KARACHI, Sept 13: President Pervez Musharraf has said that positive headway achieved in the field of higher education is bound to bring a revolution in the country.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD) at the University of Karachi on Monday.

The president said, "The progress in the field of higher education was achieved with the efforts of Prof Attaur Rehman. He said that the selection of Dr Attaur Rehman for development in this vital sector had been made because of his efforts.

Pervez Musharraf announced that every year 1,500 persons would be sent abroad for PhD programme. He pointed out that the budget for higher education was raised from Rs800 million to Rs9.1 billion and pledged that the government would keep increasing the budget for higher education. He pointed out said that educational planning by Dr Attaur Rehman would enjoy continued support from the government.

Referring to trade and development, he said that about 60 per cent world trade was carried out in the engineering and industrial sectors. However, he regretted that people here were still engaged in agriculture and the whole economy was depending on it.

He said that Muslims in the past had given an outstanding performance in scientific field while with the passage of time they had given up, which was the major cause of their decline.

He observed that madressahs were not only imparting education, but also food and accommodation to our children. From this point of view, he said, the religious schools were our major non-governmental organizations. What really needed was to make these religious schools a right centre of knowledge, he said.

He described Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research as a vital achievement in the field of higher education and said its establishment had set a worth emulating example for other philanthropists.

Federal Minister and Chairman Higher Education Commission Prof (Dr) Attaur Rehman said that revolutions were brought through awareness and education. He said that the only difference between developed and developing nations was the progress in science and technology.

Speaking about the performance of Higher Education Commission, he said that the production of 1,500 PhDs would help prepare a big force of intellectuals and bring a change in the very concept of higher education in the country.

Also present on the occasion, Karachi University's Vice- Chancellor Prof Pirzada Qasim said that inauguration of an institution like the PCMD had added another institution of higher education and research to the university. He also praised Dr Attaur Rehman for his efforts in the field of higher education.

Acting chief of the International Centre for Chemical Sciences, Prof (Dr) Mohammed Iqbal Choudhry underlined the vital need of institutionalization for the attainment of goals in higher education, which would ultimately benefit the entire nation.

The head of Dr Panjwani Memorial Trust, Nadira Panjwani thanked President Musharraf for his presence in the ceremony. Among others, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and other noted academic and social personalities were present at the inauguration ceremony. - APP