ATTOCK/LAKKI MARWAT - Assistant Commissioner (AC) Iftikhar Alam has said that there is an urgent need to increase literacy rate to compete with the world and this will only be possible when every child ageing between 4 to 16 years will be sent to school.
He said this while addressing the participants of a walk taken out in connection with World Literacy Day.
He said that the government wants to ensure that every child goes to school where they all facilities are provided to them free of cost. He said that the nations, which prioritise education can never remain behind in today's fast moving world.
District Education Officer (Secondary Education) Syed Zahoor Hussain Shah said that during this special campaign so far 30,000 children have been admitted in schools at primary level while at secondary level 40,000 children have been admitted thus so far 90 per cent target has been achieved.
The walk was attended by DEO Elementary Qazi Ayub, DEO Miss Uzma, Muhammad Hanif Khattak, Hameed Asghar Anjum, students from different schools and people from different walks of life. The participants of the walk were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans highlighting the importance of education. The walk started from Jinnah Hall and concluded at Kutchery Chowk.
Meanwhile, the District Education Department with the collaboration of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) held a walk in Lakki city to highlight the importance of children's enrolment in schools.
District Education Officer Haji Taj Ali Khan and Deputy District Education Officer Haji Khalid Wahab led the walk. Among others MPA Munawar Khan's brother Haji Amir Nawaz, NCHD Manager for Education Illyas Khattak, ADEO Nisar Muhammad, ASDEOs, teachers, students, scouts and religious scholars participated in it.
The participants carried banners and placards with public awareness messages about the enrolment drive. The walk started from Government Centennial Model High School and ended at argil Chowk on Main Lorry Adda.
On the occasion, DEO Taj Ali and a prominent religious scholar Maulana Qureshi Ahmad Shah called upon the people especially parents to get their children enrolled in schools because education was free in the state-run educational institutions. They said that education was the key to development and the only medium to reach the climax of progress.
 "The parents should not accumulate wealth and assets for their children rather they should focus on their education as it will make them good citizens," the DEO said.
He told that the enrolment drive would continue up to September 30 and the department with the help of NCHD and other stakeholders would ensure achieving the fixed targets at all costs.