The Smart Village initiative in Roras, Sialkot, launched under Pakistan’s Digital Pakistan vision, aims to bridge the digital divide in rural areas by providing access to internet services. Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, highlighted that this project would improve quality of life by addressing key issues such as healthcare and education. It is being executed in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, ITU, Huawei, Bedari NGO, and Tele-Education.
The project focuses on youth empowerment, offering training in business and computer skills to 100 boys and girls at the Digital Village Centre. Additionally, the introduction of digital health services will help tackle medical accessibility issues in the region. This initiative marks Pakistan as the first country in the Asia-Pacific to provide e-village facilities.
With the success of the pilot project in Roras, there are plans to replicate the Smart Village model across other provinces, aiming to provide rural communities with digital resources in education, healthcare, and agriculture. ITU’s regional director, Atsuko Okuda, emphasized that the project is part of a broader government strategy to foster digital transformation in underserved areas.
