BAJAUR: Awami National Party MPA Nisar Khan on Monday emphasised the need for promoting digital education across the tribal districts to equip the local youth with modern skills. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a newly-established private digital academy in the Khar Bazaar here, he highlighted the need for youth to excel in technology skills to get better jobs. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general and the tribal districts in particular lacked IT-related facilities. “The merged areas lack institutions to impart digital skills to youth.” The ANP MPA flayed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial government for not taking steps for promotion of digital education in the province. The lawmaker noted that computer labs in most of the educational institutions in the tribal districts were non-functional because of lack of computer systems and absence of electric supply. Mr Khan asked the provincial government to make the computer labs in the educational institutions functional. He also asked for establishing skills training centres across the tribal districts to empower youth financially. The MPA pledged to raise the issue on the floor of the provincial assembly. Other speakers, including IT experts, described the promotion of modern technology critical for the empowerment of youth. They welcomed the establishment of the private information technology institution and asked the well-off people to invest in such initiatives to equip youth with modern digital skills.