PESHAWAR, Sept 5: Speakers at a workshop on Tuesday underlined the need for dissemination of scientific knowledge for concrete socio-economic development of the Muslim society which, they said, was plagued by centuries-old taboos.

The two-day workshop on ‘media and science awareness’ was jointly organised by the Pakistan Science Foundation and the Pakistan Scientific Technological Information Centre (Pastic) at the Pakistan Forest Institute, University of Peshawar. It was aimed at seeking assistance and cooperation of print and electronic media in promotion of scientific knowledge.

Majority of those who spoke at the workshop were of the view that media could play a vital role in ridding people of superstitions and reshaping their approach towards the importance of techno-scientific disciplines being taught at colleges and universities.

They said the Muslims had gained and kept their supremacy for over 350 years in scientific disciplines, particularly in mathematics and medicines and they paved way for future development in science and technology.

Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) chairman Dr N. M. Butt said the foundation, formed in 1973, had been active in promotion of research in science disciplines. He said Pastic, a unit of the PSF, had been active on the communication front and had six sub-centres in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Fasialabad and Muzaffarabad.

He said the in the past the PSF had sent a large number of talented students abroad to do research in various scientific subjects and during the current year eight students — five girls and three boys — were sent to Germany for advance learning in Chemistry. However, he said, the foundation alone could not bring about changes in the society unless media extended support to it by reporting scientific issues.

He said the PSF’s scientific caravans (mobile vans) had visited a large number of schools and explained to the students advancements in the scientific fields. “We have established museums in Islamabad where different kinds of minerals and many species of insects have been kept for research,” he added.

NWFP information minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai, who inaugurated the workshop, said the event was held timely because in the present era knowledge and information had become driving forces for socio-economic development. “Our focus should be on acquisition and generation of knowledge, without which we cannot properly plan and prepare for future challenges”, the minister added.