President Dr Arif Alvi has called for bringing over 20 million out-of-school children back to schools and providing them with opportunities to grow and excel in life. He regretted that about 10% of Pakistan’s population had been deprived of their fundamental right, which was a great loss to the nation. The President said that the youth and the elite had the resources and the capacity to help and uplift this neglected segment of society, adding that it was the moral responsibility of the educated youth and the elites to support these underprivileged children in getting education to make them productive and responsible citizens of the country. The President expressed these views while addressing the 20th Convocation Ceremony of Iqra University, held in Karachi, on Thursday. Mr Naveed Lakhani, the Chairman of Hussain Lakhani Group, Ms Erum Asad, the Vice Chancellor of Iqra University, the alumni, the faculty members, and the parents of graduating students were present at the occasion. Addressing the ceremony, the President said that health and education were the essential foundations for the nation’s socio-economic development, and urged Pakistani universities to equip their students with employable skills, developing their analytical and critical thinking abilities to help them succeed in their personal and professional lives. The President urged the students to follow the path of unity, faith, and discipline as propounded by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah during their academic as well as professional life. He said that students must focus on improving their dealings with fellow humans in society and fulfilling the “Huqooq ul Ibad”, besides developing effective communication skills in order to become successful in life. The President urged the students to become lifelong learners and keep updating their knowledge and skills to keep pace with the rapidly changing world. He said that Pakistan had great expectations from its youth, and they needed to work for the socio-economic uplift of their country. He added that the youth must adopt the latest technology and focus on innovation, research and development to keep themselves and their country abreast with the exponential changes taking place in the field of Science and Technology, especially in the IT sector. The President highlighted the need for adopting emerging technologies and modern education to put the country on the fast track of development. He advised the graduating students to inculcate discipline and high moral values, fulfil their duties toward their country and serve it with dedication and passion. The President said that approximately 60% to 80% of the youth in colleges were under mental stress, and advised the youth to live a balanced life and take care of their physical as well as mental health and well-being. He urged the students, faculty and alumni of the university to fulfil their social, religious and moral responsibilities along with the pursuit of professional excellence. President Dr Arif Alvi also distributed the gold medals among the students for their excellent academic performance. More than 800 students from different disciplines were awarded degrees and medals at the convocation ceremony.
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