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Ministries

get advisory

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ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday constituted separate advisory boards for the ministries of Environment and Local Government and Rural Development.

Environment and Local Government Minister Omar Asghar Khan constituted the boards under the direction of the Cabinet Division.

The Chief Executive has already approved the constitution of these advisory boards and their members.

The 14 advisory board for the Environment Ministry has been set up to review and formulate Environmental action plan, promote citizens participation in the implementation of national conservation strategy.

Its terms of reference also include assisting the monitoring environmental policies and actions, and strengthen partnership and collaboration between the government agencies, the private sector and civil society to ensure effective implementation of the government environmental agenda.

The terms of reference of the advisory board for Local Government and Rural Development include reviewing and formulating strategy and policy for rural development focusing on community participation.

This board will be responsible for reviewing and formulating strategy and policy for training of federal, provincial and local government officials, NGOs, CNOs and training orientation in the field of rural development, through co-ordination with the provinces.

It will also review and evaluate capacity of local councils for effective delivery of services and meet the community needs within the over-all frame-work of developmental responsibilities and functions.

The board on local government is also entrusted with the task of formulating strategy and policy for effective collaboration and partnership between communities and local councils, and development of strategy for bottom-up planning for village, district and regional level. This will help to reflect community needs in the planning process.

The members of the advisory boards of the Ministry of Environment included Khalid Hussain, Chairman, Development Vision; Vaqar Zakaria, Managing Director, Hagler Bailly Pakistan; Dr. Shahid Mahmood Zia, Research Fellow (Agriculture), Sustainable Development Policy Institute; Zafar A. Khan, President Engro Chemical Pakistan Ltd, PNSC, Mohammad Ali Shah, Convenor, Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum; M. Sikandar Brohi, Sabist Institute; Ashiq Ahmed, Design Chief Technical Adviser, World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan; Sardar Naseer Tareen, Chairman, Society of Torghar Environmental Protection; Helga Ahmed, Chairperson, Initiatives for Rural and Sustainable Development; Dr. Tahir Qureshi, Director, Coastal Eco System Unit, (IUCN); G.M. Khattak, ex-vice chancellor; Dr. Jamil Asghar, Project Manager, SWEEP-RMC; Ayub Qutab, Executive Director PIEDAR, and Malik Amin Aslam.

The board for local government and rural development included Tariq Hussain, Managing Director, Enterprise and Development Consulting (Pvt) Ltd; Abdul Shakoor Mirza, Coordinator, Community Development Concern; Nigar Ahmed, Executive Director, Aurat Foundation; Dr. Qurat-ul-Aain Bakhitari, Director, Institute for Development Studies and Pro Pakistan; Kausar S. Khan, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences; Rashida Dohad Senior Programme Officer, Asia Foundation; Niaz Ahmed Kathia, President, Village Friends Organisation; Fayyaz Baqir, National Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Mushtaq Gadi, Principal Programme Co-ordinator, Advocacy Support Council, Sungi Development Foundation; and Shandana Khan, Manager (Social Sector), National Rural Support Programme (NRSP).ÑAPP