Soviet war severely affected academic institutions of Pakistan:Dr Mehdi Hasan

Lahore: Former senior faculty member of Punjab University Institute of Communication Studies Dr Mehdi Hasan has said that Soviet war severely affected academic institutions of Pakistan and prompted ideological conflict on campuses.

He stressed the need to write unbiased and factual history to provide correct information to the people. He was addressing the second ceremony of compiling oral history of Punjab University at Al-Raazi Hall here on Thursday.

Dr Taqi Zahid Butt, Registrar Prof Dr Liaqat Ali, Secretary ASA Dr Mahboob Hussain, Dr Naumana Amjad, Incharge Institute of Communication Studies Dr Noshina Saleem, Chief Librarian Haseeb Ahmed Paracha, faculty members and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Sharing his memories, Dr Mehdi Hasan said that there were a large number of teachers in PU who wanted associate politics with religion and in connivance with a student union, they launched a malicious campaign against him.

He said that many columnists and writers wrote against him but a few also wrote in his favor. He said that academics must be provided with complete independence in academic decisions. He said that the basic purpose of the universities was to promote research but unfortunately it was ignored in the past in Punjab University but now the situation was far better.

He said that our curriculum must be improved otherwise we could not compete developed nations. Later, Dr Naumana Amjad thanked the participants.