Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the PDM- led government will complete its tenure on August 14, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan will announce the date for the next general election in the country. The prime minister was addressing a ceremony held to launch the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund and reforms in the National Curriculum in Islamabad on Wednesday. He said that the International Monetary Fund’s Executive Board is meeting today (Wednesday) to review the $3 billion Stand-By Agreement for Pakistan, which was finalised on June 29. He appealed to the nation to pray for the approval of the agreement by the IMF Executive Board today. He hoped that the difficult time would pass and Pakistan’s economic position would be strengthened soon. Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the previous PML-N government started promoting education in 2008.

He was of the view that progress could be possible only through imparting modern education. He said that in 2008, the Education Endowment Fund was launched in Punjab. He said he wanted to increase the amount of the endowment fund from Rs2 billion. But he lamented that “we have got numerous financial problems’. About 12,000 capable and deserving students would benefit from the endowment fund this year. A 50% quota has been fixed for women. Merit scholarships worth Rs10 billion will be given from this fund in the next four years. The prime minister also started the inclusion of the Constitution of Pakistan and computer coding in the national curriculum today. This will not only make the new generation of Pakistan aware of their basic rights enshrined in the constitution, but also by acquiring modern skills like coding, they will be able to get better employment opportunities at the international level.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP