Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal here Wednesday said the government has accorded highest priority to promotion of higher education and has planned to establish sub-campuses of universities in every district of the country to provide quality education to students at their doorsteps.
He clarified that no change has been made in CPEC western route and all provinces would benefit from this mega project. In addition to setting up of economic zones in KP, Peshawar Circular Railway under CPEC would provide better communication facilities besides employment opportunities to people of KP, he added.
Addressing a students and teachers function after inaugurating new academic blocks at University of Swabi as chief guest, Professor Ahsan Iqbal said all concerns of provinces including of the Chief Minister KP who also attended an important meeting regarding CPEC last month in China were addressed, saying that any person having any reservation about CPEC we are ready to address it.
He said CPEC was a life line project of the country and the upcoming generation will not pardon us if we lost this golden opportunity. The federal minister said peaceful protest and demands were real essence of democracy but it should be under constitutional ambit, adding genuine demands of PPP Chairman can be addressed within constitutional framework. He said the issue of extension in military courts would be addressed with mutual consultation, saying that Military Courts had played key role in curbing menace of terrorism.
The minister while announcing Rs 1 billion grant for University of Swabi said that PML-N government was committed to increase access to higher education and for that purpose sub-campuses and virtual campuses of the universities would be established with assistance of Higher Education Commission (HEC) at district level in next three years so as to enable aspiring students to gain higher education at their doorsteps.
"Quality education and access to higher education is the right of every citizen of Pakistan and the Government to fulfil this national obligation has established a network of quality educational institutes to facilitate students, he said. Ahsan Iqbal said the past regimes had restricted bilateral relations with US to defence co-operation like purchase of F-16 and weapons equipments etc but the Nawaz Sharif Government after coming into power had widened scope of the bilateral relationship with US and laid the foundation of multi dimensional Pak-US Knowledge Corridor to bring educational revolution in the country.
"Pak-US Knowledge Corridor is one of the most significant initiatives of PML-N Government in the entire diplomatic history of Pakistan with United States under which as many as 10,000 talented Pakistani scholars would be enrolled in the top US universities in next 10 years under Pakistan Vision-2025 for transforming the country into knowledge economy essential for sustained development," Professor Ahsan Iqbal remarked.