Population Association of Pakistan (PAP), in collaboration with Punjab University Institute of Social & Cultural Studies (ISCS), organised a three-day 12th Annual Population Research Conference with the theme 'Pakistani Youth: The Ultimate Resource'. The inaugural ceremony of the conference held at the Faisal Auditorium, New Campus, here on Tuesday.
Vice Chancellor Punjab University Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran, Special Secretary to UN Secretary General Dr Nafis Sadik, President PAP Dr Shahida Azfar, Director ISCS Professor Dr Muhammad Hafeez, faculty members and a large number of students were also present.
Addressing the ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mujahid Kamran said human being was the ultimate resource and among them youth was the most valuable asset. He said as far as physicists were concerned, all the fundamental researches and discoveries were made by the scientists when they were young. Like Einstein who was 26 when he introduced the theory of relativity, Isenberg and Professor Salam also got fame at the age of 24 because of their extraordinary work. He said that unfortunately no government since the establishment of Pakistan had been serious about promoting education in the country.
He urged the leaders to allocate at least four percent of the GDP to education. Lack of education was the root cause of all the problems being faced by the country, he said, adding that their problems would not be resolved unless they pay attention to education. Special Secretary to the UN Secretary General Dr Nafis Sadik said boys and girls must be empowered for development of the country. She said that men and women should be given equal rights in the country.
She said family planning could help change their lives. President PAP Shahida Azfar said unemployment rate in youth is very high as education statistics present a grim situation. Representatives of UNICEF Shagufta Hamid Bhatti, UNFPA Rabbi Royan, Pakard Foundation Dr Yasim Sabeeh Qazi, VC University of Gujrat Professor Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin, Director ISCS Professor Dr Muhammad Hafeez and Shagufta Ijaz also spoke on the occasion.