Director General AHK NCRD Israr Muhammad Khan has said that Akhtar Hameed Khan National Center for Rural Development is playing a vital role in capacity building of government and semi-government officials with a vision of socio-economic empowerment of rural and the under-privileged areas for sustainable development.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Pakistan's Special Correspondent Ijaz Hussain in Islamabad, he said over 27,000 participants have taken part in different training courses and workshops since inception of the organization in 1983.

He said this institution has conducted over 1,000 training programs so far, with average of 27 programs per year and three programs per month.

He said these training programs and workshops aim to rural development, poverty alleviation, drinking clean water, best utilization of natural resources and other related themes. 

Assistant Director and Course Coordinator Fiaz ur Rehman Fiaz said our training programs enable the officials in policy formulation as per global trends. He said the Centre also provides a platform for both policy makers and other participants. He said courses are designed as per rapidly changing modern policies and techniques in consultation with working experts of specific fields.

Fiaz ur Rehman Fiaz said international courses are also being conducted at the organization which are attended by participants from various developing countries.  He said all information pertaining to training courses and workshops at national and international levels is available on the center's website at www.ncrd.gov.pk. 

Participants from all four provinces as well as Gilgit Baltistan and AJK and other provinces of the country appreciated the role of center in reducing the gap between policy and implementation and said that the courses are very informative.

Ijaz/ Ahsan