Muhammad Nasir Iqbal
I want draw your attention toward one of the most crucial matter of this district i-e unavailability of higher education institutions such as Medical University , Engineering University and General University., Sir I would like to bring in your kind attention towards the current condition of my own city Mirpurkhas, with due respect from the last 4 decades whoever took the responsibility to take care of our city from the government authority, unfortunately they didn’t pay what they supposed to be, but didn’t perform well enough to fulfill such commitments. Sir as you know that Mirpurkhas division comprising districts Umerkot, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar having about 4.2 million population according to current census 2017, but the city is lacking a higher education institutions from government side, the youth is totally in a grey and backward environment, as there is no proper educational institutions, no development, lack of education programs, not a single vocational activities present in this great and historical city, due to that reason parents needs to send their future holders to get higher education in other institutions such as Sindh, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, University of Sindh and across PAN Pakistan, which is very far from this city and that cost them a lot as well, due to that reason most parents avoid sending their children especially females to such university as they are quite far from the city, along with the higher fees and cost of transportation, As stated above the total population of this division is 4.2 million, in which 1.6 million are the youth, and they require them all type of educations primary, secondary and higher education’s into the doorsteps, which is their right being a citizen of this country, only Sindh university campus is based in our city with limited courses available in it, however those courses are actually not especially the demands of the youth belongs to the city. Sir according to Regional Director Education Mirpurkhas office and Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Mirpurkhas each year approximately 25 to 30 thousands Students passed out from intermediate board and get their higher studies in different fields but due to absence of higher education institution many students are forced to leave their studies after intermediate. Bearing in mind that the private Medical colleges and private institutions are more influenced as compare to government institutions, but their fees are un-bearable, think about it, In this region no of students belong to middle-class and the surrounds is also the same and even worse than that who actually think several times a day whether they can meet their daily expenses and food or not, so how they can afford such kind of fees as well. This causes additional Physical and financial strains and many of them eventually give up on their dream to acquire quality education. I need to mention here that on several times Provincial and Federal Ministers assured us that they are going to set up government institutions here, but every word and commitment was verbal nothing has been witnessed from last 4 decades. We launched a campaign in which the people from all departments such as civil society, doctors, Teachers, Professor, trade union, Journalist, district administration officer and every walk of life belonging to the city demanded the establishment of higher education institutions. And more than a 1 lac 75 five thousands people voted for the higher education institution in this campaign. Therefore, as a citizen of Pakistan and the son of soul, on the behalf of my youth and other people of Mirpurkhas, that please do something for us, we have a great talent and desperate young generation, but they need your support and platform to polish their self, the youth of this city will be the future leaders and surely take the part in the representation of Pakistan if the authorities will prove them their basic necessities I.e. education, We kindly request to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Imran Khan and Chief Minister of Sindh Mr Syed Murad Ali Shah that this city is also a part of Sindh and Sindh is also comes under the geographical sphere of Pakistan, please do something for us, we have huge faith and hope on the current government but that needs to be implement. I hope, our appeal would not end up in dustbin but our voices would be heard soon, and you will announce higher education intuitions such as Medical University, Engineering University and General University for youth Mirpurkhas soon.
(-The writer is a freelance columnist, based in Mirpurkhas. )