“Scientific discovery has been the fundamental driver of human
progress, development and prosperity; and we can rightfully take pride in the
fact that scientific inquisitiveness is amongst the most significant legacies
of the Islamic world. Muslim scholars kept the passion for scientific knowledge
and inquiry alive even during the darkest ages of Europe. The recent remarkable
achievement by young Muhammad Shaheer Niazi of Lahore, who published a paper in
the Royal Society Open Science journal at the tender age of
seventeen is a rejuvenating reminder of the immense potential of our people.
The theme for this year’s World
Science Day, Science for Global Understanding, is indeed very apt.
Pakistan has much to offer to the world, and also has much to gain from other
nations, in the area of science and technology. Pakistani solutions,
particularly in the areas of healthcare, engineering and computer software,
have come to be globally respected. Each year, new challenges are tackled
through a scientific approach in public policy applications. In the last few
years, for instance, Pakistani scientists and officials have teamed up to
better manage the impact of diseases like polio and dengue fever. The recent
phenomenon of smog in parts of the Punjab is yet another environmental
challenge that our scientists are working on, and I am certain that we shall
overcome this problem very soon.
It is quite impossible to
overemphasise the importance of the sciences in the modern world. Science
continues to be, more than ever, the primary currency of economic, political
and social growth and expansion. Indeed, nations that neglect this much too
obvious reality would soon be reduced to abject dependency. These
considerations have reinforced the resolve of the Government of Pakistan to
propel our society and economy into the future on the momentum of excellence in
education, especially in the sciences. This would, of course, need synergetic
collaboration across the whole society – where the government, private sector,
academia and scholars all join hands for the advancement of our nation. I have
great faith in our people and I am confident that by focusing on the education
of our children and youth, and by strengthening the tradition of research and
scholarship in the sciences, Pakistan will very soon attain its rightful place
amongst the most developed nations of the world.”
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NOT TO BE PUBLISHED, TELECAST OR BROADCAST BEFORE 10TH NOVEMBER,
2017
