ISLAMABAD: The National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) is implementing consistent literacy programs to achieve Vision-2025 goal of 90 percent literacy rate by the year 2025. NCHD National Program Coordinator Syed Akbar Ali said that the commission was the only federal organization dedicated to work for literacy. He said the Adult Literacy Program of the commission started in 2002 with inception of the commission, adding that it was a key program which had been made operational in 134 districts of the country. He said that it was a matter of concern that the adult literacy rate of Pakistan was static since 2010-11. It inched up to 60 percent in 2014-15 but came down to 58 percent again in 2015-16, he added. The coordinator said that female rural literacy rate was the lowest at 36 percent against male urban literacy rate which was the highest at 81 percent. Punjab and Sindh had 62 percent and 55 percent literacy rates respectively, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 53 percent and Balochistan having 41 percent. He said that at present, NCHD had enrolled 53,991 learners in its 2150 centers established in 20 districts of Punjab; 36,794 students enrolled in 1470 centers in 21 districts of Sindh; 25,219 beginners in 1040 centers in 23 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 720 literary centers of Balochistan in its 14 districts got 15497 students enrolled; Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had 2070 number of students enrolled in 90 centers set up in its three districts; 6375 students enrolled in 255 centers in four districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK); Gilgit-Baltistan got 5625 enrollments in 225 centers working in five districts and 50 literacy centers of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) had 625 students enrolled. He said that the program was working with 100 percent results across the country and hoped that the 90 percent literacy rate target by 2025 would be achieved successfully. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan is signatory to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) whereby the SDG-4 requires the participant countries to ensure 100% enrollment and substantial increase in the literacy rates. Published in Daily Times, May 14th 2018.