'March for Education' campaign receiving huge response: Shahnaz

The 'March for Education' campaign launched by the Pakistan Education Task Force, is receiving an overwhelming response from people belonging to all walks of life. In the past few days, the campaign has received huge response from young Pakistanis who are joining it through text messages with the support of Telenor Pakistan, said Co-Chairperson of the Task Force Shahnaz Wazir Ali while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.
The campaign was launched in March, 2011, to highlight the urgency of clamping education emergency. The Education Emergency petition calls upon political leadership to chalk out plan for providing every child with education, which is their constitutional right. It also urges them to ensure increment in education budgets. Wazir Ali said that the campaign has evoked tremendous passion, where young people from within Pakistan and across the world have shown their commitment to education for all.
"On our website, Facebook page and on Twitter, people have joined together to call on Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to make education their number one priority in 2011 - the Year of Education," she said.
Wazir Ali said that the Task Force is committed to building political consensus on the issue. There are signs that the leaders have begun responding to education as an issue that could unite politicians from all parties to invest in the future of Pakistan's most precious asset, its young people.
After the 18th Amendment, the provinces have to bear the responsibility of providing education to young citizens, she said, adding that the provinces have also shown interest in the campaign. She said that there are encouraging signs, which show that all were prepared to pull together as a country to make the significant and rapid improvements that both parents and young people demand.
Impressed by the March for Education's work highlighting Pakistan's education emergency, Telenor Pakistan is sending out 18 million text messages asking subscribers to sign the Education Emergency petition, said Director Corporate Communications and Responsibility, Telenor Pakistan, Anjum Rahman. She said Telenor Pakistan is committed to a better future for the youth of the country. The 'Karo Mumkin' and 'Khamoshi Ka Boycott' campaigns of Telenor are aimed at empowering people to support causes that benefit the nation, she added.