The minister was speaking in separate meeting to his counterparts from Afghanistan, Rwanda, Surinam, Botswana, Syria, Sudan, Brazil, Senegal, Kuwait, Germany, Costa Rica, Chile, Bosnia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Tunisia, Morocco, and Cuba on the sidelines of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference currently under way in the Turkish city of Antalya, according to reports reaching here Saturday.
The purpose of the back-to-back meetings with delegations of over 20 countries was to seek ways to further bilateral cooperation and muster up support for Pakistan’s candidature for election to the ITU council and the Radio Regulation Board. PTA chairman was also present during the meetings held with many of the over 1500 delegates from over 150 countries taking part in the conference.
Later, Pakistan also arranged a reception for ministers and senior delegates attending the conference. A record number of about 25 ministers belonging to various regions of the world along with a score of senior delegates attended the reception and greatly applauded Pakistan’s efforts for the promotion and development of ICT sector. IT Minister Awais Leghari and Pakistan Ambassador to Turkey, Iftikhar Hussain Shah addressed the gathering and solicited support from delegates for its election to the membership of ITU Council as well as Radio Regulation Board, the latter being contested by PTA chairman Shahzada Alam Malik.
The ITU process of Plenipotentiary Conference is held every four years to help member countries discuss and understand problems and weaknesses faced by under-developed and developing countries. The active participation in these forums by various nations creates linkages, helps in bridging the knowledge gap and updates member states on new technological developments in the telecom sector.
The ongoing ITU conference which ends on November 24, 2006, will also approve future strategic plan, budget and administrative proposals for the next four years. International policy issues, regulatory and technological development, and cross-border policy and regulatory matters are also reviewed at length. This apex body also uses the occasion to set out objectives, policies and plans on short and medium term basis. In addition, elections for important positions are also conducted.