KARACHI, Sept 8: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has allocated 31 per cent for education in its annual budget with an aim of attaining 100 per cent literacy in the metropolis.

This was said by the city nazim, Naimatullah Khan, on Wednesday while speaking to participants of a walk arranged to mark the International Literacy Day. Naimat pointed out that as many as 32 colleges had been opened in the city, and steps were being taken on priority basis for setting up more schools and colleges.

He was of the view that education budget at the provincial and the federal levels should be enhanced and hurdles in the way of promotion of education removed. He stressed that literacy was important in order to remove ignorance and enable Pakistan to make rapid headway in the community of nations.

Meanwhile, walks were organized by the city government in collaboration with the Sindh education department at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam and the KDA Chowrangi, North Nazimabad.

Schoolchildren, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and officials of the CDGK and the Sindh education department participated. The walk starting from the KDA Chowrangi was led by the City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan.

The Executive District Officer (EDO) Literacy, N.Z. Khan, said that concrete and comprehensive planning was being undertaken for promoting literacy. EDO Education, Gul Muhammad Hajiano, said that as far as the country's standing in terms of literacy was concerned, it was 140th in the world.

The Adviser Education, CDGK, Nasim Siddiqui, said that in the next few years, no child in Karachi would remain illiterate. Syed Sohail Akbar Shah, Abdul Latif Mughal, Roshan Ara Syed and Abdul Wahab also spoke. - APP