LAHORE:The second session of the Punjab Parliamentarians Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals: Championing Provincial Action for Agenda 2030, was held at a local hotel in collaboration with the Punjab Assembly and UNDP here on Thursday.
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb in her speech at the conclusion of the session highlighted how far Pakistan has come in understanding and adopting the SDGs. She compared the present level of engagement with the limited awareness she observed in 2013. She noted that the SDGs provide a unified development framework that connects all ministries and partners. She appreciated PDU for organising the event and acknowledged UNDP as a key development partner. She also reiterated the core principle of the SDGs: ensuring progress that includes everyone and leaves no one behind. Besides, MsAsifa Khan, Director PDU, Punjab Assembly, opened the session with her remarks. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President of PILDAT, gave an overview of the 2025 SDG score for South and East Asia, the regional ranking within South Asia, and Pakistan’s current standing. He also discussed the role of parliamentarians and standing committees, and appreciated the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly for his contributions. Naveed Ahmad Sheikh, Senior Adviser on SDGs at UNDP, spoke about the broader vision of the Sustainable Development Goals. He stressed the need for inclusive development, evidence-based policymaking, and strong coordination among institutions.
He also reaffirmed UNDP’s continued support to the Punjab Assembly for localising and accelerating work on Agenda 2030. MsShahbano, Specialist at the Development Policy Unit, UNDP, highlighted the progress made through joint provincial efforts, particularly in improving data systems, aligning policies with SDGs, and building institutional capacity.
She also shared the future roadmap, focusing on partnerships and new approaches to speed up SDG implementation. Sultan Bajwa, Parliamentary Secretary for Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering, spoke about the priorities of the Social Welfare Department.
Uzma Kardar, MPA, appreciated UNDP and the Punjab Assembly for organising the event and emphasised that real national progress depends on empowering women and girls. An interactive session followed, where MPs shared the initiatives they have undertaken in their constituencies. Kanwal Liaquat highlighted the need for all departments to work together on climate-related challenges.
