Speakers say religious influences adversely affecting education, need reform. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: The Punjab government is promoting inter-provincial harmony among youth by extending educational facilities to students belonging to other provinces, said Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani.
He was speaking to a 22-member student delegation from Balochistan, FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Punjab University on Sunday. The event was organised by a non-governmental organisation working for the education of underprivileged children. Male and female students from Balochistan enrolled at the Punjab University also attended the ceremony.
The minister said, “Students from Balochistan have been extended a lifetime opportunity by the Punjab government to excel by receiving free education in higher education institutions in the province.”
The Punjab government had also extended scholarships to the financially-challenged youth of other federating units, so that they could continue their higher studies without being burdened.
“The youth of all the provinces should educate and prosper and for that purpose, we have provided equitable educational opportunities to them,” he said. Raza asked them to study foreign languages to avail emerging economic opportunities in the wake of the CPEC project, and added that the Punjab government had started providing scholarships to students for the study of foreign languages abroad.
He said, “CPEC is a mega project which has opened many new economic opportunities for the youth so they should be ready to reap these benefits by empowering themselves with the necessary talents.”
The minister believed that the student exchange programme would help people to understand each other. “This will strengthen the spirit of the federation,” he added.
The CPEC would benefit Gwader as new educational and healthcare projects would be initiated in Balochistan to help raise the quality of life there, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2017.
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