Qamar opens SZABIST branch in Tando Muhammad Khan

Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Naveed Qamar, has said that present government is carrying forward the vision of Benazir Bhutto to provide quality education to people at their doorsteps.
He stated this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) in Tando Muhammad Khan. He said that with the opening of SZABIST branch in Tando Muhammad Khan his long-awaited dream of providing standard education to the people of his constituency had come true. "It not only caters the educational needs of the residents of TM Khan but also the people of surrounding areas could be imparted quality education" he said.
The Minister said that in past ten years production bonus money of oil and gas exploration companies was only being amassed in the national exchequer and even a single penny was not spent for the welfare and betterment of the people of concession areas. "But since I was given the portfolio of petroleum and natural resources I immediately released the production bonus money district-wise which is being used for development of the people of concession area with special focus on the provision of better health and educational facilities".
He said that it was the first time that a branch of an exemplary institute like SZABIST was established which is of international repute and is ranked among 20 best institutions of Asia. It is the need of the hour to establish such institutes through which more and more qualified technical people would be produced and these could play vital role to make the country prosperous. He said that there were many social and cultural barriers in the provision of standard education but this institute would entirely be independent and there would be zero tolerance for any kind of interference in this institute and added that for this purpose a clear guideline had already been given to the management of the institute.
He said that to extend the benefits of the institute to each and every student, a nominal tuition fee of only Rs 1000 had been fixed so that even students of lower middle class could be provided quality education, and added that in this regard a trust comprising well to do and honest persons of the area had been constituted which would work for the welfare of poor and needy students. The minister said that time is not far away when this institute will get the status of degree awarding institute. He sought co-operation of all stakeholders ie government, management of the institute and parents. He said that this is the age of science and technology and present government has vowed to give jobs on merit basis. That is why the importance of quality education could not be denied. He announced that with the collaboration of British Petroleum (BP), OGDC, PSO and other oil and gas exploration companies, a chain of citizen-based foundation school would start promoting quality education at primary level. He hoped that it would bring a positive change in the life of poor people.
Earlier, the Principal of SZABIST, TM Khan Branch, Shafique-ur-Rehman, briefed the gathering about the institute and said that this institute had been established with the help of District Government TM Khan and British Petroleum (BP) which had provided Rs 20 million under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
He said that to pass on quality education at the centre, a qualified foreign faculty had been hired at the initial stage diploma courses in IT, Soft Ware Engineering, Computer & Business Management, MS Office, Web Development and English would be offered to the students. Besides this, to promote agro-based industry, farmers of the area would be trained to use modern technology to boost their crop production which will ultimately result in the positive change in their lives. MPA Mohsin Shah Bukhari also spoke on the occasion while President of PPP TM Khan Ameen Lakho, British Petroleum's Aamir Azeem Daudpota, Administrator TM Khan Dr Farooque Ahmad Leghari, DPO Zulifiqar Mahar and other District officials were present on the occasion.