AJK President calls for upholding merit to ensure quality education

MIRPUR, Dec 26 (APP):Excellence in education and developing skilled human resource are being given
foremost preference by the current Government of AJK, said President of AJK
State Sardar Masood Khan.
Addressing the scholarship award ceremony held at the University of Kotli
on Tuesday, the President said that merit based admissions and appointments
in the AJK Universities will be given due preference in order to ensure the highest
standards in tertiary education.
He said that in the coming years, quality higher education facilities will be
available in all district headquarters of the state.
Recently, Haveli sub-campus (University of Poonch, Rawalakot) has been
established at Forward Kahota and seminal work on Palandri sub-campus (Mirpur
University of Science and Technology), and Abbasspur sub-campus (University
of Poonch) have begun, and will be completed in the coming months.
President Masood Khan said new disciplines will be introduced at graduate
level in order to match curricula to the dynamic job market and enable successful
placement of fresh graduates.
Highlighting the economic and industrial revolution unfolding in AJK,
especially due to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the President said that
special emphasis will be given to technical skill development to cater to the
jobs generated in the coming years.
The President said the state despite its size has 5 public sector universities,
2 cadet colleges and dozens of degree colleges. He added “qualitative success
in education will only be achieved if we promote research, innovation, and provide
requisite international exposure to our faculty and students.”
He said :“Establishing a knowledge based economy is pertinent for the prosperity
of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and its people”.
President AJK while addressing the participants said that Azad Kashmir is rich
in human capital, which must be effectively employed for the benefit of the this region
and the country. He added “we need to focus on innovation, research, entrepreneurship
, and a trained workforce fully acquainted with the operating environment within AJK.”
Stressing the need to effectively highlight the Kashmir issue, Sardar Masood Khan
urged the students to use modern communication tools to approach their international
peers, the foreign media, think tanks, academic institutions and civil societies.
He said that Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir are being mercilessly murdered,
harassed, maimed and incarcerated every day. It is our duty to advocate the unarmed
struggle for right to self-determination of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters, and expose
the rotten face of the occupier, he added.
On the occasion the President laid the foundation stone for the new female hostel
and also awarded scholarships amongst deserving students and high achievers. The
event was also attended by Vice Chancellor Kotli University Prof. Dr. Syed Dilnawaz
Ahmad Gardezi, heads of departments, senior faculty members and students of
various departments of Kotli University.