RAWALPINDI: Prof Abdus Salam, eminent Pakistani scientist, yesterday made a passionate plea for building up genuine respect for learning and scholarship in the country.

Prof Salam was addressing a large gathering of students at the local Gordon College here.

The physicist argued that traditions of scholarship were developed over a long period of years. In turn such traditions could be built up through constant study and devotion to learning.

Illustrating his point, he said it was due to well-established traditions that the Jewish community today had among them one of the largest numbers of great men of letters and learning.

He said similar traditions were developed in the world of Islam which produced great men of learning.

But, he emphasised that to enable such traditions to flourish it was necessary to create values which inculcated respect for learning as an end in itself. He related how the great Muslim philosopher and historian Al-Beruni, when sought after by men of Sultan Mahmud, showed reluctance to join the Royal Court, thinking acquisition of riches might hamper his intellectual pursuits.—Agencies

Reactor for East Wing RAWALPINDI: The German Nuclear Power Mission, currently on a visit to Pakistan, has shown an interest in the installation of a nuclear power reactor of 5 mega watts in East Pakistan, Dr I. H. Usmani, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, disclosed here in an interview.

The AEC, he said, has made out a case about the economic feasibility of such a reactor for East Pakistan. If sanctioned by the Government it would cost approximately 26 million dollars and produce power at the rate of about 4-1/2 paisa per unit, he said.

—Agencies