'Pakistan's literacy rate nearly 54%'
Pakistan Times Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Senate on Wednesday was informed that national literacy rate is 54 percent out of which 66.25 percent male and 41.75 percent female are literate.

This was stated by Minister for Education, Mrs. Zubaida Jalal in her written reply to a query raised by Senator Sardar Latif Khosa in the Senate here.

Giving the province-wise and gender-wise detail, the Minister informed that an estimated 60.8% population is literate in Punjab province.

The literacy rate for male and female are 70% and 51% respectively, she added.

In NWFP, 47.4% population of the province is literate, out of which 63% are male and 30.8% female.

The Minister said that the literacy rate of Sindh province is about 5.15% out of which 60.5% are male and 42.5% female.

The 34% population of Balochistan are literate and the literacy rate of male and female is about 45% and 23% respectively, she added.

About Pakistan's literacy position in the world, the Minister pointed out that there is no universal definition of literacy. The definition varies from country to country, therefore, it is difficult to rank Pakistan on the scale of literacy position in the world.

She, however, said literacy rate in the world is calculated for 15+ population whereas in Pakistan, it is estimated for population 10+.●