PESHAWAR: The government approved appointment of Dr Sahibzada Ali Mahmood as managing director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board (KPITB) here on Tuesday.

According to an official statement, the decision was made at the 11th Board of Directors meeting of KPITB chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

The chief minister said that promotion of information technology and digitisation of services of provincial departments was fundamental part of government’s good governance strategy.

He said that KPITB would be made a strong institution. He said that government made various services of different departments online that would be extended to others for facilitation of people.

The meeting was briefed about the recommendations of search and scrutiny committee with regard to appointment of new managing director of KPITB. The chief minister stressed the need for strengthening KPITB as an institution and directed the quarters concerned to reconstitute human resource committee for the purpose.

He said that government was striving to ensure quality services delivery to people by utilising the latest technology. He added KPITB would have to play its key role to convert the plan of government into reality.

The meeting approved appointment of Dr Sahibzada Ali Mahmood as managing director of KPITB in light of search committee’s recommendations. It also approved KPITB five-year targets.

The statement said that the appointment was made after a transparent process, which was completed over a period of two and half months. It said that Dr Mahmood was selected among 72 candidates, who had applied for the position and 22 of them were shortlisted and interviewed for the position.

The statement said that Dr Mahmood held PhD degree in electrical engineering from Brunel University and had nearly 14-year experience in information technology sector.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2020