Shehbaz says will ensure all Punjab kids go to school

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that achievement of the targets fixed for promotion of education is the collective responsibility and effective measures will have to be taken for increasing the enrolment of children in schools and promotion of quality education.

Presiding over a meeting on educational reforms programme under Punjab Schools Reforms Roadmap, Shehbaz said that achievement of targets of Parho Punjab Barho Punjab Programme is the national responsibility, adding that the target of the enrolment of every child of the province till 2018 will have to be achieved through hard work, commitment and determination.

Shehbaz Sharif said that he wants results in achievement of targets for the improvement of educational sector. He directed that a comprehensive programme should be evolved for the training of teachers and steps should be taken for its immediate implementation. He said that provision of resources for the promotion of education is a useful investment adding that access to quality education is the right of every child and Punjab government is upholding this right.

The chief minister said that funds of billions of rupees have been given for therepair and construction of the dilapidated buildings of schools and completion of this work within stipulated period should be ensured.

CPEC is a game-changer for progress:

Separately, in a meeting with Executive Vice Mayor of Chinese province Sichuan’s capital Chengdu, Zhu Zhihong, Shehbaz Sharif said that promotion of bilateral relations of Punjab and Lahore with Sichuan and Chengdu, strengthening of trade and economic ties and cooperation in water supply, sanitation, tourism and other sectors were discussed in the meeting. It was also decided to further promote collaboration to declare Lahore and Chengdu as twin cities.

The chief minister said that Pakistan and China are bound together in strong friendly ties and the agreements of investment of billions of dollars are unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. He said that these agreements are of historic importance and will strengthen Pak-China friendship adding that China is extending unprecedented economic cooperation to Pakistan.

Pakistan and China are sincere friends and the hearts of people of the two countries beat together, he said.

Shehbaz Sharif said that Pak-China friendship is deeper than ocean, sweeter than honey, higher than Himalaya and stronger than steel. He said that China has stood by Pakistan in every hour of need adding that Chinese leadership has given a historic investment package of 46 billion dollars to Pakistan, which is a precious gift of Chinese government to the people of Pakistan and reflects complete faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The chief minister said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer for progress and prosperity of the country. He said that CPEC projects are a beginning towards the strengthening of economic conditions and will result in economic benefit not only to Pakistan but to the entire region.

Shehbaz Sharif said that the Chinese president, prime minister and the government have given a precious gift to the people of Pakistan in the form of orange line metro train and this project is a milestone in the provision of modern transport facilities of international standard to the common man. He said that work is in progress round the clock on metro train project and more than 300000 passengers will travel by this system daily upon its completion.

The chief minister said that Punjab government wants to benefit from skill and experience of Chengdu in the project of potable water and improvement of sanitation facilities. Shehbaz Sharif welcomed Chengdu’s decision to set up a working station in Lahore and said that it will help strengthen relations between Lahore and Chengdu in different sectors and the station will work as a bridge adding that Punjab government will extend all-out facilities to Chengdu for the establishment of working station.

Chengdu Executive Vice Mayor Zhu Zhihong, while speaking on the occasion, expressed the desire to take immediate measures to promote cooperation with Punjab and Lahore in trade, education, health, tourism, water management and other sectors. He said that Chengdu airlines want to start direct flights to Lahore adding that Punjab is making rapid progress under the leadership of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and all out cooperation will be extended to the provincial government in the process of development.

The executive vice mayor invited the chief minister to visit Chengdu and said that Shehbaz Sharif is known as man of action in China and Punjab has made unprecedented progress under his leadership.