Pishin, April 10 (DNA). ‘Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is striving hard to spread its educational network across the country, especially to those far flung areas of the country which presently lack formal educational system’,  said Prof Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum, Vice Chancellor, AIOU during his visit to Balochistan for extending AIOU educational facilities to different parts of the province.

The Vice Chancellor along with his team including DGRS, Anam Ullah Sheikh, Director Coordination , Maj (R) Umer Yunis, Regional Director Quetta, Mr Qamar visited various areas of Tehsil Khanozai of district Pishin yesterday and explored the possibility of establishing a Model Study Centre of the university there. During his meetings with the prominent figures of the area, he reiterated his firm resolve of educating every Pakistani child. Prof  Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum said that Balochistan is the largest province of the country with respect to its size, while on the basis of population-wise comparison with the other three provinces,  it is the smallest province of the country. Hence, as a matter of fact, due to the thin population distribution, it is difficult for any government to establish schools, colleges, and universities in all parts of the province. Owing to these circumstances, AIOU and its distance learning system may prove to be the best solution for provision of education facilities to people of the area, he maintained. The Vice Chancellor said that AIOU is already playing a key role by providing educational services to the people of Balochistan through six regional centres and one Model Study Centre. He informed that besides free matric education to people of Balochistan, AIOU offers various financial assistance schemes for poor, physically handicapped, and children of martyrs.

Prof. Zia while mentioning extension of AIOU to the remote areas of Balochistan as well as other provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir urged upon the provincial governments and local administration to provide AIOU their due support, especially by allotment of land in the concerned areas.

Social elites and prominent figures of the area appreciated the role of AIOU in promotion of education in the country and hoped that construction of the proposed building of Model Study Centre of the university would help people of the area, especially the district of Pishin in getting education from matriculation to PhD level.