ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched Pakistan Endowment Fund for Education along with incorporation of computer coding and constitutional studies in national curriculum.

Addressing launching ceremony, he said Rs 14 billion had been fixed for programme for next four years out of which Rs 3 billion would be spent during current fiscal year.

He expressed his wish to continue this project forever with increased funding to provide opportunities of higher education to maximum deserving students.

"Our government's tenure is going to end in August and I pray that next elected government should give top priority to education sector", he said adding that funding for this programme should be enhanced up to Rs 140 billion for next 10 years.

He recalled that he as Chief Minister Punjab launched Punjab Education Endowment Fund in 2008 with an annual allocation of Rs 2 billion. He said over 400,000 students benefited from this Fund who were now serving country in different professions.

He said promotion of education was not aimed at politics but he consider it as worship. He vowed to pay special focus on less developed areas of country where young people could not complete their studies due to lack of resources.

Today, he said board meeting of International Monetary Fund was going to be held which would hopefully approve $ 3 billion stand-by agreement with Pakistan.

"This is not matter of pride but an alarming situation that why we always ask our friendly countries and financial institutions to help us saving from default," he added.

Earlier, PM distributed scholarships cheques under newly launched project among talented and deserving students. Minister for Education and Professional Training Rana Tanvir Hussain said programme was designed in line with Punjab Education Endowment Fund to provide merit based scholarships to talented students of various fields including engineering, nursing, agriculture, social sciences and allied health sciences.

He said keeping in view current situation, government had also decided to include computer coding and constitutional studies in national curriculum.