Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of the main campus of National University of Technology (NUTECH) in Islamabad on Friday.
Addressing the ceremony, the premier emphasized for promotion of skilled and technical education as it is key to success of any country.
"Technical and skilled education and training is also a guarantee for development and prosperity of the country as well, which should be our foremost priority," PM Shehbaz said.
He said that the skillful graduates from this university will not only earn their livelihood in a dignified manner, but also help improve the image of the country across the world including in the Gulf States.
PM Shehbaz stressed the need to end class discrimination particularly in the education sector as per the vision of founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal.
He expressed unwavering support of the government for promotion of skilled and technical education saying that it will also help in producing skillful human capital, which can help decrease trade deficit of the country by sending remittances from abroad.
The prime minister said when he was chief minister, he spread a network of Danish Schools in Punjab to provide opportunities to the poor and deserved youth to get education and also disbursed billions of rupees as stipends among nearly half a million students.
On this occasion, PM Shehbaz announced Rs 100 million and provision of 4 air-conditioned buses for the university.
Earlier, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain said pragmatic steps were being taken to impart skills to youth to enable them earn their livelihoods in a dignified manner.
The minister called upon the youth to get technical education as it is the need of the hour.
Speaking on the ocassion, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that skill development training will be provided to about one hundred thousand youth this year.
She said government is paying special attention to equip youth with basic technical skills. She said eighty billion rupees have been allocated for youth empowerment in different sectors.
The SAPM said that two hundred E Learning courses are being introduced under Learning Management System.
Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present on the occasion.