ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday said that the Government gave high priority to the study of science and technology and, in spite of limited resources, it would continue to support this vital area for a brighter future of the country.
Addressing the 5th International Conference on Aerospace Science and Engineering at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), the president said that scientists had taken mankind into space and inserted mankind into virtual life through cyber technology, adding that the list of human conquests was getting ever lengthier with every unravelling of the universe’s mysteries.
He mentioned Allama Iqbal’s philosophy that the universe had yet to finish “becoming” and that researchers and scientists still needed much to understand its secrets and mysteries.
The President expressed satisfaction over IST and other national institutions’ works related to research on space technology. He recalled the country’s first satellite ‘Badr-1’ and said that it was part of the same process.
The president further expressed confidence that the projects being initiated with the cooperation of other countries and institutions would also be successful and the country’s hardworking and intelligent scientists would succeed in their ventures. He added that the field of space research had witnessed unprecedented development throughout the world, including among Pakistan’s neighbours.
The president emphasized that institutions like IST and SUPARCO should broaden the scope of their research projects and endeavour to find answers to new questions arising in different sectors.
The president said that it was heartening to see IST and other educational institutions enjoying an active and healthy liaison with the world’s leading space exploration institutions.
He said that the success of the ongoing international conference and educational activities on space research testified to the fact that Pakistan’s position was going to become prominent on the educational map of the world.
Strategic Plans Division Force Director General Lieutenant General Sarfraz Sattar, SUPARCO Chairman Major General Qaiser Anis Khurram and IST Vice-Chancellor Imran Rahman were also present on the occasion.
A number of scientists, academicians and researchers from 16 countries are participating in the conference.
