Ex-PM’s initiatives, including laptop scheme, to be ended: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday that the former prime minister’s initiatives will be put an end to, including the laptop scheme under the youth programme.

The Information minister was speaking to Geo News, following his media talk after a federal cabinet meeting. “The Benazir Income Support programme will not be ended,” Fawad Chaudhry said.

Chauhdry said the cabinet has also decided to establish a task force to revamp the education system across the country.

He said Minister of Federal Education and Heritage Shafqat Mehmood would head the task force.

Chaudhry assured that private school fees would be reduced and provincial governments would be asked to streamline the decision.

He said that basic education would be provided in madrassahs (seminaries) and that all schools, including madrassahs, would follow the same curriculum. Provincial governments would be given a stake in formulation of the curriculum, he added.

The prime minister has also given his approval to ban corporal punishment in schools, Chaudhry added.

The information minister said that approval has been given for measures to safeguard the rights of children, to stop any incident of abuse of children, and putting an end to child labour.