LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that education is the key to success and prosperity which helps to eliminate poverty, extremism and unemployment and taking into account this important role of education the government is taking revolutionary steps to equip its youth with the latest knowledge by prioritising quality education.
He expressed these views while addressing the 15th annual convocation of GCU Lahore on Thursday.
He said that education is undoubtedly a vital investment which later repays the nation in the best way that’s why the government is vigilant to provide international standard quality education that will prepare the youth to cope with the present situation and would develop analytical and critical thinking, skills and attitude to make them more flexible and innovative to deal with the uncertainty and crises at national and global level.
He said that Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) is the biggest initiative in the history of Pakistan and South Asia through which more than 1 lakh 75 thousand less-privileged, talented students have been getting quality education and with the income of this 17 billion rupees project, scholarships worth of 7.5 billion rupees have been distributed and, had such an educational fund been set up 70 years ago, no child would have remained deprived of education and billions of youth would have been playing their due role in national development, he regretted.
Applauding the contribution of Government College University for the promotion of standard education, the chief minister announced 10 crores as an endowment fund for the university and the amount will be transferred to the university endowment fund by the end of this week to facilitate less privileged talented students.
The CM awarded the distinguished students of MPHIL, MS, PHD and those performing well in extra-curricular activities with the degrees and gold medals.
While congratulating them, Shehbaz Sharif said that they are the future of Pakistan and expressed his joy over the chance to visit the institution where he himself had been a student once and said that this prestigious institution needs appreciation because it has been playing its part very well in the struggle against terrorism and economic instability by educating its student up to the mark.
Shehbaz Sharif assured full assistance to the institutions like GCU Lahore which have been working hard for the promotion of education.
He said that today Pakistan is heading towards brighter future from all fronts and soon will arrive the time when it will get its due status at international level.
While acknowledging the services of VC Professor Dr Hassan Ameer Shah, the chief minister said that within a very short span of time he has rendered remarkable services towards institute and it is hoped now that GCU will emerge as world’s Renown University soon.
At this occasion, Lahore GCU VC Professor Dr Hassan Ameer Shah briefed the guests about the academic activities and extension plan.
The VC gifted the distinguished guests’ including the chief minister, HEC Provincial Minister Syed Ali Raza Gillani and HEC Commission Chairman Dr Nizam-ud-Din with saviour shields.