Keynote Address

Mr Prime Minister, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr Prime Minister, you had approved on March 3, 2005, the objectives of Medium-term Development fFramework (MTDF), which was to develop a technology-driven knowledge economy for rapid and sustainable growth for Pakistan to become an industrialised nation in 25 years. We have a world now which is full of challenges. Over the next 50 years we will have a population which will be close to 10 billion, fossil fuel reserves are fast depleting. There are environmental pressures. Children being born today, think they are going to live hundred years and there will be increased urbanisation and so world is changing rapidly and the only constant is change. We are going to be inflicted by various pressures and science and technolgy and knowledge has become the great divider. The rich are becoming richer and the poor-poorer. Best investments, nations can make is in science and technology and in higher education. In the countries where this vision is missing they are in trouble. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and education, science and technology can come to the rescue because they have opened up vast new horizons for nations to progress rapidly and there are various fields, like genome, areas of information technology, material sciences, biotechnology and molecular medicies. For instance, biotechnology medicines’ market presently 30 percent of current medicines marketed are made through biotechnology means and by 2020, 50 percent of all medicines will be made through biotechnological means like fermentation process. For the areas of crop, the yield can be increased. Genetically modified crops are grown on increased area.