by Tahir Ali

 

 

PESHAWAR, April 20 (Gwadar Pro) – The people of the Khyber tribal district welcomed the Chinese government’s support for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Government in rebuilding damaged schools in the erstwhile tribal area. 

 

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong, inaugurated the project together with Chief Minister of KP Mahmood Khan for the reconstruction of damaged schools in the tribal district of Khyber on Monday. 

 

“We are grateful to the Chinese government for this initiative, as education can bring us on par with the rest of the country,” Zahid Afridi, a resident of Bara tehsil told Gwadar Pro via phone. He said in some areas of Bara tehsil children were forced to read in the open air or inside damaged buildings.

 

Under the project, the KP government with the support of the Chinese government will rebuild damaged schools in the Khyber tribal district in different phases. The project’s estimated cost is Rs. 2323 million. The provincial government will contribute 868 million while China will provide the rest.  

 

At the first phase of the project, 50 schools including 24 boys and 26 girls would be reconstructed in Bara tehsil of the district.

 

Muhammad Imran, who is a teacher by profession, told Gwadar Pro, “With schools rehabilitation the youth of the region will get hope” and he added, “Only education can change the fate of the region”.

 

Sharif Shinwari said rebuilding girls’ schools should be the first priority during the project, as unlike boys, girls cannot go to nearby villages to attend schools. “China is doing a great job in helping empower females of this region by reconstructing school building,” he said.

 

According to Mr. Shinwari, many girls who have abandoned their studies will resume learning.  

 

Journalist Akhtar Munir said the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has begun in true sense. In the first phase, the focus was on infrastructure and energy development while in the second phase the focus will remain on several areas including education.

 

According to him, the project in Khyber tribal district is a glimpse of joint venture in education. “We can expect more projects in education in the near future,” he said and added “Thousands of students are already reading in Chinese educational institutions on scholarships”. 

 

 Dr Aziz Rahim, who recently completed his PHD from China, said that Pakistan could only reap the full benefits of CPEC if it educates young people and provide them with professional and technical education according to market demands. “The Chinese assistance in education could guarantee a lasting solution to all our problems,” he said.