RAWALPINDI: The allocation originally proposed for the education sector in the guidelines of the Third Five-Year Plan has been raised by Rs 800 million. This was disclosed by Mr A.T.M. Mustafa, Minister for Education, at a news conference here today [Sept 15].

With this substantial increase the allocation to education will be of the order of Rs 3,100 million, which is three times more than the actual estimated expenditure of Rs 108 crores under the Second Plan. Mr Mustafa said increased allocation to the education sector represented the maximum proportionate increase in any sector under the Third Plan. He said the development expenditure would constitute 6 per cent of the total allocation compared to 4 per cent in the Second Plan.

He returned to the interim capital yesterday after his Canadian and European tour. He had gone to Canada to lead the Pakistan delegation to the Commonwealth Education Conference held in Ottawa. Giving his impressions about them, he was all praise for the Canadian students who, he said, had lot of influence over their Government as they took active part in constructive activities like planning and research. He paid rich tributes to the Speaker of the House of Representatives whom he described as “eminently pro-Pakistan”.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2014