The National Book Foundation (NBF) is in grip of internal turmoil with its two top bosses hurling serious embezzlement and administrative charges on one another, ultimately putting the foundation in jeopardy.

The NBF Secretary Ms Irshad Abbasi, under suspension, served a 22-point charge sheet on the NBF Managing Director (MD) Mazharul Islam. However, he refutes it in toto and describes the onslaught a “blackmailing tactic” she is using against him like his predecessors.

The Education Secretary suspended Ms Abbasi and ordered a ministerial inquiry into the Foundation affairs within four week, particularly on the lady’s proceeding abroad without approval finally rejected by the prime minister himself.

The NBF secretary, however, claims that the MD sacked her on writing the 22-point letter, charge sheet, pinpointing multi-million embezzlements and expected audit objections. “I have all-out proofs, NoCs etc to be presented in the court of law,” she says.  (more…)

The United States will work with the Pakistan’s government to renovate more than 2,000 schools and build 150 new ones over the next two years as part of its efforts to improve education in Pakistan, US ambassador Cameron Munter has said.

Responding to an article in a leading American newspaper implying that US had failed to contribute to strengthening education in Pakistan, the envoy said that since 2002, Washington has provided nearly $640 million for the betterment of education, benefiting more than 900,000 students.

In his regular column in The New York Times on his recent visit to Pakistan, correspondent Nicholas Kristoff said that the US had allocated large amount of military aid to Pakistan but not for educational institutions. (more…)