SIALKOT: Punjab Provincial Minister for Special Education Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq has said that women cannot be empowered without giving them financial freedom. He was addressing the participants at Govt Allama Iqbal Degree College for Women, Khadim Ali Road here as the special guest on the culture day and the launch of the tree plantation campaign. Principal Prof. Zeba Zahoor, Coordinator PP-36 Chaudhry Muhammad Ilyas, Salman Tahir, Deputy Director Colleges Iqbal Kaloya, Dr. Afzal Butt, Prof. Gulshan Tariq, Prof. Rana Ishtiaq, Abida Farooq, Prof. Rana Sohaib, Prof. Shaukat Tariq besides a large number of students and teachers attended the event. The minister said that “our daughters are talented and they have to be equipped with education to showcase their talents.” For the purpose, women degree colleges and a women university are being established in the Sialkot district. For development and prosperity of the country, it is essential that women are given equal opportunities to move forward and they should be encouraged at every level to exhibit their abilities,” he added. The minister said that it was a responsibility of teachers to guide the new generation and enable them to deal effectively with the challenges of modern times and to play their role in development and prosperity of the country and the nation. Earlier, the provincial minister planted saplings at the lawns of the college and inaugurated the culture day ceremonies.