CM KP distributes laptops among students

F.P. Report

MANSEHRA: Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, on Wednesday paid a day-long visit to Hazara Division, during which he distributed laptops amongst the students of Hazara University Mansehra, under the Prime Minister Laptop Scheme.

Besides, the Chief Minister inaugurated Khyber Medical University Hazara Campus and Ayub College of Dentistry during his visit to district Abbottabad. Arshad Hussain Shah also inaugurated Online Complaint Management & Patient Facilitation Center and Cornea Transplant Service at Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad.

Addressing the ceremonies held on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that Ayub Teaching Hospital was the largest teaching hospital of Hazara Division; all the issues impeding service delivery in the hospital would be resolved on priority basis.

Arshad Hussain Shah made it clear that after the caretaker prime minister’s announcement, the provincial cabinet has accorded in-principle approval to upgrading the Ayub Medical College Abbottabad and Khyber Medical College Peshawar to the status of universities, adding that soon after getting NOC from Higher Education Commission and Election Commission, an ordinance would be promulgated for both the universities.

Earlier, addressing the laptop distribution ceremony at Hazara University Mansehra, the chief minister said that promoting quality education in the province was the top most priority of his government. He stressed upon the higher education Institutes to replace the conventional scheme of education and training with market-based courses aligning with the needs and requirements of contemporary world. He added that unfortunately, the graduates of the conventional education are often jobless which is one of the major causes of their disappointment and frustration as well.

“We have to impart them market-based skills and technical courses, thereby enabling them to have respectable job opportunities not only in the country but international market as well. That’s why, he said that the provincial government has devised Human Resource Export Strategy, under which at least five lac youth would be trained in various fields and to be sent abroad for employment. He said that this program would be launched officially within the next few days adding that demands are also being taken from different countries for this purpose.

Touching upon the issues of universities in the province, the chief minister said that sincere efforts were being made to steer the different universities out of financial crunches. “Although the caretaker government’s mandate is relatively limited, but we are trying our best to do something better for the wellbeing of the people”, he said. The Chief Minister said that Haripur and Abbottabad have been declared as Quantum valley and a quantum computing project has been launched aimed at providing advanced quantum computing education to the youth, aligning with international standards. The initiative will prove to be a revolutionary move towards introducing rapidly emerging computing technology in the province, he added.