Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday launched "Khadim-e-Punjab Zewar-e-Taleem Program" in 16 districts of South Punjab under which educational scholarships worth of Rs 6 billion will be distributed every year in the girl students and this program will benefit more than 460000 girl students.
To make the program transparent, the girl students will be given scholarships through Khidmat cards and this scholarship is aimed at the ensuring school education of girls and is conditional to 80 percent attendance. Through Khidmat cards girl students will be given Rs 1000 scholarship every month and it will make 5 times increase in the scholarship of girls students.
"I want to provide Rs 60 billion instead of Rs 6 billion for the education of the daughters of the nation. I advise the girl students who will get the scholarship to move forward with energy and vigour, and break the status quo to change the destiny of the country. The girl students should play their role to end the culture of plunder and threat", Shahbaz said.
He also advised the girl students to work as a movement and redesign the country according to the guidelines and aspiration of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal. He said that if daughters of the nation will equipment themselves with education, they will not need gold and silver jewellery.
He said PML-N government under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has started the war against this cruel system and we are proceeding towards making such Pakistan where everybody will have equal opportunities for progress and development. He said the Punjab government has launched a revolutionary program to provide education to girls students in less developed districts.
He said Khadim-e-Punjab Zewar-e-Taleem program, launched in 16 districts of South Punjab and the scholarship of girl students has been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 1000. He said now daughters of national will have to make promise that they will ensure their attendance in schools.
Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed said the scholarship program reflects the mindset of the chief minister to provide education to daughters and sons of the nation. He said the chief minister has added new chapter in the education reforms of the province. Punjab Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said the provincial government has taken revolutionary steps for the education and empowerment of the women. She said more than 200 centers have been set up to distribute Khidamt cards while 108 mobile centers have also been set up. Vice Chairman PEEF Amjad Saqib said this is revolutionary program and the chief minister deserves praise for this step. Earlier, the chief minister distributed Khidmat cards.