The 2nd Paigham-e-Pakistan Youth Symposium concluded here at Islamic Research Institute (IRI) of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) at Faisal Masjid campus. Ahsan Iqbal, former Federal Minister and Member National Assembly was the Chief Guest of the concluding session, while opening session of the symposium was chaired by Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Rector, IIUI. The students from various universities from Sindh, Punjab, Baluchitsan, GB and KPK attended this symposium. The symposium concluded with the recommendations from youth, these recommendations will be forwarded to the government of Pakistan.
Ahsan Iqbal in his address highlighted various challenges that are faced by Pakistani society. He was of the view that raising hatred in society must be addressed, while harmony must be promoted to build a peaceful society. Former Minister called for encouraging inclusiveness in the society . “We need to learn that how we can disagree in an agreeable way” he maintained. He opined that we need to be united on core issues so that Pakistan can progress and we can have bright future.
He was of the view that economic development of Pakistan will depend on social peace which cannot be achieved without rule of law. He was of the view that dialogue at every level is a key for peaceful coexistence. He also asked the participant youth of the symposium to work on discouraging hate speech.
Rector IIUI, in his address said these are high times to promote peace, inclusiveness and harmony in the society and Pakistani youth through latest mediums such as social media can do wonders to achieve these goals.
He opined that there is a dire need to promote and propagate the message of peace and unity. He agreed with the recommendations of the young participants of symposium that curriculum should be a continuous process, while he also hailed Government’s steps for a revamped and single national curriculum initiative .
“We are living in the age of drastic changes, we cannot afford to be stagnant rather we must be well prepared to respond to the everyday changing challenges” said Dr. Masoom. He said Knowledge and skill with inculcation of Islamic values is must for Pakistani youth. He said that narrative of Paigham-e-Pakistan is vital for society as tolerance and peace lead to stability and prosperity. He urged the youth to adopt Seerah of Holy Prophet (PBUH). He said His (PBUH) life is all about tolerance and peace. “We have no deficit of guidelines and values, Seerah is a comprehensive conduct of peace, tolerance and lover for creatures” he added.
Prof. Dr. Masoor Akbar Kundi, Vice Chancellor BZ University, Multan also spoke to the symposium. He said we must say no to Differences and yes to unity. He urged the youth to disseminate the Paigham-e-Pakistan’s message that he opined is all about Inclusiveness, peaceful co-existence and unity. He was of the view that rights of the our minorities must be protected.
Earlier, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Director General, IRI welcoming the guests, he elaborated activities of IRI under Paigham e Pakistan initiative. He shed light on the special training programs in the light of the narrative. He stated that for these training programs, the Institute has prepared customize tailor made training manuals. He added that through these training programs, various segments of the society such as parliamentarians, ulema, Faculty Members, members of the civil society, and youth are trained on peace building, peaceful coexistence, and inclusiveness in the contexts of Paigham-e-Pakistan.
At the end, Prof. Ahsen Iqbal distributed certificates among the participants. Various parliamentarians, experts and faculty members such as Prof.Dr.Abdul Qadus Suhaib Chairman department of Islamic Studies Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Mr Khurshid Ahmed Nadeem, Dr. Muhammad Khan, Dr. Rizwan and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zia Ul Haq DG, IRI were resource persons of the symposium.
