ABBOTTABAD, Sept 27: The Army Burn Hall College for Women will be upgraded to the university level by converting the postgraduate classes into university in near future.

The principal of the college, Brig Ishfaq Ali, made this announcement here on Friday during the first convocation of the college.

He said site for the university has already been selected at Narian in district Abbottabad. The NWFP governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah was chief guest at the convocation.

Speaking on the occasion, the governor said that in education sector they must be attentive towards both quality and quantum to ensure the availability of quality human resource to keep pace with the rapidly changing world.

The Holy Quran, the Governor said, also taught them that it was only the educated persons who fear Allah and from this it was evident that for both worldly and spiritual advancement; education is a must. Mr Shah said they must not ignore almost half segment of their society as, he added this sort of gender discrimination is not only unjust but also against the spirit and teaching of Islam.

Not only this he remarked, we should also concentrate on girls education and must also provide opportunities and encourage our women folk to play their due role in the society. The female education, he said, is also of prime significance as an educated woman creates an educated family.

Welcoming the announcement to convert the postgraduate classes of the college into Burn Hall University the governor said that keeping in view the track record of the institution he does not feel any hesitation to expect that it would not only maintain its standard through its new project but would also materialize it’s ultimate goal.

The principal in his annual report of the college said that in session 2001; 36 candidates appeared out of which 25 got first division whereas in session 2002 out of 37 candidates; 17 bagged first division and the overall result was recorded as 100 percent.

Earlier, Mr Shah gave away degrees and awards to the graduates. In B.Sc session 2001 Mahbano Syed bagged gold medal while Fauzia Iftikhar and Maria Pervez got silver medals. In B.A Nadia Hasnain was given gold medal whereas Rabia Khan was awarded silver medal. Similarly, in B.Sc session 2002 Hajira Akhtar achieved gold medal and Amna Rao got silver medal whereas in B.A Saima Sajjad got gold medal and Amna Saeed was given silver medal.

The ceremony was largely attended by senior army and civil officials, elite of the area and parents in large number, besides District Nazim Col (R) Ghulam Mustafa Jadoon and Naib Nazim Barrister Javed Abbasi.