THE future of any country depends on its youth. If its youth is mentally and physically sound, it is believed that the country’s future will be a bright one.
Since young people are an asset to any nation, it is important for senior citizens to provide their youth with a creative environment in which they can properly channelize their abilities.
To engage Pakistani youth in a dialogue on sensitive issues so that they could play a constructive role in Pakistan’s development, last year President Pervez Musharraf took a bold step by introducing the idea of holding a youth convention.
The first youth convention, organized jointly by the HEC and the Ministry of Education, was held in Islamabad from May 22 to 24, 2004. It was the first ever national youth convention in the history of Pakistan in which young people from all over the country were given a chance to express their views on Pakistan’s future.
The second youth convention was held on Feb 9 and 10, 2005 at the University of Karachi. It happened to be the first of its kind at the provincial level. The main objective of the convention was to provide a platform to the students of Pakistan to sit together and share their views on what they expect of Pakistan and what they can do for it. It was also organized to select 21 out of 78 pre-nominated students from 26 educational institutions of Sindh.
At the inaugural session of the convention, Vice-Chancellor of Karachi University Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, in his welcome address, explained the importance of such an event and hoped that the convention would serve as a bridge between the students of different universities to exchange their ideas and views on various vital issues concerning our society. He said active participation of many students in the convention would definitely help them explore their hidden talent.
Dr Faridud Din Baqai, Vice-Chancellor of Baqai Medical University of Karachi, was the chief guest during the session. Speaking on the occasion, he emphasized the significance of quality education. He said: “Our youth is the future of Pakistan and they have the potential to shoulder many a responsibility.”
Dr Jaffar Ahmed, Director of Pakistan Study Centre, Karachi University, Ghazi Salahuddin, a journalist and Dr Shahid Mir from IBA also spoke on the occasion. They expressed their views on the different themes of the convention, whereas Prof Tanvir Khalid briefed the participants about the aims and objectives of the convention. The convention comprised three sessions. The duration of each session was three hours, which was facilitated by a moderator and a session guest. Farah Iqbal, Dr Azra Anjum and Abdul Wahab Suri acted as moderators, while Prof Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Dr Zarrin Siddiqui and Mujahid Barelvi were special guests at each session respectively. Former vice-chancellor Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Prof Dr Abdul Wahab, also graced the occasion and addressed the gathering.
The panel of judges consisted of Prof Dr Abdul Qadeer, Prof Dr Khalida Ghous and Prof Dr Shahida Qasi. Each participant was given four minutes to speak, followed by a two-minute discussion.
On the first theme, ‘Education and job security go together,’ the participants expressed their dissatisfaction over the current curriculum. They were of the view that the main aim of acquiring education should be to gain knowledge and wisdom.
On the second theme, ‘Pakistan is not a nation in crisis,’ the presenters said that though the country is on a stable footing, there is still much needed to be done.
Expressing their views on the third theme ‘Youth of today: Pakistan’s tomorrow,’ the presenters raised the point that if today’s youth is not certain about its future, how can the country’s future be predicted?
At the end of all three sessions, certificates were awarded to the participants by Vice-Chancellor, University of Karachi, Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Siddiqui. Prof Malahat Kaleem Sherwani, convener of the organizing committee, announced the results. Late in the evening, a Mazahiya Mushaira was organized.
The concluding session of the first Sindh Provincial Youth Convention was chaired by Dr Ishratul Ibad, Governor of Sindh. In his address, Dr Ishratul Ibad said the process of getting the young people involved in a dialogue would definitely help develop a prosperous Pakistan. He said the issue of extremism needed to be addressed as exploitation of religious beliefs was misguiding our youth, making them commit extremist acts.
Provincial Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs Qamar Mansoor said the Sindh government would soon organize an international youth convention in Karachi.
Vice-Chancellor Sindh University Jamshoro, Dr Mazharul Haq, Director Higher Education Commission, Dr Zarin Siddiqui and Prof Tanvir Khalid also expressed their views. And Prof Malahat Kaleem Sherwani presented the report on the convention.
Later, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad awarded shields to position-holders of the convention and announced cash prizes for position-holders and participants of the convention. The selected 21 participants of the convention will represent Sindh in the forthcoming national youth convention in Islamabad.
THE future of any country depends on its youth. If its youth is mentally and physically sound, it is believed that the country’s future will be a bright one.
