K-P’s first girls cadet college inaugurated in Mardan

Eighty students selected as first batch out of 250 applicants from across the country

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government inaugurated its first-ever public sector cadet college for girls in Mardan on Monday and presented its first batch of 80 students selected from 250 applicants country-wide.

Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Muhammad Atif Khan was the chief guest, while students, parents, politicians and district administration officers were also part of the event.

In his address, Brigadier Javeed, the college principal, said more than 250 students had applied for admission of which only 80 were selected based purely on merit.



He said the aim was to make the college an exemplary institute in the country and students would be provided with all modern facilities.

Education minister Atif Khan said the provincial government was focused on girls education and has decided to spend 70% of its budget on the sector.

According to him, the previous K-P government set a Rs61 billion budget for girls education while the current PTI-led government had raised that amount to Rs118 billion. Khan added they plan to increase the amount to Rs138 billion in the upcoming budget.



Initially, the girls' cadet college will be housed on the premises of Government Commerce College Mardan but will be shifted to its own building once construction is complete later this year, he said, adding the government has allocated Rs3 billion for the college.

Khan further said that the provincial government has taken several initiatives in the education sector and is committed to promoting quality education and increasing enrolment in schools.

“I am happy to hear that students from Karachi, DI Khan, Mian Channu, Haripur and Peshawar also got admission in this cadet college,” Khan said.