UK Minister for International Development Priti Patel called on Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here Friday and discussed the enhancement of bilateral cooperation in education, health, skill development and other sectors. During the meeting it was also decided to enhance cooperation to eliminate child labour. She said Shahbaz Sharif has done a wonderful job by ending child labor from brick-kilns and his efforts for reforms in the social sectors are laudable.
Priti Patel expressed grief over the loss of lives in the recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan. She said Pakistan's sacrifices in the war against terrorism are deeply respected. Speaking on the occasion, Shahbaz Sharif said UK and Pakistan are important partners in the journey of development and progress in Pakistan. He said various programs in the fields of education, health and skill development are running successfully in Punjab with the cooperation of DFID. "Enrollment in primary schools has reached 90 percent and a program is running successfully with the cooperation of DFID for the provision of missing facilities in schools and training of teachers," he said.
Shahbaz said a big chunk of population in Pakistan is consisted of youth and for the empowerment of the youth thousands of youngsters have been imparted training under the Skill Development Program. He said the war against terrorism is the war of survival of Pakistan and there is no precedence in the world of sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war against terrorism. He said the whole nation is united to eliminate terrorism and to eliminate terrorism. "We need books not bullets."
He said, "We need trade with the UK, not aid and the UK investors can take benefit of investment opportunities in Pakistan especially Punjab." Shahbaz said the Punjab Education Endowment Fund is the biggest education scholarship program in South Asia and volume of this fund has reached Rs 20 billion and 175,000 needy and intelligent students are getting quality education through this fund.
He said that Punjab government has taken exemplary steps for the empowerment of women and in official boards the quota of women has been fixed at 33 percent. He said women are being provided interest free loans for self-employment and sharing financial burden of their families.
He said Pakistan is a peaceful country and we want peaceful ties with neighboring countries and there will be development in the region when there will be peace. He said war is no solution rather it increases poverty and problems. He said now it's time that we should work together for peace for prosperity in the region. Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government has eliminated child labor from brick-kilns and 8700 children working on kilns have been enrolled in schools and in the second phase, child labor will be eliminated from hotels, workshops, and petrol pumps.
UK High Commissioner Thomas Drew, DFID Director for Asia Caribbean & Overseas Richard Montgomery, Chief of DFID in Pakistan Joanna Reid, Provincial Ministers Rana Mashhood Ahmad, Zakiya Shahnawaz, Hameeda Waheeduddin, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Adviser Dr Umer Saif, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, Secretary Home and secretaries and senior officer of concerned departments also attended the meeting.
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