- Advertisement -
MULTAN, Dec 28 (APP):Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan on Sunday described universal education as one of the state’s biggest challenges.
Addressing Times Institute Convocation 2025 here as chief guest, Malik Ahmad Khan said
the current Punjab government had, for the first time, allocated record funding for education, increasing the provincial education budget from Rs17 billion to Rs 46 billion.
He drew attention to stark disparities between public and private education. He said private educational institutions spend between Rs10,000 and Rs 60,000 per student per week, while public sector institutions—where 97 per cent of children are enrolled—spend
only Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 per student annually.
“In such circumstances, it is difficult for students of public institutions to compete with those studying in private schools,” Malik Ahmad Khan remarked, calling on private educational institutions to play a more proactive role in promoting educational equity by using their resources for the broader public good.
Addressing graduating students, he said they represented the country’s future and urged them to apply their education and skills to contribute meaningfully to Pakistan’s development.
He lauded Times Institutes purpose built building, adding that it is a competitive era where private education organizations were play a key role in imparting education in the country.
In his welcome address, Chairman and VC, Times Institute, Muhammad Sarfaraz Muzaffar, announced that they were constructing a 500-bed hospital with the institute with state -of- the-art facilities which will help health science students to augument their education for future endeavours.
He informed that they were offering education in 46 disciplines under 7 faculties.
Earlier, the Speaker distributed 27 gold medals and degrees and certificates among around 425 graduating students.
Prominent political figures, including PML-N leader Dr Akhtar Malik, Sheikh Tariq Rasheed, Abdul Ghaffar Dogar, Javed Ansari, Member board of Governor, Dr Sumaira Noor, Muzaffar Mahmood Seyal Pro VC, Dr Shaukat Malik, Registrar Prof M. Ismail, Executive Director, Warda Naseem, and several city elders, were also present at the ceremony.