Peshawar(PR):The Advisor to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Information and Higher Education, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani has disclosed that two-year BA, BSc graduation will soon be replaced by four-year BS Program in all universities and colleges of the province. He said measures were also underway to introduce hi-tech higher education of international standard and a consortium had been constituted to start first educational session in one of the seven selected disciplines from the next academic year at Haripur University with technical assistance and collaboration of a world reputed Austrian University.
Speaking as chief guest at the Convocation of Government Post Graduate Girls College, Mandian, Abbottabad, on Saturday, he added that the hi-tech education model will later be replicated in other universities of the province at an estimated cost of nine billion rupees. He told that this step was taken by the present provincial government under its education reforms agenda that was set by the PTI Chairman, Imran Khan who kept in view the present and future job market as well as exploitation of the mineral and other natural resources and potential for hydro power generation that is available in Khyber pakhtunkhwa and other parts of Pakistan.
The Convocation ceremony was also addressed by the Vice Chancellor, Hazara University, Professor Dr. Muhammad Idrees and Principal of the College, Professor Qaisira Perveen while registrar of the university Professor Dr. Manzoor Shah, Cotroller Examination, Dr. Azhar Shah, officials of the higher Education Department, Peshawar, the faculty members and large number of parents and teachers attended the function.
Highlighting issues of education sector in KP and the provincial Government’s endeavors to overcome them, Mr. Mushtaq Ghani said that 70 % of all new schools and colleges were being established for women, which was ample proof of the fact that the present PTI Government was according priority to women education. He said that heads of all colleges of the province had been empowered to hire teachers from open market on temporary basis until availability of permanent lecturers from the Public Service Commission. He assured that all required funds would be provided by the provincial government for this purpose. He said that the party leadership was ambitious for the ongoing reforms agenda especially in education and health sectors and the PTI’s provincial government had so far achieved numerous goals in this connection. He remarked that education of common citizens particularly those hailing from women folk and provision of modern health facilities as well as elimination of corruption and establishing merit based good-governance system are more important for us than constructing metro bus track. He said those who could not see the change should visit our schools, colleges, universities, police stations, hospitals, revenue and other government offices where the change that brought by the PTI government is quite visible and the pleasant difference can be observed very clearly there.
The Advisor to the Chief Minister further told that strictly following its agenda for change the provincial government had blocked all ways of corruption, favoritism, loot and plunder, misuse of powers, stealing of public exchequer, bribery and such other menaces through effective legislations like Right to Services, Right to information, Whistle Blower, and Ehtisab Commission Acts. He said that now even Chief Minister or any member of his cabinet cannot be spared on corruption charges and putting one of the close and influential minister of the ruling party behind the bars on corruption charges was unprecedented instance of the PTI’s zero tolerance for corrupt practices.
Mushtaq Ghani said that establishment of women universities one each in Swabi and Mardan, Abbottabad University and the first ever best technical university in Nowshera as well as a number of new colleges, ensuring teachers and students attendance and providing missing facilities in educational institutions are remarkable achievements of our government.
Referring to civic and uplift issues of Abbottabad, he informed that the Women and Children Hospital would soon be made independent on the Pattern of AMC and DHQ hospitals and it would also be equipped with all modern health facilities. He told that widening and rehabilitation of Murree Road had been initiated at a cost of two billion rupees while main Mansehra Road will also be widened by the provincial government as the federal government was found reluctant to take this liability. He said that construction of a fly over from Fawara Chowk to Supply Bazar was under consideration while construction of a 26 kilometer double carriage bypass road from Abbottabad to Dhmtor has also been approved by the provincial government.
