ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Baligh Ur Rehman Friday said that Pakistan literacy rate was 59.98 percent that is a lowest amongst South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries except the Afghanistan.
Answering a question in the Upper House of the Parliament, he informed that Pakistan ranking in Human Development Index was 147 out of 188 countries. It was calculated based on long and health life, knowledge and a decent standard of living.
He said a person who could clearly write and read was considered literate in Labor Source Survey 2013-14.
He apprised the House that during the survey 61.77% literacy was recorded in Punjab province, 61.38% in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 53.16% and 51.84% literacy rate was found in Balochistan.
Baligh Ur Rehman said that the federal government and provinces are taking serious steps to improve literacy rate in the country and also have enhanced their budget for education sector.
The budget of Higher Education Commission (HEC) had also been made double, the state minister maintained. He hoped that the significant increase in literacy rate would be witnessed in results of 2014-15 survey.
Source: APP
