Islamabad: During the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Center of Excellence at Allama Iqbal University, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the urgent need to enhance both digital and traditional literacy rates to navigate the complexities of the modern era effectively.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Minister Iqbal highlighted the critical role of education in national development and societal awareness, noting that current literacy levels in Pakistan stand at sixty percent, as reported in the 2023 Digital Census. He stressed the importance of elevating this figure to ninety percent to foster real development across the nation.

In his address, the Minister also advocated for an “educational emergency” and a “development emergency” to accelerate Pakistan’s path towards prosperity. He underscored the significance of education in the context of Islam, which promotes consistent thinking, deliberation, and research. Minister Iqbal called upon students and the academic community to draw inspiration from Islamic principles to better understand and respond to the changing international landscape and the demands of the digital age.