Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged for proactive measures to tackle the challenges confronting the education sector in Pakistan. Chairing the Federal Cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he emphasized the need for the Minister for Education to collaborate closely with provincial governments to advance education, calling it a significant national service.

According to a statement by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Prime Minister highlighted the concerning statistic of 22.8 million children out of school in Pakistan, with a majority being girls. He referred to the International Conference on Girls’ Education recently held in Islamabad, where productive discussions on the subject took place, and recalled the education emergency declared in the country a few months ago.

In addition to education, Prime Minister Sharif hailed the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to Europe as a significant accomplishment, expressing optimism about the future resumption of flights to Britain, which he noted would greatly benefit Pakistani travelers.

The Prime Minister also announced the opening of a new crossing point on the Pak-Iran border in Panjgur, aimed at promoting lawful trade and curbing smuggling. He expressed gratitude for Iranian cooperation in this initiative.

Discussing the situation in Kurram, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the normalization efforts and reported that food and medical supplies are being delivered to the region. He voiced confidence in collective efforts by stakeholders to maintain peace.

Furthermore, he stated that security operations against Fitna al Khwarij are ongoing, with a recent intelligence-based operation in Balochistan resulting in the elimination of 27 terrorists. He paid tribute to the sacrifices of security personnel and reiterated the commitment to the complete eradication of Fitna al Khwarij, asserting that peace would be restored as it was in 2018 under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.