Punjab Minister for Population Welfare Neelam Jabbar Chaudhary has said that promotion of education is one of the top priorities of her government and that education development budget has been increased by 66 percent as compared to previous year's allocation.
She said the universal education programme-2010 had also been announced under which every child of Punjab would go to schools by 2010. She said her government would introduce people-friendly policies in the province. "Pakistan is the sixth largest country in population - one of the only seven nuclear power declared states - and situated in a strategic location in Asia," she added.
The minister while meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz women MPAs from Kasur, including Shagufta Sheikh and Rahat Ajmal Malik, said that this century and the next one belonged to Asia just as the last two centuries belonged to the West. "To take part in this march we will have to get our people ready. Nearly 70 percent of our people are under-educated or illiterate," she added.
She said people lacked marketable skills whereas ignorance and backwardness bred poor governance, corruption and illiteracy. She told the party delegation that her government's commitment and dedication would also be observed by people in every socio-economic sector. "Youths are the future of our nation so they will be provided with the latest scientific education and technology," she added.