ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to set up a joint task force on education to be headed by noted British educationist Michael Barber, who has been the driving force behind British education reform over the past decade, DawnNews reported.

Talking to the media along with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi after the meeting with the President Asif Ali Zardari, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said they had extensive discussions on education.

The Task Force will work on the implementation of strategy currently being developed by the government of Pakistan, he said, adding that recent reports by the government of Pakistan identified the implementation gap and ‘we are going to use this task force to bridge the implementation gap.’

The Task Force will also be responsible for overseeing the use of funds for educational development from Britain, the US and other parts of the world.

Earlier the meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly Asfandyar Wali, former senator and spokesman to the President Farahtuallah Babar, High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan and Deputy High Commissioner Asif Durani.

‘We had extensive discourse about the education in Pakistan. The President has been passionate about the importance of education and the Foreign Minister as well,’ said the British Foreign secretary.

‘This brings out the fact that our relations with Pakistan are long term one and the children who have school age in Pakistan are the future of Pakistan,’ Miliband said, adding he looked forward deepening educational links between the two countries, and more extensive discussions next week.

Billing his meeting with the President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qrureshi, as excellent, the British Foreign Secretary said that they had very practical discussion about the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) meeting taking place in New York this week.

Referring to the FoDP meeting taking place next week, he said, ‘we will hear from Pakistan’s President about very effective way in which the insurgency is being pushed back in the militancy-hit Swat,’ adding, ‘we will hear about the strategy regarding Malakand which has really caught the imagination of the international community and has really got very strong support.

‘We will hear further about the way the government wants to extend its comprehensive approach to counter the insurgency in terms of security politics and economics,’ he said.

Responding to a question, he described the FoDP meeting taking place next week as unique. There are very few countries that get the sort of support Pakistan will get next week from the United States, United Kingdom and European Union Countries.

The meeting will be important as it will be chance for international community to recognize that progress is being made in Pakistan and sacrifices being rendered by Pakistani people, Miliband said.

Moreover, according to the minister, it will be a chance for international community to recommit and renew its commitment for Pakistan. While he remained optimistic about the future, there is no ‘quick fix’ to the problems at hand.

To a query, he said he was delighted to know that European Union had its first Europe-Pakistan summit in June and he came to know from Foreign Minister of Spain that he planned to have second EU-Pak Summit in the first six months of next year.

Referring to EU-Pak summit which will focus on trade, he said, ‘we want to escalate free trade between Pakistan and Europe and it will not happen over night. Pakistan’s entrepreneurship and Pakistani ideas need to be brought at international commercial system.’

To a question, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the world was recognising Pakistan’s efforts. The people of Pakistan remain united and convinced to fight extremism and terrorism. ‘They have shown results in Malakand and Swat,’ he added.

The world is willing to engage Pakistan beyond terrorism. They are talking of helping Pakistan in energy and education. UK and Pakistan have set up a task force for education, he observed.

‘If we have to deal with this menace (terrorism) we will have to change the mind set. And the best way to change the mind set is to invest in people and the education sector is the best way to do it,’ he added.