Unprecedented funds allocated for education: Imran

PUTA objects to PTI chief’s visit to University of Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said here Thursday that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has allocated unprecedented funds for education.

Delivering a lecture on ‘Leadership’ at the Convocation Hall of the University of Peshawar, Imran Khan said the revenue generated from the provincial resources would be utilised for the human resource development, health and education.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) termed the visit of the PTI chief to the university and his ‘lecture’ as blatant intervention in the seats of learning and violation of the Universities’ Act 2016.

Imran Khan said that a true leader must be selfless and should not be scared of losing. “The real leader should have a vision for betterment of the people of the country and should give priority to the national interest over personal gains,” he stressed.

He criticised the political leaders in the country, saying that there is a dearth of real leaders. “The ones available are a bunch of self-centered people with personal agenda not aimed at the well-being of the people and the country. Our generation has badly failed to deliver,” he remarked.

However, the youth is exuberant and has the capability of steering the nation out of crisis, he pointed out. He asked the students to achieve excellence in the field of science and technology and aspire for knowledge in any country of the world for benefit of their homeland.

Earlier, the PTI chairman inaugurated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “Billion Tree Tsunami” campaign 2016 by planting a sapling at the University of Peshawar. Advisor for Higher Education and Information Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani and vice-chancellor of the university Prof Dr Muhammad Rasul Jan were also present on the occasion.

As many as 300,000 saplings were provided to the university.Meanwhile, PUTA condemned the visit of the PTI chief to the university and termed it as political indoctrination of students through state machinery. “Imran Khan’s visit to University of Peshawar is a sheer violation of KP Universities Act 2012, which clearly restricts political interference in the universities,” said a press statement issued here.

Universities are the seats of learning and should not be used for political propagation, it said. Imran Khan’s visit would open doors for other political leaders and imposition of their political agenda on the students, it added.

“PUTA demands of the government to take strict notice of any such acts. We respect Imran Khan’s vision and would support government’s endeavors for bringing positive change in education sector. But we will never support political interference in educational institutions,” the statement said.

It may be added that Imran Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had paid visits to the university camps a few months ago, but they were invited on that occasion to attend the centenary celebrations of Islamia College.