PM for strong federal, provincial coordination to enroll 22.8m out-of-school children

ISLAMABAD, JAN 14 (APP/DNA):Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday underlined the need for strong coordination between the federal and provincial governments to enroll the 22.8 million out-of-school children and achieve other objectives of the recently launched Education Emergency.

The prime minister, in his televised opening remarks at the meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by him, said that since education was a devolved subject, the federal government should aggressively work with the provincial governments to address the challenge of out-of-school children with a majority of them being girls.

He directed the federal education minister to enhance coordination with the provinces in the education sector.

The prime minister lauded the federal education minister and secretary education for organizing a commendable international conference on girls’ education in the Muslim world that garnered great experts who extended informed discourse on the matter.

The OIC Secretary General, Saudi delegation and education ministers from different Muslim countries had participated in the conference that made the event a big success, he added.

PM Shehbaz also appreciated the resumption of the flight operation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to Paris and termed it a great achievement.

He regretted that the unfounded statements by the aviation minister of the PTI government incurred huge economic losses and restrictions on the flight operations of the national flag carrier that had now been relieved.

He appreciated and felicitated the Aviation Minister and the entire cabinet members on this achievement and expressed the hope for resumption of flights operation to London as the government was expanding PIA network routes.

Commenting on the new Pak-Iran border crossing in Panjgur, the prime minister extended his gratitude to the Government of Iran for cooperating on the matter as it would help further curb smuggling and promote legal trade between the two neighbouring countries.

The prime minister told the cabinet members that the situation in Kurram had improved and the pickets formed earlier had been removed and supplies of essential items was revived.

“All stakeholders together will maintain peace and strive to suppress violence among the groups,” he remarked.

The armed forces, he said under the leadership of the Army Chief had initiated anti-terror activities against Fitna Al Khawarij (terrorists).

In a recent intelligence-based operation (IBO), 27 terrorists were eliminated and many other IBOs were going on across the country as “the security forces are rendering great sacrifices that will result in the end of Fitna Al Khawarij. History will reckon these sacrifices in golden words.”

The prime minister concluded that the national task force formed for the transformation of the energy sector was aggressively working and preparing an elaborate roadmap for energy sector resilience.