Kashmir House - Islamabad : 22 n d. April 2004
Islamic Investment bank shows corporate social responsibility by providing free access to elearning courses to the people of Azad Kashmir.:

As part of a unique international collaboration to bridge the digital divide and provide self-sustainable skills in Azad Jammu Kashmir and Pakistan , the Islamic Investment bank is promoting competitiveness through IT and professional development training programs under the United Nation’s Global Compact initiative. In this regard, IIBL has entered into an MoU with UNIDO Pakistan, and through this initiative hundreds of certification level IT and Professional development courses will be available free of cost to Pakistani an AJK students and professionals via elearning.

With a tradition to serve the community, IIBL is the pioneer in the banking sector to launch such an corporate social responsibility initiative that will provide employability skills for the 21 st. century.

Over 400-certification level IT and Professional development courses are being offered to learners accessible via the Internet from any location in the country. The courses are downloadable thus addressing the bandwidth problems of developing countries and based on highly interactive “learn-by-doing” methodology. In pursuit of this global elearning program initiated by the International Commission on Workforce Development, IIBL will sponsor thousands of courses initially and distribute them free of cost to the public.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Sikandar H. Khan the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu Kashmir said:

To meet the challenges of the new economy, Azad Kashmir’s workers must have the opportunity to upgrade their skills, to improve their literacy, to learn on the job, to move onto the path of lifelong learning. The Government will therefore refine and enhance its programs to encourage skills upgrading, in concert with sector councils, unions, and business.

The Government will also work with NGO’s and the private sector to better reflect the realities of work in the 21st century, such as the growth of self-employment and the need for continuous upgrading of skills.

We are very proud of our prominent role in helping bridge the digital divide that exists," said Dr. Asad Ullah Shah, Director Strategic Alliances ICWFD.ORG. Pakistan has a vast potential and requires flexible, high-quality learning materials capable of meeting individual learner needs and preferences. Our course content addresses all the barriers to elearning and I hope other multinationals will also take up IIBL’s example and sponsor courses for their markets.

Mr. Nadeem Anwar said that bridging the digital divide, in Azad Jammu Kashmir and elsewhere, is a formidable task that requires not only leadership, but also a major commitment of resources. IIBL as a leading financial institution realizes the same and has shown a commitment to community and the underprivileged. We have formed this alliance with UNIDO and as a socially responsible company are doing our bit in not only bridging the digital divide but providing self sustainable skills to masses through the Information Technology Board of AJK who will facilitate and coordinate the distribution of the cards to the masses in AJK. But IIBL alone cannot do this clearly, if we are to succeed, the process must engage all stakeholders- donors, the private sector, civil society organizations and governments.

Dr. Ata Ur Rehman, who also presided the event, informed the gathering about the amazing contributions that his IT Ministry had made while he was the Minister and what more HEC will be doing for the spread of education in Pakistan.