Schools on Wheels project launched by PM

By Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated Schools on Wheels project to provide education to children, especially in the rural areas at their doorsteps.

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister was appreciative of the initiative, saying it will be a singular contribution towards nation building efforts.

He was confident that this program would bring a revolution in the rural areas by equipping hundreds of thousands children there with education.

The prime minister directed to widen the scope of this program to all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Earlier, Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain briefed the prime minister about the various aspects of this project, saying the initiative was initially being launched with eight buses.

He said food would also be provided to children getting education through these mobile schools.

On the occasion, the prime minister also interacted with students and teachers. Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank has renewed its resolve to continue working closely with Pakistan in addressing its economic challenges.The commitment was expressed by a delegation of Executive Directors of the Asian Development Bank of China, Japan and South Korea that called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here Tuesday.

Welcoming the ADB delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his gratitude for the ADB’s longstanding association with Pakistan and for being a reliable partner in the socioeconomic development of Pakistan. The prime minister lauded the ADB’s generous support in the wake of 2022 floods, which included the emergency relief grant, Post Disaster Needs Assessment and pledges made during the Climate Resilience Conference in Geneva. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated ADB’s financing across key economic sectors of Pakistan, particularly transport, energy, climate change and social sector. He expressed the hope that the ADB would continue its strong partnership with Pakistan in addressing the country’s macroeconomic challenges. The participants were told that the 9th Review under the IMF program was progressing well with staff level agreement expected in the next few days. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underlined that Pakistan was committed to completing the reforms agreed in the program. The ADB EDs expressed their deep satisfaction with the government’s efforts in addressing the huge challenges of the devastation caused by the recent floods. They renewed ADB’s resolve to continue working closely with Pakistan in addressing its economic challenges. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and relevant senior officials.