ISLAMABAD: Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Wednesday inaugurated the free lunch programme in 100 primary schools of the federal capital.

He launched the programme by providing free meal to students in a school in F-6. All schoolchildren in 100 primary schools that fell under the jurisdiction of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) will be provided the meal.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the meal was being provided in collaboration with the Allah Walay Trust.

He said the government was making effort to spread the programme to all schools of the country, and that he had taken up this issue with an international donor agency as well.

He said poverty was one of the major reasons behind drop-out or not enrolling in schools, adding that in the next phase, lunch would be provided to students of all primary schools of Islamabad.

There are a total of 191 primary schools in Islamabad and the programme has been launched in 100.

FDE Director General Dr Ikram Ali Malik, Quaid-i-Azam University Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen Secretary Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah and officials of the trust and FDE attended the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2022