Maverick Report

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the government is implementing a comprehensive strategy for elimination of poverty, ignorance and unemployment as well as bringing the deprived segments of society into national mainstream.

Talking to Country Director of USAID in Pakistan Robert J Wilson during a meeting at the Chief Minister Secretariat here, the Punjab chief minister said that education is essential for rapid development and is an effective weapon against militancy and extremism; therefore, the Punjab government is attaching top priority to the uplift of education sector and has taken revolutionary measures for this purpose.

Shahbaz Sharif said the government is ensuring provision of necessary academic facilities in schools and the project of Danish Schools has been initiated for providing modern educational facilities to boy and girl students of far-flung and backward areas. He said that Danish Schools would be centres of excellence and boarding and lodging facilities would also be available to students in these educational institutions.

During the meeting, the pace of implementation of ongoing programmes with the cooperation of USAID in education, health and other sectors was reviewed. American Consul General Carmela Conroy, Punjab Minister for Education Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Member National Assembly Saira Afzal Tarar, Members Punjab Assembly Shahzadi Umarzadi Tiwana, Chairman Taskforce Rana M Afzal Khan, Chairman Planning & Development Raja Muhammad Anwar, the secretary education, vice chairman of the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and other relevant officers were also present on the occasion.

The chief minister said that project of Danish Schools has been started from Bahawalpur district in southern Punjab and merit would be strictly upheld in the admission of students and recruitment of teachers in these schools. He said that Danish Schools would have two shifts and their standard would be not less than that of Aitchison College and Grammar School. He said that the purpose of setting up Danish Schools is to polish the talent of boy and girl students of remote and backward areas who could otherwise not avail quality education facilities.

He said that establishment of these schools in such areas will remove sense of deprivation of students and promote a feeling in them that they have as much right over national resources as the elite. He said that foundation of a revolution in education sector has been laid through setting up of computer labs in 4,286 schools of the province with the collaboration of international companies at a cost of Rs5 billion. He said that the world has assumed the form of a global village and in this scenario the need for keeping abreast with the changing international trends has become very important.

Shahbaz Sharif said that more than 4.2 million students from Rahimyar Khan to Attock would benefit from computer labs annually and would be able to play their role in national development and progress by benefiting from the latest knowledge. He said the scope of the project would be extended to middle schools level and USAID can extend cooperation in this regard.

The Punjab chief minister said that speech and essay-writing competitions were arranged in the province for the encouragement of students and position holders of different examinations were not only awarded prizes but also sent on a study tour of prestigious educational institutions of the world, which promoted self-confidence in them. He said the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund has been established to enable poor but talented students continue their studies and eleven thousand scholarships have been awarded so far.

The chief minister said that brilliant and deserving students of such educational intuitions as FAST and NUST are also being given scholarships from the educational fund. He said that only competent and qualified teachers can educate and train young generation on proper lines, therefore, 37,000 teachers have been recruited purely on merit first time in the history of country. He said that training of teachers is the key importance in education hence special attention is being paid to this sector and master trainers are being produced and sent to far-flung areas. He said that promotion of vocational education is of vital importance for speedy development of the province and the government is also taking solid measures in this regard.

The chief minister informed the USAID country director that the Punjab government is also taking effective measures for the provision of modern health and educational facilities to the masses. He said besides provision of free dialysis facility, medicines are also being provided free of cost to patients in hospitals. He said that air-conditioners and generators have also been provided in hospitals for saving patients from heat.

Shahbaz Sharif said that pilot project of mobile dispensaries is being started for the provision of quality health facilities to the people of remote areas at their doorstep. He said that in addition to up-gradation of rural and basic health centres, new hospitals are also being set up. He said that a 300-bed hospital is being constructed in Bahawalpur, which would result in provision of high standard healthcare to the masses. He said that Pakistan is facing serious energy crisis, which is adversely affecting agriculture, industry and other sectors. He said the USAID should extend cooperation in the projects of hydel power and solar energy. He said the Punjab is an agrarian province and cooperation can also be extended in the sector of food storage.

USAID Country Director Robert J Wilson expressed willingness to cooperate with the Punjab government in education, health, energy, teacher training and other sectors and said that the USAID would set up its office in Lahore for this purpose. He lauded the measures taken by the Punjab chief minister for the uplift of education, health and other sectors as well as welfare of the people and assured that all-out cooperation would be extended for these projects

Meanwhile, a delegation of religious scholars led by Nazim-e-Ala Jamia Naeemia Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif at Chief Ministers Secretariat here on Wednesday. Other members of the delegation included Prof Mehfooz-ur-Rehman Naeemi, Allama Mufti Muhammad Intikhab and Maulana Muhammad Zia-ul-Huq Naqshbandi.

Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan Dr Michael Koch also called on Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif at the Chief Minister Secretariat here on Wednesday and discussed the cooperation in various sectors as well as matters of mutual interest. It was decided in the meeting that the Punjab and Germany would cooperate for the promotion of vocational education in the province and an agreement would soon be signed in this regard.

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