ON Jan 7 Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a ceremony at Punjab University Law College for the distribution of laptops among its newly-admitted students. It was announced that it won’t be a political show, but the second half of the chief minister’s speech was indirectly against Dr Tahirul Qadri.

He alleged that a person has come to sabotage the ongoing political process and the smooth transition of power. He termed it as ‘imported agenda’ and kept reiterating it.

He kept comparing himself to Dr Qadri and mentioned an example of his expenditure on cancer cure and statement of the former regarding a painkiller during his tenure as a minister.

He said that the person who has spent four years in the cold of North America can never be loyal to Pakistan.

Punjab University has a heavy majority of youth coming from rural Punjab who has to face so many problems such as language, residential and communication issues at the beginning of their courses at the campus. They get no opportunity or experience of educational work on the computer or other digital devices.

It is a matter of great interest that Punjab University was named ‘Harvard of Pakistan’ in spite of the fact that it has never been listed within the index 500 of any local or international rating, yet a clear message has been conveyed at the ceremony that Punjab University is the best university of Pakistan.

The chief minister expressed that his Urdu could have improved if he had studied here.

He asserted that he has opened the treasures of knowledge for deserving university students. It would help future scholars, teachers, doctors, and engineers in conquering the world.

It is yet to be discovered ‘how’ a laptop will create future geniuses as the students have got inadequate proficiency in English and even a less significant technology-friendly background.

The fact is that government schools and colleges of Punjab give poor results and substandard education.

During the last four-and-a-half years,the chief minister did inaugurate ‘Daanish School Scheme’ but wasn’t he supposed to improve the existing government schools and colleges?

All technology users can’t be scientists. Information isn’t knowledge. Laptop is a mere tool that can help acquiring knowledge. A tool doesn’t make a man perfect or a scholar.

There are so many pre-requisites. The chief minister must ponder over his most read verse ‘aqal ko bhi sahib-i-aulad hona chahye’.

SYED FAIZAN ABBAS Lahore