PM seeks UK’s support to promote higher education

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed the government’s desire for working together with the United Kingdom to promote higher education and improve quality of education in Pakistan.

The desire was expressed during a meeting with the delegation of representatives from leading UK universities here at the PM House. The delegation was led by UK’s International Education Champion Sir Steve Smith.

The prime minister welcomed the delegation and emphasized the importance of promoting quality education, saying that it was the top priority of the government. He expressed his commitment to ensuring that every child had access to education, and that the Federal Government was working with the provincial governments to achieve that goal.

The prime minister said as Punjab chief minister he had established the Education Endowment Fund in the province, and a similar initiative would also be taken at the federal level. He said the government was taking steps on emergency basis for the development of the education sector. The prime minister, praising the UK’s support for Pakistan’s education sector, expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of education and trade.

He highlighted that the launch of degree programmes in the universities of Pakistan and the UK on reciprocal basis was a welcome step. The modern education, especially science and technology, was guarantee of development of any nation, he added.

PM Shehbaz underscored that the bilateral relations with UK spanned over decades which were further strengthening with the passage of time. He emphasized that there should be collaboration in the fields of research and technology in the universities of the two countries.

He further said Pakistan wanted to take benefit of the capacity of the UK’s education sector. The delegation expressed their interest in collaborating with Pakistani universities and offered assistance in teacher training and capacity building.

The prime minister was informed by the delegation that the scope of the Education Gateway Pakistan was being extended which would help enhance bilateral cooperation in the education sector. The delegation also appreciated the warm hospitality extended to them by the prime minister and government officials.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, MNA Romina Khursheed Alam, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, British Council Country Director James Hampson, and other high officials.

Shehbaz directs to suspend Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue officials over delay in tax cases: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the “willful” delay in tax cases and ordered for suspension of Commissioner Inland Revenue Islamabad and other relevant officials.

While issuing a directive for the suspension of all the relevant officials, the prime minister also asked for initiating an inquiry against them, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. Soon after assuming the office, the prime minister had directed for immediate reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and decided to oversee the process himself.

As per details, billions of rupees’ cases related to government revenues have been pending for adjudication in the Tax Tribunals. The prime minister had requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan for the early disposal of such cases. Recently, the prime minister took a notice of one of these pending cases in which an FBR counsel had sought adjournment and directed the relevant authorities to inquire into the matter.

The prime minister observed that the national exchequer had been suffering due to the pendency of such cases involving worth billions of rupees tax matters. Shehbaz Sharif made it clear that he would not tolerate any kind of lethargy in pursuance of such legal matters, and under his pledge with the nation, would continue monitoring the tax reforms. “For enhancing the revenues and saving every penny of the country and nation, they would have to strive day and night,” the press release quoted the prime minister as saying.