LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice (CJ) Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh stressed the need to promote research for alternative energy resources and mass tree plantation to protect the country from environmental degradation.

He was addressing the concluding session of the two-day 18th convocation Government College University (GCU).

The CJ said Pakistan had been badly affected by global warming and in such a situation deforestation of any kind was suicide. He also shared his memories from college days with the graduates.

Referring to a meeting in London with late Ravian Dr Abdul Salam, he said the Nobel Laureate had spoken about the importance of biotechnology when no one was familiar with the concept.

GCU VC Prof Zaidi said they were taking initiatives to improve quality of education, strengthen research and innovation and linkages to the policy-making communities and industries. Earlier, Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yassir Humayun chaired the first session on the second day of the convocation where he along with eminent artist Salima Hashmi and former GCU VC Prof Dr Khaleequr Rahman awarded medals to the position-holders of BA/BSc (Hons) programmes.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2020