Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair has said that Pakistani nation is on the top of the list in giving charity for philanthropic works but does not believe in giving taxes, hampering state's efforts in educating its people and providing other basic facilities of life to them.
"Nobody doubts that providing basic education is the job of government but majority of people in Pakistan do not pay taxes. We have lowest GDP-to-tax ratio in the region, due to which we are far behind in the field of education, including India, Sri Lanka and even Bangladesh," Sindh Governor said while addressing a fund-raising dinner hosted by Baithak School Network (BSN) here at a local hotel on late Monday night.
Millions of rupees were pledged by the industrialists, businessmen, local and international companies at the fund-raising dinner for children studying at Baithak School Network, while many schools were adopted, students were financed and cash amount donated by the common people at the event, which was also attended by diplomats and elite of the society.
Several small children donated their pocket, handed over their 'coin boxes' and even offered material support for the students of Baithak School Network, where street children and those whose parents cannot afford to educate them, are given free education along with books, uniforms, educational material and sometimes financial support.
The Governor said scores of NGOs and private organizations are working for the promotion of education in Pakistan including Baithak School Network and Green Crescent Trust, which are educating thousands of children through philanthropy but still Pakistan was lagging behind in the field of education, which shows that there is something wrong in our strategy regarding education.
"I personally believe that educating people is the state's responsibility and that is only possible if people pay taxes religiously and let the governments do their job including provision of basic education to its people. Like philanthropy, we also need to pay taxes so that state could educate its children", he opined.
Referring to PTI Chairman Imran Khan's recent speech in Lahore where he had declared education on top of his agenda, Sindh Governor said he wanted to know from where Imran Khan would arrange more money for education as spending more on educating children would need to cut allocation in some other areas.
Lauding Baithak School Network for its excellent fund raising strategy, he advised the organizers, especially one of the organizers Azfar Ahsan to form a committee, which would look into the causes of decline in education and suggest ways to improve ratio of school going children.
Swiss Consul General in Karachi Philippe Crevosier said he was introduced to the Baithak School Network by a Swiss company Clariant, which has adopted a Baithak school in Korangi and hoped that more companies would follow suit and adopt more schools run by BSN in Pakistan.
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