President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday emphasizing the women’s active participation in all sectors, said one of the reasons behind Pakistan lacking prosperity was the non-involvement of women in decision making as well as the economic corridors of power.
The president, addressing the 12th Convocation of International Islamic University Islamabad, said the nation’s investment on the women education went to waste when they sat at home without going into the practical life.
Saudi Ambassador in Islamabad Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malkiy, Qatari Ambassador Sheikh SaoudbinAbdulrahman Al-Thani, first secretary of Thailand, IIUI Pro-Chancellor Dr Ahmed Salem Muhammad Al-Ameri, Rector DrSamina Malik and President DrHathalHomoudAlotaibi also attended the convocation besides other diplomats and educationists.
“Education is investment of this poor nation on you. If you will sit at home, this will be the loss of the nation. I want you not to give up its practical application. (However), this is the duty of the government and the nation to provide you a harassment-free working environment,” the president remarked.
He also called for job structures for the women which should also facilitate them keeping in view the family-related engagements of the women. Citing the example of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s wife Hazrat Khadija, also a working business woman, the president said Islam encouraged the women to work as it was not possible to leave half of the country’s population unutilised.
He, who earlier awarded PhD degrees to 138 and gold medals to 71 students, congratulated the students, their parents as well as the university and teachers for their hard work. He was appreciative that girl students consisted of over half of the total 34,000 strength of the university.
He advised the new graduates to welcome the knowledge without any religious biases or selection, and always remain humble and act as a knowledge-seeker. Expressing his worries about the unbridled human mentality as being practised in Gaza, the president said Muslims derived their laws from Holy Quran and the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
