September 9, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: Adviser to the prime minister on women development and special education on Monday said the dismally low literacy rate in the country was one of the major hurdles in the way of its smooth progress and prosperity.

She was speaking as chief guest at the culmination point of the International Literacy Day walk at Jinnah Avenue, organized by the Education for All wing of the federal education ministry in collaboration with the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

Hundreds of children from both the private and public schools participated in the walk which started from Shaheed-i- Millat Secretariat and ended in front of the Parliament House.

“For the last five decades we have failed because of the prevailing high rate of illiteracy,” Ms Bakhtiar said.

She said, at present, a comprehensive and result-oriented programmes for universalization of primary education was one of the pressing needs. The government has embarked upon a number of new programmes to double the literacy rate and basic education in the country, he added.

Parliamentary secretary for education Dewan Syed Jafar Hussain Bukhari said the advancement in arts, science, literature and technology was the outcome of education, therefore, only education could enable a nation to grow at a pace with rest of the world.