TAXILA, April 29: Three new IT universities are being set up in the province which will start functioning in the next couple of months, Punjab governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired) said on Tuesday.

He was speaking as chief guest to the faculty members and students of Mashal Postgraduate College for Women, Wah Cantt, at the completion of 10 years of its existence.

The new universities, he said, were being set up to equip the youth to meet future challenges. He said the Punjab government was preparing various projects for education sector development, and special attention would be given towards establishment of IT centres, vocational institutes, and schools in far-flung areas.

He asked students to equip themselves with modern technical education to compete with other nations in all fields. He said in an era of modern education and technology, they should get latest computeronic and technology based education.

The governor said the Muslim world had all kinds of resources, but the root-cause of their backwardness was lack of education among women.

“We need to place our women in every facet of life so that they could be able to play their due role in the progress and prosperity of the country. Women should be given a chance to work on decision making and leadership posts to nurture their talent. Keeping this aim in view, the government attaches top priority to spread quality education in the country”.

The Punjab government has announced free education up to the matriculation level, and a handsome amount will be allocated for the education sector in the next fiscal year, he said.

The governor also took a round of Mashal Postgraduate College and observed that the institution had attained basic facilities and infrastructure to get the status of women university. He said after the fulfilment of required process, the college would be upgraded to the university level in near future.

He lauded the quality education being imparted to the students. He also distributed commendation certificates among pioneer teachers of the institution.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Ordnance Factories chairman Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum said the POF management had been annually spending a handsome amount on the promotion of education. As a result, Wah Cantt is the only city in the country with the highest literacy rate of 99 per cent. He said Wah Cantt was a role model educational city.

He said the paucity of educational institutes could be examine the fact that there were only 8,800 basic education schools, 12,800 high school, 1,000 colleges and only 42 universities in the country.

Later, the governor and his wife visited Nasheman, a school for special children. They visited various classrooms and talked with students and teachers.

Earlier, on his arrival at POF, Lt-Gen Qayyum received the governor. He was briefed on different products being produced by the POF.