The Punjab University Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran lauded the “education-friendly” federal budget in a press statement released on Thursday.
The allocation of Rs57 billion for higher education reflects the government’s intention to prioritise education, the statement said.
The attention, said Kamran, would help in creating opportunities for students. Institutions will also be encouraged to “work freely” and focus on research, Kamran said.
He said the number of students pursuing higher education is expected to increase to almost 1.3 million.
The 2,000 additional scholarships announced by the federal government, he said, would help Pakistani students to understand current research trends being pursued outside the country. He said the previous government had ignored the education sector.
President of the Punjab University’s Academic Staff Association (ASA) Ahsan Sharif, in another statement, hoped that the allocation for higher education will be spent only on public sector universities in the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2013.