Author Topic: Prime Minister Gilani addressing ninth Bahauddin Zakariya University Convocat  (Read 1338 times)

Offline iram

  • Editorial board
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3849
  • My Points +16/-3
  • Gender: Female
Prime Minister Gilani addressing the ninthBahauddin Zakariya University Convocation

Progress not possible without education: PM; MULTAN: The national progress and development is not possible without excelling in education.

Monday, February 09, 2009
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said this while addressing the ninth convocation of the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) here on Sunday. He said the southern Punjab had remained neglected in the past, but now its sense of deprivation would be redressed.

Federal Minister for Defence Production Abdul Qayyum Jatoi, Minister of State for Education Mahar Ghulam Farid Kathia, Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, in charge Higher Education Commission and special assistant to Prime Minister on Social Sector, Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Zafarullah, prime minister’s younger brother Syed Ghulam Mujtaba Gilani and the prime minister’s son and MPA Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani were also present at the ceremony.

The prime minister awarded PhD degrees to 27 scholars and gold medals to 35 graduates of the university at the convocation, held at the Jinnah Auditorium, recently constructed at the cost of Rs 75 million.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also announced a grant of Rs 378 million for the BZU colleges of engineering and agriculture, while he announced another grant of Rs 50 million for the construction of the Gilani University Law College, founded by his ancestors.

The prime minister said: “The experience of other developing countries indicates that education, rather quality education, is key to development and prosperity and we are striving to achieve that cherished goal.”

He said Pakistan was blessed with all natural gifts. It has fertile land, an excellent riverine and canal system for irrigation and a rich human capital, which are the best assets to attain progress and advancement. He said human resource development was the best investment for any nation.

Gilani said economic as well as political stability were inter-linked and were essential for the development of a country. He said: “Enthusiasm to promote education is running in my blood and I want to develop educational institutions in this region like my forefathers to change its lot.”

He said the government was alive to the needs of the southern Punjab in education and health sectors. He said a women medical college and a women university were also being set up while he had approved the establishment of a degree college for boys and girls at Multan.

The prime minister said the educational institutions of higher education must focus on advanced research and coordinate with local industry to fulfil its requirements. He said he had already approved a project “Faculty Development Program” for the BZU worth Rs 1 billion under which 100 university teachers will be sent abroad for research and advanced studies.

“My doors are always open to receive any good suggestion to promote education and develop this hitherto backward and neglected region.” The premier underlined the need to augment the research work and utilise the talent of highly educated youth to the optimum level for the good of the nation.

Vice Chancellor BZU Dr Muhammad Zafarullah Khan enumerated the university’s achievements in his welcome address. He thanked the prime minister for his special development package for this elite institution of the region.