ISLAMABAD - After extending summer breaks in Islamabad educational institutes thrice, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has finally asked the interior ministry to vacate schools and college occupied by the security officials, as educational institutes are going to reopen from September 1.
Over 50 schools and colleges have been handed over to thousands of officials from Azad Jammu and Kashmir police, frontier constabulary and Rangers who arrived to guard the city ahead of the long marches of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek. The administrations of the schools and colleges have complained about the damage done at some colleges.
CADD Additional Secretary Qaiser Majeed has written a letter to the chief commissioner and additional secretary of interior ministry asking them to get the federal schools and colleges vacated from the police and district management as soon as possible so that classes could be commenced from September 1, 2014.
The educational institutes were supposed to open on August 11 but the anti-government protests and sit-ins by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) forced the government to review the decision. And the vacations were extended for the third time till August 31 due to ongoing anti-government protests and accommodation of security officials in educational institutes on the request of interior ministry.
Now students and their parents are worried about studies so a request has been made to vacate at least some of the schools and colleges before September 1, informed CADD officials.
Federal Government Teachers Association President Sagheer Mirani also demanded that the educational institutes of Islamabad should be vacated before Monday so that academic activity must be initiated. There is a great restlessness among students, parents, teachers and civil society due to prolonged closures of educational institutes.
HEC holds 2-day moot of PIREN
coordinators
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has organized a two-day "3rd Meeting of Country Coordinators for Establishment of Pan-Islamic Research and Education Network (PIREN)". Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, was the chief guest on the occasion.
Besides participants from Pakistan, six persons from the Islamic countries and two participants from ISESCO have come to attend the two-day session.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Mukhtar, who was part of ISESCO team that had conceived the idea for establishing PIREN, hoped that the participants of the meeting will come up with a concrete action plan for effective functioning of the Network.
The Chairman said that PIREN will bring the Muslim countries closer for sharing their knowledge base, adding that many good activities are taking place in different Muslim countries, the need is to share their experiences and achievements. He said that HEC will provide all possible facilitation for the success of all initiatives taken under the auspices of PIREN.
Dr. Faiq Bilal, Director of Sciences, ISESCO, said that the idea of establishing PIREN has been endorsed by all the OIC member states. He said that before holding a bigger meeting, a small group has been invited here to prepare an action plan that will provide basis for future activities.
Anwar Amjad, Director General (IT) HEC, hoped that the participants will come up with an effective action plan for different initiatives to be taken through PIREN.