ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said the “chains of slavery have been broken to bits in Afghanistan” — in what comes as an obvious reference to the elevation of Taliban into power in the war-torn country.
“By adopting someone else’s culture, we show them that they are superior to us. An intelligent slave cannot do anything big. By copying someone, we can become mental slaves and we cannot progress and prosper like independent nations. Just recently, the chains of slavery have been broken to bits in Afghanistan,” the Prime Minister shared these views at the launching of the first phase of Single National Curriculum (SNC), which, he said, would “guide the youth of the nation in one direction to achieve success.”
Presiding over the launching ceremony of the first phase of SNC at the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Khan said, the launch of SNC is the fulfillment of his 25-year-old dream to end educational disparity among different sections of society.
The Prime Minister said his government is trying to bridge the gap created by dissemination of education in Urdu and English-medium methods of schooling.
“Unfortunately, here, English has had become a status symbol and those who speak it take pride in speaking this language,” the Prime Minister said.
Pakistan committed to inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan: NSC
On the occasion, the Prime Minister launched SNC online portal developed by National Curriculum Council and Ministry of Education and Professional Training.
Special focus has been laid on the teachings of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in SNC, Imran said, adding that minorities would also be taught about their respective religions under SNC.
The Prime Minister directed Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood to expedite progress on implementation of second and third phases of SNC in order to get them implemented in the next six months.
The education minister said the SNC has been launched in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for the first time in the history of Pakistan. Consultations with Sindh government are underway for introduction of SNC in the province, he added.
Under the first phase, the SNC has been implemented for classes I to V in the new academic year. Classes VI to VIII (2022-23) and IX to XII (2023-24) are scheduled to adopt SNC in second and third phases respectively.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khan has stressed the need to form a single and robust regulatory body for better implementation of building by-laws in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
He shared these views while chairing a meeting on the issues related to ICT, according to a press release issued here.
The PM directed the authorities to formulate a comprehensive plan for the resolution of complaints regarding encroachments in ICT.
Modern drone technology should be utilized for effective implementation of this plan, he said.
The PM also emphasised on protecting environment of the federal capital through tree plantation at large scale.
A system of rewards needs to be considered to ensure participation of locals in protecting green areas, he said. Planning Minister Asad Umar, PM’s Accountability Advisor Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Secretary to PM Azam Khan, Chief Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed and other senior government officials attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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