LAHORE, Dec 23: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said Pakistan is passing through a very critical juncture of history and facing serious internal and external challenges.

He said crises could be overcome by adopting a mutual approach and the idea of making the country a modern welfare Islamic state could be materialised through unity.

The chief minister expressed these views during a meeting with Malik Hanif Awan, Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal and Hanif Jatt, the newly-elected PML-N MPAs in by-polls from Gujrat and Sahiwal, on Sunday.

According to a handout, the chief minister said extremism and terrorism had become a major hindrance in development and prosperity of the country.

He said the menace of extremism had ruined society and elimination of this scourge was not only the need of the hour but a coordinated and effective strategy should be evolved to rid the nation of extremism.

Shahbaz said the education was the key to overcoming the trends of extremism and terrorism effectively.

He said only those nations and societies made progress in the world which spent their resources on education.

The chief minister said neither the objectives of creation of Pakistan could be achieved without equipping the new generation with modern knowledge nor the goal of development and prosperity could be achieved.

He said the youth was a guarantee to bright future of Pakistan, and if any negligence was shown in the training and education of builders of the nation, the coming generations and the history would never forgive us.

The chief minister said the dream of getting education of such students had been materialised through educational funds whose parents were unable to provide education to their children due to financial constrains.

He said students of other provinces were also included in the educational programme of the Punjab government through which the process of national solidarity was being strengthened and national unity promoted.

The chief minister directed MPAs and office-bearers of the PML-N to keep a close liaison with the people and their problems should be solved on a priority basis.