The country is passing through a critical phase of its history, and the need of the hour is to develop consensus and reconciliation among all political parties to change the destiny of the people, as the country cannot afford confrontation at this point of time.
This was stated by PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz, MNA, while addressing PML-N workers here on Saturday. He said: "The government, for the first time, has taken the right steps in the right direction, and we welcome the same." Talking about Charter of Democracy (CoD), he said that all political parties have consensus over the CoD, and the problems confronted by the country and nation can be resolved through implementing it in letter and spirit. He said that each clause of CoD develops national approach, which can strengthen the federation.
He said that CoD is the only document, after 1973 constitution, on which the entire nation has consensus. He called for strengthening the parliamentary form of democracy to ensure political stability in the country. He said that the CoD should be implemented in letter and spirit, which can help resolve all national issues.
Hamza said that eight years dictatorship had caused irreparable loss to the country and Pakistan had to pay heavy price by becoming US partner in the war on terror. He said poor people are becoming the target of terrorism and the US administration had to bring change in its policy.
He said that Punjab government was utilising all available resources for redressal of peoples problems and providing all basic facilities including education and health. He said the government is paying special attention towards peoples welfare projects for fulfilling its responsibility. He said that those areas, which were neglected due to vindictive action in the past, would be provided all facilities by the Punjab government, without any discrimination.
Punjab Minister for Education Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said the PML-N Punjab government was taking revolutionary steps for public welfare. In order to ensure provision of quality education, English-medium classes have been introduced in 5 percent boys and 10 percent girls high schools of every district of the province. In the near future, these selected government schools would be converted into English-medium schools, he added.
He said the government has already announced conversion of 144 centres of excellence schools into English-medium schools. Besides, instructions have already been issued to the administration to launch English-medium classes in all central model schools, comprehensive schools, pilot and community model girls schools, he added.
He said that directions have also been issued to increase the number of those schools where English-medium classes are already being held. Science subjects and mathematics would be taught in English from Sixth class in selected schools.
The source of education from Seventh to Tenth class would remain as Urdu, and those English schools where primary classes are present, admission would also be given in Nursery, First and Second classes in these schools. In the next four years, all classes would be converted to English-medium, while free-of-cost books would be provided by the Punjab Text-Book Board, he added.