Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that students are future of the nation and promotion of women education was a must for an enlightened, moderate and progressive Pakistan. She stated this while addressing the participants in the annual prize distribution ceremony of a private college, held here on Saturday. She distributed medals and prizes among brilliant students over their outstanding academic performance. Firdous said that education was vital to end darkness of the ignorance, poverty and unemployment. She said that every segment of society must come forward to play its role for establishing an educated society and promoting noble cause of education. She said that the government was providing maximum opportunities of quality education to students in a bid to enable them to serve the nation and the country in a better way in future. She said that the 2020 is the year of development and prosperity in Pakistan. Dr Firdous said the PTI government has put the ailing economy on the right track, and expressed the confidence that Pakistan will see forward movement on the path of development in 2020. Pointing out that present government inherited a difficult economic situation but stability has been achieved through the process of reforms. She also expressed the commitment to fully empower the women to project a soft and progressive image of Pakistan. Dr Firdous asserted that the government had allowed former premier Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment citing report of his medical examination by doctors. “The public has seen Nawaz Sharif’s ill face after moving abroad. PML-N’s female spokesperson is making new claims for gaining media’s attention,” she said. “There is no place for the PIC [Punjab Institute of Cardiology] incident in any civilised society as the law was trampled down by the guardians of the constitution,” she mentioned, adding that the government would take action against those who were responsible for the incident in accordance with the law. “Those who have been rejected by the people are talk about toppling the government. Fazlur Rehman has failed in his mission, his negative agenda has failed. Fazlur Rehman’s approach has always been negative,” she said. Dr Firdous said the government was taking every possible step to rid the country of crippling polio virus. In a tweet , she said the nation was united and determined for a healthy Pakistan. The special assistant appealed the people to play their role in polio eradication by fully supporting the polio eradication campaign. She noted that it was essential that children get vaccination against polio. In this regard, more awareness is being created amongst masses. The SAPM said polio vaccination would guarantee a healthy Pakistan. Firdous Ashiq Awan said polio workers deserve appreciation who, despite being the victim at the hands of extremists, were discharging their responsibilities with complete devotion.