Of all weapons, education termed as most powerful
Younger generation asked to equip itself with modern
knowledge for supremacy in world: PU VC Dr Mujahid
Kamran, Ch Ghulam Abbass, Javed Hashmi, Dr Farid
Paracha address Quaid-e-Azam Semianar

LAHORE : (Friday, January 22, 2010): Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has stated that education is the most powerful weapon for any nation in the present-day world and to attain supremacy in the comity of nations, we must equip our younger generation with the knowledge of modern science and technology.

He was addressing participants of a seminar held in connection with the 133 rd birthday of the Father of Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Faisal Auditorium New Campus here on Friday which was also addressed by PPP leader Ch. Ghulam Abbass, PML (N) Senior Vice-President and MNA Javed Hashmi, Deputy Secretary Jamat Islami Dr Farid Ahmad Paracha, former student leader Iftikhar Feroze and Students Advisor Iftikhar Ahmad Choudhary while Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jamil Anwar Ch., Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan and head IER Prof Dr Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal including all the Deans and Heads of Departments were also present.

Vice-Chancellor said that Quaid-e-Azam is a beacon of light for the country's youth. It was due to the Quaid's political sagacity, farsightedness and supreme qualities of head and character that we are breathing in an independent homeland today and Pakistan has achieved the singular honour of being the only atomic power of the Islamic world. He described the world as an arena of struggle and war in which, sooner or later, clash is inevitable. Only those nations could survive and rightfully claim a prestigious life, who always keep themselves in a state of peak preparedness. For this purpose, knowledge is the most significance weapon which creates all other lethal armaments. He impressed upon the students to devote their lives for pursuit of education and creation of knowledge to reach pinnacle of success in their respective fields of academic specialization. He regretted that we are currently spending only two percent of our 453 billion US Dollar GDP while America spends1000 billion dollars or 7 % of its GDP on education. Our expenditure on research and development is woefully low at 0.2 percent of our GDP whereas the US is spending 2.7 percent or 390 billion dollars on R& D. He said out of a population of one million, the strength of R&D experts in USA, Japan, Israel, Iran and Pakistan is 4100, 4900, 1600, 600 and 78, respectively. Resultantly, we are confronted with an acute shortage of highly qualified experts in academic fields while our schools are devoid of all basic facilities. He urged upon the country's political leadership to fulfill the one point agenda of allocating at least 4% of our GDP for promotion of education in future.

JI Deputy Secretary General Farid Ahmad Paracha, in his address said that Quaid-e-Azam wanted to make Pakistan a modern Islamic welfare state in which feudalism, capitalism or marshall law had no place whatsoever. He regretted that soon after the demise of father of nation bureaucracy, feudal lords, capitalists and despotic forces made the country hostage. During Musharraf's tenure, as many as 42 MNAs, on their basis of their fake BA degrees, kept ruling the country for 8 long years. He said the present poverty, illetracy and disease is the direct outcome of the past misrule of these vested interest classes. He remarked that if our political leadership brings back the country plundered wealth amounting to billions of dollars from abroad into the country, the plight of poor toiling masses could be improved radically. He stressed for the imperative need of unity and harmony amongst the political parties in the larger interest of nation and country at this critical juncture.

Speaking on the occasion PPP leader Ch. Ghulam Abbass made an appeal to the Chief Justice Supreme Court that he should take a Suo Motto notice of the statement of the former Supreme Court Chief Justice Mr Nasim Hasan Shah that they were forced to send the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to gallows, to question him as to which political leader, gun or threatening messages had left no option for him but to hang the country's elected prime minister. He said appointment of PCO judges was the greatest crime committed in the country. as such the chief justice should expose all those characters involved in the drafting and promulgation of PCO. The Supreme Court should also hold an inquiry to the effect as to why Mr Javed Hashmi was sent behind the bar and who authorized General Musharraf to make amendments in the country's constitution as per his sweet will. He asked the political leadership to join hands for beginning a new journey by burying the obsolete and rotten feudal and capitalist system which has subjected the overwhelming population to abject poverty. He said during the tenure of Shaheeds ZA Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto 7% and 4% of our GDP was allocated for the promotion of literacy and education in the country. The vested interests have deprived the poor children of their right to decent education who are presently doing shoe shining and brandishing Kalashnikov instead of books in their hands. The doors of educational institutions have been slammed on them and they have been driven to religious maddrassas at the mercy of suicide bomber trainers.

He said today we are harvesting the crop of Afghan Jihad sown during the reign of Zia-ul-Haq in the shape of Moon and Bolton markets and Manawan suicide attacks.

PML MNA Javed Hashmi in his speech exhorted the student community to make a pledge that they would uphold the glorious principles in their practical lives set by the Quaid-e-Azam. He said the great Quaid had performed the unique miracle of Pakistan independence by foiling the conspiracies hatched by the Hindus and British merely because of his supreme character, determination and political far sightedness. He said the Quaid delinked himself completely from his daughter when he learnt that she had married an Indian Parsi. He said education is a more potent weapon than even atom bomb which brings into existence a great leader like Quaid-e-Azam and an unparalleled scientist like Dr AQ Khan. He said the unprecedented services rendered by Dr Qadir Khan and the bold decisions taken by CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Ch. were reflective of their education and unblemished character. He said if we today equipped ourselves with the same qualities of mind and heart as possessed by the father of the nation, no power on earth can do any harm to us. He also paid rich tributes to Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran for his meritorious services for transforming the Punjab University into a world level university.

A former student of PU Iftikhar Ferooz and Advisor Students Affairs Iftikhar Ahmad Ch. also addressed the audience.