ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Former prime minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown, who is visiting Pakistan as an envoy of the UN Secretary General, was presented one million signatures supporting the right of education, at an event organised by National Commission for Human Development (NCHD).

The event was organised in collaboration with UNICEF, UNESCO and civil society.

Mr Brown addressed the gathering and declared that Pakistan is one of the leading countries which had shown tremendous progress in the field of education.

He saluted the thirst for education among the people of Pakistan and appreciated the unshaken resolve of MNA Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Dr Nafisa Shah, who heads NCHD, for having worked tirelessly for the uplift of the people through educational projects.

Federal Minister for Education and Training Sheikh Waqas Akram, who was present on the occasion, said that the credit goes to the government and declared that according to article 25-A of the Constitution, education was the fundamental right of every child.

Chairperson NCHD Dr Nafisa Shah said that the implementation of Article 25-A is need of the hour and being a fundamental right it should be provided to all the children of Pakistan from age 5 to 16.

“I am saddened and shocked with what happened to MalalaYousafzai, who is a torch bearer for women education in this part of the world. This attack only confirms our view that Taliban are the enemies of Pakistan and of humanity,” she said.

She said that the attacks were related and part of a larger plan to attack moderation, federalism and a progressive Pakistan, which the government strives and struggles to build.

According to Ms Shah, Malala was a keen promoter of education in her province, as she had once said: “I would like to establish an education foundation and promote education particularly for those children involved in domestic labour”.

Fahad Hussain as an ambassador to the right to education (RTE) criticised the insufficient efforts of the government towards the amelioration of the plight of education in Pakistan.

He emphasised that extreme measures were required to uplift the marginalised and deprived communities in the country.

Ms Beela Raza Jamil, the head of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA), in her speech called for revolutionary measures to be undertaken by all the stakeholders to ward off backwardness in the field of education.