LAHORE, May 17: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool hopes no extreme option will be exercized to settle differences between Pakistan and India, saying Pakistan was nevertheless ready to meet any eventuality.

“We will defend the solidarity of Pakistan in any emergency situation,” he said while talking to reporters during a visit to Dyal Singh College here on Friday.

The governor said Pakistan wanted to resolve the Kashmir dispute through talks because this guaranteed the economic and social development of the people of both the countries. He said at present the entire world wanted peace in the region, but regretted that India had its own options.

He said the provincial government had adopted all crises management measures when India had detailed its forces at the border some months ago. It would again take all steps if required under any extreme situation, he said.

Earlier, while visiting the college, he announced the status of centre of excellence for one college in every district so as to promote higher education at college and university level. He said these colleges would offer quality education with the help of sophisticated teaching tools, enabling the students to come up to the expectations of society.

The governor reviewed the plan for the reconstruction of the dilapidated portions of the college building, and said the government was spending Rs37 billion for the promotion of the education sector during the current fiscal. With this amount, he said, the government would improve the standard of over 60,000 educational institutions.

He said the national institutions of mathematics, information technology and biological sciences would start functioning in Lahore during the next two months. Separate universities were also being established in the disciplines of education and medical sciences.

Later, he inspected the college building which was established in 1881 by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia. He approved reconstruction of the college building and coverage of an adjacent drain at a cost of Rs20 million.

He also announced introduction of B Com classes in the college. He also visited an intermediate examination centre set up in the college.