PESHAWAR, Dec 14: A World Bank mission currently visiting Pakistan has asked the provincial government to take measures to control the spread of HIV/Aids. The mission, however, appreciated the provincial government's policies, especially the steps it had taken for spread of education among the womenfolk, said a handout issued here.The bank's mission called on NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani at the Frontier House here on Thursday and discussed with him a wide range of issues including education, health and social welfare.
Members of the mission included country director World Bank John Wall, sector director for human development Julian Schweitzer, education specialist Tehseen Syed, senior health specialist Inamul Haq and senior health specialist Benjnim.
Chief Secretary NWFP Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, Provincial Minister Inayatullah Khan, Hafiz Hashmat Khan and others were present on the occasion.
The chief minister said the international organisations were appreciating the policies of the MMA government. However, he regretted that the president of the country called ulema ignorant.
He informed the bank’s mission that during the last four years, his government had established 68 colleges as against 104 colleges set up during the preceding 56 years. The number of universities in the province was only three whereas the MMA government established seven universities during the last four years, he said.
He told the mission that his government had set up a medical college and a university exclusively for women. He said the government was imparting free education up to the matriculation level, and girl students were being given Rs200 per month as stipend.
Regarding health delivery services, Mr Durrani said there were only four teaching hospitals in the province. The MMA government upgraded hospitals in all the 24 districts to ‘A’ level from ‘D’, he added.
He agreed to a suggestion of the mission about the establishment of a steering committee to supervise certain important sectors.
He said that his government had curtailed unnecessary expenditures through financial management.The chief minister also informed the mission about the discovery of gas reserves and prospects of power production in the province.
