PESHAWAR, Feb 18: The city district council adopted on Tuesday a unanimous resolution asking the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) government in the NWFP not to ban co-education in the province till the provision of proper educational facilities to both genders at secondary and university level.

The district council proceedings which started here at the District Council Hall and presided over by council convener Dr Iqbal Khalil, demanded of the provincial government to establish a separate university for women in Peshawar forthwith.

Ms Shamim Qaiser, who tabled the resolution, said the decision regarding banning co-education would have negative impact on female education.

The MMA government, she insisted, should not adopt such measures which discouraged women from getting education. Literacy rate was already very low among females, she said, ad-ding that the government should avoid discriminatory policies.

“Repercussions of barring females from education will be very serious,” she said, and added that the government should take steps for the promotion of education.

Councillor Safia Naz opposed the resolution and opined that religious and social values did not permit to continue co-education in society.

She said the NWFP government should establish separate educational institutions for males and females to end the culture of co-education in society.

Dr Khalil said the government had issued a policy statement and gave firm assurances that it had no intention to ban co-education in the province. He said at present the government had no resources to establish separate education institutions for males and females.

After the debate, Ms Naz also supported the resolution.

Through another unanimous resolution, the district council condemned the United States for possible attack on Iraq and asked the government to “fully support Baghdad at this critical juncture”. The resolution, moved by Mr Tariq Haidery, termed US president Bush a major threat to global peace and security.

Many councillors proposed to organise a protest rally in Peshawar against the US aggressive designs and to express solidarity with the people of Iraq.

Through yet another resolution, the council asked the city district government to establish a digital library in the provincial metropolis and open libraries in every union council.