SIALKOT-Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need for the promotion of knowledge-based education and personality-building of students to take Pakistan forward on the path to development and prosperity.
“We could never develop Pakistan without the promotion of quality education and the dream of transforming Pakistan into the vision of forefathers could only be materialised through quality education.”
Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif stated while addressing the participants of a laptops-distribution ceremony held here at Govt College Women University (GCWU) Sialkot on Monday.
Shehbaz Sharif claimed that the poor and deserving students are not less brilliant than those from the rich families, saying that promotion of quality education is the top priority of the government.
The CM revealed that as many as 0.2 million brilliant students are reaping benefits of the special funds of Rs17.5 billion under the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, adding that Rs5 billion would also be added in the endowment fund in the upcoming budget.
He pledged to allocate funds for the distribution of 150,000 more laptops to the deserving brilliant students in the upcoming budget.
The present government has already distributed as many as 310,000 laptops besides the distribution of Rs11 billion education scholarships /stipends to brilliant deserving students during the last seven years in Punjab, the Punjab CM pointed out.
Under the current phase, Shehbaz Sharif claimed, the government is distributing as many as 115,000 laptops worth Rs7 billion.
About CPEC, the chief minister said it a grand project that would change destiny of the entire region and open up new vistas of socioeconomic in the country.
On the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif lauded the role of teachers, saying that good and dutiful teachers are asset to the whole society as teachers are the true masons of any nation.
“Nothing can be an alternative to the gracious role of teachers in the world,” the CM expressed, adding that teachers are the true nation-builders and the government provide them with maximum facilities.
The chief minister said the government is striving for the elimination of illiteracy through the spread of knowledge and education.
Shehbaz Sharif urged the teachers and parents to focus on the character-building of students to bring about change in social attitude towards the promotion of quality education.
He also stressed collective efforts for promotion of education to root out illiteracy at grassroots level to bring about radical changes in every sphere of life.
Shehbaz Sharif distributed laptops to 879 boys and girls students of different government colleges during the ceremony.
On the occasion, special “guard of honour” was presented to the brilliant students at GCWU Sialkot.
Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, GCWU Sialkot Vice Chancellor Dr Farhat Saleemi, MNA Rana Shamim Ahmed, AJK-MLA Ch Muhammad Ishaq, Punjab LB Minister Mansha Ullah Butt, MPAs - Ch Tariq Akhtar Subhani, Ch Arshad Javed Warraich, Mrs Shabeena Majeed Wyne, Mrs Gull Naz Pasha, Mayor of Sialkot Municipal Corporation Ch Tauheed Akhtar, Commissioner Gujranwala Division Capt (r) Muhammad Asif, Sialkot DC Dr Asif Tufail, RPO Muhammad Tahir, DPO Dr Abid Khan, Principals, teachers and a large number of the students from different government colleges also attended the ceremony.