ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday urged the graduating students to utilize their potential for country’s progress and development.
Addressing a gathering of outgoing students and faculty members at the first convocation of Islamabad Model College for Girls F-10/2, the Prime Minister said educated women can do marvels in bringing positive change to the society.
The Prime Minister said education was the basic essential for creating a civilized society and for sustainable economic growth.
He said the government fully realized the importance of education and would take steps to enhance literacy rate.
Gilani said the government had enhanced the budget of education sector from last year’s 24.4 billion to 31.1 billion and the focus would be laid on skill development and meaningful education.
He said a new education policy would soon be launched in consultation with all stakeholders. He said women constitute about half of the population and said the government would provide them utmost opportunities to bring them into national mainstream.
Gilani mentioned Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s vision of gender equality and said, “We are committed to pursue the ideals by her.” He said Benazir Income Support Programme was a project aimed at empowering household women. The Prime Minister said women possess tremendous strong nerves and display sterling qualities even in hard circumstances. He appreciated the composure and courage showed by women facing hardship in Malakand division and assured that their sufferings would be over soon.
“They are not alone. Entire nations stand with them,” he said. Gilani said the army had cleared major chunks of terrorist elements during the operation and said the situation in Swat would soon get normal. He directed the Ministry of Education to fulfill the demands of providing buses for college students to cater their everyday problem of transport. Minister of State for Education Mahar Ghulam Farid Kathia in his speech said the government encourages the participation of women in all walks of life. He congratulated the position holders and graduating students for showing excellence in educational field.
Prime Minister Gilani later gave away prizes and certificates to the position holders. These include of Mehwish Nawaz (B.Sc) and Noorul Ain Qureshi (B.A) of session 2004-06, Kiran Zeb Abbasi (B.Sc) and Sitwat Fatima (B.A) of session 2005-07 and Huma Zainab (B.Sc) and Tooba Asif (B.A) of session 2006-08).
State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and Acting Federal Secretary for Education Shahid Ahmad and Director General Federal Directorate of Education Atiqur Rehman were also present.—Agencies