CHITRAL, Aug 4: MPA Maulana Abdur Rehman has said that educational institutions will be purged of politics and the rule of merit will be ensured to raise the standard of education.

He was speaking at a prize distribution ceremony for position holders in the matriculation examination from the district at a local school on Thursday.

He said that dismal performance of government schools was due to ‘politicization of educational sector’ by the past governments for promoting certain political parties. But the days of politics in education institutions, he added, were over and transfers and postings were being made on the basis of merit.

He said that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was not against modern and science education but it was against Western culture taking roots in the society.

He claimed that the MMA government had concentrated its efforts on fighting illiteracy and ignorance in the province.

He eulogized the services of Qari Faizullah for offering generous prizes to the students to encourage competition among students.

DCO Abdul Ghafoor Baig, former district nazim Shahzada Mohyuddin, renowned educationist Mukarram Shah and others also spoke on the occasion.

Later, the MPA gave away prizes to the position holders on behalf of Qari Faizullah, the head of Madressah-i-Imam Mohammad, Karachi.

Those securing prizes included Mohammad Abid of Sayurj Public School, Noor Ahmed of Government High School, Chitral, and Mohsinullah of the FC Public School, Drosh.