Pak-US Knowledge Corridor will prove game changers for Pakistan:Ahsan Iqbal

Lahore: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms  Ahsan Iqbal has said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Pak-US Knowledge Corridor will prove game changers for Pakistan.

He was addressing the first-ever launching ceremony of Young Development Corps (YDC) at Punjab University’s Al Raazi Hall here on Friday.

PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Advisor to Vice Chancellor Col (r) Ikram Ullah Khan, Registrar Prof Dr Liaqat Ali, newly selected YDC President Huzaifa Anwar, Vice President Imbisat Fizza, General Secretary Umer Daraz, Joint Secretary Anoop Hafeez, Media Relations Officer Arooj Aurangzaib, senior faculty members and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Ahsan Iqbal said that the past governments used to buy tanks and aircrafts from the United States but no government purchased the “academic weapon” of the US as its real weapon was its universities. He said that during the recent visit of Prime Minister to the United States, it had been decided that around 10,000 Pakistani PhDs would be trained in the US universities in the next ten years under Pak-US knowledge Corridor Program and it would prove a revolutionary initiative for the development of the country.

He said that unfortunately positive academic achievements were not being highlighted by the media. He said that the government had increased Higher Education Commission’s budget from 48 billion rupees to 78 billion rupees and it wanted to increase the amount to 100 billion rupees. He urged the youth and the media to promote positive thinking in the society. He said that the basic reason behind discontinuation in policies was that there was no public input in formation of these policies and that’s why public did not defend them.

He said that his government was taking input from public in development projects and through YDC, young students had been made stakeholders in the development plans of the country. He said that the establishment of YDC was aimed at utilizing the energies of young male and female students of the universities for solving the problems the nation was facing. He said that young students could bring social change and YDC would promote positive thinking and ray of hope among the people of Pakistan.

He said that the government was making efforts to achieve goals of Vision 2025 and Pakistan would be included among the top 25 economies of the world by 2025. He said that in 2013, there was 20 hours loadshedding, terrorist incidents were taking place every week, international media had declared Pakistan the most dangerous country of the world and Karachi was burning. But now after two-and-a-half-year, he said, Pakistan Army was advancing and terrorists had run from their safe places. He said that international media was declaring Pakistan the next emerging destination of investors.

He said Karachi’s situation had improved manifold and every resident of Karachi was witness to the fact. “Pakistani flag is being hoisted in every nook and corner of Balochistan, isn’t it a change?” the minister asked. He said that the government would establish universities or sub campuses in all the districts to provide higher education opportunities at the doorstep of the poor people.

While addressing the participants, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said that Mr Ahsan Iqbal’s address had reflected that he was not a “political” minister but a minister who had dreams and destinations in his eyes and wanted to make youth part of them. He said that Knowledge Corridor was Mr Iqbal’s brainchild which had been adopted by the Prime Minister and this plan would prove a milestone in the history of the country.

YDC President Huzaifa Anwar said that the students were thankful to the federal government for making them part of development projects. He said that the students of the universities had been provided a healthy platform to play their role to achieve the goals of Vision 2025.

Earlier, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran administered the oath to the newly selected office-bearers of Young Development Corps.