SIALKOT: The Punjab government on Wednesday announced handover of 137 more primary schools to the private sector/NGOs in Sialkot district in a bid to improve the educational standard.

As many as 5,237 students are studying in these schools and all male and female teachers will be appointed to other nearby schools. The private sector will hire teachers for these schools.

Sialkot District Coordination Officer Dr. Asif Tufail said two months ago that 20 primary schools had been handed over to the private sector in the district for a period of one year.

The DCO said as per the policy, the Punjab government would give Rs550 per child to the private sector for improving the educational standard.

He said after one year, the performance would be assessed and the schools falling short of the parameters would again come under control of the government. And contract of the schools showing required performance would be extended.

PASSENGER OFFLOADED: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday offloaded a passenger who was trying to travel to Spain via Dubai through an international airline (Emirates) from Sialkot airport.

FIA Divisional Deputy Director Khalid Anees said Shahzad Ahmed (with fake name Mukhtarul Hasan Dar) was trying to travel to Spain via Dubai when the personnel detected fake Spanish visa on his passport.

The FIA offloaded Shahzad who told the investigators that he had got the Spanish visa from Nasrullah by paying him 6,000 Euros at Barcelona.

The FIA has sent the suspect behind bars after registering a case against him.

It was the second incident of offloading passengers during the last two days.

Earlier, the FIA had offloaded Zohaib Suhail Piracha who was trying to travel to Canada via Dubai from Sialkot airport on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2016