Pakistan committed to enhance trade, defence cooperation with Indonesia: PM
Directs provision of world-class education, modern digital classrooms at Daanish University, schools
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated that Pakistan was committed to enhancing bilateral cooperation with Indonesia in all avenues, including economic, strategic, trade sectors, as well as in the field of defense and defense production.
The prime minister, in a meeting with Indonesian Defense Minister Lieutenant General (R) Syafrie Samsudin, who called on him here, said that Pakistan and Indonesia enjoyed a longstanding friendship rooted in shared cultural, religious and historical bonds supporting each other at international forums, according to a PM Office press release.
Recalling his cordial meeting with the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in Cairo, Prime Minister Shehbaz conveyed his best wishes to him.
The meeting underscored the deep-rooted historical, brotherly and friendly bilateral relations between Pakistan and Indonesia.
During the meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing multifaceted bilateral cooperation.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to explore and expand collaboration with Indonesia in joint ventures of investment in mutually beneficial projects.
He also reviewed ongoing initiatives under the Pakistan-Indonesia Defense Cooperation Agreement and agreed to accelerate the implementation of projects in key areas of mutual interest.
Lieutenant General (R) Syafrie Samsudin conveyed best wishes of the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto for the prime minister and people of Pakistan.
He reiterated Indonesia’s desire to further strengthen defense ties with Pakistan and to explore possible areas for cooperation, especially in defense production.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the relevant authorities to make significant investment in digital and modern classrooms in Daanish Schools and Daanish University, besides focusing on the education of international standards in modern disciplines.
The prime minister, chairing a review meeting on the progress in the construction of Daanish Schools across the country and Daanish University in Islamabad, said, “As Khadim-e-Pakistan, I consider it my foremost responsibility to provide international-standard education to the children of my country.”
He directed that the teachers at Daanish Schools should be provided with the best salary packages and that recruitment should be made through a transparent and merit-based system.
Calling for accelerated construction of Daanish Schools in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, he said that Daanish Schools system had grown into a full tree, which he had sowed in Punjab.
The prime minister observed that hundreds of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds graduated from Daanish Schools and were making their mark globally.
“The dream of serving children from marginalised segments of society through Daanish Schools is coming to fruition. Thousands of children across the country will benefit from these institutions. I will always strive to ensure equal opportunities for quality education to every segment of society,” he resolved.
The participants of the meeting were informed that construction work on the Daanish School in Kuri, Islamabad, was progressing rapidly and would be completed by this year end. The construction of similar facilities in Sultanabad, Ghanche, and Astore would be completed next year.
It was told that the construction of Daanish School has begun in Bagh and Bhimber areas of AJK, while the PC-1 for Daanish Schools in Sharda and Neelum has been approved, with construction set to start soon.
It was told that the PC-1 for Daanish Schools in Sibi, Musakhel, Zhob, Qila Saifullah, and Dera Bugti in Balochistan had been approved, while feasibility work for the facility in Hub was in progress.
The land has been demarcated for Daanish Schools in Chitral, Karachi, and Tando Muhammad Khan, with feasibility studies and other steps progressing rapidly. The meeting was also briefed on proposals for Daanish Schools in Abbottabad and Waziristan, as well as progress on the university in Rajanpur.
Regarding Daanish University, the participants were informed that the techno-feasibility study would be completed by the end of July. Out of 12 international firms, seven had met the required standards for the master plan, design, and construction, and the procurement committee was finalizing the process.
It was told that the world-class degree programs, admission details, and allied facilities were being finalized for the institution.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed that the university buildings should be simple, but significant investment should be made in modern software, digital equipment, advanced labs, and cutting-edge technology for classrooms.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Chairman of PM’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chief Coordinator Musharraf Zaidi, and relevant senior officials. Chief Secretaries and representatives from all four provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, joined the meeting via video link.
