Survival is assured to those who possess knowledge and military power:Speakers

Lahore: Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has stated that the world is a great battlefield and survival is assured to those who possess knowledge and military power.  He was addressing a seminar organized by the PU Pakistan Study Centre in collaboration with Pakistan National Forum here on Wednesday.

Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Riaz Ahmed Sheikh was the chief guest while Senator SM Zafar, former Governor Punjab Shahid Hamid, Lt Gen (r) Naseer Akhtar, Maj Gen (r) Rahat Lateef, Air Vice Marshal (r) Amjad Khan, Air Marshal (r) Anwar Mahmood, Maj Gen (r) Saeed ud Din Qazi, Justice (R) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, President PNF Col (R) Ikram ullah Khan, Director Pakistan Study Centre Prof Dr Massarrat Abid, faculty members and students were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the seminar, Dr Mujahid Kamran said that the armed forces of Pakistan showed outstanding performance during the 1965 War. He said that usually an attacking army could easily penetrate 10 to 15KM inside the territory of the other country but on Sialkot front, Indian Army attack was halted a few kilometers.

He said a western analyst soon after the war visited Pakistan to see how this extraordinary success of the Pakistan Army was achieved. He said that a US general had recently expressed surprise over the success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb on TV because of which terrorism had almost been eliminated from the country. He said that education and creation of new knowledge had continuously been ignored in the country, which had cost us dearly.

He said that the average spending of the world on education was 5 percent of GDP but Pakistan was spending less than 2 percent on education. He said that we could only give suggestions but it was up to leadership to take decisions. He called upon Pakistani leadership to spend at least 4 percent of GDP on education. He said that creation of new knowledge was a must for respectable survival in the world but no nation could become knowledgeable without the strength of character.

Addressing the ceremony, former CJP Riaz Ahmed Sheikh said that no nation could progress or win any war without the sentiments of patriotism. He said that we need to emerge as a nation. He said that National Security Council must be activated to understand and resolve sensitive issue related to Pakistan’s security.

Senator SM Zafar said that nation’s support was a must to win any war because of which we were able to defeat an enemy which was 5 times bigger than us in all respect. He said that in 1965, living standard of Pakistanis was much better and we were progressing in all the fields and we were respected in the world. But, he said, now we should think that why we were facing the problems today. He said that we must control Balochistan and Karachi’s deteriorating situation.

Barrister Shahid Hamid said that we did not have civil military relations that we enjoyed in 1965. However, he said, in a survey conducted by PILDAT, the most trusted institution among the people was Pakistan Army.

Major General (R) Rahat Lateef said that Pakistan Army won the 1965 War as we had got possession of 1600 square kilometer area of India while Indian forces occupied only 450 square kilometer area of Pakistan. He said that the performance of Pakistan Air Force was excellent during the war.

Lt Gen (R) Naseer Akhtar said that in the present circumstance, military and civil set up must play their role otherwise we could not move forward. He stressed about the unity among a nation which played the fundamental role in winning a war. Maj Gen (R) Saeed ud Din Qazi said that we lost the opportunity to conquer Kashmir in 1965 War.

Air Marshal (R) Khursheed Anwar said that during 1965 war the armed forces including Pakistan Navy played in defending the borders of mother land. Justice (R) Faqeer Muhammad Khokhar, Air Marshal (R) Zafar Chaudhry, Col (R) Ikram ullah Khan and Prof Dr Massarat Abid Also spoke on the occasion.