NOWSHERA: Parliamentary secretary for planning and development Mian Khaliqur Rehman on Friday said work on the proposed education city in Nowshera would begin soon.

“Chief Minister Pervez Khattak is taking keen interest in the revamping of education system across the province. As part of the revamping plan, we’ll establish education city in Nowshera to remove decades old backwardness in the district. Work on the project will get underway soon,” he said during the annual prize distribution ceremony at the Government Girls Degree College, Pabbi.

The parliamentary secretary said the PTI-led government was committed to providing men and women with equal opportunities of education and would ensure putting in place a uniform education system in the province.

“We want to introduce a system where the poor and the rich and men and women have equal opportunities of education,” he said.

Mr Rehman urged teachers to create an atmosphere in schools and colleges, where students could actively participate in curricular and co-curricular activities alike for better performance.

He emphasised the importance of the girls’ education and said people should send daughters to school so that they could help build a positive and constructive society in later parts of life.

“Educated mother can guide their children properly. Mother is basically initial training and educational institution of a child,” he said.

The parliamentary secretary said the government’s educational institutions could perform better than their private counterparts if teachers did their duty diligently.

He said holistic approach would be adopted to reform education system in the province and Nowshera would be a role model for other district in this respect.

Mr Rehman said he would help the college administration resolve its administrative and financial problems.

On the occasion, principal Shagufta Nisar highlighted the issues and challenges confronting schools.

HUNGER STRIKE THREATENED: Political activists and elders from Khattak Nama on Friday threatened hunger strike against the reported relocation of the proposed Ajmal Khattak Polytechnic Institute from their area.

ANP leader Tamezuddin and district organising committee member Asghar Khattak told reporters in Pabbi that political activists and elders from Pabbi to Chirat would set up a hunger strike camp yet again at main Shobera Chowk in Nowshera.