USF Holds 85th Board Meeting With New Members in Attendance

The 85th meeting of the Board of Directors of Universal Service Fund (USF) was held here at the USF Head office and chaired by Secretary IT & Chairman USF Board Navid A. Shaikh. The Chairman and the management of the USF warmly welcomed its newly appointed board members, who bring diverse expertise and perspectives to the organization. The new board members include Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, HI (M), Chairman-PTA, Hatem Bamatraf, CEO PTCL (Nominee of Fixed line licensees), Wang Hua, CEO Zong (Nominee of mobile cellular licensees) and Independent Members/Directors Sofia Saeed, Ayla Majid, and Muhammad Yousuf. Muhammad Omar Malik, Member- Telecom, MoITT, other Board members, and management of USF also attended the meeting. It was the first meeting after the selection of new board members in which two female members, Sofia and Ayla, were also included as directors. The meeting served as a platform to discuss crucial matters pertaining to the development and expansion of connectivity in underserved and unserved areas throughout Pakistan. In his message, the Federal Minister for the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque, conveyed his warm welcome to the newly appointed board members. He stated, “The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, in collaboration with the Universal Service Fund (USF), steadfastly embraces its overarching commitment to address the prevailing connectivity disparities that permeate the vast expanse of Pakistan”. “In pursuit of this noble objective, our unwavering focus remains on establishing pervasive connectivity in even the most remote and geographically challenging areas, thereby fostering digital inclusion, and abating the lamentable digital gender divide. By embarking upon this resolute endeavor, we attempt to engender a dynamic and flourishing ecosystem that catalyzes multifaceted socio-economic progress throughout the nation,” he added. During the meeting, USF’s Chief Executive Officer, Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, provided a comprehensive update to the Board members regarding the progress of ongoing and upcoming projects. He underscored the organization’s unwavering commitment to achieving excellence by establishing meaningful connections and bridging the gap for those currently unconnected. Additionally, he reiterated the importance of sustainability, which remains a top priority across all initiatives as part of USF’s concerted efforts to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. USF reaffirms its unwavering dedication to its core mission of delivering connectivity to the underserved and unserved regions throughout Pakistan. With the endorsement of a substantial development budget amounting to approximately Rs. 18 billion, these strategic initiatives will assume a critical role in augmenting connectivity infrastructure and empowering marginalized communities by facilitating seamless digital access across the expanse of the nation.