ISLAMABAD, March 10: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here on Thursday peace could only be achieved through strength and the country’s nuclear programme was a guarantee for peace in the region.
The prime minister said Pakistan’s scientific development had formed the basis of country’s defence strategy, “which is always to have a credible defence”.
Addressing the convocation at the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), he said country’s scientific development had made it very unique in the Muslim Ummah, allowing it to face external and internal challenges.
He said Pakistan was a peaceful country and wanted good relations with everyone. But, he added: “Peace cannot be achieved through weakness. Peace is achieved through strength.”
The country’s nuclear programme, Prime Minister Aziz said was achieved due to a passion, where the scientists worked with a sense of pride, achievement and accomplishment.
“This (nuclear programme) has become a guarantor of peace for this whole region.”
Pointing to the contribution of the Pakistani scientists in this regard, he said: “Many of you have given Pakistan the strength to succeed, to progress and develop.”
Mr Aziz said he saw an exciting future for Pakistan, and pointed out that nothing could be achieved without hard work and passion. The country, he said, was facing numerous challenges but it had the capacity to face these with the right leadership and attitude.
“No matter what happens, history proves we achieve our objectives, as we have a clear conscience and Allah is with us.”
President Pervez Musharraf, he said, had shown the ability to take tough decisions. “He has shown the ability to nation to take tough decisions, to stand by and never compromise on any national interest and to raise the prestige of Pakistan in the comity of nations.”
This, he said, was an example for the young graduates.
The prime minister said he too believed in hard work and “12 hours of solid work, seven days a week”. This should “encourage you to work hard as sky is the limit”, he added.
There was a need to go for more innovative projects and to apply these to improve the life of the people of the country in all sectors, he stressed.
He noted the excellent work done in the field of agriculture by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, saying its research capability had become a hallmark and was playing a key role in the country’s agriculture growth.
The prime minister appreciated the efforts for indigenization, and said applications of nuclear technology in health, agriculture and industry were improving life of the common man.
There had been credible achievements through radiation therapy and the government was providing necessary resources for the health sector, he said.
The government, Mr Aziz said, was propelling the country forward by relying on a strong economy, a strong political process, internal and external security and knowledge-based economy.
Calling for using the nuclear technology in industrial applications, he said there was a need to switch over from commodity-based to engineering-based products.
He said the “share of mind was important than the share of muscle” in today’s world. The country, he added, enjoyed rich human capital, but it needed to be fully exploited.
The prime minister said an illiterate nation could never reach its full potential and there had to be a tremendous progress in areas of research and development.
He announced that the government would fund the construction of a building for a girls’ hostel for PIEAS.
Appreciating the excellent output from the institute, he said it was producing graduates who would play a leading role in bringing about a better future for our country and people.
“You are our future and future of Pakistan, the more we do for you, the better it will be for the country,” he added.
Prime Minister Aziz earlier conferred degrees and gold medals on the successful candidates.
The 261 students were from 33rd and 34th batch of M.Sc. (nuclear engineering), 12th and 13th batch of M.Sc. (system engineering) 8th and 9th batch of M.Sc. (nuclear medicine), 2nd batch of M.Sc. (information technology), 1st batch of M.Sc. (process engineering) and 1st batch of BS (computer and information sciences), including one Ph.D. degree in chemical and materials engineering.—APP
