ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that technical and technological education will be promoted to guide the country towards a knowledge-based economy.
Addressing a ceremony at Malakand University, the prime minister stressed that education is a must to uplift a society.
He said that apart from technical education, special programs are also being launched in the universities to acquaint the youth about Islamic values and teachings of Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). Al-Qadir University is being established with the same purpose while Namal University, Mianwali, will be made a knowledge city.
PM Imran said that the government is giving special emphasis to industrialisation as well as agriculture and tourism sectors to take forward the country. He said that this will create immense job opportunities for people in different sectors. He said that a new policy will be brought next week for the agriculture sector.
He also said that his party assumed power in the most difficult economic situation. “We have returned Rs3,500 billion in loans over the last two and a half years,” he added.
The premier said that the government has launched mega projects such as Ravi city and a business district in Lahore for wealth creation. He said that the investors are also showing great interest in Bundal Island project. We have started work on Mohmand and Basha dams as well, he added. He was confident that these projects will help the country pay off its debts.
Prime Minister Imran said that unprecedented incentives have also been given to the construction which will help uplift the industries allied with this sector. “We are also executing low-cost housing projects,” he added.
Separately, the premier visited Swat Motorway and inaugurated three tunnels that will significantly reduce travel time.
He unveiled the plaque on the occasion to mark the inauguration and also inspected the completed tunnels. Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed accompanied the prime minister.
On his arrival at Zalam Kot, Malakand, the prime minister was received by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) Director General Major General Kamal Azfar.
Briefing the prime minister, the FWO DG said that the 80-km-long Swat Motorway had seven interchanges and three tunnels with length of 1266, 271 and 324 metres.
He also presented a 3D model of Swat Motorway to the prime minister.
The KP government has successfully constructed Pakistan’s first provincial motorway from its own resources.
The Swat Motorway has reduced journey time for commuters, especially tourists and traders. It also benefits the entire Malakand Division comprising Swat, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Chitral Lower, Chitral Upper, Bajaur, Buner and Shangla districts.
The motorways originates from Karnal Sher Interchange in Swabi district on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and ends at Chakdara in Dir Lower district. Former KP chief minister Pervez Khattak had performed its groundbreaking on August 25, 2016.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has recently approved acquisition of 10,000 kanal land for the Swat Motorway Phase-II, which would be constructed from Chakdara to Fatehpur Madayn with an estimated cost of Rs37 billion, besides Rs20 billion cost of land.
The completion of the first phase of Swat Motorway has opened opportunities of trade, business and tourism for the Malakand Division, besides significantly reducing the distance between Peshawar and Swat to nearly two hours.
Before the construction of Swat Motorway, it used to take about four hours to reach Peshawar from Mingora, Swat due to narrow Malakand Pass.
Talks about technology but makes Arabic compulsory. What a Khan we have in power!