It is, indeed, a matter of great shame that successive governments in Pakistan have failed to address the high-priority challenges facing the education sector, despite their tall claims. Their dismal record of allocating not more than 2 percent of GDP for education over the past many decades, speaks volumes about their intentions, attitude and commitment to this sector. The oligarchic ruling classes, unfortunately, have never wanted to have an educated and knowledge-based society. In fact, they have deliberately kept the great majority illiterate not only to keep them ignorant of their basic rights, but also dependent on the feudal minority from the rulers hail. They will, therefore, never initiate or implement a policy to develop national power, the base of which is to allocate maximum resources for education, including higher education. For this, one just needs to look at the poor literacy rate in all the provinces of Pakistan compared to the neighbouring countries. Further, the recent mishandling of the Higher Education Commission under the 18th Amendment should serve as a reminder to the nation that how a knowledge base of the state was struck a lethal blow for reasons that time will unfold in due course of time. Likewise, the Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) have been devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment. According to reports, about 15,000 schools were transferred to the provincial governments, on April 5, without clearing debts and other dues pending against them for the last one year. The provincial governments have declined to accept this grossly unjust devolution without the clearance of dues and funds for salaries, especially of 15,000 teachers out of which 6,200 belong to Punjab. The financial implication is about Rs 50 crores, which the federal government is legally and morally bound to pay to the provincial administration, is being withheld by Islamabad. The federal Education Ministry has also passed away into restful death leaving the issue at the mercy of fate. As reported, the Planning Commission of Pakistan and the Cabinet Division has now taken over the responsibility of these schools. On May 20, according to reports, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, appointed a subcommittee comprising parliamentarians to formulate budget for the education sector. It is headed by Ahsan Iqbal, MNA and PML-N spokesperson, who is well aware of the role and importance of education in national development, since he had formulated the historic strategy for education named Vision 2030 when he was federal Minister for Education. Having said that, it is extremely disturbing to learn that the proposals for the education budget of Punjab have been cut down from Rs 23 billion in the ADP 2010-2011 to Rs 20 billion in the ADP of 2011-2012. Hopefully, Mr Iqbal assisted by Raja Muhammad Anwar, the Chairman of the Punjab Education Foundation, will be able to persuade other members of the subcommittee to do justice to the education sector and try to bring the budget in accordance with at least last years allocation, if it cannot increase it to Rs 25 billion. Surely, the Punjabs Chief Minister should be able to squeeze a few billion rupees out of the provincial budget for the education sector, which is the bedrock of Pakistans national power. n The writer is the President of the Pakistan National Forum.