KARACHI: Expressing joy over winning of a global award by a Pakistani student for turning banana waste into eco-friendly fiber, Pasban Democratic Party PDP Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday said promoting a culture of research and startups is necessary to boost our economy.
He said it is a pride for Pakistan that Mohammad Sarfraz, a researcher at the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), won the prestigious Discover Natural Fiber Initiative (DNFI) Award at the Heimtextil International Exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. The global competition attracted more than 100 research institutions and companies. Sarfraz impressed judges with his project that converts banana waste into high-quality, sustainable fiber, showcasing Pakistan’s growing potential in green innovation.
He said the industrial partner of the project Mohammad Fawwad Supriya has confirmed strong international interest in the innovation. European companies have shown willingness to collaborate, and a German firm has already signed a partnership agreement to manufacture and market products made from Pakistani banana fiber.
He said the initiative will create jobs and reduce poverty in Sindh and Balochistan. Fiber production has already started in Sukkur and Lasbela, and the next phase aims to involve 4,000 households.
Experts estimate that Pakistan can produce nearly 500 million kilograms of natural fiber annually from banana waste, generating up to USD1 billion in global market value.
Altaf Shakoor said our government and industry should promote research and make startups to strengthen our economy. He said we have no dearth of talent but it needs patronising. He said Pakistan is sadly amongst the countries that spend very less on education and research. He said our universities and colleges also teach old and outdated syllabus and their graduates get ‘paper degrees’ that are useless in the real job market. He stressed on technical and training and life-long education in modular methods so that any student can get education as per his or her own schedule.
