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COVID-19 and the invisible divide of digital outreach regarding government services for the vulnerable population

Written by Momina Sahar While one of the most promising and appealing steps taken by the government of Pakistan was the digitization of government services during the unprecedented times of a global pandemic, the uncritical embrace of technology for dissemination of information and services along with the lack of availability of digital services in certain areas of Pakistan creates a hierarchy in terms of access to information. Disparate access to the internet is a multilateral issue, the causes for which stem from various reasons such as infrastructure unavailability, gender disparity, and the economic and digital literacy divide.  As pointed out [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:21+00:0014th July 2021|

AL Pakistan’s brave Covid19 pivot

Fayyaz Yaseen is the Country Director of Accountability Lab Pakistan. He is a passionate development professional with extensive experience working on issues including governance, accountability, institutional reform, and political-economy transitions. “Ever since I was a student I was inspired by people from the development sector. They always sounded intelligent to me. I loved the way they thought about issues and respected them for their intellectual depth. They were learned people with open minds and seemed to understand every challenge faced by Pakistan as a country, in a logical manner. This inspired me to follow their footsteps and join the development [...]

2021-07-14T12:16:33+00:005th July 2021|

The Language of Accountability in Pakistan

By Fayyaz Yaseen Almost all the words referring to accountability in one way or another – such as responsiveness, transparency, participation, inclusion, accountability, rule of law – are used just as they are (as English words), despite the fact that there are stronger Urdu corresponding words that can spell out an even stronger meaning that also relates to the local context. For example, the Urdu word for ‘responsiveness’ is ‘jawabdahi’, which means that one is not only expected to respond in a timely manner but is also accountable for doing/not doing so. Similarly, the term ‘rule of law’ is understood [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:22+00:0030th June 2021|

The story of accountapreneur Ammarah Shah

By Bakhtawar Khalid Ammarah Shah is an author and founder of Kaho Kahani, a unique storytelling platform with original content and inspiring stories. She is also a member of the 2020 Accountability Incubator cohort from Pakistan. A young mother of one, she often finds herself a trusted playmate to her son and this has informed her motivating work for children. Her ability to empathize with kids allows her to be part of their imaginary world and fly in a rocket launcher to the moon when she has to! In college, origami lessons and selling cards on Valentine’s Day and Eid [...]

2021-04-28T08:30:48+00:0028th April 2021|

The OGP effect on new business

By Nida Qasim Khan Open Government Partnership (OGP): An overview  Since its inception in 2011, seventy-eight countries, a growing number of local governments and thousands of civil society organizations have become members of the OGP, a co-creation between both government and non-governmental organizations. The OGP serves the purpose of enabling open government for its citizens, whereby they are more accessible, responsive and accountable to its citizens. In OGP, governments and civil society co-create two-year action plans, with concrete commitments across a variety of issues. This model enables civil society organizations to help shape and provide government oversight. Seventy-five countries have [...]

2021-05-11T07:11:37+00:0014th April 2021|

COVID-19 and it’s impact on people living with disabilities in Pakistan

By Nida Qasim Khan The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the extent of exclusion that the most marginalized communities in Pakistan experience. Among the most adversely affected groups are Pakistan’s 28 million persons with disabilities (PWDs), who make up 10% to 15% of Pakistan’s population. according to the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP). Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities are neglected and suffer from reduced access to education, poverty, unemployment, abuse and low rates of participation in the community. According to research done by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), PWD’s can suffer [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:22+00:0011th April 2021|

Pakistani businesses at a crossroads during COVID-19 

By Nida Qasim Khan The outbreak of COVID-19 has severely affected the Pakistani economy and its micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Saboor Malik said in a statement that due to the lockdown, the businesses of cottage industry, small industry and furniture retailers have been adversely affected. The National Incubation Centre (NIC) also noted in its report “Impact of Covid-19 on Pakistani start-ups and the way forward”,  that start-ups were hard hit by the pandemic. The report stated that while before the pandemic, e-commerce, health-tech and ed-tech were the most popular [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:23+00:0010th April 2021|

Business integrity during COVID-19: How to build integrity and trust within businesses during pandemic?

By Bakhtawar Khalid In the light of recent hoarding and price manipulation scandals, the business industry has developed a reputation for its lack of ethics. In an industry where getting ahead and making money appears to take precedence over ethical decision-making, it can be difficult to understand the importance of ethical behavior in business. Lack of business ethics and commitment to compliance leads to a wealth of problems for a business; for instance, they can face: Fines and long-drawn legal battles; Criminal charges against those involved; Negative effects on employee motivation may create an air of distrust among employees and tension [...]

2021-03-31T12:03:49+00:0031st March 2021|

An assessment of current policy advocacy tools used by chambers of commerce in Pakistan

By Nida Qasim Khan Context: Accountability Lab Pakistan has worked with chambers of commerce in its recent Business Accountability Bootcamps, and in the process has gathered some insights into how they operate. Some of the key findings made were that they lack the advocacy tools that are required of a chamber of commerce, such as proper websites, updated social media channels, or a platform where they share press releases, minutes of their internal meetings, and other such details of their work. We understand at Accountability Lab Pakistan that chambers of commerce are the bridge between business communities and the government and [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:24+00:0031st March 2021|

How can business startups build policy influence in Pakistan?

By Nida Qasim Khan General overview of the Pakistani start-up ecosystem According to the Pakistan Startup Ecosystem Report 2019, business start-up activity increased significantly between 2012 and 2019. In 2012, there were only two major incubators and no notable funding sources or investors. However, 2019 saw an increase of 24 major incubators/accelerators, 20 formal investors/ funding sources and 80 co-working spaces in Pakistan, as well as the launch of National Incubation Centers (NICs). The report also noted that funding and support to startups have significantly increased since 2012, via the government, private and corporate sectors. In Pakistan, start-up culture and entrepreneurship [...]

2021-03-31T11:55:22+00:0031st March 2021|
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