THE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister for technical education, Mehmood Zeb, has pointed out that the need for skilled workers is increasing fast. …[E]very year students from various universities [graduate] from different departments and then wander in search of jobs. While speaking at a media workshop in Peshawar the minister said that unfortunately, the budget allocated annually for technical education is insufficient. The minister has expressed these views at a time when the government is facing the big challenge of unemployment.

Successive governments are responsible for the increasing joblessness because they have never paid serious attention to this core issue. That is why it cannot be controlled unless drastic steps are taken. …In the present time, the importance of education is increasing further as illiterate people can easily fall prey to militancy. One of the reasons of terrorism in our country is the lack of education as an uneducated person can hardly understand the evil designs of anti-state elements. With regard to education, Pakistan is lagging behind the rest of the world. Under Article 25A of the 18th Amendment, it is the duty of the [government] to provide education free of cost.

No doubt the incumbent provincial government has opened many new educational institutions including universities but technical education is yet to get proper attention. It is time the government promoted technical education, particularly in the rural areas … — (May 22)

Selected and translated by Ali Hazrat Bacha