Govt urged to allocate 4pc of GDP to education to eradicate illiteracy: Dr Mujahid Kamran

Youth must play role to eradicate illiteracy: Shahbaz Bukhari 

Staff Report

LAHORE: Punjab University and Rotary Club of Lahore Canal jointly organized a seminar to mark World Literacy Day demanding the government to allocate more money for the literacy of the country.

PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Director General Punjab Libraries Dr Zahir-ud-Din Babar, Head of Rotary International Pakistan Chair Mr Saeed Shamsi, President Rotary Club of Lahore Canal Syed Shahbaz Bukhari, former District Governor Sajid Pervaiz Bhatti, President Tax Bar Association Farhan Shahzad, Director LCWU Dr Afifa, Assistant Prof Ms Sonia Omer, faculty members and a large number of students were present at Al-Raazi hall to participate in the event.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Mujahid Kamran said the government must allocate at least four percent of GDP to education to eradicate illiteracy and for the development of the country.

He said that the Muslims were facing problems in the world due to ignorance and their distance from knowledge. He said that America’s GDP was around 18 trillion and it spent 2 to 2.7 percent i.e. 360 to 540 billion dollars on research and development per year while Pakistan had a GDP of around 250 billion dollars only and was spending only 0.1 or 0.2 percent on research and development per year.

Director General Libraries Dr Zaheer uddin Babar said that the number of persons visiting public libraries in Punjab were increasing day by day and now around 600-650 persons visited each public library a day.

Rotary International Pakistan’s Literacy Chair’s Chairman Saeed Shamsi said that four friends had founded Rotary International in 1905 for the welfare and development of society and now it had 1.2 million members in 200 countries. He said that unfortunately, because of ignorance and illiteracy in Pakistan, polio could not be eradicated from the country. He said that Rotary International Pakistan had adopted several public and private sector schools and we had launched TEACH campaign which included training of teachers, e-learning, development of children, each  one teach one and happy schools programs.

President Rotary Club of Lahore Canal Syed Shahbaz Bukhari said that youth were future of Pakistan and young male and female students should play their role to eradicate illiteracy from our beloved homeland.

FormerDistrict Governor Sajid Pervaiz Bhatti said that PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran would be remembered in the history in golden words as he had liberated Punjab University and provided independent academic atmosphere on campus. He said the government could not eradicate illiteracy from our society alone rather we would have to work jointly and play our role as individual and as a society. He said that we could also pressurize our government in this regard. He called upon the students to establish literacy centres in their respective remote areas. President Tax Bar Association Farhan Shahzad, Drr Afifa also spoke on the occasion.

Later, President Rotary Club of Lahore Canal Syed Shahbaz Bukhari presented souvenirs and books to distinguished participants and guests.