FAISALABAD - The Punjab government is committed to setting up model educational institutions in the province, in which quality students like late Arfa Karim, would be produced in order to develop the country and bring it at par with the developed nations, said DCO Nasim Sadiq.
Addressing a condolence reference for the Pakistani legend, Arfa Karim, at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Sunday, the DCO said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who prayed for the departed soul, was making all-out efforts to provide quality education to to all in the province.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan and Arfa Karim’s father Amjad Karim were guests of honour on the occasion.
The DCO said that a state-of-the-art Daanish school was being set up in Jaranwala, while another school on the same pattern was being established in Ghulam Muhammad Abad, Faisalabad. Paying tributes to Arfa Karim, he said that her services for bringing good name to the country would be remembered forever.
He said the nation had a lot of potential and “we have to create such an environment, in which students can prove their mettle”.
Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan urged the youth to follow in the footprints of Arfa so that they could excel in every field of life.
He said that in 2005, when the youngest Microsoft award was conferred on her, the university was the first one to honour her with a reception. He said she (Arfa) had proved that “our homeland had a lot of potential that must be polished”. He said it was the need of the hour to convey Arfa’s message in every corner of the society for the progress of the country.
The VC further said that universities acted like a catalyst in the development, and the UAF was committed to progress and taking every tangible step for capacity building.
Arfa Karim’s father said that she was having many miracles in her personality. He said that it was a matter of pride for him that the world was giving a lot of respect to him because of his daughter. He lauded the chief minister for naming a provincial IT Park in Lahore after Arfa Karim.
He stressed the need for giving special attention to children, especially those aging below sixteen, for their education. He lauded the steps being taken by the government for higher education.