BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan had achieved milestones in economic and social sectors during the past four years and this accomplishment had paved way for a prosperous and stronger country among the comity of nations.
This was stated by Federal Minister for Education Engineer Muhammad Balighur Rehman during a laptop distribution ceremony under the Phase IV of the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur on Saturday.
He said that Pakistan’s GDP enhanced from 3.68 to 5.28 per cent and the inflation rate decreased from 8.0 to 3.80 per cent. “Revenues of the Federal Bureau of Revenue increased from Rs1946 billion to Rs3167 billion while the development budget increased from Rs348 billion to Rs733 billion,” added the minister.
“The government also focused on the education sector by enhancing its budget from Rs41 billion to Rs90 billion and provided extraordinary grants for educational development of the Bahawalpur region including the establishment of new universities, colleges and technical institutes,” he said.
The minister also praised Islamia University of Bahawalpur Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Qaiser Mushtaq for playing a key role in completing mega developmental projects funded by the federal government at the varsity.
He told the participants of the ceremony that the historic project of Rs858 million approved back in February 2015 was being completed at a fast pace with the construction of Management Sciences and Civil Engineering academic blocks underway along with that of two new hostels at the Baghdadul Jadeed Campus.
“Similarly, the Rahim Yar Khan Campus was completed at a cost of Rs726 million, the Bahawalnagar Campus was constructed at a cost of Rs409 million and the Agriculture College was inaugurated recently with a grant of Rs416 million,” he said and added that Bahawalpur was also provided with a modern hospital at a cost of Rs3 billion besides the establishment of state-of-the-art kidney and blood transfusion centres.
The minister told that the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park was also established in Bahawalpur and the city was now being considered as one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities of Pakistan.
He also congratulated the students who received the laptops and said that the scheme marked the start of a digital revolution in the country.