KARACHI, Feb 7: Pakistan's actual spending on education today stands at about 3.5 per cent of its budget, Dewan Jaffer Hussain Bukhari, Parliamentary Secretary for Education , said while speaking to the teachers and students of the Sindh Madressahtul Islam on Saturday.

Mr Bukhari said that although the country was spending 2.2 per cent of its budget on education, but there was a separate budget for educational institutions being-run under the supervision of army, besides the huge funds from international donors being spent on education, which had brought the total spending on education at about 3.5 per cent of country's budget.

He claimed that the government had signed an agreement for purchase of computer systems at the lowest rates. A computer system with a market price of Rs45,000 would be procured at Rs18,000 and would be offered to the people on easy instalments of Rs600 to 700, he elaborated.

He said that without increasing literacy rate, the country could not make headway and develop. He also lauded the Madressah's role in education sector.

SMI Principal Muhammad Ali Shaikh, in his welcome address, said that efforts were underway to upgrade the alma mater of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to the level of a university.

Earlier, Mr Bukhari, accompanied by Mr Shaikh, went round the Jinnah Museum, Fine Arts gallery and other old buildings of the institution.-APP