KARACHI, April 29: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has urged writers and intellectuals to promote the traditional and heritage culture of the country for the benefit of the young generation, and also promote inter-provincial harmony.
Inaugurating the four-day international conference on Sindh: Past, Present and Future here at State Guest House here on Saturday, the prime minister said that Sindh, having the oldest civilization has rich culture, heritage and traditions, should be promoted in a proper and effective manner.
The conference has been organized jointly by the Department of Sindh and the Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Chair of the University of Karachi and the Institute of Sindhology, University of Sindh.
The prime minister said there was a need to know the past in order to build the present and future.
Sindh has the Indus Valley civilization and the province is uniquely known as Babul Islam whose land has been transverse by saints and Sufis, like Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Lal Shahbaz Qalander, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachal Sarmast and may others, who propagated the divine message of love, peace, harmony and tolerance. He said that sincere efforts should be made to project and promote this message for the guidance of the younger generation.
He described the natural resources and heritage of Sindh as a gifted with many of the characteristics of a high-growth region.
He said Sindh’s rich natural endowments held nearly one-third of all the country’s total mineral deposits with one of the largest coal reserves in the world and major oil and gas reserves.
Referring to the diverse population and complete harmony among the people of Sindh, he emphasized the need for further promoting the same. He urged the people to think positively and promote patience, tolerance and brotherhood.
Being a coastal province located in strategically important part of the region, Sindh has the potential to become one of the largest logistical and business hubs in South Asia. Its capital, Karachi, is the commercial hub of the country and is well connected through the extensive road and rail networks with different parts of the country and, thus, could play an important role in promoting inter-provincial harmony and close relations between each two provinces.
Dr Fahmida Hussain, Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui (Vice-Chancellor of Karachi University) and Mazarul Haq Siddiqui (Vice-Chancellor of Sindh University) also spoke on the occasion.—APP
