ISLAMABAD - President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday emphasised the need for producing skilled workforce in different fields to take full advantage of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Addressing the convocation of the University of Science and Technology in Bannu (USTB), the president said that the mega project would not only benefit Pakistan and China but the entire world.
He conferred degrees and gold medals on 117 students and position holders in an impressive function.
The president on the occasion also inaugurated three mega projects including the Women University of Science and Technology (WUST), Students Startup Business Centre (SSBC) of the University of Science and Technology and the Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC).
He said that political stability was pre-requisite for sustainable economic progress, development, prosperity and promotion of quality education especially of science and technology was vital, in order to take the country to new heights of glory.
The president said that Pakistan’s economy was moving in the right direction and the economic progress of the PML-N government was highly praised by the top monetary and financial organisations of the world.
He said that the country’s reserves had touched about $20 billion due to the government’s goal-oriented economic policies, saying about $10 billion loan had been returned, whereas around $5 billion loan was remaining that would be returned soon.
The president said that in the country’s larger interest, the government should be encouraged to further strengthen the economy of Pakistan.
The positive and constructive role of educated people in national affairs besides countering negative propaganda was pivotal for political and economic stability in the country, he maintained.
The president said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a lifeline project for Pakistan that offered a lot of job opportunities for youth and students must harmonise and prepare themselves for taking advantage of this great opportunity.
He said that the CPEC would make Pakistan a very important country in the region besides bolstering trade and industrialisation by connecting peoples and states of the region.
Hussain emphasised educational institutes and universities to equip students with the latest technologies and engineering methods in the pretext of the CPEC. The president said that “we should all work together tirelessly in our respective selected professions to take the country to new heights of glory and economic prosperity.”
Hussain said “being a Muslim our learning traditions have remained very outstanding in the world and we need to focus on science and technology to retain our past glory.”
For a brighter and developed Pakistan, the president said, “We need to focus on science and technology; promotion of vocational education and role of the USTB for spreading quality education among students in this sensitive and remote region was highly commendable.”
He said that education created employment opportunities, alleviated poverty and removed economic imbalances and wiped out militancy and terrorism.
Hussain urged universities to equip students with quality education to meet future challenges in the most effective manner.
He emphasised further improving the educational standards of the universities.
President Hussain said that the nation had high expectations from the students who had all the abilities and skills to take the country forward on the path of economic prosperity and urged them to take full advantage of the facilities being offered by the universities.
He assured that the USTB women campus would be upgraded to a full university in future.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, while speaking on the occasion, said that the government was taking solid steps to improve socio-economic condition of the people.
