LAHORE July 11: The governor has stressed the need for promoting positive values in society to overcome problems of anxiety, stress and tension which lead to mental retardation. Speaking at a function held here to commemorate ‘35 years of excellence of Fountain House’, Khalid Maqbool said: “We should be proud of our values and be aware of the rights of one another.” He said the joint family system should not only be protected, but also strengthened as it provided a sense of belonging and protection to children and taught them respect for the elderly.

He called for following Islamic teachings, which urge sharing of happiness as well as sorrow and grief of one another.

“When a person believes there are people to share his worries and problems, he is relieved and feels a sense of security and is less distressed,” he said.

The governor lauded the role of philanthropists in supplementing government’s efforts to provide health facilities to people. “By setting up various charity hospitals, these people have set good examples and deserve acknowledgement and appreciation,” he said.

He said the welfare work done by people in the field of healthcare showed that there was no dearth of the people in our society who were ready to serve the needy.

Appreciating the services being rendered by the Fountain House, he said such institutions earned a good name for the country.

He said Iran, Indonesia and Bangladesh had achieved a great success in population programme, and Pakistan could also follow their example through sustainable efforts. He said political, religious and other leaders from all walks of life must come forward to inform the public about benefits of a balanced society.

Country representative of the United Nations Population Fund Dr Franc highlighted the steps being taken by the UN for population welfare in different countries.

Provincial population welfare minister Nasim Lodhi and population welfare secretary Qazi Afaq also spoke on the occasion.

Later, the governor distributed awards among those who had shown excellent performance in creating an awareness about population control issues.