Minister links progress to education

LAHORE (APP): Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Sunday that Islam underlines the importance of education and cleanliness and no nation could excel without acquiring education.

Addressing a convocation of Allama Iqbal Open University held at Idara-i-Nazaria-i-Pakistan here, he said he was honoured to attend the ceremony and congratulated the students for completing their degrees. He said, “The credit goes to teachers, parents and Allama Iqbal Open University for producing such talented students.”

Azam Nazeer Tarar said being Pakistani it was a matter of pride for all of us that Allama Iqbal Open University had been established in 1974 as a first distance learning university in the region.

“Education is a personality building instrument and it also refines a person. An educated person or an educated mother contributes a lot to society besides helping rise standards,” he added.

Azam said that country was full of potential and Pakistanis were proving their mettle in various fields all over the world. “It is a high time to make collective efforts to steer the country out of existing challenges,” he maintained.

The federal minister said that good teachers, skillful staff and best policies were required for making a prestigious university. “Education and health are among top priorities of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. When he served as Punjab Chief Minister in past, he had focused on school education, restructuring of universities and improvement of examination centres. It is the responsibility of the state to provide inexpensive education to children. It is a government responsibility to ensure a uniform system of education in the country so that the sense of disparity could be eliminated,” he added.

Allama Iqbal Open University Vice Chancellor Dr Nasir Mahmood and others were also present.