NWFP Governor Khalil-ur-Rehman has stressed the need of making more effective and serious efforts to eradicate the politics of every kind from the educational institutions and said that this problem has become a sort of corruption which is destroying the future of the new generation like cancer.
Addressing as the chief guest at the Convocation - 2005 of Islamia College, Peshawar; one of the historic institution of the country on Tuesday, the Governor said, unfortunately some of the respective faculty members are also involved in this process which trickles down to the students.
He realised the students that they were being utilised by some one else to fulfil their selfish motives which could no more be allowed. Therefore, he added, parents must also come forward and duly help the government in its efforts to protect the future of the students.
In fact, he said, the parents have to spend their hard-earned resources to teach their children and some of them even have to go through grave hardships for this purpose.
Referring to the historical background of the students politics, the Governor said, in fact unions and guilds, in their early history were formed for positive reasons and they were set up to ensure quality and ethical excellence. But unfortunately, he remarked, student unions have now become pressure groups and they pressurise the administration into yielding to their demands, fair or unfair. Through their pressure tactics, he said, they shirk duty with impunity as well.
Directly pointing towards the graduates, the Governor said that they were entering the institutions of higher learning at a stage when Pakistan needed their utmost abilities to have respectability both for present and future and the future would be their if they focus on building the nation and working for its success.
Indeed, the Governor said, we face many challenges both at internal and external levels and these hurdles could be overcome with conviction, resolve and right leadership. "If you put forward a clear objective before you and pursue it with perseverance you are definitely going to achieve it", he said.
Similarly, he said, most of the graduates are also supposed to join professional institutions in future and it is also dire need to focus on ensuring observance of moral values and character building as well. Dishonesty must be discouraged throughout their life, he remarked. Studying in Islamia College, he said, must be a great honour for them which already enjoys the privilege of being heir of Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Governor also reminded the students, the visit of the Quaid-e-Azam to Islamia College 58 years ago while quoting the sayings of the Quaid on that occasion and said that he had asked the students " you must devote yourselves wholeheartedly to your studies, for that is your foremost obligation to your selves, your parents, and the country".
The Governor while pointing towards the teachers said "today I reword the same sayings of the Quaid and ask - you must devote yourselves wholeheartedly to your teaching, for that is your first obligation to yourselves, your students, their parents and the country".
Talking about the college, the Governor said, it is both a vision and movement. The vision, he added, was to uplift the people of this region and to reach this vision it worked as a movement. Paying rich tributes to the founders of the institution, he remarked, the far sightedness of Sir George Roos Keppel and Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan was commendable who procured ample assets and established a rich trust whereas later on Quaid-e-Azam adopted it as his heir which further enhanced its resources.
Appreciating the services rendered by the institution, the Governor said, as a first step, it created awareness among the people and played the role of the pioneer educator. The achievements of the students of that time, he added, impressed the Quaid to proclaim "you played your part magnificently". This institution, he said, is now in the Third Phase which is of its preservation and enhancement. He assured his fullest support and co-operation to materialise this Phase and said that he would even approach the Higher Education Commission to manage permanent resources for it.
The Vice Chancellor of Peshawar University; of which the Islamia College is now a constituent body; Professor Dr Haroon-ur-Rasheed requested the Governor who is also the Chancellor of the University to continue his constant help to get rid it's institutions of the politics which, he added, has got the shape of menace. Similarly, he also sought the help of the Governor to make, better utilisation of the assets of the College, possible.
Talking about the performance of the college, he also mentioned one of its student, Sami, who has recently won the top most award at the national level in the recently held Physics Exhibition, under the auspices of HEC. There are hundreds of such students in the university who require encouragement as well, he said.
The principal of the college Professor Nisar Muhammad Nisar while presenting the annual report of the college highlighted its achievements.
Earlier, the Governor gave away degrees and awards to the graduates. In all 128 graduates were awarded bachelor degrees in Arts, Science and Theology on this occasion and amongst them Ahsan Sami, Rashid Ali Jan, Misbahul Islam and Yousaf Ali achieved gold medals for their extra ordinary academic achievements whereas Shahab Ali and Muhammad Furqan were adjudged best Senior Monitor and Best Student proctor respectively.
Similarly, Bilal Zaman was declared best sportsman of the year while Zia-ur-Rehman and Tawwawar Zaman Babar were given the best Qari and the best Naat Khawan awards. Further Syed Muhammad Sami and Attaullah Bilal were declared the best debaters of English and Urdu respectively while Ahdian and Taseer Khan given the awards for being best Pashto and Urdu poets of the Campus of the year.
Awards were also given to Professor M. Ishtiaq, Professor Sher Haider, Professor Farmanuddin as well as Director Physical Education of the College, Abdul Waheed for their extra ordinary performance as well.