LAHORE - PTI Chairman Imran Khan yesterday criticised government ‘for spending billions of rupees on construction of bridges and roads instead of education.’

He was addressing the 4th convocation of Namal College Mianwali at Aiwan-e-Iqbal.

Khan said nation-building was a goal which could only be achieved when government would spend resources on humans. But here in Pakistan, he added, situation aggravated as the PML-N government was busy in multi-billion construction projects of orange line train, roads and bridges in the circumstances when more than 20 million children did not go to schools. He said poor could not afford sending their children to schools as educational institutions turned into money-making shops. English medium education was specific for rich and Urdu medium for poor, he said, questioning who would bridge the gap of poor and rich and provide equal curriculum and low cost education to poor when it was not at the government priority. Citing examples of Germany, Japan after World War II, he said the governments of both the nations decided to spend on education instead of rebuilding devastated infrastructure and emerged as powerful countries on world map after few years.

Similarly, he said, Singapore’s export was touching more than Rs520 billion as the small country put strengthening of education and health sectors on its priority list after WW-II which ultimately led to the overall prosperity of the far east nation.   

PTI chairman who himself collected funds for the establishment of Namal College in his hometown, Mianwali, in 2008 and also serving as a chairman board of governors of the college, said his ultimate goal was to up-grade the status of Namal College to Namal University and establish a knowledge city over there according to the vision 2020.

“I will pay full attention on the Namal after getting free from Panama case,” he told the packed gathering of students and BoD members at Aiwan-e-Iqbal.

Making indirect reference to Sharif family which was named in Panama Papers, Imran encouraged students to do business and become rich but not to hide their money in Panama.

PTI chairman distributed degrees among high achievers and made selfies with them at the end of the ceremony.