President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday said that only those nations that attain self-sufficiency achieve success.
Addressing an All Pakistan Conference organised by the ministry of planning and development on the topic of “Elements of National Stability, Development and Power,” the President said that no country can achieve the goal of self-sufficiency without first achieving economic stability.
“The nation needs to carefully study the reasons leading to national development and stability, and then formulate a strategy in light of the findings,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of education and pointed to the substantial increase in the number of educational institutions and the proportional increase in literacy in the last few decades.
He termed it an encouraging development and called for the continued and careful evaluation of the quality of education in the country.
“The recent poor performance in civil service candidacy examinations rang a warning bell for us all,” he said.
He said that it was therefore vital that a comprehensive strategy be formulated to evaluate the standards of education being imparted to students at all levels.
“Any lapse in this evaluation would waste precious time and priceless resources of the country,” the president said.
He also expressed his concern over the alarming trend of the ever-increasing cost of higher education.
The president expressed hope that educational experts and those responsible in the ministry of planning and development would ponder upon these issues and come up with suggestions to provide a guideline for the course of education in the country.
President Mamnoon Hussain pointed to the economic stability brought in the past four years and said it has been acknowledged by international financial organisations.
“Owing to the country’s vital geostrategic location, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was nothing but a godsend for the nation and will bring Pakistan to the fore by making it economically stable and powerful,” Mamnoon Hussain said.
The President called for national solidarity and unanimity to successfully complete this vital project of national importance transparently and without any hitch.
President Mamnoon Hussain said it was vital for economic self-sufficiency that the planners consistently study future technologies and prospects for new industry and business ventures.
“In a fast-paced world with changing technologies, the nations that do not plan ahead are left behind in progress and development.”
President Mamnoon Hussain said Pakistan was situated at the confluence of great civilisations and its culture makes it prominent amongst others, besides being a great source of attraction for tourists from around the world.
The president said that Pakistan’s defence was strong and its armed forces were amongst the best armies in the world. He said that the country’s armed forces were playing a key role in the defence of the country and for regional peace and stability.
The President expressed the hope that soon a strong, vibrant and powerful Pakistan would emerge in the comity of nations.
