PESHAWAR, May 26: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said that the federal government intends to allocate Rs9 billion in the coming budget for the promotion of higher education in the province.

Speaking as the chief guest at the 7th convocation of the Peshawar campus of Preston University here on Wednesday, he said the fresh allocation was almost double of the amount earmarked for this sector in the current budget.

He said the present government was fully conscious of the promotion of higher education and as such it had made a handsome allocation for this sector. He said that only planned and adequate investment in human capital could guarantee economic, social and political development of the country.

The ceremony was also addressed by Dr Abdul Basit, chancellor; Dr Abdul Hamid, executive vice-president; and Dr Mohammad Anwar Hassan, Director, Peshawar campus of the university.

In all 200 graduates were awarded degrees in BBA, MBA and MS, whereas 15 students were awarded gold medals for getting distinctions in different disciplines.