Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Due to lack of education around 2.2 million abortions were done every year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 21 per cent of girls in Pakistan were married before the age of 18. Government should include the “Life Skill Base Education” in curriculum in education Policy 2016.

This was the crux of a consultative meeting with MPAs and other stakeholders including civil society organizations, organized by Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP) here at a local hotel on Thursday. Speakers were of the view that government should take serious note of affects caused to due lack of proper education and include the “Life Skill Base Education” in curriculum in education Policy 2016.

Gohar Zaman Regional Director (FPAP) said that because of the lack of education around 2.2 million abortions were done every year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that 21 per cent of girls in Pakistan were married before the age of 18.

Child Marriage Restrain Bill 2014 was not passed from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly while Sindh and Baluchistan had passed the bill, he said.

He inform the meeting that Pakistan ranked sixth among the nations where around 600,000 child marriages take place every year before the girls attain the age of 15 years while adolescent birth rate is 51 per cent. Zaman said because of the lack of ‘Life Skill Base Education’ most of the youth of Pakistan face health problems. Islam gives us guideline but that guideline was not followed by the people, he added.

He said that in Pakistan 64 percent youth with the age of 15-30 years as a higher ratio of youth in the country and due to lack of life skill base education system in the country 31 percent girls and 41 per cent boys in the country are not aware when the bodily changes they experience in young ages.

He requested the legislators to present a bill in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about the life skill base education and pass it from the assembly so that the future of youth will be saved. “It is the duty of parents and government to educate the youth on LSBE and provide them guideline for life”, he added.

MPA Ziaullah Bangash said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf passed much legislation and after consultation this idea will be discuss with
the legislator.

MPA Bakht Baidar Khan said and appreciates the effort of Rehnuma saying that all parliamentarians should play their role to discuss this issue on the floor of assembly, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly will soon discuss it.

He urged media to play its role to highlight the issue saying that education ratio in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has improved and the issue of reproductive health is important to be discussed by the religious clerics and other elders of the society.