Education more vital than politics: SMIU VC

Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh has said that the students who have succeeded in getting admission at SMIU have a distinction being called the fellows of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had studied at SMIU for about five years.
Addressing the orientation day ceremony of the first batch of the newly established SMI University on Saturday vice chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali said SMIU students were the true heirs of the Quaid, who had bequeathed one third of his residuary property to his alma mater through his last will.
He said Jinnah had three great qualities, which were competency; honesty and love for his people.
HE said that the Quaid gave only one hundred rupees per month to each of his two brothers namely Ahmed Ali and Bandeh Ali, and just two thousand rupees per month to his younger sister Fatima Jinnah through his last will, but gave 10.8 million rupees to each educational institution including Aligarh College, Islamia College Peshawar and Sindh Madressatul Islam, Karachi.
Dr Mohammad Ali said although the Quaid belonged to a poor family, but he had earned money through hard working as he was one of the most popular lawyers of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. But it was his uniqueness and greatness that instead of distributing all his property among his family members, he preferred to give it to the educational institutions, he added. This was why Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was in favour of education for Muslim youth, and never wanted the students to involve in the students politics, he stated. Dr Mohammad Ali, giving reference of the Quaid, said that once the students from Aligarh met with him and expressed their wish to participate in politics, but the Quaid categorically said that they should first acquire education and only then enter the political arena.
Emphasizing on the newly enrolled students, the SMIU vice chancellor said that they had to follow the legacy of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in terms of competence, honesty, hardwork and selflessness. He also said that there would be zero tolerance if the students were found involved in any immoral and non academic activities. “The discipline of the SMI has a unique history,” the vice chancellor said, adding that once Mohammad Ali Jinnah had remained absent for a month from SMI and his admission was cancelled.
Dr Mohammad Ali said the SMIU had made all necessary arrangements to start classes for the first batch of SMIU from January 14 (today).