Former UK PM calls on President Zardari

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Former UK Prime Minister and special Envoy of the UNSG, Mr. Gordon Brown wherein he reiterated that government was according high priority to the promotion of education in the country especially in the militancy hit areas as a long term tool to fight militant mindset, adding that this mindset was our biggest collective enemy.

He reiterated commitment of the government to meeting the goal of the Global Initiative on Education and sought enhanced support and cooperation of UN and international community in education sector and
achieving Accelerated Millennium Development Goals (AMDGs).
Those who were present during the meeting included among others Mr. Timo Pakkala, UNRC, Mr. Dan Rohrmann, representative for UNICEF, Pakistan, Dr. Kozue Kay Nagata, representative UNESCO and Mr. Jean Luc Sibiot, country rep, WFP.
From Pakistan side, the meeting was attended among others by Senator Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Minister for Finance, Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program Ms. Farzana Raja, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Minister for Education & Training, Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, MOS for foreign affairs, Secretary General to the President Mr. M. Salman Faruqui and Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Special assistant to Prime Minister on social sector and Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar.
Spokesperson to the President, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that matters related to promotion of education in Pakistan, UN global initiative to promote education, BISP’s Waseela-e-Taleem initiative,
UK’s assistance to the country in the education sector and the ways and means to promote education sector came under discussion during the meeting.
The Spokesperson said that the President while highlighting importance of Education said that the need for education was never felt as great as it was being felt today as the education holds the key
to counter extremism and militancy besides ensuring socio-economic uplift of the people by bringing them out from the vicious circle of poverty.
The President said that the control and management of education sector has been devolved to the provinces, adding that the National Education Policy 2009, evolved in consultation with all the provinces aimed at achieving Education for All and Universal Primary Education.
The President during the meeting said that Pakistan would greatly welcome UN and donors’ technical and financial support in Technical and Vocational Education, use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), and skill-based training of youth besides improving the curricula to enrich skills and competencies.
Mr. Gordon Brown briefed the President about the objectives of UN initiative “Education First” that aims at helping the member countries in promoting education and said that his mission in Pakistan was aiming at ensuring greater enrollment, provision of quality education, training of the teachers and promotion of education technology in Pakistan.
The President appreciated the UN initiative and Mr. Gordon Brown role in promoting education and said that his visit would help in promoting education in Pakistan besides further cementing cooperation of the country with the international community in the education sector.
The meeting with Mr. Gordon Brown was followed by a briefing by the management of BISP on Waseela-e-Taleem initiative of BISP which was also attended among others by Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Mr. Shaukat
Tareen and Mr. Ijaz Nabi.