Mira Bagwal: Pakistan’s First E-Village

Babar Bhatti

The concept of E-village has been discussed in email groups for a while. Recently, Pakistan’s first actual E-Village was launched, courtesy of various organizations and hard work by a few key passionate people. I guess this makes Mira Bagwal, a village located some 30 km from Islamabad, Pakistan’s first E-village.

In practice, this means that Mira Bagwal has been wired with 2 MB Broad Band internet connection and provided access to medical professionals. One hopes that such e-access to key development needs will come to more places, and in more ways, as we move along.

Here are the details, according to an email update from Chief Coordinator Pakistan Social Association (PSA) Amar Jaffery:

In an impressive ceremony in Mera Bagwal (30 KM away from Islamabad) all stake holders joined hands together under the umbralla of project ‘E-Village’ to work together for a common cause that use of ICTs for development.

The remote village of Capital City Mira Bagwal has been provided 2 MB Broad Band internet connection and its people have been given the facility of video conferencing to take advice from specialist doctors in case of any problem.

While USF has approved two MB broad band connection, Intel declared to provide twenty laptops and two desktop PCs, Cisco has decided to estabalish training lab in the villages. Two universities have come forward to extend support through their final year students to promote education in Villages. On-line libaries, tele-medecines and number of technolog based initiatives are in pipeline.

Babar Bahtti blogs at State of Telecom Industry in Pakistan, where this first appeared.