FAISALABAD – Pakistan’s literacy rate is 58 percent which needs to be raised at par with developed nations for meeting the demand of changing world and make progress in different fields, said by Government College University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zakir Hussain. He was addressing a Punjab Educational Endowment Fund Scholarship Distribution Ceremony held at the Iqbal Auditorium, University of Agriculture Faisalabad to disburse financial aid to the needy and talented students under this scheme. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah was the chief guest while the PEEF Vice Chairman Dr Muhammad Amjad Saqib, Commissioner Faisalabad Tahir Hussain, MPAs Khwaja Islam, Rana Muhammad Afzal, Dr Khalid Imtiaz, Rao Kashif Rahim, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and other notables also spoke on the occasion.The GCUF Vice Chancellor termed the scholarship programme a hallmark step in a bid to end illiteracy from the country. Like other countries, the situation of education sector is not encouraging due to poverty and lack of awareness regarding the importance of education. Hence, it is vital that the proportion of spending on education must be enhanced upto four percent of the Gross Domestic Product, he added. Connecting the poverty alleviation to the literacy rate, he stressed the need to educate your children not only for their bright future but also for the progress of the country. He pointed out that as many as 20000 students were studying in the GCUF while a project of New Campus situated on 200 acre near to the city has been kicked off.  He thanked the Chief Minster for giving the land of 200 acre to the GCUF. He said that as many as 1,000 students of the varsity were getting benefit from PEEF. He urged the other provinces to launch projects on the pattern of PEEF.