THANKS to Yasmin Rehman MP, the parliament has finally done something constructive by passing free and compulsory education for children from five to 16 for the ICT.

The bill has been passed in the light of Article 25 of the constitution which gives the right to free education to all children irrespective of their gender.

Hopefully, the law will be extended to the whole country. Besides, the provinces which are responsible for education under the 18th amendment will also adopt this act of the federal parliament.

The federal government should follow it up by increasing the budget allocation of at least four per cent of the GDP in the next budget.

The parliament should make similar legislation for right to free health care and also increase the budget allocation for healthcare.

A natural corollary of this would have to be to tax the rich tax evaders to increase the state revenues to provide for the education and health care of the poor.

It is hoped that this initiative will start an era of reform and a new mindset for future parliamentarians to think about people and legislate for every citizens’ constitutional rights and privileges, and give priority to nation-building rather than self-promotion, corruption and nepotism. That is the only way to progress as a nation.

Z. AHMEDIslamabad