ISLAMABAD (APP) - President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said that the government was committed to accord priority to the education sector, and the concept of compulsory free education as enshrined in the 18th Amendment to improve literacy rate in Pakistan was a clear manifestation of our resolve. Educated and trained human resource was the real wealth of a nation, he said and added that institutions of higher learning and varsities played an important role in producing this national wealth. The President expressed these views during his meeting with the Association of Private Universities and Institutes of Pakistan (APUIP) here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. He called upon the representatives of private universities and institutions in Pakistan to play their role in equipping the students with steel armour to win the battle of life. It is reassuring that the private sector has also stepped forward and is playing a commendable role in producing quality graduates, he added. The President while appreciating the role played by the private sector in education sector said that the government was encouraging the private sector so that it should be able to complement the public sector. Let us work together to give our children their basic right to education thus creating a promising future for them so that they could contribute towards socio-economic development of the country, he remarked. Zardari also informed that efforts were underway to improve education of science and engineering and develop a culture of need-based research. It was highly gratifying to note that the private sector had also joined the effort, he said and added they must play a pivotal role to produce highly trained and competent manpower capable of accepting the challenge and making Pakistan achieve the status of a highly developed country. Those who were present during the meeting included Dr Asim Hussain, President APUIP, Khalid Amin, Vice-President APUIP, Syed Ali Abbas Abidi, General Secretary of the Association, Chancellor Iqra Univursity Hunaid Lakhani, Executive Director CBM Talib Karim, Vice-Chancellor Hamdard University, Dr Nasim Ahmed, Chancellor KASBIT, Arif Bokhari, President Indus Institute of Higher Education, M Ahmed Amin, Rector FAST Dr Aamir Muhammad, Syed Asad Hussain Director SZABIST Islamabad Campus, Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Secretary Education Imtiaz Hussain Kazi, Secretary Planning and Development M Ashraf Hayat and Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar. Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Education was also present during the meeting. President APUIP Dr Asim Hussain briefed the President about the role as well as problems faced by the private sector in this area. The President assured the members that the government would continue facilitating them in their professional pursuits and would continue to provide all possible assistance to them.