CM Murad recounts college days during pedestrian bridge inauguration ceremony at DJ Science College

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PakistanToday
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KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday inaugurated a pedestrian bridge connecting two building blocks of DJ Sindh Government Science College and reminisced his own days from college on the occasion.

The metallic pedestrian bridge, named after deceased faculty member Professor Iftikhar Azmi, would provide a safe passage to students and teachers between the two blocks of the college.
Reminiscing his days from college, the chief minister said that he finished his intermediate-level education at DJ Science College. He disclosed that he had lost concentration in his studies and enjoyed considerable freedom during his college education after his father got arrested under the then martial-law regime in the country.

The CM on the occasion also launched a periodical of the college.

He said that he had spent two precious years of his life in the college. “Should it be allowed to me, I would prefer to leave my seat of the chief guest to go and sit with students in the last row to make noise and do fun,” said the CM while passionately reliving his college days.

The chief minister said that during his college days, the then democratic govt in the country had been overthrown and, in its place, a martial-law regime was imposed.

“My father used to drop me to this college every day as he also got arrested in those days,” said the chief minister while recalling about his father late Abdullah Shah who later also served as Sindh chief minister during mid-90s in a previous Pakistan Peoples Party government in the province.

“After my father’s arrest, I was assigned the duty to drop my younger sister and brothers to their schools and colleges,” he said. “With his arrest, I got a freedom from having to concentrate on my studies. With the availability of a car, I enjoyed having leisure time with friends as studies at that time was not our preference,” said the CM.

“I used to park my car here at the footpath (outside DJ College) and later use it to roam around with my friends,” he said.

He said that in the first year examinations of Intermediate education (Class 11th) he had obtained 79 per cent marks while the percentage of his marks decreased in his second-year exams.

Murad disclosed on the occasion that later he had started attending BSc degree classes at the college without any formal admission to the class.

“Once our class teacher was taking the class attendance register to the principal’s office to complain against those students who were not serious in their studies. I was advised by my friends that I should surreptitiously walk up to the class teacher and run away after getting hold of the attendance register from his (class teacher’s) hands. I acted on their advice and that was how we were saved from getting expelled from the college,” said the CM while recalling a thrilling incident of his days in the college.

He gave assurance on the occasion that he would take steps on a preferential basis to resolve issues of the college as pointed out by the principal. “I would rather refer to it as solving the problems of my own college and it will be on the top of my priorities,” he said.

The CM said that he owed much to the DJ Science College, adding that it was an old and great educational institution and that its problems should be resolved on a priority.

“Being chief minister of the province and also being an alumni of DJ college, I doubly feel the obligation to do some service for my alma mater. You will always find me ready to do this service and within a few days, you will see with your own eyes practical demonstration to this effect,” he said.

He thanked the college administration for inviting him on this occasion. Earlier, the DJ Science College Principal Prof Saleem Khan Ghouri welcomed the CM at the college with its other teachers.

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