ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said that the genuine democracy his government is going to establish will prevail and “we will continue with it.”

Speaking at a seminar titled “Quaid-i-Azam and the Ideology of Pakistan” organized by Sir Syed Memorial Society, the president said that his government would not allow the country to return to the era of loot and plunder.

“We are introducing a political system where sustainable and genuine democracy will be established and we will continue with it,” the president said.

The president also inaugurated the Sir Syed Institute of Technology by unveiling the plaque.

He highly appreciated the efforts made by Sir Syed Memorial Society for the promotion of education and particularly its endeavour of character-building of youth of Pakistan.

“To create a wholesome personality the character-building is very essential. Unfortunately we have education but nothing is being done for the character-building,” he said.

The president urged the teachers and the elders to pay special attention to the character-building of young people and motivate them to contribute positively towards society and the country.

Appreciating Sir Syed’s efforts for motivating the Muslims of India to arm themselves with education, the president said that Sir Syed’s message is more relevant in these days when we saw massacre of Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat by Hindu fanatics and fundamentalists.

“The two-nation theory has been proved beyond doubt after the fanatic acts of Hindu extremists,” the president said.

The brutal incident in Gujarat, he said, has also exposed the India’s false claims of being a secular state.

“We all who are in Pakistan and particularly who migrated to Pakistan should be thankful to Allah Almighty that we are living in peace and independently enjoying the life in Pakistan,” Gen Musharraf said.

Giving his vision for education sector, Gen Musharraf said that his government had evolved a comprehensive strategy for the promotion of education.

“We have made a wholesome education strategy to provide quality education and new syllabus is being introduced at all levels,” he said.

“We need peoples’ understanding of the problems and their patience. We have put the country on right direction and with the passage of time Pakistan will progress and prosper,” the president said.

On the occasion, President Musharraf directed to provide his office the list of gold medalists of Tehreek-i-Pakistan so that they could be invited on occasion of the national events.

“I wish that the members of Pakistan Movement should be given prominence and we will do that,” he promised.

The president appreciated the role of Sir Syed Memorial Society for better projection of Pakistan Ideology . He also lauded the efforts of the Society to establish 80 educational institutions in the suburbs of Islamabad.

The president assured fullest financial and moral support in the society’s endeavour to promote education in the country.

He said that the Society paid a befitting tribute to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan by constructing the great memorial building in the heart of Islamabad.

The memorial has been built on a plot of land owned by the Society measuring 12,000 square yards on Attaturk Avenue in the heart of Islamabad.

The design of the memorial building was approved by then Prime Minister Junejo in 1986. The memorial consists of a spacious auditorium, a modern library and a reading room and cultural and historical museums.

It is intended that apart from making the future generation aware of the various freedom movements launched by our forefathers which culminated in the creation of Pakistan, the memorial should become a forum for seminars, symposia, discussions and research aimed at devising ways and means for national improvement specially in the field of education.

In particular, the memorial should become a focal point for generating ideas through which the future generation of Pakistan could inculcate knowledge, character and spirit required for safeguarding the ideological frontiers of Pakistan and for promoting scientific enquiry and technological excellence so essential for the survival and progress of Pakistan as a united and strong country.

Earlier, the president visited the premises of the memorial and appreciated the depiction of the vision by building a statute of Sir Syed at the entrance of the memorial.

Brig (Retd) Iqbal Shafi, president of the Society in his welcome address highlighted the aims and objectives of the society.

Federal Minister Mehmood Ali also spoke on the occasion and gave a brief resume of the movement of Pakistan and the sacrifices made by the people to turn dream of Pakistan into reality.

Among the participants of Seminar were the gold medalists of Tehreek-i-Pakistan, Senior citizens, students and officials.—APP