Education key to uplifting country: minister

LAHORE : Punjab University’s 3-day book fair concluded here on Saturday with more than 80,000 books sold in the first two days.

On the third and last day of the book fair, Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq, Liaqat Baloch, PU VC Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, teachers, students and people from different walks of life along with their families visited the book fair.

Talking on this occasion, Rana Sikandar Hayat said that there was no way for the development of the country and the nation apart from education. He said that books played a very important role in the development of knowledge. He said that he was very happy to see the books read in the past. He said that there was a very close relationship between education and books and it was great to see books on various topics under one roof.

He said that the Punjab Chief Minister has directed to make old book banks in schools. He said that the society should benefit from the departments of PU. He said that there was a vision to make government schools better than private schools for which steps were being taken. He praised the PU VC for restoring the beautiful tradition of PU.

Siraj ul Haq visited various stalls and took special interest in books on various topics. Talking to the media, he said that the government should allocate 5 percent of the GDP for education.

He said that PU has done great favours to the country and the nation and it was a pleasure that the book fair was organised again after the long break.

JI ameer said that we have to build libraries and sports fields because the development of a nation was not possible without knowledge and sports. He said that Muslims prevailed in the world as long as the relationship with the book remained strong. He said that the problems of the universities had increased due to lack of financial support. He said that Vice Chancellor Punjab University and his team deserved appreciation for promoting study habits.

Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood appreciated the efforts of all the members of the book fair coordination committee and Chief Librarian Dr. Haroon Usmani for making the best arrangements for the largest three-day book fair of Pakistan organised by PU after 9 years. He said that hundreds of thousands of people visited the Book Fair and the purchase of books was proof that the university had been successful in achieving its goal of promoting book literacy. He hoped that this tradition of book fair in Punjab University would continue in the coming years.

Minister, IG visit Police Khidmat Centres

Provincial Minister Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir, along with IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar, Saturday visited the Police khidmat Centers and Special Initiative Police Stations in provincial capital.

He arrived at Abshar Police Service Centre Shadman and Special Initiative Police Station Gulberg.

The IGP Punjab briefed the minister about the facilities being provided at the service centre, police station and Saiban Centre to the public.

He informed the minister about traffic licensing, training, modern facilities being provided to citizens including automated system in police stations.

He said all service centres, police stations and offices of the Punjab Police had been equipped with modern infrastructure, technology and IT facilities and the best policing facilities were being provided to citizens in all offices including Police Service Centres, Police Stations, Traffic Licensing Centres of Punjab.

The provincial minister appreciated efforts of IGP Dr Usman Anwar for modernising infrastructure development of public service delivery police offices.