Education is the key to elimination of poverty, unemployment, terrorism and extremism for putting the country on the road to progress and prosperity and transforming it in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal said Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Friday.
While addressing the inaugural ceremony of 26th Lahore International Book Fair at Expo Centre, Johar Town on Friday, he said that intolerance in the society could be removed through promotion of education and awareness and the nation could regain its lost status by attaching due importance to acquiring knowledge. "Knowledge is a wealth which cannot be stolen or robbed."
Assembly Members, Chairman Lahore International Book Fair Trust Zubair Saeed, Secretary Najam Sethi, writers, publishers and people hailing from different walks of life were present in a large number. Addressing the function, the Chief Minister said that only those nations have progressed which have promoted education and modern knowledge and in view of this fact, Punjab government has taken unprecedented measures for the uplift of education sector and promotion of quality education.
He said that IT labs have been set up in more than 4,000 schools of the province at a cost of Rs 5 billion and thousands of children from Attock to Rahim Yar Khan are benefiting from this project and gaining latest information about global changes and new inventions. He said that the programme of distribution of laptops among talented boys and girls students on the basis of merit has been started from RYK and 110,000 computers will be given to students by the end of March. He said that laptops would also be given to the talented students of other provinces as well as Azad Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said that it would be the success of the government even if only ten percent students who received laptops became IT experts and gave a roadmap for development of agriculture, industries and other sectors as well as supremacy of justice and merit and elimination of corruption. Shahbaz further said that no nation could progress or prosper with the assistance of "Aghyaar".
He said that it is an ironic that on the one hand Pakistan is a nuclear power and on the other hand it has to beg from others. He said that this habit of beggary would have to be shed to save the country. He said that there is a need for developing indigenous resources and adopting the virtues of honesty and hard work besides renouncing such foreign assistance as undermines national sovereignty.
He said that Punjab government has decided not to take foreign assistance but as no nation can survive in isolation, therefore, there is a need for trade rather than aid and acquisition of technical expertise in different sectors. He said that book reading has been his passion from childhood and he has learnt many foreign languages and read a number of books in those languages. He said that the theme of International Book Fair "Peace for all, Education for all" has to be spread to every corner of the country.
He said that by arranging the book fair its organisers have taken a commendable step and the forum is making laudable efforts for the promotion of knowledge. He said that publishers, writers and Textbook Board will also have to play their role in this regard and bring inexpensive and quality books in the market. He said that Punjab government has set up a modern digital library in Murree and is considering establishment of such libraries in all educational institutions.
The Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs two million for International Book Fair Trust and observed that holding of international book fair in the provincial metropolis augers well for promoting the trend of book reading. Chairman LIBF Trust Zubair Saeed in his welcome address said that the purpose of holding the book fair is to promote the habit of book reading. He said that 240 stalls have been set up in the book fair. He said that more than 50 textbooks of even higher than international standard have been placed in the book fair. He said that educational fair is also being arranged under the auspices of Punjab Textbook Board.
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