Scholarship fund allocation to be doubled, says Shahbaz

PEEF celebrates award of scholarships to 100,000 students

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced on Friday that annual allocation for the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) would be raised from Rs2 billion to Rs4 billion.

“Scholarships will be awarded to 200,000 students next year,” the chief minister said at a function arranged at Aiwan-i-Iqbal to mark the award of a PEEF scholarship to 100,000th student.

Sharif announced that scholarships would also be given to master’s in science students from Federally Administered Tribal Areas. “Equipping our children with education is not a (wasteful) expense. It is a useful investment for a bright future,” he said. He said apart from the Punjab, students from other provinces had been granted scholarships. This has helped promote national solidarity, he said.

“Progress in all federating units is a prerequisite to the country’s progress. That is why we are offering scholarships to talented students from across the country,” the chief minister said. He said Rs5.6 billion had been distributed among students – from the income of the fund. He said the fund had helped the deserving students obtain higher education. “Today’s ceremony has been arranged to honour their hard work.”

He praised the parents of PEEF scholars for equipping them with education. “They are great Pakistanis. Their motto is hard work, trust and honesty,” Sharif said.

The chief minister thanked PEEF Vice Chairman Amjad Saqib, Education Minister Rana Mashhood, the education secretary and the PEEF Board of Directors for making the programme a success. He said their efforts had helped achieve the desired goals. He said it was time to work hard and secure the country’s future. “The nation should (continue to) work to remove the darkness of ignorance. Pakistan will be made self-reliant in all fields,” he said.

Amjad Saqib said that it was a historic day for the PEEF. He said thousands of children had benefited from the scheme that was launched seven years ago.

He said the authorities had worked hard to meet the chief minister’s vision of providing higher education to the talented youth.

“The chief minister’s pledge has been redeemed. The PEEF has become the country’s largest fund of its kind,” he said. He said that under the scheme, children were receiving education in elite institutions like the Lahore University of Management Sciences, the National University of Science and Technology, the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST) and the Government College University.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2015.