ISLAMABAD: As part of the backing package to the incipient Afghan government, Pakistan has decided in principle to offer thousands of literacy to Afghan scholars, besides opening a lot of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in Kabul.
In this regard, the Ministry of Education and Professional Training has finalized an Rs11.2 billion package to ameliorate the education sector and skill development in the war-torn country.
According to sources in the ministry, the quantum will be spent for offering literacy to Afghan scholars in Pakistani universities, free training with paycheck to Afghan citizens for chops development in Islamabad, free training to 150 Afghan preceptors, 100 nursing parchment literacy, and establishment of an indigenous lot of AIOU in Kabul.
The sources said a summary had formerly been transferred to Prime Minister Imran Khan for the blessing of the package. The ministry has finalized the package on the directive of Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood after last week’s meeting between the Pakistani officers and an Afghan delegation headed by Minister for Higher Education Maulana Abdul Baqi Haqqani. The eight-member delegation is presently visiting Pakistan and has formerly visited colorful inferior organizations of the education ministry, including the HEC.
Last month, Prime Minister Khan approved Rs5 billion philanthropic aid for Afghanistan, besides allowing the transportation of Indian food backing for the country through Pakistan.
Pakistan is also hosting an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s foreign ministers in Islamabad to punctuate the plight of the Afghan people who have been facing a tough and testing time.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with the Afghan delegation on Wednesday, President Dr. Arif Alvi said Pakistan would help Afghanistan in the digital metamorphosis of its varsities and give online education to its scholars.
The chairman said that AIOU and Virtual University (VU) of Pakistan had been directed to help university scholars in Afghanistan. Either, the chairman said, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission would arrange vocational training programs for the Afghan people in colorful fields.
President Alvi said Pakistan would continue to give all possible backing to Afghanistan for the development of its education sector and capacity- the structure of its educational institutions.
The chairman said Afghanistan was passing through a veritably delicate phase and prompted the transnational community to give profitable and philanthropic aid to save the country from a possible mortal catastrophe.
During the meeting, the two sides agreed to increase collaboration between advanced education institutions of the two countries.
The visiting Afghan minister thanked the Pakistan government for its part in the reconstruction and education development of Afghanistan. He nominated meetings with the Pakistani leadership as veritably fruitful.
The Afghan delegation met the chairman on the day PM Khan presided over the alternate meeting of Apex Committee on Afghanistan which was also attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
