President pledges more jobs for Balochistan, FATA
By Makhdoom Babar

ISLAMABAD—Approval has been accorded to launch various educational projects for promotion of education in backward and remote areas of Balochistan, Sindh and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) out of special funds in a high level meeting held here Tuesday under President General Pervez Musharraf.
Besides Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan and senior officials attended the meeting held here in Presidential camp office. The meeting was told by education ministry about the steps taken by the ministry for promotion of education particularly up-gradation of literacy rate in Sindh, Balochistan and FATA.
Addressing the meeting, President General Pervez Musharraf reiterated his resolve that the best facilities of professional and technical education would be provided to the areas, which have been overlooked to enabling the youths of these areas to attain higher education and play their role in socio economic development of the country. It would be ensured that maximum opportunities of employment are generated for the youths so that a new era of development ushers in these areas.
He reiterated that government was passing on the benefits of economic development to common man adding budget has been enhanced for education sector. Several programs will be launched to increase literacy rate in Sindh, Balochistan and FATA through allocation of special funds. These provinces will be brought at par with other provinces of the country.
Sources told Online the president directed the chief ministers to monitor on their own the educational programs in their respective backward areas besides working out plans to ensure availability of professional and technical education for the students. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said government has increased the education budget manifold than the past. We will enhance this budget in the years to come. Special funds will be extended to those areas which are backward, he asserted.
President General Pervez Musharraf Tuesday said the government was contemplating various initiatives and taking steps to build capacity of the educated youth from less-developed parts of the country, especially from Balochistan, FATA and parts of Sindh to prepare them to avail better employment opportunities in various sectors.
He made these remarks at a high-level meeting, attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz besides chief ministers from three provinces, to discuss ways and means to utilize potential of the uneducated youth and open up new opportunities for them to earn a decent living. Both the President and the Prime Minister underscored strong commitment of the government to the socio-economic uplift of the backward areas through skill-training progrmames for their youth and giving them opportunities to have on-the-job training and experience. The meeting noted that the economic turnaround has enabled the government to ensure adequate allocations for human resource development and improve standard and quality of both formal as well as technical education. President Musharraf stressed that the educated youth from Balochistan and FATA deserved special attention as previous governments neglected these areas and ignored their well-being.
“Special efforts are required for providing them jobs as interns and also accommodating trainees from Balochsitan and FATA in training institutions on fast track basis,” he added. The President said that due to lack of educated and trained manpower, they have not been able to fully utilize their share under quota in government jobs.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the government was fully focussed on a fast-pace socio-economic uplift of the less-developed parts, especially Balochsitan and FATA. He vowed to bring these areas at par with the developed ones of the country by undertaking development projects and providing skill development to promising youth in quality institutions. Chief Minister Sindh Dr.Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Chief Minister NWFP Akram Khan Durrani, Chief Minister Balochsitan Jam Muhammad Yousaf, Minister of State for Education Aneesa Zaib Tahirkheli and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Dr.Akram Shaikh and other senior officials attended the meeting.