Cybersecurity institute planned in Peshawar

Facility will offer degree courses in critical discipline

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has decided to establish an international-standard cybersecurity institute in Peshawar with a view to promoting Information and Communication Technology in the province. The initiative is designed to provide youth with access to critical cybersecurity education facilities.

The decision was made at a meeting held here on Tuesday with the chief minister in the chair. Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi, Administrative Secretaries of Higher Education and Science Technology & Information Technology Departments, managing director Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board and director National Center for Cybersecurity attended the meeting.

It was decided in the meeting that a newly conceived cybersecurity institute will be established in an already available government building offering Bachelor, Masters and PhD. degree programs in the critical discipline.

The CM directed the high-ups of Higher Education and ST&IT departments to finalize the modalities regarding the cybersecurity institute and submit viable proposals for formal approval at the earliest.

Talking on this occasion, Chief Minister Gandapur said that establishment of a specialized cybersecurity institute in K-P was the need of the hour, adding that the incumbent provincial government would ensure provision of all required resources for the institute on priority.

He added that it was high time to invest in the information technology sector and benefit from its substantial potential.

He remarked that the government would establish such cybersecurity institutes in divisional headquarters in the future as well.

Gandapur said that the provincial government was committed to imparting modern information technology education and training to youth and to provide them with opportunities for employment at national and international level.

He added that young lot of the province was gifted with remarkable talent, and the provincial government would go all out to provide opportunities to the youth in every potential sector.

Last month Gandapur said that the law and order situation in the province has considerably improved under his government.

“We have strengthened institutions such as Counter Terrorism Department and other law enforcement agencies. The provincial government has presented a tax-free public budget, under which public welfare and development projects will be undertaken,” he said, adding that government will provide interest-free loans to 100,000 youths for employment and focus on increasing our revenue.

We do not have any issues, all issues are from the federal government. If our demands are not met and our rights are not given, we will react within the limits of the constitution and law, he said.

We know how to get our rights, he said.

The Chief Minister expressed these views while talking to the media outside the Adiala Jail.

The Chief Minister said that K-P is a power-producing province, but it is not getting its due share. The federal government has to pay Rs1,510 billion to the province in terms of net hydel profit, but they are not paying it.

We have talked to the federal authorities about ending the unjust load shedding of electricity in the province and recovering the losses, and we have recovered Rs1 billion in a month.