SWABI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said Pakistan had no dearth of resources and capable human resource and stressed that strengthening of institutions and focusing on education, was vital for the country's progress.
Speaking at the inauguration of new academic block at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) of Engineering Science and Technology in Topi, he said the government had placed education among its top priorities with no compromise on its quality and standard.
Addressing the under-graduate students, the prime minister advised them to always follow the mindset that led to positivity and towards achievement of their goals, rather than getting demoralized by challenges in life.
"Expect challenges surfacing in your life, but never let your inner-fear overcome you and distract you from your dreams," he said, while giving the students tips of a successful life.
He said role models were important to set a direction in one's life and urged upon the students to follow Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as their inspiration, who established the world's first-ever modern state, based on a just society that also provided unprecedented rights to women and banished slavery.
The prime minister proposed the GIK for establishing an academic chair on the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for an in-depth research about his vision and qualities that laid the foundation of a great civilization.
He said the Prophet's victory against infidels in the Battle of Badar in AD 625 with only 313 men, and defeating the Roman and Persian Empires in AD 636 and AD 638 respectively, were the topics that needed to be thoroughly studied.
Imran Khan said history only remembered those who did not confine their vision to themselves but acted in the best interest of humanity.
He said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, once a staunch supporter of Hindu-Muslim unity, realized the mentality of prejudice against Muslims similar to the agenda of RSS in India and worked tirelessly towards his goal of a separate homeland.
Imran Khan said his opponents often accused him of taking U-turns from a particular stance, and added "I make compromises for achieving my goals, rather than compromising on my goals."
He categorically rejected an chance of reconciliation with the jailed looters of the country's wealth. "The opponents are raising hue and cry so that I give them NRO. This is simply out of question," he added.
The prime minister said sixty percent youth in the country were below the age of 30 years, who could prove as an engine of positive change in right direction.
He said Islam held scholars in high esteem and vowed to restore the culture of respect for teachers in the society.
Rector of GIKI Jahangir Bashar, while highlighting the achievements of the institute, said the GIKI had been ranked at first in Pakistan and 24th in the world.
He said the Institute was laying special focus on research to produce the future leaders. The faculty as well as the students had also earned distinction internationally in different contests, he added.
Chairman GIKI Board of Governor Engineer Shamsul Mulk said having started its journey in 1994, the Institute had enrolled around 572 male and 50 female students and hoped that the figure would increase to thousands till the golden jubilee of the institute.
Lauding the policies of the incumbent government, he also called the prime minister as Safeer-e-Kashmir (ambassador of Kashmir). Shamsul Mulk thanked the KP government for gifting the new academic block to the institute.
He said the Pakistani expatriates had committed to raise around 30 million pounds to establish a similar institute in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Later, the Rector of GIKI presented a memento of the institute to the prime minister.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday inaugurated the new academic block at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, completed with a cost of Rs 1.09 billion.
Chief Minsiter Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Federal Minister for Educaton Shafqat Mehmood and provincial minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, accompanied the prime minister.
Covering an area of 162,000 square feet, the project has been completed in two years.
The four-story academic block has 12 classrooms, 20 laboratories, 42 faculty offices, three conference rooms and can accommodate around 1,000 students.
Other facilities include quiz and research halls, gymnasium, internet service and also in-place heating, cooling and fire detection systems.
The prime minister also planted a sapling in the premises of the Institute as part of the country-wide ongoing tree plantation drive.