SIALKOT - Sialkot district has shown good performance regarding the promotion of quality education, attendance of students and teachers and provision of basic facilities in the government schools.

The district has jumped to 29th position from 35th across the Punjab in this regard, revealed a report issued by the Punjab government under the Punjab Education Reforms Sector.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Farrukh Naveed, while presiding over a meeting of the Education Department, said the situation would further improve as the district would jump to the 22nd position during the next assessment survey.

CEO of Sialkot District Education Authority Maqbul Ahmed Shakir told the meeting that there was a 60 percent reduction in the ratio of teachers' absence in the government schools due to the improved checking and monitoring system.

HUMAN TRAFFICKERS' HELD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested 1,085 human traffickers including 229 notorious proclaimed offenders (POs), 79 court absconders, four hard core human traffickers named in FIA's Red Book, 393 agents and their sub agents wanted in the dozens of the cases of human trafficking.  A massive crackdown was launched by the FIA in Gujranwala Division's Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and Gujranwala districts during 2017. FIA Divisional Deputy Director Mufakhar Adeel told newsmen that the FIA tightened its noose around the human traffickers to curb the menace.

He said that the FIA had also recovered Rs200 million from these accused during the year 2017 besides finalising 2,784 inquiries about human traffickers and several government departments   and submitting the challis of 1,402 cases before the local courts as well.