KARACHI – The Directorate General of Basic Education Community Schools (BECS), which works under the Federal Ministry of Education, has opened 100 informal schools in Karachi.
Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui addressed the opening ceremony. He said that Karachi is the richest city in Pakistan but, sadly, it also has the highest number of poor people in proportion to its population.
He added that Karachi contributes 97% of Sindh’s revenue and 60% of the federal government’s revenue, yet in return, it only receives “mats and books.” He said the province plays a central role in running the country but, after constitutional amendments, Sindh has lost its rightful authority in the education sector.
Dr. Siddiqui urged officials to take responsibility for the newly opened schools, saying each responsible person should adopt at least one school to help improve education.
The minister said that 85% of Karachi’s political representation was present at the event. “This is not the achievement of one individual but of those who believe in truth and justice. The people of this city deserve a proper democratic model,” he stated.
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He criticized the quota system, which has been in place in Sindh for 50 years, saying it has deprived Karachi’s children of fair job opportunities. He urged people not to be surprised by facts and figures, emphasizing that every official must commit to supporting one school.
Highlighting another example of injustice, Dr. Siddiqui said that wheat is supplied to Karachi as if the city’s population is 3.5 crore, while on record it is shown as only 1.5 crore, which affects resources and planning.
He further stated that the tax collected from just Liaquatabad in Karachi equals the total tax collected from the country’s second-largest city, showing Karachi’s major contribution to the national economy.
Calling the opening of 100 informal schools a historic step, he said it would help provide education to underprivileged children in the city.
On this occasion, Director General Hameed Khan Niazi also addressed the participants and praised the efforts to expand educational opportunities for Karachi’s children.
