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HYDERABAD, May 10: The regional general manager, National Rural Support Programme (NRSP), Sindh, Prof Aijaz Ahmed Qureshi has said that around 1.2 billion people of the world live below the poverty line.
Speaking at a lecture programme on “Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Alleviation”, organized by the Centre for Rural Development and Communication, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, on Thursday, Qureshi said that the main issue facing the world today was of poverty alleviation.
He said different countries of the world were spending $900 billion on defence, and added that 730 million people of the world were living without sufficient food.
He said that in Pakistan, 40 per cent population in rural areas was living below the poverty line.
Referring to the study conducted by the Asian Development Bank, Prof Qureshi said 82 per cent people of five villages of Sindh were living below the poverty line.
He said that between 1990-97, 15 million people in the world were infected with HIV/AIDS, and added that three million people were dying of air pollution ever year.
He said that at a world summit, world leaders had commitment that the industrial countries would spend $0.7 billion on poverty alleviation, but nothing practical had been done in this regard.
Prof Qureshi said the universities, intellectuals, scholars and specialists must play their due role in the development of the country to eradicate poverty.
He said without participation of common men in decision-making and planning, no goals for development could be achieved.
He said health and education were the responsibility of the government.
Qureshi pointed out that in many villages of the remote areas of Sindh, primary schools were being run without teachers and students, while in many villages the students were studying without school buildings.
Vice Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui presided over the session.
Graduates urged: The vice chancellor of Sindh University, Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, has urged the university graduates to work hard in their concerned fields and play their due role in the development of economy.
He was presiding over a farewell and welcome party organized by the students in honour of senior and newcomer students of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMCS) here on Thursday.
The vice chancellor said that the students are ambassadors of their institutes, and they must bring a good name to their alma mater through hard work.
He said that the university is providing all possible facilities to the faculty and students and he hoped that the teachers and students would take advantage of the available facilities.
He said that Sindh University is among the three universities which are introducing reforms for higher education, and added that only hardworking faculty and students could meet the challenges.
EXAMS: The Controller of Examinations (semester), University of Sindh, announced here on Friday that last date for submission of examination forms for the first and second semester has been extended upto May 13.
The students who are appearing in the first and second semester examination have been advised to deposit their examination fee upto May 13, and no further date will be extended.
The controller said that the second semester examination of candidates of 2001 batch and first semester examination of candidates of 2002 batch (new batch) will commence from May 18.
Modern education: The president of the Engro Chemical Pak Limited, Zafar Ahmed Khan, has called upon the cadets of the Petaro College to equip themselves with modern education in order to face the challenges ahead.
He was speaking as chief guest at the annual passing out ceremony of the out going class XII (1997 entry) the other day.
Khan said that we are living in a competitive era, and added that merit was the only criteria to move ahead.
The chief guest awarded shields and certificates to the cadets for demonstrating good performance in different fields.
Commodore Mohammad Abid Saleem, commandant and principal of the college also spoke on the occasion.
