Introduction

Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) held the SDG’s launching ceremony, chaired by ENGR. NAJEEB HAROON Chairman PEC. Ceremony chief guest MNA Ms Romina Khurshid Alam (Convener National Taskforce on SDG’s and special assistant to prime minister) highlighted the critical role of PEC and engineers in achieving the UN-SDG’s. On this occasion, the chief guest MNA Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam acknowledged the PEC initiative on SDG’s adoption and emphasized on the formulation of working plan with PEC that is to be adopted to achieve SDGs with engineering solutions which is now the need of world and society. She emphasized on goal 11 of sustainable cities for which requested PEC and respective stakeholders to cater on priority.

PEC Chairman Engr Najeeb Haroon welcomed chief guest and all participant stakeholders from different professions and industries. He emphasized on the Engineering solutions to achieve SDG’s as PEC is the power house of engineers and Professionals. Engineers can devise best strategic solutions where ample resources are available, but their utilization required in the most efficient way which engineers can do play their role. Engineers play vital role in building up of sustainable societies and decision making as subject matter experts. He offered engineering services to government from PEC platform for which academy of Engineers fellow PHD already established and working at their own capacity. But to work at state level lateral support and collaborative programs to be initiated from government platform like this SDG’s taskforce so that engineers may play their role in building up the sustainable solutions to future and current challenges where already successful models set up worldwide.

Mr Jawaad Haider from UNESCO as special guest appreciated PEC efforts on this initiative and highlighted on the collaborative role of UNESCO and PEC on past working projects. He emphasized on the critical challenges of clean city, clean water, healthy food, affordable energy, environment, and sustainable cities. PEC having great potential to address these issues with lateral support of government using lens of UN-SDG’s. 

Dr. Nasir Khan registrar PEC welcomed guests and all participant stakeholders and briefed on the objective of the ceremony and highlighted on PEC initiatives and road map, that how SDG’s mapping will be done with FYDP’s and competency profile at university level and engineering firms. Building codes to be aligned with SDGs to bring peace and prosperity to the world.

Engr. Mir Masood Rashid advisor to chairman PEC and convener PEC PPDC announced the formation of the SDG’s taskforce and highlighted the objective of its formation and its working mechanism. PEC SDGs Taskforce main objective is to sensitize the stakeholders in engineering profession, particularly universities/HEIs to adopt SDGs and actively engage themselves in achieving the Global Goals in line with regulatory guidelines of PEC. 

Pakistan as a state has set UN-SDG’s goals adoption by 2030. To support the common cause, PEC being in the regulatory position pledge to adopt UN- SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals) by 2025.

In this ceremony chief guest MNA Ms Romina Khurshid inaugurated PEC UNSDG’s wall at PEC HQ Islamabad with the pledge of PEC SDG’s adoption by 2025. PEC chairman announced PEC SDG’s task force to devise adoption strategy to work in collaboration with PPDC (PEC Pakistan development committee). This task force will be responsible to prepare phase wise SDG’s adoption plan so that all universities, professional registered Engineering firms, consultants and contractors may assist in adopting and achieving SDG’s goals in close liaison of National SDG’s task force. 

This ceremony was attended by Engr. Dr. Nasir Khan (Registrar Pec), Engr. Mir Masood Rashid – Advisor to chairman PEC and convener PPDC, Mr. Jawwad Haider (head of culture UNESCO), Engr. Dr. Naveed Ramzan (member GB), Engr. Ata ur Rehman (member GB), Engr. Dr. Nafasat Raza (member GB), Prof. Dr. Shabnam Gul LCWU Lahore (online zoom), Prof. Dr. Bushra Naeem BUITEMS Quetta (online zoom), Engr. Dr. Farrukh Arif NED Karachi (online zoom), Engr. Dr. Nasir Rashid NST, Engr. Dr. Azhar-ul-Haq convener taskforce on UNSDG’s, Engr. Afaq Ali Siddiqui-PMP and Engr Kainat Saeed coordinator committee along with professionals from industry and academia.