KARACHI: Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi on Tuesday addressed a ceremony at the Governor House to honour students who secured top positions in the Secondary School Certificate (Matriculation) examinations.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that education, merit and hard work formed the foundation of Pakistan’s progress and prosperity, adding that societies which valued education were the ones that prospered.

Congratulating the position holders, he said encouraging talented students was a collective responsibility. “Success is the result of consistent hard work, discipline and the guidance of teachers,” he added, urging students to maintain a strong relationship with books and use modern technology for positive purposes.

The governor paid tribute to teachers and described the outstanding performance of female students as a symbol of Pakistan’s bright future.

Addresses ceremony to honour students who secured top positions in matric exams

At the conclusion of the ceremony, he presented certificates of appreciation and cash awards to the position holders.

The event was attended, among others, by Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) Chairman Prof Musharraf Ali Rajput and Controller of Examinations Ahmed Khan.

Speaking to the media after the ceremony, Mr Hashmi also said Pakistan’s peace, stability and respected position in the international community were the result of the great sacrifices rendered by the country’s martyrs.

He said that the survival of the state was indebted to the blood of its martyrs, and the entire nation must remain united for the defence, security and progress of the country. “The death of a martyr is the life of the nation,” he added.

He expressed regret over recent remarks made by Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding the martyrs, saying such statements had caused pain to the families of the martyrs and to the nation. “This is the teaching of Islam and the survival and security of the state are founded upon the sacrifices of its martyrs. The martyrs belong to the entire nation and should remain above all differences,” he said.

He expressed hope that the statement would be reconsidered and withdrawn.

The governor said hostile forces were seeking to weaken Pakistan and alleged that India was behind acts of terrorism through malicious proxy designs. “Our Armed Forces are confronting these conspiracies and making tremendous sacrifices for the protection of the lives and property of the people,” he added.

Mr Hashmi said the political situation in the country had improved in recent months and expressed hope that all political forces would place national interests above everything else. “Political differences should be resolved through parliament and constitutional forums,” he added.

Responding to a question about street crime in Karachi and the murder of a doctor on Monday, the governor said that law enforcement agencies had traced the suspects and they should receive exemplary punishment. “Further measures will be taken to strengthen law and order in the city,” he added.

Regarding power outages in the city, he said that he had “spoken” with the chief executive officer of K-Electric regarding unannounced load shedding.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026