KARACHI, PAKISTAN: In a three-day conference in Karachi, the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Pakistan partnered with the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi to hold an international conference on Development: Discourses and Critiques. Multiple key technical sessions were held on various themes, including Non-Traditional Security Challenges and Constitutional Strengthening. The President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, also graced the closing ceremony of the conference with his presence.
Local and international experts, academics, policy makers and civil society members participated in the in depth discussions and paper presentations on topics focusing on political economy and governance and agriculture, food security & climate change. Multiple technical sessions were held on these key areas, too.
Political economy and governance:
In the technical session on Topics in Political Economy, papers were presented on Critiques on Globalization and Privatization of Education in Pakistan and Improving Public Sector Development Program in Balochistan: A study of Health, Education, Communication & Works, and Social Welfare Departments. The paper presenters were Mr. Gul Muhammad Rind and Dr. Mir Sadaat Baloch.
In the technical session on Governance and Economic Growth, Dr. Anwar Shah guided the discussion on the paper Economic and Environmental Effects of Infrastructure Improvements: Evidence from Pakistan’s Electricity Sector by Mr. Javed Younus and The Impact of Railway’s Development on Economic Growth through CPEC: A Case Study of Pakistan, by Ms. Abida Naurin. Dr. Muhammad Tariq Majeed presented on Economic Globalization and Women’s Empowerment: Evidence from Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Countries.
Agriculture, food security & climate change:
In the technical session on Food insecurity and poverty, papers were presented on Determinants of Food Poverty States (FPS) in Pakistan and the Effects of Benazir Income Support Program on Household Food Insecurity in Pakistan. Dr. Anwar Hussain guided the discussion with paper presenters Ms. Maryam Bint e Ajaz and Mr. Waqas Shair.
In the technical session on Climate Change and Environmental Degradation, chaired by Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, papers were presented on Climate Change and Food Security: Understanding the Mountain Voices from Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan by Mr. Amjad Ali, Understanding Disaster Risk Management in Agriculture in the context of Climate Change by Mr. Muhammad Faisal Ali and Climate Change Risk and Food Security in District Bahawalpur: A Perception-Based Study, by Dr. Bushra Yasmin and Climate Change as an Emergent Threat to Pakistan's Security by Mr. Ahmed Mujtaba Khan.
All conference paper presenters, discussants and participants agreed that it is critical to work in parallel on the above so as to find comprehensive, adaptable and sustainable solutions not just for mega cities such as Karachi but also the whole country.
HSF’s cooperation with IBA encompasses education and awareness on Pakistan’s constitutional structures, specifically the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The attendees at the sessions in the Conference also included the Model CCI participants.
You may find the conference photos at twitter.com/HSF_Pakistan. For more information on HSF Pakistan, please visit pakistan.hss.de and on IBA please visit cber.iba.edu.pk. Press contact: islamabad(at)hss.de.