SWABI: Degrees were awarded to over 700 students at a joint convocation of the University of Swabi (UoS) and the Women University Swabi (WUS) here on Monday.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar were the chief guests.

This was the first convocation of WUS and the second of UoS.

Prof Imtiaz Ali Khan, who is regular Vice-Chancellor of UoS, but also holds the additional charge of WUS VC, said it was decided that instead of holding separate convocations they would hold a joint convocation to save both the time and money.

A total of 370 students of UoS and 338 of WUS were awarded degrees in different disciplines. Those who achieved outstanding positions in their fields of study were awarded with gold medals.

Addressing the convocation, Mr Qaisar said the credit of establishing the two public sector universities and a medical college in Swabi went to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said providing contemporary education to the young generation was top priority of the provincial government. Progress and prosperity is linked with quality education, he said.

The chief minister also announced Rs100 million for UoS.

EDUCATED YOUTH COUNTRY’S FUTURE: Young talented students getting contemporary education are the true asset of Pakistan and the future certainly belongs to them.

This was stated by federal minister for Safron and narcotics Shahryar Khan Afridi while addressing a prize distribution ceremony at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology on Monday, at the end of National Military Defence Convention (NMDC) organised by Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE), GIK Institute chapter. Experts of various universities from across the country and students participated in the event.

Shahryar Afridi said a nation failing to educate its youth was unable to get a respectable place in the comity of nations because progress in every field was linked to quality education.

He said the PTI government was focused on education of the youth for Pakistan’s bright future.

He told the young participants that if they failed to value themselves nobody would value them. “Never ever compromise on your values and ideology,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2019