Poor toppers honoured at Chief Minister House

Lahore : Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif held a ceremony in the honour of position holder boy and girl students, belonging to families having very limited resources, in the examination of matric at Model Town today.

The Chief Minister gave away laptop and cheque of one lakh rupees to each position holder student. He announced to bear all future educational expenditure of position holders belonging to poor families on this occasion and said that these talented students are our heroes who achieved prominent positions in the examination through their hard work, ability and capability in difficult circumstances.

Punjab government will bear their educational expenses through Punjab Education Endowment Fund till the time they study, he added.

Shahbaz Sharif congratulated position holder students, their parents, teachers and principals and said that today; we salute these sons and daughters of the nation for their hard work. Obtaining positions by these children of poor families in difficult circumstances is appreciable and it proves that if one works hard then doors are automatically open.

He said that parents of these children have educated them by curtailing their expenditure who also have honoured their parents. He said that these girls and boys belong to those families where acquiring education was impossible but they achieved this place through their hard work and the entire nation is proud of their success.

He said that these are shining stars of Pakistan as they worked hard and achieved better position than the children of the rich. He said that every goal can be achieved through hard work. He said that the stories of these children will create new spirit and courage in the nation as their hard work is witness to the fact that every difficult problem is resolved through hard work and less resources do not create any hurdle in their way. Children of the families having limited resources, by obtaining position in the examination of matric through their hard work, have proved this, he added.

He said it is his faith that a respectable place can be achieved in the society and the destiny of the nation can be changed through hard work. He said that it cannot be Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal where children of the elite study in prestigious educational institutions while those of resource less segments deprived of education due to difficulties.

The Chief Minister said time has come that a revolutionary policy be evolved for equipping the youth of the nation with education and steps be taken for reducing the gulf between the poor and the rich. If it was not done, then God forbid, the bloody revolution will make its course, he added.

Addressing position holder students, Shahbaz Sharif said that a simple but an impressive ceremony has been held in the honour of these children of the nation today who got positions in the examination of matric despite difficult conditions and less resources.

He congratulated position holders, their parents and teachers from the core of his heart. He said that on the one hand, the children of the elite study in prestigious educational institutions while on the other hand are these bright stars of the nation. He said the aim of holding this simple ceremony is that the heroes of the nation should be brought before the nation.

ShahbazSharif announced that these position holders of poor families will be scholars of Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and will study to any level they want. He said that as long as these students will maintain their position through hard work and move forward in education field, process of provision of resources through educational funds will be continued for them.

He said that these students by obtaining position have done a great job and the entire nation is proud of them. He said that Punjab government has adopted revolutionary a strategy for the promotion of education and made exemplary measures for equipping them with education.

The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, we have to move speedily in this direction. He said that a big ceremony will soon be held for awarding prizes to position holder students of matric.

The Chief Minister presented salute to the spirit of head mistress of the schools of two girls for motivating their parents to send them to school and bearing expenditure of their education from their own pocket and appreciated their attitude.

Shahbaz Sharif said that he will invite them to Lahore for encouragement. Position holder students, their parents, Secretary Higher Education, Secretary Schools, Chairmen of Education Boards, authorities of education department and columnists attended the ceremony.