Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi said on Wednesday that climatic disaster was one of the biggest challenges the country was facing currently, and acquisition of research-oriented knowledge was vital to tackle it. He expressed these views while addressing the 4th convocation of Information Technology University (ITU) Punjab here. Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman, ITU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Adnan Noor Mian, vice chancellors (VCs) of various universities, ITU Dean Faculty of Sciences Prof. Dr. Arif Mehmood, Dean Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Dr. Yaqoob Bangash, Dean Faculty of Business and Management Sciences Dr. Sara Khawar, faculty members and a large number of students and their parents attended the event.
He said, “We observe the negative effects of global warming and other climatic changes every day; therefore, we have to play our due role to protect the natural environment.” The federal minister said that Pakistan was faced with challenges of economic depression, intolerance and violent behaviours also. Emphasising the important role of students to overcome these challenges, he said that only those nations attain the uphill tasks of development and prosperity which face the challenges firmly, asserting that education was the most important tool to overcome these challenges. Pakistan could also fast progress and develop only through the acquisition and promotion of knowledge, he added. Murtaza Solangi said humanity had been the characteristic of all religions and that very objective was of the education that people become better persons. He also stressed the need for tackling the negative propaganda, citing that unfortunately some people were spreading false and baseless news on social media to secure high ratings, which the government and patriotic people would have to fight out.
He said if research universities like the ITU maintain the very basis of their establishment, many of the problems would be solved automatically. In this regard, he referred to the well-known German dramatists famous play “The Exception and the Rule”. In the 4th convocation of the ITU, 524 students were awarded degrees including five with Ph.Ds and 16 with gold medals.
