ASIA/PAKISTAN-New financial law: no funds for minorities; Public education neglected by the government, madrasas are on the rise

Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - In the budget law submitted yesterday by the Pakistani government appropriations are not expected to contribute to the progress and development of religious minorities. The Federal Minister for Harmony and Minorities - as reported by Fides on 11 / 5 / 2011 - remains de facto a "decorative" ministry because it does not have an adequate budget to promote initiatives, projects and activities in support of non-Muslim minorities such as Christian and Hindu communities.

Shahbaz Bhatti was killed
in March. His brother Paul
was recently named to the
Federal Ministry for Inter-
faith Harmony and Minorities.

The budget presented yesterday by the Federal Minister of Finance, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, forecasts for the year 2011 - 2012 a total expenditure of 2,767 trillion rupees (14% more than last year), with a deficit of 850 billion rupees, or 4% of gross domestic product.
The Minister announced with satisfaction the increase of 26% of exports, saying that the government's priorities are economic stability and low inflation, noting that the country urgently needs a tax system reform, as only 1.5 million people out 180 million people, pay taxes.
A total of 10 million rupees was allocated by the Authority for the reconstruction and rehabilitation after the floods of 2010, while the public sector will account for expenditure of 730 billion rupees. According to Fides sources in Pakistan's civil society, the problem is "to understand how such money will be spent on public investment and how much will be lost in corruption. In any case, the absence of making no mention of minorities means relegating them to the status of underdevelopment and exclusion in which they are already in. "(PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/04/2011)

Lahore (Fides Service) - While public education in Pakistan is in a state of total neglect, the madrassas (Islamic schools) are on the rise: it is the complaint that Fides receives from local sources of civil society, following the publication of the "Economic Survey of Pakistan 2010-2011", the official report published by the Government of Pakistan on the occasion of the presentation of the budget bill.

According to official data, 43% of primary schools do not have drinkable water and 55% have no toilets, these problems have existed for years and have never been faced. Over 16 thousand public schools do not have a building and more than 100 thousand do not have electricity. Rural schools, in particular, are left to themselves, without facilities and teachers, with serious repercussions for students.
This "disastrous" public education condition- note sources of Fides - creates and is understandable why there has been a huge increase in enrollment to madrasas, which often convey a restrictive and extremist vision of Islam.
The government Report defines education as "central to the development strategy of a nation" and recognizes a "vital role" in human capital formation. But the budget allocated to education in the Budget Law 2011-2012 has dropped to 9.2 million rupees (from 11.3 million in 2010-2011). The greater part of the education budget is spent primarily for salaries, in contrast with the scarce resources allocated to quality teaching, teacher training, curriculum development, monitoring of the conditions of the schools.
The literacy rate in Pakistan - according to the report - is 57.7%, a difference between urban areas (73.2%) and rural (49.2%) and with a clear gender gap: 69.5% for men, 45.2% for women. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/04/2011)

 

Posted via email from deaconjohn's posterous