LAHORE, Aug 23: Need for focusing attention on human capital for progress and nurturing it for progress was stressed at the International Human Resource Conference organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Saturday.

Chief guest Syed Baber Ali said Pakistan needed to focus on human capital as it was as important as financial and physical assets. There was need to bridge the science and technology gap as no value-addition was possible in any sector without doing so. The government should divert its attention towards science and technology which had attained prime importance in the wake of fast changing global scenario.

He pointed out that India had realised the importance of science and technology and focused its attention on it. It was now in a very comfortable situation with respect to dealing with other global players. Indian HR Master Trainer Dr Sunil Gupta said Pakistan had no dearth of talent. It had all the resources and above all more than half of its population was less than 25 years of age. A little well-directed effort could help bring a sea change.

LCCI acting-president Mian Muzaffar Ali said the conference had been arranged to address the economic and other challenges currently being faced by Pakistan in development of human resource which was the most valuable resource of any nation. The world was constantly changing and nations were locked in a struggle to gain competitive advantage over their counterparts. Thus, if the strategic plan is the vehicle for achieving such success, the HR function was the engine that drove the plan.

He said Human Resource development was the ability to harness “talent” which was the key enabler for both the present and the future and helped in building a world-class talent pool that was among the best and the brightest. The institutions of higher learning needed to prepare professionals with the required skills set who could quickly add value to their professional or corporate organisation. These corporations in turn, must continuously transform themselves into “leading” entities, ones which were increasingly competitive on the basis of product innovation and differentiated service.

He informed the participants that apart from pursuing its main objective of promoting and protecting the interest of industry and trade, the LCCI is also engaged in promoting a range of charitable activities.

The LCCI also believed in the importance of human resource development of the physically challenged who form an integral part of our society. It had constituted an organisation called the Lahore Businessmen Association for Rehabilitation of the Disabled which worked towards removing obstacles in our organisations to ease the recruitment and encourage development of the physically challenged. —Reporter