Provincial Minister for Higher Education Raza Ali Gillani has said that sports events would be held twice every year in public sector colleges in the province. The necessary instructions have been issued to the divisional directors, he added. The purpose of the biannual events is to promote sportsman-spirit, leadership, as well as positive social norms.
He said this while addressing the annual sports day at the Government Postgraduate College for Women (GPCW), Raiwind, on Monday. In his address, the minister said a detailed departmental roadmap has been chalked out in consultation with the 721 college administrations to provide missing facilities at the earliest. Their suggestions will be included in the upcoming development budget of the higher education department for the financial year 2017-18, he said.
The government of Punjab has a clear vision to make Pakistan stronger through the promotion of education and this vision is being fully implemented by the higher education department, Gilani said, adding that higher education was the backbone of every sector.
Later, while talking to the media, he said that public sector colleges have already been directed to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for their security and that they were also being inspected to check their security arrangements. To another question, the minister said that similar SOPs have been issued for all the colleges in the province and that no compromise would be made on security. Renowned writer Bushra Rahman and GPCW Principal Dr Rashida Qureshi also spoke on the occasion.
The minister also distributed prizes among the winners of the sports day.