PM Shehbaz directs proactive measures to promote education

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for proactive measures to address the challenges being faced in the education sector.

PM Shehbaz directed the Minister for Education to closely coordinate with the provinces for the promotion of education while chairing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad. He said that promoting education would be a major national service.

He said the bulk of Pakistan’s 22.8 million unschooled youngsters are girls. The prime minister mentioned that constructive talks about girls’ education were held during the recent International Conference on Girls’ Education in Islamabad.

PM Shehbaz noted that a few months ago, Pakistan similarly imposed an emergency in education.

The restart of PIA flights to Europe was hailed as a significant accomplishment by the prime minister. He said he is certain that flights to Britain would restart as well, which will make travel easier for Pakistanis.

PM Shehbaz said a new crossing point has been opened on Pak-Iran border in Panjgur, saying this will promote legal trade and help check smuggling. He thanked Iranian cooperation for the opening of the new crossing point.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the normalization of situation in Kurram. He said food items and medicines are being supplied to the area. He expressed the confidence that all the stakeholders will make collective efforts to keep peace intact.

He said that the security forces are continuing their operations against Fitna al Khwarij. He said an intelligence based operation in Balochistan resulted in the killing of twenty seven terrorists.

Paying tributes to the sacrifices of security personnel, he said these sacrifices will be remembered. He expressed the commitment to complete elimination of Fitna al Khwarij, emphasizing that peace will be restored in the country as was done in 2018 under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.

Earlier in May 8, the prime minister declared an education emergency across Pakistan to enroll around 26 million out-of-school children and promote literacy to make the country regain its lost space and develop it as one of the most educated societies in the world.

“Today, with iron conviction, and the support of provinces, we will handle the challenge of 26 million out-of-school children. We will bring them back to school. I declare from this moment an Emergency in Education all over Pakistan,” the prime minister said while addressing a National Conference on Education Emergency in May 2024.

He told the gathering of federal ministers, parliamentarians, vice-chancellors, diplomats, and development partners that he would personally supervise the program and meet all the chief ministers, setting aside political affiliations, with a vision to march in unison, expressing the hope that the provinces too would extend their support.

“This is about our children and our future… This is a very challenging task, no doubt. But nations which had faced difficulties and defeat in the past arose from the ashes of defeat. Germany and Japan are the examples. Why can’t Pakistan be? I guarantee, if we move in unison to find our space, Pakistan will become one of the most educated societies one day soon,” he remarked.