Pakistan urges immediate restoration and expansion of Zewar-e-Taleem Programme

By Farzana Chaudhry, Lahore Pakistan
LAHORE: AwazCDS-Pakistan conducted an orientation session with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) Punjab at Four Points by Sheraton Lahore to share evaluation findings of the Zewar-e-Taleem Programme (ZTP) and discuss urgent measures to strengthen girls’ secondary education in Punjab. The session was attended by 12 members of the Caucus.
Zia ur Rehman, Chief Executive of AwazCDS-Pakistan, said the evaluation confirmed ZTP’s significant contribution to improving girls’ secondary education outcomes in Punjab. According to the findings, ZTP schools recorded 18 percent higher enrolment, 17 percent better Grade 5 to Grade 6 transition, and 41 percent higher female attendance compared to non-ZTP schools.
He said the programme also improved learning, confidence and completion outcomes, including an 8-point gain in literacy readiness, an 18-point increase in confidence to complete education, a 10-point rise in secondary completion, and stronger trust in public schools.
He further highlighted that ZTP contributed to girls’ long-term empowerment, including an estimated annual income increase of Rs58,000, a 1.74-year delay in marriage age, and a 35-point increase in preference for service-sector jobs.
However, he expressed serious concern that the programme has reportedly remained suspended in communities since June 2025, depriving eligible girls of critical financial support. He called for the immediate restoration of the programme and release of all pending stipend payments to beneficiaries.
Members of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus Punjab expressed concern after learning about the suspension, stating they were previously unaware that implementation had stopped. They reiterated that the current provincial government remains committed to improving school education, particularly for girls, and assured support in raising these barriers to girls’ education on the floor of the House.
AwazCDS-Pakistan also advocated increasing the monthly Zewar-e-Taleem stipend from Rs1,000 to Rs3,000, arguing that inflation has significantly reduced its real value since the programme’s launch. The organisation further called for expansion of ZTP beyond the existing 17 districts, especially to underserved and adjacent non-ZTP areas with low female literacy rates.
The session concluded with a consensus on advocating for the immediate restoration of ZTP, release of pending stipends, revision of the stipend amount in line with inflation, expansion of the programme to more vulnerable districts, and continued collaboration to protect girls’ right to secondary education in Punjab.